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Carrier describes study from consumer champion as ‘misguided’ and ‘mythical’
Ryanair slams Which? package holiday poll as ‘fake news’
A row between Ryanair and Which? has been sparked over whether the airline is offering package holidays.
A new poll by the consumer group claimed only half of Ryanair and Teletext customers on packages who had a holiday cancelled due to the pandemic in the last year would book with them again.
Ryanair denied that these are package holidays, and slammed the study as “fake news”.
Which? said it asked more than 4,000 people who had a package that was unable to go ahead between March 2020 and February 2021 to establish whether they would book with the same company again in the future and why.
Overall, 70% said they were likely to book with the same company again in the future.
But differences emerged between companies that had made an effort to treat customers well during the pandemic and those that didn’t.
Almost two thirds (63%) of Ryanair’s ‘package holiday’ customers who said they wouldn’t book with the company again said that it was because they no longer trust the company, while more than three quarters of Love Holidays’ customers (77%) said the same.
Many of the complaints about the two companies focused on problems with securing refunds, with customers complaining of long waits, partial refunds, and a lack of sympathy or understanding from the companies when trying to get their money back.
In contrast, a high percentage of customers from firms such as Hays Travel (85%), Audley Travel (82%), Jet2 (82%) Saga (82%), Tui (78%), Kuoni (77%) and Riviera Travel (77%) said they were likely to book with the same company again.
More than eight in ten customers of Audley Travel, Hays Travel, Jet2 Holidays and Saga who had a package holiday they were unable to go on said they would be likely to book with the company again.
But Which? said only half of Ryanair and Teletext Holidays customers surveyed said they were likely to book a package holiday with the same company again.
This is the first time it has reported complaints from customers who have booked a flight and a hotel together from the no-frills carrier.
Which? said it believed Ryanair is selling packages under the Package Travel and Linked Travel Regulations 2018. Under the regulations, customers who have booked a package holiday have more rights than those who just booked a flight.
In response, the airline said: “This is yet more ‘fake news’ from Which?.
“Ryanair does not market or sell package holidays and if misguided or mythical Which? survey participants claim that they will not book non-existent packages with us then this devastating news will not cost us a penny since we don’t sell any package holidays to Which?’s mythical or deluded survey participants.”
Teletext Holidays did not respond to a request from Which? for comment.
A Love Holidays spokesperson said it had refunded £240 million to its customers during the pandemic and that it has since made new investments in customer service and technology.
They added: “We have met, and continue to meet, our obligations under the CMA undertakings. Our refund process has also become significantly more efficient which will continue to give our customers peace of mind long after the pandemic recedes.”
Which? Travel editor Rory Boland said: “With international travel still fraught with potential risks that could leave holidaymakers unable to travel as planned, trusting that a company will refund you if things go wrong will be vital to encouraging customers to book in the near future.
“A considerable number of companies do not seem to have learned lessons from last summer’s disruption though, and continue to offer holidaymakers limited financial protection if their holiday is disrupted by changing travel restrictions or being told to self-isolate.
“It’s important that travellers do their research before booking a holiday while coronavirus remains a risk, to check whether their holiday provider will leave them out of pocket if they cannot travel when the time comes.”


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The Bright School is celebrating the school’s Centennial Anniversary Friday and Saturday, Sept. 28-29, in a big way. As in 16,368 MoonPies big.
Bright School and Chattanooga Bakery, maker of the MoonPie snack, have partnered together to attempt to break a Guinness record for the “World’s Largest Cookie Mosaic.” The event will take place in the Bright School gymnasium. Oreo holds the current mosaic record (mosaic = giant rectangular design made up of multi-colored cookies that all touch) at 344 square feet. The Bright/MoonPie attempt will more than triple the current record.
An official adjudicator from Guinness will be on site to make the record official. Bright school kids will help assemble the mosaic and leftovers will be donated to The Chattanooga Food Bank and other area agencies.
"We are so excited to attempt what will be for most of us a once-in-a-lifetime feat,” said Kim Brown, Bright School’s director of Advancement. “We wanted to do something memorable in honor of Bright School’s 100th birthday, and what better way to celebrate Bright School and Chattanooga than with 16,000+ MoonPies? Besides, who doesn’t want to be able to claim that they were part of an official Guinness World Record?”
Tory Johnston, vice president of Marketing for Chattanooga Bakery, agrees. “While we’ve baked a single giant MoonPie before, we’ve never tried for a world record. It will be a site to behold for sure. Bright and MoonPie were launched just five years apart, so we’re honored to help another Chattanooga institution celebrate 100 years.”
The Guinness book is one of the most widely read books ever published. More than one hundred million copies have been sold in almost 40 languages. Guinness says it hears from tens of thousands of people each year who want to set a record. They reject about 80 percent of the applications. It requires that a record be "provable, quantifiable and breakable."
The public is invited to attend Bright School’s Bonanza and the Guinness World Record attempt on Saturday, Sept. 29, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Free parking will be available at Stuart Heights Baptist Church, and bus transportation to the school can be accessed there.
Founded in 1913, Bright School is a coeducational, independent elementary school serving children in grades prekindergarten through five. The school is located on Hixson Pike in North Chattanooga. For more information, visit the school’s website at www.brightschool.com
or the Centennial website at www.brightschool100.com
Chattanooga Bakery, a fourth generation, family-owned business, was founded in 1902 as a subsidiary of the Mountain City Flour Mill. MoonPies are available in three sizes (Original, Double-Decker® and Mini) and six flavors (Chocolate, Vanilla, Banana, Lemon, Orange & Strawberry). Its newest line, MoonPie Crunch, is available in Peanut Butter and Mint. Brand distribution is national, with particular strength in the Southeast and Southwest. The brand can be found in Grocery (in the cookie aisle), Mass, Club, Drug, Convenience, Vending, Foodservice and a number of specialty retail outlets including Cracker Barrel and Bass Pro Shops. www.moonpie.com.

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Namco Bandai has finally announced the sequel to the incredible selling Tales of Xillia. They were teasing a new Tales game few weeks ago, and considering the Xillia was just released last year, no one would have expected its sequel so fast.
The series’ producer Hideo Baba has confirmed that it is indeed Tales of Xillia 2 at a Tales of Festival event that was held recently. The game will be out this winter in Japan, meanwhile why not check out the official trailer below? It’s pretty awesome and shows some gameplay segments from the game.
And oh, the music will be composed by Ayumi Hamasaki again! So that’s a good thing. Andriasang has a lot of screenshots, so head over there and check them out as well.
Like the trailer? Tell us what you think in the comments section below.


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UK gamers, it’s time to puff yourselves up into righteous rage. Reports suggest that when Sony’s new slimline PSP goes on sale next week, it will only be available in plain-old black, rather than the different-coloured versions seen in Japan.
And what’s more, games shops are saying they won’t be getting official TV-out cables for the new PSP for launch, and don’t know when they’ll arrive. Considering this is one of the big selling points of the new PSP, this sounds like a bit of a shambles.
The slimmer size and more efficient battery usage make the new PSP worth a look, but if you were dribbling in anticipation at the thought of playing PSP titles on your big-screen telly, the news will have you dribbling hot, salty tears from your eyes instead. Bah.
(via Games Radar)
After closing Connect, Sony rumoured to be plotting new PS3 / PSP / Bravia downloads store
Lair: the dragon-packed PS3 game you can play on your PSP
Sony pitching PSP’s non-gaming features with GPS satnav and Sky TV downloads


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By Geoffrey Smith
Investing.com — Has the German economy touched bottom?
The stock market thinks so: the rose to its highest since May last year Thursday after upbeat earnings from market heavyweights Daimler (DE:) and BASF (DE:) gave rise to hopes that the worst of a two-way squeeze from Brexit and the U.S.-China trade war may be over. That helped the benchmark rise 0.5% to its highest since January last year. It’s now less than 1% away from the 400 level.
Meanwhile, the for German manufacturing rose moderately in October as uncertainty over Brexit lifted – although the indicator (like the Brexit saga) has provided a few false dawns this year.
Daimler’s numbers – the first to be presented by new chief executive Ola Kallenius – were : the maker of Mercedes-Benz cars and vans posted an 8% rise in revenue in the quarter, as sales of its vans rose by over 10% from a year earlier, while car sales rose 8%. That offset a weak performance by its truck division, reflecting the sharp slowdown in global business investment this year.
Daimler’s shares rose 4.6% to a five-month high. They’re now up 30% from the six-year low that they hit less than two months ago. That’s despite another warning on Thursday that there will be further legal costs arising from the Dieselgate scandal. The third-quarter numbers were hit by an 870 million-euro ($970 million) diesel-related fine.
Daimler’s woes have been partly homegrown but also partly due to external circumstances. The outlook for the next few quarters, for example, will no longer be burdened by distortions from the front-loading of vehicle registrations last year to get around new emissions rules in the EU.
However, the global auto market remains depressed, with both the Chinese and U.S. markets misfiring. The threat of U.S. sanctions on EU car imports remains, even if President Donald Trump’s track record of backing down is likely to extend itself as he tries to keep the economy on track in the year leading up to the next presidential elections. Some analysts say that 2018’s sales levels won’t be seen again until 2022.
The auto industry, naturally, has a heavy weighting in the . As such, it matters that sentiment towards the sector appears to be turning after a long period of underperformance. In the last month, Volkswagen (DE:) shares have gained 13%, while BMW has risen 9%. Components group Schaeffler is up 15%, while companies such as coatings maker Covestro, which relies on the sector for a large part of its sales, has risen 5%.
Elsewhere Thursday on a busy day for earnings, the U.K. rose 0.7%, helped by strong updates and raised guidance from pharma group AstraZeneca and miner Polymetal.
Fusion Media or anyone involved with Fusion Media will not accept any liability for loss or damage as a result of reliance on the information including data, quotes, charts and buy/sell signals contained within this website. Please be fully informed regarding the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, it is one of the riskiest investment forms possible.


