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2022 has been a year that will go down in history. It was a year that promised hope after the previous 2 years were full of uncertainty and isolation amidst the pandemic. Unfortunately, 2022 was still a year of uncertainty for many of us. The haven year we needed after the pandemic was halted. This year saw the Ukraine invasion and the cost-of-living crisis, and now we are almost certainly facing a recession in 2023. When faced with the challenges that the last year has brought us, it makes many of us reflect. The pandemic reminded us of the importance of loved ones and human interaction. Perhaps 2022 will do the same. When we can no longer go out for dinners or go on the holidays we want, returns spending time with loved ones to being what makes us happy.
As the year closes, it is time to be reflective. To look back on past events. We’ve done this by looking back at the articles we’ve published this year and have selected 5 of our favourites:
February was a monumental month at UTP. We were finally able to announce UTP Shield, a software that was created to protect our customers and their hard-earned money. Fraudulent transactions and chargebacks were commonplace consequences of taking card payments, and we wanted to do better for our merchants. That is why we launched our free service that notified business owners about the risks of potential chargebacks. It was software created to get to know your business. By getting to know you and your business, UTP Shield was able to flag suspicious transactions and provide greater security to our customers.
UTP, Faster Processing, and Phos become industry pioneers by being the first to introduce same-day processing for payments accepted on a smartphone.
tapeeno was a highlight of the past year at UTP. An app that was created to simplify small businesses taking card payments and friends transferring money. Technology like this changes the game for businesses starting up. Rather than paying for a card machine, starting businesses can utilise the technology they already pay for monthly, their phones. tapeeno makes card payments simple. Type the amount into the app and tap the payment card against the back of the phone. Make the technology you already own work for you and make money using the app you can tap.
In a year full of financial uncertainty, it was imperative that we kept our money and ourselves safe. Buy Now Pay Later companies were offering a promise to consumers. A promise of splitting costs over a time period to relieve the pressure of purchases. However, they were manipulating customers into spending beyond their means and tricking them into taking out loans. BNPL has unknown consequences for customers, such as damaging credit scores and creating debt impossible to pay back. Technology mogul Apple threw their hat in the ring with Apple Pay Later, openings millions of Apple customers up to the consequences of these payment schemes.
How many of us have uttered the phrase, ‘I wish I learnt this in school’? If we haven’t said it ourselves, many of us have heard it. Teaching children how to manage their finances is vital to their socialisation. Passing on our own education and experiences of finances to children will allow them to pass through childhood without being overwhelmed by money. Learning to budget, save, and invest money will provide children with key life skills.
Financial abuse is a form of abuse that largely goes unnoticed. It is an abuse that often goes on behind closed doors and leaves little trace for loved ones to notice. Financial abuse can be as subtle as checking over every purchase on a receipt or can be full control over another person’s finances. Spotting the warning signs of this abuse is imperative to help victims in those situations. We used this article to list some of the ways to spot financial abuse and to give advice on how to help victims.
We hope our colleagues, customers, and small businesses have a great 2023.


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Electric cars and trucks use precious rare-earth metals these as cobalt in the construction of their batteries and Mercedes is now setting up a plant to help get well some of these means to make EVs more sustainable and environmentally-welcoming.
Scheduled to start out in 2023, the Mercedes recycling plan will to begin with be a pilot software with an yearly potential of 2,500 tonnes. Having said that, Mercedes has explained a second phase is prepared the place recovered elements will then be used to deliver up to 50,000 battery modules for new Mercedes EQ motor vehicles. The recovery level for battery product at the plant is predicted to be over 96 per cent.
Jörg Burzer, the gentleman in demand of Generation and Offer Chain Administration Division for Mercedes, stated in regards to the new plant, “Mercedes-Benz is pursuing a very clear goal with a see to conserving resources: a greatest circular economic system for all uncooked materials utilized. Sustainable battery recycling is a critical factor in this – worldwide”.
Battery recycling has grow to be a significant subject matter in the electrical car or truck market, with issues about whether the cobalt discovered in EV batteries is ethically-sourced, offered that the the greater part will come from mines in the DR Congo. Even Mercedes has admitted “the [artisanal mining] circumstance requirements to improve”. Whilst the German agency stressed it will work with dependable sourcing firm RCS World wide in its offer chain.
With most European auto providers starting to be totally-electrical by 2030, it is most likely that more recycling vegetation like this will be desired to supply the rising demand for EV batteries.
For the most up-to-date news and opinions on electric powered autos click on here…

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Netafim Certified ReGen™ Recycling Program
Tate Kelley, Short Cycle Crops Product Manager, Netafim USA
Netafim, an Orbia Precision Agriculture business and world leader in precision irrigation solution was awarded a prestigious certification for its industry-leading recycling program, including recycled content in production inputs, a sustainable byproduct of the company’s ReGen™ recycling and manufacturing operations in California. The SCS Recycling Program Certification evaluates products made from pre-consumer or post-consumer materials diverted from the waste, which we are reusing into our dripline. We look forward to highlighting grower successes and our vital role in helping solve the world’s biggest sustainability challenges.
Tate Kelley is a Short Cycle Crops Product Manager for Netafim USA, an Orbia Precision Agriculture business. Netafim is the world’s largest irrigation company and global leader in precision agriculture solutions committed to fighting scarcity of food, water and land, for a sustainable future. Tate has grown up in Agriculture in the Salinas Valley and has watched the industry shift to a single use drip tape for short cycle crops, demanding recycling innovation to take the forefront.


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Texas small business owners are skeptical about the economy compared with business owners elsewhere, according to the latest semi-annual survey by credit card company American Express.
According to the survey, 64 percent of Texas business owners don’t have a positive outlook for the economy for the next six months, compared with business owners elsewhere in the South, where 39 percent have a similar outlook.
However, many still continued to expand their operations. Seven of 10 Texas business owners said they planned to grow their businesses during the next six months and one third expect sales to be similar to this year.
Sixty percent also said they are confident they can access the capital they need to grow their business, down from 72 percent during the group’s spring survey.
Business confidence in Austin is likely higher than average, with unemployment falling to a lower-than average 7.2 percent in August, adding 3,800 jobs from the previous month. The Central Texas area was also recently recognized as the top job generator in the U.S. by the Milken Institute.


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Pokémon Go is the latest hotness in mobile gaming and Nintendo is basking in its glow -- to the tune of $7.5 billion in additional market value. Nintendo stock closed up 25 percent on Monday, and by the end of last week, when Pokémon Go hit mobile devices across the US, Australia and New Zealand, the company's stock was already up 9 percent. Nintendo added $7.5 billion to its market value on Friday and Monday alone, Reuters reports.
Nintendo didn't directly develop or publish Pokémon Go, but it holds a stake in the series' licensor, The Pokémon Company. Pokémon Go was developed and published by Niantic Labs, Google's former AR division that was responsible for the Ingress mobile game. Nintendo and Google invested an estimated $30 million in Niantic while it was working on Pokémon Go.
The stock boost is great news for Nintendo, which has been struggling to save face and money since 2011. Its living room console, the Wii U, hit shelves in November 2012 and it didn't sell nearly as well as the company expected or needed it to. Nintendo executives predicted they would move nearly 100 million Wii U consoles, but they've sold just 13 million since 2012. Nintendo lost money annually between fiscal years 2011 and 2014, largely banking on legacy titles like Mario, Animal Crossing and Super Smash Bros.
Of course, market value doesn't translate directly to profit for Nintendo, but rising stock is a sign that investors still believe in the house that Mario built. Nintendo will need all the support it can get ahead of its next console launch, which we expect in March 2017.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Pokémon Go will hit Europe, Japan and other Asian nations within a few days, citing people with knowledge of internal plans.


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Social media influencers have gone virtual: the latest development in digital marketing is computer-generated (CGI) personalities. Chances are you’ve come across one of these renderings already, hiding in plain sight on your social feed. These avatars simulate that of a real-life influencer: sharing lifestyle photos, attending and appearing at publicized events, championing causes, and most notably, endorsing brands.
These virtual influencers have quickly garnered substantial followings online as well as lucrative partnerships with brands. Trailblazer Miquela Sousa has over 1 million Instagram followers and her bio describes her as a 19-year-old “robot” based in Los Angeles, with links to the multiple social movements and non-profits she champions, including Black Lives Matter and Black Girls Code.
The fascination around Miquela and her online persona has attracted numerous brands interested in collaborating with her and reaching her audience, including Chanel, Outdoor Voices, Diesel, and Prada during Milan Fashion Week. She even appeared as a guest at BeautyCon LA.
In addition to Miquela, there’s Shudu Gram, hailed as the ‘world’s first digital supermodel’, who rose to Instagram prominence after singer Rihanna’s cosmetic line Fenty Beauty re-posted an image of her modeling some of the makeup products. Since that re-tweet, numerous other brands have come knocking of Shudu’s virtual door.
Controlling the Message
Brands find virtual influencers to be an ideal medium for promotion and exposure because there’s greater control of the message. Ryan Detert, CEO of Influential, shared in an interview with CNN, “Assuming the design team can design quickly enough, they will always be able to post the right thing at the right time with the right angle that the brand wants.”
“It’s also a way for companies to show they’re creative and on the cutting edge of technology,” added Detert.
Beyond social media posts, some digital marketers see these avatars being utilized by companies, brands and individuals in much more prominent ways. Adam Rivietz, co-founder and CSO of the influencer marketing company #paid predicted to Wired, “In the near future…many companies may begin building their own digital influencers, simply because it’s a more efficient way of controlling the message that reaches their target audiences. Human influencers, too, might begin embracing CGI alter egos to protect their relationships with their existing sponsors.”
“There are already a number of startups working on commercial applications for what they call ‘digital’ or ‘virtual’ humans,” continued Rivietz. “Some, like the New Zealand-based Soul Machines, are focusing on using these virtual humans for customer service applications…Others, like 8i and Quantum Capture, are working on creating digital humans for virtual, augmented, and mixed reality applications.” (Wired).
Some argue that partnering with avatars takes away from a brand’s authenticity, as opposed to collaborating with real-life influencers who have the ability to actually sample and endorse products and services. Ultimately, whether avatars are the right choice for a company comes down to the audience and their needs. Will the audience connect with the aspirational nature of avatars? Will they connect with early adopters of technology? Will they enhance the online customer service experience? The list of possibilities is only beginning to surface and materialize.
The key ingredient behind integrating any CGI technology is maintaining transparency. In the digital landscape, distinguishing between reality and artificiality is becoming more challenging to discern, as was made clear when Miquela confessed in an Instagram post earlier this year, “I am not a human being, I’m a robot.” One thing is certain: consumers don’t want to be deceived by the brands and companies they trust and value most.
More of these avatars are certain to surface online and in the office. How can avatars play a role in your company? Do you see virtual humans being utilized in your business model? Share in the comments.
Partnering with a digital influencer brings up a number of business and legal issues to consider. Read more here.


