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Dodge has carved a strong reputation for itself thanks to its muscle cars, but that’s changing soon. As seen during the summer’s Stellantis EV Day, The Brotherhood of Muscle will soon be expanding itself again, after distilling itself to just three performance models: the Challenger, Charger, and Durango. All of them offer a Hellcat V8, none of them are hybrids. But electrification is coming to Dodge, just as it is everywhere. An electric Dodge Charger is coming by 2024. But before that, we could see a new Dodge Hornet reborn as a hybrid SUV. And according to new reports, the Hornet will have a 2.0L PHEV drivetrain is capable of creating 375 horsepower with 470 lb-ft of torque, as seen in the Jeep Wrangler 4xe. And it could return 50 MPGe, as well.
Dodge Hornet: A Hybrid SUV From Italy
According to Mopar Insiders, construction of the Dodge Hornet will be in Pomigliano D’Arco (Naples), Italy, alongside the upcoming Alfa Romeo Tonale. The Hornet will be a compact two-row SUV based on the Tonale, so it’s no surprise the two vehicles will be produced in the same factory. In addition, the Hornet will be one of nine new plug-in electric vehicles (PHEV) for Stellantis by 2024. A full electric version, teased during Stellantis EV Day and depicted in the photos, is also expected to be sold alongside this future product.
Really hitting it home is an alleged photo posted by a member of Italian forum Auto Pareri. The photo features the Dodge Hornet name, and the designation of a 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder engine from the Global Medium Engine (GME) lineup, also known as the Hurricane engine. This turbo-four can be found delivering 270 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque without electrification, with an EPA estimated 31 MPG on the highway in the Jeep Cherokee. Since the Hornet will undoubtedly be lighter than the popular SUV, it’s safe to say these numbers will undoubtedly be higher from a performance standpoint.
Jeep Wrangler 4xe An Early Look At What’s To Come
So, what happens when you add a battery to the mix? Look no further than the Jeep Wrangler 4xe, which has been topping the charts in hybrid vehicle sales. The Jeep Wrangler 4xe uses the GME-T4 Hurricane engine with an 8-speed automatic transmission, plus a 400-volt lithium-ion battery, creating impressive performance and great mileage. We recently got behind the wheel of one of these machines, and it’s got all of the thrust of a V8, and all of the stealth at low speeds to keep nature undisturbed. Rather impressive if you ask us.
That said, the upcoming Dodge Hornet won’t have exactly the same setup given that it’s utilizing a unibody, front-wheel-drive architecture, but the numbers produced by the Wrangler are cause enough for some excitement.


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What a wild ride the last 12 months have been for shareholders in Advanced Micro Devices (AMD). After a dramatic rise in late September of 2018, the stock fell sharply before steadily rising throughout 2019. This brings us to a critical point: Will 2Q earnings propel the stock further in 2019, or are AMD’s best days behind it?
Wedbush analyst Matthew Bryson believes the stock has more runway to the upside. Ahead of the earnings release tonight, Bryson reiterates an Outperform rating on AMD stock, while slightly raising the price target to $39 (from $35), which implies nearly 17% upside from current levels. (To watch Bryson’s track record, click here)
AMD recently released new Ryzen desktop processor lineup, and Bryson notes that reviews of this new product have been “nearly ubiquitously positive with AMD surpassing INTC in every metric except gaming.” Even in gaming, Bryson said that reviews showed that AMD was quickly narrowing the gap with Intel. AMD’s new parts also offer some superior value to Intel’s counterparts, as the bundles are priced the same and AMD includes a cooler in the price, compared to Intel which sells its coolers separately.
AMD’s Taiwanese supply chain has signaled that both AMD and Nvidia are ramping up GPU production. This is a positive sign, as AMD has been drawing down its GPU inventory. With AMD releasing new GPUs, the company should be able to restock its inventory with its new GPU lineup, making the company’s GPUs more attractive to customers.
Furthermore, Bryson’s bullish view on AMD is largely supported by his belief that AMD will increase its future market share in the server CPU market. AMD’s new chip called ‘Rome’ has been tested by reviewers and it is showing better power and performance than present-day Intel designs. The ‘Rome’ chip has double the cores as the previous iteration but only uses 20 more watts of power, which is a key factor for the server CPU market.
A final factor that supports Bryson’s bullish take on AMD is the expectation of gaming console redesigns from Sony and Microsoft in 2020, which should help lift demand. Bryson will also be looking out for a new IP agreement with Samsung.
The Street largely seems to echo Bryson’s positive sentiment on the chip giant, considering TipRanks analytics showcase AMD as a Moderate Buy. Out of 21 analysts polled by TipRanks in the last 3 months, 13 are bullish on AMD stock, while 8 remain sidelined. However, the 12-month average price target stands at $34.55, which aligns evenly with where the stock is currently trading. (See AMD’s price targets and analyst ratings on TipRanks)

domain: news


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Seniors (hosts and guests aged 60 and older) have been a growing and integral part of the Airbnb community for many years, growing fast in number, earning important extra income, and continuing to be the most-loved of any age group. In addition to hosting, seniors are a burgeoning portion of Airbnb’s guest community, using the power of the platform to go beyond traditional tourist districts and experience local, authentic neighbourhoods.
“It’s perhaps no surprise that we’re seeing such strong growth in this demographic. Seniors are healthier and wealthier than they’ve ever been, while also tending to take more and longer trips than other age groups,” noted Greg Greeley, President of Homes, Airbnb.
Thailand’s Active Senior Guests and Trending Destinations
Globally, senior guests are now the fastest-growing of any age group on Airbnb, with the number of seniors who have booked on the platform growing 66% in the past year. Across Thailand, the number of seniors who have booked on Airbnb grew 61.69% in the past year alone, a figure that is expected to continuing trending up as a quarter of Thailand’s population are expected to be 65+ by 2040.
In fact, Thailand seniors are the world’s most active on Airbnb, topping the list of countries with the highest proportion of senior guests on Airbnb. Countries with the highest proportion of over 60s travelling on Airbnb*:
3. United States of America
4. United Kingdom
*Minimum 1000 guests
And it seems senior travellers are flocking to Thailand for their getaways. Some of the trending destinations** in Thailand include:
1. Rawai, Phuket – 73.68%
2. Kathu, Phuket – 56.78%
3. Chiang Mai – 53.59%
**Defined as the cities with greatest YoY increase in # of bookings by senior guests for 2018 travel compared to 2017
Having used Airbnb extensively, Thai senior Winai Kharuwannapat, commented: “I have used Airbnb for more than four years already and the Hosts that U have experienced have all been excellent, very considerate and they take care of me as if I am a member of their family. They also make some very useful local recommendations which is very helpful. I screen Airbnb Hosts in advance by looking at reviews from previous guests and this gives me peace-of-mind and confidence when I travel. Pricing is always reasonable and the quality of accommodation good, and often Hosts assist with airport transfers making my travel convenient and enjoyable.”
Thailand’s Hospitable Senior Hosts, The Most Loved
Globally, senior hosts are the fastest-growing of any age group of hosts on Airbnb, and there are now over 400,000 senior hosts on Airbnb worldwide. In 2017, senior hosts around the world earned over 65 billion baht, hosted over 13.5 million guest arrivals at their listings, and welcomed travellers from over 150 countries.
Happy Thai Experience Host, Sirichan, shared: “I first become an Airbnb Host two years ago. My home is quite unique, over 100 years old, and I wanted to share its fascinating Thai architectural legacy with visitors who wished to experience something traditionally Thai while learning to cook Thai food. Since then I have made many friendships from being Host. It’s almost like becoming a member of a Guest’s family and I have enjoyed sharing moments of happiness together.”
In Thailand, there are more than 1,495 senior hosts on Airbnb, a year-on-year increase of more than 26%, earning more than 290,289,331THB in the past year. In 2017, Thailand senior hosts welcomed over 52,000 guest arrivals at their listings and ranked among the most loved hosts in the world. Senior hosts are the best-rated host age group in Thailand with more than 83% of reviews of senior hosts receiving five stars.
Siew Kum Hong, Airbnb Regional Director, APAC says: “Known for their renowned welcoming hospitality and as avid world travellers, it’s not surprising that seniors in Thailand are aging meaningfully by embracing the home sharing community. As the travel industry continues to grow, Airbnb promotes tourism that is local, authentic, diverse, inclusive, and sustainable, creating new economic opportunities for hosts in the homes and communities where they live.”
Seniors are also at the forefront of a growing trend in Airbnb bookings: multi-generational family travel, where the booking guest is a senior travelling with children or an infant. In contrast to other accommodation options, Airbnb homes often provide amenities that make them ideal for family getaways: kitchens, shared dining spaces, and individual bedrooms and bathrooms. This is an accelerating trend on Airbnb: multi-generational family travel bookings have grown 75% in the past year. And in 2018, over half of these multi-generational bookings have been by first-time bookers new to the Airbnb community.
Thailand has seen 55% growth in multi-generational travel, more than 40% of which are first-time bookings. Popular destinations include Bangkok, Auckland, Kuala Lumpur, Bali, Sydney, Kyoto and Taipei, with an average booking value of 4,657THB per night.


