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HKRFU ballot fails to stop touts getting Sevens tickets
The problem of Hong Kong Sevens tickets being sold on unofficial websites and falling into the hands of touts is still dogging the event as this year's tournament kicks off today.
The Hong Kong Rugby Football Union made 4,000 tickets available for sale via a public ballot this year. The union believed this method was the fairest way to distribute the tickets. Applicants had to verify their local residency with Hong Kong ID card details and postal address for registered mail or courier services.
But this hasn't stopped unofficial websites and touts from getting their hands on tickets - and not just those sold in the public ballot. Tickets sold to rugby club members and the corporate sector also fell into their grasp.
Official ticket prices are the same as last year with an adult, three-day ticket at HK$1,500.
But Mancunian Tickets Limited in the UK, which is not affiliated with the union or any of the event's official retailers, is advertising its own ticket price range. A ticket for today's action is £60 (HK$704). A ticket for tomorrow - usually the most popular day - will cost £200, and it's £160 for Sunday. A ticket for all three days is £400, while one for Saturday and Sunday is £340.
Touts trawling bars in Wan Chai yesterday were offering tickets for one day's play for between HK$1,200 and HK$1,800.
Union chairman Trevor Gregory admitted there was no way to stop unofficial websites or touts.
He said that if people bought tickets legitimately and wanted to sell them for a little extra there was nothing the union could do. But he said the union was trying to keep an eye on unofficial websites selling tickets en masse.
"We know where all the tickets go now. We can trace every one back to the original buyer," Gregory said. "We can then go back privately and penalise people or groups at future events."
Today: cloudy with one or two light rain patches at first; sunny intervals later. Temperature: 19-24C
Tomorrow: sunny periods; 21-26C
Sunday: cloudy with showers later; 21-25C


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What if you could use online reservation companies like Expedia, Travelocity or Trip Advisor to help find other services – say, quality medical services – anywhere in the world? That’s the idea behind HuliHealth, winner of this year’s Intel Costa Rica Challenge, an entrepreneurial competition for Costa Rican university students.
The creators of HuliHealth are Alejandro Vega, 31, and Crystal Osejo, 22. The two will go on to compete for a $15,000 prize in the Intel Latin America Challenge this month against 14 other teams from universities in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Peru, Chile, Colombia and Uruguay. Winners will advance to the Intel Global Challenge 2011 in the United States at UC Berkeley in November.
“We want to transform health services industry by using the Internet as a tool to give patients the opportunity to find the best treatment options in their own countries and around the world,” Vega said in a statement.
Intel started the business development challenge in 2009 with the goal of looking for innovative ideas that are financially viable and have a good potential for converting into a real business.
Correction: The name of the company originally was spelled Hulihelth instead of HuliHealth.

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Apple sells 2 million copies of Leopard
We all know that Leopards are supposed to be fast but I don't think that any of us expected this: Apple has announced that it sold two million copies of it's OS 10.5 Leopard operating system during the first weekend of sales, making Leopard "the most successful OS release in Apple's history." The tally includes both single sales of the OS through Apple's online store and retailers, as well as new Macs that came bundled with the latest OS. "Early indications are that Leopard will be a huge hit with customers," Apple CEO Steve Jobs said in a press release. "Leopard's innovative features are getting great reviews and making more people than ever think about switching to the Mac." Did you pick up a copy of Leopard over the weekend? Are you holding out for the new MacPros? Do you think that Vista/Ubuntu/OS 2 Warp blows Leopard out of the water? Let us know in the comments.
For more on Leopard sales:
- see this Apple press release


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Will Amazon’s $3.9B Acquisition of One Medical Finally Disrupt Healthcare and Break Down Barriers to the Interstate Practice of Medicine?
Since the onset of the pandemic, and with the expansion of coverage outside of Virginia in 2021, the Trust has been focused on developments in healthcare which may impact the ability of clinicians to legally practice across state lines. Liability exposure significantly increases outside of Virginia, and any potential changes to the interstate practice of healthcare may ultimately impact jury verdicts, liability risks and malpractice premiums. Nothing is imminent or certain, but a recent commercial acquisition got our attention for its impact as a potential disruptor to the interstate practice of medicine in the United States.
Amazon just recently announced its acquisition of One Medical, a subscription-based primary care company with services provided throughout the United States, for $3.9 billion. The deal will be the third largest acquisition in Amazon’s history, behind only its purchase of Whole Foods and MGM Studios. The acquisition underscores Amazon’s significant and ambitious designs for the future of healthcare, which could impact how care is delivered across state lines in the United States.
One Medical has 188 primary care clinics throughout most of the Unites States and offers both virtual primary care services as well as same-day in-person appointments. According to Fierce Healthcare, in March of 2022 One Medical had 767,000 individual subscriptions and 8,000 company memberships. Annual subscriptions for individuals cost $199.
The purchase of One Medical is not Amazon’s first foray into the healthcare industry. Three years ago, Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and J.P. Morgan Chase set out to transform the industry with its joint venture, Haven. The goal for Haven was to use technology to solve healthcare’s complex and financially strained infrastructure. However, due to an assortment of barriers, such as state licensing regulations, data-privacy laws, and relatively low leverage with commercial and government payors, Haven never gained traction beyond its board room. While it is still an incubator of ideas between the three companies, Haven has more or less dissolved into an informal after-thought.
In parallel with the Haven initiative, Amazon also created Amazon Care in 2019, a telehealth venture targeted at primary care services. Unlike Haven, which was rolled out exclusively to employees of the three entities, Amazon Care was made available to third-party companies as an employee benefit and marked the first time Amazon targeted direct patient care. Similar to Haven, though, Amazon Care never attained the momentum many thought it would.
Enter One Medical. Michael Abrams, managing partner at Numeroff and Associates, a global medical consulting firm, provided this blunt observation: “I think [Amazon] was having some difficulty in penetrating the employer market with Amazon Care. With One Medical, it’s a huge shortcut to accelerated growth. They are planning to make a business in primary care so this is just a real reinforcement of their commitment to the primary care space.” Later in the interview Mr. Abrams noted that the acquisition also allows Amazon to grow its online pharmacy and diagnostic businesses. Other industry insiders are speculating that Amazon will eventually acquire an insurance company and wrap its overall healthcare offering into Amazon Prime, the subscription service with 172 million U.S. subscribers (and counting).
While it’s easy to imagine this collision between Big Tech and medicine having a profound influence on the future delivery of healthcare, let’s not forget the very real federal and state rules and regulations that have previously hampered innovation; namely, state licensing regulations, federal and state patient privacy laws, and state tort liability. After all, if pooling together the resources of the country’s largest bank (J.P. Morgan), conglomerate (Berkshire Hathaway) and retailer (Amazon) can’t crack the code for efficient and sustainable healthcare, why should the One Medical acquisition be any different?
One potential reason could be the realization from state legislatures that healthcare trends, technology, and constituent desires are outpacing the current legal framework for an efficient healthcare ecosystem. In response, legislatures have recently begun enacting new laws to address these barriers. The 2022 Virginia General Assembly passed legislation that now permits a non-Virginia physician to provide continuity of care through telemedicine services to Virginia patients with whom the physician has an established relationship. Texas and West Virginia both offer easy-to-obtain telemedicine licenses to outside clinicians in an effort to promote telehealth for specialty services. While historically state boards of medicine have been territorial so as to control competition from outside clinicians, that stance appears to be softening.
Nevertheless, healthcare remains one of the most regulated industries in America. In order to “practice medicine,” (while each state defines “practicing medicine” differently, the commonly understood definition is the treatment or prevention of a disease or injury and includes diagnosing and prescribing) a clinician must be licensed in the jurisdiction in which the patient is physically located at the time of the consultation. The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact currently includes 29 states and helps streamline the licensing process for clinicians who want to practice in multiple states; however, that still leaves 21 states who essentially operate on an island with their own unique rules and requirements. Imagine if Amazon could only ship goods to 29 states – does the business model still work? Probably so.
In addition to licensure inefficiencies, medical malpractice premiums and risk, along with recoverable damages for medical malpractice liability vary wildly among states. Some states, like Virginia, have a cap on economic and/or non-economic damages a plaintiff can recover in a lawsuit (as of September 2022, the Virginia global cap is $2.55 million). The cap provides predictability and reduces risk, thus keeping malpractice premiums lower in Virginia. Some states, however, consider such caps either unconstitutional or against public policy. In those jurisdictions, between 2016 and 2019, the average “nuclear” (over $10M) medical malpractice verdict rose 50% to $23 million.
So not only will Amazon have to contend with state licensure issues, but it will also have to properly assess its malpractice risk, insurance costs and overall risk profile in each jurisdiction where a subscriber is located. Perhaps that means subscription fees vary state-by-state? Given its financial clout Amazon may have the ability to shape and re-shape state laws to break down barriers to the interstate practice of medicine, which could impact all healthcare providers in the United States.
Looking forward, many healthcare insiders point to similar recent partnerships such as this collaboration between Walmart and UnitedHealth Group, as well as this $8 billion acquisition by CVS, as further evidence that the regulatory environment is slowly being eroded as a result of new industry disruptors. While it’s still too early to tell, the legislative trends suggest disruption may finally be at our door step. Until that time, liability risks, licensure issues and malpractice insurance premiums will continue to vary state to state.


