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Moon Dog Brewing is launch a world-first post-mix machine for serving alcoholic seltzers in hotels and bars.
The machine will launch with Moon Dog FIZZER seltzer flavours plus a Ginger Beer, a Summer Spritz and more cocktails to come.
Moon Dog mixologist Chris Hysted-Adams has created seven Fizzer flavours: Tropical Crush, Piney Limey, Coco Mango, Lemon Squeezy, Pink Flamingo, Peach Ice Tea and Raspberry Sorbet.
“We’re thrilled to be launching the first ever alcoholic seltzer post mix system,” said Moon Dog co-founder Josh Uljans. “This new solution will mean that all alcoholic seltzer drinkers can have the flavours that they’re looking for at their favourite bars, clubs and pubs. This innovation will be rolling out into venues nationally over the next few months, just in time for summer.”
The brewer noted that while seltzers have been growing in popularity in Australia over the past 12 months, they’re almost impossible to find on tap in the on-premise, with consumers preferring glass pours to cans. Additionally, pubs, bars and clubs have limited taps available and often these are mostly contracted, meaning it’s hard to find a spot for alcoholic seltzer.
The solution provides a 17% seltzer base with all-natural fruit flavours in a convenient 15 litre box that is then mixed with soda to provide over 60 litres of finished Moon Dog FIZZER product. A box that is 25% of the weight of a full keg pours 20% more volume than a keg.
The brewer is preparing to install 1000 systems in the next 12 months and is currently looking for foundation partners.
“The Moon Dog Fizzer Post Mix Machine benefits are twofold; patrons can find a wide range of alcoholic seltzer flavours at their favourite venues, and venues can provide a range of Moon Dog seltzer without sacrificing any beer taps,” Uljans said.
“We’ve seen incredible growth across the board within the alcoholic seltzer category, so for us, this was the step in making alcoholic seltzer more accessible for Aussie venues and punters.”
Categories: New releases


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May 15, 2018
The unmanned aerial vehicle represents a potent information gathering tool for your farm, yet maximizing its use has been a challenge. The Part 107 rules set down by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration limit many users to making great drone selfies and stunning aerial images, but farmers need more: access to information that will help them improve fertilizer use and irrigation, and boost yields.
After three years of research, PrecisionHawk recently announced the release of a report the company engaged in developing in cooperation with FAA that will change the way these high-flying information-gatherers can work. Recently, the company announced it had completed, in conjunction with FAA and MITRE, a not-for-profit organization that works with the government on research, its “Pathfinder Report,” which creates a blueprint companies can use to conduct beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) drone operations.
Thomas Haun, senior vice president of agriculture solutions, PrecisionHawk, explains that farmers have traditionally operated drones on a field-by-field basis. “What this report changes is that they can now do all of that on an entire farm level, not a field-by-field level,” he says. “The challenges of the drone are eliminated, and you can take a holistic look at your farm.”
1 flight for entire farm
Instead of several single-task operations, with BVLOS operation, it would be possible for you to set up a flight pattern allowing you to capture the entire farm. “A farmer collects what information he can multiple times per day, then makes farm decisions for the whole farm based on that information,” Haun says. “That might be a suboptimal decision, because the highest-priority fields didn’t get flown.”
He noted that the Pathfinder Report doesn’t just benefit his company. “We’ve laid out a blueprint showing how anyone can operate a drone beyond line of sight. PrecisionHawk has the ability to do this; we want others to have the ability to operate that way, too, and take full advantage of the technology,” he says.
The company has a history of releasing free versions of its operational software that allows drones to run more autonomously; this latest step expands that capability. The key is to operate safely, and the company reported that FAA requires very high safety standards for drone operators. To date, more than 1,200 BVLOS waiver applications have been submitted by commercial drone operators, and 99% of those have failed to demonstrate the right level of safety. With this new report, the framework is there for others to more successfully navigate the process to get those waivers in the Part 107 standard.
“We spent three years developing this protocol and doing this research,” Haun says. “We want this to succeed.”
Consider the package
The company gets first-mover status — at least for now — with a package that would optimize BVLOS operations for a user. The package includes all you need to operate past line of sight, provided you can meet the other requirements set down in the report, including proper training for operating a drone in this manner.
For PrecisionHawk, the new package that would allow a user to maximize a BVLOS waiver includes a multirotor drone, real-time manned aircraft identification, drone tracking, and the ability to detect and avoid non-cooperative aircraft.
The company is offering PrecisionFlight, which provides the ability to manage a flight task and help capture the information a farmer wants. PrecisionMapper is also part of the package for maximizing precision ag use with the system.
And for the farmer, it would be possible to map out a whole-farm flight plan and send the drone on its way, depending on farm size and battery capacity. Consider the ability to just launch the drone and keep some tabs on it — even when you can’t see it. The unit returns after a flight, and all the information is available for quick decision-making in-season. This goes well beyond taking great images, Haun says.
Interestingly, PrecisionHawk’s Pathfinder Report, released by FAA, is available to all. “This is an emerging technology space,” Haun says. “We’ve spent three years on this project, and we’re releasing it publicly, so anyone can use it.”
And perhaps Haun sums it up best when he says, “The beyond-visual-line-of-sight drone is a better tool than the visual-line-of-sight drone.”
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You’ll never run out of storage if you buy one of Samsung’s future Galaxy phones. That’s because the company has begun producing the world’s first 512 GB embedded Universal Flash Storage, which can hold up to 130 10-minute 4K videos.
Phones/Tablets/Mobile Tech December 7, 2017
SanDisk unveiled its new SSD Concierge Service Tuesday. This service provides live-video support to consumers as they migrate their data and install a new SSD on their laptops for a price of $40.
Computers August 18, 2015
HGST has unveiled a flash card that it claims is the fastest around. Latency has been improved with hardware and software tweaks.
Gadgets August 4, 2014
IBM has announced the sixth generation of its enterprise X-Architecture for System x and PureSystems servers with flash memory advances.
Computers January 16, 2014
Feature | Health


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Road Ranger Takes Philanthropy on the Road, Announces Partnership With St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (Chicago, IL) — Road Ranger, LLC, America’s fourth-largest Travel Center, announced a new partnership today with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®. Now through December 31, Road Ranger will be fundraising at all of its 44 convenience stores nationwide to support the lifesaving mission of St. Jude: Finding cures. Saving children.®
Road Ranger customers may donate directly to St. Jude at the register now through October 31. All Road Ranger locations will celebrate Penny Gallon Wednesdays, when on the first Wednesday of each month. One penny per gallon purchased will be donated to St. Jude. In addition, all new Road Ranger store openings will donate 10% of proceeds from grand opening day profits to St. Jude. These initiatives have a fundraising goal of $250,000 in the first year of the partnership with 100% of all donations going directly to St. Jude.
“Road Ranger is committed to supporting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to improve the lives of children and families across the United States and beyond,” said Marko Zaro, CEO, Road Ranger LLC. “We are excited to initiate the process and to provide our consumers with an easy way to get involved. The funds generated through our partnership will help to ensure families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing, or food. Children are the future, and we cannot build a brighter tomorrow without them.”
Road Ranger will also host an Inaugural Gold Playday on Monday, August 15, at The Mauh-Nah-Tee-See Club in Rockford, Illinois. This event is projected to raise over $40,000. Ryan Arnold, VP Marketing, Road Ranger, LLC, echoed Zaro’s sentiment. “We are incredibly excited to partner with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. This institution is one that I personally have donated to for years and am thrilled to reflect my passion for this cause in my professional career. St. Jude has helped countless families who have been affected by childhood cancer and we believe with our partnership, we can truly start to make an impact in our local communities. Childhood cancer has no bias; it affects everyone. That is why it is our hope to work together to fund important pioneering research and lifesaving treatment. We are excited to share that with every new location opened, we will donate 10% of the Road Ranger store’s first-day sales. As we rapidly expand our fuel network, we hope to be a voice for this great cause and to bring awareness to all the amazing efforts of this institution.”
Thanks to support from partners like Road Ranger and its dedicated customers, St. Jude can press ahead with its historic six-year, $12.9 billion strategic plan. Part of this plan will triple its global investment, so St. Jude can impact more of the 400,000 kids around the world with cancer each year.
For more information, visit stjude.org
Road Ranger Takes Philanthropy on the Road, Announces Partnership With St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital


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Maruti Suzuki has shared some intriguiing news -- its Swift hatchback was officially the best-selling car in India in 2020. While that news is certainly impressive, it is not entirely surprising considering the popularity this particular brand has enjoyed over the years. Oh, wait we have another piece of news to share -- the automaker has now sold 23 lakh units of the Maruti Suzuki Swift in India. By the way, the carmaker attained the 5 lakh sales milestone for the Swift in 2010 and then went on to achieve the 10 lakh milestone in 2013. The 15 lakh sales milestone came in 2016. The hatchback was first launched here on 25 May, 2005 and has been the best-selling car in its segment since then. So, yeah, this new milestone in the history of both, the company as well as the Swift brand, had been a long time coming.
Shashank Srivastava, Executive Director (Marketing and Sales), Maruti Suzuki India Limited, said, "Maruti Suzuki Swift has been the best-selling premium hatchback in the country for the past 15 years with over 2.3 million delighted customers. Despite the adverse impact of COVID-19, brand Swift sold over 160,700 units in CY 2020, emerging as the top brand in the pecking order. We take this opportunity to thank our loyal customers for their constant support and trust in brand Swift. I am confident that with continuous customer support Swift will successfully achieve many more milestones in future."
The current iteration of the Maruti Suzuki Swift comes powered by a 1.2-litre petrol engine that belts out a maximum power output of 82 bhp at 6,000 rpm and 113 Nm of peak torque at 4,200 rpm. For transmission, the company offers the following options: A five-speed manual gearbox and an automated manual transmission (AMT).


