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A thought-provoking line of documentaries, including The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin, and The Bitcoin Gospel have explored different aspects of bitcoinâs past, present, and future. A new up-and-coming documentary, Banking on Bitcoin, illustrates contrasting visions for the cryptocurrency and its revolutionary potential. Pre-orders are available through iTunes, and the filmâs release date is January 6, 2017. Industry pioneers featured in the film include Erik Voorhees, Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, Barry Silbert, and our very own Nicolas Cary.
Exchanges arenât the only way to buy bitcoin. According to Coin ATM Radar, there are over 900 bitcoin ATMs currently operating worldwide. Bitcoin ATM network Coinsource is currently the largest network in operation in the U.S., with ATMs in eight states, and the most recent additions being in Tennessee. Coinsource Co-Founder and CEO, Sheffield Clark, doesnât see bitcoin as a replacement for the banking system, but sees it and his companyâs ATM network as a âconvenient alternative.â Bitcoin ATMs offer a unique appeal because of their nearly immediate exchange time.
Weâll see you next in our first recap of 2017! Enjoyed this recap? Leave a comment below and let us know. For more news like this, be sure to check out our archives!
The $1,000+ all-time highs of 2013 seemed like aÂ distant memory when bitcoin began 2016 hovering around the $430 USD mark. But those of us that remember that late 2013 surge recall how despite all the odds, bitcoin ended the year on a victorious note. 2016 brought its own collection of good and not-so-good influencers, yet itâs closing out the year as theÂ best commodity of 2016. Bitcoin analyst Vinny Lingham was spot on in his price prediction: once it reached $800, it was a quickÂ climb to $900, until hitting $911 and âsurpassing $930 in large markets like China, which control 94.5% of all Bitcoin trading.â Both Lingham, and bitcoin advocate and owner of Bitcoin.com, Roger Ver, have expressed well-founded optimism for 2017.
The big question looming is whether bitcoin will pass the $1,000 USD mark in the remaining hoursÂ of 2016, as the Q4 price has primarily made the climb with lowerÂ volatility. On a longer-term outlook, certain indicators also suggest that bitcoin hasnât left the stage yet as a potentially widespread consumer payment method. Despite the high notes, a trend of regret is common among users who sold their coins before the surge, or passed up buying opportunities due to âa mix of procrastination, fear and a lack of belief in [b]itcoin at the time.â Speculators suggest itâs possible the price surge will continue into 2017, and thatâs why CoinTelegraph contributor Frisco dâAnconia insists it isnât too late, and that users should âbuy and save whatever [they] can afford today.â
When it comes to geo-economic trends that impact bitcoinâs value, currency devaluation and altogether demonetization is significant. Countries like Venezuela, India, and China, are demonstrating increased bitcoin activity not only on exchanges, but also as a way to purchase daily essentials that may be extremely difficult to purchase with near-useless or heavily controlled government-issued currencies. In some cases, companies like Destinia are responding by accepting bitcoin-only, while startups such as Unocoin are crafting ways to make bitcoin increasingly accessible and useful locally. Â
Well, 2016, itâs been a wild ride. Throughout the year, we covered bitcoinâs ups, downs, and everything in between. In our final recap for 2016,Â weâll kick things off with coverage on the major price spike, and share speculation from experts on what 2017 has in store. Catch these stories and plenty more as we cover some of the biggest headlines closing out the year.
On the topic of bitcoinâs future, the decision to implement SegWit has sparked quite the assortment of polarizing perspectives, especially since signalling, which sits at 26% at the time of writing, began in November. A significant number of startups, including Blockchain, have expressed support for SegWit. Serial entrepreneur and Bitcoin investor, Trace Mayer, explains the potential value in the protocol upgrade: SegWit could address big issues like scalability, fungibility, and make bitcoinâs earliest goals like that of financial privacy possible. Mayer describes SegWit as âvery easy to understand and extremely concise, [which] makes it a very clean soft fork upgrade.â Â
Blockchain for Taxation?
The only certainties in life are death and taxes, or so says the old adage. The problem, of course, is that death is usually a surprise, and taxation takes forever anyway. At least it used to. One
DAO.Casino and True Flip Announce Strategic Partnership
True Flip, the provably fair international blockchain lottery, and DAO.Casino, the decentralized gambling protocol are pleased to report that numerous agreements have been reached, which results in th
GMO Internet Launches Blockchain OSS to Enable Widespread DLT Adoption
Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) is one of the hottest technology platforms these days. Businesses across various industries are currently exploring the implementation of blockchain solutions into
Bitcoin Price Surges to One-Month High as Tech Outlook Improves
After dropping to a low of $1,836 this weekend, the bitcoin price is once again climbing back toward all-time highs.
According to CoinDesk's Bitcoin Price Index, the price of bitcoin rebounded to $
Ethereum Multisig Breach Continues Wreaking Havoc
News broke yesterday of a massive breach of the Ethereum system, allowing hackers to steal more than 83,000 ETH (~$18 mln) from three major multisig wallets and deposit them into a single wallet.
Garza Pleads Guilty: GAW Miners CEO Cops to $9 Million Fraud
Controversial cryptocurrency executive Josh Garza has plead guilty to one count of wire fraud.
As reported by CoinDesk earlier this week, Garza was rumored to have been preparing the plea, one for
Bitcoin bubble dwarfs tulip mania from 400 years ago, Elliott Wave analyst says
Just as many on Wall Street are warming up to bitcoin, one of the lone financial analysts who forecast a surge when the digital currency was just six cents now has an extremely negative view. "A
Price Analysis: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin
Just as other cryptocurrencies, BTC was subject to the overwhelming correction. At one moment, BTC experienced a harsh fall with a clear $1,800 to $1,900 support zone. However, trading volumes were