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Global growth forecasts continue to tumble as COVID-19 spreads around the world, the latest being predictions for the smart home market. Technology research firm Omdia is predicting that the market will be almost $20 billion short of previous revenue projections in 2020.
According to Omdia, global smart home device sales will now amount to $101.1 billion in 2020, down from its previous forecast of $120.6 billion. Smart home device shipments are projected to reach 603.5 million units in 2020, down from the earlier forecast of 693.8 million. (See Informa Tech Launches Research Firm Omdia.)
Some might think the smart home device market, which comprises devices that have digital connectivity (including appliances, security systems and climate and lighting control), could benefit from national lockdown efforts that increasingly force people to work from home. It's certainly the case that usage of network and online services has rocketed. (See With COVID-19 comes the real dawn of the digital age.)
However, the smart home market might have to wait a while to benefit from this trend. Omdia pointed to depleted inventories in Asia following breaks in production, as well as delays in deliveries and potentially lower demand. Asia is forecast to see the biggest slowdown in 2020, with a downward revenue revision equating to $7.8 billion and 66.2 million fewer shipments than originally forecast. In the Americas, the smart home device revenue outlook has been reduced by 10.6%.
The spread of the novel coronavirus has placed an unprecedented strain on technology sectors in relation to supply and demand. Blake Kozak, principal analyst at Omdia, said the smart home market tends to be more resilient in the face of economic challenges compared to other, less-diversified industries. "Nevertheless, the smart home market is expected to undergo a correction during 2020, where growth will slow for most countries," he said.
For more on this topic, see:
— Anne Morris, Contributing Editor, Light Reading


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Robots, apps and connected technology to star at ISSA/Interclean Amsterdam 2016
With only weeks to go until the 26th edition of the ISSA/Interclean Amsterdam show opens its doors on 10th May, RAI Amsterdam has revealed more details on what to expect at the show.
The 2016 show will feature over 800 exhibitors from over 45 countries, showcasing their cleaning and hygiene products and solutions in a total floor area of approximately 60,000sq.m. RAI also reports that more live demonstrations are to be given across the show floor than ever before, including in the Outdoor Cleaning Show and High Pressure Demonstration Area where visitors will be encouraged to 'try-it-yourself' with many of the products on display.
In addition to this increased number of exhibition stands and ever closer interaction between exhibitor and visitor, the 2016 show promises visitors even greater opportunity for network gatherings and learning opportunities.
The new InnovationLAB will present, and act as the industry's first true focal point, for the rapidly developing fields of robotics, cleaning apps and connected cleaning with these four subjects currently among the very hottest topics and trends impacting the professional cleaning world.
Following a recent report by Markets and Markets that the cleaning robot market will be valued at US $2.50 billion per annum by 2020, much has been written about the way robotic technology is changing the market, as well as the effect that robots are having on the very way cleaning is undertaken, and how best to use them alongside human cleaning operatives. In the Robotics Arena, experts and exhibitors will be on hand to explain how robotics solutions actually work, what are optimal locations for the use of robots, and how interested visitors can prepare their organisations for robots so they add maximum value to the everyday cleaning operations.
Exhibitors already confirmed to be providing live product demonstrations of their robotic products in challenging test scenarios within the Robotics Arena include Sealed Air Diversey Care, Cleanfix and Adlatus.
Alongside the InnovationLAB is the Management & Mobility Solutions Pavilion. Such was the interest when this Pavilion was first introduced, at the 2014 edition of show, that the Management & Mobility Solutions has more than doubled in size for 2016 and now occupies this prime position on the show floor. Here visitors will find the latest information on apps, on-line monitoring tools, e-learning platforms and workflow management software from a range of international exhibitors.
As part of the show's comprehensive and engaging seminar programme, the InnovationLAB will also host a series of industry trend updates. These 15-minute rapid-fire presentations are designed to bring visitors quickly up to date with a range of industry trends and issues and will run from 12:00 to 14:30 on each of the four days of the show.
"Ever since its first edition in 1967, ISSA/Interclean Amsterdam has sought to break new ground and create an inspiring environment where pioneering products and revolutionary ideas are brought together for the whole world to see," says Rob den Hertog, exhibition director ISSA/Interclean Amsterdam.
"The InnovationLAB is the latest example of this philosophy and will offer unique and actionable insights into the disruptive innovation that the cleaning tech of today and tomorrow is bringing to our industry."
31st March 2016


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Not In Town | @notintownlive | 01 Nov 2017
The campaign has started on Wednesday and will see eight leading airlines such as Air Asia, Air India, Cathay Pacific, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Scoot, Singapore Airlines, and Thai Airways coming together to offer prospective Indian travelers amazing airfare deals to the land Down Under.
In the past five decades, Australia has emerged as a leading tourist destination, with world-class natural beauty, spectacular wildlife, outstanding culinary experiences, and unique attractions.
To encourage Indian tourists to experience the best of this country, Tourism Australia has launched this campaign.
The aim will be to increase tourism from India to Australia by offering tourists top airfare deals that will help them plan their next holiday in Australia.
The Great Australian Airfare Sale will be on for a three-week period between November 1 and 21, 2017 and travelers can plan their travel till November 2018 to the exotic locales of Australia.
The campaign will be promoted across various digital platforms to engage and interact with the target audience, and will be further amplified through Tourism Australia’s key distribution partners, and leading online travel agents.
Commenting on the campaign, Country Manager, India and Gulf, Tourism Australia, Nishant Kashikar said: "It is an extremely proud moment for us to be celebrating Tourism Australia’s 50 year milestone and to be able to share it with Indian travellers is equally rewarding for us. We would also like to thank our airline partners who have been a part of this incredible journey and have once again come on-board for the third edition of the Great Australian Airfare Sale."
"The campaign will help us accelerate market demand by creating new opportunities for Indian travellers to explore Australia’s aquatic and coastal experiences, unique wildlife and incredible food and wine offerings. We hope this campaign sets new records and adds to our celebration” he added.
India is currently Australia's ninth largest inbound tourism market, with over 286,000 tourists visiting Australia as of year ended August 2017.
Over the past four years, Tourism Australia has recorded a solid double-digit growth in tourist arrivals and this year has witnessed a growth of 15 per cent in arrivals. This is an indicator of the growing preference of tourists to choose Australia as a travel destination.
Deals offered by the airline partners for the Great Australian Airfare Sale 3.0 are as below:
Booking period: November 1-21’ 2017
Travel validity: Upto November 2018
|Airlines||Return fares, per person, on economy class, starting from||Website|
|Air Asia||Rs. 30,600*||www.airasia.com|
|Cathay Pacific||Rs. 38,950*||www.cathaypacific.in|
|Malaysia Airlines||Rs. 45,500*||www.malaysiaairlines.com|
|Singapore Airlines||Rs. 47,000*||www.singaporeair.com|
|Thai Airways||Rs. 47,400*||www.thaiairways.com|
|Air India||Rs. 50,000*||www.airindia.in|
- ‘Summer in Qatar’ program by QNTC to run from June 4 to August 16 this year
- EaseMyTrip offers discounts and deals on Mother's Day
- Jet Airways offers 50 pct savings on domestic and international flights till Feb 25
- Amtrak offers 2-for-1 roomettes for select US destinations
- Cathay Pacific offers up to USD1000 off on Business Class
- Vietjet to offer two million golden hours tickets to travellers availing domestic services
- Etihad Airways announces offers for travellers flying from India
- Australia woos Indian tourists as carriers offer cheap airfares
- Lufthansa offers special sale on Europe, North America trips
- IndiGo offers attractive flexi fares
Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC) has announced a special summer travel scheme, to run from June 4 to August 16 this year, which includes travel, retail and hospitality offers.
New Delhi, May 6 (NITN): EaseMyTrip (EMT), one of the leading Online Travel Aggregators of India, is offering a set of deals on the eve of Mother’s day on May 12.
Mumbai, Feb 21: : In continuation with the successful launch of itsin-flight gift delivery initiative, on the occasion of Valentine'sDay, Jet Airways, India’s premier, full-service internationalairline, will offer guests up to 50% discount* on tickets booked from21st–25th February, 2019.


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Why Your Franchise Needs Delivery
A recent study from Morgan Stanley on the third-party delivery market had some staggering conclusions: Currently, only about a third of the population orders delivery food that’s not pizza; demand for a wider variety of take-out food is consistent in cities, suburbs and rural areas; and, the delivery category as a whole is only scratching the surface of its massive potential as third-party services literally bring more meals, goods and services to more people.
After presenting several layers of evidence suggesting North American customers want and are willing to pay for the convenience and variety of more food and retail choices, Morgan Stanley’s comprehensive “Food Delivery: What If All Food Could Be Delivered as Easily as Pizza?” study argues the industry is “in the early days of a significant shift in the access to delivery food.”
In short, this third-party delivery stuff is going to be a really big deal—and franchised brands of all sorts need to start boarding the train.
As companies like GrubHub, Postmates, DoorDash, Seamless and many others enter new (and smaller) cities, Morgan Stanley’s research sees this growing proliferation of delivery services as a major boon to chain restaurants “over independents, as these brands should be able to integrate the online delivery ordering more seamlessly into their in-house technology platforms.”
While pizza chains have quickly added online ordering, which the study says is now one-third of the category’s sales, at the top three pizza delivery chains—Domino’s, Papa John’s and Pizza Hut—online ordering quickly grew to more than 50% of total sales.
It added this shift in ordering convenience created more than $7 billion in shareholder value in the top two publicly traded pizza companies during the same timeframe.
Do your shareholders want that kind of return? With such a big shift in less than a decade, the study concluded, “this demonstrates the power of combining easier brand access through online ordering and the stickiness of a first-mover advantage.”
Its research included a survey of more than 5,000 U.S. customers, 40% of whom had recently ordered delivery food. The research found that the key barriers to a wider adoption of delivery was price and availability.
“Greater availability through networks that service multiple brands should solve both the availability issue as well as the economics of running a delivery network through better capacity utilization,” it said.
If you'd like to learn more about the third-party delivery industry, visit FoodOnDemandNews.com—an all-new media product we just started to cover this industry— and sign up for our new monthly e-newsletter or like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FoodOnDemandNews/.


