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We all know that too much sun can be bad for your skin, but what about too much sunscreen? How dangerous are those chemicals we rub into our bodies to protect ourselves from the sun? Would it be better to use nothing at all? I”ve asked myself these questions many times, but this summer I decided to find the answers once and for all.
Can Sunscreen Cause Skin Cancer?
What I learned about the white goop was somewhat surprising. First and foremost, the Food and Drug Administration does not have any regulatory power over sunscreens, either over the safety and efficacy of the ingredients or any statements made on the packaging.
Under pressure since 1978 to develop safety standards, the FDA published a draft of sunscreen safety regulations in 2007, which has yet to be put into effect. In it, the FDA dropped the following bombshell: “The FDA is not aware of data demonstrating that sunscreen use alone helps prevent skin cancer.”
The International Agency for Research on Cancer further refined the FDA”s conclusion when it discovered that the use of sunscreen can prevent sunburn and decrease the risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma, the most common form of skin cancer, yet may actually increase the risk of developing deadly melanoma. “Several relevant epidemiological studies have shown significantly higher risks for melanoma in users of sunscreens than in non-users,” the report said.
There are several theories that explain the higher rates of melanoma among sunscreen users. First, sunscreen may provide sun worshipers with a false sense of security, leading them to stay in the sun too long and/or at the most UV-intensive times of the day 10 a.m. to 4 p.m..
Second, according the FDA, the SPF, or sun protection factor, claims on many sunscreen products may be exaggerated. As the FDA states, since the sunscreen industry is not federally regulated, “there is no assurance that the specific values themselves are in fact truthful.”
Third, most people do not apply enough sunscreen to protect themselves adequately from the damaging effects of UV exposure. According to the Environmental Working Group”s 2010 report on sunscreen, “In real life, people apply one-half to one-fifth the amount of sunscreen used in the laboratory SPF tests. For example, this means that someone who applies a fourth as much sunscreen as in the SPF test gets just SPF 2.3 protection from an SPF 30 product. SPF 100 becomes just SPF 3.2.” In other words, when you put on sunscreen, do so liberally — or maybe not.
THE VITAMIN A CONTROVERSY
Using too little sunscreen, too much exposure to the sun”s ultraviolet radiation and exaggerated claims by sunscreen manufacturers can certainly increase the risk of developing skin cancer, but what about sunscreen ingredients themselves? Could they be carcinogenic?
According to the Environmental Working Group and a series of studies by the FDA, the answer is yes. The EWG reports that since 1985, the FDA has completed 17 studies to determine whether a popular ingredient known as retinyl palmitate a form of vitamin A may increase the risk of skin cancer development in users of sunscreen. The findings were significant, demonstrating that retinyl palmitate breaks down in the presence of sunlight, forming free radicals that can lead to skin cancer.
“The data show that tumors and lesions developed as much as 21 percent more rapidly in lab animals coated in a retinyl palmitate RP-laced cream … compared to control animals treated with an RP-free cream,” states the EWG website. Nevertheless, the FDA has yet to act on the information and disclaims any knowledge of its studies. For more information, read the EWG letter to the FDA calling for the public release of the study results at www.ewg.org/ewg-asks-fda-to-wind-up-study-of-vitamin-a-in-sunscreen.
Other Potentially Harmful Ingredients
Retinyl palmitate is not the only potentially harmful ingredient found in popular sunscreen brands. Hormone disrupting oxybenzone, which is found in approximately 60 percent of all nonmineral-based sunscreens, also releases free radicals, can trigger allergic reactions and is not recommended for use on children. Other ingredients identified by the EWG as being of the “highest concern for human exposure and toxicity” include Octyl methoxycinnamate OMC and Padimate O.
While nonmineral sunscreens rely on chemicals such as oxybenzone to work their magic against the sun, mineral sunscreens bring their own set of problems in the form of nanotechnology. Nanoparticles are microscopic particles used by sunscreen manufacturers to make their products transparent while still deflecting the sun”s rays. While nanoparticles do break down into free radicals, results of studies are mixed as to whether these free radicals remain on the skin”s surface or penetrate farther to reach living cells, where they could cause cancer.
Jennifer Parrish writes a biweekly column for the Sentinel. You can contact her at email@example.com.
TIPS on sun protection
When out in the sun, you should wear a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses and protective clothing, including a long-sleeved shirt and pants.
Try to stay out of the path of direct sunlight between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. When outside, remain in the shade as much as possible.
If you get a sunburn, rub aloe vera onto the affected area. Taking an aspirin within 24 hours and applying vitamin E also may help reduce pain and inflammation.


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Thirty years ago, one of the original developers of the Apple Macintosh coined a phrase to describe founder Steve Jobs' ability to "convince anyone of practically anything." He called it a "reality distortion field."
While the phrase was originally used in an engineering context, Apple's recent actions concerning the Manhattan Declaration app make me wonder whether "reality distortion" has become a corporate policy.
As I previously told you, last fall, Apple approved the Manhattan Declaration app and gave it a "4+" rating, indicating that it was free of objectionable material.
What followed was a campaign by a small but vocal group of gay-rights activists to have the app removed from the store. They succeeded.
We then resubmitted the app with some modifications. Our intention, in keeping with the spirit of the Declaration, was to bend over backwards to maintain a civil and respectful tone.
A few days ago, we heard from Apple again. Apple's reply added insult to injury.
The company informed us that it "cannot post this version to the App Store because it contains content that is likely to expose a group to harm." You heard me correctly: "expose a group to harm."
Apple cited its store guidelines which prohibit apps that contain "references or commentary about a religious, cultural or ethnic group that are defamatory, offensive, mean-spirited or likely to expose the targeted group to harm or violence."
Seeing the Manhattan Declaration as "defamatory" or "mean-spirited," never mind "likely to expose a group to harm" requires a reality distortion field of epic proportions.
Not only is the tone of the Manhattan Declaration civil and respectful, but its call to conscience is designed to lessen conflict, not promote it. But none of this seems to matter. For Apple, apparently, even civil and respectful disagreement is a kind of "harm."
And don't think that gay-rights activists will be content with getting us removed from the App Store-their goal is to exclude us from the public square altogether. And the best way to achieve that goal is to convince people that simply holding a traditional view on marriage, family and human sexuality is a kind of "hate speech" and incitement to violence.
That's why we view the fate of a small app to be such a big deal. Apple's economic and cultural clout makes the precedent being set here especially troubling-not just for us, but for any group that cites the Bible. It's one thing, you see, if the company uses its reality-distorting powers to downplay problems with the antennas in its iPhones-it's quite another when those powers are used to ban 3,000 years of moral reflection from the public square.
I still hold out hope that Apple will understand the implications of banning the Manhattan Declaration from its app store. And we will continue to make our case with them. Please join me. Contact Apple. Let Steve Jobs know that you stand not only for traditional marriage, life, and religious liberty, but also for civil discourse, debate, and free speech.

