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By Kim Seidel
Most children feel compelled to keep up with their friends, and the holidays can bring out their desires for expensive goods even more. It’s up to parents to set limits and create a joyful holiday for the entire family.
“Parents need to step up to the plate and put a limit on how much can be put on the gift list,” says Barbara Kilikevicius, author of A Mindful Christmas…How to Create a Meaningful, Peaceful Holiday. “Santa isn’t spending the money anymore, it’s the parents.”
Diana Ennen’s teen daughter once included a pricey, $90 purse on her wish list. “This was not even one of her ‘big presents’―just one of the extras,” Ennen says. “I can see spending money on an iPod, computer or camera, but that expensive of a purse…I just couldn’t justify it.”
To solve this problem, Ennen suggested to her daughter she go shopping online for purses. She picked out several alternatives so she wouldn’t know the exact purse she would find under the Christmas tree.
“My daughter also spent time looking for coupons and was able to find a coupon for $10 off as well. This taught her the value of money and how, with just a little bit of effort, you can save money,” Ennen says. “I also think teenagers need to know that they can’t get everything they want.”
Along with asking for expensive gifts, children this age often think they want the “very, very best,” says Ennen. Along with the purse, her daughter asked for a $400 camera, which Ennen attributes to the price itself and the marketing of the camera company.
To overcome this challenge, Ennen instructed her daughter to take notes on different cameras she found in the newspaper, writing down each of the benefits and features.
“She was clearly able to see that the expensive camera really didn’t offer that much more, and several of the others had features she liked even more,” Ennen says. “This exercise was beneficial because she was able to compare exactly what she wanted. It worked, and I saved money.”
Once again, Ennen had her daughter write down several alternatives so that she wouldn’t know for sure what she’d receive on the “big day.”
“Children will be taught the family’s values according to their parents,” Kilikevicius says. “By parents staying true to their deepest values, and acting with wisdom, they are giving their children a gift far more valuable than anything bought in a store.”
Clinical psychologist and family/marriage therapist Sharon Fried Buchalter said parents should strive to make their children understand the value of a dollar and appreciate any gift so as to not spoil them or build-up haughty expectations of what a “gift” means.
“We, as parents, may want to give our children what we didn’t have when we were kids,” Buchalter said. “While this is admirable, we need to make sure we don’t spoil our children. This is especially important for parents of tweens and teens to understand, now that gifts are becoming more lavish and expensive.”


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Street Fight Daily: Foursquare’s New Plan, Tech’s Dominating ‘Frightful 5’
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology…
Foursquare’s Plan to Use Your Data to Make Money — Even if You Aren’t a User (Wired)
While most people have been looking at Foursquare’s consumer-focused apps, the company has quietly built an ad-targeting and location data business that new president Steven Rosenblatt says is growing rapidly. These services don’t depend on attracting new users to Foursquare’s apps, allowing the company to jump off the growth-for-the-sake-growth treadmill. It’s a striking gambit: to succeed, Foursquare is staking out a plan where it doesn’t need most of us to use Foursquare at all.
Tech’s ‘Frightful 5’ Will Dominate Digital Life for Foreseeable Future (New York Times)
Farhad Manjoo: By just about every measure worth collecting, five American consumer technology companies — Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft — are getting larger, more entrenched in their own sectors, more powerful in new sectors, and better insulated against surprising competition from upstarts.
6 Smart Ways Retailers Can Use Heat Maps to Drive Conversions (Street Fight)
What do customer movements inside stores have to do with conversions? It turns out, quite a lot. Slight changes in routing can increase the traffic around promotional displays and help avoid bottlenecks. Some of the smartest retailers are installing beacons, WiFi, and other hyperlocal technologies as a way to generate heat maps that track customer flows.
What’s Next For Lead Generation? (TechCrunch)
Sam Madden: As it stands today, the lead-gen options for local service professions — who have been a notoriously underserved part of the labor market — are now plentiful. As a result, lines in the sand are being drawn. Platform models are maturing, innovation is dwindling, and certain players are worrying about their own eventual platform demise.
How Amazon Is Slowly Building a World in Which It Takes Very Little Effort to Shop (Adweek)
Amazon has announced brand partners for its new Amazon Dash Replenishment program, which lets appliances and gadgets order products without any help at all. For instance, GE’s washers that utilize what’s called “smart dispense technology” can be programmed to automatically order detergent when the owner is running low on his or her go-to brand.
UberRUSH/ChowNow Rolls Out Food Delivery to Thousands of Restaurants (Eater)
ChowNow, an online ordering and payment platform for restaurants, teamed up with UberRUSH — the delivery and courier arm of Uber — to offer food delivery to any restaurant in San Francisco, Chicago, and New York. ChowNow differs from its competitors by customizing its mobile and web ordering apps for each restaurant, meaning that instead of going to ChowNow to order, customers can instead go through individual restaurants’ sites or apps.
Google Is Testing a Clever Way to Hurt One of Facebook’s Biggest Moneymakers (Business Insider)
Mobile app installations have become the latest battleground in the competition between Google and Facebook. Google is starting to let some Android users download apps directly from search results, hinting at an increased threat to Facebook’s mobile app install ads.
Local Media Consortium Touts New comScore-Validated Reach (Street Fight)
Tom Grubisich: The Local Media Consortium counts 133 million unique visitors per month as of November 2015, a number showing that LMC publishers reach 51.4 percent of the U.S. population. I recently caught up with executive director Rusty Coats to see how the group plans to exploit the traffic counts as they make their pitches to marketers.
Verizon Introduces New Scheme That Lets Brands Subsidize Your Data Plan (Digiday)
Verizon is joining the list of carriers offering data-hungry customers an ad-supported alternative, rolling out a plan called “FreeBee Data” that lets deep-pocketed companies foot the bill of your data when you access their content without it counting against a monthly data limit.
Why Ritual Is Betting on Food Pickup Instead of Delivery (ChicagoInno)
Toronto startup Ritual thinks plenty of people would rather carry out than order in, and it’s choosing Chicago as the first U.S. market for its on-demand food pickup app. Ritual allows users to order and pay for food from their smartphone, and skip the lines at restaurants and coffee shops.

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The following post was written by an Enjuris contributor. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily Enjuris.
Following the increased popularity of vaping products across the United States, people young and old alike continue to fall ill with a mysterious lung disease.
There are now more than 805 cases of people being hospitalized with breathing illnesses after using e-cigarettes and other vaping devices and products. What's worse, there have been 12 deaths across 10 states that have been linked to vaping over the past 3 months.
Most of these vaping products were marketed as “safer” than cigarettes, encouraging people that didn’t smoke to start vaping under the pretense that it was safer than smoking cigarettes.
Symptoms of this “mysterious” lung disease
Individuals affected with this vaping-related lung disease have reported a variety of symptoms, and no one vaping product or brand has been specifically linked to these illnesses.
Some of the least severe and most common complications include chest pain, nausea, fever, and shortness of breath. Doctors have also reported seeing an increase in patients with severe inflammation of the lungs, bleeding of the lungs, as well as respiratory failure — with each patient having one thing in common: vaping.
According to Ann Schuchat, the principal deputy director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), tracking down the culprits has been challenging since people were exposed to a variety of vaping brands and substances.
Why they can’t pin down the culprit
By now, it seems as though they would have figured out exactly what’s causing this unknown lung injury. The problem with blaming it on a single product is that people reported:
- Using different brands of products (although JUUL was specifically mentioned)
- Purchasing from online retailers, corner stores, and medical marijuana shops. (People can purchase vaping products in many different places.)
- Using different substances (Some reported using nicotine vaping products while others used cannabis products, and even more used both cannabis and nicotine products.)
The CDC announced that when you vape, you could be exposing yourself and/or loved ones to a number of harmful substances, including:
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
- Ultra-fine particles
- Cancer-causing chemicals
- Vitamin E acetate
The main problem with these vaping-related illnesses is that we don’t know all the risks in order to warn people and are barely scraping the surface of the short term effects it has on the lungs. But judging by all the chemical additives, it’s safe to say it should be taken off the market until it’s made safe for the public.
Should you consult a vaping lung illness lawyer?
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed or hospitalized due to a vaping-related illness or have experienced some of the symptoms listed above after vaping, schedule a consultation today to take legal action immediately!
A vaping lung injury attorney will be able to inform you of your rights, help you figure out the best course of action to take and let you know if you’re eligible for compensation.


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We are excited to announce that Pfaff has added Mercedes-Benz to our portfolio of premium German brands in the recent acquisition of Victoria Star Motors in Kitchener-Waterloo, which is now re-named as Mercedes-Benz Kitchener-Waterloo.
The dealership has deep roots within the community since its establishment in 1994. Under family ownership and operation, they developed a stellar reputation for customer service, a core value that perfectly aligns with a key pillar and focus for Pfaff Automotive Partners. We look forward to building on that reputation and introducing our customers to the Mercedes-Benz brand.
In addition to the core Mercedes-Benz passenger car models, Mercedes-Benz Kitchener-Waterloo is an AMG Performance Center, a Mercedes-Benz van retailer, and a smart retailer, giving retail and commercial customers a wide range of vehicle options across the price spectrum.
Located at 125 Centennial Road in Kitchener, Mercedes-Benz Kitchener-Waterloo’s 41,000 sq.-ft facility is easily accessible from the Guelph, Cambridge, and Waterloo areas.


