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Many view exhibitions and tradeshows as little more than industry meeting grounds; places to share ideas, purchase products and network with others in your field. While these preconceived notions are accurate to a point they dramatically underestimate the potential impact of tradeshows and expos. The truth is that events such as these have a massive impact upon the US economy, adding more than 71 billion dollars to the US GDP every year. The simple truth is that the value of tradeshows is severely under-recognized. These events are a fantastic resource for the US economy as a whole, as well as the local economies of the cities and towns in which they are held.
The Exhibitions Means Business movement seeks to educate the public on the real impact of expos and tradeshows. A more informed public outlook allows the industry to grow, in turn allowing it to benefit the economy more effectively. As such, we all have something to gain from considering the message of Exhibitions Means Business.
Founded in 2011 by noted industry leaders, Exhibitions Means Business works to display the potential impact of tradeshows to clear up any public misconceptions about the events. The easiest way to do this is to offer examples of the kinds of direct interactions made possible by the platform, the kind that drive innovation and foster sales and the movement is doing exactly that through their Get Involved initiative, a page on their site which encourages readers to share their success stories from various trade shows they’ve attended. However, it’s also helpful to think of tradeshows in more general terms like how they improve local economies. Tradeshows provide local businesses with an opportunity to meet and potentially collaborate with others in their field. It allows them to meet new customers, make new connections, learn about their industry so that they can improve the way they do business and foster their reputation in a room full of interested onlookers. The potential impact of this is massive for local businesses of any size, and when local businesses make strides the local economy they are a part of does so as well. This is just one example of the positive impact of tradeshows.
The original Exhibitions Day was held in 2014 in Washington DC and was attended by more than 100 members of the industry. Now in its third year, Exhibitions Mean Business will return to Capitol Hill this June 7th and 8th to meet with political leaders, including members of congress, and speak to them about issues that might potentially impact the expo and tradeshow industry. Last year issues like the JOLT Act, the Open Skies Agreements and the Trade Promotion Authority were discussed at great length, and their year these and other similar discussions will be no less essential. If our lawmakers do not understand the impact of tradeshows and just how much good they can do for the US economy they may not afford issues related to them the time and attention they deserve. This year, for the first time, Exhibitions Day is going global, focusing on how tradeshows not only improve local economies and the US economy as a whole but also international economies as well by creating opportunities for trade and fostering an atmosphere of unity. If you would like to take part in Exhibitions Day or you’d like to learn more about the Exhibitions Mean Business movement be sure to visit their website today.


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QCOSTARICA – Florida Ice & Farm Company (FIFCO), the Costa Rican based holding company primarily engaged, through its subsidiaries, in the food and beverages industry, confirmed on Saturday the laying off of 500 employees in Costa Rica, that figure represents 10% of the total payroll in the country.
Most of the people who will join the ranks of the unemployed in the country worked in Fifco’s hotel business, in the Reserva Conchal resort community, the Hotel W and Westin Golf Resort & Spa.
Fifco announced the temporary closure of its two hotels on March 22, following mobility restrictions due to the sanitary vehicular restrictions and the closure of borders, as a result of the measures taken by the Government to contain the contagion of covid-19.
“It is important to mention that Fifco supported 100% of its workers for more than 9 months of pandemic, despite having the hotel operation 100% closed and a very important part of its beverage customers also closed,” the company reported in a statement.
The Costa Rican conglomerate assured that it will pay the full severances under the law to workers laid off and would also give them additional financial aid, but did not detail amounts, and assist them in re-entering the job market.
“As the economy, restrictions and tourism improve, the company expects to rehire,” the statement added.
During the closing of the hotels that began on March 22 and lasted until August, Fifco kept the full payroll for that business and 35% of employees continued to receive full salary.
The Reserva Conchal is a tourist project of two hotels with a combined 560 rooms, 150 residential units and a golf course, located in Playa Conchal, southwest of Flamingo, Guanacaste.
Impact of the crisis
The pandemic hit Florida Ice & Farm Co. (Fifco) hard in the first half of the year. The Interim Consolidated Financial Statements as of June 30, 2020 show a negative impact on the company’s results.
The total profit went from ¢30.9 billion colones to ¢12,4 billion in the interannual comparison, a figure that represents a reduction of 59.7%.
El Financiero reviewed, in August, the financial statements to delve into the economic and tax situation of the different businesses such as beverages, food, real estate and others.
FIFCO is structured as a holding company with three subsidiaries: Florida Bebidas (food and beverages that operates the Cervecería Costa Rica – beer brewery), Florida Capitales (investments in bottling facilities), and Florida Inmobiliaria (investments in resort hotels).
In October 2012 FIFCO purchased North American Breweries Holdings (NAB) from KPS Capital Partners, for US$388 million through its subsidiary Cervecería Costa Rica. NAB sells Genesee and Labatt beer in the United States, as well as craft or small batch beers including Honey Brown Lager, Magic Hat and Pyramid. Under contract, FIFCO brews Heineken beer at its facility at La Ribera de Belen.

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The Tesla Patent Giveaway SMOKE SCREEN!
Tesla has announced that they are giving their patents away, patents which state, in no uncertain terms, that their batteries can "kill you", "burn you and your family", "set your house on fire", "set your office or parking structure on fire" (Not to mention the cancer-causing fumes they release).
So that's nice, they are giving them away. Who does this benefit?
Since 2006, EVERY single new electric car company has been sabotaged by MUsk and his investors, The Detroit Big 3 (SEE THIS LINK)(http://detroitelectricvehicleblockade.weebly.com/) and/or the Department of Energy. Over 200 electric car companies tried to launch and every single one got lied to and stonewalled by the DOE, sabotaged by outsider take-overs who offered an investment and then generated a take-over like MUsk did; Blockaded, by mutual agreement by the VC's; and/or regulated into non-operation by laws which were written so only the Detroit Big 3 could pass them.
So, Musk appears to be making all nice-nice by "giving away" the patents but in reality, they can't be used by anyone but the Detroit Big 3 because anybody else will be forced to endure the above-mentioned sabotage efforts. The Detroit BIg 3 already have tons of their own patents and avoid any NIH (Not Invented Here) outsider technologies. So, what good are they?
So could this be the precursor to a Tesla bankruptcy? We have seen that they "cook the books", are we in for another "cleantech" shocker?
Send in your links. Let's discuss...
The Takeover Game- ANOTHER REASON WHY THE TESLA PATENTS ARE WORTHLESS...
Almost every electric car company that starts to get traction has a hostile takeover attempt. Later stage parties create a dispute which causes the founder to be forced out, bought out, quit or otherwise stop providing the impetus to deliver a disruptive technology. The process has now occurred so many times that it is beginning to look like an intentionally crafted standardized strategy by third-parties who fear market diffusion. It happened to XP but they overcame it. The "new management" usually "accidently" tanks the company. Let's try to guess who the "third-parties" might be...BUT:
What better way to control a market than to control all of the funding for that market and then have all that controlled funding administrated by "your people" who have been placed in, and around, a federal agency! It's the "Takeover Game" on a whole new level.
Do people really do these sorts of things? Imagine megalomaniac car, energy and materials company heads with billions of dollars that want to control hundreds of billions of dollars and have insane egos...


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The following is from an article at WWD (click here to read in its entirety) that discusses J.Crew's upcoming directions:
Memo Pad: The Anna Wintour Show... J. Crew's Friendly Ads...Their latest ad campaign is definitely an interesting move. I am curious to see if it really brings traffic to their site. As for the sneakers from New Balance... At first I wasn't sure about it, but thought that their partnership with Sperry was pretty good. So who knows, this may work out pretty well for them too. :)
Jean E. Palmieri
September 2, 2010
HIGHLIGHTING SOME FRIENDS: J.Crew has found a unique way to drive traffic to its Web site: promote other online businesses. The company’s fall ads, which begin running in The New York Times Sunday Styles section this weekend, will shine a spotlight on some under-the-radar Web sites that offer what it deems cool, noncompeting products. “We like to edit and find things that are not big and famous,” said Millard “Mickey” Drexler, chief executive officer. “So we put together a list of our favorite Web sites that did other things and that we thought were creative. They’re small companies and they’re not out there as much as they deserve to be.”
The men’s ad, for example, gives shout-outs to the car company Silver Tears Campers, La Quercia meats and Kings County Distillery. “This is like editorial in a magazine,” Drexler said. “We wanted to share with our customers the things we love.” He added that now that Web browsing has become ubiquitous, this will set J.Crew apart. “Dot-com is a commodity today,” he said. “So we asked how we could become a bit more intelligent.”
The campaign was conceived in association with Andy Spade of Partners and Spade. “It’s like notes in a blog,” Spade said of the campaign. “It’s a print campaign that moves you toward the Web but you’re looking at it in a magazine.” On the J.Crew site, the ads will be more interactive. The campaign will be used first for Crew Cuts this Sunday and will follow with a men’s ad on Sept. 12 in T: The New York Times Style Magazine, Details, GQ, Monocle and other niche publications. There will also be a holiday ad.
In other J.Crew news, the retailer in November will introduce an exclusive selection of New Balance crossover sneakers into its mix. Frank Muytjens, men’s design director, said he had been searching the world to find the “perfect sneaker,” and found one in a retail store in Tokyo, ironically an American-made model from New Balance, the 1400. J.Crew will offer it in dark bottle green, navy and black. The shoes will retail for $130 and will hit 24 stores, the catalogue and online in November. It will be rolled out to 42 stores in February.
Have you seen J.Crew's ads in the The New York Times Sunday Styles? If so, what are your thoughts on them? Do you think it is a good move to partner up with New Balance to offer an exclusive J.Crew sneaker?