domain: news


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Whilst President Donald Trump prepares to announce his choice on new photo voltaic panel import price lists, the U.S. business is quietly seeking to dealer a sweeping deal to settle a distinct business dispute with China involving an estimated $1.five billion held through Washington.
Since 2012, the U.S. has been accumulating tasks on panels imported from China. American photo voltaic corporations are pushing to divvy up that cash between producers and providers in each the U.S. and China as a part of a deal that, they are saying, may just successfully reset photo voltaic business members of the family between the 2 countries.
The proposal, which business mavens describe as an extended shot at perfect, would name for Trump to drop present tasks on photo voltaic panels — and for the president not to levy new ones. China, in flip, would abandon its personal price lists on U.S. polysilicon, a key solar-panel element. There could be many hurdles to creating all of it occur. Leader amongst them, after all, is convincing Trump to take a conciliatory stance with China. But photo voltaic corporations say the deal would have compatibility squarely into the president’s schedule.
“This management has an actual alternative to be successful the place others failed on account of your dedication to a re-balancing of business members of the family,” Craig Cornelius, senior vice chairman of renewables at energy generator NRG Power Inc., stated at a listening to earlier than Trump’s business consultant in December.
The White Space didn’t right away reply to a request for remark. Emily Davis, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Industry Consultant, declined to remark.
Cut-off date Looms
Trump has till Jan. 26 to come to a decision whether or not to impose price lists, making it not going that any deal might be brokered in time to stop new tasks. Maximum U.S. photo voltaic corporations oppose price lists, pronouncing they are going to cripple the business and kill tens of hundreds of jobs. Within the brief time period, many are lobbying to stay any tasks as little as imaginable. In the long run, they’re pushing for a huge deal to finish all photo voltaic business limitations between the U.S., China and different countries.
“We take care of our place world agreement, following the overall assemble proposed final month through NRG’s Craig Cornelius, could be a welcome end result to those instances,” Sun Power Industries Affiliation president Abigail Ross Hopper stated in an emailed remark.
The frenzy for the price lists Trump is thinking about started in April, when Suniva Inc., a bankrupt, Georgia-based panel maker filed a business grievance arguing it were crippled through a flood of imports. SolarWorld Americas, the U.S. unit of a bankrupt German producer, joined the case the next month. (Suniva’s leader creditor is SQN Capital Control. The collectors of SolarWorld AG, the German corporate, come with Centerbridge Companions LP.)
The U.S. Global Industry Fee voted in October to counsel price lists of up to 35% on imported panels. The president has the general say at the measurement, scope and length of any tasks. They may have an effect on panels imported from just about each and every country.
2012 Price lists
The price lists that the U.S. first imposed in 2012 to begin with centered Chinese language panels and later had been broadened to incorporate the ones from Taiwan. The tasks got here after SolarWorld Americas accused Chinese language producers of illegally promoting panels at costs under the price of manufacturing. China hit again in 2014 with price lists on solar-grade polysilicon from the U.S.
During the last 5 years, the U.S. is estimated to have amassed greater than $1.five billion in tasks on imported panels, Cornelius stated in his December testimony. James Rockas, a Trade Division spokesman, declined to remark.
U.S. photo voltaic corporations and others have quietly driven for years to make use of the cash amassed from the 2012 price lists to dealer a agreement to get to the bottom of the business dispute with China.
“It used to be nearly resolved it on the finish of the Obama management,” stated Jigar Shah, the co-founder of Generate Capital Inc. who used to be president of Coalition for Reasonably priced Sun Power, a gaggle that represented a large swath of U.S. photo voltaic installers, builders and producers. The gang disbanded in 2015.
There may be precedent for the theory. In 2006, the U.S. agreed to drop price lists on Canadian softwood lumber and cut up the tasks that were amassed between corporations on all sides of the border. Canadian loggers were given about $four billion, and about $1 billion went to U.S. corporations and tasks.
On the business listening to final month, Cornelius proposed to separate the photo voltaic tasks which have been amassed 3 ways between U.S. panel producers and polysilicon manufacturers and the Chinese language corporations which have been paying the price lists. As an alternative of recent tasks, he referred to as for implementing a charge of two cents according to watt on imports.
“There may be hope for a negotiated agreement,” stated Clark Packard, business coverage suggest on the free-market suppose tank R Side road Institute. “However there are two problems. One, you’re up in opposition to an attractive company time limit. And two, it will most certainly require bringing the U.S. and China again to the desk to unwind those tasks on photo voltaic merchandise that reduce each techniques.”
By way of Brian Eckhouse, with the help of Ari Natter and Andrew Harris.


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ITB Berlin 2022 in-person event cancelled
The Messe Berlin announced in an email last month that the in-person edition of ITB Berlin 2022 will not take place as originally planned. Owing to the latest developments and accompanying directives as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the organisers are unable to afford its exhibitors and partners the necessary planning certainty with the holding of an in-person ITB Berlin in early March, the statement said.
ITB Berlin is focusing on a livestreamed convention and Digital Business Day in March 2022 as well as in-person ITB Berlin satellite events during 2022 – Resilience, digitisation and sustainability are key themes – single website itb.com as an entry point for exploring the whole range of ITB brands.
The World’s Leading Travel Trade Show is planning to go on the road during the year with in-person satellite events at individual European destinations. Taking place as a roadshow, these will be one-day B2B events at various locations in Europe, where providers and buyers can get together. With these events, ITB Berlin is continuing the success story of the established Travel Meet Asia and ITB China Travel MeetUp events organised by the international ITB brands ITB Asia and ITB China in their respective Asian and Chinese markets.


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Avago Technologies Ltd (AVGO) could see an uptick in 2Q13 at the introduction of Apple’s (AAPL) next smartphone, while seeing a longer-term growth opportunity through its exposure to LTE-based mobile devices, says Doug Freedman, Analyst and Managing Director at RBC Capital Markets.
“It’s actually been an underperformer because of the handset transition going on over at Apple where they are — Apple in the past has been about a 20% customer for them. And the weakness at Apple is well-known, and investors are very afraid of what impact that’s going to have on the second-quarter earnings from Avago. They are an off-quarter company. So they will have a July quarter-end for their Q2, and that could start to see the uptick of the next phone introduction out of Apple,” Freedman said.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS INTERVIEW CLICK HERE.
Freedman says the shorter-term weakness will yield to the longer-term thesis of growing LTE smartphone adoption, leading to AVGO-supplied increased semiconductor content in these types of phones.
“Longer term, the thesis on Avago relates to their exposure to LTE-based handsets, and I view them as a company that will win an increasing amount of content as the market moves to bring LTE to the mainstream phone volumes,” Freedman said.
Smartphone Growth Remains Strong in Emerging Markets
June 22, 2011
Rising Smartphone Growth Favors Wireless Equipment Makers
January 23, 2012
Qualcomm (QCOM) Sells Chips to All Major Smartphone Manufacturers
February 19, 2013


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London: People watching their weight should pay closer attention to how much alcohol they drink since it is second only to fat in terms of calorie content, experts have warned.According to the World Cancer Research Fund, alcohol makes up nearly 10 percent of total calorie intake among drinkers, the BBC reported.Having a large glass of wine will cost you the same 178 calories as eating two chocolate digestive biscuits and it will take you more than a half hour’s brisk walk to burn off.According to Kate Mendoza from World Cancer Research Fund, recent reports have shown that people are unaware of calories in drinks and don’t include them when calculating their daily consumption, but unlike food, alcoholic drinks have very little or no nutritional value.
MEMD: Gadkari, Uma Bharti join the campaign
PM Narendra Modi addresses DRDO scientists
Sonia Gandhi targets PM Modi yet again
PM Narendra Modi`s Parliamentary office to be inaugurated in Varanasi today


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Stock Exchange Bulletin
April 17, 2023, at 09:01 a.m. EET
Solteq withdraws the profit guidance published on February 16, 2023, due to the ongoing business transfer transaction.
Solteq has signed a business transfer agreement on April 17, 2023, whereby the Group’s ERP business based on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and LS Retail solutions will be sold to Azets. The completion of the transaction is estimated to take place on May 2, 2023, and it is subject to customary preconditions.
In the financial year 2022, the revenue of the transferring business was EUR 11.2 million and the operating profit was EUR 1.5 million. When the transaction is completed, the company will recognize an estimated one-time profit of EUR 8 million on the fixed purchase price in the second quarter.
The previous profit guidance for 2023 was: Solteq Group’s revenue is expected to remain on the same level and operating profit to be positive.
Vantaa, April 17, 2023
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CEO Aarne Aktan
Tel: +358 40 342 4440
CFO Kari Lehtosalo
Tel: +358 40 701 0338
Solteq in brief
Solteq is a Nordic software solution and expert service provider specializing in retail and energy sectors and needs related to e-commerce. The company employs over 650 professionals and has offices in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Poland, and the UK.


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Consumers Moving Away From Checking Accounts
A recent study revealed that approximately 25 percent of consumers are using prepaid cards, which is a significant increase from one in every seven consumers, a year ago.
The 2011 Prepaid Cards and Products report by Javelin Strategy and Research polled approximately 5,000 consumers and financial stakeholders to develop the results.
Because of the Durbin Amendment to the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009, many banking offers changed and it has become less feasible for some consumers to have checking accounts, especially for those who make purchases but are considered underbanked.
"Prepaid cards, especially general-purpose reloadable cards, are unique in their ability to fill a void in both the payments and DDA markets," Beth Robertson, director of payments research at Javelin, recently said. "As the role and associated cost of a traditional banking relationship evolves, banks and consumers will look to options like prepaid to meet changing market needs for financial inclusion."
Those who have credit card debt or other financial problems may be more inclined to use avenues such as prepaid accounts, as there is significantly less financial risk involved.


