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Amazon may be working on a smartphone with hologram-like 3D Amazon is reportedly developing a smartphone that sports a 3D screen that relies on retina-tracking technology to make images seem to float above the screen like a hologram. With the smartphone, users would be able to navigate through content by using their eyes alone, according to two unnamed people who discussed the phone with the Wall Street Journal. More
Top Editors Abruptly Leave Village Voice Will Bourne, who became editor in chief of The Village Voice in November, and Jessica Lustig, the deputy editor since January, are leaving the weekly publication. They met with the staff at 11 a.m. on Thursday and said that Christine Brennan, executive editor of Voice Media Group, had instructed them to lay off or drastically reduce the roles of five employees on the 20-person staff. More
Microsoft may buy Barnes & Noble's Nook unit for $1 billion According to internal documents obtained by the website TechCrunch, Microsoft has offered $1 billion for the digital assets of Nook Media, Barnes & Noble's digital book venture. According to internal documents obtained by the website TechCrunch, Microsoft has offered $1 billion for the digital assets of Nook Media, Barnes & Noble's digital book venture. More
Apple revenue lags Street view - Belleville Intelligencer Cook 'not worried' about iPad declines: Here's why - ZDNet 07/23/2014 - 11:17 am | View Link
Fund managers unconvinced by Apple rebound as firm readies results - Belleville Intelligencer RPT-UPDATE 1-Fund managers unconvinced by Apple rebound as firm ... - Reuters 07/22/2014 - 9:37 am | View Link
Beefs & Bouquets for March 2 - Comox Valley Echo Us and other newspaper contributors and ... Gallery, Courtenay, for hosting my book launch on ... to Kyle at Staples who helped me with my iPad ... 07/21/2014 - 11:38 am | View Link
Rumor: iPhone 6 production to start this week, claims paper - IPod NN This huge iPhone 6 rumor infographic will tell you what to expect in ... - Yahoo! News 07/17/2014 - 2:38 pm | View Link
HomeFinder.com Releases First Open Home Pro Android(TM) App for ... - Red Orbit ... audience and the 375+ local newspaper real ... and used this feedback to launch a new product.” Since the release of the Open Home Pro iPad ... 07/17/2014 - 9:54 am | View Link
Rumor: iPhone 6 production to start this week, claims paper Taiwain's Economic Daily News, which has been on a spree of sometimes-dubious claims about the forthcoming new iPhone and possible additional models, is now reporting that Apple's alleged 4.7-inch "iPhone 6" model will begin production next week, with the supposed 5.5-inch model starting production in the second week of August for a later launch date. Foxconn has inadvertently supported the ... 07/18/2014 - 12:11 am | View Link
Rupert Murdoch criticizes excessive regulation, corporate tax policy for stymieing G20 growth Media mogul Rupert Murdoch on Thursday criticized excessive financial regulation... 07/17/2014 - 9:23 am | View Link
HomeFinder.com Releases First Open Home Pro Android™ App for Tablets CHICAGO, July 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- HomeFinder.com, a leading real estate search site, announces the official release of its Open Home Pro for Android™ tablet app. The free tablet app joins the top ... 07/16/2014 - 2:51 pm | View Link
State Bar of Montana Gives Valuable Benefit to Members with Addition of Fastcase Legal Research Members Can Now Access Online Law Library, Leading Visualization Tools, Mobile Apps, and Annotated Statutes (PRWeb July 15, 2014) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/StateBarofMontana/Fastcase/prweb12005092.htm 07/15/2014 - 10:51 am | View Link
The Inside Story of Flipboard, the App That Makes Digital Content Look Magazine Glossy How serial entrepreneur Mike McCue successfully positioned Flipboard at the forefront of a new era of digital media. 07/8/2014 - 12:00 pm | View Link
'iPad 2' spotted at Rupert Murdoch's iPad newspaper launch A Reuters eyewitness saw what appeared to be a working model of the next iPad with a front-facing camera at the top edge of the glass screen at a press conference to mark the debut of News Corp's Daily online paper in New York on Wednesday. A source with ... 02/2/2011 - 11:18 am | View Link
Daily iPad Newspaper Slated For February Launch An invitation sent out to the media has revealed the iPad-only newspaper, the Daily, created by News Corp will begin on 2 February. That digital publication will cost 99 (62 pence) cents per week. According to Reuters, the original 19 January unveiling ... 01/27/2011 - 11:00 am | View Link
Murdoch to launch iPad-only newspaper 'The Daily' Apple and News Corp will launch the latter's The Daily iPad-only newspaper next week in New York, according to invitations sent to members of the press. The invitations stated that News Corp CEO Rupert Murdoch will share the stage at the Guggenheim Museum ... 01/27/2011 - 11:00 am | View Link
Murdoch iPad newspaper to launch in next two weeks The digital-only publication, available initially only in the United States, represents News Corp's latest attempt to force consumers to pay for its online news and support investment in journalism -- a strategy that is being closely watched. "It should be ... 01/25/2011 - 4:07 am | View Link
The Daily iPad newspaper launch in "next few weeks" Following a number of delays and a postponed January 19th unveiling, the first subscription based iPad specific newspaper The Daily has been officially pegged for arrival “in the next few weeks”. Most recently delayed due to further work being required ... 01/24/2011 - 11:00 am | View Link
Official Apple Store Get fast, free shipping on orders over $50 or buy online and pick up at a local Apple Retail Store. Add a free personal laser engraved message to iPad Air, iPad mini ... 07/29/2014 - 5:53 am | View Website
Top Mobile Games for iOS, Android, Java & more | Gameloft Preview & download great mobile games for your phone or tablet at Gameloft. Download & play Free games now! 07/29/2014 - 5:39 am | View Website
Apple, iPhone and iPad News | ModMyi Your favorite Apple, iPhone, iPad, iOS, Jailbreak, and Cydia site. 07/29/2014 - 12:38 am | View Website
Apple, iPhone and iPad Forums | ModMyi.com Apple, iPhone and iPad Forums at ModMyi | iPhone, iPod, iPad, Mac, OS X, and more! Providing support, discussion, guides, and downloads for all modders! 07/28/2014 - 5:43 pm | View Website
iPad iPad is a line of tablet computers designed and marketed by Apple Inc., which runs Apple's iOS. The first iPad was released on April 3, 2010; the most recent iPad ... 07/28/2014 - 4:17 pm | View Website
It's right up there next to politics and religion on the list of things you probably shouldn't talk about at the dinner table.
Perhaps it's the nonmagical implications that cause a stir — the answer it offers to the ageless where do we come from question. Or perhaps because it's so dang personal
See also: The Hunt for Killer Asteroids
Whatever the case, it gets people talking.
If Foursquare's attempt to force users into Swarm taught us anything, it's that people really don't like being forced into using apps.
Facebook, never one to heed the lessons of history, will soon be forcing its iOS and Android users over to Facebook Messenger, and many users aren't happy about it.
See also: The Top 10 Reasons You're Still Clinging to Facebook
Facebook sent an email to users Monday, alerting them that messages will soon be disappearing from Facebook's iPhone and Android app (for now, messages will remain available in the iPad and Windows Phone app, as well as on the mobile web and desktop.) Read more
A new German cloud storage startup is preparing to launch a service it bills as more secure than Dropbox, thanks to offering client-side encryption — but it’s also shooting to be as usable as Dropbox — and therefore more user friendly than other security-focused cloud storage services that do local encryption, like SpiderOak.
StumbleUpon released version 4.0 of StumbleUpon for Android today, bringing a complete user interface overhaul, including navigation changes and a new way for users to find content. The design fits Google’s Android app design guidelines, with pages you can slide in from the left and right and a flat look that is has hints of Android L’s Material design.


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Two more electric vehicle models are almost ready to enter the Australian auto market, which has been sorely lacking in choice for those wanting to make the switch to zero emissions transport.
As of June 2020, there are just 13 all-electric options available in Australia, with only four available for less than $60,000 before on-road costs – the Nissan Leaf, the Hyundai Kona Electric and Ioniq, and the Renault Zoe.
But this number is about to increase by 50 per cent, with two more EVs priced under $60,000 due for imminent release on Australian roads.
The MG ZS EV, which the now Chinese-owned brand is offering at just $46,990 drive away for the first 100 orders, was spotted on Monday by a pair of sharp eyes in Sydney and kindly shared with The Driven.
It’s not the first time the MG ZS EV has been spotted on Australian soil; in January it was spotted charging in Sydney’s inner east (it will be sold solely via MG’s Sydney City showroom).
It is the first time, however, that we have seen the MG ZS EV, which a spokesperson for MG has confirmed is due for an end of year launch, in evaluation mode (and we note the highlighted “EV” in the vehicle’s branding.
Although post-introductory pricing has not yet been announced by MG, as one of a small handful of vehicles that will be available in Australia for under $50,000, at least to start with, we think the MG ZS EV will prove a popular choice.
According to MG, the ZS EV retains its combustion stablemate’s large boot space, and offers an 8” colour touchscreen, integrated Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, six-speaker surround sound audio, and satellite navigation. It also gets the ZS’ desirable “Panoramic Stargazer Sunroof”.
With its 44.5kWh battery offering 262km driving range (WLTP), it comes under the specifications of Hyundai’s crossover competitor, the Kona Electric. However, it also does on price, at least for the time being, and one would assume that MG will be taking specs versus pricing into account in terms of positioning against the Kona Electric.
But when it does officially make it onto Australian roads, it will also have the Mini Electric Hatch, which has been spotted recently at BMW HQ in Melbourne, to contend with.
BMW has confirmed with the Driven that these are media vehicles and test drive vehicles will be making their way to dealers next month ready for customers to put them through their paces in August.
Shared on Facebook by Stewart Wilson, the brand spanking new Mini Electric Hatch is certainly a head-turner.
Along with all the character one would expect from the Mini brand, the Electric Hatch comes in a range of sporty two-tone colour options which go hand in hand with the “go-kart” driving experience BMW says it has sought to retain in the switch to electric drivetrain (which to be honest has probably been quite easily given the low centre of gravity thanks to the battery).
Priced from $59,900 before on-road costs, the Mini Electric Hatch offers 233km driving range from its 32.6kW, and comes with interior features such as leather cross punch sports seats with seat heating for driver and front passenger, a heads-up and digital dash display, and a Harman Kardon sound system.
Bridie Schmidt is lead reporter for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018, and has a keen interest in the role that zero-emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum. Bridie also owns a Tesla Model 3 and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.

