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Challenges publishers face in generating discovery for their titles helped Open Road Integrated Media attract a growing number of companies to its various services in 2022, Open Road CEO David Steinberger wrote in a letter to company employees this week.
Open Road’s Ignition platform for marketing backlist titles served 93 publishers last year, a 29% increase over 2021. Among the publishers who used Ignition for the first time were HarperCollins and Scholastic. The addition of new publishers resulted in record sales for the Ignition service, Steinberger reported.
The success of Ignition in boosting sales of backlist books, combined with requests from publishers to find a way to lift frontlist sales, led Open Road to launch its Activation service in August. Activation operates along many of the same lines as Ignition, enabling publishers to market their frontlist books to directly to Open Road’s more than 3 million readers.
“Activation broadens the way we work with publishers in three important ways,” Steinberger told employees. “First, we now market frontlist titles in addition to backlist titles. Second, we market titles in all formats, not just e-books. Third, we can serve all publishers, not just those already signed up for our Ignition service.”
Publishers using Activation include Knopf, Simon & Schuster, Flatiron, Sourcebooks, and Blackstone. The demand by publishers for the service prompted Open Road to launch Activation 2.0 earlier this year. The new service allows publishers to conduct multi-title marketing campaigns.
While the publishing industry is facing a challenging economic environment, Steinberger noted that December of 2022 and January of 2023 “rank as the company’s two most successful months as measured by the titles being added to our Ignition service.”


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Our friend, Professor Marion Nestle the Goddard Chair of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University offered a sobering assessment to Huff Post: “That the food system is failing is a given.”
Her frank, always honest and fact based learnings during the interview should make all of in the food industry sit up and listen carefully.
She points out that Americans are worried about food, many for the first time in their lives. While the U.S. government has said there are no nationwide shortages, that hasn’t stopped panic buying in supermarkets as coronavirus cases continue to tick upward.
Tom Levitt of Huff Post asked her, You’ve been collecting evidence on the impact of the coronavirus on food. What stands out so far for you?
Every single part of the food system is affected by [the pandemic], starting from production and where we are going to get people to harvest food if they’re not allowed to be near each other or come into the country.
And then transportation and distribution. Who’s doing the home delivering? And how are the people working in stores staying safe and stopping themselves from infecting others if they have the virus?
We’re seeing the shelves empty of certain kinds of products ― that’s going to increase as people are still hoarding food and it’s difficult for the stores to keep up with the demand. Restaurants are closed and going out of business and leaving staff unemployed.
She said, that the food system is failing is a given: Witness hunger and food insecurity, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease, the impact of industrial agriculture on the environment, and gross inequalities among people involved in food production and consumption.
Coronavirus, Nestle says, reveals these usually invisible inequalities.

domain: news


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MANILA - Filipinos prefer convenience, live selling and mobile payments when shopping online, according to a Facebook study, as new trends emerge due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Among the Filipino respondents, 93 percent said they highly consider convenience alongside price when deciding what to purchase online, showed the Emerging Trends Research commissioned by Facebook. The study surveyed 12,500 individuals in 14 countries, including the Philippines.
In addition, 87 percent of Filipino respondents said they're willing to spend more for ease of access to products or services, it said.
Mobile payments should also be widely available, said 90 percent of respondents, circling back on the preference for convenience, Facebook said.
“People these days want what they want, when they want it, where they want it," Facebook Philippines country director John Rubio told reporters in a press briefing.
"Research tells us that we should draw inspiration from the fact that for most consumers, the best journey is no journey at all. And by putting your customer first, you can eliminate friction, inspire discovery and maybe even set a new standard in convenience," he added.
Physical stores, especially those selling non-essentials, were temporarily shut due to restrictions when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country in 2020.
With strict quarantine, Filipino consumers shifted to online platforms for their daily needs including groceries, food delivery and even financial transactions.
Rubio said in the Philippines, even big firms have turned to online selling to launch new products such as flagship phones through Facebook Live.
Small-scale businesses, especially those selling fashion items, also use live selling to capture the market. Live selling is when business owners conduct an "auction style" approach, showing consumers the available items real time, Facebook said.
One in 4 people surveyed said they have browsed through such activity on social media. At least 85 percent said they expect their live shopping to increase this year, data showed.
The COVID-19 pandemic has also transformed businesses from brick and mortar to doing sales online "to sustain operations" during these challenging times, the social media platform said.
Globally, 55 percent of operational small businesses reported using digital tools to reach consumers, according to the Facebook State of Small Business Report which included 595 respondents in the country.
“Small businesses play an important role in pandemic recovery. At Facebook, we remain focused on providing small businesses with resources and tools, so that they could continue to reach and engage their customers, and hopefully accelerate business recovery,” said Facebook Philippines country lead for Growth Business Akshat Jain.
In the Philippines, 44 percent of small businesses on Facebook said their sales declined in the past month compared to the same period last year due to the pandemic, the study conducted in February 2021 said.
Despite the challenges, 34 percent of operational small Filipino businesses on Facebook said they're confident of their ability to continue operations for the next 6 months.
The booming e-commerce industry is seen to boost the Philippine internet economy as it is likely to grow to $28 billion by 2025, Google Philippines country director Bernadette Nacario earlier said.


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The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has issued performance standards for batteries for electric vehicles to ensure the safety of consumers, a senior official of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs said on Thursday.
BIS, the national standard-setting body operating under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, has published the “performance standards for electronic vehicle batteries”, the official said.
The standard “IS 17855: 2022” has been formulated for lithium-ion traction batteries and systems of electrically powered road vehicles and has been harmonized with ISO 12405-4: 2018, the official added.
According to the official, the standard of the new EV batteries contains the test procedure for the basic characteristic of performance, reliability and electrical functionality for the battery packs and system for either high-power or high-energy application.
This standard is formulated taking into account actual scenarios for an electric vehicle, such as vehicle in parking (battery is not used for a long period of time), the battery system is shipped (stored) and the battery at low and high temperatures. Consequently, several tests have been included in this standard.
Electric vehicles run on an electric motor and rechargeable batteries. Over the past decade, electric vehicles have grown in terms of visibility and availability in the market. Most electric vehicles use lithium-ion batteries due to their high power-to-weight ratio.
Taking into account the safety aspect of batteries for electronic vehicles, the BIS is in the process of publishing two more standards related to batteries for various passenger and freight vehicles (L, M and N categories), the official said.


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Shopify has announced a new program that allows users to sell their crypto-mining equipment on its site, without having to use the store.
The new program, dubbed Crypto Mine, will allow users to trade their gear and get paid for it, the company said.
The software will be free for all accounts.
Shopify, which started out as a simple marketplace, has since grown to a $60 billion company.
It has more than 3,000 stores and is valued at $100 billion.


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Baku, Azerbaijan, May 21
By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:
Turkish automotive company TOFAS (Turk Otomobil Fabrikas) announced about the reduction of the cost of its shares by 4.42 percent, the he Turkish State Public Enlightenment Agency said.
A decrease in the company's shares will not affect the car sales volumes, the statement said.
The strike of employees of the company in the province of Bursa provoked a decrease in the cost of Tofas's shares May 16, Turkish media reported.
The employees' dissatisfaction with wages caused the strike. The number of strikers reached 4,500 people.
TOFAS's shares increased by 2.55 percent in late 2014 after the investment plans worth $1 billion concerning the production of three new models, designed for export, were announced. The production will cover 2016-2023.
Earlier, the company announced about its intention to spend $ 520 million to produce 580,000 cars of the new model sedan. A total investment volume will reach $1 billion after the new hatchback and wagon models are produced - a total of 700 million cars.
Tofas company steadily ranks second among Turkish carmakers after OYAK-Renault. Tofas was founded in 1968 by Kos local holding with the Italian FIAT company. At present, it owns 41.5 percent of the company's shares. Tofas car assembling was launched in 1971 with FIAT 124 model under the name Serce.
Kos and FIAT signed a cooperation agreement for 29 more years. It envisages the assimilation of Turkey's assembling of new FIAT models. First, the new cargo and passenger FIAT Doblo was produced. It is exported to Italy and Western Europe.
The company also continues producing old models of Sahin and Dogan sedans, as well as Kartal wagon, which are FIAT 131 modifications.
They all run on liquefied petroleum gas.
Turkey ranks sixth in the car production in Europe with Ford, FIAT, Renault, Toyota, Honda, Opel, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz and MAN brands assembled in Turkey.
Turkey also manufactures domestic brand buses, such as BMC, Temsa and Otokar.
Today, car sales account for 14 percent of Turkey's total exports.
Edited by CN
follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu


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February 4th, 2021.
The strength of any DTC platform is how well it integrates with other systems. Commerce7’s 100% API based technology has made it seamless for 3rd parties to integrate. Today Commerce7 introduces a GraphQL API alongside its REST APIs for partners to use.
“At Commerce7 we pride ourselves on our modern technology, having completely open APIs has allowed for so many different integrations into our system. GraphQL is going to continue to push the bar,” says Andrew Kamphuis, President of Commerce7.
What is GraphQL
GraphQL is the latest standards in API, originally developed by Facebook, and is used at Airbnb, GitHub, Lyft, and other modern companies.
When it comes to API technology, the old standard was SOAP, the modern standard is REST, and the bleeding edge is GraphQL.
Commerce7’s current REST APIs receive over 19 million API calls a week and respond on average in 85ms. GraphQL takes the speed and API performance to the next level, allowing 3rd party integrations to further define the data they want and streamline the response. With fewer calls and less data, this new leading-edge technology contributes to faster integrations and websites which is a key factor in how wineries drive more ecommerce revenue.
Along with the GraphQL API, Commerce7 has introduced a GraphQL playground for developers to inspect Commerce7 objects and test their queries.
“At Commerce7 we’ve been using our own GraphQL APIs for the past few months, and our internal tests have shown it to be 4 times faster than our already fast REST APIs,” says Andrew Kamphuis.
GraphQL API is available today to all partners of Commerce7.
For questions and comments please contact email@example.com.
Commerce7 is a DTC platform focused on providing customer-centric commerce solutions to the wine industry. Innovative features such as being 100% API based, their personalization engine, and modern ecommerce and club solutions has made it the platform of choice for wineries looking for a more modern solution. Regardless of size, all clients on the Commerce7 platform have access to the entire suite of products and all features and functionality. For more information, visit www.commerce7.com.
See Commerce7 firsthand by scheduling a demo with our team.Schedule a Demo