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Waymo offering free rides to people in its self-driving minivans
Google Inc.’s self-driving car unit Waymo is offering free rides in its autonomous minivans to people in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area of Arizona, the company has confirmed.
Waymo announced that it’s offering its services to members of the public as part of its “early rider” program. The program is intended on cataloguing how autonomous cars will factor into everyday lives’ of people.
Interested people can sign up on Waymo’s official website, and the company will chose riders depending on the kinds of free trips they want to take as well as their willingness to use autonomous vehicles as their principal mode of haulage.
John Krafcik, chief executive of Waymo, said, “We want as many people as possible to experience our technology, and we want to bring self-driving cars to more communities sooner.”
Krafcik also made it clear that a test driver will be behind the wheel during the ride. However, he insisted that the vehicle will drive without any human intervention as long as possible.
The free rides are currently available only to residents of Phoenix and its surrounding towns, such as Chandler, Gilbert and Tempe.
United Kingdom News
- William Hill to merge online and retail divisions with Phil Walker in-charge
- BGC impressed by steps taken by UK casinos, disappointed by Government’s response
- Stephen Cohen reappointed as Commissioner of the Gambling Commission
- Online Sports Bettors don’t turn to Online Casinos during absence of sports: Research
- Blueprint Gaming launches Rhino Rampage video slot with new bonus feature concept


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Yes, this could finally be the death of the Democrat party. Forget about illegal aliens invading the country.
Forget about high gas and food prices.
Forget about people trying to kill you with an axe.
The shortage of beer would finally and no doubt be the END of the democrat party.
Product shortages of Chick-fil-A sauce and Burger King cups and baby formula are one thing. But beer? Nope. That’s unacceptable.
The Democrats have shut down businesses. They’ve been the cause of people losing their jobs. They’ve cost people their lives during the shutdowns and because of the “Defund the Police” movement.
But no more beer? Well, that’a a tragedy of epic proportions and the democrats WILL pay dearly.
The Democrats have been doing their darnedest to get rid of carbon dioxide and now it looks like a volcano has done it for them.
Contamination at a place called the “Jackson Dome” (a reservoir of C02 from an extinct volcano) is freaking out brewers because there is a shortage of carbon dioxide .
Production delays are not putting a smile on beer-makers, beer-sellers or beer-drinkers.
Everyone thinks that getting rid of carbon dioxide (something we all need to be able to breathe  by the way) is all fine and good until the beer goes missing.


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The Nokia G60 was unveiled the last month and now seems to be making its way to the Indian market. The news was shared by Nokia’s Twitter account in India. As you can expect from the current Nokia, it’s mostly a low-end smartphone with an appealing price. However, the Indian pricing and availability details are yet to become public.
Nokia G60 specifications
Ahead of the launch, the smartphone is already up on Nokia’s official Indian website. Apparently, it will be available in a single memory configuration – 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of Internal Storage. Despite this, it will be available in two colorways – Black and Ice. r
The Nokia G60 specifications include the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695. That is the most appealing point of this phone since the chipset is relatively good and offers 5G connectivity. The phone also has a 6.58-inch LCD screen with Full HD+ resolution and a 120 Hz refresh rate. The phone brings a dot notch design for the selfie snapper – it’s an 8 MP shooter. Moving around to the back, there is a triple-camera setup with a 50 MP main camera. The other two snappers are a 5 MP ultrawide and a 2 MP depth helper.
Gizchina News of the week
The Nokia G60 also brings a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, a micro SD card slot, and a 3.5 mm audio jack. The handset runs Android 12, but Nokia promises three Android version upgrades. So it’s eligible for Android 13 and the future two Android upgrades. There will also be three years of monthly security patches.
The Nokia G60 was launched alongside the Nokia X30. However, it’s unclear if that particular variant will also reach the Indian market along with the Nokia G60. We expect the company to reveal more details in a near future.
Nokia gave up the idea of competing against the big ones with smartphones for all categories. The company’s rumored flagship never saw the light of day. Instead, it has been focusing on budget phones and collecting good results from them. Meanwhile, the company is establishing a solid presence in the segment of 5G networks.


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KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 29): FGV Holdings Bhd said it will start the process of terminating the land lease agreement (LLA) with the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) once it receives an official notice from Felda on the matter, adding that the compensation due to the company could be between RM3.5 billion and RM4.3 billion.
In a statement today, FGV reiterated that it has yet to receive a written notice from Felda regarding the termination of the LLA.
“Once FGV receives an official notice from Felda as required under the LLA, FGV will follow the procedures outlined in the LLA to start the process of termination and determining the compensation due to FGV which will take 18 months to complete,” the company said.
The LLA refers to Felda-owned estates totalling 350,733 hectares that were leased to FGV for 99 years beginning from Nov 1, 2011.
“The expected compensation amount due to FGV as a result of the LLA termination may range between RM3.5 billion to RM4.3 billion based on internal assessment which will vary depending on FGV’s financial performance for 2020 and 2021 and other various factors,” said FGV.
Yesterday, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Economy) Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said the Cabinet has agreed to the special task force’s recommendation for the termination of the LLA.
Mustapa said the task force led by Tan Sri Abdul Wahid Omar had identified several main issues that need to be addressed expediently in Felda, including its unsustainable capital structure and its whopping RM10.6 billion debts.
He said the Cabinet has agreed to the task force's recommendations, comprising the restructuring of Felda’s debts, increasing the core income from Felda plantation lands by terminating the LLA and increasing the independence of settlers, according to the statement.
However, he did not mention the compensation that Felda needs to pay FGV, in which it holds a 33.66% stake, as a result of the termination.
In its statement today, FGV said its plantation supply chain remains intact as the LLA estates only represent 30% of the oil palm fresh fruit bunches (FFB) that is processed at FGV’s 68 palm oil mills.
“Due to the proximity of the palm oil mill locations to the LLA estates, we do not foresee any changes to the current FFB supply arrangement. The rest of the FGV’s plantation integrated value chain in the midstream and downstream businesses will remain uninterrupted by the LLA termination exercise,” said FGV.
“As LLA termination had always been a much talked about scenario, FGV has already prepared its businesses and operations for this eventuality,” it added.
As such, FGV said its overall long-term strategy to further grow and strengthen its high value-add business activities focusing on food and branded consumer products remains intact, and potentially expedited to provide higher expected returns to shareholders as the result of the LLA termination.
“FGV, will at all times safeguard the interests of FGV’s shareholders and we will make the relevant announcements at the appropriate time in the event of material development on this matter,” the company said.


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SmartClick AdWorks Doubles Workforce in Response to New Business
BOULDER, Colo.–SmartClick AdWorks LLC, a Boulder-based online marketing agency, today announced five new team members. This recent round of recruitment is in response to the increasing demands of SmartClick’s growing client roster and dramatically increased billings from current clients.
“We’re really excited to add a few new members to our team,” said Glen Spencer, CEO and founder of SmartClick. “It’s really humbling to be able to expand in a time where the economy is not as strong as it has been in the past.”
Lauren-Ashley Fuller, an online copywriter, comes to SmartClick after founding The Get Smart, a marketing and graphic design firm, at the age of 24. Lauren-Ashley has a strong background in copywriting, blogging, Twitter marketing and graphic design; she acquired these skills while running The Get Smart.
Mehri Movassaghpour comes to SmartClick with a wealth of knowledge and experience in e-mail marketing. Mehri, SmartClick’s online social media coordinator, honed her talents at Blue Tent Marketing, a Colorado-based online marketing agency, where her team received a MarketingSherpa award in 2009 for their email work.
Chris Connolly has a master’s degree in integrated marketing communications from Emerson College. Chris comes to SmartClick after working at Lijit Networks, a local Boulder ad firm, where he worked in publisher development. During his time with Lijit, Connolly developed an expertise in copywriting skills and blog outreach.
In addition to Connolly, Fuller and Movassaghpour, SmartClick has recently added two interns, Miranda Shubert and Sherveen Shingu, to assist with online PR and Facebook marketing. Both interns are students at CU Boulder set to graduate in the 2011-2012 academic year.
“I think our new additions will have an immediate impact,” said Drew Clements, marketing manager. “We hired Lauren, Chris and Mehri not just because of their vast experience, but also their ability to adapt—they’re hitting the ground running.”
In an economy with an anemic 8.3% unemployment in Colorado, SmartClick has not only endured, but also grown its client roster. Over the past few months, SmartClick has added a diverse set of consumer brands to their client mix, including Big Chill Fridge, Bold Earth Teen Adventures, Bel-Rea Vet Tech, Linton Outdoors and originals Bath and Body Products. In addition, SmartClick has strengthened and extended its partnership with Boulder-based Fresh Produce Clothing.
About SmartClick AdWorks LLC
SmartClick AdWorks is an online social media and search engine marketing agency based in Boulder, Colorado. They manage clients’ online marketing and advertising using cutting-edge technology and out-of-the-box thinking to build their clients’ online presences. Through creative approaches to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blogs, viral web sites, online PR, search engine optimization, and pay-per-click marketing, clients are finding that hiring SmartClick AdWorks is far less costly than building an in-house marketing department. Contact President, Glen Spencer, at firstname.lastname@example.org or 303-641-7201.


