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OUTLOOK™ PLUS LATIN AMERICA CLOSES
Attracting more than 250 attendees, participants declare the first ever Latin American event a success
Sao Paulo, Brazil – March 6, 2015 – The two global nonwoven trade associations, EDANA and INDA, closed the first-ever OUTLOOK™ Plus Latin America conference in São Paulo, Brazil, thanking participants for their overwhelming support and positive feedback.
With a comprehensive conference programme and networking activities to encourage interaction, participants declared the event a valuable chance to bring the global industry together at the heart of Latin America.
Opening the conference, keynote presenter Roberto Macedo, Ph.D., outlined the global and regional economic prospects for the Mercosul Region (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Venezuela). Examining market, product, and technology intelligence for hygiene and personal care during the first two days, the third and final day focused on durable nonwoven applications and future opportunities. More than 250 participants joined the conference and more than 20 companies took the opportunity to exhibit, promoting their products and services.
“Many of the speakers agreed in their description of exciting market opportunities, illustrating the diversity of the Latin American markets, which is well understood by participants in the supply chain.” Said Pierre Wiertz, General Manager of EDANA. “EDANA is pleased to help the industry to make the best of those opportunities and continue to cater to the diversity of consumer needs in both single-use and durable nonwoven applications.”
“We are delighted to have co-organized this event with EDANA with support from ABINT. This is an important demonstration of the increased INDA/EDANA cooperation to advance the success of the nonwovens industry worldwide. The turnout from Latin America has exceeded our expectations and the quality of the questions and discussions indicates that the speaker line-up and program content successfully met the needs of this important market in our Western Hemisphere. We will be looking forward to the feedback to inform our future direction on how best to meaningfully serve the needs of Latin America’s growing nonwovens industry.” said Dave Rousse, President of INDA.
“OUTLOOK™ Plus Latin America 2015 brought to Brazil a good view of our industry, as nonwovens manufacturers must interact with their final customer in an effective way, and as a result the event was effective, profitable and sustainable.” said Wagner Carvalho, President of ABINT.
“We were very impressed with the number of attendees, and the range of participants at the conference.” said Antonio Fernando Elias, Commercial Area representative for Klabin. “We were very happy to see this event take place in Brazil, which has a growing industry, with increasing number of local producers and range of products being made. OUTLOOK Plus gave us a chance to talk to both customers and suppliers, both those representing Brazil, and markets across the globe.”
Additional information about future events from the associations can be found on the INDA and EDANA websites: www.inda.org/inda-events/ and http://www.edana.org/education-events/conferences-and-symposia
EDANA serves more than 240 companies across 32 countries in the nonwovens and related industries, helping its members to design their future. The Association’s mission is to create the foundation for sustainable growth of the nonwovens and related industries through active promotion, education and dialogue. Information about upcoming events can be found at www.edana.org
INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, serves hundreds of member companies in the nonwovens/engineered fabrics industry in global commerce. Since 1968, INDA events have helped members connect, learn, innovate and develop their businesses. INDA educational courses, market data, test methods, consultancy and issue advocacy help members succeed by providing them the information they need to better plan and execute their business strategies. For more information, visit www.inda.org or, download the INDA mobile app for immediate updates.
For further information, please contact:
Joan Izzo, Marketing Director, INDA
Telephone: +1 919 459 3717
Website : www.inda.org
Abby Bailey, Marketing and Communications Director, EDANA
Telephone: +32 2 734 93 10


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Corporate governments, security experts and officials remain in support of mass, warrant-less surveillance. But civil libertarians, humane technology companies and others oppose it, noting obvious lack of transparency and espionage to save crooks / cronies. As a cheap smartphone user, you don’t have to worry for Malware / Spyware / Virus, just buy antidotes. You can’t stop white cronies selling missiles / viruses to gray partners and anti-missile / anti-viral vaccines to its black allies in the immediate neighborhood while encouraging colorful conflicts behind scene. Maybe disguised as the big heart savior of global peace and development, broadcasting and TRP advertising on our bugged personal gadgets 24/7! Even desi cronies learned it well, call them third-world ruling robin-hoods! The problem is you’re sitting in a field of cow patties while a bunch of journalists, populists and vendors compete to see who can throw one the farthest.
It’s all crap designed to get you to buy and be an obedient bhakt of (free lure) drugs, software or apps that claims to protect you from these threats. In good cases, such drugs, software or app does absolutely nothing but slow down your devices. In worst cases, it will help ruling Nazi cronies to take over your devices while hiding in penta-vesta bunkers spread across solar system (abusing public / natural resources) to strategically inject lies / hypes during manufactured disasters, ideological conflicts and tech wars. If you have an iOS device, the software can’t even scan what’s happening in other apps, so it’s useless. If you have an Android device, it is also dubious whether malware detection software actually works. Perhaps more than ever before in history, people are confronted with diverse and contradictory information.
This doesn’t mean malware & viruses doesn’t exist or isn’t an issue. It just means we have to adjust the perch that we are looking from. These days, the majority of the malware is not in either the Apple Store or the Google Play, they are already injected deep into their commercially successful branded platforms and Windows pro-buffed. Apple shows vigilante about malware and has a very good record with keeping it out of its store. Google was not so vigilant, but it is catching up citing paid horror stories of its own allies. If you have an iOS device, you’re going to get infected with malware if you jailbreak the device and start “sideloading” apps. Some people do this to get pirated apps; others do this to get apps with more functionality. The problem is that no one checks these apps, and it is very easy for someone to add malware to one.
Android, on the other hand, gives users the ability to “sideload” apps by simply unchecking a settings option — no jailbreaking (“rooting,” in Android parlance) required. Users have good reason to “sideload” apps this way: The Amazonia AWS apps, for example, requires this setting to be unchecked to deliver Amazon’s Kindle-oriented apps to an Android device. When it comes to Android, there are hundreds of app stores, any of which could have malware. Telecom Operators, Political Parties, Online Businesses, Govt Spy Agencies and Big Social Media portals are happily just exploiting massive low end user devices for some growth, big bucks – sounds well on surface as we’re developing and getting smarter somehow anyway!
Millions of Android, iOS, BlackBerry, Windows espionage smartphones are already flooding the market, more added each day. Moses law to intrude more guinea pigs, mob making mobile apps for use by corporate media to save the masters – whenever, wherever, by all means. The globalization of economics, healthcare and the information-technology revolutions have made it difficult to stop government from giving away or selling secrets for bucks (only to the like-minded and conforming lot).
The agents of espionage have abandoned their cloaks and daggers for new gadgets that give them unlimited access to Internet and IoT devices used by masses to access it, the much advertised hype apps you have on that smart device tracks 24/7 – TRP, clicks, app logs, calls, texts, private chats and everything else without your permission, its the price of being accepted as cool or fool. You may not know even when they spot you in a huge crowd and threaten to stop your implanted pacemaker or remotely insert some deadly viruses using face recognition IoT apps (via Citizen Data Portal) on an invincible drone cloud orbiting few meters above you or a SpaceX sponsored solar colony somewhere in the deep universe, nowhere to run or hide from the great worshiped (genetically mutated) silicon slaves of big tech!

domain: news


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Tag Archives: Microsoft
Vodacom will sell Microsoft’s new Lumia smartphones.
Sony’s video game console’s game library recently passed a milestone.
Specifically, more children should be playing the online game Minecraft.
Windows 10 will soon automatically download to users’ PCs, coming in the form of a recommended update.
Early adopters of Microsoft’s competitor to the MacBook have reported facing debilitating bugs and irritating hardware issues.
If you are applying for a job at a technology company, you may face some of these tough and unique interview questions.
Microsoft is preparing its next Windows 10 update, codenamed Threshold 2.
Microsoft’s top-of-the-range Surface Book, with a 1TB SSD and a Core i7 CPU, does not come cheap.
Microsoft has announced the launch window and pricing for the HoloLens development kit.


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Food exporters including the United States and European Union are stepping up pressure on China to scale back plans for intensive inspections of imports that they say would hamper access to its fast-growing market.
The group, which also includes Japan and Australia, sent a joint letter to Chinese regulators asking them to suspend a proposed requirement, due to take effect Oct. 1, for each food shipment to have an inspection certificate from a foreign government. They say that would disrupt trade and ask Beijing to follow global practice by applying the requirement only to higher-risk foods.
The dispute, about which governments have said little in public, adds to complaints Beijing is reducing market access for goods ranging from medical technology to farm-related biotech in violation of its free-trade commitments.
The letter, dated June 12 and seen by The Associated Press, was sent by an unusually broad group including the 28-nation European Union, the United States, Japan, Australia, Argentina and Israel and four other countries. It is addressed to the director of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, known as AQSIQ, and the Chinese commerce minister. A foreign official who asked not to be identified further due to the sensitivity of the issue confirmed the letter was sent to Chinese regulators.
Read more at AP.


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OPPO F11 Pro is set to launch in Malaysia on 19 March
OPPO Malaysia had announced that we can be expecting the OPPO F11 Pro smartphone in Malaysia some time this month. Now we finally have a date and it will be on the 19th of March.
The OPPO F11 Pro was recently launched in India. The device features a 48MP + 5MP dual rear camera setup and like the recently launched vivo V15 Pro, comes with a pop up selfie camera but this device houses a 16MP sensor. If you’re worried about moving parts on the device, the company had mentioned at the India launch that the device’s pop-up camera’s durability is rated for up to 100 pop-ups a day for 10 years.
Here's what we can expect to see on the OPPO F11 Pro
From the launch of the F11 Pro in India, we have an idea that the device may have tech specs that include the MediaTek Helio P70 chipset, 6GB RAM, 128GB internal storage and a 4000mAh battery capacity. Besides that, it comes with a 6.53 inch display.
In addition, we can also find other interesting features on the device such as Ultra Night Mode, VOOC 3.0 (charges the device 20% faster than before), Game Space and Hyper Boost. The last two features increases the performance of the smartphone while gaming and using apps. So far, we know that the device comes in 2 colours: Aurora Green and Thunder Black.
We’ll most likely know the Malaysia price on the day of the launch but from the India launch, we can speculate that the price should be around ~RM1443. Coincidentally on the same day, the Redmi Note 7 is set to be launched in Malaysia as well. Could this be just a simple coincidence? For the latest smartphone releases, TechNave.com will be the one to let you know!


