text:
Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant (Wilmington, Delaware) has officially announced that it has expanded its reach once again by opening its newest location in Greenville, South Carolina.
Established as the latest step forward in the company’s aggressive ‘20 by ‘20’ initiative, Iron Hill Brewery’s Greenville, South Carolina location – located at 741 Haywood Road in the Haywood Mall area – “marks the first location in a new market for the group” and its 13th location overall. Housed within a 7,500 sq. ft facility designed by Boulder-based Bray Architecture, the Greenville brewery and restaurant “has a seating capacity of 250, which includes an on-site brewery, cocktail area, and an outdoor patio.”
The on-site brewery – set to “produce between 800 to 900 barrels of their award-wining craft beer annually” – will offer “the same craft beer freshness with the new Upstate Kolsch, an homage to the brand’s 13th location, and favorites such as the award-winning signature Vienna Red™ Lager, Iron Hill Light Lager and White Iron® Wit, as well as deliciously wholesome fare including the Brewski Burger ($13.50), Gold Medal Baby Back Ribs ($17.00/$25.00), Char-Grilled Ribeye Steak ($29.00), Baked Chesapeake-Style Crab Cakes ($27.00) and Pan Roasted Organic Chicken ($21.00).”
The Greenville, South Carolina location of Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant is open now. Operating hours are Monday from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 a.m., Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Prost!


text:
OAO Novatek, Russia's second-largest natural gas producer, said third-quarter net income rose 42 percent as it sold more gas directly to customers and exported more gas condensate at higher prices.
Net income rose to 4.09 billion rubles ($155 million), or 1.35 rubles a share, from 2.88 billion rubles, or 0.95 rubles, in the third quarter of last year, the Tarko-Sale, Russia-based company said today in a statement.
Total revenue rose 28 percent to 12.96 billion rubles, based on International Financial Reporting Standards, including other income of 42 million rubles. Other income included 24 million rubles from the sale of asset and equipment sales.
``Their Ebitda and income margins were 4 percent quarterly, which is good and may continue,'' said Artyom Konchin, an oil and gas analyst at Aton Capital in Moscow. ``It's a solid company.''
Exports of gas condensate, which is similar to light crude oil, rose 42 percent to 436,000 tons. Prices increased 28 percent to 10,898 rubles ($406.5) a ton.
Novatek benefited from selling more natural gas to Russian consumers at a price higher than traders paid, the company said. The average price for consumers, excluding transportation costs, was 739 rubles per 1,000 cubic meters compared with 658 rubles for gas sold to traders.
Novatek produced 7.2 billion cubic meters of natural gas in the period, a 15.4 percent increase, and 592,000 tons (4.3 million barrels) of liquids, a 10 percent increase.
The company sold 7.1 billion cubic meters of natural gas in the period, of which 41 percent went to consumers.
``They have good potential to increase output, benefit from increasing gas and condensate prices and have efficient management,'' said Kaha Kiknavelidze, an oil and gas analyst at UBS AG in London.
Operating expenses rose 24 percent to 7.53 billion rubles, led by transportation costs, which increased 58 percent as the government raised oil and gas pipeline and rail tariffs and the company shipped more. Gas consumers absorbed some of that cost increase as the price they pay includes shipping, Novatek said.
Novatek shares rose as much as 2.4 percent today to a record high, before paring gains to trade at $61.50 as of 3:15 p.m. in London. The shares closed at that price yesterday.
To contact the reporter on this story: Torrey Clark in Moscow at email@example.com.
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Daniel Tilles at firstname.lastname@example.org.

domain: news


text:
CBD oils are increasingly common amongst health-related individuals, athletes, and shoppers hunting for muscle relaxation, basic therapy, and anxiousness reduction. But their legal status remains utterly confusing—especially considering that the US Drug Enforcement Administration published a rule relating to CBD final December.
In that rule, the DEA reiterated that all cannabis extracts, like CBD, are considered Schedule I substances. The agency stated the clarifying rule was necessary to bring US law into conformity with United Nations treaties governing controlled substances.
The DEA considers it illegal, and but it remains accessible on the net and in retail retailers about the nation.
A lot more lately, the DEA issued a clarification to the clarification. It clearly stated: “Cannabinoids, such as tetrahydrocannabinols (THC), cannabinols (CBN) and cannabidiols (CBD), are identified in the components of the cannabis plant that fall inside the CSA definition of marijuana, such as the flowering tops, resin, and leaves.”
Meanwhile, CBD laws differ from state to state, and though the DEA considers it illegal beneath federal law, CBD goods stay accessible for sale in wellness supplement shops and organic meals retailers about the country—though some of them could possibly not include all that a lot CBD.
We’ll attempt to sort via it all for you.
CBD Is Legally Permitted in 44 States
Cannabidiol, or CBD, is just a single of more than a hundred cannabinoid compounds identified in cannabis. THC is the cannabinoid most people are immediately after when hunting for a higher. In contrast, CBD is non-intoxicating. In the 28 states exactly where health-related marijuana is legal, CBD goods are covered by these very same health-related marijuana legal protections.
In current years, 16 states have passed CBD-only laws, which legalize the possession and use of CBD goods for particular qualifying conditions—but not cannabis goods containing larger levels of THC. These CBD-only laws typically limit the legal possession and use of CBD goods to youngsters with epilepsy, and some nerve and muscle afflictions.
Only six states absolutely outlaw CBD: Idaho, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Indiana, and West Virginia.
Even in these states with CBD legal protections, having said that, the substance is viewed as federally illegal by the DEA.
Most states with CBD-only laws let possession, but do not let licensed dispensaries, dwelling cultivation, or any other provide infrastructure. In other words, registered patients can have it and use it but cannot legally get it.
In Georgia, for instance, the legislature passed a law in 2015 that produced legal possession of up to 20 ounces of CBD for individuals with qualifying circumstances like seizure problems and many sclerosis. The law does not, having said that, set up any provide infrastructure—there are no licensed dispensaries or producers. Not too long ago, the Georgia legislature passed a compromise law that involves Alzheimer’s illness, AIDS, autism, epidermolysis bullosa, peripheral neuropathy, and Tourette’s syndrome in the list of ailments that can be treated by CBD—as extended as that CBD oil has no far more than five % THC.
Alabama’s laws let CBD possession for qualifying individuals via a clinical trial system at the University of Alabama. But the state does not carve out any legal protections for production or distribution.
In the six states with no CBD laws or health-related marijuana laws, CBD remains a drug that is punishable, in theory, by arrest. But it appears to be an really low priority for most law enforcement agencies. We could obtain only a handful of situations of any one becoming arrested for CBD oil sales, and no examples of arrest for very simple possession.
In practice, promoting CBD appears to be legally riskier than possessing it. The DEA’s priority appears mainly to concern industrial violations most situations involved smoke shops and non-cannabis vape retailers promoting CBD cartridges. In 2015, police seized CBD cartridges at a vape retailer close to Milwaukee, but the retailer owners have been under no circumstances arrested or charged. (A 2014 law produced it legal for individuals to possess and use CBD oil in Wisconsin, but the law did not make it legal to sell.) That very same year, police in central Florida arrested the owner of a regional smoke shop chain for promoting CBD goods.
Did the DEA’s current rule on CBD destroy the market place and finish all access to the compound? In a word, no.
“The sky is not falling having said that, this is a quite regarding move by the DEA,” lawyer Bob Hoban told the Denver Post the day the rule was posted. “What it purports to do is give the DEA handle of all cannabinoids as a controlled substance.”
Bob Hoban, cannabis lawyer
Hemp growers weren’t content about the DEA’s rule. Hoban says the DEA skirted an established federal procedure: Only Congress can add a new substance to the Controlled Substances Act.
The Hemp Industries Association, or HIA, is a California-primarily based international non-profit with 74 US agricultural and industrial providers as members. RMH Holdings is a Colorado hemp producer. Centuria Organic Foods launched in 2014 as a hemp meals producer. Because then, the corporation has entered lots of licensing agreements, like with Hi Brands International, Inc, a subsidiary of former presidential candidate Gary Johnson’s Nevada-primarily based corporation, Cannabis Sativa, Inc.
The providers challenge the system the DEA is making use of far more than the effect.
“The DEA can’t develop a statute,” Bob Hoban, the firm’s managing companion, told Leafly in an interview final month. “That can only be performed by Congress.”
Opinions are divided on whether or not the DEA’s rule itself was reputable. DEA officials contend that the inclusion of CBD in the Federal Register notice was pretty much an afterthought. According to DEA spokesperson Russ Baer, CBD has generally been illegal. Cannabinoids, he told Leafly, are the controlled substances.
“The DEA’s view on what constitutes a controlled substance has under no circumstances changed,” Baer stated.
Paul Armentano, deputy director of NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, requires an uncharacteristic stance on this challenge. He sides with the DEA.
“The DEA tends to make it clear they do not have to explicitly list something as a controlled substance as extended as a substance is intended for human ingestion, not authorized as a drug by the (US Meals and Drug Administration), or is structurally or pharmacologically related to an additional controlled substance,” he told Leafly. “This DEA rulemaking adjust does not make it any far more illegal” than it previously was. The new rule “was an administrative adjust,” Armentano added. “It has absolutely nothing to do with law enforcement.”
Armentano pointed to many pieces of proof as proof that CBD has generally been treated as illegal at the federal level. Congress has attempted and is at present attempting to pass bills to get rid of CBD from the Controlled Substances Act—which would be unnecessary if the compound have been currently legal. Additional, the Controlled Substances Act itself specifies that the government has the appropriate to handle substances that are chemically related to the ones explicitly listed.
Rod Kight, a North Carolina lawyer who specializes in business enterprise law and cannabis policy, has written a quantity of lengthy weblog posts that get into the case law and legal technicalities of CBD. These are accessible right here, right here, and right here.
Can CBD Be Derived From Hemp?
According to DEA spokesperson Baer, a CBD product’s legality will rely on exactly where it is sourced.
Russ Baer, DEA spokesperson
“If the goods are derived from the non-intoxicating element of the marijuana plant,” he stated, “then you are speaking a non-controlled substance.”
As a rule of thumb, this suggests entire hemp goods that may possibly include CBD are legal, but CBD isolate goods are not. So hempseed oil is federally legal. But hempseed oil is not legally the very same issue as CBD oil.
What is hemp? Fantastic query.
The 2014 Farm Bill legalized hemp production if it requires spot for analysis purposes beneath an authorized agricultural pilot system. Hemp is cannabis with much less than .three % THC by dry weight, by these laws. So hemp technically may possibly include some THC—but in such minute amounts that it is not viewed as psychoactive at all.
The Farm Bill of 2014 tends to make no mention of CBD—just hemp fiber and seeds, which a US Division of Agriculture guidance letter stated need to be for “exclusively for industrial purposes (fiber and seed).” Does that imply CBD derived from hemp is legal?
Martin Lee, co-founder of Project CBD, told Leafly that hemp fiber and seed include no usable amounts of cannabinoids. “Cannabidiol cannot be pressed or extracted from hempseed,” he writes. “CBD can be extracted from the flower, leaves, and, only to a quite minor extent, from the stalk of the hemp plant. Hemp oil begin-ups lack credibility when they say their CBD comes from hempseed and stalk.”
Is There CBD in Your CBD?
In all probability. But not necessarily.
Ironically, the only four states exactly where you can be certainly positive that the CBD content material claimed on the label is the CBD content material in the bottle are Colorado, Washington, Oregon, and Alaska, exactly where adult-use cannabis is legal and regulated. That is since the CBD goods accessible in licensed retail cannabis retailers need to pass state-mandated lab tests to assure their purity and potency. In reality, if these goods haven’t gone via state testing, they’re liable to be seized, as occurred lately in Alaska.
Outdoors of these 4 states, shoppers need to place their trust in the manufacturer. In some cases that is warranted, and often it is not. In 2016 and 2016, the FDA ran tests on many CBD goods and identified that lots of of the goods had far much less CBD than advertised, and in some situations none at all. You can obtain these test outcomes right here for 2015, and right here for 2016. (These FDA tests have been performed as a a single-off project. CBD goods are not authorized by the FDA for the prevention, mitigation, or remedy of any illness or situation.)
CBDRx markets itself as a premier supply of CBD-wealthy hemp goods, and it agrees with Martin Lee to a point. Industrial-grade hemp imported from Europe or Canada could possibly not include sufficient cannabinoids to be powerful, but CBDRx’s especially engineered hemp strains do, corporation representatives stated.
CEO Tim Gordon did agree with NORML’s Armentano that the DEA’s rule was largely administrative, and had absolutely nothing to do with enforcement.
CBDRx extracts its solution from hemp flower, not from the industrial stalks and seeds. Firm officials say CBDRx grows specially engineered hemp with higher CBD concentrations, and is cultivated differently than traditional industrial hemp.
Nevertheless on the Shelves, Largely
Various CBD suppliers would not speak on the record for worry of inviting federal retaliation, but stated they’ve lately had difficulty promoting their goods to non-cannabis retail retailers. In January, the Seattle Central Co-op pulled CBD goods from its shelves in reaction to the DEA rule. Meanwhile, CBD remains accessible on the net and at lots of retail wellness retailers across the nation.
Whilst some are getting difficulty, other individuals say the fracas about CBD and hemp has backfired on the DEA. CBDRx’s director of sales, Preston Whitfield, stated his corporation has actually observed an raise in CBD interest everywhere but Texas.
“There is a distinct uptick appropriate,” Whitfield stated. “We’re seeing distinct entire industries coming and seeing it serves a particular interest and finish.”
Sports are element of the new huge draw, he stated. “We’re seeing lots of interest from the skilled sports business, complete speak to sports, mixed martial arts, athletes wanting to prepare.”


