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Starfield Update Adds DLSS Support, Fixes Naked NPCs, And Finally Lets You Eat Food Without Picking It Up
The latest patch for Starfield has arrived.
Bethesda has rolled out a new patch for its sci-fi RPG Starfield, and it has some notable additions. The update introduces Nvidia DLSS support for PC players and the ability to eat and drink food found in the environment without picking it up.
This patch, which was previously available to testers on Steam, is available now across PC and Xbox. For the Nvidia DLSS support, players with compatible Nvidia graphics cards can now use things like DLSS super resolution, deep learning anti-aliasing, Nvidia Reflex, and frame generation. Among other things, these things will allow for smoother and higher frame rates without having to meaningfully sacrifice image quality.
As for the food improvement, Bethesda said it is delivering this change that fans had been asking for. "By popular request, we have added the ability to ingest food and drink items upon finding them in the environment. You can enjoy those Chunks immediately or save them for later. The choice is yours," Bethesda said in a blog post.
Beyond these changes, the November 20 patch makes stealth "a bit more forgiving" and fixes bugs like how Andreja's head would remain cloaked and how players' weapons might not fire. The patch also fixes a problem where certain NPCs would appear naked.
There are also various mission-specific fixes, For the All That Money Can Buy quest, the update delivers a fix for a rare issue where players were blocked from sitting down. For the Operation Starseed mission, a key needed to exit a room was not showing up sometimes, but it should now.
You can see the full Starfield patch notes below. If you're still in the market for a copy of Starfield, the game is marked down nicely for Black Friday.
Starfield November 20 patch notes
FIXES AND IMPROVEMENTS
PERFORMANCE AND STABILITY
- Addressed a number of memory related issues and leaks.
- Added some GPU performance optimizations, which will be more impactful on higher end cards.
- Improved renderer threading model, improving CPU usage most notably on higher end systems.
- Various stability and performance improvements.
- Added the ability to eat the food placed in the world.
- Adjusted stealth to be a bit more forgiving.
- Fixed an issue where Andreja’s head would stay permanently cloaked.
- Fixed an issue that could prevent players from firing their weapons.
- Fixed issues where some NPC could be seen not wearing clothes (Note: This issue may resolve itself over time).
- Fixed an issue where already in-progress skill challenges could stop progressing after reaching the Unity and starting a new game.
- Fixed an issue that could temporarily prevent opening the inventory or saving after entering the Unity.
- PC: Fixed an issue where mouse movement could be choppy.
- Fixed a rare issue that could cause the home ship to be lost.
- Fixed an issue where the ship services technician might be missing.
- Fixed an issue where occasionally the camera could shake incorrectly during Traveling, Grav Jumping, Docking, or Landing transitions.
- Addressed an issue with how ambient occlusion appeared in ultrawide resolutions.
- Optimized initial shader compilation that occurs on start-up.
- Added the ability to adjust Brightness and Contrast in the Display Settings menu.
- Added the ability to adjust HDR Brightness provided that the system supports it. (Xbox & Windows 11 only).
- Addressed a number of materials that could sometimes present an unintended pattern under certain conditions.
- Fixed various visual issues related to the new FOV slider options.
- Improved the appearance of the eyes on crowd characters.
- Addressed a number of minor visual issues related to lighting, shadows, terrain, and vegetation.
- PC: Addressed additional visual issues related to DLSS.
- All That Money Can Buy: Fixed a rare issue where players couldn’t sit during the negotiation with Musgrove.
- Blast Zone: Fixed an issue where the hard rocks that need to be cleared out by players will not appear on Ngodup Tate’s land.
- Echoes of the Past: Fixed an issue where the Grylloba Queen could sometimes not be reachable during the objective “Secure the Shuttle Bay”.
- Eye of the Storm: Fixed an issue where players' quest progression could potentially be blocked due to a missing docking prompt.
- Grunt Work: Addressed an issue where progress could appear blocked if “Supra et Ultra” was completed while returning to the Lodge during “High Price to Pay”.
- No Sudden Moves: Fixed an issue that could prevent the entrance door to the Scow ship from being opened again.
- Operation Starseed: Fixed an issue where the key that is needed to exit the facility could sometimes not be present.
- Sabotage: Fixed an issue where David Barron could potentially not be found by players.
- Short Sighted: Fixed an issue where players could rarely become control-locked while speaking with Vladimir.
- The Heart of Mars: Fixed an issue where players might not be able to mine the “The Heart of Mars”.
The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors. GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.


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The rapid growth of the electric vehicle market means an explosion in demand for power batteries.
As the capacity of power batteries equipped in vehicles increases, global power battery demand will continue to grow faster than new energy vehicle demand, said CICC, a top Chinese investment bank, in a research note released Thursday.
By 2025, global installed power battery capacity is expected to exceed 1,430 GWh, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 50 percent, the team said.
The installed power battery capacity in China will reach 428 GWh by then, with the rest of the market totaling 1,052 GWh, CICC said.
The CAGR of installed power lithium batteries in China is expected to be 38 percent from 2021 to 2025, and the CAGR of installed power lithium batteries in the rest of the market is expected to be 64 percent, according to CICC.
This will drive continued high growth in new demand for lithium battery equipment, and double-digit growth is expected to continue until at least 2025, CICC said.
The global lithium battery equipment market is expected to reach RMB119.8 billion ($18.5 billion) in 2023 and RMB143.1 billion in 2025, with combined market size of more than RMB500 billion from 2021 to 2025, according to the CICC.
China's power battery installation volume from January to June was 52.5GWh, up 200.3 percent year-over-year, according to data previously released by China Automotive Battery Innovation Alliance.
The installed base of ternary lithium batteries was 30.2GWh, accounting for 57.5 percent of the total installed base, up 139.0 percent year-over-year. Lithium iron phosphate batteries accounted for 22.2GWh, or 42.3 percent of the total installed base, up 368.5 percent year-over-year.
Analyst says global power battery supply could run out by 2025