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Security researchers have discover that more than a half-dozen mobile browsers are at-risk for address bar spoofing, including Apple’s Safari…
Internet security experts have found that seven mobile browsers are prone to address bar spoofing. Among the vulnerable online portals is nonetheless Apple’s Safari. Although this trick is something that’s been around since the early days of public internet, the threats these pose have never been as dangerous as they are today. Nefarious actors can inflict much more harm, including deploying malware and more severe actions.
7 Mobile Browsers Susceptible to Address Bar Spoofing Attacks Cybersecurity Firm Warns
Address bar spoofing refers to an old technique. It allows hackers to modify a legitimate URL and display a fake one instead. While that doesn’t sound all that ominous, it’s a devious way to victimize consumers in a number of ways. And, because address bars are usually the only and last line of defense of mobile browsers, such a tactic is much easier to pull off.
Address bar spoofing can be done through various methods, generally relying on phishing emails with clickable links. Once potential targets are fooled into opening the fake URLs, they might be subjected to malware campaigns and/or stealing sensitive personal data, such as website login credentials and more.
The impacted mobile browsers include Apple’s Safari, Opera Touch, Opera Mini, Bolt, RITS, US Browser, and Yandex Browser, according to cybersecurity firm Rapid7.


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Kohl’s CEO Battles With Activist Investors
A group of investors that previously forced an executive overhaul at Bed Bath & Beyond is targeting Kohl’s for its “persistent failures”.
Fashion retailer Kohl’s Corp has come under pressure from a group of activists attempting to name nine directors to its board in an effort to overhaul the company.
The group, which consists of 4010 Capital, Ancora Holdings, Legion Partners Asset Management and Macellum Advisors, has acquired a collective 9.5% stake in the company.
In a letter to Kohl’s shareholders on Monday, the group called for significant stock repurchases and the election of the nine directors it had nominated to the company’s board, taking aim at the company’s largely unchanged net sales levels between 2011 and 2019.
“Poor retail execution and strategy have led to stagnant sales and declining operating margins,” the group wrote. “These persistent failures have been led by several different senior executive teams but overseen by substantially the same Board.”
Two years ago, the same group of investors forced a board overhaul at Bed Bath & Beyond and installed a new CEO.
Investors reacted positively to the news, with Kohl’s stock rising around 8% by midday on Monday. The company’s stock has already risen more than 300% since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic early last year under the policies instated by CEO Michelle Gass – with an 80% increase since November – but more recently posted disappointing Q3 results and holiday sales.
In two separate statements, Kohl’s said it had been in discussion with the group in December and reaffirmed that its new strategic framework, which it outlined in October, would “accelerate growth and profitability” at the company.
“We reject the Investor Group’s attempt to seize control of our Board and disrupt our momentum, especially considering that we are well underway in implementing a strong growth strategy,” a Kohl’s spokesperson wrote.
Kohl’s is based in Wisconsin and maintains 1,159 stores across the US. In 2020 it reported an annual revenue of $19.9 billion.


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One Thursday last February, on a relatively slow news day -- two llamas running amok in Sun City, Arizona were, initially, the primary story being passed around social media -- someone probably G-chatted, Facebooked, or texted you about The Dress.
"What color is it?" screamed the Internet. Was it blue and black? Was it white and gold? What was the meaning of this witchcraft?! Nearly every website whose success depended on clicks -- which is to say, most websites -- picked up the "story" and ran with it. (For what it's worth, I might be biased, but this is probably my favorite Dress-related headline.) So the person who first posted the photo and query surely (surely!) must have made a boatload of money off it, right? That's how virality works, in this age of Davids After Dentist and Charlies Biting Fingers.
Except that it's not. In a fascinating if unsettling piece published on Fusion, Oakland writer Joe Veix uses the story of The Dress -- a photo posted to Tumblr by a Scottish 17-year-old named Caitlin McNeill, whose friend's mother had snapped it unwittingly while shopping a few weeks earlier -- to illustrate the precariousness of business models like BuzzFeed's, which rely in large part on "curating" content already posted elsewhere on the web.
It took a BuzzFeed employee all of five minutes to repost McNeill's photo as an article. And then:
Almost immediately, traffic went gangbusters. By the end of the night, it had about 10 million views. It became the most popular post in BuzzFeed’s history, garnering roughly 38 million views to date, with 670,000 simultaneous views at its peak. The site threw money and people at the story, including an extra tech team and two editorial teams, as if a president had been shot. They sent out a press release, taking credit for the phenomenon. The next day, victorious, they celebrated in their office with champagne.
It’s hard to determine exactly how much money The Dress made, cumulatively, for BuzzFeed and the other news sites and social media services and brands and stores that sold the dress. McNeill, however, got nothing.
In the weeks that followed, the woman who took the photo and her daughter -- who had posted the image to Facebook weeks before McNeill's Tumblr post -- even had a falling out caused, in part, by attempting to reap some small financial gains from The Dress.


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The NPD Group has reported that the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 have done very well in Canada, outselling the Xbox 360 and PS3 by 127 percent in their first eight months. NPD’s Darrell Ryce stated in a blog post that “Console sales in Canada have never been stronger.”
Though software sales had also increased by 102 percent for the current generation over the previous, the number of games that a consumer owns for a single console is down 11 percent. As Ryce explains, there is a “lack of truly compelling content at this time in either digital or physical format.” However, seeing as how this has been the trend in the industry for a while now, Ryce says, “It will be resolved in time for the holidays.”
Right now, there’s a lack of real exclusives for either console but that will be remedied when the Xbox One receives Forza Horizon 2, Sunset Overdrive, Halo: The Master Chief Collection and Project Spark in the Holidays, with the PS4 receiving DriveClub and Little Big Planet 3.


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People have evolved to have subconscious urges to over-eat, and limited ability to avoid becoming obese, especially in winter, a University of Exeter study has found.
There is not yet an evolutionary mechanism to help us overcome the lure of sweet, fatty and unhealthy food and avoid becoming overweight for understandable and sensible reasons, according to researchers.
Magners reveals that nearly half of those in Plymouth think their partner is overweight
45 per cent of people surveyed in Plymouth in a relationship have admitted to thinking their partner needs to lose weight, but one third (33%) are too scared to say anything to their other half, it emerged yesterday.
The study of 2,000 Brits, commissioned by Magners Orchard Berries Light,...