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It’s a day for development announcements! On the same day as Fuji revealed its upcoming Fujifilm X-Pro3 rangefinder, Ricoh broke its long silence to reveal that it is developing a brand new Pentax flagship APS-C DLSR to replace the KP.
Unlike Fuji, Ricoh revealed almost nothing about the upcoming camera. We know that the model (name to-be-announced) will be an APS-C flagship K-mount DSLR that is “currently under development for market launch in 2020.” Price TBD.
If you want to learn more about the camera or see a prototype in person, you’ll have to attend the Pentax Meeting 100th Anniversary Special event being held in Japan tomorrow, September 21st. Otherwise, we’ll just have to wait, but it’s good to know Ricoh hasn’t just quietly decided to exit the market all together. The most recent industry news and rumors seemed to point in that direction.


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Bonbons accumulate an increase of 11.14% in the same period
Anyone looking for chocolates to give as gifts at Easter will likely come across higher prices. Easter eggs rose, on average, 10.33% this year. Chocolates, on the other hand, accumulated an increase of 11.14% in the same period and were the items that rose the most in the basket. This is what the survey by the Economic Research Institute Foundation (FIPE) shows, which brings together typical items of the date. The information is from the O Globo website.
The research was based on average prices calculated weeks before Easter. In 2024, it considered from February 19th to March 17th. In 2023, the costs were researched between March 6th and April 2nd.
Brazilian replaces cod
The surprise in the research is cod, which registered a 2.97% reduction in price. The item is one of the most sought after during Lent and Holy Week.
According to Guilherme Moreira, coordinator of the IPC-FIPE index, the item usually has a price increase at this time, but the behavior this year has been a little different.
But the rise in food prices at the beginning of the year, due to El Niño, affected consumer purchasing power. “Considering that cod is more ‘noble’, there may be a substitution for other cheaper fish, thus holding back these increases a little”, he explains.
Fish increased by 4.38%. Among them, the biggest increase was observed in corvina, which became 8.11% more expensive. Sardines, on the other hand, had deflation of 6.26%.
Check the opening hours of Manaus businesses during Holy Week
Easter fair offers exclusive and personalized products in Manaus
Procon-AM gives safety tips for Holy Week and Easter shopping


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Crypto-boom spreads to the mainland. For the first time, the bank offers direct investments in digital currencies, moreover, it promises to customers the protection from hackers. Bank Frick gave the opportunity to trade five cryptocurrencies with immediate effect. This bank
Almost all providers of cryptographic cards suffer from any restrictions from large credit card corporations.
In Poland, when the news broke that the Youtube video was paid for by the NDP, the reaction among the country's cryptography was one of anger.
They can not be on board with Bitcoin, but Russia definitely sees the potential of Blockchain technology.


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Kim Cattrall recently shared her beauty philosophy and why she doesn't shy away from getting cosmetic procedures. "I'm in my 60s now," she said, "and I'm all about battling aging in every way I can."
about 14 hours ago
Jennifer Aniston received praise in her latest Instagram video after she showed off her silver roots and looked effortlessly gorgeous.
about 16 hours ago
Ariana Grande is playfully poking fun at one of her past makeup looks in a hilarious new TikTok video!
1 day ago
Ariana Grande's latest TikTok video? You want it, you got it. The singer playfully poked fun at one of her past makeup looks in a hilarious post.
2 days ago
The Idol, starring Lily-Rose Depp and Abel "The Weeknd" Tesfaye, will include hidden gems (literally) as the makeup references Euphoria in more ways than one.
June 4, 2023
Halle Bailey transformed into Princess Ariel in The Little Mermaid with the help of makeup artist Kat Ali, who wanted to "create a 'no-makeup' makeup look with a siren twist."
June 2, 2023
After Katharine McPhee debuted her new haircut on Instagram, many fans were singing her praises.
May 31, 2023
January Jones showed off her epic makeover, as she debuted an edgy pixie cut after rocking shoulder-length hair for quite some time.
May 30, 2023
After years of sporting long blunt hair, Emma Stone debuted curtain bangs—a signature style of hers in the mid-aughts—at the Louis Vuitton cruise show in Italy on May 24.
May 25, 2023
Take a deep dive into the origin story of Disney's most fabulous villain, Ursula from The Little Mermaid.
Reese Witherspoon showcased her summer-ready hairstyle, as she unveiled fringe bangs in a new Instagram post.
May 24, 2023
Tinx gets candid about mental health, dating life and how to shift your mind to an "abundant mindset" with her new book, "The Shift."
May 23, 2023
"The Kardashians" star is going back to her roots, revealing she's a "brunette4lyfe." See Kourtney's pictures from her husband Travis Barker's latest blink-182 tour stop!
May 22, 2023
Florence Pugh revealed she's the new face of Valentino Beauty. "I couldn't be prouder," she wrote on Instagram. "Embracing the bold and embracing the bright."
Kourtney Kardashian recently revealed her jet-black hair color, cheekily sharing on Instagram that she's a "brunette4lyfe."
Jennifer Lopez revealed the secret to her iconic glow by recording a step-by-step tutorial of how she contours with skincare products.
May 19, 2023
Kim Kimble shares one of her essential hair products that has her edges smoothed and fly-aways controlled: Kim Kimble Edge Taming Pomade, available at Walmart!
Viola Davis shared the best beauty advice, saying, "I refuse to believe that I'm not worth it just based on a sort of idea and perception of what people think classical beauty is."
May 18, 2023
Camila Cabello shared a dramatic new look for summer, snapping several selfies that showed off her jet-black hair.
Elle Fanning made a showstopping appearance at the opening ceremony for the Cannes Film Festival 2023, wearing a sparkly silver ballgown and equally stunning makeup look.
May 17, 2023
From Kym Whitley's flirting with Dr. Nassif to a man wanting his nipples removed and a botched job done by a drug addict, these patients have the oddest consults on "Botched."
Beyoncé announced she's entering the beauty space with a forthcoming haircare line, sharing, "I can't wait for you to experience what I've been creating."
Beyoncé's colorist Rita Hazan revealed the reason behind the singer's swoon-worthy hair transformation, sharing, "Because all of the dancers had platinum hair, I really wanted her to stand out."
May 16, 2023


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Korea’s powerhouse car brand has revealed an all-electric version of its recently-released compact crossover.
FANCY a Hyundai Kona that can travel 400 kilometres’ on electricity alone?
There’s potential that Kiwis could be among first international customers for the long-awaited pure battery-driven version of the small crossover, which has been revealed today by the Korean giant ahead of its full debut at the impending Geneva motor show.
Hyundai New Zealand has previously said it is keen to have the new car here in 2018, joining the Ioniq hatch whose pure EV and hybrid formats are taking on with New Zealand users, not least fleets. The Auckland-based distributor is fulfilling an order for 70 Ioniq EVs to serve as shared-drive cars in Canterbury.
Today’s release of photos and technical detail suggest the Kona could have even greater appeal.
Hyundai has developed the Kona Electric in short- and long-range versions. The first boasts 99kW and 395Nm while the long-range unit offers 150kW and 395Nm of torque.
The latter also offers a driving range of more than 400km – that’s around 120km better than the Ioniq EV manages – whereas the short-range version will cover more than 200km on a single charge. Hyundai also claims a 0-100kmh time of 7.6 seconds.
Recharging times are also smart. It’ll take less than an hour to charge to 80 percent capacity via a fast charger or less than 10 hours from a conventional wall socket.
The Kona Electric is 15mm longer and is 20mm shorter than the regular Kona; the wheelbase is the same 2600mm.
Hyundai claims the batteries are fitted into the platform meaning interior space is more or less unchanged from the standard petrol models’, so there’s a 373-litre boot. Admittedly, this also has to provide stowage for the charging kit. The one in the Ioniq takes up considerable room.
The Kona Electric has all the active safety features that have just been announced for the new Santa Fe.


