text:
It’s official – the wild blueberry barrens at Clarry Hill have become a Forever Farm,…
Innovative “nutrition incentive” programs that get more local, healthy food to low-income Mainers while growing the customer base for Maine farms have received federal funding through a large, multi-state grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Last week the USDA announced over $4 million in funding for the regional proposal, led by Farm Fresh Rhode Island and including two Maine organizations: MFT and Maine Federation of Farmers’ Markets. The award is the largest grant allocated in this grant cycle. The grant will help fund nutrition incentive programs in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, and Rhode Island for the next four years.
“We’re really glad to be part of this collaborative effort to increase access to healthy food and support farmers across New England,” says Shannon Grimes, Nutrition Incentive Project Manager at MFT. “Having this grant provides important stability to help us expand our programs even more over the next few years.”
Nutrition incentive programs offer vouchers for low-income shoppers who use SNAP/EBT (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps) when they purchase local food. The vouchers can be redeemed to purchase more locally-grown fruits and vegetables. Nutrition incentives are a win-win-win: Families who use SNAP benefits are able to access more local, healthful food; Maine farmers gain new customers; and more food dollars stay in the local economy.
In Maine, there are two types of nutrition incentive programs: Maine Harvest Bucks, which is offered at farmers’ markets, CSA’s, and farm stands through Maine Federation of Farmers’ Markets (MFFM), and Farm Fresh Rewards, offered in local stores and administered by MFT.
Maine Harvest Bucks is available at 60 sites across the state. MFFM partners with Saint Mary’s Nutrition Center, Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, and Cultivating Community to implement Maine Harvest Bucks at various direct-to-consumer markets throughout the state. Since 2015, Maine Harvest Bucks has provided more than $250,000 in local fruits and vegetables to shoppers using SNAP. When SNAP benefits are factored in, Maine shoppers have purchased more than $600,00 from local farms in the past 3 years through the Maine Harvest Bucks program.
In 2015, MFT began a project to expand nutrition incentives to stores selling local food. Farm Fresh Rewards has also proved successful: 69% of responding customers report buying more fruits and vegetables as a result of the program, over half (56%) reported a health benefit, and more than two-thirds (69%) noted that they “feel more connected with farmers and other food producers.” Customers are buying more local food, supporting the more than 300 farmers who sell products to participating stores. MFT looks forward to growing these successes with renewed funding. Farm Fresh Rewards is also supported by Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare Foundation in Southern Maine.
In total, these two nutrition incentive programs have helped increase sales for over 1,000 farmers and producers, with more than $700,000 in SNAP and nutrition incentive sales since 2015.
“After three years of development, we are excited to see our program continue to grow with the support of the FINI grant” says Jimmy DeBiasi, the SNAP Program Coordinator at MFFM. “We’re looking forward to continuing to work with the Department of Health and Maine SNAP-Ed, whose support has been critical, as we test new outreach strategies, launch a farm stand pilot, and expand our impact among farmers and shoppers using SNAP.”
For more information about Maine Farmland Trust’s Farm Fresh Rewards program, contact Shannon Grimes, firstname.lastname@example.org or 207-338-6575.
For more information about the Maine Federation of Farmers’ Markets’ Maine Harvest Bucks program, contact Jimmy DeBiasi, email@example.com or 207-487-7114.


text:
Skip to main content
Rosemount Town Pages
Independent Town Pages to cease publishing
Rosemount City Council reviews preliminary 2020 city budget
Opioid overdose deaths in Minnesota fell in 2018, breaking a years-long trend
Homestead Community Church finalizes sale on Exchange Bank Building
DNR to increase boat patrols for DUIs on Fourth of July weekend
crime and courts
Rosemount fishing team has tough go of it in second tournament
Rosemount fishing team competes in first Greater South tournament
July weed of the month: Cutleaf teasel
Eric Goodman makes his collegiate wrestling comeback - at age 40
Where are they now?
Health briefs: Community Conversation gets people talking about mental health
Farmington auto repair shop doubles as art gallery
Q&A: It's flu season — here's what you need to know
'Sisterhood' offers empathetic ear following cancer diagnosis
Celebrating Oktoberfest in Rosemount
arts and entertainment
Foreclosure Sale: Mary E Sawdey 16-1242-FC01
Foreclosure Sale: Lawrence D Kelly 19-0647-FC01
Foreclosure Sale: Barbra J. Mitchell 19-0639-FC01
Foreclosure Sale: Quan L. Vu. 19-0616-FC01
Foreclosure Sale: Ellen Burgess 19-0620-FC01
Are your windows dirty? We Shine Windows cleans residential, commercial windows
A new way to organize: Method Organization Co. specializes in senior move management
As resorts, campgrounds continue to disappear, Minnesota tourism industry could take a hit
From Here to There: The Akins turn the family business into a passion
Pick some sweet somethings: Strawberries season starts soon
Place a Business Announcement
Harry C. Ross
Brett Ryan Urban
Arlene D. Sacks
A century of loving life, loving art: Dillon has plenty of parties planned
Viewpoint: Remodeled Pleasant Hill Library is a reflection of our community
Viewpoint: Community and technical colleges perfect for those wondering 'what's next?'
Letter: Addressing health care options, pricing
Editorial: We hold these truths to be self-evident
Viewpoint: Take in the warm weather with city's events this summer
Submit a Political Letter
Real Estate Showcase
Real Estate Showcase Ad Submission
Real Estate Showcase current ads
May 20, 2019
Biscayne Business Park caters to warehouse, manufacturing
ROSEMOUNT — Eight commercial buildings could become a new hub that would house warehouse and light manufacturing businesses along Biscayne...
May 20, 2019 - 6:00am
April 23, 2019
Merchants Bank to acquire historic Northfield bank
Merchants Bank and the First National Bank of Northfield have reached an agreement for Merchants to acquire the Northfield banking institution, according to Gregory M. Evans, president and CEO of Merchants Financial Group. The First National Bank of Northfield has $207 million in...
April 23, 2019 - 11:34am
April 5, 2019
Pellicci Ace Hardware opens fourth store in Rosemount
ROSEMOUNT — Pellicci Ace Hardware will open a fourth store in Rosemount in the former Terry's Hardware building in June. This plan has...
April 5, 2019 - 5:00am
February 28, 2019
Three new businesses plan to break ground in Rosemount this spring
ROSEMOUNT — Two fast casual restaurants and a hair salon will begin construction in Rosemount this spring, with plans to open in summer....
February 28, 2019 - 5:00am
January 23, 2019
Momentum builds for Rosemount Home and Business Expo
Rosemount Port Authority discussed marketing to attract more foot traffic at the second annual Rosemount Home and Business Expo, scheduled 9...
January 23, 2019 - 9:39am
January 21, 2019
Ring the Bell in the new year with group fitness in Farmington
FARMINGTON — Fitness, well-being and weight loss generally tops New Year's resolution lists. The key to fulfilling a resolution may be...
January 21, 2019 - 7:49am
January 14, 2019
Employee charity program raises more than $31,000 for worthy causes
FARMINGTON — Dakota Electric Association and its employees have raised $31,614 for charities — the most ever — through its...
January 14, 2019 - 5:00am
November 26, 2018
Hampton restaurant reopened after fire
HAMPTON — A Hampton restaurant is open after burning down last year. Meric's Woodfired Oven and Tavern, previously known as the Naughty...
November 26, 2018 - 6:00am
November 19, 2018
Business Excellence Awards announced by Dakota County chamber
The Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce had its annual Business Excellence Awards on Nov. 9. The event recognizes local businesses, nonprofit organizations and individuals for their outstanding work and impact on the community. "So many businesses and individuals do such great...
November 19, 2018 - 3:23pm
November 15, 2018
Downtown Hastings boutique to close its doors
After seven years in business, the Carousel will be going out of business. The boutique shop will officially close on Monday, Dec. 31. "I am...
November 15, 2018 - 6:00pm
Schwan’s Co. to sell majority stake to South Korean firm
Minnesota-based food business Schwan's Company will sell a majority stake to a South Korean firm, according to a news release Nov. 15. CJ CheilJedang of Seoul, South Korea will purchase 80 percent of Schwan's and its subsidiaries in the retail and grocery food sector and food services....
November 15, 2018 - 3:15pm
November 12, 2018
Meadowview Orthodontics engages science, art to create new smiles
FARMINGTON — The new Meadowview Orthodontics is ready to create improved smiles within the community. Dr. Hani Hamdan's new practice in...
November 12, 2018 - 4:51am
November 5, 2018
Cornerstone Preschool and Childcare opens in downtown Farmington
FARMINGTON — The owner of Cornerstone Preschool and Childcare cannot recall a time in her life when she did not connect well with children....
November 5, 2018 - 5:00pm
October 31, 2018
RiverTown Multimedia celebrates excellence in sales
RiverTown Multimedia recently held its annual Advertising Sales Department Awards recognizing multimedia sales representatives and their achievements...
October 31, 2018 - 11:00am
October 11, 2018
Minnesota-born SuperAmerica becomes Speedway
SuperAmerica, a convenience store chain founded in 1960 in St. Paul, will now be known as Speedway. The change follows the recent merger of Marathon...
October 11, 2018 - 1:34pm

domain: news


text:
Now through 1/3/22, you can support Meals on Wheels of Lancaster with the purchase or lease of a brand-new Subaru vehicle.
As one of the largest automotive donors to Meals on Wheels America, Subaru of America, Inc. has officially launched its annual Share the Love Event! Share the Love has helped deliver over 2 million meals to America’s seniors nationwide.
We’ve participated in this event in years past and we are especially honored to have been selected as this year’s Hometown Charity at Lancaster County Motors Subaru. This means that your support has a bigger impact locally in the Lancaster community. This year, we have provided more than 185,000 meals to over 900 seniors in Lancaster County. We have benefited from the service of more than 600 volunteers who have driven over 106,000 miles. At Meals on Wheels of Lancaster, we provide more than just a meal. We are focused on building relationships and eliminating social isolation. Thankfully, programs, such as the Subaru Share the Love event, give us an opportunity to share these stories and have a stronger impact on the lives of individuals in need.
How does it work? We’re glad you asked… Subaru will donate $250 to the customer’s choice of participating charities (that’s us!) for every new or leased Subaru vehicle purchased from November 18, 2021 to January 3, 2022. If you are looking to purchase a new vehicle this year, consider supporting Meals on Wheels of Lancaster through the 2021 Share the Love Event!
We are proud to participate in Subaru of America, Inc.’s annual Subaru Share the Love® Event to help raise critical funds needed to support Lancaster County’s seniors. Sharing means caring for our senior neighbors, and we hope you’ll choose Meals on Wheels as your charity of choice when you purchase or lease a new Subaru this holiday season.


