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Motorola Goes After Apple’s iPad in Super Bowl Teaser Spot for Xoom Tablet
In its iconic “1984” Super Bowl ad for the Macintosh, Apple went after IBM, pitching itself as an alternative to a monoculture of cookie-cutter computers. Fast-forward 27 years and Motorola is trying to use the same approach to attack Apple.
In a Super Bowl teaser ad posted to YouTube on Monday, Motorola pitches its forthcoming Xoom tablet as an alternative to Apple’s iPad.
“2011 looks a lot like 1984,” Motorola says in the ad, which features an image of the Earth surrounded by Apple’s white headphones. “One authority. One design. One way to work. It’s time for more choices.”
The ad then touts some of the Xoom’s features, such as its dual-core chip, HD video playback, front- and rear-facing cameras and its ability to play Flash.
The tablet wars are clearly heating up, with all the players staking out their space. RIM also posted a video on its Web site, touting the business capabilities of its yet-to-be-released PlayBook tablet. The video shows the PlayBook being connected to a BlackBerry and using a Flash-enabled dashboard from SAP’s Business Objects unit. RIM plans to talk more about its developer plans at an event on Thursday in San Francisco.
Meanwhile, Google is hosting an event on Wednesday to go deeper into its tablet-oriented Honeycomb version of Android. The Xoom, which debuts next month, is to be the first device running Honeycomb.
Mobilized will be on hand to provide coverage of both the RIM and Google events.
Here is Motorola’s Super Bowl teaser ad:
For those who need a refresher, here was Apple’s Super Bowl spot introducing the Macintosh:


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Another tragedy from the virtual battlefields. During China's week-long National Day holiday last month, a young girl died after playing World of Warcraft for several consecutive days. Her nickname was "Snowy" (perhaps inspired by Maggie Cheung's tragic character in Hero?) and her passing was acknowledged in an online funeral service by fellow WoW gamers. A young South Korean boy met the same fate back in August and there have been other instances of online game addiction resulting in exhaustion, bodily neglect, and death.
While Chinese gamers have protested their government's plan to limit online gaming to three-hour intervals starting next year, this most recent tragedy helps make the case for some kind of regulation. It also raises issues of responsibility, both at the individual and gaming community level. What other forms of intervention should be considered to help avoid these accidents in the future, and should the developers and publishers take action? Let us know what you think.

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MultiChoice Nigeria, organisers of the highly anticipated Big Brother Naija 4 reality TV show, has announced a total prize worth of N60 million for the eventual winner of the contest.
The organisers made the announcement on Sunday, June 23, 2019, noting that the winner will be getting a total cash prize of N30 million in cash while the other N30 million will come in the form of gift prizes.
According to a statement by Chief Executive Officer, MultiChoice Nigeria, John Ugbe, aside the cash prize, the winner will also be presented with a top of the range SUV, a trip to Dubai, a home make-over, a year’s supply of Pepsi and One Africa Fest VVIP experience as well as a brand new Oppo mobile smartphone among other prizes.
The statement by John Ugbe which comes seven days to the opening night, June 30th, reads thus in part; “Each edition of Big Brother Naija significantly improves on all aspects of the previous season and this year is no different. The winner of season four will walk away from the house with a N30m cash prize and a top of the range SUV among many other exciting prizes. The Big Brother Naija winner will also emerge as the most popular and marketable personality on the continent, as the show is known to launch prominent careers in arts, entertainment and other supporting industries.”
The last edition of the show tagged ‘Double Wahala’ was won by Miracle Igbokwe, born on the 17th of February 1995, after almost three months of drama, intrigue, betrayal and entertainment in the house.
By emerging the winner of last year’s edition, Miracle won for himself the sum of N25 million, a brand-new SUV worth N12 million among other mouth-watering prizes.


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A university president says vaping should be banned on all college campuses.
Dr Des Fitzgerald, President of University of Limerick, wants the government to implement a ban due to newly discovered health risks associated with vaping.
UL is the only college in Ireland that has already stopped the use of e-cigarettes.
Dr Fizgerald says he also wants to end vaping at third level because the industry is specifically targeting young people.
"There's a lot of investment by big tobacco in the e-cigarette market and you would be worried that part of what arises from this is there will be a new generation of people who would be addicted to nicotine," said Dr Fitzgerald.
"And that in fact, that is what the industry wants."
Last week, US investigators said they will try to work out what oils are
It came after various US media outlets reported the case of a 19-year-old boy who became poorly after vaping for two years.
Anthony Mayo, 19, of Erie, Pennsylvania, fell seriously ill last week, struggling to breathe, looking pale and feeling sick.
Doctors found his lungs had become severely congested with solidified oil, which medics told his parents was similar in consistency to cooking grease that hardens after it has been left to cool.
Earlier this month, New York became the first US state
That was followed by Walmart it will stop selling electronic cigarettes at its US stores.
America’s largest retailer said that it will


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While Apple sells millions and millions of iPhones and iPads, the Mac is more of an oddity in business, especially as companies grow. What might start as a few people with MacBooks on a college campus eventually becomes business users all running Windows on a laptop.
Except for this: IBM recently announced that it is switching to the Mac. And so did SAP. And, as Uber and Buzzfeed have grown, they've stubbornly stayed with the Mac platform, despite having hundreds of users. In fact, the Mac is reappearing in the enterprise. One big reason is that the Mac now offers management software that is much easier to deploy than ever before.
Setup and support
Starting with the serial number for a new Mac, large companies are able to begin the management process before a new Mac is even shrink-wrapped and shipped out.
Another reason is that the user interface is still better. According to IBM, only 5% of tech support calls are related to Mac problems. That's spurred renewed interest in the OS, and a few analysts have told me they see an uptick in adoption.
Yet enterprise users can be still incredulous. PC laptops are still the most prevalent portables at airports, high-tech companies, and hotels. They're cheaper (usually by a few hundred dollars or pounds, possibly more), which makes them more common. Microsoft's new Windows 10 operating system is a hit. It has already been installed on 270 million devices worldwide with the goal of landing on one billion in the next few years. Microsoft owns the business market, or so we've been told again and again.
An open door for Apple?
However, that's starting to change. Gartner analyst Michael Silver, who is the Research VP for Mobile and Endpoint Computing, says most businesses need Windows for about half of the apps they use, despite what you may have heard about the cloud taking over. Yet, as the shift to the cloud makes local enterprise apps less and less viable, the Mac could have an open door.
"We do see the enterprise changing, they are broadening who can have the Mac as an exception to the rule," says Silver. "And, we companies are more likely to choose the Mac."
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For any enterprise considering the Mac again, there are three major reasons to choose the platform, but also three major reasons to avoid it. And we're going to detail those reasons on the next page…
John Brandon has covered gadgets and cars for the past 12 years having published over 12,000 articles and tested nearly 8,000 products. He's nothing if not prolific. Before starting his writing career, he led an Information Design practice at a large consumer electronics retailer in the US. His hobbies include deep sea exploration, complaining about the weather, and engineering a vast multiverse conspiracy.


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Questex Travel Group today announced the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) and Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) would take the stage together for the first time in recent memory to kick off the general session of its Travel Industry Exchange event Sept. 15-17 at Disneys Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando, Florida.
Airlines for America (A4A), the industry trade organization for the leading U.S. airlines, today named Capt. John Illson as Managing Director of Safety. Illson joins A4A from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) where he was Chief of Operational Safety.
In this role, Ms. Allen will oversee the Companys brand positioning, marketing, product marketing and corporate communications and industry relations functions on a global level. Ms. Allen will report to GBTs Chief Strategy Officer, Steve Curts.


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We persevered for the sake of our review, and there was certainly plenty to like about the package, but the formula wore thin a little too quickly for our tastes. It's bemusing, therefore, that Hothead Games has already announced the franchise's sequel — and it's due out next month.
Kotaku reports that Deathspank: Thongs Of Virtue will hit the PlayStation Network on the 21st September. The news that it will be 50% longer than the first game sent simultaneous groans around the office.
Apparently it'll feature new settings like the North Pole, and new weapons including guns. Sadly, you won't be able to carry across your progress from the first game, which seems like a missed opportunity.


