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Do You Always Put Premium Fuel In Your Car? Yeah, You Should Probably Stop Doing That
That old myth about premium fuel making your car get better fuel mileage? Yeah, well, it might, but that’s not the point as you will learn. It doesn’t even matter if your gas cap says premium fuel is “recommended” right on it. It’s still not worth it in almost all cases.
But don’t just take my word for it. Take the word of a little something called the American Automobile Association.
According to new research from AAA, premium gasoline offers some benefit to select vehicles, but is becoming increasingly expensive for drivers. In recent years, the price gap between premium and regular-grade gasoline has risen from a historically steady 10 percent to 25 percent or more per gallon.
While past AAA research has shown no benefit in using premium gasoline in a vehicle designed to operate on regular fuel, new testing indicates that some vehicles – those that recommend, but do not require premium gasoline – may see increased fuel economy and performance under certain driving conditions when using the higher-octane gasoline.
Unfortunately, the high cost of premium gasoline may outweigh that advantage for many drivers. As a result, AAA recommends drivers weigh the potential benefits against the cost of using premium gasoline, if their vehicle does not require it.
See that second to last word? REQUIRE? That’s the key.
“There’s no question that higher-octane premium fuel has the potential to boost a vehicle’s fuel economy and performance, however, engines have to be calibrated to require that fuel to see the full benefit,” said John Nielsen, AAA’s managing director of Automotive Engineering and Repair. “Based on AAA’s testing, vehicles that only recommend premium gasoline can’t take full advantage of higher octane fuel and, as a result, the benefit that comes from upgrading to premium gasoline may not offset its high cost.”


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LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — At just 5 years old, Jacey Cook is an author and entrepreneur.
During the pandemic shutdown, Jacey Cook released her first book "Let's Count and Color Lip Gloss with Jacey."
The child's book is sold on Amazon and it's all thanks to her parents Joseph and Casia Cook.
The Cook's turned Jacey Cook's struggle with numbers into success and profit.
"Our daughter struggled with counting numbers so we figured out a way to encourage her while doing something fun," Casia Cook said.
Casia Cook says entrepreneurship is not for everyone but they are giving their kids the option.
Joseph Cook says creating a coloring book during the pandemic was not easy due to lack of supply.
"We made it happen, found freelancers to help us," Joseph Cook said.
Joseph and Casia Cook are teaching their four children how to overcome adversity while building generational wealth.
The couple is leading by example as franchise owners of Mr. Fries Man in North Las Vegas, another rare opportunity they seized during the pandemic.
"We always worked hard, so as she said, we tried to find something different for us and we wanted to leave something for our children," Joseph Cook said.
The loss of jobs during the pandemic gave the family a different perspective on entrepreneurship.
The list of up-and-coming young Black entrepreneurs in the valley keeps growing.
Black entrepreneurship is multiplying, creating their own seat at a table they built.
"It's our time to get out of our mind and start doing it, failure is not a failure, it's a lesson," Joseph Cook said.
Mr. Fries Man in North Las Vegas is located at 4040 W Craig Rd.

domain: news


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Total Wine & More, the huge wine, spirits and beer retailer, is planning to open a second Lexington location at Hamburg.
Earlier this month, the Maryland-based chain applied for a permit to remodel the former Gordmans store on Sir Barton Way. Gordmans department store closed in June 2016.
The location is in a retail row with Value City Furniture, Half Price Books, Staples, Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse, Bed Bath & Beyond and buybuyBaby. The retailers sit behind a row of restaurants and just down the road from Meijer grocery, which also sells liquor.
A spokesman for the Total Wine said he could not comment on the filing with the city.
According to the permit, the 30,000-square-foot store will cost about $500,000 to remodel.
Total Wine opened its first Lexington store in April in Lexington Green, in the former Whole Foods space.
The Lexington Green store carries 8,000 wines, 3,000 spirits and 2,500 beers, according to the company.
The new location will put it squarely into contention with Liquor Barn, which has a big store on Plaudit Place at Hamburg.
In November, Blue Equity, a Louisville-based private equity firm controlled by Jonathan Blue, purchased all 15 Liquor Barn stores for a reported $26 million. Blue Equity formed Blue Rose Spirits in conjunction with developer Vince Rosenblatt to invest in Liquor Barn. The two also invested in Angel’s Envy and helped develop it into a brand, which was sold to Bacardi in 2015.


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Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Paul Komoda's Julia Coming Soon...
Some of you might remember Paul Komoda's Julia sculpture released as a limited edition resin kit back in the 90's.
A few weeks ago at Monsterpalooza, we had Paul's personal painted copy on display at our table, and the response was overwhelming.
We've decided to do a very limited release of this piece, tentatively titled "Julia 2" the figure and base retooled.
The molds will be made from the original super sculpey parts, pictured above.
Paul will be going over each part, meticulously refining details and bringing this new version to a whole new level.
More details coming soon...


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Kylie Jenner Wore a Do-Rag at New York Fashion Week
Kylie, will you ever learn?
To Jonathan Simkhai's spring/summer show, Kylie Jenner paired her freshly-dyed platinum hair with a white do-rag. Why, Kylie, why?!
Everyone seems to be freaking out because of it. Here's the issue: Do-rags are typically worn by black men between trips to the barber, according to the Wall Street Journal. Kylie wearing one--whether she intended it to be a harmless part of her look or not--is cultural appropriation.
It wouldn't be the first time King Kylie was accused of appropriating. The teen first got flack when she Instagrammed herself with cornrows last year. She then wore hair extensions traditionally used by women of color that want some added length in their braids.
Naturally, Twitter wasn't having it.
Kylie Jenner was wearing a do-rag in her snapchat and I don't think there's any more culture for her to appropriate
— Emma Callan (@em_callan) September 11, 2016
.@Tyga PLEASE get your daughter/girlfriend/in-law @KylieJenner really, a do-rag really?!https://t.co/pN01d9zCcQ pic.twitter.com/wDLv04HZKR — Cheech (@LostKravitz) September 12, 2016
Did my eyes deceive me or did Kylie Jenner have on a do-rag? Girl... pic.twitter.com/Ht382goxlQ
— RB (@RayaAshley) September 11, 2016
The bigger issue isn't Kylie using a do-rag to make a statement (or because it goes with her outfit, we'll never know). Rather, it's the fact that Kylie (along with her sisters) make a habit of appropriating black culture and yet never use their massive platform and fan base to actually shed light on African-American social issues. Picking and choosing the parts you like about a culture and wearing it like a costume or as part of a gag is insensitive at best. Case in point--"Native American" feather headdresses worn all over Coachella.
Next time, Kylie, maybe rethink that do-rag. Or, you know, just hire a stylist that'll tell you that it's not OK.


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When walking around, many people place their phones in a coat breast pocket, a shirt pocket or in a pants pocket. Now, a new study confirms that you should keep the newer iPhones away from your heart area if you’ve had specific heart issues.
Magnets and other components inside iPhone 12 devices could disable pacemakers or implanted cardiac defibrillators, tech giant Apple has warned in an official Advisory, potentially putting millions of people at risk for dangerous heart complications.
The company warned users that iPhones contain magnets and radios that emit electromagnetic fields, both of which “may interfere” with medical devices such as implanted pacemakers and defibrillators.
The notice, published in late January 2021, specifically warns users about “the magnets inside” all four iPhone 12 models, as well as MagSafe accessories.
Apple said in the update that medical devices can contain sensors that may react to magnets or radio waves that come in close proximity. The company recommends keeping iPhones or MagSafe chargers more than 6 inches apart from medical devices.
There are only about 1.3 million Americans with pacemakers, a figure growing rapidly each year. Defibrillators are also common
Who Would Needs a Pacemaker/Defibrillator?
A person may need a pacemaker/defibrillator if they have had a dangerously fast heartbeat (ventricular tachycardia) or a chaotic heartbeat that keeps your heart from supplying enough blood to the rest of your body (ventricular fibrillation), survived a cardiac arrest, or fainted from a ventricular arrhythmia. You might also benefit from an ICD if you have:
- A history of coronary artery disease and heart attack that has weakened your heart.
- A heart condition that involves abnormal heart muscle, such as enlarged or thickened heart muscle.
- An inherited heart defect that makes your heart beat abnormally. These include long QT syndrome, which can cause ventricular fibrillation and death even in young people with no signs or symptoms of heart problems.
- Other rare conditions that may affect your heart rhythm.
What is a Defibrillator/Pacemaker?
An implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) is a small battery-powered device placed in your chest to monitor your heart rhythm and detect irregular heartbeats.


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Dan has been writing for UK Anime Network since 2013, and has been the site's Anime Editor since August 2017.
The ever eagle-eyed NormanicGrav over at AnimeUKNews has spotted some interesting listings on Amazon.co.uk. Indicating that Studio Canal are set to release Ronja the Robber’s Daughter on DVD and Blu-ray.
The series, directed by Gorō Miyazaki, is a collaboration between POLYGON PICTURES and Studio Ghibli. It began streaming on Amazon Video here in the UK earlier this year, where it is shown dubbed and features feature an all-star cast, with a heavy British leaning, including names such as: Gillian Anderson (The X-Files), Giles New (Pirates of the Caribbean) and Morwenna Banks (Peppa Pig).


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Some Eugene-Springfield Businesses Hurting Because Of Cold Weather
The weeks leading up to Christmas are the biggest retail shopping time of the year. But this month’s unusually cold weather is keeping people indoors – hurting some businesses in the Eugene-Springfield area. Other businesses, though, are seeing a boost.
As the weather begins to warm, more and more Eugene and Springfield residents are journeying out into the world. But still, traffic on snowy roads and sidewalks is nowhere near normal levels. The weather has had a two-fold effect on the local economy, according to Springfield Chamber of Commerce Director Dan Egan. Businesses are having trouble getting their own employees into work.
Egan: “And then at this time of year when there’s more activity, more retail activity, it’s been kind of tough. I think a lot of people would look at this past weekend as a lost opportunity to connect with their customers.”
Egan doesn’t believe those retail businesses will be able to completely make up sales in the weekends to come. But he says this is golden time for one sector of the economy.
Egan: “Plumbers, tow truck drivers, car collision repair places, Les Schwab, tire places – all of them are extremely busy. And I think over the next week, that’s not going to slow up one bit.”
And that seems to be the case at Petersen Plumbing in Eugene.
Fountain: “We have literally a call a second. The minute we hang up a call, the next call is coming in.”
Tina Fountain is one of three people working full time answering calls for service to Petersen Plumbing.
Fountain: “It’s fantastic. We’re all trying to stay in great spirits. We’re working, like I said, some really late hours. It’s a good thing… unfortunately.”
Unfortunately for the local residents who are suffering from broken pipes.