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According to the Mastercard Asia Pacific Destinations Index 2017, international tourists spent US$15.4 billion (S$21.5 billion) last year, while Bangkok took in US$12.7 billion and Tokyo, US$11.1 billion.
And this has been an ongoing trend. The payments provider said Singapore has tracked an 18 per cent jump in visitor spend over the past two years, or 2015 to 2016.
However, it was Bangkok that took top spot in terms of the region’s most-visited destination. The Thai capital drew 19.3 million visitors, while Singapore was the second most-visited destination with 13.1 million visitors and Tokyo third with 12.6 million last year, the findings showed.
Of the five destinations in the region to garner a minimum spend of US$200 a day from these visitors, Singapore attracted the highest-spending visitors at US$254 per day, compared with Beijing’s US$242 and Shanghai’s US$234, it added.
REGIONAL TRAVEL HUB
Singapore also maintained its position as a regional travel hub, both as an origin and feeder city, Mastercard said. Chinese travellers accounted for the largest share of arrivals into Singapore at 17.5 per cent, or about 2.3 million visitors, followed by travellers from Indonesia (2 million visitors) and India (920,000 visitors).
As a feeder city, Singapore leads all intra-regional arrivals in Southeast Asian destinations with 6.3 per cent, or 7.9 million visitors, the findings showed.
Local authorities have been keen to promote the country as a choice stopover, with Changi Airport, Singapore Airlines and the Singapore Tourism Board inking a three-year renewal of partnership to do just that.
“Over the last two years, Singapore has experienced an 18 per cent growth in visitor expenditure, demonstrating that our city-state has reaped the benefits of its many leisure offerings – from tourist attractions to new and different lifestyle and retail experiences,” said Mastercard Singapore country manager Deborah Heng.
“Singapore has solidified its position as a leading travel destination in the Asia Pacific region, boasting the highest overall tourist expenditure. This will encourage both the public and private sector to work together to develop new initiatives that will build on the work done to date.”


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GPA: Growth in All Cargo Sectors
The Georgia Ports Authority ended 2014 with growth in all cargo sectors, including a 10.2 percent increase in twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEUs) and a 7.4 percent increase in total tonnage.
“Our deepwater ports are powerful economic engines for the state of Georgia and the nation,” said Gov. Nathan Deal. “GPA’s great performance over the past year is a testament to Georgia’s superior logistics network, starting with port terminals that have flawlessly taken on more business while still ensuring on-time, reliable delivery.”
A busy December helped to lift the Port of Savannah to 3.34 million TEUs for the year, an increase of 312,037 TEUs over 2013. The Port of Brunswick continued its dominant performance in auto and machinery trade, moving 688,575 units for the year.
Combined with roll-on/roll-off trade through the Port of Savannah’s Ocean Terminal, GPA moved 716,055 units in 2014, an 8.6 percent (57,190-unit) increase on the year.
“Commerce has chosen Savannah as the Southeast’s busiest port for containerized cargo,” said GPA Board Chairman James Walters. “With construction beginning on the Savannah Harbor deepening, the Jimmy Deloach Parkway extension moving toward completion, and our continued on-terminal investment, we are solidifying our role as a logistics hub.”
In other business, to accommodate larger than expected volume growth, the Authority board approved the purchase of 10 additional rubber-tired gantry cranes. This is an addition to a May order for 20 of the machines used to handle shipping containers on terminal. The purchases will bring Savannah’s total number of RTGs to 146.


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This sausage roll is bringing joy to the world ― and a few complaints, too.
Greggs, a British bakery chain with more than 1,800 locations, released an Advent calendar with coupons and cheeky holiday images. One shows the Three Wise Men gathered around a manger with a meaty treat in place of the baby Jesus.
That led to some grumbles, and even calls for a boycott.
The U.K. Evangelical Alliance told BBC Money that it wasn’t “too outraged” by the image, but was concerned about the holiday being used for marketing.
“Every year some company creates a Christmas controversy for commercial gain. It seems to get earlier each year,” spokesman Daniel Webster told the network. “That’s the scandal that should be talked about this Christmas, not processed outrage to sell processed food.”
“We’re really sorry to have caused any offense, this was never our intention,” the company said, according to Sky News.
However, not everyone was offended. Many on social media ― even some self-described Christians ― saw a little holiday humor in the image of a sausage roll being adulated:


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Judging from early online ticket purchases, World Wrestling Entertainment’s upcoming St. Louis event in January has already scored a major pin fall victory.
The first two weeks of sales for the sports entertainment juggernaut’s annual event, “Royal Rumble,” has reached almost 22,000 seats and is on target to reach a new benchmark for attendance at a local wrestling event when the opening bell rings early next year.
The winter fixture set for Saturday, January 29 at The Dome at America’s Center downtown marks the first time WWE has presented their brand at the facility.
According to Wrestletix, a Twitter account that tracks live event ticket sales for professional wrestling companies, WWE has sold 21,911 seats through Ticketmaster, the online broker for the event.
The multi-match showcase features separate men’s and women’s Royal Rumbles, each containing 30 participants where each respective winner receives a future Championship title shot. The full card includes solo and tag team title matches within the three-plus hour event that will be streamed live via Peacock.
When tickets were made active online October 13, the venue made available over 29,000 seats. With the total sold ticket count, 75% of seats have now been claimed, according to Wrestletix.
The high demand for coveted chairs near the squared circle has resulted in eye-opening visuals. As of Monday night, only one ringside seat remains at a current price of $6,000 plus fees, according to the Ticketmaster website. Most floor seats on the covered turf are also fetching hundreds of dollars up front.
Wrestling fans that wish to avoid sticker shock can currently claim upper bowl seats within the $25-$35 range.
As the weeks progress, the WWE and the Dome will release additional sections to the public.
With a projected attendance of 40,000 expected by both the company and St. Louis sports officials, WWE attempts to break the Gateway’s City’s all-time professional wrestling attendance record that is currently topped by an event that was promoted by the now-defunct World Championship Wrestling (WCW) over two decades ago.
A live television broadcast of their “WCW Monday Nitro” program drew 29,000 spectators at the then-named TWA Dome on December 21, 1998.
With a dozen weeks left to go before the “Royal Rumble,” and with the WWE’s perpetual promotional push leading into it, it is projected that previous historical benchmark at the Dome will be toppled.
The last time the downtown indoor facility hosted a pay-per-view event was WCW’s “Slamboree” held on May 9, 1999, which drew 20,516 fans.
The 35th edition of the Royal Rumble marks the second time that WWE has held the trademark event in St. Louis. The January 2012 card, held at the then-named Scottrade Center, saw Sheamus win the evening’s signature match held in front of 18,121.
The last time WWE held a pay-per-view event in St. Louis was June 2017’s “Money in the Bank” card, also held at Scottrade, which drew 15,392.
Arch City Media will have updates on the WWE Royal Rumble in St. Louis as the event approaches.