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The Australian Financial Review (AFR) has published its 2019 Rich List and once again a number industry big guns have been named in the top 200.
Anthony Pratt and family remain at the top of the list having increased their worth by around $2.5bn to $15.57bn, but TheShout has scoured the top 200 AFR list and found those with links to Australia’s liquor and hospitality industry.
Len Ainsworth & family – $4.01bn – Although Ainsworth sold most of his Ainsworth Game Technology to Austria’s Novomatic in 2016 for $473m, he remains executive chair of the business and maintains his huge fortune built on poker machines. Ainsworth now devotes most of his time to medical charities after a false cancer diagnosis in 1994 saw him give up control of his first pokie-making business, Aristocrat.
Lindsay Fox – $3.31bn – After buying the beverage logistics company BevChain in 2017, Fox’s transport business became an important part of the industry. The warehousing and distribution company delivers in excess of 2.5 billion serving units to the liquor industry every year, calling on 25,000 delivery points each week.
Marc Besen & family – $2.34bn – The Sussan Group has been the basis of Besen’s fortune as well as a stake in Melbourne’s Highpoint shopping centre, which he sold in 2017 for $680m. While property is key for Besen, he also owns the TarraWarra Estate winery in the Yarra Valley, which is particularly known for its Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Gerry Harvey – $1.90bn – Although Harvey is most well-known for his Harvey Norman retail business, he is also part of a pub and hotel buying consortium with Robert Whyte and Arthur Laundy, which gives him a link to the industry.
John Casella & family – $1.57bn – The popularity of Casella’s YellowTail sparkling wine in the United States has been a major driving force behind the family’s wealth. Casella exports 80 per cent of its product to the US and the declining Australian dollar has served to make it even more popular. While there have been some legal issues within the family, Casella has recently bought a number of brands including Peter Lehmann, Morris Wines and Baileys of Glenrowan.
Russel Withers & family – $1.33bn – A new listing for the industry, Withers is the owner of the 7-Eleven franchise, which now comprises more than 650 stores. In August last year 7-Eleven bought a majority stake in online delivery service Tipple, which partners with independent bottle shops to facilitate ‘last-mile’ delivery logistics across Melbourne and Sydney.
Bruce Mathieson – $1.32bn – Mathieson is a hotel and pokie owning giant, thanks to his 25 per cent stake in the ALH pubs business, which includes the largest number of pokies in the country – the remaining 75 per cent of the business is owned by Woolworths. The AFR reports that the business has spat out more than $200m in dividends in the past two financial years alone.
Chris Morris – $1.13bn – The bulk of Morris’ wealth comes from his majority shareholding in Computershare, but it’s his Colonial Leisure Group (GLC) which ties him to the industry. CLG owns and operates about $300m worth of venues in Western Australia, Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales, including a diverse range of hospitality experiences including brewing, pubs, gaming, restaurants and resorts.
Sandy Oatley & family – $1.09bn – Oatley and his family inherited its wealth from Bob Oatley, who the AFR describe as “a sailing, wine and tourism legend”. Having established Rosemount Estate in 1969, Oatley sold the business to Treasury Wine Estate in 2001 for $1.4bn. The family’s holdings still include the Robert Oatley Vineyards business including the Robert Oatley, Wild Oats and Four in Hand brands.
Justin Hemmes & family – $1.06bn – This year sees Hemmes nudge past the one billion dollar mark as his Merivale pub empire continues to flourish. His recent purchase of the Three Weeds Hotel in Rozelle took the total number of Merivale venues to 73, making it Australia’s largest independent hospitality group. The AFT reported that Merivale increased its revenues by $50m for 2018.
Shaun Bonétt – $1bn – Bonétt is an entrepreneur and property developer and the founder and CEO of Precision Group which owns a number of shopping centres, with a portfolio value approaching $1bn. The AFR says that Precision also owns hotels and pubs, cementing Bonétt’s link to the industry.
Theo Karedis – $815m – Having established the Theo’s Liquor chain, Karedis sold to Coles in 2002 for $175m in cash and shares. That helped Karedis to establish the Arkadia private property group which now owns three hotels and 16 retail and homemaker centres across the east coast of Australia.
Allan Myres – $771m – Myres is a barrister who made his fortune and his industry association by investing in Polish brewery Grupa Żywiec. His other investments include farming and properties in his home town of Dunkeld, Victoria, including the Royal Mail Hotel.
Greg Farrell & family – $745m – Another Rich Lister who has made its fortune through the gaming industry. In 1993 the Farrell family won a 30-year monopoly over Tasmania’s pokies and Keno. The family also built Tasmania’s first legal casino at Wrest Point in 1968.
John Singleton – $670m – Although Singleton made his fortune in advertising he has gone on to making a number of investments across different industries including radio, horse-breeding and pubs. Although his Australian Pub Fund venture with former Qantas boss Geoff Dixon has sold a number of its pubs recently, Singleton does still have holdings in a number of venues.
Robert Whyte – $670m – Whyte’s Audant Investments includes multinational equity investments as well as more than $350m in net assets. The AFR reports that Whyte is also part of a pub and hotel purchasing consortium which includes Gerry Harvey and Arthur Laundy.
Arthur Laundy – $584m – Another pub operator on the Rich List, Laundy Hotels was established by Laundy’s father in 1945 and now has a portfolio of more than 60 pubs, hotels and bottleshops across Greater Sydney and regional New South Wales. The group recently added the Bells Hotel on Woolloomooloo Wharf to its portfolio.


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“The Galaxy M40 will be a mid-range offering with three rear cameras and a Snapdragon 600 series processor”
Earlier today, Samsung announced that it will be launching the Galaxy M40 smartphone in India on June 11th at 6 pm. Through the teasers, the South Korean tech giant has already revealed that the phone will arrive with a punch-hole display, a triple camera setup at the rear, and a Snapdragon 600 series processor. We now have some details regarding the camera specifications of the upcoming smartphone.
In a conversation with 91mobiles, Asim Warsi, Senior Vice President – Smartphone Business, Samsung India has revealed that the Galaxy M40 will have a 32-megapixel primary camera at the back. For selfies, the handset will be equipped with a 16-megapixel sensor. Warsi also mentioned that the Galaxy M40 will be a flagship-category offering priced around Rs 20,000. Unfortunately, the company executive refrained to reveal any other details regarding the upcoming Galaxy M series smartphone.
According to the earlier reports, the Samsung Galaxy M40 will feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 processor, aided by Adreno 612 graphics. The phone is said to come with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, and boot Android 9 Pie out of the box with the brand’s One UI on top. The smartphone is rumoured to feature a beefy battery with support for fast charging tech. Other details of the handset are under the curtain at the moment.
The Samsung Galaxy M40 will arrive three months after the Galaxy M30’s launch in the country. The latter comes in two RAM variants – 4GB and 6GB, which are available for Rs 14,990 and Rs 17,990 respectively.
With inputs from Deepak Dhingra


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Las Vegas dispensaries now surround every casino in Las Vegas and have become a major draw for tourism. The latest reports show that Las Vegas is pulling in nearly $35 million a month in cannabis sales and it is likely the city should expect a continued influx of capital and tourists from the legalization of cannabis. Sales began last July and the entire state of Nevada is still working through a trial and error process on how to properly regulate the cannabis market. A big decision was made last week by the Nevada Gaming Commission that Las Vegas casinos need to stop people from gambling high.
… the Nevada Gaming Commission amended its rule on gambling-while-intoxicated to include overly enthusiastic consumers of the state’s newly legal cannabis trade. The updated policy prohibits casinos from allowing the super stoned to place bets… or have any fun at all. People who appear “visibly intoxicated,” from cannabis (perhaps blazing red eyes and uncontrollable laughter are two primary indicators) should not be allowed to gamble or consume alcoholic beverages, the five-member commission determined.
“It’s not smart to allow impaired people to gamble,” Chairman Tony Alamo told Las Vegas FOX-affilate KVVU. “Previously, we used the words ‘intoxication,’ and intoxication sometimes gives the feeling of just alcohol … We want to make it crystal-clear across the board under all regulations that ‘impairment’ is not just alcohol; it’s being impaired by drugs.”
As of right now, Las Vegas dispensaries and casinos are like oil and water. They are simply not mixing with the exception of casinos being able to host strictly cannabis business conventions where absolutely no cannabis or its consumption is permitted. Due to Nevada already pushing the boundaries with federal law, everyone seems to agree that the gaming and cannabis industries need to stay separate including Senator Tick Segerblom who is a strong supporter of the legal cannabis industry. Public consumption continues to be an issue in Las Vegas though since there is no place for most tourists to go to consume cannabis legally.
The task to prevent people from gambling high may be more challenging than the Nevada Gaming Commission understands. Seasoned cannabis consumers are well aware of how to cover their intoxication. Being high on marijuana is not at all like being intoxicated by alcohol where the consumer can become very rowdy and obnoxious once they surpass a certain amount no matter how long they have been consuming alcohol. A mixture of alcohol and cannabis tends to make people very sleepy and concentrating on gambling is not likely something they can do for very long anyways.
Protecting casino guests and other tourists in Las Vegas should be a top priority for every authority in Las Vegas including the Nevada Gaming Commission. Las Vegas dispensaries are mandated to have all cannabis lab tested to protect consumers from toxins and the Nevada Gaming Commission is charged with enforcing the laws that are intended to protect gamblers. Whether marijuana consumption is going to represent a big problem in casinos of people gambling high remains to be seen.


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We may be giving Sony Ericsson a darn good scolding on the one hand for their XPERIA X10 hijinks, but we’re a little more interested by their new WebSDK for Android and Symbian Foundation devices. The Sony Ericsson WebSDK promises a metaphorical hand-holding for developers hoping to have their wares nestle up against the company’s own apps, whether that be on the XPERIA X10 or the SE Satio. It’s called Nexus, seemingly the official title for the UX platform Sony Ericsson were talking about with regards the X10.
Nexus is a runtime that sits on top of the underlying OS, and while it’s not made explicitly clear in the press release, it sounds as though Sony Ericsson are offering WebSDK as a generic, cross-platform development environment. The company’s own Timescape and Mediascape apps, as loaded onto the X10, are said to be platform agnostic and as such would run on Android or Symbian Foundation devices. We’re checking with SE to find out if this is indeed the case.
General registration is free, and garners you access to the forums, white-papers and developer tools. However if Sony Ericsson like the cut of your jib then they might invite you to be a “premier partner”, the perks of which include access to early hardware, loaner devices, dedicated tech support and software flash equipment.
Sony Ericsson launches a Web SDK and widens mobile market access for web developers
Sony Ericsson showcases the beta version of WebSDK at the annual Web 2.0 conference in New York.
New York – November 18 2009 – The Sony Ericsson WebSDK is a suite of mobile development tools that allows both web and mobile developers to create applications for Sony Ericsson’s Google Android™ OS and Symbian Foundation phones.
Created in collaboration with the PhoneGap open source community, the launch of the Sony Ericsson WebSDK from makes it possible to design applications for Sony Ericsson’s Google Android™ OS and Symbian Foundation devices starting with the newly announced XPERIA™ X10 and the recently launched Satio™.
“With the Sony Ericsson WebSDK our focus is on bringing all the capabilities of web technologies to mobile applications and giving web developers wide access to easy-to-use tools and mobile phone platforms.” says Christopher David, Head of Developer and Partner Engagement at Sony Ericsson. “We are driving this initiative together with the PhoneGap open source community and invite developers to join us as we offer advanced mobile devices and a clear monetization path.”
Nitobi’s CEO, Andre Charland added: “Sony Ericsson’s collaboration with the PhoneGap community is a huge win for mobile users, developers and the future of the open web on mobile devices. Having already adopted and benefited from open platforms like Google Android™ OS and Symbian, Sony Ericsson is now completing the puzzle for developers of cross-platform mobile applications.”
For more information on the new Sony Ericsson WebSDK please visit booth 917 at the Web 2.0 Conference in New York or visit http://developer.sonyericsson.com


