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Originally published June 15, 2020, updated October 21, 2020
Welcome to the post-lockdown era, where whole industries are trying to figure out the new landscape. Have you noticed that many businesses have been creating new products or quietly adapting existing ones to the new reality? Maybe you are one of those. Others are cautiously feeling the waters and still there are those who are patiently waiting for any signs of recovery in their industries. One question we all want answers to is what will the effect of reopening on B2B eCommerce be?
In this post, we share news and updates about businesses reopening, what B2B eCommerce businesses should expect, and how to prepare for the future going forward. Make sure to sign up for updates to get new, fresh, and relevant info every week.
|This post is a part of our COVID-19 series that includes:
Reopening News and COVID-19 Updates
Just as 9/11 changed the airline industry and pushed nations to strengthen borders and beef up airport security, the COVID-19 pandemic will make a lasting impact on our lives. This old world will keep on turning and business will never be the same. Here’s where we are:
Week of October 21:
- US reports 68,000 new coronavirus cases, the biggest one-day increase since July.
- Virtually all of the rural midwest is grappling with increased infection rates.
- Federal and state unemployment aid is running out across numerous industries.
- The Canada-US border is expected to remain closed indefinitely.
- Ireland enters full lockdown as most EU countries see a second COVID wave.
- United Airlines, American, and Delta plan for a prolonged downturn for years.
- Australia, with some of the toughest restrictions, eased lockdown for Victoria.
Week of October 12:
- The world passes another milestone of 1 million new cases in three days.
- So far this year, US mortality is 280,000 higher compared to the previous five years.
- Italy reports 5,724 new coronavirus cases, biggest one-day increase since March.
- France reports 20,339 new coronavirus cases, the biggest one-day increase.
- Japan expected to lift travel bans to 12 countries including China, but not the US.
- India hits a plateau of cases and is pushing to reopen public transit and public places.
- Australia continues without any COVID deaths for the second time this month.
Week of September 28:
- Global deaths due to COVID has surpassed the 1,000,000 mark.
- 31 states have an R-value of 1 or greater, meaning the virus is quickly spreading.
- Data shows that a third wave of infections can hit the US soon.
- Jobless claims unexpectedly rise in the US as new data comes in.
- Reopening in-person classes may have caused thousands of new cases a day.
- India doubles its cases in a month, with an estimated 63 million people with the virus.
- Airlines in desperate need for another bailout to avoid cutting 100,000 jobs.
Week of September 21:
- Coronavirus is growing less deadly as doctors gain practice and drugs improve.
- California’s COVID positivity rate drops below 3% for the first time ever.
- Gates Foundation reveals world health progress set back 20 years due to COVID.
- Wisconsin breaks record for coronavirus hospitalizations as cases rise.
- Reopening in-person classes may have caused thousands of new cases a day.
- UK fears COVID will cause up to 35,000 excess cancer deaths next year.
- While India tops 5.5 million cases, new infections remain lowest in a month.
Week of September 14:
- The world has passed another milestone: 30 million coronavirus cases.
- CDC claims if all Americans wore masks, virus could be controlled in few months.
- Airlines and labor unions push for $25 billion in federal aid to preserve jobs.
- Share of positive cases in Texas higher than previously reported.
- India reports 97,856 new cases in a day, keeping the world record.
- Spain sees deadliest COVID day with 239 deaths in the past 24 hours.
- After two cases found, China plans to test 200,000 and lock down city.
Week of September 7:
- Signs of depression have tripled due to stay-at-home orders and heightened tech use.
- Canadians are less willing to fly during COVID-19 than their American counterparts.
- It’s not uncommon that AstraZeneca’s trial is put on hold, says Dr. Fauci.
- US is expected to end airport screenings for international travelers.
- Several Mexican states are running out of death certificates and are preparing more.
- Social gatherings over six are expected to be banned in England.
- India continues to be the COVID epicenter with 96,000 new cases over the past day.
What Are the Reopening Challenges for B2B eCommerce?
The pandemic is far from over and continues to shatter confidence in the economy. In a study of 200 employers with nearly 2.5 million employees, over two-thirds of respondents (64%) are facing anxiety over job security. This anxiety is translated across multiple domains. For example, manufacturers and distributors are finding it difficult to accurately plan for inventory and labor needs. Without revenue, some brands are finding it difficult to plan for reopening, particularly if they are severely impacted and cannot return to old ways of doing business.
The challenges of reopening are greater for some industries
At the same time, the pandemic taught business owners some valuable lessons. While physical stores may open soon, retailers are not planning pre-crisis levels of foot traffic. B2B sales opportunities and activities changed too. Over the last three months, digital technology has had a tremendous impact on sales. This trend will continue even when physical offices and stores are open.
Digital interactions have doubled in importance for B2B sales
Thus, another effect of reopening on B2B eCommerce will mean more opportunity to capture markets formerly held by brick-and-mortars.
4 Ways Reopening Affects B2B eCommerce
Investment into physical health assurances will be required
Manufacturers, distributors, warehouses and other B2B eCommerce businesses maintaining a physical presence will need to adopt cleanliness protocols as part of their KPIs. Businesses will need to establish these metrics and share performance with employees. This includes responsibilities and duties around cleanliness, disinfection, and inspection.
Physical businesses will need to invest in new disinfection processes that maintain hygiene. This could mean hand-washing, temperature checks, or introducing PPE (personal protective equipment). For equipment, it could mean new cleaning procedures for machinery For leaders, it could mean reinforcing behaviors, conducting regular health and safety meetings and reviews.
Facility managers are evaluating workplaces, including upgrades to the ventilation system, air filtration systems, and modifications to the workplace like minimizing touchpoints and accommodating social distancing mandates. All this may impact the cost of finished goods for B2B eCommerce businesses.
Technology will play a larger role in B2B eCommerce
Individualization of work
Social distancing measures will force on-location B2B eCommerce employees to utilize their own equipment and maintain spatial awareness. There will be fewer shared computers, more shift rotations, and minimized in-person interactions, including less travel. These accommodations will be localized and complying with guidelines, recommendations or policies for each location will be a challenge for businesses that operate in multiple locations.
The crisis introduced new ways of thinking and operating for businesses that hadn’t previously embraced the concept of working remotely. Remote working was made easier as tools like Microsoft Teams, Gsuite, Zoom, and Slack enabled employees to maintain communication channels and collaborate effectively. As working remotely becomes the norm, HR will optimize talent pools well suited for the remote-only office.
The COVID-19 pandemic boosted interest in job automation, particularly in B2B eCommerce. Manufacturers, distributors, and retailers are beginning or restarting their digital transformation initiatives. Whether it’s robotics, contactless technology, or AI to minimize human-to-human contact, the move to automation will continue into the future.
Effect of reopening: B2B eCommerce supply chain flexibility
Resilient supply chains
The pandemic clearly demonstrated weakness in global supply chains. Many brands have already seized the opportunity to manufacture, distribute, and deliver essential products by repurposing supply chains. In order to remain relevant and to build a better relationship between partners, businesses will need to demonstrate reassurances within their supply chains. Look for companies to develop parallel and duplicate chains to improve resilience.
On-demand and insourcing
Flexibility will become a priority. To adapt to volatile demand and supply numbers, companies will further explore on-demand warehouse providers as an alternative to 3PL services. Similarly, businesses that have outsourced their fulfillment through large, international packers may explore bringing some capacity in-house, even if it means additional investments.
Greater last-mile control
Those who saw increased demand during the crisis recognized the importance of streamlining the last mile. Brands will seek to add more fulfillment options to their networks or utilize underused warehouses or locations as mini-fulfillment centers. Physical B2Bs will be more open to using their stores as warehouses: for both holding inventory and as an additional fulfillment channel.
Business Customers Have New Expectations
Prepare for the long-term
Economists predict that customer demands will rebound slowly, and customer habits set today are likely to outlast the immediate crisis. For example, Chinese shoppers have continued to rely on eCommerce long after the crisis subsided. Similarly, B2B eCommerce companies in the manufacturing, distribution and warehousing sectors that reacted quickly experienced growth, not contraction.
Role of physical stores
As brick-and-mortar B2Bs reopen, their relationship with B2B eCommerce will change. Physical stores will change to adapt to the digital experience. BOPUS (buy online pick up in store) is already offered at many locations and will increase in popularity. More brands will leverage geolocation and AI technology to offer omnichannel experiences.
New customer values
During the pandemic, we learned that consumers, including B2B customers value products and services that reduce their anxiety and risks while providing safety. For B2B sellers, this means adjusting their market and distribution model, holding direct conversations with industry leaders, and focusing on their most valuable customers and their changing needs.
Effect of Reopening on B2B eCommerce & Beyond
Start embracing uncertainty
During uncertain economic times (think 2000 and 2008) survivors think like start-ups. Embrace quick decision making and execution and emulate the lean companies around you. Innovate quickly and act on opportunities as they arise. As nations reopen, the most innovative and agile-thinking businesses are best positioned to react to changing customer needs.
Recognize and meet new demands
It’s hard to make many educated guesses about what customers will demand right now. One news cycle can change everything. Luxury goods have not started their recovery and demand is still high for PPE supplies. Steady demand for sanitizer benefited major personal care players, alcohol producers, and chemical companies. Anheuser-Busch InBev utilized its breweries to create disinfectants from surplus alcohol and continues to donate them to the most impacted hospitals and frontline workers.
Accelerate digital initiatives
For some B2B eCommerce retailers, the rapid increase in sales caught them ill-prepared, others were able to weather the storm smoothly. One French manufacturer and distributor of garden products, for example, has set up their eCommerce business for both B2B and B2C. As a result, they were able to maintain sales on-line with their B2B customers, even as in-person B2C sales fell while their physical locations were closed and consumers were forced to stay-at-home.
Is Your B2B Commerce Business Ready for Reopening?
A reopening won’t mean reverting to old ways. The economy is different, employees have adapted to new ways of working, and your customers have new concerns and expectations. These changes may be here to stay. B2B eCommerce businesses that continue to innovate through the crisis, who anticipate customer changes, habits, and requirements will build stronger relationships. For some it will be a reinvention and a revisioning and for others will be a brand new beginning.
This post will be updated with more information as soon as it becomes available.


