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And if you spend a little longer here you will eventually come across another popular alcoholic drink, makgeolli, also known as takju, which goes very well with pajeon, a kind of pancake made with flour, eggs, green onion and sometimes kimchi or even seafood.
Soju has maintained its position as a grassroots beverage, but makgeolli, also a rice-based drink, lost ground to the spread of Western drinks such as beer, whiskey and wine in the 1970s. This was a period marked by modernization and makgeolli became more of a speciality drink.
However, makgeolli is back in the spotlight following reports from rice wine makers that sales of the brew are on the rise.
The Seoul Rice Wine Manufacturing Association, which owns six breweries within the city of Seoul, said that the daily output of makgeolli from each of its breweries almost doubled from 30,000-40,000 bottles two years ago to 60,000-70,000 bottles this year.
The association, the Seoul and Gyeonggi makgeolli market leader with a market share of over 80 percent, said it sells just about all its daily produce.
April sales were 220,000 bottles, more than double that of the previous month (100,000 bottles) and quadruple the total sales for the first half of last year.
“Makgeolli’s rising popularity can be attributed partly to the recent economic downturn, which came to the fore particularly last year. Consumers tend to turn to makgeolli when they are feeling the economic pinch since the drink is relatively cheap,” said Shin Woo-chang, deputy director of the research institute of Kook Soon Dang Brewery.
A 750-milliliter bottle of Jang Soo Raw Rice Wine, the Seoul Rice Wine Manufacturing Association’s top-selling product, sells for 1,200 won ($0.95) while a 360-milliliter bottle of soju costs around at 1,200 won and a 500-milliliter can of beer, 2,000 won.
Another reason for the drink’s resurgence is it’s not too strong and it’s not bad for you unless consumed in large quantities.
“Makgeolli is low proof with an alcohol content of 6-7 percent so that people with a lower tolerance can also enjoy it,” said Sung Ki-wook, director of the research institute of the Seoul Rice Wine Manufacturing Association.
“The fermented rice wine has also proved to be good for health as it contains lots of lactobacilli and fiber, matching the current ‘well-being’ trend in our society,” Shin said.
Lactobacilli are associated with helping to keep the intestinal tract healthy.
The fermented rice wine has also been found to be effective in suppressing cancer and preventing high blood pressure, according to a report released last year by a research team at the department of food and nutrition at Silla University in Busan.
Furthermore, makgeolli’s attempts to move with the times should also be factored in to the revival equation. So-called cocktail makgeolli drinks are aimed at younger drinkers. They contain different kinds of fruit and come in a range of colors whereas straight makgeolli is universally a milky-white liquid.
“I usually drink strawberry makgeolli here,” said Lee Ji-hyun, a 26-year-old woman at Dduktak in Sinchon, western Seoul, a modernized Korean-style drinking house.
“It’s just like drinking a fruit juice, not alcohol at all. What I like the most about this new type of makgeolli is that I don’t have a hangover the next morning.” Dduktak sells makgeolli cocktails using various fruits such as strawberry, kiwi and pineapple.
“Makgeolli makers’ efforts to popularize the Korean wine by packaging it in a can or a fancy bottle as well as converting it to a new version like cocktail makgeolli have succeeded in winning the hearts of young and new customers,” claims Shin.
One of the reasons makgeolli got the cold shoulder after its heyday in the 1960s originates in fears over food shortages. In 1965, the government banned the use of rice for making makgeolli because there were worries that the country was not producing enough food for its growing population.
The government forced makgeolli makers to use other grains instead of rice, a move that affected the original taste of the drink, which proved unpopular with some drinkers who couldn’t adjust to the new flavor.
Makgeolli’s newfound popularity reaches beyond Korea’s borders. Drinkers can sample a range of rice wines indigenous to Korea at bars in downtown Tokyo areas such as Shinjuku, Ginza and Shibuya.
“We sold 3.4 billion won [$2.74 million] of makgeolli in Japan last year and sales of the liquor have grown 20 to 25 percent annually over the recent years,” said Lee Jin-seong, director of E-dong Rice Wine Brewery, the first Korean makgeolli exporter to Japan via its Japanese affiliate established in 1993.
By Park Sun-young [firstname.lastname@example.org]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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Beer production will resume on June 1 in Mexico City, after the capital’s government considered it as an essential activity alongside other activities such as mining, construction and the manufacture of transport equipment.
“Each of these activities must have a protocol with occupational health measures, operating rules with flow charts, distribution of employees and customers and signage for each one,” said Claudia Sheinbaum, head of government of the Mexico City, in virtual press conference.
The official explained that Mexico City will be at a red light until June 15, but these essential activities will be able to resume operations from June 1.
Grupo Modelo Ab InBev, the owner of the Victoria, Modelo and Corona beer brands, has a production plant in the Mexican capital and about 21% of the country’s craft beer plants are concentrated in the capital, according to a report issued by Acermex.
Grupo Modelo has 56.80% market share in Mexico and Heineken Mexico 40.80%, according to Euromonitor. Modelo’s production capacity is approximately 70 million hectoliters.
In late March, both brewers decided to stop their operations in the country because the government did not consider the beer industry as an essential economic activity to continue working during the Covid-19 contingency.
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This Sunday, January 17, there was.

domain: news


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London’s famous Regent Street is set to hold a motor show on November 5th. 300 high profile cars will be displayed on the famous high street known for its luxury stores. Cars from the 19th, 20th and 21st century will be displayed in the show. 100 veteran cars will also be displayed with drivers and passengers in period costume. It will most certainly be a fun day out with some exciting private number plates to be seen!
Motor show on Regent Street, London
Posted in News


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Samsung Galaxy A6 has surfaced online yet again and this time, it is a video leak that showcases the upcoming Samsung smartphone. Samsung is expected to come up with the Galaxy A6 as a mid-range device this month. Earlier reports had indicated another variant of the smartphone poised to be launched as the Galaxy A6+. After the smartphones were spotted on the company's official website, the recent video leak provides a more in-depth look in to what the smartphones will have to offer post their launch.
Samsung Galaxy A6 Specifications
Considered to be an internal demo video shot by Samsung Vietnam, the recently leaked video shows some of the key the features of the Galaxy A6. As per the video, the smartphone will sport a 5.6-inch HD+ AMOLED display in what is expected to be an 18.5:9 aspect ratio, just like the Samsung flagships, the Galaxy S9 and the S9+. The video also reveals that the smartphone will come with a 16-megapixel camera at the back as well as the front, with an f/1.7 aperture and a f/1.9 aperture respectively.
While the video does not reveal anything about the firepower of the device, it is expected to be powered by an octa-core Exynos 7870 SoC and carry a 3GB RAM along with a 32GB internal storage.
Watch the leaked video of the Galaxy A6 here:
Samsung Galaxy A6+ Expected Specifications
As per reports that have surfaced on the Internet till date, the Galaxy A6+ is expected to sport a 6-inch HD+ AMOLED display with an 18.5:9 aspect ratio. It might run on a Snapdragon 450 SoC and carry a 4GB RAM along with 32GB of storage. The device is also expected to come with a dual camera setup at the back.
Watch: Apple iPhone 8 Product Red | The Hot Red iPhone at Rs 67,490 | Feature


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Atlanta-based health and wellness franchise Workout Anytime has opened its 100th gym last week, according to a company announcement.
Franchise industry veterans Trey and Tracey Hornsby opened the 100th location of the 24-hour, seven-days-a-week fitness concept in Bardstown, Kentucky, on August 25. Workout Anytime has signed 20 new franchise partners since January and has opened an average of one new gym every week so far this year, according to the company, which was founded by John Quattrocchi and Steve Strickland.
"Everything we do on the corporate level is to point our franchisees in the right direction," CEO Mark de Gorter said in the announcement.
The 10-year-old company has grown six-fold since 2011, according to the company. The growth was bolstered by being a location in the Jennifer Aniston film "Mother's Day." A character played by Jason Sudeikis was an Anytime franchisee, and Aniston’s character was a member.
The brand also partners with Lift for the 22, an organization that combats the epidemic of veteran suicide by offering free or reduced memberships for former military.
De Gorter credits a “strong and committed network of franchise partners” with supporting an increasing number of potential customers and franchisees around the country.


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Qualcomm is introducing a new line of chips today that are custom-made for smart cameras. The new line is called the Vision Intelligence Platform, and it’s meant to get AI features, extreme low-light image processing, image stabilization, and computer vision abilities into more cameras — and to do it better than a repurposed smartphone chip could.
The chips are meant for pretty much any camera that can make use of intensive processing features: sports cameras, security cameras, 360-degree cameras, and even robots (say, something like a Roomba) that need to navigate, among others. The chips support 4K video, multiple video streams at lower resolutions, 360-video stitching, WQHD displays, obstacle avoidance, and the creation of video highlight reels for action cameras.
Qualcomm already offers repurposed Snapdragon chips for cameras
It’ll be up to hardware manufacturers who use these chips to take advantage of those features and actually build them out. But Qualcomm’s goal is to make it easier for hardware companies to implement them, and to allow them to be implemented better than they could with other chips. Because there’s dedicated hardware for a lot of these features, Qualcomm says they’ll use up less power while performing better than they would if running on a more general purpose chip.
The first two chips in the line, the QCS605 and QCS603 (no relation to the Snapdragon 600 series), are designed for Wi-Fi cameras, since neither has an LTE radio. The 605 supports 4K video at 60 fps, and the 603 supports 4K video at 30 fps.
This isn’t Qualcomm’s first attempt at offering chips for smart cameras. It’s done this in the past, but it’s always used repurposed Snapdragon chips before — one ended up in the Nest Cam IQ, for instance. This is the first time Qualcomm has offered chips specifically built for smart cameras, though, and that means future generations of these products could start to advance a bit faster.
Qualcomm has already begun sampling out the 605 chips to hardware partners and expects products using them to come out in the second half of the year.