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Ricky Gervais (shown above) has arguably been the most vocal about the reasons for using Ticketmaster Platinum. On the money raised to date for charities through these Platinum ticket sales in the UK, Gervais said, “This scheme is taking back the thousands of pounds ticket touts make every year by giving this money to good causes instead, including great charities like the RSPCA and Macmillan Cancer Support here in the UK. It’s such a privilege that people will pay money to come and watch me perform stand-up, and I hope that fans across the world continue to recognise the positive impact that buying Platinum Tickets has on worthwhile causes.”
To take advantage of Ticketmaster’s Platinum dynamic pricing service for your event please contact Platinum-ArtistServices@ticketmaster.co.uk.
There’s something in the water in Philadelphia, a city that continues to produce exciting alternative music.


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Apple has always been a brand to reckon with, with its unique consumer devices like iPad, iPhone and iPod and this has further helped surge its market value. With a market value of US $485 billion, the highest for any company in the world, Apple has steadily built up its assets, investment specifics and cash reserves and may continue to do so.
But with no more Steve Jobs and a flurry of disappointing product launches, not to forget the erroneous Apple Maps drawing the ire of dedicated Apple consumers, it may be more of a downhill than otherwise. This was reflected in the share value with Apple’s shares plunging down from a record high $705 to $515. Add to that is Apple’s prime dependency on a couple of its products, namely the iPhone and iPad which together account for 69% of the revenue last quarter which may not be a positive bell ring.
But Apple has rewarded its investors well, as can be seen from the following chart prepared by WSJ. If an investor had invested $10000 in Apple in 2002, its value today would be a stupendous $667,159. But if he had invested the same 410000 in Microsoft, the investment would be a meager $12270!
In todays times however, buying into Microsoft may make more sense. Not only is its share price lower, it is it also cheaper than Apple relative to its earnings per share. Plus it looks like that the future could well belong to Microsoft.
Apple is a super company currently making supernormal profits from very high market shares in markets it created with truly super products, says Steve Russell, chief investment officer of London-based investment firm Ruffer & Co., which has $20 billion under management. But that “marvelous situation” won’t continue forever, he says. Microsoft is the opposite, Mr. Russell says, a so-so company making OK profits with nothing expected to change. But they are currently launching a key set of new products that might just change all this.
Microsoft is a stable competitor. It has relatively less share value, starting at $26 a share and a market value of US $220 billion but given the recent product launches and its revised strategy in approaching consumers with a diverse platform integration plan, the future is definitely bright for Microsoft and its shareholders.
Surface, the tablet launched from Microsoft’s stable, has been doing well and so is Windows 8, the latest version of its own operating system meant both for PCs and touch-tablet devices. Windows operating systems provide about a quarter of its revenue and business software such as Office contribute towards a third. The other quarter comes from its server services and the remaining from Xbox, computer games and other sources.
Windows 8, Windows Phone 8 and its own indigenous Surface tablet may help Microsoft uplift its prospects on the market share table so investing in Microsoft shares compared to Apple’s is not a bad idea at all.
Not everyone wants only apples in their basket, do they? And maybe the tortoise could end up being a winner, after all!


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Zoo York asked Mark Owens and Matt Owens to develop a line of six skateboards for their artist series. The six boards represent the socio-cultural realms of Literature, Architecture, The Arts, Transit, Food and Tourism. Together the series encompasses New York’s “Urbane Jungle.”
Famed street artist Steve Powers leaves his imprint on the Dublin landscape with his recent artistic piece. The piece can be seen on a side of a Dublin building, where Steve Powers draws two homely pigeons with the words “Anywhere is Paradise with you” sprawled up on top with “Paradise” drawn in big bold red lettering like a neon sign. What the piece actually means is obviously going to be left up to the viewers, but whatever it means you street art junkies can enjoy the sight while it last.
“Scientists have found what they described this week as the earliest oil paintings ever discovered in Kabul, Afghanistan CNN have reported. Afghan murals show oil painting was going on for centuries earlier in Asia than Europe. Murals found on cave walls in Afghanistan prove that painting with oil had been going on in Asia for centuries before artists used the technique in Europe, scientists said this week. Until now, art historians believed that oil painting started in Europe in the 15th century. Scientists found the murals in a network of caves where monks lived and prayed in the Afghan region of Bamiyan, according to a statement on the Web site of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, where the ancient paintings were analyzed…” Continue this fascinating read at CNN.
Burton’s first annual showcase of its’ entire family of brands, opened it’s doors last week to Press. Showcasing their 2009 collection of surf, skate, and snow brands all under one roof, the showroom was showed each brand in full display.
An array of snow goggles, helmet protection, hard goods and outwear fashion were wall to wall, including brands such as R.E.D, Gravis, Anon, Analog, Channel Islands, Alien Workshop and Habitat.
Some impressive all over patterns for outwear came in everything from forestry to a block prints to neon, in addition to a Staple Designs collaboration with Analog was amongst Burton’s childrenwear gave the kids something sweet. Gravis proved they are on trend with their mix of neon stripes and stars and Gravis’ travel gear included this bright yellow range as well as a collaboration with one of our favourite West Coast streetwear brands (to be revealed at this July’s Bread and Butter).
Joshua Liner’s Gallery recently opened in New Yorks Chelsea district with an impressive exhibition featuring names that run of your tongue including Kenji Hirata, Aiko Nakagawa, Futura, Shawn Barber, Mark Dean Veca, Crash One, Ron English, Josh Keyes, Greg Simkins, Stash to name a few.
Get a taste of the work on hand below and get over to SuperTouch for the entire story.
The Keith Haring Foundation together with Deitch Projects and Goldman Properties have recreated the famous Houston Street and Bowery mural. Gothic Scenic is reproducing the mural using extensive photographic documentation of the artwork of the legendary artist which appeared in the Summer of 1982. With the Keith Haring Foundation devoted to maintaing and protecting the Keith Haring’s legacy, art and ideals this mural will surely endure some fond memories for many who enjoyed the art scene of the early 80’s. The unveiling of the piece is set for May 4 in honor of Keith’s 50th Birthday and will stand until New Years Eve which is far beyond the few months the original stood for.
According to some intel gathered, rumor has it that Nintendo is ramping up Wii production to 2.4 million units/month (compared to the 1.8 million units/month currently produced). It’s a number that should allow Nintendo to sell more of their popular console while balancing the big Re-shhhhhh that’s going on in America at the moment.


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In an article called, ‘World’s Largest Vertical Farm Grows without Soil, Sunlight, or Water,’ it is said that aeroponics is, “a technique in which crops are grown in vertical stacks of plant beds, without soil, sunlight or water.” With aeroponics and as well as hydroponics vertical farming has taken part and action around the world more and more. As mentioned in the article, “about five new commercial vertical farming operations have emerged over the past few years that use a range of controlled growing technologies to allow year-round harvests of crops that typically have a short growing season.”
These Aerofarms (aeroponic farms) that are being created more and more around the world sell their products free of pesticide and fertilizer. The reason as to why the production is so successful is because customers are attracted to organic produce, and that is exactly what aeroponic farms offer.
In shorter terms, aeroponic farming, as mentioned on wikipedia, is the, “process of growing plants in an air or mist environment without the use of soil.” Aeroponic systems in these types of aeroponic farms work by using small amounts of water and very little to sometimes no soil. The way the system works and the positives of the systems is that these “water-based” solutions are used to, “promote healthy growth in the plants,” as mentioned in an article called; “Aeroponics 101: facts about soilless growing technology. In these aeroponic farm systems the water, as mentioned in this article, is, “pumped from the reservoir into the micro-jet nozzles which distribute the nutrient solution to the roots at programmable intervals.” Aeroponics are beginning to become the solution to, “filling the growing need to conserve water and energy, as well as healthy food systems especially in the city and high density populations.
What used to be an abandoned steel mill in Newark, New Jersey, is now an Aeroponic farm being created that is said to be the largest vertical farm, with about two million pounds of different types of plants and vegetables a year. The company has spent some, “$30 million dollars to bring to reality a new breed of green agriculture that seeks to produce more crops in less space while minimizing environmental damage, even if it means completely divorcing food production from the natural ecosystem.”


