text:
CEC Entertainment, the Chuck E. Cheese and Peter Piper Pizza parent company that declared bankruptcy late last month, is adding new menu items and a new delivery platform to its virtual pizza concept, Pasqually’s Pizza & Wings, the chain announced Wednesday.
The delivery-only brand, which launched on GrubHub in March and expanded to Uber Eats last month, is now available via DoorDash.
“With the pandemic happening, we took the opportunity to compress the activation of the idea to launch Pasqually’s,” CEC Entertainment CMO Sherri Landry said. “People behave very differently. Third-party delivery sites have become the new Main Street.”
Early on, Pasqually’s accounted for about 10% of all CEC Entertainment sales, and that number has continued to grow, Landry said. She declined to share any other Pasqually’s sales metrics.
Pasqually’s menu is currently offered for delivery at all 470 Chuck E. Cheese locations. The number varies daily, but about 270 Chuck E. Cheese restaurants are currently open in some capacity for dine-in operations, she said.
Pasqually’s on Wednesday also announced the addition of several new menu items, including Giant Cheesy Bread, an iced brownie and four new flavors for its Twice-Baked Wings (Spicy Korean BBQ, Honey Hot, and lemon pepper and chili lime dry rubs).
The virtual concept’s menu has been designed to offer more grown-up flavors than the kid-centric Chuck E. Cheese offerings, Landry said.
“Pasqually’s pizza has more sauce. There’s more robust flavor in the bite,” she said. “It has a combination of cheddar and mozzarella cheese to punch up the flavor … It’s a great opportunity to talk to young Gen Z or millennial consumers who understand delivery and deliver them a pizza option from a brand they grew up with, a brand they love.”
Some social media posters initially complained that Pasqually’s was trying to trick consumers by not tying the concept back to Chuck E. Cheese.
Landry said that was not the case and that “brand fans” know the connection. She said CEC is adding a link to Pasqually’s from the company website as well as on the delivery section of the Chuck E. Cheese site. (Pasqually P. Pieplate is the name of the cartoon chef in the Chuck E. Cheese backstory and was the drummer in the chain’s animatronic band.)
“There are many brands that do virtual brands and ghost kitchens,” Landry said. “The beauty is having the operational infrastructure already there. We were not trying to pull a fast one. This was a launch of a delivery brand that’s going to operate on its own. We have no desire to distance the two brands. We’re very proud of this new pillar of opportunity to talk to people who may have grown out of Chuck E. Cheese from a life-stage standpoint.”
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.


text:
The free online event, taking place from 20 June to 2 July, will include virtual concerts, panels, Q&As and meet and greets.
“Through a unique mix of top creators, emerging stars, industry leaders, and insightful experts, the virtual experience will bring the best parts of the convention to its global fans on their devices.
“All tracks will be encouraged to cultivate the connections they make via VidCon Now with access to a variety of opportunities for peer-to-peer networking, small group discussions, and more,” a post on VidCon’s website reads.
For the first time ever, we are bringing the experience of VidCon wherever you are! We’re excited to bring you panels, Meet & Greets, and more! Head over to https://t.co/VwfnzSH0mR to register now! #VidConNow pic.twitter.com/GqZ0ZKGYOo
— VidCon (@VidCon) June 15, 2020
VidCon Now will have three tracks available, these being Creator, Industry and Community.
More information about the agenda and tracks can be found on VidCon’s official website.

domain: news


text:
|« Chocolate and Cannabis: An Edible Arrangement||Friday Foodpic: Chicago Botanical Garden »|
Beer Thu Dec 10 2015
Three big stout events this week, beer fans.
Tonight at Fischman Liquors, 4776 N. Milwaukee Ave., Lake Effect Brewing and Superdawg celebrate the release of SuperShake, a chocolate malt milkshake-inspired stout that joins the line of collaborations between the brewery and hot dog stand. Starting at 6pm, stop by to sample SuperShake as well as SuperBier and WhoopskiBier. There will be Superdawg and Whoopskidawg samples to pair with their respective beers, ice cream to make SuperShake floats, and a raffle for branded glassware and other stuff.
If you missed out on Goose Island's Bourbon County Stout on Black Friday, head to Emporium Logan Square, 2363 N. Milwaukee Ave., for Not So Rare Day this Friday, Dec. 11. Starting at 4pm, the bar will be serving up bottles of BCS and multiple vintages of its variants -- and they'll also have a very limited quantity of Rare, which will be raffled at 5pm. Here's the catch, though: you have to drink it, all of it, in the bar. Not even the Rare will be available to go.
Then on Sunday, Dec. 13, Half Acre releases the seventh edition of Big Hugs imperial coffee stout at its brewery and tap room, 4257 N. Lincoln Ave. In addition to the standard Big Hugs beloved by fans of dark beers, this year there will also be a vanilla-infused version, made using Tahitian and Madagascar vanilla beans. They'll both be available in 22oz. bombers, but only the regular version will be available for growler fills.


text:
Starbucks is currently looking to hire baristas for its impending store.
HMSHost UK, the global food-service firm, exclusively runs Starbucks Coffee and several other well-known brands in motorways and airways. The company’s official website’s careers section says that the company is truly stoked to launch a new Starbucks outlet in Designer Outlet later in 2019 and would like to see people join its team.
As aforementioned, the Ashford Designer Outlet is undergoing renovation and expansion that would cost approximately 90 million pounds. The existing centre is a 185,000 sq. ft. space that would be extended by another 100,000 sq. ft. after the renovation is complete. Ashford Designer Outlet is the world’s biggest tented retail structure. It was designed by Richard Rogers, a renowned architect who is known for his previous works, The O2 Arena and the Lloyd’s building.
Having first opened in 2000, this renovation is the Outlet’s first. The plans for expanding the centre was first announced in 2014 and the planning approval for it was secured in September 2015. The renovated store is expected to bring in 50 brand-new luxury brands and create 500 jobs once the extension project is completed during autumn. New restaurants, a world-class kids’ play area, and a community area would be added too.
The Garden-of-England themed playground would feature a seven-metre tall Robinia treehouse, climbing frames, a slide, and see-saws. Pret, another coffee shop, and YO! Sushi, a Japanese restaurant, opened recently at the mall. Five Guys is expected to make its presence felt too at the mall soon.
The centre would also be hosting the largest living wall in Europe – a 1.5m pound plant installation would be the highlight of the expansion once it’s complete. On the lines of the Elwick Place leisure and cinema complex, Ashford College, and the original Commercial Quarter phase, expansion of Designer Outlet would play a big role in how the area’s fortunes change.
Starbucks is yet to officially comment on the matter. The legendary American coffee brand’s spokesman said that the hunt for new opportunities and locations is always on in the UK so that more people in the country can have the Starbucks experience, but there are no concrete plans related to the region to share yet.
News in the same category
Adopted in 2011, the INCO regulation on the labelling of foodstuffs enters into force tomorrow. Allergens and nanomaterials are amongst the information that becomes compulsory on products, even for restaurants and on internet.
MyCookieDough are opening their second store in Manchester, less than 12 months from their initial introduction to the city.
At a time when blue gold is already a challenge for many countries, the Casa del Agua bar collects, distills, purifies and re-mineralises Mexico rainwater, in front of the client. Served and sold, it retails at 40 dollars for a 600mL bottle.


text:
The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have once again postposed consideration of the “Container Dwell Fee” by another week.
The ports are citing a combined decline of 45% in aging cargo on the docks since the program was announced on October 25, increasing from the 35% reduction reported on week ago. Year-end holidays slowed the progress compared to previous weeks.
The executive directors of both ports will reassess the fee’s implementation no sooner than January 17 after monitoring data over the next week. Fee implementation has been postponed by both ports since the start of the program, originally planned to begin November 15.
Under the temporary policy approved Oct. 29 by the Harbor Commissions of both ports, ocean carriers can be charged for each import container beyond a free period (six or more days for rail-bound containers and nine or more days for containers scheduled to move by truck). The ports plan to charge ocean carriers for lingering containers a cumulative daily fee starting at $100 per container, increasing in $100 increments per container per day until the container leaves the terminal.
The policy, which was originally only planned to remain in place for 90 days, was developed in coordination with the Biden-Harris Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force, U.S. Department of Transportation and multiple supply chain stakeholders. Any fees collected from dwelling cargo will be reinvested for programs designed to enhance efficiency, accelerate cargo velocity and address congestion impacts.
The Port of Los Angeles has announced a similar fee for ocean carriers for dwelling empty export containers, currently set to begin January 30 at the discretion of the Executive Director. Under the policy, ocean carriers will be charged $100 for an empty container dwelling in marine terminals for nine days, and increasing in $100 increments per container per day until the container leaves the terminal.
As of Monday, the Port of Los Angeles was reporting 17,631 import containers sitting nine days or more and 66,430 empty containers at terminals and off-dock depots controlled by the port.
The Port of Long Beach on Monday reported 14,338 truck-bound containers sitting nine days or more and 782 rail-bound containers sitting six or more days.
Monthly Insights from the Helm
Dive into a sea of information with our meticulously curated weekly “Dispatch” email. It’s more than just a newsletter; it’s your personal maritime briefing.