domain: news


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The state of online banking technology
Globally, the mobile banking industry is overgrowing. More and more people are adopting online banking services as a result of technological advancements, digital transformation, and the growing use of smartphones in recent years.
According to statistics published by the Statista portal, it appears that the total value of transactions in the digital payments segment could reach as much as $9.46 trillion in 2023, and the full value of transactions could show an annual growth rate (CAGR 2023-2027) of 11.80%, resulting in a projected total of $14.78 trillion by 2027.
Factors affecting the banking sector
This is undoubtedly influenced by the growing adoption of ecommerce and mobile payments and the rapid growth of contactless payments due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the development of fintech startups and the integration of blockchain technology into payment systems have contributed to the expansion of the electronic banking industry. Thus, this sector is snowballing worldwide and is an increasingly important part of the financial system. What will the next few years bring?
Banking technology trends 2023
New technological developments are redefining our approach to finance. The role of banking is changing with the emergence of new technologies. This, in turn, is also affecting how companies or finance departments function daily. The concepts of AI transformation, blockchain, NFT, AR, and VR are becoming integral to conversations about the sector’s future. What’s next? What direction will the industry take? Here are 7 key trends in finance and e-banking for 2023.
1. Hyper personalization in the banking industry
Consumers expect highly personalized digital interactions across all industries, including banking. They benefit from the right level of service that creates loyalty by recognizing past interactions and anticipating future needs. This level of personalization will increase sales and engagement, and ultimately revenue.
Banking-as-a-service, APIs, and FinTech partnerships can move users toward highly personalized banking and financial services. Indeed, today consumers, banks and FinTech are increasingly using application programming interfaces to exchange information.
“The formula for growth sounds simple. Customers want to be provided with personalized experiences, regardless of wherever they may be on their own digital journey. The challenge, however, remains in execution,” says Nilesh Vaidya, Global Industry Head, Retail Banking and Wealth Management, Capgemini’s Financial Services Strategic Business Unit.
Such activities and interactions are bound to become the dominant trend, and banking will be embedded in other elements of everyday reality. Quick online loans available not only at the bank, self-service payments for parking use, for example, or automatically created savings accounts are the future that awaits us. The banking sector will develop in the direction of personalizing, offering new customers, and accompanying us with many services in an almost invisible way.
2. Artificial intelligence in the entire banking industry
Another of the key banking technology trends we can expect to see in 2023 is the increased use of artificial intelligence in banking. For example, AI-powered chatbots will become even more common, providing customers with 24/7 support and personalized recommendations.
Besides, artificial intelligence is increasingly applicable to banking, primarily due to its ability to process large amounts of data and make quick decisions.
The technology can also help banks improve fraud detection and reduce financial crime risk. For example, with machine learning, banking systems and apps can analyze real-time transaction data and automatically trigger alerts or block suspicious transactions if suspicious activity is detected.
Another example of an AI application is credit risk analysis. Thanks to AI-based systems, banks can quickly and accurately assess customers’ creditworthiness and determine the level of risk involved in their loans or extending credit.
AI can also help optimize business processes in banking. By automating processes, banks can save time and resources by reducing costs and increasing the efficiency of their operations.
Artificial intelligence is, thus, undoubtedly a banking technology trend. It can bring many benefits to both banks and customers. With AI, banks and other financial institutions can make more accurate decisions and provide better customer service.
3. Open banking
Another one is closely related to the above two trends in the banking industry, namely open banking and open X.
In the not-too-distant future, we are facing an evolution of the financial market on a scale we had not previously anticipated. Open Banking is one part of this broad landscape. Open banking refers to sharing customer data between banks and other financial institutions, such as accounts, transactions made, choosing banking products, and other financial information with third-party providers.
Open interfaces (open APIs), in turn, are increasingly being made available to third parties – to offer more access and modern services to their users and consumers, banks are increasingly partnering with FinTechs, specialized technology companies.
This is because such institutions need to start making advanced services available to customers, for example, real-time management of personal finances on a single platform for all accounts held by the customer across all banks.
It is important to remember that customer satisfaction currently plays a crucial role in the e-banking market, and the rise in end-user expectations is a challenge for the financial industry. Significantly, this trend will remain the same in future as it increases with the development of FinTech. Capgemini data shows that as many as 75% of customers appreciate and enjoy their experiences and interactions with FinTech organizations.
With customers today able to switch banking providers at the click of a mouse, banks should make greater use of data and artificial intelligence (AI) to customize customer experiences, create stronger relationships and maximize customer value.
4. Payments 4.X as a trend in banking
Over the past few years, the increasing level of widespread digitization has also caused user experiences and expectations to dictate the direction of cashless transactions. The answer to customer experience and expectations, and as we know, not only Data is king, but the Customer is the king too, is Payments 4.X.
This is currently one of the most critical trends in banking, which may contribute to changing the way financial transactions are carried out shortly. The concept involves an improved version of traditional payment methods, such as debit cards and bank transfers, using new technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, and automation.
With Payments 4.X, bank customers have access to more personalized financial services that are faster, more efficient, and more secure than legacy solutions.
In addition, with Payments 4.X, banks have the opportunity to increase their competitiveness in the market and adapt to the changing spending needs of their customers, helping to keep costs, improve the quality of service and increase customer loyalty.
According to Capgemini’s World Payments Report 2021, nearly 45% of customers already use mobile wallets regularly (more than 20 transactions per year) – last year, it was only 23%. It can be assumed that this trend will continue as demand is to grow, and the number of cashless settlements will increase to 200 billion transactions in 2025.
5. Low-code or no-code platforms
The fiercely competitive industry environment in the e-banking sector requires openness and access to modern methods to build digital solutions. The answer to the need for faster delivery of products and services in the FinTech sector and beyond are platforms using a low code or no code approach. The software development process using such platforms is much simpler, as they contain ready-made components to build a product, process, or service with minimal programming knowledge.
According to Gartner forecasts, by 2025, as many as 70% of new enterprise applications will use low-code solutions. This compares with a share of less than 25% in 2020. The trend is mature enough to support such processes as customer onboarding and offer a wide range of add-on products. FinTechs, among others, are basing their competitive advantage on such solutions. At Stratoflow – as a FinTech development company, we also appreciate the potential of low-code platforms, so we have created a brand new tool called Openkoda. This open-source, low-code platform enables Java developers to build scalable, extensible, and secure enterprise and SaaS applications more efficiently.
Without a doubt, low-code platforms will become emerging in banking technologies for several reasons. First, banks must significantly accelerate the time to market for digital banking products and services. Second, there is a massive increase in the number of FinTechs or third parties that offer turnkey digital financial solutions that easily integrate with core banking systems. Third, there is an ever-increasing desire to strengthen the cooperation of businesses, including banking, with IT.
6. Security and legacy systems as a trend in banking in 2023
Security is and will be one of the key trends in banking in 2023. As more and more banking services move into the digital world, the risk of cyberattacks becomes greater. Therefore, banks must invest in better security to protect their assets and customers and prevent fraud.
An essential element of security is transaction authorization. In 2023, we expect further development of biometric technologies, such as facial recognition and iris scanning, to replace traditional passwords and PINs.
In addition, banks will use increasingly sophisticated analytical tools to detect suspicious activity and enhance anti-fraud efforts. They will also work to protect customer data privacy and comply with data protection regulations.
This should also be considered in the context of the aforementioned low-code platforms and software development for the finance sector. In addition, security and regulatory compliance should be a priority in the software development process.
In 2023, banks will also emphasize educating customers on how to use banking services safely. Awareness campaigns and training can be practical tools here to help customers understand how to protect their data and avoid fraud.
7. RegTech in banking
The banking and financial services sector is one of the most heavily regulated industries in the world. RegTech is expected to disrupt the regulatory landscape soon, providing advanced technology solutions to compliance issues. With the entry of alternative finance, blockchain, cloud, big data, and AI, the FinTech industry is attracting the attention of governments around the world.
The emergence of RegTech (Regulation Technology) is rapidly transforming the financial sector as businesses strive to improve compliance and risk management practices. With banks’ increasing adoption of AI, blockchain, big data, and machine learning algorithms, the automation of compliance procedures and the enhancement of risk management capabilities have become key priorities.
These cutting-edge technologies offer deep insights into compliance issues and empower financial organizations to detect potential regulatory infractions and suspicious activity. However, while the benefits of these technologies are evident, the complexity of the regulatory environment and the need for agile response mechanisms continue to pose significant challenges.
RegTech will undoubtedly become even more critical in the coming years as banks and other financial institutions seek to guarantee steady development amidst constantly evolving regulatory requirements. As such, incorporating sophisticated AI and machine learning algorithms into compliance and risk management strategies will be crucial for financial organizations to remain competitive and compliant in today’s dynamic business landscape. For example, many banks will use blockchain for identity verification, Know-Your-Customer (KYC) processes, and transaction monitoring. Besides, with the implementation of data protection regulations such as DORA, MiCA, RODO, and CCPA, banks will have to focus on data privacy and security increasingly.
Will 2023 prove to be a breakthrough year for banking technology?
Banking technology is a rapidly developing field that offers many opportunities for the financial sector. In 2023, we can expect trends to continue to evolve, such as the growing importance of artificial intelligence, the increasing use of low-code platforms, the emphasis on personalization, the adaptation of payments 4.X, open banking, or the increased focus on security and the growing popularity of FinTech.
Banks need to be ready for change and take advantage of the opportunities that technology provides to meet the demands of customers and competition in the market. Furthermore, implementing innovative solutions can increase bank operations’ efficiency and improve customer service quality. Therefore, nothing is left to do but wait for developments and monitor what technological innovations will emerge in the banking sector in the coming years.
We are Stratoflow, a finance software development company. We firmly believe that software craftsmanship, collaboration and effective communication is key in delivering complex software projects. This allows us to build advanced high-performance Java applications capable of processing vast amounts of data in a short time. We also provide our clients with an option to outsource and hire Java developers to extend their teams with experienced professionals. As a result, our Java software development services contribute to our clients’ business growth. We specialize in fintech software, travel software, and ecommerce software development.


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Say No to Uber-Platforms and Yes to Co-ops and Nonprofits
California Assembly Bill 626 was recently introduced by Assembly members Eduardo Garcia and Joaquin for the purpose of further expanding California’s homemade food industry. Currently, under the California Homemade Food Act, only certain “non-potentially hazardous” foods including breads, pies, fruit jams, and dried goods are allowed to be made in a home kitchen and offered for sale. AB 626 aims to expand the range of saleable foods to include all but the most risky foods and processing practices. This decriminalization of an already widespread practice has the potential to create thousands of small businesses, while at the same time protecting consumers by extending existing homemade food safety regulations to cover the full extent of production. There can be no doubt that this bill is an important and necessary regulation.
Beyond health and safety, however, policy makers must play a vital role in ensuring that the benefits of the market, which AB 626 will create, are realized by its participants – cooks, eaters, and community organizations – not third-parties seeking to capitalize on the new exchanges that it will allow. In the era of gig-economy platforms like Uber and AirBnB, it is easy to imagine the emergence of a handful of dominant technology companies that will seek to insert themselves between producers and consumers, charging a fee on every transaction. In other industries we have seen that the rapid growth of well-funded tech companies allows them to push out smaller market players, thereby gaining the leverage to raise transaction fees for both producers and consumers, as well as dictate standards that put de facto limits on the variety of products that can be brought to market.
The Sustainable Economies Law Center (SELC) has proposed that AB 626 include language that limits third-party intermediaries in this market to a restricted set of entities that which best represent the community of stakeholders, namely cooperatives and non-profits. The SELC argues that, while for-profit intermediaries have an incentive to squeeze both workers and consumers, non-profits and cooperatives serving as intermediaries do not; rather than being beholden to the needs of shareholders, these organizations set prices and terms of work as determined by the needs of direct stakeholders. The SELC also notes that under existing California law governing certified farmers’ markets, similar language to their proposal has been largely responsible for the recent flourishing of farmer-to-consumer transactions. The fact that California has seen a direct benefit from defending the frictionless character of transactions in this market implies the viability of this approach.
Given the Platform Cooperative Consortium’s experience with cooperatively-owned, web-based intermediaries, we can confirm that the SELC’s appraisal of Uber-like technology companies is correct. While the fees of for-profit platforms lie between 20-30% on average, cooperative platforms tend to need between just 2-5% to cover administrative costs. Platform cooperatives like Stocksy, a stock-photography cooperative that charges a fee of 3%, even return leftover funds to their members through dividend payments — in the case of Stocksy, over $200,000 was returned to member-owners last year. These more equitable pay structures can mean the difference between workers making less than minimum wage and making a true living wage.
Also, anecdotally, we understand that the homemade food industry in California is predominantly made up of women, many of them immigrants and women of color. The stark juxtaposition of the gender and racial makeup of these cooks, as compared to the executive staffs of tech companies – male-dominated with women largely relegating to support roles – adds another problematic dimension to the potential ‘Uberization’ of the cottage food industry. Worker governance and ownership, core features of cooperatives, necessarily upset these kinds of gendered and racialized inequalities: the demographic makeup of a cooperative always reflects its membership. With well-crafted legislation, policy makers have the opportunity to ensure that California’s homemade food industry not only protects those who need it most, but also sets a forward-thinking example for future food policy nationwide.
The Platform Cooperativism Consortium
The Platform Cooperativism Consortium (PCC) is an international coalition of over 40 organizations – platform cooperatives, cooperatives, universities, unions, nonprofits, technologists, and advocacy groups. We are united in our goal to support the ecosystem of the emerging cooperative platform economy through research, technical and legal assistance, and a loan fund. Our founding members include: The New School University (NYC), The Center for Civic Media and The Co-Design Studio at MIT (Cambridge), Oxford Internet Institute, Berkman Klein Center at Harvard (Cambridge), The United States Federation of Worker Cooperatives (NYC), The U.S. Solidarity Network, The National Cooperative Business Association, The ICA Group, The Freelancer’s Union, The P2P Foundation, The European Trade Union Confederation, The National Domestic Workers Alliance, and The Internet of Ownership, among others. Learn more about our mission and contributors on our website.
For additional information, please contact:
Associate Professor Trebor Scholz (Platform Cooperativism Consortium, The New School)