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Post Office to hand more branches over to high street retailer WH Smith - as union blasts 'fundamentally flawed' strategy
More Post Office branches will move into WH Smith high street stores across the country over the next year, it was announced today, as the retailer also saw profits lifted by the colouring book craze.
The new 10-year arrangement marks the latest move to get more Post Office branches re-located into WH Smith stores. Just over half of the 61 branches being moved are expected to be concession outlets run directly by the Post Office.
The re-location proposals also include some of the 39 Crown branches, which are run and operated directly by the Post Office.
Moving: Over the next year, 61 Post Office branches will move into WH Smith stores on high streets across the country
Locations are yet to be finalised, with the Post Office saying affected staff will be the first to be told once they are confirmed.
'Local communities will also be kept well informed and consulted on next steps before changes take place', the Post Office said. This is Money has asked the Post Office to confirm how many jobs will be affected by the moves.
Hundreds of long-term staff were made redundant when WH Smith took on an initial batch of post offices in 2006.
Around 300 Crown offices currently remain on the high street , with 107 having been transferred to the retailer over the past decade.
Commenting on today's announcement, Paula Vennells, chief executive of the Post Office, said: 'We know that people place huge importance on the presence of a Post Office branch on their high street.Our collaboration with WHSmith will help to secure this, as well as bring new investment into the network.'
Job losses: Hundreds of long-term staff were made redundant when WH Smith took on an initial batch of post offices in 2006
Meanwhile, Roger Gale, general manager of the Post Office’s Crown branch network said that WH Smith franchises had improved customer service and brought benefits, with the majority open Saturday afternoons and on Sundays.
'The vast majority of the Post Office’s network of 11,500 Post Office branches is already run on a franchise or agency basis,' he said.
Mr Gale added: 'Crown branches are still run directly by the Post Office but factors such as high property costs and changing customer habits mean we have to consider new ways to provide our services in some locations.
'Today’s agreement means we can maintain and improve services from convenient high street locations in a commercially sustainable way. It’s great to be working with a partner that we know shares our values and is as committed to thriving Post Office branches.'
Re-locations: The re-location proposals also include some of the 39 directly-run Crown branches which the Post Office announced it would franchise in January
But, criticising the plans, Andy Furey, Assistant Secretary at the CWU trade union, told This is Money: 'A cherished national company such as the Post Office handing over large Crown Offices in prime locations is an admission that the strategic direction of the Post Office is fundamentally flawed.
'It is completely incongruous that WHSmith can run a major Post Office better than the Post Office itself. Our members do not wish to work for WHSmith, which has a track record of zero hours contracts and a minimum wage approach to resourcing.'
Mr Furey added: 'The Post Office should never have been separated from the profitable Royal Mail as the Post Office and Royal Mail are a natural single entity. There is a synergy between the two organisations which rely so heavily upon each other for success.'
Unite officer Brian Scott, comments: 'This surprise announcement by the Post Office confirms that it is keen to move away from a direct presence on the high street.
'It is actually an acknowledgement that its business plan, put together by highly-paid executives, and the agreement with Government, its shareholder, has disastrously failed.
'The transfer is the beginning of the death rattle for a national high-quality post office network. WHSmith is aware that there is a lot of improvement needed on what it will be taking over.
'The Post Office has been evasive in the detail and it is absurd to ask our members and the general public to believe that WHSmith has no idea where these offices will be situated.'
Criticism: Andy Furey, Assistant Secretary at the CWU trade union, told This is Money: 'A cherished national company such as the Post Office handing over large Crown Offices in prime locations is an admission that the strategic direction of the Post Office is fundamentally flawed.'
In its half-year results, also published today, WH Smith reported an 11 per cent increase in its year-on-year pretax profits to £80million.
The retailer's notoriously expensive airport and train station branches performed particularly well, with trading profit in that division rising 9 per cent over the period, compared to an increase of 6 per cent across its high street network.
Total revenue grew to to £633million, up from £611million a year earlier, while like-for-like sales rose by 2 per cent.
Stephen Clarke, chief executive of WH Smith, said: 'The group has delivered a strong first half with both our Travel and High Street businesses performing well.
'Looking ahead, we will continue to focus on profitable growth, cash generation and investing in the business to position us well for the future.'
Mr Clarke added: 'Stationery sales were particularly strong, driven by investment in new product ranges and both our Stationery and Books business continue to benefit from strong sales in adult activity books, such as colour therapy, extreme dot-to-dot and querkles.'
Tony Shiret, analyst at Haitong Securities, said while there was much to praise in WH Smith’s performance, the shares appear to be valued too highly compared with other retailers.
'Our only reservation is in terms of the valuation which has moved far ahead of the peer group … We find it difficult to justify the valuation despite the strength of the company.' In lunchtime trading WH Smith shares were down 3 per cent, or 53p at 1,752p.
Craze: In its half-year results published today, WH Smith reported an 11 per cent increase in its year-on-year pretax profits to £80million. The craze for adult colouring books continues to help the retailer boost sales
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New Delhi: Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. (HMSI) on Saturday announced that it sold 3,09,332 units in July 2020, down 36.82 percent from 4,89,631 units, recorded in the same month a year ago.
The company had sold 2,02,837 two-wheelers in June 2020. As it claims, exports for the company accelerated to 12,251 units in July, up 52 percent MoM over 8,042 units exported in June’20.
As per the release, July 2020 is the first-month post unlock in FY’2020-21 that Honda’s domestic dispatches breached the 3 lakh mark and exports too crossed the 10,000 units’ level.
Total dispatches in July stood at 3,21,583 units – adding over 1 lakh units compared to the previous month on the back of increasing demand for personal mobility in the COVID-19 era.
Elaborating on the evolving market and July’20 sales trend, Yadvinder Singh Guleria, Director – Sales & Marketing, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. said, “Honda’s sales momentum continues to accelerate in the 3 months since resuming operations – jumping 400% from 54,000 in May to 2 lac units in June, and now breaching the 3 lac mark. Intermittent regional lockdowns across India slowed down the retail momentum gained in June as the percentage of operational network dropped to 80% in July."
With a Rs 2,000-crore investment plan in tow, Hyundai landed in Gurugram with great fanfare, setting foot into the millennium city, which is known as much for its corporate buzz and urban culture as also for the Korean company’s archrival Maruti Suzuki, the company that set foot in the
Consequently Suman Mishra , sr VP ,Business transformation , Insight and Analytics , automotive sector will take over as chief executive of MEML and chief executive designate of Last Mile Mobility business with effect from August 14.


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According to M&M, XUV700 is an all new global SUV set to redefine benchmarks in the SUV segment.
Ansari, a person of Indian origin has a broad range of experience at Audi right from sales, after-sales, network development including finance.
Ansari currently is the head of global pricing for Audi genuine parts for the after sales division.
The appointment of Ansari comes at a time when Audi is facing its toughest time in the Indian market.
The brand has been hit by tough macro-economic environment on one hand and due to lifecycle change in products at its own end and unavailability of some diesel engine on the other, Audi is likely to end the 2016 with sales decline of over 20% to around 8500 units.
"I am confident that his diverse global experience combined with the understanding of the Indian market will help to consolidate the brand presence,” said Thierry Lespiaucq, Managing Director, Volkswagen Group Sales India Private Limited


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The US FDA recently published a couple of new food recalls, including expansions of previous recalls involving whole onions and cupcakes. As with the original recalls, these expansions are due to possible contamination with Salmonella and small pieces of metal mesh, respectively. Consumers are warned to return or throw away the impacted products.
Latest onion recall
The latest onion recall comes from Pier-C Produce Inc and involves its Pier-C Produce brand name. The advisory was published on November 4 and covers some whole white onions that originate from Mexico and were supplied by Keeler Family Farms. As with the multiple other onion recalls we’ve seen in past weeks, the company is recalling these onions over potential contamination with Salmonella.
Fortunately, this particular batch of recalled onions didn’t spread too far in the US; the company says it was distributed to a wholesaler in Florida from August 9 to 24, as well as to a retailer in Florida from August 17 to 23. Consumers will find the phrase “Product of Mexico” on the label, as well as the UPC code listed in the advisory and the brand name Pier-C Produce.
As of the date the recall was published (November 4), the company said it hadn’t received any reports of illnesses resulting from these recalled onions. Consumers who own any of these white onions are told to either return them to the store from which they were purchased for a refund or to throw them away uneaten.
More cupcakes to avoid
The expanded cupcake recall, meanwhile, was also published on November 4 as an update to a previous announcement. According to Flowers Foods, Inc., the same company behind the recall in late October, additional products have been added to its advisory, including some more multi-packs of cupcakes and some Krimpets products.
The recall was first announced after a vendor alerted Flower Foods about the potential presence of “tiny” metal mesh wire pieces in one of the ingredients used to make the treats. The company says in its updated advisory that it still hasn’t received any reports of issues related to these cupcakes and the newly added Krimpets products.
The updated recall adds more products to the list, including Tastykake Jelly Krimpets, Butterscotch Krimpets, and Creme-Filled Krimpets. These products are sold in various package sizes, including ones sold in 12.75oz and 14.25oz boxes. In some cases, the standalone packets with cupcakes and Krimpets were sold individually rather than as part of a box with multiple packets.
Consumers who believe they may have purchased any of these recalled Krimpets or cupcakes should check out the recall notice on the FDA’s website for a full list of “Enjoy By” dates and UPC numbers.


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Windermere, FL– Vimana Franchise Systems, franchisor of the Centerstone Hotel and Key West Inn brands has announced their new partnership with Hospitality Management Bookstore for their franchisee employee training programs.
“With our continued growth of Vimana Franchise Systems’ Centerstone and Key West brands, we are proud to announce our employee training program, ‘Vimana University,’” stated Vimana CEO Steve Belmonte after the program was unanimously approved at Vimana’s Franchise Advisory Council meeting.
Vimana will offer this optional online resource for employee training beginning July 6, 2015. The interactive courses encompass all areas of hospitality including front desk, housekeeping, human resources, general management, food & beverage amoung others. The training material specific for Vimana University includes brand programs and standards as well as a course on converting to a Centerstone or Key West property.
“We are really excited about the Vimana partnership. Our team is committed to provide high-quality education that decreases employee turnover cost and results in superior guest satisfaction increasing social media scores,” says Ken Edwards, Founder and President of HMBookstore.
“This is a very cost-effective program for our franchisees who are seeking a training program for their employees,” commented Amanda Belmonte, VP of Franchise Services for Vimana. Centerstone and Key West franchisees will have excluive pricing and access to Vimana University.
About Vimana Franchise Systems LLC
Vimana Franchise Systems LLC is a hotel franchise company owned by CEO Steve Belmonte, President Neal Jackson and Vice President Cory Jackson Jr. In May 2011, Vimana Franchise Systems launched the Centerstone brand as a three-segment franchise designed to create a fair and cost effective model for the hospitality industry. In November 2011, Key West Inns was re-launched under the Vimana Franchise ownership umbrella as a budget friendly brand. For more information on Vimana Franchise Systems LLC, contact Steve Belmonte at (407) 654-5540 or email@example.com. Visit Vimana Franchise Systems online at www.VimanaFS.com. Visit Centerstone online at www.centerstonehotels.com, on Twitter at @Centerstonehtls, or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Centerstonehotels . Visit Key West Inns online at www.staykeywesthotels.com, on Twitter at @StayKeyWest, or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/staykeywest.
About Hospitality Management Bookstore
The leader in online hospitality education and training, HMBookstore provides high quality educational and training materials to those who are pursuing a career in the hospitality industry, as well as those who are already in the industry and are looking to enhance their skills. Used worldwide by hospitality management students, hotel owners, operators, and employees, HMBookstore is leading the movement to provide the hospitality industry with top-notch, well trained managers and employees. For more information on HMBookstore, contact Brian Walski at (480) 391-6307 or firstname.lastname@example.org. Visit HMBookstore online at www.hmbookstore.com or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/hmbookstore


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After Washington State Legislators had several failed attempts over the years trying to pass regulation legislation for medical marijuana, Seattle Mayor Ed Murray has published a Proposed Marijuana Regulatory License for medical marijuana operations.
The Proposed Marijuana Regulatory License comes just days after Seattle held a medical marijuana symposium to address the needs of medical marijuana patients and businesses. Many of those involved in the medical marijuana community feel they will be lost in the fold due to retail marijuana, unable to get the marijuana derived medications they need at prices they can afford.
On the other hand, retail marijuana store owners feel that medical marijuana has an unfair advantage because of the lack of taxation, regulation, and licensing needed to operate. Medical marijuana owners counter though, saying they have spent years building businesses, laying the ground work for retail marijuana dispensaries.
The Proposed Marijuana Regulatory License would allow for a better monitored medical marijuana system in Seattle, which could lead to safer and more consistent products for medical marijuana patients.
While many believe that this is a positive first step in the right direction for medical marijuana, including those in the medical marijuana community, it will still take legislators as well as the city and state working together to come up with a long term solution.
Regardless, medical marijuana regulations are coming to Washington.
Article Link: http://murray.seattle.gov/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Marijuana-Regulatory-License.pdf


