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A small but vocal group of industry observers and participants have been issuing warnings about the imminent takeover of the real estate industry by Internet portals and general search engines such as AOL, MSN, Yahoo! and Google, as well as vertical search engines such as Trulia. Allegations against these companies suggest that they are “aggregating listing information without permission” and, if they are left unchecked, brokers will lose control of their listing data.
This type of commentary is reminiscent of the fear-mongering of the late 1970s when franchises introduced the so-called “100 percent commission” business models, and, more recently when Microsoft launched its HomeAdvisor site amidst cries that it would ruin traditional real estate brokerage companies. Yet, none of these predictions ever came true.
In fact, the history of the real estate brokerage industry is filled with the obituaries of Fortune 500 “outsider” companies that did not understand the unique nature of the real estate business. Sears Roebuck & Co. and Merrill Lynch, for example, made brief forays into real estate backed by substantial marketing dollars, only to leave soon thereafter when their trusted techniques for success in one industry did not transfer into another. Real estate brokerage’s intricacies, decentralization and unique culture simply were not conducive to a cookie-cutter approach adapted from other industries.
Interestingly, most search services that have been labeled as “disruptive outsiders” trying to exploit brokers’ listing data have actually sought to apply search technology to facilitate the real estate brokerage industry. They certainly have no intention of displacing that industry. Rather, they are responding to consumers’ thirst for online real estate information. Search technology can enable consumers to make sense of disparate property data sources. Using search technology, consumers can seamlessly access more property information and ultimately create stronger connections with real estate professionals.
Because the Internet has spawned a shift in culture where transparency of information and online research is part of daily American life, it is folly for any real estate broker, MLS or service provider to believe that denying portals and search engines access to listings information will stop consumers from using these publicly available tools to locate property data. Doing so only makes the search process for consumers more difficult and positions real estate as an antiquated and even anti-consumer industry.
These same “disruptive” services, such as Google and Trulia, are extraordinarily skilled at locating the information on the Web that consumers want, and then pointing consumers to it quickly and efficiently. Their core competency is to rationalize the information chaos on the Internet — not practice real estate brokerage.
As to critics’ suggestions that search engines steal or otherwise illegally aggregate property content, in fact search companies index data that appear on other public Web sites so consumers can search and more easily find that data located on the site of the true information source. Search companies index only data that is necessary to inform consumers of what they will find on the destination site so they can make informed decisions about where they want to link.
The capture of copyrighted content from a Web site as necessary to respond to consumer search requests has generally been held to be a “fair use” of the content. This would apply to search engines’ capture of photo thumbnails that appear on listing brokers’ sites, as well as the list price, which some contend is itself copyrightable content. The fact that search engines make money from advertising on search results pages does not defeat the “fair use” defense to a copyright infringement claim.
In addition, search engines use indexing software or “robots” that observe the robot.txt protocol when crawling information on the Internet. Web site operators who do not want their sites to be indexed by a search engine can easily add a code to the site’s meta tags instructing a search engine robot not to index some or all of the data on their site(s). Simply put, brokers always retain control of their listing data.
Courts are increasingly recognizing that search engines are an essential component of the Web, and are dismissing copyright challenges that threaten their operations for the benefit of businesses (e.g., brokerages) and consumers alike. In Field v. Google Inc., for example, the Nevada federal district court recently dismissed a plaintiff’s copyright infringement suit against Google, holding that the plaintiff’s failure to block Google’s robots from his site constituted an implied license from the plaintiff to Google to undertake the indexing and caching of the plaintiff’s copyrighted content. The logic of the Field case applies to real estate vertical search engines. If a broker does not want listings to be indexed by a vertical search engine, the broker can easily prevent it. Likewise, if a broker wants a search engine to crawl its Web site, it has a legal right to do so. In other words, the contention that search companies are acting illegally by indexing data on the Web is unfounded.
Some critics also argue that since search engines have, or will soon have, overwhelming brand recognition, consumers will begin their home search at the search engine site rather than the broker’s site, or a so-called “Realtor-friendly” site such as Realtor.com. They urge brokers to deny access to their listing data at the onset to avoid the huge “tolls” search engines will exact as traffic on these sites increase.
If brokers followed this advice, they would be undermining their ability to control the marketing of their own listings and to drive more traffic to their own Web site(s), which will simply and unnecessarily result in increased marketing costs — all in fear of scenario that is highly unlikely to ever come to pass. First, the search engine “industry” is hardly a monopoly: Yahoo!, Google, AOL and MSN all vigorously compete with one another. If one search company or portal extracts “tolls” for the traffic it generates that are unjustified by the value of their services, other search engines or portals will compete for broker business by driving traffic for free, or at fees that reflect the true value of the services being delivered.
Second, many brokers today are affiliated with nationally branded franchises that are proactively developing their own national Web destination sites hoping to serve as consumers’ initial entry point for their online home search. While some franchises and brokers believe they are competing with search engines for consumer mindshare, the reality is that consumers prefer choices and they will likely rely on multiple trusted sources of information when making a decision as important as a home purchase. Enlightened brokers should align themselves with those search services that consumers have determined by their usage to be trusted sources of Web-based information.
Finally, search engines are more skilled at bringing order to the chaos of online real estate information. Real estate brokers, on the other hand, are more skilled at bringing order to the chaos of a “real world” home search and purchase. Smart real estate brokers would be advised to turn a deaf ear on the voices of paranoia and instead use creative, balanced strategies to incorporate search-engine partnerships into their Internet marketing initiatives.
Robert D. Butters, Esq., is an attorney with Arnstein & Lehr LLP, representing real estate brokerage, franchise and technology companies, and MLSs.


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Halton Borough Council is inviting soon-to-be brides and grooms, along with their friends and families, to the 2017 Wedding and Partnership Fayre and its free admission!
The annual event will take place on Sunday 19 February from 12noon to 4pm at Runcorn Town Hall, and aims to attract couples from all over the North West.
The Council’s Registration Service is expecting a high volume of visitors this year, following the success of previous years.
Halton Borough Council’s Executive Board Member for the Registration Service, Cllr Stef Nelson, said: “Guests can tour the luxurious suites, enjoy the grounds of Runcorn Town Hall and will have the opportunity to meet the registrars to discuss ideas and wedding plans.
“There will be a huge variety of exhibitors this year- some returning from previous years and some brand new making an appearance for the first time, all there to cater to lots of different wedding and partnership needs. ”
Exhibitors will be joining the Wedding and Partnership Fayre from across the country to offer their products and services to couples interested in getting married.
Look out for; caterers, entertainers, florists, event planners, hair and beauty, jewellers, licenced venues, photographers, transport and wedding wear.
The event is free and there will be lots of giveaways and prize draws taking place on the day, parking is also free of charge,
The location is: The Town Hall, Heath Road, Runcorn, WA7 5TN.
For a full list of exhibitors and more information see www.weddingsinhalton.co.uk and visit www.facebook.com/haltonregistrationservice/ on Facebook as well as the Council’s main Facebook and Twitter accounts, to keep up to date with the latest updates on social media.
~More information is available on 0151 9078307 or email email@example.com

domain: news


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Usually when we report leaks about Best Buy it is because an employee or “a source familiar with the matter” spills the beans. This time it’s Best Buy, or at least one of its locations, that is doing the spilling. As a result, we now know the release dates for the Motorola Xoom and the HTC Thunderbolt.
The Best Buy in Grand Rapids South used their Facebook page to list upcoming launch dates for new phones and devices. In addition to known launch dates for the Verizon iPhone on February 10th, and the Samsung Presto “hotspot” on February 17th, previously unknown launch dates for the Motorola Xoom Tablet on February 24th and the HTC Thunderbolt on February 14th were listed. Giving some credence to the notion that these previously unknown launch dates weren’t ready for public consumption yet, the post has since been removed, but not before a few smart folks took a screenshot of the post.
A previous leak about the Motorola Xoom and the HTC Thunderbolt has also allowed us to get an idea of their possible retail cost based on a minimum advertised price (MAP) list that made it on to the Internet. According to that list, the Motorola Xoom will retail for $799.99 while the HTC Thunderbolt will retail for $249.99. Of course, the MAP prices are only for those vendors who want money to help with marketing the devices. If they don’t need the funds they can sell the devices for whatever price they want.
Read more at ZDNet


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Jay Z has sold millions of records, helped launch the careers of stars including Rihanna and Kanye West, and now the music mogul is competing against music streaming giant Spotify with his own music platform.
With the help of famous friends, the 45-year-old rapper and businessman has relaunched Tidal, his recently purchased online streaming service.
Artists such as his wife Beyonce, Madonna, Coldplay, Alicia keys and Rihanna, were amongst the stars that transformed their Twitter avatars into turquoise squares in support of his new venture, which goes live at 10pm GMT on 30 March 2015.
However, Chris Brown, who has a notoriously strained relationship with the label boss refused to lend his support by changing his icon. After Jay-Z's recent, negative comments surrounding Chris Brown, it comes as no surprise that the pair may not be seeing eye-to-eye at the moment.
The producer allegedly stated he thought the drama surrounding Chris Brown's latest scandal involving his ex Karrueche Tran was "karma finally catching up with the young star", a source revealed to Hollywood Life.
Although Taylor Swift also didn't change her Twitter avatar, she showed her support by giving Tidal access to her entire discography.
The streaming site will be available through computers and smartphones operating on both a general website and application-type platforms.
Unlike Spotify, whose users can listen for free to a 160kbps stream (opting to subscribe for an ad-free, higher quality 320kbps experience), Tidal will only be available through subscription options.
The entry-level 'Tidal Premium' tier offers standard quality audio (320kbps or 96kbps - presumably catering to desktop and mobile usage scenarios) from $9.99 / £9.99 per month. The 'Tidal Hi-Fi' tier adds lossless FLAC audio (1411kbps) for $19.99 / £19.99 per month. Both subscription levels offer high quality music videos and curated editorial content.
The service will be available in 19 different countries including the US and the UK, but will be accessible to many more including Slovenia, Malta and Denmark later in 2015.
In February, Jayz Z acquired the company for $56m (£38m) from Aspiro, a Scandinavian media technology company. Although the interface previously launched in October 2014, it is thought that Jay Z plans to uses his reputation to make it globally-recognised brand.


