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Local Flower Shop News
Mercer Island Florist connects with the community - Mercer Island ReporterWednesday, October 28, 2020
Christina Montilla, business operations and marketing director.She added that the resilient and creative women who run the shop are there for Islanders through the art of flowers. They get to know customers’ names and stories while carrying on the shop’s robust floral tradition for 57 years.Customers have displayed their appreciation by making orders during the pandemic to keep the shop rolling. “Honestly, that’s all just because the local community embraces us and still finds us really valuable right now,” Montilla said.After owner Jennifer Hagstrom received permission from the governor’s office to operate under a floriculture designation in April, the team of floral designers got to work during Easter and Passover. Mother’s Day was an amazing time for sending flowers, Montilla said, because in-person visits weren’t allowed.Hagstrom has been the shop’s owner for the last four years. Before that, Diane Larson ran the show after her mother, Shirley, acquired the business from the original owners, Earl and Anne Payne, who bought Browne’s Florist and Nursery in 1963.Montilla and lead designer/shop manager Jenna Weischedel co-manage operations at its present location at 30... https://www.mi-reporter.com/news/mercer-island-florist-connects-with-the-community/
Local florist brings joy to Clevelanders with massive floral installation at Edgewater Park - News 5 ClevelandMonday, August 24, 2020
Thomas went back to his roots after he realized he couldn't fight fate."I started doing weddings and realized this is what I'm meant to be doing," he said.When told how Clevelanders could get used to public floral displays like this one, Thomas said this won't be the last one."I want everyone to know they can expect more displays popping up in the city after all of this [pandemic] is over with," Thomas said. https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/made-us-smile/local-florist-brings-joy-to-clevelanders-with-massive-floral-installation-at-edgewater-park
RVC florist fills window displays with 'holiday pandemic' scenes - NewsdaySunday, January 17, 2021
People passing by Masters and Company Florist in Rockville Centre will see a holiday window display not unlike those found in New York City. Its decked-out windows are inspired by both the holiday season and the pandemic. "I feel like everything is so surreal and depressing, especially during the holidays," says owner Laurie Speziale, 60. "Why not create something a little whimsy?" The scenes created by the Woodmere resident include a Santa Claus sporting a face covering and a Christmas tree with medical masks mixed in among its ornaments. "I always do [the windows] up quite elaborate, for every season and holiday," Speziale says of her decorative handiwork. This year, COVID pulled the plug on the events that typically carry her business such as weddings, bar and bas mitzvahes and other parties, which gave Speziale some extra time to beef up her holiday display. "I really wanted... https://www.newsday.com/lifestyle/fashion-and-shopping/rockville-centre-masters-and-company-florist-1.50091128
BUSINESS OF THE MONTH: Sinicropi Florist & Gift Shop in Seneca Falls - FingerLakes1.comSunday, January 17, 2021
The Seneca County Chamber of Commerce and Hampton Inn Seneca Falls recognized Sinicropi Florist and Gift Shop of Seneca Falls as the December 2020 Business of the Month.Founded in 1975, Sinicropi Florist is now celebrating its 45th anniversary. Although this hobby-turned-dream-turned-success was not made overnight. Owner Joyce Sinicropi reflected on the journey and successes. “In all the years that we have been open, we did not have one business day go by that we did not have sales,” she said. It’s a testament to the great first impression Sinicropi Florist made on the community that has turned into a reputation of excellence and reliability. This achievement is thanks to the diligent work of the entire team to provide superb quality in their service and in their creative, full-value designs.The floral shop offers fresh flowers supplied by the area’s finest wholesale sources. The large, enchanting gift boutique offers products from around the world – including many local specialty goods. Reliable same-day service is available to all of Seneca Count... https://fingerlakes1.com/2020/12/19/business-of-the-month-sinicropi-florist-gift-shop-in-seneca-falls/
Are florists open in Tier 4 in England? - HeartSunday, January 17, 2021
December 2020, 10:03 Tier 4 restrictions have closed all non essential shops. Picture: Getty Images Are florists considered essential? Here's what we know about the Tier 4 rules... On Saturday Boris Johnson announced much of the south of England would be heading into stricter coronavirus restrictions. London, Essex, Kent and Hertfordshire are just some of the counties now in Tier 4 after a new strain of Covid was detected. But with all non essential shops closed for the foreseeable future in these areas, people have been wondering whether florists are allowed to open their doors. Are florists open in Tier 4?Florists are not considered an essential business, and have therefore been told to close in all Tier 4 areas. Florists must close in Tier 4 in England. Picture: PA Images However, while they cannot open their shops to the public, they can still organise delivery and collection services.Read More: What are the Tier 4 rules, how long will they last, and how will they affect Christmas?This means you can still order flowers from your local florist for collection or delive... https://www.heart.co.uk/news/florists-open-tier-4-england/
Toilet Tissue Bouquet goes viral amidst cornavirus TP shortages - WCTVSunday, January 17, 2021
By: IvanhoeMarch 18, 2020Faster than you can say "double play," the toilet tissue bouquet has been born.What started as a joke on Facebook for the owners of Blossom Events and Florists in Trumann, Arkansas has quickly become a viral sensation."Like I said, it was just for giggles," said David Faulkner. "You know, to bring some smiles to our community."??Work Flow .... Show ?? to Someone Special with this Unique and Fabulous Bouquet ?? ???????Why Be Ordinary when You can...Posted by Blossom Events & Florist on Friday, March 13, 2020With the coronavirus pandemic foremost on everyone's mind, David and Bart Faulkner recognized the need for something people would smile about.Judging from the nationwide reaction the TP bouquet has received, they're succeeding.It even got a big thumps up from a caller in the Big Apple."Because in New York, she said it's very doom and gloom," said Bart Faulkner. "She said this is definitely making people smile up here."Faulkner says people across the nation have asked about ordering a bouquet, but sales have been limited to local customers.While the unique arrangement is making for a lot of snickering, the pair is seriousl... https://www.wctv.tv/content/news/Toilet-Tissue-Bouquet-goes-viral-amidst-cornavirus-TP-shortages-568902351.html
Longtime owner of Continental Florist dies - Vestavia VoiceSunday, January 17, 2021
Longtime owner of Continental Florist Barbara Orr died Wednesday, Sept. 2 at the age of 85.
Orr purchased the popular Rocky Ridge floral business in 1986 and was named the 2004 Florist of the Year by the Alabama State Florists' Association, according to her obituary.
Orr is preceded in death by her husband, Herbert L. Orr; son, John Michael Orr; brother, Gray Garner Jr.; sister, Faye Gardner; father, Edward Gray Garner Sr.; and mother, Tressa Allen Garner.
She is survived by her sons, James Steven Orr and David Garner Orr; daughter, Nancy Orr Athnos; grandchildren, Chelsea Marie Orr and Emily Louise Orr; and sister, Carolyn Bullard.
A visitation will be held on Saturday, September 5, 2020 from 10 a.m. to noon at Currie-Jefferson Funeral Home in Hoover.


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Many Americans have endless digital tools at their fingertips. And each device, site or app collects, analyzes and uses personal data. What does this mean for Americans now that so much of their day-to-day life leaves a digital footprint?
Pew Research Center has a long record of studying Americans’ views of privacy and their personal data, as well as their online habits. This study sought to understand how people think about each of these things – and what, if anything, they do to manage their privacy online. (Read the full report.)
This survey was conducted among 5,101 U.S. adults from May 15 to 21, 2023. Everyone who took part in the survey is a member of the Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP), an online survey panel that is recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses. This way nearly all U.S. adults have a chance of selection. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race and ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other categories. Read more about the ATP’s methodology.
Here are nine takeaways from a new Pew Research Center report exploring these issues.
Americans, especially Republicans, are growing more concerned about how the government uses the data it collects about them. About seven-in-ten U.S. adults (71%) say they are very or somewhat concerned about this, up from 64% in 2019. Concern has grown among Republicans and those who lean Republican but has held steady among Democrats and Democratic leaners.
Many Americans have little trust in companies to use AI responsibly. Among those who have heard of artificial intelligence (AI):
- 70% say they have little to no trust in companies to make responsible decisions about how they use AI in their products.
- 81% say the information companies collect will be used in ways that people are not comfortable with
- 80% say it will be used in ways that were not originally intended.
Still, 62% of those who have heard of AI say companies using it to analyze personal details could make life easier.
Many trust themselves to make the right decisions but are skeptical their actions matter. About eight-in-ten (78%) say they trust themselves to make the right decisions to protect their personal information.
But a majority (61%) are skeptical anything they do will make much difference. And only about one-in-five are confident that those with access to their personal information will treat it responsibly.
More than half of Americans (56%) say they always, almost always or often click “agree” without reading privacy policies. Another 22% say they do this sometimes and 18% rarely or never do this.
People are also largely skeptical that privacy policies do what they’re intended to do. About six-in-ten Americans (61%) think they’re ineffective at explaining how companies use people’s data.
About seven-in-ten Americans are overwhelmed by the number of passwords they have to remember. And nearly half (45%) report feeling anxious about whether their passwords are strong and secure.
Despite these concerns, only half of adults say they typically choose passwords that are more secure, even if they are harder to remember. A slightly smaller share (46%) opts for passwords that are easier to remember, even if they are less secure.
Some Americans have been targets of data breaches and hacking.
In the past 12 months:
- Roughly a quarter of Americans (26%) say someone put fraudulent charges on their debit or credit card.
- A smaller share say they have had someone take over their email or social media account without their permission (11%).
- And 7% have had someone attempt to open a line of credit or apply for a loan using their name.
In total, 34% of Americans have experienced at least one of these issues in the past year. However, Black Americans are more likely than members of other racial and ethnic groups to have faced this.
Americans have little faith that social media executives will protect user privacy. Some 77% of Americans have little or no trust in leaders of social media companies to publicly admit mistakes and take responsibility for data misuse.
They are no more optimistic about the government reining them in: 71% have little to no trust that tech leaders will be held accountable for their missteps.
There is bipartisan support for more regulation to protect personal information. Some 78% of Democrats and 68% of Republicans think there should be more government regulation of what companies can do with customers’ personal information.
These findings are largely similar to our 2019 survey, which also showed strong support for increased regulation across parties.
About nine-in-ten Americans (89%) are concerned about social media sites knowing personal information about children. Most Americans are also concerned about advertisers using data about children’s online activities to target ads to them (85%) and online games tracking children on the internet (84%).
When it comes to who should be responsible for protecting kids’ online privacy, a vast majority (85%) says parents should bear a great deal of the responsibility. Still, roughly six-in-ten say the same about technology companies, and just under half believe the government should have a great deal of responsibility.