text:
By RICHARD TRUETT
General Motors' decision to make antilock brakes optional on its low-end cars deals yet another blow to suppliers who are struggling with price pressures and fierce competition.
For GM, though, the change will help the company compete with Hyundai and Kia. The two Korean automakers are on a roll, gobbling up market share with low-priced vehicles packed with features.
The shift also means GM is backing away from its long advocacy of antilock brakes in favor of other consumer desires. A GM spokesman said the money the company saves on antilock brakes, about $160 per vehicle, in many cases would be used to add CD players and other features that now are options.
GM said last week that for the 2003 model year it will:
GM spokeswoman Julie Hamp said antilock brakes still will be standard on about 70 percent of GM's North American volume in 2003, down from about 95 percent this year.
That means antilock brakes no longer will be standard on about 1.2 million GM vehicles. But suppliers won't necessarily lose that many sales because some customers still will want antilock brakes as options.
A survey last fall by J.D. Power and Associates showed that 67 percent of buyers "definitely" wanted antilock brakes in their next new vehicle and were willing to pay $350 for them.
But orders will decline, and that's bad news for suppliers. GM buys antilock brake systems and components from Delphi Corp., TRW Automotive and Robert Bosch Corp.
Delphi spokesman Steve Gaut said the effect will be minimal if antilock brakes are priced and packaged to make it easy and affordable for consumers to choose the option, he said.
Gaut wouldn't discuss the potential loss of revenue or say how many antilock systems or components it sells to GM.
"Until we can better assess that take rate, we are not really prepared to describe what the impact will be," he said. Delphi does not anticipate layoffs or job cuts as a result of GM's decision, he said.
A spokesman for Bosch said GM's move will cost the company money, but it will absorb the loss of business without cutting jobs or closing plants.
TRW Automotive, which supplies antilock brakes for GM's light trucks, doesn't expect any fallout from the change in policy at GM, said TRW spokeswoman Julie Ballesteros. But GM is TRW's largest antilock brakes customer, and the supplier is in the process of selling or spinning off its automotive business. GM's retreat from antilock brakes could affect the value of TRW's automotive parts business.
GM's decision involves some risk, said Scott Upham, an auto industry consultant with Providata, a research firm in Ann Arbor, Mich.
"I am baffled by GM's approach to decontenting their vehicles of these standard items. I think it's very dangerous to do that," he said. "GM is not looking at the full picture.
"Yes, it may save some money in the short run. But you are going to have liability concerns several years down the road. Customers could think antilock brakes and side-impact airbags are standard, not optional."
GM spokesman Jay Cooney said making antilock brakes and side-impact airbags optional on lower-priced cars brings GM in line with other automakers who charge extra for them.
Antilock brakes are optional on base models of the Ford Taurus, Honda Accord, Toyota Camry and Dodge Intrepid, and are available in packages on higher-trim models of most of those vehicles. For 2003, Cooney said, GM cars such as the Pontiac Grand Prix will follow that blueprint.
"It's still optional equipment. The consumer can still get it. The goal in doing all of this was simply to achieve better value in content and features and let the consumer choose what he wants to pay for," Cooney said.
Reducing content is part of GM Vice Chairman Robert Lutz's drive to drop standard equipment that
doesn't excite buyers. Tradeoffs between cost and content are particularly crucial at the low end of the market, where shoppers are highly price-conscious.
"General Motors has to be given credit because they stepped up and made ABS standard," said Frank Forkin, an analyst at J.D. Power and Associates. "But it has actually put GM at a cost competitive disadvantage."
Forkin says GM originally used antilock brakes as a marketing tool. But now spiffier gadgets have gotten the attention of the public. "When ABS was hot, it was the differentiator," he said. "Now it's become kind of blase. Dealers are now talking up and selling OnStar, navigation systems and other new toys."


text:
- The U.S. Celebration of World Standards Day will be out of this world in honor of Michael López-Alegría, an ardent standards supporter with this high-flying profession.
- The 2023 ANSI Legal Issues Forum will examine legal issues at the intersection of AI and this – the type of intellectual property that protects original works of authorship.
- This fall, the CDC recommends anyone over the age of six months get this, updated to protect against the newest strain of COVID.
- This October, the USNC will gather to discuss its program that supports people early in their electrotechnology standardization career – the USNC YEP program, for Young and Emerging ______________.
- ANSI’s 2023 Annual Business Meeting includes the release of this yearly document that highlights ANSI’s activities and accomplishments over the past 12 months.
- ANSI is coordinating a response to NIST’s recent Request for Information on the USG NSSCET – the U.S. Government National Standards Strategy for Critical and Emerging ________________.
- A NIST event co-hosted by ANSI and other organizations examines standards development in this growing industry that’s vital to computers, cell phones, and countless other devices – supporting the CHIPS R&D initiative.
- ANSI’s company members gathered in September to discuss the risks and benefits of this fascinating and fast-growing subset of artificial intelligence.
- With the help of standards for additive technology, restaurants may one day feature food made with this multi-dimensional technology.
- Tune in to ANSI’s bimonthly Consumer Safety Central webinar to find out how consumers can make a difference in standards development, featuring the ombudsman of this consumer-focused U.S. government agency.
- In case you missed it, ANSI recently published video footage of the Korea-U.S. Standards Forum, held in this East Asian capitol city.
ANSI Crossword American National Standards Institute
Share EclipseCrossword © 2020-2023 Green Eclipse. .
Sorry, you need a newer web browser.
The browser that you’re using is out of date, and isn’t capable of using this service.


text:
Food court operator Koufu recently launched its initial public offering (IPO) for a mainboard listing at $0.63 a share.
It aims to raise net proceeds of $70.5 million through the sale of 51.2 million new shares, 21 million new cornerstone shares and 45.8 million shares currently owned by Koufu founder Pang Lim and wife Ng Hoon Tien.
This means that only $43 million of the IPO proceeds will go to the company.
Upon its debut, Koufu will have a market cap of $349.8 million, which is 13 times its 2017 earnings.
Both husband and wife will still own 78.7 per cent of Koufu after the IPO, or 75.5 per cent if an over-allotment option is exercised in full.
For now, the two have agreed to a six-month lock-up period on their shares.
Pang told The Business Times in Mandarin that their “cash flow has been good and stable, from the first day till now”.
Last year, Koufu generated a net cash flow of $51 million from operations. Net profit was $26.8 million and its revenue was steady at $216.7 million.
In light of this stellar earnings, we have sussed out some of the company’s milestones over the past 16 years:
1. Koufu Founder Worked In F&B Since Age 13
Koufu founder Pang Lim has been working in the F&B industry for 50 years now.
In the 1970s, he sold fruits at Sungei Road’s notorious Thieves Market for five years and later ran a ‘nasi’ lemak stall at a coffee shop.
Then in 1990, he opened his own coffee shop together with some family members, which marked the genesis of the Koufu brand.
From there, he progressively went into operating and managing his own coffee shops and food courts.
He only founded Koufu in 2002 with a ten-person team, but the food court landscape in Singapore was already dominated by other major players such as Food Junction and Kopitiam then.
Despite the competition, Koufu today runs a successful chain of over 50 food courts, coffee shops and restaurants across Singapore.
In 2012, Koufu celebrated its 10th anniversary with its first first food court overseas in Sands Cotai, Macau.
Koufu was a 1000-staff strong company then, and had raked in an annual revenue of $152.7 million.
“In just 16 years, Koufu has expanded its business profile from neighbourhood coffee shops to establishing large-scale modern foodcourts in residential as well as commercial shopping malls,” said Pang.
Despite its successes, it has had some failed businesses and have closed two underperforming food courts so far.
2. Owns A Portfolio Of Brands
Since its initial years establishing food courts in heartland shopping malls, Koufu has since grown to include food courts based in shopping malls, commercial buildings and academic institutions.
Koufu has now become one of Singapore’s most established F&B brands with many sub-brands in its stable, but it still remains the flagship brand of Pang’s F&B empire.
Koufu’s stable of F&B outlets includes six coffee shops under the brand name ‘Verinice’, which catered to heartland residents.
And seeing the wide population of Muslims in Singapore who adhere to a halal diet, Pang also introduced ‘Fork & Spoon’ and ‘NeighbourFood’ as halal food courts and coffee shops.
As society progressed, many Singaporeans also grew nostalgic about the “good old days” of the 1960s and 1970s when they used to have their meals in the traditional coffee shops.
Sensing this demand, ‘Xi Duo Fu — Happy Hawkers’ was launched. It attempted to recreate the ambience of an old style coffee shop.
In addition to food courts and coffee shops, Koufu also launched ‘Hungry Jack’, which marks Koufu’s first venture into Western cuisine.
The year 2010 marked a significant milestone for Koufu as it ventured into a whole new market space.
Ever since its inception, Koufu had always served the mass market. But in late 2010, Koufu invested $5 million — its biggest investment to date — to establish an outlet called ‘Rasapura Masters’ in the luxurious integrated resort of Marina Bay Sands.
Pang wanted it to rival the popular Newton Hawker Centre as the “must-go” place for tourists wanting a taste of Singapore’s hawker food culture.
“It is positioned as a milestone for Koufu. Marina Bay Sands is the iconic venue for entertainment in Singapore. So by opening a food court here, it takes the whole Koufu brand to a higher platform.”
Since the opening of ‘Rasapura Masters’, Pang had added a few more upmarket concept concept store food courts into Koufu’s stable, including ‘Gallerie’ in Marina Square shopping mall, ‘The Kitchen’, ‘Gourmet Paradise’ and ‘1983’.
3. A Tech-Savvy ‘Kopitiam’
Earlier this year, Koufu became the first foodcourt in Singapore to fully implement DBS FasTrack-powered mobile app.
The app allows customers to skip the long queues by ordering and paying for their food via the app.
The 63-year-old said that adopting this solution allows the company to lower operating costs, overcome manpower shortage and improve productivity.
Following this digital initiative, Koufu has seen sales increase for the first four outlets in the pilot phase, and a steady increase in app downloads month-on-month.
Pang has also integrated other tech solutions in its business such as a smart tray return robot, a self-ordering kiosk, as well as a kitchen automation.
He advises other business owners to always keep the customer in mind when looking to adopt new technology.
“We like to use technology that is user-friendly and convenient and yet enhances the dining experience for our valued customers,” he said.
Koufu’s chief development officer David Yang also said that although they are in a very traditional industry, it is imperative for them to evolve with the times.
“We need to … change to make it more fashionable [and] attractive for the younger generation to want to join the industry. If we do not innovate, we will find it harder, as years go by, to attract talent.”
4. S’pore’s First Food Court To Ditch Plastic Straws
According to the National Environment Agency’s 2017 statistics, plastics constitute the highest amount of disposed waste at 763,400 tonnes and they have the second lowest recycling rate at 6 per cent in Singapore.
In April 2018, Koufu at the Singapore Management University (SMU) have jumped on the bandwagon to be Singapore’s first food court to implement this initiative.
Straws are now given to customers only upon request and depending on the response, Koufu hopes that it will be able to expand this initiative to its other outlets.
In addition to its #SayNoToPlasticStraws movement, the food court will also be using biodegradable takeaway packaging and reusable utensils to encourage the public to reduce usage of disposable items.
To Invest $5 Million To Expand Further
Due to fewer new mall openings in Singapore, Koufu is exploring the overseas market to expand its F&B retail businesses.
Out of its $43 million IPO proceeds, Koufu plans to use $30 million of the IPO proceeds to build an integrated facility that is expected to be completed in the second half of 2020.
Another $8 million will be used to refurbish and renovate its F&B outlets, and the remaining $5 million will fund other expansion plans.
Particularly, it intends to complete the acquisition of a major stake in a business-to-business bakery in the fourth quarter this year, to expand its bakery, confectionery and hot kitchen food production business.
There are also plans in the pipeline to open a Koufu food court at Sengkang General and Community Hospital, and a Supertea F&B kiosk at Marina Bay Sands in July.
Featured Image Credit: Reuters/ Koufu


