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Samsung gets a shot across its bow from a much smaller player from the Android ecosystem.
Cyanogen is the company behind CyanogenMod, an open source modification of Android for smartphones and tablet computers, bring features not supported by the official release to the platform.
Speaking during a Q&A session at the launch of a new smartphone named Yureka which is aimed at the Indian market, McMaster said that "Samsung couldn't build a good OS if they tried." He went on to say that Cyanogen has been all about "super optimizing Android and taking it to a new level."
"We believe that... there's an opportunity to be the first or second dominant version of Android on the planet."
CyanogenMod is installed on over 12 million devices.
YU Digital's Yureka features a 5.5-inch 1280 x 720 resolution HD display, a 64-bit Snapdragon 615 system-on-a-chip processor, and 2GB of RAM. It also features a 13 megapixel camera, a 5 megapixel front camera, a 2,500 mAh battery, dual-sim capability, and 4G LTE capability.
Powering this device is Cyanogen OS 11, which is built on Android 4.4.4 KitKat.
"This is the best flavor of Android we've ever seen," said Rahul Sharma, co-founder of Yu Televentures.


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Mexico and Costa Rica to proceed with their avocado dispute
Staff Writer |
Mexico and Costa Rica haven't yet held bilateral meetings to settle the dispute on avocado trade outside the World Trade Organization.
Article continues below
The official process will start this Wednesday and Thursday at the multilateral forum in Geneva, stated the Minister of foreign trade (Comex), Alexander Mora, before a consultation with the nation.
Mora is in Paris, France, to participate in an exhibition of Costa Rica before the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
"The Mexican side preferred to incorporate the technical talks in the WTO consultations process," said the minister when asked about the date of the technical meetings promised by the president of Mexico, Enrique Peña Nieto, and Costa Rica's Luis Guillermo Solis.
The two leaders met in the framework of the XVI Summit of the Tuxtla Mechanism of Dialogue and Concertation, held in San Jose at the end of March.
The idea of these bilateral technical meetings was to look for a solution to the conflict that Mexico raised to the WTO on March 8 of this year. These bilateral technical deliberations would allow suspending the WTO process.
However, due to Mexico's decision, the Mexican and Costa Rican delegations will meet on Wednesday, April 26 and Thursday, April 27, in Geneva, Switzerland, at the WTO.
The discussions will take place within the framework of the consultation period provided for all WTO trade disputes.
Costa Rica's Technical Delegation is headed by the Director of the State Phytosanitary Service (SFE), Marco Vinicio Jimenez, and the Director of Foreign Trade Comex, Marcela Chavarria, Minister Mora said.
The Hass avocado trade conflict originated on May 5, 2015, when the Costa Rican state phytosanitary service (SFE) suspended the issuance of import permits for Mexico, which is the world's largest producer and exporter of avocado, and eight other markets.
This blockade was imposed based on the alleged presence of the sun blotch virus in Mexican avocado, which could spread in the national territory.
The head of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG), Luis Felipe Arauz, said that the monitoring of the avocado conflict was now in Comex's jurisdiction, even though SFE technical staff will participate in the negotiations. This Service is a dependency of MAG.
According to Arauz, it's still possible that the consultation stage will lead to a technical resolution, within the WTO process, so the issue is not considered by a panel of experts.
Meanwhile, Yolanda Fernandez, president of the Costa Rica-Mexico Chamber of Industry and Commerce (Cicomex), said they didn't understand Costa Rica's actions in this conflict.
Fernandez said that, in the meantime, there's been a shortage of Hass avocado for the past two weeks. As a result, she said, consumers are forced to buy Creole avocado, which is of a different quality.
Randall Benavides, the president of the National Chamber of Exporters and Importers of Perishable Products, said there was a lack of Hass avocado in the market because Chile's supply had ended and the Peruvian avocado was delayed.
The members of this chamber were the main importers of Mexican avocado, until the closure of the market in May 2015.
Importers estimate that six weeks may elapse between the exit of one supplier and the entry of another.
The Market Intelligence System (SIM) of the National Production Council (CNP) acknowledged that the disappearance of Hass avocado from the list of suggested prices for farmer's fairs last weekend implies that there is no supply of the product.
These prices are defined based on information from wholesale markets, retail markets from San Jose, and farms. ■
Warm, dry and windy conditions, caused by the emergence of a strong cold front from the Rockies will contribute to a critical fire weather threat for parts of southeastern Colorado and southwestern Kansas this afternoon.

domain: news


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On Monday June 14, 2021, two top FCSI Europe Africa Middle East (EAME) design consultants, plus Rick Caron, executive vice president & chief innovation officer of Welbilt, Inc., met for a virtual FCSI roundtable to discuss the innovation, best practice and new thinking that is helping foodservice operators to put energy-saving processes at the heart of their operations.
The ‘Future-tech’ series roundtable also addressed how sustainability has finally earned its seat at the table and become a genuine hot-button industry for the foodservice industry. Looking at the impact on people, profits and planet, the roundtable explored why operators, suppliers and manufacturers have finally become convinced that equipment, processes and practices that save energy and prevent waste can also save a considerable amount of money in return.
Chaired by Michael Jones of FCSI’s Foodservice Consultant magazine, the roundtable saw leading designers Alexander Hofer FCSI, CEO, H44Team and Vinoo André Mehera FCSI, CEO, promaFox International HotelProject Management AG discuss all aspects of sustainability – with a particular focus on European foodservice.
The roundtable, sponsored by Welbilt Inc., also takes in:
- How foodservice operators in EMEA – and the partners they work with – have adapted operations to become more sustainable and energy efficient, despite the challenges of the Covid-19 crisis.
- How technology/equipment has helped operators to become more sustainable/energy efficient.
- Whether the catalyst for this has been primarily an environmental imperative, increased customer pressure, or a growing belief that it’s simply now more cost effective to act sustainably.
- The consultants’ role in making a kitchen more energy efficient process and how new design layouts are helping foodservice operators to adapt their offering – facilitated by new protocol, smart thinking and improved technology.
- How vital preventing, reducing and measuring food waste is to operators.
- How plant-based menus are here to stay in force and how that is changing the paradigm.
- Where innovation is heading and what the future looks like for a more sustainable foodservice sector.
- The future of sustainable, energy efficient kitchens.
You can watch the video of the roundtable below:
Check out previous FCSI Future-tech roundtables, supported by Welbilt, Inc., on technology and equipment innovation, here, on education foodservice, here, on B&I dining, here and healthcare dining, here.
To find out more about our sponsor Welbilt, Inc., please visit here.


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BEIJING and DALLAS – Nov. 11, 2014 –NQ Mobile (NYSE: NQ), a leading global provider of mobile Internet services, has reached an agreement with Mobile Telesystems OSJC (“MTS”), the largest mobile operator in Russia and the 8th largest telecommunications brand worldwide, to make NQ Mobile Vault available to MTS subscribers through a wide ranging “White Label” agreement. MTS will promote and distribute the product through pre-load, SMS and social network campaigns, as well as direct at point-of-sale and app store availability. The collaboration significantly increases the global availability of NQ Mobile’s award-winning mobile privacy product.
“MTS, with its best-in-class networks, market-leading retail platform and the largest mobile subscriber base in Russia and the CIS is an ideal partner for NQ Mobile,” stated Calvin Cai, General Manager of Overseas Development, NQ Mobile. “We are delighted to begin our relationship by providing our leading mobile privacy solution, NQ Mobile Vault™, to MTS’ exciting family of branded handsets and smartphones and look forward to potentially collaborating on additional opportunities in the near future.”
With approximately 60 million subscribers, and a retail network comprised of approximately 4,000 stores at the end of 2013, MTS is the largest mobile operator in Russia. Globally, MTS is currently the 8th largest telecommunication brand in the world supported by 102.4 million subscribers.
NQ Mobile Vault, launched in 2012 is available on both Android and iOS platforms. It ensures users’ digital privacy through active control and on-device encryption of content and communication including contacts, call logs, SMS, pictures and videos. NQ Mobile Vault for Android and has become a top app on Google Play with millions of downloads and an average user rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars.
Social media is often the quickest, most efficient way to receive accurate and up-to-date news and information about NQ Mobile. Follow us on Twitter at @NQMobile and @NQMobileIR for the latest updates. We have also added a button on our NQ IR home page (ir.nq.com) that directs users to our IR blog, which includes these updates.


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BuildMyCreditScore, a UK startup that enables individuals to effortlessly boost their credit score through everyday spending on a debit card, has launched in the UK.
The company provides a Mastercard debit card connected to a user's current account via open banking technology.
While the debit card works instantly like a regular bank card, the money - up to a daily cap of £30 per day - is collected via Direct Debit by BuildMyCreditScore around two working days after, allowing it to be reported to credit reference agencies. As a result, cardholders are able to build their credit score by demonstrating their ability to manage rolling outgoings and repay credit promptly.
The app was tested by a pilot of 632 customers between December 2022 and June 2023. Of that number, the majority saw an increase in their credit score of between 11 and 55 points within the first three months of trialling the product.
James Lynn, CEO and Co-Founder of BuildMyCreditScore, comments: “Traditional credit builder products typically rely on someone making prompt repayments on credit they’ve taken out. If they fail to do so for any reason, they risk falling into debt and harming their credit score further. BuildMyCreditScore’s innovative use of open banking disrupts this model by integrating seamlessly with a person’s usual spending habits, allowing them to build their credit score in a safe, low-risk way through their everyday spending.”