text:
TORONTO, May 2, 2016 /CNW/ - May marks National Vision Health Month. Launched in 2014, National Vision Health Month looks to encourage parliamentarians, non-profit organizations, educators and stakeholders to use the month to inform Canadians about eye-disease prevention and vision health maintenance.
One in seven Canadians will develop one of the four most common eye diseases in their lifetime: diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, cataracts and the most common, age-related macular degeneration (AMD).1
Bausch + Lomb is a proud supporter of National Vision Health Month. The company is joined by eye care organizations and professionals across the country to advocate for eye health and increase the number of patients receiving regular eye exams.
Dr. Allyson Tang, an experienced optometrist in Vaughan, has recognized the impact technology has had on our eyes.
"While technology is empowering, it is also putting a large amount of stress on the human eye, she says. "We are seeing younger and younger patients with challenges such as dry eyes due to reduced and improper blinking when focused on digital screens. Complaints of digital eyestrain are rampant and we are seeing the onset of nearsightedness at an earlier age. Harmful effects of blue-violet light from digital screens have also been shown in studies."
Beyond eye diseases, approximately 500,000 Canadians are living with significant vision loss that impacts their quality of life and every year, over 50,000 more Canadians will lose their sight.2
Dr. Tang reminds her patients, "Though we may have measures to manage these conditions, behavioral change and preventative care is still primary; we have to remember to go outdoors and leave technology behind from time to time."
"With over 4.25 million Canadians living with a serious eye disease1 this is a timely opportunity to inform and educate Canadians about the importance of vision health", says Omar Martinez, Senior Brand Manager, Bausch + Lomb. "Our goal is to help Canadians see better to live better."
This May, select Shoppers Drug Mart, Rexall and London Drugs locations will launch in-store activities in support of National Vision Health Month. Canadians are encouraged to visit their local stores and eye care professionals for more information on their eye health.
About Bausch + Lomb:
Bausch + Lomb, a Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. company, is a leading global eye health organization that is solely focused on protecting, enhancing, and restoring people's eyesight. Our core businesses include ophthalmic pharmaceuticals, contact lenses, lens care products, ophthalmic surgical devices and instruments. We develop, manufacture and market one of the most comprehensive product portfolios in our industry, which are available in more than 100 countries. www.bausch.ca.
1www.newscanada.com. (n.d.). Serious eye diseases often go undetected. Retrieved February 17, 2016, from http://www.canada.com/health/vision/serious+diseases+often+undetected/8342904/story.html
2CNIB. (n.d.). Fast Facts about Vision Loss. Retrieved February 8, 2016, from http://www.cnib.ca/en/about/media/vision-loss/pages/default.aspx
SOURCE Bausch + Lomb
For further information: Media Contacts: Omar Martinez, Senior Brand Manager, Bausch + Lomb, P: (905) 695-7644 or [email protected]; Caroline De Silva, Senior Consultant, Argyle Public Relationships, P: (416) 968-7311 ext. 231 or [email protected]


text:
Seed Money: How ECOM and CIRAD are creating coffee plant hybrids that will reap big returns for farmers
Sophisticated micro-propagation techniques are producing more resilient hybrids
The ECOM Group’s commitment to sustainability is reflected in its Sustainable Management Services (SMS) division, created 15 years ago. SMS is responsible for the implementation of more than 300 sustainable projects worldwide. It focuses on tackling key challenges that farmers are currently facing, such as climate change, crop diseases and cup quality. SMS enables ECOM to partner with the bests, among which, the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD). This prosperous alliance successfully led ECOM to distribute more than 20 million coffee and cacao plants every year in about 11 countries. Including the finest hybrid coffee plant, F1 — or first-generation — hybrids produced by seed, using genetic male sterility, a natural coffee plant mutant unable to produce pollen, allowing for cross-pollination from other pollen varieties.
Since 2003, the ECOM-CIRAD consortium has produced an average of 1 million F1 Arabica hybrid coffee plants per year in Nicaragua by in vitro micro-propagation techniques. Like “somatic embryogenesis”, an artificial process in which a plant is regenerated in vitro from a single somatic cell. Diverging from the normally occurring fertilization process in plants.
F1 Arabica hybrids possess genetic and agronomic advantages, such as higher and more stable yields, more vigor, disease resistance, better cup quality and adaptability to agroforestry systems. Although this technique of micro-propagation in vitro worked technically, it is not economically viable due to high manpower, laboratory and nursery infrastructure costs.
Compared with clonal propagation in vitro lab (the somatic embryogenesis technique), this new type of propagation by seed should allow rapid and large-scale dissemination of Arabica F1 hybrids. Indeed, these hybrids produced by seeds offer the advantages of being produced in quantity, easily handled, stored and transported, and are much more affordable for farmers.
In 2017, ECOM decided to test this variety, called “Starmaya”, on a large scale in their farms, after the variety performed well in field trials in Nicaragua.
Frédéric Georget, CIRAD researcher and ECOM Group Technical Advisor for planting material, attributes a significant part of the partnership’s success to ECOM’s extensive network: “Having all of the control of the chain through ECOM, which [provides] scientific, technical, financial and commercial [services]…allows us to create innovative micro propagation systems and to consider sustainable business models where everyone wins.”
Historically, creating new coffee varieties has been a drawn-out process as a perennial crop, coffee trees have a maturity rate of three to four years. By conventional breeding techniques, it takes two decades to bring a new variety of coffee to market. The 21st century has brought its fair share of challenges, including unpredictable weather, new diseases and virulent pests. With the rapidly shrinking land available for growing coffee, it has become critical to examine how to create plants with a higher yield to meet market demand.
The introduction of coffee plant hybrids to producers in Central America got off to a rocky start in the 2000s. The producers perceived the hybrids as unnatural and losses in the field due to a shortfall in monitoring progress did nothing to allay these doubts.
Philippe Courtel, Global Plant Nursery Manager in Nicaragua, credits SMS with tackling these issues directly. “There was a lack of knowledge on both sides…In 2011, SMS took this on and there was an improvement in tracking. SMS Nicaragua and Costa Rica…exchanged a lot of information and knowledge and that was really the engine to enhancing the [producers’] view of hybrids.”
The higher yields of F1 hybrids can save farmers money in the long run, but they are currently only produced in a few technically advanced nurseries. To overcome this hurdle, ECOM and SMS need to raise the profile of hybrids in the international community.
“The key to producing plant hybrids at scale is to develop a sales force, export logistics and a presence in other countries,” said Philippe.
At the heart of this issue is the 123 million people worldwide — and the almost 2 million people in Central America — who depend on coffee for their livelihoods. The continued success of partnerships, like the one between ECOM and CIRAD — and their willingness to share their hard-earned research with the world — is the key to building a sustainable future for coffee farming.


text:
As I have noted in prior posts (most recently here), a recurring type of pandemic-related securities suit involves companies whose fortunes prospered at the outset of the pandemic but whose performance sagged as the coronavirus outbreak evolved. The latest lawsuit of this type is the securities suit filed earlier this week against the retailer Target Corp., in which the plaintiffs allege that the surge in consumer demand at the outset of the pandemic led the company to overstock inventory, causing an inventory overhang that later undercut the company’s financial performance. A copy of the March 29, 2023, complaint against Target can be found here.
In 2020, at the initial coronavirus outbreak, Target experienced what the subsequent securities lawsuit complaint described as “unprecedented double-digit growth” as “consumers increased spending with funds provided from stimulus checks.” Despite the company’s “runaway success” in 2020, the company’s revenue was “constrained” by its “inability to keep its shelves fully stocked.” According to the complaint, the company’s “inventory struggles” were due to “two pandemic-related factors”: (1) unexpectedly greater demand due to changing consumer behavior; and (2) vendor constraints resulting in less product for the company to replenish.
To try to tackle these inventory struggles, the company began “ordering larger upfront quantities in advance of season to ensure that shelves were stocked with products consumers wanted.” Complicating this early purchasing strategy was the fact that consumers preferences continued to shift. The company assured investors that it could keep track of changing preferences because its “unique multi-category assortment” enabling the company to “flex between patterns in consumer behavior changes.” The company reassured investors that its “balanced assortment” and insight into consumer preferences afforded the company a “durable” business model.
However, the complaint alleges, during the class period the company’s strategy of “buying early” resulted in the Company “over-purchasing goods that were no longer in demand.” The company’s inventory, according to the complaint, became “out of balance,” leaving the company with “overstocked unsellable inventory taking up valuable store shelf space” and unable to pivot to meet changing preferences.
On May 18, 2022, the company reported its financial results for the first quarter of 2022. Among other things, the company reported that its inventory had increased by nearly $1.1 billion over the prior quarter, and that the company was “overweight” in certain product categories, which caused the company to have to markdown certain inventory to make room for faster growing categories. As a result, the company’s revenue and gross margin declined for the quarter; the company reported that it expected the excess inventory to negatively affect its earnings for the next quarter, as well. According to the complaint, the company’s share price declined nearly 25% on this news.
On March 29, 2023, a plaintiff shareholder filed a securities class action lawsuit in the District of Minnesota against Target Corporation and certain of its executives. The complaint purports to be filed o behalf of investors who purchased the company’s securities between August 18, 2021 and May 17, 2022.
The complaint alleges that during the class period the company’s share price was “artificially inflated by Defendants’ misrepresentations about the Company’s ‘balanced multi-category assortment,” insight into consumer behavior, and ability to respond to shifting trends.” The complaint alleges further that news that Target’s sales growth was lower than expected and that Target was “unable to sustain the more moderate growth the company had anticipated just a few weeks earlier,” the price of the company’s common stock “plummeted as the artificial inflation was removed from the price.”
The complaint alleges that the defendants violated Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder. The complaint seeks to recover damages on behalf of the class.
As I noted at the outset, this case is the latest example of one of the types of pandemic-related securities litigation, involving companies whose fortunes rose at the outset of the pandemic but whose fortunes flagged as the pandemic evolved. The prototypical example of this fact-pattern and type of claim involves the exercise equipment company Peloton. Another example is the home improvement products company Stanley Black & Decker, which, as noted here, was hit with a securities lawsuit last week based on an alleged fact pattern that is not too dissimilar than the one alleged against Target in this lawsuit.
In my estimation, this new lawsuit against Target counts as “pandemic-related” and should be counted as such, even though the complaint never mentions the words “COVID-19” or “coronavirus.” The complaint does expressly allege that the company’s inventory overhang was the result of “pandemic-related factors.” Assuming for the sake of argument that this new lawsuit appropriately should be tallied as a pandemic-related lawsuit, it represents the fifth pandemic-related lawsuit to be filed so far this year and the 66th overall since the initial COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S. in March 2020.
One question I had in my mind while reading the complaint is whether or not this new lawsuit also counts as supply chain-related (supply chain issues being one of several macroeconomic factors that has contributed to securities litigation filings in recent months). However, while supply chain issues at the company’s suppliers and vendors did contribute to the inventory constraints the company experienced in 2020, what the complaint is really about is the company’s decision to order larger upfront quantities of inventory in advance in order to ensure that shelves were stocked. So it seems to me that this is an inventory management lawsuit more than a supply chain lawsuit.
One interesting feature of this lawsuit is that it relates to bad news the company released nearly a year ago. This new lawsuit is only one of several lawsuits to be filed recently that involved long-prior events and class periods that ended nearly a year or more before the complaints were first filed. For example, the Stanley Black & Decker lawsuit I blogged about earlier this week also involved disclosures and a class period end date more than a year before the complaint was filed. Similarly, the lawsuit filed last month against the coffee store chain Dutch Bros (discussed here) also involved disclosures and a class period end date nearly a year before the date the first complaint was filed.
There was a time several years ago when the fact that there was a significant time lag between the alleged corrective disclosures and the filing of the initial securities class action complaint was a subject of significant comment. The lag time issue become most evident in the 2017-2019 time frame, a time period in which plaintiffs’ lawyers were filing almost unprecedented numbers of securities suits. Observers speculated that the apparent lag was due to the fact that the plaintiffs’ lawyers were simply falling behind on their filings as they shoved more cases into the pipeline. More recently, the phenomenon of a lag between the corrective disclosure and the filing of the complaint largely went away (and perhaps not coincidentally the number of filings declined as well). It is hard to know what might be causing the sudden uptick in the number of “lag time” case filings. It will be interesting to see whether the phenomenon will continue and to try to discern what might be causing it.
One final note. While this complaint has only just been filed and it remains to be seen how it will face, I will say that when the time comes for the sufficiency of the plaintiff’s allegations to be tested, the court is going to have to look long and hard to find anything in this complaint that even arguably satisfies the scienter pleading requirements.