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February 8, 2023 – THE semiconductor industry has been feeling the heat arising from tensions between the US and China, while grappling with worsening consumer demand amid a gloomy global economic outlook. Concerns over the mounting rivalry between the two economic giants prompted South Korea-based Simmtech Holdings Co Ltd to set up shop in Penang, according to Simmtech Southeast Asia managing director Jeffery Chun.
“It is a concern, but at the same time, [also] an opportunity. On the one hand, it might impact our China operations. On the other, there is a new opportunity to build a whole new supply chain,” Chun tells The Edge in an interview at the group’s manufacturing plant in Batu Kawan, Penang.
“It is a chance for a company like us that has a global manufacturing footprint. There are increasing requirements coming from the major customers’ side on making co-location investments. So, we are really responding to that requirement.
“Our first response is to set up a factory in Penang. We can foresee there will be many more projects coming in, not only to Malaysia but also to different locations around the world,” Chun adds.
Simmtech is a leading global manufacturer of semiconductor packaging substrate and high-density interconnect printed circuit boards (HDI PCBs). The group also has production facilities in China, South Korea and Japan.
“The US has definitely taken a stronger position in responding to the conflict with China. US sanctions are becoming more specific, and are directly related to the semiconductor operation. [The US] has been getting more stringent, and is definitely aiming to slow down Chinese companies looking to develop and catch up with the competition,” he says.
Despite concerns about growing US-China tensions, Chun says the group has to stay positive and flexible to ride out the storm.
“We know we will never go back to the pre-Covid situation, so we will need to adapt to new environments, new orders and new supply chain developments,” he notes.
Keep China’s operations running
Nonetheless, Chun stresses that Simmtech will never exit China or scale down operations there as it is a huge market for its products.
“We are also interested to learn how our customers will manage their operations in China, so we will work together with them and support the market,” he adds.
Simmtech’s production capacity in China accounts for 30% of the group’s total PCB capacity and contributes 15% of the group’s total revenue.
Still, for Simmtech, which is in the semi-conductor business, Chun is hopeful that tensions between the US and China will ease for the benefit of the industry.
“In the global supply chain, with China being the big manufacturing house, we hope they (the US and China) will get along well.
“The US-China trade war does not really affect Simmtech’s operations in China and revenue. But, we do not want this situation to drag on for too long. In the short term, we will benefit from customers exiting China. If, however, the situation does drag [on for] too long, then it will definitely have an impact on the overall industry,” he adds.
In the face of the US’ technology sanctions against China, which have seen the Biden administration block the sale of advanced chipmaking tools to the latter, Chun says Simmtech will keep an eye on the development. The group, which produces substrates and PCB, is not affected by the sanctions for now as equipment makers are expected to bear the brunt of the ban.
Lessons from past tech downturns
Chun says Simmtech has earmarked investments for capacity building to ensure the group can seize opportunities to capture market demand when it rebounds. It is also investing in new equipment to keep up with market trends and the dynamic needs of clients.
“There is a huge lesson from the previous downturn before the Covid-19 pandemic. When the market was in a downturn, nobody made any investments. Everybody held on to cash and cut capex [capital expenditure]. So, when the market turned around during Covid, there was not enough capacity to capture the market [demand]. That is the lesson learnt from the previous downturn cycle,” he says.
Chun further adds that it makes sense to invest when the market slows. This is because during the peak season, the group is usually busy meeting orders and it will be very difficult to make any adjustments to the production line because all the lines will be fully utilised.
“Whereas when the market slows down, we have lots of room to move around. So even within the existing factories, there are many activities internally for machine maintenance, relocation and upgrade to achieve better efficiencies,” he explains.
Aiming for top ranking in memory and non-memory substrates
According to Chun, Simmtech spent around 25% of its revenue on capex and research and development in a bid to grow its market share. The group’s ambition is to be top-ranked in both the memory and non-memory segments (or integrated circuit [IC] substrate) in terms of market share.
“That’s how much [investment] is required to stay on top of the line when it comes to competition. Compared to other companies serving the same industry, I am pretty sure we are on the upper to high side in terms of investment,” he says.
Simmtech produces about 30% of the global market share of memory modules and solid-state drive (SSD) PCBs, making it the world leader in this segment. To put things into perspective, one in every three electronic devices — be it a laptop, phone or digital camera — comes with a Simmtech product.
Meanwhile, in the non-memory segment, Simmtech is ranked among the world’s top 10 key suppliers, in terms of market share.
Well prepared for industry slowdown
Acknowledging the industry will continue to slow down at least within the first half of this year, Chun says Simmtech is “well prepared for the industry downward cycle”, given its diversified customer base and solid balance sheet. While the memory segment is facing a slowdown, Simmtech hopes to leverage its non-memory segment to cushion the impact.
“Comparing the memory and non-memory markets, as memory has fewer players, it is more volatile, wher as the non-memory is less volatile because there are many players. For example, non-memory has many different sectors — there are not only consumer products but also analogue, automotive and industrial businesses,” he says.
In Malaysia, Simmtech has a manufacturing facility in Batu Kawan Industrial Park through its local unit, Sustio Sdn Bhd.
“For the Phase 1 project, we just started and have not made much money. We announced that Malaysia’s manufacturing facility represents about 20% of the overall capacity.”
According to him, the Phase 1 project completed its product qualification in November last year and is set to ramp up production in the following quarters.
Phase 1, which costs US$120 million (RM512 million), was announced in July 2021. The company hired 1,200 full-time local talents in the fields of engineering, manufacturing and quality management for the 18-acre site.
The factory will be manufacturing the region’s first packaging substrates for dynamic random-access memory (DRAM)/NAND memory chips and HDI PCB for memory module/SSD devices.
The group announced last month investments of US$50 million for the second phase, bringing its combined investments in Malaysia to US$180 million to date.
“For Phase 2 investment, we hope to have a bigger contribution to Simmtech overall. What is more important is we want to continue to grow and expand here and become a more important location for the Simmtech business,” Chun remarks.
The latest expansion project is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2023. Upon completion, it will double the HDI PCB production capacity while creating an additional 400 full-time jobs for locals.
Chun revealed that the name of the local unit, Sustio, is a combination of two words, substrate and studio. Sustio is ultimately owned by Kosdaq-listed Simmtech Holdings, the holding company that mainly focuses on investment activities for the group’s businesses.
Over the past one year, the counter has lost about 31.2% to close at KRW3,420 on Jan 26, giving the company a market capitalisation of KRW165.36 billion (RM531 million). The stock is currently trading at a price-earnings ratio of 2.5 times.
Simmtech Holdings also owns a majority stake in Simmtech Co Ltd, which operates the group’s factories in South Korea, China and Japan. Simmtech Co, which is also listed on Kosdaq, has fallen 32.9% over the past one year to settle at KRW30,650 on Jan 26, bringing the company’s market capitalisation to KRW976.33 billion.
Source: The Edge Markets


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March 2, 2020, Vancouver, B.C. – 7-Eleven Canada is installing plexiglass sneeze guards at the front sales counter in its 636 Canadian 7-Eleven stores to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. Each store is receiving two Canadian-made transparent plastic barriers.…
A Must Read for all food & beverages industry personnel
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Serving the Canadian food & beverage processing industry for over 80 years!
FREE to qualified industry professionals


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Ministry of Tourism, Government of India has asked BSNL to cover 203 tourist places with High Speed 3G Data Services. The list of these important tourist locations were given to BSNL to examine the commercial viability of installing new 3G sites at the earliest. Theses locations are currently covered by BSNL 2G connectivity only.
BSNL has already providing Free WiFi Broadband Services at major tourist locations in the country. Recently, Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad inaugurated BSNL Free WiFi service at Taj Mahal. Tourism department wants to provide high speed broadband facility for all tourists visiting these locations.
As per the latest information, BSNL has started looking into the project and has asked all district level offices (SSAs) to examine all these cases mentioned by the Ministry of Tourism. BSNL has also clarified that 2G connectivity is already available in all these locations.
The list of important locations given by Ministry of Tourism includes – Rameswaram, Hogenakkal, Kanniyakumari, Kollur, Dantewada etc.
See latest BSNL Free WiFi Tariff Plans below:
Dear readers, please share your views and opinions about this latest news via comments with us. Whether Government can implement it’s prestigious project – Digital India through the state run – BSNL ?


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WILLOW SPRING, N.C. (WTVD) -- A Wake County dad stopped for a Gatorade and left with a $100,000 prize
Rodney Harrington told North Carolina Education Lottery officials that he stopped at a store to buy a drink and decided to purchase a scratch-off ticket during checkout.
"I initially only went in the store to get a Gatorade," Harrington said.
He said he was shocked after realizing his scratch-off was worth $100,000.
"My mouth just dropped wide open," he said.
Harrington bought his $30 200X The Cash ticket from Cool Mart on Penny Road in Raleigh
He said the first thing he did was call his brother to tell him what happened. Harrington took home $71,259 after required state and federal taxes were deducted.
"I've got four daughters so I'm sure they will have some ideas about how I should spend it," Harrington said.


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China’s largest e-commerce company, Alibaba, said on Monday it had fired a manager accused of sexual assault and vowed to strengthen its policy against sexual harassment, after a company employee was accused of ignoring your report on the incident.
The employee, who has not been identified, posted an internal blog post on Saturday recounting the sexual assault she experienced by her manager and one of the company’s clients during a business trip, according to reports from local media. She said that she was forced to drink alcohol, that her manager sexually assaulted her in the hotel room while she was drunk, and that the client also molested her, and before that her manager turned a blind eye.
The employee said the company did not take the problem seriously when she reported the abuse, and was told the suspect would not be fired, according to her post.
Alibaba CEO Daniel Zhang said in a memo published Monday that the defendant, who works in the neighborhood’s retail business unit, admitted to committing “intimate acts” with the employee while she was drunk. Zhang said the manager was fired because he violated company policy. At the moment, the identity of the employee has not been revealed.
“If he commits an infraction or an improper act that breaks the law, it will be determined by the authorities,” Zhang said.
Two of the executives — the head of the neighborhood retail business unit and the director of human resources — have resigned to take responsibility for the mishandling of the case.
“Problem solver. Proud twitter specialist. Travel aficionado. Introvert. Coffee trailblazer. Professional zombie ninja. Extreme gamer.”


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Even before an earthquake and tsunami struck Japan, prices for car stereo products were on the rise. We know of four suppliers who raised prices this year and three others who are considering raising prices in 2011.
Component parts using rare earth metal like copper and aluminum have gone up in price by six percent or higher. Many car amplifiers use aluminum heat sinks, and may use copper and brass connectors. Speakers may use copper voice coils, aluminum baskets and neodymium magnets.
Rockford Fosgate addressed the issue by entering new higher price brackets for its 2011 lineup. JL Audio hiked prices slightly on some models as of March 1.
An amp and speaker supplier said his parts cost rose 6 to 8 percent late last year and he expects another 6 to 8 percent increase soon. “When you have for example a 6.5 inch pair of speakers that wholesale for $12.00, it’s hard to absorb,” he explained.
Currency fluctuations are adding to the pressure as the Japanese yen is down to around 79 from 90 earlier and the yuan is also lower. “If the Japanese Yen holds at 79, you can expect more increases,” said a major Japanese supplier, who, like others, preferred to speak anonymously on the subject.
On top of these dynamics, car stereo parts are expected to be shorter supply in Japan. A recent statement from Alpine explains that “a number” of its suppliers “appear to have suffered significant damage to their operations” from the earthquake. It added, “We will continue with our investigations, however some level of difficulty in procuring parts can be expected.”
Even those suppliers who refrain from raising prices this year are expected to introduce 2012 products at prices which may be 5 to 10 higher. This may have the beneficial effect of halting the usual price erosion on consumer electronics goods.


