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Wegmans' 'magic' should allay Foundry Row skepticism, developer says
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For anyone who questions whether the Owings Mills market can absorb an additional 372,000 square feet of retail space proposed as part of the Solo Cup plant redevelopment, Brian Gibbons has one word: Wegmans.
Gibbons, CEO of Greenberg Gibbons, insists Wegmans is such a unique grocery store that it will draw people from many miles outside Owings Mills, increasing buying power well beyond that of the local population.
“It draws from all demographics,” Gibbons said. “It has a very high-end feel, but it’s very affordable. It just sets a tone for your project.”
Wegmans is the centerpiece of Gibbons’ proposed $140 million Foundry Row development. He plans to demolish the 1.8 million-square-foot Solo Cup plant and replace it with a 426,247-square-foot mix of retail, restaurants and offices. He hopes to begin demolition within a few weeks.
Kimco Realty and David S. Brown Enterprises, developers that are planning two other major projects in Owings Mills — the $65 million redevelopment of the Owings Mills Mall and the $500 million Metro Centre development — have questioned whether Foundry Row will create too many retail options, making economic losers of all three projects.
Gibbons, though, said Wegmans is the main reason that isn’t true.
Basu called Wegmans “magic” and a “game-changer.”
“People travel a far distance to be part of a Wegmans,” Basu said.
Basu’s report estimates that Wegmans draws $1,060 in annual revenue per square foot, while the average grocery store hauls in less than $700.
“It’s a lot of spending power, and what you’re getting is a lot of feet and those feet are associated with big wallets and big pocketbooks,” Basu said. “That’s good for a commercial project, isn’t it? Of course.”
So good, in fact, that Basu argues the economic of impact of Wegmans will trickle down into other areas — like Metro Centre and the Owings Mills Mall redevelopment.
The Wegmans, Basu predicts, will not only bring in shoppers from out of town, but it also will increase the value of surrounding office and residential space.
“The draw of a Wegmans is far greater than the immediate vicinity,” Basu said. “Most grocery stores serve a relatively local market, but a Wegmans can serve a regional market. It’s that big of a draw.
“So, now you have regional prospects that makes the office space that much more attractive. You put it all together and it really makes a project click.”
So, why doesn’t every developer just add a Wegmans for their project?
It’s not that easy, Gibbons said, adding he tried for years before finding the right project to clinch a deal with the grocery retailer.
“I’ve worked a long time to get them to look at this market and we’ve worked hard with other locations and they refused,” Gibbons said. “We worked a long time to get them here and we have them. This is really a watershed moment.”
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Unibet, a brand owned and operated by Kindred Group, announced the launch of a sharing tool. Members can now personalize how their betslip looks and feels to share on various social media platforms. The sharing tool is mobile-optimized and is set to launch in most of the iGaming company’s markets as the Euro 2020 kicks off.
Kindred Group understands that customer engagement is a key aspect of gambling. As such, the company embarked on a project that will enhance customer engagement and create a community-like environment.
BetShare is the name of the company’s recent project set to enhance customer engagement and create a community feeling on social media platforms. With BetShare, bettors have a chance of customizing their betslips and share them on social media.
According to the company, this innovative betslip used a top-down approach during the design stage to ensure it captures multiple aspects of social engagement. Furthermore, the tool allows users to localize it to suit their tastes. When it comes to customization, punters have access to four tools. Paint, text, emojis, and backgrounds.
The backgrounds will come with responsible gambling messages to remind players to play responsibly. Punters can find the tool in My Bets section but the company indicated that there are plans to enhance accessibility further. The good news is that there are no location restrictions when it comes to the bet types players can share. These include the likes of cashed-out, settled, or open bets.
Commenting on the recent release, Kindred Group Chief Product Officer, Erik Bäcklund, praised Unibet for being the first top sports wagering platform to offer this kind of sharing offering to its customers. According to the official, the move to introduce a sharing tool allows punters to become instant content creators. This has generated interesting conversations around the tool at Kindred.
Mr. Bäcklund concluded by noting the ever-changing digital landscape and that players are always looking to communicate their experiences to fellow punters. He said this as he expressed the company’s delight at being able to offer this innovative tool as the Euros gets underway.
Kindred Group Head of Sportsbook business development, Johannes Nijboer, took the time to explain the tool’s unique features. With the background, players will be able to choose from eight background visuals. The emojis, on the other hand, add that light touch to the betslip. The text allows customers to scribble something and even highlight the text using the paint feature.
Mr. Nijboer, while acknowledging the tool’s exciting and innovative features, said that the company is looking to roll it out in phases. Furthermore, he indicated that the company will continue adding to the product to ensure players get the ultimate product that distinguishes Unibet in a rather crowded market.
The BetShare launch comes after the company partnered with EASG (European Association for the Study of Gambling) in a gambling addiction project. This involved raising awareness on a mobile app that will help players detect initial gambling addiction signs.
The mobile app was developed by Zafty Intelligence, a specialist in mental health matters. Known as Bettor Time, this app uses machine learning programs to track player patterns, analyze them, and later detect any unique changes in the customer’s behavior that may be detrimental to their mental health.

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A man who was carrying knives near the Houses of Parliament has been arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences. The man, thought to be 27, was arrested at 2:22 pm by armed police as part of an intel
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Feb 11, 2016
Amazon unveils loan plan for sellers
Feb 11, 2016
As India’s e-commerce market booms, Amazon’s Indian arm plans to offer loans to key vendors selling on its portal in an effort to keep them from shifting loyalties to rivals Flipkart and Snapdeal that have similar lending schemes.
Amazon India is sending invitations to qualified merchants to join its lending programme where a seller can apply for short-term working capital loans to buy more inventory and increase sales on Amazon.in, The Economic Times has reported.
"Access to working capital is the biggest hurdle for sellers. With this we are minimising the fiction and barriers for the sellers to get loans and helping them focus on growing their business on our platform," said Gopal Pillai, General Manager-Seller Services at Amazon India.
Amazon launched its pilot programme in September last year and disbursed loans of crores of rupees to hundreds of small and medium enterprises or SMEs under its seller financing platform, Capital First.
The loans range between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 2 crore at 13-15 per cent rate of interest for a period of four to six months. As merchant loyalty and engagement have become key factors in India's cutthroat e-commerce industry, credit is becoming important in grabbing market share. Paytm, Snapdeal and Flipkart have launched similar loan schemes for their merchants to hold on to key sellers, the report said.
Amazon India, which has about 65,000 active sellers, said its loan scheme will give vendors easier access to loans with basic documentation in five days. "This is a way in which the e-commerce firms are addressing a pain point of low inventory. Now that sellers will keep good stock, their sales will increase and bring them growth," said Harminder Sahini, founder and managing director of Wazir Advisors.
"Since these are giant companies, the chances of financial risks are low as SMEs would not want to lose a big business partner," he said.
In October 2015, Snapdeal said it planned to disburse loans worth about Rs 1,000 crore by March 2016 to small and medium enterprises. In December, Paytm said that it will offer collateral-free loans to 500 million Indians including consumers by 2020.
Flipkart has also tied up with nearly 10 financial institutions to help sellers get loans.
India is the third country where Amazon has launched the scheme after home market United States and Japan. The programme is on invite only basis, said Pillai.
According to a report by consultancy firm KPMG, about 41 per cent of small and medium enterprises in India do not have access to bank loans or other products offered by financial institutions, with a financing gap of more than Rs 2.93 lakh crore.
Copyright © 2022 Fibre2Fashion. All rights reserved.


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Circuit City to Cut 155 Stores, Jobs3 Nov, 2008 By: Erik Gruenwedel
Citing deteriorating liquidity and a weak economic environment, Circuit City Stores Nov. 3 said it would shutter 155 stores in the United States (beginning election day), scale back future store expansion and aggressively renegotiate select leases.
Circuit City said the closures would result in the termination of 17% of its 46,000-person workforce.
The bulk of unprofitable closures will take place in California (25 stores), Georgia (19), Illinois (13) and Arizona (13), among others. The company said the 155 stores generated about $1.4 billion in net sales.
The fiscally challenged Richmond, Va.-based No. 2 consumer electronics chain said waning consumer confidence, reduced third-quarter sales, gross margins, and restrictive actions taken by select vendors (tougher payment and credit terms) had resulted in an unmanageable situation for the company.
A third-party appraisal reported Circuit City’s estimated net orderly liquidation value to be lower than expected.
In addition global disruptions to the financial markets have made it difficult for vendors to insure Circuit City’s purchases.
“The combination of these trends has strained severely our working capital and liquidity, and so we are making a number of difficult, but necessary, decisions to address the company's financial situation as quickly as possible,” said James Marcum, vice chairman and acting president and CEO of Circuit City.
Circuit City reported losses of more than $239 million in the most recent financial period, compared to losses of $62 million during the prior-year period.
Edward Woo, analyst with Wedbush Morgan Securities in Los Angeles, said the closures signaled the first stage of a probable Chapter 11 filing.
“It may actually be in their best interest [to file bankruptcy] so they can quickly renegotiate their leases,” Woo said.