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The Department of Justice (DOJ) is reportedly preparing to sue Alphabet Inc.'s Google in an antitrust lawsuit over its alleged monopoly over the digital advertising market, Bloomberg reported, citing people with knowledge of the matter.
Google's dominance of the online advertising space and web search market has come under fire from the DOJ, and this would be the second federal antitrust complaint filed against the tech giant .
The sources said the DOJ could file the lawsuit in federal court later this week. The lawsuit would allege violations of antitrust laws as Google maintains its dominance of the digital advertising market. The DOJ has hit Google in 2022 with a lawsuit over its online search monopoly, which goes to trial in September.
The upcoming lawsuit would be the fifth major lawsuit against the California tech giant. The US Attorneys General filed three separate lawsuits over the company's dominance of advertising, online search and applications on the Android mobile platform.
The lawsuit will focus on Google's advertising business, which accounts for 80% of its business. The company's advertising practices have caused many online newspapers and publishers to lose advertising revenue.
In 2021, the Daily Mail sued the advertising giant's monopoly on the sale of online advertising space, which resulted in very little revenue for the publisher.
“ The lack of competition for publisher inventory depresses prices and reduces the quantity and quality of news available to readers, but Google ends up with the advantage because it controls a growing share of remaining advertising space ,” the lawsuit reads.
The mere fact that Google is a monopolistic guardian of the Internet has led to anti-competitive tactics that have squashed all the competition.
What needs to happen is for Google's ecosystem of interconnected monopolies to be broken up to allow competitors to grow the internet; otherwise, the company is just stifling progress in the online space.
The article The US Justice Department ready to sue Alphabet/Google for antitrust violation comes from Scenari Economici .
This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/il-dipartimento-della-giustizia-usa-pronto-a-portare-in-causa-alphabet-google-per-violazione-dellantitrust/ on Tue, 24 Jan 2023 15:46:21 +0000.


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Judge says Google must reveal 50,000 Web addresses
A federal judge ruled Friday that Google Inc. must reveal only a limited amount of internal data sought by the Bush administration, rejecting the government's demand that the Internet giant turn over thousands of user search queries described by privacy advocates as highly sensitive.
Google will now have to hand over 50,000 Web addresses from its search index, but it won't have to divulge what its users have been searching for. The Justice Department requested the information to revive a law intended to protect children from online porn.
Volkswagen to install radios by Sirius in most new cars
Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. said Volkswagen AG will put its radios in most of the carmaker's U.S. vehicles, shutting out larger rival XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. Volkswagen and its Audi AG luxury division will install the radios in about 80 percent of new U.S. cars starting with 2007 models, Sirius, the No. 2 pay-radio company, said in a statement Friday. The agreement is for five years.
GM, Delphi near deal with union on early retirement
General Motors Corp. and Delphi Corp. are close to an agreement with the United Auto Workers union on early retirement incentives for tens of thousands of workers, people familiar with the talks said. An agreement would put the parties one step closer to avoiding a threatened strike that analysts have said could bankrupt GM.
Hackers make Windows XP run on new Macs
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- As expected, hackers have found a way to run Microsoft Corp.'s Windows XP operating system on new Macintosh computers, winning an ad hoc contest and a $13,854 cash prize.
Some users of Apple Computer Inc.'s Macs have clamored for such a solution since Apple said it would be switching its computers to Intel Corp.'s chips, putting the feat within reach. Their reasons vary, but a common denominator is that they would like to run Windows-based programs on their Macs.
That's why a Houston man started a contest to goad programmers, soliciting donations for a cash prize for anyone who came up with a hack. Late Thursday, the prize went to two San Francisco Bay Area software developers.
NAFTA panel says reduced lumber duties are correct
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A special North American trade panel ruled Friday that the United States must continue to apply reduced punitive duties to Canadian lumber imports in a decades-long dispute that has fueled talk of a trade war between the world's largest trading partners.
The decision by the NAFTA dispute panel follows a ruling last month by the World Trade Organization that the United States had complied with its international obligations in imposing punitive anti-dumping duties on Canadian softwood lumber.
SSA Marine may acquire DP World ports stake
SSA Marine of Seattle, the world's largest privately held cargo-terminal operator, said it is "exploring strategic alternatives" after receiving inquiries from companies seeking to partner with or invest in the company. In a statement Friday evening, SSA Marine said it also is investigating making an acquisition, with the help of its financial adviser, Citigroup.
SSA Marine's name has arisen as a possible purchaser of the American operations of DP World. The Dubai company last week agreed to sell those operations within the next six months in order to calm a controversy over port security. The controversy centered on whether a company owned by an Arab country would create opportunities for terrorism.
Spokesman Bob Watters, who couldn't be reached for comment Friday, said in the statement that none of the alternatives would involve selling SSA Marine's domestic operations to a company owned by a foreign government.
David Schaefer, a spokesman for the Port of Seattle, said he had heard nothing about pending deals involving SSA Marine.
Microsoft plans to buy digital mapmaker Vexcel
Microsoft Corp. said it plans to acquire Vexcel Corp., a Boulder, Colo.-based company that specializes in remote sensing and digital mapping technologies. Microsoft said the Vexcel technologies will add to its local search and mapping services. The deal requires regulatory approval, Microsoft said. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Loud Technologies revenue up, thanks to St. Louis Music
Woodinville-based audio equipment manufacturer Loud Technologies Inc. reported fourth-quarter net income of $1.7 million, or 35 cents a share, down from $3.2 million or 67 cents a share in the year-ago period. Revenue rose 56 percent to $56.1 million. The increase includes $22.7 million in revenue from St. Louis Music, acquired in March. Loud is also the parent of the Mackie brand of audio mixers.
French copyright bill could hurt Apple's music business
PARIS -- Apple Computer Inc. faces a serious challenge in France, where lawmakers have moved to sever the umbilical cord between its iPod player and iTunes online music store -- threatening Apple's lucrative hold on both markets. Amendments to an online copyright bill, adopted early Friday, would give rivals access to the hitherto-exclusive file formats at the heart of Apple's music business model, as well as Sony Corp.'s Walkman players and Connect store. The iPod is designed not to play music from rival services.
Japanese Internet company will purchase Vodafone unit
TOKYO -- Softbank, the Japanese Internet company, will buy Vodafone's Japanese cell phone unit in a deal worth $15.4 billion, the companies said Friday, ending the British mobile giant's foray into one of the world's largest and toughest markets.
Vessels due at the Port of Seattle today, according to the Marine Exchange of Puget Sound, include Zim Asia, from Vancouver, B.C., at Terminal 46. Due Sunday: OOCL America, from South Korea, at Terminal 18-5; and Westwood Marianne, from Vancouver, B.C., at Terminal 5. Due Monday: CSAV California, from Oakland, Calif., at Terminal 37; and Zhen Hua 1, from China, at Terminal 18.


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A new idea from Singapore has arrived at the bitcoin market. There is a new platform that launched pilot sales of bitcoin banknotes. These new bitcoin notes range between 0.01 and 0.05 BTC and would facilitate the use of bitcoin as a means of payment.
New Bitcoin Banknote – An Easier Way For Mass Adoption?
It is known that Bitcoin is changing the way we live. There are many useful things that we can do with this virtual currency. But some people may find it difficult to buy and sell digital assets on online exchanges.
In order to simplify the overall experience, Tangem, a Switzerland platform developer, launched the first smart banknote at the Megafash Suntec City store in Singapore. The banknotes have NFC technology included and they would make easier day to day payments with Bitcoin.
The company said that the banknotes are certified to the Common Criteria EAL6+ and EMVCo security standards. With the new S3D350A chips developed by Samsung, Tangem is the first hardware storage solution on the market that has these security standards.
With this development, users wold be able to use virtual currencies with no transaction fees and in an offline setting. That has the power to allow more traditional users to try this new method to use bitcoin.
The new banknotes radically improve the simplicity and security of acquiring, owning, selling, and circulating Bitcoin. Moreover, it is not necessary to know anything about how virtual currencies work in order to use the sophisticated notes.
At the moment, there will be a first shipment of 10.000 notes that will be delivered to prospective partners and other businesses around the world. The intention is to try commercial pilots and decide whether they have good reception or not, find possible complications, and improve the overall experience.
Tangem operates from Switzerland and Singapore, and performs manufacturing activities in South Korea, Southern China with research and development in Taiwan, Russia and Israel. Tangem is developing different software platforms to foster mass adoption of blockchain technologies.
Image: Pexels and Pixabay


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CNBC’s Jim Cramer mentioned Thursday he views the post-earnings decline in Estee Lauder shares as a shopping for alternative, downplaying considerations concerning the firm’s gross sales in its Asia/Pacific area.
“When China ends its lockdowns, I feel we’ll see the demand for these merchandise soar,” the “Mad Money” host mentioned. “That is why the inventory of [Estee Lauder] is a purchase, not a promote.”
The cosmetics big beat Wall Road’s expectations on each the highest and backside traces, posting 11% natural gross sales development and 14% income development total for its fiscal second quarter. Whereas Cramer mentioned he was impressed by the outcomes, Estee Lauder shares sank by 5% in Thursday’s session.
“Lots of it is as a result of the analysts are actually frightened that China’s slowing,” Cramer mentioned, calling that concern “absurd.”
Estee Lauder noticed natural internet gross sales development of 5% in its Asia/Pacific area, however Cramer mentioned it is necessary to interpret these ends in the context of strict Covid pandemic restrictions in China.
“What issues is Chinese language demand. … Provide shouldn’t be the difficulty right here,” Cramer mentioned. “What we all know is when Chinese language customers have been confronted with the chance to purchase Estee Lauder, when the shops have been open, that is precisely what they did.”
Cramer’s charitable belief doesn’t personal Estee Lauder at current. On Dec. 16, the belief exited its 100-share position, promoting at roughly $365.67 apiece. It had purchased shares earlier in the summertime, believing Estee Lauder was a strong option to play the pandemic reopening.
Sign up now for the CNBC Investing Membership to comply with Jim Cramer’s each transfer out there.