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Federal judge denies Memphis bars' request for restraining order against health department
Limited-service restaurants in Memphis must remain closed after a federal judge Wednesday denied a request for a temporary restraining order against the Shelby County Health Department.
U.S. District Judge Jon McCalla wrote in his ruling that, "The global COVID-19 pandemic warrants special consideration. It is well settled that 'a community has the right to protect itself against an epidemic of disease which threatens the safety of its members.'"
McCalla heard arguments regarding the request for a temporary restraining order Monday morning. It was the second of two hearings in separate lawsuits after the owners of 17 limited-service restaurants filed federal lawsuits July 13 against the Shelby County Health Department and Shelby County government in an attempt to reopen.
United States District Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr. heard plaintiffs in the first suit on July 20.
On July 16, 45 Memphis restaurants were forced to close following a directive by the Shelby County Health Department due to climbing coronavirus cases in the county. These establishments, which the Health Department refers to as "bars," are classified by the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission as a "limited service" restaurant — a liquor license issued to restaurants whose gross revenue from the sale of prepared food is 50% or less.
Memphis bars:Which can stay open and which have to close?
"We are only asking to be treated like every other restaurant," Blind Bear Speakeasy owner Jeannette Comans said. She said the 45 restaurants on the list are mostly small, individually owned businesses and many, like hers, have had no known COVID-19 cases associated with their businesses. "If this was really about COVID, Beale Street would be closed."
Two separate suits were filed.
One was filed by attorney Randy Songstad of the Songstad Law Firm, the suit that included the request for a temporary restraining order.
Songstad represents eight restaurants: T.J. Mulligan's US 64, T.J. Mulligan's, T.J. Mulligan's Cordova, Hadley's Pub, Tavern 018, Brewskis Sports Bar and Grille, Murphy's Public House and Canvas of Memphis.
Songstad claims the county's actions violate the Fifth and 14th amendments.
Monday, several bar owners testified that they would be put out of business within a matter of months if they could not reopen. Operating takeout or curbside service wouldn’t be economically feasible, they said, but would only cause them to lose money faster.
"These people have lost everything," Songstad said. "We’ve heard testimony from the plaintiffs that they’ve suffered irreparable harm and injury due to this closure. They’re on the brink of losing their businesses completely.”
The judge also heard testimony from Shelby County Director of Health Alisa Haushalter about the spread of COVID-19 in the area.
“Our ultimate goal is to reduce deaths and illness as a relation to COVID, and we know we have ongoing community transmission," Haushalter said. "One of the areas we know transmission can occur based on national evidence is in social settings. Particularly behaviors that can occur in a bar have a high likelihood of causing transmission.
“When people drink alcohol they are less likely to follow rules, less likely to consider the social distancing requirements, they tend to get louder and tend to tell jokes and other things they might not when they’re not drinking, and all of those things contribute to the transmission of COVID. COVID is spread when people talk, sing, laugh.”
Bars are also social settings where people mingle, Haushalter said, and are unlikely to wear masks.
In his ruling, McCalla wrote that "Shelby County’s decision to close certain bars and restaurants is not 'arbitrary and capricious' or 'unreasonable.'"
"Defendants’ actions reflect a concerted effort to respond reasonably to a pressing health crisis," McCalla wrote.
His ruling considered testimony from Haushalter and David Sweat, deputy director of the Health Department, that "limited service restaurants pose a greater risk for the spread of the COVID-19 virus than other restaurants," McCalla wrote.
The ruling does note that the bar owners "will suffer devastating economic injury if the Closure Orders remain in effect
The other suit was filed by attorney Robert Spence of The Spence Law Firm and heard on July 20. This suit was filed on behalf of nine restaurants: The Blind Bear Speakeasy, Alchemy, Max's Sports Bar, The Silly Goose, Dru's Place, Brewskis Sports Bar & Grille, Stage 64 Lounge, Cheers of Millington and Hi-Tone Cafe.
In his pre-hearing brief, Spence wrote: “The disparate treatment of the owners of limited service restaurants in the absence of any data that these types of restaurants are a source of COVID-19 transmissions at a greater rate than restaurants, (the regulation of one but not the other) is classic arbitrary and unreasonable governmental behavior.”
Spence's suit cites the 14th Amendment for equal protection and the First Amendment for the freedom of assembly.
A motion from the plaintiffs stated that customers not allowed in the closed restaurants will still go out — just to another establishment.
"As detailed in the numerous declarations filed by Plaintiffs, customers turned away from their various closed restaurants do not lessen the number of people engaging in social interaction — and on-site dining and drinking," the motion states. "It merely herds their customers into the already crowded spaces of other restaurants that were not closed by the governmental regulation. This unintended consequence defeats the very stated purpose of the regulation and makes social distancing harder and more complicated in the restaurants not directly impacted by the selective closures.”
In his closing arguments, Spence argued that there is no data supporting the claims that restaurants selling less than 50% in food sales cause the spread of COVID-19 more than a restaurant whose revenue comes from more than 50% sales in food.
Both suits noted that bars on Beale Street were not forced to shut down, regardless of their ratio of food to liquor sales. According to the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission, a state statute exempts establishments located in the Beale Street Historic District from meeting any food sale percentages to obtain a full-service restaurant license.
However, many restaurants on Beale Street were later closed by the Health Department through a directive issued Friday, which said full service restaurants with gross annual revenue from the sale of prepared food that is 50% or less than the gross annual revenue from the sale of alcoholic beverages must be closed regardless of their licensure.
This story will be updated.


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Global use of antibiotics on livestock could have a major impact on global health and antimicrobial resistance. This is what can be done to reduce the impact.
Research suggests that drinking moderate amounts of coffee is more likely to benefit our health than harm it.
By 2050, there will be two billion more mouths to feed.
The strange story of turkey tails speaks volumes about our globalized food system.
This cardiologist is betting that his lab-grown meat startup can solve the global food crisis.
This fruit has been genetically modified such that its flesh won't turn brown when exposed to air.
Several ancient, often forgotten foods are making their way to the dinner table in an effort to diversify the diet of a growing global population.
The town of Kamikatsu is located in the Tokushima prefecture in Japan, and is known for its successful commitment to zero waste living.
This company has developed plans for "plantscrapers," massive vertical greenhouses meant for growing large-scale organic farms in cities.
An 87-year-old scientist named Yuan Longping has successfully developed rice that can be grown using saltwater.
The engineering firm Arup is advocating that industry move to a circular economy, or "a continual feedback loop that aims to recycle as much as possible."
World hunger is at an all time high - here's how we can make a difference.
The World Food Programme has calculated the cost of food as a proportion of income in a special index called “Counting the Beans”, with devastating implications.
We already know much about the threat of climate change to staple crops such as wheat, maize and rice, but the impact on tea is just coming into focus.
A new study suggests that marine microalgae could be a sustainable solution to tackle global hunger.


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Thomson ReutersThe GM logo is seen at the General Motors Warren Transmission Operations Plant in Warren, MichiganBy Hyunjoo Jin
YANGPYEONG, South Korea (Reuters) – General Motors Co said it is aiming to boost its South Korean sales by one fifth and attain market share of more than 10 percent, part of efforts to revive output at one of its key Asia production bases.
GM Korea is grappling with low utilization rates at two of its four manufacturing plants after the automaker stopped selling Chevrolet-branded vehicles in Europe this year – most of which were shipped from South Korea.
South Korea had for years been a low-cost export hub for GM, producing close to a fifth of its global output. But labor costs have risen by nearly half in just five years, hurting manufacturing competitiveness, GM executives have said.
Combined domestic and export sales for the unit fell 30 percent over two years to 1.4 million vehicles in 2015.
The unit aims to boost domestic sales to 191,000 vehicles this year, by introducing seven models including the Captiva sport utility vehicle and the Malibu sedan, Dale Sullivan, vice president of GM Korea, said at an event to launch the Captiva.
GM Korea had market share of 8.6 percent last year. The last time it achieved more than 10 percent was in 2007.
Executives at the unit said the automaker plans to add its Malibu sedan to boost output at a plant in the city of Bupyeong but is still considering whether to produce its Impala sedan there – a move that the local labor union is pushing for.
Currently, the Impala is made at GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck plant and shipped to Korea.
“The decision is a very important and difficult one,” said James Kim, CEO at GM Korea.
GM is also looking at options to boost output at its factory in the city of Gunsan and plans to maintain its 2016 exports from South Korea at similar levels to last year’s.
(Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin; Editing by Tony Munroe and Edwina Gibbs)
Read the original article on Reuters. Copyright 2016. Follow Reuters on Twitter.
More from Reuters:
- Saudi sees partial Russian pullout from Syria as ‘positive’ step toward solution: SPA
- EU trials new way to measure emissions but will it make a difference?
- Briton charged in Germany for conspiracy over emissions certificates
- Mumbai rubbish dump fire causes spike in air pollution
- Insurer AXA’s CEO goes, fuelling talk of HSBC role