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Due to the fact introduction Corona escort service associated with Canadian anti-spam guidelines neared finally jump, experts warned that administration got apt to demonstrate a tremendous challenge.
Mentioning the world characteristics for the websites along with lots of junk mail communications transferred day to day, several argued that enforcement bodies for example the Canadian Radio-television and telecom charge (CRTC) plus the competitors Bureau comprise ill-suited to combating the drawback.
Recently days it’s become progressively clear the CRTC as well Bureau can apply legislation against firms that send industrial email messages that run afoul of this brand-new legal requirements. Those firms have completely finished three administration activities against Canadian businesses that highlight the millions of dollars in fees which can be on the line if a business isn’t able to acquire appropriate agreement before giving retail emails, doesn’t give consumers the capacity to unsubscribe from even more emails, or transmits untrue or misleading data.
The 1st CRTC case involved Compu-Finder, a Quebec-based company education business that delivered professional email without agree and without the right unsubscribe components.
Their unique e-mail methods taken into account 25 % for the problems inside area been given from the CRTC. Responding, the company had been hit with a $1.1 million fee.
The CRTC concluded its second circumstances earlier recently, this time focusing on an abundance of Fish, the favored online dating service. The charge received grievances that company was actually giving professional e-mails without a definite and working unsubscribe mechanism. Various essential obligations in rules is the fact each retail e-mail contain an unsubscribe process to allow for customers to opt-out anytime. So much fishes approved arrange your situation by paying a $48,000 penalty and building a compliance course to manage their email techniques.
Many of anti-spam the authorities awareness has focused on the CRTC, the actual largest case to date comes from your competition Bureau. Early in the day this thirty day period, it took measures against Avis and spending plan, a couple of Canada’s premier local rental firms. The Bureau claimed that the companies engaged in false and inaccurate advertising the moment they neglected to divulge various additional charges as an element of their own hire car deals.
The misleading promoting is featured in numerous locations, contains email messages. The agency made use of the anti-spam rules, which contain new prohibitions against fake or deceiving commercial messaging, with regard to their complaint. The case right now leads into rivals Tribunal, where agency is pursuing $30 million in charges along with consumer discounts.
These situation concur that the Canadian anti-spam rules is sold as advertised with difficult charges and enforcement firms that will not hesitate to use it. But likewise shows that individual problems is extremely unlikely to lead to research or fees. Instead, the CRTC discusses the thousands of problems it obtains from Canadians to find developments and best goals for administration.
The matters have got so far centered on legit companies that neglect to adhere to legislation. That may be anticipated to proceed, although administration businesses also need to switch the company’s awareness of the big spamming companies being however running in Canada. As mentioned in Spamhaus’ join of perceived Spamming agencies, five associated with greatest 100 spamming companies (liable for 80 percent of spam internationally) become situated in Canada.
In the anti-spam regulation are premised on both enhancing the industrial mail practices of reliable businesses and closing down Canadian-based spamming organizations, the CRTC should continue to work with ventures on anti-spam rules agreement and began the procedure of wielding tough penalties to circumvent the associations accountable for mucking up in-boxes with many unwelcome communications day-after-day.
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Rent-A-Center's 'Inner Circle' is about meeting customer needs and much more
Photo courtesy of Rent-A-Center.
Getting to know the customer, anticipating customer needs and proactively boosting product and services to meet those needs, as well as cultivating brand loyalty, are all critical to customer experience and retail success.
Oftentimes, however, making all those quests a reality requires a slew of strategies and typically a slew of tools and technologies. But that isn't the case for Rent-A-Center, a home furnishings retailer with more than 4,000 stores and 20,000 employees in North America.
The 40-plus-year-old retailer is tapping Fuel Cycle's customizable mobile-first community and customer insights platform and finding the technology is delivering more than initially expected — from providing insight on customer needs to spurring a more intuitive product development process to a more meaningful customer interaction.
The initial quest: an interactive customer dialogue
At Rent-A-Center (RAC), customers are "at the heart," of what it does, explained Jennifer Moretti, senior manager, marketing research, in an email interview with Retail Customer Experience.
Two years ago, in a move to expand marketing research capabilities beyond traditional methods such as focus groups and quantitative studies, RAC began looking for a new way to drive an interactive dialogue with customers to learn how it could be best of service.
The retailer realized that in-person focus groups and studies were not suitable for answering day-to-day business questions or support quick decision making.
So, the director of consumer insights at the time identified the need for real-time feedback and began exploring solutions. The retailer wanted to leverage its direct personal connection with customers and determined that an online community could serve both objectives.
The consumer insights leader reached out to Fuel Cycle as she was familiar with online community efforts in her previous roles and the RAC online community, called Inner Circle, was launched with the goal of forging a lifelong partnership with customers and not just one-time, "need it now" connection.
"By sharing what we're doing and getting their feedback, we are engaged in the listening that is so important in building partnerships and relationships," said Moretti.
Deployment no big challenge
The platform's ease of use was impressive from the get-go, recalled Moretti, and its advanced reporting and dashboard features are helping RAC to navigate data so it can focus on leveraging insights across various departments.
"What surprised us most was how easily and rapidly the use spread across the organization. What started as a marketing department initiative is now taking hold in other departments," she said.
Those departments include merchandising teams seeking the best products, pricing teams working to gauge the correct price points, and marketing teams making sure it is sending the right message to the right people at the right time.
For example, merchandising turns to the community to help gauge interest in potential new products and plans for future purchases. The community also plays a role in internal business projects as well.
"Our community helped the public and community relations department select a name for RAC's upcoming fundraising campaign, Fill the Fridge, to benefit Feeding America's nationwide network of food banks," said Moretti. "Our mission is to improve the quality of life for our customers; the RAC Inner Circle community enables us to have an interactive dialogue with customers and learn how we can best be of service," she added.
Return on investment continues to expand
Inner Circle members engage in several ways, from participating in a research activity, to watching a video, to reading content and chatting with other members and sharing experience.
It is bursting with activity given the average Fuel Cycle community experience boasts four to five activities a month, and Inner Circle launches between seven and eight activities a month, noted Moretti.
While the initial goal may have been connecting with the customer, Inner Circle is driving a more customer centric approach to decision making and giving RAC a competitive edge as it's turned the customer-marketer interaction into real-time dialogue, which, in turn, "could yield a leg up on the competition," said Moretti.
The community is also an important member of the RAC Customer Insights team, added Moretti, serving as a go-to resources for answering questions and providing guidance on what RAC does both day-to-day and longer term.
"We no longer have to confine our research to larger and often slower moving projects, but can get the answers we need in a timely manner before the decisions are made," Moretti said, adding "It allows us to incorporate actual customer opinions, not just what we think they are feeling and experiencing, into our decisions. In this way we can confirm that what we are doing benefits, and is of interest to, our customers. If it's not, we know that we have to adjust."
The customer experience impact is expanding
The Inner Circle community is also helping RAC in developing a loyalty program and proving to be a "great cost efficient resource" for gathering opinions on potential reward options in the strategy to build the best program.
In one situation, the community prompted RAC to re-do a design effort regarding price tags after members were asked to provide feedback on three new potential looks.
Members were asked how much they liked and disliked the design overall, if there was anything confusing about the design, if the design answered all questions about cost, and, in a head-to-head comparison, which design was easiest to read, understand, and did the best job sharing pricing information.
"Of the three designs, they had a clear favorite, and it wasn't the one RAC had already decided to move forward with. The customer insight prompted RAC to change direction.
"The price tag now in our stores is the product of this customer research," said Moretti.
Getting the community word out
A key challenge to any online community's success is tied to getting the word out about the community opportunity.
Moretti said RAC has many recruitment channels to tap and has reached out to prospective members through store flyers, blog posts, a monthly newsletter and direct mail initiatives. It's also considering using social channels going forward.
"One of the biggest challenges of the community is providing fresh content for our members on a frequent basis. We want to give them a reason to log on and actively engage with the Inner Circle," she added. "We want the Inner Circle to be a great experience for them and to provide that great experience. We also share news about what's happening at RAC, as well as post videos and content from RAC's official 'Front & Center' blog."
Another challenge is maintaining a solid number of prospective RAC customers as well as active community members.
"Once these members have the opportunity to learn more about us, and chat with current customers, they go out and become customers themselves," said Moretti, noting that in the last update poll over half of the prospects had signed their first agreement since joining the community.
"On one hand, it's wonderful to gain more customers. On the other, it means we need to be constantly recruiting for this important group," she said.
In its two-year history, the community quickly segued from being strictly research focused into a true brand community.
"Relationships are very important to RAC. We want to get to know our customers, welcome them by name to our stores and help them achieve the lifestyle that they dream of without taking on debt or needing credit. Our 'what's next' is to grow the size of the community as we continue this research-to-brand transition," said Moretti.
Photo courtesy of Rent-A-Center.
Judy Mottl is an experienced editor, reporter and blogger who has worked for top media including AOL, InformationWeek and InternetNews. She’s written everything from breaking news to in-depth trends. She loves a great pitch so email here, follow on Twitter and connect on LinkedIn.www


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Honda today announced that a world first rear Adaptive Damper System will be introduced on the new Civic Tourer model, set to be launched in Europe from early 2014.
This is the first time a rear Adaptive Damper System has been applied to a production model. The system was developed in order to enhance stability and comfort under the varying load and driving conditions that the Civic Tourer is likely to experience.
“By introducing the technology in this format, we expect many customers will be able to experience the benefits of this advanced system,” said Adrian Killham, Large Project Leader.
The new Civic Tourer was developed and designed in Europe, allowing Honda’s European R&D team to lead the creative and technical design process. The original concept has been achieved with the vehicle demonstrating class-leading utility, advanced technology and distinctive styling.
The team drew on their experience of the demands and expectations of European customers and carried out testing in some of Europe’s harshest and most diverse driving conditions.
The Civic Tourer will be built at Honda’s UK manufacturing facility and will be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2013, before being launched in Europe from early 2014.


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ONLY BUY THIS VERSION IF YOU WISH TO DONATE TO THE DEVELOPERIt is not always cheap to develop apps and if you wish to give a pound...
Showing results 1 to 20 of 364
Some developers are updating their iOS apps often, and that can result in an unexpected cost for users.
Chinese developers are now able to make money by selling their apps on the Google Play Store, with the internet giant announcing that it is extending its app store merchant support to the country.
Ahead of the launch of the Apple Watch, due sometime early next year, Apple has made WatchKit available to developers who want to create apps for the new platform.
Next week developers will be handed a browser ready for debugging and testing web apps on all platforms.
Firebase aims to help developers build collaborative mobile and web apps through an API storing and syncing data in real-time.
" DimensionX has the best quality at great price " X-Large difference: Long press on an icon, choose replace icon, you will see a BIG...
Developers have a few weeks to test their apps and comply with the new user interface and specifications before Android 5.0 launches in November.
WatchKit will land in November with a time frame that should allow developers to cook up apps for an early 2015 launch.
" DimensionX has the best quality at great price " WHAT WILL YOU GET? • Blue Lips app with 2D and 3D Modes support (as shown...
Android developers can begin putting their 64-bit Android L apps through their paces courtesy of a new emulator.
The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus add a third tier of iOS apps for developers to deal with.
Starting today, developers and businesses can incorporate Twilio MMS in their apps and workflows using Twilio's two-way API.
The latest Facebook app upgrades are designed to help developers better measure the performance and retention of their apps among their users.
New survey of 2,200 developers and IT executives finds most focus and will continue to focus on desktop applications, with mobile apps secondary.
Developers won't have to hurry to update their apps for the larger iPhones, but if they want to take advantage of new features they'll have to get to work.
Apple has updated its App Store review guidelines ahead of the unveiling of the iPhone 6 and release of iOS 8, telling developers of "plain creepy" or "cobbled together" apps to brace for rejection.
Apple supports the FCC's hearing-aid compatibility standard to current iPhone models. This summer, developers have released apps supporting Cupertino's Made For iPhone hearing aids.
The extra channel essentially brings the Platform-as-a-Service to a new access point, designed to encourage developers to use Pivotal CF for building data-driven enterprise apps.
Google promised that developers will be able to launch fully-fledged versions of their apps when the SDK goes into general availability later this year.
Android has one billion active monthly users, and over the past year it has paid out $5 billion to developers. Sounds good until you realize that iOS users spend four times as much on apps.
Namo Media helps app developers add native advertising to mobile apps. Twitter plans to integrate the company's technology into the MoPub platform.
Apple is giving developers access to the fingerprint sensor in the iPhone 5s and they are lining up to embrace the technology. Here is a list of iOS apps that will be implementing Touch ID in the short term.
The best of ZDNet, delivered
- 1 Perfectly legal ways you can still get Windows 7 cheap (or even free)
- 2 How much does an iPhone 6 really cost? (Hint: It's way more than $199)
- 3 31 ways to improve your iPhone's battery life
- 4 Seven privacy settings you should change immediately in iOS 8
- 5 Review: Tile Bluetooth tag (verdict: Great)