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A Veggie Derby in Polomolok
The good news for vegetable growers is that more and more new varieties are being developed by the local seed companies. One hope is that there will be less imported seeds in the coming years. Many of them will be developed right in the Philippines. After all, there are capable plant breeders who can produce seeds that are more adapted to Philippine conditions.
One company that is doing its share in promoting locally produced improved varieties is Ramgo International Corporation which established last year its own breeding and research center in Polomolok, South Cotabato. One year later, last November 25, the company invited more than 40 local government agriculturists, farmers and officials of the Department of Agriculture to see what has been going on in the company’s research station. The invitees came from as far north as the Ilocos and Cagayan Valley down to the Visayas and Mindanao. There were also a few media people like us.
And what did we see? Aside from the current bestsellers of the company, there are a number of promising varieties under trial. One that caught our attention early is a new variety of squash that is only identified by its code number Squash 11-1103. It was planted on 50 square meters side by side with another variety of Ramgo and that of another company. They were all planted on 50 square meters.
Dr. Romeo Opeña, a veteran plant breeder who spent much of his time at the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center in Taiwan, explained that the plant is not as bushy as the other varieties but it is very much more fruitful. For instance, there were more than 40 medium-size fruits produced by 11-1103 in that 50 square meters compared to only 17 in the other Ramgo variety, and 7 fruits in the variety from another seed company.
The new variety is expected to be released sometime in 2013. Dr. Opeña explained that it will have to be further tested in other areas in the Philippines. It will be observed not only for its prolificacy but also for its resistance to common pests and diseases of squash. The eating quality will have to be evaluated. The fruits are not as big as the other varieties (about 3 to 4 kilos each) but being relatively small has its advantages. It could be easier to market than the big varieties.
Right from the entrance of the experimental station, beautiful plots of string beans (sitao) greeted us. The pods are so long and straight, and the plants are so vigorous. We saw the Mega Green, the Super Green and some other new varieties. The Super Green has an open growth habit, it has smaller leaves than others so that sunlight penetrates better. In effect, it produces more fruits.
The sitao pods come in dark green color, light green and in between. Alvin Aquino, the chief plant breeder, explained that different regions of the country have different color preferences for their sitao. That is why they have to produce the preferred varieties for each region.
Pamela Ong Chan, the lady boss of the company, explained that their company used to focus mostly on highland vegetable varieties. Now, with their research station in Polomolok, they are also focusing on the lowland “pinakbet” type varieties.
One of their major targets is eggplant. Their current bestseller is called Sikat which produces uniform, glossy purple fruits. They are also undertaking trials of other varieties. One of them has clustering fruiting habit. Another new variety that we saw has round fat fruits with pinkish skin that is striped.
They have several cucumber varieties. One of the new ones is Hermes which is very early maturing. The first fruits can be harvested in just 32 days from planting. It is also very prolific, one plant can yield 15 to 18 kilos. Harvesting can be done everyday so that the grower has a continuous cash flow.
Of course, the company also keeps old and tested varieties. Just like the Amazones cucumber which was introduced many years ago yet it is still a favorite of growers.
Pepper, both the pangsigang type and the labuyo type are among the priority crops of Ramgo. These are hot money-makers, especially when they are grown off season. The pangsigang type, for instance, fetched P200 per kilo last October. The labuyo type can fetch as much as P400 to P500 per kilo when it is off-season.
Other crops being given attention are sweet corn, watermelon, tomato, okra, ampalaya and others.
The company took the initiative to invite the local government agriculturists and farmers so they can show them what are the latest developments in the seed industry. Hopefully, they will be able to disseminate what they have observed to their constituents in the provinces.
By Zac B. Sarian


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As technology advances and American consumers have more ways to connect to the Internet, e-commerce will shift away from the personal computer and toward a range of devices, with different technologies being used for different purposes, according to a report issued Wednesday by Gartner (NYSE: IT).
E-tailers and technology companies, the report said, need to be prepared for the shift and should tailor their investments accordingly.
“They need to assess what it is they’re selling, how they’re selling to consumers now, and plan for the one or two or three imperatives that suit their business,” David Schehr, research director for Gartner’s G2 division, told the E-Commerce Times. “It’s not a one-size-fits-all game.”
Mobile Devices vs. TVs
Mobile devices, for example, will be used primarily for purchasing “time-sensitive or alert-driven purchases” or “location-specific” transactions, like tickets for public transportation and entertainment, according to Mike McGuire, research director for Gartner’s G2 division.
Interactive TV, said McGuire, “will be most often used in responsive mode, in reaction to an advertisement or other stimulus during normal television viewing.”
Gartner does not expect Internet-ready television set-top boxes to be fully up and running until about 2005. By then, however, more than 10 percent of U.S. business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce will be conducted over non-PC devices, the Gartner report said.
Poised for Growth
The firm predicted that $204.8 billion of the $227.7 billion in e-tail sales predicted for 2005 will be done through PCs, $9.5 billion in purchases will be made through mobile devices, and $13.4 billion will be conducted through TV sets.
Consumers “will be willing to use any or all platforms, individually or in combination, as the occasion and opportunity allow,” Gartner said.
Schehr added that “because of differences in capabilities and functionality, consumers will favor different platforms for different roles and at different times.” That means e-tailers, service providers and technology companies “must make strategic investments and development decisions that take full advantage of the range of existing opportunities,” he said.
“Most companies cannot afford to try every new e-commerce idea, so they must choose wisely to get the greatest payoff from their investments,” said Schehr.
E-tailers, he said, need to think of PCs, mobile computers and interactive TVs as “three separate, distinct, independent channels,” while at the same time trying to anticipate the ways consumers will use those channels in combination.
Retailers, Schehr said, can “help consumers use the channels synergistically.” For example, he said, an online merchant can provide a setup that allows the consumer to make shopping lists on a PC, then order by mobile device.
Interactive TV, meanwhile, could be used for impulse purchases, and ads could be targeted that way, Schehr said. A pizza chain, for example, could pitch its delivery service at the start of the Super Bowl, suggesting consumers use their TV remotes to order pizza for delivery at halftime, he said.
Schehr said that companies are likely to use Europe as a “proving ground” for new strategies.
“Europe is more mobile- and interactive TV-oriented, and less PC-focused, so it provides better near-term testing opportunities for these systems,” he said.


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ROHO President Tom Borcharding says the ROHO employees, management and brand will not change as part of the acquisition agreement.
On March 24, Permobil announced its purchase of The ROHO Group, a global leader in wheelchair cushions, skin protection and positioning solutions for wheelchair users. The acquisition marks the next important step in Permobil’s strategy to become a leading healthcare company, providing innovative advanced rehabilitation solutions for people with disabilities.
Permobil will continue operations at ROHO’s 125,000-square-foot, state-of-the art manufacturing facility, according to ROHO President Tom Borcharding. “Obviously there is financial motive in any sale,” said Borcharding, who will keep his title as part of the purchase. “However the ROHO employees, management and brand will not change. Our focus on delivering products that


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Spring is upon us, and that means one thing — WWDC 2015 is just around the corner. Kicking off the conference will be Tim Cook’s keynote event, which is one of the most highly anticipated in many years. Many rumors and speculators have been clogging the internet as to what the keynote will reveal.
We have complied a list of such possibilities with percentages of each item coming true or not:
Apple TV is now $69, and while Apple executives plays coy with its sales, Apple TV continues to consistently sell. It is no longer a product in hobby status as Tim Cook recently stated at Apple’s March special event, “This is only the beginning.” What comes next is not crystal clear, but it is not all that difficult to figure out either. During Apple’s quarterly financial conference call Cook stated he would not speculate on where Apple TV was headed, but also stated that HBO’s success can give others pause for speculation. Beyond a bundled network TV solution, could Apple have a special wrinkle up their sleeve for Apple TV?
Rumors have been floated for years that the next generation Apple TV would incorporate Siri, have an all-new menu solution, contain an App store, and perhaps even ship within an Apple branded TV display. New features are always welcome, but incorporating more abilities comes at a price, and Apple may have tipped their hat with the current Apple TV price of $69.
On Friday, April 10th, Apple Watch pre-ordering was launched, and by-appointment-only demos were available for would-be buyers in order to get some personal time with Apple’s first wearable device. Another Apple product, largely overshadowed by Apple Watch, was also launched. Or was it?
The all-new MacBook was to be available for purchase – not just pre-order – on April 10th. Friday morning, I gathered in line at Portland, Oregon's downtown Apple store. Upon entering it appeared that roughly a 1/3rd of the people in line were waiting to get their hands on the new MacBook. Unfortunately those hoping to make a purchase and walk away with the new laptop were sorely disappointed, because there were no MacBooks in stock to buy from Apple. Two customers I spoke with had flown in from Utah, and another had taken the day off to drive several hours in order to purchase the MacBook. Needless to say, customers were not happy about the news — No MacBooks available in store for purchase.
If you hadn’t noticed, Apple is on what can only be described as a never-ending tear of success, and their enemies seem incapable or inept at stopping them. But this does not mean other tech players aren’t trying to wear their big-boy pants — they just continue to come up short at competing effectively. Perhaps the worst offender is Microsoft. Under former CEO Steve Ballmer, the Redmond software giant became very good at making lofty promises, delivering failures, demonstrating vaporware or throwing an occasional chair. Today’s Microsoft, run by Satya Nadella, is now a softer, gentler software vendor, but has yet to be any more effective at defeating the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and soon to arrive and dominate the wearable market, Apple Watch.
Nadella showed initial promise by downplaying the consumer electronics market, turning his focus on enterprise solutions. Old habits die hard. Microsoft is once again is pulling out their Fisher Price "My First Marketing Playbook" in another attempt at capturing the consumers eye with Surface 3. Will a cheaper Surface, whose best feature is the 5 seconds of switching between a poor tablet and so-so ultrabook, backed with a massive advertising budget, be enough to derail Apple’s best laid plans?
Since last Fall, all the attention of those who carefully follow what Apple does have been focused on Apple Watch, iPhone, Apple Pay and most recently a stunning new MacBook. From all the predictions from way back in 2010 until now (including some here at T-GAAP), Apple TV has made little progress from its hobby status.
Apple CEO Tim Cook conducted an interview a few weeks ago at the Goldman Sachs technology conference. Cook discussed Apple's product line, grid-free power initiatives and the forthcoming Apple Watch (once asked about it). I've listened to Tim Cook interviewed and watched him give presentations dozens of times, just as I had Steve Jobs. There is one thing about each man that becomes abundantly clear. Steve Jobs was a pure genius visionary, while Tim Cook is cunningly smart.
Jobs birthed Apple, was fired, and was then rehired to save it. He did more than just save the company, he drove it to record success. Jobs could simply see things others could not, and he taught his fellow executives to remove the glass ceiling and dogma surrounding large businesses. Jobs had pet projects, such as the ill-fated Cube, and wildly successful iPhone and iPad. Who knows what he had up his sleeve for Television.
Apple versus Tesla. Tesla versus Apple. A new battle is brewing with claims of Tesla Motors gaining the upper hand on Apple Incorporated, in poaching employees. Last year it was rumored that Apple would be investing heavily in Tesla's upcoming Lithium Ion battery facility in Nevada for a share of the spoils. Evidently the tide has turned and Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Apple CEO Tim Cook can't stand each other... Here's an idea. Why doesn't Tim Cook just reach into his petty cash drawer, buy Tesla and end all of this nonsense.
A bit tongue and cheek for sure, but there is actual validity to Apple purchasing Tesla. Apple suffering brain-drain to Tesla can't continue. In fact, it can't continue to any entity so long they are unable to replenish that talent with greater boy geniuses. Microsoft has suffered over a decade of talent loss to Apple, Google and Amazon, with disastrous results. Steve Jobs understood the value of top talent, while Steve Ballmer clearly did not. Tim Cook's latest actions to buy back its former employees from Tesla showcases that Apple clearly understands the value of top talent, but Apple could do much more than just play tit for tat.
A good CEO knows that if their company rests on its success, impending doom will soon be at their doorstep. IBM became distracted and complacent. Microsoft believed it was invincible with over 90% market share. Thank goodness Tim Cook and Apple think differently.
Cook knows that despite all the success and glory with the iPod, the iPhone, the iPad and the resurgence of the Mac, if Apple stands still history shows that Apple’s fate is certain — decline. While IBM and Microsoft are still with us today, they are not the companies they were at the peak of their success. The question is how Apple will maintain its success into the next decade.
If Apple were an ocean liner and Tim Cook her captain, there is little doubt that the USS Apple would be parsing the open waters at “full steam ahead”. While Steve Jobs turned Apple around, was very good at gathering top talent and then focusing that talent on a few key ideas — bringing excitement to the world with new gadgets and gizmos we all had to have, Tim Cook has brought stability to Apple.
Microsoft seemed very pleased with itself yesterday, as their Surface franchise managed over $1 billion in global sales for the December quarter. While Microsoft is trumpeting the sales figure, based on an average selling price of $1,000, Microsoft may not have actually sold 1 million Surface devices.
This is Microsoft, a company that has never let reality get in their way. Yesterday they were giddy like school girls about their fledgling 2-in-1 sales increase. Surface revenues rose from $908 million during the September quarter to $1.1 billion in the December quarter. Analysts expected sales of Surface would grow during the largest consumer quarter of the year, but with Microsoft’s massive advertising campaign, the software giant still cannot figure out how to sell over a million of their devices during the largest consumer hardware sales season of the year.