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Esports Technologies has announced the availability of its new app, Esports Games, on the Apple iOS operating system and the Apple App Store after Google Play. The app, officially launched earlier this week, provides tournament prediction and trivia games for esports fans and is now on both the Google Play and Apple App stores in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada.
The addition of Esports Games to the Apple Store is expected to bring the free app to more than one billion active iPhone users who largely fall within the esports demographic. Qualified players of the trivia contest can answer questions to score points and achieve placement on a global leaderboard to prove their knowledge and expertise to win prizes. Similarly, the prediction game allows players to test their skills in estimating the outcomes of live esports matches to win prizes equivalent to the prize pool of the tournament they are forecasting. Players can estimate outcomes varying from how long a match may last to how many maps a match may see.
Esports Technologies COO Bart Barden said, “We’re excited to bring our app to the entire esports community — regardless of mobile device, or platform — and provide a new avenue for fans to engage with esports events in real-time. Feedback so far is that fans are excited to have an opportunity to make real-time predictions as to what could happen next during events and to prove their esports trivia knowledge with other fans. We see this as a great addition to the esports community, recreating the tournament experience for fans watching the broadcasts at home.”
Splash Tech CEO Adam Wilson said, “Esports Technologies’ vision is what makes it unique, and we couldn’t be prouder to be powering Esports Games, the world’s first dedicated free-to-play esports predictor app. Together we’re bringing esports to the mass market, raising awareness of one of the world’s fastest-growing sports categories.”
Players can answer trivia and make predictions on the following games: League of Legends, Dota 2, Counterstrike: GO, Overwatch, World of Warcraft, Rocket League, Call of Duty, Valorant, and Overwatch.


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Instagram is following TikTok trend. With the latest update we got a new tab called Reels – short and entertaining video clips from content creators all over the world – like the ones we’re used to from TikTok.
The other change is tab Shop which enables us to connect with brands, creators and discover new products. It is designed to encourage in-app purchases.
A pretty big change is indicator of the fact that we should focus on young and creators because they are the trendsetters. With the pandemic we’ve seen an explosion in short entertaining videos. Here comes tab Reels which enables users to share their creativity and find their audience. We’ve also seen an incredible amount of shopping move online. More and more people, especially young, look to their favourite creators for recommendations on what to buy. Here comes tab Shop which makes it easy to get inspired by creators you love, shop on Instagram and support small businesses.
Will Reels become a more popular option than TikTok?
Probably the main question following the update. It may seem it probably won’t ever be as popular as TikTok. But even so, with a billion users seeing that new tab, a lot of them will be prompted to check the latest tab and if Instagram can offer better monetization options, that could bring more TikTok creators to migrate and bring their large audiences with them.
Besides that, Instagram chief Adam Mosseri has also announced that ads are coming to Reels soon.
As per Mosseri:
“I think that we can leverage the story ad format (for Reels) because it’s the same immersive experience, so that’ll be helpful because you don’t need to get advertisers to create a bunch of new creative.”
So that’s another option to consider for brands. If Reels does take off, that could be a good way to advertise and connect with younger users.
Instagram’s new eCommerce tools will also provide new revenue opportunities which is where the new Shop tab comes in.
Instagram’s been testing this tab since July so some users have had it in their app for a while. But now we all got the new direct connection taking us straight to in-app shopping experience.
The tab is the latest expansion of Shops on Instagram, with the next update likely to be the development of Facebook Pay, which will make it easier for users to make one-click purchases in-app.
Both of these additions are pretty significant changes and there is a risk that the app main screen is now simply having too many options. But usage data will tell us throught time if people will spend more time, and eventually money, in-app. And if it can steal some audience away from TikTok as well. The main role will most likely be played by monetization, where the favorite is a little clearer.


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(Photo Credits: Twitter)
San Francisco, October 15 : Tech giant Apple’s upcoming AR (Augmented Reality) headset may use iris scan instead of Face ID or Touch ID to identify people. According to a report by AppleInsider, in the company’s upcoming AR gadgets, iris scanning could be used to recognize when a user is wearing a headset. “The capability will make it easier for multiple people to use the same device and allow them to make payments quickly inside the headset,” the report quoted.
“Like the iPhone, it allows people to confirm payment using their fingerprint or face scan.” It is expected that iris scanning will enable the use of Apple Pay, if it is used as a new biometric method for user authentication. The design of the upcoming AR device is expected to feature mesh fabric, aluminum and glass. It is likely to be thinner and lighter than the new Quest Pro from Meta. Also read: Twitter will soon allow users to control who can tag them in tweets
The headset’s screen will be able to function at low refresh rates like the iPhone and Apple Watch, which have an always-on screen. This would be for battery conservation especially in the case of the headset. Rumor has it that the company is working on three different AR headsets. One of the headgear is likely to be launched in 2023. It could be priced up to $3,000 and includes 15 side-facing camera modules along with a 4K OLED panel.
apple ar headset may use iris scan to identify people


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These are all the posts that have been tagged with award.
Little Moons are launching a new Great Taste Award winning vegan Belgian Chocolate mochi to Ocado and Selfridges as well as to distributors and delis nationwide.
Chocolette Confectionary LLC, has launched its “guilt free” Red Delight chocolate collection in the US.
British confectioners Sweetdreams Ltd is launching its new quality gifting line ‘Reivers Confectionery’ at ISM 2019.
Ingredient specialist J O Sims has launched Crunchy Cranberries by Ocean Spray in the UK.
PepsiCo have announced they are looking to acquire the Lincolnshire, UK-based crisp manufacturer for an undisclosed sum.
Moo Free Chocolates has won Best Vegan Chocoalte at the VegFest 2018 awards.
Rhythm108 has announced its award-winning Sweet ‘N’ Salty Almond and Hazelnut Praline Deeelicious Swiss chocolate bars will be appearing in Sainsbury’s Local stores nationwide.
Caramel-based confectionery Toffifay has been named as the US Product of the Year in the 2018 Consumer Survey of Product Innovation.
Pure Bite has announced that its Great Taste Award winning Almond Nut Clusters will feature as a selected snack in SourcedBox’s healthy delivery service.
The Snaffling Pig Co has revealed that its pork snack products are now available in Tesco stores across the UK.
Almost 38,000 trade visitors from over 140 countries attended ISM in Germany from 29 January to 1 February, with 1,647 exhibitors from 68 countries.
Today, my blog comes to you live from the ProSweets and ISM trade fairs in Cologne, Germany, where everything from automatic panning and moulding machines to chewy sweets and turn into gum are being presented.
Bobbie van de List meets chocolatier Antonio Koji Tsuchiya to talk about his chocolate brand Théobroma.
It seems all eyes are on chocolate this month, particularly this week, as we celebrate Chocolate Week in the UK.


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(Updates with quotes, background)
By Natsuko Waki and William James
LONDON, May 1 (Reuters) - Japan’s consumer spending has not slowed as much as feared after a consumption tax hike in April, but such a risk warranted caution, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Thursday.
Speaking to business leaders in London, Abe also said wages and employment must improve visibly to overcome deflation.
“While of course we still need to exercise caution regarding the risk of Japan’s increased consumption tax rate dampening consumption, people are taking an optimistic view that consumption has not been diminished to the extent we had feared,” he said.
“To overcome deflation, it is absolutely necessary for wages and employment to move in a visible way in a positive direction.”
Abe, who has begun to reverse years of sub-par growth with expansionary fiscal and monetary policies, has also said his measures are leading the world’s third-largest economy out of deflation.
Since coming back into office in 2012, Shinzo Abe has engineered the economic recovery with aggressive monetary and fiscal stimulus, known as Abenomics.
Earlier this week, the Bank of Japan projected for the first time that inflation will exceed 2 percent roughly two years from now, underscoring its conviction that a sustained end to deflation is on the horizon without additional stimulus.
Repeatedly stating that Abenomics is moving forward, Abe said he was determined to push through labour market reforms in order to grow the economy despite a declining population.
“In order to grow, we must raise productivity ... We need to reform labour regulation in order to make working conditions more flexible,” Abe said, in an answer to a question by Bank of England Deputy Governor Andrew Bailey.
“Over the past year we’ve realised how difficult it has been to do so. But we cannot grow without labour reforms. We are determined to make that happen.”
Abe’s 10-day visit to Europe will also take in Portugal, Spain, France and Brussels, institutions such as NATO and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and meetings with European business leaders. (Reporting by Natsuko Waki and William James; Editing by Ken Wills)