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Multi-megabit wireless-data speeds promised by Mobile WiMAX and by other wireless technologies will drive carrier revenue growth as the voice market matures, consumers demand a desktop-like Internet experience on the go, and suppliers embed wireless chips in everyday devices such as digital cameras, top industry executives said here during CTIA Wireless 2008.
With that potential in mind, suppliers such as Nokia, Motorola and Samsung unveiled WiMAX devices in anticipation of the second-quarter launch of an IP-based Mobile WiMAX network by Sprint in Baltimore, Chicago and Washington.
The devices include Nokia’s Web-browsing N810 WiMAX Edition, an Internet tablet with Wi-Fi, touchscreen and slide-out QWERTY keyboard due in time for Sprint’s launch at an unannounced price. The product will be sold to retailers and on Nokia’s Web site, said Nokia North America president Mark Louison.
For its part, Samsung introduced the tablet-style Q1 ultra-mobile PC (UMPC) with 7-inch touchscreen, Vista Home Premium OS and small QWERTY keyboard split down the middle with keys on the left and right sides of the screen. The dual-band device operates in the U.S. 2.5GHz band and foreign 2.3GHz band. It will be available in the summer.
For other portable computing devices, Samsung introduced the 2.5GHz-band SWC-E100 Express Card modem, due in June with peak download speeds of 10Mbps and peak upload speeds of 3Mbps. It will be followed later in the second half by a dual-band 2.3/2.5GHz card.
In WiMAX PC Cards, Motorola showed a dual-band 2.3/2.5GHz model already available in other countries. A home modem available in 2.3GHz, 2.5GHz or 3.5GHz versions features embedded VoIP technology to deliver Internet calling through an analog residential phone plugged into it. A desktop 2.5GHz WiMAX modem, shaped like a small black cube, connects to multiple PCs via embedded Wi-Fi. It also features VoIP and phone jack and is available for shipment.
Meantime, carrier AT&T Mobility stressed that it will evolve its HSPA (high-speed packet access) network to accelerate data rates to devices from the current peak of 3.6Mbps to 7.2Mbps by late this year or early 2009. The carrier will further accelerate HSPA speeds to 21Mbps or 28Mbps around 2010, said Kristin Rinne, AT&T’s architecture and planning senior VP. Those speeds would roughly match peak WiMAX rates expected to exceed 20Mbps.
Such speeds will further accelerate consumers’ growing preference for what Arun Sarin, CEO of global carrier Vodafone, called consumers’ preference to “communicate in new ways,” including texting, instant messaging and social networking.
Carrier investments in high-speed data, including HSPA and LTE [Long Term Evolution], are needed to satisfy consumer demand for a “mobile Internet similar to the PC Internet” and to meet demand for using PC applications on mobile phones, he added during a keynote speech.
In a separate keynote, Sprint Nextel president/CEO Dan Hesse said multi-megabit upload and download speeds will enable “real-time visual social networking on mobile devices” and video streaming to back-seat car video systems.
AT&T Mobility president/COO Ralph de la Vega pointed out that U.S. wireless penetration exceeded 85 percent of the U.S. population at the end of 2007 and that wireless data could drive penetration rates beyond 100 percent “if we put wireless in devices,” including more laptops. Verizon Wireless president/CEO Lowell McAdam pointed to wireless chips embedded in digital cameras that would send pictures direct to photo-sharing sites.
LTE and future WiMAX evolutions promise peak speeds up to 100Mbps, AT&T’s Rinne told TWICE.

domain: news


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For the past few of E3s (since 2012 to be exact) Nintendo haven’t held a conventional press conference and this year is no different. This year they will be reaching out to fans directly with livestreams and Nintendo direct style videos via their Nintendo Spotlight. This will be broadcast on 13th June at 9am PDT / 5pm BST.
So here’s what we hope to see from Nintendo at E3 this year.
It has already been confirmed that there will be a Splatoon 2 tournament being held at the Nintendo E3 booth this year, so it would make sense that we would get some more info about the game. It hasn’t been confirmed on what form the tournament will take but it will give us a good insight into what the game will have to offer.
Super Mario Odyssey
The next Mario game, due out Christmas time for the Switch see Mario exploring a plethora of strange new worlds. Nintendo have boasted that this game will take on a 3D sand-box style much like Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine. Hopefully we get more details about the game and a release date.
Mario + Rabbids
we’ll hopefully get some more information about this mystery game either during the Ubisoft conference or during the Nintendo spotlight. Rumour has it that the game will be an RPG which could be interesting. Let’s hope we get some more information during the Spotlight.
True the console is out already but Nintendo have promised they will be focussing heavily on their new console over E3, maybe we’ll get some new game announcements. We also may get some information on any updates the console will receive later down the line.
This would be a great announcement. We haven’t seen a new Samus led Metriod for a fair old while! Here’s hoping that we get a brand new title for the Switch.
New Smash Bros and Mario Kart
With a new console comes a new Smash Bros and a new Mario Kart. Smash bros maybe more likely this E3 as the Switch has only just received the deluxe version of Mario Kart 8. Judging by the current character roster in Mario Kart 8 however, I wouldn’t be surprised if they announced a Smash Bros Karting.
Breath Of The Wild DLC Info
It would be interesting to see if they will give us a preview of the new Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild DLC coming out this year. I wouldn’t be surprised if they gave us at least a trailer to whet our appetites.
That’s it for our prediction for Nintendo’s Spotlight over E3. For more E3 coverage this year, check our E3 2017 tag.


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PARIS: Starwood Capital Group LLC of the United States has reached an agreement with the French hotel and champagne group Taittinger to buy out its business in a deal worth about €1.2billion (£834m).
The US property and hotel investment group will now own the 14 luxury hotels that were the pride of the Taittinger group. These hotels include the Crillon and the Lutetia in Paris as well as the Martinez in Cannes. Starwood also gains control over the Campanile and Première Classe economy chains. The group said that its main interest was in the Société du Louvre, the second-largest hotel network in Europe rather than the champagne business of Taittinger. Hence, Starwood would sell that arm of business as soon as it found appropriate buyers. To this effect, Barry Sternlicht, Starwood’s chairman and chief executive sought help to find buyers for the champagne business, “We welcome the Taittinger family’s advice and counsel as we work to ensure that the company’s prized champagne business finds an appropriate home,” he commented.
However, as a part of the deal, the Taittinger family could try to buy back the champagne business if it felt inclined to do so. However, there would be a race with drinks group Pernod Ricard, which has evinced an interest in the champagne business.
Starwood has brought 65 per cent of Groupe Taittinger under which it also gets a 44 percent stake in the hotel business. The group said that it would also launch a bid to buy out the remaining shares from firms, which are listed in Paris.
The Société du Louvre has also got a majority stake in Baccarat crystal, the luxury goods brand. Commenting on the future plans for the hotel chain, Mr. Sternlicht said, “We look forward to building on the company’s proud heritage by growing its economy hotel business in France and into new markets, particularly Eastern Europe.” It is rumored that he is planning to invest €100 million in order to upgrade the 14 luxury hotels.


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US beverage milk sales stand at about half of what they once were in the 1980s, but fast forward to 2016 and many household refrigerators no longer include dairy milk. What has taken conventional milk’s place is milk alternatives like almond, rice, and soy milks.
BCC Research says the rise in consumption of milk alternatives can be attributed to a major shift in diet preferences such as veganism, dairy-free alternative diets driven by health concerns, lactose intolerances and other dairy allergies.
People prefer plants
"More consumers may be choosing plant-based options either because of personal preference or because of recommendations from health or nutrition professionals," says BCC Research analyst Shalini Dewan.
A recent survey by Pollock Communications in partnership with Today’s Dietician asked 1,700 registered dieticians (RDs) what they thought the biggest food trends were for 2017 and 59% of RDs said consumers are choosing to “eat clean” by incorporating more plant-based food and beverages.
"Consumers continue to seek plant-based beverages. At the same time, they are becoming more interested in plant-based options for milk that offer great taste combined with the nutrients that can be found in cow's milk. According to a survey of the American Dietetic Association in September 2012, 87% of dietitians recommend a plant-based diet to some or most of their patients and 70% of those dietitians say that a plant-based diet is nutrient rich."
Almond takes the lead in rate of growth
BCC Research compared growth figures on the three largest milk alternative category: soy, almond, and rice milks. Of those three milk alternatives, almond milk is expected to grow at a CAGR of 15.8% to reach $1.8bn in 2019, compared to $886.8m in 2014.
Soy milk represents the largest portion of the milk alternatives segment, accounting for $4.4bn, but it will grow at slightly slower pace of 12.5% CAGR, reaching $8bn in 2019. The third largest category, rice milk, is projected to have a five-year CAGR of 14.4% to $571.9m in 2019, up from $291.8m in 2014.
Other milk-alternative categories such as coconut milk, oat milk, and hemp milk are still in their infancy, BCC Research said, but are expected to keep up with the pace of almond milk, growing at 15.9% CAGR.
Asia-Pacific held the highest market share (50.4%) of the global milk-alternatives market in 2013. The North American market held the second-largest share (30.6%), with the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) market accounting for remaining 19% market share.