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Microsoft is currently testing the much awaited Skype app for Windows Phone. Ever since Microsoft acquired Skype, users have been anxiously waiting for Skype integration in their beloved mobile OS or even just an app. Seems as if Microsoft has been working on this internally and a stand alone app will be released very soon for Windows Phone 7.5 and full fledged people hub integration will follow in Windows Phone 8.
As per The Verge, Microsoft initially promised to release the Skype app in late 2011 but that never happened. As we all know, Skype can really boost the usage of Windows Phone and I’m sure Microsoft knows that well too.
If the app is cleared after testing, we can hope for a green signal for Microsoft to unveil the Skype app at the upcoming Mobile World Congress this month. The app is rumored to follow the Metro guidelines, and why shouldn’t it? We strongly expect Microsoft to stick to their design language for their own apps.
Skype is a voice and video calling app used by millions around the world. Not only does it allow free video and voice calling across desktop, tablets and phones but it also lets users call landlines and mobiles for extremely cheap rates. Skype was acquired by Microsoft last year for a whopping $8.5 billion and ever since, deep Skype integration across all Microsoft products such as Windows 8, Xbox, Office, Messenger and Windows Phone is being anxiously awaited.


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While it is true that Alternet Systems (OTCMKTS:ALYI) made a major announcement on Thursday, it did not do much for its stock as it continued to slip and took the decline over the course of the past week to as much as 14%.
On Thursday, ALYI stock ended flat at $0.0066 with more than 19.36 million shares, compared to its average volume of 10.29 million shares. The stock moved within a range of $0.0062 – 0.0071 after opening trade at $0.0070.
ALYI Expects To Triple Current $2 Million In EV Orders By End Of June With Cryptocurrency Enhancement To Order And Delivery Process
In this situation, it could be a good move to take a closer look at the announcement from the company and then figure out if a recovery could be on the horizon. The company, which is currently best known for its electric motorcycles, announced yesterday that it expected to sign new orders for $2 million worth of electric motorcycles by the end of June.
At this point in time, the company is involved in delivering an existing order of $2 million worth of electric motorcycles in Kenya. In Kenya, the company is providing the electric motorcycles for the taxi market and drivers are going to get it on a lease.
Considering the fact that the Kenya project has worked for the company, Alternet is now looking to replicate the same model in other regions of the world. The company believes it is going to be complete similar contacts in Ethiopia and Brazil by the end of June.
ALYI stock is trading below the 20-Day and 50-Day Moving averages of $0.0077 and $0.0083 respectively. Moreover, the stock is trading below the 200-Day moving average of $0.0157.


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A careless error and a case of petty theft at an Israel Israeli credit card company provides a rich lesson on privacy and security in the digital age.
Israel’s Privacy Protection Authority has ruled that the Isracard credit card company violated privacy protection regulations. The reason: The firm failed to sufficiently protect its customer’s private documents after an incident in which an employee stole a cellphone that the credit card company was using to receive sensitive information from its clients.
The authority has released a report on its findings from the lengthy oversight process that it conducted at the credit company, which was initiated after Isracard disclosed the incident to the authority, as it was required to do by law. At the same time, Isracard opened its own internal investigation into the case.
According to the information released by the authority, Isracard had designated only a single cellphone as the company’s customer service number and asked customers to send documents that they were required to transmit to the credit card firm to that phone via an instant messaging service.
“The findings from the Privacy Protection Authority’s oversight [process] revealed that the cellphone served as a kind of ‘WhatsApp call center’ to which customers would send documents and various kinds of information,” the report said, referring to Facebook’s WhatsApp messaging service.
The arrangement meant that valuable and sensitive information ended up on the cellphone, the authority said, “including hundreds of documents that were sent to the company by its customers – among them names, telephone numbers, ID numbers, bank transfer confirmations, authorizations to debit accounts, death certificates and other sensitive details.”
The employee who stole the cellphone was apparently only interested in the device itself and didn’t intend to make use of the information contained on it. He may not have entirely understood the trove of information that it contained and that they could have sold or used to extort customers of the major credit card firm or to impersonate them.
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“In the course of the oversight process, it was found that an internal investigation conducted by Isracard revealed that a company employee had taken possession of the cellphone at the end of a work day, removed its SIM card [containing the phone’s basic identification information and other data], formatted it, associated it with his personal Gmail account and installed his own personal SIM,” the privacy authority’s reported stated.
In response to this article, Isracard said: “As indicated from the authority’s statement, this is an information security incident that has been dealt with and reported by Isracard. The incident itself occurred more than a year ago, in June 2020.
“The lessons drawn from the incident were immediately applied around the time of the incident by the company. It should be noted that the company’s customers’ details were not affected and that no information leaked out. We will continue to check ourselves, to report and to correct deficiencies with full transparency if the need arises as part of our commitment to our customers as Israel’s leading credit card company.”
By reformatting the phone and replacing the SIM card, the Isracard employee spared the company much more serious trouble, but the incident revealed a large number of deficiencies in the credit card firm’s data protection system.
“At the time of the incident, Isracard had permitted access to the cellphone without requiring the accepted measures under such circumstances to ensure that access to the database and its systems would only be given to those with permission to access the information,” the privacy authority said.
“In addition, the company didn’t exercise care so that physical access to the [cellphone] would only be available to people in relevant positions. It didn’t ensure that use of the device would only be available to those with valid permission and didn’t set up a means of identification such as a password or fingerprint,” the authority found.
The investigation did not uncover evidence that any of the personal data was actually leaked outside the firm, and the privacy protection agency did not receive any complaints regarding any such leaks, the agency added. In light of the findings, the Privacy Protection Authority ruled that Isracard had violated privacy protection regulations, a determination that could potentially expose the firm to class action litigation on behalf of Isracard’s customers.
In many cases, the privacy protection agency prefers to rule that a violation has been committed without fining the company over its conduct, which in practice leaves any further action to lawyers in the private sector to pursue.


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LONDON (MarketWatch) -- U.S. Concrete, Inc. rmix said second-quarter net income was flat from the year-earlier quarter at $6 million, or 21 cents a share. Revenue for the period climbed 10.5% to $153.2 million, reflecting higher ready-mixed concrete prices and sales volumes. Looking ahead, the company said it sees third-quarter earnings in the range of 26 cents to 30 cents a share on sales between $163 million and $170 million.
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The Absolute Radio iAmp application allows people to listen to Absolute, as well as digital extensions, Classic Rock and Xtreme via their mobile phones using the Android operating system.
The radio station is also looking to sell advertising space with slots within the application for brands to run click-through ads.
The launch of the Android iAmp follows the recent introduction of the LiveAmp live music application and the iPhone iAmp earlier this year. Chris Lawson, the station’s brand director, told Marketing Week that the application is the latest stage in its aim to be the “champions of digital listening”.
He adds the station is also looking at using mobile phones’ GPS functionality, pinpointing live music events and areas of interest at music festivals for listeners.
In May, Absolute hired its first digital marketing manager as it looks to expand its digital portfolio and listening.


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Walmart’s findings from a safety review of its Bangladesh operations identified more than 15 percent, or 32 factories, that failed safety standards, among more than 200 Bangladesh factories that produce goods for the retail giant. The review was prompted by a recent factory disaster that killed more than 1,100 garment workers.
According to Walmart, all but two have already addressed the problems. For one factory, that meant knocking down an illegally built top floor of an eight-story factory. Walmart has published the survey for 75 inspections online, reporting that all have passed electrical safety, building safety, and fire safety assessments.
Walmart has been criticized for doing too little on worker safety, even though it is the first retailer to publish inspection results. It refused to sign onto a legally binding agreement that commits $42 million for inspections and $100 million in loans to factory owners. Instead, Walmart opted for an independent process criticized as opaque and lacking accountability. The audits published on Walmart’s website will not explain conditions like the number of safety exits or building structure. The company said it’s so far spent $4 million on audits.
The reforms still leave holes in other parts of Walmart’s supply chain. Last month, seven workers died in a fabric mill fire reportedly because of a broken fire hydrant system. While Walmart, Gap, American Eagle, H&M, and other brands were customers, Human Rights Watch alleged the retailers did not act because the fabric mill was one step removed from the supply chain.
Other reforms for the world’s second-largest garment industry have moved slowly, despite mass protests from the industry’s mostly female workforce. The Bangladesh government made it easier for workers to unionize, although workers are still struggling to do so, and it agreed to a 77 percent minimum wage increase that still makes workers the worst paid in the world.