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If you’re getting up or just getting in, you’re going to notice one thing – it’s COLD! Temps early this morning starting off in the upper teens to upper 20s.
The final 12 hours of 2014 began with a balloon drop in suburbia– a new year’s warm up inside the atrium at the city entertainment complex in New Rochelle.
On what is the final day of 2014, expect plenty of sun but also plenty of cold air! Temps will only max out in the mid 20s/low 30s.
We’ve finally hit a pattern this week. Barring a few flakes up north, clear air is winning.
It’s gonna be a mostly cloudy day with occasional light rain across the area. Not anything serious in terms of totals, just enough to put a slight damper on weekend spirits. Still not too bad with a high around 50.
Americans are closing out 2014 on an optimistic note, according to a new Associated Press-Times Square Alliance poll.
Sign up here for more E.S.P. recommendations of things to eat, see and do nearby. The NoMad Bar 10 W. 28th Street New York, NY 10001 (347) 472-5660 TheNoMadHotel.com Party animals, it’s your time to shine! […]
A crowd gathered in Times Square Saturday to shred their bad memories of 2013 – literally.
AAA said the start of peak holiday travel actually has been pushed back to this weekend.
This week WLNY’s Toni Senecal is getting in the holiday spirit. She hit DUMBO and Red Hook to take care of some shopping and did her part to help out Superstorm Sandy victims who were still working to rebuild.
The lights of the Christmas season shine brightest in the Big Apple, where decorations adorn department store windows, holiday tunes fill the air and the city’s stages come to life with Christmas productions.
Holiday time is upon us yet again, and before the stress weighs you down, it’s a good idea to have a plan in place to help ensure that you’ll make it through the season with a smile.
From shipping your luggage to taking public transportation to the airport, we’ve assembled a few of our favorite tips for saving money on holiday travel. You don’t have to waste your whole holiday budget on getting home this year!
Alright, Singletons, it’s time to stop moping around feeling sorry for yourself for being single during the holidays. We have five reasons to celebrate your solo status!
A young woman stumbling around on the 34th Street 1-2-3 line subway platform fell onto the tracks and was killed by a train, following New Year’s festivities early Tuesday.


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By Isaac Tersoo Agber
Ethiopian Airlines is rewarding its Nigerian customers for being part of its success over 70 years. In April, the airline celebrated 70 years of flight operation around the world, and the management of the airline has decided to give out 50 free air tickets to Facebook users in Nigeria as a token of appreciation.
The General Manager of the airline, Solomon Begashaw, made this known in a chat with newsmen in Abuja last week.
Begashaw said: “Ethiopian Airlines has served Africa for the past 70 years. In April this year, we celebrated our 70 years. And as part of our celebrations, we are giving out 50 free tickets to Nigerians in the next 70 days.
“Ten of those tickets are for the media, 10 for Abuja, 10 for Enugu, 10 for Kano and 10 for Lagos stations respectively. To qualify for the shortlist for free tickets, you only need to like Ethiopian Airlines Nigeria Page on Facebook and text your Facebook name and phone number to 08133235804.
“You must be resident in Nigeria to participate.”
Begashaw explained that the tickets would be given to the selected people to travel to tourist sites of any country of their choice in the world.


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A Mesa supermarket, which is scheduled to reopen today after a remodeling that makes liquor more visible, has riled some neighbors, including a local legislator.
State Rep. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, said he doesn’t like the changes to the Fry’s store at 1935 N. Stapley Drive, and he may take his grocery list to Wal-Mart or Bashas'. That’s because of a storewide makeover that expanded the meat department, shoving the liquor aisles closer to the center of the store.
Fry’s spokesman Jim Nygren said the company is “spending millions of dollars,” to remodel all the older marketplace stores in the updated image piloted a year ago at a new Fry’s at Riggs and McQueen roads in Chandler. Fry’s has not had any major complaints about the new store design until now, Nygren said.
“Our customers really like it,” he said. “It provides a better traffic flow. We’ve never had a reaction like this.”
Pearce said he’s backing neighborhood activist Wendy Evans, who is organizing a protest because the changes make the alcohol aisles visible from one of the two store entrances.
“I respect my neighbors’ right to protest that,” Pearce said. “As a respecter of private-property rights, I support Fry’s right to do whatever they want. We just need to let Fry’s know we will shop somewhere else.”
Pearce said he is “not involved as a legislator, but as Russell Pearce, a neighbor.”
Evans said she has been rallying neighbors in hopes of getting Fry’s to stash the booze near the back of the store, “out of the public eye. ”
“We have a lot of concerned neighbors. Alcohol is one of the most destructive drugs in society,” Evans said. “Children go into Fry’s. This is a family neighborhood.”
Evans said some organizations, which did not want their names revealed, are
helping her rally people to her cause. She is not sure how many individuals support her, but she hopes to get an idea today if they show up to picket the store.
A Mesa store at Greenfield Road and Main Street was remodeled in the new image a couple of weeks ago, Nygren said. Stores at Gilbert and Baseline roads on the Mesa-Gilbert border and at 40th Street and Chandler Boulevard in Ahwatukee Foothills are among other Valley stores getting a makeover.
The changes include expanded meat, floral and nutrition departments as well as a more open layout and new signs.
The liquor section in the Stapley store previously faced the meat department, so it had to relocate to make room for more meat coolers, Nygren said. “We didn’t think it was that much of an issue,” he said.
Coolers have to align with the under-the-floor refrigeration lines, said store manager Dave Leschnik, so it’s not so easy or cheap to relocate the meat department.
Fry’s does not plan to change the layout because of Evans protest, Nygren said.
He said neighbors who don’t want to walk down liquor aisles can avoid them completely, which they couldn’t when it was facing the meat coolers.
Evans said that’s not good enough. “We’ll just make other choices,” she said.


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Research reveals which Australians care about sugar when choosing food
Nearly three in ten Australians are “very concerned” about sugar consumption new research from Nielsen and the George Institute has found.
The households most concerned about sugar consumption are those with people aged over 55 and small/single/couple households.
Concern about sugar is highest in the city, especially in Melbourne and Perth.
Consumers are increasingly willing to pay more for low sugar.
Low sugar products appeal the most to older audiences whilst health claims like organic and gluten free appeal the most to younger audiences.
“Overall, the shift towards low sugar and wellness products shows a decentralized-pattern with both lower and higher affluence driving growth,” Nielsen and The George Institute said.
“The growth is also scattered across a range of demographics, demonstrating that the search for low sugar is not confined to one type of consumer, but instead a new Australian mainstream behavour.”
Nielsen and George Institute to study food and nutrition impacts
The above research is the first released under a new partnership between Nielsen and The George Institute for Global Health.
Both organisations will now work together to provide Australian grocery brands a better understanding of the impact of information on food packs such as sugar, protein and fat.
- Hitting the sweet spot? Australia’s sugar consumption decline
- Negative attitude towards sugar changes consumer choices
- Soft drink sales continue to decline
Monash University has struck a historic agreement with the Nutrition and Health Research Institute (...
Food containing hemp may soon become part of the Australian diet with regulators expected to approve...
Burnt toast might be doing worse things to you than ruining the taste of your breakfast says a Briti...
The revised Horticulture Code of Conduct has come into effect on 1 April 2017.
Part CSIRO owned business, The Healthy Grain Company, has appointed a former Chief Executive Officer...
Coopers has opened a $65 million malting plant at its Regency Park brewery in Adelaide.
Animal rights advocacy group PETA has named Jetstar the ‘Most Vegan-Friendly Airline’.
Arnott’s has sold savoury biscuits that weight more than one thousand Sydney Harbour Bridges combine...


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In response to increasing competition and shifting consumer preferences in China's electric vehicle (EV) market, leading EV manufacturer Nio has announced plans to reduce its workforce by 10% this month. The move comes as Nio seeks to bolster efficiency and streamline its operations in a bid to stay competitive.
Demand for EVs in China has shown a notable shift, with consumers favoring more economically efficient plug-in hybrids, resulting in an 84.5% rise in sales during the first nine months of the year. Companies such as Li Auto and BYD have capitalized on this trend, gaining market share in the process.
In a statement to Reuters, Nio indicated that the workforce reduction initiative is set to be completed by the end of November. The company conveyed to its employees that this decision was necessary to bridge the gap between their performance and expectations, stressing the importance of efficiency improvements and resource allocation.
Nio also faces the challenges posed by a price war initiated by American automaker Tesla earlier in the year. This competitive landscape has put pressure on the profitability of pure EV manufacturers, prompting them to take measures to reduce costs and establish strategic partnerships to remain resilient in the market.
Despite a sales rebound in the first half of the year, Nio delivered 109,993 EVs in the first nine months, marking a 33.4% increase compared to the previous year, outpacing the overall growth rate of 18.1% in China's EV sector.
Alongside the workforce reduction, Nio has revealed its intention to defer or curtail long-term project investments that do not contribute to financial performance within the next three years. Moreover, the company is exploring the possibility of establishing a dealer network in Europe, a move aimed at accelerating sales growth and alleviating financial pressure on the firm.
As the EV market continues to evolve, Nio's strategic adjustments reflect its commitment to staying competitive and meeting the dynamic demands of consumers.


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Gov. Katie Hobbs supports new 'tamale bill'
Gov. Katie Hobbs is on board with a new version of the tamale bill that she vetoed last year.
The latest bill would expand the types of home-cooked foods, or cottage foods, in Arizona that can legally be sold to the public, including tamales and other products that may include meat. The bill includes other regulations, including labeling requirements and a prohibition on using cottage foods as an ingredient in food sold at retail stores.
It would allow vendors to sell cottage foods in a store if they are placed in a separate section that notifies customers the items are homemade.
Hobbs vetoed a similar bill last year over concerns it could increase the spread of food-borne illness.
But a new version of the bill passed Thursday through the Arizona House with unanimous support.
Rep. Alma Hernandez (D-Tucson) said lawmakers have been working on the new proposal since Hobbs vetoed the old bill last year.
“This is something that we’ve been working on for the last year I guess now,” Hernandez said.
Rep. Travis Grantham (R-Gilbert), the bill’s sponsor, said the new proposal was the product of negotiations with the governor’s office and lawmakers in the state Senate.
“Many of the items that were of concern last year, that were listed as a reason for veto, were addressed in this bill,” he said.
That includes language defining what constitutes a home kitchen and a requirement that home cooks have a food handler certification.
A spokesman for Hobbs confirmed the governor supports the new bill.