text:
Google helped the filmmakers reconstruct the company’s campus for filming at Georgia Tech in Atlanta, down to the details such as the T-shirts employees wear and the colorful “Noogler” propeller hats that interns wear during their first week. Google’s creative team designed the movie’s end credits. Google even contributed dialogue for two scenes.
The film comes as Google’s do-no-evil corporate image is under scrutiny from government regulators and privacy watchdogs, who question whether the technology giant’s business practices harm consumers and competitors.
Story length: 1,373 words
Access the full story here.


text:
A glittering awards ceremony has paid tributes to the UK’s Kings and Queens of Spice, celebrating the cream of the country’s curry industry.
Chefs, restaurants and suppliers from all four corners of the country were honoured by Master Chef Promotions – a project celebrating the very best in the hospitality and catering sector and aimed at inspiring the next generation of food heroes.
The results were announced at a gala dinner attended by 1,000 guests in West Bromwich on Sunday, February 5.
The awards raise the profile of the food and drink industry and inspire a new generation of young chefs to work in kitchens up and down the country.
TV chef Rois Ali, who founded the awards, said: “We are looking at working with colleges to future-proof our industry – encouraging the next generation to come through and open their own restaurants to ensure the sector not only survives but thrives.”
Arzoo Mia of Arzoo’s in Bicester was named UK chef of the year, with Abul Monsur of Taj Cuisine in Walderslade runner-up.
The awards, hosted by comedian and YouTuber Ali Official, were broadcast around the world, with global satellite TV coverage from a host of stations.
Nawaz Ali, executive director of Coventry-based Master Chef Promotions, said: “We want to encourage chefs to use the ‘Train to Gain’ scheme to equip them with essential skills in the kitchen.
“We want to help unemployed people get back into the world of work and we want to celebrate the stars of our trade, making them role models for others to look up to.”


text:
Two Arkansas boat makers, Ranger and BassCat, have scaled back on labor.
Ranger Boats is using a work-share agreement with employees to abbreviate its work week to two shifts, three days a week. The company employs about 800 people.
Ranger is in model changeover, explained Irwin Jacobs, chairman of Ranger’s parent Genmar Holdings.
“Normally they would shut down for a week or two” Jacobs told Soundings Trade Only this morning. “Actually the good news is that they’re actually shipping boats, where most people aren’t.”
Jacobs said he’s not anticipating any furloughs at any of Genmar’s 13 boat lines, though some of the companies may close for a week or so because of the model-year changeover.
“I want to emphasize, it isn’t because business is off-the-charts wonderful,” he said. “We’re very happy for every order we get.”
At BassCat Boats, the company has temporarily reduced its workforce by 17, Rick Pierce, a partner and plant manager for BassCat, told the Baxter (Ark.) Bulletin newspaper.
Pierce said BassCat has reduced production by three or more boats per week now, and plans to continue at the lower level until the market improves.


text:
“The Vivo U20 is likely to be an affordable offering and will be exclusively available via Amazon.in”
Vivo will refresh the lineup of its U-series with the launch of Vivo U20 smartphone next week in India. The company is slated to launch the handset on November 22nd in the country, confirms an Amazon.in listing. The Vivo U20 will be the successor to the Vivo U10 smartphone, which was launched back in October. The upcoming offering from the brand will pack the same SoC as the mid-rangers V17 Pro and V15 Pro, along with triple rear cameras, up to 6GB of RAM, UFS 2.1 storage, and Halo notch display.
As per the Amazon listing, the Vivo U20 will be powered by Snapdragon 675 mobile platform – which is said to be 25 percent faster than the U10’s Snapdragon 665 SoC. The handset will flaunt an edge-to-edge screen with dewdrop notch up top that houses the selfie camera. The rear panel of the Vivo U20 seems to be glass, with gradient finish and fingerprint scanner. The triple rear cameras are vertically-aligned at the top-right corner, just like its predecessor. While it has not been revealed yet, the phonemaker could ship the handset with 4GB RAM + 64GB storage and 6GB RAM + 128GB storage options.
Software-wise, the Vivo U20 will most likely boot Android 9 Pie-based FunTouchOS out of the box. Since the U10 has a beefy 5,000mAh battery, we can expect the same from its successor. Lastly, the U20 could feature an LCD panel with Full-HD+ resolution and impressive screen-to-body ratio.
The Vivo U20 price in India is not known at the moment, but we can tell you it’ll be available on sale only on the e-commerce platform Amazon.in.


text:
One among the more anticipated devices, the G2 Mini was finally announced by LG moments earlier. Initially expected to be featured at the upcoming MWC, LG went ahead and launched the device before the event.
We had been expecting to see a smartphone of the calibre of say, a Sony Xperia Z1 Compact. However, the LG G2 Mini comes with specifications that are far from flagship. It packs the same quad-core CPU, i.e., Qualcomm Snapdragon 400, that comes with the Motorola Moto G, a device that took the Indian market for a spin. Having said that, it is worthy to note that a an NVIDIA Tegra 4i powered version might be pegged for later.
Even the display isn’t as ‘mini’ as you would expect, measuring a good 4.7 inches (for reference, that’s what comes with the full-sized HTC One). This 4.7-inch panel does a qHD resolution of 960 x 540 pixels, at par with budget devices in the country that go for around 10,000 INR.
|Model||LG G2 Mini|
|Display||4.7 inches, 960 x 540p|
|Processor||Snapdragon 400/NVIDIA Tegra 4i|
|OS||To be announced|
|Price||To be announced|
On the storage front, the G2 mini features 1GB of RAM (exactly like the Moto G) along with 8GB of on-board ROM. There’s an 8MP camera at the rear along with a 1.3MP front to take care of your imaging needs, along with the iconic G2-style rear controls. All this will be powered by a 2440mAh battery, which does sound impressive. With 4.5 Inch HD display Moto G already available in India, this phone sounds like a tough sale. No word on pricing and/or availability yet, stay tuned for more info on the LG G2 Mini!


text:
Pakistan Furniture Council (PFC) chalking out a plan for furniture export
Chairman PFC pressed on the need for improved policy structure in Pakistan’s furniture sector.
Pakistan Furniture Council (PFC) is chalking out a plan to effectively address the challenges faced by the furniture industry in Pakistan. PFC is working to put new policies in place to encourage growth within the sector in order to promote exports.
“Pakistan Furniture Export, 2020” was organized on Thursday to initiate discussion on the subject. PFC Chairman Mian Kashif Ashfaq was the chief guest at the event and former President LCCI Almas Hyder marked his presence as a keynote speaker.
Chairman PFC pressed on the need for improved policy structure in Pakistan’s furniture sector. He also brought the audience’s attention toward the lack of specialized labor in the Pakistani furniture industry.
PFC Chairman Mian Kashif Ashfaq assured the attendees of the Prime Minister’s full support in overcoming these issues.
He further highlighted his concern about the state of labor;
“There is a dire need of providing financial support for skills training and up-gradation of machines with a view to boosting labor-intensive furniture sector besides awarding industry status to this sector for boosting export”.
As the Sitting Chairman of Faisalabad Industrial Estate Development and Management Company (FIEDMC), Mian Kashif Ashfaq further stated,
“Good thing is that FIEDMC would establish a technical university in Punjab’s Special economic zone, for which an accord has been signed with Fauji Foundation and a Chinese Tianjin University.”
PFC Chairman Mian Kashif Ashfaq’s ambitious vision for Pakistan’s furniture industry consists of a “Furniture City” comprising globally competent Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SZEs) on 150 acres of land in Allama Iqbal Industrial City. He also plans to put the industry on the map through worldwide advertisement.
Former President LCCI Almas Hyder expressed his opinion that the businesses should be provided adequate support in order to market themselves on an international level. He also stated his hope that new policies would be developed with the agreement of all the involved stakeholders.
Encouraging the inclusion of new talent and creativity in the industry, Hyder said,
”Government should also take measures to provide interest-free loans to youth for business startups especially those who are interested in opening a business in the furniture sector.”
He concluded his address by emphasizing on his faith in the ability of the industry, and his appreciation for Mian Kashif Ashfaq’s vision.
What are your views on this? Share in the comments bar below.


