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The owner of New Gen Studio has voiced out after a half-balding man paid $4,799 for a package at the hair salon due to "worms" on his scalp.
Facebook user Fiona Han saw her father sporting a new haircut on Nov 18. Before she could pay him any compliments, she was told about the $4,799 package.
Enticed by a $3 haircut, the man visited the salon in Chong Pang.
After having his scalp scanned, it was revealed that there were "worms" on his scalp. He was then convinced to sign up for a package that treated follicle mites.
Han said in a Facebook post: "HELLO EXCUSE ME, this is a neighborhood saloon and they actually charge a freaking $4799 hair package to an elderly who is half balding??!!! The treatment made of gold isit??!!"
Han's father purchased a 10-session package which came with two free sessions. It was originally priced at $5,999 but after a 20% discount, the package came to be $4,799.
Extremely dissatisfied, the family rushed to the salon asking for a refund. After some negotiations, the salon agreed to refund $4,500. The $299 was for the services Han's father already had.
Han later brought her father to a dermatologist who confirmed that there weren't any worms on his scalp.
Han's post has garnered over 1,700 shares ever since it was published on Nov 20.
Several netizens shared similar experiences in the comments section.
Joe Zhuang, who is the 31-year-old owner of New Gen Studio, explained that the hairstylist found mites after doing a scan on the man's scalp.
A treatment package was then introduced to the customer and he signed up for it willingly.
Zhuang said to Lianhe Wanbao: "Apart from removing mites, his package included treatment, detoxing, electrotherapy and repair treatment.
"These services are over $599 and we're only offering them at $399.
"We're even giving two sessions for free with the 10-session package. We already explained the prices clearly to the customer before the incident.
"After the incident, his family members came to my salon requesting to cancel the package. We already agreed to a refund.
"The customer even felt sorry at the time and sent a message apologising for the trouble."
Zhuang also showed AsiaOne closed-circuit television footage of when Han and her husband were shaking hands with his staff at the salon.
He said: "They were happy when they left so I was surprised to hear about them posting about it."
View more photos in the gallery.


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What lies ahead for social media? User-generated content will be embraced as brands cut through the clutter and create more engaging experiences. Apu Gupta, CEO of Curalate shares his predictions.» Read More
Stock fell sharply Friday, led by industrials and techs, as General Electric's earnings miss cast a gloomy haze over earnings season. The Dow finished down 2.3 percent for the week, while the S&P shed 2.7 percent and the Nasdaq lost 3.4 percent.
A double helping of economic data and first-quarter earnings reports will flood the zone next week, but it's the corporate earnings that will drive stocks and give a better picture of where the economy is going. If GE's bombshell earnings miss is an indicator, the news will be as nasty as traders expect.
The floodgates of earnings are about to open. Get all your trades right here!
This is the second of my two part blogs on Bon Jovi. Make no mistake: Bon Jovi is big business, as we discovered during the band's recent stopover here in Silicon Valley in the middle of its 100 city, global "Lost Highway" tour. Just ask the band's manager, Paul Korzilius.
For the week ending Friday, April 11, 2008 the US Markets ended the week in negative territory. There was not a lot of movement in the markets for most of the week, as the major indices traded on a mix of news including same store sales, record highs in oil, flight cancellations from major airlines, and disappointing first quarter results from Alcoa (AA). The markets tumbled on Friday on General Electric's (GE) disappointing earnings.
...isn't GE. It's this credit-services company.
Yahoo's board is meeting by conference call Friday afternoon and the big topic of course, is Microsoft's $42.2 billion dollar bid. The clock is ticking. Microsoft's Steve Ballmer threatened to stage a proxy fight to get the acquisition if the board doesn't take the bid, which it rejected as too low.
If you think options are a good indicator of future stock movements, you may want to keep an eye on the big cap techs and financials, according to two experts.
The battle over Yahoo is creating a feeding frenzy among the media and Internet giants. Nearly two months after Microsoft made its $44.6 billion dollar bid for Yahoo, Yahoo is considering partnering with AOL while outsourcing search ad sales with Google to counter the Microsoft bid.
Microsoft believes it has made a fair offer to acquire Yahoo and is committed to bolstering its digital advertising capabilities irrespective of the outcome, its chief operating officer said.
The Dow rose Thursday after the semiconductor sector received an upgrade and Wal-Mart reported higher sales for March. What's the "Word on the Street?"
The Dow and S&P 500 snapped a two-day losing streak Thursday, led by technology stocks after an upgrade on the chip sector.
Stocks advanced Thursday, helped by an upgrade on the chip sector and increased forecasts from two Dow components.
Yahoo may have played its top two cards by pulling out possible deals with AOL and Google, but it does not seem to have changed Wall Street's view that Microsoft will eventually win the takeover battle.
This is the first of two posts on my "exclusive" interview with Bon Jovi. Be sure and come back tomorrow for more. Bon Jovi's tour continues through the United States today, but it was at a visit to Silicon Valley earlier this week that I got a taste of the phenomenal technology the band is using during the show.
Stocks opened higher Thursday after a better-than-expected report on jobless claims, and raised outlooks from Dow components DuPont and Wal-Mart.
Like an early warning system, retailers Thursday could reveal how much pain the consumer has been feeling from rising energy costs and the slowing economy.
Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation is in talks with Microsoft about joining in its contested bid for Yahoo, the New York Times reports.
Yahoo and Time Warner's AOL are closing in on a deal to combine their Internet operations, a move that could thwart Microsoft's effort to acquire Yahoo, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Cramer makes the call on viewers' favorite stocks.

domain: news


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Google hasn’t released the Google Pixel Buds 2 yet, but that hasn’t stopped a patent from popping up hinting at a third-generation set of earbuds in the works.
A patent filed with the China National Intellectual Property Administration, as spotted by 91mobiles, shows a fairly simplistic pair of wireless buds that seem similar in design to the Pixel Buds 2. The second-generation earbuds have shed the wires that used to connect the original Google Pixel Buds, and the third-generation Buds look to be following its lead.
- These are the best wireless earbuds you can buy
- Check out our Beats Powerbeats 4 review
- Just in: AirPods 3 design just leaked — here's when it's coming
There’s not an enormous amount of detail to go off in the patent, but it looks like the Pixel Buds 3 will be smaller and potentially more ergonomic than their as-yet-unreleased predecessors. Trimmer designs for in-ear wireless headphones are always appreciated, as they can fit more comfortably in the wearer’s ears and not look too ostentatious when the user is out and about.
Samsung reportedly has its own compact and ergonomic earbuds on the way in its Galaxy Buds 2, which are also known as the Galaxy Bean.
We’ve seen Apple do this, too, with its AirPods Pro, refining the design of the AirPods to make a slicker set of buds that also pack better tech, such as active noise cancellation.
We’d expect the third-generation Pixel Buds to do the same, with improved noise cancellation and potentially some smarter features, building upon those Google showcased in the Pixel Buds 2 last year during its launch of the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL.
Smarter features and boosted audio would be help pit the Pixel Buds 3 against the Apple AirPods 3, which we're expecting will make their debut as early as next month.
We've yet to test the still-unreleased Google Pixel 2. But if Google can add in more functionality, including more Google Assistant capabilities, while improving audio quality, then it could be onto a winner with next year's model.
However, there are plenty of other in-ear wireless headphones that work well with the likes of the Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. The Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus is one such set of wireless headphones, and the Sony WF-1000XM3 earbuds offer stellar audio performance and noise cancellation.


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(WEAU) - A special fundraiser raised money for foster kids around the area Thursday night.
Hundreds of people came out for the Pickles and Ice Cream Social at Action City in Eau Claire, and WEAU 13 News is a proud sponsor.
The event was the creation of WEAU’s Sarah Stokes, who was searching for a way to help foster kids. The social featured silent auction items, seminars just for the ladies, door prizes, "mocktails", and spa treatments.
Stokes said Thursday night “It's just a fun lady's event, just a way to get out and mingle and socialize and shop and pamper ourselves but help kids at the same time.”
The social raised more than $4,000 and all the proceeds from the ice cream social go to "Fostering the Future Fund", managed by Lutheran Social Services.