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Her recipe for success relies on Lambs Farm
July 12th, 2016
Meg Dhamer, once a caterer to high-end residents of the North Shore, is finding new success in the salad dressing business.
She’s owner and creator of Pigtale Twist, a company named after a fairytale told by her grandmother about a pig who worked in the French countryside.
Pigtale Twist produces dressings and sauces with whimsical names like “Beets All Ranch” and “The Real McCoy Creamy Garlic.” Dhamer says the dressings are gluten free, non-GMO and a third the calories.
They’re her own recipes, crafted after years in the business. The products are made by residents and employees at Lambs Farm, the nonprofit residential and vocational community for adults with developmental disabilities.
“I love working with all the people there,” she told me. “They’ve brought a meaning to my life that I had no right to expect.”
Dhamer, 55, got her start cooking when she was just 8 years old.
“My mom was a terrible cook. She doesn’t mind me saying,” Dhamer acknowledges. “I couldn’t take any more TV dinners and Twinkies, so I started cooking and she played more tennis.”
It was the beginning of a long career in the food business.
After high school, she started her own small catering company–the original Pigtale Twist. Dhamer worked for a select group of clients, mostly North Shore residents who loved to entertain. Among them was the late Waldo Allen, who with his wife, Mary, regularly hosted notable names at their Lake Forest home, Dhamer remembers. She served cold avocado and vodka soup and “scratch Sidecars straight up.” Other notable clients included the late Max Wildman, a trial attorney, and auto dealer Bill Knauz.
The business worked well as Dhamer, then in her 20s, was newly married and starting a family.
After a divorce in her 30s, she juggled different jobs–including as a pastry chef–to help put her children through college.
“You find courage inside yourself when you have to do something because you have no choice,” she says of becoming a single parent.
When her children were on their own, Dhamer enrolled in a journalism course at the French Culinary Institute of New York. She thought she’d make a career of writing about food. She found a mentor in Alan Richman, the famous food critic.
“I thought I’d start writing for Bon Appetit (magazine),” she says. Instead, she wrote about pet shops for a local lifestyle publication.
It was through that assignment that she met the folks at Lambs Farm, which has a pet shop along with a notable bakery and small store. The nonprofit also teams up with small businesses that hire residents to do some of their production work.
Dhamer talked about her dream of producing healthy salad dressings and other food products and soon a business relationship was born.
Her Pigtale Twist is the largest employer of Lambs Farm, working with more than 15 residents. They produce her recipes, label jars and oversee the packaging.
Dhamer has cleared $1 million over the past eight years. Her dressings are sold in 90 grocery stores throughout the Midwest, and she’s looking to expand to the East or West coast.
The salaries and job-training are a win for Lambs Farm, too, says president and CEO Dianne Yaconetti. The nonprofit has an annual budget of $12 million.
“Anything that’s going to give productive jobs for our residents and teaches them to grow and learn new skills is a benefit for us,” she said.


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AMAZON has announced that it will be giving all its UK workers a pay rise of at least 18 percent.
The retail giant said that it is increasing its minimum mage to £10.50 for the London area (a 28 per cent increase) and £9.50 for all other parts of the UK (an 18 per cent boost).
The pay rise, which will come into force from November 1, will affect more than 17,000 Amazon UK employees.
Everyone who works for Amazon will benefit from the salary increase - including part-time, seasonal and temporary workers.
The organisation has said that the more than 20,000 staff it will employ over the festive season will also receive the new, higher pay.
The new rates will also apply to staff at Whole Foods and other subsidiaries.
The company also said that hourly operations and customer service employees will see an increase, even if they are already making £10.50/£9.50.
How to ask for a pay rise
Ten top tips for negotiating a pay rise
- Ask at a strategic time - for instance an annual performance review
- Be upfront and honest with your manager and explain your situation in a private meeting
- Be clear on your reasons for asking - have you taken on any new responsibilities?
- Be confident, you need to show that you believe you deserve any rise
- Highlight some key success points you have had over the past 12 months that have helped the company to achieve its objectives.
- If you think you're underpaid, research what people within your job role are paid in your local area and bring these in to demonstrate to your manager
- Be specific about what salary you would like and how you came to that number
- Be ready to negotiate, and make sure you consider other perks such as flexible working
- Keep your emotionals in check. Make sure you stay professional at all times
- Be prepared to look elsewhere if a pay rise isn’t offered.
Doug Gurr, Amazon VP and UK country manager said: “This will impact more than 37,000 employees across the country, resulting in higher pay for them and their families.”
Amazon has previously come under fire for its alleged treatment of employees .
Only last month, Amazon drivers said they ‘pee in bottles and face intimidation and missing wages’ in one disturbing account of working for delivery company.
Last year, exhausted drivers for Amazon said they were ‘asked to deliver 200 parcels a day while earning less than minimum wage.'
Undercover investigator James Bloodworth described warehouse conditions as like a prison.
Amazon's new pay rates are 21.3 per cent higher than the UK minimum wage, which is just £7.83 for over 25 year olds.
It's also more generous than the Living Wage, which is set by the Living Wage Foundation and based on the cost of living.
MORE ON MONEY STORIES
The UK living wage is £8.75 an hour, and the London Living Wage is £10.20 an hour.
That means Amazon employees in London will be 2.9 per cent better off, while those in the rest of the UK will be 8.6 per cent better off.
Aldi, the UK's highest paying supermarket, announced in January this year that store assistants will earn a minimum hourly rate of £8.85 nationally and £10.20 in London, lower than Amazon's new rates.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Money team? Email us at firstname.lastname@example.org or call 0207 78 24516. Don't forget to join the Sun Money's Facebook group for the latest bargains and money-saving advice.


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Software bedevils Corning Inc.
Corning Inc. reported a decline in net sales Tuesday to $2.05 billion in the first quarter, down from $2.27 billion a year earlier, which it attributed to problems with implementing new manufacturing software, losses in the value of its foreign-currency hedge funds, and to continuing decline in prices for display glass, though it said the pace of decline has slowed.
Under generally accepted accounting practices, Corning reported a loss on the quarter of 36 cents per share compared to earnings of 29 cents in the first quarter of 2015. With the exclusion of the effects of exchange rates regarding the Japanese yen and Korean won and other items not related to ongoing operations, Corning reported core earnings of 28 cents per share on net sales of $2.17 billion compared to 35 cents on $2.43 billion a year earlier.
“We are pleased that we were able to meet overall profit expectations in the first quarter despite the impact from a manufacturing software implementation issue. We expect strong sequential core sales and profit growth in the second quarter,” Wendell Weeks, chairman, chief executive officer and president, said in a prepared statement. “We are also making great progress on our four-year plan to grow, return cash to our shareholders, and create significant value.”
By segments, display technology core sales were $829 million, down from $972 million. Corning said declines in LCD glass prices were the smallest for a first quarter in five years. Sales in optical communications were down to $609 million from $697 million. It said manufacturing software implementation problems partially interrupted cable production and cost it $100 million in sales and $40 million in profit, though demand remained strong.
Sales were down also in environmental technologies, $264 million versus $282 million, and in specialty materials, $227 million from $272 million. Improvements were reported in life sciences, up to $204 million from $197 million, and from its stake in Dow Corning, up to $58 million from $51 million.
Corning said it expects improvements in display and optics sales from stronger seasonal production, consumer demand and resolution of software issues.
“We continue to forecast that television units will grow on a year-over-year basis, and that the retail glass market will grow by 8 percent to 10 percent, driven by consumer preference for larger screens,” Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer R. Tony Tripeny said in the earnings statement.
Other sectors are forecast to be steady or grow by a factor in the single digits.
In January, Corning announced a joint venture with Saint-Gobain Sekurit of France in which Corning's Gorilla Glass will be used in laminated automotive windows, and earlier this month announced it is acquiring Alliance Fiber Optics Products of California to gain more access to the market for cloud data centers.
In the quarter, the company announced a 12.5 percent increase in the quarterly dividend as part of a plan to increase dividends 10 percent annually, and repurchased $751 million worth of shares.
The annual shareholders meeting is scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday at the Corning Museum of Glass, with an audio webcast at www.corning.com/investor_relations.