text:
During the WWDC 14 keynote address, Apple introduced OS Yosemite, which is the company’s newest version of their desktop operating system. During the reveal, Cupertino introduced several new features that will be debuting with the new OS once it’s released sometime this fall. They include the ability to receive and make phone calls using your Mac computer, the option to craft notes using your finger and the MacBook’s track pad, greater integration with iCloud, visual enhancements, and much more.
Though Apple announced it is launching a beta program, which will allow the public to test drive OS X Yosemite sometime this summer months before it is released, at this point, we can only stare. Feel free to scroll through this gallery of images, which feature the enhancements and improvements that will arrive once OS X Yosemite is launched a few months from now.


text:
She has been critical of the Obama administration.
RSS What's Happening
Something is seriously wrong here.
"Trying to wake up the people of France."Read »
The 'Bank Reform B***h.'Read »
Weird since Twitter has a lot of drama.Read »
Easy to reach from central Paris.Read »
No major issues yet.Read »
Everyone's waiting for the Fed.Read »
They're great at tunneling.Read »
New York spent the most and Utah the least.Read »
It's not just about cost.Read »
3.3 million square feet.Read »
Howard's offense was way down in 2012-13.Read »
Hits stores November 5.Read »
Estimates ranged from 8 times to 600 times more powerful.Read »
With 21 million annual unit sales.Read »
She won $50,000 for her invention.
Some are buying and some are selling.Read »
Judicial Watch lawsuit gets shut down.Read »
Mobile is changing the entire marketing experience.Read »
Debuted during the Xbox reveal.Read »
No more pretenders.Read »
Basically, iPhone owners get free unlimited online storage for photos.Read »
The "skinny" cocktail.Read »
Says the bear, begrudgingly.Read »
Golf's biggest villain.Read »
Start by not having kids.Read »
Relive the past 8 years in 99 seconds.Read »
The Bluths have been busy.Read »
But we already knew they were there ... kind of ...
Influential blogger Dave Winer does not believe Mayer's talk about Tumblr.
"Probably the worst insect that we've ever had to deal with in this part of the United States.'
Ripping Obama, Republicans, and the media.
"Networks of zombie computers."
Backstage at the Billboard music awards.


text:
Silicon Valley visionaries headline DigiCon 2019
Netflix legend Patty McCord is leading the roster of speakers in this year’s DigiCon, set on October 16-18, 2019 at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC).
McCord is best known for co-authoring the Netflix Culture Deck, dubbed as “the most important document to ever come out of Silicon Valley.” The breakthrough presentation has been reproduced more than 19 million times, and continues to inspire policy in many companies around the world. It is especially relevant in DigiCon 2019, as the organizer, the Internet & Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines (IMMAP) pushes for a culture of digital excellence in the country.
“Success in the digital age requires companies to embrace digital in everything they do. Not just in customer-facing touchpoints, but also in internal operations,” says IMMAP President Dennis Perez. “Digital is no longer just a department—it’s a way of life.”
Aside from Patty McCord, DigiCon 2019 also features Matt Biespiel of MB Consulting; Wendy Clark, Global CEO of DDB; Tom Goodwin, EVP Head of Innovation at Zenith; a CEO panel featuring Benjie Yap of Unilever, Carlo Katigbak of ABS-CBN, Lisa Gokongwei-Cheng of Summit Media, and more; Jacqueline Thng, partner at Prophet; Rohit Gulati, partner at Boston Consulting Group; Nic Burrows of Google; Ken Hoskin of Facebook, and many more.
Talks will cover learning across four tracks: the LEAD track, which will focus on upgrading leadership skills and thinking at every career stage; the EXPLORE track, which will unveil state-of-the-art technology for brands and marketers; APPLY, where participants can roll up their sleeves and dive right into interactive workshops; and PRACTICE, which will focus on tech trends for specific categories and industries such as fintech, health, entertainment, and sustainability and social good.
A trade exhibit will also bring together key technology players, including up and coming businesses who will be able to showcase solutions alongside more established players. The event will culminate with this year’s Boomerang Awards, a showcase of the country’s best works in the digital space.
DigiCon 2019 is open to brands, marketers, publishers, and all followers of tech. For more information visit https://digicon.immap.com.ph, follow @immap.digicon on Facebook, or email email@example.com.
Since 2007, the Internet and Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines (IMMAP) has been advocating the use of technology for marketing and economic development in the Philippines. The organization is composed of local members from a wide range of industries, and is part of the global network of the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA).
For media inquiries, please contact:
+63 917 173 5747
+63 917 526 9019
This is a paid press release from the Internet and Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines (IMMAP)


text:
Right on cue, Apple has invited the media to an event in San Francisco, with the promise that it will show off "its latest creation". And right on cue, the speculation is that said creation will be the rumoured tablet computer.
The event will be on 27 January (next Wednesday) at the Yerba Buena Centre for the Arts Theater in San Francisco -- a contemporary art centre known for showcasing film, performance and visual art. And in keeping with this theme, Apple's invite to the press is splattered with dollops of brightly coloured paint.
Engadget speculates that this could highlight the unveiling of a product "slanted towards art, music, and movie-making". But speculation has been rife for months that the device will be a device for reading interactive e-books, magazines and newspapers as well.
But no-one knows. So do check back with Wired.co.uk on the evening of 27 January for full coverage of what was shown off.


text:
Upgrades of Driveclub PS Plus edition the won't expire with the PS Plus subscription
Sony has announced that anyone who takes up the opportunity to upgrade digitally from the free PS Plus edition of Driveclub will not lose the game when their PS Plus subscription expires.
Initially it was believed that access to the upgraded PS Plus edition would be lost when the subscription expired.
Sony made the announcement on Twitter saying, “If you have DriveClub PS+ Edition and upgrade, we'll ensure you keep full game access even if your PS Plus runs out”.
Sony will offer Driveclub players the opportunity to upgrade their PS Plus Edition of the game to the full version for 42.99 GBP on the PlayStation Store. Driveclub is set to hit the PS4 on October 7th in North America and October 10th in the UK.
- Battlefield: Hardline beta rumoured to begin next week
- New Heart Of Thorns expansion announced for Guild Wars 2
- Wikipedia arbitration committee bans five feminist editors from commenting on feminist articles over GamerGate
- Ubisoft in the process of deleting game keys fraudulently-acquired by resellers from UPlay
- Gearbox is now recruiting for developers to work on Borderlands 3
- DayZ passes the 3 million sales mark on Steam Early Access
- Planetside 2 sets a new Guinness World Record for the most players in an online FPS game
- Homeworld remasters look stunning, will be released next month
- Riot Games in talks with European ISPs over building a dedicated League Of Legends network


text:
Nokia's Lumia Is Selling Well In U.S. But Not So Good Elsewhere
Apr 20, 2012 13:00
Nokia is managing to shift its new Lumia range in the U.S., and that's great news except that its performance elsewhere is less impressive. The company just announced their first quarter financial results and it suffered a $775 million dollar net loss over the period.
Their US sales however, have "exceed expectations" according to Stephen Elop, but other markets are "more challenging", despite a huge marketing campaign.
Nokia sold 11.9 million smart phones during the first three months of 2012, and less than half of the 24.9 million it achieved in the first three months of 2011. Can things get better since the Lumia 900 is out now? [Nokia via The Verge]
What if you could sit without actually sitting? Imagine a chair that's actually wearable. The 'Archelis' is that type of chair. Planned and produced by Japanese company Nitto alongside the collaboration with Chiba University's Frontier Medical Engineering Center, the wearable chair will strap onto your legs, allowing the chair to move along with you. Read more
Instead of just messaging, here's a super simple chat-based text game you can play inside Facebook messenger. All you have to do is type out some commands, and you'll be seeing the game available. Read more


text:
TouchPal's Interactive Input Technology Selected by Mercedes-Benz and Sony
TouchPal Enables Easy and Fast Input on Multimedia TouchScreen of the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cars and Sony NEX-5R, NEX-5T and NEX-6 Digital Cameras
Award-winningapp developer CooTek today announced the integration of its TouchPal interactive input technology into the multimedia touchscreen of the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class cars and Sony NEX-5R, NEX-5T and NEX-6 digital cameras. Interactive input is a new concept in the evolution of touchscreens, which combines world-class contextual prediction and gesture technology to provide an easier and more intuitive way for users to input data on smart screen devices. Interactive input technology can be adopted across a wide range of smart devices, including mobile phones, TVs, smart watches, digital cameras and automobiles.
TouchPal Gives Speed to Mercedes-Benz
The new 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class multimedia system harnesses the power of TouchPal's world-class predictive engine. TouchPal provides drivers with a custom-designed, intelligent dictionary that lets them quickly input frequently used words and phrases while using GPS and other touchscreen applications so they can stay focused on enjoying the road.
"We are pleased that TouchPal was chosen to be embedded in the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class multimedia system," said Michael Wong, CEO of CooTek. "Our patented predictive technology is robust and reliable for the high-end, luxury series of Mercedes-Benz cars. Drivers can enjoy fast, easy and accurate input on GPS and other applications for a superb user experience."
CooTek has been collaborating with a German-based software developer of Daimler-Chrysler for more than a year to bring TouchPal's interactive input technology into the automotive industry. TouchPal Keyboard is the only intelligent keyboard engine installed exclusively in the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class cars.
Sony Camera Gets Smarter with TouchPal
CooTek's partnership with Sony has expanded from smartphones to digital imaging products, with its TouchPal Keyboard engine and user interface tailor-made for and integrated into Sony NEX-5R, NEX-5T and NEX-6 digital cameras.
"Sony was one of the first global vendors to pre-install TouchPal Keyboard in its smartphones. We are delighted that our strategic partnership with Sony has moved to a next level and our interactive input technology has been successfully integrated into Sony's digital imaging products," said Michael Wong, CEO of CooTek.
TouchPal Keyboard made for Sony Digital Imaging products provides a customized user interface and an intelligent prediction engine with a large dictionary.
TouchPal Keyboard used in Sony NEX-5R, NEX-5T and NEX-6 digital cameras supports 20 languages including Chinese, Korean and European languages and can be downloaded from the Sony PlayMemories Camera Apps portal at https://www.playmemoriescameraapps.com/portal/.
About TouchPal Keyboard
TouchPal Keyboard is an advanced, interactive input technology for smartphones and tablets. TouchPal Keyboard successfully established itself with leading manufacturers, and is the default keyboard for devices by Sony, HTC, Huawei and ZTE. Additionally, TouchPal Keyboard has provided new solutions for non-traditional mobile devices such as digital cameras and automobiles.
Founded in 2008, CooTek is dedicated to improving the usability, functionality and overall value of mobile devices via the innovative software it designs and brings to market. The company has 26 patents on predictive, interactive input technology. Its TouchPal Keyboard application for Android, iOS and Windows 8 is based on CooTek's multiple patented technologies and delivers a powerful, easier-to-use alternative to traditional hardware keyboards. Now there are more than 100 million TouchPal Keyboard users worldwide.
For more information, please visit www.touchpal.com, like us on Facebook (http://on.fb.me/SVlIQk), or follow us on Twitter at @TouchPal (www.twitter.com/TouchPal).