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Google Chairman Eric Schmidt has confirmed that the technology giant will release a flagship Android tablet in the next six months in its quest to challenge Apple's iPad. The move mirrors Google's smartphone strategy, whereby its Nexus range of handsets leads the Android battle against Apple's iPhone.
Confirming that Google is developing a tablet, Mr Schmidt told an Italian newspaper: "In the next six months we plan to market a tablet of the highest quality."
Google has become a major hardware manufacturer by virtue of its $12.5 billion takeover of Motorola's devices division, though the acquisition is currently under consideration by competition authorities. But were the deal to be rubber stamped by regulators, it would instantly give Google significantly more control over Android tablet development.
Until now, Amazon's Kindle Fire, based on Android, has been the strongest challenger to Apple. This is primarily due to its relatively low price, though it has faced criticism over the usability of its software.
In addition to looking forward to the launch of a new Google tablet, Mr Schmidt has paid tribute to one of the industry's most creative thinkers, former Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs, who is credited with kick-starting the tablet market. Indeed, the Google Chairman said that the iconic iPad device is an "amazing" consumer product.
"Steve Jobs was the Michelangelo of our time," he commented. "A friend of mine and a unique character, able to combine creativity and visionary genius with an extraordinary engineering ability."
"Steve realized the revolutionary potential of the tablet and created an amazing product like the iPad," he added.
Despite this complimentary appraisal of Mr Jobs' career, the Google boss revealed that he expects the competition between Android smartphones and the iPhone to be "brutal".
The two firms are, in fact, already embroiled in a bitter disputes over technology used in their smartphone handsets, with a US court recently banning Android phone-maker HTC from importing infringing phones into the country. The dispute is unlikely to end there, though, and it seems set to become even more intense once Google dips its toe into the lucrative tablet market.


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Hardware makers looking to build tablets that use the new Microsoft Windows RT are supposedly running into difficulties getting the new OS to work with ARM chips.
Latest from Sean Portnoy
The part that turns a device from laptop to tablet (and back) is seeing a spike in demand thanks to the launch of Windows 8.
The company says it's been working hard on improving overall performance with its new OS, and a new developer blog post describes in great detail how Microsoft's done it.
Forget bloatware. Desktop and laptop manufacturers could have a new way to eke out some more money from consumers when Windows 8 is officially released.
Apple has quietly launched the new Configurator tool to further iPad deployment among large organizations.
The company goes premium with its latest PCs; each of which will cost more than $1,000.
Select Microsoft Surface Pro 3 tablets will also be on sale, along with discounts on more Windows notebooks and desktops.
The base price is higher than the 99 cents iOS and Android store customers are used to, but seven-day trial periods will be an option for paid apps.
Samsung released a new lineup of Windows 8 PCs and devices but they won't include the rumored Start Menu replacement utility.
All iPads will also be on sale for up to $50 off at the regional electronics chain.


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|FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE|
|March 20, 1989|
|Release # 89-024|
WASHINGTON -- Consumers having certain Pelonis Disc Furnace portable electric space heaters are being offered a repair program by Del-Rain Corporation through R.E. Chapin Manufacturing Works. Inc., Batavia, New York, to correct a possible fire hazard with the electric plug.
Del-Rain and Chapin began the voluntary recall program in cooperation with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) because they found that potentially defective plugs which could possibly cause a fire had been used in certain heaters. To date there have been no known fires and no known injuries. Nonetheless, the companies have initiated the repair program for all affected heaters sold nationwide since October of 1987.
Any consumer having a Pelonis Disc Furnace, Model #P861-TC or Model #P861-TC/VHC, with serial number ranging from 10,001US through 119,000US, should discontinue using the heater and call Chapin toll-free at 1-800-444-3140 from 5-10 p.m. to arrange for the repair of the heater free of charge.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products under the agency’s jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical or mechanical hazard. CPSC's work to help ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters and household chemicals -– contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 40 years.
Federal law bars any person from selling products subject to a publicly-announced voluntary recall by a manufacturer or a mandatory recall ordered by the Commission.
To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury go online to www.SaferProducts.gov or call CPSC's Hotline at 800-638-2772 or teletypewriter at 301-595-7054 for the hearing impaired. Consumers can obtain news release and recall information at www.cpsc.gov, on Twitter @USCPSC or by subscribing to CPSC's free e-mail newsletters.
Please use the below phone number for all media requests.
Phone: (301) 504-7908
Spanish: (301) 504-7800


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It’s safe to say that since the start of the pandemic, the outlook for brick and mortar has been gloomy at best.
With more consumers than ever shopping online, this has been matched by a corresponding drop in in-store sales. While ecommerce made up over a fifth of retail sales in 2020, physical retail dropped by 14%.
Business Insider forecasts that there could be as many as 10,000 store closures in 2021 – with over 1000 already on the books so far.
So, could this be the moment where brick and mortar retail finally ‘dies’?
Not quite. Retailers are already gearing up for a new wave of store openings – and many are going by the mantra ‘go big or go home’.
Yes, you that right. A study by Glossy and Modern Retail found that 34% of the brands surveyed had plans to increase their investment in physical retail this year.
You’re not alone in thinking that this strategy goes against the grain. If nothing else, the pandemic has made consumers learn first-hand that they don’t ‘need’ store locations to fulfill their desires.
And with everyone having grown accustomed to turning to the web to make purchases, aren’t these habits set to stick even once things do return to normal?
It’s certainly true that you can’t put the genie back in the bottle. So, why are retailers making such costly investments at such an uncertain time?
1. Brick and mortar is still a favored (and lucrative) channel
te all the upheaval that physical retail has experienced in the past year, it remains one of the most important selling channels. According to research by Shopify, 82.5% of all retail sales will continue to happen inside physical stores in 2021.
Not only that; offline transactions are also much more lucrative. First Insight found 71% of in-store customers spend more than $50 per transaction compared with just 54% online.
The reason is simple: Online stores with giant product catalogs can be confusing and overwhelming for consumers. Most of us make use of a range of filters so we can narrow down the available options, meaning that we remove opportunities for organic product discovery.
There’s also the simple fact that shopping in-store offers advantages where ecommerce does not. Online, we can’t try out a product, or easily get information than brand representatives. For these reasons alone, consumers will continue to favor physical retail for certain purchases – and expect stores to be there when they need them.
2. Micro-fulfillment is here to stay
Due to the pandemic, physical stores have inherited an entirely new value proposition. Brick and mortar locations are no longer just for browsing and buying; they’ve also become warehouses, fulfillment centers, and pick-up locations – all rolled into one.
It’s for this reason that Target is choosing to spend big on remodeling so that store locations can more effectively fulfill orders for both pick-up and home delivery. According to its latest plan, Target is investing $4 billion annually into existing stores to equip them with automated restocking and optimized fulfillment capabilities, with 30-40 new stores opening each year in metro areas to meet increased demand for same-day delivery.
The message is clear: micro-fulfillment strategies were a tidy short-term fix when stores were shuttered, and online order volumes surged. But going forward, retailers are seeing store-based fulfillment as the solution to an increasingly fluid retail landscape – and this has made brick and mortar an extremely valuable asset.
3. Consumers want immersive, hybridized retail experiences
This is where the picture gets a bit cloudier for brick and mortar. If retailers want their stores to remain relevant, they need to invest in physical retail as an important touchpoint in the customer journey – but not necessarily as the ‘end point’.
Because while consumers show a huge desire to shop in person, they don’t want to be siloed from other channels either. Ecommerce, social media, and mobile apps add huge value to the in-store experience through research and community-building – and stores need to embrace this interconnectivity if they want to offer cohesive shopping experiences.
Fabletics is one such brand that has stepped up to the plate by announcing 24 new store locations for 2021. But these aren’t just any old stores; they’ll boast interactive experiences including in-store fitness studios, touch screens for their ‘leggings finder’ quiz, and handheld POS systems that allow store associates to seamlessly access customer’s online profiles. This follows moves by major retailers including Old Spice, Lululemon, Nike, and Sephora to reposition their own offline store experiences to better connect with customers.
The growth of experiential retail is a clear sign that brands are looking and listening to what consumers want; more immersive, personalized shopping experiences that allow them to move between channels with ease.
What does the pandemic mean for the future of brick and mortar?
So, rather than sounding (another) death-knell to physical retail, the pandemic has proven that offline selling continues to provide benefits to both consumers and brands.
But at the same time, it’s also shown that the value of brick and mortar is no longer self-evident.
In 2021, it’s not enough for stores to just act as showrooms for products that can be bought online; customers need to be given a reason to come in.
It’s a lesson that’s been learned the hard way by legacy retailers. The likes of J.C. Penney and Macey’s have been closing stores en-masse not despite their pivot towards ecommerce, but because of it.
When native brick and mortar retailers began launching their digital storefronts, it resulted in an unintended phenomenon; customers who normally bought in-store choosing to maximize convenience by shopping online.
The result? A loss of valuable foot traffic – and the cannibalization of their own sales.
Because when buying online is easier, faster, and involves less friction, consumers are left with little incentive to shop in person.
If we look at the major retailers who’ve avoided this fate, they all have one thing in common; their store experiences bring more to the table than digital-only can provide.
Whether the value proposition is cool retail partnerships, exclusive in-store products, or cutting-edge AR experiences, it’s underpinned by one key conviction: Both ecommerce and brick and mortar can thrive when they see each other as allies, rather than competitors. The massive popularity of curbside pick-up during the pandemic is a prime example of the innovations that retailers can introduce when they have synergy between their channels.
In essence, when offline and online selling reinforces each other’s strengths, brands don’t just remove friction from the customer experience; they create more opportunities to boost revenue.
Next week, we’re going to take a look at the phenomenon of pop-up retailing – and why it’s the first port of entry of digitally native brands seeking to capture some of that in-store magic.