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Microsoft today released the 14.3.4 update for Office for Mac 2011, adding Office 365 compatibility in addition to a host of bug fixes. Previously, Office for Mac 2011 users had to uninstall Office for Mac and sign up for Office 365. Now, existing Office for Mac 2011 users can easily integrate their software with the subscription service.
The rest of the update addresses various bugs, including an issue where file names would change when saved to SkyDrive or SharePoint in Microsoft Word for Mac. The font Calibri Light was also added, fixing poor rendering of Office 2013 shared documents that used the font.
Other bug fixes include being able to coauthor a PowerPoint Web App session without being alerted to potential conflicts, an expiring token notification, and an issue where keyboard and mice commands would "lose control" during a PowerPoint for Mac slideshow. A full list of bug fixes can be found on the Microsoft Support site.
While Office 2011 for Mac is still being updated, a new version of Office for Mac may arrive in April 2014. This update to Office 2011 for Mac, which requires Mac OS X 10.5.8 or later, is available for free via Microsoft AutoUpdate or Microsoft's website.


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Clan debuted their ‘Clan Classics’ collection earlier this year to critical acclaim and it their gorgeous new collection has reached across the pond as Angela Simmons was spotted wearing their powder blue peplum dress to New York Fashion Week. Fresh from their successful showing at NYFW, this is another coup for the Clan girls. It seems their mother, Deola Sagoe, has taught them very well.
Angela Simmons Spotted In CLAN Diaries at NYFW
FIRST LOOK: Official photos for H&M X Alexander Wang
Writer and blogger from London, currently living in and loving Lagos. Currently battling crippling addictions to Fanta, MAC, Rihanna and Indomie. Donations welcome. Column: The Diarist


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Nextech (CSE: NTAR) (OTCQB: NEXCF) (FSE: N29), a metaverse company and leading provider of augmented reality (“AR”) experience technologies and 3D model services, has announced the closing of multiple new 3D modeling deals for ecommerce. These provide the company with a rapidly growing base of ARR (annual recurring revenue) and MRR (monthly recurring revenue). “We are in negotiations for a record number of contracts with the biggest names in ecommerce for 3D models that total hundreds of thousands of 3D models with delivery dates starting in 2022 Q4 extended into 2023, which is unprecedented. We see an acceleration of demand for our entire suite of Web3 products,” said Nextech AR CEO Evan Gappelberg. “We are simultaneously signing on new clients to ARitize 3D, expanding into new industries, while renewing with existing clients for more 3D models. Our 3D/AR product offering is now being recognized as providing a game-changing ROI for the global ecommerce ecosystem… We believe 3D models are now accepted as the standard in e-commerce. 3D models are estimated to have a TAM of $100 billion, which is going to keep us very busy producing 3D models for the foreseeable future.”
To view the full press release, visit https://ibn.fm/B80mv
About Nextech AR Solutions Corp.
Nextech is the engine accelerating the growth of the metaverse. Using breakthrough AI, Nextech AR is able to quickly, easily and affordably ARitize (transform) vast quantities and varieties of existing assets at scale making products, people and places ready for interactive 3D use, giving creators at every level all the essential tools they need to build out their digital AR vision in the metaverse. The company’s platform-agnostic tools allow brands, educators, students, manufacturers, creators, and technologists to create immersive, interactive and the most photo-realistic 3D assets and digital environments, compose AR experiences, and publish them omnichannel. With a full suite of end-to-end AR solutions in 3D commerce, education, events, and industrial manufacturing, Nextech AR is in a unique position to meet the needs of the world’s biggest brands and all metaverse contributors. For more information about the company, visit www.NextechAR.com.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to NEXCF are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/NEXCF
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11 May Fort Smith Grand Opening
Slim Chickens is opening its first Fort Smith Location on Monday, May 9th, 2016. The Times Record recently spoke with COO Sam Rothschild about the brand and the new Fort Smith location.
According to the article, people have been clamoring for a Fort Smith location for years, and the brand is excited to bring a restaurant that celebrates Fort Smith and its history.
Said Rothschild, “This is the new edition of the dining room that we believe will make it more comfortable.”
The article also mentions that the Fort Smith location will employ 60 people.
Said Rothschild, “For a lot of the young men and women who are working here, this is their first job, and we are excited to give them the opportunity.”


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Nokia 2 users will soon be able to upgrade to Android Oreo, but the performance may not be great0
You’re also looking at a list of Nokia-branded Android handsets already running the newest OS build in its stable form, ahead of significantly more powerful devices made by mobile industry veterans like Samsung, LG, or Motorola.
Still, HMD Global, the late 2016-founded startup behind Nokia’s unexpected resurgence, has some more work to do, planning to deliver official Android Pie goodies for an additional eight models by “early Q2.”
That even includes the entry-level Nokia 1, which packs a humble 1GB RAM and 8GB internal storage, but somewhat curiously, not the Nokia 2. Commercially released in the fall of 2017, the slightly higher-end 5-incher is in fact still stuck with Android Nougat.
That’s about to change at last, according to HMD Chief Product Officer Juho Sarvikas on Twitter, but only if you understand and accept the tradeoffs. As Sarvikas explains, the Nokia 2 came before the launch of Google’s Android Go initiative, which makes it possible to upgrade low-end phones to the latest OS builds.
Unfortunately, it’s impossible to move a device released with standard Android to the Go program, so Nokia 2 owners will soon get to choose between staying on Nougat with “slightly better UI performance” or scoring some new Oreo-flavored features while accepting a “snappiness” downgrade.
Otherwise put, an Android Oreo update is coming, but instead of being rolled out over-the-air, it will be made available as a manual, optional download from a special webpage. No words on a subsequent Android Pie delivery, although given this Oreo optimization struggle, we’re guessing that’s out of the question now.
The Nokia 2, mind you, is one of the revived brand’s few devices officially available in the US, typically fetching the low, low price of $99 unlocked.


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- CNN's Freedom Project returned to Africa's cocoa plantations to look for progress in fight against child labor
- Chocolate industry worth an estimated $110 billion a year, but cocoa grown by some of world's poorest people
- Cocoa farmers earn just a tiny fraction of the cost of the average chocolate bar
- Global demand for cocoa outstrips supply, offering hope that the industry may do more to help growers
(CNN)"So tell me," an old school friend asked, "if the demand for chocolate is so high, why are cocoa farmers so poor?"


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DP World launches E-commerce platform in Tanzania
The wholesale platform brings efficient, reliable B2B eCommerce to Tanzania, enabling market access for businesses of all sizes
DP World has announced the launch of its wholesale e-commerce platform DUBUY.com in Tanzania. The online marketplace will give Tanzanian businesses better access to international markets. It will also provide a more secure and reliable supply chain, through DP World’s worldwide ports and logistics network.
The new platform enables Tanzanian businesses to buy wholesale products across a variety of categories both domestically and abroad. DUBUY.com offers users a unique combination of advanced technology and DP World physical infrastructure – which includes the Port of Berbera in Somaliland – to solve several key challenges facing the growth of e-commerce in Africa. This includes reliable fulfilment, secure financial transactions, and safe movement of goods.
This latest expansion of DUBUY.com follows launches in Kenya and Rwanda last year, which created an online business community of more than 1500 active merchants. The move into Tanzania demonstrates DUBUY.com’s commitment to creating a strategic trading gateway into East Africa by working in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce.
Speaking on today’s launch, Mahmood Al Bastaki, Chief Operating Officer of Dubai Trade World said:
“Dubuy.com presents an opportunity for homegrown businesses to transform into international enterprises by providing access to new markets in Africa, the Middle East and the rest of the world. We are thrilled to continue our expansion into East Africa with our launch in Tanzania, a key strategic market given its rapidly growing economy and under-served e-commerce marketplace. It is our hope that access to these new digital tools will enable local businesses to prosper.”
Mr Paul Koyi, President of Tanzania Chambers of Commerce, said:
“Tanzania’s Development Vision for 2025 is to have a strong, diversified, resilient and competitive economy, one which is easily and confidently able to adapt to the changing market and technological conditions of the regional and global economy. We know that exciting opportunities such as those provided by our strategic partnerships with DP World and DUBUY.com will help us drive this vision forward. Further, it will allow us to increase our country’s trading connectivity, build an easy access market for Tanzanian entrepreneurs, and help us secure long-term, sustainable growth. With our local expertise, and DP World’s global footprint and influence, we have a bright and prosperous future as part of a global market ahead of us."


text: Hamburg. Crystal Springs Resort in Hamburg is poised to record its best summer ever, which it attributes to sweeping upgrades at its AAA four-diamond Grand Cascades Lodge as well as a shift in travel behavior resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. “We’re thrilled at the heightened interest we experienced for our summer stays,” said Chris Mulvihill, chief marketing officer. “The scenario of having the opportunity to renovate and approach sell-out every day in a safe and responsible environment was very encouraging to our bottom line. Ironically, the COVID-19 challenge actually increased our hotel demand given our proximity as the closest high-end resort to the world’s largest luxury feeder market.” The hotel’s makeover debut coincided with its reopening after closure due to the coronavirus. The resort actually limited occupancy at both Grand Cascades Lodge and its sister property, Minerals Hotel, to allow for mandated social distancing. It had the effect of providing a better experience to the customer, Mulvihill said.