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Beyond the Footsie: Tuesday close
SHARES in UK smaller companies closed strongly, boosted by the buoyant wider market sentiment and reassuring trading news. The FTSE SmallCap Index was 7.7 points higher at 2,589.0.
High on the list of winners was Potential Finance. In a trading update, the debt financing firm said its performance has exceeded expectations and it has traded profitably since the early part of the financial year. The shares were 6p higher at 43 1/2p.
Water group South Staffordshire rose 122 1/2p at 1002 1/2p after the utility revealed it is advanced talks with a private equity buyer that may or may not lead to an offer.
Newcomer Transvision Resources rose on talk the cash shell has identified a technology-related acquisition target. The company, which joined Aim last month, rose 0.75p to 4.75p.
Acquisition news lifted Parkdean Holidays 3p to 203 1/2p. The caravan and camping group has bought five freehold holiday parks from Bourne Leisure for £41.75m. Parkdean said it expects its ful- year financial performance to be in line with expectations. In response Altium Securities and Investec reiterated their 'buy' ratings.
Mulberry rose 8 1/2p to 81p. The luxury goods and fashion company has signed a distribution agreement covering North and South East Asia that will see the first Hong Kong Mulberry shop open this month followed by a shop in Singapore in December.
Warthog edged up 0.15p up at 1.57p, as traders continued to warm to the recent partnership with Tiger Telematics, the parent company of Gizmondo Europe, providing game content for the latter's new handheld multi-entertainer.
Vectura Group was 5p better at 56p, after the company completed the first development phase for its new low -cost asthma inhaler.
And software company Vebnet was 10 1/2p higher at 176 1/2p, following news of a contract with a major UK financial institution. Broker Seymour Pierce reiterated its 'buy' recommendation on the stock and said the deal is likely to be the most significant in the group's history.
Shares in European Motor Holdings stepped up a gear after the car dealership hiked its interim dividend 9%, alongside posting a 23% rise in interim profits. EMH shares rose 8 1/2p to 209 1/2p.
A warning from books and novelty goods distributor Premier Direct that interim profits will be lower was offset by more than four-fold increase in its full year pretax profits. Shares in the Aim-listed company were up 19p to 734p.
Software gaming group Eidos fell 3 1/2p to 88p after warning yesterday that its latest Championship Manager game will not be released in time to catch the crucial Christmas market.
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LexisNexis has predicted that 80 percent of auto claims will be virtual in 2025 — just four years from now — and leading insurers’ recent accounts of COVID-19 digitization give credence to this theory.
State Farm, the nation’s No. 1 auto insurer, was able to get 59,000 employees running virtually within “several days” after spring 2020 lockdowns, P&C claims consultant Chris Evans said.
“There was really not a hiccup” in claims, Evans told the virtual MSO Symposium Nov. 12, 2020. State Farm was surprised how easily it could get staff mobilized and back serving customers, he said, calling it “very shocking.”
Insurance Solutions Group managing partner Stephen Applebaum, who moderated Evans’ MSO Symposium insurer panel, said this experience was common across the insurance industry.
USAA auto claims AVP Patrick Burnett gave a similar assessment, saying his company was able to launch modified programs it felt were compliant with regulations within “several days”
“We were there,” Burnett said. He said his company continues to change and adapt to customer needs.
Liberty Mutual auto physical damage Vice President Scott Kohl said Liberty Mutual had a “fairly strong flex program” already, and it was just a “matter of days” and an issue of “tightening up some technologies” to adapt to the lockdown.
Evans said that while some fluctuation back to more traditional claims would occur, “we’ve proven that virtual works … I think you’re gonna see more of it.”
Prior to COVID-19, State Farm had wondered if policyholders would accept touchless claims, Evans said. Then the pandemic hit, and the company had switched to “99.2 percent” virtual inspections by the end of March, he said — a statistic Applebaum called a “stunner.”
Evans called the ability to make the transition “phenomenal” and the situation a “great learning experience.”
Burnett shared a similar account. USAA had “played with” the concept of virtual claims pre-pandemic, but it never “fully put the gas down” the way policyholders wanted until the pandemic, he said. Leveraging photos and going “full hog” on virtual let USAA serve its customers, he said.
Burnett noted other services that were already virtual — remote computer diagnostics, banking, doctor’s appointments.
Liberty Mutual auto physical damage Vice President Scott Kohl called it a “blessing” that Liberty Mutual had been an early virtual adopter. “It wasn’t new to us,” he said — though he also called the switch still an effort requiring a “lot of caffeine.”
The pandemic left Liberty Mutual with “very similar numbers” as State Farm in terms of virtual claims handling, Kohl said. It was the “very high 9s,” except for areas in the Northeast with regulatory opposition, he said.
“I don’t think that we go backward,” Kohl said. It might not be “99.1” or “99.2” percent virtual penetration, but claims won’t be the same as before. He said that like vehicle sanitization, it was something shops and insurers “really came together on.”
Shops and virtual claims
The prior day of the MSO Symposium saw dealership and other collision repairers discussing virtual efforts by insurers and at their own auto body operations.
“The word virtual is huge,” Berkshire Hathaway Automotive national collision director Darren Huggins said during a dealership collision MSO panel Nov. 11, 2020. Many carriers “won’t even come to the shop,” he said.
He said photo estimating and virtual practices “has changed the world for what it is.” He said the company has seen more pressure from carriers than it ever had before.
“When they can’t come out to the shop, everything changes,” he said.
Huggins said photo estimating was likely to increase and was “here to stay.” He said this made sense, particularly for “small damage analysis.” He said his dealership chain’s shops were already writing “damage analysis” based upon photos via systems like CCC and BodyShop Booster, then they try to book an appointment.
Asbury Automotive Group national collision director Shawn Griffin said he also felt photo estimating would endure, for it made sense for an insurer with less staff. “You see it every day,” he said: announcements of continuous layoffs in the field.
Griffin said he predicted at the start of COVID-19 that insurers would be absent altogether from shops. He said he wasn’t quite right, but called insurer physical appearances “very few and far between.”
“We just have to figure it out,” he said.
Hendrick Automotive Group regional collision manager Brad Walser described a switch to virtual claims leading to a little more work for his adjusters and staff. There’s more effort to demonstrate a repair operation is necessary than occurs with adjusters who’re physically present.
“I don’t see it changing,” he said.
However, he also spoke favorably of photo estimating by a shop. He said his shops had done many photo estimates over the past year, and they produce customer “trust and loyalty.” Do a photo estimate, then call the customer and schedule an appointment to “get it truly assessed.”
“It gives you that starting point,” he said.
He said “everything” was virtual, “we need to be part of that,” he aid.
Griffin felt photo estimating was “the new way.” He predicted it would increase as carriers solve challenges with the process.
As for its impact on the collision repair process, “it really depends on the carrier,” he said.
Some are very fast, and the claim is “extremely easy,” Griffin said. Others are trying to figure out if photos depict the assessment they’re seeking, he said.
“It’s all over the board right now,” he said.
The dealership MSO panel Nov. 11 was followed by a panel featuring non-dealership chains. It too examined the topic of greater claims digitization.
LaMettry’s Collision operations President Darrell Amberson his MSO “hardly at all” saw insurance personnel. Nearly everything was handled with artificial intelligence or online communication, he said.
Mike’s Auto Body chief operations manager Steve Kelly noticed all insurers going virtual during the pandemic. This led to “more desk reviews, more audits, more virtual intelligence” on estimates to flag audits, he said.
Kendrick Body Shop CEO Stephen Kendrick said his MSO saw a tremendous estimate opportunity with the pandemic. He said most estimates were photo estimates, and his shop was photo estimating for carriers with which it didn’t even have a DRP relationship.
Crash Champions CEO Matthew Ebert called insurers definitely “less mobile.” He said he hadn’t seen them in facilities as much.
Amberson said his company has increasingly had to explain to customers why the cost of the actual repair is “so vastly different” than a photo estimate written by an insurer.
Asked about artificial intelligence and estimating, Kelly said he felt the technology was “on its way right now” and would be prominent in the “immediate future.”
Amberson also anticipated more AI. Insurers are increasingly using it for auditing purposes, which makes a DRP a “bigger burden,” eh said. The MSO must devote more time to reviewing estimates and has been fielding more questions from insurers as a result, he said.
He also posed the question of whether insurers would truly adopt artificial intelligence estimating as the technology improved. Right now, photo estimates produce a “modest estimate” and cash-outs of a “modest amount,” he said. If automated estimating became really accurate, it would calculate higher repair costs, he said.
Liberty Mutual auto physical damage Vice President Scott Kohl speaks during the virtual MSO Symposium on Nov. 12, 2020. (Screenshot from MSO Symposium video)
State Farm claims consultant Chris Evans speaks during the virtual MSO Symposium on Nov. 12, 2020. (Screenshot from MSO Symposium video)
USAA auto claims AVP Patrick Burnett speaks during the virtual MSO Symposium on Nov. 12, 2020. (Screenshot from MSO Symposium video)
Berkshire Hathaway Automotive national collision director Darren Huggins participates in a Nov. 11, 2020, MSO Symposium panel featuring dealership MSOs. (Screenshot from MSO Symposium)
Asbury Automotive Group national collision director Shawn Griffin participates in a Nov. 11, 2020, MSO Symposium panel featuring dealership MSOs. (Screenshot from MSO Symposium)
Mike’s Auto Body chief operations manager Steve Kelly participates in a Nov. 11, 2020, MSO Symposium panel featuring non-dealership MSOs. (Screenshot from MSO Symposium)