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HIGH POINT — New federal rules limiting the amount of the cancer-causing chemical formaldehyde that can be used in materials like plywood and particleboard will present a number of challenges to furniture manufacturers, according to industry lobbyists.
President Obama signed the Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood Products Act last month. The bill essentially extends limits already in place in California to the rest of the country, and directs the EPA to develop implementation regulations for those standards by 2013.
The push for stricter rules began when the residents of trailers built as emergency housing for victims of Hurricane Katrina began getting sick as a result of the formaldehyde in the structural materials. Formaldehyde is frequently used in the adhesives that bind composite wood products together and is a significant contributor to indoor air pollution.
The well-known health and environmental effects of formaldehyde have provided a commercial opportunity to some companies in the Triad, including Greensboro-based Columbia Forest Products, which has developed a brand of formaldehyde-free plywood called PureBond sold in Home Depot stores and elsewhere internationally.
But implementation of the new standard at the national level could present some challenges to furniture makers who make frequent use of composite woods, according to the American Home Furnishings Alliance, an industry trade group headquartered in High Point.
In a newsletter article, Bill Perdue, vice president of the AHFA, said the furniture makers have been working closely with both California regulators and Congress on ways to reduce formaldehyde exposure. The passage of the bill represents “steady, incremental achievements” toward doing so safely and efficiently, he said.
There are two main challenges for the industry to be addressed as the EPA begins preparing to implement the law, he said. One is establishing “reasonable” test protocols. Testing shouldn’t be required of finished pieces of furniture, for example, because the emissions requirements are based on just the composite wood itself.
Also, the industry will argue that furniture makers should be given at least three years to sell through their existing inventories once the national compliance deadline has taken effect.
“Unlike in California, where non-compliant inventories could be moved to other markets, there is no pragmatic solution to non-compliant inventories within the national marketplace,” Perdue said.
The stricter standards will add to the cost of the raw materials in many pieces of furniture, but some manufacturers say they don’t expect to see much price impact for themselves or consumers, at least in the short term.
Tommy Rhoney, senior purchasing manager at Bernhardt Furniture Co. in Lenoir, said that because of the importance of the California market, most suppliers including all of those used by Bernhardt are already in compliance with the stricter standards. So far, it appears that the composite wood manufacturers are absorbing the cost of meeting those requirements, he said.
“I’m not paying any more for particle board now than I was before,” Rhoney said.
Reach Matt Evans at (336) 370-2916 or email@example.com.


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‘I don’t understand why people get mad at the workers. We don’t make the prices’: Customer yells at McDonald’s worker because iced coffee is no longer $1
'One thing you're not going to do is come into my drive-thru and yell at me over prices.'
On Sep 2, 2022 by Braden Bjella
‘Tell me why I can get a steak for $12′: Customer praises Chili’s menu prices, says inflation ‘didn’t hit’ the restaurant
'In this economy ???'
On Aug 31, 2022 by Lauren Castro
‘I remember when it was $6-7’: Chipotle customer says single bowl came out to $25, sparking debate
'You could’ve went & sat down at a restaurant for $25.'
On Aug 31, 2022 by Braden Bjella
Asparagus and guac: Dr. Oz builds a nonsensical vegetable platter to complain about inflation in resurfaced video
His point about inflation fell flat.
On Aug 15, 2022 by Claire Goforth
‘They are lying. People do want to work’: Jamba Juice worker says rising prices are causing understaffing and fewer hours for employees
'You can’t get that many hours because people are not going out, spending money, because everything is really expensive!'
On Aug 5, 2022 by Braden Bjella
‘I pulled up to Little Caesars f*cking shook. Where the $5 pizza?’: Customer films new prices of pizzas in drive-thru
'Costco hotdogs and Arizona ice teas are the final bosses for inflation.'
On Jul 19, 2022 by Braden Bjella
‘Nobody is going to take that’: Instacart shopper says customer ordered groceries at Walmart 30 miles away
'Instacart really needs to change how they do this.'
On Jul 15, 2022 by Grace Stanley
‘What the f*ck am I supposed to do with that?’: Worker says she got 60-cent raise after 7 years, sparking debate
Countless TikTokers claim to have received minuscule raises despite record inflation.
On Jul 8, 2022 by Mikael Thalen
‘It’s happening y’all inflation’: Viral video shows Costco Chicken Bake price increase from $2.99 to $3.99 in real time
'They better not even mess with the hot dog price.'
On Jul 5, 2022 by Brooke Sjoberg
‘$13 an hour? no thanks snacks aren’t benefits’: Restaurant increases prices by 50%, blames ‘lazy workers’ in job flyer
'That’s a toxic work environment if I’ve seen one.'
On Jun 27, 2022 by Rebekah Harding
Twitter users revel in Bitcoin, crypto crash as evangelists pledge to hold even more
The dip keeps dipping.
On Jun 13, 2022 by Jacob Seitz
‘Are y’all serious with this’: Democrats mocked for tweet thanking Biden for 2-cent gas price drop
'2 cents. They made a graphic for 2 cents.'
On Dec 2, 2021 by Claire Goforth
Twitter users roast inflation report that says ‘average Americans’ are buying $90 wine
'If average Americans can’t find a bottle of wine for less than $90, they should probably stop drinking...'
On Nov 20, 2021 by Dan Latu


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What happens when you mix the multiplayer of a first-person shooter like Halo with the space-warping portals of, well, Portal? Oh, and make it free. Apparently, you get a game that’s so popular its developers need to delay the official release by a month to make sure its servers are up to snuff.
Splitgate, which has been in early access on PC since 2019, launched its open console beta on July 13 and, according to the developers at 1047 Games, attracted more than 2 million players in just two weeks. This has forced the studio to delay the game’s official release—which was originally planned for tomorrow, July 27—into August to allow the team to increase game server capacity.
“Our team has been blown away by the incredible reception the Splitgate community has shown us,” 1047 Games CEO Ian Proulx said. “With the steep and sudden increase in players trying to access servers, we’re having to sort out a myriad of technical issues that come with this level of insane growth. We’ve worked hard to provide a high-quality game and experience, and our biggest challenge is simply to have enough capacity to serve the entire community.”
Helping the developers achieve those goals will be an additional $10 million cash infusion from venture capital firm Human Capital.
Much of the content planned for Splitgate’s full launch is still planned to release tomorrow via the open beta, which will remain playable for the foreseeable future. This content includes three new maps and expanded customization options. A few player-requested features from the beta are also planned, including an FoV slider, mouse and keyboard controls, and customizable button layouts on consoles.
Splitgate’s open beta is currently available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC with cross-play across all platforms. Servers are planned to return from their brief down time tomorrow.


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Source: Mixed reactions over GMB producer prices – NewsDay Zimbabwe
BY NHAU MANGIRAZI
FARMERS have expressed mixed feelings over the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) producer prices announced on Tuesday.
GMB chief executive Ronnie Mutenha announced that the maize producer price for the 2021/22 season was $58 553,25 per tonne, traditional grain $70 263,90, soya bean $125 530,17 and sunflower $150 636,20.
Women in Agriculture Union (WAU) chief executive Olga Nhari said the producer prices were welcome to boost agricultural production.
‘‘The producer price is a welcome move for our membership, especially women farmers. We welcome the announcement as it will be easier to plan. I urge our members to grab this opportunity as it will open avenues for us financially,’’ Nhari said.
WAU is a national member-driven organisation that has membership in the country’s 10 provinces.
But some farmers said the prices would have been eroded by inflation by harvest time.
‘‘The amount is better as compared to this year’s which was below US$200. The latest price is around US$300 using the black market rate. It is likely to have been eroded by inflation by the time of harvesting. This will affect farmers in the long run,’’ said Hurungwe farmer David Muroga of Chitimbe area.
Tobias Kabatamuswe of Tengwe, about 60km east of Karoi, pleaded with GMB to peg the prices in foreign currency.
‘‘Our local currency is not stable, hence the need to peg the producer prices in United States dollars,’’ Kabatamuswe said.
Mixed reactions over GMB producer prices
Newer PostZim politics toxic: Moyo
Older PostChamisa hints on new party name


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Thursday marks the grand finale in the Swisspers Sleep Naked Face-Off, a social campaign to get people talking about the health benefits of removing their makeup before going to bed.
Says one online ad for the cotton round manufactured by U.S. Cotton, the nation’s only manufacturer of organic cotton: “Removing your makeup at night may help prevent wrinkles. Sleep Naked.”
It’s year two of the campaign and, this year, Cleveland-based agency Marcus Thomas enlisted two beauty/makeup celebrities and set up a “Team Blonde” or “Team Brunette” challenge.
“We knew we wanted a blonde and brunette who were influential in fashion and beauty, well-known, recognizable and current,” Shawn Engler, assistant product manager at U.S. Cotton, told Marketing Daily.
With balloting complete on Tuesday, Emily Maynard, a Southern blonde from ABC’s “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette,” ran a distant second to the Jersey girl, brunette Danielle Jonas from E’s “The E! Reality Show” and “Married to Jonas.”
Each have been using Twitter, Facebook and Instagram postings to cultivate their team. Hashtags #sleepnaked #swisspers #teamemily and #teamdani supported. The winner hosts the National Sleep Naked Night virtual party at 9 p.m. Eastern, and will answer beauty questions through Twitter and Instagram video.
The campaign targeted women 18-34 who are self-identified online as beauty/makeup or pop culture fans. Five text-only Facebook keyword-driven banner teasers supported the effort: “Stars Sleep Naked,” “Blondes Do It Better,” “Brunettes Do It Better.”
Post-event advertising runs mid-September through mid-December on Walmart.com and Amazon.com. That message shifts to: “Some wrinkle removers cost $100 an ounce. This one costs pennies.”
While there was no specific messaging in-stores to accompany the campaign, additional stock of the cotton round have been added, Engler says.
Swisspers has a 27% share of the national cotton rounds market.