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General Motors wants you to have more texting time in your car, and it’s dropping a lot of cash to see that it happens.
The company announced Friday that it will purchase San Francisco-based Cruise Automation in order to access and advance its self-driving vehicle technology, a buy worth upwards of $1 billion, Fortune reports.
The three-year-old startup has been busy gathering investor capital to develop and push aftermarket kits designed to turn regular vehicles into autonomous cars.
Over the summer, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Uber drivers were making Manhattan traffic worse and commissioned a $2 million study to prove it.
Except it didn’t.
According to the Wall Street Journal, findings from the report will show that ride-sharing services such as Uber and Lyft haven’t significantly increased congestion in Manhattan, but it might if it continues its current trajectory.
So, what else do you have?
General Motors announced Monday that it would invest $500 million in ride-sharing service Lyft to help boost the automaker’s business in car-sharing companies and perhaps rental cars.
The automaker announced that the investment — roughly half of Lyft’s latest round of fundraising — would buy the automaker seat on the ride-sharing company’s board of directors. Lyft, which is based in San Francisco, is valued around $4.5 billion, which is significantly less than the $62 billion valuation for rival Uber, according to the New York Times.
GM said the companies would partner on rentals for the car-sharing company, connectivity and autonomous technology.
The National Resources Defense Council’s Urban Solution program will study the impact ride-sharing services have on the environment, the group announced Friday. The study will be conducted with the University of California Berkley Transportation Sustainability Research Center to determine what environmental impacts services such as Lyft and Uber have on pollution and congestion.
” … Others wonder if these companies are competing with public transit, substituting for walking and biking trips, or perhaps adding more cars to the road,” wrote Amanda Eaken, a researcher for the NRDC, a non-profit environmental group.
Ride-sharing service Uber has hit a few rough patches as of late, mainly from taxi operators and city and state officials who believe Uber and others like it are too disruptive for its own good. However, the Teamsters — who supported European taxi drivers in their protest of the service earlier this month — are throwing their support to Uber drivers wishing to organize.
Georgia is now seriously weighing in House Bill 907 which opponents have dubbed the, “Taxi Monopoly Protection Act.”
It would effectively outlaw ride sharing services like Uber and Lyft. While also making cab companies victims of the usurious fees that they are required to pay to remain in business.
My solution to all this would be politically tone deaf and probably DOA in GA. My special interest is simply a personal one. I want to see better ideas work for the general public.
So here’s my deep dive into the rabbit hole that is government balancing one man’s freedom with another man’s fears.
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- SPPPP The little boosters work way better than you would expect. I am a little nervous about carrying one more lithium battery around in the car (because of fire risk). But I have used the booster more than once on trips, and it has done the job. Also, it seems to hold charge for a very long time - months at least - when you don't use it. (I guess I could start packing it for trips, but leaving it out of the car on normal days, to minimize the fire risk.)
- Bader Hi I want the driver side lights including the bazl and signal
- Theflyersfan One positive: doesn't appear to have a sunroof. So you won't need to keep paper towels in the car.But there's a serious question to ask this seller - he has less than 40,000 miles on some major engine work, and the transmission and clutch work and mods are less than 2 months old...why are you selling? That's some serious money in upgrades and repairs, knowing that the odds of getting it back at the time of sale is going to be close to nil. This applies to most cars and it needs to be broadcasted - these kinds of upgrades and mods are really just for the current owner. At the time of sale, a lot of buyers will hit pause or just won't pay for the work you've done. Something just doesn't sit well with me and this car. It could be a snowbelt beast and help save the manuals and all that, but a six year old VW with over 100,000 miles normally equals gremlins and electrical issues too numerous to list. Plus rust in New England. I like it, but I'd have to look for a crack pipe somewhere if the seller thinks he's selling at that price.
- 2ACL I can't help feeling that baby is a gross misnomer for a vehicle which the owner's use necessitated a (manual!) transmission rebuild at 80,000 miles. An expensive lesson in diminishing returns I wouldn't recommend to anyone I know.
- El scotto Rumbling through my pantry and looking for the box of sheets of aluminum foil. More alt right comments than actual comments on international trade policy. Also a great deal of ignorance about the global oil industry. I'm a geophysicist and I pay attention such things. Best of all we got to watch Tassos go FULL BOT on us.


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National taco day is Friday October 4th but Fuzzy’s is celebrating early by giving you $1 tacos all day!!
The taco shop will be giving costumers $1 tacos all day Thursday October 3rd on a few of their select tacos. Customers must dine-in to get the deal and Fuzzy’s will not honor the deal for online orders. Happy Taco Day Eve!!
National Taco Day Eve is officially here! Today only, get a head start on National Taco Day by heading in to your local Fuzzy’s Taco Shop for $1 select tacos served all day.
*Dine-in only. Not valid for online orders. Excludes California Heat, Shrimp, Grilled Mahi & Fajita tacos pic.twitter.com/gaGQYyPoi9
— Fuzzy's Taco Shop (@fuzzystacoshop) October 3, 2019


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Google has grown so quickly that some of its services have become redundant. The company is reportedly trying to fix the problem of redundant chat apps by combining them all into one service called Babble, reports Geek.com.
Currently, Google has Google Talk, Messenger (part of Google+), Voice, Hangouts, and chat for Google Drive. It wasn’t until recently that Google services could share data between each other so Messenger and Talk pretty much work the same except a message you get in Google Talk won’t show up in Messenger. Google Voice is an amazing service that I use every day, but development for it has sputtered and it now feels like an abandoned product. Hopefully Google can make Voice relevant again.
The should come as no surprise as Apple and even Facebook have unified messaging platforms. Apple has iMessage and Facebook has Messenger but each company’s strategy differs greatly. Apple unifies chat for all of its own devices but Facebook Messenger unifies chat across all devices. Hopefully Google will follow Facebook’s path and make Babble platform agnostic.
Babble is nothing more than a rumor at this point, but Geek.com has received multiple unnamed sources that have confirmed the existence of Babble. It would make sense if Google debuted this as a feature of its next Nexus flagship phone during the Google I/O conference in May.


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Coimbatore: District Collector P. Umanath has announced that officials concerned could be contacted at their respective mobile phone numbers in the event of any irregularities in the supply of essential commodities or other problems.
In a release, Dr. Umanath said that two types of family cards are issued under the Public Distribution System based on the applicant’s choice and not on the basis of his/her income. There are cards with no commodity option as well.
Those with a light green family card are eligible to get rice and other commodities. White family cards are issued to those who had opted for extra sugar instead of rice. These card holders are eligible to avail themselves of wheat, kerosene and commodities under the Special Public Distribution System such as wheat flour, maida, rava, palm oil and dal varieties.
People can prefer complaints about irregularities in PDS supply by calling the following phone numbers: District Supply Officer, Coimbatore, at 94450-00245; Joint Registrar of Co-operative Societies at 94430-95737; Deputy Registrar of Co-operative Societies at 94421-23333; and Senior Regional Manager at 94433 58874.
In Coimbatore City, the Assistant Rationing Officers I, II and III can be contacted at 94450-00250, 94450-00249 and 94450-00248 respectively. Special Tahsildar, Coimbatore North, can be contacted at 94450-00246; Tahsildar, Coimbatore South, at 94450-00247; Tahsildar, Pollachi, at 94450-00252; Taluk Supply Officer, Mettuppalayam, at 94450-00251; Taluk Supply Officer, Sulur, at 97906-96839; and Taluk Supply Officer, Valparai, at 94450-00253.


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Last week Game Informer created a rumor that Rockstar Games will be releasing a new Grand Theft Auto this year, well over on Kotaku Rockstar have just squashed this rumor.
“…There is “no truth” to reports that a wholly new retail game, one on par with the scope of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, will arrive before the holidays.”
So drat to that, maybe in 2010. Although In the mean time there is a bunch of upcoming downloadable add-ons for GTA4 to keep you busy.
Grand Theft Auto 4 was released in 2008 and is the ninth GTA game released in the series.