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Tesla said its factories have been below full capacity for several quarters, a situation that could continue further throughout 2022 as the supply chain becomes the main limiting factor.
(Image credit: Tesla)
Tesla posted record fourth-quarter revenue and profit, beating Wall Street expectations. But the company warned supply chain problems may continue in 2022, causing investors to remain cautious.
The company reported earnings after the US stock market closed on Wednesday, showing it posted fourth-quarter revenue of $17.7 3billion, above the $16.64 billion analysts in a Bloomberg survey had expected.
That's a 65 percent year-on-year increase, four quarters over $10 billion and breaking the all-time record of $13.76 billion in revenue in the third quarter.
Tesla reported net income attributable to common shareholders of $2.32 billion in the fourth quarter, up 760 percent from $270 million in the year-ago quarter.
On a non-GAAP basis, excluding equity incentive expense, net income attributable to Tesla common shareholders was $2.88 billion, up 219 percent from $903 million in the prior-year quarter.
The company reported EPS of $2.05 in the fourth quarter, up 754 percent from $0.24 in the year-ago quarter. Adjusted EPS was $2.54, ahead of market expectations of $2.36 and up 218 percent from $0.80 in the prior-year quarter.
Tesla delivered 308,650 vehicles in the fourth quarter, up 71 percent from 180,667 vehicles in the year-ago quarter. It delivered 936,222 vehicles for 2021, up 87 percent from 499,647 vehicles in the previous year.
The company said its bitcoin holdings remained unchanged in the fourth quarter, with no related impairments recorded, and the value of its bitcoin holdings was flat at $1.26 billion.
Despite its encouraging earnings numbers, Tesla shares plunged about 6 percent at one point in after-hours trading, perhaps because the company's warnings about supply chain problems sparked concern among some investors.
Tesla said global supply chain, transportation, labor and other manufacturing challenges persisted in the fourth quarter of last year, limiting the ability of existing factories to operate at full capacity.
"Our own factories have been running below capacity for several quarters as supply chain became the main limiting factor, which is likely to continue through 2022," Tesla said.
As the production of existing models continues to face supply chain bottlenecks, the launch of new Tesla products will naturally not receive higher priority.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the Cybertruck and Roadster will be further delayed until 2023.
Musk also denied previous rumors, saying that Tesla is not moving forward with developing a $25,000 electric vehicle right now, and that Tesla will not launch a new model in 2022.
For years, Musk has promised a low-cost Tesla car, but Musk said today that the company is currently too busy for business.
"We're not currently working on the $25,000 car," Musk said. "At some point we will. We have enough on our plate right now. Too much on our plate, frankly."
Tesla shares fell about 6 percent at one point after the earnings announcement, before narrowing to less than 1 percent at the end of after-hours trading.


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AGCO marked 10 years of Massey Ferguson combine production in Hesston, Kan., with an American flag–themed 9500 Series combine featured at farm shows.
Ag Leader Technology acquired Soil-Max, maker of the Gold Digger tile plow, and Gradient, Inc., maker of a GPS-based control system for tile plows.
Bobcat discontinued its compact utility tractor line and plans to refocus its efforts on its core products.
Case IH celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Magnum Series tractors.
Claas Lexion and TractorHouse created Harvesting World to expand the marketing of pre-owned combines.
Crary Industries, Inc., acquired Wayne’s Tile Pro, maker of tile plows, stringer trailers and tiling accessories.
Equipment Technologies opened the ET Ag Center, which is the logistics, service and knowledge backbone of SpraySmarter.com.
Geringhoff established its first U.S. factory, in St. Cloud, Minn., to produce corn heads and harvesting equipment.
Great Plains Mfg. opened a 12,000-sq.-ft. addition to its corporate facilities to be used as a showroom and for training and educational purposes.
Hemisphere GPS announced it will focus on the ag market, under the leadership of new CEO Rick Heiniger, founder of Outback Guidance.
John Deere celebrated its 175th year, growing from a one-man business marketing a self-scouring plow to more than 60,000 employees with a full line of agricultural equipment.
Kubota Corporation marked its 40th anniversary in the U.S.
- Machinery Guide 2013


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LIKE a Sydney supermarket on Saturday morning, the Federal Government's new grocery prices website attracted a mad rush yesterday. And like many a weekend shopping trip, some left feeling frustrated.
The grocerychoice.gov.au site does not reveal the prices of specific products or specific stores, but compares the cost of different baskets of shopping - such as meat, fruit and vegetables, and dairy - in 61 regions across Australia.
Critics said the regions were so vast that the price lists were no help to shoppers comparing supermarkets or product prices in their local area.
"The outer Sydney south region stretches from Camden to Sutherland - there's going to be massive variation in prices within that region," said the director of the Australian Retailers Association, Richard Evans.
Others said the plan to update the site monthly was flawed.
"The major price fluctuations that occur on a daily and a weekly basis at most supermarkets will be missed," said a University of Western Sydney marketing expert, Daniela Spanjaard.
"And not knowing exactly what products make up each basket means you don't know whether it applies to you."
But the chairman of the Australian Competition and Consumer Competition, Graeme Samuel, said secrecy was essential: "If we tell them 250 grams of Nescafe is on the list, they will drop the price so they look better, but then raise the cost of something else."
The regions had been carefully determined and revealed much about differences between retailers: "You can see that in 52 of 61 regions, Coles is cheaper, and that the independent outlets are uncompetitive across most of the regions. If I was an executive at one of those retailers, I would be thinking, 'How long can we survive with a reputation as the most expensive outlet?' I would consider changing my pricing practices."


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Primark has just reopened and people have been going crazy to buy the latest fashion in store.
The recent lockdown saw stores close for a month with the owner of Primark Associated British Foods claim they lost millions of pounds because of the closures.
However after it reopened on December 2, there were massive queues in Birmingham and the rest of the country with tons of people wanting to head to their nearest store.
And a latest fashion product has caught the eye of fans - and it looks perfect for the coming winter months.
But it seems everyone has pointed out that even though they are called sweater vests, people think they look like tank tops.
One person said: "They're tank tops for goodness sake!"
While a second person added: "Tank tops ... back in the day!" and a third person said: "I’m buying these"
A fourth person chimed in and said: "think I might need one more trip".
Primark fans recently went crazy for some £10 heel shoes being sold by the retailer - however buying those shoes during winter means some of them probably won't be able to wear them for a while.
With many places in England currently in Tier 2 and Tier 3, most restaurants and bars have been forced to close meaning that people won't be able to go out and dress up in their new pair of heels until later next year.


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The saga of Main Street economic decline hit home last May when the pharmacy in Berryville announced it was closing its doors. The loss to the town meant there would be no pharmacy in the entire county and would burden residents with longer trips to have prescriptions filled.
So, when news of a new pharmacy opening on Crow Street broke there was much excitement and enthusiasm. Reed’s Pharmacy, which currently has two locations in West Virginia and one in Maryland, had signed a lease to open their fourth location in Berryville. However, with no sign of progress months later, people began to wonder if it was really going to happen. Rumors of the “deal falling through” started to pop up in conversations in town as the months wore on so we contacted the owners to get the facts.
Tally Reed told us, “Those rumors are definitely not true. We have had some delays but we are looking forward to opening in Berryville and serving the community there.”
Kenneth and Tally Reed are the owners of Reed’s Pharmacies and they say their plans have not changed. They said they have acquired all the necessary permits and hope to get the build-out of the new space underway soon.
As work continues towards opening their fourth location, the Reeds will be counting on their proven approach in small communities to make the Berryville store a success. With stores in Berkley Springs WV, Hedgesville WV, and Hancock MD, the business seems to have carved out a sustainable approach to operating in small communities. When asked about their success Tally said, “I believe we have been successful with our pharmacies because each one has been customized to meet the needs of the community it serves. Every store has it’s own ‘feel.’ Unlike the big chains we do not try and ‘copy’ one store to the next. We also try and keep things very simple and provide our customers with knowledgeable, friendly, and efficient service.”
Tally also said the new Berryville location will help them compete in an already difficult marketplace that is dominated by large corporate stores, “By continuing to expand we have more ‘buying power’ and can increase our profitability from the buying end.”
She added, “I guess there are no BIG secrets to our success. We work hard, hire good people, and do our best to make customers happy!”
The Reeds have no firm date for the store opening, but say it will be soon.


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Toyota announces price hike of 3% on its cars from January 2017
The hike in price is due to the increase in raw material prices which it had been absorbing for a while.
Toyota Kirloskar Motor announced on Monday that it will increase the prices of its cars up to 3% effective from January 1, 2017. The decision is in line with the general industry trend prompted by increasing cost of manufacturing vehicles and a consistent upward trend in foreign exchange rates, it said.
N Raja, Director & Sr Vice President, Marketing and Sales, Toyota Kirloskar Motor said, "There has been an increase in pricing of raw material commodities like steel, aluminum, copper and rubber over a period of the last six months and this puts a lot of pressure on us as all this has been leading to a higher input cost on our end. Another factor leading to higher input cost in our case is the appreciation of yen in the international market which has increased the cost of parts that we import from Japan.”
He further said that they have been absorbing all the additional costs till now thereby protecting their customers from the price increase. However, owing to continued pressure of high costs and foreign exchange rates remaining at high levels of above Rs 68 to the dollar, they have been pressured to increase the cost of their vehicles.
The company witnessed a growth of over 10% in domestic sales in the month of November 2016 owing to the overwhelming response the recently launched all-new Fortuner has received.
In addition, the company also announced the Remember December Campaign which will provide exciting product offerings and benefits of 100% on road financing, EMI Holidays like- buy now and pay in March 2017- on all its models and a special EMI package of as low as Rs 22,999 in select models of Innova Crysta.
"The Remember December campaign is not just about offering benefits on our products but it is also an effort from our side to meet the needs of the customers to help them overcome difficulties caused due to demonetisation. Not just that, we are also accepting cashless payments through various channels of e-transfers to ensure smooth & hassle free buying experiences for our customers thus adding more value to the customer experience and meeting their expectations," added Raja.
Get Latest Business News, Stock Market Updates and Videos; Check your tax outgo through Income Tax Calculator and save money through our Personal Finance coverage. Check Business Breaking News Live on Zee Business Twitter and Facebook. Subscribe on YouTube.