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05/31/2013, The point of the rumored budget iPhone was to target emerging markets like India, but in the meantime it looks like Apple is doing pretty fine on their own.
05/31/2013, If you're a Blackberry 10 user looking forward to more official Google products on your phone, you might be in for a wait.
05/31/2013, Blackberry 10 users can finally get their hands on Rovio's hugely popular Angry Birds Space game.
05/31/2013, Microsoft decided that buying a Nokia Lumia 521 is cheaper than the Samsung Galaxy S4, and is telling us what we could do with $600 left over in our pockets.
05/31/2013, The Oppo Ulike 2S could eventually find its way to the US market unlike its predecessor.
05/31/2013, Sleek Tech's latest invention is incubating as a Kickstarter project, where the SleeKeys intend to bring physical QWERTY typing back to modern day smartphones without being a burden on your battery.
05/30/2013, The Sony Xperia Z could very well arrive in US on T-Mobile soon.
05/30/2013, LG has a couple of smartphones to take over from where the L3 range left off, namely the LG Optimus L4 and the LG Optimus L4 Dual.
05/30/2013, An analyst claims based on U.S. channel checks that Samsung might ship as many as 80 million units of Galaxy S4 in this year alone.
05/30/2013, Google's SVP of Android Sundar Pichai has confirmed that the company will not stop making Nexus hardware.
05/30/2013, Alleged specs of the HTC T6 phablet have been leaked. This device is reportedly being developed as a strong competitor against Samsung's established Galaxy Note range of phablets.
05/30/2013, Microsoft today offered an early look in to the features, enhancements and improvements that the upcoming Windows 8.1 update is going to bring when it is released later this year.
05/30/2013, The HTC One with stock Android 4.2.2 OS has finally been announced by the company. It will be available unlocked for $600 from Google Play Store starting 26th June.
05/30/2013, The Sony Xperia S Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean update is finally rolling out today. The update will be available first for users in France.


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Amex, Dwolla Suffer Web Outages Due to Attacks
American Express and Dwolla suffered website outages, which the companies attributed to distributed denial-of-service (DDOS) attacks. Such attacks are designed to knock out a website by flooding it with more traffic than it is designed to handle.
American Express' site experienced a DDOS attack for about two hours on this afternoon, the company says.
"We experienced intermittent slowing on our website that would have disrupted customers' ability to access their account information," said Amelia Woltering, an American Express spokeswoman, in an email. "We had a plan in pace to defend against a potential attack and have taken steps to minimize ongoing customer impact."
There is no evidence that customer data was compromised, Woltering said. Amex did not comment on the source of the attack.
Dwolla, in a blog post today, says it has been the target of "distributed denial of service event, resulting in limited or no availability to the website, Dwolla.com," since March 27.
The Amex and Dwolla websites were both operational as of late today.
Web-focused companies can defend against such attacks. In 2011, PayPal weathered a DDOS attack when other payment brands saw their websites blocked. The 2011 attacks were in protest to the payment companies' decisions to stop handling payments for WikiLeaks.
One defense is to use cloud computing to increase bandwidth during such an attack.


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20 Sep 2019
Re|Bank sponsors Tbilisi Mural Fest
On September 17-25 Tbilisi will be hosting its first international street art festival Tbilisi Mural Fest. The initiative is supported by Tbilisi and Berlin city halls.
This year the festival is mainly focused on Berlin street artists. Together with them, the artists from other European countries including Georgia will paint 10 walls in Tbilisi. The meetings with artists, workshops and panel discussions about street art and the city’s urban development will be held in the scope of the festival.
“We are happy to support Tbilisi Mural Fest. In fact, it is the first sponsorship project for Re|Bank – a retail banking brand from PASHA Bank. We hope to continue supporting significant and useful projects like this one in the future.” - said Anano Korkia, Head of PR and Marketing at PASHA Bank.
The festival will be closed on September 25th by the open-air electronic music concert with KORDZ being a headliner.
LINE UP: CASE MACLAIM QUINTE55ENZ INNERFIELDS EL BOCHO MUSYA COLLIN VAN DER SLUIJS KERA SNYDER LUKA JAPARIDZE & V45 HRVB


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On June 22, 2022, Mamano representative Ezawa gave a guest lecture at "Social Innovation Theory" at Kinjo Gakuin University.
The theme is"Introduction of Corporate Approach to Sustainable Growth of Ecuadorian Cacao Farmers"is.
We talked with students about the model of direct transactions with small-scale farmers, which we have been working on since our establishment in 2013, the impact of chakra farming (agroforestry) on climate change and the environment, and the significance of doing business. ..
▶ Lecture requestHere


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STEP aside Suri Cruise, the world has a new mini fashion icon. Dubbed the ‘Prince George effect’, the adorable toddler is sending sales of Crocs skyrocketing. No, we can’t believe it either.


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Dubai, United Arab Emirates — Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund invested more than $1 billion Monday in an American electric car manufacturer. The electric-car investment is a bold move for Saudi Arabia, an ultraconservative kingdom that for decades has relied on its oil wealth as the world’s top crude exporter. The Saudi Public Investment Fund said it would invest the over $1 billion in California-based Lucid Motors, an 11-year-old private company that has yet to bring a vehicle to market.
DETROIT — Automakers from the United States, Europe and Asia are rolling out new and redesigned production and concept vehicles at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Among them: Acura RDX: Honda will […]
DETROIT — Fiat Chrysler on Monday unveiled a redesigned Ram large pickup that along with General Motors’ new Chevrolet Silverado, which debuted on Saturday, sealed a double victory for the steel industry’s fight to remain […]
JACKSON, Wyo. — Aside from Tobacco Road allegiances or Hillary vs. Trump, you’d be hard pressed to find people who display the sort of brand loyalty that truck buyers have. Ford truck owners love Ford […]


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1 in 3 Toys Contain Toxic Chemicals, Study Finds
January 2, 2009
By Healthy Child Staff
The Ecology Center, a Michigan-based nonprofit organization, and partners across the country today released the 3rd Annual Consumer Guide to Toxic Chemicals in Toys at HealthyStuff.org. Researchers tested nearly 700 popular 2009 children and baby products for lead, cadmium, arsenic, PVC, and other harmful chemicals in time to help consumers make better choices for their families this holiday shopping season.
According to researchers at HealthyStuff.org, who have tested more than 4,000 children’s products over the past three years, lead has been steadily decreasing in toys. In fact, the number of products with lead exceeding current federal standards for lead in toys (300 ppm) decreased by 2/3 (67%) since 2007. However, one in three of all toys tested (32%) this holiday season still contained one or more harmful chemical including lead, cadmium, arsenic, and mercury. In addition, 18 percent of the products tested this holiday season (119 of 669) still contained detectable lead, including the Barbie Bike Flair Accessory Kit, Dora the Explorer Activity Tote, and the Kids Poncho from WalMart. PVC, a ‘worst in class’ plastic because of life cycle concerns, is still present in 42% of children’s products.
“The toxic chemicals that we find are a fraction of the thousands of chemicals that can be present in everyday products, including those intended for children,” said Jeff Gearhart, the Ecology Center’s lead researcher, who founded HealthyStuff.org. “We need a major overhaul of our chemicals policies immediately to start phasing out these dangerous substances.”
At at HealthyStuff.org, holiday shoppers can search for toys by product name, UPC code, product type, manufacturer, or retailer to easily find products that have No, Low, Medium, or High levels of toxic chemicals. Also available is a personalized holiday wish list that can be sent to family and friends, blog-friendly widgets in English and Spanish, a mobile application, and quick searches for toy rankings via SMS texting in English and Spanish.
In addition to toys for children and babies, HealthyStuff.org testing includes shoes, belts, wallets, handbags, and backpacks. While levels of lead in toys have declined, adult and children’s apparel continues to show high levels of lead. For instance, over half of the 100 plastic handbags tested contain 1,000 ppm lead. Babies and young children are the most vulnerable to toxic chemicals since their brains and bodies are still developing and because they commonly put toys, other products, and their hands into their mouths.
Highlights from the HealthyStuff.org 2009 findings:
1. Lead Declining But Still in Toys – Lead was detected in 18% (119 out of 669) products tested by HealthyStuff.org this year. In 2007, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended a level of 40 parts per million (ppm) of lead as the maximum that should be allowed in children’s products. Seven percent (44) of this year’s toys tested at levels above 40 ppm. Three percent (17) of this year’s products tested at levels above 300 ppm, the federal recall standard used for lead material substrates in children’s products.
2. It’s Not Just Lead – Other dangerous chemicals are still found in toys. One-in-three (32%) toys tested this year contained one or more of the hazardous chemicals tested for by HealthyStuff.org. Of those, cadmium was found at levels greater than 100 ppm in 3.3% of products (22 of 669 total products). Arsenic was detected at levels greater than 100 ppm in 1.3% of products (9 of 669 total products).
3. Many Plastic Toys Still Made of PVC – HealthyStuff.org identifies products made of PVC by measuring their chlorine content. 42% of toys tested this year contained PVC. This percentage has remained constant for the past three years. PVC is the worst plastic from an environmental health perspective because it creates major hazards in its manufacture, product life, and disposal and can contain additives that are dangerous to human health. Lead, cadmium and other heavy metals are also commonly added to PVC products.
4. Safe Toys are Possible – Many manufacturers are already doing it: two-thirds (68%) of the products tested in 2009 did not contain any lead, cadmium, arsenic, or mercury, including many made in China. These results show that manufacturers can make toys free of unnecessary toxic chemicals. 58% of children’s products were made without PVC.
To sample the toys, HealthyStuff.org experts used a portable X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyzer that identifies the elemental composition of materials. This accurate device has been used by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to screen packaging; the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to screen food; and, by many State and County Health Departments to screen for residential lead paint.
Today, the U.S. Senate Environment & Public Works Committee will hear testimony from three key federal agencies about the need to reform the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) – the obsolete law passed in 1976 to regulate chemicals. To date, the EPA has required testing on only about 200 of the more than 80,000 chemicals that have been on the market since the law passed 33 years ago. Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Representative Bobby Rush (D-IL) are expected to introduce a new bill soon to reform this outdated law.
Also today, environmental commissioners from 13 states released principles that call for updating and strengthening TSCA while preserving state implementation and management rights. These principles include: protecting the most vulnerable including pregnant women and children; requiring manufacturers to provide health, safety, and use data on chemicals; demonstrating that chemicals in commerce are safe; identifying safer alternatives to toxic chemicals in keeping with the principles of green chemistry; and, assessing the safety of emerging chemicals of concern including nanoscale materials before they enter into widespread commerce. The following states joined in issuing the principles: California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Washington.
“There is growing concern from an array of voices about our weak federal law being helpless to prevent human exposure to toxic chemicals on a daily basis,” stated Andy Igrejas, Campaign Director of Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families. “The time is right to enact strong reform to our toxic chemical laws, so that we can better protect our health and our children.”
About HealthyStuff.org – HealthyStuff.org is based on research conducted by environmental health organizations and other researchers around the country. The Ecology Center created HealthyStuff.org and leads its research and development. The Ecology Center is a Michigan-based nonprofit environmental organization that works at the local, state, and national levels for clean production, healthy communities, environmental justice, and a sustainable future.


