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- Account Manager - Melbourne, Australia
- Grower - Australia
- Director of Marketing & Communications - Summerland (BC), Canada
- Lead Auditor
- Quality Assurance Team EA Region - Antwerp - Quality Assurance Supervisor
- General Manager Australia
- Einkaufskoordinator/in - Austria
- Chief plant protection agronomist
- Сhief agronomist
- Head of Sales for Mexico and Latin America
Top 5 -yesterday
Top 5 -last month
- New 'superfood' salad by Californian producer
- Peru: Lambayeque certifies more than 28,000 tons of Hass avocado
- Europe importing more Texas grapefruit as Florida struggles
- "There is a shortage of mango and passion fruit on the French market"
- Organic Trade Association drives move toward voluntary organic check-off
Top 5 -last week
- China: JD uses maglev technology in express delivery packaging
- Qatar - Researchers crack code deciding date palm gender
- Climate analogues of Australia
- "Tropical storm Leslie does not cause damage to Spanish open field cultivation"
- Jubilee-edition of Agri Ladies Dublin: a lot of content and a dash of fun
Mother’s Market: 1st LA store
Walmart plans to expand in Florida, Texas
After planning to close as many as nine B.C. Safeway stores by May 5, Sobeys must now keep them open until July, according to a government-appointed labour mediator. Sobeys first announced in January that it could close as many as 10 underperforming stores in total in the Lower Mainland (nine in May and one in July), but said it would convert five of those stores to the FreshCo discount banner if it could negotiate new terms and conditions in a collective agreement with the unions representing its employees. Sobeys’ CEO Michael Medline revealed plans to take the company’s discount banner into Western Canada late last year by converting 60 underperforming Safeway and Sobeys stores.
US: Mother’s Market debuts 1st LA store
Mother’s Market & Kitchen recently debuted its first Los Angeles location in Signal Hill. Located at 2475 Cherry Avenue, the 13,000-square-foot store will serve as the anchor for the developing Heritage Square Retail Center, boasting a contemporary format as well as organic, local and non-GMO produce and groceries. The new location was designed to reflect the community and its values, featuring interior and exterior graphics that memorialize the origins of oil production and architecture in Signal Hill, according to Deborah Rubino, chief integration officer for Mother’s Market, based in Costa Mesa, Calif. “Mother’s Market & Kitchen in Signal Hill celebrates a fresh, contemporary style while embracing the history and legacy of Mother’s,” Rubino tells WGB.
US: Walmart to focus new store openings on Florida, Texas
Walmart expects to build no more than 25 new U.S. stores this fiscal year as its $11bln capital budget tilts even more heavily toward renovations and e-commerce. In a series of local announcements detailing plans for spending, Walmart expressed its intention to expand its reach in Florida and Texas, with nearly $500mln in investments and 10 of its planned new stores headed to those states.
India’s retail inflation eases further in March as food prices fall
Retail inflation moderated in March as vegetable prices eased further on fresh supplies. However core inflation, that strips out the impact of food and fuel prices, continued to rise hitting a 43-month high. The index of consumer price inflation in India stood at 4.28% in March, slowing for the third straight month from a 17-month high, according to data released by the Central Statistics Office. Economists polled by Bloomberg had forecast retail inflation at 4.1%. It stood at 4.4% in February and 5.07% in January. “The dip in inflation for food and beverages in March 2018 was primarily led by vegetables, egg and milk,” Aditi Nayar, principal economist at ratings agency ICRA, said in an emailed note. “A continued easing in prices of pulses, sugar and some vegetables would dampen the impact of the seasonal uptick in prices of various perishable items in the ongoing month.”
Switzerland: Coop to acquire Swisscom's 50% stake in Siroop jv
Swiss retailer Coop has agreed to fully acquire internet store Siroop. Coop will buy Swisscom's 50% stake in the joint venture. Siroop will be consolidated into Coop's Microspot sales channel. Coop and Swisscom established Siroop jointly in May 2016 and since then have gained experience in online marketplace. Now, to further exploit its growth potential, Siroop and Microspot will proceed towards a single brand. Duplication will be eliminated and synergies are expected.
Ireland: Musgrave secures €5mln export deal with Bahrain supermarket
Musgrave has announced an export deal worth €5mln with Alosra, Bahrain’s leading high-end supermarket. Under the terms of the agreement, Musgrave will supply a selection of products from its SuperValu and Musgrave Excellence own brand range, as well as a number of Irish brands including products from its Food Academy programme, which is run in partnership with Bord Bia and the Local Enterprise Offices.
Japan: Aeon expands its retail business in Malaysia
Aeon is a prominent Japanese retail group that is already operating 34 stores and 5 supermarkets in Malaysia. Recently, the company added a new supermarket to its crown of stores under the name "MaxValu Prime". This store is located in a business area where around 15 thousand employees work and it is already attracting around 3 thousand customers a day.
Portugal: Sonae MC to open 70 proximity stores by 2020
Portuguese grocery retailer Sonae MC plans to open 70 new Continente Modelo proximity stores by 2020, as part of an investment estimated at €200mln. Speaking to daily Dinheiro Vivo, Continente’s director of operations, Amaro Amaral, said that the ambitious expansion plan will allow the creation of around 3,000 new jobs in the sector in Portugal. Last week, the company inaugurated its 100th Continente Bom Dia store, located in Lisbon, investing €3mln. With more than 1,000 square metres of retail space, the new store has a cafeteria and offers a wide range of essential products.
Holland: Ahold Delhaize CEO: “Stores still matter”
Ahold Delhaize is prospering in a fast-changing grocery arena by blending the right mix of local appeal, personalization and innovation into its shopping experiences, chief executive officer Dick Boer said at the global supermarket retailer’s annual general meeting. “Some people say that they do not see a future for physical stores. I totally disagree with this. Because stores still matter, and that will be the case in the future, too,” Boer told shareholders at the company’s headquarters in Zaandam, the Netherlands. “The more virtual the world becomes, the more need there is for the real world.”
Coop Danmark reports flat 2017 results as operating profit doubles
Coop Danmark has reported that its 2017 turnover was DKK 44,796mln (€6.0bln) excluding VAT, in line with its results in 2016. Operating profit during this period increased by 92.7% to DKK 528mln (€70.9mln). The retailer attributed around DKK 100mln (€13.4mln) of the increased profit to ‘non-recurring disposals and increased rental income’. Commenting on the results, chairman Lasse Bolander said, ‘2017 became another challenging year for the grocery industry in Denmark. Competition in a market with massive overcapacity, structural changes and changes in consumer behaviour is intense - and in this light we are pleased with the year's earnings’.
Brazil retail sales unexpectedly declined in February
Brazilian retail sales unexpectedly contracted in February, underscoring an uneven recovery of the nation's dominant services sector following the deepest recession in decades. Retail sales fell 0.2% from January, government statistics agency IBGE said, compared with a median estimate of a 0.8% increase in a Reuters poll of economists. The reading undershot even the most pessimistic forecast in the survey, a 0.3% increase.
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Other news in this sector:
- 10/19/2018 Aldi: new pointless points campaign
- 10/19/2018 Walmart: new high-tech distribution center in Shafter
- 10/18/2018 Coop: virtual shopping chatbot launched
- 10/18/2018 Smart & Final: milestone with extra banner
- 10/17/2018 UK regulator: Sainsbury's-Asda probe will include Aldi, Lidl and Amazon
- 10/17/2018 Walmart expects fastest sales growth this decade
- 10/16/2018 12 supermarkets and hypermarkets operated by the Quattrucci family join the Casino Group
- 10/16/2018 Albertsons: For 3rd consecutive quarter ID sales grow while ecommerce soars
- 10/15/2018 Aldi and Dachser: UK and Irish partnership extended with 5-year deal
- 10/15/2018 Amazon: $80mln distribution center
- 10/12/2018 Asda: EAS refresh continues with Tyco Retail Solutions
- 10/12/2018 7-Eleven joins forces with foodora for convenient Canadian delivery
- 10/11/2018 ICA: September sales figures
- 10/11/2018 Meijer: sustainability moves awarded as both supplier and carrier
- 10/10/2018 Carrefour has acquired Planeta Huerto
- 10/10/2018 7-Eleven: 1st location at Texas Motor Speedway
- 10/09/2018 Vietnamese supermarket chain acquired by Vingroup retail arm
- 10/09/2018 Target: new private label
- 10/08/2018 Casino Group: new ‘Le 4 Casino’ concept store in Paris
- 10/08/2018 Costco: Q4 income rises