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Get ready Canada, cannabis 2.0 is coming!
About one year after cannabis dried flower and oils were first legalized in October, a new wave of products will be hitting store shelves in December.
These products include 1) cannabis-infused foods and drinks, called edibles and drinkables, 2) concentrates that can be used with vaporizers, and 3) topicals, such as ones made from cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive component of cannabis.
Expectations for these new products are huge.
Deloitte predicts that the new products will add up to $2.7 billion a year of value to Canada’s cannabis industry on top of current cannabis sales, while accounting firm EY says the products will draw up to three million new consumers.
The new products offer great new opportunities for cannabis companies to reach new demographics and compete with new industries. They also bring their own challenges, such as introducing consumers to new ways to consume cannabis that have their own risks.
Read on for a look at how cannabis 2.0 products might change Canada’s pot industry as we know it.
Edibles could attract more women
Edibles and drinkables will be available in a wide variety of products that could attract new demographics to cannabis with their own unique selling points.
Edibles will likely come in many forms, such as baked goods like brownies and cookies, while drinkables could include products like CBD-infused water, teas or cannabis-infused non-alcoholic beer.
While the effects of edibles and drinkables will be similar to the current offerings of capsules and oils, the more consumer-friendly form could attract consumers who have not fully embraced cannabis yet, such as females.
Female cannabis consumption has been shown to be lagging behind male consumption in Canada.
In its National Cannabis Survey released in August, Statistics Canada said that males were twice as likely to use cannabis than females in the first half of 2019.
Edibles are predicted to be one way to attract more female consumers to cannabis.
A report from Deloitte released in June says edibles might appeal to females more than flower due to a preference for “familiar consumption formats,” such as baked goods.
The fact edibles and drinkables are smoke-free also may appeal to females who are wary of smoking.
Female-focussed cannabis brand Van der Pop partnered with Canadian Viewpoint Inc. (CVI) for a 2017 survey of over 1,500 women in Canada and the U.S. They found 70 percent of respondents think cannabis carries a stigma, and 39 percent say they don’t try cannabis because they don’t like the idea of smoking.
Cannabis LP Aleafia’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Michael Verbora, says that drinkables and edibles could help tackle this stigma.
“When you have something like a beverage or a tea, I think it reduces the stigma a lot more,” he said. “It doesn’t look like the stigma we’ve been convinced of, of someone smoking a joint and the negatives that come with that.”
Aleafia has paired up with California-based Flying High Brands to potentially bring a number of new products to Canada once they are legal.
Verbora can picture edibles as an option for a busy mother to relax at the end of the day, as opposed to a glass of wine.
Edibles could be a premium product
Deloitte also predicts that edibles may appeal to a more educated and affluent consumer group than dried flower’s current demographic.
Rishi Malkani, Deloitte’s cannabis practice leader, says that edibles may be used less frequently than flower and its likely user is in the 35-54 age range as opposed to the historical 18-34 year old demographic for recreational products.
Deloitte’s report says edibles have the potential to be a premium product and sell at a higher price point than flower, making them more profitable.
Some companies are preparing for this premium potential of edibles, such as Dank D’lights, which is preparing a line of cannabis-infused truffles that are meant for a group of friends after a nice dinner.
Overall, Deloitte predicts that edibles will earn the most out of the new product categories at $1.6 billion a year in Canada because of consumers’ familiarity with the product, since they have been widely available in the illicit market.
Drinkables — an alcohol-killer?
Not only may edibles and drinkables appeal to new demographics, they could also take market share from established industries.
Drinkables, in particular, are poised to give the alcohol industry a run for its money.
According to Deloitte, 37 percent of its survey respondents say they would use cannabis-infused beverages, and 35 percent would use them as an alternative to alcohol. The company predicts that cannabis-infused edibles will “clearly threaten the alcohol industry” since consumers would use the products on similar occasions.
Malkani notes that Canadians only have a finite amount to spend on such products, so they may either go to alcohol or cannabis.
EY’s report shows 40 percent of respondents say they are very likely to try cannabis-infused drinks once they become legal.
Verbora points out that consumers will likely be open to trying a consumption format they are used to.
“We’ve gotten used to the fact that a lot of our conscious-adjusting substances come in a drinkable format,” he said. “By copying that format, a lot of consumers could potentially be driven away from alcohol and onto more cannabis-based beverages.”
New technology also allows drinkables to compete with alcohol. Nanoemulsion allows drinkables’ effects to be felt in as little as 10 minutes, similar to alcohol, rather than hours as it is with edibles.
This could provide an attractive alternative to alcohol for those not crazy about its effects.
Greencamp writer Adam Chen notes that cannabis drinks strongly appeal to him as an alternative to alcohol due to an enzyme mutation that makes him more susceptible to alcohol’s effects — genes he shares with 36 percent of East Asians.
Adam notes that he is excited for cannabis drinks that come in a variety of doses to be able to find the effect that is best for him and avoid greening out.
While 10 mg of THC, the psychoactive component of cannabis, is the largest dose allowed per package, some companies will offer more entry level offerings. Cannabis foods company Olli Brands will offer a low dose tea with 2 mg of THC.
There could even one day be cannabis bars with full-service restaurants attached for the munchies, according to Lisa Campbell, co-founder of Lifford Cannabis Solutions and part of the Lifford Wine and Spirits family legacy.
“Consuming on site, ordering munchies, and not just potato chips, but a full-service restaurant – that’s where we really see the future of cannabis beverages,” she said in her interview with Adam Chen.
The alcohol industry is paying attention to the emerging threat of drinkables. Molson Coors pegs the cannabis-infused drink market to be worth $3 billion and is partnering with Canopy Growth Corp. and Hexo Corp. to release a line of cannabis beverages once they are legal.
Constellation Brands, which makes the beer Corona, also invested $5 billion into Canopy Growth last November.
Regulations can be hazy
While opportunities seem aplenty, cannabis 2.0 does come with some challenges, though.
Health Canada has released the regulations on the new product offerings, but its rules for products that can appeal to children have become a point of contention, according to Verbora.
Health Canada says that the new edible products cannot appeal to youth, but Verbora says the regulation is a little hazy and it is not completely clear what may or may not appeal to children. There is no definitive list of what isn’t allowed.
Verbora says that the hazy language could create uncertainty and could prevent some investment if it is unclear some products may not make it past regulatory testing.
“The problem is, with time different people are going to test the market and see if it falls in the yes or no category,” he said. “My interpretation of the law would say gummies and candies are not going to be allowed because they are attractive to children and feature different flavours, but there may be another company that thinks that it is permitted.”
Rishi Malkani, Deloitte’s cannabis practice leader thinks, though, that companies will do their research and bet on products that show signs of strong demand, such as by looking to the U.S. to see what worked and didn’t work there.
That is one strategy Olli Brands COO Sarah Gillins says the company took to be confident in their product offerings, which include teas, fruit chews, cookies, toffees and chocolates.
Gillins adds that Health Canada evaluates the concept of being appealing to children on many different aspects of the brand, such as the actual product, packaging, language used and colours. This could allow companies to target edible candy to adults if all aspects of its presentation are geared for that demographic.
Danger of edibles
There is good reason Health Canada is concerned about edibles’ appeal to children.
A number of horror stories have come out of children eating candy unaware that it had very high levels of THC, resulting in a visit to the hospital.
In Brandon, Manitoba, a two-year-old and a five-year-old ate parts of a chocolate bar that contained a whopping 750 mg of THC in February, resulting in the two-year-old being hospitalized in Winnipeg due to alleged seizures and swelling in her brain.
However, an expert told CBC that seizures are not a common symptom of cannabis overdosing but more of synthetic cannabis.
Verbora says typically if one has taken too many edibles, the effect will wear off over time and it doesn’t pose too much danger.
Nevertheless, studies have shown edibles can produce a stronger high in consumers due to the THC being processed in the liver rather than lungs, and it can be more difficult to gage the proper dose since the effects might not be felt for a couple of hours.
This has some consumers on edge, according to a survey in March that shows that interest in edibles has actually lowered.
There is the hope that a 10 mg packaging limit and strict labeling requirements will help ease people into edibles, compared to the unregulated black market, where products have not been third-party tested and it is hard to know how much THC is in them.
Gillin says that increasing consumer confidence in edibles has been a challenge, and people are apprehensive and scared. To raise confidence, she says her company has focused on community outreach and providing as much information as possible, such as on their website.
“It is important for you to find your comfort zone. Start with products that are low in THC, do them in a safe place, don’t mix them with any alcohol, take the time with them and take one dose at a time,” she said. “There’s room to provide a trusted product that people are comfortable with and people can find something that appeals to them.”
How companies can succeed
So how can companies succeed with these new waves of products?
Both MacDonald and Malkani think that the key lies in gaining more data on consumers to better target their products and focus their offerings.
“I would expect that the companies that are focused on accumulating data and understand the consumer, those are the ones that are going to win,” Malkani said. “The consumer for edibles is not the same for other recreational cannabis products or the more conventional ones.”
“Companies have an opportunity to build a lot of customer knowledge through feedback and also build up the amount of data they have on how customers are really using these products, so then they can serve the customers more effectively,” he said. “They have to listen to what consumers are saying, especially the non-consumers.”
Don’t expect winners to emerge soon, though. Both say that it could be a few years until the market sorts itself out and trends emerge.
– With files from Adam Chen