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, YOKOHAMA, Japan
Nissan LEAF Wins Car of the Year Japan 2011-2012
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. is proud to announce that its 100% electric Nissan LEAF has won the Car of the Year Japan 2011-2012 award.
The Car of the Year Japan 2011-2012 winner was announced at the 42nd Tokyo Motor Show*1 venue. This is the 32nd year that the Car of the Year Japan awards has been held, and it is the first time in its long history that an electric vehicle has won this prestigious award.
Nissan LEAF is a zero-emission vehicle that emits no CO2 while it is being driven. With optimally-placed lithium-ion batteries, a high-performance electric motor as well as advanced control technologies, Nissan LEAF achieves strong and smooth acceleration performance, excellent quietness, outstanding riding comfort and superb handling stability. Comfortable and fun driving is enhanced by a dedicated on-board IT system that can be accessed by remote control via mobile phones. Nissan LEAF will also be able to supply electricity to houses via its high-capacity lithium-ion batteries. The Nissan LEAF offers new mobility value as the world shifts toward a sustainable zero-emission society, not only as a means of transportation, but also as an element of social infrastructure on account of its ability to store electricity.
“We have sold 20,000 Nissan LEAFs and also delivered on our promise of affordable, zero-emission mobility on a global scale. This award is as much a win for Nissan as it is for our customers,” said Nissan President and CEO Carlos Ghosn. “All these accolades show that zero-emission vehicles can clearly be competitive alternatives to conventional ones.”
Nissan LEAF was also named the 2012 RJC Car of the Year award winner, presented by the Automotive Researchers’ Journalists’ Conference of Japan, in addition to winning the Japan Automotive Hall of Fame’s 2011-2012 Car of the Year, the 2011 European Car of the Year and the 2011 World Car of the Year accolades. The Car of the Year Japan honor is another recognition of the Nissan LEAF’s value and attractiveness that has received high praise from customers around the world.
For more information on Nissan LEAF or the Car of the Year Japan, visit the following websites at:
Car of the Year Japan
*1 The 42nd Tokyo Motor Show will be held at the Tokyo Big Sight international exhibition center (3-11-1, Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan) from Saturday, December 3rd through Sunday, December 11th, 2011.


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Date: Tuesday, August 30th, 2016, 07:23
Category: Hardware, iPhone, Legal, News
Apple’s “Touch Disease” issue on some of its iPhone 6 and 6 Plus handsets has just become a class action case.
The company has been sued by owners of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus smartphones who say a design defect causes the phones’ touchscreens to become unresponsive, making them unusable.
Per the complaint, Apple has long been aware of the defect, which often surfaces after a flickering gray bar appears atop the touchscreens, but has refused to fix it.
The plaintiffs linked the problem to Apple’s decision not to use a metal “shield” or “underfill” to protect the relevant parts, as it did on versions of the iPhone 5.
“The iPhones are not fit for the purpose of use as smartphones because of the touchscreen defect,” according to the complaint filed in federal court in San Jose, California.
The case includes Todd Cleary of California, Jun Bai of Delaware and Thomas Davidson of Pennsylvania are the named plaintiffs in the lawsuit, which accuses Apple of fraud and violating California consumer protection laws. They seek unspecified damages.
The issue surfaced to media attention last week when repair outfit iFixit wrote about the problem and labeled the issue “Touch Disease.”
The case is Davidson et al v. Apple Inc, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 16-04942.


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Cheryl Sampson, a resident west of downtown Delaware, wanted to know if she could salvage a pair of shoes from the typical daily wear and tear.
It was by word of mouth that led Sampson to Ralph Martin’s shoe repair store, 28 W. Winter St., Wednesday morning.
“I’ve heard from my neighbors it’s a good shop,” Sampson said.
Martin explained to Sampson how the shoes were beyond repair, which she understood. Martin said it’s part of the job when customers bring their shoes to him for repair. Since some shoes are imported from overseas, it’s much cheaper to buy a new pair, he said.
“Most of the shoes you do are worth it,” he added.
The 85-year-old cobbler will be recognized by the city of Delaware at his store 10 a.m. Friday. Mayor Carolyn Kay Riggle will present Martin a proclamation declaring “Ralph Martin Day” today. The recognition comes as Martin said he looks to retire within the next six months after working at the shop for more than 50 years.
Martin’s daughter, Elizabeth Bodenhamer, said the store has been her father’s social place and he looks forward to every customer who walks through his door.
“Even the angry ones,” she said, smiling. “I don’t know what he would do if he was home” all day.
Martin used to work seven days a week at the shop until he had a stroke in February 2015. It forced him to close the shop before coming back earlier this year.
“It was going good until I had my stroke,” he said.
He now works three days a week — on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Beatrice Ross, Martin’s ex-wife, said it was time to bring him back to the shop as a form of therapy.
“He has his good days and bad days,” she said.
Martin sometimes finds it difficult to express himself or “say what I want to say,” he said. But the shoe repairman was still able to joke back and forth with an old friend who visited the shop Wednesday morning.
Third Ward City Council member Joe DiGenova, who will visit Martin’s shop Friday with his wife, said the cobbler has been a great asset for the community and will be missed by a lot of people.
DiGenova’s son had Legg-Calve-Perthes disease, requiring leg and hip braces, which Martin made and adjusted during a four-year-period.
“He never charged us a nickle for it,” DiGenova said.
Born and raised in Zanesville during the 1940s, Martin came to Delaware in the late 1950s before working at the shoe repair store under Dave Dixon’s ownership in 1961. Martin bought the store from Dixon two years later and has worked there since then.
“It’s been too long,” Bodenhamer said. “But it’s what he knows.”
Brandon Klein can be reached at 740-413-0904 or on Twitter at @brandoneklein.


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American Airlines has embarked on a pilot program, testing the use of iPads as a replacement for printed flight navigation charts. The iPad, in tandem with a specialized app, will potentially replace paper charts that weigh 35 pounds or more. Apple Insider reports that if the switch is made successfully it could save the airline over a million dollars annually.
Here’s my favorite part of this iPad news item. American Airlines is currently offering some of its passengers use of Samsung Galaxy Tabs for in-flight entertainment.
So the iPad, the ‘only good for consumers’ tablet is in the cockpit, being used as an essential tool for pilots, and the Galaxy Tab is providing entertainment. Ha.


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People are being advised not to eat Kinder Surprises due to a salmonella link with the product. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) is investigating food poisoning reports which broke out in Ireland and have links to cases in the UK, Irish Mirror reports.
Kinder Surprise 20g and Kinder Surprise 20g x3 with best before dates between July 11, 2022, and October 7, 2022 have consequently been recalled from shop shelves. Authorities have confirmed ten cases in Ireland with the same strain of salmonella are responsible for a UK outbreak.
The cases involved young children, all of whom have fully recovered. A spokesperson from the FSAI said: “The FSAI today advises that a food recall by Ferrero of some Kinder Surprise chocolate products is underway due to a link with a food poisoning outbreak of salmonella.
“The FSAI, together with the Health Protection Surveillance Centre of the HSE, is investigating this ongoing food poisoning outbreak which is affecting Ireland, the UK and a number of other European countries.” The chocolatier then issued a statement sincerely apologising for these issues saying: “Ferrero is cooperating with the UK Food Standards Agency and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland on a possible link to a number of reported cases of salmonella.
“Although none of our Kinder products released to market have tested positive for salmonella, and we have received no consumer complaints, we are taking this extremely seriously as consumer care is our top priority.” The statement continues: “As a precaution, we have taken the decision to voluntarily recall Kinder Surprise 20g and Kinder Surprise 20g x 3 pack in the UK and Ireland with Best Before Dates between 11th July 2022 and 7th October 2022 .
“These products are manufactured in Belgium. We are working with retailers to ensure that these products are no longer available for purchase.
“If you have one of these products, you are advised not to consume it. We take food safety extremely seriously and we sincerely apologise for this matter.”


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Image credit: ElectricAid.org
Just as the Vectrix electric scooter may be resurrected from bankruptcy, so too another troubled electric vehicle may be on its way to a prosperous and successful 2010. Having teetered on the verge of bankruptcy, only to be rescued by a massive financial boost, the nippy Think City electric car once again started production earlier this month. News comes from ElectricAid.org that production of the Think City has restarted at a state-of-the-art new facility run by manufacturing partner Valmet Automotive in Uusikaupunki, Finland. Speaking on the 10th of December (yes, we got to this story a little late), Richard Canny, THINK CEO heralded this as a new beginning for the Think:
"This is a very significant day for THINK. We are back in production and I am so pleased that some of our very loyal customers can look forward to delivery of their long-awaited THINK City before Christmas. The order bank stands at around 2,300 vehicles, and our first priority is to deliver to these customers now that our vehicles are rolling off the production line again. Our next priority is to build on this order bank with continued expansion in Europe and around the world."
Not sure why you should care? Check out this excellent video review of the Think City—it definitely looks like a contender for those folks who have been waiting for an affordable, effective and real electric car.


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New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed till April 28 the order of Delhi High Court barring Indian pharmaceuticals major Glenmark from making, marketing or selling its anti-diabetes medicines in which US drug major Merck Sharp and Dohme (MSD) has claimed a patent right.
"Upto April 28, there will be an interim stay on the order of the High Court," said a bench comprising Justices Ranjan Gogoi and N V Ramana.
Senior advocates Abhishekh Singhvi and Pratibha M Singh appeared for Glenmark which is defending its medicines - Zita and Zita-Met - meant for treatment of diabetes.
The Indian company's plea was opposed by advocates T R Andhyrujina and Praveen Anand, who contended that there was blatant violation of worldwide patent on MSD's Januvia and Janumet.
However, the bench said "heavens would not fall if we grant injunction" and issued notice to MSD, saying the matter would be heard after four weeks.
Zita and Zita-Met cost 30 per cent less than MSD's Januvia and Janumet, which is due to the customs duty paid by the US firm, the High Court had said, adding, "No allegation has been made that MSD today sells its drugs at a relatively high price that hinders access to the drug."
MSD had challenged the April 5, 2013 order of a single judge of the High Court who had refused to restrain Glenmark from manufacturing and selling its medicines meant for treatment of Type-2 diabetes.


