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BBC Children in Need welcomes MyDonate as official online fundraising partner
BT’s MyDonate service has been named as the official online fundraising partner for this year’s BBC Children in Need.
The company is a longstanding supporter of the annual fundraiser and has worked with BBC Children in Need for more than 30 years.
BT provides the network infrastructure that handles the phone calls from telethon donors, and its e-Donate platform processes their debit and credit card transactions.
The company does all of this free of charge and makes no profit from the support it provides to charity telethons.
And now this year, MyDonate, it’s free-to-use online fundraising service is also the official online fundraising partner for the event.
The Children in Need 2012 telethon takes place on 16th November but fundraising to support has this highly popular TV extravaganza has already begun.
“We have a long relationship with BBC Children in Need helping the charity to raise more than £650 million since it began,” said Stacy Rowland, BT’s Children in Need partnership manager.
“Making MyDonate the official online fundraising partner for the annual telethon is a logical step that ensures that every penny raised via the internet goes to this fantastic charity,” she said.
“Over many years, BT’s eDonate has proved itself to be one of the most reliable and robust online donation platforms available to charities processing more than £160 million in donations over the last ten years alone.”


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The 2022 Genesis G90 and 2022 Mercedes S-Class both represent the premium sedans of their respective brands.
Even without the Maybach versions, the 2022 S-Class remains a luxury standard despite its high price.
Despite becoming a luxury newcomer, Genesis has already established itself as a formidable competitor.
The Mercedes S-Class, a gold standard among luxury vehicles, is one of the most formidable rivals for the Genesis G90.
Does the S-Class retain its position as the luxury leader for 2022, or does the G90 usurp it?
The G90 is far less expensive than the S-Class, has many standard features, a high safety rating, and a fashionable style.
The S-Class has a well-established reputation in the world of luxury automobiles based on quality, comfort, and technology.
Speaking of pricing, the 2022 S 580 Executive Line is comparable to two G90 5.0 AWDs and costs nearly $150,000
Though the G90 offers similar refinement to the S 500 yet is much less expensive.
Even though the 2022 Genesis G90 is a good luxury vehicle, it falls short of the Mercedes S-Class in terms of quality.
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To see blockchain's future in payments, follow the money
Technology investors are bulldozing cash into blockchain and artificial intelligence, but the “why” is just starting to emerge, as is the true nature of the innovation.
“You don’t tell a small business, ‘Hey, good news: We’re using blockchain to move your money,’ ” said Jonathan Ebinger, a general partner at BlueRun Ventures in Menlo Park, Calif.
BlueRun in late January closed a $130 million fund, its sixth. The firm invests in early-stage mobile software and financial services companies, which in the past included Kabbage, Waze and Coupa. BlueRun was also an early institutional investor in PayPal.
For the next wave in investment, BlueRun is partly focused on the Latin American startup ecosystem and data sharing industries.
Blockchain and artificial intelligence are part of the mix, but within the bounds of specific use cases. Both blockchain and AI are often positioned as innovations, but are more of a delivery channel than a new business, lending both to dangers of hype and marketing. AI venture capital is a $4.2 billion industry in the U.S. alone, according to Statista, but the applications of the technology are still vague. The situation is similar for blockchain, which saw U.S. investment reach $2.5 billion in 2018, according to Diar.
An early blockchain-oriented investment for BlueRun is PayStand, which uses blockchain to support accounts receivable and accounts payable, automating cash management tasks such as accounting software and reconciliation.
PayStand uses blockchain technology to remove friction from the accounts receivable and payable process, simplifying what it calls one of the "most notorious headaches" for businesses — sending and collecting money.
Streamlining accounts receivable is a large part of automating supply chains, a difficult task for businesses because of the complex invoicing. It’s a lucrative market, with U.S. payments volume expected to approach $17 billion in 2020, according to Kaulkin Ginsberg. The market suffers from inventory inefficiencies that argue in favor of more digital processes.
Supply chains are also considered a tangible use case for distributed ledgers, which can decentralized processing and create more visibility into funds, making B2B payments and logistics a natural fit for the technology—rather than making blockchain the focus of the deployment.
“Blockchain is like the internet,” Ebinger said. “You don’t use that as a differentiator. It’s is differentiator for providing high-quality service.”
Another recent investment is Visor, a Mexico City-based startup that operates a marketplace for financial institutions, corporations and cloud service providers to access and transact with small businesses.
Small business lending is expanding, and becoming more attractive to fintech startups. But there isn’t an extensive credit scoring system, Ebinger said. “Small businesses want to be scored by Visor so they can move to suppliers or business partners that have the proper credit quality. That’s the kind of business that I like.”
In assessing credit risk, Visor is also attacking a complicated process. “Determining credit risk requires multiple processes,” said Tim Sloane, vice president of payments innovation at Mercator, adding that it uses more than one machine learning model.
It is possible to apply Robotic Process Automation to assist in pulling records from internal and third party databases for evaluation and nontraditional data about the business, its category, location and social network information. “Multiple machine learning models will be needed to evaluate these different data sets,” Sloane said.
AI will also attract investment for merchant self-checkout technology, said Ray Pucci, director of the merchant services practice at Mercator. “Consumers want convenience and immediacy, and with Amazon Go off to a successful start, other companies are attracting VC funding."
Businesses that enable opening banking or data sharing are also on BlueRun’s radar, Ebinger said, as PSD2-style data regulations influence deeper data transfers between banks and technology companies in other countries.
Despite the concerns over data sharing that have come up in consumer markets, the benefits for B2B, business lending and supply chains are clear, Ebinger said. It adds more information about business cash flow and enabling payment and merchant credit systems to embed deeper into business practices, he said. “This is a deep integration into a business on better terms than in the past.”


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Earlier this year, Wine & Spirits Magazine published the results of its annual restaurant poll, the 15th such survey undertaken by editor and publisher Joshua Greene to poll Americas top restaurants/sommeliers.
The results wont shock a lot of Canadian wine drinkers, especially here on the West Coast, if only because it confirms what weve already experienced. According to the 350 leading restaurant sommeliers polled, diners are more adventurous than ever before when it comes to wine selection.
I mean, whoda thunk Americans are rediscovering foreign wine. More to the point, Americas wine drinkers are beginning to realize that there is life after California wine.
According to the report, consumers are experimenting with wines from southern Italy, parts of Australia and other lesser-known regions at the expense of more familiar choices. This makes total sense when you imagine soft, rich and round, inexpensive reds from Apulia in southern Italy pushing, skinny, thin, over-priced Chianti from northern Italy off the nations wine lists.
In fact, the whole concept of a national wine list (which, by definition, appeals to an entire nation) seems so outmoded, Im surprised any winery would want to be on one.
The report points to Italian wines superseding those of France as the leading import on Americas wine lists. But the big contender here is anything Australian, which is busy muscling everything from Central Valley California and/or France and Italy off wine lists nationwide and its happening at a record pace.
Its been said, with some monotony, that if you build it they will come. Well, it would appear that the evangelical wine work of getting consumers to make wine part of everyday life, undertaken by California wineries in the 1970s and carried on through the 80s, 90s and now the 2000s, is about to change forever the way America drinks wine and, as mentioned, the way some of us already do.
Cheap wine is better than ever and you need only to witness the success of Two-Buck Chuck, Yellow Tail and their dozens of imitators. Better farming, lower yields, more flavour and wines designed for early drinking have all played a part in making wine, particularly foreign wine, more mainstream.
Since there are no secrets in the wine business, no one should be surprised Americans are becoming brighter more inquisitive wine drinkers. In British Columbia we simply call it the savvy wine consumer syndrome, and in less than 25 years it has made parts of the province among the most exciting food and wine markets in the world.
The survey also points out that "the grip of the large, once-dominant restaurant wine brands is weakening. Price consciousness was one of the most significant trends to emerge, underscoring the consumers interest in identifying wines that present the greatest value in each category."


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Headquarter Hyundai to start construction soon on new Sanford dealership
Your update on the planned relocation of this Seminole County auto dealership to a more competitive location.
Hyundai dealership expands planned footprint for relocation in Sanford
Context on this auto dealership relocation that has been anticipated since 2016, and the latest progress that puts it on pace for a groundbreaking soon.
Hyundai dealership looks to relocate in Sanford, build showroom near I-4
Learn where the company wants to redevelop on 12.8 acres, who is working on the project thus far, and what opportunity lies ahead.
Jenkins Auto Group buys fourth dealership in Leesburg
One of the area's largest auto groups continues a dealership buying binge in Lake County.
Parade of new car dealerships on S.R. 50 in Clermont continues with Hyundai
Learn when bid requests for a General Contractor will go out for construction of the new dealership building.


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Pharmaceutical business re-engineering solutions specialist Goose Monday announced the launch of 'Goose Tracker'.
A cost-effective new generation 2D serialization bar code for the drug industry with a choice to choose online or an offline solution.
The Hyderabad-based Goose's solution is to secure and protect both consumers and the pharmaceutical companies. Its multi-level authentication features allow tracking of product throughout the distribution channel including warehouse to customer retail chain.
Goose Tracker incorporates several new changes to suit GS1 global traceability guidelines. It creates, manages and tracks unique serial numbers printed on the tertiary, primary and secondary packages, said a company release.
Leading pharma companies like Strides Arcolab, Indoco Remedies and Macleods Pharmaceuticals have already implemented and adopted Goose Tracker for track and trace solution.
The company expects a rise in demand and surge in Goose Tracker customer portfolio as pharmaceutical companies get set to implement secondary bar coding which is now compulsory for pharmaceutical exports from Jan 1, 2013.
"Goose Tracker is a simple and easy to configure Track & Trace solution for achieving bar coding on drug packaging as per the recent Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) regulation," said Goose founder & CEO, Deb Pattnaik.
India exports over $12 billion of its generic drug annually to more than 180 countries. Goose Tracker is designed to enable pharma exporters complement their bar coding initiative to become reliable exporter of quality pharmaceutical products in the international market and strengthen their fight against counterfeiting.


