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2016 commemorates 500 years since Henry VIII knighted Brian Tuke, the first Master of the Posts, in 1516.
As you would expect from any institution that has been around for 500 years, there are a number of significant dates in our history. The knighting of Brian Tuke was the catalyst for the creation of the Royal Mail we know today. Tuke had the influence and authority to establish key post towns across the country and build out a formal postal network.
To celebrate, Royal Mail is working in close partnership with its heritage partner, the British Postal Museum & Archive (BPMA), to create an online gallery of 500 objects, people and events – www.royalmailgroup.com/500years – telling the story not only of the postal service but also of our contribution to social and political development over the last 500 years.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers is pointing out that Canada Post’s press release is highly misleading, continuing its record of downplaying financial success in order to impose unnecessary cost-cutting measures.
“Looking at the report, for the first three quarters, we see an overall profit of almost $30 million ($28 million). Once again, in 2015, Canada Post is on track to surpass its projections,” said Mike Palecek, National President of CUPW.
The Canada Post news release headline emphasized the $13 million loss for the Canada Post segment. Only much lower down in the release does it mention that the Canada Post Group of Companies reported a profit before tax of $10 million for the third quarter and $28 million for the first three-quarters of 2015.
The post office is a seasonal business, depending heavily on holiday sales for its success. The union cautions Canadians not to be misled by third-quarter results, which are normally lower. In 2014, for example, the fourth quarter generated $185 million in profit, $150 million more than the third quarter profit.
“There is every reason to expect that the Canada Post Group of Companies and the Canada Post segment will both see a much greater overall profit this year once the busy holiday season is factored into its last quarter” said Palecek.
After making a profit in the second quarter of the year, Canada Post has reported a loss of $13 million in the third quarter.
In the first nine months of the year, the Crown corporation lost $20 million before tax, a figure that is likely to play into upcoming decisions over door-to-door delivery.
On Oct. 26, after the election of the Liberals, Canada Post put the transition to community mailboxes on hold, saying it will work “collaboratively” with the Government of Canada to determine the best path forward.
Royal Mail plc (RMG.L) today announced its results for the half year ended 27 September 2015.
Moya Greene, Chief Executive Officer, commenting on the results, said:
“Royal Mail is the pre-eminent letters and parcels carrier in the UK. We have delivered a resilient performance in the first half, demonstrating our ability to respond to a competitive trading environment. Continue reading →
UK Mail saw its shares plunge by more than 17.5pc after the company issued a fresh profit warning as its parcel delivery service struggles with a move to a new fully automatic processing facility.
The independent postal services provider said the difficult transition to a new head office and hub from Birmingham to Coventry meant expectations for next year’s financial performance had “softened slightly”.
Royal Mail plc today announces it has agreed to acquire eCourier, a leading same day delivery company operating mainly in the Greater London area and offering nationwide distribution. The combination of eCourier and Royal Mail Sameday®, Royal Mail’s existing courier business, will create a significant player in the national same day delivery market.
The acquisition of eCourier supports Royal Mail’s strategic objective to enhance its parcel offering, expand its network and capture more value in the fastest growing segments of the UK parcels market. Royal Mail is already a leading player in other key parcels segments like business-to-business and business-to-consumer.
Same day delivery is a premium segment of the parcels market, with an estimated value of over £500 million1, and growing rapidly at around 4-5 per cent per year2. While it is principally a B2B market, the currently modest B2C segment is expanding rapidly, driven by the e-commerce trends and the increasing consumer demand for faster fulfilment.
Royal Mail provides a nationwide same day service through its Royal Mail Sameday®courier services and partner companies, with a limited footprint in London. eCourier generated revenue of approximately £19 million in 2014-153. eCourier’s main shareholder and CEO, Ian Oliver, will remain in role. The financial terms of the transaction are not material in the context of the Royal Mail Group as a whole.
Moya Greene, Chief Executive Officer, Royal Mail,said: “Today’s announcement marks another milestone in our strategic objective of increasing our presence in growth areas of the parcels market.Same day deliveries are already one of the fastest growing segments of the UK parcels market.”
11/16/2015 – The Postal Service’s latest financial report, which showed an operating profit of $1.2 billion, is good news, said APWU President Mark Dimondstein.
“The report shows there is absolutely no justification for cuts in service to the American people or to the wages and benefits of postal employees,” he said. The Postal Service released the report for fiscal year 2015, which ran from Oct. 1, 2014, through Sept. 30, 2015, on Nov. 13.
The results mark the second consecutive year the USPS posted an operating profit of more than $1 billion and the third consecutive year Postal Service operations were “in the black.”
The positive financial report is the result of an improving economy and a sharp increase in package volume, Dimondstein noted. “I often say that the Internet taketh and the Internet giveth. First-class mail has declined, but online shopping has triggered an explosion in package volume.” In 2015, package volume increased by more than 11 percent over the previous year.
The Postal Service continues to show a net loss of $5.1 billion, “but that’s essentially a fraud,” Dimondstein said. “The entire loss was the result of a 2006 law that forces the Postal Service to pre-fund health care benefits for future retirees 75 years in advance,” he said. The Postal Service is the only entity – private or public – that is required to pre-fund benefits in this fashion.
The financial results bode well for the Postal Service and should give added momentum to efforts to developed postal reform legislation that will satisfy workers, customers and major mailers, Dimondstein said.
One of the issues the Liberal Party ran on in last week’s Canadaian parliamentary elections was Canada Post’s move to end home mail delivery. In light of the Conservative Government’s crushing defeat, Canada Post has suspended further cluster box conversions. The Crown Corporation released this statement today:
OTTAWA (Ont.) – Canada Post is temporarily suspending future deployment of the program to convert door-to-door mail delivery to community mailboxes. We will work collaboratively with the Government of Canada to determine the best path forward given the ongoing challenges faced by the Canadian postal system.
Efforts are now underway to place the comprehensive program on hold in an orderly fashion. This involves roughly 460,000 addresses across the country which are currently in the process to be converted to community mailboxes.
As a result, all conversions planned for November and December 2015 and those announced for 2016 will be placed on hold. Customers impacted by this decision will receive a letter within the next few weeks advising them of the status of their mail delivery service.
In neighbourhoods where the 10-month internal and community conversion process is complete, customers will collect mail and parcels at their community mailbox. This includes customers set to begin receiving their mail and parcels in their boxes in October. We remain focused on maintaining reliable postal service to all Canadians without disruption.


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Eat Out To Help Out scheme sees 10.5 million claims in the first week
According to HMRC over 10.5 million claims for the Eat Out to Help Out scheme were made by restaurants during the first week of the scheme. The estimated average claim, which is capped at £10, was for £5, although data has not been made available regarding where the scheme has been most successful. Over 80,000 restaurants have signed up to the scheme, including fast food giants such as McDonalds and KFC and many smaller independent restaurants, pubs and cafes.
View our COVID-19 tracker in full.

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text: Cisco said today it had closed the $2.35 billion deal it made for network identity, authentication security company Duo.\nAccording to Cisco, Duo\u2019s zero-trust security model authorizes secure connections to all applications based on the trustworthiness of users and devices. Duo\u2019s cloud-delivered technology lets IT professionals set and enforce risk-based, adaptive access policies and get enhanced visibility into users\u2019 devices and activities. As more devices come onto the network remotely this issue takes on more importance.\n\u201cOutdated devices are particularly vulnerable to being compromised, which can easily spiral into a full-blown, major breach,\u201d wrote Richard Archdeacon, Duo Advisory CISO about a recent Duo study on remote access security. \u201cOrganizations don\u2019t necessarily need to block individuals from using their personal devices, but they do need to re-shape their security models to fit these evolving working practices. \u2026 If you don\u2019t know what\u2019s connecting to the network, how can you protect data from being compromised?"\n\nDuo in combination with products in Cisco\u2019s portfolio, including Umbrella, Stealthwatch, ISE, and Tetration, will let Cisco provide an end-to-end Zero Trust Architecture, wrote \u00a0Gee Rittenhouse, senior vice president of engineering for Cisco\u2019s Security Business Group, in a blog about the Duo acquisition.\u00a0\n\u201cIntegrating our network, device and cloud security platforms with Duo\u2019s zero trust authentication and access products, Cisco\u2019s security architecture is equipped to address the complex challenges that stem from hybrid and multi-cloud environments in today\u2019s work environment,\u201d Rittenhouse wrote.\nDetails of the Cisco\/Duo deal\nA few technical details of the deal include:\n\nCisco currently provides on-premises network access control via its Identity Services Engine (ISE) product. Duo's software as a service-based (SaaS) model will be integrated with Cisco ISE to extend ISE to provide cloud-delivered application access control.\nBy verifying user and device trust, Duo will add trusted identity awareness into Cisco's Secure Internet Gateway, Cloud Access Security Broker, Enterprise Mobility Management, and several other cloud-delivered products.\nWith Duo\u2019s Unified Endpoint Visibility, customers can see, track and report on all end user devices from a single dashboard. Duo's user and device reports give admins actionable data on user behavior and risky devices.\n\nCisco said integration of its network, device, and cloud security platforms with Duo Security\u2019s zero-trust authentication and access products will let customers quickly secure users to any application on any networked device.\nThe deal is Cisco\u2019s biggest since its $3.7 billion buy of performance monitoring software company AppDynamics in 2017, and its largest in the cybersecurity sector since its $2.7 billion Sourcefire acquisition in 2013. Duo, founded in 2010, has about 700 employees working from offices in Ann Arbor, Mich.; Detroit; Austin, Texas; San Mateo, Calif.; and London.\u00a0\nAccording to a report from MarketWatch, Duo said in early 2017 that it had recorded $73 million in annual recurring revenue in 2016, growing that total 135 percent from the year before. In a similar announcement in early 2018, Duo said it had surpassed $100 million in recurring revenue. Duo Security was valued at about $1.17 billion as of its last funding round.\nCisco Security topped $2 billion in annual revenue for the first time in the 2017 fiscal year, reporting $2.15 billion in sales out of Cisco\u2019s total of $48 billion.\nDuo CEO and co-founder Dug Song and the Duo team are joining Cisco\u2019s Networking and Security business led by executive vice president and general manager\u00a0David Goeckeler.