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FARIDABAD: Although Faridabad malls are catching up pace with NCR malls, it still lacks in serving better options of cuisines to its customers. Out of the seven malls in Faridabad, only three have full-fledged food courts and obviously doing considerable business. According to industry experts, unavailability of food courts in malls acutely affects the entire business of malls, as it is a great source of revenue for them.
"Largely, food courts bring good business to malls and their absence causes major loss to entire business," said Ajay Johri, assistant VP, marketing, SRS Ltd. He further added, "In any mall, 25-30 percent of visitors end up dining at food courts. For instance, in case of SRS, the footfall is 600-800 customers on weekdays and 1,200 on weekends." According to Ashutosh Garg, manager of food court at Crown Interiorz Mall, "Food courts are responsible for 35-40 percent increase in footfalls every day. Apart from SRS and Crown Interiorz Mall, others have some small eateries, however, when people look for options in cuisines at the same place they are shopping the need for a food court pinches."
Business scenario-mall road
Those who have a food court are doing good business. "SRS 7dayz food court, the first food court in the city that started in October, 2004, has achieved a growth rate of 22-25 percent over the last few years and clocked a revenue of Rs 21 crores in the financial year 2011-12," assured Johri.
Ajay Johri further added, "This has become possible because of the constant innovations and sincere efforts that some of us have made to popularise the food court format for eating out amongst the Faridabad residents. For a mall it is very important to offer hygienic food and extend customer service. SRS fulfills all these criteria and thus is one of the hottest joints in Faridabad that people like to visit frequently."
According to Garg, manager, Nitya food court at Crown Interiorz Mall, "Out of the approximately 10,000 people who visit the mall daily, 1,800 people come to eat at Nitya. We serve around 15-20 percent of customers per day here. The growth rate of this food court has been 10 percent over the past few years and currently generating a turnover of over Rs 14 lakh per month.
Food for thought
According to industry experts, no business can sustain itself without a carefully drafted and well-executed marketing strategy that evolves according to tastes and preferences of its customers. "Our marketing strategy is to create excitement among our customers by serving signature dishes or having food festivals on holidays, occasions and themes. We dish out event-specific cuisines and combos as well," emphasised Johri.
Similarly, Crown Interiorz has put together its marketing strategies to increase sales in Nitya. "We have adopted a debit card system for hassle free payments and to keep a track of money spent. We proudly claim that you will not find this any other mall in the town. Customers just need to recharge the card for desirable amount and don't need to carry money every time they visit food court." informed Garg. He also informed about the ala-carte system that the food court has come up with. "Customers can now decide their menu on a given price. At Nitya, we also arrange birthday parties at free service and space charges."
Issues to tackle
Food courts business has also been facing major problems. "One of the worrying issues is the cost. We have to take up a large area between 4,000-13,000 square feet depending upon the mall. This is quite in contrast to smaller operators who operate in areas of just about 200 sq ft or even less through kiosks and carts. This incurs huge rentals and maintenance charges is significantly impacting our turnovers," lamented Johri, VP, SRS Mall. "We cannot entirely pass this cost on to customers. It can deter them from these hangouts. Also, putting a tab on food prices due to high inflation has become a huge challenge for us."
He wants customers to come again, enjoy, and not worry about the high prices, at the same time not compromising on profits is giving him sleepless nights. Ashutosh Garg gave another dimension to the problem. "The limited sale or profit due to lack of connectivity with Delhi/ NCR is also playing a spoilsport. This is again the reason of why we still lag behind when compared to other malls in NCR." He said, "Another cause of this low sale and profit is the absence of business spaces, unlike other satellite towns in NCR. This is one of the reasons that young working people, who prefer eating in food courts, hardly get to visit them in Faridabad malls."

domain: news


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Celebrating Ten Years of JBH with Ten Stand-out digital PR campaigns
10 / 05 / 23
As digital PR’s, we are constantly keeping one eye on news outlets and social platforms in order to react to any breaking stories that directly impact or relate to our roster of clients via our newsroom service.
However, last week we identified an opportunity to create the narrative ourselves using PR outreach skills, as well as some expert insight and speedy reactions from one of our online retailer clients.
While browsing social media, one of our team spotted a concerning post on a local community Facebook page that caught her eye. It came from a mother explaining that her 16 year old daughter was made to pay full price for her Tesco meal deal instead of being allowed to reduce the cost with her Clubcard:
Thanks to our experience of monitoring consumer and retail news, we knew instantly just how much this kind of post would spark a reaction in audiences, especially taking into consideration the current cost of living crisis and continued media speculation regarding the hike in everyday grocery products across UK supermarkets.
So, we decided to shine a light on the loophole surrounding under 18’s being refused the use of Clubcards in certain Tesco stores around the UK, and compile an accompanying PR pitch with additional expert commentary from our spokesperson.
Speed is of the essence with opportunities like this. The entire process of identifying the news hook, drafting the pitch and accompanying comment, securing client sign off and outreaching to the UK media took less than an hour in total.
And it paid off…
As well as building more than 50 links and brand mentions for our client across national, regional, and parenting sites – including Netmums, The Sun, The Mirror, GB News, The Daily Record and Wales Online – we have also been able to monitor in real time via Google Analytics the impact that a simple but effective digital PR tactic like this can have on the organic traffic to specific product pages for our client.
By ensuring that journalists included a link back to our clients relevant product page that related back to the story, we were able to double the number of unique visitors heading to the Tesco page on our clients website compared with the previous week. This story has also helped us to begin driving referral traffic to a page that wasn’t previously driving anything.


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Rich The Kid has been slapped with another lawsuit!
According to legal documents obtained by TMZ, the 28-year-old rapper is being sued for allegedly breaching his contract with Fashion Nova.
The fast-fashion brand claims it inked an endorsement deal with Rich back in 2018, adding to their long list of celebrity ambassadors. Fashion Nova says it paid the New York artist a $100,000 advance for a number of promotions, including mentioning the brand on social media as well as giving it a shout-out in at least one of his songs.
Rich The Kid signed on to do the promo between October and December 2018, he did not and now the label is seeking $2.1 million in damages, claiming his failure to promote them led to significant financial losses.
Shortly after news of the lawsuit broke, Rich shared a series of Instagram stories that addressed the matter.
Shit is crazy mothafuckas tryna sue a ngga left and right. It’s time for us to promote ownership not that slave sht.Rich The Kid
Back in February, Blueprint Artist Management sued Rich for $3.5 million for allegedly violating the terms of his contract. He was ordered by a judge to cough up over a million dollars.


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Lucid Motors CEO Peter Rawlinson poses at the Nasdaq MarketSite as Lucid Motors (Nasdaq: LCID) begins trading on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange after completing its business combination with Churchill Capital Corp IV in New York, New York, July 26, 2021.
andrew kelly | Reuters
Investors in battered electric vehicle stocks are bracing for first-quarter earnings reports, which begin in earnest over the next few days.
Year-to-date, the asset group has struggled: The S&P Kensho Electric Vehicles Index is down about 25% since the start of 2022 and 43% from its February peak of Last year. The index tracks electric automakers like Tesla and Honda as well as major auto industry suppliers like Visteon and Lear.
Some of the industry’s best-known stocks fared even worse. They mostly claim little to no income and minimal to no production, and three of them are expected to report income in the next two days.
California-based EV startup Fisker will report after markets close on Wednesday.
Fisker, founded by former Aston Martin chief designer Henrik Fisker, has over 40,000 reservations for its upcoming Ocean, a sleek electric SUV that will start around $38,000.
Fisker does not have its own factory; Global automotive supplier Magna International will build the Ocean at its contract manufacturing facility in Austria. Production is expected to start in November.
Last year, Fisker announced plans for a second vehicle, a lower-cost model named “PEAR” to be built by Taiwanese contractor Foxconn Technology Group from 2023. And earlier Wednesday, Fisker announced a third model, a sports car called Ronin, scheduled for the end of 2024.
Analysts will likely have questions about what’s shaping up to be an aggressive model launch schedule, set before Fisker ships even a single vehicle.
Shares of the company are down about 37% this year, as of Tuesday’s close, and are down 64% from their all-time high of $28.50 set in February 2021.
Production plans at Nikola
Electric truck maker Nikola Motors will report before markets open on Thursday.
Phoenix-based Nikola is probably best known for the scandals that led to the abrupt departure of founder Trevor Milton in September 2020. Milton now faces federal charges over allegations he misled investors about the Nikola’s state of technology – but after paying a deal with the US government, his former company moved forward.
Under Milton’s successor, CEO Mark Russell, Nikola streamlined its go-to-market plan, forged key partnerships and began production of the battery-electric version of its Tre heavy-duty truck. A longer-range version of the Tre, powered by hydrogen fuel cells, is expected next year.
Nikola said Monday he raised about $200 million through a private sale of convertible notes. Its current cash balance — estimated at around $1 billion — and projected funding needs will likely be topics of interest during its Thursday morning earnings call.
Nikola’s stock is down about 32% this year through Tuesday, and 91% from its all-time high of $79.73, set in June 2020.
Unlike Nikola and Fisker, Lucid will have revenue to report when it releases its first-quarter results after markets close Thursday. The Arizona-based luxury electric vehicle maker began production of its first model, the Air sedan, last fall.
Lucid CEO Peter Rawlinson served as chief engineer on Tesla’s famous Model S. The Air, an uncompromising luxury sedan with enormous range and performance, could be seen as an updated version of the ideas that formed the Model S.
Reviews of the Air have been very good – among other accolades, the Air was Motor Trend’s Car of the Year. But Lucid has struggled to scale up Air production amid continued global supply chain disruptions. In February, it cut its 2022 production target from 20,000 vehicles to between 12,000 and 14,000.
The status of Lucid’s production ramp-up will likely be a hot topic during Thursday’s earnings call.
Lucid’s stock is down about 49% this year through Tuesday, and 66% from its all-time high of $58.05, set in February 2021.


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It probably says something more about America than it does about 7-Eleven, but starting this month the retailer is rolling out a product that seems right for its time: a sugar-free Slurpee.
Fanta Sugar-Free Mango is this month’s diet flavor. 7-Eleven said it has spent two years coming up with the formula for a simple reason: customer demand.
“For years we’ve gotten calls through our guest relations hot line, ‘When are you going to have a diet Slurpee?’” company spokeswoman Margaret Chabris said. The calls have come not only from the weight-conscious but from diabetics and those with other nutritional issues, she said.
“We worked at that formula for two years, trying to nail the right attributes of the Slurpee. Not just the taste. But you need to have Slurpee all the way to the bottom of the cup, not just water and ice.”
Cost will be the same as a standard Slurpee. Formulas may differ, but for example the Fanta Wild Cherry is 66 calories for 8 ounces. The diet equivalent is 20 calories. It will be available at all participating 6,700 7-Elevens in the U.S.
It's unknown how many people, if any, drink Slurpees in 8-ounce servings. According to 7-Eleven literature, each year Americans drink enough Slurpees to fill 44 Olympic-sized swimming pools
It also makes business sense to try something new. Americans are drinking fewer soft drinks -- although it’s still about two a day for each person.
“The whole carbonated soft drink category is down,” said John Sicher, editor and publisher of Beverage Digest, a trade publication. “Between 2000 and 2011, though the soft drink category has been losing volume, diets grew from 24.7 (percent) of the business to 29.1 percent.”
This marks the first time 7-Eleven has tried its own diet Slurpee recipe. The company previously tried a Diet Pepsi and a Crystal Light Slurpee.
“Those didn’t last long,” Chabris said.
According to company research, Chabris said, “Just under 50 percent say they would drink a diet frozen beverage. Most of that 50 percent would do it occasionally, and there is a small group that would drink only diet.”
Elisa Zied, a registered dietitian, said low-cal, artificially sweetened drinks like the Slurpee aren’t necessarily bad for you, but consumers should mix it up.
“Anything you drink provides fluids for your body and helps hydrate you. A drink is a drink is a drink. But it’s important to look at all of these drinks in terms of how much you are drinking each day.”
Diet drinks can be an issue “when you over-rely on these beverages and you don’t get enough healthy options,” she said.
The Slurpee Lite is sweetened with Splenda. Other flavors coming up: Strawberry Banana and Cherry Lemonade. The company won’t disclose much beyond that, as new flavors are generally kept secret.
“We have committed to flavors through most of the rest of the year,” Chabris said. “We think it has big potential, as long as we make sure it has the same consistency.”