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The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has affected access to food on a global level and could deal a blow to the crop harvest in 2023, which is a “major concern” of the Rome-based United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the agency’s chief economist has said.
Maximo Torero told Xinhua in a recent online interview that this year, global access to food is hampered by the rocketing prices.
“In March, we had the biggest peak in the FAO’s food price index,” he said, adding that although the monthly index declined slightly in April and May, cereal prices continue to increase.
The main reason behind the price increase, Torero said, is that Russia and Ukraine are key exporters of cereals, including maize and wheat. The FAO said that the two countries produced around 30 percent of the global wheat supply in 2021, Xinhua news agency reported.
As a result of the surge in prices, “consumers and especially vulnerable countries are facing significant challenges to be able to procure the amount of food that they need today,” he said.
Access to fertilisers is another major concern, and this is especially true for the 2022-2023 season, Torero said.
Russia is the world’s top exporter of nitrogenous fertilizers, the second leading supplier of potassium fertilizers, and the third of phosphorous fertilizers. Now “fertilizers are not flowing at the velocity they are supposed to flow,” he said.
“We are really concerned that in 2023, if this is not resolved, we could have a problem with food availability and access,” he noted.
The Russia-Ukraine conflict that started in late February “made it uncertain whether Ukraine will be able to harvest its winter crops and plant the spring crops,” he said.
The FAO’s recently released outlook for winter cereal crops in Ukraine is also bleak. Yields are expected to fall 10 percent below average levels due to the delayed or missed fertilizer application and the country’s inability to control pests and diseases.
Torero noted that Ukraine also faces a challenge in storage capacity as its ability to export via the Black Sea ports is completely stymied. In the past, the country exported over 90 percent of its agricultural commodities.
He recalled that several million tonnes of grain from the 2021 harvest remain stuck in Ukraine. “If farmers are not able to sell their crops, they will lack the financial resources needed to start the next growing season, and this will seriously affect the 2023 harvest,” he said.
“For now, it remains crucial to facilitate exports from Ukraine to free up the country’s storage capacity and help farmers and their families earn income. This will also help increase the availability of wheat globally, and reduce the pressure on prices,” he said.
The FAO has tabled a series of policy proposals to cushion the impact of the conflict on global food security, Torero said.
The first one is a global Food Import Financing Facility (FIFF), which would help countries avoid food shortages caused by the increase in their food import bills.
The second proposed tool is the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES), which is designed to measure the individual food insecurity of households in countries that are facing significant challenges.
The other proposals aim to increase the efficiency of the use of fertilizers and reduce food loss and waste.


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On the cusp of the 2014 – 2015 NBA season, the Oklahoma City Thunder is seemingly lost in the narrative shuffle, but in reality the team is definitely one to watch. The upcoming season will be something of a referendum on the franchises’s future, and the focal point for the team will naturally land on Kevin Durant. Meanwhile, no. 35 will look to his on-court heroes for inspiration, two of which are celebrated on this upcoming Nike KD8. The “Vinary” portmanteau and clash of green and purple colors are the clues that the two idols are Larry Bird and Vince Carter, whose offensive skills act as inspiration for Durant. The kicks are set to launch in stores and Nike.com on October 1.
Color: Black/White-Green Shock-Hyper Orange
Release Date: 10/1/15 (Thursday)


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Packed lunch inspections at Liverpool's Childwall Valley primary
A CITY primary school is inspecting pupils’ lunchboxes to ensure they are up to scratch. Those children not adhering to the new healthy food guidelines which have come into force at Childwall Valley CE primary are falling foul of daily lunchtime “police”.
Staff finding prohibited sugar and fat-laden products are confiscating the food and drink from guilty pupils’ lunchboxes.
The school has written to parents saying its healthy push is part of “our responsibility to teach children how to eat healthily”.
But the move has sparked anger from parents – with some so irate they are now feeding their children at home instead.
They say the school should not be removing items they have paid for and are furious the food is being plucked from the lunchboxes without their prior consent.
Parents’ anger intensified after Monday’s crackdown – which saw items ranging from flavoured water, fruit juice, foil sealed chicken and biscuits taken – was done as pupils who eat school dinners were allowed to tuck into chocolate brownies and ice-cream.
Parents are also unhappy that only after two days of their pupils having food and drink confiscated did the school send out a clarification letter and revised list of items..
The letter apologised for issuing a leaflet full of packed lunch ideas, some including banned items like crisps and cookies, when the policy guidelines were sent to parents on March 19.
The only prohibited foods listed in the letter were “snacks such as crisps and confectionery such as chocolate bars, chocolate biscuits and sweets” and fruit juice was listed as a permitted item.
But in the clarification letter sent out on Tuesday the list of banned items had been extended to include processed meat products and fruit juices due to their high sugar content.
The school’s headteacher, Kevin Basnett, last night stressed the changes were done after a questionnaire and extensive consultation of parents – 86% of whom supported the move.
He said the policy had been approved by Liverpool council and Liverpool PCT.
He stressed pupils were not having their bags searched and “everything taken is given back at the end of the day.”
Those breaking the rules were offered healthy alternatives.
But many parents are furious.
Helen Phillips, 34, yesterday fed her son Dylan, 11, at home in protest claiming he was “dehydrated” after having orange drink Capri Sun taken off him, even though fruit juice was permitted on the original policy document.
She said: “I am all for healthy eating, but the way it has been enforced is disgusting.”
Guidelines from the government-backed School Food Trust recommends that, prior to confiscating items, schools “inform parents of this beforehand”. THE DAILY POST


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Huami, shortly after announcing the Amazfit BIP, has now launched the Amazfit Bip Lite fitness tracker in India. The new tracker comes with a heart rate sensor as well as comes with built-in GPS. The biggest highlight of the new Amazfit BIP Lite is that it comes with Always-on display and still promises a battery back up of up to 45 days.
The Amazfit BIP Lite will be available via Amazon India during the e-commerce retailer's upcoming Amazon Prime Day sale starting mid-July. It will be available at Rs. 3,999 in India.
Coming to the features and specs of the Amazfit BIP Lite, it comes with a 1.28-inch Always-on touch display with 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection on top. The company says that the fitness tracker offers insights on time, steps taken, weather and more at a glance. Once connected to the smartphone, the Amazfit BIP Lite also gives notifications for calls and messages. It comes with Bluetooth 4.0 LE and supports both Android and iOS devices.
It comes with a long list of features like tracking steps, cycling time and can even map routes for regular runners. As mentioned above, the Amazfit BIP Lite comes with a heart rate sensor, which can be disabled for enhancing battery backup. In the box, the Amazfit BIP Lite will ship with 20mm standard watch band. As expected, it comes with dust and rain resistant with IP68 certification. Measuring just 31 grams, it features an accelerometer, air pressure sensor, GPS and GLONASS. The Amazfit BIP Lite packs a small 190mAh battery.
The company also claims that the colour display on the Amazfit BIP Lite is readable under direct sunlight and the band can offer daily insights on indoor, outdoor activities like running, walking and cycling. The Amazfit BIP Lite can also record workouts of users.


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The News: In a move to counter Huawei’s dominance in 5G, it’s reported that the US government is looking at ways to help Huawei rivals such as Nokia and Ericsson to help counter the dominance established by Huawei early on. The Chinese company is the largest telecoms equipment maker in the world, selling 28% of the world’s telecoms equipment. The US government is said to be looking at incentives to encourage incentives to Huawei rivals, as well as other telco equipment companies like Oracle and Cisco. Read more at FinancialTimes.
US Looks at Ways to Help Huawei Rivals, Evidencing the Importance of 5G
Analyst Take: Soon 5G mobile internet will be everywhere, and from a technology standpoint, there are few topics that take precedence over the importance of 5G. It’s a global concern that is not just about device connectivity that’s 10 to 20 times faster than what we have now, it’s about smart cities, driverless transport, smart everything, and the reality that we are soon to be living in an everything is connected world. That can’t happen without telecommunications equipment and network development—both of which the US lags behind on.
The Huawei Story, in Brief
Huawei was early to market in the 5G race, transitioning from its first government contract to provide telecoms equipment to the People’s Liberation Army in the early 1990s to generating sales of $220 million US by 1995. One of the secrets to Huawei’s success is the company’s focus on rural markets which were largely underserved, much like rural markets across the world are underserved today. To reward the company for its success, the Chinese government granted Huawei the status of ‘national champion’ closing the telecoms market to foreign competition. In spite of political headwinds, Huawei reported 2018 revenue of $100 billion, a 19.5 percent YoY rise.
The privately-held employee-owned company has seen much success since those early days, largely due to a commitment to hard work, smart business strategy and network development, augmented by an ongoing and impressive commitment to R&D. Huawei once wanted to be a major player in the global communications market, and today the company sells more smartphones than Apple across the world.
Beyond mobile devices, Huawei quickly grew to be the world’s largest telecoms infrastructure provider, followed by Nokia and Ericsson.
Huawei’s ‘secret sauce’ in network infrastructure has been attributable in part to the company’s focus in rural areas across the world. Largely overlooked and underserved, when a telecoms giant comes in and offers long-term financing at low rates, it’s hard to say no. And many areas around the world were quick to say yes. Then came intelligence concerns, with reports of spying, and understandable concerns about how independent the company might really be given the realities of life (and business) in Communist China. The BBC recently did a very deep dive on Huawei. If interested, you can check that out here: Huawei: The Story of a Controversial Company.
The US Government Has Serious Concerns, With Good Reason
The US Government has serious concerns about Huawei, with reasons that go beyond allegations of spying—it’s all about 5G market dominance. The Chinese company quietly set about dominating in network equipment and software market share and has a significant lead, today anyway, over rivals like Nokia, Ericsson, ZTE, and Cisco. Beyond anything having to do with national security, allegations of spying, or the involvement or potential involvement of the Chinese Government, that advantage is significant.
It makes perfect sense that the US government is exploring ways to get involved and move 5G initiatives forward domestically—and help other countries in their 5G efforts as well, notably the European markets. The goal would be to counter that lead that Huawei established early on and to make an effort to quickly get other telecom operators moving in this space. In some instances, rural operators in the US have already installed Huawei equipment, and the cost of replacing its kit could be a roadblock. These discussions presumably would include incentives and financing to facilitate removal/replacement.
Bottom line, while these are still the early days, I would not be at all surprised to see incentives offered by the US that make it easier for the likes of Nokia, Ericsson, Cisco, and others to make inroads in the 5G market. For the government, it’s about trying to make up for lost time and throwing money and resources at it is exactly what led to Huawei’s success with 5G network infrastructure to begin with.
Futurum Research provides industry research and analysis. These columns are for educational purposes only and should not be considered in any way investment advice.
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Huawei Keeps a Footing in the 5G Race in the UK
Image Credit: Enterprise Talk
The original version of this article was first published on Futurum Research.
Shelly Kramer is a Principal Analyst and Founding Partner at Futurum Research. A serial entrepreneur with a technology centric focus, she has worked alongside some of the world’s largest brands to embrace disruption and spur innovation, understand and address the realities of the connected customer, and help navigate the process of digital transformation. She brings 20 years' experience as a brand strategist to her work at Futurum, and has deep experience helping global companies with marketing challenges, GTM strategies, messaging development, and driving strategy and digital transformation for B2B brands across multiple verticals. Shelly's coverage areas include Collaboration/CX/SaaS, platforms, ESG, and Cybersecurity, as well as topics and trends related to the Future of Work, the transformation of the workplace and how people and technology are driving that transformation. A transplanted New Yorker, she has learned to love life in the Midwest, and has firsthand experience that some of the most innovative minds and most successful companies in the world also happen to live in “flyover country.”