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Macy’s just announced a sweeping reorganization fueled by big changes in how Americans shop: They are buying in store, online and from their smartphones, or in retail speak, going “omnichannel.”
Both Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s, the department store’s upscale sister chain, are restructuring their merchandising and marketing functions so that one unified merchandising and marketing organization — a combination of store and online buying — will support the entire
Previously, store and online assortments were bought and marketed by separate organizations at Macy's and at Bloomingdale's.
Macy's is betting the changes will also help each retailer better develop and present its merchandise seamlessly across buying channels and present a single "omnichannel view" to shoppers in all product categories.
"Our business is rapidly evolving in response to changes in the way customers are shopping across stores, desktops, tablets and smartphones. We must continue to invest in our business to focus on where the customer is headed - to prepare for what's next," said Terry Lundgren, Macy's chairman and chief executive officer, in a statement.
"Going forward, Macy's and Bloomingdale's will be better able to move more quickly and nimbly to select merchandise, assort inventories and serve total customer demand, no matter how, when or where the customer shops. Some redundant activity also can be avoided to accelerate speed to market, partner more effectively with vendor resources and ensure the merchandising organizations are more responsive to the marketplace in making and implementing decisions," he said.
To that end, Macy's and Bloomingdale's are contracting its store and field operations in each of its 830 stores in a bid to drive growth, which will result in the loss of about 2,200 jobs.
The department store will also shutter 14 stores, which account for approximately $130 million in annual sales.
By contrast, key growth initiatives for 2015 include creating a team to explore opportunities for a Macy's off-price business; growing its digital business, namely, macys.com and bloomingdales.com; and expanding its San Francisco-based digital technology organization by hiring more than 150 people.


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Posted by Press Releases | Mar 17, 2011 | Comments 0
Tel Aviv, Israel – Independent software engineer Oren Meiri today is pleased to announce “eWhiteboard” app for the iPhone. This app turns any Mac/MS Windows PC with a projector into an Electronic Whiteboard. With the aid of a special marker, or LED keychain flashlight, the user controls the Mac/PC while standing in front of the projected desktop image.
Posted by Press Releases | Oct 25, 2010 | Comments 0
Tel Aviv, Israel – Independent software engineer Oren Meiri, today unveils his latest app, air-Draw for iPhone 4. Powered by the built-in gyroscope of the iPhone 4, the app monitors motion of the device and converts it to strokes in the drawing. This is the first time the iPhone 4 gyroscope is utilized in a drawing app to its full potential.


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MATTHEWS, N.C. - Family Dollar Stores reported that net income per diluted share for the year ended Aug. 28, increased 26.6% to $2.62 compared with $2.07 for the year ended August 29, 2009. Net income for the year increased 23% to $358.1 million compared with net income of $291.3 million in fiscal 2009.
“Our efforts to broaden the appeal of our assortment, improve the in-store shopping experience, enhance our customer communications, and strengthen our employee teams, resulted in strong improvements across most key metrics,” said Howard Levine, chairman and CEO. “I am very proud of this performance, and I appreciate the hard work and dedication of all our 50,000 Family Dollar team members.”
Levine said, “In fiscal 2010, we made a number of investments to increase the appeal of our stores. We expect that many of these investments, including expanding operating hours, enhancing our assortment, and creating better merchandise presentations through our space realignment efforts and the utilization of more efficient fixtures, will continue to deliver results in fiscal 2011.”
“Although the operating environment continues to be uncertain, I believe that our commitment to providing customers with greater value and convenience, combined with our on-going efforts to improve the shopping experience in our stores, will enable us to continue to deliver double-digit earnings growth of between $2.95 and $3.15 per diluted share in fiscal 2011,” concluded Levine.


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Tabcorp has officially won sole rights to the Victorian wagering licence for the next 20 years in a deal that ends its long bidding war with Sportsbet.
Tabcorp has held the licence since 1994 and confirmed to the ASX on Monday that the Victorian government has committed to a new deal which will replace its existing arrangement, which was due to expire next August.
Tabcorp chief executive Adam Rytenskild has secured a deal which will result in Tabcorp holding the Victorian wagering licence for the next 20 years. Credit: Eddie Jim
Under the arrangement, Tabcorp will pay an upfront payment of $600 million in June and $30 million in annual fixed payments from 2025 to 2043, which would take the payment to $1.1 billion. Tabcorp said the payments are not linked to inflation, so the value is actually $864 million.
The $864 million deal is higher than JPMorgan’s prior valuation of between $750 million and $800 million.
Tabcorp chief executive Adam Rytenskild said the terms of the deal recognised the structural changes to wagering brought on by online bookmaking.
“This is a strong licence for the modern era and it’s the prototype moving forward– it ensures a safe wagering ecosystem for the community and incorporates stronger protections to ensure genuine retail exclusivity,” Rytenskild said.
Sportsbet had originally placed a bid which sought to split the licence between multiple bookmakers, before Tabcorp increased its offer. If Sportsbet had been successful, Tabcorp and Sportsbet would both operate betting shops in Victoria.
Tabcorp said the sole rights would have boosted its 2023 earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation by $140 million if finalised within the period.
Tabcorp’s existing deal with the Victorian government was finalised in 2011 when it paid $410 million in an upfront fee to exclusively operate retail outlets and TABs in pubs and clubs.
Victoria recently increased its point-of-consumption tax to 15 per cent to match NSW, WA, SA and Tasmania. This was hailed as a win for Tabcorp– which has long called for the levelling of taxes it and corporate bookmakers pay– and the state racing industry.
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WATSONVILLE—Fall brings graduation to the Watsonville-based, national award-winning Focus Agriculture program, created by the Agri-Culture organization. A ceremony and...
Integrity Wines, located at the Watsonville Municipal Airport, has been in Watsonville for two years.
Apple season has started, and Pajaro Valley apple trees are bending under the weight of the fruit.
In a roomful of elected officials and non-profit agencies from all corners of Santa Cruz County, Second Harvest Food Bank revealed San...
Nov. 22 Pumpkin Floral Workshop Sarah’s Vineyard, 4005 Hecker Pass Hwy., Gilroy Come...
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) have received a grant to help the state’s small businesses boost trade and exports abroad.
Israel Morales Sr. of JV Farms Organic in Soledad will receive the Organic Farmer of the Year Award at the Organic Trade Association’s Leadership Awards on Sept. 11. in Baltimore, Md.
Focus on Ag Calendar, Sept. 2019
Edward Ortega of Ortega Berry Farms was recently selected by the Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau as the 2019 Farmer of the Year.
Farms across the Pajaro Valley will open to the public for two days of family-friendly activities Oct. 12-13.


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Pharmaceutical professionals across the UK are in danger of underestimating the huge changes that lie ahead in data protection – after a survey revealed almost one third aren’t even aware of the forthcoming European General Data Protection Regulation.
Carried out by information management experts Crown Records Management, the survey of IT decision-makers at UK companies with more than 200 employees tested how well prepared businesses are for the changes.
The results found that: (i) almost one third of IT decision-makers in the pharmaceutical sector (28 percent) are totally unaware of the changes – only the insurance sector came out worse; (ii) almost one third say they are waiting for the final details of the Regulation before taking any action; (iii) only one in three (33 percent) say their company is looking a staff training to prepare for the new Regulation – the lowest across all sectors; and (iv) 6 percent are not planning to make any changes at all.
“The results show that UK businesses, and particularly those in the pharmaceutical industry, are worryingly uninformed when it comes to preparing for the EU General Data Protection Regulation”, said John Culkin, Director of Information Management at Crown Records Management.
“It’s a concern that a third of businesses in the pharmaceutical sector are unaware of the big changes ahead. But the important question is not just whether businesses are worried or not, but whether they are being proactive and taking early action to prepare for the Regulation.”
However, there was some good news as Mr Culkin relates: “The results did show that more than half in the sector are planning to review information policies, and that’s important. Also 45 per cent have already appointed a Data Protection Officer, which is likely to be compulsory for many companies in future, and that’s the best figure across all sectors.
“Overall, our advice is that companies should begin an information audit as soon as possible and make positive changes as early as possible.
“With big fines for data breaches in future and strict guidelines on how quickly breaches should be reported there is work to do for many businesses across all sectors.”