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Activision has confirmed that it intends to deliver “the next full premium release” in the Call of Duty series in 2023.
The publisher announced the plans for the series as part of its third quarter financial results on Monday.
“Activision is looking forward to building on its current momentum in 2023, with plans for next year including the most robust Call of Duty live operations to date, the next full premium release in the blockbuster annual series, and even more engaging free-to-play experiences across platforms,” it said.
It’s unclear what form the premium release will take, but Bloomberg previously claimed Activision had chosen to hold back the next mainline entry in the Call of Duty series, which is expected to be developed by Black Ops studio Treyarch, essentially skipping a release for the first time in two decades.
Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier has claimed the “premium” release cited by Activision is a significant expansion for 2022 title Modern Warfare 2.
There has been speculation that Activision could release a spin-off game, such as the long-rumoured standalone Call of Duty Zombies title.
It’s also reportedly planning to release premium campaign content for Modern Warfare 2 in 2023, and potentially a ‘greatest hits’ pack containing multiplayer maps from a variety of classic Call of Duty games to celebrate the franchise’s 20th anniversary.
Activision claimed on Monday that Modern Warfare 2 continues to be the fastest-selling entry in the series following its release on October 28.
Having topped $800 million in sales in its first three days of availability, Modern Warfare 2 crossed the $1 billion mark in 10 days.
In doing so it surpassed the record previously held by 2012’s Black Ops 2, which took 15 days to reach $1 billion in sales.


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- News tagged "uhd tv"
Thursday, 23 Apr 2015
When LG announced its 2015 4K TV lineup in March, not all pricing details were in, especially for models like the 65-inch EC970T 4K OLED curved TV and the smaller size TVs in the entry-level UF670T and UF770T series. But we've them now.
Friday, 17 Apr 2015
Samsung's newly released SUHD TVs (the JS9000 and the JS9500) might be wowing local audiences, but the CE giant's also released a handful of other 4K UHD models. More details inside.
Wednesday, 7 Jan 2015
Through clever splitting and sharing of pixels, which result in way more sub-pixels than usual, Sharp says its Aquos Beyond 4K Ultra HD TV offers better image quality than all the other 4K sets out there.
Tuesday, 6 Jan 2015
Streaming high quality 4K video content smoothly is just one part of the internet TV experience, but there are other factors that only TV manufacturers can control. Netflix is committed to bring quality experience and to that end, it has rolled out a new logo recommendation program to help consumers.
LG has announced no less than seven OLED TVs at CES 2015. While most of them are curved sets, there are a few flat ones too.
In total, Sony's 2015 4K TV lineup consists of four new series and ten new models, ranging from 43 to 75 inches. In addition to running Android TV, they also feature a new 4K Processor X1 engine.
Tuesday, 30 Dec 2014
It looks like LG Electronics has more tricks up its sleeve this coming CES besides TVs running WebOS 2.0 and using quantum dots. The Korean TV maker has announced that it’ll be unveiling another technology called Wide Color LED and a new branding called ColorPrime.
Tuesday, 16 Dec 2014
CES 2015 is almost upon us, and LG Electronics has just announced that it will unveil a new 4K UHD TV with quantum dot technology at the trade show.
Thursday, 11 Dec 2014
LG Electronics has launched three midrange and entry-level 4K TVs in Singapore. The most affordable one is the 40UB800T, a 40-inch model with a low S$1,099 price tag.
Tuesday, 2 Dec 2014
Looking for a really huge 4K TV? LG has brought the 98-inch version of its flagship UB980T series to Singapore.


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Streaming giant Netflix has reassured investors that its long-term plan is unchanged – advertisements are not going to be brought in.
Netflix might have tested out skippable and temporary ads last summer – connecting viewers to similar material available on the service – but that's as far as it's likely to go.
In a letter to investors this week, the company compared itself to the home of Game of Thrones: "We, like HBO, are advertising-free. That remains a deep part of our brand proposition; when you read speculation that we are moving into selling advertising, be confident that this is false."
"We believe we will have a more valuable business in the long-term by staying out of competing for ad revenue and instead entirely focusing on competing for viewer satisfaction," it continued (via Variety).
"We don't offer pay-per-view or free ad-supported content. Those are fine business models that other firms do well. We are about flat-fee unlimited viewing commercial-free."
Instinet analysts claim that Netflix could potentially reel in more than $1 billion every year in ad revenue, so you'd understand if the company was to consider this option.
But it sounds like it has no plans to implement ads whatsoever.
('You Might Also Like',)


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During this time of the pandemic, situation industrialists did not stop growing their business. They have planned and found many ways to stay fix their position to become a top industrialist. Elon Musk is now the richest industrialist person in the world by slipping off Jeff Bezos. The most amazing facts are how the richest persons in the world have surpassed their net worth by swelling in 2022 mainly in this economic uncertainty. You have ever thought about the worth of the world’s richest people and also about their extravagant lifestyles to add to the fact that they can acquire enough to afford all the things.
Here is the list of the top 10 Industrialists in 2022 :
10. Gautam Adani
Net Worth: $90 Billion
Adani has acquired a 74% stake in Mumbai International Airport, the second busiest country, and the last September. He also has bee sold 20% of his listed renewable firm, Adani Green Energy to a French energy giant for a total of $2.5 billion.
9. Mukesh Ambani
Net Worth: $90.7 Billion
In 2022, Mukesh Ambani just will enter the $100 billion clubs. He is now one of the richest people in Asia. He has an estimated net worth of USD 84.5 billion. The holder of the Reliance Industries Ltd shareholder just has overtaken Jack Ma of China.
8. Warren Buffet
Net Worth: $102.1 Billion
He will be the world’s tenth billionaire with a net worth of USD$102.1 billion, and 2021 has marked the first year since 1993 that has revered the investor running Berkshire Hathaway not has appeared in the top five. He is also known as the Oracle of Omaha and has raised his net worth by USD$28.5 billion.
7. Sergey Brin
Net Worth: $122.5 Billion
This man is an American business magnate, computer scientist, and Internet entrepreneur. He also co-founded Google with Lary Page. He was the p[resident of the parent company of Google, Alphabet.Inc. He will be the eighth top billionaire in 2022 with a net worth of $122.5 billion.
6. Lary Page
Net Worth:$127.2 Billion
In 2022, this Google co-founder Larry Page become able to increase his wealth to another level 2021. The estimated worth of this American Entrepreneur is USD$127.2 billion, it is able for the surge of working from home and also the diversified products.
5. Larry Ellison
Net Worth: $128.2 Billion
It is definitely a whopping year for the business magnate Larry Ellison. This Oracle co-founder has major shares in Tesla, it has surged enormously in 2021, providing him one of the huge paydays in this coming time. The net worth of this businessman is USD$128.2 billion.
4. Bill gates
Net Worth: $139.0 Billion
He is the former world’s top billionaire person who has crossed a solid year. This Microsoft co-founder ranked at USD$139.0 billion for providing the strong share performance in Microsoft, Canadian National Railway, and tractor Maker Deere & Company.
3. Bernard Arnault & Family
Net Worth: $200.6 Billion
He is one of the popular French luxury goods tycoons. LVMH has noted USD$417 billion of market value in the surge of the share price. The 47 percent stake of this man is seriously the most important asset for the world. Arnault is now the richest person in the world with an asset of USD$196 billion. This current business of Luxury is literally responsible for Louis Vuitton, Bulgari, TAG Heuer, Hennessy, Sephora, and Christian Dior have been reported to be about 30 percent whopping in the stock price to date. In 2022 he will be the third billionaire with a worth of $200.6 Billion.
2. Jeff Bezos
Net Worth: $210.7 Billion
This person has become a familiar face in the list of wealthy people. He is the boss of Amazon. Recently. The shares of Amazon have come to 7 percent on the day has USD$14 billion in 24 hours for Bezos. His total personal worth of him is USD$210.7 billion, and he got a jump amount of USD$73 billion within a year.
1. Elon Musk
Net Worth: $296.2 Billion
He will be the top billionaire in 2022. The chief of Tesla and SpaceX who is definitely intelligent and one of the huge gainers in the dollar terms this year spots the first spot. Musk is also a great industrialist. Musk is also now worth an amount of USD$296.2 billion, over more than $130 billion just a year ago, his rank was 31 and has $24.6 billion, and this year it got 705 percent shares in Tesla, and at some point, he was really the richest person of the world.
A big thanks for the source.


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No More Newton, Inc.? The fledgling Newton, Inc. may not flutter away from the Apple nest. As we reported last Friday in TidBITS Updates, Apple now plans to retain its PDA unit, primarily because of the eMate 300. Different reports have Apple using the eMate 300 design at the core of a new series of computers for the education market or as the base for an inexpensive network computer (a system that uses the network for storage, both for applications and files). Steve Jobs has made comments about wanting to move the company in that direction, and now that Oracle CEO and network computer proponent Larry Ellison is on Apple's board of directors, an eMate-based network computer running Java isn't any stranger than the rest of the news coming out of Cupertino these days. [ACE]
Spacebar Magnifies Photos in iPhoto '08
In iPhoto '08, you can choose whether double-clicking on a photo will edit it or magnify it. I prefer my double-clicks to edit photos, but every now and then it's nice to magnify a photo. To do that, even when double-click is set to edit, just select the photo and press the Spacebar.