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Back in 2014, Amazon launched the Amazon Fire Phone, but the device didn't achieve commercial success, and it was discontinued a year later. It was considered a massive failure and led to massive layoffs in the company's hardware division.
Three years later, the online retailer is preparing to launch a new smartphone series named 'Ice.' According to several reports, the phones won't be high-end devices, but rather affordable mid-range smartphones.
Leaks claim that the Amazon's Ice Phone series will be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 435 processor, and come with 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of storage.
The phones (since we are talking about a series of smartphones) are expected to have 5.2-5.5-inch screens, 13MP rear camera, and a fingerprint sensor placed on the back of the devices.
The Amazon Ice Phone should run on Android 7.1.1 Nougat, and according to the reports, it should be available by the end of the year at a price of $95.
- > NEXT STORY: FIFA 18 on Switch: no story mode or Frostbite support
- < PREVIOUS STORY: Gamevice's snap-on mobile controller could thwart Switch


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Storage company serves as flood donation drop-off location, offers free rentals
Published 10:02 am, Wednesday, April 20, 2016
Big Tex Storage has joined forces with Spring Happenings and the Spring Klein Chamber of Commerce to help those in need. Big Tex Storage is offering free rentals until May 31 for people affected by the flood. The company is also as serving as a drop off point location for donations.
“We are available to the residents in the area,” said Barbara Cash, facility manager at Big Tex Storage. “We want to be a part of the community when the community needs us there.”
Items that are needed for donations include non-perishable food items, bottled water, snacks, toiletries, household cleaning supplies, mops, brooms, wipes, empty boxes, and new to slightly used kids shoes. Organizers of the donation location ask that no clothes be donated at this time due to a large amount of donated clothing currently at the facility.
Big Tex storage is a member of the Spring Klein Chamber of Commerce and hopes to begin dispersing donated goods into the community this Saturday.
“We just like giving back, and we take a lot of pride in giving back to our community,” said Cash.
Donation drop off times are between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. everyday until further notice.
Big Tex Storage is located at 24922 Kuykendahl Rd, Tomball TX 77375. For more information please call the storage company at (281) 377-3655 or the Spring Klein Chamber of Commerce at (281) 257-4431.


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Diesel fuel prices continue to decline, with off-road prices in some California locations at $1.89 a gallon, according to the Sacramento-based California Farm Bureau Federation.
Off-road diesel contains red dye, so it can be distinguished from retail diesel. Off-road diesel, which is used by agriculture and construction, also is not taxed.
The California Energy Commission says diesel prices got as high as $5.77 per gallon as demand from Chile took diesel supplies from California and all over the United States.
Chile experienced a colder-than-average winter and needed diesel to power electric generators to keep houses warm. That caused California diesel prices to soar higher than gasoline.
The lower prices come as farmers in California's desert regions have planted winter vegetable crops.
To subscribe to the print version of The Grower, click here.


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A group of Charleston organizations that is suing Carnival Cruise Lines in a dispute over regulation of the cruise business is again calling for a study of the location of a new cruise ship terminal.
The Historic Ansonborough Neighborhood Association, Charlestowne Neighborhood Association, The Preservation Society of Charleston, and the Coastal Conservation League — the groups suing Carnival — were joined by The Committee to Save the City and Charleston Communities for Cruise Control in calling for an independent study of the cruise terminal location.
The State Ports Authority plans to begin construction this year on a new $35 million cruise ship terminal at Union Pier, near Laurens Street, where there were previously cargo operations. The terminal would replace an older one at the south end of Union Pier, near Market Street.
The SPA’s position is that it has studied alternatives and held numerous public meetings, and concluded that Union Pier is the appropriate location for the new terminal. Opponents have suggested cruise ships should dock elsewhere, such at Columbus Street terminal or Patriot’s Point.
The Charleston Communities for Cruise Control organization, which calls itself C4 for short, also has asked Carnival to voluntarily agree to standards addressing “the size of ships, frequency of visits, air and water emissions, fuel used, noise mitigation, impact fees, local purchasing and periodic reporting on the standards.”


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China‘s cyberspace regulator announced on Thursday that its “clean cyberspace” campaign would have 10 main tasks in 2022, including “rectifying” companies that manage social media influencers.
The focus of the campaign will include “rectifying” multi-channel network firms, short video and livestreaming, as well as cracking down on internet rumours, according to Sheng Ronghua, deputy director of the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC).
Sheng said the campaign, going into 2022, should be “specialised, strict and practical”, focusing on prominent online problems with a view to taking pragmatic measures.
The campaign outline follows Monday’s announcement by CAC that companies engaged in online gaming, livestreaming, audio and video in China should set up a “youth mode” to protect minors.
The major platforms should regularly conduct assessments on cyber protection for minors in order to provide a “clean” online environment for them, CAC said, adding that the platforms should also cap daily spending amount for minor users.
China’s major video streaming platforms Tencent Video and iQIYI, as well as ByteDance-owned short video platform Douyin have already launched a “youth mode” for minors.
Authorities in China have long worried about addiction to gaming and the internet among its young people.
- Reuters, with additional editing by George Russell


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New Online Casino Games Use Top Technology
Online casino players will be happy to learn that one of the biggest online gambling software providers in the business is releasing a couple of new games this month. If you are a hardcore online casino player that follows all the latest releases, then you probably already known about the new Hitman slot game the firm released earlier in March. The new game captured most of the attention, but there are other options as well. Online casino technology keeps breaking boundaries and new games appear like mushrooms after a spring’s rain. If you like innovations, then the online casino industry is the place to be!
One of the exciting releases is titled 4 Hand Double Double Bonus Multi-hand Power Poker, and is targeted at all you online casino poker fans out there. The game offers double the money and much more of the fun! The pay-table is highly generous, and the game include a special “4 of a Kind” hand that makes playing it even more exciting. If you haven’t played at the online casino sites for sometime – you are in for a surprise. The games bring better graphics, easier interfaces, and they are nothing like what they have used to be. The focus has shifted towards the content of the game, and online casino software makers are constantly trying to bring you games that carry a special twist of theme, an added value.
Another March release from the online casino software maker is a video poker attraction that feature smooth playing dynamics. The game has a range of relevant player assists and a special auto play mode that will turn any game to a wonderful online casino experience. Online gambling software providers are using new platforms and incorporate the latest online technology into their gaming portfolio. Seasoned players need new thrills to keep them playing, and each new game is carrying the top of the line technology to satisfying today’s online casino players. Aside from technology, there is another important element that this new games feature, and that is high jackpots. New technology and high paying jackpots is a recipe for a great time at the online gambling sites.


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SAN FRANCISCO - Bradley Davis never expected he'd one day be at the helm of his own flourishing startup. But today, having founded cx*j4$"'ly.tv, a global leader in open-source, crowd-funded, client-authoritative server distribution platforms, the now-potty-trained 28-month-old runs one of the world's most highly respected technology companies, and sits alone atop Inc. Magazine's 2014 'Top 4 Under 4′ in tech.
Started out of Davis's playpen using a seed round of funds he'd been accidentally trying to stuff in his mouth, cx*j4$"'ly.tv has garnered significant press coverage of late for both its impressive 800% annual revenue growth, and the lavish perks it bestows on its employees, including naps, storytime, and even the occasional breast-in-the-face.
Reached Tuesday for comment in his Mountain View, CA office, Davis was clearly excited about the news, saying "I like doggies! Fluffy dogs are funny! Ha ha ha!"
Rounding out Inc.'s 2014 list were Little Sarah Michaels, founder of Güber, an app-based formula delivery service, Little Marcus Jackson, CEO of Büümer, an app-based diaper drop-off/ pick-up service, and Little Erin Chan, founder of Süüüner, an app-based social network for premature babies.
UPDATE (4/2/14 11:58am) - Facebook (NASQAQ: FB) has announced a bid to purchase a majority stake in cx*j4$"'ly.tv for $14B in cash and stock.