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Unisex fashion – feeling comfortable in the skin you’re in
The unique range made for her major final year project, helped Chloe Bethwaite secure a First Class BA Honours degree in Fashion from Cleveland College of Art and Design (CCAD) this summer.
After reading articles about how transitioning men and women were treated in the workplace and the difficulty they have in finding appropriate clothes she went to a support group for local people to hear their thoughts on the issue.
“There were some teenagers who were 17 or 18 but one person had been transitioning for 40 years so it was incredible to have their opinions and they were excited their feedback was being used for research which turned into a 30-page report,” she said.
Designing clothes aimed at the 20 to 30-year-old market which could be worn comfortably for either sex tested her strong technical skills.
“Trousers had to be low-rise with a draw-string to suit different sizes and the consensus was that red was the big unisex colour. Shape was the most important thing and the length of where things were going to hang on the body, so the armholes had to be lower than on a traditional women’s garment,” she explained.
Her collection was snapped by fashion photographer and former CCAD student, Richard Leeson, and it was paraded on the catwalk at the highly-anticipated end of year show.
“Everyone who has tried the clothes on said they are really comfortable – they were made of melton wool and a double wool crepe which cost £90 per metre.”
Selfridges’ flagship store on Oxford Street in London has picked up on the surge in androgynous dressing by axing its separate women and menswear departments earlier this year. It’s launched ‘Agender’, three floors of unisex fashion which blur the lines between the traditional shopping concept of ‘his and hers’. Along with five unisex collections and pieces from 40 of its staple brands it has also combined beauty products and accessories for men and women.
Chloe, 21, added: “The transgender issue is out there but it is not being addressed or catered for in terms of fashion here. There is a huge gap for people who are changing before they are comfortable with their new identities as well as a big gap in the unisex market in general. I think there should be more gender neutral ranges out there too.”
Although she now wants to specialise in menswear, her experience covers designing trainers, childrenwear and womenswear. One memorable college project involved a collaboration with celebrated North-East lingerie brand, Talulah Love, and Chloe is proud of the delicate underwear she created.
Originally from the Lake District, Chloe has settled in Hartlepool after studying in the town and lives with boyfriend, Judd, who also gained a First Class degree from CCAD in Production Design for Stage and Screen.
She blogs about her career so far at sassysewnsew.wordpress.com and is now seeking her first job as a design assistant with the aim of having her own menswear line one day.
The final catwalk show was a big highlight of Chloe’s time at CCAD, and she credits the course tutors for their unwavering support, talent and expertise.
“To see the clothes go down looking like they should after all that work was amazing. It made me realise that this is definitely what I want to do.”
Blog – sassysewnsew.wordpress.com
Cleveland College of Art and Design (CCAD) – 01642- 288000


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Kenya Power has completed an upgrade of its IT platform, a move that has seen a faster generation of prepaid tokens by prepaid customers.
The upgrade involved a direct integration of the Company’s IT platform to the mobile money operators’ systems to shorten the process of remitting money through the mobile channels to obtain prepaid electricity tokens and pay for postpaid electricity bills.
“In our endeavor to provide speedy and quality services to our customers, we recently undertook an upgrade of our IT platform that supports prepaid and postpaid services. The upgrade was intended to enhance service delivery to our customers by easing the process of payment for electricity,”
said Kenya Power’s Managing Director & CEO, Dr. Ken Tarus.
Mobile money accounts for more than 80% of all payments for electricity consumption. In addition to mobile money operators, Kenya Power has other vendors including banks, retail shops located within residences and business enterprises with their own network operating on a regional and national scale.
In addition, the system upgrade has also created an avenue for postpaid customers to self-read their meters and remit the data online for generation of bills.
To enable this, Kenya Power has introduced a self-reading app that is mobile and web-based and is anchored on the new customer management system that Kenya Power deployed late last year to enhance service delivery to its customers.
The self-reading app is designed to complement the work carried out by meter readers and minimize the challenge of unrealistic bills that result from an estimation of meter readings.


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Activists slam dog food menu in Philippines
London: Half-a-million dogs in the Philippines end up in restaurants annually after they are snatched from streets and illegally slaughtered to satisfy the growing taste for dog meat, a media report said Sunday.
Customers dine on dog`s head for the equivalent of 2.50 pounds, the express.co.uk reported.
A dish of dog liver costs about 1.80 pounds while a particular favourite, deep fried paws, are just 85 pence.
Bars serve dog meat snacks known as "pulutan" with drinks just as British pub-goers might enjoy a bag of crisps.
The grisly trade flourishes in the north where there is a long tradition of eating dog meat despite warnings from the authorities about the dangers to health and the introduction of jail terms for dog meat traders, the report said.
Simon Powell, of the British-based NGO Network For Animals, which is leading the campaign against the practice, said: "It was bizarre and surreal to see what we regard as man`s best friend and a pet regarded as legitimate food."
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The Maryland’s Best Ice Cream Trail’s 2022 season officially begins on May 28, and will run through September 30. Now in its tenth year, the Ice Cream Trail is designed to promote the state’s dairy industry, and has become increasingly popular, drawing participants from across the state and beyond.
The 2022 Ice Cream Trail features 10 on-farm creameries across the state that produce and sell their ice cream directly to consumers. The trail stretches more than 290 miles from Washington County in the west to Worcester County in the east. The purpose of the trail is to increase the public’s understanding of dairy farming and to highlight the important contributions of Maryland’s 325 dairy farms, which according to the USDA’s 2017 Census of Agriculture accounted for more than $174 million in sales in 2017.


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Tata Communications Payment Solutions Ltd plans to deploy about 1,000 white-label ‘Indicash’ ATMs across Karnataka by September in Belgaum and other cities.
Customers of any bank holding a debit card or credit card can withdraw cash from the TCPSL’s ATMs as per the banking regulations. These ATMs will ensure cards are not swallowed unlike other ATMs. An interface has been designed to be intuitive and simple with multi-lingual messaging. Privacy screen filters, key pad shields and electronic surveillance enable secure transactions.


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NEW YORK (CBS.MW) - Merrill Lynch started coverage of packaging company Sealed Air Corp. SEE, +0.12% with a "neutral" rating, saying the shares appear fully valued. Merrill expects earnings per share to increase 10 percent in 2005 as a result of selling price increases, though resin prices continue to rise and the export ban on U.S. beef products remains in place. Shares of Sealed Air rose 14 cents to $51.89.
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As part of its strategy of expanding into new digital-print marketers, Epson has developed wide-format graphics printers, textile printers, photo printers, point-of-sale printers, and label printers…
Fastest growth to occur in Asia-Pacific region and in UV-curable ink segment.
“The shortages from spare parts and increase in logistics costs are expected to continue until the end of 2022, impacting printer supplies.”
Epson maintains position as market leader.
Qualcomm’s DirectOffice Tackles the Challenges of Sharing, Viewing, and Printing Microsoft Office Documents
One of the most ubiquitous tasks in the enterprise is viewing and printing Microsoft Office documents, and today over 500 billion Office documents are created every year by some 1.2 billion users.
Manufacturing constraints and logistical issues were the main causes for most brands to not have enough inventory to fulfill orders.
“Chip shortages and (an) increase in logistics costs will continue to impact the supply of printers.”
We look at who’s recovering and who’s not, how growth is slowing for some, but not others, and the several factors influencing these results.
Xerox and Konica Minolta report MFP order backlogs in the tens of millions, while HP struggles with PC backlog.
Epson America recently discussed the role of print in today’s hybrid workplace, with some workers working at home, others at......
However, firm warns of supply constraints, rising component costs, and logistics disruptions.
Seiko Epson of Tokyo, Japan, reported today that on November 1st, it become the first company in the Japanese manufacturing......
Epson now said to have over 62 percent of the global ink-tank printer market.
New refillable business inkjets also include enough ink for up to two years of printing.
According to Epson, over 60 million EcoTank high-capacity ink tank printers have sold worldwide since their launch in 2010.
Printer sales revenues across Europe slowed over the summer, due to pressures on price, supply, and logistics, but a September rebound “is on the cards.


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Michelle Obama made a bold fashion choice as the only woman in the room wearing a sleeveless ensemble despite the Washington chill at her husband's first address to Congress Tuesday night.
The first lady wore a deep purple, knee-length sleeveless dress while Vice President Joe Biden's wife, Jill, wore a bright blue skirt suit.
The first lady's choice of attire in recent days has been a string of sleeveless dresses, showing off her toned arms.
Mrs. Obama, who is said to be an exercise buff along with her husband, sported a sleeveless outfit when discussing menus Sunday in the White House kitchen and is seen in a magenta sleeveless number on the March cover of Vogue.
"Michelle Obama wears her bare arms," a New York Times blog wrote.
The first lady's sense of style has been defined early on by her ability to mix both high and low fashion pieces.