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Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, in tune with the Modi government's encouragement for digital payments, has launched Google'smobile wallet and payments app "Tez", specifically designed for India. Money transfers are limited to ₹1,00,000 (yes, it's actually written like that) per day through UPI apps and 20 transfers per day.
For making this app safe, Google has added a multi-layered security and Tez Shield. The app supports seven Indian languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, Gujarati, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, and it supports English as well.
Google has also announced "Tez for Business", an app which will enable merchants to engage directly with customers. You will have to create a new UPI Pin, which will be required to carry out transactions.
You can download the app from here. Similar to how competing mobile wallet services function, Tez will allow you to pay for goods and services digitally. "In the event that you are a Recipient, you hereby consent Google to permit the Sender to store your information including bank account number and Aadhaar number on Tez for the objective of sending you payments", adds the page.
But if you don't want to share private details like your bank account or phone number, Tez has got another trick up its sleeve.
Google is also looking to target businesses in India in order to break into the digital payments market. To authorize the payment, you will need to enter your UPI PIN.
Google is integrating this app with all the major banks in the country through Unified Payments Interface which is also known as UPI. It's a bit late to the game considering how popular apps like Paytm already are, but the search giant does have a considerable base in the country using its other services. Google is also partnering with redBus, PVR Cinemas, Domino's, dishtv, Jet Airways, and more to allow users to pay through the companies' apps or websites. Also, Airtel Payments Bank option is present as well in the bank accounts section.
India has seen a fast growth of online payment apps like PayTm in the past few years and last year's demonetization further fueled this growth.
Cassini Took Its Last Flyby Before Its Death Plunge On Friday
The Cassini spacecraft is making its final plunge into Saturn , taking its last pictures of the planet, its rings and its moons. The craft is running out of fuel so NASA is disposing of it by setting it on a path to burn up in Saturn's atmosphere .
BSF jawan killed in Pak firing along Jammu border
In the firing, Constable Bijender Bahadur hailing from Uttar Pradesh, who was deployed at a forward post was injured seriously. There have been continuous ceasefire violations by the Pakistani troops for the past three days.
How and where to watch the award show online
Stephen Colbert , the host of CBS' The Late Show With Stephen Colbert , will act as emcee for the ceremony. If you want to catch up with the live updates of Emmys red carpet , it will be available with E!.
Man tries to attack soldier in Paris
On Aug. 9 six soldiers in Levallois, outside Paris , were hurt when a driver deliberately rammed into them, authorities said. In France, several incidents have been reported in recent times when the police and soldiers of the nation were targeted.


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Apple has come to an agreement with former sapphire glass supplier GT Advanced Technologies to write off its vast debts.
The two had entered into an arrangement to produce toughened glass for Apple products, with Apple lending GT Advanced $439 million to kickstart a massive sapphire glass production process.
However, GT was unable to produce the sapphire glass material (which covers the Apple Watch) to Apple’s exacting standards. GT Advanced filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy around this time last year, to the surprise of shareholders.
As a result, the two company’s agreed to a settlement that would enable GT to try and sell the vast number of sapphire glass furnaces to pay back some of its loan. It turns out that GT Advanced has been unable to sell a single one of the 2,000 furnaces in the past year.
Under this new agreement, according to The Wall Street Journal, Apple will eradicate GT Advanced’s debt to it. GT Advanced, for its part, will have to auction off some of its equipment by November 23, with the proceeds then being divided between the two. Apple will also get to keep whatever equipment isn’t sold or carted off by GT.
Related: iPhone 6S review
The equipment manufacturer intends to take 600 sapphire-making furnaces for its own usage.
All in all, it marks an end to a particularly messy episode in Apple’s bid to make its mobile products more resistant to shattering.
Next, take a look at our smartphone buyers guide video:


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The recently released iPhone 14 series is fundamentally very similar to its predecessor. While Apple has shaken things up with this year’s pro models, especially with the new notch design, it feels all too familiar in the hands. But that could be changing soon, and according to noted Apple leakster, ShrimpApplePro, the upcoming iPhone 15 series could feature a new border design along with an all-new back composed of some sort of Titanium alloy.
This is not the first-time rumors of an iPhone with a Titanium alloy back has surfaced. We also noticed similar rumors before the iPhone 14 launch, but the series arrived with the usual Aluminum alloy chassis.
Although that doesn’t mean we won’t be seeing new materials on upcoming iPhones. In fact, the Cupertino giant has explored the use of Titanium, Titanium Alloys and Hybrid Plastics in consumer electronics. PatentlyApple even reported on a very similar Apple patent where they take a serious view at Titanium and its alloys for future products, especially because of the metal’s high strength coupled with its relatively lighter weight.
In Apple’s patent background they note that titanium and its alloys are well suited to the manufacture of consumer electronics due their high strength, stiffness and hardness. For example, the relatively high hardness of titanium makes it resistant to scratches, and its stiffness makes it durable enough to withstand bending. In addition, titanium is inherently more corrosion-resistant than certain other alloys.
Moreover, according to ShrimpApplePro, the upcoming iPhone 15 series will also feature a different chassis design, possibly with more rounded corners, like we saw with the iPhone 5C.
Premium Materials Exclusive to the Pro Models?
As we have seen in a recent trend with iPhones, Apple is trying to create a more distinct and premium identity for the Pro models. The iPhone 14 Pro for example features an all-new notch design with exclusive software features like Dynamic Island, which simply don’t show up on the base models. Even with the upcoming iPhone 15 series, Apple is planning to introduce high-speed data transfer through the new USB-C port with support for USB 3.2 or Thunderbolt 3. But this will allegedly be exclusive to the Pro models, and the base iPhone 15 phones will be limited to USB 2.0 speeds.
Similarly, there’s a big chance that if we indeed get to see new materials on the iPhone 15 series, it will most likely be limited to the Pro models. Specially if it’s some sort of a Titanium alloy, as it’s significantly more expensive than the Aluminum alloy used on existing phones. Again, take this rumor with a big grain of salt as we have heard similar rumors before other iPhone launches, and moreover the iPhone 15 series launch is still very far away, and a lot can change in that time.


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Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)– Bangladesh taka (BDT) depreciated marginally by 0.10 per cent against the US dollar over the last two weeks following a rise in demand for the greenback in the market.
The US dollar was quoted at BDT 69.10-BDT 69.13 in the inter-bank foreign exchange market Monday against BDT 69.10-BDT 69.11 of the previous working day, officials said.
On October 06 last, the US dollar was quoted at BDT 69.06 –BDT 69.07 in the inter-bank foreign exchange market against BDT 69.06 on the previous working day.
“The rate of US dollar has been revised in line with the market demand,” a senior official of the Bangladesh Bank (BB) said, adding that the central bank is monitoring the overall market situation closely.
The BB official also said the central bank continues its intervention in the inter-bank foreign exchange market by selling and buying US dollar directly from the banks to keep the market stable.
As part of the intervention, the BB sold $20 million to a state-run commercial bank Monday to meet their growing demand for the greenback to settle import payment bills, the BB officials said.
The depreciation of BDT started since October 5 last following the increase in demand for greenback in the inter-bank foreign exchange market to settle import payment bills for scrap vessels, wheat, fertilizer, and edible oil and fuel oil, market operators said.
Besides, lifting of restriction on forward dealing of foreign exchange by the central bank has also pushed the demand of the US dollar in the market, they added.
On October 4 last, the BB relaxed a regulation and allowed commercial banks to engage in forward dealing of foreign exchange freely to add an impetus to the country’s foreign exchange market activities.
Under the relaxation, the commercial banks have been permitted to deal with forward trade in foreign exchange without any restriction.
The central bank earlier on January 4, 2005 imposed a restriction on forward sales to minimize pressure on the country’s inter-bank foreign exchange market, according to BB officials.
The restriction required the dealer banks to cover at least 50 per cent of their forward sales by forward purchase with the rest covered by inter-bank buy-deals and purchases against export bills.
However, the central bank started intervention in the market by selling the US currency directly to the authorized dealer banks from October 8 last.
The BB has since sold $31 million to the commercial banks as part of its intervention in the market, according to the central bank statistics.
“The local currency is likely to devalue slightly against the US dollar to settle import payments bills,” a senior treasury official of a commercial bank told BBN without elaborating.
BBN/SS/SI/AD-20October09-12:09 am (BST)


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Ohio opened its doors to cannabidiol (CBD) in 2016 to allow Ohioans to treat specific conditions with doctor-recommended medical marijuana. Residents can purchase CBD hemp oil in retail locations or online, shipping to an Ohio address.
Kate Richards indicated in the March 4 issue of ADWEEK that marketers are evaluating or already offering CBD products:
• Coca-Cola is talking with a Canadian company.
• Starbucks might be first with beverages.
• By Chloe offers baked goods.
• Milk Makeup sells beauty products.
• The James Hotel has foods on its menu.
• DSW will carry Seventh Sense lotions.
Ohio is now a CBD state.