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Online retailer Amazon has opened the doors to a brick-and-mortar grocery store in Seattle that uses a combination of computer vision and deep learning to operate without lines or checkout counters.
Amazon Go, a 1,800-squarefoot store, uses sensors to detect what items shoppers have picked off the shelves in real-time, and when they leave the store, automatically bills their Amazon accounts.
Currently, the store is only accessible to Amazon employees, and requires a dedicated app to operate, but if the store proves successful, Amazon plans to open more than 2,000 grocery stores in a variety of formats, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Amazon Go represents the latest push by the company into the grocery market. Over the past few years, Amazon has begun to position itself for a major push into this sector, and the establishment of a large number of physical stores would certainly qualify as that. Following the announcement, the S&P 15000 food retail index, which includes Kroger Co, Whole Foods and other grocery firms, was down 0.5 per cent, while shares of Amazon closed up around 2.6 per cent.
"The imminent launch of Amazon Go signifies a move away from traditional bricks and mortar stores and towards a new era of shopping," said Hugh Fletcher, digitial business consultant for eCommerce specialists Salmon. "Even if a shopping experience is in-person, not online, shoppers are constantly telling us that they want the same speed, convenience and user-friendly experience that online and mobile shopping provides."
"As retailers move away from traditional stores, we expect technologies like Programmatic Commerce – the concept of automatic purchasing through connected devices – to dominate the sector.
"Our recent study found that 57% of UK shoppers will be ready for fully automated purchases through IoT devices within two years. Amazon has been smart here – the brand was born digitally but knows that the future of retail is a perfect mix of online and physical. Amazon Go is just a trial but we would expect it to catch on."
You can watch Amazon's introduction to the store, which explains how it works, in the video below.
Want to learn more about the power of mobile retail? Book a place at our Mobile Marketing Retail Summit, taking place this January, for a chance to discuss with experts how you can keep ahead of the curve. Click here for more details.


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Renault has announced the continuation of investment in the plant in Moscow, under an agreement between the company and the Government of Moscow. French carmaker plans to invest 21 billion company. These funds will be invested in the purchase of manufacturing equipment and tooling, as well as the overall modernization of production cars. Such large investments are partly related to the enactment of the tax benefits automakers and the company expects to reduce the amount of the tax burden from the city of Moscow.
In 2013, Renault plans to produce about 180 thousand cars.
As part of the development of production is planned to increase the localization rate from 75% (for cars Renault Logan and Sandero) to 80% in 2016 also under the company’s commitment to the further development of production will continue to improve the training system, and by 2014 increase the number of engineers in the production of one and a half times the 290 already employed.


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Adobe, Microsoft Ship Critical Security Updates
- — Jan. 8, 2013, 9:52 p.m.
Adobe and Microsoft today separately issued updates to fix critical security vulnerabilities in their products. Adobe pushed out fixes for security issues in Acrobat, Adobe Reader and its Flash Player plugin. Microsoft released seven patches addressing at least a dozen security holes in Windows and other software, although it failed to issue an official patch for a dangerous flaw in its Internet Explorer Web browser that attackers are now actively exploiting.Read the full article
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I’m dating myself, but I remember when holiday shopping involved pouring through ads in the Sunday paper, placing actual phone calls from tethered land lines to research product stock and availability, and actually driving places to pick things up. Now, holiday shoppers can do all of that from a smartphone or tablet in a few seconds, but there are some security pitfalls to be aware of.


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With all due respect to Instagram, there’s more than one way to tackle social shopping. Just ask Tiltsta, a three-year-old Australia-bred, New York-based start-up with a unique take on digital pop-up stores: motion-controlled shoppable videos that work across social media networks.
The company, which unveiled its April roll-out on Tuesday, describes the action as a simple yet fun way for consumers to shop social stories or videos. Instead of tapping to add items to a shopping cart, Tiltsta’s tech works with a literal flick of the wrist — or a tossing back of the hand holding the phone — amounting to the company’s namesake “tilt.”
The key to this action appears rooted in behavioral science. “In thousands of A/B/C/D split tests and customer interviews, we see tilting performs better overall than clicking or swiping,” cofounder Bonny Morlak told WWD. “We don’t yet fully understand why tilting is so powerful, but we believe that the brain registers the physical movement in a different, more engaging way than a swipe or click.
“It feels good and gives the impression of interacting with the brand,” he said. Plus, while hackers today can generate phony button presses and other software inputs, the company believes the act of tilting is the sole provenance of human beings. Machines can’t fake that.
For some partners, support can be a streamlined affair. The company offers Tiltsta Studio, which plugs into major e-commerce systems such as Salesforce Commerce Cloud, Magento and Shopify. The program creates the tilts from a selected set of products, and assigns a unique web address for use as a landing page.
To start, the list of brands includes Flagpole, Faith Connexion, TheSalting, Fall Risk, Rich Gone Broke, Heidi Daus, Saturday School, The Andi Brand, Rune NYC and Commonwealth Proper.
The approach allows Tiltsta to make a big claim: The company says that its web app can work across a broad range of messaging and social networks, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, WhatsApp, Messenger, WeChat, Pinterest, TikTok, e-mail campaigns and the mobile web sites of any brand.
The other piece of the puzzle is data.
When it comes to transaction details, the arrangement is a no-brainer. Tiltsta sends shoppers to the brands and retailers’ own checkout pages — similar to the way Instagram sent shoppers to partner sites for payment, before it revealed its own checkout feature last week. But that’s where the comparison ends.
If Instagram’s universal shopping cart draws more attention to mobile e-commerce, that’s a good thing for everyone working in this area, Morlak said. “[But] for brands that want to be in control of their own data, checking out on their own site is important. Understanding the customer is imperative. Selling is one thing — understanding why is where the rubber hits the road.”
Toward that end, Tiltsta uses Facebook Pixel and Google Analytics in the tilt to glean insights and share them with partners. It also sees other nuances — like how people tilt, how hard, how fast and when — which sheds light on emotional reactions to specific products.
Like with any tech company, and increasingly retail operations, testing and learning are vital to the start-up. It even created a test brand, Lace & Butter, so it could evaluate the results. According to Morlak, Tiltsta consistently measures a 50 percent drop in bounce rate, and 10 times more products added to carts. For Lace & Butter, the company sees conversion rates from 5 to 14 percent.
Ironically, Instagram itself may have validated Tiltsta’s work. Morlak recalled Instagram product boss Vishal Shah’s sentiments at a 2018 conference: Shah reportedly said marketing teams may effectively get users to shop, Morlak recounted, “but then the emotional connection breaks when customers land on the product page.
“It simply ‘feels’ different,” he said.