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Arkansas Poly & Printing (APP), a Van Buren, Arkansas-based producer of flexible consumer packaging, and Virginia-based Trex Co., a maker of wood-alternative decking and railing outdoor building products, have entered into a scrap supply agreement.
Via what the two firms are calling a partnership, APP will supply postindustrial and postconsumer resin-based packaging products for recycling to Trex to be used in the making of its composite products for the residential building market.
“Commercial partners like Arkansas Poly are essential to Trex’s sourcing efforts,” says Zach Lauer, vice president of supply chain with Trex. “We are excited to join forces with a company that shares our vision of driving recycling for plastic films and pleased to be establishing meaningful connections with our new neighbors in Arkansas.”
Sarah Sparks Diebold, a co-owner of APP, says, “Our mission of making quality packaging with the least impact to the environment is in perfect alignment with Trex, and we could not be happier to welcome them to Arkansas. This alliance further exhibits our commitment to sustainability within the packaging industry and adds value to our products by providing a tangible ‘next life’ for our resin-based packaging in the form of beautiful and high-performance Trex outdoor living products.”
APP describes itself as a vertically integrated Flexo-packaging manufacturer that extrudes, prints and converts flexible film for industrial and consumer packaging purposes. The company says it has a focus on diverting plastic films from landfills by developing materials it considers readily recyclable.
Trex composite decking is made from 95 percent recycled and reclaimed materials, including a mix of industrial wood scrap and polyethylene (PE) plastic film. Each year, the company repurposes more than 200,000 tons of discarded commercial and post-consumer plastics, says the company, calling itself “one of the largest recyclers of plastic film in North America.”
In addition to its manufacturing facilities in Virginia and Nevada, Trex is in the process of building what will be its third U.S. production site in Arkansas, at the Port of Little Rock. The approximately $400 million campus will include buildings dedicated to decking and railing production, warehousing, reclaimed wood storage, and plastic film recycling and processing. The new PE processing facility will enable the company to collect and process even more plastic scrap through what it calls its ever-expanding network and NexTrex commercial and community recycling programs.
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scored the second-highest-rated basketball game in its history with game seven of the NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat.
The game, in which the Heat bested the Spurs
to become champions, earned a Nielsen preliminary 17.7 household rating. The game peaked in the 15 minutes of the broadcast, earning a 22.6 rating between 11:30 p.m. and 11:45 p.m. EST.
local markets, the game recorded a 44.2 rating in Miami -- the highest-ever-rated NBA game in the market -- while San Antonio got to a 46.4.
Overall, the highly competitive seven-game
series averaged a 12.4 household rating, 5% higher than the 11.8 of a year ago.
Digital media also scored well. ESPN3, ABC’s sister digital media platform, tallied 32 million total
minutes and an average minute audience of 189,000 across all digital devices -- computers, smartphones, tablets, Xbox and Apple TV.
All ESPN digital platforms generated over 115
million total minutes for game seven, the largest single day of the NBA Playoffs. ESPN.com logged an average minute audience of 25,000 -- up 64% from the earlier final games.


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Battlefield 6 Details And Images Leaked
The next game in EA and DICE’s Battlefield franchise is on the way and the first trailer for the game will come as part of E3 in June. Ahead of that official reveal, though, a series of Battlefield 6 pictures have been leaked on the Imgur.
The bulk of the images have been marked with a ridiculous meme face, meaning that parts are hard to make out. Fans have been quick to assemble the shots in an Imgur gallery so you can take a look at explosions, guns, space rockets, and all manner of other things by checking out the link.
Reports also insist that the new game will be hopping on the battle royale bandwagon in an effort to unseat Activision’s Call of Duty: Warzone from the throne, with a very modest selection of big streamers suggesting that they have already been hands-on with the new model.
The game appears just to be called Battlefield, as opposed to Battlefield 6. Whatever it ends up being called, the next Battlefield will be released on Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC in 2021.


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119.67 0.00 (0.00%)
After hours: 4:48PM EDT
|Bid||118.21 x 1000|
|Ask||121.10 x 1000|
|Day's Range||118.96 - 120.43|
|52 Week Range||111.12 - 138.68|
|Beta (3Y Monthly)||0.70|
|PE Ratio (TTM)||7.32|
|Forward Dividend & Yield||3.52 (2.94%)|
|1y Target Est||148.28|
Toyota has announced pricing and trim levels for the 2019 C-HR crossover. Earlier, Toyota only offered the C-HR with two trim levels, the XLE and XLE Premium, but the latter has now been removed, and there are three versions. The LE's introduction means a touch of de-contenting, as the base model is offered with 17-inch steel wheels and a plastic steering wheel.
Body-on-frame SUVs like the 2019 Lexus LX 570 might have ruled the market a couple decades ago, but the old-school form factor has given way to smaller, more efficient car-based crossovers. Just take a look at the success of the Toyota 4Runner or other luxury SUVs like the Cadillac Escalade or the Ford F-150-based Lincoln Navigator. Both models had the $1,190 Luxury Package (upgraded leather, heated and ventilated front seats, heated second row and LX puddle lights).
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In fact, despite Wednesday's pullback, Nvidia stock is still up over 12% from its open on Friday, March 8. Conveniently, Nvidia is hosting its GTC 2019 conference this week, while the keynote presentation was given Monday evening. In that presentation, CEO Jensen Huang introduced several new partnership and products.
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Toyota agreed to manufacture a new Suzuki model at its Burnaston site, while engines for the car will be produced at its plant in Deeside, a spokesman said Wednesday. The hybrid-electric car will be based on Toyota’s Corolla Wagon model, which is currently being produced in Burnaston. The move provides some good news to the U.K.’s auto sector after other car makers have said they would shut plants or stop production of certain models ahead of the country’s exit from the European Union.
BMW and FedEx both issued profit warnings, while UBS CEO Sergio Ermotti said the first-quarter investment-banking environment is one of the worst in recent history.
Toyota Motor Corp and Suzuki Motor Corp on Wednesday said they planned to produce electric vehicles (EVs) and compact cars for each other to better compete with fast-changing technologies in the global auto industry. The agreement follows an initial R&D tie-up announced by Japan's No. 1 and No. 4 automakers in 2017, and will see more vehicles produced by Suzuki for Toyota, one of the world's biggest carmakers. Although Suzuki is far smaller, it is a dominant force in the fast-growing Indian market.
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U.S. President Donald Trump urged General Motors Co to reopen Ohio plant in a tweet on Saturday, ten days after the plant made its last Chevrolet Cruze. The last Cruze rolled off the assembly line a week ago Wednesday at GM's plant in Lordstown, Ohio, the first of five plants in North America to end production this year and ending U.S. production of the Cruze.
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The Japanese auto maker plans to spend nearly $13 billion to make two new hybrid vehicles in the U.S. and expand plants that make components, the WSJ’s Adrienne Roberts writes. Toyota plans to make a RAV4 hybrid SUV and a hybrid Lexus ES sedan at a Kentucky plant where it cut Camry production as consumers moved away from that car, and the company is boosting production at an Alabama plant that makes SUV engines. On the back end, Walmart employs some 35,000 in-store “pickers” who assemble digital orders alongside traditional shoppers, a slower and more costly process than fulfillment from specialized distribution centers.


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LCT and the luxury ground transportation industry anticipate new sources for revenue and networking.
Local economies, tourism, attractions, and motorcoach group travel are all taking stronger hits.
The ABA, UMA, and IMG join a list of eight industry trade associations pointing out harmful effects on tourism.
As the competition for labor intensifies, the quality of service at businesses tends to deteriorate.
SEPT. LCT Editor's Edge: If you stay out of the media black hole, you'll notice real life abounds with positive signs.
JIM LUFF: Operators are having trouble finding service-oriented chauffeurs across the nation.
The motorcoach industry depends on international visitors for a major slice of its revenue.
Many signs show the global economy is improving. Total spending worldwide approached $1.3 trillion in 2016.
JULY LCT: Corey Lewandowski was the main attraction at the Summit with election anecdotes and advice on Uber.
JUNE LCT Editor's Edge: Client behavior provides valuable cues to how to plan ahead for a business.
MAY LCT: For operators to adapt to a disrupted market, they need to make their companies more client- and tech-centric.
With 15.8 million employees, leisure and hospitality was the top sector for U.S. jobs growth in April.
The nomination of Elaine Chao as Secretary of Transportation is among positive developments.
The world's No. 1 online marketplace and trader for professional chauffeured and chartered vehicles, including all types of motorcoaches, buses, vans, stretch limousines, sedans, SUVs, exotics, and classics. New and used vehicles are available from sellers across the nation.
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Muscat: Expatriates from the South Indian state of Kerala, who form half of the Indian expatriate community in Oman, are fully geared up to celebrate their harvest festival, Onam.
The celebrations are better and bigger this time as the most important day of the festival, Thiruvonam, falls on Wednesday. "It came at the perfect time as we are enjoying the nine-day Eid Al Adha holidays," said Rahul Parameshwaran, a resident in Muscat.
From supermarkets and shopping centres, to restaurants and jewellery shops, hundreds of commercial outlets, mainly those catering to the Indian community, have come up with various Onam offers and plans.
Keralites, or Malayalees as they are also known, are flooding the stores to make purchases for the festival which is celebrated by all members of the community irrespective of their religion. "The shopping malls are all crowded as people are making their last minute Onam shopping," said Purushothaman.K, a resident in Muttrah.
Onam is celebrated to mark the mythical homecoming of King Mahabali, during whose reign the state known as ‘God’s Own Country’ is said to have witnessed the golden era. People of Kerala welcome the king in a symbolic way by arranging flower carpets and with traditional dances and games so as to give him the impression that they are happy as in his time.