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The concept of net metering seemed logical enough when it was first introduced in the United States during the late 1970s.
As solar panel technology grew, consumers wisely understood it made sense to take the excess energy generated and store it for use later. It wasn’t long before users of this less expensive and more environmentally friendlier energy source realized the excess of energy their solar panels created could be sold to larger electrical companies for profit and added to the grid.
That was how net metering or NEM, as it’s more commonly known, quickly spread across the country. The first two projects to use NEM were an apartment complex and a solar test house in Massachusetts in 1979. Not long after that, Minnesota passed the first net metering law in 1983. That law allowed anyone generating less than 40 kW to either roll over their credits to the next month or be paid for their access energy generated (In 2000, the law was amended to compensate at the average retail energy rate).
The 1980s were significant for the solar panel industry, which made it make sense that the government gets involved in regulating the growing resource. Idaho adopted net metering in 1980, followed by Arizona in 1981. Then came Massachusetts in 1982. By 1998, 22 states or utilities had adopted some form of net metering.
In 2005, all utilities in the U.S. were required to offer net metering “upon request.” Today, Alabama, South Dakota, and Tennessee are the only states that don’t have any form of net metering or any source of compensation for excess energy. The rest of the states make metering mandatory, offer alternatives, or allow utilities to provide metering.
But as solar rooftop paneling has grown as a less expensive and more environmentally friendly resource, so has the resistance of the big utility companies in this country. The more widespread solar becomes, the less money big utilities suck in. So, things are being done as we speak to hinder the growth of solar energy use.
Florida, Nevada, and California have either introduced legislation or are exploring ways to make solar less beneficial to consumers. Be assured if they are successful, others will follow.
In 1997, Nevada began a net metering subsidy, which kicked off what some in the state described as “the solar gold rush.” Solar companies rolled in and set up offices and sold their systems. Business was good as solar consumers saved on power, improved the environment, and pocketed a nice sum for selling their excess power their systems generated back to the utility companies to put into the grid at retail rates.
But things began to shift in 2015 when the Nevada Public Utilities Commission approved new rules that changed the rate for utility companies paid rooftop solar customers for their excess energy from retail to wholesale rates while also creating new fees for solar owners. This affected new solar customers and pre-existing customers who had signed contracts to be able to sell their excess energy at the more favorable retail rates.
Lawsuits were filed against the Nevada Public Utilities Commission on the basis that lowering rates violated the contracts made with installers. Still, the damage had been done. The solar market slowed, and hundreds of solar workers lost their jobs.
Finally, in 2016 the discord of solar consumers and workers was heard. A deal was struck between NV Energy and SolarCity, which allowed customers to retain the use of their actual retail rates, effectively eradicating the Nevada Public Utilities Commission’s actions.
Under the terms of the new agreement, 32,000 rooftop solar customers were grandfathered in under the original net metering retail rates for a 20-year period. In September 2017, Nevada’s Public Utilities Commission (PUC) approved of the new guidelines that gave more favorable NEM rules and regulations for NV Energy.
Under the new rules, rooftop solar customers are compensated at 95 percent of the retail rate for exporting excess energy back to the grid. The new order also calls for export rate compensation levels to gradually decline as tranches of capacity are reached, requiring NV Energy to charge solar and non-solar customers the same fees.
What’s going on in Florida poses a more immediate and current threat to solar rooftops. Spearheaded by the nation’s largest utility company, Florida Power and Light, the Florida Legislature is trying to end net metering for rooftop solar customers. The proposed changes will effectively cut off over $18 billion in economic impact for the state being generated by the solar rooftop industry.
Florida’s net metering program was established in 2008. Within Code Rule 25-6.065, residential and commercial customers who have systems with less than 2 megawatts in capacity are eligible to sell their excess generation back to the utility company at the full retail electricity rate each month. Under the new proposed legislation, investor-owned utilities like FPL can set their own credit and net metering, which would be crippling to the solar rooftop industry in Florida.
To understand the potential impact, here are some essential facts about the solar rooftop industry in Florida. The state has the second-largest solar workforce in the country and ranks third among states for installed solar capacity. Rooftop solar creates more jobs per megawatt than any other form of energy supports over 8,900 direct jobs and another 31,000 indirect and induced jobs, contributing over $3.2 billion in household income to workers across the Sunshine State, according to Florida Solar Energy Industries Association (FlaSEIA).
The proposed change calls on the Florida Public Service Commission to set up a successor net metering program by January 1, 2023. The new program is required to:
- Ensure that public utility customers owning or leasing renewable generation pay the total cost of electric service and are not subsidized by the public utility’s general body of ratepayers
- Ensure that all energy delivered by the public utility is purchased at the public utility’s applicable retail rate and that all energy delivered by customer-owned or -leased renewable generation to the public utility is credited to the customer at the public utility’s full avoided costs.
The bill also allows utilities to add in base facilities charges, electric grid access fees, monthly minimum bills, or other fixed charges to customers’ bills to ensure the utility recovers their cost of serving net metering customers.
Additionally, if the bill passes, existing net metering customers who had their system operational before January 1, 2023 would be grandfathered into their previous compensation rate for 10 more years.
The utilities in Florida are claiming that since solar consumers produce their own solar power and do not use the grid, they are not paying their fair share of the upkeep of the grid. They argue that if solar consumers aren’t paying for the grid upkeep, those costs then shift to non-solar customers.
But the numbers found in the Lawrence Berkley National Lab study found that 40 of the 43 states and Washington D.C. with net metering programs have a negligible cost increase attributed to solar. The cost picture remains this way until solar penetration meets 10% of a state’s generation portfolio.
Only about 90,000 Florida electric companies or 1 percent sell excess energy back to the grid. But the problem for investor-owned utility companies is that arrangement has led to significant rooftop solar expansion.
The legislation being proposed would seriously hinder that growth.
While critical to fighting climate change, Rooftop solar is a threat to the traditional utility business model. Electricity companies like FPL make money from the things they build: mainly large power plants and lines that bring that energy to customers. They don’t make money off of solar power generated from rooftops. Solar has become a significant threat to these large utility companies across the nation, and they are feeling pressured by the rise of distributed renewable energy.
As you see, solar is under attack with it, so are the environment and your ability to operate your home at a savings. It’s time to act now. Invest in solar rooftop energy now so that you are grandfathered into savings for the next 20 years. Also, write to your local and state government officials to let them know your desire to keep solar energy affordable not just for your budget but for the benefit of the environment, as well.


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Collecting data about assembly lines, trucks, and mining gear and then sending it to humans to help improve the performance of that equipment is pretty well accepted by now. But the Internet of things— the billions of Internet-connected devices used by businesses and consumers—is also permeating the fine art of beer making.
This week, business software makers Informatica and Zoomdata said they are collaborating to help a large, unnamed European beer maker check the quality of its products, from the brewery to the pub. The software will monitor temperature and pressure of the beer in the tap and the line along with tracking the number of pints poured in real time, the companies said.
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That information could come in handy both for the beer maker and affiliated pub owners, who need to know about inventory and quality levels. Note to bartenders who have been giving friends a lot of free drinks: Your boss may soon be paying closer attention.
Related: Informatica to Be Taken Private
This “Internet of Beers” scenario combines the use of Informatica’s Intelligent Streaming software, which collects and transmits real-time data from various sensors or other devices, with Zoomdata’s visualization tools that put that data in charts that are easier for the human eye to understand than a flood of numbers.
And, with Zoomdata’s product, beer aficionados can play back their data like a DVR. For example, they can pause flow of data, rewind it, and watch it again to see what is happening. Both companies will pitch this system later this week at the Informatica World conference in San Francisco.
To be fair, these companies are not the first to pitch this “Internet of beers” angle. In February, beer maker MillerCoors previewed Miller Lite On-Demand, a service that lets customers order beer from home by telling their Amazon Echo connected device what they need. Or, they can re-stock by pressing a connected Amazon (AMZN) Dash button dedicated to MillerCoors products, according to AdAge.
And SteadyServ, a Fishers, IN. company, has offered a cloud-based beer inventory management system for a few years now that also relies on connected sensors to relay information about what’s happening in unseen parts of the system to the people who need to know about such things as inventory levels.
One perk is that bar staff no longer have to try to lift 165-lb kegs to see how full they are. Instead they can just check the level on their smartphones.


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The average Brit can last just 96 days on their savings, according to new research.
CREDIT © Violka08 Depositphotos
A study of 2,000 adults shows that most have just £3,769.92 set aside for a rainy day, and even then 58 per cent will dip into this fund whenever they are short of cash.
In fact, while the average person saves £95.35 a month for holidays, and £76.04 a month for their children’s future, only £106.58 is put aside for their own needs.
As a consequence, after just over three months, the average adult would need to find another way of supporting themselves when they run out of cash.
But seven in 10 people admit they have absolutely no plans in place should they find themselves out of work and out of savings.
While one in six of those polled don’t have a single penny saved at all.
A spokesman for research experts www.OnePoll.com which carried out the research said:
“We find it reassuring that most adults do have some money put away for an emergency, so while it might not last long, it will certainly buy some time before things get desperate.
“The reality is that with the high cost of modern living, it is getting more and more difficult to save money without making sacrifices in other areas of our lives.
“So unless people want to ditch holidays and instant gratification for longer term planning, they’re not going to have enough money in the pot to save very much.”
The study shows 12 per cent of adults fear their savings would only last them a week if they had no other income at all, while one in 10 think they would be lucky to get through a fortnight.
When faced with the notion of coping without a regular income, 48 per cent say they would try for temporary work as a quick way of generating cash.
The same percentage of people would start selling any possessions they could do without at car boot sales and on auction websites, while 21 per cent would use the overdraft to the maximum limit.
More worryingly, 14 per cent would consider taking out a loan to keep them afloat – despite having no known means of paying it back – and one in 10 would take out more credit cards.
A fifth of folk would approach mum and dad for a loan, and if desperate, eight per cent would ask for money from friends.
For those people who have already dipped into their savings to tide them over when money has been tight, wanting to book a holiday and having to make emergency repairs to the car are the biggest reasons for withdrawing money from the rainy day account.
Other reasons given for spending the savings include having to urgently pay off debt, needing to pay for children’s school trips and wanting to make home renovations.
People will also spend any money they have stashed away on decorating, bailing out another family member or when having to take time off work due to sickness.
Interestingly, two thirds of adults wish they could save more money to ensure they have a bright future ahead of them, but 33 per cent claim to live hand to mouth each month.
Four in 10 people say they have absolutely no money left to enjoy once all the bills and essentials are paid for, and a fifth say they run out of their wages partway through the month anyway.
But for some people, spending disposable income is more important than saving it.
Indeed, 15 per cent want to live life to the full and enjoy every second of it now, while 17 per cent admit they would rather spend their money on holidays, socialising and having fun
The spokesman for www.OnePoll.com continues:
“While many people choose to spend their savings on socialising and holidays, more often than not it is life’s little unwanted surprises and emergencies which lead up to spend our savings.
“It is impossible to foresee a failed MOT, car breakdown or plumbing catastrophe, and all of these things can be expensive to fix.
“So unless people have a separate account set up for emergency funding, they have no choice but to dip into their small savings account to cope with the unwanted bill.”
‘PLAN B’ – HOW BRITS INTEND TO COPE WITHOUT A JOB AND NO SAVINGS
1. Try to get temporary work
2. Sell unwanted possessions on auction sites and at car boot sales
3. Use the overdraft to its maximum limit
4. Ask for handouts from mum and dad
5. Spend on the credit card to its maximum balance
6. Take out a loan
7. Open more credit cards
8. Borrow money from friends
9. Only purchase reduced items
10. Stop spending money on clothes, gaming, socialising, public transport etc