text:
Archive | Leaks and rumours
With MWC 2013 just around the corner, it is the season of leaks and rumours. however this is is one leak that even Nokia and
Our friends over at MyNokiaBlog seem to have got their hands on what seems to be juicy bits of photos for what appears to be
Latest rumours of the Galaxy S IV is that it’s due for an official launch on the 15th March, 2013. At least that’s what SamMobile‘s
Samsung’s recent leak of a model no. GT-B9150 was attributed to an unnamed smartphone that Samsung was testing. But it seems from recent rumours that
If what Pocket-Lint is saying is true, then HTC’s next phone, the M7 will feature ultrapixels instead of megapixels. Now before you start wondering what
With Lenovo pledging to bring Intel powered smartphones to the market after Lava. It’s the turn of Acer to showcase an Intel based Android smartphone.


text:
A study earlier this year for Health Canada has found that consumer perception of genetically modified food is still not positive.
Even though GM food has been on the market for decades, 61 percent of survey respondents and focus group participants said the words “genetic modification” are negative and only 26 percent said they would be comfortable eating GM food.
The study was conducted in March and designed to determine gaps in consumer knowledge and understanding regarding GM food.
However, how consumers respond to surveys doesn’t necessarily mesh with their buying habits, says a University of Saskatchewan professor.
Stuart Smyth, who researches biotechnology and innovation, said 76 percent of survey respondents still said they buy on price.
That means they are not willing to pay the higher price for food labelled GM-free or organic.
“They may respond to a survey and say, ‘absolutely I want this or I want that,’ but when the rubber meets the road and they’re in the grocery store, it’s ‘get in, get what you want and get out as quick as you can,’ ” he said.
“Organics is really only an option for the extremely wealthy and the very upper income class. It’s not an option for middle and lower income people in Canada.”
The study also found that 78 percent of respondents believe GM food should be labelled as such, yet 45 percent of the respondents said they rarely or never looked at labels.
“I struggle to see how they can get to 78 percent of a concern level,” Smyth said. “Consumer purchasing decisions don’t correlate to what they’re expressing.”
Sylvain Charlebois, professor of food distribution and policy at Dalhousie University, said labelling would solve many consumer issues.
“I’m one of the few that has advocated for probably 15 years now for two things. One, we need to embrace the technology; genetically modified crops are good for agriculture. And secondly, we need to label food products,” he said.
Connecting the technology to consumers will help educate them, he added.
Charlebois said farmers should be publicly taking a stance on the issue as part of that education process.
“Farmers actually know how to use the technology,” he said.
“They are great stewards of the land and the environment and people trust farmers. Why aren’t they out there, not preaching the gospel, but basically making a case for what’s going on in their fields?”
He said their opponents’ case is weakening as more studies show the safety of GM food. It’s an opportune time for farmers to engage, but it will take time, he added.
“To build public trust you’re looking at a risk communication strategy that would extend over probably two decades at the very least, to get to the point where people can actually trust the technology and the use of that technology within food systems,” Charlebois said.
Smyth said governments, agriculture and academics have all done a poor job of communicating the technology, and he too sees it as a long-term effort.
“It took 20 years for the anti-smoking movement to gain traction,” he said. “We may have to continue this battle for another decade until consumers come around.”
He is less convinced that labelling will help, noting that some products now labelled GM-free would never be GM in the first place. He also said he doubts people would be willing to pay the extra cost that labelling would entail.


text:
Updated Business asset management can be a complicated and time-consuming process, but using an asset management program will make things easier.
Sensitive information relating to thousands of users of the Nitro PDF reader has been leaked online.
Picking up Hitman 3? Xbox Series X comes out on top against PS5 in a head to head comparison.
How to watch Poirier will take Conor McGregor on once more in a historic rematch for the chance at a title fight - here's everything you need to know about UFC 257.
Updated Password managers you can trust to protect all your login details and ensure your online accounts are safe.
Apparently a Samsung Galaxy A80 successor is on the way, but it'll need to bring big changes.
Updated We're scouring the web for the best cheap MacBook deals and sales so you can pick up a luxury laptop for less.
Updated Diablo 4 has been confirmed, Lilith is the daughter demon... but there's so much we still don't know.
OVHcloud has launched a new tape-storage-as-a-service offering, managed from four data centers within France.
Activision is resetting the timer with Call of Duty: Mobile Season 14, which is actually called 'Season 1'.
How to watch Here's how to get a Bills vs Chiefs live stream and watch the AFC Championship game Sunday, as KC fans pray Pat Mahomes fit to face Buffalo and Josh Allen.
Amazon says it can assists new US President Joe Biden with US Covid-19 vaccination program.
Google Meet users will now have access to Otter.ai's Live Notes and Video Captions feature during video calls.
Analysis Nikon says it will ride a recent rough period by focusing mainly on mirrorless cameras, according to a revealing interview.
How to watch Here's how to get a Buccaneers vs Packers live stream and watch the NFC Championship game online this Sunday, as Tom Brady eyes even more NFL glory.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go is the lightest Surface Laptop ever at 1.11 kg, and it features a 12.4-inch PixelSense touchscreen display.
The very best Android games picked by our experts, including shooters, adventure games, arcade games and much more.


text:
Travel Media Group Launches Social Video Content for Hotels
Travel Media Group is proud to announce the October 1, 2023, launch of social video content for hotels as the latest innovation to its social media digital solution. As the number of hoteliers seeking to improve their digital presence through dynamic media such as videos grows, TMG is once again proving its industry leadership by being one of the first to provide social videos exclusively for hotels and hotel management groups.
Social Media Manager at Travel Media Group, Brian Ross, gave insight into how the new social video offering will impact their existing hotel partners by stating, “Our clients who have a custom social partnership with us will have immediate access to user-friendly video creation tools within our TMG OneView® dashboard that will empower them to easily create exciting videos for their social following across all their social accounts for their hotels in a matter of minutes. We understand that many hoteliers are up against limited time and staffing challenges to dedicate hours toward video creation, so this dilemma was the catalyst for social video for hotels.”
With over 40 years of industry experience and leadership, Travel Media Group has cemented itself as one of the premier providers of digital marketing services for the hospitality industry and keeps a tight pulse on the pressing digital difficulties afflicting hotels and hotel management groups alike.
Chief Technology Officer, Jason Lee, shared his expertise by adding, “Being on the frontlines of digital marketing for all of our hotel partners across the nation day in and day out showed a missed opportunity that we were not initially capitalizing on. With the prevalence of video media dominating the social media landscape within any industry, it seemed clear that it was the right time to present this development to our clients to help them share their unique hotel stories with their respective traveler audiences.”
Interested individuals can learn more about TMG’s social videos for hotels and their all-inclusive social media digital solution.