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Jersey Dairy farms mooove forward to becoming even more sustainable
Jersey Dairy is excited to announce its new partnership with Trinity AgTech to provide a credible and bespoke carbon emission and biodiversity evaluation programme for our farms.
Anna Woodley, Director of Business Development at Trinity AgTech said,
“Trinity was launched to help farms measure and leverage carbon and natural capital to create more resilient, sustainable businesses – and in doing so help solve some of the World’s ecological and environmental problems.
We’re delighted that Jersey Dairy is one of the first to recognise this value. We look forward to helping them on their journey to create even more sustainable, low-carbon dairy that makes a positive contribution to the environment.”Anna and her team recently visited Jersey Dairy to present to our farmers the benefits of working together on this new partnership. Embracing credibility, precision and simplicity on farm and bringing clarity to misinformation which often surrounds the dairy industry.
Tom Perchard, Jersey Dairy farmer states,
“Last week, Jersey Dairy producers alongside other members of the agricultural community received an extremely interesting presentation from Anna Woodley, a Director of Trinity AgTech who are a business that are at the forefront of the drive to cut C02 emissions within the food production supply chain.
Rather than using generic and outdated emissions data, Trinity AgTech have developed their own in-house tech and software to more accurately measure CO2 emissions down to individual farm businesses. Essential to this process, and often overlooked in the past, is being able to quantify the positive contribution that grassland carbon sequestration and increased levels of farm biodiversity make towards net carbon output.
This work will dovetail perfectly into what we at Jersey Dairy are already doing through LEAF accreditation and our own Dairy Environmental Enhancement Plan (DEEP) and will enable us to make more informed and better management decisions across our businesses as we move towards net zero.
This exciting new relationship between Jersey Dairy and Trinity AgTech really does demonstrate the proactive and ground-breaking approach that our farmers are taking towards reducing CO2 emissions and we’re delighted to be working together to deliver a more environmentally sustainable future for the Island’s dairy industry”.
Jersey Dairy is proud to be leading the way in sustainable dairy farming. Working together towards a low-carbon dairy and benefiting our beautiful environment.


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Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) said on Thursday that global sales hit a record for the month of February as it bounced back from severe pandemic-induced parts shortages, adding that worldwide production also increased for a second straight month.
Japan’s biggest automaker said in a statement, however, that shortages of parts continue to be a problem. During the pandemic, it fared better than most car makers in managing supply chains, but even so ended up cutting monthly production targets repeatedly last year.
Last month, its global sales jumped 10.3 per cent to 773,271 vehicles, driven by a blistering 53.2 per cent climb in domestic sales. That compares with a particularly weak February last year when sales sharply declined due to a lack of semiconductors.
It said worldwide production of Toyota-branded vehicles rose 2 per cent to 755,839, slightly ahead of its goal of 750,000. The increase comes after an 8.8 per cent jump in January.
Domestic production continued to show a strong recovery, climbing 11.2 per cent in February after a 30.1 per cent surge in January.


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TOKYO: As Japan prepares to raise the consumption tax for the first time in half a decade next year, the Ministry of Finance worries that gold smuggling will also get a boost.
When the tax was last increased in 2014, to 8% from 5%, smuggling of the precious metal jumped as criminal organizations quickly realized how to game the system for their own enrichment.
The scheme works like this: Procure gold in places like Hong Kong, which does not tax it. Have mules hide it in their luggage and blend in with tourists, traveling to Japan to sell to stores that buy gold from the public. The stores pay for both the gold itself and the consumption tax. The tax component becomes pure profit.
And with the consumption tax set to rise to 10% in October 2019, margins will grow even fatter.
Japan has an unflattering reputation as a “go-to place” for gold smugglers. In 2017, there were 1,347 cases discovered by law enforcement — 112 times the tally from 2013, the year before the last tax hike. Seized gold last year amounted to 6,236 kg, a 47-fold increase.
“It looks like the break-even point for smugglers is between 5 and 8%,” a government source said of the sudden spike.
Japan even “exported” 215 tons of gold in 2017, despite being a producer of only tens of tons domestically. That was almost double the 114 tons exported in 2014.
Official gold imports, meanwhile, dropped to 5 tons in 2017 from 16 tons in 2014. The scale of smuggling is said to exceed 150 tons.
The Finance Ministry acknowledges that more than 60 billion yen ($540 million) could have gone to criminal organizations via the scheme. “We only know the tip of the iceberg,” an official said.
But the government is not sitting idly by. April’s revised customs law strengthened penalties for smugglers and distributors engaged in illegal activities. Airports in Japan are being outfitted with new gates that can detect small amounts of metal.


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The Google Pixel 7 is one of the best smartphones available in 2023, and it is notable for a number of reasons, including its remarkable appearance, its potent Tensor G2….
After spending some time with Google’s most recent smartphone for the purpose of writing this review of the Pixel 7a, I believe it is safe to state that there is….
It has been speculated for some time that Google will soon introduce a folding smartphone that will compete with Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold. That event finally took place the day….
A little more than a week remains until Google I/O 2023, where it is anticipated that the Pixel 7a will be presented to the public for the first time. Because….
An alleged fresh leak of information regarding Google’s first foldable smartphone, the Pixel Fold, purports to have closed any knowledge gaps that may have been there. If the information is….
It is anticipated that the next series of iPhone 15 Pro will offer a significant number of improvements over the standard iPhone 15. I’m talking about anything from a design….
It is reasonable to anticipate that installing new software updates will result in functional enhancements to your device; but, it appears that the most recent version of iOS, 16.4, has….
It appears that Nothing’s upcoming smartphone will be available for purchase in the official store in the United States. Carl Pei, co-founder, and CEO of Nothing, has stated that the….
Samsung is working on getting the Galaxy S23 FE ready for release later on in this year. Surprisingly, we discovered that the Galaxy S23 Fan Edition would be powered by….
On April 3, 1973, Martin Cooper stood on a sidewalk on Sixth Avenue in Manhattan with a device the size of a brick and made the first public call from….


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From the Williamston Hornet décor, to the prime location right in downtown Williamston, the Williamston Pub & Grill continues to be a popular restaurant to Williamston residents and beyond.
Through continuous community involvement, new promotions and a unique menu, the Williamston Pub & Grill has found new ways to attract customers and strengthen its relationships with pre-existing consumers.
Prior to the opening of the Williamston Pub & Grill two-years ago, the restaurant was known as the Bucket.
“The old owner was in between chefs and staff when we got here,” Executive Chef and Co-Owner Luciano Loredo said. “We tweaked the menu a bit at first and then I got out here and we started working on it to create what we have now.”
According to Loredo, a driving component to their success lies in their continual community involvement.
“We do a lot with the community here,” Loredo said. “You can’t beat our movie and a flick deal anywhere, and it supports a local theatre here in Williamston.”
Williamston Pub & Grill partnered with the Sun Theatre to promote the Dinner and a Flick deal where customers that spend $30 or more on food and non-alcoholic beverages receive two complimentary movie tickets.
Sun Theatre owner Dan Robitaille said that the deal has helped the theatre’s revenue as well as strengthen community ties.
“The dinner and a flick is super popular for us right now,” Robitaille said. “It’s a way to be involved with other local businesses.”
Loredo said that having a location in downtown, and a five-minute week from the Larkin-Nortman Memorial Field brings members of the community in especially during football season.
“We were packed during the Homecoming game,” Loredo said. “Plus it’s good comfort food. You’re not going to leave here empty because we sell big portions. We have a lot of people that come from out of town for our food as well.”
Co-owner Leigh Baumgras said that their success could also be attributed to their trivia nights hosted right inside the pub.
“Every Tuesday and Thursday from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. we have Zack’s Tunes Universal Trivia night,” Baumgras said. “First, second and third place wins gift certificates to the pub.”
In addition to their promotional events and partnerships, the Williamston Pub & Grill attracts customers through their unique menu.
“We are definitely known for our burgers, we have 17 specialty burgers so there is a lot to chose from. We also have a large Mexican selection on our menu and our cook does everything from scratch with that,” Baumgras said. “We have a little bit of everything for everybody.”
According to Loredo, their menu accommodates to a variety of tastes.
“We have 93 items to chose from on our menu and I sell all 93,” Loredo said. “We sell burgers the most but we are also praised for our Mexican food and other items so it goes all over the place when it comes to my favorite dish to make.”
The menu also features various styles of food such as Mediterranean, Italian and Greek choices.
“We have not only customers within the community, but also from neighboring cities who come to try our food,” Loredo said. “We’ve been working for two and a half years now and we’re going to keep finding ways to be successful here.”
Williamston resident, and D & W Fresh Market employee Mari Garry says that she enjoys the food at the Williamston Bar and Grille because of the freshness of the products.
“As an employee here at D & W Fresh Market, I watch the head chef come in everyday to make sure he is providing fresh produce for his meals,” Garry said. “I love eating there with my family.”
Garry said her favorite thing to order has to be the burgers.
“They have the best burger of any place around here,” Garry said. “Not to mention the other choices they have- I love it all.”