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Honda Cyber attacks continue to stop production at major US factories
Honda has revealed that an external cyber attack has infected a production control system at a major US factory with a virus, and production has been suspended.
Go To Campaign Ministry of Agriculture and Hearing from Business Operator
Regarding the “Go To Campaign” to stimulate consumption after the spread of the new coronavirus infection has converged, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, who is in charge of the food and drink field, conducted an interview with the food service industry and others early Opinions were asked for the implementation of.
Mizuho Bank “Hanko Culture” Review Corporate loan to electronic contract
Mizuho Bank, when lending to companies, stops using paper documents to sign contracts and switches to online electronic contracts. By reviewing the bank's “hanko culture”, we aim to improve efficiency by enabling transactions with companies even during telework.
Hitachi, Ltd. Yoshihiko Shoyama died former president focused on IT-related business 84 years old
Honorary Counselor Yoshihiko Shoyama, who has served as the president and chairman of Hitachi Ltd., died on the 5th of this month. I was 84 years old.
“Wearing a mask and coping with heatstroke measures” Development and innovation in various regions
This summer, when both infectious disease countermeasures and heat stroke countermeasures are required. In various places, various masks are being developed, such as developing new masks and devising ways to put them on.
"Haruyama" consumption tax increase of 28 million yen is not paid and the JFTC recommends it
The fair trade of a major men's clothing chain, Haruyama Holdings, was said to have not added the tax increase to the payment of rents at some stores and parking lots since the consumption tax rate was raised to 8% six years ago. The committee made recommendations for correction.
Stock price modest increase
The Tokyo Stock Market and Nikkei Stock Average on the 10th rose slightly.
Beer sales drastically reduced, but recovered slightly due to restart of restaurants New coronavirus
The sales of the four major beer companies last month have been consolidated, and the sales of beer, including those for commercial use, have continued to decline due to the impact of the new coronavirus, while the reduction in the amount of decrease due to the resumption of restaurant operations due to the cancellation of the emergency declaration Reduced from April.
Tokyo Stock Market Small price movement
On the 10th, the Tokyo stock market has been buying and selling, and the stock price has been moving slightly.
April Machinery order value decreased by 12% Downward revision of the basic judgment Cabinet Office
The orders received by major machinery manufacturers in April, which shows the outlook for corporate capital investment, fell 12% from the previous month. With the spread of the new coronavirus infection, it seems that the business activity was stagnant, and the Cabinet Office revised the keynote judgment downward to "weak in the footsteps".
May Corporate price index fell 0.4%, falling for 4 consecutive months Impact of new corona
Looking at fluctuations in the price of goods traded between companies The corporate price index of last month fell 0.4% from the previous month due to the impact of the decrease in crude oil price due to the spread of new coronavirus infection, and fell for the fourth consecutive month. did.
NY Stocks Dow drops for the first time in 7 days Nasdaq's highest price for 2 consecutive days
The New York Stock Market on the 9th saw the Dow Average stock price drop for the first time in seven days, following the start of a meeting to decide the US monetary policy, with a sell order ahead to see what it was. On the other hand, the stock index of Nasdaq, which has a lot of IT-related stocks, continued to rise and reached the highest price for two consecutive days, and temporarily exceeded 10,000 points for the first time.
Gross regional product in the eurozone from January to March is -3.6%
The revised value of GDP (Gross regional product) from January to March in the euro area such as Germany and France was minus 3.6%.
Dismissal and suspension of employment The new Corona, which accounts for 60% of non-regular employees
The number of people who were dismissed or stopped due to the influence of the new coronavirus has increased by more than 4000 people including prospects in the past week, of which 60% are non-regular employees, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's summary understood. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has called on companies to maintain employment because there is a risk that the number will continue to increase.


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- Special Features
Blogs & Columns
- Fun & Games
McDonald’s restaurants in Hong Kong are now offering more than just fast food to their customers. The mega-chain is offering up wedding packages to go with fries and Big Macs as well.
According to CNBC, 15 of the country’s McDonald’s locations will start hosting weddings. Three of the restaurant’s establishments started the trend in 2011.
The unusual marriage venue is actually happening in more locations now thanks to popular demand.
"We started the program because many customers tell us that McDonald's is where they first started dating," restaurant spokeswoman Jessica Lee said.
Lee added that couples believe it makes sense for them to tie the knot where they first began their love story.
Participating McDonald’s restaurants will also host engagement and anniversary parties.
The Business Insider reports that a variety of budget-friendly wedding packages are available starting at just $373. The most expensive package is the Deluxe Package which runs about $1,290. That package includes the two-hour venue rental, 50 invites, an apple pie cake display, music, decorations and two balloon wedding rings.


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“Go buy Ivanka’s stuff, is what I would tell you,” Kellyanne Conway said on Fox News. “I hate shopping, but I’m going to go get some for myself today.”
The first daughter formally severed ties with her businesses, including her eponymous clothing lines, when Donald Trump was elected. But several retailers who used to carry her products have recently discontinued them, citing low sales that may be at least in part the result of boycott efforts like #grabyourwallet.
Nordstrom’s announcement that it would no longer carry Ivanka-brand products prompted a retaliatory tweet from the president, who raged that the store was treating his daughter “unfairly.”
And others have also rallied around her, circulating a #buyIvanka hashtag on Twitter and, in Conway’s case, explicitly shilling for the brand on national television.
That move may have been illegal, Chris Lu, an ethics adviser to President Obama, warned in a tweet of his own that highlighted the relevant law and tagged Rep. Jason Chaffetz, chair of the House’s committee on oversight and government reform.
According to him, it’s against the law to use public office for private gain. Endorsing the product of a friend is specifically prohibited.
Contact Helen Chernikoff email@example.com
Is Kellyanne Conway Shilling For Ivanka?
Helen Chernikoff is the Forward’s News Editor. She came to the Forward from The Jewish Week, where she served as the first web director and created both a blog dedicated to disability issues and a food and wine website. Before that, she covered the housing, lodging and logistics industries for Reuters, where she could sit at her desk and watch her stories move the stock market. Helen has a Master’s of Public Administration from Columbia University and a BA in History and French from Amherst College. She is also a rabbinical school dropout. Contact her at firstname.lastname@example.org and follow her on Twitter at @thesimplechild.


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- According to the report by World Travel and Tourism Council, India currently ranks 18thin business travel and will be among the top 5 nations by the end of 2010.- ASSOCHAM has projected that Medical Tourism is likely to become the leading foreignexchange earner for India- India is now emerging as one of the hot destinations for medical- tourism after Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Philippines, ColumbiaA touch of tenderness, a helping hand, a welcoming visage... the Indian hospitality sector is certainly the most apt replication of the belief ‘ATITHI
Good quality products and services at affordable prices should be the USP of anysuccessful venture - and hotels in the country boast of exactly this!According to the world travel and tourism council, the growth in the hospitality industry is pegged at 15% every year, and with 2, 00,000 rooms (both luxury and budget) needed inthe country, the segment is poised for a stupendous growth.
While the high influx of foreign tourists has ensured huge footfalls for the sector over theyears, internal tourism too has, off late, begun offering great potential. With travelerstaking new interests in the country, players in the hospitality sector have had to offer the best of services, at affordable prices. Also, with the USD 23 billion software servicessector pushing the Indian economy skywards, more and more IT professionals are flockingto Indian metro cities, thus signaling a boom time for the hotel and hospitality segment.Several other factors such as Commonwealth Games in Delhi are fueling the need further.
The best bet
The Indian hospitality industry is projected to grow at a rate of 8.8% between 2007-16, placing India as the second-fastest growing tourism market in the world. Initiatives likemassive investment in hotel infrastructure and open sky policies made by the governmentare all aimed at propelling growth in the hospitality sector.3


