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MassageLuXe Franchise News
|Total Investment:||$339,000 - $571,000|
Canada: AB, BC, MB, NB, NL, NT, NS, ON, PE, PQ, SK, YT
United States: AL, AK, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Browse the latest corporate news from MassageLuXe.
For a third year in a row, MassageLuXe, a leading day spa franchise providing the highest quality massage, facial and waxing services, improved its spot in a coveted franchise industry ranking.
Rahul Patel is a smart entrepreneur with an eye for great investments.
After visiting, Colleen Kuehnel was hooked and became a member. At a point in life when she was searching for great investments, MassageLuXe was top-of-mind for years.
MassageLuXe community of customers, employees, and franchisees voted for the widowed 53-year-old from Rock Hill, MO as the MassageLuXe Member of the Year.
MassageLuXe is thrilled to join the thriving Chesterfield, Missouri business community after moving its headquarters this summer to a new office park located at 16052 Swingley Ridge Road.
MassageLuXe is pleased to announce the upcoming grand opening of a new location in Leawood, a charming suburb of Kansas City, Kansas.
Peggy and Don Anderson were searching for improved work-life balance and a secure financial future in 2017 when they purchased their MassageLuXe franchise in Naperville, Illinois.
MassageLuXe is excited to announce the upcoming grand opening of a new location in Lee’s Summit, a suburb southeast of Kansas City, Missouri.
MassageLuXe is slated to open its first location in South Carolina in the fall. Owners Patrick and Robin Coble are thrilled to launch the brand in Myrtle Beach.
MassageLuXe is expanding its nationwide footprint with the brand’s first location in Utah.
MassageLuXe honors multi-unit Michigan spa owners, Surinder and Neena Judge.
MassageLuXe, a fast-growing luxury spa franchise, congratulates Haritha Kommineni on continued expansion into Indiana.
MassageLuXe, a fast-growing massage and spa franchise delivering the highest standard of services in the membership-based massage, facial and waxing industry, has set its sights on Texas.
MassageLuXe spotlights Brentwood, Missouri spa owner, Erika Hill. Hill has owned the Brentwood location for 11 years.
MassageLuXe, a leading massage franchise, has identified great growth opportunities in the state of Ohio. Currently, the brand does not have spas in the area and is looking to open 25 locations - single and multi-unit buyers welcome.
MassageLuXe, a leading massage franchise, was chosen as a Fastest Growing Franchise in 2021 by Franchise Gator.
MassageLuXe, a leading massage franchise, recently ranked in Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500®, the world’s first, best and most comprehensive franchise ranking.
MassageLuXe, a fast-growing luxury spa franchise, congratulates Steve and Margo Allison on another spa location in Lake St. Louis, Missouri.
MassageLuXe highlights the Cavaseno family - Michael, Susan and Nicole - successful franchise owners with locations in Winter Park, Lake Mary and Naples, Florida.
MassageLuXe has plans to further expand into the Florida market.
Newsweek Magazine revealed that MassageLuXe, a leading massage franchise, is one of the Best Customer Service 2021 Companies.
MassageLuXe has an A-Team franchisee couple making dreams come true – for their clients and themselves.
MassageLuXe, a fast-growing luxury spa franchise, has a multi-unit owner looking to bring high-quality services to the Ann Arbor area.
Critical Care Physician Takes New Approach to the Health and Wellness Industry with MassageLuXe Franchise
MassageLuXe, a fast-growing luxury spa franchise, has a multi-unit owner making waves in Florida with four locations in Ft. Myers, Lely Resort, Cape Coral, and Lancaster.
MassageLuXe, a leading massage franchise, is proud to announce Kristen Pechacek’s, Chief Growth Officer, inclusion in Business Woman Magazine as one of this year’s 100 Influential Women in Franchising.
MassageLuXe, a leading massage franchise, is proud to announce its inclusion in one of the franchise industry’s most prestigious lists.