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This article has been amended by Washington Post editors to remove profane language.
The problem with iPhone killers?
Monday, October 26, 2009; 2:04 AM
Here we are again. The hype leading up to a new mobile device is reaching a fever pitch. Motorola's Droid sounds, looks, and by some accounts, is impressive. As such, everyone's favorite superlative is being thrown out there once again: "iPhone killer." Of course, we've heard this before ? maybe a dozen times. The BlackBerry Storm was the iPhone killer, the Palm Pre was the iPhone killer, the G2, etc. Not only does the iPhone still survive, it thrives. Why?
The answer is easy, but requires some explanation. Fundamentally, the problem with most iPhone killers is that they're not actually trying to kill the iPhone. They, as devices, may think they are, but most of them are playing a different game because of the OSes they run, and the companies behind them. One way to think about it is to compare smartphones and more precisely, their OSes, to religion (which we've done before). This is especially apt since the nickname for the iPhone is the "Jesus Phone."
In a religious sense, the iPhone is a monotheistic religion. Basically, its OS believes in one device. Yes, I know there is the iPod touch, as well as variations of the iPhone (original, 3G, 3GS), but these are essentially all the same device with essentially the same hardware, just boosted specs. Meanwhile, Android, Windows Mobile, BlackBerry, Symbian, etc. are all polytheists. But "pagans," while perhaps not exactly right, is a cooler term, so let's go with that. All of these other mobile OSes are pagans. They answer to many devices, their "gods."
Now, I'm not saying that the pagan approach is a bad one, I'm simply saying that in trying to kill a monotheist device with a pagan OS is going to be very hard. The problem is that none of these pagan OSes have any one device that they can use to sell the masses. They may put more faith in one device at any given time (which Android is already doing with Droid), but ultimately, their allegiance lies with the many other devices under their OS umbrella as well. The pagan church (in the Android case, Google), would be unwise to play favorites because it would undermine the ultimate goal: To be on as many devices as possible.
And I think Google realizes that. While they apparently have had quite a large hand in helping with Droid, it's Motorola and Verizon that are hyping it big time. But I think Google knows that the Droid isn't an iPhone killer. Instead, it's likely the best device they have so far to kill their real competitors: Symbian and especially Windows Mobile. Repeat after me: Android is trying to kill Windows Mobile, not the iPhone.
Another popular way to think about this is the PC (Windows) versus Mac history. Essentially, early on in the history of personal computing, the Mac was king. But then Microsoft came along with an OS that could run on devices from multiple manufacturers, quantity ruled the day, and the rest is history. Android, Windows Mobile, etc are often associated with taking this approach in the mobile battleground.
But things are different now. One could argue that there was a lot of other things going on inside Apple in the 1980s that led to the rise of Microsoft (and, of course, the ouster of Steve Jobs). Since then, Apple, for lack of a better phrase, has gotten its [act] together (and brought Jobs back). With the iPhone ? meaning the combination of the hardware, the software, and maybe most importantly, the App Store ? Apple has created an ecosystem that is fueling itself.
Microsoft, meanwhile, has been trying the same "quantity" approach in the mobile space with Windows Mobile for years now. For a while, it was working fairly well, but that was mostly due to a lack of competition in what was still a very small market. Now, they're bleeding market share in the space, and the future looks grim. Again, not so much because of the iPhone (which is hurting it short term), but because of Windows Mobile's true competitor: Android.
Not only is Android open source, but it's free. Windows Mobile, on the other hand, is still ridiculously charging manufacturers upwards of $25 to use their sub-par OS. Their strategy seems two pronged at this point: 1) Try to leverage the Windows PC brand as much as possible and convince users that Windows Mobile tied to Windows itself create the best environment for mobile. 2) Get out Windows Mobile 7, an entirely new OS, as quickly as possible.
The problem for Microsoft (again, for Microsoft, not Apple) is that Android now has real traction with manufacturers and a massive amount of devices about to hit (including Droid) should push Windows Mobile behind Android in the hearts and minds of the public. And while it's still smaller in market share, that could change as well much sooner than Microsoft would like to admit.
Let me be clear: I think it's pretty likely that eventually Android will even be bigger than the iPhone worldwide. Again, it's a different game. It's monotheist versus the pagans. It's Mac versus PC. Even if and when Apple breaks its AT&T exclusivity in the U.S. there will still basically be only one device. Android will have dozens of devices. And even more in other parts of the world. But the iPhone will continue to survive and even thrive, just like the Mac is right now.
By offering one device, Apple is accepting a trade-off: They're sacrificing quantity for quality. Apple has complete control over its device (and probably too much with regard to the App Store), and because of that, it can build something that melds software and hardware like none of its pagan counterparts can.


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Japan: Core prices continue to drop in April
May 27, 2016
In April, the core consumer price index rose 0.3% compared to the previous month, which was above the 0.1% rise tallied in March. The print mainly reflected much higher prices for clothes and footwear, furniture and household utensils and, to a lesser extent, education.
Core prices in April were down 0.3% over the same month last year, which matched the result tallied in the previous month. The print was above the 0.4% decrease predicted by market analysts and represented the steepest drop since April 2013. Overall consumer prices in April fell to a 0.3% decline from a 0.1% decrease in March.
Core prices for Tokyo—available one month in advance of the national figures and thus a leading indicator for countrywide inflation—fell 0.5% in May over the same month of the previous year (April: -0.4% year-on-year), which was in line with the result that market analysts’ had expected.


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Let’s Start this Interesting Article Shared on DesiNew.xyz
BBK-owned smartphone brand My true form Prepares to launch a new smartphone in its C-series lineup. called the Realme c11According to a report by Malaysian website Lloat, the handset has been prepared to make its debut in Malaysia.
Reportedly, Realme has shared a teaser picture with the media that gives the handset the first look showing the back but the rear camera section is hidden, so it is unclear how many sensors it will use. The picture shows the handset in a Mint Green color variant with a slightly darker vertical strip running along the back that carries Realme branding.
In a separate picture posted on the company Realme Malaysia page, My true form It was revealed that it is going to launch a new handset which will be powered by MediaTek. Helio g35 The processor, which will be the world’s first handset to do so.
In terms of other specs, it has been claimed that the handset will offer a 5,000mAh battery with support for 10W charging.
There is no word on whether the company will launch the so-called Realme C11 in India or not, but it is expected to make inroads in the domestic market.
Meanwhile, in India, the company is set to launch its latest flagship smartphone – Realme x3 – On 25 June. The company will actually launch the Realme X3 Zoom and Realme Buds Q wireless headphones.
Realme X3 was launched in Europe Realme X3 Superzoom Moniker with Realme 6s. The Realme X3 handset debuted in Spain and the UK from June 4. The USP of this smartphone is its camera as it offers 60x zoom and a dedicated of Starry Mode. ‘
STAY TUNED WITH US FOR MORE INTERESTING CONTENT ONLY ON DESINEW.XYZ


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It looks like Apple doesn’t want any of its products to look the same anymore. It has been a long time since stories suggest that the next iPhone is undergoing major design changes. And now comes news that claims the MacBook Air 2016 will also be redesigned. Read on to know more about it.
A report published by the Economic Daily News says that MacBook Air may discontinue the 11-inch model and instead launch a 15-inch laptop. So in 2016, we will have 13-nch and 15-inch MacBook Airs. The site also believes that MacBook Air 2016 will come with:
new metal chassis
These new laptops from Apple may also don high-resolution retina displays. The stories also suggest that the new MacBook Air will be thinner than older versions. MacBook Air 15-inch model is also rumored to be launched at WWDC 2016. There is no confirmation whether the new designs will be introduced next year, or if we will have to wait longer for that.
With rumors surrounding Apple products, 2016 is going to be an exciting year for Apple fans. Whether or not all the rumors are true, the products are still being looked forward to. And if these rumors turn out to be true, pray that Apple doesn’t price their products in such a way that they become a dream for more than half of the population. iPhone 7 is already rumored to be witnessing a good amount of price hike, and if MacBook Air 2016 also shoots up its price, Apple fans are surely not going to like it.


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Avishai Trabelsi, Roni Liberman and Sam Houwen set up Quicargo with one goal in mind – no more empty trucks on European roads. 4 years later, their company has ushered in a new era of cooperation in the freight industry.
Though we have many means at our disposal to transport goods around Europe, road freight is still the indisputable backbone of trade and commerce across the continent. As recently as 2017 the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (EAMA) estimated that there were as many as 6.5 million trucks on European roads, and those trucks were responsible for a whopping 71.3% of all transported cargo in Europe.
These numbers have been trending upward over the last two decades, but with that comes a cost. Of those 6.5 million trucks on the roads, about half are completely or partially empty. Whilst most other industries – agriculture, waste, power generation – have been trending towards their 2050 European emissions targets, transport has been heading in the other direction, with more trucks hitting the road and emissions rising as a result.
The problem is a systemic one. Freight is a competitive industry – companies in the past have been loath to lose business to each other, and the result is that multiple trucks from different companies carry partial loads to and from destinations. Often those trucks – booked to take cargo from one place to another – make the return trip completely empty. Quicargo’s mission is to turn around those numbers – by encouraging cooperation between competing freight carriers, the platform is able to fill previously empty trucks with cargo, making the whole European network more efficient and more profitable for all the freight companies involved.
Quicargo CEO and co-founder Avishai Trabelsi first came across these issues when he was looking after his family freight business in his native Israel. ‘It was very difficult to get a sustainable business,’ he explains. ‘Fuel costs were increasing, new environmental regulations came in, there was a lack of drivers – all these things made it very difficult to make a living in logistics. And because you’re working with clients in manufacturing and commodities, they also have very low margins. We needed to increase our rates, but our clients needed us to decrease them. It was a huge amount of effort for no return.’
The solution was obvious, to Avishai at least – companies needed to use their truck capacity more efficiently. ‘Out of the 25 trucks we had back then, 20 came back empty when they returned from a destination,’ he explains. ‘The rationale in simple terms is that, if you can fill a route back with goods it becomes very good margin because you've already paid the driver salary, the fuel costs, all the fixed costs. You don't have to understand logistics to understand the potential there!’
Avishai realised that, though his trucks were only making deliveries in one direction, the return business was there – it was just shared amongst a multitude of different freight companies. By combining the logistical powers of their fleets, they could all increase their margins and make their trips more efficient. The theory worked, but convincing other companies that cooperation could be mutually beneficial for everyone was a tough task. ‘They thought I was trying to take their customers,’ he shrugs. ‘They were all very suspicious. They know that they’re struggling, and I know that I’m struggling, but still, they preferred to die alone than to work together. I thought that was nonsense.’
It became clear that Israel was not the right place for Avishai’s big idea – the market was too small and transport companies were very traditional with little in the way of I.T. structure. ‘The gap between what we wanted to introduce and what already existed was too big,’ he says. Instead, he scoped out a more suitable market and found the Netherlands, which boasts a large, technologically advanced logistics sector as well as great accessibility to most of Europe.
Avishai moved to the Netherlands in early 2016 and set up Quicargo with the help of Startupbootcamp. The first few months were tough, he says – he was a foreigner in a new country, trying to pitch an idea to big, well-established companies, with no product and no funding. ‘I received tonnes of negative feedback before I got the first yes,’ he says. ‘Honestly, if I hadn’t moved countries and invested everything I had in the idea, I might have stopped. Lots of times during the journey I thought, maybe I’m wrong, or maybe the market isn’t ready, or maybe the market was ready but I missed my chance. It all depends on your belief – how much you believe in the solution and how much you’re willing to fight for it.’
In the end, the first yes turned out to be the hardest – once Quicargo’s first partner came on board, others felt more confident in the following suit. Quicargo underwent its first round of funding in summer of 2016 and by the end of the year, Avishai had started to build a team and a company that could fulfil his ambition. Today Quicargo has a network of 400 carriers, with a combined fleet of over 10,000 trucks that serves over 5,000 manufacturers across the Benelux and as far afield as Italy, Spain and the UK.
Avishai first heard about the Rise Program via an email from Techleap, and he immediately saw it as an opportunity to help grow his company. ‘We’ve always had amazing support from the Dutch government,’ he explains. ‘Techleap is another arm of that support that really shows that the government wants to support the ecosystem. We were keen to be a part of that and that’s why I decided to apply.’
‘It was hard to know exactly what the program would be,’ he continues, ‘but when I saw the other companies and entrepreneurs that were involved, I knew that if nothing else, it would be incredibly valuable to just be in a room with those people.
‘Getting feedback from the mentors was really valuable, but I definitely learned the most with my peers. We all come from different backgrounds but we’re all entrepreneurs with relatively successful businesses. It’s always interesting to share thoughts – regardless of the industry you’re in, we’ve probably faced 80% of the same challenges. It was nice to see how different solutions can be applicable to the same problems.’
Quicargo’s rapid growth has continued in 2020, even throughout the coronavirus pandemic which has left the world economy in tatters. As the world shuddered to a halt, Quicargo’s network was crucial in helping to move essential medical supplies around the continent to those who needed them. Avishai could have given up on Quicargo a few years ago, when the road was bumpy and things looked bleak – instead, Quicargo has become part of the solution to a desperate health crisis. ‘There’s no solution in terms of medicine yet, but if we’re part of the solution in terms of moving supplies around to reach those who need them, that’s great,’ he says.
Aside from perseverance, if there’s one other thing he’s learnt from his journey, it’s the importance of an open mind. ‘Don’t fall in love with your product,’ he warns. ‘In Israel, I was sure I knew the business and the solution, but the solution we developed didn’t fit the way the industry worked. We paid a lot for that lesson! With Quicargo, we’ve listened to focus groups and outside advice every step of the way. You have to challenge everything you think you know with your potential customers.’