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Songza Is Dead, But It Lives On Within Google Play Music
December 2, 2015 - bbq set
The finish is close for Songza, though a free, curated playlist use will live on in a form of “Listen Now” playlists on Google Play Music.
The renouned song use will tide a final examination playlist, invert soundtrack and set of BBQ jams on Jan 31, that was Google’s devise from a impulse it bought a association some-more than a year ago. But a bequest endures. Songza co-founders Elias Roman and Elliott Breece—now plan managers during Google Play Music—say they’ve been infusing Google Play Music with handpicked mixes. Whereas Songza was accessible usually in a US and Canada, Roman and Breece contend a thematic playlists are streamable in 13 countries. So while Songza’s going away, Roman and Breece contend a service’s idea is stronger and further-reaching than ever.
“In June, we launched a giveaway tier of Google Play Music,” Roman says. “(Today), in Canada, we’re rising a giveaway tier as well. That gives us, in a dual countries that Songza operates in, all a facilities we adore about Songza in Google Play Music … Once we had a relation on those dual levels, a Songza group motionless that it was a unequivocally good time to concentration on one product. We can pierce some-more quickly, we can be some-more focused on advancing a idea by one vehicle.”
Roman and Breece contend their group has taken good caring to safeguard Songza users have a seamless transition between services. Starting today, Songza users will be means to pier their saved favorite songs and stations and new playlists to Google Play Music. That’ll be a box by a finish of Jan 2016, when Songza shuts down for good.
Songza has been around given 2007, though a raison d’etre is a prohibited new trend in an increasingly rival streaming-music landscape. Curation is big, and everybody from Apple Music to Spotify to Amazon has combined hand-picked playlists by DJs and song experts. The thematic playlists that Songza has prolonged offered—mixes for a beach, for a gym, for all-night coding sessions—are all partial of a vital services, too.
That’s eventually what put Songza in a position to be bought, and it points to a flourishing trend of converging in streaming music. With Apple, Google, Amazon, Spotify, and Pandora representing a 800-pound gorillas in a room, is there any wish of a smaller pretender carrying a chair during a table? Rdio and Grooveshark close down in a past year, and Beats Music was engrossed by Apple.
“Certainly a biggest ecosystem providers have a best event to benefit marketplace share, and it’s tough to cruise they won’t have during slightest some success if not entirely take over a infancy of marketplace share over a entrance years,” says Gartner investigate executive Brian Blau. “We might not see many some-more startups come in and arise stratospherically, though demeanour during what happened final week with Adele and her new release. (It) apparently pennyless sales annals nonetheless a song wasn’t accessible in any of a streaming services.”
So for a smaller startup, a ultimate idea substantially is merger by a streaming giant—or charity something radically different—rather than competing directly. Roman says gaps sojourn when it comes to anticipating and organizing music. Smaller services can assistance fill them.
“What’s vicious for any tiny actor is that we can’t be only like some large use though incrementally better,” Roman says. “That’s a unequivocally bad strategy. And we cruise a event for tiny services is to take some unmet need and kill it. You need to concentration on a one problem we wish to solve. Curation is unequivocally carrying a moment, though curation is a means to an end. The value that we have in a users’ lives is creation a things they do bland better. This isn’t going to be a one-horse race. There’s not only going to be one service. we still cruise there’s room for scrappy startups to find some unmet need and do a unequivocally good pursuit during it.”
For their part, Roman and Breece don’t cruise Songza’s disappearance bittersweet. They contend being partial of Google Play Music eventually will assistance them strech goals they set out to accomplish in a initial place.
“When we cruise of a destiny of song … it’s reduction about people acid and browsing, and some-more about calm anticipating people in a right context,” Breece says. “I’m privately vehement to be means to concentration on one product. The good news is that we’re focusing on a same idea … The good news is that now, we’re doing it with some-more resources.”
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Trump throws G-7 into disarray with tweets after he leaves
In the weeks leading up to the summit, he imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum from Canada, Mexico, and the European Union . French President Emmanuel Macron stared at Trump after he sat down.
No mention has been made of a release of the game on Windows PC, but with the recent porting of Square Enix's Final Fantasy XV, it's not necessarily out of the realm of possibility.
Fans have been waiting for what feels like an eternity to see when Kingdom Hearts III would be coming out.
Jennifer Lawrence Reportedly Has A New Gallery Director Boyfriend
Laura Simpson , the actress' lifelong bestie who accompanied her to the 2014 Oscars, set Jennifer and Cooke up, reports Page Six . Lawrence made it clear, in a February interview with shock jock Howard Stern, that she was on the lookout for a new man.
"I'm sorry that we're asking for a little more time than initially planned", Kingdom Hearts III director Tetsuya Nomura said in a tweet regarding the delayed release date. It's coming to PS4 and Xbox One in Japan and Asia on January 25, 2019, followed by North America and Europe on January 29. He added that Square Enix will release "a few trailers" and other information for the game at E3. Confirmed worlds include Big Hero 6, Toy Story, Tangled, Monsters, Inc., and the returning Olympus Coliseum world.
Donald Trump Wants NFL Players to Recommend Presidential Pardons
This after recent disclosures that multiple owners had direct talks with Trump about players kneeling during the national anthem . The president also said players should not stay in the locker room when the national anthem is being played on the field.


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NEW YORK: McDonald’s Corp fired chief executive officer Steve Easterbrook because he had a consensual relationship with an employee, losing the strategist who revived sales with all-day breakfast and led the company’s charge into delivery and online ordering.
A PAYMENTS platform created by India’s largest retail banks surpassed a billion transactions in October, a milestone that affirms the tremendous growth of services offered by US giants from Walmart Inc to Amazon.com Inc and Google.
KUALA LUMPUR: Grab, Touch n’ Go eWallet, Boost, and Fave are Malaysia’s most actively used mobile e-wallets applications (app) in the past two years.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi spent much of his first term laying the groundwork to transform India into a nation that is both attractive to global investors and unabashedly Hindu. Now he’s doubling down.
WASHINGTON: Washington DC has dangled hotel discounts tied to the Chinese Lunar New Year.
Billions are paid to social-media personalities to pitch products in an influencer economy riddled with deceit
Sime Darby carves its niche following the conglomerate’s break-up two years ago, according to CEO Datuk Jeffri Salim Davidson.
Recently, StarBizWeek met up with Sime Darby Bhd CEO Datuk Jeffri Salim Davidson (pic) at Sime Darby’s new headquarters in Ara Damansara. Nearly two years after its mega three-way demerger, Sime Darby is now a totally different company.
HO CHI MINH CITY/HONG KONG/SINGAPORE: Just next to Ho Chi Minh City's financial district, two dozen street vendors' stalls display colourful adverts for e-wallets backed by private equity firm Warburg Pincus, ride-hailing firm Grab and Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC, among others.


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Skull and Bones – that elusive pirate sailing game from Ubisoft that you'll remember made a big splash (sorry) at E3 2017 – is finally starting to take shape, and the developer/publisher of the game has said that the game will get fresh new content over the coming months and “many years to come.”
The core gameplay loop in Skull and Bones, as we've seen in new trailers and videos released by Ubisoft today, will see you sailing the Indian Ocean, raiding and pillaging in order to grow your crew, build bigger and better boats, and put a sizeable dent in the trading routes and Privateer vessels that think they're the rulers of the water.
Though the game can be played solo, the Ubisoft team sees it more as a "live multiplayer" experience – and that seems to be shaping how the developer will approach post-launch content. In a media briefing, quest director Terry Han noted that Skull and Bones will see "in-game events [like] bigger, deadlier challenges, cosmetics and more" come after launch, and will be free for all players."
Han said Ubisoft plans to release content that is free to all players for “many years to come”.
We were shown footage of multiple players raiding settlements and forts – end game-style challenges that will take organisation, planning, and good ships and gear in order to overcome.
Given that there will be an opt-in PvP server in the game, it also stands to reason that more gear and tools will be added to the game over time. Is Ubisoft taking aim at the likes of Sea of Theives, the only other notable multiplayer pirate game out there? Possibly. Han said Ubisoft is aiming to be the "best open world pirate experience" – and, to my ears, there's only one other game it could be seeking to clip the sails of.
Given that Sea of Theives has attracted over 25 million players in its lifetime, Skull and Bones has a big battle on its hands if it wants to take the crown in this very specific genre. Sea of Thieves may have its troubles, sbut it's still a wildly popular game by all accounts.
There's been enough time spent on the whole thing, after all: the title was originally supposed to launch in 2018, before being delayed into 2019. Then, the game was delayed a second time into Ubisoft's 2020/2021 fiscal year. Since its announcement, alongside the delays, it was revealed the game had undergone a reboot.
Skull and Bones will launch on November 8, 2022. It will come to PC, PS5, Stadia, and Xbox Series X/S.


