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Blackmailers Leverage Flutter Framework in ‘MoneyMonger’ Malware
Blackmailers are using Flutter’s framework in a newly-discovered Android malware campaign.
Mobile security platform Zimperium’s zLabs team publicly identified the threat, which it dubbed MoneyMonger, on Thursday. The attack allows the malfeasant to steal personal information from a device when the end user applies for a microloan through financial apps. The attacker then leverages that personal information to blackmail victims into paying more than the terms that their predatory loans required.
MoneyMonger takes advantage of Flutter’s framework to “obfuscate malicious features and complicate the detection of malicious activity by static analysis,” the company said. “Static analysis from legacy mobile security tools do not have the capability to look into the Flutter framework for malicious activity, leaving devices, data, and people at risk,” it added.
The MoneyMonger malware is distributed through third-party app stores — although it has not been found in any Android app stores, the company stated — or is sideloaded onto the victim’s device through a phishing message, compromised website or social media campaigns, Zimperium said in a blog post. The code found is part of a larger predatory loan malware campaign previously discovered by K7 Security Labs and has been active since May 2022.
At this time, the total number of victims is unknown due to the use of third-party stores and sideloading for distribution, however many of the unauthorized app stores report over 100,000 downloads of the malicious application, the company stated.
The malware relies on multiple layers of social engineering, beginning with a predatory loan scheme promising quick money, Zimperium stated. The intended victim is told while setting up the app that it requires certain permissions on the mobile device to ensure they are in good standing to receive the loan.
Once in, the attacker gains access to steal private information from the endpoint. MoneyMonger uploads victims’ personal data to its server, including installed apps, GPS locations, SMS, contact information, device information, metadata of images, and more, which is then used to blackmail the victim into paying excessively high-interest rates. If the victim fails to pay on time — and in some cases even after the loan is repaid — the attacker threatens to reveal information, call people from the contact list, and send photos from the device.
The malicious actors behind MoneyMonger are constantly developing and updating the app to avoid detections by adding XOR encryption in the string on the Java side while also adding more information in the Flutter-dart side, said Richard Melick, director of mobile threat intelligence at Zimperium. Developers should be aware of these types of activities, he added.
“Developers need to be aware that malicious actors use the same tools and techniques to produce malware to target devices, apps, or individuals,” Melick told The New Stack. “Apps are data troves of critical information, and if no security mindset is applied during their development, they could be susceptible to attack, exploit, and compromise later on.”


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This will affect dairy products in general. Prices of refrigerator staples like butter, cheese, cream and ice cream have already risen, according to Frugl data.
The price of margarine has risen the most since August last year, up 51 percent, while cooking oil and chips are now 33 percent higher than a year ago. Milk, peanut butter and feta cost more than 14 percent compared to before, while butter is 12 percent more expensive, data from Frugl shows.
Barry Irvin, CEO of dairy and food giant Bega, confirmed prices would be raised “across all channels” including milk, cheese, yoghurt, spreads and jams, juices and more.
The managing director of restaurant supplier United Foodservice, Ayman Zoghaib, expects milk prices to rise by 40 percent in the next 6 to 12 months.
“I’m sorry for that [food producer]they need to be more conservative in how they manufacture their products, likely downsizing or drastically increasing their prices.”
However, the National Farmers Federation’s chief economist Ash Salardini pointed out that milk prices were starting from historically low levels. Cooking oil prices would also remain elevated, he said.
“That [Russia-Ukraine] Uncertainty leads to risk and with risk comes increased costs,” he said.
Another La Nina would mean shortages of vegetables – again
While prices for fresh produce like vegetables and fruit have fallen from recent highs (KFC had to replace lettuce with cabbage while some subways avoided doing so), the likelihood of another La Nina event later in the year threatens further shortages and supply chain disruptions cause along the east coast.
Perishable foods would be hit the hardest if La Nina caused flooding, as it did earlier this year.
“If it rains at the wrong time – if it rains just before and during harvest, [there will be] Issues around grains and legumes and things like that, so it’s going to have a pretty broad impact on plant products,” Salardini said.
Fresh produce such as lettuce and eggs would also be affected, said Associate Professor Flavio Macau of Edith Cowan University, a supply chain expert, as flooding again caused delays in local supply chains.
“These delays are usually the reason for empty shelves,” Macau said. Supermarket giants like Coles and Woolworths tend to work with fewer but larger suppliers, meaning less buffer if those supply chains are disrupted, he said.
Amid warnings of more frequent unusual extreme weather events, shoppers should get used to empty supermarket shelves from time to time, Macau said.
“We can now anticipate that it could be a bushfire this year, flood next year, God knows when a hurricane or typhoon is coming and hitting the wrong place. [We’re] Don’t prepare for the end of the world, but prepare for these disorders to become more common… and learn to live with them.”
Further shortages of fresh produce will also lead to higher demand for frozen vegetables, a trend Woolworths has been observing.
“We’re seeing some customers shifting from beef to more affordable protein sources and from fresh vegetables to more affordable frozen and canned offerings,” Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci said Thursday.
Another severe COVID-19 wave would be “very difficult” for Ingham’s, whose operations have still not fully recovered from January’s Omicron surge due to labor shortages. The poultry supplier was forced to downsize some product lines and scale back production volumes due to COVID-related downtime, which also meant the ASX-listed company had to pay higher temporary wages.
In the last 2.5 years, food suppliers and retailers have had to adapt to the uncertainty in the supply chain.
“We’re sitting on a record amount of stock just to make sure we’re consistent in the market and to make sure we have a supply for our customers,” Zoghaib said. “That costs a lot of money and is currently a heavy burden on cash flow.
“If you talk to me next week there will be another new product that I can’t get my hands on.”
The Business Briefing newsletter delivers important stories, exclusive coverage and expert opinions. Sign up to receive it every weekday morning.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/consumer-affairs/get-used-to-food-shortages-chicken-dairy-veggie-prices-predicted-to-rise-again-20220823-p5bc52.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_business Chicken, dairy and vegetable prices are expected to rise again, another La Nina forecast predicts

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All sorts of products can have a second life.
Planet Ark’s National Recycling Week runs from 9 to 15 November. Now in its 14th year, the event aims to improve our recycling habits and cut our waste.
“People are really familiar with recycling the cans and cartons they use at home,” says campaign director Brad Gray. “But it gets more complicated with things that can’t go in the kerbside collection.
This week, to help you discard those trickier items, there will be special recycling collection points set up at Melbourne Central, Highpoint, Dandenong Plaza and Chirnside Park.
You’ll be able to drop off old batteries, printer cartridges, corks and compact fluorescent globes (which contain mercury and should not be put in the bin). You can even recycle your old eyeglasses. “They get cleaned and graded and then donated to communities around the world where people can’t afford to buy them,” Mr Gray says.
For this year’s recycling week, Planet Ark is also promoting swap parties, where people can exchange their unwanted treasure for free. There are 10 Victorian councils holding Big Aussie Swaps – check the website to see if your council is involved. If not, Mr Gray suggests staging your own with your friends and neighbours. “We’re encouraging people to re-use before they get to the recycling stage – it has an even better environmental benefit.”
He argues that it’s more important than ever before to get the most from our resources. “It takes thousands of litres of water to make a cotton dress or print a book and that’s water we can’t afford to waste. Swapping is a simple and fun way to save valuable resources.
According to deputy CEO of Sustainability Victoria, Jan Trewhella, a new kind of waste has begun to crowd our tips in recent years – high-tech gadgets such as computers, printers, mobile phones and DVD players. “Electronic waste is growing at about four times the rate of normal household waste,” she says. “And with the change to digital technology we’ll see lots more TVs entering the waste stream.”
Many of these gizmos contain lead, mercury and other hazardous materials. If they’re not discarded carefully, they can end up contaminating our soil, ground water or waterways.
But e-waste also contains precious metals such as gold, copper and silver, as well as plastic, glass and other materials that can be extracted through recycling. “We can reclaim these resources rather than losing them to landfill,” Ms Trewhella says.
Together with industry partners, Sustainability Victoria runs Byteback, a free disposal and recycling service for worn-out computer equipment. You can drop off up to ten items at a time, including PCs, printers, speakers, cords and other peripherals. There are collection stations in Melbourne and beyond, including Ballarat and Geelong. A nationwide e-waste collection scheme is slated to begin by 2011.
The government agency also recently launched Batteryback, a similar scheme that gathers spent single-use and rechargeable batteries. Collection points (only in Melbourne) are listed on the Resource Smart website.
Mobile phones and old printer cartridges are two other commonly thrown-out products that can be easily recycled. They can be dropped off through any Australia Post office.
For more information, visit Planet Ark’s comprehensive website, Recycling Near You. It lists instructions and links for almost any product, from car tyres to X-ray films, and can be searched by item and council area.


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An investment of up to Rs. 40 lakh to the start-up based on current valuation and growth stage of the start-up will be provided through selected accelerators
Start-up Accelerators of MeitY for pRoduct Innovation, Development and growth (SAMRIDH) programme, which was launched by the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology will focus on accelerating 300 start-ups by providing customer connect, investor connect, and international immersion in the next three years.
An investment of up to Rs. 40 lakh to the start-up based on current valuation and growth stage of the start-up will be provided through selected accelerators. It will also facilitate equal matching investment by the accelerator/investor.
Government will support startups and entrepreneurs in the most challenging phase which is the initial risk phase and also stated that to serve 1.3 billion people India will scale up the network of incubators and accelerators to phenomenal levels,” said Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
Speaking at the launch of SAMRIDH Scheme, Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, “The initiative will not only provide the funding support to the startups but will also help in bringing skill sets together which will help them to become successful. Reiterating the vision of the Prime Minister, he stated that technology and energy of youngsters is a great potential source of energy for inclusive development.”
The Minister, further said that our society as we stand today requires lots of initiatives, new products and new services which will create a better life for the marginalized sections of the society and for those who are at the bottom of pyramid and are living in remote parts of the country, where mainstream development has eluded them.
Speaking at the launch event, Ajay Prakash Sawhney, Secretary, MeitY, said “SAMRIDH scheme will pick up startups that are ready for acceleration stage and will provide them with funding support, mentorship and a lot of other support that is required by startups at this stage. The scheme heralds a very important milestone in our journey towards building confidence in our startup community.”
The programme aims to further the Indian start-up growth which has seen the emergence of 63 Unicorns and is now the third largest Unicorn hub globally with a total valuation of US $168 billion.