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Windows 1809 was released today during the Microsoft Surface hardware announcement today. Lots of progressive updates.
I will be posting more about 1809 features in the near future.
The most interesting note for me is that enterprises now have a 30 month window of support for fall releases. Yes, 30 months!
Enjoy downloading today!


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If you’ve kept a close eye on your grocery bill over the past few months of COVID-19 safety measures, you may have noticed certain items are becoming more expensive.
“We’ve seen prices increase since the beginning of the year really — even before COVID — especially at the meat counter,” Sylvain Charlebois, director of Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food Analytics Lab, said.
“Things have calmed down now — the food inflation rate is actually not as high as it was at the beginning of the pandemic.”
“Of course the problem is the overall inflation rate, which is actually quite low, and so when you’re charging two per cent more for food and everything (else) is cheaper or not more expensive, then people actually notice that food is actually more expensive.”
Charlebois predicts the average Canadian’s grocery bill will be up to four per cent higher by the end of 2020 compared to the start of the year — which he says is a bigger difference than normal.
“What’s more expensive since January are onions, oranges, carrots, produce — lots of vegetables are more expensive,” he said. “Beef is up about — depending on the cuts — on average six to eight per cent, which is what we predicted.”
Chicken prices are up roughly one per cent, while pork prices increased before falling to slightly below where they were to start the year.
“Right now the biggest concern we have is with produce, for a couple reasons. We’re starting to see prices creep up a little bit and also the California wildfires are probably going to make things a little bit more complicated for food and borders for the fall and winter,” Charlebois said.
“It doesn’t mean we’ll run out of produce, it’s just if you actually are to buy products from elsewhere than California, the importer is likely going to have to pay a little bit more for alternatives.”
Food Fare owner Munther Zeid said paper products have also jumped in price during the pandemic, as demand increased dramatically while supply was slow to catch up.
He says bathroom tissue and paper towels weren’t just hard to come by in the spring, they were also much more expensive — with prices just returning to pre-pandemic levels recently.
Zeid attributes the rise in cost for many produce items to the increased expense of getting products to market. While the arrival of local produce in stores did bring costs down for customers, he says cucumbers, tomatoes and lettuce are still retailing for more than they normally would.
One item consumers may be paying less for these days is bread — which Charlebois said comes as the demand for bread drops with more people making their own loaves at home.
But customers can expect more changes at the grocery store as the pandemic continues in the months to come.
“This is not over — we’re going to see the food industry readjusting over and over again when it comes to choices, the amount of brands offered to consumers,” Charlebois said. “We are expecting fewer SKUs, so fewer products on shelves. That is the reality.”


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Mass merchant Walmart Inc. announced today its stores will not be open on one of the busiest shopping days of the year—Thanksgiving. And its online store, Walmart.com, will likely be the beneficiary of this decision.
“Walmart will push its super-savings online and market it as a patriotic move,” says Frank Poore, CEO of ecommerce software provider CommerceHub.
Online shopping up on Thanksgiving Day
In recent years, Walmart stores were open on Thanksgiving Day. Despite this, online shoppers in years past flocked to Walmart.com for deals. In fact, during the 2019 Cyber 5 stretch of Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday, Thanksgiving Day generated the highest total page views and number of visits for Walmart.com during this stretch, according to web measurement firm SimilarWeb Ltd.
Retailers have increasingly offered early Black Friday deals online—often on Thanksgiving Day or before—and shoppers are now accustomed to those promotions, says Lauren Freedman, senior consumer insights analyst at Digital Commerce 360. Even with Walmart stores closed, shoppers will still be looking online for Walmart’s deals, she says. Walmart says it is still committed to delivering great prices all through the holiday season but declined to share specifics.
Coronavirus probably a reason
Walmart did not specifically give a reason for the change in policy, but the coronavirus pandemic likely played a large role in this decision, experts say. Walmart employees who work in its fulfillment center are not as lucky; those facilities will still be open on Thanksgiving, Walmart says.
“I would guess that COVID-19 was instrumental in this decision as retailers are challenged to know how many guests will be able to be in any given store in any given state,” Freedman says. “This is a moving target and may simplify the retailer’s shopping strategy, allowing them to focus their efforts on ecommerce.”
Plus, the Thanksgiving and Black Friday shopping days are often associated with long lines and large groups of people in one place—scenarios consumers are especially avoiding now during the coronavirus pandemic. Walmart did not make an announcement about its hours on Black Friday, the day following Thanksgiving.
In a note to employees, John Furner, president and CEO of Walmart U.S., wrote that Walmart is aware “holiday shopping will be different this year, and we will be managing sales events differently.” The idea to close stores originated from an associate in Texas, who suggested closing stores on Thanksgiving so associates could spend time with their families, Furner wrote.
“We know it’s been a trying year, and you’ve stepped up. We want you to enjoy the day at home with your loved ones,” Furner wrote in the note.
“Feel-good” and focus on family
This “feel-good” sentiment of closing stores to spend time with family is one that resonates now more than ever with shoppers and will likely continue for some time, Freedman says. Other retailers will likely follow suit and also close stores on Thanksgiving, both Poore and Freedman say.
“Walmart traditionally sets the tone for other retailers,” Poore says. “I fully anticipate all other big-box stores to follow suit.”
Since 2015, outdoor merchant REI has closed its stores for both Thanksgiving and Black Friday and not accepted online payments on those days. REI still paid its 13,000 employees and encouraged them and consumers to spend time outside and “think more deliberately about their consumption habits.” The initiative has been a huge social media win: Twitter users reportedly engaged with REI’s #OptOutside hashtag 11.6 million times during its 2019 event.
Thanksgiving and Black Friday are among the largest online spending days in the U.S. Adobe Analytics estimates that U.S. consumers spent $4.21 billion online during Thanksgiving 2019, and $7.43 billion online on Black Friday 2019. Adobe’s numbers are based on data from more than 1 trillion visits to more than 4,500 retail sites.
Walmart Inc. is No. 3 in the 2020 Digital Commerce 360 Top 1000,Favorite


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General Membership Meeting with H.E. Ram Nath Kovind, President of India “Philippine-India Business Conclave and ASEAN India Business Awards and Gala Night”
Rizal Ballroom, The Shangri-La Hotel, Makati City
October 19, 2019
The Gala Night was a private gathering of delegates from the business sectors of India and the Philippines. The social event further strengthened the bilateral relations and people to people interaction between the two nations. H.E. President Ram Nath Kovind addressed the business sector and welcomed the collaborative efforts of both countries.
FICCI proudly awarded the first ever Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce (Phil) Inc’s Golden Peacock Awards of Excellence to top Government officials from the Philippines, who have made invaluable contributions to the country. The awards were presented to: Ambassador Jaideep Mazumdar, Ambassador Ramon Bagatsing Jr., Senator Miguel Zubiri, Senator Bong Go, Sec. Ramon Lopez, Sec. Art Tugade and PA Joey Concepcion.


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ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. -- Deputies are looking for two men accused of stealing price scanners from local Dollar General and CVS pharmacy stores. The thefts happened at three different stores on Wednesday, April 4, 2013.
Investigators say the men stole three scanners, worth between $1,200 and $4,000 each.
The first suspect is a man in his 20s, between 5’9”-5’11” tall. He was wearing a blue shirt and blue jeans and possibly has a tattoo on his left lower inner arm.
The second suspect is in his 20s or 30s, between 6’2"-6’4” tall. He was wearing a gray t-shirt and jeans. If you recognize either man, you are asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-888-277-TIPS. You will remain anonymous and could get a cash reward.


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Swedish auto market in 2020 falls by 18.1% as the pandemic affects sales significantly, in fact, full-Year sales have been 291.669. For the first time in history, Volvo holds the entire podium of most sold vehicles.
The Swedish car market decreased sales in 2020, but much less compared to other countries in the area. In fact, unlike most European countries – during the Coronavirus outbreak – in 2020 the Swedish Government has not imposed lockdown measures, leaving the public to follow a series of recommendations. Nevertheless, the cases in the country started growing exponentially again in October, reaching record highs every week in November and December.
The year started with a negative trend as the change in the bonus/malus tax system calculation – which from the 1st January 2020 is based on WLTP – has logically negatively impacted the market bringing sales down in double-digit during the first month, in which sales fell by 18%.
But the worse was yet to come, in fact, sales fell a drastic 50.2% in May, but recovered quickly. In September the market even grew by 7.3%, but this positive trend was quickly reversed as soon as the second wave hit the country and infections started sky-rocketing.
Indeed, Full-Year sales for 2020 have been 291.669, reporting a decline of 18.1% compared to 2019.
The main success story of the year is the record success of rechargeable cars (PHEV and BEV) up 132% year-on-year to 93.938 and 32.2% share vs. just 11.3% in 2019. PHEVs are driving Sweden’s electrification at +166% this year while BEVs are up 79%. Rechargeable cars are now more popular than diesel vehicles, in fact, PHEV sales alone are now ahead of diesel sales.
Brand-wise, this year the leader Volvo (-19.3%) lost 0.2% market share, followed by the growing Volkswagen (-12.5%), which gained an impressive 1% share. Kia on the other hand gained even more, 1.5% share, losing only 1%. Toyota remained in 4th place and reported the best performance in the leaderboard (-0.7%), followed by Mercedes -up 2 spots- which lost 7.7%.
Audi lost 9.4%, followed by BMW (-16.2%) -down 2 spots- and Skoda which remained in 8th position despite reporting the worst performance in the leaderboard by losing 20.3% sales. Closing the leaderboard we have Peugeot -up 1 spot- losing 9.7% this year and Seat entering the leaderboard by jumping 1 spot, losing 10.9%.
This year has been very interesting as the entire podium of most sold vehicles was held by Volvo for the first time in history. In fact, the Volvo S/V60 (-19.9%) has been the most sold vehicle this year with 18.567 units sold, followed by the Volvo XC60 -up 2 spots- which lost 7.2% registering 12.291 new sales this year. The Volvo XC40 (+35.6%) closes the podium by jumping 5 spots and reports 10.293 new units sold.
Tables with sales figures
In the tables below we report sales for all Brands, top 10 Manufacturers Group and top 10 Models.