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Mazda's rugged MPV minivan has been around for awhile, but it's still a great vehicle and still looks
In the wake of the Ford Escape recall, which involves over 480,000 vehicles, Mazda is recalling its own Tribute compact SUV.
Read This Article
For the past 25 years, Mazda has been calling Flat Rock, Michigan, home of at least a few of its cars.
In Europe, Mazda is building a Mazda6 coupe to compete against the Audi A5 and S5.
There's no need to spend vast sums of money to get a safe new car.


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HONOLULU — 7-Eleven Hawaii Inc. is partnering with Hakuyosha Clean Living to provide 24/7, contactless dry cleaning and laundry services at select 7-Eleven convenience stores.
The service will initially launch at two locations with plans to expand. The first store, located at 1602 Nuuanu Avenue in Honolulu, began offering the service on Aug. 3. The 590 Queen St. store will add the service within two weeks, the company said.
"We understand that time is often in short supply," said Merchandising Manager Mark Imada. "7-Eleven Hawaii, as your neighborhood store, is constantly working towards finding time saving solutions for our customers, and we feel that our partnership with Hakuyosha Clean Living fits into that goal."
To sign up for the service, local residents and island visitors can download the Hakuyosha mobile app, visit hakuyosha.com or call (808) 955-6116. Customers can then drop off and pick up their dry cleaning and laundry any time at a participating store. A free personal customer service laundry bag will be returned with the first order.
"We are sincerely proud and honored to be able to provide a more convenient and safer service to our local community, especially in these uncertain times," said Hakuyosha Clean Living President Toshio Takabayashi.
7-Eleven Hawaii has 64 locations serving the communities of Oahu, Big Island, Kauai and Maui.
Based in Irving, Texas, 7-Eleven operates, franchises and/or licenses more than 70,000 stores in 17 countries, including 11,800 in North America.


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Photo Credit: VIANNE
Luxurious Italian superyacht named “VIANNE” has been on the market for sale since last month, and now its owners say they will accept payment in cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). The 52-meter ship that first went on sale in October is priced at EUR 8.9 million (roughly Rs. 75.4 crore). After the yacht sale did not manage to rope in buyers, its sales team announced the acceptance of Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin, Solana, as well as NFTs like Cryptopunks or Bored Apes as payment.
The largest-ever luxury yacht to accept crypto and NFT payments, VIANNE is complete with a helipad, hot tub on the deck, and Ralph Lauren furniture in and out among other amenities. The structure of the ship is designed by Italian specialist Stefano Natucci.
A minimum of 10 percent deposit in fiat currency will have to be paid by the buyer before opting to complete the remaining payment in crypto or NFT assets. NFTs are digital collectibles with values touching as high as $8.5 million (roughly Rs. 63 crore).
VIANNE can accommodate 12 guests in 5 staterooms and is crewed by 12 experienced crew members, led by well-respected Italian Captain Alberto Zambelli, as per PR Newswire
Pictures and videos of this white coloured water cruiser have been posted online.
The owner selling Italian-built super yacht “Vianne” said that following a payment of 10% fiat deposit, the remaining balance can be paid off in #crypto or any “top tier” #NFT #dogearmy #dogecoin #Doge pic.twitter.com/LFhcIHxICo— The Under Doge (@TheUnderDoge3) November 30, 2021
While this real superyacht is waiting for crypto and NFT holders to buy it out, a virtual superyacht called Metaflower Super Mega Yacht was recently sold for $650,000 (roughly Rs. 4.8 crore) in the metaverse.


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Carlstadt, N.J. – Consolidated Carpet is pleased to announce the success of their second annual NeoCant Showcase at their Carlstadt, N.J. Facility.
NeoCant, an International Interior Design Association (IIDA)-sponsored event, featured a product showcase, two Continuing Education Courses (CEU), dinner and door prize giveaways. With 70 industry-leading vendors showcasing their products in Consolidated Carpet’s 100,000 square-foot warehouse facility, the evening celebrated various commercial industries including furniture, textiles, flooring, lighting, design, and wall covering. Continue reading Consolidated Carpet's second annual NeoCant Showcase a success
ATLANTA—Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) held its sixth annual Entrepreneur Meeting recently at the Atlanta Airport Marriott Hotel. The organization hosted more than 60 representatives—with about 20% being first-timers—from over 47 different organizations with a vested interest in the carpet recycling industry. The purpose of the meeting is to focus on the needs and issues of the entrepreneurial carpet collection and processing community in a collegial and open atmosphere, while providing an informal networking forum for the attendees of the meeting, noted Jeremy Stroop, CARE’s operations manager.
Continue reading CARE Entrepreneur Meeting: Interest in recycling on the rise


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Mixed reaction on P.E.I. to e-cigarette study
Vape shop owner applauds British study, but Cancer Society exercising caution
The owner of a local vape shop is thrilled with a new study by Britain's Royal College of Physicians which says e-cigarettes should be widely promoted to smokers to help them quit tobacco.
But the provincial government and the Canadian Cancer Society are not ready to endorse the products.
The report released Thursday said e-cigarettes are likely to bring benefits for public health and should be widely promoted to smokers to help them quit tobacco. It also said there is no evidence e-cigarettes are a gateway to smoking and do not lead to the normalization of the habit.
"A lot of my customers surprisingly that come in here are saying they're being sent by health professionals off the record to come in here and try electronic cigarettes so they can to have a better lifestyle, better healthy living lifestyle," said Steve Dow, owner of Vape Central.
Another recent study by the Journal of the American Medical Association had a different finding - saying for those aged 16 to 26 the use of e-cigarettes was associated with higher odds of taking up regular smoking.
The Canadian Cancer Society on P.E.I. says the latest research from the UK is positive, but the society is not willing to endorse the product until it's federally approved.
"We wouldn't be behind anything that isn't like heavily evidence based so kind of the jury's still a little bit out," said Marlene Mulligan of the cancer society's P.E.I. division. "It's positive that this could be another tool for folks to be using in the future to help them stop smoking, but at this point we wouldn't be promoting that until we're certain that it's not going to do more harm or have any other unintended consequences that we don't know of today."
Electronic smoking devices are under the same provincial restrictions as regular cigarettes. Since Sept. 1, 2015, the provincial government has restricted advertising and visibility of vaping products. Stores are required to place them behind a barrier like tobacco products. People can't use them anywhere tobacco smoking is banned.
"It's going to be an ongoing challenge I think to determine the best use and regulation of these products that are currently unregulated, in society," said Dr. David Sabapathy, P.E.I.'s deputy chief public health officer.
"So I think one group coming out is just another thing to keep an eye on and I think other groups will continue to take positions on either side."
A Health Canada spokesman said the department is committed to moving forward with an evidence-based approach to vaping products and is actively reviewing health and safety data and scientific studies. But it has not approved any e-cigarette with nicotine for sale in Canada.
- MORE P.E.I. NEWS | Blue Jays founder Don McDougall to take over Mill River resort in P.E.I.
- MORE P.E.I. NEWS | First cruise ship of season arrives in P.E.I. Monday
With files from Krystalle Ramlakhan, Reuters