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We’ve all heard that artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to disrupt every industry — but where does the hype end and true AI step in? Companies that have already implemented AI and machine learning into their systems, or are taking actions to build them in now, will thrive as markets move into a new era of data-driven results. On the other side of the coin, hesitation to adapt by companies sticking to tried-and-true operating methods may turn out to be a fatal mistake. The AI washing trend is getting out of control as companies fear being pushed into irrelevancy.
So what exactly is AI washing? To call yourself a true AI company, you need to engineer and utilize an AI product — it’s as simple as that. AI washing sees many companies serving enterprises calling themselves “AI” companies when they aren’t actually AI at their core. Instead, they are using alternative/old data analytics tools or acting as a consulting company under the pretense of AI, but without the technological bandwidth, task efficiency and overall intelligence to produce AI results. This marketing stunt helps these companies to align with winning AI companies, thereby inflating their product and in turn, their revenue.
This year, we’ve seen investors doubling down on AI in Silicon Valley; however, no one is being held accountable for any real implementation. While some companies are building off of this momentum by integrating AI into their systems to increase efficiency and positive growth, others are playing the AI card to appear more advanced than they are. Many lack the actual bandwidth to produce machine learning or AI-level results.
These culprit companies confound AI with simple data processing technologies, which is not only holding the companies themselves back from more significant development, but is also problematic for limited partners, shareholders and partners looking to invest in AI-centered companies. Similar to the adverse effects of greenwashing on overall corporate progress in measures of sustainability, AI washing disincentivizes companies from building out real AI systems.
Luckily, it’s not all hype. According to Gartner, by 2020 AI will be among the five biggest priorities for investment for CIOs and customers will manage 85% of their relationship with the enterprise without interacting with a human. But for now, with no set standards, how can investors avoid wasting millions when the companies they invest in can’t live up to the hype?
Here are some ways that shareholders can sift through the noise:
- Look for employees who can build. The company’s core team should be made up of machine learning and AI engineers, data scientists and mathematicians. These are the team members who are actually building AI products.
- Take a closer look at the company numbers. The AI system should be intaking terabytes of data, with the capacity to cleanse enormous amounts of data instantly. If the company is releasing marketing and advertising surrounding the company’s AI capacities, there should be numerical data to back it up.
- Identify the use case or AI application being used. What does the company’s metric of success look like? Even Google and Facebook’s research vision labs had an ultimate end goal, and improved computer vision led to a new medium of search. When there’s no use case, this work is simply research for research’s sake, rather than a commercial venture.
- Look for progress. AI is not stagnant, but constantly learning and developing as it receives data. Therefore, the system should be getting smarter over time, and the longer a company has implemented AI, the more it should be able to accomplish.
The combination of a strong team of engineers and data scientists and the capacity to run extensive machine learning models can help drive any retailer to success. A push for AI developments in retail is what will push the industry to adapt to the needs of current and future customers.
Kerry Liu, Co-Founder & CEO at Rubikloud, leads people, sales, and technology disruption. Rubikloud is the world’s most advanced machine learning platform for large retailers. By delivering in-market recommendations on loyalty and merchandising campaigns, Rubikloud significantly lifts revenue and saves operational time. In his role, Liu works to manage and maintain a thriving company culture that recruits the best and brightest in the industry, while also maintaining relationships with global retailers and investors. Liu is passionate about machine learning and big data, and enjoys providing enterprise retailers with the tools and knowledge needed to enhance their overall business goals.


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The Trump administration and Chinese officials are about to hold their eighth round of trade talks in Beijing with several tough issues unresolved, including a timetable for lifting tariffs and a way to enforce any agreement.
TRUMP: “I think we’re getting very close. That doesn’t mean we get there, but I think we’re getting very close.”
Many analysts say they expect some limited agreement to be reached in the coming weeks or months, likely including a pledge by China to buy more U.S. exports. Yet it’s unclear how far any accord would go to address the long-standing Chinese trade practices at the heart of the conflict — from the forced handover of foreign technology secrets to outright cyber-theft — that the administration insists must end.
The backdrop to the talks is a trade war that has exacted a toll on both economies and intensified pressure to reach an accord. Trump’s tariffs on Chinese goods have raised costs for many U.S. manufacturers, forcing some to delay hiring or equipment purchases.
Chinese exporters have also been hurt by Trump’s tariffs, raising the risk of a politically volatile spike in job losses. And Beijing’s counter-tariffs on American exports have made soybeans and other U.S. farm goods costlier in China and harmed U.S. farmers.
The Rhodium Group, a research provider, estimates that the tariffs imposed by both countries, if they remain in place until fall, will shave about $45 billion from US economic output this year. (Its study was done in conjunction with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.)
Late last week, President Donald Trump expressed guarded optimism about the negotiations that will resume Thursday and Friday.
“I think we’re getting very close,” Trump said in an interview on Fox Business Network. “That doesn’t mean we get there, but I think we’re getting very close.”
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin lead the U.S. delegation. In early April, China’s Vice Premier Liu He is scheduled to visit Washington to resume the talks.
One sticking point is how far Beijing will go to end the forced technology transfersas well as government subsidies that are meant to give its companies a competitive advantage. Those policies are designed to transform Chinese companies into world leaders in such cutting-edge fields as robotics and artificial intelligence. Yet the Trump administration asserts that they violate international trade rules.
Trump last week struck a hard-line tone toward the tariffs he’s imposed. He said he wants to maintain at least the 25 percent import taxes he applied to $50 billion in Chinese goods — a tariff that Beijing wants removed.
“We want to keep that, because we need that,” Trump said.
The White House may also want to preserve at least some of the 10 percent tariffs Trump imposed on an additional $200 billion in Chinese goods. Those remaining taxes would be lifted as China implements its promises.
The administration is also demanding an enforcement mechanism that would allow it to impose new tariffs if it decides that China failed to fulfill its promises under an agreement. In such a case, Trump’s negotiators also want Beijing to pledge not to retaliate — a key point of conflict in the talks.
Derek Scissors, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, noted that Beijing’s primary goal is to get “serious tariffs off the table.” Trump has suspended two earlier threats he had made: One was to escalate his 10 percent tariffs on Chinese goods to 25 percent. The other was to impose import taxes on the remaining roughly $250 billion in Chinese products that aren’t now subject to tariffs.
Beijing wants those threats permanently shelved. But Scissors said China won’t likely offer much in return if the U.S. insists on keeping some tariffs and demands a tough enforcement mechanism.
“It is inappropriate for China to see frequent guidance and monitoring from the United States,” said Dong Yan, a researcher at the Institute of World Economics and Politics of the official Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. “Enforcement should be in accordance with international conventions.”
A rough outline of a potential agreement has emerged. It would likely include a commitment by China to buy hundreds of billions of dollars more in U.S. exports, including soybeans and natural gas, to address Trump’s complaints about America’s huge trade gap with China. Trump argues that the gap — the disparity between what the United States exports to China and the higher value of what it buys — inflicts economic harm.
Yet few economists regard such a bilateral trade deficit as a problem. Americans, after all, receive many products they want — toys, clothes, and electronics manufactured in China, often at affordable prices — in exchange for their dollars.
Lighthizer has said the accord will also include some provision under which both sides would agree not to devalue its currency to gain a trade advantage. U.S. manufacturers have alleged that Beijing has artificially lowered the value of its currency, the yuan, thereby making its exports more affordable overseas.
The outline of a possible deal also includes a section on intellectual property, officials have said. This reflects the importance the administration has placed on ending Beijing’s practice of forcing companies to share technology as a price of admission to China’s vast market.
This month, China’s ceremonial legislature approved a law barring Chinese regulators, who typically obtain trade secrets from U.S. companies seeking to operate in China, from leaking those secrets to Chinese companies. The law would also make it easier for U.S. companies to do business in China without a partner. U.S. companies are now typically required to share technology with Chinese corporate partners.
American and European chambers of commerce in China have asserted, though, that the law is too vague.
In the meantime, Chinese negotiators want to avoid giving up too much before they decide what Trump will accept, said Bryan Mercurio, a trade law specialist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
“You never really know what the Trump administration wants or will settle for,” said Mercurio, a former Canadian trade negotiator.
© The Associated Press. All rights reserved.


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TOKYO—Japan's nuclear regulator has amassed power while growing closer to the industry it regulates, according to former regulators and industry critics who blame the trend for lapses that may have contributed to the Fukushima Daiichi accident.
Bucking the global standard, Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has two distinct and often competing roles: regulating the nuclear power industry, and promoting Japanese nuclear technology at home and abroad.
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The legal division at leading social networking website Facebook has made some strong allegations in the legal battle against Paul Ceglia who claims to be the owner of one half of the company, citing a contract signed between himself and Mark Zuckerberg nearly eight years ago. According to the Bloomberg, attorneys at the Palo Alto, California-based Facebook have revealed that they have found a ‘smoking gun’ in the computer systems belonging to Paul Ceglia that can easily reveal that his claims regarding the joint ownership of Facebook are fabricated and false.
After more than a year and a half of bumpy ride with the product, Dell officially kissed its, not-so-successful, 5-inch Dell Streak tablet the final goodbye. Designed to be the Texas based computer maker’s answer to Cupertino’s market leader Apple iPad, the Dell Streak, needless to say, failed rather miserably with its average specs and features and a comparatively much higher price.
The authorised biography of Steve Jobs, the co-founder and current chief executive of the world’s largest tech company and maker of the legendary iPhone, iPad and Mac ranges, will be released on November 21st. According to tech website Apple Insider, the book, entitled “Steve Jobs: A Biography” which is being compiled by author Walter Isaacson, is arriving in time for Christmas having previously been tipped to appear in early 2012.
Korean Electronics giant Samsung has reportedly hired one of the leading names in the Android developer community - Steve Kondik, more famously known as “Cyanogen” of CyanogenMod 7. The news of his joining Samsung surfaced only after it was discovered earlier today that the employment status in his Facebook page was changed into ‘Samsung Mobile Software Engineer’.
The UK government has announced its plans of pumping £362 million into bringing superfast broadband in rural areas in England and Scotland. The government said that the funding will result in 90 percent of rural areas in Britain getting access to superfast broadband by 2015.