MassageLuXe, a fast-growing luxury spa franchise, announces the opening of its newest spa in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
MassageLuXe, a fast-growing massage franchise, is excited to welcome franchise expert Kristen Pechacek to its executive team.
MassageLuXe, a fast-growing luxury spa franchise, recently was named by Aspioneer as one of the 20 Hottest Franchises in 2020.
Looking for more information about MassageLuXe? Take a moment to fill out our quick information request form.


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Subscribe / Renew
April 12, 2019
NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart says it's buying San Francisco-based ad tech startup Polymorph Labs as it looks to better compete with rival online juggernaut Amazon in targeting shoppers online.
The world's largest retailer has been quietly building its own advertising business with a unit called Walmart Media Group, though that business is still smaller than Amazon's.
. . .

domain: news


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According to recent reports, the all-new Apple AirPods Max took 4 years to develop. This is suggested from the tweets of a former engineer who worked at the company following the official launch of the AirPods Max on Tuesday, December 8.
According to the press release made by Apple, the new AirPods feature incredible high-fidelity audio, Adaptive EQ, Active Noise Cancellation, and spatial audio and comes with a new over-ear design unlike its previous models.
Airpods Max Development Going On For 4 Years, Suggests Dinesh Dave In A Tweet
AirPods are considered to be the most popular headphones in the world, beloved for their effortless setup, iconic design and incredible sound quality. Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of International Marketing mentioned in a recent statement that AirPods Max will be bringing that magical AirPods experience to a stunning over-ear design with high-fidelity audio.
He further added that the custom acoustic design, along with the powerful H1 chips, and advanced software will enable the device to use computational audio to wirelessly deliver the ultimate personal listening experience to users.
There have been ongoing rumors regarding this AirPods design since early 2018 when Ming-Chi Kuo talked about Apple’s personal brand of headphones. However, recent rumors suggest that talks over the design and build of this latest AirPods have been going on since 2016, that is 4 years prior to its release on Tuesday.
Apple launched its first Airpods back in 2016 December, that is exactly 4 years from now. Prolific Apple leaker reposted a photo of a tweet from Dinesh Dave talking about the AirPods Max being the last product he signed about 4 years ago. Ryan further went on to say that the company saw the rapid increase in demand of the original AirPods immediately after its launch in 2016 and had started the design for the latest model that is finally out for pre-order.


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Romania is not on the list for supplies of special nutritional foodstuff (baby milk powder) contaminated with Salmonella Enterica, the Sanitary-veterinary Authority (ANSVSA) has informed on Tuesday.
“The National Sanitary-Veterinary and Food Safety Authority has received a fresh notification through the fast alert system, by which the National Contact System Point in France has officially informed that Romania is not on the list for supplying nutritional foodstuff (baby powder milk) contaminated with Salmonella Enterica,” an ANSVSA release on Tuesday informs.
On Monday, Romanian Agriculture Minister Petre Daea said Romania hasn’t received any official notification regarding the recall of baby milk produced by Lactalis and that the fast alert system would have sent information if problems have appeared and in several minutes the entire Europe would have known the developments.
French baby milk formula maker Lactalis has ordered on Sunday a global product recall over fears of salmonella contamination. Health authorities in France said 26 infants in the country have become sick since early December.
The recall affects products and exports to countries including Britain, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sudan. It covers hundreds of baby milk powder products marketed globally under the Milumel, Picot and Celi brands.


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A promotional video for VAZZROCK FES 2019 Blu-ray is out.
VAZZROCK FES 2019 is going to be released on Blu-ray.
TSUKIPRO updated the lineup for VAZZROCK‘s upcoming event.
TSUKIPRO unveiled details on VAZZROCK‘s new event.
A preview video of VAZZROCK LIVE 2018 was released today.
The intro video for VAZZROCK LIVE 2018 Blu-ray and DVD is out.
VAZZROCK LIVE 2018 is going to be released on Blu-ray and DVD.
TSUKIPRO has unveiled some details on VAZZROCK‘s first ever live event.