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Welcome to our blog, where you can find out more about the latest veterinary news!
Search and enjoy our pet news and articles.
It's Getting Hot Out There!
Itâ€™s Getting Hot out There!
While the rest of the country begins to thaw, Spring in South Florida is beginning to sizzle. While the animal care community invests copious resources warning pet parents about the dangers of heat, veterinarians still see a surprising number of heat related injuries and emergencies.
As temperatures begin to climb, pet parents need to take special care not to forget about pets that are in their cars. A startling number of American pets still die in locked cars during the summer months. Even on an overcast day, temperatures inside a locked car can reach lethal levels very quickly. Animal care activists have suggested that pet parents tie a ribbon around the door handle or steering wheel of their vehicles every time they have their pets in the car. In theory, this should serve as a reminder of a petâ€™s presence.
The following is a video made by a colleague named Dr. Ernie Ward. To raise awareness of heat related pet deaths, Dr. Ward sat in a hot car with the windows slightly open and documented his own response. It is everyoneâ€™s hope that his efforts will help pet parents to pay more attention to the fur babies in the back seat.


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Juicero CEO Says Luxury Juicer Is 'Much More' Than Juice; Internet Is Unimpressed
Sometimes, it's the Internet of stings.
Juicero, a startup that sells a pricey juice press, found that out firsthand. The company's Wi-Fi-enabled machine produces cold-pressed juice out of packets sold exclusively to owners via subscription.
Received as both Silicon Valley cautionary tale and commentary on conspicuous consumption, Juicero's story was chronicled this week in a Bloomberg News piece.
The article pointed out how the original pitch — specialty juice, at home, by way of the Internet of things — excited venture capitalists in Silicon Valley. Major investors, including Google's venture capital arm, poured money into founder Doug Evans' idea, wagering the subscription model could strike gold like it did with Dollar Shave Club.
In all, the company raised some $120 million.
But Bloomberg says investors' confidence waned once it emerged that people didn't actually need the press to get juice from the packets but could simply squeeze it out by hand.
And it says there were other revelations:
"[A]fter the product's introduction last year, at least two Juicero investors were taken aback after finding the packs could be squeezed by hand. They also said the machine was much bigger than what Evans had proposed. One of the investors said they were frustrated with how the company didn't deliver on the original pitch and that their venture firm wouldn't have met with Evans if he were hawking bags of juice that didn't require high-priced hardware. Juicero didn't broadly disclose to investors or employees that packs can be hand squeezed, said four people with knowledge of the matter."
A video accompanying the article showed that hand-squeezing the packets produces roughly the same amount of juice as the machine, which initially retailed for $700.
The price has since been lowered to $400. Even so, the costly contraption elicited a fair amount of Internet snark.
On Thursday, Juicero's CEO offered a full-fledged defense of his company's product and offered refunds to "any Juicero customer — new or old — who feels that we aren't making it easier, more enjoyable and delicious to form a healthy habit."
Writing on the blog site Medium, Jeff Dunn also highlighted several points he said showed that "the value of Juicero is more than a glass of cold-pressed juice. Much more."
Dunn touted the device's connectivity. He said, for example, that the juice bag's QR codes allowed the company to remotely intervene in case of a product recall.
"We know hacking consumer products is nothing new. But how can we better demonstrate the incredible value we know our connected system delivers?" Dunn wrote.
He also advised against hand-squeezing the company's juice: "What you will get with hand-squeezed hacks is a mediocre (and maybe very messy) experience that you won't want to repeat once, let alone every day."
For his part, Evans has been silent since the chorus began.
The Juicero founder, who admits he isn't tech-savvy, at one time pushed the Juicero as a game-changer.
"I said, 'I'm going to do what Steve [Jobs] did,' " Evans told tech news site Recode last year. " 'I'm going to take the mainframe computer and create a personal computer. I'm going to take a mainframe juice press and create a personal juice press.' "
Prior to launching Juicero, Evans had invested in a cold-press juice shop in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Footfall to physical retail stores remained sluggish in the UK ahead of the key festive shopping months, piling further pain onto the fashion sector after what has been a far-from-stellar AW18 season so far.
The NYC-based beauty company reported a significant narrowing of Q3 net losses on Friday, thanks to cost-cutting measures which compensated for faltering sales and are soon to be expanded through a new optimization plan.
Designer Johanna Ortiz has become the latest creative to get the lipstick bug. The Colombian designer has teamed up with the lifestyle brand Aerin on a new capsule collection of three lipsticks, as reported by Vogue.
October’s high street sales in the UK continued to be sluggish and while retailers might have been hoping to reverse October 2017’s 5.2% fall, a like-for-like drop of 2% this time meant they didn’t get their wish.
Brazilian cosmetics giants Natura &Co said on Thursday consolidated revenues for the third quarter recorded double-digit growth, prompting the company's overall net profit for the three months to double.
Ulta Beauty's shares jumped on Thursday after it announced a 7.8 percent increase in comparable sales for the third quarter of fiscal 2018, prompting the cosmetics chain to update its full year guidance.
As Victoria’s Secret held its annual fashion show, its Columbus, Ohio-based parent company reported that the lingerie label’s sluggish performance continued to undermine otherwise strong sales growth in October.


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HMD Global has launched a new budget smartphone dubbed the Nokia C20 Plus. To recall, back in April this year, the smartphone manufacturer launched the Nokia C20 and now the Plus model goes official China. Unfortunately, Nokia C20 Plus India launch details have not been revealed yet but we can expect the phone to hit the country in the months to come, probably. Also Read - Nokia XR20 launched in India at Rs 46,999: It is the toughest Nokia phone ever
The budget Nokia phone goes against the likes of some of the budget Xiaomi, Realme, and Samsung smartphones. The smartphone has been launched at a price of CNY699, which roughly translates to Rs 8,000 approx. The phone comes in two colour options including black and blue and will be available in China starting June 16. Also Read - HMD Global confirms Nokia XR20 is coming to India soon: Check expected launch date, more
Nokia C20 Plus specifications: Take a look
As far as the specifications are concerned, the Nokia C20 Plus comes packed with a 6.5-inch HD+ LCD+ display with a waterdrop notch at the top of the screen. The notch includes a 5-megapixel selfie camera. On the rear panel, the Nokia smartphone includes dual cameras including a primary 8-megapixel sensor and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. Also Read - Nokia launches an affordable tablet: Check specifications, price, India launch details, more
The Nokia C20 Plus sports a circular rear camera setup at the back paired with LED flash. In addition to the camera module, the smartphone includes the Nokia logo at the back panel. On the front, the phone includes a waterdrop notch and thick bezels on all sides. The chin also includes a Nokia logo.
The Nokia smartphone doesn’t include a fingerprint sensor but there’s a face unlock support for security. Other features of the Nokia C20 Plus includes a 3.5mm headphone jack, a microSD USB support, 4950mAh battery, and more.
The new Nokia C20 Plus runs on Android 11 (Go Edition) and is powered by a Unisoc SC9863A SoC paired with up to 3GB RAM and 32GB of internal storage. The phone also offers a microSD card support that can expand the storage till 256GB, which is great.


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The Vietnamese EV maker VinFast announced Friday a $1.2 billion incentive package from the State of North Carolina for its electric vehicle manufacturing project in the US designed to produce 150,000 vehicles per year. VinFast will start the construction of the 2,000 acres facility in the upcoming months with the production expected to commence in July 2024.
The package is the largest economic incentive in state history and was signed by Governor Roy Cooper and will allow the EV maker to build the factory at the Triangle Innovation Point in Chatham County with a total investment of about $2 billion USD in the first phase.
“North Carolina’s partnership with VinFast to bring good, clean energy jobs to North Carolina took an important step forward today with the signing of the budget, said Roy Cooper, Governor of North Carolina. “Electric vehicles, like the ones VinFast will produce in Chatham County, are a critical component of our strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build North Carolina into a hub for the clean energy economy.”
“VinFast applauds North Carolina for their efforts and determination in advancing the state’s clean energy economy and carbon mitigation goals,” said Van Anh Nguyen, CEO of VinFast Manufacturing US. “This investment by the State of North Carolina is the starting point for a future marked by innovation, job creation, and economic growth. Today exemplifies how government and industry can come together to pursue a brighter future.”
“The North Carolina General Assembly is thrilled that VinFast chose North Carolina for its monumental expansion,” said Phil Berger, President Pro Tempore of the North Carolina Senate. “There’s no question the business-friendly policies we’ve prioritized over the last decade played a pivotal role in VinFast’s plan to bring thousands of good-paying jobs to North Carolina.”
“North Carolina is heading into an exciting era of innovation with one of our newest corporate citizens, VinFast,” said Tim Moore, Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives. “As our state continues its growth with new and expanding businesses, we will continue to work alongside VinFast as the company establishes roots in North Carolina and brings new jobs and opportunities for North Carolinians.”
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The EV maker is expanding to the U.S. market with the simultaneous opening of six stores in California. The opening ceremony was held on Thursday at Santa Monica’s store located at Santa Monica Place shopping center where customers could explore VinFast’s electric SUVs – the VF 8 and VF 9.
Last week, VinFast announced the investment of tens of millions in ProLogium, a solid-state battery manufacturer. The announcement comes six months after ProLogium and the automaker Mercedes-Benz agreement with the first test vehicles equipped with solid-state batteries expected to be introduced in the coming years.
VinFast also entered into a memorandum of understanding with ProLogium setting out strategic cooperation arrangements to secure battery supplies and support the goal of expanding its smart mobility solutions globally becoming long-term strategic partners in the future. In addition, the companies added that may also establish a joint-venture solid-state battery factory in Vietnam.
Recently, the company unveiled a partnership with the hologram leader Proto for the promotion of its VF8 & VF9 models in Canada. The Vietnamese EV maker will team with the award-winning company on the roadshow in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver with a showcase “as innovative as the cars it promotes,” the company said.
Earlier this year, VinFast also announced a partnership with Electrify America giving users access to the network of ultra-fast charging stations across the U.S. Delivering a convenient and seamless charging experience, Plug & Charge is an innovative technology that allows drivers of capable vehicles to pay for a charging session by simply plugging in their EV, the company said.