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Jobs shows off the new iPad
The Apple CEO on Wednesday unveiled the much-anticipated multimedia device, which has a 9.7-inch screen and a starting price of $499.
Read more in our related article: "Apple takes stage amid tablet frenzy (live blog)"
January 27, 2010 9:00 AM PST
Photo by: James Martin/CNET
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Qatar National Broadband Network (Qnbn) confirms that on 2nd October 2014 Vodafone Qatar entered into a non-binding Heads of Agreement with Information Communication Technology Holdings Q.S.C with a view towards acquiring Qnbn. Completion of the transaction is conditional upon parties entering a definitive Share Purchase Agreement.
This anticipated transaction will benefit consumers and businesses in Qatar by creating improved customer choice, competitive pricing, product innovation and enhanced customer service.
Commenting on the news, Mohammed Al- Mannai, Chief Executive Officer at Qnbn said, “We believe that the contemplated transaction would further help in achieving a knowledge-based sustainable economy in line with Qatar National Vision 2030. We also believe that this development demonstrates how Qnbn’s network compliments Vodafone’s products and services and also reflects our on-going commitment to our customers and suppliers.”
Qnbn was established by the Government of Qatar to meet demand for ICT infrastructure, specifically insufficient landline capacity to meet future demand and growth. Since Qnbn’s inception, it has contributed towards the growth of the ICT sector, and accordingly the government has encouraged increased private sector activity which has opened new opportunities for Qnbn to forge commercial partnerships.
Over the past three years, Qnbn has made steady progress with its fiber optics broadband infrastructure rollout and has successfully connected towers and compounds in the West Bay area, Msheireb Downtown Doha project, Barwa City, Barwa Commercial Avenue and six central offices. Qnbn has also finalized many major agreements with some of the country’s best-known names in real estate development, healthcare, oil and gas, education, and government sectors for providing private networks.
Notes to Editor:
Qnbn cannot provide any further comment on the contemplated transaction until its completion which is subject to fulfilment of all conditions precedent.


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Global food prices continue to increase. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organizasiton, global food prices reached the highest level on record in January, surpassing the mark previously set during the 2007-08 global food crisis. Last week, the European Union took the dramatic step of loosening longstanding import restrictions intended to protect European farmers from international competition. The move, which clearly hints that European markets are tighter than most observers believed, came on the heels of announcements by the US government that its corn harvest will likely be smaller than originally forecast. Meanwhile, international protests over higher food prices continue to rock governments around the world, most recently in Yemen.
What’s driving food prices higher? Obviously, production shortfalls and increasing demand in emerging economies are a part of the explanation. The diversion of food into ethanol fuel production, most notably for US corn production, is also an element.
But last week, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke was forced on to the defensive. According to some critics, the decision of the US Federal Reserve to engage in a policy of quantitative easing, intended to increase the supply of money in the US economy in order to fuel economic growth, has driven investors into commodity markets, including food commodity markets, driving prices up.
Although Bernanke strenuously denied the charges, the world’s top sugar traders last week echoed a similar concern. In a letter to the ICE Futures US exchange, the World Sugar Committee condemned “parasitic” computer traders who engage in high-frequency speculative trades which “only serve to enrich themselves at the expense of traditional market users.” Sugar prices last week hit their highest levels in more than 30 years.


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CHILDREN’S Charity Barnardo’s is urging people to donate unwanted Christmas gifts to raise vital funds.
Barnardo’s estimates almost a third of the gifts given at Christmas are unwanted and hopes to guarantee they can find a customer for those shunned presents.
Money raised from their sale will go to help Yorkshire’s most disadvantaged children, such as those living in poverty, children who have been abused and those who are disabled. Shoppers can buy household items, books, toys, children’s clothes, accessories as well as men’s and ladies’ fashions at Barnardo’s shops.
Donations can be made at any Barnardo’s store, including New Street, Huddersfield town centre.


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- Almost two-thirds (64%) of online shoppers begin their journeys on a marketplace site such as Amazon, eBay, or Etsy, says a survey from PYMNTS.com and Amazon Payments.
- Nearly half (48%) of the shoppers surveyed last month went directly to the site of a favorite merchant, 40% initiated a search, and 29% began on social media.
- MarketLive data says that organic search is still the biggest driver of shopping activity, accounting 38.5% of desktop/laptop traffic and 33.3% of smartphone traffic.
A July 2015 survey from PYMNTS.com and Amazon Payments asking shoppers where they begin their search for items they plan to buy reports that marketplace sites have the most pull, with 64% of shoppers, while 48% went directly to a familiar e-commerce site. Search came in third at 40%, seeming to clash with MarketLive’s second-quarter data, which shows that organic search is the largest driver of traffic to U.S. e-commerce sites.
The numbers, however, may not be incompatible. Accounting for up to 40% of traffic depending on the device used, organic search is likely dominant when consumers begin to look for items they buy infrequently. Shoppers’ willingness to search was higher on tablets, desktops and laptops, too, indicating that they take the most direct routes to product research when using a smaller screen.


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From Home Furnishing Business
Tempur-Pedic Sales Up 16 Percent
By Home Furnishings Business in Bedding on April 2007
Tempur-Pedic International, Lexington, Ky., posted a 16 percent increase in net sales to $266 million in its first quarter on the strength of a 25 percent increase in its U.S. furniture and bedding retail channel.
The company, which makes premium mattress and pillow products, reported net income of $28.8 million in the quarter that ended March 31 as compared to $26.9 million during the same period last year. Earnings per share increased 21 percent to 35 cents per diluted share.
President and CEO Thomas Bryant said, Tempur-Pedic International delivered a very solid quarter during what continues to be a challenging environment for the bedding industry.
He said first-quarter results were somewhat moderated by limitations on production capacity at its new factory in Albuquerque, N.M, which had increased its production substantially in late March: Our U.S. business experienced mattress shortages resulting from strong consumer demand, low levels of inventory at the beginning of the year and capacity constraints. In addition, in order to minimize backorders for our existing retail partners, we limited the opening of new accounts such that our total U.S. door count is unchanged from the prior quarter.


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You are here
China's Q3 economic growth cools to 6.9% year on year, but beats forecasts slightly
[BEIJING] China's economic growth eased to 6.9 per cent in the third quarter from a year earlier, beating expectations but still the slowest since the global financial crisis, putting pressure on policymakers to roll out more support measures as fears of a sharper slowdown spook investors.
Analysts polled by Reuters had predicted gross domestic product (GDP) for the world's second-largest economy would come in at 6.8 per cent, compared with 7 per cent in the prior quarter.
Quarter-on-quarter growth was 1.8 per cent, the National Bureau of Statistics said at a news conference on Monday.
The market had expected GDP growth to come in at 1.7 per cent on a quarterly basis, compared to a revised reading of 1.8 per cent the prior quarter.
Fixed-asset investment growth eased to 10.3 per cent year-on-year in the Jan-September period, missing market expectations.
Analysts polled by Reuters predicted investment growth would come in at 10.8 per cent, compared with 10.9 per cent posted the prior month.
Industrial output growth also cooled more than expected to 5.7 per cent, disappointing analysts who expected it to rise 6 per cent on an annual basis after a rise of 6.1 per cent the prior month.
Retail sales quickened to 10.9 per cent.
Analysts forecast they would rise 10.8 per cent on an annual basis after a rise of 10.8 per cent the prior month.


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Designer Julien MacDonald is a new judge on Britain’s Next Top Model, which will soon premiere in the U.K. with Elle Macpherson as its new host. MacDonald is hyping the show by panning plus-size models, proving that not everyone in fashion is keen on curves these days. “There were no plus-size models,” he said of the new season. “This is a serious show.” Julien, the ex-creative director of Givenchy, added, “You can’t have a plus size girl winning — it makes it a joke.”
Tyra Banks, who gave plus-size model Whitney Thompson the grand prize in this country some seasons back, might disagree. However, MacDonald implied that with a new format and Macpherson hosting the show, Britain’s Next Top Model is undergoing a high-fashion makeover not unlike that of Banks’s U.S. show, which is now sponsored by Italian Vogue.
MacDonald also said of plus-size girls:
“It’s not fair on them — you’re setting them up for a fall — I know what would happen to them afterwards,” he said.
“They are looked down on, they’re frowned upon. A catwalk model is a size six to eight.
“If you’re a size 14 in a room full of size eights — you’re in the wrong room.”
Sounds like his contestants are set to feel really great about themselves!
Plus size girl will never make it as top models, says Julien Macdonald [WalesOnline via Racked]


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The Pizza Hut The Kitchen vehicle has been unveiled as a mobile pizza pickup truck that shows off the latest technology from the QSR brand and Toyota.
The vehicle is entitled the Tundra PIE Pro and is a Toyota pickup truck that is hydrogen-powered and outfitted with advanced technology that allows it to create fresh pizzas in just six to seven minutes. The vehicle was shown off at Toyota’s 2018 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show presentation and identifies the potential future of food delivery.
The Pizza Hut The Kitchen vehicle is capable of creating fresh pizzas while in motion and could provide piping-hot pizzas to patrons in the near future. Plans regarding whether the vehicle would be tested in the real world were not announced by the brands.
Image Credit: Pizza Hut