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Vivo X100 Pro 5G 2023: Chinese smartphone maker Vivo is going to create a storm soon by doing some new exploits. Yes, you heard it right, Vivo has established its dominance by delivering more than one stylish phone to the customers. The new latest Vivo X100 Pro 5G smartphone to be launched soon by Vivo is ready to launch in the market. In this smartphone, you will get 200MP camera features along with a 7100mAh strong battery.
The most thrilling feature of all, in this how much will the photo help you with the help of a drone shot. It is believed to be the next-level feature. Let’s take a look at the features and specifications of this new latest smartphone, Vivo X100 Pro 5G, which is going to be launched by Vivo.
Vivo’s smartphones remain in the limelight for their strong camera quality. This is because the camera quality of Vivo is really amazing. According to the information being received, this new smartphone of Vivo has 4 camera setup.
In 200 MP + 32 MP + 16 MP + 5 MP, with the help of these cameras, you will be able to do not only 4K video recording but also 5K level video recording in a great way. At the same time, you have been equipped with great features like a dual LED flashlight with a 64 MP Selfie shooter selfie camera to take your own photos.
See Vivo X100 Pro variant and storage capacity
You will get to see two different variants of the Vivo X100 Pro mobile phone being launched by Vivo. Which you will get 12GB RAM and 512GB storage capacity in 8GB RAM and 256GB Paris book second variant.
In this smartphone, you will also get full support and an update of the Android version 13 operating system. Powering the smartphone is Li-Po 7100 mAh battery and strong battery support. It also supports fast charging with USB Type C charging.
Vivo X100 Pro 5G Price: What will be the price?
Vivo X100 Pro 5G Price to be launched soon by Vivo At the same time, its price in Indian markets is being speculated to be 1,01,990 INR (Indian Rupee).
By the way, its price will be officially clear only after the launch of the smartphone. According to the information that is being received, this drone-shot smartphone is expected to come in the market by March 2023.


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Wednesday to Sunday!
31 Jan – 4 Feb 2018
Profits at Sainsbury’s have declined dramatically over the first half of the year, after being impacted by costs relating to store closures. In September, Sainsbury’s announced that it would close a number of stores, including numerous Argos outlets as it moves the brand into its supermarkets. The plan to close 125 stores and replace these with 110 convenience stores, as well as inserting 80 Argos outlets into larger stores, is expected to ultimately cost up to £270m, but lead to savings of £500m over the next five years.


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Capcom Co., Ltd. this week said it will release Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil Village to Apple Inc.’s iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.
The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will include the new A17 Pro chip, which incorporates a new 6-core GPU.
In addition, Resident Evil 4 will be released to the iPad and Mac. Resident Evil Village will be released to iPad. The title will support hardware with M1 chips or later.
Both games will support cross-progression between iPhone, iPad, and Mac with one purchase.
Capcom’s RE ENGINE supports Metal and MetalFX Upscaling to take advantage of Apple silicon.


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French Senate caves on digital copyright bill
by JUNKO YOSHIDA
EE Times, publication date: 11 May 2006
"The French Senate bowed to intense lobbying pressure, approving a watered down digital copyright bill that differs significantly from the controversial version passed at the National Assembly last March.
The new bill is likely to give Apple Computers enough leeway to keep its proprieatry digital rights management (DRM) system used in iTunes and iPod. But consumer advocates and developers of open source software here have called the Senate action late Wednesday (May 10) 'irresponsible' for 'having thrown away most of the work done by the National Assembly.'"


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Jumei.com was bombarded by investors, Chen Ou wrong where?
tengxuncaijing· 2017-08-31 19:14:38
hasn't had any financial information from the United States for nine months, and shareholders have been unable to look at their tens of millions of dollars in cash to invest in mobile phones and TV shows." in an attempt to price after privatization, a series of acts of the company Poly beauty again angered investment institutions, the shareholders of Heng Ren Partners yesterday issued an open letter accusing Chen ou don't fulfill your promise and implement the wrong investment behavior.
Heng Ren Partners managing partner Peter Halesworth believes that Chen Ou share of the $7 privatization transaction proposal significantly underestimated the value of the company, resulting in a series of wrong stock shopping jumei.com online flourishing situation also fell 45.2%, the market value of the loss of $397 million.
, the current $479 million market value of the United States company, such a big loss is a rather ridiculous amount. Peter Halesworth called the 18 months of Chen's reign a "stock price disaster."".
and Peter Halesworth questioned that the disaster was supported by the support of Sequoia Capital and the board of directors of the United States board, possibly because the number of shares held by independent directors was 0. According to
SEC documents show that as of May 2017, B shares of Chen Ou owns 34% of jumei.com, 75% of the vote; the overall executive (mainly Chen ou and Dai Yusen) B holds 39.4% of the shares, 86.6% of the vote; Sequoia Capital holds 14% shares, 3.1% of the voting rights.
on the other hand, Heng Ren Partners also believes that the United States did not fulfill promises, will be raised in 2014 in the United States IPO $280 million in capital investment in a year with two digit growth rate, and claiming to be the leader of the industry, the funds for marketing, brand promotion and product development. On the contrary, since announcing the privatization of the program, it has spent $14 million 300 thousand to invest in television production and $44 million 800 thousand to invest in a mobile mobile charging power start-up (Shenzhen Street Technology).
these investments in non core business, and questionable investment targets of more than 59 million U.S. dollars, equivalent to 12% of the United States market capitalization and 18% of book cash.
and just in the open letter issued the same day, the United States announced that it has completed the acquisition of street technology, and its wholly-owned subsidiary of River International Holding will hold shares in street technology.
for the United States questioned investment television and street electrical work "said Chen Ou in micro-blog's explanation to the flow. "Traffic to super app aggregation, more expensive.". Getting traffic through cheaper means is a business logic. In addition to the "
, Heng Ren Partners also accused the United States never to shareholders to pay a penny of cash dividend, the book and the United States announced at the end of 2016 was $331 million, equivalent to 87% of the value of the United States, more than two times in 2014, the carrying amount of the cash amount of IPO previously held three times with cash.
and in the event of the three actions, the United States has suspended meaningful shareholder communication for 22 months. "Although
the United States in the United States there is an investor relations office, but until recently confirmed the special executive, investor relations, and these are paid for by the shareholders, there is no forum for investors to use the United States management questioned these dubious investment. "These investments do not seem to have anything to do with the core business of online cosmetics retail, and it seems to be a waste of valuable cash for shareholders," says Heng Ren Partners.
Heng Ren Partners thinks it's time to end the disaster. "There is no financial information from the United States within nine months, shareholders are able to look at their own hundreds of millions of dollars in cash book was invested in TV and mobile phone charging power supply, and since February 2016 we have not heard any news about $7 per share offer from the chairman. The offer was only 20 months away from IPO, the $22 a share. "
" 18 months and 397 million U. S. dollars of shareholder value loss proved that Chen Europe's chairman repeatedly guarantee is obviously wrong. "Heng Ren Partners emphasizes.
to this end, Heng Ren Partners recommends to the board of directors of the United Nations to intervene in the following ways and fulfill their statutory duties to restore shareholder confidence.
1, dissolution of the special committee responsible for reviewing this outrageous offer. The offer price is too low, the United States shares worth at least more than 8 U. S. dollars.
2, which immediately announced a special dividend of $1.50 per share, returned $225 million to investors in an effort to compensate for the damage to shareholder confidence and investor confidence.
3, the way to distribute cash to shareholders, will fix the balance sheet of the United States, and will also benefit shareholders who have been victimized by the chairman and insiders during the 18 months of disaster.
4, in order to regain confidence, the board must disclose what has happened to the company. In accordance with the Beauty Company governance guidelines, the board should also issue to shareholders the latest annual assessment of the board of directors reviewed by the company's nomination and corporate governance committee. Annual assessment of the CEO by the chairman of the remuneration committee.
5, disclosure Committee, joint Sequoia Capital's position on the proposed management buy back proposal, and the solution to the lack of information disclosure to shareholders


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Mumbai, Dec 7: Shares of Maruti Suzuki India on Friday rose by over 3 per cent to touch a one-year high level after the company said it will increase the prices of its vehicles across all models by up to Rs. 20,000 from January. After making a bullish opening, shares of the country's largest car maker rallied 3.54 per cent to a one-year high of Rs. 1,533.75 as the trade progressed on the BSE.
On NSE, the scrip gained 3.56 per cent to Rs. 1,535.40 -- its 52-week high level.
The scrip was the top performer among the 30-Sensex blue-chip companies during the morning trade.
"We expect the price increase to slightly offset the negative impact of foreign exchange movement on the operating margins of the company," Angel Broking said in a report.
The company has said price hike has been necessitated due to increasing pressure on the margins due to the currency fluctuation.
Meanwhile, buying was also seen on other auto counters. Tata Motors was trading 2.14 per cent higher, while Mahindra & Mahindra rose by 1.43 per cent.