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WALES’ rural pubs will be crippled by regulation designed to curb a binge-drinking culture that is largely an urban problem, a leading industry group has warned.
The Government is considering banning happy hours, forcing pubs and clubs to serve drinks in smaller glasses, and stopping off-licences and other retailers from displaying alcohol at checkouts.
The British Beer & Pub Association also says the Government is planning new regulations designed to turn the voluntary Challenge 21 scheme aimed at curbing under-age drinking into a compulsory code.
But BBPA spokesman Gareth Barrett said the new rules are unfair on the nation’s traditional rural pubs, where binge-drinking has not been an issue for licensees.
As with all pubs, these are already struggling with the smoking ban and competition from the cheaper beer on sale in supermarkets.
The BBPA says across the UK up to four pubs a day are closing due to the combined effects of these and the recession.
Mr Barrett said: “The areas where the Government is looking to legislate to solve the problems of anti-social behaviour will have a disproportionate effect on rural pubs dealing with new costs, enforcement measures and regulation burdens.
“But actually these pubs are not causing any of the problems whatsoever, and they don’t get any of the benefits like the higher volume of trade from being in a city.
“It’s going to be a fair old hit for them.”
Gareth Davies, manager of the Plough and Harrow in Monknash, the Vale of Glamorgan, said red-tape is killing the pub industry.
The manager of the award-winning 15th century country pub said: “We are totally different to a town pub that might have 200 people in it, all drinking cheap beer.
“But we’d have to fall in line bringing in a load of new staff training and different pint glasses and wine glasses – I’m not particularly happy about it.”
Adrian Jones, landlord at the Griffin Inn in rural Llanbedr Dyffryn Clwyd in Denbighshire, also believes the Government’s approach unfairly penalises country pubs.
Mr Jones, 62, said the answer lay in using existing laws to crack down on those who binge drink, particularly young binge drinkers, rather than introducing measures to be applied across the board.
“If someone is absolutely plastered and sick all over the place and making a show of themselves then the answer is to pick them up, put them in a police van and take them home to their parents,” he said.
“The parents should be told, ‘This is your son, they were in a terrible state’ and they should be charged £300 or £400 for wasting police time and cleaning up the sick in the street.
“You’d stop binge drinking then. But don’t hammer the publican because it’s not right.”
But critics suggest research has shown the drinks trade has been slow to adhere to its own voluntary code, introduced more than 10 years ago, on providing alcohol unit information to consumers.
Last year the drinks industry came in for heavy criticism as only 57% of products contained details of the alcohol units in a drink.
And only 3% of products contained all the information ministers wanted to see, including a warning to pregnant women.
The promise of a crackdown came after figures showed the annual cost to the NHS of drinking now tops £2.7bn. This includes more than £1bn spent on treating people in hospital due to alcohol, £372m on ambulance journeys and £646m on A&E visits.
The total cost has jumped around £1bn since figures were last compiled in 2003.
Other data also showed that more than 2.6 million men and women regularly drink at least the equivalent of 20 pints of bitter a week.
A spokesman for the Department of Health said a report will be published shortly on the extent to which the drinks industry has conformed to its own voluntary code on labelling.
The Government had given the industry until the end of last year to improve its performance on labelling.
A spokesman said: “In December 2008 the Home Secretary announced a mandatory code of practice for alcohol retailing, that will set out compulsory licensing conditions for all premises licensed to sell alcohol, and will strengthen local licensing authority powers.
“Government will consult on proposals for the code later this year. Proposals could include restricting irresponsible promotions that encourage excessive alcohol consumption. Premises could also be required to provide unit information at point of sale, or require premises to offer a choice of glass sizes.”


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Uber hits the streets of Denver...again...but this time, not with a car. Uber now has bikes on the streets of Denver. Uber's e-bikes service is launching with 250 bikes and plans to have 500 spread across Denver by the first quarter of next year. E-bike users pay 1 dollar to check out a bike and then 15 cents for each minute on the bike. You use the same Uber app as when you hail a car. The app shows where bikes are located and then you use your phone to scan a bar code on the back of the bike. The bikes can be pedaled manually, or powered by an electric motor.
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WeedWorthy News Network
As its neighbours seek legalisation, Poland’s Medical Cannabis & Hemp Industry could also flourish next year
Earlier this month Czechia’s drug commissioner Jindřich Vobořil announced his intention to submit draft legislation for an adult-use cannabis market by the end of the year, hoping a fully fledged market could be launched by 2024. The news has not only cemented Czechia as one of the most exciting
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For years, the New York wine industry has wondered how to convince local restaurants to carry local wines. They’ve tried a variety of approaches, all of which have largely failed.
That could be all about to change, starting in Rochester.
Michael Warren Thomas, host of the Savor Life radio programs on WYSL AM, has launched an ambitious new program. It started with Thomas visting more than 100 restaurants in the greater Rochester area. At each stop, he examined the wine list, tracking how many Finger Lakes wines were offered.
“It was a lot of work, but I thought it was the only way to be thorough,” Thomas told me during a recent visit.
What he found was shocking to some, utterly unsurprising to others: not a single Rochester-area restaurant had at least half their wine list represented by the Finger Lakes.
“There’s just not a lot of support,” Thomas said. “It’s a problem.”
So here’s what Thomas decided to do: First, he ranked the restaurants. A simple list, determined by how many Finger Lakes wines are on the list, and by what percentage. It would give restaurants the chance to see their position on the list, then make some changes.
Then, Thomas set a baseline that is both achievable and fair. He wants local restaurants to offer at least a third of their list as local wines. Not all, not half. Just one-third. And he gives more weight in his rankings to the by-the-glass list, which “is where the volume is,” he explained.
After Thomas explained to restaurants what he was doing, he quickly heard from Warfield’s High Point restaurant in Victor. General Manager Eric Mueller said that the restaurant wanted to add enough Finger Lakes wines to move from 89th on the list to the top spot. Warfield’s will also now waive corkage fees for customers who bring a bottle of Finger Lakes wine.
“We’re excited to be a leader in this challenge and to show off the wines of our region,” Mueller said.
And yet, no other restaurant contacted Thomas.
“It shows that restaurants don’t care very much about their wine lists,” Thomas said. “That’s surprising, because the wine list is a big profit center.” He noted that many restaurants seem to find it easier just to let someone else — a big distributor, usually — handle the list.
Thomas published the top ten restaurants in the Rochester region, and will release the remaining 100 next week. On Monday night, he’ll help launch the new program called New York Wine Spotting. Casa Larga will host the kickoff event from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
NY Wine Spotting’s Facebook page will offer a card that customers can download and print out. Thomas wants customers to leave the card at restaurants, encouraging them to add New York wines to their list.
The card approach has been tried in the past, without much coordination or impact. Thomas hopes this time is different, with more public awareness and consistency. “Our list might help, but a restaurant is more likely to pay attention to Finger Lakes wines if they get 100 customer cards asking for it.”
Thomas plans to take NY Wine Spotting across New York State, and then the wider northeast. “New York State has a huge opportunity,” he said. “If you talk to people in central Pennsylvania, or Rhode Island, or Boston, or New York City, they’ll tell you that New York wines are their local wines. So the local wine movement has the potential to go farther than just the nearest cities.”
The New York Cork Report will follow this effort closely. We could envision a future partnership, adding Long Island wines (and restaurants) to the program as the effort gains steam.
For now, though, Thomas has a difficult task. “Anyone in the top 50 can get to the top 10, simply by adding something like three wines,” he said. “That’s sad, but it’s the truth. It’s not a high bar right now.”