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Bharti Airtel and Airtel Payments Bank, the country’s first payments bank, have been temporarily banned from conducting eKYC of customers using Aadhaar. The stringent action has been taken by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) on the basis of allegations that the telecom major was using Aadhaar-based SIM verification of customers to open payments bank accounts without their “informed consent”.
Furthermore, many Airtel customers have complained that the company was redirecting LPG subsidies to these accounts without their consent.
According to reports, the UIDAI has passed an interim order dated December 15, suspending the eKYC licence key of Bharti Airtel and Airtel Payments Bank.
Commenting on the development, a spokesperson for Airtel stated, “We can confirm that we have received the interim order from the UIDAI regarding temporary suspension of Aadhaar linked eKYC services till their satisfaction on certain processes relating to Airtel payment banks onboarding of customers.”
As a result of this ban, Airtel will not be able to conduct e-verification of its telecom customers, nor will it be allowed to link customers’ SIM to Aadhaar during the interim period. Additionally, Airtel Payments Bank has been barred from opening new accounts using Aadhaar-based eKYC. It will, however, be able to open bank accounts through “alternate methods”, if available.
If implicated, the New Delhi-headquartered telecom giant could incur a penalty upwards of $311.4K (INR 2 Cr), depending on the number of days that the UIDAI rules were violated for.
An official close to the development stated, “According to the Aadhaar Act, the penalty is a few lakhs for each day of violation. A notice has already been sent to the company and a final amount will be decided after PwC — which has been engaged by us —finishes its audit.”
Once the news of UIDAI’s order to suspend eKYC licence keys of Airtel surfaced, the telecom company’s shares dipped by 3% to $7.8 (INR 504.70) when the market opened today.
Airtel’s Violation Of Aadhaar Rules: A Closer Look
Reports of Airtel flouting Aadhaar regulations first emerged in September. At the time, the UIDAI sent a notice to the company after receiving multiple complaints from customers. According to officials of UIDAI, Airtel was opening payments bank accounts for its mobile customers without explicitly seeking their consent.
The mobile app used by Airtel executives to verify new SIM connections even came with a pre-checked box stating that the user wanted to open an Aadhar-linked payment bank account, sources revealed.
As per a report by The Indian Express, bank accounts of more than 2.3 Mn Airtel customers were created, with over $7.3 Mn (INR 47 Cr) being transferred to these accounts.
Apart from that, it was also linking these accounts to receive LPG subsidies. As per some sources, subsidies amounting to $26 Mn (INR 167 Cr) of nearly 4.7 Mn LPG customers had been transferred to these accounts without their knowledge.
The UIDAI official added, “Many customers were not aware of the change in the bank account and thought that government had stopped their subsidies.”
In response to the UIDAI ban, Airtel released the following statement, “We are engaging with the authority and are hopeful of an early resolution. We are also undertaking to complete the said actions on priority and have commenced thorough checks of our process flows. Being compliant to all guidelines is paramount to us. In the interim, any inconvenience to our customers is regretted.”
Timeline Of The Airtel-Aadhaar Fiasco
According to sources close to the development, UIDAI sent the first notice to Airtel and Airtel Payments Bank on September 18. At the time, both entities stated that the opening of a bank account had been “de-linked” from the e-verification process of new mobile connections.
Finding these replies unsatisfactory, the UIDAI issued another notice on November 24. Airtel responded by stating that no new bank accounts were being opened without the consent of the customers. The company also gave the assurance that additional safeguards had been put in place to protect the security and privacy of customers.
Authorities remained unconvinced since the UIDAI was still receiving multiple complaints of the unauthorised opening of payments bank accounts from Airtel customers.
Recently, when the UIDAI reviewed the Airtel mobile app, it found several things that were blatant violations of the Aadhaar Act. For instance, the app was found to flash a welcome message with a pre-ticked consent box carrying the following statement, “Upgrade or create my Airtel Payment Bank wallet using existing Airtel mobile KYC.”
After passing the interim order to suspend their eKYC licence keys, the UIDAI also reportedly appointed PricewaterhouseCoopers to perform an audit of Bharti Airtel and Airtel Payments Bank to confirm its systems and processes are compliant with the Aadhaar rules.
So, Where Did Airtel Go Wrong?
The Aadhaar-based eKYC service of UIDAI provides instant access to the customer’s electronic proof of identity and proof of address, along with the date of birth, gender, resident’s mobile number and email address, to the service provider.
Both Bharti Airtel and Airtel Payments Bank became Authentication User Agencies (AUA) of UIDAI, when they entered into an agreement with the Aadhaar-issuing authority in February 2015 and September 2016 respectively.
According to the Aadhaar Act, 2016, “obtaining explicit consent of the individual” is mandatory before Aadhaar services are availed. Violations of these regulations could not only lead to a hefty fine but also termination of the company’s authentication user agreement with UIDAI.
By accessing customers’ Aadhaar details to open payments bank accounts and redirect LPG subsidies without their consent, Airtel runs the risk of having its agreements with UIDAI permanently revoked, in addition to paying a heavy penalty.
The UIDAI’s decision to take strict action against any violation of its rules comes on the heels of rising Aadhaar breaches and data theft controversies. Despite the government’s repeated assurance that Aadhaar data is safe. several government websites have reported Aadhaar breaches of one or the other form in the last couple of months.
In April 2017, for instance, the Aadhaar details of 1.4 Mn registered users were made public on the Jharkhand Directorate of Social Security. Later in August 2017, a Punjab government entity published the Aadhaar details of 20,100 citizens on its official website.
Around the same time, WikiLeaks published a report claiming that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in its cyber spying efforts had compromised Aadhaar data. In the month of August, Ola employee and co-founder of Qarth Technologies Abhinav Srivastava was arrested by Bengaluru’s Central Crime Branch on charges of Aadhaar data theft. According to the complaint, Srivastava illegally accessed UIDAI data through an “Aadhaar e-KYC verification” mobile app that he developed himself.
Recently, in November, more than 200 central and state government websites have made private Aadhaar details such as names and addresses public.
Besides Airtel, other payments banks that have become operational this year with the aim of pushing financial inclusion include Paytm Payments bank, India Post Payments Bank and Fino Payments Bank. Paytm debuted its Payments bank in May and is planning to open 31 branches and 3,000 customer service points in a year. Fino Payments Bank, on the other hand, went live with 410 branches and over 25,000 touch-points on day one itself in the month of July.
Apart from that, Cholamandalam Distribution Services Ltd, Tech Mahindra Ltd, Dilip Sanghvi (founder of Sun Pharmaceuticals Ltd), Reliance Industries, and National Securities Depository Limited are some of the other companies that received the RBI’s nod to start payments bank in India.
In the telecom sector, Airtel’s biggest competitor is Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio. Incidentally, Jio Payments Bank, a joint venture between Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) and SBI, is also gearing up to commence operations by the end of this year. How the Aadhaar ban on Airtel and Airtel Payments Bank will affect their growth will become clear in the coming months.


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While Blu-ray recorders haven't made their way to the US quite yet, they're very popular in Japan. So popular, in fact, that the Japanese government plans to add a copyright fee to the price of Blu-ray recorders and discs. As with other digital recording devices, this fee is meant to compensate content owners and allow consumers to copy or record digital TV broadcasts.
The education and industry ministries agreed Monday to impose copyright charges on sales of next-generation Blu-ray DVD recorders and discs, but the debate over digital recording devices using hard disks remains unresolved.
A formal announcement on the Blu-ray products was expected Tuesday.
Manufacturers and copyright holders have engaged in a fierce debate on compensatory charges and the allowable frequency of copying digital TV broadcasts.
If you'd like to read more, the entire article can be found here.


