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Naspers ‘hungry’ to invest in SA
Access to more spectrum opens up a field for more Internet-based businesses to be developed.
So said Naspers SA CEO Phuti Mahanyele-Dabengwa, noting that finance minister Tito Mboweni’s mention of spectrum in his budget speech was a positive takeaway.
Mahanyele-Dabengwa was part of the post-budget expert panel discussion hosted by PwC on Friday, debating what’s now being described as an encouraging budget speech.
In his budget, Mboweni promised that telecoms regulator ICASA will be appropriately capacitated for the impending licensing of high-demand spectrum.
The incumbent administration has been mulling spectrum allocation through an auction, to boost the country’s fiscus, with National Treasury releasing an economic blueprint showing the telecoms sector as a catalyst industry for SA’s economic growth prospects.
Mahanyele-Dabengwa said availability of more spectrum is “excellent”. “We need to be focusing on growth in the areas that we are in. Instead of just focusing on problematic areas, let’s see where we can provide growth.”
South Africa’s last big set of spectrum issued was in the 2.1GHz band, which helped the operators in their 3G network deployment. Vodacom and MTN were allocated such spectrum, respectively, in 2004 and 2005, while Cell C received such spectrum in 2011.
During this time, mobile operators have had to split and refarm their spectrum resources to mitigate spectrum shortages and expand 4G availability.
Overall, the Naspers SA CEO believes the minister’s budget was not only bold but very encouraging, especially for emphasising entrepreneurialism and growing start-up businesses.
“When you look at potential corporate tax reductions, many businesses are going through a very tough time right now, and when we talk about the fact that many people are unemployed – we need to get more businesses in place.
“As Naspers, this is something we are focusing on because our business is built from backing founders and that’s why with the Naspers Foundry we are backing founders. Seeing his [Mboweni’s] emphasis on entrepreneurialism and businesses being able to grow is something that is positive for the economy.
“The importance is that there is an incentive to triggering business and we want to make sure we are backing founders of business, and this is something that is important if we are going to be focusing on growth of the economies.
“If you look at businesses like Discovery and the many businesses we have here in South Africa, these were businesses that didn’t exist at some point. At some point, somebody had to found that business. If you are backing founders, you are creating the ability for some of our GDP growth to actually happen.”
According to Mahanyele-Dabengwa, Naspers invested R3.2 billion in SA last year, indicating the company is willing to invest more capital in the country.
Through the Naspers Foundry, the company helps talented and ambitious South African technology entrepreneurs to develop and grow their businesses.
One of the firms to receive financial backing from Naspers’s R1.4 billion start-up fund is online cleaning services platform, SweepSouth.
Founded by Aisha Pandor and Alen Ribec in 2014, SweepSouth has received investment from Smollan, Vumela, CRE VC (previously Africa Angels Network), musician and venture capitalist Black Coffee, and a R30 million cash injection from the Naspers Foundry.
“We are willing to put that extra capital in. We’ve put that capital aside for three years and once that capital is used up, we will put in another portion.
“We are hungry to invest into South Africa. We’ve invested in all the BRICS countries; we want to invest more in South Africa. Hearing the minister speak about spectrum says to us, from a regulatory perspective, there is the will – now we need to see it happen so that these businesses can be available.”


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It looks like the CIA isn’t the only organization capable of taking over your phone.
Hackers claiming to have compromised at least 300 million Apple account ID’s and passwords say they will initiate a complete wipe of iPhones and iClouds if the Cupertino, California based technology company doesn’t pay them a ransom.
The group, which goes by the name Turkish Crime Family, says Apple has until April 7th to come up with either $75,000 in BitCoin or $100,000 in iTunes gift cards.
According to Motherboard, the group posted a Youtube video proving they have compromised the credentials of millions of iCloud accounts, which could then be used to wipe an iPhone remotely and potentially locked users out of critical phone features.
The hacker appears to access an elderly woman’s iCloud account, which includes backed-up photos, and the ability to remotely wipe the device.
“We firstly kindly request you to remove the video that you have uploaded on your YouTube channel as it’s seeking unwanted attention, second of all we would like you to know that we do not reward cyber criminals for breaking the law,” a message allegedly from a member of Apple’s security team reads. (Motherboard only saw a screenshot of this message, and not the original).
According to one of the emails in the accessed account, the hackers claim to have access to over 300 million Apple email accounts, including those use @icloud and @me domains. However, the hackers appear to be inconsistent in their story; one of the hackers then claimed they had 559 million accounts in all. The hackers did not provide Motherboard with any of the supposedly stolen iCloud accounts to verify this claim, except those shown in the video.
As of this writing it appears that Apple is refusing to pay any ransom.
But the hacking team says refusal to do so will lead to serious consequences for tens of millions of iPhone users and the date is rapidly approaching.
Posting directly to their Twitter page, the Turkish Crime Family warns April 7th will be Apple’s digital doomsday:
200 Million iCloud accounts will be factory reset on April 7 2017
— Turkish Crime Family (@turkcrimefamily) March 21, 2017
Hackread.com notes that the hackers’ story is inconsistent and it’s possible that this is nothing more than a baseless shakedown:
However, some loopholes can be seen in their story. According to reports, one of the group’s members mentioned that the number of iCloud accounts in their control are 300 million, but another representative of the group claimed the total number of compromised accounts are 559 million. Moreover, according to their tweet, the number of iCloud accounts is 200 million, clearly showing something is fishy or miscommunication within the group.
Apple has not yet confirmed the hack and his remained quiet about its potential implications.
But as tech site BGR notes, there is an easy solution iPhone and iCloud users can implement right now to stop any potential attacks on their devices dead in its tracks:
On the off-chance that the hackers are indeed holding access to millions of iCloud accounts, you might consider changing your password to protect your Apple ID
Better safe than sorry. If you utilize Apple devices change your password immediately, just in case.

domain: news


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In March 2022, a full-cream packet of Amul milk cost ₹60/litre. The one-litre pouch now costs ₹66. Since 2021, milk prices in India have been on a boil. Prices have been hiked across brands and the recent hike in February 2023 was Amul’s fifth increase since 2021.
In April 2023, the average price for a litre of milk in India was ₹57, which is about 12% higher than ₹51 in April 2022. The average milk price is the highest in Lucknow and Guwahati at ₹66/litre and ₹65/litre, respectively. Southern cities such as Bengaluru and Chennai have relatively lower milk prices.
In the past year, Ernakulam saw the highest rise in milk prices at 19%, followed by Mumbai, Lucknow and Jaipur which saw over 10% rise. Chart 1 shows the average retail price for a litre of milk in the month of April for the past six years.
The Central Bank’s monetary policy committee, which met in the first week of April, said in a statement that high inflation in milk was one of the reasons driving retail inflation. While retail inflation slowed to 5.66% in March, milk inflation continued to tread higher. In the same month, milk inflation was at 9.24%, close to the levels last seen in February 2015. Chart 2 shows the retail inflation and inflation in milk (liquid, litre) since January 2015.
At the same time, there have been concerns over the country’s stagnant milk production in FY23. On April 5, Secretary for Animal Husbandry and Dairying Rajesh Kumar Singh said the country was facing stagnation and that the government would consider all options, including the import of butter and ghee if the situation remained unchanged.
However, days later, the Union Minister for Animal Husbandry and Dairying Parshottam Rupala contradicted him and ruled out stagnation in milk production and the government’s decision to consider import of butter and ghee.
In FY22, India produced 221 million tonnes of milk, about 5.3% higher than in FY21. While there has been a rise in the absolute quantity of milk produced, the y-o-y growth has slowed. It peaked at 6.6% in FY18. Chart 3 shows the milk produced (in million tonnes) and the y-o-y growth.
According to Mr. Singh, the country’s milk production in FY23 would either be stagnant or grow at 1%-2%. Multiple factors have resulted in the stagnation of the country’s milk production. Initially, dairy farmers faced a demand slump due to COVID-19. As demand recovered, the outbreak of lumpy skin disease hit the cattle and buffalo herd, resulting in lower milk yields. High prices of fodder have also raised the cost of production.
According to an answer in the Lok Sabha, 32.8 lakh cattle were affected by the disease and 1.86 lakh succumbed to the disease. Rajasthan, the second largest producer of milk, saw the highest number of cases and cattle deaths. Close to 50% or 15 lakh cases and 76,000 cattle deaths were reported in Rajasthan, as shown in Map 4. While the fodder inflation based on the wholesale price index eased to 17.13% in March, the figure has remained in double digits for 14 months now, as shown in Chart 5.
Finally, coming to Mr. Singh’s remarks about the possibility of import of dairy products, it must be noted that India is the largest producer of milk in the world and accounts for 24% of the milk produced worldwide. As shown in Chart 6, India last imported a significant quantity of milk in FY12. Since then, milk imports have slumped. While India continues to import whey, butter, cheese and curd in relatively higher quantities, the share of milk in India’s import basket is significantly lower.


