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Wakefield teenager launches food bank to support hundreds of families through lockdown
A Wakefield teenager who launched her own food bank has been supporting hundreds of people every week since the start of the first lockdown.
Megan Rodd, 14, has raised money for charities for most of her life, including climbing Ben Nevis at the age of six to raise funds for the Leeds Rugby Foundation.
She has now launched a food bank to support families and individuals who are struggling through the pandemic.
Michelle Rodd, Megan's mum, said: "It is never something small with Megan, I am blown away by her.
"She doesn't do it because she wants the praise or recognition, it's because she wants to."
Megan and her mum have been delivering as many as 30 food parcels a day to families and individuals who have reached out for help across the Wakefield district.
They have also supported families with household items and even delivered Christmas presents to those who were struggling due to the pandemic.
"If people are hungry we will go out and help them usually within 24 hours," Michelle said. "It is just so busy, she really is a superstar."
Megan has launched a Facebook group to keep people up to date with her work and allow people to get in touch if they need support.
All food parcels are made up of donations, with supermarkets stepping in to support Megan.
The food parcels consist of enough food for every person in the household for at least one week and include fresh products.
Megan launched a GoFundMe for donations to be made to go towards purchasing fresh produce for the families.


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Content delivery specialist Imake Software & Services appears to have ceased operations.
The privately held company has made no public statement, but phone calls to the company’s headquarters were not returned, and its Web site – http://www.imake.com – no longer has any company information.
Further, Imake is apparently set to relinquish its URL; a note on the site says the domain name is “coming soon to register.com.”
The company was purchased in 2000 by 24/7 Real Media. Less than two years later, 24/7 sold Imake back to a group led by Imake President Mark Schaszberger. However, 24/7 retained an ownership stake (19.9 percent at the time of the sale).
Imake’s most recent customer win that was announced was Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, in January (story here). Imake announced that the Comcast unit had elected to use its ingest and distribution products for local video-on-demand content.
In February, Imake’s latest version of the OpenVision Asset Management System (AMS) was fully integrated with NDS’ encryption and middleware products (story here); and in early April, Imake’s OpenVision Ad Exchange gained support for linear broadcast TV ad insertion (story here).

domain: news


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- IBM Watson helps Cerealto Siro Foods to develop healthier products, adapted to the nutritional needs, tastes of consumers
- Company’s first AI-informed snack already hits U.K. supermarket shelves
Madrid (Spain), June 6th – A major Spanish player in the global food sector, Cerealto Siro Foods, which introduces more than 250 new cereal products onto the international market each year, has incorporated IBM Watson into its food innovation process to help detect early trends and inspire new ideas. Thanks to this work, the first of the company’s food products to be suggested by artificial intelligence is already on the market in the U.K. The new snack – rice cakes with pea and lentil – was developed in response to the latest consumer preferences for organic, high-protein ingredients that are suitable for vegans and celiacs, while being low in sugar and salt.
Cerealto Siro Foods sells over 4 million products every year. To maintain the right balance between high-volume productivity and innovation, Cerealto Siro Foods turned to IBM Watson artificial intelligence to find inspiration through the analysis of new trends, and reach the market more successfully.
“At Cerealto Siro Foods we are aware of the need to constantly adapt to the changing tastes and needs of the consumer and we put a lot of effort into developing foods that excite them. For this, we need to cutting edge technologies to help us anticipate demand”, says Juan Carlos Martínez, director of I+dea. “Since we have introduced artificial intelligence into our creative process, we have clear parameters to follow during our entire food innovation process”.
Together with IBM Services and its innovation partner I+dea, Cerealto Siro has developed an AI tool that analyzes and anticipates global consumer tastes almost instantaneously.
The tool, called I+Radar, incorporates the AI functionalities of IBM Watson such as Watson Knowledge Studio, Watson Natural Language Understanding and Watson Discovery News on the IBM Cloud to ‘listen’ to what consumers and experts are saying on public social networks such as Twitter, blogs, scientific journals and forums, and mainstream newspapers and magazines around the world.
Looking at the results of the tool, it is clear that consumers are demanding products that are low in sugar, salt, additives and fat, while being high in fiber and protein as well containing super-grains such as quinoa, chia, millet, spelt and oats. The tool is able to identify hyper-localized trends and detect when consumer attitudes begin to change. It can predict what ingredients are gaining in popularity or are associated with certain feelings and emotions.
In the case of the United Kingdom, I + Radar has detected a consumer desire to increase the intake of quality proteins, which respond to the preferences of vegans, vegetarians, celiacs and consumers who want to increase their fiber intake with grains and vegetable ingredients. Cerealto Siro also realized that as well as nutritional characteristics, U.K. consumers care about the sustainability of cultivation methods and the environmental impact of packaging.
“Artificial intelligence augments the work of the researcher when it comes to finding inspiration for creating new recipes and products. The food industry now has a powerful assistant to help avoid hours of work and provide deep levels of insight to support decision-making and suggest appealing combinations of ingredients you may never have thought of”, said the head of the Consumer and Retail sector at IBM Spain, Ángel Castán.
You can watch the video about the development by Cerealto Siro Foods and I+dea of food inspired by Artificial Intelligence at the following link


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Call of Duty: Mobile is getting a new Battle Royale map in the upcoming season eight, which will mark the game’s second anniversary. After dropping a teaser earlier this week, Activision confirmed the new BR map in CoD: Mobile is the large Blackout from Black Ops 4.
Activision has said that the version of Blackout being added to CoD: Mobile is the “mid-launch year version.” That means it will have a lot of iconic locations like Ghost Town, Hijacked, and more. Blackout is significantly larger when compared with Isolated, so players have more areas to explore.
Activision also revealed the “Blackout Map Intel” on Call of Duty’s blog. You can read it to learn more about the locations on the map and also get some tips ahead of its release.
When will Blackout be released into CoD: Mobile?
Blackout will be released as a part of the season eight content update on Sept. 22 at 7pm CT.
CoD: Mobile will mark two years of release on Oct. 1. The entirety of the eighth season, which will arrive in a few days, has been themed around anniversary celebrations. Besides the new battle royale map, players can expect a lot of other features to arrive with the new season.
Activision hasn’t revealed any of these features. They will likely be revealed over the coming days.


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This is what I get for being behind in toy news. Just as I had announced that Thiago Silva was part of the next wave of figures from Round 5, the company goes ahead and updates their blog with the rest of the info on the line.
Nate Diaz and Vitor Belfort will complete the fifth wave of the UFC Collector series from Round 5 MMA. Previously announced were Shane Carwin and Thiago Silva, who I just wrote about a few hours ago. Silly me. Collectors should also be on the lookout for surprise “chase” items, which will include special accessories or variants hidden in a limited number of packages available at random stores. This has included walk-out clothes and championship belts, as well as alternate paint jobs such as the Wanderlei Silva Pride FC variant.
The release of “Ultimate Collector” Series 5 will bring the total of individual Round 5 “Ultimate Collector” products to more than 25, not including variants. This series will not be available this year as I originally thought, and will instead be released in early 2011, so if you were planning on having some vinyl christmas presents, keep planning. You could have some nice stocking stuffers in the form of the GI Joe-sized UFC action figures, though? What do you think now that you have seen the entire line-up?


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Today’s brides-to-be live on their smartphones, so WeddingWire planning service has been aggressive about mobile email for two years. WeddingWire users were well ahead of the mobile-adoption curve—in December 2011 60% of WeddingWire’s consumer emails were opened on mobile devices, back when the nationwide average was barely half that amount. Today, two thirds of the brand’s emails are opened on mobile devices. “Our average user is a 29-year-old woman, who is a digital native and won’t walk down the street without reading a review of every place she’s going to walk by on her phone,” says Matt Byrd, WeddingWire’s senior email marketing manager.
For the past two years WeddingWire has worked with ExactTarget to shift from a “mobile aware” to a “mobile first” strategy. That means designing emails around the mobile experience, then fleshing out a desktop edition with additional columns, artwork, and secondary actions like social sharing. “It’s foundational to email marketing that you want to focus people on one call-to-action,” he says. “But on mobile we also remove clutter, such as links to social media accounts. We just show the one, specific action.”
All of WeddingWire’s lifecycle emails have been redesigned from the ground up to be clean and attractive on mobile devices. Even subtle design choices, such as colors and contrast, have been optimized for mobile displays to make the text pop more than it would on a desktop screen. When WeddingWire needs to send complicated content, it favors workday hours, because mobile readership peaks during evenings. “We’re definitely taking into account the time of day and what people might be doing when they receive our emails,” Byrd says.
WeddingWire’s main nurturing campaign is a weekly inspirations-and-ideas newsletter. Rather than pare content entirely for the mobile edition, Wedding- Wire’s mobile newsletters are image focused, with large, tap-friendly links to further information. “People are extremely used to scrolling down through photos on Facebook and Instagram, so we’ve actually lengthened our photo newsletter,” he says.
The brand’s mobile-first strategy has earned subscriber attention. Click-through rates have increased by 10%, and open rates have increased 27%. Byrd feels so confident that he has built mobile loyalty and brand image that he is now experimenting with omitting the WeddingWire graphical logo altogether from mobile emails. “Readers already know the message is from WeddingWire, so we may not need to waste time with a big logo atop the email,” he says.
For WeddingWire building its mobile brand has been more than just a matter of email design. It ensures that its landing pages and entire user experience match the promise made in the email. “Optimizing mobile email can be a fruitless endeavor unless you’re sending people to a mobile-optimized website,” Byrd says. “You can have a beautiful message, but if you send people to a form with 15 fields that [are] difficult to fill out on a mobile device, that creates a breakdown in the experience.”