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Netflix is speeding up its plans to introduce advertising on its platform, the New York Times has reported.
Previously, the company opposed advertising on its streaming options, but its recent loss of revenue has pushed it to change its strategy.
Netflix boss Reed Hastings confirmed that his team was working on sponsored advertising. It is rumoured to launch in 2023 or 2024, possibly even sooner, with a launch to coincide with a push against users sharing accounts.
Although the pandemic appears to be slowing down, it has entrenched streaming habits and many opt for the ease of watching streaming platforms. However, there are generational divides, with Generation Z – those born between the end of the 1990s and 2010 – being more likely to ditch streaming services for social media platforms such as Instagram or Tik Tok.
In addition, consumers get frustrated if their streaming service loses content and they have to pay for multiple services. Cost is a key factor, especially for Generation Z and Millennials, according to an article from the consultancy Deloitte.
- Netflix loses subscribers for the first time in 10 years
- Netflix launches trial to end account sharing outside the household
- Sounds like you? Belgians spend over 3 hours per day on smartphones
It costs money to acquire new subscribers so losing them quickly can dampen the ability of providers to get back acquisition costs. Yet it appears that people who leave streaming services may return.
To keep subscribers, streaming services are exploring flexible pricing options as ad-supported tiers could keep subscribers conscious of cost.
Netflix isn't the only streaming platform set to launch an ad-sponsored option. Disney announced in March that it planned to offer a similar subscription service later this year on Disney+.


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Amazon.com Inc. is likely to give the market back what Meta Platforms Inc. just took away – or at least a big chunk of it.
The e-commerce giant is poised to add about $155 billion in market value if the stock’s premarket gain of about 11% holds through Friday’s close. That would be among the top five single-day gains in U.S. stock market history, and would come just a day after Facebook parent Meta Platforms Inc. entered the other end of the record book with a $251 billion wipeout.
Amazon’s move could come close to Apple Inc.’s U.S. record from last week – the iPhone maker added about $179 billion in value on the day after its earnings report. The global record for a daily gain in market capitalization was set by PetroChina Co., which added $597 billion on one day in November 2007.
Keep readinglist of 4 items
The surge in Amazon’s stock price came after sales in its cloud computing business beat Wall Street estimates and the company raised the price of Amazon Prime subscriptions, alleviating some concerns about the impact of cost increases on profitability. Those elements overshadowed forecasts for sales and operating profit in the current quarter that fell short of expectations.
Amazon on Thursday suffered its worst day since March 2020, as Meta’s earnings flop raised fears about results for other big technology companies. The 7.8% decline in the regular session wiped out $119 billion in market value for the Seattle-based company.
(Adds chart on biggest market cap gains globally, updates share prices.)
–With assistance from Shikhar Balwani, Jan-Patrick Barnert, Thyagaraju Adinarayan and Beth Mellor.


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TRADE / REGIONAL TARIFF BENEFITS
Thai firms failing to tap Asean-China FTA potential
Thai businesses have failed to take advantage of favourable tariffs under the Asean-China free trade agreement (ACFTA) to build up their presence in one of the world's fastest growing economies, according to a study by the Thailand Development Research Institute. Somkiat Tangkitvanich, a TDRI research director, said Chinese imports under the ACFTA with certificates of origin totalled just $251 million, or 1.76% of Thailand's total imports from China.
The figures suggest that Thai companies did not take advantage of the opportunity to import raw materials at preferential tariffs from China, he said.
The trade pact took effect between the 10-member Asean bloc and China in July 2005, covering both farm and industrial goods.
The agreement, covering an economic region with nearly 1.8 billion consumers, represents the largest free-trade agreement area in terms of population, with annual trade estimated at $1.23 trillion.
Thai exporters had been more active in taking advantage of benefits offered under ACFTA, Mr Somkiat said, based on data on certificates of origin issued by Thailand's Foreign Trade Department.
''But the figures are still relatively small, accounting for just 12.3% of Thailand's total exports to China,'' he said.
The TDRI study was commissioned by the Office of Industrial Economics for use as a framework for regional trade negotiations covering industrial products with other trade partners, including India and the European Union.
The study did not consider the question of which country benefited the most from ACFTA.
Mr Somkiat noted that the actual figures for export values might be less than those reported in the certificates of origin, as not all shipments were made for the certificates issued.
A certificate of origin is used to certify that goods were actually produced in the country eligible for preferential trade benefits.
Tariff quotas on farm products have been another constraint on greater use of ACFTA. Chinese exporters also may not be fully aware of the benefits offered under the pact, or may face complications in securing certificates of origin in their own country to receive benefits.
One Commerce Ministry official said it was actually a relief that low-priced Chinese products had not flooded the local market as earlier feared by local producers, and acknowledged that greater protections were needed to guard against possible price-dumping. Both parties have scheduled to renegotiate the pact this year.
''I think the ACFTA is still quite new for many Thai businesses. In any case, tariffs will continue to decline next year in line with the plan,'' the official said.
The TDRI's Mr Somkiat said that within Asean, the Asean Free Trade Area (Afta) had shown clear benefits, with intra-regional trade increasing four-fold over the 15 years since the agreement was first signed.
Archanun Kohpaiboon, another TDRI researcher, said that in Thailand, the automobile industry had benefited the most from Afta.
''Every single car exported [from Thailand] to other Asean countries uses tariff privileges under Afta,'' Mr Archanun said.
Asean comprises Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.


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Holyfield to stop Tyson glove sale
Fri, 02 Nov 2012 11:54a.m.
Evander Holyfield is asking a federal judge to stop an upcoming auction of some of his boxing memorabilia, including an Olympic bronze medal and gloves he wore to fight Mike Tyson.
Holyfield's lawsuit filed Thursday (Ust) in Los Angeles seeks an order blocking the sale of 20 out of almost 450 items that Julien's Auctions plans to sell in November.
Julien's Auctions CEO Darren Julien says his company has worked for months to organise a world-class auction of Holyfield's memorabilia and other items.
He says the company had approval from Holyfield to list the items for sale and has already advanced him hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Holyfield wants a judge to block the sale of the disputed items, including the gloves he used in a 1996 bout with Tyson.
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DiGiorno pizza used facial recognition to show how much people love pizza
Everyone loves pizza — or, at least, that’s what DiGiorno wants to prove.
The Nestlé frozen pizza brand recently used facial recognition and emotion tracking software to measure people’s reactions to pizza. For the stunt, DiGiorno enlisted 24 everyday people to host three separate parties with friends and family at a loft in New York City.
At each of the parties, more than 40 high-resolution cameras were installed to use facial recognition and emotion-tracking software to gauge guests’ reactions. The footage was then processed using custom software to map the attendees’ expressions in response to the pizza’s smell and sight.
The recorded video footage was broken down to images at five-second intervals, and then processed through the facial analysis software. People’s emotional patterns — including joy, sorrow, anger, fear and surprise — were calculated with Google’s Vision API on a scale of 0-4. The joy scores were averaged on a per minute basis (only by participants that displayed it) and subtracted from the initial level of joy that they felt upon arriving at the party to calculate the joy they felt in reaction to each stimulus.
The results showed that at each party, guests were the happiest when they smelled pizza while it was being baked, even more so than when they were actually eating it. DiGiorno also found that the guests’ moods improved by 18 percent when the pizza went into the oven, by 20 percent when the pizza was taken out of the oven, by 11 percent when the host cut the pizza, and by 11 percent when guests had their first bite.
According to Chris Brody, senior brand manager at DiGiorno, said the goal was to show how Digiorno pizza elevates social occasions. But after conducting it, the brand realized that it could also use its results to connect with its audience.
“We were looking for a fun, unique way to talk about pizza,” he said. “Not just the product, but to rather showcase the full experience of baking a pizza in your own oven.”
Weber Shandwick and Golin led creative and executed the social experiment, while the Reach Agency created social content to push across the brand’s social channels and use it for digital pre-roll ads across a variety of websites that it has paid media partnerships with. The brand also developed a custom #PowerOfPizza Twitter emoji for people to share on social media.
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New Delhi14 hours ago
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- National Law Company Law Tribunal to continue its proceedings
- Amazon has reached the Supreme Court against the decision of Delhi High Court
The ongoing legal battle between American e-commerce company Amazon and Future Retail Ltd has now reached the Supreme Court. On Amazon’s appeal, the Supreme Court on Monday issued a notice to Future Retail and Reliance Industries Limited. In this notice, both companies have been asked to present their case within three weeks. Also, the Supreme Court has put a stay on the further process of the deal between Reliance-Future.
NCLT will not be able to give final decision
The Supreme Court has asked the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) to continue proceedings on the deal between Reliance Industries and Future Retail. However, the Supreme Court has said that the NCLT will not be able to take a final decision in the matter. Reliance Industries and Future Group signed a deal of Rs 24,713 crore in August. Amazon is objecting to this deal.
Amazon reached the Supreme Court against the High Court’s order
On the petition of Amazon, a single bench of the Delhi High Court ordered Future Group to maintain status quo in the deal with Reliance. Against this, the Future Group reached the double bench of the High Court. The Double Bench stayed the decision of the Single Bench, allowing Future Group to complete the deal with Reliance. In order to stay the order of the High Court’s double bench and seek interim relief, the Supreme Court of Amazon took refuge.
Amazon is seeking to stop the Reliance-Future Group deal
E-commerce company Amazon is trying to stop the deal between Reliance and Future Group. For this, Amazon has cited the deal between Future Coupons. Amazon argues that in a separate deal with Future Unit in 2019, there was a clause that Future Group cannot sell its retail assets to anyone on the list of “restricted individuals”, including Reliance.
Reliance-Future deal was done in August
Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) had announced the purchase of Kishore Biyani’s Future Group in August. The deal was done for Rs 24,713 crore. Under the deal, Future Group’s retail, wholesale, logistics and warehousing business will go to Reliance. Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd and Reliance Retail & Fashion Lifestyle Ltd have bought these businesses of Future Group. Reliance had signed the deal to expand the retail business in the country.
SEBI has approved the deal
The deal between Reliance and Future Group has been approved by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). SEBI has approved this despite Amazon’s objection. Earlier, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) has also approved the deal. Recently, Kishore Biyani, founder and CEO of Future Group, said that the Reliance-Future Group deal would be completed in two months after SEBI approval. Kishore Biyani had said that both the hearing on the dispute with Amazon and the deal with Reliance will continue.
Singapore arbitration court has imposed a ban on the deal
Amazon had moved the Singapore arbitration court to protest against the Reliance-Future Group deal. The deal was stayed by Amazon’s sole arbitrator VK Raja on a petition by Amazon. However, the final decision has not been made yet. Now a three-member arbitration bench will take a final decision in the matter. The bench will nominate one member each from Future and Amazon. One member will be neutral.