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Tandem’s t:slim X2 Insulin Pump Classified as First Alternate Controller Enabled Infusion Pump
Tandem Diabetes won a brand spanking new classification from the FDA for its t:slim X2 insulin pump. The software is the primary in a class recognized as Alternate Controller Enabled Infusion Pumps (ACE pumps). According to the corporate, the related indication is that the pump is “able to reliably and securely communicate with compatible, digitally connected devices, including automated insulin dosing software, to receive, execute, and confirm commands from these devices.”
“This new classification of the t:slim X2 pump provides more flexibility for us as we make improvements to current products, create new products, and collaborate with best-in-class companies in the development of future automated insulin delivery systems,” in a commentary stated Kim Blickenstaff, president and CEO of Tandem Diabetes Care.
The t:slim X2 options Basal-IQ generation, which predicts low ranges of glucose and suspends the supply of insulin. It makes use of Bluetooth wi-fi to hook up with a smartphone that may show the standing of the accompanying glucose track and what the pump has been as much as.
Here’s a promo video for the t:slim X2:
Product web page: t:slim X2 Insulin Pump…
Via: Tandem Diabetes…
(serve as(d, s, identification) (record, ‘script’, ‘facebook-jssdk’));


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Maury Brown writing for Forbes:
In addition to contactless acceptance at the two World Series ballparks, MLBAM and Tickets.com this year will deliver in-app support for Apple Pay when single-game tickets for the 2015 Major League Baseball season are scheduled to go on-sale in November. At that time, fans will be able to utilize Apple Pay when purchasing tickets in MLB.com At the Ballpark, the app developed by MLBAM that allows you to conduct concession purchases and seating upgrades while within a ballpark. At the Ballpark also leverage’s Apple’s iBeacon technology.
[thanks Srikar Dhanakoti]


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Doing business in a sustainable and socially conscious way doesn't have to be merely altruistic. B corporations around the world demonstrate how making a profit can benefit people, planet and pocketbook.
Can companies be profitable and fair at the same time? Some coffee producers are trying to marry the two ideas
Western consumers benefit from a supply chain that penetrates into the farthest reaches of the developing world. We get products from all over the globe cheaply but these often come at the expense of local producers and the environment. B corporations, or #link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benefit_corporation:B-Corps#, are trying to change that by doing business in a transparent and sustainable way.
Tea, coffee and chocolate are just a few of the items many in the industrialized world buy quite cheaply and consume on a regular basis - this despite the fact that they come to us from the far corners of the world.
However, the low production cost of these goods is disproportionate to their severe environmental impact. Perhaps if shoppers knew the dark legacy of some of the goods that they purchased, it would give them pause.
For instance, broad swaths of ecologically sensitive habitats - such as rainforests and wetlands - continue to be destroyed to make way for crops, livestock and human settlements. This contributes to deforestation, which fragments habitats for many species and accounts for roughly 12 percent of global annual greenhouse gas emissions.
Many farmers and small-scale producers in tropical zones are being squeezed by middlemen and faced with market forces beyond their control. The deeper paradox is that some of the wealthiest countries in terms of natural resources and biodiversity are among the poorest on Earth in economic and development terms.
Coffee is one item many in the industrialized world buy cheaply and on a regular basis, despite the fact it come from the far corners of the world
B for beneficial
A growing number of socially conscious entrepreneurs no longer want to go along with this paradigm. This has led to the rise of a new type of business called benefit corporations: companies that promote environmental and social issues while also striving to make money.
To insure that the B-Corp label is more than lip service, the United States-based nonprofit organization #link:https://www.bcorporation.net/what-are-b-corps/the-non-profit-behind-b-corps:B Lab# has established a #link:https://www.bcorporation.net/:certification process#. This assesses prospective benefit corporations, and awards official B-Corp status in much the same way that the Green Building Council certifies LEED buildings, and the USDA monitors production of food for an organic label in the US.
As of June 2015, more than 1,300 companies have joined the B Lab network, ranging in size from the publicly traded Etsy to microenterprises that employ just a handful of people. B-Corps are active in 121 industries, which sell a range of products and services to businesses and consumers in 41 countries around the world.
Prior to joining, B Lab puts each company through a rigorous assessment process intended to promote transparency and competition between participants. Among the most notable certified brands are Patagonia, Ben & Jerry's, and Seventh Generation.
Better pay, better coffee
One such company striving to do well by doing good is #link:http://www.caravela.coffee/:Caravela Coffee#, a purveyor of eco-friendly coffee. Growers are paid consistent with their work ethic - and their ability to grow high-quality beans.
Based in Bogota, Colombia, Caravela Coffee has found a niche for premium coffee beans among discriminating buyers. Cofounder Alejandro Cadena says that initially, they were "looking for a way to 'decommodify' coffee and therefore pay the coffee growers a much better price."
Founded 15 years ago when interest in high-end coffee started to grow, Caravela Coffee now sells coffee beans to specialty roasters the world over. According to Cadena, roasters want to know "the story behind the beans" - meaning, how they're grown and by whom.
All that translates into a better cup of coffee, Cadena contends. To ensure that high standards are met, Caravela's staff gets involved in every aspect of production, from consulting with coffee growers on best practices to sales in cities like London or Sydney.
In order to maintain strong ties with growers, the company has warehouses located in remote regions of Colombia's rugged countryside, often run by small-scale coffee-producing families. "Instead of being colonizers, we are a part of the community," says Cadena.
'Best for the world, not in the world'
The coffee company is part of a growing number of food enterprises active in Asia, Latin America and Africa that either are B-Corps, or adhere to a similar philosophy and are eager to polish their social-impact credentials and promote their ties to small-scale growers.
Many of these like-minded businesses reside in foodie hubs that cater to affluent consumers. Aware of the dark side of food production thanks to social media, such consumers expect more from retailers than just a bargain.
"At the core, we're trying to redefine success in business," says B Lab cofounder Bart Houlahan. Such companies in this movement "compete to be best for the world, not just best in the world."
The goal is to get companies engaged in addressing the challenges that are facing society and the environment, he says.
So-called B-Corps want socially just economies and to strengthen their connection to small-scale farmers
What would Adam Smith think?
Skeptics dismiss this business model - based in part on altruism - as naive.
However, the concept could be as old as modern economic theory itself. Philosopher #link:http://www.adamsmith.org/sites/default/files/resources/condensed-WoN.pdf:Adam Smith#, whose book "The Wealth of Nations" first described many aspects of today's free-market system, was equally committed to the idea that marketplace participation should benefit everyone, not just the elites.
Not just private wealth, but also public benefit "is now a common conversation in the marketplace, and one of the ways in which companies are competing," says Houlahan.
"It's not only the right thing to do, but it's also a better way of doing business."


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Stryker ($SYK) is planning to trade $120 million for Patient Safety Technologies and its trackable surgical instruments, joining the ranks of medical device outfits looking to expand their hospital service offerings in a growing market.
The company conducts business through its SurgiCount Medical subsidiary, marketing the bar-coded Safety-Sponge line of surgical products and the SurgiCount 360 compliance software, which tracks the tools to help ensure surgeons don't leave them inside patients when procedures are complete. Sponges are the most common "retained foreign objects" in operating rooms, Stryker said, with about 2,300 incidents reported each year at an average cost of $400,000 each.
The $120 million tag is a roughly 50% premium to the stock's pre-deal closing price, and while the company's 2013 9-month revenue came in at $14.9 million, Stryker is betting its sizable sales staff and weight in the surgical instruments market can help expand the use of SurgiCount's technology.
"We are committed to providing solutions that result in a higher quality of care and level of safety for both patients and healthcare professionals," Stryker surgical president Timothy Scannell said in a statement. "This acquisition aligns with Stryker's focus on offering products and services that have demonstrated cost-effectiveness and clinical outcomes."
The deal comes amid a growing trend among the world's largest devicemakers to diversify their revenue streams by getting into hospital service. Medtronic ($MDT) led the charge last year with its acquisition of Cardiocom, a maker of compliance software.
- read the announcement


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Microsoft has begun seeding a new update for Windows 10 Mobile. The firmware’s build number is 14267 and it tweaks the multi-tasking performance on mid and high-end Lumia phones.
With this new update, Microsoft has doubled the number of apps Windows 10 Mobile can keep alive in the RAM. The number is now 16, up from 8 apps previously. This will allow high RAM Lumias to switch faster between different apps.
Doubling the app limit won’t drain the battery more unless the apps kept alive aren’t doing additional background activity such as downloading, syncing, navigation, etc.
The multi-tasking on the affordable Lumia smartphones with 1GB RAM or less won’t be affected by this new update.