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VR has been around for a few years with big players like Google and Sony developing their own devices and FACEBOOK’s Oculus Rift. And obviously someone had to think of a way to use VR for …sex. A Japanese firm has created a “full body virtual interface” to help the wearer simulate sex. The ”Illusion VR” combines a full body suit and a sex toy to give users a “full package” of sexual pleasure, without any need for another human being.
The Illusion System pairs a Samsung Gear VR headset with a haptic feedback suit, meant to simulate the feeling of human touch. It even comes with a pair of female “attachments” to aid in reality. One goes where you might expect for a male user, while the other nestles just under the user’s chest, letting him fondle fake breasts.
According to the Mirror Tenga of Japan developed the Illusion available for a mere $400 but getting hold of one may be difficult, as the suits are apparently entirely sold out. This product appeared online in April so there is a chance that this is no more than an April Fools’ gag.
But this would be far from the first VR sex aid to make an appearance since virtual reality became more viable. And even if it’s not a real product, this might be the most cumbersome, time-consuming way to stimulate yourself. It currently takes a lot of time and effort to get into the suit.
There has been early iterations of VR technology applied to physical stimulation; a company called Kiiroo has been promoting a similar virtual reality sex aid which synchronize with 180-degree porn videos. They’re not as tactile as the Illusion VR system, but clearly immersive VR sex is coming at a store near you.
One interesting aspect of the suit, brought up by IR, is the impact such a system could have on prostitution. If people can get their fix for human companionship at home, perhaps they’ll be less prone to seek illicit methods to achieve it? Would you opt for VR sex or sex robots ?
Source : TheMirror UK


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EcoWatch Daily Newsletter
Related Articles from EcoWatch
Recent Stories from EcoWatch
Though electric vehicle (EV) sales surged by 84 percent last year and the U.S. government recently prioritized $50 million for their advancement, skepticism remains regarding their long-distance viability.
Tesla Motors sought to dispel that leeriness this weekend by driving two Model S sedans from New York City to Los Angeles using only the company's scattered supercharger stations along the way to power the vehicles. The result was an astounding 76-hour journey that put the usability of EVs on display for the entire world.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk visited CBS This Morning this week to discuss the milestone and what EVs will mean to the future of transportation.
Visit EcoWatch’s TRANSPORTATION page for more related news on this topic.


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Bajaj Qute to finally ply on Indian roads?
The 2012 Auto Expo was when we first saw the production version of the Bajaj Qute, the country's first quadricycle. Powered by a fuel injected, 216cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine the Qute offers 13.2PS and has a top speed limited to 70kmph, and was expected to effectively replace the humble three-wheeled autorickshaw. In fact, the Qute is properly modern in terms of technology and uses Bajaj Auto's patented triple spark plug technology just like the Pulsar and is also a lot safer than autorickshaws, boasting monocoque construction and a high-tensile steel body.
The Bajaj Qute, India's first quadricycle is expected to go on sale in the near future thanks to a revision in vehicular norms to include quadricycles
It looks like the time for the Qute and other quadricycle to ply on our roads is finally here, as the Government is expected to update vehicular regulations to include quadricycles shortly. Rajiv Bajaj was hoping the Qute will revolutionise what is today known as 'last mile commuting', but Government norms have been the spanner in the works, as until now there were no regulations for quadricycles. Bajaj Auto has thus been manufacturing the Qute at its Pune plant and exporting it abroad, while also awaiting a change in regulations that will enable it to be sold in India. Quadricycles are believed to be an excellent solution for our clogged roads, especially the Delhi-NCR region as also cities like Mumbai and Bangalore.
The Bajaj Qute is properly modern with a monocoque construction and high tensile steel body, and Rajiv Bajaj, MD, Bajaj Auto believes it will revolutionise public transport in the country
What's more, with its displacement of just over 200cc the Qute is also expected to be as efficient as a motorcycle, as its ARAI certified fuel efficiency stands at an impressive 36kmpl. Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways is expected to make the regulations for quadricycles official in the coming weeks. This should also provide further impetus to other manufacturers like Mahindra who showcased its UDO and ATOM concepts at the 2018 Auto Expo, apart from Tata Motors who is also believed to be working on last mile connectivity solutions for urban cities.
Also see: Bajaj Qute First Drive Video
Starts Rs 2.48 Lakhs
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The prayers of so many portable poultry fans may finally be answered.
McDonald’s Snack Wrap, the discontinued menu item that has captured the hearts of so many fans clamoring for its return, may be on its way back. Which means the “is snack wrap back at McDonald’s?” social media account may finally be able to tweet “yes” in the not-so-distant future.
McDonald’s said during its investor day on Dec. 6 that it plans to expand the footprint of the McCrispy, its “Southern-style fried chicken sandwich” with pickles served on a buttered potato roll, by offering it around the world by the end of 2025. In tandem with this plan, it hopes to eventually expand the McCrispy into wraps and tenders.
“In the U.S. business, we have three really strong chicken brands between McChicken, Chicken McNuggets and obviously McCrispy,” Joe Erlinger, president of McDonald’s USA, said on Wednesday. “But (with) McCrispy, we’re in the early days, really building that brand and so looking forward. Will we eventually have a crispy tender? Yes. And will that allow us to eventually have a McCrispy Snack Wrap? Yes. But we’re still in the early days of doing that.”
McDonald’s reiterated this intention in a Dec. 6 press release, adding that it plans on growing to 50,000 stores by 2027, as it tests its new space-themed, beverage-focused restaurant concept: CosMc’s. The chain also said that the size of its chicken business is on par with beef, and it continues to “aggressively expand through billion-dollar equities including McNuggets, McChicken, McCrispy and McSpicy,” which include tenders and wraps.
The original Snack Wrap, which came with grilled or crispy chicken and ranch or honey mustard sauce, has been off McDonald’s menus since 2016, when news of its discontinuation sent shockwaves through the internet. In the time since, people on social media have been begging the chain to bring it back.
i act like i’m okay but deep down inside…. i miss mcdonald’s snack wrap
— shelby (@smalynnex) December 21, 2022
Ever since its discontinuation, McDonald’s competitors have attempted to fill the Snack Wrap-sized hole in the hearts of the public. In March, Wendy’s introduced a Grilled Chicken Ranch Wrap; in July, Taco Bell brought back the Crispy Chicken Taco (which “tastes VERY similar to a McDonald’s snack wrap,” tweeted one fan); and in August, Burger King launched BK Royal Crispy Wraps (available in Classic, Spicy and Honey Mustard flavors) for a limited time.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com


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INDIANAPOLIS - Hundreds of entrepreneurs will flock to Indianapolis Sept. 8-9 for the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) conference, to be held for the first time in the Circle City.
RTV6 reporter Kara Kenney found the number of women-owned businesses is on the rise in central Indiana.
"We're the largest (NAWBO) chapter in the nation," said Carol Curran, who owns an IT company in Indianapolis. "It says we're doing something right."
Curran said the climate is "growing" when it comes to women-owned businesses, though records show they're still in the minority.
Numbers show women-owned firms make up approximately 27 percent of Indiana-based businesses.
Nationally, more than 9.1 million businesses are owned by women, employing 8 million people and generating $1.4 trillion in sales as of 2014.
Nationwide, women-owned firms account for 30 percent of all privately held firms and contribute 14 percent of employment and 11 percent of revenues, according to NAWBO spokeswoman Denise Herd.
Still, Curran said, resources provided by organizations like NAWBO and the Indy Chamber are necessary.
"It's an absolute must for those starting out to have the resources and know who to go to, where to go to," she said.
Julie Grice, VP of entrepreneur services for the Indy Chamber, said micro lending, mentoring, training and other resources are helping women succeed when they start a business.
"While someone might have the technical expertise in a particular field or they think they have enough money, there is a lot of knowledge that goes behind how exactly do I start a business?" Grice said. "What do I do to get registered, what do I do about banking, insurance?"
Patty Prosser -- who owns a downtown human resources consulting company -- said she has needed few outside resources, if any.
Prosser said relationships are key.
"Indianapolis is a relationship town," she said. "It's as much about how you build those relationships as it is that you're good at what you do."
Prosser said she has noticed zero discrimination in the industry.
"If you're really good at what you do, and you're really confident about the products and services you offer, it doesn't matter if you're a male or female," she said.
Kenney sought a man's perspective, and Mr. Kim Brand -- who runs a 3-D printing company -- said the playing field is as even as it's ever been.
"We need more entrepreneurs," Brand said. "As far as I'm concerned, women, men, smart people, risk takers, I don't care what the package looks like."
All of the entrepreneurs who spoke with Kenney agreed the future is bright in central Indiana, whether the company is run by a he or a she.
"It's robust; it's going in the right direction," Curran said.


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Parents play a major role in shaping their children’s attitudes about debt, saving and spending. But 15- to 25-year-olds have a sizeable impact on their parents’ spending behavior, particularly when it comes to technology, according to a survey conducted by InSites Consulting and MTV.
51% say they influence the technology their parents’ adopt.
41% say they influence their parents’ purchase of products and services.
31% say they influence their parents’ decisions on where to shop.
So what appeals to the Gen Y market? Survey respondents listed the five most important characteristics for a brand or product as:
1. Up to date
2. Own style
5. Clean reputation
Coolness and trendiness ranked much farther down the list, which indicates Gen Y’ers are looking for substance over form, and originality instead of cookie-cutter style. If you can manage to present an authentic image that meets those demands, maybe they’ll talk their parents into giving your product or service a shot.