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Hanbok, hanok are hip again as fashion brands go traditional
Traditional Korean culture is enjoying a haute couture renaissance as international fashion brands incorporate historical elements into modern fashion and store design.
Spanish apparel brand Massimo Dutti opened a new store in Hyundai Department Store's Pangyo branch in Pangyo, Gyeonggi in September. According to Inditex Korea, which runs the brand, the store is designed to look like a hanok, a traditional Korean house.
A small tree and rock garden is placed in the middle of the store, which resembles the inner courtyard of a hanok. Hanoks are built in a square with an enclosed courtyard in the middle. Massimo Dutti’s body care products are displayed in the garden area.
Panels with vertical wooden strips have been erected around the shop, inspired by the wooden pillars used to build hanok.
“Our store in Hyundai Department Store’s Pangyo branch portrays our brand image while featuring the unique feel of a traditional hanok,” said a spokesperson for Massimo Dutti.
Promotional events at the store also involve traditional elements. When it opened on Sept. 3, all visitors were given a handheld fan made of hanji, the traditional Korean paper. The first 100 people into the shop were also given canvas bags with a small charm in the shape of a jeogori, the upper garment of hanbok, the traditional Korean dress.
Gucci in June opened a four-story standalone store named Gucci Gaok in Itaewon, central Seoul. The store's name gaok draws from the Korean word for a traditional home.
The building façade is built by artist Park Seung-mo, whose works appeared in the Oscar-winning film “Parasite” (2019), depicting a pine tree forest made of layers of stainless-steel mesh.
The fashion house sells bags, clothes and shoes inspired by saekdong, a color combination of red, yellow, green and blue commonly used on hanbok, that are exclusively available at the store.
When buying from Gucci Gaok, purchases are put in paper bags with a norigae hanging from the handle. A norigae is a traditional Korean accessory in which a tassel is attached to a small ornament, worn on a woman’s hanbok.
The traditional Korean dress is mostly worn on holidays, but hints of hanbok can now be spotted on the streets of Seoul as companies put a modern twist on the traditional wear.
SPAO, an apparel brand of Eland, collaborated with hanbok maker Leesle to launch a clothing line in June. The collection includes pajamas that are similar to a hanbok, but with a top that is longer in length and comfortable to wear. It also includes a robe resembling durumagi, a Korean traditional overcoat. Customers can also buy a key ring charm that looks like a norigae.
“Korean culture is going mainstream, and products and stores that take inspiration from traditional elements are getting attention,” said a spokesperson for a fashion brand. “Brands that put their own unique twist on Korean traditional elements will be the ones winning customers of the younger generation, who want to try something different.”
BY BAE JUNG-WON, LEE TAE-HEE [email@example.com]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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BEIJING, Aug. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — On August 28, 2020, the “Great Wall Hero 2020—Visit Beijing Again” promotional occasion organized by Beijing Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau was held at Fortress Square, Badaling Great Wall Scenic Area. This occasion was supported by Yanqing District Cultural Tourism Bureau, Badaling Special Zone Administrative Center, Air China, and China Plus. It is considered one of a sequence of occasions in 2020 as a part of the Beijing Great Wall Cultural Festival.
Ms. Pang Wei, Deputy Director-General of Beijing Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau, reviewed the achievements of the Visit Beijing worldwide social media campaigns since 2013. Visit Beijing actively promotes Beijing on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. Each 12 months, the “Great Wall Heroes” international advertising and marketing marketing campaign has invited overseas influencers to Beijing to expertise the most recent Beijing cultural tourism excursions and merchandise, in addition to selling Beijing via international social media platforms. The occasion has change into an annual branding occasion for Beijing Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau’s abroad promotion campaigns. In the wake of COVID-19, this 12 months’s “Great Wall Heroes” marketing campaign had the brand new theme of “Visit Beijing Again.” Long-term Beijing expat influencers had been invited to participate in a panel dialogue about post-COVID-19 tourism improvement.
The 5 influencers/panelists had been: Mr. Jim Spear, co-founder and designer of two award-winning tourism companies close to Mutianyu Great Wall; Ms. Sarah Keenlyside, founding father of Bespoke Travel Company, which gives tailored, immersive journey companies to overseas vacationers; Mr. Hayden Opie of Beijing Hikers, a mountaineering membership that has been well-liked in Beijing for greater than 10 years; Mr. Ignace Lecleir, proprietor and founding father of TRB, awarded primary superb eating restaurant on the planet by TripAdvisor in 2019; and Mr. Dominic De Couto of B Electric, which gives enjoyable new methods to find Beijing through e-bike.
At the tip of the occasion, Beijing Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau introduced the 5 overseas influencers with a certificates naming them “Great Wall Heroes” in recognition of their lively efforts to advertise Beijing and promote worldwide cultural trade.
In an interview, Ms. Pang Wei stated that now that the COVID-19 outbreak in Beijing has been introduced beneath management, the profitable internet hosting of this occasion was of nice significance to the way forward for cultural tourism in Beijing. Foreigners in Beijing had been invited to go to the Great Wall and be a part of the stay stream, with the hope of serving to individuals around the globe to get to know China once more after COVID-19 and learn the way Beijing’s tourism market has recovered. The occasion additionally launched Beijing’s newest Great Wall Cultural Tours venture, with the aim of laying a stable basis for the restoration of inbound tourism after COVID-19.
After the occasion, the company skilled the newly-launched Badaling Great Wall Night Tour, which was additionally live-streamed from Visit Beijing’s Facebook web page. It is hoped that these promotional campaigns will embody and carry ahead the spirit of the Great Wall, use the Great Wall tradition as a hyperlink to inform Chinese tales, and promote cultural exchanges between China and the world.


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Alcoholic frozen dessert concept Buzzed Bull Creamery coming to Scottsdale
PHOENIX — An alcoholic frozen dessert concept is coming to Old Town Scottsdale later this month.
Buzzed Bull Creamery will open mid-October at the Scottsdale Waterfront retail center, located at 7135 E. Camelback Road.
Grand opening details are expected to be announced soon for the creamery, which has locations in nine other states.
“When we first tried Buzzed Bull Creamery, we fell in love with the concept,” Jay Shah, co-partner of the Scottsdale location, said in a press release. “We think that Old Town Scottsdale is the prime location to open Buzzed Bull’s first Arizona location and we can’t wait for residents and visitors to give it a try.”
Buzzed Bull Creamery infuses alcohol into its ice cream using liquid nitrogen. It also makes specialty latte and other coffee drinks with an alcohol options for those who are at least 21 years old.
Sweet treats are also available for children and those who don’t want the alcohol option.
Hours for the creamery upon opening will be 10 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 10 a.m.-11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 10 a.m.-10 p.m. on Sundays.
More information can be found on Buzzed Bull’s website.
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Budget 2023: Morgan Stanley sees focus to be on fiscal consolidation, investment-led growth
- The global investment firm said the government may provide a "credible path" for fiscal deficit reduction in 2023-24
- The government will also reiterate the medium-term roadmap to lower the central government's deficit to 4.5 per cent of GDP.
- On the capital expenditure,
Morgan Stanleyexpects capital expenditure spending to increase to 2.9 per cent of GDP in 2023-24.
The global investment firm said the government may provide a "credible path" for fiscal deficit reduction in 2023-24 and reiterate the medium-term roadmap to lower the central government's deficit to 4.5 per cent of GDP.
"We expect the central government's fiscal deficit to narrow to 5.9 per cent of GDP in F2024 from 6.4 per cent in F2023 (estimate). We expect fiscal consolidation on the back of lower subsidy payments, which will also ensure that focus on public capex spending is sustained, thus supporting the growth outlook," it said in a report.
"We build in a gradual fiscal consolidation path as we believe that continued focus on capex spending is beneficial not only from a cyclical perspective but also for the medium-term growth potential of the economy."
On the capital expenditure, Morgan Stanley expects capital expenditure spending to increase to 2.9 per cent of GDP in 2023-24, a tad higher than the 2.8 per cent estimated for the current financial year.
Further, on the inflation, it said the price rise is likely to moderate in 2023-24 as the effect of higher commodity prices wears off on year-on-year terms and supply chains continue to normalize.
Meanwhile, India's retail inflation during the month of December was at 5.72 per cent, data released last week showed.
India's retail inflation rate based on Consumer Price Index was 5.88 per cent in November from 6.77 per cent in October. Retail inflation in India had remained above 6 per cent till October for over three quarters, which was beyond
The government is in the process of finalising the Budget document to be presented on February 1.
The formal exercise to prepare the annual Budget for the next financial year (2023-24) commenced on October 10.
Budget 2023 is likely to be the last full Budget of the Modi government in its second term with the next
Pakistan is South Asia's weakest economy: World Bank report
PM Modi asks BJP workers to refrain from making 'unnecessary' comments about films
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Ola Electric has announced that the firm has started to set up a Hypercharger network across India. Customers can charge their electric scooters via these Hyperchargers. The facility is cost-free until the end of June 2022. Ola Electric has started to install new hyper charging stations at BPCL petrol pumps and residential complexes. The company decided to set up 1,00,000 charging stations across 400 cities in India. In the first year itself, Ola will set up 5,000 charging stations across 100 cities. Currently, the CEO of Ola, Bhavish Aggarwal, tweeted that over 4,000 charging points will be set up by the next year.
The firm claims that this venture will be the largest and densest electric two-wheeler charging network in the world. They also claim that the Ola Hyper charger Network will be the fastest two-wheeler charging network. The Ola electric scooter can be charged half of the battery in 18 minutes for a 75 km range. The charging status of the battery can be viewed on an Ola Electric app and the same app can be used to pay for the charging. Moreover, the Ola Hypercharger network will offer an effortless charging experience to customers as they have to simply arrive at a charging station and plug their vehicle into the charging point.
Ola Electric Hypercharger network will be complemented by the home charger that requires no installation. The home charger gives the customer the facility of charging at home by simply plugging into a wall socket for overnight charging.
Ola Electric has confirmed that it will extend its Hypercharger across cities to ensure the presence of a Hypercharge and will be found in places frequently visited by people such as IT parks, malls cafes, office complexes and more.
We recommend you to keep browsing AutoBugg to get more interesting news from the world of automobiles and also for amazing tips & tricks for your vehicle that will help you to bring out maximum from your companion. You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to get notifications instantly