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Two young Plymouth entrepreneurs are storming the fitness fashion world with Olympians and influencers raving about their clothing.
Busiku Simakoloyi, aged 27, and Johnny Jenkins, aged 26, have created a brand that they hope will take on Nike, Gymshark and the other titans of fitness wear, created for all shapes and sizes.
But as welcome as the support of the Olympian and ex-British number BuzzPhysique is, the outfits are not just for elite athletes, with the founders seeing their company as “more than just a brand” with an ambition to be a “lifestyle, a community” for people with shared interests in fitness, fashion, style and well being - no matter what their body type.
The online business is less than a year old but already the founders are already selling across the South West, including Bristol, and as far as London and Wales.
Busiku, known as Buzz, said he and Johnny took his nickname out of context and chose the word Buzz because they "want to give the people who choose to be part of our community that little extra buzz".
He added: “We chose the word Physique, because we believe there is no perfect shape/figure/physique.
“The dream is to be a national brand and be up there with the best fitness lifestyle retailers.”
BuzzPhysique’s fitness and fashion apparel is designed by the two founders themselves and aimed at people of all body shapes.
So while it provides bras and leggings, it also has hoodies and t-shirts and sees its products as available for “all types of physiques, to help people feel better, to give them that little more self belief, self confidence”.
Buzz said: “If we can design and create a set of leggings that make you feel that little more secure, that little more confident, that little boost, that little extra encouragement is what BuzzPhysique is all about.
“We aim to create a community where we can bring people together, make them feel proud and give them a little push in the direction of them achieving their goals.”
Buzz came to the UK with his family from their native Zambia in 2006. He was educated at St Boniface’s Catholic College in Plymouth, where he met Mr Jenkins, who is now a PT instructor in the RAF.
Buzz went on to study accounting and finance at the University of Plymouth, but it was the founders’ shared interest in fitness that gave them the idea for BuzzPhysique.
He said: "Everyone has their own goal, their own body composition, and if they’re happy then so are we.
"We do not cater for one specific physique, we aim to design products for everyone, to be that all inclusive community, whether you like baggy jumpers or tight tank tops, we will be there for you.
“Tonia Couch is wearing our bra set and leggings on Instagram."
“We design everything ourselves,” he added.
“We have suppliers in China and Pakistan. We have a website and orders come in and we package and send out to customers and provide tracking.
“We want eventually to be in stores and have a HQ and potentially create a gym business as well.”


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UPDATE: I've embedded a trailer for the game after the jump. There's gameplay. It will probably look familiar. Activision has also issued a press release for the game, noting that Call of Duty Online delivers "variety of game modes and maps and features an original story told through a series of Special Operations missions based on the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare universe."
ORIGINAL POST: Activision revealed plans in 2011 to deliver a free-to-play treatment of Call of Duty for Asian markets, and that effort continues to move forward with the announcement this morning of Call of Duty Online (via Kotaku). The game will be published by China-based publisher Tencent Holdings for shooter fans in Asian markets, with income funneling through a microtransaction-based pricing model.
There's a teaser website up now at omg.qq.com, but there's not much to see right now even if you can read the Chinese text. Fans in other parts of the world will have to make do with $60 boxed and digital retail titles like fall 2012's Call of Duty: Black Ops 2. On the other hand, console games have been banned in China for roughly a decade, so try to appreciate the fact that you CAN pay $60 for a game at retail.


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CharitiesCurrent AffairsGovernment & LegislationRetailers
Puppy and kitten pet shop sales to be banned in Lucy’s Law victory
The government has announced a consultation to introduce a ban on commercial third party puppy and kitten sales in England, marking a victory for Lucy’s Law campaigners.
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Fitness - Page 24
Step aside, Soul Cycle: IMAX is testing an immersive cycling concept
IMAXShift wants to take you pedaling through the solar system and across the coasts of Hawaii, all from the comforts of a studio bike seat.
This $499 magic mirror could make you fitter than ever
The Naked 3D Fitness Tracker seems poised to change the whole home health measurement game.
By Chris Taylor
Fitbit used in ER to determine patient treatment after seizure
When a 42-year-old man was recently rushed to an emergency room after a seizure, the doctors noticed he was was wearing a Fitbit Charge HR tracker. Here's how the device helped doctors make a big medical decision.
Fat Vincent is an obese dachshund who's on a legendary weight loss journey
He's the dog world's biggest loser.
U.S. schools may soon be testing Adidas' new fitness tracker in K-12 gym classes
A new fitness tracker from adidas will be used in kindergarten through high school gym classes to keep track of the physical health of students.
Rebel mouse refuses to run on wheel. Take that, society.
"That is a mouse that lives in anarchy."
By Ryan Creamer
9-year-old girl fights bullying by completing a 24-hour, 36-mile race
The definition of a badass.
Discount store to withdraw scales after being branded 'pro-anorexia'
"Great idea B&M, sell a set of scales with a well-known pro-ana slogan."
Sorry, meat lovers: Cutting out meat from your diet would be great for the climate
The less meat people consume and the healthier their diet becomes, the more the climate benefits, Oxford University scientists said in a study published Monday.
By Bobby Magill
Richard Simmons dispels troubling rumors: 'No one is holding me hostage'
"I just really don't want to do anything."
By Yohana Desta
H&M wants Caitlyn Jenner's athleticism for sport campaign
The sportswear line has its eye on the prize.
7 relatable fitness bloggers who will build you up
Inspiration without intimidation.
Get a reality check with photos of yoga poses in the real world
An Australian man wants to start a yoga movement that is about the mindset, rather than doing crazy poses in the latest yoga pants.
By Jenni Ryall
Secret Service agent choke slams a photographer at Trump rally
A photographer working a Donald Trump rally was thrown to the ground by security.
By Brian Ries
Keeping in step, Asics buys fitness tracking app Runkeeper
Not much will change for Runkeeper app users, according to the company's CEO.
Fitbit's jazzy Super Bowl commercial shows you're a warrior every day
The fitness tracker company will air a commercial from CES.
By Patrick Kulp


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Gender equality in the tech space has been a major topic in most technology summit and gathering around the world. While such narrative helps create the environment for encouraging more women to become interested and pursue education or career within the tech space, more still needs to be done.
It is now emerging that more men are using the internet than the women. Statistics also forecasts that within the next three years, the number of women online will be less than the number of men online by 350 million.
This forecast was brought out by the report Doubling Digital Opportunities: Enhancing the Inclusion of Women and Girls in the Information Society. A report tabled by the Broadband Commission Working Group on Gender of the International Telecommunications Union, (ITU).
According to the Commission, currently there are about 200 million few women online compared to men. Their projection shows that in three years’ time, this gap will widen to 350 million fewer women if remedial steps are not taken.
According to the report, globally, women are using the Internet much later and slowly compared to their male counterparts. The report revealed that out of the 2.8 billion Internet users around the Globe, 1.3 billion are women while 1.5 billion are men. The report further goes to says that the gap in gender Internet usage is much wider in the developing world compared to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
The report also says, globally women are 21% less likely to own a mobile phone. A mobile gender disparity of 300 million fewer women and a $13 billion potential revenue missed by the mobile industry.
ITU’s Gary Fowlie speaking at the 3rd International Conference on Financing for Development held last month in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He said that 50% of the world’s population still does not have Internet access. Fowlie also said that if everyone could be connected to the Internet at the same level those in developed countries are connected, 140 million jobs will be created, and 160 million people will be uplifted from poverty.
While speaking on the privileges ICT accords in terms of sustainable financial development, Fowlie said that the developed world takes ICT for granted:
“It’s like breathing, we only think about it when we can’t – the network is down, you aren’t able to access your bank account or your own personal data, maybe your energy source isn’t working because the smart grid upon which it operates has malfunctioned.”
You can read more on this, at this link.


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MALAYSIA: Makers seek low-pay period for foreign workers
As a minimum wage law goes into effect this month in Malaysia, the Malaysian Textile Manufacturers Association (MTMA) is asking the government to allow its members to reintroduce a lower-paid probationary period for foreign workers.
Companies in the textile and apparel industry commonly place new employees under a 3-6 month probationary period during which they receive a salary 30% lower than their full wage, according to MTMA chief executive officer Andrew Hong.
However, a separate government decree last year banned probationary periods for foreign workers on temporary visas. Now this has combined with an increase in minimum wage to MYR900 (US$270) this month for workers on the Malaysian peninsula.
Hong said the industry is being unfairly squeezed as a result. "Since they don't allow the foreign workers to have a probationary period, we're incurring higher costs on workers we're not sure are suitable for the job or are still on the learning curve," he said.
Hong added that local Malaysian workers still have to undertake a lower paid probationary period, creating an unequal environment. "It's not right," he said. "We have to create a level playing field for all the workers."
The human resources ministry has announced it plans to reassess the minimum wage law in June or July. It has not responded to MTMA's request for reviving the probationary period for foreign workers, according to Hong.
- Marks & Spencer to extend mobile phone monitoring
- China tightens on corporate social responsibility
- Outdoor industry's future must be more inclusive
- Factoring: a lifeline for apparel suppliers?
- Who has signed the Bangladesh safety accord?
- Adidas "Reebok sale" would be admittance of defeat
- H&M and The North Face commit to responsible down
- Cambodia clothing factory collapse injures eight
- Bangladesh taps factory inspectors ahead of review
- Coats to open new zip factory in Bangladesh
- Ethiopia – the emerging textile and clothing industry
- Apparel Market in China to 2018 - Market Size, Trends, and Forecasts
- Wool in the 21st Century: new prospects for a familiar fibre
- Global market review of denim and jeanswear – forecasts to 2020
- Prospects for the Textile and Clothing Industry in Vietnam