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The Biden administration is getting ready to impose restrictions on Chinese companies’ access to American cloud-computing services, which could escalate tensions between the two economic powerhouses. Under the proposed rule, U.S. cloud-service providers like Amazon and Microsoft would likely need permission from the U.S. government before offering cloud-computing services to Chinese customers that utilize advanced artificial-intelligence chips. This move by the Biden administration follows other recent actions in the ongoing struggle between Washington and Beijing for access to cutting-edge technology supply chains.
The aim of this restriction is to address a significant loophole, as national-security analysts have warned that Chinese AI companies may have circumvented existing export control regulations by utilizing cloud services. These services allow customers to access powerful computing capabilities without directly purchasing controlled equipment, including chips like Nvidia’s A100 chips.
The U.S. Commerce Department is expected to announce this action in the coming weeks as part of an expansion of its semiconductor export control policy. This ban on cloud services would be the latest in a series of retaliatory measures between the United States and China concerning semiconductors and advanced technologies.
The Biden administration is increasingly concerned about China’s advancements in artificial intelligence and its potential military applications, leading to intensified efforts to restrict chip transfers and other products and services to Chinese companies. In response, China has retaliated, including banning certain firms from purchasing products from Micron Technology, a major U.S. memory-chip manufacturer.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has expressed hopes of halting the deterioration of U.S.-China relations, as American officials fear China may cut off access to crucial goods such as components for electric-vehicle batteries. However, Chinese officials argue that the U.S. is attempting to impede China’s economic development.
In addition to potential restrictions on cloud services, an alternative proposed by experts is to limit U.S. cloud companies from providing services to users associated with military, security, or intelligence services in China and other concerning countries.
The new policy would expand the export control policy’s scope beyond semiconductor and equipment manufacturers, affecting cloud-service providers like Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure, which have a significant presence in the Chinese market. Neither Microsoft nor Amazon has commented on this potential action at the time of reporting.
In October, the Biden administration introduced restrictions to curb the export of advanced chips and equipment, but these regulations have yet to be finalized. The updated regulations, including the expansion of restrictions on AI chips made by Nvidia and other manufacturers, are expected to be issued in the coming weeks. The new rule regarding cloud computing will be part of this broader effort.
As part of the update, the United States is also set to align its list of controlled chip-making equipment with the Netherlands and Japan. The Dutch government recently published regulations requiring its companies to seek government approval before exporting certain types of chip-making equipment.
Under the rule announced last year, U.S. chip makers are already required to obtain licenses from the Commerce Department for exporting specific chips used in advanced AI calculations and supercomputing, particularly those utilized in modern weapons systems.
Outside the export control regime, U.S. officials and lawmakers have been considering measures to curb the operations of Chinese cloud-service providers such as Alibaba and Tencent within the United States.


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by Xinhua writer Zheng Jingxia
BEIJING, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Green licence plates were rare sights on China's roads a decade ago. Now, one out of every three cars sold in China is powered by new energy.
This huge change represents a collective triumph for indigenous manufacturers, as China has produced the most new energy vehicles (NEV) globally for the past eight consecutive years.
For individual players, however, this glory didn't come easily as they each fought a hard war to survive and thrive, and are still fighting for greater market prestige and a bigger market share.
"China has become the largest NEV market globally, but it is also the most competitive and open market in the world," said Li Bin, founder of electric carmaker NIO at this year's International Motor Show in Germany.
According to information service provider MarkLines, China's NEV maker BYD ranked among the global top 10 auto companies in the first six months of this year, the first Chinese carmaker ever to achieve this feat.
In China's domestic market, most of the top 10 spots in the January-August retail sales rankings were filled by domestic automakers, data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) showed.
Such market dominance underscored the growing influence of Chinese brands both at home and beyond China, and confirmed the edge Chinese NEV brands have over their foreign rivals.
"Starting a business in China can be both happy and painful," Li said. "The upside is that China boasts the largest market and a stable policy environment, but market competition in the country can be intensely fierce."
A FALTERING START
NEV giant BYD was an early starter in the pursuit of NEV manufacturing in China. When the battery producer decided to make inroads into the auto industry, its NEV dream was met with suspicion and doubt. On its first day in this industry, the company's stock prices plummeted 20 percent.
In 2004, when BYD's new energy cars made their debut at Beijing's international auto show, the company was the only carmaker there to exhibit NEVs.
"At the time, nobody believed that NEVs could have a future," said Wang Chuanfu, chairman of BYD. "Everyone questioned whether BYD had the capacity to produce electric cars."
Dismissing doubts, BYD has remained committed to the NEV path over the years, setting aside considerable budgets for research and development annually, even in times of financial strain.
At the very beginning, however, consumers only had a limited number of NEV models to choose from and were quite lukewarm in their response to such vehicles. NEVs did not have promising business prospects back then, as the industry was seriously constrained by factors such as range anxiety and the limited availability of charging facilities.
The market was clouded by uncertainty, until a forceful shot in the arm via government incentives injected greater positivity.
To delineate roadmaps for NEV development, China unveiled overarching guidelines for the sector, taking into consideration research of key technologies including power batteries and driving motors, and the building of charging infrastructure, among others.
Over the years, the country's central authorities have introduced over 70 policy measures to spur growth in the NEV sector, and local governments have also unveiled various supporting policies suited to local conditions, said Xin Guobin, vice minister of industry and information technology.
Deng Zhou, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that an important feature of China's NEV policies is its focus on consumption stimulus.
Deng cited the metropolis of Shanghai in east China as an example. Qualified NEV owners there can get car plates for free, while fossil-fueled car owners need to bid for car plates, encouraging consumers to choose NEVs instead of petrol vehicles. According to data from the Shanghai municipal government, the average transaction price of license plates stood at 92,753 yuan (about 12,933 U.S. dollars) in August this year.
To curb air pollution, Beijing has put a cap on the number of new car plates and imposed driving restrictions on fuel cars on weekdays based on license plate numbers. The city's license plate lottery system for fuel cars has convinced many drivers to choose electric vehicles, which are free from traffic control on weekdays.
Policy measures such as lower taxes, purchasing incentives and technological innovation support, have helped foster a rapidly growing NEV market.
After twenty years in NEV manufacturing, BYD has certainly been a witness to the rapid evolvement of the country's NEV market, while also playing an active role in it.
Expanded markets and upgraded technology have resulted in people's consumption structure becoming more diverse, pushing automakers to keep rolling out new products, said the Shenzhen-based carmaker.
A SURVIVAL RACE
In addition to policy incentives, stronger environmental consciousness has also improved the acceptance of low-carbon cars among Chinese consumers, helping to shore up market demand, analysts said.
Wu Kai, chief scientist of Chinese battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd., highlighted the role of market expansion in technology development.
Power batteries have been crucial to the rise of China-made NEVs. The country has the largest number of power battery proprietary technologies in the world, with advantages gained in market share and supply chains.
The fast-growing market has prompted battery producers to delve deeper into materials and structures, pushing China's power battery industry to the forefront globally, Wu said.
While growing with robust vitality, Chinese automakers are set to face more intense competition down the road, as incentives gradually phase out and price wars further intensify.
China had 487 NEV manufacturers in 2018, but the number has dwindled to just over 40 in 2023, according to a rough estimate.
Over two thirds of the automakers will be knocked out of the market in the next three to five years, and no more than five major players will still be in the game, said Zhu Huarong, chairman of Changan Automobile Co., Ltd.
According to Great Wall Securities, automakers that have not yet achieved large-scale production and lack brand recognition are more likely to be squeezed out of the market.
In today's market, a step taken too slow could impact very negatively on the steps that follow, said Wang Chuanfu. "So when an opportunity presents itself, we must race to grab it."
The NEV behemoth has made strategic moves in different market segments, with new brands Tengshi and Yangwang launched for the luxury NEV market.
In times of transformation, companies need to equip themselves with innovative technologies, precise strategies and flexible decision-making, Wang said. "To survive the ongoing competition, all three factors are indispensable."
Looking to the future, China's NEV industry needs to work on its weak links, said the CPCA, urging Chinese carmakers to achieve breakthroughs in key technologies such as next-generation power batteries and intelligent operating systems, and reduce supply chain risks to ensure industrial security.


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Cybersecurity compliance costs companies millions of dollars per year. Here, Jerrod Montoya, security and compliance counsel with Open Access Technology International and an adjunct affiliated professor in Mitchell Hamline School of Law’s online certificate program in cybersecurity and privacy law, offers three tips to help you manage cost and avoid some troublesome aspects in the current compliance landscape.
Three big industries facing cybersecurity regulation today are finance, energy and health care. Many unregulated vendors serving the regulated industries voluntarily comply with certain standards for the benefit of their customers. For example, Google’s and Amazon’s cloud services both undergo several annual audits. Neither Google nor Amazon is required to undergo, say, a SOC 2 or FedRAMP audit, but both do.
While provided as familiar examples, Google and Amazon are really outliers. According to the Small Business Administration, small businesses make up more than 99 percent of the United States economy. These smaller companies simply cannot compete on the same level as Google and Amazon, but the unregulated small businesses serving a regulated industry must find a way to remain competitive despite hefty compliance costs. This is where two troublesome cybersecurity best practices come into play.
The first troublesome area is right-to-audit provisions in contracts. A right-to-audit clause is used by companies to preserve the right to conduct an audit of the vendor at any time at least once annually. The company contracting the service is usually nice enough to bear the cost of the audit. Nevertheless, the right-to-audit provision can spell doom for a small business.
For the sake of argument, let’s assume five companies decide to invoke their right to audit a small or even mid-sized business. This would mean that five separate companies send their own auditor to audit one small or mid-sized business. This is a recipe for disaster, especially if the company being audited already has its own annual audits to worry about. Unlike Google or Amazon, a small or mid-sized business would not likely absorb these five audits well.
Another troublesome trend in the security world is the security questionnaire. While not new, the use of security questionnaires saw an uptick in usage following the now infamous Target data breach, which involved a downstream vendor vulnerability that was exploited to infect Target’s point-of-sale machines with malware. The Target breach shined a bright spotlight on supply chain security, and the security questionnaire has grown in popularity ever since.
Security questionnaires typically come in an Excel spreadsheet that a vendor must fill out and return to the requesting company. The number of questions in these questionnaires ranges from 10-20 to more than a thousand! Both creating and answering these questionnaires can be a tremendous drain on company resources.
Rather than expending time, money and resources on right-to-audit and security questionnaires, companies should follow these three tips:
1 – Do cybersecurity first
First and foremost, implement good risk-based security measures based on your company’s unique position. By choosing cybersecurity first, a company is not driven by a cybersecurity standard. Rather, standards become chosen to speak for what is already implemented.
2 – Choose NIST
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is the government’s go-to standards body. President Obama tasked NIST to develop a common cybersecurity framework for the public and private sectors to use, which has since been codified into law. Although designed for government use, these standards are heavily relied upon by the private sector and also enjoy worldwide recognition. The best part is that the standards are free.
3 – Trust the audit report
Done right, an audit report replaces both the right-to-audit provisions and security questionnaires. Follow the tip above and contract for a NIST audit report. This will create a common language for all to use, and a single report can save both parties a lot of time and effort.