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These luminaries are some of the industry’s top change-makers of the last two decades.
A personal connection to the mission and practices of b.good led Deb Lutz down the path of franchising.
Aaron Noveshen, founder and CEO of The Culinary Edge and Starbird, explains how innovation is giving fried chicken a new lease with customers.
Starbucks executive chairman Howard Schultz said “the moral fiber, the values, and what we as a country have stood for is literally hanging in the abyss.” Panera Bread CEO and founder Ron Shaich tu
In the next five years, Mizes believes Blaze Pizza can become a $1 billion brand.
It doesn’t have the best reputation, and regulatory hurdles have given it an unwelcome burden. But franchising’s biggest ambassador says the industry has nothing but sunny skies ahead.
Inside the stories of five large franchise companies that have all scaled in very different ways.
During his career, Tariq Farid, the CEO Edible Arrangements, has developed a few key principles to guide him along the way.
Penn Station East Coast Subs’ president talks about what to do—and what not to do—to thrive in today's challenging industry.
Bojangles’ head of R&D, Grant Springer, develops dishes that honor old traditions in new platforms, like with the Pulled Pork Bowl.
The quick-serve industry has provided invaluable opportunities to immigrants in the U.S. Just ask these four executives.
The Arizona-based bakery-café has been innovating the category for more than two decades.
Kevin Johnson counts a timepiece from the late 19th century and a book from the early 21st century among his most treasured possessions.
The CEO and president of the Women’s Foodservice Forum has spent 30 years in the leadership-development space focused around women and business.
An immigrant student turned financial trader turned franchisee shares how her global perspective helps in the restaurant industry.
The classic chain says it's nearly two-thirds of the way done with its brand relaunch, which courts to millennials as well as devoted long-time fans.
Chopt Creative Salad Company's CEO learned the restaurant business the hard way, but it's benefiting him years later.
With new, tech-inspired digs, a collaborative mindset, and combined resources, Focus Brands is sprinting toward success.
With a new CEO in place, Larkburger is ready to step out of its comfort zone and onto the national scene.
As the debate over Donald Trump's labor secretary nominee rages on, one thing is becoming clear: having one of their own in office excites restaurant operators.
The James Beard Award-winning chef explains why he believes the fast casual marketplace is prime for Middle Eastern concepts.
Michael Rypka, who began his career as a fry cook at Popeyes, believes passion is the key to running a successful business.
The chef and founder of The Cinnamon Snail believes the key to vegan food is approachability and substance.
After spending a career in corporate finance, Rob West discovered a love for ice cream and the chemistry behind it.
David Karam shares his journey, from serving as a top Wendy's executive to leading a restructuring of the pizza chain.
Why diversity in fast casual matters, as told by the multicultural leaders who are paving the way for future generations.
Wall Street investor turned franchisee Jon Blob shares his financial secrets for quick-serve operators.
The founder of Seoul Taco explains how his Korean-American heritage inspired his creative street-food concept.
The founder of one of the leading fast-casual pizza chains explains how his definition of success goes far beyond the number of stores he opens.
Renae Scott has climbed the corporate ladder, serving as CMO of San Francisco–based Togo’s Eateries for the past seven years.


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The owners of Williamsburg Italian staple La Nonna are knee-deep in a legal battle with their landlords, including a company that’s owned by President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
The Daily News reports that owners Cono and Anna Morena have stopped paying rent due to poor conditions in the building. Kushner's holding company has now filed a petition in court that could get the restaurant at 184 Kent Avenue evicted, saying that La Nonna owes $72,783 in back rent.
The Morenas’ biggest complaint is that ongoing construction has created noise that interferes with dinner service. They also claim that water damage from a fire hasn’t been addressed and that scaffolding has hurt business by preventing outdoor seating and blocking the restaurant’s sign.
The formerly 330-unit rental building was purchased by Kushner Companies for $275 million in 2015, along with two other developers. It has since been converted into luxury condos. This is the same building that reported mice in a crib before the Department of Health ordered the company to address the problem. Residents also claimed the building repeatedly shut off the heat and hot water without notice.
The Morenas opened the restaurant in 2014.They also owned La Nonna’s Pizzeria, now closed. Eater has reached out to the owners.


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We have not taken notice of mutters from Honda illustrating some fondness to electric vehicles more than the past couple of years. Starting in 2012, Honda is going to create a pure-electric edition of the little Fit for the U.S. and Japan.
The electric edition was revealed at the Los Angeles Auto Show. It will have 100-mile range and revitalize in below 12 hours from a normal wall socket or in 6 hours in a 220-volt system. It will place five similar to some other Fit.
Takanobu Ito, Honda CEO, said to the media that it might be the best second, perhaps third or fourth car for many families.
John Mendel, U.S. Honda sales chief indicated that Honda has been functioning on electric cars during its Civic and Insight hybrids for 13 years. However, the trademark stands by the faith that longer term, “We believe the long ball is hydrogen,” the fuel-cell cars that it has championed.
Although the market is expected to be little for lots of hook up electrics concerning to deluge the market, Mendel speaks the government’s tighter gas-mileage limitations played a part. “There are just several handles you can drag to obtain to 2016,” when the stricter principles start to happen.


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The Sectional by Floyd is launching soon and it's a durable, infinitely modular sofa that combines comfortable seating space with high-performance fabric that's meant to last. In fact, the brand positions The Sectional as a piece of furniture that's not only designed for one's current living situation but the next one too. As Floyd puts it, "Add on a seat or a table, and reconfigure when you need to change it up — for where you live now, and where you live next."
The seating solution boasts clean, modern lines and it has the potential to support single households and families alike. The Detroit furniture company has made a name for itself by sharing a selection of simple products that are easily reconfigured and highly adaptable, such as a shelf that goes from a bookcase to a media stand.


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KUCHING: Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC) Sarawak Region Office will conduct a webinar on ‘Post Covid-19: Sarawak The New Normal’, this June 9 via an online platform called ‘Webinarjam’.
To be broadcast beginning 10am, the session will host 1,000 participants from both the public and private sectors, as well members of the public.
The one-hour webinar will feature Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg among the panellists. It will be moderated by MPC director-general Datuk Abdul Latif Abu Seman.
Abang Johari will share his thoughts on the ‘new normal’ post-Covid-19 and how to ensure that the change would be sustainable and inclusive. The webinar will also provide the platform for the public and those from the private sector to share their views and ideas on post-Covid-19 era.
At the end of the session, Abang Johari will officiate at the launch of ‘Sarawak Productive’ – a programme that includes a series of webinars to create awareness of digital transformation for small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
The webinar will assist businesses to operate on digital platforms as well as promote business-matching between digital service providers and entrepreneurs.
‘Sarawak Productive’ also consists of the ‘Business Excellence Transformation Journey’ – a holistic approach for organisations intending to move their performance to the next level, strengthening engagement and creating greater value to stakeholders as well as thriving in the competitive marketplace.
The Enterprise Innovation Intervention Programme (EIIP) aims to improve productivity and quality at enterprise-level.
This programme will assist enterprises through hands-on approaches and provide intervention in existing practices to help solve productivity and quality issues.
To further assist businesses, the Business Virtual Advisory Services will be launched this August. These services comprise Business Webinar, Business Virtual Advisory Clinic, Business Virtual Mentoring, Business Virtual Coordination and Virtual Training – all with the objective of bringing productivity activities to every business that connects to the Internet.
Besides that, initiatives by the Good Regulatory Practices by MPC on regulatory administration reforms will further support the country’s aspiration towards becoming a high income and progressive nation.
To register, go to https://www.bicara.live/sarawak.[Source: “Abang Jo to launch ‘Sarawak Productive’ via June 9 webinar” published by BorneoPost]


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By now, many people have heard of the electric car grid project that Israeli entrepreneur Shai Agassi is launching with $200 million capital. Agassi plans to build a grid of charging stations in all parts of the country that would provide a free power charge to electric car batteries. The idea is to provide an incentive for people to buy eco-friendly cars.
The only thing standing in Agassi’s way has been lack of funds for the project…but now the project might be full speed ahead, as car manufacturers Renault Nissan are expected to invest in the enterprise.
An inauguration event of the project will be held on January 21st, and Carlos Ghosn, president of Nissan, is expected to attend and participate, as well as meet with President Shimon Peres.
Jack’s post about the tax benefits for electric car owners made the point that the improvement would only benefit the rich. This incentive of Agassi’s, if it is put into practice, still wouldn’t solve the overarching problem, which is that eco-friendly cars are vastly more expensive than their fossil fuel-powered counterparts. On the other hand, ventures like this are a step forward, and just as important, they bring political and entrepreneurial attention to the issue of air pollution.


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According to NPD Group (News - Alert), a jewelry industry research firm, sales of traditional watches in June totaled $375 million in the U.S., an 11 percent drop from June 2014 sales totals. It represents the largest such decline since the financial crisis of 2008.
The popularity of the Apple (News - Alert) Watch and interest in related technology events like the Wearable Tech Expo seem to spell doom for traditional watches. The knee-jerk reaction would be to place all the blame on the Apple Watch for reduced traditional watch sales, but a closer look at the data shows that the sales of wearable devices are probably not the only reason. Sales of timepieces in the $100 to $149 range were off 24 percent from their June 2014 totals.
This range had the greatest drop in sales and is conceivably one of the larger, if not the largest, group in terms of number of customers. These folks are unlikely to purchase Apple Watches, which according to Bloomberg (News - Alert) Business, range from $349 on the low end to $17,000 for an 18-karat gold version on the high end.
Fred Levin, head of NPD’s luxury division acknowledged that the Apple Watch was a factor, it just wasn’t the only one. He cited a shift in retail promotional calendars and a decline in licensed fashion brand sales as additional factors and stated that consumers who did not previously wear watches at all were among those who bought Apple Watches. An overall decline in specialty jewelry sales shows that the public is not buying jewelry in general, and is not necessarily singling out traditional watches.
So are non-Apple smartwatches responsible? It seems unlikely. Strategy Analytics (News - Alert) estimated global smartwatch sales to be 5.3 million units in 2Q 2015, with Apple Watches making up three-fourths of the total, or about 4.0 million units. According to Slice Intelligence, a little over three million units were sold in the U.S. between April 10, when pre-orders started, and July 10, the three-month-anniversary. This is an average of one million units per month. Apple seems to dominate the smartwatch market enough that its competitors would have little effect on hurting traditional watch sales.
The same report shows that Apple Watch sales in June in the U.S. dropped to 10,000 units per day or a total of 300,000 watches for the month. This is well below the one million units per month average, and demonstrates that sales for Apple Watches have slowed dramatically from the April pre-order period. Furthermore, unit sales for traditional watches were over three times greater than the Apple Watch, totaling about 927,500, according to NPD.
So what can we conclude from these results? It’s likely that the Apple Watch is taking a bite out of traditional watch sales, but the data does not indicate that the traditional watch industry is dead. It appears that there are differences between traditional watch and smartwatch customers, making it unlikely that a mass exodus from the former group to the latter group is going to happen anytime soon.
Hear more about the future of smartwatches and wearables next week in Las Vegas at the Wearable Tech Expo.
Stay in touch with everything happening at the event -- follow us on Twitter.
Edited by Stefania Viscusi
Wearable Tech World Home