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Salesforce.com Expands the Cloud to Sales
The mists of San Francisco are giving way to clouds. Specifically, cloud computing with the Salesforce.com stamp, as the software-as-a-service (SaaS) vendor today announced Salesforce Spring '09, its 28th software release. The update, which went live over the weekend, includes a number of enhancements and new features, many of them centered on the concept of cloud computing and the value of social media.
Two major pieces of news are attached to today's announcement. First is Opportunity Genius, a tool that brings the value of social computing to the prospecting process. Opportunity Genius automatically compares relevant parts of one opportunity against others that the sales team has worked, and generates a list of the most similar and relevant ones. The user, having thereby identified the people in her organization with the most applicable knowledge for the current prospect, may then reach out to those people to seek advice or what has come to be known as "tribal wisdom."
The second hook in Salesforce Spring '09 is Community Content, a sales-focused expansion to Salesforce Content. The new features allow a user to locate existing presentations and other materials that are relevant to her current needs; clone and customize that content, adding or deleting portions as necessary with a drag-and-drop interface; and package one or several pieces of content for online viewing by the intended recipient. The link thus generated is trackable, and will alert the sender whenever accessed or forwarded. The Community Content also features version and access control -- so packaged content can have an expiration date, user restrictions, and the ability to fix mistakes through the use of "stealth updates."
"This is a big release, with a lot of breakthrough capabilities," says Al Falcione, senior director of product marketing for Salesforce.com. "There's never been a better time for cloud computing."
In mid-January, Salesforce.com teased the industry with the announcement of Service Cloud, a social SaaS application for customer service and support. These new aspects of the company's cloud computing initiative are being described as the Sales Cloud, though the distinction is artificial. Company spokespeople are quick to point out that "there's only one cloud at Salesforce.com."
While social computing has experienced tremendous advances in recent years -- many of them launched or championed by Marc Benioff, Salesforce.com's cofounder, chairman, and chief executive officer -- it's still up to the user to generate actual value from the applications.
"In theory, the Sales Cloud brings a set of effective new capabilities to the sales team," says Rebecca Wettemann, vice president of research for analyst firm Nucleus Research. "In practice, it still means salespeople have to learn to share. For companies with collaborative sales processes in place, this is an excellent set of tools."
But the value, Wettemann says, runs deeper than that. "The important thing here is the operational possibilities Salesforce.com has added," she says. "Salesforce.com's brand of cloud computing is becoming stickier and deeper."
News relevant to the customer relationship management industry is posted several times a day on destinationCRM.com, in addition to the news section Insight that appears every month in the pages of CRM magazine. You may leave a public comment regarding this article by clicking on "Comments" at the top; to contact the editors, please email editor@destinationCRM.com.
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Six ways that the new Internet -- a mobile, social, and real-time Internet -- is changing the playing field for CRM and putting customers back in control.
XTuple Expands to the Cloud
The open-source upstart announces cloud-based services and three new editions of its flagship product.
Chatter for One and All
The cloud computing vendor moves forward with its "Cloud 2" and announces general availability of Chatter, its social networking and collaboration platform.
Salesforce.com Extends Chatter Across the Cloud
CloudForce 2010: Pushing Sales and Service further into the "Cloud 2," introducing Chatter for Force.com, and unveiling a Chatter-specific AppExchange, Salesforce.com continues to embrace social media, collaboration, and the "Facebook Imperative."
Salesforce.com Frees Up Mobility
Cloudforce London '09: The popular on-demand provider introduces a free version of its mobile CRM access package -- after all, one executive says, "cloud applications make mobility possible."
Spring Brings Service Tweets from Salesforce.com
Cloudforce Tour: Customer service in the cloud gets Twitter integration.
Salesforce.com Adds Service to the Cloud
The software-as-a-service CRM vendor's new Service Cloud solidifies crowdsourced customer support.
12 Technology Predictions for 2009
Analysts weigh in on content management trends for the New Year.
Shake Your Moneymakers
Here are three areas in which technology can help your organization sell better.
The Google-ization of CRM
In the rush toward cloud computing, the company that began as a mere search engine is rapidly becoming the go-to source for low- and no-cost office productivity software. Handling customer information, though, requires special attention.
Cloud-y Announcements Surround Salesforce.com
Dreamforce '08: Salesforce.com's partners capitalize on conference momentum with a number of new announcements and product releases.


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The winner of the 2015 Avis Travel Agent Scholarship was announced last night in Sydney in recognition of outstanding customer service.
Tasmanian native Belinda van Tholen (MTA) was chosen as the winner of the retail travel industry’s most prestigious award by a panel of judges against another four worthy contenders.
Belinda, who worked for Flight Centre for eight years before starting her own business 18 months ago as part of the MTA Travel group, impressed the judges with her determination to develop an ever more detailed and nuanced appreciation of her customers’ individual needs.
Avis Travel Industry Manager Russell Butler says this year’s Scholarship was one of the most closely contested yet, adding that the quality of travel agents in Australia is top-class.
In its 19th year, the awards night was attended by previous winners of the scholarship and held at the Four Seasons Hotel. Guests were treated with a delicious banquet dinner as the night’s events unfolded.
As the winner of the scholarship, Belinda’s prize is worth more than $45,000, and includes two return Qantas Airways Business Class tickets to New York plus accommodation in Manhattan, Avis car hire credit, a scholarship to study at Southern Cross University with financial support of up to $8,000, two tickets to the 2016 NTIA Gala Dinner in Sydney including return flights and overnight accommodation, and much more.
The 20th Avis Travel Agent Scholarship will take place next year, and travel agents are encouraged to take part in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
How do you go above and beyond to deliver exceptional customer service to your clients? Share your secrets below.
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Financial Education Services (FES) is a company that says it can help with things like credit repair and teaching people about money. Still, the organization has been getting a lot of attention in recent years because it uses a business model called “multi-level marketing” (MLM) and because there is a chance it may be involved in fraud. In 2019, FES got a fine of one million dollars from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for running a pyramid scheme. In this post, we’ll talk about the FTC’s case against FES and what happens to FES and the multi-level marketing industry as a whole because of the punishment.
The Arguments Made Against FES by the FTC
In August 2019, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) officially filed a complaint against FES, saying that the company was running a pyramid scheme. According to the lawsuit, the main goal of FES’s business strategy was to find new agents for the company, not to sell its goods or services to end users.
Financial Education Services agents were given incentives to focus on finding new agents
According to the FTC, FES agents were given incentives to focus on finding new agents for the company instead of selling FES products directly to end users. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said that FES agents were told they had to buy a lot of FES products to get commissions, instead of selling these products to the people who used their services. The FTC also said that FES representatives had to pay a monthly fee to keep their jobs as agents, regardless of whether or not they brought in new agents or made any sales.
Financial Education Services had made false and misleading claims
The FTC also said in its lawsuit that FES had made false and misleading claims about the goods and services it sold. For example, FES claimed that its credit restoration services could raise clients’ credit scores by up to 150 points, even though there was no scientific evidence to back this up.
The Consequences of the Financial Penalty for Financial Education Services and the Multi-Level Marketing Industry
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) fined FES $1 million, which is notable because it is one of the highest fines ever given to a multi-level marketing (MLM) company. The fine will send a clear message to other MLM companies that they will be held accountable if they engage in fraud and that they must follow the federal rules and regulations that govern the MLM industry if they want to stay in business.
The fine also brings to light the possible risks and flaws that are built into MLM business models, especially those based on recruiting new company representatives instead of selling goods or services to end users. Companies in the multi-level marketing (MLM) industry that depend on bringing in new agents are often called pyramid schemes. In these schemes, the money from new investors is used to pay off the early investors.
Consumer advocacy groups and government agencies are worried that multi-level marketing (MLM) companies like FES, which promise to deliver valuable goods and services, might use high-pressure sales tactics and do things that aren’t legal. The case of FES shows how important it is to do thorough research and an in-depth analysis of MLM businesses before investing time or money in their business methods.
The FTC fined Financial Education Services $1 million for running a pyramid scheme, so it’s important to know about the possible risks and downsides of MLM business models that depend on getting new people to work for the organization. Even though multi-level marketing (MLM) companies like FES promise to provide important goods and services, consumer advocacy groups and government regulators are worried about the possibility of fraud involving these companies.
Before committing financially or in terms of time, people who are interested in becoming agents should do a thorough analysis of the pros and cons of multi-level marketing business models. The FES case is a good reminder that multi-level marketing (MLM) companies must follow the federal rules and regulations that govern the MLM industry, and that MLM companies will be held responsible for fraudulent activities if they do them.
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Top 20 African Tech Companies - 2020
In the platform of technological race, Africa is soon catching up with its startup and innovation culture. The growth of tech hubs in Africa scaled up to nearly 50 percent, in just previous year. Africa further promises to be the fastest-growing continent for developers with the prospect of Microsoft, the world’s largest software company, to initiate development centers worth $100 million by 2023. However, this growth took place with its challenges on its way, such as capital investment, government policies, hiring, changing consumer patterns, inefficient cybersecurity, connectivity, and so on.
The major trends that prove essential to the African tech include the following. Africa being too significant for its population to be ignored by business-minded global players is ready to receive and use the fastest network, 5G. The logistics practitioners in Africa providing an end-to-end multi-country supply chain service assert their position in logistics in the global market. The embedded SIM as a replacement to physical SIM affirms to be game-changers in the field of mobility. The banking industry, having challenged enough by fintech organizations in the previous year, boosts mobile platforms because of its extended reach.
Just as the culture of Africa, the tech landscape also is filled with great diversity. The range of scope it renders in varied fields, tend to lead enterprises into a maze of technological companies. To assist and provide a clear perspective, our distinguished panel, comprising key decision-makers and experts along with CIOReview, has shortlisted some of the most effective technology companies in Africa.
We present to you CIOReview’s 20 Most Promising African Tech Companies - 2020.