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Up until today, the only Wear watch with Android 5.1 was LG's newly released Watch Urbane. But if you have an older device, your impatient wait and envy over those lucky Urbane owners might be almost over. According to user Verdes8891 on Reddit, his Asus ZenWatch has just received the new software OTA, bumping it up to Android 5.1.1.
While this update from 5.0.2 might sound small on paper, it is arguably one of the most significant ones in Wear's history. It adds WiFi support (for compatible devices, ie not the ZenWatch ironically) and enables always-on apps, includes font size options, lets you dismiss individual cards from a stack, tells you when you install a new app, and bundles in a new menu for accessing apps and calls, a scrolling gesture, and a lockscreen. So there's a lot to be excited about and enough reasons to start trying (likely in vain) to force the update by manually checking for it. It'll happen when it happens, guys. The same goes for other watches.


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Regency Centers (www.regencycenters.com), a national owner, operator and developer of grocery-anchored and community shopping centers, has signed a lease and begun construction on a new Toys “R” Us/Babies “R” Us store at Indio Towne Center in Indio, Calif.
The 46,827-square foot location will replace the retailer’s store in Palm Desert and become its only location in Southern California’s Coachella Valley.
Both parties were represented by Bill Bauman, Bryan Norcott and Lee Clay Park with Studley, Inc.
“Toys “R” Us/Babies “R” Us will do well here with the changing demographics and a heavy concentration of families in Indio,” said Regency Centers vice president Gregg Sadowsky, who noted that Regency will construct a turnkey, build-to-suit box for the store.
Link to article


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Monday, January 23, 2012
Massive Mobile Investment by VCs... Pumped $6.4 billion into mobile technology 2011
Mobile tech both backend and client is huge... Massive spike on 2010... mobile represented 30.4 percent of all tech investments worldwide...
VCs pumped $6.4 billion into mobile technology 2011...
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Marks & Spencer’s has revealed it is to extend its clothes recycling initiative to UK workplaces.
The ‘shwop’ scheme sees participants rewarded with M&S vouchers after they place unwanted clothes into recycling bins.
The retailer has teamed up with charity Business In The Community to promote the scheme to over 4,000 firms. Companies who have already signed up include B&Q in Southampton, IBM in London and Thames Water in Reading.
Customers of M&S can already take part in the ‘Shwop’ scheme, which was launched in-store in April 2012. However, businesses who sign up will see the introduction of the campaign from next year.
All clothes donated in the scheme, which is headed up by celebrity Joanna Lumley, are donated to Oxfam.
Adam Elman, a spokesman for Marks & Spencer’s told employeebenefits.co.uk: “There’s no excuse for sending textiles to landfill, and that’s why we’re doing everything we can to make it easy for people to recycle with Oxfam.”
Sarah Farquharm, a spokesperson for Oxfam, also added: “Every single item of clothing donated to us from the British public finds a home and helps Oxfam raise money.”
According to plana.marksandspencer.com, the total money raised for Oxfam from the scheme so far is £8 million, which is the equivalent of ten million garments.


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Health Risks Linked To Black Hair Products
A new five-year study into Black women’s hair products has found that a significant number contain ingredients that can increase the risk of miscarriage, uterine fibroids, cancers and respiratory problems.
The report, called Natural Evolutions – One Hair Story was produced by Los Angeles based not-for-profit organisation Black Women for Wellness (BWWLA) and was compiled by collecting health data, specialist reports, conducting focus groups of Black women who used hair products as well as interviews with product manufacturers and over 100 hair salon professionals.
Nourbese Flint and Teniope Adewumi – co-authors of Natural Evolutions – One Hair Story said they decided to compile the report because of the seeming lack of knowledge and research about the potential health risks of using hair products aimed at Black women in the US, the UK, Caribbean and parts of Africa.
Among some of the key concerns found by the report were the presence of chemicals such as formaldehyde, used in many hair straightening products, ammonia, which is used in hair dyes and bleaching agents all of which have been known to cause breathing difficulties and occupational asthma.
The report also cites research published in the International Journal of Cancer that deep-coloured dyes used over long periods are thought to increase the risk of both non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and multiple myeloma and also increase the risk of bladder cancer.
Other research included in the report is a recent study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology which showed that the use of hair relaxers is linked to the incidence of uterine fibroids in Black women and girls.
The BWWLA report lists over 40 products most commonly used by hair care professionals, which feature a hazard rating given by Skin Deep, an online database created by non-profit organisation Environmental Working Group. The products listed range from those that are chemically synthesised to raw natural products.
Among them are popular products such as Luster’s Pink, Tigi Bed Head Self Absorbed Mega Nutrient Shampoo, and Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Sheen Spray.
Adewuni told reporters: “Though many of the salon workers we interviewed had gone to cosmetology school, very few had learned about the negative impacts that chemicals in products could have on their health. There is a great need to have products that Black people use assessed for health impacts.”
She added: “We believe that the onus should not be on consumers and workers to have figure out what is safe or not. Toxic personal care and cosmetic products should not be in on the shelves.”
Market research firm Mintel estimated the size of the Black haircare market in the US at $946 million in 2015. The market figure for the UK is harder to pin down, but according to some estimates African Caribbean women spend up to six times more on hair and beauty products than women of other ethnicities.
Yet the report found that products marketed at this group are the least tested of all hair and beauty products.
South-east London based Sandra Pinnock-Brown, sales & marketing director of Hair Everlasting Wholesale Hair Manufacture and distributor of Xsandy’s Brand said she was not surprised by the report’s findings.
She said: “The attitude of some manufacturers appears to be that they can sell anything to Black women and they will buy it. A more robust testing regime would cost more but they appear reluctant to incur greater expenses for this customer group.”
Rachael Corson, CEO and co-founding director of ethically-sourced haircare brand Afrocenchix , also based in London, agreed.
She said: “Sadly, those who gain financially from filling shelves with cheap chemicals promising beautiful, shiny hair are unconcerned with the health risks. They are not made by the Black women who use such products themselves.”
According to Irene Shelley, editor of Black Beauty & Hair magazine, lack of willingness and possibly funds on the part of manufacturers and retailers to conduct research are likely reasons for the continued availability of harmful products in the market.
“We read stories about Black women who have ended up in hospital on respirators because they had adverse reactions to products like hair dyes or hair glues,” she said.
Shelley added that more women are now talking about their experiences, and boosting knowledge and awareness of natural haircare.
“Black Beauty & Hair has a natural hair section and we’ve found that the natural hair movement has made women look closely at the products that they are using on their skin and hair,” she said.
By: Kirsty Osei-Bempong
Thanks for sharing, this one reason why I went back natural but you also have to be careful about these natural hair products that is on the market because some are hiding chemicals in their products.
No problem Andrea, thanks for your support.


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NEW DELHI: Meizu has launched a new smartphone in its home country of smartphone. Dubbed E2, the handset comes in two variants based on RAM and internal storage. The 3GB RAM/32GB storage model costs CNY 1,299 (about Rs 12,100) and 4GB RAM/64GB storage version has a price tag of CNY 1,599 (around Rs 14,800). However, India availability of the smartphone has not been announced yet.
In terms of specifications, Meizu E2 sports a 5.5-inch Full HD resolution display of 1080×1920 pixel resolution. Running Android 6.0 Marshmallow out-of-the-box, the smartphone is powered by a MediaTek Helio P20 chipset with 3GB/4GB of RAM. The dual-SIM smartphone supports microSD card expansion as well.


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The United States-based cannabis company, Medmen Enterprises Inc (OTCMKTS
The company, with operations in California, Nevada, New York, and Florida, owns and operates 19 licensed cannabis facilities in cultivation, manufacturing, and retail. It is considered to be one of the largest retail marijuana chains in the States.
The company has recently been forced to secure hundreds of millions in credit to stay afloat. This financial problem that the company is currently facing is
Shares of the company have tumbled more than 50% from its October peak of $6.95. The net worth of
Despite the fact that the business of growing and selling of weed is a very impressive one and that the time is ripe of the cannabis industry to prosper, the heavy taxes and the limitations on the dispensaries are turning as a speed-breaker in the path of the growth. According to the reports of CNBC, the company lost $131 million during the last six months of 2018, which sums up to $2 for each dollar of marijuana sold.
However, Medmen Enterprises Inc (OTCMKTS
The company has been constantly trying to change the stereotypes that have been associated with marijuana through its social platforms. This
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There have been a series of other problems which encircle the company, which are not relating to the cannabis market. The company’s CFO was alleged for racism and has been put on trial before the lawsuit. There have been other allegations on the company as to the company has run schemes to keep stock prices up. Another major problem that the company has been witnessing is dealing with
Dealing with such scenarios, MedMen is working hard enough to entice customers to cover its bottom line. The
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Disclosure: we hold no position in $MMNFF, either long or short, and we have not been compensated for this article.