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The travel and tourism business is continuously evolving due to factors such as the desire of tourists for new experiences, fast global technology advances, and climate change.
According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), international visitor arrivals reaching an all-time high, the tourism industry is now unquestionably confronted with significant difficulties and unwelcome developments due to the COVID-19 epidemic.
As we move into the new normal, there are still growing tourism trends that can assist tour operators, DMOs, and other industry providers in revamping their companies and achieving success. These include challenges of coping with the new normal and the industry grappling with unique opportunities such as reopening borders and making partnerships. Those keen on riding the opportunities that come with the challenges have invested in automotive franchise businesses to feed the demand for private transportation in line with the risks of exposure to the virus. There are new possibilities for companies to concentrate on immersive and transformational travel, automation, and Bleisure vacations.
During the post-COVID era, it will be necessary for leisure companies to remain on top of their game while also recovering. People who travel for work or business sometimes incorporate some leisure time in their itinerary as well. This is known as bleisure travel.
According to a survey conducted, 60% of business travels in the United States included leisure activities, up from 43% in the previous year. During business travels, companies can provide their employees with various tourist attractions and activities. Alternatively, these excursions can be pre-planned so that customers can have their holiday simultaneously as their work travel.
It is possible, though, that this is something that gets added at the last minute. It’s not uncommon for business travelers to opt to remain an extra day or two once their meetings, conferences, and other work commitments are finished.
The “digital nomad” movement is also on the rise among millennials. Online workers and freelancers that conduct their job while on the road are known as nomadic workers. Take advantage of this increasing trend by offering incentives that encourage business visitors to stay longer for pleasure as tour operators. Offer retreat packages that include extras like pictures, films, and transportation, for example.
Being connected for work while traveling with the internet and chargers in buses and accommodations (for multi-day trips) can also attract digital nomads. Booking a trip no longer requires a phone conversation, face-to-face discussion with a supplier, or a visit to their office for face-to-face negotiation.
Online reservations have increased as a result of digitization. Not only has this reduced the cost of advertising for travel agencies, but consumers are also benefiting from and preferring the ease with which it provides.
Tour and activity providers have followed suit, integrating technology and internet booking into their operations. Seventy-one percent of operators polled in 2019 said their companies used reservation technology, up from only 25 percent in 2010. Furthermore, these businesses grew at a quicker pace while also earning more money.
Automatism is only going to increase as we get closer to post-COVID times. Take advantage of this tourist trend and use the appropriate technologies to improve your chances of a quicker recovery as you strive to return to profitability.
According to a study by Think with Google, Travelers think that businesses should tailor their purchasing experiences based on their habits, personal interests, and previous decisions.
When it comes to the actual trip or activity, personalization is crucial as well. You have a greater chance of pleasing your customers and getting them to return if you provide adaptable experiences customized to their requirements. As a result, your first goal should be providing services that are focused on your customers.
When crafting a message, consider what the target audience wants to hear. It begins as soon as they view your advertisement on a social media platform or your company’s web page. For example, based on what the client has been looking at on the internet, travel and tour recommendations can be made. Specialized marketing tools and ad platforms like Google and Facebook can be used to put this up.
What’s the best way to get started? Identify and talk with your consumers to better understand their requirements and preferences. By incorporating this into your digital marketing plan, you’ll be in a better position.
It’s safe to say that the travel and tourism business is evolving and changing in many ways. There is no way to know what the future holds, but the trends listed above are already beginning to affect and will only continue to gain traction in the years to come. In addition, there will be trends and technologies that appear out of nowhere and catch us off guard.


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Samsung chose to completely redefine its smartphone offering at Mobile World Congress this year with the launch of the Galaxy S6, but HTC has instead refined its top-end line with the One M9. The One...
The NHSX contact tracing app is currently being trialled on the Isle of Wight, but has the government picked the best approach for privacy and effectiveness?
/e/OS is a 'de-Googled' fork of Android with trackers removed
It is more or less an iPhone 8 with a better processor and camera
Zoom denies claims that its service is a security risk
The launch of Apple’s upgraded entry-level iPhone SE2 has been pushed back from this month into the second quarter


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21st May, 2020, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh
The ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh has launched a Weekly Programme "Harvest your own vegetables" today. The programme will enable the consumers to visit the Krishi Vigyan Kendra Farm, harvest vegetables of their choice, pay digitally and enjoy the farm fresh organic produce at their homes.
The KVK effectively implemented the programme conceived and conceptualized by Dr. Mahesh Chander, Joint Director (Extension Education), ICAR-IVRI, wherein, the campus residents, mostly scientists, technical, administrative and supporting staff of the Institute harvested vegetables of their choice like okra, brinjal, bitter gourd, ridge gourd, banana, sweet corn, mint , cucumber, etc., and made digital payments.
Dr. Raj Karan Singh, Head, KVK emphasized on the organization of the programme initially on the weekly basis on every Thursday depending on the availability of produce for sale.
Dr. R.K. Singh, Director, ICAR-IVRI applauded the KVK's innovative effort and opined that the programme can be up-scaled by taking it to the farmers of the nearby areas. Dr. Singh highlighted on the possibility of developing the KVK Farm as Agri-Tourism Centre.
The programme was appreciated by the consumers who harvested and purchased vegetables.
(Source: ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh)


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The November employment report showed that the economy gained 245,000 jobs, far behind expectations. For instance, a MarketWatch economist poll had an average of 432,000 jobs regained for the month. While the markets and employment levels have materially recovered more than half of the jobs lost in the COVID recession, the easiest gains are behind us. There are material impediments to worker demand – particularly in retail and entertainment industries. Moreover, as the virus continues its spread unabated, worker supply is also under pressure as COVID fears keep potential job hunters from reentering the workforce.
Ordinarily, there is a seasonal uptick of job availability in the December holiday shopping environment, but that too will be lower than normal since much of the US is seeing high and/or increasing rates of COVID cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. Current estimates suggest that the spread will continue to worsen for the next several weeks at least, which may cause a backslide in employment.


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Quora brings on board Ex-Yahoo Gurmit Singh as GM for India
Quora, a leading global knowledge sharing platform, has brought on board Gurmit Singh as General Manager, India. Singh will oversee Quora’s revenue growth in India and will work closely with businesses to ensure they are successful on Quora. He will report to Arnie Gullov-Singh, Chief Revenue Officer, Quora.
Singh was previously VP & Managing Director at Yahoo! India.
Commenting on Singh’s appointment, Arnie Gullov-Singh said, “I’m delighted to welcome Gurmit to Quora as I’ve worked with him in the past and have always been impressed with his leadership abilities and strong track record of delivering growth. His experience and understanding of marketers’ needs will be a great asset to Quora as we continue to strengthen our presence in India.”
Over the next few months, Singh will also help open Quora’s first office in India as he builds a team to support businesses in the India market.
Globally, Quora claims to have over 70 million monthly unique visitors in English. Quora is also currently available in Hindi, Bengali, Marathi and Tamil, and will soon be available in Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam and Telugu. Since the launch of Quora Ads a little over two years ago, the platform has had several Indian brands succeed in reaching their audience on Quora across a variety of verticals, including State Bank of India, Flipkart, Dell, Samsung, IBM Developer and UpGrad.


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Education is obviously important to Apple. The company took time out in January to devote an entire press conference to iBooks 2 and interactive textbooks. Since then, schools around the world have ditched books in favor of giving every student an iPad. The company may be putting the focus back on education again according to a recent report.
Bloomberg reports that Apple’s iPad Mini event set for tomorrow will focus on education. The iPad Mini is set to be a much cheaper device with some reports saying it will only cost $250 for the standard model. It would be much easier for schools to outfit their student body with tablets.
Apple’s iPad has already proven to be a leader in education, but it’s starting to face some stiff competition. Just last week, Amazon revealed Whispersync, a new software that allows schools to send out course materials to all Kindle owners across its network. A cheaper Kindle Fire and Whispersync could draw educators away from the iPad. The iPad Mini, with its rumored low price, could bring those educators back.
Consumer technology is still the battleground in which all three companies – Apple, Google and Amazon – will be fighting over this holiday season. Education doesn’t have the long term year-after-year success like the consumer market, but educators are big upfront buyers. Where else is Apple going to sell thousands of tablets to a single party?
Apple and Amazon will now be competing for educators’ dollars, but what about Google? Google’s main platform is the Web with hardware being just one mean to that end. I still wouldn’t be surprised, however, if Google were to announce some new education incentives of their own in the near future. That probably won’t happen at next Monday’s Android event, but there could be something early next year.
Besides education and the iPad Mini, Apple will probably show off a few more things of interest at its last big press event of the year. We’ll be bringing you all the news as it happens. Be sure to check out our extensive iPad Mini coverage to catch up on all the rumors and leaks.