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It’s been a big week for Flipboard’s Google-related announcements. On Tuesday, the company revealed Google+ integration was coming to its social magazine, and today, the app is officially launching on all Android devices, including the Kindle Fire and the Nook. The Google+ integration, as well as newly added YouTube integration, is arriving today as well.
The app will be available in Google Play, the Amazon Appstore for Android, the Nook Store, and in Samsung Apps.
The Android public launch comes barely a month after Flipboard debuted its official Android beta and limited Android rollout as a preloaded app on the just-released Samsung Galaxy S III. However, it’s been just a little longer since Flipboard’s unofficial launch, thanks to the hacked version of the Android APK file from that same device.
Demand for the Android version of the app has been “astonishing,” says Flipboard CEO Mike McCue, who tells us that they saw over half a million downloads during its beta. “We’ve had really good coverage across a wide range of phones. We feel really good about how it’s coming together,” he says. “But people have been asking, why is this in beta? Why can’t you just release it now?”
The answer, of course, is because it’s an Android app, and that means there’s a bit more work involved. “With iOS, you can target a very specific screen size, a very specific processor and so on – it’s quite a bit easier,” McCue explains. “On Android, to really build a high-quality application that works across a range of devices, you have to spend a lot of time optimizing…that’s why we did the beta.” The new Android version works on all the major Android smartphones as well as the Nook and Kindle Fire, and supports from small screens up to a 7-inch display. It has also had some other performance and layout optimizations since the beta release.
YouTube Launch & More Localized Versions
Another new feature arriving on both iOS and Android today is YouTube integration. You can watch, favorite, bookmark and comment on videos within Flipboard, and those changes sync with the YouTube website itself. You can also follow users and the channels you subscribe to.
And Flipboard is also once again expanding to more countries. It was previously available in localized versions in China, Japan and France, but it’s now arriving in Korea, The Netherlands, Italy, Spain and Germany. “When we deploy to each country, we not only localize the app for each of these different languages, but more importantly, we focus our energy on the curation point-of-view in each country to pick the best content. We’ve now gotten more efficient at doing that,” says McCue. Next up on the list for localization are parts of Latin America, as well as other countries in Asia and Europe.
Checking In On Flipboard’s Business
While the company is still declining to reveal hard numbers related to total downloads or revenue, McCue says that the move to smartphones has seen users engaging with the app throughout the day, instead of just at morning and night (8-11 PM, primarily) as on iPad. The Cover Stories feature, which launched first on smartphones and is now available via Android widget, is now the number one feed on Flipboard. He also says that Flipboard sees “very, very, very strong return-to-app metrics.”
“A lot of people are choosing us every single day, multiple times per day. This is very encouraging for us especially since we don’t do a lot with sending emails out to users, and we don’t do lots of noisy notifications,” says McCue. However, integrating push notifications is something the team is thinking about for the future, but they want to do it right when the time comes.
He also reports good progress on the advertising side of the business, which now has half a dozen publishers running ads on the platform, out of a total of 2,000 publications which have been integrated to date. Some recent advertisements have been for Converse, Nieman Marcus (the same ads as in Vogue, says McCue), and the movie “Snow White and the Huntsman.” That last one did particularly well, with a 3.5% CTR. It directed users not to a website, but a rather to an in-app page featuring the “Snow White and the Huntsman” Twitter feed in Flipboard’s signature magazine style, which users could then subscribe to in the app. However, all Flipboard’s CTRs are “much higher than anything you’d see on the web,” says McCue.
As for what’s next, beyond its continued international expansion, one glaring omission for a magazine so focused on attractive, visual layout of content is Pinterest integration. Pinterest rival The Fancy’s integration was complete six months ago but has yet to ship, so the holdup is clearly on Pinterest’s side of things. But Flipboard is hardly the only third party in desperate need of a Pinterest API. (Where is that thing already?) No official word on what networks may be added next, but Pinterest will surely make a big splash when and if it ever arrives.
The new Android and iOS versions of Flipboard are available for download here.