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FORMER Swissport Cargo executive vice-president John Batten, who has now taken up his role as managing director at all-cargo carrier…
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Week in Focus – Week Commencing 9th July 2018
The global trade war got taken up a notch on Friday as the US implemented new tariffs on USD 34bln worth of Chinese goods. China’s Foreign Ministry responded by implementing tariffs on US goods, although they did not provide any details on the goods that will be levied. The economic consequences of the new additional tariffs are still unknown but the Fed’s minutes - released on Wednesday – suggested that US businesses were already putting capital investment plans on hold as a result of the uncertainty.
US President Trump has already threatened more tariffs on Chinese goods, confirming USD 16bln will be implemented in two weeks and then hinting that another USD 500bln could be on the way, depending on how China retaliates. As mentioned, China has already responded with its own tariffs and has also drawn up a list of USD 16bln worth of tariffs to be implemented when the Trump administration responds. “In a risk scenario, we assume the US will proceed with the second round of 10% tariffs on USD200bn of Chinese exports to the US if a deal cannot be reached,” said Barclays in a client note. “In this scenario, we also assume the initial list of goods could be published during August-October, after the tariffs on USD16bn of goods are implemented in late July,” the bank adds.
In terms of data, the Chinese trade balance may take extra focus in the coming week when it is released on Friday. China’s trade surplus is expected to grow to USD 27.5bln from USD 25.0bln. Imports are forecast to have grown a whopping 22.0% Y/Y (down from 26.0% in May) and exports are expected to have increase 10.2% (down from 12.6%). Germany also releases trade data in the week with the German trade surplus expected to increase to EUR 20bln from EUR 19.4bln.
The Bank of Canada is expected to lift rates by 25bps to 1.50% at its meeting next week for the second time in 2018. The implied probability a rate rise rose slightly after the latest batch of labour market data (moving from around 80% to 86%); although the data was mixed, the data provided little that is likely to sway the Bank’s opinion that the Canadian economy is operating close to full potential. The BOC is more likely to be influenced by GDP data and its Business Outlook Survey, RBC writes, and the recent prints will offer the central bank some encouragement. “The economy has evolved roughly in line with their April MPR forecast, including Q1 GDP at 1.3% annualized and a projected bounce-back to above 2.0% growth in Q2. The recent Business Outlook Survey was very strong (BOS indicator at 3.11), highlighted by rising capacity & price pressures.” RBC makes the case that it makes sense for the BOC to further remove accommodation given rates are currently knocking around 125bps beneath the bottom-end of its estimate of the neutral rate (between 2.5% and 3.5%), as well as the BOC’s increasing discomfort with negative real rates. A hike is unlikely to surprise markets, given the decent incoming data and recent positive comments from Governor Poloz; global trade tensions will likely add some caution to the BOC’s policy approach, and Poloz will likely face many questions on the subject at the post-meeting press conference, particularly since the FOMC expressed concerns on the matter in its latest set of meeting minutes.
The ECB releases minutes from its latest meeting on Thursday, however, they rarely move markets as Draghi has often telegraphed the current state of play in the post-decision press conference. Nevertheless, the ECB altered their guidance around rate rises at the meeting, as well as announcing an end to asset purchases, so these minutes may provide more colour on their deliberations. The latest sources piece suggested some members of the governing council are uneasy with market expectations of the first rate hike coming in December next year. Reminder, the ECB said they see rates staying at present levels at least “through the summer of 2019”. With Draghi’s term ending in October 2019, it would be fitting for the President to go out with a bang and hike rates in one of his last meetings.
Dual inflation reports from the US are released in the week with PPI on Wednesday and CPI on Tuesday. CPI will likely garner more attention as it remains above 2.0%, however, the Fed prefer to target PCE rather CPI. Core CPI is forecast to increase 0.2% M/M, taking the Y/Y rate to 2.3% from 2.2%. “Risks to core inflation are skewed slightly to the low side,” Nordea opines. “Looking ahead, we expect core inflation to continue gradually higher with a peak around 2.5% in 2018,” the bank adds.
Tuesday also sees - for the very first time - the release of monthly GDP from the UK. Expectations are for GDP to have increased 0.3% M/M. “The strength of consumer-related indicators leads our short-term model to predict a robust outturn for the services sector,” writes Oxford Economics. With an expected rebound in industrial production (also released on Tuesday), growth should have picked up in the second quarter after a sluggish Q1.
With the UK Brexit cabinet meeting at Chequers still ongoing at the time of writing, the fallout from the summit will likely play a key role in UK trade at the beginning of the week. It will definitely be worth keeping an eye out on the UK’s Sunday papers with journalists likely to surmise proceedings and leaks over the weekend. The main focus will be on the extent of the rebellion faced by May with reports on Friday suggesting that at least seven Cabinet ministers are expected to confront PM May amid fears her Brexit plan will tie the UK to EU rules for the foreseeable future and put any US trade deal in jeopardy. The issue for May (as shown by recent Parliamentary votes) is that she will have to try and balance the demands of the Brexit and Remain wings of her party; something which seems increasingly implausible. Even if May is able to fudge some sort of agreement, the deal will need to be met with EU approval – something which again appears to be increasingly difficult with some EU officials already hinting that May’s plans would be ‘dead upon arrival’.


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If you've been on any social media site, then you're likely familiar with Squarespace (SQSP -0.72%), a platform provider for businesses and creators to develop an online presence. It advertises the heck out of its business and sponsors some of the biggest influencers on social media.
Yet it's more than Squarespace's familiarity that makes it my favorite tech initial public offering (IPO) so far in 2021. With loads of advertising and appeal to online business development, this company could be a great investment for today's investors. Its business possesses qualities that too few newly public companies do, regardless of their industry. Read on to find out what those are.
Was Squarespace ready to go public?
Squarespace came to the public markets in May via a direct listing, a method that allows companies to sidestep the traditional financial institutions that run IPOs and lets insiders, shareholding employees, and early investors sell their stock directly to the public.
But it was an ignominious debut. Squarespace opened for trading at $48 per share and ended its first day of trading on the New York Stock Exchange at just above $43 a share, a 13% decline from its $50 per share reference price.
While shares did manage to climb to almost $65 per share in the weeks afterward, Squarespace stock has fallen 37% from those highs and now trades below where it closed that first day.
For a business growing as Squarespace is, it seems a mistake on the part of the market to cast it aside on inflation jitters amid a spate of tech IPOs. Market players fearing inflation effects avoided investing in high-growth tech stocks. Taking advantage of the market's blunder could be an opportunity for smart investors.
Squaring its stock price to its business potential
Squarespace is growing fast. It sports 3.9 million unique subscriptions, 15% more than last year and 5% higher than it had at the end of 2020. That's significant because that figure doesn't mean the total number of websites, rather it includes customers with a stand-alone scheduling subscription, social service, or hospitality account. So if someone has subscriptions for a website, a domain, and a Google Workspace that counts as one unique account.
The average revenue per subscriber rose 6% for the period, to $193. Over the last two years, total revenue has grown at a 28% rate. Last quarter revenue was up 31%, hitting $196 million, with subscription revenue accounting for 94% of the total.
Part of the reason for its growth is that it takes something very complicated -- website design -- and makes it incredibly easy for the end-user to create. The all-in-one interface not only allows for an online presence but provides for an e-commerce option as well. Users seem to be responding to its ability to offer a domain, website, email, and storefront all with drag-and-drop functionality at a reasonable cost.
It reported a loss in the second quarter of $234.5 million compared to a profit of $18.5 million last year, but that's because the costs associated with going public are included in the generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) numbers. Back out those figures and Squarespace had adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, or EBITDA, of $42.6 million, up from $39.5 million a year ago. The company was even able to report free cash flow of $10 million.
Squarespace has been consistently profitable and last year generated a net income of $30.6 billion. The company also reported free cash flow of $95 million in 2019 and over $152 million in 2020.
This is a rapidly growing company, producing large sales and profits, and it anticipates this level of growth will continue. Revenue is expected to increase on average 25% with free cash flow of between $102 million and $116 million.
There's more opportunity with small businesses
While Squarespace is best known for its website templates, it also offers hosting services and e-commerce transaction capabilities, similar to services provided by Shopify (SHOP 0.23%), Wix.com (WIX -0.30%), and BigCommerce.
The all-in-one nature of its platform offers small and medium-sized businesses and independent creators the opportunity to create, build, and manage their online presence and persona.
Squarespace says there are approximately 800 million small and medium-sized businesses and self-employed people globally, 46% of whom are not even online yet. This provides it a total addressable market of around $150 billion for the near- and medium-term, giving it a large, untapped market that it can onboard efficiently and profitably.
Spending on e-commerce software applications is expected to grow from $6.3 billion in 2020 to $7.3 billion in 2024. It gives Squarespace the chance to unlock new opportunities to monetize its platform, such as its recent acquisition of Tock, a restaurant-focused reservation, hospitality, and order management platform. Purchasing Tock allows Squarespace to expand its hospitality offerings to accelerate sales, provide greater marketing integrations, and connect directly with its customers.
Squarespace faces competition but is still a winner
Squarespace has done its business right. Unlike many companies before it, the website provider nurtured its business in private, waited until it had a business that was successful in terms of sales and profits and then went public.
As previously noted, it does have stiff competition. Wix, for example, is a bigger rival, more than twice the capitalization of Squarespace's $5.8 billion market value, while Shopify at $184 billion dwarfs it. Yet where the former trades at 10 times sales and the latter 48 times, Squarespace goes for around 8 times sales.
The sector will keep growing, and despite the sell-off in tech stocks, Squarespace's leading position and deeply discounted shares make it my favorite tech IPO this year.