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Forel: new representatives join the sales network
With regard to sales, the results for the year were higher than expected, and demonstrated a growth when compared with the figures for 2018; beyond this, a number of partnerships have been established with commercial agencies around the world, with a view to ensuring that Forel‘s presence within the countries in which it works is even more incisive.
In Brazil, Forel’s partnership with Genilson Muniz’s company Muniz Representações began this year. Brazil is emerging from a complex period, during which the economic acceleration that brought the Country to the attention of the world a few years ago is now starting to slow down: this dynamic economy must now find a new way to compete.
As the biggest producer of flat glass in South America, Brazil is a market with good prospects for Forel products: for this reason, the decision was made to seek the guidance of a professional company within the glass sector with firm roots in the territory, in order to get closer to Brazilian customers.
The need for high quality glass which offers excellent insulating performance is particularly prevalent in the Middle East, above all in the markets of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. In this region, which is extremely promising both in economic terms and from a manufacturing perspective, there are a number of key Forel plants already in operation.
As of this year, the reference point for glass-making companies with an interest in Forel technology will be the company HIET, based in Dubai.
In South-East Asia, specifically in Thailand, one of the markets of main interest in the whole area, considering its positive economic indices and its strategic position, Forel has entered into a new collaboration of local representation with the company Motech Machinery Service Co. Ltd.
In India, meanwhile, the growth trend is showing no signs of slowing: the economic development that the Indian nation is currently experiencing is also affecting the glass market, which has seen a significant increase in demand for flat glass, both for residential and commercial use. From this year onwards, Forel solutions will be represented in India by Thorngate Sales Corp, a highly organised company that will be capable of fully communicating the cutting-edge technology that Forel offers.
“Forel machines are in operation all over the world” said Fortunato Vianello, CEO of Forel. “This widespread presence is the result of three factors, which are recognised at global level: superior ingenuity, established reputation and customer loyalty over time, through the service and support we offer. The need to further strengthen our hold on the most strategic markets has also led us to bring new employees into our sales network. This brings the number of companies that support Forel in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Oceania to 25, but we are already planning to expand the team even further.”


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Latest Raw feeding Stories
Three Retailers in Georgia Now Carry The Only Fresh Pet Food Made From Locally-Sourced, Wholesome Ingredients Norcross, GA (PRWEB) May 26, 2015 Allprovide,
Allprovide Launches With Wholesome, Real Ingredients For Dogs and Cats NORCROSS, GA (PRWEB) February 16, 2015
During National Pet Dental Health Month, the Texas Veterinary Medical Association encourages owners to maintain pets' oral health by regular visits to a veterinarian and in-home dental care.
Most of us consider food poisoning in our own eating habits. We try to make sure our cooking spaces are clean, the utensils properly washed, and the food cooked safely. On the other hand, not as many of us have considered food poisoning in our pets.
RawFoodandYou.com Features a Wealth of Scientific and Culinary Knowledge to Help People Begin the Raw Foods Diet Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) March 20, 2014
The team at SpiritDetox.com has launched another raw pet food recipe, this time for dogs.
As the raw food trend continues to heat up, some animal lovers have begun feeding their furry friends raw meat-based diets, claiming these kinds of food are more akin to their natural and primitive diet.
As part of an initiative to educate dog owners, the Dogington Post launched their first annual Dogington Post Awards for 2012 in multiple categories.
- To befool; deceive; balk; jilt.
- An illusion; a trick; a cheat.


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Ford has revealed that online configuration is proving a popular choice for consumers of its Edge vehicles, with 60,000 of the cars being configured online since the beginning of the year.
As Ford prepares to roll out its new Edge SUV this summer, the manufacturer has been keen to promote the popularity of its Ford Edge vehicles among buyers who want to personalise the car-buying experience.
With the new car sector booming, dealerships may be thinking of expanding their business or adding to the volume of stock they hold. If dealerships are adding new lines, such as the Ford Edge SUV, they need to ensure they have the right levels of cover by having a good motor trade insurance policy, as well as road risks insurance.
Data released by Ford shows that 49 per cent of Edge buyers opted for the Sport model and 55 per cent decided on the 2.0-litre TDCi diesel engine. In terms of colour, Electric Spice proved the least popular, with only 8 per cent of buyers taking this option, while Oxford White and Shadow Black took 16 per cent and 14 per cent respectively.
Andy Barratt, the chairman and managing director of Ford of Britain, said: "The UK team and our extensive Ford dealer network are very excited by this exceptionally fast start for the new Ford Edge. With our existing EcoSport and Kuga SUV models enjoying healthy sales growth, there isn’t a better time to launch our new flagship Edge SUV."


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ISLAMABAD: The exports of fish and fish preparations increased by 23.53 percent during the first five months of the current fiscal year as compared to the corresponding period of last year, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported.
The country earned $185.922 million from seafood exports from July-November (2022-23) against the exports of US $150.502 million in July-November (2021-22), showing growth of around 23.53 percent, PBS reported.
In terms of quantity, the exports of fish and fish preparations increased by 26.31 percent going up from 56,731 metric tons last year to 71,659 metric tons in the first five months of last year.
On a year-on-year basis, the seafood exports decreased by 5.40 percent to $51.198 million in November 2022 from the exports of $54.118 million during November 2021.
However, the exports witnessed a 0.59 percent increase in terms of quantity going up from 20,643 metric tons last year to 20,764 metric tons this year.
On a month-on-month basis, the seafood exports declined by 6.34 percent when compared to the exports of $54.662 million in October, according to the PBS data.
In terms of quantity, fish exports went up by 2.90 percent in November 2022 compared to the exports of 20,179 metric tons in October 2022.
The overall food exports from the country were recorded at $1,927.041 million during July-November (2022-23) against the exports of $1,947.445 million recorded during July-November, showing negative growth of 1.05 percent).
It is pertinent to mention here that the merchandise trade deficit during the first five months witnessed a decline of 30.14 percent and was recorded at $ 14,406 million this year against the deficit of $ 20,621 million last year.
According to PBS data, the exports from July-November (2022-23) were recorded at $11,932 million against the exports of $12,362 million in July-November (2021-22), showing a decline of 3.48 percent.
On the other hand, the imports of the country decreased by 20.15 percent during the period under review going down from $ 32,983 million last year to $ 26,338 million during the current year.


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The fully managed service, already in use in industries like transportation, oil and gas, utilities and healthcare, is now out of public beta.
Google's Android Enterprise Recommended program includes a big chunk of the Android device field, but omits Samsung. Here's a look at Google's requirements.
Recently, rumors suggested Apple wouldn't release a new iPad until later this year -- but that may have been wrong.
An FDA-approved digital stethoscope opens the door to better diagnoses by an increasing number of healthcare providers, supplying artificial intelligence with data about the world's heartbeats.
The ride-hailing company says the service is up to 50 percent cheaper than regular Pool. So that means it costs... about the same as a bus.
The country is part of a global ranking of the five nations most targeted by cybercriminals, says study.
The chief diversity officer develops, implements, and monitors enterprise-wide programs that promote the hiring of employees with diverse cultural and educational experiences. This hiring kit includes...
For the second time in a week, Google reveals another unpatched Windows 10 vulnerability.
The metal is essential to production of batteries for phones and electric cars.
Embedded versions of EPYC and Ryzen processors fill in the gaps in AMD's portfolio, and putting even more pressure on Intel.
SpaceX launch was the second largest live-streaming event in YouTube history. Dave Stubenvoll, co-founder and CEO of Wowza Media Systems, talks about the technology behind -- and future of --streaming.


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The streaming service claims even “niche indie albums” will earn $17,000 a month once it reaches 40 million subscribers.
According to the site, after keeping 30% of revenues, Spotify pays back 70% to rightsholders, recently paying out an average of between $0.006 and $0.0084 per stream. That 70% figure doesn’t go directly to the artist of course – labels, publishers and distributors all get their slice of the pie too.
But Spotify wants to discourage artists from thinking about payouts on a ‘per stream’ basis, explaining that each artist’s gross revenue is calculated by their share of total monthly streams, with the resulting payment varying according to territory, the number of paying users and the overall volume of music being streamed. That means that as the site gains paying subscribers, royalty payouts will increase accordingly.
The site also gives “actual, but anonymised” figures from July 2013 for a month’s streams of five albums, ranging from $3,300 for a “niche indie album” to $425,000 for a “global hit album”. Those payments could skyrocket if Spotify is able to reach 40 million paid subscribers, as it hopes to do, with that “niche indie album” set to earn $17,000 a month, while the global superstar could rake in over £2 million.
Those figures may be enough to persuade artists like Thom Yorke, who earlier this year pulled the Atoms For Peace catalogue from Spotify, that streaming services are the way forward. Moby certainly thinks so, as he commented earlier this month in response to Yorke’s anti-Spotify stance. Campaigning punk Billy Bragg has also said that he blames labels, not Spotify, for paltry streaming payments.
But critics of the streaming service will point out that as Spotify’s revenues have grown, so have its losses, and the company has to prove it can stay in business long enough to attract those 40 million paying users.
At the same time, Spotify is launching free analytics for artists to get data on streams of their music and encouraging them to verify their profiles and start selling merchandise through the service. [via MusicWeek; Guardian]


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Amazon Web Services has announced the launch of AWS Media Intelligence (AWS MI), a combination of services for integrating AI into media content workflows.
AWS MI is meant to allow users to analyse media, improve content engagement rates, reduce operational costs and increase the lifetime value of media content.
Among the AWS services that work with AWS MI are Amazon Rekognition for image and video analysis, Amazon Transcribe for audio transcription, Amazon Comprehend for natural language comprehension and Amazon Translate for language translation. According to the company, they enable AWS MI to process and analyse media assets to automatically generate metadata from images, video and audio content for downstream workloads at scale.
AWS MI has four primary use cases: search and discovery; subtitling and localisation; compliance and brand safety; and content monetisation.
A suite of partners for AWS MI have been announced, including Dalet, EditShare, Evertz, GrayMeta, SDVI, and TripleLift.