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Bringing a new car home would not be a burden on your pocket. At a time when the automobile sector is facing the burnt of the slow down Mahindra has bought a new subcription-based model for car ownership. The idea is bought keeping in mind the diverse needs of car buyers. Initially, the subscription-based model would be available on a select few passenger segment cars. Mahindra has collaborated with a startup Revv for implementation of this scheme.
Read more at Live Mint


text: Web traffic analysis is a well-known e-marketing activity. Today most of the news agencies have entered the web providing a variety of online services to their customers. The number of online news consumers is also increasing dramatically all over the world. A news website usually benefits from different acquisition channels including organic search services, paid search services, referral links, direct hits, links from online social media, and e-mails. This article presents the results of an empirical study of analyzing referral traffic of a news website through data mining techniques. Main methods include correlation analysis, outlier detection, clustering, and model performance evaluation. The results decline any significant relationship between the amount of referral traffic coming from a referrer website and the website's popularity state. Furthermore, the referrer websites of the study fit into three clusters applying K-means Squared Euclidean Distance clustering algorithm. Performance evaluations assure the significance of the model. Also, among detected clusters, the most populated one has labeled as "Automatic News Aggregator Websites" by the experts. The findings of the study help to have a better understanding of the different referring behaviors, which form around 15% of the overall traffic of Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) website. They are also helpful to develop more efficient online marketing plans, business alliances, and corporate strategies.


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Higher oil prices led U.S. import prices in December to their largest increase since last May.
The Labor Department said Friday the U.S Import Price Index rose by 1.1 last month, the second consecutive monthly increase, with November prices having risen by 0.5 percent.
The price index for overall imports also increased for the fifth straight year in 2006, advancing 2.5 percent after increases of 8.0 percent and 6.7 percent in 2005 and 2004, respectively, the government said.
Export prices rose 0.7 percent in December, after increasing 0.4 percent the previous month.
A 4.8 percent surge in petroleum prices was the largest contributor to the overall December import rise. After dropping by nearly 22 percent in the three months leading up to December, oil prices rebounded. The index rose 6.2 percent overall in 2006, the fifth consecutive year the index advanced, but the smallest annual increase over that period.
Nonpetroleum prices increased 0.4 percent in December after a 0.9 percent advance the previous month. Prices for nonpetroleum imports rose 1.7 percent over the past 12 months after advancing 2.4 percent and 3.7 percent in 2005 and 2004, respectively.
The December increase in nonpetroleum prices was driven by a 1.5 percent rise in nonpetroleum industrial supplies and materials prices. That advance in turn was led by higher prices for natural gas, up for the second consecutive month, metals and chemicals prices. The price index for nonpetroleum industrial supplies and materials increased 4.5 percent over the past year.
The price indexes for consumer goods, capital goods, and foods, feeds, and beverages also contributed to the higher prices for nonpetroleum imports in December. Consumer goods prices rose 0.2 percent in December and 1.2 percent for the year ended in December. Prices for capital goods edged up 0.1 percent after remaining unchanged over the previous four months.
Meanwhile, prices for automotive vehicles decreased 0.1 percent in December, the first downturn for the index since a 0.2 percent drop in January. Despite the December decline, automotive vehicle prices rose 0.6 percent over the past 12 months.
Separately, the Commerce Department said retail sales increased by a seasonally adjusted 0.9 percent in December, while November sales were revised lower, to a 0.6-percent increase from the originally reported one-percent gain.


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When there were rumors that Apple was planning on launching the Apple Watch, many were indeed curious as to what kind of smartwatch Apple could create. Now that it has been unveiled, just how many people are planning to get their hands on it? Well unfortunately for Apple it looks like the numbers aren’t too impressive at the moment.
Thanks to a recent survey conducted by Quartz, it has been revealed that 2.2% of iPhone owners are “extremely likely” to buy an Apple Watch, while 3.2% say that they are “very likely” to get one. This is followed by 14.3% who say they’re “somewhat likely”, and 18.9% who say “not so likely”, and the remaining 61.4% who state that they have no such intentions.
This is compared to another poll that revealed that 10% of iPhone customers were ‘very likely” to get the Apple Watch. However we should note that this poll was conducted based purely on US-based iPhone users, while the other poll was based on surveys conducted in various parts of the world, but either way percentages of 2.2% and 10% aren’t exactly very high.
The Apple Watch is priced at $350 for the base model which could account for some resistance by customers, but perhaps when it is launched and when the reviews come in, those numbers could change (for the better/worse), but in the meantime are you planning on getting the Apple Watch yourself?


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Antique Show and Preview Gala to be held in April
Published 6:00 pm, Tuesday, March 6, 2001
The Friendship Center will host its 2001 Antique Show and Preview Gala in April, and the organizers of the event are hoping a little piece of music history will earn the nonprofit organization thousands of dollars.
A framed platinum album, commemorating the 11 millionth album sold of Britney Spears' debut recording, "Baby One More Time," signed by the teen queen herself, will be the feature item at this year's auction, which will be April 26 at the Lone Star Convention Center.
The 17-by-20-inch framed item was obtained by the Friendship Center from Spears' mother Lynn. The bidding on the item will start at $5,000, as similar pieces have sold for up to $32,000 at auction.
"It's such a collector's piece," said Patty German, auction chairwoman. "You can tout her as the next Madonna ê she's getting out there now."
Other items in the auction will be a trip for two to the Blue Boar Inn in North Carolina, a trip for 10 at a 19th century French Chateau just south of Paris and a surprise from the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion.
Also up for auction will be three quilts made by seniors at three of the local Friendship Center sites. The three groups will compete with one another, with the winning quilt being placed up for grabs at the live auction. The two remaining quilts will be auctioned off via silent auction.
"We are very excited about the wonderful silent- and live-auction items that we have for this event," said Nelda Luce Blair, chairwoman for Treasures 2001. "There are many exquisite and valuable items."
In addition to the gala and auction, an antique show and sale will be a part of the Friendship Center's Treasures 2001 event, taking place from April 27-29.
All proceeds from the gala, antique show and auction will benefit the Friendship Center, a nonprofit organization that assists Montgomery County senior citizens. Earnings from the event will help fund programs such as wheelchair-accessible transportation, Meals on Wheels, recreational activities and homemaking services.
For more information on Treasures 2001, call 936-756-5828 or 800-734-8707.


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Retail sales during 2021’s November-December holiday season grew 14.1 percent over 2020 to $886.7 billion, easily beating the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) forecast and setting a new record despite challenges from inflation, supply chain disruptions and the ongoing pandemic. As per the data by NRF, the number includes online and other non-store sales, which were up 11.3 percent at $218.9 billion. The numbers exclude automobile dealers, gasoline stations and restaurants to focus on core retail.“We closed out the year with outstanding annual retail sales and a record holiday season, which is a clear testament to the power of the consumer and the ingenuity of retailers and their workers,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “Despite supply chain problems, rising inflation, labor shortages and the omicron variant, retailers delivered a positive holiday experience to pandemic-fatigued consumers and their families. Consumers were backed by strong wages and record savings and began their shopping earlier this year than ever before.
This is, in part, why we saw a decline in sales from November to December. NRF expects further growth for 2022, and we will continue to focus on industry challenges presented by COVID-19, the supply chain, labor force issues and persistent inflation. The numbers are clear: 2021 was an undeniably outstanding year for retail sales.”
“Retail sales displayed solid momentum throughout the holiday season,” NRF Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz said. “Worries about inflation and COVID-19 put pressure on consumer attitudes but did not dampen spending, and sales were remarkably strong. Even though many consumers began shopping in October, this was the strongest November and December we’ve ever seen. Despite supply chain challenges, retailers kept their shelves stocked and consumers were able to fill their carts both in-store and online. Holiday spending during 2021 reflected continued consumer demand that is driving the economy and should continue in 2022. Nonetheless, we should be prepared for challenges in the coming months due to the substantial uncertainty brought by the pandemic.”
Both the amount spent and the growth rate are new highs, topping the previous records of $777.3 billion spent in 2020 and 8.2 percent growth that year. NRF forecast in October that 2021 holiday sales would increase between 8.5 percent and 10.5 percent over 2020 to between $843.4 billion and $859 billion, then said in December that growth could be as much as 11.5 percent. The 2021 growth compares with an average 4.4 percent holiday sales growth over the previous five years. Online spending met NRF’s forecast, which called for growth of between 11 percent and 15 percent to between $218.3 billion and $226.2 billion.
NRF’s holiday total includes sales for November 1 through December 31. Retail sales as defined by NRF – which exclude automobile dealers, gasoline stations and restaurants – were down 2.7 percent seasonally adjusted in December from November but up 13.4 percent unadjusted year-over-year. That compared with a 0.3 percent month-over-month decrease in November, which was up 14.8 percent year-over-year. As of December, sales were up 13 percent unadjusted year-over-year on a three-month moving average.
The NRF figures are based on data from the US Census Bureau, which said today that overall retail sales in December – including autos, gas and restaurants – were down 1.9 percent seasonally adjusted from November but up 16.9 percent year-over-year. That compares with increases of 0.2 percent month-over-month and 18.2 percent year-over-year in November. Despite occasional month-over-month declines, sales have grown year-over-year every month since June 2020, according to Census data. November-December holiday sales saw year-over-year gains across the board, led by increases at clothing, sporting goods and general merchandise stores. Specifics from key sectors for the two months combined, all on an unadjusted year-over-year basis, include:
The National Retail Federation, the world’s largest retail trade association, passionately advocates for the people, brands, policies and ideas that help retail thrive. From its headquarters in Washington, D.C., NRF empowers the industry that powers the economy. Retail is the nation’s largest private-sector employer, contributing $3.9 trillion to annual GDP and supporting one in four U.S. jobs – 52 million working Americans. For over a century, NRF has been a voice for every retailer and every retail job, educating, inspiring and communicating the powerful impact retail has on local communities and global economies.
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J Lindeberg was started by Johan Lindeberg in 1990s with the aimSeptember 2, 2022 | By RetailME Bureau
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The MENA online grocery market stood at $4.5 billion in 2022 and