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Two Coles shoppers have spoken out after experiencing serious issues with cash registers at self-serve checkouts.
In one social media post, a customer urged others to “stay vigilant” when scanning their groceries after being overcharged on several items.
In another, a shopper claimed a piece of ginger and two capsicums were weighed incorrectly on the self-serve checkout scales, resulting in an alarming price discrepancy.
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A Coles spokesperson has told 7NEWS.com.au that the supermarket has several policies and safeguards in place to protect customers against incidents were they are overcharged (see full statements below).
In the first incident, the customer said they’d been charged full price for two discounted items - an issue they only discovered after checking their receipt.
But in a frustrating twist, the shopper claimed a Coles worker asked them to search the aisles and find photo proof of the markdown before a refund could be issued.
“I ran into Coles yesterday and used the self checkout, was about to pay when I noticed the total looked a bit high,” the customer explained on Reddit.
“I was only buying three items so it was easy to spot the error - two of the items that were supposed to be discounted did not scan at the discounted price (they had the little discount icon next to them, but showed at full price).
“I flagged down the assistant and she asked me what the prices were meant to be. When I said I don’t know exactly, she asked if I could GO AND TAKE A PHOTO OF THE DISCOUNT PRICE TAGS AND COME BACK.
“I said no and instead looked them up on my phone via the website and showed her, then she applied the discounts manually.”
The shopper said they were sharing the experience after reading of a similar incident from another Coles customer in recent weeks.
“How often can this be happening?” they asked.
“At Coles Supermarkets we have ‘Our Promise on Price Scanning’ to ensure confidence in the pricing accuracy at our registers. If a single item scans at a higher price than the advertised or ticketed shelf price for that item, we will give the customer that item free,” the spokesperson said.
“We are disappointed to hear of this customer experience. We have processes in place to ensure that our marked down items are charged correctly at the register.
“We would encourage our customers to let one of our friendly team members know if they see an issue that doesn’t seem right before checking out or on their receipt after they have checked out, so that we can ensure any issues are rectified promptly.”
In the second incident, the Coles shopper shared photos revealing how the fresh items he’d purchased were weighed incorrectly on the self-serve cash register scales.
The images showed how a piece of ginger weighed 241g on the Coles scales — and just 102g on his kitchen scales. Additionally, two green capsicums weighed 581g on the Coles self-service scales — and only 443g at home.
“Both come with an error for about 138 grams. Any explanation?” the customer asked on Twitter.
He then went on to say that he’d returned the items to the store, who agreed they’d been weighed incorrectly on the self-serve scales and issued a refund.
“They confirmed that the weight and price was wrongly charged, so they granted me the refund. I am really happy with the outcome,” he explained.
Responding to 7NEWS.com.au, a Coles spokesperson said that many measures are taken to ensure the accuracy of register scales.
“We At Coles we have policies and procedures in place to monitor and maintain the accuracy of our scales to make sure that our customers are charged correctly,” the spokesperson said.
“Our team members are also monitoring the self-service checkouts throughout the day to identify any issues and reset them when needed.
“While we do have technology to flag issues that may arise at our self-service checkouts, we encourage our customer to let one of our friendly team members know if they see an issue that doesn’t seem right on their receipt or when weighing an item so we can make sure it is rectified promptly.”


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Business people in Melton are being invited by local fitness and health guru Rosemary Conley to take part in a campaign to show how diet can affect their work.
Mrs Conley, who lives at Ashby Folville, is working with the borough council on the initiative which is aimed at promoting the district’s thriving business community and its reputation as a rural capital of food.
Volunteers will be offered the opportunity for a free group session with Rosemary in the new year to find out how they can improve their diet and lifestyle to get the most out of their working day.
Participants, who are being sought from sectors such as agriculture, gardening, food manufacturing, engineering and IT, will need to keep a daily food diary for a week, including logging the amount of physical activity they have done.
The council is inviting applications to take part from people based in the Melton borough who are either self-employed or managing a business.
For more information contact the authority’s economic development officer, Maria Ramshaw, on 01664 502496 or 07500 975642.


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(Bloomberg) — The highest bid for lithium at an online sale surged by 140% in just six months, an indication the stampede for supplies of the main ingredient used in electric vehicle batteries could get even more intense.
Pilbara Minerals Ltd.’s auction of spodumene concentrate — a partly-processed form of lithium — attracted a top bid of $5,650 a ton on Wednesday for a cargo of 5,000 tons. That compares with $2,350 at the previous sale in late October on the Australian miner’s Battery Metal Exchange.
The surging prices are unnerving battery makers and EV firms. Tesla Inc. Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk said this month that lithium had gone to “insane levels” and is the “fundamental limiting factor” for EV adoption, adding the car giant might consider mining or refining it directly.
Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd., the world’s largest battery maker, said last week it had won exploration rights for a lithium clay deposit in China.
For the rest of this article: https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/top-bid-for-lithium-up-140-after-musk-s-insane-levels-call-1.1758097#:~:text=(Bloomberg)%20%2D%2D%20The%20highest%20bid,could%20get%20even%20more%20intense.


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The debates over the effectiveness of CBD oil and whether it should be legal are argued without an end in sight. While the oil has seen success in consumers looking for a way to ease anxiety and chronic pain, there is one silent group quickly becoming a target market for CBD oils — household pets.
CBD oils for cats and dogs can be purchased alongside the similar products for humans, but with an animal-friendly spin. For dogs, the CBD treats are the same size and consistency of a milk bone, with advertised calming effects. The same goes for chewy cat treats that are sold in bags that don’t look out of place next to the top brands of the non-CBD oil variety. Alternatively, the oils themselves can be sold in pet-friendly flavors, like beef or chicken, to be applied directly in the pet’s mouth or on their food.
One such company is CBD Kratom, operating out of three locations in DFW. The St. Louis-based company has been selling CBD products since 2014, and its presence in major cities such as Los Angeles and Chicago has them familiar with a diverse mix of clientele. Dafna Revah, co-owner of the business with her husband, thinks there are still many misconceptions about the alternative treatment.
“I think there’s still always questions about whether it gets you high or whether or not it has any psychoactive effects,” Revah says. “We have a lot of people who spend their first trip to our stores, and they spend about 30 minutes to an hour browsing the store learning about what CBD is. So I think that’s still the biggest misconception — is that they don’t even necessarily know what CBD is.”
For a human, the described effect of CBD oil is far from a psychoactive “high” that the activated THC from smoking marijuana would give the body. The likely candidate for CBD is someone seeking an alternative method to calm anxiety or lessen pain without the usage of narcotics. Revah says that while a wide variety of people come into their stores, the average customer is a bit older than a millennial, usually 35 and older.
Similarly, the effect on cats and dogs is supposed to be soothing and relaxing but not heavily sedating. The purported calming feeling stemming from CBD oils varies animal to animal, but the treatment is primarily used for pain. Likely candidates are dogs and cats with limited movement from arthritis, ones diagnosed with cancer or suffering from other major illnesses in their later years.
“You would be looking at a lot of the older animals,” Revah says. “That’s what we’ve seen the most of. People wouldn’t necessarily give it to their pet or their dog when they’re puppies for instance, because they’re still developing. A lot of it, because we’re in the city of Chicago, and even in Dallas and St. Louis, a lot of it is for separation anxiety. Dogs who’ve spent all day in the apartment kind of thing.”
The American Veterinary Medical Association has yet to make an official declaration on CBD oils and its usefulness in animal treatments. Studies on the effects have been limited, and the products have not been FDA approved for consumption.
“Cannabis-derived products that have been suggested as therapeutic agents for use in animals to-date have not followed the traditional path to FDA approval," the AVMA's website reads. "Relatedly, although cannabinoids such as CBD appear to hold therapeutic promise in areas such as the treatment of epilepsy and the management of pain and inflammation associated with osteoarthritis, the available scientific evidence pertaining to their use in animals is currently limited. While findings from a few well-controlled studies have been published, much of what we know is related to anecdotal or case reports or has been gleaned from studies related to use in humans, including the study of animal models for that purpose. The AVMA continues to encourage well-controlled clinical research and pursuit of FDA approval by manufacturers of cannabis-derived products so that high-quality products of known safety and efficacy can be made available for veterinarians and their patients.”
Revah says that based on what they’ve seen vets recommend, a general rule of thumb when dosing an animal is 1 to 2 milligrams per 10 pounds, but questions regarding your individual animal should be thoroughly discussed with your veterinarian.
“We always suggest to people to consult a physician for themselves or to consult a veterinarian just to get more information,” Revah says. “I don’t know if it’s surprising or not, but I think a lot of veterinarians and physicians are now well-versed in CBD, or they’re looking into it themselves, so we actually do get a lot of people who have said that their vet has recommended they visit one of the stores.”
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Dana expands capacity, woos customers to flash sale
To attract old and new customers into its revamped services, Dana Air has inducted additional airplanes into its fleet, with cheaper airfares for travellers.
The airline, which has been in difficulties, said the addition of more aircraft from the maintenance hangar is a boost for its efforts and operations Spokesperson of the airlines, Kingsley Ezenwa, added that the airline also opened the flash sale offer of N45,000 for future flights.
He said: “We are pleased to announce that we have taken delivery of some of our aircraft from maintenance. These aircraft have undergone proper maintenance in line with our strict safety standards, documentation and certification to be released for our scheduled flights.
“Also, for customers that prefer to plan their trips and book ahead, we have introduced the flash sale. So, our customers can start booking their Easter trips ahead by visiting our website. We will introduce additional flights as soon as we receive more of our aircraft from maintenance,” Ezenwa said.