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Last week, the attorney of a professor suing ASU for discrimination spoke exclusively to Alabama News Network about the alleged abuse.
Dr. John Garland says he's been the target of discrimination because of his ethnicity and his sexual orientation. But when we asked Boyd for her reaction to the lawsuit, she was tight lipped.
"He has been told time and time again, why are you here?" Attorney Wayne Sabel explains. "In effect, white people are unable to teach African American students."
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, or SACS, has issued a warning against Alabama State University. The university is in hot water with the accrediting agency for failing to comply with standards related to the board of trustees, governance, financial stability and title four funding. Alabama State University President Gwendolyn Boyd says she wants to make things right.
We caught up with Alabama State University President Gwendolyn Boyd to ask her about a lawsuit recently filed against the school as well the state of the university.
there are still some very real issues that need to be addressed.
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Saving With 6abc
Saving with 6abc: Money-saving deals at the Jersey Shore
May 13, 2013 (WPVI) -- When Hurricane Sandy hit the Jersey Shore it damaged more than buildings.
Seasonal businesses in Ocean City's downtown, which had just started to recover from the recession, were among the worst hit.
Michele Gillian of the Ocean City Chamber of Commerce explains, "It was devastating. We have pictures where there was two to three feet of water in each location throughout the downtown. And really, 9th to 6th street, it was hit a little bit more."
But as Memorial Day approaches, those businesses are back. And many are offering post-Sandy specials to bring wary shoppers back to the Shore.
Gillian adds, "There are Sandy storm specials. They're throughout the city and it's to celebrate that we're open, we survived Sandy, come and see for yourself. We hope that you shop, dine, stay over for the weekend to get ready for the summer."
Island Beach Gear will take 10% off a single item if you mention you saw this story on Action News. The Coral Sands Motel is offering any three nights over Memorial Day weekend for $329, and the Ocean Front Motel has a similar deal for $369. To relax, you can take 10% off at Sea Wave Massage or Massage Mend Me .
And Ocean City isn't alone.
Many towns on Long Beach Island also suffered a lot of damage, but Lori Pepenella of the Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce says owners began repair work as soon as they were allowed back in.
"The business community was right on board," Pepenella said. "We were repairing and recovering the minute we were allowed back onto the island and it's been a very quick and steady pace that we've been able to get businesses open and to recover and to bring people back throughout the year."
The Gables will take 25% off rooms for visitors whose homes were damaged by the storm. And Windward at the Beach is offering a variety of discounts, including 30% off three-night stays in June, and 20% off four night stays for the Fourth of July.
In Atlantic City, the major tourist spots were spared by Sandy, but the number of visitors is still down.
Jeffrey Vasser of the Atlantic City Convention and Visitors Authority says, "Our issues are more about perception than reality. Since Hurrican Sandy back in the fall, a lot of people have felt that our Boardwalk was demolished, that some of our amusements have been floating throughout the ocean, but it's not true. Our boardwalk is intact, all of our businesses are open and were open just a couple of days after the storms."
So, in Atlantic City, as well, businesses are offering deals to entice visitors.
Among the them: free walking tours of the boardwalk, coupon books from the Tanger Outlets, and numerous restaurant and hotel discounts and bonuses.
Vasser explains, "A lot of the restaurants and lounges in Atlantic City are offering specials. The hotels, the B&Bs in the surrounding area, they're offering specials and even our attractions. The one I like the most is Ripley's Believe it or Not, anyone named 'Sandy' will get in for free.
Click here for a list of deals in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Click here for a list of Ocean City, New Jersey specials.
Click here for a list of Long Beach Island specials.
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Also SeeStory:Coupon codes: Check here before you checkout
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Traditional news distribution channels are on the decline. With the iconic Washington Post being sold off to Jeff Bozos (founder Amazon.com) and news paper/magazine subscriptions at an all time low, things are looking bleak for the the news paper industry. With new mediums of information consumption emerging (tablets, smart phones, smart watch etc), the news industry has shifted to the model of "paid online content". Unfortunately, a typical internet surfer does not expect to pay for any content! After all, we have grown accustomed to consuming information for free. To encourage users to pay up, some websites, like the NY times, allow you to view 10 free articles a month, after which you're expected to use your credit card and subscribe. They're clearly banking on their reputation as a premium news provider, hoping users will pay for their quality articles.