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CEC Hosts Leadership Gathering of Tech Entrepreneurs
On the 9th April the Cayman Enterprise City (CEC) welcomed a group of superior delegations of technology industry professionals at the Marketing Association (IMA) held on Grand Cayman.
The visit took place based on the strong relationship between CEC and the IMA; who are a leading global association for digital marketers, technology leaders and internet gurus. IMA have more than 1 million members in 117 countries. In 2014 the IMA invited the Cayman Islands Premier McLaughlin as a keynote speaker at the IMPACT14 in Las Vegas.
The Cayman delegation was well received at IMPACT14 and met with business leaders from leading technology brands including Google, Microsoft, and Adobe. The Cayman delegation’s presence generated interest in the Cayman Islands and Cayman’s special economic zone, which enables tech companies to establish a staffed physical presence in the Cayman Islands from which to conduct international operations. The trip to Cayman was the natural next step in the partnership between CEC and IMA, and although the business relationship is in its early stages, both parties were delighted with the results and expect big things in the future.
Chairman of the IMA Sinan Kanatsiz said: “We are excited that our partnership with CEC has been taken to the next level by bringing leadership from American business interests to the Cayman Islands. This event materializes a vision created in September 2014 during IMA’s flagship event, IMPACT14 in Las Vegas. The IMA looks forward to creating more economic investment opportunities for CEC and appreciates all of CEC’s contributions to date. This trip has been so successful that we plan to co-host with CEC a much larger annual event in Cayman starting next year.”
The 9 April itinerary included a series of tours, presentations and social events to give the visitors a true taste of Cayman from a business and cultural perspective. They began the day with a tour of George Town, Seven Mile Beach and the Tier-3 Brac Informatics data-centre before arriving at Cayman Enterprise City where they received an introduction to the jurisdiction at an event attended by the Honourable Wayne Panton, Minister for Financial Services, Commerce and Environment. CEC then hosted an IMA Movers and Shakers luncheon at Morgan’s Restaurant at the Cayman Islands Yacht Club, attended by the Honourable Alden McLaughlin, Premier of the Cayman Islands. Premier McLaughlin addressed the guests and delegates who were overwhelmed at the government’s willingness to support and encourage foreign direct investment and their setting up a physical presence within the SEZ. The IMA is currently in the process of establishing within CEC and is actively reaching out to its membership to do the same.
The IMA members networked with CEC zone members and local business leaders including the CEO and president of the Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce, the director of the DCI and CEC’s senior management. They enjoyed a Red Sail Sports catamaran sail along Seven Mile Beach and Cayman’s beautiful waters with a snorkel trip to the US Kittiwake wreck.
The visitors topped off their first day with some true Caymanian hospitality on Seven Mile Beach with sunset cocktails and dinner under the stars at the Royal Palms Beach Club networking with CEC zone company CEOs, channel partners, as well as Cayman government leaders including Joey Hew MLA, councillor to the minister of district administration, tourism and rransport, Winston Connolly MLA, councillor to the minister of education, employment and gender affairs and Roy McTaggart MLA, councillor to the minister of finance and economic development and to the minister of financial services, commerce and environment. They enjoyed some great Caymanian fare and the relaxed ambiance of this signature Cayman beach experience.
On 10 April, Walkers and Brac Informatics Centre co-hosted a breakfast event at the Lobster Pot for the delegation. Michael Padarin, partner at Walkers spoke to the group about the many legal advantages of structuring in Cayman and Nancy Ewing-Kirkconnell, president of Brac Informatics Centre talked about Cayman’s technology infrastructure which is already in place to help position the Cayman Islands as ‘the digital offshore jurisdiction’ of choice. The international guest speaker was Matt Langie, senior director of strategic marketing for Adobe, who engaged the gathering with his talk on disruptive digital technology companies such as Uber and Airbnb and how they are dramatically changing the user experience of tradition industries through digital experiences.
Charlie Kirkconnell CEO of CEC said: “CEC wanted to share Cayman’s unbeatable hospitality and allow the delegates to see first-hand our ideal business jurisdiction and lifestyle. We are very appreciative of the Premier’s and Government’s support and involvement in this initiative and the IMA visitors have left knowing that Cayman with its first-rate infrastructure and zone concessions is indeed an ideal place to set up international business operations. We expect some excellent deal flow as a result of these efforts.”
Part of story Posted By: Monique SpencePosted date: Friday, April 17, 2015 on Cayman Reporter.com


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1. SEC Chairman Jay Clayton Has Positive Words For ICOs
SEC Chairman Jay Clayton has shared positive words about ICOs during the talk ‘Cryptocurrency and Initial Coin Offerings’, hosted at Princeton University. The agency’s highest-ranking official has affirmed that not all ICOs are fraudulent. The statement comes following many at the event wondering if SEC’s decision to prosecute projects meant it had a negative view of the new fundraising method. Instead, the chairman argued that the actions taken by the SEC will actually help this emerging industry mature. He went on to say that they would rather stop this deceptive behaviour now at the beginning, than wait until it becomes an established industry.
2. Monex Will Purchase All Of Coincheck’s Shares
We reported yesterday that Monex would share more details about its acquisition of crypto exchange Coincheck on Friday. The brokerage firm has now published a press release. According to the document, Monex will acquire all of the shares of Coincheck. A share acquisition agreement has been signed today, while the acquisition will be implemented on April 16th. The acquisition price amounts to 3.6 billion yen (33.5 million USD) and it is based on the exchange’s estimated net assets at the end of the fiscal year (March 2018). Coincheck has also published a press release, where it covered the reasons behind the acquisition, as well as providing an outline of the changes which will take place.
3. Credit Card Giant Shinhan Forms Partnership With OmiseGo
South Korea-based credit card giant Shinhan Card Co has formed a partnership with online payment platform OmiseGo, popular in Southeast Asia. Shinhan hopes to launch blockchain-backed applications such as a digital token reward system. OmiseGo has knowledge of the industry as its open payment platform include various cryptocurrencies and digital currencies from several countries. At the moment, it has released a mobile coupon backed by the blockchain technology. Through this partnership, it hopes to follow the ‘hyper-connected management’ business strategy by expanding blockchain-backed digital banking and payment services.
4. State of Arizona Signs Blockchain Bill Regarding Data
Arizona Governor Doug Ducey has signed a bill allowing corporations to hold and share data on the blockchain. The bill, signed on April 3, is now part of Arizona state law. The bill previously passed the House of Representatives with 56 yeas, 3 nays and 1 abstention. The billed, called HB 2603, is one of a list aimed at helping these emerging technologies to grow. Indeed, the Senate is going to have a third reading of two more bills: HB 2602, which would stop towns from banning cryptocurrency mining in residences, and HB 2601, which covers securities and crowdfunding. It would allow the use of virtual coins as a medium of exchange in digital trading. We previously also reported on the possibility of citizens being able to pay taxes using Bitcoin thanks to bill SB 1091.
This news roundup was brought to you by BlockEx.
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The chairman of the Muscle Shoals Music Foundation says the sale of Beats Electronics should not affect the renovation and upgrading of the legendary Muscle Shoals Sound Studio.
Chairman Rodney Hall tells the TimesDaily that behind-the-scenes work has been going on and design drawings should be available soon for the studio.
Beats Electronics announced in November that it would spend about $1 million renovating the historic studio in Sheffield to make it a state-of-the-art recording center and training center for aspiring musicians, engineers and producers. Apple announced Wednesday that it will buy Beats Electronics for $3 billion.
The foundation owns the studio, which is open on weekends for tours. Hall says it draws 300 to 500 people each weekend.


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Avicii's 'Wake Me Up' Earned Only $12,359 After 168 Million Streams
The growth of streaming services causes a bit of controversy among artists and record labels seeking payment for their work. In a revealing guest editorial for Wired, Avicii's collaborator Aloe Blacc detailed the meager compensation he received for the 168 million plays "Wake Me Up" received on Pandora's streaming service. Aloe Blacc revealed Pandora only paid $12,359 to three songwriters and their publishers. He stated he only earned $4,000 for the single's streaming despite the massive amount of plays the track garnered for the streaming platform.
This trend marks an interesting and potentially disturbing trend for artists, record labels, and music publishers. Up until the release of Taylor Swift's 1989 album, no album released in 2014 had gone platinum (meaning no album sold a million copies). Meanwhile, streaming services like Spotify attract people interested in listening to music but not necessarily purchasing it. While artists like Avicii and Blacc earn money from touring, endorsements, and other ventures, the fact that they earn so little from their songs being played bears testament to a potentially destructive aspect of streaming services. Blacc's post helps expose the issue to a larger audience, but it remains to be seen how people will respond.