text:
Video and CTV programmatic advertising platform Unruly has been assessing this year’s Christmas ads via its Unruly EQ methodology, to find out which ones are the most “emotionally engaging.”
7,200 consumers around the world (2,000 in the UK) took part in the study.
Unruly EQ VP Terence Scroope says: “Similar to our 2020 global analysis, Disney and Coca-Cola have risen to the top three for producing the most emotionally engaging ads this Christmas. These huge brands have been able to generate creative pieces of imaginative content using a significant budget this holiday season.”
“Interestingly many ad campaigns have moved away from any COVID-19 themes, despite the ongoing pandemic and uncertainty. However, Tesco hinted at this in their ad touting a vaccinated Santa Claus and scored a very impressive second place for the ad, demonstrating that consumers engage emotionally with ads that speak to their reality.”
Disney’s obviously good at this emotion kind thing as is Coca-Cola (trying something new with DentsuMB.) Good performance from Tesco and BBH, which tried hard to be different (and annoyed anti-vaxxers in the process.). Wonder how much the media budget had to do with the rankings?


text:
Eager to advance the news cycle after a recent disastrous attempt at a social media “clap back,” online retail giant Amazon is launching a new online car shopping website for its employees.
The $1.7 trillion e-commerce giant has been in the automotive game since 2016 when it launched Amazon Vehicles as a resource for prospective buyers, but the new website will give Amazon employees a one-stop-shop for all their car buying needs. Branded as Amazoom, the website aims to revive the company store model that proved so popular in 19th-century coal mines and lumber camps.
The announcement comes on the heels of a terse exchange between a U.S. Congressman and Amazon’s official Twitter account. Long derided for its questionable labor practices, Amazon made the bold decision to sass Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) over a tweet in which the lawmaker chastised the retailer for calling itself a “progressive” employer.
“Paying workers $15/hr doesn’t make you a “progressive workplace” when you union-bust & make workers urinate in water bottles,” the tweet read. Pocan’s message itself came in response to a tweet from Dave Clark, CEO of Amazon’s global consumer unit, who compared the monolithic corporation to Bernie Sanders while simultaneously taking a shot at the progressive Vermont Senator.
“You don’t really believe the peeing in bottles thing, do you?” tweeted out @AmazonNews, reacting to the kerfuffle between Pocan and Clark. While corporations are usually fairly savvy about antagonizing sitting lawmakers, the tweets from Clark and Amazon News were actually inspired by Amazon head honcho Jeff Bezos. The aspiring Bond villain has reportedly grown tired of what he deems unfair criticism of the company’s labor practices and asked that corporate mouthpieces offer more pushback to such critiques.
Amazon has since relented on denying the bottle peeing allegation, saying it was under the impression that Pocan’s tweet was referencing the micturition habits of those in its Fulfillment Centers, not Amazon delivery drivers.
Amazoom is seen by many as the company’s attempt to paper over the social media scandal, with the car buying website joining a long list of fringe benefits that include free oxygen and being allowed to see your family (though physical contact is still limited to Prime members and those who meet production quotas).
Reviving a Classic
Amazoom will allow the company’s employees to have their wages applied directly to car payments, employing a scrip system in which all employee compensation is paid out in a currency which can only be used at Amazon itself. While such scrip or “truck” systems have been outlawed in the United Kingdom since the Truck Act of 1725, Amazon ensures employees that since it now trades in practically every sector short of human organs, they’ll notice very little difference from their current form of compensation.
“The goal is to eventually integrate the Amazon brand into every facet of our employee’s lives,” says Mark Singer, Amazon’s Senior VP of Appearing Less Evil. “Our vision is that one day you’ll be able to leave your Amazon Pre-Fab Duplex, get in your Amazon Sedan Model 294-G and drive to your job at the Amazon Fulfillment Center,” he says. “There you’ll enjoy Amazon-Whole Foods Nutrition Paste #003 (Chik’n And Brocco-Like) for lunch before returning home to spend the evening cozying up to your Amazon Domestic Partner Version 3.5 and taking in a game between the Amazon Cubs and the Amazon Padres.”
Amazon isn’t just simplifying the car buying process for its employees; it’s introducing new models that will appeal specifically to the company’s workforce. The Honda Model A, for example, comes standard with cement blocks for wheels. This innovation not only drastically reduces traffic accidents by rendering the vehicle 100 percent stationary but also makes the Model A a cost-effective alternative to owning a home. The 2-door, 0 wheel drive vehicle is built directly in an Amazon Fulfillment Center parking lot, where employees can get to know one another while warming hot dogs over a cozy barrel fire.
“Detractors might call it a ‘shanty town,’ but we don’t like that term here at Amazon, so we’ve encouraged employees to refer to them as ‘shanty communities,’” says Singer while seated beneath a large TRUST BEZOS poster. Despite the company’s attempts at rebranding, an alternative term has taken hold as of late: Bezosvilles. These pop-up communities can accommodate as many as 1,200 living units and feature everything from schools and churches to cholera and stray dogs.
“We tried to start a baseball league, but our supervisor said team sports are dangerously close to a union,” says Jeff Hantomouph, an Amazon employee who rents the trunk of a Model A from his brother Andy.
Industry Partners Collaborate…or Else
Amazon is also currently developing a slate of new features that will be available on all vehicles purchased through Amazoom. Tapping its extensive network of business partners, the e-commerce retailer has been able to convince a number of industry leaders to join the effort. The auto website initiative not only allows these partners to exploi…serve the brand’s captive customer base but also ensure that nothing “bad” happens to their web servers or pets.
“We’re very excited to partner with Amazon to change the face of the American automobile,” says a very sweaty Gilbert Keene, CEO of plumbing fixture manufacturer Kohler. “There’s no denying the power and influence of Amazon in the digital marketplace, and we would be very, very dumb not to jump at the opportunity to work with them…as I’ve been told many times late at night by an anonymous man who won’t stop calling my house,” Keene says.
The Amazon-Kohler project will be the first vehicle in the world to feature a fully functioning toilet in place of a driver’s seat. Dubbed the Bummer by Amazon engineers, the vehicle features a privacy curtain, heated seat, and integrated drug-testing urinalysis module. Starting at $23,398, the Bummer is only the entry-level toilet-equipped model. A pricer, race-ready model featuring marble floors, a magazine rack, and a built-in air freshener is also being developed in collaboration with a storied German performance car manufacturer and will tentatively be called the Porsche Potty.
“How many road trips have been plagued by a never-ending quest to find a bathroom,” asks Keene. These vehicles aim to make such searches a thing of the past while also providing advertisers with valuable data about driver’s bathroom habits and auto-generating new Prime orders. “You can call it an invasion of privacy, but I just call it: never running out of toilet paper again,” he says.
There are other concept models currently in the works, though most are seen more like statement pieces than full-run production vehicles. One notable highlight is the “Union-made” Ford Fiesta, which is guaranteed to break down within 11 miles of the dealership and has a radio that broadcasts nothing but a dramatic reading of Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations. There’s also a limited-run collaboration with Jeep in the works for all of Amazon’s C-level executives. The modified Wrangler features heat-resistant tires and has been specifically tuned to traverse the side of Bezos’ hollowed-out volcano island headquarters.
As Amazon continues to ravenously gobble up market share, the company’s commitment to vertical integration remains strong as ever. By stifling competition, controlling the internet’s very levers of power, and paying less in taxes than the average dog walker, the company is able to pursue innovations like Amazoom that make the brand an inevitable if unwelcome part of everyday life.


text:
Resident Evil HD Remaster
Capcom TV recently held a livestream were they played Resident Evil HD Remaster to show off the upgrades that have been made to the upgraded title
Good news for all of you Resident Evil fans out there who are looking forward to the Resident Evil HD Remaster for the PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC. It looks like Capcom TV, a livestreaming show for the company’s titles, has given us a new 20 minute look at how Resident Evil HD Remaster is going to look and handle on the consoles and systems not owned by Nintendo. That is really all Resident Evil HD Remaster has going for it here as we all should know the story and base mechanics but we can hope that we get the best version with few bugs and issues right?
Unfortunately, even though it is looking nicer on the PlayStation, the video below is captured on a PS3 or PS4, it looks like some of the issues with controls dating all the way back to the first time Resident Evil was released are still plaguing the game. Either that or the person playing in the video just has no clue how to play. That would be kind of sad given that these are either employees or major fans of Capcom playing Resident Evil HD Remaster during the stream. I a bit more inclined to there still being a bit of issue not resolved with controls more than anything than that though.
Resident Evil HD Remaster — 20 Minutes Of Gameplay
I guess if anything we can just assume that Capcom left all of that in there for the next generation who didn’t have a chance to experience Resident Evil back in the PS1 days. That is really the goal for Resident Evil HD Remaster after all. If you think it is to give all of those demanding an HD remaster for nostalgia what they want then you are a self-entitled fool. The only other real reason would be to pick the pockets of said fools while Capcom hopefully is working on another NEW Resident Evil title or something else to blow us away. Maybe even have our brains eaten a bit.
Resident Evil HD Remaster is still slated for an “Early 2015” release on the PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC. Here’s hoping that it is crazy early 2015 because I still would love to enter the world of Resident Evil through this edition as I have lost my PS1 version and the Wii is still covered in dust for me to keep playing what we’ve had already…


text:
Christopher Ballod Comments on Cloud Agreements & CCPA for Legaltech News
Data Privacy & Cybersecurity Partner Christopher E. Ballod was recently quoted in an article from Legaltech news about the effects of the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) on businesses’ cloud agreements.
(November 21, 2019) - Data Privacy & Cybersecurity Partner Christopher E. Ballod was recently quoted in an article from Legaltech news about the effects of the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) on businesses’ cloud agreements. The article, titled “CCPA Uncertainty May Put Cloud Agreements Up in the Air,” discusses how a majority of companies with such agreements have not updated them to comply with the new law, which goes into effect on January 1, 2020.
Mr. Ballod noted that, with less than two months left in the year, some companies may not have enough time to “iron out all the mechanics involved in a cloud agreement” before the implementation date, such as how to properly satisfy subject data requests. He also warned of the CCPA’s new private right of action, which could lead to legal questions of liability between organizations that use cloud services and the companies that provide them.
“The risk is potentially uncapped,” said Mr. Ballod. “You have an unknown as to what litigation can end up looking like.”
Mr. Ballod is a partner in Lewis Brisbois’ Philadelphia and Pittsburgh offices. He is a regular contributor to the firm’s Data Privacy & Cybersecurity blog, Digital Insights, and a frequent commenter on the intersection of technology, cybersecurity, and the law.
Read the full article Legaltech news here (subscription may be required).