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Since launching in 2015, Gore Bay’s Split Rail Brewing Co. has grown into an established brand offering a diverse array of craft beers, building a strong and loyal customer base.
Located on the west end of Manitoulin Island, the locally owned brewery has grown its revenue year over year, and its taproom has become a popular year-round attraction.
But as the business blossomed, one complication persisted.
“We just didn’t have enough supply to meet demand, and that’s not a perennial problem that you want to have as a business owner,” said co-owner Susan Snelling, speaking during an online presentation hosted by the Northern Ontario Farm Innovation Alliance (NOFIA) on Nov. 3.
“If there are people who want your product, you want to be able to supply that.”
One way they could address the issue was switching their packaging from bottles – a process Snelling described as labour-intensive, physically demanding and slow – to cans.
So, three years ago, the brewery began experimenting with the idea, periodically enlisting the services of a mobile canning system, which the operator would haul up to Split Rail from southern Ontario, spending a full day canning beer before heading back south.
But it proved to be a temporary solution.
“It’s a great option if you only need a little bit of canning or if you’re looking to enhance your capacity,” Snelling said. “But it’s expensive and you’re subject to their schedule, so you can’t necessarily guarantee when you’re going to have the packaged product.”
As a business that values sourcing local ingredients, creating jobs for local residents, and doing all its production locally, engaging help from outside the region didn’t sit well with Split Rail’s owners.
They also balked at the environmental impact created by hauling equipment back and forth from the southern part of the province.
So, early this year, the brewery decided to purchase its own canning line, and it looked to the Fair Finance Fund to make it happen.
“We knew with the Fair Finance Fund we would have a lender who understood our social purpose, understood our environmental constraints and considerations, and would support us in that,” Snelling said.
“So we didn’t have to make the argument that local was important.”
Launched in 2019, the Fair Finance Fund is a non-profit social finance fund providing loans and mentorship services to farms and food-related businesses that prioritize local food systems and economies, along with the environment.
Its lending capital comes from community bonds. Investors purchase a bond, and that money goes into a pool of funds that’s loaned out to food and farm enterprises in Ontario. The interest generated from the investment is then shared between the fund and the investors, who are typically strong believers in local food systems, Fehr said.
“It’s really helping to support not just the physical goods economy within Ontario, but also the monetary goods and having the flow of money and that circular economy throughout Ontario,” said Deirdre Fehr, Fair Finance Fund’s loans officer.
“You’re not just getting a loan from Fair Finance Fund; you’re also supporting other people and enterprises within Ontario.”
To date, the fund has distributed 17 loans with a value just under $1 million, and its investments have helped create 99 jobs.
Twenty per cent of its loans have been distributed to business owners in Northern Ontario, a region Fehr acknowledged is beset by challenges including a shorter growing season and higher costs related to transportation and distribution.
The difference between the Fair Finance Fund and a more traditional lender is something Fehr called a “character-based lending process.”
Instead of solely assessing a client’s credit score, the fund will get to know the person and their passion for their work, determine how dedicated they are to their business’ mission, and appraise their commitment to repaying the loan.
Loan clients also receive mentorship services from a pool of expert advisors who have decades of experience in the farm and food industries, Fehr said, and the fund will help with marketing and promotional assistance as well.
“We like to say that our fund really wants our clients to succeed,” Fehr said.
Split Rail Brewing secured its loan from the fund in the early spring of 2020, just as the COVID pandemic was taking hold in Canada.
The brewery installed its permanent canning line in May, and since then the operation has changed dramatically.
Being able to can beer on their own schedule, using their own staff, has been a “game-changer,” Snelling said. The machine can currently produce 12 cans per minute, but the system can be expanded if needed to boost production further.
“Now we’re up and running with the canning line, and it has absolutely increased our capacity to meet demand,” Snelling said. “We have grown our revenues and our production through the pandemic, which not every business can say.”


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Chinese smartphone player Xiaomi is reported to have missed its 2015 handset shipment target.
The company, which has been the most prominent rising star in the tough smartphone space, shipped 70 million devices last year. This compares with 61 million in 2014, indicating continued, but significantly slowed, growth.
While a figure of 100 million was mooted early in the year, this was slimmed to 80 million as 2015 progressed – with Xiaomi still unable to reach this new goal.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Lei Jun, chairman of the company, said late last year that the focus was not on shipment numbers, but on customer satisfaction – with external pressure the motivator for its guidance.
Part of Xiaomi’s challenge is its reliance on its home market. While this was able to drive early growth and gave volumes the company could build on internationally, it also means that a widely-reported slowdown in the country as its smartphone market matures has taken its toll.
Among Xiaomi’s big hopes for growth is the growing Indian market, with the company recently beginning the assembly of handsets locally. But this market is also characterised by fierce competition both from local players and international vendors.
The company, which has grown quickly in recent years, has been broadening its portfolio to include wearables, tablets, televisions and other products – such as an air purifier.


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According to the agency, hijacked plane landed at the airport in Bali.
Details of the incident have not been announced. According to recent data, the attempt to steal the plane was made by the drunken passengers.
Samsung to launch flexible display, cut smartphone models in 2015
Guetst: VERY MUCH
A new official edition of the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan was published
Abdujavlon: can I download a new edition
Turin University in Tashkent to Accept 175 Students
Guetst: Xurshidjon Abduxalilov
Dzhavohir Sindarov became world chess champion
Guetst: MY CONGRODULATION


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BACK TO :
TECHNOLOGY : FUTURE
(Updated on 09/10/2013)
The smart multitasking drones of the future - a video - 12 August 2014
"BBC Click's Marc Cieslak met with BAE Systems, to see the potential future military uses for drones and also learn how the technology is being adapted to help rescue people from dangerous locations and even prevent poaching."
Why everyone may have a personal air vehicle - 31 October 2013 - Article + Video
"The idea of having a part car, part plane, part drone parked outside your home may not be as far-fetched as it seems. There really aren’t any technological hurdles to this."
- Will we ever... pass the Turing Test for computers? - 16 May 2012
"As the latest set of contestants fail the infamous Turing Test, John Pavlus explores what it will take to create a computer that can think like a human."
- The driverless taxi of the future at Heathrow Airport. - 25 November 2009
"The driverless taxi, or personal rapid transit, drives itself around a network of guideways using a combination of systems including laser sensors
and computer controls.
The electric vehicles look a bit like the futuristic transport pods used in James Bond movies."
- Driving a car using your phone - 14 November 2009
"Researchers in Germany have developed software that allows you to drive a car - with a mobile phone.
It is part of project aimed at creating a fully automated vehicle.
The BBC's Berlin correspondent Steve Rosenberg tried it out."
- Futuristic gadgets out of Japan - 6 November 2009
- "a phone that transfers data through people's bodies,
a music player controlled by eye movement
and a flexible organic light-emitting diode screen (OLED)."
Vision of the future seen in bionic contact lens - 21 January /2008
Prototype includes light-emitting diodes, basic wiring and a tiny antenna...
Future versions, the scientists believe, could serve as a flexible plastic platform for applications such as surfing the Internet on a virtual screen, immersing gamers in virtual worlds and monitoring patients’ medical conditions."


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Major logistics operator DB Schenker has recently purchased 53 Renault Trucks E-Tech D for its operations in France. This order for 53 electric carriers is to date the largest by Schenker France, and follows several tests performed in French agencies.
DB Schenker France to receive the trucks starting September 2023
The first 50 electric Renault Trucks E-Tech D of 16 tons and 3 E-Tech D of 19 tons will arrive in branches starting September 2023. The deployment is already underway in 19 metropolitan agencies with the installation of electric charging infrastructure and will be completed until March 2024. These vehicles will ensure urban, suburban or regional trips with an average distance of 150 to 200 kilometers day, lower than the average range of 300 km.
Here are the words of Frédéric Vallet, CEO Schenker France: “We have the ambition to be the world leader in green logistics. Electric powered trucks are an integral part of our vehicle portfolio. We ensure that their share is continually increasing. The implementation of the new Renault Trucks vehicles will be another step towards achieving these ambitious targets.”


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The Reports Are In.
Is The Housing Market On The Mend?
By way of several home sales reports and other economic data, (see home price appreciation report below) clear signals are being sent that the recent rout in home sales has diminished for a majority of the country . Sales of previously occupied homes rose for the third month in a row in the month of June, the National Association of Realtors reported. The marketplace has not seen this period of expansion in almost 5 years.
Home sales rose 3.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.89 million last month Sales were up in all four regions of the country.
Demonstrating how the housing market is a big part of the economy's "barometer", the Dow Jones Average reached above 9,000 for the first time since early January.
In an informal and unscientific poll, Home Actions surveyed Realtors as to their perception of the turn around. Clearly, they reported, many consumers who were sitting on the fence are now engaged in the house hunting process. Low mortgage rates, combined with affordable home prices and government assistance create a nice environment.
Link NRA report


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Police investigating armed robbery at KCK Walgreens
Worker says this is second time store targeted in a week
Kansas City, Kansas, police are investigating an armed robbery Wednesday morning at a Walgreens store.
Police were called to the store at 78th Street and State Avenue.
A store employee said as many as four people came into the store and held up the pharmacy, demanding promethazine and codeine.
The group made off with the drugs, as well as cigarettes. No cash was taken.
The employee told KMBC this is the second time in a week that this store has been targeted.
KMBC 9 News has a crew on scene. We'll have more information as it comes available.