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It’s been over a year since a widespread Ebola epidemic broke out across several West African countries. Not only is this the first outbreak of the disease that’s reached epidemic proportions, it’s also still ongoing. Past instances of the hemorrhagic fever were brought under control in weeks. That certainly hasn’t […]
It looks like the global agricultural industry has a weed control problem. More specifically, it has run into the same difficulties that hospitals and medical professionals currently face. Much like how the overuse of antibiotics has led to superbugs, farmers’ dependence on herbicides has led to chemical-resistant weeds. These herbicide-resistant […]
If you thought nothing could top the Clean Water Act and the Toxic Substance Control Act in terms of legislation needing an update, think again. The regulations governing the safety of personal care products like cosmetics and shampoo have remained largely unchanged since 1938. Nevermind the fact that this was enacted before I was born; it was largely in place before my parents were born!
Waste is generated each day: there is food waste, water waste and for chemical companies and laboratories, chemical wastes of which expired chemicals form the bulk. Part of the cause is that lab managers will often order large quantities of chemicals and they are kept beyond their expiration date. Unfortunately, despite an attempt to save money on chemicals, laboratories and organizations often end up spending more to dispose of expired chemicals. For those companies that use specialty chemicals in food products, expired chemicals can be potentially lethal.
The materials that make up our bridges and roads, our computers and stoves often seem invariable, forever locked in their current structures. However, science tells us that materials are always changing “both on a molecular and macroscopic scale” in a process known as material degradation. Moreover, insights from quantum mechanics suggest that the atoms and molecules that construct our macroscopic items are inherently unstable, so even when we can’t see material degradation, it is occurring. Eventually, energy inputs within our material systems result in morphological changes that alter the behavior of materials, which then enables us to visualize material degradation such as erosion, cracking or oxidation.
Do you remember the housing market crash of 2008? Even if you didn’t work in real estate, it was hard to miss. Not only did it make major headlines, many in-progress home renovations were put up for sale and exciting commercial projects were halted indefinitely. We were certainly thrown into […]
Fall has officially arrived! The leaves are changing color, there’s a chill in the air, and Halloween is just around the corner. But in addition to these notable characteristics, there is another way many mark the changing of the seasons: pumpkin spice lattes have made their way back onto coffee shop menus. No doubt […]
The quest for all-natural hasn’t just impacted the foods we eat. It’s also affected the cosmetics we put on our faces and body. That’s to be expected. After all, once you become invested in organic products in one aspect of your lifestyle, chances are that interest will spread to others aspects. […]
Despite living on a planet where 71% of the surface is covered with water, we have long been facing a supply issue. While some regions are in more dire situations than others, the writing’s on the wall: demand for clean water is going up. Let’s consider the West Coast of […]
There’s no denying that beauty products enjoy a large market on the global stage. And a big chunk of that is devoted to products for our hair. From increasing shine to boosting volume, we do a lot to our hair—including changing its color. In the United States, 18% of revenue […]


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Reading 2 minutes Views 2 Published Updated
Some of the most sought-after non-fungible tokens (NFTs) of 2022 have plummeted in value over the past year. The trend reflects the depreciation of metaverse properties in 2023, which were considered the best virtual lands to invest in 2022.
Investments in leading NFT projects including Doodles, Invisible Friends, Moonbirds and Goblintown lost up to 95% of their Ether (ETH) value. The value of blue chip NFT collections alone has fallen by more than 40% on average.
The biggest NFTs of 2022 have had a TOUGH 2023.
23 ETH 2.3 ETH
8 ETH 1.15 ETH
32 ETH 2 ETH
6 ETH .26 ETH pic.twitter.com/5Fr9BMhmkg
— HashBastards NFTs (@HashBastardsNFTs) May 21, 2023
NFTGo data shows that the blue chip index has fallen to 7,446 ETH from an annual high of 12,394 ETH in July 2022.
Surprisingly, NFT investors are not worried about the continued decline in value. While some expect further and extended declines in NFT prices, a handful of investors believe now is the right time to invest as they expect a return.
On the contrary, the number of NFT blue chip holders has increased by more than 90% over the past year. During this time, the number of sellers increased by 32%, while the number of buyers decreased by 30%.
Related: Bitcoin Price Hits $27.2K, But New Analysis Warns More Losses ‘Likely’
Despite financial setbacks, the NFT ecosystem continues to attract the attention of new investors. On May 27, cryptocurrency skeptic Peter Schiff launched an NFT project on the Bitcoin blockchain through Ordinals.
BREAKING: ORDINALS ENJOYERS MANAGE TO ON-BOARD PETER SCHIFF TO BITCOIN IN 3 MONTHS; LASER-EYES SEETHING AFTER FAILING TO GET HIM TO JOIN FOR 10 YEARS pic.twitter.com/rbWPhXJYD2
— Udi Wertheimer ♂ (@udiWertheimer) May 26, 2023
Schiff presented the Golden Triumph NFT collection depicting a human hand holding a gold bar. The collectibles will be sold in a two-stage auction starting on June 2nd and ending on June 9th.


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He plans to donate 500 free room nights on the Whitsunday Islands.
Qantas Airways chief executive expects the Japanese to snub the Cairns market even though it was relatively untouched by the recent disasters.
Tourism towns Cairns and Airlie Beach are largely open for business, despite perceptions to the contrary.
At Mission Beach, operators are trying to get their properties reopened before Easter. The Elandra resort will reopen on April 11.
Hideaway Resorts are “assessing the damage” at its Dunk and Bedarra Islands.
“It’s too early to say when they will reopen but it will be months,” Hideaways Resorts chairman Rupert Greenhough told the AFR.


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Overdrive Editor, Bertrand D'souza compares India's three most sought after premium hatchback as we pit the newly launched Suzuki Baleno against the Honda ...
Comparison test: 2020 Honda City vs Hyundai Verna
Gemopai Miso electric scooter launched for Rs 44,000
2020 Honda City road test review
BGauss launches two new electric scooters A2 and B8, prices start from Rs 50,000
Car Sales in June 2020: Recovery in progress
India’s largest auto media for the bike & car community for over 22 years.


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The ECB may tighten its tone in light of the growing risk of an inflationary spiral
The EUR/CHF price may rise above parity in the coming weeks after failing to recover above this threshold at the end of October. In fact, the ECB may be even more hawkish in the coming weeks despite the rising risk of recession due to growing signs of an inflationary spiral in the euro area.
Inflation, which started last year with a rise in consumer goods and energy prices, has spread to other parts of the economy since the start of the year, impairing household power purchases. The price-wage loop now appears to be forming as wage earners respond to this high inflation by demanding higher and higher wages.
Wage growth is thus accelerating to 4.1% over a year in the euro area, the highest rate since at least 2010, which should push the ECB to introduce even more restrictive monetary policy. If the ECB did not tighten its tone, it would not only risk an uncontrollable spiral of inflation, but real interest rates in the euro area would remain even lower than in Switzerland and the US, adding to pressure on the single currency.
On the other side of the Alps, Swiss inflation remains moderate at just 3%. The SNB therefore has no need to speed up its monetary policy tightening.
EUR/CHF Daily Price Chart – Key Levels


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THE CULTURE of tea-drinking is making its way to Slovakia, according to a recent survey by the GfK Slovakia polling agency.
The survey shows that the tea market grew steadily between March and June 2006, while the number of people buying coffee fell.
GfK attributes the higher tea sales to the healthier lifestyle that Slovaks have adopted, as well as to the arrival of teahouses.
During the monitored period, the price of teabags increased 5 percent on average. During the first half of 2006, however, Slovak households bought 12 percent more tea products than in the same period last year.
Instant teas made up 47 percent of the market, while teabags accounted for 51 percent, and the remainder was loose-leaf tea.
While tea was becoming a more popular beverage in Slovakia during the first half of 2006, the coffee market shrank by five percent. Because the average price of coffee rose, however, the public spent three percent more on coffee during this period. Households are also increasingly switching from ground roasted coffee to instant coffee.


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Looking sharp, cartooninites.
Kotaku has a few screenshots up for Cartoon Network's new game, Fusionfall.
Expect more details as well as some game-play footage tomorrow. Two things: those screens look pretty cool, especially that top one, and please, please,please include Adult Swim in the game, then I'll be happy.
Go look at Kotaku.
To read the latest guides, news, and features you can visit our FusionFall Game Page.