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NEW YORK - There was the model at the Oscar de la Renta show in a fur vest, spindly arms sticking out like brittle twigs. And the one at Yeohlee who wasn't big enough to fill out her high-waisted skinny pants.
Alarmingly thin models may be the subject fashion can't stop talking about. But as shows here are proving: So far, talk is all the American fashion industry is willing to do.
The Council of Fashion Designers of America issued recommendations six weeks ago about health and weight but decided not to take steps to enforce them and instead asked designers to police themselves. Tougher actions already have been taken in Spain, Italy and Brazil, where the death of a model from complications with anorexia in November set off a global weight debate. The American guidelines encourage education and a healthier working environment backstage but do not adopt a minimum body mass index, as officials did at Madrid Fashion Week.
The initiative (or lack of initiative) has been a heated topic of conversation at fashion week here, where the models don't seem to be getting any fleshier. The Chelsea Art Museum even has a new show, "Dangerous Beauty," that requires visitors to walk across a floor made from working bathroom scales to enter the exhibit. And on Monday, the CFDA held a panel discussion about the health of models, enlisting nutrition and fitness experts to defend its decision not to conduct model weigh-ins.
Vogue magazine was out in full force, along with designers Tory Burch, Donna Karan, newly elected CFDA President Diane von Furstenberg, and about 100 media and industry insiders. Of course, no one touched the yogurt, pastries or fruit served for breakfast. Everyone was too busy trying to cover their bony behinds.
It's true, there is more that goes into determining health than a magic number (in Madrid, the minimum BMI is 18). Height, weight, activity level and genetics also are involved. But asking designers to make guesses - even educated ones - about who is at risk for having an eating disorder is ludicrous. The real question is why designers want to use models who are so thin that they can't tell if they are healthy or not.
You could blame Twiggy and lean-line 1960s fashion for bringing thin "in." Or 1990s heroin chic, when waifs Kate Moss and Stella Tennant were a trend switch from the Amazonian models of the 1980s. Others whisper privately that the gay men in the fashion industry are to blame, for preferring women who look like boys.
It's not difficult to see how you could develop an eating disorder if your career depended on it.
The problem isn't just designers. The pressure to be thin comes from all sides - editors, stylists, hairdressers, even boutique owners who refuse to stock sizes above 8.
And what would really happen if designers cut their runway samples bigger and the models had to eat, not starve, to fit? Vogue magazine would go on publishing, New York would continue to have fashion week, black would still be the new black and thin would still be in. Just not so thin.
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Investors interested in Consumer Discretionary stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Is Malibu Boats (MBUU - Free Report) one of those stocks right now? A quick glance at the company's year-to-date performance in comparison to the rest of the Consumer Discretionary sector should help us answer this question.
Malibu Boats is a member of the Consumer Discretionary sector. This group includes 243 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #8. The Zacks Sector Rank includes 16 different groups and is listed in order from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors.
The Zacks Rank is a proven system that emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions, highlighting a variety of stocks that are displaying the right characteristics to beat the market over the next one to three months. MBUU is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MBUU's full-year earnings has moved 14.64% higher within the past quarter. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.
Based on the most recent data, MBUU has returned 71.98% so far this year. Meanwhile, the Consumer Discretionary sector has returned an average of 3.58% on a year-to-date basis. This shows that Malibu Boats is outperforming its peers so far this year.
Looking more specifically, MBUU belongs to the Leisure and Recreation Products industry, which includes 15 individual stocks and currently sits at #52 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, this group has gained an average of 9.16% so far this year, meaning that MBUU is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.
Investors in the Consumer Discretionary sector will want to keep a close eye on MBUU as it attempts to continue its solid performance.


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BFL (Brands For Less) Group, one of the world’s leading off-price retailers of fashion and homeware, has unveiled its new concept store, Luxury For Less, with a wide range of authentic designers and high-end products offered at modest prices.
The newly opened concept store, located on the first floor of Dubai Festival City Mall, offers products and items from known French and Italian luxury fashion brands, and many more. Customers can enjoy discounted price on high-end items as well as be engaged into the treasure hunt concept experience at the store.
This move is part of the brand’s agenda to increase investments on new concepts and to accommodate more selections of off-retail priced goods and other products. Furthermore, it is in line with the company’s 2022 ambitious expansion strategy across the GCC.
“This new flagship store is a fruit of innovative thinking, creativity and ingenuity, marking a significant milestone for the brand as we are about to start the new year. The whole idea behind Luxury For Less is to provide customers with options to purchase high-end and designer brands with affordable prices. BFL Group is always looking out for unique concepts and opportunities to further expand our extensive range of trendy and affordable products,” said Toufic Kreidieh, Chief Executive Officer of BFL Group.
The new concept store has the same off-price business model that the BFL Group is known for, offering a wide range of products such as clothing, homeware, sportswear, and toys from over 3,000 designer brands. Luxury For Less is an addition to the group’s known brands such as the Brands For Less, Toys For Less, Homes For Less, Tchibo, and Muy Mucho.
Al Seef is a charming attraction which blends the old and newJanuary 14, 2022 | By Zubina Ahmed
A Dubai-based female entrepreneur Marie-Hélène Stavelot has launched an online platform thatJanuary 11, 2022 | By Justina Eitzinger
Foodlink Global Restaurants & Catering Services, the F&B services enterprise in India
‘Tis the time to be jolly! The festive season is back. Celebrate
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The long weekend might be over but the Etisalat Beach Canteen 2021
UAE gears up to celebrate this year’s National Day celebrations in the
UAE-based Etisalat Group has signed an agreement with elGrocer, a leading online
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Abu Dhabi Cooperative Society’s COOP City store is now open in Lake
Union Coop, a consumer cooperative in the UAE, revealed that 78% of
Union Coop has opened its 23rd branch within the UAE in Jumeirah
Nando’s has revealed their revamped Sheikh Zayed Road outlet where newcomers and
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Al Seef is a charming attraction which blends the old and new
Renowned Lollipop and sugar confectionery brand Chupa Chups opened its first ever experiential
Leading luxury brand Louis Vuitton opened its first travel retail store in
A Dubai-based female entrepreneur Marie-Hélène Stavelot has launched an online platform that
By: Remo Giovanni Abbondandolo, SVP of MENA, Checkout.com Covid-19 changed a lot
UAE-based retail distribution company GMG has said it will open more than
The first weekend of the year will begin with some music and
H&M, the world-famous retail clothing company founded in Sweden, has revealed that
Deerfields Mall, Abu Dhabi’s community mall, has relaunched its Farmers Market running
The Titan Company Limited retail and consumer activation space has recently been
Showcasing for the first time in the UAE its line of fine


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CEO of Jagat Pharma and Director of Dr Basu Eye Hospital, Dr Mandeep Singh Basu recently got in an exclusive conversation with NewsX for its special segment NewsX A-list. A leading name in Ayurvedic healthcare, Jagat Pharma is led by a team of highly dedicated and qualified professionals offering high quality herbal medicines and helping the world get rid of blindness. In the insightful conversation, Dr Mandeep Singh Basu, who holds a degree in Ayurvedic medicine and surgery and is a certified eye specialist, shared how the amalgamation of modern science and Ayurveda can do wonders.
Reflecting on his journey to become India’s youngest entrepreneurs in the Ayurveda industry, Dr Basu said, “My father Dr Mahendra Singh Basu had a dream of India, which is free from blindness. Soon after completing his degree in Ayurveda, he came up with his innovation of Isotin eyedrops. Isotin can cure various eye diseases like immature cataract and retina problems, which are incurable, without surgery. When I joined this organisation, I took his dream as my responsibility. I knew that it could be a revolutionary product in the field of eyecare so we organised various eye camps in order to reach people all over the world. We designed Isotin as an OTC product. Our business model is based on the trust of consumers. Our business model is based on benefitting the consumers and winning their trust. The word of mouth promotion helps us grow in the industry.”
When asked about the challenges for the Ayurvedic industry at large, Dr Basu responded, “Ayurveda is a holistic science that was discovered several years ago. It is preventive as well as curative. There was a time when people did not trust Ayurveda with some serious eye diseases. The biggest challenge was to make sure that our patients and consumers trust this new concept of treating eye diseases without surgery. The acceptance and trust of the consumers meant more to us than anything else. In today’s time, there has been a shift in people’s preference to natural Ayurvedic products and treatments. As we are moving forward, Ayurveda is winning the trust of more and more people. I believe that with the amalgamation of modern science and Ayurveda, we can do wonders in the field, which will be best of both the worlds. The global expansion of Ayurveda industry is also a dream that we want to see in reality.
Speaking about Jagat Pharma and his next big plans for the company, Dr Basu revealed, “Jagat Pharma is one of the first Ayurvedic manufacturers to provide OTC solutions for various eye diseases. We are in efforts to diversify Jagat Pharma in other segments as well. Currently, we have a product by the name of White Free, which is a OTC product for leucorrhea problems. Moving forward, we are looking to expand our product portfolio in women health, hygiene and skincare. “
NewsX further asked Dr Basu about the acceptance and demand for the brand. To which, he added, “In the recent years, we have been receiving an overwhelming response from other countries as well. We also have a lot of international patients that visit our hospital. Currently, we are exporting Isotin to Russia, ASEAN and African countries. We are working on exporting Isotin to some more countries as well. There are still many challenges that we need to face for establishing the art of Ayurveda globally. Let over the cultural bloom, the western countries as well. But, with time, we will overcome that and provide our treatment all over the world.”
When asked if he believes Ayurveda can help people combat Covid 19, Dr Basu said, “In times like this, when everyone is trying to improve their immunity by drinking Kadha, eating Chayavanprash or taking home remedies to prevent coronavirus, we can see how closely we are connected to Ayurveda. I understand the complexity and severity of the virus but in times like these, Ayurveda is still helping us fight against Covid-19. In present times, you know the screen time has increased for people not only working from home but also for children as they are now attending online classes. As an eye doctor, I recommend everyone that we can take of our eyes by doing eye exercises and giving our eyes rest after every half n hour.” He added, “Ayurveda has no side effects. The results are late but they are 100% effective.”
On a parting note, Dr Basu shared his excellence mantra and said, “Our excellence mantra is that we are doing something which no one is doing all over the world. We are curing eye diseases that have no treatment all over the world. People are taking this eye drop globally and getting rid of blindness.”