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Earnings season continues with healthcare giant Pfizer (PFE) reporting earnings before the market opens on Tuesday, Oct. 31. Just a few weeks ago, PFE announced it was reviewing strategic alternatives for its consumer healthcare business that potentially include a full or partial separation of the unit through a spin-off, sale or other transaction.
That division’s products include Centrum, Advil, and Chapstick lip balm, among others, and accounted for $3.4 billion in revenue in 2016 according to the company. Analysts estimate a potential deal could be worth anywhere from $11.8 billion to more than $15 billion based on sales multiples from comparable transactions.
PFE CEO Ian Read indicated the move would allow the company to focus on its core pharmaceutical business, which has generated higher margins and growth than its over-the-counter products in recent quarters, and that there is “potential for its value to be more fully realized outside the company.” PFE has made similar moves in the past, spinning off its animal health business, Zoetis (ZTS), through an initial public offering in 2013.
Amid slowing and declining sales across several segments due to competition and loss of exclusivity, PFE has refocused on its core pharmaceuticals, specifically several therapeutic areas that it has said it sees as the greatest opportunities: inflammation and immunology, internal medicine, oncology, rare disease and vaccines. In the second quarter, some of PFE’s newer blockbuster drugs that fall into those categories posted substantial year-over-year growth; Ibrance grew 66% to $853 million, Eliquis increased 50% to $605 million, Xeljanz grew 55% to $336 million. That growth wasn’t enough to keep revenue from declining 2% year-over-year to $12.9 billion in the second quarter.
Beyond its own research and development efforts, PFE has continued to announce collaborations and make acquisitions to expand its drug portfolio and pipeline—PFE announced it had 12 programs awaiting regulatory review and another 32 in late-stage clinical trials at the beginning of August. Recent acquisitions include Anacor Pharmaceuticals for $5.2 billion in mid-2016, which added fungal and skin treatments to its lineup, and Medivation for $14 billion in September of 2016, which expanded its oncology portfolio.
On last quarter’s earnings call, management had said they’re waiting for further clarity around tax reform, or lack thereof, to gain a better understanding of asset values before pursuing any additional major deals. Management also indicated that, in light of any tax reform, it will assess any potential transactions in relation to internal investment, share buybacks and dividends to determine which mix of actions they think would provide the best return for shareholders.
In the first half of 2017, PFE returned $8.9 billion to shareholders through dividends and share buybacks, and the stock currently sports a dividend yield of about 3.5%. At the start of August, PFE’s remaining share repurchase authorization was approximately $6.4 billion.
Pfizer Earnings and Trading Activity
For the third quarter, PFE is expected to report adjusted earnings of $0.65 per share, up from $0.61 in the prior-year quarter, on revenue of $13.15 billion, slightly above last year’s $13.05 billion, according to third-party consensus analyst estimates. PFE beat earnings expectations by two cents in each of the last two quarters, but revenue came in $132 million short of estimates in the second quarter and $264 million in the quarter before that.
Up until mid to late-August, the stock hadn’t really done too much and was pretty much flat on the year. Since then, shares have moved higher and hit a new 52-week high of $36.78 on Oct. 23. They’ve pulled back a little bit ahead of earnings and are up 7.88% year-to-date, closing at $35.60 on Friday.
Options traders have priced in about a 2% potential share price move in either direction around its upcoming earnings release, according to the Market Maker Move indicator on the thinkorswim® platform.
In short-term trading at the November 3 expiration, calls have been active at the 36 and 37 strike prices, while puts have been active at the 35 and 35.5 strikes. As of this morning, the implied volatility sits at the 38th percentile.
Note: Call options represent the right, but not the obligation, to buy the underlying security at a predetermined price over a set period of time. Put options represent the right, but not the obligation to sell the underlying security at a predetermined price over a set period of time.
After last week’s full schedule, earnings season is starting to die down a little, although there’s still quite a few big names left to report. Tesla (TSLA) and Facebook (FB) report after market close on Wednesday, Nov. 1, and on Thursday Alibaba (BABA) and Apple (AAPL) will release their quarterly results. If you have time, make sure to check out today’s market update to see what else is happening.


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Popular Norwegian payment service Vipps will introduce a new charge from August. The app will charge a one percent fee for transfers totalling more than 5,000 kroner to the same account in 24 hours.
Previously charges only applied when a single transfer was over 5,000 kroner, but people would often just split payments to avoid paying any charges.
Under the new system, you will be required to pay a charge if, for example, you make two split payments totalling more than 5,000 kroner to the same person over a 24-hour period.
If you send someone money totalling 6,000 kroner to somebody, you will need to pay a charge of 60 kroner, even if you split the payments.
A pilot scheme has already been rolled out to a few users to test functionality. From August, however, the new rules will apply to everyone.
Vipps has said that the charge was being implemented to cover costs.
“Friend payment with Vipps is primarily a service to simplify everyday payments between people. At the same time, it is the case that Vipps has cost every time someone uses the service. To cover these costs, we charge a fee of one percent for amounts over 5,000 kroner,” Even Westerveld from Vipps press team told online publication Nettavisen.
“It will be fairer because everyone pays the same fee for high amounts. In addition, it helps to continue to keep everyday transfers free,” he added.


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Bank of Ireland’s head of Retail Sector Owen Clifford says omnichannel is the future of retail and urges firms to stop differentiating between bricks and mortar and online businesses.
Prior to Christmas there was an upsurge in the number of Irish businesses trading online, albeit from a low base. This was accompanied by a strong public sentiment to “buy Irish” online and help preserve businesses and save jobs.
Research published by Visa showed that one in five (21pc) Irish consumers surveyed planned to do most of their shopping online at Christmas due to Covid-19. Yet more than a quarter (28pc) of Irish small and medium enterprises (SMEs) were unprepared to take on the holiday season influx of sales, and only 12pc of small businesses are planning to digitise their business to meet demand.
“Irish consumers want to support Irish retailers to sustain Irish jobs and communities. It is a great time to deliver a digital offering to the market.”
Similar research from Virgin Media revealed just how digitalised Irish consumers have become since the pandemic began, with more than half confirming they now shop online more than they ever did previously. No doubt the current Level 5 restrictions will accelerate this.
With Christmas 2020 now past, the year ahead 2021 still presents retailers with a challenge to go online to not only deal with closed premises if they are deemed non-essential but to address the expectations of an increasingly digitalised consumer.
To get the message out to SMEs, Bank of Ireland collaborated with online shopping platform Shopify as well as Pointy, the Irish platform recently acquired by Google that helps shoppers find via the internet the products they need in your physical store, and the E-commerce Association of Ireland (eCAI), to highlight the opportunities that exist online.
Following our panel discussion we reached out to Owen Clifford, head of Retail at Bank of Ireland to discuss the importance of firms embracing the omnichannel future.
Between 60pc and 70pc of Irish online shopping spend leaves the country. What do we need to do to reverse this situation?
As a sector, Irish retail needs to work collaboratively to rectify this alarming statistic and “on-shore online”. If people are buying online, they need to be encouraged and given an option to buy from an Irish business.
The days of referring separately to “bricks and mortar sales” and “online sales” are coming to an end – progressive retailers no longer refer to their business in such a binary manner – they know that both channels are fully complementary and integral to the sustainability of their business.
Progressive retailers also recognise that they will need to use their online platform as a catalyst to drive sales and to actively stay engaged with their customers (especially at restriction levels that prevent in-store shopping). They need to provide a variety of channels/options to their customers – click and collect, delivery, virtual demonstrations/consultations and investigate pop-up store, partnership options etc to meet the accessibility requirements of the 2020/2021 Irish consumer. Retailers now need to be good at not just buying and selling products, but also adept at online fulfillment, data analytics, social media and flexible with their supply-chain/processes.
There are various platforms and supports to test the on-line trading concept and start slowly. Being “searchable” and being accessible is key – platforms such as Shopify and Pointy can facilitate an initial move into the on-line space. The E-commerce Association of Ireland can also provide many useful resources. The online journey must be user-friendly, top sellers displayed prominently, real-time in-stock information available and robust from a payments security perspective.
What are your thoughts on how the retail landscape has changed in the wake of the pandemic and the surge in online shopping?
The retail sector in Ireland is very diverse – Covid-19 and its impact has only highlighted this further. Economists have been speaking of a K-shaped recovery – we have seen a K-shaped performance in the sector in recent months. Grocery/Furniture/Home sub-sectors have all been performing strongly but other sub-sectors such as fashion and department stores are operating in a much more challenged environment.
Retailers have been focused on keeping their customers/staff safe, managing cash-flow, understanding Government requirements and rushing to get online – it has been a challenging and worrying time for many. However, they also need to stand back and remember the first principles of retail:
- Know and understand their customer
- Get the customer in/Get back the customer back/Enable them to spend a little more each time
- Ensure the drivers of customer engagement are consistently met: Excellent service/standards, accessibility and value.
- The effective delivery of these principles drive the lifeblood of any retail business – “Recurring sales”. Retailers need to ask themselves – how can I best deliver these principles to my customer at present – this will be the catalyst for choosing the appropriate sales channel, marketing plan, etc.
What does this mean for retailers without an online offering and what advice do you have for businesses considering the leap into digital?
The author William Gibson once wrote that “the Future is already here – it’s just not distributed equally”. Shopper behaviour and the retail sector in general are always evolving and in recent years this has led to an omnichannel offering becoming more prevalent.
Covid-19 has accelerated this evolution even further and consumers now expect a complementary blend of digital and physical platforms from their preferred retailers. If retailers want to maintain customer engagement they need to strongly consider providing a digital offering.
The move into digital needs to be considered and complementary to their existing offering. Less is more from a range perspective and meeting customer expectations in respect of delivery and quality/provenance of product are imperative.
There is unprecedented goodwill in the market towards Irish retailers and products at present – Irish consumers want to support Irish retailers to sustain Irish jobs and communities. It is a great time to deliver a digital offering to the market.
As always, strong engagement with your core target customer pre- and post-launch is key to maximise your profile and ensure that your offering is tailored to deliver an excellent customer experience.
Video: How to get your business selling online
By John Kennedy (firstname.lastname@example.org)
Published: 6 January 2021


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Halo Infinite co-developer SkyBox Labs will also showcase its new title, Stela.
Microsoft has announced its line-up of ID@Box games that it will be presenting at the upcoming GDC 2019. Among the 30 titles confirmed are a few surprises though. Radical Fish Games’ CrossCode, previously confirmed to release for Nintendo Switch this year, is coming to Xbox One. It will also support Xbox One X Enhanced features.
Night School Studio (of Oxenfree fame) will also be releasing its next title Afterparty for Xbox One as well as PC. More interesting is the fact that Afterparty will also be available for Xbox Game Pass. Other titles included in the GDC 2019 line-up include Cat Quest 2, Door Kickers: Action Squad, Hunt: Showdown (coming to Xbox Game Preview in Spring), The Forgotten City, and Stela from SkyBox Labs (who are also co-developing Halo Infinite with 343 Industries).
The full line-up can be gleaned below, courtesy of Xbox Wire. Microsoft is also expected to announce some new information for Halo: The Master Chief Collection and DayZ at today’s Inside Xbox. Will the former be coming to PC as rumours suggest? Time will tell, so stay tuned for more details.