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Safeway has announced the store at West 64th Avenue and Ward Road in Arvada will be closing at the end of April.
“We evaluated the store extensively for over a year and looked at options to improve its performance,” said Safeway spokeswoman Kris Staaf. Ultimately, our business analysis indicated that we needed to close the store.”
She added the company is working to relocate employees to other locations. The announcement comes three months after Safeway announced the closure of its Denver bread plant. The company is also closing a Pueblo store this month.
Many neighbors belonging to a Facebook group posted messages over the last week saying they were surprised about the sudden announcement.
In an email to the Denver Post, resident John Kiljan said employees and neighbors were of the impression the store wouldn’t be closing, and it hadn’t gone through a slow decline like the Safeway in the Arvada Triangle did for years before it was shuttered.
“Still, the less-filled parking lot there was a little worrying,” Kiljan added.
District 4 Councilman David Jones was elected last November after running on a platform of bringing more retail options to the city’s west side.
“You have people who have shopped there for 15 or 20 years, so it’s a big heartbreak and disappointment for those residents,” Jones said.
He added a developer is proposing building a King Soopers with gas station at Indiana Street and Candelas Parkway, and a public meeting will be taking place Thursday, April 7 at 6:00 p.m. at the Candelas Clubhouse at 9371McIntyre St.
Austin Briggs: 303-954-1729, email@example.com or @abriggs


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The big box interchange bill would make everyday purchases riskier for American consumers while padding the bottom lines of the country’s largest retailers, Cornerstone League President/CEO and CUNA Board Vice Chair Caroline Willard wrote in The Washington Times.
“The misnamed Credit Card Competition Act would regulate the nominal fees merchants pay each time they accept a credit card. These interchange and network fees are set by the networks that process transactions — think Visa or Mastercard. They underwrite the infrastructure that handles hundreds of billions of credit card transactions each year,” she wrote. “Retailers would, of course, prefer not to pay this cost of doing business.”
Willard noted that fraud prevention costs continue to rise, with $12 billion lost in credit card fraud in 2021 alone. Losses are expected to hit $19 billion by 2031.
“Interchange fees help shield customers from those costs. If the Senate gives retailers the right to opt for low-cost, insecure payment networks, then fraud could become even more prevalent. Consumers could end up paying significantly more for all kinds of financial services, from credit cards to checking accounts,” Willard wrote.
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SAGINAW, MI – A new recreational marijuana dispenser opened its doors Tuesday, August 31st, bringing a non-medical storefront to Saginaw town for the first time.
Saginaw’s Lume Cannabis Dispensary at 3446 State St. is the 23rd storefront the company opens in Michigan.
Lume opened a location in downtown Bay City in May.
The Saginaw location is the tenth that the company has opened so far in 2021; It plans to open 12 more by the end of the year and has set a goal of opening 100 stores by 2024, according to a press release.
“Lume Cannabis Co. has set itself an ambitious goal for 2021: to open 22 adult stores across Michigan, and the opening of our Saginaw store puts us well on the way to achieving that goal,” said Lume President and COO Doug Hellyar in the publication. “We are excited to introduce our brand and introduce cannabis in a new light to more adult users in the Great Lakes Bay Region and beyond.”
The pharmacy is open Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Prices are 20% off store-wide, and customers who place an order of $ 50 or more will receive a free pre-roll or 2-pack of edibles, depending on the release.
Another Michigan chain Skyminz cannabis, will open the city’s second pharmacy at the former location of Zorba’s restaurant in the old town.
The city initially declined to allow recreational cannabis deals after voters overwhelmingly adopted Proposal 1 to legalize adult marijuana in 2018.
Saginaw issued new regulations in August 2020 that allow companies.


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September 1, 2015
2 Min Read
SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association (Washington, DC) and IHS Chemical (Englewood, CO) are teaming up again next month to present the industry-leading, executive level Global Plastics Summit (GPS) Oct. 28-30 in Chicago at the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel.
During the three-day summit, attendees will learn more about the impact of new forces affecting the global plastics industryâ€”including the new threats and opportunities they create for end markets including packaging, medical and automotive. There will be presentations from brand owners, top-tier business executives and expert analysts, who will provide technical content and insights into the global plastics, energy and petrochemical industries that canâ€™t be found anywhere else.
â€œThere are numerous issues facing the global plastics industry in todayâ€™s economy, and all of them trickle down to affect the countless end markets to which plastic materials and products are vital,â€ said William R. Carteaux, SPI President and CEO. â€œWith GPS2015, the agenda is specifically tailored to give plastics executives the tools they need to navigate the new challenges gripping the global market, while giving them the insights and proven strategies they need in order to expand, invest and innovate into new markets and better meet the needs of brand owner customers and consumers around the world.â€
â€œThe global plastics industry has seen its share of disruptive forces in the year since IHS and SPI hosted last yearâ€™s Global Plastics Summit, the biggest of which has been plunging oil prices,â€ said Dave Witte, Senior Vice President of IHS and General Manager of IHS Chemical. â€œThe resulting global volatility in the industry presents both significant risks and opportunities, and the GPS 2015 agenda is focused on providing business executives with unique insights and information they need to manage risks and capitalize on business opportunities.â€
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By Dennis Abrams
Earlier this month, McDonald’s announced that throughout the UK are replacing the toys that have traditionally come with Happy Meals with educational books as part of an effort to help boost literacy.
With this move, the company will become the UK’s largest children’s book distributor with plans to give away more than 15 million books over the next two years. They are teaming up with Dorling Kindersley and WH Smith for the promotion.
The campaign launched the second week in January with a five-week national giveaway, and will continue through the end of 2014. The first set of books being offered are short non-fiction books by DK’s “Amazing World” series, including Oceans, Earth, Stars and Planets, Big Cats, Arctic and Antarctic, and Rainforest. McDonalds will also give away additional vouchers for books which can be redeemed at WH Smith, and the DK books will also be available for purchase at McDonalds without a Happy Meal purchase.
The giveaway is said to have been inspired, at least in part, by a National Literacy Trust report (PDF), which revealed that just 50% of children said that they really enjoyed reading.
An NLT spokesman told the Daily Telegraph, “Our research tells us that there is a very clear link between book ownership and children’s future success in life, so it is very concerning that one in three children in the UK doesn’t own a book, and half of kids don’t really enjoy reading. Initiatives like McDonald’s Happy Readers campaign play an important role in getting more books into the hands of children, and inspiring families to read together as a fun and interactive pastime.”
McDonald’s tested the book program last year and ended up distributing 9 million copies of titles by British author Michael Morpurgo, who wrote “War Horse.”
No plans have been announced for a similar program in the U.S.


text: The couple owned five cafes in New York City before returning to Des Moines At their first restaurant in this city, they serve breakfast and lunch all day long,. West Elm, a branch of the Williams Sonoma family, will become the newest retail business in Des Moines East Village neighborhood next week The store will showcase products from seven Iowabased designers and makers, along with. The Gulf Coast city in Florida will be the first major ITU race in the In fact, at the world cup level, the last US held event was in 2010 at the HyVee ITU World. We have a lot of visitors that are one day visitors from Des Moines, Kansas City but they come in and turn around and walk out because we dont have seating The Orsi expansion is still in the planning stage Theres no timetable yet on. DES MOINES Sending a text message while driving can get you "Using the. Look at all of that Iowa, a dear friend said to me, measuring the state with his thumb and pointer finger on his Google Map app You could come we hopped. DES MOINES, IA KCCICNN Iowas governor on Monday said it Its more difficult than ever to map the supply chains of Ivanka Trumps brand, raising questions about who her company is doing business with in China Its more difficult. Mountains upon mountains of stories and interactive maps have been created to satisfy curious Americans this piece has answers for basic questions just for Iowans In Des Moines 1141 am, Mason City is 1143 am, Marshalltown is. ADAM MAYBE ITS A WALK THROUGHALL OF THE UNIQUE DISPLAYS ATrtTHE DES MOINES ART FESTIVAL>> I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE AFESTIVAL FOR EVERYTHING ADAM MAKING IT NO SURPRISE DESMOINES IS A TOP.


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For those of you who have waiting to get a taste of the latest entry in the long running JRPG series, a demo has gone live on the PlayStation Store for Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA. This playable demo only pertains to the PS4 version, as there is currently no such demo for the PS Vita version. Sorry, Vita Island!!
Publisher NIS America also released a new trailer for the gaming, showing the added content over its handheld brethren.
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA tells a magical tale on the PS4 and PS Vita on September 12 in the US and September 15 in Europe.


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The resumption of heat-treated ostrich meat exports to the EU will help ease the pressure that South African ostrich farmers have experienced in recent years.
This was according to Beverley Schäfer, Minister of Economic Opportunities in the Western Cape.
Schäfer said in a statement that the EU, a large consumer of South African ostrich meat, had lifted the ban imposed last year on South African ostrich meat.
“The ban was implemented because the national Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries’ residue testing procedures did not meet the EU’s requirements,” Schäfer said.
She added that South Africa currently produced around 75% of the ostrich meat on the global market, with 80% of local production coming from the Western Cape.
Francois de Wet, general manager at Mosstrich, told Farmer’s Weekly that the major challenge for the industry was to restore confidence at producer level.
Ostrich farmers in the Southern Cape and Klein Karoo had experienced three years of consecutive drought, and this, together with the impact of avian influenza on production, meant that a more stable production environment needed to be created to ensure the industry’s sustainability.
“[Income] per head was not good enough during the past two years, and the resumption of exports will at least bring the potential of higher revenue for farmers,” he said.
De Wet said the lifting of the ban would present Mosstrich with an opportunity to resume exports of heat-treated ostrich meat to their clients in the EU.
He added that there was not enough local demand for ostrich steak and fillets to justify the current scale of production, and it was thus very important for Mosstrich to be able to export.
“Small and large farmers are in the same boat in terms of revenue per ostrich produced. The breeding season already ended and the number of ostriches to be slaughtered in the 2019/2020 season is therefore already determined. The new breeding season will start only in the second half of the year,” he added.