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Pacific Coast Home to launch Austin Horn "In Vogue"
Retail Editor 2 -- Home Textiles Today, March 12, 2013
City of Commerce, Calif. - Building on the introduction of the "Austin Horn Classics" brand last year, Pacific Coast Home Furnishings, is introducing a new sub-brand to the Austin Horn collection during New York Home Fashions Market.
Austin Horn "In Vogue" will be the new brand covering four areas: casual classics, better fashion for today, runway fashion, and "what is going on now." The aim is to make it easier to identify each lifestyle category.
The legacy Austin Horn Collection is known for opulent looks with heavy embellishments.
"I have always believed that there is an intimacy to something that is custom made by hand. There is that difference you feel and not just see," said Sam Samani, chief merchandising officer for Pacific Coast Home Furnishings, parent company for Austin Horn Brand.
All Austin Horn Collection, Austin Horn Classics, & Austin Horn "In Vogue" products will continue to be made domestically in California.
With improved economy, increase in the confidence and buying power of retailers, and increased costs of production in countries such as China, "the field is getting more and more exciting for domestic manufacturing," said Samani. "We will be producing more and more in the U.S. and rely on overseas less if not needed."
He credited PCHF president Perry Banafsh for not giving up domestic manufacturing In the U.S. during the globalization of economy in the last 10 years, along with the brand marketing strategies of Rich Rae, senior vp of marketing & sales.
Austin Horn "In Vogue" will also include the bath area, both in soft and hard bath. Toni Green continues to design products for all PCHF brands, which also includes Sherry Kline.
PCHF is introducing nine new Austin Horn brand bedding products and nine Sherry Kline brand everyday and novelty products during market week for the fall 2013 retail season.
In bath and bath accessories, the company will debut 50 new styles/colors, with some 50% of offered as full bath coordinates to new bedding designs.
Industry Related Content
Celebrity Branding at NY Home Fashions Market


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Resident Evil 6 Confirmed, Official US Trailer Storms The Net
Jan 19, 2012 at 4:03 PM -
Yep, it's been confirmed today that Resident Evil 6 is coming, and it's looking like it might be the most intense one yet. According to IGN
RE6 will be out on November 20th for the Xbox 360 and ...


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HBO Max crashes with "The House of the Dragon" release
Feverish interest in the first "Game of Thrones" spinoff "House of the Dragon" crashed the HBO Max app for thousands of people in the U.S. on Sunday night.
Why it matters: Downtime on series release days has become commonplace as people now spend more time streaming TV content than watching it through cable.
- Netflix crashed when the platform released the last two episodes of "Stranger Things 4" in July.
- HBO notably has experienced the issue in past years with "Game of Thrones" and "True Detective" on its HBO Go app.
Details: There were more than 3,300 reported outages at around 9 p.m. on the East Coast when "House of the Dragon" debuted, based on Downdetector data.
- On Twitter and Reddit, streamers mentioned having specific issues on Amazon's Fire TV platform and Fire Stick.
What they're saying: "'House of the Dragon' was successfully viewed by millions of HBO Max subscribers last night. A small portion of users attempting to connect via Fire TV devices had issues and we worked directly with impacted users to get them into the platform," HBO said in a statement.
- HBO Max also recently rolled out new versions of its apps as part of an upgrade to its tech platform.
- "There was an issue with the HBO Max app which affected a small number of users attempting to watch 'House of the Dragon' on a subset of Fire TV devices. We’ve worked with HBO to resolve it, and HBO has pushed out a fix resolving the issue," Amazon said in a statement late Monday.
Our thought bubble: There are many layers to the technology infrastructure of streaming services — which means there are many potential points of failure when a platform is strained by heavy demand, Axios technology editors Scott Rosenberg and Peter Allen Clark write.
- Many different companies — including cloud service providers, content delivery network providers, and smart-TV front-ends like Roku, Chromecast or Apple TV — are responsible for the chain that brings streaming content from its owner to your eyes. That means they can all point fingers at one another when there's a problem.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with a statement from Amazon stating the issue some users experienced has been resolved.


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Back during the few days that Netflix was planning to break itself in half and shunt the DVD-by-mail portion of its operation into a new service called Qwikster, the company announced plans to begin renting video game discs for the Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3, and Nintendo Wii by mail in addition to movies on DVD and Blu-ray. Those plans are now, like the Qwikster plan itself, dead. Netflix has no need for games at this time. Engadget has the quote.
CEO Reed Hastings confirmed the company has "no plans" to offer videogames for rental, which had been announced as part of the later-retracted Qwikster spinoff. As far as offering current season episodes of TV shows for cord-cutters, it won't be bidding on those either. When it comes to 3D, Blu-ray 3D discs are already in the mix, while the company is "looking into" streaming 3D.
So, no games then. It's really not a big loss; GameFly and Redbox seem to have the game rental business wrapped up these days. However, looking at the other part of this news... if streaming 3D movies becomes an option, here's hoping that this new side of the service works with the Nintendo 3DS. Watching 3D movies on a television still requires those cumbersome and expensive glasses. The 3DS's no-glasses-needed 3D display makes it a natural for watching 3D movies. The 3DS is doing well in the market at last, but 3D streaming Netflix content would bring it an entirely new killer app that the current handheld competition couldn't touch.


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Click in the Eyewitness News Story Window above to watch the accompanying video to this story.
Jerry McManamon loves to travel and play golf abroad. But one thing he'd never done: "I've never been on a cruise, and neither has my wife."
So when a postcard arrived offering a free Caribbean cruise, McManamon was thrilled. The catch: In order to cash in, he had to attend a sales presentation for a travel club.
"A travel club is a club whereby a consumer can pay a fee to join and they are told that by joining they'll get to take advantage of special travel offers," said Alison Preszler, Better Business Bureau.
McManamon says he was promised up to 60 percent off on airfare and hotel rates. So he signed up. The price to join: nearly $4,800.
"If we could get a room normally $120 and we could get it for 60, that makes it a lot easier or more affordable for us to go," said McManamon.
But despite high hopes, McManamon feels like he was taken for a ride, and not the kind he expected.
The Federal Trade Commission says travel clubs are on its radar.
"The FTC has taken action against 17 different travel clubs over the past several years," said Lois Greisman, Federal Trade Commission. "Primarily, we've alleged that they have deceptively advertised what it is that they promise."
And the Better Business Bureau has logged more than 350 consumer complaints this year alone.
"We've heard from consumers who say that it was actually very difficult to book the travel that they wanted to through the company," said Preszler.
That's what happened to Tom Cross. He shelled out thousands of dollars to join a club. When he tried to book a condo, he found the travel club price was $500 more than if he'd booked on his own.
"That upset us and that's when we really started to question the whole operation," said Cross.
McManamon tried to book a flight through his club but says he only saved about five dollars. "It definitely wasn't any big savings," he said.
Before you sign up, the FTC says to read the club's contract carefully and know the cancellation policy. Also, be wary of high-pressure sales tactics. Of course you can check with the BBB for prior complaints.
In addition to the thousands of dollars to sign up for these clubs, many also have annual renewal fees too.
The Better Business Bureau says the number of complaints against travel clubs is up, with the organization receiving more than 350 this year alone. The agency also sent out a consumer alert on the topic: http://us.bbb.org/WWWRoot/SitePage.aspx?site=113&id=1869d6a9-82aa-49a1-8419-40a8251fa916&art=4945


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Given that anticipation for a new football game has been especially high in recent months, with Joe Montana Football 16 expected later this year and Mutant Football League coming at some point down the line, it’s interesting to evaluate the market for such games. There have been so few unlicensed sports games to emerge over the last decade as companies have avoided the risk with development costs rising and consumers demanding all products meet a quality threshold which necessitates those costs.
With over 3700 respondents in the poll posted last week the results put into perspective just how any unlicensed sports game has an uphill battle compared to the licensed titles. Consumers will buy, or strongly consider, licensed games based on the leagues alone while unlicensed games have to prove their worth to even get any consideration.
Only 6% stated they would buy an unlicensed football game no matter the circumstances. Now compare that to how many people buy Madden every year simply because it’s the NFL product and it’s easy to see just how much that license means. 30% declared that there was nothing which would convince them to buy an unlicensed game. A licensed game naturally gets to go after a much larger consumer base.
Still there are many who would at least consider an unlicensed product should it prove to have the feature set and gameplay quality they desire or a concept they find intriguing. It’s almost an even distribution with 23% leaning towards buying should it prove attractive, 20% lacking any sense of where they would go but remaining open, and 21% feeling as though they probably wouldn’t purchase the game but not closing the door on it entirely.
The poll results don’t mean an unlicensed game has zero chance of being successful. Theoretically the games can be innovative and hyper-focused on certain elements, or tap into an under-served market like “arcade-style” games, and sell enough to be profitable because they aren’t shackled by licensing costs. Of course the road is paved with more games that tried and failed – but generally having specific reasons why they were sunk – than those which were able to find a sufficient audience.