Simply put, this "paid content" model is a direct translation of the good old news paper subscription model. Others, like Forbes, are relying on advertisements and insist on showing you a full blown ad before you browse any content. Its annoying to say the least. The modern web user has grown accustomed to the presence of ads, however, the relevancy of the ad matters as much as the article its wrapped around. When I'm reading a political opinion piece for ,example an ad about "How to Speed up your PC" is not exactly relevant or welcome. A blind reliability on external ad providers may not be good enough. I am not saying that NY Times, Forbes, the Guardian are not going to last, their journalistic value is immense and cannot be debated upon. What they need is a better way of making money out of their content.
Strong social media integration and micro-payments may be the answer. Simply monetize the "like" button. Let visitors to your site register for free, and all content is open. If a users clicks on the "like" button next to an article he may be asked to contribute some money, a really small amount of sum (as low as 10 cents) that people will not bat an eyelid before saying yes. Micro-payment providers will play a big role in the model, although convincing online contributors to start monetizing through micro-payments is proving to be tricky. An excellent article on PaidContent highlights both the promise and the challenges of this model. Maybe the answer is BitCoins? (Peer to Peer online currency, no central authority or bank). If we can get rid of credit cards and just deal in online currency, the process of making the actual payment could be simple and seamlessly integrated into your online experience.
I'm a product manager, specializing in data science driven products & initiatives. When I'm not working, you'll find me riding my bike, reading a book, hiking and enjoying live music.


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A simple formula guides Frederick J. Florjancic Jr. in his quest for the next big bowling boom.
BOWL THEM OVERSEAS;BRUNSWICK ROLLS IN ASIA, S. AMERICA
"Once an economy gets past food, shelter and clothing, it's looking for recreation," says Mr. Florjancic, 48, president of Bruns-wick Group, a unit of Lake Forest-based Brunswick Corp. that manufactures and markets bowling equipment.
Kegling is a decidedly uncool activity in the U.S.-think Ralph Kramden and Fred Flintstone-but Brunswick continues to tap international audiences eager for a chance to knock down 10 pins with a polyurethane ball. And willing to pay hefty prices for the privilege.
In Japan, Taiwan and Korea, where many bowling centers are located in tony high-rise buildings, patrons pay up to $4.50 per game, compared with the U.S. average of $2.
In Brazil, where the lanes are likely to be located in upscale shopping areas, bowlers pay $15 to $21 per hour for the use of an alley. Often, they endure waits of several hours.
And in China, where the game is taking root, no hotel can claim five-star status unless it offers at least four bowling lanes along with its swimming pools and saunas.
Brunswick enjoys an estimated 45% marketshare in the bowling industry worldwide, but the search for would-be bowlers in foreign lands is undertaken with near-missionary zeal.
And with good reason.
Brunswick's recreational businesses, which include fishing tackle and billiards equipment, are a healthy hedge against cycles in the company's core marine segment, which rises and falls with the consumer confidence index.
Bowling accounts for an estimated 15% to 20% of publicly traded Brunswick's annual sales, which hit $2.7 billion in 1994, but the U.S. and some overseas markets, such as Japan and the United Kingdom, are already stagnant or shrinking. Thus, the more bowlers Brunswick creates abroad, the bigger the cushion when the next recession torpedoes boat and motor sales.
"(Brunswick) has to increase the portion of business that is derived from the recreational side," says David J. Boczar, an analyst with Value Investing Partners in Westport, Conn. "So, they're trying to improve their percentage of non-U.S. sales. (Bowling is) ramping up and growing quickly in Latin America and the Far East."
Brunswick faces a fierce competitor in AMF Bowling Inc. of Richmond, Va., a privately held company with an estimated 35%-to-45% share of the world bowling market.