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Colis Privé testing ParcelHome’s PackBoxes
France-based Colis Privé has been running tests using ParcelHome’s PackBoxes. As previously reported, ParcelHome’s systems are dropboxes which couriers and homeowners access using a smartphone app, so parcel deliveries can be made even when the customer is not at home to receive the item personally.
ParcelHome ran a trial in Belgian city of Mechelen with the carriers DHL, GLS and DPD in 2015. The company informed Post&Parcel today that it is “now commercial in Belgium”.
A report published in Le Figaro last week indicated that the test run with Colis Privé had been successful. Now ParcelHome is looking to find the most suitable economic model for developing the product in France.
Online giant Amazon has a stake in Colis Privé.


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Europe’s biggest fish market is like a “ghost town” because of the devastating impact of Brexit, a food industry boss warned.
A stark image of the vast site at Peterhead in north-east Scotland shows the effect of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s trade deal after leaving the EU, it was claimed.
It comes one day after Scottish seafood exporters parked a convoy of lorries in the heart of Westminster where the UK Government faced a massive backlash.
James Withers, chief executive of Scottish Food and Drink, said the image was taken today around 5am when the market is under way.
"This is a crisis," he warned. "It was warned about for weeks, and now we're going through a live test for trade with the EU and it's going wrong.
"Systems in the UK and France aren't talking to each other, and frankly it's a myth any red tape has been cut. The exact opposite is happening."
Yesterday, around 50 trucks arrived in London angry at the disruption to exports.
One truck was emblazoned with “Brexit Carnage”, while another said “Incompetent Government Destroying Shellfish Industry”, as they parked up just metres from Downing Street.
Scotland’s fishing industry was told to expect a “sea of opportunity” after leaving the EU. Senior figures in the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation promoted the slogan despite deep fears for the supply chain, inshore fishers and exporters.
Within two weeks of officially leaving with a trade deal, federation chief Elspeth Macdonald was accusing the Prime Minister of giving them the “worst of both worlds”.
The bosses of a Brexit-backing Scottish fishing organisation have told Boris Johnson his trade deal leaves the industry with “the worst of both worlds”.
She slammed a “desperately poor deal” which “is not what you promised the fishing industry”.
The federation said the idustry faces “mounting financial losses” since the Brexit deal they campaigned for was finally delivered.
Dominic Raab, the UK Foreign Secretary, claimed on Sunday that the delays to fishing exports were just “teething problems”.
To sign up to the Daily Record Politics newsletter, click here.


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July 27, 2008
Whitfield Hopes for Piece of Volkswagen Pie
By Charles Oliver, The Daily Citizen, Dalton, Ga.
Jul. 27--Tennessee reportedly provided some $500 million in tax breaks and other incentives to Volkswagen to build its only U.S. assembly plant and manufacturing headquarters in Chattanooga. But Tennessee won't reap all the benefits of that largesse. Officials in surrounding areas, including Whitfield County, are already scrambling to see how they can get some of the businesses and jobs that VW will bring with it."Because of the special economic impact that automotive assembly facilities have, we know that this operation will ramify through our regional economy and create many additional indirect jobs and also provide the kind of economic boost to many other kinds of businesses and small businesses that will allow them to do additional hiring," said J.Ed Marston, vice president of marketing and communications for the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce.
Members of the Dalton-Whitfield Joint Development Authority discussed the impact on the area when they met Thursday.
"This is incredibly significant for our community and surrounding areas," said authority chairman Chuck Dobbins. "We are going to take some actions to make sure that opportunity does not slip by us."
Authority vice chairman Phil Neff will be spearheading an effort to bring some of the spin-off businesses from the VW plant to the area.
Authority members say that Dalton has a number of characteristics that could make it attractive to such companies: It is close to Enterprise South where the Volkswagen plant will be located -- around 40 miles or so -- and connected to Chattanooga by I-75 and two rail lines.
Authority members say the suppliers to the VW plant can be divided into three tiers.
"The tier one suppliers are predominately the people that make the big components. They do the seats, the dash, the grills, the bumpers, most of the things you see," Neff said. "The tier twos are the ones you don't see. The things under the hood. The materials that fit under the things you see. The tier three are the people that put together the components to make the brakes and stuff. They all cluster together."
Neff says it will be difficult for Dalton to attract a tier one supplier, though it's possible. He says getting tier two and tier three suppliers is much more likely.
Authority members have already begun compiling lists of VW's major suppliers in Germany and Mexico, where the company also has manufacturing plants.
Some of the chemicals and plastics companies in Dalton may also be able to benefit indirectly from the VW plant. Authority members noted those companies first came to the area to support the carpet industry but many of them have been looking to diversify as the carpet industry matures.
"The carpet industry is such a large manufacturer of plastic materials to make the miles and miles and miles of carpet. We use predominately nylon, polypropylene and polyester. And nylon and polypropylene resins are reclaimed from the carpet industry and reprocessed and sold in the millions of pounds already to the automotive industry," Neff said.
Companies such as Neff's Cycle-Tex take those plastics and sell them to companies that mold them into auto parts.
"We already have a footprint in place to support companies like Volkswagen," he said.
But authority members also discussed challenges the area faces in attracting new businesses.
One of them is the lack of large "shovel ready" properties ready for companies to build on. Another is the fact that Whitfield County taxes inventory, which might discourage auto parts companies.
Board members noted that Dalton voters will decide in November whether to cut the city's inventory tax.
With the Chattanooga VW plant scheduled to start operations in 2011, local officials say they will have to act fast to attract any of that business. Neff says he is already talking to officials in Georgia and Tennessee hoping to put together a plan.
To see more of The Daily Citizen or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.northwestgeorgia.com/.
Copyright (c) 2008, The Daily Citizen, Dalton, Ga.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.


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UK: JD Wetherspoon sees costs hit sales rise
- Credit: PA
JD Wetherspoon has toasted an 8% surge in festive sales but warned rising costs would dent profit margins as it faces higher energy bills and wage costs.
The group, which has around 860 pubs and almost 30,000 staff, said half-year margins were expected to be around 1.1% lower than its previous financial year in the face of higher tax, utilities, labour, bar and food supply costs, as well as marketing expenses. Its corporation tax bill was expected to hit 27.5% this year. The group said sales and profits were “resilient, in spite of the continuing taxation and regulation burden on the pub industry and the ongoing pressure on consumer’s disposable incomes”.
It shrugged off severe wet weather and flooding to report the rise in sales over the 11 weeks to January 13, which helped overall like-for-like sales rise 7.6% so far this financial year.
But shares in the group dropped 2% as today’s margin blow overshadowed the sales cheer, with expectations for further cost pressures when this April’s above-inflation alcohol duty increases come into effect.
James Hollins, analyst at Investec Securities, cut his annual profit forecasts for Wetherspoon by 5% after the update, to £70.4million.
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He said: “Wetherspoon has reported an exceptionally strong second quarter sales performance, highlighting the strength of its pub offering in any weather.
“However, the top-line growth has come at the expense of higher costs, notably a material uplift in utilities costs.”
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Once Google cornered the bulk of the search market, many search marketers stopped optimizing their sites for other engines, but that could change when the Bing-Yahoo integration happens, experts speaking at Search Marketing Expo said.
Google has enhanced its search results by providing links to different sections of Web pages, in addition to the traditional main Web page link.
Internet criminals are using Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tactics to help spread malicious software, according to experts from Marshal's TRACE team.
Your web startup needs to cut through the clutter and reel in customers, and search engine optimization (SEO) can be just the ticket. SEO helps improve your search rankings so your website shows up higher on Google, Yahoo and other popular search eng...
As the online search industry matures, SEO (search engine optimisation) has become much more than a keyword targeting tactic: it has evolved into optimising your brand presence through search. The advance of search algorithms has increased the import...
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Renée Chaplin joins organisation as VP of APAC to help drive local adoption of Constant Contact and scale international business
BRISBANE, Australia and WALTHAM, Mass., Oct. 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Constant Contact, a digital marketing and automation platform that has helped millions of small businesses and nonprofits globally, today announced Renée Chaplin as its new vice president of Asia Pacific (APAC). Chaplin will lead Constant Contact’s growth in the APAC region and scale its operations.
Based in Constant Contact’s APAC headquarters in Brisbane, Chaplin brings over 20 years of experience growing B2B brands, from Australian startups to multinational SaaS organisations. She will help drive broader awareness and adoption of Constant Contact’s digital marketing platform and deliver value to customers in the region. This strategic hire represents Constant Contact’s continued investment into growing its presence in Australia following the acquisition of Vision6 in 2022.
“International presence is a key objective for Constant Contact, and Australia is a major technology hub in the world’s fastest-growing region,” said Frank Vella, CEO at Constant Contact. “We’ve invested in APAC through our acquisition of Vision6, and we see an opportunity to build on that momentum to deliver even more value to our global customers and partners. I am confident that Renée’s experience and local presence will help accelerate our efforts in APAC and make an immediate impact on our business objectives within the region.”
“Constant Contact is well known globally for being a pioneer of digital marketing innovation in the small business space, and the company’s recent advancements in AI and marketing automation make this an exciting time to join the organisation,” said Chaplin. “Our Vision6 product is already Australia’s most reliable email marketing and SMS platform with sovereign onshore data storage and local customer support. I look forward to growing Constant Contact’s APAC business and helping our customers and agency partners achieve their goals.”
About Constant Contact
Constant Contact delivers everything small businesses and nonprofits need to build, grow and succeed. With powerful online marketing tools, contact management and sales features, and innovative AI capabilities, Constant Contact makes it easy to attract the right people, engage more customers, close more deals and grow.