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- Instagrammer Mik Zazon built the "Normalize Normal Bodies" movement after her personal struggles.
- She says followers sent her images of what looked like the trademarked slogan on a Boohoo billboard.
- She said she was "heartbroken" and will take legal action against the fashion brand.
UK-based fashion brand Boohoo has been accused of taking an Instagram influencer's trademarked body positivity slogan and using it on an advertising billboard.
Health and fitness coach Mik Zazon was sent images by some of her 980,000 Instagram followers appearing to show the clothing manufacturer had used the phrase "Normalize Normal Bodies" on a billboard last week. Insider was unable to verify the billboard's exact location, but a now-deleted Instagram post from Boohoo's account, which Insider has seen a screenshot of, appeared to show the purported billboard and described it as being "the biggest screen in Europe."
Zazon wrote on Instagram on August 26 that she would be taking legal action against the brand for its use of the phrase, which has been trademarked by Zazon since December 8, 2020. "I hope all bigger brands see this and put the littlest amount of effort to research before taking something that isn't yours," she said.
Zazon, who is from Columbus, Ohio, told Insider she had been in contact with Boohoo in direct messages on Instagram and via email.
In an email seen by Insider, a purported Boohoo representative appeared to tell Zazon they were not taking the situation "lightly." They said they would have loved to collaborate with Zazon with their "13 million strong following," and it was "unfortunate" they couldn't make it work.
The purported email doesn't mention the billboard, but the original image has been removed from Boohoo's Instagram feed, and "Normalize Normal Bodies" no longer appears in any of its posts.
Boohoo did not return Insider's requests for comment.
Zazon told Insider she thought it was an "awful response." She said she was "heartbroken" on seeing the post with her slogan because it represented her "life's work." She added her anger has nothing to do with money, as some people have suggested in her comments. Rather, she felt like her community was being "walked over."
"I'm not against spreading the message," she said. "I'm completely against the appropriation of the phrase for profit."
In the two years since Zazon first used it, the hashtag #NormalizeNormalBodies has grown to include 257,000 Instagram posts. Zazon said it means, "No matter who you are, where you come from, you are normal, your body is normal, and it's not your fault if you think that you're wrong."
"I will go in my grave before I let a fast-fashion company take away from something that is so personal to me," she said.
Zazon told Insider she built the movement after her own personal journey with mental and physical health conditions, including three different eating disorders, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and lupus.
Several fashion companies have been accused of using the work of independent designers in the past. Urban Outfitters removed a vase from its stock after a Bristol-based artist believed the outlet had "robbed" her ceramics designs in 2018. Pretty Little Thing also apologized to a clothing brand founder and removed T-shirts from its online store after being publicly criticized for the similarity.


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In the U.S., the FCC last year voted to open 1,200 megahertz of 6 GHz spectrum for unlicensed use, which is creating excitement and momentum in the Wi-Fi ecosystem.
At a free FierceWireless virtual event next week, a wide range of speakers from the Wi-Fi ecosystem will be discussing new opportunities driven by the opening up of the 6 GHz band and the readiness of Wi-Fi 6 devices.
Traditionally in the U.S., Wi-Fi has operated in the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands. The opening up of the 6 GHz band is coinciding with the 6th generation of the Wi-Fi standard. And the devices operating in this band have been designated as “Wi-Fi 6E.”
Yes, there are a lot of “6s” to keep track of.
“We believe the Wi-Fi 6 market is still in the first inning of what is likely to be a longer-tailed cycle than previous Wi-Fi iterations,” said analysts at Cowen in a recent research note.
Raghuram Rangarajan, an engineering leader at Amazon, will be kicking off Fierce Wireless’ event next week. Amazon, of course, is involved in the Wi-Fi ecosystem because of its Amazon Echo smart speakers and its Amazon Alexa virtual assistant.
Rangarajan said, “Wi-Fi 6 is focused on throughput density.” He said each user in the home now has as many as 10 connected devices. Wi-Fi 6 is focused on efficiency and improved performance across a dense network of users. Wi-Fi 6 will also deliver increased battery life for associated devices.
He noted that there are already Wi-Fi 6E devices coming on the market, such as the new Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. And there are also some Wi-Fi 6E routers and gateways that will be available soon.
Rangarajan also said the 6 GHz band and Wi-Fi 6E devices open up new opportunities, not just for the smart home but also for industrial, enterprise and even fixed wireless access (FWA) applications.
But there are some challenges. One of them is that with Wi-Fi 6/6 GHz, “the radio waves do get attenuated more,” he said. "You can’t reach as far”
The 6 GHz band is not an empty band. It is currently populated by microwave services that are used to support utilities, public safety and wireless backhaul. “Unlicensed devices will share this spectrum with incumbent licensed services under rules crafted to protect those licensed services, stated the FCC when it announced the new rules for the 6 GHz band.
Companies such as Google and Federated Wireless have already created spectrum sharing technology for the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) band. And while the CBRS band uses a spectrum access system (SAS) to coordinate usage on a dynamic basis, the 6 GHz band will probably use something similar.
Federated Wireless has built a prototype Automatic Frequency Controller (AFC) and shared it with the FCC for its review. The AFC could be used in the 6 GHz band to protect incumbents while allowing for new users in the spectrum.


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Posted Nov 14, 2013By
NEW YORK (AP) — The Victoria’s Secret Angels worked their magic on the catwalk Wednesday, weaving between chart-toppers Taylor Swift and Fall Out Boy, and some fancy sets and stage tricks, yet somehow keeping the spotlight mostly on themselves at the 2013 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.
Kim Phuc, who was pictured in the iconic 1973 Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Photography winning photo as a young gir
Over 30 zero emission vehicles line the parking lot after a hearing to announce new rules on electric vehicles at t
A reorganization of the tribes doesn’t make everyone happy when tribal council comes down to the couples and
After the sudden death of his beloved wife, John Wick (Reeves) receives one last gift from her, a beagle puppy name


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Questions have been raised as to what retailers should do with items returned from sales online, in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Find out the answer here.
“Are there any guidelines to what you should do if you get items returned from sales online?” one reader has asked Drapers.
“Obviously you can’t be sure that the person trying them isn’t carrying the virus, so it’s a risk to staff and then someone buying that garment. Guidelines all talk about washing clothes, which is something you can’t do with new clothes. This will also be an issue when shops reopen.”
A Public Health England (PHE) spokeswoman told Drapers that remnants of coronavirus are likely to have “decreased significantly” on contaminated surfaces within 24 hours.
However, PHE said it does not have “specific guidance on clothing” and whether it needs to be cleaned, or how to clean it.
“While not a lot is known about the novel coronavirus, it is likely to behave in a similar way to other coronaviruses,” she told Drapers. “How long any respiratory virus survives will depend on a number of factors – for example, what the virus is on, whether it is exposed to sunlight, differences in temperature and humidity, and exposure to cleaning products (even simple ones like soapy water and household cleaning sprays).
“Under most circumstances, the amount of infectious virus on any contaminated surfaces is likely to have decreased significantly by 24 hours, and even more so by 48 hours. Appropriate infection and prevention control measures are being implemented to reduce the risk to the public.”
The government website states, “Staff should continue to follow existing risk assessments and safe systems of working. There are no additional precautions needed for handling post or packages.”
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) advises that the likelihood of an infected person contaminating commercial goods is “low”: “The risk of catching the virus that causes Covid-19 from a physical package is also very low.”
The Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and government agency Health and Safety Executive (HSE) declined to comment. Health and safety expert THSP Risk Management has been contacted for further advice.
- Send in your questions to firstname.lastname@example.org


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Xi Jinping replaced Hu Jintao as head of the Chinese Communist Party, ushering in the fifth generation of leaders set to run the world’s second-biggest economy over the next decade. He was also named chairman of the party’s Central Military Commission.
Square Rival iZettle Raises $67M From Intel and Zouk
54:43 - Today’s "BWest Byte" is $67 million, for how much iZettle, a Swedish payments startup and rival to Jack Dorsey's Square, has raised from Intel and Zouk. Bloomberg's Matt Miller reports on "Bloomberg West." (Source: Bloomberg)
What's Next for Flexible Electronic Technology?
Facebook Cracks Down on Video Pirates
Deep Dive: Is Market Turmoil Hurting Consumer Sentiment?
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Keeping ahead of Google’s penalties are now imperative for businesses. It can make all the difference between going out of business or survival and growth.”
Seattle, Washington (PRWEB) March 20, 2014
Penalty recovery service provider, Fannit.com recently released an article for businesses on surviving Google’s Panda penalty.
Many businesses have already been penalized by this update without realizing it. Some of the signs can be small – others quite apparent, like a massive drop in website traffic.
The article is designed to help business owners and marketing managers learn more about what strategies should be implemented to keep their companies abreast of penalty issues.
The article, which initially discusses what the Panda penalty is, goes through the key areas that affect businesses and their website rankings. It also demonstrates the practical techniques that are necessary for survival.
Specific details include implementing content correctly as well as the technical implementation of rel=”canonical” tags.
Some of the issues that could be caused from improper technical setup and impact rankings include:
1. Site linking power being diluted
2. Google being unsure of what pages to rank
3. Google seeing the website as less relevant to searchers
“Keeping ahead of Google’s penalties is now imperative for businesses,” said Neil Eneix, COO of Fannit.com. “It can make all the difference between going out of business or survival and growth.”
The article also includes tips on how to examine one’s website to make sure appropriate measures are in place.
Fannit.com is a full service internet marketing agency that helps companies increase their online presence through engaging and well placed content. They service Seattle area and U.S. based companies for content development, SEO, PPC, E-mail, Press Release, and Website Funnel Optimization.