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Church's Chicken® Names Performance Food Group Company (PFG) as Exclusive Distributor
Added 04-16-21 03:04:02pm EST - “In a move to further streamline operations and provide consistently high quality distribution services across its domestic system of restaurants, Church's Chicken” - Finance.yahoo.com
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ATLANTA, April 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In a move to further streamline operations and provide consistently high quality distribution services across its domestic system of restaurants, Church's Chicken® has selected Performance Food Group Company (PFG) as its exclusive distributor in the United States. The decision was made after an exhaustive review of potential candidates by Church's leadership and quality assurance teams, with the stated goal of unifying nationwide operations under a single provider. PFG is scheduled to begin taking over distribution for regions still serviced by other providers beginning in June, and will continue to be the provider going forward through the rest of 2021 through 2026.
"Quality and a reliable supply chain are vital to our business at Church's," said Randy Lawrence, Senior Vice President of Global Supply Chain and Quality Assurance for the brand. "In working with various divisions of PFG in different locations across the country, we knew that they understood our expectations in terms of sourcing and providing the high quality of product we insist upon for our guests. As we examined the additional value and economies of scale PFG could deliver on a nationwide level, it became clear they were the right partner for helping us meet our goals as we continue to grow and expand in the future."
The new relationship between Church's and PFG will be organized under PFG's Customized Division, which specializes in tailor-made distribution services for restaurants. PFG also provides similar services to numerous major restaurant chains. Individual PFG divisions have also previously worked with Church's for more than 35 years and have routinely been responsible for an average of $250 million in food distribution for the brand and its restaurants.
"We are looking forward to delivering positive results for our franchisees as part of this new relationship," added Lawrence. "PFG is already working to provide a smooth transition so we may continue to serve our guests with pride, down-home-style food, and genuine hospitality."
About Church's Chicken®Founded in San Antonio, Texas, in 1952 by George W. Church, Church's Chicken® is one of the largest quick-service restaurant chicken chains in the world. Church's® specializes in Original and Spicy Chicken freshly prepared throughout the day in small batches that are hand-battered and double-breaded, Tender Strips®, Honey-Butter Biscuits™ made from scratch and freshly baked, and classic, homestyle sides all for a great value. Church's® (along with its sister brand Texas Chicken® outside the Americas) has more than 1,500 locations in 25 countries and international territories. With system-wide sales of more than $1 billion, the system had a recording-breaking year in 2019. During two national media windows the brand drove sales performance that outpaced the broader QSR category. For more information, visit www.churchs.com. Follow Church's® on Facebook at www.facebook.com/churchschicken and Twitter at www.twitter.com/churchschicken.
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WinMedia has selected Pine Creek Tech of New Delhi as its exclusive distributor in India.
Under the agreement, the company will distribute the full range of WinMedia products in the country, where WinMedia says it has been expanding its business ties.
WinMedia’s recent Indian projects include an installation for Airtel Digital TV in which the firm delivered an end-to-end programming and automation system. The direct-broadcast satellite service provider, explains WinMedia, delivers 16 radio channels to 20 million subscribers of its iMusicSpace interactive service, which is available on multiple platforms.
“We are confident Pine Creek Tech will help us expand our presence in the Indian market,” said Cedric Seguin, WinMedia sales manager for Asia Pacific. “They have an outstanding reputation in the business and they have the experience and expertise to support our technology.”


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Marketers Love ‘Power Moms’
Every once a while,Â advertisers sit down and decide who the next target demographic will be. I think they throw darts at groups of adjectives and nouns and hope that one of theirÂ combinations sounds catchy. I guess they are trying to determine the newest group of trendsetters out there. And guess what Mamas? You’re it!Â At least for the next couple of months.
According to The Washington Post, marketers newest target audience are mothers, specifically those with smartphones. Apparently, moms are snapping up iPhones faster than any other demographic and they spend more time on their devices than the average user. So the plugged-in mom is now officially a trend.
What’s even better for marketers is that smartphones give them more access than ever before to moms’ browsing and spending habits. Those handheld devices tell advertisers what sites you visit, how long you look at them and what type of money you spend on them. Companies like Proctor & Gamble, AT&T and Disney have all commissioned studies to determine how to capitalize on “Power Moms”.
While the abundance of smartphones is new, the fact that moms control their family’s spending is not a recent discovery. For years now, marketers have switched their focus to mothers who normally control most of the discretionary spending in their household. Utilizing smartphones to gather information is just the next logical step in this process.
So Power Moms, we’ll try not to let this new moniker go to our heads. After all, in a couple years, advertisers will realize that our teenagers all have cell phones. Then, they won’t worry about us at all.


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AAA Study Debunks Premium Gasoline
According to a recent study by the American Automobile Association, AAA, there is absolutely no benefit in using premium fuel in a vehicle that only requires regular. Today nearly 16.5 million drivers in the U.S. use premium gasoline in non-performance vehicles, literally wasting their money needlessly. On average a gallon of premium costs 18% more than regular. Multiply that over the course of a year, per driver, per vehicle, and we're talking billions of dollars (nearly $2.1 billion in 2015).
The researchers behind the study tested 87 octane and 93 octane fuel in various makes and models of non-performance vehicles. These cars and trucks were graded on performance, emissions, and fuel economy. The results were clear, there was absolutely no benefit in using the higher octane gasoline. “Drivers see the ‘premium’ name at the pump and may assume the fuel is better for their vehicle,” said John Nielsen, AAA’s managing director of Automotive Engineering and Repair, “premium gasoline is higher octane, not higher quality.”
This test was conducted on four, six, and eight cylinder engines which were designed to use regular-grade gasoline. These types of vehicles make up 70% of the cars on the road in the U.S. today. "There's a good portion of vehicles that actually require premium fuel based on their engine design," says Greg Brannon, AAA's Director of Automotive Engineering. "Open that owner's manual, the most informative and most unread piece of documentation relevant to your car," says Brannon. "Understand what type of fuel that your vehicle requires and follow those recommendations."
Even more interesting is that the study found that using "Top Tier" fuel (a standard set by gas retailers and automakers) can result in "19 times fewer engine deposits, increase vehicle performance, and improve fuel economy," even at low octane.
So, before you reach for the pump next time, reach in your glove box and see what kind of gas your car needs. There's no reason to burn your money on unnecessarily high octane fuel.


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Bias still seems entrenched in some sectors of the HR world, according to a new survey...read more
A report of the UK’s top retailers finds 69% have no women in their top three positions despite women making up most of the workforce.
A study of over 200 retailers by the British Retail Consortium (BRC), PwC and MBS Group reveals that 69% of them have only men in their top three leadership positions.
More than one in five retailers have no women on their boards, and 15% have no women on their executive committees. This is despite women making up 58% of the retail workforce. Black or ethnic minority executives make up only 4.5% of retail boards, compared with 12.5% of the general UK population.
The report has prompted over 50 retailers, including John Lewis, Asda and Sainsbury’s to pledge “decisive action” to improve diversity. Alongside Morrison’s, WHSmith and Boots, they have signed up to the Diversity and Inclusion charter drawn up by the BRC to pledge their commitment to address the issue.
Katy Bennett, director for inclusion and diversity consulting at PwC UK, said: “It’s very encouraging to see so many retail companies committed to improving their diversity and inclusion at a time when issues surrounding gender, race and ethnicity in the workplace are in sharp focus.”


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SOUTHEND has been named as one of the most expensive places to holiday in the UK, according to a bookings website.
Cheaprooms.co.uk carried out a survey of the most costly hotels at seaside resorts in the country, and Southend has made the top 20.
According to the survey, an average hotel in the borough will set holidaymakers back £71 a night during August.
St. Ives in Cornwall and Tenby in Wales topped the list, with average prices of £123 and £107 respectively.
A spokesman for Cheaprooms.co.uk said: “The prices shown reflect the average daily rate for each destination’s cheapest available double room (minimum: 3-star hotel, guest house or B&B) for the time period spanning August 2014.”
The likes of Whitby in North Yorkshire, Oban in Scotlannd, and Falmouth in Cornwall were some of the locations on the list.
No other seaside resorts in Essex made the final cut.


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Consumer Council for Water
Only 1 in 4 households aware of option to trial a water meter
Hundreds of thousands of households could be missing out on lower water bills because they are unaware they can trial a meter for up to two years, the Consumer Council for Water (CCWater) has warned.
The consumer watchdog is concerned only one in four water customers in England and Wales who pay fixed charges know they can trial a meter and switch back for free if they don’t save money or decide it’s not for them.1
The findings emerged from CCWater’s Water Matters survey, which also showed that one in eight water customers felt their water bills were not affordable.
CCWater is now urging customers to use its online water meter calculator to see whether they might be better off switching to a meter, before taking the plunge.
Andy White, Senior Policy Manager at the Consumer Council for Water (CCWater), said: “Water meters will not benefit everyone but we know that in some cases households can save more than £100 a year. Even the smallest saving could make all the difference to customers who are struggling to make ends meet.”
“Almost everyone who opts for a meter chooses to stick with it, but many customers need that assurance they can switch back anytime within the trial period.”
As a general rule of thumb, it’s worth considering a water meter if a household has more or the same number of bedrooms than people living in the property.
CCWater’s water meter calculator has helped almost 270,000 consumers identify potential annual savings totalling more than £14.5 million during the past year.
It can be found at www.ccwater.org.uk along with many more water and money saving tips and tools.
The trial option is not available to customers who live in parts of Southern and South East England where water companies are introducing compulsory metering.
For more information or to arrange an interview with a CCWater consumer expert please contact the press office on 0121 345 1005/1006.
Notes For Editors
- The same occupier who requested a meter is allowed to switch back to unmeasured charges for free within two years. But the water meter is not removed from the property and metered charges would apply to all future occupiers.
- The Water Matters survey has been commissioned by CCWater since 2006 to assess customers’ changing views over time on water and sewerage services.
- A total of 5,420 telephone interviews were carried out with water and sewerage bill payers across England and Wales, between 10 October 2016 and 15 January 2017. At least 200 interviews were conducted with customers of each water and sewerage company and 150 with customers of each water-only company. Seven water companies took up the option to boost their sample size.
Latest News from
Consumer Council for Water
Small businesses need more help understanding new water market04/08/2017 09:20:00
Many small businesses still need more help understanding the new non-household retail water market in England, according to the Consumer Council for Water (CCWater).
How does your water company measure up?31/07/2017 09:20:00
Ever wondered how your water company compares to others on price and customer service – or how it spends your hard-earned cash?
STATEMENT: Price Review must be focused on customer priorities12/07/2017 10:20:00
The Consumer Council for Water says the next Price Review (PR19) must be focused on delivering what customers want, including acceptable bills.
Households in Wales more satisfied with their water company than in England21/06/2017 12:10:00
Households in Wales are more likely to be satisfied with the service they get from their water company than customers in England, a new survey by the Consumer Council for Water (CCWater) has found.