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All the news from the annual Google I/O event, including the latest on Android.
The latest iPad adds several tweaks and improvements to secure its position at the top of the tablet heap. It's better all around, but third-gen owners need not apply.
The 21.5-inch iMac will be a compelling lower-cost all-in-one for Mac loyalists, but you can get more capabilities from similarly priced Windows all-in-ones.
With a host of improvements--faster graphics, 4G wireless options, a better camera, and a gorgeous high-res screen--the latest iPad cements its position at the head of the tablet pack.
The fact that the 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV is an electric SUV is less compelling than its range, where it comes in a little stronger than most electric cars.
Pricing not available
Google's annual developers conference, where it unveils its latest innovations, will be held in late June this year.
The Apple iPod Shuffle is an adorable way to take your favorite songs on the go, but sometimes it's too small for its own good.
As optioned, this example of a 2012 BMW 335i makes for an acceptable commuter car with some very advanced cabin tech features and good fuel economy, but a few different choices could turn it back into an ultimate driving machine.
Strong earnings and the tech giant’s 7-to-1 stock split announcement could be the reason for the rising stock price.
The 2012 BMW X5 xDrive35i emphasizes onroad handling in the most high-tech SUV available, although it hasn't conquered the curse of mediocre SUV fuel economy.
The 2012 Mitsubishi i-Miev will fit specific driving situations well, such as a 20-mile suburban commute, but above the base trim level its price comes too close to that of the more capable Nissan Leaf.


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What better business name for a community Pied Piper than Enchanted Florist?
Owner Kimbra Straley-Watson wants to gather a following, not just for her shop but for makers of local products.
The holiday season has provided an opportunity to pack floral gift baskets with Gotta Be Babes barbecue sauce from Canadian, treats from The Fudge Lady, Texas Plum Line, Groovy Pop Popcorn and West Texas Candle Co. in Amarillo and White’s Beef Jerky from Friona.
“We’re trying to promote small businesses,” Straley-
Watson said. “I’m very much for small business, especially with our economy and the way things are.”
Straley-Watson acquired Enchanted Florist at 1700 S.E. 16th Ave., a block west of Ross Street, in July. Previous owner Tammy Newkirk established the store in 2004.
Some have asked Straley-Watson if she plans to relocate, she said.
“It’s a growing little shop,” she said. “It is a little off the beaten path. But it’s going to stay right here in this neighborhood.
“This neighborhood supports this little shop. If you’ll look, there’s not a shop in this part of town.
Straley-Watson also owns Uncommon Twists Garden Center at 5206 River Road.
It’s a retail and wholesale garden center that provides landscape and pond design, installation and maintenance, as well.
Uncommon Twists specializes in native xeriscape plants — less-thirsty plants that are more suited to dry climates, Straley-Watson said.
“I’ve been pushing that since I opened, and finally Amarillo is catching on,” she said.
The garden center also contains a floral shop and a garden that can be rented for events, Straley-Watson said.
Enchanted Florist operates from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday. Current winter hours for Uncommon Twist are 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 1:30 to 4 p.m. Sunday.
Westgate Mall has landed a women’s clothing and accessories boutique currently open only in Texas’ major metroplex areas, according to the retailer’s website.
The mall has signed a lease for a White House | Black Market store to open early next summer, Westgate General Manager Brian Giffin said.
Sister company Soma Intimates, a women’s lingerie store, opened this year at the mall and has seen success, Giffin said. As of Nov. 25, parent company Chico’s FAS Inc. had 400 White House | Black Market and 190 Soma Intimates boutiques in operation.
White House | Black Market originated in 1985 as a Baltimore shop called The White House, which sold goods in shades of white and ivory. A Black Market opened in 1995, sticking with the same one-color theme.
Westgate Mall will have to shuffle some stores to make room for the new store, Giffin said.
The obvious opening here would be to say a man named Green will open a business befitting his moniker.
Instead, Travis Green will open Scott’s Lawn Service on Thursday.
Now, why would his business then be named Scott? Because it’s a franchise of Scott’s Miracle Grow Co.
Green, an AT&T store manager, found the lawn business the right change of pace and participated in a slew of training courses to take ownership of a franchise specializing in turf and ornamentals, outdoor pest and weed control, fertilization and other matters of lawn health. Green’s territory includes a large swath of the Texas Panhandle.
Check the company out by visiting www.scotts.com and entering your zip code to find it. Numbers to call are toll-free 1-888-872-6887 or 806-340-5055.
I’ll pass on a recent tidbit from the Austin American-Statesman, which reported Jorge’s restaurant on Austin’s Hancock Drive will close on Dec. 22.
The restaurant is related to the Tacos Garcia in Amarillo. Members of the Veloz family also own other locations in Dallas, Midland and Odessa.
Diana Veloz, who owns the closing Jorge’s told the Statesman she plans to pursue a couple of new restaurant concepts.
And, a closing to note: The Bear Mill has ceased operation at Westgate Mall. A notice on the outside of the store shows mall management locked the space due to rent that is owed.
Interact with Karen Smith Welch at email@example.com, facebook.com/karensmithwelch or @karen_welch on Twitter. Welch also blogs at amarillo.com.


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Citi has expanded its global mobile messaging service, with Citi Commercial Cards (CCC) launching global mobile alerts for cardholders and programme administrators (PAs) in 66 countries across Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and Asia.
It says that Citi’s commercial cardholders will now have the ability to receive short message service (SMS) alerts or email alerts to indicate key events such as when their statement is ready, their payment is due or past-due, and when a replacement card has been mailed to them. Subscribed users will also be able to select the time zone, day and hour when they would like to receive their alerts.
As part of the global roll out, CCC is launching five new alerts for participating US organisations. Of these two are real-time, dubbed ‘on-demand’ alerts by Citi, and three are subscription alerts. The ‘on-demand’ alerts will allow CCC cardholders to proactively check their account balances or their recently processed transactions by typing in a short command to ‘GOCITI’. CCC says that it plans to add further enhancements to its global alerts offering later this year.
Despite being behind the likes of Europe and China, the US payments industry is now rapidly advancing, said Anish Kapoor, CEO of AccessPay told GTNews in an exclusive interview.
Treasurers are more interested in cross-border payments and automation than real-time payments, as they are consistently asked to do more with less, argues Rick Burke, head of corporate payments at TD Bank in an exclusive interview.
#PSD2FinishLine recently started trending on Twitter. As the country slowly grows in excitement throughout the month of November, with the C-word on ... read more


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This year, Checkout commemorates its 40th anniversary under its current ownership, and with this in mind, every week, Retail Intelligence is going to ‘reel in the years’ and publish a story from our extensive archives. This article from June 1990 discusses how publicans planned to combat growing alcoholic beverage sales in off-licences.
A report on the recent VFI Conference in Vintners World states that the only option open to publicans to combat growing alcoholic beverage sales in supermarkets is to tackle the problem at the source, the suppliers.
Paul Hughes, a publican in Tullamore stated that “The off-licence ‘Price War’ had broken out before in leading supermarket chains last Christmas, which resulted in the major spirit brands being sold at the minimum margin allowable by law – one penny. Supermarkets are getting into this area more and more, he said, pointing out that 70% of liquor sales in this country are sold by publicans.
He also cited one example from his own experience. A major supermarket had been given permission to open an off-licence in his area despite his protests. He further stated that a repetition of last Christmas would put him out of business.
“As there appeared to be little that could be done about the supermarkets themselves directly, the only possible alternative would be to tackle the source, the suppliers. He hoped that the VFI would invite major distribution companies to sit down and find a solution to the problem pointing out that “we could threaten to blacklist brands if this practice continues”.
“At the moment, supermarkets enjoy a modest business in this area,” he told delegates “This will grow if we do not get something done via the supplier”.
Delegates were told that de-listing appeared to be their only recourse to the problem. John McKeown, a publican and wholesaler from Longford, informed VFI Conference that it was his opinion that the supermarkets were buying it much cheaper than the publicans were able to and called for this to be looked into. Delegates passed the motion.
Alcoholic beverages are included in the Groceries Order, which prohibits boycotts. If the publicans were to carry out their threat, they would be breaking the law and open to prosecution.
© Checkout Magazine


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A lot of people do not know that Subaru is only a subsidiary company of Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI), a company that is mainly involved in industrial products like construction equipment and generators. As the company's 100th anniversary approaches fast, massive changes are about to be made as the brand Subaru will soon be playing an even bigger role.
The Coming Changes
Automobile Magazine reported that the parent company of Subaru, Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI), will start focusing more on automotive as it is set to terminate its business in the industrial products market. Productions of engines for industrial and agricultural purposes and vehicles like snowmobiles and ATVs for powersports will soon end. It was stated in the same report that this change will take effect on Sept. 30, 2017. However, some engine production will become part of a joint venture and will be transferred to China.
The company name will also be changed from Fuji Heavy Industries to "Subaru Corporation" as reported by CarBuzz, but this is not to take effect until April 1, 2017, which happens to be the 100th year anniversary of the company. It was also stated that one of the reasons for the name change is due to Subaru's global auto sales that nearly reached one million, a first for the company that happened this year.
The Prominence 2020
The Prominence 2020 is a plan by Subaru where they are looking to hit sales of 1.1 million vehicles by year 2020. For this to happen, the car maker needs to increase sales by 25 percent in the U.S. where it plans to introduce a seven-seat SUV and a hybrid plug-in vehicle to help the sales go higher.
Automobile Magazine said that this mid-term management plan has already been announced in 2014 where it was said that among its main objectives is to enhance the Subaru brand by making more budgets available for the business' product development and engineering divisions. According to FHI, the goal to enhance the Subaru brand will result to "even greater sustainable growth."
Beginning Of Something Great
American consumers may look forward to the beginning of something great. Subaru has already started manufacturing the Impreza stateside and with the changes coming, consumers in the U.S. are definitely in for a treat.