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@DualSportPlus • Brantford, ON (October 22, 2015)- On Saturday, October 24, Dualsport Plus will host a one-day-only open house/clearance event at their Brantford, ON location with deals on non-current bikes, parts and accessories.
Thursday, 22 October 2015 14:46 Published in News
After taking hold of the Dualsport Plus name last year, the good folks at Carrier Centers are keeping alive the tradition of an annual open house on Saturday, May 2 at the new Dualsport Plus location in Brantford, ON.
This year's edition of the annual customer/industry get-together will feature an early dual sport ride hosted by Dakar veteran and author Lawrence Hacking (10 am-12 pm), live riding demos by Superbike legend and Trials champion Jordan Szoke, hourly draws, one-day special sales in the store, refreshments and more. The open house runs from 10-4 on Saturday, May 2.
Dualsport Plus is located at 581 West Street in Brantford. For more information visit www.dualsportplus.com or call 1-888-990-9013.
Wednesday, 15 April 2015 15:22 Published in Industry News
Dual Sport Plus owner Rob Long, General Manager Clint MacBride and their friendly staff welcomed hundreds of adventure enthusiasts to the new location at 581 West Street in Brantford, ON on November 8 for an open house to celebrate the next era of Dual Sport Plus. Former owners Les Clarke and Catharine St. Denis took a break from their No Agenda World Tour, flying up from Arizona to greet new and former customers. Industry stalwarts present included Larry Bastedo, Warren Milner, BMW’s Chris Duff, Honda’s Kim Moore and several others.
Saturday, 15 November 2014 14:14 Published in Feature Stories


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The disastrous Super Bowl appearance by the Denver Broncos Sunday night isn’t a complete loss, at least in terms of championship merchandise.
For World Vision International, a Christian humanitarian nonprofit that works with impoverished countries globally, it means needy people in places like Mongolia and Zambia might be donning Denver Broncos Super Bowl champion gear soon.
The National Football League (NFL) and sports merchandise retailers like Englewood-based Sports Authority have a deal with World Vision in which the losing team’s merchandise is shipped to the nonprofit and distributed to the areas in greatest need.
For the first 30 years of the Super Bowl, any merchandise with the losing team’s name on championship items had to be destroyed, per NFL rules.
But that changed 18 years ago when the NFL and Seattle-based World Vision-U.S. struck a deal. (Yes, Seattle.) The merchandise still can't be sold online or anywhere in the continental U.S., according to the NFL - but now it doesn't go to waste.
After Super Bowl XLIV in 2010, for example, children in Haiti - which had just been hit by a devastating earthquake - received shirts celebrating the losing Indianapolis Colts, according to a Bloomberg Businessweek article. (Sorry to go there, Peyton.)
The year before, Arizona Cardinals gear was sent to children and families living in extreme poverty in El Salvador.
World Vision spokeswoman Sheryl Watkins said the nonprofit doesn't know where this year's donated Broncos goods will go yet, but the destinations will likely include countries where they've distributed merchandise in the past.
That means while we here in Colorado cope with yesterday's loss, people in countries like Bosnia, El Salvador, Mongolia, Zambia, Armenia, Nicaragua, Romania, Uganda, Burundi, Mali and Rwanda might be celebrating new clothes.


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People have gone to extremes in order to acquire a PlayStation 5 console because it is the hottest property of the year.
The console is nowhere to be purchased in a store and those who purchased it would obviously want to play some great games on it. The State of Play event will take place today which will be the spot for the developer to unveil some great PS5 and maybe older PS4 titles for those who still rock the hardware.
In a recent interview, the company was generous enough to confirm that a new PS VR 2 is indeed heading to the PS5 console. For players who really enjoyed the PSVR with its own set of limitations, the new headset will be far more advanced. Instead of having to have too many cables and adapters running out, you can instead run the same this time with a single cable. The concept is similar to how USB Type C cables are used for Oculus Quest headsets on a PC and console gaming community being able to have a take on virtual reality games is great news for the entire group. It would help developers make more titles.
State of Play returns this Thursday! Tune in live at 2 PM PT/5 PM ET to see updates and deep dives for games coming to PS4 and PS5.
Full details: https://t.co/qMFCMCuIGU pic.twitter.com/NjwB40YlU1
— PlayStation (@PlayStation) February 23, 2021
Sony in a tweet confirmed that the State of Play event is scheduled for 25th February. The timing will obviously vary based on your location but you can follow the announcement that claims it will be held at 2pm PT or 5pm ET timings. The event will be live-streamed on all major platforms including YouTube’s official PlayStation channel. It will also be streamed on Twitch so that you can easily watch it and stay updated on all the great games that will get launched on PS5, PS4 consoles in the next few weeks or probably months.
They have also officially announced in the statement that a total of 10 titles will be revealed during this event. It will not be focused only on the newest PlayStation 5 console but will instead have lots of backward compatible titles that will launch on PlayStation 4 consoles. Obviously, it means that the games will be made available on the PS4 Pro console with improved graphics and frame rates, as this intermittent console is based on a better hardware specification when compared to the original console.
While we already know that God of War is coming in 2021 on PS5, this is just the beginning as first-party titles have always been the power of a PlayStation console. Days Gone is coming to PC and more PS titles will find their way to computers but those are old titles. The newer ones will be coming directly to the two consoles making it worth the purchase in 2021, at least when stocks become available again.


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The prices for the XUV700 have been hiked since October 8. The base variant now costs Rs. 12.49 lakh (ex-showroom).
Mahindra has received more than 50,000 bookings for the XUV700 in just 2 days since the car went on sale on October 7, 2021.
On the first day, Mahindra received 25,000 bookings within an hour. Today, another 25,000 cars were booked within just 2 hours.
The first batch of 25,000 cars was offered at an introductory price. From October 8, prices for the XUV700 have been hiked. The range now starts at Rs. 12.49 lakh (ex-showroom), while the top-spec AX7 Luxury AT AWD variant costs Rs. 22.99 lakh.
The XUV700 comes with two engine options – 2.0-litre mStallion turbo-petrol producing 197 BHP and 380 Nm and a 2.2-litre mHawk diesel engine that makes 182 BHP and 420 Nm (MT) / 450 Nm (AT). Both engines come with a choice of a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel-drive will also be available as an option.
Source: Read Full Article


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Stella is Interbrew's star performer
BELGIAN brewing giant Interbrew said that UK sales of its Stella Artois lager grew by almost 13% last year. Net profit fell 13% to e467m (£317m), in part because of the sale of Carling. Overall, however, the group achieved operating profits of e710m in its wines and spirits business, up 106% due to acquisition and organic growth of 7.5%. The dividend is raised 29% from 0.29 cents to 0.33 cents.
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Keyshia Ka'Oir Gifts Her Mom a Brand New Customized Bentley Worth $216k on Her Birthday
Gucci Mane's wife Keyshia Ka'Oir gifted her mom a brand new customized Bentley for her birthday and her reaction to the extravagant gift was priceless.
Gucci Mane is infamous when it comes to gift-giving, but this time, it's his wife Keyshia Ka'Oir who is making headlines for a birthday present that she gave her mom.
Ka'Oir celebrated her mom's birthday in a grand way and a shiny new Bentley was involved. The stunning ride was specially customized for the birthday girl and the expression in her face upon seeing her gift was that of disbelief.
SUCH A SWEET RIDE
Ka'Oir shared a video of the sweet ride and also captured her mom's reaction. Her mom covered her face in disbelief as she moved towards her new ride. In the caption to the post, Ka'Oir revealed that the surprise had been planned months ahead.
"I ordered this over a year ago so it could be specially made just for u [sic]."
The "KA'OIR Fitness" founder was delighted to spoil her mom on her special day. But there was more to the surprise than the brand new luxury ride.
On the front seat of the car, Ka'Oir had saved some designer gifts. Now the mother and daughter can go for a ride while turning heads in their special wheels.
Everything about Mane and Ka'Oir spells "extravagant," right from the day they tied the knot.
Last week, the model took her glossy blue Lamborghini out and shared a snap of it on Instagram. Just like her mother's car, it was custom-made for Ka'Oir and gifted to her by Mane about 2 years ago.
Gucci Mane and Keyshia Ka'Oir attend the Warner Music Group Pre-Grammy Party on January 25, 2018 in New York City. | Source: Getty Images
The gorgeous car is just another addition to the long list of extravagant gifts that Mane has given to her over the years. On their anniversary, the rapper spoiled his wife with a rare 1017 chain.
The rare piece of jewelry is closely tied to his music label 1017. Only a few people have the coveted chain and Young Thug and Lil Baby are among them.
Everything about the couple spells "extravagant," right from the day they tied the knot. Their spectacular all-white wedding dubbed "The Mane Event" was televised as a 10-part wedding special.
The event was the talk of the town, but not only because it was an event that cost a whopping $1.7 million, but because their children were absent on the day. Ka'Oir, later on, explained that she did not want her children to be in the limelight.


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Famous Dave’s new CEO makes changes
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The restaurant and marketing veteran said he’s confident that the keys to the Minnetonka-based barbecue chain’s success — high-quality food, good service and a strong to-go business — already are in place. But he wants the chain to get back to its roots by simplifying the menu and adding more small-format, limited-service Famous Dave’s BBQ Shack locations. He also plans to boost beer sales and revamp the company’s marketing to target busy moms.
“We’re really best in class in a lot of things, and I think the value I can bring is to leverage all that good stuff and accelerate the growth,” said Gilbert, who took the helm as CEO in October after serving on the company’s board for just over a year.
Famous Dave’s expansion has been slow the past few years. It’s on pace to open 13 restaurants in 2012, but those gains will be partly offset by at least five franchise closures.
The company plans to add 15 locations in 2013, including at least two or three BBQ Shacks. Those locations are only 3,000 to 4,000 square feet, making them cheaper to build and allowing Famous Dave’s to enter markets that previously would have been too small.
The company has three BBQ Shacks, including one in Eden Prairie. The newest, which opened last month in suburban Chicago, is “performing very well, exceeding all expectations,” Gilbert said.
That smaller concept plays to the chain’s strength in the takeout segment, which already generates roughly 22 percent of its total sales, a high mark for a casual-dining chain. The BBQ Shacks generate more than half of their sales from to-go orders.
John Vomhof Jr. covers retail, hotels, sports business, advertising, public relations and media. He's also on the air on WCCO-AM 830 with Dave Lee daily at 8:45 a.m. and on Fox 9 TV Fridays at 5:30 a.m. & 6:30 a.m.
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Amanda Holden has wowed fans yet again with her latest saucy snaps.
The TV star flaunted her bronzed legs when she posed in just Calvin Klein underwear and a cropped jumper.
The Britain's Got Talent judge chose to wear black knitwear, which barely covered her breasts, and matching dark underwear.
The briefs also allowed fans to get a glimpse of her toned figure.
The blonde bombshell captioned the photo on Instagram: "You're never fully dressed without a smile."
The mum uploaded three photos from the shoot in a treat for fans.
The first shows her mid-action shot jumping off a set of steps, and another facing away from the camera with her tousled hair in the wind.
The final picture was still and flawless, with the 49-year-old holding onto her chic stiletto buckle while looking away from the camera.
Amanda chose to wear her hair down, falling over her shoulders in loose waves.
Her make-up featured a smokey eye, long lashes and a pink nude lip, smothered in gloss.
Her cheeks were bronzed, like her toned pins and stomach.
She flashed her figure in just her undies ahead of her 50th birthday, which is round the corner on February 16.
Her snaps sent fans wild after she posed up a storm on the metal staircase.
They were gushing after the photos with many using heart-eye emojis in the comment section.
And fans were quick to respond with adoration.
One said: "Fifty and fit."
Another penned: "Wow," followed by several fire emojis.
A third commented: "Are you having a dance? Those legs."
The BGT Judge left fans breathless when she shared a kinky snap with a leather whip earlier this week.
While testing out Marks and Spencer Valentine's Day food range, the minx was passed a leather whip by somebody off screen.
Before holding up the kinky top, Amanda said: "We have the Marks and Spencer's love whip.
"No, not this kind of love whip," Amanda said with a coy smile.
She then explained: "This kind of love whip," as she held up an M&S chocolate topped with a pink heart.