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Funeral Investigation: A study has found some funeral providers aren't transparent with pricing. More: https://yhoo.it/2kBvQ7I jj#sun7
Posted by Sunrise on Friday, 26 May 2017
A research study on death care and the funeral industry in Australia was released by The University of Sydney, Business School. We read with intent on what Professor Sandra van der Laan might uncover. In her own words, this industry is “shrouded in secrecy”. But it takes much persistence and courage to open such a Pandora’s Box.
We, in the know, applaud Professor for taking this topic at the reigns, and giving it a good shake. And indeed, the research has raised a lot of interests and alarm bells, due to the lack of transparency. Families are unaware of the choices, let alone their rights at time of need.
Consumer choice and bringing change to the industry — that is our vision. We have been working for some time to try and offer transparency to the general public. It’s not been an easy journey for us. We’ve even been perceived as market disruptors by Funeral Directors.
When we started collaborating with Costco to provide a select range of coffins and caskets to the general public last year, our contact number was no doubt deleted off many Funeral Directors’ phone list. But in support of Costco’s mission to provide the retail market a just and fair coffin product and price, without jeopardising on quality, we needed to take this step.
Thankfully, some Funeral Directors are genuine in their approach, and are all in with their support to bring change and transparency to this traditional industry with us. How we manage this kind of a relationship is to provide a select range to Costco, and reserving exclusive items to our Funeral Directors. This arrangement provides a choice to the consumer; whether they choose to buy a coffin from the retail market or choose one from the Funeral Director. At least that’s fair.
There is no regulation for the Funeral Director to deny you your right to source a coffin that is not of their own; nor is there one to stop them from doing so. In light of this, Dale Maroney, Senior VP of Australian Funeral Directors Association appeared on Channel 7 Sunrise to comment on the topic of inflating funeral prices.
The broadcasters highlighted that funeral homes have ‘packages’ where the consumer don’t even know what they’re paying for.
More importantly, this question was put to Maroney — whether consumers are free to ‘pick and choose’ funeral service products from bundled packages, such as flowers, cars or coffins — Maroney’s answer was “of course you could”.
At last! A representative figure has spoken out. Maroney encourages people to shop around, do their research and to sit with their Funeral Director to go through the itemised bill, because the cost of a funeral service all comes down to choice.
Transparency and Choice! Now we’re talking the same language. Subsequently, Maroney reflected in her own article that recent headlines on funeral costs has been misleading. The essence of a Funeral Director’s role is more than just in transportation. She notes, “It’s not our role to tell a family how best to honour their loved one. But it is our role to guide them through the process and ensure they are aware of their full range of options.”
There is certainly more to be done so that a regulated system is in place to protect consumers from the mysteries of the funeral market. But at least folks, you’re now in the know — it pays to do your research, and a responsible Funeral Director will provide an honest and professional service with a family’s need close to heart.


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Sports equipment and clothing company HEAD has today launched a compelling new brand campaign to revitalize communications and engage with a wider audience base ahead of 14/15 Winter ski season.
Led by creative agency DesignStudio, the campaign looks to reaffirm HEAD as leaders in the winter sports sector, while expanding and building on HEAD’s existing ‘What’s Your Limit’ proposition that aims to inspire.
In an increasingly competitive market, DesignStudio’s collaboration with HEAD set out to create a multi-touch point campaign that looks at winter sports with a fresh and invigorating approach. The campaign which runs across digital, print, point of sale (POS) and advertising, shifts the perspective away from traditional skiing and mountain shots often seen within the winter sports sector. Instead the new campaign looks to connect with audiences using emotive storytelling that brings viewers much closer to the brand.
‘Race’ is the first of four films to be rolled out as part of the campaign focusing on some of the top athletes in the ski world. The film tells the intimate and never seen before stories of HEAD-sponsored athletes Anna Fenninger and Askel Lund Svindal’s rituals prior to a big race. By taking viewers inside the locker room while they are preparing to push their own limits, the ‘What’s Your Limit’ campaign aims to inspire everyone to stretch their own personal goals.
DesignStudio created the work to challenge the traditional perceptions of how ski’s are marketed. The team filmed on location in Sweden, and used a number of innovative production techniques across the series including filming with drones, using backward skiing film crews and innovative binaural sound recording to create immersive experiences for HEAD’s ski audience.
“This level of storytelling is completely new territory for winter sports. We wanted to break the mould of how skis are traditionally marketed and the result is something which genuinely pushes boundaries, gets audiences closer to the athletes and we think will get pulses racing.” said Ian Styles, DesignStudio Executive Creative Director, who led the London team on the project.
Styles explains further: “As a one of the major global wintersport brands HEAD wanted to bring their customers closer to their heroes and inspire more people to hit the slopes. The films needed to tell the stories of the athletes and convey the emotion and exhilaration that goes hand-in-hand with winter sports. In order to turn up the dial on the production, we were able to capture the fast-paced action using a number of specialist techniques.”
Neil Allavena, Marketing manager at HEAD adds: “Working in collaboration with DesignStudio has enabled us to express the core emotions felt when skiing with HEAD products. They’ve taken the brand proposition of ‘What’s your Limit?’ and brought it to life in a way that is truly authentic and full of energy. Their approach to story-telling is unique and has enabled us to connect our athletes with our audiences in a really powerful way. We’re all really proud of this work and think it is going to help us take sports marketing to a whole new level.”
A further three videos will be released in the build-up to the ski season and form part of the multi-touch point campaign.
Categories: Sportswear, Clothing and Fashionlbbonline.com, Tue, 28 Oct 2014 16:11:08 GMT


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ALLDATA reaches customer milestone
ALLDATA Inc. recently announced it now has more then 70,000 automotive repair shop subscribers, a major milestone for the company.
The 70,000th subscriber is My Tech Automotive in Beaufort, S.C., which is owned by John Prussia. Prussia recently opened his own automotive repair facility after working in the field for more than 15 years.
In other news, ALLDATA has extended its market reach to
include the collision industry with a new program, ALLDATA Collision.


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In remarks made during the recent 2020 National Minority Supplier Development Council Virtual Leadership Awards Ceremony and through an online message on NMSDC.org, NMSDC President and CEO Adrienne Trimble firmly stated the organization’s commitment to facilitating change for the nation’s Black business community.
Her appeal challenged business leaders to “Not only lend a hand to our minority business enterprises but to take definitive action and stand up against the systemic racial barriers plaguing our society.”
The economic disruption caused by COVID-19 shutdowns coupled with closures as civil protests erupted in many communities is particularly devastating to Black businesses, Trimble said. The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Payroll Protection Program has helped some Black businesses, but NMSDC said its surveys have identified that many still need additional support. In addition, the organization said many Black-owned businesses across the country are now at risk of having to close their doors permanently. According to data from the National Bureau of Economic Research, as of May 2020, 41% of Black-owned businesses had closures due to COVID-19.
In response to the crisis facing its certified MBEs, NMSDC launched the “In This Together” campaign — a portfolio of initiatives and programs to help expedite recovery efforts within the Black business community. NMSDC issued a call to action asking corporate members’ C-Level executives to fortify and recommit to their organization’s utilization of minority businesses by supporting:
PPP Funding Access: NMSDC established a partnership between its Business Consortium Fund and Midwest BankCentre to provide MBEs with direct access and support for accessing PPP funds at bcfcapital.com. Visit the website and watch the PPP video which provides step-by-step instructions for completing a PPP loan application. There is still more than $130 billion in allocated funds available.
The REBUILDING Fund: NMSDC established “The REBUILDING Fund” to invest in minority businesses struggling to recover from the economic, downturn resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as those sustaining damage and vandalism during protests.
The Minority Business Advocacy Initiative: NMSDC established an inter-organization coalition focused on eradicating the racial wealth gap and startup capital gap to build and scale minority businesses.
The NMSDC Business Consortium Fund: NMSDC has accelerated its work with its Business Consortium Fund, the only U.S. nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution focused exclusively on financing the growth and development of NMSDC-certified MBEs throughout the United States operating in corporate and government supply chains and helping raise capital for low-interest loans to MBEs.
NMSDC Academy: The NMSDC Academy provides a range of immersive professional development and learning opportunities for MBEs and its corporate partners, including Emerging Young Entrepreneurs, Minority Business Leadership Academy, Centers of Excellence Certificate Program and Women of Color initiatives.
Shortly after NMSDC announced the launch of its “In This Together” campaign, The Coca-Cola Co. responded with the effort’s first pledge. To date, these corporations have pledged support:
• Amgen Inc.
• AT&T Inc.
• Cargill Inc.
• Capital One Financial Corp.
• CDW Corp.
• Chevron Corp.
• Citrix Systems Inc.
• The Coca-Cola Co.
• Colgate-Palmolive Co.
• Cummins Inc.
• The ECG Group
• Exxon Mobil Corp.
• Fifth Third Bancorp
• Google LLC.
• Humana Inc.
• Infinera Corp.
• Intel Corp.
• JPMorgan Chase & Co.
• The Kellogg Co.
• Messer Construction
• Motorola Solutions Inc.
• Nissan North America Inc.
• Pfizer Inc.
• PNC Financial Services Group
• The Procter & Gamble Co.
• Salesforce.com Inc.
• SAS Institute Inc.
• Twitter Inc.
• UPS Inc.
• Verizon Media
• Vistra Corp.
• The Walt Disney Co.
• Warner Media Group
• Wells Fargo & Co.
President and CEO
“Recent events are shining a brighter spotlight on the challenges facing many minority communities and minority-owned businesses, emphasizing the great need for the work of NMSDC. Through the NMSDC’s Rebuilding Fund, Vistra is investing in the immediate restoration of those minority businesses impacted by the pandemic and damaged during protests. In addition, Vistra is committed to supporting minority communities through the long-term growth of minority-owned businesses by contributing to the Business Consortium Fund.”
Chief procurement officer and head of supplier services
The Coca-Cola Co.
“The Coca-Cola Co. and our bottling partners have a longstanding commitment to the growth and development of diverse suppliers. The Coca-Cola Co. has consistently grown our commitment and spend with diverse suppliers over the 45-plus years since our supplier diversity program began. We are proud to partner with NMSDC and, in 2020, will continue to financially support NMSDC’s MBE economic inclusion and parity initiatives while growing our overall diverse supplier spend.”
Chief procurement officer and president, real estate and risk management
“UPS has a long history of support for minority-owned businesses. Our decadeslong membership and sponsorship of the NMSDC has been an important and valued part of our business, and we are honored to stand with you to support our diverse communities.”
Chief procurement officer and global vice president, strategic sourcing and procurement
“Cargill has been committed to building an inclusive supply chain for decades, and believes that when our suppliers reflect the communities we work and live in, we all thrive. With our ongoing support of NMSDC and its great work, Cargill is committed to creating opportunities to utilize minority-owned businesses to drive economic growth.”
NMSDC said it is in active conversations with a number of corporations regarding their participation and support of this campaign.
“I appreciate the generosity of these donors, as well as those companies in the process of finalizing their commitments,” Trimble said. “Their swift response to our call to action is already allowing NMSDC to deploy funds to our MBEs and strengthens our ability to expand support further into the Black business community.”However, she noted that the crisis is far from over. Trimble said that while many corporations have promised financial support to Black businesses and the Black Lives Matter Movement, few organizations can directly impact MBE sustainability as well as NMSDC. Therefore, the “In This Together” campaign will continue as needed to provide support to minority businesses during these unprecedented times.
To learn more about how to support NMSDC’s “In This Together” campaign, visit NMSDC.org/InThisTogether.