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Struggling retailers surprised by improving sales tax figures
Christmas hit many business owners on the chin.
Greg Raskin was just one of them. He owns Raskin's Jewelers in Prescott and said he saw great September and October business, but it slid in December and ultimately led him to send an employee home early on Dec. 22.
When Raskin heard recent news that the city's sales tax revenue drop was in the single digits, it was a bit of a shock to him.
"I'm surprised it's only 8 percent," he said. "I actually thought it would be more."
In October, city officials said sales tax revenues for the fiscal year's first quarter fell 15.8 percent from July through September compared to the same months in 2008.
Restaurants and bars, rentals of personal property and telecommunications were the only categories showing gains in the city's year-to-date figures.
Many businesspeople, such as Rhonda Strachan at the Prescott General Store in the Bashford Courts building, are struggling as December business is off about 20 percent compared to just a few Decembers ago.
Like Raskin, Strachan expected a bigger decline.
"I'm surviving but it has not been easy," she said.
Patti Kyle at Sassy & Chic on Cortez Street said business is tough as her regular customers think long and hard about an item before buying it.
Sales from September through November were good, but Kyle doesn't believe enough people shop downtown despite all the publicity and events meant to help drive sales in December.
"I think the economy is hurting a lot of our consumers," she said. "I don't know when it's going to turn around."


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After the experience and lessons gained from hurricane Katrina and other storms, U.S. truck, train, and logistic companies were able to quickly get back online after the Hurricane Sandy.
One of the key drivers for the Northeast economy is expected to be the shipping business, which is expected to help the economic recovery. Those living in the northeast, many still without power and fuel, are in need of deliveries or relief supplies, lumber, machinery, and replacement vehicles.
Aftermath of the Storm
The people in the affected areas are relying on logistics experts for the shipping of a host of products including food, batteries, building materials, generators, vehicles, and whatever else is needed to assist in the recovery process. Even rental vehicles are in high demand to help with businesses catching up on time lost due to the storm.
Although delivery companies took a hit from Sandy, the volume of needed goods will make up for the lost time quickly. Major ports like New York and New Jersey are already back in action and are working to get caught up as well.
Previous storms, such as Katrina, have given valuable experience for quick recovery which has helped in the process of getting the northeast back on its feet. Transportation companies have been evolving through the storms to become more efficient in the cleanup and recovery process, which is crucial to their business and to people living in the areas hit the hardest by Sandy.
Once the storm had passed there were plenty of trucks ready to move the needed supplies, due to planning and experience. After the mess following Katrina, shipping companies started formulating processes for quickly and efficiently working through the problems caused by such storms.
Even with the emergency planning, Sandy showed transport companies some unseen issues that will be addressed in crisis planner updates. Issues such as not having power in places that are needed to help get things back to running, such as gas stations, will need to be brought closer to the point of impact, so that the much needed fuel can be pumped.
There were also communication issues when a cellular tower went down, which caused communication failures for half a day. UPS plans to deploy high priority call systems, that are managed by Homeland Security, on a larger scale.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of those continuing to be affected and those assisting in the cleanup. Be safe out there.


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Spotify offers Nigerians wide access to digital contents, launches N900 monthly premium
February 25, 2021484 views0 comments
By Arakunle Kayode
World’s most popular freemium audio streaming platform, Spotify, has launched its streaming service in Nigeria and other African countries such as Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda on a subscription-free model. The launch will see the audio streaming platform bring its revolutionary audio discovery radio of 2.2 million podcast titles and over 4 billion playlists tailored for the African market with locally curated playlists.
Speaking at the launch, Alex Norström, chief freemium business officer of Spotify said, “We are incredibly excited about the opportunity to bring together creators and listeners around the world. As we’ve expanded our international reach over the years, we’ve connected over 8 million artists with listeners across nearly every continent, putting Spotify firmly at the heart of the global audio economy. Launching in these new markets is a key next step to fulfilling our ongoing commitment to building a truly borderless audio ecosystem”.
Spotify’s launch in Nigeria comes with an unrivalled mix of entertaining features that offer everyday new music and podcast discovery, personalized recommendations to the audio tastes of listeners as well as the freedom to engage the platform across a wide range of devices and app integrations with Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Tinder, google maps, Nike, Samsung amongst others.
Phiona Okumu, Spotify head of music, sub-Saharan Africa, said, “African creators have always pushed boundaries, innovating and creating incredible sounds and starting from today we are giving them access and the opportunity to connect with a global audience of fans. By bringing in a best in class product and a localized experience made for Africa, we will contribute to boosting the growth of the local streaming ecosystem. We hope our new listeners are going to love the revolutionary audio experience we are bringing to the rest of the continent.”
Although, the platform is made free for listeners in Nigeria, Nigerian listeners will get the premium package without adverts for N900 every month while students can get premium experience at N450 per month just as seen in the United States. Also, there is a family plan which can accommodate up to 6 family members for N1400 and Spotify premium duo which allows for 2 people under the same address which goes for N1200 every month
Meanwhile, Spotify has further announced that in the coming days, it will expand its presence across Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, Europe and Latin America to give listeners instant access to a world of audio.
What this means is that with the launch of its streaming service in Nigeria with a teeming music-loving population of over 70 million Nigerians, Spotify will offer Nigerians more quality audio and podcast services from a variety of musical artists. Also, it will help curb the issue of content piracy and music copyrights as artists’ will be paid their due royalties, accordingly, as well as the security of contents on the platform. Thus, Nigerians will have seamless and undenied access to a wide collection of digital contents from their favourite artists and podcast creators.


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After making it’s debut in cinema’s earlier this year, Star Trek Beyond is coming to Blu Ray and DVD from November 1st, with a Digital Download available from October. With several variations already available on pre-order, including Amazon.co.uk’s set which includes a model of the USS Kelvin and the Walmart special edition with three model ships, Paramount has released the speci...[Read More]
With the run up to Star Trek Beyond, Paramount and Bad Robot have been issuing new posters for the film since releasing the Motion Picture retro poster at their fan access event and the international poster shortly after via twitter. In anticipation for Beyond in July, we’ve gathered the collection so far! More to be added as they’re released!
It’s been a long wait but after the initial teaser trailer back in December, the first full trailer for Star Trek Beyond is here after being unleashed at a special fan event last night! Beyond follows Kirk and his crew beyond the final frontier to a new threat looming on the edge of the Federation. The fan event also saw a special announcement that Beyond will make it’s debut at this y...[Read More]
Since JJ Abrahms first brought the new trek to screen, the franchise has aimed to attract the attention of as many new fans as it has dedicated Trekkies. We all have out favourite movies, the one that hooked us and brought us all in. For many in the 80’s Khan’s wrath opened the door to a new generation of fans while the 90’s had First Contact’s time travelling shenanigans a...[Read More]


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Can ceramic tile be recycled?
Can ceramic tiles be recycled or reused?
CBC News has learned that there is a big market for ceramic tiles for home decor and in the process, the market for a number of products, including tiles, has exploded.
CBC Marketplace’s Marketplace Marketplace team is breaking down the market and the products that are available.
“We are seeing a lot of products being made with recycled materials,” said Debby Gage, director of the Centre for Sustainable Building Research at the University of Ottawa.
“And the ceramic tiles are just a perfect example.”
The market for recycled ceramic tiles is enormous.
A ceramic tile is a tile that has been used for a period of time and is now being recycled.
The material that is recycled is called recycled ceramic.
Ceramic tiles are often made from recycled glass, paper or plastic.
These tiles are then heated to remove any moisture and are then covered with a coating of the ceramic material.
When the ceramic tile has been coated with the ceramic coating, it is referred to as a ceramic tile.
Some ceramic tiles can be reused, but the material has to be recycled again.
For example, the Canadian government has recently announced a $250 million initiative to recycle ceramic tiles.
If you want to make your home a little more eco-friendly, there are many products that can be made from ceramic tile or ceramic tiles with recycled material.
There are also products that could be made with ceramics other than ceramic tile, such as ceramically engineered ceramides, ceramical tiles, ceramic tiles made with organic materials, and ceramic tile that is treated with a natural preservative.
You can read more about the products available on CBC Marketplace and learn more about ceramic tile recycling.
What you need to know about recycled ceramic tile:The ceramic tiles used to make ceramic tile are called ceramic tile and they are made from glass, plastic or wood.
They can be recycled as well.
Ceramics are used to create ceramic tiles in many industries, including the food industry, the aerospace industry and the construction industry.
The use of ceramicals in food is very environmentally friendly because they have the ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the amount of waste generated from manufacturing and food processing.
As a result, they are more sustainable than the other materials used to produce ceramic tiles, including plastic and glass.
Some ceramic tile products have been used to build homes, such the ceramic mosaic tiles used in kitchens, but other products are being produced that can produce ceramic tile without any ceramic tiles at all.
If you would like to recycle a ceramic mosaic tile, you need one that has not been treated with any kind of preservative and is at least three months old.
There are products that have been treated, such a ceramic tiles that have a natural preservation system that can allow them to be used indefinitely.
It’s also important to remember that the amount that you’re putting in the recycling can make a difference.
For example, if the ceramic is a bit more porous, it can hold more heat, which means it can be more efficient at absorbing heat.
Another benefit of ceramic tiles is that they’re much easier to reuse than other types of tiles.
If you’re using a ceramic flooring product, for example, you may be able to reuse it in a couple of years.
But if you’re going to put ceramic tile in your home, there’s no way to guarantee that you can reuse it again and again.
The ceramic tile industry is growing quickly, and it’s one of the biggest in the world.
In 2014, there were more than 6,000 ceramic tile producers and exporters in Canada, according to the Canadian ceramic tile trade association.