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Rapid methods for pathogen testing have been gaining acceptance in the food industry. Recent advances in technology result in faster detection and identification of pathogens, more convenient, more sensitive, more reproducible, and more specific than conventional methods. Many new methods are available involving antibody-based assays, genetic amplification methods, and newer sensor development methods.However, the industry is always looking for faster, simpler and cost effective new methods. An article in ACS Central Science describes the work of researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) that are developing a new method for pathogen detection, utilizing Janus emulsions. The team is lead by Timothy Swager and Qifan Zhangis the lead author.The test is based on the analysis of liquid droplets (Janus droplets, or Janus emulsion) that are powerful liquid phase sensing particles. These droplets are formed from two equally sized hemispheres. One half is composed of a fluorocarbon and the other from a hydrocarbon.The fluorocarbon is denser than the hydrocarbon when droplets sit on a surface, therefore the fluorocarbon orients to the bottom. When the different hemispheres are functionalized to have orthogonal physical and biochemical properties, they can be used as sensors. Consequently Janus particles with covalently modified surfaces have been used for sensing applications.From above the droplets are transparent but when viewed sideways they appear opaque. This property relates to the way that light passes through the droplet, and it is the path of light that can be adapted to make the sensor.Building on this the scientists at MIT developed a surfactant molecule that contains mannose sugar to form the top half of the droplet surface. These molecules are capable of binding to a protein called lectin. Lectin is a protein that can bind specifically to certain sugars and cause agglutination of particular cells, and it is found on the surface of strains of E. coli.The emulsion assay uses the carbohydrate surfactant molecule, which self-assembles at the droplet surfaces during the emulsification process. Therefore, no further element is required for bacterial recognition. These changes in the alignment of the Janus droplets are used for the detection of analytes. The droplets are capable of binding to specific bacterial proteins. The mannose surfactant functionalized emulsion assay described in this work was designed specifically for E. coli as a model system.
Whenever E. coli is present the droplets attach to the Lectin proteins. This causes the droplets to clump together causing light to scatter in many directions. The Janus emulsion assay enables detection of E. coli bacteria at a concentration of 104 cfu/mL.The figure below shows the effect of the agglutination process.
On the left, Janus droplets are viewed from above. After the droplets encounter their target, they clump together (right). Credit: Qifan ZhangThe intrinsic optical lensing behavior of the Janus droplets also enables both qualitative and quantitative detection of protein and E. coli bacteria. The qualitative assay is very simple and can be scanned with a Smartphone. To demonstrate the simplicity of the agglutination assay for qualitative results, the researchers placed inside a Petri dish QR barcode (Quick Response Code two-dimensional barcode)
As seen in the figure above when E. coli are present, the droplets clump together and the QR code can’t be read.( Credit: Qifan Zhang)To precisely quantify the degree of agglutination, the researchers implemented an image processing program to calculate the percentage of area covered by agglutinated Janus emulsions and to evaluate the differences in optical intensity of the images before and after exposure to ConA (concanavalin A, serves as a functional substitute for E. coli bacteria). The program uses the adaptive threshold algorithm to distinguish areas with higher transparency (pristine Janus emulsions) from the opaque regions (agglutinated Janus emulsions).The MIT teamplans to create droplets customized with more complex sugars that would bind to different bacterial proteins. In this paper the researchers used a sugar that binds to E. coli, but they expect that they could adapt the sensor to other pathogens.The researchers are now working on optimizing the food sample preparation so they can be placed into the wells with the droplets. They also plan to create droplets customized with more complex sugars that would bind to different bacterial proteins. The team leader, Savagatrup says “You could imagine making really selective droplets to catch different bacteria, based on the sugar we put on them”.The researchers are also trying to improve the sensitivity of the sensor, which currently is similar to existing techniques but has the potential to be much more sensitive, they believe. They hope to launch a company to commercialize the technology within the next year and a half.Explaining a clear advantage of the technology, one of the lead scientists, Professor Timothy Swager, said: “What we have here is something that can be massively cheaper, with low entry costs. The sensor has been tested out with multiple samples of the infective bacterium and the results are sufficiently successful for the sensor to be considered for commercialization”
Posted by ruth on Apr 24, 2017 in All, Blog Post, Food Law, Food Safety | Comments Off on Salmonella Concerns Triggers a Recall of Banquet Frozen Chicken Nuggets due to Tainted Desert
Banquet Chicken Nuggets with Mac & Cheese
Banquet Chicken Nuggets with Mac & Cheese has been recalled due to possible salmonella contamination. Frozen dinners contain Chicken Nuggets, mac and cheese and brownies. It is the brownies flour mix that might be the culprit of the Salmonella contamination.The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)alerted consumers that the brownie mix dessert included in the breaded chicken nugget meal trays produced by Conagra Brands, Inc., of Marshall, Mo, may be contaminated with Salmonella.The recall affects 110,817 pounds of frozen meals, was done out of an abundance of caution after the company notified FSIS that the source ingredient used in the brownie mix may be contaminated with Salmonella. The problem was discovered when Conagra Brands Inc. received a notification from a supplier that an ingredient used in the brownie mix may be contaminated with Salmonella.7.4 oz. vacuum-packed trays containing “BANQUET Chicken Nuggets with Mac & Cheese” with Code 3100080921 and with a “BEST IF USED BY” date of July 20, 2018. The products bear FSIS establishment number “P-9” printed on the side of the box.There have been no confirmed reports of illnesses yet, and the recall is issued out of caution for consumers’ safety. According to the release the meals were produced by Conagra Brands in Missouri and sold nationwide,. The brownie mix used to make the desserts in the meals may have been contaminated with salmonella, the agency said.
Mango Popsicles Recalled Due to the Risk of Salmonella Enteritidis
The FDAannounced the recall of 4000 units of Hand crafted Paleteria, Mango Flavored Ice cream because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella Enteritidis.The ice cream was distributed in Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina and South Carolina through retail stores, by direct delivery. It comes in a clear bag with La Granja logo, Mango Flavor Ice Cream and the dates of expiration are 210218 (February 21, 2018) and 280218 (February 28, 2018). UPC code 0010439212.No illnesses have been reported to date. The recall was a result of a routine sampling program by The Georgia Department of Agriculture. The company has ceased the production and distribution of the product as the FDA and the company continues their investigation as to what caused the problem.
Lay’s Kettle Cooked Potato Chips Re Recalled due to Potential Presence of Salmonella
The FDAreported that Frito-Lay announced that it voluntarily recalls select Jalapeño Flavored Lay’s Kettle Cooked potato chips and Jalapeño Flavored Miss Vickie’s Kettle Cooked potato chips due to the potential presence of Salmonella in the seasoning.The recall is the direct result of a supplier’s recent recall of a seasoning blend which includes jalapeño powder that could contain Salmonella. Although no Salmonella was found in the seasoning supplied to Frito-Lay, the company has decided to recall these products out of an abundance of caution.No illness related to this matter has been confirmed to date. The products have been distributed in retail stores and via foodservice, vending and other channels throughout the U.S.
Some Final Thoughts
We see more and more recalls due to suppliers notifications. This is a result of the FSMA regulations, that requires every food distributor and food manufacturer to track the products they manufacture and distribute and be able to quickly recall them.The ability to remove products from the market quickly and effectively is imperative to all food producer and distributor. A written recall program with an action plan that is carefully constructed, tested and evaluated to ensure efficiency must be available. It is seen as the safety net that can prevent consumers from buying or consuming a potentially harmful food product.Most of the recalls, however, are still not happening fast enough to eliminate defective product to end up in new products. This is a very wasteful way to keep the food supply safe. As shown in the Banquet Chicken Nuggets with Mac & Cheese frozen dinners tons of perfectly good chicken nuggets are being thrown away because of the contaminated flour used in the small desert portion.
E. coli outbreak closed Chicken & Rice Guys in Boston
According to theBoston Globethe city of Boston received an anonymous complaint about customers getting sick after buying food from Chicken & Rice Guys trucks.The Boston Health department confirmed 7 cases of E. coli food poisoning originating from the Allston location that supplies the food for the chain. The company has 5 trucks that rotate in the Boston area. They also have regular, brick and mortar, restaurants in Allison, Boston, and Medford. The Chicken & Rice Guys began the food truck business in 2012.Fifteen of the chain customers were infected with E. coli O157:H7, with 10 of them requiring hospitalization. None of them were elderly or children, the typical sensitive population to E. coli infections. According to the Globe story Dr. Anita Barry, director of the Infectious Disease Bureau at the Boston Public Health Commission, said that none of those sickened had developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).
The Health Department closed the restaurants and food trucks during the investigation. Most of the cases had a connection to the Allison location. An investigation is being conducted by the Department of Public Health in Boston, in conjunction with health departments in Medford and Somerville, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The Health Department of Boston is testing the food taken from the restaurants as well as stool samples from all its employees. It is not clear at this time whether the food caused the outbreak or the employees contaminated the food with their hands.The company’s CEO Ian So, apologized to the customers onFacebookin a video in which he said: “First and foremost, I’m really sorry to everyone that got sick.” “If you know our team and dedication…it hurts a lot. Obviously we can do a better job.” He also said “we decided to voluntarily shutdown affected operations” Ian So also said that although the restaurants passed inspection they will continue to keep them closed until the reasons for the outbreak are determined.The company hired a food safety consultant and an outside cleaning firm to “deep clean” all its restaurant locations and the food trucks.
The question: Is it safe to eat from a truck?
Food trucks have rapidly multiplied on Boston streets and plazas, with 75 gourmet-style restaurants on wheels now serving up any food imaginable, with cheap convenient food for the lunch crowd.In Boston, 41 % of these trucks have been cited for food safety violations that can put their customers at risk of food poisoning, according to a Globe review of all inspection records.It is generally more difficult to ensure the safety of meals from food trucks as compared to traditional restaurants. This is because trucks lack of the same infrastructure of brick and mortar restaurants. However, a study by theInstitute of Justicereleased in 2014, Showed that food trucks and carts have similar or fewer number of violations as regular restaurants.Contradicting this study was an investigation conducted by theCalifornia Environmental Health Specialists Network(EHS-Net). It determined that of the 95 mobile food trucks assessed, 94.73% exhibited at least one critical risk factor. The study demonstrated that mobile food trucks would benefit from similar inspection practices as regular restaurants. It concluded that these “restaurants on wheels” are difficult and time consuming to locate, creating a considerable resource drain to an already taxed inspection workforce. Most of the 57 California environmental health agencies surveyed in the study indicated that they conduct only one “scheduled” inspection per year. A reason for it the inability to locate food trucks due to limited resources.Complying with health standards is tougher for food trucks than for traditional restaurants. However, one actually is more likely to get sick because an employee had bad hygiene, on a truck or in a restaurant. Filthy hands are a major reason for food contamination on food trucks and are a major suspect in the Chicken & Rice Guys case.A lack of water supply and improper storage of food are the two main food safety challenges for food trucks. However, all these concerns do not seem to discourage truck patrons, judging from the long lines formed at lunch time.
The Public Health Agency of Canada is investigating an outbreak of Escherichia coli O121 that was linked to flour from Robin Hood. So far there have been 25 cases of E. coliO121 in four provinces: British Columbia (12), Saskatchewan (4), Alberta (4) and Newfoundland and Labrador (5) with a matching genetic fingerprint in all these cases.During the food safety investigation, samples of Robin Hood flour were collected and tested positive for E. coli O121. The illness onset dates range from November 2016 to late February 2017. Six individuals have been hospitalized. These individuals have since recovered or are recovering. No deaths have been reported. The 54% of the ill people were males, with an average age of 24 years. According to the company that produced the Robin Hood flour, the recalled product was produced at a mill in Saskatoon.
More Recall details:On March 28, 2017 – Smucker Foods of Canada Corp. recalled Robin Hood brand All Purpose Flour, Original from the marketplace due to possible E. coli O121 contamination. This recall was triggered by findings by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) during its investigation into a foodborne illness outbreak.The affected flour comes in 10-kilogram bags with a best before date of April 17, 2018, and was sold in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.This outbreak reminds us of last year’s General Mill outbreak in the US that sickened 63 people in 24 states, with 17 people hospitalized. The median age in that outbreak was low, at 18, mostly because teenagers and children are more likely to eat raw dough and play with products made with raw dough. The Canadian and the General Mills outbreaks is a reminder that it is not safe to taste or eat raw dough or batter, regardless of the type of flour used, as raw flour can be contaminated with dangerous bacteria such as E. coli.
Recall due to E. coli in protein bars
The FDAannounced the recall of 36,957 Yogurt Peanut Crunch bars from Pro Sports Club of Bellevue, WA because on March 23, 2017 the products may have been contaminated with Escherichia coli O157:H7.The Yogurt Peanut Crunch Bars were sold directly to clients at the PRO Sports facilities in Washington (Bellevue, Redmond and Seattle cities) between August 8, 2016 and March 10, 2017. The product was also sold via the Internet. No illnesses related to the consumption of the Yogurt Peanut Crunch Bars have been reported to date.The recall was initiated after the manufacturer was notified that an ingredient used in the Yogurt Peanut Crunch Bars was recalled by its supplier Soy Nut Butter Company of Glenview, Illinois because it was found to contain E. coli O157:H7.This is a secondary recall due to a soy-based peanut butter substitute linked to a nationwide E. coli outbreak that happened earlier this month. Of the 23 confirmed E. coli victims in the soy butter outbreak, 20 are younger than 18. Ages range from 1 to 48 with a median age among victims of 8 years old. Ten of the victims had severe symptoms that required hospitalization and seven of them developed HUS. Twenty of the 23 victims reported eating I.M. Healthy brand soy nut butter products in the days before they became ill.
H & B Packing Co., Inc. Recalls Boneless Beef Products Due to Possible E. coli O103 Contamination
On March 19, U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced that H & B Packing Co., Inc., a Waco, Texas establishment, recalled approximately 79,461 pounds of boneless beef products that may have been contaminated with the rare E. coli O103.The problem was discovered when FSIS was notified by the State of Texas’ Meat Safety Assurance Unit about a positive non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli sample. There have been no confirmed reports of illnesses due to consumption of these products. The beef products were shipped to food manufacturers in Texas.
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COLUMBUS, Ga. — Fort Benning is preparing to auction off about 50 vehicles abandoned on the Army post.
The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer reports the auction is set for Feb. 11. Among the vehicles set to go on the block are a Mercury Mountaineer, Dodge Dakota, Dodge Ram pickup, Honda Accord, Ford Crown Victoria and a classic 1969 Lincoln Continental.
Prospective bidders can preview the vehicles and register for the auction Feb. 10.
Janice Jemison, chief of a Non Appropriated Funds property warehouse says the vehicles are ones that soldiers or their family members have left on post.
The auction is sponsored by the Fort Benning Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation.