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The pandemic is turning people’s attention to home improvement projects, and US leaders in the space are seeing more traffic and more social media attention.
Lowe’s ($NYSE:LOW) is well off the lows, and it could bust through to a new 2020 high if its earnings report Wednesday, May 20 is anything like its top competitor, Home Depot.
Lowe’s stock suffered a major initial aftershock as the US economy almost completely shut down in the peak of the pandemic panic – but, as people increasingly spent time indoors, and increasingly started looking for stuff to do, it looks like the home goods retailer started to get way more attention – and it wasn’t alone. Right now, its stock is just below breakeven for 2020.
Home Depot saw “traffic to HomeDepot.com was consistently above Black Friday levels,” one of the company’s executives said on its quarterly earnings call May 19, in which it saw sales rise for the COVID-impacted quarter.
It’s not just Lowe’s Facebook engagement (it has added more followers there since the pandemic began than it did for more than 18 months leading up to the outbreak). On Twitter, too – shown above – reflects more engagement, with Lowe’s Twitter following rising at a greater trajectory beginning at the end of this March.
That’s a similar trend for Home Depot (not shown), which saw an uptick in its Twitter following as well, during the pandemic.
Job postings have fallen more than 28% from their 2020 peak at Lowe’s, despite the apparent uptick in social business and the likelihood (based on Home Depot) that it did more business. It’s not clear the company will need as many staffers to manage stores that are both seeing an influx of online orders and are having customers spaced out thanks to social-distancing policies.
Regardless of how quickly national and local lawmakers nudge economies to reopen, the Home Depot/Lowe’s trend is one likely to continue. Purchasing patterns are gearing more toward homebody buys, between bookworms, arts & crafts, and inflatable pools, it doesn’t look like people are too eager to get out, regardless of lockdown restrictions or presidential proclamations.
About the Data:
Thinknum tracks companies using the information they post online – jobs, social and web traffic, product sales, and app ratings – and creates data sets that measure factors like hiring, revenue, and foot traffic. Data sets may not be fully comprehensive (they only account for what is available on the web), but they can be used to gauge performance factors like staffing and sales.
Originally Posted on May 19, 2020 – Lowe’s Stock Heads Back Toward 2020 Highs and Alternative Data Shows Why
Disclosure: Interactive Brokers
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This material is from Thinknum Media and is being posted with permission from Thinknum Media. The views expressed in this material are solely those of the author and/or Thinknum Media and IBKR is not endorsing or recommending any investment or trading discussed in the material. This material is not and should not be construed as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security. To the extent that this material discusses general market activity, industry or sector trends or other broad based economic or political conditions, it should not be construed as research or investment advice. To the extent that it includes references to specific securities, commodities, currencies, or other instruments, those references do not constitute a recommendation to buy, sell or hold such security. This material does not and is not intended to take into account the particular financial conditions, investment objectives or requirements of individual customers. Before acting on this material, you should consider whether it is suitable for your particular circumstances and, as necessary, seek professional advice.


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Today’s column brings plenty of good news for lovers of Latin American food.
In Waverly, a vegan taco truck is putting down roots with its first brick-and-mortar restaurant. And in Highlandtown, the closing of a sushi spot will make way for an eatery specializing in burritos.
I also have updates on changes at No Way Rosé in Federal Hill and a new location for Ledo Pizza.
When Adrian Sushko decided to open a restaurant, he knew it would be in Highlandtown.
The local real estate agent and Highlandtown native wanted to contribute to the growth of his old Southeast Baltimore stamping grounds when he opened Avenue Sushi on Eastern Avenue, right across from the Creative Alliance.
Two years later, Sushko is handing the keys to the kitchen over to another Highlandtown native: his brother.
Avenue Sushi closed on Oct. 16. While business was strong on weekends and on nights when the Creative Alliance was hosting a show, midweek sales “just weren’t enough to meet our expenses,” Sushko said.
“After two years, I just realized sushi’s great and everyone loves our food, but the volume isn’t here throughout the whole week,” he said. “So let’s bring something in that has a greater, broader appeal.”
His brother, Alex Sushko, who recently moved back to Baltimore from California, has an idea to do just that. He plans to transform the former Avenue Sushi space into Mystic Burrito, a casual spot focused on West Coast-style burritos.
The restaurant will serve classic burritos stuffed with carne asada, carnitas or charbroiled chicken, as well as Pacific Island-style options like a Hawaiian steak burrito with teriyaki rib steak, and the Kalua Pig Burrito, packed with Kalua pork braised in banana leaves, Adobo garlic rice, onion rings, slaw and Japanese barbecue sauce.
Mystic Burrito will have vegetarian and seafood options, too, as well as tacos, quesadillas and an assortment of stuffed potatoes and yams. And for early risers, there will be a breakfast burrito with thick-cut bacon, potatoes and eggs enveloped in a flour tortilla with black beans, Monterey Jack cheese and pico de gallo.
Look for the new spot to open before the end of the year.
Kevyn Matthews probably won’t be serving any burritos when he opens his new brick-and-mortar in Waverly.
“I’m not excited about doing burritos” — they can be notoriously tricky to wrap — “so I’m probably going to leave that out,” he says. But the menu at the first nonmobile location of Chihuahua Brothers, Matthews’ vegan Latin American food concept, will have a much-expanded menu featuring tacos, quesadillas, empanadas, tamales and more.
Matthews announced last week that he has leased the former Hip Hop Fish & Chicken space in Waverly and plans to open a Chihuahua Brothers restaurant there. The historic building was once home to the Little Tavern restaurant, and it caught the chef’s eye whenever he shuttled by on trips to Waverly’s Ace Hardware store to pick up tools for improvements to his taco truck. Eventually, he tracked down the owner and worked out a deal to lease the space with plans to buy it.
Matthews, a chef with three decades of experience working in restaurants including José Andrés’ Jaleo, used to own The Dog Chef, a business offering gourmet dog treats and holistic meal plans for pups. During the pandemic, he decided to shift his focus back to human diners, transforming a vintage Cushman Truckster into “Tito the Taco Truck,” a roving purveyor of Mexican street food including tacos and the “Chihuahua Dog,” a spin on the Sonoran dog with plant-based bacon, pinto beans, pico de gallo and guacamole salsa.
All of the dishes at Chihuahua Brothers are vegan: Matthews’ wife is a vegan and he wanted to see if he could make meat- and dairy-free versions of Mexican favorites that she could enjoy.
“It inspired me to create something different, because the vegan market was growing,” he said. “I wanted to make things as tasty as possible so even meat eaters would like it.”
He chose the name “Chihuahua Brothers” in part for its connection to the dog breed (Matthews has a chihuahua) and in part because of its significance as a region in Mexico known for street food. The “brothers” are a reference to his two sons, who he hopes will one day take over the business.
While he gets the brick-and-mortar spot ready for a grand opening, Matthews is moving ahead on his mobile business, too: he has a few appearances for Tito the Taco Truck lined up through the end of the year, including at the Jerry Seinfeld show at the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, and he plans to add two new trucks to the fleet soon.
Say au revoir to the foie gras, caviar and escargot.
No Way Rosé, a Federal Hill bar and restaurant that offered fine French cuisine, is changing gears. Owner Ashish Alfred says he’s decided to chart a more laid-back course for the eatery.
Get the scoop on that new restaurant, learn about chef changes and discover your favorite new recipe. All your Baltimore food news is here.
When No Way Rosé debuted this spring, “our goal was to open a fine-dining French restaurant in Federal Hill, thinking there were more experienced diners that way that might want something a little bit nicer,” Alfred said. But he found the local crowd was more interested in casual bites.
Alfred shut down No Way Rosé about a month ago for a rebrand of sorts. Though No Way Rosé will keep its name and bright, Instagram-worthy décor, the restaurant will reopen with a new menu of cost-conscious small plates and shareable items like sliders, flatbreads and poutine.
“We thought: why not make something more approachable for the younger demographic that’s down there?” Alfred said. “I think it’s just a study in adaptability.”
No Way Rosé is slated to reopen the weekend of Nov. 4.
Towson residents now have a local spot to grab a slice of Ledo Pizza.
The Maryland chain recently opened its latest restaurant at 1238 Putty Hill Ave., across the street from Calvert Hall High School. Franchisee Jim Robertson says he hopes it can be a “fun, go-to spot for guests to enjoy quality time together over delicious pizza, wings, subs and more.”
The pizzeria is the 76th in Maryland for the chain, founded in Adelphi, Maryland by Bob Beall more than 65 years ago, and the 116th location for Ledo Pizza overall.