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Dec. 12 (Bloomberg) -- Singapore’s Straits Times Index rose 0.9 percent to 2,719.33 as of 10:24 a.m. local time. Eight shares advanced for each that fell in the benchmark gauge of 30 companies.
The following were among the most active shares in the market. Stock symbols are in parentheses after the company names.
Export-related stocks: Shares of exporters, shipping companies and port operators advanced after a report showed confidence among U.S. consumers rose more than forecast in December to a six-month high, boosting the outlook for Asian exporters.
Amtek Engineering Ltd. (AMTK SP), a supplier of precision components to companies including Sony Corp., gained 2.5 percent to 61 Singapore cents. Neptune Orient Lines Ltd. (NOL SP), Southeast Asia’s biggest container line rose, added 2.2 percent to S$1.15. Hutchison Port Holdings Trust (HPHT SP), the owner of port assets in Hong Kong and China, advanced 1.6 percent to 63 U.S. cents.
Singapore Telecommunications Ltd. (ST SP), Southeast Asia’s biggest phone company, rose 1.9 percent to S$3.19. SingTel is attractive as it offers a hefty dividend yield, Carey Wong, an analyst at OCBC Investment Research, said in an interview. Investors are buying high-yield stocks as a defensive strategy on concern market volatility will continue next year as Europe struggles to contain its sovereign-debt crisis, he said.
Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Holdings Ltd. (YZJ SP), China’s third-largest shipyard outside state control, climbed 3.8 percent to 96 Singapore cents. The company said it and Qatar Investment Corp. agreed to set up a joint venture, which will help strengthen Yangzijiang’s efforts to build offshore platforms and related vessels.
--Editor: Jim Powell.
To contact the reporter on this story: Jonathan Burgos in Singapore at firstname.lastname@example.org
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Nick Gentle at email@example.com


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Deekit, which offers a shared online whiteboard for designers, won the first prize at the new Estonian early-stage startup competition at Startup Day in Tartu.
Co-founder Kaili Kleemeier (on the picture) said the team has the first 25 paying customers for its premium version which has been just launched, while the free version has around 6,200 monthly active users.
The need for Deekit is obvious – as writers, we can work on the same file in Google Docs and double the speed of writing a home assignment, for example in the university, but if and when visual collaboration is required there is no easy solution for it.
You could use a Skype video-call to share visual ideas, but the options today are really limited. It’s kind of natural that Deekit, who is not alone in trying to solve this challenge, has some ex-Skypers in its team to tackle this opportunity.
Deekit has made the whiteboard accessible via any web browser, with dedicated apps. Visual representation is crucial not only to teams of artists or designers but also for developers who often draw boxes and arrows to explain the logic of some code.
Separately, Estonian prototyping fund Prototron awarded 7,000 euros grants to Hackmotion and Hairvel; while Covisual and Gelatex got grants of 10,000 euros.
Prototron is the first fund in Europe granting pre-seed money to startups so they could build their first working prototype to test on customers. It was set up by Swedbank, Tallinn Technical University and Tallinn Science Park Tehnopol in 2012.
Among the winners, Hackmotion is building smart clothing for snowboarders, which helps them to slide in best pose; while Hairvel creates biotech-hair conditioners.
Covisual is working on communication tool for engineers and project managers which take construction plans and drawings online; and Gelatex is developing a leather-like product which would enable big fashion and furniture brands to be more ecological.


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Enjin’s Blockchain Gaming Ecosystem Upgrades Its ENJ Wallet Before China Roll Out
Blockchain gaming platform Enjin is all set to expand its business in South Asia where China will be its biggest target given the world’s most populous country has invested heavily in blockchain and is a hub for gamers. The gaming platform has made a few upgrades to its wallet right before it opens its services for the Chinese consumers.
The Enjin Wallet just received a major update focused on improving your experience!
Now, you can send and melt up to 100 distinct non-fungible and fungible tokens in one transaction—the power of ERC-1155 in the palm of your hand.
— Enjin (@enjin) April 13, 2020
The firm made an announcement on 13th April revealing that the native wallet for the Enjin Coin has been tweaked to meet the regulatory requirements of the country. The blockchain gaming firm noted that the new changes to their wallet make it “certified and compliant in China,” and the approval for the same has been granted by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. Bryana Kortendick, vice president of marketing at Enjin revealed said,
“The infrastructure running our services and products, including the Enjin Wallet, has been certified/licensed by [the] Chinese state agency. The wallet app itself complies with all local laws and regulations set forth by the Chinese government and communicates with the … compliant licensed infrastructure.”
Enjin Wallet Made Easier To Use
The announcement also revealed several new changes to the native wallet which would make it much easier for everyone to use, send and receive funds and transact in a few simple clicks. The Enjin wallet has also introduced Ethereum Naming Services (ENS), a feature that helps in shorting the complex crypto wallet addresses to simple human-readable ones.
A few other highlights of the news changes include,
- Added native support for ERC-1155 blockchain assets
- Introduced Enjin Beam, so you can receive assets by scanning a QR code
- An in-app exchange featuring the world's first multi-swap support
- Built-in a fast, flexible DApp browser
- Enabled buying and selling option for blockchain assets on the Enjin Marketplace
- Ability to create and manage an infinite number of wallets
Enjin wallet was launched back in early 2018 and grabbed the public eye after its strategic partnership with South Korean Electronic giants Samsung back in 2019. The wallet was featured in Samsung’s Blockchain Keystore. The Samsung news also boosted the value of its native token Enjin Coin which gained over 70% in the aftermath of the announcement. The wallet then also made headlines when it partnered with Microsoft for its crypto collectable reward scheme on the Azure platform.
China is the largest producer and consumer market of the world and despite the outbreak of COVID-19 and the scrutiny the country has faced for not taking appropriate measures to contain the outbreak, it remains the lucrative hub for any kind of product. With their focus on the launch of their digital DCEP and aggressive blockchain promotion, many decentralized blockchain firms are eying to enter the Chinese market.


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Chevy Cruzes are assembled at GM's plant in Gunsan. Photo credit: General Motors July 1, 2015 6:57 am ET SEOUL (Reuters) — General... ...http://www.automnews.com/?p=244410
The new Chevrolet Cruze Sedan is lighter by 250 pounds than its predecessor. (CarDekho) American automobile giant General Motors has recently... ...http://www.financialexpress.com/article/industry/automobiles/chevrolet-cruze-2016-revealed-6-power-points/92429/
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The modern trend for powertrains can be summed up with the simple maxim: cut displacement and add forced induction. Whether you are looking at the... ...http://www.automnews.com/?p=242743
Saturday, June 27th 2015, 14:37 GMT Citroen's Sebastien Loeb grabbed pole for his and the team's home World Touring Car Championship round... ...http://www.automnews.com/?p=242692
Chevrolet Cruze has been launched in...


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A team of researchers at the University of Cambridge, led by Professor Arokia Nathan are working to develop technologies that would make daily phone charging a thing of the past.
Microsoft Research and Carnegie Mellon University have unveiled a new project that uses Kinect and a projector to turn any surface into an interactive touch screen.
Walking down the street idly stroking your pocket will no longer be an arrestable offence, if Microsoft Research has its way.
Scientists at Singapore's Agency for Science Technology and Research have upped the storage densities of hard drives - with humble table salt.
A patent filed by Microsoft proposes to use Kinect's body-detecting technology to guess the age of people using the Xbox peripheral.
Robotic exoskeletons have been a staple of Hollywood sci-fi since Sigourney Weaver lobbed an unfortunate alien queen out of the hangar doors in Aliens.
Brit Week Sir James Dyson believes that Britain needs to look to its heritage and begin to make quality products rather than rely on 'digital fads'.
Sony is developing the latest flexible OLED screen tech, promising roll-out screens for mobiles and computers in the future.
The Large Hadron Collider has seen collisions for the first time, ushering in a new era for particle physics. More to follow...


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Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSIL), India’s largest carmaker, on Thursday said it would most likely launch an electric vehicle in India by 2020, but sought intervention from the government for the commercial success of such a rollout.
Speaking at the year-end company meeting in New Delhi, MSIL chairman R C Bhargava said government policy and intervention on incentivising the rollout of electric vehicles would be important to keep prices down and make the use of such vehicles by customers a commercial proposition.
Last month, Toyota and Suzuki signed a memorandum of understanding which will see the two companies working together to introduce electric vehicles (EVs) in the Indian market by 2020 (See: Suzuki, Toyota tie up to make, sell electric vehicles in India by 2020).
Bhargava said though the MoU had been signed by the two Japanese automobile giants, the modalities of the manufacture of the EVs were still to be worked out.
He said, ”The Toyota-Suzuki JV is beneficial to Maruti, as it will allow the company to provide electric vehicles for the Indian market. While Toyota and Suzuki have the technology for developing electric vehicles, Maruti doesn’t. This JV will help us bridge that gap and work towards a common goal of electrifying the Indian automobile industry”.
However, he stressed the EVs for India would be manufactured by MSIL domestically and the company would also sell and service these vehicles.
Bhargava later told BTVI in an interview that going forward the increase in the number of cars using fossil fuels will lead to an enormous rise in crude oil imports.
However, a shift towards EVs can reduce the crude oil dependence, as fossil fuels will be replaced with electricity that can be generated via solar or coal-fired power plants, Bhargava said.
The company will conduct a survey to find out the requirements of potential EV customers. The findings of the study will also give insights into the kind of government incentives that might be required to bring the cost of EVs down, he said.
MSIL’s target of rolling out the first EV by 2020 would be 10 years ahead of the target officially set by the government for introduction of electrically charged vehicles in India.
He said the success of the EVs would depend on meeting the customer aspirations and making it affordable. ”Any electric vehicle to be sold should be affordable and meet customer use criteria,” he said.
Affordability would be an important factor for the EVs. ”We have 75 per cent of small cars and to make a small electric car affordable would be a challenge,” he said.
Bhargava also stressed the need for creating infrastructure for the success of the EVs.
Included on the Toyota-Suzuki agenda will be engineering an ecosystem in which EVs can survive and Maruti intends to replicate that on Indian soil.
The central government envisions 100 per cent EVs for public mobility and 40 per cent for personal mobility by 2030.