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Blocko, a blockchain services provider, has launched in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The company partnered with SEED Group, a member of the private office of the country’s royal family member, Sheikh Saeed bin Ahmed Al Maktoum’s. Blocko is expected to play a big role in the country’s push to integrate blockchain technology into at least 50% of its processes by 2021.
Based in South Korea, Blocko has grown rapidly and now counts Cisco, Samsung, Hyundai Motors and South Korea’s Gyeonggi-do province as some of its clients. Having found success in Asia and Europe, Blocko is seeking to replicate this in the Middle East.
The company’s Aergo blockchain platform has been applied by its clients for several purposes, the company’s CEO Phil Zamani told Arabian Business. He explained, “We launched Aergo in response to the growing need for data sharing between industries and companies in areas such as identity verification, document management and the Internet of Things – the same areas in which the Middle East in particular is seeking practical solutions.”
Backed by Samsung, Blocko’s success has attracted plenty of investors. As CoinGeek reported in August, the company raised $7.5 million in Series B+ funding round led by Korea’s oldest bank Shinhan. Other participants in the round included KEB Hana Bank, LB Investment, Big Hit Entertainment and Dadam Investment. In a previous round in June last year, the company had secured $8.9 million in funding from Samsung, SparkLabs Ventures, Daesung Private Equity and more.
Blocko’s solutions have been applied by the Korea Exchange, Shinhan Financial Group, the Korea Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, Hyundai Motors, Cisco, Samsung and more.
The company’s solutions are in great demand in the Middle East, the CEO of SEED Group Hisham Al Gurg believes, He stated, “The UAE and the wider Middle East region are constantly seeking advanced blockchain solutions for government and digital services. And so, we recognised the partnership with Blocko and Aergo as a solution to satisfy the increasing need for companies working at the highest level of scale and security.”
The UAE has continued to push for blockchain integration, recently rolling out a blockchain-powered system for its healthcare data. Launched by the country’s Ministry of Health and Prevention, the system is expected to cut down on associated costs and time, while improving efficiency and data integrity.
New to Bitcoin? Check out CoinGeek’s Bitcoin for Beginners section, the ultimate resource guide to learn more about Bitcoin—as originally envisioned by Satoshi Nakamoto—and blockchain.


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If you missed BerryFlow live this week, you'll want to make sure you catch the audio or video replay. This week, we dig into the recent AtHoc announcements, the BlackBerry Priv's eventual arrival in India and on T-Mobile plus, we discuss the ending of the Built for BlackBerry program for app developers and much, much more.
- Department of Veterans Affairs selects BlackBerry's AtHoc to power its crisis communications
- BlackBerry Priv scheduled to make its debut in India on Jan. 28
- BlackBerry Priv will cost $720 up front at T-Mobile for its Jan. 26 launch
- The Built for BlackBerry program for app developers has ended
- BlackBerry Takes Starring Roles in Hollywood TV Shows and Movies
- @alexhbass | Alex
- @jmznvs | James - EiC @BerryFlow
- @Bla1ze | Chris – EiC @ CrackBerry.com
- @elbranduco | Brandon
- @ChadM2007 | Chad M.
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Photography by Umberto
Despite the slowdown in the economy, Chinese consumers are not cutting back online spending. This could indicate a strong second half for e-commerce companies in the world's second-largest economy, an analyst said.
The story back. The annual festival of 618 shops
(ticker: JD) finished it is not long ago. The event, which runs from June 1 to June 18, is one of the largest online purchases in China, as Alibaba's sale of singles in November. Transactions made on JD.com during the 18 days of the festival set a record $ 29.2 billion, up 27% from the previous year.
(DPs) had their own promotional campaigns and sales events around the same time. according to JP Morgan The volume of gross merchandise of Alibaba Tmall is estimated to have increased by 38.5% year-on-year, while that of Pinduoduo has grown by 300%.
What's up. KeyBanc Capital Markets analyst Hans Chung gave another affirmative vote to Chinese e-commerce in a Tuesday note. Although online sales have been weaker than expected since the events of June, Chung thinks that this is due to seasonality rather than weakening fundamentals. It expects solid growth in the second half of most e-commerce companies in China.
Moving forward. E-commerce needs to be monitored in two ways. One of these is the increased purchasing power of consumers in lower-tier Chinese cities, which has not been fully integrated, as e-commerce companies have focused on larger markets, such as than Beijing and Shanghai. Half of Alibaba's recent customers in Tmall were located in smaller cities. And its flash sales network, Juhuasuan, which targets lower-ranked and budget-sensitive customers, has added more than 300 million customers.
Advertising campaign channels, such as live streaming and short videos of popular online personalities, are another key trend in e-commerce. "We believe content-based e-commerce has been a growth driver for the industry … resulting in more impulse buying and higher conversion rates," wrote Chung.
On Taobao, for example, out of 5 customers who click to view the landing page of a streaming product, 1 ends up buying: a conversion rate of 20%. For users who view a product page via short video platforms, the rate is between 1 and 5. Taobao's more traditional traffic channels, such as online search, display a typical conversion rate between 1 and 2 digits
Write to Evie Liu at email@example.com


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January 16, 2023 at 10:07 am
The Algerian authorities have warned citizens to be cautious after some butchers have sold cat meat labelled as "rabbit". The alarm was raised by the Municipality of Bir Mourad Rais on its official social media page.
The authorities said people should ensure that the head and tail are attached to the carcass when purchasing rabbit meat.
An official with the Consumer Protection Organisation, Mustafa Zubdi, said on Facebook that instructions have been given to butchers to leave rabbit heads and feet attached on all rabbit meat placed on display for sale.
READ: Tebboune: 'Mandela joined Algeria revolution to train to overthrow apartheid regime'


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Firm taking 'four times' its usual number of orders for heating oil
- Credit: Rix Petroleum
A Breckland heating oil supplier says its order numbers are "four times higher" than usual as customers prepare for the winter months.
Rix Petroleum, based in Snetterton, has reported a surge in orders for domestic heating oil.
But the firm insisted supply levels were "normal", adding that it was unaffected by the national shortage of lorry drivers.
A lack of workers qualified to drive HGVs saw motorists dash to petrol pumps in recent weeks in a bid to beat disruption to the supply chain.
Fears are also growing over a tough winter for thousands of families, with energy prices on the rise.
Rory Beath, director of Rix Petroleum, said there was no need to panic about heating oil, but revealed a sharp rise in people topping up ahead of time.
“There is no shortage of domestic heating oil in the UK and supplies remain at normal levels," said Mr Beath.
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"However, in some areas, the shortage of lorry drivers is having a knock-on effect and extending delivery times by a small amount.
“Compared to the problems people are experiencing at petrol pumps, this is a minor issue and not affecting East Anglia. We have a full crew of drivers who are supplying fuel in line with our normal delivery times.
“One thing we are experiencing, however, is a surge in orders as people top up early. Currently, order numbers are around four times higher than they would normally be in early October."
He added: "Our advice is for people to only order what they need, when they need it. Doing this will prevent problems as we get towards the colder weather."
Dereham-based charity Community Action Norfolk (CAN) has meanwhile warned of issues similar to the fuel crisis.
CAN runs a collective buying scheme called 'ThinkingFuel', which assists members in getting the best oil prices from suppliers.
It has echoed the advice given by Rix, telling consumers to "order in good time" but purchase "only what you need".
Chief executive Rik Martin added: "The panic buying witnessed at petrol stations across the UK is also affecting heating oil, with unprecedented demand and supply issues arising.
"We’re looking at a 15-day delivery timescale just now, but improving all the time."


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2016 Honda Civic named Canadian Car of the Year
We knew as soon as the details started to surface about the next-generation Honda Civic that it was going to be big. We were already stoked about the completely redesigned Honda Pilot and the return of the Honda HR-V, not to mention the fact that the Honda CR-V had just won a Motor Trend Award in 2015, but the release of the tenth-generation Civic got us even more pumped for the 2016 model year. And the vehicle that Honda delivered certainly paid off, as now the 2016 Honda Civic was named the Canadian Car of the Year by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada, in addition to already being named the North American Car of the Year.
[ READ MORE: 2016 Honda Civic North American Car of the Year ]
“On behalf of the thousands of Honda associates across the country including the more than 4,000 at our HCM facility who lead global production of the 10th generation Civic, I’d like to thank AJAC for this award. The all-new Civic is the most innovative, ambitious and advanced iteration Honda has ever produced, setting a new benchmark in the compact car segment and we’re both elated and humbled that AJAC has recognized this achievement,” stated the President of Honda Canada Inc., Jerry Chenkin.
The 2016 Honda Civic beat the other two finalists – the Volkswagen Golf R and Golf Sportwagen – on February 11th, officially being crowned the Canadian Car of the Year, which only put the exclamation point at the end of an already fantastic 2016 model year. Everything about the next-generation Civic is brand new, from the architecture to the very aesthetic of the vehicle – both inside and out.
Different 2016 Honda Civic Models
Thus far, we’ve only seen the release of the first two models, the 2016 Honda Civic Coupe and Sedan models. Within the next several months, we expect to see the other three version released, among which will be the sportier Si models, a brand-new Hatchback model, and the highly-anticipated, high-performance Civic Type-R, which we simply cannot wait for.
Be sure to continue checking in on the Wheaton Honda blog to find out even more information about the Honda Civic as it becomes available. Until then, feel free to give us a call at the sales desk with any questions that you might have regarding the Sedan and Coupe models.


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Rihanna took to Instagram to announce she will be launching Fenty beauty in South Africa and other African countries.
Fenty Beauty is a cosmetics brand that was launched on September 8, 2017 by Rihanna.
Fenty Beauty by Rihanna was created with promise of inclusion for all women with an unmatched offering of shades and colors for all skin tones.
She shared that she will launch in Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, South African, Zambia and Zimbabwe on the 20th of May.
Fans and celebrity friends took to the comment section to show love and support to the star.