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We’ve seen drastic changes in the landscape of the franchise and fandom – the sad but ultimately merciful alternate universing of the old Expanded Universe, the cancellation of The Clone Wars, saying farewell to beloved licensees like Dark Horse – but we’re getting not only more films, but theme parks and fresh starts aplenty from Disney, Marvel and Del Rey. Things have changed a lot, but what of it? Sometimes, change is necessary, and I think the last three years prove that – at least so far.
It’s been a trip, and the franchise has reached some crazy highs in that time, a heightened interest from all quarters, a surge that we haven’t seen since The Phantom Menace. Could we be setting ourselves up for disappointment? Even if The Force Awakens is indeed well received, I doubt anything will go completely smoothly, as we’ve already seen some dark undercurrents regarding the changes. But if someone as cynical and jaded as I am can be hopeful, why not?
USA Today’s Brian Truitt catches up with the elusive George Lucas, who talks about his youngest daughter Everest, Strange Magic and, of course, Star Wars.
There’s not too much about Star Wars, but we do learn one thing: He originally planed to see the first film of the new trilogy through before selling the company, but Disney’s interest happened at just the right moment.
“The only thing I really regret about Star Wars is the fact I never got to see it — I never got to be blown out of my seat when the ship came over the screen,” Lucas says. “The next one, I’ll be able to enjoy it like anybody else.”
Disney is hosting a Star Wars executive breakfast this coming Thursday, says Making Star Wars. In attendance will be George Lucas and “classic cast members.” Just another Thursday for Disney’s top brass? UPDATE: Lucasfilm denied this event to TFN, but Making Star Wars (and others) maintain it is indeed happening. We’ll see!
Also this week? A Star Wars event at the (a?) Disney Store on Monday and Tuesday in California, according to Jedi News. So something is clearly going on. Whether these are linked to something that will matter to most of us (an announcement?) is yet to be seen, but let’s hope so.
It’s been a week since the news went out that the Star Wars comics license will go to Marvel Comics for 2015, leaving Dark Horse Comics after a twenty-two year run. With the news on Tuesday that Dark Horse will be releasing a new series, adapting the unproduced The Clone Wars scripts for the finale of the Darth Maul storyline, we know that 2014 will still be a big Star Wars year for Dark Horse. Over the course of the past week, questions about the switch have started to get some answers, at least from Dark Horse:


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Mamacrowd, the leading platform in Italy with a total collection of $52.6 million (€44 million) for 90 funded companies, in this glimpse of 2021 is showing that it wants to raise the cut of its offers. Although the average collection was already among the highest in Italy ($585,000 (€490,000) on average), this year the platform is focusing heavily on millionaire collections. There are four campaigns that have just closed or are in progress that have abundantly exceeded one million, in addition to the ALIcrowd operation.
Read more about the latest successful crowdfunding campaigns launched by Mamacrowd and read other interesting business news, with our companion app, Born2Invest.
Etilika.it is an innovative startup that launched e-commerce specialized in the nationwide online sale of Italian wines, champagnes, and spirits. Launched in July 2019, Etilika.it in less than a year and a half has achieved a prominent position that places its e-commerce among the main Italian players in the sector, without receiving any external investment.
The startup, with about 1,500 labels processed, to which about 100 are added every month and thanks to its efficient internal logistics, which has managed picking & packing of more than 35,000 packages, will close 2020, just a year and a half after its launch, with an expected turnover of about $3.1 million (€2.6 million) compared to $239,000 (€200,000) in the second half of 2019.
Etilika’s campaign successfully closed last March 5th with a collection of more than $1.43 million (€1.2 million).
LifeGate S.p.A. – a benefit company – is an SME created in 2000 by the Roveda family, following the experience and the Exit matured with Fattoria Scaldasole, with a clear objective: to become the main Public Company for sustainable development. Born as a media company focused on sustainability issues, the company has become known especially thanks to the radio channel LifeGate Radio and now boasts a community of over 5 million people thanks to its website, radio, social media and mobile app channels.
In recent years, the activities and services have constantly evolved, combining editorial products and media, consulting and services to businesses, the design and development of concrete sustainability projects, the supply of 100% energy from renewable sources “Made in Italy”.
On the occasion of its twentieth anniversary, LifeGate has decided to start a process of transformation of the company into a “public company”, offering to anyone who believes in sustainability issues the opportunity to become a partner.
The Lifegate round, which will be open until next March 31st, has already raised over $2.15 million (€1.8 million).
Prometheus is an innovative medtech startup founded in 2017 that creates solutions for regenerative medicine and aims to integrate advanced technologies in the treatment of difficult-to heal skin wounds, such as pressure sores and diabetic ulcers.
The startup has developed Ematik, a customized, bioresorbable patch that combines a patient’s own blood with special biomaterials to treat difficult wounds. The patch halves wound healing time by stimulating regeneration, without scar formation. The market for wound care products is worth € 20 billion, with an annual growth rate of advanced products of 25%, a sign that advanced therapies will increasingly replace the use of traditional products.
Ematik has already demonstrated its effectiveness on numerous animal clinical cases, in fact, it is already on the veterinary market since February 2020 for the treatment of wounds of dogs, cats and horses. The technology is also covered by 3 patents, which will be extended worldwide.
The Prometheus campaign is open until April 7th and has raised over $1.8 million (€1.5 million) so far.
Founded in 2014 by Andrea Lacalamita, Fabio Marra, Monica Regazzi and a group of managers and entrepreneurs, Homepal is an innovative SME that was created with the aim of transferring the advantage of technology to customers, who can manage, with savings of over 50% compared to traditional agencies, the sale and purchase of residential real estate.
Homepal, which closed 2020 with a net turnover of $2.4 million (€2 million), now has 80 thousand sales ads. More than 8 million people looking for an apartment have transited the site since its opening in 2016.
The company has been awarded the prestigious FinTech Awards as “best startup in the real estate sector”, is considered among the top 5 Italian startups according to the investment fund Boost Heroes and was recently selected among the best innovative realities in Italy and Southeast Europe by ScaleIT. It also won the “best e-commerce startup for Southern Europe” award at the SESA AWARDS 2019.
Homepal’s round will close on April 12th and has already raised $2.4 million (€2 million) to date.
DISCLAIMER: This article was written by a third party contributor and does not reflect the opinion of Born2Invest, its management, staff or its associates. Please review our disclaimer for more information.
This article may include forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “estimate,” “become,” “plan,” “will,” and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks as well as uncertainties, including those discussed in the following cautionary statements and elsewhere in this article and on this site. Although the Company may believe that its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, the actual results that the Company may achieve may differ materially from any forward-looking statements, which reflect the opinions of the management of the Company only as of the date hereof. Additionally, please make sure to read these important disclosures.
First published in Crowdfunding buzz, a third-party contributor translated and adapted the article from the original. In case of discrepancy, the original will prevail.
Although we made reasonable efforts to provide accurate translations, some parts may be incorrect. Born2Invest assumes no responsibility for errors, omissions or ambiguities in the translations provided on this website. Any person or entity relying on translated content does so at their own risk. Born2Invest is not responsible for losses caused by such reliance on the accuracy or reliability of translated information. If you wish to report an error or inaccuracy in the translation, we encourage you to contact us.
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It should not be a surprise to anyone these days just why smartphone apps are the new gold rush. Ever since the launch of the smartphone, there have been an undisclosed number of apps developed and launched. According to Statista, on the Android and Apple store alone there are currently over 4.2 million apps available. When you try to grasp just how many apps that is you immediately start wondering how many of those apps are developed with the pocket gamer (not to be confused with Pocket Gamer Magazine) in mind.
While pocket gamers are growing, the majority of games are still being developed for PC and console. However, the fact that the market share for smartphone gaming apps has continuously gone up since 2008 should be proof enough that the stationary platforms are soon going to get hefty competition. [pullquote]In fact, it is estimated that by 2017 the market share for smartphone games will have climbed to a whopping 17%.[/pullquote] Put that in perspective that only eight years ago that number was 10%. A slow but steady grow is exactly the proof that the smartphone platform will soon overtake any stationary device and become our daily go-to technology.
I fondly remember that moment when Steve Jobs presented the first iPhone. The public went wild and have stayed that way ever since. Now when we are armed with the statistics of just how popular smartphone gaming really is it’s time for a surprise. What most people don’t know is that a cool 25% of the apps downloaded are actually gambling apps. The average pocket gamer has a variety of gaming apps, which is quite a difference when you compare it to PC gamers for example.
Casino apps, such as MansionCasino, allows playing online slots games everywhere. The genre seem to be the most popular gambling apps downloaded. It’s not difficult to understand why that is. The prospect of being able to win a bit of money on your commute home from work is an inviting one. Add to that the minimal investment you usually have to make in order to do so and you have yourself an application that is both fun, intriguing and thrilling.
When you take a closer look at mobile gaming demographics it is quite easy to see the gender differences between gaming genres. While females seem to enjoy casual games such as Bejeweled Blitz and Candy Crush Saga, males are more into mid-core games such as Clash of Clans. Revenue wise, Clash of Clans have been touted as the king of mid-core games with peak revenues exceeding $700,000 per day.
So, if you think you are the only pocket gamer out there then think again. The smartphone revolution started a long time ago and the popularity of mobile gaming has grown steady ever since. Just lean back and enjoy the ride while knowing you are one of the players that are shaping the next-generation entertainment platform. Mobile gaming will at some point overtake stationary platforms (market share), it’s just a matter of time.
What is your favorite mobile game? How may times a day/week do you play? Are you among the ones making a living playing mobile casino games? Feel free to let us know in the comment section below.