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AN alleged mafia boss, formerly linked to Aberdeen, has been arrested in Italy on tax fraud charges.
Arturo Salvatore di Caprio, former boss of the La Torre Camorra mafia clan, was accused of buying goods, including Ferrero Rocher chocolates and Peroni beer that were bought with dud cheques, to sell on.
Di Caprio’s link to Scotland dates back to when the Aberdeen end of the mob operation was run by Antonio La Torre, the so-called Don On The Don, who owned two restaurants in the city.
Aberdeen was used as a money-laundering base, away from the watching eyes of the Italian authorities, for 20 years from the mid 1980s.
Di Caprio worked with Michele Siciliano, a cousin of La Torre, who lived in Aberdeen for a number of years and became a state witness after giving himself up to anti-mafia prosecutors.
Now Di Caprio, 50, has been arrested in Italy on tax fraud charges involving millions of euros worth of stolen goods.
Italian police said Di Caprio and two other men allegedly bought products without paying VAT, claiming it was for sale abroad then sold the products in Italy at a discounted price.
He said: “The company made an undeclared revenue of €26 million, creating fake invoices for €35m and avoiding VAT of €10m.”
In 2009, Di Caprio had €5m worth of assets confiscated by the Italian authorities, including wine, oil and furniture which police believe were destined for resale in Scotland. Prosecutor Paolo Pecori described Di Caprio as: “The top of a pyramid of fraudsters connected to La Torre Scotland boss Michele Siciliano.”
Police swooped on La Torre and his brother Augusto this year, after they allegedly uncovered evidence of the pair threatening to kill two public prosecutors.
But Antonio La Torre has been released from jail after charges of extortion, attempted robbery and being involved in the mafia were dropped.
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Earlier this week, it was revealed that Apple had pulled out of the EPEAT certification program that awarded company’s whose products had stellar green credentials.
Now Apple have released a statement explaining why they have done so. Apple spokesperson Kristin Huguet stated that:
“Apple takes a comprehensive approach to measuring our environmental impact and all of our products meet the strictest energy efficiency standards backed by the US government, Energy Star 5.2. We also lead the industry by reporting each product’s greenhouse gas emissions on our website, and Apple products are superior in other important environmental areas not measured by EPEAT, such as removal of toxic materials.”
It’s a double-edged response from Apple, that’s really only halfway to clearing up their shifting green stance. Indeed, EPEAT’s certifications haven’t changed to reflect the growing market for smartphones and tablets, meaning some of Apple’s products wouldn’t be properly judged by EPEAT’s standards.
However, EPEAT’s certification system still applies to Apple’s standard computers, like the Mac Pro and MacBook models. In that respect, it seems Apple are side-stepping the issue slightly. And the MacBook Pro with Retina display is still the prime suspect.
Via: The Loop


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ATLANTA -- Home Depot's senior vice president of growth initiatives, Jim Stoddart, left the company on Friday, sparking speculation about the future of many of the chain's retail concepts, including Home Depot Fuel, the company's chain of c-stores that are situated in the big boxes' parking lots, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
Stoddart was hired by former company chief executive Bob Nardelli in 2002. He oversaw several retail projects that focused on looking outside the Atlanta-based company's big-box stores. At least two of those projects -- Landscape Supply and Home Depot Fuel -- appear to have stalled recently, as the new CEO, Frank Blake, refocused all growth efforts on the core business, the paper reported.
The change "doesn't affect our growth plans [for Home Depot Fuel], although the plans are different than they were this time last year," Home Depot spokesman, Tony Wilbert told CSNews Online.
Four Home Depot Fuel locations have opened, and two are under construction, Wilbert said. However, the original goal to have 300 stores by 2010 "came out early," and the company is currently "reevaluating" the program, he added, noting that the stores are performing "relatively well."
"They're doing relatively well right now, but we need a little more time to assess whether they're driving traffic to the big box," Wilbert told the paper.
The focus on the big box is a back-to-basics strategy that was put in place when Blake took the lead in January, the report stated. Rather than pursue new business outside the company's retail expertise, as former head Nardelli did, Blake is striving for sales growth through updating the product mix and service within the main stores.
Currently, Stoddart has no plans, Wilbert said.


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Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley (D, OR) blasted Tesla’s (TSLA) decision to open a showroom in China’s controversial Xinjiang region, adding to growing criticism of the Austin-based company’s actions.
Speaking to Yahoo Finance Live, Merkley said Tesla’s action “gives cover to the Chinese government” and its campaign against Muslim Uyghur minorities.
“When a company decides to place its enterprise in the middle of this setting of genocide and slavery it is really doing something very unethical. It is basically saying these things don’t matter,” Merkley said. “I think companies should steer very clear of having enterprises [in Xinjiang] even if they are not producing stuff.”
As chair of the Congressional Executive Commission on China, Merkley has long been a vocal critic of the Chinese Communist Party. He co-sponsored the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act in the Senate, banning U.S. imports from the region, unless companies can prove forced labor was not used to make them. Tesla opened its showroom in Xinjiang, just days after President Biden signed the bill into law.
‘Slavery of some million individuals’
Human Rights Watch has estimated that China has detained more than 1 million Uyghurs in a forced assimilation campaign aimed at cultural and ethnic cleansing. The Trump and Biden administrations have both strongly condemned Beijing’s actions, saying it amounts to “genocide and crimes against humanity.“
“It is not just an accusation by this administration. It is the result of a thorough effort by the State Department under the Trump administration, followed by a thorough review by this administration,” Merkley said. “We’re talking about cultural genocide, but we’re also talking about strategies to prevent the reproduction that is to prevent them from having children, separation of children from families for sterilizations. And we’re talking about slavery, slavery of some million individuals.”
China has denied those accusations, dismissing them as lies “concocted by anti-China forces.“
That has placed multinational companies operating in the region, in the political crosshairs. Last month, Intel (INTC) issued an apology on Chinese social networks after it sent local suppliers a letter saying it would no longer use labor and parts from Xinjiang to comply with the new import ban. Last week, Walmart (WMT) faced backlash after users on Weibo accused the company of removing Xinjiang products from the online shopping app for Sam’s Club. A company representative later denied those allegations, saying customers simply couldn’t find the products “because of a misunderstanding” of the app’s search function.
Marriott International (MAR), which counts China as its second largest market and operates a hotel in Urumqi under its brand Ramada International Hotels and Resorts, faced uproar when the firm’s Marriott location in Prague refused to host a Uyghur conference in November, citing the need for “political neutrality.”
Marriott International President Stephanie Linnartz told Yahoo Finance, the hotel chain needed to toe a delicate line between operating under individual country rules, while “staying true to our values.”
“I wish there was one simple answer to your question, but in my view, and in our company’s view, we need to navigate both simultaneously,” Linnartz said.
China ‘doesn’t get a free pass’
China’s human rights record is expected to be in focus, ahead of the Beijing Winter Olympic games next month, where the U.S., Canada, Australia, Great Britain, and Japan have all announced a diplomatic boycott.
“The International Olympic Committee chose to keep the Olympics in China in Beijing, even as China engaged in — one, accelerating the intensity of their devastation of the Uighur population, and stripped outright the political rights of the citizens of Hong Kong, violating the agreement that China had made with Hong Kong,” Merkley said. “It puts the athletes in the position of essentially helping put the glitz and glamour of the Olympics to cover up what China is doing… I applaud the Biden administration [for boycotting], I applaud the United Kingdom, I applaud Australia. But where’s the rest of the free world? They need to join in dramatizing this so China knows it doesn’t get a free pass.”


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Based on preliminary figures, sales generated by Wacker Construction Equipment AG, soon to be Wacker Neuson SE, rose in the first six months of 2008 to about €472 million (about U.S. $734 million), compared to €341.7 million for the same period last year. The increase is the result of the merger of Wacker and Neuson.
Profit for the first-half year was influenced by the high levels of investment and intensive sales activities undertaken by the Wacker group, including the large-scale stocking of group-owned rental and demo fleets with compact equipment manufactured by the group.
Following strong results through April, the general economic global climate caused a decrease in demand in May and June, the company said, fueled in part by the U.S. subprime crisis, the weakening of the U.S. dollar and the increase in the price of raw materials.
Wacker will release its complete half-year report Aug. 14.