Like Brunswick, AMF is both a manufacturer and a retailer of bowling equipment. As they have for decades, the two companies are duking it out for fresh territories, each hoping to win the first toehold in a developing nation.
"Being first is a very big advantage," Mr. Boczar says.
Industry observers believe Bruns-wick is the market leader in Brazil, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, New Zealand, Iceland and Germany because it was the first to move quickly in those countries. AMF gets the nod in Korea, Thailand, Australia, Mexico, France and the United Kingdom for similar reasons.
Now, like a 7-10 split, the richest prize remains up for grabs.
China boasts 98 population centers of 1 million people or more-fertile urban territory for bowling centers-but requires patience and a willingness to deal with ever-shifting political landscapes.
"We have high hopes for China," says AMF Bowling President Bob Morin. "But there's a lot of risk as to whether (economic and political reform favorable to Western investment) continues at its current rate or is more of a stop-start style. It's a market that is virtually untapped."
There are just 1,600 bowling lanes in China-about one for every 74 millionpeople. Traditionally, the bowling industry says there should be one lane per 1,500 people.
Brunswick has an estimated 60% share of the China market, while AMF holds about 30%. Both are hustling to find new investors, partners and joint ventures-and coping with a recently enacted 56% tax on bowling equipment.
"There are many investors because (bowling in China) is the quickest way to get their investment returned . . . (in) three years or less," says Patrick Cheung, marketing manager for Brunswick China Ltd. in Hong Kong. "There is a small percentage of Western investors. A lot are Taiwanese, who are investing in Fujian province, which is very close to Taiwan. Over 50% of investments come from the mainland."
Brunswick bowling lanes generated about $6 million in sales in China last year, where only the wealthy can afford to roll. In 1995, sales are expected to top $45 million.
"Business is good, but competition is increasing. Everybody wants a piece of the cake," says Mr. Cheung, who nonetheless predicts that Brunswick sales on the mainland will double or triple in the next three years.
Traditionally, U.S. servicemen and women have been bowling's missionaries. After World War II, many military bases in Europe and Japan contained alleys, and interest in the game spread to the civilian population.
Most of the mature overseas markets-most notably Japan and Great Britain-were introduced to bowling that way.
Now, both Brunswick and AMF are hyping the proposed inclusion of bowling as an Olympic sport, hoping the international games will heighten interest and investment opportunities. It's a proven method: Asian fascination with bowling ballooned after the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, where it was a demonstration sport.
"We meet the objective criteria," says Jerry Koenig, president of the Federation Internationale des Quilleurs in Greendale, Wis., the world governing body for the sport of bowling. "But the popular theory," he says, "is that the Olympics already have 28 sports that draw 10,000 athletes and 5,000 officials. Either (some sport) has to get off the train or the sports that are there have to have a reduction in size."
Mr. Koenig says interest is particularly high in nations with no history of athletic achievement because bowling offers them a chance to become competitive quickly.
"There are countries in Asia and the Middle East who don't look at (fielding) soccer teams because they don't believe they'll ever win (an Olympic) medal," Mr. Koenig explains. "But because bowling doesn't rely on speed, strength and height, but on coordination, repetitive accuracy and mental stamina, some of those countries feel they'd quickly be positioned to win a medal."
Olympic status may be slow in coming, but new markets aren't. And the globe-trotting Mr. Florjancic, who logs more than 350,000 air miles annually from his unit's Muskegon, Mich., base, is Bruns-wick's point man.
Brunswick targets potential investors by advertising in regional financial newspapers and hosting seminars. A recent effort in Kuala Lumpur drew more than 200 qualified investors, Mr. Florjancic says.
The company tries to be the controlling partner in a joint venture, he adds, but does have some 50-50 ventures, particularly in Brazil, where Brunswick has teamed with the owner of several large shopping centers.
In China, however, Brunswick sells the equipment to local investors and supplies management services.
When Brunswick began moving onto the world bowling stage, Mr. Florjancic says, the company made rookie mistakes.