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What Steps Must the U.S. Take to Reduce Food Waste?- The European Model
According to a Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) study, 40% of food in America goes uneaten. The behind the scenes practices of healthy food disposal rarely have anything to do with human safety, but rather, human aesthetic concern. In other words, more healthy food is thrown away because it doesn’t look good, not because it’s spoiled.
Follow Across the Pond
America can learn from The European model for reducing healthy food waste which consists mainly of adopting a “closed loop” or “circular economy.” This is achieved by adapting vigilant transparency and oversight.
The European model for food waste reduction recommends AVOIDING these factors:
- Insufficient shopping like buying too many sale items that lead to edible foods thrown away
- Misunderstanding of “best before” and “use by” dates
- Standardizing portion sizes in restaurants
- Better customer number anticipation in catering and party planning
- Inadequate storage and transport
Understand Expiration Dates
How long healthy food can be stored on shelves and in homes prompts continued food waste. It is suggested that, “sell by” dates be removed to avoid premature food disposal and that “use by” dates be considered an estimate.
A John’s Hopkins University paper reports that, “Sell-by dates are merely the manufacturer’s estimate of peak freshness, not deadlines for safe consumption.”
According to a 2013 study released by Harvard Law School’s Food Law and Policy Clinic and the NRDC (as reported by MarketWatch):
“Consumers are confused by what is fresh food and what is bad food, and they conflate different supermarket labels. Phrases like “sell by,” “use by,” and “best before” are poorly regulated and often misinterpreted, the report found: “It is time for a well-intended but wildly ineffective food date labeling system to get a makeover.”
Jar It, Dry It, Freeze It, Save It
One way you can reduce your healthy food waste is by freezing, drying, jarring and saving foods. This is nothing new, as cultures across the globe have been doing it since the dawn of agriculture. Canned, boxed and other packaged foods are often processed for a long shelf life, turning healthy food into chemically manipulated, unhealthy food. However, purchasing or preparing foods simply by removing oxygen in the process instead of adding chemical preservatives will enable small portions when needed.
It is important to wrap your food before freezing, and animal products like meat or fish should be fully thawed before cooking. Herbs like basil and parsley can be dried or frozen, and freezer stored fruits are perfect in a smoothie instead of ice.
Educate, Don’t Believe the Hype
Many influencing factors have determined how Americans view healthy food, when most of it is just hype. This can be found on cooking programs “staging” food to be the perfect color and size; supermarkets throwing away blemished, misshapen foods to make room for more “perfect” brand driven picks; restaurants having to comply to strict Health Department regulations resulting in tons of discarded healthy food; and bleaching, dyeing and packaging food to look like healthy food.
These are just small examples of how mainstream America has been programmed into thinking food is inedible when it looks slightly different. To learn about how food can be utilized is essential to reducing food waste, and it all begins with the education of the public.
USDA Food Loss and Waste Reduction Activities
By reducing food waste we can keep healthy food on tables and out of landfills, where it contributes to methane gas emissions – a major contributor to climate change.
In 2015 the USDA and EPA announced their concerted efforts to reduce national food waste in half by 2030. These are some of the USDA’s food loss and waste reduction activities currently in motion:
- On-farm storage – Reduces post-harvest loss by providing farmers with effective, safe and readily accessible storage for crops
- Rural county support – on-site visits to determine strategies for reducing food waste; capture systems; reduction strategies; and local options for composting and bio-digesting
- Streamline procedures for donating wholesome misbranded meat products
- Connecting fresh produce importers with charitable institutions
A sustainable, healthy food chain is another step towards a sustainable planet. JOIN US today and become a visible partner in our sustainable community while learning more about healthy lifestyle choies. Subscribe to our website to stay updated on the latest green living news.


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$6,000 worth of iPhones stolen from Galesburg U.S. Cellular store
GALESBURG — Over $6,000 worth of cellphones were reported stolen from a Galesburg business Friday afternoon.
Galesburg police responded to U.S. Cellular, 576 Knox Square Drive, at about 1:54 p.m. following a call of a theft that had just occurred. Upon arrival, officers spoke to multiple witnesses at the store.
Witnesses told officers that they saw a Black male in a red sweatshirt, faded ripped blue jeans and black shoes looking around before going into a hallway where the businesses offices are. They then witnessed the suspect leave the hallway a minute later and exit the store. Other witnesses also said they saw the suspect running across the parking lot while carrying several small boxes and getting into a red SUV and departing.
Store management reported that six iPhone 12s and two iPhone 12 minis, at a combined value of $6,432, had been stolen from a desk in the manager’s office.
While on scene, officers also spoke to employees at AT&T, 506 Knox Square Drive, which is next door. They told officers that three males, two of whom ended up buying phones, had been in and out of AT&T several times throughout the day. The unknown male asked several times to use the restroom in the back of the store. The three men used two different vehicles and entered and exited several times, and when they needed more money to buy the phones, went to a subject who was waiting in one of the vehicles.
The theft remains under investigation.


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ISLAMABAD: Large-scale manufacturing (LSM) grew by 22.39 per cent in March, reflecting phenomenal growth in industrial output, data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) showed on Friday.
The surge is partly explained by the lockdown that came into effect on March 23 last year.
On a month-on-month basis, big industry production contracted by 7.66pc.
The LSM expansion had slowed in January after posting a double-digit growth in December and November on the back of higher automobile, cement products and one-time sugar output, which reflects the revival of industrialisation. In February, LSM posted a growth of 4.85pc.
However, on month-on-month basis, LSM contracts by 7.7pc
In December and November last year, LSM grew by 11.4pc and 14.5pc, respectively, on a year-on-year basis.
During the first nine months (July-March) of the fiscal year 2020-21, LSM grew by 8.99pc. Since July 2020, LSM has rebounded after suffering months of a downturn on account of Covid-19 mainly in the automobile, construction, textile, food, chemicals, non-metallic mineral products and pharmaceutical sectors. The uptick during the nine months of FY21 reflects a revival in economic activities.
The PBS snapshot of the manufacturing activity showed that 12 out of 15 sub-sectors in LSM rose during the month under review. Low-interest rates and reduction in duties on raw materials are expected to further spur economic activities during the current fiscal year.
Sector-wise, production of 11 items under the Oil Companies Advisory Committee was up by 76.75pc year-on-year in March. The 36 items under the Ministry of Industries and Production rose by 23.56pc, while 65 items reported by the provincial bureaus of statistics were up by 13.43pc.
LSM represents nearly 80pc of the country’s total manufacturing and accounts for nearly 10.7pc of the national output. In comparison, the small-scale industry makes up for just 1.8pc of GDP and 13.7pc of the secondary sector.
As per the PBS data, the whole automobile sector posted a massive growth in March from a year ago. Production of tractors rose by 90.83pc, trucks 58.98pc, buses 87.50pc, jeep and cars 183.51pc, LCVs 104.47pc and motorcycles by 77.36pc during the month under review. The bicycle production also posted a growth of over 16pc.
The cement output also grew by 57.24pc during the month under review on the back of greater demand following the start of construction activities and increase in exports. In the steel sector, billets and ingots also posted a growth of 57.65pc. The production of paints and varnishes was up 76.28pc. Cigarettes production posted a growth of 34.13pc.
In pharmaceuticals, the output of syrups rose by 37.77pc, injection 13.08pc, capsules 30.14pc and tablets by 0.44pc. However, the output of ointments dipped by 17.34pc.
On the other hand, vegetable ghee production fell by 0.77pc. However, cooking oil production was slightly up by 0.26pc. The production of tea dipped by 3.37pc, while wheat and grain milling output grew by 14.96pc.
The data for March showed that output of petroleum products was up by 76.85pc. The output of two oil products — petrol and high-speed diesel — was up 85.15pc and 181.93pc, respectively, whereas furnace oil production increased by 55.41pc, jet fuel oil 33.02pc and LPG by 40.30pc.
The production of kerosene dipped by 4.50pc. The production of other petroleum sub-products increased during the month under review.
In electronic goods, the output of refrigerators posted a growth of 111.76pc, deepfreezers 101.11pc, air-conditioners 171.55pc, electric bulbs 6.50pc, electric fans 83.41pc, electric meters 142.18pc, switch gear 165.59pc and electric transformers 70.21pc. Other electronic goods output also posted positive growth during the month under review.
Published in Dawn, May 8th, 2021


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Fujitsu comment: Cyber-attack could cost the global economy more than $120bn
The comments from Rob Norris, VP Head of Enterprise & Cyber Security EMEIA at Fujitsu, on a report released by Lloyds which has said a cyber-attack could cost the global economy more than $120bn (£92bn) – as much as catastrophic natural disasters such as Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy.
The ripple effects of an attack no longer stay within the four walls of an organisation. In fact, recent events have shown us how the consequences can be played out on the world stage affecting governments, health services and even the physical safety of people on the street. With such significant financial and reputational consequences, we need to start seeing more proactivity when it comes to tackling cybercrime before an attack happens.
Research by Fujitsu revealed that less than 10% of consumers believe that businesses are doing enough to ensure that their data is protected. With data fast becoming the new currency, its ever clearer that the maturation of the digital industry has brought its own set of unique challenges and businesses are not quite there when it comes to addressing the cybercrime challenge. As attackers always have the initiative, even the best-run company could suffer from a hack or data theft. Because of this, it’s vital organisations take a proactive approach, focusing on the integration of threat intelligence and other information sources to provide the visibility to identify a breach or suspicious behaviour quickly, coupled with the threat context necessary to deal with today’s sophisticated attacks.