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Even as supermarket operators are preparing to face less of one formidable competitor, they are gearing up to face a new one.
Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart Stores said this year it would slow its pace of supercenter development somewhat, to no more than 170 in each of the next three years. That should bring relief to some traditional supermarkets, but at the same time food retailers in the Southwest are gearing up to face massive British retailer Tesco, which is slated to roll out 100 small-format stores focused on fresh, prepared foods in its first year of business.
Supermarket industry executives contacted by SN sounded eager to see what the mighty Tesco would have to offer in the way of competition.
As he shared his thoughts about Tesco with SN, Jack Brown, chairman and chief executive officer of Stater Bros. Markets, began singing, “The Battle of New Orleans,” a 1960's-era song by Johnny Horton, which concerns itself with how the Americans withstood the “bloody British” when they invaded New Orleans in 1814. “We plan to open our management meeting in July with that song,” he explained.
“Just as we spent more than two years studying Wal-Mart before they entered our area, our people have been studying Tesco, and we've put together a game plan.”
He said he believes that with a 12,000-square-foot format, Tesco is likely to be more competition for Trader Joe's, Smart & Final or Bristol Farms than for traditional supermarkets.
“We will miss any sales of milk or bread if we lose it to Tesco, but our defense will be wines, where we sell four-packs that give customers 10% off the price; a wide assortment of cheeses and gourmet crackers; and over 400 natural and organic items.
“We've been here a long time, but we're not complacent. We anticipate 19 Fresh & Easy stores in our market area, and we will be there when Tesco opens its first store to see if there's anything there we haven't anticipated. And if our customers want it, whatever it is, then we will offer it.”
Al Plamann, president and CEO of Unified Western Grocers, Los Angeles, said he thinks traditional supermarkets are prepared to face Tesco's Fresh & Easy concept, which will highlight fresh and prepared foods.
“Safeway, for example, has been working on its lifestyle stores for several years, Kroger has Fresh Fair and some of our independent retailers have been putting more emphasis on prepared foods as well,” he said. “With its smaller footprint, Tesco may be a more rapid solution for consumers who want to get in and out quickly, so it might work best in more urban areas. I've seen their Express stores in the U.K., and where those stores operate, restaurants suffer. But I think there will be a testing period to see how well Tesco can satisfy the demand for fresh in its locations.”
Mike Proulx, president, Bashas', Chandler, Ariz., said he doesn't foresee a big impact from Tesco right away.
“Tesco has announced it will open 27 locations in Arizona, which would affect about 20% of our stores,” he told SN. “But so far, we've seen only three to five locations where remodeling is taking place in existing vacant buildings, so the impact in the beginning will be much, much less.”
Over the long term, he added, “We are concentrating on the things we can control in our differentiated formats, including fresh, quality perishables, clean stores and exceptional customer service.”
Robert Miller, CEO of Albertsons LLC, Boise, Idaho, which will compete with Tesco in the Phoenix market, said he is “interested to see what Tesco does.”
“We've been working hard to improve all of our fresh departments, with better quality and better selection. We're working on the overall strategy, which involves motivating our associates to feel good about working for us and taking care of customers — all the things you need to do to be successful competing with everybody, we think, is the answer.
“We'll see what they look like when they open. Time will tell.”
As far as Wal-Mart's slowdown in supercenter development, most supermarket executives contacted by SN said they foresee little benefit, as they already compete extensively with the company's supercenters.
“There are a lot of Wal-Marts open that we are competing with, and this doesn't change that,” said Miller. “Wal-Mart is a fact of life, and you'd better run good stores that give people a reason to shop there, and that means good perishables, good service and all the things you can do to offset the substantial price advantage that they have.
“If there's less coming, that's great. But we compete with Wal-Mart in every market, and those aren't going away.”
Jeff Maurer, president of Pierce's Supermarkets, Baraboo, Wis., said his region is still expecting a lot of supercenter development this year.
“I don't believe the Wal-Mart slowdown affects us a lot, because all of our stores are already competing with a Wal-Mart,” he said. “Wal-Mart is supposed to open 76 stores in Wisconsin this year — it won't affect our business, but I think it will change the landscape of Wisconsin. It's going to mean more fallout from independents — the ones that can't survive that kind of competition. We're already seeing a decline in independents due to acquisitions and consolidation. We're going to see even fewer now due to the competition.”
Rich Niemann Jr., CEO, Niemann Foods, Quincy, Ill., pointed out that each Wal-Mart supercenter that opens is still a threat.
“I'll believe it when I see it,” he said of Wal-Mart's slowdown in development. “Like they say, politics is local — and competition and competitive development is local too. From a supermarket operator's standpoint, if you have a new supercenter in your town, that's all that matters — it doesn't matter what the shareholders are hearing.
“You have to stay differentiated and know what you're trying to be and stick to it.”
— Reporting by Elliot Zwiebach, Jon Springer and Mark Hamstra
Tesco Eyes Hispanic Shoppers
ELMWOOD PARK, N.J. — British retailer Tesco appears to be targeting Hispanic shoppers with the Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market it is planning to roll out in the Southwestern U.S. later this year, according to a recent report by consulting firm Willard Bishop and The Food Institute, based here.
“They have identified some store locations in what we have characterized as Hispanic neighborhoods, particularly in Arizona,” said Jim Hertel, managing partner at Barrington, Ill.-based Willard Bishop. He made his comments during a recent presentation of Willard Bishop's annual “Future of Food Retailing” report, which gauges the competitive landscape for food retailing.
“One of the things that Tesco might have tapped into is an existing behavior among Hispanic shoppers, which is really focused on regular, frequent shopping trips, and a high degree of focus on fresh produce,” he said. “We know that in the best Hispanic-oriented supermarkets, perishables are 70% of store sales, compared with 50-50 in a traditional supermarket. So it almost seems that by building stores in Hispanic neighborhoods, they have identified that that particular format has particularly good odds of success within that target group.”
Tesco has said it plans to open about 100 of the “Fresh & Easy” stores in its first year, supplied from a massive distribution center it is building in Riverside, Calif. The stores are expected to be relatively small by supermarket standards — about 12,000 square feet — with a focus on perishables and prepared foods. As previously reported in SN, Tesco also has mailed fliers in both English and Spanish to local residents where stores are being developed.
“One of the things that is very compelling about the Tesco proposition is this idea of being fresh and local and a neighborhood kind of market, and that certainly fits with a Hispanic shopping lifestyle,” said Hertel.
Bill Bishop, chairman of Willard Bishop, noted that Tesco's level of consumer research has been “enormous.”
“We've been amazed, from talking to some of the researchers who are on the edge of this, at the investment in consumer research and consumer needs, which goes well beyond what grocery usually does,” he said. “Time will tell what the implication and what the ROI of that investment is going to be, but it has been an unprecedented inquiry into the way consumers want to be served.”
Hertel also noted that small-format stores in general may be gaining steam in the industry, citing Giant Eagle's experiments with its Express formats.
“Food retailers who have been operating 60,000-square-foot stores may be operating with sales that are more appropriate for a 25,000-square-foot store,” he said.


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BEST TAKEOUT MEAL PHOTO CONTESTWednesday 6th May 2020
Whether you’re craving pizza, pasta or a piece of steak and some seafood, restaurants in Antigua are innovating with tons of takeout options during the current shutdown of on-site dining. We’ve pulled together another social media giveaway for you to display the amazing curb-side, carry out, drive-thru, and delivery meals on offer; in an effort to boost the economy and to help support our local restaurants.
Stay tuned for the Best Takeout Meal Photo Contest on Wednesday, May 13th at 12:01 am.
Don't miss it — same format, another amazing prize from Lipstick! Lipstick carries the widest selection of luxury fragrances, skincare and cosmetics on the island. Expert staff will fuse your senses with lines from Chanel, Calvin Klein, Givenchy, Christian Dior, Yves St. Laurent, Estee Lauder and many more.
The Giveaway Contest Post will be shared on our Facebook page for you to enter. Share in the COMMENT SECTION of the post a photo of your favourite takeout meal so far and let others know about the restaurant's excellent offerings and also give yourself an opportunity to win big.
Please note that photos must only feature permitted activities and follow the six-foot physical distancing guidelines.
The contest ends on Wednesday, May 13th at 11:59 pm. Winner will be announced on Thursday, May 14th Weekly What's On newsletter. Subscribe here!
Please watch this space for more information.
Click here for all News and Specials for Antigua's Local Provisioning


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Lululemon’s CEO has cut waste and rebuilt customer trust after yoga pants were recalled for becoming sheer when the wearer bent over. Now he’s staking the company’s future on innovation, including pants that make women feel naked when they wear them.
Lululemon Athletica is at a turning point.
It’s been two years since the Vancouver, B.C., activewear company brought in Laurent Potdevin as chief executive. His task: Cut the waste and expense of designing, making and distributing its garments, and rebuild customer trust after the 2013 recall of $98 yoga pants for becoming sheer when the wearer bent over.
Now Potdevin is staking the company’s future on innovation, including pants that make women feel naked when they wear them.
He is looking to improve profit margins while beating back growing competition in a niche market where clothing trends may be turning against Lululemon.
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Potdevin’s goal is to cement the retailer’s reputation as the top-quality athletic-apparel maker, justifying its higher prices, and change its perception to a brand worn by top athletes as well as wealthy women saluting the sun in urban yoga studios.
“Everyone’s got a magic number for what they’re willing to pay for quality,” said Bridget Weishaar, a Chicago analyst with Morningstar. “It’s not like your option is Lululemon or Old Navy. You can trade down just a very little bit and still get a really good product.”
The growth of athleisure — workout clothes worn on the street — expanded the market for companies such as Lululemon, Weishaar said. When shoppers return to denim and blazers, Lululemon could be left with fewer customers willing to fill their closets with expensive workout gear.
Potdevin, who meditates twice a day, doesn’t seem worried. Sales at stores open at least a year and online have grown in the past five quarters.
On Monday, the company boosted its fourth-quarter earnings forecast, citing a “very successful holiday season.” Lululemon now sees profit per share in the current quarter of 78 to 80 cents, compared with an earlier estimate of up to 78 cents. Analysts had forecast earnings of 77 cents a share.
Gross margins in the three months ended Nov. 1 fell 6.9 percent from a year earlier, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Margins for the current quarter are in line with previous estimates, and revenue is likely to be higher than expected, the company said. Revenue will be as much as $695 million, more than the $685 million the company previously estimated.
Athleisure may be a fad, but customers’ focus on health and mindfulness won’t change, Potdevin said at Lululemon’s campus.
Lululemon argues that competition from heavy hitters such as Nike and Under Armour, as well as athleisure upstarts Express and Urban Outfitters, will drive consumers to seek better quality and lead them to Lululemon.
But making clothes for serious athletes is challenging, said Camilo Lyon, a New York-based analyst for Canaccord Genuity. “That’s a tough game to play,” he said.
And it’s hard to tell how much more they can charge, Lyon said. “They’ve already got premium pricing in the market.”
Potdevin said the company isn’t trying to compete on price. “It’s about getting involved in more categories across men and women,” he said. “It’s about solving problems for the athlete.”
When Potdevin took over, Lululemon’s supply chain needed fixing. Quality checks made its process slow and expensive. New products resulted in wasted fabric.
To get clothes to shelves faster, more than 40 percent of items were shipped to distribution centers by air, which is about four times as costly as shipping by sea. That had to stop, Chief Financial Officer Stuart Haselden said.
Now the focus is on innovation, Potdevin said. Whitespace, the company’s research-and-development center, has tested apparel in extreme environments in Alaska and has a lab on the Vancouver campus that can replicate different climates.
The company invested in a team of 35 people who work as long as five years on new designs and measuring factors such as sweat and laundering.
Whitespace helped conceive the new pants whose soft fabric mimics the feeling of being naked. Customer response has been strong. Same-store sales of women’s bottoms grew 27 percent last quarter from the same period a year earlier.
Lululemon uses Noble Biomaterials’s X-Static technology, which has the natural antimicrobial properties of silver to stop garments from smelling bad after a workout. But the company’s competitors can do that, too, and do it cheaper.
An “anti-stink” tank top at Lululemon costs $48, while Athleta’s version of an “unstinkable” tank costs $44 and is often on sale for half that.
Initiatives that drive sales but have slimmer profit margins are being put on hold. The company’s children’s brand, Ivivva, is a hit among middle-school girls in New York City, according to Haselden, who has daughters aged 10 and 8 and recently moved from there to Vancouver.
But kids clothing is made with the same technical fabrics as adult gear and is sold at lower prices, so the company will be slowing Ivivva store openings until it’s certain it has the model just right, he said.
To avoid abandonment by trendy adult customers migrating to the next big thing, the retailer has focused on athletes, mainly its brand ambassadors who work with the company to develop and design products and wear them to events. The company will outfit the Canadian men’s and women’s national beach-volleyball teams for the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.
Said Haselden: “I’m excited for us to play offense again.”