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January 9, 2019 5:54:07 pm
It’s day 3 at CES 2019 in Las Vegas and this is one of the busiest in terms of launches. During the third day at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Google surprised us with the announcement of a new Google Assistant Connect platform, which makes it a lot easy for manufacturers to integrate the Google Assistant in their devices. That could be microwaves, dishwashers, e-ink displays or just any device.
Meanwhile, Lenovo used CES 2019 to reveal a connected Smart Clock, a shrunk-down version of the previously released Smart Displays. At Harley-Davidson’s CES press conference, the major bike maker finally announced that its ambitious battery-powered LiveWire would go on sale in August for a hefty $29,799. Here’s what you need to know about everything from Day 3 of CES 2019.
CES 2019: Google
In order to stay ahead of Amazon’s Alexa, Google is making it easier for device manufacturers to integrate Google Assistant into their devices. Previewed during CES 2019, the idea behind the Google Assistant Connect initiative is to allow device manufacturers to easily put Google Assistant into products which can be controlled through your voice. The Software giant also showcased a prototype E Ink display with a built-in Google Assistant. Google expects Assistant to be on 1 billion devices by the end of this month. Google Assistant already works with over 10,000 smart home devices.
CES 2019: Lenovo
At CES 2019, Lenovo announced Smart Clock – a compact smart display designed to keep on your bedside table. The Smart Clock, priced at $79, will have a 4-inch touchscreen and fabric cover. Given it is powered by Google Assistant, one can use your voice or the touchscreen to set alarms, play music or control connected gadgets like smart bulbs. It also features a 6W speaker. Lenovo says the Smart Clock will be available sometime in Spring in the US.
Additionally, Lenovo also announced the two Alexa-powered Smart Tabs. The tablets, based on Android, include a smart screen that has Amazon’s Alexa built in, as well as a Smart Dock that switches the tablet to Show Mode when the tablet is docked. Users can use the Smart Tab the weather, play music or watch movies on Amazon Prime video. Both are available for pre-order this January. The Lenovo Smart Tab with Tab P10 costs $300, while the Lenovo Smart Tab with Tab M10 is $200.
And that wasn’t all. As you might have expected, Lenovo showcased a bunch of new laptops, as well as the Surface Studio 2-like computer. The Yoga A940 All-in-One device computer and is designed for content creators and pro users, just like Microsoft’s Surface Studio 2. The All-in-One comes with a large 27-inch optional 4K IPS touchscreen display and is powered by up to 8th Gen Intel Core i7 processors. It will start at $2,350 and will be available starting April.
CES 2019: Royole
Royole FlexPai, the world’s first foldable smartphone, hade made it to CES 2019. A small California-based company first created the buzz back in October when it announced a foldable smartphone. The Royole FlexPai is already available to buy in China, where it costs $1300. Yes, that’s a lot of money but you need to understand that we are talking about the world’s first commercial foldable smartphone. The device has an AMOLED screen size of 7.8-inches when unfolded and the screen size drops to 4-inches when folded. Under the hood, it’s packing Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor with 6GB RAM, Water OS 1.0 based on Android 9.0 and a 3,800mAh battery.
CES 2019: HP
HP announced the updated version of Omen 15 with a new design and a 240Hz display. The high-end gaming laptop is powered by the latest generation Intel Core i7 processor, 128GB SSD running alongside a 1TB HDD and B&O speakers. Keep in mind that the Omen 15 with a 240Hz display won’t be available until July 2019. Additionally, HP also introduced an AMD-powered Chromebook 14, and the HP Spectre 15 x360 which now has an OLED display.
CES 2019: IBM
In a surprise announcement, IBM launched its first commercially available quantum computing machine designed for scientists and businesses. To be called IBM Q System One, the company describes it as the first fully integrated universal quantum computing system. We do not know the exact specifics, but we do know that the Q System One uses a fourth-generation 20-qubit processor, and that a “50-qubit device will be available to the IBM Q Network later this year.” A replica of the system is on display for 2019 CES conference attendees.
CES 2019: Harley-Davidson
After months of wait, Harley-Davidson finally announced when it plans to make its first electric bike LiveWire available in the market. The premium two-wheeler costs $29,799 in the US and the bike is already available for pre-order ahead of August launch. The company plans to sell the LiveWire in Europe in 2019. The LiveWire takes roughly 3.5 seconds to reach 60 mph. In terms of appearance, the LiveWire has a sporty and more aggressive look. In terms of the range, Harley estimates that you will roughly get 110 miles of riding on a charge.
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Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com
November 8, 2013
Forbes had the chance to talk with General Motors' North American president Mark Reuss this week. Reuss talked about key gaps that he sees in GM's lineup and what could be done to fill them.
We'll start with the Chevrolet Cruze. Since going on sale in the U.S., a lot of us have been wondering why there isn't a hatchback version. Especially considering the number of compact hatchbacks that are on sale has been growing and that Chevrolet sells a Cruze hatchback in Europe. Reuss said “That was a pre-bankruptcy planning mistake.”
Even without the hatchback, the Cruze has been doing quite well, with 211,862 models sold so far this year.
Speaking about the next-generation Cruze, Reuss said “the next-generation will blow you away.” From what we know, the next-generation Cruze will adopt a design profile similar to the Sonic. Maybe the five-door Cruze will come as well.
Reuss also talked about a "contemporary wagon for mainstream America." Something more affordable than the wagons from BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and even Cadillac's own CTS Sports Wagon.
There are a few other models that were bandied about by Reuss including a compact van to take on the Ford Transit Connect, a “black hole” pickup truck that would be sandwhich between a medium-duty and heavy-duty truck, and a a flagship model for Buick that Reuss says “a much more beautiful Panamera.”


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Nintendo issues a statement.
After decades of neglect, some publishers are starting to find success with the previously unmarketable.
We kick off our week on unlocalized games with a title that almost didn’t make it stateside.
The infamous CD-i manufacturer tries to halt Wii and Wii U production, claiming Nintendo stole its concepts.
Super Metroid and Mario Kart 64 are available now!
Which game did you spend the most time playing over Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection?
Set for release this year, Trap Team may be the last major release for the aging Wii
Sync, created by Dead Pixel, looks to replicate AAA games on a smaller budget.
Mallow, Little Mac, and Donkey Kong Jr. highlight this month’s batch!
Take a trip back to planet Aether with this week’s track.
It’s not just a developer that the titles shared…


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On January 14th, 2020, a Washington state resident became the first person in the US with a confirmed case of COVID-19. By February, the entire world was on edge, as a public health emergency was declared in the US, and 9800 cases of the virus had been confirmed worldwide. By March, the entire world went home.
Although there was tremendous fear and uncertainty, there was still some optimism from those of us working in the advertising world. “We’ll get over this quickly, and we’ll certainly be back in the office in a few weeks,” we told ourselves. Of course, that didn’t happen, and in the world of advertising, it was devastating. Brands simply stopped advertising. Advertising dried up on every single channel as advertisers took a “wait and see” attitude as they tried to figure out next steps.
Then, we realized that the world was still functioning, but in a different way. We’re all working from home, and businesses are still functioning. But the advertising landscape has dramatically changed.
Adapting to the New Landscape
Travel and hospitality companies faced especially steep challenges during the pandemic, but many have found a way to survive. While some businesses folded, others adapted; some saw new demand and were able to continue, and even thrived. Besides the now obvious successes of Zoom and Amazon, therapeutic sock company Sockwell saw sales of its scientifically-designed compression socks surge. This was because many healthcare workers were putting in extra shifts to deal with the pandemic, and fitness fans were turning to running in the absence of gyms. Since Sockwell knew their compression socks help people stay on their feet and feel better after long days, Sockwell turned to Quantcast to take advantage of the market opportunity by identifying new audiences. As a result, Quantcast has helped drive up to 75% of Sockwell’s weekly online sales.
Consumers and businesses alike were forced to massively change their behaviors in 2020 and into 2021. Financial institutions in particular have had to adapt quickly to meet their customers’ needs during the pandemic. TD Bank, one of Canada’s largest financial institutions and among the top 10 in North America, wanted to give its customers “the confidence to thrive in a changing world,” so anticipating and responding rapidly to their changing expectations was a top priority. Through the Quantcast Platform and the use of our behavioral data and market data, we were able to help TD Bank understand key changes in consumer behavior and get ahead of the trends we were seeing. Specifically, there was a spike during the early days of the pandemic in the number of prospective customers who were looking for information on how to trade online. With the help of Quantcast, TD Bank was able to capitalize on the rising demand for investment products and assist their prospects and customers with their online trading platform.
Helping Our Customers During the Pandemic
The old “adapt or die” adage certainly applies to companies in this new era we’re in. At Quantast, we’ve helped our customers adapt by assisting them with their message, their campaign, and their ad placements, so that they can know and grow their audiences and get the right message to the right audience at the right time.
Here are our top 3 learnings that helped us and our customers over the last year and a half:
- We’ve been empathetic. We’ve listened to what kept them up at night, and acknowledged their concerns about everything from brand marketing to employee mental health. We didn’t chase them for dollars. By listening to what they really needed, we adapted to them. For example, we worked with Australian Life Tech (ALT), the largest digital at-home fitness and nutrition company, to get a deep understanding of their business, what their value drivers are, and what they wanted to achieve beyond a customer acquisition cost. By understanding ALT’s needs, we were able to provide critical strategic insights, whether it was into their business, their customers, their competitors, or the market. ALT partnered with Quantcast to work with 28 by Sam Wood, Australia’s #1 home fitness and nutrition program, to discover net new users and lower Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) by 54%.
- We have the right platform at the right time. Our intelligent audience platform looks at the real-time data signals coming in from 100 million diverse online destinations. Because of this unique data, the platform helps brands understand the interests and engagement of current and potential audiences. The pandemic forced everyone to do much more online, accelerating a digital transformation. We helped our customers adjust their messaging to render their content appropriate and authentic. As an example, Domino’s partnered with Quantcast to improve their Return On Ad Spend (ROAS) with more focused display campaigns. Quantcast helped Domino’s identify high-value customers to drive the desired results and improve its messaging to be more relevant to their audience. Domino’s leveraged Quantcast’s first-party, real-time data to better understand their customers’ behavior online and used its machine learning engine to find and engage with more potential customers who were browsing takeout dining options. The result was a 2284% ROAS based on the campaign that ran last year.
- We helped our customers pivot. For our customer Lancôme, that meant pivoting from in-person interactive events for skincare products to hosting their first-ever mega virtual event. With a newly-created microsite set up to host the event, it was critical that Lancôme first build awareness in the pre-launch phase. Lancôme and Quantcast developed a dual-pronged strategy to 1) reach new users interested in beauty and skincare products, and 2) retarget existing Lancôme brand site visitors. By leveraging Quantcast’s keyword audience solutions, Lancôme was able to identify these potential customers, delivering attention-grabbing teaser videos that successfully drove them to the microsite. The result was a 6.2% uplift in brand and product awareness, over 9600 site visits to the virtual flagship event, and a cost per visit that was 21% below Lancôme’s goal.
Resiliency and Agility Are Key
If this pandemic taught us anything, it’s that the world is constantly in flux. To survive in an increasingly unpredictable world, it’s important to be both resilient and agile. That means embracing digital platforms and focusing on leveraging unique audience insights that can fuel more customized messaging, ad campaigns, and content. By reaching consumers where they are in an authentic way, brands can create long-term consumer value and maintain a competitive advantage that can withstand the next crisis. We are humbled and honored to continue that journey with them.