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The advent of mobile computing has provided fertile ground for identity theft, but companies can take precautions to help limit the damage. Eddie Pacey offers some tips
Identity theft has been much in the news lately, as has cardholder not present fraud. Many distributors have tightened processes to deflect approaches or limit impact, so fraudsters are moving to fresher fields within the reseller community.
Here controls are much less evident, and resellers are ill-prepared to deal with approaches. Few have experienced the problem first-hand or seen the level of sophistication.
In the old days, when memory was worth more per ounce than gold, ram raids, hijacks and burglaries were commonplace. But this is now old hat and far too risky for the criminal.
Fraud has been helped by the advent of laptops and other portable devices, as well as mobile telephony and connectivity. The encroaching maturity of the IT, telecoms and consumer electronics sectors, and the ease of online applications and order placement, provide fertile ground for fraudsters.
Levels of credit card fraud are mind-boggling, and Joe Public faces the cost associated with this in high credit card interest charges. Banks, of course, are still laughing.
Sheer embarrassment at being conned is so acute that many would rather just write things off without admission or mention. This is an understandable reaction, but criminal where no measured process is formalised to counter a repeat.
The old dodge of paying for products with stolen cheques or bankers drafts still works, despite the fact that simple checks can eliminate it.
A year ago I coined the phrase “Company Hijack” to describe a noted trend in company takeover that was merely an asset-stripping exercise; a move designed to take over a business with earned historical credibility and rating and move assets abroad prior to sudden collapse and failure.
This has since extended to simple pinching of identity and amendment of Companies House data. There is absolutely nothing to stop someone getting hold of a formal set of results, amending details and filing the same results as those of another company.
There are cases where director resignation and appointment are fictional, and where a registered office address is amended without the target company knowing a thing about it. This creates data and the provision of a rating and, in turn, opens credit terms.
Companies House is responding, but measures are slow and not comprehensive. This gives rise to new products and services from traditional business information providers that warn of unusual movements and changes to Companies House data.
An application a while ago gave the applicant as one of the North’s leading power companies. Applicant’s title was management director (sic) and his email address was an AOL one; clearly not sophisticated but a bold and irritating attempt nonetheless that could easily have paid off elsewhere.
Time spent at the front end will save considerable pain, loss and embarrassment and need not inconvenience customer service or satisfaction.
Automation firms UiPath and Automation Anywhere close out their funding rounds with $265m and $300m respectively
View photos of last night's awards ceremony in London
View photos of all the winners from the 2018 Channel Awards
After a glittering awards evening in Battersea celebrating 25 years of the Awards, we are pleased to share the list of winners and judges' commended winners


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Tim upgraded his Windows 10 OS, but now he's lost access to the administrator account. It won't let him update anything. Leo says it sounds like Windows broke UAC (user account control), which gives that option. Look in there and see if it's been turned off. He can also check to see if the user name has administrator permissions. Outside of that, Tim needs to look at all the accounts and see which one is set up as an admin, and figure out the password. Tim may also be able to find a Windows 10 password cracking app.
Although Microsoft never really said that Windows 10 was the final version of Windows (explicitly), some people are confused that Windows 11 was recently announced. Regardless, the new operating system will presumably not run on many older computers due to certain requirements. You may even be able to run it virtually through a Mac! But if your current machine is over 5 years old, it's probably time to upgrade to a more modern device that can get along with Microsoft's fresh OS.
Kenny has a few Windows computers and was sold the notion that Windows 10 was the last version we would get. Leo says that officially, Microsoft has never really said that, though it's attributed to them. It was a tech analyst who stated it and the media ran with it. But then again, Microsoft didn't correct the record until the announcement of Windows 11. And it's causing an uproar that it won't be supported on anything but the most recent computers. Most are going to be left behind if they don't buy a new computer. But one way to go is a Mac, that will run Windows virtually.
When Microsoft's Windows 11 comes out later this year, most older computers will not be able to run it. Leo says that's because it will require secure boot circuitry on motherboards in order to run the latest OS. This is causing many to howl as they'll be forced to upgrade in order to keep up. But users have some time, as Microsoft will be killing support for Windows 10 on October 14th, 2025.
Microsoft will announce Windows 11 this Thursday, and Leo says it's more of a cosmetic overhaul with the same back end. The real question will be, will Microsoft charge for it or initially give it away as they did for Windows 10? Leo says that most people upgrade their Windows when they buy a new computer, and the pundits may be right that Windows 11 will be a free download. But Leo thinks that Microsoft may charge about $35 for the upgrade, which the company gets from each computer that carries the OS. We'll find out Thursday.
Reversing the stance that Windows 10 would be the last operating system you'll have own for your PC, Microsoft will soon announce Windows 11 (codenamed Sun Valley) this week with a completely redesigned app store. But Leo doesn't think that the new operating system would be anything too different from what users have now. And the app store? Well, YAWN. Leo also says it will be aimed primarily at consumers since businesses are traditionally reticent to move to a new platform.
Microsoft is believed to be introducing a new version of Windows during their Microsoft event on June 24th. Leo thinks this is interesting since Nadella stated unequivocally that Windows 10 would be the last Windows Microsoft will ever release. But a recent tweet by a Windows executive stated that a new version, Windows 11 (also code named Sun Valley), will be out on the 24th. So what does it mean? Leo thinks it's likely a home-based OS revamp that could be just a huge update.
Microsoft was planning on releasing Windows 10X soon, which would rewrite the operating system from the ground up. Now reports indicate that the project may be dead in favor of the current incarnation of Windows X. Leo says the problem is that Microsoft is obsessed with keeping the OS compatible with every computer out there, making it practically impossible to modernize it.
2020 may have been a rough year for us, but the top five tech giants had a banner year with nearly 2 Trillion in revenue. Those giants included Apple, Google (Alphabet), Microsoft, and others. Leo says that Apple, in particular, enjoyed a 42% profit margin. And a 78% margin rumored to be from the app store.
Tracey says that Dragon Naturally Speaking doesn't support the Mac anymore. What are her options? Leo says that Apple's Speech to Text, operated by Siri, is quite good. As good as Google's Voice Dictation, which is also good. Microsoft recently bought Dragon, and it's possible that they may add macOS support in the future. Express Dictate by NCH Software is about the only one that's close to Dragon.


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Kodak may not fall under the category of small business, but they do face a similar probably: the possibility of failure. Once considered one of the largest companies, they are mere weeks away from filing for bankruptcy protection. What can lead such a big company to fall so far?
That Kodak is even contemplating a bankruptcy filing represents a final reversal of fortune for a company that once dominated its industry, drawing engineering talent from around the country to its Rochester, N.Y., headquarters and plowing money into research that produced thousands of breakthroughs in imaging and other technologies.
The company, for instance, invented the digital cameraâ€”in 1975â€”but never managed to capitalize on the new technology.
Casting about for alternatives to its lucrative but shrinking film business, Kodak toyed with chemicals, bathroom cleaners and medical-testing devices in the 1980s and 1990s, before deciding to focus on consumer and commercial printers in the past half-decade under Chief Executive Antonio Perez.
None of the new pursuits generated the cash needed to fund the change in course and cover the company’s big obligations to its retirees. A Chapter 11 filing could help Kodak shed some of those obligations, but the viability of the company’s printer strategy has yet to be demonstrated, raising questions about the fate of the company’s 19,000 employees.
What are some lessons you can take from Kodak’s misfortunes?
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Mayor Menino to launch new video game ratings education campaign with ESRB
New ads encourage parents to use Entertainment Software Rating Board’s information to choose age-appropriate games for children
Mayor Thomas M. Menino today unveiled a new public education campaign to explain and encourage parents to use video game ratings – which are assigned by the non-profit Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) – each time they purchase or rent a game to ensure that it is appropriate for their children and family. The campaign includes television, radio and outdoor print ads that were unveiled at a press conference held at the GoKids center at the University of Massachusetts Boston.
Joining Mayor Menino to launch the campaign were Patricia Vance, president of the ESRB, and Michele Brooks, Assistant Superintendent for Family and Student Engagement in the Boston Public Schools.
“I’m proud to be the first mayor in the country to partner with the ESRB to empower parents with the tools they need to make informed choices when it comes to buying and renting video games for their children,” Mayor Menino said. “Our message is simple: Some video games are for kids. Some aren’t.
There are a lot of fun and entertaining games out there, and we want parents to check the ratings and help their children pick the right ones.”
The public service announcement is being provided to radio and television stations in the Boston area, and the print ads (examples attached) will appear in the coming weeks and months on MBTA buses and at major transportation hubs throughout the City, such as the Forest Hills and Downtown Crossing MBTA stations. The ESRB has also prepared a brochure providing additional information about the rating system, which will be distributed to video game retailers.
“Video games are just like movies and TV shows in that they are created for a diverse audience of all ages. Parents can make sure they’re choosing age-appropriate games for their children by checking the rating and content descriptors on game packages, as well as taking advantage of the additional detail provided in our new rating summaries,” ESRB president Patricia Vance said. “There’s simply no substitute for an involved and informed parent, which is why I’m pleased to be joining Mayor Menino in announcing his effort to educate Boston’s parents about these resources.”
The ESRB video game ratings employ a two-part system. As seen in the illustration below, rating symbols on the front of virtually every game package sold at retail stores provide an age recommendation, such as EC (Early Childhood 3+), E (Everyone 6+), E10+ (Everyone 10 and up), T (Teen 13+) and M (Mature 17+). On the back of each package, next to the rating, are content descriptors that provide information about what’s in the game that may have triggered the rating, or may be of interest or concern to parents.
Rating summaries, which are available for all game titles rated since July 1, 2008, are a supplementary source of information that explain in objective terms the context and relevant content that factored into a game’s ESRB rating assignment. A new mobile website at m.esrb.org was launched to allow parents to search for rating summaries on their cell phones right from the store when trying to make a decision about which game to buy. Parents can also find rating summaries before they go to the store by searching on ESRB’s website at www.esrb.org, using ESRB’s rating search widget, or signing up for a free e-newsletter called ParenTools, which provides a list of recently rated titles complete with rating summaries customized to their preference of rating categories and game platform.
A complete list of ratings, content descriptors and their definitions can be found on the ESRB website at www.esrb.org.
For more information contact:


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Chain reaction: the number one challenge supply chains face today
Cost pressure is overwhelmingly the biggest difficulty for logistics networks, at a time of high fuel prices, driver shortages and supply chain snares.
Has there been a more challenging time to run a delivery fleet? Alex Osaki, Product Marketing Manager at HERE, said the perfect storm of factors keeping the logistics industry up at night has contributed to one overwhelming problem: cost pressures.
HERE's Alex Osaki explains why cost is the number one concern for delivery companies right now.
“There's a tremendous amount of pressure that is coalescing," he said. “Fleets are being expected to make faster deliveries with greater visibility. Customers want to see where their drivers are, for instance. That costs money, at the same time as the fundamentals of vehicle maintenance, and fuel costs and driver pay have also increased," he said.
At the same time, supply chains are required to hit net zero by 2050 in many regions. In a rapidly changing marketplace, neither consumers nor retailers are willing to pay for the extra costs involved with meeting today's expectations.
All this means that it is difficult for fleet managers to consider measures that would help to optimize their operations. Ambitious spending proposals can seem a long way off when you are struggling with the fundamentals.
“If you are still a paper-driven company, you can optimize all you want but it won't make any difference if you don't know whether your drivers are actually taking the route you have given them," Osaki said.
This can be an obstacle even when it comes to electrifying fleets. Short journeys in city centers for last-mile delivery are well within the range of electric vehicles (EVs), but there is often no way of knowing the savings they could make. For that, you need data on the routes your drivers currently take and how efficient they are.
“The majority of fleets are incompletely digitized," Osaki explained. “About 82% of delivery companies have some manual processes that are still taking place somewhere in their supply chain."
Return on investment
Nevertheless, there are some reasons to take heart. The number of fleets using some kind of technology has risen dramatically, even while manual processes remain.
“Three-quarters of fleets use some kind of telematics, and most fleets have some kind of digital tracking," Osaki said. “They are tracking driver hours of service, vehicle speed, that kind of data. The problem is that those live in silos. It is difficult to connect the data together.
“An incredibly small number are using their data for forecasting or decision making. One report put that figure at 23% - less than a quarter."
Most fleets use some form of telematics but are incompletely digitized.
What is essential now is finding ways to bring these different solutions together so the data is more useful. An end-to-end solution such as HERE Last Mile can support this, as fleets can add their own data to the tool to create a complete picture.
Organizations need technology that can easily integrate with their existing business and is quick to implement.
“If I look at the problems that fleets face today, HERE Last Mile addresses all of them," Osaki said. “An end-to-end solution can show what the cost is per asset, so we know how much we can save very quickly. Live visibility for the dispatcher closes that gap, and the driver app includes proof of delivery, the run sheet and turn-by-turn navigation including traffic information. That streamlines the ability for drivers to do their job."
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Has COVID-19 changed CX forever?
In just a few months, COVID-19 has brought about a slew of changes around the globe that no one expected. It’s unprecedented how the pandemic has redefined how we work, play, interact with one another, and live life in general. Indelible human habits have been altered, willingly or not, and the new normal was born—a new normal where face masks, social distancing, and constant sanitation are the new daily habits. With people’s habits changing, so too are their behaviors about almost everything; most people are now hesitant to go outside and make in-person transactions, doing everything online whenever possible. Spending behaviors have also changed due to the economic decline suffered by different countries globally. Consumers are now very conscious of how they spend their money and where they spend it.
At the end of March 2020 alone, three million were unemployed in the US and as much as $25 billion were lost, and that’s in the restaurant industry alone. This devastating effect on the industry has been called the “restaurant apocalypse,” with orders at full-service restaurants dropping at an alarming rate of 71% by March 22. The COVID-19 crisis has pushed consumers to make transactions and do their shopping online, whether they’re buying food or essential items. This has led to a boom in the eCommerce industry, which completely changes the rules of the game when it comes to providing excellent customer service. The focus on customer experience or CX isn’t a new strategy by any means, but the current situation makes it a very important aspect of business to master, especially since consumers are in a very volatile state and their behavior can be very hard to predict.
Playing By Different Rules
Modern economies are consumer-driven to the point that winners and losers in business are determined by the choices consumers make. In the COVID-19 era, this has become a larger consideration due to changing customer sentiment that has completely altered customer behavior. With the highest unemployment rate seen in decades, people today are very conscious about where they spend their money, leading to a decrease in discretionary spending. Financially speaking, this may be prudent for the consumer, but it doesn’t help in reigniting a suffering global economy.
Distribution channels have also been disrupted due to logistics problems that have affected the supply chain both inward to businesses and outward to consumers. This has led to delays in delivery that have caused already on-edge customers to be more worried about the future of the brands they patronize. Phone, chat, and video conferencing have greater importance and are mostly the only means consumers can reach out to some companies. A number of brands have turned to their digital voices, but this has been a struggle for companies who are not prepared and don’t have the resources to digitize their business.
An agile business model is a key to keeping afloat in this pandemic-driven landscape. Businesses must optimize their online channels and be flexible enough to implement changes at a moment’s notice. This gives newcomers to eCommerce a competitive edge against traditional brick-and-mortar stores because they establish their business on a digital foundation. The initial rise in online shopping for essential items due to the pandemic may have been good for eCommerce players, but this has led to inventory challenges because the pandemic has made meeting demand difficult.
How Companies are Coping
Digital is the way to go in the COVID-19 era, and even big names like Walmart are taking some big steps toward a digital transformation of their business. The retail store giant has taken on an omnichannel approach and has put more focus on providing an overall pleasant experience to its customers by providing options. Although Walmart executives believe that the consumer shift to digital may be permanent, they also believe that the combination of an online channel and the store footprint is what has kept Walmart alive through the pandemic. This belief is further proven by good customer-satisfaction scores on the store pick up business in the past few months. Although most consumers shop online, there’s still the desire to access the goods as quickly as possible, even if the goods were bought through digital channels.
On the other hand, Costco is still focused on getting their customers to their physical stores, despite having a digital channel of their own. The company’s inability to make same-day deliveries and the lack of the option for curbside pickups, however, is proving to be a thorn in Costco’s side. The company’s investment in eCommerce is a smart move, but it came a bit too late. Its major competitors have made the jump earlier and are now enjoying the benefits. This disadvantage can be resolved in time, though, if Costco follows in the footsteps of others in the industry who have adapted their business models accordingly to address the challenges brought about by COVID-19.
Consumer Confidence is King
COVID-19 was a curveball thrown by 2020 at the eCommerce industry and business in general, and it shows no signs of going away anytime soon. The changes the pandemic caused in consumer behavior seem to be here to stay for some time, even during the post-pandemic period. Due to these changes, it’s important to gather data on what consumer sentiment so you can help them find the right products where they want when they want, and how they want them. Adapting means making changes to your marketing channels and strategies based on a long-term plan and keeping your business nimble enough so you can make changes whenever necessary.
As this is a time of uncertainty for both the business and its customers, you must foster trust and confidence , and the best way to do this is by helping marketing teams understand the rationale behind the changes made to the business and ensuring that customers know that they are your main focus.
Alon is an Israely product and marketing executive with a track record in leading customer centric product management and inbound marketing strategy. While improving user engemenemt and customer, I help Start Ups achieve product market fit and expand their online footprint. I specialize in technology, entrepreneurship, customer experience.


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Joe Rogan’s podcast is one of the most listened-to shows Spotify since the tower added them to its list last year. He’s also been the hardest hit by Rogan’s guest selection and his ideas. Spotify has no plans to do anything about it, as the company’s CEO does not believe the platform should comment on podcasters’ content. When Axios asked Spotify CEO Daniel Ek on questions about whether the company should be responsible for making podcasts like Rogan’s, and Ek replied that Rogan is just one of many producers.
Axios showed that Rogan could be one of them, and also one of the highest paid. Ek replied, however, that rapists earn tens of millions of dollars on the platform, but Spotify does not control what they put in their songs. Rogan signed $ 100 million for active search in May 2020 production The experience of Joe Rogan available to Spotify audience. Less than a year later, the podcast became Spotify.
According to a Wall Street Journal In a report last year, employees at Spotify expressed their concerns over what they wrote in a podcast that they felt were anti-transgender. Rogan has visited several exhibitors from the show since he started on the platform. They include Abigail Shrier, author of Unexplained Damage: Transgender Craze To Seduce Our Daughters, and More Owner Alex Jones who spreads coronavirus lies on the podcast. Recently, Rogan said he did not think people should receive the COVID-19 vaccine, even though they backtracked and he told the audience disobeying his instructions.
In a recent Spotify report, he said the Rogan podcast did “more than he expected.” Obviously, everything they do is get people to start singing, so the company probably doesn’t see any reason to interfere.
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Watch the Oscars 2017 live stream and red carpet coverage Sunday February 26th for the ultimate online viewing experience!
Feb 26, 2017 ... Find out how to watch the Oscars 2017 livestream - available ...
Feb 26, 2017 ... Cord-cutters will be able to watch the Oscars online via live stream, available on ABC Go or the ABC app. The ABC app works on iOS and ...
Feb 26, 2017 ... Find out how you can stream the awards show without a cable ... for making it more difficult than it needs to be to live stream the Oscars goes to.
Feb 23, 2017 ... For those who want to find a way to watch beyond a traditional TV setup, the Oscars can be streamed online from ABC Go as well as the ABC ...
Feb 26, 2017 ... If you live in the Chicago, Fresno, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, ... then you can watch the Oscars on any device that supports it (here's some ... Is that ridiculous that this is the only way to watch the Oscars online in ...
Feb 26, 2017 ... As in past years, the Oscars won't be the easiest show to stream online — unlike, say, the Super Bowl, which Fox streamed live on its website ...
Watch the Oscars Live Stream 2017. Red Carpet and the Oscars will be Live Streaming here direct from Los Angeles. The 2017 Academy Awards will be LIVE .
Where to live stream the Oscars and when to watch. ... How To Watch The Oscars On TV & Online. by Denise Petski. February 22, 2017 1:21pm.


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The Swiss National Bank (SNB) has no plans to launch a digital currency as a central bank (CBDC), according to a report in Handelszeitung, a Swiss weekly business publication.
SNB chief economist Carlos Lenz stated at a recent press conference held by the Swiss Bankers Association that a digital franc is unnecessary because the current payment system works well without one. Lenz also slammed blockchain technology, describing it as "very inefficient." He stated, "I don't believe a decentralised solution is optimal."
Since at least 2019, when the Swiss parliament requested that the government investigate the possibility of launching a CBDC, Switzerland has been exploring central bank digital currencies. The administration decided in December 2019 that a digital franc would be too dangerous. The country has established a climate that is favourable to blockchain entrepreneurs, with the Zug Valley being one of the world's innovation hotbeds. Diem, originally known as Libra, is a Facebook-backed stablecoin project based in Switzerland.
Despite the Swiss government's opposition to central bank digital currencies, CBDC research has proceeded in Switzerland. The Bank of International Settlements (BIS) completed a trial investigating the viability of a CBDC among financial institutions in 2020, while the SNB and the Bank of France launched “Project Jura,” a cross-border bank-to-bank CBDC experiment.
During his press conference, however, Lenz stressed that these studies are just that: studies, not implementations.
“This is not about productive implementation,” Lenz explained. “At this time, there are no plans to implement digital bank money. This is also true in the wholesale market.”
The continuous hurry to build a CBDC, according to Lenz, is akin to the terror that many in Switzerland felt when the euro was adopted.
“When the euro was established, we had comparable debates,” Lenz added. “There was also concern that payments would be paid in euros all of a sudden.”