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The Smart Home Shopper study from field marketing agency Gekko, based on a survey of 1,000 UK shoppers, revealed that 56% had bought a piece of smart technology, ranging from smart speakers to security equipment, but then found they didn’t know how to make it work.
A gung ho attitude to buying tech extends to setting it up: almost a third of respondents admitted they never read instructions or manuals.
Three in ten regretted buying at least one or more items of smart home technology because it proved so difficult to get up and running, while more than one in ten, having successfully set up a piece of smart home tech, had then only used it once.
The latest ‘must-have’ tech item is the smart speaker but 30% of respondents who had bought one didn’t understand all its functions.
Security equipment posed the most challenges for buyers, with 45% finding it difficult to install items such as app-controlled doorbells, motion sensors and CCTV, but smart heating systems (35%) and smart lighting (28%) were also problematic.
Overall, 13% of consumers who had invested in smart home technology said they couldn’t get all their devices to connect – which is of course the point of having a ‘smart home’.
"This is a great opportunity for retailers, especially brick and mortar, to improve the customer experience within the smart home tech category by having an environment where consumers can ‘play’ and a retail team that understand each product in detail and can match consumer need to product performance,” suggested Daniel Todaro, managing director, Gekko.
“By solution selling it’s a win-win for the customer and the retailer,” he added. “The retailer can enrich the sale by demonstrating the whole product portfolio and functionality and the customer gets a product that’s fit for purpose.”
Sourced from Retail Times; additional content by WARC staff


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The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has been established as the Australian Peppol Authority. The move is a significant step towards improving the payment experience for Australian businesses, according to Deputy Commissioner John Dardo.
The Peppol framework provides a standardised e-invoice that supports domestic and international trade, and is being used in 34 countries globally. The objective of the framework is to increase efficiencies for business and reduce costs associated with the manual processing of invoices.
"Australian businesses will be able to incorporate this approach into their day-to-day business activities for domestic and international invoicing," says Dardo.
"Using Peppol as the basis for Australian and New Zealand eInvoicing supports more efficient processing of invoices," he says.
"The aim is to encourage widespread adoption by businesses, so they can take advantage of the benefits and thrive in the economic market by focusing on their core business rather than on labour intensive manual processes," explains Dardo.
"The ATO is moving into the enabling and adoption phase of this project, and will continue working with digital service providers to drive this initiative. Digital service providers can now apply to become accredited and move closer to delivering eInvoicing products to businesses," he says.
Australian government agencies are also taking steps to implement the Peppol framework and support faster payments through e-invoices. On November 7, the Minister for Finance announced that from 1 January 2020, Commonwealth Government agencies capable of receiving e-invoices will start paying e-invoices up to $1 million in value within five days or pay interest on any late payments.
"The ATO is working in partnership with agencies to support them in developing adoption timelines and pathways so that they can become enabled for eInvoicing in the coming year," Dardo says.


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Byline: Jennifer Weil
PARIS — Southern hospitality has made its way to the French capital. And it’s getting ready to make a hop across the Atlantic.
The charm of the south has arrived in the guise of Fragonard, a fragrance lifestyle boutique whose concept was begun in 1997 by two sisters named Costa. They come from a family that has been sourcing essential oils for four generations and that founded the Fragonard Perfumery in southern France 73 years ago.
The sisters chose to test their lifestyle concept in their hometown, Grasse, which happens to be the fragrance capital, a year ago. Recently, the idea was transplanted in the form of a new shop in Paris, and an American debut is being planned for next year.
Agnes Costa, managing director of the company, said the 1,100-square-foot Paris store, located on the Boulevard St. Germain, could ring in retail sales of $1 million in its first 12 months.
The new Fragonard boutique joins the ranks of beauty stores that include MAC and Shu Uemura. The St. Germain shop is airy, with brightly painted ochre-colored walls and terra-cotta floors. The stencil that runs around the ceiling is a replica of one that’s in the Fragonard museum down south.
According to Costa, the boutique is meant to offer a blend of “heritage and modernity.”
All of the products are natural. Soaps, fragrances and sachets are displayed side-by-side with scented candles, baskets and cookbooks. In all, there are about 500 stockkeeping units, including some 20 fragrances for women and 10 for men.
“If the concept works in this international setting, we plan to open more stores in France and abroad,” Costas said.
Next stop, Seattle. “We will start U.S. distribution in late spring with Nordstrom,” said Peter Zegras, a business consultant to Fragonard. “We will be in one department store exclusively first. We’re currently presenting to individual stores.”
By the end of 2000, Zegras said that there could be about 100 U.S. Fragonard points of sale.
Fragonard is also looking into travel retail distribution and possibilities in Canada and South America. Starting next year, it will turn toward the Middle East and Europe.
Prices at the lifestyle store range from $3 for a soap, $9 for a 250-ml. shower gel and $29 for a 200-ml. women’s eau de toilette.
Bestsellers include a heart-shaped soap and products from the 50-stockkeeping unit aromatherapy line.
Fragonard products can also be ordered on a Web site — www.fragonard.com — that went live last year — or by the company’s catalog, which launched in 1992. According to Francoise Costa, the company’s other managing director, about 10 percent of the company’s volume is made via these media.
What’s next up on the docket product-wise?
Possibly a skin care line. For it, a third sister — who is a doctor — will be brought into the act.
But though the Costas are abuzz with ideas, they don’t want to expand Fragonard too quickly. “Our idea is to stay quite exclusive,” Agnes said. “What we don’t need is another fragrance du jour.”


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When Michael Coyne couldn’t find a job, he took matters into his own hands and created one. Coyne, who has autism, decided to open his own coffee shop.
“After I turned 21, I applied to multiple places. None of them would hire me,” he told CBS affiliate WPRI-TV. Now, he works in what he calls a “beacon of hope” for people with disabilities.
Coyne decided to take business classes through Rhode Island Developmental Disability Center. Earlier this month, he went from business student to business owner, opening Red, White and Brew.
Now, he hopes to hire employees with special needs. “We just want to integrate,” he said.
Coyne’s mom, Sheila, said she hopes this business model can help people like her son, who struggle to find employment. “As parents, we look at our kids and see the value,” his mom told WPRI. “We see what they are capable of, instead of the system that’s consistently labeling them and putting barriers.”
“What I liked about the coffee shop idea is the community. We learn on both sides,” she added. “We teach people, ‘Yeah, he has a disability, but look what he’s doing.’ And he’s out in the community getting his social skills.”
In addition to autism, Coyne also lives with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and bipolar. He was a Special Olympics athlete and participated in a hospitality program in hopes of landing a job in the field.
Now, he’s doing just that — and helping his peers too. Across the street from Red, White and Brew is a shop called “Budding Violet,” where products crafted by some of Coyne’s peers are available for purchase, WPRI reported.
Coyne wants to send a message that individuals with special needs are hard workers too. He’s proud of his business — and many others are proud of him.
“He’s done amazing things,” his mom said. “And he’s just a really good human being. You feel that when you come in.”