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With the latest suite of updates and integrations, the Shop app is now an undeniable part of the online shopping experience for millions of consumers. But for a long time it was just a side bet. So who owns Shop app? And how did it get so popular?
One of the most important stats Shopify shared in their recent Summer 2023 product update was that three out of four Shop Pay checkouts now happen on mobile devices. This spawned social chatter about how dedicated mobile apps were making a comeback, but actually the opposite is true: merchants – and online shoppers – are increasingly focused on mobile-friendly or mobile-optimized checkouts. It’s all about getting through the checkout quickly wherever you are, whenever you are inspired to make a purchase.
The Shop app was built with exactly this type of experience in mind, which is a big part of why Shop has quietly started giving Amazon a run for their money. The Shop app and Shop Pay are now two sides of the same coin.
Who owns Shop app?
Although many shoppers aren’t aware of this, Shopify actually owns Shop app. Not only did they develop it in the first place, but they’re continuing to develop their “everywhere” app to make it a core part of both easy check-out experiences and ecommerce discovery.
Shopify launched Shop in 2020, but it took a couple of years of focus and development before launch, and it’s taken a few more years to reach critical mass in terms of both merchant adoption and consumer experience.
When Carl Rivera started working on the Shop app in 2018, he already shared that they were looking for a way to become the “most amazing way to shop from your phone” and to move away from an advertising-first approach and focus instead on organic promotions “from brands that you’ve already shown an interest in, either by purchasing a product from their Shopify store or by following their profiles in the app.”
We’ve seen a similar trend at Littledata as economic pressure has pushed more brands to look at organic channels and revenue-focused engagement tools like Klaviyo, Attentive, Rebuy and Postscript. But we’ve also seen this trend (with Shop in particular, it’s often a question of filtering Shop app “referrals” correctly in GA4, the new version of Google Analytics).
The pandemic gave an extra boost to early adoption of Shop, with a focus on both shipments and in-person pickups. It’s gone through a lot of iterations, from a way to track shipments more easily (no small feat!) to a platform for discovery and, as Shopify themselves puts it, a new way to shop.
Our own data shows that Shop has already overtaken channels like Amazon but Shopify should be more worried about other payment technologies, especially PayPal, that have been rooted with consumers for quite some time now and don’t show signs of letting up. Looking at over 1,000 of our top Shopify merchants at Littledata:
- 53% are now actively using Shop Pay, as opposed to just over 40% in 2021*
- Larger brands are moving away from Amazon, using it only for referrals (discovery) or not at all
- Smaller brands are adopting a range of payment and checkout options, focused on PayPal (still more widely adopted among our sample than any other payment option) as well as Amazon (including the new Buy Now button, see below), Shop Pay, and, to a lesser degree, “Buy now, pay later” options (13% now offer Afterpay, Shop Pay Installments, and/or Klarna – the only change since 2021 is that Shop Pay Installments is now as widely adopted as Afterpay)
*Note that in 2021 it was largely just a way to track packages
Although Shop App (now called just “Shop”) has continued to evolve to offer a complete suite of features around payments and product discovery, the core has never changed – and that focus on core technology has helped them catch up with Amazon’s focus on customer experience: shopping and shipping, plain and simple.
In fact, the Shop app has become so popular that many merchants are now confused about how to tie user behavior and marketing channels back to the Shop app. But again, from the shopper’s experience this doesn’t matter – it’s just easier to complete a purchase and default to your most recent payment method and shipping address.
In other words, all roads lead to Shop.
Amazon beware: it’s hard not to “sign in with Shop”
In my view there are three parts to Shop that have helped it become a constant part of the modern consumer experience, and all three have been there since the beginning:
- User identity (that’s you!): Signing in with the app is super easy and once you have an account tied to an email address, checkout is often a one-click process
- Mobile-flexible experience: Whether it’s just the checkout, on a mobile app, or on the web, Shop App is remarkably flexible and focused on CX (customer experience) and UI (designy stuff) above any type of customization
- Owned payments: Offering their own payment method is obviously good for Shopify’s bottom line, but it’s also good for consumers as it supports all major credit cards and popular payment options out of the box
By unifying payments with an easy checkout experience, Shop App has already become competitive in terms of both initial sales (lead gen or conversions) and upsells/retention, which means that Amazon should be seriously worried about Shop – or go all in on a deeper integration with Shopify and other brand-friendly ecommerce platforms.
Shop app and Shop Pay have increasingly become two sides of the same coin. One way to think about this is that you need one to verify the other, but in fact it’s even more fundamental. Shop account has become many shoppers’ online, if you’re shopping at a brick-and-mortar locations of DTC brands like Gorjana and Rothy’s. When you give your email for a receipt, you’re signaling to Shop that you’ve made a purchase.
As Andrius Baranauskas, Director of Product for Shop, put it earlier this year:
“Identity was always at the core of Shop Pay: signing you in with as little effort as possible. With signed-in shopping with Shop this is now available across the whole ecommerce funnel, signing-in users early into checkout so it’s a breeze when you reach it. Shop is the only customer account buyers will need.”
That said, for now Shop is still a way to shop, as opposed to a shopping destination. New features around Shop searchability, custom product collections and branding (such as rich media headers) are exciting, but as we’ve seen it can take a year or two for wide adoption.
Three things stand out in those first years of adoption:
- Shop succeeds by helping customers first and merchants second
- The main benefit for customers is a quick and easy checkout experience
- The main benefit for merchants is better retargeting
So, while I don’t believe that Shop Day will compete with Prime Day – our merchants see a higher sales volume during BFCM – maybe it doesn’t have to. Do we really need another flash sale?
The data shows that it’s better for brands to engage directly with consumers in a meaningful way on a regular basis. This helps to increase retention and customer lifetime value (LTV), which in turn lead to better audience creation and help merchants build an engaged customer base over time.
And many Shopify apps are building on this idea. For example, our tech partner Klaviyo, which many merchants use for both email and SMS marketing, has released a new feature that makes it easy to use Klaviyo Sign Up Forms in conjunction with the Shop app.
It’s long been obvious that Shopify is much better for retailers themselves, providing lower subscription fees, more ownership over products, and better margins than a merchant would get as an Amazon seller.
But the landscape is always evolving. At Littledata we track over 30 different payment gateways for Shopify stores and there’s still no one-stop solution. While some merchants might use Shop Pay to coordinate local pickup and delivery, others might push Afterpay as their buy-now-pay-later option as opposed to Shopify Installments, which is a newer option, though Afterpay currently only works for Shopify merchants with a store address in North America, the UK or Australia/New Zealand. Shopify Payments is currently accepted in 23 countries while Amazon Pay on Shopify only supports 13.
Amazon’s Buy with Prime…powered by Shopify
Shopify and Amazon recently announced a feature that lets merchants integrate the Buy with Prime button into your existing Shopify checkout and automatically match your existing theme.
While reporters called this a “surprise move”, it’s actually not surprising at all. Select merchants have been testing the feature for months (it had been banned and then rekindled) and it’s simply the next stage of a partnership where Shopify owns more of the experience, including payments, and Amazon owns the fulfillment and delivery experience. Shopify president Harley Finkelstein makes this clear in the announcement video, stating that the new functionality gives “Prime members access to Prime benefits like fast and free delivery outside of Amazon.com for the first time ever.”
The Buy with Prime feature lets shoppers use their Amazon wallet but payments are processed through Shopify’s checkout. This gives Shopify the upper hand because they still own the checkout data – with both payments and order tracking still powered by Shop but fulfilled by Amazon. It’s yet another sign that Shopify’s side bet on the Shop app has paid off better than their side bets on robotics and fulfillment.
Shopify’s emphasis on Shop app and Shop Pay has led them to encourage more sales channels as routes in to that final one-stop Shop experience. They have paid special attention to TikTok. In fact, the same week they announced the renewed Buy with Prime integration Shopify started quietly rolling out a much more advanced TikTok Shop integration. Even if the initial purchase happens on TikTok, retargeting those customers pushes them back to a merchant’s Shopify store, where they can purchase on – you guessed it – Shop.
Point and click
Have you noticed that shop.app is more and more often the URL where you actually complete online purchases for everything from subscription pet food to household items and even luxury goods?
Neither have most shoppers.
But that’s the whole point. Last week I was discussing Shop app with some friends, and it turned out that several of them had used Shop for payments and (they had a lot more Shop Cash than I do, to say the least) but only one of them had even realized that it was a Shopify product. This might sound crazy to those of us in the industry, but it shouldn’t surprise us. The common response was more like: “Oh, that’s Shopify? I thought it was just some sort of easy checkout.”
That’s a huge win for Shopify. How much more seamless can you get?


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The controversy around the release of Cyberpunk has already escalated to a point where Sony decided to delist the game from the PS Store. The players who want a refund and have purchased the game digitally will get refunds. The same will be the case with those who have a physical copy of the game. During all this, CD Projekt Red has remained proactive and transparent. The company has already announced that refunds will be made even if it has to pay from its own pockets.
CDPR is also trying to fix the game on all platforms, especially the base console versions. Hotfix 1.05 is already available for both Xbox and PlayStation, while the PC version will be available soon. The Hotfix comes with a range of improvements and bug fixes. The story is getting better on the console side of things, while for players, especially those who are playing on AMD hardware, the new update is critical.
According to the patch notes, the game will now be able to utilize the SMT (simultaneous multithreading) in AMD Ryzen processors. For the time being, only quad-core and hexa-core processors will see a performance improvement. The higher core CPUs will see no benefit from the patch. Both companies ran tests among themselves and came to a conclusion mentioned above. The patch has been made in collaboration with AMD.
Lastly, Hotfix 1.05 proves that CDPR is committed to improving the gaming experience irrespective of their platform. The company is bleeding as it has already lost $1.8 billion in value due to the troubled launch of the game.
Complete Patch Notes are available on Cyberpunk 2077’s official website.


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What this means for Google is that its mobile search and ad business is getting a welcome bump. Searches on Android grew tenfold by the end of 2010 over the year prior. These mobile phones are becoming powerful mCommerce vehicles too, and that's what Google appears most excited about.
"When people complete transactions on devices, it becomes more trackable and significantly more valuable," Jonathan Rosenberg, senior VP of product management, said on the call.
In a recent essay in the Harvard Business Review, new Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt reiterated that mobile is the future for Google. He specifically called out three things the company is focusing on: developing the "underlying fast networks," aka Long Term Evolution (LTE), for new and creative apps; attending to the development of mobile money; and increasing the availability of inexpensive smart phones in the poorest parts of the world. (See Cheap Smartphones Are Smart Choice in 2011 .)
In fact, the carrier's CMO Cole Brodman was even willing to take the blame, telling PCMag that the delay was due to quality-control and timing issues, specifically with Samsung's custom skin and the addition of T-Mobile's own apps. This is another byproduct of an open and fragmented market, but Brodman promised that updates on T-Mobile would be timelier going forward -- within three to five months of Google making the source code available.
— Sarah Reedy, Senior Reporter, Light Reading Mobile