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Sure, most of us have seen statistics showing that digital video recorders are now in more than 40 percent of American homes. But how much are people actually using their DVRs? Well, according to Nielsen, usage is growing rapidly.
A new Nielsen report found that DVR use now accounts for about 8 percent of viewing time — up from just 1.6 percent in 2006. Leading the charge, the research company says, are female viewers ages 18-54, who typically time-shift 10 percent of their viewing.
Over the same five-year span, according to Nielsen, viewing of live television declined from 89 percent to 85 percent each day for the typical U.S. watcher. But overall usage is slightly up — analyzing the first four weeks of the 2011-12 TV season, Nielsen found that U.S. watchers, on average, consumed a total of 19 minutes more tube time year over year.
Nielsen also found that DVRs are rendering network schedules moot: In 2006, only 2.2 percent of viewers 18-49 said they watched both of the two top programs that were scheduled against each other — Fox’s American Idol and CBS’ NCIS, at 8 p.m. on Tuesdays; last season, fully 7 percent said they regularly watched ABC’s Castle and CBS’ Hawaii Five-O, even though they opposed each other at 10 p.m. on Monday.
Certainly, top manufacturers of digital video recorders have more demand than they can supply right now, with flooding in the hard-disk manufacturing hub of Thailand cutting into DVR production wherewithal. According to a report issued Wednesday by IMS Research, DVR production will decline by 30 percent for 2012. The production deficit likely won’t result in higher consumer prices in the U.S. the firm states, but lower profits for set-top box manufacturers including Technicolor and Western Digital.
“Pay-TV consumers will not feel the price hike to the extent that operators and STB manufacturers will,” said Anna Maxbauer, senior analyst at IMS Research. “Operators understand that consumers’ willingness to absorb shocks in the equipment ecosystem is very limited.”


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Mobile game firm Gameloft has confirmed plans to develop, publish and distribute games for BlackBerry smartphones.
Gameloft is already a member of the BlackBerry ISV Alliance and the first wave of titles it has produced for the handset includes Block Breaker Deluxe, Asphalt Urban GT 2, New York Nights and Midnight Pool.
The line-up also includes console port Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones and TV tie-in Lost. Additional titles will be announced at a later date.
"With worldwide brand recognition and millions of loyal users the BlackBerry platform represents a tremendous opportunity for Gameloft," said Gameloft president Michel Guillemot.
"Given the technology advancements embedded in smartphones such as the BlackBerry Pearl and BlackBerry 8800 and RIM's rapidly growing customer base, we believe now is the ideal time to bring our quality games to this award-winning platform."


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For meat products of a number of Polish and Lithuanian firms in June can open the Russian market, writes "Rossiyskaya Gazeta".
Restrictions on their sausages were introduced in early April due to registration in these countries, African swine fever (ASF). p>
To re-let producers from Lithuania and Poland on the market, Rosselkhoznadzor intends to inspect manufacturers of finished meat products in Poland and Lithuania, "Interfax». p>
But we are talking about companies that are purposefully working for Russia, and not, as has been lately: nowhere to put the product - let's drive into Russia, specified in the department. p>
Lithuania planned to test four companies - three finished product production and one killer. The plans inspections in Poland until the three companies, but the list is agreed. "The technology in these enterprises must ensure security of supply in terms of ASF" clarified Rosselkhoznadzor. P>


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Oppo’s upcoming flagship smartphone, the Oppo Find X2 was recently spotted on Geekbench ahead of its official launch. The Oppo Find X2 was going to be launched at the MWC 2020. However since the event has now been canceled, the phone’s launch has also been delayed. Also Read - Oppo Find X2 confirmed to feature 120Hz QHD+ display ahead of February 22 launch
The device spotted on Geekbench is confirmed to be the Pro variant of the device since the model number CPH2025 was already certified before. The Geekbench listing reveals that the phone will have a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC, 12GB RAM and Android 10 out of the box. Also Read - Oppo Find X2 to launch on February 22: Check expected specifications
Watch: Poco X2 Review
Oppo Find X2 expected specifications
The smartphone scores 913 in single-core performance and 3,308. These are the highest scores amongst the Android smartphones seen on Geekbench 5, reports GSMArena. This includes all other Android devices based on Qualcomm or Exynos chipsets. The Oppo Find X2 series of smartphones will feature 120Hz refresh rate screens, QHD resolutions and 240Hz touch sampling. The devices will also feature 1,200 nits of brightness on the display panel with 100 percent DCI-P3 color gamut coverage. We could likely see a high-resolution camera sensor aborad the Oppo Find X2 too. This may be the 48-megapixel Sony sensor. The phone is also expected to feature 65W fast charging. Also Read - Oppo smartwatch tipped to come with ECG support
Apart from the Oppo Find X2 smartphone, the Chinese brand was also rumored to launch its first smartwatch. This product, unfortunately, will also be delayed due to the cancellation of the MWC. The Oppo smartwatch shows a square display and looks somewhat similar to the Mi Watch and the Apple Watch Series 5.
Last Year Oppo Vice President Brian Shen made a post of Weibo comparing square watch dials with circular ones. This was around the time when the Xiaomi Mi Watch was being criticised for ‘copying’ the Apple Watch Series 5. Shen mentioned that the square display allowed more information to be displayed on the screen. However, Shen also mentioned that circular dials are a more favorable design choice since they resemble traditional watches.
Further details for the Oppo Find X2 will be revealed when the phone launches. For now, this tentative release has been pushed to somewhere in March. However, due to the coronavirus outbreak, that could change as well.


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brands under fire
Posted by Sheila Shayon on May 13, 2013 06:39 PM
The rescue efforts in Savar, Bangladesh have officially been turned over to recovery as the death toll surpasses 1,100 in what has become the worst accident in the history of the garment industry. But 20 days later, it seems that progress and change is beginning to emerge from the rubble of a decrepit industry.
The Bangladeshi government has agreed to let garment workers form trade unions without the permission of factory owners—a breakthrough in workers' rights in a de-regulated country, where garment factories were shut down this week following worker unrest over wages and conditions.
The proposed safety plan, backed by a coalition of labor groups, calls for independent inspections of factories and a legally binding fire and building safety plan requiring retailers to help pay for improvements to factory safety and is an amendment to the 2006 Labor Act lifting restrictions on forming trade unions in most industries.
The pact also calls for changes regarding severance payments, welfare fund payments, management practices and payment and banking standards. In what could be a game-changing announcement, Swedish retailer H&M announced Monday that it will sign the binding agreement.Continue reading...
sports in the spotlight
Posted by Mark J. Miller on April 23, 2013 07:07 PM
While NBA fans who are lucky enough to get playoff tickets will file out of each game wearing pretty much anything that has their team’s branding on it, the players they worship will be making completely different choices—and every apparel brand out there would love for that choice to involve them.
In last year’s Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Miami Heat, the Thunder’s Russell Westbrook let the world know that he thought he was responsible for the hipster trend to wear funky lensless glasses, USA Today recalls.
The playoffs just started this past weekend but it’s already gotten off to a good jump on the fashion front as the Heat’s LeBron James dropped some jaws (and not in a good way) with his Tommy Bahama-esque shirt and James Harden of the Houston Rockets showed up for post-game interviews wearing a shirt that involved a whole lot of pleather. Los Angeles Clippers stars Blake Griffin and Chris Paul also got into the act. Russell Westbrook wore a sleeveless leather top and gold bedazzled high tops after his team’s game Sunday.Continue reading...
Posted by Dale Buss on April 5, 2013 09:01 AM
HP board shakeup and chairman exit gives CEO Meg Whitman a chance to shake off troubles.
BP faults Deepwater Horizon claims overseer, launches first brand-wide fuel loyalty program.
BMW prepares X4 crossover for U.S. market, makes vehicles greener with fewer cylinders, less gasoline.
Al Jazeera America hires CNN's Ali Velshi as anchor.
Amazon's Jeff Bezos leads $5 million investment round in Henry Blodget's Business Insider.
Apple reportedly signs music labels for streaming service as Google's YouTube clinches deal with Universal Music.
Best Buy may have turned the tide on showrooming Amazon.Continue reading...
Posted by Mark J. Miller on March 12, 2013 04:22 PM
H&M has added another ampersand to its business portfolio. This one, though, is at a higher end than the attire found in the chain’s more than 2,000 locations worldwide.
& Other Stories launched on March 8th with a bash in London, where the new brand will have its first brick-and-mortar store that will offer the brand’s first clothing line as well as a number of products from other labels and designers. Called C-labs, these temporary partnerships include such companies as The Lake & Stars lingerie, Clare Vivier’s bags and accessories, Alyson Fox’s jewelry and fashion designs by Abigail Lorick Im, WWD reports. “We like working with people who we like,” Anna Teurnell, & Other Stories’ head of design, told WWD. “And these labels complement what we have already.”Continue reading...
Posted by Reneé Alexander on March 4, 2013 04:21 PM
After playing coy about its exact launch dates in Canada, Target has confirmed it's opening the first of its Canadian stores this week. Residents in three communities (Guelph, Fergus and Milton) west of Toronto will be able to check out the launch trio of Target Canada "pilot stores" that will open at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, part of the first wave of 24 stores soft opening this month in Ontario. As Target's press release puts it,
Like the majority of Target locations opening in Canada, the pilot stores feature a licensed Starbucks, as well as an in-store pharmacy designed to provide guests with superior patient-centered healthcare. “The Target team is excited to open these test locations as we put the finishing touches on our stores, assortments and inventory,” said Tony Fisher, president, Target Canada. “We look forward to delivering on our Expect More. Pay Less. brand promise and providing an outstanding shopping experience as we approach our grand opening in early April.”
The move kicks off the Minneapolis-based retailer's opening of up to 135 locations in former Zellers locations across Canada, 124 of those locations opening their doors this year. Target had said publicly it will start having soft store openings in March but it hadn't given exact dates or specific locations. In advance of this week's opening drive, the brand is practically building snowmen (see a recent Facebook cover image, above), drinking maple syrup straight from the bottle and painting its face at hockey games.
The retailing giant has been on an awareness-building campaign for its highly-anticipated arrival since late last year, one that is expected to ignite an all-out battle for consumers not seen since Walmart stormed the 49th parallel in 1994 with the acquisition of 122 Woolco stores.Continue reading...
Posted by Sheila Shayon on February 7, 2013 06:46 PM
As many high-end brands show off their latest designs at New York Fashion Week, Greenpeace has a big message for the fashion world at large: It's time to clean up your act.
The latest from Greenpeace’s global Detox campaign is its “Fashion Duel,” with Italian actress Valeria Golino leading the charge for the industry to make environmental stewardship a priority in their operations.
The "duel" sets out to rate 15 Italian and French high-end luxury brands on three areas of the global supply chain — leather, pulp and paper and toxic water pollution — and highlights their differences in policy on toxic water pollution and deforestation.Continue reading...
Posted by Sheila Shayon on January 28, 2013 05:51 PM
Hazardous conditions at Indian garment factories serving the U.S. and European markets have been highlighted by another tragedy.
Mixed amid the debris of a deadly blaze at the reportedly unlicensed Smart Export Garments factory on Saturday in a densely populated area of Dhaka, Bangladesh were charred clothing from European brands, including two owned by Spanish retail behemoth Inditex, owner of Zara. Government officials are investigating reports that the sole emergency exit at the factory was locked. Up to 300 employees were working when the fire broke out, and most died from asphyxiation.
Other labels visible in the Smart factory damage included French brands Sol’s, Scott and Fox and G Blog by Gemo along with Inditex’s Leftie’s and Bershka, German low-cost brand KIK and even a purchase order by New York’s M. Hidary & Company for Hawaiian Authentics swimwear, according to The New York Times and Agence-France Presse.Continue reading...
Posted by Sheila Shayon on December 13, 2012 02:01 PM
Following in the wake of Zara's capitulation, Levi’s is now the 11th brand to bow to pressure from Greenpeace's global Detox campaign. The denim giant has committed to eliminate releases of all hazardous chemicals throughout its supply chains and products. Still being pressured: Calvin Klein, Gap, and Victoria’s Secret as part of the green campaigner's goal “to expose brands until the use - and abuse - of hazardous substances is totally eliminated.”
The world’s largest denim brand, has agreed to eliminate all releases of hazardous chemicals throughout its entire supply chain and products by 2020. The commitment comes eight days after Greenpeace launched its “Toxic Threads: Under Wraps” report targeting global fashion brands releasing toxins in Mexico's rivers, resulting in a digital groundswell with more than 210,000 people calling on Levi’s to Detox, tens of thousands taking action on Facebook and Twitter, and over 700 people protesting outside Levi’s shop fronts in over 80 cities worldwide.
As part of its Zero Discharge Commitment, Levi’s (as outlined in a blog post) will start requiring 15 of its largest suppliers in China, Mexico and elsewhere in the Global South to disclose pollution data as early as June 2013, followed by compliance from 25 additional major suppliers by the end of 2013.Continue reading...