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Mobile payments company Fortumo announced the launch in India, starting with direct carrier billing with four of the largest mobile operators, Vodafone, Airtel, Idea and Tata Domoco, in the country.
With 530 million mobile phone users, India has been a tough market for mobile payment providers due to outdated premium SMS technologies being widely used, making payment integration for mobile apps complicated.
“Rather than relying on old technologies which were meant for selling ringtones and wallpapers, Fortumo connects to operators directly through direct carrier billing. In this scenario, users do not need to send any messages. This makes payments faster, in turn increasing conversion and revenue for developers,” explained Gerri Kodres, SVP Business Development and Carrier Relations at Fortumo.
Founded in 2007, Fortumo partners with 300 telecom operators in 80 countries offering one-click payments through carrier billing. Fortumo works on desktop, in mobile apps and HTML5-powered webapps and support in-app purchases on Android, Windows Phone and Windows 8 devices.
Fortumo’s Beijing office was set up in early this year and has reached deals with China’s three telecom operators. Not only does it help developers receive payments, it brings apps by Chinese developers to countries it has presence and apps from outside China to local app stores and telcos’ platforms.


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Asda and Sainsbury’s, both considered as grocery giants in the United Kingdom, are promising to cut their prices by approximately 10 percent on everyday items if their application to merge their operations is approved.
In a joint statement that was released Today, Asda and Sainsbury’s said that they are planning to invest a total of £1 billion in the newly-formed business over the first three years. The firms promised that this would ultimately result in £1 billion in annual cost savings for the shoppers.
The two retailers are working hard to convince the top competition watchdog of the government of the United Kingdom regarding the merits of their £7.3 billion ($9.5 billion) takeover plan, which was created to build a massive shopping giant with enough heft to challenge Tesco, the industry leader.
Last month, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) ruled that the proposed grocery deal would not be good for shoppers and increase the prices. The regulator has the ability to stop the deal, with a final decision anticipated at the end of next month.
In the statement, Sainsbury’s made a commitment to cap its fuel profit levels, and the two firms also pledged to sell off some of its store locations.
In a written statement, Asda and Sainsbury’s stated: “The two businesses are proposing to merge so that they can lower prices for customers in an increasingly competitive market, while improving quality and service.”
Today, Sainsbury’s was considered as one of the top performers on the FTSE 100 index of London, with its shares up by approximately 2 percent in morning trading.
The shares of Tesco were also improving a bit, even though the gains were below 1 percent.
The shares in Walmart, the American retail giant and the owner Asda, were not making any big movements in premarket trading in the United States.
According to annual data from Euromonitor, a research company, Tesco dominates the grocery scene in the United Kingdom with an almost 22 percent market share while Sainsbury’s is the second largest with just over 12 percent of the market, followed by Asda with 11% percent.
In an interview with BBC earlier, Mike Coupe, the CEO of Sainsbury’s, said that the warning of the competition watchdog about the takeover plan was “outrageous.”


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In 2013, 48, 160, 423 job separations took place, and 39.9 percent of those employees had been at their job for less than six months.
This is the recent data from leading HR services company, Equifax Workforce Solutions, and its latest infographic, “Employee Turnover Trends in 2013” According to Equifax, this resource is available to help employers understand actual – not self-reported – turnover trends, by geography, industry and cause.
Key highlights from the data include:
- Voluntary turnover – where employees choose to leave – is on the rise, increasing 3.5 percentage points in 2013 from the previous year
- At 75.7 percent, the voluntary turnover rate for clothing and clothing accessory stores in 2013 was 15.9 percentage points above the national average
- 19.5 percent of voluntary turnover in real estate was due to employee dissatisfaction, which was 15.6 percentage points above the national average
- Alaska had the highest turnover rate (57.7%), followed by Wyoming (55.5%), Oklahoma (53.9%), Utah (53.6%) and Louisiana (52.6%). The national turnover rate in 2013 was 43 percent.
See the infographic and more employment trends at http://www.equifaxworkforce.com/benchmarks.


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We have had the rumors that Apple could be reversing directions and instead of making more compact and smaller tablets, they could be looking to take cues from Samsung and Microsoft by developing larger tablets. The rumored 12-inch iPad Pro has been floating about for a while now and thanks to a new report from The Wall Street Journal, additional details about the tablet has surfaced.
According to the report, it seems that Apple could be introducing a USB 3.0 port to the tablet which is actually rather interesting as we would have thought that Apple would stick to the Lightning port. Apple has relied on non-proprietary ports for their computers (save for the chargers) so for them to turn to USB 3.0 would suggest that Apple sees the iPad Pro as more of a computer and less as a tablet.
However it is unclear as to whether or not the USB 3.0 port will completely replace the Lightning port or if it will simply be in addition to it. The report goes on to claim that Apple could be looking to introduce a rapid charging feature and considering how big Apple’s iPad batteries are, a rapid charge feature would be a welcome on.
There have also been rumors that the tablet could come with an optional keyboard accessory which seems to be similar to what Microsoft has done with their Surface tablets, turning them from tablets into laptop-like devices. All of this should probably be taken with a grain of salt for now, but hopefully we will have additional details to share in the near future.
Filed in iPad Pro.. Read more about


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Gaetano said: As in "classic" XBOX games? "Classic" is like "Platinum" on PS. It's given to games who sell a certain number of units.
w3v3 said: A reason not to trust Yahoo Answers, specially when THAT gets the best answer. Anyway, a game becomes a classic when it has sold over 400,000 units on the 360 in the nine months after the games release.
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Virginia is for lovers. But it’s also for change makers, visionaries and startups. A great place for Southern cuisine, outdoor adventures on the James River and a growing craft brewery scene, it’s easy to overlook the fact that upwards of 30% of Richmonders live below the poverty line. Looking at the broader picture, almost 12% of Virginians are classified as poor, affecting 15.9% of young adults under the age of 18 and restricting their access to quality education and the labor market.
A new business accelerator program is aiming to change this reality by supporting business ideas that have the power to tackle social and environmental problems facing us all. The new program, Unreasonable Labs, will take place in Richmond from September 15th-22nd. This business model validation lab is a seven-day accelerator for early or idea-stage entrepreneurs. Over four full and two half days, the program will help these entrepreneurs rapidly identify and validate the foundational assumptions of their business models.
“We are treating this lab as an experiment to test the market demand for a support program specifically tailored to the needs of emerging social entrepreneurs in Virginia,” said co-founder Anika Horn. “We want this Lab to be a community effort and hope to engage many stakeholders from the City government to community organizations, the nonprofit sector, creative industry, universities and colleges, investors, the B Corp community, and so on. We know we can only run a successful program if we can find great applicants that embrace the concept of social entrepreneurship as well as mentors, sponsors and supporters who are excited about test-driving new formats to spur innovation and social progress in our community.”
The business model validation lab will provide entrepreneurs with a step-by-step methodology to rapidly and systematically validate their venture’s business model. In these seven days, participating startups will get guidance in testing the core assumptions of their businesses. They’ll get advice from 15 local mentors, talk to customers, build prototypes, and build out a strategic plan.
The new program joins a robust ecosystem of startups and entrepreneurs to solve its socio-economic challenges including Lighthouse Labs, the Greater Richmond Chamber, Virginia’s Commonwealth University and social pioneers such as UnboundRVA and the B Corp community, who are driving forces behind fostering entrepreneurship and social change. Unreasonable Lab will join this existing entrepreneurial infrastructure to create a new breed of mission-driven startups.
Applications are open for interested entrepreneurs from Central Virginia and all along the East Coast who seek to address a specific challenge in their venture. Beyond seeking applicants, the program is also looking for mentors, sponsors, and volunteers.
To learn more and apply, visit the Unreasonable Lab website.
Axe-throwing chain set to open near The Circuit Arcade Bar in Scott’s Addition
The venue will open in the former Nicholson Sprinkler Corp. building at 3100 W. Leigh Street in the heart of the neighborhood.
From Richmond BizSense:
After its first attempt to get into the Richmond market fell flat, a Canadian axe-throwing bar is back with a location coming to Scott’s Addition.
Bad Axe Throwing is preparing to open at 3100 W. Leigh St. in a 5,000-square-foot space in the old Nicholson Sprinkler Corp. building.
Based in Ontario, Bad Axe has nearly 50 locations throughout the U.S., Canada and the U.K. In 2018, it began planning a Richmond location on West Broad Street, across from the forthcoming Whole Foods in Sauer Center.
But those plans fell through last spring. Bad Axe owner Mario Zelaya said there was an issue about the amount of parking available at that location, which caused them to scrap the plans.
Nine-acre Elks Lodge property near Innsbrook slated to be transformed into mixed use development
Highwoods Properties paid $3.3 million for the nine-acre Elks Lodge near Innsbrook After Hours and plans to mull over mixed-use, high density options for the site.
From Richmond BizSense:
One of the biggest landlords in Innsbrook has amassed more land in the area, this time snagging a block of acreage next to the site where the Innsbrook After Hours concert series is held.
Highwoods Properties last month bought the Benevolent & Protective Order of Elks Lodge No. 45 property at 10022 Elks Pass Lane in Henrico. It paid $3.3 million for the 9-acre assemblage, which adds to another 12 adjacent and largely undeveloped acres the company already owns.
Jane DuFrane, Highwoods’ vice president and local market lead, said the company still is mulling options for the Elks land and adjacent sites, including developing a “walkable community with a mix of uses.”
“The Elks Lodge property’s contiguous proximity to our other land holdings and existing office buildings made it a natural fit for our portfolio,” DuFrane said in an email.
Container Store, Chase Bank taking over two adjacent properties at Short Pump Town Center
The former hhgregg appliances and electronics store and neighboring Matchbox restaurant are being transformed into two new-to-Richmond brands.
Two neighboring properties at the entrance of Short Pump Town Center are set to be transformed into homes for two new-to-Richmond brands – both as reported by Richmond BizSense.
The former Matchbox Restaurant on W. Broad Street is currently being eyed for a new Chase Bank, BizSense says. Plans have been filed to transform the two-story building into a bank and drive-thru. Read more about the plans here.
Across the road, the former hhgregg appliance and electronics store – originally built as a Circuit City – is being rehabbed into a new location for The Container Store, which sells home organization and storage solutions. Check out progress of the transformation here.