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The remaster will be released on March 16 and will cost 4,104 yen, which is about $36 United States dollars. The remaster has been rumored for a while and, as GamesPress reported, the game was rated by the Brazilian Ratings Board a while ago, implying that it will be released outside of Japan.
Ripple: the new 'centralised' cryptocurrency on the block
The first of these is scalability; namely, how many transactions can be conducted by the cryptocurrencies every second. But there is a myth going around - on reddit and xrpchat in particular - about the blockchain's native currency, XRP.
Last year, Gamepress.br unearthed a similar listing for Burnout Paradise on PS4 and Xbox One, this one dated for a March 1 launch date. It's all fine and dandy, except the actual game is not real - or hasn't been announced just yet.
Burnout Paradise first released all the way back in 2008, the critically acclaimed title wowed gamers with its intense gameplay, open playground environment which was endless fun, and the title even boasted very impressive crash deformation.
Could General Electric Company (GE) Gain Strenght After Forming Bearish Double Bottom?
A month ago, they told us to expect earnings of US$1.54 per share while three months ago their EPS consensus estimate was US$1.47. Choate Investment Advisors increased Charles Schwab Corp (NYSE:SCHW) stake by 25 shares to 6,096 valued at $266.64M in 2017Q3.
EA has not revealed its intentions to remaster Burnout Paradise, or any of the many requested games in its back catalogue.
Thankfully you won't need to wait until March to play it on Xbox One because Burnout Paradise is a backward compatible title.
Meryl Streep: Melania and Ivanka Trump should…
Meryl Streep has said Dustin Hoffman "overstepped" the mark when he slapped her face on the set of her first film. She continues, "But I think those things are being corrected in this moment".


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Zurich Taps Amazon Payment Services to Offer Digital Payments Option in the Middle East10. May 2021
Amazon Payment Services (APS), a payment processing services provider, has partnered with Zurich International Life Limited to offer digital payments for its customers in the Middle East for the latter’s digital customer onboarding platform ZurichPro.
Zurich is a multi-line insurer providing a wide range of life, savings and investment solutions for multinational corporations, mid-sized and large companies, small businesses, and individuals in the Middle East.
Through the services provided by Amazon Payment Services, Zurich’s customers can now digitally pay insurance premiums across all products in local currencies without incurring conversion fees with a high level of customer data security.
The digital payment integration delivers a safe and secure environment for receiving and processing customer data.
APS acts as the single point of contact for managing Zurich’s digital payment needs, providing end-to-end support by interacting with various parties in a card payment ecosystem.
In December 2020, Amazon had launched the Amazon Payment Services, previously known as PAYFORT, in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
Commenting on the new partnership, Omar Soudodi, Managing Director of Amazon Payment Services said,
“It is a privilege to be part of the digital transformation journey of Zurich International Life Limited, enabling them to become one of the first life insurance companies in the Middle East to launch an end-to-end digital payment and customer onboarding experience.”
Walter Jopp, CEO of Zurich in the Middle East added,
“Partnering with Amazon Payment Services has enabled us to provide a seamless digital payment experience for our customers that offers more payment flexibility while optimizing operating costs, ultimately benefitting the end customer.
Zurich’s instant life and critical illness insurance solutions, YourLife and YourCare, can now be purchased online in a matter of minutes with absolute peace of mind.”


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Brands score on sustainability despite Covid. More action needed on wages.
Even during a worldwide pandemic, clothing brands can do business in a way that supports garments workers’ rights. This is shown in an analysis presented by Fair Wear Foundation on 3rd March 2022. The findings also make it clear that more attention is needed towards workers’ wages.
Fair Wear analysed 72 Brand Performance Checks conducted in 2021. During the annual Performance Check, Fair Wear assesses how member brands have worked to improve labour conditions and publicly reports that progress. The 2021 edition of the Checks turned out to be hugely complex due to the many challenges that Covid presented. Fair Wear’s Niki Janssen: ‘Factories and clothing stores had to shut down during the pandemic, resulting in garment workers ending up on the street and left to fend for themselves. The garment industry received a great deal of misery over this.’
The good news is that during the pandemic, most members were able to show that positive change is possible, even in times of crises. In total, five Leader brands were added and three placed in the Good category, bringing the total to 28. Many Fair Wear brands managed to limit the damage caused by the pandemic by being flexible and supportive towards the factories they work with.
Niki Janssen: ‘From the beginning, we urged brands not to cancel orders that were ready to be shipped or were already in production, which understandably most members complied with. According to us, it is particulary interesting to look at brands that entered discussions with factories and actively enquired what the factories needed to survive. For example, Suit Supply did this at factories struggling with canceled orders from other buyers. The brand agreed with these factories that they would not fall below a certain minimum number of orders.’
Quite a few member brands used the 3% lowered VAT from the German government to support a good cause for garment workers. One member brand with this campaign, collected €41,465 which was donated to two local organisations supporting textile workers in India, Cividep and SAVE, in collaboration with German NGO FEMNET. The German help network for women affected by violence, ‘Frauenhauskoordinierung e.V.’, was also supported with these funds.
Most of our member brands were able to support suppliers in financial difficulties with prepayments of its orders to help secure workers’ wages. Even in times and areas of no lockdowns within the supply chain, some suppliers did find themselves in financial difficulties. Prepayment of orders by brands can help suppliers in dire need by providing a safety net.
Living Wage is a central theme in our member brands’ sustainability approach. For example, Since 2016 one of our brands contributes to higher wages at their production location in India and since 2018, the brand contributes to a living wage at one of their main suppliers and their subcontractors in Turkey. Throughout 2020, the brand was able to uphold this commitment through continuation prices.
Our member brands sought collaboration and joint solution finding with its partners during the pandemic. For example, a member brand developed a collaborative risk-assessment tool together with other brands, to keep track of country-specific risks during the pandemic. As shops were partially closed in Europe, the brand also showed a shared-responsibility approach here. It supported its retailers by shifting revenue from its online shops to those shops that were closed.
Most Fair Wear member brands did not cancel or decrease any orders. On the contrary, when suppliers indicated they were experiencing issues because of other customers withdrawing orders, member brands placed extra orders where possible.
The analysis also revealed that wages for garment workers remain a stumbling block for brands. In the 2021 Performance Checks members had to demonstrate that during lockdowns, garment workers were paid at least the minimum wage. ‘Otherwise, minus points were awarded for the minimum wage indicator in the Performance Check’, explains Janssen. That turned out to be the case with several brands. ‘It is positive that we were able to find this out through critical surveys and asking further questions. Above all, it means that action is needed.’
The Performance Checks conducted in 2021, evaluate brand practices in 2020. You can find the outcomes of the 2021 analysis of the Performance Checks here. Explore each of our brands’ performance by delving into our brand section by clicking the link below.


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The Google Stadia announcement at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) and recent clarification at the E3 gaming conference have left a lingering question: will gamers play along? The gaming industry is skeptical that users can be convinced to exchange game ownership for subscription-driven services. If streaming is to be successful it will have to capitalize on its unique benefits - play instantly, anywhere, on anything - while simultaneously winning on content and price. And, streaming will need to jive with that intangible gamer zeitgeist - live free, die hard.
Streaming is a hard sell. If streaming and Google’s left-field assault on gaming are to be successful, something needs to change - something big.
The new “mini” Nintendo Switch will take advantage of a two generations of die shrinks to its Nvidia Tegra processor to deliver 1080p mobile gaming to a broader audience. By joining the joycons to the main body of the Switch, Nintendo will squeeze out the expensive and sophisticated wireless joycons and create a mobile-first Switch platform. The die shrink of the Nvidia Tegra processor will provide better battery life and a meaningful upgrade to a 1080p display and graphics in mobile mode. The new mini Switch, and an upgraded standard Switch are poised to address a broader market and capitalize on their growing software and user base. But, there is another opportunity for Switch which has not yet come to light.
“Google is making massive behind-the-scenes investments in original and partner content for Stadia but needs a platform to jump-start user adoption for mobile.” said Simon Solotko, a Contributing Analyst at TIRIAS Research. “On the new Switch, Nvidia will be able to deploy Google's VP9 video codec and Stadia's low-latency protocols to provide 1080p mobile streaming. And, the lower price point will cater to a younger audience perhaps less resistant to a subscription model.”
The Google-Nintendo partnership makes sense. Google needs a vehicle to propel Stadia to a broad audience, and Nintendo needs a path toward streaming. Sony’s recent partnership with Microsoft Azure and Microsoft’s further commitment to Xbox everywhere highlight a competitive shift from content to game delivery for business model innovation.
New technologies threaten the still nascent video streaming paradigm. “Fast start and data streaming - announced by Microsoft and DACS Laboratories - are alternatives which run on existing infrastructures without the cost of game server backends and bandwidth,” continued Simon. “Google has a limited window in which to gain traction and prove the cloud streaming model - too long and it risks discouraging content partners. The new Switch is their Stadia moonshot.”
The author and members of the TIRIAS Research staff do not hold equity positions in any of the companies mentioned. TIRIAS Research tracks and consults for companies throughout the electronics ecosystem from semiconductors to systems and sensors to the cloud. Members of the TIRIAS Research team have consulted for Nvidia, Microsoft, Sony and many other companies in gaming segment.