domain: news


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In today’s latest reminder that you shouldn’t build too much reliance on social platforms when looking to establish your business, reports suggest that Meta is now looking to scale back its investment in news content and newsletters, via its ‘Bulletin’ platform, in favor of focusing on the creator economy, and its metaverse-forward plans.
As reported by The Wall Street Journal, Meta is currently in the process of reallocating resources from its Facebook News tab and Bulletin, as per a new internal note from senior executive Campbell Brown.
As per WSJ:
“Ms. Brown, said that the company would shift engineering and product support away from the two products as “those teams heighten their focus on building a more robust Creator economy.”
What, exactly, those ‘Creator Economy’ projects are is unclear, but as noted, it once again underlines the concerns that many publishers have had over time, that if you try to play Meta’s game, and align with what it’s focusing on at any given time, you’re also then at the whim of Meta’s team, which can lose interest in projects seemingly overnight.
And those shifts can be devastating for publishers.
A key case study in this respect is ‘Little Things’, the Facebook-focused web publisher which was once a big winner of Facebook’s now infamous ‘pivot to video’, in which it encouraged brands to publish more and more video content in order to feed into consumption behaviors.
Until it didn’t.
In 2017, Facebook changed its algorithmic focus, and Little Things, which, at one stage, had over 12 million followers, lost 75% of its organic traffic, virtually overnight. The company was eventually forced to close, laying off around 100 staff – and it’s not the only publisher that’s lost out in a big way as a result of Meta’s broader strategic zigs and zags, as it seeks to maintain relevance, and keep users coming back.
Meta’s latest focus in this respect is, of course, short-form video, which TikTok has transformed into the key connection format, for almost all users.
According to Brown’s memo, Facebook will focus on short-form content, and metaverse-aligned projects, which could see more and more of Meta’s other bets lose out, particularly as it looks to rationalize expenditure, and recoup losses from lower ad spend.
That leaves Bulletin, which Meta launched in April last year, in limbo, along with the various writers and publishers that it established exclusive content deals with for the platform.
Back in December, Meta reported that more than 115 publications were active on Bulletin, many of them with thousands of subscribers, while Meta also funded 25 local news journalists as contributors to the project, which Meta saw as a potential savior for local news.
That seemed like a viable pathway, given Facebook’s ubiquity, and its connective benefits for local news content. But maybe, Meta hasn’t seen the engagement value from such that it hoped, which could play into this latest shift.
And then there’s the question of its News tab, and how Meta negates the impacts of scaling this element back.
As WSJ reports, Meta has paid publishers to participate in its News program, signing deals worth tens of millions of dollars with various news organizations, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Washington Post.
Most of those initial deals expire this year, which gives Meta a way out, and reports have been swirling in recent months that Meta is re-assessing its payments on this front, with big publishers standing to lose out big time as a result.
That also raises questions as to whether this might impact Meta’s deals with news publishers in various nations, where Meta has established revenue share agreements for the use of news content. Australia, Canada and the UK have all brokered deals that see Meta sharing a percentage of its revenue with local publishers, based on content displayed on the News tab – but if that’s scaled back, or even retired completely, that could force a renegotiation, with publishers no doubt set to turn up the heat on representatives in order to keep that money flowing, where they can.
But overall, as noted, the key point of note here is to not build too much reliance on Meta’s apps, or any social platform for that matter.
Yes, each platform wants you to share more content, because that ensures that they have more things to show their users when they log in, but getting too addicted to that referral traffic and income can have disastrous impacts on your longer-term strategy.
We don’t know what the full impacts will be in this instance, but it’s clear, once again, that Meta has changed its mind, which will take money out of the pockets of many partners who had worked with the platform in good faith.


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However, on Twitter, Chingari co-founder Sumit Ghosh said Post done: (Translated) “Thank you for letting me know the issue of wp, spark was introduced under Globusoft and created by us, spark app/website and our users’ security is not compromised in any way It is securely stored on dedicated and secure AWS. We will fix the WP issue soon.” he adds “The Globussoft website and the Chingari app have very different security/engineering teams and are completely unrelated. Spark will soon be an independent company.”
of the baptist Post As of now, a drop script has been inserted to redirect users to the site and it has a Report Contains where the redirect goes. Responding to Baptiste, another Twitter user (CitizenK, whose bio says he is a UI developer) said: wrote It is reported that BitDefender found cryptojacking malware on Globussoft’s website. In addition, using site checks from website security service Sucuri, they found that the website contained several malware. Gadgets 360 did its own investigation and after testing several websites including Spark’s website, found that the warning came only on the Globussoft site.
It should be noted that the presence of this malware does not point to any issues in the spark app, although Baptiste wrote in its last post on the subject that ‘it raises questions’.
The Chingari app was released on Google Play and App Store and till last week it was released. Downloaded over 25 million times had been done. This free app bears a lot of resemblance to TikTok, but reviews on Google Play described the app as slow as well as problems with only showing certain videos and crashing from time to time. It seems that it is getting a lot of support because the app is made in India. A review on Google Play said, (translated) “Downloaded to promote Indian developers, but it has a long way to go in mainstreaming compared to TikTok.”


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Thе Fitbit Flow is dеsignеd as a low cost altеrnativе
Wеarablе company Fitbit has officially unvеilеd thе Fitbit Flow, a nеw vеntilator with FDA approval for usе during thе COVID-19 pandеmic. Thе vеntilator has bееn grantеd еmеrgеncy usе authorization by thе FDA, mеaning it can only bе usеd to trеat pеoplе during thе currеnt hеalth crisis. Fitbit tеlls Thе Vеrgе that it hopеs to sеll thе Flow for around $5,000, significantly lеss than traditional vеntilators, and that production is schеdulеd to bеgin this month.
As its low cost might suggеst, Fitbit doеsn’t sее thе Flow as a likе-for-likе rеplacеmеnt for traditional vеntilators. Thе company says that it’s only dеsignеd bе usеd whеn onе of thе morе еxpеnsivе dеvicеs is not availablе. Although thе vеntilator has sеcurеd rеgulatory approval for usе during thе pandеmic, Fitbit says that it is not othеrwisе FDA clеarеd or approvеd.
Fitbit says that thе Flow is dеsignеd around rеsuscitator bags usеd by paramеdics, but fеaturеs additional sеnsors and alarms to hеlp monitor patiеnts. Thе wеarablе company consultеd with mеdical staff and practitionеrs whilе dеvеloping thе vеntilator, which it hopеs will bе еasiеr to usе than traditional vеntilators.
“Wе saw an opportunity to rally our еxpеrtisе in advancеd sеnsor dеvеlopmеnt, manufacturing, and our global supply chain to addrеss thе critical and ongoing nееd for vеntilators and hеlp makе a diffеrеncе in thе global fight against this virus,” Fitbit’s CEO and co-foundеr Jamеs Park said in a statеmеnt.
Fitbit announcеd its ambitions to producе a vеntilator last month aftеr concеrns еmеrgеd that thеrе arеn’t еnough of thе machinеs to trеat all thе patiеnts who’ll nееd thеm during thе pandеmic. Thе Wall Strееt Journal rеportеd that in April thе US govеrnmеnt had bееn scrambling to buy thousands of vеntilators to dеal with thе crisis, but that dеmand for thе machinеs had еndеd up bеing lowеr than еxpеctеd. Howеvеr, thе vеntilators may еnd up bеing nееdеd if thе virus sprеads furthеr, or duе to othеr factors likе thе start of thе influеnza sеason latеr in thе yеar, thе WSJ notеs.
Othеr non-mеdical companiеs havе also plеdgеd to producе vеntilators in rеcеnt months. Vacuum manufacturеr Dyson rеcеivеd an ordеr from thе British govеrnmеnt to producе a machinе, but latеr said that its vеntilator еvеntually hadn’t bееn rеquirеd. Tеsla has also shown off a prototypе vеntilator madе using its car tеchnology, whilе a vеntilator dеvеlopеd by NASA еnginееrs rеcеivеd еmеrgеncy usе FDA approval at thе еnd of April.


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Boca Raton police arrest Victoria's Secret thieves; Gap, Express hit too
Two men who police say had a criminal lust for stealing women's underwear from Victoria's Secret have been arrested in connection with several such thefts, including two at the Town Center mall in Boca Raton last month.
Hector Collazo, 39, and Carlos Ramirez Martinez, 19, both of Miami have been charged with felony retail theft in the Boca Raton cases and others after Aventura police say they caught them stealing from stores in their local mall.
Collazo was previously arrested in April 2009 for grand theft from the Express and Gap stores in the Aventura Mall in Miami-Dade County.
Investigators say Collazo is known for recruiting teams to travel the East Coast from Miami to New England, systematically shoplifting large amounts of merchandise, Boca Raton Police said in a statement issued Monday morning.
They report that while Collazo refused to speak to Boca Raton investigators, his alleged partner Martinez admitted to stealing from the Victoria's Secret store in the Town Center mall on both occasions.
Martinez also said the pair hit the Gap and Express stores in that mall.