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A clothing brand is slowly but surely making its name known in the U.S. Aptly called “Grunt Style,” the lifestyle brand started off as a $1,200 business venture but is now worth $100 million. What was the brand’s secret? Grit, a lot of it.
The man behind Grunt Style is former Army Drill Sergeant Daniel Alarik. Per Forbes, the brand targets the patriotic Americans. Their website puts it simply: “You don’t have to be a Veteran to wear Grunt Style, but you do have to love Freedom, Bacon, and Whiskey.”
The success of Grunt Style spawned other lifestyle brands such as Grunt Style Motorsports, Grunt Style Outdoors, and Grunt Style Fitness. They have two million social media followers and over 300 employees. The company organizes events such as Grunt Fests which features UFC, beers, motorsports and American patriotism.
Alarik recalls the times before success came and he owes a lot to his military background. He personally designed, printed and distributed Grunt Style merchandise. He and his wife got scammed and lost money but they still pushed through. His wife battled cancer, underwent chemotherapy and surgery but they still did not give up.
In the end, their grit paid off. Alarik claims all businesses go through tough times and it happens even to the best of them. What matters according to him is to never fold under such circumstances.
Meanwhile, other American retailers had not as much luck as Grunt Style. According to CNNMoney, clothing stores are closing down at an unprecedented rate in the U.S. It is expected that more than 8,600 brick and mortar stores will call it quits this year, easily surpassing the mark in 2008 when 6,163 stores closed down. Experts are predicting the demise of traditional stores due to the emergence of online shopping offered by e-commerce giants such as Amazon.
As early as 2013, CNBC reported the shift in preference of shoppers, from shopping in brick-and-mortar to buying online. Convenience and better prices rose as the main reasons why customers preferred buying online back then and they could be the same reasoning why brick and mortar stores have suffered today.
All in all, what matters is staying true to your brand’s identity, never giving up and being sensitive to shifting demands from customers.
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LOS ANGELES - Rite Aid filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Monday, Oct. 16, prompting an initial round of store closure announcements nationwide.
The company said Rite Aid stores will continue to fill prescriptions, and customers will still be able to visit its locations or shop online while it goes through its voluntary Chapter 11 process. However, this process also will allow it to speed up its plan to close underperforming stores.
In this initial round of closures, Rite Aid plans to shutter 154 stores across the country, including 31 across California, according to court documents.
While a specific timeline for the closures was not provided, the following LA and Orange County Rite Aid stores are set to close:
City News Service contributed to this report.


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It’s intriguing to note that at no point does Audi mention anything in the marketing for this year’s Dakar push as being about green energy, sustainability or helping the environment, instead vaguely stating to the “Future is an attitude” in its marketing slogans. What it of course wants to do in the future is sell road cars, and the marque can see which way the desert wind is blowing as to how many of them will be EVs. That is after all its main aim of being in Dakar – getting the public to buy more cars, not necessarily save the world. It allows the consumer to make the connection.
The punchiest opposition to Audi is the Prodrive team. Famous for, amongst other wildly successful motor sport projects, taking Colin McRae to the 1995 WRC title in a Subaru Impreza, its BRX Hunter, piloted by Sébastien Loeb, is a conventional ICU monster powered by a 3.5-litre Ford GT V6.
This is where it diverges from the usual though. Instead of being powered by conventional juice, it instead uses EcoPower, a concoction formulated by bespoke fuel supplier Coryton.
David Lapworth, Prodrive’s Technical director, broke it down for Motor Sport at Dakar.
“The main ingredient for our fuel – 90% – is agricultural waste,” he says. “The other 10% is fossil fuel, which is part of the blend required by the FIA. But the target is that 10% will come down and down and will be 0% in a year or two.”
The saving the car will make is considerable, particularly when compared to the Audi.
“A normal petrol car would produce 36 tonnes of CO2 across Dakar,” Lapworth explains. “We’re producing about six [per car]. The Audi is a little more efficient than us, probably produces about 30 tonnes. Our emissions are about 80% down on what we would produce with normal petrol.”
Key to Prodrive’s eco push is the fact the CO2 which comes out of the Hunter’s tailpipe is already in the atmosphere previously, hence the reduction in emissions.
The fuel is not overly expensive, coming in at roughly £4 a litre. Lapworth can also see how it would be immediately beneficial to the ‘real world’.
“Take your average electric car,” he says. “They reckon it’s about 70,000 miles before you offset the amount of CO2 that’s embedded in its manufacturer because it’s so energy intensive to create lithium-ion batteries – it takes a lot of mining.
“And even then it’s not as green as you think because we’re still getting electricity from coal-fired power stations.


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On May 3, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it issued an order to show cause (the “show cause order”) to Meta Platforms, Inc. (formerly Facebook, Inc., “Meta”). The show cause order proposesContinue Reading Round Three: FTC Proposes Further Restrictions on Meta’s Privacy Practices and a Complete Prohibition on Meta Monetizing Youth Data
On October 24, 2022, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a proposed consent order against Drizly and its CEO, James Cory Rellas, over the online alcohol marketplace company’s data breach incident in 2020, which exposed…Continue Reading FTC Announces Settlement with Drizly; Complaint Names CEO in His Individual Capacity
Last week, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the District Attorneys of Los Angeles County and Riverside County agreed to an order to settle claims against Frontier Communications Intermediate, LLC and its parent company, Frontier Communications Parent, Inc. (collectively, Frontier). The plaintiffs alleged that Frontier promised internet speeds that Frontier did not deliver. The order, approved by all Commissioners, contains far-reaching and, in some cases, novel relief, including an $8.5 million penalty, a requirement for customer-by-customer substantiation, an absolute prohibition on signing up of certain new customers, and a mandated $50-60 million investment in new technology.
Continue Reading FTC Takes Aggressive Action Against Internet Service Provider for Misrepresenting Internet Speeds
On April 12, 2022, the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) filed a lawsuit against TransUnion, two of its subsidiaries, and former TransUnion executive John Danaher in his individual capacity for violating an enforcement order. That order, from January 2017, was part of a settlement in which TransUnion agreed to pay $16.9 million in restitution and civil penalties for deceptively marketing credit scores and credit-related products, such as credit monitoring services.
Continue Reading Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Alleges Dark Patterns in Advertising of Financial Products; Files Suit Against TransUnion and Senior Executive for Violating Order
The EU is close to finalizing the adoption of the Digital Services Act (DSA), which will impose new obligations on digital platforms regarding content moderation, due diligence for illegal content, and advertising transparency. It will entail significant changes to existing EU law in these areas and will impose substantial new compliance burdens on companies in regard to online content.
Continue Reading EU Reaches Political Agreement on Additional New Rules for Digital Platforms in the Digital Services Act
Justices Considered Whether Certain Court-Imposed Monetary Remedies Are Legal
On Wednesday, January 13, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in the much-anticipated case of AMG v. FTC, which challenges the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC’s) authority to obtain monetary relief in court under Section 13(b) of the FTC Act. The Court’s decision is likely to have a significant impact on the relief the FTC is able to obtain in federal court proceedings.
Continue Reading U.S. Supreme Court May End Key FTC Consumer Protection Enforcement Practice


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Broadband Content Going Back To Television
from the so-they-say dept
Just as the mainstream media has discovered that there’s broadband content on the web, it turns out that it’s probably heading back to television anyway. Forrester is predicting that broadband content will be moving away from PCs and more towards televisions, where people can watch it more comfortably. Um, isn’t television all ready chock full of “broadband” content?


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Once just an aspiration but now a reality, programmatic advertising has given brands the ability to generate interest in their products and be responsive to their audience in real-time with highly relevant messaging and great creativity.
Programmatic is the buzz word currently doing the rounds in other markets and is already used as a highly effective way to buy media in the automotive market. To the best of our knowledge, Ducati UK will be the first bike brand to put it at the heart of their digital marketing, which will give the brand the opportunity to win new customers in real-time using data from Accelerates platform and better qualify dealer leads.
Debbie Wiggins, Ducati UK’s Marketing Manager commented: “Ducati are known for being cutting edge in motorcycles so we are pleased to be at the forefront of marketing technology to with our programmatic advertising plan for 2016. With Accelerate we hope to be able to respond to customers and prospects quickly and accurately. Working with Accelerate we will be in pole position for 2016!
James Hamilton, Head of Accelerate commented: “Programmatic buying through Accelerate will allow Ducati to use CMG audience insights and technology to tailor messages to the right person, at the right time and in the right context - across multiple screens. We look forward to working alongside Debbie, Ryan and the rest of the team at Ducati UK to deliver their dealer goals and move into 2017 with more growth for the brand.
CMG has just become the largest digital bike publisher in the UK with the acquisition of VisorDown.com which compliments Crash.net, MotoMagazine.co.uk and the recent addition of BikeSportNews.com to the commercial portfolio, welcoming over 2.5 million bike enthusiasts each month.