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Top university-based research and application-oriented development by companies work hand-in-hand:
At 6 p.m. on Tuesday, 30th July 2013, in the presence of Bavaria's Secretary of State for the Economy, Katja Hessel, the globally active consumer goods company Procter & Gamble (P&G) and the Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU) will seal a fundamental cooperation in research and development projects in Erlangen. In addition to the outstanding collaboration with the Cluster of Excellence Engineering of Advanced Materials (EAM) at the FAU already in progress, the cooperation is now concentrating on the fields of modelling and simulation as well as research into renewable resources and biomass for applications in the consumer goods industry. Further famous guests from the University of Erlangen have also been announced, among them the President, Prof. Dr. Grüske, as well as many other professors. P&G will be represented, among others, by the European Vice President for Research and Development, Dr. Helen Neville.
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Lacrosse news straight to your inbox.
Tuesday August 6th, 2013 1:11am
You may have seen Whitman's® Sampler® — and lacrosse — all over ESPN lately.
Whitman's® Sampler®, sponsor of two Inside Lacrosse events, the Independence Classic and Mile High Classic, has been referencing its relationship with lacrosse in its latest commercial spot (watch it below).
We've seen it during premier Big Ten basketball games, College Gameday, during Mike & Mike in the Morning, and other places on the ESPN Family of Networks.
Valentine's Day is a big day for the Whitman's® Sampler® (hint: perfect Valentine's gift), and we're happy to see the company showcasing its sponsorship of lacrosse on a national stage. It's a significant step for the sport that a non-endemic brand — meaning, non-lacrosse-industry brands — such as Whitman's® Sampler® is leveraging its relationship with the sport in other advertising campaigns.
"I really think this is a first and a significant step for the sport," said Dan Flynn, IL's assistant director of business development.
Watch the commercial below:
Support Russell Stover and the Whitman's® Sampler® brand by clicking here.


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The Covid-19 pandemic has changed everything, from the way people seek information, communicate, and even purchase. These changes mean that brands have to rethink how they market to customers and find new ways to build loyalty.
In tandem, the way people work in companies has radically altered. The days of 9 to 5 in the office are gone, to be replaced by remote and hybrid working. This drastic change has forced companies to reassess how teams can communicate and work together to drive business success.
So, how have brands been learning to cope with Covid-19 and what impact does it have on the digital marketing activities of today and tomorrow? Our findings reveal 6 significant developments that companies need to consider as they strive to thrive in a post-pandemic world.
1. Ecommerce is crucial to brand success
As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, global retail e-commerce sales rose to nearly $4.28 trillion with nearly $432 billion of that being generated in the United States. Between 2019 and 2021 (the peak of Covid-enforced lockdowns), retail platforms - according to Statista - reported a surge of 22 billion visits in June up from 16 billion visits just five months earlier, in January.
The Future of Marketing After Covid-19
In the UK, Charged Retail reported that online sales broke records by reaching £10 billion in July 2021 as 40% of people chose to shop from home rather than visit a physical store despite the end of lockdown. In Q2 2021, Shopify revealed it reached its first $1 billion in a quarter on record with its Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV), up 57% year-on-year.
And, Shopify isn’t the only company to benefit. GlobalData research revealed that 90% of the top ten ecommerce sites such as Amazon and Alibaba saw double-digit revenue growth. This was due to an increase in the number of people visiting online retail platforms as a result of Covid.
The Future of Marketing After Covid-19
And this trend in online retail shopping is continuing, even after the introduction of mass vaccinations, and a shift to more normal life. Many countries are still experiencing huge spikes with Deloitte predicting that U.S holiday retail sales in late 2021 will increase by 7 to 9% while in South-East Asia, ecommerce penetration will grow by 85%, outpacing India (+10%) and China (+5%) and digital consumer spend in this region will increase by 60% by the end of 2021.
Whether it’s directly on your brand’s website, through social media or a third-party site such as Amazon or Shopify, optimizing your brand’s ecommerce offering will lead to more leads and sales in this new digital world.
2. Sectors need to pivot and reinvent
Due to the nature of their businesses, certain sectors benefited more than others during lockdowns: for example, hospitality and tourism unsurprisingly saw their profits plummet.
What became apparent was the importance of being able to think outside the box when external factors come into play. Customers with no option to buy what they needed online just went to another site or brand.
An example of this was retail chain Primark, who lost $1 billion during the pandemic by not adopting an ecommerce model. While customers said they would welcome an online shop, Primark stated that the cost of setting up an online function would affect the prices they could offer customers. The bottom line? Primark was not prepared logistically for such an undertaking and starting an ecommerce site would have cost time and money.
Other retailers also suffered, changing the landscape of the high street forever. As a result of store closures, the Arcadia Group became Photo Editing Services insolvent and was bought by online retailer Asos for £65 million for its stock and brands, not for its physical stores, which included the UK high street icons, Topshop, Topman, and Miss Selfridge.
On the flip side of the fashion coin, resale platforms for secondhand clothing like Depop have flourished as people look to sell unworn or unwanted clothes. As buyers become more aware of the lifespan and journey of what they purchase, customers that value sustainability are preferring to buy clothing differently.
Another outcome of the pandemic has been one inspired use of TikTok and its direct effect on the publishing industry. Thanks to the organic success of the #BookTok concept, newer (and younger) audiences are being introduced to the joys of reading paper books and bricks-and-mortar bookshops have been responding by laying out displays based on what’s popular in the online platform.
The car industry also took a significant hit during the pandemic as it is traditionally low tech and has been slow to digitally transform. With no foot traffic into showrooms, the industry has had to find other ways to sell cars as people were forced to stay at home. To draw customers in, many installed new software, offered virtual test drives, and touchless pickup and delivery. Many also leveraged digital strategies to engage with new and existing customers online.
Big brands are taking that even further with Nissan launching its online experience Nissan@Home to buy a car from test drive to contracts signing all from home. While one of the largest automotive dealers in the U.S, Sonic Automotive has hired its first CDO and VP of Ecommerce to double annual revenue by 2025.


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Shuhei Yoshida said they have not received any official confirmation about “The Last of Us 2” but confirmed they had some talks about it. When will Naughty Dog release “The Last of Us” sequel? Read on for more details.
Speaking at the EGX event, Sony Computer Entertainment president of worldwide studios Shuhei Yoshida gave updates about “The Last of Us 2” and said he had a talk with community strategist Arne Meyer about it at a Naughty Dog, Inc. session.
During their discussion, Yoshida revealed the whole team was already interested on releasing a sequel. He also said “The Last of Us” game programmer Neil Druckmann was, in fact, fetching for some potential concepts for it.
Although he clarified that Sony and Yoshida have not received any “confirmed information for the sequel,” it could not be denied there are rumblings for the follow-up. And if Naughty Dog finally decides to have its development in full swing, they could be rest assured of Sony’s support.
“But, like many people, we wish to see what it’s [The Last of Us 2] going to be like, how the story’s going to develop, what life these characters have after what happened in The Last of Us,” Shuhei Yoshida told Eurogamer in the EGX event.
This is Yoshida’s side of the story and it expresses similar tone to Druckmann who said he wanted to go back and do it.
In the latest issue of Official PlayStation Magazine, via GamesRadar, Druckmann revealed Nolan North was spot on about Naughty Dog developing the sequel. Druckmann also confirmed there were discussions about ideas for “The Last of Us” follow-up having new characters; ideas about the sequel with Joel and Ellie; and others.
Druckmann said while they were already on the momentum of finally “narrowing” the list for those concepts, they were, however, asked to finish “Uncharted 4” first.
Due to this corporate decision, they moved over the small team that was working on “The Last of Us 2” to “Uncharted 4.”
Nevertheless, Druckmann implied that “The Last of Us 2” will be in full swing after “Uncharted 4.”
“So, I guess he [North] was kind of right in that we were working stuff, but we don’t know what we’re doing next and we won’t know until probably a few months after we finished Uncharted 4,” Neill Druckman said.
It seems this call for patience for fans waiting for “The Last of Us 2.”
Sony Computer Entertainment was the publisher of “The Last of Us.”
Photo source: Facebook|Naughty Dog, Inc.