text:
Apple reportedly has asked its suppliers to expand output of its next iPhone, due out in September, by as much as 20 per cent.
Suppliers will boost output from 70 to 80 million for the iPhone 6 models, a record production run last year, to 85 million to 90 million by the end of the year for the new model, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Bloomberg reported last week that Apple has started early production of devices, which feature a screen including the “Force Touch” technology introduced by Apple’s Watch.
Force Touch enables the device to differentiate between “a tap and a press”, enabling users to access different functions based on the intensity of the input.
The new lineup will have the same screen sizes as the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus — 4.7- and 5.5-inch.
The Journal said Apple is considering using Taiwan-based Wintron as its third assembler.
Last week DigiTimes said component suppliers in Taiwan have started deliveries to Apple’s existing OEMs — Foxconn and Pegatron — for production of the next-generation device.
The expanded output is to keep up with soaring demand in China, which has been Apple’s main growth market. Unit sales of the iPhone jumped 46 per cent between March and May in China, according to Kantar Worldpanel.
That comes after Apple reported its revenue in greater China expanded 71 per cent to $16.8 billion in Q1, accounting for 56 per cent of total revenue growth in the quarter.
With Apple planning to increase the number of retail stores in China from 15 to 40 over the next two years, it is expecting continued strong growth for some time.


text:
This year's fintech study by the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts focuses on the Swiss Fintech ecosystem and provides insights into the dynamics of the market.
Every year, the Institute of Financial Services (IFZ) at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts publishes the "IFZ FinTech Study". Synpulse is extremely happy to sponsor this year`s edition.
For the seventh time, the study provides a comprehensive overview of the Swiss fintech sector. In recent years, this has grown from a niche market into an influential sector that offers innovative solutions to the financial industry. The current IFZ study shows to what extent this positive trend has continued.
Read our article to have a glimpse of the study and download the full report to find out more.
The number of Swiss fintech companies shrank in 2021 for the first time since 2015. However, a more detailed analysis of the sector shows that the existing firms have grown. This year's fintech study by the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts focuses on the Swiss fintech ecosystem and provides insights into the dynamics of the market.
The development of the Swiss fintech sector has only known one direction in recent years: upwards. After the size of the sector, measured by the number of active Swiss fintech companies, increased year after year in the past, a decline is now being recorded for the first time for the year 2021. At the end of 2021, Switzerland was home to 384 fintech companies, which corresponds to a decline of 21 companies compared to the previous year, or a minus of around 5% from a relative perspective.
Despite the negative development at first glance, there are also positive trends with regard to the business models of the companies. For example, the median number of employees and the median total funding of Swiss fintech companies increased last year. This is after these key figures stagnated or even declined last year. In addition, venture capital activity in the Swiss fintech sector reached a record level in 2021, both in terms of the number of financing rounds and the volume.
The fintech hub ranking of the IFZ study evaluates locations worldwide with regard to their political, legal, economic, technological, and social framework conditions for fintech companies. The result: Zurich and Geneva are in the top positions in an international comparison. The first five locations were able to defend their place with respect to last year’s results. This also shows that the Swiss locations are still ahead of other cities, such as New York, London, and San Francisco.
This year’s IFZ FinTech Study highlights the most relevant and current developments in the Swiss fintech sector. What does the current fintech landscape in Switzerland look like? Will the metaverse help blockchain technology make a breakthrough? How will Swiss banks and fintech companies exploit the potential of open finance in wealth management? Will sustainability be the new normal? The answers to these questions and many others are now available in the latest edition of the study.


text:
Apple didn't top its record profit, but business continues to roar
Apple just reported its second quarter earnings, which shall now be known as the quarter after its biggest quarter of all time. That’s a tough act to follow, yet somehow Apple still managed to outdo everyone’s expectations (including its own) for its past three months of sales, thanks once again to the iPhone. Apple today posted earnings of $13.6 billion on $58 billion in revenue, above both what it forecast and what investors were expecting.
Source:: The Verge


text:
Camas Plaza, located at 4031 Camas Plaza SE, Olympia, WA, enjoyed a soft opening on Jan. 25.
The site, which can be found between Lacey and Yelm at the roundabout between Washington State Route 510 and Yelm Highway, opened a new Nisqually Markets convenience store offering Shell plc fueling services, as well as the new Camas Coffee House, a sit-down coffee shop with a drive-thru.
The businesses – owned by the Nisqually Indian Tribe and managed by Medicine Creek Enterprise Corporation (MCEC) – are open to the public, and a grand opening is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 3.
The convenience store has taken everything that’s been successful at Nisqually Markets locations and rolled it into one premium package. Meanwhile, the coffee house is ready to be enjoyed by anyone in the area that would like to take a cozy break from the workday or meet a friend on the weekend.
The soft opening was attended by several representatives of MCEC and the Tribe, including members of the MCEC Board of Directors and of the Nisqually Tribal Council.
“This has been a project that could not have happened without the support of the Nisqually Tribal Council, MCEC Board Members, MCEC, Nisqually Construction as well as many other members of the team. We are excited to open and showcase the new location,” said Nisqually Markets General Manager Charie Coulliette.
Read March’s newsletter for full coverage of the Camas Plaza Grand Opening.


text:
Need to know
- Customers say there’s a lack of information on the green credentials of various energy providers
- Some Powershop customers are looking to move following its acquisition by Shell
- Research says a growing number of Australians want to make green choices in the energy space
There's a lot to think about when choosing an energy provider. While price is a big factor for many people, environmental credentials are equally important for some.
Research shows a growing number of Australians want to make environmentally conscious choices when it comes to choosing their electricity provider, but lack of information and potential greenwashing are proving to be hurdles.
And the market has become even more confusing recently, since one energy retailer that sold itself to customers as the green alternative was bought by multinational oil and gas company Royal Dutch Shell.
Green energy retailer Powershop sells to Shell
Australian online energy retailer Powershop was founded in 2007 in New Zealand and launched in Australia in 2014. Since then it amassed 185,000 customers in Australia by selling itself as the 'greenest energy provider' in the market.
But the recent acquisition of Powershop by Shell, a global behemoth mostly known for large-scale extraction of oil and gas, has prompted some Powershop customers to look at moving their households to another provider.
Powershop was tied for first place in the most recent Green Electricity Guide
Powershop was tied for first place in the most recent Green Electricity Guide, put out by environmental non-government organisation Greenpeace in 2018. Greenpeace plans to update the guide in February 2022, and says Powershop will now likely rank much lower down the scale.
Activist group Getup had previously urged their followers to switch to Powershop and claims to have mobilised "tens of thousands" of people to do so. They are now urging their supporters to shop around since the Shell acquisition.
Powershop customers flee
Melbourne-based Shaz says that price is a concern for her when choosing an electricity retailer, but so is the environment.
"I won't switch to one that isn't actively prioritising green energy," she tells CHOICE.
Shaz switched to Powershop around four years ago, but is now looking to switch again. She is currently deciding between Amber and Cooperative Power, and says the process of choosing a new environmentally conscious energy provider has been time-consuming and confusing.
It would definitely be useful to have an easier way to choose energy providers that consider the environmentShaz, energy customer, Melbourne
"It would definitely be useful to have an easier way to choose energy providers that consider the environment," she says.
Margaret, also based in Melbourne, is in a similar boat. A long time Powershop customer, she's planning to switch to Cooperative Power, mainly because her environmentally conscious friends have recommended it to her.
"I don't want to be fuelling fossil fuels or unethical companies," Margaret says.
Finding the right energy-conscious provider can be time-consuming and confusing.
Barriers to switching
Dr Rebecca Huntley is a researcher and consultant on climate change communication, and author of the book 'How to Talk About Climate Change in a Way That Makes a Difference'.
She tells CHOICE that her research shows about a quarter of all Australians have considered switching their energy provider to a more environmentally friendly one, though a much smaller number of people, fewer than one in ten, have actually done it.
About a quarter of all Australians have considered switching their energy provider to a more environmentally friendly one
She says this suggests there are barriers between thought and action for the more environmentally conscious consumer when it comes to switching energy retailers. These barriers may be related to not knowing how much of an actual difference changing providers would make, or suspecting energy retailers of 'greenwash' or of making inflated environmental claims.
"[People might be unsure] about what it means. 'Is it a drop in the ocean?'," she says.
"The other thing is around social opportunity. It might not register really high on the list of priorities, but it is there. If friends and family aren't doing it, aren't discussing it, [that makes change less likely]," she adds.
The Green Electricity Guide looks at several criteria, including polices on coal.
More green energy guidance needed
There are currently no government guides or star ratings when it comes to the green credentials of energy providers. But Australian Energy Regulator chair Clare Savage told an energy forum in October 2021 that it was being considered by the regulator.
"One of the things we have been looking at as part of our consumer strategy moving forward is whether we need better comparison tools," she said.
Meanwhile, Greenpeace will release its third updated Green Electricity Guide in February 2022.
One of the things we have been looking at as part of our consumer strategy moving forward is whether we need better comparison toolsAustralian Energy Regulator chair Clare Savage
Dr Nikola Casule, Greenpeace Australia Pacific's head of research and investigations, says the most important thing for producing a guide is independence from any financial relationship with the industry or electricity providers.
He says the Green Electricity Guide uses around seven different criteria to rank energy providers, including their investment in renewable energy production and their policies on supporting coal.
"The purpose of the guide is twofold. It's to provide the general public with a completely independent, reputable ranking of electricity retailers in Australia by how environmentally friendly they are, including things like their emissions and their policies on coal, solar and more," Casule tells CHOICE.
"It's a really useful tool, when people are looking to improve their impacts on the environment. A quite impactful personal change that anybody can make is switching to a greener retailer."
[The Green Electricity Guide] is to provide the general public with a completely independent, reputable ranking of electricity retailers in Australia by how environmentally friendly they areDr Nikola Casule, Greenpeace head of research and investigations
"And the second element is that the guide falls into our ongoing campaign targeting AGL, which is Australia's biggest climate polluter (when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions)," he adds.
While the Greenpeace guide is certainly useful, it seems more information is needed. Outside of that, customers like Shaz and Margaret are left to rely on the advice of like-minded friends.
"We certainly need more information, that would be a great idea," Margaret says.
Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.