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In 1997, the public warmly received Martha Stewart Everyday product lines at their local Kmart. With a huge system wide roll-out, Martha Stewart introduced style and elegance to Kmart shoppers with a wide array of bed and bath (soft home), kitchen, holiday, garden, furniture, lighting, candles, and decorative home lines. Shortly after its introduction, Martha Stewart Everyday became one of the premiere collections for the home in the country.
Fast forward to 2009. Kmart is in the beginning steps of the long goodbye as the contract with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia closes at the end of January, 2010.
I stopped into two of our local Kmart stores recently. I found the shelves at one store sparingly stocked with MSE products; at another, nearly the entire line was on clearance. It was disappointing, yet expected… just not quite so soon.
In the Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia first quarter earnings call this week, MSLO officials acknowledge the phasing out of the product line in Kmart stores. In response to an analysts question regarding the availability of MSE products in Kmart through the remainder of the year, MSLO’s CFO, Kelli Turner commented, “…The answer to that is that yes, we do expect our product to be there through the end of our term with them, but they are phasing out of it, as we move forward because they have to liquidate the inventory by the end of January of 2010, then they've got a three-month sell-off window.”
Robin Marino, President of Merchandising also commented on the Kmart contract end. “As we said on our last call, 2009 will be a transition year as we continue to realize the impact of the wind down of our K-Mart relationship. We think of 2009 as the end of an era as we transition out of our relationship with K-Mart and into a new era in 2010 where we'll have the pieces in place to be a stronger and more diversified company. A big part of this new era will of course be a new relationship at mass retail and I can tell you that we continue to progress positively on that front. Our designers are hard at work on new designs and concepts for 2010. We have a lot of work to do but we are confident and excited about our future, so stay tuned.” When asked if there will be a delay between the end of the Kmart era and the start of a new, Marino said, “Well, we expect to be ready for a seamless transition into 2010.”
Kmart recently announced a new partnership with Country Living Magazine for a full line of home products to be introduced this summer. The company, however, denies that the Country Living line is the replacement for the Martha Stewart Everyday products.


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Successful ‘Unicorn’ Software Companies to Lay Off Staff in Reorganization
One of the changes that the digital revolution has brought to our modern world is the use of talk-to-text on our phones and other areas. It is convenient no doubt, but it still has a little way to go before it is considered flawless. Just this morning I was reading a doctor’s letter sent to those of us that are patients. Sadly, in the first two sentences, it was pretty clear the talk-to-text app they used was flawed. Instead of announcing the merger of the practice, it announced the “merge her.” Embarrassing, to say the least.
Perhaps an Israeli company has found a better way? According to an article from jpost.com they have.
Verbit’s AI-driven technology can turn any audio information—lectures, podcasts, or television shows—into a text transcript in seconds. Israeli transcription company Verbit was awarded the “Best Speech to Text Solution Award” at the 5th AI Breakthrough Award competition, the company announced on Thursday.
“Verbit’s unique hybrid use of artificial and human intelligence represents a breakthrough platform that addresses these rates, allowing users to achieve increased accuracy and ultimately create inclusive environments, enable effective communication, and increase engagement, ” James Johnson, managing director of AI Breakthrough, said. “We are thrilled to award Verbit with our ‘Best Text to Speech Solution’ for 2022.”
In 2021, Verbit was awarded the “LegalTech Breakthrough Award.” This prize marks the second time that the Israeli startup company has been a beneficiary of one of the most prestigious AI Breakthrough Awards programs.
“Verbit’s unique hybrid use of artificial and human intelligence represents a breakthrough platform that addresses these rates, allowing users to achieve increased accuracy and ultimately create inclusive environments, enable effective communication, and increase engagement.”… Tom Livneh
Perhaps I’ll tell my doctor’s office about Verbit. It couldn’t hurt.
Verbit, Others Deal Layoffs
While it’s nice to win great awards for your product, it’s more important to sell your product. Verbit and other similar operations are struggling somewhat.
The Jerusalem-based company is undergoing an organizational change that will see it reduce the company’s workforce by 10% in order to accelerate its path to profitability. Most of the total of around 80 layoffs will be of employees in the U.S., with 30 employees from Israel also leaving the company.
Verbit joins a growing list of unicorns to lay off employees over recent weeks, including eToro, Lightricks, Cybereason, OpenWeb, and Trax. In venture capital, a unicorn company is a privately-held startup company that is valued at more than $1 billion. It’s a term that’s become common in the investing community
“We have experienced a period of hypergrowth, increasing our workforce fivefold over a period of 18 months during which we acquired six companies,” Livneh wrote in a letter to the company’s employees. “Our success, which includes the doubling of our client base, including strategic clients in the different industries we serve, was achieved in different market conditions, and now we need to navigate the company and ensure that we are in the best position to lead it to prosperity and continued success, while we balance between growth and profitability.”
These days it is hard to make a success of an idea. Even when it is successful. Verbit has a great product and will find the right business plan to make it an award-winning and profitable organization.
read more at jpost.com


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(Independent) Tenth worker at iPad factory commits suicide
The Foxconn factory in the southern Chinese boom town of Shenzhen is so vast that walking around its outer perimeter takes two hours. Its workers turn out components that are supplied to big Western electronics brands including Nokia, Hewlett-Packard and Dell. And it is here that most of the parts for Apple’s iPhone, and the much-awaited iPad, which goes on sale in the UK this week, are manufactured.
Yesterday, Li Hai, a 19-year-old employee of the firm, jumped from the top of the building in Shenzhen to his death. It brought the number of suspected suicides at the factory this year to 10. There have been another two attempted suicides.
All of the deaths have been of youngsters between 18 and 25 years old. Li Hai had only been working at the plant for 42 days. The incidents have prompted intense soul-searching in China, about conditions in its factories and the social cost of breakneck economic development.
Foxconn, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of electronic equipment, is huge. The chefs slaughter 6,000 pigs a day to feed the company’s nearly 400,000 workers in this giant industrial complex, spread over 1.2 square miles.
But the Taiwanese owners now face a major problem. Li Hai’s death, and those of his colleagues, have raised questions about working conditions in Chinese factories, with labour activists alleging that long hours, low pay and high pressure make for an unbearable working environment.
Chinese media have suggested that what is driving the suicides is the feeling among the workers that they are machines. Many start work at 4am, then go through the motions thousands of times over during their often long shifts. “Every shift we finish 4,000 Dell computers, all the while standing up,” one Foxconn worker told China Labour Watch for a recent report.
(See the original article here)
Also see Are Apple Factory Workers in China Killing Themselves?, Should We Blame a Man’s Midlife Crisis on the End of his Wife’s Reproductive Career?, What Does Your Group Do to You? and Did Denial Cause the Lehman Brothers Collapse?