text:
The Cannabis ‘Gold Rush’
The Cannabis industry is going at the speed of light in regards to growth. Furthermore, there are no signs of slowing down, with the increase in demand for both medicinal and recreational marijuana.
The founder and CEO of Green Thumb Industries, Ben Kolver, says that the cannabis ‘gold rush’ is underway. Kolver relays the opportunities cannabis has in the U.S. stating ‘my phone rings a lot’. Receiving calls from companies in different sectors looking into the opportunities in the cannabis space.
Companies in the Cannabis Industry
Green Thumb industries are among the largest and most trusted cannabis companies in North America. The company was founded five years ago with a limited operating license for U.S. markets. They include Ohio and Nevada.
Kolver states that the cannabis industry is worth $50 to $80 billion, relaying that this is a conducive market, attracting a large number of operators and investors.
Recently, Canadian cannabis giant, Canopy Growth has been in the talks to purchase Acreage Holdings. Canopy Growth is one of the largest multistate cannabis operators in the U.S., so a deal of this magnitude creates much attention
The fact that the director of Canopy Growth is the former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, John Boehner, is a plus.
According to Kolver, this only proves his point of the potential market opportunity that exists in the U.S. and will increase interest from other investors and companies.
Why Is U.S. Cannabis Booming
According to Kolver, two factors are driving the continued interest in the cannabis sector. In the U.S., Cannabis would offer relief and reduce the opioid epidemic, which has led to the loss of many lives and would provide revenue for bankrupt states. In conclusion, Cannabis is also a chance for countries to boost tax revenues similar to the way Nevada has.


text:
In a bid to improve animal welfare standards post-Brexit, the government is set to introduce a labelling system for all halal and kosher food in the UK.
Under Islamic and Jewish laws, animals such as cows, sheep and chicken are not stunned before death to ensure the meat is halal or kosher, respectively.
A number of industry bodies have spoken out against the slaughtering of animals without pre-stunning, with many vets claiming the method as cruel.
Farming minister George Eustice said the Government will consider introducing labelling after Brexit so shoppers can make an ‘informed choice’ when buying meat.
He told the Daily Telegraph: ‘The Government believes that consumers should have the necessary information available to them.


text:
Cookout, Taste will be combined
January is to be a dedicated Culinary Month for the Cayman Islands when the top gastronomic events will be celebrated side by side.
Aside from the return of the highly successful Cayman Cookout, which took place in January this year, the popular Taste of Cayman event has been moved to January and there will be other wine dinners and culinary events to choose from throughout the month.
The Cayman Cookout, billed as the Caribbean’s Premiere Epicurean Event – a collaboration between the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism, the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman and Food & Wine Magazine – is scheduled for 14-18 January 2010, while the Cayman Islands Tourism Association’s Taste of Cayman event will be held on Saturday, 16 January.
‘For the Department of Tourism it’s a unique opportunity for us to promote the destination. We have so much talent on this island when it comes to great places to eat,’ said Rosa McLean, manager National Promotions and Events, DoT.
CITA has decided to focus on the benefits to tourism to ensure that projects and events are in line with the overall goals of the association, said Executive Director Trina Christian.
‘This has been applied to the Taste of Cayman, food and wine festival event so that we can build the international exposure of this culinary event and still build on the success of this as a fabulous local event.
‘The goal is to utilise this event to increase tourism visitation during a time in January that has historically dipped in occupancy. This will be accomplished by working closely with all accommodation partners to package rooms with the Taste tickets.’
She added that moving Taste of Cayman (which took place last year in November and has previously taken place in July also) to January also means that hotels and restaurants are fully staffed so it’s easier for them to participate in such a large scale food tasting event.
There is also less of a rain threat in January, she added.
Ms Christian said another event that will take place during the month is the CITA’s charity wine dinner, which was a great success last year.
And the culinary theme for January is now taking on a life of its own, with other partners jumping on board.
‘There are other hotel and private restaurant partners who will be having their own wine dinners throughout the month of January and dates are currently being firmed up,’ she said.
Another part of the festivities in January looks to be the Flair Bartending Competition which took place last November.
The Taste of Cayman, being held at Camana Bay again this year, will have double the space it had last year, said Mrs. Christian.
There will also be some additional restaurant participation with three to four forthcoming restaurants for Camana Bay’s Restaurant Row that will come on board as restaurant partners for the Taste of Cayman.
Also, this year there will be an incentive for restaurants. Taste visitors will get a number of food tickets for tastings with the purchase of their ticket, but if people want to eat all night they can purchase food tickets for more food.
‘At least it gives a way for the restaurants to be able to regain back some of their costs,’ said Mrs Christian.
Tami Corday, Director of Meetings and Special Events, The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, confirmed that star chef Eric Ripert will continue to be the host of the Cayman Cookout and back by popular demand is travel-show host and chef Anthony Bourdain.
Also, Gail Simmons of Food & Wine Magazine and judge for TV show Top Chef will be mistress of ceremonies for the weekend.
Speaking about the methodology behind choosing chef talent, Ms McLean said they look at the cities Cayman Airways and other carriers that service Cayman fly to.
The Cookout kick-off event will be a day earlier this year, on Thursday evening 14 January at the Ritz-Carlton on the beach.
Next January’s event will also see some additional culinary lunches and dinners with demos and many of these will be outdoor events.
Sommeliers are currently being lined up for the event and there will be more focus on cocktails and spirits also.
The Department of Tourism will again host a cultural experience, such as a bush tea party, at an appropriate site.
‘We’re looking forward to really highlighting the destination in all of the culinary components,’ said Ms Corday.
The weekend will again culminate with the Chef cook-off brunch on Sunday and there will be some pre-weekend cook-offs to determine the competitors for that.
Ms Corday said, ‘I would say one of the most repeated pieces of feedback we received from the international visitors was that this was so much more unique than any other similar food and wine event because of the exclusivity, because of the closeness that they were able to appreciate with the talent.’
The rest of the line up will be released shortly and updates are available on www.caymanislands.ky/cookout


text:
12 years of age is pretty young to be starting your own business.
Some have done it including Lord Sugar who got his empire rolling by selling unused tar from roadworks to his local store as fire lighters.
Well, here's another face to follow...12-year-old Josh Alderton from Norwich, whose new website is helping pupils from all over the world with their homework.
Click below to watch a report from ITV News Anglia's Natalie Gray
More top news
It will be a fine start to the Bank Holiday weekend but there's a risk of heavy rain in some places by Sunday.
Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo set the pace in practice for Sunday's British Grand Prix.
It will be a dry and bright start to the Bank Holiday Weekend before heavy, showery rain arrives on Sunday.


text:
REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Outpost Games, a video game startup building games that are as much fun to watch as they are to play, today announced it has closed a $6.2 million Series A round led by Benchmark. With this funding, the company intends to invest in tools, platform technology and content that empower gamers to create great performances. Mitch Lasky, general partner at Benchmark, and angel investor Manuel Bronstein, head of consumer products at YouTube, join the board.
Outpost Games is the brainchild of game development veterans from Electronic Arts and Zynga who’ve created games in the Dead Space franchise, Farmville 2, and other popular and highly successful games for consoles, PC, mobile and social.
“A whole generation of gamers is growing up watching games as linear entertainment,” said Sachin Pansuria, co-founder and CEO at Outpost Games. “Games like Minecraft and League of Legends garner billions of views on YouTube and Twitch, but the most popular games are incredibly difficult to watch for anyone but the most seasoned gamers. We founded Outpost Games in response to this.”
Wright Bagwell, co-founder and creative director added, “We need to fundamentally re-think how we design games. There’s an enormous opportunity to transform the entire entertainment industry by creating games that tell great stories, turn players into compelling performers within those stories, and give audiences the opportunity to interact with and influence those performances.”
Millennials viewing games on the internet is a megatrend that’s showing no signs of slowing down and generates stats that would make television executives envious:
- Games are the #2 category on YouTube with Minecraft, the most popular, at 47 billion views.
- PewDiePie alone boasts 37 million subscribers and more than 9 billion views.
- 27 million people watched the 2014 League of Legends Championships, with 11.2 million peak concurrent viewers.
“The number of young people watching gameplay as a form of linear entertainment on sites like Twitch and YouTube is enormous and growing all around the world,” said Lasky. ”But the viewing experience is still very primitive — it’s akin to the early 20th century, when movies were basically filmed stage-plays. Outpost Games approached us with the idea of creating next-generation game content and technology with a new grammar of visual storytelling built-in. We found that idea compelling, and see enormous potential for growth."
Benchmark invests in and works alongside entrepreneurs building startups into transformational companies. We focus on early-stage venture investing in mobile, marketplaces, social, and infrastructure and enterprise software. Benchmark's $425 million fund is comprised of five equal general partners who take board seats and a hands-on approach to every entrepreneur and company we back, with no junior investment staff. Benchmark’s current portfolio of early-stage venture investments includes private market leaders such as Uber, Snapchat, Tinder, Stitch Fix, Elastic and Cyanogen; recent IPOs and acquisitions such as Twitter, Instagram, Yelp, League of Legends, OpenTable, New Relic, Hortonworks, GrubHub, Zendesk and Zillow; and franchise companies from Juniper to eBay to Red Hat. In the past four years 14 of Benchmark's companies have gone public and 24 have been acquired, representing a cumulative market value of approximately $100 billion. Benchmark's offices are in San Francisco and Woodside.
About Outpost Games
Based in Redwood City, CA, Outpost Games is a video game startup focused on turning players into performers and giving them an audience. The company was co-founded by game development veterans Sachin Pansuria and Wright Bagwell, and is funded by leading VC firm Benchmark, UCLA VC Fund, angel investor Michael Howse, and others. For more information, visit the Outpost Games website at: www.outpostgames.com