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Consumers might just about be getting used to companies tracking their every move but Apple is set to go one step further by monitoring customers when they are asleep, after buying Finnish sleep analysis start-up Beddit, for an undisclosed fee.
The deal will help pave the way for the tech giant to track users’ sleeping patterns and combine this with data already collected by the Apple Watch and the company’s iPhone fitness app, Health.
So far, sleep tracking has not been possible as the Apple Watch’s battery life does not last long enough to be worn all day and night for more than 24 hours at a time.
Beddit launched its products in Apple stores in late 2015. Apple stores carrying products serve as a great physical version of an app analytics suite, allowing Apple to see with firsthand data what’s popular and the demographic attraction of its products.
The Finnish company was founded in 2007 and has received about $3.5m (£271m) in funding. Its latest product, the Beddit 3, is a thin strip of sensors that goes across a user’s bed, analyzing sleep-related data such as “sleep time and efficiency, heart rate, respiration, temperature, movement, snoring, room temperature, and room humidity,” according to a product description. The device retails for about $150 (£116) and is available on the Apple Store page.
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Glovo, the Spanish courier startup that promises to “deliver anything,” has raised a $530 million (€450 million) round to fuel its plan for a super-fast delivery service that will ship food, groceries, and prescriptions within 30-minutes.
The Series F round sets a new record in Spain for the largest fundraise to date and comes just over a year since the app claimed unicorn status, with a billion-plus valuation. Glovo said the funds would be used to expand its fast delivery service, which has been dubbed Q-Commerce, to new markets, and its network of “dark stores,” Amazon-style fulfilment centers, to 200 city center locations across Europe.
“Over the last few months, we’ve moved very, very quickly but our vision remains unchanged. This investment will allow us to double-down in our core markets, accelerate our leadership position in places where we are already very strong and continue to expand our excellent Q-Commerce division, as well as bring new innovations to our unique multi-category offering to extend more choice to our customers,” said Oscar Pierre, Glovo cofounder and CEO in a statement.
Time-poor American shoppers have been able to rely on Amazon Prime Now, Postmates, Instacart, and TaskRabbit for years but the concept of instant delivery shopping has got off to a slow start in Europe. Even Amazon only has a presence in a handful of major European countries and only launched into Sweden and Poland in the last year.
Glovo’s push into e-commerce and last-mile delivery comes amid a frenzy of investment into European startups vying to become the continent’s Instacart. Turkish startup Getir, Finland’s Wolt and Germany’s Gorillas have all raised nine-figure rounds since the start of the year to expand into same-hour grocery deliveries.
Unusually, Glovo’s latest fundraise was led by a hedge fund Luxor Capital Group and its affiliate Lugard Road Capital. The New York-based hedge fund is better known for its equity investments and short positions but was an early stage investor in Delivery Hero in 2014, and is now one of its largest shareholders, and has also invested in a handful of other delivery and transportation startups like India’s Zomato, Swedish electric truck maker Volta Trucks, and American grocery courier GoPuff.
Glovo rival and potential suitor Delivery Hero, who joined Frankfurt’s flagship DAX index in August, also invested in the round along with other existing investors. The German delivery giant snapped up Glovo’s Latin American operations in September 2020 in a $272 million deal and in recent years has bought out scores of local delivery startups in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
Glovo has been a poster child for Spain’s digital economy, and along with taxi app Cabify, is the country’s only tech unicorn. The startup founded in 2015 by cofounders Pierre and Sacha Michaud raised $120 million from Swiss investment fund Stoneweg in January to buy and build “dark stores” in Spain, Portugal, Italy and Romania.
While the pandemic has provided a boost for Glovo’s delivery service with many stores and restaurants shuttered by lockdown laws across Europe it faced a legal setback in September with Spain’s Supreme Court ruling its couriers were employees rather than freelancers. The ruling comes amid a continent-wide wave of concern about the rights of workers in the so-called gig economy working as courier and drivers for companies like Glovo, Deliveroo, and Uber.


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City wine bar Pembertons puts on a fresh face
The City wine bar owner formerly known as Pembertons now wants to be called @Mezzanine, after its Wolverhampton club, Mezzanine, which has had rave reviews in Muzik magazine.
Under the new name, the music-based food and drinks group which caters for 18-35-year-olds will try to party its way back to profitability, having increased pre-tax losses before exceptionals in the year to 7 April by £39, 595 to £135, 305.
Pembertons' bill for exceptionals totted up to £506,000 of revenue investment, business discontinuations and book loss on contract disposal. When the dolled-up Wolverhampton club was relaunched as Mezzanine in April this year, a capacity crowd of 1,650 crammed in while 2000 more waited to get in. It continues to trade near capacity, managing director Roddy Sutherland said.
The Ibiza-to-Ipswich @Mezzanine is dancing to the Ministry of Sound's tune in investigating the possibilities of Internet sounds, while Sutherland is about to pay Michael Gottlieb £2.95 million in cash for his London music bar and grill Smollensky's on The Strand.
The new Intranet links @Mezzanine is working on will allow live performances by big-name acts to be beamed to other venues in Britain or overseas.
The group is to call an EGM to secure reduction in capital to eliminate its reserves deficit at 7 April, which is seen as an obstacle to future payment of a dividend.
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The latest beta of macOS Big Sur has reportedly removed the contentious ability for Apple's own apps to bypass firewalls, and hide their network use.
Apple's release of the macOS Big Sur 11.2 beta appears to show that the company is dropping a controversial network feature. In the current public version of Big Sur, 56 of Apple's own apps and system processes can use the internet even when a user has blocked all access with a firewall.
Adding to the controversy, when those apps do access the internet, they do so without a user or any network traffic apps being able to monitor or report on them. Apple did this in part because of its Gatekeeper security system.
When a user opens an app, macOS "calls home" to check that this app is as it was authorized when the developer sent it to Apple. The idea is that if any malware has been added, Gatekeeper can detect that and stop the app launching.
However, this has led to issues such as the severe problems users had when macOS Big Sur was first released. Since the Big Sur release caused server problems at Apple, even users not upgrading were finding that Gatekeeper wasn't responding.
So users still on macOS Catalina were being prevented from working, and apps were crashing on launch. All because their Macs weren't getting the confirmation that the apps were genuine.
Central to this feature was what Apple calls the "ContentFilterExclusionList." Any app on that list could circumvent firewalls and not be monitored. Unfortunately, it appears that rogue agents have been able to use this feature to get their own apps excluded.
"It was (unsurprisingly) trivial to find a way to abuse these items, and generate undetected network traffic," writes security expert Patrick Wardle in a blog post.
"Well, after lots of bad press and lots of feedback/bug reports to Apple from developers such as myself, it seems wiser (more security conscious) minds at Cupertino prevailed," continues Wardle. "The ContentFilterExclusionList list has been removed (in macOS 11.2 beta 2)."
It's not clear yet how Gatekeeper security will work if the Mac is blocked by a firewall. Also, the presence or absence of a feature in a beta is not a guarantee that it will be the same when the macOS update is released publicly.
Apple has not commented on the change.