text: March 31, 2023: Philipp Plein, the German fashion designer known for his disruptive style, has launched a collection of Swiss-made luxury timepieces. The Crypto King and Queen collection, produced in Lugano, Switzerland, features a double-layer transparent dial and case-back with the brand’s signature skull, double-dome sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating, and colourways ranging from red and black to lime green. The watches are aimed at a niche 1% market and will be sold with limited edition NFTs by digital artist Antoni Tudisco, which can be minted via a QR code engraved on a metal plaque. Plein’s watches, which sit between Tag Heuer and Rolex in price, will be sold for around $3,000, with the most expensive rose gold model coming in at just under $20,000. Plein has partnered with Timex Group to launch fashion watches, accepting cryptocurrency payments since 2021 and opening a Web3 concept store in London in 2022. Meanwhile, Gucci has launched its high watchmaking division, offering five signature collections featuring tourbillons, moon phase movements, and a new perpetual calendar. It is a forerunner in the Web3 and metaverse, partnering with Yuga Labs, Bored Ape Yacht Club, and The Sandbox Game.


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What Is Cryptocurrency Crash In 2022.July 11, 2022 2022-07-11 10:44
What Is Cryptocurrency Crash In 2022.
What Exactly Is the Crash of Cryptocurrency? What the Most Recent Cryptocurrency Is and What It Means for Traders Who Make Their Living in the Financial Markets
The fact that we are now going through a crash in the bitcoin market is not new. Since the beginning of 2022, there has been a slow decline in the cryptocurrency market. Just this past weekend, the values of cryptocurrencies collapsed once again, with Bitcoin reaching its lowest level since December 2020.
More than 160 billion dollars were lost on the cryptocurrency market, and an American cryptocurrency lender called Celsius Network stopped all withdrawals. On the 10th of June 2022, the price of Bitcoin (BTC) dropped below $33,000, Ethereum (ETH) dropped below £1,000, and a fall occurred below £1,400. Additionally, on the same day as Bitcoin’s decline, Cardano (ADA) had a significantly more severe decline, plunging 32 percent to $0.69.
As you can see, the cryptocurrency market fall has already started. In the following, we will investigate what the cryptocurrency market meltdown implies and when in 2022 we should anticipate it to occur. Let’s start by taking a look at cryptocurrencies and how they operate.
How cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Ripple actually function, as well as the implications of this for traders
Cryptocurrency, which is usually referred to simply as crypto, is a form of digital currency that employs the use of encryption to keep transactions private. Cryptocurrencies, in contrast to fiat money, do not have a central issuing or regulatory authority; rather, they are constructed on the blockchain technology, which enables a decentralized ledger system. This is in contrast to fiat currency, which does have such an authority.
To put it more simply, it is a digital system that works on a peer-to-peer basis and enables users to send and receive payments without the need to go through the traditional banking system.
Cryptocurrency, on the other hand, can only exist in digital form and is kept in digital wallets, in contrast to fiat cash, which may be carried around in physical wallets or bags. In addition, the transaction details of any digital money you transfer or receive are recorded in a public ledger.
The combination of the terms “crypto” and “currency” creates the term “cryptocurrency,” which refers to currency that has been encrypted. This encryption contributes to increased levels of safety and security.
Bitcoin was the first cryptocurrency and was established in 2009. It is still the most valuable and significant cryptocurrency in the world and has the greatest market value. Bitcoin was created in 2009.
Blockchain technology, which records transactions on a public ledger, underpins cryptocurrencies and is responsible for their operation.
Mining is the process through which cryptocurrency is generated and developed, in contrast to the printing of fiat money by the Central bank. Mining is the process of creating cryptocurrency utilizing computer power to solve complicated mathematical problems in order to earn coins. This technique is also known as “cryptocurrency mining.” You may also purchase cryptocurrency from cryptocurrency merchants or traders and save it in your wallet after making the purchase.
The crypto collapse is an investment that is both extremely volatile and high risk. Do not be deceived by claims of “gaining” big profits since there is a good probability that you will lose all of your money in a very short amount of time. This does not mean that making significant gains in cryptocurrency is impossible; rather, you will need to educate yourself on the subject and practice care. The trading of cryptocurrencies is not all that terrible; despite the inherent risks, it can result in very big profits.
Table of Content
- Why You Ought to Give Consideration to Engaging in Cryptocurrency Trading
- What Kind of Crypto Crash Will We See in 2022, How It Will Play Out, and Why It Will Happen
- Questions That Are Typically Asked (FAQs)
Why You Ought to Give Consideration to Engaging in Cryptocurrency Trading
The concept of cryptocurrencies has been around for some time now. Some of them have developed into the primary means through which people in the cryptocurrency industry make their living. They are one of the investments with the highest potential for both loss and gain in the globe. You should think about engaging in bitcoin trading. The following is a list of some of the reasons why you ought to think about trading digital currency.
- The unpredictability of cryptocurrencies
Because of the highly speculative and unpredictable nature of cryptocurrency, buying and selling it may be one of the most profitable short-term investments you make. For instance, between October 2017 and October 2018, the price of bitcoin reached a high of $19,378 and a low of $5851 during this time period. Due to the unpredictable nature of the currency, the market is extremely dynamic and engaging. Before you start trading, you need to have a solid understanding of the risk management approach.
- Increased financial flexibility
The ease and speed with which a cryptocurrency may be changed into fiat currency without affecting its price on the market is referred to as its liquidity. It is essential to have sufficient liquidity since doing so can assist enhance pricing, boost accuracy, and speed up transaction times.
Due to the decentralized nature of cryptocurrency transactions, even relatively little trades may have a significant influence on the pricing of cryptocurrencies. The volatility character of the market was exacerbated as a result of this factor. This indicates that your transactions will be carried out rapidly and at a cost that is significantly cheaper. One of the advantages that the market possesses is improved liquidity, and this advantage is one factor that leads to the market’s enormous profit gains.
- Safety and management of the situation
Trading gives you a sense of security and control over your finances, which is one of the benefits of doing so. With cryptocurrency, you are able to exert complete authority over your financial resources, and you are solely responsible for ensuring their safety. One last thing to consider is that blockchain technology, which is the foundation of bitcoin, offers exceptional protection for your financial assets.
- No taxes, and reasonable fees
Every single cryptocurrency transaction is completely tax-free. Trading cryptocurrencies comes with very minimal transaction costs, in contrast to dealing in fiat money, which needs you to pay fees whenever you complete a transaction. Transactions in bitcoin allow you to accumulate savings, which you may then put to use in subsequent business endeavors.
- Disclosure of all relevant facts
Transparency, which is something offered by cryptocurrencies, is a significant component that helps better trading. When dealing with bitcoin, each and every transaction that you do is recorded using blockchain technology, making it completely open and accessible to all parties involved. You will have the ability to make and carry out transactions with complete freedom if there is transparency.
What Kind of Crypto Crash Will We See in 2022, How It Will Play Out, and Why It Will Happen
Has an Impact on Our Lives?
The market for cryptocurrencies is rapidly becoming one of the most lucrative marketplaces in the world. Although it is still in its infancy, it has already developed into a significant revenue source for a great number of individuals. This is due to the fact that it has a tremendous potential and will keep on expanding over time.
The meltdown of the cryptocurrency market that took place on Monday, November 6, 2018, was not only a catastrophe for the economy but also for society. Investors experienced a level of loss of trust that had never been seen before, and many who had been sitting on their money for years were thrown into a state of panic.
They woke up the next morning to find that all of their money was gone, and they had absolutely nothing to show for it. In addition to this, it has introduced a great deal of uncertainty for everyone who was trading or investing in this market on that particular day.
The beginning of the crypto market crisis may be traced back to January 2022. As forecast by Fool earlier this year, prominent cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum began to see a price decline at the beginning of this year.
According to statistics provided by CoinMarketCap, the entire market cap of cryptocurrencies has experienced a decline of more than 300 million USD. This drop may mostly be attributed to the high inflation record induced by Russia’s involvement in the conflict in Ukraine.
The conflict is still going on, and the price slump is growing deeper and deeper, so investors are getting ready for the possibility that the cryptocurrency market may crash this year.
Nevertheless, there are crypto experts who believe that the economic unpredictability induced by the new Covid-19 distribution contributed to the fall of the cryptocurrency market in 2022. According to Yahoo Finance, Peter Johnson, a partner at Jump Crypto and a co-founder of Defi Alliance, noted that Bitcoin is now an asset that carries a high level of risk.
Despite this, he is quite optimistic that there will be an increase in the value of the virtual currency later on in this year. In addition to this, he stated that macroeconomic inflation is a positive indication for Bitcoin. He made the following statement: “Billions of dollars that might be employed as crypto hedge capital may aid in giving a trigger in boosting back the cryptocurrency market.”
This year’s decline in the value of cryptocurrencies is not the first time that such a thing has happened. Between May and July of 2021, the cryptocurrency market experienced a decline of around 52 percent. Again in
The market continued its downward trend, shedding another 38% of its value in November 2021.
Investors’ mentalities were altered as a result of the many crashes, and as a result, they began to respond more slowly than normal.
On the other hand, there are two probable signals that indicate a fall in the cryptocurrency market, and this is what we should be keeping an eye out for this year.
Possible Warning Signs of a Crypto Market Collapse
- Negative digital asset price movement
A significant indicator of an impending market meltdown is a downward trend in the prices of digital assets.
Investors in cryptocurrencies have removed more than 101 billion USD from the market over the course of the past two weeks. According to CoinShares’ data, investors in North America are responsible for the withdrawal of 47 million USD worth of assets.
Other investors from over the world, spurred by the cations of the North American investors, began to sell off prominent cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, in addition to other assets.
