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On Monday the latest report emerged of a South African company having faked its empowerment credentials.
In this case the story was stranger than normal: the business in question is owned by the wife of a serving member of the Presidential Advisory Committee on BEE. It also happens to be 100% black female-owned, meaning it would have soared through authentic BEE compliance. Experts say up to 5% of all BEE certificates are invalid.
It was the French philosopher Baudrillard who argued that modern human experience is merely a simulation of reality. In South Africa we may be getting a pretty good grasp of that concept. Consider, if you will, the litany of fraudulence and fakery to which we’ve been exposed over little more than a month.
We’ve seen a fake sign language interpreter shame us in front of the world. We’ve seen a fake destitute person accept a free house from the EFF. We’ve had a North West Premier with a fake CV. We’ve seen Johannesburg motorists buy fake number plates to avoid paying e-tolls.
Life in South Africa, or a reasonable facsimile thereof. But you can’t always have your fake and eat it. Ikhono Communications has become the latest company exposed, in this case by Business Day, for having faked its BEE certificate. The matter likely wouldn’t have made headlines if it hadn’t been for the awkward fact of its association – via marriage of its owner – with Don Mkhwanazi, who sits on the presidentially-appointed Broad-Based Economic Empowerment Advisory Council. (According to the Department of Trade and Industry website, another council member is former National Youth Development Agency chair Andile Lungisa, who faces charges of fraud and money laundering.)
South African companies, depending on their annual turnover, require either a BEE exemption certificate or a BEE compliance certificate from an accredited BEE verification agency. Businesses with a turnover of R5 million and below are classed as Exempt Micro Enterprises (EMEs).
Those with a turnover of between R5 million and R35 million need to meet 4 out of 7 BEE elements – which take into account the racial composition of ownership and management; employment equity; and aspects like CSI and procurement – and need a BEE plan and a compliance certificate. Companies with a turnover exceeding R35 million need to comply with all seven elements and need a BEE plan and a compliance certificate.
Because Ikhono Communications had impeccable BEE credentials, Business Day notes that the business’ only possible motivation for faking its BEE verification certificate would have been a desire to avoid the cost of having the company re-validated every year, as is required by the BEE codes. Other high-profile incidents of BEE fraud over the last few years have seen companies fake certificates in order to avoid having to comply with the BEE codes themselves.
In August last year, for instance, the Mail & Guardian exposed a company called First Strut for faking its empowerment credentials. First Strut had held major contracts with Sasol, and boasted a forged verification certificate from legitimate verification firm Veri-Com. The details of the firm’s ownership were brazenly incorrect: it claimed, for instance, to have 50% black owners, when in fact it had 0% black owners.
Keith Levenstein, CEO of EconoBEE, says he has seen some pretty audacious attempts at BEE certificate fraud. “We have seen a certificate that awarded eight points for socio-economic development – when there are only five available. It’s like forging a $12 bill,” Levenstein told the Daily Maverick. “On confronting the company they expressed ignorance and admitted that they were approached by someone at the DTI’s offices and paid R2000 for the certificate at the local Wimpy.”
Another company, Levenstein says, pretended that their turnover was less than R5 million, rendering them exempt from BEE compliance. “It was not difficult to discover from their website that the company employs 4,500 people, has eight branches and does R1 billion turnover.”
Levenstein says that probably 2 to 5 BEE certificates out of 100 are flawed or invalid, but many slip through the cracks. “During verification, an agency will check a small sample, and even then, if they don’t have more history regarding previous certificates, the analyst will miss an invalid certificate.” When companies do get caught, they can be charged with fraud. The B-BBEE Amendment Bill makes allowances for penalties of up to 10 years in jail and 10% of a company’s annual turnover.
Why risk it? “Mostly laziness, or a lack of knowledge of the codes,” surmises Levenstein. “Companies need a certificate and can’t be bothered to go through the process, so they take a shortcut. The most common excuses we hear when we catch the company are ‘I didn’t know’, or ‘My consultant did it’, or ‘My operations manager did it’. It’s difficult to prove that the owner knew that it was wrong.”
In addition, of course, there are those companies which would rather cheat than become genuinely BEE compliant. Levenstein says that there aren’t particular industries which are worse offenders than others.
When the new BEE codes come into effect, likely next year, we may see an upturn in BEE certificate fraud because the conditions for compliance are more onerous. “Companies will take shortcuts,” predicts Levenstein. “We expect to see many companies pretending their turnover is less than R50 million and [that they are] 51% black-owned. Also, because the new codes are unclear, companies will ask for more lenient interpretations from agencies.”
Of course, BEE certificate fraud is far from a victim-less crime. “A good certificate results in more business,” Levenstein says. “In government tenders there is a direct link between BEE levels and the awarding of tenders. Quite simply, someone cheating may take business away from someone else.” Black Economic Empowerment, or an unreasonable facsimile thereof.
Photo Caption: A few out of hundreds of BEE certificates available in South Africa today.
By: Rebecca Davis
Article Source: The Daily Maverick


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Comcast’s major outage is over
Comcast's nationwide outage has ended. For several hours on Monday, Comcast's TV, Internet and phone service was disrupted for customers across the country. In a statement, Comcast called it a "temporary network interruption" that affected "a number of markets, but not all customers [and] not all services were impacted."
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Mr. Dinesh Gulati-
During my recent visit to the US, I had the opportunity to interact with heads of many successful businesses. While the interactions were highly enriching, I also happened to take a sneak peak at the country’s economy and its innate conduciveness to businesses. To a great extent, the credit for this goes to its tax system, which is one of the most progressive in the industrialised world. The US is a federal republic with autonomous state and local governments. Taxes are imposed at each of these levels. Unlike other countries across the globe, in the US taxes are collected by federal, state and municipal governments and these taxes vary widely.
One might believe that such a layered tax structure can place heavy burdens on small businesses who are involved in inter-state trade, and that a fully federal tax system can make things simpler for these businesses. However, we have to keep in mind that the US and India are very different markets and the economic ecosystems are also very different. One-size-fits-all is never a good idea.
Today, India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. However, its position in the ‘doing business’ annual reports published by the World Bank is less than favourable. The rankings place India at 134 among 185 countries; way behind its BRICS counterparts. This shows an urgency to focus on improving the country’s business environment and arrest the decline in relative performance against various determinants of investment attractiveness.
Fortunately, the approval of the GST Bill in the Lok Sabha is showing possibilities of a transformation. We could call it a ‘game changing reform’, which will turn our country into a single, big market with reduced transaction costs for businesses and reduced economic volatility. India is set for its boldest tax overhaul in 60 years.
At present, while starting a new business in India, we have to get our VAT registration from the state’s sales tax department. Since every state has different procedures and fees for VAT registration, it is hard for businesses operating in multiple states to obtain and maintain compliance with VAT regulations. A clear roadmap for implementation of GST in India will centralise and standardise its registration procedure similar to service tax registration. With the new tax regime, businesses would no longer have to obtain multiple VAT registration, thereby improving the ease of starting a new business in India. Businesses will finally be able to look beyond the noise of confusion and uncertainty.
In my opinion, the country’s micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) fraternity has contributed tremendously to the Indian economy and the time is ripe to generously support and equip them to establish a strong foothold in domestic and international markets. We urge our government to look out for ways to simplify and unify taxation for MSMEs and also consolidate multiple departments, to address compliance issues. Due to their small setup and thin management, small businesses grapple with higher and multiple taxes. GST is thus perfectly poised to act as a game changer for the Indian economy. There is a dire need for a clear and unambiguous definition of goods and services, and a pragmatic approach towards faster implementation of GST.
We also expect a major simplification of indirect tax structure at both the Central and state levels, thereby replacing the multiple layers of complex taxation currently existing in India. GST will play a ground-breaking role in replacing all indirect taxes levied in India. This would be a vital step in favour of MSMEs as it intends to purge the current central excise duty, service tax as well as additional customs duties at the Centre. At the state level, GST will put an end to the present value added tax (VAT). E-commerce players in India have to cross several layers of taxes like VAT, central sales tax and service tax, which causes delays in the final product delivery to the end consumer. GST will help in removing the bottlenecks. When 140 countries across the globe are already using GST in some form or the other, this rollout would allow India to adhere to a standard world policy.
Currently, goods and products are being taxed under the VAT regime implemented by state governments, and services are taxed under the service tax regime implemented by the Central government. Further, in addition to VAT and service tax, there are various other tax regulations that businesses must comply with like central sales tax (CST), additional customs duty, purchase tax, luxury tax, etc. The integration of these multiple taxes in GST will wipe out the distinction between goods and services, and ease compliances. Further, invoicing will be easier for businesses as only one rate would be adopted.