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What The Cannabis Industry Can Learn From Alcohol Post-Prohibition
In brand messaging, the end of the ban on booze and the start of modern cannabis legalization are singing similar tunes.
At this point in the national discourse, the end of cannabis prohibition is now seen as an inevitability instead of a possibility. Many have started to compare cannabis legalization to repeal of the 18th Amendment and the re-legalization of alcohol. But how similar are they really? The answer may surprise you.
First Of All, It's Not A Perfect Comparison
While there are many similarities in the two industries' post-prohibition history, one big difference has to do with the time period. While cannabis has been outlawed in the United States since the passage of the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937, alcohol was only illegal for a comparatively brief 14 years.
Before alcohol prohibition was passed, large-scale national alcohol companies already existed and continued to operate throughout the prohibition era by pivoting their business. The Pabst Brewing Company started making a processed cheese spread called Pabst-ett, Yuengling started making ice-cream, and Anheuser-Busch kept itself afloat by making soft drinks and nonalcoholic malt beverages.
In contrast, the cannabis industry did not exist in 1937; there was no infrastructure, no national brands. When alcohol prohibition was repealed, companies like Pabst could continue to produce alcohol like nothing ever happened. The same cannot be said of the cannabis industry, which is only starting to get past its infancy.
While it's difficult to make a perfect one-to-one comparison, but there are some striking similarities.
Both Alcohol And Cannabis Struggle With Advertising
Following the repeal of alcohol prohibition, one would think that beer and liquor companies would have been quick to flood the market with advertisements for their products. But they didn't. An article in the 1933 December edition of AdWeek noted that “while the 14-year-old Prohibition dyke broke with a loud 'pop,' ... national advertising placed by distillers, importers or national sales agencies was extremely scarce…”
Alcohol companies back then weren’t able to quickly capitalize on legal alcohol sales because of regulations, or the lack thereof. In Wisconsin, which was one of the most booze-friendly states at the time, the repeal of prohibition meant little to the state’s residents because the state legislature’s special alcohol session met late in the year.
While the floor eventually opened up for alcohol advertisers, the same cannot be said for cannabis. In most states where cannabis is legal, advertising is strictly regulated by state legislatures. While federal legalization is likely to make it easier to advertise cannabis, it is unlikely that the industry will enjoy the same marketing freedoms that alcohol companies enjoyed following the end of prohibition.
Alcohol Brands Once Asked The Same Questions That Cannabis Brands Are Asking Now
While the roll-out of cannabis legalization is not quite the same as the end of alcohol prohibition, when it comes to branding, the two seem almost identical. In November 1933, Fortune Magazine published an article that waxed philosophically about what (alcohol) legalization would mean for a new generation of drinkers.
The article goes on to ask eerily similar questions about how much would need to meet increasing demand, as well as the rise of newer, more sophisticated consumers. Like cannabis, this new subset of sophisticated alcohol consumers included a group that was previously excluded from most marketing decisions: women.
“Taste may have changed in another direction. Nobody knows how much the U.S. has grown up since there were iron deer on the lawns, but it has certainly become more sophisticated,” reads the articles. “And some optimists think that now that the sophisticated generation has asserted itself in a fourteen-year gin spree it will settle down to a mature appreciation of the finer qualities of alcohol.”
Sound familiar? Cannabis brands are waking up to the realization that consumer preferences are changing. People are now looking for a more sophisticated experience than just imbibing an intoxicating substance. Our industry today, like alcohol then, is grappling with how to appeal to new consumers.
While it may not be the perfect comparison, there are still some striking similarities between the end of alcohol prohibition and the crawl to cannabis legalization. Both industries were stymied by state legislatures that were slow to respond to changing circumstances, and both faced the challenge of how to sell to a new generation of consumers.
Unlike alcohol, however, the cannabis industry does not have decades worth of branding and well-funded research to fall back on. For this reason, cannabis entrepreneurs will have to forge their own destiny if they hope to become as prosperous.


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ATLANTA -- There’s a new beer in town and it’s infused with the essence of marijuana.
The new Sweetwater ale had to get approval from the Trump administration before it could go on sale.
The messaging is almost as complicated as the flavor and the bouquet of the Sweetwater Brewing company’s newest beer.
"There is no weed in the beer," said an emphatic Nick Nock, head brewer at Sweetwater. "Just the aroma. Otherwise it’d be $20 a beer," he laughed.
The ingredients include hops and yeast in a formula Sweetwater calls "Strain G-13." And it includes a natural additive called the turpines of cannabis.
"There is no THC. There are no CBDs. There is nothing in this beer to make any effect like marijuana would," Nock explained. "It’s just aroma and flavor."
Before Sweetwater started making G-13, it submitted its formula and labeling to a federal agency called the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. Nock said there was weeks of back and forth with wary federal regulators "just to let people know that there is no marijuana in there. Because obviously it would be illegal."
"It's our Trump beer," he adds, halfway joking.
Approval came in time for a public unveiling this weekend.


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Samsung’s in-space cellular DRAM chips will even make their method within the upcoming Galaxy S6 flagship handset.
The deal is indisputably a large win for Samsung, which noticed its position as an Apple provider lower following patent disputes. The companies have just lately agreed to drop so much court cases filed towards each and every different sans the ones filed in america, the place they proceed to fight over patents.
Samsung had began the mass production of LPDDR4 RAMs primarily based at the 20nm fabrication procedure in December remaining yr. These new RAM chips eat as much as 40% much less energy than LPDDR3 RAM chips and are considerably quicker as smartly. The corporate is production its LPDDR4 RAM chips in 2GB, 3GB and 4GB configurations and has already began sampling them to consumers.
Reports have indicated that the following-era iPhones from Apple will come with 2GB of LPDDR4 RAM. The record additionally states that Samsung might be supplying 100% of LPDDR4 RAM chips to LG for its upcoming G4 handset.
[Via The Korea Times]


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Polish cars sales grows in double-digit (+25.7%) in May, with sales at 53.224. Skoda grows 13.6%, however Toyota (+38.4%) holds 11.1% of market share. Dacia and Mercedes sign both astonishing performances.
Poland Vehicles Industry Report 2010-2017 features historical data and insights plus professional forecast on new vehicles sales by type, manufacturer, brand and model providing an easy-to-use picture of current and future competitive landscape.
Poland Best Selling Car ranking in 2018 is dominated by the Skoda Octavia, back on top after the last year break, despite the model is aged and the new generation is near. Impressive performances registered by the Toyota Yaris and the Auris.
Polish cars sales registered 534.683 sales in 2018, keeping the great pace of previous years, ending positively for the 6th consecutive year. Skoda Octavia is back in pole position, followed by the previous year's winner, the Skoda Fabia.
Poland Cars Sales in the 2017 has been one of the most dynamic in Europe, improving 13% and hitting the new all time record, fueled by strong expansion of economic activity and falling unemployment rate. On top of the list Skoda and Toyota marked a solid score.
Poland Best Selling Cars 2016 mirror the momentum of this market with all top models performing up. However just one model was new within the top 10 and the list was again led by the Skoda Octavia and Fabia.
Poland Auto Sales 2016 hit the New All Time record, the third in a row keeping an impressive growing speed and confirming its rule as the most interesting "new" market within Europe.
Poland Auto September Sales kept growing hitting the 15 y.o.y. victory in a row while economy likely kicked into a higher gear in Q3. Skoda was market leader ahead of Volkswagen.
Poland Vehicles Market in 2015 reported a strong increase keeping the 28th place globally. Fueled by robust GDP growth the market was one of the most dynamic in Europe, Skoda is the leader ahead of Toyota.
Poland Best Selling Cars in the 2015 reported with 8 of top 10 positions confirmed. Ford Mondeo and Opel Mokka as fastest growing models while the Skoda Octavia confirmed its strong leadership.
Poland Vehicle Market kept growing in the Q3 achieving the 15th year on year growth in a string while Volkswagen is losing terrain and now risk the fourth place under the Ford attack. All statistics on Brands, Groups & Models.
May 2014 Polish car market slams a robust 8% posting the twelve year on year increase in a row. The market momentum is one of the main even this year inside the European automotive industry with five months sales up 22% from year ago.


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The US Department of Commerce noted the important role that steel plants play during the war, as well as their future role in the reconstruction of the country and therefore the Section 232 tariff on steel and aluminum imports from Ukraine is being suspended by the US Department of Commerce for the period of one year.
In Ukraine every 13th well-paid job is created in metallurgy and despite hostilities those metallurgical companies not damaged by active fighting are resuming production and are also providing shelter and food for their workers.
For Centravis, as one of the surviving manufacturers, this initiative is very important as it will help us book more business in the US market and thus help company get back on track with production. The abolition of customs duties will mostly affect the sales of cold-finished products the tariff exemptions for which were not readily available due to the existence of the US based competitors. “Therefore, the main effect in volume we expect in segments that use smaller bore cold finished tubes, such as heat-exchanger and instrumentation tubes, ” noted Yuriy Dinets, Head of Sales Americas.


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The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) recently approved Narcan® nasal spray, generic naloxone, for over-the-counter (OTC) use. Naloxone is a medication that quickly reverses the effects of opioid overdose. Manufacturers will begin converting Narcan® from prescription to OTC, which may take several months. Narcan nasal spray is predicted to be available in various locations, including convenience stores, grocery stores, vending machines, and gas stations, by late summer 2023.
Naloxone saves thousands of lives each year due to opioid overdose. Naloxone can reverse the overdose effects of fentanyl, heroin, and prescription opioids. With fentanyl-related overdose deaths increasing due to contaminated recreational drugs, including cocaine, heroin, MDMA/ecstasy, and benzos, OTC naloxone will increase public access and help save lives.
Opioid overdose signs include limp limbs, vomiting, slowed or stopped breathing, and weak to no pulse. Using Narcan® is very easy – ensure the person is lying down with their head tilted back, insert the nozzle into one nostril, and press the plunger firmly. Call 911 after administering Narcan®.
While waiting for OTC naloxone to become widely available, naloxone can currently be obtained by anyone at most pharmacies without a prescription, thanks to a Colorado state-wide standing order. Go to your local Good Day Pharmacy and ask about naloxone today!