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A few months ago some LGBT activists played a viral prank on conservative senator Cory Bernardi by buying the domain name 'corybernardi.com.au' and putting up this holder page.
But the jig was up this week.
Australia's self-regulatory body for domain names (auDA.org.au) yanked it, telling the activists that the website did not have "a close and substantial connection" with the domain name.
Days later, quite mysteriously, 'corybernardi.com.au' started redirecting to the senator's website at 'corybernardi.com'.
Bernardi - who wants to build a "movement to unite conservatives", like Donald Trump - may have bought the domain and redirected the .au domain to his current website. Simple.
But here's the thing: The group that purchased 'corybernardi.com.au' is online marketing company, Arrive Online Pty. Ltd.
Which is a pretty legit looking online marketing site.
But a quick check of Australia's ABN directory shows that Arrive Online has one registered business name which is simply called "Amyl Nitrate".
Yep, the company that bought 'corybernardi.com.au' and redirected it for the senator is Australia's biggest online seller of amyl nitrate or "jungle juice".
Amyl Nitrate aka "jungle juice" aka "poppers" is a popular stimulant among gay men, who sniff the liquid and experience a dizzying head rush which also relaxes muscles in a way that makes anal sex more comfortable.
The website claims to be Australia's biggest online seller of jungle juice and sells its PREMIUM brand "Jungle Juice Black LARGE" for $48.
And to confirm, the website goes on to list its business owner as Arrive Online Pty. Ltd.
BuzzFeed News asked the senator whether he was aware that the jungle juice shop/marketing agency was re-directing people to his website and his response was emphatically "no".
Questions have also been sent to Arrive Online Pty. Ltd. about why it bought the domain and redirected it to the senator's website. Smells weird right?
Mark Di Stefano is a media and politics correspondent for BuzzFeed News and is based in London.
Contact Mark Di Stefano at firstname.lastname@example.org.
Got a confidential tip? Submit it here.


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It's hardly news that the Wii uses up less power than Sony and Microsoft's graphically intensive, monolithic consoles, but Aussie consumer website Choice has now delivered the most detailed results yet on how much juice each machine consumes -- even taking into account factors such as whether or not WiiConnect24 is active, or whether the console in question is idle.
And there's no doubt about it -- despite what Greenpeace might say, the Wii is an efficient little bugger when it comes to energy consumption. Ninty's console uses under one-tenth of the power required to play games on a PS3, and an eighth of the energy needed to run games on an Xbox 360. Regrettably, the survey neglects to mention that the Wii is three times as fun as both. YES, WE TOTALLY WENT THERE.
[Via Go Nintendo]


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- Google+ shut down timeline released.
- No user will be able to create new Google+ profiles, pages, communities, or events on the platform from February 4.
A bug forced Google to prepone the shut down of the consumer version of its social media platform Google+ to April. At that time, not much information was available about the whole process, but now, Google has released an update on the topic. The latest update brings the step-by-step breakdown of the whole procedure that the company wants the Google+ consumers to follow to save their data.


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The Farm Report
Kimbal Musk's Tech-Forward Local Food and Farming Mission
He’s on the board of Tesla and SpaceX, but Kimbal Musk’s current tech entrepreneurship is focused on food and farming, not transportation. Musk (who is Elon Musk’s brother) is the co-founder and executive chairman of three companies that approach food and agriculture from different angles: Square Roots, a vertical farming company that grows hydroponic herbs in shipping containers, the Kitchen Restaurant Group, which operates farm-to-table restaurants, and Big Green, a non-profit that builds learning gardens in classrooms. Host Lisa Elaine Held talks to him about his approach to local food systems, the role of technology in farming, how indoor growing systems might impact the environment and food safety, and more.
The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.


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Barnes & Noble reported fiscal first quarter 2013 revenues of $1.45 billion, up 2.5 percent year-over-year, thanks in part to increased sales of e-books, applications and related digital content optimized for its Nook tablet and e-reader platform.
Barnes & Noble is teaming with location services provider Skobbler to bring maps and navigation tools to its Android-based Nook Tablet and Nook e-reader devices.
Microsoft ( NASDAQ:MSFT ) will invest $300 million into a new Barnes & Noble subsidiary dedicated to advancing the bookseller's digital content strategy. The unit, tentatively named Newco, will
Bookseller Barnes & Noble said it is exploring options to spin off its Nook e-reader business in the wake of record holiday sales. According to Barnes & Noble, Nook unit sales increased 70
Netflix released an overhauled version of its free streaming video application for tablets running Google's ( NASDAQ:GOOG ) Android, promising a redesigned viewing experience that leverages the
Amazon.com will begin shipping its much-anticipated Kindle Fire tablet on Nov. 15, announcing a series of new applications available for the Android-powered device. Highlights include Hulu Plus,
When Amazon releases its cheap Kindle Fire for $200 and Barnes & Noble introduces the Nook Tablet for $250 next week, mobile operators will face another setback when it comes to trying to
As expected, bookseller Barnes & Noble unveiled its new Nook Tablet during a media event Monday morning, promising a wealth of e-books, mobile applications and HD video content in its bid to
Bookseller Barnes & Noble will release its new Nook Tablet on Nov. 16, one day after rival Amazon.com begins shipping its rival Kindle Fire, Engadget reports. Although Barnes & Noble is not
Bookseller Barnes & Noble is expected to release a new tablet version of its Android-powered Nook Color e-reader in an effort to keep pace with rival Amazon.com's forthcoming Kindle Fire and


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Black Friday is a relatively new tradition in the UK following in the footsteps of the US, where bargain mayhem sees hundreds of retailers drop their prices through the floor. This year is likely to be no different than normal, and companies have already swung into action with deals in the run up to Friday. Some companies have started weeks before Black Friday, axing prices on hundreds of products and extending the fever through November.
Hundreds of stores are also taking part, both in the UK and US, where most major retailers are planning for a big Black Friday push.
Which shops have Black Friday sales this year?
Most supermarkets and stores in the UK have decided to take part in Black Friday this week.
Dodging the occasion could mean retailers are set to miss out on millions, as predictions point to a total of £200 million in spending this Friday alone.
As such, almost every retailer has confirmed some kind of deal or discount ahead of the big day.
Supermarkets include Lidl, Morrisons, Tesco and Debenhams among others, and Martin Lewis has recently revealed a selection of other high street brands taking part.
Black Friday deals 2018- Which shops have Black Friday sales this year?
Martin Lewis revealed the following stores would be taking part come November 23:
- The Body Shop
- John Lewis
- Kurt Geiger
- Marks & Spencer
- American Express
Is Black Friday worth it?
Black Friday takes places every year, and with a period of such concentrated savings, many people ask whether the one day is worth it.
Recent research from IT company Sophos has found online shopping en masse could put millions of people at risk of online fraud.
A total of 2,000 adults in UK were surveyed, and 25 percent (500 people) said they were victims of online fraud, losing an average of £646.86 each.
Of those victims, 39 percent say they have had money taken from their bank accounts, and a further 27 percent have had their debit card cloned.
People primed to use credit or debit cards for their online shopping this Friday may want to take special care to not give their details to the wrong people.
Adam Bradley, UK&I Country Manager at Sophos said: “The proliferation of online shopping over the past few years means it has become increasingly easy for cyber criminals to harvest data and personal information about consumers.
“Everyone loves a bargain, especially in the run up to Christmas, but Brits online need to make it harder for fraudsters.”
Sophos recommends regular online shoppers use a web filter and password manager, as well as making regular statement checks and scrutinising links which seem too good to be true.


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Bitcoin’s market cap hit new highs at around $28 billion as of May 9, but that hasn’t stopped regulators and central banks from sounding the alarm about the cryptocurrency. In fact, Germany’s central bank – the Deutsche Bundesbank – is warning against Bitcoin.
As reported in the EconoTimes, the bank calls Bitcoin a “speculative object,” and not a good place to hold value. The Bundesbank expressed further concern that Bitcoin is not issued by a central bank, but by unidentified actors.
As a consumer, this doesn’t sound very good to me. Yes, Bitcoin’s value has been rising, but what are the underlying fundamentals? To what extend is this rising value driven by legitimate consumers? Or is much of the demand for Bitcoin driven by bad actors?
It is well established that Bitcoin is a criminal’s dream – transactions online are anonymous and not traced by a central authority, making it the perfect way to conduct transactions online for things like drugs, human trafficking and prostitution.
So when you tell me Bitcoin is hitting new highs, I get nervous, because there’s little way to tell how much of the value lies in criminal activity.
Law enforcement goes into investigation with Bitcoin
Law enforcement is starting to catch on as well. Recently, the Florida legislature passed a bill that would include Bitcoin in its list of currencies that would be considered used for money laundering. I would expect more governments around the world to catch on sooner rather than later, which would put a crimp in demand for Bitcoin.
I am a cryptocurrency fan, and I do believe it is the way of the future. But I don’t think the Bitcoin model will ultimately emerge as the winner of the current crypto wars. Rather, it will be those cryptocurrencies that are transparent, that will win the day. That is why I would stick with options like OneCoin, because it is already transparent, tracks customer transactions and is run by an identifiable and known central entity.
In the world of cryptos, the old adage remains – buyer beware.