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A STARBUCKS location is set to close after 20 years despite desperate locals “doing everything to keep them.”
The coffee chain runs a popular location in a DuPage County village in Illinois.
However, despite its popularity with locals, the store announced its sudden closure on Friday.
The Starbucks site in Clarendon Hills is set to close on Monday.
Locals have expressed their “disappointed” in the chain after the village even had a lawyer trying to stop the closure.
Clarendon Hills lawyer Taps Gallagher told Patch in an interview: “I’m disappointed in Starbucks. You can’t tell me they weren’t making any money.
“A remodel would have been a knockout.
“We’ve done everything to keep them here.”
The lawyer even sent a letter to the new CEO of the coffee chain, Laxman Narasimhan after he said he would visit stores across the country.
Gallagher sent the letter hoping to get the executive to visit his village where he has lived for over 40 years.
In the letter, the lawyer told the CEO: “With the influx of young families with children, this location is a central meeting place for seniors, working people, and students of all ages.
“In addition, funds are available from the village and owner to help offset the cost of renovation.”
Despite Gallagher’s efforts, the CEO declined the offer to which the lawyer told Patch: “Shame on them for not coming here.”
Aspokesperson said: “We make decisions every year as a company on determining when and what stores we will be closing.
“It is a yearly consideration. We are sad to leave the community, but that does not mean that we don’t consistently look towards thefor another Starbucks location in Clarendon Hills.”
The Seattle-based coffee chain has been turning its attention to its locations with drive-thrus, according to Business Insider.
This is where the majority of sales are made for the company, and the Clarendon Hills site does not have one.
Village President Len Austin told the Chicago Tribune that he believed the chain had become too big for the village.
“Even though our store is busy and has friendly and hardworking people there, apparently they just don’t do the volume that a store with a drive-thru through would,” he said.
However, it is hoped that from the closure of the conglomerate, a locally-owned cafe will be able to expand and thrive.
Tierra Distilling Co. & Cafe opened about seven months ago and Austin believes that “they will benefit greatly from this change.”
Cafe co-owner Brandon Getchel agreed with Austin, saying: “A lot of people have only heard of us as a distillery, and this is an opportunity for people to find out about our cafe and what we have to offer.”
The U.S. Sun has contacted Starbucks for comment.


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SETTING UP SHOP
In recent weeks, a number of new studios have come to our attention,
and they all seem to fit into the boutique model, which relies on small
but efficient teams using the latest in desktop tools.
In Venice, CA, executive producer Shira Boardman, formerly with Sway
Studio, opened the VFX boutique Red Magnet, which has already completed
a job for Lexus. Long-time post veteran Michael Porte, who co-founded
editorial company Mad River Post, DVD production company Crush Digital
Video, and was more recently a partner in Manhattan audio post house
AudioEngine, has opened The Field, a new creative editorial shop in NYC.
Emmy Award-winning audio pro Peter Cole just launched Before Noon Post
Production Sound Services in Studio City, CA, where he will provide
full service audio post to the entertainment and corporate communities.
And in LA, executive producer Michele Maples opened Arsenal, a new
live-action and design company that just completed promos for FX
Network’s Dirt. You can read more about each of these new facilities in
our News section this month.
Here in New York, Poolsidesign (www.poolsidesign.com) is another
relatively new boutique, this one set up by partners Yui Uchida, Kaz
Iwai and Paul Waszak, who met while attending the School of Visual Arts
and have since crossed paths regularly. “Yui started the company and
then brought me and Kaz on board,” says Waszak, who once had his own
graphics company within Blue Room. “I’ve known him for about 10 years
and we’ve always passed each other while working at different places.
One day we said we should combine forces and start up our own shop, and
the rest is history.”
Poolsidesign uses Macs running Adobe tools, as well as Maxon’s Cinema
4D, an app that seamlessly integrates with AE. “It makes bringing those
3D files into After Effects a breeze,” says Waszak. (See our Cinema 4D
Since opening, Poolside has worked on The Sauce for Fuse. This one-hour
studio show looks at music, film, games and current events. The studio
created the :15 open, lower thirds, transitions and even graphics that


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China’s Online Gaming Landscape: Navigating Video Approvals and Industry Insights
China has approved 105 online games in the realm of digital entertainment, China’s online gaming sector stands as a dynamic and evolving landscape, amalgamating technological innovation, regulatory frameworks, and consumer demand. Understanding the intricacies of video approvals and industry dynamics is pivotal to navigating this burgeoning domain.
China has approved 105 online games regulatory framework: Video Game Approvals in China
China’s regulatory landscape for video games is governed by the National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA). The approval process mandates stringent adherence to guidelines ensuring content aligns with societal values, cultural norms, and national interests.
Industry Insights: Key Trends and Market Dynamics
1. Rising Popularity and Market Size
The exponential growth of China’s gaming market showcases a relentless surge in popularity. With an ever-expanding user base, the industry boasts a market size projected to surpass $40 billion, marking its prominence on the global gaming stage.
2. Mobile Gaming Dominance
Mobile gaming spearheads the sector, capturing a significant share of consumer engagement. Its accessibility, coupled with innovative gameplay experiences, has positioned mobile games as the frontrunners in the market.
3. Regulatory Impact on Industry Evolution
The regulatory framework profoundly shapes the trajectory of the gaming industry. Striking a balance between creative expression and compliance remains a perpetual challenge for developers and publishers, impacting game design and content strategies.
4. Technological Advancements and Future Prospects
Advancements in augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and artificial intelligence (AI) continue to redefine gaming experiences. These innovations pave the way for immersive gameplay, signaling a promising future for the industry.


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You’ve never seen lobster like this. The West End Neighborhood Association in Portland and Linda Bean’s Perfect Maine will attempt to make the world’s longest lobster roll on Sunday, June 7, at the 36th annual Old Port Festival. The groups, along with co-sponsors including Oakhurst Dairy, Kate’s Homemade Butter, JJ Nissen Bakery and Maine Root Soda, will create a lobster roll big enough to feed an army in an attempt to get into the Guinness World Records. The event will raise money for the youngsters served by the neighborhood association to provide them with swimming lessons and other opportunities this summer. Construction of the giant roll will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Commercial Street. Officials from the Maine Lobster Promotion Council will certify the attempt for Guinness World Records. For more information, visit www.lobsterfrommaine.com.
Fiddle me this, fiddlehead fans: If you haven’t yet bought a big bag of the wild Maine delicacy, you can get yourself a heaping helping of fiddleheads by calling or e-mailing the Allagash Historical Society and ordering a two-pound bag. For a $15 donation, Allagash Historical Society members will ship cleaned fiddleheads anywhere in the country. Shipping rates are approximately $10.35 for the bag, by the U.S. Postal Service. Think about it: If you’re a Maine native living on the other side of the country, and you haven’t had fiddleheads since you were a wee thing, now’s your chance. That $15 donation goes to help the historical society publish “An Allagash Christmas: The Early Years,” a book featuring recollections of Allagashers about the holiday season in the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s. To order by phone, call 834-6221 or 398-3148, or e-mail email@example.com.
They’ve got class
The University of Maine Cooperative Extension has some bulletins to help Maine cooks find, grow use and store in-season fruits and vegetables. Produce lovers can visit extension.umaine.edu to find information on preserving strawberries and getting the most health benefits out of spring peas. The extension also offers regular classes around the state on canning, cooking, freezing, gardening, tractor safety and other useful skills. To find a class near you, visit extension.umaine.edu.


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Netflix launched a test program for their new "Super HD" video streaming for many regions, which is a new low-compression 1080p stream, and this week they've officially launched it for all subscribers. With less compression we get better quality streams. It's still 1080p, but it should look better. Now we're hoping for something similar for Android.
Slacker Radio was bumped to v4.0 back in February and it looks like the next major update is hitting the Play Store today. This latest update brings a new look and feel as well as a new feature called My Vibe. And looking back to that v4.0 update, this v5.0 update is another that is bringing a noticeable difference in terms of the looks.
announced their Chromecast media-streaming dongle back at the end of July, it was met with tons of excitement. So much in fact, that they've been having a rather tough time keeping it in stock. It's been sold out and in and out of the Google Play Store for a few months, not to mention Amazon and Best Buy having the same troubles. Today though, Google finally has more.
Sony has just made available its Bluetooth-powered BM10 music receiver. Sporting a design identical to that of the Sony IM10 wireless display announced last week, the BM10 focuses more on spreading your music to more areas than your smartphone or tablet speakers can reach.
stream local channels that you would normally get at home. The perk is that you do not need any cable subscription, just an account with Aereo. The drawback here is that Aereo has yet to come available for Android.
Chromecast streaming, but that doesn't mean those developers cannot begin talking about future updates. We have seen chatter from a few developers up until this point and it looks like one more has come forward with a similar promise. The latest is Shifty Jelly who offer the Pocket Casts app.
Google announced the Chromecast streaming dongle we've been waiting for developers to start releasing apps that can truly take advantage of the little device. Koush, the dev behind ClockworkMod and ROM Manager has been working hard on multiple options for the device, as you know, and today has just released Beta 2 of his app which is now called AirCast.
Chromecast. Users can get 10GB of free storage from Bitcasa or upgrade to that infinite storage level for $99 per year. While the pricing seems to be on the lower side, the low price of the Chromecast helped convince them of adding the support.
Google shocked the Android and tech enthusiast world by releasing their $35 dollar Chromecast dongle, we've been following the project and potential features. Since the device is sold out virtually everywhere, how about using a 3rd party app that will allow your Android device to have the same functions as the Chromecast. Meet Cheapcast.