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Sunday 27 August 2017, Sydney
Beauty Expo Australia, the national industry event for beauty professionals, has wrapped its 2017 edition today with 7,651 visits through the doors over the course of the weekend – a 21 per cent increase from 2016. The event’s return to its Darling Harbour home at the new International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC) proved a hit with exhibitors and visitors alike, as evidenced by a 45 per cent increase in floor space from the 2016 event to accommodate more industry-leading brands.
Australia’s biggest weekend of skincare, cosmetics, nails, medi, wellness, and spa provides an opportunity for beauty professionals to check out the latest innovations in beauty, network with their peers and other industry professionals, and learn the latest in beauty education from top-tier industry leaders who attend Expo from around the globe and across the country.
“We’re elated by the industry’s response to Beauty Expo Australia’s return to Darling Harbour this year”, said Julia Erben, Event Director for Beauty Expo Australia. “Not only did we have an incredible reception from our exhibitors, but our visitors have signalled that Beauty Expo has once again quenched their thirst for independent education and direct access to the latest innovations from the world of beauty.”
The introduction of themed Education Passes this year saw more visitors taking advantage of Beauty Expo’s curated educational program, comprised of 40 classes and workshops dedicated to skills in makeup artistry, dermal therapy, grooming, nails, and business. Non-stop demonstrations on The HUB stages, the heart of the show floor, meant that there was no shortage of inspiration and trends for visitors to soak up and implement back in the salon
“I think it’s absolutely fantastic that there’s a full weekend of education to learn about new technology and product ingredients”, said Aesthetic Practitioner, Sarah Hudson, who held two education sessions at Beauty Expo Australia on Saturday. “I think this is one of the only weekends that allows you to better understand the devices you’re not using… so you can better understand the technology that your clients are using on their skin. I think embracing Beauty Expo’s education makes you a better practitioner”, concluded Sarah.
A 60 per cent increase in skincare exhibitors from 2016 demonstrated the growing prominence of the skincare sector within the beauty industry. Leading brands like Dermalogica, Pevonia, Pelactiv, PAYOT Paris, Murad, Sothys, and Ultraceuticals had a strong presence at the Expo, with Murad using the event to further extend its recently launched presence in the Australian market.
“The show has been amazing – Murad only launched at the beginning of this year, so as much exposure as we can get is absolutely vital for us”, said David Whyte, Murad’s Asia-Pacific Global Educator. “We’ve invested in this particular spot [on the show floor] for Expo this year and it’s worked extremely well… We’ve had a lot of people come through and in terms of leads, for us, it’s been amazing. It’s all about getting exposure in the Australian market, getting our name out there, and making sure people understand who Murad is… Beauty Expo has allowed us to really articulate that – which is fantastic – and to articulate that personally, face to face, with aestheticians, spa owners, therapists, and journalists”, concluded David.
The show’s international appeal saw four Pacific Island beauty companies exhibiting at Beauty Expo Australia 2017, including Nama of Fiji, MaxtoneHaus from Papua New Guinea, Island Rose Dream from Tonga, and Natural Fiji. Other international showcases included products from countries such as South Africa and Thailand – both known for their strong spa industries.
Two new initiatives by Beauty Expo Australia highlighted brands and products on the show floor that were Proudly Australian and Proudly Natural, spurred by a growing consumer trend toward purchasing products that contain natural ingredients, as well as a desire to support local brands with Australian-made products.
“The response from our visitors and exhibitors to our initiatives was wonderful and really underlines how important trends in natural and Australian-made products are becoming in the beauty industry”, commented Julia Erben. “Our exhibitors loved that there was a visual signifier of their alignment with these values, and it made seeking out natural and locally-made products a really gratifying experience for our visitors”, concluded Julia.
Other highlights from the weekend included the return of the Face2Face Makeup Awards and Nailympia competition, celebrating extraordinary talent in makeup and nail artistry, respectively. The awards provide a global platform for Australian makeup artists and nail technicians and the opportunity to propel their careers to the next level.
Beauty Expo Australia will return to Darling Harbour in 2018 from 8-9 September. Victorian beauty professionals can mark 24-25 March 2018 in their calendars for the return of Beauty Expo Melbourne to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC). Beauty Expo Melbourne, a boutique event for the Victorian beauty industry, followed Salon Melbourne in 2017 as the premier professional beauty event in Victoria.


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Is playing video games for 2 hours bad
The bottom-line: “One to nine hours per week seems to be safe, but playing more than nine hours — one hour on weekdays and two hours on weekend days — may be not recommended for children 7 to 11 years old,” said study author Dr..
Is gaming a waste of time
My response to Joe Rogan, and to others who claim video games are a “waste of time,” is: not if you have fun playing them. According to a recent study by the NPD group, 73% of Americans over the age of 2 play video games of some kind. They are popular for a reason. They are a lot of fun, and fun is not a waste of time.
How many hours of video games is an addiction
Gaming addiction is a compulsive mental health disorder that can cause severe damage to one’s life. It’s common for a video game addict to spend over 10 hours a day gaming, usually well into the night, and many suffer from sleep deprivation 2.
What video game has the best graphics
7 Best Graphics PC Games That Are Visually StunningThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunt by CD Projekt Red. … Assassin’s Creed Odyssey by Ubisoft Quebec. … Hitman 2 by IO Interactive. … Anthem by BioWare. … Star Wars Battlefront II by Electronic Arts. … Arma 3 by Bohemia Interactive. … Far Cry 5 by Ubisoft Montreal and Ubisoft Toronto.Sep 27, 2019
Do video games rot your brain
But new research has shown that those hours spent playing video games may not actually have been rotting your brain, as your mom or dad warned. In fact, if you spent your childhood playing Sonic and Super Mario, you were secretly priming your memory for the rest of your life, the new study says.
How many hours of video games is unhealthy
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than two hours per day of screen-based entertainment. Parents should create a “media plan” that dictates what hours a child can enjoy video games without affecting behavior and homework, Radesky says.
Will game graphics get better
Video game graphics will continue to improve, although the rate of improvement is reducing each year – that is, it’s levelling off.
How long does a photorealistic graph take
As to answering your question, there are tech demos and renders that are quite good looking already. It depends more on how quickly will an average consumer get hardware powerful enough to render that in his own computer, at good framerates. Can be 5 years.
Is 10 hours of gaming bad
Either way, gaming for 10 hours is way too much. If you are going to do that, you better take breaks exercise and blink your eyes as much as possible (because in case if you didn’t know, you don’t usually blink while playing games or watching videos or movies). 10 hours straight is seriously damaging.
Are video games becoming too realistic
I don’t play video games for realism, but for fun. Not saying you can’t enjoy games with realistic graphics but that it’s becoming way too trendy and it usually gets in the way of gameplay….Graphics in video games are becoming too realistic.PopularUnpopular03
Is playing video games for 5 hours bad
While there isn’t a consensus on how many hours of video games (and general screen time) is too much, the finding by Twenge and her colleagues that more than five hours per day is excessive seems reasonable.
How long does the average gamer play a day
Video gamers spent about eight hours and 27 minutes each week playing games, which is an increase of 14% over 2020, according to a new worldwide survey. Limelight Networks also found that 44% play more than seven hours per week and 25% clock more than 12 hours per week.


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It seems like each time Boston Dynamics releases a video of one of its very life-like machines, we somehow get closer to living in a world akin to the one featured in the “Terminator” films (or so the jokes go).
On Monday, the Waltham-based company, whose name has become synonymous with viral YouTube hits, showed off a sleeker, modified version of its SpotMini robot. Within a day, the video had been viewed more than 1 million times, and became the “Top Trending” clip on YouTube.
While the company didn’t say much about the revamped product — “The New SpotMini . . . For more information . . . stay tuned” — the video sort of speaks for itself. A machine that moves with the grace of a cheetah and is about the size of a large dog comes sprinting across a lawn, inspects the area, and then disappears behind a wall. There’s one moment where the faceless creation seems to stare directly into the camera. It’s enough to creep out the biggest robot fanatic.
The clip ends with the words “SpotMini” and “Coming Soon,” as the springy creature trots off, displaying its ability to maneuver freely in its surroundings.
Boston Dynamics, which was spun off from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1992 and also makes robots that walk like people and run like deer, was dropped by Alphabet Inc., the parent company of Google, in 2016. It was acquired by Softbank, a Japanese conglomerate, earlier this year.
This isn’t the first time the SpotMini has been shown off to the public. An earlier version featured on the company’s website shows a bulkier and less glossy looking machine.
That original is described by the company as “a small four-legged robot that comfortably fits in an office or home” and weighs around 55 pounds. The original SpotMini was, at that time, the quietist robot in the company’s arsenal, and ran on an electric charge for up to 90 minutes. If the video of the new SpotMini is any indication, this version will be quieter and lighter on its four feet.
“[It’s] a nimble robot that handles objects, climbs stairs, and will operate in offices, homes and outdoors,” according to the company’s website.Hiawatha Bray of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Steve Annear can be reached at email@example.com. Follow him on Twitter @steveannear.