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Hoi An City Under the agreement, TMG will support the province to form mechanism of public- private partnerships to raise fund for the tourism development, carry out travel and tourism marketing campaigns on social media sites of Facebook, Instagram, Youtube and Tiktok, the official sites of the National Tourism Year 2022 and the provincial Department of Culture, Sport and Tourism. The National Tourism Year 2022 will officially kick off on March 25 in Hoi An City in Quang Nam Province, featuring 59 activities that will take place from now until the end of this year. It’s an opportunity for tourism recovery after Covid-19 pandemic and a chance for Quang Nam tourism to draw local and foreign visitors and promote its tourism development, contributing to the socio-cultural development of the province. Activities in responding to National Tourism Year 2022 will take place in cities and provinces across the country, contributing to recovering tourism post pandemic; and … [Read more...] about Quang Nam forms tourism marketing plan for National Tourism Year 2022
Inflation france 2022
Over the past two years, whilst the Covid-19 pandemic was raging over economies, coffee prices on both the derivatives market and domestic market have taken great strides. The following article tries to provide some answers to the question as to how coffee prices would be like this year. Coffee price hikes? Yes, that’s right because the London Robusta coffee price, which has been used by Vietnamese coffee traders as a benchmark, escalated from US$1,073 per ton in April 2020 to US$2,384 on December 30, 2021. Meanwhile, the New York Arabica coffee price soared from 92.70 cents/lb in May 2020 to 252.35 cents/lb, or a surge of 159.65 cents/lb equivalent to +US$3,520/ton, on December 7, 2021. That was the highest price over the past 10 years. Local coffee prices also surged, albeit at a lower rate, to around VND42 million/ton, the highest level over the past four years. The price hikes prove that the prediction of the 10-year coffee price cycle made by observers well-versed with … [Read more...] about Some scenarios for coffee prices in 2022
The National Startup Festival 2022 honours outstanding projects last year. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The National Startup Festival 2022 took place in Hanoi on January 19, gathering policymakers; startup accelerators, mentors and advisers; investors; business leaders and representatives of international organisations. The 19th edition of the annual event was hosted by the Business Forum Magazine under the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI). In his opening remarks, VCCI President Pham Tan Cong said Vietnam, like many countries around the world, was facing various challenges caused by the uncertainties of the COVID-19 last year. Vietnam has suffered a tough blow from the pandemic as for the first time in the history, the economy declined 6 percent in the third quarter of 2021, he said. The resilience of enterprises and rise of entrepreneurial spirit in Vietnam remained bright spot of the economy despite all the difficulties, he noted, adding that last … [Read more...] about National Startup Festival returns in 2022
Vietnam will reduce the excise tax and registration fee placed on electric cars, with these two preferential policies anticipated to become a lever in which the local electric vehicle market, which is in its infancy, can quickly develop in 2022. New preferential policies for electric vehicle manufacturing The electric vehicle market has great potential for strong development in Vietnam though it is in its infancy. Under a Decree recently issued by the Government, battery-powered electric cars are to be exempt from the registration fee for three years, starting from March 1. The fee shall be paid at a rate equal to 50% of the fee for petrol and diesel fueled cars with the same number of seats over the next two years. New models on the horizon … [Read more...] about Vietnam expects new wave of electric vehicles in 2022
'Great things often come from the simplest things'. This might be the best description for the tech world in 2022. The key technologies of the future come from the research and development labs. Self-driving cars will appear on the streets, augmented reality glasses will become more popular, governments around the world will control Big Tech more strictly… 2022 may be the pivotal year for many new technologies to take off. Emerging technologies Rodney Zemmel, an official at McKinsey Digital, said quantum computing is still at a relatively early stage of development. However, we've already seen the real advancements of this technology, and it's time for technology leaders to consider its impact on business. In 2022, the world will see the ecosystem grow faster, investments increase more strongly, and breakthrough research accelerated. In 2021, investments in quantum computing startups surpassed US$1.7 billion, doubling that in 2020. The momentum is expected to be … [Read more...] about What should we expect in the world of technology in 2022?
What do you think about the prospects of Vietnam’s startup ecosystem in 2022 and beyond? Despite many challenges, many investors continue to view Vietnam as an appealing market in Southeast Asia. Vietnam, behind Singapore and Indonesia, is considered the third most dynamic economy in ASEAN, according to a report from two Singapore-based venture capital funds, Cento Ventures and ESP Capital. Apart from its negative consequences, the pandemic has also been a potent stimulus for the emergence of revolutionary business strategies. In 2021, MoMo has become Vietnam’s latest unicorn while other start-ups received funding worth tens to hundreds of millions of dollars in the fintech, edtech, and blockchain game. Moreover, Vietnam’s startup ecosystem also sees the launch of many projects that resolve social and environmental issues. Which sectors will become the next trends in the startup scene? At the moment, the prominent startup trend in Vietnam is centred on business projects … [Read more...] about Rosier times ahead for Vietnam’s startup scene in 2022


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Kelly’s publisher, Harper Collins told the L.A. Times that the onslaught of negative reviews had “the hallmarks of an orchestrated effort to discredit the book and our author Megyn Kelly,” adding that “We have brought it to the attention of Amazon.”
-USA TODAY: Amazon appeared to remove several politically motivated negative reviews of Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly’s memoir Settle for More after a flood of one-star ratings drew media attention.
As of early Wednesday, 17% of the reviewers on Amazon gave the book one star. At one point, as many as 76% of the reviews were one-star, Slate reported.
The Los Angeles Times reported that many of the reviews were linked to a pro-Trump Reddit forum called “The_Donald.”
Some commenters picked up on the removal of the negative reviews. “Tim from MD.,” for example, wrote a post titled “Over 120 1 star reviews have been deleted. Are we living in a free country anymore?”
“Trump is president, but she wrote the book certain Clinton would win,” Tim from MD. wrote. “Now the book and her shows advertisers are getting boycotted. So apparently her attorneys have called to get negative reviews deleted. And they succeeded. I’m shocked.” more


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Development team Zojoi and indie games partner Reverb Triple XP announced the release date of their remake of the classic 80s point-and-click adventure game Shadowgate. The title is set to launch this summer for the PC, Mac, iOS and Android tablets.
Along with the release date announcement, Zojoi has also revealed a new trailer to herald the game’s availability for preorder.
The new remake features hand-drawn visuals and new level designs. Zojoi announced that there will be many references to the original title and music from the original game will be used in the reimagining to give the game its original atmosphere.
The Shadowgate remake is crowd funded by Kickstarter and developed by the original developers of the original game, Dave Marsh and Karl Roelofs.
“Dave and I are incredibly thrilled to be returning to Castle Shadowgate after all these years,” said Karl Roelofs, in a press release. “When we created the MacVenture series, we knew we had something special on our hands – the initial response from gamers around the world was overwhelming! Shadowgate has remained near and dear to not only our hearts but to those who remember the haunting original, greatly evidenced by the support our Kickstarter campaign generated. The past few years we have been hard at work re-building and updating the Shadowgate experience and cannot wait to inspire, challenge, and terrify an entire new generation of players.”
The original Shadowgate game, released for the Macintosh, received positive reviewer attention during its initial release and was praised for its difficulty and moody atmosphere, which was much different from many of the shooters or platformers of its day. The original has been ported to the PC and the Nintendo Entertainment system, players explored the depths of a demonic castle trying to defeat a warlock before he can summon a demon called the Behemoth. Both the orignal and the remake will be played from the first person-perspective, while the remake will feature many of the original puzzles and themes Zajoi has said that there will be new puzzles and interactions to keep long time fans on their toes.
Shadowgate will be released this summer at the price of $19.99, but players can preorder copies right now for a 25 percent discount. Additionally Zojoi games will be releasing two incentive preorder bundles, including the “Adventurer Pack” which will receive the full game at release plus wallpapers and a digital Shadowgate calendar. And also the “Hero Pack” which includes all the other pre-order items plus a complete digital soundtrack, digital art book, beta tester access with in-game credits, and access to the game one week before launch.
Full details on pre-order incentives and pricing can be found at www.shadowgate.com.
For upcoming Shadowgate announcements visit the game’s official Website or follow the development team on Twitter or Facebook.


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A huge 90 percent of companies have already or are in the process of reengineering their businesses in the past year to deliver better moments of service. Yet many are neglecting to address issues with the critical inflection points that impact results.
This is according to “Fixing the fundamentals: Understanding new business models and opportunities in the wake of Covid-19”—a new global study of more than 1,700 business executives and 12,500 consumers sponsored by IFS.
The study explores how a challenging economy impacts the importance of customer experience, why organizations should ‘design for service’, and, importantly, how critical it is to identify and understand the key inflection points that impact a business’ core objectives. More importantly, the study focuses on how frequently problems with these inflection points are ignored.
The rise of the customer
Over the past few months, businesses in all industries have seen their value chains disrupted, forcing them to rearchitect their organization and rethink their business models—virtually overnight.
Customer experience was already growing in importance when the pandemic laid new pressures on companies: fractured supply chains, reduced access to resources, and restricted movement rendered it nearly impossible for people to travel and engineers to reach customers. Changing demand patterns further stressed value chains, while man-made disruptions like Brexit also reared their heads.
This landscape has fundamentally altered the fabric of business. Long before the pandemic, the ‘Amazon effect’ had revolutionized customer expectations for speed and consistency. But now, companies in industries ranging from paint manufacturing to air travel are finding that the pandemic has made both business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) customers even more demanding.
Central to these new customer demands is service. They want reliability and consistency in quality, delivery and returns, and want to get continuous value throughout an asset’s lifetime. For this reason, expectations for quality service continue to increase, and businesses are recognizing that they must shift to selling ‘outcomes’ and ‘experiences’ instead of just products. As a result, it is critical that businesses ensure each part, department, and discipline in their operation is aligned not around immediate sales or revenue, but around delivering a quality ‘Moment of Service’. This moment of service, in which people, decisions, processes, and technology come together to create a result for a customer, is the key determiner of business success.
However, while much attention has been paid to the rising importance of customer service, the critical inflection points that contribute to the overall moment of service are frequently overlooked, stifling business growth. But these inflection points—which occur throughout the lifecycle of an operation and encompass processes, technology solutions and human coordination—hold the key to success.
The study unearthed some surprising findings. As mentioned, 90 percent of companies have in the past year already or are in the process of reengineering their businesses to deliver better moments of service, yet many are neglecting to address issues with the critical inflection points that impact results. While companies reevaluate their businesses in the wake of the pandemic, there is an unprecedented opportunity to evolve their approach, and ‘build back better’.
Designing for service
By designing a business around the moment of service a company looks to create for their customer—whether that’s a flight landing on time at the chosen destination, a mobile network having reception anywhere in the country or the power in a house turning on whenever it is needed, every day, without outages—companies gain a valuable new perspective on their entire operations. They can see how they must orchestrate assets and interactions with customers and people to achieve the desired end goal—and how this will fuel their growth. They will also be able to see what the customer truly wants and use these insights to launch profitable new services.
To achieve this, enterprises must rethink how they architect their operations, and become a ‘composable enterprise’ that harnesses a combination of packaged functions and technologies to deliver outcomes and adapts to the pace of business.
The IFS study shows how businesses’ ability to perform across a variety of customer experience inflection points have been impacted by Covid-19, Brexit, or both. In response, 51 percent of companies have already reengineered their business processes to deliver better customer experiences—proof that the moment of service movement has bolted from the gates and the time to get onboard is now.
As companies evolve their customer experience, it is critical that they emulate the models popularized by tech giants to meet consumer demand. According to the study, some 43 percent of people are much more or somewhat more likely to purchase products on a subscription basis, as a direct result of the rise of brands such as Netflix and Spotify. In the US, this figure is as high as 53 percent. These findings show us that there is a booming demand for subscription services that provide a key means for brands to boost sales while simultaneously enhancing the customer experience.
Ultimately, however, it’s about being closer to customers. Understanding those all-important moments of service are an integral part in this journey. By establishing and optimizing moments of service, organizations can plan their business based on achieving advocacy, repeat purchase and margin improvements. This enables them to switch from being reactive to being predictive, and in the end, take a proactive approach to business orchestration.
Outcome-based business models
The past year has been a time of reckoning for businesses. In the wake of unprecedented turbulence, companies across the world have accelerated transformation strategies and developed new business models. But as enterprises look to the future, they must evolve further to meet new customer demands. Business models focused on products are no longer fit for the digital economy. Instead, organizations need to shift to selling outcomes and services.
At the core of these new business models is the moment of service—a point of view from where organizations see their business from the perspective of their customers. By designing for service instead of products, companies can architect their business to promote customer loyalty and increased sales. They can carefully orchestrate people, assets, and processes to ensure the right item arrives in the right place at the right time. And they can become truly customer driven.
These changes won’t happen overnight. But as companies in every industry evaluate their offering, it is critical that they also rethink their approach to business. In placing their moment of service front and center, businesses can transform, grow, and thrive.
To read more about understanding the value chain, download the report for free here.