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Nestlé, the Swiss food giant that helps bring the world Stouffer’s frozen dinners, Kit Kat candy bars and even L’Oréal hair coloring, is feeling pressure to change its corporate recipe.
Late on Sunday, the activist investor Daniel S. Loeb informed Nestlé that he had amassed about $3.5 billion of its stock and would like to see the company make big changes. Among them: for Nestlé to sell its stake in L’Oréal, because it has nothing to do with food, and to winnow its portfolio, which currently has more than 2,000 brands, by selling off those that do not add much to the bottom line.
The problem faced by Nestlé and other food giants is that many of their traditional brands are under intense pressure not only because of changing popular tastes but also because of the way people discover and buy the foods they like. Sales of classic brands have plateaued, and upstarts are grabbing market share, leaving companies like Nestlé struggling to adjust.
While Mr. Loeb’s stated interest is to increase returns to shareholders like himself — in a letter to Nestlé from his hedge fund, Third Point, that Mr. Loeb made public on Sunday, he said that selling the L’Oréal stake would be a good first step to “dramatically improve both the growth profile and earnings of the company” — his actions were also likely inspired by these tectonic shifts in the way people eat and shop.
Traditional grocery stores can no longer make or break brands. That works against legacy companies like Nestlé and Campbell Soup, which long used their lock on shelf space in the stores to secure their success.
Today, a growing number of people are buying their groceries online. The shelf has become a box, shipped from a meal-kit company, that delivers everything people need to make dinner for four right to their kitchens.
“Traditionally, consumer-product companies bought fast-moving little brands and pushed them through their vast sales forces and onto retail shelves,” said Jonathan Feeney, an investment analyst at ConsumerEdge. “But that distribution mechanism isn’t what it used to be.”
Nestlé has already taken some steps to combat the changes. It stripped carrageenan, a thickening agent that some consumers have soured on, out of some of its ice creams. It invented a new way to shape sugar crystals so that it can use less sugar in some products without sacrificing taste. It has invested in Freshly, a subscription meal-kit company, in hopes of finding a new route into people’s pantries.
And it is selling its United States confectionery business, which includes brands like Crunch and Raisinets, as snack lovers continue to migrate away from sugary treats to things like flavored popcorn, coconut chips and other options perceived as healthier. Last year, Nestlé’s confectionery business generated $922 million in sales, and analysts believe it could sell for as much as $3 billion.
And in a more prosaic money-saving move, Nestlé has relocated its United States headquarters to lower-cost Arlington, Va., from California.
Rivals are doing similar things. But no legacy company has yet managed to reverse a loss in market share.
Only the Kraft Heinz Company, after a merger engineered by the private equity firm 3G Capital and Berkshire Hathaway, has won favor with investors, and that is largely because of dramatic cost cuts. The combined company fired thousands of people and stopped stocking the refrigerators in Kraft’s corporate lunchrooms with free snacks from the company’s portfolio.
But even that company’s volume sales have been mixed at best, said Brittany Weissman, a consumer analyst at Edward Jones, a financial advisory firm.
Mr. Loeb has acknowledged some of Nestlé’s actions and has even applauded its decision to offload its candy business. But he believes many of those efforts have been “incremental” and will not help much.
“Nestlé has fallen behind over the past decade in an environment where growth has slowed due to changes in people’s tastes and shopping habits, as well as an influx of new competition from smaller, local brands,” Third Point wrote in its letter. “While its peers have adapted to the lower-growth world, Nestlé has remained stuck in its old ways.”
Nestlé released a statement on Monday saying: “As always, we keep an open dialogue with all of our shareholders, and we remain committed to executing our strategy and creating long-term shareholder value. Beyond that, we have no specific comment.”
But in a call with analysts in April, Ulf Mark Schneider, Nestlé’s chief executive, hinted that the company was feeling pressure from “activist investors” and said it was committed to improving its growth and cutting costs. On that call, Mr. Schneider said he was “encouraged” by investor meetings this year showing support for his steps. “Having said that, we do understand from these meetings that you want to see meaningful steps towards improved combinations of growth rates and margins,” he said.
Ms. Weissman said the results of the cost-cutting that took place when the H. J. Heinz Company merged with the Kraft Foods Group in 2015 have drawn interest to other big food companies, long regarded as dull by investors like Mr. Loeb.
Under 3G’s control, Kraft Heinz has drastically increased its profit margins by using a cost-management practice called zero-based budgeting, Ms. Weissman said. The practice requires managers to re-examine every cost each year and cut those that no longer produce profits. 3G is also famous for keeping a tight grip on administrative expenses — limiting the use of printers, for example, and requiring employees to sleep two to a hotel room when traveling.
Today, its profits before taxes, depreciation and other nonoperating expenses are the highest in the industry.
“Kraft Heinz has helped people understand how bloated these companies are,” Ms. Weissman said. “Especially at a time when sales are slowing, investors are going to begin looking to reduce costs.”
But even 3G has struggled to increase volume sales in the businesses it has bought. This year, Kraft Heinz made a $143 billion run at Unilever, another large European food and consumer products company.
That deal was unsuccessful, but it forced Unilever to take action — and fast. The company quickly announced it would buy back $5.3 billion worth of its shares and combine two large divisions, and it set a target for operating profit margins of 20 percent by 2020, all of which investors had wanted.
Unilever is also selling off its spreads business, which includes brands like Country Crock and I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter, which was developed in 1979 as an inexpensive alternative for the food service industry. (Food lore has it that the husband of a secretary at the company exclaimed, “I can’t believe it’s not butter,” thus giving the retail version of the product its name.)
At the time, consumers were looking for ways to reduce fat in their diets, and the products were vast improvements on margarine. But times have changed, and people today know that some fats are good for them.
Nestlé is making similar adjustments, but Wall Street does not see those changes making a difference fast enough.
“Their answer to a lot of the issues they confront has so far been these kinds of incremental things,” Mr. Feeney, the investment analyst, said. “When real, technology-driven disruption happens like the disruption they’re facing today, I think a different philosophy to change is required.”


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More than 30 years ago, Audi introduced its quattro all-wheel-drive system. And now that competitors are beginning to understand the benefits of AWD and pitch them to American luxury consumers, Audi of America and Audi AG are extending their lead in the technology.
That is one conclusion of a recent piece on AWD by Joe White of the Wall Street Journal, who examined how all-wheel-drive is going from “novelty to necessity” in the premium car market.
Of course, Audi substantially created the AWD market in the luxury segment in the U.S., and worldwide, while Subaru was a leader for the technology in the mass market. The AWD attribute created a significant technological advantage, and marketplace niche, for Audi which helped attract Americans to the brand over time.
And as Audi became the fastest-growing premium brand in the U.S. market over the last several years, the advantages of quattro helped build and have helped sustain that momentum.
Even this year, the brand has introduced a new version of the Audi allroad with quattro all-wheel drive, a venerable nameplate that drew many Americans to the Audi lineup several years ago and which now is reappearing in the market after a several-year absence.
Audi is launching a new version of quattro that is “lighter and able to react faster than ever before. The newspaper said that the newly designed crown-gear center differential that sends power to the wheels weighs 11 pounds, down from 15 pounds in the previous generation.
Barry Hoch, Senior Product Manager for Audi of America, told Audi progress that the new system is able to mechanically transfer more power between the axles than the previous generation of self-locking center differential.
Audi also is “experimenting with hybrid all-wheel-drive systems that use electric motors instead of gears,” the paper said, “and fiber optics instead of driveshafts.”
The Journal noted that quattro and systems used by some Audi rivals don’t send an equal amount of power to all four wheels at all times. They can “continually shift the flow of power from front to back and side to side, responding to data from the car’s brakes, steering or other systems,” it said.
The system can send “a touch of extra power” to the wheels on one side of the car to guide it through a sharp turn even if the road isn’t wet.
“The Audi Quattro system gives the average driver peace of mind in all weather conditions and the performance enthusiast an added advantage when the road twists and turns,”Hoch told Audi progress.