"We were the typically American company. . . .We gave them standard equipment and we gave it to them in English," he recalls. "We were successful in spite of ourselves. But when we really got serious, we had to do business in a different way."
The company now offers manuals and equipment in the local language and usually hires local managers and sales people to tout its equipment. It also tailors marketing efforts to local customs.
"In Scandinavia, it's a serious sport, so we aim our marketing at the sports federations," Mr. Florjancic says. "In Australia, it's more league-driven and very adult-oriented. Korea and Taiwan are more oriented toward male bowlers. Brazil is a little more family-driven."
Brunswick and AMF have no recourse but to seek growth overseas. The U.S. is home to about 150,000 lanes, roughly half the lanes in the world, but the market here crested 25 years ago.
Some bowling experts believe that a generation of bowlers has been lost because the industry didn't market itself intelligently. They also point to lingering perceptions of bowling centers as smoky hangouts for beer-swilling lugs.
"Bowling has always been seen as a blue-collar sport," notes Allen Crown, publisher of International Bowling Industry, a Westlake Village, Calif.-based trade magazine. "But it's changing as the beer-drinking types grow older and move out of bowling."
Cool or uncool, a recent industry-sponsored survey found that 80 million Americans bowl at least twice a year, and 11 million play in organized leagues.
Bob Johnson, editor of Interna, hopes that lessons learned overseas can be applied to the U.S., reinvigorating the status of bowling here.
"As we learn more about international markets, we're finding the facility itself is very, very important," Mr. Johnson says. "You can go into a McDonald's anywhere in the world and know what to expect, but bowling centers? You can have experiences that range from pretty bad to very positive."
Still, it's hard to imagine bowling in the U.S. ever developing the snooty appeal it enjoys abroad.
"It doesn't have the snob appeal," Mr. Florjancic concedes. "But where else can a family spend $20 for a couple of hours of fun?"


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The report, from tw.apple.pro claims that Apple is currently working on not one, not two, but three iPhone 5 prototypes. What’s more, it’s rumored that one of these handsets possesses a slide-out hardware keyboard.
Unfortunately, the original report has been run through a very rough translation, but another point raised is the existence of one prototype closely resembling the current iPhone 4 model. This would be akin to the iPhone 3G/3GS update where the exterior remains identical but the innards receive a slight upgrade with improved battery life, faster CPU and more RAM.
The reason this particular rumor caught our eye is thus: tw.apple.pro are the people that got their hands on an iPhone 4's screen long before its announcement, along with a battery from the aforementioned handset. Granted, a good track record doesn’t automatically make these claims true, but it’s a start.


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Apple is Joined by Nokia in the Fight Against Samsung
Mar 10, 2013
2 on 1
In a move that surprised experts, Apple is now joined by rival Nokia supporting the Cupertino boys in their battle against Samsung.
It’s hard to tell the reasons behind it, but Nokia will be joining Apple in their efforts in the infamous patent wars against Samsung. The industry, making mobile casino gambling tools, seems to have gone crazy.
Nokia has already filed arguments to the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington. The Finnish manufacturer of mobile casino games devices claimed that the court made a mistake denying their “friends” from Cupertino a plea for injunction against Samsung products.
In case some of you forgot, Nokia itself has already had legal proceedings against Apple three years ago, but no hard feelings now, it seems, as the two giants join forces to tackle the current market leader.
Apple’s plea before the Federal Circuit of speeding up the appeal and scheduling a hearing ASAP has been rejected, and the case has been referred to a three-member judge panel.
We’ll definitely cover this unexpected turn of events in the patent wars and report back to our faithful readers. If only manufacturers could lay down their arms, and instead focus on making better and cheaper products for us…


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Vice President Kamala Harris, who is ‘dabbling in veganism’, sampled vegan tacos at vegan Las Vegas restaurant Tacotarian following a recommendation from Senator Cory Booker.
VP Kamala Harris is reportedly ‘dabbling in veganism’ and recently visited a vegan taco restaurant to sample their food.