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After months of anticipation, Prairie Artisan Ales will be releasing the newest incarnation of Pirate Bomb! this month.
The 13 percent ABV imperial stout is brewed with coffee, cocao nibs, vanilla beans and chilies before being aged in rum barrels. This is the third time Pirate Bomb! has been sold, after the initial release in 2013 which came in at 14 percent ABV and was an Oklahoma-state exclusive and a second release in Sept. 2014 that came in at 13 percent ABV.
According to a post on Prairie’s website, Pirate Bomb! will be released sometime this month. An email sent to the brewery for additional information was not immediately returned.


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New York City Aeropostale said Tuesday that it opened its first store in the United Arab Emirates, as part of the company’s plan to expand to more than 20 stores in the Middle East.
The Dubai store in the Oasis Centre Mall is Aeropostale’s first venture outside North America, but the company said it hopes to have locations in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar and elsewhere in the United Arab Emirates over the next few years.
"This new venture in Dubai will enable us to introduce the Aeropostale brand in new markets overseas and lay the groundwork for what we believe can be a greater expansion of the brand globally," chief executive Julian R. Geiger said in a statement.
Aeropostale has partnered with Apparel Group to open and run its Middle East mall-based stores.
The retailer, which reported an uptick in earnings earlier this month, has managed to stay above the fray during the recession by focusing on low prices and planned discounts.


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Golf Industry News - Acushnet
Acushnet Holdings, owners of the Titleist, FootJoy and KJUS brands, has reported its financial results for the second quarter and for the first six months of the year, ending June 30.
Titleist and FootJoy to sponsor 2021 Women’s Golf Day13-01-2021
Titleist and FootJoy have joined a growing list of golf brands and organisations backing the 2021 Women’s Golf Day, which is scheduled to take place on June 1.
Ken Graham calls time on 44-year industry career17-12-2020
Industry legend Ken Graham has announced he will officially retire at the end of 2020 after 44 years in the golf industry.


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Welcome to WebmasterWorld Guest from 126.96.36.199
Forum Moderators: bill
The company in September struck a deal with Chinese search giant Baidu Inc. to make Baidu.com the default search engine and home page in China for users of Microsoft’s Edge browser. That deal was part of Microsoft’s effort to boost Windows 10 use in China, where pirated versions of Windows are widely used. Baidu agreed as part of the agreement to make it easier for its customers to update to Windows 10. Microsoft to Close MSN China Website June 7, 2016 [wsj.com]
In January, Chinese officials asked Microsoft to explain “major problems” in data it provided as part of an antitrust investigation of the company. That probe, which began in 2014, came as some foreign companies had grown concerned about Chinese officials using the 2008 antimonopoly law against them.Sounds like motivation for this action. Frankly, I do not see how any company, big or small, can fairly do business with/in China. I have some clients that do business in China, and the stories they have told me...


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|Address:||The Basement, 6 Ontario Terrace, Ranelagh, Dublin 6W|
The Dublin-based online commercial photo startup, PR Slides, has announced €500,000 in new funding from a collection of technology investors.
PR Slides’ joint chief executive, ex-Simply Zesty founder Niall Harbison, said that the company now intends to hire up to 20 people as it embarks on an export drive. Read more
More on these jobs
|No of jobs:||20|
To enquire about a position with PR Slides click here


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August is Summer Sun Safety Month – According to the National Weather Service, heat-related deaths are one of the leading causes of weather-related deaths across the country each year, and thousands of people from kids to the elderly are made ill through heat stress. Excessive exposure to the sun can also cause skin cancer. Check the UV Index in your area. Limiting sun exposure to protect your eyes and your skin is important during daylight hours of summer when UV rays are at their strongest. Learn how to protect yourself from UV rays. Also, Know the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke and the importance of staying hydrated in hot weather. Here are tips for staying safe during a heat wave.
August 6-12 is National Farmers Market Week. Find markets near you through Local Harvest Farmers Markets and the National Farmers Market Directory or research nearby farms to plan a family day trip. Some farms have “pick your own” fields, barnyard petting zoos for kids, and other fun summer activities. Shopping locally affords peak freshness and flavor for your produce. Plus, just-picked produce contains maximum nutrients and vitamins. It also supports your local community. Growers are small local businesses and job creators, so buying their produce offers tax and job benefits that boost your local community.Plus, supporting local farms keeps them viable and preserves natural green space in your community. Buying locally also takes much less of an environmental toll in fuel consumption, storage, and related environmental cost.
August is National Immunization Awareness Month – An annual observance held in August to highlight the importance of routine vaccination for people of all ages. Here are recommended schedules.
- Vaccinations for Infants and Children, Birth through 6 Years
- Vaccinations for Children 7 to 18 Years Old
- Vaccines You Need as an Adult
- Travel vaccines
August is National Breastfeeding Month – Each August the US Breastfeeding Committee hosts a social media advocacy and outreach campaign inviting member organizations, breastfeeding coalitions, partner organizations, and individuals to participate in online action and conversation about the policy and practice changes needed to build a landscape of support for babies and families. Below are designated weeks:
- Week 1 – August 1-7: World Breastfeeding Week
- Week 2 – August 8-14: Indigenous Milk Medicine Week
- Week 3 – August 15-21: Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Breastfeeding Week
- Week 4 – August 25-31: Black Breastfeeding Week
- Week 5 – September 5-11: Semana de La Lactancia Latina
Other noteworthy August dates:
Blog posts you may have missed


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India’s largest auto manufacturer will showcase a total of 17 vehicles at the upcoming 2010 Auto Expo, beginning on 5th January, 2010 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
Update: Latest launches from the 2010 Auto Expo. (click the link!)
We are bringing you the full list of Maruti Suzuki’s new car / vehicle launches, concept vehicles, show cars and existing portfolio here. Most of the 17 cars will be existing cars which include diesels and petrols, dual fuels, and then some concept cars plus the EECO, Concept RIII MPV.
Suzuki Kizashi at Rs 12.5 lakhs
More stories about Auto Expo 2010 you may be interested in:
While many automobile companies are planning to launch their new production or concept small cars at the Auto Expo 2010, the king of the hill has no plans for any new small car launches. The Nissan Micra, Toyota Etios and Honda small car all will make an appearance at the Expo. Not to mention the Volkswagen Polo, the company’s big push into the small car market in India.
Maruti Suzuki EECO at Auto Expo 2010
The Maruti Suzuki EECO will be the replacement for the Versa – which failed to capture any market after its launch. We think this is the Suzuki APV which we talked about earlier – or this could be the entirely new Suzuki APV, just being launched in a new name. The EECO will have five and seven seater options, and the car would be positioned in the C-segment. Price of the EECO is expected to be above Rs 4 lakhs. This might work very well as a spacious five seater vehicle for small families, which do not really need a Mahindra Xylo or Toyota Innova. The 1196 cc engine petrol engine produces 73 bhp and offers a maximum torque of 101 Nm at 3000 rpm. Hopefully, Maruti has learned a few lessons, and we would see a good response to the EECO at the Auto Expo 2010. We do not have any photos of the EECO right now. Pretty unremarkable looks, from what we can make out from a few fuzzy spy photos.
Maruti Suzuki Concept RIII MPV at Auto Expo 2010
This one was a surprise – Maruti Suzuki announced that they would be holding a world premier of a new concept MPV at the Auto Expo 2010. Named Concept RIII, this new six-seater MPV would probably take more than an year to get into production. Considering that this is an MPV, and that the EECO is also technically an MPV – and Maruti calls the Concept RIII a compact MPV – some think that they are the same. Or, the Concept RIII’s production version would replace the EECO when it finally launches. We are frankly a bit confused about this here. AutoCar India says that this would likely be a moncoque. Nobody has seen what the Concept RIII looks like, so no photos of this either.
Suzuki Kizashi would come to the Auto Expo 2010, everyone seems pretty sure about that. A launch, not so much. Sure, Maruti would like to enter the luxury D-segment in India, but considering the market’s reluctance to buy anything from Maruti that costs more than the SX4, a quick launch is unlikely. The Suzuki Kizashi however would be on display, and we think Maruti will use the occasion to collect feedback on whether there really is a market for such a car from them in India. Reviews of the Kizashi were positive after the car was launched in the US; but Maruti would probably like to be very sure this time. If it comes, it will be a petrol, and will battle it out with Camrys and Accords.
Suzuki SX4 hatchback
No launch is likely, but the Suzuki SX4 hatchback would be on display. Worldwide, the SX4 is sold as a hatch more than a sedan. However, large hatchbacks are not exactly the favourite of the Indian market – just see the example of the Honda Jazz – so it is likely that this car would not be launched at the Auto Expo 2010. The company recently launched the SX4 automatic in India.
Popular small car, no new launch here.
Production car. Will be on display
Production car. Will be on display.
Production SUV. Low sales, sadly. Will be part of the pavilion.
Bread and butter car – will be on display.