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Monolith Press has teamed up with Arik Roper on “The Shadowscapes Series”, a collection of stunning new art prints. The first, “The Burning Frost”, is a 17″ x 22″ giclee, has an edition of 50, and will cost $50. It also comes packaged in a screenprinted envelope and box, all-around quality for sure. This is a great deal, I can’t wait to see the rest of the series. It goes up today (Tuesday, February 22nd) at 12pm Pacific Time. Visit MonolithPress.net.
Click the first image to see it larger:


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The 5,635 GT 100 passenger-capacity vessel, to be named Celebrity Flora will have a keel laying ceremony later this year and is due to be delivered in May 2019.
De Hoop said the cruise vessel is “optimised for experiencing the land and marine environment of the Galapagos in high comfort”. Celebrity Flora will be the first vessel to be built to two-compartment damage stability regulations and additionally complies with the relevant damage stability requirements planned for implementation during 2020. De Hoop said the vessel also commits to specific Galapagos National Park Directorate Regulations, whereby explicit environmentally low-impact features were applied.
As this vessel is expected to be stationary – in a bay or near one of the islands – for 66% of the operational time, “considerable thought went into the design and selection of equipment, allowing the ship to perform efficiently under dynamic positioning (DP)”. Combined with a zero-speed stabiliser system, the DP system will choose a heading to minimise the roll and heave motions on the vessel, significantly improving passenger comfort.
The power and propulsion plant of Celebrity Flora is duplicated and housed in two separate engine rooms.
De Hoop said the introduction of an advanced propulsion system, its hull configuration (improved with CFD calculations) and specially designed diesel engines, guarantee an average 25% reduction in hull resistance, 15% reduction of overall fuel consumption and equivalently fewer air emissions.
The ship’s bow shape features a straight, wave-piercing stem, with an integrated bulb at the waterline. De Hoop said, “This characteristic bow both reduces resistance in waves when in transit and saves energy when staying in position, due to the highly efficient short bow thruster tunnel.”
Celebrity president Lisa Lutoff-Perlo said that only in a market with such high demand and limited supply would the economics of building a ship of that size make sense for a brand like Celebrity.
“On a per-berth basis, it’s really hard to get a return on these ships,” Lutoff-Perlo said. “The Galapagos is different.”
The number of ships that can operate in the Galapagos is restricted by the Ecuadoran government and the size is limited to 100 passengers or less, so prices tend to be relatively high.
A seven-night Galapagos cruises on the Celebrity Xpedition is listed on Celebrity’s website starting at $4,399 per person.
The news was announced at CruiseWorld, Travel Weekly’s conference here.
The new ship, named Celebrity Flora, will be built in a Dutch shipyard and debut in May 2019. Lutoff-Perlo declined to say how much it will cost but said it is a fraction of Celebrity’s bigger ships.
The Celebrity Flora will take over itineraries now offered on the 100-passenger Xpedition, which will take on itineraries of two smaller ships, the 48-passenger Celebrity Xperience and the 16-passenger Celebrity Xploration. The two small ships will likely be sold, Lutoff-Perlo said.
Although it will carry the same number of passengers, the Flora will be twice the size of the Xpedition, allowing for more features. “We’re able to do more outdoor spaces and more public space for our guests,” Lutoff-Perlo said.
It will have a small pool, which Xpedition does not, and two restaurants and two lounges, where Xpedition has one each. There will be more crew space so the Flora will have one naturalist for every 12 guests, up from a 1:16 ratio on Xpedition.
Opting for a new ship enabled Celebrity to design storage space in the hull for three Zodiac boats that are stored on deck on the Xpedition. The Flora’s two 1,288-square-foot Penthouse suites will be the largest in the Galapagos.
The design of the ship will be consistent with the new Celebrity Edge and other larger Celebrity ships, but with an emphasis on the neutral, natural and organic, Lutoff-Perlo said. Lounges, suites and restaurants will have floor-to-ceiling windows to facilitate wildlife viewing.
About 50% of the accommodations will incorporate the virtual balcony concept that will debut on the Celebrity Edge.
Celebrity’s emphasis on facing out toward the ocean will be reflected in all beds being positioned to face a window.
The top deck will have four stick-style cabanas that will be available for day rental and for sleeping out on deck under the stars.
Celebrity Flora will sail year-round from Baltra Island. Bookings open today.


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Forrec has successfully attended even this year the main exhibitions around the world. Great opportunities for showing to the professionals of the sector our products but also for checking the requirements and market trends.
Considering this, who could give us a precise consideration of current trends? The sales executive of Forrec involved in various national and international exhibitions comment:
Piergiorgio Acquati, for Italy.
I consider our presence at the Ecomondo fair extremely positive. I have personally seen promising signs of recovery and a particular attention on technologies for the recycling of new types of waste. Growing market, therefore, not only supported by a widespread interest in the Forrec production but I would underline, by the quality of contacts.
Cristiano Perin, for UK and Romania.
I personally followed RWM exhibition in Birmingham and Romenvirotec in Bucharest, these were occasions to strengthen our presence in these markets and to consider new partnerships with local operators engaged in the world of recycling and waste valorization. On both occasions I have witnessed the growing interest for Forrec brand.
Emanuele Zilio, for Turkey.
This year we attended two fairs in Turkey: IFAT in Ankara and REW in Istanbul and I had the chance to see the great interest of the market towards recycling and technological solutions developed by Forrec. An interest that has recently found confirmation in Ecomondo in Rimini with the active presence of more than 60 Turkish companies.
Nicola Santinello, for France and the Maghreb.
The exhibition World Efficiency of Paris confirmed the excellent cooperation with our French dealer. Thanks also to the important Forrec references across the country, the attention and the interest of the French market lets understand significant growth prospects for our brand. The Pollutec Casablanca has highlighted a positive collaboration with our new dealer, confirmed by the sale, during the fair, of a new shredder to install in Morocco.
Fabrizio Caon, for Mexico.
I had the opportunity to attend the Residuos Expo Guadalajara, in conjunction with the inauguration of the first six plants for the recycling of MSW that Forrec sold in Mexico. A circumstance that has grown even more the interest in our company. Today we can say that, thanks to a close collaboration with our local distributor, the presence of Forrec in this country is considered an important reference.
As it is clear from the interventions, the results of this year are very positive and confirm a trend that sees the Forrec brand gaining ground in all markets for the quality and efficiency of its products but also for the reliability and complete services provided.


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On October 18, Macy’s made its first appearance in the metaverse by introducing its innovative digital fashion platform, Mstylelab. The platform’s move involves showcasing Macy’s newest fashion collection, On 34th, which debuted in July.
Macy’s plans to empower users with Mstylelab, providing a secure atmosphere and engaging interaction, welcoming discovery, self-representation, and increased connectivity. This experience is further shaped by the partnership with Journee, a specialist in creating immersive digital environments.
As the head of Americas at Journee, Erika Lang, stated:
“We are excited to partner with a world-renowned brand like Macy’s to showcase the future of fashion retail. This is a unique metaverse activation that will bring this type of immersive experience to a broader audience.”
Customers may visit the platform via the site of Macy’s. Once customers select a username and design their digital identity, they may engage with a virtual environment influenced by New York. Also, they can have fun with the On 34th collection’s digital clothes.
Within the platform, users will meet “star checkpoints”. These checkpoints enable them to obtain a customized digital t-shirt matching their digital fabric selected when creating their account.
Initially, the digitized textile is not an NFT, but it is projected to convert into one later. The company has assigned a virtual wallet address to all Mstylelab users in anticipation of impending NFTs.
As Thanksgiving approaches, Macy’s plans to offer its latest iteration of the Thanksgiving Day Parade metaverse event. The 97th annual Thanksgiving Day Parade is set to be on November 23 in New York City. It will mark the launch of the international NFT brand Cool Cats as the first NFT collection to appear at this yearly holiday event.


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Are mobile drivers licenses ready for takeoff, leaving plastic licenses to suffer the same fate as phone booths? A new survey report from MorphoTrust USA and Radius Global Market Research that sought to gauge public attitudes about mobile drivers licenses suggests as much—though it remains unclear when or if those old-fashioned identity cards might in fact disappear so thoroughly that they spark the same nostalgic feelings as the sight of those Superman changing rooms.
80 percent of survey respondents are interested in a mobile drivers license app
The report, complied by an arm of OT-Morpho, a provider of digital security and identification technologies, and Radius Global Market Research, finds that 80 percent of survey respondents are “interested in a mobile drivers license app.” The findings are based on surveys of 4,000 U.S. consumers of varying ages, genders, regions and incomes, says MorphoTrust USA.
The survey also finds that:
- 70% of respondents “are interested in using their mobile phone to renew their drivers license.”
- 64% of millennials respondents “express the highest concept acceptance” of mobile drivers licenses, and would recommend it to a friend.
Mobile drivers license interest follows rise of smartphones
“As smartphones continue to be part of our daily activities, it’s a natural progression that a drivers license or state ID card evolves to meet the changing times and increasing sophistication of U.S. consumers,” says Bob Eckel, president and CEO, MorphoTrust USA. “MorphoTrust is on the forefront of identity security and technology, having launched successful pilot programs for both a mobile drivers license and an electronic identification mobile app. This market research is important for all states, law enforcement agencies and businesses that interact with the public for identity verification.”
According to Pew Research, 77 percent of U.S. consumers now own smartphones, due in part to increasing rates of ownership among low-income households and people aged 50 and older. Smartphones are nearly “ubiquitous” among consumers between the ages of 18 and 29, with 92 percent of them having the devices.
MorphoTrust in 2016 successfully piloted what it calls “the first U.S. mobile drivers license program in partnership with the state of Iowa. According to the company, the test group “used a downloadable iOS mobile app that required identity verification before the MorphoTrust mDL was rendered on the phone. The MorphoTrust mDL app and verification process meet the highest standards for security and protection of personal information.”