text:
By Alois Vinga
RAW materials in the form of minerals, cotton, among others continue to dominate the country’s exports indicating an urgent need to revamp the local manufacturing capacity.
The latest Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe’s (RBZ) Monthly Economic Review for the period ended September 2020 shows that exports for the month under review were dominated by nickel ores and concentrates 24%, nickel mattes 21%, gold 17%, tobacco 11 % and platinum 6%.
Industrial diamonds, ferro-chromium, cane sugar, ginned cotton were among the top export lists during the period.
“The bulk of the country’s exports went to South Africa, accounting for about 39.7%, followed by Mozambique (11.3%) and the United Arab Emirates (9.6%). The country’s merchandise exports rose by 2.4%, from US$389.3 million in August to US$398.8 million in September 2020,” the reports said.
The September 2020 outturn was 5.4% higher, compared to the corresponding month in 2019.
The recovery in commodity prices from the coronavirus pandemic spurred the country’s export earnings.
A perusal of previous RBZ reports published for most part of the year sustains a record of raw materials dominated export list.
During the month under review, trade developments resulted in the widening of the country’s trade deficit, from US$15.6 million in August 20203 to a deficit of US$42.6 million in September 2020.
The existence of an incapacitated manufacturing sector which has seen industry operating below capacity for more than a decade remains a major barrier towards the value-added exports.
Last year, the government launched the Zimbabwe National Industrial Policy), which is expected to help transform the economy through value addition, increasing employment levels and promoting a culture of savings.
Coupled with the RBZ foreign exchange auction which has been credited by companies for achieving exchange rate stability, optimism remains high on the possibility of industrial transformation.
However, limited Foreign Direct Investment, lack of capital access from global lenders among other limitations places the country’s industry in a challenging position.


text:
- VIX Logística would be purchasing a fleet of new Kalmar heavy-duty forklift trucks that are equipped with WOKO lifting magnets.
- The order also includes Kalmar’s vehicle maintenance tool as well as a spare parts package.
Kalmar, the cargo-handling solutions provider and a part of Finland-based Cargotec Oyj, has reportedly signed a new supply agreement with Brazil-based logistics firm VIX Logística (VIX) to supply a fleet of five Kalmar heavy-duty forklift trucks with WOKO lifting magnets.
Reports cite, the purchase order made by VIX also includes Kalmar’s proprietary vehicle performance management tool called Insight as well as a spare parts package. VIX reportedly already operates a large fleet of 38 forklifts from Kalmar for its logistics & material handling operations.
According to a press release by Kalmar, the company’s heavy-duty forklifts are heavily trusted by customers throughout the world for their flexibility, precision and reliability in performing a plethora of demanding terminal as well as heavy-industry applications. Under the terms of the agreement, Kalmar would also be supplying parts for over 43 of VIX’s Kalmar machines, which would further reduce delivery times and spare part costs.
The Chief Executive Officer of VIX Logística, Bruno Pretti Chieppe stated that the company has been exceedingly impressed with the capabilities of the Kalmar forklifts that are currently deployed in its fleet, which is why it approached Kalmar when it began looking to make investments in new machines. Pretti Chieppe further stated that the company fully expects that the new fleet of forklifts would further boost the efficiency & flexibility of its operations.
The Vice President of Market Area Latin America at Kalmar, Erika Barbosa stated that the company is thrilled to extend its existing cooperation with VIX Logística through the new order. Barbosa further added that Kalmar, a leader in the domain of heavy-duty forklifts across Brazil, is proud of the trust that is being put in both its product offerings & its service support.
According to reports, the financial details pertaining to the new order have not been disclosed yet.


text:
Or does it only target the tip of the iceberg?
Earlier this month (10 May), new legislation for empty retail spaces was announced in the Queen’s speech – a bill that gives local authorities the power to force commercial landlords to rent empty properties through compulsory rental auctions.
Landlords will have a one-year timeframe to fill the premises through traditional means before they go to auction.
The proposal comes as part of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill: a wider plan to rejuvenate the UK’s high streets. The idea is that a successful bidder, whether a business or community group, will take over the premises, ridding the high street of a derelict property and giving smaller businesses the chance to expand.
14.1% of UK shops were reported vacant in the first quarter of 2022, increasing from 12.2% in March 2020. The issue of vacant and boarded-up shops does not appear to be going away, despite the easing of COVID restrictions, and many retailers and retail bodies are happy that the government has decided to step in.
However, others are not so sure that compulsory auctions are an effective solution, and have suggested that the government’s proposal oversimplifies the root of the issue.
What it means for landlords and agents
The overall feeling among commercial landlords and agents regarding the bill is concern, given that control over their assets could essentially be taken out of their hands.
“We have very serious reservations about the ‘Empty Shop Bill’ and how it could ever work in practice,” says Nick Symons, Partner at MMX Retail.
“The proposed auction process appears flawed on many levels. It fails to address the commercial reality behind why there are so many empty shops across UK high streets, and it raises more questions and potential costs than it does meaningful solutions.
“In many cases, the cost of the auction process will be more expensive than the value of the shop in question. Will these costs be picked up by local authorities who are already facing very real cost pressures themselves?”
Symons raises further concerns that many landlords will share, with regards to health and safety, and what the rules will be when the property is empty due to factors outside of their control.
“Who will be liable for building repairs and making sure the shop meets health and safety standards? And what consideration has been given to landlords pursuing redevelopment of a store, and awaiting planning? Under this new proposal, could they end up stripped of their asset?
“Ultimately, at MMX Retail we believe this government’s energy, time and money would be much better spent on a meaningful reform of the archaic business rates system, rather than just sticking that in the ‘too difficult’ folder to gather dust.”
Business rates are a tax on non-domestic properties, e.g., shops, restaurants and offices, and they are currently calculated using the property’s estimated value on the open market. Some reforms of the current business rates system are set to come into action next year, including more frequent revaluations and a new relief to support green property investments.
However, the fact remains that a business’s rateable value will not always reflect its revenue, and this can be crippling for businesses – particularly smaller ones.
What it means for retailers
Small businesses undoubtedly suffered as a result of the pandemic, with many not surviving lockdown after lockdown. Many retailers’ first response to the bill was positive, with the hope that it would encourage landlords to reduce rental fees and explore flexible leasing options.
On the one hand, it may seem like this change would be ideal for retailers, as it should provide more opportunities to expand and open new stores for a lower price and/or with reduced commitment. Whilst many have voiced their praise, others have their doubts.
“Business rates remain high, and are the real barrier to prospective tenants taking on empty units.” Says Phil Pinder, Director of Wizardry at The Potions Cauldron & Vice-Chair of the York High Street Forum.
Yet again, business rates are exposed as the true enemy of the high street. They put brick-and-mortar stores at a significant disadvantage to e-commerce stores and make retailers question whether they need (or can afford) a physical presence.
Pinder continues: “If the government wanted to really help the high street, they would start with business rates, the only tax that falls on a business irrelevant of how much revenue they make. A Victorian property tax that is no longer fit for the modern age – reform is long overdue, and this latest bill I think is simply tinkering at the edges.”
Although the overall aim of the bill is to support retailers, as well as revitalising the high street and increasing footfall, there are clearly still significant systemic issues to be tackled.
An uncertain future
It is not yet evident whether the Empty Shop Bill can bring the meaningful change to the high street that it intends to, but experts suspect the solution is not as simple as merely filling empty shops as quickly as possible.
Furthermore, with many costs and finer details not outlined in the government’s announcement, it is difficult to say how the compulsory rental auctions will work in practice, and who will be responsible for additional costs.
In reality, we are likely to see a surge in pop-up shops and other flexible formats on the high street, as a means for landlords to keep their properties in use whilst seeking longer-term tenants. Whilst this would be a positive outcome, it is reasonable to suggest that there is still more the government could do to support small businesses and local communities, such as a total reform of the business rates system.