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Carlson Hotels announces big plans for Asia
US hotel group Carlson said on Tuesday it is planning a major global expansion over the next five years, boosting its network by 50 percent to 1,500 properties, with the focus on Asia.Updated: May 25, 2010 17:30 IST
US hotel group Carlson said on Tuesday it is planning a major global expansion over the next five years, boosting its network by 50 percent to 1,500 properties, with the focus on Asia.
The group has already signed agreements to open 75 hotels in the region by 2013, 18 of them this year, under its Radisson, Country Inns & Suites by Carlson, Park Inn and Park Plaza brands, the company said in a statement.
Carlson currently has 51 properties in the Asia-Pacific.
"Accelerated development in the Asia-Pacific is a key priority of our 'Ambition 2015' growth strategy," President and Chairman Hubert Joly was quoted as saying.
"This market is a key focus area in our plans to increase Carlson Hotels' portfolio by at least 50 percent to more than 1,500 hotels in operation by 2015."
Carlson said it had signed four hotel management agreements in China, where it now has just 9 properties in operation and 11 in development, as compared with 28 in operation and 55 in development in India.
One of the hotels will open in Chengdu, the capital of the southwestern province of Sichuan, by year's end. The other three will open in the first half of 2012, the Minneapolis-based company said.
The group currently has more than 1,060 hotels around the world, more than 1,000 restaurants including the T.G.I.Friday's chain and a majority stake in Carlson Wagonlit Travel, a major player in the business travel industry.The company's brands employ about 150,000 people.
First Published: May 25, 2010 12:39 IST


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Food Bank Cupboards Bare, WRAL TV5 Helps You Help
Posted September 18, 1996 12:00 a.m. EDT
RALEIGH — Many charitable organizations in the Triangle have been put to the test since Hurricane Fran hit the area, and none any harder than the N.C. Food Bank.
In order to replenish supplies of non-perishable food and other supplies, WRAL-TV5 has recalled troops of "5's Army of Volunteers," which was started to help victims of Hurricane Andrew, to help restock shelves at the Food Bank's the Beryl Road location.
The 450 agencies that the Food Bank serves are spread throughout 34 counties. All 34 of those counties have been declared disaster areas, meaning that when people lost power, they lost the contents of their refrigerators and freezers.
Needed items include canned goods, ready-to-eat meals; pop-top cans of things such as puddings, tuna and meat; beans, cereal, bread, baby food and formula, paper products and personal hygiene items. The Food Bank also is seeking cash donations.
Donations can be dropped off at 4701 Beryl Road, near the state fairgrounds, Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., this Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m. Barrels have been placed outside the building for your convenience.


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Looking for the hottest trend in American cooking? Think butter. Butter is back in fashion but all dressed up. Most exciting are the European-style cultured butters with more refined flavors. Then there are the salted butters with a wide range of salt levels that range from butter with crunchy crystals to a variety of specialty salts like French sea salt or Himalayan pink. Continue reading →
High-fat Cheese: the Secret to a Healthy Life? — The Telegraph
High-Fat Cheese May Benefit Health By Boosting ‘Good’ Cholesterol, Study Suggests — Huffington Post
These headlines, and thousands more, have been motivated by new research, as The Telegraph explains: A diet rich in cheese might actually be good for our health, according to a new study.


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CHINA MADE PENFOLDS INCLUDED IN NEW "ONE BY PENFOLDS" RANGE
By Tony Zhu
Australia’s Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) has launched its inaugural China made Penfolds wine along with three other wines from France and USA under the “One by Penfolds” range, which will be on sale in China next month before a global launch in mid-2023.
All of the four wines will carry a price tag of RMB228 (USD32) per piece and will be available in select fine wine retail outlets and on wine e-commerce platforms in China from October.
The China made Penfolds is sourced and made in China’s Ningxia region, TWE has not made known what varieties are used in the blend.
Labelled as One by Penfolds Red Blend China (Ningxia) 2020, this China made wine will be available exclusively in China.
The new range also includes One by Penfolds Red Blend California 2020; One by Penfolds Vin Rouge France 2020 and and One by Penfolds Grenache Syrah Mourvèdre France 2020.
“One by Penfolds is about much more than the wine itself. It is inspired by culture, collaboration, empowerment and giving back to the community,” said Tom King, Managing Director of Penfolds.
“For each winemaking region represented in One by Penfolds, signature varietals and blends were selected by our winemakers that best represent the regional character while suiting the Penfolds style and benchmarks for quality, consistency, and drinkability,” King added.
“Penfolds winemakers worked alongside our dedicated teams in France, America and China to create fruit forward, medium-bodied, vibrant and aromatic wines from each region”, said Matt Woo, Penfolds’ winemaker in China.
“Expressive varietal characters carry a medium tannic structure, silky and integrated. The wines are approachable and ready to drink,” Woo added.
The new range comes with a front label designed by artist Ori Toor, whom TWE said has “creatively captured the essence of the local communities of each winemaking region through playful and unconventional designs”.
The back label has a QR code for downloading which contains a set of 24 animated emojis with symbols including a lighthouse, a panda, a teapot and a skateboarder with subtle One by Penfolds branding.
To coincide with the launch of Penfolds first China-made wine, TWE has partnered with the China Agricultural University to establish a student fund and academic exchange programme that supports winemaking and viticultural studies for local talents.
“In addition to merit and needs-based financial assistance with tuition, we are pleased that the One by Penfolds Student Fund will also support academic and cultural exchange, wine education materials, and access to wine samples from around the world for students to expand their learning,” said Tianhong Li, Dean of College of Horticulture, China Agricultural University.
(the writer can be contacted at: firstname.lastname@example.org)
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An unexpected decline in August retail sales and downward revisions to the prior two months mainly reflected weaker results at auto dealerships, Commerce Department figures showed Sept. 15.
Highlights of August Retail Sales
• Overall sales fell 0.2% (estimated 0.1% gain) after a 0.3% increase (previously 0.6% gain); June sales dropped 0.1% (previously 0.3% rise).
• Purchases at auto dealers dropped 1.6% after no change.
• Retail-control group sales, which are used to calculate GDP and exclude the categories of food services, auto dealers, building materials stores and gasoline stations, decreased 0.2% following a 0.6% advance.
• 5 of 13 major retail categories showed a decline in August sales.
The latest results make it more likely that consumption, the biggest part of the economy, will be hard-pressed to match the 3.3% growth pace of the prior quarter.
Retail control group sales rose an annualized 1.1% in the three months ended in August, slowing from the 3.9% pace from May through July, the report showed. At the same time, an increase in purchases at furniture outlets and restaurants indicates demand is being supported by a healthy job market.
The Commerce Department said in a special notice that it couldn’t isolate the effect of Hurricane Harvey on the data because it tracks activity on a national scale.
The overall response rate was within the range of the past 12 months, though data collection lagged behind in areas affected by the Harvey and Irma.
Vehicle demand, which was already cooling, probably took a further hit from Harvey. Industry figures showed August sales of cars and light trucks posted the weakest monthly pace since early 2014.
• Automobile dealers’ sales dropped 1.6%, after no change the previous month.
• Retail sales excluding autos rose 0.2% after 0.4% increase.
• Sales rose 0.3% at restaurants and 0.4% at furniture stores.
• Receipts at gasoline stations increased 2.5%; retail figures aren’t adjusted for price changes.
With assistance by Chris Middleton


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What Businesses Need to Know About Using and Accepting Cryptocurrency for Payments
More and more big-name companies are beginning to adopt accommodations to allow cryptocurrency holders to make purchases with them.
Places like Amazon, Microsoft, Visa, and PayPal all now accept cryptocurrency but rely on services like BitPay to process it. So now other companies are encouraged to embrace that change themselves but may want to do so in a way that does not rely on a third party.
The Wall Street Journal had a recent article on the subject, explaining how companies can integrate cryptocurrency into their business. They certainly can go the route of the aforementioned companies, relying on a third party to facilitate things.
Or the company can take on the task itself, which will require them to have knowledge about blockchains and having their own private keys.
Companies will also need to learn how to utilize digital wallets for cryptocurrency. This is similar to the concept of bank accounts, where wallets can be used primarily for either storing crypto, or a wallet that is meant for regular use.
And then in the case of the latter, there need to be measures in place to keep records of amounts and track changes, especially considering the value of crypto still fluctuates quite drastically in some cases.
Accurate record-keeping is also imperative to thwart potential cybercriminals who may attempt to use cryptocurrency as part of a money-laundering scheme. Any crypto the company winds up accepting needs to have a clear source behind it.
New systems are advancing to expedite the process of using crypto, such as second-layer protocols. However, this can also make it easier for those with nefarious intentions to create problems before they are caught.
Fred Hubler, Chief Wealth Strategist for Creative Capital Wealth Management Group believes that until the underlying cryptocurrencies stabilize in price, it will be hard for merchants to accept a significant part of payment that way.
“We are probably 2-20 years away from the major cryptocurrencies stabilizing to the point that it is as volatile as other currencies and assets on a daily basis.” Some are betting on it becoming stabilized sooner rather than later, continued Hubler. “We keep our client’s exposure limited due to its volatility but for some clients, it’s fun to watch.”
This is obviously a lot of new information for a company to digest and it is likely part of the reason some businesses have been more gradual in adopting crypto usage. Companies considering making this jump want to provide more options for their customers, but that can’t happen at the risk of security vulnerabilities.
To learn more about what you should keep in mind for payments involving cryptocurrency, read the Wall Street Journal’s perspective here.
Break through the myths and confusion of Bitcoin and gain a deeper understanding of cryptocurrencies in a lunchtime NoonZOOM webinar entitled “Dispelling Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Myths” happening Thursday, October 21, at noon.
Fred Hubler, the Chief Wealth Strategist of Phoenixville-based Creative Capital Wealth Management Group, will sort through seven myths about Bitcoin, including:
- Bitcoin is a bubble and buying it is a big gamble.
- Bitcoin isn’t secure and has no real uses or value.
- Bitcoin will soon be replaced by another cryptocurrency.
- Bitcoin is bad for the environment.
An interactive Q&A will follow Hubler’s presentation.


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Two African cities have been named amongst the 50 best cities in the world when it comes to supporting female entrepreneurs by tech firm Dell. The two cites are South Africa’s Johannesburg and Kenya’s Nairobi.
Dell used the eight annual Dell Women Entrepreneur Network Summit to announce the findings of its 2017 Women Entrepreneur Cities (WE Cities) Index, revealing how 50 top global cities are fostering high-potential women entrepreneurs.
Johannesburg (28th) and Nairobi (33rd) were the only two African cities to make the list, which was topped by New York, the Bay Area, London, Boston and Stockholm.
“Globally, women’s entrepreneurship rates are growing more than 10 percent each year. In fact, women are as likely or more likely than men to start businesses in many markets. However, financial, cultural and political barriers can limit the success of these businesses,” said Karen Quintos, executive vice president and chief customer officer at Dell.
“By arming city leaders and policymakers with data-driven research and clear calls to action, we can collectively improve the landscape for high-potential women entrepreneurs, which in turn dramatically lifts a city’s economic prospects – as what is good for women is good for the economy.”
Elizabeth Gore, entrepreneur-in- residence at Dell, said it was in the world’s best interest that women entrepreneurs everywhere thrive.
“The WE Cities Index can be used as a diagnostic tool to help ensure that lawmakers are enabling women entrepreneurs to succeed,” she said. “Each of the cities on this list can learn from one another and encourage political change to attract and support women entrepreneurs. The resulting change will be felt at not just a city level, around the world as we develop an ecosystem where all entrepreneurs can thrive regardless of gender.”
Cities were ranked on five important characteristics: capital, technology, talent, culture and markets. These pillars were organised into two groups – operating environment and enabling environment.
The overall rating is based on 72 indicators, 45 of which have a gender-based component. Individual indicators were weighted based on four criteria: relevance, quality of underlying data, uniqueness in the index and gender component.