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Keen to kick the tyres on the next wave of KDE software? If so, check out a revamped experimental archive KDE neon developers recently announced. Unstable builds of the Ubuntu-based KDE neon now include KDE […]
If you’re eager to play around with the upcoming KDE Plasma 6 release the folks behind the KDE neon make it easy. Work on KDE Plasma 6 is well underway and the first stable release […]
KDE neon is now based on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, giving users of the software project access to the latest KDE technologies atop a newer LTS base.
KDE Plasma 5.21 is here. In this post we rundown the best Plasma 5.21 features and highlight key changes, which includes a new app menu and firewall tool.
Been waiting for KDE Neon to rebase on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS? Well, it’s here and ready to download! The very appeal of KDE Neon — which doesn’t like to be called a ‘Linux distro’, apparently […]
KDE Neon 5.16 is available to download. The freshly spun ISO offers the latest KDE Plasma 5.16 desktop release atop a stable ubuntu 18.04 LTS base.
The wait is over: the KDE Ubuntu 18.04 release is finally here. Developers behind the KDE-centric Linux distro¹ have announced that they’ve successfully rebased KDE Neon on Ubuntu 18.04 LTS ‘Bionic Beaver’, which was released earlier this […]
A $99 laptop that can run KDE Neon and the full Plasma desktop? I’m intrigued! But that’s exactly what KDE Neon’s Jonathan Riddell has shared word of on his blog, highlighting a new collaborative version of the distro […]
Falkon is the new KDE web browser and KDE Neon is wasting no-time in getting it packaged up as a Snap app for users to help test.
Linux enthusiasts on the hunt for a reliable USB image writer will be pleased to hear that a new app is in development. The plainly named ‘ISO Image Writer‘ is a new app by Jonathan Riddell, […]
Wayland is installed by default in the latest builds of KDE Neon Developer Edition. The Ubuntu-based software stack — it doesn’t like to be called a distribution, remember — is shipping the next-gen display server […]
A new version of KDE neon (sic) is available to download. KDE neon User Edition 5.10 ships with Plasma 5.10. This is the latest stable release of the modern desktop environment. You get all the latest improvements, like […]


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Barclays Bank may have found a novel new use for its network of bank branches - as a click and collect delivery site for Amazon parcels.
The bank has been trialing delivery lockers across sites in London as a means to increase footfall in branches. If successful the plan could be extended across the Barclays network of 1500 high street outlets.
In December, the bank released research which suggested that click and collect deliveries were expected to grow three times faster than home deliveries by 2018.
Barclays said that 43% of retailers are investing in click & collect as a delivery option, while 41% say they would struggle with the level of online orders without offering the service.
Richard Lowe, head of retail & wholesale at Barclays, comments: “According to a recent report one in ten consumers fell victim to late deliveries last Christmas* and it’s clear to see how Click & Collect offers a practical, alternative solution. Amazon has also recently partnered with Royal Mail, allowing shoppers to collect their parcels from their local Post Office, and I believe we will increasingly see this kind of tie-up.
Barclays interest in the click and collect phenomenon has been growing for some time, as the following infographic from Barclaycard back in 2014 demonstrates.


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The Court of Rome cancelled the GDPR fine of EUR 26.5 million issued by the Italian data protection authority against ENEL, one of the largest energy companies in the world because it was issued too late, after the expiry of the procedural terms.
The Italian Supreme Court established some important principles on how to calculate GDPR fines and might have an impact also internationally.
Artificial intelligence is increasingly an integral part of our daily lives, but at the same time it generates concerns, including legal issues, of a potential cognitive "bias", and the resulting discrimination of the algorithm.
The Italian Privacy Authority, the Garante, has sanctioned the use of dark patterns to collect personal data for the first time under the terms of the GDPR.
The Chips Act has been agreed paving the way to the first European legislation on semiconductors that are crucial for our future.
Italy adopted the decree implementing the Omnibus Directive with significant new obligations for eCommerce online sales and considerably increased sanctions.
With the AgID circular, the authority clarifies the scope of Italian regulations on the accessibility of websites under the so-called Stanca Law.
In this infographic we give recommendations and indications in a legal design style on mistakes to avoid in the management of ESG advertising in Italy, which is increasingly becoming a hot topic.


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Adidas announced earlier this week that it has decided to wind up production on its “Speedfactories” situated in Germany and the United States and will be focusing on Asia for its production needs. This announcement will reflect starting in April next year.
This is indeed a huge move from the brand as these Speedfactories were started just four years back with the aim of reducing the manufacturing process in China. Adidas claims that this move is to be “more flexible and economic”.
From the press release, it is evident that the German sportswear maker could not diversify the German and US Speedfactory units to manufacture newer products. However, it is quite surprising to know that the company could not cope up with manufacturing in Germany and the US despite robots being involved. The company told Quartz that the Asian Speedfactory production units are “where the know-how and the suppliers are located”.
“The Speedfactories have been instrumental in furthering our manufacturing innovation and capabilities. Through shortened development and production lead times, we’ve provided select customers with hyper-relevant product for moments that matter.”, says Martin Shankland, head of global operations of Adidas.
Adidas also mentioned its partnership with Oechsler, the company that operated these two Speedfactories will continue for producing soles with Boost technology, soles for football shoes, and 4D-printed soles.
“Whilst we understand adidas’ reasons for discontinuing Speedfactory production at OECHSLER, we regret this decision…With the Speedfactory production for adidas, we have gained extremely valuable insights which have already been and will continue to be incorporated into the production of other OECHSLER Group divisions.”, said Dr. Claudius M. Kozlik, CEO of Oechsler.
So, do you think Adidas made the right call by shifting its units to Asia? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.


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07 Dec 2019
Leading telecom operator Airtel risked the personal data of its subscribers, more than 300 million people, due to a critical security flaw in its mobile app.
The issue existed in the Application Program Interface or API of the Airtel app but was prevented from being exploited after the folks at BBC alerted the company.
Here's all about it.
API issue opened way to steal personal information
The security flaw, discovered by independent security researcher Ehraz Ahmad, was associated with an API being tested within the Airtel app.
The issue opened a way for any malicious party to steal the personal information of more than 300 million Airtel subscribers, starting from their names, emails, and birthdate to residential addresses and IMEIs, using nothing but mobile numbers.
Ahmed found the bug in just 15 minutes
Ahmed told BBC that it took him just 15 minutes to find this bug and any person with basic technical know-how could have done the same with ease.
Plus, along with subscriber information, the issue also revealed information like "Subscription Information, Device Capability information for 4G, 3G & GPRS, Network Information, Activation Date, [and] User Type [Prepaid/Postpaid]," Ahmed added while detailing the bug.
This could have triggered a wave of spam, phishing attacks
As the bug triggered with mobile numbers, a potential attacker could have easily used randomly generated Airtel numbers to mine the personal details of many of Airtel's 300 million+ subscribers.
Then, using those details, they could have carried out planned phishing attacks to trick users into giving away their money or even more confidential information, like banking or credit/debit card details.
Thankfully, Airtel patched the flaw on time
While the issue posed a major security threat, Airtel was able to issue a fix without any damage.
"There was a technical issue in one of our testing APIs, which was addressed as soon as it was brought to our notice," an Airtel spokesperson told the BBC while stressing on the company's efforts to protect the privacy of its subscribers.
Commitment to keep products secure
"Airtel's digital platforms are highly secure," the Airtel spokesperson added in the statement. "Customer privacy is of paramount importance to us and we deploy the best of solutions to ensure the security of our digital platforms."


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People love all sorts of weird combos and snacks with their chaaye but nobody has ever attempted to make a snack out of tea. Well, maybe some people have and they might have tasted good but the recent launch by Lay’s Pakistan has raised eyebrows and for all the wrong reasons.
This afternoon, Lay’s Pakistan launched a new flavor of their chips – Doodh Patti.
Introducing the all new Lay’s Doodh Patti!
The post has confused netizens as they are unable to comprehend the situation. Not only chaaye lovers are offended, but fans of Lay’s chips also feel disgusted.
So are the chips savory or do they taste sweet like chaaye, but if they are sweet and taste like chaaye how can we define them as ‘chips’.
The launch seems like a disaster right now and people are asking just one question: Why?
It was only until when some netizens realized what date it is today. It’s April 1 and the only way this makes sense is that this could be an April Fool’s post.
Similarly, Subway Australia launched a coriander flavored cookie. Now, we are all a fan of Subway‘s cookies but coriander? In a cookie? You sure it isn’t pakora?
All these brands are doing a great job at pranking us but if it ever comes to reality, we would be left broken. I mean, we really hope that it is nothing more than an April Fool’s prank, otherwise, God knows what will happen to the future of snacks.