text:
British fashion chain New Look is making a profit again: during the financial year 2013, that ended at the end of March, New Look realised a gross profit of 3.1 million pound (3.6 million euro). Last year the company made a loss of 54.5 million pound (64 million euro).
Online growth compensates offline decline
The improvement is partly due to the rise in sales, which climbed by 2.5% in the past financial year to 1.48 billion pound (1.7 billion euro). This was mainly because of much higher online sales, up by no less than 50.1%. Those compensated the slight decline in physical shops.
The strong expansion of online sales, already worth 95 million pound (111 million euro), was the result of new, more user-friendly online shop and a broader offer with some exclusive products.
Closing shops on home market, expansion abroad
New Look also used a cost-effective style and company processes improved to increase their efficiency. This caused the closing of 42 onerous British shops, while a quarter of the remaining 589 locations in the United Kingdom received a thorough makeover. The rest will receive the same treatment over the next three years.
Outside of the home market the number of shops raised from 499 to 549. In March 2014 New Look is planning to open is first shop in China. Hundreds of new shops are set to open in the near future, with Russia, Poland and South Korea also on the books for expansion.
New Look is owned by founder Rom Singh and the investment funds Apax and Permira. The chain has more than 1.100 locations in 32 countries.


text:
Mario Party 10 will be released on the Wii U this March, Nintendo has today announced.
During their Nintendo Direct conference this morning, the Japanese video games giant showcased a new trailer for the title, revealing extensive Wii U GamePad and amiibo support – as well as the return of Donkey Kong to the series for the first time since 2002’s Mario Party 4.
According to the gameplay video, the game will include over new power-ups and boards, as well as over 70 mini games. A brand new mode, amiibo Party, will also debut.
Mario Party 10 will launch in North America on March 20, alongside a new wave of amiibo figurines.


text:
Consumer Reports: Millions of Americans Lack Fast Internet Service
Friday, August 6, 2021
Consumer Reports: Millions of Americans Lack Fast Internet Service
You’re reading the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society’s Weekly Digest, a recap of the biggest (or most overlooked) broadband stories of the week. The digest is delivered via e-mail each Friday.
This week, guest author James K. Willcox of Consumer Reports guides us through the results of a recent survey on home broadband service.
Round-Up for the Week of August 2-6, 2021
Millions of Americans struggle to pay for fast internet service, or find that it’s not available where they live, a new Consumer Reports survey shows.
The nationally representative survey of 2,565 adults (PDF), conducted in June of this year, adds urgency to debates over broadband infrastructure and competition, according to consumer advocates.
Approximately 3 out of 4 Americans say they have broadband, or high-speed internet, service in their households. But 1 in 20 says they rely on slow DSL connections or a dial-up service, 15 percent use their cellphone plans to access the internet, and 3 percent of Americans say they have no internet access at all in their homes.
Nearly a third of those who lack broadband say it’s because it costs too much, while about a quarter of those who do have it say they find it difficult to afford.
“This survey reinforces what we already suspected: that getting online for millions of Americans is too costly, and in many cases the service is inadequate,” says Jonathan Schwantes, senior policy counsel at Consumer Reports. “As the pandemic continues, being able to connect to high-speed internet makes all the difference in the world, whether you are applying to a job or video chatting with family and friends.”
There is something consumers can do to help lower the cost, however.
The survey shows that many people have successfully negotiated with their broadband providers to get a better deal in the past 12 months. Nearly half of those who negotiated for better features, such as faster speed, were successful, while 42 percent who bargained for a better price were able to get one.
Struggling to Pay Monthly Bills
Forty-three percent of Americans who have broadband service in their home are using it more now than they were before the pandemic hit, according to the survey, and 16 percent decided to upgrade their plans to meet their growing needs.
Hispanic, Black, and Asian consumers were the most likely to upgrade their existing service. However, the difficulty in affording fast internet service is felt disproportionately among communities of color. Thirty-two percent of Black and 33 percent of Hispanic Americans who have broadband at home say they have some level of trouble paying their bill. That’s true for 21 percent of white Americans.
According to the survey, the median monthly broadband bill, including taxes and fees, is about $70. In areas where there’s competition, prices are lower. The median monthly price in a market with just one provider is $75, but that figure drops to $68 when consumers have a choice of three providers.
Paying More to Keep Up
People of color were more likely to upgrade their service in response to COVID-19
Source: June 2021 Consumer Reports nationally representative survey of 2,565 adult U.S. residents.
Lack of local infrastructure is also a barrier for some Americans, especially those living in rural areas. Of those who don’t have broadband internet service, a quarter say it’s because it is not available where they live.
The survey shows that more African American households (21 percent) rely on smartphones for at-home internet access than white (14 percent) or Hispanic (15 percent) households.
To gather more information on internet pricing and access, Consumer Reports is working with a coalition of partner organizations to collect and analyze thousands of internet bills from across the United States. Individuals can participate in the Broadband Together project by taking an internet speed test, sharing a bill, and answering a few questions about your broadband service.
Consumer Reports plans to publish the initial results this fall, in partnership with several other media organizations.
Support for Municipal Broadband
The Consumer Reports survey also gathered information on municipal broadband services, in which a town or city offers its own internet plans to residents, often in partnership with a private company.
These city-run services may provide fast connections to people’s homes in neighborhoods where none are available from other internet service providers. They can also introduce competition—and often lower prices—in markets that lack it.
Many of these municipal broadband services are popular with their customers. EPB, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, for example, has periodically showed up at the top of Consumer Reports' telecom ratings for internet providers.
About 20 states have curtailed or banned such internet services to prevent local governments from competing with private enterprises. Consumer Reports and other advocacy groups have long opposed such restrictions.
Most Americans share that view. Three out of 4 Americans feel that municipal broadband services should be allowed to help ensure that all Americans have equal access to the internet.
According to the survey, the level of support varies with political affiliation but is shared by majorities of Democrats (85 percent), independents (74 percent), and Republicans (63 percent).
James K. Willcox has been a tech journalist for more years than he's willing to admit. His specialties at Consumer Reports are TVs, streaming media, audio, and TV and broadband services. In his spare time he builds and plays guitars and bass, rides motorcycles, and likes to sail—hobbies he's not yet figured out how to safely combine.
This article, reprinted here with permission, originally appeared on Consumer Reports at www.consumerreports.org/broadband/millions-of-americans-lack-fast-internet-service-cr-survey-a1099956385
- Senate finishing crafting $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure proposal, including $65 billion for broadband (Washington Post | Keller and Heckman)
- Senate infrastructure bill sets stage for massive effort to make broadband more available and affordable (Washington Post)
- Low-Cost Broadband in Senate Bill Sparks Alarm on Rates (Bloomberg)
- Cable, Internet Companies Stand to Gain From Broadband Funding in Infrastructure Bill (Wall Street Journal)
- Bipartisan Infrastructure Package Has True Bipartisan Backing (Morning Consult)
- What Does the Infrastructure Bill Mean for Anchor Institution Broadband? (Schools Health and Libraries Broadband Coalition)
- Rural Digital Opportunity Fund winners already defaulted on $78 million in bids (Fierce)
Weekend Reads (resist tl;dr)
- FCC Announces Updated Lifeline Minimum Service Standards and Indexed Budget Amount (FCC)
- National Telecommunications and Information Administration to Begin Accepting Applications for $268 Million Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program (NTIA)
- How Starlink’s Satellite Internet Stacks Up Against HughesNet, Viasat and Fixed Broadband (Ookla)
- The Ohio Case Study (Next Century Cities)
- The State of US and European Broadband Prices and Deployment (Progressive Policy Institute)
ICYMI from Benton
- Six Community Broadband Networks (Christopher Mitchell, Sean Gonsalves, Jericho Casper)
- Understanding Broadband Speed Data in NTIA’s Indicators of Broadband Need (Chris Ritzo, Lai Yi Ohlsen)
- The Emergency Broadband Benefit has thus far enrolled just 1 in 12 eligible households, but places with low broadband adoption rates show better results (John Horrigan)
- Our Challenge to Finally Close the Digital Divide (Robbie McBeath)
Aug 11—Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program Webinar (NTIA)
Aug 12—Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program Webinar (NTIA)
Aug 12—The Impact Summit (Impact Labs)
Aug 12—Broadband Data Task Force Webinar On Proposals For Broadband DATA Act Mobile Challenge, Verification, And Crowdsource Technical Requirements (FCC)
Aug 18—Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program Webinar (NTIA)
Aug 19—Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program Webinar (NTIA)
Aug 19—Task Force for Reviewing the Connectivity and Technology Needs of Precision Agriculture in the United States (FCC)
Aug 23—Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program Webinar (NTIA)
Aug 24—Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program Webinar (NTIA)
The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all people in the U.S. have access to competitive, High-Performance Broadband regardless of where they live or who they are. We believe communication policy - rooted in the values of access, equity, and diversity - has the power to deliver new opportunities and strengthen communities.
© Benton Institute for Broadband & Society 2021. Redistribution of this email publication - both internally and externally - is encouraged if it includes this copyright statement.
For subscribe/unsubscribe info, please email headlinesATbentonDOTorg