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Americans traveling internationally often expect foreign resorts and cruise ships to bend their styles and tastes toward those of the United States, providing big urns of coffee, cold American beers in a bottle, and piles of bacon strips at breakfast.
The tables have been turned in Australia, where Carnival, perhaps the most American of the world’s cruise lines, is sending a ship to be based fulltime in Sydney.
Here are the messages from Down Under: Aussies despise American coffee. They won’t drink the beer. They insist on a better cut of bacon. And, by the way, nobody — not a barman, a steward, or a waiter — will be paid a tip.
Carnival says it got the messages, and by the time Carnival Spirit pulls into Sydney harbor in October, the ship will be armed for Australia’s tastes and styles, including but not limited to food, as the Spirit also sports a new waterslide, Green Thunder, which starts with a swift drop and is the world’s steepest and fastest on a ship.
So, if you are among the North American Carnival aficionados who plan to cross the Pacific for voyages out of Australia to New Zealand, New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Fiji, be prepared to experience some serious Aussification.
That’s what locals are calling the changes on Carnival Spirit, which begins cruising out of Sydney on Oct. 20 for a series of 8- to 11-night cruises. The first voyage is to the beaches of New Caledonia.
“We set out to make the Aussies welcome and comfortable,” said Jennifer Vandekreeke, general manager of Carnival in Australia. “We’re not turning North Americans away, but if they’re going to sail on Carnival Spirit, they’ll need to learn a new way to drink coffee.”
The ship’s old coffee machines, based on the North American style of dripping water through coffee grounds, have been replaced by more complicated machines that make coffee brewed like espresso — by forcing a small amount of nearly boiling water under pressure through finely ground beans.
“We will be serving flat whites just the way the Aussies like them,” said Vandekreeke.
What about a decaf latte with skim milk?
“There’s not a lot of that going on,” Vandekreeke said. “It’s just not part of the Australian culture.”
Gone also will be most of the beers that Americans know, including Foster’s, the brand that many Americans associate with Australia but which is not consumed there. Americans tend to like beer in bottles; Australians prefer beer from the tap.
Among other foods, expect snags (sausages), more lamb, more fresh fruit and vegetables, and Australian bacon, which is similar to Canadian bacon.
The ship will have an outdoor barbie (that’s Australian slang for barbecue) and has been modified for larger families by increasing the number of interconnecting cabins to 86. The gym has been expanded, because Australians tend to exercise more than Americans, said a Carnival spokesperson.
Australia may seem like a stretch, a financial risk for a cruise line that prides itself on providing a middle-American vacation experience. President Gerry Cahill has pointed out that his passengers are most comfortable when surrounded by people with a common language and an interest in participating in group activities.
“Yes, it’s risky,” said Cahill. “But I’m confident that Carnival fits what Australians are looking for.”
That hope is essential to Carnival’s success, because unlike most of the other cruise lines sending ships to Australia, Carnival expects to fill at least 90 percent of its vessel with Australians. “I’d say 95 percent,” said Cahill.
“Carnival is no stranger to beach vacations,” said Jim Berra, the cruise line’s chief marketing officer. “And beach vacations are near and dear to the hearts of Australians.”
That’s why the Carnival Spirit has chosen to spend much of the winter (North America’s summer) on round-trip cruises from Sydney to the beaches of the islands of New Caledonia, Vanuatu, and Fiji. The winter beach escapes from Australia will be similar to Caribbean cruises out of Miami, though with more sea time as the islands are farther away from Sydney than Caribbean islands are from Miami. In summer (North America’s winter), Carnival will include New Zealand ports on some of its itineraries.
Carnival says the Spirit will be Down Under for quite a while, and there are no plans to return anytime soon to North America. The cruise line has announced 41 Spirit cruises out of Australia for 2014.
While a recent article in the Sydney Morning Herald called changes on Carnival Spirit “stripping away the American essence” from the ship, Vandekreeke said that Carnival intends to keep “the Americanness of Carnival, with high energy and entertainment,” which, she said, will fit in well with an Australian vacation style.
That vacation on Spirit will include a cruise director from Australia, entertainment by Australians and comedians with humor directed at Australians.
Bookings for Carnival Spirit will not be easy for an American on the Internet, as rates are in Australian dollars. Carnival recommends contacting a travel agent or calling Carnival at 800-764-7172. Lowest prices on the website (Carnival.com.au) are quoted as quad, which is four adults in a cabin, for $940 per person on an eight-night cruise. The rate includes tips, which will not be encouraged on Carnival Spirit.
North American cruisers will need time — at least two weeks, counting the long flights from the United States to Sydney — and a budget that includes air tickets that are about $2,000 each.
“We don’t anticipate a lot of Americans aboard the Carnival Spirit,” Vandekreeke said.
But North Americans will come. You can see chatter on the Internet forums, where some folks have reported that they already have booked vacations Down Under, anticipating with excitement not only new ports on South Pacific islands, but also English words they’ve never heard before, snags on the barbie, Australian bacon and beer, strong coffee, Aussie songs in the piano bar and a new, zippy waterslide.
David Molyneaux writes monthly about cruising. He is editor of TheTravelMavens.com.


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The Shaolin Temple on the Song Mountain in Dengfeng, Henan province, where kung fu is said to have originated, is set to jump on the electronic commerce bandwagon by developing a mobile game based on the classic Chinese martial arts, the 21st Century Business Herald reported on Monday.
Shi Yanlu, a renowned martial arts teacher and monk at the Shaolin Temple, led a delegation of monks to a regional e-commerce forum hosted by Alibaba Group on July 3. According to Shi, they were there not just for a martial arts performance, but to learn more about leveraging the internet to promote kung fu in an interactive way.
The temple has been a first mover in commercializing its brand, already having nine subsidiaries involved in television and movies, pharmaceuticals and food products.
It plans to promote kung fu, including the use of swords, sticks and other weapons, by developing a movement-based mobile game. However, sources said the proposal is still in the initial stage of discussions, with the investment amount and other details of the project yet to be ironed out.
The temple gained international fame with the movie “Shaolin Temple”, which premiered in 1982 and recorded box office sales of over 100 million yuan (US$16.12 million) that year, although the ticket price then was only 0.1 yuan.
Adding an internet element to the Shaolin Temple brand is only a part of Dengfeng city’s ambitious plans for the coming years. The city government is also hoping to leverage the internet platform to further promote its tourism sector, agricultural products and martial arts business by linking up with third-party payment service providers like Alipay and online shopping players such as Taobao and Tmall, the report said.
– Contact us at [email protected]


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La Galera Produce, a merchant, at the Chicago International Produce Market (CIPM) is committed to bringing the best in Mexican fruits and vegetables to their customers. In 2015, they began their search for a flexible software system that could increase operational efficiency and traceability.
Francisco Vega, the owner, commented, “We noticed Produce Pro at the United Fresh 2015 convention and also learned that a fellow merchant at the CIPM had just implemented their software solution which came highly recommended.”
In May 2016, La Galera officially went live with Produce Pro and hasn’t looked back. The system has provided the ability to utilize different currencies, efficiently place orders for customers with multiple stores, and enhance visibility on product details. “Produce Pro has not only made my job easier, but my customer’s job easier,” said Jose Vega Jr., Owner.
“The system is extremely flexible. We were able to customize certain things based on the needs of our business which has helped resolve several currency issues we had previously, giving us the ability to pay vendors in pesos. Now everything flows seamlessly together, said Erica Vega.”
Jose Vega Jr. added, “Being able to group customers with multiple stores has made order placement easier, faster and more efficient, now that we have Produce Pro.”
“We wouldn’t be able to live without all of the traceability features. It has helped us track down every detail related to our products,” said Xiomara Herrera, Administrative Assistant.
Kristen (Esposito) Santangelo
Produce Pro Software


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A Pennsylvania mother is charged with stealing from a clothing store, then leaving her 4-year-old daughter behind when she was about to get caught.
Police arrested the 28-year-old woman Tuesday after she eventually came back to the store to look for her little girl.
Authorities say employees that morning spotted her stuffing clothes and other objects into a bag.
When they confronted her, she ran from the store and left the child.
People who live in the area are stunned.
“To leave your child. That’s sad right there. How could you leave your child? That’s your child...you know...and didn’t come back. You should’ve never bought her in-in the first place,” said one person.
The four-year-old girl is in the custody of relatives.
The mother is charged with retail theft and child endangerment.


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Monday, 30 November 2020
The last full week (48) of trading in November saw a decrease in trade volumes and transactions compared to the week prior (47).
Current year Nordic Hydro GOs sold at 10.7 Eurocent/MWh, about a 0.6 Eurocent decrease on the previous week (11.3 Eurocent/MWh).
Nordic Hydro 2021 GOs also saw a decrease in price to 23 Eurocent, from 30 Eurocent the week prior.
EU Solar also saw a return to action, with 2023 and 2024 production priced at around 60 and 70 Eurocent/MWh respectively.
After an increase in act...