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Solitude's credit card system hacked, information stolen
Solitude Mountain Resort's credit card system was hacked into during the past couple of weeks and customers' information was stolen.
The resort said it has heard from several patrons whose information had been lifted, although Solitude officials believe the breach affected only a handful of people over perhaps a two-week period.
"We're not entirely sure how someone was able to gain access to our system," said spokesman Nick Como. "We've checked our firewalls." He added that he wasn't sure whether information was stolen from credit cards or debit cards, or both. He said the investigation is continuing.
Como said indications are that Solitude's credit card system may have been compromised as early as late January. He suggested that customers who have used their credit cards at Solitude since then check their statements for any unusual activity.
Como said the breach didn't raise much concern with Solitude's credit-card processing company. "We called them, but they indicated they weren't too concerned given the limited numbers involved."
Ditto for the Unified Police Department. "They said if it turned out to be bigger than we thought that we should let them know," Como said.
Lt. Justin Hoyal said Tuesday that the department had been in contact with Solitude about the incident but was waiting for the resort to complete its internal investigation.
See more about comments here.


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Sweet Pete's candy shop and the new MLG restaurant could open in two weeks at the historic 400 N. Hogan St. building Downtown.
“We're crossing our fingers for Nov. 15,” said co-owner and co-founder Allison Behringer told our Jacksonville Daily Record news partner on Wednesday.
She said the date has changed a few times, but the current target “is looking good.”
Sweet Pete's and the former Candy Apple Cafe closed Aug. 10 for renovations.
Celebrity entrepreneur Marcus Lemonis, an investor in Sweet Pete's, intends to open his MLG – Marcus Lemonis Grill – in the restaurant space.
Candy Apple Cafe opted not to reopen.
Lemonis and chef Roderick Smith announced through social media they would bring the MLG concept to Jacksonville. Lemonis launched the American-style restaurant in Chicago.
Sweet Pete's, founded by Allison and Peter Behringer, opened in 2010. It started in a small house in Springfield and moved to the former private Seminole Club near City Hall in 2014 after Lemonis of the reality television show “The Profit” decided to become a partner.
He invested in the company and the building, which had been vacant.


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Indians ready for gold shopping spree, again
After months of regulatory confusion, the gold-loving country is expected to boost imports next month as the government clears stuck shipments, India's Business Standard reports.
In attempt to reduce the country's current account deficit, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced this summer a rule requiring gold importers to export 20% of the precious metal as jewelry.
Because of confusion over how to meet the rule, some imports have been stuck since August with customs authorities refusing the clear them.
According to the Wall Street Journal, this led to a "more than 90% year-over-year fall in August gold imports."
After intense lobbying from the Gems & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has issued clarifications to ensure easier access to gold.
"The gold export business will come on track now, with the fresh clarifications issued by DGFT," said Pankaj Parekh, vice-chariman of GJEPC. "We will be able to receive gold smoothly, as all hazards have been cleared."
While the RBI is eager to reduce imports because of their effect on the current account deficit, the relaxation will likely reduce illegal smuggling of gold – another major concern. With the festival season ahead, demand will surely be high.
Aurobinda Prasad, head of research at Karvy Comtrade, told the Journal that as Indians start buying bullion again, the gold price could rise.
Creative Commons image by: epSos .de


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By Staff writer
Poor security, lack of original content and bad design on Arab websites are seriously hindering the development of e-commerce in the Middle East, according to a group of organisations, which have joined forces to develop quality standards for the region’s internet industry.
Dubai Internet City (DIC) and eHosting Datafort have formed Interstandards, the Arab Internet Standards Organisation (AISO), as a joint initiative to develop a certification programme for Arab commercial websites in association with the British Standards Institute (BSI).
The organisations believe that the Arab world’s internet industry is plagued with inadequacies, including the lack of even basic security standards on some websites.
Evidence of the latter comes from ‘ethical hacking’ actions carried out by eHosting Data fort during security audits on the IT systems of more than 30 organisations in the region over a four-year period.
According to the company, the actions, which involved it acting as a ‘white hat’ hacker by exploiting vulnerabilities to enter the organisations’ IT systems, were “99% successful”.
Ahmed Baig, manager of security consulting at eHosting Datafort, said: “What we do is we try to act like a typical hacker and try to penetrate into the corporate networks of the client.”
“We actually gain the proof of our penetration through our records that we gather through the testing process,” he continued.
“We have been successful almost all the time - it very clearly indicates that the basic level of due care and diligence is lacking in most of the networks,” he added.
Baig went on to say that some companies tested by eHosting Data fort did not even have monitoring systems in place to indicate they had been hacked, only discovering months after an attack had taken place that they had been hit.
“We have found some companies where the clients have been hacked for a few months and they are not even aware that they have been hacked,” he claimed.
Baig believes that developing standards to improve the security of the region’s websites will go a long way to addressing what the companies perceive as a lack of trust among users in carrying out transactions online.
This insecurity among users is one of the main factors hampering the development of e-commerce in the region, he claimed.
“Basically, currently the main obstacle between us and a very viable Arab e-commerce market, like the one that is in the US for example, is the confidence level of the users,” he stated.
“The main obstacle remains trust and confidence for the users and today they do have a reason to be worried because very few websites in the Arab world are providing secure platforms for commerce transactions,” he added.
“Users in the Arab world are willing to put a credit card and buy an item on Amazon.com and pay US$30 for the shipment and wait for two or three weeks but they will think many times before putting their credit card for a website in the region,” Baig claimed.


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Uganda will be celebrating its Liberation Day on Friday 26th, January 2018. And we can expect a lot from D-day.
ISPs are always trying their best to give their customers/subscribes best internet rates at affordable prices. They’ve introduced package such as; super combos, night packs, WTF, Midnight Bundles, Happy Hours/Nights to satisfy their customers in one or the other.
The United Nations once declared internet being a human right, that all people are free to access internet. However, the issue of pricing always affect us, your pay less and you get less, you pay more and you get more. This has affected us Ugandans a lot.
The Free Internet – MyUG
It was until then that the Ugandan Government through the NITA Uganda decided to avail all citizens living within the borders of Kampala with free Wi-Fi. It was reported last year that the number of Ugandans using the free Wi-Fi network grew to more than 10,000 users. The statistics were revealed by Dr. James Saaka, the Executive Director of NITA Uganda.
Other than that, Telecom firm; MTN Uganda, on Wednesday revised its mobile data a head of “Liberation Day.”
The changes have been made specifically on the daily bundles. 25MBs have been increased to 40MB priced at 500 UGX, 60MBs to 100MBs priced at 1000 UGX, and finally 125MB to 300MBs priced at 2000 UGX.
“The long weekend is coming and we are giving you more data for the same price,” writes in a tweet.
The long weekend is coming and we are giving you more data for the same price.
UGX 500 you now get 40MB
UGX 1,000 you now get 100MB
UGX 2,000 you now get 300MB
All valid for 24 Hours. Dial *150*1# to activate and let’s get surfing. 😎 pic.twitter.com/Qlf0w5KPyL
— MTN Uganda (@mtnug) January 24, 2018
Happy Liberation Day to all Ugandans.


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Your vote on this answer has already been received
Signed on March 27, 1999, the RenaultNissan Alliance is the first of its kind involving a Japanese and a French company, each with its own distinct corporate culture and brand identity, linked through cross-shareholding. Renault has a stake of 44.4% in Japanese automaker Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. while Nissan in turn has a 15% stake (non-voting) in Renault.
For 2004 Renault reported a 43% rise in net income to 3.5 billion and 5.9% operating margin, of which Nissan contributed 1,767 million. The Group (Renault, Dacia, Renault Samsung Motors) posted a 4.2% increase in worldwide sales to a record 2,489,401 vehicles, representing a global market share of 4.1%. Renault retained its position as the leading brand in Europe with 1.8 million passenger cars and light commercial vehicles sold and market share of 10.8%.
altogether its good company, ru a mechnical engineering?


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Squarespace, an e-commerce and all-in-one website building platform announced that it has acquired Tock for $ 400 million via a mix of cash and stock.
The acquisition of Tock. Inc comes shortly after Squarespace raised $ 300 million in its latest funding round and filed to go public.
How will this acquisition help Squarespace?
The acquisition will enable Squarespace to diversify and expand its hospitality portfolio to boost sales, offer marketing integrations, and directly connect with customers.
The acquisition will have a major influence on Squarespace’s product suite and enable users around the world to build a brand, transact with customers and have a robust online presence.
Squarespace is set to combine Tock’s expertise with its website-building capabilities to provide an all-in-one platform for the hospitality industry.
Prior to acquiring Tock, Squarespace acquired Acuity Scheduling, an appointment scheduling service, and Unfold.
E-commerce for hospitality and restaurants
The advent of e-commerce has taken international markets by storm. The increasing use of AI-chatbots and automation have opened the floodgates for new growth opportunities for restaurants.
According to Anthony Casalena, CEO and Founder of Squarespace said that e-commerce within the hospitality and restaurant industries is a growing market opportunity. He also said, “I’ve long admired Tock’s vision to reimagine how reservation-based businesses connect with their customers.”
Tock was established in 2014 by Nick Kokonas who is also the co-owner and co-founder of The Alinea Group. Since its inception, Tock has successfully raised over $ 27 million from investors and currently deals with more than 7,000 hospitality and restaurant businesses.
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Tock has shifted its focus to its takeout platform, Tock to Go.
More about Squarespace
Squarespace is an American-based website hosting and building company that was established in 2004. It offers software as a service (SaaS) for website hosting and building.
Squarespace’s product range enables users to manage their businesses and projects.
Squarespace has a solid presence across the United States with offices in Portland, Los Angeles, and New York City.
Image Source: Squarespace


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Following datamined evidence of its appearance, Niantic have officially announced that Armored Mewtwo will be coming to Pokemon GO for a limited time.
The armored version of Mewtwo that appears in Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution will be coming to Pokemon GO as a Level 5 Raid Battle. The Armored Mewtwo Raid Battle will run for a limited time from July 10th 2019 to July 31st 2019. It is currently unknown whether it will be run again in the future.
In addition, The Pokemon Company has published a new trailer for the Armored Mewtwo’s debut in Pokemon GO, which you can view below:
What do you think? Let us know in the comments.