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CHICAGO-Boeing Co. is forecasting a $2.6 trillion commercial airplane market over the next 20 years. The new airplanes will be necessary to accommodate a forecast 4.9 percent annual increase in passenger traffic, and a 6.1 percent annual increase in air cargo traffic.
Specifically, Boeing projects a need for approximately 27,200 new commercial airplanes-both passenger and freighter-doubling the world fleet by 2025. The vast majority of these new airplanes will be in the single-aisle (100-240 seats) and twin-aisle (200-400 seats) categories.
"We're forecasting a continued strong long-term demand for new airplanes over the next 20 years," says Boeing Commercial Airplanes Vice President of Marketing, Randy Baseler. "These airplanes will take people and products where they need to travel, as never before. Improved fuel efficiency and increased range will allow airlines to take more travelers directly where they want to go, when they want to go."
On a delivery-dollar basis, the largest market is projected to be the Asia-Pacific region, with 36 percent of the $2.6 trillion total. North America will make up 28 percent of the delivery dollars and Europe will make up 24 percent. Deliveries to airlines in Latin America, the Middle East and Africa will represent a total of 12 percent of the delivery dollars between 2006 and 2025.


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Pan Am invades Toronto
The Ontario tourism corp is getting epic, haunting and anthemic for its first push to drum up excitement for the games.
If you’ve been in the Toronto area within the past, say, three years, you’ve probably heard about next year’s Pan American Games, which bring together more than 7,500 athletes from 41 countries and territories in the Americas.
It’s a big affair here, and expected to draw in 250,000 tourists from outside of Ontario to the GTA, with tickets sales in the 1.4 million range.
And now, with a new spot by FCB (the first under new CCO Jon Flannery) and United Films director Phil Brown, the Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation (OTMPC) has set the tone for what to expect if you’re visiting the games. And in a word: intense.
The new ad, which runs through until the end of December, starts with a rhythmic gymnast on a roof top as a rendition of “Ready or Not” plays, but the scenes quickly cut to more athletes invading Toronto, accelerating at a quick pace.
The spot will run on TV, online, cinema and in various other public places and will be supported by digital and social. It will also run in embassies across the Americas, says Ronald Holgerson, president and CEO of the OTMPC.
“The invasion theme came from FCB,” he says. “We gave them the challenge of ‘We want to sell the games. We want to help 2015 [Pan Am organizers] sell tickets, but at the same time, we want to help people have a sense of where this is happening.’ FCB came back to us with a few options, but this one rose to the top very quickly.”
Though he says the concept of invasion could be construed in a negative light, they were careful not to let that come forth in the creative. “It’s not meant to be menacing in any way, [though] it’s competitive for sure.”
Effectively, Holgerson says they briefed the agency looking for a campaign that highlighted the power and force of athleticism, highlighting tourism destinations near the venues at which those particular sports would be played. “The day they presented the music of this commercial – with that haunting, anthemic voice of Esthero, who was born in Stratford by the way – we all say, ‘Oh my god, that’s it.’”
The campaign specifically targets sports tourists, one of 12 segments identified by the OTMPC in a consumer survey undertaken two years ago, he adds. “Everybody shops and looks for good wine or craft beer and culinary experiences,” he says of the various tourist consumers heading into Ontario. “But the sports tourist is, naturally, very focused on sport activities.”
He adds that regardless of which kind of tourist is coming in, they all want a sense of the culture of the destination. So for this particular campaign it was important to blend the diversity of Ontario (one of our greatest draws, Holgerson explains) with the upcoming sporting activities and Ontarians’ exciting, bold and daring characteristics.
The campaign also unveiled the “Epic is On” platform, encouraging conversation over social media. Following the success of “#Wearewinter,” debut by the Canadian Olympic Committee last year, the OTMPC challenged the agency to come up with an equally grand (or bigger) rallying cry.
Interestingly, “#Epicison” started trending on Twitter, says Holgerson, though it was never meant to be the original hashtag for the campaign, though he says he’s pleased with the result.
Correction: an earlier version of this article said the Canadian Olympic Committee campaign was “#Wethenorth.” That was a Raptors campaign. We apologize for the error.


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March 3, 2022: A new era of energy storage and electric vehicles in the US risks stalling before it even begins because of potential shortages of critical material supplies, latest reports suggest.
Energy security to power a “clean energy” future was a key message in US president Joe Biden’s State of the Union address on March 1, when he urged: “Let’s make it in America”.
But the US is still heavily dependent on imports for key battery materials including cobalt, lithium, manganese and nickel, according to an updated list of 50 mineral commodities critical to the economy and national security, compiled by the US Geological Survey (USGS).
The list has been expanded compared to 35 commodities on the last list finalised in 2018.
The USGS said there was a “compelling case” to add nickel to the list to strengthen development of a home-grown US battery materials supply chain for electric vehicles and energy storage systems.
There is an increasing demand for nickel as a component for producing cathodes for lithium-ion batteries — and “the limited mining, smelting, and refinery capacity in the United States make a compelling case for inclusion”, the USGS said.
And the Department of Energy has moved to shore up domestic supply chains for critical battery materials, with the release of a February 24 report aimed at guiding the US toward energy independence — ‘America’s Strategy to Secure the Supply Chain for a Robust Clean Energy Transition’.
Battery Council International’s executive vice president, Roger Miksad, welcomed the US president’s call, noting that the supply chain for the US lead battery manufacturing and recycling industry is “a well-established, reliable manufacturing model for batteries that employs nearly 25,000 people with above average salaries, generating a $26.3 billion economic contribution to the national economy”.
“President Biden called for an end to relying on foreign supply chains, and we are proud of our existing domestic infrastructure that meets more than 90% of the domestic lead battery demand,” Miksad said.
“The president also said that products should be ‘made in America from beginning to end,’ and that’s the description of sustainable lead batteries.”


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70 percent of online Americans have tried to lose weight. Not surprisingly, women are significantly more likely to say they have tried to lose weight than men
Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) May 16, 2012
Polaris Marketing Research Inc. announced today findings from their most recent survey of 1,228 online Americans, supported by Research Now for data collection and analysis. Confirming media coverage and our widespread suspicions, in the past three years, 70 percent of online Americans have tried to lose weight. Not surprisingly, women are significantly more likely to say they have tried to lose weight than men (76 percent for women and 63 percent for men).
“And perhaps even less surprising, these efforts have not been widely successful. Only 6% of online Americans report having successfully lost their extra weight and kept it off. On the other end of the spectrum, 14 percent of respondents report they have not been successful at all in losing weight,” said Polaris Marketing Research President Jan Carlson.
Eating less (83 percent) and exercising more (8 percent) are the most commonly used approaches to weight loss. Eating special combinations of foods (24 percent) and pre-packaged meals (17 percent) are also popular. Only 3 percent of online Americans have seriously considered or have actually had weight reduction surgery.
Unfortunately, our lifestyles put many obstacles in our path to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. “While lack of exercise (56 percent) and not wanting to give up our favorite foods (46 percent) top the list, stress (34 percent), eating bigger portions (31 percent), eating out (29 percent), eating too fast and eating on the run (both 20 percent) all play a role in our challenge to lose weight,” reported Carlson.
About Polaris Marketing Research
Founded by Jan Carlson, Polaris Marketing Research is a full-service firm that provides state-of-the-art online interactive marketing research reporting, interviewing and data collection, quantitative and qualitative research expertise and personalized project management.
Atlanta-based Polaris Marketing Research is affiliated with the Council of American Survey Research Organizations, the American Marketing Association and the American Society for Quality.
About Research Now
Research Now is the leading global online sampling and online data collection company. With over 6 million panelists in 38 countries worldwide, Research Now enables companies to listen to and interact with real consumers and business decision makers in order to make key business decisions. Research Now offers a full suite of data collection services, including social media sampling, and operates the Valued Opinions™ Panel and e-Rewards® Opinion Panels. The company has a multilingual staff located in 24 offices around the globe and has been recognized for four consecutive years as the industry leader in client satisfaction. Visit http://www.researchnow.com to learn more.


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The recent announcement that wal-mart has teamed up with wild oats to sell inexpensive, organic pantry basics has the food world in a. Whole foods market, inc, and wild oats markets, inc against whole food market, inc’s proposed closest competitors among premium national and organic. Wild oats is now creating authentic and affordable food products so you and your family can enjoy better living, starting from the inside. In what may potentially have big implications for the organic-food industry, walmart us, is teaming up with wild oats to sell a collection of pantry staples that. Others fear walmart’s history spells trouble for organics since the 1980s, walmart has revolutionized the us economy from a “push” system, in which. Wild oats marketplace, addison, texas 55k likes a pioneer in the organic and natural food industry, we’re on a mission to bring high-quality, tasty and.
Americans have shown great affinity for organic products, despite their premium prices, and they are likely to appreciate the idea of cheaper organic food. Our wild oats marketplace organic food products feature the same high standards as other usda certified organic foods - just at a more affordable price. Walmart stores inc is phasing out its wild oats organic food brand, according to people familiar with the matter, dropping a line of products introduced two years. 1 organic foods and food safety issues mary c mulry phd sr director of product development and standards wild oats markets wild oats markets • $900+ in annual sales.
Wild oats bakery & cafe: fabulous, hand made, organic food - see 338 traveler reviews, 35 candid photos, and great deals for brunswick, me, at tripadvisor. Stuffed butternut squash with quinoa cranberries and kale delicious, healthy stuffed butternut squash with quinoa, cranberries, kale, and chickpeas. Wal-mart is using its massive size to drive down the price of organic food items from tomato paste to chicken broth to make them more affordable for its.
Whole foods market said wednesday it will pay $565 million for wild oats markets, a chain of natural- and organic-food markets in the united. Amazoncouk: organic oats organic porridge oats^a good source of calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc fresh & wild fairwaytastic. Whole foods/wild oats merger: sowing the seeds for market growth survey, us sales of organic food and beverages have grown from $1 billion in 1990 to an. Addison-based wild oats organic food products serving “trailblazers in the organic food industry back in 1987,” wild oats, organic food addison magazine.
Walmart has announced that it will carry wild oats organic food items originally introduced in 1987, wild oats will relaunch at walmart with a new, more affordable. Wild oats marketing, llc produces organic food products the company offers organic products, such as apple sauce, baking products, bread, canned vegetables. When walmart announced in april that it was introducing the wild oats brand of organic food products in 2,000 stores, some food-justice advocates grew excited.
Bristol's ethical living store - natural, organic and fairtrade wholefoods, nutritional supplements, environmentally-friendly household supplies & bodycare.
Two years ago, walmart announced that it would sell inexpensive organic food to a mass market under the wild oats brand, at lower prices than national brands of. Wal-mart stores inc is phasing out its wild oats organic food brand, according to people familiar with the matter, dropping a line of products introduced. The retail giant will carry wild oats products that will undercut brand-name organic competitors by at least 25 percent. A lightly toasted blend of certified organic grains, seeds and honey for a delicious and healthy breakfast, or snack during the day. The world’s largest retailer is dropping its wild oats organic food brand, introduced two years ago as a way to offer organic food at a lower price point than m. Wild oats marketplace (registered as wild oats marketing, llc) is a producer of natural and organic food distributed through partnerships in the united states. Ftc seeks to block whole foods markets acquisition of wild oats markets transaction would reduce competition for premium naturaland organic just the food product.
It started as a quick way to get organic food onto walmart's shelves and keep up with competitors two years later the world's largest retailer is ending its. Natural and organic food retailer whole foods market inc wfmio on friday extended its tender offer for wild oats markets inc oatso for a fourth time as. With the relaunch of the wild oats range of organic products sold almost exclusively at its us stores, wal-mart intends to benefit from the marked recovery of organic.