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Bianchi has opened an own brand store in the presence of Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, who attended the grand opening at Bologna’s FICO Eataly World centre.
The location isn’t your typical bike shop destination; FICO is known as the world’s largest agricultural theme park and a destination for food lovers.
There is good reason, however; the branch will work as a branding exercise for the many visitors who will have access to a 500 strong shopping bike fleet, specifically developed by Bianchi. The park has cycle paths connecting its destinations.
The Bianchi Shopping Bike is the first “three-wheeled bike” featured with hydraulic disc brakes, projected for urban mobility and shopping, equipped with wooden basket to easily and safely carry loads.
The new store comes kitted with a mechanical workshop. Inspired by the traditional Italian factory’s design and architecture: elements like iron, concrete and wood have been combined in a harmonious way, giving a modern look to the typical craftsmanship of bike stores.
The branch will display and sell its Road, MTB, City-Fitness, e-bike, apparel and accessories ranges in stores. An area has been dedicated to the high-performance Bianchi CV models, projected with Countervail Vibration Cancelling technology, as well as the new SF01 “Bianchi for Scuderia Ferrari” and a selection of Ducati bikes, made by Bianchi.
“Bianchi is proud to be part of FICO,” stated Salvatore Grimaldi, the owner and chairman. “It was a honor for us to welcome the Italian Prime Minister to this very important event. President Gentiloni congratulated Bianchi for driving the tradition of Italian greatest brands in its branch, and was particularly interested in our shopping bike, one of the greatest novelties inside FICO, that was also very successful among the visitors.”
The Bianchi Bike Store is open inside the FICO park every day, from 10.00 to midnight.


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While successfully hosting the upcoming 2017 APEC Economic Leaders’ Week, Da Nang should spare no effort to become the most livable city in the country, a must-visit tourism destination and a major investment attraction, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said on October 15.
VOV.VN - The annual trade and tourism fair of the East-West Economic Corridor countries got underway at the 29/3 Square in Danang on Friday, August 11, according to a report by the Vietnam News Agency.
VOV.VN - The Italian Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (ICHAM) has set up a booth at the East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC) International Trade and Tourism Fair taking place in Danang from July 28-August 2, 2016, inclusive.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh underscored the importance of quality infrastructure and balance between economic growth and environment protection in his speech to the eighth Mekong-Japan Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on August 5.
(VOV) -The international tourism and investment trade fair, the East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC) 2015, opened in central city of Danang on July 30.
A fair on industry and trade in the Northern Central Coastal region was launched in Dong Ha City, Quang Tri province, on July 8, featuring around 500 exhibition booths run by nearly 240 domestic and international businesses.
(VOV) -Vietnam will hold the annual International East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC) Trade and Tourism Fair on July 30-August 4 at the Danang International Exhibition Fair Centre, organizers announced on June 23 at a press conference.
(VOV) -A Vietnam delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Ho Xuan Son on May 20 attended the third deputy foreign ministerial conference on East-West economic corridor (EWEC) development taking place Bangkok, Thailand, with the participation of four countries- Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam- and Asian Development Bank (ADB) representatives.
(VOV) - On April 24, State President Truong Tan Sang attended the 60th Anniversary of the Asian-African Conference (known as the Bandung Conference) in Indonesia along with Heads of State, Prime Ministers and delegation heads from Asian and African nations.
(VOV) - Foreign Ministries of Vietnam and Laos on February 6 officially launched the ‘One-stop-shop’ customs model at the Lao Bao-Densavan International Border Gate which lies on the East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC).
A group of businesses from northeastern Thailand met with local authorities and enterprises in the central province of Quang Tri on November 17 to seek investment opportunities.
A workshop was held in the central city of Danang on August 15 to examine the possible impact that the formation of the ASEAN Community would have on cooperation in the East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC).
(VOV) - More than 150 local and foreign businesses set up pavilions at the 2014 International East West Economic Corridor (EWEC) Trade and Tourism Fair which got underway in Danang on August 15.
(VOV)- Street vendors in three small cities along the East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC) in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam will have greater access to a micro-finance project worth US$2.5 million in non-refundable aid from the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction.
The 2012 International East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC) Trade and Tourism Fair in the central city of Danang has drawn 30,000 visitors and fetched more than VND3 billion.
The 2012 International East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC) Trade and Tourism Fair opened at the Danang Fair and Exhibition Center on August 17.
The third Trans-Asia Bridge Span Festival opened in Dong Ha City, central Quang Tri Province on July 28.
The Deputy Foreign Ministerial Conference on the East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC) opened in Dong Ha City, Quang Tri province on May 18.
Vietnam and Laos will focus on implementing high-level agreements reached by their top leaders and successfully organizing their Friendship and Solidarity Year 2012.


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BIG NEWS AT MICROSOFT SO DO YOU KNOW WHAT'S UP? L.A. Confidential: what does Microsoft have up its sleeve?
So what possibilities are left? Here are my speculations:
- The location suggests an entertainment tie-in. Has Microsoft finished putting together its top-tier pay TV service to go with the Xbox Live (nee Zune) music service? If so, that would be a big deal. A Very Big Deal. After Steve Jobs supposedly told his biographer that he had “cracked the code” for the next generation of Apple TV, everyone’s been waiting for Apple to deliver on that bold promise. So maybe Microsoft gets there first, with a device that’s already in lots of living rooms.
- The timing hints at a full reveal for the first generation of Windows RT tablets. It’s likely that Microsoft will release Windows 8 and Windows RT to manufacturing around the end of July. That’s only about six weeks away. The traditional PC industry needs a few months to get its inventory together. The OEMs producing ARM-powered Windows RT tablets—an exclusive club, to be sure, with only Nvidia, Qualcomm, and TI allowed to play—have fewer such constraints. In theory, those devices could be ready to ship as soon as (or shortly after) the OS software is ready, which would mean an on-sale date in August or early September.
- Wishful thinking has some people dreaming of a Microsoft-branded tablet device, perhaps a Kindle Fire competitor or even an Xbox tablet. It’s not a completely implausible idea: the Xbox 360 and the Zune players have already established precedent for the concept. If such a device were to appear, it could be sold via the Microsoft Store, online and in its small number of physical locations.
- I wouldn’t be surprised to see the first glimpse of a new Xbox, with a full Metro interface that mirrors Windows 8 perfectly. Start screen instead of dashboard. Identical music and video apps on both platforms. Full SkyDrive integration. Timed to ship same day and date as Windows 8 devices.
- Tim Cook might appear onstage and announce that Apple is using its cash stockpile to acquire Microsoft and he’ll be the new CEO. OK, I just threw that one in to see if you were reading or just skimming.
Or (drum roll, please): Maybe all of the above (except for the Tim Cook bit, of course).
Ina Fried (former CNET, now WSJ) is convinced the answer is behind door number three and that the Monday event will “center around Microsoft’s tablet strategy”:
Sources say that Microsoft concluded that it needs its own tablet, with the company designing both the hardware and software in an effort to better compete against Apple’s strengths. Microsoft’s tablets may include machines running ARM-based processors as well as models running on traditional PC processors, sources said.BIG SECREAT
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All of the latest news from the supplier sector of the industry, including updates from AstroPay, Beter and Wazdan
AstroPay launches its flagship global affiliates programme
AstroPay has launched its flagship global affiliate programme to provide revenue generating opportunities to individuals as well as businesses.
AstroPay launched the programme to give affiliate partners access to exclusive offers where they can earn money continuously for each new customer who signs up for the payment platform.
Along with dedicated teams and sales conversion experience, the programme offers up to 20% revenue share compensation. In addition, the AstroPay payment platform has been tried and tested for cross-border payments so that affiliate partners can rely on multilingual assistance and local expertise for any of their needs.
The programme will be available across countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe.
Leonardo Alonso, head of affiliates at AstroPay, said: “I am excited to see our new programme go live today. The affiliate programme is a new way of doing business with AstroPay.
“All those who are professionally dedicated to affiliate marketing will be very welcome and we look forward to working together and rewarding partners with a robust partnership that provides added value through an alternative way to continue growing their business.”
Beter to bring out a new iFrame solution to the igaming industry
Data provider Beter is set to launch its new iFrame solution that enhances the esports betting experience and provides the industry with an engaging user experience.
Beter has developed a bespoke and engagement-oriented UI that allows players to create a “Twitch-like” experience with the most popular esports events.
Alex Lobov, chief product officer, commented: “Our team designed an iFrame solution with a responsive and user-friendly UI that allows switching between traditional and fresh esports view to engage all possible audiences, be it bettors who prefer classic sportsbook UI or next-gen players.”
FeedConstruct partners with NetBet to expand its European reach
Sportsbook and casino operator NetBet has joined FeedConstruct’s family of partners.
Via this partnership, NetBet will use FeedConstruct’s BetGuard product to minimise the risks of financial losses.
Artashes Sargsyan, deputy CEO of FeedConstruct, commented: “We are more than ever committed to our mission of arming our partners with reliable quality solutions that are meant to secure a balance between operational efficiency and player engagement.
“We are very glad to welcome Netbet, an operator with considerable reputation and presence, to our big family and expand our reach in the European market.”
Greentube enhances Belgian and Dutch market presence with new Circus deal
Novomatic digital entertainment and entertaining division, Greentube, has inked a new deal with Gaming1’s Circus.
Circus customers in Belgium and the Netherlands can now enjoy titles from Greentube’s comprehensive portfolio of titles.
Circus is certified by the Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA) and Belgium’s Gaming Commission. As a result, Greentube can offer its games through Dutch and Belgian supplier licences, which include all requisite game certifications.
Andy Duschek, sales and key account manager for the Netherlands at Greentube, stated: “This deal with Circus, enhancing our presence in both the Netherlands and Belgium, gives us the chance to offer more players than ever before the chance to take part in a gaming experience that is honed to their localised preferences.”
David Carrion, COO interactive at Gaming1, added: “Greentube offers the perfect balance of traditional and new titles, providing everything players could want in both the Netherlands and Belgium. We believe this is only the start of a very fruitful collaboration.”
Playson secures a new agreement with GiG
Playson has agreed to provide Gaming Innovation Group (GiG) with its portfolio of casino games.
As part of this new deal, Playson will be able to build a relationship with GiG’s list of B2C customers, allowing the supplier to expand its presence worldwide.
Blanka Homor, sales director at Playson, said: “We’re delighted to have reached an agreement with GiG in order to supply its impressive list of customers. I’m sure they will benefit from our content.
“The deal will help us to grow even more quickly and meet our ambitious expansion targets in the years to come.”
Martin Collins, director of sales and business development at GiG, added: “We’re pleased to have Playson on board and incorporate its much-loved games to our platform.
“Playson has quickly become a recognised name thanks to its excellent casino titles, their addition further strengthening the commerciality and attractiveness of our product offering.”
Wazdan seals new agreement with Casinò Lugano to expand Swiss reach
Wazdan has gone live with Swiss-facing operator Casinò Lugano, launching its products via the firm’s online brand Swiss4Win.
The deal will see Wazdan’s slot titles go live on the platform as well as Wazdan’s player engagement suite, which includes adjustable volatility levels, cash drop promotions, new in-game features and more.
Andrzej Hyla, CCO at Wazdan, said: “We are thrilled to have taken a selection of our renowned titles live with Casinò Lugano and its online brand Swiss4Win.
“We’re confident in our ability to deliver incredible content to Swiss players, giving them previously unseen levels of control over their experiences with our proprietary suite of personalisation tools.”
Paolo Sanvido, CEO and board member at Casinò Lugano SA, said: “Casinò Lugano has a strong history of partnering with businesses that share its passion for delivering exceptional gaming experiences. For this reason, we are delighted to have partnered with Wazdan, and look forward to enjoying the benefits of the collaboration.”