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Overvaluation fears trumped a government report Friday that showed good second-quarter economic growth.
Overvaluation fears trumped a government report Friday that showed good second-quarter economic growth. As a result, all of our stock indexes ended lower and were substantially down for the week.
Our InformationWeek 100 took the biggest hit, falling 4.57 points, to 270.89, a drop of 1.7% for the day and 7.5% for the week. Not far behind was the Nasdaq Composite, which fell 25.17 points, to 1,792.07, a drop of 1.4% for the day and 6% for the week.
The blue chips fared slightly better. The Dow Jones fell 30.88 points, to 9,313.08, or 0.33% for the day, a drop of 3.6% for the week. The S&P 500 fell 6.41 points, to 996.85, a 0.64% drop for the day and a 3.8% drop for the week.
Meanwhile, the Nasdaq-100 Index tracking stock fell 23 cents Friday, or $32.56, a 0.7% decline for the day and a 5.8% decline for the week, with a huge 105.3 million shares traded.
Some market watchers see little reason to worry about the significant slide. Alfred Goldman, chief market strategist at A.G. Edwards & Sons Inc., told The Associated Press, "We're really just getting a moderate correction despite the magnitude of the previous rally."
The Business of Going DigitalDigital business isn't about changing code; it's about changing what legacy sales, distribution, customer service, and product groups do in the new digital age. It's about bringing big data analytics, mobile, social, marketing automation, cloud computing, and the app economy together to launch new products and services. We're seeing new titles in this digital revolution, new responsibilities, new business models, and major shifts in technology spending.
What The Business Really Thinks Of IT: 3 Hard TruthsThey say perception is reality. If so, many in-house IT departments have reason to worry. InformationWeek's IT Perception Survey seeks to quantify how IT thinks it's doing versus how the business views IT's performance in delivering services - and, more important, powering innovation. The news isn't great.


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Linking to this story from Slashdot.
The story talks about how surveillance cameras are being developed to be smarter so they can alert security personnel to suspicious persons real time and not after the incident.
The last line of the story is what bothers me. If I go to a country like the US and do something suspicious (most of the things that first time visitors to America do seems suspicious to security people there !) I may be tagged : by a surveillance camera no less ! Also, cameras can be developed to look inside my jacket to see if I am hiding a bomb. “Inside my jacket” !!!
Now, what is the need of spending money on all those expensive clothes next time you go to the US of A, I say !


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Wall Street analysts forecast that Arc Logistics Partners LP (NYSE:ARCX) will post $26.89 million in sales for the current quarter, according to Zacks. Four analysts have provided estimates for Arc Logistics Partners’ earnings, with the lowest sales estimate coming in at $26.82 million and the highest estimate coming in at $27.00 million. Arc Logistics Partners reported sales of $26.40 million in the same quarter last year, which would suggest a positive year over year growth rate of 1.9%. The business is expected to report its next earnings report on Tuesday, March 13th.
According to Zacks, analysts expect that Arc Logistics Partners will report full-year sales of $26.89 million for the current financial year, with estimates ranging from $106.18 million to $106.80 million. For the next financial year, analysts expect that the business will post sales of $111.78 million per share, with estimates ranging from $110.20 million to $113.11 million. Zacks’ sales averages are an average based on a survey of analysts that follow Arc Logistics Partners.
A number of research analysts have issued reports on ARCX shares. Stifel Nicolaus upgraded shares of Arc Logistics Partners from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their target price for the company from $13.00 to $18.00 in a report on Wednesday, August 9th. Zacks Investment Research lowered shares of Arc Logistics Partners from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Thursday, August 10th. SunTrust Banks lowered shares of Arc Logistics Partners from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and upped their target price for the company from $15.00 to $16.50 in a report on Wednesday, August 30th. Finally, BidaskClub upgraded shares of Arc Logistics Partners from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, September 1st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and five have given a hold rating to the company. Arc Logistics Partners presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $16.50.
The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, November 8th were issued a dividend of $0.44 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, November 7th. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 10.70%. Arc Logistics Partners’s payout ratio is currently 429.27%.
Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. purchased a new position in shares of Arc Logistics Partners during the 3rd quarter worth about $792,000. Dupont Capital Management Corp purchased a new position in shares of Arc Logistics Partners during the 3rd quarter worth about $1,022,000. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D purchased a new position in shares of Arc Logistics Partners during the 3rd quarter worth about $3,024,000. Mizuho Securities USA LLC purchased a new position in shares of Arc Logistics Partners during the 3rd quarter worth about $2,429,000. Finally, Mariner Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Arc Logistics Partners by 3.0% during the 2nd quarter. Mariner Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 14,765 shares of the pipeline company’s stock worth $224,000 after acquiring an additional 434 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 44.37% of the company’s stock.
Arc Logistics Partners Company Profile
Arc Logistics Partners LP owns, operates, develops and acquires a portfolio of energy logistics assets. The Company is engaged in the terminaling, storage, throughput and transloading of crude oil and petroleum products. The Company is focused on growing its business through the optimization, organic development and acquisition of terminaling, storage, rail, pipeline and other energy logistics assets.
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Starbucks Christmas Blend 2020 K Cups
The Starbucks Holiday Blend and Peppermint Mocha will soon make their way to grocery store shelves, and the Holiday Blend will now be available in Nespresso pods and brewed coffee cans. Peppermint . You can now buy Starbucks’ holiday 2020 coffee in grocery stores, including the Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino, Holiday Blend Fresh Brew Ground Coffee Cans, and VIA Instant Peppermint Mocha Latte. . But Starbucks 2020 holiday gifts line, and they include everything from dazzling, iridescent tumblers and glittery cold cups to the return of their popular holiday coffees, Christmas Blend .
Brew up a little holiday spirit with Starbucks coffees
- Starbucks K Cups Christmas Blend 2020 | Uxbypw.howtocelebrate2020.info.
- Amazon.: Starbucks Holiday Blend Medium Roast Coffee 72/ 0.40 .
- Starbucks Christmas Blend K Cups 2020 Gmc | Byqpvy .
Starbucks Christmas Blend K Cups Pods Vintage 2017 12 Count
The new offerings for 2020 feature plenty You can also find the blend in K-Cup pods, which ranges from $9.99 for a 10-count to $36.99 for a 72-count; Starbucks by Nespresso, which costs . Courtesy of Starbucks There are two types of people in this world: those who deck the halls before they’ve even bobbed for a single apple and those who won’t even think about a shower performance of .
Starbucks Coffee Holiday Blend K Cup Pod, 72 count
But if you’re not exactly looking forward to winter, let Starbucks change And it’s not just cups we have to look forward to this holiday season: The brand’s Christmas Blend this year is The Holiday Blend and Peppermint Mocha will soon make their way to grocery store shelves, and the Holiday Blend will now be available in Nespresso pods and brewed coffee cans. Peppermint Mocha is also .
Holiday 2013 Starbucks Christmas Blend K Cup Starbucks Stories
- STARBUCKS CHRISTMAS BLEND VINtage 100 k cups read.
- EPR Retail News | Starbucks® Christmas Blend is a feeling of home .
- Decaf Starbucks Christmas Blend K cups | Hkmpmn .


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Recent massive protests in Washington andthe subsequent blocking of Trump's accounts caused controversy in the Internet community, worried about electoral censorship by high-tech corporations. Pavel Durov, the founder of one of the fastest growing instant messengers in the world, Telegram, intervened in the discussion. The expert's main conclusion was the recommendation for users to switch from using iOS to Android.
The call to change the operating system was made inthe course of answering a question from a Telegram user about the situation with the blocking of Google, Apple and Amazon social network Parler, which is popular with Trump supporters. The user asked about the possibility of using Telegram even in the situation of blocking it in app stores.
In response, Durov said that the monopoly positionApple and Google poses a greater threat to the freedom of information dissemination than the notorious Twitter, which promptly excommunicated the current US president. However, the greatest threat, according to Durov, lies in the global total control of user applications by Apple, while on Android there is still the possibility of installing applications via APK. In this regard, Durov calls for abandoning the iOS operating system and switching to the more open Android system, which retains the ability to freely obtain any information.


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A new crypto-currency called Coinye has been forced to launch four days early due to mounting legal pressure from Kanye West, whom the currency derives its name from.
Lawyers for the hip hop star filed cease-and-desist papers against Coinye's anonymous creators in an attempt to stop the launch. The virtual currency, originally named Coinye West (opens in new tab), responded by pushing its launch forward to 7 January.
On the currency's website, it stresses: "We would like to make it clear that we are entirely independent of (Kanye West), and there should be no confusion as to the intent or origin of this project.
"The name "Coinye" is intended solely as parody, not an indication or implication of endorsement or involvement."
Despite this, West's lawyers have argued that the seven coders behind the currency are guilty of trademark infringement.
According to the Wall Street Journal (opens in new tab), the legal filing said: "Given Mr West's wide-ranging entrepreneurial accomplishments, consumers are likely to mistakenly believe that Mr West is the source of your services."
Failing to comply with the request, West's lawyers have threatened to "notify the crypto-currency community at large of (Coinye's creators) infringing actions and pursue all legal remedies against any business that accepts the purported COINYE WEST currency."
In response to the cease-and-desist papers, Coinye wrote on its website (opens in new tab): "We are being attacked with fishsticks and must launch sooner."
The new currency is one of a number of emerging virtual currencies proliferating in the wake of Bitcoin's success. The success of Coinye is still yet to be seen, but the hype surrounding its launch may well prove to give it an edge over its competitors.