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Titanfall for Xbox 360 is receiving a two-week delay. Originally scheduled for titanfall on March 25, the game will now be ready for pilots on April 8 and April 11 in North America and Europe, respectively.
Microsoft says that its next Xbox One update has started rolling out yesterday, less than a week before the launch of Titanfall. The update, detailed in February, will fix problems with joining and chatting with parties of your friends, prepare the console for the release of the Xbox One stereo headset and media remote, and add support for Twitch live streaming ahead of the service’s launch on the console.
The update retools the console’s UI, moving the user’s friends list to the front and center of the Xbox One’s friends homepage, and adds a list of recent players so users can send friend requests to amiable teammates. Players who set up parties with those friends will now have chat audio turned on by default, and will now be able to chat with people in the same party even when members of the group are playing different games. The update also introduces an “invite friends to game” option that will allow a user to join their friend’s multiplayer game with less hassle.
Twitch gameplay streaming is coming to Xbox One on March 11, Twitch and Microsoft announced today. The feature will be patched in to Microsoft’s console for the North American release of Titanfall. Twitch adds the ability to live stream games, join games with broadcasters, use voice commands to create your own game broadcasts, archive game clips, and later watch those clips on any device.
Microsoft’s spring update for the Xbox One is now live. The first update for the console packs a host of improvements, including better Kinect voice recognition, improved all-round stability, and some key fixes to the dashboard — such as onscreen meters for the controller’s battery and free HDD space . You’ll also be able to plug a USB keyboard in, which should make web browsing and searching a whole lot less painful.
The update is rolling out to customers during “off-peak” hours in their local time zones. If you’re taking advantage of Xbox’s Instant On feature, the console will check for an update next time you turn it off.
Microsoft has already sunk $600 million into Nook Media, the ebook division spun off from Barnes & Noble in 2012, but I guess that’s not enough for the Redmond tech giant: news broke today that they have a third ebook effort in the works.
A new job listing discovered by the Chinese tech blog LiveSino has revealed that Microsoft is hiring an ebook developer to work on ‘a groundbreaking interactive reading app on Windows, which incorporates books, magazines, and comics.’ The position was posted by the Xbox Music, Video, and Reading unit, which had already released two apps for Windows 8 (video, music) and is clearly going for a trifecta. Continue reading Rumor: Microsoft Working On A Xbox Reading Unit
Activision is clearly aware that many gamers are frustrated with publishers that like to release franchise squeals every year due to cuts on quality development. Activision just announced that Modern Warfare 3 creator Sledgehammer Games will become the third studio regularly producing Call of Duty titles, joining Infinity Ward and Treyarch.
The first major update for Microsoft’s flagship games console will arrive on February 11, with a second update specifically scheduled to arrive ahead of Titanfall’s release due to arrive on March 4.
The first will introduce the ability to see and manage the storage space on the device, as well as placing a battery life indicator (for connected controllers) directly on the home screen. It also adds the ability to use a USB keyboard with an Xbox One too, as well as fixing some stability issues and introducing other new but as-yet undisclosed features, the company said.
The Xbox One will receive its first major dashboard in March addressing numerous issues with the Xbox Live service along with other unspecified system fixes. The update will introduce fixes for Party-chat problems as well as improving the usability and visibility of Xbox Live’s social features.
Microsoft is billing the Xbox One in combination with Xbox Live as the ultimate entertainment device. Microsoft plans to being bringing original content to Xbox Live in the form of movies and TV shows.
Told through the eyes of Marius Titus, “The Fall” brings the world of Ryse: Son of Rome to life as Marius’ path of vengeance is set into motion. See the full four-part, live-action digital series here.
Nintendo’s had a pretty tough year trying to push its Wii U into homes, as evidenced by the latest sales figures released earlier today. Since this time last year, the gaming giant has just about doubled the number of Wii Us sold cumulatively, going from 3.06 million units to 5.86 million units as of December 31st.


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U.S. regulators are opening up spectrum that could allow for Wi-Fi services with speeds of one gigabit per second and faster.
An amendment to Sprint Nextel's subscriber terms of service points toward the carrier's expected shutdown of its 4G WiMax service.
WiMax carrier Clearwire's so-far-unfunded plan to adopt LTE faces several obstacles, but the company effectively doesn't have a choice, according to industry analysts.
So Clearwire has confirmed that it's looking to deploy an LTE network alongside its WiMax one, but there's a big catch: The service provider needs more cash.
Clearwire plans to deploy an LTE network in addition to its existing WiMax system but estimates it will need to raise about US$600 million to do so.
Intel has been on a buying binge lately. Just two weeks ago the world's largest chip maker agreed to acquire security vendor McAfee for $7.68 billion, and today it announced plans to buy Infineon Technologies' Wireless Solutions (WLS) division for $...
When I first got my hands on the WiMax-enabled Samsung Mondi back in April at CTIA, I was impressed by its slick design, polished TouchWiz 2 interface and multitude of applications.
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First impression on unpacking the Q702 test unit was the solid feel and clean, minimalist styling.


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Papa Johns is expanding its menu with a crustless surprise.
The new Papa Bowls are all toppings, no crust.
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There are three versions available: garden veggie, chicken alfredo, and Italian meats trio.
The pizza giant says these bowls offer a healthier alternative to consumers.
Papa Johns says its sales are on the rise, but on a smaller scale compared to the year before and it hopes these Papa Bowls will cause a spike.
The Papa Bowls will be available next week nationwide.
Check out the Florida Foodie podcast. You can find every episode in the media player below:


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The Israeli restaurant Café Tamar has been around since the 1940s, and nothing about it has changed – not even the price of beer.
See photos of the Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball team coming home to the adulation of their fans after winning the Euroleague Final Four championship.
Maccabi Tel Aviv team celebrates their victory after their Euroleague 2014 Gold medal Final Four basketball game.
A tuition-free university, the University of the People lets the world's poorest people earn college degrees.
The in-flight safety video for El Al, Israel's national carrier, is the latest in a wave of funny in-flight safety videos designed to entertain passengers.
New York Knicks power forward contemplates a future overseas.
Noad Lahat talks about how his home country inspires his sport.
Cozy up in a hotel made of glass, up in a tree or under the sea.
American fashion icon Tommy Hilfiger visited Tel Aviv last Wednesday to celebrate the opening of his new retail store in Israel.
Voluntourism lets you give back by helping children receive medical treatment, saving endangered wildlife or working on a farm.
Posting graphic pictures of people without their permission could be punishable by jail time.
A nonprofit social project was designed to raise awareness of our digital dependence.
Found near ancient banquet hall, wine stash equivalent to 3,000 bottles.
Legislation against cosmetics tested on animals leads the way for other nations and the scientific community.
Thought the “Polar Vortex” was crazy? Israel has had some seriously freaky weather too, but that didn’t keep these people indoors.


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It may not feel like spring in most of the country yet, but that just means you still have more time to prepare for summer! Pool floats? Check. Frosé sorbet? Check! Cute bathing suit? Check! And now that Mountain Dew announced the Baja Blast is returning, summer can officially begin.
The reemergence is thanks to fans of the tropical lime-flavored beverage, who flooded social media with the hashtag #BringBajaBlastBack after Mountain Dew promised its return if there was enough demand.
Turns out, there was and the drink will officially be back on store shelves on April 23!
“Summer’s Most Wanted flavor is back, and it’s all thanks to the tireless efforts of DEW Nation,” Chauncey Hamlett, senior director, marketing, MTN DEW said in a press release. “We were overwhelmed by all of the love we saw on social media and other channels, so we worked hard to bring back MTN DEW BAJA BLAST. We’re always listening to DEW Nation and we’re excited to give them exactly what they’ve been craving.”
— Mountain Dew® (@MountainDew) March 6, 2018
This isn’t the first time the drink has seen a return; the company brought it back during the summers of 2015 and 2016. Baja Blast first appeared in 2004 and was carried only by Taco Bell for a decade, but found its way to store shelves in 2014.
If you look forward to drinking Baja Blast every summer, make sure you stock up when it appears in your store, because it won’t be around forever!


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Markets in Europe are down in the beginning of the day due to Moody's downgrading of Spain's debt to a Aa2 rating, as reported by the Associated Press. Moody's blames the downgrade on Spain's low estimate of the cost of restructuring its banking system. Spain's finance minister disputes the rating and feels that Moody's should have waited until their official report is released later this week.
Bloomberg reports that, in addition to the Spain downgrade, increased fighting in Libya and greater than expected Chinese trade defecit of 7.3 billion, are also impacting the markets.
Yet, also reported by Bloomberg, Birinyi and Associates, the firm that encouraged investors to begin buying on March 9, 2009, when the market hit its lowest point, is still encouraging investors to buy as the market creeps closer to its all-time high. Their belief is that the bull market is "sustainable and durable" and that investors who have missed the early rise still want to "catch up" and are investing now.
Forbes magazine released its list of 1,210 billionaires, with Mexico's Carlos Slim Helu ranking as the wealthiest person in the world. Bill Gates and Warren Buffett have slipped to nos. 2 and 3, but this is primarily because of their pledge to give half of their wealth away, which is what they are in the process of doing. There are 413 billionaires in the U.S. The BRIC countries have 301 billionaires, exceeding the number of billionaires in Europe.
The Financial Times indicates that the U.S. is not alone in reassessing its funding of public pensions. Lord Hutton, a former Cabinet minister, proposed that an average salary over the lifetime of an employee be used as the pension calculation rather than the last few years of service. Additionally, the retirement age should rise from 60 to 65. Of course, those already in the system would be protected and the new rules would only apply in the future. This proposal, of course, was met with great criticism from worker's groups.
In an article in the American Banker, a TD Ameritrade study indicates that young Americans are more likely to rely on websites as their primary source of investment information rather than use a financial advisor. Fifty two percent of Gen Xers (those 35-46) and 64% of Gen Yers (those 22-34) are most likely to turn to websites for financial issues.
Senators McCain (R,AZ) and Kerry (D,MA) are sponsoring a bill, according to the Wall Street Journal, which will be the first comprehensive privacy law regulating the internet. It will require a company to get your permission before sharing any information about you with third parties. Additionally, you will have the right to see any information. The bill is focused on limiting the "tracking" that occurs when individuals go to multiple websites and the information is then shared with other companies for marketing purposes.
A store that did not quickly develop its online presence but has been a staple for Gen X and Gen Yers is finding ways to regain profitability. American Eagle, a store that was very popular during a time when kids hung out at malls has, according to the Wall Street Journal, been impacted by the fact that kids now stay at home and go online. American Eagle had 208 stores in 1994. That rose to 954 in 2008 but now the chain plans to cut back to about 900 stores. While the store has 4 million Facebook fans, only 11% of its sales come from online, unlike J.Crew who reports that 30% of its sales are online.
USA Today reports that Washington,DC is the most socially networked city in the U.S. This is from a story in the April edition of Men's Health. The worst city for social networking is El Paso, Texas.
And another Texas downer....according to a Fox Business News story, Experian released its cities with the highest credit card debt at year end 2010. San Antonio led the list with the average credit card debt of $5,177. The average U.S. household has $4,200 of credit card debt.