text:
Tessemae’s LLC Sues Michael McDevitt for Fraud and Racketeering
A natural salad dressing company, Tessemae’s LLC, has filed a lawsuit against Michael McDevitt, an investor and lawyer from DC, accusing him of racketeering and fraud. The lawsuit alleges that McDevitt violated the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) when he attempted to fraudulently acquire control of Tessemae’s.
The United States District Court in Baltimore received the lawsuit in June 2020. On March 31, 2021, Judge George L. Russell, III denied a motion to dismiss the fraud and racketeering claims by McDevitt and his co-defendants. RICO, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, and negligence-legal malpractice are the surviving claims.
According to the lawsuit, McDevitt and his firm Tandem Growth Partners provided legal services and investment advice to Tessemae’s in 2017 and became involved in its management. The lawsuit alleges that McDevitt and his co-defendants caused Tessemae’s to incur unnecessary debts, manipulated its affairs, pressured it to sell its assets to them at a low price, and misrepresented its financial situation. Additionally, the lawsuit charges McDevitt with committing multiple acts of wire fraud by sending false emails and documents to investors and creditors of Tessemae’s.
Natural salad dressings and condiments are what Tessemae’s LLC produces. It was founded by Tesse Vetter, the mother of three athletic boys, who wanted them to eat their veggies while staying healthy. She perfected and created her own salad dressing recipe that was all-natural, which her family and friends loved.
The company’s product line and distribution have grown around the globe, with a motto of “Simplify Food, Amplify Life”. The company is also a proud partner of Dr. Axe Keto Diet, offering many delicious products that are keto-approved. Based in Essex, Maryland, the company has a customer base that is loyal and appreciates its natural and healthy products.
The lawsuit against McDevitt and his co-defendants will probably go to trial later this year or early next year. Tessemae’s LLC hopes to recover the damages it suffered due to McDevitt’s alleged fraud and racketeering. McDevitt and his co-defendants deny any wrongdoing and maintain their innocence.
One of the most high-profile cases in Maryland this year is the lawsuit between Mike McDevitt and Tessemae and his co-defendants. Find out more about Mike McDevitt and Lawsuit. It involves allegations of fraud, racketeering, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, negligence-legal malpractice, and RICO violations. RICO violations are federal crimes that target racketeering activity connected to an enterprise. 35 offenses are included in racketeering activity, such as murder, kidnapping, drug dealing, bribery, mail and wire fraud. Here is more info on Michael McDevitt and Fraud charges.
The prosecutor must prove that the person committed two of these offenses with the same enterprise within 10 years and that the acts affected interstate commerce to convict someone of a RICO violation. In 1970, RICO was originally passed to prosecute the Mafia, but it has also been used for other crimes since then. For criminal charges or civil lawsuit cases, RICO violations can be alleged.
Tessemae’s LLC alleges that McDevitt and his co-defendants engaged in multiple acts of wire fraud by sending false emails and documents to Tessemae’s investors and creditors. Wire fraud is a crime that involves using electronic communication to obtain money or property by deception. Wire fraud is one of the predicate offenses for RICO violations.


text:
In October 2012 Paul Ceglia of New York was arrested on charges he forged documents in a multibillion-dollar scheme to defraud Facebook and its chief executive Mark Zuckerberg. Mr. Ceglia had brought a much publicized lawsuit claiming Zuckerberg signed a 2003 contract giving him a stake in the social media network. Zuckerberg had done programming work for Ceglia’s company while a student at Harvard University.
Mr. Ceglia was charged with mail and wire fraud over what federal prosecutors and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service said was fabricated evidence including fake emails to support his claim. Ceglia sought “a quick pay day based on a blatant forgery,” U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara in Manhattan said in a statement announcing the criminal charges. “Dressing up a fraud as a lawsuit does not immunize you from prosecution.”
Business fraud can result in a criminal prosecution or be the basis for a civil action to recover money damages. Fraud can also be the basis for a defense in a civil or criminal case. It is important to know what the elements of a fraud claim are as it relates to business transactions.
The elements of a fraud claim are
A fraud claim must be based on a material statement representing a fact rather than just stating an opinion. For example a misrepresentation by a seller of a business as to the actual dollar amount of the businesses’ previous year earnings.
Another example is a shopping mall developer misrepresenting to a potential tenant that he already has leases signed with several big retailers, such as Target or Macy’s.
In both cases a business fraud case would be made upon a showing that the buyer or tenant would not have entered into the transaction if they had not been misled. There would also need to be a showing that they suffered actual losses as a result, and it is not just speculation.
Further, the reliance must be reasonable under the circumstances. If the misrepresentation was so outrageous that no reasonable person would believe it, a fraud claim will usually not succeed.
In today’s digital world, litigation involving business fraud has become even more complicated. Proving an affirmative claim or defense based upon business fraud requires a deep understanding of the law as well as the relevant industry and technology. Further, a business fraud claim or defense will often be dependent on a detailed and thorough review of numerous documents and computer data. We often have to unravel years of business transactions to find the evidence of fraud.


text:
Ford's Mark Fields promoted, could become CEO
— David Schoch, currently chairman of Ford China, will become head of the Asia Pacific region.
— Stephen Odell, group vice president of Europe, adds the Middle East and Africa to his responsibilities. Odell is also considered a candidate to succeed Mulally.
— Jim Farley, head of global marketing, will become the head of Ford’s luxury Lincoln brand. Lincoln has been struggling, and Ford is trying to revive it with new products. It’s also introducing Lincoln to China in 2014.
Ford hasn’t had a COO since 2006, when former President and COO Jim Padilla retired. Mulally said he has never worked with a COO, either at Ford or at Boeing Co., where he spent 36 years before coming to Ford.
‘‘I'm really looking forward to nurturing Mark and supporting this team,’’ Mulally said.


text:
The latest Windows 10 patch (KB5030211) has added a new “Windows Backup” feature allowing users to backup user settings, installed applications and files.
Consumers have taken issue with Microsoft forcing this feature on users without their consent, as many discovered the backup app in their start menus with no prior warning.
Many tech companies have begun deploying unnecessary or unwanted features as standard with many operating systems, often known as ‘bloatware’.
A useless feature for LTSC
Many of those who found issue with this latest update are Windows 10 LTSC (Long-Term Servicing Channel) users. This version of Windows is a stripped down, lighter version of the full Windows 10 client most often used by businesses.
This version is also the OS of choice for those looking to avoid bloatware and unnecessary software so prevalent on recent operating systems. So why is a backup feature such a bad thing?
Firstly, it’s tied into an update pack including the Emoji Picker and Snipping tool. While removing the Emoji picker may not be a serious concern among LTSC users, the Snipping tool shortcut is highly versatile and widely used for quickly sharing screenshots and information.
Secondly, the backup feature has the potential to violate company policies surrounding GDPR guidelines, rendering it useless for businesses using Windows 10 LTSC and bloating a system designed to avoid bloatware.
Thirdly, even if businesses do remove this latest feature, they may find it silently resurfacing in the Start Menu after future updates, as Microsoft will likely make future updates dependent on the KB5030211 patch.
This leaves businesses either having to uninstall the feature with each new update, or turn off automatic updates leaving them highly vulnerable to security breaches that are regularly patched by Windows through updates.
While Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC will receive servicing and updates until 2027, users may consider upgrading to the next release of LTSC which will be built upon Windows 11 – expected to be released in late 2024.
More from TechRadar Pro
Here is a list of the best cloud backup toolsMicrosoft could be planning to run future data centers with nuclear powerTake a look at our list of the best cloud storage providers


text:
Apple's US retail notebook share up to 20 percent?One in five notebooks purchased at US retail outlets during the recent back-to-school buying season were Macs, according to a new report.
Citing data from market research firm NPD, the Register notes that sales of Apple's notebook lines shot up more than 35 percent year-over-year to claim 20 percent of the US retail market during the months of July and August.
When quantified in terms of retail dollar share, rather than unit share, the Mac maker's slice of the market came in even higher, rising 30 percent to account for an identical 35 percent of all moneys spent on notebook computers during those months.
Sales of Windows-based notebooks are reported to have fallen 1.5 percent in dollar share and 10 percent in units during the same time frame.
Word of the latest surge in MacBook sales comes less than two weeks after NPD released similar data, showing that Apple's share of the North American notebook market to have risen more than 60 percent to 10.6 percent during the three-month period ending June.
The surge was good enough to boost the company into the fourth position overall amongst all North American notebook manufacturers.
On Topic: General
- Apple invents active shutter system to protect iPhones from liquid, contaminants
- AppleInsider podcast talks Apple Pencil, official Apple Watch dock and safe payments practices
- Apple airs 2015 Christmas TV ad starring Stevie Wonder & Andra Daye
- Apple confirms acquisition of motion capture firm Faceshift
- DisneyLife online streaming service launches in UK with iOS & Apple TV support


text:
The Most Popular Delivery Item of the Pandemic Is a Side Dish
Ordering delivery to some can sometimes be seen as friviolous if the restaurant offers a takeout option, but in the shadow cast by the COVID-19 pandemic, getting food delivered can be considered an attempt to boost our economy.
Even with the spread of COVID-19, delivery drivers are still out and about with our food orders. You'd think with more people making home-cooked meals these days, those that decide to finally place a delivery order amid the coronavirus outbreak would actually order a substantial meal.
According to a survey conducted by Uber Eats, the number one food delivered during the pandemic so far has actually been french fries. FRENCH FRIES!
Not that french fries aren't a normal delivery item under normal circumstances, but you'd think there'd be a rise in pizza deliveries or something along those lines. The list gets even more bizarre from there.
Continued on, the list reads as follows:
2.) Pad Thai
3.) Garlic Naan
4.) Chicken Tikka Masala
5.) Miso Soup
8.) Mozzarella Sticks
9.) California Roll
If this list doesn't SCREAM "millennial", I don't know what does. The fact that Indian food and Japanese food have made the top ten means that millennials are placing a significant number of the delivery orders surveyed to form this list.