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posted on Jan, 14 2011 @ 09:24 AM
I refuse to subscribe to fear, period.
"If this doesn't alarm you, nothing will"
Is being alarmed going to make us go out and garden instead of buying at a grocer? If so, alarm away!
That's an informative article, but it is a bit one-sided.
1) While I agree that in 2011 we've already experienced quite a bit of strange weather patterns, that is far too recent to effect our food supplies
2) Riots and unrest are not at all a new thing, and I don't see that as a sign of this "global food crisis" that is being reported. The
reported riots have a lot more to do with the government of the country f***ing up the situation. Algerians are shouting, "Give us sugar!" and
throwing firebombs. I'm not saying we should at all ignore people who are in need of food or riots, I believe the opposite. But I wouldn't want to
falsely attribute this unrest to not enough food. The world has enough food. If we don't have enough it's because those who let the food in and send
it out are not making it happen. Listen to the people, but the change is coming.
3) The UN is reporting highest food prices ever? There's a growing trend that all things we buy as consumers are going up in price. Who do you
think benefits from the highest prices ever? Not the world's farmer. Also, I know that prices go way up for me at this time of year, every year.
It's winter time for me here in MI, and produce imports cost more when they're out of season. Where does the Forbes fact come from exactly?
This looks like a fear-mongering tactic to me. Make us all afraid of the coming year! We're going to starve! Ahh!!!
I would suggest everyone make a change, however. Start farming whatever you can in your yard, on your roof, wherever. That can help save you money and
you can eat fresh food.
I think our global food crisis has so many more factors than just "too much demand" as is suggested in this article.
A) We have the issue of the food that is produced is getting nastier, faker and more artificial and less beneficial by the day.
THAT is a crisis. We're looking at more illness and disease from our food than ever before!
B) We have governments who all are playing their role in the plan to keep the proletariat's at a low ebb of energy. They're going to try and
diminish our food supply, so we're weak and we can't fight anyone but eachother. But this cause of simply too high demand is rubbish.
This world is changing fast, but whatever you do, don't fear or panic. Stay calm and see what is happening and change things as they must.
I encourage everyone to practice their farming and self-sufficiency activities. This will promote health, community, and will take much power from
those at the top of the pyramid.
Don't be alarmed and afraid whatever we do. It's not the amount of people on Earth making people starve. People have been starving all over the
world for as long as we have history of civilized man and economy. This is not a new problem. It is a constant one. It's embedded in our culture, to
break free we must agree to change our ways. No more $.50 cent items at Wal-Mart that really ought to cost $3.00. So I can't agree that our
increasing population has caused it.


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Soon every fifth car in Bergen will be electric
Norway’s second city leads the way for the rest of the world
Bergen will pass 20% in electric car ownership before long. The city will be the first in the world where one in five cars runs on electricity.
“Let’s just congratulate the politicians in Bergen. They’ve shown the world that emission-free motoring is possible,” said Christina Bu, secretary general of the Norwegian Electric Vehicle Association (Norsk elbilforening).
Figures from the Norwegian Public Roads Administration (Statens vegvesen) show that there are 21,910 electric cars in Bergen. This represents 19.3% of the total car fleet of 113,422 cars. Bergen will be the first major city in the world to pass 20% in electric car ownership, according to the association.
The share of electric cars in Norway’s car fleet is about 9%. In Oslo, the share is 16.3%, Trondheim is 11.9%, and Stavanger has 13.2%, according to figures from the Norwegian Public Roads Administration.
“Studies show that discount in road tolls is one of the main reasons people choose electric cars. It is important to remember that it is still the case that the vast majority drive petrol and diesel cars, in both Bergen and the rest of the country,” Bu said.
This article was originally published on Norway Today.
This article originally appeared in the December 27, 2019, issue of The Norwegian American.


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Borden Dairy bankruptcy news is spreading following a voluntary filing from the company.
Here’s what to know about the Borden Dairy bankruptcy.
- The company has initiated voluntary reorganization proceedings in the District of Delaware under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code.
- It plans to continue normal operations throughout this process and has already filed the paperwork to do so.
- The goal is for the company to use the filing to lower debt, maximize value and get it ready for long-term success.
- Borden Dairy notes that it saw strong growth over the last 18 months that outpaced the rest of the dairy industry.
- Positives for the company include bringing back its mascot, reintroducing the brand in Ohio, and new products that caught national attention.
- Its struggles come from the increasing price of raw milk, as well as other challenges in the dairy industry.
- According to Borden Dairy CEO Tony Sarsam, these are major factors behind its debt issues.
- There’s no timeframe for when the Borden Dairy bankruptcy will come to an end.
Here’s what Sarsam has to say about the Borden Dairy bankruptcy filing.
“For the last few months, we have engaged in discussions with our lenders to evaluate a range of potential strategic plans for the Company. Ultimately, we determined that the best way to protect the Company, for the benefit of all stakeholders, is to reorganize through this court-supervised process.”
As of this writing, William White did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.


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We’re the ultimate one-stop-shop for anyone looking for beachwear and accessories
Melbourne, VIC (PRWEB) August 26, 2013
On 16 August 2013, the renowned Australian bathing suit retailer Swimwear Galore revealed their latest range of stock for the anticipated warmer weather. Beach lovers eager to secure the latest in trendy swimwear have flocked to the stores and online shop, potentially making this month the retailer’s busiest for the year. The long-time beachwear company’s Marketing Manager Mrs. Caz Skudar says of the latest product launch, “We’ve been receiving our summer range of stock and the best pieces always go first, which is why the customer response has been so amazing.”
Sun lovers become excited when the first signs of warmer weather appear. One of those signals is when retail shops start adorning their windows and websites with clothing for summertime. Eager to welcome the change in cooler temperatures, serious beach fans take this queue and start purchasing pieces for summer. The only downfall is that anyone arriving afterwards may not get to choose from the best selection.
Thankfully Swimwear Galore’s newest collection of beachwear has just launched and bolstered the selection available at their retail locations and online store. The swimsuit experts have fully stocked their stores with the latest in trendy swimwear, including pieces for men, women, children, expectant parents, plus-sizes and everyone else in between.
Although amply supplied and prepared for their loyal customers, the quick reaction to Swimwear Galore’s latest range has made the retailer think “this could be our busiest month this year!” Mrs. Skudar further explains by saying “August is the month we receive all our new stock for summer, so it’s the best time to get the latest styles and prints.”
With nearly three decades of experience providing Australia with the best range in swimsuits and accessories, this year’s summer collection has stood out to the marketing manager, “Our 2013 stock is really playful. It’s inspired by an ‘Island Getaway’ theme, which is full of tribal mix & match pieces.”
The company’s 2013 assortment is full of bright colours and funky patterns, and also features the latest in flattering swimwear fashion called the ‘tummy disguising Tankini’. What makes the summer range even more appealing is Swimwear Galore’s ability to provide such a wide choice of options for their customers, “whether it’s buying separates for the best fit or just getting a bather that actually suits your current body shape – be it from infancy to hiding trouble areas – we’re the ultimate one-stop-shop for anyone looking for beachwear and accessories.”
Mrs. Skudar continues, “We Australian’s are a sun loving nation, we want to be comfortable as well as fashionable, and that’s what our stores offer.” What’s more, to add ease to their customer experience Swimwear Galore’s online shop provides free express shipping on all orders over $100 as well as hassle-free returns and exchanges. “With us, it’s all about making shopping for beachwear fun and easy, and now is the time to pick up the best pieces for summer” says the company’s marketing manager.
Just recently the legendary beachwear retailer Swimwear Galore have unveiled the latest range of stock for the upcoming summer season. The response to the vibrant colours and flattering styles has made the company believe August may soon become their busiest month this year. Each Swimwear Galore store is now stocking the latest in trendy swimwear for all body types including, maternity, mastectomy, plus-size, women’s, men’s, girl’s and boy’s options.
In addition to a second-to-none selection of swimsuits and bathers online, they also have outlets positioned all over metro Melbourne: Fitzroy, Cheltenham, Sorrento, Malvern, Geelong and Mornington. For more the details about their most recent summer range or to locate the closest outlet, visit: http://www.swimweargalore.com.au or watch product teaser videos on their YouTube Channel.
About Swimwear Galore
Swimwear Galore began 30 years ago with just one small rack of garments in a family owned fabric shop. Since then, it has become Australia’s largest swimwear retailer, offering the latest trends and over 70 of the world’s leading brands all year round.
The key to their success is recognising that every ‘body’ is different, and that every ‘body’ is beautiful, which ensures they cater for all shapes and sizes that provides the most options for the entire family. To learn more about Swimwear Galore, click here.