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Chicago is about to hitch the rising listing of cities the place new soundstage development will enhance the native leisure economic system. The Fields Studios – town’s first purpose-built and, so far, largest movie manufacturing complicated – will open within the first quarter of 2024.
Owned and developed by actual property agency Knickpoint Ventures, the brand new campus occupies the location of the previous warehouse and distribution middle for town’s legendary Marshall Field’s division retailer and its retailers throughout the U.S. It contains 9 soundstages on two tons totaling 132,000 sq. toes of stage area and over 350,000 sq. toes of artistic and manufacturing workplaces, plus mill and help area, on over 20 acres in Chicago’s Northwest Side.
“This project is another key landmark in our growing film and TV scene, which reached record revenue numbers in 2022,” mentioned Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker. “We’re telling important stories… with union labor with an eye to ensuring historically disadvantaged Chicagoans are given an opportunity to get their start in the industry through workforce development programs designed to increase diversity.”
In March, Pritzker signed a 10-year extension of the state’s long-standing manufacturing tax credit score, which now covers some above-the-line prices. “This year I’ve committed another million dollars in our budget to expanding this important fund,” he added.
The new studio improvement is a part of an adaptive resuse of the previous Fields property, which additionally contains a mixture of retail, residences and workplace area,
Each manufacturing stage at The Fields Studios is predicted to create tons of of union jobs. At capability, the power ought to influence the native economic system by driving almost 12,000 production-related jobs with roughly $1.3 billion of financial influence in its first 5 years, per the builders.
Zain Koita, Founder and Managing Partner of Knickpoint Ventures, is assured the brand new studio will thrive regardless of the prevailing financial headwinds now confronted by the leisure business. “The economy as a whole is reorganizing itself, and entertainment industry is no different,” he says, including that the business’s current difficulties are “just a blip on the radar; we’re long-term oriented.”
Further, Koita believes, that movie manufacturing in Illinois is “underappreciated and underinvested” and that the state’s tax credit score “has gone largely unutilized because there are very few studios that are up and operating that can house major productions.” The new venture will fill that hole, he says.
Altogether, the Fields Studios will embrace 9 sound phases, eight NC-30 rated sound phases, starting from 12,000 to 18,000 sq. toes, plus a 5,000-square-foot stage for business shoots, music movies, and different smaller productions. This marks the most important mixture of soundstages in Chicago.
The studio campus may have roughly 150,000 sq. toes of help and mill area for surface-level base camp areas for manufacturing autos and help area for manufacturing departments, dressing rooms and surrounding land for future again lot development.


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Microsoft is continuing to look for ways to make machine-learning technology easier to use. In 2018, Microsoft bought Lobe, a San Francisco-based startup that made a platform for building, training and shipping custom deep-learning models. This week, Microsoft made some of Lobe's technology publicly available.
According to Microsoft, "Lobe automatically selects the right machine learning architecture and starts training without any setup or configuration." Users can evaluate the model's strengths and weaknesses via real-time visual results and modify the model to boost performance. Once they're done, users can export their models to a variety of industry-standard formats and ship it on any platform they chose, according to Microsoft's Lobe web page.
Officials said while Lobe currently supports image classification, it will be expanding to other model and data type templates in the future. On the "coming soon" list are object detection, which will enable location of an object inside of an image and data classification, which will label data in a table based on its content.
In an interesting twist, Microsoft is positioning Lobe as better suited for those worried about privacy because they don't need to upload their data to the cloud to use it. Officials said the app, which trains and stores data locally, complements Microsoft's various Azure AI services.


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good offer. Thanks for sharing
TRAI Asks Reliance Jio to Explain Extension of Free Services beyond December 31
The regulatory authority of telecommunications sector, TRAI asked Reliance Jio to explain its extension of free services beyond December 31. In a letter to Reliance Jio Infocomm, TRAI asked why the offer of free services should not be treated as “predatory”.
Freebies Extension or Violation?
The free benefits of Reliance Jio Welcome Offer have to be limited to 90 days and the services need to end on December 3. However, the free voice calls and data benefit was extended by the company in the name of Reliance Jio Happy New Year Offer.
As per the reports published by The Economic Times, there was no response from Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd on this issue. However, the insider reports suggest that the current freebie have a cap of 1GB under Fair Usage Policy and is different from the previous Jio Welcome Offer. Now, the Jio subscribers who exhaust their data limit can now recharge to get 4G speeds.
TRAI - Sleeping Trustee?
Though there are many rumours but it is learnt that TRAI has asked Jio to spell out the issues or else it can be termed as violation. Moreover, the country’s number one telecom operator Bharti Airtel took a legal route against TRAI for being a mute spectator to Reliance Jio’s violations.
Let’s wait and watch how Reliance Jio will react to this issue. It is to be noted that TRAI has recommended a penalty of ₹3500 crore on the incumbent telecom players including Bharti Airtel, Vodafone India and Idea Cellular for not providing the required interconnect (IC) to the new entrant.


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Bengaluru: India’s Tech Capital
“Bars, Engineers and Entrepreneurs”
This is what Koramangala neighborhood in Bengaluru (often called as sobriquet of silicon valley of India) is all about. Almost Every day, Bengaluru witness the launch of new tech startups or engineering universities. Undoubtedly, Bengaluru is the preferred destination for software developers and entrepreneurs alike. According to Startup Genome’s 2019 ranking, Bengaluru is the only Indian city ranked in the top 20. In no time, Bengaluru will overtake metropolitan cities like New Delhi and Mumbai. This is the very reason, Ben Legg, managing director of Ola, UK sees Bengaluru as an “exciting” place for entrepreneurs.
Bengaluru is not only a choice for Benn Legg but Sachin Bansal, co-founder of Flipkart ‘automatically chose’ Bengaluru to set up his new venture, Navi Technologies. Undoubtedly, Bengaluru is the best ‘test-markets’ for startups and new products. Big Basket’s Hari Menon believes that there is a “tremendous amount of early adoption” in the city, which helps fine-tune products and offerings. Bengaluru proudly hosts itself as the home of 7100 tech startups.
The city contributes the largest share in the software industry. The city has a dedicated IT park called, Software Technology Park of India (STPI), Electronics City, International Tech Park of Bengaluru (ITPB). The city not only offers the perfect ambiance to software developers but also offers great salary packages. As per recent data by indeed the salary offered to Senior Software Developer in Bengaluru is 47% above the national average.
What more can a developer want? Good companies! Awesome infrastructure! Top salary! Bengaluru has it all.
If you are one of Bengaluru’s top-notch developers looking for a change, BigShyft is a place for you. Explore popular jobs and positions in Bengaluru just by a click.