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AutoGuide News Blog
The AutoGuide News Blog is your source for breaking stories from the auto industry. Delivering news immediately, the AutoGuide Blog is constantly updated with the latest information, photos and video from manufacturers, auto shows, the aftermarket and professional racing.
The Ariel Atom is one of the world’s greatest machines, offering unprecedented performance and sheer driving exhilaration. McDonald’s on the other hand, is one of world’s greatest fast food chains, offering cheap and arguably tasty food at budget prices. What happens when you combine the two while a camera is rolling? Hilarity ensues.
Apparently this video was filmed for a local food competition, but whatever the motives are, we’re glad it’s on YouTube for us to all see and enjoy. Ever had that nagging friend that would insist on eating in your car? Well, it appears that Ariel Atom owners don’t have that problem. It seems that it’s rather difficult to snarf down some french fries when you’re combating blistering acceleration in your face.
Check out the hilarious video after the break.
A violent accident occurred in Harelbek, Belgium today. Michael Cornette, a journalist of the Belgian newspaper Krant van West-Vlaanderen, was instantly killed while riding as a passenger in an Ariel Atom 3 when it careened off the road and struck a grain silo.
The super lightweight sports car was piloted by 30 year-old Mattieu Desmet, who is currently placed in an induced coma and suffering severe damages to his kidney. The Ariel belonged to Matthew Harris and was loaned for a road test feature to be prepared in anticipation of the upcoming Brussels Motor Show later this month.
Sources have said that excessive speed is the cause of the accident and that the force of the impact was so strong that the silo shifted 10 inches.
Michael Cornette has been a part of Krant van West-Vlaanderen since 1999, and wrote lifestyle articles for the paper. Cornette is survived by his wife and son.
This minimalist two-seater has won the approval of not only the motoring press, but also with its customers, who see it as the ultimate in no-frills motoring. Some even call it a four-wheel motorbike.
Now Ariel is preparing to launch a umm… two-wheeled motorbike!
According to Ariel boss Simon Saunders, a superbike will be offered by his company in 2012. He also says this superbike will be inspired by the Atom and will also feature a Honda engine, although he didn’t specify which Honda engine.
Saunders mentioned that he plans on building between 100 to 200 bikes per year, each custom made for its owner. With prices expected to start from about $30,000, it won’t be cheap, but given Ariels experience in building exciting machines, we bet it’ll be worth every cent.
The Ariel Atom is one of the most pure driving machines on the planet. It has no doors or windows or roof. It’s essentially an exoskeleton shell with all its moving parts exposed to the elements, including the driver.
Since it has very few parts, it is very light and that makes for an incredible track car. This car certainly has its fans and its success has lead to the company now celebrating its 10th anniversary.
For this momentous occasion, Ariel has announced a new model which it is producing in conjunction with Mugen. The special edition Mugen version will feature a modified Honda K20Z motor, which will now produce 270-hp.
Only 10 examples of this model will be produced and it will make its first public debut at the Autosport International Show in January 2011.
Spec Racing classes are touted as one of the best ways to find out who the best driver really is – with identical machinery, talent should be the only thing separating the heroes from the zeros, and most spec classes feature slower cars like Miatas, Porsche 944s and BMW E30s to let driving skill take the forefront.
A new series being whipped up at the famed VIR race course will take spec racing to a whole new level by creating a single make series for the infamous Ariel Atom sports car. With 10 racers taking place over 5 weeks, different configurations of VIR will be used to keep things fresh. Delivers of the Spec cars will begin in April, 2011.
Apparently to some, the stock performance of Ariel’s Atom 3 300 isn’t enough. Wimmer RS has decided to provide an answer to that market segment by enhancing the Atom’s performance to 340-hp and 280 ft-lbs of torque. Considering that this Atom rendition uses a turbocharged Honda powerplant, it isn’t hard to believe an extra 40-hp could be extracted from the already potent engine.
To get the extra 40-hp, Wimmer RS reflashes the ECU and installs an updated compressor, fuel pump conversion and sport exhaust system. And with the Ariel Atom already weighing in at a scant 1,034 lbs, we can’t even imagine the effect 40 additional horses has on such a lightweight machine. Wimmer RS claims their Airel Atom rendition hits 0-62 mph in merely 2.8 seconds.
Where do we sign up to drive one of these bad boys?
GALLERY: Wimmer RS Ariel Atom 3 300
Epson printers wanted to see if it’s new wi-fi printer could beat an Ariel Aton around Britain’s Rockingham Circuit. Of course, the term “beat” is used loosely, since the printer only needed to print out a map of the circuit, designed by Epson, while the Atom had to physically navigate the track.
As you can guess, the printer “won” the competition, but the high production values and the use of an Ariel Atom make it worth looking at. Check it out after the jump, and turn your speakers up.
Hit the jump to see the official video
Thought it was cool to see a BMW Z4 GT3 race car get built through the eyes of a time lapse video? The guys over at Top Gear and BBC decided to show why they’re still kings in the business of anything automotive related by catching footage of an Ariel Atom 3 being built, in time lapse fashion of course.
What is most impressive about the video is the actual build time of the Ariel Atom 3: 24 hours. As a result, the video is consolidated into 1 minute and 26 seconds of awesome.
View the video after the jump.
At first there was the Ariel Atom. An undisputed piece of machinery that terrorized the tracks worldwide. It was simply a sheer pleasure to navigate through the roads. Then came KTM’s X-Bow which was the perfect Ariel Atom rival. And one can even include the Lotus 2-Eleven among their ranks. These two-seaters are essentially glorified go-karts with real-world engines in a 1,600 lb (or so) carbon fiber shell.
Now another manufacturer has decided to enter the ring with their P1 Two-Seater. Donto Motor Company has finally unveiled photos of their project which sports an interesting split body with a floating exoskeleton. The FIA-approved chassis weighs in under 1,600 lbs with a removable roof.
Currently they’re utilizing Audi’s 1.8T as an engine setup, but Donto hasn’t committed to it as being the final powerplant. They did, however, confirm that if they were to change, it would still be something German engineered.
Donto plans to export this car as a street legal vehicle in Europe with pricing around $55,000. We’ll keep our eyes out for live photos!
GALLERY: Donto Motor Company P1
[Source: Inside Line]


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Mexico, which has an even worse obesity problem than the U.S., is on a path to ban junk foods from school and require at least 30 minutes of physical exercise for school children.
The Mexican legislature's lower house approved the measures based on figures showing that obesity in the country has tripled over the last 30 years. Some 70 percent of Mexican children between the ages of five and 11 are classified as overweight. A 2006 health survey found that 40 percent of Mexicans are obese.
Major food companies that promised to cooperate with Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" campaign to combat child obesity may be getting cold feet. A report in Bloomberg Newsweek says that a recent meeting between food industry representatives and the Food and Drug Administration turned testy when the FDA said it wants measures to force complliance with healthier food objectives.
The FDA is considering "red-light, green-light" labeling on package fronts, or possibly a five-star ranking system, to help consumers quickly determine whether a product is healthy or not. The agency wants companies to voluntarily agree to front-of-package standards by the fall and has "not ruled out regulatory approaches" to force compliance, says Michael R. Taylor, the FDA's commissioner for foods.
In a recent column in the San Francisco Chronicle, Marion Nestle lays out all the ways the sugar industry has blocked standards that might otherwise control the amount of sugar kids get in school meals.
U.S. Department of Agiculture rules regulate just about everything pertaining to school meals, including tight restrictions on fat and the servings of grains, meats and fruits and vegetables children should be served. But the greatest danger to children's health may come from all the sugar they eat--especially at breakfast, with all those candied cereals, Pop-Tarts and chocolate milk they're served. So far, there's no regulation covering all that sugar at all.
Introducing healthier foods to children and explaining why some foods are better than others is one of the toughest challenges parents face. Here's one dad struggling to figure out where he's gone wrong and why his kids aren't foodie gourmets.
Of course he hasn't done anything wrong. He just hasn't accepted that where food is concerned, kids often have a mind of their own.
Finally, Ann Cooper, the "renegade lunch lady," gave some excellent tips on her blog for parents who want to change the school food in their community. Get active in your local school! Connect with the national movement for change! Voice your concerns to Congress!
6 years ago


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Firedome & Olibra Awarded BIRD Foundation Grant to Transform Traditional Consumer Electronics Devices into Connected Home Cyber Guardians
Firedome and Olibra, an IoT technology company adding connectivity to products across several verticals, announced today that we’ve been awarded a special grant from Israel’s BIRD ( (Israel-U.S Binational Industrial Research and Development) Foundation to co-develop and launch a connectivity and security hardware solution, to control and secure often overlooked home appliances. This will be the BD-2000 smart bridge.
The Bond Pro BD-2000 is a product that is designed specifically for the custom and professional installers market. We see that even in high end home installations where Control4, Crestron, Savant, RTI and URC A/V home automation systems are used, there are connectivity gaps. These gaps are for appliances like ceiling fans, fireplaces, motorized shades and more. The BD-2000 will bring connectivity and security in one package and allow the homeowner to extend our security features to the whole home network.
Olibra and Firedome’s BD-2000 smart bridge will both capitalize on increased demand for, and reduce barriers to, connectivity, while capturing the market of security concerned buyers. By combining proactive cybersecurity and a connectivity platform for non-smart appliances in a hardware solution that protects more than just WiFi devices, pro installers and DIY consumers now have the ultimate solution for smart and secure control on the widest range of devices.
“We’re excited to win the BIRD grant together with our partner Firedome. We have been using IoT technologies to provide solutions for the connectivity gaps in the smart home, and the opportunity to marry the advanced cyber security capabilities that Firedome is developing will bring significant value to our users and partners.” said Zohar Shinar, Olibra Co-Founder and CEO.
“We are honored to win this grant from the renowned BIRD Foundation and even more excited to work with our valued partner Olibra on this joint vision. Olibra and Firedome’s complementary solutions enable appliance manufacturers to maximize revenue and differentiation by resolving consumer privacy and security concerns on the widest range of devices, using our synergistic “smart and secure” hardware bridge solution” said Moti Shkonik, Firedome Co-founder and CEO.
Olibra is an IoT technology innovator offering both an IoT connectivity platform and smart home products that fill the connectivity gaps in today’s smart home, in an efficient and cost effective fashion. Their flagship product, the Bond Bridge, is sold around the globe with leading retailers, and its IoT platform (SBB – Smart By Bond) is becoming a household name in mass-produced low cost appliances.