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Transpose, a new Seattle startup that bills itself as a holistic information management platform, today announced a $1.5 million funding round. Transpose is the brainchild of Samah Gad, DAC (CS) PhD graduate and Hussein Ahmed also a CS PhD graduate. Formerly known as KustomNote, the nine-person company has developed software that helps customers create structure and pull intelligence from large sets of data across all devices.
Seattle-based venture capital firm Founder’s Co-op led the round, which also included participation from Alliance of Angels and New York-based The Gramercy Fund.
The startup, which graduated from Seattle-based B2B accelerator 9MileLabs this past November, originally built structured note-taking templates that helped customers record, store, retrieve, and share custom-structured notes.
Now, Transpose has evolved to also pull insights from unstructured data, files, and voice recordings by using cloud-based data retrieval technologies and text analytics.
Tranpose CEO Hussein Ahmed said there are more than 90,000 users on the platform, including employees from companies like Apple, Walmart, and Heineken. Clients use the system to do everything from storing and tracking wine collections, to organizing schedules and vaccinations for children.
“It’s a complete do-it-yourself solution for consumers and teams in enterprises to build their very own solution to track assets, manage leases, or sales leads,” Ahmed explained. Read more at


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The tire giant is building its next generation of Goodyear blimps -- but the new airships won't technically be blimps at all. CNET Road Trip 2013 discovers the secrets behind Goodyear's new fleet.
From its Akron, Ohio, manufacturing facility to racetracks around the U.S., Goodyear and Nascar are studying how racing tires can be more efficient and help drivers go faster than ever.
It may be the most visible working icon in the world. CNET Road Trip 2013 stopped in Akron, Ohio, to see what it takes to get Goodyear's famous blimps to fly.
The tire company will ply the skies with an all-new zeppelin that will go faster and be more efficient than its current blimps -- and you could name it.
Road Trip 2011: CNET's Daniel Terdiman got a chance to visit the headquarters of Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik, the makers of the Zeppelin NT, and to see the partial construction of the next of the new-style airships to emerge from the Friedrichshafen, Germany hangar.
Time-lapse footage shows the birth of a brand new kind of blimp at Goodyear’s Wingfoot Lake hangar in Ohio.
If you know what today's picture is, you could be eligible to win a prize in the CNET Road Trip Picture of the Day contest.
A jury found Richard Beasley guilty of murdering three men who answered his 2011 Craigslist ad for a job that didn't exist.
For more than 5,200 miles over five weeks this summer, CNET reporter Daniel Terdiman toured the midwest, looking for great stories. Now it's time to start planning Road Trip 2014.
Self-taught scientist is credited with inventing the nickel-metal hybrid battery as well as a new class of semiconductors.


text: "Heavy Rain is on its way for Los Angeles California Starting on Monday January 14, 2019 and it will bring 50+ mm of Rain and it will last Through Tuesday January 15, Wednesday January 16 and Thursday January 17, 2019 and it will be a lot of Puddles on the Streets and it will also hit Long Beach, Hollywood, Anaheim, Corona, Orange County, Burbank and San Diego California and it will be a ton of Rain it will Cause Mud Slides and Land Slides in Southern California Including Los Angeles and San Diego California and it will bring a lot of Rain in Southern California and it will have a lot of Puddles on the Streets in Los Angeles and San Diego and the Surrounding Areas and it will be Strong Winds too. People in Los Angeles California Be Prepared Have your Rubber Boots, Rain Coats and Rain Suits Ready. When you Go Outside Wear your Rain Gear, Rubber Boots and Rain Coats to Keep you Dry. Order your Pizzas and Chinese Food and Buy Cases of Pepsi and Coke. Have your Samsung Galaxys, Samsung Galaxy Smartphones, Samsung Galaxy Tablets, Smartphones, Cell Phones, Laptops and Tablets Charged and Have your 3G and 4G Internet Ready. When you are walking Don't Walk through the Puddles and Avoid the Puddles while you are Walking. If you Have anybody Living in Southern California Including Los Angeles and San Diego California Be Prepared for Heavy Rain Starting on Monday January 14, 2019 it will last until Thursday January 17, 2019. Take Care and Stay Safe and Don't Get Caught in the Heavy Rain Stay Dry and Be Safe."


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The Daily Hit is a recap of the top business stories in the cannabis industry for May 3, 2022.
On the Site
The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company (NYSE: SMG) announced record second-quarter sales in its U.S. Consumer segment driven by continued support from its major retail partners. However, Scotts also noted that for the fiscal second-quarter sales dropped 8% to $1.68 billion, from $1.83 billion a year earlier. U.S. Consumer segment sales increased slightly to $1.38 billion. Sales for the Hawthorne segment decreased 44% to $202.6 million. Scotts had previously warned that sales weren’t looking very good for the segment. Read more here.
After the market closed on Monday, Cansortium Inc. (CSE: TIUM.U) (OTCQX: CNTMF) announced preliminary unaudited financial results for the fourth quarter and full-year ended December 31, 2021. In addition to that, Cansortium forecasted that its expected revenue in 2022 would range between $90–$95 million, reflecting an approximate 45% increase from 2021 at the midpoint. Cansortium said it also expects adjusted EBITDA in 2022 to range between $25–$28 million, reflecting an approximate 35% increase from 2021. Read more here.
Companies flock to celebrities to endorse their brands despite the certainty of their return on investment (ROI). Still, market activity remains immense. So much so that influencer marketing could grow to approximately $16.4 billion this year. Huge returns, in some cases, bolster the fondness for celebrities. Conversely, partnerships also see brands fail to connect with audiences while burning ad budgets. In cannabis, various noteworthy names help get the word out when most traditional digital marketing means are prohibited. The key to winning consumers’ attention and shopping loyalty appears to be authenticity. Read more here.
Cannabis marketing firm Springbig is dramatically reducing its valuation in its IPO deal with SPAC company Tuatara Capital Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ: TCAC)to $275 million from the previously announced valuation of $500 million. In November, Tuatara Capital Acquisition Corp. said it reached a deal with Springbig to merge with an estimated equity value of $500 million of the combined company with a $300 million springbig enterprise valuation plus $200 million cash on the balance sheet from the SPAC. On Tuesday, the sides agreed “that market conditions have changed since the proposed merger agreement was initially announced,” according to a statement. Although it is worth noting that Springbig’s annual revenue is just $24 million, making even the lowered valuation pretty frothy. Read more here.
The fast-acting edible company 1906 has secured a seven-figure investment from Connecticut Innovations (CI), Connecticut’s strategic venture capital arm and the leading source of financing and ongoing support for Connecticut’s innovative, growing companies. According to the company statement, it is a first-of-its-kind investment by a state venture fund in a cannabis business. Read more here.
In Other News
HEXO Corp. (NASDAQ: HEXO) has established an at-the-market equity program that allows the company to issue and sell up to $40 million of common shares in the capital of the company from treasury to the public, from time to time, at the Company’s discretion. The ATM program replaces the “at-the-market” offering of Common Shares in Canada and the United States having an aggregate sale price of up to C$150 million pursuant to the equity distribution agreement dated May 11, 2021between the Company and BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc. as Canadian agent and A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners and BMO Capital Markets Corp. as United States agents, which was terminated effective April 11, 2022. Read more here.