text:
- CB Insights, the tech market intelligence platform that makes predictions about the startups that could become unicorns, said Wednesday it acquired VentureSource's data from Dow Jones on tech, startups, and venture capitalists going back to 1983.
- As many tech companies are slashing headcount amid plummeting revenues, CB Insights said it continues to hire through the pandemic, and its multi-million dollar revenue is growing.
- The acquisition of this data, for an undisclosed amount, will help CB Insights clients make informed decisions, such as choosing which lawyers, bankers, and accountants to work with and when, the company says.
- Anand Sanwal, CEO and co-founder of CB Insights, hinted that additional acquisitions may be on the company's horizon.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
CB Insights, the market intelligence platform that is known for predicting which startups will become unicorns, said Wednesday that is has acquired VentureSource's data assets from Dow Jones for an undisclosed amount. Dow Jones VentureSource, a pioneer in the data field, has been collecting important information on tech, startups, and investors since 1983 — well before the first dot-com boom.
The acquisition of VentureSource's data assets comes at a time when CB Insights is seeing multi-million dollar revenues that keep growing, the firm says. The New York-based company, which was founded in 2008 by Anand Sanwal and Jonathan Sherry, has continued to hire during the pandemic. The startup acquired the VentureSource data without raising any additional funds, CEO Anand Sanwal told Business Insider in an interview.
The coronavirus pandemic has been "a shot in the arm" for CB Insights, Sanwal said, referring to the company's rising revenue. CB Insights, which mostly helps large enterprises make technology decisions, has seen a surge in demand. Sanwal said that the startup's clients are in the market for new technologies so that they can implement social distancing in workplaces such as factories and call centers.
Sanwal also said that his company is interested in acquiring "peculiar dirty data," such as PDFs and handwritten documents. While most companies won't touch this sort of information, Sanwal said that CB Insights has a "high pain tolerance" for working through old-school information.
The pain might be worth it. CB Insights, whose data is mostly from 1999 and after, hopes to become the largest database for private company data. This fresh data from VentureSource will give clients access to additional information about how private companies are run, including which lawyers, bankers, and accountants worked with which companies, and when. The data set also includes information about almost half a million management personnel, Sanwal told Business Insider.
Sanwal hinted that another acquisition might happen later this year. And while the company has recently focused on revenue rather than seeking outside funding, the CEO hinted that CB Insights might raise some funds to help with another acquisition later this year. He said the company is looking to expand further into data as well as into B2B media and hyper vertical search technology.
As CB Insights eyes future acquisitions, Sanwal said that he is always thinking about what is in the best interest of his clients.
"Customers are your investors," he said. Seeing customers in this way can give "a lot of clarity around who you need to support," Sanwal said. "We want to make sure that we're not doing this for an ego gratification," he added.
It'll take the company some time to sift through the freshly acquired data and make it useful for CB Insights clients, but Sanwal said that the company plans to integrate the data into its database by August.


text:
MUMBAI – The Indian government, which is going ahead with a series of feverish revenue-increasing efforts despite sagging investor confidence, has decided to hand over more taxpayer money to Air India Ltd.
The state-run airline will likely get 12 billion rupees ($215.6 million) by Thursday from the federal government as part of a broader financial package, two senior executives said Tuesday.
- Best Buy:
Save 15% or more on the Best Buy deal of the Day
Walmart coupon: $20 off your $50+ order
Back-to-School Sale: Extra 25% off sitewide - JCPenney coupon code
Up to 15% off + free shipping at Wayfair
Nike Gear Up for Fall Sale: Up to 50% off
- The Home Depot:
Free $20 Home Depot coupon with Pro Xtra membership sign up


text:
April 6, 2018
Since February 2006, Storch has assembled an entirely new roster of executives that he refers to as the "dream team of retailing." He's cleaned up the stores and improved the customer-service amenities garnering widespread acceptance among consumers for their appearance with service scores up by hundreds of basis points year over year for two years in a row. He's revamped merchandising with a greater focus on differentiation, exclusivity, and in-store boutiques. And he's grateful the company was taken private with the leveraged buyout by KKR, Bain Capital, and Vornado in March 2005, eliminating the constant pressure on performance from Wall Street and allowing him to concentrate on the future.
TRU is on the threshold of once again becoming a growth company. With more than 1,500 stores in 35 countries and $13 billion in annual sales, TRU is opening new stores again, having some fun again, and—most importantly—improving financial performance. The company reported in its 10K filing net income for fiscal 2006 of $109 million.
Yet with all his new strategies and accomplishments implemented in such a relative short period of time, Storch is not done—nor is he basking in the aura of success and recognition that was reinforced in June when LIMA, the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Association, presented him with the Retailer of the Year award. In fact, he readily admits the turnaround is not over, nor will it ever be.
"It's clearly still a turnaround. The opportunity is massive and I won't declare victory ever," emphasizes Storch. "We are a growth company, which is a change from recent years, and you'll see that growth as we go forward."
Storch remembers vividly the state of the company when he took over in February 2006 and it's obviously not a fond memory. The fact is that TRU was in deep trouble and haunted by the lingering effect of months of negative headlines such as the one in the New York Times in August 2004 that stated: "Toys 'R' Us Says It May Leave the Toy Business."
"There were questions about whether the U.S. toy business would be liquidated and sold off for real estate, whether Babies 'R' Us would be spun off, and if the international business would be separated," Storch recalls. "These types of questions might make great reading, but they do a great disservice to the people within the company. There was a disruptive period surrounding the sale of the company, so I have been trying to make sure we continue to move past that."
As he completes his second year with TRU, Storch is proudest of the new team he has assembled. "We have built one of the top teams in retailing in a relatively short period of time," he says.
Storch and his new executive team certainly have moved swiftly to make dramatic changes, to improve all aspects of the retailer's business, and to reestablish the pride and commitment in the company internally as well as the brand image to consumers.
Storch's "dream team of retailing" features executives from several retail chains including Ron Boire, president of TRU North America, formerly a Best Buy merchandising executive; Claire Babrowski, executive vice president and chief operating officer, formerly a Radio Shack and McDonald's operations executive; and Robert Giampietro as senior vice president of trend and innovation, a former Target executive.
"TRU allowed the market to turn into a discount-oriented, plastic-by-the-pound market and we are now reasserting our position as the toy authority," says Storch. And he adds that the company will "continue to strengthen its position as the baby authority at Babies 'R' Us."
One of the most important initiatives—and the strategy that will drive growth in the future—is the opening of "combination" stores that brings the retailer back in some ways to the original TRU concept that integrates the toys with juvenile products.
"We will be investing significant capital in improving our stores and opening our first U.S toy stores in some time," says Storch. "The primary difference in these stores vs. stores built in the past is aggressive integration of the juvenile business and the Babies 'R' Us format."
Four "combination" stores were opened this fall and Storch says the company plans to open a double-digit number of stores in 2008, although the exact number has yet to be released by the company. The retailer already operates the integrated stores in Spain, Canada, and Japan and will continue to expand them in France, Germany, and the UK.
Formulating a Strategy
Storch also believes that on-trend, exclusive products, creative merchandising, and licensing are critical to TRU's ongoing turnaround.
"We need to make sure products we sell are differentiated and, in some cases, better than the products we sold in the past," Storch says.
"Licensing is fantastic for TRU," he adds. "Licensing gives us the vehicle to differentiate the company from discount stores and provides an opportunity to take what would otherwise be a commodity and make it something special.
"The rock-star theme (
, Hannah Montana and High School Musical) is one of the hottest trends we've seen in toys this year and we have expanded that more than any other retailer," Storch says. "Little girls think it's fabulous; it's a dominant statement of the year's hottest trend and that's what we should stand for."
In addition to the juvenile category, Storch said TRU would continue to expand its electronics business as well as all the categories that comprise the spectrum of family entertainment.
Among some of the recent licensing and merchandising initiatives that exemplify TRU's strategy are:
- Ben 10. Introduced last month, the latest boutique features this Cartoon Network property in conjunction with the first live-action movie, Race Against Time, which debuted Nov. 21.
- Pokémon. In June, TRU debuted a Pokémon boutique with a wide range of products as well as video of the newly released movie Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea.
- Pop-up store. TRU opened a temporary 25,000-square-foot holiday store in downtown Manhattan, showcasing the season's hottest products and New York themed souvenirs.
- Exclusive products. Hannah Montana Doll Tour Bus by Play Along; Hokey Pokey Elmo by Fisher-Price; Monopoly Pink Boutique Edition Board Game by Hasbro; and the Imaginarium Glitter Suite Dollhouse by Toys "R" Us.
In the future, Storch believes there is growth and opportunity in the construction area, learning products, electronics independent of video games, eco products, and video games.
The TRU e-commerce platform, which was revamped 18 months ago when the company partnered with GSI Commerce and Exel, remains an important marketing and merchandising opportunity.
"The Web is a key part of the company's strategy in its own right as a retail channel, but equally important as a marketing vehicle for our stores," Storch explains. "We know from our research that many customers come to the Web site to preview what we sell and then they go to the store to purchase it. We're making great progress in our second year on a new platform."
As evidenced by many of the new merchandising initiatives, it's not surprising that the supplier and licensing community have been supportive of Storch and his team's goals.
"We have great support from suppliers," says Storch. "Some suppliers may have felt TRU was not on the right track in the past and they didn't have the proper hearing about their products and programs. But now I hear from supplier after supplier that they recognize TRU is on a growth track making thoughtful business decisions, that we are proceeding based on facts, and that we have an enhanced trend flair and marketing flair. TRU represents a great opportunity for them to grow their business with us."
While the impact of the numerous toy recalls has affected many companies, TRU was at the forefront of the controversy and proactive in its response and efforts. Storch testified before a Senate hearing on toy safety in September and the company created a special Web site dedicated to safety (see "Safety Zone").
Despite the negative impact and inherent problems with the product recalls, Storch believes that the "good news is that toys are being made safer."
As for the future, Storch is excited about the potential of TRU. "The opportunity is to start growing new stores with vigor and keep remodeling older stores so TRU can be the best it can be," he says. "We need to keep improving our merchandise and differentiating our products so more and more distance will separate products we sell at TRU vs. those sold at mass merchants and discounters.
"And," he adds, "we believe the new store format is most convenient for parents to buy baby products and older kids' products together. It's the heritage of TRU to have that strong juvenile area in the store and we're going to make it even stronger."
There's no doubt that Storch's turnaround plan has been working and slowly transforming into a game plan for growth.
"We are playing to win," says Storch. "It might sound like a slogan, because it is a slogan. But it means that we are not playing to defend a position, we are playing to grow the company and we're going to succeed as a team."
Subscribe and receive the latest news from the industry.
Join 62,000+ members. Yes, it’s completely free.