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On the other hand, the digital currency has an adaptive blocksize, avoiding the transaction capacity limitations of bitcoin’s fixed 1MB. It further has far lower confirmation times than bitcoin, making commerce slightly more convenient. Leading Silkroad like markets, such as AlphaBay and Oasis, to add Monero due to its anonymity features and as a potentially more convenient method of payment. The move brought attention to the currency and sent its price skyrocketing at the time, but if transaction volumes are any indication it does not appear to attract much use.
Monero, the fifth largest digital currency with a market cap of nearly $200 million, has successfully hardforked yesterday to add higher levels of privacy and anonymity by implementing an adapted version of Confidential Transactions.
The networks’ near 650 visible full nodes have made the transition without any noticeable problem so far, with the market responding positively as indicated by an increase in Monero’s price of more than 4.5% at the time of publishing.
Image from Shutterstock.
Monero’s Price Following a Hardfork to Implement Confidential Transactions. Chat Courtesy of Poloniex
The new invention is now enabled by default, with a planned hardfork in September enforcing the added level of privacy on all transactions, making monero one of the most anonymous digital currency, but it comes at a fairly high cost. One average monero transaction takes more than 4kb of space, increasing to around 6kb per transaction with RCT, compared to an average of 400 bytes per bitcoin transaction.
The network hardforked to implement Ring Confidential Transactions (RCT), an adapted version of Confidential Transactions described by Gregory Maxwell, a Bitcoin Core developer and Blockstream’s CTO as a “a cryptographic tool to improve… privacy and security.” Monero develops on Maxwell’s implementation by adapting Confidential Transactions to work with the currency’s already implemented ring signatures, an inbuilt mechanism which bundles sending and receiving public keys with a number of older actual transactions, thus operating as a mixer to obfuscate addresses.
The nearly three years old currency already has a blockchain of around 10GB while barely having any transactions – around 2,600 a day, compared to bitcoin’s more than 250,000 a day. At bitcoin’s transaction levels Monero would add 1.5GB per day, consuming an average laptop disk space of 500GB in one year.
That might gradually change as bitcoin continues an apparent stalemate regarding scalability and general innovation, which has led to increased fees, unpredictable confirmation times and increased user annoyance, but whether miners will allow such stalemate to continue to the point where users begin leaving en mass for other public blockchains remains to be seen.
Confidential Transactions add to ring signature’s inbuilt mixer by “hiding amounts, origins and destinations of transactions with reasonable efficiency and verifiable, trustless coin generation,” according to the peer-reviewed Ring Confidential Transactions paper, making any blockchain analysis difficult if at all possible.
Although storage is relatively cheap with terabyte disk sizes now becoming more common, initial node synchronization may eventually become a problem, but the network is considering Lightning and TumbeBit, a more private version of Lightning, for more scalability, according to Othe, a pseudonymous Monero core developer. They have no plans to implement Segwit, Othe says, as the currency doesn’t have any transaction malleability problems and further consider sharding to be “a failed concept.”
Ethereum Price Weekly Analysis – ETH/USD Breaks Imp Resistance
Ethereum price is gaining momentum against the US Dollar and Bitcoin. ETH/USD broke a key resistance for further gains above $347. This past week was mostly bullish for ETH price as it moved above
Square Cash App Launches Bitcoin Trading Functions
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Golix Exchange: Bitcoin Price Double in Zimbabwe
Cryptocurrency seems to thrive in times of instability. Thatâs certainly the case right now in Zimbabwe. The price of a single Bitcoin surged to an unprecedented $13,500 on the countryâs only
Thomas Peterffy on CME Futures: “A Catastrophe in the Cryptocurrency Market… will destabilize the real economy.”
Chairman of Interactive Brokers, Thomas Peterffy, has voiced concerns about the plan to launch a Bitcoin Futures contract. According to their CEO, Terry Duffy, the CME Group intends to offer the
Bitcoin Price Technical Analysis for 11/16/2017 – Bulls Back on their Feet?
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Bitcoin Cash Price Technical Analysis – BCH/USD Grinding Lower
Bitcoin cash price is slowly moving down toward $1100 against the US Dollar. BCH/USD is facing two important resistances near $1200 and $1300. There is a slow and steady decline forming from the $1
Ethereum Price Technical Analysis – ETH/USD Testing Key Support
Ethereum price is correcting lower against the US Dollar and Bitcoin. ETH/USD has to maintain bid tone above $326 to gain upside momentum. There was a new minor high formed at $337.29 in ETH price
ALT COIN IOTA RALLY. GAINS $0.18
IOTA rally was perhaps November 15 highlight. Price action gained $0.18 by the end of the day. NEM, Monero, NEO and DASH were whipsawing with bull and bear pressure cancelling each other out. Letâ


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Chevrolet introduced their latest hatchback called the new 2013 Chevrolet Onix. Chevy Onix was introduced in 2012 Sao Paulo International Motor Show. According to the plan, this car will begin to be produced and sold in Brazil in November 2012.
2013 Chevrolet Onix offers a five-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission and a choice of 1.0-liter engine and a 1.4-liter, both are equipped to run on 100 percent ethanol or flexible fuel mixture of gasoline and ethanol. in addition to performance so much fun, powerful features has also completed Onix. Onix Chevy will feature Bluetooth capability and Chevrolet MyLink system that allows users to bring his / her songs, photos, video, and mobile applications to be displayed on the seven-inch color LCD screen in the vehicle.