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Huawei, which is the third largest smartphone manufacturer in the world, has announced the global availability of its own app store — AppGallery.
Soon, the users of Huawei smartphones will be able to download the AppGallery app store on their devices, no matter which part of the world they reside in. The app store already comes pre-installed with the recently launched P20 and P20 Pro smartphones.
Huawei’s AppGallery comes with five tables, including Featured, Category, Top, Manager, and Me. In the ‘Me’ section, users can control settings and various preferences.
A lot of applications in various categories are aimed at the Asian market, which also makes sense given that the company has a strong presence in the Asian market. Along with apps like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, the user will also get access to several Asia-focused apps such as Amap for navigation, WeChat for instant messaging and QQMusic for entertainment.
In order to install this AppGallery app store, users will have to enable third-party app downloads and then visit wap2.hispace.hicloud.com, where the app will automatically start downloading. The service can be disabled through Settings menu in the Me tab or could be completely uninstalled.
The company says that its digital marketplace is designed to offer the best of Android to consumers by providing an ecosystem full of high-quality apps. Prior to this global launch of its app store, Huawei teamed up with Sygic and a few other mobile developers in October last year to ensure that it has a presentable portfolio of apps.
After launching its flagship smartphones — Huawei P20 and P20 Pro, the China-based company is now gearing up to launch a new smartphone in May this year, which will be focused on the photography and the artificial intelligence technology.


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Here are the top 5 air conditioners which could cool your house or room in the summer and warm up your room in winders with heating capabilities.
The Festival of Life will come with maximum cashback, convenient finance schemes, warranty benefits, and exciting gifts on the purchase of Panasonic appliances.
Panasonic RoomBook Plus gives a real-time notification if the meeting room is available and further simplifies common but significant concerns such as utilizing unattended rooms, avoiding frequent interruptions during meetings, and more.
Panasonic India has launched the launch of two new range of Android TV series -- JX and JS -- in the country.
Panasonic on Wednesday launched the latest edition of its flagship LUMIX G series - LUMIX G100 in the Indian market.
Panasonic has introduced a new rugged laptop in India. Read on to know more about it
Panasonic has added a new digital camera to its portfolio in India. Read on to know more about the new camera
Panasonic India on Saturday said it has resumed sale of its products in green and orange zones as per the government's guidelines on online platforms and retail stores.
Consumer electronics major Panasonic India is looking to increase its marketshare in air-conditioners segment to 10 per cent in the next fiscal from six per cent last year, a senior company official said on Thursday.
The Panasonic Lumix G95 4K hybrid mirrorless camera with a dual kit option G95H (14-140mm, F3.5-5.6) is priced at Rs 1,09,990, while the G95M Kit is priced at Rs 94,990.
Panasonic has refreshed its Eluga series in India and launched the Panasonic Eluga Ray 800 at Rs 9,999.
The Panasonic P85 NXT is the latest phone in the 'P Series' lineup that is priced at Rs 6999. The smartphone comes pre-loaded with the ARBO Hub app and comes with 4G VoLTE support.
The Eluga Z1 and Z1 Pro are backed with 3GB RAM with 32GB storage and 4GB RAM with 64GB internal storage that can be increased to 128 GB via microSD card.
The 'Eluga Ray 530' is a performance powerhouse that offers exceptional features such as high definition display, stylish looks, and the AI - Arbo Hub.
The Panasonic "SC-HT30GW-K" comes priced at Rs 6,890 and the Panasonic "SC-HT40GW-K" price starts at Rs 8,590
The newly launched smartphone comes with 5.99-inch HD+ IPS display will be available on Flipkart from October 11.
Panasonic plans on launching two new premium smartphones with AI in India on 4th October. These smartphones will be coming to the market during the festive season, next month.


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Editor's note: The following opinion piece reflects the views of The Grand Rapids Press editorial board.
Detroit is important to Meijer. Just as it should be to all of Michigan.
Meijer’s decision to invest in the future of Detroit with its $20 million store opening there July 25 and its plans calling for construction of a second store are significant commitments by this West Michigan-based mega-retailer.
Besides the 550 jobs created at its new store at Eight Mile and Woodward Avenue near the old State Fairgrounds, Meijer also brings to Detroit a track record of supporting the communities it serves. Meijer’s location is surrounded by a mix of commercial buildings and established neighborhoods, from affluent to derelict.
Meijer is not alone in making a strong business argument for setting up shop in Detroit. Evidence of this fact includes a 95 percent occupancy rate in the 350,000-square-foot Gateway Marketplace development, where its new store is joined by Marshalls, Petco, K&G Fashion Superstore, Dots, McDonald’s and a PNC Bank. Detroit Mayor Dave Bing predicts the addition of the Meijer store will send the message to potential developers that Detroit can deliver returns on their investments in the city.
And Meijer is just the latest example of other West Michigan firms who’ve made solid business decisions to locate in Detroit. Grand Rapids companies expanding into downtown Detroit have included the web marketing firm Mindscape at Hanon McKendry, web development company Atomic Object Inc. and public and investor relations firm Lambert, Edwards & Associates. Grand Valley State University also opened its charter school office in a three-story building in the neighborhood.
Another Grand Rapids business has set up shop within the city limits, just eight miles from the new Meijer store, down Woodward Avenue in downtown Detroit. “The location can’t be beat,” says Dan Behm, founder and CEO of Open System Technologies or OST.
Whenever Meijer opens a new store, it serves as a magnet for other retailers and more jobs. It’s hard to overstate how important the retail development’s 900 jobs (including the 550 full- and part-time jobs created by Meijer) are to the city of Detroit and its residents. Employees and customers can understand what the success of this Meijer anchor store can mean for their city.
While Meijer's first Detroit store is on the city’s edge, it's one of the biggest stores in the city, providing a range of products to an underserved customer base.
Just wait until it’s joined by Meijer’s second store that Hank Meijer says the company is planning to build in a proposed $35 million development going up on the former Redford High School site at Grand River Avenue near Seven Mile. It will bring more jobs, more opportunity and more hope for the residents of the city of Detroit.
We applaud Meijer and other West Michigan companies as they invest in the future of Michigan by investing in Detroit.
They demonstrate the truth that an east-west divide serves no one and that we truly are one Michigan.


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HBOS is looking to differentiate itself from its competitors by becoming one of the first organisations to gain formal accreditation for business continuity planning.
The bank plans to have key parts of its business audited independently to ensure they meet the new BS25999 business continuity standard, said Chris Green, head of business continuity at HBOS.
"We want to use it to demonstrate compliance, but we also want to use it as a market differentiator," he said.
Green will use this week's Business Continuity Expo in London to highlight how the new standard will help HBOS and other organisations target their business continuity spend most effectively.
BS25999 is designed to help firms identify interdependencies between different parts of the business, technology and processes. It also enables them to identify key staff with specialist knowledge.
The standard has attracted widespread interest, selling more copies than any other UK standard since it was launched last December.
The UK Accreditation Service is also developing a business continuity accreditation process.
Green expects it will take three months to accredit a typical business unit within HBOS. For firms starting from scratch, it could take up to 18 months to build the programme, identify key products and put in place recovery strategies.
Related article: Scottish Power signs up for standard
Comment on this article: [email protected]