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Bricks-and-mortar retailers are falling victim to ‘showrooming’, where customers use a shop to browse and research a product, and then buy it more cheaply from an online retailer. It’s a phenomenon said to be part of the demise of HMV, Jessops and Comet, and figures from global research firm TNS show that 90 per cent of the UK public admit to showrooming.
The study by TNS suggests that across 43 countries, 21 per cent of shoppers use smartphones in-store to ‘showroom’, 43 per cent read reviews, 31 per cent compare prices and 25 per cent seek advice before they buy from friends and family. Shoppers are short of time, they are short of money and they want to reassurance about the products they buy.
A staggering 68 per cent of Brits use their phones in-store compared to a global average of 22 per cent, according to Foolproof. As smartphone usage continues to grow, showrooming is here to stay as consumers become more comfortable price matching on their mobile in-store, and buying big ticket items via mobile devices.
With over 1,500 high-street shops closing last year across the UK, and one in five e-retail sales coming mobile devices (smartphones and tablets) in Q1 2013 – according to IMRG and Capgemini – mobile retail will only grow bigger, intensifying the impact of showrooming. Think tank L2 predicts m-commerce will grow at a rate of 30 per cent to 40 per cent a year, with Amazon used as an example of an online leader with a same day delivery service, in-depth product reviews and competitive prices.
So, what can retailers do to respond to this change in consumer behaviour?
Well it might be tempting to charge customers for the right to browse their shop which is, completely misguided – shoppers will simply go elsewhere. In this climate, retailers cannot afford to alienate themselves from their customer base. In my opinion, they need to embrace it.
As consumer behaviour becomes more accustomed to using physical stores as a point of research and brand experience, high-street retailers must integrate mobile as part of their customer experience – it’s about having technologies in place to engage meaningfully with customers in-store while they’re considering a purchase, before they leave and buy the product elsewhere. Done well, mobile technologies in-store can actually minimise the risk of showrooming by boosting brand interaction with consumers, converting them from browsers to customers.
Willingness to interact with customers via mobile devices among other channels presents a real opportunity for high-street retailers. This is supported by findings from our ‘Digital Shopper Relevancy’ study demonstrated that shoppers are not loyal to one channel but expect a seamless integration across online, social media, mobile and physical stores.
Using mobile technologies in-store to increase purchase intention
Retailers need to embrace the opportunities presented by mobile technologies to counteract the commodity impact of showrooming. These are the ability to personalise a product or service, react instantly, support location specific interactions and engage in social interactions with other customers.
Mobile couponing is one way to personalise an offer and make it location specific – according to TNS, more than one fifth of mobile users are keen to receive mobile coupons while shopping and a similar proportion are interested in apps which help them navigate the stores they’re in, providing a real opportunity to retailers. Several brands have made investments in the area in recent months, including Kellogg’s, United Biscuits, General Mills and Yeo Valley – all of which are using mobile couponing to tempt consumers to buy their products, while using the data collected to target them more effectively through marketing.
Offering free Wi-Fi can enable retailers to confront showrooming to deliver locations specific content and enabling shoppers to browse on smartphones and tablets whilst they shop. By providing free internet service, shops can engage with customers while they browse displays and drive them to their own websites – increasing purchase intentions. Argos is set to introduce free Wi-Fi in 700 stores later this year to encourage customers to pay for products using their smartphones instead of using the catalogue. The move forms part of the retailers’ initiative to become a ‘digital retail leader’, keeping up with other retailers who are leading the way in terms of digital on the high street, such as Burberry.
Social interaction in the form of ratings and reviews can help customers with product reviews, looking up product specifications and locate the item in-store – if shoppers have the information they need at their fingertips, they’re less likely to go elsewhere. John Lewis’ mobile app helps customers connect with its online site while they are in a John Lewis shop. The service enables customers to scan products and access further details, with additional information such as ratings and reviews to help them decide on the right item to purchase. It also enables users to watch informative videos, search for products using product codes, see if products are in stock and find their nearest shop. This service, alongside John Lewis’ click-and-collect scheme, shows that the retailer is going above and beyond to meet the demands of today’s modern day shopper.
Showrooming: A friend, not a foe
Showrooming is not a threat, but a new way of doing business – it presents a great opportunity for retailers to capitalise on the high-street. In understanding exactly how consumers are using their mobile in-store, brands and retailers can improve their own offering – whether through apps, mobile coupons or simply greater provision of information – and begin to nudge shoppers back towards the tills.
By offering a personalised shopping experience across all channels, UK retailers can use the growing trend of showrooming to better connect with their customers, boosting sales and encouraging loyalty. Retailers who give customers exactly what they are looking for when they want it will be able to turn showrooming in to sales. When combined with other channels to make a truly connected multichannel experience, mobile is a very effective tool indeed.


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Top Quality Group is ready to fly for the first time to the United Arab Emirates for Dubai Derma 2023. The 22nd edition of the event will take place from March 1-3, 2023 at the Dubai World Trade Center. The congress will bring together top-notch speakers from all around the world, experts on multiple topics relating to the world of aesthetic medicine and dermatology. The event, named “Shaping the future of dermatology and Aesthetics”, will cover a variety of topics including medical, therapeutic, pediatric, surgical and cosmetic dermatology.
The scientific program will include a 4-day pre-conference course, a lecture program, workshops and live demonstrations in which innovative cosmetic and dermatological procedures will be shown. Dubai Derma 2023 aims to provide all aesthetic medicine and dermatology professionals with a vibrant platform to update their knowledge, explore new technologies in the field of dermatology and technology, and promote collaborations and partnerships.
The UAE event is ready to welcome 1200 companies, 21.000 participants from more than 110 countries and 300 speakers which will alternate during the 3 conference days. Professionals, specialists, and companies will seize the opportunity provided by Dubai Derma 2023 and share their expertise in aesthetic medicine, dermatological science, skin care, and lasers through numerous courses, workshops, and presentations. In addition to the excellent educational opportunities, a specialized exhibition will be held in conjunction with the conference, which will provide international business entities in the industry a way to showcase and promote the latest body and skin care products and medical devices.
Top Quality Group will attend Dubai Derma for the first time this year, at Hall 8, booth n.E08, where the company, one of the leading electromedical device manufacturers in Italy, will exhibit its latest generation devices dedicated to the world of aesthetic and functional medicine. Each TQG device is the result of constant investment R&D, and is born from an elaborate production process in which all stages are cared for, down to the smallest detail, with competence and dedication. The equipment is designed and manufactured in line with the most up-to-date technical and scientific knowledge in the medical-aesthetic field, with the clear aim of being in accordance with the main international quality standards.
Since 2008, Top Quality Group has had a clear goal: the physical and psychological well-being of people.


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Partially a testament to some beefy upgrades in this year’s iPhone 15 line, preorders for Apple’s flagship phone line are stronger than they were last year. Though the iPhone 14 was a a minimal upgrade, this is potentially a sign of renewed interest in getting Apple iPhones on day one.
As reported by Apple Insider in a note from analysts, “iPhone 15 pre-orders began this Friday and so far (as of Sunday PM) are tracking much stronger than we and the Street expected and up roughly 10%-12% from iPhone 14 based on our analysis”.
Analysts attribute a lot of this to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max sales in the US, China, India, and Europe. India has one of the most significant rises with an almost 25% preorder increase. This could be linked to manufacturing moving to India. Despite reports of, and the subsequent denial of, iPhone bans for China, the iPhone 15 line is still proving to be incredibly popular.
A good time to upgrade — iMore’s take
I have been trying to secure a preorder for the incredibly powerful iPhone 15 Pro Max this week, mostly down to its superior zoom and the chip’s gaming capabilities. Unfortunately, I have remained unsuccessful. Users also reported being locked out of Apple.com for up to 20 minutes on the preorder day, presumably due to how popular the new iPhones are already.
One of the more enticing changes this year is the addition of USB-C charging, allowing you to charge all devices with one cable and even plug your iPhone 15 into an external monitor. These preorder figures are a sign of a healthy launch for Apple and Wedbush estimates 250 million or so users haven’t upgraded in the last four years. iPhone 14 preorders last year were a little below the previous year but this year is projected to be much higher. With all these upgrades, it’s easy to understand why.
The post iPhone 15 preorders up 10%, expected to buck downward preorder trend first appeared on www.imore.com


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New data from a global survey conducted and commissioned by Ecolab — a global company offering water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services — has revealed high consumer expectations for the role of companies in water access and conservation.
The water, sustainability and climate change survey consulted thousands of consumers across eight countries. The survey revealed that 74% of consumers believe businesses should make conserving water an essential priority; 25% of consumers believe companies are taking the right amount of action to conserve water; and more than 60% of consumers said they or a family member had trouble accessing drinking water.
Ecolab senior vice-president and market head for South East Asia, Gregory Lukasik said, “We recognise the necessity of tackling water scarcity, in regions such as Asia, where 1.9 billion people lack access to drinking water and basic sanitation — with the global demand for water expected to increase by 40% by 2030. Accelerated solutions are crucial, and we must continue prioritising water stewardship to keep up with consumer demands.”
Each year on March 22, World Water Day elevates water and sanitation issues. The theme for 2023 is ‘Accelerating Change’ and urges progress towards UN sustainable development goal (SDG6). Ecolab highlighted the company’s role across the year to mark the occasion.
The highlights from the company’s year in water include helping customers conserve 215bn gallons of water in 2022, equivalent to the drinking water needs of nearly 730 million people. By 2030, Ecolab aims to help customers conserve 300bn gallons of water each year, equivalent to the annual drinking water needs of 1 billion people. Further, Ecolab joined DuPont, Gap, Reckitt, Starbucks and the US International Development Finance Corporation to provide US$139.9m in investments in WaterEquity’s Global Access Fund IV to help improve water access, sanitation and hygiene for up to 5 million people in water-scarce regions including South East Asia. It also launched the Ecolab Water for Climate programme to help companies respond to the impacts of the energy crisis, climate change and water scarcity. The programme is designed to address these challenges by providing solutions including auditing, consulting, engineering, advanced chemistries and digital technologies that help support reduce, re-use and recycle water strategies across an enterprise.


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As of July 2018 – We have seen copper prices jumping all over the place, heard rumors about exports getting ready to dry up to China – and that may just be the start of things. With recent news of more tariffs going into place, we may be seeing these markets turning a different direction.
The overall markets have been in a big flux, but especially with these low-grade items like ballasts, electric motors, sealed units, and low-grade wire items. We keep talking to more people and recently the hot topic has been electric motors and where the market could be headed for similiar items with copper.
Electric Motors Prices Affected By China
Most electric motors are wound with copper, with occasional ones being filled with aluminum windings (a lot of the aluminum winded motors are for consumer goods like washing machines and dishwashers). On average the copper weight is about 8-12% of the overall weight, and the process to take them apart for copper recovery is very time-consuming. Not only do you have to have the right tools, but also the right amount of patience to deal with all of the screws and different ways to use tools to take it apart.
We have talked to many scrappers who always take electric motors apart, but they tend to be the hardcore ones who do it all of the time and have a system in place. The majority of people do not take these units apart, and they sell them as-is and pretty soon we may be in for a rude awakening when going to cash these heavy and common items in.
Suggested Reading: Rating Scrap Items To Take Apart
Electric motors have traditionally gone overseas to China, with some other countries occasionally taking them too. It seems that (at the time this is being written) the scrap value of electric motors (which has traditionally been at least double steel value), could be quickly shrinking to slightly above steel prices, if not the same price as steel.
What Is Happening To Electric Motor Scrap Prices?
With the Chinese labor force slowly getting higher and higher pay rates, we have seen the Chinese starting to only take in scrap materials that are easy to process. Electric motors are not one of those items that make the cut. The amount of work, and more importantly, the amount of time involved, is what is going to depress the pricing of the electric motor market.
To give you an example of what could happen, electric motors may be like the misfit toys from the popular Christmas movie Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer, and not have a place to go other than the back of warehouses and garages. We have heard that some countries like Pakistan may become a bigger player in the motor market. It will be hard to filter millions of pounds of motors that previously were delivered to China and bring them to another country without a decrease in pricing.
Predictions on Electric Motors?
It looks like the remainder of 2018 and the beginning of 2019 will see a very tough market for these motors. Going forward it may take up to 2-3 years to really get things under control.
While many people may think that saving the materials will make sense, it will be tough to know for sure unless you have a crystal ball to predict the markets.