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One in four Brits are looking for alternative ways to make some extra cash amid COVID-19 related financial uncertainty and a rise in spending over Christmas, according to new research from Ebay.
Brits at all stages of life could make up to £500 in extra cash by selling old unwanted items online, the research found.
Young people moving out of their family home after spending 2020 locked down with parents could make some extra cash by selling childhood items they won’t be taking to their new home.
Finding a new home for old toys can help young movers fly the nest — the average selling price for Hot Wheels toy cars is £10.50, while Pokemon cards can fetch £9.55. Furbies can be sold for an average £16.46, Beanie Baby soft toys could make £6.43, and Sylvanian Families toys sell for an average £14.82.
Old electrical items fetch the most, with the average selling price of a second-hand computer £129 on Ebay. Cassette players could make £36.59 and DVD players sell for an average £30.92.
Selling an unwanted scooter online could make young home movers £65.39, while their old roller skates could go for £10.30.
Selling these items online could raise £329.96 in extra cash.
Cash-strapped students could make some extra money from selling old clothes, gadgets and unwanted Christmas presents.
Unwanted sports clothing goes for an average £36.64, while old trainers could make £27.60, and high heels could bring in £18.30. Selling an old backpack online could raise £20.69.
A secondhand smartphone has an average selling price of £157.42, an old computer could raise £129, while an old XBox could make £8.56.
READ MORE: Top tips for saving for a 2021 wedding
CDs and Books sold on Ebay could make students an average £5.53 and £7.18 respectively, while a secondhand bicycle sells for an average £68.46.
Students selling these old items online could make an average of £479.38
Housebuyers or those redecorating their homes could make some extra cash by Ebaying used gadgets and appliances they don’t want to take with them to their new pad.
Used furniture can make a tidy sum with the average selling price of a coffee table standing at £62.48. Secondhand sofas could be worth an average £51.57, while an unwanted mirror sells for an average £33.13. A vintage lampshade could make £19.05 and photo frames could bring in an extra £8.58.
Kitchen items can also help make some extra cash with food processors selling for an average £36.35 and a secondhand Nespresso coffee machine worth an average £78.68. An unwanted cocktail shaker could find a new home for £12.89.
READ MORE: UK's most disappointing Christmas presents
An unwanted TV could make homemovers £222.22 and old vinyl records could raise £12.92.
Selling these itens online could make an average £537.80 in extra cash.
New parents welcoming newborns into the world this year could find themselves with less free time on their hands. Selling old equipment from past hobbies could help raise some quick cash.
Musical instruments sell for an average £28.91 on Ebay, while tennis rackets go for £25.13. A secondhand sewing machine is worth an average £52.47 and used games consoles could raise an extra £107.56.
Selling pre-loved clothing and accessories is a good way to make some extra cash, with coats and jackets selling for an average £21.85, high heels going for £18.30, handbags at £10.70 and jewellery at £27.99. A secondhand wedding dress sells for an average £80.51.
An unwanted rug could sell for £29.23, bringing in a bit extra to help new parents make some quick cash.
Selling these items could make an average of £402.60.
WATCH: Should I pay off debt or save money during the coronavirus pandemic?