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With non-essential retail reopening today, news that the government is considering making Covid certificates mandatory for customers in stores comes as another blow.
I strongly believe that a Covid certification for customers in non-essential retail stores is wholly unnecessary. At the time of writing, over 47% of the adult population in the UK has had at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine. Hopefully soon, the majority of the country will be fully vaccinated.
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At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world slowed down. One thing that didn’t come to a halt was the Vurbl team and their mission to build a comprehensive and streamlined platform for audio streaming.
Vurbl, the revolutionary online platform bringing the world of audio to one place, where content creators can upload, grow their audience and monetize their audio creations, today announced that it has closed at a $1.3 million seed round. The round was led by AlphaEdison with other participants including Halogen Ventures, TEN13, Angellist, and several strategic Angels from the audio, advertising, and entertainment spaces.
“We believe Vurbl is opening up an entirely new audio market for listeners, creators, and brands. This platform has the potential to change the way we consume audio on the internet and the timing is spot on. If anyone can pull this off this enormous opportunity, it’s the team at Vurbl,” states Nick Grouf, managing partner at AlphaEdison.
The pre-seed funds are being used to develop and launch the Vurbl platform with over 25 million pieces of audio and podcasts creating a place for content creatures, curators, and listeners. Additionally, Vurbl has developed a network of editorial and partnership teams to support the ongoing curation of content for users and creators.
Jesse Draper, a general partner at Halogen Ventures, states that they see Vurbl as one of the largest opportunities on the internet today, continuing that “billion-dollar businesses like this are hard to come by. It was a no brainer for us to invest in Vurbl. Massive companies have been built on streaming music and to combine this with user-generated content is a formula for enormous growth. We invested in Vurbl and Audra’s team because they are building a single source for all audio. We think this is going to be the YouTube for audio — which currently doesn’t exist.”
CEO and Co-Founder of Vurbl, Audra Gold, has navigated and led the fundraising and launch of the company during the pandemic. While working remotely, the Vurbl team developed the foundation of the platform and created significant media and advertising partnerships.
“Though it was challenging to raise money and build the Vurbl platform from our homes amidst a global pandemic, our team is made up of people who are not going to back down from a challenge and everyone made the most out of the situation. If anything, we all worked harder toward the launch of the product because the need for a service like Vurbl continued to increase during the lockdown and we aim to deliver a great audio product the whole family can enjoy.” Gold continues that, “Given the current climate, we think the timing is perfect to build the largest user-generated content audio site in the world and become an essential global digital media destination for those seeking information and entertainment through audio.”
Vurbl provides listeners looking to connect with voices and information of all types with new and personalized playlists and stations so they can easily put in their earbuds, click play, lean back and enjoy. With audio snippets, listeners and creators alike can take their favorite part of any of the audio on the platform then “snip-it” to save it, share it, or add it to a playlist.
“We’ve seen audio become a greater part of our lives consuming content through podcasts, e-books along with the music. However, search and advertisement remain unsolved in the field. We’re excited to partner with Audra and the team as they help the world discover and consume audio content and give creators the tools to grow their communities,” adds An Vo, Investment Manager at TEN13.
Vurbl will launch its web-based platform experience in Q4 2020 with millions of pieces of discoverable audio, playlists, and human-curated audio stations. The company plans to announce additional updates including the launch of mobile apps, downloadable desktop app, and connected in-home devices for listeners to enjoy audio streams anytime and anywhere.
Founder, Editor-In-Chief // A native Angeleno. John studied engineering at UCLA; founded Schmoozd, an offline social tech networking event in LA with 30,000 subs; ran a startup accelerator (StartEngine). Worked for several major brands like Toyota, DIRECTV, Hitachi, ICANN, and Raytheon. A mentor at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) Entrepreneur School, Dr. David Choi. And advises a dozen local LA startups building amazing tech in various industries; and invested in some. // Let's Connect: email@example.com


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Developer Fehmi Karahan plans to start on the initial $400 million portion of the Toyota-anchored Legacy West project, which is expected to put hundreds of homes and thousands of square feet of commercial real estate on the West Plano market.
Plans for the initial phase of the $2 billion Legacy West development include 200,000 square feet of retail space, about 600 apartments, a 100-unit condo tower and up to 400,000 square feet of office space on 38 acres of land on the northwest corner of the Dallas North Tollway and Legacy Drive by The Capital Grille restaurant.
"We want to start all of these projects at once," Karahan told the Dallas Business Journal."We want to start it all and move forward. We don't believe in doing the piecemeal thing."
The developer -- who developed the Shops at Legacy in West Plano -- had to expedite his plans for the Legacy West project after signing big-name anchor corporate tenants-- Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE: TM) and FedEx Office & Print Services, an affiliate of FedEx Corp. (FDX).
Now, Karahan said he expects to break ground on this portion of Legacy West by February 2015 -- and he wants to make it dense.
"When you design an urban district, you want to create density to create excitement," Karahan said.
The apartments and retail likely will be five or six stories tall with a 17- to 18-story condo tower and a 17-story hotel flagged by a Renaissance Hotel brand. Karahan says he's not worried about other recent announcements of condo projects in West Plano.
"A lot of things get announced, but to be able to make it happen is a completely different story," he said.
Candace Carlisle covers real estate for the Dallas Business Journal.


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ConsenSys is set to celebrate the upcoming Shanghai/Capella upgrade on the Ethereum network with a special non-fungible token (NFT) drop, providing enthusiasts an opportunity to own a unique piece of digital memorabilia.
An NFT collection to mark a milestone
The Shanghai/Capella upgrade, together with the Merge, represents a historic moment in internet history. ConsenSys is celebrating the event with a unique NFT drop, offering enthusiasts a chance to own a piece of this technological revolution.
The Ethereum network took a significant leap forward on September 15, 2022, with the Merge. As the world’s largest programmable blockchain, Ethereum transitioned to a Proof of Stake (PoS) consensus mechanism, reducing energy consumption by 99.99% and bringing about other major changes.
In honor of this pivotal moment, ConsenSys released the Regenesis NFT collection, comprising two sets of NFTs. The first set consisted of commemorative NFTs given to Ethereum Core Developers, researchers, and client teams, acknowledging their contributions to a more sustainable, secure, and scalable Ethereum. The second set was an open edition NFT called Regenesis, available to anyone with a web3 wallet, marking one of the most distributed NFT drops in Ethereum’s history, with 327,600 mints.
Celebrating the Shanghai/Capella upgrade with NFTs
As the Ethereum network approaches another milestone with the Shanghai/Capella upgrade, ConsenSys has announced another NFT collection. Web3 enthusiasts worldwide are invited to participate in this technological landmark by claiming an NFT. The upgrade will enhance the blockchain’s execution and consensus layers, allowing staked ETH withdrawals, lowering entry barriers for retail and institutional stakers, and promoting increased participation for further decentralization and security.
The new NFT collection is called “Ethereum Evolved: Shanghai,” and features two editions. The first, a commemorative edition, is an art NFT symbolizing liquidity and security. By facilitating access to staked ETH, liquidity increases, promoting global staking participation and improving network security. ConsenSys will airdrop these NFTs to Ethereum Core Developers on April 13th, following the Shanghai/Capella upgrade’s activation.
The second, an open edition, portrays decentralization, a key benefit of the Shanghai/Capella upgrade. By encouraging a more significant number of validators, the upgrade enhances the network’s security through increased decentralization.
A piece of technological history
The Shanghai/Capella upgrade, along with the Merge, marks a turning point in internet history. This NFT drop offers a unique opportunity to own a piece of this technological milestone. The NFT claim window opens on April 12, 2023, at 9 pm EST and remains open for 72 hours. Users with a MetaMask wallet can mint the open edition for free (excluding gas fees).
Following the Shanghai/Capella upgrade, Lido, Ethereum’s lead staking provider, can finally go through with its intention to integrate NFTs into the unstaking procedure, whereby users can obtain a transferable NFT that signifies their staked ETH withdrawal request. As ConsenSys unveils its latest NFT collection to celebrate Ethereum’s progress, they’re not the only ones in the spotlight. Lido’s clever integration of NFTs into the unstaking process shows that when it comes to innovation, there’s more than one way to mint success.


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In 1996 at the height of the BSE crisis the then Government and European partners introduced a raft of measures aimed at protecting public health, supporting the market and restoring consumer confidence in beef.The OTMS was introduced to provide an outlet for cattle affected by the over-30-month rule which bans beef from cattle more than 30 months old from being sold for human consumption. It is operated under EU Regulation 716/96 and farmers are paid for animals more than 30 months old which are slaughtered and destroyed. The Scheme costs around £400 million a year, and more than £3.2 billion has been spent on it since 1996.The over-30-month rule is currently being reviewed by the Food Standards Agency; although no decisions have been taken, it is possible that the review will lead to changes and that beef from older cattle will again be available for human consumption, subject to testing negative for BSE.This possibility offers exciting new challenges and opportunities for the UK beef industry. It has led the Government to take a number of strategic actions to assist the industry in preparing for an orderly return to more normal market conditions.Our officials asked the European Commission to reduce the rates paid to farmers for animals entering the OTMS. On 28 March the EU Beef Management Committee unanimously agreed a proposal by the European Commission. The rates for cows will fall by 20 per cent. and the rate for steers, heifers and bulls by 8 per cent. The new rates, which reflect changes to market prices elsewhere in the EU since 1997, are 0.64 euros per kg liveweight for cows and 0.83 euros per kg liveweight for other animals.The new rates will come into effect on 28 April and will apply to all animals slaughtered from that date. This action will ensure that taxpayers do not pay farmers prices well above the level that they could expect to get on the market and will help discourage the entry of cattle which may be slaughtered for beef following any changes to the rule.Our officials are setting up a core stakeholders group to explore with the industry the way forward if the rule is changed. They will be talking to the European Commission about how any disruption to the beef market can be minimised and any further changes to the Scheme that may be required.
The UK currently imports 30 per cent. or around 290,000 tonnes of its domestic beef requirement. Changes to the rule are expected to allow large quantities of cow beef for manufacturing and some prime beef for retail use onto the domestic market which will assist in reducing the import requirement and increasing the availability of both prime quality and cow beef for export. In order to capitalise on these increased supplies for export and to minimise domestic market distortion, my officials have alerted the European Commission to our intention to seek a change to the 30 month limit in the Date Based Export Scheme (DBES), in line with any change to the over thirty month rule.
Our officials are also working with stakeholders to ensure that effective arrangements for BSE testing and removal of vertebral column will be in place.