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Wednesday, September 12, 2012
– Buddy Miller and Jim Lauderdale teamed up for a duets record, "Buddy & Jim," coming out Dec. 11 on New West.
"I've been waiting for a long time for this, and can't believe it's finally happening to get to record with Buddy is a dream," Lauderdale said. "We made it in three days, but it sounds like it took four."
After plotting for years to record together, Miller said, "We made this record in three days, but it sounds like it took four."
n the vein of Johnnie & Jack and The Louvin Brothers, the duo stepped back to the 1950s when male country artists wrote, sang and harmonized together. Adding their own spin on the sound, the cohorts have created an album with a mix of new tunes and older favorites.
I Lost My Job Of Loving You, which they wrote, is available to hear today exclusively on CMT Edge. "Buddy & Jim" will be available as a CD as well as limited edition vinyl on Black Friday (Nov. 23) at independent record stores taking part in Record Store Day's Back To Black Friday promotion.
1. I LOST MY JOB OF LOVING YOU
2. THE TRAIN THAT CARRIED MY GAL FROM TOWN
3. THAT'S NOT EVEN WHY I LOVE YOU
4. DOWN SOUTH IN NEW ORLEANS
5. IT HURTS ME
6. VAMPIRE GIRL
7. FOREVER AND A DAY
8. LONELY ONE IN THIS TOWN
9. LOOKING FOR A HEARTACHE
10. I WANT TO DO EVERYTHING FOR YOU
11. THE WOBBLE


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Gannon University’s assistant professor of entrepreneurship, Kurt Hersch, had stumbled across a TV show featuring pop-up restaurants when he decided to take his business policy capstone course to a new level in fall 2017.
Every semester since, his senior business students have taken on the challenge of creating their own pop-up business that must be started, operated and closed within a two-week timeframe. It’s a challenge of putting textbook knowledge into real-world practice, Hersch said.
“The idea is to take all the siloed topics we talk about in classes – microeconomics, macroeconomics, accounting, finances, etc. – and put it all together in a very holistic, practical way,” Hersch said.
As part of the capstone project, teams of students must pitch their business proposals to entrepreneurial course students, who act as venture capitalists. It’s a bit like ABC’s iconic business reality TV show, “Shark Tank,” Hersch said.
This semester, a team of students including Cora Burek, Alhijazi Abdullah, Laurel Prokopchak, Ashley Drayer and Terrel Johnson pitched their business concept, Pretty Pup Bandanas, which would sell dog bandanas to canine lovers.
“The need was that dog owners want to show off their dog’s unique personalities while keeping them warm in the winter and providing them with protection from the sun in the summer,” Burek said.
Students host an Advising Day Eve Pong Tournament to benefit Special Olympics in 2021.
Margo Loutzenheiser, a senior marketing major and student venture capitalist, decided to invest in the business after evaluating the team’s presentation that covered topics like business need, target market, value proposition and marketing strategies.
Loutzenheiser invested $50 into the company in exchange for 17.5% ownership after a two-week negotiation period against other venture capitalists. The project wasn’t without some risk to her too, though.
“We’re graded on things like our return on investment and return on assets,” Loutzenheiser said. “Basically, we look at what was invested and what the team did with my money and if they were successful in returning on those assets.”
Pretty Pup Bandanas launched in late March, selling bandanas in a two-week timeframe from a table in Gannon’s Center for Business Ingenuity.
“One of the biggest lessons I have taken away from this experience is that creating a business is not easy – even a pop-up business. It’s an eye-opener for people who want to start real businesses and all the time and effort it takes,” Burek said.
Their proceeds will benefit Erie’s Anna Shelter. “We chose this shelter because it is a no-kill shelter,” Burek said.
Mental Health Matters sold custom-designed t-shirts, mugs and other merchandise in 2021 to benefit mental health nonprofits.
Other pop-up businesses this semester included Cards for Cancer, which provided a course for local community members on making creative greeting cards with proceeds benefiting the Hillman Cancer Center in Erie. Others, like Grad Prints, designed and sold t-shirts to benefit St. Judes Hospital.
The course’s first pop-up businesses in Fall 2017 were supported by $500 in start-up funds from the university, said Hersch. Since that semester, students’ businesses have been successful enough for the project to be self-sustaining.
In fact, since Fall 2017 that initial $500 has led to the launch of 53 pop-up businesses, generating more than $50,000 in donations to local businesses and charities like the Erie YMCA, Erie City Mission, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Special Olympics and more.
Gannon’s Counseling Center was on the receiving end of two pop-up business projects that raised nearly $3,700 to support mental health resources.
Participants learn to make creative greeting cards with Cards for Cancer.
The donations were used to purchase interactive workbooks to help students extend their therapy process outside of traditional sessions, said Jodi Giacomelli, Ph.D., director of Counseling Services. They were also used to invest in a computer-assisted program that helps individuals improve their physical and mental health.
“It’s so heartwarming that these students want to help their peers and care about their peers’ mental health enough to donate the money to this fund,” Giacomelli said. “It’s very important to us to use the money in ways that will directly impact students and their mental health.”
Ariana Raiford sells Grad Prints t-shirts to benefit St. Jude’s Hospital.
As for hitting the $50,000 in donations mark, “that’s humbling,” Hersch said. “It should seem impossible for students to continually inspire me, but they certainly do. When they reach the end of their project, and they’re talking about their business and raising $800, $1,000 or even $2,000 for charities, that’s inspiring.”
By Brianna Mariotti, content marketing strategist


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Type=image;ImageID=14100;ImageClass=left;ImageTitle=Carols in the City;TitleClass=strong;
The event will take place a week on Wednesday (6 December) in the lower mall of the Mander Centre and will coincide with late night Wednesday shopping in the City of Wolverhampton.
The service has previously been held in the Victorian splendour of Darlington Street Methodist Church - but attendances have been falling for years.
Now the Mayor, Councillor Elias Mattu, has decided that he wanted to try something different and put a modern twist on the service - while maintaining a traditional Christmas feel.
It has been given a new name - 'Carols in the City' and as well as changing venue, it will feature lively performances from local schools, choirs, the city's brass band and Central Youth Theatre.
Councillor Mattu said: "People love carols at this time of year, there is nothing like the sound of these time-honoured tunes to get people feeling festive. I really hope people come out and support this fantastic free event.
"This year we are taking the carols to the people, rather than expecting them to come to us. We are holding it in the Mander Centre to coincide with late night Wednesday shopping when stores are open until 8pm and the city centre will be busy.
"The venue is ideal because there is plenty of space for people to watch us from both the upper and lower mall - and people can informally come and go as they do their shopping.
"We are freshening up the service with performances from several local choirs including schools and a gospel group, the award winning Central Youth Theatre and the beautiful, evocative sounds of City of Wolverhampton Brass Band.
"I'm delighted to say that the service will continue to be supported by clergy from local churches who have been fully behind our efforts to modernise this event.
"We were inspired to change the venue by the success of Armed Forces Day which took place in the Mander Centre during the summer and we had an extremely good attendance."
The council has been supporting by Darlington Street Methodist Church, Central Youth Theatre, Wolverhampton Business Improvement District (BID) and the Mander Centre in organising the event.
The service will run from 6pm to 8pm and is free.
The Mander Centre's Winter Wonderland where children can meet Father Christmas will be open to visitors.
Free parking is available at the city council's School Street and Market Street car parks from 2pm and at the Mander Centre from 4pm.
To find out more about Christmas in Wolverhampton visit Type=links;Linkid=6522;Title=Enjoy Wolverhampton;Target=_blank;.
- released: Tuesday 28 November, 2017