text:
The Excise Policy 2022-23 being framed by the Delhi government may discontinue the norm of opening two vends per municipal ward in view of problems arising out of constraints of doing so in unregularised parts of the city, officials said on Tuesday.
The Excise Policy 2021-22 notified by the government had divided the city into 32 zones with 850 retail vends distributed over a total of 272 municipal wards as well as the New Delhi Municipal Council areas and the airport. It had made it mandatory for each zonal license holder to open two retail liquor stores in each ward.
Delhi government's group of ministers (GoM) in its meeting last month recommended doing away with the mandatory two vends per ward provision.
"Considering constraints of opening of vends in non-conforming wards, the group of ministers (GoM) has recommended that the requirement of opening of mandatory two vends per ward may be discontinued," an official document said.
The recommendations of the GoM related to the Excise Policy will be implemented after approval of the Delhi Cabinet, the officials said.
There are around 100 wards that are either non-conforming or in which vends cannot be operated due to limited conforming areas there, they said.
Also, there are restrictions of Excise Policy and Rules like no retail vend can be opened within 100 metres of educational institutions (senior secondary schools, colleges), religious places (having pucca structures more than 400 square feet) and hospitals (50 or more beds).
The document said the zonal licensees will be allowed to open up to 27 retail vends in any of the conforming wards under the allotted zones.
The three municipal corporations in Delhi had shut down 58 retail liquor vends and sent notices to over 200 others, citing violations of being in non-conforming areas and the Excise Policy.


text:
- Vivian Hendriksz |
London - High street retailers ranging from H&M to House of Fraser to Asos have already begun their Black Friday deals, despite research indicating an overall lack of interest in the day as well as optimism concerning the results of discounting holiday.
Only one out of three (33 percent) retailers believe Black Friday will have a positive effect on their business, while one in five (19 percent) of senior decision makers in retail are optimistic about their business’ prospects on Black Friday this year, according to research carried out by Royal Mail Parcels. This highlights the growing apprehension felt by retailers across the nation concerning the borrowed US shopping holiday, despite previous research indicating shoppers could spend as much as 10.1 billion pounds during this Black Friday season.
UK retailers and brands launch Black Friday deals, despite decreasing attention from consumers
A growing number of retailers are set to participate in Black Friday this year, after giving in to pressure to discount excess stock in the run-up to Christmas, following in the footsteps of department stores and e-tailers who have already begun to offer sales in the run-up to the big day. Debenhams has launched discounts of up to 50 percent on selected product categories act day of the week, running up to November 24 online and in-store, whereas House of Fraser begun an 11 day Black Friday campaign on November 17, with discounts as high as 40 percent offered across a number of its products.
In addition to vowing to price match its competitors' promotions, John Lewis is currently offering up to 30 percent discount on selected womenswear and menswear brands, including Ralph Lauren, Paul Smith, and Michael Kors, as well as 20 percent off sportswear brands. High street retailer H&M launched its Black Friday countdown earlier this week, offering different deals on selected denim, knitwear, and accessories, with discounts of up to 40 percent, whereas newly opened Arket has launched colour week, offering customers 25 percent off its signature and core times across all departments according to colour. The discounting begun with Blue Monday on November 20 and is set to end on Black Friday. Other retailers including Diesel, Gant and Sports Direct have also launched campaigns and discounts ahead of Black Friday.
Online retailers have also begun their Black Friday deals ahead of the day. US giant Amazon decided to take things one step further for Black Friday this year and launched a pop-up store in central London on November 21, which will run through to November 24 in addition to usual Black Friday countdown flash sales. Asos was offering up to 60 percent off women’s accessories and shows as well as men’s chinos and jeans earlier this week, whereas Very.co.uk is offering up to 30 percent selected womenswear, sportswear, and shoes, in addition to special deals on electronics.
However, with less than two days to go before the big day, additional research from Retail Economics notes that the novelty of the discounting day is likely wearing off, with only 19 percent of shoppers indicating they plan on taking advantage of the sales this year. Although younger consumers showed more interest in spending on Black Friday in comparison to their peers, overall 62 percent of shoppers expect to spend less this Black Friday than the previous year. “Just under a quarter of consumers suggested that they would spend less during the event because they were losing interest while a further 42 percent thought that retailer’ discounts would be worse than last year,” said Richard Lim, Chief Executive, Retail Economics.
“Fading demand for Black Friday is not necessarily a bad thing for retailers who would rather see incremental spend spread across the whole of the Christmas season than discounted sales pulled forward at the expense of future demand. It also eases pressure on capacity constraints for retailers who have previously struggled with crowded stores, failing websites and poor customer experiences.”
Photos: Courtesy of Gant, Arket and Diesel


text:
EVERY SUMMER, the holiday woes of the Indian expatriate community in the Gulf region tend to take the familiar path. It starts with the mad rush to get an airline ticket, which invariably puts a dent in their budget with the simple forces of demand and supply spiking prices.
The arrival of low cost airlines has helped a little but not significantly enough. This year, the holiday season for many Indian travellers started off on a wrong note with the strike of Air India’s pilots. There are also the routine complaints of disrupted and cancelled flight schedules, which make travelling on vacation anything but joy.
The newest concern raised by Indian travellers is the customs duty being levied at airports for any gold they carry in ‘excess.’ For many of these travellers, carrying gold is not ornamental at all. For most, it is their safe haven, their saving, which they tend to deposit in safe deposit boxes back home. While customs authorities had been largely lax about the amount of gold in-bound travellers wear earlier, mostly keeping an eye out only for unusual amounts, there has been a sudden shift in attitude, according to travellers.
They say that the regulation limiting NRIs to carry gold or jewellery worth only Rs10,000 by men and Rs20,000 by women is being relentlessly pursued by customs officials. The problem, they point out, is that the regulation is archaic and based on gold prices set some 40 years ago. Today, gold prices have skyrocketed and going by the value that has been fixed four decades ago, passengers can hardly carry any gold or jewellery at all. In fact, any overzealous customs official can book any traveller who even wears a marriage ring, in the current scenario.
Of course, passengers have the option of depositing the gold with the airport customs officials and collecting them while returning to Dubai, but what is vexing for the travellers is also the treatment being meted out by the officials.
If this is a new found channel to make extra income, clearly, the measure will backfire even as the Indian Government is trying to attract foreign exchange and investments.
While it is important that regulations must be abided by, and authorities have to keep vigil, it is also imperative that travellers from the Gulf are treated respectfully and their convenience given due importance.
Today, NRIs from the Gulf are one of the key contributors to the country’s foreign remittance. For them, a yearly vacation is often the only luxury and binding link with their home. Making them feel welcome makes for a courteous gesture.
But more importantly, revisiting time-shredded regulations will help the country underline its credentials as being serious about attracting investments.


text:
— -- Watch out, Princess Peach. Bowser is taking over the Nintendo corporate office.
Pardon us -- we have our Bowsers mixed up.
Nintendo had some fun today with the announcement that Doug Bowser will be joining the gaming company as vice president of sales.
Bowser shares a name with the character in the company's Mario games who is known for his spiked shell, love of Princess Peach and villainous streak in the Mushroom Kingdom.
Making it clear that Doug Bowser has no relation to the fictional character, Nintendo wrote he would bring "decades of experience, not fire breath" to his new role.
Bowser comes to Nintendo after spending eight years at competitor Electronic Arts.


text:
STUFF™, a new purpose-driven personal care brand, is out to redefine the industry by keeping the grooming process simple for men while reflecting a modern world minus the toxic stereotypes.
“Right now, it’s a pretty confusing time to be a man with mixed messages coming from every direction. So alongside creating high-quality products, our goal for STUFF™ is to support men as they navigate a new era of masculinity. We want to create a movement of men living a life of connection, purpose, and positive impact,” explains STUFF™ Founder and CEO Hunter Johnson.
Johnson coined the idea four years ago when he was sitting in a Melbourne café with his best mate, reminiscing about brands they grew up with.
“The only ads for men we could recall featured guys spraying themselves with excessive amounts of chemical-ridden deodorant, causing flocks of gorgeous women to chase after them. Despite using the same deodorants since we were 13, neither of us had been chased once,” said Johnson.
Johnson said they saw a massive opportunity to create a brand that represented a more modern, authentic masculinity, and one that was built with social impact at its core.
STUFF™ veers away from the chiselled abs and power suits or any of the outdated stereotypes. Instead, STUFF™ provides men with the opportunity to align with a contemporary brand and movement that reflects them and their values, and portrays a range of masculinity.
Australian-made, vegan friendly and pleasantly fragranced by essential oils, the STUFF™ product range is honest, approachable, and a bit cheeky – men won’t find any weird ingredients or 10-step routines.
STUFF™ is launching with a line-up of everyday essentials, all supercharged with fresh ‘n spicy botanicals, including STUFF For Your Pits, STUFF For Your Face, STUFF For Your Head & Body, and a range of kits including the popular STUFF Squad Bundle, which includes one of every product for a full shower upgrade.
As consumer brands continue to shape culture, Johnson says there is a significant opportunity for STUFF™ to help tackle the escalating crisis around masculinity.
“We know that suicide is the country’s leading cause of death for guys aged under 45; one in five boys will experience mental illness before the age of 18, and family violence kills at least one woman every week. We believe this is preventable if we invest in initiatives that allow men to break free of limiting constructs and express themselves more freely,” he explains.
Those who want to join the journey championing healthy masculinity may visit STUFF’s website or check out their Instagram, @followthestuff.
Johnson is also Founder and CEO of The Man Cave, a leading emotional intelligence charity for young men that has been endorsed by The Royal Family. The Man Cave is also a major shareholder in STUFF™.
“Together, we exist to help guys become the best version of themselves,” Johnson says.