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Marketers’ newest shiny toy: GIF stickers
Companies are experimenting with animated stickers for people to place over their Instagram Stories and Snaps.
Absolut Vodka, Red Bull, Jolly Rancher, Gucci, T-Mobile, Malibu Rum, Benefit Cosmetics, Essie and PepsiCo.’s new sparkling water label Bubly have all launched partnerships with popular GIF creator Giphy to create their own GIFs that live within Instagram Stories and Snapchat libraries, eager to reach young audiences in the ever-evolving ways they are communicating with each other.
The latest partnership took place this weekend with Bud Light. On May 25, Bud Light launched a dozen GIF stickers on Instagram and Snapchat that tie into the Anheuser-Busch company’s viral “Dilly Dilly” campaign, which it first introduced in summer 2017. The GIF stickers, which include cans of Bud Light pouring beer and the catchphrase “Dilly Dilly,” are an evolution of that trend, said Kyle Lazarus, Bud Light’s senior digital brand manager.
“People have gone past using GIFs for communicating one-on-one,” said Lazarus. “Now, they’re taking their own photos and placing animated stickers over them. We want to embrace that and bring the brand into their day-to-day communications more closely.”
According to a 2,000-person survey conducted by public polling group Harris Poll and Google-owned GIF-sharing platform Tenor, 69 percent of Americans use emojis, GIFs and stickers because they believe they can communicate their emotions better through images.
However, Instagram’s and Snapchat’s Giphy integrations are not the friendliest for companies. Specific GIFs are not easily discoverable on either platform; Instagram and Snapchat feature only a certain amount of GIFs when users select the option to use Giphy. So, in order to find Bud Light’s (or any companies’) GIFs, users have to know what to search for. Bud Light is using keywords like “Dilly Dilly” and “Bud Light” to make its stickers discoverable for users, but wouldn’t disclose what other keywords it’s using. Bud Light said it did not have to pay against these keywords. Instagram and Snapchat are also not doing any extra work to promote promotional GIFs within their platforms.
What’s more, it’s not easy to measure how ephemeral content performs. Lazarus said Bud Light will be able to track how many people use the stickers in their Instagram Stories and Snaps through its Instagram and Snapchat channels. Lazarus said Bud Light views its GIF stickers as a test of the space, but will keep them available for the summer regardless.
GIF stickers are fairly new to both Instagram and Snapchat. Instagram first introduced GIF stickers to its Stories in January. As these platforms are endlessly one-upping each other, Snapchat followed suit in February. Since then, both platforms have had a turbulent relationship when it comes to their GIF libraries. In March, Instagram and Snapchat had to suspend their Giphy features after users encountered a racist GIF, as reported by TechCrunch. By the end of March, both platforms had re-enabled Giphy after the GIF search engine committed to reviewing its library and said it would add more moderation to prevent future issues.
Companies work with Giphy’s Sticker application programming interface platform to distribute their GIFs through other compatible platforms. Benefit Cosmetics, for instance, has created 20 GIFs that reference its beauty products and company imagery, such as the Golden Gate Bridge and sayings like “New brows, who dis?” Along with Instagram and Snapchat, Benefit Cosmetics stickers are available over SMS and Giphy-compatible platforms Tinder and Slack.
‘Nobody has more touch points for creators’: A Q&A with Scotty Tidwell, Enthusiast Gaming’s new svp of talent
Tidwell comes to the role equipped with over a decade of experience in generating engagement around endemic gaming brands.
Why a plant-based food company started the first TikTok scavenger hunt featuring Gronk just in time for the Super Bowl
Part of a broader social- and search-driven campaign conceived by 72andSunny and Horizon Media's Blue Hour content unit, LikeMeat launched the first-ever scavenger hunt promotion and contest on TikTok.
‘Difficult to feel connected’: Why some employees are using sensory deprivation tanks, rage rooms and cow hugging therapy to destress
In the midst of on-going pandemic, it’s no surprise then that people are seeking out unique ways – on their own or offered by their employer – to destress.
SponsoredHow online commerce platforms can deliver safer shopping experiences
Marni Levine, vice president, commerce operations, Meta In the wake of the pandemic, commerce underwent a rapid shift online, exponentially accelerating and forcing businesses of all sizes to adapt. Now moving into 2022, these trends will only continue as people have grown accustomed to shopping online more for all their needs. According to a PwC […]
In the metaverse, brands’ FOMO is competing with consumers’ burnout
As both brands and consumers become more familiar with the metaverse concept — and more comfortable traversing virtual spaces — the competing FOMO and burnout surrounding the concept will likely reach some sort of equilibrium.
‘I was actually relieved to get fired’: Confessions of a burned out brand salesperson
To combat burnout, employers across the industry have rolled out numerous policies. Still, employees say intense workloads continue to push them to the limit.


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Based off a new study from Plaxo, 19 percent of people drop their smartphone in the toilet and are forced to spend money on a costly replacement. Plaxo is in the business of protecting data as its service provides contact syncing across a variety of devices. This data corresponds with another study from Google that stated nearly four out of every ten people bring the phone into the bathroom for use. Of the 19 percent, more than half state that the biggest hassle in replacing a mobile phone is restoring the contact database.
The study also stated that 66 percent of people use the same address book to store both workplace and personal contacts. When asked about the value of their contact lists, the minimum response was $500 while the maximum was “priceless”. Specific to people in the Generation Y category, thirty two percent of this demographic is likely to backup all contacts in the address book to cloud-based storage. Sixty five percent of Gen. Y are very comfortable with using online backups and twenty two percent are likely to own a tablet. Generation Y is also the most likely to pay for cloud service in regards to data backup and 24 percent consider it worth over $1,000.
With 25 percent of Americans preferring to browse the Internet with a smartphone instead of a PC, it’s no surprise that people are using smartphones more often and putting them at greater risk of accidents. Forty percent of the respondents expect to rely more on the cloud over the next two years. People that routinely backed up data from computers were far more likely to backup their phone data as well. Specific to smartphone owners, 72 percent routinely back up their data from the phone and 68 percent backed up data on home computers. For anyone that does drop a mobile phone into the toilet, placing the phone in dry rice is a popular home remedy. The rice soaks up the moisture inside the phone.
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- HTC is dead and Samsung is king: Smartphone manufacturers that won and lost in 2019
- 5 features I’d like to see in Google’s Pixel 4 smartphone


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Bandit adds new Canadian dealer
March 12, 2013
By Bandit Industries
March 12, 2013, Remus, MI—Bandit Industries continues to experience rapid growth, adding three new dealer locations to the North American market in the first quarter of 2013, including one in Canada.
In the past 24 months, the company has nearly doubled sales volume while adding 180 employees and 24 new dealers in the United States and Canada.
“Having qualified dealers committed to our products—and to providing our customers with the best possible parts and service support—was a key to our record sales year in 2012,” said Bandit Industries President Jerry Morey. “Our dealers are continuing to contribute greatly to our growth as we move through the first quarter of 2013. We have invested considerable resources over the past two years to both improve and expand our dealer network, and our customers have really noticed. Bandit has never been so well represented, not just in the United States and Canada, but around the world. I can’t think of a better way to start our 30th year in business.”
Bandit’s newest dealers will serve customers in Northern Florida, Southern Florida, and Central Canada. All will carry Bandit’s line of hand-fed wood chippers and stump grinders in addition to complete parts and service support. The locations will also carry Zenith chipper knives and Revolution stump grinder cutting systems available for most major chipper/stump grinder makes and models.
Hepburn Enterprises (www.hepburnenterprises.com ) is located in Winnipeg, serving customers throughout Manitoba and Central Canada.
Bobcat of Palm Beach/Broward operates two locations in Southern Florida—West Palm Beach and Pompano Beach.
Bobcat of Jacksonville serves customers in Northern Florida from their location in Jacksonville.
The latest additions take Bandit to over 100 dealer locations in North America, and over 160 locations worldwide. With the continuing success of Bandit wood processing equipment around the world, new dealer prospects are continually being evaluated for further expansion.
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The Ubuntu 19.04 mascot artwork has been unveiled by Canonical. The official 'Disco Dingo' logo will be used in promo materials.
A t-shirt bearing the Ubuntu 18.10 mascot design has gone on sale. Canonical’s online shop has added a dark blue shirt overlaid with an orange cuttlefish design, the same one used on the official Ubuntu […]
The official Ubuntu 18.04 LTS 'Bionic Beaver' t-shirt has been added to Caonical's online shop. The dark grey shirt carries the bionic beaver mascot in orange.
When you think of GIMP, you think of Wilber; when you think of OpenSUSE, you picture the gecko; and when you think of Mozilla you picture 1990s t-rex clipart. But when you think of LibreOffice? You […]
With its final release now under a month away, Canonical has revealed the official Ubuntu 17.04 'Zesty Zapus' mascot artwork.


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Meatless Monday has a new ambassador for the cause—8-year-old Genesis Butler, who has been vegan since the age of four and and is a strong proponent of the worldwide campaign. Last week, Butler stood before the Long Beach City Council and presented arguments for the city to adopt a Meatless Monday resolution, including concern about the drought and the fact that it takes 1,800 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef. In addition, she told a personal story about how her school friends enjoy sharing her vegan lunch because cafeteria food is “nasty.” A local restaurant manager also spoke in support of Meatless Monday, stating that it would help alleviate the typical dip in Monday sales by encouraging locals to dine out. The vote was a favorable seven to two and the City Attorney is drafting a resolution to be presented for final voting.
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“I’ve got thick skin,” Jobster CEO Jason Goldberg says of blogosphere criticism of his decision to lay off 60 people — field sales staff and those supporting them. “I’d rather the attention be focused on me rather than the employees working their butts off here … some people say I shared too much, some people say I shared too little. … I was careful not to blog about anything over the last couple of weeks that I did not share with Jobster employees.”
As for criticism that company money was spent on a lavish new office, he notes that it was the “cheap rent district of Seattle” and that the digs would have been more expensive in other neighborhoods.
Goldberg, speaking on a conference call with media, was asked about speculation that Facebook is buying the company. He said that he’s not shopping around Jobster for sale, nor is he seeking a merger. (My original blog post said that Jason described the Facebook rumor as “false” — which was my mistake.)
Goldberg says the reorganization will have “minimal impact” on customers. He says “we are not low on cash at all.” In the meantime, he’s hoping to report “no news like this for a good long time.”