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In 2009, San Francisco made recycling and composting a requirement for all businesses and homes. It passed the first mandatory composting law in the United States. San Francisco also ban the use of environmentally harmful objects, such as cashier bags and foam plastic.
Ultimately, San Francisco’s goal is zero waste. This means that the recycling, composting, recycling and reducing consumption, so as not to have anything into a landfill or incineration.
The United States used to transfer a lot of its plastic waste to China for recycling. But last year, China has banned the import of waste. The policy is known as the “national blade”, shocked the American public. The plastic waste industry has just dried up; leading to a lot of plastic ending up in landfills, despite consumers’ good intentions.
Where do I Recycle
Bottles and Cans – Aluminum, glass, plastic, and bi-metal beverage containers are subject to California Redemption Value (CRV), and you can get paid 5 cents for containers less than 24 ounces, and 10 cents for containers 24 ounces or larger.
E-Waste – Did you know it is illegal to put electronic devices in the trash?
Tires – If you have waste tires for recycling, for a fee, you can drop them off at Recology, 501 Tunnel Avenue, San Francisco.
Used Oil – One gallon of motor oil can pollute up to 1 million gallons of water!


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Top delivery service apps join force to make foray into Southeast Asia
SEOUL, AJU - In a major deal that could change the landscape of food delivery services, the operators of South Korea's two biggest food delivery service apps, Baedal Minjok and Yogiyo, joined hands through the acquisition of shares to make an overseas foray first into Southeast Asian countries, based on their advanced know-how the two rivals have accumulated through competition.
Delivery Hero (DH), a Berlin-based online food-delivery service which runs Yogiyo, agreed on Friday to acquire an 87 percent stake held by foreign and domestic investors in Woowa Brothers, the operator of Baedal Minjok. The remaining 13 percent held by Woowa CEO Kim Bong-jin and other executives will be converted later into a stake in DH's head office.
Details on financial terms were not given, but unconfirmed reports said that DH put Woowa's corporate value at $4 billion. It's not a unilateral deal as Baedal Minjok and Yogiyo will retain independent services and brand names at home in a strategy to increase consumer convenience while maintaining a competitive system. Woowa can be listed on the Frankfurt stock market in Germany.
The two companies agreed to set up an equally owned joint venture in Singapore. As one of DH's three global advisory committee members, Kim will head the joint venture and take charge of DH's businesses in 11 Asian countries.
They would create a $50 million innovation fund to support the development of domestic technology ventures in the food technology sector. Market research and consulting will be given when domestic restaurants make inroads into foreign markets.
Foreign investors in Woowa include Hillhouse Capital Group, an investment management firm, Sequoia Capital and the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC), Goldman Sachs and Altos Ventures, a first-stage venture capital firm based in Silicon Valley.
Baedal Minjok and Yogiyo have played a key role in expanding South Korea's delivery service app market. Their growth was attributable to the increasing number of single households and the busy lifestyle of young South Korean working class.
South Korea's food delivery service market is backed by some 200,000 deliverymen who use the transportation of motorcycles. Smartphone apps are used widely so that customers can order lunch boxes, salads and side dishes from local restaurants as well as food from special non-delivery restaurants. While many restaurants operate their own delivery workers, major online delivery services link their businesses with small and mid-sized delivery agencies to offer services around the clock.


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CBB star Ashley James unveils a line of t-shirts to tackle 'period poverty' - and says it's 'horrendous' that girls are forced to miss school because they can't afford sanitary products
- Ashley James has launched her second t-shirt collection with égaliTEE
- 10% of the profits from sales will be donated to the charity Habitat for Humanity
- Inspired by marches staged in London to highlight issue of period poverty
CBB star and activist Ashley James has unveiled a new collection of t-shirts she designed in an effort to help tackle the issue of 'period poverty'.
Inspired by the recent marches in London staged to shed light on the issue, the 33-year-old has designed a second collection of tees - emblazoned with slogans like Go with the Flow, Period and Code Red - for égaliTEE, with 10 per cent of the profits going to the charity Habitat for Humanity.
Ashley has also revealed how her own personal experiences informed her involvement in the movement.
'After attending an boy's school as a teenager I cannot imagine what it would have been like if I couldn't afford my own sanitary products or had to drop out of school because I didn't have access to clean water,' she said.
'It is horrendous to think that some young women are missing out on an education because of the lack of loo and clean water.'
Ashley James (pictured) revealed the inspiration behind her new t-shirt collection
Each of the six styles in the collection aims at empowering women against period poverty
Ashley said 10% of the profits from sales will go the charity Habitat for Humanity, which works to empower young women in India through access to good hygiene and sanitation.
In India, 30% of reported sexual assaults occur when women and girls have to use outside toilets, meanwhile 23% of girls drop out of school when they reach puberty because they don’t have access to clean water and bathrooms.
Habitat for Humanity’s sanitation programme in India builds toilets for households, schools and communities so that women are never too scared to go to the bathroom, and girls don’t feel under pressure to drop out of education.
Bathrooms are also fitted with vending machines to provide affordable sanitary towels.
Ashley has modelled her new collection herself, with help from the other half of her DJ duo Charlotte De Carle, and the activist Tara Costello.
The collection uses only organic cotton sourced in the UK.
Each design is available in UK sizes 6-24 to enable women of most shapes and sizes to embrace the collection with pride, and prices start at £24.
The new collection features six styles including Go with the Flow, Period, Code Red, Blood Type: Be Positive, Love is Love and Queen slogans.
Each design is available in classic black or white as well as red.
Ashley (pictured) has promised to donate 10% of profits from her collection to Habitat for Humanity Great Britain
Habitat for Humanity aim to build safe environments for vulnerable communities around the world and achieve essential human rights
Ashley's six designs are available in classic white and black as well as red in support of the period poverty movement
Ashley's (pictured) collection is available in sizes 6-24 to suit women of all shapes and sizes
Ashley's collection is available from www.egaliteeshirts.com
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Google doesn’t just supply its have website-dependent efficiency apps, but it also offers a services for business end users who want to use Google as an identity supplier for accessing other online products and services employing the extensively employed SAML regular.
Today, Google is introducing a couple of new alternatives to this method, which now incorporates a range of Google competitors. Between the fourteen new pre-configured alternatives are the likes of Microsoft Business office 365, Facebook at Perform, New Relic, Concur, Box, Tableau, HipChat and Slack.
As Shashank Gupta, a product or service supervisor for Google Apps for Perform, stressed in today’s announcement, employing Google as an identity supplier also suggests businesses can also use all of the regular stability features that arrive with employing Google accounts — specifically on cellular.
“Google’s identity products and services present even far more stability on cellular when mixed with Google Apps business cellular management controls like password strength, lock monitor needs and application management,” Gupta writes. “These can operate in tandem with the escalating range of cellular stability alternatives, from components this sort of as fingerprint readers, to computer software this sort of as Google’s Sensible Lock.”


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By John Lee.
Iraq’s Communication and Media Commission (CMC) has scrapped a $100-million fine imposed on mobile phone operator Zain Iraq.
The telecom watchdog had claimed that Zain Iraq sold mobile phone SIM cards without its permission.
Reuters reports that a CMC committee considering the case decided not to impose the fine.
(Dollars image via Shutterstock)


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The Biden administration will resort to buying metals from overseas to address the manufacturing shortage. The President has big plans for electric vehicle adoption and the country cannot meet them with the current supply chain.
According to Reuters, this is “a blow to U.S. miners who had hoped Biden would rely primarily on domestically sourced metals, as his campaign had signaled last autumn, to help fulfill his ambitions for a less carbon-intensive economy.”
The U.S. will have to source materials mostly from Canada, Australia and Brazil. Once the materials are mined, they can be processed in the U.S.
The U.S. is also investing in recycling programs that will help plug the holes in the supply chain but those programs are years from adoption.
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Amazon has been sued by the Attorney General in the District of Columbia for antitrust price-fixing.
The suit claims that Amazon forbids third-party sellers from offering lower prices on other Websites and charges the sellers up to 40% of each sale in fees, thereby allowing “Amazon to build and maintain monopoly power in violation of District law,” the suit claims.
DC Attorney General Karl Racine is the first to file an antitrust suit but other state AGs have made similar complaints. The suit asks a court to prohibit these practices and break up the company if necessary.
Amazon refutes these claims and says that Racine “has it exactly backwards.” The company claims that sellers set their own prices and this suit could result in higher prices for consumers.
Are you an astronaut just because you ride a spaceship? This is a new debate and we have decided to ring in.
The word “astronaut” comes from the Greek words for “star” and “sailor.”
Jeff Bezos’ rocket company, Blue Origin, has begun selling seats on its crafts to the outer dimension. They call these ticket buyers “astronauts.” But does buying a seat on a spacecraft make you an astronaut? The word connotes someone with some accreditation in physics, aerodynamics, engineering, technology. Not someone who can just score a ticket.
We say this is pretty simple. Airline passengers are not called pilots. Boat passengers are not captains. Space passengers are not astronauts. Astronauts are flight crew. Passengers can be called rocketmen. Or rocketperson. Sir Elton has spoken.
2. That is the age of the newest and youngest member of Mensa, the society that only accepts people with genius IQs. The little girl scored 146, which is 46 points above the average person.
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Researchers have proven that winning the lottery will bring you lots of friends. File this away in your “No duh” folder.
Scientists at a university in Vietnam studied the impact of people winning the lottery and suddenly having more “purchasing power.” They found that friendships started to increase when people came into some cash.
They could even quantify how much money a person had to win to gain a new friend. The “revenue impact required to buy an additional friend is almost $5,000.”
Does legalizing marijuana do what it was intended to do for state budgets? A new report shows that it does.
Research from the Marijuana Policy Project shows that states that legalized marijuana have brought in an additional $7.9 billion in tax revenue from the sale of “legal, adult-use marijuana sales” since 2014.
“In addition to revenue generated for statewide budgets, cities and towns have also generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in new revenue from local adult-use cannabis taxes,” the report says. For instance, the city of Denver applies an additional 5.5% in local sales tax to cannabis and that has brought the city $210.6 million as of April of 2021.
The research does not include “medical cannabis tax revenue, application and licensing fees paid by cannabis businesses, additional income taxes generated by workers in the cannabis industry, or corporate taxes paid to the federal government.”
Not surprisingly, the pandemic boosted marijuana sales when more outlets began selling online.
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Egg prices doubled since last year
Avian flu blamed for rising costs
The avian flu has caused eggs prices to double across the country, including the Susquehanna Valley.
Since this past June, the national average price for eggs was $1.93 a dozen. Compare that to June of 2014, when shoppers only paid around 87 cents for a dozen.
Paul Sauder from Sauder's Eggs in Lititz says the high prices are here to stay until the end of this year. However, he doesn't expect prices to increase more than they already have.
Sauder says higher prices have not deterred shoppers, saying the demand for eggs has not dropped despite the high prices. According to Sauder, 80 percent of people don't even look at the price tag before putting eggs in their shopping cart.
In the meantime, eggs are being imported from Europe and Mexico to help ease the national shortage.