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Home Tags Posts tagged with "labor day"
Jerry Lewis was honored as a Member of the Order of Australia, the highest award bestowed on a civilian by that country.
Jerry Lewis, 88, received a gold medal, a lapel pin and a high volume of praise from the Australian officials who made the trip to honor the comedian for his work in fundraising for the Muscular Dystrophy Foundation (MDF).
Jerry Lewis was honored as a Member of the Order of Australia (photo Getty Images)
He has toured Australia and raised several millions of dollars for MDF. The Aussie charity is not formally linked to the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), with whom Jerry Lewis raised more than $2 billion in a 45-year philanthropic partnership.
The Jerry Lewis-MDA relationship fractured after the 2010 MDA Labor Day Telethon at South Point, when, over a course of months, it became evident that Lewis was being cut loose from the annual telethon and organization. What’s left of what was long a 21 1/2-hour entertainment odyssey is this year’s MDA Show of Strength variety show, which aired for two hours on August 31, on ABC.
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The 27th annual Burning Man festival in northern Nevada’s Black Rock Desert comes to a close today after a week of fiery excess.
A record-breaking crowd of 61,000 revelers watched the namesake 40-foot effigy burn to the ground on Saturday in northern Nevada’s Black Rock Desert. Sunday saw more giant bonfires and even one fiery tornado.
The temporary town known as Black Rock City, which convenes once a year, will now disperse and leave only the burning embers of their desert party behind.
The largest outdoor arts festival in North America is best described as an “experimental community”. It incorporates plenty of partying plus lighting massive fire displays, donning eye-catching costumes and performing passionate dances at sunrise.
The 27th annual Burning Man festival in northern Nevada’s Black Rock Desert comes to a close after a week of fiery excess
The Burning Man concludes each year on Labor Day after an explosive final night in which the effigy burns and partygoers fit in as much debauchery as possible.
This year’s event was the largest ever, even with tickets costing up to $650. Attendance peaked last year at 56,000.
The crowd limit was raised this year after organizers agreed to security, public safety, resource management and cleanup rules.
The festival has become a haven for hippies, artists, musicians and dancers and provides a week for people to explore artistic expression. No money is exchanged at the event; instead the festival-goers swap gifts to attain goods.
Many festival-goers have been impressed by the size and look of this year’s Man Base, a structure that houses the iconic ‘Man’ figure which was burned on Saturday night.
Inside a flying saucer under the Man is a multi-level structure with zoetropes, a giant chandelier and views of Black Rock City. Slides serve as exits.
The Black Rock Desert is 120 miles north of Reno and the Burning Man is the largest permitted event on federal land in the United States.
Potato Salad Recipe
- 6 pounds medium red potatoes
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup butter, cubed
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 4-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3/4 cup Miracle Whip
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 3 hard-cooked eggs, sliced
- Place potatoes in a stockpot and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Drain. When cool enough to handle, peel and slice potatoes; cool completely.
- For dressing, in the top of a double boiler or metal bowl over barely simmering water, heat water, butter and vinegar until butter is melted. In a small bowl, beat eggs; add sugar and cornstarch. Add to butter mixture; cook and stir for 5-7 minutes or until thickened. Transfer to a large bowl; cool completely.
- In a small bowl, beat cream until stiff peaks form. Stir Miracle Whip into cooled dressing mixture; fold in whipped cream. Stir in onion, green onions, salt and pepper. Add potatoes; toss lightly to combine. Refrigerate, covered, until chilled.
- To serve, top with hard-cooked eggs; sprinkle with paprika. Yield: 24 servings (3/4 cup each).
Labor Day, which falls on Monday, September 2, is the best time to score bargains with the countless sales offered by retailers.
Labor Day weekend is an even better time to score sales than the most infamous discount holiday, Black Friday, in November.
“Labor Day is full of bargains, Black Friday is full of cheap things,” Ellwood said. “It’s not the same thing.”
It is recommended to start early when shopping the Labor Day weekend sales, but also get out there Monday, when stores will offer even more discounts.
Retailers have slashed their prices for a wide variety of items this year, ranging from electronics to apparel to home goods to outdoor items. During the three-day weekend, many stores will offer the same discounts both in stores and online.
However, if you choose to shop the Labor Day weekend sales online, remember to look for additional savings coupons or special offer codes; many large retailers offer additional savings like free shipping to entice shoppers off their couches.
Kmart: 40% off fall clothing for all, all TVs on sale, 50-60% off mattresses plus free box springs, 10% off furniture, 10% off bed & bad, 10% off items for the home, 10% off patio furniture, 5% off grills, 5% off outdoor play
Kohl’s: $10 Kohl’s cash for every $50 spent through September 2; 3-day sale on small appliances, 40-50% off dinnerware, 40-60% off bath towels and rugs, 20-40% off furniture
JCPenney: 4-day sale with 25-50% off items until Monday, including home, apparel, shoes and accessories, jewelry and more. Plus, online only, get an extra 20% off if you use your JCPenney credit card or 10% off using any other method of payment with code 30BUY until September 2. Free shipping on orders over $75.
Macy’s: 20% off and free shipping on orders of $99 or more using promo code DEALS; 15% off home and select home items; Additional 25% off clearance items; sales on clothing, home, shoes, accessories, kitchen, jewelry, kids and furniture
Sears: Free shipping on orders of $59 or more until September 7; 50-60% off mattresses plus free box spring and free delivery; 30% off Kenmore appliances; 15% off other major appliances; 30% off tool storage; 20% off lawn and garden; 50% off other items; 15% off purchases of $75 or more in apparel
Target: 20% off select furniture purchases of $150 or more; sale on backpacks and school uniforms; 30% off Emerson fridges and microwaves; 50% off patio furniture; 20% off kids’ Halloween costumes
Walmart: Labor Day sales and specials on electronics, home, outdoor and apparel
Labor Day is the best time to score bargains with the countless sales offered by retailers
American Eagle: 40% off everything using code 74693461
Ann Taylor: Buy one full-priced item, get a second 50% off
ASOS: 20% off non-sale items until Monday
Club Monaco: 50% off sale styles using code FINAL50
Express: 40% off everything until Monday in stores and online
Forever21: 50% extra off select sale items using code LABORDAY
H&M: 10% off entire purchase
J.Crew: 25% off denim styles
LOFT: 50% off non-sale items using code SHOP50
Mango: 20% off accessories using code 6USATOUCH
Neiman Marcus: 50% off shoes, apparel and more
Nine West: Up to 60% off select styles
Victoria’s Secret: $15 off $100, $30 off $150, $75 off $250, $150 off $500 using code FALL13
Apple: Buy a Mac for college by Sept. 6 and get a $100 App Store Gift Card or buy an iPad or iPhone and get a $50 card
Best Buy: Friday through Monday, 30% off major appliances and free delivery on purchases of $429 or more; $200 off MacBook Pro with Retina Display, Insignia 65” LES HDTV for $999.99 with free delivery; LG 55” LED HDTV for $749.99 with free delivery; and more discounts on laptops, cameras, televisions, cell phones, GPS devices and home theaters
New Egg: 330+ deals for Labor Day, including an LG 42” LED HDTV for $399.00 and more
Home Depot: $40 gift card with purchase of select 5-gallon paint buckets; $10 gift card on purchases of select 1-gallon paint cans; 10% off appliances of $397 or more with free delivery and haul away; free shipping on grills of $399 or more
Lowe’s: 10% off major appliances of $399 or more until Sept. 3; 20% off Char-Broil Commercial Series Gas Grills; $5 mail-in rebate on purchases of gallon-size Paint and Primer in One or Stain and Sealant in One
Overstock: 10% off furniture, area rugs, mattresses, memory foam, kitchen, dining, bedding, window treatments, lighting
Pottery Barn: 60% off items until Monday; 20% off throws and free shipping
Restaurants, stores, and companies will be celebrating Labor Day 2013 by offering freebies, or something at a heavily discounted price.
- A.C. Moore: On Saturday, August 31 from 1 PM to 3 PM, all 140 A.C. Moore stores along the East Coast will hold a free “Make and Take” class on how you can make a rubber band bracelet.
- Bass Pro Shops: On Saturday, August 31, and Sunday, September 1, from 12 noon until 5 PM, Bass Pro Shops locations nationwide are offering free activities for kids and classes for grownups, including instruction on the best ways to smoke meat. Sounds about right for a Labor Day barbecue.
Restaurants, stores, and companies will be celebrating Labor Day 2013 by offering freebies, or something at a heavily discounted price
- BJ’s Wholesale Club: BJ’s has a free 60-day trial membership offer that begins on Friday, August 30. The risk-free trial includes full member benefits and no surcharge.
- Blue Star Museums: Active duty military personnel and their families get free museum admission at participating cultural institutions through Monday, September 2, as part of the Blue Star Museums program.
- Boston Market: On Monday, September 2, take 50% off Boston Market family meals. You’ll need to use this coupon to get the savings.
- Firehouse Subs: Get a free medium sub sandwich at participating locations on Monday, September 2, when you purchase any sub combo. To redeem the offer, visit the Firehouse Subs’ Facebook page to print out a coupon or to show it via smartphone. Note: the coupon goes live over Labor Day Weekend.
- IKEA: If you are in the store on Saturday, August 31, Sunday, September 1, or Monday, September 2, you may want to stop in for a meal as well. Shoppers who spend $150 or more in store those three days can deduct the cost of their meal when they check out. Visit the IKEA website to find out if your local IKEA store is participating.
- Yankee Candle: From Thursday, August 29 to Monday, September 2, Yankee Candle has a dollar deal in its 550-plus nationwide retail locations and at yankeecandle.com. All Tarts wax melts, Samplers votive candles, and Car Jar air fresheners are only $1.00 – normally they’re $1.99 and $2.99.
Burning Man Festival, the annual art, music and everything-else event, currently taking place in the Black Rock Desert in Nevada, is the most popular ever than more people already on-site than attended the entire event last year.
The largest outdoor arts festival in North America is in its 27th year, with as many as 68,000 people expected to part-take in partying, debauchery and excess before it all ends for another year on Labor Day.
Described as an “experimental community”, Burning Man Festival incorporates plenty of partying plus lighting massive fire displays, donning eye-catching costumes and performing passionate dances at sunrise. Organizers stress it’s mostly up to participants to decide what Burning Man is.
Earlier this year the federal government issued a permit for 68,000 people from all over the world to gather at the sold out festival and spend up to a week in the remote desert cut off from much of the outside world.
This year’s Burning Man Festival is already the largest ever, organizers said more than 55,000 people had already arrived at Black Rock City at noon on Tuesday. That is almost as many as were present at last year’s event during its peak.
Traditionally only the hard-core burners arrived when the gates opened Monday and a crush of people often referred to as “Weekend Warriors” would show up sometime between Thursday and Saturday, reports NBC Bay Area.
By morning on Wednesday, there were 15 streets circling the temporary city created by attendees and the forecast remains free of dust storms.
The art theme of this year’s Burning Man Festival is “Cult Cargo” and focuses on a strange being called John Frum
Many have been impressed by the size and look of this year’s Man Base, a structure that houses the iconic “Man” figure burned each year near the event’s close.
Inside a flying saucer under the Man is a multi-level structure with zoetropes, a giant chandelier and views of Black Rock City. Slides serve as exits.
The art theme this year is “Cult Cargo” and focuses on a strange being called John Frum.
“He is known to us by many names, this Visitor from Elsewhere, dispenser of endless abundance and wielder of mysterious technologies: John Frum, Quetzalcoatl, Osiris, <<Bob>>,” reads the website.
“His cargo is splendid, his generosity boundless, his motives beyond our understanding. But across the ages and around the world, the stories all agree: one day he will return, bearing great gifts.
“Our theme this year asks three related questions; who is John Frum, where is he really from, and where, on spaceship Earth, are we all going?”
The biggest tradition comes at the end of the week – on September 2 – when participants will set fire to a giant wooden “man” that gives the event its name. Tickets for the event costs up to $650.
It has become a haven for hippies, artists, musicians and dancers and provides a week for people to explore artistic expression. No money is exchanged at the event; instead the festival-goers swap gifts to attain goods.
The Black Rock Desert is 120 miles north of Reno and the gathering is the largest permitted event on federal land in the US.
After it moved from San Francisco’s Baker Beach, the inaugural Burning Man in Nevada drew some 80 people in 1990. The first 1,000-plus crowd was in 1993, and attendance doubled each of the next three years before reaching 23,000 in 1999.
The crowd was capped at 50,000 under a five-year permit that expired in 2010. The new multi-year permit allows a maximum crowd of 70,000, but organizers applied for a cap of 68,000 this year.
As always, festival goers are expected to obey the ten principles: Radical Inclusion, Gifting, Decommodification, Radical Self-reliance, Radical Self-expression, Communal Effort, Civic Responsibility, Leaving No Trace, Participation and Immediacy are of the utmost importance to the community.
According to the National Sausage and Hot Dog Council (NHDSC), Americans are expected to eat 150 million hot dogs over the July 4th holiday alone, part of the 7 billion hot dogs eaten over the summer season from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Americans are expected to eat 150 million hot dogs over the July 4th holiday alone
How did the modern day hot dog become such an iconic part of America? It’s a tough question to answer and even the NHDSC offers little clarity:
“It is likely that the North American hot dog comes from a widespread common European sausage brought here by butchers of several nationalities. Also in doubt is who first served the dachshund sausage with a roll. One report says a German immigrant sold them, along with milk rolls and sauerkraut, from a push cart in New York City’s Bowery during the 1860′s. In 1871, Charles Feltman, a German butcher opened up the first Coney Island hot dog stand selling 3,684 dachshund sausages in a milk roll during his first year in business.”
Last year the Muscular Dystrophy Association announced that Jerry Lewis was stepping down as host of its annual Labor Day telethon, the marathon TV event he had made his personal showcase, soap box and sentimental journey for 45 years.
With the show cut from 21.5 hours to just 6, Jerry Lewis was being replaced by a quartet of hosts, the MDA said, and would make an appearance only at the end of the show, to say goodbye and sing You’ll Never Walk Alone one last time.
Then what seemed the sad but inevitable end of an era became something uglier. A few weeks before the show, the MDA issued a curt announcement that Jerry Lewis would not be making a goodbye appearance after all — and was resigning from his post as MDA national chairman. The telethon went on without him (raising $61.5 million in 2011, more than the previous year with Jerry Lewis, according to the MDA) and included a filmed tribute to him and warm words of thanks from various participants during the show.
A year later, Jerry Lewis has been all but erased from the telethon’s memory. This year’s show, aired the Sunday night before Labor Day, has been further downsized, to just three hours, with no named host and a smattering of B-list guest stars (Carrie Underwood, Will.i.am, Khloe Kardashian). It is no longer called a telethon, but simply an “entertainment special,” and there will be no tote board tallying the donations. In the press announcement of the event, Jerry Lewis’s name is nowhere mentioned.
The story behind Jerry Lewis’s departure remains untold. But a few things have become clear in the year since the awkward public breakup. Jerry Lewis was dumped by the MDA, the charity he had been identified with since the 1950s. He’s still bitter about it. And the telethon is withering without him.
Jerry Lewis still won’t talk about what happened.
“That’s not a place I want to go. Because if I go there, you’ll never get me back,” Jerry Lewis said when he was asked recently in Nashville, where he’s directing a new stage musical, The Nutty Professor.
“It’s not that I don’t want to talk about it. But I have already ingested all that I want from that whole f***ing adventure.”
The pain is not hard to discern. “This was a hurt man,” says Richard Belzer, the stand-up comic and Law and Order co-star, who has developed a close, almost father-son relationship with Jerry Lewis.
Jerry Lewis’ goodbye appearance was scrapped after he and the charity could not agree on its format and length. He wanted to do it live; the MDA floated several pre-taped options — “all insulting,” Richard Belzer claims.
“It’s as if they were trying to provoke him to leave.”
In the end, he did.
“It was a moral outrage, a PR nightmare and a sad commentary on this incredible philanthropic career,” says Richard Belzer.
To be sure, dealing with Jerry Lewis, now 86, has never been a walk in the park. His annual Labor Day orgy of sentiment, self-regard and showbiz schmaltz was for many years something of a punch line.
“You know why they love Jerry Lewis in France,” a comedian said not long ago.
“In France, they don’t get the telethon.”
Still, he raised an estimated $2 billion for “Jerry’s kids” over more than a half-century with the MDA, and a well-orchestrated, celebrity-studded farewell to him on the telethon might have been a fundraising bonanza.
MDA officials continue to maintain that Jerry Lewis simply retired.
“We honor Jerry Lewis, we admire the work he’s done for us, and we respect his decision to retire,” says Valerie Cwik, the MDA’s interim president.
Valerie Cwik replaced Gerald Weinberg, who was reportedly behind Jerry Lewis’ ouster and who stepped down as president last December, after 54 years with the organization.
And she insists that the changes in the telethon are part of a necessary evolution in fundraising strategy, to put less emphasis on the once-a-year event.
“It has to change because the American audience has changed,” says Valerie Cwik.
“A 21.5-hour show doesn’t fit in a 140-character world.”
Neither, apparently, does Jerry Lewis.
Scott Disick and Kourtney Kardashian covered their baby daughter Penelope in kisses as they took her to the park for a picnic yesterday.
As their son Mason played nearby the proud parents took it in turns to cuddle their two-month-old daughter.
Penelope responded with smiles as her mother lifted her in the air and kissed her.
After enjoying cuddles with her daughter, Kourtney Kardashian passed her over to daddy Scott Disick, who made cooing noises as he smiled into Penelope’s face.
He then lay her in his legs as he smiled down.
Scott Disick and Kourtney Kardashian covered their baby daughter Penelope in kisses as they took her to the park for a picnic
But KourtneyKardashian soon had her charge back safe in her arms, as two-year-old Mason ran over with his toys.
Dressed in a white smock dress with lace sleeves and sandals, the 32-year-old mother looked happy and healthy.
Kourtney Kardashian took to her blog yesterday to explain that she planned to ignore the old adage to “not to wear white after Labor Day”.
“I remember when I went away to college at Southern Methodist University in Dallas my aunt sent me a book with the rules of being a Southern Belle.
“One of the rules was to never wear white after Labor Day. Fashion has a lot to do with confidence and making up your own rules.
“Winter white was all over the Fall 2012 runways, so I think we can expect to see a lot of people crossing the boundaries way beyond Labor Day.”
In a new interview, Kourtney Kardashian revealed she put on 45 lbs during her pregnancy – but said she is in no rush to shift the pounds.
“I gained nearly 45 pounds,” she explained.
“I’m 5 feet tall, so that’s a lot.”
Doctors recommend 25 lbs to 35 lbs as an appropriate weight gain for a woman of normal weight.
But Kourtney Kardashian is “not really” thinking about losing the weight just yet.
“While I’m here around the house, I just eat healthy,” she told Us Weekly.
Catch all the color and excitement as millions of Brooklynites & New Yorkers line up along Eastern Parkway for the Brooklyn Labor Day Parade on Monday, September 3, 2012.
This year, the West Indian American Day Parade & Carnival celebrates its 45th anniversary as it continues to enjoy the distinction of being New York City’s biggest cultural festivals by far.
As in the past, count on crowds to be waving flags from Trinidad, Barbados, Grenada and other Caribbean nations in a joyful expression of ethnic heritage & cultural pride.
This year, the West Indian American Day Parade & Carnival celebrates its 45th anniversary as it continues to enjoy the distinction of being New York City's biggest cultural festivals by far
Everyone’s invited to take part in the spectacle of thousands of marchers in colorful costumes “jumpin” down the parade route to the sounds of reggae and calypso.
A special added-attraction: the aromas of native foods like Jamaican jerk chicken, Bajan fried flying fish, and other soul-satisfying treats at the city’s biggest street festival.
The annual Muscular Dystrophy Association Telethon that for years featured Jerry Lewis was not broadcasted this year in Joplin, Missouri.
The program was a staple of local television coverage for decades over the Labor Day weekend.
Local programming, shown on KODE-TV, the ABC affiliate in Joplin, has been broadcast from Cycle Connection in Joplin for the past 12 years.
Nancy Hutson, owner of Cycle Connection and a longtime supporter of the MDA benefit, said local organizers of the telethon were notified in May by the national association that a telethon would not be held in Joplin this year.
“They are going to hold one in Springfield, but we were told the Joplin market is just too small,” she said.
The annual Muscular Dystrophy Association Telethon that for years featured Jerry Lewis was not broadcasted this year in Joplin, Missouri
Nancy Hutson stressed that local MDA supporters may contribute at firefighter boot blocks this weekend in Carthage, Webb City and Neosho, among other places. Carl Junction is not planning on holding a boot block. The annual MDA Ride for Life, one of the major local fundraisers for the organization, was held in July.
“This is the money that funds our clinic with Mercy Health System and helps us provide the services the local families need,” Nancy Hutson said.
“These boot blocks also were a big part of the telethon.”
Before it was held at Cycle Connection, the telethon had been held at the former John Q. Hammons Trade Center. Before that, it was held at the KODE studios.
“What’s happening now is that there are so many other things to watch on television on so many more channels over the Labor Day weekend that we are finding it incredibly difficult to get people to call in,” Nancy Hutson said.
“It’s much different now than in the 1950s when this thing started and there were only three options for watching television. The times change, but the needs don’t change.”
The amount of money that has been raised locally during the telethon is well into the millions of dollars, Nancy Hutson said. In 1987, the tote board had a goal of $135,000. Last year, that goal was $600,000.
The telethon dates to the 1950s, when the Jerry Lewis Thanksgiving Party for MDA raised funds for the association’s New York City area operations. The Labor Day weekend show has originated from Las Vegas for 28 of the 46 years it has aired.
Labor Day is one of the oldest holidays in the United States, and is a part of the “big six” federal holidays.
Here you can find some ideas on how to spend your Labor Day weekend in New York:
• Journey – 9/2 – Saratoga Performing Arts Center – Saratoga Springs
• Bela Fleck & The Flecktones – Anderson Center for the Arts – Binghamton
• Aloe Blacc – 9/2 – Highline Ballroom – New York
• Electric Zoo Festival – 9/2, 9/3, 9/4 – Randalls Island – New York
• Incubus – 9/3 – Nikon at Jones Beach Theater – Wantagh
• Elton John – 9/3 – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts – Bethel
• Rock The Bells – 9/3 – South Island Field at Governors Island – New York
• Bela Fleck & The Flecktones – 9/3 – Belleayre Music Festival – Highmount
• Darius Rucker – 9/3 – NYCB Theatre at Westbury – Westbury
• Elton John – 9/4 – Saratoga Performing Arts Center – Saratoga Springs
• Stevie Nicks – 9/4 – Nikon at Jones Beach Theater – Wantagh
• Toby Keith – 9/4 – Darien Lake Performing Arts Center – Darien
• Manu Chao – 9/4, 9/5 – Terminal 5 – New York
New York Labor Day Weekend 2012
• 2011 U.S. Open – 9/2, 9/3, 9/4, 9/5 – Billie Jean King National Tennis Center – Flushing
• Toronto Blue Jays vs. New York Yankees – 9/2, 9/3, 9/4 – Yankee Stadium – Bronx
• Baltimore Orioles vs. New York Yankees – 9/5 – Yankee Stadium – Bronx
• The Book of Mormon – 9/2, 9/3, 9/4 – Eugene O’Neill Theater – New York
• Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark – 9/2, 9/3, 9/4 – Foxwoods Theatre – New York
• Lion King – 9/2, 9/3, 9/4 – Minskoff Theatre – New York
• Jersey Boys – 9/2, 9/3, 9/4 – August Wilson Theater – New York
• Wicked – 9/2, 9/3, 9/4 – Gershwin Theatre – New York
• Billy Elliot – 9/2, 9/3, 9/4 – Imperial Theatre – New York
• Anything Goes – 9/2, 9/3, 9/4 – Stephen Sondheim Theatre – New York
• Blue Man Group – 9/2, 9/3, 9/4 – Astor Place – New York
• Avenue Q – 9/2, 9/3, 9/4, 9/5 – New World Stages: Stage 3 – New York
• Cirque Du Soleil Zarkana – 9/2, 9/3, 9/4 – Radio City Music Hall – New York
• Saratoga Horse Racing – 9/2, 9/3, 9/4, 9/5 – Saratoga Race Course – Saratoga Springs
• Chris Tucker – 9/3 – Palace Theatre – Albany
• Chris Tucker – 9/4 – NYCB Theatre at Westbury – Westbury
Labor Day is one of the oldest holidays in the United States, and is a part of the “big six” federal holidays.
1. Take It To the Beach – While You Still Can!
While fall doesn’t officially begin for another month, for many families, Labor Day is the last true summer weekend, with school just about or already beginning to start. Take advantage of this last gasp of warm-weather freedom by hoofing it to the nearest beach with a cooler and the kids in tow (though, of course, one or both are optional).
Labor Day is the last true summer weekend, with school just about or already beginning to start
2. Throwback Family Weekend
Similarly, a long summer weekend provides the perfect opportunity for quality, outdoorsy bonding time. For those who prefer a single afternoon with relatives, a Labor Day picnic offers both togetherness and a manageable timeframe. The more ambitious can always embark on a 3-day camping trip, either at one site or road-tripping National Lampoon-style to different grounds. (If you’re from the South, has some great tips on where to rent a Labor Day Weekend cabin.)
3. Movie Weekend
For others who equate a holiday with relaxation, and “relaxing” with “not moving,” a movie weekend may be your best bet. There’s plenty showing in theaters: if you’re in a more alternative mood, indulge in a day of culture with some French fare (Marion Cotillard and Jean Dujardin – the guy from The Artist – are currently starring in Little White Lies), festival hits (Beasts of the Southern Wild will get to you – or should), indie rom-coms (Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg offer the anti-date flick, Celeste and Jesse Forever), and art-house selections (see Rob Pattinson do cerebral in Cosmopolis). Or – or in addition to – there’s always Netflix.
4. Channel Your Inner Chef
We recommend this cooking website, or standby Food Network’s site, for how to celebrate in culinary style. Both offer Labor Day-themed recipes, although our favorite dining idea is to host a Labor Day Lobster Bash – featuring, naturally, the most labor-intensive dish as the main course.
5. Absolutely Nothing
The cheapest option across the board and breadth of the country is to celebrate the hours you put in every week by sleeping a good chunk of them away. Turn off your alarm, make no plans, and don’t get dressed unless someone else has invited you to a picnic, barbecue, film, or his or her front porch for a drink. Happy Labor Day!