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The Business Grants Program during 2020 aimed to provide immediate financial assistance to eligible Greater Dandenong small to medium-sized businesses affected by COVID-19.
Council ran two rounds of applications which saw a combined total of over 360 successful applicants. This equalled an investment of over $600,000. Read below a few stories of some of our successful applicants.
195 Lonsdale Street, Dandenong
Known for their signature dish ‘Mantu’ – traditional dumplings, Pamir Restaurant, like many hospitality businesses have struggled through the pandemic.
Shahina Ahad, owner of Pamir Restaurant heard about the business grants on the City of Greater Dandenong Facebook page. Shahina called the Economic Development Unit at Council to confirm the details of the grant and decided to submit an application.
“I applied for the small business grant and explained what our businesses needed… after 10 business days we were told that we were successful in
getting the grant.”
The funding helped Pamir Restaurant to undertake much-needed renovations to their two kitchens including their kebab room, which were undertaken after restrictions were lifted.
Looking forward, Shahina is hoping for a more prosperous 2022, with lockdowns being a thing of the past. “I’m excited to re-open the doors and welcome back my loyal customers to dine in our restaurant and I’m also looking forward to seeing some new faces too”.
To learn more about this restaurant, visit their website.
Melbourne Ballet School
10 Summit Road, Noble Park North
Like many, Michelle Johnson, Director of Melbourne Ballet School was faced with new challenges when the pandemic struck in early 2020. Being forced to close the doors to her dance studio took a huge toll on her small business.
Michelle submitted her grant application and was successful in securing funding. The grant enabled her to convert the ballet studio to run in person and online classes simultaneously. She purchased a large screen television, and a high-quality camera and headset to broadcast live classes to students at home. “Having the large TV in the studio meant the teacher could see the dancers from further away in the room. It has given the studio flexibility to continue to offer student classes whilst they cannot be at the studio,” said Ms Johnson. Strategically, Ms Johnson understands that “there will continue to be dancers that may occasionally need to be at home isolating, so we will be able to keep using the equipment we purchased to offer them classes from home”.
Looking ahead, Ms Johnson is enthusiastic about “little to no lockdowns so our dancers can have some consistency in their training and performance opportunities”. The ballet school are also planning their next overseas dance adventure where the dancers train for performances and competitions in other countries.
To learn more about Melbourne Ballet School, visit their website.
5 Bennet Street, Dandenong
After officially opening their doors in late 2018 owners of Bojak Brewing, Dale and Sue Messina would never have thought they would be required to close their doors for the majority of 2020 and 2021.
Prior to the pandemic, the brewery ran a bar and restaurant as well as distributing their products to predominately metro Melbourne stockists. When the pandemic hit and they were forced to close the bar and restaurant, they had to flip their business model to become predominately wholesale. This pushed them to branch further to encompass Regional Victoria and New South Wales stockists which has been very well received. The success of their packaged beer was how they survived.
Last year, Bojak were successful in securing funding through Greater Dandenong’s Business Grants Program which helped them purchase a refrigerated shipping container and a fermenter tank. The shipping container was used to store packaged beer and the additional fermenter enabled them to produce more beer to meet the increase in demand.
Moving forward Dale and Sue Messina are hoping that 2022 brings stability and Bojak Brewing can reopen their bar and have the place buzzing again. “We have an incredible local community who have supported us continuously and we can’t wait to have them back enjoying one of our 14 Bojak beers on tap and fresh dough pizzas. After all, that’s why we opened in the first place - a place for the locals to go to,” said Ms Messina.
To learn more about Bojak Brewing, visit their website.


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SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--LendIt Fintech, the world’s leading event in financial services innovation, announced today that they have selected First Associates as a finalist in the Top Professional Services Company category for the LendIt Fintech Industry Awards for the second year in a row. The Top Professional Service Company finalists were awarded to companies that demonstrate deep expertise, unique value, strong ROI, commitment to clients and the fostering of a deeper understanding of fintech.
First Associates was selected as a finalist out of hundreds of applicants worldwide and by more than 30 respected fintech industry experts who judged finalists representing innovation, emerging talent and top performers. First Associates will compete for top honors within its award category at the LendIt Fintech Industry Awards Show and Dinner on April 10 at the LendIt Fintech conference in San Francisco. The prestigious awards will bring together 500 fintech influencers, entrepreneurs and thought leaders to honor the outstanding achievements in financial services innovation.
“We are thrilled to be named a finalist for the Top Professional Services Company,” said David Johnson, CEO. “It’s quite an honor to be nominated again after winning in 2017, especially among such prestigious company as Salesforce, Deloitte, Manatt, Millennium Trust and Cloud Lending Solutions.”
“This year’s finalists are the most innovative companies disrupting the future of finance in order to improve the quality of daily life,” said Peter Renton, co-founder and co-chairman, LendIt Fintech. “We were yet again impressed by the number of high-caliber nominees and look forward to celebrating these companies that have made impressive contributions to the fintech industry.”
About First Associates Loan Servicing, LLC
First Associates offers in-depth industry expertise, cutting-edge technology and delivers flexible, scalable and innovative solutions to meet the demands of any company. The company is the fastest growing servicer of loan and lease portfolios in the United States and is actively expanding across the globe.
First Associates is the only company in its class to receive a Morningstar Credit Ratings MOR RV1 ranking with a forecast of ‘stable’ which is the highest certification for operational risk and overall excellence in loan servicing. They celebrated their 30-Year Anniversary in 2016 and were selected by their peers as the LendIt 2017 Top Service Provider. http://www.1stassociates.com.
About LendIt Fintech
LendIt Fintech is a recognized global internet finance industry leader, founded in New York in 2013. Its aim is to gather industry elites to discuss and explore latest trends in the development of international financial technology. LendIt Fintech has become the largest event in financial services innovation as it hosts three annual conferences, LendIt Fintech USA, LendIt Fintech Europe, and Lang Di Fintech, and dozens of complementary online and in-person industry events. LendIt Fintech also owns and operates one of the world’s leading industry educational channels, Lend Academy.


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Diageo buys George Clooney’s Casamigos Tequila for $1 billion
Casamigos, the Tequila brand co-founded by Hollywood heartthrob George Clooney, has been sold to drinks giant Diageo for up to $1 billion....
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That's when I stopped by the offices of iStrategyLabs, a Washington social-media marketing firm, opened the Foursquare app — revised this morning to make it easier to get recommondations for nearby places — and checked into iSL's "Social Cooler" instead of the company's Dupont Circle address. (Trivia: ABC News host George Stephanopolous lived there years ago, and his mail still sometimes shows up.)
And then I waited for the lid of this cooler, tricked out with a laser-cut version of iSL's logo, to open in response to my check-in. And waited. Technology demos are like that sometimes.
But maybe five minutes later, the check-in was picked up by an Amazon-hosted app monitoring Foursquare's servers, which in turn sent a command to the Arduino logic board in the cooler to run small servos to unlock and open the lid.
In earlier tests, the cooler had been stocked with cold beers; on Friday afternoon, it only contained LED-illuminated plastic ice cubes.
There's a long history of connecting everyday devices to the Internet. Online graybeards may recall such pioneering efforts as Cygnus Support's Christmas tree, which in 1993 allowed users to see which of its lights and musical bells were on or off, then, in later years, vote on the tree's illumination.
The ever-cheaper costs of connectivity and computing have since given rise to the concept of an "Internet of Things," in which crazy numbers of devices will gain their own access and ability to respond to other online gadgets.
With iSL's Social Machines project, however, the idea is to ensure that not just anybody online can interact with a gadget.
DNEWS VIDEO: Gadgets and Gizmos
"About a year ago, we literally got bored with social media," said iSL chief executive Peter Corbett. Then they had a thought: "Can we take this action and turn it into an action in the physical world?" And, they thought, what if you also required friends to do something together to yield that action?
That last angle sets Social Machines apart from other ventures into Foursquare-to-physical-world interactvity, such as the interactive ad rigged by a German pet-food company last year to dispense samples when passerby checked into it.
So after hacking a cheap Coleman cooler to open after a check-in, the company got a contract with GE to set up a 72-year-old fridge to open briefly after 10 check-ins, then close until the next 10; it stocked the fridge with beer and set it up at the SXSW Interactive conference in Austin. The Social Cooler, in turn, debuted two weeks ago at an advertising event in New York after an investment of about $800 in materials and 50 person-hours of work.
Why go to all that trouble? Besides the enjoyment of a good hack, Corbett noted some consumer-use possibilities–maybe setting up a cat-food dispenser to respond via a Twitter direct message ("@PetersCatFood #Monday"), so you wouldn't have to install a separate app.
But the real reward is socially-aware advertising. "From a marketer's standpoint, you want people standing around and interacting with your brand," Corbett said. And the more people sucked in, the better: "You could have Lady Gaga pop out of a cake at halftime only if two million people checked in or tweeted."
Credit: Rob Pegoraro/Discovery