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LocoMobi World gives businesses the ability to create customized offers, such as refunding all or part of a customer’s parking fees whenever they purchase at their store.
More information is available at https://locomobiworld.com/product/movebe
The app was designed to make it easier for restaurant or store owners to drive traffic and acquire new customers with rewards that actively encourage them to visit their businesses.
“Following the pandemic, many high-street businesses are looking for new and innovative ways of driving footfall to their premises,” a company spokesperson said. “Furthermore, incentives that have a real-life impact on a customer’s day-to-day life are more likely to be successful than traditional discounts and offers.”
“Our MoveBe app is revolutionizing the way businesses market their services with unique, attractive, and useful rewards,” they added.
By allowing businesses to create customized rewards that discount the cost of parking, MoveBe encourages customers to visit their store, as it will reduce the overall cost of their trip. Additionally, business owners can adjust their offers to relate to certain criteria, such as being valid for specific products or a minimum total bill amount.
As the application can be used on any tablet or mobile device, the system can be seamlessly integrated into any existing POS. The app also has no set-up or monthly fees, making it a cost-effective marketing strategy for any high-street business.
LocoMobi World’s MoveBe app is the latest expansion of the company’s Smart Parking services, which has seen them become leaders in the parking industry across the United States and Canada.
Their work has included the development of curbside pick-up and drive-through systems as well as implementing parking management systems in high-traffic locations such as Casa Loma, Yellowknife International Airport, and “The Bridge” in Calgary.
Details of their Casa Loma integration can be found at https://locomobiworld.com/press-release/liberty-entertainment-awards-new-parking-system-for-one-of-the-most-famous-landmarks-in-north-america-casa-loma
“We specialize in smart city technology, thus, allowing us to develop unique solutions that help businesses enhance the customer experience to drive traffic and improve profitability,” the company spokesperson said.
Interested parties can find more information by visiting https://locomobiworld.com
LocoMobi World INC
4170 Sladeview Crescent, Suite 2


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In a reported FBI bulletin to major retailers across the US, they state that 2014 will see about one major retailer per month falling victim to cyber attacks, as hackers are targeting credit card transactional information and details of customers.
This isn’t welcome news, since many are still reeling from the effects of recent attacks, for example, during the holidays, the heavily publicized incident where over 100 million Target customers payment information was compromised, and Neiman Marcus, where 1.1 million customers were affected.
Hackers are getting craftier. As Null Byte explains, hackers most likely from Russia managed to insert zero day malware into the point of sale systems that were being run on unpatched Windows systems. When a customer makes a payment, it seems this latest version of malware peels off and scrapes the information from the computer’s memory while it is running, collecting payment data in real time, allowing hackers to access it.
This is a very serious growing threat, and retailers are proving to be very easy targets. Once a hacker infiltrates the systems, they can get the data of every transaction processed.
The shocking aspect is that security professionals such as myself are always telling people to secure their information with strong passwords, and now merchants aren’t keeping this information safe either.
So what are you to do? Believe it or not, smaller MOM and POP shops may actually be a bit more secure to deal with. The stand alone credit card terminals found in small stores usually have E3 (End To End Encryption) built in, so the card information is encrypted before it is transmitted.
Other than that, till retailers are able to seriously lock down their systems and protect data, you may want to consider paying in old fashioned cash.


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The company's shares were down 10% in premarket trading after Intel predicted a surprise loss for the period and provided a revenue forecast that was below estimates by $3 billion.
Intel supplier KLA Corp fell more than 5% after its own dismal forecast, while Advanced Micro Devices, Nvidia, Applied Materials and Qualcom lost between 0.8% and 3.2%.
The projections put Intel on track for some of its worst results on record and underscore the challenges facing Chief Executive Pat Gelsinger due to a post-pandemic slump in PC demand and slowing growth in the data center business.
"No words can portray or explain the historic collapse of Intel," said Hans Mosesmann, analyst at Rosenblatt Securities, who was among the 16 analysts who cut their price targets on the stock.
Once the dominant player in both PC and data center markets, the company has been steadily losing share to rivals such as AMD, which has used contract chipmakers such as Taiwan-based TSMC to make chips that outpace Intel's technology.
Some analysts said that puts Intel at a disadvantage even when the data center market bottoms out, expected in the second half of 2022, as it would have lost even more share by then.
"AMD's Genoa and Bergamo chips have a strong price-performance advantage compared to Intel's Sapphire Rapids processors, which should drive further AMD share gains," said Matt Wegner, analyst at YipitData.
Intel's results are also expected to sharply reduce the cash flow available to the company at a time when the CEO is trying to revive the business by expanding contract manufacturing and building new factories in the United States and Europe.
"It is now clear why Intel needs to cut so much cost as the company's original plans prove to be fantasy," Bernstein analysts said.
(Reporting by Aditya Soni, Nivedita Balu and Chavi Mehta in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri)


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Latest Jessica Pounds Stories
A California ice cream shop said customers are praising its experimental flavors for frozen treats, including beer, bacon and jalapeno. Jessica Pounds, co-owner of the Moo Creamery in Bakersfield, said the key to success with unconventional ice cream flavors is a simple willingness to experiment, KERO-TV, Bakersfield, reported Wednesday. Playing around in the kitchen or when we're making pastries, coming up with different flavor combinations and turning (them) into ice cream is how they come...
- A person who stands up for something, as contrasted to a bystander who remains inactive.
- One of the upright handlebars on a traditional Inuit sled.


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The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published the latest update of the TSCA Inventory list. The February 2021 version now contains 86,557 chemicals of which 41,864 are active. The PMN list was also updated end of January 2021.
Both updates are already available for download in our SDS authoring tool, ExESS. Many thanks to our partner WikiChemia for their continuous monitoring and fast delivery of the global regulatory updates.


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Mobile dreams big at the Esports World Cup
- This massive event will take place in Saudi Arabia later this year
- Two high-profile mobile games recently to feature are Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and Honor of Kings
- Is this a sign that mobile esports are beginning to grow, and perhaps even outpace, classic esports?
The Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia has been big news ever since it was announced in October last year. It’s a follow-on from the previous Gamers8 event, a massive gaming tournament and festival being hosted in Saudi Arabia.
Tencent has already announced an Honor of Kings invitational with a $2m prize pool to be featured at the Esports World Cup. Moonton’s Mobile Legends: Bang Bang beat them to the punch as the first featured in January as well, and it’s already shaping up to be mobile’s biggest appearance on the esports world stage thus far.
This massive tournament being held in one of the world’s richest countries is now sparking conversation not just about the competition itself but also the place various games have. Including - naturally - mobile games.
Standing alongside royaltyThe most significant thing about the Esports World Cup - and mobile gaming’s presence there - is the other games that are on show including Starcraft II, Counter-strike 2 and DOTA 2. These might as well be royalty of the esports world, as they’ve persisted for decades now and form a core part of why competitive gaming is even a thing in the first place.
So, for mobile gaming to be placed alongside them, albeit with a more limited roster, is a testament to how significant mobile esports is. For games like Honor of Kings to be placed alongside them means they’re widely recognised as having huge, devoted player bases that’ll follow every move made by competitive players.
It’s an overall positive presentation for mobile to stand alongside these titans. However, if we look back at the Gamers8 festival for reference, we can see that PUBG Mobile - one of the few games from mobile presented at the event - only drew in a $100,000 prize pool compared to a whopping $15m for DOTA 2. Well if Tencent’s own invitational is any indication, mobile developers will pick up the slack where prize money is concerned.
Coming from abroadBut, there is another thing to point out, which is the prevalence of Chinese-developed games. In this case, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and Honor of Kings both come from originally Chinese developers, and neither game has seen a Western release until very recently, with Honor of Kings launching in Brazil in 2023.
This presents a conundrum for Western developers, even major ones like Riot Games. Are they being outpaced by Chinese developers in the world of esports? After all, with such a huge population and probably the biggest audience of mobile gamers in the world, it’s safe to say that esports has grown rapidly in China even compared to the rest of the world.
At the same time that’s not to say we’re solely going to see teams from China or neighbouring countries be the sole representation. With Honor of Kings’ Brazilian release, it shows that companies like Tencent are pushing to raise the profile of their games outside their land of origin and draw in a new audience. An audience which may just change the makeup of who competes, and wins, at esports tournaments in the future.
Tencent & Moonton go head-to-headAs an aside, it’s interesting to see that Tencent and Moonton are the two companies most prominently featured mobile-wise. The two had previously been at each other’s throats during an ongoing legal dispute last year. Could it be that Tencent pushing their own game so soon after in an attempt to undercut their competition in this massive new event?
Possibly, it’s almost a given that both have their sights set on presenting their games to the wider world and want to get their foot in the door for what’s sure to be a huge spectacle. However, whether or not they’re seen as different or relegated to just the broader ‘mobile’ category may inform whether or not the two soften their approach and perhaps try to find common ground in enhancing the prestige of mobile gaming in esports.
Summing upOverall, this is the most blatant signal we've had yet that indicates just how important mobile is or is becoming, to the world of esports. But even so, it's also a sign of how static competitive gaming has been, that the chief competitor against these other games in terms of spotlight are all more than a decade old. But, could it be that this new, highly promoted tournament is what changes that?
Only time will tell, and aside from all of this exciting news, we’ll be watching the Esports World Cup closely to see how exactly it all pans out. Whether or not there are going to be more developers joining the fray and pitching their mobile games in, or whether Moonton and Tencent will be taking centre stage.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!
And if you’re interested in reading more of our features, why not check out our takes on the new Sora AI generator? Or the Sony & Microsoft exclusivity crisis?