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Crowd Fund Aimed at Increasing Awareness of Texting While Driving
San Diego, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/30/2015 -- SmartWeb Mobile, a leading national developer of mobile websites and native apps for iPhone and Android devices, has announced a crowdfunding campaign on IndieGoGo.com for the development of the StickieBalls Universal Safety Kit.
SmartWeb Mobile is hoping to use the StickieBalls crowdfunding campaign to increase awareness of the dangerous texting-while-driving epidemic.
Here are the facts about texting while driving in America:
TEXTING WHILE DRIVING CAUSES…
> 1,600,000 accidents per year – National Safety Council
> 330,000 injuries per year – Harvard Center for Risk Analysis Study
> 11 teen deaths EVERY DAY – Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Fatality Facts
> Nearly 25% of ALL car accidents
"It's not just texting while driving," according to Greg Simonds, SmartWeb Mobile's founder. "It's also about having a loose cell phone sliding around on the seat or the dashboard, distracting the driver and causing an unsafe situation. StickieBalls are a simple, inexpensive fix to avoid a lot of vehicle crashes and needless highway carnage."
He added, "Being in the mobile internet space we feel a certain responsibility to our customers who frequently use mobile devices in their cars. We hope drivers will visit StickieBalls.com for more information about our crowdfunding campaign and discover how they can help make our highways safer for everyone."
The StickieBalls Universal Safety Kit is a vehicle mounting kit for mobile devices that can be used with any cell phone, tablet, GPS, Kindle or other mobile device.
The Kit has been designed to provide safer phone use while driving, by safely and securely affixing the user's mobile device to the vehicle's dashboard, allowing hands-free talking without the need for an expensive Bluetooth connection. The phone rests on a powerful swiveling magnetic ball capable of 360 degree rotation. The device remains within the driver's reach yet keeps driving safe.
Mr. Simonds commented on the fact that StickieBalls are precision engineered for durability. "In our testing, the first thing users noticed when they opened the box was just how heavy the StickieBall was", said Simonds. "The chrome plated ball housed in its plastic pedestal is over an inch in diameter and is made of solid steel. The magnetic rotatable disk is precision machined out of a solid block of stainless steel."
The StickieBall pedestal is firmly anchored to the vehicle by industrial strength 3M Brand double-sided tape. The StickieBall Universal Safety Kit comes with two metal disks for the back of users' devices so they can attach either of two different devices to the magnetic base. It also comes with an additional 3M tape disk and a handy alcohol-wipe to clean the surface before it is attached to the device(s). Additional metal disks are available in a StickieBall Spare Parts Kit.
Product testing has shown the magnet causes no damage to the electronics in devices such as phones, GPS units, or tablets and that battery life is not affected.
Focus groups were consulted to test the merits of StickieBalls. In addition to the obvious automotive uses, several ideas came from that testing, such as using StickieBalls on the side of a cabinet in the kitchen; affixing StickieBalls to the side of a computer monitor, attaching a phone to a wheelchair or other mobility device, placing a 'Kindle' out of reach of little ones but still allowing video viewing; adding a video screen to the rear seats of the family SUV; attaching a TV remote, and more.
SmartWeb Mobile's IndieGoGo crowdfunding campaign for StickieBalls can be found on the web at
Product photos and videos can be found at http://StickieBalls.com/press
Contact information for media inquiries:
Attn: Greg Simonds, Founder
P.O. Box 262177, San Diego, CA 92196 USA
Toll Free: 888-833-2177 -- Mobile: 870-404-7334 Pacific Time USA
Parent Company: SmartWebMobile.com