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05-06-2011, 05:40 PM #1
CPSC Alert: Consumers Urged To Stop Using phil&teds USA Clip-on Chairs Due To Serious
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warns consumers that some "metoo" clip-on table top chairs, imported by phil&teds USA Inc., of Fort Collins, Colo. put young children at risk of serious injury due to multiple safety hazards. CPSC is urging consumers to stop using some metoo clip-on chairs immediately.


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Sharing knowledge, a large network, and an inspiring work environment. These are important reasons for tech companies to establish themselves at the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven. The smartest square kilometer in the Netherlands is growing rapidly, like cabbage.
Last year, forty new companies were added. That is in a year in which companies in various sectors are struggling. One such company is the international Etteplan. It provides companies with technical information. “We are a growing organization, and we want to be in the vision of other companies and talents. This location is appealing,” explains Bram Berden of Etteplan.
Maurits van Dorp also sees the benefits of the campus, with companies helping each other and sharing knowledge. He works at the new 5G Hub, where work is being done on the rollout of 5G. “This is an ideal and inspiring place. Companies seek each other out here.”
Green and restaurants
Knowledge and networking are important. But that’s not all. The surroundings, in the green with many restaurants, also make companies enthusiastic. Berden: “We came from a dusty business park in Best. Here we are in beautiful surroundings, and in the afternoon we can walk and eat here.”
The High Tech Campus now houses 235 companies, with a total of more than 12500 employees.
Translation: Chaitali Sengupta


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Skip to main content
MacBook Pro (M1) review: Baby's first content creation machine
With Apple's in-house M1 chip now on the scene, the fine line between its MacBook Air and MacBook Pro has become a little blurry.
Feb. 10, 2021, 10 p.m.
Here's how much Apple's latest MacBooks would cost in your country
Pre-orders are open!
Nov. 11, 2020, 2:13 p.m.
What Apple’s new in-house silicon chip means for you
Tim Cook isn't done flooding homes with hardware for 2020.
Nov. 11, 2020, 6:28 a.m.


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These days, technology companies like Alphabet, Amazon, Facebook, Microsoft, and Netflix top the list of the world's largest, most valuable and fastest-growing businesses.
So it stands to reason that the regions that host these tech companies would be at the top of the list of startup cities -- especially if such tech giants help to spur new startups by providing them with capital and talent. As I wrote in my book Startup Cities, these are pillar companies and they constitute an essential element -- among five others -- in a region's startup ecosystem. I call those five elements the "Startup Common."
The Big Apple Lacks Technology Pillar Companies
Can you think of any technology pillar companies headquartered in New York City? I can't.
That's why a report on LinkedIn claiming that New York City is the globe's top startup region struck me as ridiculous. As LinkedIn wrote, "New York City is ranked the No. 1 tech city in the world in a survey by a UK-based real estate firm Savills, beating out San Francisco. The survey measured things like VC investment, talent pools and being a target for tech hiring." Savills grouped its index into six categories: business environment, tech environment, city buzz and wellness, talent pool, real estate costs, and mobility.
Not only does New York City lack pillar companies -- it's weaker than regions like Silicon Valley and Boston when it comes to other elements of the Startup Common, which include universities, investment capital, human capital, mentor networks, and startup-friendly values.
Two of the more measurable Startup Common elements -- universities and venture capital investment -- indicate that New York City is far from the top tech city.
The Big Apple Does Not Have The Top Technology Universities
When it comes to technology universities, Palo Alto and Cambridge are way ahead of Manhattan.
For example, a study by Stanford associate professor Chuck Eesley found that Stanford alumni create nearly $3 trillion in economic impact each year and alumni-founded companies have created 5.4 million jobs. 105,000 MIT alumni surveyed by Eesley produced 25,800 companies, that generated 3.3 million jobs over time and $2 trillion in annual revenue.
New York City's leading university, Columbia University, is far less impressive. A 2017 study by Columbia noted that "more than 145 startup companies have emerged from technology based on research at Columbia since 2006. Columbia startups in and around NYC include companies such as Schrodinger, Kallyope, Applied Therapeutics, Vidrovr, Epibone, Lumiode, and Sapience." One of these companies, Applied Therapeutics, is exploring a 2019 IPO. The rest remain privately held with unclear prospects for an IPO or acquisition.
New York University is somewhat more important for the city's entrepreneurial ecosystem. A study of the economic impact of NYU listed 27 companies founded by NYU alumni "which collectively employ 3,500 people in New York City." One of the companies on the list, Tap Commerce, was acquired by Twitter in 2014 for $100 million, according to the study.
New York Lags Way Behind Silicon Valley In Venture Capital
When it comes to venture capital, the San Francisco region dominates, receiving about $12 billion worth of the venture capital invested in the fourth quarter of 2018, according to PWC/MoneyTree. New England ($2.4 billion), and New York City (about $2 billion) lag far behind.
The Newsday lists reveals the obvious; New York City is a leading headquarters for financial services, pharmaceuticals, and media companies. But calling Manhattan the world's leading tech city doesn't stand up to scrutiny.


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Last week I reported that Rupert Murdoch was working with Apple to create a new iPad newspaper called The Daily. A few more details have been reported about the venture – less about the app itself – but more about who’s involved. The New Yorker is reporting that Murdoch’s News Corp is investing $30 million (another source cited $35 million) into it. The publication will have a culture section edited by New Yorker critic Sasha Frere-Jones, an entertainment coverage helmed by “Page Six” ‘s Richard Johnson. The Op-ed will feature both conservative and liberal thinkers. The Op-Ed page will be edited by former Forbes editor and columnist Elisabeth Eaves.
In chasing the iPad audience, Murdoch is making the calculation that there’s space for a product that doesn’t take a side in the predictable left-right cage match. These readers, in this thinking, demand a new brand of journalism, and Murdoch wants to be the guy who supplies it. “This isn’t a red-state device,” one person involved in the project explained. Indeed, recall that Apple’s rollout of the iPad showcased what Murdoch’s hated New York Times would look like on the tablet. Murdoch, ever the operator, is positioning The Daily to have a sensibility that can also claim some of that Apple mojo while providing a spicier alternative to the Times.


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DE PERE, Wis. (WFRV) – While some small businesses had to shut down or downsize because of the pandemic, one Northeast Wisconsin small business is expanding.
That business is Scott’s Subs.
“I came here and Scott was playing like this air guitar so that put a smile on my face, there’s 40 different sandwiches you can get so I just took a random one and went with it,” said longtime customer Tad Schubring.
Scott’s Subs says they rely on word of mouth to get new customers through their doors. One of those first-time customers on Friday was Ryan Silfies who is from the Philadelphia area and is in Northeast Wisconsin for work.
“We were hungry and we both like subs so we were like let’s try this place,” explained Silfies.
Silfies says he enjoyed the sub and he likes eating at the family-owned sandwich shops as opposed to eating at the big chains.
Scott’s Subs owner Scott Radloff says the number of customers they get per day has returned to pre-pandemic levels which is another reason they are expanding to a new location.
Radloff started Scott’s Subs 36 years ago in the Upper Peninsula. He says a solid base of customers who have stayed loyal over time helped them make it through the pandemic and put them in a position where an expansion was possible.
“I try to make them feel like family, you stick with what you’ve done for 36 years, the homemade realness,” said Radloff.
Scott’s Subs broke ground on their new location on Friday afternoon in Hobart, which will be a 3,408 square foot standalone building. Another location is opening in the eastern end of Green Bay by the end of the year. Victory for one small business amid a pandemic that has handed many other defeats.
“I give everybody credit for adopting and adjusting and trying to get back to as much normal as possible,” added Radloff.
Once the Hobart location opens, Scott’s Subs will have four locations. The Hobart one, the one opening in Green Bay, the location in De Pere, and the original location in Iron River, MI.