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Millionaire Wants to Have a Real-Life ‘Fortnite’-Style Battle Royale
A Real-Life ‘Fortnite’-Style Battle Is in the Works With a Major Prize
Ever wonder how you’d fare in a real-life “Fortnite” battle? You might be able to find out. An anonymous millionaire is looking to hold a real-life competition similar to the video game on a private island.
RELATED: How to Play Retro Games
According to The A.V. Club, 100 lucky – and ballsy – contestants will be selected to engage in a three-day battle royale. In this real-life battle, players will receive airsoft rifles (basically fancy pellet guns that fire plastic balls), combat camouflage, and touch-sensitive body armor, while being thrust into an exotic wilderness to survive for those three days, with the competition running for 12 hours each day. But don’t worry: Unlike the video game, there will be no actual killing, and food, camping gear, and other required equipment will be provided.
The millionaire behind the idea has enlisted Hush Hush, a company that specializes in luxury items for a very specific and rarified clientele, to organize the battle.
“Battle royale games have become incredibly popular over the last few years ago and our customer is a huge fan who wants to make the game a reality in the safest way possible,” explained HushHush founder Aaron Harpin on the company’s website. “If the championship is a success this year, it’s something [the client] wants to make an annual event moving forward, which is very exciting!”
Hush Hush is also hiring a game designer with experience in large event planning and in-set design, for a cool $58,000 contract.
RELATED: Life as a Pro Gamer
No word yet on whether or not the entire affair will be live streamed for the world to watch, but why wouldn’t it be? Millions of people worldwide would likely open a stream to watch a real-life battle royale unfold in front of their very eyes, and the advertising revenue – let alone the buy-in itself – would likely be worth the cost of the initial investment.
In any event, if you think you have the skills, you could end up in a real-life battle, and walk away $130,000 richer if you’re the last player standing.
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In a sensational comment by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s close aide Baba Ramdev on Sunday, asking Indian government to attack and conquer Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and also called for a complete boycott of all Chinese goods.
Yogi turned Business tycoon said: “So many of our jawans have been martyred. They (Pakistan) have attacked us so many times. Why not a war to end all such attacks? We should conquer Pakistan-administered Kashmir and merge it with India.”
He also said that India “should support Balochistan independent movement and break Pakistan into three parts”.
Ramdev, who has a huge business empire, disclosed that his company is “in the process of” acquiring 150 acres of land in Jammu and Kashmir, and “would be offering jobs to Kashmiri youths soon”.
He also called for a boycott of all Chinese goods in India, saying that China was fully backing Pakistan in its terror activities.
“We can easily outpace China and become a superpower,” he said.
Ramdev said he was very optimistic about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government taking action against terror masterminds like Hafiz Saeed, Dawood Ibrahim and Masood Azhar.
“Wait till 2019, I think he can do it,” he said.


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A weekly roundup of media news and talking points, sans effort
Thought for the Week
“[H]earing it over when you played it was like waterboarding I guess. ” Fox News pundit Steven Emerson, reacting to his own comments that Birmingham, UK, is a city non-Muslims are no longer welcome in, which sparked outrage amongst the reasonably-minded just days before another presenter on the network launched into a seven minute diatribe described by critics as Islamophobic. It’s not clear whether Emerson has ever actually been subjected to waterboarding torture methods, but nevertheless it’s proof that hot-headed public statements never help anyone.
Much as we don’t want to appear arrogant, this week we were delighted to see the New York Times ranked our hometown of Manchester at 26 on its list of essential global destination to visit in 2015- placing the city above the likes of Rome and Miami Beach. A great result for Marketing Manchester.
Just when you think BlackBerry’s future couldn’t be any more precarious, a headline like this hits. Rule number one when promoting a smartphone brand that isn’t Apple- do not, we repeat, do not get caught tweeting from an iPhone. Massive fail.
Stories to keep an eye on
Trials are now taking place for Facebook’s new LinkedIn rival, Facebook At Work.
Following a similar move from Facebook, Twitter is expanding its video products in a bid to make it ‘the natural platform’ for moving images.
In somewhat surprising news, considering it wasn’t so long ago the coffee giant was blasted for not paying its fair share of tax, Starbucks has topped HootSuite’s list of most loved brands.
Just in case you missed it
According to experts, 2015 will see an exponential increase in the number of major brands investing in creating unique mobile games. Here’s our take on why you shouldn’t ignore this trend.


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MORE than six months after attracting national attention for banning the sale of laser pointers to minors, Westchester County has yet to enforce the law or even formally tell merchants about its provisions.
As a result, the pen-size laser pointers may still be bought by minors and are openly displayed in some stores, both violations of the law. At Staples in Greenburgh last week, for example, a 13-year-old bought a $15 laser pointer without difficulty, although it was kept behind the counter, as required by the Westchester law. Last month at Coconuts in Hartsdale, a music and video store with a large pre-teen-age and teen-age clientele, inexpensive key-chain laser pointers were found on two occasions displayed near the cash register. Clerks said they did not know about legal restrictions on their sale and display. (More recently, the store reported being out of stock of the item.)
By contrast, at the Radio Shack in Greenburgh, laser pointers were in a display case below the counter, and an employee told a 13-year-old that he had to be 18 to buy one. Tony Magoulas, a spokesman for Radio Shack, a subsidiary of the Texas-based Tandy Corporation, which has many stores in Westchester, said in a telephone interview from its headquarters in Fort Worth that it had issued a directive to its stores to comply with the Westchester law. ''We issued a memorandum to all our stores in June after we learned of the law and have been in compliance,'' he said.
Laser pointers, which look like a pen and are battery operated, project a red spot of light 200 yards or more. They are intended for slide shows, substituting for a stick pointer or a flashlight as a way to highlight a section of a screen. Originally costing $50 and more, laser pointers can now be found in some places for about $10. The one bought at Staples bears the warning: ''This professional presentation tool is not a toy. It is not intended for unsupervised use by children.''
In June Westchester became the first municipality in the state and one of the first in the United States to ban the sale of laser pointers to minors and regulate display by merchants. The Westchester legislation was enacted amid fear that the laser pointer's red dot was indistinguishable from the one emitted by a weapon-sighting device and therefore could be mistaken for a weapon. There was also concern that some people were shining lasers in the eyes of motorists, causing accidents, and that children taking lasers to school were injuring the eyes of other students .Continue reading the main story
Violation of the law is a Class A misdemeanor, punishable with up to a year in prison or a $1,000 fine.
The continued availability of laser pointers to minors does not surprise the sponsor of the laser-pointer-restriction law, William J. Ryan of White Plains, a Democratic member of the Board of Legislators. While the law has attracted attention as far away as California, little has been done locally to publicize it other than to rely on newspaper accounts, he said. But this would change under proposed legislation to require the county government to provide signs stating the restrictions for merchants, who would post them near their cash registers, he said. The signs would be similar to the type posted in stores that sell cigarettes, Mr. Ryan said.
He added that the county's Sealer-Director of Consumer Protection would be responsible for overseeing enforcement. (The signs would also deal with county restrictions on the sale of spray paint and box cutters to minors.)
Representatives of those companies that sell or have sold laser pointers emphasized last week that they would comply with all laws, but said they could only do so if they know about them. Christina Erridge, manager of public relations for Staples, said, ''It looks as though we were not aware of the law,'' adding that now that the company had been told about it, ''we have taken steps to notify the managers in all our Westchester stores.''
''We don't want to violate the law,'' she said.
Terry McNamara, marketing and special events coordinator for the Trans World Entertainment Corporation, Coconuts' parent company based in Albany, said she had no direct knowledge of Westchester's law. ''It may be we had no notification,'' she said. ''It is our policy to comply with all laws.''
While the ban on selling to minors does not make it illegal for a parent to buy a laser pointer for a child, Mr. Ryan and others have said they hoped the ban would raise the inform parents about the risks of using a laser pointer. The county has no authority to ban the sale of the pointers to adults or to make it illegal for youths or adults to possess them. Only the issues of sales to minors and how the merchandise is displayed in stores come within the county's jurisdiction.
But at Mr. Ryan's urging, the State Legislature is likely to consider a state law that would not only ban the sale of laser pointers to minors but also make it illegal in most cases to possess a laser pointer on school grounds or to point a laser at anyone with the intention of causing fear or serious injury. ''The problems these devices pose are not limited to Westchester,'' Mr. Ryan said.
Since the adoption of the county law, there have been these related developments:
*Judge Colleen Duffy of Mount Vernon City Court, in a potentially precedent-setting decision for the state, said that a laser pointer shined in the eyes of a person was comparable to aiming a gun at the person because the laser beam easily could be misperceived as the display of a gun. She upheld a misdemeanor menacing charge against a man who had shined a laser pointer in a city police officer's face.
*Four teen-agers were killed in California in late December in a car accident reportedly caused by a driver shining a laser pointer in the eyes of other drivers.
*New York City is considering a law to make it illegal for anyone younger than 21 to possess a laser pointer. Rockland has adopted a law similar to Westchester's. And Mr. Ryan said he has received inquires about the law from lawmakers in Virginia Beach, Va., and San Francisco, among other places.
*Many schools in Westchester have notified parents that children may not bring laser pointers to school and that if they do the pointers will be confiscated.
Rick Borinstein, senior vice president of merchandising for Radio Shack, said it was unfortunate that restrictions were necessary. ''We sell laser pointers for business applications,'' he said. ''We do not sell novelty laser pointers. They are very useful as a professional tool. It really saddens me that they are being abused.''Continue reading the main story


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Schlafly Beer, the largest locally owned craft brewer in St Louis, announces today a new Special Release beer, Merry Berry Ale. Inspired by the sweet flavors of a French pastry, the deep red Merry Berry Ale (6.0%, 15 IBUs) features blackberry, raspberry and blueberry with undertones of lemon and vanilla. Merry Berry Ale will be released starting on Monday, October 22 across Schlafly’s distribution through the remainder of the year.
Available at the height of holiday baking season, Merry Berry Ale offers a refreshing alternative to dark winter warmers. “We wanted to brew a bright and tart alternative to other beers that are traditionally higher ABV and super spice-forward this time of year,” says Founding Brewer Stephen Hale. “This is the beer for your aunt who doesn’t think she likes craft beer. It’s an easy drinking beer, perfect to pair with your favorite dessert.”
Merry Berry Ale’s aroma offers a nose of pastry crust and fruit-forward sweetness. “To me, it brings back those memories of waiting for pies to come out of the oven,” says Stephen Hale. As the beer warms, the berry flavors continue to develop. The beer also impresses with its vibrant red color, yet offers an approachable ABV and light body for the masses.
Merry Berry is Schlafly Beer’s final Special Release beer this year, following Double Bean Blonde, Coconut Crème Ale and Pumpkin Ale. Six-packs of Merry Berry Ale will be available across Schlafly’s distribution for $9.99 suggested retail price as well as on draft at both Schlafly Tap Room and Bottleworks as well as other on-premise locations.
Check out the original story here.