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'Cloak of Invisibility' lets you hide from Google: Padded coat blocks radio waves to stop firms accessing your phone's data
- Vienna-based Coop Himmelb(l)au have made a coat that stops radio waves
- The Jammer Coat can be used to keep devices safe from prying eyes
- While wearing the coat smartphones, tablets and more cannot be tracked
- This means companies would be unable to take data from the wearer
- The coat is on display at an exhibition in Milan, Italy until the end of June
Anyone who's familiar with Harry Potter will know about the Cloak of Invisibility.
While we're yet to see such a gadget that conceals objects completely, a firm has developed a 'cloak' that makes people's data invisible from large companies such as Google.
The unique coat blocks radio waves to stop firms using phones and other devices to collect data on our everyday lives.
The Jammer Coat (pictured), which admittedly looks similar to a duvet, is a padded cloak fitted with metallic fibres. These fibres block part of the electromagnetic spectrum from accessing devices inside the pockets. It was created by Austrian company Coop Himmelb(l)au
Data collection has become a growing concern for many users of smart technology, which can record numerous personal details, some of which is collected without their knowledge.
FROM INVISIBLE CLOAKS TO WIRELESS CHARGING TROUSERS
Microsoft Mobile Devices has created the first ever wireless charging trousers.
Together with designer A. Sauvage, the leggings are on display at London Collecions: Men today.
The technology, known as inductive charging, comes from the new Nokia DC-50 wireless charging plate.
This was fitted into a piece of clothing to let people charge devices in their trousers while wearing them.
‘We think that integrating wearable tech into a wardrobe staple, makes the technology more accessible to the image conscious,’ said the team.
With that in mind Coop Himmelb(l)au, an Austrian architecture company, created the Jammer Coat to protect the wearer from unwanted data collection.
The Jammer Coat is a padded cloak that contains metallic fibres designed to block radio waves, shielding the wearer from tracking devices.
All signals are designed to be blocked from reaching devices once they are stored inside the coat, meaning vital information from important items such as credit cards is protected from those looking to obtain it.
This also means it is blocked from WI-Fi networks, mobile providers and more.
And with numerous pockets of different sizes the coat can accommodate smartphones, tablets and a range of other devices.
The white coat is also patterned with black spots, which have been designed to mask the wearer’s true body shape.
You're a (tech) wizard Harry: Fans of Harry Potter will be familiar with the fictional Cloak of Invisibility (pictured). While this technology, if it were real, would block light waves to make it appear invisible, the Jammer Coat blocks radio waves to hide devices from Wi-Fi networks, mobile firms and other companies
The CHBL Jammer Coat is a piece of clothing that enables its user to 'disappear', meaning 'Google cannot find you anymore' according to the company. Numerous pockets of different sizes (pictured) can hold smartphones, tablets and a range of other devices
'The CHBL Jammer Coat is a piece of clothing that enables its user to disappear: Google cannot find you anymore,' said a spokesperson for Coop Himmelb(l)au.
'The piece is made of metallised fabrics, which are blocking radio waves and shielding the wearer against tracking devices.
'You are no longer reachable on your mobile phone and no information from your credit card can be captured.
And they added: 'The Wave Circle pattern of the fabric gives an illusion of strange multiple body parts, which hides and frees the individual physicality.'
Coop Himmelb(l)au created the CHBL Jammer Coat for the Abiti da lavoro exhibition, which takes place at the Triennale in Milan, Italy, at the end of June 2014.
The company said users will no longer be reachable on their mobile phone and no information from their credit card can be captured, while wearing the cloak (pictured). It adds the Wave Circle pattern of the fabric to give an illusion of strange multiple body parts, to disguise the person's body shape
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Cebu Pacific Celebrates 23rd Year with Super Seat Fest
Wanderlusts are in for an amazing treat this month of March!
To celebrate its 23rd year in the business, Cebu Pacific will be having its biggest sale event to date! To thank the Filipinos for making Cebu Pacific the country’s leading carrier, every Juan’s favorite carrier will be offering more than a MILLION seats and sales on sale this March. But that’s not all! There will also be huge discounts on group deals, inflight meals, baggage allowance, and more! Read on to know more about Cebu Pacific’s gigantic gift for every JUAN!
Last February 21, Cebu Pacific unveiled to members of the local media their exciting offering for the whole month of March. Hosted by Cebu personality Jude Bacalso, the intimate gathering was exciting and was filled with fun activities and games.
Cebu Pacific Director for Marketing Blessie Cruz excitedly unveils the exciting offerings which make the Super Seat Fest the company’s grandest sale event ever!
Here are just some of the reasons why you shouldn’t miss the #CEBSuperSeatFest:
✔ Over 1,000,000 (one million) seats and deals on sale
✔ Amazing GROUP DEALS
✔ up to PhP100 discount on IN-FLIGHT MEALS
✔ up to 40% discount on PREPAID BAGGAGE ALLOWANCE
✔ up to 42% discount on CEB GETAWAYS HOTEL DEALS
Get the biggest deals this March at Cebu Pacific’s Super Seat Fest!
To stay on the loop and to never miss a single amazing deal in the biggest travel sale this year, follow the official Cebu Pacific social media accounts now!


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FAU-G stands for ‘Fearless and United Guards’ and is a ‘Made in India’ game that is all set to replace the demand for popular Chinese game, PUBG Mobile after it was banned by the Indian government. The action game will officially be launched on January 26, 2021, after months of wait and delay.
According to recent reports, FAU-G has recorded over 4 million pre-registrations ahead of official launch as confirmed by Bengaluru-based game developer, nCore Games through IGN India.
FAU-G was announced back in September 2020, soon after the ban of PUBG Mobile from the Indian market. The ban was definitely a setback for Indian gamers who apparently loved the game but soon that demand was catered to by a Made in India gaming developer, nCore Games that announced Fearless and United Guards, an action game that pays tribute to India’s armed forces.
Reports also reveal that over one million pre-registrations were recorded within the first 24 hours of the game on Google Play Store and only in another month and a half, the numbers quadrupled. Pre-registrations of the game began in November last year but only on Google Play Store for mid-ranged and high-end Android devices. The pre-registrations have not yet initiated for iOS devices, according to a report by Financial Express.
In an announcement, the game developer estimated that the number of pre-registrations can cross the five million mark before the official launch. However, the game is all set to make a bang in the Indian market after months of hype and users will be able to download the game on 26th of January, 2021 on both Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
PUBG Mobile ban from the Indian market was nothing less than a heartbreak for players across the nation. In terms of analysts, India was one of the biggest markets for the Chinese game developer because of the market depth and population. It was only because of PUBG Mobile’s ban that investors from all across the globe turned their heads to witness the potential market that India was for the gaming industry.
FAU-G was hyped because of its homegrown roots as PUBG Mobile was banned because of national security threats. The indigenous game, Fearless and United Guards will step players into the shoes of a special unit of FAU-G commandoes on patrol around the LAC – Line of Actual Control.
According to a report by Financial Express, it is also confirmed that FAU-G will initially not have a Battle Royale mode like PUBG Mobile had but the feature will soon be introduced in the game. As of now, the Indian market is desperately waiting to see if FAU-G can truly replace PUBG Mobile or can it be even better than its banned competitor.
Save the date to download FAU-G: 26th January 2021 – Republic Day.


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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Marking a major milestone this Labor Day weekend, the Downtown Market in Grand Rapids celebrated one year since opening to some serious fanfare in 2013.
The $30 million venue on downtown's south end at 435 Ionia Ave. SW opened to more than 30,000 visitors last Labor Day weekend.
While a few vendors have come and gone already in the past year, some critics are pointing to a large, unoccupied space in the market planned for a farm-to-table type restaurant or brewpub as a sign things haven't quite lived up to expectations. Promised last year, plans to fill the space still haven't materialized.
"We're hoping to have something to announce within the next few months," Burch said over the phone Monday, admitting the challenge to fill the space is a result of market officials being extremely picky about choosing a tenant.
"It'd be easy to put a chain in, but it's much harder to find a farm-to-table type place which is what we're aiming for," he said. "We've been very deliberate in finding the right fit for a place that plans to use the market for what we intended; emphasizing fresh and local."
Officials for the market haven't been willing to share specifics on the financial condition of the market but several vendors FOX 17 spoke with said business in the past year has exceeded expectations in many cases.
“I think we were just really excited to be a part of something new," said Kate Leeder, co-owner of Aperitivo, a wine and cheese vendor that opened with the market in 2013.
“People seem to think that we’re floundering and we’re really happy we’re here and we’re happy to have the customers who love us," she said.
“We were very hopeful and we’ve been kind of thrilled by the success and even just the little things like new customers who come everyday and who then come back... it’s been a wonderful surprise.”
Leeder says her wine bar in particular is performing much stronger than she expected with revenue split almost evenly between that and her retail. Her unique offerings are something she says has been key to Aperitivo's sustained success.
“We have things that you can’t find at other places in West Michigan," Leeder said. "There are very few places in West Michigan who sell what we sell and that helps, you know it’s nice to be a destination spot.”
Customers like Creshon White from Kalamzoo, visiting the market for the first time Monday, seem to agree with Leeder's assessment.
“So far, I’m loving it," she said having just bought some brie from Aperitivo.
“This is way better (than a grocery store), someone actually knows the product, where it’s coming from and how to actually use it so you can enhance the flavors, it’s perfect.”
White said she appreciated the interaction customers could have with vendors and knowing there's an emphasis on fresh, local products in something that appealed to her too.
“I just found brie from Benton Harbor, so I’m really impressed, had no idea Benton Harbor produced brie, so I’m excited," she said.
To celebrate the market's one year anniversary, several of the vendors are planning to offer "birthday bites" specials with discounts on food and other items on Sept. 6. Participating vendors include:
- Love’s - Birthday Cake Ice Cream - $1 off
- Tacos El Cunado - free chips and guacamole with any purchase
- Rak Thai - $1 Asian Street Food Bites
- Malamiah - Chocolate and Vanilla Cake Smoothies
- Thornburg - Free 2 oz. honey with purchase of any 3 preserves