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Riding off the red-hot popularity of TikTok recipe trends like baked feta pasta and dalgona coffee, TikTok is breaking into the restaurant business with the delivery-only ghost kitchen brand TikTok Kitchens. The social media giant is partnering with Virtual Dining Concepts and chain Italian brand Buca di Beppo to open 300 locations across the United States in March 2022. There are already plans to expand to 1,000 by the end of 2022.
Virtual Dining Concepts co-founder Robert Earl told Kate Krader of Bloomberg, “You have a platform with 1 billion viewers monthly who are constantly engaged, as the numbers show. It’s the first time there’s a brand like this out there—an audience of hundreds of millions of people.”
TikTok Kitchen will use facilities for chains like Bertucci’s and Buca di Peppo. The menu will constantly evolve as dishes go viral on TikTok, with pricing similar to that of a fast-casual bowl meal. TikTok said in a statement, “Proceeds from TikTok Kitchen sales will go to both support the creators who inspired the menu item and to encourage and assist other creators to express themselves on the platform, in keeping with TikTok’s mission to inspire creativity and bring joy to its users.”
Operations are not limited to Buca locations. As of the time of writing, Virtual Dining Concepts has a standing invitation to restaurant owners to become a “TikTok Kitchen. Interested restaurant owners can apply here.
“Restaurateurs, increase profits daily by utilizing your existing equipment and staff to operate this delivery-only brand. TikTok Kitchen will be available online only thus not affecting your restaurant’s in-person dining and pick-up options.
The menu is inspired by the hottest food trends on TikTok. The dishes celebrate food trends made famous by TikTok creators. TikTok, with over 1 billion subscribers, provides a space for a wide range of creators to post videos featuring recipes and food hacks. These culinary trends have made the food space explode, and VDC has a menu that allows restaurants across the country to opt-in and become a market partner.”


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Madonna has opened the first in her new line of Hard Candy Fitness gyms in Mexico City. The gyms will span across 10 locations internationally, but Madge said in a statement that Mexico City will serve as a place to “fine-tune our brand and then expand it to other countries and, in the long term, develop a global brand that includes the United States.”
The video above is from opening event. (Jezebel has additional pics from inside the facility.) As an aside, check out her right-hand man in the black glasses who is regulating the red carpet at about the 40 second mark. Events pros out there, thoughts?
- We'll See You Your President Obama and Raise You One Steve Harvey
- Megyn Kelly Thinks 'Santa Is White' Critics Should Learn to Take a 'Joke'
- Tell Us More About How 'White' Santa Claus Is, Megyn Kelly
- Pretty Little Liars Actress Publicly Blasts Overly-Airbrushed Promotional Image of Herself


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On the eve of the new autumn-winter season 2018-2019 brand Choupette conducted a series of fashion-shootings of new collections, which will soon please fans at the specialized exhibition CJF - autumn 2018 (pavilion - 73B10). The brand team is preparing to release a Fashion-catalog , dedicated to modern trends and trends of children's fashion, also in the catalog of readers waiting for the advice of an Italian stylist and fashion expert. The main shooting for the catalog took place in the center of the fashion industry — Milan. The shooting was done by Milanese stylists and photographers. The result of their work you will be able to see on the pages of Fashion Magazine Choupette! In the meantime, the brand continues shooting in Moscow. One of them was visited by World Fashion Channel for kids Fashion News. The new issue of Kids Fashion News is devoted to children's fashion and fashion photography. Leading channel Darya Chernysh talked to the creative Director of TM Choupette on trends and the main emphasis in the new collections. FW’2018-2019. Watch the report and be aware of the trends of modern children's fashion!
The Russian companies have been analysed on such four indicators as the number of shops, sales volume, growth rates, assessment Roskachestva, actions in the midseason.
"Sela, Acoola, Choupette is three champions who the last three years actively have developed and came forward" - said the CEO of the consulting agency Kids Fashion Retail Elena Pismenskaya. “Despite all difficulties of the kidswear market, It’s pleasant to watch development of the separate companies. These companies combat to difficulties and move forward, develop and please us with the new ideas and collections for children. Choupette, Shaluny, Playtoday have increased the retail networks twice”.
The trademark Choupette contains of 103 shops worldwide. Choupette has taken the fourth place on the number of shops. Roskachestvo has found violations almost at all producers when checking kidswear products. The girl sundress of Choupette is called one of the few qualitative goods. The spring Choupette cross-promo with Gala Dance has taken the third place in this category among kidswear producers.
“We are very glad to have got in TOP-5 the Russian kidswear producers though economic conditions in Russia prevented companies development at the moment. We feel increase in interest to the Choupette, both among B2B-audience, market analysts and among bloggers, stylists and final buyers” - said Anastasia Vasilkova Business Development Manager TM Choupette.
A fashion show of Choupette took place in the Marriott Hotel in Yerevan on May 19. Small fashionists showed clothes from the latest fashion collections and dresses for celebrations. Wear the children beautifully with Choupette!
The Mothercary shopping party was held in St. Petersburg in Shopping Center Grand Kanyon on April 20 for the best buyers and their kids. There were a sweet buffet, fashionable hairstyles, gifts from Choupette and excellent mood!


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BMM Testlabs showing strong growth in Netherlands and Greece
BMM Testlabs is accelerating its growth within the European market with an emphasis on the Netherlands and Greece.
Deion Williams, Director of Technical Compliance, BMM Testlabs Europe and South America, commented, “We are optimistic for what 2021 has in store for our European market. On the heels of our recent approval for the Greek casino market, we are already witnessing an uptick in business activities. The Netherlands is also proving to be another dynamic market, where we are actively engaging with our partners who are expanding their iGaming services. This is a truly exciting time to be part of BMM in iGaming.”
BMM has helped regulators, operators, and suppliers navigate the global regulatory landscape since its inception, having written the first set of iGaming standards for the Kahnawake (Canada) in the early 2000s. Known for its competitive pricing and testing efficacies, BMM has been paving the way as the global independent test lab of choice, helping manufacturers and software developers expand their products, services, and solutions into both current and emerging markets for nearly four decades. As companies look to widen their international footprints in Greece and the Netherlands, BMM’s expertise is second to none.
Williams closed, “BMM has conducted inspections for the land-based industry in the Netherlands for many years, and is very familiar with both the market and the regulatory approach of the KSA, including their adoption of existing industry standards for their iGaming regulations. Our experienced and knowledgeable experts are prepared and ready to engage with suppliers interested in entering the Netherlands iGaming market. We want to encourage suppliers to meet with our team of industry experts to see how we may align our world-class solutions with their technical compliance needs.”


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Elan Agrees to Perrigo Takeover and 2 Other Hot Stocks to Watch
Elan Corp. (NYSE:ELN): Current price $15.55
Perrigo Co. will acquire biotech company Elan Corp. at a price of $8.6 billion, after the latter had put itself on the block after turning down a previous suitor. Perrigo makes private-label cold remedies, infant formula, and allergy treatments for retailers like Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Walgreen Co. The transaction to buy Elan will be accomplished with cash and stock at $16.50 a share, which represents a 10.5 percent premium over Elan’s close on Friday. The latter’s shares are up more than 4 percent Monday morning.
Bank of America Corp. (NYSE:BAC): Current price $14.50
Data compiled by Bloomberg indicate that United States financial firms show the most rapid earnings growth in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index, and are ready to retake their rank as the market’s number-one industry for the first time since the financial crisis. Banks, brokers and insurance companies comprise 16.8 percent of the S&P 500, which is almost twice the level from 2009, and are moving in on tech firms, which stand at 17.6 percent. Bank of America Corp. and Morgan Stanley are helping lead gains in the index in July, after their profits beat analyst estimates.
Micron Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:MU): Current price $12.46
Micron said Monday that it expects to close on its purchase of 100 percent of Elpida’s equity on July 31, Tokyo time. The closing of the acquisition will be through a Sponsor Agreement reached on July 2, linked with Elpida’s corporate reorganization proceedings conducted under the jurisdiction of the Tokyo District Court. The finalization of the transaction is subject to satisfaction or waiver of several conditions, including final approval by the Tokyo District Court.