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The pet-food incident has put the entire food industry on notice. “Gluten is in a lot of different products and raw materials in the food industry,” notes Rick Puckett, executive vice president, CFO, and treasurer of $730 million snack-food manufacturer Lance Inc. The Charlotte, North Carolina, company acted quickly to verify that it hadn’t received any contaminated gluten.
So did McCormick & Co., in Sparks, Maryland. “Whenever an event like that happens,” says Roger Lawrence, vice president of corporate quality, assurance, and regulatory affairs for the $2.7 billion spice company, “even if it’s not really related to our business, we immediately take a look to see if even in the remotest sense we could be vulnerable, and what we could do right now proactively.” For example, when ConAgra recalled its Peter Pan peanut butter because of Salmonella contamination, and it appeared the problem might be environmental, McCormick went so far as to reevaluate its environmental monitoring program to verify that it wasn’t at risk.
Who Checks the Food?
The U.S. government is supposed to monitor the safety of the food supply. The USDA’s Food and Safety Inspection Service inspects and regulates meat, poultry, and eggs, and is responsible for issuing or overseeing recalls of those products. “We have full-time USDA inspectors in both our plants all the time,” notes Harold Boone, CFO of $180 million Odom’s Tennessee Pride Sausage Inc., in Nashville. Among other things, he says, they ensure the plants are adhering to their written safety procedures.
The Food and Drug Administration regulates all other foodstuffs, including feed for pets and farm animals. In response to the gluten scandal, the FDA is appointing a food-safety czar. But as a practical matter, the FDA can inspect only a small fraction of all food imports — about 1.3 percent of the total last year. In fact, a recent analysis by the Associated Press found that between 2003 and 2006, the number of food-safety inspections conducted by the FDA declined by 47 percent, which academics and other industry observers blame on underfunding.
That puts the bulk of the safety burden back on industry. In addition to adhering to best-practice safety procedures, attorney Marler recommends that food companies sign indemnity agreements with their vendors and make certain those vendors are well insured. “You may still get whacked in the media and in sales,” he says, “but ultimately you can push the cost of litigation and settlements and judgments off on someone else.”
Of course, as supply chains stretch around the world and into countries where food safety doesn’t always get the same respect it does in the United States, the value of such agreements is wholly dependent on the strength of the counterparty. “If you want to make it work, you have to have not only indemnity agreements with parties that have sufficient assets or insurance to cover a loss, but, depending on what you’re buying, you may also want to actually go out and do your own auditing,” Marler says.


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It's only been a few weeks since we last spotted the newest Ferrari supercar roaming the streets of Europe. But today, Maranello has quelled a growing storm of speculation by releasing initial details and images of its all-new Prancing Horse -- the Ferrari 458 Italia.
Set to make its world debut at next month's Frankfurt motor show, the 458 Italia (that's "Italy" in English) is intended to pay tribute to the country in which it was born, according to Ferrari CEO Luca di Montezemolo. It is a land he describes as being synonymous with "excellence, creativity, and quality" -- all characteristics he believes his company's newest model embodies.
One look at its exterior and you'll get a gist of what di Montezemolo is talking about. The Pininfarina-penned design is executed in hand-laid aluminum and carbon-fiber panels underpinned by the latest in Ferrari's F1-derived aluminum chassis technology for weight minimization.
Up front and at the rear, improved aerodynamic features like a sealed undertray, diffuser, and what the brand calls "aeroelastic winglets" at its nose, all culminate to create a more stable, precise, and sleeker super sports car, according to Ferrari. At roughly 124 mph (200 km/h), the car produces 309 pounds of downforce, according to the automaker's engineers.
The 458 Italia looks ultramodern and much sleeker than its two immediate predecessors, the F360 and F430. Still, the car is a clear evolution on the same swoopy-fendered Pininfarina styling premise that began with the Dino 206GT of the late 1960s. There are plenty of Enzo cues too -- especially toward the rear clip -- and the long, slim headlamps appear to be directly inspired by the Enzo-based Pininfarina Ferrari P4/5. Offset above the headlights are vents crafted to cool the giant available carbon ceramic binders; Yes, there are plenty of new touches here too.


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Salmonella mbandaka was found in imported chicken products arriving at Felixstowe port. The products were consequently destroyed by port authorities.
The FSA has launched a new consultation on proposed additional investigatory powers for the National Food Crime Unit.
The Westminster Food and Nutrition Forum’s conference on Tuesday 5th September will address its next steps for data and transparency in the food system.
Livestock producers will be required to obtain a signed declaration to allow the future sale of animals destined for export.
Issued just shortly after the food fraud scandal of last week the FSA has launched a 12-week consultation to deliver a more modern food hygiene delivery model.
SPONSORED CONTENT: Controlling climate conditions is essential to ensuring food safety and this can be achieved with help from the experts at Munters.


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"Already employers are seeing the value of the new degree-level management programmes to meet the critical gaps in management skills, and government could do far more to leverage this investment as part of its Industrial Strategy".
Her 255-page white paper - which adopts a hands-on approach to business that had largely been abandoned since the time of Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s - is being seen as an attempt to define her administration beyond Brexit, while also charting a new vision for the United Kingdom as it prepares to leave the European Union.
This will include £170 million to transform the construction sector and help create affordable places to live and work that are safer, healthier and use less energy, and up to £210 million to improve early diagnosis of illnesses and develop precision medicine for patients across the UK. "Raising digital literacy goes hand in hand with maintaining and building on productivity gains in the industry, that continue to outpace the United Kingdom average, and supports the Government's aspiration of a digital economy that works for all".
Charitable Startups to Check Out on Giving Tuesday
Telemarketing-style phone calls can make you feel pressured to give money to an organization you might not have ever heard of. All you have to do is put in your home address, and you'll get a list of organizations for you to choose from.
The policy document identified challenges for the economy including the emerging importance of artificial intelligence, the shift to cleaner economic growth, radical changes in mobility such as electric and self-driving cars, and an aging society.
For many, the strategy has highlighted a need for collaboration within the industry, as well as between government and businesses, in order to realise its ambitions.
The launch of the strategy came as the government announced it has secured an investment by world-leading life sciences company MSD.
"The Industrial Strategy is an unashamedly ambitious vision for the future of our country, laying out how we tackle our productivity challenge, earn our way in the future, and improve living standards across the country".
Sector deals: Partnerships between government, business and government to pursue innovation in life sciences, artificial intelligence, the automotive industry and the construction sectors.
Royal family reportedly thrilled with Prince Harry's engagement
It was said that Prince Harry has informed her grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, and other members of the royal family. Her father was a TV lighting director for soaps and sitcoms and her mother a clinical therapist.
"The government now needs to follow up on this promising white paper with concrete support for the AD sector so it can deliver its huge potential across the United Kingdom".
Hugh McNeal, RenewableUK Chief Executive expressed disappointment that the Industrial Strategy does not mention onshore wind, wave or tidal energy.
The strategy says the United Kingdom will take an AI worldwide leadership role by investing £9m in the new Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation announced in the Budget.
"The government is also right to highlight the benefits of moving towards a more circular economy in which resources are used more efficiently, and a dedicated Bioeconomy Strategy is an important step forward in this regard". To create a sustainable economy requires greater use of data and technology to reinvigorate and grow many sectors - this includes manufacturing, professional services, retail banking and telecoms.
Amazon Sumerian Helps Devs Create AI, VR And 3D Apps
Sumerian allows developers to build realistic virtual environments and then populate them with 3D objects and animated characters. The Amazon Sumerian also assists with mapping services from Mapbox.


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Creating a social media powerhouse
The cross-town merger of Spredfast Inc. and Mass Relevance Inc., which brought together two high-profile Austin firms into a social media powerhouse, was fueled by the similarities the two businesses shared, company executives said.
Spredfast CEO Rod Favaron said he began comparing the products of the two Austin companies in the fall of 2013 before initiating discussions with Mass Relevance CEO Sam Decker. It took just four weeks to iron out the details after due diligence was completed in February, Favaron said.
“It sort of clicked for me late last year,” he said. “The cross-relationship between the two companies is very deep.”
Mass Relevance develops front-end social media campaigns and Spredfast develops the back-end products to measure the effectiveness of social media. Decker couldn’t be reached for comment.
“Social (media) is a critical channel for marketers,” he said. “What company today says they don’t need to be on social?”
Sprinklr maintains the Dachis Group’s downtown Austin office as Sprinklr Austin. The company employs 300 workers, 50 fewer than the reconstituted Spredfast, which Favaron expects to grow to 450 employees by the end of the year.
Compared with mergers in other industries, tech companies typically focus on intellectual property issues during such deals. Since Spredfast and Mass Relevance executives realized they would do better combined rather than separately, they were motivated to complete the merger quickly, said Spredfast’s Austin-based attorney Wesley Jones, a partner for the Houston-based law firm Vinson & Elkins LLP.
The Mass Relevance merger comes less than three months after Spredfast completed a $32.5 million Series D round of funding from six investors. However, Favaron said that capital raise was not related to the merger.
Spredfast, which employed 200 workers before the merger, was founded as Social Agency Inc. in 2008. Favaron, who was previously CEO of Austin-based Lombardi Software Inc. before it was acquired in 2010 by IBM Corp., replaced Spredfast founding CEO Ken Cho in early 2011.
The newly-combined Spredfast-Mass Relevance operates offices in San Francisco, Minneapolis, Chicago, New York, London and Sydney. Its Austin headquarters will continue to operate from two downtown offices.
Favaron said the merger was unusual because both companies were growing quickly. But the complimentary products, cultures and teams made it a logical business move — speeding the process through to completion.
“It makes so much sense that there wasn’t a lot of second guessing,” he said. “It was pretty clean to do.”
Christopher Calnan covers technology, finance and clean energy for the Austin Business Journal. Subscribe to the Energy Inc. newsletter
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A federal judge in the US has denied a petition filed by the country’s major broadcasters for a preliminary injunction to stop new TV venture Aereo from rebroadcasting free-to-air programming over the Internet for a subscription fee.
US District Judge Alison Nathan said yesterday (July 11th) that despite the broadcasters having convincingly demonstrated that they face considerable financial damage if Aereo is allowed to continue, an injunction would effectively force Aereo out of business.
The broadcasters – Walt Disney Co’s ABC, CBS Corp, Comcast Corp’s NBCUniversal and Telemundo, News Corp’s Fox, Univision Communications and PBS – are currently pursuing a copyright lawsuit against Aereo, and have vowed to appeal the initial ruling against an injunction.
Despite this early good news for Aereo, there is still a long way to go before the copyright lawsuit is settled, including its hearing before a jury.
Aereo is backed by US billionaire Barry Diller and provides subscribers with access to their own dedicated, miniaturised FTA antenna installed in its data centre, capable of streaming content via IP to the subscriber’s connected devices such as laptops, smart phones and tablets.
The US$ 12 per month service also provides subscribers with cloud DVR services, including the ability to store up to 40 hours of programming for access on any connected device.
For their part, the broadcasters have alleged that if the service is allowed to continue, they will lose the right to retransmission fees from cable and other companies that rebroadcast their programming, as well as critical advertising revenue – which could have potentially huge repercussions for the US television industry.