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The much awaited Vehicle Scrappage Policy is going to be announced in the next 15 days as per Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari. Earlier Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a voluntary vehicle scrapping policy to phase out old and unfit vehicles that will not only help reduce pollution, but also reduce India’s fuel import bills. Here are the details on how the new scrapping policy will benefit the Indian automobile industry.
Benefits of scrapping policy
According to the Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, There are 51 lakh light motor vehicles which are over 20 years old in India. At the same time, there are 17 lakh commercial vehicles in India which are over 15 years and run without a valid fitness certificate. These vehicles according to the minister are the major cause of vehicular pollution in our country. Many of these vehicles are not well maintained and are not fit to run on roads. At the same time these vehicles feature old technology and this means they compromise on safety as well. Last but not the least, these vehicles run on older technology and as a result are not as efficient as new vehicles. This means that older vehicles pollute, consumer more fuel and are unsafe to run. This then is enough for the government to consider them to be worth scrap.
Vinkesh Gulati, President, Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) added, “FADA is happy to note that the Hon’ble Finance Minister has finally announced the much awaited Scrappage Policy, though voluntary to phase out old vehicles. If we take 1990 as base year, there are approximately 37 lakh CVs and 52 lakh PVs eligible for voluntarily scrappage. As an estimate, 10 per cent of CV and 5 per cent of PV may still be plying on road. We still need to see the fine prints to access the kind of incentives which will be on offer and thus have a +ve effect on retail."
However the minister further added that scrapping of old vehicles would result in more benefits. This comes in form of recycling materials like steel, plastic and copper. These materials will be reused and as a result will reduce costs. At the same time the minister added the Scrappage Policy would boost vehicle sales in the country as the one scrapping the vehicle would surely buy a new one. Overall the Scrappage Policy promises to help infuse fresh investments worth Rs 10,000 crore and add 50,000 new job opportunities.


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Hyundai’s Sonata Hybrid — the first hybrid from the company to reach market — will be unveiled next week during the New York Auto Show. We’ll be covering that live, so watch out for more info, but in the meantime, Hyundai has released a teaser shot of the completely redesigned front end.
The inclusion of a lithium polymer battery would be a first in the standard hybrid class — Toyota, Honda and Ford all still use the older and less energy dense nickel metal hydride batteries. The inclusion of the lithium batteries may even mean the Sonata Hybrid can drive for short distances as a pure EV.
We’ll soon find out all the details, but from the front end shot above I think the Sonata Hybrid looks pretty good. What do you think?


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Nordic Growth Market NGM
Nordic Growth Market has now listed Newss55 at Nordic MTF
News55 is a news sight providing news for the readers over 55+. News55 have under a short period of time established themselves as a broad and trustworthy publisher of news online. News 55 has also established themselves as Sweden’s biggest organizer of fairs within the same group. Through this listing more people will have the opportunity to become a shareholder and the company will have better conditions in their continued growth.
”We are looking forward to continue our journey of growth, now with a public environment through our listing at NGM”, says Fredrik Lundberg CEO at News55.
“We welcome News55 to NGM and we are looking forward on following the company’s development”, Says Roger Peleback, CEO at NGM.


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Theme parks have been a lucrative business for Walt Disney Co. (NYSE:DIS) and Universal Studios parent company Comcast Corp. (NASDAQ:CMCSA). And while each company has been expanding in Asia to further capitalize on theme-park profits, the U.S. theme-park business is still proving to be their most profitable. During the recent holiday season, Disney reported that parks on both coasts were making visitors wait outside the gates because the parks were at capacity. However, Disney and Universal aren't the only ones seeing that there's still plenty of room to grow in the theme-park business in the U.S., and one Chinese company may be the next big name in this industry.
The media company becoming a massive name in China
While Disney and Universal have been growing in Asia, one Chinese company has come along to make its own name in the media industry there. Dalian Wanda Group, commonly referred to as "Wanda" and led by one of China's richest men, Wang Jianlin, has made some aggressive moves in the Chinese media market. The company initially made a name for itself in the media industry by setting its sights on making the largest production studio in the world in the coastal city of Qingdao, on track to be completed in 2017.
Most recently, the company opened a theme park and entertainment complex in Wuhan, China (population over over 10 million). This $1.1 billion project in central China comes a year before Disney's coming Disney Resort Shanghai, and well ahead of what Universal Studios plans to be a new park near Beijing in 2018 or 2019.
Claimed to be the world's first indoor movie-themed park, the Wanda Movie Park opened on Dec. 20 amid much fanfare from the Chinese media. The park includes major attractions such as 3-D rides and one of the world's largest live acrobatic shows in a theater custom-built for the performance.
This movie park could be just the start of a massive expansion in China. Wanda management reportedly has plans to open 200 children's theme parks in China by 2020, at an estimated cost of over $32 billion. As a historically real estate-centered company, Wanda has plenty of land resources to make this plan a reality.
Why Disney and Comcast are really watching this company
Disney and Universal both have profited from their moves into Asia, which is why they're each planning for their first big move into Mainland China. Disneyland Hong Kong was a highlight for Disney's already growing theme-park segment in 2013, helping garner excitement for the coming Disney Resort in Shanghai. For Comcast's Universal Studios, success in Japan and Singapore have led to the company's plan for a new Universal theme park in Beijing in the next three to four years.
But Wanda is assuring that theme-park competition within mainland China will be fierce. One of the company's many projects has been the transformation of Wuxi into a "Culture Tourism City" in China, turning it into a much more modern and entertainment-oriented metropolis that Wang says will compete directly with Disney in Hong Kong and, soon, Shanghai. According to Wanda, the Wuxi Wanda Cultural Tourism City includes the Wanda Mall, a large stage show, a large outdoor theme park, a resort hotel cluster and a bar street.
As Disney and Universal prepare new parks in Mainland China, this will be a tough company to compete with.
However, it's not only within China that Wanda wants to compete; Wanda already has some U.S. presence. It is the Chinese media company that bought and now operates the AMC cinema chain. The company has also been rumored as wanting to make a similar attempt at purchasing a full Hollywood production studio.
Most importantly, the company has said that a U.S. theme park might be its next major target. While theme parks have been such a lucrative and growing portion of Disney's and Comcast's revenue in the past couple of years, both companies will be watching Wanda to see how it does in China and if it moves into the United States. For theme-park lovers and media investors alike, this will undoubtedly be an exciting few years.


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NEW YORK (Reuters Breakingviews) - Amazon.com is a prescription for pharmacy woes. The internet retailer has set its sights on the $300 billion business of selling drugs to U.S. customers, according to CNBC. Regulation and delivery concerns are barriers. Yet these, and the inefficiency of U.S. healthcare, also promise lucrative earnings for a company happy with razor-thin margins.
Jeff Bezos’ $450 billion company may have started out a bookseller, but it has steadily plugged new offerings into its online retailing machine. It now sells nearly everything imaginable, from food to shoes to internet and payments services. Yet Amazon has avoided selling drugs.
That’s understandable. Most states require pharmacies to be licensed and registered before they are allowed to ship medicines to consumers. The convoluted and opaque relationships between the insurers, drugmakers and pharmacy benefit managers who negotiate the price tags and discounts make it difficult for outside distributors to both break into the field and make an adequate profit.
Shipping to customers may also be a problem. Major chains offer mail delivery, but they have storefronts for a reason: people in serious pain, looking for antibiotics for a sick kid or needing life-and-death treatments probably want to fill their prescription immediately. Amazon can’t offer that and can’t even provide same-day delivery in many parts of the country.
Yet operating margins for major drug chains like Walgreens Boots Alliance and CVS run about 5.5 percent. That’s nearly twice as high as Amazon eked out in 2016 after years of barely breaking even. The higher margin looks tempting despite the impediments. And Bezos must be hoping selling medicines will mean more orders for gadgets, books and online video, just as the likes of Wal-Mart and Costco sell drugs as a way to bring customers into stores in the hope they’ll buy other products.
Moreover, Amazon’s history of relentless expansion into areas supposedly protected from online competition – such as pet food, shoes and construction materials - means pharmacies shouldn’t rest easy. No wonder stocks in big drugstore chains like CVS and Walgreens Boots took a hit. Their margin looks like Amazon’s opportunity.
Reuters Breakingviews is the world's leading source of agenda-setting financial insight. As the Reuters brand for financial commentary, we dissect the big business and economic stories as they break around the world every day. A global team of about 30 correspondents in New York, London, Hong Kong and other major cities provides expert analysis in real time.
Sign up for a free trial of our full service at https://www.breakingviews.com/trial and follow us on Twitter @Breakingviews and at www.breakingviews.com. All opinions expressed are those of the authors.


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VICARS are strolling the aisles this week, not of their local church but of an Ashton supermarket.
Asda has recruited three chaplains from different denominations to walk around the store so customers can enjoy a spiritual take on their shopping.
Methodist minister Bob Davies will be on hand between 1-3pm every Monday, the Reverend Eddie Gorniak works Tuesdays and Kelsang Tubchen, a Buddist Nun, visits the store on Wednesdays.
A spokeswoman for Asda said that chaplains were introduced after a customer suggested they provide one for their Kent store and it was so successful they decided to try it elsewhere.
She said: "It's another way of bringing the community together. It's not a preaching role it's an extension of community work.
"The Ashton branch is the first Asda in the North West to try the scheme but we hope to have a chaplain in every store by the middle of next year."
The Rev Eddie Gorniak, from Crescent Road Congressional Church in Dukinfield, had his first session in the store this week and said he was looking forward to forming relationships with staff and customers at his local store.
He said: "I do shop at the store so it's nice to come in and meet my local community.
"The idea is to build bridges and to build up trust. At the moment I'm just doing a walk and a chat. I go in with a smile and a hand shake and introduce myself."
A room is available at the store for people who would like to have a more private discussion.