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Mostly known for their “tributes” to more expensive, legendary (or, in other words, class-defining) models like different iterations of Rolex Submariner, the iconic IWC Portuguese and the likes, the British-based brand, however, sometimes offers a lot more original watches of their own design. The new Chr. Ward Makaira Pro 500 (Ref. C11-MAK-SKWSI) diver belongs to the latter breed of timekeepers that an enthusiast can easily wear without losing the tiniest bit of their self-respect.
The somewhat out-of-the-way British watchmaking brand has recently revealed its automatic Christopher Ward C9 Harrison Jumping Hour. Featuring a unique (well, maybe not that unique, but at least original and made exclusive for them) jumping hour complication module, it is going to be the most expensive model in their whole range.


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Throughout April, we've been hearing a continual chorus of rumors from separate sources all saying the same thing: Google has some major design changes coming across all its products. While consistency and staying power don't really make a rumor true, when Googlers hint that the company is moving along mostly the same line and app updates begin to match the rumored design style, we start to take notice.
The most far-reaching of these rumors comes from 9to5Google, which at the beginning of the month posted about an internal project called "Google 2." The project would redesign many apps with a focus on "full page display of content, and moving menus and other distractions out of the way." The redesign would reportedly affect Google apps across Android, iOS, and the Web, with the goal of having a single design able to scale from wearables to desktops.
Some readers are probably having traumatic flashbacks to 27-inch metro apps on Windows 8 right about now, but Google has come up with ways to scale apps across screens that don't result in terrible desktop apps. Consider something like the Android Fragments API, which is what allows the same app to power phones and tablets. In Gmail on a phone, only the inbox view is shown, but on a tablet, the app switches to a dual-pane mode with the inbox and navigation panel placed next to each other. Google has also been playing with selectable information density on the desktop, which you can change in Gmail just by clicking on the settings gear or by resizing the window.
There is also a huge difference between "a single design" and "a single app," which is where many of the problems with Windows 8 apps come in. Google would still presumably have a mix of apps written in different languages for different platforms. The apps would just use all the same style of icons, buttons, and layout—right now, Gmail on each platform looks wildly different.
If you're like us, you look at reports like this and ask, "Why should I believe this?" Until now, there wasn't much in the way of additional information. A few days ago, though, the head of Android's User Experience, Matias Duarte, gave an interview at the Accel Design Conference and spoke about the future of design at Google. In the interview, Duarte said that designing specifically for mobile devices is a thing of the past. "We need to stop thinking of 'mobile' as a distinct category," he said, and after mentioning desktop, mobile, in-car, and wearable devices, he stated that "all of these should be considered as one design problem—as one product."
This interview came out two weeks after the 9to5Google rumor, but the two seem to match up perfectly. Google may actually start treating every screen the same way and work to unify its product design across platforms.
For a small taste of what this might look like in action, look no further than this Android Police leak, claiming that nearly all of Google's Android icons will be redesigned.
Google currently has two completely different sets of icons, one for the Web and one for Android. Both styles are well thought-out, and Google even maintains two completely different style guides (Web/Android) for the two platforms. They certainly aren't cohesive, though, and according to the leak, Google is going to remedy that.
You can see some of the new icons on the right in the third column (there are more in the initial report). For the most part, Android's existing icons are being scrapped, and evolved versions of the Web icons are taking over. The look is a big departure from Android's current icons, and it cleans up some of the oddities that Android introduced, like Gmail's envelope-inside-another-envelope design. Google just has to have silly code names for everything, and according to the report, these designs are internally referred to as "Moonshine."
Why should we believe this rumor? Well, aside from perfectly lining up with Google's plan to unify products across devices, a few of these never-before-seen icons were actually spotted on a live Google page after the report went up. That's still the Web and not Android, but it proves that the source had these before the general public knew about them. New icons aren't the only thing it will take to unify Google's various products, but they represent a good step toward a more cohesive experience.
The next step is to redesign the products themselves. A typical Google product will have different, competing designs on Android, iOS, Glass, Android Wear, and the Web, so it's hard to tell what an end result would look like. We've been hearing a lot of rumors about a new, more colorful design style for Android apps, and while these designs are probably not the final iteration of a unified look, they are a step forward from what is on Android now.
The first leak was a wild set of screenshots from Geek.com. The report showed a very unfamiliar Gmail design and said the app would be getting the ability to pin and snooze e-mails. The report claims the screenshots are from Android, and while the top and bottom bars are from Android (an HTC One M8), the app looks like the iPhone version of Gmail to our eyes—scroll up and compare it against the iPhone and Android versions.
We would speculate that this in-progress design is way too far off from the current Android Gmail design to ever be a reality, but the major design elements are what's important. There's a colored action bar like the Google Play apps, a navigation drawer with colored icons, and a mysterious floating red action button (new mail?) in the bottom-right corner. There are also unifying elements with the Web version, like switching to the same trash and spam icons.
We later saw an evolution of this design style from Yoel Kaseb on Google+. This version was another colorful design, but it seemed a lot closer to something that would look at home on an Android device. The action bar looks more like a native app, with the navigation drawer button in the right spot and an overflow button. Like the Gmail leak, we see a colored action bar and a big red action button. Google+ takes things a step further and adds a red background overlay anytime a pop-up is open. Google+ on Android is pretty close to the desktop version right now, so not too many changes are needed to bring the two in line with each other.
While these two work-in-progress designs are interesting, they're definitely not the final embodiment of Google's cross-platform design unification plan. Our best bet for more news on the subject is to wait for Google I/O 2014, which is just 64 days away. Coincidentally, the company has announced that design will be a big focus this year.
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Where Are Global Economic Forces Pushing Gold and Silver Prices?
From Birch Gold Group
This week, Your News to Know rounds up the latest top stories involving gold and the overall economy. Stories include: What’s next for gold and silver, more parallels with the Great Recession, and investment demand for bullion is reaching new heights.
Gold and silver’s medium to long-term
Opinions on where gold is right now seem to differ. The $1,800 resistance seems hard to breach, but it feels as if a single hit to the system could send the metal flying past its recently-established $2,070 high. The $1,760 support itself is a massive upgrade over just two years prior, when gold was trending up slowly. Yet some still interpret what’s going on in the market as a lack of immediate interest.
Investing.com’s Andrew Lane states that a lack of volume in recent weeks could be attributed to banks trying to deal with their balance sheets before the Basel III agreement starts coming into greater effect in January. As we previously reported, under these new rules, banks are required to hold physical gold or other liquid assets for an amount equal to at least 85% of the value of “unallocated” gold on their books. Reducing banks’ 90-to-1 paper to physical gold ratio will become a necessity, even if it results in lower trading volume.
And while silver doesn’t fully come under the same regulations as gold, it’s known that the two assets sometimes move together, with silver often having more upside due to its greater volatility. Remember, too, silver’s performance depends much more on manufacturing demand than gold’s. For silver’s future, its present as the most undervalued asset for the last 30 to 40 years is telling enough when it comes to its future trajectory.
From there, it pays to examine current conditions of the global economy to see where the metals are headed.
Countries around the world are approaching stagflation, mostly having given up on the idea of paying off their debt. The Federal Reserve is in a position where raising interest rates by just a quarter of a point would bring on an additional $75 billion a month in debt service payments. It has also, to the surprise of few, gone back on its insistence that inflationary periods will be brief (even if they’re now avoiding the much-maligned adjective “transitory”). The new commodity cycle is underway, with virtually every commodity other than gold and silver reaching new peaks.
This mixture of factors tells Lane that we could be months away from a major move in both metals. Lane also notes that, due to their constraints, physical investment in precious metals is likely to emerge as a premium choice, in more ways than one.
Comparisons with the Great Recession linger; will gold prices follow their historical pattern?
Numismatic News’ Patrick A. Heller notes that the parallels with the current economic environment and the Great Recession from 2008 couldn’t be stronger.
The Great Recession was in turn compared with the Great Depression of the 1930s, as were the conditions last year. Heller points out that most people think that the Great Recession started in March 2008, but it had in fact already been building up steam since 2007.
It’s indeed a throwback to last year, when many were caught off-guard by both the crisis and gold’s outperformance. But gold had already been performing extremely well in 2019, with central banks slicing interest rates and blowing up their balance sheets. Heller’s own publication in March 2008 asked:
Desperate Moves By The Federal Reserve And Other Central Banks Force Investors To Ask –
Are We On The Brink Of Imminent Soaring Inflation?
Is The U.S. Dollar At A Risk Of Collapse?
Does The World Economy Face Worst Depression Since 1930s?
These are the same questions investors have been asking themselves since the beginning of the pandemic panic. This, along with the ongoing failure by the Federal Reserve and its collaborators to suppress gold and silver prices compared to 2008, tells quite a tale.
Despite a financial crisis clearly being underway in March, gold had to bottom out with a 28.7% price loss before moving on to what would eventually become the all-time high of $1,910 in 2011. Silver had an even worse correction, falling by 54.6% by October 2008.
To add even more familiarity, the fall in prices was followed by massive retail demand and shipping delays of bullion products. Heller speculates, based on gold “only” being down 14% and silver down 23% from their August 2020 peaks, to the global economy being in a much worse state than it was in 2008.
Simply reading the writing on the wall tells Heller that gold and silver are now bottoming out before doubling in price. Heller thinks both metals could see their prices multiply several times over the next few years. One significant contributing factor will be the slow but undeniable unraveling of the Basel agreement.
Over just a few years, a $10,000 gold price forecast went from being considered absurd by most to only being seen as moderately bullish.
Perth Mint sees considerable surge in sales of both gold and silver bullion
After a high of 130,000 ounces in March 2021, Perth Mint‘s sales of gold bullion have been on a steady downtrend until last month, when the trend reversed. The mint’s September sales of gold rose to 98,753 ounces, an 83% increase from August’s 53,976 ounces.
These numbers are hard to appreciate without a chart…
The silver market has had a notably different sales picture, though it nonetheless also notched a considerable increase in September compared to August. Sales of silver continued to climb after an approximated 1.6 million ounces sold in March until June, when they peaked at 1.8 million ounces.
After selling 1,302,723 ounces in July and 1,467,229 in August, the trend had reversed in the silver market as well. Perth Mint’s data shows that it sold 1,789,926 ounces of silver in September. The figure is now close to that of June, which marks the third-highest monthly silver sales figure dating back to February 2013.
Perth Mint’s sales numbers are of interest to all investors because Australia generally is such an important worldwide source of gold. And because Perth Mint specifically supplies “blanks,” the unstamped raw materials for precious metal coins, to a large number of mints worldwide. With this in mind, we can use Perth Mint’s sales figures as a proxy for investor interest in physical gold and silver; an interest which seems to be ramping back up to the levels we saw at the height of the pandemic panic.
General Manager of Minted Products Neil Vance said that the recent buying was spurred by dips in the spot price of both gold and silver. Perhaps he’s right. Or perhaps investors are looking for inflation-resistant investments?2021, Featured, gold as investment, gold demand, gold price, silver price