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Amazon introduced the website Amazon Global Selling, at services.amazon.vn, and an official Facebook fan page, both displayed in Vietnamese. The two sites are expected to help remove language barriers and support local individuals and small-scale firms in joining the Amazon platform.
Joonmo Park, head of Amazon Global Selling in South Korea and Southeast Asia, said that whether they are individuals, small - or large-scale enterprises, all sellers on Amazon will have the opportunity to approach the platform’s 300 million customers.
The regional head added that Amazon has seen rapid growth in the number of Vietnamese online sellers trading on the Amazon Global Selling website, including manufacturers, brand owners and retailers. He expressed hope that new solutions would encourage more Vietnamese sellers to add their impressive locally made products to the platform, where they can access more customers around the world.
Nguyen Ky Minh, director of EcomViet, under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said sellers should make careful preparations for conducting their online business globally, such as arranging delivery services and payment channels, adding that they need to stay updated on the latest trends to meet customer demands.
Minh cited data from a foreign market research company saying that the ecommerce sector in Southeast Asia has posted revenue of some US$5.5 billion since 2015 and is forecast to hit an estimated US$88 billion by 2025, which will likely outstrip that of other sectors such as online travel agencies or ride-hailing services.
Source: The Saigon Times


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American Apparel boots CEO for being a pervert, stock surges
By James Covert
Dov Charney’s luck has finally run out — and American Apparel is likely headed for the sales block.
The controversial founder and CEO of American Apparel was ousted Wednesday by the retailer’s board, paving the way for a potential sale of the company, insiders said.
The board of directors cited “an ongoing investigation into alleged misconduct” that it initiated earlier this year, announcing that it had voted unanimously after its annual meeting Wednesday to fire Charney for cause.
While the board didn’t elaborate, sources said Charney’s personal conduct with women, which had been the subject of a string of sex-harassment suits by former female employees, was among the longstanding issues. The issues didn’t appear to be criminal or related to troubles with the company’s operations, sources said.
Shares of the struggling clothier surged as much as 22 percent to trade as high as 78 cents in early trades Thursday. Recently, the stock was up 7 percent at 69 cents.
Prior to the announcement on Wednesday afternoon, 45-year-old Charney didn’t respond to repeated messages from The Post, as unconfirmed speculation spread among insiders that a brewing conflict between him and the board might end with his ouster.
Another possible bone of contention, according to one source, was that Charney recently had been seeking ways to reverse the dilution of his ownership stake in the company, which had resulted from a March stock offering of $30.5 million to cover near-term debt payments.
“He was asking for advice on what to do about the situation,” according to one source, noting that the recent equity raise had diluted Charney’s stake in the company to about 27 percent — well below the minimum of 35 percent generally seen as necessary to retain control of a board.
Indeed, Charney’s dilution from the equity deal appears to have left him vulnerable in his final defeat after a string of close calls during previous liquidity crises for the company.
Charney, who founded American Apparel in 1998 as a T-shirt supplier, in some ways had been a retail visionary.
Courting controversy with smutty ads that featured young, scantily clad women in compromising positions, Charney produced his fashions at a factory in Los Angeles, championing “Made in the USA” clothing.
While Charney campaigned to legalize Mexican workers at his LA plant, the rest of the US clothing industry had moved its manufacturing to sourcing overseas.
But he was continually dogged by operational disasters, even as consternation about his personal behavior grew.
In 2009, American Apparel was forced to fire 1,500 undocumented immigrant workers at its Los Angeles factory following a federal raid, spurring manufacturing shortfalls that led to a major cash crunch. In 2013, the company’s loss widened to $106 million from $37 million a year earlier, partly because of software glitches at a new manufacturing facility.
“We take no joy in this, but the board felt it was the right thing to do,” said American Apparel director Allen Mayer, newly appointed as co-chairman. “Dov Charney created American Apparel, but the company has grown much larger than any one individual and we are confident that its greatest days are ahead.”
Firing Charney for cause will require a 30-day period to resolve under his contract, and could trigger defaults on debt obligations that could, in turn, force a sale of the company, insiders said.
Financial chief John Luttrell will serve as interim CEO while the company hires a search firm to replace Charney.
American Apparel only narrowly escaped getting taken over by lenders this spring, as a group of debt holders including Goldman Sachs demanded a $13.6 million interest payment on more than $200 million in obligations.
The racy clothing brand is now expected to attract a bevy of suitors, including private-equity firms as well as competing retailers.
“The only thing that’s been standing in the way of a sale has been Dov Charney,” according to one banker close to the situation. “People love the brand, and they hate him.”