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Every Friday, Perfect Daily Grind rounds up the top coffee industry news from the previous week. Here are this week’s stories.
Mon, 19 Sep
- AeroPress releases pumpkin spice recipe. The popular drink can be made with the brewer, and includes ingredients such as pumpkin purée and maple syrup.
- Nairobi Coffee Exchange reports 39% year-on-year increase in coffee earnings. Kenya’s national coffee auction platform says the country sold 52.58% more 60kg bags of coffee in the 11 months to August 2022, representing an increase in coffee earnings of US $81 million. The improved performance has been attributed to a global supply shortage and increased volumes.
- “Colombia, Land of Diversity” auction scheduled for 1 October in Neiva, Huila. A total of 41 finalist lots will be auctioned at the event, which is organised by the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia. It will form part of the second International Fair of Coffee, Cocoa and Agritourism, with the aim of promoting the sensory diversity of Colombian specialty coffee.
- International Women’s Coffee Alliance Australia to host Stronger Together Brekky in Melbourne. The IWCA’s local chapter is inviting coffee professionals to a safe space where women and other marginalised people in the industry will share their individual experiences. The panel discussion is set to be held at Axil Coffee Roasters on 28 September and will be accompanied by coffee, food, and a raffle.
- New xBloom coffee machine with patented extraction design launching soon on Kickstarter. The company has partnered with roasters like Intelligentsia, Onyx, and Kaveri Coffee to create specially-designed cups of roasted beans called “xPods”. The machine uses RFID technology to read a recommended recipe from each pod, promising to “unlock the full potential of craft specialty coffee at home”.
- illycaffè announces 2022 Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award finalists. The annual award recognises exceptional batches from nine different origins. This year’s finalists come from Brazil, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Nicaragua, and Rwanda, and will be assessed by an independent panel of experts on 17 November.
- SIGEP The Dolce World Expo to showcase Italian coffee, pastry, and gelato innovation in Rimini. The event, which has been around for more than four decades, aims to be “the point of reference for innovations in the whole dessert-and-coffee foodservices sector”. It’s scheduled to run from 21-25 January 2023 at the Rimini Expo Centre, Italy.
- Leadership Council elections get underway for Coffee Roasters Guild, Barista Guild, and Coffee Technicians Guild. All three of the Specialty Coffee Association’s trade guilds are seeking to fill leadership positions for the coming two years. Both the CRG and the CTG have five positions to fill, while the Barista Guild has three. Nominations close on 3 October.
- Survey finds three in four US coffee drinkers “need coffee every day”. OnePoll’s survey of 2,000 US coffee consumers also found that most US coffee drinkers refuse to pay more than US $3 for a cup, and that chocolate is the food most often paired with coffee.
Tue, 20 Sep
- Latest Filtru app update enables home consumers to brew better coffee using augmented reality and Bluetooth compatibility. Filtru 3 includes several improvements to the popular educational app and includes a total of 15 brew methods, ranging from AeroPress to espresso. The app is compatible with several brands of Bluetooth scales, including Acaia and Felicita.
- Nestlé to launch “animal-free dairy” products. The company plans to launch a limited run of non-dairy milks containing protein derived from fermentation. The process, developed by Perfect Day, is driven by fungi and produces protein which is identical to the whey found in cow’s milk.
- Coffee Expo Vietnam set to explore the country’s coffee culture and industry developments from 3 to 5 November. The event is being hosted at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre in Ho Chi Minh City and will connect producers, roasters, importers, and consumers.
- NielsenIQ says on-the-go coffee consumption is making a comeback. The retail data firm says ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee sales have increased by 11% year-on-year, matched by an average price increase of 7%. Coffee capsules remain the most popular way to consume coffee at home, while packaged espresso sales in the US went up by 20% despite a 15% price hike.
- International Coffee Tea Asia 2023 scheduled for 25 to 27 May in Singapore. The show aims to bring industry professionals together and act as the “perfect conduit” for networking and knowledge sharing, while exhibiting the latest innovations in coffee and tea technology. It will be held at the Sands Expo & Convention Centre.
Wed, 21 Sep
- Royal Coffee and Aillio are giving away an Aillio Bullet R1 V2 roaster to raise funds for Grounds for Health. Tickets for the raffle cost US $10 each, with all proceeds going to Grounds for Health, a non-profit organisation that provides aid to women in coffee-growing regions. The competition closes on 1 October.
- Uganda’s coffee exports drop by 28.5% in August. The Uganda Coffee Development Authority says it shipped just 501,054 60kg bags of coffee in August, compared to 700,990 60kg bags in the same month last year. The authority attributes the decrease to severe droughts.
- Leaderboard: The Coffee Game, The Roasters Pack, and Bevy Space to host the Toronto AeroPress Championship in Regent Park. The regional event will take place on 29 September, with the winner going on to represent host nation Canada at the World AeroPress Championship finals in December.
- illycaffè opens second branch of the University of Coffee in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The company says the new division is dedicated to educating both hospitality professionals and coffee consumers. Courses will cover aspects of the supply chain from farm to cup, including sensory training and brewing techniques.
- International Coffee Day 2022 to explore the theme of “the circular coffee economy”. International Coffee Day is celebrated on 1 October. This year’s theme will promote coffee farmer prosperity, discuss how the industry can reduce its impact on the environment, and explore methods to mitigate the impact of climate change by reinventing the coffee value chain around a circular economy model.
- Colombian barista Ronaldo Hurtado launches crowdfunding campaign to rebuild his father’s coffee truck. Hurtado comes from a family of coffee producers and placed fourth at the Colombian National Brewers Cup in 2018. Don Elio’s truck is vital to the farm’s operations, and Hurtado has launched a Vaki campaign to raise funds for the rebuild effort.
- Vietnam’s Trung Nguyen Legend brand expands opens first location in mainland China. Vietnam’s top coffee brand has opened a Coffee World model store in Shanghai, signalling its intent to expand its physical presence abroad. The company already uses ecommerce channels to sell its products in China, with one report claiming Trung Nguyen accounts for nearly 6% of all cups of coffee sold in the country.
- Cosmopolitan releases its list of the 10 best coffee subscriptions in the US. The lifestyle and fashion magazine awarded top spot to Trade Coffee, a brand that sources its beans from roasters across the US. Second and third place went to Blue Bottle Coffee and Bean Box, respectively.
- Climate change expected to cause multiple issues for African coffee-producing countries. Analysis by African Business suggests origins like Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania will be hit hard by adverse weather conditions brought about by climate change. In addition to yields, quality is also likely to be affected by increasing temperatures.
Thu, 22 Sep
- Puerto Rico’s coffee harvest expected to return to pre-hurricane Irma and María levels. Nespresso and TechnoServe, two of the largest investors in the country’s coffee industry, say that after 80% of the island’s coffee trees were destroyed in 2017, recovery efforts have finally paid off. Last year’s harvest reached 90% of pre-hurricane figures, and this year’s crop is expected to meet or exceed 100%.
- Oatly opens applications for its Big Idea Grant for Coffee. For the second year running, the oat milk brand is calling on small, US-based coffee companies to submit their sustainability projects for consideration. Last year saw seven winners chosen from more than 200 applications.
- East Asian coffee market set for uncertain crop season. Reports suggest that Vietnam’s subdued coffee trading is set to continue as a result of low supplies. Traders in both Vietnam and Indonesia are uncertain ahead of the 2022/23 crop season, facing a strong US dollar, rising freight costs, and higher production costs.
- Gaggia launches new La Dea espresso machine for small, premium locations. The Milanese espresso machine manufacturer’s new offering features a minimalist retro design, a 1.5l boiler, pressure and temperature profiling, and a 1.54 inch colour display. It will be on show at Triestespresso from 27 to 29 October.
- Expocafé Peru 2022 to host Peru AeroPress Championship and other promotional events. The Peruvian Chamber of Coffee and Cocoa has launched the Lima Coffee Shop Contest, the Peru AeroPress Championship, and the Peru Latte Art Championship, all of which will take place at Expocafé Peru 2022 from 24 to 27 November in Lima. The events are intended to promote local consumption of Peruvian coffee.
- Coffee Technicians Guild Summit slated for 29 & 30 November in Florence, Italy. The industry event will be hosted by La Marzocco and Accademia del Caffè Espresso. It will include hands-on workshops, lectures, and other activities. Registration is open.
- Veteran-owned Fire Dept. Coffee launches sample pack of its ready-to-drink coffee offerings. The business, which is run by active and retired firefighters, supports first responders in need through its Fire Dept. Coffee Foundation. Its four nitro cold brew options are Nitro Irish Coffee, Nitro Vanilla Bean Bourbon Coffee, Nitro-Charged Latte, and Nitro-Charged Shellback Espresso.
- Trade Coffee customers can win a year’s worth of coffee this National Coffee Day. The popular coffee subscription company is calling on customers to share videos of the unique ways they’re celebrating National Coffee Day in the US on 29 September. To stand a chance to win US $500 credit, entrants must tag @tradecoffeeco on Instagram and use the hashtag #NationalCoffeeDay.
Fri, 23 Sep
- Disability-inclusive Dig It! Coffee Co. launches in downtown Las Vegas. The social enterprise company promotes inclusivity by striving to close the unemployment gap for people with disabilities. Based at the shareDOWNTOWN apartment complex, the space features “Instagrammable walls”, accessible seating, and a menu that includes locally-sourced light eats.
- Athens Coffee Festival gets underway at Technopolis City. The sixth edition of the festival features around 130 exhibitors, 187 coffee brands, and an array of activities, including lectures, seminars, and various coffee competitions.
- Houston Coffee Collective hosts US CoffeeChamps Cup Tasters prelims. The event serves as a lead-up to one of the official CoffeeChamps Qualifying Competitions and involves challenges that test competitors’ sensory skills through triangulation.
- Probat hosts open day at brand-new production facility. The roaster manufacturer has launched its latest facility in the German town of Emmerich at a cost of €40 million (US $40.02 million). The facility boasts the company’s headquarters, a museum, a research and development centre, and a factory. It’s being opened up to the public on 24 September, running concurrently with the company’s Connecting Markets symposium.
- World Barista Championship and World Brewers Cup to take place at the Melbourne International Coffee Expo from 27 to 30 September. MICE is expected to attract more than 11,000 attendees, who can expect a range of exhibitions, networking opportunities, and the final stages of two of the world’s foremost coffee competitions.
Here are a few news stories from previous weeks that you might find interesting. Take a look.
- Mon, 15 Aug – Ecuador AeroPress Championship to take place 1 & 2 October. The event is being in Loja, and aims to celebrate Ecuador’s diverse coffee community.
- Mon, 5 Sep – Belgian AeroPress Championship to take place on 2 October. The event will take place at MOK Coffee in Vilvoorde and will include “heaps of food, drinks, and dancing”.
- Tue, 6 Sep – Indonesia’s Kopi Kenangan to expand into Malaysia under new name. The company says it will open up to 10 “Kenangan Coffee” stores in neighbouring Malaysia.
- Thu, 15 Sep – Planet Oat tops US oat milk category, reporting 60% increase in year-on-year retail sales. A report by HP food shows that oat milk is now the second most popular plant-based milk category in the US.
- Fri, 16 Sep – Costa Coffee trials 100% oat milk coffee machine in England. The company is experimenting with the machine at a self-serve location based at a Shell petrol station in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire. It says the machine will give customers the opportunity to try out plant-based options.
- Fri, 16 Sep – Ally Coffee announces plans to open new office in Melbourne, Australia. The green coffee trader is expanding its sales network and logistics operations into Oceania and Asia, with the first shipments of Brazilian coffee set to arrive in November.
- Fri, 16 Sep – Miko Group says its adjusted turnover increased 169% in the first half of 2022. The owner of Miko Coffee says that despite increased raw material prices and inflation, results were bolstered by the reduced impact of Covid-19 in 2022.
- Fri, 16 Sep – Genio Roasters hosts existing and aspiring South African coffee professionals at workshop in Johannesburg. The event included cupping sessions and roasting education and was assisted by Shaun Aupiais, co-founder of Red Band Barista Academy. Aupiais says the workshop was created to “add value to the roasting market in South Africa”.
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Want to keep up with current affairs in the coffee industry? Check out last week’s stories.