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Utilizing the latest capabilities and best practices allows NFI and our customers to partner in solutions that create visibility and efficient operations.
Cherry Hill, N.J. (PRWEB) May 18, 2017
NFI’s Vice President of IT Services, Pam Paul, will moderate a panel at the Philadelphia Premier CIO Forum. The session, titled “Re-Imagining Core IT Systems,” will occur on May 23rd with four additional panelists discussing the advantages and challenges of evaluating and creating new concepts within an organization’s IT system. The day-long conference gives IT executives the opportunity to hear about the latest trends and topics in the industry.
“As a leading supply chain solutions provider, IT is at the center of NFI’s services,” said Paul. “Utilizing the latest capabilities and best practices allows NFI and our customers to partner in solutions that create visibility and efficient operations.”
As a leading North American logistics provider, NFI’s operations consist of more than 31 million square feet of warehousing, a dedicated fleet of over 2,200 tractors, and locations offering brokerage, global logistics, intermodal, and real estate capabilities. NFI’s expertise in warehouse and transportation management systems coupled with a consultative approach creates integrated solutions that best match the needs for customers from diverse industries such as food and beverage, consumer packaged goods, retail, and e-commerce. NFI’s expert IT team leverages experience in integrated, cross-functional, and multi-modal systems, providing the flexibility to utilize customer systems, NFI's proprietary technology, or NFI’s partnerships with world-class technology providers.
Click here to learn more about the Philadelphia Premier CIO Forum.
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About NFI -- NFI is a fully integrated supply chain solutions provider headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J. Privately held by the Brown family since its inception in 1932, NFI generates more than $1.3 billion in annual revenue and employs more than 8,300 associates. NFI owns facilities globally and operates more than 31 million square feet of warehouse and distribution space. Its company-owned fleet consists of over 2,200 tractors and 8,300 trailers, operated by more than 2,600 company drivers and 325 owner operators. Its business lines include dedicated transportation, warehousing, intermodal, brokerage, transportation management, global logistics, and real estate services. For more information about NFI, visit http://www.nfiindustries.com or call 1-877-NFI-3777.


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What: Tostitos launched a limited edition packaging campaign to save super-bowl fans from driving drunk.
Why it matters: Super Bowl day represents that day of the year when Americans most drink and eat while watching a sports event. Tostitos managed to innovate with a campaign that includes responsible drinking and driving as well as design and technology.
Super Bowl Sunday is this Weekend and Tostitos decided to take advantage of the traditional match to present its new packaging bag “Party Safe”. Its technology allows fans to know if they are sober enough to drive home after the game ends, or not.
How it works? The only thing you need to do is blow inside the bag. If Tostitos’ logo gets green, you are good to go. But if it turns red, you’ll read the sign “Don’t drink and drive”, and will get a 10-dollar Uber-discount-code to get home safely.
The package was created by the agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners, with the goal of taking 25,000 cars off the road on game day and to make it safer for everyone to cross any city.
“Our goal is to remove 25,000 cars from the roads that Sunday evening,” Frito-Lay chief marketing officer Jennifer Saenz said in a statement. “Whether watching the big game at a friend’s house or at a local bar, a safe ride home is just a few, east taps away. By simply entering a participating Tostitos UPC code in the Uber app, fans nationwide can receive $10 off an Uber ride.”


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Last week was a really bad one for a pair of household names, and this week promises to be pretty awkward for a third. The eclipse of Nokia is set to become a classic business school study. From the world’s fifth most valuable brand in 2006, and a market value of E100 billion in 2007, no fashionable mobile-toter would be seen with one today, and the business is now valued at E12 billion. The fall of Sony has been no less dramatic. The producer of the best telly in nthe world, in the shape of the Trinitron, has reached the point where it is contemplating stopping production altogether. The shares have also lost nine-tenths of their value since 2007, and have fallen by two-fifths since the start of last year.
The two companies have little else in common, but in both cases the managements ignored the signals from the customers. In 2006, Nokia’s position seemed as unassailable as, say, Apple’s does today. It not only had a dominant share of a growing market, it had margins twice those of its nearest competitor (remember Motorola?). It could outspend and thus out-develop any company which threatened its hegemony.
Yet it quite failed to see what was happening in its marketplace. Apple’s reputation as the slightly edgy hardware supplier of choice was not something Nokia could do much about, but the failure to see the rise of the app was a disastrous blunder. It was not until the number of these applications passed 100,000 that Nokia acknowledged that they had changed the way mobile phones were used. By then, it was too late.
There’s a deal of ruin in a large corporation, as Adam Smith might have said, and it’s possible that Nokia’s Lumia 900 will stop the rot, although not if it sells for $99 and includes $100 of free phone calls. At least the FT likes it. The acid test will be the speed with which it attracts the app-builders. The prognosis for Sony is much worse. It looks like a corporation without a purpose. Despite a deck-clearing $6 billion loss, a core business of video games, mobile phones and cameras, coupled with a vague vision of some broad, sunlit upland, does not look convincing.
The point here is not to mourn the decline of great businesses, but to look at the cuastomer experience. Share prices of both companies halved during 2008, but the marketplace was signalling much worse to come. Nokia’s phones looked out-of-date, while the Bravia TV was (and is) a real disappointment to Trinitron fans. The customer experience proved to be a leading indicator of desperate times ahead.
Customer experience has also disappointed at Tesco, after two decades when Britain’s biggest grocer could seem to do nothing wrong. Shoppers today are going there not because they love the brand, the prices or the shops, but because they often feel (rightly or wrongly) that they have no choice. The superstores seem to be everywhere, and the company is blamed for creating “Tesco towns” and sucking the life out of the high street. However unfair, this is dangerous territory for any company to occupy. No business the size of Tesco’s can avoid the occasional operational blunder, but the usual reserve of goodwill looks as low as a reservoir in south-east England.
It’s much more important for new chief executive Philip Clarke to put this right than to make a profit in America. Clarke, who received the hospital pass from Terry Leahy, has signalled that he grasps this, by taking personal control of the UK business. On Wednesday he will reveal his strategic blueprint for the business. Let’s hope he gets a good night’s sleep tomorrow.


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Mumbai: Microsoft could launch their latest smartphones—Lumia 950 and 950 XL—by the end of this month. The company has not yet mentioned anything about the launch yet, but a report by Android Central has indicated that a Microsoft event will take place on November 30 in New Delhi.
According to media reports, Microsoft has also dropped hints regarding a launch but did not reveal any further. However, it is still not confirmed if they will launch both the devices together or not. In such a situation, it seems better to wait for the official announcement from the Redmond-based tech giants.
Both the new Lumia variants will compete in the premium class category. The Lumia 950 sports a 5.2-inch AMOLED QHD display, while the larger 950 XL features a 5.7-inch IPS display.
The smaller 950 is reasonably powerful, as it is powered by a hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808. On the other hand, the Lumia 950 XL is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset, which makes it a real competitor amongst other premium class handsets.
Both the devices will be the first smartphones to run on a Window-10 based OS. On the camera front, both the devices have a 20MP rear camera set-up along with triple LED flash.
With previous devices failing to make an impact, Microsoft is counting on both these devices to bounce back in the market....


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South Korean giant Samsung on Wednesday said it is developing more powerful, secure and flexible security solutions to protect its customers’ privacy and the topmost priority is to safeguard critical data that belong to its government customers worldwide.
The company said it would extend its multi-layered security platform “Knox” to all the devices and appliances to safeguard sensitive information against malware and hackers.
“Governments are our biggest customers in various countries so it becomes important to invest time in the security of critical data that may range from civilian to military. We work closely with the government customers to meet their specific requirements over privacy and security,” told Nick Dawson, Director B2B Product Management Group Mobile Communications Business at Samsung.
Samsung considers the privacy and security of an individual’s data out top priority. As the largest Android device manufacturer, we are focused on to develop more powerful, secure and flexible security solutions for the customers. The idea is to build further trust among the users for Samsung devices and also collaborate with their partners in India to achieve the same as Dawson elaborated.
“Knox” is built into both the hardware and software of Samsung’s latest devices. It constantly verifies the integrity of the device through a chain of security checks that begin at the platform level and extend to the operating system and detects any tampering to ensure that your data is always secure.
The platform includes different components of device security, ranging from varying levels of device configuration to a firmly controlled military-grade mobile security platform.
“With ‘Knox’, we have placed several layers of security into the heart of computing devices, securing content from hardware to software,” the Samsung executive noted.
“With the introduction of 5G globally, the use of Internet of Things (IoT) devices would definitely grow and with this, the threat of malware attacks would also increase. We are extensively working to create better solutions to protect IoT-driven products with the ‘Knox’,” added Dawson.
The ‘knox’ platform helps companies ensure that the devices used by employees have isolated personal and business data environments to prevent sensitive company information, in case of risk of loss or theft.
“We want to build most secure devices for our customers and company is working towards this for the last six years,” the executive noted.