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Happy Birthday Darling – One Day You’ll be Beautiful
It only seems like yesterday we were admiring the arrival of the Porsche Panamera. Well, that is provided you didn’t look at the outside, that is!
Things of course have improved – the 2020 car has better flowing lines and now has a better overall feel. It’s ten years since she first appeared and Porsche is celebrating with a special edition.
“Porsche is celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Panamera line with a special edition. The new Panamera 10 Years Edition features particularly extensive standard equipment in the areas of comfort and the chassis, and has also been enhanced with exclusive design highlights.”
Full details in the press release.


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Insider Exclusive: Gun Store Burglaries Up, More Guns Being Stolen, Says ATF
By Dave Workman
The dramatic smash-and-grab burglary of a Bellevue, Washington gun store — the second such incident at that store in the past two years — was part of what appears to be a growing trend, according to data from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Insider Online spoke with ATF sources who confirmed that during the years from 2012 to 2016, gun store burglaries went up 48.01 percent, from 337 in 2012 to 558 in 2016. Data for 2017 will likely be available sometime next month, noted Jan Kemp, ATF information officer in Washington, D.C.
The number of firearms being stolen during those burglaries has gone up 72.53 percent. Jut take a look at the accompanying ATF chart. If people think criminals get their guns from gun shows or legitimately from retail outlets, the figures offer a hint to the contrary.
Source: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
That’s not all. Robberies of federally licensed firearms retailers went up 175 percent, from a dozen in 2012 to 33 in 2016. While it seems to be the zenith of stupidity to rob a gun shop, it is happening. The number of guns stolen during these robberies has climbed a startling 213.56 percent.
Handguns account for the majority of stolen guns. That’s the way it played out in Bellevue, where the thieves grabbed about four dozen handguns and used their stolen smash car to get away.
The Bellevue gun shop burglary involved three criminals using a stolen car to ram through the doors of the building. Insider Online is familiar with that shop, West Coast Armory, and it as secure a facility as we’ve ever seen with bars on the windows and doors, rugged locks, security cameras and an alarm.
The earlier caper had the perpetrators driving a stolen car through the brick wall! …read more
Read more here:: American Hand Gunner Magazine


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PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel has invested in P2P international money transfer company, TransferWise, through his venture capital company Valar Ventures. Valar led the $6 million round of funding and this is the company’s first investment in a European company.
TransferWise co-founder Taavet Hinrikus believes that by adding Thiel to the board of directors will enable the company to accelerate expansion. The company plans to launch in Germany, Spain, France, and Italy.
Hinrikus founded the company with Kristo Kaarmann when they realized that they could exchange pounds and euros between themselves at a mid-market exchange rate. This helps save on fees that are imposed by banks.
TransferWise has transferred over 125 million British pounds ($192 million) worth of money thus far.


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Iron Maiden's own brand of beer has proved to be a huge success.
The Publican’s Morning Advertiser report that Robinsons' director of marketing David Bremner revealed the news at a beer summit on Wednesday.
Trooper went on sale last Spring, sold one million pints within eight weeks of launching and even featured as a guest ale at Parliament.
Bruce Dickinson said of its launch:
"I'm a lifelong fan of traditional English ale; I thought I'd died and gone to heaven when we were asked to create our own beer. I have to say that I was very nervous: Robinson's are the only people I have had to audition for in 30 years. Their magic has been to create the alchemical wedding of flavour and texture that is Trooper. I love it."


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Fresh on the heels of Deciem’s acquisition by the Estée Lauder Cos., The Ordinary is expanding into hundreds of Sephora brick-and-mortar stores.
The brand will offer 24 skin care and hair care stock keeping units at Sephora’s more than 430 physical stores across North America, starting July 16.
The brand first launched on Sephora’s website in 2017. This expansion aims to complete the omni-retail buying experience for the North American customer, according to the brand. Sephora has been a key partner for the brand over the years.
When asked if it would be participating in Sephora’s partnership with Kohl’s, Deciem chief executive officer Nicola Kilner said, “we are still currently locking down our plans with them but we hope to continue to grow with Sephora.”
Kilner elaborated that the main goal of this launch is to make The Ordinary products more accessible to consumers inclined to shop in-store. While the majority of the brand’s sales are online, they are looking to connect with in-store retail shoppers, giving them a more personal experience in partnership with Sephora.
“There are many consumers that still love the experience of going into retail,” Kilner said. “After the hard year we’ve had with the pandemic, people are craving that experience again and the ability to actually talk to a beauty adviser. One of Sephora’s great strengths is their team and experts that help consumers to find the right product for them.”
All the Looks at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival
Due to high demand, in the past the brand has had trouble keeping popular items in stock, such as their foundation. In February, the Esteé Lauder Cos. increased its ownership stake of Deciem from 29 percent to 76 percent, valuing the company at $2.2 billion. Kilner noted it has been helpful to have a partner who is knowledgeable about global expansion. With Esteé Launder’s support, Kilner said their fill rate is strong and the “stock situation is definitely the best it’s ever been.”
“Demand has been incredible to us, but it was about getting the timing right to make sure that we had grown our infrastructure enough to really support an expansion like this,” Kilner said. “When the opportunity came up to launch in 430 stores across North America, it was just the perfect timing for us. We had wanted to continue to increase our accessibility to consumers in North America.”
Along with the expansion, The Ordinary is also releasing three of their most popular products in larger sizes as part of Deciem’s commitment to sustainability. Products include Azelaic Acid 10% Suspension (100-ml), Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA (60-ml) and Salicylic Acid Masque (100-ml).
“Sephora is thrilled to expand our partnership with The Ordinary and continue bringing clients a best-in-class assortment that meets all their skin care needs, both online and in-stores,” Sephora’s senior vice president of skin care and hair care merchandising, Priya Venkatesh, said in a statement. “With its integrity-based approach to skin care, The Ordinary delivers innovative, clinically proven products that offer incredible value. We are so excited to launch this brand in all Sephora U.S. stores this month and continue to grow and curate our assortment together to best meet all clients’ needs.”
FOR MORE FROM WWD.COM, SEE:
Sephora Said Tightening Clean Beauty Standards
Sephora Adds Accelerate Participants to Brand Matrix
EXCLUSIVE: The Ordinary Expands ‘Colours’ With Concealers
Source: Read Full Article


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It's been nearly five years since Verizon decided to stop expanding its FiOS fiber network into new cities and towns, so this week's news won't come as a huge surprise: Verizon is nearing "the end" of its fiber construction and is reducing wireline capital expenditures while spending more on wireless.
"I have been pretty consistent with this in the fact that we will spend more CapEx in the Wireless side and we will continue to curtail CapEx on the Wireline side. Some of that is because we are getting to the end of our committed build around FiOS, penetration is getting higher," Verizon CFO Fran Shammo said yesterday in the Q4 2014 call with investors.
Wireline capital spending totaled $1.6 billion in the most recent quarter and $5.8 billion for 2014, down 7.7 percent from 2013, Verizon said.
Verizon posted a net loss of $2.23 billion in Q4 2014, despite making a profit of $9.63 billion for the full year. The loss included "significant non-operational items... primarily related to the annual actuarial valuation of benefit plans and mark-to-market pension adjustments," Verizon said.
The numbers look better when examining individual divisions. Wireline operating income margin was 4.4 percent in Q4 2014, up from 1.2 percent the previous fourth quarter, Verizon's earnings announcement said. FiOS revenue grew 11.6 percent year-over-year to $3.3 billion in Q4 2014, and FIOS brought in 77 percent of consumer wireline revenue.
Those profitability numbers pale in comparison to wireless, where Verizon reported 23.5 percent operating income margin in Q4 2014. That helps explains why Verizon is shifting capital expenditures from wireline to wireless. Verizon Wireless added 2.1 million retail connections in the fourth quarter, bringing its total to 108.2 million. Among those are 35.6 million retail postpaid accounts, averaging 2.87 connections per account for 102.1 million postpaid connections.
Although FiOS competes strongly against cable companies like Comcast, the expense of replacing old copper lines with fiber led Verizon to stop building in new regions and to complete wiring up the areas where it had already begun. Verizon even partnered with cable companies in 2012 to resell cable service in bundles with Verizon Wireless in areas where FiOS was never built.
Verizon doesn't seem to want to maintain its copper telephone network either, with many customers and advocacy groups complaining that the company drags its feet in fixing problems in order to force users onto fiber or wireless.
Verizon is reaping the financial rewards of FiOS now that it has mostly finished construction.
"We are reconnecting homes that we've already connected, so it's not additional capital that we have to outlay," Shammo said. "That is a very good return for us because we already spent the capital to connect that home." Verizon's plan "to improve profitable growth includes driving further FiOS penetration and improving operating and capital efficiency."
Fifty-nine percent of FiOS consumer Internet customers subscribed to data speeds of at least 50Mbps, up from 46 percent one year earlier.
Verizon says that FiOS lines have passed more than 19.8 million premises. FiOS Internet has nine percent more Internet connections than it did a year ago and 7.4 percent more video connections.
"In broadband, we added 145,000 net FiOS customers in the quarter and 544,000 for the year," Shammo said yesterday. "We have a total of 6.6 million FiOS Internet subscribers, representing 41.1 percent penetration... Overall net broadband subscribers increased 59,000 in the quarter and 190,000 for the full year. In FiOS video, we added 116,000 net customers in the quarter and 387,000 for the year. We have a total of 5.6 million FiOS video subscribers, which represents 35.8 percent penetration."
(The penetration percentages don't square with the 19.8 million buildings passed figure. Verizon told Ars that out of the premises passed, 16.1 million homes are "open for sale" for Internet service and 15.8 million are open for sale for TV. Some homes are passed with fiber but aren't ready for services because network gear in the central office hasn't been initialized. Premises passed include also businesses. Verizon said the 19.8 million buildings passed with fiber are "vastly" homes but declined to say how many are businesses, and would not say how many homes are passed with copper.)
Verizon has converted more than 800,000 copper customers to fiber since 2011 and said it intends to convert another 200,000 in 2015, though that number would likely be higher if Verizon hadn't halted its fiber expansion. Customers can switch to fiber without purchasing FiOS service, as fiber can carry circuit-switched telephone calls—but without the benefit of working throughout multiple-day power outages, as older copper lines could do. Even if customers switch to fiber for phone service only, those conversions "provide a long-term opportunity for customers to purchase FiOS services," Shammo said.