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RARE jewellery has been discovered by police – and they want to find the owner.
The jewels, worth at least £300,000, were found in a house in Cleckheaton.
Police have been working with jewellery experts ever since the find in August 2010 to identify the pieces and who may own them – but they’ve hit a stumbling block.
West Yorkshire Police Crime Division says 108 rare and unique handmade items were recovered from the property during other police enquiries.
The items have been subject of examination by jewellers and forensic experts.
Collectively it is believed items – which include a ring with a snake design and yellow stone, diamond rings, ear rings and a number of antique pieces dating back to before the Second World War – could be worth a minimum £300,000.
Detective Insp Lloyd Batley from West Yorkshire Police Crime Division said: “Enquiries to identify the owner of these really quite unique jewellery pieces have been ongoing for some time now and we are appealing for help from the public to solve the mystery of their ownership.
“Experts have told us a number of these items are handmade and unique.
“Due to the circumstances in which they were found we have good reason to believe their owner or owners are still out there somewhere in West Yorkshire or the wider UK.
“Clearly these items are going to be of real personal and physical value to either one or many people and we are keen to reunite them with their rightful owners.”
Among the collection is a highly unusual aquamarine and diamond ring in the form of two rings, which is unlikely to have been purchased in this country, and a blue stone and diamond-set necklace.
Experts told police the blue stones on the necklace are all natural sapphires.
Other items of interest also include a woman’s brilliant cut diamond ring, which is of significant value and rarity and was most probably made before the Second World War.
Detective Insp Batley added: “The examiners have stated that the pieces are very rare and would have documentation which would support any genuine purchase.”
Anyone who recognises the jewellery should contact Det Con Steve Hughes at the Homicide and Major Enquiries Team on 01924 334617 or CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111.


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On this episode, El Kaiser and J.D. catch up after an unintentional hiatus to discuss current events — including Elon Musk’s fluctuating deal to buy Twitter, the rapid demise of CNN+ and Apple’s decision to retire the iPod after 21 years. Spin up PTJ 363 right here!
The streaming-music service Spotify held a press event last week to announce it was expanding into podcasts and video clips. Some detractors have pointed out that Spotify’s audience uses the service as a background medium and a soundtrack to doing something else, which is harder to do with video because it requires direct attention.
Instagram wants your attention and has been sending out a regular Highlights message that shows off recent pictures from the people you follow on Instagram. It really hopes you’ll be intrigued enough to start using your account again.
Netflix has given itself a redesign for the first time in four years. The changes include showing more information about shows you might want to watch, better presentation for the tons of Netflix options available and an enhanced recommendation engine.
Microsoft wants everyone to love its upcoming Windows 10 system! For those of you who do not have Windows Phones, the company has announced a companion app for Android and iOS phones that will let you connect your device to your PC. Once installed, the Phone Companion app will make sure photos you take with your phone get saved back to the computer by way of OneDrive and notes, music and Office documents can be used between the two. Microsoft also announced a standalone Cortana app for Android and iOS. Watch your back in the App Store and Google Play store, Cortana.
NASA’s Dawn probe has been taking a close view of Ceres and discovered some curious lights on the surface of the dwarf planet last month. So now NASA has put up an online poll asking members of the public what they think those bright spots may be.
If you have a preferred weather or traffic app on your phone, this is the season to fire up those notifications because Mother Nature has a way of throwing a hissy fit and disrupting your plans. If there’s a storm on the way, a highway closed or a train line suspended, odds are you’d like to know about it ahead of time, right? Most specialized apps can be configured to push out alerts to warn you of impending events, so have them ping you when something’s up. Most major mobile platforms — Android, iOS and Windows Phone — let you configure notifications so you can turn them on and when you want.
As for traffic and transit, popular cross-platform apps like Inrix and Waze are good sources of highway and road information. If you do have to be out driving in bad weather, make sure you have an emergency kit in the trunk. The professional winter states of Wisconsin and Minnesota have especially good advice on this topic, and you can buy pre-made collections, like the AAA’s own Severe Weather Travel Kit. If you don’t have one already, it’s a good idea to get a car charger for your phone — just in case.
Weather emergencies can seriously affect mass-transit systems as well, and some more than others. (Seriously, have you ever tried to get around the DC Metro during a snow storm?) If you’re riding the rails, the iTrans app for iOS is available for several cities and offers service alerts. There’s also the Transit app for Android and iOS. If you’re a New Yorker, the New York City Metropolitan Transit Authority has a whole page of mobile apps for various phone platforms to check out.
Other information sources, like Google Now (if it has your commute in its list of info cards) and Twitter’s emergency alerts can also be useful. And don’t forget, if you’re trying to fly out for a nice vacation in a warm place, get your airline’s app and sign up for alerts that may affect your flight.
It’s winter and in much of the country, that means the roads are a giant asphalt Slushee out there, so let’s be careful. In fact, let’s just stay home and watch some more Agent Carter.
On a supersized episode of everybody’s favorite geek-culture podcast El Kaiser takes a turn at hopefully being helpful by detailing the steps to avoid a malware infection. With social networks making spoilers a legitimate concern for all TV watchers, J.D. introduces us to some apps that can help keep second screens from spoiling what’s on the first. In the news, more of the world gets online access and some companies help bring less expensive Internet access to developing countries; the Gold Master of OS X Mavericks is made available to developers; rumors point to Amazon releasing a set top box to compete with the Apple TV and Roku devices; Google and Hewlett Packard announce the HP Chromebook 11; and Yahoo gets to blow out 16 candles.
The Samsung Galaxy Gear is now out and receiving fair to middling reviews, and the rollout of smartwatches from other companies continues. The Filip smartwatch for kids — which also serves as a simple mobile phone between parent and child — is headed for AT&T.
And finally, we here at Pop Tech Jam would like to congratulate Peter Higgs and François Englert on winning the Nobel prize in physics for their work on the theory of the Higgs boson. Awesome boson, dudes!
Another Comic-Con International is in the books but despite it being held in the City of Motion it was Tinseltown that grabbed the headlines at the convention. In the news, Netflix added 630,000 subscribers but Wall Street is still disappointed; the United Kingdom moves to block online pornography; a German security expert is warning of a flaw in SIM card technology; the Leap Motion controller finally begins shipping; Apple confirm that people are indeed still listening to podcasts; researchers get one step closer to building Replicants and a Holodeck; and you can donate the spare processing power from your Android device for a worthy cause.
HopStop, for those who haven’t had it save the bacon in a strange land, offers up door-to-door transit, walking, biking, and taxi directions in over 300 cities worldwide. No word on what Apple plans to do with the service (besides nuking the Windows Phone app version), but here’s hoping the transit directions get folded into the Apple Maps app so we all don’t have to refer to other apps to figure out our train plan. So go download the app or check out the mobile site now.
But if HopStop isn’t your thing, what else can you use to navigate the labyrinth of a major metropolitan mass transit system and not get lost for days?
If you have an iPhone, you can get free maps and directions for 12 major transit systems with Embark for iOS. Boston, Chicago, London, Long Island, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Washington DC and most importantly, New York are among the cities serviced here. And Embark does not require an Internet connection so you can use it when you’re on a platform underground trying to figure out which train to take when the one you need is out of service. There’s also a free version for the Embark NYC Subway for Android.
Lest we forget, Google Maps for Android and iOS. The old reliable app includes transit guides for many cities and all kinds of navigational bells and whistles like audio turn-by-turn directions.
If you’re traveling or just want a really good pocket guide for your own hometown, check your phone’s app store and search for transit apps and local guides for specific cities. And while you’re loading up your phone with your transit app of choice, don’t forget to throw a few appropriate tunes on there as well. Safe travels, yo.
The independent audio magazine devoted to mashing up pop culture, technology and more. J.D. Biersdorfer and Pedro Rafael Rosado are your hosts. It's an Internet Radio revolution!


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UpdatedHere are our picks of the very best games for your tiny device – plus the latest top releases!
Week in TechApple gets (briefly) beaten, LG launch leaked, Nintendo makes a Splat and Pikachu yells at cars.
Looking outside of our own smartphone space reveals some really interesting options, especially from the eastern markets.
UpdatedThe Windows maker gets closer than ever to replacing the laptop, now with exclusive software for its Surface Pen.
The Honor 5X is finally coming out around the world – and it's the budget phablet you'll want.
UpdatedThe new Nexus 5 manages to offer a huge step up in power while maintaining a brilliantly low price tag.
UpdatedMicrosoft has somehow outdone itself with its fourth laptop-killing tablet, upgrading it at nearly every end.
UpdatedAnother solid smartphone from Huawei, but if you don't need the small print you may be left disappointed.
Windows 10 Mobile is finally out in the wild, and we've taken a look to see whether it lives up to the hype.
Good value isn't good enough to make the Core Prime a contender at the low end of the market.
In DepthA look at some of the gadgets that turn your little furry companion into a connected digital native
If you're releasing episodes on a schedule then you're stuck in the past, says Netflix executive.
In DepthFragging in Quake, curing death and making space elevators. It's all in a day's work at Alphabet.
Windows 10 may look like a major success on the face of it, but are there hidden truths behind the big numbers?
It may not be an Apple product, but this is Apple's first foray into selling iPhone VR and AR tech.