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No matter if your business is small, medium, or big – most probably it is not immune to the pandemic’s effects. During the last months, most companies around the world had to face very difficult decisions and figure out how to survive the emerging economic crisis. On the other side, history has repeatedly shown that crises drive innovation, and some of the businesses benefited from the global pandemic. But COVID-19 has a serious impact not only on the economy – it also affected society, which has led to major changes in how businesses act and consumers behave. It has dramatically altered the way we live, and it looks like we have to get used to it.
COVID-19 Vs Global Economy:
Although it’s way too soon to predict the exact economic damage from the global COVID-19 pandemic, most economists agree that it will have severe negative impacts on the economy of every single country.
Early estimates predicted that most major economies will lose at least 2.4 percent value of their gross domestic product (GDP) over 2020. To put this number in perspective, global GDP was estimated at around 86.6 trillion U.S. dollars in 2019, which means that just a 0.4 percent drop in economic growth equals losing 3.5 trillion U.S. dollars. Quite a lot, right?
“The present convergence of crises––in money, energy, education, health, water, soil, climate, politics, the environment, and more––is a birth crisis, expelling us from the old world into a new.” — Charles Eisenstein
And less money combined with safety restrictions equals reduced employment – this dynamic can be clearly seen in the most affected industries, such as tourism, gastronomy, or entertainment. Without government assistance, a huge amount of companies operating in these sectors (and even other sectors, like software development, seemingly “corona effect-free”) will have to start cutting their staff to make up for lost revenue, and this tendency will start a downward economic spiral, as a huge part of newly unemployed people can’t afford to buy some of the goods or services. The dynamic looks so dangerous that has started a worldwide discussion on whether the pandemic could lead to a global recession on the scale of the Great Depression.
The good news is there are still chances the sectors that are doing better during the COVID-19 pandemic (such as e-commerce, food retail, or the healthcare industry) will provide at least some economic growth to minimize the overall economic damage.
COVID-19 Vs Consumer Behavior:
There’s no doubt that coronavirus will have a huge impact on society. Of course, as a human race in the 21st century, we’ve experienced some major global events like 9/11, the Iraq invasion, or the global financial crisis from 2008 among others, but all of them were regional, and the current COVID-19 pandemic is a truly collective problem that affects not only the economic indicators but also human behavior.
“The current coronavirus crisis continues to have a significant impact on the economy, employment, and people’s lives in general. And, as many meetings are now conducted on Zoom, Skype, or some other cloud-based video conferencing service, it is even having a psychological impact for those fortunate enough to be employed.” — Cindy Ann Peterson
As the restrictions imply we should stay at home as much as possible and people are social beings, isolation may cause some emotional damage for some of us. But it’s just a tip of an iceberg – studies say that during the pandemic many societies noted an increase in domestic violence, conflicts between the neighbors, and – unfortunately – firearm sales.
However, there are people who use pandemic and social distancing as the ideal opportunity to re-evaluate their current lifestyle choices and reset their lives by e.g. developing new skills, starting to recycle trash, or refreshing their living space. Reportedly sales of Peloton bikes have jumped nearly 66% and LinkedIn noted a 3x increase in time spent learning online. Experts have also spotted an increase in purchases of cleaning products, but at the same time, we tend to eat a lot more junk food and clean ourselves less. Well, nobody’s perfect.
Of course, the purchasing trends changed too – most people are ‘panic buying’ much more products that they need, also one of the most visible trends is escaping to rural areas to wait out the pandemic – from which local businesses may benefit.
Another obvious consequence of practicing social distancing is the huge increase in Internet usage – especially social media, which are an important substitute for real human interactions. Besides, we also more often buy online – the new situation has forced consumers to change their deep-seated shopping habits, and brands to change their business model for something more “pandemic-friendly” – D2C (Direct-To-Consumer), which means selling directly through owned mobile and digital channels (eg. Kraft Heinz and Heinz to Home, also PepsiCo and Snacks.com).
It doesn’t mean that retail is dying though – there are still people who like to touch, smell, and feel products they’re buying.
The need for social distancing also affects the youngest members of society. A lot of schools are being closed and kids are forced to spend all of their time at home – most of it staring at the screen, as many school classes are live e-classes now. And what to do after the remote schooling ends? Unless you’re a super-rich person with a playroom for the little ones, there are not too many things to do at home, so kids usually spend most of their free time on the internet – talking with other kids, recording TicToc videos, or playing video games on various devices.
COVID-19: Which Businesses Benefit The Most?
Tech giants like Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google among others admitted how richly the sector has benefited from the ongoing pandemic. While the US government announced overall economic growth had collapsed by almost 33%, Amazon reported a 40% sale increase compared to the same time period last year. Facebook also admitted their revenue rose 10% in the second quarter of 2020, and their shares jumped 8% in extended trading.
Funny, but it’s true. Even with full Netflix servers, lockdown can be very boring, and puzzles seem to be one of the best ways to kill time. The largest puzzle distributor in the United States called Puzzle Warehouse admits their sales went up 2000% compared to 2019. Nice, huh?
It’s reported that video game makers have also been successful during the pandemic. Nintendo stated that they saw a 41% surge in profits, and it was the company’s highest increase in almost ten years.
Professional Delivery Services:
Many small and medium companies didn’t have any choice – offering delivery services was their only way to remain open for business during the pandemic.
Home Improvement Stores:
When you spend 99% of your time at home, it’s easy to notice all of the small projects that need to be completed and improvements that need to be implemented in your living space, and it’s easier to make it happen when you finally have time to work on them. No wonder that Home Depot reported they saw a 4.21% increase in shares during the pandemic crisis.
In-Home And Outside Workout Products:
With most gyms across the world being closed, a bunch of activity freaks lost a place to get their daily sweat on. Forced to work out at home or outside, people started to buy a lot of yoga mats and resistance bands, and bikes.
Reportedly, Telehealth services in the United States have increased by up to 50% throughout the coronavirus pandemic. During these uncertain times they are especially important for individuals at higher risk for contracting COVID-19, and people in mental health crises.
COVID-19: Which Businesses Suffer The Most?
The circle of pandemic business life: COVID-19 hits, consumer behavior changes, companies get rich, a lot more companies die trying to survive. Unfortunately, most of the struggling ones are small companies or startups with not enough savings to wait out the storm.
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) this year global airlines may lose even $113 billion in sales with an 11-19% loss in global passenger revenues.
Major companies that suffer the most operate in the food, travel, recreation, and entertainment sectors – these are food spots, airlines, hotels, cinemas, movie makers, live musicians, theaters, sports objects, music clubs, sports games and matches, and many, many more. Also, retailers are struggling to survive, as the Internet became the safest place to buy groceries or clothing items. The fintech sector has experienced a little drop in transactions too since people spend way less money than usual.
The current pandemic has no real comparison point in modern history, but one thing is certain – we’re experiencing a big global change – not only in healthcare, global security, and human behavior but also in creating new products/services or adjusting existing ones to answer the needs of the new “pandemic” (hopefully “post-pandemic” soon) customers. Seems like the D2C model may be the nearest future for most businesses out there, and digitalization is a total must to survive these tough times.


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Hockley Mint announces launch of ‘Inside Hockley Mint’ digital project
BIRMINGHAM, England, June 19, 2016 – Hockley Mint has announced the launch of its ‘Inside Hockley Mint’ series – a digital project designed to introduce the business’s full service offering and the team behind its British manufactured jewellery.
The project takes retailers and customers through the doors at Hockley Mint’s Birmingham premises, showcasing its expertise and workmanship with a photographic series of staff in their working environment.
Capturing the personalities of Hockley Mint’s dedicated team was a key part of this project, said Marketing Manager, Sam Stevens.
“The depth and skill of the work our team undertake on a daily basis is, in itself, really fascinating, but our team members have equally interesting stories. With this in mind we spoke to each person about themselves and their experiences in the trade, as well as their role.”
The images were captured by renowned British photographer Coneyl Jay, and cover the breadth of Hockley Mint’s operations, from its Casting floor to CAD studio and beyond.
Opening the doors to manufacturing – a part of the trade that often remains anonymous – ‘Inside Hockley Mint’ is a unique glimpse behind-the-scenes and into the roles and skills of more than 20 members of Hockley Mint’s team.
Hockley Mint managing director Gary Wroe said: “Hockley Mint has more than 100 staff on site each day, from eager apprentices to the likes of Derek, who has been part of our team for more than 60 years. Delving into their individual stories and creating this honest and innovative campaign, we are celebrating Hockley Mint’s people, its heritage and its future, using our new website and digital platforms to showcase the project.
“Inside Hockley Mint has been a great project and we hope the industry enjoys getting to know us all a little better.”
The ‘Inside Hockley Mint’ series launches at www.Facebook.com/HockleyMint and will be available to view on the website: http://www.HockleyMint.co.uk.


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Weeks Communications, a cloud-based telecommunications firm, plans to invest $4.1 million in its new headquarters in Broad Ripple and create as many as 183 jobs by 2017.
Formerly based in Anderson’s Flagship Enterprise Center, the 6-year-old firm moved in February to its new offices in 4,900 square feet of space at 6311 Westfield Blvd. The $4.1 million investment will cover expenses such as lease payments, new equipment and buildout.
Doing business under the moniker Fathom Voice, Weeks currently counts 15 employees and has begun hiring workers for technical support, sales management, marketing and development, according to company officials.
“Over the next several months, we’ll be looking to triple our team,” said Fathom Voice CEO Cameron Weeks, who announced the plans with city and state officials Friday afternoon.
Indiana Economic Development Corp. has offered Weeks Communications up to $2.4 million in conditional tax credits and up to $80,000 in training grants based on the job creation plans. The tax credits are performance-based, meaning the company is not eligible to claim incentives until employees are hired.
The firm was co-founded in 2007 by childhood friends Cameron Weeks and Bracken Fields while they attended Purdue University. Their initial concepts involved Web design and creating telephone systems for businesses, and have since evolved to cloud-based telecommunications that use the Internet to make phone calls instead of traditional land-based wires.
The company was a finalist in the 2013 Mira Awards for emerging technology company of the year.
“Entrepreneurial companies like Fathom Voice continue to bolster Indiana’s high-growth tech industry,” IEDC President Eric Doden said in a prepared release.


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Police have accused retailers of selling private e-scooters without making customers fully aware they cannot legally be used on public land.
The Metropolitan Police said many riders are being fined and having their vehicles seized after not being given “sufficient explanation and guidance” when they made the purchase.
It has partnered with Transport for London in writing to retailers urging them not to “exploit” their customers as thousands of e-scooters are expected to be sold in the run-up to Christmas.
Private e-scooters can only legally be used on private land in the UK but are a common sight on roads and pavements in urban areas.
Some 3,637 have been seized by the Metropolitan Police this year.
Several users were spoken to by officers during an operation on London’s Blackfriars Bridge on Wednesday morning.
One e-scooter seized is believed to be capable of reaching 50mph.
The Met’s head of roads policing, Commander Kyle Gordon, said: “We know that some people may be unfamiliar with the rules around e-scooters and this is something we are working hard with partners to address.
“It is really unhelpful that retailers, fully aware of the risks they are creating for the public, continue to profit from selling machines illegal for use on public roads without sufficient explanation and guidance.
“This is leaving many with expensive seizures, fines and points on their licence.
“I am calling on retailers not to exploit their customers in the run-up to Christmas simply to make a profit.”
Mr Gordon said one retailer’s website states that the extended battery life of a particular e-scooter allows riders to “go anywhere”, which he believes is misleading.
“Of course we know you can’t ‘go anywhere’ because it’s illegal to use privately-owned e-scooters in a public place,” he said.
“It’s very frustrating.”
Mr Gordon added that private e-scooters have “proven to be highly dangerous” and the force has dealt with crashes where riders have “ended up seriously hurting themselves or others”.
Two Metropolitan Police officers have suffered a broken leg and a broken arm while trying to stop users acting illegally.
Recent Department for Transport figures show 131 pedestrians and 36 cyclists were injured in e-scooter crashes in Britain in the year ending June.
Three e-scooter users died and a further 729 were injured over the same period.
Dozens of legalised e-scooter rental schemes have been launched in towns and cities across Britain since July 2020 as part of Government trials, including in London in June 2021.
These involve several safety measures, such as maximum speed limits and automatic lights.
London’s walking and cycling commissioner Will Norman said there is a “woeful lack of regulation” for private e-scooters.
He continued: “We know that many people are trying to follow the rules and so it’s important that those using private e-scooters on public land are first engaged with, to make sure they understand what is and is not allowed on the streets and how they can avoid putting anyone else in danger.
“However, private e-scooters can be extremely dangerous, and anyone deliberately misusing them will feel the full force of enforcement action.”
Asked if he wants private e-scooters to be legalised for use on public roads, Mr Norman told the PA news agency: “They’re here whether we like them or not.
“We can’t uninvent them. The only real option is to bring in regulations, make them as safe as we possibly can.”
He added that police “shouldn’t be spending huge amounts of resources” trying to enforce e-scooter rules, as the devices “should be regulated”.