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A few weeks ago, we talked about social network demographics of 2014. But what about this year – and the next? Where can we expect to see social media users setting up camp in the coming months? Where will we see them flooding out the exit gates?
A new infographic produced by AdWeek draws off exclusive eMarketer data to break down 2015/2016 social network demographics. The data is reposted in its entirety below.
Social Network Demographics: Key Takeaways
Embedded in these six pie charts is some very valuable information. If you’re not a data-person, we’ve got a few observations of our own for you to chew over. Below, you’ll find my two key takeaways from this chart. Agree? Disagree? Interpret the data a different way? Let’s talk in the comments below!
- Facebook grows and shrinks at opposite ends of the demographic spectrum. In 2016, Facebook will experience the largest percentage share increase in the Ages 65+ demographic. During that same period, eMarketer data suggests that the Ages 18-24 demographic share will decrease slightly.
What it means?
This trend has already been going on for a few years, as younger social media users migrate to mobile platforms and networks that don’t have an older crowd (i.e. parents). (For more on this, see “Your Teen Has 78 Friends They’ve Never Met. Here’s Why.”) Will a demographic shift on Facebook lead to the network’s decline? Far from it.
Facebook is the “gateway drug” that has brought an older generation into regular social media use: sharing, free giving of personal information, connectivity, connection with mass-brands and retail, etc. With the breakdown in privacy barriers nearly complete, Facebook (read: “its advertisers”) is ready to step in for the kill. In 2015/2016, expect advertisers to wage highly targeted, post-demographic campaigns… (The kinds where they know you’re having a baby before you do.)
- Instagram advertising is going to roll out… soon! When you look at the numbers – the incredible growth over the last couple years – it’s inevitable. Instagram is projected to have 60.3 million U.S. users in 2015.
What it means?
Of course, advertising has already been around for a few months on Instagram; but it’s only been made available to select brand partners. By late 2015, I expect we’ll see geo-targeted/local advertising options made available to more small- and medium-sized businesses, especially in the retail, dining, and entertainment sectors. For Instagram, the challenge will be ensuring that the high standards their social media users expect are met.
What do you think? Agree? Disagree? What social network demographics jump out at you?
Read more: Social Media Network Demographics


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"Fans of Rare and Rare IP I think will be pleased with what we're going to show at E3. We had a limited amount of time today and a lot of story to tell. But Rare remains an incredibly important part of our development capability. That historic IP that they've built I think can play a real important role on Xbox One."
That's what Microsoft Studios corporate VP Phil Spencer said regarding Nintendo's lost studio. Yes, a great game from Rare is likely on the way to the Xbox One. I'm not talking Kinect Sports – no, I'm talking about Banjo-Kazooie or even Conker, though that may be wishful thinking.
As a quick recap of recent Rare trademarks, Microsoft attempted to renew the Killer Instinct trademark. However, that renewal was refused due to "confusion determination." A spiritual successor could be on the way, or even a brand new entry in the series if Microsoft has played their cards right. And then there are Banjo-Kazooie, Conker, and Perfect Dark, all Rare franchises that have appeared on Microsoft consoles.
Of course, we may get an All-Stars edition of Kinect Sports. Or the new game may not even be developed by the studio. Who knows what could show up? Would a new Banjo game affect your opinion on the Xbox One? Sound off in the comments.


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As Apple soared last quarter, one superstar fund manager added 12.4 million shares to his portfolio. The other sold 0.4 million.
From the Wall Street Journal:
Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. continued to load up on technology giant Apple Inc. in the second quarter. Berkshire increased its holdings of Apple stock by 12.4 million shares in the quarter, taking its stake to $46.6 billion by the end of June, according to a new securities filing on Tuesday.
Beleaguered hedge fund manager David Einhorn sold shares of Apple Inc. in the second quarter before they continued their ascent in the third period. Einhorn, who runs Greenlight Capital, trimmed his stake in Apple by 486,000 shares, reducing his position to about $26.3 million at the end of the second quarter, according to regulatory filings. Shares of Apple have jumped about 13 percent in the third quarter.
Below: AAPL’s year to date fever chart.
Stay tuned for my quarterly round-up all the big Apple funds, coming as soon as their SEC 13f forms are complete.