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- Macy's reported its first quarterly profit in a year, thanks to its efforts to cut inventory levels and rely less on deep discounting over the holidays.
- But same-store sales fell 17.1% from a year earlier, despite Macy's booking double-digit growth online.
- Macy's said 2021 will be a year for recovery and rebuilding.
Macy's on Tuesday reported its first quarterly profit in a year, as its efforts to slash inventories and rely less on deep discounting during the holidays paid off.
While shoppers stocked up on items for their homes and bought beauty products, jewelry and watches, many continue to divert spending away from clothes and fancy shoes, as they work from home and attend fewer social events. And the shift is weighing Macy's results.
The department store operator saw steep sales declines, which won't be abating anytime soon. Traffic to its brick-and-mortar stores remains suppressed. Mall-based retailers like Macy's are increasingly ceding sales to online platforms like Amazon, and clothing brands like Lululemon.
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Macy's said it expects 2021 to be a year for recovery and rebuilding, as it claws its way back from the losses it has suffered during the pandemic. It offered an outlook that anticipates continued obstacles from the health crisis during the spring, with momentum escalating in the back half of 2021.
Macy's shares initially rose about 3% on the earnings report, but by mid-morning were up less than 1%.
Here's how the company did during the fourth quarter ended Jan. 30, compared with what analysts were anticipating, based on a poll by Refinitiv:
- Earnings per share: 80 cents, adjusted vs. 12 cents expected
- Revenue: $6.78 billion vs. $6.5 billion expected
Net income fell to $160 million, or 50 cents per share, from $340 million, or $1.09 per share, a year earlier. Excluding one-time charges, the company earned 80 cents per share, better than the 12 cents expected by analysts.
Sales fell to $6.78 billion from $8.34 billion a year earlier, better than the $6.5 billion that analysts were expecting.
Macy's said same-store sales on an owned plus licensed basis fell 17.1% from 2019 levels. Analysts were calling for a 21.3% drop, according to Refinitiv data.
E-commerce sales were up 21% in the period. The company said digital sales accounted for 44% of net sales, while roughly a quarter of Macy's digital sales were fulfilled from its stores during the quarter.
The company said it saw nearly 7 million new customers in the fourth quarter, with many of them under the age of 40 and shopping online, not in stores.
"With the digital engine that we have, that has opened up lots of new customers to us that are shopping more on digital," said Macy's CEO Jeff Gennette, during a conference call with analysts.
Apparel still needs a fix
Analysts attributed the better-than-expected results, in part, to a boost from Americans spending their stimulus checks. But even if Macy's is on the road to recovery, its results still severely lag others in retail, particularly those that are less reliant on selling apparel, GlobalData Retail Managing Director Neil Saunders said.
"Given Macy's focus on clothing, if it can't make this part of its business work properly then its long term trajectory does not look promising," he said. "Some small wins in various categories were not sufficient to offset the general malaise in the rest of the business."
Macy's said its apparel sales were down 33% in the fourth quarter. But it said it is betting on a recovery in the category, especially in the back half of 2021, as more Americans resume pre-Covid activities and hope builds around the ongoing Covid vaccine rollout.
Gennette said the department store chain has plans in place to quickly restock its shelves with new work wear and outfits for special occasions.
Looking to fiscal 2021, Macy's is calling for sales to fall within a range of $19.75 billion to $20.75 billion. Analysts had been calling for annual revenue of $20.13 billion.
It expects adjusted earnings per share to fall within a range of 40 cents to 90 cents. Analysts had forecast adjusted earnings of 77 cents a share.
Notably, that forecast doesn't currently anticipate a recovery in tourism this year. In 2019, Macy's said international tourism made up a little more than 4% of total sales.
New revenue streams
Thanks to a shift accelerated by the pandemic, digital is playing a bigger role in many retailers' businesses — including Macy's.
The company said it expects annual online sales will eclipse $10 billion within three years, as the department store operator anticipates that shoppers' preference for internet purchases will stick beyond the health crisis. It also is planning for its online business to become even more profitable.
In a search for new income streams and looking to offset the added expenses that come with digital transactions, Macy's said it launched a new media network during the quarter, which has already grown to generate more than $35 million in annual revenue.
Macy's is in the midst of pruning its real estate, too, to keep better-preforming stores in America's top malls open. In early 2020, the company said it would shut 125 locations by 2023. Earlier this year, Macy's released the locations of more than 40 stores to shut by mid-2021, as part of its three-year closure plan.
On Tuesday, Gennettte said the company remains committed to this plan, as it continues to explore opening more smaller-format locations, off-mall. Following the 125 closures, at least 85% of Macy's sales will stem from so-called A- and B-rated malls, he said.
"Our [store] fleet continues to have high value, relevant and vibrant stores, mostly in A- and B-rated malls, which will remain a critical part of Macy's future," Gennette said.
As of the end of its latest quarter, Macy's operated 512 of its namesake department stores, along with 53 Bloomingdale's shops and 162 Bluemercury locations.


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The stock might move higher if these key numbers top expectations in the upcoming. predict that Riverview Bancorp will.
During the earnings call, company CEO Meg Whitman noted that the company still has much work to do, and said she has no plans to break up the company. Chris Preimesberger with eWeek reported, "Posting $1.2 billion in profits, HP beat Wall Street expectations in a flat-to-shrinking personal computing market.
LendingTree, Inc. (NASDAQ:TREE) Q3 2017 Earnings Conference Call October 26, 2017 09:00 AM ET Executives J. D. Moriarty – CFO Doug Lebda – Chairman & ceo analysts mark mahaney – RBC Capital Market.
General Mills (GIS) possesses the right combination of the two key ingredients for a likely earnings beat in its upcoming report. Get prepared with the key expectations.
United Airlines, meanwhile, reported earnings and revenue that topped analyst expectations and increased its share buyback.
Investors are always looking for stocks that are poised to beat at earnings season. is because LendingTree is seeing favorable earnings estimate revision activity as of late, which is generally a.
Investing.com – Ctrip.Com (NASDAQ:CTRP) reported first quarter earnings that beat analysts’ expectations on Wednesday and revenue that topped forecasts. The firm reported earnings per share of 2.93.
LendingTree earnings beat analyst expectations; LendingTree Inc., the Charlotte-based operator of LendingTree.com, announced on Thursday that its revenue jumped 28.7 percent in the fourth quarter.
Earnings Growth (2019) Earnings Growth is the measure of year on year earnings per share (EPS) growth from the prior fiscal year, expressed as a percentage.
Michael Avenatti fraud case shines a light on bankers, lawyers and money in Biloxi Michael Avenatti Charged With Trying To Extort Nike, And, Separately, Wire And Bank Fraud The complaint says Avenatti planned to hold the press conference just before Nike’s earnings call last The affidavit states that Avenatti misappropriated his client’s settlement money and used it to pay.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) – LendingTree Inc. (TREE) on Thursday reported second-quarter profit of $7.9 million.
Macintosh and iPod sales helped boost Apple’s fiscal third-quarter earnings 31 percent, beating Wall Street’s expectations, but investors pummeled the stock after Apple said profit margins.
· Google Q4 Earnings Beat analyst expectations. david lieberman, Executive Editor. Not including one-time events, earnings came in at $10.65 a.
U.S. billionaire, co-founder of Quicken Loans, hospitalized Government of Canada Invests In Transitional Housing for toronto lgbtiq2s youth federal funding announced for seven women’s and Indigenous. – The first transition house in Nova Scotia opened in Halifax in 1978 and the provincial association was incorporated in 1989. The THANS member organizations provide transitional services to women and their children who are experiencing violence and abuse, including culturally relevant services to Indigenous women.Two billionaires give economy a D+ grade – Grading the U.S. economy, the rosiest scores from two billionaires on CNBC on Friday would average about 68, equal to a D+ on a report card. steve Case, co-founder of AOL. Case in a wide-ranging.
· department store chain Kohl’s beat analyst expectations for the third fiscal quarter, reporting a 1 percent dip in profits.
Accenture booked adjusted earnings of $1.34 per share for its fiscal second quarter, surpassing Wall Street forecasts by more than 13%, on top of revenue of $7.9 billion, which also beat estimates by about 3%.


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ITALIAN sporting car manufacturer Alfa Romeo is soon to join forces with the award-winning Ellesmere Port-based Corkills Motor Group, which operates across Merseyside and Lancashire.
The official launch for the partnership takes place with the opening of an Alfa showroom in Cheshire Oaks next month, creating 20 new jobs for the region.
Adrian Kermode, owner of Corkills Alfa Romeo, said: “We're looking forward to working with Alfa Romeo and we're especially proud to begin selling this iconic marque in its centenary year.
“It's such a passionate brand and products like the sporty compact MiTo and new Giulietta are fantastic cars that are selling well. Alfa Romeo is a strong addition to the Corkills portfolio and, with so many new businesses opening in Cheshire Oaks, we're in the right place at the right time.”
Damien Dally, brand communications manager for Alfa Romeo UK, said: “We are dedicated to improving the customer experience for Alfa owners across the country, and building a relationship with a dealer such as Corkills is hugely important to Alfa Romeo.
“The group has experienced huge success with high profile manufacturers and that reassures us that Alfa Romeo customers will be well looked after, and that the brand will be appropriately represented – an ideal partnership.”


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Kenya ranked second in Africa in Internet usage
Kenya is now ranked second behind South Africa in terms of the size of population that has access to the Internet, this is according to a new study by an American researcher.
Four out of every ten Kenyan adults use the Internet at least daily, behind South Africa, where 42 per cent of the adult population has access to the web, according to findings by Pew Research Centre.
According to research, a quarter of Kenya’s adult population owns a smartphone or other digital devices such as computer tablets, placing the country third on the continent behind South Africa at 37 per cent and Nigeria’s 28 per cent score.
Pew Research conducted the study in 40 countries across the globe, using telephone and face-to-face interviews carried out last year.
Kenya’s high Internet access is attributed to availability of low value data packages and low-cost smartphones, especially from Asian device manufacturers.
According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics economic survey released in April 2015, Kenya’s Internet penetration stood at 54.8 percent of the population, that is 22.3 million Internet users.
The growth was attributed to increased affordability of Internet services that saw the price of browsing the Internet become more affordable.
According to the report, the growth of E-commerce also led to increased usage of the Internet, with Kenyans taking up online shopping.
Kenyans have also used the Internet for services such as reading online newspapers and accessing online banking services.
The government has also invested in e-government services such as online renewal of driving licenses that have driven the surge in Internet usage.
Internet services in Kenya are delivered through various platforms such as mobile service providers, fixed wireless access, satellite networks, fiber optic and cable networks.
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From Readwriteweb comes this news,
"Adobe and Lexcycle, the company behind the popular Stanza eBook application, announced today that they are working together with the Internet Archive on turning the Stanza online catalog system into an open standard for distributing free and commercial eBooks. This new standard, the Open Publication Distribution System (OPDS), will be built on top of Atom, and aims to create an open standard for distributed online catalogs for electronic books."