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Mdada customers still waiting for items, refunds despite firm’s aim to settle matters by June
Some customers of e-commerce firm Mdada are still owed items or refunds after months of waiting despite the live-streaming company’s earlier commitment to resolve these issues by June.
Three customers who have been waiting five to seven months for their orders told The Straits Times they have lost faith and will not purchase from the platform again.
One client, who wanted to be known only as Mrs Tan, said she spent around $4,700 to buy a luxury bracelet, T-shirt and skincare products.
Mrs Tan, in her 40s, added: “I am so appalled by their irresponsibility. They pushed the deadline time after time. We were told our orders would arrive by May, then it became June, and now it’s already July.”
Mdada, founded in September 2020, is a Singapore-based company that uses Facebook’s live stream to sell items from skincare to luxury bags.
It made headlines in 2021 for having a revenue of $3.9 million in two months, in part due to the credentials of its three co-founders – local actress Michelle Chia, Thai-Chinese actor-host Pornsak Prajakwit and local hairstylist Addy Lee.
Mr Melvin Yong, president of the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case), said in response to queries from ST that it received 50 complaints against Mdada between Jan 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023.
The grouses were about not receiving orders in time, incomplete deliveries, delay in receiving refunds for non-deliveries and getting defective or incorrect products.
Case has written to Mdada to seek a resolution.
Mr Yong said, as at Tuesday, Case understands at least four consumers have not received their orders and/or refunds despite the company’s commitment to settle all outstanding orders by June.
“If Mdada is unable to fulfil outstanding orders, or if affected consumers no longer wish to proceed with their orders due to the extended delay, they should give the refunds promptly,” he added.
“It is unfair for Mdada to hold on to consumers’ monies indefinitely if they are unable to fulfil the orders.”
In an e-mail response to ST, Ms Chia said the firm endeavours to complete all outstanding orders and refunds as soon as possible.
She attributed most of the late deliveries to issues arising from overseas suppliers which were not able to ship products promptly.
“To resolve this issue, Mdada implemented measures such as working closely with suppliers to ascertain stock availability and to allow them to arrange shipment immediately using Mdada air freight services accounts,” she added.
Ms Chia said Mdada paused its live-streaming activities for a short period to resolve shareholder issues.
“The issues have now been resolved which allows Mdada to focus on its business through live streaming and, more importantly, rectify the delays in refunds and returns,” she added.
This is not the first time Mdada has received flak.
In December 2021, Mr Pornsak apologised after Shin Min Daily News reported that two customers did not receive their orders after waiting for over two months.
On Jan 1, 2023, he announced his departure from the company, telling AsiaOne that it was linked to differences in “corporate governance”.
The company refuted the allegations. In a Jan 6 statement, it admitted that it faced challenges in delivering goods, noting that delays and cancellations happened from time to time due to “external factors outside Mdada’s control”.
On April 1, 2023, Mr Lee said on social media that he had left the company on March 17, citing ill health.
But Ms Chia said on Wednesday that Mr Lee continues to be a major shareholder and key opinion leader in Mdada. He will travel to China in July to attend to personal matters, she said.
“As Mdada does not require a key opinion leader to be physically in Singapore, Addy is able to participate in our livestreams outside Singapore,” she said.


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Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company (CP Foods) is embarking on a stellar new venture: sending their chicken into space as part of the Thai Food – Mission to Space program. The company is collaborating with two global partners, Nanoracks, the US leading provider of space innovation, and mu Space and Advanced Technology, a manufacturer of space technology solutions in Southeast Asia, to send the chicken to space. This spearheads a unique initiative to elevate Thai chicken's safety standards to those required for space-grade food - some of the strictest known to mankind.
The chicken products associated with the project will be subjected to rigorous certification processes to ensure their compliance with stringent space safety standards, thus making them astronaut-friendly.
The realization of this endeavor will be an important milestone for CP Foods, solidifying the global recognition and compliance of their chicken's safety standards with the demanding Space Food Safety Standards. This aligns with NASA's uncompromising food safety requirements, boosting Thailand's national pride for adhering to the most elevated safety standards worldwide.
Alongside this revolutionary initiative, CP Foods will host a forum titled "Thai Food - Mission to Space", which will bring together international experts to discuss the elevation of Thai food to space-level safety standards. This forum will examine the significance of meeting space standards for Thai food, the innovations transforming the Thai livestock industry, and the sector's future implications.
The forum's speakers include former NASA astronaut Michael Massimino, former NASA’s food scientist Miss Vickie Kloeris, and several highly respected individuals from the scientific, medical, and livestock development sectors.
Prasit Boondoungprasert, chief executive officer of CP Foods, asserted that this groundbreaking initiative showcases the company's commitment to the safety of its chicken meat, positioning it among the world's most trusted meat brands. The quest to achieve Space Food Safety Standards is anticipated to bring immense national pride to Thailand.
"At CP Foods, our top priority is food safety and quality. Our collaborations with experts like NANORACKS LLC and MU Space have cemented our readiness to demonstrate that Thai chicken adheres to space-level safety standards. Our chickens will be subjected to rigorous safety and quality standards checks, including exhaustive inspections for residues and contaminants as per NASA's requirements," said chief executive officer Prasit.
Former NASA astronaut, Michael James Massimino, stressed the need for residue-free, safe food for astronauts due to its long-term health impacts. NASA food scientist Miss Vickie Kloeris praised CP Foods for adhering to stringent safety and nutritional standards, ensuring that CP chicken is free from antibiotics, chemical residues, and harmful pathogens.
"Thaifood Mission to Space is an excellent initiation. It not only ensures the astronauts' well-being with a diverse and secure diet but also elevates global food safety standards, benefiting consumers worldwide. Additionally, it contributes to establishing Thai chicken meat as a reputable brand," expressed Michael.
Not only will astronauts have access to safe and varied foods, but this will also ensure the safety of food for consumers around the world, thereby enhancing the international reputation of Thai cuisine,” said Michael.
Vickie Kloeris, a food scientist with 34 years of experience working at NASA's laboratory, stated that scientists ensure the food astronauts consume provides them with the highest level of food safety, along with a balanced supply of vitamins and minerals. The food must be free from contamination and undergo disinfection. "I am very impressed with the standard of chicken meat production at CP Foods. The chickens are raised without the use of antibiotics and hormones, ensuring that Thai chicken meets NASA's food safety standards. It is certainly a delight for the astronauts up there to experience the Thai chicken menu from Thailand.
"As a space food scientist, I am thrilled for the pilots to embark on a gastronomic adventure and experience the tantalizing flavors of Thai cuisine," Vickie enthusiastically remarked.
CP Foods sets the course for space with its Thai chicken, it reiterates its dedication to safety and innovation. This venture isn't just a mission; it’s an affirmation of Thailand's capability to redefine global food industry standards.


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Delays at Germany's Neptun Werft shipyard have forced Viking to cancel Njord's April 24 cruise, reports industry publication Seatrade Insider. Njord -- along with Viking Idun, Viking Odin and Viking Freya -- was originally set to debut in late March immediately following a four-in-one christening ceremony in Amsterdam. But delays in February meant only Idun and Odin were ready to welcome passengers. The line cancelled a number of Njord and Freya cruises at the time, but the under-construction pair were christened anyhow -- by live video link. (Viking Freya will debut on April 27.)
Seatrade is reporting that Viking received "assurances that Viking Njord will be ready to depart from Amsterdam, as planned, on May 3 for a 10-day 'Tulips and Windmills' cruise through Holland and Belgium."
Passengers booked on the April 24 departure will receive a full refund and a future cruise credit worth 25 percent of the amount paid, said spokesman Ian Jeffries in an e-mail to Cruise Critic. Viking has communicated with all affected passengers or their travel agents, Jeffries added.
By sheer number of ships, Viking is in the midst of one of most ambitious fleet expansions in recent history. Twelve identical Longships have been ordered, with six due this year; Viking Embla and Viking Aegir are scheduled for delivery in summer. Six more are set to launch in 2013.
--by Dan Askin, News Editor


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Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on September 16,2022 asked the private sector to clear dues of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)…Read more
On Friday, Niti Aayog chief executive officer (CEO) Amitabh Kant said that "the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector will play a crucial…Read more
"There is a new energy in our startups space. In just first 6 months of 2021, India has seen 15 more unicorns" - Shri Piyush Goyal "Indian startups are…Read more
On Thursday, the Reserve Bank of India asked all the banks to monitor their exposures to the retail and small businesses, underlining both the sectors are…Read more
On 30th June, the government of Uttar Pradesh has asked the industry body Indian Industries Association (IIA) for suggestions regarding the implementation…Read more
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will interact with participants of Toycathon-2021 on 24th June at 11 AM via video conferencing.


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So, Microsoft has dropped the terribly boring Jerry Seinfeld adds after a whopping two weeks. (news) They are now going to be putting out new ads that directly attack the famous “I’m a Mac/I’m a PC” adds.
Here’s an open note to Microsoft:
Apple’s adds are NOT “I’m a Mac and I’m Windows” – it is “I’m a Mac and I’m a PC.” Maybe you’ve forgotten that Windows runs on Apple computers. Maybe you are just smarting because you let Steve Jobs out innovate you. So, that being said, in stead of once again copying an idea from Apple (like you did with Windows), why don’t you just make a better OS? I mean, if people were actually having a better computer experience they would tell their friends and families about it just like we Mac OSX fans tell all our friends and families.