While this was going on, other investors made the decision to act on Ethereum. During the course of the preceding four months, investors have extracted more than 151 million USD from Ethereum.
This sum represents more than 1.2 percent of the total asset management for Ethereum.
- A deterioration in the attitude of the client
The recent decline in the value of several cryptocurrencies is a concerning problem that is leading to a lack of confidence among investors. According to Manfred Hubner, the acting director of the behavioral analysis company Sentix, who stated that the lack of customer trust in the asset is terrible news for the cryptocurrency market as investors refrain from purchasing the medium-term investment, which is affecting the market, Manfred Hubner stated that the lack of customer trust in the asset is terrible news for the cryptocurrency market.
Additionally, he mentioned that there is a growing body of data to support the widespread interest in cryptocurrencies. All of this is made possible because to developments in technology, which have increased the number of individuals who are aware of and understand the cryptocurrency market, particularly in Africa.
This is considered as a positive indicator that will help the market recover, although some experts have warned that the market is still subject to short-term drops owing to falling client sentiment. Despite this, the market is seen as having a strong chance of recovering. https://learntal.com/best-place-to-buy-bitcoins-australia-in-2022-2/
Why Does the Price of Cryptocurrency Keep Falling?
The three primary causes that are responsible for the recent decline in the value of cryptocurrencies are listed below.
- The opinion of the public about cryptocurrencies
One of the most important factors that exerts a significant amount of effect on the cryptocurrency market is public sentiment.
One important illustration of this is when Elon Musk tweeted about dogecoin, which boosted the price of dogecoin within a few hours. Due to the extreme volatility of cryptocurrency, even a single tweet may have a significant impact on the market. When people’s attitudes are pessimistic, it may have a significant impact on the market.
- An inadequate amount of liquid assets available on the bitcoin market
It is possible for the cryptocurrency market to be liquidated. When a large number of investors sell off their holdings in their assets, the market experiences volatility.
On the cryptocurrency market, in contrast to the stock market, there are no purchasers waiting in eager anticipation to purchase coins that investors wish to liquidate. The majority of cryptocurrency crashes start or occur during the weekend or during holiday periods. when there are fewer investors interested in purchasing the coins that are currently for sale.
- A breakdown in security
A compromise in the security of one of the main cryptocurrency exchanges, such as Binance or Coinbase, might cause consumers to become fearful and, as a result, desire to sell their cryptocurrency as fast as possible. When it comes to protecting digital assets, security is of the utmost importance. There will be fewer individuals working with.
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in the event that there is no security that can be guaranteed.
Which Cryptocurrency Stocks Represent the Best Investments for the Year 2022?
The four most important cryptocurrency stocks to invest in during this year are listed below.
- BTC (Bitcoin) (BTC)
Bitcoin is both the first and now the most valued kind of cryptocurrency in circulation. It has the highest market capitalization and the most users. The value of Bitcoin is inextricably linked to that of other cryptocurrencies. It is an excellent choice for a cryptocurrency investment in the current year.
- Ethereum (ETH)
After Bitcoin, Ethereum is the second most valuable cryptocurrency, and it is the blockchain technology that Defi prefers to use. It is the cryptocurrency with the second highest market value.
- BNB Coin (Binance Coin) (BNB)
The Binance Coin is the native cryptocurrency of the Binance exchange and currently has the third-largest market cap of any cryptocurrency. Over the years, it has seen tremendous growth and has established a reputation as one of the most trustworthy coins.
- Cardano (ADA)
In contrast to Bitcoin and Ethereum, the Cardano network requires far less energy to process transactions. As a result, it is quickly becoming one of the most tempting networks to investors. Because of its improved functionality, ADA has quickly become one of the most attractive cryptocurrencies on which to make an investment in 2018.
Questions That Are Typically Asked (FAQs)
Which cryptocurrency is now the greatest one to invest in?
Looking to invest in the most profitable cryptocurrency right now? The cryptocurrency Defi Coin (DEFC) is now the one to invest in the most. Despite the fact that the value of all cryptocurrencies is falling, the DEFC coin’s price on the Defi Swap has lately increased by more than 500 percent.
In 2022, would it still be profitable to invest in Dogecoin?
According to projections made for the price of Dogecoin, the cryptocurrency is anticipated to reach $0.30 by the end of 2022 and $0.77 by the end of 2025. Therefore, it would be wise to put money into it.
Will Ethereum ever see a crash?
This year, there has been a considerable decrease in the price of Ethereum, and it is currently sliding downhill. Nevertheless, considering its position as the second most valued cryptocurrency behind Bitcoin, there is a greater possibility that it will bounce back.
Investing in a falling market is generally a good idea since it increases your chances of making a profit once the market turns around. However, while you are doing this, it is imperative that you do not move your attention away from the market analysis. You are need to do the necessary study before making any investments during this downturn.


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DOJ is working with states on antitrust investigations of tech companies
The Justice Department's antitrust leader doesn't see big tech as inherently bad, but he's still content to investigate potential wrongdoing. Division chief Makan Delrahim told guests at a Colorado tech policy conference that the DOJ was working with state attorneys general on investigations of the market influence of tech companies. He added that he didn't think the laws had to change "at this time" to pursue any possible cases, arguing that current laws were "quite flexible" and allowed "timely and aggressive enforcement.
Top state law-enforcement officials are formally launching antitrust probes into Facebook and Google starting next week, further pressuring tech giants Big Tech Probes . Here’s a look at the investigations into big technology companies. Justice Department : Investigators are conducting a
A group of state attorneys general is preparing to move forward with a joint antitrust investigation of big technology companies, according to people familiar The effort involving state attorneys general is expected to be formally launched as soon as next month, the people said. It is likely to focus on
The US Department of Justice has asked Google to provide records on past investigations, as part of its extensive probe of tech giants over possible anti-competitive practices, the internet titan said Friday.
Washington has not named the companies it has targeted in its probe -- which began in July -- but it appears directed at the likes of dominant tech players such as Google, Facebook, Twitter and Amazon.
"We have answered many questions on these issues over many years, in the United States as well as overseas, across many aspects of our business, so this is not new for us," Kent Walker, Google's senior vice president of global affairs, said in a blog post.
Google could soon face another antitrust investigation
Next week, more than half of the nation's attorneys general are expected to announce an antitrust investigation into Google, The Washington Post reports. Details on the investigation are limited, but it's yet another probe into fears that big tech has amassed too much power. Both Democrats and Republicans have expressed concerns that just a handful of companies control the internet and technology at large. Earlier this summer, a House antitrust subcommitteegrilled executives from Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google.
US tech giants Google and Facebook face growing scrutiny as authorities question how users' data is Two groups of US state attorneys general announced antitrust investigations of Facebook and Read more: Washington to Big Tech : You're on notice. Facebook's vice president for state and local
A US -China deal that lacks 'strategic trust ' could be The U . S . Justice Department is planning an antitrust investigation into Alphabet's Google subsidiary, according to several reports on Friday. President Trump has been critical of big tech , including accusing Google of political bias in its search
"The DOJ (Department of Justice) has asked us to provide information about these past investigations, and we expect state attorneys general will ask similar questions," Walker said, confirming rumors in the US media that a coalition of US states would soon launch an antitrust investigation of the group.
"We have always worked constructively with regulators and we will continue to do so," he said.
Google was "one of America's top spenders on research and development, making investments that spur innovation: Things that were science fiction a few years ago are now free for everyone," he stressed.
Lawmakers and activists have raised concerns about the growing dominance of online giants such as Google, Facebook and Amazon in key segments of the digital economy.
A coalition of US states, including New York, on Friday launched an antitrust investigation of Facebook, the first of what is expected to be a wave of action against dominant technology firms.
Uber on preliminary US investigation for potential corruption
Uber said he was collaborating on a preliminary US investigation into whether the VTC service attempted to bribe foreign officials to its international expansion.
Uber has just turned a tormented page of its history with the appointment of, that a new problem occurs. The US Department of Justice has launched a preliminary investigation against the group over whether it violated US foreign bribery laws,
repeat scandals The VTC service, founded in 2009, has rapidly expanded to 70 countries and US authorities are investigating whether this expansion could be facilitated by paying bribes to local officials. It is not established that the investigators are targeting specific countries, said the, which revealed the case. Uber assured "cooperate" with US authorities.
A new CEO who will have a hard time
This is a hot issue in addition to Dara Khosrowshahi,@dkhos was confirmed by the board of directors Tuesday. Yet he has a lot to do: the ex-boss of Expedia must tie up the teams of the group, shaken and divided after months of controversy that led to the departure of the controversial founder of Uber, Travis Kalanick. It must also restore the image of a company accused of having favored a discriminating and macho corporate culture. Excited to welcome Dara Khosrowshahi to our new CEO-looking forward to the road ahead,
Uber (@Uber)The US government also opened a criminal investigation in 2017 against Uber, suspected of having
used, a subsidiary of Google, which accuses him of stealing technology. sued by Waymo
Finally, taxis continue to lead to hard times in Uber in several countries. They accuse him of unfair competition and some governments, as in France and Germany, have started to impose stricter rules on the King of the VTC. - Article originally published on the website of.
Something to add? Say it in comment.
States ask internet search rival for evidence in antitrust probe of Google .
Texas's attorney general has sent the privacy-focused search engine DuckDuckGo a demand for documents and records as part of a multi-state antitrust probe into anti-competitive behavior by Google. © Sharaf Maksumov/ShutterstockThe legal request — a copy of which was obtained by CNN — was sent to DuckDuckGo earlier this month. It asks DuckDuckGo to reproduce any information it has provided to the Justice Department in connection with the federal agency's own Google antitrust probe.