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The U.S. Women’s National Team Players Association and Women’s National Basketball Players Association will join as founding partners.
REP Worldwide (Representing Every Player) will offer extensive resources, licensing and brand management services to a cultivated portfolio of athlete-driven sports properties. The business’ initial representation services will include: strategic planning, leveraging athlete IP group rights; structuring licenses and sponsorships; consulting on marketing activation strategy; driving support for players and licensees at retail; and developing unique content opportunities across platforms via ACE Media, the NFLPA’s content and production subsidiary.
“We’re excited about the potential of this new business,” says Ahmad Nassar, president, NFL Players Inc. “Building
The new business will also feature an athlete advisory board and an executive board, each comprised of representatives from its founding partners. Furthermore, the NFLPA will serve as the majority shareholder and will work in collaboration with its founding partners to develop the business.
“Working with REP Worldwide gives the WNBPA a leap forward in our group licensing program,” says Terri Jackson, director of operations, WNBPA. “The WNBPA is the first sports union for women and next year we celebrate our twentieth anniversary. We want this milestone year to include maximizing all licensing and marketing opportunities for our incredible and diverse athletes.”
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NBA's Ty Lawson Invests in Chapel Hill apparel startup
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Editor's note: Startup Thrill City welcomes former UNC star point guard Ty Lawson to its team. ExitEvent's Sarah Headley has the details. ExitEvent is a news partner of WRAL TechWire.
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Denver Nuggets Point Guard Ty Lawson revisited his Carolina roots Tuesday to announce his new T3L clothing line and an investment in Thrill City, an apparel company targeting avid Carolina basketball fans and people around the nation who like streetwear. (Culturally-influenced, statement-based clothing, Thrill City calls it).
Lawson (pictured center) caused some buzz online and in Chapel Hill Tuesday when he showed up at Thrill City's Franklin Street store to pose for picture and sign autographs for at least 200 fans.
The new business deal is catapulting Thrill City into the national sphere and helping it become a well-known brand in time for the beginning of basketball season. Founder Ryan Cocca hopes the brand will create a streetwear renaissance in North Carolina.
"Now, with his (Lawson's) presence, a number of things become more accessible so I expect to put Thrill City in more stores, as well as increase our product offerings," Cocca says. "We're not seeking to be mainstream by any stretch though. The things I design tend to engage a certain audience—it isn't supposed to be understood by necessarily everyone."
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This article has neutral bias with a bias score of 4.39 from our political bias detecting A.I.
Small businesses are a vital part of any economy. Small businesses create jobs, innovation, provide opportunities for individuals to succeed, and support large businesses with their products. Each of these characteristics is vital to keeping the economy strong.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, small businesses were forced to shut their storefronts. Many of them adapted and offered online services. Those that could not adapt or recover from months of lost revenue became the downfall of businesses across the nation. While the pandemic was raging, individuals turned to big companies to order supplies, companies who had the infrastructure and financial independence to keep thriving. Without needing it to begin with, Amazon reported a nearly 200 percent increase in profits. Every business, including Amazon, starts small. Our economy needs small businesses to spark innovation and create jobs. Leaving them to fend for themselves will lead to the downfall of our economy
Small businesses account for 44 percent of US economic activity. They are what stimulate the economy. Small businesses employ people locally which makes a big impact on the health of a community and its people. Keeping money circulation within a local community is vital to its success. Small businesses also increase competition in their local field. Competition breeds innovation and greater diversity. Without small businesses, the American economy loses out on 99.9 percent of currently existing business.
For a small business to grow, it needs additional capital. The safest way for a small business to acquire capital is by opening themselves up to small-cap stocks. Small-cap stocks are categorized as companies with a market capitalization of less than $2 billion. It is easier for small-cap companies to grow because they have a smaller operational and financial base. During times of economic recovery when interest rates are low, these small businesses do particularly well because of easy access to investment funds. However, in an economic downturn, they are usually the first to fail. Invest in small-cap companies to help them build capital and increase their economic growth.
Since the 1970s, small businesses have provided over 55 percent of all jobs. Over 50 percent of all commercial space is occupied by small businesses. If they disappear, at least half of the American economy will too. Supporting and investing in small businesses is a minor act that will ultimately save the economy.
Content from The Bipartisan Press. All Rights Reserved.


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Monday, November 12, 2012
Walmart Black Friday strike for stores across US
The Huffington Post:
Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving regarded as one of the biggest shopping days of the year, may be dramatically different this year.
Organizers are planning a nationwide strike against Walmart, the largest retailer in the world, and are banking on a new strategy: online organizing.
Labor organizers are working with social action nonprofit Engage Network as well as corporate watchdog nonprofit Corporate Action Network to pull off what they are calling a "viral" -- meaning national and spreading online -- strike.
Walmart workers interested in joining the day of action are directed to this website, either to find a store near them with an organized strike or to "adopt an event" at a store near them.
Brian Young, cofounder of the Corporate Action Network, said on a conference call coordinated by the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union Thursday, that organizers cannot cover the roughly 4,000 Walmarts across the country, but enabling self-appointed leaders online has widened and decentralized the campaign.
Supporters can also sponsor a striking worker, who may be losing wages in order to strike, by donating grocery gift cards. The campaign has raised more than $13,500 worth of donations toward grocery gift cards since Oct. 15 -- a figure that doesn't include significant funds raised through mailed-in checks, Jamie Way, of the UFCW, told HuffPost.
The campaign is also mobilizing strikers and supporters through a Facebook app, multiple Facebook pages, a Tumblr and Twitter with the hashtag #walmartstrikers.
Continue reading here.
Posted by The Progressive Rambler at 12:00 PM


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Car share program may be coming soon to Edmonton
A car share program, much like the ones operating in Calgary, Toronto and Halifax, could soon be operating in Edmonton.
City officials hope a six-month pilot project will soon be launched by a company that can’t yet be named. The final details are now being worked out.
- Large scale car sharing comes to Calgary
- Car-share gears up for fall launch in Saskatoon
- Parking woes for Montreal’s new car-sharing service
“It's on a trial basis and we shall see how that works out for them,” said Brian Murphy, supervisor of parking operations with the city’s transportation department.
Companies like Car2Go or Zipcar allow people to rent a car for a quick trip to the mall or for a weekend trip.
Members locate the nearest vehicle using an app on their smartphone. Once they’re done, they can leave the vehicle in a designated parking spot.
While people in other large Canadian cities have been able to use these services for years, Edmontonians have so far been out of luck.
Natalie Charette was surprised that she couldn’t sign up for a car share service when she moved to Edmonton. She doesn’t own a vehicle because she lives downtown and walks to work.
“I just want it when I'm out at the grocery store when I`m buying potatoes and rice,” Charette said. “I just want it for those little things like trips to IKEA.”
Charette may soon be in luck as the pilot project could be launching within a month.
Murphy says the company approached the city earlier this year. The pilot project would start with 10 vehicles and eventually increase to 50.
“We're hoping it works out really well for them and then we can get down to business and get a car share company operating in the City of Edmonton.”
With files from the CBC's Andrea Huncar


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Open Country Dairy's new Waikato factory will provide extra jobs for the region.
Open Country Dairy (OCD) has started work on a new plant that will increase its processing capacity in Waikato.
The country's second largest dairy processor will build the factory at Horotiu, near Affco's meat processing plant. Both OCD and Affco are owned by agribusiness company Talley's Group.
OCD chairman Laurie Margrain confirmed that activity had begun on the site but was tight lipped about the factory's details.
"I can't confirm the details, we're keeping many of our options fluid, we are building processing capacity and the exact nature and type of that capacity to some extent is not yet confirmed, some parts are and some are not."
The site would create new job opportunities for the region, but it was too early to say how many as that would depend on the factory's final configuration's. It would also mean OCD can take on more Waikato suppliers.
Margrain said the factory was being built because OCD had been short of capacity in Waikato for some time.
"We have taken a very calm and pragmatic view about when we should extend capacity in the Waikato in terms of what conditions the market was in and what condition the industry was in and because we are very prudent in how we invest capital, we have taken our time in making these decisions."
He expected the site would start processing milk by the spring of 2018.
Waikato Federated Farmers president and OCD supplier Chris Lewis said the company told farmers about the new plant at its latest round of supplier meetings.
"With their forecasted payout and the signal from their board that they are going to build another plant, it must show as level of confidence in the dairy sector and it shows there is a good future out there and they are willing to show that and compete for that."
Lewis said the plant would be different to what OCD had built in the past and would better compliment its product range. Suppliers had reacted positively to the project, he said.
OCD is the second largest global exporter of whole milk powder and also produce proteins, milk fats and cheeses. The dairy company posted a record annual profit last year even as revenue fell.
According to BusinessDesk, OCD's profit increased 16 per cent to $34.4 million in the year ending September 30, 2015. Revenue slid 24 per cent to $688m while the cost of sales sank 28 per cent to $620.5m, according to its accounts.
The company did not pay a dividend and has previously said it was investing in infrastructure for future growth. Its payments for milk fell 36 per cent last year to $480.2m, while receipts from customers declined by a lesser 19 per cent to $707.4m.
The value of the company's inventories rose 28 per cent to $159.3m.
Open Country made $14m of loan repayments last year, compared with the year earlier when it received a loan advance of $71m.