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A Whole Foods supplier has been making chicken salad out of … tuna.
More than 400 pounds of the would-be poultry mixture has been recalled because its key ingredient was fish, not fowl.
The Willow Tree Poultry Farm of Attleboro, Mass., has recalled its “buffalo-style chicken salad” after Whole Foods workers discovered there was no chicken in the concoctions, the USDA reports.
The 12.5-ounce plastic containers carry the USDA inspection number “P-8827” and were shipped to stores in Connecticut, New Jersey and New York.
The recall was issued because of misbranding and “undeclared allergens,” the agency said.
There have been no reported cases of allergic reactions.
Purchasers were advised to throw out the salad or return it the place of purchase.
The containers bear Whole Foods labels.
Willow Tree president Walter Cekala said "human error" caused the mislabeling. "We take our customer's health and safety very seriously," he said.
In January, Willow Tree Poultry Farm recalled 204 pounds of egg salad mislabeled as chicken salad.


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Indonesian travel tech company Tiket records spike in sales despite pandemic
The story: Indonesian online travel agency (OTA) Tiket announced that it has recorded a skyrocketing spike in flight ticket sales in Q3 2020, despite pandemic hit. It further claims that the increase is three times more in comparison to Q2 2020.
“The positive trajectory of anchoring sectors such as transportation and accommodation becomes the benchmark in monitoring the current recovery condition. With skyrocketing transactions and numbers of users on the app, as well as the declining trend of refunds and reschedules, we are primed to assist all travelling and holiday needs from our fellow Indonesians,” said Gaery Undarsa, co-founder of Tiket.
Future plans: In Q4 2020, Tiket will leverage domestic destinations’ promotion in an attempt to revive Indonesia’s tourism industry and to contribute to the nation’s economy. It will also offer clients discounted packages as it expects demands to grow during the holiday season.
India’s Fedo raises US$1M to help insurers predict health risks of clients
The story: Bangalore-based insurtech platform Fedo has raised US$1M in a pre Series A funding round.
Investors: Mumbai-based early-stage VC Unicorn India Ventures (lead), SEA fund, Ashish Mehrotra (Former CEO, Max Bupa)
About Fedo: Fedo’s AI allows insurers to onboard, track and manage product portfolios of their clients. It helps insurers to enhance sales, reduce costs and enrich the quality of their portfolio using data.
More about the story: Other than helping insurers Fedo has also partnered with health departments of local governments in and outside of India to help support population risk predictions.
Also Read: Traveloka confirms US$250M fundraise, admits historic drop in biz activity due to COVID-19
Due to the current COVID-19 crisis, there is a rise in awareness of insurance products which has resulted in an increase in demand for good insurance policies.
“Our vision is to offer AI-backed solutions to insurance providers, which enables early identification of potential health risks by using non-invasive methods thereby reducing out of pocket expenditures of individuals and making insurance accessible, affordable and personalised,” said Prasanth Madavana, co-founder of Fedo.
CapBay acquires Kenanga to create Malaysia’s Islamic Supply Chain Finance fintech
The story: CapBay has acquired a 49 per cent stake into Kenanga Capital Islamic Sdn Bhd (KCI), a subsidiary of Kenanga Investment Bank Berhad (KIBB), forming a joint venture to create Malaysia’s Islamic Supply Chain Finance fintech.
The reason: The acquisition will allow both the companies to establish a seamless digital platform by leveraging on CapBay’s strong technological expertise. The goal is to allow SMEs to have access to quick and affordable financing.
“We have always been committed to offering our customers the solutions they need to advance the growth of Malaysian businesses of all sizes. I am confident that this partnership with KIBB will allow us to grow as an organization and better serve our customers as we invest in our infrastructure and service offering,” said Ang Xing Xian, co-founder of CapBay and CEO of KCI.
The partnership is expected to support underserved SMEs that are estimated to grow five folds from its current amount.
Image Credit: Unsplash
The post In Brief: Indonesia’s travel company Tiket records spike in sales despite pandemic appeared first on e27.


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Accolade boss Paul Schaafsma is to step down from the Australian wine company next year, a spokesman from its parent company has confirmed.
Paul Schaafsma is set to step down from the Australian wine company in 2017
The news was rumoured by The Australian Financial review, who cited an internal memo claiming the Accolade boss would step down before the company floats on the stock exchange in 2017.
It was confirmed to db this morning.
Schaafsma, who has steered the company through major restructuring since he joined the company in 2012, announced to the board that he would not remain in the role at the conclusion of Champ’s ownership of the company, but agreed to stay on during its IPO listing in order to ensure succession planning was put in place. This will make sure the future of the company was not in doubt during potential talks with investors as its parent company gets ready to off-load the business.
Michael East, the general manager of its Australian and Asian business, has been confirmed as the new deputy chief executive, and will take on an increasing role in the business over the next few months in preparation of taking over when Schaafsma steps down.
db understands that the listing could take until June next year to be finalised and this would be ensure an “orderly, logical approach”.
“Paul will continue as CEO but during the time, Michael East will be getting more involved in areas not currently in his remit,” they said.
Schaafsma became CEO of the company, which includes some of the UK’s top wine brands, in October 2015 after three years as general manager of the UK, Ireland and Global Partners business. Prior to joining Accolade, he was the general manager UK and Europe of rival company Australian Vintage UK, which he joined in 2005.
East has been at Accolade since 2012 and is a former board member of the Winemaker Federation of Australia. In a thirty year career, he has worked for Fine Wine Partners, the Liquor Merchants Association of Australia, and Southcorp Wines since started his career in the industry at Pernod Ricard Australia in 1985.
Earlier this month the owner of the Australian wine company formally appointing Reunion Capital Partners as corporate advisors to investigate its options in an initial public offering on the Stock Exchange, signaling its intent to offload its majority interest in the company.
At the time a spokesman for Champ PE told db it was “very early days” in the listing process and that no decision had been made as to whether the company would be listed in London or in Australia.
The company has sales of Aus $1b (£483m) per annum and its brands include top selling brands in the UK, Hardys, Echo Falls, Kumala and Banrock Station, along with more recent acquisitions Viña Anakena from Chile and New Zealand’s Mud House.