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Six New Slot Games at Jackpot Mobile Casino
One of the well known casino companies Jackpot Mobile Casino has recently announced it will offering six new slot games. Players at Jackpot Mobile Casino can look forward to trying new casino games, while also enjoying any of their old favorite ones. These six new games are just some of the over 25 games the casino plans to add in the coming months.
New Slots at Jackpot Mobile Casino
Mobile slots games are one of the reasons Jackpot Mobile Casino had increased in popularity since its launch just last year. The new slots game titles include those such as Star Mania, Volcano Eruption and Miss Kitty. It will also have new games such as Gorilla Go Wild and Cash Stampede. It will also be adding new promotions to encourage players to enjoy the new games. The website's Marketing Manager said the reason for the new slot games here is to make sure players at Jackpot Mobile Casino are receiving the best slots entertainment.
Jackpot Mobile Casino
Jackpot Mobile Casino plans to expand into other markets such as Sweden, Canada and Ireland because of the growth it had already in the UK and international. Players have a choice of which smart device they would like to use to play mobile casino games here. There is even a £5 free bonus promotion which is a no deposit bonus to try games. A welcome bonus of up to £500 is for the first three deposits into player accounts.


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The Meta Quest Gaming Showcase is making a comeback this summer, promising an exciting lineup of new game reveals, major updates, and much more.
Mortal Kombat 12 is still awaiting its full reveal, but a recent teaser has given fans a glimpse of what’s to come in the highly anticipated game.
A new Xbox controller, created in collaboration with OPI, has been revealed by Microsoft for fans to add to their collection.
Watch the new tech demo for Layers of Fear 2023 remake, as it showcases the power of Unreal Engine 5.
Watch the full HD reveal trailer for Tower of Fantasy: Sound of the Sea Expansion.
The new upcoming FPS Unrecord looks amazingly real-to-life. Watch the full HD trailer and see for yourself.
Learn all about New Game Plus in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, including how it allows players to carry over their progress and skills to a new playthrough, in this guide.


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Cupertino, Calif. – A day before the company plans to hold a
press conference to discuss its new iPhone 4 amid reported issues with the
device’s antenna, Apple on Thursday released iOS 4.0.1, which the company says
"improves the formula to determine how many bars of signal strength to
display" on the iPhone 4 and earlier iPhones.
Responding to reports of
reception issues, the company acknowledged that how a user holds a device can
generally affect cell phone reception.
But Apple placed the blame for any
perceived issues with the iPhone 4’s reception on an incorrect formula it was
using that calculated the number of signal strength bars to display — which
the update released today promises to address.
Meanwhile, independent testing of the iPhone 4 by Consumer Reports this week cited a hardware design flaw with the antenna, which ultimately led the publication to say it could not recommend the device.
(All Things D)
The entire iPhone 4 dropped call conundrum continues to give Apple a very bumpy PR ride. Apparently, Apple is going to hold a press conference tomorrow. It will be interesting to see what is said – and what is not said!
Apple can run… but it can’t hide.


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Rose Laure Agbazan had just completed renovations to her spa, Sugaring Beauty Boudoir in downtown Squamish, when the pandemic restrictions were put in place in B.C.
Like other spas in town, she was forced to close for two and a half months.
"I had just expanded my business last year and I was thinking, 'Maybe this is going to be a good year... and then COVID hit," she said.
Agbazan moved to Squamish from Whistler four years ago. She was raised in France and spent about a decade in Paris before moving to Canada almost five years ago.
She left France for a change, after visiting Canada previously, and because it is easier to run a business here compared to in Paris, she said.
She has owned her shop, which offers African-influenced services, for almost three years.
"Not only North African — usually, a lot of spas use North African concepts to make the spa — but I wanted to use all the continent," she said.
The interior of the spa is terracotta and orange and she plays African musicians during treatments.
"From North African singers to Senegal to Mali, or South Africa," she said, adding her customers often have never heard the artists and want to learn more about them.
She offers services common in Africa and products from the continent including sugaring waving, which is traditional waxing from Morocco using a concoction of sugar, lemon, and honey that she makes herself.
She offers African massage, which she was trained in while living in France, and uses homemade stones from Africa for the 75-minute treatment.
Again, the music helps set the atmosphere "with really intense music‚ drums," she added.
Agbazan also uses a South African shellac for nails and other North African and Moroccan products.
Her uniform, too, is made from traditional African fabric.
She said it is harder to get such products in Canada, compared to in France, where there is a much wider selection of products from various countries.
When COVID-19 started to sweep through Europe, Agbazan — like many in Squamish — was watching, but not thinking it would impact businesses here.
She was talking to a friend who owns a shop in Paris who had suggested Agbazan may have to close her doors, too.
"I thought, 'oh no! I am not,'" she said, with a laugh.
Almost three months later, she reopened her doors in the beginning of June, with COVID-19 protocols in place — and customers are returning.
One employee did not return, however, due to pandemic concerns, so she is hiring, she added.
But so far, things have been really positive for her business, she said.
"It is really busy and a lot of people were really happy to see me open," she said. "It was really good to have all this support. I was a little worried before because I was thinking maybe I wouldn't be so busy because people maybe are not going to have so much money... it was really a surprise to be so busy after the shutdown."
According to Alain Audet, executive director of Allied Beauty Association, which is a non-profit organization that represents the professional beauty industry across Canada, there is a portion — though not a sizable one — of spas and salons that have not weathered the COVID-19 storm.
For some spas, finances were tight to start with, and then they couldn't come to an agreement with a landlord and so were stuck paying their bills through shutdowns, he said.
Others did not qualify during the first round of the federal government relief program.
"Some of the people got in trouble very, very quickly because cash flow was so tight," he said.
For others, the fact shutdowns dragged on, depleted their resources.
Of the spas that are reopening, the lower capacity of clients they can see in a day and the increased cost of operating due to pandemic precautions are weighing on shop owners he said.
Many shops already used masks during nail procedures, for example, but they didn't use as many masks and the cost of them was lower before COVID.
"Masks, for example, are four times the price as they were before COVID," Audet said, adding this is a hit for an industry that doesn't typically have large profit margins to begin with.
The positive thing for most of the aesthetic services is that the clients who bring in the most money with "high ticket services" are the first ones who have come back, he said.
"The first month, the revenue per client is actually quite high so it helps patch things up," he said.
The question most spa owners are pondering is if clients are now going to be spacing out their services.
"People who get their nails done every two weeks, are they going to be now spacing that out and adding an extra week or two or three? Over a three-to-six-month period, if you lose more than two appointments per client, then suddenly there might be gaps in the schedule running into the second month of operation. That is the thing we don't know."
Some owners have added a "COVID fee" to pass on some of the extra costs to the customers, but it is yet to be seen how that may impact revenues, he said.
"People will respond with their wallets at some point," he said, noting that other industries are having to also raise prices so that leads to an uncertainty about what the future will hold long-term.
There's also the question of the illegal underground market for services that has sprouted up and if clients will return to professional salons or stay underground.
But for now, he said what he is hearing is most clients are thrilled to be back at their spa for some self-care they were missing out on during the shutdowns.


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Capture, Create, and Share! This is what Filipino fashion designer Ira Baylon opted for his audience to do as they squeeze their creative juices in his The Mask Revolution Photo Contest.
He’s the man behind the IRAbel masks, which started when a friend’s creation sparked something in him in social media and gave him inspiration.
“My mother, who is also inclined towards arts and fashion, was astounded with my friend’s work, which led her to asking for the mask’s pattern. From there on, my mother and I spend out time together in creating our own inabel face masks out from cutouts and excess fabrics which was used during a fashion show in Manila last year.”
Masks from Ilocos
Initially, these masks made from simple fabric from Ilocos were made to be distributed among frontliners in their barangay as well as their relatives and friends. He didn’t expect it will gain clout and recognition when he shared about it online.
“From my post, I unexpectedly received positive feedback from friends and other people, commenting and inquiring for the price of masks. What’s even surprising was the time when a reporter from ABS-CBN asked me to feature my story and creation, by posting an article for it. For a moment, it circulated online and it reached more people. That was the start of the expansion of IRAbel masks.”The COVID-19 pandemic has paved the way for a new era around the world. Wearing of mask has become mandatory. Whether we like it or not, our actions are now limited and bounded by guidelines in the new normal.
New face of fashion and protection
As for Ira, while we can’t do anything about it, we can choose to live with this new normal, traditionally and elegantly. This is the start of his mask revolution, which he describes as the new face of fashion and protection.
He recently launched a photo contest showcasing face masks worn in different forms.
Ira said that this will benefit his friends in the industry who are struggling for income in this trying situation, “Ang purpose po nito ay para mabigyan din ng tulong ang mga photographer friends namin sa event industry na affected ng pandemic. Half of the participants ay nakasama ko na sa mga weddings, tapos yung mga iba ay nag comply sa advertisment.”
As of now, 36 contestants all the way from Metro Manila
Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Camarines Sur, Pangasinan, Abra, Cavite have joined and sent their entries.
Of course, awesome cash prizes ranging from PHP2,000 to PHP10,000 await the winners!
Their works will be analyzed by a set of talented judges including Ronald Macatulad, Ernie Mangoba, and our very own Josh Austria, PR and Advertising Manager of Village Pipol Magazine.
Best of luck to the finalists!