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After becoming the UK’s third-largest domestic fibre infrastructure provider, CityFibre is joining forces with current technology partner Vodafone to enable businesses in 12 towns and cities across the country to address business networking use cases.
The new agreement builds on the companies’ existing partnership and will see businesses offered more choice on a tailored private data network over single or multiple premises. Vodafone 1Gbps and 100Mbps Ethernet services are available on CityFibre’s optical infrastructure in Cambridge, Coventry and Peterborough, and Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Huddersfield, Leeds, Leicester, Milton Keynes, Northampton, Portsmouth and Southend-on-Sea are set to follow.
Vodafone UK currently uses CityFibre FTTP (fibre-to-the-premises) infrastructure to deliver its full-fibre broadband service and sees the new partnership as allowing Ethernet infrastructure to offer more local access options than ever before. Vodafone’s Ethernet services offer businesses of all sizes their own secure, private data network connection, enabling multiple sites to be linked together.
“We already have an extremely successful partnership with CityFibre, so we are delighted to be able to extend this to include Ethernet services,” said Vishal Dixit, strategy and wholesale director of Vodafone UK. “It’s never been more important to ensure our business customers have as much choice as possible, as well as the high-speed and high-quality data service they need to run their business successfully.”
CityFibre chief commercial officer Rob Hamlin added: “We’re delighted to be widening our strategic partnership with Vodafone, enabling them to offer innovative and market-leading Ethernet services over our full-fibre networks. With businesses’ need for reliable, gigabit speed connectivity only set to increase, our world-class networks will reach 30% of the market in the coming years.”
Separately, CityFibre is in partnership with Vodafone to supply FTTP infrastructure for Vodafone’s full-fibre broadband service, including Vodafone Pro Broadband, which offers consumers so-called “unbreakable” broadband at “unbeatable” prices. Pro Broadband packages include integrated features such as hybrid routers that automatically switch to Vodafone’s 4G mobile network if the fixed-line connection goes down, Wi-Fi boosters that guarantee connection in every room of a house, and access to WiFi Xperts.
CityFibre Pro Broadband packages are available in its nationwide roll-out locations such as those recently revealed, including Middlesbrough, Preston and Peterborough. The provider is also part of the Building Digital UK (BDUK) programme, which was launched in 2018 with £200m of UK government investment with the aim of rolling out FTTP broadband services to rural parts of the country.
Read more about UK gigabit broadband
- Leading ISP Giganet expands South of England service area through expanded partnership with leading infrastructure provider CityFibre to add 22 locations for its full-fibre home broadband services.
- Work starts by altnet Zzoomm to provide full-fibre broadband to more than 37,000 homes and businesses in Staffordshire town of Cannock, with speeds claimed to be up to 33 times faster than those from major providers.
- Centre for Economics and Business study predicts ultrafast fibre-to-the-premises broadband could bring one million people back into the workforce through remote working.


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Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to impose economic sanctions against Ukraine for "unfriendly actions." While the list of businesses and individuals has not yet been specified, Hromadske explored who could be affected by these sanctions.
What is the Decree?
The Russian decree "On special sanctions for unfriendly actions by Ukraine" consists of three points. Putin has instructed the Russian government to prepare a list of individuals and firms in Ukraine, against which "special economic measures" would be introduced, decide on the measures, and ensure their implementation.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev specified that this included blocking assets as well as prohibiting the withdrawal of funds and supplies of certain goods. He added that the sanctions would apply to "hundreds of individuals and entities" that were harming Russia and that the list would be made shortly.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev during a meeting of the State Duma, Moscow, Russia, May 8, 2018 EPA-EFE/YURI KOCHETKOV
How would these lists be made? Andrey Movchan, an expert at the Carnegie Moscow Center believes that the lists will be created by lobbyists in the government.
"I think that now they are preparing the lists, all the lobbyists will be adding the names that are in their interest. Who will these lobbyists be? These will be political players who, one way or another, need to prove their worth, they will be economic players who will try to remove competitors from their field," Movchan told Hromadske.
Who Could be Banned?
Medvedev stressed that sanctions would apply to people and companies who "harm Russia" but would "not to touch ordinary people." So who is at risk?
Despite the annexation of Crimea and the war in the Donbas, Ukrainian companies are still working with Russia. However, these trade relations are weakening. According to estimates by analysts at YouControl, the trade turnover between Ukraine and Russia decreased by nearly 4.5 times between 2013 to 2016. While volume rebounded in 2017, it has not reached the previous level.
During the first three months of 2018, Ukraine increased its trade turnover with Russia by almost 15 percent – to more than $ 2.5 billion- compared to the same period last year.
Russia began to export almost a third more goods to Ukraine. Ukrainian companies however reduced exports to the aggressor country: during the first three months of this year by more than 10 percent – to $709 million. It is worth noting that over the same period, exports from Ukraine to the European Union increased by 26.5 percent, to $4 billion.
Ukraine largely exported mineral and chemical products as well as machinery and equipment to the Russian Federation. Food, fat and oil products are also among the leading exports. Therefore, it is likely that these goods and enterprises could be subjected to Russian sanctions.
Ilona Sologub, director of political and economic studies at the Kyiv School of Economics, told Hromadske until there would be specific list of companies from the Russian government, it was too early to predict.
This is not Russia's first attempt to block Ukrainian business. In August 2013, citing a "violation of sanitary norms," Russia rejected products from Roshen – the confectionary company of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. Furthermore, Russia introduced a trade blockade, stopping all Ukrainian exports for several days. At the time, one of the most dependent industries was machinery - up to 90 percent of their production went to Russia. But after 2014, producers redirected flows, in particular to Latin America, Southeast Asia, China and Vietnam.
What About Ukrainian Sanctions?
Less than an hour after Russia published the decree, a declaration was published on the website of the Council of the European Union. It stated that Ukraine, Montenegro, Albania and Norway joined the EU Council in its decision to extend sanctions against 155 people and 44 companies to March 15, 2019 due to "violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine."
Ukraine’s economic sanctions against Russia have been in force for a long time. As of May this year, another 500 individuals and another few hundred companies have been added to the sanctions list.
Among those added this spring were Gazprom head Alexey Miller, Russian billionaires Oleg Deripaska, Igor Rotenberg, Suleyman Kerimov, Vladimir Bogdanov, Viktor Vekselberg and chairman of the board of VTB Bank Andrey Kostin. For the first time, the Ukrainian oligarch-fugitive Serhiy Kurchenko was added to the sanctions list of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.
And in late September 2018, Ukraine imposed special sanctions against a number of transport companies in Russia that worked with companies in the occupied Donbas. The SBU then stated that during 2018, a number of Russian companies and individuals entered into "foreign economic agreements" with transport companies in the occupied Donbas. They transported goods from Russia to Donbas and vice versa through closed Luhansk customs border-crossing points Izvaryne, Dovzhanskyi and Chervona Mohila. Russian companies Russian Railways Logistics, Promkompleksplast, Gazgolder and others were also placed on the sanction list.
/Translated by Natalie Vikhrov