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Buryatia in eastern Siberia has ordered a lockdown to help slow the spread of coronavirus, and France is adding Russia to its "red list" of countries from which travel is severely restricted because it is experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases.
Authorities in Buryatia said the lockdown will begin on June 27 and last two weeks. It will affect all enterprises except essential businesses such as grocery stores and pharmacies. A notice spelling out the restrictive measures is to be published on June 24.
There has been a sharp increase in the incidence of COVID-19 in Russia this month, with the daily tally of new cases growing from approximately 9,000 in early June to over 17,000 on June 18, and a number of regions are again tightening quarantine measures to slow the spread of the disease.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced an extension of restrictions imposed early last week until June 29. He had already announced the closure of Moscow’s Euro 2020 fan zone and a ban on gatherings of more than 1,000 people.
Buryatia, however, is the only Russian region that has imposed several lockdowns since the beginning of the pandemic. Last November, the region’s governor also closed all nonessential businesses for two weeks in an effort to cope with a resurgence of the outbreak.
According to official statistics, 1,071 people have died from the pandemic in the region and 42,177 cases have been identified.
French government spokesperson Gabriel Attal said on June 23 that Russia, along with Namibia and the Seychelles, were being added to its red list, which now has 21 countries.


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Monogram Foods, Memphis, Tenn., acquired Golden County Foods, a frozen appetizers producer based in Plover, Wis., and re-named it Monogram Appetizers. Golden County Foods maintains approximately $100 million annual sales, 550 employees and two production facilities.
With this acquisition, Monogram Foods now owns manufacturing plants in six states, all of which have been acquired by the company over the past nine years.
“Monogram Foods is a growth company that really cares about its team members and customers, so that we can profitably grow together. This acquisition helps to strengthen our position in and commitment to the frozen foods category, and with the expectation that we will save and create jobs at each of our plants,” says Karl Schledwitz, chairman and CEO of Monogram Foods.


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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 12th, 2023 VERO BEACH, FL – Greenyard USA/Seald Sweet BB #:161579 welcomes Mark Gagnon as the newest addition to its executive team.
As Senior Vice President of Sales and Sourcing, Mark brings a rich experience and a standout record in leading brands like Del Monte, Dole, Chiquita, Chobani, and Kalera.
Mark’s journey in the produce industry is marked by notable achievements and strategic leadership. Aftera solid 14-year foundation at Dole, he took on key positions such as Senior Vice President of Sales at Kalera, Vice President of Sales at Del Monte Fresh Produce, and National Director of Sales at Chiquita.
Throughout his career, he has been instrumental in managing sales and distribution, driving category growth, and establishing key partnerships with regional and national accounts across the U.S. and international markets in retail, wholesale, and foodservice channels.
Mayda Sotomayor, CEO of Seald Sweet, expressed her enthusiasm, stating, “Mark will play a pivotal role in our company’s strategic growth and expansion plan.”
“Joining Seald Sweet is an honor,” says Mark Gagnon. “I am excited to contribute to the company and utilize my experiences over the last three decades with a global leader today.”
About Greenyard USA/Seald Sweet
Established in 1909 as a Florida citrus cooperative, Seald Sweet merged with Greenyard in 1998, becoming Greenyard USA, a global marketer through their international network of companies. Today, Greenyard USA/Seald Sweet is serving the Top 8 US retailers and is a leading global supplier of citrus, grapes, blueberries, avocados, vegetables, and more.
With about 8,500 employees across 19 countries, the Greenyard group serves the top 20 EU retailers with a variety of fresh, frozen, and prepared products, generating around €4.6 billion annually. Greenyard’s vision is to make lives healthier by helping people enjoy fruit and vegetables at any moment, easily, quickly, and pleasurably, whilst fostering nature. Learn more at www.greenyardusa.com
Helena Fernandez Irastorza


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Colorado Craft Beer Week enters its third year today, but the festival is now being run by the nonprofit Colorado Brewers Guild, which will host a series of revitalized beer dinners, tap takeovers, brewer meet-and-greets and other events from Fort Collins to Denver to Vail to Boulder.
“Others states and cities have beer weeks, and we thought we would take this on and give it Colorado’s flavor,” says Guild spokes-man Steve Kurowski. “My expectation this year is to introduce it to beer drinkers and then grow it next year. It can be as big as the breweries want to make it.”
The week begins tonight at 6 p.m. with a Colorado tap takeover at the Falling Rock Tap House, 1919 Blake Street, that will include beers from eighty Guild members — an unprecedented square-state accomplishment.
Other events include the tapping of an all-female-brewer collaboration beer, a pickle-and-beer pairing, several beer dinners, a Kick-the-Keg throwdown, a festival dedicated just to breweries that were founded in the past two years, a firkin fest, and a big closing party called Hops and Handrails at Left Hand Brewing, 1270 Boston Avenue in Longmont. Running from 2 to 7 p.m., Hops and Handrails features 23 breweries, live music, food and a 25-foot-high ski ramp; tickets are $30.
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To find about more about Colorado Craft Beer Week and details on dozens of events around the state, go to www.cobeerweek.com.
Mon., March 18, 7-10 p.m.; March 18-24, 2013