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Santa Rosa, Laguna, Philippines — After a successful run last year, the Department of Tourism (DOT) Region 4A (CALABARZON has once again opened its 2ns Travel Expo last December 11, Wednesday at the Enchanted Kingdom in Santa Rosa, Laguna. The 3-day event will showcase our tourism destinations, cultural and artistic performances, cuisine and local delicacies of the region. There will also be travel agencies present so you can get the best deals and promos on your next travel destination.
The event was graced by Laguna Governor Ramil Fernandez, Laguna Board Member Angelica Jones Alarva, Enchanted Kingdom President and CEO, Mr. Mario O. Mamon, COO Ms. Cynthia R. Mamon Ph. D, and OIC Regional Director Maritess Castro.
CALABARZON, composed of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon has plenty of reasons to be a key player in the tourism industry, shared Governor Ramil. He added that the real challenge was on maximizing the opportunity and the resources, highlighting first and foremost, the manpower, the tourism officers who are promoting the region’s destinations and cultural services.
One of the speakers, Laguna Board Member Angelica Jones Alarva also urges to patronize our local products further boost tourism. In celebration with the opening of the 2nd CALABARZON Travel Expo, there were cultural performances and various exhibitors from different provinces which will highlight the best tourism destinations, culinary and cultural services in the region.
Some of the destinations, products, and activities to check out in the region include trekking adventures in Rizal, the various footwear in Liliw Laguna, the hot springs in Los Banos, the beaches in Batangas, the dairy products and indigenous delicacies of Cavite, and the handicrafts from Quezon.
The 2ND CALABARZON Travel Expo will run from December 11-13, 2019 at the Enchanted Kingdom in Santa Rosa, Laguna.


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Published on April 15th, 2017 | by James Ayre0
Used Tesla Model S Sedans Sell Faster Than Competitor Offerings, Survey Shows
April 15th, 2017 by James Ayre
A recent survey from the used car shopping platform Autolist.com revealed something interesting — used Tesla Model S sedans sell faster than comparable offerings from competitor luxury brands. Actually, they sell faster than any of the other models included in the survey.
In some cases, used Teslas sell considerably faster, and they sell about 5% faster than the average for the “peer group” (BMW 6 Series, Audi A7, Mercedes-Benz CLS, Porsche Panamera, and Lexus LS 460). On average, used Tesla Model S sedans apparently take “only” 87 days to sell, according to the survey.
Speed of sale wasn’t the only thing better for the Tesla sellers. Also interesting was the survey finding that list prices for “were between 3% and 5% above their peer-group average for the past year, after controlling for price differences among the models,” as reported by MarketWatch. That is, Tesla Model S sedans are selling for more than they “should” when you compare them to other models in the class.
“We would expect top-performing vehicles in a peer group to have prices (about) 2% above our adjusted expectations for the segment. But 3% to 5% above, and maintaining that level of performance over the past year? That’s surprising,” commented Alex Klein, Autolist.com’s vice president of data science, in an email to MarketWatch.
To be fair here, though, this may well have something to do with Tesla’s comparatively transparent approach to pricing. Practically no one actually buys new vehicles from other auto manufacturers for the list price (only those who are getting ripped off do so). Tesla buyers do have to stick to the company prices when buying new.
MarketWatch provides a bit more: “Top-selling GM and Ford models, including the Ford F-150 pickup truck (the No. 1 vehicle sold in the US), the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 pickup, the Chevrolet Malibu and the Ford Fusion, have seen prices hover between 1% below and 1% above their peers over the past year, Autolist.com said. … The GM and Ford models also cooled their heels on used-car lots and in owners’ garages for longer: 104 days for the F-150, 103 days for the Chevy Malibu, and 88 days for the Ford Fusion.”
Interesting findings. Though, it’s hard to tell what exactly they mean — other than that there’s pretty strong demand for used Tesla Model S sedans, that is. I wonder if demand for used Tesla Model 3s will be this strong as well?


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Affirm’s new debit card is actually the “anti-credit card,” says the CEO
Max Levchin, CEO of Affirm, touted the company’s new physical debt card offering on Friday, telling CNBC that it would offer customers similar benefits as a credit card, but with greater clarity upfront.
“It certainly shouldn’t be called a credit card, not even because it’s some kind of anti-credit card. I don’t want to be provocative,” Levchin told Closing Bell, criticizing what he sees as a lack of transparency regarding credit card interest payments and late fees.
“Literally every one of these things is the exact opposite of Affirm’s card,” added Levchin. “You know exactly what you’re going to pay. You know exactly what the payment schedule is, and there will be no late fees under any circumstances. I think it’s the opposite in many ways. It serves the same purpose.” Purpose: You can pay for things now or over time. “
Affirm announced its debit card offering on Thursday, and the company expects to make the card generally available later in 2021. Affirm, which Levchin founded in 2012, offers so-called “buy now, pay later” services. It works with a number of merchants such as Peloton and offers customers point-of-sale loans that can be repaid in fixed monthly installments. The interest rates on the loans can vary between 0% and 30%, but Affirm does not charge compound interest.
Affirm has usually been associated with online purchases. Levchin told CNBC that the company’s debit card offering is a recognition of various customer preferences and the role offline purchases continue to play.
“I know our users, mostly Millennials and Gen Zers, love their debit cards. They love trading them offline, and the purpose of this product was to provide the ‘buy now, pay later’ functionality that they do really loved online – and also with us really offline, but never had in a map – to where they are. “
“The debit card form factor is a metaphor for everyday expenses. This is where we are trying to arrive,” added Levchin, co-founder of PayPal and former CEO of Yelp.
According to a press release, Affirm Card users can pay for a purchase in full from their bank account. The press release said they can choose to pay in installments using what the company calls a “unique after-purchase feature”. Affirm says on its website that users can manage the purchases through its mobile app.
Affirm went public in mid-January, gaining 98% on the first day to close at $ 97.24. The stock ended Friday’s session at $ 93.06 below that level, giving the company a market cap of approximately $ 24 billion. The shares traded up to $ 146.90 apiece in early February.
Prior to Affirm’s first deal in January, Levchin told CNBC that his “goal is to be a viable alternative to credit cards.”
Affirm, which ranked 23rd on CNBC Disruptor 50’s 2020 list, has been a beneficiary of the stay-at-home economy as more people shopped online and turned to their services. Levchin said Affirm’s debit card is well positioned to capitalize on as the economic reopening expands and shoppers spend money in different ways.
“There will be a lot of interesting challenges when the country reopens, but the dominant thread it will reopen will create a lot more opportunities for this product, which we have proven to be what our customers want and need,” Levchin said .


text: In a significant development, ANA Holdings has decided to suspend its collaborative air cargo operations with Lufthansa Cargo (LHA/LH) and United Airlines (UAL/UA). This strategic decision is a crucial step in ANA Group's plan to restructure its cargo operations in anticipation of the planned acquisition of Nippon Cargo Airlines (NCA/KZ) in 2024. This move aims to streamline cargo flight operations to Europe and the United States, enhancing ANA Group's position in the market. ANA Cargo (ANA/NH) and Lufthansa Cargo have previously operated jointly, benefiting from antitrust exemption approvals for cargo flights between Japan and Europe. ANA Holdings is placing strong emphasis on the NCA acquisition, recognizing the growth potential in the air cargo industry. Given NCA's impressive sales and profits, the share transfer date originally scheduled for October has been postponed to a later date. Explore this strategic shift in the world of air cargo operations and its implications for ANA Holdings' future growth.


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On 18 February 2023 at 5:00 P.M
The 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series historic 42nd season-opening race is the Beef. It's What's For Dinner. 300 announced by the Daytona International Speedway and the Federation of State Beef Councils. It will take place at the most renowned 2.5-mile track, Daytona International Speedway. Don’t miss watching NASCAR Xfinity Daytona 2023 live streaming with full HD on your PC, laptop, and other smart devices worldwide.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series Beef. It's What's For Dinner. 300 will start on Saturday 18 February 2023 at the time 5:00 P.M. ET, before the 65th Annual DAYTONA 500 race. It will be a part of a doubleheader, which will also consist of the ARCA Menards Series Lucas Oil 200 Driven By General Tire. The NASCAR Xfinity Series defending champion is Noah Gragson.
Marty Smith, a rancher from Ocala, Florida, and president of NCBA, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff said, we are happy to sponsor Beef. It's What's For Dinner. 300, which provides a platform for hardworking farmers and ranchers in the United States. This is the premier sporting event in the United States and the perfect opportunity to bring the nutritional benefits of delicious beef to millions of consumers in the United States and around the world.
Date: 18 February 2023
Time: 5:00 P.M ET
Venue: Daytona International Speedway
TV Channel: FS1
Live Stream: Watch Here
You can watch NASCAR Xfinity Series Daytona live stream with full HD on your PC, laptop, and other smart devices worldwide. Subscribe at LiveNascarOnline.com to get your premium subscription. Once you subscribe, you will get instant access to all sports in place. Moreover, you can access our service all over the world without cable or VPN.