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BLOG: Smartphone sales set to tumble as China’s lockdowns continue
LONDON (ICIS)–Click here to see the latest blog post on Chemicals & The Economy by Paul Hodges, which suggests smartphone sales are set to tumble as China’s lockdowns continue.
Editor’s note: This blog post is an opinion piece. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of ICIS. Paul Hodges is the chairman of consultants International eChem.


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- New Zealand’s food prices jump again in May 2022
- Burger Fuel Group posts a reasonable FY22 performance
- Comvita anticipates double-digit growth in its FY22 NPAT
Food prices across Kiwiland rose again in May 2022, up 6.8% on a Y-o-Y basis. The increase was witnessed across all food categories, led by fruits and vegetables, which increased 10% annually, followed by grocery, up 7.4%. Meat, poultry and fish prices rose 7% each. Also, restaurant meals and ready-to-eat food prices saw an increase of 6% each, while prices of non-alcoholic beverages climbed 2.7%.
Further, it is pointed out that higher dairy prices were a major contributor to this movement as average prices for grocery food items like milk, yoghurt and curd were substantially higher in May 2022 as compared to May 2021.
In this context, let us take a glance at the four NZX-listed food stocks.
Source: © Skypixel | Megapixl.com
Burger Fuel Group Limited (NZX:BFG)
First on the list is Burger Fuel Group Limited, having a market cap of around NZ$16 million. A few days ago, the Group posted its preliminary FY22 results, wherein its NPAT clocked over NZ$575K, a drop of 19.2% over the prior year, mostly on accounts of lockdown restrictions and costs incurred while establishing new brands.
However, BFG’s total system sales grew to NZ$94.2 million, and total income rose 0.01% to NZ$21.0 million during the period, reflecting a reasonable performance of the Group.
It is noted that though the Group is experiencing cost pressures, it remains positive for the years ahead.
On 14 June, at the time of writing, BFG was rising 1.59% at NZ$0.320.
My Food Bag Group Limited (NZX:MFB)
Coming up next is My Food Bag Group Limited, with nearly NZ$213 million as its market cap.
Recently, the Group announced that its Annual Shareholders' Meeting would be conducted on 19 August in Auckland. Detailed information on the same will be shared soon.
Further, My Food Bag Group has advised sending director nominations by 28 June, and the said nominations can be made only by those shareholders entitled to attend and vote at the meeting.
On 14 June, at the time of writing, MFB was down 1.14% at NZ$0.870.
PGG Wrightson Limited (NZX:PGW)
Third on the list is PGG Wrightson Limited, having a market cap of about NZ$319 million.
Bolstered by a solid Q3 performance, the Company has raised its FY22 operating EBITDA guidance from the earlier given NZ$62 million to nearly NZ$66 million.
It must be noted that PGG Wrightson witnessed strong demand during the said period and also favourable weather conditions, which supported robust sales in crop inputs and animal health categories.
On 14 June, at the time of writing, PGW was dipping 3.01% at NZ$4.190.
Comvita Limited (NZX:CVT)
Topping off the list is Comvita Limited, whose market cap clocks NZ$222 million.
Monday, the company shared its FY22 guidance, expecting its reported EBITDA to be between NZ$28.5 million-NZ$30.0 million. It is also anticipating double-digit growth in its NPAT as compared to previous year.
Given ongoing global material disruptions, the said guidance is encouraging, and Comvita continues to focus on enhancing its business demand.
On 14 June, at the time of writing, CVT was down 0.31% at NZ$3.170.
Despite facing escalating cost pressures, New Zealand's food stocks have demonstrated resilience and continue to work to improve customer experiences and provide enhanced returns to their stakeholders.


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Taipei, Shares in Taiwan closed lower Wednesday amid renewed concerns among investors about the trade frictions between the United States and China following recent downbeat comments on the issue by United States President Donald Trump, dealers said.
Selling focused on the bellwether electronics sector, which could be hardest hit by the global trade war, as investors locked in their recent gains, while old economy and financial stocks generally moved lower in line with the broader market, dealers said.
Market sentiment was also affected by dwindling hopes of an interest rate cut by the U.S. Federal Reserve after Washington reported better than expected retail sales for June, dealers said.
The weighted index on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (Taiex) ended down 57.57 points, or 0.53 percent, at 10,828.48, after moving between 10,804.34 and 10,861.11. Turnover totaled NT$112.88 billion (US$3.63 billion) during the session.
The market opened down 0.23 percent in a kneejerk reaction to Tuesday's losses on the U.S. markets, where the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down 0.09 percent and the techheavy Nasdaq index ended 0.43 percent lower after Trump commented on the trade war with China, dealers said.
In a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Trump said the U.S. still has a long way to reach a trade deal with China and could slap tariffs on an additional US$325 billion worth of Chinese goods it needed to do so. China was supposed to be buying American farm products, Trump said, adding that his administration was watching to see if that would happen.
The trade disputes between Washington and Beijing remain a headache in the global financial markets, said Jerry Chen, an analyst at Yong Cheng International Securities Investment Consulting. Trump's negative comments caused nervousness among many investors at home and abroad, prompting them to pocket their recent gains.
In addition, Chen said, the unlikelihood of a rate cut by the Fed led investors to sell throughout the session, after the U.S. reported that its June retail sales rose 0.4 percent, beating market expectations of a 0.1 percent increase.
In Taiwan, the local main board came under pressure, led by tech heavyweights such as contract chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), while nontech stocks remained weak, dealers said.
It was no surprise that investors here unloaded their electronics holdings soon after the equity market opened, trying to keep as much as cash on hand to avoid the possible adverse effects of the external factors, Chen said.
TSMC, the most heavily weighted stock on the local market and a supplier to Apple Inc., dropped 1.56 percent to close at NT$252.00, with 25.55 million shares changing hands. Its losses contributed to a decline of about 40 points on the Taiex and pushed down the bellwether electronics sector and the semiconductor subindex by 0.88 percent and 1.42 percent, respectively.
Other largecap Apple concept stocks also fell, with Largan Precision Co., a smartphone camera lens supplier, dropping 2.46 percent to close at NT$4,155.00, and iPhone assembler Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. finishing 0.88 percent lower at NT$79.30.
Old economy stocks also came under pressure, in particular in the petrochemical sector, which was affected by falling international crude oil prices overnight after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Iran was ready to talk about its missile program, a statement that Iran later denied.
In the petrochemical sector, Formosa Plastics Corp. shed 1.92 percent to close at NT$102.00, and Formosa Chemicals & Fibre Corp. dropped 0.82 percent to end at NT$97.10.
Financial stocks, meanwhile, were generally in the doldrums, with Cathay Financial Holding Co. closing down 0.60 percent at NT$41.30, and Fubon Financial Holding Co. falling 1.14 percent to end at NT$43.50.
Investors were also cautious because they were waiting for results from TSMC, the world's largest contract chipmaker, which are expected to be released Thursday at an investor conference, Chen said. Its thirdquarter guidance could move semiconductor stocks worldwide.
According to Taiex data, foreign institutional investors sold a net NT$2.96 billion worth of shares on the main board Wednesday.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel


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Purplebricks has launched in another region of the UK as speculation continues over the date of its expected flotation.
It has now started marketing properties in Scotland, where it says traditional agents charge an average fee of 1.8 per cent of the total sale price plus VAT - Purplebricks offers a flat fee of £798 inclusive of VAT regardless of selling price, size, location, or property type.
The standard Purplebricks offer of online-based marketing plus local property experts assisting sellers as they wish, will be on offer in Scotland as elsewhere.
“The Scottish property market is booming right now, and our potential to save sellers money is huge” says founder and chief executive Michael Bruce.
Founded by Michael and brother Kenny Bruce in 2014, Purplebricks has grown rapidly in just under two years.
Last week we reported that it was reported to be preparing a stock market listing, valuing it at close to £250m. The company is said to have appointed Zeus Capital, an investment bank, to manage the process.
Sources close to the company say the flotation could happen as early as next month - much earlier than had been anticipated early on in 2015.


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The Google handsets that have started to receive the Android Security Update include the Nexus 5X, the Nexus 6P, the first generation Pixel handsets - the Google Pixel and the Google Pixel XL and the newer phones the Google Pixel 2, and the Pixel 2 XL.
In addition, representatives posted on the customer service forums [website], and suggested that the defect was caused by "a hairline crack in the solder connection on the audio codec". However it seems that some weren't too thrilled by the initial defect, and a report from Fast Company has revealed that some Pixel customers are now suing Google over the defect. The complaint was filed by Girard Gibbs LLP in San Jose, the same law firm that recently handled the class action lawsuit surrounding the bootloop issue some LG phones experienced.
"It promoted the Pixel phones as premium products and priced them from $649 to $869", plaintiffs Patricia Weeks from Florida and Waleed Anbar from California said.
The company also offered replacement units for the defected devices.
Ice Hockey: Unified Korean team try to focus on game, not politics
Numerous protestors carried American flags, and one carried a banner making a direct plea to President Donald Trump . The South Koreans want to use the Olympics to ease tensions spurred by North Korea's pursuit of nuclear weapons.
Making things worse was that Google kept on selling the Pixel and Pixel XL despite a string of evidence that something was wrong with the devices. The users allege that the defect made it extremely impossible to make a call and give voice commands from their first-generation Pixel phones.
Google states that roughly 1% of the Pixel phones were defective, but the lawsuit notes that users were coming up with the issue just weeks after the device's launch. However, the lawsuit further states that even the replaced units were defected and the microphone issue persisted on the Pixel smartphones. There are now also lawsuits against the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL.
Users began complaining about issues with the microphone shortly after the Pixel and Pixel were released in 2016. These are custom cases that you can build using your own photo or design, or choose one of Google's own. As always, feel free to sound off in the comments section below!
Google is now facing a class-action lawsuit from users who are accusing them of disregarding their own statement of warranty for the original Pixel and Pixel XL devices.