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By Samantha Barnes, International Banker
As much as the world has accomplished thus far in mitigating the spread of the coronavirus and bringing down case numbers, much of the economic impact unleashed by the pandemic has been more difficult to resolve. Perhaps most concerning of all are the weakening levels of food security in many countries.
Food security, as defined by the United Nations’ Committee on World Food Security (CFS), means that all people at all times have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their food preferences and dietary needs for an active and healthy life. Conversely, someone is said to be “food insecure” when they lack such access, with hunger being a more extreme expression of this state and one that an alarming proportion of the global population finds itself in today.
Global hunger numbers were already dire before the outbreak of COVID-19, which only underlines how desperate the situation has now become. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), world hunger had been rising before the pandemic, estimating that the number of undernourished in total had increased from 624 million people in 2014 to 688 million in 2019. The FAO attributed this rise to such factors as extreme climate events, conflict and, more recently, locust outbreaks in such areas as East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. But the coronavirus has only expedited that increase significantly, with the World Food Programme (WFP) estimating that as of April 2021, 296 million people are undernourished in the 35 countries within which it works—a whopping 60 percent more than the figure recorded just a year ago.
In Latin America and the Caribbean, for instance, food-security levels were already waning prior to the virus outbreak and have only worsened dramatically in certain countries over the last year. Nonetheless, the FAO expects the region will be able to produce sufficient reserves to adequately feed its inhabitants in the coming months. “The main risk in the short term is not being able to guarantee access to food for the population that is complying with sanitary security measures to prevent the spread of the virus, and that in many cases has lost its main source of income. In addition, it is essential to keep the food system alive in order to ensure supply to consumers.”
But the impact is particularly pronounced in lower-income countries. Rapid phone surveys done by the World Bank in 48 countries showed a significant number of people running out of food or reducing their consumption. “Reduced calorie intake and compromised nutrition threaten gains in poverty reduction and health and could have lasting impacts on the cognitive development of young children,” the development institution recently noted.
Bangladesh, for instance, has struggled to secure adequate food supplies during the pandemic. Public food-transfer programmes—that is, social-welfare programmes that transfer food to the poor—have helped combat the alarming numbers of hungry citizens, but even these programmes have proven insufficient. The country’s largest programme of this kind, the Food Friendly Program (FFP), was found by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) to have experienced significant disruption and poor delivery performance during the lockdowns. The FFP normally provides 30 kilograms of rice per month to each eligible family in Bangladesh in the lean months of the year, March to April and September to November, reaching around 27.5 million people annually. The government expanded the FFP in response to COVID-19 to allow for additional transfers in May 2020. But an IFPRI policy brief found that “FFP beneficiaries received on average only 12.7kg of the promised 30kg” in May and that “only 41 percent of households reported receiving their full entitlement in May 2020, and a sizable 58 percent reported receiving less than 10 kg”.
Even in developed countries, the impact on food security among lower-income segments is becoming critical. In the United States, for instance, the overall food-insecurity rate had reached its lowest point since it began to be measured in the 1990s just before the pandemic. The poorest families spent 36 percent of their income on food in 2019, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). But rising food prices during the pandemic have only weakened food-security levels. According to USDA data, the CPI (Consumer Price Index) for grocery store or supermarket food purchases rose 3.5 percent in 2020, the highest annual increase in almost 10 years and well above the 20-year annual average of 2.0 percent. Feeding America, a non-profit network of more than 200 food banks that feed more than 46 million Americans, estimated that 45 million people (one in seven), including 15 million children (one in five), may have experienced food insecurity in 2020.
Rising food prices have only magnified the problem for the world’s poorest. The cost of food increased significantly in 2020, partly in sync with the rally that fomented across the broader global commodities complex and US-dollar currency trends during the year. But prices have also strongly risen on the back of COVID-related disruptions to food supplies, coupled with persistently buoyant demand as consumers have continued to stockpile food during the crisis. As such, the food component of the global consumer price index (CPI) rose at a much faster rate than the broader benchmark, with prices of food products in August 2020 a full 5.5 percent higher than they were 12 months earlier.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) recently observed that in late 2019 and early 2020, food prices first began increasing in Central and Southern Asia following the outbreak of the pandemic, shortly before they did in Eastern and South-Eastern Asia, as the wider region was the first to be affected by the virus. “In Eastern and South-Eastern Asia, the food prices inflation increased from 5.2 per cent in December 2019 to 9.3 per cent in January 2020,” the ILO noted. “In Europe and Northern America, the food prices inflation increased from 1.9 per cent in March 2020 to 3.8 per cent in April 2020, when the lockdown measures were introduced. Similar patterns were observed in all other regions.” The price surges spread towards the rest of the world over the ensuing months.
Such sharp price rises have had profound impacts on households all over the world but particularly those lower-income households that spend a larger proportion of their incomes on food. The primary risks to food security are at the country level, according to the World Bank, which recently noted that higher prices combined with reduced incomes are forcing more households to cut down on both the quantity and quality of their food consumption. Consistently rising food prices this year, moreover, suggests further food-security concerns await the world. The FAO Food Price Index (FFPI) averaged 118.5 points in March 2021, which is 2.1 percent higher than in February and represents the 10th consecutive monthly rise in the value of the index to reach its highest level since June 2014.
“I think food prices are going to continue to increase for probably a good year, year and a half,” according to Phil Lempert, founder and editor of SupermarketGuru.com. “Our costs are going to go up for food production,” he told NBC News in early March. In turn, this will continue to weigh most forcefully on the world’s most vulnerable populations. A recent study in the United States found that while the $900-billion stimulus package approved by the U.S. Congress in December 2020 lifted 1.6 million people out of poverty, a staggering 8 million Americans fell into poverty between June and December. “If you think about food prices in the last year, they’ve gone up substantially,” said Geri Henchy, director of nutrition policy at the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC). “The impact for low-income people is they have limited budgets, which makes it that much harder to buy enough food, and it makes it that much harder to buy healthy food. It’s a disaster.”
“Though current food insecurity is by and large not driven by food shortages, supply disruptions and inflation affecting key agricultural inputs such as fertilizers and seeds, or prolonged labor shortages could diminish next season’s crop,” according to the World Bank. “If farmers are experiencing acute hunger, they may also prioritize consuming seeds as food today over planting seeds for tomorrow, raising the threat of food shortages later on.” Feeding America, meanwhile, has projected that 42 million people (one in eight), including 13 million children (one in six), may experience food insecurity in 2021. “This reflects an improvement relative to our updated 2020 projections, which can be attributed to the economic situation—actual unemployment and estimated poverty levels have been lower than many experts originally predicted—as well as the federal response, which has played an important role in mitigating the crisis.”
The coming decades were already being touted, before the pandemic, as posing significant challenges to achieving global food security—with pressing issues such as climate change, global population growth, potentially volatile food prices and environmental degradation all likely headwinds looking into the future. COVID-19 and its inevitable aftermath have only added to this list of challenges.


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New features showcased.
Sony Online Entertainment have released a new video showing the March content headed to the game along with the good narration.
There are rocket launchers available to each faction with unique abilities as mentioned in the video. Squad members can be dragged and dropped easily as well.
The video does not cover every single change in March but shows the important bits.
Vehicle update is focused on the Flash. It adds new seat and also has a camo ability. You can throw grenades and shoot while in the back seat.
Planetside 2 came out last year and is a free-to-play game, and you can check out our review here.
Tell us what you think in the comments section below.


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Lemminkainen to pay up to 34 mln euros for price fixing - court
HELSINKI Nov 28 (Reuters) - Construction company Lemminkainen was told to pay up to 34 million euros ($46 million) in damages to Finnish local governments for fixing asphalt prices with competitors, a Helsinki district court ruled on Thursday.
Lemminkainen said it would record the cost of the damages in its fourth-quarter results and warned that, as a result, 2013 results would be "clearly negative".
The case relates to a nationwide asphalt cartel that operated in 1994-2002, according to a 2009 decision by a supreme administrative court.
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Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, will hire more than 6,000 new staff in 2023.
The hiring drive comes despite a global downturn in the chip industry. The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) recently announced global semiconductor industry sales totaled $41.3 billion during January 2023, a decrease of 5.2 percent compared to the December 2022 total of $43.6 billion and 18.5 percent less than the January 2022 total of $50.7 billion.
TSMC said the company will seek young engineers with associates, bachelor’s, masters’s or doctorate degrees in electrical engineering or software-related fields, in cities all across Taiwan.
TSMC is offering salary of T$2 million ($65,578) to a new engineer with a master’s degree.
Intel recently announced that it would cut payments to mid-level staff and executives from 5 percent to 25 percent.
TSMC’s dominance in making some of the most advanced chips for high-end customers such as Apple has shielded it from downturn.
TSMC reduced its annual capital expenditure for 2023 and predicts a first-quarter revenue drop, but has said it expects demand to pick up by the second half of this year.


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Canada's Tim Hortons UK expansion to create 2,000 jobs
Canadian chain Tim Hortons is planning an expansion in the UK that will create about 2,000 jobs.
Despite, seeing a collapse in sales, the company known for its coffee and doughnuts, is hoping to capitalise on the rising demand for drive-through dining brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
Tim Hortons said it will open drive-outlets in “every major city and town” over the next two years, starting with Milton Keynes.
Chief commercial officer of Tim Hortons UK and Ireland, Kevin Hydes, told the Telegraph: “Despite challenging times for the sector, our drive-thru and flagship locations have delivered exceptional performance and our model is proving to be well attuned to the evolving needs of customers at this time.”
The brand, owned by fast food giant Restaurant Brands International (RBI), has 23 locations in the UK after it first launched in 2017 with branches in Glasgow, Belfast, Manchester and the Midlands. It had 937 chains outside Canada as of June.
RBI (QSR), which operates more than 27,000 restaurants globally through a franchise model, also owns fast food chains Burger King and Popeye’s Chicken.
READ MORE: Greggs to cut jobs as COVID-19 hits sales
Sales at Tim Hortons’ 4,900 global sites fell by more than 30% in the quarter to July, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While sales at parent company RBI saw a 20% decline in that same period, as lockdown forced many locations to close or restrict their offerings.
But, despite the upheaval caused by the pandemic, RBI has been pushing to expand its portfolio especially outside the US and Canada.
In August, chief executive Jose Cil told investors: "We cannot predict exactly when the dust will settle, but we're confident that we will be well positioned to capitalise on opportunities for growth as we emerge from the crisis and continue toward the 40,000 restaurant goal we talked about last year.”
The move comes at a time when the UK’s hospitality sector has been reeling from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Last month, Costa Coffee announced plans to cut up to 1,650 jobs in response to the COVID-19 crisis, saying it would “streamline” its operations in response to the “high levels of uncertainty as to when trade will recover to pre-COVID levels.”
Meanwhile, Pret a Manger also announced that it would close 30 of its outlets and axe around 2,800 roles at the coffee and sandwich chain, almost triple the number of expected job cuts. It cited the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and a huge drop-off in sales.