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The Jordan Brand continues to expand its roster of Chicago Bulls colorway iterations with its new releases. Another pair of Air Jordan 1 Low is expected to drop in the quintessential red and black staple color scheme to honor Michael Jordan‘s career with the Bulls.
The Air Jordan 1 is constructed in the full leather, featuring mesh tounges and lining. The shoe has a crisp, white base with red and black overlays. The crimson Swoosh sits atop the white midsole while the rubber outsole matches the branding in color.
Take a look at the official images of the new Chicago Bulls rendition of the Air Jordan 1 Low. No official release date has been revealed, but the shoe is expected to drop later this year for a retail price of $100 USD. Stay tuned on


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Furthermore, the company's efforts to push iMacs out the door apparently haven't impeded its ability to deliver professional desktop systems or PowerBooks.
None of the retailers contacted by MacWEEK.com today reported iMac shortages, despite the popularity of the consumer device, which hit the channel on Saturday.
"We got 50 more today, and we've received 90 since Thursday," said Tom Santos, president of MACadam Computer in San Francisco.
Michael France, CEO of MacCenter of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., said despite "incredibly strong" sales for the iMac, the company still has units available for sale. "We sold out our allocation over the weekend, store traffic has increased 50 to 60 percent, and we continue to see high demand for the product," France said.
Abe Brown, spokesman for J&R Computer World in New York, said his shop still has iMacs in stock. "We're selling well, and we're seeing an abnormal amount of first-time computer buyers."
Although Apple's factories in Singapore, Ireland and California are simultaneously churning out iMacs, resellers said they remain well-supplied with other Mac models. Even Apple's traditional manufacturing problem child, the PowerBook line, is readily available, they said.
In fact, PowerBook availability is "even better than the iMac," MACadam's Santos said. "Only the 250 [-MHz G3 PowerBook] and 292 haven't been available, but Apple told us today that they're back in."


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When Final Fantasy XV was just a spin-off of Final Fantasy XIII, fans seemed less than enthusiastic. Final Fantasy XIII is one of the most derided titles in the franchise, and it’s already gotten a number of sequels.
But when Square Enix turned Final Fantasy Versus XIII into Final Fantasy XV, turning the game into a stand-alone title (with a great trailer), everything changed. Screenshots and additional bits of information followed, and eventually Square Enix released a full-on demo, allowing gamers to get their hands on the hotly anticipated title. And while an updated demo is forthcoming, fans will have to wait a little longer to learn anything else about the game.
While Square Enix planned to show off a new Final Fantasy XV trailer at this year’s E3, the company recently announced that new footage won’t appear. This news comes after Square Enix decided to skipped Gamescom, intending to show off Final Fantasy XV in the States.
Square Enix marketing manager Akio Ofuji and Final Fantasy XV director Hajime Tabata broke the news, and Ofuji offered an apology to disappointed fans: “After internal discussions, we have decided not to create an E3 trailer. Sorry for lying.”
Ofuji promised fans they weren’t missing much; according to the marketing manager, the trailer would have consisted primarily of footage from previous trailers.
While new footage won’t be shown at E3, Final Fantasy fans won’t have to wait long to see more of the game. Ofuji and Tabata revealed that an updated Final Fantasy XV demo will arrive on June 9th for both Xbox One and PlayStation 4. The demo, entitled Episode Duscae 2.0, will feature numerous changes based on fan input. Final Fantasy XV’s developers previously said that fan feedback from Episode Duscae‘s first iteration, such as characters being “too sexy” and camera and frame rate issues, would be addressed by the team.
While an updated demo will help tide over Final Fantasy superfans, the lack of a proper E3 trailer is bound to leave many disappointed. However, while the game may not have an E3 presence, this move gives Tabata and his team more time to improve the game before its hotly anticipated launch.
Final Fantasy 15 is in development for Xbox One and PlayStation 4.


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You see them everyday but Sunday, and Saturday, United States mail carriers in Pitt County decided to not only deliver but to pick up as well.
Its all part of a United Way Food Drive, enlisting the help of those who bring us our letters, and unfortunately our bills too. Saturday, people could donate non-perishable food items like canned goods, or boxed items, leave them at the mail box, and mail carriers would take them up from there. According to a mail carrier we caught up with, lots of people got involved including some of our brightest minds at ECU.
The food drive ended Saturday, and all the food items were picked up at the Main Post Office in downtown Greenville where they will be distributed to a number of organizations.


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Payday lenders had been offered a dozen weeks adjust their team strategies immediately after authorities bare prevalent proof irresponsible lending and breaches of legislation, leading to “agony and you will hardship for almost all borrowers”.
After the a-year-much time summary of the newest ?2bn business, any office from Fair trading told you it had receive proof of difficulties about lifecycle out-of cash advance – away from advertisements to commercial collection agency – and you may right along the field
In the a beneficial damning declaration they said too many people was indeed are supplied finance they may maybe not afford to pay off, and it appeared lenders’ profits was in fact heavily based upon to your customers failing to repay its modern loan in full as well as on go out.
Whether or not loan providers demand cash advance are made to be small-title facts, and therefore APRs of more than 4,000% are not a reasonable meditation of your cost of borrowing, the fresh OFT said nearly a 3rd regarding finance taken out within the was actually rolled over at the very least immediately after, and they taken into account nearly 1 / 2 of lenders’ revenue.
The new OFT examined 50 top providers, symbolizing 90% of your own markets, and you may said most of the had a need to make changes on the means. They gave him or her 12 weeks to accomplish this, with the likelihood of losing their credit license once they falter so you’re able to follow. Whenever the same ultimatum was given for the financial obligation administration world, almost 50 % of companies withdrew from the field.
“We have found basic issues with the way the pay check market performs, and widespread breaches of the rules and you will guidelines, ultimately causing agony and you can adversity for the majority of consumers,” the fresh OFT’s leader Clive Maxwell said.
Pay day lenders given reform ultimatum
“Payday loan providers is generating to half of its money perhaps not out of one-away from loans, however, out-of folded more otherwise refinanced sale in which unforeseen can cost you can also be quickly increase.”
The fresh new industry possess lured issue out-of obligations campaigners and consumer organizations who possess highlighted instances when customers was in fact offered finance they could not be able to pay-off, which have rapidly snowballed. Regardless if loan providers advised the OFT an average mortgage try ?270, causes has actually said normal expense greater than ?step one,100.
The newest OFT told you irresponsible financing could have the sources regarding way battle functions, which have lenders contending of the emphasising rates and easy use of money, rather than better rates. Lenders can be unwilling to carry out correct affordability examination in case it eliminate team to help you competition.
New OFT discovered that simply half dozen of the fifty agencies they visited you will render documentary facts they had assessed consumers’ disposable money as an element of its affordability inspections.
Maxwell told you: “Irresponsible credit is not confined to a few rogue pay-day loan providers – it is an issue along the field. When we do not look for fast, significant improvements by fifty lenders i examined it chance the licences are got rid of. Pay check financing is a leading administration priority into OFT.”
They said it can and demand to your it comes the new business so you’re able to the group Percentage, which had stronger https://paydayloanexpert.net/installment-loans-de/ vitality to alter the market.
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New pay day statutes criticized
The latest statement arrived just like the regulators launched the brand new laws into the advertisements to have payday lenders, and you will advised the latest field it should increase analysis sharing to eliminate consumers taking out fully numerous finance away from various other firms. Yet not, it said it might not operate so you can limit loan can cost you.
Stella Creasy, the latest Labor MP that has been lobbying having ideal regulation out-of brand new sector, revealed the brand new OFT’s declaration due to the fact a beneficial “damning indictment of the government’s inability to behave”.
“Despite 3 years out-of cautions, significantly less than [the latest government’s] check out it’s now clear court financing sharks is actually regarding manage in the united kingdom and all of our consumer credit industry urgently need important reform,” she said.
“To have way too many customers, the only real people who commonly lend on it today is these court loan sharks. There is absolutely no battle because of their providers. This is exactly why a limit to the total cost away from borrowing from the bank makes significantly more sense than just relying on affordability examination and this get off loan providers to determine exactly what people will pay.”
Even though the government isn’t capping charge, it has confirmed its dedication to provide the ability to do therefore on Financial Run Power (FCA), that 2014 gets control of control of payday loan business on the OFT.
Martin Wheatley, inbound leader of your own FCA, told you there clearly was expanding anxiety about “abusive methods” from the pay day loan sector. “We’re enthusiastic to consider the new automated rollover out of funds, the application of persisted percentage authorities, together with upfront borrowing from the bank monitors,” he said.
Russell Hamblin-Boone, leader of your Individual Money Organization (CFA) and this is short for 70% of one’s pay day loan markets, told you the guy considered his members do all the remain in operation during the several weeks’ date.
“The brand new OFT ran into enterprises last summer and we also did a great deal subsequently to guard consumers,” he told you. “I really don’t recognise your entire marketplace is arranged to help you profit away from individuals who you should never spend promptly.”