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Canadian firm BlackBerry has entered into a long term licensing agreement with Chinese multinational electronics company TCL today. Under the terms of the agreement, the former will license its security software and service suite, as well as related brand assets to the latter. TCL in its turn will be designing, manufacturing, selling and providing customer support for Canadian firm’s mobile devices.
TCL will also manage all sales and distribution and serve as the global distributor of new BlackBerry-branded mobile devices along with its dedicated sales teams.
This is also the first liaison of the erstwhile mobile manufacturer in terms of global licensing agreement, which has led to the introduction of the DTEK50 and DTEK60 handsets on Android.
The company has recently announced that it wants to focus on software innovation and providing the most secure and comprehensive software for devices across the globe. The company also divulged that it wishes to work with third parties to develop hardware and market the BlackBerry handset brand.
According to Ralph Pini, Chief Operating Officer and General Manager of Mobility Solutions at BlackBerry,
This agreement with TCL Communication represents a key step in our strategy to focus on putting the ‘smart in the phone’ by providing state-of-the-art security and device software on a platform that mobile users prefer and are comfortable with.
TCL Communication is the natural choice to license our software and brand on a global scale. We successfully partnered with them on the DTEK series of secure smartphones and we’ve been impressed with their excellence in hardware design, development and manufacturing. With our unparalleled expertise in mobile security and software and TCL Communication’s vast global reach and consumer access, we are confident that BlackBerry-branded products developed and distributed by TCL Communication will address the needs of BlackBerry users and expand the availability of BlackBerry Secure products throughout the world.
Talking about the agreement, Nicolas Zibell, CEO of TCL Communication, said,
At TCL Communication, we are committed to creating the best portfolio solutions, while ensuring the quality support to consumers and enterprise users who trust the integrity of the BlackBerry device and the brand’s security leadership, coupled with the Android platform. Together with BlackBerry’s smartphone software platform, this partnership will strengthen our position in the global mobile market.
According to the terms of the agreement, TCL will be the global manufacturer and distributor for all BlackBerry-branded smart phones across the world — barring India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh and Indonesia.


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Panache to close its doors next month
BENNINGTON >> Panache, a fixture on Main Street known for its vibrant window displays and eclectic inventory, will close its doors next month after 31 years in business.
In an interview with the Banner, Nancy Woltman, owner of the women's clothing store at 530 Main St., sent much thanks to the many people that she's worked with. She noted that she's seen economic ups-and-downs over the past three decades, and spoke about the importance of supporting local businesses. Woltman says she's considering future options for herself, including setting up an online store. She said she also wants to help recruit new businesses to Bennington.
"I'm retiring Panache," Woltman said at the business on Friday afternoon. "But I'm not retiring myself."
Panache developed a dedicated following for an eclectic mix of items, from both year-round residents, second home owners and visitors passing through town.
"That's the beauty of having a business downtown," Woltman said. "You get to know the community. You get to know the tourists who come back every year and stop in."
"We would send postcards out to our customer base," she continued. "Even people who are from New Jersey bring their postcard to redeem the coupon when they come back through."
Panache will remain open until the end of September. A store-wide sale started on Friday and includes the entire inventory, as well as the fixtures. And new items for the fall will also be marked down when they are soon put out on the sales floor, Woltman said.
Woltman, who owns the two-story building, said she already has another tenant for the first floor space. She declined to say whom the tenant is, but did say an announcement would be made soon.
Woltman and two partners opened the store in August of 1985. One partner had seen a shop in San Francisco that offered a mix of different merchandise to accommodate different needs and tastes. It was a new concept, Woltman said. The store's name comes from the French word for "plume" and cannotes flamboyance. It's inventory eventually grew to include and children's clothing and used clothing, as well as gifts, Yankee candles, furniture, kitchen items, home decor, toiletries and more.
Panache has been at Canopy Shoppe Building at 530 Main St., its fourth location, for about 10 years. It started at 465 Main St., now home to the Bennington Bookshop, Village Chocolate Shoppe, and the Here We Grow children's consignment shop; It then moved to 430 Main St. (now Evans' News) and after that, 457 Main St. (now the Gamers' Grotto). As the business prospered, Woltman said, she and her son Kris bought the building at 465 Main St.
Woltman also owned a store similar to Panache in Rhode Island for 15 years. Her only regret, she said, was not setting up shop in a downtown.
"You didn't feel like you were in a community," Woltman said. She spoke highly of the fellow shopkeepers on Main Street in Bennington. Woltman, who is a founding member of the Better Bennington Corp., said she was pleased to see how that organization has grown over the years.
"I've seen it have ups and downs," Woltman said. "I've been very fortunate to go with ups and downs and have a good career."
Her employees have been key to her business.
"One thing I learned way back is that people working for you contribute to the store in a lot of different ways, depending on what their talents are," Woltman said.
Kimalie Wassick has worked with Woltman for 28 years. Wassick, a graphic artist, remembers Woltman asking her to create a window display for Christmas. Wassick would become an integral part of the business, buying inventory, designing displays and helping customers.
"She was the best person to work for," said Wassick, who said she would continue work as an artist. "There was never a day in those 28 years where I said I didn't want to go to work. I absolutely loved my job."
Contact Ed Damon at 802-447-7567, ext. 111.
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Residents, businesses and government of Bangkok could realize THB 126 billion-worth of economic benefits by transitioning from physical money to digital payments, according to an independent study conducted by Roubini ThoughtLab and commissioned by Visa.
The results examine the economic impact of increasing the use of digital payments in major cities around the world. As a “digitally transitioning” city, Bangkok is among the six global metropolises selected for the study, representing one of the five different stages of digital payment maturity.
“As more people move from rural to urban areas, cities become the nexus for the adoption of electronic payments. This study is unique in that for the first time it looks at the net benefits associated with adopting digital payments at a city-level. The research shows that a shift to electronic payments will benefit people, businesses and government not just in big cities like Bangkok, but other urban centers such as Phuket and Khon Khaen as well,” said Suripong Tantiyanon, Country Manager, Visa Thailand.
For Bangkok, widespread usage of electronic payments could generate an estimated increase of THB126 billion to the city’s economy – with consumers, businesses and government to realize net benefits of THB 3 billion, THB 73 billion, and THB 50 billion, respectively.
Estimated net benefits are derived from factors including time savings while conducting and processing banking, retail and transit transactions; increased sales revenues from extended customer base both online and in-store; increased tax revenues and economic growth; cost savings; and reduced cash-related crime, among others.
“There are many existing and emerging technologies in payment that will drive wider adoption of electronic payments. In cities like Bangkok, we will see new payments form factors such as standardized QR Code go beyond being just a money transfer tool and mainstream method such as debit chip card becoming widely used and accepted, giving consumers and businesses the choices on how to pay and get paid,” said Mr. Suripong.
About the Cashless Cities Report
“Cashless Cities: Realizing the Benefits of Digital Payments”, is a unique study that quantifies the potential net benefits experienced by cities which move to an “achievable level of cashlessness”—defined as the entire population of a city moving to digital payment usage equal to the top 10% of users in that city today. The study does not look at eliminating cash. Rather, it seeks to quantify the potential benefits and costs of significantly increasing the use of digital payments.
By reducing reliance on cash, the study estimates the immediate and long-term benefits for three main groups—consumers, businesses and governments. According to the study, these benefits could add up to combined direct net benefits of approximately U.S. $470 billion or equivalent to 3 percent of the average GDP of the 100 cities that were analyzed:
“This study demonstrates the substantial upside for consumers, businesses and governments as cities move toward greater adoption of digital payments,” said Ellen Richey, Visa’s vice chairman and chief risk officer. “Societies that substitute digital payments for cash see benefits from greater economic growth, less crime, more jobs, higher wages, and increased worker productivity.”
As cities increase use of digital payments, the positive impacts can extend beyond financial benefits to consumers, businesses, and government. The shift to digital payments also may have a catalytic effect on the city’s overall economic performance, including GDP, employment, wage, and productivity growth.
“The use of digital technologies—from smart phones and wearables to artificial intelligence and driverless cars—is rapidly transforming how city dwellers shop, travel, and live,” said Lou Celi, Head of Roubini ThoughtLab. “Without a firm foundation in electronic payments, cities will not be able to fully capture their digital future, according to our analysis.”
“Cashless Cities: Realizing the Benefits of Digital Payments” offers 61 recommendations for policymakers to help their cities become more efficient through greater adoption of digital payments. Recommendations include undertaking financial literacy programs to help move the unbanked into the banking system, implementing incentives to stimulate innovation focused on scaling new payment technologies, implementing secure open-loop payment systems across all transportation networks and more.
Visa and Roubini Thoughtlab created an online data visualization tool as a companion to “Cashless Cities: Realizing the Benefits of Digital Payments.” Using the data visualization tool, individuals can increase or decrease the level of digital usage in each of the 100 cities included in the study to better explore the benefits of a world, less dependent on cash.
Roubini Thoughtlab, a leading economics and evidence-based research firm, surveyed 3,000 consumers and 900 businesses in 2016 across six cities (Tokyo, Chicago, Stockholm, Sao Paolo, Bangkok and Lagos) that represent different levels of digital payments maturity. These surveys examined the use, acceptance, and cost-benefit impact of physical and digital money. Researchers then extrapolated these survey results based on specific demographic and economic data to another 94 cities around the world to determine the net impact of moving toward a cashless economy on consumers and businesses in each location. Through other sources, the research was also able to identify expected impacts on government. Researchers used World Bank, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and other well-respected secondary data sources to augment the survey results and build the overall findings. An econometric model used by various central banks and other institutions – the National Institute Global Econometric Model (NiGEM) – was used to estimate the “catalytic” impacts (economic growth, productivity, employment and wages) that a move toward digital payments would have on each of the 100 cities analyzed. Visa commissioned the study. Roubini Thoughtlab independently conducted the surveys, managed the research and developed the analysis.