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Attorney General Lord Goldsmith yesterday (Thursday 15 March) unveiled a raft of initiatives designed to combat fraud, including a review of how the offence is dealt with in the courts.
The review will examine the potential benefits of a financial courts jurisdiction equipped with specialist judges so that all aspects of fraud proceedings can be dealt with under one roof.
Goldsmith also said that the Government is to launch a study of plea negotiation to design ways to encourage early guilty pleas.
Goldsmith commented: “Fraud contributes nothing, and costs a fortune. We cannot eliminate fraud altogether but working together with the police, the wider public sector and private industry, I am confident we can make a difference.”
Speaking at a conference at HM Treasury in London, the Attorney General was detailing the Government’s response to the wide-ranging Fraud Review published in July 2006 and the subsequent three-month consultation.
Other measures detailed include setting up the National Fraud Strategic Authority to co-ordinate fraud prevention; designing a National Fraud Reporting Centre to gather intelligence; and providing a combined service for public, government and business fraud victims.
The Government also plans to extend the remit of the City of London police, presently the lead force for fraud in the South-East, to take the lead on fraud nationally.
The Fraud Act, which came into force in January, introduced a statutory offence of fraud for the first time, giving greater clarity to investigators and prosecutors.
The Fraud (Trials Without a Jury) Bill, which promotes non-jury trials in serious and complex fraud cases, is presently before Parliament.


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“We have suspended the launch of Blue Verified until further notice,” said Elon Musk. Will the Twitter chaos ever end?
Twitter has changed plans again for its paid premium membership . Twitter Blue will no longer debut later this month, as originally planned. The social network has yet to figure out what to do to prevent the problem of impersonating VIPs, politicians and companies from happening again.
“We have suspended the launch of Blue Verified until we have more certainty about our strategy to stop identity theft,” explained Elon Musk . “We will probably use differently colored ticks to identify companies and individuals.”
The biggest concern of social media is the protection of companies. The launch of Twitter Blue has had disastrous results, precisely because numerous trolls have used the paid blue check to impersonate companies listed on the stock exchange, causing enormous economic damage.
The most emblematic case is the identity theft against Ely Lilly , an American pharmaceutical giant. “From now on, insulin will be offered free of charge .” Immediately after the post was published, the company plummeted on the stock market. Too bad the tweet didn’t come from Ely Lilli’s official account, but from that of a troll who had bought a blue tick, thus successfully posing as the colossus.
Twitter is working on a way to prevent such incidents from happening again. For example, the company may prohibit accounts less than 90 days old from purchasing Twitter Blue.


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Second, it would provide helpful and necessary regulatory scrutiny. The creation of national standards and safeguards – at the heart of the OCC’s approach – is a necessity as fintech companies continue to proliferate and reshape the industry. Those receiving a charter would get regulatory scrutiny to ensure they meet OCC standards. And bringing clarity to the national regulatory framework, along with the federal government’s seal of approval, would spur greater capital formation and liquidity for the benefit of the entire ecosystem. The current regulatory uncertainty at the federal and state levels is not sustainable and ultimately damaging to all stakeholders, particularly consumers.
Third, it would benefit consumers. We believe this is good for the industry and great for consumers and small businesses. This is good for the industry as the OCC charter will create more competition, challenge the status quo and compel established stakeholders to innovate. This is also great for consumers as financial inclusion is a clear objective of the OCC guidance.
This very point of financial inclusion and easier access to credit is also highlighted in the Treasury report, which notes the importance of the Bank Partnership Model. This has enabled and led to the dramatic increase in access to unsecured consumer credit, small business lending, auto finance etc. The Treasury report notes that “early evidence indicates that these new lending channels have provided opportunities to expand credit to underserved segments.”
The Bank Partnership Model is an excellent alternative to the OCC fintech charter as it provides the adequate regulatory guardrails to ensure adherence to all federal and state consumer protection and anti-money laundering laws, and more banks have begun to embrace it.
Tangentially, the Treasury Department recommends that the federal banking regulators take prompt action to solidify adequate third-party lending guidance that reaffirms that banks are the true lenders of these partnerships. The FDIC took important steps in this direction in 2016 with its third-party lending guidance known as FIL-50. Federal banking regulators ought to take a hard look at clarifying the banks’ position in the true lender discussion and help preserve the “valid when made” doctrine.
Which brings us back to disruption and democratization. Neither disruption nor democratization are benign forces – change rarely is. It can be uncomfortable and unsettling – even scary. The historian and professor Melvin Kranzberg, best known for his laws of technology, famously wrote: “Technology is neither good nor bad; nor is it neutral.”
The modern interpretation of Kranzberg is: make technology your friend or it will be your enemy. Industry leaders with true foresight recognize that fintechs are the future of banking – most likely alongside, not in place of traditional banks.
In a press briefing shortly after becoming comptroller of the OCC last year, Mr. Otting pointed out that online lenders had played a meaningful role in providing “small-dollar” loans to consumers that banks had chosen to ignore. Fintechs, he said, are “coming into a space that they see as unfulfilled” and are fulfilling unmet needs. More recently he noted that fintech companies, “promote(s) innovation, gives consumers and businesses greater choice and creates economic growth and opportunity.”
There are significant headwinds for fintech charter applicants such as establishing a regulatory framework up to the OCC’s standards, clarification on capital adequacy, liquidity, risk management and potential state legal challenges to the OCC authority. Once the dust settles, all will realize that the threat made us better and the consumer better served. The space is certainly big enough for all.
If history teaches us anything, it’s that progress will not be denied – it’s an immutable force that may be impeded but not defeated. Like the all-female dinosaurs in “Jurassic Park” – thought incapable of breeding and thus controllable – “life finds a way.” It’s time we recognize that fintechs play a critical role in the future of financial services and do our part as enlightened business leaders and policymakers to help them “find a way,” or we’ll end up like Blockbuster.Like This Post