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Like kids on their first date, many A/V dealers have tentatively embraced solid-state portable audio players, but they’re not sure what comes next.
Through most of the year, computer-selling CE retailers such as Best Buy, CompUSA, Circuit City, Fry’s and J&R Music World led the brick & mortar charge in Internet audio devices.
But now, electronics dealers with no computer presence plan to plug into the technology.
For most of these dealers, fourth-quarter expectations are decidedly modest; in many cases because their customer base is an older home theater purchaser rather than the teens or young adults who are snapping up the devices. In some cases, dealers are simply wary of putting their arms around a product that PRO buying group executive director Roger Heuberger called a “very Web-shoppable product.”
Other retailers freely admit they aren’t sure what the demand will be. “We’re not sure the volume is really there,” said one high-volume retail executive. “Even in college markets there is interest in it, but you don’t have people banging down the doors for it.”
Some retailers have already lowered their projections and have decided to wait for products from their longstanding CE vendors rather than pick up available products from computer product suppliers.
Retailers have also had to wait for product to become available in greater quantities from all suppliers, added Forrester analyst Mark Hardie. “Fabricating is proving to be problematic for just about everyone, and big-box retailers won’t put something on their shelves unless they have adequate inventory.”
Sensory Science senior VP Ralph Palaia cited yield rates for onboard and removable memory as the chief culprit. “Manufacturers are having difficulty getting it out,” he said.
Another reason for product arriving late to stores is that some retailers didn’t decide to order until September and October, Palaia added. “Most buyers six months ago didn’t know anything about the market.”
Although some A/V dealers have decided to pick up CE vendor products in time for holiday sales, others are shying away from the market altogether. Some A/V dealers, including Indianapolis-based Ovation, want to concentrate their fourth-quarter energy on two other digital audio recording technologies: CD recorders and MiniDiscs.
Like most CE dealers, the solid-state skeptics are most enthusiastic about the prospects for CD-R sales, which continue to outpace many dealers’ expectations (see story at right).
Forecasts for solid-state portables are hazier. “We’re tentative about it, but we have reason for optimism,” said Bob Warren, portable buyer for Florida’s Sound Advice chain. “We hope the customer is also an A/V customer, not just the computer-retail customer.”
By the end of October, Sound Advice hoped to begin displaying its first model, a unit from Sensory Science. “We plan to promote it, but we have nothing in concrete yet,” Warren said.
Like Florida’s Sound Advice, New York’s Harvey Electronics plans to bring in Sensory Science’s model, which president Franklin Karp expects will be purchased by Harvey’s traditional customers for their teenage children.
PRO buying group members Magnolia Hi-Fi & Video, Ultimate Electronics, and two to three other members are selling solid-state portables, said PRO’s Heuberger. However, for the group as a whole, he said, “it’s not a boom business for us right now. It’s not the core demographic for most of the group.”
PRO members are also reluctant to sell portables that can’t be upgraded to be SDMI-compliant, he said, or those units that are sold by manufacturers to online retailers or through their own Web sites.
“Most of the merchandise today isn’t upgradable [to SDMI],” so it won’t download or rip future SDMI-compliant music, Heuberger pointed out. “Therefore, we’re selling it cautiously; because at more than $200, it’s not a disposable item.”
PRO has reduced its sales projections, he added. “We’re not going to do as much as we thought because a lot of suppliers aren’t shipping yet,” he said in late October. “It’s available mostly from PC and software suppliers who don’t normally sell our channels. It has largely been a computer-based phenomenon. But we expect to get in it more in October as CE manufacturers ship.”
Ovation isn’t likely to pick up CE supplier products this year, said president Gary McCormick. But the Midwest chain has expanded its CD-R selection as more manufacturers enter the market.
“We brought in CD-R in the fall [last year], and we sold more than we thought because it appealed to our customer base,” McCormick said. “They’re comfortable with the 5-inch format, and they have it in their cars.”
Best Buy, on the other hand, is far more bullish about solid-state portables. “MP3 is gaining ground fast, much faster than MiniDisc,” said Wade Fenn, executive VP of marketing. “We’re the largest MP3 retailer in the U.S.”
The chain has aggressively promoted the technology, a spokeswoman added, pointing to MP3 Technology Tents erected at 28 concerts by Alanis Morissette and Tori Amos. Best Buy also sells solid-state portables in its computer and audio departments and plans to expand its selection beyond its current five SKUs.


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Ever since Facebook acquired Instagram for a ridiculous sum of money earlier this year, people have been expecting the social media goliath to ruin it in one way or another. That’s because while the small team behind Instagram may have been happy with just the fame part of fame and fortune, a company like Facebook is used to getting both.
Admittedly, so far the downsides of the acquisition have been few and far between. Instagram is growing like gangbusters and it seems Facebook is trying to stay hands off when it comes to its handling of the service. Really the only downside has been the removal of Twitter integration. But, of course, the meddling has to start sometime, and according to Business Insider that moment isn’t far off.
For now we don’t know — or rather they won’t tell us — how or when exactly this “monetizing” strategy will begin playing out, but just about everyone agrees that monetize will likely mean ads.
You just have to wonder if monetization also means means a paid, ad-free version of Instagram is in the works, or if we’ll just come to expect that our Earlybird filter will henceforth come attached to a coffee promo.


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In our latest preview of one of our major events of the year, Internet Retailing Expo (IRX 2012), we asked speakers Tayyab Akhlaq, managing director of online retail business My1stWish, and Eamonn Costello, director of product management at eSellerPro about what it takes to grow a business fast, and how technology can support that.
Tayyab Akhlaq built his online retail business, My1stWish, quickly, going from a standing start to £1m turnover in just two years. Now he is helping others to do the same through ecommerce managed services business Genie & the Geek.
Akhlaq himself realised the possibilities of ecommerce when he was asked by a friend to help sell some excess stock on eBay. Before long he decided to leave behind his career in electronic engineering in order to start his own online business on eBay. “A lot of people do it on the side to supplement what they’re earning from their usual job,” said Akhlaq. “But then you feel eBay isn’t delivering because you’re not giving it the time. I felt if you’re going to do something, you need do it properly.” My1stWish started by selling non-branded women’s footwear and soon it was selling 50 pairs a day of each the six styles it offered.
By the end of the first year, it was turning over £100,000 and a year later turnover had passed the £1m milestone. Today it sells products from women’s clothes, footwear and accessories to DVDs, board games and kitchen accessories through Amazon, eBay and its own websites, which are also mobile-enabled. It is also selling overseas through Italian, French and German-language websites and is exploring the opportunities that could be offered both by China and by franchising the business model.
It’s this kind of fast growth that Akhlaq now aims to help others achieve through his second business, Genie & the Geek, which runs managed ecommerce services for a wide range of brands including Religion, Kookai and Ben Sherman . “[Our clients] like the fact we treat each business as if it were our own because we’ve gone through the practice of buying and selling,” he said. “It’s not always about turnover: it can be about less turnover but being efficient so that you end up in a better position for the business.”
The Genie & the Geek business uses the eSellerPro multichannel sales solution, which supports traders looking to sell across channels including eBay and Amazon. These marketplace channels are important, argues its director of product management Eamonn Costello, who says that failing to recognise the opportunities that these two most-visited UK sites have to offer is like “neglecting to sell on the busiest high street in the country.” He says the key to trading successfully on them lies in mastering multichannel, from managing inventory through to ensuring maximum exposure across the channels, to scaling the business and streamlining processes – and technology has an important role to play in achieving that.
Costello said: “From the end customer’s perspective, when they’re interacting with the brand or company, it shouldn’t matter whether they’re in the store, online portal or through marketplace – there should be consistent service and processes for dealing with that customer.”
Find out more about growing an ecommerce business quickly from Tayyab Akhlaq, managing director of My1stWish, and Eamonn Costello, director of product management at eSellerPro, firsthand at Internet Retailing 2012 (IRX 2012). Together they will deliver their presentation, From armchair seller to multichannel: a story of smart technology, at 11.30am in the Fast Track Conference, on March 21st.
Entrance to IRX 2012, which will be held at the NEC in Birmingham on March 21 and 22, is free. More than 4,000 visitors are expected at the event, which features an exhibition of 150 suppliers to the ecommerce and multichannel industries alongside a two-day learning programme, Selling in the Digital Age.
The programme features four conferences, dedicated to Mobile and Social Commerce, Fast Track, Enterprise and Customer Experience, as well as a series of workshops, learning sessions and demonstrations of the latest technology.


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Century City will be the epicenter of fine dining in LA come late 2024 with an impressive trio of new openings including the Greek seafood restaurant Estiatorio Milos, two-Michelin-starred Sushi Noz, and pan-Asian barbecue spot Kyu. All three will be located behind the Fairmont Century Plaza hotel (which reopened in 2021 after a years-long renovation) on the ground floor of the newly built Century Plaza, a $2.5 billion redevelopment project that includes a set of condominium skyscrapers with retail and restaurants on the ground floor.
The Century Plaza project comes from brothers Simon and David Reuben, the controversial U.K.-based billionaires whose real estate empire spans London, New York City, and now Los Angeles. The trio of restaurants fills in a gap that Craft recently left with its closure after 17 years in Century City, though another hospitality group is rumored to be taking over the space. The incoming high-end restaurants should help service a ritzy, upscale neighborhood occupied by condominium towers, office buildings, and the Los Angeles California Temple.
The original Estiatorio Milos opened in Montreal in 1979, with vibey satellite locations operating in Las Vegas, New York City, London, Miami, and Los Cabos. One of Milos’s trademarks is a reasonably-priced three-course lunch that costs $45 in Las Vegas. Those familiar with Avra in Beverly Hills will see a similar formula of high-end Greek seafood dishes including raw fish preparations and whole-grilled seafood.
Sushi Noz, which comes from the famed New York City omakase restaurant founded by Nozumu Abe, announced in 2022 that it was expanding to Los Angeles. Abe recently received a second Michelin star, whose zen experience former Eater New York critic Ryan Sutton called, “technically masterful.” Abe likened the dining experience, in which servers wear kimonos and the meal includes flourishes like hay-smoked bonito, to Kabuki theater. In New York City, Sushi Noz runs an astounding $495 per person before tax and drinks; gratuity is not expected which is typical of restaurants in Japan, though diners can opt to leave one.
Finally, there’s Kyu from chef Christopher Arellanes. The clubby restaurant opened in Miami and now has additional locations in New York City and Mexico City; a third Kyu opens next week at the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas. Kyu’s Asian menu is centered around a wood-fired grill, with dishes like seven-hour smoked short ribs, duck breast burnt ends, and wagyu beef brisket.


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bMobilized Lands $2.5M in Additional Series A
NEW YORK, NY, Mobile technology startup announced an additional $2.5 million in Series A funding.
Sightly Sees $5.6M Round
TEMECULA, CA, Leading local video platform today announced that it has raised $5.6 million in venture capital.
Within3 Announces New Round of Funding
CLEVELAND, OH, Leading provider of digital collaboration solutions for the pharmaceutical and life sciences industries, today announced it has secured a new round of equity financing, led by Easton Capital.
2nd Watch Closes $4.2M Funding
SEATTLE, WA, 2nd Watch, Inc. today announced that it has closed a $4.2 million funding round led by Madrona Venture Group.
Tapit Raises $2.3M Series A
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, Tapit has closed on a $2.3 million in Series A funding led by MPC Ventures.
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