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MILLIONS of households are set to feel even greater pressure on their finances as expert predict that inflation will hit an eye-watering 18.6%.
Inflation at this rate would mark the highest level in almost half a century, analysts at Citi have warned.
Analysts told the FT that soaring energy prices would drive inflation to "entering the stratosphere".
Benjamin Nabarro, chief UK economist at Citi, said he expects inflation to top 18% in January – a rate not seen since 1976, eclipsing even the oil crisis of the late 70s.
Inflation has already hit 10.1% – the highest rate since 1982, according to the Office of National Statistics.
The Bank of England has warned it could reach 13% or more by the end of the year, and expects the UK to fall into recession this winter.
read more on inflation
State Pension to rise for millions next year by £962 as inflation hits 10.1%
What is inflation and what is the current rate?
Why is that a worry for UK households? The inflation rate indicates how the price of goods and services has changed over the past year.
A high rate of inflation indicates that the cost of everyday items is soaring.
That's a particular problem when wages don't keep up. When inflation outstrips salary growth, then workers effectively suffer a pay cut as their money doesn't stretch as far as it used to.
And latest figures show that in "real terms", workers saw a record 3% pay cut in the three months to June – the biggest fall since records began in 2001.
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Ben Yearsley, director at Shore Financial Planning, said: "No one really knows just how high inflation could climb, but it's going to be a tough winter for millions of people."
According to ONS figures, the prices of groceries including bakery goods, dairy, meat and vegetables have all increased over the past year.
Package holidays, clothing and footwear, and alcohol and tobacco were among the items which drove inflation up in July.
ONS chief economist Grant Fitzner said: “Price rises in other staple items, such as pet food, toilet rolls, toothbrushes and deodorants also pushed up inflation in July."
Energy bills are a major problem for households too. Regulator Ofgem will reveal later this week what the price cap will rise to this autumn, and it is expected to hit more than £3,300.
But Yearsley said there are some positive indications: "Petrol has already come down around 10% from its peak, and shipping costs have fallen about 35% from their peak last year.
"Measures such as these will take time to filter through into the inflation rate, but it shows there are at least some small rays of light."
How to protect against inflation?
It's difficult to inflation-proof your finances – essentially you need to find a way to grow your money at a faster rate than the cost of essentials are rising.
For some people, this could mean investing – but this is risky and many don't have spare cash to put in the stock market at the moment.
Having an emergency savings pot is helpful in times of inflation, to help cover any unexpected outgoings.
You might be able to ask for a pay rise at work, but there are no guarantees your company is in a position to offer one.
Be sure to make savings where you can – shop around for better deals on your car and home insurance, as well as broadband and mobile phone.
Save money by going to a cheaper supermarket, shopping for own-brand rather than premium products, and looking out for yellow-sticker bargains.
Make a budget and check your bank statements for any forgotten subscriptions you might be wasting money on.
Be sure to claim any financial support you're entitled to as well – a benefits calculator can help you work out what you might qualify for.
Making extra cash in your spare time can help too. You can earn up to £7,500 by renting out your spare room without having to pay tax on that income until Rent a Room Relief.
Read More on The Sun
I charge Brits £5k per WEEKEND to use my motorhome – I’m making a fortune
I treated myself to a neon manicure.. but it was such a disaster
And under the Property Allowance, you can earn up to £1,000 a year tax-free from renting out space on your property such as your driveway.
We've also look at other ways to earn cash at home, including taking online surveys or selling unwanted clothes and shoes.
Source: Read Full Article


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You go, Panos Panay! Microsoft suffered a fairy big setback last week after a survey from Consumer Reports showed that its Surface devices were less reliable than most other brands.
The company was quick to respond to this criticism.
And now, the VP of devices at Redmond, Panos Panay, has shared some hard data that shows that the return rates for the two devices that were the most affected by issues, the Surface 4 and Surface Book, were far less than the controversial report suggested.
Basically, while the company is standing up to quality issues these devices experienced, it also wants to give clarity to what it has done to rectify the reported problems.
An internal memo written by Panos Panay reveals that his team has worked tirelessly to improve the Surface devices since launch, ensuring that newer devices do not suffer from these reliability issues.
He also pointed to the company’s quality control, saying:
“We take quality seriously, conducting rigorous reliability testing during development to forecast failure and return rates, which are then continually viewed against [real world data] post-launch. We also regularly review other metrics to understand the experience we are providing to our customers and our findings show our products are in a much healthier place than noted by Consumer Reports.”
Basically, Microsoft believes that the term failure used by Consume Reports was too broad, and incorrectly attributed to any issues that occurred with the device — even minor things that could easily be corrected by users.
The memo also includes some new data about the worldwide return rates for Surface devices, which Panay says have consistently decreased over the past 12 months.
As this chart shows, the Surface Book and the Surface Pro 4 used to have some really high 90-day return rates, 17% and 16% respectively, but these had then fallen below the 5% mark for all Surface devices as of April 2017.
Panay tops it off by admitting that Microsoft still needs to be more transparent if it wants to get rid of the perception issues that could soon plague all Surface devices.
To that end, Microsoft will collect comprehensive sets of data that reflect the strength of their quality and consumer sentiment, and will work with partner organizations to share that information broadly.


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The City of La Porte will extend its free rides through the end of April, according to La Porte Transporte Manager Beth West.
West said the goal of the extension is to continue helping members of the community with essential travel through the ongoing pandemic. However, for the health and safety of both drivers and passengers, rides to grocery stores and pharmacies will be limited to Tuesdays and Thursdays only.
“As the number of confirmed coronavirus cases continues to rise throughout Indiana, we have to be diligent in doing what we can to slow the spread,” West said. “Though trips for food and prescriptions are essential, Transporte must take steps to limit the exposure of our riders and drivers as much as possible. As we continue our services through this outbreak, I strongly encourage passengers to plan ahead when picking up groceries and medications.”
West said Transporte will continue providing free rides to medical appointments Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. All other nonessential travel will cease through the end of April.
Good Friday hours will be reduced, running from 9 a.m. to noon.
All rides must be scheduled through dispatch at 219-362-6565. For more information, contact West at 219-326-8274 or email@example.com.


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Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings entered 2019 in a record booked position at record pricing, according to Frank del Rio, president and CEO, speaking on the company’s year-end and fourth quarter earnings call. (cruiseindustrynews.com)
For the first time since 2016 Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings is back in the Eastern Mediterranean, with 12 sailings to Turkey this summer (with the Regent and Oceania brands) and 20 in 2020. (cruiseindustrynews.com)
Oceania Cruises announced a ground-breaking sustainability initiative to eliminate millions of plastic water bottles per year through a new partnership with Vero Water. This pioneering green initiative is the newest facet of the brand’s OceaniaNEXT enhancements and the company’s larger Sail & Sustain environmental program.
Oceania Cruises, the world’s leading culinary- and destination-focused cruise line, unveiled its exclusive Dom Perignon Experience at La Reserve. This first of its kind dining experience pairs six palate piquing courses with a different expression and vintage of Dom Perignon’s acclaimed vintages.
Oceania Insignia, the 684-passenger cruise ship that’s the first within the fleet to receive a major OceaniaNext makeover, has debuted its new look — just in time for the vessel’s world cruise. (cruisecritic.com)
LidaComm, Inc., a Ft. Lauderdale, FL- based travel marketing communications firm founded in 2011 to serve the cruise and tour industries, announced that it has been selected by Miami, FL-based sister companies Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises to revamp descriptions for approximately 1,700 shore excursions in the Mediterranean, Africa and Middle East. (cruisebusiness.com)
Oceania Cruises unveiled more than 80 land tour options for discerning travelers to choose from. These new offerings are the line’s most extensive to date and include pre-, post-, and mid-cruise options in Australia, Asia, Africa, Egypt and the Holy Land, Europe, South America, Alaska, and Canada.
Oceania Cruises unveiled the first of many exciting enhancements coming to the line’s acclaimed 1,250-guest ships Marina and Riviera: an altogether new generation of Owner’s Suites furnished exclusively with Ralph Lauren Home.
Oceania Cruises unveiled a suite of new guest service enhancements as part of the line’s OceaniaNEXT initiative. “As OceaniaNEXT continues to evolve, travelers and travel agent partners will see we are innovating and enhancing all aspects of the Oceania Cruises experience, in ways both large and small, yet always meaningful and impactful,” stated James Rodriguez, Executive Vice President of Oceania Cruises.
Oceania Cruises announced its next ‘Explore the World 2019 Cruise Events’ series – to be hosted in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne this July. “We are delighted to extend invitations to our valued trade partners to bring their qualified VIP customers to one of our popular ‘Agent Bring Client’ events,” said Mr Steve McLaughlin, Vice President of Sales for Oceania Cruises. (etbtravelnews.global)
An Oceania cruise ship bound for Montreal became stranded Tuesday in Trois-Rivères, Quebec, when the swollen St. Lawrence River prevented the ship from passing beneath a local bridge. The crew of the 1,200-passenger MS Marina was forced to unload passengers and bus them the 140 miles to their final port of call, Montreal, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported. (weather.com)
Oceania Cruises has introduced 16 new cooking classes for the 2018 European season aboard the 1,250-guest Marina and Riviera. The new programs were developed by longtime Director of Culinary Enrichment Chef Kathryn Kelly, and will debut with the first sailings in Europe of the year this April and May. (travelagentcentral.com)


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Solar Alliance Energy has signed a Joint Development Agreement with Boyd Company, a regional Caterpillar dealer, and will be opening an office in Louisville, Kentucky. Boyd CAT is the authorized dealer of CAT solar equipment for businesses and contractors across Kentucky, Southern Indiana, West Virginia and Southeastern Ohio.
Under the agreement, Boyd CAT and Solar Alliance will jointly pursue solar opportunities where Boyd CAT provides sales support and solar equipment, and Solar Alliance provides solar design, engineering and installation services.
Together, the two companies will aggressively pursue larger utility-scale solar projects while also continuing to target commercial solar customers in the agricultural, manufacturing and small business sectors. To date, Boyd CAT and Solar Alliance have partnered on several projects including the recently completed 1-MW solar project for Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company.
“This joint development agreement is a perfect fit as we accelerate our growth in Kentucky and surrounding states, working closely with Boyd CAT to bring the benefits of solar energy to a greater number of customers,” said CEO Myke Clark. “The Cat solar panel we use is a quality product with a warranty backed by Cat, providing value combined with a brand that customers can trust. That exceptional product combined with Solar Alliance’s technical and installation expertise results in a turnkey solar solution that customers know they can trust. The value in this partnership is immense.”
Opening an office in Louisville will provide an ideal location to collaborate closely with Boyd CAT and will also increase efficiency as the two companies continue to grow quickly in Kentucky. The benefits of this joint development agreement will also be realized beyond Kentucky as the two companies will also be pursuing opportunities together throughout the Southeast.
“Solar Alliance is committed to becoming the top commercial and industrial solar provider in the U.S. and partnering with top tier businesses like Boyd CAT will allow us to bring solar to a greater number of consumers. Combined with our build-own-operate strategy that has seen Solar Alliance acquire two construction-ready projects in New York, it is clear the Solar Alliance team continues to execute on our strategic growth plan and that will continue to create value for customers and shareholders,” concluded Clark.
News item from Solar Alliance