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Seven titles have been announced to be a part of the lineup so far, each of which will be sold at a budget price. We've collected our coverage of the GameCube editions of each title below so you can refamiliarize yourself with each game. Or, if you're new to Nintendo in this generation, get your very first glimpse at the games. That seems to be what the Big N's going for, anyway. So have a look:
One of Nintendo's quirkiest peripherals in the GameCube generation was the DK Bongo Controller, a plastic pair of bongo drums intended to be used when playing the Donkey Konga series of music games. Nintendo took the device in any even quirkier direction, though, when it revealed Donkey Kong Jungle Beat -- a traditional side-scrolling Donkey Kong platformer, played in the incredibly untraditional way of beating on the bongos to get DK to run, jump and attack his enemies.
It was an odd idea, that, strangely enough, worked wonderfully well. Jungle Beat was a breath of fresh air for the GameCube lineup and earned a stellar rating in Matt's review -- and the team responsible for its success then went on to create the even more sensational Super Mario Galaxy.
Donkey Kong Jungle Beat will be the first title to be released in the Play it on Wii Selection, and is currently scheduled to arrive on store shelves in Japan on December 11 of this year. Early screenshots of the project reveal that a Wii Remote and Nunchuk working in tandem will substitute for the DK Bongo Controller, in much the same way that the racing game Donkey Kong Barrel Blast handled when it was released for Wii one year ago. That fact doesn't inspire us with much initial confidence, as Barrel Blast proved to be a below-average effort -- but we'll keep our hopes high that the original excellence of Jungle Beat will hold up through the transition to a new control scheme.
A title first released in the launch window for the GameCube, Pikmin was Shigeru Miyamoto's new IP for the new piece of Nintendo hardware. The legendary developer has said he was inspired to create this game by spending time in his garden -- which makes sense, because Pikmin is all about cultivating a fighting force of powerful plants.
You play as the interstellar freight worker Captain Olimar, who manages to crash his starship into the surface of an unknown planet after colliding with a rogue asteroid in space. When he awakes, he discovers the Pikmin -- a race of plant-like aliens who sprout from the ground like flowers, and who team up with him to recover the scattered pieces of his shattered ship. The game plays out like a real-time strategy title in many ways, as you direct groups of up to 100 Pikmin creatures at a time to attack enemies, build bridges, tear down walls and carry items back to your base.
Pikmin will be the second title to be released in the Play it on Wii Selection, and is scheduled to debut in Japan on Christmas Day, December 25, this year. The point-and-click functionality of the Wii Remote has a ton of potential for the Pikmin design, as aiming and selecting units on the screen could end up feeling much more natural than the cursor-based controls featured in the original GameCube edition. We'll be able to find out exactly what direction Nintendo's chosen for Remote integration soon, and that hands-on time will also tell us what to expect for the next game in the list...
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Original Release Date: August 30, 2004
IGN Rating: 9.3
The original Pikmin was an outstanding design, and will no doubt please a whole new set of Nintendo fans in its re-released Wii edition. Pikmin 2, though, is the game that took the concept up a notch. This sequel eliminated some of the less popular features of its predecessor, like the 30-day countdown that forced you to finish a campaign in that many sessions or less. And it also introduced an important new character to the concept -- Captain Olimar's partner, Louie.
With Louie along, players could divide and conquer. Control could be swapped between both of the spacemen at any time, allowing one character to keep tabs on the base while another explored. Or allowing both to engage in battle simultaneously, leading two separate forces of Pikmin warriors against major foes in a pincer attack.
Pikmin 2 additionally introduced two new colors of Pikmin creatures -- while the first game focused on high-flying Yellows, aquatic Blues and fireproof Reds, the sequel saw the debut of heavyweight Purples and poisonous Whites. It was such a fun and dynamic game all around that it's no wonder we've been so hyped for the arrival of Pikmin 3 on the Wii. Pikmin 2's Play it on Wii edition will get us one step closer to that goal when it appears in 2009.
Of these seven titles, this is the one that stands to gain the most attention in a re-release for Wii. Chibi-Robo was a quirky little puzzle/platformer released just two and a half years ago on the Cube. It made enough of a splash in the States that Nintendo brought its DS sequel, Park Patrol, to America (exactly one year ago today, freaky) -- but it's still not a title that has a lot of recognition with fans, probably due to its late release on the Cube.
Whatever the reason, it'll have another chance to shine now. And that's a good thing, because it's a good game -- you play as a miniature robot purchased by a family named the Sandersons and tasked to clean the house. But as the adventure unfolds, you find that little Chibi is much more than just a cleaning 'bot ... and there's more going on in the Sanderson house than first glance would suggest. You have to explore, clean and fight nanobot baddies on your quest to uncover more of the story, and all the while you have to keep Chibi's battery charged -- he's equipped with a "tail" with a plug on the end, and can never stray too far away from a wall outlet or other power source, lest he run out of juice and shut down.
Chibi-Robo will likely have the least drastic control scheme makeover of the seven Selection games, with the Nunchuk's analog stick subbing for the GameCube's pad equivalent control and so on and so forth. But Nintendo could surprise us with an odder, more off-the-wall configuration -- this is a game from the same team that brought us the excessively wacky Captain Rainbow, after all. We wouldn't put anything past them.


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|Either HP sells thin clients, or someone else does. Sometimes, you have to eat your own children.
IDC analyst Bob O’Donnell as quoted in HP Thinks Thin
I’m hereby declaring 2008 as the Year of the Thin Client. In 2008, laptop vendors will begin lining up ducks as we all get ready to move to the cloud.
Andy Greenberg does a really great job explaining why the time for the thin client is now.
PC manufacturers pay their bills by selling new machines year after year with ever more impressive loads of storage and memory. But as the U.S. economy sputters and companies transfer their IT needs from the desktop to virtualized data centers and to the Web, one computer giant is moving its enterprise products in a new direction: slimmer and cheaper.
The only thing I think he got wrong is when he said “one computer giant is moving its enterprise products in a new direction.” I think they all are. I also predict they’ll come up with a new name to replace “thin client.” It’s too 90’s.


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UPS considers carrying passengers on weekends
ATLANTA -- UPS might become known as United People Service -- carrying human cargo on planes normally occupied by freight -- to make use of its idle planes during weekends.
A proposal is expected to be made to top management of United Parcel Service in a few weeks, and UPS airline division spokesman Ken Shapero can already hear the snickers about package deals and wrapping up vacation plans.
"We'll probably hear the jokes on Letterman," Mr. Shapero said this week. "It's a tall order. ... Nobody wants to feel like they're a box on an airplane."
UPS sees profit prospects in paying passengers because most of its Boeing 727s aren't used on the weekends at airports across the country.
The flights would be chartered by travel companies that sell vacation packages and could begin in early 1997. Destinations would be determined by the travel companies.
Federal Express, UPS' top competitor, considered providing similar passenger flights in the late 1970s but abandoned the idea, said company spokeswoman Shirlee Clark. FedEx opted instead to concentrate on its delivery service and still has no interest in charter flights, Ms. Clark said.
To convert a brown-and-white cargo plane into a charter flight, UPS would load a platform fitted with carpeting and seats through the plane's extra-wide cargo doors.
Overhead storage compartments, reading lights and ventilation controls would be attached permanently and folded up during cargo flights, Mr. Shapero said from UPS' airline headquarters in Louisville, Ky. Two permanent restrooms would also be added.
The color scheme inside the plane would be splashier than UPS' signature brown, he said.
"The first time somebody walks on one of these things, they're not going to believe what they see," Mr. Shapero said. "They're not going to believe it's a freighter."
UPS would initially convert five of its 182 planes to haul 113 passengers each.
While the concept of riding in a converted cargo plane might flop with seasoned travelers, most passengers on charter flights are penny pinchers who aren't concerned with aesthetics, said Jack Boch, owner of JB's World Travel agency in New York.
"When it comes to low-price flights, the majority of consumers doesn't care if it's safe, doesn't care if it's cargo, doesn't care if it's the back of the bus as long as they're saving a few dollars," Mr. Boch said.
UPS' weekend flights could undercut prices of other charter companies, which tend to charge their highest rates for Saturday and Sunday trips, said Tom Parsons, editor of Best Fares magazine in Arlington, Texas.
And even though a UPS flight would certainly be no-frills, it would by no means be unsafe, Mr. Parsons said.
"Their planes are probably equipped with better technology than you'd even find in the major carriers," Mr. Parsons said. "Try to land a plane in the middle of a fog storm, and you bet you're going to have the best technology available. Especially when you have to get from point A to point B no matter what."


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Most young adults don’t have credit cards these days. Many of them are concerned about accruing debt. Others are finding it difficult to build credit.
A handful of startups are now focused on building alternatives. One of these is Deserve, which recently changed its name from SelfScore.
The Menlo Park-based startup had been working with international students to assess credit. Now it’s created a credit card that it hopes will appeal to Generation Z, or college-aged teens. It’s announcing $12 million in funding led by Accel, with participation from Aspect Ventures, Mission Holdings and others.
“Our mission is to provide access to fair credit to deserving but underserved populations,” CEO and co-founder Kalpesh Kapadia told TechCrunch. “Most of these kids do not have credit history. They cannot get credit cards without having credit scores.”
He believes that better indicators of creditworthiness are “reliability, discipline, education, employment.” Deserve says it uses machine learning to determine these characteristics.
Yet there are risks to working with people with unproven track records. Like other credit card businesses, Deserve hopes that the money generated from interest will offset the risk.
Theresia Gouw, co-founder of Aspect Ventures, says that she invested because she believes there is a “huge opportunity for fintech companies, like Deserve, who are using innovative technology and provide a fair and transparent user experience to their customers.”
Sameer Gandhi, partner at Accel, says he invested because he believes “Deserve’s application of machine learning is a big opportunity to advance beyond the FICO system in a technologically sophisticated way and give future generations better ways to establish credit. Additionally, Deserve’s consumer-centric focus and innovative underwriting not only expand access to credit for Millennials and Gen Z’s, but also resonate with their values of building financial independence.”
Deserve plans to use the funding to build out its new credit card business. It previously raised more than $14 million.