text:
Some of them suggest that the upcoming device may be launched in India in two storage variants - 32GB and 64GB. Today, a latest report coming from Gizchina claims that company will be launching Redmi Note 5 Pro along with Redmi Note 5 in India on February 14. Some believe it to be a rebranded version of the Redmi 5 Plus which is already available in China, while some indicate it to be an all-new Redmi Note 5. Android Nougat is listed as the OS on the Redmi Note 5 Pro, while MIUI 9 will ship installed on top of Google's operating system. According to the teaser shared by the company, the new smartphone will have an aspect ratio of 18:9 along with super-slim bezels. As rumoured, the Redmi 5 Plus is coming to India as Redmi Note 5 with the same Snapdragon 625 chipset, sadly. The device is reported come with 16-megapixel primary camera sensor and 5-megapixel secondary camera sensor.
If the render below is trustworthy then the Redmi 5 Plus and the Redmi Note 5 are different phones.
Instagram tests screenshot alerts for Stories
For example, Twitter eventually acquired social media sponsorship broker Niche so it could support creators and start earning a cut of their deals.
Other than all that, the Xiaomi Mi TV 4 has a subwoofer, which is about 308mm tall. However, it's just a matter of few hours before we know everything about the phone as the launch event is scheduled for tomorrow.
In addition to the smartphones, Xiaomi is planning to unveil the new Mi TV series on February 14. Xiaomi's teasers and invite have also indicated a change in display. It is speculated that the Redmi Note 5 will come in a Pro variant which will be equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 SoC while the base model will include the Snapdragon 626 SoC running under-the-hood.
View Adds Or Mine Cryptocurrency, Salon Gives You The Choice
A number of scientific projects also use spare computing power to contribute towards research. There's no information about the software in Salon's frequently-asked questions (FAQs) page.
The front of the phone will be dominated by the 5.99-inch Full HD+ display which gets up to 450 nits maximum brightness and has 2.5D curved glass.
This one comes with a dual camera setup at the back. The selfie camera is said to be a 20-megapixel selfie lover's dream. The Redmi Note 5 Pro is expected to be priced around the 15,000 INR mark whereas the Redmi Note 5 will cost approximately 11,000 INR to 12,000 INR.
Michigan State Interim President Engler Calls Scathing ESPN Report 'Sensationalized'
Some professors have criticized the selection of John Engler, a former governor of MI , as interim president there. Engler called the report "a sensationalized package of reporting", according to Murphy.
Late past year, there were speculations that Xiaomi was killing off the note line in favour of the Redmi line of more affordable phones. There is a 4,000 mAh battery in the device.


text:
Posted Tue Aug 5, 2014 at 02:00 PM PDT by Steven Cohen
The new deal includes broadcast and streaming rights for live and on-demand content.
Dish and A+E Networks have announced a multi-year contract renewal. As part of the agreement, Dish will continue to distribute A+E Network stations through its satellite service and will also gain the rights to stream the channels through a possible upcoming internet TV subscription service.
"I am pleased to call A+E Networks an innovative partner in developing this wide-ranging, creative agreement that will help to define the future of TV," Joseph P. Clayton, DISH President and CEO. "Together we are enhancing the customer experience today with fresh, dynamic programming that DISH customers will be able to watch when and how they prefer."
The deal covers all of A+E Networks' channels and programming, including A&E, Lifetime, HISTORY, LMN, FYI, H2, HISTORY en Español, Crime + Investigation, and Military HISTORY. In addition, Dish customers will also gain expanded support for authenticated playback on internet-connected devices, allowing subscribers to watch on-demand content from A+E Networks on smartphones, tablets, PCs, gaming consoles, smart TVs, and streaming boxes. Finally, the contract also includes rights to stream A+E Networks channels through a potential internet subscription service that Dish has been reportedly developing.
There's no word yet on when Dish plans to launch its rumored internet TV platform, but the company has also secured the streaming rights to Disney's television lineup.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
The latest news on all things 4K Ultra HD, blu-ray and Gear.


text:
TSC Apparel's collection of brands has expanded for 2013. In addition to growing its house brand collection, Tultex, TSC is now stocking and sourcing the complete line of L.A.T Sportswear brands, as well as New Balance performance wear through Gildan.
Canada's Gildan Activewear Inc. has completed the acquisition of the remaining 50 percent of CanAm Yarns LLC, its 50 percent-owned yarn spinning joint venture, and is planning to modernize and expand the two CanAm yarn-spinning facilities. It is also planning a new yarn-spinning facility in the U.S.
The strategic rationale for the company's investment in vertically integrated yarn spinning is to support its projected sales growth and to continue to pursue its business model of investing in global low cost manufacturing technology and in product technology which will provide consistent superior product quality.
Celebrities and stores everywhere are catching on to ocean-hued trends for summer 2010. Both Pantone's Key Colors for spring/summer 2010 and NY’s Fashion Week predicted that colors from turquoise and Amparo Blue, to dried herb and eucalyptus green, would be the focus for this summer’s fashion outlook.
By Bodek and Rhodes
Keep your cranium warm with this hoodie from Bodek and Rhodes. It sports a double-lined hood with matching drawstring and also has double-needle cuffs and front pouch pocket.
The Americana Company, a West Coast distributor of imprintable sportswear based out of Gardena, Calif., released its new catalog this month. In addition to T-shirts and fleece, the 116-page book includes athleticwear, sport shirts, jackets, children’s apparel, hats, bags and aprons. The wholesaler has also increased inventory levels and has expanded its one-day shipping area.
Cincinnati-based TSC Apparel announced the first winners of its new 2010 promotion--the City, Beach, Mountain Adventure Series. This year, TSC along with mill sponsors Anvil and Gildan, will send 10 winners on a trip of their choice based on their purchases of monthly featured items.
Gildan Activewear Inc. announced its financial results for the second quarter of its 2010 fiscal year. The company also updated the sales and margin assumptions in its outlook for the full fiscal year, as well as its capital expenditure and capacity expansion plans to support its continuing sales growth and cost reduction objectives.
Montreal-based Gildan announced its entry into the world of online social networks, with the launch of its first Facebook and Twitter sites.
Montreal-based Gildan Activewear Inc. will report its fiscal 2010 second quarter results on Thursday, May 13, 2010. A press release will be issued before market open and a conference call is scheduled at 8:30 a.m. EDT to discuss the company's results and business outlook.
On Thursday, May 6, 2010 Broder Bros. is hosting an apparel showcase at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field. The showcase, running 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. will feature exhibits, seminars and a reception. Broder Bros. will be giving away prizes and offering tours of the stadium.


text:
Microsoft is seemingly working on bringing 64-bit support to Windows 10 on ARM. In a GitHub commit by Kenny Kerr, Principal software engineer on the Windows team, the company is developing 64-bit app emulation in its unique ARM-based Windows 10 platform.
Windows 10 on ARM is an operating system that is ideal for portable devices and leverages mobile chip technology. It combines the battery life of mobile and the full desktop app availability of desktop PCs.
However, while the platform runs 32-bit apps through an emulator, it does not support 64-bit applications. That's problematic, including for customers of Microsoft's Surface Pro X, which is an ARM-based device.
Just like any other ARM-based PC, the Pro X supports ARM and ARM64 apps, as well as emulated 32-Intel (x86) apps. In the GitHub commit, Kerr points to Microsoft working to resolve this issue for the Pro X and all ARM devices running Windows.
64-bit App Support
Specifically, the company is working on “AMR64EC”, which is reportedly the architecture for Windows x64 applications. While development is ongoing, it's likely the new Windows 10 on ARM 64-bit support will land next year.
That makes Windows 10 20H1 a good candidate for the launch. In the meantime, users of ARM Windows devices will have to check which apps they can download and which they cannot.
We reported previously how the Microsoft Store was not flagging which apps are not compatible with the device, a situation Microsoft has only partially remedied. How successful Windows 10 on ARM will ultimately be will be determined by its usability. Having access to all apps will help in that regard.


text:
Oklahoma and Other State Beef Councils Increase Their Financial Commitment to USMEF- and It Pays DividendsTue, 29 Dec 2015 07:58:23 CST
From earlier this fall, this Beef Buzz is a "Best of" edition featuring the comments of USMEF President Phil Seng. Phil Seng told Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays that he is appreciative of the extra support that states like Oklahoma have provided the US Meat Export Federation in helping fund special projects to sell more beef overseas. Seng contends that international markets are a good investment with 95 percent of the world's consumers living outside the United States- and obviously the directors of the Oklahoma Beef Council and cattle producers in several other states agree.
"The international market place presents tremendous potential," Seng said. "All of these growing middle classes want to evolve from the cereals to the proteins."
By 2030, 60 percent of the world's middle class will be located in Asia. The U.S. is currently negotiating the terms of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement. Seng said those 12 countries represent 70 percent of the world's purchases of meat products and that demand will grow as their economies improve.
In building relationships with international customers, Seng said it's important to begin the work early on. A prime example can be found in Japan. Seng began as the country director for USMEF in Japan in the 1980's. Since that time, Japan's loyalty to U.S. meat products has changed a great deal. Japan was primarily a commodity market. Seng said today there is a lot of differentiation of product and many states and packers have their own branded products in that market.
Today Japan imports about $2 million dollars' worth of beef and $2 million dollars of pork annually from the U.S. While the population of Japan is declining, Seng is optimistic for Japan's future growth with an increasing number of tourists. Japan will host the Olympics in 2020 and he believes that's a great opportunity for the food service markets.
Seng says that the additional dollars earmarked by state beef councils in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas and Nebraska have helped go the extra mile in building those marketing relationships which help sell US beef. You can hear his explanation by clicking or tapping on the LISTEN BAR below to listen to today's Beef Buzz.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network- but is also a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR below for today's show- and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI
Top Agricultural News


text:
The KFC 11 Herbs & Spices Firelog is back at Walmart for the holiday season. The firelog was created by Enviro-Log to smell like KFC’s fried chicken. To celebrate the re-launch, KFC and Walmart are holding a sweepstakes to win an exclusive KFC Firelog Cabin getaway for eight people.
The KFC Firelog is made from 100% recycled material and burns for two and a half to three hours.
Every purchase of a KFC Firelog through December 31, 2021 will be entered into the cabin getaway sweepstakes for a three-day, two-night stay.