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AMFG Publishes Additive Manufacturing Landscape Report 2020: Breaking Down the Industry and Looking at the Future
Today, London-based company AMFG, which provides MES and workflow software for industrial additive manufacturing (AM) that helps companies streamline and manage their production workflows, has released the second edition of its annual Additive Manufacturing Landscape report and infographic. Since the first report was published in April of 2019, there have been some big changes in the AM industry, including new materials and technologies, investors and companies, and new applications – all of which are strong indicators that the sector is continuing to move towards greater industrialization.
“While the start of 2020 has ushered much uncertainty globally, the progress within the 3D printing industry shows no signs of slowing down,” said Keyvan Karimi, the CEO of AMFG. “In these extraordinary times, we are witnessing the continued maturation of 3D printing into an industrialised technology, driving digital transformation.”
The Additive Manufacturing Landscape 2020 edition provides some very important insights into the current AM market, breaking down the current landscape of the technology and providing industry stakeholders and manufacturing companies with some meaningful and shrewd observations regarding the trends that are molding the industry, both this year and into the future.
“In a time of global need, 3D printing is playing a key role in demonstrating its ability to respond to the need for on-demand production and help alleviate supply chain disruption,” the report’s Executive Summary states. “In addition to external factors, new players continue to enter the AM market, while acquisitions and partnerships continue to flurry across the industry.”
AMFG has customers across a range of industries in over 25 countries, and, so, has a breadth of experience to draw from in compiling this report. A total of 231 organizations were included in the 2020 landscape’s infographic, shown above, with hardware, materials, post-processing, and materials companies all included. However, as this report focuses on the industrial side of the industry, consumer 3D printing companies were not included.
The report, running 27 pages, breaks down the 2020 AM landscape, stating that the major “several factors driving the industry’s growth” include users focusing on establishing clear AM applications and the fact that the technology is now part of the broader trend of digitization in the manufacturing world. It also offers a look at the trends expected to come in 2021, and discusses some of the many milestones that occurred in 2019, such as:
- the launch of Jabil’s Materials Innovation Center
- the announcement that Orbex had produced the largest single-piece metal rocket engine
- the new 5200 series of HP’s Multi Jet Fusion 3D printers
- Carbon’s major investments
- Angel Trains and Stratasys partnering to 3D print components for passenger trains
- the collaboration between Made In Space and CELLINK to develop bioprinting technology for space.
The white paper covers insights regarding the major segments within the industry, with an entire section just for AM service providers and online platforms. Additive Manufacturing Landscape 2020 takes a look at the rate of 3D printing adoption all over the world, from North America and the Asia-Pacific region to Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and features some expert observations from Joseph Crabtree, the CEO of Additive Manufacturing Technologies and Scott Dunham, the Vice President of Research at SmarTech Analysis.
“Based on our tracking and models, 2019 was the lowest growth total across the board of any year since I started providing consulting and research services to the additive community back in 2012,” Dunham said. “But while I don’t anticipate that any markets will be totally immune from the litany of negative impacts of COVID-19, I can see much of the additive manufacturing market actually coming out of this for the better.”
Some of the major points that the report makes include that the industry’s largest segment is metal machines, which make up 22.5 percent of the overall AM landscape, and hardware, at 56 percent, is the largest category. This category has a new segment this year in composite 3D printers, which are often niche, but have the potential to grow into a more profitable market.
Additionally, the white paper states that an estimated $1.1 billion worth of investments were made last year in 77 early-stage AM companies, with 3D printer manufacturers receiving the largest piece of the funding pie. Another important point stated in the report is that connectivity and collaboration will continue to be vital in helping the fragmented additive manufacturing industry consolidate into a more unified front.
To learn more, you can check out the entire Additive Manufacturing Landscape 2020 here, and you can also find a link to the report on our White Paper page.
Discuss this news and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the Facebook comments below.
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THIS month is Scams Awareness Month and, as a result of recent reports of potential rogue traders calling at properties in the district, the police and Trading Standards have asked that awareness of doorstop crime be raised.
The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 make it a criminal offence to take advantage of householders by using high-pressure, forceful sales techniques.
This includes falsely stating that a product will only be available for a very limited time, or that it will only be available on particular terms for a very limited time, in order to elicit an immediate decision and deprive consumers of sufficient opportunity or time to make an informed choice.
As many as 170,000 instances of doorstep crime occur each year nationwide, the rogue traders often targeting vulnerable residents offering to carry out work at properties which is of poor quality, unnecessary and charged at extortionate prices – sometimes they even drive the victim to the bank to collect payment.
Most reputable traders will be registered with organisations such as Buy with Confidence or Checkatrade.
All the businesses listed on the Buy with Confidence website have been vetted and approved by Trading Standards to ensure that they operate in a legal, honest and fair way, while Checkatrade runs strict background checks on tradespeople before they can become members.
If you suspect a rogue trader is at your door, call 999 and remember the slogan: if you’re not sure, don’t open the door!
To report unwanted cold callers in your area or if you suspect they may be rogue traders, the advice is to contact Trading Standards by calling the Citizens Advice Consumer Service number on 03454 040506.


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Grant Brunner is a writer at ExtremeTech.com. He's been writing about the tech industry since 2007, and he specializes in Apple coverage and user interface. In his spare time, he nerds out about video games, genetics, genealogy, and dynamic story-telling. It's rumored that he's been known to host a D&D game now and again.
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Nearly two years after the official end of the recession, the US economy has recorded its fastest growth rate in almost two decades. Figures released by the Commerce Department on Thursday showed that in the third quarter, gross domestic product (GDP) expanded at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 7.2 percent; well above the 6 percent forecast by economists and more than double the rate of 3.3 percent in the second quarter.
While the GDP expansion was the most rapid since the third quarter of 1984, when the US economy grew at a rate of 9 percent, a number of aspects of the present recovery indicate that the operation of the business cycle is far from normal.
Consumer spending, financed by low interest rates and increasing debt, was a major component of the increased growth. Overall consumption spending, which accounts for two thirds of the GDP, was up by 6.6 percent compared to 3.8 percent in the second quarter. This was the fastest increase in consumption spending since the first quarter of 1988, much of it due to a surge in purchases of consumer durables, including cars, which rose by 26.9 percent following a 24.3 percent increase in the second quarter.
Business spending also lifted, up 11.1 percent, following an increase of 7.3 percent in the second quarter—the largest increase in this item since the first quarter of 2000.
On the surface these figures point to the start of a self-sustaining recovery, with both business and consumption spending on the rise. Closer examination of the state of the US economy, however, reveals that this is far from the case.
In the first place, the increase in consumption spending was not the result of a rise in aggregate income, flowing from increased employment, as would be the case in a “normal” recovery. According to the Economic Policy Institute, “the strength of consumer spending rested on tax cuts and mortgage refinancing” with a one time tax cut boosting disposable income by $100 billion. This meant that after-tax income grew by 7.2 percent. Before-tax income, however, rose by only 1 percent, while real wage and salary income, after taking inflation into account, actually fell by 0.1 percent in the quarter.
The income figures point to the main peculiarity of the present “recovery”—the continued decline in employment. In a comment published on October 24, Morgan Stanley chief economist Stephen Roach noted that “by our calculations, over the first 21 months of this recovery, real wage and salary disbursements—the dominant component of personal income—are running about $320 billion below the path that would have been generated in a normal recovery.”
According to his figures, some 22 months after the recession supposedly ended in November 2001, private sector hiring in the US economy was running 4.3 million workers below the norm of the past six recoveries.
Other figures highlight this process. In a recent comment, New York Times op-ed columnist, Bob Herbert, pointed out that in the past two years the number of Americans living in poverty has increased by three million, while the median household income has fallen for the past two years. According to research by EPI senior economist Jared Bernstein the decline in the number of hours worked by families, rather than by individuals, was “of a magnitude that’s historically been commensurate with double digit unemployment rates.” Not only are fewer family members working, the ones who are employed are working less hours.
Another peculiarity of the present recovery is the behaviour of the US Federal Reserve. On Tuesday, the Fed decided to keep its short-term interest rate at its 45-year low of 1 percent and indicated that its easy money policy would be maintained “for a considerable period.”
This seems to indicate that the Fed fears that if it starts to raise interest rates, even by a relatively small amount, debt-financed consumption spending, which has largely sustained the US economy over the past two years, could be adversely affected.
In its statement on interest rate policy, the Fed noted that “business pricing power and increases in core consumer prices remain muted” and that “the risk of inflation becoming undesirably low remains the predominant concern for the foreseeable future”.
The continued lack of business pricing power has major implications for employment. It points to the fact that increased profits will come, not from increased sales and additional hiring to meet demand, but from the introduction of new technologies which will cut labour costs and reduce employment.
Considering the US economy as a whole, the latest growth figures do nothing to lessen concerns among economists over the growing structural imbalances—in particular, the widening balance of payments deficit and the growing budget deficit, which both stand at more than half a trillion dollars.
In an interview published earlier this week, former BusinessWeek chief economist William Wolman referred to the mounting debt problems.
“If you add up America’s trade deficit and its federal budget deficit, and state and local deficits, you reach a ratio of debt to income which puts us in a category where the World Bank and the IMF would rate us as dangerous, if we weren’t the strongest country in the world but just an average country,” he said. “Dangers spring from these twin deficits that will end up putting upward pressure on interest rates.”
These dangers are not going to be overcome through increased US growth and may well be worsened. If the US economy keeps expanding at a faster rate than the world average, then the current account deficit will continue to widen, making the American financial system even more dependent on an inflow of funds, especially from Japan and the rest of East Asia.
However, if growth rates increase in the rest of the world, funds will be attracted elsewhere and it will be increasingly difficult to finance the US deficits. Accordingly, in order to attract funds, yields on Treasury bonds will have to rise, bringing an increase in interest rates throughout the economy, leading to slower US growth or possibly a recession if debt-financed consumption spending falls rapidly.
This growing tendency of economic growth to resemble a “zero-sum game”, or a “see-saw” as the noted British economic analyst Brian Reading put it, points to the fact that the world economy as a whole is afflicted with deep-seated structural problems, manifested in overcapacity and over-production.