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This isn’t the first time we see the new generation Polo. Moreover, the car has been spotted totally undisguised, so the spy photo you see here seems almost pointless. Still, the car manufacturer released a video of the upcoming 2018 Volkswagen Polo, which should be revealed this June and officially introduced at the 2017 Frankfurt auto show in September.
VW’s sixth-generation subcompact will ride on the MQB platform. The architecture is highly flexible, so it can easily underpin everything starting from the 2018 Polo to the cozy three-row Atlas. Aside it’s very stretchable the platform will also shed some weight as well. It’s not official yet, but the latest reports suggest that the new generation model should lose at least 150 pounds.
The 2018 Volkswagen Polo will get several new engines as well. The current 1.4-liter TSI unit should be replaced by the 1.5-liter TSI, which comes in two variants (128 and 148 hp). The redesigned car will probably feature a new entry-level engine. That’s a 1.0-liter three-cylinder unit, which gets multiple outputs (64, 74, 94 and 113 HP). However, the most interesting version will be the all-new 2018 Polo GTI that’s going to replace the current 189 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque strong 1.8-liter engine with a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4. The new topping mill will deliver over 200 horsepower without any doubt.
Styling wise, the next-generation VW Polo appears to be a bit larger for its predecessor. To be more precise, the car is both wider and longer, so it should provide more space inside. Speaking of the cabin, the subcompact would also get a totally new look of the dashboard along with a digital instrument display and large touchscreen infotainment screen. Plus, the manufacturer will add some active safety features.
Since the German car manufacturer prepares to offer the all-new T-Roc crossover in the United States, it’s quite clear that they have no plan to add the 2018 Volkswagen Polo. If you ask us, we would like to just see the GTI model, but this won’t happen at all.


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NBA 2K22 patch 1.04 is now available to download on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. According to the official NBA 2K22 1.04 patch notes, the latest update resolves various issues with the game which players were experiencing since the last major patch. Apart from this, today’s NBA 2K22 update 1.04 also includes stability fixes.
Previously, a minor update was released with stability and performance improvements. Unfortunately, since the last patch, players are facing several login and disconnection issues. Today’s NBA 2K22 version 1.04 will fix a few of these issues.
Read more details below.
NBA 2K22 Update 1.04 Patch Notes – Oct 5, 2021
- Added online stability improvements.
- Added user experience improvements.
- Addressed various bugs where some users were unable to progress in select MyCAREER storylines.
- Addressed an issue with The Game music quest line that could prevent it from being completed.
- Fixed an issue with certain dev coach quests in the NBA not starting, and related stats not being tracked correctly.
- Quests related to personal brand levels will now track properly before reaching the NBA.
- Addressed an issue where some players would briefly appear invisible when riding vehicles in the City.
- Fixed a reported issue with invites after finishing a Pro-Am game as a squad.
- Resolved a rare disconnect issue in Play With Friends W Online games.
- Injuries have been disabled in MyTEAM Draft games.
- Other minor fixes.
Download free NBA 2K22 patch 1.04 on PlayStation 4, PC, and Xbox One.
#NBA #2K22 #Patch #Notes #NBA #2K22 #Update


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Commodities: Economic Outlook Commodities April 2018
April 18, 2018
Base metals weigh on overall commodity prices amid looming trade war
U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on aluminium and steel imports on 1 March heavily dragged on the prices of some base and some precious metals in March, eroding investor confidence globally. Trump declared a temporary exemption for some economies, including Canada and the European Union, but left the levies for China in place, making it clear that China was the focus of his actions. This negative climate was amplified later in the month by Trump’s announcement of tariffs on USD 50 billion of Chinese imports in response for what he called China’s unfair trade practices, which have led to massive trade surpluses in favor of the Asian nation. China retaliated by announcing a reciprocal tariff package on U.S. imports including soybeans, planes and automobiles.
Against this backdrop, commodity prices fell an aggregated 1.9% month-on-month in March (February: +0.8% month-on-month), the sharpest drop in one year. Base metals, along with palladium and platinum, were the main drivers behind March’s poor performance. Energy prices rose in March, however, due to strong fundamentals. Similarly, healthy global demand and fears of limited supply continued to boost prices for agricultural commodities.
Global commodity prices are expected to withstand ongoing political uncertainties this year and next. Chinese officials adopted a more conciliatory tone in recent days, signaling a potential end to the ongoing trade war with the U.S. Moreover, data for Q1 confirms that the global economy remains in good shape, shoring up demand for commodities. Nevertheless, Trump’s aggressive stance toward China remains firmly in place, and he has threatened the country with additional tariffs of up to USD 150 billion. While China has offered to open some economic sectors, it has also stated that the country will retaliate against any punitive measure. If these threats materialize, the global economy will face an all-out trade war between the two countries, which would certainly disrupt global growth and commodity markets.
In this month’s survey, analysts polled by FocusEconomics expect commodity prices to rise 4.3% in Q4 2018 from the same period in 2017, mostly fueled by solid gains in energy and agricultural prices. Further down the road, analysts predict that commodity prices will increase 2.2% in annual terms in Q4 2019
For report pricing and subscription information, contact us.


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A ‘stolen’ photograph of an official future model line-up in China has confirmed some of the Benelli models we will see in 2020 – and it confirmed that the small Harley-Davidson HD350 will be on sale sometime this year, too.
The deft piece of image grabbing shows clearly that several machines are going to be at the dealerships this year including updated models of the TNT600i and the TRK502.
What will excite some is the confirmation of the small H-D – expected to be called the HD350, the bike is listed on the Chinese line-up as the H-D338. Qianjiang, the company which owns Benelli, has teamed up with Harley to make the motorcycle which will be launched in June. It’s thought that the small Harley will share the majority of components wit


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FABuk - new glamour magazine out in April
In the NEW issue of FABuk publication, Alexa Chung talks about the struggles of dating, what she truly thinks of Donald Trump, as well as the paradox of being classified a 'style icon'. Everybody is friends with Alexa. However, do they visit her asking for style advice? She said "In my circle of close friends, no person would certainly ever ask me for fashion advice”.
- Why are nice British girls marrying Jihadists?
In the previous year, an extraordinary number of British women have responded to a phone call from the homicidal terrorist group, Islamic State, to make a trip to Syria and marry its fighters. Gabby Hinsliff checks out why these ladies agree to swap the freedoms of the West for an overbearing life in a country at war.
- For the April concern of FABuk, it's everything about models, stars, and also entrepreneurs, stated Rosie Huntington Whiteley. In addition to being just one of the most searched for faces in Vogue, Rosie has a best-selling underwear realm as well as a cosmetics line on its way. She talks to FABuk Editor, Jo Elvin, about life with Jason Statham, preparing for a 'significant' birthday, and also the secret to her job success.
- Free Beauty Gift for Every Reader.
The April edition is offering a high-end reward to subscribers from the magazine’s beauty editors. Choose from the pure skin face wash, super body wash, or radiance face mask, or the tinted lip slave.


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Indian Man Spends $4,000 for a Gold Face Mask for Protection During Pandemic
A man in India paid thousands of dollars for a face mask made out of pure gold to protect him against COVID-19.
Shankar Kurhade, a 49-year-old Indian businessman who lives in Pune, India, bought the customized pure gold mask for almost $4,000, according to the New York Post.
Kurhade, who owns a company selling industrial sheds, said the mask weighs 50 grams (1.8 ounces). The inspiration to have a pure gold face mask came to the businessman after seeing another man with a silver face mask online.
“It is a thin mask and has tiny pores that is helping me to breathe,” the man told Agence France-Presse. “People are asking me for selfies. They are awestruck when they see me wearing the gold mask in markets.”
Despite the online fame he has received, Kurhade said his purpose is not to seek public attention. However, he did admit that the gold mask may not protect him from the virus.
“I didn’t do it for publicity. I’m fond of gold,” he told The Indian Express. “It is not the gold or cloth mask, but social distancing and hand washing that will protect human beings from coronavirus.”
Face masks have become mandatory in India, which now has over 800,000 confirmed cases and more than 21,000 deaths as of this writing, according to Worldometers.
Many people might not know this, but despite our large and loyal following which we are immensely grateful for, NextShark is still a small bootstrapped startup that runs on no outside funding or loans.
Everything you see today is built on the backs of warriors who have sacrificed opportunities to help give Asians all over the world a bigger voice.
However, we still face many trials and tribulations in our industry, from figuring out the most sustainable business model for independent media companies to facing the current COVID-19 pandemic decimating advertising revenues across the board.
We hope you consider making a contribution so we can continue to provide you with quality content that informs, educates and inspires the Asian community.
Even a $1 contribution goes a long way. Thank you for everyone’s support. We love you all and can’t appreciate you guys enough.


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They aren’t really much to look at, since once you’ve seen one black rectangle with a screen in the middle, you’ve seen them all, but above are thumbnail images of the new Amazon Fire and Fire HD 8 tablets that are very likely going to be announced as early as tomorrow. These are the new Amazon tablets that passed through FCC approval a couple of weeks ago.
The new tablets will be more of a refresh of the existing models, as opposed to a major redesign. This is especially true for the Fire HD 8, since the current model was introduced less than a year ago. Screen size is expected to remain the same at 7″ for the Fire and 8″ for the Fire HD 8. While overall screen quality will improve, especially with the Fire tablet, screen resolutions will remain the same as the models being replaced.
The Fire tablet should remain the same price at $49.99 but see a spec bump in certain areas, like dual band WiFi over the existing model’s single band wireless. The base Fire model might now start with 16GB of internal storage, instead of 8GB, but that’s the fact I’m most unsure about.
The Fire HD 8 should maintain nearly all the same specs as the current model, but the biggest change will be its price. At $89.99, the current 2016 Fire HD 8 already slashed the $149.99 price of the 2015 model it replaced. The new 2017 Fire HD 8 will continue that trend by dropping the price another $20 to $69.99.
5/17/17 The new tablets have now been announced.