text:
Apple on Tuesday announced that Macworld Conference & Expo 2009 will be the company's last. The company also said Steve Jobs will not deliver his traditional keynote at the event this year.
Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, Phil Schiller will be delivering the keynote at the 2009 expo. That, said Apple, will be its last keynote at the show.
"Apple is reaching more people in more ways than ever before, so like many companies, trade shows have become a very minor part of how Apple reaches its customers," the company said in a statement posted to its Web site.Â "The increasing popularity of Apple's Retail Stores, which more than 3.5 million people visit every week,Â and the Apple.com website enable Apple to directly reach more than a hundred million customers around the world in innovative new ways."
Apple points out that it has been scaling back on trade shows over recent years including NAB, Macworld New York, Macworld Tokyo and Apple Expo in Paris.


text:
- December 1: Nissan Rogue Recall Announced Over Fire Risk From Connectors recalls | 7 days ago
- November 30: Nissan Transmission Class Action Lawsuit Dismissed news | 8 days ago
- November 26: Nissan Rogue CVT Issues Cause Class Action Lawsuit news | 12 days ago
- November 24: Nissan XTRONIC CVT Problems Cause Class Action Lawsuit news | 14 days ago
- November 21: Nissan Titan XD Turbo Actuator Warranty Extended news | 17 days ago
Nissan Recall : Air Bag Control Unit
2012 Nissan Altima
The affected acu will not operate as designed and this issue may cause the air bags not to inflate in a crash when they are designed to inflate. This could increase the risk of injury.
Air Bags — Frontal — Sensor/Control Module-Inactive
- Nissan is recalling certain model year 2012 Nissan Altima vehicles manufactured from June 15, 2011, through June 21, 2011 and model year 2012 Nissan nv vehicles manufactured from June 23, 2011, through June 28, 2011 because the air bag control unit (acu) was assembled incorrectly.
- Nissan will replace the air bag control unit free of charge. The safety recall began on August 22, 2011. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
- Documents (10)
Click a tab for more information.


text:
By H. Hackman
It seems that long gone are the times when the news of athletes using cannabis for health reasons would shock a person. Today, more and more athletes suffering from traumatic injuries or chronic pain are using cannabis infused creams instead of traditional opioid painkillers. At the same time, athletes are turning the stereotype of the “lazy pothead” upside down.
Compared to opiates, cannabis is considered a more “natural” pain reliever, but this does not mean that it is necessarily less effective. We often tend to think that natural medicine is by default less effective and takes more time to work. But, Cannabis seems to deliver fast relief, and today many athletes use topical creams that contain cannabis for the simple reason that it actually helps them manage pain and heal more quickly.
Cannabis is not only effective for treating pain and muscle spasticity, it has also been shown to help to heal broken bones. According to a study published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, bones healed quicker, and were stronger and more resilient against a repeated fracture.
“We found CBD alone to be sufficiently effective in enhancing fracture healing. Other studies have also shown CBD to be a safe agent, that leads us to believe we should continue this line of study in clinical trials to assess its usefulness in improving human fracture healing,” said lead author, Yankel Gabet of Tel Aviv’s Bone Research Laboratory.
It seems that instead of popping pills that can make you groggy, maybe using CBD is an effective and alternative approach to treating pain and fractured bones.
Cannabis works in a way that doesn’t affect our internal organs and controls chronic pain caused by injuries, while also helping to regulate the endocrine system without exhausting its supplies, according to this study.
Cannabis contains a non-psychoactive cannabinoid called cannabidiol, or CBD that studies have demonstrated is effective in relieving pain. The human body contains CBD receptors and when an ointment containing CBD is applied to an injured area, our body produces CBD and directs its healing efforts to that particular location. CBD actually helps the healing of an injury naturally, and there are different strains high in cannabidiol for differing medicinal needs, including pain.
Effective chronic pain management is often a challenge for athletes and physicians. While opioids are often effective, particularly in healing postsurgical pain, the tolerance phenomenon often results in patients requiring increased levels of opioids. Many patients, get only limited pain relief from the traditional interventional treatments, which often have substantial side effects.
Many scientists believe that cannabis can help break the chronic pain cycle. Because cannabis has been used to treat a wide range of different kinds of pain, it appears to be a promising source of analgesic medication. That is the reason why many countries (like Germany) are reconsidering the cultivation of cannabis for healing chronic pain.
More and more athletes turn to cannabis to manage their pain effectively, while also minimizing side-effects and improving their quality of life.
As athletes push their bodies to the limits, they face muscle pain, inflammation and other painful conditions and injuries. Many athletes use cannabis to dissipate the aches and pains. One big concern for the athletes that use cannabis is that it may show in the drug tests that they have to pass regularly. Amanda Reiman, PhD claims in an article for DrugPolicy.org that topical cannabis does not.
Recently there has been a debate in the National Football League after some NFL players publicly supported medical marijuana for chronic pain. They say that marijuana’s side effects are very minimal and easily manageable. Jamal Anderson a former Atlanta Falcon recently told Bleacher Report that he had seen many players during his career that they used cannabis to help control pain and stress.
Although there is still a lot of research looking into cannabis as a solution to chronic pain, the former president of the American Academy of Pain Medicine, Dr. Lynn Webster, gives an optimistic view saying, “We need to find better treatments for athletes and non-athletes, and cannabinoids may by one way.”
H. Hackman has studied Sociology and Law and has written about legal developments on psychedelics and cannabis for the last 10 years. He lives in Brussels.


text:
'No flattening' in Dutch-language e-book market
Second-quarter 2014 data co...
German culture minister supports author Amazon protest
The German minister for cul...
Amazon to up its China presence
Amazon has signed a deal in...
France prepares for La Rentrée Littéraire
The number of novels publis...
UK mainland's 'most remote' bookshop up for sale
A bookshop thought to be th...
DNB-owned company takes on Norway's Notabene
16.01.13 | Bookseller staff
Norwegian bookshop chain Notabene, which filed for bankruptcy last week, is to be taken over by a company owned by bank DNB, according to reports.
Newly created Lesi AS, which is 100%-owned by Norway's biggest bank DNB, will take over the chain, which has 139 retail outlets and approximately 1,000 employees.
DNB is believed to have been Notabene's major creditor, owing in the region of NOK 300m.
Notabene, founded in 1985, has in recent years expanded into Sweden and Poland.


text:
British students like pouring milk on their heads
What an udder delight: Students in England have taken to pouring entire bottles of milk on themselves in apparent protest against "being milked by the government," the Guardian
reports. And they've filmed themselves doing it all over—in hotels, shopping malls, roundabouts, and gas stations. It's...


text:
Dubai: As the holiday season comes close, expats in the UAE say they are still apprehensive of travel. Even as air corridors open, the tourism market is yet to pick up steam as expats put off holiday plans for fear of catching COVID-19. Not just that, quarantine restrictions in several countries around the world is also a major reason why expats want to stay back.
Punit Shah, general manager, City One Tourism & Travel LLC, said there seems to be no dearth of enquiries to destinations like the Maldives, Israel, Kenya, Turkey and Seychelles. “They are top destinations expats want to travel to. But they are hesitating to make a booking because they find quarantine restrictions to be a tedious affair.”
He said so far only three countries have relaxed quarantine restrictions for UAE travellers – the UK, Russia and Bosnia.
According to Shah, his travel business is only 15 per cent of what it was during same time last year. “The only travel people are doing is to their home country to visit families. We are yet to see any pick up in tourism business.”
Faizal Mohsin, managing director, Deenar Travel & Tourism, also said the tourism business is very low. “Many Asian expats are travelling home. We have especially seen an uptake in flight bookings to Bangladesh. I think people are longing to see their families back home and are taking the chance now as air corridors open up.”
Jordanian expat Rana Marwan Al Akkad, 32, an influencer manager, said she and her Iraqi husband, Ahmed Khalid Daham, 33, a racer in Dubai, have not made any plans to travel because of the COVID-19 situation. “The travel requirements are way too tedious at this moment in time for us to think of a holiday plan. We are also worried if we travel, it might get difficult to come back to the UAE.”
The same is the case with Indian expat Madhurima Thakur, 45, managing director, Floor Art Carpet. “My family and I don’t have any vacation plans at the moment. Our priority is to visit parents back home in India. Holiday is not on our list at all. The vacation will be with family back home.”
British expat Paul Canham, 48, a senior projects specialist in Dubai, said he is not travelling either. “Many country has been impacted by COVID, I am looking forward to a return to a new normality once COVID-19 is controlled. For my family and me, the new normality will be when we can travel freely without invasive tests or quarantines, and without the uncertainty of what might limit our movements. Within UAE itself, I look forward to simple pleasures like being able once again to meet up at home with friends and neighbours, or to take a walk without wearing a face-mask around our community. Or cycle out. The restrictions between Abu Dhabi and Dubai will also hopefully be removed soon. From a work perspective, I look forward to reuniting with colleagues after an extended period of remote-working. Whilst this has functioned very well for many of us, I miss the buzz and the dynamics of being at the office and with colleagues. The UAE has managed this pandemic very well.”
There are some exceptions like Lebanese expat Dima Habbouchi, 42. She and her family are off to Egypt for a holiday starting December 15. “We are going away for two weeks. The whole trip has cost us Dh20,000. It will be totally worth it. Egypt has been listed as a safe country to travel and we have been waiting to get away. My husband and I are getting away with our three children. We hope to have a rocking time. I am super excited to get on a plane!” she said.