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Currently, TechCrunch is down in San Jose, Calif. for the Oculus Hook up 4 keynote, in which Facebook’s VR corporation is anticipated to perhaps introduce some new items and certainly wax poetic on the future of VR and why they are guaranteed it is not dead.
This is yr #4 for the meeting and it is the only one so much that hasn’t preceding an imminent components release. There pretty well could be a whole lot of surprises this early morning and if you just can’t hold out to read through what is going on you can check out the keynote live at the sources below starting up at 10am PST (ahead of coming back again to read through all of our in-depth protection of course).
Some of the matters we’re listening for…
- Is VR however pertinent?
- Will we see a new headset standalone prototype?
- Will Mark Zuckerberg current onstage? Will he reference his Puerto Rico VR livestream snafu?
- Will Oculus’s system see any more integration with FB’s core product?
- Will Oculus announce any new cellular partnerships?
- Will we get any phrase on components device income for Rift?
- Will Oculus announce a new fund for VR builders?
- Will we get any challenging metrics at all?
- Will we see any collaboration among Oculus and Fb on the Digicam Outcomes system?
- Will we listen to any reference to the $500M judgment in the ZeniMax lawsuit?
- Will we get updates on the Oculus Avatars system?
- Will we listen to something about the company’s AR headset endeavours?
There’s guaranteed to be a lot of encounter laptop nerdiness now so stay tuned.


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As per the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) circular, you will soon get online alerts for any transaction you make through your debit/credit card, irrespective of the amount, at various channels. RBI has asked all commercial banks to take steps to put in place a system for such online alerts by 30 June 2011. This will make tracking payments a lot easier for you.
What was the earlier norm?
Until the guidelines were issued, banks were mandated to send online alerts to cardholders for all credit as well as debit “card not present" transactions (when you are not physically present for the transaction such as during online shopping) for values of ₹ 5,000 and above. So if you used your credit or debit card at an online shopping website and the transaction amount was ₹ 5,000 plus, you got an online alert.
What’s on the cards?
As per the latest guideline, irrespective of the fact whether it is a “card present transaction" (where you are physically present such as at the automated teller machine or ATM) or a “card not present" transaction, you will get an online alert.
This alert is applicable on transactions made over the interactive voice response (IVR) and point of sales (PoS) as well.
The mode of sending online alerts has been left to the banks. So you could get email alerts as well as SMS alerts if your email address and mobile number are registered with the bank. The good part is that most banks are already sending alerts to their customers. For instance, ICICI Bank Ltd and Axis Bank Ltd.
Many customers have direct debit facility activated on their credit cards—to pay utility bills or even insurance premiums. In such cases, too, the bank will send an online alert. A few banks are already providing such a facility.
Why such a move?
There is no doubt that online as well as offline financial fraudulent deals are on the rise. In fact, according to RBI, unauthorized and fraudulent withdrawals at ATMs have also been noticed recently. This step will help arrest possible fraudulent activities on your cards, besides helping you track your payments.


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RealtyTrac sees foreclosures at pre-recession levels early next year, and banks gearing up for some "spring cleaning."
NYS Entity Status
NYS Filing Date
APRIL 02, 2014
NYS DOS ID#
NYS Entity Type
DOMESTIC LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY
2014 - APPLIANCE MAN LLC
AROUND THE WEB
- Get ready for 'spring cleaning' in foreclosures
By firstname.lastname@example.org (MarketWatch.com) - Thursday Dec 11, 2014
- Living the Urban Life Upstate
By KIM VELSEY - Friday Jun 16, 2017
A New York couple who prefer to rent in the thick of things, even in a Hudson Valley town.
- Planting Time For Zone 8 Bulbs: When Do I Plant Zone 8 Bulbs
By Darcy Larum - Friday Jun 23, 2017
- Google Revamps Enterprise Search Appliance
By InformationWeek - Tuesday Feb 11, 2014
Google's upgraded appliance lets businesses and organizations search internal and public-facing documents. New hooks connect third-party content stores.
- 11 States Sue Trump Administration For Second Time Over Appliance Energy Efficiency Delays
By Chris Morran - Tuesday Jun 13, 2017
For the second time in two months, a coalition of state attorneys general has sued the Department of Energy, once again claiming the Trump administration has violated federal law by refusing to implement a number of new energy efficiency standards for multiple types of appliances.At issue are new efficiency standards for five categories of appliances and industrial equipment: …
- Man Admits He Helped Steal 94,000 Credit, Debit Card Numbers From Michaels Stores
By Mary Beth Quirk - Tuesday Jun 20, 2017
If you can stretch your memory all the way back to the spring of 2011, before data breaches seemed commonplace, perhaps you will recall when Michaels warned customers that PIN pad information at some of its stores might have been exposed. Now, a California man has admitted his role in a conspiracy to swipe 94,000 credit and debit card …
- Fit City: Taking Night-Life Cue, Gyms Lower the Lights
By TATIANA BONCOMPAGNI - Tuesday Jun 13, 2017
Cycling, boxing and running studios, as well as some full-service gyms, are using sophisticated lighting systems to heighten the exercise experience.
- Needham Joins Final Nike/USL HSG Top 25 With Upset of Longmeadow
By mschneider - Tuesday Jun 20, 2017


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Off Screen Footage of Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX Jump Festa 2013 Trailer
While Square Enix hasn’t officially released the new Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX Jump Festa 2013 trailer online yet, someone at the game show recorded the new trailer off-screen and has uploaded it to Youtube. The trailer shows us off some new HD remastered cutscenes from Kingdom Hearts Final Mix and Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories. Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX will be released in Japan on March 14th for PS3. Square Enix has yet to announce any localization for any other countries outside of Japan.


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A sharp blade inscribed with 'Chinese' lettering was found by a five-year-old inside a brand new Tesco tent.
Mum Carrie-Ann Forbes was shocked to see her kids pull out a bladed tool which she held up believing they were the "snippers for the tent".
Carrie-Ann cannot help but fear what damage could have been done with the object which she claims was buried inside the tent, after it was delivered on April 17.
Tesco has since announced an investigation has been launched to work out how the dangerous tool ended up in the Forbes family's £8.50 tent over the weekend, Daily Record reports.
The mum explained how she bought the shelter for her four and five-year-old children to use in the back garden of their Highland home near Aviemore in Scotland.
When it arrived, the 41-year-old found herself later contacting Tesco's customer service team for an explanation on an additional item, but was left fuming by their initial response.
Carrie-Ann said: "We’ve had these tents before and they only cost a few pounds.
"It’s just a case of buy them, the kids maybe get a couple of weeks play out of them before they break and you bin them.
"I bought this tent on April 17 and it just sat in the house because the weather hadn’t been that great.
"It was quite dry on Monday when the kids went to school so I promised them we would put it up when they got home.
"We put the tent on the ground and the kids unrolled it. That’s when my daughter held up the blade. It’s definitely come out of the tent. It couldn’t have come from anywhere else.
"We’re in a new build house and there’s nothing in the garden apart from some of the kids' toys. I was shocked. My daughter is only five and she didn’t realise what she was holding.
"She just thought it was something to do with the tent. She just said ‘mum I’ve got the snippers for the tent’.
"As soon as I saw them, I realised it wasn’t meant to be in there and told her to go wash her hands.
"I inspected the tent and it was spotless so it hadn’t been returned before and it obviously fell in during the production process.
"It had Chinese-style writing on the side of the sharp blades. Either one of the kids could’ve fallen or stood on that.
"Of all the things you could find inside, it has to be one of the worst possible things."
She added: "I called Tesco and they said they’d never had anything like this before and that I would have to return the blade and the tent to a store.
"But I’m disabled which is why I was doing my shopping online. That was the only option apparently."
A Tesco spokesperson said: "We are extremely sorry to hear about this incident. We are in touch with our customer to apologise, and are investigating how this happened."


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Sunday, December 15, 2013
A Las Vegas casino owner, Jack Sommer, is selling his Vegas home for $7.85 million dollars, and has decided to open the bidding globally by accepting online currency, bitcoin, for the deal. Bitcoin is peer-to-peer online trading in which value is purchased like dollars. However, bitcoin is not regulated. Sommer says he got the idea from his two kids who helped create and trade the online currency. Owner of the marketplace website bitcoininvegas.com, Julian Tosh, claims that the online currency could help speed up international business deals. Other businesses accept the currency as well including a California Lamborghini dealership that sold a $103,000 Tesla for 91.4 bitcoin. The value of a bitcoin was recently assessed at about $870, but is continuously fluctuating.
See Associated Press, Vegas Developer Selling $7.85M Mansion For Bitcoin, Technology News, Dec. 14, 2013.