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(Bloomberg) -- Advent International has shortlisted KKR & Co. and Blackstone Group Inc. among suitors for its mattress business King Koil China that could be valued at as much as $2 billion in a sale, according to people familiar with the matter.
Affinity Equity Partners and Hillhouse Capital were also picked to proceed to the next round of bidding, said the people, who asked not to be identified as the information is private. Bain Capital and PAG, a Hong Kong-based alternative asset manager, are among the shortlisted bidders as well, the people said.
FountainVest Partners is teaming up with Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan for a bid for the mattress maker and the consortium is also heading into the next round, the people said. Brookfield Asset Management Inc. was also chosen for the shortlist, one of the people said.
Advent International has been in talks with advisers about a prospective deal for King Koil China, Bloomberg News reported in February. The U.S. buyout firm was considering options including a sale, initial public offering as well as a consolidation of the mattress maker with the Chinese unit of Serta Simmons Bedding LLC.
Founded in 1984, Advent International has invested $56 billion across 42 countries, according to its website. The fund bought a majority stake in King Koil China from Citic Capital Partners in 2016 for an undisclosed amount, according to a statement.
The King Koil brand traces its roots to 1898. King Koil China, which was set up in 2000, is the exclusive licensee of several international mattress brands such as King Koil, Aireloom and Life Balance in the world’s second-biggest economy.
Deliberations are ongoing and the companies could decide against any offers, the people said. Representatives for Advent, Bain, Blackstone, Brookfield, KKR, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan and PAG declined to comment. A principal at Affinity declined to comment. A spokesperson for Hillhouse couldn’t immediately comment.
(Updates with Brookfield in third paragraph and comments in seventh paragraph.)
For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com
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©2021 Bloomberg L.P.


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News of delays and cancellations have been common in 2020. With the release of the new console generation, pre-orders have been high for both consoles. However, it does seem the PlayStation 5 sold plenty of consoles from pre-order alone. Fans who did so on time and got their orders in quickly do have to be cautious though. Amazon already mentioned possible delays for the Xbox Series X. But, it seems like that’s happening to PS5 purchases as well. Amazon recently has sent out a similar email mentioning possible PS5 delays into 2021 for console delivery.
With how much companies need to make money in this crazy year, the console release was a good opportunity. From GameStop to Walmart, plenty of companies put their pre-orders for the PS5 out early. In doing so, fans were hopping on to get that pre-order, to the extent of waiting days on end. It’s no surprise to learn that these companies put too many pre-orders out than their stock would be at release. Of course, the outcome of this is delays for some customers, most likely for months. Some customers might get it on time, but some will get it very late, even after Christmas and into 2021.
Much like the release of the PS4, the same issues are prevalent. A lot of customers, not enough consoles created at launch. And the fact that we’re in a pandemic and more people who wouldn’t get the console due to work are now working from home means more customers. Hopefully these delays aren’t as bad as they seem, but either way, make sure to check your PS5 pre-orders from now until release day. The release day for the PS5 is November 12, worldwide. For all customers who pre-ordered, I hope the arrival time is close to that day.


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One of Jeff’s dreams was to work at Costco—the members-only bulk grocery store is known for treating its employees well.
Thanks to his daughter’s Twitter thread and the power of a wholesome story, Jeff’s dream came true.
Rebecca Mix is a writer based in Detroit. Her father, Jeff, was one of the millions of people laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently vaccinated, Jeff was ready to work. So, Rebecca offered to help him with his resume. She asked where he’d like to work and he immediately knew the answer: Costco.
Knowing Twitter loves wholesome stories, Rebecca shared her father’s quest for work with her thousands of followers.
There was a lot of work to do, however. Jeff’s email wasn’t necessarily resume-ready. Luckily, Rebecca’s boyfriend offered his help.
The more Rebecca Tweeted about her Father’s big attempt to work at Costco, the more attention Jeff got.
So much attention that the manager from a Michigan-based Costco reached out directly to Rebecca on social media. They wanted to get in touch with Jeff.
Rebecca then revealed that this is a BIG DEAL. Apparently, Jeff has been wanting to work at Costco since she was little.
Jeff ended up applying on May 19 and just vibed until he got a callback.
Twitter waited weeks with bated breath. (These getting-a-job things take time.)
Finally, on June 8, we got the news we have been waiting for.
Costco employee Jeff is ready to work!
While he hasn’t started his first day, Jeff has proven to be a valuable brand ambassador.
And while Jeff doesn’t know how Twitter works, he is grateful for all his new fans.
The Twitter thread turned out to benefit the entire family, with Rebecca getting great promotion for her book.
Anyway, believe it.


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In the new guides, loan providers would be able to build a solitary loan all the way to $500 with very few constraints, but and then consumers without other exceptional payday advance loan. For prominent or greater frequent financial loans, creditors will https://speedyloan.net/payday-loans-pa/scranton-4 have to adhere an elaborate number underwriting formula designed to make sure clientele had the methods to payback exactly what they took.
After times of lobbying, the industry won one important concession: The agency fallen a proposal they made this past year to add strict underwriting on numerous customers lending with an annual fraction speed greater than 36 percentage. Many of the regulations revealed on Thursday put on and then financing with an expression of 45 days or much less.
Still, the limits would change the short-term loaning marketplace significantly, utilizing the quantity of this type of financial loans made likely dropping no less than 55 %, according to the buyers bureau’s forecasts.
The’s projections of formula’ affect happen to be starker. The entire summarize lent would plunge by practically 80 percent, as stated in a simulation extend by Richard P. Hackett, an old executive right at the customer bureau who is currently an adviser to Clarity business, a credit agency that concentrates on subprime borrowers.
A dropoff of that magnitude would press numerous little loaning surgery history, creditors said. The $37,000 annual earnings created from the typical store bank would grow to be a $28,000 control, according to an economic research bought by a business exchange connections.
Mickey Mays, the dealing partner of Thrifty Financial products in Ruston, La., claimed his own vendor had to shut most or each one of their 18 shops, which employ 35 men and women, if regulations just take influence. Thrifty’s profits materialize to be thin, the guy explained, and so the brand new limitations would lower the vendors’ deals quantity below whatever could profitably uphold.
“We operate in smaller communities,” Mr. Mays said. “If the C.F.P.B. eliminates cash advance loans, they’ve have got to answer fully the question, what occurs after? There’s will be many folks who’ve room to turn around an urgent situation circumstances.”
Billie Aschmeller, 49, exactly who lives in Springfield, Ill., got a brief funding 2 yrs back, utilizing her 2002 Chrysler Concorde as guarantee. She said she got consequently discovered herself stuck — “like a hamster on a single regarding rollers” — in a cycle of financial obligation.
Ms. Aschmeller, whos handicapped and everyday lives on a compact fixed income from public safety, explained she got pilfered $1,000 to purchase newly born baby materials for her currently pregnant child. She returned $150 four weeks, she claimed, but those money scarcely generated a dent within the loan’s main. Annually later, she still due $800.
“They money you the money at these excessive prices, immediately after which they simply bleed one,” Ms. Aschmeller mentioned. She eventually paid off the loan by selling her car.
The consumer agency and other national regulators become nudging finance companies and assets unions to learn a job available. Several people bankers accustomed provide payday-like financial products but quit accomplishing this in 2013 as soon as the workplace of Comptroller of Currency, an important banks and loans regulator, circulated a bulletin daunting the items. On monday, the office out of the blue repealed that support, citing model market bureau formula.
Keith A. Noreika, the behaving comptroller of this currency exchange, believed the man wished that bankers would “offer liable merchandise” for visitors’ short term requirements.
The actual largest companies into the pay check industry become most possessed by private value providers. Traditional bankers and openly traded agencies, afraid down by a regulatory suppression and poor visibility, have left the market industry these days. The most important left cycle, move forward The usa, which contains 2,100 sites in 28 shows, is actually held by Grupo Salinas, a Mexican conglomerate.
The newest regulation “completely disregards the includes and requires of genuine borrowers,” believed Jamie Fulmer, an enhance The united states spokesman. “President Trump and meeting must intercede to protect US customers.”


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Top interesting announcements
NortonLifeLock notified thousands of users that hackers breached Password Manager accounts
Gen Digital, owner of the LifeLock brand, notified some customers that the attackers were able to access names, phone numbers, and mailing addresses. The company said it has reset Norton passwords on impacted accounts to prevent attackers from gaining access to them again in the future and also implemented additional measures to counter the malicious attempts.
Microsoft will stop selling Windows 10
After January 31, Microsoft will only sell Windows 11 licenses on its website. The company will support Windows 10 for a few more years, but users you won’t be able to buy a Windows 10 licence except through third-party retailers.
Google has unveiled a new text-to-image model called Muse
Google Muse AI is an allegedly improved version of earlier text-to-image transformer models like Imagen and DALL-E 2. Google AI team has trained a series of Muse models with varying sizes, ranging from 632 million to 3 billion parameters.
A Tesla video promoting self-driving was allegedly staged
The video that Tesla used to promote its self-driving technology was staged to show capabilities like stopping at a red light and accelerating at a green light that the system did not have, according to to Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla’s director of Autopilot software.
MailChimp disclosed its systems got hacked
For the second time in recent months, email marketing company MailChimp found itself to be the target of a cyberattack. One of the customers affected by this breach is the WooCommerce eCommerce plugin for WordPress. WooCommerce has emailed customers warning them that the MailChimp breach exposed their names, store URLs, addresses, and email addresses.
Top new products
Moto G73 will have a 6.5-inch display, MediaTek Dimensity 930 processor, 6 or 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage. It will come with a 5,000 mAh battery.
Samsung Galaxy S23
Galaxy S23 will have a 6.11-inch AMOLED Infinity-O display, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, 8GB of RAM and 128/256GB of storage. It will come with a 3,900mAh battery.
Honor Magic 5
Honor Magic 5 will have 6.8-inch OLED screen,Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor and LPDDR5x RAM. It will come with a 5,000mAh battery.