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One area not talked about much for Intel’s latest Tiger Lake processors are hardened CPU security mitigations against the various speculative execution vulnerabilities to date. What’s peculiar about Tiger Lake though is now if disabling the configurable mitigations it can actually result in worse performance than the default mitigated state. At least that’s what we are seeing so far with the Core i7 1165G7 on Ubuntu 20.10 Linux is the opposite of what we have been seeing on prior generations of hardware.
Source: Phoronix – The Peculiar State Of CPU Security Mitigation Performance On Intel Tiger Lake
Black Friday offers a number of good opportunities to up your smart-home game. Over the past couple of years, we’ve seen more good deals each year on things like smart light bulbs, robot vacuums and more during the holiday season. And that’s in addit…
Source: Engadget – The best robot vacuum and smart home deals you can get for Black Friday
Is it really Christmas if you don’t have a little sci-fi on your tree? Hallmark would say no.
Source: io9 – 21 Great Sci-Fi Christmas Ornaments From Hallmark
Back in 2001, the U.S. was the dominant country when it came to cross-border data flows. It was the early days of the internet boom, and America was where tech companies and tech-savvy consumers were. But the global data order is changing rapidly. From a report: China now accounts for 23% of cross-border data flows, nearly twice the share of the U.S., which ranks a distant second with 12%. And the Chinese lead could turn into a dominant advantage as the formerly world-spanning internet shatters into the “splinternet”: a balkanized mosaic of information networks marked off by national borders. A Nikkei survey of information on cross-border data flows from the International Telecommunication Union and U.S. research firm TeleGeography showed that cross-border data flows of China, including Hong Kong, in 2019 far outstripped any of the other 10 countries and regions examined, including the U.S. (Click here for a graphic-rich version of this article.)
The source of Beijing’s power lies in its connections with the rest of Asia. While the U.S. accounted for 45% of data flows in and out of China in 2001, that figure dropped to just 25% last year. Asian countries now make up more than half the total, particularly Vietnam at 17% and Singapore at 15%. Beijing has used its Belt and Road infrastructure initiative to encourage private-sector tech companies like Alibaba Group Holding and Tencent Holdings to expand abroad. Alibaba spinoff Ant Group’s Alipay mobile payment platform is available in more than 55 countries and used by 1.3 billion people. China surged past the U.S. in 2014, and its influence outside its borders has only grown in the ensuing years. What does that mean? As China becomes a global data superpower, it will control huge quantities of a resource that will be invaluable to its future economic competitiveness. Data from foreign sources can provide an edge in developing artificial intelligence and information technologies.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot – China Rises as World’s Data Superpower as Internet Fractures
Linux is one of the most secure operating systems out there. Running on only about 2 percent of desktop computers in the world, Linux doesn’t attract much attention from cybercriminals. But being part of a small minority doesn’t guarantee security. Linux malware exists and Linux devices get hacked, stolen, or lost. Use these tips to keep your Linux computer protected at all times.
Source: LXer – Top Tips to Protect Your Linux System
There are so many things you could get the gamer in your life for the holidays that we devoted an entire gift guide to just that. But admittedly, even some of the most compact peripherals can be quite expensive. Thankfully, a number of good options a…
Source: Engadget – A bunch of gaming peripherals are deeply discounted for Black Friday
Yesterday, thousands of PlayStation accounts were banned, primarily in Hong Kong, in what has been dubbed the “SIE Thanksgiving Day Massacre.” Initially these accounts did not have an obvious reason for being banned, but ultimately it was found that they all had a recent receipt for Sony’s PlayStation Plus Collection in common. Sony’s PlayStation
Source: Hot Hardware – Don’t Get Banned By Sony For Trying To Buy A PlayStation 5 PS Plus Game Collection
Welcome to HotHardware’s PC Component Buyer’s Guide, where we help prospective system builders pick out just the right collection of components to build the rigs of their dreams — or at least the rig which makes the best use of your budget. We’ve picked out the best bang for the buck in processors, graphics cards, storage, and more in an…
Source: Hot Hardware – Build A Great Gaming PC With HotHardware’s 2020 DIY System Guide
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is set to make her return to Twitch tonight for another round of Among Us. She’ll join forces with MP Jagmeet Singh, the leader of Canada’s New Democratic Party, for her second live stream on the platform. Canadian Mem…
Source: Engadget – AOC will return to Twitch tonight for another round of ‘Among Us’
IKEA is filling an important feature gap in its smart home system. The Verge reports that IKEA is adding scene support to Home Smart through a firmware update (1.12.31) for its Tradfri gateways, making it easy to control multiple devices at once with…
Source: Engadget – IKEA’s smart home system now supports scenes
Iceberg A68a—currently the world’s largest iceberg—is rotating and possibly moving in a westerly direction away from South Georgia Island, according to new satellite photos. This is potentially good news, as the enormous chunk of ice appeared to be on a collision course with the wildlife-filled island.
Source: Gizmodo – Satellite Photos Show Gigantic Iceberg Possibly Drifting Away From Ecologically Sensitive Island
Nathaniel Popper, reporting for The New York Times: One by one, they left. Some quit. Others were fired. All were Black. The 15 people worked at Coinbase, the most valuable U.S. cryptocurrency start-up, where they represented roughly three-quarters of the Black employees at the 600-person company. Before leaving in late 2018 and early 2019, at least 11 of them informed the human resources department or their managers about what they said was racist or discriminatory treatment, five people with knowledge of the situation said. One of the employees was Alysa Butler, 25, who worked in recruiting. During her time at Coinbase, she said, she told her manager several times about how he and others excluded her from meetings and conversations, making her feel invisible. “Most people of color working in tech know that there’s a diversity problem,” said Ms. Butler, who resigned in April 2019. “But I’ve never experienced anything like Coinbase.”
In Silicon Valley, where entrepreneurs and investors often preach high-minded missions and style themselves as management gurus, Coinbase has held itself up as a model. Since the start-up was founded in 2012, Brian Armstrong, the chief executive, has assembled memos and blog posts about how he built the $8 billion company’s culture with distinct hiring and training practices. That has won him acclaim among influential venture capitalists and executives. But according to 23 current and former Coinbase employees, five of whom spoke on the record, as well as internal documents and recordings of conversations, the start-up has long struggled with its management of Black employees. One Black employee said her manager suggested in front of colleagues that she was dealing drugs and carrying a gun, trading on racist stereotypes. Another said a co-worker at a recruiting meeting broadly described Black employees as less capable. Still another said managers spoke down to her and her Black colleagues, adding that they were passed over for promotions in favor of less experienced white employees. The accumulation of incidents, they said, led to the wave of departures. On Wednesday, before publication of this article, Emilie Choi, Coinbase’s chief operating officer, wrote an email to employees to preemptively question the article’s accuracy and said, “We know the story will recount episodes that will be difficult for employees to read.” The company
posted the email to its public blog. “As Brian shared with the ColorBlock ERG this morning, we don’t care what The New York Times thinks. “
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot – ‘Tokenized’: Inside Black Workers’ Struggles at the King of Crypto Start-Ups
The Mandalorian has always promised the picture of a much wider place it could encompass in the Star Wars universe, ever since its first episode flipped the script and put our titular hero in front of a little green mystery from the stars. Its latest chapter re-aligns the show’s place in that world even as it grows it…
Source: Kotaku – The Mandalorian’s Grandest Episode Yet Uncovers Old Friends, and Older Pains
The deals keep pouring in, and we’re doing our level best to keep up with them. While building a PC by hand can be a fun and exciting project, sometimes (like right now) components are hard to come by, and buying an off-the-shelf desktop presents itself as a convenient and time-saving method for getting a new system up and running. The folks
Source: Hot Hardware – Dell And Alienware Gaming Laptop And Desktop Black Friday Deals At Amazon Bring Solid Savings
Thanksgiving is now in the rear view mirror, which means one thing—it is now perfectly acceptable to fire up that Christmas playlist as attention turns to the next big holiday. If you want to do that while on the go, a portable speaker is the solution you need. Worried about the rain? You can shove that worry aside with JBL’s waterproof Boombox
Source: Hot Hardware – JBL Boombox Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker Leads Great Black Friday Audio Deals For 0 Off
It feels like Black Friday deals started somewhere in late October, but the day after Thanksgiving is finally upon us. Hopefully you’ve had some leftover pumpkin pie for breakfast and maybe a cup of coffee, because now it’s time to shop. We’ve been poring over the best tech deals available and found some truly nice prices on Acer notebooks
Source: Hot Hardware – Black Friday Acer Deals Rock Big Savings On Laptops And 144Hz Gaming Monitors


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UK company THIS is launching its award-winning product range into 744 Tesco stores on 15 June 2020.
Aiming to make plant-based food mainstream, THIS will continue to break down borders between real and plant-based meat when it brazenly launches into Tesco’s meat aisle.
The full range will be available in Tesco’s nationwide, with products including Great Taste Award-winning THIS Isn’t Bacon rashers (£2.95), THIS Isn’t Chicken Tikka pieces (£2.95), THIS Isn’t Chicken Salt & Pepper pieces (£3.65) and THIS Isn’t Chicken Goujons (£3.85).
THIS co-founder Andy Shovel commented: “Launching into Tesco marks our 1st birthday, in massive style. We want THIS to punch a gigantic hole in this category, on-boarding millions of meat-lovers who haven’t yet been won over by plant-based food. Launching in the UK’s largest food retailer is a gigantic milestone for us, and on our side, we’ll keep brand-building at breakneck speed – to make the most of it.”
Launching into Tesco is a huge milestone for THIS™ and reflects the nation’s increased demand for plant-based food. Launched just under a year ago, it’s one the fastest growing brands in its category and in the entire food product sector. In its first year, the London-based business experienced considerable growth in retail (Waitrose, Ocado & Co-op), launching with wholesaler behemoth Brakes, as well as major chains including Honest Burger, Pho and Coco di Mama.
Tesco’s Plant-based buying manager stated: “We’re really excited to be launching THIS. We know that taste and product quality are the primary drivers for our meat free customers, as well as the growing concern around health. These are all qualities that the THIS range offer and it will be exciting to see how they resonate with our consumers. I’ve noticed the demand for plant-based innovation is growing at a rapid pace, with more and more interest coming from the flexitarians (or accidental reducers). The demand has grown at an astounding rate and will most likely continue as more and more consumers become environmentally and health conscious.”
This week, THIS is also being listed on Milk & More – the Müller-owned online supermarket that was originally created to deliver dairy.
Shattering meat-eaters’ preconceptions of plant-based food, one rasher or nugget at a time, THIS was founded by Andy Shovel & Pete Sharman who previously owned a burger chain. Born out of their belief that meat-eaters shouldn’t have to compromise if they want a plant-based alternative. So, they created products that replicate meat in taste, texture & appearance.
THIS has grown at a compound rate of 35% month-on-month, on track for annualised revenue of circa £7-10m later this year. The company has also sold over 4 million portions of its products (that’s the equivalent of feeding the entire population of New Zealand).