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Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) has now dominated as the world’s largest company for more than 20 months, while 2022 has marked a significant milestone as they became the first company in history to surpass $3T in market cap (even if just momentarily). I (like most of you) have been a beneficiary of Apple’s household name and the evolution of their hardware innovation throughout the years. From using the early Macintosh computers in grade school for projects, to listening to my iPod during my more rebellious years, and now today – typing on my Macbook Pro while listening to classical music on my AirPods. The fact that Apple has consistently generated exceptional products is undisputed. What remains contentious however, are Apple’s prospects for sustained growth going forward. While I may be currently immersed in the Apple ecosystem, it is noteworthy that the classical music I am listening to is being streamed over Spotify, and my 2017 Macbook Pro is only marginally inferior to its 2022 successor (Apple’s new M1 chip is the major distinction). These are symptoms of an overall stagnation in Apple’s ability to generate growth organically through innovation, or new ventures. We will go on a chronological journey of sorts to discuss stagnation in core products, as well as their attempts at growth through ancillary products and services, and ambitious future projects like the Apple Car and AR/VR.
The bulk of Apple’s revenue is heavily concentrated in their core hardware products, with over half attributed to iPhone and approximately 70% when including Macbook and iPad. Looking at all 3 of these products, the rate of change and innovation has been decelerating over the past few years. There was no better bellwether for this trend than the criticism Apple received in late 2016 following the release of iOS 10, and the subsequent impact it had on battery health and overall phone performance. The incident even garnered its own name (Batterygate), prompted multiple lawsuits and resulted in Apple cutting their battery replacement cost by over 60% for a year. Some of the public characterised the move in the name of planned obsolescence and the context didn’t help Apple’s case: they had just realized their first year of negative growth in iPhone sales history, nearly a decade after the phone’s inception. While Apple has managed to grow iPhone revenue (although with volatility) since 2016, unit sales actually plateaued through 2018 (Apple interestingly stopped reporting iPhone unit sales after 2018):
Although Apple stopped reporting iPhone unit sales after 2018, sources have reverse engineered figures using phone prices, and estimate that unit sales even declined 10% from 2018 to 2020. iPhone sales are reported to have had an anomalous year in 2021, selling slightly more units than the previous peak in 2015 (several manufacturers experienced double-digit unit sales growth in 2021). Overall, this general trend indicates Apple’s growth in the iPhone segment, their main driver of revenue, has been mainly boosted by higher prices:
It is impressive that Apple has been able to command increasingly higher prices for the iPhone lineup, however this is a trend that cannot be sustained ad infinitum, especially when considering the iPhone is already a premium priced product relative to its peers. Smartphones have also been converging in terms of hardware features and design over the years, reducing the amount of points of differentiation Apple is able to sustain – although the software and ecosystem advantages remain. We can also see that while Apple seized a growing global smartphone market over the first half of the past decade, their share of the mobile phone market has remained static over the years in a very saturated space:
It is no surprise then that the Apple iPhone 13 is already showing signs of weaker demand, as Apple communicated with suppliers in December. One needs to simply compare the iPhone 12 and 13 on Apple’s website to discover that a magnifying glass is required to spot out differences between the models. As a result, little incentive exists for customers to upgrade. The same story goes for iPad and Mac: just compare the clunky 2012 MacBook Pro to the 2017 model, and then to today’s model. The deceleration in innovation is quite palpable. As a caveat and to Apple’s credit, I do not want to fault them entirely, as this outlook is just an inevitable reality of approaching the asymptotic physical limitations of what a mobile, phone, laptop, and tablet can be.
Moving beyond core products, wearables is a segment that has performed remarkably well for Apple over the past 5 years (in relative terms at least), and mainly consists of AirPods, Apple Watch, Apple TV and Beats – among other smaller product lines. The segment has more than tripled since 2016 while iPhone revenue grew 40% over the same period. Despite the recent success, I don’t believe the trend in Wearables will be significant enough to prop up Apple’s overall growth. AirPods and the Apple Watch makeup the bulk of the segment’s business, and the reality is that these products don’t share the same key cyclical properties of the core iPhone business: Mobile phone customers are programmed to 2-3 year purchase cycles due to the cadence of phone plans, and are therefore accustomed to the inevitable obsolescence built into the products.
Mobile phones also inherently carry far more permutations that can be modified and innovated upon in contrast to AirPods (Apple Watch may have more parameters for potential innovation than AirPods, but is still a less sophisticated product than then iPhone). This drastically lessens the potential for significant improvements to incentivize consumers to upgrade. Incidentally, given the long time horizon of typical watch purchases, consumers will be less inclined to upgrade their watches as frequently. All of this adds up to a product profile that does not match the recurring HaaS (hardware-as-a-service) model the iPhone has enjoyed.
Apple’s foray into the world of audio and video streaming was a natural progression following the origins of iTunes and the Apple TV platform, respectively. Apple Music has no doubt secured a spot as a major player in the audio streaming race, however their market share has hovered at around half of Spotify’s and shows no sign of encroaching further:
As a pure player, Spotify has built a moat that is very deep and reinforced by the feedback loops built-in to their data advantage, which I elaborated on in a previous article. To add, 55% of Spotify users are under the age of 35 while this figure is only 40% for Apple, which is most popular among the 55+ cohort (tied for first). This trajectory only bodes further for Spotify’s widening lead moving forward as time progresses. The dynamic is even more pronounced in the video streaming race against pure player Netflix:
Bottom line, a diversified tech player like Apple does not stand to compete with the streaming specialists that have established dominance in their respective markets through curated user experiences and high quality exclusive content.
We’ve spent a lot of time looking at the stagnation of Apple’s core products and failure of recent ventures to live up to a monstrous valuation, there are two ambitious moonshots that could justify a high price, although they are embedded with much uncertainty: augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR), as well as electric vehicles.
2021 will forever go down as the year the concept of the metaverse was first imprinted on the public conscious. Facebook rebranded to Meta and for the first time, more Oculus headsets were sold than Xbox units:
Apple is admittedly well-positioned for the movement and even got placed in the highest exposure band of Bloomberg Intelligence’s Metaverse Theme Index, as a mark of validation. Apple is expected to launch a premium immersive mixed-reality (limited augmented reality) headset in the near future, with iOS 16 beta already making reference to a VR headset and iPhone integration. The anticipated launch date is sometime in 2023, and the headset is expected to carry a much higher price tag (some reports suggest $2000+) than current mass market options like Oculus Quest, which is priced comparably to conventional gaming consoles.
With iPhone hardware integration and Apple’s entertainment ecosystem, their foray into mixed-reality headsets is logical, and the futuristic augmented reality glasses (similar to Google Glass) are expected to follow the headset in 2024 or 2025. While I have no doubt Apple will produce an exceptional headset, as an investor I am not convinced the nature of these products will garner anywhere as large of a market as smartphones, nor the same dynamics of recurring revenue. As for Apple’s AR glasses, while a cool concept, they are difficult to envision capturing a large market from a practical perspective, especially when considering the trajectory of Google Glass which has settled into an enterprise niche. While Apple may have a better chance at selling to those who wear glasses regularly, they will have a very challenging time convincing non-glasses users to convert. Already, many glasses wearers are motivated to ditch the lenses via corrective surgery or contacts, and as costs decline and technology improves, this trend will only continue.
Our interactions with virtual worlds will primarily occur through gaming, as well as entertainment, social media and retail. Goldman Sachs expects the AR and VR market to grow to nearly $100 billion by 2025, however the scale is much more grandiose when factoring in these industries the technology will impact, like gaming:
So while the hardware potential pales in comparison, the more significant opportunities lie in the integration of software and content. As previously discussed Apple has yet to succeed in dominating content, however in 2020 they acquired two virtual entertainment companies: NextVR and Spaces. NextVR has VR live streaming partnerships with the likes of the NFL, NBA and HBO, while Spaces creates VR experiences and games, as well as a new VR video conferencing extension.
Major VR player Meta (FB) on the other hand is focused on transforming their social media pedigree into virtual worlds via their new platform Horizon Worlds. If Apple manages to take a cut from metaverse creators on a platform of their own, similarly to how they currently do with iOS developers on the App Store, this could prove to be lucrative. Such initiatives however will face lots of backlash from developer communities given Web 3’s decentralized ethos, so they will have to tread carefully.
Apple’s announcement of an electric vehicle may have seemed outlandish to many, but in my eyes it’s the best chance for Apple to defend their crown as the world’s largest company. As vehicles transition to autonomous and driver attention is liberated, much of the utility will shift to infotainment (which is why it is no surprise Tesla (TSLA) is placing such an emphasis on gaming and entertainment in its EVs). Few (if any) are better at collective infotainment than Apple and that’s why this moonshot concept has some glimmer of hope.
The challenging party, is profitably scaling automotive manufacturing. There is some survivorship bias at stake given Tesla’s recent successes and it is still early days for many of the EV manufacturers who have yet to fail (startups and legacy co’s alike), but the last successful automotive startup to scale production prior to Tesla was Chrysler – over 90 years ago. Margins are tight and it is an incredibly capital intensive business, especially at the start. Fortunately for Apple they have the capital sorted, but profitably will be of paramount concern.
Steve Jobs was responsible for the creation of Apple’s core product lines that are still paying dividends to this day: Mac, iPhone and iPad. But nothing lasts forever, and Apple will need to continuously evolve to avoid resting on their laurels for too long. Given revenue growth projections for the upcoming years sit just above US GDP projections, it is clear Apple is officially a mature company.
Some of Apple’s behemoth tech peers like Microsoft (MSFT) have managed to reinvent themselves – in Microsoft’s case, embracing the new age of cloud computing and making bold acquisitions in social networks and gaming via LinkedIn and Activision. While Apple hoards cash, they have not made the kind of pivot or investments required to future proof their lead, and instead have risked spreading themselves too thin by dabbling in diverse ventures. This is reflected for example in IMD’s Future Readiness Indicator, which scores Microsoft at 91.6 and Apple at 62.2. Time will tell how wholeheartedly Apple can commit and execute on virtual worlds and an electric car, but anything short of mastering these moonshots is a nearly certain fall from grace.


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Continental Tire employees take part in annual toy ride
Each year, Continental Tire in Mt. Vernon, Illinois sponsors the Jefferson County Toys for Kids organization. With this annual sponsorship comes a tremendous amount of donations for children in the local and surrounding communities.
This year marks the 8th Annual Continental Employee Toy Ride. The annual ride was started by the employees of Continental Tire to give back to the community in a unique way. For about six months, employees have been donating to a plant-wide collection of toys, including items such board games and bicycles for this event. Last year, more than 70 Continental Tire employee motorcyclists will arrive at the plant with their toys strapped to their bikes to help escort the collected toys to Times Square Mall.
This year, more than 100 people took part in the toy ride. The employees also raised more than $7,000 for the campaign.


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Kantar's data shows worldwide decline in iOS market share during Q4, Android and Windows Phone gain58
In the U.S., Android made it over the 50% mark, rising to 50.6% from 46.2%. Apple's iOS suffered a fairly large drop stateside, with a market share that declined from 49.7% to 43.9%. The combination allowed Android to leap frog over its major rival for the top spot in the U.S. But it wasn't only the states where iOS lost share. In Italy, Apple's mobile OS saw its share of the smartphone market crash from 23.1% to 12.8% with Android having nearly a corresponding rise. In five major European countries, iOS saw its market share decline from 23.7% to 18.5% while Android's share increased from 62.9% to 68.6%.
Windows Phone showed momentum in the quarter. In Europe, Microsoft's mobile OS had 10.3% of the market, up from 5.6% a year ago. In the U.K., the figures showed Windows Phone with an 11.3% slice of the market at the end of 2013, up from 5.9% during the same time in 2012. And in the U.S., the platform took its 2.4% market share at the end of the fourth quarter of 2012, and ran it up to 4.3% at the end of the fourth quarter in 2013.


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Archive for October 2020
Biodiversity loss will be ‘driving future pandemics’
Pandemics could happen more often in future, kill more people and wreak even worse damage on the global economy.
Floating gardens improve water quality, scientists show
Even a small garden makes a difference, a researcher says.
We can learn sustainability from traditional communities
Many indigenous people have had a close relationship with nature which is antithetical to unsustainable exploitation.
Pandemic action and climate action must go hand in hand
We're at a critical juncture for overcoming not one but two of the biggest crises facing humanity.
New AI-enabled tech helps to protect Africa’s banana crops
The Tumaini database is free for farmers and other stakeholders to use and has been downloaded from the Google App store 2,500 times.
Lockdowns led to historic drops in our CO2 emissions
In the first half of 2020 we emitted 8.8% less carbon dioxide globally than in the same period last year.