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NEC and Samsung are forming a joint marketing team in an effort to accelerate the development of the 5G ecosystem. The team will specifically target the European and APAC markets, and will focus on the delivery of IT services and 5G products that will appeal to international telecom providers.
The members of the team will be experts specially trained for the task, with knowledge of NEC’s radio technology and Samsung’s commercial 5G portfolio. They will also be responsible for putting together the sales proposals that will be sent to other companies.
“Markets have increasingly high expectations for the creation of new services using 5G,” said NEC Executive Vice President Atsuo Kawamura. “NEC and Samsung are now working together to approach these advanced markets, and are confident that we can greatly enhance the capabilities that we offer to customers through the provision of optimal 5G solutions.”
Samsung and NEC first began collaborating in 2018, and are currently working to develop new products that will leverage new technology like AI to deliver better communications services. The first of those new products are expected to ship in Japan at the end of fiscal 2019.
The creation of the new team is unsurprising given Samsung’s collaborative approach to new technology. For its part, NEC has conducted 5G trials that involve facial recognition and 8K video with NTT DOCOMO in the past year.


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We are only a few days away from the Beautiful Game’s biggest tournament, the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and to celebrate BAPE will be releasing a special football-inspired collection. Aptly named BAPE Football Collection, the capsule is comprised of two key items, graphic tees, and a football. Over on the T-shirts, a special Ape head morphing into a football graphic can be seen alongside the label’s inception year: 1993.
The collection also includes the Color Camo Ape Head Tee which features a special black, red and blue CAMO print taking on the shape of a football’s panels. The standout item of the drop has to be the BAPE football, crafted from pentagonal and hexagonal shapes decorated with the same special black, red and blue CAMO print. A golden Ape head, “A Bathing Ape” and “Apes Together Strong 1993-2018” motifs have also been embossed on its panels.
The BAPE Football Collection will be available on Saturday, June 9 at BAPE retailers and online.
For more fashion news, Supreme’s James Jebbia wins 2018 CFDA Award for Menswear Designer of the Year.


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The 50th annual Antique Show and Sale will be held Friday through Sunday at Convention Hall. The sale is sponsored by Gadsden’s chapter of Altrusa International, a service club for business and professional women.
It will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.
The event will feature vendors from both local and regional areas. While vintage and antique items will be the focus of the show, coordinator Sylvia Fincher said, “We are planning on hosting a vendor who can transfer old VHS tapes to DVD or whatever form you want; last year we had a lady selling beautiful fur coats.”
Vendors will be selling items from antique jewelry to furniture to glassware. If the weather permits, there will be an antique car show and a quilt exhibit as well. In previous sales, there have been vendors selling collectibles, clocks and vintage dolls. Many people come to the sale to find one last piece of a rare collection; some collect specific things like silver, baseball cards or vintage kitchen appliances.
Tickets are $5 and can be bought either at the door or from any Altrusa International club member. Proceeds from the sale will go towards funding for various community projects.
In the past, said Fincher, “Proceeds have gone towards places like the Boys & Girls Club, Etowah Youth Orchestra scholarships, diaper and bottle programs for young mothers. We even helped start a food pantry at Southside High School with the profits.”
Attendees also will receive discounts with their tickets at several Gadsden shops, including Cothran’s Bakery, the Gadsden Variety Antique Mall, Tara’s and Absolute Fitness.
There will be concessions at the show for attendees to purchase and enjoy. Along with desserts available every day, the menu will feature different items for each day of the sale: Friday is hot dogs, chili and Frito pies; Saturday, barbecue sandwiches and chips; and Sunday, smoked turkey, chips and pasta.
A few vendors have had to cancel because of the influenza outbreak in the state, so spots still are available. If you are interested in selling items as a vendor, contact Fincher at 256-393-9969.


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Go Daddy sees growth in India
Go Daddy is getting some benefits out of its recent expansion in India with new customers.
The Scottsdale-based domain registrar said it has seen growth of 91 percent in its customer base between July 2011 and this July, with a 52 percent increase in customers since January. The company has 120,000 customers in India.
The company in June announced it wanted a greater presence in India and brought in Rajiv Sodhi to head up a branch near New Delhi. Sodhi said the company is looking to help business in India grow using the Internet.
“What we are doing is helping people leverage the Internet to grow their businesses ... providing simple products at competitive prices and supporting them with industry-best customer service based here in India. It’s a pretty straight-forward formula and it works,” he said. “In this economy, everyone is looking for an edge. I think our timing has been exquisite and the results are playing out better than we expected at this point.”
Go Daddy quickly is changing from a primarily U.S. domain registrar to one with a much more global reach. The company also is branching out with software offerings for businesses with the purchase of California-based Outright, and clearly sees that market for growth.
Its changes, coming largely since a group of private equity firms put about $2.25 billion into the company, also mean changes at the top as CEO Warren Adelman stepped down at the end of July.
Arrow, Microchip sign deal
Microchip Technology isn’t letting tough times deter it, as it signed an agreement with Arrow Electronics Inc. to be a distributor.
Patrick O'Grady is managing editor of the Phoenix Business Journal.
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This year, Whole Planet Foundation’s Annual Prosperity Campaign aims to raise $4 million to fund microcredit loans for people living in poverty where Whole Foods Market sources products. Amplifying this year’s Prosperity Campaign, suppliers to Whole Foods Market in our top giving levels are donating $1.05 million to fund 31,550 opportunities for low-income entrepreneurs around the world to change their own lives.
Suppliers donating $100,000 each include Allegro Coffee Company, Frontier Co-op, Naked Juice, Papyrus-Recycled Greetings and So Delicious. Watch this video to hear from suppliers during their field visit to Nepal. Continue reading to find out why these brands believe it’s important to fund the future of women living in poverty.
Allegro Coffee Company, producer of coffee and tea since ’77, is a decade-long partner of Whole Planet Foundation. Allegro shares Whole Planet Foundation’s mission of helping women entrepreneurs lift themselves and their families out of poverty. This year, they’re donating $100,000 to help fund her future.
Allegro also supports gender equality through their sourcing practices. Research from the Specialty Coffee Association and UN Food & Agriculture Organization shows that women coffee farmers reinvest up to 90% of their earnings into the household – on things like school fees, clothing, nutrition, health care, and home improvements. This helps the family break out of generational poverty and has positive outcomes for entire communities.
“We’re all on this planet together, and we should work together to lift each other up. We are so thankful for Whole Planet Foundation’s shared vision and are proud to partner with them.” says Christy Thorns, Director of Sourcing at Allegro Coffee Company.
Frontier Co-op began as a two-person operation in 1976 in a river cabin in Eastern Iowa. Since then they’ve grown steadily to become a major supplier to the natural products industry. The brand has been a proud supporter of Whole Planet Foundation since 2012.
“It has always been central to our mission to provide fair and equitable economic opportunities for our sourcing partners around the world. As such, we believe strongly in Whole Planet Foundation’s mission, and we are grateful to be a part of their efforts to empower those living in poverty to sustain their livelihoods and their communities,” says the team at Frontier Co-op.
Naked, a PepsiCo. brand, has been proudly supporting Whole Planet Foundation since 2007. Members of the PepsiCo. brand team have met microcredit clients whose loans were funded by Whole Planet Foundation in the United States and most recently in Nepal.
“Supporting Whole Planet Foundation through our brands has been inspiring for our whole team, and aligns with PepsiCo’s mission of providing Performance with Purpose,” says Michelle Long, Director of PepsiCo.’s Natural Channel.
Papyrus-Recycled Greetings has been a supporter of Whole Planet Foundation since 2012. As the founding member of the $100K Fund, Papyrus-Recycled Greetings has been engaged with Whole Planet Foundation’s mission to alleviate poverty in many meaningful ways, creating over 30,000 opportunities for impoverished entrepreneurs since they first joined the cause.
“Whole Planet Foundation is near and dear to my heart, and the mission connects to our goal to make the world a more thoughtful and caring place. Every. Single. Day. I’ve been fortunate enough to connect with microcredit clients whose loans were funded by Whole Planet Foundation in the United States, Paraguay, Guatemala, and most recently Nepal. Seeing their growth as people and as entrepreneurs is truly remarkable,” says David Sugerik, Account Executive for Papyrus-Recycled Greetings.
Check out the video below to get a glimpse into David’s experience meeting women entrepreneurs in Nepal last year.
So Delicious Dairy Free has been bringing joy to dairy-free lives for nearly 30 years. So Delicious is committed to doing theright things for people, animals and the planet, and has proudly committed $100,000 to Whole Planet Foundation in 2019.
“At So Delicious, we approach everything we do with compassion. That includes our products, the planet, and you. We believe that being dairy-free is about more than ingredients. It’s about thoughtful recipes, nourishment for the body and the soul, and social and environmental responsibility. We’re proud to be a part of the B Corp movement, we’re proud to put goodness first, and we’re proud to support Whole Planet Foundation’s work alleviating poverty for women entrepreneurs,” says the team at So Delicious.
Get Involved: Join our Mission
You can join these suppliers, customers, and online donors to create more prosperity around the globe during this year’s Annual Prosperity Campaign. Help us reach our goal by donating in Whole Foods Market stores from March 1-14 or online all month long. Donate to fund her future.