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Quebec-headquartered Lassonde Industries Inc. reported $123.6 million in profit for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022, down $10.5 million from the previous year.
The agri-food company attributed the loss to a number of factors, noting it took a $3.7 million hit in Q4 following a production interruption of the cranberry sauce line at its New Jersey plant.
Lassonde reported a $5.2 million loss in gross profit for fiscal 2022 due to the production interruption.
Higher input costs also played a role, particularly for apple and orange concentrates and PET resin, including an increase in the cost of transporting the produce to Lassonde’s plants, the company said.
Sales were up 9.5% to $556 million for the quarter (excluding a $22.4 million favourable foreign exchange impact).
Gross profit for the full year reached $523.3 million, up $1.4 million from 2021. Sales totalled $2.15 billion (excluding a $44.8 million favourable foreign exchange impact), up 11.3% from the previous year.
"Despite a challenging year impacting our financials, we achieved an important milestone in 2022 with sales exceeding the $2 billion mark for the first time in our history, representing almost 14% growth year-over-year. This achievement reflects the important efforts of our employees in the context of severe macro-economic headwinds and industry-wide challenges. During the past year, our team worked diligently to strengthen our leadership position in the North American food and beverage sector, with a particular focus on improving U.S. operations. We anticipate that tangible results from our operational excellence efforts will gradually become apparent in 2023 and 2024, establishing a clear path towards long-term profitable growth," said Nathalie Lassonde, CEO and vice chair of the board of directors of Lassonde Industries Inc., in a statement.
Looking ahead, Lassonde expects the financial health of consumers, inflation and supply chain disruptions to have the biggest impact on its performance in fiscal 2023.
The company said it expects the effects of cost increases on its branded and private label product offerings to continue to be felt in early 2023. It also expects further “pricing action” to be implemented as inflation persists.


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Montgomery Ward & Co. hired a president Tuesday, a move that helps set the stage for Wards` re-emergence as a public company, Chairman Bernard Brennan said.
Harold ``Hal`` Kahn, 46, will report to Brennan and also serve as a member of Wards` board of directors. As president, he succeeds Brennan, who had held that title as well as those of chairman and chief executive officer. ``We don`t have any immediate plans to go public right now because, as you know, the market conditions (for initial public offerings) aren`t very good,`` Brennan said in a telephone interview.
``But it will be helpful to have him here,`` he said, acknowledging a public offering of stock had entered into the considerations over Kahn`s hiring. ``I have been carrying the title of president for seven years, and this gives us a chance to move forward.``
For the last two years, Brennan consistently has denied plans were afoot for a public offering of the company`s stock. Brennan was the leader of a group of senior managers and investors who in March 1988 took Wards private by acquiring it from Mobil Corp., in a leveraged buyout valued at $3.8 billion.
Securities analysts have been speculating for nearly a year about when Wards, which has been profitable even during a recession that has afflicted so many other retailers, might go public. Tuesday`s comments were the first from Brennan that make it seem that Wards is actively considering such a move.
In 1991, 392 companies went public in stock offerings that raised $15.1 billion. About $2 billion of that amount was raised by retail companies. But in 1992, the stream of capital into new or reconstituted firms has slowed.
Founded in 1872, Wards was rescued from the brink of bankruptcy by the management-led leveraged buyout, in which GE Capital Credit Corp. acquired Wards` credit-card operation. That sale to GECC is credited with reducing the debt of the LBO to $1 billion from $2.2 billion, allowing the management team to focus on the business rather than on how to repay debt.
Kahn resigned from Macy`s about six months ago and has been working as a retail consultant, Brennan said. ``I have been looking for bringing in someone to assume more day-to-day responsibility so I can focus more on the future,`` Brennan said.
Brennan said Kahn, who was not available for comment, brings an important ingredient to Wards as the company continues to expand. Wards operates about 340 stores and last year re-entered the catalog business in partnership with Minneapolis-based Fingerhut.
``Hal`s extensive experience with Macy`s, a department store with a long history of offering an extremely broad range of merchandise in a promotional environment, makes him uniquely qualified to manage the merchandising and advertising functions of Montgomery Ward,`` he said. ``Macy`s is probably the most promotional department store in America.``
As president, Kahn will be responsible for all merchandising and advertising strategies for the company, Brennan said.
In recent months, Wards has announced a major shuffling of employees in its upper-management ranks. A new chief financial officer, John Workman, was appointed, and new people were named to head several of Wards` specialty retailing units.
Brennan and his management team are fighting an effort by the Internal Revenue Service to assess millions of dollars in back taxes and penalties because of a difference over the value of the stock issued to the participants in the LBO.


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Another New York Fashion Week is now in the books and, as usual, LIM College made its presence known in a number of ways.
Approximately 100 of our students volunteered at many Fashion Week shows and presentations, gaining valuable exposure to the behind-the-scenes workings of one of New York City’s most high-profile and economically impactful events.
A talented team of students also produced a special mini-magazine for The Daily Front Row’s Fashion Week issue. It was themed around up-and-comers in the industry and distributed to a broad range of key influencers, including designers, editors, bloggers, and buyers. After all, who better to give Fashion Week attendees a look at the future than a group of young women and men preparing to become the business’s next generation of leaders? Upon completion of their magazine project, the students were offered internships at The Daily Front Row.
Speaking of internships, LIM students will complete internships at approximately 600 fashion and fashion-related companies this academic year alone. Our industry partners appreciate not only the enthusiasm, but also the specialized skills and knowledge these young women and men bring into the workplace.
This month we’ve continued to increase LIM College’s visibility through ads in WWD and The Daily Front Row, as well an ongoing campaign in the New York City transit system. Yet our students and alumni will always be our most effective ambassadors, as they enter, and excel in, fashion and related businesses.


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We can't quite believe it ourselves.
But, after some friendly conversations with the lovely folk at the Design Museum, we're pleased to announce that The Ad Pad will be available to buy in their shop from May.
As you can imagine, this is really big news for us.
It means we get to hang out on shelf with the likes of Paul Smith, Anthony Burrill and Dave Trott.
And, speaking of Paul Smith...
...here's a scamp for one of his very first ads which was on show recently in the Design Museum.
Turns out they were using that little black line even back then.
The Ad Pad is now on sale in the Design Museum shop and will also be available on designmuseumshop.com from May onwards.


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IN SHORT: Some Facebook posts claim that a new online trading company called Wazobia Cash Investment is “genuine” and wants to help Nigerians double their money. This is not true, it’s a scam.
A Facebook post claims that a company called Wazobia Cash Investment can help Nigerians grow their money fast.
“WAZOBIA CASH INVESTMENT it's a new online business trading company that helps people to grow their income with just a lowest amount, it's fast and easy once you put money on it you will have to wait for 3hours 45 minutes for you to get paid immediately,” reads the post, in part.
The post, dated 4 August 2023, lists three oil and gas companies they supposedly trade with. People who choose one of the “VIP packages” can apparently triple their investment within a few hours.
Those interested are encouraged to “contact the management now” on the cell number provided.
But is the investment platform real? We checked.
Wazobia ‘paid me’ for an ad
It appears Wazobia has been in existence for a few years and even paid celebrities to promote it.
“They only paid to place an advert on my Instagram page months ago which was taken down after 24hrs,” he wrote.
However, we couldn't find any reports by credible media to support claims that the company did exist and later crashed or that it scammed people.
So let’s look at obvious signs of a scam in this post. Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission advises users to steer clear of companies that offer huge returns in a short period of time. Such businesses are likely to be unsustainable and out to steal your money.
Another clue is posts that ask potential investors to reach out only on WhatsApp. Legitimate businesses usually have an official email address or website.
Scammers also use celebrities to appear credible and solicit investments. Just because a well-known figure says a business is legit, doesn’t mean it is.
To help protect yourself against online scams, read our guide to Facebook scams and how to spot them.
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For publishers: what to do if your post is rated false
A fact-checker has rated your Facebook or Instagram post as “false”, “altered”, “partly false” or “missing context”. This could have serious consequences. What do you do?
Click on our guide for the steps you should follow.Publishers guide
Africa Check teams up with Facebook
Africa Check is a partner in Meta's third-party fact-checking programme to help stop the spread of false information on social media.
The content we rate as “false” will be downgraded on Facebook and Instagram. This means fewer people will see it.
You can also help identify false information on Facebook. This guide explains how.


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apple in few daysWorld Developer Conference WWDC21 will be heldHowever, analysts predict that the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros with Apple Silicon will be announced on the spot.
According to investor notes from analyst Daniel Ives of leading brokerage firm Wedbush, Apple is announcing new versions of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS alongside the new MacBook Pro, which are customary at WWDC. That it is planning including “a few surprises”.
Although Mr. Ives is a well-known analyst, he is not in the hundreds, and the new iPad mini and iPad low-priced models will be released at a “Spring Loaded” event in April this year.just unexpectedis. Nevertheless, a well-known leaker (a person who sends influential information about unpublished products of interest)John Prosser set similar expectations.It can be said that the expectations have increased even more.
In addition, MacRumors reports that it has received a battery registration that appears to be for the next MacBook Pro in the database of Chinese certification bodies. It was presented by Apple supplier Sunwoda Electronic on April 14, and the model identifier “A2527” reminds of Apple products, and is 8693 mAh / 11.45V. This is the 8790mAh / 11.36V built into the existing 16-inch MacBook Pro (iFixit Research) is similar to that of a battery.
In China and other countries, it is mandatory to notify parts regulatory agencies in advance, and it is not uncommon for information to leak from databases before a product is released. The iPhone 12 series also has a built-in battery, a few months before its announcementwas discovered.
The next MacBook Pro will have a flat edge like the M1 iPad Pro, and it is rumored that the Touch Bar will be abolished and the HDMI port, SD card slot, and magnetic charging connector MagSafe will be revived. Also, the M1X or M2 (both tentative names) chips will be installed as new Apple silicon, four high-performance cores will be added based on the M1 chip, and the underlying GPU will be greatly strengthened.i had a hope.
“It will be released early summer at the earliest,” said Mark Gurman, a Bloomberg reporter familiar with Apple’s insider information.Was saying.. Just as the M1 iPad Pro was announced in April and went on sale a month later, the next MacBook Pro could also be unveiled at WWDC in June and shipped sequentially in July or shelves. will be hit.