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Minnesota Exports at $5.3 Billion in First Quarter
22 Jun 2018
State companies set record for export sales in a first quarter
ST. PAUL – Sales of Minnesota agricultural, mining and manufactured exports soared 9 percent to a first quarter record of $5.3 billion, according to figures released by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).
The agency said Minnesota businesses exported 930 different products to 187 countries during the quarter. U.S. exports were up 8 percent during the period, with 45 states reporting increased export sales.
“Minnesota companies achieved sales that were $450 million higher in the first quarter than in the same period a year earlier,” said DEED Commissioner Shawntera Hardy. “Demand for Minnesota-made products is growing in virtually every region of the world.”
Asia was the state’s top export region, with sales climbing 21 percent to $2 billion. Minnesota exports grew 1 percent to $1.6 billion in North America and 9 percent to $1.2 billion in Europe. Exports sales also climbed in Central and South America (up 2 percent), the Middle East (up 2 percent) and Africa (up 34 percent). The Australia-Pacific area (down 18 percent) was the only major region where sales fell.


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The first screenshots of the upcoming Google Android update have leaked, which provide an initial look at some of the update’s features.
XDA developers have released leaked images showing the first glimpses of Google’s upcoming Android 12 update, which came via initial drafts submitted to Google’s partners.
XDA developers indicate that the details that appear in the leaked screenshots have not been fully confirmed, as some changes are often made before the update launches, but an initial look indicates that Google is preparing to bring a new design for the user interface, with a new privacy indicator, and a chat tool New.
The leaked images also reveal that the change in the design of the interface comes in the rounded corners, and Google also reduces the number of quick settings icons that come in the notification panel, and beige tones also appear in most of the Android 12 interface.
On the other hand, the screenshots show a new privacy indicator that simulates the iOS experience, as this indicator displays in the status bar an alert for the arrival of an application to the camera or microphone.
XDA developers have also confirmed that the update brings comprehensive fixes to privacy settings, with full user support in choosing to turn off or turn on the microphone and camera.
The conversations in Android 12 also come with a new experience for users through new tools that display the latest calls and messages, to be among the main features of all users of the Android 12 update, and it is expected that Google will launch the first beta version of the Android 12 update for preview during the month of March.


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A smuggling ring has been using DJI drones to enable the transport of refurbished iPhones into Shenzhen, China. According to customs officials in the city, those responsible were caught after flying 500 million yuan ($79.8 million) worth of smartphones from Hong Kong to Shenzhen.
Chinese authorities have arrested 26 people who were part of an iPhone smuggling operation between Hong Kong and the mainland city of Shenzhen. The criminals used aerial drones to connect two 660-foot cables between two high-rise buildings, and then passed as many as 15,000 iPhones per night across the border.
7-Eleven would like to reminded the world that it had already completed 77 drone delivery flights a month before Amazon completed its first one last week. 7-Eleven’s unmanned aerial deliveries are powered by a startup called Flirtey, which bills itself as the “world’s leader in the drone delivery industry. 12 shoppers were invited to participate in a trial. They ordered items via a smartphone app for a drone to drop off at their houses, and the merchandise included everything from hot and cold food items to over-the-counter medicines. Deliveries were completed an average of less than less than 10 minutes after the orders were placed, Flirtey says. Instead of landing on the customer’s lawn or roof, the drones hovered in place while lowering their payloads to the buyers. The 77 delivery flights were completed on weekends in November, and the company intends to continue flying 7-Eleven deliveries in 2017.
US Senate staffers will no longer be issued BlackBerry smartphones, according to a memo released earlier this week.
The change is the result of Blackberry discontinuing production of devices running on BlackBerry OS 10, as reported in the email sent to staffers. (In a statement, BlackBerry clarified that the company will “continue to support our BlackBerry 10 platform while expanding our device offering to include Android-based devices,” adding that they are working on updates for Blackberry OS10.


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Subaru Tribeca axed as company plans new seven-seater
The Subaru Tribeca SUV will cease production in January 2014, the Japanese brand has confirmed to USA Today.
Subaru's seven-seater had been the subject of speculation in recent years as sales fell in its biggest market, the US.
The Japanese brand has been performing strongly in North America in 2013 and it's understood the company is looking to ramp up production of more popular models such as the Forester, Liberty and Outback at the same Lafayette plant.
In a leaked dealer bulletin obtained by the website Jalopnik, it says the Tribeca will exit showrooms by February 2014 while adding that the company "plans to return to the mid-size SUV segment with a three-row vehicle in the future".
Subaru Australia says it is still awaiting official word from parent company Fuji Heavy Industries in Japan.
The Tribeca has been sold in only a handful of markets globally, though in Australia it has been a solid performer locally.
Subaru Australia has sold more than 8500 Tribecas since the model was released in November 2006, with a peak of 1651 sales in 2008. The latest 2013 figures, however, show its popularity has almost halved compared with September 2012.
The styling of the original Tribeca (pictured below), especially the aircraft-inspired nose, was heavily criticised and Subaru responded by redesigning key parts of the vehicle just a year later. The thirsty and underwhelming 3.0-litre six-cylinder was also replaced by a bigger, 3.6-litre version.


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Here is a look back at the deals announced, some new SPACs to watch and top headlines.
- Additive manufacturing leader Markforged announced a SPAC deal with One (NYSE: AONE). The company counts Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) and Porsche as investors and has a list of blue chip customers. Markforged had revenue of $70 million in fiscal 2020 and sees revenue growing at a compounded annual growth rate of 68% from fiscal 2021 to fiscal 2025.
- Reinvent Technology Partners (NYSE: RTP) announced a merger with urban air mobility company Joby Aviation. The company’s eVTOL aircraft is planning to launch passenger service in 2024, targeting high urban traffic areas. Joby Aviation acquired a portion of Uber Technologies’ (NYSE: UBER) business and will partner with them on passenger service.
- Robotics and automation solutions company Berkshire Grey announced a merger with Revolution Acceleration Acquisition Corp (NASDAQ: RAAC). The company has a pipeline of $1.7 billion in deals, including several blue chip customers. The company’s backlog represents 85% of fiscal 2021 guidance of $59 million and 40% of fiscal 2022 guidance of $119 million.
- India’s largest renewable energy company ReNew Power is going public in an $8 billion deal with RMG Acquisition Corp II (NASDAQ: RMGB). The company has over 100 operational utilities in wind and solar energy. ReNew Power is the 12th largest global clean energy utility by capacity in the world. The company is projecting revenue of $699 million in fiscal 2021 and $952 million in fiscal 2022.
- Battery company Enovix announced a $1.1 billion SPAC deal with Rodgers Silicon Valley Acquisition Corp (NASDAQ: RSVA). The company is targeting markets like laptops, land mobile radio, smartwatches, augmented reality and virtual reality with its batteries. Enovix is projecting revenue of $176 million in fiscal 2023, the first year of its factory production ramp-up.
- The highly anticipated merger announcement came this week from Lucid Motors and Churchill Capital Corp IV (NYSE: CCIV). The deal valued Lucid Motors at $11.75 billion based on the $10 offering price. A $2.5 billion PIPE (Private Investment in Public Equity — a way to attract investment from accredited investors) saw investors value the company at $24 billion with shares priced at $15. The electric vehicle company is planning to bring the Lucid Air luxury car to market later in 2021.
- Trident Acquisitions Corp (NASDAQ: TDAC) announced a definitive agreement to take Lottery.com public via SPAC. Lottery.com is projecting revenue of $71 million in fiscal 2021 and $280 million in fiscal 2022.
- Apex Clearing is merging with Northern Star Investment Corp II (NYSE: NSTB). The merger values Apex Clearing at over $4.6 billion. The company is estimating revenue of $290 million for fiscal 2021.
- Xos Trucks, a commercial electric vehicle company, announced a $1.5 billion SPAC deal with NextGen Acquisition Corp (NASDAQ: NGAC). The company has minimal revenue projected until fiscal 2022 when it expects to see revenue of $271 million.
- Outpatient physical therapy company ATI Physical Therapy announced a SPAC deal with Fortress Value Acquisition Corp II (NYSE: FAII). The company saw revenue decline 25% year-over-year to $591 million in fiscal 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Data center company Cyxtera announced a SPAC merger agreement with Starboard Value Acquisition Corp (NASDAQ: SVAC). The company has 61 data centers in 29 markets around the world. Cyxtera had revenue of $690 million in fiscal 2020.
Related Link: 9 Key Takeaways From The Lucid Motors SPAC Merger
- Bloomberg reports Vision+, the Netflix Inc (NASDAQ: NFLX) of Indonesia, is in talks to merge with Malacca Straits Acquisition (NASDAQ: MLAC).
- IndiaTimes reports online grocery store Grofers in in talks with several SPACs including CF Acquisition Corp IV (NASDAQ: CFIV) for a possible deal to go public.
- Metal mining company DeepGreen Metals is in talks to merge with Sustainable Opportunities Acquisition Corp (NYSE: SOAC).
- DMY Technology Group Inc III (NYSE: DMYI) is in talks with quantum computing company IonQ on a possible SPAC merger.
- New SPACs: Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp II (NASDAQ: KCACU) units began trading on Friday. The SPAC is from the same team that took QuantumScape Corp (NYSE: QS) public.
- Fusion Acquisition Corp II (NASDAQ:FSNBU) units began trading on Friday. The team also has a pending merger with MoneyLion through its previous SPAC Fusion Acquisition (NYSE: FUSE).
- Soaring Eagle Acquisition Corp (NASDAQ: SRNGU) raised over $1.5 billion in an offering last week. The SPAC comes from Harry Sloan and Jeff Sagansky, the same team that took DraftKings Inc and Skillz Inc (NYSE: SKLZ) public.
- Lion Electric and Proterra both signed electric bus deals during the week, which helped shares of their respective SPACs. Lion Electric, going public with Northern Genesis Acquisition Corp (NYSE: FROM), signed a deal with the Los Angeles School District. Proterra, going public with ArcLight Clean Transition Corp (NASDAQ: ACTC), signed a deal for 1,200 electric school buses over 10 years for a school district in Maryland.
- Fisker (NYSE: FSR) made headlines several times during the week. The electric vehicle company announced a new partnership with Foxconn. Fisker also reported fourth quarter earnings where it highlighted 12,467 reservations for the Fisker Ocean electric SUV.
- On Friday, former SPAC DraftKings Inc (NASDAQ: DKNG) reported fourth quarter revenue of $322 million. The figure was up 146% year-over-year and came in ahead of the Street consensus estimate of $233 million. DraftKings raised its full fiscal 2021 revenue guidance to a range of $900 million to $1 billion.
Be sure to tune into SPACs Attack, Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. EST. Below are links to the past week’s shows:
Disclosure: Author is long shares FSR, FSNBU, RTP, RMGB, CCIV, RAAC, SRNGU, SOAC and NGA.
Photo courtesy of Joby Aviation.
© 2021 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
This is a syndicated post. Read the original post at Source link .