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IN 1992 the science fiction writer, Neal Stephenson, wrote an interesting futuristic book called Snow Crash in which he coined the term “metaverse”. His intention was to describe an alternative computer-generated universe that is highly immersive, with a shared virtual world where people can gather, socialise, play games, work and do business.
Today the description of Stephenson still holds, and the metaverse is seen as an online digital space where people can do things together in interconnected worlds across a wide variety of devices. But you will need a digital avatar of yourself to participate in this virtual world.
The metaverse is also closely tied to the development of Web 3.0, which many believe is the next phase of development of the internet. It is purported that Web 3.0 will be built on blockchains that will democratise access and power and weaken the immense control of the web by the large tech companies.
The creation of a metaverse is also not new, since in the 2000s there were many precursors to the metaverse, such as Second Life in 2003 and Hubbo Hotel. Although they have lost their popularity, both are still operating. Second Life, for instance, still has 200 000 daily active users.
But suddenly the metaverse has become the most popular catchword in tech on the lips of enthusiasts and investors alike. Facebook even changed its name to Meta Platforms Inc because they believe that the metaverse is the future of the internet and therefore their current focus is very much on smart glasses, virtual reality (VR) headsets, and lifelike video calls over the internet. Meta endeavours to move beyond their two-dimensional social media platforms to an interactive digital metaverse by replicating the feeling of real social presence and interactions as if you were physically in the same room with other people.
Epic, the producer of the online multiplayer game, Fortnite, earlier this year raised $1 billion (R16bn) in funding to further develop the online immersive experience. Microsoft again wants to build an enterprise metaverse called Mesh, as part of its Teams platform. And as expected, many new metaverse companies are avidly trying to get a slice of the pie.
Interestingly, it all started with multiplayer games such as Fortnite, Minecraft (owned by Microsoft), and Roblox (loved by children from seven to 12-years old). These companies made social gaming popular, where children and adults could socialise while playing. By focusing on the socialising aspect, they created platforms that could be the basic building blocks for the development of the metaverse.
Most of these games, such as Minecraft that runs on Hadean cloud software, can easily scale up to thousands of simultaneous users. The reason for the sudden focus on virtual reality is because the computing power to scale resource-hungry virtual reality to a massive scale is only now becoming a reality. Due to the increased computing power, providers of large-scale distributed computing can easily accommodate 10 000 players on the same server at the same time. Many metaverse companies are even talking about hosting virtual concerts and sporting events for so many as 50 000 people simultaneously.
But the metaverse is not only about games. From shopping to watching movies in a virtual theatre with people all over the world or playing golf with virtual clubs are all available in the metaverse. Fortnite, for instance has hosted concerts by Ariana Grande and Travis Scott, while Roblox hosted a concert of Lil Nas X and got 33 million views. Many other companies are also building immersive music experiences for the metaverse, in partnership with some well-known artists.
Just a few days ago, the Metaverse Group bought a piece of virtual real estate in “Fashion Street” in the virtual world of Decentraland for a whopping $2.4 million (R39m) in cryptocurrency. The Metaverse Group intends to host digital fashion events and sell virtual clothing for avatars.
E-commerce in the metaverse is just as active due to cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) that make it easy to trade inside the metaverse. The wonderful thing about NFTs is that it makes the portability of a person’s virtual identity and goods possible between different metaverse worlds, such as taking a pixelated sword from a Roblox game and turning it into a powerful gun in Fortnite. This will make the metaverse truly “meta” and allow people to move seamlessly between platforms. This is very similar to the 1990s when cellphone operators started to allow people to text each other across the different networks with the result that cellphone texting (SMS) exploded worldwide.
Many businesses, such as fashion designers, working in virtual collaboration rooms, will build their businesses around the provision of goods and services for the metaverse. Gucci, for example, sells digital outfits and accessories in Roblox. Artists are increasingly presenting their art in immersive art exhibitions. Others are focusing on healthcare such as the consultation of a digital doctor or psychologist through immersive VR. It might just be possible that every company will eventually have a three dimensional (3D) metaverse presence, just as they have a two-dimensional (2D) website at the moment.
And do not for one moment think that we will all wear the clunky VR headsets of today. Most people will just use their smartphone when they want to try on some dresses, or look at a product before buying it. It would even be possible to virtually apply the makeup to see if it suits you.
With work-from-home due to the pandemic now becoming a permanent arrangement, it is the main reason why Meta created the Horizon Workrooms app to recreate the office experience. It is even possible with the Oculus Quest 2 VR headset to scan your computer, keyboard and desk into virtual space to create a Holodeck level of interactivity blending real world tools with virtual reality. In this virtual office, collaboration with colleagues are possible with special-aware audio, screensharing and a whiteboard. You can even receive phone notifications and social media updates while in this space.
Meta also introduced Meta Portal, a smart display and video-chatting device with a camera that follows you to create a life-like experience. The “Do Things Together” button in Messenger opens up a whole world of interactivity, such as reading your child a bedtime story with augmented reality effects allowing you and your child to become characters in the story.
The metaverse is an interesting new world that is becoming increasingly popular, but it is not without dangers. Certain things such as intellectual property (IP), ownership, data protection, content licensing, and crypto assets still need to be thrashed out properly.
Then there is also Facebook and Microsoft’s dystopian idea that the metaverse is a set of virtual worlds that we will have to access via corporate-controlled entry points, such as propriety headsets and apps. In contrast Web3 players proposes a decentralised metaverse or “paraverse”, consisting of community-owned platforms where communities co-exist and users can earn a living in cryptocurrency, and data is shared transparently using interoperable blockchains (also referred to as “sidechains” or “parachains”). The two proposed scenarios are thus centralised control or total independence of centralised control. But who can we trust?
It indeed seems that in future we will spend increasingly more time in the digital sphere or metaverse relative to the physical one. But despite the enthusiasm for the metaverse, the massive amounts invested in it, and Facebook and Microsoft’s efforts to dominate the metaverse, I believe we are still a few years away from the ability to seamlessly move between apps. Only when we really can meet people around the globe, work together in the same room in a fully immersive way, the metaverse will explode and become part of our daily lives.
Professor Louis CH Fourie is a technology strategist
*The views expressed here are not necessarily those of IOL or of title sites.
BUSINESS REPORT ONLINE


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NEFCU will host a used car sale at its Westbury branch on Sept. 17.
NEFCU, Formerly Nassau Educators Federal Credit Union has partnered with Enterprise Car Sales and GrooveCar to offer low-mileage, pre-owned vehicles at the sale, and buyers can get financing, license plates, and even Department of Motor Vehicles registration at the same time.
To make the cars more affordable, NEFCU will offer a special .25 percent loan discount and financing rates as low as 1.99 percent.
The NEFCU used car sale, held twice a year, also features refreshments and giveaways, with entertainment provided by KJOY radio. The event occurs between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. at 1000 Corporate Drive in Westbury.
”Our vehicle loan sale event has been well received over the past few years,” said NEFCU vice president Valerie Garguilo in a statement. “We are happy and very pleased to be able to once again bring back this one-day event to the Long Island community.”


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Nestlé UK has launched a new trial to create low-carbon fertiliser using cocoa shells from its Kit Kat factory in York.
It is to conduct a two-year trial to evaluate the fertiliser’s performance on crop production, soil health and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction.
If successful, the company said, up to 7,000 tonnes of low-carbon fertiliser could be produced and offered to farmers in Nestlé’s UK wheat supply chain, equating to around 25% of Nestlé UK’s total fertiliser used for wheat.
The cocoa shells are supplied by US company Cargill, which processes the cocoa at the York facility to become key ingredients in products including Kit Kat and Aero.
Swindon-based CCm Technologies and York-based Fera Science are also involved in the trials, which will see the material used on arable farms in Suffolk and Northamptonshire.
They will investigate the performance of the fertiliser in terms of wheat yield and quality, and assess the impacts on soil biodiversity and GHG emissions in comparison to conventional products.
Nestlé has set a target to reach net zero emissions by 2050 and source 50% of its key ingredients from regenerative agricultural methods by 2030.
“Farmers often find themselves among the first groups to be exposed to global issues, and these risks are then borne by the food system we all depend upon,” said Nestlé UK & Ireland regeneration lead Matt Ryan.
“We have to find ways to build more resilience into the system and optimising our use of natural resources is a critical part of this.”
Its move is the latest announcement in a shift towards low-carbon fertilisers.
Last week, Tesco boss Ken Murphy announced it was partnering with its suppliers in a bid to drive a tenfold increase in the number of hectares being cultivated by low-carbon alternatives for the 2024 growing season.


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There are currently at least a million unlocked iPhones on T-Mobile’s network, or at least that’s what the carrier has been telling people at the PepCom conference in New York. T-Mobile claims most of the phones pre-date the iPhone 4, which means those users physically had to trim their T-Mobile SIM card to get them to fit into their device.
A further testament to the fervor of the iPhone faithful is the fact that these “trimmed” iPhones don’t even get 3G or 4G service because they lack some key pieces of hardware and don’t match up with T-Mobile’s radios.
A T-Mobile spokesman also said that microSIMs are in the works, which would mean no more card trimming, but didn’t give a release date.
Of course, there is now an easier way to get an unlocked iPhone for those who have the cash, as Apple has started selling an unlocked version of the iPhone 4 in the United States.
There are few advantages to the unlocked iPhone other than the ability to escape AT&T, which is in the process of swallowing up T-Mobile. It’s nice to be able to avoid those silly two-year service contracts, and great for international travel, but the added expense or potential for degraded service seem like a high price to pay. Then again, can a million unlocked iPhone users be wrong?


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In a strange turn of events, Samsung is apparently skipping out on Europe for the Samsung Galaxy Note 5. The news comes from several European publications who have heard from Samsung that the handset, which was officially announced yesterday, would not be making its way to the region.
It’s an odd course considering Samsung’s big marketing push for the Samsung Galaxy Note line started in Europe. The original device was launched at IFA in Berlin, after all, and it’s been a staple ever since.
There’s nothing suggesting the move was influenced by sales or trends, with Samsung only willing to say that their efforts will be squarely in pushing the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus. Sadly, importing may be the only option for those of you who don’t live in North America, Asia or other markets where Samsung is planning to sell this thing. Do you care? Perhaps we can help you decide whether you’re missing out on anything.
[via The Verge]


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The new exhibition features some of the earliest designs, to the cars of the future.
The event was launched with the official unveiling of the first all-electric black cab.
The Mayor visited the 2 first routes
Her work will pop up across the whole tube network
Life after The Network Rail sell off
After years and a world record attempt it is finally public
It started out as a drunken online purchase, £20K later he's ready to go!
Managers blamed, as London Assembly criticises the subject
The National Audit Office found Network Rail failed to consider its tenants during the sale of arches across London
The issue of pavement potholes has been raised by the charity Living Streets.
A large portrait mural at Brixton Underground captures diversity within the community
Steam service from Waterloo to Windsor
Drivers of older, more polluting vehicles are being charged to drive in London.
With the introduction of the Mayor's Ultra Low Emission Zone, a new bike scheme has launched to provide an alternative to delivery vans.
Lack of access to a bridge has caused hundreds of staff at the Tate & Lyle factory to walk


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TRS working president and Minister K.T. Rama Rao yet again targeted the Prime Minister Narendra Modi questioning the gap between his ideas and actions.
This time, he questioned the Central government’s decision to increase the GST on handlooms and textiles from 5% to 12% when Mr. Modi himself has been speaking of strengthening the handloom sector. In a tweet, Mr. KTR urged the Prime Minister to reduce the GST on handlooms and textiles or else the industry will face a crisis.
“Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, on the National Handloom Day you had talked of strengthening #Vocal for handmade. On the contrary to the idea, your government has enhanced GST on Handlooms and Textiles from 5 % to 12 %, which will be a death knell for the industry. Request you to intervene and save the weavers,” he tweeted.
Earlier, Mr. KTR shared a picture of the Prime Minister having lunch with construction workers in Kashi Vishwanath temple and posted several pictures of workers walking to their homes hundreds of kms away during the lockdown without any support from the government. The Minister wanted to convey that the Prime Minister remembers workers only when elections were around, and he said the same in the tweet.
On the enhancement of GST, the Minister earlier shot off a letter to the Union Minister for Textiles, Piyush Goyal and demanded the withdrawal of the decision to hike GST from 5% to 12%, which will come into effect from January 1, 2022.
Opposing the hike, Mr. KTR said that the handlooms industry was going through a crisis due to the pandemic and increasing the GST will impact it adversely.
Source: Read Full Article


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If you’re interested for Huawei Ascend W2, is now Huawei has been release the new promotional video that shows the important feature that embed in Huawei Ascend W2.
As we are know, the Huawei Ascend W2 is the one of Windows Phone device out there, this phone is the second Windows Phone devices from Huawei after they sucessfully to release Ascend W1.
In this video you can see the new feature and capacitive buttons on the bottom of the phone that will have a similar color to the device.
The video also shows how the sensitivity of the touch screen as well as Ascend W2 and of course Windows Phone display shows itself.
Unfortunately there is no information about the availability and the price of the new Huawei Ascend W2. So we have to wait until Huawei released this phone officially.