text:
Walton’s TV has set a target of expanding its market to 20 European countries by 2021.
The local brand is manufacturing and exporting ‘Made in Bangladesh’ tagged television in Europe market, said a press release.Despite the economic slowdown following the coronavirus pandemic, Walton made a great success in expanding its LED TV exports to 10 European countries, including Germany, Greece, Ireland, Croatia, Spain, Poland, Italy and Romania.
Walton’s successful market expansion in Europe was resulted in increasing its TV export 10 times more than the previous year.
In addition, Walton's TV exports to Europe in the year 2020 was exceeded in the first five months of this year (January to May).
German Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Fahrenholtz praised Walton's remarkable achievements in expanding TV export to Europe.
Witnessing the use of European technologies’ advanced machineries, the ambassador also lauded Walton’s state-of-the-art TV manufacturing factory.
Walton Hi-Tech Managing Director Engineer Golam Murshed said, Walton wants to bring the Bangladesh’s flag of Bangladesh to a unique height in the world by securing a strong brand position in the world’s consumer electronics markets. That’s why, Walton has been moving forward with the “Vision- Go Global 2030”.Walton TV Chief Executive Officer Mostafa Nahid Hossain said, “We set a goal of becoming one of the top five global television brands in the world. As a part of this goal, we target to widen Walton TV export markets to all the countries of the 5 continents by 2023. In this case, the rapid expansion of Walton TV's export market in Europe will play an important role.
Walton TV’s Head of Business in Germany Tawseef Al Mahmood said, they set a plan to expand its TV export markets to 20 European countries by the end of 2021.
The ‘Made in Bangladesh’ TV has be well accepted for ins reliability and quality in Europe and Walton want to up hold this standard going forward. This year, Walton are going to launch 3 new models with new Smart features with regional software suitable for Europe markets.
According to sources, Walton is making TVs of European standard at its own factory at Chandra in Gazipur. Walton has already been recognized as a state-of-the-art Dolby and Google-listed ‘licensed TV manufacturer’. Walton is the only company in Bangladesh to produce Dolby's official sound quality TV.
The price of these TVs is as affordable as it is the best. And so Walton TV is now at the top considering the market share in the local market.


text:
Six Months of Pioneering Data Protection and Privacy with the GDPR
Europe's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) just passed its six month milestone. Not surprisingly, most organizations aren't yet in compliance, but one key takeaway is that good-faith efforts towards compliance are worth investing in. From the Information Today article by Kelly LeBlanc:
"As Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) legislation gains momentum impacting data privacy on a global level, we are just beginning to see reports, cases, and instances where the GDPR is enforced. Whether through warnings, sanctions, or fines, the GDPR is taking the initiative in data privacy enforcement."


text:
"I'm going to be the banner carrier for this, or conversely the guy who gets the arrow in his back," keynoter Rundgren told attendees of the 13th annual Billboard Music Video Conference, which runs through today at the Ma Maison Sofitel Hotel.
Leading the charge, he also cast a wary eye to the flanks, promising to "make a lot of noise about anyone who wants to bring the wholesale attitudes of the music industry into this new field."
Underscoring the difference between traditional art, "which reflects a personal agenda" and commercial art, "an agenda set entirely by the audience," Rundgren leveled a scathing indictment against some of today's popular music figures and their proclivity for "self-aggrandizement."
Fearful that these self-promoters "will rush in a try and take advantage of this new medium before anyone's really proven what it can do," he vowed to fend off such interlopers.
Rundgren was a pioneer in U.S. music videos, but stopped making them in the mid-1980s out of disappointment with the MTV-style direction the medium was taking.
Though Rundgren referred several times during his speech to the fact that he's left the music industry, manager Eric Gardner said the artist has signed a multiyear Japanese record deal with Fujisankei Communications.
Gardner said he is in discussions with U.S. companies for a similar arrangement, with Rundgren retaining all ancillary rights to his music, which he intends to platform onto interactive entertainments.
The artist's 19-year association with Warner Bros. Records ended in July. He is best known the the 1970s pop hits "Hello It's Me" and "I Saw The Light," but his later albums and tours have earned him an enthusiastic cult following.
Rundgren is currently seeking an equity partner to help him launch a new label that will sign artists to develop interactive entertainment.
After the speech, Rundgren spoke of making interactive music albums in which listeners would have options like repeating a song's verses as many times as they like, instead of staying with the artist's traditional arrangement of the song.
He has also entered into a partnership venture called NuTopia with NuTek, manufacturer of the Video Toaster.
Toaster, a $4,000 "TV studio in a box" device, had been languishing on the market for about a year before Rundgren made it the toast of the town by using it for the "Change Myself" video, which was created entirely in the domain of the desktop system.
Gardner quoted cost estimates for the high-tech video clip as in the $400,000 range, but said it cost Rundgren only about one-fifth that amount, because he executed the creative design and execution tasks himself.
The NuTopia facility, based in Sausalito, is now open for business, and will target opportunities creating computer effects for music videos, TV series and specials and even films, substituting the relatively inexpensive electronic effects for traditional opticals.
Opening the doors to his own studio is one way to get things moving in an interactive direction, he noted, adding that the biggest challenge would be getting the creative community to think in terms of an interactive end product, and not just tag it on "as an afterthought" as videoclips had for so many years been treated.
"In the years to come, you're going to see a lot of devices bringing computer technology to television. Soon you'll be able to go out and buy a TV with a computer built in, and by the end of the decade you won't be able to buy a TV without a computer in it," he predicted.


text:
New analysis conducted by Informa Economics, Inc. shows that the Renewable Fuel Standard and its associated RIN credits have not played a role in this spring’s higher retail gas prices. In fact – the study found ethanol costs significantly less than gasoline at the wholesale level and is reducing prices at the pump for consumers across the country. According to the report – a fact-based review of developments in the gasoline, ethanol and Renewable Identification Number markets indicates that the RFS in general – and RINs in particular – have not been a demonstrable factor in the rise in retail gasoline prices that has occurred in early 2013.
Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Bob Dinneen says this independent study’s findings put the claims of RFS opponents to rest – confirming that RINs are not having any noticeable impact on gasoline prices. Dinneen says the facts and data speak for themselves – adding that drivers could realize even greater savings at the pump if refiners and blenders would break down their self-inflicted blend wall and give up their resistance to offering E15 and E85.
The analysis – commissioned by RFA – found RINs are likely contributing no more than four-tenths of one-cent to the retail price of a gallon of gasoline. When accounting for both the ethanol price advantage and the direct cost of RIN prices – the report found the net benefit to consumers from the usage of ethanol is four-cents per gallon of gasoline. The authors say this savings doesn’t account for the indirect benefit ethanol has on gasoline prices by effectively lowering demand for crude oil and clear gasoline or the enhanced octane value of ethanol over gasoline.
The high gasoline prices in 2013 – according to the report – can be explained by several factors unrelated to the RFS, RINs or ethanol use. The analysis notes there is a distinct seasonal pattern to gasoline prices and crack spreads. The analysis continues that the increase in gasoline prices and crack spreads during the first quarter of 2013 has been generally consistent with increases experienced in 2011 and 2012 – despite the fact that conventional ethanol RIN prices averaged three-cents during the first quarter of 2011 and two-cents during the first quarter of 2012. The Informa report also cites Department of Energy analysis in noting that higher gasoline prices have stemmed from planned and unplanned refinery maintenance; the low starting level for gasoline crack spreads going into 2013; preparation for seasonal fuel specification changes; and developments in global product demand.
Source: NAFB News Service


text:
Hollywood still smoking
By JENNY HOPE, Daily Mail
The last ten years have seen a ten-fold increase in well-known brands featured on screen since the ban was introduced in 1990.
Research suggests tobacco firms are still able to make 'product placements', where their cigarettes are either smoked by an actor on screen or appear in a scene.
The companies may even be paying film-makers to use their products, say researchers from Dartmouth Medical School in New Hampshire who stud-ied the top 25 films at the US box office for every year from 1988 to 1997.
Until 1990, tobacco companies had paid tens of thousands of pounds to place their cigarettes in the hands of a film's star. This was seen as the most lucrative form of product placement.
The ban was incorporated into the U.S. tobacco industry's self-regulatory advertising code in 1990 in an attempt to stop government regulation of product placements in films.
But the code is voluntary and does not ban the featuring of certain brands - only payment by the tobacco firms.
The researchers found that before 1990 only 1% of the films studied showed actors with a recognisable brand of cigarette on screen. In the years after the ban, that figure rose to 11%.
One in five films aimed at children and teenagers had some kind of 'brand appearance', including Home Alone II and Honey, I Shrunk The Kids.
Marlboro cigarettes accounted for 40% of the brands shown in films, including hits such as My Best Friend's Wedding starring Julia Roberts, Men In Black with Will Smith, and Volcano, featuring Tommy Lee Jones.
Overall, 85% of films contained tobacco use, while specific brands were shown in 28%.
Researcher Dr James Sargent said showing actors smoking made viewers more favourable towards tobacco use and could encourage youngsters to smoke.
His report, published in The Lancet today, said the use of actors might involve some kind of fee.
'Because actor endorsement normally gains payments from companies, this increasing trend suggests an advertising motive behind the appearance of tobacco brands in films.'
Professor Gerard Hastings, director of the Cancer Research Campaign-backed Centre for Tobacco Control Research at Strathclyde University, said his own research found that 'hero' endorsement encouraged children to smoke.
'Young people are the future market for the tobacco industry. If they don't get the kids to smoke they won't have a market because adults don't take it up.
'Actors who smoke on screen are enormously influential. It's more effective than direct advertising - and the images are sexier.'
Most watched News videos
- Brutal bat attack caught on surveillance video in the Bronx
- Waitress tackles male customer after grabbing her backside
- Trump's daughter grasps her Secret Service agent's hand
- Comedian is forced to move her scooter from disability space on train
- Desperate parents queue for hours for school breakfast club place
- Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab wants to 'heat up' talks with EU
- The terrifying moment a plane comes crashing down in South Africa
- Utah train worker calls a group of girls porn stars
- NFL quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo goes on a date with porn star
- Man sets up projector to make garden look like jurassic park
- Biker jailed after filming himself speeding at 200mph
- Shocking video shows mother brutally beating her twin girls
No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards.
We are no longer accepting comments on this article.