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Ford signs largest-ever plug-in electrified vehicle fleet deal with GE
The addition of the Ford C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrids – the largest ever plug-in electrified vehicle deal for the carmaker – will bring GE’s total alternative fuel vehicles to 5,000, making up around 10% of its fleet and forming a key part of its “ecomagination” commitment.
Under the deal Ford will market GE’s electric vehicle charging stations to its customers. In addition, Ford also will supply new alternative fuel vehicles for use at GE's Vehicle Innovation Center at the headquarters of GE's fleet management business in Minnesota.
Ken Czubay, Ford vice president, US Marketing, Sales and Service, said: ‘Ford is launching six new electrified vehicles – a big bet that fuel prices will continue rising and lead to more demand for advanced fuel-efficient vehicles. We are pleased to partner with GE, a company that is charting a similar course, to promote advanced technology and energy savings.’
The two companies will also work with researchers from Georgia Institute of Technology to study GE employee driving and charging habits, with the goal of improving all-electric driving and charging performance.
‘Understanding driving and charging habits is key to advancing vehicle and charging infrastructure,’ says Professor Bert Bras of the Sustainable Design & Manufacturing laboratory at Georgia Tech. ‘Through access to vehicle data, we can accelerate research and development of new technologies to further improve efficiency, driver satisfaction and environmental benefits.’
Study findings will be shared with commercial customers to provide insights and help facilitate deployment of electric vehicles.


text: States have been active in recent years in passing marketing and privacy laws. This is particular the case in California. They have laws covering issues like Identity Theft, online privacy, and health information. The new California Information-Sharing Disclosure Law -- also known as the "Shine the Light" law -- passed at the beginning of this year. This law requires businesses and non-profits to designate a contact point for privacy inquiries by California customers about data sharing with third parties. Security breach laws have passed in more than 20 states Certainly some of these laws are controversial. They require a great deal of corporate compliance and have implications for consumers and businesses in not only the states where they are enacted, but nationwide. Topics covered include compliance and lobbying these laws and the dynamic between state law, federal laws, and preemption in these areas.


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Another month, another installment in Dead Rising 3’s “Untold Stories of Los Perdidos.”
“Operation Broken Eagle,” follows Spec Ops Commander Adam Kane (real creative naming, guys) as he tries to bring in the President under orders from General Hemlock in order to further the General’s agenda.
This Valentine’s Day (oh, video game publishers, why do you test our relationships so?), Naughty Dog and Sony will be releasing the first story-based DLC for The Last of Us. Centered on the relationship of the young Ellie and her friend Riley, the opening cinematic has been released by Sony.
As I groused previously in my review for the Scorpion DLC for Injustice: Gods Among Us, DC Comics has close to a century and hundreds, if not thousands, of possible characters t
DC Comics has close to 100 years of publication history, out of which thousands of characters have been created. This means that Netherrealm Studios and WB’s Injustice: Gods Among Us has a staggering library of potential DLC fighters to fill out the ranks. So why the hell did we get Mortal Kombat’s Scorpion?
Sony announced that Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead: The Video Game was coming to the Playstation Vita with an additional episode titled “400 Days.” Thankfully, this additional content is coming to the games’ other platforms as early as next month.
Injustice: Gods Among Us has the advantage of literally hundreds, if not thousands of characters to digitize as fighters for potential DLC to blister our thumbs and gut our wallets. So it seems kind of odd that the next DLC character has been announced as Mortal Kombat’s Scorpion. Huh?
Injustice: Gods Among Us shares Mortal Kombat DNA in more ways than just its fighting mechanics.
Netherrealm Studios head Ed Boon, the maniac behind Mortal Kombat and Injustice: Gods Among Us, tweeted a survey on his official Twitter asking fans what DC characters they would want to be added as DLC to the four-color fighting game.
EA and Visceral have released “Awakened,” a DLC pack for Dead Space 3 that gives you so much horror that it more than makes up for the supposed lack of it in DS3.


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In case you weren’t one of the 700 million-plus fans to watch the World Cup Finals yesterday, Spain beat the Netherlands 1-0 in extra time. But the España soccer stars weren’t the only winners–and certainly the Holland footballers were not the only losers. Companies around the world were competing to increase brand awareness and boost profits–here’s our list of the winners and losers.
It’s estimated that FIFA earned $3.4 billion for the television and commercial rights to the World Cup, and some say it could be the most watched tournament ever. Of course, what may be FIFA’s most important task is increasing its presence and popularity in the United States. Every World Cup, many wonder whether America will finally be converted into a soccer-loving country, and indeed, this may have been the year. According to Nielsen, around
19.4 million Americans watched the U.S. play against Ghana in June, making the round-of-16 match the highest-rated soccer game ever in the U.S. for an American team. The impressive game numbers represent more people than watched the Kentucky Derby, the final round of the Masters, the Daytona 500, and, on average, last year’s prime-time World Series games.
So will this be the tourney that at last brings FIFA fever to the U.S.? While overall viewership was up 41% since the 2006 tournament, and almost 25 million Americans watched the World Cup Finals (only 3.2 million less than for Game 7 of the recent NBA Finals), the latter figure isn’t necessarily a good thing, according to former Dutch soccer star and World Cup announcer Ruud Gullit. “The game was terrible–it was not good,” Gullit said yesterday after the match. “It was boring–this has not been a good advert for soccer today.”
The Big Brands
The World Cup’s big brand winners were Nike, Adidas, and Visa. Visa reported a 74% jump in transactions in South Africa, which helped bring more than $200 million to their economy.
Adidas, which was the official sponsor of the World Cup, has been in a battle with Nike throughout the tournament, but it looks like both brands came out on top. “This has been our best World Cup ever,” said Nike brand co-president Charlie Denson, who boasted that soccer ball sales were up 40% since last quarter, with their Emerald brand leaping more than 55% in sales. Denson also said that Nike’s order book for the next six months went up around 20% since last year.
Not to be outdone, Adidas sold roughly 6.5 million replica jerseys during South Africa’s World Cup–more than double what they sold during Germany’s 2006 games–and 13 million soccer balls, more than Adidas has ever sold.
Twitter averages around 750 tweets per second. During the World Cup, this number peaked at 3,085 per second, setting a record high for the San Francisco startup. Analysts had estimated that Twitter use during the tournament would “explode,” but shooting up to around 3,000 tweets-per-second on average throughout the tournament–triple Twitter’s typical rate–must’ve had Biz Stone and company abuzz with excitement.
A Big Bet for South Africa
South Africa sunk around $5.6 billion into the World Cup, an enormous investment for any nation, especially one so impoverished. While president Jacob Zuma predicts there will be a “good return on investment,” that’s not necessarily the case for local businesses. According to Bloomberg, South
Africa’s small- and medium-sized businesses didn’t see the jump in sales they had expected (and were promised) from the World Cup. Instead, it seems they were the unfortunate losers of the tournament, with reports so far showing they have been “disappointed” by the outcome.
Ironically, it’s probably not the country that wagered the most on the tournament but the bet takers themselves who will benefit most from the World Cup. Sports
betting operations such as Ladbrokes and Coral reported more than $2
billion worth of wagers throughout the Cup.
[Homepage feature image via flickr/St. Groove]


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The CVS Pharmacy located inside Target will close March 7, less than three years after its grand opening.
JACKSON (WNE) —- The CVS Pharmacy located inside Target will close March 7, less than three years after its grand opening.
To be clear, the Target store is not closing.
“We’ve made the difficult decision to close the CVS Pharmacy,” said Amy Thibault, communications director for CVS. “All prescriptions will be transferred to a nearby pharmacy to ensure patients have uninterrupted access to pharmacy care. Employees are being offered comparable roles within the company.”
The Jackson pharmacy employs two part-time employees and one full-time employee, she said.
“Several factors are considered when we decide to close a pharmacy including local market dynamics, population shifts, a community’s store density and access to pharmacy services,” Thibault said in an email.
The closure is part of a nationwide shuttering of CVS Pharmacies, according to reporting by Forbes.com. The number of pharmacies slated to close is unknown.
Along with smaller independent pharmacies in Jackson, Albertsons and Smith’s grocery stores both maintain national pharmacy chains.
A Target spokesperson told the Jackson Hole Daily that there are currently no plans for the CVS space located inside the store. Target opened its Jackson store in April 2022.
According to the CVS website, CVS owns more than 9,000 pharmacies, including nearly 1,800 inside Target stores.