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According to a piece of recent news that was going viral on the internet like a flu, a boy from Haryana, India got a high-end BMW as a birthday gift from his parents. But he wanted a Jaguar as his birthday gift. And to express his anger, the boy pushed his brand new BMW into a river nearby. Scroll down and read the entire article carefully to catch on the issue.
According to what the news agencies and people standing nearby saw;
” Early in the morning, the boy parked his brand new bmw in front of the river, and then pushed his brand new bmw into a river “
The incident came to exposure when the BMW got stuck in a heap of tall grass. When people saw it, a man with the help of a few divers and crane, got the car out.
The situation is now completely under control, the youth’s parents have denied to register a case and explained the matter saying ” our son is going through a mental illness “


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If you’ve been to an outdoor event lately — anywhere large numbers of women gather in the sun — you probably have noticed. Parasols are popping up all over.
A onetime wardrobe essential that had been retired to the trunk for decades, sun umbrellas are being rediscovered by a new generation that finds them both a cute fashion accessory and functional. And it’s not just steam punkers, burlesque performers and costumers who are carrying their shade in their tote bags.
Celebrities from Katy Perry and Gwen Stefani to Selena Gomez, Lady Gaga and Kate, The Duchess of Cambridge, have been spotted taking cover beneath pretty parasols. First anointed a few years ago by Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, the trendy accessories are now comfortably mainstream and featured on popular sites like Amazon and Etsy.
“I like the fact that you can have shade without having to wear a hat or anything. I don’t go out and tan,” said Jacquelyn England, who bought a wicked little parasol with a Skull and Crossbones motif at the recent Rivertown Revival in Petaluma.
She also bought a plain little parasol at the Petaluma Music Festival for shade and proceeded to use it in the Butter and Egg Days Parade, marching in the second line behind her husband’s band, “The Dixie Giants.”
“I think they look kind of classy and fun,” said England, who at 41 is watching out for her skin. “Sometimes it’s a little annoying to carry, but it’s worth it to have the shade and the fashion.”
They may be trendy but they’re hardly new. Parasols — the word literally means “for sun” in Spanish — have been spotted in the ancient sculptures and carved stone in the Middle East and in engravings and paintings from Egypt and Greece.
In Rome, they were known as umbraculum, formed of skin or leather.
They showed up in China, India and eventually in Europe. But it is really through the paintings of Monet and on the pages of Jane Austen and the Godey’s fashion magazines of the 1800s that we start to see parasols come into their own as fashionable accessories.


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New PG Industries investor, Dewei Investments Limited has offered $10 million for the purchase of the entire share capital of the company. According to a circular by the group’s board of directors, the proposed transaction also seeks to make a compromise offer to creditors for final settlement of all balances existing as at 31 December 2015 as well provide working capital and funds required for retooling.
PG directors consider the offer as fair considering that the company had negative equity position of $13,121 million as at 31 December 2015 and the cash offer was viewed against the assets of the company which have a book value of $12 464 million.
In addition to that, the company has also defaulted on the existing scheme with its creditors as it has failed to meet its quarterly payments to creditors per current scheme of arrangement.
“Given the current balance sheet position and declining trading trends, the directors are of the view that unless a solution to the company’s funding crisis is concluded, the company can no longer continue operating as a going concern. It is the directors opinion that the offer being proposed is more beneficial to all PGIZ stakeholders than any other practical alternatives.”
The transaction is expected to see the company paying its dues to creditors in addition to restoration of a positive equity position as well as meeting future funding requirements. According to the circular, the company is in serious need of working capital and failure to approve the proposed scheme will lead the company into judicial management or liquidation.
PG is currently unable to trade out of its debt position without a compromise with creditors. Upon the successful adoption of the transaction, the entire share capital of PGIZ will be held by the investor Dewei Investments. PG applied to enter into a scheme of arrangement with its shareholders and different class of creditor in December 2013 and was subsequently registered in April 2015.
The company has to date failed to meet the first four quarterly payment commitments of 16 October 2015, 16 January 2016, 16 April 2016 and July 16, 2016 and the firm says in the absence of a credible recapitalization plan, the company will continue to be in default. — Wires.


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Its name is enough to send CEOs into cold sweats, which is why the rest of the mobile world spent last week announcing their hardware back-to-back to steal a march on this handset. Now, after all of the rumor, speculation and leaks, Apple's sixth iPhone has finally been unveiled in San Francisco.
2 years ago
At last, the webOS-empowered TouchPad, HP's answer to the growing tablet market. And make no mistake, it's coming in with guns blazing -- specs-wise, the slate stands up pretty well to the competition currently in play (e.g. iPad) and the other up-and-comers not quite out the gate (e.g. Motorola Xo
3 years ago


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Pro Line Nutrition Dynamine Preview
Just last week we brought news of Pro Line Nutrition’s TeaCrine new product release. The brand has also launched the new Pro Line Nutrition Dynamine™ (methylliberine), a fast-acting, high-impact ingredient found in Kucha tea, and is a chemical cousin of both caffeine and TeaCrine®. Dynamine combined with caffeine has been shown to improve energy, mood, alertness, and focus. It is believed to be a product that will position itself well in the energy category, backed-by-science benefits, and a growing list of toxicology, safety, and efficacy studies. In a recently completed university study, it was found the combination of caffeine and Dynamine allows you to get a much longer-lasting energy boost than you would be using the same amount of caffeine alone.
Each capsule of Pro Line Dynamine has 105 mg methylliberine (as Dynamine) and 2 mcg Vitamin B12. With a suggested serving size of 1 capsule, the 60 capsule bottle provides a two-month supply. It is believed that Dynamine (alone or in combination with TeaCrine®) is able to activate the central nervous system without negatively impacting the Cardiovascular system.
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While it’s been years since Apple made an appearance at CES in any official capacity, accessories that pair with its iOS devices have for several years dominated the show floor. This year was no different with most of the big trends– fitness and health tracking wearables, Bluetooth controllers, and home automation products– all designed and developed with the iPhone, iPad, and Mac in mind. Below we’ve put together a roundup of the most interesting wearables, cases, controllers and more that we found for iOS devices. Read more
It can be hard to cut through the noise with just about every retailer online having sales for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. That’s why we’ve put together a list of the best deals available only for iPad, iPhone, iPods, and Mac. You won’t find any deals on TVs or microwaves in the list below, just the best of the best accessories for your iOS device and Mac, and we’ve only included great products from companies we trust (many of which we’ve reviewed personally). If you still need to buy a Mac, iPhone, or iPad first, you’ll also find a roundup of the best deals on Apple hardware from 9to5Toys at the bottom. As always, we’ll update as more deals are announced throughout the weekend and you can send any you might find to tips@9to5Mac.com. Read more
Rather than make you sift through all of these projects, we’re rounding up the best or most notable projects from around the crowdfunding web and delivering them to you in a simple roundup. If there’s a project that you’ve backed – or even a project that you founded – be sure to leave a link below so it can be considered for the next roundup. Check out our complete list of roundups here.
- Multipath Router (Indiegogo project)
Now that Siri on iOS 7 takes advantage of multipath, a smarter internet technology that can take advantage of all web connections at the same time, the technology has gotten a boost in exposure and consumer interest. Multipath Networks has come out with a new router that can take advantage of your regular DSL/cable connection and boost it using your cell phone or neighbor’s internet, if they permit. The router itself starts at $199.
Samsung received the most attention this year at the IFA consumer technology show with its new Galaxy Gear smartwatch and Galaxy Note devices, but Apple products still dominated much of the show floor when it came to new accessories for tablets and smartphones. Below we’ve put together a huge collection of the new and upcoming accessories for Apple devices that we came across this year in Berlin. Read more
We already know that Apple has added support for game controllers in iOS7, but it appears that these plans are further along than first thought. According to Kotaku, the above image shows an early iOS gaming controller prototype made specifically for the iPhone 5 by gaming giant Logitech. While they weren’t forthcoming with details of where the device was seen or who showed it to them, Kotaku is standing firm that they believe this photo to be absolutely authentic. The decision to support integrated gaming accessories is in stark contrast to Steve Jobs’ stance that such products would ruin the “elegance” of Apple devices (even though he got his start at Atari).
A reader reached out with this image from one of Apple’s WWDC sessions, which appears to show the same Logitech controller.
Bluetooth gaming devices have existed for iOS devices for quite some time but most have had limited compatibility and fragmented compatibility. An integrated, Apple authorized (MFi) gaming controller is going to be a welcomed addition for the iOS gaming community.
3rd party gaming accessories like the iCade Mobile (Above) have existed for years
We already told you about a few big new features in terms of improvements to Bluetooth coming in iOS 7: Developers will now have a standardized controller framework for hardware game controllers and new features for BLE devices that will bring Notification Center support and always-connected apps. That’s not all Apple has planned for accessory makers in the near future, below developers have reached out to explain some of the other big new features that will be available to accessory manufacturers with iOS 7 and Mavericks… Read more