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NEWS Edition 2
May 1, 2013
Content and platform update to meet increasing user demand.
New edition released
NEWS2 e-learning reaches new milestone
NEWS2 Covid-19 support
New supplementary guidance coming in July 2020
NEWS2 and deterioration in COVID-19


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Throngs of Christmas shoppers aren’t the only people descending upon department stores and malls this holiday season.
Mixed into the crowd of jostling shopper are shoplifters, who, according to the National Association for Shoplifting Prevention, can be responsible for stealing up to $25 million in merchandise a day.
While there’s no empirical evidence that the Christmas season welcomes more shoplifting, it’s believed that the sheer volume of people in stores over the holidays emboldens shoplifters, They know that store loss prevention officers have a hard time keeping their eyes on everyone, said NASP spokesperson Barbara Staib.
“Shoplifting is a crime of opportunity,” she said. “The more people there are in the store, the less likely store personnel can be on the lookout for every possible shoplifter.”
According to NASP figures, about 10 million shoplifters have been caught in the last five years, and about 25 percent are under the age of 18.
Elizabethtown police chief Bobby Kinlaw said that the department receives a few more calls for shoplifting during the holiday shopping season. Typically, stores try to have more personnel on hand to watch for and deal with shoplifters during this busy time. But more store personnel doesn’t seem to deter shoplifters, Kinlaw said.
“It usually picks up around the holidays,” he said. “But that’s not the only problem we have during the holidays.”
The other crime issue Kinlaw points to this time of year is parking lot security, which affects consumers as much as shoplifting affects stores. The chief said that the Christmas season brings with it an increase in car burglaries, purse snatchings and other parking lot assaults.
“We try to inform shoppers of several things they need to do or be on the lookout for when they go out to the stores,” Kinlaw said.
He suggests that female shoppers shouldn’t shop alone and that when shopping with children they should be kept close by. In the parking lot, Kinlaw said that shoppers would always park in a well lit area and be aware of where they park in order to expedite finding their car after leaving the store.
Kinlaw also suggested keeping any valuables, including purses and shopping bags, locked in the trunk of the car while shopping.
“We see a few more (car burglaries), but that’s mainly when people leave items in plain sight,” Kinlaw said. “Some women don’t take their purse in the store with them and say, ‘There’s nothing in my purse.’ Well, they’re not going to know that when they’re looking in your car for something to steal.”
Another safe shopping habit Kinlaw suggested was making sure shoppers leave the store with keys in hand as they walk to their cars. It will cut down the time you spend outside the safety of your car, therefore decreasing the opportunity for a potential assault or robbery, he said.


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4K Android TV Dongle May Be Coming; Spotify & Hulu Discount Bundle; Amazon Post Office Use; Passwordless Authentication Via WebAuthnPosted: April 11, 2018
There is a patent application at the FCC that seems to indicate that Google is getting ready to bring Android TV to a set near you. Thenextweb.com reports that the 4K dongle, which is from Shenzhen SEI Robotics, has an HDMI cable, micro USB port for charging, and Google branding. There’s also a remote with a built in mic and dedicated button so you can use voice commands via Assistant. Google already has 3 Chromecast gadgets that can stream fun HD video, 4K and audio to speakers from your mobile device, so a jump to the TV set is plausible.
Spotify and Hulu teamed up last fall, and now, they’re back. A bundle of services from the pair is being offered for $12.99 a month, according to techcrunch.com. Last fall, it was a students-only deal…this one is open to all Spotify Premium users. The $12.99 gets you Spotify’s on-demand Premium music service plus Hulu’s Limited Commercials plan. Sometime this summer, the deal will be opened up to all Spotify users, and new customers as well.
After the president came out a couple weeks ago and ranted that Amazon was fleecing the post office, numerous sources noted that the post office actually makes a ton of money from Amazon. So how much business does the online giant do with the post office? ZDNet.com says a report commissioned by Jefferies estimates that 62% of Amazon shipments flow through the US Postal Service.
It seems to always be on the horizon, but always ends up being a mirage. Now, arstechnica.com reports that we may actually be closer to passwordless authentication with a new spec from the World Wide Web Consortium and FIDO Alliance called WebAuthn. The spec allows browsers to expose hardware authentication devices, be then USB, Bluetooth, or NFC, to sites on the web. The hardware allows users to prove their identity without requiring usernames or passwords. With the WebAuthn standard, your credentials, whether biometric like fingerprints and face recognitions or a USB YubiKey, never leave the browser. This gives stronger protection against phishing, man in the middle attacks, and replay attacks than we have presently. WebAuthn has commitments for support from Microsoft, Google, and Mozilla. Chrome 67 and Firefox 60, both due out in May, will have WebAuthn baked in by default.It may not kill the dreaded password overnight, but now, that merciful death may be coming.
Facebook is going to provide some of its data to elections researchers selected by a new panel of experts. Ahead of Zuckerberg’s appearance before Congress this week, axios.com says the outside experts will “develop a research agenda about the impact of social media on society — starting with elections.” A group of private, blue chip foundations will pay for the effort. (Frankly, Facebook should reimburse them, with all the money they make!)
As rumored over the weekend, Apple has rolled out Product (RED) iPhone 8 and 8 Plus models today. According to theverge.com, preorders open tomorrow, the 10th, and the phones should start shipping on Friday the 13th…ooh, scary. The price is the same as other colors, starting at $699 for the 8 and $799 for the Plus.
Earlier in the year, Tesla registered new VINs that correspond to dual motor Model 3s. As reported here last week, the company is now producing more than 2000 of the smaller model per week now. Yesterday, Elon Musk Tweeted that they need to hit 5000 per week before adding the complexity of a 2nd motor. He then sent out a follow up Tweet saying ‘So probably July.’ the added motor will increase both the acceleration and extend the range of the Model 3. That is also when they will add white interiors…at the present, only black upholstery is available.
Word is, Spotify has been working on hardware for cars…either an in-car controller or standalone player. Now, engadget.com reports that some people have received offers for such a device, with plan pricing from $12.99 to $14.99 a month…when they clicked on the offer in the Spotify app, an error page popped up. A few sharp eyed users said their offer noted the gadget had built in 4G cellular. Spotify does have an event April 24th…maybe we’ll get more info at that time.
Galaxy S8’s Bixby Button Can Be Changed to Google Assistant; Apple Says No to All-ARM Macs; Spotify Testing Lossless Audio; Unexpected Changes From Driverless CarsPosted: April 6, 2017
Samsung touts its Bixby personal assistant and even provides a dedicated soft button for it. Now, 9to5google.com says an app lets you remap the button for Google Assistant (or other functions.) Just get the app All in One Gestures and you can remap buttons. Do expect a cat and mouse though, as Samsung try to disable the app from getting around their assistant!
Previously, Apple has said they think touchscreens on computers are less efficient than mice and touchpads. Macrumors.com reports that they have repeated this, and also said they have no plans for ARM chips in Macs, except as ‘companion processors,’ like the one that runs the Touch Bar in the new MacBook Pros. For the foreseeable future, Cupertino’s laptops and desktops will continue to run on Intel silicon.
Last month, Spotify tested a new lossless version of its audio stream. According to theverge.com Spotify Hi-Fi will cost an extra $10 a month, on top of the $10 price of the premium ad-free service. Tidal already has hi-fi streaming for $19.99 a month. If you have a great audio system you route your streaming audio into, and have golden ears, it may be worth it, but several tech writers say it’s hard to tell the difference.
Driverless cars…a lot of folks are looking forward to surfing the web, watching videos, and otherwise kicking back during a commute in vehicles that handle the piloting chore for us. Washingtonpost.com notes some ways things might change you may not have thought of. It’s possible traffic could become worse, as people opt for the privacy of self-driving cars and ditch public transport. Also, with the array of cams and sensors, cars may become witnesses to crimes. This is random, but as electric self driving cars come on line, cigarette sales may drop, since a lot of gas stations make considerable extra cash selling those cancer sticks while we fill up. Air bags and crumple zones may become a thing of the past, as crashes practically disappear and they aren’t needed. You won’t need to circle like a vulture for parking, since the computer in the car will be able to find the closest spot…which will open frequently as shared vehicles come and go. Car expenses will drop…most cash goes into crashes and engine repairs. Electric cars require far less upkeep, and with nearly no crashes, cars could last far longer, too. Self driving trucks may not displace as many drivers as originally thought…there’s already a shortage, and as drivers retire, they just won’t be replaced. Plus, some firms will always carry a human to make sure cargo that’s loaded and unloaded isn’t ‘shorted’…they will want their person at the site to supervise.
Spotify Grabs Mighty TV; Wells Getting Cardless Apple Pay ATMs; Ikea Dives Into Smart Home Automation; Uber Grounds Self-Drivers in Az After CrashPosted: March 27, 2017
Spotify has picked up MightyTV, which will shut down. Techcrunch.com reports that CEO Brian Adams will become Spotify’s VP of Technology. MIghtyTV had specialized in content recommendations, but used a Tinder style swipe left and right system. Spotify was also interested in adding MightyTV’s tech to improve its recommendations and beef up its programmatic advertising.
Wells Fargo customers will be able to withdraw from ATMs by later this year using Apple Pay without needing an ATM card. According to 9to5mac.com, it may be convoluted enough that most people will stick with the card for a while. You have to log into the Wells mobile app, select card-free, ask for a single use 8 digit code AND ATM card PIN, then withdraw. Towards year end, though, Wells Fargo says, you will be able to just use Apple’s Tap and Pay. They also will add Android Pay, Samsung Pay, and their own Wells Fargo Wallet to the Tap and Pay setup.
The smart home hub gets a boost from a big player known for low prices. Ikea is diving into the smart home with a system based on the ZigBee Light Link standard…same as Philips Hue uses. Theverge.com says the system has been in a few European countries since fall, but will be widely available the end of this month. Ikea will sell a base set of an internet gateway, remote, and two light bulbs for $85.40. An Ikea extra is a motion-controlled dimmer switch, which is an extra $20.41, but can be used independently of the connected system.
Uber has sidelined its self-driving cars in Arizona after a crash involving one left it on its side. Recode.net reports that there were no injuries, and only the back up driver was aboard. Some reports say that the other driver failed to yield, but Uber is pulling all of them until the investigation is complete. So far, Uber safety drivers have had to intervene every .8 miles, so their tech is far from solid at this point.
Mobileye, which makes the chips that help guide vision-based self-driving cars, has been snapped up by Intel for $15 billion. According to theverge.com, the chip making giant had already announced dropping $250 million the next couple years on self-driving car tech, so this is an enormous jump in investment in that sector. Previously, Intel, Mobileye, and BMW had partnered on 40 autonomous vehicles that will be tested on public roads later this year.
Google’s Jacquard showed off their Levi’s commuter jacket at SXSW South by SouthWest over the weekend. 9to5google.com reports the wearable looks like a classic Levi’s trucker jacket, but with a touch sensitive strip on the sleeve for controlling music, checking time, or taking phone calls. The plastic tag on the cuff with the electronics is removable from its USB port on the sleeve, so it does’t walk away when you’re not wearing the jacket. It all works through a smartphone app. It’s cool, but an eye-watering $350 when it drops this fall…compared to a normal Trucker jacket that runs less than $100…but hey, you can talk into your sleeve, like a Secret Service agent or Dick Tracy!
In what may be a ‘better late than never’ move, Pandora has rolled out Pandora Premium for 10 bucks a month, hoping to compete with Spotify and Apple Music in the on-demand streaming space. Geekwire.com says they feel their recommendation engine, continuously updated since 2000, should give them a leg up. The service initially will be invitation only…it will also be available free for 6 months for subscribers to the ad free radio service Pandora Plus.
Google & Chrysler Pairing for Android Powered Infotainment System; Theatre Mode for iOS; Tesla Autopilot UpdatePosted: January 2, 2017
Google and Chrysler are partnering on more than just self-driving tech. 9to5google.com says they are also working on an Android powered infotainment system. This is not Android Auto…it’s built on the Android Open Source Platform, and should provide full access to Google Assistant, Maps, and other resources like Pandora, Spotify, NPR One, and Pocket Casts. It will probably live within the Uconnect system on rollout.
Bgr.com reports that Apple’s iOS 10.3 is getting something called ‘Theatre mode.’ It’s not clear what it is….a popcorn icon denotes it on the screen….but it’s thought to be a Dark Mode something like ‘Do Not Disturb’ where all sounds are muted, and many apps display white text on a black screen. Twitter already has a dark mode for its iOS app, and it works well…easy on the eyes and discreet.
Tesla has started rolling out what they call HW2 Autopilot updates to cars made since October. By next week, according to techcrunch.com, the rest of the Tesla fleet will start seeing the updates. The rewrite of the Autopilot software will eventually enable full self driving mode in Tesla cars. Tesla wants to test complete autonomy by the end of 2017!
Another cool feature has been added to Google Search, according to 9to5google.com. If you search for a song or band, it will display links to Rdio, Spotify, TuneIn, YouTube, and others. It’s initially just on Android.
Engadget.com reports that scientists at the University of East Anglia in Britain have found a way to reduce bacteria’s ability to mutate into antibiotic resistant superbugs.
We told you about YO yesterday…the app that just sends the word YO. Geek.com says some Georgia Tech students have already hacked it to ‘Rick Roll’ you, and play a snippet of Rick Astley’s ‘Never Gonna Give You Up!’