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The 2024 AHR EXPO was held at the McCormick Center in downtown Chicago on Monday January 22nd-Wednesday January 24th. The AHR Expo brings the top minds in the industry to keep attendees current on everything HVACR. The conference explored trending topics in all sectors of the industry including AI and controls, decarbonization, plumbing and hydronics, heat pumps, refrigerants, workforce development, business and professional growth and more.
The event hosted more than 50,000 attendees, and more than 1600 exhibitors. More than 370 speakers presented seminars or panels during the 3 days. There was networking, booth visits, new product theaters and educational opportunities.
ASHRAE held their 2024 Winter Conference in conjunction with the AHR Expo on January 20-24 in Chicago at the Marriott Marquis McCormick Place.


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Unstoppable Domains, one of the leading providers of Web3 domains, announced it will launch a messaging service for domain owners at the end of 2023. The messaging service will include those who minted their domain to a wallet address, be completely encrypted, and have several safety features, including the ability to block certain users.
Sandy Carter, Unstoppable Domains’ COO and Head of Business Development, said in a statement that the messaging service will allow apps, games, and metaverses to build more vibrant and cohesive communities across the decentralized Web3 landscape. In addition, she added that the company is “thrilled” to help its partners connect with their communities.
In a blog post on the Unstoppable Domains website, the company lists four major features of the new messaging service: the ability to message domain holders, connection with your community, privacy, and safety features. With the messaging service, users will be able to “freely exchange ideas, collaborate on projects,” and form relationships with other domain holders.
Over the past two months, Unstoppable Domains has rolled out new features designed to help Web3 members build concrete digital identities. Two of its partnerships include Opera, the web browser, and Polygon, the L2 Ethereum scaling solution. Unstoppable Domains’ Web3 messaging service will run on Polygon.
When asked about why the company chose Polygon for its messaging service, a representative cited Unstoppable Domains’ extensive partnership with the company behind the blockchain. They added that Polygon has a large ecosystem, with dApps, games, Web2 companies, and an engaged community of blockchain enthusiasts.
“Messaging will allow [the blockchain enthusiasts] to communicate with subgroups within that broad community, so that Polygon dApps and others can stay up-to-date on the information they care most about,” the representative told Rarity Sniper in an email.
Web3 Domain Names Surge in 2022 and 2023
While 2022 saw a general slump in the non-fungible token market, Web3 domain names retained their popularity and profitability. Sales for Unstoppable Domains domain extensions and Ethereum Name Service domains continued, surprising even some experienced on-lookers. Here are three stories we covered in 2022 and 2023 involving Web3 domains and the companies that sell them.
First, two months ago, Unstoppable Domains partnered with Ready Player Me to allow users to create digital identities that are interoperable across metaverses. Through the partnership, users can now create avatars and take them across the over 6,000 different virtual worlds in the Ready Player Me ecosystem.
Next, seven months ago, Ethereum Name Service (ENS) domain names rose to the top spot on NFT marketplace OpenSea. Over a 24-hour period at that time, ENS trading volume jumped 105%, outpacing even blue-chip collections like the Bored Ape Yacht Club. One jaw-dropping statistic: One month prior to that story, ENS accounted for 99% of the domain trading volume on that marketplace.
Lastly, eight months ago, Unstoppable Domains announced it had raised $65 million in Series A funding at a $1 billion valuation. Participants in the round included Pantera Capital, Mayfield, Alchemy Ventures, and Gaingels. At the time, Unstoppable Domains had 2.5 million registered domains and more than $80 million in sales.
Unstoppable Domains’ new messaging service will likely appeal to some domain owners who want to form relationships in the Web3 community. Here at Rarity Sniper, we’ll pay close attention for any further developments in the story.


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Bojangles’, Inc. (NASDAQ:BOJA) issued an update on its FY17 earnings guidance on Wednesday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of $0.77-$0.81 for the period, compared to the Thomson Reuters consensus EPS estimate of $0.82. The company issued revenue guidance of $544-$547 million, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $549.40 million.
BOJA has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. William Blair lowered Bojangles’ from an outperform rating to a market perform rating in a report on Friday, July 28th. Stephens lowered Bojangles’ from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating in a report on Wednesday, October 11th. Zacks Investment Research lowered Bojangles’ from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report on Tuesday, July 4th. SunTrust Banks, Inc. reissued a buy rating and set a $21.00 price objective on shares of Bojangles’ in a report on Thursday, October 12th. Finally, Piper Jaffray Companies reissued a hold rating and set a $18.00 price objective on shares of Bojangles’ in a report on Friday, July 14th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Bojangles’ presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $18.13.
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Bojangles’, Inc is a restaurant operator and franchisor. The Company offers food made from its Southern recipes. The Company’s menu includes its made-from-scratch, buttermilk biscuits baked fresh every 20 minutes; its fresh, never-frozen bone-in fried chicken; its fixin’s; its Bo-Smart menu featuring items, such as salads, grilled chicken sandwiches, roasted chicken bites and fat-free green beans; its freshly baked and delicious sweets menu, and its Legendary Iced Tea.
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How to Support our Mississauga Libraries on #GivingTuesday
“For over 25 years the Friends have been funding school trips to the library, author visits, and library renovations,” says FOL President Michael Jones. “For the thousands of children we help, it is important for residents to help the Friends, support our libraries, and donate today.”
MISSISSAUGA – Not new to Black Friday deals or Cyber Monday sales, Mississauga will be celebrating its second #GivingTuesday on November 29, 2016. The Friends of the Mississauga Library System (FOL) is one of registered charity groups actively campaigning on #GivingTuesday. The Friends will be reminding residents about the importance of literacy and supporting our libraries. Continue reading Real Impact happens on Giving Tuesday
On Friday, October 28th more than 250 people attended Eden Food for Change’s 7th annual A Taste of Eden, sponsored by the Kothari Group, raising $50,830.96.
The event featured a 4-course dinner prepared by Chef Peter Costello, a popular silent auction, fun ‘gaming tables and a cash bar that had wines specifically selected by Chef Costello to pair with the evening’s entrée options. Continue reading A Taste of Eden – Best Year Yet
The City of Mississauga is pleased the Province of Ontario has taken an important step to protect consumers by introducing new rules for home inspections, door-to-door sales and payday loans.
“As a Council, we want to inform and protect Mississauga homeowners and ensure they know their rights when it comes to door-to-door sales. Too often we hear stories of people who have experienced unsolicited, aggressive and misleading sales tactics at their door,” said Ward 2 Councillor Karen Ras. “We look forward to the details regarding the regulations to ensure they are focused on dealing with the problem consumers are facing: unsolicited door-to-door sales activities.”
Last spring, Mississauga City Council unanimously passed a motion brought forward by Ward 2 Councillor Karen Ras. The motion called on the Province to impose a ban on door-to-door sales activities in the home services sector.
The motion also urged other municipalities to join Mississauga in calling on the Province to protect consumers. Since Mississauga passed the motion, more than 25 municipalities, from Thunder Bay to Toronto also passed similar resolutions.
The proposed new rules are part of the government’s Putting Consumers First Act, and are aimed at protecting consumers in transactions with common household and financial services.
“On behalf of the City of Mississauga and Members of Council, I welcome today’s Fall Economic Statement presented by Finance Minister Bill Morneau.
“What we have before us is a plan of action by the Trudeau government to make cities more livable places by investing in the priorities of Canada’s municipalities including, transit, infrastructure and housing.
“We look forward to exploring how The Canada Infrastructure Bank can allow cities, like Mississauga, to access capital for projects like the Missing Link – our plan for all-day, two-way, GO Train service on the Milton and Kitchener GO Train lines. Continue reading Mayor Crombie Lauds City-Building Priorities in Fall Economic Statement


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Hebridean candle and home fragrance brand Essence of Harris lights up new scents
The business, which was founded in 2015 by husband and wife Jamie and Deenie McGowan, sells scented soy wax candles, home fragrance, and bath and body products that are all hand-poured on the Isle of Harris. It says the new Elements collection of scents named Haar, Mara, Dusk and Adru captures the natural elements of the island, “from pristine coastline to the rolling peat moorland”, and are available online and in-store at the Essence of Harris boutiques in Tarbert and Glasgow’s Princes Square plus select retailers worldwide.
Essence of Harris says turnover this year is up by nearly a third, and demand overseas has “soared”, with sales to the US ten times higher than in 2021, comprising a tenth of sales. It expects that by 2025, the US will account for 40 per cent of company profits, and China 20 per cent.
Mr McGowan said: “The Elements collection has come around because we wanted to create something that allows our customers to connect and experience a more intimate relationship with the island. This collection is more elevated and connects people to the beauty our home on a more personal level. Harris is such a special place, and I think that’s why appeals to locals and a global audience.”
Other business interests of the serial entrepreneur, whose was named Director of the Year, SME Business, at the Institute of Directors awards in 2019, include Norserv FM, a facilities-management company operating across the Highlands and Islands; and directing a micro-brewery and delicatessen.
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