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New App Connects NEA
By Kayce Wilson
Delta Digital News Service
JONESBORO – ConnectNEA’s mission allows local small- and medium-sized businesses to connect with the Northeast Arkansas community.
Kent Wilson owns and markets ConnectNEA, which reaches across the Northeast Arkansas Delta. The application mirrors Village Vesl, which runs in some major cities in America. Wilson said seeing the app take off excites him.
“Once it begins to grow, the social aspect will begin to multiply among itself. It grows really fast, I think it will have a really nice impact on Northeast Arkansas,” Wilson said. “The flags that businesses will post will reach the NEA users in ways they couldn’t before.”
The app, available on iTunes or Google Play, allows businesses to post multiple geoflags at their chosen locations, which could include coupons or advertisements. Wilson said when a ConnectNEA user passes by a geoflag, their phone will “wake up” and show them the discount or ad posted at that location.
“People will be shopping at stores that they may not have known existed until now,” Wilson said.
Nonprofit organizations can also partner with the app. During each month, ConnectNEA users can vote for nonprofits they would like to see receive donations from the money the app has made.
The app also shows where construction is taking place in the area. NEA Parking Lot Maintenance keeps users updated with where they are doing renovations in the area.
Bono resident Whitney Welch said this should really help to bring together all kinds of businesses.
“I haven’t heard about this until just now, but I think it sounds great! I’m excited to know information about traffic or construction before I leave the house,” Welch said. “I feel like since technology is such a big part of our lives now, this app will only help things to improve.”
Since the app launched in October, very few businesses have created accounts. A “New Member November” contest encouraged users to invite friends to be entered into a contest to win a gift certificate.
Arkansas State University student Jazmin Selvy said this app will be a big help in Jonesboro.
“Since it’s a college town, I feel like everybody will benefit from this once they hear about it. I’m definitely going to be looking out for discounts and sales while I can,” Selvy said.
Wilson said a big reason he wanted to bring ConnectNEA to Northeast Arkansas was that he didn’t like hearing about people taking trips to Little Rock or Memphis for things that are already in this region.


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Olive Telecommunications has recently stated that they have appointed Kapil Dev, an ace cricketer as their Goodwill Ambassador for their range of mobile phones in country. The Chairman of Olive Telecommunications, Arun Khanna stated that “Kapil is the epitome of cricket in India and regarded as the greatest all-rounder the sport has ever seen. Somewhat like the Olive devices, completely all round in their usability, devices ranging from the entry level to sophisticated offerings for the digitally connected. Olive products are designed keeping in mind the extensive usage of mobile phones countrywide. We are confident that our association with Kapil will definitely lend an edge to the positioning of our offerings.”
Kapil Dev on being associated with Olive said that it is pleasure for him to be associated with a brand which has created an innovative cutting edge technology and has created a niche for itself. Olive is one of the latest company which has entered the booming market of mobile phones in Indian and along with other domestic manufacturers like Zen, Lemon and Micromax it is giving tough competition to MNC’s like Samsung and Nokia.