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The nation's consumer watchdog agency is suing the owners of two large credit-repair companies, accusing them of taking unlawful fees from consumers and engaging in deceptive and abusive sales tactics.
In a complaint filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Utah, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau accused CreditRepair.com and Lexington Law, their owners and various affiliated entities, of violating telemarking laws by collecting fees from consumers before they were legally permitted to do so. The lawsuit also alleges that deceptive methods were used to get customers to sign up for credit-repair services at both firms.
In its complaint, the bureau said it is seeking to stop the upfront fees, end deceptive representations used through marketing the services and obtain relief for harmed consumers.
Under federal law, companies can charge fees for credit-repair services only once the promised results have been achieved and proven with a credit report six months later.
The lawsuit says that at the time of enrollment with Lexington Law or CreditRepair.com, consumers are charged a fee for a copy of their credit report and told that the fee — which has ranged from $9.99 to $14.99 since July 2011 — is required to begin the credit-repair process. Ongoing monthly fees range from $79.95 to $129.95.
The complaint also says that Lexington Law and CreditRepair.com relied on a shared network of marketing affiliates that used deceptive tactics to get consumers to enroll.
For example, the CFPB said, from at least 2012 through 2017, a partner identified as "HSP1" offered consumers low-interest mortgages, access to rent-to-own housing or other products and services, none of which it actually could do. The suit says the unnamed firm was simply an affiliated call center with the purpose of transferring potential clients to Lexington Law.
More than 100,000 consumers signed up for Lexington Law's credit-repair services through that unnamed firm's efforts, the complaint says.
The lawsuit claims the defendants either knew about the misrepresentations or had "reckless indifference" to them or an awareness of the high probability of their existence.
"Despite this knowledge, the ... defendants continued to sign up consumers through the affiliate or participated in the affiliate's deceptive conduct," the complaint states.
The two firms plan to fight the accusations.
"We find ourselves a bit perplexed," said Eric Kamerath, a spokesman for the companies. "In a system that already is weighted heavily against the consumer in favor of opportunistic and opaque processes, why would the [bureau] choose to prevent consumers from getting professional help?"
Kamerath also said the lawsuit is premised on "an unannounced, incorrect and unworkable change in interpretation of an arcane billing provision that is outdated, previously unenforced and contradicted by the Credit Repair Organizations Act."
"We have been providing information to the CFPB for over four-and-a-half years," Kamerath said. "During that time, we have made frequent requests to meet and discuss any concerns the bureau has with respect to billing or other practices.
"Why the agency chose to wait until now to reveal its interpretation of the rule is a mystery to us."


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BROCKVILLE, ON. –
A Canadian catering supplies company is raising money for Ukraine despite its own loss of revenue over the past two years, in a bid to inspire more businesses and industries to do the same.
Russell Hendrix supplies restaurants across the country with everything from refrigeration units to utensils. Since March 2020, their industry has taken a big hit.
“At the start of the pandemic, we were down 50-60% of total volume,” said CEO Tom Pitera. “We felt the effects with everyone in the industry. Nobody knew if it was going to last 30 days, 90 days, nine months or two years.”
The company had to lay off workers and close showrooms, including the Brockville site, as COVID took hold.
Now that the restrictions are lifted, they are eager to get back on track.
“We are really optimistic right now about the recovery of the industry and all we hope is that there will be no more closures, no more restrictions,” Pitera said, noting that approximately 100 of these laid off workers have returned to work.
“Our customers’ customers want to come back and enjoy the restaurants and sit in the restaurants,” he added.
But as the world watched events unfold in Ukraine, Pitera realized his industry could help, even though his business is still recovering.
“For 60 years, Russell Hendrix has been supporting customers who basically care about their customers,” Pitera said. “That’s what the restaurant industry is for, taking care of people.”
Unable to send supplies to Europe, they decided to fundraise instead.
This week they launched a campaign to help the Canadian Red Cross, donating $25,000 immediately with a minimum pledge of $50,000 and matching up to 5% of their online sales from their two websites each week.
“I suspect the weekly donation could be between $10,000 and $20,000,” Pitera said. “It could be higher than that, depending on the volume that passes through our websites.”
The company also matches every employee donation up to $250. Employees have already donated $2,000 in the past two days alone, according to Luke Vanderbaaren, purchasing manager for Russell Hendrix in Brockville.
“There are so many people being forced out of their homes and all we can do to help is what we’re trying to do here,” he said. “The support from our staff and supplier community has been tremendous so far.”
“What we’re trying to promote is a groundswell for the restaurant industry in Canada to step up and help those two and a half million people right now who really need financial support and emotional,” added Pitera.
Pitera said the campaign was put together in about five days and took less than 36 hours to set up with the Red Cross.
“We really appreciate what the Red Cross is doing on the ground and I hope our financial support will help them in this endeavour,” he said.
“Yes, we are still suffering from the pandemic, but it was the right thing to do and the right time to do it.”


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To celebrate the three-year anniversary of its Gold Plus Rewards loyalty program, the Hertz Corp is surprising European customers with luxury car upgrades and giving away thousands of points.
Gold Plus Rewards members renting in Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Paris and Rome have unexpectedly been handed the keys to some of Hertz's elite cars, including the Jaguar F-TYPE Coupe, Range Rover Vogue and Nissan GTR as part of the initiatives to mark the milestone for the loyalty reward program, according to Hertz. Additionally, 90 members received tickets for Disneyland Paris.
Continuing the anniversary celebrations, this month a prize of 3,000 extra points will be given to five lucky winners. And for members residing in Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and the U.K., they will be able to earn double points on rentals.
In total, Hertz Gold Plus Rewards has awarded more than 400 million points to its members in 2014 — of which 36 million have been redeemed for 60,000 reward days, according to the company.
"We have endeavored to make our customer loyalty program the best in the industry to give people something back each time they rent a car with us,” said Michel Taride, group president Hertz International. "What better way to toast the program's third birthday than to offer our customers the chance to experience the cream of our fleet by taking some of the most beautiful cars on the road for a spin."
Additionally, there have been more changes to the loyalty program, including quicker enrollment, Hertz Gold Choice (choosing a vehicle on the spot), mobile alerts and more ways to earn points.
To learn more about enrolling in Hertz’s free loyalty program, visit www.hertz.co.uk.