text:
- Subscribe NowLimited Time Offer
Sign Up for the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal Afternoon Edition Newsletter
Send this story to a friend
Yamamoto builds up from its base
After 33 years of helping clients create and grow their brands, it was time for Yamamoto Moss Mackenzie to reevaluate its own.
The Minneapolis advertising agency last week repositioned itself as simply Yamamoto, dropping Moss Mackenzie from the name. Yamamoto is Japanese for “base of the mountain,” which CEO Kathy McCuskey pointed to as a metaphor for the shop’s legacy of building brands from the ground up.
“Most of our clients have some kind of a foundational problem they’re looking to us to help solve,” she said.
The reworked brand is just the latest change for Yamamoto following a whirlwind 12 months. McCuskey joined the 30-person agency as CEO last April after most recently serving as director of consumer marketing for Eden Prairie-based Starkey Laboratories Inc., and the company added nine key clients and hired a dozen new employees.
Most importantly, Yamamoto — which ranked among the Twin Cities’ 10 largest agencies as recently as 2006 — has posted back-to-back years of growth, putting an end to several years of decline. Revenue increased 11 percent to nearly $6 million in 2011, and the company added nine key clients and 12 employees, including Creative Director John Vipond.
“We had such a good year last year,” said McCuskey, who has more than 23 years of industry experience, including stops at Periscope, Hunt Adkins and Campbell Mithun. “We beat our projections for new business, and if we can continue to see organic growth of 10 to 15 percent, we’ll have another great year. … If all goes according to plan, you’ll be seeing and hearing more about us.”
John Vomhof Jr. covers retail, hotels, sports business, advertising, public relations and media. He's also on the air on WCCO-AM 830 with Dave Lee daily at 8:45 a.m. and on Fox 9 TV Fridays at 5:30 a.m. & 6:30 a.m.
If you are commenting using a Facebook account, your profile information may be displayed with your comment depending on your privacy settings. By leaving the 'Post to Facebook' box selected, your comment will be published to your Facebook profile in addition to the space below.
- Most popular
- Culver's competitor coming to Twin Cities
- Granite City will 'go dark' to cut costs
- Vikings break ground on new stadium
- Phillips releases Sriracha-flavored UV vodka
- Brickmania makes tracks, literally, on Kickstarter
- Shakopee printer acquires North Carolina company
- Hillcrest buying Nestle site near West End
- 50th & France condemnation fight gets messier
- Now both downtowns are without McDonald's
- A gazillion Black Friday stories boiled down to 12 that matter (Video)
- Manager 693 Consulting Services Corporate Risk Solutions, Inc. | USA-HQ in Lenexa, KS - Opportunities Across the US
- Careers at Verizon Wireless Verizon Wireless | Local Opportunities
- SENIOR NERC 693 CONSULTANT Corporate Risk Solutions, Inc. | USA-HQ in Lenexa, KS - Opportunities Across the US
- Senior Cyber Security Consultant Corporate Risk Solutions, Inc. | USA-HQ in Lenexa, KS - Opportunities Across the US
- Quality Manager Hawkins, Inc. | Saint Paul, MN


text:
I’ve been obsessed with Balmuda’s fancy toaster for years. As some readers might know, I used to live in Japan while working for Engadget, and I’d browse around electronics superstores like Yodobashi Camera and Yamada Denki, gawping at high-level cameras, weird 3DS games that would never make it to the West and touring floors upon floors of home appliances and gadgets. There are entire shop floors dedicated to rice cookers, water boilers and the rest. And it is amazing.
Balmuda’s premium toaster oven was the apex, though. Fortunately, the company’s steam-based toaster has made it to the US in recent years and now, for $329, you can have the fluffiest slices of toasted bread you can imagine. But for those in Japan, Balmuda has now announced its first-ever smartphone.
It’s a petite device with a full-HD 4.9-inch display. The company teamed up with Kyocera to manufacture the Android device, which has 5G and wireless charging. It comes with a 48-megapixel rear camera, an 8-megapixel front-facing camera and a fingerprint sensor. The Balmuda Phone is powered by a Snapdragon 765 processor and, as you might tell, the device packs relatively middleweight specs. The company may be banking on its premium status to convince smartphone shoppers.
At the moment, the company doesn’t have plans to release the phone outside Japan.
— Mat Smith
The new guitar is for younger musicians.
Fender’s acoustic-electric hybrid guitars are technical marvels — with a price to reflect that. Now, the instrument brand has unveiled its $1,200 Acoustic Player Telecaster with a simpler design with a three-way voice selector (versus five on other models) and one blend knob.
And yet Gmail and Hangouts were working fine, ugh.
A Google Cloud networking issue took down a handful of prominent websites late yesterday, including Spotify, Snapchat, Etsy and Discord. As one colleague put it: “Annoyed that my fun stuff is down, but Slack remains miraculously up, as does other work stuff.” Google announced the issue was partially resolved as of 1:17 PM ET but a full fix didn’t occur until around 3:15 PM ET. Google said it “will publish an analysis of this incident, once we have completed our internal investigation.”
A new report says Kotick knew about the company’s sexual harassment problems for years.
Employees at Activision Blizzard are calling for the resignation of CEO Bobby Kotick following new revelations about the role he may have played in creating the toxic workplace culture that has mired the company. A Wall Street Journal report outlined Kotick’s handling of the sexual harassment lawsuit from California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH). The newspaper claimed Kotick not only knew about many of the worst instances of abuse at the company, but in some cases, he may have also acted to protect employees accused of harassment.
“We have instituted our own Zero Tolerance Policy,” Activision Blizzard employee advocacy group A Better ABK said on Twitter after the report came out. “We will not be silenced until Bobby Kotick has been replaced as CEO and continue to hold our original demand for Third-Party review by an employee-chosen source.”
The update is now more broadly available.
Having slowly rolled out its OS update to the most powerful (and up-to-date) PCs, Microsoft is accelerating the rollout of Windows 11, making it more broadly available. Provided your system is running version 2004 or later of Windows 10 and you recently installed the September 14th, 2021 servicing update Microsoft released, you can now upgrade directly to Windows 11. When Microsoft first released the new OS on October 4th, the company said it expected to offer the upgrade to all eligible devices by mid-2022.
It’ll feature a library of ultra-high definition nature documentary videos.
Roku’s added its first premium 8K channel to its platform: The Explorers. The only 8K Roku TVs on the market right now are from TCL, in 65- and 75-inch formats. TCL first showed off the TV at CES, and would you know it, the next CES is just around the corner. I’m sure there are more 8K TVs waiting to be revealed in January.
Ultra-high-definition premium content from The Explorers (which also offers free content through its channel) will typically cost $3/month. A tenth of that fee will be donated to The Explorers Foundation, which aims to preserve biodiversity. The channel will also offer 8K content at a time when it’s still rare. YouTube remains the main place for 8K footage.
The biggest news stories you might have missed
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Genshin Impact Reveals Arataki Itto Character Abilities In New Teaser – Screen Rant
miHoYo, developer of Geshin Impact, has unveiled the abilities of the upcoming character Arataki Itto, along with a new teaser trailer. Arataki Itto is the latest playable 5-star character scheduled to arrive in the game during the ongoing 2.3 update. The leader of the Arataki Gang, Genshin Impact‘s Itto got a surprise character reveal on social media in October, supposedly in response to leaks that were coming out at the time.
Genshin Impact’s current 2.3 update is being well-received by players of the popular free-to-play game. The update is the first of the game’s patches to feature its new banner system. Rather than one banner featuring the new 5-star and 4-star characters for the respective update as well as another for reruns of previously released characters, the new system will add a second rerun banner that will be available alongside the first one. This means that during the 2.3 update, a total of three Genshin Impact character banners will be available. The two rerun banners will be released first while the new banner will be released later on.
Developer miHoYo revealed Arataki Itto’s abilities in a new blog post, alongside a character teaser trailer on the Genshin Impact YouTube channel. According to the post, Arataki Itto is a Geo claymore user whose damage primarily comes from his charged attacks due to his unique mechanic. He gains stacks of Superlative Superstrength from his normal attacks, elemental skill, and elemental burst. He can then perform a unique multi-hit charged attack by consuming the said stacks instead of stamina. His normal attack also has the unique trait of not immediately resetting its chain after the player sprints or uses Itto’s elemental skill, called Masatsu Zetsugi: Akaushi Burst.
Watch the video on YouTube here.
Itto’s elemental skill sees him throw Ushi, described as the young akaushi bull and auxiliary member of the Genshin Impact Arataki Gang, at an opponent. The impact not only deals Geo damage but also gives Itto a stack of his Superlative Superstrength. Additionally, Ushi also remains on the field and draws the attention of enemies as well as gives Itto even more stacks whenever Ushi takes damage. Lastly, Itto’s elemental burst is called Royal Descent: Behold, Itto the Evil and not only puts Itto into an enraged state but also summons the Oni King’s Kanabou club. While Itto is in this state, all of his attacks deal Geo damage, his attack speed is increased, he gains Superlative Superstrength stacks during the first and third strike of his combo. On the flip side, Itto also takes more damage while he’s enraged.
As for the character teaser trailer, the animated video shows Itto and the other members of the Arataki Gang pulling off a mischievous stunt by taking over the performance of a stage play, even going as far as changing the script of the narration. Unfortunately, both their enjoyment and the audience’s is cut short when the Tenryou Commission, the organization led by Genshin Impact‘s Kujou Sara, arrives to arrest Itto and his crew. The trailer gives players a glimpse into the personality of Itto and the antics he and rest of the Arataki Gang may get up to.
Arataki Itto has been a character of interest since the original leaks, and the official trailer reveal and details from miHoYo have certainly cemented him as one of the most exciting characters to look into when his banner is released. Players will just have to wait until he’s available and hope they’re able to unlock him before they run out of Primogems or Wishes, but when it comes to dealing damage, the character has the potential to end up being one of the best Geo characters in Genshin Impact.
Genshin Impact is available on PlayStation 4, PC, iOS, and Android.
content: ‘/ ‘;
Genshin Impact Teaser Trailer Introduces Players To The Foolhardy Oni Arataki Itto – Noisy Pixel
Developer miHoYo has released a new Genshin Impact teaser trailer introducing us to the new character, Arataki Itto, the head of the Arataki Gang. They constantly get caught by Inazuma’s Tenryou Commission. The trailer depicts a slightly distorted version of the humans versus oni story while providing comedic insight into Arataki Itto’s personality. In the trailer’s description, the developer states:
“When the Arataki Gang is involved, even the most traditional repertoire may usher in a new twist. Although some in the audience have enjoyed such a surprise, it has caused some trouble for the Tenryou Commission. So let’s see who will get the last laugh this time: Arataki Itto with his booming laughter, or the soldiers who are swift at maintaining law and order.”
Arataki Itto will be available for players to wish for starting December 14th. In addition, the new Geo Archer, Canine Warrior Gorou, will also release alongside Arataki Itto. Here’s the full information about the character’s voice actors and skills:
You can view this new teaser trailer below:
Genshin Impact is a free-to-play open-world action RPG that brings players to the visually stunning world of Teyvat. The player takes on the role of the mysterious “Traveler,” who sets off on a journey to discover the fate of their lost sibling and unveils the mysterious secrets of Teyvat along the way. Version 2.3, Shadows Amid Snowstorms, is currently available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC (through the official website and the Epic Games Store), Android, and iOS devices.
Here’s What Time ‘Halo Infinite’ Launches In Your Region – Forbes
The day has finally arrived. A year delay, a three week early release of multiplayer, and now everyone will finally be able to get their hands on the Halo Infinite campaign, and make up their minds about 343’s latest installment, and the guideposts for the next generation of Halo content from Microsoft.
You are probably waking up to check if you can play this very moment, but Halo Infinite is doing a global launch where the game releases simultaneously in all regions. So, what times does Halo Infinite launch?
- 10 AM PT
- 12 PM CT + CST
- 1 PM ET
- 3 PM BRT
- 6 PM GMT
- 7 PM CET
- 9 PM AST + MSK
- 2 AM HKT
- 3 AM JST
- 5 AM AEDT
- 7 AM NZDT
So, essentially usual daily challenge reset time for most regions. While Halo Infinite is single player and has no co-op, online or otherwise, I would expect there possibly to be some login issues as everyone floods to it, although 343 did do a good job preventing that from happening too much during the multiplayer launch, so maybe not.
It is pretty bizarre to think that multiplayer was also supposed to be launching today. It really reinforces just how separately packaged these two halves of Halo Infinite are. Besides the different release dates, Infinite is free-to-play and the campaign is either $60 by itself, or requires a Game Pass subscription, no doubt how the majority of players will play.
It’s going to be really hard to measure the success of Halo Infinite in a traditional way, as sales will mean relatively little with its Game Pass inclusion, so expect to see some metric like “hours played” that will not mean all that much. The campaign also has zero monetization, as that’s all jammed into multiplayer instead.
Halo Infinite campaign reviews arrived a few days ago, and it’s scoring pretty high with an 86 on Metacritic. I was definitely on the lower end of reviews with a 7.5, but again, that’s just the campaign, and I’d score multiplayer significantly higher. My main issue was that the last third of the game felt too unfinished and stopped too short, but we’ll see if anyone agrees with me or not.
All my progress has been wiped from my review build, so I am diving in to replay the entire campaign again later today just like everyone else. I will work on an “early advice” tips article that will go live later today.
It’s going to be a big day for Halo fans, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what everyone makes of Infinite. See you out there.
What you need to know about COVID-19 in Ottawa on Wednesday, Dec. 8 – CBC.ca
Protecting Prince Harry cost Canadians more than $334,000 – CBC News
Kingston MOH says COVID-19 vaccines keeping region from locking down – Globalnews.ca
Silver investment demand jumped 12% in 2019
Europe kicks off vaccination programs | All media content | DW | 27.12.2020 – Deutsche Welle
Iran anticipates renewed protests amid social media shutdown
Health8 hours ago
Why are Canadians going vegan?
Media10 hours ago
How to Make Your WordPress Site Run Faster?
Health10 hours ago
Anorexia hospitalizations among youth up in 2020: study – CTV News
Health24 hours ago
Possible COVID-19 exposure at Belleville's Quinte Bowl – County Weekly News
Health11 hours ago
Number of COVID-19 cases in N.W.T. holds steady at 10 – CBC.ca
News17 hours ago
Canada must defend Arctic sovereignty: Zimmer – Alaska Highway News
Health7 hours ago
5 Common Cosmetic Dental Procedures
News13 hours ago
Could surge in COVID-19 cases mean more restrictions? – CTV News