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Starbucks Advances Mobile Payment Experience, Extends Starbucks Reserve® Coffee Program and Invests in Talent Development at 2012 Global Leadership Conference
Company inspires nearly 10,000 store managers to lead and contributes 42,000 hours of community service during three-day conference in Houston
HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Starbucks Coffee Company (NAS: SBUX) today kicked-off its three-day Global Leadership Conference in Houston where the company will inspire nearly 10,000 store managers by investing in their development, connecting them with the company's core values and motivating them to deliver against Starbucks business aspirations.
Conference highlights include:
Starbucks chairman, president and ceo Howard Schultz and Square founder and ceo Jack Dorsey announced that customers will be able to use Square Wallet to pay with their mobile phones at U.S. Starbucks stores beginning in early November. Customers will also be able to use the Square directory to find more than 7,000 U.S. company-operated Starbucks stores.
Starbucks also announced it will enable digital tipping on its existing mobile payment applications and on Square Wallet for its U.S. store partners (employees) in summer 2013.
As a further testament to the company's innovation in mobile payment, the Starbucks mobile application is now integrated with Apple's Passbook allowing customers' Starbucks Cards to appear on their iPhone screen automatically after they enter a favorite Starbucks store.
The company announced plans to introduce its rare and exotic Starbucks Reserve® coffee line using its patented Clover® Brewing system to approximately 200 additional locations in the U.S. and Canada. Global expansion into key international markets, including Japan and the U.K., is also expected.
Announced the San Francisco Evolution Fresh™ store will be opening for business in mid-October; next Evolution Fresh™ location coming to University Village shopping center in Seattle in mid-November.
A nearly 400,000-square-foot immersive "Leaders' Lab" has been constructed that will guide conference participants through a two-hour interactive journey that brings Starbucks mission statement to life by highlighting coffee, customers and community.
By the close of the conference, Starbucks expects to have contributed $22 million in economic and community service impact to Houston - including the largest single corporate community volunteer project in the city's recent history.
The company celebrated the opening of its third profit-sharing Community Store in Houston in collaboration with the Association for the Advancement of Mexican Americans (AAMA).
"Building an enduring company requires making a sustained investment in its people," said Schultz at the Houston conference. "In the forty-two year history of the company, there has never been a more important or exciting time for Starbucks. Four years ago I addressed our first global leadership conference in New Orleans, and we emerged from those meetings energized and poised for our next wave of growth. Today, Starbucks stands as a stronger, more innovative and relevant company, largely due to the bet we made on our partners (employees) in New Orleans. These next few days will give our leaders the opportunity to reconnect with the heart of our company through community engagement, refining our coffee expertise and perfecting the art of exceeding our customers' expectations."
Developing Leadership For The Future
Today Starbucks commenced its 2012 Global Leadership Conference which will run through Saturday, Oct. 6. Nearly 10,000 of the company's store managers and regional leaders from outside the U.S. traveled to Houston for three days of inspiration, instruction and interaction. Starbucks has branded the conference with the theme "Lead" to reinforce the critical leadership role these store managers - many of whom are running the equivalent of small businesses generating more than $1 million in annual sales - play in the company's success.
As the fourth-largest city and fourth designated green coffee port in the U.S. as well as an important gateway to Latin America, Houston's rich diversity and deep community roots make this an ideal location to bring Starbucks retail leaders together. Starbucks has 228 company-operated and licensed stores in Greater Houston where it employs more than 2,500 partners. The company's first store in Houston opened in 1994.
Starbucks is investing $35 million in this conference. When combined with the company's extensive three days of volunteer work across the city, the combined direct and indirect economic impact in the Greater Houston area is nearly $22 million.
"Starbucks is a brand that needs no introduction, and we couldn't be more pleased to be hosting their Global Leadership Conference here in Houston," said Greg Ortale, president and CEO of the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau. "Not only is Starbucks going above and beyond with a community outreach initiative while they're in our city, but they're leaving behind a nearly $22 million impact in Houston. It is a double legacy for their community outreach and for all the hospitality jobs supported by their direct spending."
Several inspiring guest speakers will address attendees on the subject of leadership. In addition to Schultz, speakers will include Starbucks president of Americas Cliff Burrows; Square founder and ceo Jack Dorsey; and Harvard Business School professor Nancy Koehn.
Conference attendees will participate in interactive sessions that will strengthen store managers' expertise in coffee, communications, customer service and partner recruitment as well as other leadership skills and business fundamentals that will accelerate Starbucks retail growth and differentiation. To bring the brand, mission and leadership imperatives to life, the company has created a nearly 400,000-square-foot immersive "Leaders' Lab" that will guide conference participants through a two-hour interactive journey.
Accelerating Starbucks Mobile Payment Leadership
In a joint presentation today, Schultz and Dorsey announced that Starbucks customers will be able to begin using Square's mobile payment application, Square Wallet, in early November at Starbucks approximately 7,000 U.S. company-operated locations. Starbucks also announced that it will enable digital tipping at its U.S. company-operated stores through both the Square and Starbucks mobile payment applications in the summer of 2013.
"Starbucks and Square share a passion for constantly improving the customer experience," said Dorsey. "This partnership gives millions of Starbucks customers a quick, seamless payment experience and introduces them to hundreds of thousands of small businesses in the Square directory."
Additionally, the official Starbucks mobile app is now even easier for customers with an iPhone or iPod touch. Today, Starbucks announced that Starbucks Card integrates Passbook functionality. From the Starbucks app, iPhone and iPod touch users simply need to tap "add to Passbook" once, and just swipe their Starbucks pass in Passbook to pay at a Starbucks store. Passbook is time and location enabled, so the Starbucks Card will show on the device's Lock screen automatically as soon as a customer enters their favorite Starbucks store.
In early August, Square and Starbucks announced a groundbreaking partnership that will enhance the payment experience for millions of Starbucks customers while helping stimulate small business growth. With more than 70 million mobile payment transactions since Starbucks launched its mobile payment app in January 2011, the company has quickly emerged as the nation's largest mobile payment platform. In August, the companies also announced that Square will process Starbucks U.S. credit and debit card transactions, which will significantly expand Square's scale and accelerate the benefits to businesses on the Square platform, especially small businesses, while reducing Starbucks payment processing costs.
Elevating Coffee Leadership
"Our store managers are the heart and soul of Starbucks and being a coffee leader is just as critical as being a business leader," said Burrows in Houston. "At this conference, we are ensuring that our managers fully understand and embrace our rich heritage and expertise in sourcing and roasting the highest-quality coffee. This will help them deliver a perfect coffee experience with inspired customer service every day."
Underscoring its coffee leadership and innovation, the company announced it plans to increase the number of locations where it sells and brews its rare and exotic Starbucks Reserve® coffees. There are currently 347 locations in the United States that sell Starbucks Reserve® coffee in packages of whole bean and also offer it by the cup brewed on the company's patented Clover® Brewer.
In 2013, the company is planning to expand the number of Starbucks Reserve® stores by 60 percent - or approximately 200 locations - in the U.S. and Canada with additional expansion planned for key international markets, including Japan and the U.K., where Starbucks Reserve® already has a presence. Starbucks also plans to add several new exotic coffees to the Reserve® assortment, including a rare Geisha coffee varietal from Costa Rica that is one of the most highly sought-after coffees in the world this holiday season.
Bringing Starbucks Juice and Food Innovation To Life
Additionally, Starbucks announced that the third retail store for Evolution Fresh will open mid-October in the Filmore district of San Francisco, and it plans to open an additional store in the University Village Shopping Center in Seattle in mid-November. The opening of the new stores, as well as the continued expansion of Evolution Fresh™ bottled beverages, positions the brand's continued growth in the $3.4 billion and growing cold-crafted juice category.
The addition of La Boulange® to the Starbucks portfolio earlier this year was a key next step in the company's journey to bring authentic and delicious food to customers, delivering additional reasons to enjoy their experience during multiple day-parts and at differentiated retail locations. After an initial market evaluation this fall and winter, Starbucks will begin to roll-out fresh La Boulange™ products to its company-operated stores in the U.S. beginning with the broader San Francisco area in late spring 2013.
Helping Communities Thrive
Starbucks has a long history of supporting communities and has always believed that passion for service is directly tied to leadership. As part of the conference, nearly 10,000 partners will participate in community service projects across several Houston neighborhoods, creating sustainable value for some of Houston's most underserved communities.
Starbucks is teaming up with the Fifth Ward Community Redevelopment Corporation, Houston Food Bank, Volunteer Houston and the Association for the Advancement of Mexican Americans (AAMA). Partners will participate in a variety of projects including revitalization of Lyons Avenue, home restoration, internal and external refurbishments on the AAMA campus, assembly of hygiene kits for homeless veterans, urban garden creation and packaging and sorting food that will be distributed to nearly 500 food pantries, soup kitchens, senior centers and other agencies.
More than 200,000 Houston residents are expected to benefit from these efforts, making this the single largest corporate volunteer effort in Houston's recent history. It is estimated that Starbucks partners will contribute more than 42,000 hours of community service over the next three days—resulting in nearly $1 million of financial value for the Houston community through service.
The company also celebrated the opening of a profit-sharing Community Store in Houston's East End neighborhood. The Houston location is the company's third Community Store in the U.S. Starbucks opened its first two profit-sharing Community stores in Harlem, N.Y. and Crenshaw, Calif. one year ago.
Starbucks is partnering with AAMA on the Houston Community Store which opened on September 25. A portion of each transaction from this store will be directed to AAMA and be strategically invested in youth and education programs benefiting Houston's most underserved Hispanic community.
About Starbucks Corporation
Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to ethically sourcing and roasting the highest-quality arabica coffee in the world. Today, with stores around the globe, the company is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. Through our unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, we bring the unique Starbucks Experience to life for every customer through every cup. To share in the experience, please visit us in our stores or online at www.starbucks.com.
This release contains forward-looking statements relating to certain company initiatives, strategies, plans, trends and expectations regarding our business, including the availability and functionality of certain payment systems and the cost savings to Starbucks, the acceleration of our retail growth and differentiation, and the expansion of Evolution Fresh, La Boulange and other brands and products. These forward-looking statements are based on currently available operating, financial and competitive information and are subject to a number of significant risks and uncertainties. Actual future results may differ materially depending on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, successful implementation by us and our third party providers, and acceptance by our customers, of our new payment systems, the ability to successfully provide our partners (employees) with the necessary skills to create growth and differentiation, the acceptance of our new and innovative products, the costs associated with, and the successful execution of, these and other of the company's initiatives, strategies and plans in markets in which Starbucks does business, the impact of competition in such markets and other risks detailed in the company filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the "Risk Factors" section of Starbucks Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 2, 2011. The company assumes no obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements.
Starbucks Coffee Company
Haley Drage, 206-318-7100
KEYWORDS: United States North America Texas
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What important web news we had this week? Facebook improved its friend lists and adds “Subscribe” button, Bing introduced new mobile features and more personalized results, Twitter presented analytic tool, Google became more transparent and Yahoo launched new search design. Here we go…
Facebook New Friend Lists And Adding Subscribe Button – Facebook released to limited number of users (and for all in a few weeks) new friend lists- 4 automated “Smart Lists” (Work, School, Family and City) and 2 manually created by the users (Close Friends and Acquaintances). These lists are probably Facebook answer to the Circles of Google+.
The momentum of changes continued a day later when Facebook presented the Subscribe Button- Designated to give the users more control over their content sharing and viewing.
Bing New Mobile Features And Adaptive Search – In an effort to compete with Google dominance in the mobile world, Bing presented 3 new mobile features for its mobile portal (m.bing.com)- Connect Bing with Facebook, videos and movies.
Microsoft’s growing search engine also presented some new personalized results algorithm, Adaptive Search. With this, Bing “learns” the user special preferences and serve him more suitable results.
Twitter Presented Web Analytics – Twitter launched new Web Analytics for few exclusive partners (soon for all) that will help analyzing the users content on Twitter, traffic to other site and how the Tweet button is performing on websites.
Google Improves Reconsideration Transparency – Google announced that from now it will be more transparent to webmasters that sends Reconsideration Request and will elaborate if their site suffers from a manual penalty or just an automatic algorithm filter.
Yahoo New Search Interface And Design – Yahoo remodeled almost completely its search page with new tabs, filters and more features which gives the new design much cleaner, friendly and comfortable appearance. All that left now, is to improve its search algorithm (well, Bing’s search algorithm)…
Stay up to date with more daily news and updates with WorkingHomeGuide.com!


text: The Applebee’s restaurant chain says it’s changing the way it serves juice after a toddler was mistakenly given a small amount of alcohol at a Detroit-area franchise. Apparently, news of the slightly sedated toddler has struck a chord among exhausted young parents who are now lining up at local restaurants requesting similar drink orders for their hyperactive tykes. Applebee’s has responded with a new line of “kiddie cocktails”, including a Barney Bacardi and Coke, and a Shirley Temple Black Russian. After numerous complaints however, the Bacardi drink was changed to a rum beverage with a non carbonated fruit drink that is less likely to cause tooth decay. In related news, Disney has taken notice of the furor and is also considering adding a line of child oriented alcoholic beverages at the Magic Kingdom. The soon to be marketed drinks will feature completely inebriated Disney characters on Mardi Gras style sippy cups……..


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Virgin Voyages has announced it will be sailing itineraries to Mexico and the Dominican Republic as part of its inaugural season from Miami in 2020.
The new cruise line had already revealed that it would be featuring Cuba as part of its first season in the Caribbean.
The line’s first ship Scarlet Lady will offer four and five-night Havana After Dark itineraries, including an overnight stay in Havana, plus five-night voyages to both Mexico’s Costa Maya and the Dominican Republic.
Diana Block Garcia, vice-president of itinerary and destination development for Virgin Voyages, said: “We set out on an adventure to find overnight destinations that have a combination of opportunities for high-energy exploration and places for relaxation, as the perfect complement to our Virgin Voyages experience.
“We have composed itineraries that have a sense of palpable culture, history and above all induce that carefree feeling that you only get while on holiday.”
Virgin also unveiled details about its cabins with 93% offering an ocean view and 86% featuring a terrace. They will also feature the Seabed, which has been designed by Germany’s Walter Knoll.
Bookings for Scarlet Lady’s inaugural 2020 season will open on February 14.
Virgin intends to reveal plans for on-shore experiences, to be known as Shore Things, in late 2019.


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ASE has launched a joint venture with Dealer Solutions North America to help North American motor retail groups buy UK dealerships.
Toronto-based Dealer Solutions has recently expanded its operations to the United States bringing it into contact with a large number of North American motor retailers who have a desire to expand their footprint into the UK.
ASE has helped facilitate many motor retail transactions.
Mike Jones, chairman of ASE Global said: “Across the globe the UK is seen as a highly advanced, stable motor retail environment. This makes UK motor retailers highly desirable and has been evidenced over recent years by the number of group acquisitions we have seen from overseas investors.
“With the value of sterling dropping 10% against the US dollar over recent months the UK is viewed as a cheap, safe and exciting place to invest, even in spite of the current challenge of WLTP and the impending disruption from Brexit. Our new partnership with Dealer Solutions is simply the next step in leveraging our knowledge and expertise across a market with an increasing international perspective.”
Farid Ahmad, president and CEO of Dealer Solutions, added: “Recently we have noticed an increase in the number of well-structured and highly organised dealer groups looking to international dealership acquisitions to support their aggressive growth strategies.
“The challenge for many of these larger operators is finding the correct type of business to complement their growing portfolios and more often than not that profile is increasingly looking like a UK based or European Business with a strong management team that is running a tight business with strong manufacturer relationships. For this reason we have decided to partner with ASE global as their knowledge of the UK Automotive sector is second to none whilst having an unrivalled network of contacts across both brands and retailers within UK motor retail.”