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LONDON, July 2, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Costa Coffee, the UK-based coffee shop company with nearly 4,000 locations in more than 32 global markets, and Alghanim Industries, one of the largest privately-owned companies in the Gulf region, have today announced an expansion of their successful partnership. Moving forward, Alghanim
"Three traits are critical to success in the food and beverage sector,"
Costa Coffee and Alghanim Industries Expand Middle East Partnership English Français Deutsch español
LONDON, July 2, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Costa Coffee, the UK-based coffee shop company with nearly 4,000 locations in more than 32 global markets, and Alghanim Industries, one...PR Newswire 2019-07-02
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Luckin Coffee and Americana Group Sign Strategic Cooperation Agreement to Develop New Retail Coffee Business ...
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New Delhi (CNN Business)The coffee company trying to topple Starbucks in China is planning to storm other big markets. Luckin Coffee will partner with Kuwait-based company...CNN 2019-07-22
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CHOICE has welcomed the announcement that Arnott's will remove its self-made school canteen logo from its Tiny Teddy and Shapes packs by mid-next year.
Tiny Teddy biscuits, which only receive 1.5–2 Health Stars (Health Star Ratings FAQ), currently carry the logo which reads: "School Canteen: Meets Amber Guidelines".
But according to the School Canteen Guidelines, which are designed to help school canteen managers make healthier choices, an 'amber rating' means they should be 'selected carefully'.
The move comes following our awarding of a Shonky to Arnott's Tiny Teddy biscuits in early October and the launch of a campaign against these dodgy, self-approved canteen logos.
School canteen logos widespread
'I Quit Sugar' crusader Sarah Wilson first alerted us to these logos appearing on Tiny Teddy products, and we've since come across 17 different company-created canteen approved labels.
CHOICE found that these logos predominantly appear on processed snacks with little or no nutritional value, with 10 of the 17 products we found receiving a Health Star Rating of 2.5 or less. This included products such as Arnott's 100s & 1000s Tiny Teddy biscuits, Monster Noodle Snacks and Parker's Pretzel Snacks. None of the products received five stars and only two received four stars.
Arnott's moves towards Health Star Ratings
In a statement, an Arnott's spokesperson told CHOICE: "Arnott's is in the process of updating our Tiny Teddy and Shapes formulations and packs for the first time in many years. As part of this work, we are focusing on the new Government Health Star Rating System and moving away from the Canteen Guidelines.
"Beginning early next year, references to the canteen guidelines will be phased out on the front of pack for Tiny Teddy and by mid next year will be entirely removed from all Shapes and Tiny Teddy packs."
The move by Arnott's towards Health Star Ratings and away from School Canteen Guidelines is a welcome one.
Do logos equate with healthy?
Our investigation found that most self-approved school canteen logos made reference to the National Healthy School Canteens Guidelines and/or at least one of the state-based canteen guidelines.
These labels aren't accredited or approved by an independent body, but created by the food companies themselves.
Despite this, our research found 43% of parents believe these logos have been approved by an independent authority or government body, and more than one third of respondents to our survey think that the use of these logos by food manufacturers is regulated.
CHOICE is calling on other food companies to follow Arnott's lead and remove these misleading logos from their products.
Want to know more?


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The DeLorean, made famous by the classic 1980s movie, Back to the Future, may be set to hit the streets once again in the near future.
The timeless design has indeed returned as the revived DeLorean Motor Company (DMC) resurfaced back in 2016 with the intention to build a second version of the classic DMC-12. This news will no doubt delight auto fans who crave for that nostalgic 1980s design embodied in the DeLorean.
It is said that the new version of the DeLorean, a DeLorean 2.0 if you will, will retain many of the classic elements of the original such as its stainless steel body and stylish gull-wing doors. That is not to say that the new DeLorean will be stuck in the past.
On the contrary, it is expected to take on new enhancements and updated features that include a more powerful engine, updated interior and modern amenities that one would come to expect in this new decade.
Although there is no firm date as to when the new DeLorean will be ready for the road, DMC said plans are underway for a limited production run of the next generation DeLorean which is expected to be price around USD100,000 (MYR408,410).


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Grand Theft Auto 5 has shipped almost 29 million units, Take-Two has announced, exceeding lifetime unit sales of Grand Theft Auto 4 on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 within just six weeks on sale.
The sales figure was revealed by Take-Two in its Q2 2014 earnings call this evening, with the publisher describing GTA 5's release as a "phenomenal launch".
"During the fiscal second quarter, we delivered record Non-GAAP results driven by the unprecedented success of Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto V," said Strauss Zelnick, Chairman and CEO of Take-Two.
"The title received stellar reviews, shattered entertainment industry records, and has already sold-in nearly 29 million units to date. The extraordinary success of Grand Theft Auto V illustrates the positive momentum in our business and consumers' enduring appetite for the highest-quality interactive entertainment."
Take-Two announced that Grand Theft Auto 4 had sold 25 million units in July, five years after its initial release.
The first DLC for GTA 5 - the Beach Bum Pack - is expected to release early next month.
Source: Take-Two Investor Call, Press Release


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China Garment Association (CGA) recently conducted a survey to know if clothing enterprises (brands and manufacturers) have resumed their operations in China amidst massive spread of Coronavirus – COVID-19.
325 companies in 14 industrial clusters in China were asked questions during this survey on 27-29 February and 77.1 per cent of the companies responded to the questionnaire sent by CGA.
69.7 per cent of 325 enterprises were manufacturing firms, while 30.3 per cent were brands.
The response that CGA received shows positive trend as 80.8 per cent of the enterprises have resumed work. 19.2 per cent of enterprises have not resumed work in order to avoid the risk of the epidemic.
Some of them stated the government restrictions are still there, while some are waiting for resumption approval. It is believed that most of these companies will resume work till mid-March.
Hubei Province is a huge hub for apparel manufacturing; however, it has no clear plans to resume manufacturing in coming days due to massive spread of virus within Province.
The resumption of operation is still facing challenges due to difficulties such as shortage of workers; asynchronous resumption of work between procurement process, production process and post production process within enterprises in the industrial supply chain; poor transportation and logistics; reduced orders in the market downturn; and lack of protective material as well as resources.
Survey further found that resumption operation of large-scale enterprises is way better than that of small and mid-sized enterprises. CGA conducted the same survey in the 3rd week of February and the gap of resumption of large enterprises and SMEs has narrowed significantly in the recent survey.
It is found that around 94 per cent of large-scale enterprises have resumed work out of 77.1 per cent of those who responded to the questionnaire. This is an increase of 6.8 percentage points from the previous survey and higher than that of SMEs by 16.1 per cent and 25.1 percentage points.
The clothing enterprises in the South-East coastal provinces have seen a great turnaround due to faster and effective control over the epidemic. The workers, with the support and supervision of the Chinese Government, are returning to work from other provinces through chartered flights and chartered cars.
These workers are also being provided with bonus and subsidies to actively resume production. 58 per cent of large enterprises saw return of more than 70 per cent of their workers, while the same number was 41.5 per cent when it comes to SMEs.
If the survey conducted by CGA is anything to go by, the situation seems to be improving in Chinese apparel factories and apparel brands’ stores/offices.
We, at Apparel Resources, wish a speedy recovery of the country amidst this COVID-19 spread.


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Almost a year ago, Spotify announced plans to roll out a higher level of its streaming service with CD-quality music in some markets by 2021. However, Spotify HiFi is still not available and there is no indication of when it will actually arrive.
“Artists and fans have told us that HiFi quality audio is important to them. We agree and are excited to bring a Spotify HiFi experience to Premium users in the future,” a Spotify spokesperson told Engadget. “We have no timing details to share today.” A Spotify moderator shared a similar update on the community forums.
In 2017, Spotify tested CD-quality audio by offering some users in the US access to lossless music for an additional $7.50 per month. Since then, other prominent music streaming services have embraced lossless streaming, with Apple Music joining Tidal and Deezer. The French HD streaming service Qobuz arrived in the US in 2019.
Spotify hasn’t said how much HiFi will cost when the service rolls out more widely, but competitors can force its hand to offer lossless music streaming at no extra cost. Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Tidal have all included CD-quality audio in their standard plans for the past year.
Other details about Spotify HiFi besides pricing and availability remain unclear. However, the company has confirmed that the service will work with Spotify Connect-enabled speakers.
Update 1/10 4:10 PM ET: Added Spotify statement.
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Stay tuned for more such real estate news and updates at zavalinka.in


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12 Memes of Ivanka Trump Gazing at Justin Trudeau That’ll Make You Say, ‘ME!’
Ivanka Trump recently made headlines for a reason that’s a bit different than normal. The 35-year-old took a page from her dad, Donald Trump‘s, book when she was photographed gazing at Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with SUCH love in her eyes that people couldn’t help but turn it into an Internet joke. Here are some of the best ‘Thirsty Ivanka’ memes that are LITERALLY all of us when we have a crush:
2. This guy’s a magician!
6. It’s totally fine!
7. TOO FAR!
8. You gotta do what you gotta do.
9. Oh, did he?
10. DELETE IT!!!
11. *covers eyes*
12. Poor Jared.
Ivanka definitely doesn’t look at these stores with love in her eyes anymore — they all dropped her merchandise!
Although the department store has yet to make an announcement regarding its Ivanka Trump merchandise, people have noticed a definite shift in the amount of items being sold on the store's official website.
According to reports, macys.com currently shows 25 items in the Apparel category for IT's brand, which is down from 45 items the previous week. Likewise, macys.com also shows 18 varieties of IT's shoe collection, which is down from 30 last week.
Make the call, Macy's!


text: The 5 Biggest Vice Industries in the World by Chris Matthews @FortuneMagazine March 24, 2016, 8:07 AM EDT E-mail Tweet Facebook Linkedin Share icons The vice economy never strays far from controversy. Whether it be battles over cannabis legalization, the spread of casinos, or daily fantasy sports websites, certain businesses have to contend with more than just satisfying their customers. Dealers in taboo products, like gun manufacturers, have even been the subject of recent presidential policy debates. Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders recently sparred over whether Congress should pass a law holding small arms manufacturers liable for crimes committed with their weapons. Those who pay close attention to the debate over gun control in America, however, might be surprised to learn that in dollar terms, gun dealers are fairly low caliber. Revenue is just around $16 billion annually, far less than the sales totals of many of the world’s largest vice industries. Here are the top five.


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Trade between Russia and China will exceed the record-high $180 billion by the end of 2022, Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui told reporters on Saturday.
"I would like to focus on the results of fruitful economic cooperation. I believe that this year the trade and economic cooperation will raise to a new level, and trade will set a new record.
Last year, our trade turnover was around $140 billion. And I think that this figure will be more than $180 billion this year," he said.The ambassador said that Chinese and Russian business people cooperate and promote new trade and economic projects.
"I believe that these results will be very useful for strengthening our cooperation, for furthering the relations of strategic partnership between China and Russia," he said.