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Adventurous Apple users, your public beta updates have arrived.
Apple released public beta versions of the upcoming operating systems for iPhones, iPads and Mac computers. It's the first time Apple has released a major update to the public under beta. (Before, only developers had access.) But if you want to take an early peek, be prepared for bugs:
Also in this CNET Update roundup:
CNET Update delivers the tech news you need in under three minutes. Watch Bridget Carey every afternoon for a breakdown of the big stories, hot devices, new apps, and what's ahead. Subscribe to the podcast via the links below.
Download if you dare: iOS 9 public beta is here
Apple - USE TAG
reading•Download if you dare: iOS 9 public beta is here
Nov 14•Costco Black Friday 2018: Best deals include $800 Surface Pro bundle, $300 Dyson and more
Nov 13•Black Friday iPhone deals 2018: $150 off iPhone XR and XS, $400 iPhone X gift card
Nov 13•Amazon announces NYC and Northern Virginia as HQ2 winners
Nov 13•No escaping the notch: 13 phones with screen notches


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September 7, 2011: Curvy Brides
Sometimes markets are underserved for no good reason. The plus-size clothing market was ignored for many years, even though the average clothing size for American women was 12 (it’s currently size 14). Eventually many fashion designers and traditional retailers started serving the plus-size market…and profiting.
But not all factions of the plus-size market were being catered to. Curvy brides often had no place to go to buy fashion-conscious wedding dresses. That apparently is changing. According to an article in Bloomberg Businessweek, economic pressures have encouraged high-end fashion designers to “find new revenue streams…in the country’s $2.1 billion wedding dress market.”
Led by Kleinfeld, the legendary New York-based Valhalla of wedding dress establishments, which now sells more than 10 percent of its bridal gowns in size 12 or larger, more traditional wedding retailers like J. Crew, David’s Bridal and Priscilla of Boston are jumping on the bandwagon.
But it’s still relatively early in the game, and there’s a great opportunity for entrepreneurs to reap big rewards. Bloomberg Businessweek shares the story of Yukia Walker, whose entrepreneurial endeavor was sparked, as so many are, by personal need. Walker was frustrated when she was looking for an “upscale wedding gown” and couldn’t find one in her size (20). She opened Curvaceous Couture in her basement two years ago, and is doing so well she’s moved her business into a 5,000-square-foot showroom.
The trend has spawned a TLC reality show on plus-sized brides, Say Yes to the Dress: Big Bliss, and promises to deliver a lot more to savvy entrepreneurs ready to move into this promising market.


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In his December budget Irish finance minister Brian Lenihan introduced a carbon tax equivalent to €15 per tonne.
Lenihan said the new tax would help alleviate the Irish budget deficit and encourage companies to make the transition to a low carbon economy.
He said: “This will encourage innovation by incentivising companies to bring low carbon products and services to the market.”
IDIA director, Michael Barry, disagrees, claiming that the dairy industry needs revenue to innovate, and that the tax will just benefit food imports and put domestic jobs in danger.
Barry said: “The dairy industry supports the ambition to create a low carbon economy in Ireland, but the revenues collected from a carbon tax must be used to reduce costs for business.
“This tax would do little to enhance overall sustainability and risks giving advantage to cheap food imports.”
Scope of tax
The new carbon tax will have an impact at all stages of the food production process.
Barry said: “The farmer will pay a carbon tax on the fuel used in producing the food; the transportation of raw materials will be taxed; food processing will be subject to a carbon tax and packaging, storage and distribution will be taxed.”
The next result, according to the industry spokesperson, is that the cost of domestically produced food will increase relative to imports, giving foreign domestic dairy producers and processors a competitive disadvantage.
The carbon tax was introduced in December following a disastrous year for the Irish economy. GDP fell by around 7.5 per cent in 2009, plunging Irish public finances to crisis point.


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Online marketplace for F&B industry SupplyMe announces its official launch for the UAE region
The Dubai based start-up aimed to streamline the operations for HoReCA business can be used to source quality products from a wide network of dedicated regional suppliers
19 September 2021, Dubai, UAE –SupplyMe, a new online B2B marketplace that connects local food suppliers with restaurants, hotels, cafes, supermarkets, and other foodservice businesses of all sizes, has announced its official launch with a primary focus of helping companies in the F&B industry embark on their digital transformation journey and provide a better buying experience for customers.
For years, eCommerce was considered to be a B2C game, a channel best suited for consumer brands and retail transactions. The market has witnessed major shifts in buyer behavior and B2B eCommerce is now challenging the authority of traditional sales channels with B2B reaching a worldwide market value of $7.7 trillion, as opposed to the $2.3 trillion of B2C. The World Economic Forum has estimated the UAE’s 2020 e-commerce market to be valued at $27.2 billion. In Q2 of 2021, funding in MENA-based e-commerce startups grew by 380% quarter-on-quarter, with a corresponding increase of eight deals.
SupplyMe application available on Google Play Store and App Storeis focused on one of the fastest-growing verticals i.e. the HoReCa sector in the region. With social distancing and contactless communication becoming the new norm, the online marketplace is an ideal solution to help them streamline their operations and meet fast-changing consumption and purchasing patterns.
67% of the buyer’s journey is now completed digitally. 86% of buyers are willing to pay more for a better customer experience and personalization forms a huge part of delivering the best customer experience.The marketplace acts as an interface and empowers suppliers in the industry to list their products effectively, acquire new customers, have easy access to all sales related activities, provide the flexibility to run promotions, create flexible price models and most importantly offer a secured platform to manage transactions and payments easily with reduced paperwork.
Commenting on the official launch, Igor Nikolenko, Co-founder & CEO of the platform, said “Despite being one of the oldest industries, the food & beverage industry hadn’t changed much according to the times.However, the shift in consumption and purchasing patterns witnessed in 2020 led to B2B food industry embarking on its journey to embrace innovation, going paperless, and be more efficient. With the invention of cutting-edge technology, the industry is reshaping their operations for delivering a seamless and high-quality online purchasing experience for their customers.The app can help businesses to tap into new and difficult-to-reach markets, prioritize customer service, lower operating costs and increase the bottom line.”
For customers on the other hand, the marketplace strives to improve the online B2B food market to simplify and speed up the process of buying without any phone calls, bunch of documents, and bothersome paperwork. It provides F&B businesses with an instant overview of the market propositions, increased product choice and a superior customer experience, without the restraints of inventory and logistics.With the use of technology such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, online marketplaces can help businesses identify their purchasing pattern and ease the process of placing repeat orders. Vendor evaluation, spend analytics, and demand forecasting are some of the most popular benefits of data analytics in the F&B sector.
“Technology, particularly as a communication tool, is an integral part of everyday life for millennials. B2B buyers favor omnichannel communication methods for quick and instantly gratifying information. 94% buyers prefer to complete their B2B purchase online without a sales representative. Hence the demand for online marketplaces will accelerate in the future, giving buyers the option to self-serve online i.e., to research, find, buy, and manage their purchases through a single web-based platform. This will also help them deliver personalized online experienceand interact with them using channels they are present on. From ordering, paymentconfirmation, shipping and tracking all the information will be available to the buyers in an instant and in doing so, it will save them a significant amount of time,” added Husam Bardawil, Co-founder and COO at SupplyMe.
During the beta phase of the launch, SupplyMe has catered to businesses in the UAE and in the next 12 months, the company aims to extend their presence in other GCC countries, with their priority being Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
To learn more, visit https://supplyme.ae/
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Lyca Media has announced that its two London radio stations, Lyca Radio and Lyca DilSe, are now available on all smart speakers and third-party applications, from games consoles to smart watches.
In addition to online streaming, mobile apps and traditional radio, fans of Lyca Radio and Lyca DilSe will now be able to tune into their favourite radio station on a variety of devices, including: Alexa, Google and Cortana; Smart TVs and gaming consoles (Samsung Smart TV, PlayStation 3 and Xbox One); Streaming Entertainment Devices (Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Google Chromecast) and Smart Watches (Apple Watch and Android Wear).
This development illustrates Lyca Media’s long-term commitment to meeting customer needs by bringing the very best entertainment to its listeners through a variety of mediums.
Sunil Rohra, CEO of Lyca Media said, “The radio industry is continually evolving, with more ways for people to engage with their favourite programmes than ever before. At Lyca Media, we know it is crucial to keep up to date with the habits of our listeners, meeting their changing needs whilst continuing to deliver the highest quality programming. This development will do just that, bringing the fans of Lyca Radio and Lyca DilSe a greater variety of options for listening in to their favourite shows.”


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Pete Bevacqua, chief business officer for the United States Golf Association, says 42,500 fans are expected daily at the tournament, which gets under way on Thursday.
Evidence of fan enthusiasm is evident at the massive souvenir tent at Bethpage State Park. Cash registers were humming with sales of hats, shirts, umbrellas and other items stamped with the U.S. Open logo.
Debi Nagy of Buena Vista, Ga., whose son Matt is among the amateurs competing this weekend, was spotted carrying a bag of souvenirs away from the tent. She confessed it was her second trip.
Things aren’t so rosy on the corporate side. Fewer corporations signing up for pricey hospitality tents.