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It has been rumoured this week that Google will unveil its new Chromebook Haswell processor equipped notebook systems this week during the Intel Developer Forum 2013.
A source close to the action has indicted that details of the new Chromebooks will be revealed on Wednesday morning at an IDF keynote by Doug Fisher, general manager of Intel’s software and services group.
Its also expected that a Google executive will also join him to explain how Google is working with Intel to optimise Android and Chrome software for Intel chips.
Currently Google, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, Acer, and Samsung sell Chromebooks to the public and businesses but other hardware manufacturers are expected to join the sales team in the coming months.
Unfortunately no information on pricing or worldwide availability of the new Chromebook Haswell systems has been released as yet by either Intel or Google but as soon as information comes to light we will keep you updated as always.
Source: PC World
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140 characters. Automatically translated into Klingon. The future. (Note: technically, you're limited to 100 characters to accommodate the ins and outs of Klingon phonetics, but don't let it stop you.) [Tweet in Klingon via Mashable via ShinyShiny]
The Absolute Most Important Development In Twitter Yet
Trending Stories Right Now
This week, anyone looking to hack their Switch or run their own software on it got some good news and more good news. An exploit has been released that opens the homebrew floodgates - and because it's hardware-based, Nintendo can't just patch it.
It's not exactly a bold statement to say that tyres are an important feature of a car. But despite rather needing them to get your automobile moving, some people don't know a whole lot about them or how to look after them properly. So let's change that! Here's just a few things you should know about tyres to get you started.


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The legend of the ancient City of Gold has always been a mystery to treasure hunters until Spanish conquistadors found out that it was actually a person known as El Dorado, a mythical tribal chief or king whose body was coated with gold every day as a ritual. However, a different City of Gold is coming to the metaverse, which promises exceptional experiences for its holders through close interactions with entrepreneurs who are making seven to eight figures in income.
The City of Gold is establishing a community where successful entrepreneurs can share their remarkable experiences in developing their businesses, sustaining them, and making them a phenomenal success. Holders and investors who are also entrepreneurs in real life can find real value by being part of the City of Gold, and they can get updates on the project through Discord, Instagram, and Twitter. The community is leveraging the current popularity of play-to-earn games and the growing need to bridge online opportunities with real-world wealth principles. It is attempting to decentralize the government’s control of education and empower its members, both online and offline, to become emerging entrepreneurs who hold a lot of promise.
“To this point, nobody has developed a realistic metaverse with a focus on commerce for our community,” said the community founder.
During the first phase of the community roadmap, 10,000 digital real estate NFTs with 100 base models will be available for minting. Each holder will receive a virtual mansion during minting and a plot of land that will serve as a governance token, which will enable them to participate in future DAO governance initiatives within the community. Upon completion of the minting phase, the second part will introduce the first virtual event, the speaker of which will be announced later. The full gold paper will also be published during this phase. Additionally, holders can expect exciting collaboration and the release of a second collection involving high-rise units.
The third phase will allow holders to access the residences of token owners. They can hang out with their friends and get to know other members of the community. The second virtual event will also be happening during this stage. By this time, the City of Gold will drop its third minting initiative, consisting of breathtaking mansions. Phase four is all about avatar creation and the release of another hub. Token owners will be excited to know that the community will be giving away a vehicle in the metaverse. An alpha version will also be dropped at this stage. The final mint of residential plots of land will be happening during the fifth phase. Avatar creation services will be made available to the public, and physical goods will be available in the marketplace. The sixth phase will be all about the selling of commercial land and the release of the remaining hubs.
The creation of the City of Gold is the result of the remarkable collaboration between two brilliant minds: Gabriel Pfeifer and Alex Davila. Pfeifer is known to have generated more than $100 million in sales in the past decade and trained countless individuals, all while running a thriving seven-figure marketing agency. He has been featured in various publications, including Forbes, NY Weekly, and Yale. Davila, on the other hand, an avid and early crypto adopter who has a keen eye for promising investment opportunities. He is a BBW (Baby Beluga Whale) in the metaverse and is very passionate about next-generation technologies. His strength is in managing operations for agencies. Working alongside Pfeifer is another opportunity for him to create something worthwhile for multiple NFT enthusiasts.
City of Gold will soon announce launching dates and additional details related to them.


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Red Ventures to hire 80 in S.A.
Published 5:47 pm, Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Direct marketing company Red Ventures announced that it has secured three new partnerships that will allow it to hire 200 people by year's end.
The South Carolina-based company to hire 80 people for its San Antonio office located on the city's Northwest side, according to a news release.
In August, the company announced it will create 1,000 jobs over the next five years, the release states.
After acquiring HomeInsurance.com earlier this year, Red Ventures will launch a team of certified insurance professionals at its South Carolina headquarters, the release states.


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JAKARTA, Aug 14 (Bernama) -- Indonesia will organise the “Indonesia-Africa Infrastructure Dialogue” (IAID) from Aug 20 to 21 this year at the Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center, Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia.
A total of 700 delegates from Indonesia and African countries are expected to participate in the two-day event, a statement in the IAID portal said.
The Dialogue will highlight the progress of cooperation and business deals signed at the Indonesia-Africa Forum (IAF) April 2018 and the signing of business deals in infrastructure cooperation and other strategic industries between Indonesia and African countries.
According to the statement, the dialogue is aimed at starting off more such future dialogues while generating further cooperation in the related sectors.
During the two days, panel discussions will be held featuring prominent Indonesian, African and international policy makers as well as business people on issues related to infrastructure development.
The IAID serves as a platform for business communities, government officials and other stakeholders from Indonesia and Africa to exchange ideas, explore possibilities of collaboration and further engage in cooperation in the sector of infrastructure and related sectors.
In April 2018 , the Indonesian government hosted the first IAF in Bali and the forum resulted in business deals totalling more than US$1 billion.
Since President Joko Widodo took office in 2014, Indonesia’s Africa policy has prioritised economic engagement and cooperation with the region.
According to Indonesia Trade Ministry, in 2017 the country’s total exports to African countries stood at US$4.86 billion, a marked increase from US$4.16 billion in 2016.
With the positive trend continuing, the country is ready to take further steps to enhance economic ties with Africa.
Indonesia’s main exports to the continent include palm oil, garments, processed foods and beverages.
From Africa, imports are mainly crude oil, cocoa beans, cotton, and chemicals for fertilizers and industries.
"Indonesia wants to be part of developments in Africa and Indonesia also wants Africa to be part of developments in Indonesia,” Indonesia's Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi had said during the 2018 IAF.