text:
Update (2010.04.30): this news is based on a one-year old news from bit-tech.net. Why X-bit labs serves us an old news ? Seems an error… the original page at X-bit labs has been removed… Not cool from a major website to publish such kind of news. This news is not wrong (and maybe still active at NV) and refreshing an old news is useless… but OpenCL PhysX seems to be a hot topic if you count the number of sites that have relayed the news 😉
According to X-bit labs, NVIDIA could eventually release a version of PhysX accelerated by OpenCL.
Keep in mind that an OpenCL version of PhysX does not mean a complete re-writing of the engine but only the GPU accelerated part which is actually based on CUDA. One consequence will be that Radeon owners will enjoy fast PhysX too. Another second consequence will concern the devices that are OpenCL capable: CPU, GPU and even NPU (Network Processing Unit like EVGA’s Xeno)…
AMD’s OpenCL implementation supports both CPU and GPU codepaths. So a system with a high end 6-core CPU and a dual-GPU graphics card will be a killer PhysX rig (of course if the OpenCL PhysX version allows the use of CPU which is the responsibility of NVIDIA). And if we are lucky, AMD will finally release an official OpenCL support like the one already done by NVIDIA.
However, Mr. Mohammad warned about possible performance issues with non-Nvidia hardware, claiming that ATI is much behind Nvidia when it comes to GPU computing.
…possible performance issues… and possible lack of features 😉
Like OpenGL, OpenCL is based on extensions for new features, and AMD will have to follow NVIDIA to keep PhysX operational…


text:
EU competition chief to investigate multinationals’ tax deals
The European Union's competition chief, Margrethe Vestager, has announced that the bloc's regulators will likely launch investigations into tax deals between EU countries and multinationals.
This follows a review of the arrangements made in the previous decade. Vestager, who has previously order... Read more
‘Microsoft uses subsidiaries in tax havens to dodge billions in taxes’
Because of its complicated corporate structure, Microsoft has allegedly dodged billions in taxes in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, whose governments generate lucrative public sector contracts.
The accusations were detailed in a research report recently published by the Centre f... Read more
The US drops tariff threat over global tax agreement
The United States withdrew its threat of tariffs against five European countries over their digital services taxes, as part of a deal to manage the transition to a new global tax policy for large corporations. Austria, France, Britain, Spain, and Italy will get to enforce their digital taxes until ... Read more
Ireland agrees with initiative to tax Big Tech with at least 15 percent
The Republic of Ireland has finally agreed to sign the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development‘s plans to create fair tax laws that prevent big tech from evading taxes by headquartering in low-tax countries.
Irish and Dutch tax law has a number of loopholes that allow Apple, Amaz... Read more
Could the Biden tax plan affect U.S. investment in Ireland?
The Administration's global tax proposal could make Ireland less attractive for US tech giants.
Over the past few decades, Ireland has been able to attract huge investment from US tech firms by offering very favorable corporate tax rates. These sweetheart tax deals have allowed major US firms to... Read more
France resumes taxes on tech giants
France has resumed its previously halted taxes on the revenue of tech giants. The country had previously stopped this tax following a deal with the United States. It is a 3 percent tax.
The tax on tech giants was stopped after a deal with the United States. In the deal, the country promised that... Read more
Facebook closes Irish holding used to evade paying taxes
Facebook is closing several Irish holding companies it uses to evade paying taxes in the United States, the UK, and hundreds of other countries where it has a profitable presence. The company has a main Irish subsidiary that paid only about $101 million in taxes while showing profits of more than $... Read more
France sends out notices to big tech to start paying digital tax
France is not backing down on implementing a new digital tax, which has stirred controversy. France sent out notices to big tech companies and others covered by the tax. The companies were informed that they would have to pay taxes if they want to continue doing business in France.
The tax is st... Read more
Amazon, Apple and Google raise fees in response to new digital taxes
Three of the biggest tech companies are raising some of their service fees after digital taxes were implemented in some countries. Apple and Google put out statements separately on September 2.
In the statements, they said that they are passing on the cost of these taxes to their customers. On W... Read more
137 countries agree to new tax rules for tech giants
Large tech companies moving to countries from which it is possible to operate more cheaply, because of favourable tax rates; it happens often. In an attempt to prevent such practices in the future, 137 countries have joined forces to tighten up tax rules for large companies including Amazon and Goo... Read more


text:
The wallet of 79-year-old shopper was allegedly stolen when she left her purse in the baby seat of a shopping cart around 2:15 p.m. May 26 at , report .
The suspect attempted to make a purchase and a cash ATM withdrawal, but failed. The suspect did, however, successfully use the victim’s credit card at Target in Alhambra, according to a police report released Thursday.
The surveillance video at Bristol Farms shows the suspect near the victim, but does not show the suspect taking her wallet, police report.
The suspect is described as a white female aged 20- to 30-years old with long black hair, wearing a yellow shirt, pink jacket, blue pants sunglasses and holding a black shoulder purse.
See the above photo and crime bulletin for more details.
If you have any information on this crime, please contact South Pas detectives at 626-403-7280 or Detectives@ci.south-pasadena.ca.us.


text:
Employees at Chrysler’s plant in Windsor, Ontario can breathe a sigh of relief as FCA has extended the life of the third shift at the factory for the rest of the year.
Originally, the third shift was supposed to be eliminated on September 30 due to sluggish North American sales for the Chrysler Pacifica and Dodge Grand Caravan. However, the company later extended it until October 21 to accommodate a large order.
According to a Facebook post by the Unifor Local 444 union representing Windsor plant employees, FCA Canada has now extended the third shift until “until at least the end of 2019.” The union did not say what motivated the automaker’s decision.
“This is not a final solution, but every one of these extensions provides us more opportunities to work with the company to get a final resolve that maintains our third shift and current workforce for the future,” Unifor Local 444’s statement reads.
Also Read: Minivan Sales Are Off Nearly A Million Units From Their Peak, But They’re Not Going Away Anytime Soon
While the automaker confirmed the extension, it did not go into details as to why it decided to keep the third shift operational through 2019. Ending the shift would result in about 1,500 layoffs at the plant which currently employs 6,000 people.
The facility will reportedly end production of the Dodge Grand Caravan in May 2020, as the aging model will be replaced by the Chrysler Voyager, an entry-level version of the Pacifica.
In 2018, U.S. minivan sales reached their lowest level since 2011 with a total of 473,090 units. That’s only about one-third of the 1.37 million sold in 2000, the peak year for minivan sales. In the first half of 2019, sales were down another 15 percent and the decline does not show signs of ending. Consequently, minivan market share has shrunk from 7.9 percent of U.S. new-vehicle sales in 2000 to 2.6 percent this year, according to Autonews data.
Minivan sales in Canada were also down 17 percent in 2018 to 71,878 units compared to 86,888 in the previous year, with market share shrinking to 3.6 percent in 2018 from 4.3 percent in 2017.


text:
Renault Twingo Z.E. to be released this year
Renault has introduced the Twingo Z.E. and announced that sales are scheduled to launch at the end of this year. The battery-electric version of the small car will be equipped with an electric motor with 60 kW output and a water-cooled battery pack with a capacity of 21 kWh.
Renault Twingo Z.E to debut this year
Renault is planning to launch the all-electric Twingo Z.E. before the end of this year, two years earlier than was speculated. The French manufacturer also announced the new hybrid models and its sales figures for 2019.


text:
Transport Canada Minister Lisa Raitt wants to introduce legislation that will make it possible to force automakers into recalling defective vehicles.
“While manufacturers and importers actively issue recalls, the decision cannot rest exclsuively in the industry’s hands,” Raitt said in a news conference this week, according to Reuters.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Currently, automakers are required to notify consumers of defects in Canada, but the repairs themselves are actually voluntary. The federal government outlined the change in the 2015 budget, released last month.
While the legislation isn’t expected to pass before this October’s federal election, Raitt says she hopes opposition parties would consent and allow the bill to pass through Parliament before the summer break. Reuters says the Liberals and NDP support the principle behind strengthening recall rules, but remain skeptical over the idea of supporting a bill they have yet to see.
Raitt’s push comes after Takata significantly increased its defective airbag recall to cover nearly 34 million vehicles. In Canada, 1.5 million vehicles are affected.