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Ireland sees largest drop in industrial prices in euro area
Industrial producer prices dropped more in Ireland than in any other country in the Eurozone in September, new figures show.
Industrial producer prices measures the gross monthly change in the trading price of industrial products. It reflects basic prices, and does not take into account taxes such as VAT.
The figures often give an early indication of consumer inflation trends, as prices charged by industrial producers tend to have a knock-on effect in the shops.
Prices fell by 0.3pc in both the euro area and the EU28 in September compared to August.
Year-on-year industrial producer prices were down by 3.1pc in the euro area and by 3.8pc in the EU28.
According to Eurostat, the year-on-year drop in Eurozone prices industrial producer prices was driven by a 9.8pc drop in the energy sector, with falls in the cost non-durable consumer goods and intermediate goods also factoring in. Prices in total industry excluding energy fell by 0.6pc.
The only member states that did not record any decrease during the month of September were Belgium and Malta (both of which saw prices rise by 0.5pc), and France, where prices were up by just 0.1pc.
Ireland saw the largest month-on-month drop, down 2pc, while prices in Slovakia and Lithuania fell 1.3pc and 1.1pc respectively.
Ireland's total industry producer prices were down by over 5pc on a month-by-month basis, although this drop was smaller than those recorded in countries such as Greece and Cyprus.
Despite the fall, the decrease in prices was lower than the contraction recorded in August when the value of industrial goods fell by 0.8pc compared to January in the Eurozone and by 0.9pc in the EU28.
This was the largest drop since January and was more than had been expected.
The figures were evidence of more deflationary pressure in the bloc, which has been struggling to cope with deflation. Deflation can hinder economic growth for a variety of reasons, such as reducing consumer spending.
A recent estimate from Eurostat overall prices in the Eurozone were unchanged in the year to October. That figure is up from minus 0.1pc in the year to September. However that level is still low and will press the European Central Bank to expand its €1.1tn quantitative easing package in December.
ECB head Mario Draghi hinted heavily this month that the central bank will boost its contested bond-buying programme given low inflation levels across the 19 countries that share the euro. A stronger QE programme could involve extending bond buying beyond September 2016, increasing monthly purchases from the current amount of €60bn.
Eurozone deflation has not had a large effect on the Irish market, where both consumer spending and confidence have remained strong. Visa Europe's latest Irish Consumer Spending Index shows that consumer expenditure here rose by 5.4pc in September, compared to the same period in 2014 which represented the 13th month of sustained growth since the index began in September 2014.
In manufacturing the 2pc September decrease followed a 0.9pc fall in industrial prices in August.
It also coincided with a fall in overall industrial activity, which declined by 2.8pc between August and September. However there was still a 20.1pc year-on-year increase in manufacturing production in September.


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DFS sitting comfortably as sales jump 17.5%
Bouyant sales and improved margins will see DFS Furniture report a 'substantial' improvement in first half results and chairman Lord Kirkham also predicts that full-year profits will be ahead of market expectations. DFS continues to enjoy strong growth on the back of the revival in the housing market and like-for-like sales in the first 23 weeks of the financial year jumped by 17.5%.
The order intake has 'consistently exceeded' the company's expectations and Lord Kirkham said margins have been boosted by the increased volumes and more cost-effective advertising. He added that the group had enjoyed strong demand during its 1999-2000 sale. The shares added 7p to 437.5p.
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Los Angeles-based fast fashion brand Forever 21 Inc. has said it aims to open 10 outlets annually in Japan, which it considers the top market in Asia.
“Japan is the No. 1 market in Asia,” Executive Vice President Lawrence Meyer told a news conference Wednesday ahead of the opening Thursday of its second Japanese outlet, this one in the Matsuzakaya department store in Tokyo’s Ginza shopping district.
“If we find the right location, we want to open 10 outlets per year,” Meyer said.
Forever 21 is the latest fast fashion brand to enter the upscale Ginza shopping district.
Sweden’s H&M Hennes & Mauritz AB opened in Ginza in 2008 and Japan’s Fast Retailing Co. expanded its Uniqlo store in Ginza last October.
On opening the new outlet as Forever 21’s first flagship store in Asia, Meyer said, “We chose Matsuzakaya Ginza as our second outlet because we sensed their vision and for its great location.”
Norio Takemura, a public relations official at Matsuzakaya, said he hopes the development will attract customers in their 20s and 30s to the department store.
Known for its reasonable prices and unprecedented designs for young people, the shop will sell new brands for children ages 6 through 14 as well as older customers.
Forever 21 opened its first outlet in Japan in Tokyo’s trend-setting Harajuku district last year.
It is also planning to launch outlets in Chiba Prefecture and Tokyo’s Shinjuku district.


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Google will hold off developing for the Windows 8 desktop or Windows Phone 8 mobile platforms, citing a lack of users. However, the search giant did not rule out a move once user numbers start picking up.
Speaking to V3, Google Apps product management director Clay Bavor said the firm has, "no plans to build out Windows 8 apps." Google already has a search application for the Windows 8 platform -- which it released just before the Windows 8 launch in October -- but will retain its focus on the iOS and Android platforms, which are currently leading at the top in the mobile space.
Ruling out the latest Microsoft desktop and mobile platforms, Bavor said:
We are very careful about where we invest and will go where the users are but they are not on Windows Phone or Windows 8. If that changes, we would invest there, of course.
Trends change over time and there's no doubt that given a period of a few months, we will see more and more Google services arriving on the latest platforms. Google is likely as much in the dark over Windows 8 and Windows Phone usage figures than the rest of the industry, however the search giant probably has a better indication from back-end analytics provided by its search pages.
There are some figures to suggest that sales of the two platforms are increasing modestly, but before the December holidays, there will likely not be a significant rise until the new year.
Microsoft recently said that, while there's a slightly more mixed (and confusing) picture for Windows 8. Analytics firm StatCounter said that after one month, what Windows 7 accomplished during the first 30 days after launch.
While the Redmond, Wash.-based software giant was like a scene out of Groundhog Day, and that it will take "a year or two" for the PC market to adjust after the post-PC evolution of tablets and smartphones.had been sold during the first month of availability, to the figures. However, ZDNet's Ed Bott said the figures release


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Global delivery software business Sorted Group has raised £15m to provide extra capital to accelerate the pace of its technology development and international expansion, as well as funding a recruitment drive.
The investment is in a Series B funding round led by Merian Chrysalis Investment Company Limited, alongside Praetura Ventures and NVM Private Equity LLP.
Today’s investment takes the Manchester firm’s total funding to more than £35m since its launch in 2010.
Software as a service (SaaS) business, Sorted, has developed a delivery management platform which allows both physical and digital retailers to effectively manage their delivery and returns proposition.
Through the use of Sorted’s proprietary technology, retailers are able to increase conversion rates, reduce abandoned baskets and increase customer loyalty. Sorted has developed three highly innovative products:
- SortedHERO, an application programming interface solution allowing retailers to display real-time delivery options at checkout
- SortedPRO, a ground-breaking delivery management platform for carrier and shipping management
- SortedREACT, a powerful AI-driven tracking platform that aggregates carrier and delivery communications post purchase
Sorted is one of the UK’s fastest growing tech companies, with its software now live in 12 countries, including the US, France and Germany.
Working with a number of leading companies, including ASOS, Lush, Manchester-based N Brown, Wincanton and Clipper Logistics, Sorted is continuing to develop its disruptive technology, while pursuing a strong pipeline of potential retail partners globally.
David Grimes, Sorted founder and chief executive, said: “Sorted is rewriting the rules when it comes to delivery, and we’re delighted to be pushing forward with our global growth.
“The backing from these high-profile investors is testament to the size of the opportunity in front of us. This is a really exciting time as we work harder and faster, partnering with the most innovative retailers in the market.”
Richard Watts, portfolio manager, Merian Chrysalis, said: “The delivery management sector is ripe for disruption and we believe Sorted has emerged as the only credible, global challenger to the current market-leader.
“We are excited to provide David and the team with the growth capital required to continue developing truly innovative technologies and expand internationally.”
Mike Fletcher, chairman of Sorted and group chief executive of Manchester-based Praetura, said: “We first invested in Sorted in 2013 and are delighted with the progress the business has made over the last six years as it has developed its tech platform and won a number of tier one retail clients.
“Securing this £15m Series B fundraising will allow the business to continue its rapid growth and we look forward to working alongside the Merian Chrysalis team in supporting the business as it scales.”
For full article: click here


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A handful of local craft breweries have been canning beer from early on, including Piney River Brewing Co. in Bucyrus, while others have gradually introduced canned beers in the past few years. Last summer, store shelves across the state were packed with a record number of options. Float trip-friendly favorites included 4 Hands Brewing Co.’s seasonal Dakine tropical IPA, Boulevard Brewing Co.’s Tropical Pale Ale and Urban Chestnut Brewing Co.’s Fantasyland, the latter of which is packaged in lidless cans that have entirely removable tops.
Last March, Mother’s Brewing Co. in Springfield announced its new series of 16-ounce canned brews called Backyard Beers. Cucumber Saison was released in April 2016; Grapefruit Wheat and Tart Peach Bier followed over the summer. Cans of Tea Pale Ale hit store shelves in October 2016, plus Chocolate Chili Mole in December and Blood Orange Saison this past February.
Civil Life Brewing Co. shared a happy surprise with fans of its English-inspired ales when it released its popular American Brown in cans last summer. Prior to the debut, Civil Life’s beers were only available on draft or to take home in growlers from its St. Louis tasting room. A 40-barrel batch of American Brown was canned, totaling 525 cases of beer, and the day of the release, customers could literally buy six-packs off the canning line.
Earthbound Beer in St. Louis also plans to have its canning line running soon, along with opening its new, larger tasting room on Cherokee Street.
Written by Liz Miller. Photography courtesy Mother’s Brewing Co. This article appears courtesy of Feast Magazine. Feast Magazine is dedicated to broadening the conversation about food and engaging a large, hungry audience of food lovers.