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CAPE TOWN – Online shopping through sites like Kalahari, BidorBuy, Takealot or Zando may be booming this Christmas, but research by Google Insights on South African shopping habits reveals that nine out of ten consumers still prefer to purchase big ticket items in person.
This does not discount the role of the internet. The same research notes that roughly 50% of big ticket purchases are influenced by research that is done online. Google dubs this “research online, purchase offline (ROPO)” and says it is a growing trend. It is one that will probably please bricks and mortar retailers who have lagged in their development of online shopping facilities.
According to Google, of the consumers who buy electronic products, 75% will have done some online research ahead of the purchase, but just 12% will order that product online. Similarly, 53% of shoppers looking for items for their houses and gardens will do preliminary online research, and 8% of them will order online. The entertainment sector is the clear outlier. Of the 65% of consumers who search entertainment offerings online, over a third will buy tickets online.
One company to take advantage of this trend is the price comparison website Guzzle founded by entrepreneurs Ric Meulemans and Oliver Bryant. Comparison websites are not a new thing. Pricecheck.co.za is probably the best known, but shopmania.co.za and uprice.co.za offer similar services. Guzzle is different in that it is not comparing the prices of goods found online, but of goods that bricks and mortar retailers like Game, Makro, PnP and Shoprite are promoting.
Consider the reams and reams of advertising broadsheets that are currently inserted into all the mainstream newspapers and lie around homes and offices. Can you remember which retailer was offering what and at which price?
Guzzle lists all the price promotions from all the major retailers in a way that makes searching – by specific product, generic category, by retailer or by retail broadsheet – simple. The promotions are updated weekly and prices are easy to compare.
At this point in time Guzzle is not charging the retailers for the service. But the site has been running for 14 months and now attracts about 10 000 unique visitors a day. Each visitor spends roughly six minutes on the site. This kind of critical mass has to be worth something. “We know exactly how many customers clicked on a catalogue and which individual products were viewed,” says Meulemans. The company has developed a ‘dynamic advertising’ offer which it expects to be a big hit with retailers.
In the past month the top searched retailers on the site were Game, Clicks, Pick n Pay, OK and Makro. The top searched products were the iPhone 5; iPad 3/ iPad; iPad Mini, Wii U and Samsung Galaxy S3. The top broad shopping related search terms are catalogues, specials, fridges, appliances and washing machines. The top food searches are chicken, leg of lamb, gammon, potatoes and tomatoes and unsurprisingly, the top drink searches were wine and beer.
“This reflects the shopping behaviour of about 200 000 users and is very reflective of what is important to consumers right now,” he says.
While consumers are using the internet to research prices on big ticket items, they are also comparing the prices of smaller items – like groceries. More and more consumers are accessing the site using their smartphones . “They don’t spend as long browsing, but they are definitely looking for the best offer.”


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Calcium and vitamin D supplements may not lower risk of fracture, study finds
WATCH Supplements may not lower fracture risk: Study
Taking calcium and vitamin D supplements may not actually lower fracture risks for elder adults living independently, according to a new analysis of past studies published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The researchers looked at 51,145 participants from 33 clinical trials and found that there was not a significant difference in the risk of hip fractures for those who used calcium supplements, vitamin D supplements, or both, compared to those who took a placebo or no supplements at all.
Consumer Reports highlights dietary supplement dangers
The participants were all adults who were over 50 years old, not living in a nursing home, not on anti-osteoporosis medications and had no history of steroid-induced bone breakdown.
"No significant associations were found between calcium, vitamin D, or combined calcium and vitamin D supplements and the incidence of nonvertebral, vertebral or total fractures," researchers added as part of their secondary outcomes.
In addition, further analyses found these results to be "generally consistent" regardless of the calcium or vitamin D dose, sex, fracture history, and dietary calcium intake.
Researchers only looked at supplement studies and did not assess studies that looked at dietary intake of calcium and vitamin D.
The chances of breaking a hip increase with age, and approximately 95 percent of hip fractures are caused by falling sideways, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
To prevent hip fractures, the CDC recommends talking to your doctor, getting screened for osteoporosis, doing strength and balance exercises, and having your eyes checked. In addition, the CDC recommends taking simple steps to make your home safer, including getting rid of things you could trip over, putting railings on both sides of any set of stairs and making sure your home has lots of light.


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WASHINGTON — One of the first things I do when I'm about to purchase a product or service is check the Internet for information.
I'm particularly interested in getting help from companies that make my research easier by rating a product or company.
But a recent action taken by the Federal Trade Commission is yet another reminder of the dangers of relying on information you find on the Web.
The FTC has cracked down on two companies that claim to have done extensive research on long-term care facilities. The companies offered recommendations to consumers based on their alleged legwork, including uncovering any citations or violations the facilities have received. The companies, CarePatrol Inc. and ABCSP Inc., charge a fee to the facilities, the FTC said.
CarePatrol and ABCSP agreed to settle charges from the FTC that they misled consumers on how much work they had done in monitoring and grading the assisted living facilities.
CarePatrol and ABCSP, which does business as "Always Best Care," operate through a network of franchisees throughout the country.
The FTC alleges that CarePatrol advertised that its "senior care consultants" offer consumers placement based on its extensive research. The company's promotional materials contained promises that said, among other claims, that "Nationally Certified Advisors look beyond the chandeliers and fancy lobbies to monitor each community's care history and state violations so we can recommend the safest options for your loved one."
CarePatrol also said it doesn't just send people a list of facilities but grades each one it recommends.
The FTC said ABCSP made similar statements regarding its referral service, claiming it too had evaluated most every facility in its markets, going as far as to say that its "care coordinators" had personally viewed virtually all of the assisted living communities in certain areas.
The claims by both companies would make them impressive referral services, given that there are at least 39,000 assisted living facilities and thousands of smaller, residential care homes in the U.S.
However, the FTC said that the companies failed to provide all the promised services. In most states listed on CarePatrol's website, the company hadn't monitored any facilities and doesn't operate through senior care consultants in every state as it advertised. And ABCSP recommendations are not based on the personal knowledge of its personnel or agents.
"Companies that claim to know which facilities to recommend to consumers need to be able to back up their claims," said David Vladeck, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection.
The settlement does not mean the companies admitted guilt. Efforts to reach ABCSP were unsuccessful.
"No clients were given information from us regarding any facility that we didn't actually walk into, assess or check into their violations," said Chuck Bongiovanni, CarePatrol's chief executive and founder.
Bongiovanni said he made the mistake of listing states on his website in which his company did not have people to check on facilities. He said states were listed to optimize the ability of consumers to find his service.
"No client was in any way harmed," Bongiovanni said. "I'm happy the FTC is looking into our industry. Our industry needs it. This certain situation with us was more about semantics than anything else."
Under proposed consent orders, the two firms are barred from making unsubstantiated representations about their placement services. The FTC says this action is its first case involving companies that offer placement assistance for long-term care facilities.
Before issuing a final order, the FTC is seeking public comment until Oct. 17 on the proposed settlement. If you have had any dealings with the two companies or have an opinion about the settlement, contact the FTC. You can send your comments electronically or by mail. You will find information about submitting comments about CarePatrol at ftcpublic.commentworks.com/ftc/carepatrolconsent. For ABCSP, go to ftcpublic.commentworks.com/ftc/abcspconsent. Your mailed comments should be sent to the FTC, Office of the Secretary, Room H-113 (Annex D), 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20580.
For many, it can be a hard decision financially and emotionally to place someone in an assisted living facility. So I'm glad the FTC is looking into companies that promise a good referral service to help people narrow down their choices.
David R. Spiegel, senior trial attorney for the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, said the actions involving the two companies is part of the agency's broader efforts to focus on seniors.
"We are checking services that give information to seniors," said Spiegel, who cautioned people to do their own due diligence. "Don't take information you get as gospel."
It's unfortunate but Spiegel is right. You have to do checks on the checkers.
Readers can write to Michelle Singletary c/o The Washington Post, 1150 15th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20071. Her email address is firstname.lastname@example.org. Comments and questions are welcome, but due to the volume of mail, personal responses may not be possible. Please also note comments or questions may be used in a future column, with the writer's name, unless a specific request to do otherwise is indicated.


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A British company will showcase its award-winning night time positioning system at REHACARE 2013.
Simple Stuff Works specialises in making flexible assistive sleeping equipment for people with movement difficulties.
The company’s sleep system, which will be displayed at Rehacare on Stand A74/IV in Hall 3, as part of the UK Pavilion, won the Independent Living Design Award for design innovation in 2011 – one of the most prestigious awards in the UK assistive technology sector.
The sleep system, which is designed for therapeutic positioning for children and adults with movement difficulties, helps to protect and restore an individual’s body shape and quality of life.
The night time positioning equipment is available as a whole system or can be mixed and matched to suit a customer’s individual needs. It is also entirely washable, not restrictive and the only sleep system on the UK market which is silent to use.
As well as winning a prestigious industry award, the company was also joint coordinator in the latest Mencap (the UK’s leading charity for learning disabilities) postural care campaign. Their sleep system was used in a number of Mencap films which can be seen here: www.mencap.org/posturalcare.
Simple Stuff Works hopes to meet European distributors interested in its award-winning sleep system, as well as raising awareness of its other products and finding exclusive products to distribute itself in the UK.
The sleep system will be displayed to the European market at Rehacare 2013, from 25-28 September, at Messe Düsseldorf, Germany.
Anna Waugh, Director at Simple Stuff Works, said: “We aim to help people improve their quality of life, so we’re delighted to be bringing our award-winning sleep positioning system to a much wider global audience at Rehacare.
“We look forward to meeting potential distributors of our sleep system – and are also looking forward to speaking to clinicians and customers for further feedback.”
For more information visit Simple Things Work at Stand A74/IV at Hall 3 or visit http://www.simplestuffworks.co.uk
To arrange an interview with Simple Stuff Works at Rehacare contact Martin Webb, Senior PR Officer at Medilink Yorkshire and Humber, on:
Tel: +44 (0)114 2329281
Notes to Editors
Simple Stuff Works is a UK-based family-run organisation which makes night time positioning equipment.
Its products are sourced to be as inexpensive as possible and can be bought as a whole system or can be designed specifically to meet an individual’s needs. The equipment is available to both children and adults.
Simple Stuff Works is a member of the British Healthcare Trades Association, which is the UK’s largest healthcare association. Simple Stuff Works is also involved in work with Mencap, a leading charity for learning disabilities.
For more information on the company visit http://www.simplestuffworks.co.uk