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Microsoft drops patent suit against Kyocera amid expanded licensing deal
Microsoft announced today that it has reached an agreement with Kyocera to expand their patent licensing agreement. In addition to expanding cross-access to each other's patents, the agreement also puts an end to a patent infringement suit that Microsoft brought against Kyocera earlier this year.
The lawsuit in question was brought against Kyocera in early March, and alleged that the company had infringed on several Microsoft patents related to location services and text messaging in its Android phones. The terms of today's expanded deal were not disclosed.
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Dan Thorp-Lancaster is the former Editor-in-Chief of Windows Central. He began working with Windows Central, Android Central, and iMore as a news writer in 2014 and is obsessed with tech of all sorts. You can follow Dan on Twitter @DthorpL and Instagram @heyitsdtl.


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Posted July 22, 2022, 2:49 PMUpdated July 25, 2022 at 2:42 PM
Microsoft, against the market, on NFTs? While the big tech players are making more announcements (Twitter, Spotify, Instagram, Snapchat) in this area, the Redmond giant is saying no to non-fungible tokens. In a blog post, Microsoft-owned Mojang says it will no longer accept them in its Minecraft game.
Some players use NFTs to sell items created on the platform. These include “skins” (skins), which allow, among other things, to change the appearance of his avatar, his physique, but also his outfit and the accessories he wears. These creations can be purchased on the platform through Minecoins, Minecraft’s virtual currency. Minecoin is obtained in exchange for traditional currencies, such as the dollar. A similar operation, here, for new metaverse platforms linked to a blockchain such as The Sandbox. But Minecraft is not from this world.
A game, not a business
For those responsible for the famous game published by Swedish company Mojang Studios, bought by Microsoft in 2014 for $2.5 billion, NFTs “can create a model of scarcity and exclusion that violates the rules and the ‘ spirit’ of the NFTs, or Non-Fungible Tokens, associate a digital object with a certificate of authenticity that guarantees official ownership to the sole holder.
The use of the NFT, which can only be linked to one owner, therefore, according to the publisher, goes against the “spirit” of Minecraft, which is that of “a community where everyone has access to the same content”. Officials are also concerned that the emergence of an NFT marketplace in Minecraft will “drip profits” and “distract users from the game.” They also point to the risk of manipulation and fraud, already seen in certain NFTs, whose price is artificially inflated.
Mojang also indicates that it has no plans, at least in the short term, to allow the use of the blockchain on which the NFTs in particular are based… even if it retains the option to change its mind later. Fountain, I won’t drink your water? Perhaps the editor will change his mind as the crypto market recovers from the crash?
Minecraft is the best-selling game in history, with over 200 million copies sold. Now described as a metaverse, it seemed ideal for hosting NFTs, which claim to host exchanges and guarantee their rarity in these universes.
No synergy with MetaMask
However, several players in the video game world have positioned themselves against the use of NFTs, in line with many players, who see it as a trading venture. Conversely, others such as EA, Konami or Ubisoft have embraced this trend – with varying degrees of success. More recently, Square Enix announced that the character Cloud, from the Final Fantasy VII franchise, is available for purchase as NFT.
In the case of Minecraft, this setback also thwarts a serious forecast that has been running since the spring. In March, parent company Microsoft first gained a foothold in the Web3 sector (bringing together blockchain, crypto and NFT technologies) by participating in the $450 million funding round of New York start-up ConsenSys . This is known for publishing the MetaMask wallet which is one of the most popular for buying NFTs. From there to coming up with a bridge with the famous sandbox game, there was only one step.


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Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov plans to add Web 3.0 to the highly encrypted messaging platform in the coming weeks.
Durov was impressed with an independent TON auction for their domain/portfolio names. While Wallet.ton was sold for $260,000, casino.ton brought in $244,000.
“If TON was able to achieve these results, imagine how successful Telegram would be with its 700 million users if we auctioned @ reserved usernames, group and channel links,” Durov said in a post on Monday. .
“In addition to millions of eye-catching t.me addresses like @storm or @royal, all four-letter usernames could be up for sale (@bank, @club, @game, @gift etc.)”, he added.
The Telegram founder said it would create a new platform where holders of usernames could transfer them to interested parties in protected agreements – with secure ownership on the blockchain via NFT-like smart contracts.
“Other elements of the Telegram ecosystem, including channels, stickers or emoji, could later also be part of this market,” he said.
The crypto messaging platform recently announced a paid subscription on its platform which will likely cost around $5 (around Rs 400) per month.
Premium subscribers can download media and files at the fastest possible speed.
With Premium, you can follow up to 1,000 channels, create up to 20 chat folders with up to 200 chats each, add a fourth account to any Telegram app, pin 10 chats to the master list, and save up to 10 favorite stickers.
Latest Technology News


text: Doja Cat embraces the power of rock in new Taco Bell Super Bowl adThu, February 10, 2022 by ABC NewsSHARE NOW Michael Hickey/Getty ImagesHomeMusicAdult ContemporaryDoja Cat embraces the power of rock in new Taco Bell Super Bowl adWhat happens when you mix Doja Cat with a Courtney Love song? You get Taco Bell’s next Super Bowl ad. The Grammy nominee takes on Hole‘s haunting rock tune “Celebrity Skin” for the advertisement and fully flexes her vocal prowess on the cover.The ad, which is streaming now on YouTube, finds Doja stuck in a school for clowns that’s constantly bombarded by an announcement that “the ice cream machine is still broken” — a thinly veiled shot at Taco Bell’s fast food rival McDonald’s. Doja and her fellow clowns soon find an escape from the monotony, which is soundtracked by her version of “Celebrity Skin.”Taco Bell also released a behind-the-scenes video that features clips of Doja recording her take on the 1998 hit and of her goofing off on set, as well as portions of the advertisement. While the video contains her cover in full, it is set to be officially released this Friday. Those familiar with the track may notice some of the lyrics are different in this updated version, and that’s because they were “reworked in partnership” with Love, according to a press release. The Super Bowl and it’s impressive lineup of star-powered commercials airs this Sunday, February 13, at 6:30 p.m. ET on NBC.Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


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For the holiday season, luxury brand Mulberry collaborated with innovation consultancy TheCurrent on an interactive retail installation that supports the #MulberryLights campaign with a smart vending machine.
#MulberryLights is a celebration of the way that light, color, shape and people unite to create a modern British Christmas. As part of this campaign, smart vending machines will be appearing in stores across the UK, giving people the chance to share light-inspired images of their own via social media. In addition to engaging consumers and sharing rewards for participation, these in-store installations also collect data.
Some of the prizes that can be won from the modern holiday experience include small leather goods, stickers and chocolates, as well as a grand £1,000 gift card that can be spent at Mulberry.
Mulberry's Interactive Retail Installation Captures Data & Offers Rewards
Laura McQuarrie — November 19, 2018 — Marketing


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CarTrade is making a pure offer for sale (OFS) for 1,23,54,811 equity shares of the company
Startup founder Vinay Sanghi to remain managing director of CarTrade for next five years
SEBI has approved CarTrade request to raise INR 2,000 Cr through IPO
Mumbai-based online automobile marketplace CarTrade’s initial public offering will open on August 9 this year, with the subscription remaining open till August 11, according to the company’s IPO banker Axis Capital website.
Earlier this week, CarTrader received an approval from SEBI to raise INR 2,000 Cr through public offerings. The startup had filed its draft red herring prospectus in May this year for a pure offer for sale (OFS) for 1,23,54,811 equity shares of the company. The offer constitutes 26.9% of the company’s post-offer paid-up equity share capital.
Founded in 2009 by Vinay Sanghi, a former chief executive officer of Mahindra First Choice and Rajan Mehra, former country head of eBay, CarTrade is an Indian multi-channel automarket place, offering both new and used vehicle to customers through platforms such as CarTrade, Carwale, CarTradeExchange, Shriram Automall, Adroit Auto, Auto Biz, and BikeWale. CarTrade group has over 40 OEMs, 15,000+ dealers and has 180 owned or franchise stores. CarTrade is the only profitable online automobile marketplace in the country.
In terms of consolidated revenue, the startup has posted INR 318 Cr, which resulted in a net profit of INR 31.2 Cr in FY 20. The startup between April 20 to December 20 posted an income of INR 189.6 Cr with a net profit of INR 85 Cr. The company has been profitable since FY19. The startup posted a loss of INR 6.8 Cr in FY18. The startup’s expenses dropped to INR 162 Cr during the nine months ended in December 31, 2020 from INR 279.5 Cr in FY 20.
The startup has raised $307 Mn to date. In terms of stakeholding, Warburg Pincus is the largest stakeholder holding 34.44% followed by Temasek’s 26.48% shareholding. Others such as JP Morgan holds 11.93%, March Capital holds 9.79%. The company’s founder Sanghi and his family hold 3.56% stake in CarTrade.
The startup competes against the likes of Cars24, Cardekho, Mahindra First Choice, Droom, Spinny among others. Interestingly, Droom, which entered the unicorn club this week, is also preparing for an IPO. Droom raised $200 Mn at a valuation of $1.2 Bn and the company said it will finish the year with a net revenue of $65 Mn, up from $54 Mn last year.