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IBM wants to embed its cognitive supercomputer Watson into the next generation of smartphone apps.
EmoSPARK is a smarthome hub that not only makes home automation convenient, but wants to be your friend too.
MIT student uses Shakespeare and Swiftkey’s machine-learning word prediction algorithm to write beautiful poetry.
British researchers create an artificial intelligence game design program to compete against humans at the Ludum Dare game jam.
Move over Mario Kart! It's about time someone created an iPhone-controlled slot car racing game.
The Loebner prize is awarded annually to the chatbot that can best convince judges it’s a human. Mitsuku, this year's winner winner, has the potential to be Manti Te'o next girlfriend.
This teddy bear can actually hold a conversation with you, without the aid of an off-screen adult.
That's the good news. The bad news is, computers might also be mentally unbalanced.
Using behavior analysis software and a 3D character, MIT has developed a system that may help the socially awkward become a little more people friendly.
While robot boxing might be best left to the professionals, gaming with robots is coming to the masses thanks to iOS and a brand new startup.


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Apparently, 2018 is the year of goth food, root-to-stem cooking and alternative sweeteners. That’s according to predictions from the Specialty Food Association’s Trendspotter Panel, which has already called next year’s hottest food trends.
The New York-based nonprofit trade association is made up of 3,500 food artisans, importers and entrepreneurs. Here’s a quick look at the top 10 fads in their forecast:
• More plant-based foods.
• Upcycled products. With the growing appeal of ugly produce and spent brewers’ grain, goods that repurpose typically-thrown-away ingredients will rise in popularity.
• Filipino cuisine.
• Goth food. The Bricks knew about this one before it was cool, as evidenced by those Halloween-themed Goth Brunches in Ybor City last month. But, seriously — expect to see the spread of activated charcoal, which helps eats like pizza crust and ice cream (South Tampa’s Dough has used the ingredient for one of its frozen flavors) get their gothic edge. So, yeah, forget all that unicorn stuff, I guess.
• Alt-sweeteners. “Syrups made from dates, sorghum, and even yacón and sun root will join monk fruit on the market as emerging options for sweet,” says the panel.
• Product labeling 2.0.
• Root-to-stem cooking. Start using every part of those fruits and veggies, will ya?
• Cannabis cuisine. At this point, an increase in pot-infused bites and beverages seems inevitable.
• A (deeper) feast from the Middle East. Eaters will explore Persian, Israeli, Moroccan and additional Middle Eastern cultures with their forks, venturing beyond hummus and falafel.
• Traditional bread. Sorry, gluten-free peeps. The panel envisions more bakers using local grains and milling the day before baking, among other things, to reinvent “what good bread means.”
What else to watch for? More cricket flour and grain-free sustainable proteins; fermented foods; at-home cocktail mixers and bitters; savory flavors subbing for sweet; bananas transformed into milks, snacks and all sorts of grub; collagen-enhanced foods; and mushrooms in non-mushroom places — such as your morning latte.


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Hewlett-Packard has trimmed the RRP of its TouchPad tablet, following unfavourable comparisons with prices in the United States.
From today, the 16GB TouchPad will be available from $679 and the 32GB version for $819. The units were previously priced at $799 and $949 respectively, representing cuts of around 15%.
HP couldn’t be reached for comment, but said in a statement, "HP continually evaluates pricing for its products and is pleased to offer a permanent discounted pricing on the HP TouchPad in New Zealand.
"These new prices are effective as of Thursday 11th August. Our retail partners have been informed of the changes and will make changes in their communications as soon as possible.”
Update: Simon Molloy, market development manager for webOS within HP’s Personal Systems Group, says the TouchPad price drop is not a response to critical comparisons between RRPs here and overseas.
"The general response from consumer and business customers has been very positive,” Molloy says.
"We have a good presence in the retail channel, and the new pricing will certainly help drive momentum.
"Prices in the US have been reviewed as well, so it represents part of a global price review.”
In particular, HP is trying to drive the TouchPad as it is the first device to feature its webOS operating system.
"We’ve got a lot of products in the wings and we’re serious about the market,” Molloy adds.
"This rapid response on price indicates we’re in it for the long haul.”


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Upstate New York restaurant owner Paul Santora said Thursday he is suing Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo regarding the indoor dining ban amid the coronavirus pandemic because “for us, it’s all about equality in being open.”
“It’s losing a holiday season,” the owner of Santora’s Pizza Pub and Grill in Erie County said on “Fox & Friends” on Thursday, stressing that restaurants in Western New York, which consists of eight counties, are only closed in Erie County.
“Everywhere else in our district and everywhere around us basically are operating fully and [are] having the best season of their careers, and right around the corner from us it’s the same way,” Santora said.
He is not allowed to host customers for indoor dining because of coronavirus restrictions imposed by Cuomo, even as the state released contact-tracing data that showed bars and restaurants accounted for just 1.43% of COVID-19 cases in the three months ending in November.
Erie County is considered an “orange zone” in New York state. Indoor dining is prohibited in “orange zones,” so restaurants, bars, cafes and other eateries are only allowed to provide outdoor dining, takeout and delivery service, according to New York’s rules.
“For us, we really need the message to be consistent,” Santora said. “One day they’re going and they’re concentrating on percentage rates of positive cases and shuts us down to orange, and then all of a sudden it changes the hospital beds and it keeps us in orange.”
“It just seems to be slated to one county and one area and one specific business,” Santora added, referencing the restaurant business and stressing that every other industry is “wide open.”
Some Erie County customers now frequent restaurants in nearby Niagara County, which is considered a “yellow zone,” in which indoor and outdoor dining is permitted.
As of Thursday, Erie County has reported nearly 40,000 COVID-19 cases and more than 1,130 deaths.
Santora joined dozens of other upstate New York restaurant and bar owners who are fighting back against the ban on indoor dining by suing Cuomo in an effort to reopen.
WKBW-TV reported Monday that according to the owners of another upstate New York business involved in the lawsuit, a judge “is telling the state to reach a compromise on bars and restaurants or provide scientific evidence to support the COVID-19 restrictions on the businesses.”
Santora’s attorney Corey Hogan told “Fox & Friends” on Thursday the last time he and his client were in court, they brought up the figures released by New York state that showed bars and restaurants accounted for a scant amount of the cases from September to November.
COURT WHITTLES GOV. ANDREW CUOMO’S CORONAVIRUS RESTRICTIONS AWAY
“These were figures that Gov. Cuomo himself had mentioned in his Dec. 11 press conference,” Hogan said. “He’s the one that indicated to us that numbers are numbers, they don’t lie.”
“And we suggested to the judge, forgetting the constitutionality issues, let’s just look at the fairness of it,” he continued. “The state itself has admitted that restaurants are not the problem. Gov. Cuomo said that. He also said hair salons are not the problem. They’ve been closed down. Now they’ve been allowed to open.”
“So we said to the judge, ‘Judge, this doesn’t make any sense. There’s no justification from the scientific perspective, from an industry perspective, from a medical perspective, from a legal perspective to keep restaurants closed. They’ve been closed for five months out of the last ten months, please let them open’ and he suggested that we come back to court,” Hogan went on to say.
A spokesperson with Cuomo’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment.
However, in an earlier statement responding to another Erie County business owner’s lawsuit, a Cuomo spokesperson said, “We get sued virtually every day for virtually every action taken during this pandemic, and frankly I’ve lost track of all the frivolous suits filed against us.”
“We know some people are unhappy, but better to be unhappy than sick or worse,” the spokesperson added.
Santora noted Thursday that if he and other upstate New York business owners are not allowed to reopen for indoor dining, they will “slowly deteriorate.”
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“Restaurants in Western New York, especially in Buffalo, are part of the culture and to lose that culture is very discerning and we don’t want to make that happen,” Santora said. “We want to open.”


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As ride-sharing, carpooling - or what we call ‘online transport systems’ in the Philippines - become more a more popular means of mobility all around the world, the Volkswagen Group has announced the creation of a new company to cater to this new demand.
The Volkswagen Group has officially launched its new mobility services company called MOIA, which roughly means ‘individual mobility for everyone’ and will be headquartered in Berlin.
"MOIA will help us gain a deeper understanding of new forms of mobility and how to make them even more attractive in future, to offer a much broader scope than at present and to tailor these services to suit very wide-ranging needs. Even though not everyone will still own a car in future, MOIA can help make everyone a customer of our company in some way or another", said Matthias Müller, CEO of the Volkswagen Group.
It aims to get into the business of ‘ride hailing’ using one of the world’s leading ride hailing providers Gett that already operates in 100 cities all around the world while also opening itself up to the carpooling business.
MOIA hopes that with the help of the 12 brands under the Volkswagen Group, it will become one of the leaders of innovative mobility services by 2025.
"MOIA is a stand-alone company under the Volkswagen Group umbrella, and will develop and market its own mobility services either independently or in partnership with cities and existing transport systems. In parallel, the Group brands will continue to move forward with their own services. Our sights are set on becoming one of the global top players for mobility services in the medium term. To achieve that we will be seeking to attract the best minds and technology start-ups", said Ole Harms, CEO of MOIA.
"As customers' needs change, so does the automobile business model. In the world's major urban areas, there is an ever-stronger trend away from owning a vehicle towards shared mobility as well as mobility on demand. That is why the Volkswagen Group anchored new mobility solutions and digital services as core elements in its future program ‘TOGETHER – Strategy 2025' in order to secure a position as a globally leading provider in this field, too", said Thomas Sedran, Head of Group Strategy at Volkswagen AG, will support MOIA's leadership team.


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At this time, Facebook isn’t charging a referral fee for this service; however, we don’t expect that this will remain a completely free option — just look at Facebook Offers.
Currently Collections is being tested with seven companies — Victoria’s Secret, Pottery Barn, Michael Kors, Wayfair, Neiman Marcus, Fab.com, and Smith Optics — and isn’t open to other brands at the moment. However, Facebook will rollout the functionality this afternoon so members can begin collecting.
Jennifer Beese: Jennifer Beese has worked as a community manager and social media strategist. When she’s not writing, you can find her studying anatomy and physiology—she literally has a skeleton in her closet—or under the stars with her telescope.