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Bad news for gamers – GPU prices are increasing once again, this time because of Ethereum
- If you are a gamer and have been waiting for GPU prices to stabilize or decline, you are in for a rude shock.
- The recent surge in Ethereum prices has led to a major increase in the prices of Nvidia GPUs.
- To make matters worse, reports suggest that this could get worse as supply is expected to reduce by half in the coming weeks.
A report by MyDrivers, a Chinese news portal that tracks tech-related supply chain news, has revealed that Nvidia GPU (graphics processing unit) prices are up by 18% in China. The report states that the supply of Nvidia graphics cards will be “very tight” in September, with total units expected to be down by 50%.
While GPU prices bottomed out around July, the new spike could be a result of a major breakout in Ethereum prices. In the last one week, Ethereum has surged by over 23%, going from $3,172 (approx. ₹2,31,700) to $3,912 (approx. ₹2,85,700).
AdvertisementEthereum was trading around $2,000 in July, leading to a decline in GPU prices across the board, as cryptocurrency mining became less profitable. At $2,000 levels, Ethereum’s price had fallen by half from its previous highs of over $4,000.
Unsurprisingly, with Ethereum back in the $4,000 range, GPU prices have picked up steam, too. And it’s not just Nvidia cards that have seen an increase in prices – the AMD RX 6000 series cards have witnessed a noticeable increase, too.
This is at a time when the supply is still keeping up with the demand – according to a 3D Center report, supply has taken a minor hit despite the surge in demand. If and when the supply gets even more constrained, we could see a much more rapid increase in GPU prices.
These are the worst affected graphics cards
According to data compiled by MyDrivers, some of the worst affected graphics cards are Nvidia-based ones from Asus and Gigabyte. Note that these are prices in China.
- RTX 3070 Ti: +600 Yuan (approx. $92 or ₹6,800)
- RTX 3080, 3070: +400 Yuan (approx. $62 or ₹4,500)
- RTX 3060 Ti, 3060: +350 Yuan (approx. $54 or ₹4,000)
- RTX 3090, 3080 Ti: +400 Yuan (approx. $62 or ₹4,500)
- RTX 3070 Ti, 3070, 3060 Ti, 3060: +300 Yuan (approx. $46 or ₹3,400)
|RTX 3080 Ti||₹1,50,900|
|RTX 3070 Ti||₹1,06,000|
|RTX 3060 Ti||₹81,300|
Source: Cost to Cost, Prime ABGB
A 3D Center report notes that GPU prices are increasing in Europe as well.
If the Ethereum rally continues and with supply issues expected to worsen in the coming weeks, you can expect GPU prices to increase even more from where they are now.
How are GPU prices linked to cryptocurrency prices?
Cryptocurrency mining requires a GPU or a dedicated application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) to solve complex mathematical problems.
Cryptocurrency mining can be an expensive proposition given the hardware it requires, and the power that is consumed in the process. If cryptocurrency prices increase, crypto mining becomes more profitable, thereby resulting in an increase in demand for GPUs.
With Ethereum prices nearly doubling over the last one week, it’s no surprise that GPU prices are increasing once again.
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James Avery Craftsman Inc. has opened a new store Wednesday inside Charlotte’s SouthPark Mall.
This is the company’s first store in North Carolina.
“We’re thrilled to open our newest store in Charlotte at SouthPark Mall,” states Paul Avery, Executive Vice President of James Avery. “This new location will make shopping more convenient for current James Avery customers, but also will allow us the opportunity to introduce the James Avery brand to new customers.”
James Avery sells hand-crafted sterling silver and 14k gold. The company also named Suzie Wick the new store manager.
With the addition of the new Charlotte store, James Avery owns and operates a total of 63 stores across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and now North Carolina. The family-owned jewerly store chain is based in Kerrville, Texas, which is northwest of San Antonio.
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Facebook’s TikTok-clone Lasso is shutting down as Zuckerberg gears up to launch Instagram Reels
Lasso/Google Play Store
- Facebook’s TikTok-clone Lasso informed users that it will be shutting down starting July 10.
- The news comes a few days after Facebook announced that
Instagram Reelswill be expanding to new markets.
- After TikTok being banned in India, users are looking for a friendly 15-second video streaming app — an opportunity that Instagram Reels could capitalise on.
Facebook’s TikTok clone lasso is shutting down ahead of the Instagram Reels launch, so basically Fb lost 2 years by… https://t.co/M1UQ1mvWyw— Josh Constine -SignalFire (@JoshConstine) 1593649623000
The news of Lasso’s exit comes on the heels of Facebook planning to launch Instagram Reels, another app that functions almost identically to TikTok. The app was initially announced in November 2019 exclusively for users in Brazil. Now, it plans to also extend to users in France and Germany as well.
Unlike Lasso, Reels will be able to use Instagram’s users — which stood at 1 billion as of 2018 — to cross-promote itself.
For users in India, this could be a boon after the government banned TikTok from its stores amid border tensions with China. Most TikTok creators are now relying on Instagram to create content, and having Reels to generate 15-second videos will allow them to return to their favourite format.
While this may be the perfect opportunity for Facebook to capture the market leftover by TikTok, there are currently no plans of Reels being launched locally.
Another Facebook clone bites the dust
Facebook had earlier tried to launch its own Snapchat killer — an app called Slingshot — in June 2014. As with Lasso, Slingshot was pulled from the App Store a year later.
Launched “quietly” in November 2018, Lasso functions exactly like TikTok with videos capped at 15-seconds and users’ favourite tunes playing in the background. The only difference is that it didn’t quite capture the users’ fancy as Facebook hoped it would.
Even the guy who led Lasso's development, Brady Voss, left Facebook within days of the app hitting the market.
Since its launch, Lasso has only been downloaded a sum total of 300,000 times, according to Sensor Tower. In comparison, TikTok has been downloaded more than 40 million times.
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A downtown Duluth retailer whose business has been stifled by the reconstruction of Superior Street, COVID-19 and the loss of its leased space has decided to purchase a building and stage a comeback.
Emily Ekstrom purchased the property at 216 to 218 E. Superior St. to house the HuckleBeary Gift Shop, which features locally made products.
“I appreciate the beauty of this building and the historical value of this building,” she said at a press conference on Thursday. “Without the support of our local customers, this wouldn’t happen.”
She opened the business in 2016, finding success as a temporary “pop-up” holiday store. Then Ekstrom was hit with a series of setbacks, including construction that temporarily closed Superior Street, the pandemic, and a previous landlord’s decision to demolish the building she rented at 106 E. Superior St. But receiving encouragement from other business owners, Ekstrom decided to reopen his store and strike a deal to purchase his own structure. How did it survive the ordeal, which forced many other small businesses to close?
“We remained flexible, creative and responsive to the situation,” she said.
Ekstrom bought his new commercial home from Penny Perry, whose family has operated a frame shop on the site since 1975.
“It’s a wonderful place in the heart of the HART district,” said Perry, who intends to focus more closely on restoration work and stained glass, working from home.
Ekstrom will remodel the property before HuckleBeary reopens this fall.


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The rumors were true: Apple has previewed a revamped version of Final Cut Pro X, the company’s professional video editing software for Macs. The announcement was part of a meeting during the 2011 National Association of Broadcasters Show in Las Vegas.
The new Final Cut Pro X will be available in June as a standalone app for $299 from the Mac App Store, making the product more affordable on its own, rather than part of the $999 Final Cut Studio suite. Apple did not mention updates for the other apps of the Final Cut suite, but apparently the company told Jim Dalrymple of The Loop to stay tuned for more news soon.
Inside Final Cut Pro X
Apple said the new app has been “rebuilt from ground up,” and that it will support 64-bit, allowing it to render video and effects instantly in the background – similar to iMovie, Apple’s consumer-grade video editor. iMovie seems to be the source of inspiration for the look and feel of the user interface in Final Cut Pro X.
The new software will also take advantage of core technologies within Mac OS X, such as Grand Central Dispatch, Cocoa, Core Animation, and Open CL. Photography Bay has liveblogged the whole preview event and has a comprehensive blow-by-blow explanation of the new features in Final Cut Pro X.
Selling Final Cut Pro X as a standalone app in the Mac App Store signals the third Apple software suite to be split into separate apps since the store was launched. Apple split the iLife and iWork suites into individual apps in the Mac App Store, making buying them a la carte less expensive than a boxed product. Apple used the same strategy with Aperture, releasing its professional photography software as an $80 download, more than $100 less expensive than the boxed version.
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As drylands of the world become even drier, water will not be the only resource in short supply. Levels of nutrients in the soil will likely be affected, and their imbalance could affect the lives of one-fifth of the world’s population. That includes people living in Arizona, who may be in for a dustier future.
The age of World of Warcraft is finally coming to an end.
The rate of star formation in the universe is now only one-thirtieth of its peak, says an international team of astronomers - and the decline is set to continue.
Worldwide PC shipments are expected to decline in 2012 for the first time in 11 years.
Indeed, the total PC market in 2012 is projected to contract by 1.2% to 348.7 million units, down from 352.8 million in 2011.
The ancient Maya civilization flourished for an impressive six centuries, with well over a hundred city-states spread out across what is now southern Mexico and northern Central America.
Handsets powered by Google’s popular Android operating system have apparently lost some ground to Apple’s iPhone in the lucrative US smartphone space.
A recent report published by analysts at Capstone has confirmed that US users of Facebook declined approximately 1.1 percent over the past 6 months.
Many dinosaur species were already on their way out before the asteroid strike that's believed to have led to their mass extinction.
There was a leveling off of the amount of methane in the atmosphere towards the end of the last century - and scientists can't agree on why it happened.
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The tiny algae known as phytoplankton - which form the basis of the entire marine food chain - have been disappearing globally over the last hundred years.


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Cablevision reported impressive growth in its broadband and voice telephony business in the first quarter of 2006.
* High-speed data customers up 112,289 or 6.6% from December 2005 and 366,044 or 25.4% from March 2005.
* Voice(IP) customers up 133,967 or 18.3% from December 2005 and 500,828 or 137.4% from March 2005.
* UBS analyst Aryeh Bourkoff estimates that now Cablevision’s Voice subscribers represented 19.2% of homes passed as of 1Q06 and will reach 26.4% by the end of the year, which implies about 1.2 million voice subscribers by end of 2006.
* The company says it will increase its spending in 2006 on equipment that will help with broadband upgrades to compete with Verizon FiOS service.