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Clarios Names Mark Wallace CEO
By Chad Elmore19 May 2020
Mark Wallace, an executive who has decades of leadership in the automotive, commercial vehicle, off-highway and aftermarket industries, has been named president and chief executive officer at Clarios.
Based in Glendale, Wis., Clarios reportedly produces one in three of the world’s car batteries, and its range of battery technologies support passenger, commercial and recreational vehicle platforms, including start-stop, mild-hybrid, electric and autonomous.
Wallace comes to Clarios from Dana Inc., where he was the executive vice president and president of Commercial Vehicle Drive and Motion Systems. He succeeds Interim CEO John Barkhouse, who will continue as chair of the board.
“Mark has a demonstrated history of driving revenue growth and improving profit margins,” Barkhouse said. “His experience as a leader with extensive knowledge of the OE and aftermarket industries ensures Clarios and its customers are in good hands, and our strategic plan will continue to advance globally.”
“I’m pleased to join Clarios at an exciting point in the company’s history as it continues to cement its reputation in the marketplace and enhance its relationships with customers,” Wallace said. “Clarios is well-positioned globally with its advanced battery solutions. We have the right technologies and the right people, and we have a great environmental reputation.”
Wallace previously served in several leadership roles for Webasto, a global automotive parts supplier, including as president and CEO at Webasto Product North America.


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* LG Display posts loss after two quarters of profit
* Large TV LCD prices fall, small OLED panel competition heats up
* Winning order for new iPhone models crucial -analysts
SEOUL, April 24 (Reuters) - South Korea’s LG Display Co Ltd on Wednesday posted a wider-than-expected quarterly operating loss as falling prices of screens for television sets weighed on earnings.
The Apple Inc supplier booked a January-March loss of 132 billion won ($115.6 million) versus a loss of 98 billion won in the same period a year earlier.
The result - which came after two consecutive quarters of profit - compared with a forecast for an average 104 billion won loss calculated from 13 analyst estimates compiled by I/B/E/S Refinitv data.
Revenue rose 4 percent on year to 5.9 trillion won.
Prices for LG Display’s main product, 50-inch liquid-crystal displays (LCDs) for TV sets, slid as much as 23 percent in the quarter versus the same period last year, showed data from WitsView, part of research provider TrendForce.
“Price falls in large LCD TV panels will likely continue in the second quarter, as one of LG Display’s Chinese rivals ramps up production in that segment and drags down prices,” said analyst Park Sung-soon at BNK Securities.
(For an interactive graphic of large TV LCD prices, click here tmsnrt.rs/2IAJaXc.)
Analysts have said capturing a fresh order for Apple’s next line of iPhones may be central to LG Display’s future as competition intensifies with China and Japan in the market for small-sized organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays.
Reuters exclusively reported earlier this month that Japan Display Inc will begin supplying OLED screens for the Apple Watch later this year, threatening LG Display’s position providing the majority of small OLED panels for the Apple Watch.
Reporting by Heekyong Yang and Ju-min Park; Editing by Christopher Cushing


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Even as foreign investors like SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos are pouring billions in venture capital into India’s galloping online commerce market, Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Retail has taken its first steps into the crowded sector without any marketing or fanfare.
Reliance Retail’s Reliance Fresh Direct virtual store has started taking online orders for groceries, fresh produce and household items, offering the service in a few neighborhoods in Mumbai city at the start.
Ambani tops Forbes’ list of Indian rich with a net worth of $22.7 billion and his Reliance Industries is India’s largest business conglomerate.
Reliance’s retail subsidiary, Reliance Retail launched in 2006 with its first Reliance Fresh store. Today, it has over 700 stores in 93 cities, and is India’s largest retailer by revenues.
On its latest online foray, a spokesperson for Reliance Retail said, “We continue to explore newer markets and channels to leverage our solid foundation. The launch of reliancefreshdirect.com adds the ‘direct delivery channel to our network besides providing convenience and choice to our customers.” Refusing to elaborate on the company growth plans in e-commerce, the person simply said, “We will augment the direct delivery model over time.”
Several online-only grocery retailers such as BigBasket and LocalBanya already operate in Indian cities. Online grocery shopping is catching on as customers in large cities attempt to avoid traffic on the roads and the rush at the malls. Competitive pricing and a wider selection of products is also drawing in shoppers.
E-commerce is said to reach $100 billion in the next five years from $15 billion currently, according to estimates. India has thousands of online retailers, big and small, selling an array of products and services.
Several traditional grocery retailers are preparing to jump in too. Kishore Biyani’s Future Retail is preparing to make an entry as is billionaire Kumar Mangalam Birla’s Aditya Birla Retail which runs the More chain of hypermarkets and supermarkets.
India's online grocery segment is no cake walk as brick-and-mortar grocery retailers to transition to online sales. Supply chain challenges and logistics bog the inherently low-margin business.


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BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 30
By Elnur Baghishov – Trend:
A total of about 41,200 tons of cargo were loaded and unloaded in the Noshahr port of the Mazandaran Province (northern Iran) in the 6th month of the current Iranian year (August 22-September 21, 2020), Trend reports citing Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran (PMO).
While in the 5th month of the current Iranian year (July 22-August 21, 2020), 64,500 tons of cargo were loaded and unloaded at this port, the report added.
According to the report, about 874 tons of goods were loaded and 40,300 tons were unloaded in the sixth month of current Iranian year.
“During the reporting month, 874 tons of goods were exported and 40,100 tons were imported through the Noshahr port,” the report said.
According to the report, 34,500 tons of essential products, and 6,700 tons of leather, clothing, fiber, wood and other similar goods were loaded and unloaded at the Noshahr port in the 6th month of the current Iranian year.
In total, 5.5 million tons of cargo were loaded and 4.5 million tons were unloaded through Iranian ports in the 6th month of the current Iranian year.


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Amazon on Monday announced a series of new products and services, ranging from a refreshed Fire HD 10 tablet to a Kindle for kids. The new Fire HD 10 has a faster processor, a 10.1-inch FHD 1080p display, 2GB of memory, and up to 12 hours of battery life. It's available with 32GB or 64GB of storage, with added support for microSD cards as large as 512GB. Amazon now uses a USB-C port for charging and transferring content on the Fire HD 10, ditching the tired -- and slower -- microUSB port.
The Fire HD 10 has a new picture-in-picture mode that allows you to watch a show in a small window from an app like Netflix while checking your email or browsing the web.
The Fire HD 10 is still priced at $149 and is available for preorder today. It will begin shipping on Oct. 30.
There's also a Fire HD 10 Kids Edition model that comes with a two-year "worry-free" guarantee, a case, and a year of Amazon's FreeTime Unlimited for $199.
For the first time, Amazon is offering a Kindle that's built with kids in mind. The Kindle Kids Edition costs $109 and comes with a two-year worry-free guarantee. Amazon will replace the Kindle if your kid breaks it or it quits working for any reason.
The Kindle Kids Edition also comes with a case, one year of Amazon FreeTime Unlimited -- the company's parental control and kid-oriented content platform. Kids will have access to "over a thousand" kid-friendly books and will be encouraged to keep reading, thanks to achievement badges as rewards for achieving reading goals on the Kindle.
Kindle Kids Edition is available for preorder starting today and will begin shipping on Oct. 30.
Amazon is also expanding its FreeTime Unlimited service to the Fire TV stick, and eventually the Fire TV Edition smart TVs. FreeTime Unlimited on FireTV gives parents the ability to set time limits and provides access to curated kid-friendly shows. The new feature is rolling out today to the Fire TV Stick and Fire TV Stick 4K.


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Chef Mark Greenaway has revealed he will take over the restaurant space in the Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh in mid-April.
Grazing by Mark Greenaway will showcase a mix of traditional, modern and sharing plates using locally sourced ingredients.
Dishes will include barbecue shiitake mushrooms on toast, a cured meat and choux pastry picnic box, shepherd's pie, roast chicken, 11-hour slow roast pork belly and a sticky toffee soufflé.
Greenaway said: "The brasserie in the Waldorf Astoria is an excellent restaurant space, lending itself to a relaxed dining experience in a stunning location with its own entrance from Rutland Street. It will undergo a complete overhaul at the start of April as we freshen up the space to provide guests with an entirely new dining experience."
The restaurant will maintain a brasserie look and feel, accommodating 170 covers as well as private dining and chef's table experiences.
Dale MacPhee, general manager at the Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh, said: "The experience economy continues to be a driving force among consumers and we recognise the importance of keeping our offering fresh. We see this as an exciting new chapter for our relaxed dining outlet in the hotel and very much look forward to welcoming Mark to the team."
Greenaway closed his eponymous Edinburgh restaurant in September 2018, announcing that new projects were to follow. It is understood that a further fine-dining venture is to be announced in due course.
The restaurant spaces at the Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh were previously occupied by Galvin Restaurants, which announced it would close its outlets at the hotel earlier this week.Get The Caterer every week on your smartphone, tablet, or even in good old-fashioned hard copy (or all three!).