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(NC) – “The first and most important steps in cholesterol management are lifestyle changes like a healthy diet, regular physical activity and no smoking,” says nutrition and physiology expert Dr. Chris Mohr, RD, PhD.
When it comes to diet, Dr.Mohl recommends staying away from foods that contain Trans fats. To incorporate heart-healthy foods and ingredients into your daily routine, he suggests eating more fresh fruits and vegetables, fish, nuts and berries.
A new heart health supplement can also help Canadians manage their cholesterol, he says. Cardioviva is a patented probiotic that works naturally through the gut and is clinically proven to lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. Many adults need help maintaining a healthy cholesterol balance when they exceed levels recommended by doctors to help prevent heart disease.
“Cardioviva is a natural way to fill the gap between diet, exercise and medication,” says Dr.Mohl. “In addition, healthy people who want to enjoy the digestive benefits of probiotics and also want to maintain a healthy level of cholesterol may benefit from this product.”
Sourced from The Mississauga News, August 22-28, 2013


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George Eustice’s cost-of-living advice wasn’t the slam dunk he thought – 15 favourite reactions
George Eustice is the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. It bears repeating – he’s the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
It’s important to remember that when you hear his comment to Kay Burley about how people can cope with the rising cost of living.
Struggling with the weekly shop?
— Kay Burley (@KayBurley) May 4, 2022
‘Generally speaking, what people find is by going for some of the value brands rather than own-branded products – they can actually contain and manage their household budget.’
Firstly, that’s what struggling shoppers already do.
Secondly, own-branded products are value brands.
He’s clearly in competition with Nadine Dorries for the Minister Who Knows Least About Their Own Portfolio award, and it could be a photo finish.
Having rocked up to the studio to take the heat off the PM for boasting about providing 77-year-old Elsie with the bus pass that allows her to stay warm through the day, it was only vaguely ‘mission accomplished’, but ‘Other Tories are clueless as well.’ might not be the triumph he thinks.
Just buy supermarket branded products, says the actual Secretary of State for "Food"!
— Jim McMahon MP (@JimfromOldham) May 4, 2022
No spoilers for George, please. He’s catching up with the past decade-and-a-half on tape delay, and has only got up to 2010. https://t.co/0Aexc1KWMi
— Marina Hyde (@MarinaHyde) May 4, 2022
Who better to give advice on how to save money when you can’t afford to eat than George Eustice, who claimed nearly £195k in expenses last year.
— Parody Boris (@Parody_PM) May 4, 2022
BREAKING: Britons should "buy value brands to cope with cost of living crisis" says govt minister to people who are buying store brand, two for ones & every item from the clearance shelf they can afford & are still hungry. Wtf do these idiots think people are currently doing? x
— Laura Kuenssberg Translator (@BBCLauraKT) May 4, 2022
How they live How they want
you to live pic.twitter.com/ltNTI4nTSM
— Слава Україні! 🇺🇦 (@Michael_Dunn4) May 4, 2022
The Environment Secretary George Eustice says people struggling to pay for their own food should "contain and manage their budgets" by buying supermarket value brands.
Perhaps he should pass on the advice to the Prime Minister. pic.twitter.com/kg6W37O9gQ
— Adam Bienkov (@AdamBienkov) May 4, 2022
WHO DO YOU THINK HAS BEEN BUYING VALUE PRODUCTS UNTIL NOW, GEORGE pic.twitter.com/9oF6H5V5B2
— James Felton (@JimMFelton) May 4, 2022
Love the idea that people on low incomes are strutting out of the supermarket with arms full of Lenor, Andrex and Anchor Spreadable, completely oblivious to the existence of the Tesco Value range.
Meanwhile, Tories, with their £82k pa + expenses are handing out budgeting tips.
— Fancy Brenda 🏳🌈🏳⚧ (they/them) (@SpillerOfTea) May 4, 2022


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Mobile shopping sales hit a high note
During very busy seasons, I prefer shopping online than in actual retail stores. There are pros and cons with online shopping, but I’d rather check out with a click than have to stand in long lines at the cash register. Apparently, a lot of people aren’t just checking out with a few clicks; rather, they’re doing so with several presses and taps. What people just have to be on the lookout for are illegal shopping sites that are peddling either fake, counterfeit, or non-existent goods.
Purchases made using smartphones hit a record high as post-Christmas shoppers snagged bargains and made purchases with the assistance of apps that allowed them to scan barcodes, compare prices, and get the cheapest deals online. Mobile traffic to the John Lewis online clearance sale was recorded at 119% higher than the same time period last year, and the sales pouring in from purchases made on mobile phones was up 46% since the sale opened.
Jonathon Brown, head of online selling for John Lewis, said: “Mobile has reached a scale now where all retailers have to take it seriously. Customers’ behaviours have changed. The transaction volume we’ve had in the last few days has surprised all of us.”
IBM conducted a study and reported that of all online sales made in October of this year, 11% of the transactions were initiated and completed on mobile phones. Online auction site eBay also reported that 10% of their transactions were now conducted from mobile devices.
An eBay spokesperson said: “We’re seeing our mobile business grow in triple digits at the moment so mobile sales as a proportion of overall UK sales are likely to have increased significantly in 2011.”
British Retail Consortium (BRC) head of media Richard Dodd also commented on these recently revealed statistics: “Mobile shopping is dramatically more significant this year than it ever has been before. People are now carrying round access to a whole world of price and product information they couldn’t have before and that means retail is an even more competitive business. The most notable thing within online retailing is this really rapid increase in the use of mobile devices.”
Source – The Guardian


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How are race and spending habits linked?
We have heard a lot in recent years about economic inequality, but most, if not all, of the discussion has focused on income inequality. However, a new study out of Duke University, and highlighted in the Atlantic, points to another way economic inequality persists between white and Black americans. To do this, the authors used data from the Consumer Expenditure Survey to analyze the spending habits of white and Black households in 2013 and 2014. They found that Blacks spend less, in aggregate, than whites, even when income levels are similar, and they posit this is a result of differences in access to credit, residency in retail deserts, and other subtle forms of discrimination.
What separates income inequality from other economic inequalities?
It’s pretty straightforward. We know that Black americans earn, on average, less that white americans, and so, on average, we spend less. That is the income inequality. But spending differences still crop up when you control for that income. When a Black family makes as much as a white family – even in the high income brackets – this study suggests that the Black family has less access to goods and services. That is a different economic inequality that occurs beyond earnings or income.
So how does this lack of access play out?
You shouldn’t be shocked to hear this because we have talked about it on ‘Money Monday’ before. One of the biggest differences in spending between Black and white americans was seen in purchases that require a substantial sum of money up front. This could be down payment on a refrigerator or a car.
When researchers looked at the numbers, lower-income Black families were much less likely to make these purchase than lower-income white families. Why? Most signs point to the race gap in access to credit, and the difference between whites and Blacks with regard to credit scores. The good news? As income increases, the gap between Blacks and whites when it comes to this kind of purchase narrowed, suggesting that the credit barrier becomes surmountable as Black families climb the economic ladder.
You mentioned other ways we lack the same access as whites. What are they?
The researchers noted two other items the data pointed to. First, when they examined frequently purchased items, such as groceries, lower-income Blacks and whites tended to spend at similar levels. However, when you moved up the income ladder with more disposable income, there was a shift: affluent white families spent more on these items than affluent Black families. Why? The same choices are less available to higher-income Black families, due to retail deserts.
These geographic regions that lack the same spectrum of options and amenities such as well-stocked, higher-end grocery stores, numerous retailers, and entertainment venues, are more frequently found in minority communities, making it more difficulty for Black families to spend in the same way as whites even if they wanted to.
Beyond this access, Black families on the lower end of the income spectrum tend to pay more for long-term contracts, on things like cell phone or utility bills. While the authors note that this may not be due to overt racism, it points to an implicit bias in pricing strategies of such goods, and impacts those with poor or no credit in a negative way. Because the demographics of this group comprise a larger percentage of Blacks than the general populace, it impacts Black families more disproportionately than other groups.
It’s a very interesting topic that needs some attention.
It certainly does. Economic inequality goes beyond money alone. There are structural factors at play here that we need to continue to highlight in order to get the solutions we need.
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Money Mondays: Race And Spending Habits was originally published on blackamericaweb.com
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While Waka’s new single continues its rotation on your FM dial, he and Trey began shooting the video in Atlanta last night and here’s our first look from BFV. Triple F Life drops June 12. Sidebar: Nigel D. flicks on the way. UPDATE: More behind the scenes footage.
Tag: Waka Flocka Flame
Sometimes the simplest tracks can be most appealing. Unfortunately, that’s not the case here with the
[vodpod id=Video.16263726&w=540&h=350&fv=p%3D5296%26c%3D449330%26s%3D1629051%26tbid%3D214716%26allowFullScreen%3Dtrue%26] Waka Flocka broke bread this morning with The Breakfast Club on Power 105.1 He gave a great interview and spoke on his lyrical content, PETA campaign, Slim Dunkin, and beef with Slick Pulla. Triple F Life in stores June 12th.
If you missed the
[tweet http://twitter.com/#!/WakaFlockaBSM/status/182489138711375872] With two strong singles already in the pipeline, Waka has finally announced the release date of his sophomore set, Triple F Life. Album in stores June 12th.
Waka on autotune? Yuck. Other than that, his Brick Squadron bring plenty of eye candy for their new video. Off that DuFlocka Rant mixtape. R.I.P. Slim Dunkin.
Does Waka have another hit on his hands? Well for his new single, he and Trey Songz ball until they fall like there ain’t no tomorrow. Triple F Life coming soon. os