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Shoppers have been warned to avoid Wonka and Prime-branded chocolate bars due to safety concerns.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) warned that fake branded chocolate bars may be unsafe to eat as they may be made or repackaged by unregistered businesses or by criminals who will not be following hygiene, labelling and traceability laws.
The warning comes after fake Wonka Bars were removed from sale last year after they were found to contain allergens not listed on the label, posing a major threat for those with allergies.
One sweet shop owner was fined £10,000 last year for selling fake Wonka chocolate bars.
The FSA said that letters have been sent to local authorities asking them to be vigilant and to remove any fake products from sale in an effort to protect the public.
When advising people on how to identify the fake products, the FSA said that Prime had confirmed to them they do not manufacture any Prime-branded foods, only drinks.
As for a Wonka bar, they said if you see one in a shop, online or on a market stall, “it will not be the real thing. The ingredients list might not be correct, and allergen labels may not have been applied correctly”.
Tina Potter, head of incidents at the SFA said: “With Christmas coming up, don’t waste your money on fake branded chocolate for your children, friends or family – you won’t be getting what you think you are paying for and you don’t know what is in them.
“There could be a food safety risk, especially for those with food intolerances or allergies.
“We know there is a problem with potentially unsafe fake chocolate bars such as Wonka and Prime bars and we’re working with Trading Standards to protect consumers.
“Please do not buy or eat these bars and if you think you’ve bought a fake chocolate bar, or if you see something that does not seem right when you are shopping, report it to your Local Authority.”
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During recent weeks and months CasinoBeats has cast the net far and wide to delve into the world of slots streaming, with affiliates taking their place in the discussions most recently.
In the latest edition casino and sportsbook affiliate program 7StarsPartners, which operates 15 brands under three licences, takes up the conversation to give its insights into the conversation.
Widely acknowledged as arguably the biggest influencers in the gambling community by many throughout the exchanges, the ability to receive feedback, particularly harsh, can be crucial in improving future games and making them more relevant and more successful.
“7StarsPartners affiliate program works with well-known streamers from across the industry, giving us an audience which covers every corner of the globe. It’s also helping enhance our influence in dynamic markets such as Finland, Norway, Germany, Poland, and across many parts of Asia,” Mary Ivanova, affiliate director at 7StarsPartners, begins by touching upon the direct effect the rise of streamers has on the group.
“Working with streamers has definitely increased our volume of traffic, but has [also] rapidly enhanced our brand awareness. Our relationship with streamers not only helps with acquisition but is great for customer retention too.”
“We are working on providing the most innovative solutions for streamers”
Adding that working directly alongside a streamer could be a distinct possibility at an, as yet, undetermined time in the future: “We are always open to new and fresh ideas and are not afraid to accept new challenges, so maybe one day we will onboard a rising star in the streaming community who will be dedicated to 7StarsPartners brands. I’m sure this would be as much fun and entertainment for us as it would be for our customers.”
However, when utilising streamers and their ever growing platform, what techniques can be utilised to ensure differentiation, a key operational facet across the gaming ecosystem: “We are working on providing the most innovative solutions for streamers such as unique bonuses with free spins, promo-codes, and exclusive rights on our latest product promotions,” Ivanova says.
“For example, for the Nordic market, we recently launched the innovative new brand, Frumzi. Streamers are hugely popular in the region and have proven great entertainment for users – and with single registration, along with instant depositing and withdrawal tools, it’s greatly influenced player acquisition.
“With numerous popular streamers promoting our projects we’ve reached a variety of different players across countless thriving markets.”
As the streaming community as a whole continues to rise, the collaboration between igaming and streaming has also never been more intertwined and is one which grows closer by the week and month.
In the light of such increases in popularity, Ivanova changes tack to look at what else companies could, or perhaps should, be doing to advertise to a new generation of tech savvy players: “With every new brand launch, we add new and unique features which make our products as attractive to customers as possible.
“We aim to keep users interested from the moment they register until the end of the gaming experience, as this is what creates fans rather than customers. This focus has worked effectively on all our brands and our growing number of visitors on projects such as Wazamba and Nomini have shown how effectively our model works.”
“Our relationship with streamers not only helps with acquisition but is great for customer retention too”
Before returning to the top at hand and address what she believes that future holds for streaming both in the current climate and beyond: “Streaming’s popularity continues to grow, and we consistently see new faces on Twitch and YouTube.
“Forward-thinking companies understand that streamers are one of the best ways to ensure entertainment for casino players, and this interaction in turn helps the promotion of our products.
“Due to the COVID-19 lockdown many players are seeking interaction, and that need for a fun and exciting connection means that entertaining streamers will always be popular.”
To conclude, Ivanova turns attention to marketing techniques and the potential effects of the imposition of added restrictions driven by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic: “As a leading casino and sportsbook affiliate program, 7StarsPartners operates 15 brands under three licences: Curacao, MGA and SGA.
“New restrictions implemented on bonus and deposit limits due to the impact of СOVID-19 have had a minor influence on brands in the region such as YoYoCasino.se and Campobet.se, though ultimately, any new restrictions imposed on the markets in which we operate have not really affected our player numbers.
“With responsible and fair gambling having always been at the core of our business model, our marketing strategy hasn’t had to change at all.”


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A business op for desi democracy
Japanese entrepreneurs cash in on canned air of royalty.
Cashing in on this Japanese variant of The Game of Thrones. a local company is breezily marketing cans filled with ‘the air of the outgoing era’. Pricing them at the equivalent of $10 a pop, the promoters are hoping to sell as many as a thousand cans. Explaining his sales strategy, the president of the company said that “we hope people will enjoy breathing the air of Heisei after the new era comes, or just keep it as a memento”. In the midst of Election 2019, desi enterprise might take a tip from Japan and can the blowing hawa of change, expletives undeleted, to give souvenir-hunters a whiff of democracy, desi-style, in the form of air-oma therapy. There should be enough consumers, strong of stomach.


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The latest news from academia, regulators
research labs and other things of interest
Posted: September 7, 2010
Study looks at silver nanoparticle release from antibacterial fabrics into sweat
(Nanowerk News) A recent study by researchers at National Nanotechnology Center (NANOTEC) in Thailand has provided the data on detecting silver released from antibacterial fabric products using artificial sweat as a model to represent the human skin environment.
"The amount of silver released from fabrics into artificial sweat was dependent upon the initial amount of silver coating, the fabric quality, pH and artificial sweat formulations "said Dr Rawiwan Maniratanachote, head of Nano Safety and Risk Assessment Lab. "The study could be useful to evaluate potential human risk when exposed to silver nanoparticles from textile materials."
Application of silver nanoparticles in textile materials is one of the most interesting applications to improve the quality of the products, including wound dressings and anti-bacterial clothes. Meanwhile, there is also increasing concern on the safety of these nanoproducts.
To address public concern, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published a notice for public review and filed a petition, open to comment by concerned parties. That petition requested EPA to classify and regulate all products containing nanoscale silver as pesticides by taking regulatory actions under the Federal Insecticides, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), as well as analyze the potential human health and environmental risks of nanoscale silver. These issues will certainly affect many stakeholders and, therefore, need public response and comment.


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A series of major mergers was supposed to transform AT&T from a stodgy old phone company into a slick online video and advertising juggernaut. Instead, customers are headed for the exits as AT&T hikes prices in a bid to pay down the company’s soaring merger debt. AT&T’s $67 billion acquisition of satellite television provider DirecTV in 2015 not only eliminated a competitor, the combined weight of the two companies gave AT&T greater leverage in programming negotiations. Last year’s $86 billion acquisition of Time Warner gave AT&T ownership of essential, must have programming like HBO, providing an additional competitive advantage. AT&T executives proclaimed the mergers would bring “a fresh approach to how the media and entertainment industry works for consumers, content creators, distributors and advertisers.” But some Wall Street analysts at the time expressed concern that the debt incurred from the company’s mergers would make that goal untenable. It’s now looking like those Wall Street analysts were right to worry.
AT&T’s fourth quarter earnings, released on Wednesday, weren’t pretty. The company lost a whopping 403,000 DirecTV satellite subscribers in a single quarter. And while AT&T still serves 19.22 million satellite TV customers, more than 1.4 million DirecTV customers have fled the satellite TV provider in just the last two years. Customers making the switch from cable or satellite TV to digital options like Netflix—often called cord cutting—has hit numerous TV providers hard as customers flee to modern streaming alternatives. Studies have shown these defections are largely driven by skyrocketing pay TV rates, though the industry’s historically-awful customer service also plays a role. In 2016 AT&T launched its own streaming video service: DirecTV Now, at a less expensive price point than the company’s traditional cable TV offerings. But things aren’t going quite as AT&T planned there, either. According to AT&T’s earnings breakdown, AT&T lost 267,000 DirecTV Now subscribers last quarter, or a whopping 14 percent of its streaming subscriber total.
[ ](https://twitter.com/WaltBTIG/status/1090591404852695046)Sector analysts believe these defections were largely thanks to a $5 price hike imposed over the summer and the elimination of promotional discounts. AT&T has made it clear that DirecTV Now subscribers should expect more hikes and fewer promotions moving forward.“As those customers come due, we’ll get closer to market pricing,” AT&T executive John Donovan said last November. “We’ll be respectful of our customers, but that will move up.” Between the DirecTV Deal and the Time Warner acquisition, AT&T saddled itself with a whopping $160 billion in debt in just three years. "Our top priority in 2019 is driving down the debt from our Time Warner acquisition," AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson told reporters on this week’s call.But longtime Wall Street analyst Craig Moffett of MoffettNathanson Research told Motherboard he doesn’t believe AT&T’s current trajectory is financially sustainable, given the price hikes are likely to just drive further customer defections, creating a perfect circle of dysfunction. “They’re doing exactly what they promised,” Moffett told me in an email exchange. “They said they would prioritize free cash flow and paying down debt, and now the market is getting an up close and personal look at just what that looks like. Raising prices and losing subscribers even faster.” AT&T’s made great headway in recent years killing consumer protections like net neutrality and eroding FCC oversight, paving the way for anti-competitive revenue generation efforts like exempting AT&T’s own streaming content from usage caps while penalizing Netflix users. But Moffett doubts if even this will be enough to right the AT&T ship. He believes that while AT&T might make its 2019 financial targets, it could be “at the cost of an even uglier 2020.” “Interestingly, most of the most aggressive strategies, like trying to keep key content from Time Warner exclusive for the benefit of either DirecTV or their wireless business, would actually hurt near term results,” Moffett said.When contacted by Motherboard for comment, AT&T would only say that the company has been clear about its plan to eliminate promotions and pay down debt, noting the company has paid down $9 billion in debt since the Time Warner deal closed. It was also quick to insist its current streaming pricing is well in line with comparable services like Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV. But as Motherboard has exclusively reported, some of this debt is being eliminated courtesy of looming layoffs, despite AT&T receiving tens of billions in tax cuts and regulatory favors from the Trump administration. Many AT&T customers are particularly annoyed by the company’s assault on net neutrality, a move also likely to drive up consumer costs. Hammering already frustrated customers with yet more price hikes—to pay for mergers nobody wanted—isn’t likely to improve AT&T’s image anytime soon.