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Amazon Officially Launches Prime Music
It’s official: after months of rumors and anonymous reports, online retail giant Amazon has launched its music streaming service. First mentioned back in February, the music streaming service is called Prime Music, and comes free with Amazon Prime subscriptions.
As part of Prime Music, subscribers will be able to pick and choose what songs they want to play via the Internet, or save songs to their devices (as long as they’re logged into their accounts, of course). They can also choose from pre-made playlists of songs, offering the kind of curatorial attraction that Beats Music tried to use to lure in users. And because Prime Music is bundled in with your Amazon Prime subscription, you’ll never have to listen to advertisements.
This value-add comes on the heels of Amazon’s price hike for Prime subscriptions back in March. By not announcing Prime Music as part of the price hike, it makes users feel like they’re getting something for nothing with the new service – even though they’re now paying $1.60 more a month than they used to for having the privilege of music streaming. On the flipside, the service is available to Kindle owners, not to mention those with Android and iOS devices. And streaming via the web browser on your Mac or PC is also an option. In short, there’s a lot to like about this situation – but it’s not everything it might seem up front.
According to CNET, the service gives users the ability to stream music from 30 million tracks culled from the catalogues of Sony Music and Warner Music Group. Not included in Prime Music, however, are songs published by Universal. Moreover, only some songs published by Sony or Warner will be made available right as they’re released, while others may not show up on Prime Music until something like six months down the line, a detail that we’d first heard about only a couple weeks ago.
Even still, the timing of the Prime Music announcement is telling. Next Wednesday, Amazon is holding a press event in Seattle to announce a new gadget, which most people believe is going to be their long-rumored smartphone. Since owning one will likely come packaged with some form of Amazon Prime subscription – either a subsidized price for Prime members, or 30 days of Prime membership free with a phone purchase – Amazon will now have Prime Music in its back pocket at the reveal. Not only will this thing have some kind of futuristic head-tracking craziness, but it’ll also be an all-in-one music streaming machine to boot.
Between this and the reveal of Fire TV a couple months ago, 2014 might be Amazon’s year. No longer content to sell only other people’s products, Amazon wants to be in front of your eyes and all up in your ears. And depending on how good this smartphone turns out to be, that just may happen.
[Sources: Amazon, CNET]
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March is National Frozen Food Month – 3 Tips for Adding Ease and Health to Your Meal Plan
Arlington, VA – The frozen food category is experiencing all-time consumer interest over the past year, with momentum expected to continue. This March, National Frozen Food Month, the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) anticipates home cooks will continue to reach for their favorite frozen foods.
As consumers adjusted to the impact of COVID-19 over the past year, record numbers have turned to the frozen food aisle for inspiration and solutions while preparing meals more often at home. In 2020, frozen food sales grew by more than 21 percent with nearly all categories seeing double-digit sales increases.
“The frozen food category is hotter than ever,” said AFFI President and CEO Alison Bodor. “Loyal fans of frozen foods are purchasing more than usual and new customers are discovering the expansion and culinary innovation within the category.”
This National Frozen Food Month, consider these three tips for maximizing the many benefits of frozen foods:
- Mix frozen and fresh. To most frozen food consumers (72%), it’s not frozen or fresh – it’s frozen and fresh (Power of Frozen, 2021). “Mixing fresh and frozen in the same meal is a tell-tale trait of our core frozen food consumers,” says Bodor. The frozen aisle is full of single ingredients, side dishes and entrees that can all mix well with fresh, and vice versa: add frozen berries and fresh spinach to your smoothie, bake a side of sweet potato fries to pair with lunch, or serve your favorite frozen pizza with a side salad.
- Add more fruits and vegetables. Frozen fruits and vegetables can play an essential role in helping achieve a well-rounded, healthy diet. New research from the Produce for Better Health Foundation shows Americans are eating fruits and vegetables less frequently, trending down an astonishing 10 percent since 2004 and down 3 percent in just the past five years (State of the Plate, 2020). “Keeping frozen produce handy helps reduce food waste and the variety of fruit and vegetable offerings in the frozen aisle make it easy to incorporate them into any meal occasion,” says Bodor. “Spiralized and riced vegetables are commonplace now. We’re seeing the next round of innovation in frozen vegetables with family-sized vegetables for roasting or grilling and new varieties with global sauces and seasonings.”
- Try the latest frozen trends. The growing number of health-conscious consumers are expected to drive the market for immunity boosting foods (The Business Research Company). The frozen food aisle provides power packed superfood staples like berries, salmon, and spinach, to protein and grain bowls to meet consumer demand.
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The American Frozen Food Institute is the member-driven national trade association representing all segments of the frozen food supply chain from manufacturers to suppliers and distributors. AFFI advocates before legislative and regulatory entities on the industry’s behalf, serves as the voice for the industry and convenes industry leadership to create an environment where frozen foods are essential in a dynamic marketplace. www.affi.org


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Dow Chemical has reached an agreement with the Fuenix Ecogy Group, based in Weert, Netherlands, for the supply of pyrolysis oil feedstock, which is made from recycled plastic waste. The feedstock will be used to produce new polymers at Dow’s production facilities at Terneuzen, Netherlands. This agreement marks an important step forward to increase feedstock recycling—the process of breaking down mixed waste plastics into their original form to manufacture new virgin polymers. The polymers produced from this pyrolysis oil will be identical to products produced from traditional feedstocks, and, as such, they can be used in the same applications, including food packaging.
This agreement is an example of Dow’s strategy to enable a shift to a circular economy for plastics by focusing on resource efficiency and integrating recycled content and renewable feedstocks into its production processes. By doing so, post-consumer plastics will continue to have value through an extended lifespan. The agreement also contributes to Dow’s commitment to incorporate at least 100,000 tonnes of recycled plastics in its product offerings sold in the European Union by 2025.
“We believe plastics are too valuable to be lost as waste and should be part of the circular economy,” said Diego Donoso, Business President for Dow Packaging & Specialty Plastics. “With partners in South America, we have supported the development of construction materials made with recycled plastics for schools, and in Southeast Asia, Mexico and the United States, we have built roads made with recycled plastics. This partnership with Fuenix is an important next step in moving us closer to the future we envision, which is the sustainable production of circular polymers.”
Sirt Mellema, CEO at Fuenix commented: “This partnership offers us the opportunity to scale up our technology. Our ambition is to ensure the value of plastic waste is fully used to create new, circular plastic while significantly reducing the global use of virgin raw materials and CO2 emissions. We are excited to be working with Dow on this initiative and look forward to playing our part in helping to produce more sustainable materials.”


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Raise your mimosas: The “brunch bill” is now a law.
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Wednesday signed legislation to modernize New York’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Law Wednesday, allowing the sale of alcoholic beverages at on-premise establishments before noon on Sunday.
Assemblyman Robin Schimminger fought an earlier bill that allowed restaurants to start serving at 8 a.m. on Sundays. He argued that Sundays should be respected as a day of rest. Restaurants and bars can now serve alcohol beginning at 10 a.m. on Sundays and can apply for a permit 12 times per year to serve alcohol beginning at 8 a.m.
April Capozzi, owner of the Amherst Ale House, has been perfecting Bloody Mary and Bellini menus waiting for the law to go through.
“It’s been a long time coming,” she said.
Consumers are excited they can have mimosa on a Sunday morning, too.
“I would love to have a Bloody Caesar with brunch,” said Susan Leanza of North Tonawanda. “I think it’s silly you couldn’t get one before.”
Cuomo seems to think so, too. Calling the regulations “arcane” and “burdensome,” he said rolling them back is an important step toward maintaining the region’s economic resurgence.
The ability to get a mimosa with one’s brunch has gotten all the attention, but the law affects producers and consumers in a host of other ways, including broadening retail sales for producers and reduces fees for wineries, distilleries, breweries and cideries. Some of the rules had been on the books since prohibition.
Here’s what else the law will do:
• Cut red tape paperwork for craft producers. Craft manufacturers can now apply for several licenses in one application. For example, a winery doesn’t have to fill out a second application to produce whiskey.
• Allow the sale of wine in growlers. Wine sold at wineries was previously only allowed in sealed bottles.
• Reduce sales force fees for craft beverage manufacturers or wholesalers. Craft manufacturers no longer have to pay for a bond or a solicitor’s permit fee.
• Reduce fees for small wholesalers. The law creates a new, low-cost importer’s license for companies that sell only to other wholesalers. Rather than paying as much as $27,280 a year for license, they’ll now pay $125 a year.


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In 1994, two marketing executives from Nestle sat down at a bar in Seattle and penned a business plan for a pretzel joint on the back of a napkin. More than 20 years later, Bill Phelps and Rick Wetzel have built an empire.
"We wanted to be the Ben & Jerry's of the pretzel business," Phelps said. "And we wanted to be the creative ones, we wanted to have the new ideas, we wanted to have the fun irreverent marketing."
Wetzel's Pretzels is known for its innovative flavors — Jalapeno Cheese Melt, Almond Crunch and Pepperoni Twist, among others — and Phelps says the company has logged seven straight years of same-store sales growth.


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Apple has just been granted patents concerning the virtual positioning of audio sources which could be used in future MacBooks.
The patent which is titled "System to move a virtual sound away from a listener using a crosstalk canceller" uses crosstalk cancelling to make it seem like sound is coming from somewhere other than the speakers.
Using this technology, sound from future MacBooks would contain "spatial cues" that would allow users to place them in space.
This can be achieved by using noise-cancellation on one side of the MacBook so that sound appears to come from the other side.
The applications are numerous. Simply, it could greatly enhance entertainment such as movies, broadcasts, music, and games.
However, reports also say that it could be used for more complex AR applications with the iPhone acting as the camera and audio and video being routed to the a MacBook.
This article was first published in Hardware Zone.