text:
The Internet Service Providers’ Association (ISPA), which represents most of South Africa’s ISP community, has called for a wholesale mobile broadband offering from South Africa’s telecommunications operators. They want to bring down the cost of mobile data by introducing wholesale mobile data products that ISPs can resell.
“Ispa argues that the absence of a wholesale mobile data offering constitutes a lost business opportunity for mobile operators and an obstacle to deepening broadband penetration,” the association said in a statement.
They believe that the mobile market could take a lesson from fixed-line broadband, where the wholesale model has been well developed to the point that Internet Service Providers have lowered prices due to competition, and urge consumers to create “pull” by demanding more uncapped data options.
“Opening up the ADSL market to competition has created business opportunities for providers and the consumer has benefited hugely,” said ISPA chair Graham Beneke. “We believe that [communications regulator] Icasa should take the necessary action to enable a simple resale model for mobile data to stimulate the same sort of consumer-friendly competition. It seems like regulatory pressure is necessary to spur the introduction of the necessary wholesale product to create this new market.”
ISPA believes that when a genuine wholesale product is launched, like the one seen between MTN and Afrihost, it results in real cost benefits to the end customer.
“In South Africa, mobile devices are the primary gateway to the business and social opportunities offered by the internet,” said Beneke. “High prices for mobile broadband will continue to act as a brake on internet penetration in the country.”


text:
OPPO is about to bring a series of new technologies to Vietnamese users at the INNO DAY 2021 event
- Tram Ho
At the present time, it can be said that OPPO has become one of the world’s leading smartphone manufacturers and is also a brand that has made a strong mark in the hearts of technology followers. That is not only reflected in innovative products and breakthrough technologies, but also in the company’s special favor and concern for users.
In addition to its constant efforts in product research and development, OPPO also does not forget to fulfill its desire to bring new technologies to users as soon as possible. And one of them is INNO DAY – an annual event where OPPO showcases its latest technological achievements as well as shares its future development orientation.
OPPO INNO DAY 2021 will be held in two days, December 14 and 15, 2021 with the theme “Reimaging the Future” or “Reimagining the future”. No longer the livestream videos like most technology events in the Covid season, INNO DAY 2021 welcomes users with a series of interesting and unique interactive experiences on OPPO INNO WORLD online virtual reality platform.
Here, visitors can not only watch the launch event of OPPO’s key products, but also freely explore all the display areas to comfortably experience the newly introduced technologies. Just register your avatar right here , and you are ready for an adventure into OPPO INNO WORLD. This is a bright spot when OPPO gives users the right to be fully active, full of excitement, far from sitting passively watching through the computer screen. On the other hand, it is also a way to show the technological vision that OPPO pursues, meeting the Metaverse trend that has been developing rapidly globally in recent times.
However, what is more special about this year’s OPPO INNO DAY is that the Ofans community and technology lovers have had the opportunity to experience these latest products in a real way, something that has never been done before. there is precedent. Accordingly, this offline event will be held by OPPO Vietnam on December 5 at OPPO Experience Store in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, giving users the opportunity to experience these exciting new technology products. .
Closer to OPPO INNO DAY 2021, the side information makes technology believers even more excited. Prominent among them is that OPPO will introduce OPPO Find N – its first folding phone model. According to information that has been confirmed and teased by OPPO, this super product will have a book-like folding design with a large screen inside and a secondary screen outside, the design is quite similar to the Galaxy Z. Fold3.
In particular, OPPO Product Manager Pete Lau, who is also the CEO of OnePlus, said that after 4 years of research and development of folding devices, OPPO has had enough confidence to bring users a screen product. Folding can solve the problems that ordinary folding smartphones often encounter. What Mr. Pete Lau mentioned may be about the crease in the middle of the screen that affects the experience, when some information reveals that OPPO Find N does not have the appearance of this screen fold at all.
Not only that, some sources also commented on the upgrade in the design of OPPO Find N, namely that the screen ratio has become balanced and it will be easy to optimize the performance. application action, bringing a much more exciting and enjoyable experience. It can be said that OPPO Find N is a promising product, becoming a prominent technological highlight in OPPO INNO DAY 2021.
On the other hand, as mentioned above, the OPPO INNO WORLD online virtual reality platform can be a testament to OPPO’s technology direction in the future. This becomes even more practical when this manufacturer also revealed that it will introduce the 3rd generation OPPO AR Glass augmented reality glasses model right at the event.
Besides, one of the things to look forward to in OPPO INNO DAY 2021 is that OPPO will introduce its first NPU (Neural Processing Unit) or neural processor. This is considered as one of OPPO’s big and serious steps forward in shaping and enhancing the user experience with the help of augmented AI technology.
It can be said that OPPO is gradually transforming from a phone manufacturer to a leading technology brand in all fields, affirming its potential as well as its goal of putting users at the center of development. product. And INNO DAY 2021 is the place for users to satisfy their desire to experience unique and interesting technologies, which will be a new creative trend in the near future.
So what are you waiting for without registering now Ofans, the opportunity to participate in experiencing the latest technological masterpieces from OPPO INNO DAY 2021 is limited.
Source : Genk