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E-Cigarettes may enforce nicotine dependence
A new study from Harvard School of Public Health in the USA has found that low-tar electronic cigarettes may reinforce addiction to nicotine.
Electronic or e-cigarettes are often pitched as a “healthier” alternative to cigarettes and a way to help smokers quit.
The study published in the Tobacco Control Journal, volume 24, issue 2, published June 2015 and lead by Dr Hilel Alpert, found that pyrazine additives included in low tar e-cigarettes may be a driving force in smoking addiction.
Pyrazines and addiction
Pyrazines are compounds first introduced to low-tar cigarettes when manufacturers wanted to make these types of cigarettes more appealing to smokers.
As soon as it became more widely known that cigarettes have adverse health effects and smoking numbers dropped, low-tar or light cigarettes were introduced as an alternative.
These cigarettes lacked the taste and smell of usual cigarettes and so pyrazines were added to help recreate these qualities.
The research has however found that several pyrazine flavour additives appear to have a role in boosting the amount of dopamine or good feelings a smoker receives up inhaling.
Pyrazines are also thought to make smoking easier and smoother. Researchers are worried that ultimately pyrazines increase the appeal of cigarettes and make it simpler for non-smokers to pick up the habit.
“They could increase the attractiveness of smoking, particularly among youth,” researchers suggest.
The spread of E-Cigarettes
Within Australia, it is currently illegal to sell or purchase e-cigarettes with nicotine in them.
In Victoria and New South Wales, retailers can sell e-cigarettes without nicotine. Consumers can instead buy flavoured cigarettes, varieties of which include vanilla, apple and more.
Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland ban the sale of all types of e-cigarettes.
Australians can import cigarettes with nicotine in for personal use from overseas. They must do this under the Therapeutic Goods Administration personal importation scheme which requires a medical prescription. This is because nicotine is considered a dangerous ‘poison’.
In the US, where the latest study was conducted, e-cigarettes are available for purchase so long as they do not use additives that characterise flavours, such as sweet and sour. Flavours that were in cigarettes before the ban, such as liquorice, cocoa or vanilla are still available for purchase.
A new study from the University of Melbourne and Harvard University has found certain nutritional su...
Japanese farmers have taken marketing their fruit to the next level.
J.Walter Thompson Intelligence (JWTI) recently attended the Summer Fancy Food Show, North America’s ...
A US company has developed a vegan burger with a patty that looks and tastes just like a meat burger...
A report entitled “The Political Consumer” released today by J Walter Thompson Intelligence’s Innova...
The Australian Federal Government has been accused of failing to do its research into the pro’s and ...
Cutting saturated fat in children’s diets reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease in adulthood a ...
Queensland University of Technology has launched a research project that will track Australian beef ...


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This is the Jimi Tenor news archive.
For the latest news go here.
wait is over! Higher Planes
is out (Note: the UK release date is Feb 17). Check
your local dealer now or get it directly from the Kitty-Yo
is showing Unknown Gender, a Jimi Tenor video from 1992,
on Monday Jan 20 in their Sessions programme at 17.30.
Higher Planes enters
the worldwide market on Jan 27, it is already available
at the Kitty-Yo
popstore at a very reasonable special price of 11.50
Euro, so go
get it now!
proudly presents Mister Freedom, William Klein's 1968
pop art parody of U.S. imperialist strategy with a newly
commisioned score from Jimi Tenor. The screening with
Jimi's live solo performance happens at London's Horse
Hospital on Jan 11. Jimi says his score will be musically
quite romantic, and he'll be using his photophone and
noisebox too. Advance Bookings: 0207 833 3644
long-awaited new album Higher
Planes hits the shops on Jan 27, except for the
UK where the release date is 17 Feb. Higher Planes is
released on Kitty-Yo.


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State Representative Hopes to Legalize Cannabis In Texas In Next Legislative Session
Several bills have been filed for the next Texas Legislative session that would decriminalize or legalize the use of marijuana in the state. One state representative said legalization could help to fend off a looming $4.6 billion deficit in Texas.
“Every year, over a billion in tax revenue from a mature market and hundreds of millions in savings on enforcement, thousands of jobs generated both directly and in a ripple effect of economic interdependency," said Joe Moody, Speaker Pro Tempore of the Texas House of Representatives.
Moody has filed House Bill 447, which calls for the legalization of marijuana and would allow the retail sale in Texas.
He said legalization has several benefits.
“No more arrests, no more criminal histories, keeping people from jobs and schools and housing, no more patients struggling with medicines that don't work or hooked on opiates and other bad alternatives," he said.
All cannabis sales would be taxed at 10%, with the revenue shared between cities, counties and the Teacher Retirement System.
A 2019 survey indicated about 54% of Texans supported legalization of marijuana, and about 68% of Americans now favor legalization.
In Texas, past efforts to legalize or decriminalize marijuana have been largely blocked by Senate Republicans, but Moody said he remains hopeful.
“Adults are soon going to be able to walk into stores throughout Texas and make safe legal purchases of cannabis.”
Representative Moody spoke Friday during the Texas Marijuana Policy Conference.
Copyright 2020 Texas Public Radio. To see more, visit Texas Public Radio.


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I have been staggered by the amount of negative responses from the IFA community to the FSA's recent proposals which have appeared in the trade press in the last two weeks.
It is time that those who only seek to protect their vested interests in the status quo should shut up and not get in the way of the industry's metamorphosis to becoming a profession.
These proposals are the best thing that could have happened to both consumers and professional intermediaries alike.
The only way that consumers can get impartial, unbiased advice is to pay someone a fee for their time.I do not care what inter-mediaries say.
If they continue to be paid by product providers, their advice will continue to be biased, unimaginative and generally poor value for money.
We decided to redesign our service and to charge for the amount of time we spent on clients' affairs.
The arrangement of products is now almost incidental to the process of helping clients plan the financial side of their lives. The process was not without its difficulties but now that the changes are complete, we are more profitable and in a great position for the future.
IFAs should spend less time bleating about the regulator changing the goalposts and spend more time thinking about how they are going to improve the service they give their clients.


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About This Source - Bloomberg QuickTake: Now
Bloomberg L.P. is a privately held financial, software, data, and media company headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City.
It was founded by Michael Bloomberg in 1981, with the help of Thomas Secunda, Duncan MacMillan, Charles Zegar, and a 12% ownership investment by Merrill Lynch.
Recent from Bloomberg QuickTake: Now:
Bloomberg Quicktake: Now published this video item, entitled “LIVE: SpaceX Launches Falcon 9 Rocket With New Batch of Starlink Satellites” – below is their description.
(Nov. 24) Watch live as Elon Musk’s SpaceX attempts to launch the 16th batch of its Starlink broadband satellites at 9:13 p.m. EST from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Tuesday, November 24, 2020. The launch was postponed on Monday due to unfavorable weather conditions. Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2TwO8Gm Bloomberg Quicktake brings you live global news and original shows spanning business, technology, politics and culture. Make sense of the stories changing your business and your world. To watch complete coverage on Bloomberg Quicktake 24/7, visit http://www.bloomberg.com/qt/live, or watch on Apple TV, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Fire TV and Android TV on the Bloomberg app. Connect with us on… YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Bloomberg Breaking News on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BloombergQuickTakeNews Twitter: https://twitter.com/quicktake Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quicktake Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quicktakeBloomberg Quicktake: Now YouTube Channel
Got a comment? Leave your thoughts in the comments section, below. Please note comments are moderated before publication.
In This Story: Elon Musk
Elon Reeve Musk FRS is a business magnate, industrial designer, engineer, and philanthropist. He is the founder, CEO, CTO and chief designer of SpaceX; early investor, CEO and product architect of Tesla, Inc.; founder of The Boring Company; co-founder of Neuralink; and co-founder and initial co-chairman of OpenAI.


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Online deejays, start your engines: Turntable.fm has gone mobile.
The growing social streaming music service has launched a free iPhone app in the Apple App Store. TechCrunch previously reported that a Turntable.fm iPhone app was in the works. Turntable.fm was launched earlier this year by tech entrepreneurs Billy Chasen and Seth Goldstein, and was spawned from an earlier venture called StickyBits, an app for scanning barcodes. With Turntable.fm, the company took a new direction, creating a communal music service online, in which users can crowd virtual rooms and take turns spinning songs for one another from one of five deejay spots. The room also has a chat box, and users can rate the songs they hear, as well as purchase them on iTunes or Amazon’s music store.


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Photo above: House Minority Leader Nic Kipke speaks at an April 1 news conference opposing the online travel site tax.
By Len Lazarick
The effort to collect more Maryland sales tax from travel websites such as Orbitz and Expedia moved closer to enactment as the House gave preliminary approval to legislation backed by Marriott International and hotel chains.
The online sites call the measure a new tax and the hotels say it is an existing tax the tech travel sites were pocketing instead of paying. Local travel agents say they may be caught in the crossfire, and wind up paying tax on their service fees.
The delegates defeated efforts to specifically exempt fees charged by Maryland-based brick-and-mortar travel agents on largely party line votes. The bills are HB1065 and SB190, which passed the Senate March 24.
With all the online competition, local travel agencies, who still employ over 1,000 people, are “having a tough time. These businesses are struggling today.”
But Del. Jay Walker, floor leader for the legislation and a Prince George’s County Democrat, said the local travel agents were already exempted by an amendment excluding any commissions.
The travel agents have said they only get commissions from hotels half the time, and must charge fees for hotel bookings to remain profitable.
Szeliga’s amendment to exempt fees by travel agents were rejected, as were other amendments to spell out the fees on travel bills.
How it works
Under undisclosed agreements between hotels and the online sites, the hotels and the websites charge consumers the same price for the hotel room, including the state sales tax. But the online sites only pay the hotels a negotiated discount rate for the rooms, and the sales tax based on that discounted rate. The websites keep the rest of the money.
For example, an online site offers a hotel room for $100 plus $6 in sales tax. It pays the hotel $80 for the room, plus $4.80 sales tax. The site keeps $21.20 from the transaction.
Under the bill, the site would pay $6 in sales tax and keep $20.
The hotels see the online sites as competitors lowering some of their profit margin.
In a lawsuit in Maryland Tax Court, the comptroller is currently trying to collect up to $6 million in back taxes on hotel rooms from Travelocity.
An amendment by Del. Matt Morgan, R-St. Mary’s, to delay the impact of the bill till after that court case is decided was also voted down.
Various opponents of the bills held a news conference at the State House last week, and produced a video where they explain the problems.
“This bill sends the message that Maryland has not changed its taxing ways and is still not open for business,” said Phil Minardi, vice president for communications and public affairs for the
No position by Hogan
Gov. Larry Hogan has not taken a position on the bill, but Republican legislative leaders have made clear they side with opponents and consider it a new tax.
If Hogan and his staff reach the same conclusion, the governor, a loud critic of recent tax increases, will likely veto a bill that takes more money out the pocket of online travel sites and local travel agents, even though it is backed by Marriott, one of the last remaining Fortune 500 companies headquartered in Maryland.
An opponent of the measure, Del. Eric Bromwell, D-Baltimore County, even offered amendments to make Marriott repay some of the incentives it has been given by the state to remain in Maryland. Those amendments failed.