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Sony’s President and CEO confirms that Playstation 5 is coming.
In an interview with Golem.de, Shawn Layden the CEO of Sony confirm that the Playstation 5 is coming.
Golem.de asked Shawn Layden, If Playstation 5 is coming and whenever that will be? Shawn Layden replied “Yes. It will probably be some time.” That confirms that it’s just matter of time until they make any announcement about PlayStation 5.
The analysts who predicted the PlayStation 4 Pro and Slim’s release date are predicting that we could see the PlayStation 5 anywhere between 2018 and 2019. according to them the console would arrive in the latter half of 2018.
While another analyst Michael Pachter said that, We might need to wait a little longer than we expect. He thinks the Sony PS5 will be a half step and will be backwards compatible with the PS4. According to him we should be seeing PS5 in somewhere around 2019
And how about this tease?
PlayStation’s Twitter accounts have begun teasing a mysterious new reveal, the same teaser appears on several different PlayStation feeds and shows a brief video featuring something concealed by a red sheet.
Maybe is it Ps4 pro slim or a new PSP or maybe just maybe a PS5?! who knows, what we can do is just wait only time will tell.
We’re getting geared up for the reveal of something new. pic.twitter.com/4ElSR7FoJF
— PlayStation UK (@PlayStationUK) August 21, 2017


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At Nacha Show, Wal-Mart Demands a Place at the Table for Nonbanks
AUSTIN, Texas — Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is agitating for nonbanks to have more say in how the automated clearing house network is run.
Executives of Wal-Mart, which has had its share of run-ins with the payments industry, said here at Nacha's annual conference that banks have dragged their feet on potential rule changes that could benefit retailers and other nonbank companies.
Jason Marshall, the Bentonville, Ark., retailer's senior director of payment services, suggested that companies like Wal-Mart should be given voting power over ACH rules that are set by Nacha, the electronic payments association. "Nonbanks should have the opportunity to be direct members, to have votes on operating rules and to be eligible for [Nacha] board membership," Marshall said in an interview.
During an earlier presentation Monday at the Austin conference, Marshall chided the group for focusing too much on achieving consensus among the banks before making rule changes. That, he said, has slowed development of payment products. If banking industry outsiders had a place on the board, they could fast-track these changes, he said.
"If we expanded the way we govern Nacha … we'd also be able to attack some of the industry's resistance to change," Marshall said during the presentation.
Merchants "have to have a more direct voice," he said. "After all, we're paying for it all. There's not a single investment that a bank's making that's not being paid for by a [nonbank] corporation."
Wal-Mart has not had a "formal" discussion with Nacha leadership about its suggestions, but it wants to have more dialogue about the issue, Marshall said.
Wal-Mart is a member of Nacha's councils on check electronification and electronic billing, Marshall said. These councils do not have voting power on ACH network rules.
Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, has campaigned for years for cheaper banking services. It has battled with card networks and banks over interchange fees and stands to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the pending regulatory caps on debit interchange resulting from the Dodd-Frank Act.
It scrapped an application to charter an industrial bank in 2007 amid industry opposition. Today Wal-Mart is one of the biggest sellers of prepaid debit cards, through a partnership with General Electric Co.'s GE Money and Green Dot Corp.
Marshall's presentation before a room filled mostly with bankers and vendors was met with both agreement and skepticism from audience members.
Some asked what Wal-Mart would change about Nacha's structure. Marshall did not give many specifics but said nonfinancial businesses should get a seat on the board to have more direct say over decisions that affect not only banks, but also their customers.
The right to vote on operating rule proposals is reserved for Nacha's direct members, which can only be financial institutions. Regional payments associations, which represent financial institutions, are also allocated a certain number of votes, said Mike Herd, the managing director of ACH network rules at Nacha.
Employees of direct members can serve on the board, which also has three positions reserved for financial institution members of Nacha's various councils, a Nacha spokeswoman said. (The councils themselves are open to nonfinancial institutions and focus on specific industry issues.)
Nacha executives said no proposals are being considered to give voting power over ACH rules to nonfinancials or give such companies a seat on the board.
Several years ago Nacha's board included a seat for a nonbank, but that position was phased out, according to George Thomas, a principal with Radix Consulting Corp. in Oakdale, N.Y.
Marcie Haitema, a former chairman of Nacha's board who has worked for JPMorgan Chase and is now a private industry consultant, said board members must put industry interests ahead of their individual agendas. "As a Nacha board member, you have a fiduciary responsibility" to the organization and the industry as a whole, Haitema said. "You cannot be there pushing what's best for the bank."
David Bellinger, the director of payments for the Association for Financial Professionals, agreed that nonbank businesses should have a direct involvement in rulemaking.
"We at least as corporates need to make it clear what corporates want … as the folks that really do pay for the services that banks are providing," Bellinger said.
Bellinger said Nacha does actively solicit comments from industry stakeholders when considering rule changes. However, decision-making at the board level would benefit from having nonfinancials represented, Bellinger said.
Marshall said a lack of consensus among banks has prevented the rollout of new ACH payment services or has watered down services that merchants want, such as a same-day ACH settlement.
In August the 12 regional Federal Reserve Banks, which collectively serve as one of two ACH operators, introduced same-day settlement for their FedACH service. Banks have been slow to adopt the same-day service (which is designed under existing ACH rules), because it is offered on an opt-in basis, it is limited to a handful of ACH transaction categories and can only be used to conduct debits, not credits. The Clearing House Payments Co. LLC, the other ACH operator, does not offer same-day settlement.
Nacha is studying potential changes to the timing of transaction settlement on a broader scale. "Nacha is taking steps to evaluate that offering and working with others to analyze possible ways that our shared infrastructure can support such changes," Janet Estep, its president and chief executive, said during the opening session Monday. It is "hard to imagine a future without settlement times changing" from what "they have been for the past 35 years."


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Sportico to host Survivor contests during March Madness on RunYourPool and Splash Sports
DENVER (March 11, 2024) – Splash, Inc. the largest independent provider of peer-to-peer sports games in the US with over 2M active users, today announced a partnership with Sportico, the leading sports business news outlet. Sportico will host Survivor contests during March Madness on Splash Inc. subsidiary, RunYourPool.
The free-to-play March Madness contest launched on March 9.
The partnership was announced at the SXSW Conference with Splash Inc. branding displayed on the Sportico podcast stage throughout the entirety of the three-day Sports Track with special live tapings of the Sporticast podcast hosted by Scott Sochnick and Eben Novy-Williams. SXSW has become a go-to destination for global professionals to network and advance their careers, and promoting the partnership during the Sports Track will give sports professionals eyes on both brands.
Sportico is the latest brand to partner with Splash Inc. which allows brands to tap into an audience of over 2M active sports-minded users to increase brand awareness, generate leads, launch products and drive revenue. As brands look to engage with the sports community, hosting a contest on one of Splash’s subsidiaries allows them to reach sports-centric audiences in an authentic way while also connecting further with their existing audience.
“We have had a great relationship with the team over at Sportico over the past couple years, and we are thrilled to continue building a partnership that bridges the gap between sports gaming and business,” Splash Inc. Chief Marketing and Revenue Officer Kyle Christensen said. “SXSW Sports Track is the perfect place to talk about the partnerships and show off our work, and we’re excited to help Sportico get in front of our audience of sport enthusiasts.”
Splash Inc. was established in 2021 through the acquisitions of RunYourPool and OfficeFootballPool. In 2023, Splash Sports was launched as a peer-to-peer, real-money gaming platform built for friends and groups who share a passion for sports to compete against each other instead of the house. Splash Sports offers a variety of sports strategy games, such as Tiers, PickX, and Survivor. Contest organizers, known as Commissioners on the platform, have the ability to earn revenue for hosting a contest.
About Splash Sports
Splash Sports is owned and operated by Splash Inc., which acquired RunYourPool and Office Football Pool in 2021 and has grown to become one of the largest entertainment-only gaming providers in the US, with over 2M active users. The company is backed by some of the top investors and owners in sports, entertainment, and tech. For more information, visit splashsports.com.


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Manchester Fort Specsavers will host a family fun day on Saturday 8 April to celebrate the launch of its brand new JCB range of kids’ glasses.
Specsavers and JCB will launch the new range of frames, designed for children with a passion for diggers, in stores nationwide on Wednesday 5 April , and to celebrate the Manchester Fort store has planned a jam-packed day.
An amazing transforming JCB character will make appearances throughout the day and a face painter will be on hand to turn everyone into a mean machine for a day. There will also be a real JCB Digger parked just outside the store in Manchester Fort Shopping Park. Children and families can take a selfie in front of the iconic machine as part of a special competition using the hashtag #digthelook.
The customer judged to have taken the best selfie will win a ride-on toy, JCB branded overalls and cap, as well as four tickets to Gulliver’s Kingdom in Matlock Bath, which has its very own JCB Zone.
Retail director of the Manchester Fort store, Peter Dodd, says; ‘We’re really pleased that the official launch of these fun new frames is taking place here at our store. Lots of kids are mad about diggers, so I’m sure there will be plenty of happy faces when they see our special attraction on Saturday 8 April.’
He continues; ‘We are all really looking forward to Saturday. This event will be a great way for us to get to know local families and parents can also ask any questions they have about eyecare for their children, while having a really fun day out.’
The event will take place at the Manchester Fort Specsavers store from 9am until 6pm.
To book an appointment at the Manchester Fort store call 0161 834 6665 or visit the Specsavers website.