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Longtime client of China’s BOE supplier, Samsung, a Korean technology behemoth, has been buying OLED and LCD panels. They reached an understanding that was easy to implement and enjoyable.
The BOE-supplied panels were utilised by TV and cell phone manufacturers. The most recent data indicates that Samsung is no longer interested in buying the OLED panels supplied by the BOE. The deal reached by the two companies will reportedly be cancelled starting in 2023.
Samsung and China’s BOE Cancellation details
Samsung removed BOE from its official supplier list, according to a list TheElec obtained, so the company will no longer be buying products from the Chinese manufacturer. The recent BOE royalty payment issues are what led to this.
Reports state that BOE rejected the South Korean company’s request for royalties for using the their name in its marketing. It has since stopped buying as many display panels from BOE.
They have made use of the panels provided by the BOE in their smartphones and other products. It has since been made clear that BOE is no longer included in the brand’s official list of suppliers, which it previously concealed.


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Northampton manufacturer igus has doubled its engineering support facility to 1,000 sqm after opening its newly expanded premises.
The creation of a new upper floor will accommodate a growing sales and technical support team, igus said, while freeing up ground-floor space for the engineering team to meet demand for fully assembled products.
A six-figure sum has been invested in the expansion, which will allow the company to add significantly to its workforce in the future.
The expansion comes just a year after the company celebrated its 25th anniversary in the UK.
MD Matthew Aldridge said: “By listening closely to the needs of our customers throughout the UK, we have continuously developed the range of products and services we offer and this has led to successive years of double-digit growth in our turnover.
“As UK industries embrace ever more efficient manufacturing methods, we have seen particularly strong demand for ready-assembled packages that can be quickly and cost-effectively deployed on site.
“As a result, we reached the limit of our available space and rather than moving to new premises we opted to expand, which gives everybody more space in which to work.
“If business levels continue to grow at their current rate we will need to recruit more employees, which this new open workspace enables us to do.”


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Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 is making quite a few changes to the long running series it is a part of. The biggest change of all to the most devoted video game players is that the title is no longer tied directly to the Microsoft Xbox One. This year, Treyarch and Activision signed an agreement in order to work closely with Sony and it’s PS4. That’s why the PS4 emblem is now featured on trailers and ads for Black Ops 3 where we used to see the Microsoft logo.
Sony’s Adam Boyes recently released a statement to mark the occasion while saying what it means for the PlayStation brand in the future. “This is a historic partnership that makes PlayStation the best place to play Call of Duty,” he said. “The massive reception to the game’s multiplayer beta only a few months ago demonstrated the huge appetite our fans have for this franchise and the anticipation for Black Ops III. This is the game our fans want, and we’re proud to welcome Call of Duty to its new home on PlayStation 4.”
This is hardly the first shooter in the last few years that Sony has been able to sign to a partnership. Activision also produced Destiny and it appears that the partnership between Activision and Sony is how this new partnership with Black Ops 3 came about. Now we’ll just have to wait and see what happens with this partnership. Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 officially launched on November 6, 2015.


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Mazda Motor Corporation unveiled the rotary-powered Mazda RX-VISION sports car concept at the Tokyo Motor Show. Although Mazda earlier put production of rotaries on hold, it continued R&D efforts in that area. The next rotary engine has been named SKYACTIV-R, expressing the company's determination to take on challenges with convention-defying aspirations and the latest technology, just as it did when developing SKAYCTIV TECHNOLOGY. (Earlier post.)
RX-VISION represents a vision of the future that Mazda hopes to one day make into reality; a front-engine, rear-wheel drive sports car powered by the next-generation SKYACTIV-R rotary engine.
Rotary engines feature a unique construction, generating power through the rotational motion of a triangular rotor. Overcoming numerous technical difficulties, Mazda succeeded in commercializing the rotary engine, fitting it in the Cosmo Sport (known as Mazda 110S overseas) in 1967.
As the only automaker to mass-produce the rotary engine for a prolonged period, Mazda continued efforts to improve power output, fuel economy and durability, and in 1991 took overall victory at 24 Hours of Le Mans with a rotary engine-powered race car.


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When Novell turned down an offer to be acquired by hedge fund Elliot Associates earlier this year, it seemed like the Linux vendor was looking for a better deal. The company announced today that it has accepted an offer to be acquired for $2.2 billion by software company Attachmate. Parallel to the acquisition, Novell has sold over 800 patents for $450 million to a consortium of technology companies organized by Microsoft.
Novell entered the Linux market in 2003 by acquiring Ximian and SuSE, commercial Linux vendors that were rising to prominence at the time. Novell used the technology obtained through those acquisitions to build enterprise Linux desktop and server platforms that the company brought to market under a unified SUSE brand. Novell opened the source code of some core SUSE features, such as the YaST configuration system, and attempted to foster an independent open source development community around its software.
Although Novell made a considerable investment to build a strong Linux product portfolio, the company faced serious difficulties. It couldn't catch up with Red Hat's substantial lead in the enterprise server market and was never able to build a credible business around its desktop products. Novell's desktop strategy was plagued by a general lack of direction and suffered from the friction between the GNOME-centric Ximian and KDE-centric SUSE developers.
Novell eventually managed to make its Linux business profitable by signing a controversial interoperability agreement with Microsoft in 2006. The goal of the deal was to boost SUSE's compatibility with proprietary Windows protocols in order to make the Linux distribution more appealing to companies that use a combination of Linux and Windows software. The agreement was extremely unpopular among Linux enthusiasts because it included a patent covenant that protected SUSE customers exclusively, failing to grant protection to downstream code recipients—a characteristic that is deeply hostile to open source licensing.
The deal with Microsoft proved to be profitable in the short term, but wasn't enough to make Novell a truly competitive force in the enterprise software market. Novell has gradually shifted its focus towards development tools, cloud computing, and the mobile space.
The company is a significant participant in the MeeGo project and is doing an increasingly large portion of the engineering for MeeGo's netbook stack. The Mono project—Novell's open source implementation of Microsoft's .NET framework—is enjoying some commercial success as a tool for cross-platform mobile and embedded development. The company has also made inroads in the virtualization market with its extremely impressive virtual appliance tool, called SUSE Studio (this led to some speculation of a potential acquisition offer by VMware that never materialized).
In addition to the wide range of modern open source technologies in Novell's product portfolio, the company also has some extremely valuable legacy IP, including some of the original copyrights on the UNIX platform and patents that cover fundamental aspects of networking technology and operating systems. The UNIX intellectual property was at the center of the litigation brought by dying UNIX vendor SCO against the Linux platform. SCO's claims that Linux misappropriated UNIX technologies were never evaluated in court because it was determined that Novell was actually the rightful owner of the intellectual property that was allegedly infringed.
There are some concerns that the case against Linux could be resurrected if a hostile third party such as Microsoft were to obtain the UNIX intellectual property. Novell's sale today of over 800 patents to a Microsoft-led coalition for $450 million alongside the Attachmate deal raises questions about whether we could see SCO-like litigation resurrected in the immediate future. It's worth noting that no evidence of actual infringement was ever found during SCO's misdirected crusade against Linux. In fact, internal memos from SCO that were uncovered during the court proceedings reveal that the company's own source code audits found no infringement.
The lack of copyright infringement doesn't mean that Linux is immune to litigation over UNIX-related patents, however. It's not yet clear exactly what patents Microsoft and friends bought for $450 million or how they intend to put those patents to use. Although there are still many unanswered questions, it seems clear that Attachmate intends to perpetuate Novell's Linux business. In a statement issued today, Attachmate CEO Jeff Hawn highlighted the value of SUSE and said that his company will continue to strengthen the SUSE products.
"This acquisition will add significant assets to our current portfolio holdings and the Novell and SUSE brands will allow us to deliver even more value to customers," Hawn said in a statement. "We have great respect for Novell's business, its employees and its commitment to customers. Moreover, we look forward to maintaining and further strengthening Novell and SUSE solutions to meet market demands."
Novell has made a number of significant contributions to Linux over the past six years and played an important role in helping the platform to mature as a desktop and server operating system. The company's failure to achieve success on its own is disappointing, though not particularly surprising. It's possible that new leadership will put SUSE on a more profitable path, but it's not clear whether the company will continue to be a major open source software contributor after the acquisition is complete.
Source: ars technica