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Why Juicy Couture Is Down On Its Luck
Let's be up front about the most important fact here: Fifth & Pacific's Juicy Couture brand hasn't found the bottom yet. Sales are still falling and margins are compressing, and the rate of decline doesn't seem to be slowing. That could mean that the brand is still a ways away from moving back in the right direction. Management is optimistic, but there's no reason investors should be giddy about this failing brand.
Sales continue to slide
Last week, Fifth & Pacific reported its second-quarter earnings and beat out market expectations. Overall, the company saw a 13.4% year-over-year increase in revenue, although its loss per share deepened to $0.12. The high points all came from Kate Spade and, to a lesser extent, Lucky Brand jeans. Kate had a 65% increase in total sales and a 27% increase in comparable sales, while Lucky had a 2% increase in comparable sales. Juicy's comparable sales fell 4% compared to last year.
That was an increase in the rate of decline, and in the first quarter of this year and the last of fiscal 2012, Juicy's comparable sales fell at a rate of just 2%, year over year. Management said that this fall was consistent with its expectations, and that the rate of decline in gross margin that the brand experienced was moderating.
Juicy's results did show some strength, as apparel sales were up slightly versus the previous year. The problem was that accessory sales more than offset apparel strength. The result of the up-and-down was that the company felt compelled to put a timeline in place. It said that by the fourth quarter, earnings before tax should show a noticeable improvement to the same period in 2012.
Walls yet to be climbed
Between now and then, Juicy still has a lot of work to do. The brand had a 442-basis-point drop in gross margin this quarter, but that was better than the 1,000-basis-point decline that the brand experienced in the first quarter. The challenge for Juicy isn't in the back office. Fifth & Pacific has strong inventory management, and a leadership team with plenty of retail experience. The real test is going to come from Juicy's ability to take on its competitors and expand its lineup.
Distribution is also going to be difficult, and one of Juicy's main partners has been J.C. Penney . In the first quarter, management was excited about the change in leadership at the department store, hoping that the return of Mike Ullman might signal better weather ahead. In last week's call, Fifth & Pacific's CEO reiterated the hope that things would continue to revert to their previous form at J.C. Penney. He said, "[The] old recipe for success is back in place, maybe with a couple of improvements and some new flair."
That hasn't yet come through to the company's sales, though, and last quarter J.C. Penney announced a 16.6% drop in comparable sales, year over year. The comment from Fifth & Pacific also came before the market had gotten wind of Bill Ackman's most recent push for another new CEO -- because his last pick worked out so well.
In addition to working out a better way of getting its products into the hands of customers, Juicy also needs to figure out what customers it really wants to have. The brand is developing a line called Juicy Sport for launch in 2014. The company hopes that the new product will be able to compete with lululemon athletica .
To me, it seems like a crowded space to try to get into. Lululemon is still the leader in yogawear, but companies like Gap, Nike, and Under Armour are all pushing for a piece of the global pie. Even so, Lululemon has managed to grow comparable sales at a good clip, and last quarter they rose 7% year over year.
A potential winner
Even if the company can't break into the yoga business, it has one more trick up its sleeve. Juicy is planning to launch a lingerie line that's geared toward the same customers that Victoria's Secret targets. That would put Juicy in a less crowded market -- in terms of "mall branding" -- and give it a way to rebuild its brand image.
While Lululemon has been down due to CEO transitions and sheer pants recalls, it's by no means out. With the extra competition, the yoga plans for Juicy seems like a nonstarter. On the other hand, Victoria's Secret has had less than fabulous sales recently, with comparable online sales down year to date. In store, the brand hasn't fared much better, with comparable sales up just 2% in 2013 compared to 2012.
Overall, Juicy is looking fairly weak. The business has a small set of good opportunities, but all of the contingent factors -- competition, retail sellers, and brand demand -- make any comeback seem precarious. The next few quarters will be telling for Juicy Couture, and if it fails to hit its announced goals, things could go from bad to worse quickly.
At the same time, Fifth & Pacific's other brands are doing well. Kate Spade and Lucky are both excellent businesses, and the expansion of Kate Spade could be a major win for the overall company. It's tempting to take a risk on Juicy, knowing that even if it fails, it has two better brands to rely on. Just don't count on anything magical from Juicy in the next year or so.
The retail space is in the midst of the biggest paradigm shift since mail order took off at the turn of last century. Only those most forward-looking and capable companies will survive, and they'll handsomely reward those investors who understand the landscape. You can read about the 3 Companies Ready to Rule Retail in The Motley Fool's special report. Uncovering these top picks is free today; just click here to read more.
The article Why Juicy Couture Is Down On Its Luck originally appeared on Fool.com.
Fool contributor Andrew Marder has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends lululemon athletica, Nike, and Under Armour. The Motley Fool owns shares of Nike and Under Armour. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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Cultural appropriation can be a pretty thorny concept.
There's a fine line between being paying tribute to a culture other than your own and stealing customs and traditions that rightfully belong to others.
But while there's not always a clear consensus as to what constitutes cultural appropriation, we can all agree that Kim Kardashian's latest stunt is some flat-out bullsh-t.
Kim announced this week that she's launching a line of Spanx-like products called Kimono Solutionwear.
"Kimono" in this case is a pun on Kim's name, and "Solutionwear" is a word designed to ensure that you immediately sink into a deep depression every time you see the label.
Of course, "kimono" is also the name of a Japanese style of robe that's existed for thousands of years.
Which is why so many are appalled by the news that Kim has trademarked the name.
“Finally I can share with you guys this project that I have been developing for the last year," the mother of four wrote on Instagram Tuesday.
"I’ve been passionate about this for 15 years. Kimono is my take on shapewear and solutions for women that actually work,” she added.
Kim went on to state that she was inspired to create her own line of shapewear after becoming frustrated by the products that are currently available:
“I would always cut up my shapewear to make my own styles, and there have also been so many times I couldn’t find a shapeware [sic] color that blended with my skin tone so we needed a solution for all of this," she wrote.
Kim's post touts the inclusive nature of the line, noting that it's available in a wide variety of sizes and shades.
But not surprisingly, however, many of her followers fixated on the fact that she decided to claim a Japanese word as her own intellectual property.
“Rih would never. Bey would never. Anyone with a working brain would never,” Twitter user stylevoguette remarked.
"Probably is a good product but the name.... I hear it as ‘Kim, oh NO!’” Leisha_17 tweeted.
Making matters worse is the fact that Kim has a looooong history of racially insensitive behavior.
Kim has been accused of blackface as well the as appropriation of black culture through the use of microbraids and other hairstyles commonly associated with women of color.
Kim has yet to respond to the backlash, but it's safe to assume she won't be backing down.
The rollout for her shapewear line has already begun, and according to the Los Angeles Times, “Kimono,” “Kimono Body,” “Kimono Intimates” and “Kimono World” are among the words and phrases that are currently awaiting trademark review.
Not the kind of media attention one typically looks for launching a new product.
Then again, the maxim "there's no such thing as bad press" has served Kim well throughout her career.


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Detroit, February 5, 2018 — Wallace Detroit Guitars, maker of guitars created from the wood of former Detroit landmarks, has announced that its guitar bodies are now available for individual sale — allowing players to create their own custom guitars that feature an authentic, hand-made touch of Detroit history. The guitar bodies are available for viewing and purchasing in the Wallace Detroit Guitars online shop.
“We have been getting requests for our guitar bodies for quite a while, so we are excited that we can now offer these quality pieces to our customers,” said Mark Wallace, founder of Wallace Detroit Guitars. “Selling the bodies individually allows players to get creative and build their own musical work of art while also enjoying a little nostalgic piece of our city.”
WDG’s instruments are crafted of reclaimed wood from various Detroit historical landmarks, including former buildings that once lined Detroit’s storied Michigan Avenue — which has long been considered to be the state’s most important thoroughfare. Among this wood are the original floorboards of the former Detroit Fire Department Headquarters, Michigan's oldest fire department.
The bodies for sale are available in end grain or long grain pine from former Michigan Avenue buildings, as well as maple from the Fire Department Headquarters. In addition to offering individual bodies, Wallace Detroit Guitars will also be taking special wood and finish requests. To help customers with their purchases, WDG now offers 6-month layaway on all of its guitars and bodies.
Completely routed and oil-finished bodies will be available for $800. Routed unfinished bodies will be available for $675, while a completely unfinished body will be offered at $600.
“We are excited to see what our customers do with our guitar bodies,” Wallace said. “So, we are encouraging players to send us images of their finished guitars, and we will send them a WDG t-shirt as a ‘thanks’ and also share their photo on social media.”
For more information on the new guitar bodies, please visit wallacedetroitguitars.com.


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In the past, Microsoft’s attempts at delivering a user experience similar to Apple and Google have been fairly touch and go. After introducing Cortana for Windows Mobile (in line with Apple’s Siri and Google Now) as well as the Metro user interface, Microsoft was criticised for being late to the user experience party and not delivering.
However, user experience is but one piece of any new operating system, and with Windows 10 slated to be a unique ‘mobile-first, cloud-first world,’ there is a genuine feeling of promise with Microsoft’s latest release. Whereas Windows 8.1 has been merely patched up to survive in today’s ultra-fast changing OS landscape, Windows 10 appears to fully embrace the world of mobile computing and cloud computing from the ground up.
Clearly, we can acknowledge the influence of Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s CEO, on Windows 10. Before the release of Windows 8.1, Microsoft surveyed the market and then decided what needed to be developed, but on this occasion, Microsoft has invited the community to influence the eventual release of Windows 10 by deploying a technical beta version of the code. To date, over 1 million users are evaluating Windows 10, with Microsoft receiving 200,000 distinct pieces of feedback already. This is a clear indication from Microsoft that they are looking to get back in the game with old adversaries (Linux vendors), as well as new competitors (Amazon, Google, and Apple). With Windows 10 due for release in late 2015, the enterprise community has a unique opportunity to positively influence this ecosystem.
But despite inviting its users to help build a better product, a focus around business benefits seems to be amiss. In the age of cloud computing, businesses and their customers are looking for an experience that allows the accessibility of the cloud alongside cast-iron security. Given this, Microsoft has a tall order to fulfill; Google and Apple have both implemented several recent features to be cloud-compatible and more user-friendly.
While much can be debated around Windows 10’s core elements such as security, ease of support, and manageability, Microsoft simply needs to ensure that they deliver a robust platform that can overcome previous shortcomings. This is what customers will respond to.
There is no room for error with this release (an impossible feat for software development). This day and age requires immediate fulfillment and zero tolerance for product delays. While the public may once have more readily accepted earlier OSs, the onus is now on Microsoft to ensure its platform is flexible, high performing, scalable, and secure if they are to compete and lead the way for computing platforms in the future. Since it is assumed that Microsoft will deliver consumer-grade experiences with next-to-zero failure rates across the platform, Microsoft will need to meet and exceed the high bar set by their competition in order to be seen as an innovator and leader in software development.
All too often, advances in technology can be a distraction, but for the market in 2015, what will Windows 10 really mean? Is it practical, is it productive, and is it a perfect strategy? Time will tell, but for now, Microsoft seems to be making a concerted effort to reach out to its users on how to improve upon Windows 8.1. Perhaps it will be this key strategy that will help Microsoft to avoid falling further behind the other ecosystems in the enterprise space.