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Progress Report: With more than 150 units pre-leased, Ballpark Village apartment tower opens model unit
The St. Louis Cardinals and development partner Cordish Cos. have opened a model unit at their $120 million, 297-unit Ballpark Village apartment tower as the multifamily project inches closer to completion.
The developers will start offering hard hat tours of One Cardinal Way’s model unit on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The tours will be open to those who have already leased apartments as well as individuals interested in renting a unit.
One Cardinal Way’s model is a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment on the building’s eighth floor. The tower plans to open more model units in the coming weeks, said Marnie Sauls, executive director of residential management at Cordish.
The roll out of the model unit comes as the project nears completion, with plans to open the apartments this summer. Cardinals President Bill DeWitt III said the 29-story apartment tower is targeted to open in June.
“For the most part, all the units are built up and they’re just finishing out the interiors,” he said.
It's expected that full occupancy of the tower will take several weeks to complete, with about a handful of units moving in per day once the facility opens. The apartment tower is currently 55% pre-leased.
“That’s really a good number given the fact that we’re several months away from opening,” said DeWitt III.
Most of the remaining units available are one-bedroom apartments, Sauls said.
One Cardinal Way is part of the 700,000-square-foot phase two expansion at Ballpark Village that also includes a Class A office building, a three-story retail building and a Live! by Loews hotel.
The apartment project will be the final major component to open in the $260 million expansion. Other major features have opened in a staggered timeframe. Tenants of the project's 11-story office building began moving in during the fall and Onelife Fitness, which anchors the expansion's three-story retail pavilion, opened earlier this year. The Live! by Loews hotel began operations Feb. 26.
View article online here.


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Forzani Group's third quarter results came in slightly below expectations, but the Canadian sporting goods giant noted that its stores continue to perform well against a standout year-ago performance and have shown good momentum so far in the fourth quarter. On a conference call with analysts, company CEO Bob Sartor said performance is being particularly helped by a decision to eliminate commission pay at Sport Chek, its flagship chain.
“We have abandoned the sales commission system at Sport Chek and have worked hard to redirect our store teams from a hard-sell mentality [based] on commission to one focusing on the customer experience, and by that I mean cleaner, better merchandised stores and helping the customer,” said Sartor. “Our stores have never looked better and consumer feedback on the service experience is overwhelmingly positive.”
Sartor also noted that the shift was made while maintaining its payroll percent to sales on an annualized basis.
The Sport Chek chain has also benefited from a shift from casual to more performance-oriented offerings. The move has lessened the ability of consumers to price shop the store. While Sport Check took some markdowns and increased marketing given the tough climate in the quarter, it didn't have to resort to the “much earlier than usual, massive reductions, 50% to 70% off seen at other mall stores.” Sartor adds, “We have not had to do that for two reasons — a, lean inventories; and b, again, if you want to buy, for example, Under Armour, we're the only game in town so we don't have to do that.”
Sartor noted that for the first five weeks of the fourth quarter, comps nudged ahead 0.1% at its corporate stores and grew 6.2% at its franchise stores. These results were on top of comp increases in the prior year of 4.9% and 16.7%, respectively. Corporate store margins improved on both a rate and dollar basis.
Though comps declined at corporate stores, Sartor called Q3 “a pretty good result” given recessionary conditions and “really an unseasonably warm period across all of Western Canada for most of the quarter.”
Excluding a tax charge related to assessments in the 2004 and 2005 tax years, third quarter earnings were down 33% to CN$8.4 million ($6.8 mm), or CN28 cents a share. Revenue rose 8.8% to CN$362.9 million ($290 mm) due to the acquisition of Athletes World and an 11.5% comp hike in franchise locations. Comps at corporate stores slipped 0.2%. Analysts were apparently expecting an average of CN36 cents a share and revenue of CN$358.8 million.
Corporate store revenues climbed 9.4% to CN$245.3 million ($196.4 mm), thanks to Athletes World sales. Wholesale sales climbed 7.7% to CN$117.6 million ($94.1 mm) as a 10.3% hike in wholesale sales to its franchisees offset declines in licensing due to a challenging U.S. wholesale market.
By category, footwear comped positively in the quarter despite some aggressive liquidation activity, according to Tom Quinn, company president and COO. Outerwear and athletic clothing “continues to post impressive positive comps.” In equipment, fitness, racquet sports, camping, travel, backpack and sport bag categories achieved solid positive comps. Ski and snowboard were softer as Forzani pushed advertising in these categories later in the season. Said Quinn, “Whatever comps declined in the third quarter have already been made up in the last six weeks.” Bike, team sports and hockey saw relatively flat comps.
Gross margins contracted 90 basis points due to more aggressive promotions and sharper pricing “given the prevailing retail landscape,” management said. Corporate same-store operating expenses were reduced to 25.4% of sales from 26.0% a year ago due to cost controls and reduced performance-related compensation accruals.
Highlighting key initiatives, Quinn said early results of a repositioned Athlete's Word “indicate an interesting growth in profit potential for this business.” With the testing of six Nevada Bob's stores in its Sport Chek chain going well, an additional 21 conversions are planned next spring. The first 20,000 square foot Fitness Source concept opening in Calgary this month is expected to “quickly establish its leadership position in this category.” The new S3 and Hockey Experts banners have “consistently surpassed our expectations” and the Atmosphere outdoor lifestyle banner “has already established positioning in the marketplace after four years that had taken Sports Experts 40 years to achieve with consumers.”
Going forward, Forzani Group plans around $30 million in capital spending for 2009, down from the mid-$30 million range this year, but still expects to open a minimum of 50 corporate stores in 2008. It will also continue to focus on reducing inventories, which Sartor called “in absolutely phenomenal shape.”


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Payment model to come into force at the start of August instead to help prepare partners for the transition
Vodafone has delayed the launch of its revenue share model until August 1.
The new payment model, which was scheduled to launch on July 1, has been put back to help prepare partners for the transition, the operator said.
All existing Vodafone commercials will be removed from August.
Vodafone head of partner services Rob Mukherjee (pictured) told dealers in an announcement: “Our project team has spent time working closely with partners across all tiers to help refine and develop your new revenue share commercial model, which is now firmly set to launch August 1, 2013.
“We had previously communicated a go live date of July 1 and although the technical infrastructure required to deliver this project will be in a live state from this point, it was felt that running the new system in a parallel state for a month prior to launch would be beneficial.”
A full breakdown of the changes will be explained to partners by their Vodafone partner managers over the next six weeks, the operator said.
A number of regional commercial roadshows are also set to take place in the coming weeks to enable dealers to “delve deeper” into the details of the new model.
All dealers must agree to the new legal terms and conditions by August 1 to continue as a Vodafone partner.
Dealers claim the amount of revenue share paid will vary between silver, gold and platinum partners – ranging from around 35 per cent to 46 per cent.
Payments will also vary depending on whether any upfront payments for connections are requested, they say.


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Wells Fargo is selling nine secondary German properties valued at €100m as a result of its enforcement of a €150m senior loan made by Wachovia.
The US bank inherited the defaulted loan, which has matured, when it bought Wachovia in 2008. Its subsidiary, Eastdil Secured, is marketing the 19% vacant Project Phoenix portfolio, along with Jones Lang LaSalle. Potential buyers “have signed confidentiality agreements and are about to enter the data room,” said a Wells Fargo source.
The latest valuation of the assets reflects a 50% fall since 2007. The portfolio comprises six shopping centres, one office and retail building, a retail warehouse and a mixed-use scheme spread across cities in western Germany, providing a gross annual income of €10.5m.
Wells Fargo, the largest US real estate lender, has begun lending in the UK again, but only to existing clients. It is in a club with Deutsche Pfandbriefbank and HSBC that has just funded Blackstone’s £265m acquisition of a London & Stamford logistics portfolio. It also refinanced Westbrook Partners’ 123 Buckingham Palace Road in Victoria with MetLife late last year.