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The Shanghai Disney Resort officially opens to the public on June 16. It’s the latest theme park to open in Walt Disney Co.’s
Outsize crowds — 90,000 on one day recently, according to The Wall Street Journal — are already flocking to the new restaurants and a lakeside promenade in a tourist zone surrounding the theme park that offers a free taste of the experience.
The Shanghai Disney Resort was originally scheduled to debut in 2015 but was delayed due to construction challenges at the 963-acre theme park, hotel and entertainment complex, totalling $5.5 billion in construction costs. The park also faced political and cultural barriers around creating a massive project in partnership with a state-owned consortium in a communist country, according to The Wall Street Journal. The park is 57% owned by the consortium, Shanghai Shendi, and 43% by Walt Disney Co. AR:DISN
The park will serve as home to the largest Disney castle in the world, and also include a “Tron”-inspired roller coaster and “Voyage of the Crystal Grotto,” a boat ride that travels under the park’s castle. Instead of entering along an American-style “Main Street” as in other Disneylands, Shanghai Disneyland will channel visitors into the park through “Mickey Avenue” and toward the jumbo-sized castle.
Shanghai Disney Resort is also home to the Starbucks Disneytown flagship store, which opened earlier this week. Starbucks opened its first location at a Disney resort in 2009 in Disney Village at Disneyland Paris.
The park has been hosting sneak preview days with select attractions, shows and restaurants open for invited patrons, who have been sharing their experiences across social media. Take a peek:
Tickets will cost about $76 at “peak pricing,” including during the half-month-long grand-opening period starting June 16. They will later fall to $57 for regular adult admission.


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The Samsung Galaxy S22 will succeed the Galaxy S21 (Photo credit: Samsung)
Samsung is all set to unveil its next flagship series, the Samsung Galaxy S22 series, next year and leaks and rumours are slowly trickling in as the launch date approaches.
The latest is a leaked official marketing image from Samsung Electronics. It shows the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra and Galaxy S22 Plus.
The poster shows the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra’s rumoured ‘Burgundy’ colour option. The phones are rumoured to come with a matte finish.
Besides giving a good look at the quad camera design, the poster also confirms the presence of S pen for the Galaxy S22 Ultra which is tipped to be the higher end model of the S22 series. The other two phones in the lineup include the standard Samsung Galaxy S22 model and Galaxy S22+.
Earlier, leaked images shared by FrontPageTech showed Samsung’s latest flagship device that is expected to be launched in February next year.


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What's up with melting Duolingo app icon?
Imagine picking up your phone to check your Duolingo app, only to find that the familiar green owl mascot appears to be melting like a Salvador Dali painting. It's not a bug, and you're not alone in witnessing that.
Users all around the world have been scratching their heads, wondering why they encounter a Melting Duolingo app icon.
See how Twitter/X user Nikita reacted to the melting Duolingo app icon below.
— Nikita (@idiocracy_) October 20, 2023
Why is there a melting Duolingo app icon?
The first question that comes to mind is, why is Duo, the iconic Duolingo owl, melting? The conventional app icon for Duolingo featured a friendly, upright Duo, encouraging users to learn a new language. However, this design evolution is not random but part of a deliberate strategy.
The purpose of the melting Duolingo app icon is to encourage learners to open the app. It’s a brilliant example of how design can be a powerful tool for engagement. But why the melting effect? The answer lies in the psychology of curiosity. The visual distortion of Duo piques users' interest and prompts them to click and explore.
Duolingo spokesperson issued a statement to Distractify with the following explanation about the melting Duolingo app icon:
“The melting Duo you see is a new app icon that learners will see for a limited time. If learners have the latest version of the Duolingo app downloaded, they should see Melting Duo as the app icon. The purpose of the new app icon is to encourage learners to open the app”.
Read also: Is Duolingo pioneering AI education?
So if you don't see a melting Duolingo app icon, you need to update your Duolingo app. You may download the latest version of Duolingo using the links below.
While the melting Duo may initially baffle users, its users must be aware that this transformation is temporary. According to a Duolingo spokesperson, this unique app icon will only be visible for a limited time.Advertisement


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Australia’s hotels, restaurants, tourism operators and some of our most popular attractions face a combined $1 billion loss in revenue for every month the Chinese travel ban remains in force, with industry chiefs calling for a government rescue package to save jobs and businesses.
The federal government’s blanket ban on Chinese tourists, announced four days after Beijing grounded Chinese group tours to Australia, has already caused an abrupt, mass cancellation of bookings on what is traditionally the busiest and most profitable time of the year for businesses that target the Chinese market.
While Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham described the tourism industry as “incredibly resilient” and predicted it would recover from the twin impact of this summer’s bushfires and coronavirus, Restaurant & Catering Association chief executive Wes Lambert said help would be needed to stop businesses going to the wall.
“Some members have told us they have gotten calls from some of their tourism operators that have had cancellations in the hundreds of thousands,’’ Mr Lambert told The Age.
“We would hope that the government would consider financial packages similar to the bushfires. If your number one inbound, international tourism supplier is cut off it doesn’t take very long to have a dramatic effect.
“We will certainly be lobbying the government on behalf of our members to help those businesses stay open.”
About one in eight people who visit Australia on short-term stays are Chinese. According to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics figures, 1,458,500 visitors came to Australia from China in the 12 months between December 2018 and November 2019.
The tourism industry estimates this influx of people, which is spread fairly evenly across the calendar year, generates $12 billion a year in revenue. Australia's ban on tourist travel from China follows similar restrictions announced by the US.
Margy Osmond, the chief executive of the Tourism and Transport Forum, which represents large tourism and transport businesses, said the bushfires and the China travel ban were a “perfect storm.”
Tourism Accommodation Australia chief executive Michael Johnson said the impact on business would shift from the regions to the cities, with cancelled bookings, increased hotel vacancies, loss of shifts and employment freezes.
“We are in for a lengthy time of disruption,’’ Mr Johnson said. “The industry has got to brace itself for what is going to be a very difficult year.''
The management of Phillip Island Nature Parks was deliberating on Sunday whether visitors who have been to mainland China in the last 14 days should be turned away from the penguin parade and other attractions on the island.
A spokesman for Senator Birmingham said this was not government policy. "We don't want tourism operators turning away Chinese tourists," he said.
Terry Smit, the managing director of the Go West and Bunyip bus tours, which ferry day-tripping tourists from Melbourne to Phillip Island, the 12 Apostles and the Yarra Valley, employs about 130 people.
He said while his own businesses would survive the Chinese travel ban, operators that relied heavily on Chinese group tours would be “smashed to pieces”.
“It is hard for us to put a dollar figure on the impact but in the last 24 hours, I have already received a significant number of cancellations,” he said.
“The industry has been trying to get the message out there that we are open for business. To have this hit soon after is another significant kick in the guts.”
Senator Birmingham said the travel ban - which will be reviewed in 14 days - would have a “significant impact” on the tourism industry.
He said the government would “recalibrate” its $76 million bushfire recovery package, which includes funding to Tourism Australia to encourage overseas visitors and Australian residents to holiday here, to mitigate the effect of the coronavirus on tourism.
He said it was impossible to predict the full economic losses from the travel restrictions, which are open-ended and subject to changing advice from health officials.


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When the French government decided to increase the tax on beer by 160 percent in January it was inevitable that consumers would be hit in the pocket.
A cold beer has never been the cheapest of options on the menu in France but after the tax rise punters are paying on average 14 percent more for a "demi" or a "pinte" compared to back in January, according to the organization Brewers of France (Les Brasseurs de France).
The start of summer is supposed to see a boost in trade for brewers but this year they have been left crying into their pints as they reported a 16.4 drop in production of beer destined for hotels and cafes and a 20.5 percent fall fin the production of beer for big supermarkets.
And with prices rising, consumption has been hit, dropping by 15 percent in cafes and restaurants and by four percent in supermarkets in the first three months of the year.
French president François Hollande justified the 160 percent increase in tax on beer saying it was necessary to help fund social programmes at a time when the government is struggling to keep a lid on spiralling public debt
According to the Brewers of France, the tax hike is helping swell state coffers by €810 million a year compared to €330 million previously.
However the tax rise has caused anger beyond France’s borders, with the press in Belgium reporting last month that brewers in the country were ready to launch an official complaint against France with the European Commission.
Brewers in Belgium have accused France of being protectionist and say the rise in tax will have a disastrous impact on jobs.
Outside Scandinavian countries, France taxes beer at one of the highest levels in Europe. But in a country where wine is by far the most popular tipple of choice, the consumption of beer has been in decline for around 30 years. On average the French drink around 30 litres of beer which puts them in 26th place in the European league table of lager guzzlers.