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MONTREAL — Remerchandised produce departments at Metro stores in Canada helped Metro Inc.  here increase sales by 3.7% and net earnings by 13.6% during the fiscal third quarter, the company said Wednesday.
The company also cited cost controls, profit contributions from the newly acquired Marche Adonis and Phoenicia businesses and a 1% increase in same-store sales during the period, which ended June 30.
Metro is in the process of re-setting produce departments in its conventional and discount banners in Quebec and Ontario, helping the chain weather deflationary conditions in some produce categories, Eric LaFleche, Metro’s chief executive officer, said in a conference call Wednesday.
“The impact is very positive, we get instant positive lift in our customer satisfaction survey, as soon as we re-merchandise the produce section of our stores,” LaFleche said, adding that produce sales in stores that have been remerchandised were up in the mid-single digits despite deflationary pricing.
Read more: Metro Sales, Earnings Up in Q2
Total sales for the period, which ended June 30, totaled $3.7 billion (U.S.), $82 million of which came from Marche Adonis and Phoenicia. Net earnings totaled $145.5 million. EBITDA of $274 million was up 10.3% from the same period last year, and represented 7.3% of sales vs. 6.9% of sales last year.
Metro said inflation was “very moderate” during the period and less than the rate in the prior quarters.
Metro stock was trading up 2% Wednesday afternoon on the Toronto exchange.
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At a media roundtable in Muscat, the organization also discussed the important innovations the brand is driving in the customer market, each globally and regionally.
The brand has been major a new era of smartphone innovation because it launched its Kirin 970 Chipset powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI). Recently, the brand overtook Apple in second quarter of 2018 to grow to be quantity two smartphone vendor globally for the very first time. According to International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide, Huawei earned 15.eight per cent marketplace ahead of Apple at 12.1 per cent.
With continuous strides at path-breaking innovations, Huawei CBG is bringing AI to boost consumers’ encounter via its wealthy portfolio which includes revolutionary smartphones such as Huawei P20 Pro series and Huawei nova three series. The Huawei nova three and Huawei nova 3i are revolutionary AI-powered devices with dual front-facing cameras with a 24MP major sensor and a 2MP sensor that are created to provide customers the very best-in-technologies ‘selfie’ that a smartphone can provide.
“We are delighted to announce the launch of Huawei nova 3 and Huawei nova 3i in Oman. Both these smartphones have unparalleled AI capabilities when it comes to the dual front camera features that capture every detail beyond the face in a selfie. It introduces AI background scene recognition in front camera and has the ability to recognise age, gender and skin tone to capture perfect AI selfies,” stated Bill Yu, Middle East Multi Countries – nation manager, Huawei CBG, Oman.
He added, “Selfies, these days, are a self-expression of our confidence, our bravery and our passion, especially amongst the younger generation. We are confident that the launch of the new Huawei nova 3 series will be a success amongst the selfie lovers in Oman.”
Huawei nova three series is created with the younger and trendier shoppers in thoughts, for whom a smartphone is not just component of their life-style but also represents their private style. The series is created to provide an AI-enhanced life-style, which consists of a massive concentrate on an outstanding selfie encounter with its AI beautification attributes and front camera that enables a single to capture ideal selfie in a single click.
Previous Huawei nova two and Huawei nova 3e had received substantial good results across the area and the most recent Huawei nova three series is a step additional and a breakthrough in smartphone camera market.
Huawei CBG has globally led the AI-powered smartphone category primarily based on its market analysis and improvement more than the final year and has reflected its innovations across all its item categories.
Huawei nova three series attributes the AI-enhanced dual front cameras (24MP + 2MP).
The intelligent smartphone is equipped with a 24MP camera each in the front and at the rear to capture the very best-seeking selfies. The AI enhancements will produce selfies at the very first click by capturing each the face and the surroundings. The new f/two. wide aperture lens on the 24MP higher-resolution front camera is joined by a 2MP broad spectrum colour sensor that captures depth-of-field details for genuine bokeh effects.
Huawei nova three series attributes AI scene recognition enabled with more than 200 various scenarios across eight distinctive categories that consist of blue skies, beaches, plants, evening, stage performances, flowers, rooms and snow. Hence, the AI-powered phones will recognise the background by it a plant, a area, and so on and capture each and every detail to produce an enhanced selfie that provides very best colour optimisation attributes.
The Huawei nova three is now obtainable across chosen retail retailers in Oman in Iris Purple, Black, Red and Blue colours at value of RO188.9.
In addition, the Huawei nova 3i is obtainable now for pre-order and will be on the shelf from August 16 across chosen retail retailers in Oman. The Huawei nova 3i will be obtainable in Iris Purple, Pearl White and Black colours at RO135.9.
Information Source: Muscat Daily


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WILLIAMSTOWN -- The Greylock A Better Chance pro gram will hold its 19th annual giant clothing sale Saturday, Sept. 29, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the First Congre gational Church at 906 Main St.
Items for sale include name-brand nearly new clothing, accessories and shoes, plus jewelry and watches, some with new batteries, courtesy of Goodman’s Jewelers.
Another feature will be vintage/retro clothing, costumes and a whole room devoted to athletic clothing and shoes, plus a room offering clothing with a Williams College theme. All items have been donated by local individuals. (Dona tions are no longer being accepted.)
Shoppers are encouraged to come early and to bring their own large plastic bags for accumulating bargains as they browse.
The Red Carpet Room, a boutique section with the finest clothing, purses, shoes and scarves, will be well-stocked again. Shoppers must pay separately when checking out of this area.
At 2 p.m., after the sale closes, shoppers can purchase a large bag for $15 and fill it with whatever items remain -- an opportunity for even greater bargains.
The clothing sale, which has become an annual fall event, helps to support six academically talented students of color who live in Williamstown during the school year and attend Mount Greylock Regional High School. During the academic year, they live in a house the chapter owns on Hoxsey Street and are supervised by resident
Since the founding of Greylock ABC in 1968, more than 100 graduates have gone on to colleges all over the United States. Approximately $100,000 a year is needed to run the program, all of it raised locally through a fund drive and special projects, like ABC Room Service, the clothing sale and the ABC linen sale.
All proceeds benefit the Greylock A Better Chance program, greylockabc.org.


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CoinGeek: Bloomberg, Reuters gear up for new cryptocurrency social media index. “Bloomberg and Thomson Reuters trading terminals are preparing to offer access to a new cryptocurrency index based on social media and news commentary, in a move aimed at providing more information for those trading crypto through their platforms.”
Techdirt: Apple Demands Retraction Of Bloomberg’s Big ‘Chip Infiltration’ Story; Bloomberg Has Some Explaining To Do. “A few weeks ago, Bloomberg published a giant story claiming that Chinese spies did a somewhat daring supply chain hack on American big tech firms. The gist of the story was that servers from Super Micro had hidden chips that somehow were then used by Apple and Amazon (not to mention the US government), that allowed someone in China to access certain data. The story was a blockbuster that got everyone talking. But, almost as soon as it came out, a bunch of people started raising questions about the story. While the Bloomberg reporters claimed over a dozen sources, both Apple and Amazon came out with incredibly strong denials. Way stronger than is common in these situations.”
When the story first came out several people sent it to me but I did not put it here, because it smelled funny. It still smells funny. I don’t know if it’s right, wrong, or just incomplete, but this Techdirt article looks at the problems with the Bloomberg story — and for once the comments are well worth reading.
Twitter Blog: Finding the news in the noise. “As Bloomberg recently announced, we are expanding our partnership so that Bloomberg can now provide a new, real-time feed of curated Twitter data to its enterprise customers. Algorithmic traders using Bloomberg’s Event Driven Feeds product can now access potentially market-moving Tweets curated by Bloomberg technologies and expertise and enriched with Bloomberg insights and metadata.”
Tubefilter: A Month After Launch, Bloomberg’s 24-Hour, Twitter-Based News Feed Gets One Million Views Per Day. “Before launching TicToc in December 2017, Bloomberg spent several months hyping up its foray into 24-hour news, which it planned to live stream via Twitter. About a month into that venture’s life, it appears to be off to a good start. According to a report from DigiDay, TicToc is currently averaging about one million views per day, which makes it a strong performer among the spate of Twitter-based news programs that have popped up over the past year.”
Los Angeles Times: Bloomberg and Twitter launch TicToc, a live-streaming video news channel. “Twitter users can now tune into TicToc, a live-streaming channel by Bloomberg Media, to catch up on the day’s news — and soon, the companies say, the channel will offer updates around the clock.” Because in 2017, the thing I want most in the world is TO HEAR MORE NEWS. Ugh.
Axios: Scoop: Bloomberg expects eight figures for new Twitter network. “Bloomberg’s new Twitter network will launch on Dec. 18 with six founding partners: Goldman Sachs, Infiniti, TD Ameritrade, CA Technologies, AT&T and CME Group — and more are in the works. The average price point of the partnerships is $1.5 to 3 million, leading to Bloomberg securing eight figures in revenue in its first year.”
Engadget: Twitter’s own 24-hour news channel will be made by Bloomberg. “Twitter’s evolution into a broadcast platform is getting more notable with the news that it is teaming up with Bloomberg. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the financial outfit will build a rolling, 24-hour news channel exclusively for Twitter.”


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This is the blog for Unique Magazines, one of the largest independent online newsagents in the UK. Offering over 3000 magazines from more than 300 publishers.
Friday, 14 October 2011
Metal Hammer’s 25th anniversary issue, is the biggest ever at 164 pages.
The magazine includes a 10” vinyl of the Machine Head “Unto the Locust” single with bonus b-sides that have never previously been released in the UK.
The cover features Metallica in anticipation of the October 31 release of their upcoming album.