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Update: Sony has officially confirmed their partnership with Hideo Kojima and his new studio; here are some comments from both and an announcement video is pasted in below:
From SCE President and Global CEO Andrew House:
"PlayStation®'s history is one of game innovation and great new franchises. Hideo Kojima has been a huge part of that history, and we are therefore delighted that he has chosen to bring his brand new project to life in partnership with PlayStation. We look forward to working with him on an exciting new game and warmly welcome him to the PlayStation family."
"I will be taking on a new challenge by establishing my own independent studio, and I am thrilled to be able to embark on this journey with PlayStation, who I have continued to work with all these past years. I cannot wait to deliver, with PlayStation, a game that will become a compelling franchise."
And yes, Kojima's first project will be exclusive to PlayStation 4! Can't wait to see what he'll deliver…
When Hideo Kojima turned 52 earlier this year, he swore he'd "never stop creating."
In other words, the well-documented split between the Metal Gear Solid creator and publisher Konami (which may have begun with a "power struggle" ) won't dissuade. the gaming mastermind.
And according to a new Nikkei report (with an updated translation from GameSpot ), Kojima's next step is to form a studio of his own. It seems other former Kojima Productions employees will join him on this new journey, and he's rumored to be in talks with Sony to bring his first game exclusively to the PlayStation platform. Or at least the game will debut on PS4; it might become multiplatform afterward.
Of course, as we all know by now, Konami owns the MGS rights, so Kojima will have to try something new. Not that that's a bad thing, though; the guy has been talking about spreading his wings and attempting drastically different projects for years. Well, now's the time.
By the way, yesterday, December 15, was officially Kojima's last day with Konami. Onward and upward!


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Ho-ho-ho! Christmas celebration coming to Plymouth
It might be the next best thing to visiting the North Pole.
Downtown Plymouth will be decked out in its holiday best for Christmas in Plymouth, a four-hour event intended to create a unique shopping and dining experience.
It all happens 5-9 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 8, in what has become one of downtown Plymouth's most anticipated events.
In its third year, Christmas in Plymouth is expected to draw a big crowd for an event that features holiday shopping and dining specials, shops with unique gifts, horse and carriage tours, live musical entertainment and dance shows, live reindeer and elves, cookie-decorating and, at 8:30 p.m., a community sing-along.
"The idea behind Christmas in Plymouth is to amplify the character and charm of the town and create a true shopping experience," said Heidi Parent, owner of Sun and Snow and one of the event organizers. "You'll feel like you're on the set of a classic holiday movie."
The town will be bathed in the glow of holiday lights, from the trees along Main Street to holiday displays in Kellogg Park to the park’s decorated evergreen trees.
"A wonderful night of shopping and dining is the main draw, but with horse-drawn carriages, street performers playing holiday music, live reindeer and more, the downtown businesses have essentially brought the Mackinac Island experience to metro Detroit," Parent said.
The event is intended to celebrate the holiday season while bringing residents together in places such as Kellogg Park, which is decked out with decorations.
"Plymouth as a city has many events and I think people have come to expect that. It's what makes us a vibrant community both for the residents and for visitors," Downtown Development Authority director Tony Bruscato said. "It's an opportunity to come downtown and have some fun and support the local businesses."
Parent said merchants will be ready.
"Participating merchants will be fully stocked and ready for the crowds," she said, adding that they will offer gift specials, product sampling and chances to earn gift cards to downtown stores and restaurants.
The idea behind Christmas in Plymouth is to draw people from the city and beyond to discover Plymouth and share the season's magic in the downtown setting.
Parent said Plymouth offers "a setting you'd be hard-pressed to find anywhere else in metro Detroit" with its festive decor, holiday lights and, as a focal point, Kellogg Park.
"Plymouth offers a chance to step inside a storybook," she added.


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In recent years, such research has spurred an array of proposals to make food — or at least some foods, such as those with high sugar or fat content — more expensive. But the most direct means, economists say, is to tax calories.
Abigail Okrent, an Agriculture Department researcher, and Julian Alston, a professor at the University of California at Davis, have compared various options: a fat tax, a sugar tax, a calorie tax and a general food tax.
“A calorie tax would get you the biggest bang for the buck; it’s the most direct way of taxing obesity,” Okrent said.
There are at least a couple of problems with that option, though. Nutritionists would prefer to distinguish between “good” and “bad” calories, and taxing calories might push the price of staples beyond the reach of the destitute.
“It’s probably not politically feasible,” she said.


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The quirky and stylish Z Gallerie home décor store has made its official return to Redmond after nearly a decade-long absence. The store held its grand opening Friday morning with little fanfare, allowing the boldly colored displays to speak for themselves.
The loyal followers who gathered outside said they had missed shopping in the store since its departure from .
Glenna Watson, a Realtor with , said Z Gallerie’s stylish pieces work well for staging homes she has listed to sell.
“And, they have great prices,” she said.
Z Gallerie was founded in 1979 in Sherman Oaks, Calif., by Joe Zeiden, Carole Malfatti and Mike Zeiden. The company currently operates 55 stores in 19 states. The new Redmond Town Center location is its only Washington store, but loyal Redmond shoppers said they have visited the stores in California and Arizona in recent years.
Store manager Lindsey Beard said she relocated from Houston to be part of the 10-person team operating the store. She said the company hopes to strike a chord right away with customers looking for a late-winter home décor boost.
Z Gallerie’s merchandise is eclectic and striking, featuring décor such as bejeweled domino sets, a wall filled with large art prints and mirrors, and quirky books and games, such as Dysfunctional Family Bingo. The displays are aesthetically arranged in color themes, all blended with contrasting white or black pieces.
Along with its unique mix of merchandise, Beard said Z Gallerie prides itself on customer service and is a fun place to work.
“It’s one of those places you love coming to work (at),” she said.


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Category Archives: Hacking
If you have an account with any of Ubisoft’s websites or web services, now would be a good time to change your password. The company has issued an official statement saying one of its web databases was compromised – and up to 58,000,000 accounts are affected.
Usernames, passwords, and email addresses were exposed. This is not good.
Adobe made huge waves when it announced that Creative Suite would be replaced with a new product called Creative Cloud. The move was aimed largely at stopping piracy.
So, the pirates went ahead and cracked it on release day.
Some kid who goes by the name Reckz0r and calls LulzSec ”friends” caused a stir today by claiming on Twitter and Pastebin that he hacked Xbox Live, breaching 48 million users.
Microsoft responded with, “This is a bunch of bullshit.” It’s still unclear who’s lying.
A worldwide team of highly organized criminals stole $45 million in just a few hours today by hacking a database of prepaid debit cards and then draining ATM units around the globe.
Federal authorities in New York say they’ve already made seven arrests however the heist is believed to have spanned 27 countries so it’s unlikely everyone involved will be caught.
The Wiikey group – the team behind the first Nintendo Wii mod chips - announced today that they’ve rooted the Wii U. In fact, rooted isn’t even the right word. “Owned”, more like. They did it all; cracked the drive authentication, the file system, and the disk encryption.
Nintendo has responded to the report, saying they’re not aware of a breach. But considering that these guys did it before, it would be foolish to doubt that they’ve done it again.
This is what a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack actually looks like. Wow.
A Swedish prosecutor has charged The Pirate Bay founder Gottfrid Svartholm and three others with hacking into a bank and several other companies in a bid to transfer a large sum of money that may or may not be tied to the infamous BitTorrent tracker.
It sounds like this was the real reason that Svartholm, 27, was arrested and deported from his home in Cambodia in September of last year. This sucks big time for him.
A group of Russian hackers broke the security on Ubisoft’s game launcher uPlay last night, allowing them free access to all of the games in the uPlay catalog – no DRM.
Ubisoft has temporarily shut the entire service down in response to the breach but not before the attackers stole a copy of Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon, which is apparently a finished title.
This is certainly going to be an interesting film.