text:
The Dubai Design and Fashion Council (DDFC), member of the Dubai Creative Clusters Authority, has collaborated with luxury retailer Chalhoub Group to develop local and regional creative talent.
With six decades of experience the Chalhoub Group today operates a network of over 650 retail stores across 14 countries retailing and distributing more than 280 brands within the beauty, fashion and gifts categories through partnerships, franchises and its own retail concepts. It will offer expertise to designers on various areas helping them to become competitive regionally and globally.
“We believe in the growing talents of the region and we are proud to be part of this initiative, where we can share our intimate knowledge of the retail industry and support these young entrepreneurs to build and develop their businesses,” says co-CEO Patrick Chalhoub.
On its part, DDFC offers a range of initiatives under its talent development programme including the Urban Majlis discussion forum, seminars and workshops, alongside mentorship for local and regional designers.
The Chalhoub Group will support these initiatives by hosting workshops for young entrepreneurs to help them understand and tackle common business challenges, while promoting knowledge sharing among industry experts and designers.
“Supporting and incubating creative talent are some of the most fundamental elements of DDFC’s mandate. Working with key stakeholders and industry leaders like the Chalhoub Group is essential as this helps us create new avenues for nurturing and showcasing talent, accelerating the growth of the design industry in Dubai,” adds DDFC CEO Nez Gebreel.
A report from Bain & Company has revealed that the emergence of some positive shopping trendsMay 9, 2021 | By RetailME Bureau
UAE-based RAW recently announced that it would be extending its GCC operations,May 4, 2021 | By Bilal Syed
UAE-based Carrefour announced its theme and plans for Ramadan 2021. The brand
Locally owned supermarket Spinneys celebrates 60 years of doing business in the
UAE-based Carrefour will become the first retailer in the region to offer new levels
The Organic Farmers’ Market is back in Bay Avenue for its 12th
UAE-based Lulu Group recently inaugurated its first-ever all-female staff store in Jeddah,
Jones the Grocer, the gourmet grocer and cheese retailer launches the Jones
UAE-based Al Maya Supermarkets is hosting a two-week food festival at select
Locally-owned supermarket Spinneys has launched its ‘Power of Plants’ initiative in the
Carrefour UAE has launched “Cookit Yourself” — a curated recipe box created
UAE-based Al Islami Foods, one of the largest frozen food companies in
Marks & Spencer’s plant-based range now offers over 25 vegan products including meat-free
World’s largest fully integrated online brand in fresh fish and meat e-commerce
Giordano, the international apparel brand, recently inaugurated their largest flagship store in
Home-grown furniture brand Chattels & More are expanding in the region with a
City Centre Almaza, a Majid Al Futtaim shopping mall in Egypt, has
The UAE’s homewares brand, DWELL launched its new store concept in Festival
The Porsche Design Group has opened a new Porsche Design franchise-store in
The Coronavirus outbreak and after consulting with the Chinese pavilion organisers and
Global digital signage and retail branding company, LPFLEX International, opens a state-of-the-art Innovative
Designed by Schwitzke & Partner, the Easa Saleh Al Gurg (ESAG) Group
Middle Eastern luxury retailer Chalhoub Group’s multi-brand beauty concept Faces – erstwhile
Super Vero Belgrade – part of the Greek retail group Veropoulos, which
Jewel Changi Airport (Jewel), a mixed-use development at Changi Airport in Singapore,
UAE-based Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC) Group has unveiled a new concept


text:
Payments giant PayPal received a subpoena from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on November 1, 2023, related to its PYUSD stablecoin. The subpoena requests the production of documents, and PayPal has said that it is cooperating with the investigation, says a Reuters report.
PayPal launched PYUSD in August 2023, making it one of the first major financial technology companies to launch a stablecoin. Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies that are pegged to a stable asset, such as the US dollar, to reduce volatility.
SEC is interested in whether stablecoins are securities
The SEC has been scrutinizing the cryptocurrency industry in recent months, and its subpoena of PayPal is likely part of its broader efforts to understand and regulate the market. The SEC is particularly interested in whether stablecoins could be considered securities, and whether they are being marketed and sold in compliance with securities laws.
A more aggressive approach to regulating the crypto market
The SEC subpoena of PayPal could have a number of implications for the cryptocurrency industry. First, it could signal that the SEC is taking a more aggressive approach to regulating the market. This could lead to more scrutiny of other cryptocurrency companies, and could make it more difficult for new companies to enter the market.
The subpoena could also lead to changes in the way that stablecoins are marketed and sold. If the SEC determines that PYUSD is a security, PayPal and other companies that issue stablecoins may be required to register them with the SEC and comply with securities laws. This could make it more expensive and time-consuming to launch and operate a stablecoin business.
A damping effect on te crypto industry
Finally, the subpoena could have a chilling effect on innovation in the cryptocurrency industry. If companies are afraid of being scrutinized by the SEC, they may be less likely to develop new products and services. This could slow the growth and development of the cryptocurrency industry as a whole. It remains to be seen what the outcome of the investigation will be, but it is likely to have a major impact on the way that stablecoins are regulated and marketed.


text:
Listed dietary supplements company Promisia Integrative is being prosecuted by the Ministry of Health, which claims its joint health supplement Arthem is an unlicensed medicine and that some marketing activities have breached the Medicines Act 1981.
The company told the NZX there are nine charges, all based on the ministry’s view that Arthrem has been sold and advertised for therapeutic purpose to patients, often with arthritis, and is thus a medicine.
The prosecution comes on top of warnings a year ago from Ministry of Health regulatory body Medsafe that Arthem may cause liver damage.
In a statement to NZX about the recent prosecution the company says: “Promisia disputes all charges and will defend them vigorously.”
“Arthrem is not a medicine. It is a dietary supplement. Promisia has always ensured that its advertising is approved under the dietary supplement category,” it says, adding that it has used the Therapeutic Advertising Pre-vetting Service to this end.
“Promisia will update the market as this matter progresses but notes that further information may be affected by the legal process.”
Penny dreadful stock Promisia, which in the five years since it listed has never traded above 6 cents a share, raised $1.35 million from a 3-for-1 rights issue over the Christmas/New Year period. At that time the family trust of major shareholder and director Tom Brankin kicked in another $250,000, increasing its stake to 51.3 percent. This provided sufficient working capital for it to remain in business.
Promisia’s own health has been in doubt since February last year when MedSafe warned Arthrem may cause liver damage, a warning repeated in November when MedSafe said that 25 cases of liver toxicity had been reported to the Centre for Adverse Reaction Monitoring by Sept. 30.
Promisia claims Arthem is not behind those adverse reactions. Instead, the company says they are caused either by higher dose competing products, or by other drugs or supplements.
A rival product, Go Arthri-Remedy 1-A-Day, was withdrawn from sale after the February Medsafe alert, but Promisia’s product is still sold in about 1,000 New Zealand pharmacies and about 900 pharmacies in Australia.
The Go Arthri-Remedy product contained twice the dosage of Promisia’s product.
Promisia shares dropped 0.1 of a cent to 0.1 cents, matching the rights issue offer price. They haven’t traded above 1 cent in more than a year.


text:
In an attempt to entice families to spend more time outdoors and share their experiences, LL Bean launched their 'Million Moment Mission' as their 100th anniversary celebration highlight.
For every moment shared to others, Bean pledges to donate a dollar to the National Park Foundation until it reaches a million dollars. According to Bean, the concept is to get people to utilize online social media to share their experiences outdoors (via photos, video, writing blogs and commenting). The money from that will be raised will be dedicated to connecting the youth to their national parks.
This was prompted by a new survey from L.L. Bean and the NPF shows that 60% of children are spending less than one hour outside per day, with 59% of parents admitting to spending even less time outside due to various constraints.
The results are enough to concern them, noting that families tend to spend more time indoors and eventually miss out on the emotional and physical benefits of spending time outside.
LL Bean is kicking off their centennial anniversary promotions through a mission with NPF, a new line of special outdoor gear and the debut of their 'LL Bean Bootmobile'.
The Bootmobile is a boot measuring 20 ft in length and 13 ft in height, built to scale by a specialty fabrication store in Florida, named Echo Artz. It is basically a Ford F-250 Super Duty truck with a huge boot made of fiberglass atop it. LL Bean Bootmobile has 800 lb-ft of torque, 400 horsepower and can tow up to 4 tonnes. In fact, the shoe's laces consists of 12 strands of mooring rope braided together and can tow up to 106,000 pounds!
According to them, they are hoping that people will spend outdoors and support national parks, and in effect, pass on a legacy to the next generation. Indeed, there seems to be no better way to sustain and protect the country's natural treasures than to inspire a new generation of outdoor lovers (through introducing them to national parks).
The outdoors gear retailer from Maine was founded in 1912 by Leon Leonwood (hence, the LL) Bean after going on a hunting trip with wet and cold feet. He launched the firm with just one item - the Maine Hunting Shoe - which remains one of their staples up to this day.


text:
The world’s largest music democracy, Triple J’s Hottest 100, is right around the corner, and the competition is already shaping up to be closer than ever.
Triple J announced this morning there are currently only five votes separating numbers three and four in this year’s countdown.
The youth radio station also revealed numbers two, three and four had all re-shuffled very recently.
What does this mean? Well, it means your favourite Gang of Youths, or Olivia Rodrigo, or The Kid LAROI banger could be in jeopardy of missing out on the top spot – or even the top five – by the barest of margins.
With polls closing on Monday 17 January at 12pm AEDT, now is as good a time as any to make sure your voice is heard, particularly for the 58,000 who are yet to finish their votes.
Trust me, you don’t want to regret not submitting your picks on time and seeing your favourite track come runner-up to someone like The Ruebens. Woof.
Triple J also announced almost $160 thousand had been raised so far for charity partner, Lifeline, with donations still open and t-shirts still available for purchase from the Triple J website.
Hottest 100 key dates
Mon 17 Jan (12pm AEDT): Voting closes
Fri 21 Jan (10am local time): Hottest 200-101
Sat 22 Jan (12pm AEDT): Hottest 100
Sun 23 Jan (10am local time): Hottest 100 of 2001 on Double J
Let’s go “Chaise Longue”!
Famed British director Ridley Scott has opened up on one of the most famous ads in history – Apple’s “1984” ad that aired during the Super Bowl that same year and turned the computer company into a household name (and, just recently, the world’s first $US3 trillion company.) The dystopian spot – named after Orwell’s […]
In this guest post, Cam Blackley, chief creative officer and Emily Taylor, chief strategy officer at M&C Saatchi Group AUNZ offer up their industry predictions for 2022. And they’re as crazy as the year we just had… Making predictions off the back of 2021 feels a little stupid. Because 2021 was crazy as 2020 was […]
Brown Brothers and Gelato Messina have partnered to celebrate the ‘it’ drink of summer, creating a limited edition Prosecco Rosé gelato as part of the brand’s ‘Let’s Go’ campaign, developed by Communicado. The end result – which Messina chefs said was inspired by Prosecco cocktails like the Peach Bellini – is a gelato combining blood […]
Australian men’s lifestyle publication Man of Many is the first Australian publisher to sign on and partner with Ipsos. The new exclusive and preferred provider to the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) Australian for the independent reporting of digital audience measurement data. The move comes after Man of Many has seen a huge growth in its […]
BWS have teamed up with M&C Saatchi and Carat to bring back the popular BWS Cooler app campaign, following huge success in both 2020 and 2021. This year, $20 million dollars’ worth of prizes are available, including free drinks, electronics, gift vouchers and even hot air balloon rides, plus every swipe is an entry into […]