text:
Apple and Working Conditions in Overseas Factories
(AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)
Foxconn, a major manufacturer of Apple products in China, has promised to raise worker wages and cut overtime hours. A recent review by the Fair Labor Association found evidence of widespread labor issues at three factories in China operated by the Taiwanese based company. As an ever greater share of manufacturing shifts to cheaper labor markets around the world, Foxconn, and the technology industry in general is coming under the kind of scrutiny faced by overseas apparel and show manufacturers in the 1990’s. Please join us to discuss new concerns about international labor standards in the 21st century global supply chain
president and chief executive, Fair Labor Association
is an international economist and director of international programs at the Economic Policy Institute.
director of the Peterson Institute for International Economics and author of "China's Rise."
executive director, International Labor Rights Forum


text:
Last week VMWare’s Pat Gelsinger was gathering troops during the partnership conference @ Vegas to attack Amazon.
“if a workload goes to Amazon [Web Services], you lose, and we have lost forever. We want to own corporate workload … We all lose if they end up in these commodity public clouds. We want to extend our franchise from the private cloud into the public cloud and uniquely enable our customers with the benefits of both. Own the corporate workload now and forever.”
Today VMWare into the action plan. They’ve picked a very busy day for that!
First, Andy Rubin (founder and driver of Android) is handing over Android to Sundar (Chrome driver)
Followed by Pivotal spin off that I wrote earlier about in Let my people go…
Now, VMWare announcement of Hybrid Cloud Services which places them as a direct competitor with Amazon EC2. The vCloud Hybrid Cloud Service will be available later this year.
To add to that EMC is thinking about buys SoftLayer for $2B.
If EMC successfully buys SoftLayer, the largest privately held cloud-computing and Web-hosting service provider, that will be a boost to EMC and VMware’s new cloud-computing plans, including boosting their Pivotal spinout.


text:
Shares in the Indian food delivery app, Zomato has gone on sale in its $1.2 billion IPO. It is getting a tremendous response from retail investors. Zomato’s IPO opened on July 14, 2021, at 10 PM and within an hour, the 100 percent retail investor’s share was subscribed.
The lot size of this IPO is 195 shares. That is, one can bid for shares in 195 shares, and its multiple. Retail investors can bid for a maximum of 13 lots. Investors will have to invest a minimum of INR 14,820 for a lot as per the upper band of the IPO.
The investments in Zomato’s IPO that opened today have around 10 percent stake reserved for retail investors. Ahead of Wednesday’s opening, Zomato raised $562.3m from institutional investors, as they bid for 35 times more shares than allotted to them ahead of the much-anticipated offering. The price band of Zomato’s IPO is INR 72-76. Trading in the stock is likely to begin on July 27.
First among top digital startup to IPO
Backed by Jack Ma’s Ant Group, Zomato is the first of India’s top digital startups to IPO, with more expected. However, analysts are wary of the loss-making company’s high valuation. Founded in 2008, Zomato offers food delivery and curates restaurant reviews. It is available in 525 cities and caters to 6.8 million customers every month. The company has become a household name in India.
The company plans to raise INR 9,375 crore from this IPO. The company will issue a new INR 9000 crore, and shares worth INR 375 crore will be sold in the offer for sale. Infoedge, which holds the largest stake in Zomato, will sell shares worth INR 375 crore.
Zomato gained from a marked shift towards online sales during the lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic that served as a bane for brick-and-mortar food joints most but came as a boon for app-based food delivery startups.


text:
- Daily & Weekly newsletters
- Buy & download The Bulletin
- Comment on our articles
Artisan range of chocolate grenades raises funds for Ukraine and sparks controversy
Among the outpouring of initiatives to support the victims of the war in Ukraine, one chocolate maker in Kortrijk has been courting controversy for his range of chocolate hand grenades.
While chocolate shops around the country are filling their display windows with Easter bunnies and eggs, Nicolas Beugnies is attracting customers with €5 dark, milk and white cocoa explosives.
Although he is donating half the proceeds to Belgian aid organisation Ukraine 12-12 consortium, the sweet weapons have proved not to be to everyone’s taste.
On social media, the craftsman has been criticised for his choice of object and accused of wanting to make money through the suffering of Ukrainians.
The artisan defended himself on Facebook. “We as chocolatiers have made the choice to start a campaign for the consortium Ukraine 12-12. The product to be considered had to be clear and reflect reality. Our eye fell on the grenade shapes. It reflects the reality of war zones. It’s a powerful signal that would make consumers think," wrote Beugnies.
Recognising the controversy aroused by his product, the chocolate maker pointed out that Easter was a time when families will be celebrating in peace, but not the people of Ukraine.
In response to the accusation that he was more concerned about profit, Beugnies outlined the production costs involved. "We give 50% of the turnover to the Ukraine 12-12 consortium, there’s almost 30 cents VAT, packaging costs €1,77. Subtract material costs, labour, labels, and possibly transport, and then you know what's left? Nothing.”
“But it’s great, since we are supporting a good cause,” he said.
The business plans to make and sell 2,000 chocolate grenades up until 11 April.


text:
The number of people using the popular social network Facebook service has reached 200 crores.
About 194 crores people have used the Facebook service until the beginning of April this year. But Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said that 200 crores people are currently using this Facebook service every month.
Facebook has now decided to increase the number of Facebook services in developing countries.
we are making progress in connecting the world and we will continue to connect the world. “Mark Zuckerberg said in a Facebook post.


text:
Speaking of waving things around in your hand ( see previous news post ), Microsoft has made official the rebadging of Project Natal to Kinect.
Details are still pouring in as E3 gets set to kick off, but a little more was revealed during a Kinect-themed 45-minute theatrical performance by Cirque du Soleil. Most of the new info involved upcoming game titles which, according to USA Today, will include:
"For lots of people, that controller is a barrier," says creative director Kudo Tsunoda . "We set out to make a new control paradigm where anybody can get in and play, without having to read the instructions or learn a complicated set of controls."
Kinect's built-in camera will employ facial and voice recognition. You'll be able to control Netflix menus with hand gestures, as well as fast forward though a recorded TV program just by waving your arm about.
Pricing, release date, and other details have yet to be disclosed, though we suspect to know a lot more as the day goes on.
Image Credit: Microsoft


text:
J. Crew's upcoming foray into London has already sparked a backlash in the U.K. press.
An article by The Telegraph on Tuesday reported that the retailer's new Regent Street store has "largely swapped pound signs for dollar signs," bumping prices nearly 60 percent higher than in the U.S.
CEO Mickey Drexler told CNBC he finds it "a little stunning" that the brand is being called out on raising prices, as it's typical across all types of business to raise prices overseas, where the cost of doing business is higher.
"There's nothing to explain," he said. "When has it been that prices in the U.K. for American products haven't been higher?"
(Read more: Retailers want to make 'showrooming' a no show)
"For some reason, and I can't explain it, there seems to be an attachment to talk about retail apparel pricing and not gasoline, not cars, not computers and nothing else. ... It's a fact of life given the economics," he said.
J. Crew's Regent Street store opens Friday and is the retailer's first flagship location overseas. Drexler said the store is arguably the most important location the retailer has opened in awhile, as it will be an indication of how the brand will be received in the rest of Europe.
—By CNBC's Krystina Gustafson.


text:
Hong Kong’s shopping mall rents rise for the first time in a year as foot traffic improves
The SCMP-JLL prime shopping centre rental index shows rents ticked up 0.2 per cent in the December-ended quarter, reflecting the first gain in a year
Hong Kong’s prime shopping centres recorded growth in rental rates for the first time in three quarters, lifted by improving retail sales as local consumers enjoyed the wealth effects brought by rising property and stock prices.
Rental rates rose 0.2 per cent to 145.6 in the December-ended quarter, reflecting the first increase since the fourth quarter of 2016, according to the SCMP-JLL Prime Shopping Centre Rental Index.
The index tracks leasing at 30 prime shopping centres including Harbour City in Tsim Sha Tsui, Times Square in Causeway Bay and IFC Mall in Central.
“It is the first quarterly improvement recorded since January, 2016,” said Terence Chan, head of retail at JLL, “The rebound is mainly driven by growth in retail sales and the rebound in tourist arrivals. The recent bull run in the stock market has reaped strong gains for local people, which has helped to drive consumption.”
Kevin Lam, executive director and head of business space, retail and office services at Cushman & Wakefield, said cosmetics and sportswear retailers recorded improved sales during the Christmas and New Year holiday period compared when compared with 2016.
“Cosmetics tenants have registered double-digit growth in sales. In general, sales of affordable luxury goods have had an overall improvement,” he said.
Hong Kong’s retail sales jumped 7.5 per cent to HK$38.7 billion (US$4.95 billion) in November, the biggest year-on-year increase in almost three years, backing predictions that the industry is on track for a full recovery.
Meanwhile, wealth effects from soaring home and stock prices also encourage more spending, said Lam.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index was up 36 per cent in 2017, while prices for pre-owned homes advanced 14 per cent last year to a record high.
Among new trends, landlords of shopping centres are more willing lease space to entertainment tenants as a way to diversify their retail mix. As a general rule, tenants geared towards entertainment can only afford a tenth of the rents charged to luxury jewellery and watch retailers during the height of the retail boom in 2013.
“Hong Kong has a lack of entertainment. Landlords are betting on the trade to offer hands-on, unique experience that will draw shoppers and increase dwell time in their shopping centres,” said Chan of JLL.
He added that the lower rents extended to entertainment operators was designed to tap shifting preferences among shoppers.
“Technology is getting advanced. The operators can introduce and update the new games easily into the market,” he said. “We believe virtual reality is another entertainment industry that will expand in Hong Kong, particularly in core shopping districts.”
Recent examples include a 13,000 square foot go-kart track with cafe at Kcp, Kowloon City, a 9,000 sq ft restaurant with a mini-golf course at Fashion Walk in Causeway Bay, a 6,000 sq ft indoor park at PopCorn Two, Tseung Kwan O, a 7,000 sq ft climbing wall and a 1,800 sq ft indoor playground at Paradise Mall at Heng Fa Chuen, Chai Wan.
Helen Mak, senior director and head of retail services at Knight Frank said landlords have raised the non-retail tenant mix to as much as 30 per cent, from 20 per cent previously, to lure shopping footfall.
“Entertainment and dining out cannot be replaced by the internet. We have seen more cinemas and specially design restaurants that aim to retain shoppers inside the mall,” she said.