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AAFES gift certificates available for deployed troops
March 28, 2003
ARLINGTON, Va. — What can you send a special buddy deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom? Cookies crumble in shipping. Chocolate melts in the desert heat. Sensitive electronics might break in transit. How do you give a servicemember exactly what he needs and wants — when he needs and wants it?
Army and Air Force Exchange Service has a solution: a gift certificate that troops can redeem at any BX/PX store around the world, including the 34 AAFES stores the organization has set up throughout the Southwest Asian theater.
A joint project between AAFES and CertifiChecks, a U.S.-based gift certificate resource center, the new “Gifts from the Homefront” certificates were created specifically to prevent “care packages” from clogging the military logistics flow into the Persian Gulf, AAFES officials said in a news release announcing the program.
The CertifiChecks come in two denominations: $10 or $20. Servicemembers can redeem the certificates at any of AAFES’s nearly 280 commissaries worldwide, including the new exchanges that have been set up for Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The “downrange” AAFES exchanges carry extra socks, soap, razors, soft drinks, candy, mini-flashlights, batteries, snacks, CDs, DVD players and other merchandise much coveted by servicemembers who are far from normal stores.
Anyone can buy the certificates using U.S. credit cards or checks, but only authorized exchange customers can use them.
In addition to the face value of the certificates, AAFES is charging an extra $4.95 shipping and handling fee for each order, which includes up to 20 certificates going to the same address. Shipping and handling is slightly higher for bulk orders for more than $300 worth of cards.
For now, the CertifiChecks can only be sent to a specific servicemember at his or her APO or U.S. mailing address. But AAFES officials said they working on a way for people to send “any servicemember” CertifiChecks to random units or deployed troops.
Mail delivery of the certificates takes four to 10 days, but could be longer for vouchers that are going to deployed servicemembers, AAFES officials said.
To purchase certificates using a credit card over a secure Internet site, go to the AAFES Web site, www.aafes.com. In the United States, you can also phone (877) 770-4438.


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Most of 2017 was rough for Rite Aid (RAD) shareholders.
In fact, the stock fell from a high of $8.77 in January to a low of $1.38 thanks in part to a failed merger with Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA).
Back in October 2016 Walgreens (WBA) announced they would acquire RAD for $9.4 billion in cash.
Unfortunately, it quickly became obvious that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) would not allow the No. 1 and 3 drug store chains to merge. As a result, Walgreens announced it would only acquire Rite Aid’s stores on the east coast. By September 2017 the companies secured regulatory clearance for that asset purchase.
Under the terms of the new deal, WBA will purchase 1,932 stores, three distribution centers and related inventory from Rite Aid in an all-cash deal worth $4.375 billion. Rite Aid also has the option to purchase generic drugs that are sourced through an affiliate of WBA at a cost substantially equivalent to Walgreens for a period of 10 years.
The transaction has since been approved by the Boards of Directors of both Rite Aid and WBA.
Both companies expect to transfer ownership of the stores in phases, one of which began in October 2017. Their goal is to complete the transfer of all stores by the spring of 2018.
"To date, we have transferred 357 stores and have received approximately $715 million in proceeds, which we have used to pay down debt," Chairman and CEO John Standley said, as quoted by Investors Business Daily.
Immediately following the completion of the transaction, Rite Aid will continue to operate approximately 2,600 stores and six distribution centers as well as EnvisionRx, its pharmacy benefit manager, RediClinic and Health Dialog
In recent weeks, the stock has rebounded from that low of $1.38 to a high of $2.21.
For the third quarter, the company reported net income of $81 million or $0.08 per diluted share, compared to the prior year’s net income of $15 million ($0.01 per diluted share).
Currently 402 institutions own 52% of Rite Aid’s stock, and their six top institutions bought 42 million more shares than they sold for the latest quarter.
Rite Aid is our “Stock of the Year” because they have excellent fundamentals, a huge influx of cash from the sale to Walgreens, and less stores which will make it much easier to restructure. Rite Aid is in better shape today than a year ago, when Walgreens wanted to buy the company for $9.4 billion.
We think the stock has the potential to move significantly over the next 12 to 18 months. With a market cap of only $2 billion, the stock could be an acquisition candidate.


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After operating in beta stage since its founding in 2014, Kickpay is ready to make its debut on the supply chain financing scene.
The startup, which first found backing from incubator Y Combinator, has been working on an invite-only business model for the last two months, according to reports. Its founders have not yet revealed how many investors and businesses participate on its funding platform, but the firm revealed that it has provided more than $1 million for companies.
Kickpay focuses on small- and medium-sized businesses looking to take greater control of their cash flow. The startup provides capital for SMEs’ invoices up-front, meaning small businesses do not have to wait for their financing. Investors, Kickpay said, can often see double-digit returns.
According to Kickpay CEO and co-founder Andrew McCalister, these small businesses are working hard to offer innovative services and products, “but they start being a bank when doing deals with Costco or other large organizations.”
“It’s like me buying a latte, but paying for it 30 or 60 days later,” he told TechCrunch.
Kickpay’s financing integrates directly into SMEs’ Quickbooks or other financing software to facilitate the settlement of invoices. And through its partnership with Wells Fargo, Kickpay uses market and data analytics tools to generate its lending rates. “It’s not like a normal loan,” McCalister said. “[Investors are] betting on when Costco will pay out, which has less risk than an SME paying back over a two-year period, for example.”
While it has run in beta mode as of late, Kickpay has secured funding from the likes of former executives of financial all-stars like PayPal, Mint and Palantir. Once finishing the Y Combinator program, McCalister said, the company will then aim to nab new engineers to fully launch the service, and will focus on making the tool easy to use for investors.
Looking ahead, Kickpay told reporters, the corporation could explore a mobile extension of its current desktop platform, and will soon begin to generate revenue by taking a cut from both lenders and borrowers. Those fees, however, have not yet been decided, reports said.


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Met Office urges Brits to 'shower in 4 minutes or less' after driest ever June
28 June 2018, 15:28 | Updated: 28 June 2018, 15:42
There's fears we could have a water shortage after the scorching weather over the last few weeks.
Brits are being warned to reduce the amount of time they spend showering in a bid to conserve the amount of water consumption per household.
This comes as parts of the UK are expected to experience the driest June on record, with soaring temperatures in the high twenties and even tipping the 30 degree mark.
And there doesn't seem to be an ounce of rain forecast for some time.
Water supplier Southern explained: "With temperatures rising and a heatwave sweeping across the UK, we are hitting peak demand for water.
"Water is a precious resource and it's important that we all do what we can to reduce wastage, come rain or shine.
"This can include simple measures such as turning off taps when you're brushing your teeth, swapping a bath for a four-minute shower and watering your garden with harvested rain."
The average person in the UK uses around 150 litres of water, but water suppliers reveal that this usage can increase by as much as 50 percent during a heatwave.
The rise comes from the likes of running kitchen taps for longer in order to get colder water to drink, and filling paddling pools and water pistols.
It has been advised to store full jugs of water in the fridge ready for consumption in a bid to reduce the amount of tap wastage, and ensure that paddling pools are covered when not in use avoid evaporation.


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SwiftKey has today been announced as one of the fifty rising companies across the UK to make it onto this year’s Future Fifty programme. The Future Fifty is a year-long scheme that comprises those companies that have been marked out for their exponential growth and ongoing potential both in the UK and on an international level.
During this time the selected fifty will have unprecedented access to government and private sector expertise, with the aim being to fast-track growth across companies like SwiftKey and in time make a significant impact on the UK’s economy.
SwiftKey is in pretty illustrious company with other disruptive tech businesses – including Notonthehighstreet.com, Graze and MOO.COM – all included in the Future Fifty scheme. The sheer scope of the companies who have made the Future Fifty, which includes the fashion, leisure and property sectors, is indicative of the versatile nature of technology and goes some way in explaining the surge in break-out tech companies in recent years.
Our CEO and co-founder Jon Reynolds commented: ‘‘We are thrilled to have been selected for this year’s Future Fifty scheme and that we have been recognised in such illustrious company. It is testament to our culture of innovation across and commitment to providing our users with the best possible smartphone experience. We look forward to working closely with the Future Fifty team and to gaining further exposure to the expertise offered by the scheme over the next year.’
The Future Fifty programme was originally announced by the Chancellor George Osborne and Joanna Shields, CEO of Tech City UK and UK Business Ambassador for Digital Industries.
To read more on Future Fifty’s work to date, check out their website here.
Sarah, Ruth and the team


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According to New York Daily News, Jay Z is reportedly being sued more than $18 million after Parlex Fragances, the company who created his scent Gold Jay Z, filed a lawsuit against him. The company filed the lawsuit against the rapper turned business mogul on Tuesday in the Manhattan Supreme Court, claiming the 46 – year – old failed to promote his own signature fragrance.
The New York Daily News, also reported the musician – whose real is Shawn Carter – was expected to make at least six promotional appearances including an appearance on Good Morning America, an in – store appearance at Macy’s and an exclusive interview with Women’s Wear Daily.
According to court documents, snow the fragance’s release in October 2013, Jay Z had made no appearances as such. The papers also revealed while he did not show much interest promoting the fragrance, he liked the design of the elegant designed bottle. The company also pointed out, he also failed to do any social media posts about the product.
In the documents, Parlux Fragrances lawyer, Anthony Viola, stated the company worked with Jacob the Jeweler to create five prototype bottles which all had solid gold caps and on the exterior, costing a staggering $20,000 each.
He said: “Mr. Carter rejected all of them and kept the prototype.”
The documents also claim, Jay Z also kept his guaranteed $2 million up – front royalty fee.
Parlex Fragance have revealed the perfume received great success at first but have alleged, Jay Z’s lack of support saw the interest in the product drop.
The company has also accused the rapper of not developing a follow up scent to keep fans interested. They are demanding the court make Jay Z pay back the $2 million up front royalty and give back the $300,000 shares, void their contract and at least $18 million in damages.