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Geely, the publicly traded automaker that Goldman Sachs Group Inc is backing to the tune of $334 million, is unveiling its first homegrown model specifically designed for Western markets, Bloomberg Markets reported in its February 2010 issue.
The gleaming-white four-door compact, which retails for $11,700 to $17,600 in China, is called the Emgrand, a name made up to conjure grandeur.
To the strains of the company song, willowy models in split-to-the-thigh cheongsams pin bouquets on pudgy Communist Party VIPs. Policemen salute as the first Emgrands leave this plant in the port city of Ningbo through clouds of theatrical smoke. Li, Geelys chairman, already has an international auto business. Since 2006, Geely Automobile has been a 23% shareholder in the company thats the biggest maker of Londons iconic black cabs. In October, Ford named Geely Holding Group Co, Geely Automobiles closely held parent, as the preferred bidder for Volvo. On Dec 23, Ford said the companies had agreed on most terms of the sale, which would be completed in the second quarter.
As Li, 46, answers questions at the factory, a reporter asks whether he wants to emulate Japans Toyota Motor Corp Toyota, the planets No 1 carmaker, lost 437 billion yen ($4.85 billion) in the year that ended on March 31, 2009. Why should I want to be Toyota Li deadpans. Theyre losing billions. If any product illustrates Chinas place in the new economic order, its the automobile. The country has averaged annual 10% increases in gross domestic product since 1978growth that has helped turn a nation of bicyclists into a land of car-craving consumers.
China, with its 1.37 billion people, overtook the US in 2009 to become the worlds largest vehicle market by sales. The government projected that auto sales for the full year would soar 39 percent to more than 13 million vehicles. In November alone, they shot up 96%.
While US manufacturers shrink, China had 117 automakers at the end of 2008, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. Amid a global recession, the collapse of Detroit and trouble at Toyota, investors are wild about Chinas prospects. Geely, in which a Goldman-managed fund holds bonds and warrants that can be converted into 15% of the company, saw its shares jump 573% on the Hong Kong stock exchange in 2009 through Dec 28. Thats more than 10 times the rise in the benchmark Hang Seng Index.
BYD Co, maker of the worlds first commercially available plug-in hybrid, an electric-powered car with a small gasoline engine for backup, attracted Warren Buffett. He bought a 10% stake for $232 million in September 2008.


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An era comes to an endPosted: March 31, 2017
by John Benson
For the last 70 years, the Pedigo name has been synonymous with Richfield.
Whether it was the Richfield Auto Center, Richfield Auto Parts, Elaine’s Beauty Shop – going back to the 1950s and 1960s – or the popular Community Day frog-jumping contests, the business-minded family made its presence known, and the community benefited.
The era comes to an end with Richfield Auto Center owner Martin Van Pedigo selling the garage and parts center.
“I reached full retirement age,” said Pedigo, 70. “I just felt like moving on.”
His departure is not only as a business owner but also in some ways as a historian of the area. His parents, Martin and Elaine, discovered Richfield during their Sunday drives from Akron to Cleveland. They often would picnic in Fairview Cemetery.
In fact, that’s where they discovered not only a gas station for sale on Broadview Road but soon thereafter a house on the corner of Humphrey Road and Route 303.
“It had been for sale for awhile,” said Pedigo, a 1965 Revere High School graduate. “My mother, father and grandmother came up with something like a $700 down payment.”
The three-acre property, located just west of the former Richfield School, was a truck farm with apple, cherry and peach orchards as well as two greenhouses, where Pedigo said his grandmother, Minnie, grew fruit and vegetable plants for sale in the spring. Also on the property was a barn that Pedigo’s dad converted into the beauty shop his mother ran from the early 1950s to the late 1960s.
As for the gas station, Pedigo’s father took it over in 1947. However, the Atlantic Richfield (later renamed ARCO) station was destroyed in a 1959 fire. That’s when the business was rebuilt as the Richfield Auto Center alongside Richfield Auto Parts, which Martin opened two years earlier.
When talking to Pedigo about his memories of the Richfield Auto Center and Richfield Auto Parts, his voice expressed earnest excitement.
“When I was 7 years old, I tormented my sister so much that my mother had trouble running her business and refereeing,” Pedigo laughed. “My parents decided I should go to work with my dad. When I was a little kid, I had a junkyard for a playground. It was idyllic.”
In addition to carrying on his father’s businesses – he took over Richfield Auto Parts in 1969 and the Richfield Auto Center in 1976 – Pedigo had his father’s passion for collecting stuff. Famously on full display at the entrance to the Richfield Auto Center is a collection of antiques and oddities that seem right out of an episode of “American Pickers.”
“The Richfield Automotive Emporium of the Fantastic is a collection of stuff over a lifetime,” Pedigo said. “It’s whatever struck my fancy: empty gas pumps, dead animals, snake skins, old bikes, saddles, campaign button collection. I call it a museum because it’s filled with old crap, just like every other museum.”
Pedigo will tell you he never shied away from monkeying around. Just ask him about one of his funniest memories.
“Over the years, we had a lot of circus performers bring their jalopies up here to be fixed while they were at the old Richfield Coliseum,” Pedigo said. “One day there was a big truck full of chimpanzees needing a water pump.
“A guy would be back there working and something would set them off. They’d go crazy and start screaming and shaking their cages. The truck would rock, and the poor bastard working would be scared silly.”
Regarding the aforementioned frog-jumping contest, many local folks will remember Pedigo was the frogman of Richfield. For roughly 35 years not only did he run the Community Day event, but he also rented out the hopping amphibians.
“It was kind of a low-key operation when I took it over,” Pedigo said. “I made divisions based upon age groups, and then we gave out custom-printed T-shirts to the top 10 jumpers in each class. The price never changed: It was 50 cents to enter the jump and an additional 50 cents if you wanted to rent a frog.”
As for finding frogs, well, he did that, too.
“We went to local golf courses where I asked permission,” Pedigo said. “We would take a utility cart, usually a six-pack of beer and make a night of it. We tried to get a minimum of 40 frogs.”
Finally, when asked how he hopes the community remembers his family and its contribution to Richfield, Pedigo said, “I just hope the majority of people have warm thoughts.”


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Digital products, including videos, music, games and other digital content, are the future of the advertising industry, but the new crop of digital publishers is poised to take a more prominent role in the ad marketplace.
Digital product definition experts say digital products can be more creative than print, making them easier to design, create and deliver on, as well as cheaper to produce.
They say digital creators have the ability to make their work accessible and appealing to audiences of all ages and experience levels.
The key to making the digital market a more competitive one is creating a creative pipeline, experts say.
The digital world has a number of digital content delivery systems to help publishers create digital content.
But few of them offer an easy way to produce digital content on a large scale, said Brian J. McLean, director of marketing and strategy at The Digital Content Agency.
“It takes time, patience and the right tools to produce quality digital content,” he said.
“Digital has the potential to become the new print.”
The future digital industry A digital media industry is emerging, and it is likely to be a significant part of the ad industry’s future, said Jennifer M. Miller, senior director of research and strategy for ad media at Ogilvy & Mather.
The Internet is rapidly growing in importance to digital advertising.
The number of people using the Internet has exploded, and advertisers are increasingly looking for ways to reach audiences online.
But digital content creation and delivery has long been a problem for traditional print and broadcast media, as many print publications still rely on the printing press for advertising.
That means traditional ad agencies have to produce and distribute digital content from scratch, often at a much higher cost.
“The traditional ad agency has been a huge obstacle to digital content being delivered on a scale that’s affordable,” said Miller.
“Now we’re seeing an explosion of digital and mobile ad formats, where a lot of the money that goes to print is being put toward digital content.”
McLean said the growth of the digital advertising market has been driven by three factors: digital content is becoming more readily available, it is more widely available, and there are many opportunities for digital content producers to make money from digital content they create.
The new wave of digital advertisers, who are making their money from the digital marketplace, have the means to do it.
They can work with ad agencies to create digital ads, or they can make their own ads, which often is cheaper.
Mclean said digital ad agencies are often making their own digital content that is designed for the digital platform, rather than trying to produce it.
But there are some caveats to the new wave.
“They have to be willing to put a lot more money into it, and they have to have a good product,” he noted.
In order to make digital content more appealing to advertisers, they must make it easy for consumers to view the content.
“You have to provide a compelling value proposition,” he added.
McLeod noted that some digital ad formats like ads that have the “buy” tag on them can have a higher price tag than others.
But McLean noted that many ad formats are being designed with a broader audience in mind, so a few dollars in the digital ad space can make a big difference.
Miller said the digital world is also starting to evolve.
“There’s this sense of openness that’s being fostered by the Internet,” she said.
While some traditional publishers have been able to retain their advertising clients by offering digital products at a higher cost, that is changing.
“A lot of digital companies have been really successful at making a premium digital product,” she noted.
“We’re seeing a lot less premium content coming out.”
The digital advertising industry is expected to be worth $1.7 trillion in 2017, according to The Information, and Miller said that digital content could be worth up to $20 billion in the coming year.
Miller predicts that digital advertising will be a major part of digital advertising revenue growth over the next decade, but she cautioned that the growth in digital content production will depend on a number more factors than just the cost of creating and distributing digital content to consumers.
She also pointed to the need to provide the right quality content for advertisers to buy.
“Advertisers want quality,” she explained.
“And they also want to buy quality digital advertising.”
More information from The Associated Press: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/technology/2016/03/25/digital-product-definition-industry/7232389/