The politician dropped into Las Vegas vegan restaurant Tacotarian along with Second Gentleman of the US Doug Emhoff.
According to reports, the Vice President made an unscheduled stop at the restaurant as she was in town as part of a cross-country tour to raise awareness about the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan.
Since Las Vegas is one of the hardest-hit cities from the pandemic, the city was the first stop on the politician’s “Hope is Here” tour.
At the restaurant, Harris ordered two mushroom asada tacos, two super tacos, and two carne asada tacos. The staff completed the meal by throwing in some ‘desserts for free’.
Harris came to the restaurant after learning about the place from her friend and colleague Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) – a Tacotarian regular.
Taking to Instagram, Tacotarian wrote: “We were just sitting there and someone came up and said ‘hey I’m from the Whitehouse and the Vice President is on her way here’.
“Thank you so much for stopping in today and for being so kind in talking with us, our staff, and our customers.”
Tacotarian co-owner Kristen Corral revealed that the VP was kind and genuinely interested in chatting with everyone.
Corral added that Harris informed the ones present that she is ‘dabbling with veganism and only eating meat after 6 pm’.
Thanking Senator Cory Booker for supporting their taco eatery and giving the VP the recommendation, Tacotarian further said: “We’ve been so lucky in our journey thus far and we can’t wait to see what our future holds.
Kamala Harris’ stance on meat
While Harris is trying to follow a more plant-focused diet, she has already faced pressure to promote plant-based diets in order to tackle food insecurity, chronic diseases, racial and gender-oriented structural inequality, and climate crisis.
At a CNN town hall back in 2019, Harris, who has been encouraging Americans to reduce their consumption of meat, was asked whether she would support adjusting the dietary guidelines to reduce the amount of red meat.
Harris replied: “I love cheeseburgers from time to time, I just do. But [we must also consider] what we do in terms of creating incentives that we will eat in a healthy way, that we will encourage moderation, and that we will be educated about the effect of our eating habits on our environment.
“We have to do a much better job with that and the government has to do a much better job with that.”
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Vegan culture, food, beauty & more
Puma ditches kangaroo leather for ‘better’ vegan fabric
- Mohsina Dodhiya
- 3rd March 2023
Puma’s King soccer boots are made with vegan K-Better, a new animal-free upper material. Puma SE is officially phasing kangaroo leather out of its soccer boots this year. Instead, it will begin using a vegan fabric following rising consumer opposition to animal-made products. The German sporting goods company has redesigned its legendary KING football boot …
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More than a third of Brits intend to reduce animal products this new year
- Mohsina Dodhiya
- 10th February 2023
Research from The Vegan Society showed that an increasing number of people are looking to reduce their consumption of meat and dairy for environmental reasons. More than one-third of Britons plan to cut back on their consumption of meat and dairy in 2023, according to a survey by the Vegan Society. The world’s oldest vegan …
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All the quizzes you love to binge!
QUIZ: If you score 11/12 on this quiz, you’re a verified vegan food expert
- Marlon Farrugia
- 10th January 2020
How much vegan knowledge do you have stored away? Do you have to Google your way through a shopping trip, or do you have all the bad E-numbers memorised? Find out now with this quiz. Marlon Farrugia Marlon Farrugia is a freelance writer from Brighton. He has been a dedicated vegan for many years, and …
Continue reading “QUIZ: If you score 11/12 on this quiz, you’re a verified vegan food expert”
QUIZ: What is your perfect Vegan Halloween Costume?
- Marlon Farrugia
- 13th October 2019
Spook Season approaches. There will be ghosts, goblins, ghouls, and glucose. You need a costume, and you want to it to show off your personality, which means VEGAN. But what to choose? Take our quiz to find out your perfect outfit. Marlon Farrugia Marlon Farrugia is a freelance writer from Brighton. He has been a …
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QUIZ: What kind of vegetable are you?
- Marlon Farrugia
- 26th September 2019
“If you were a vegetable, what kind would you be?” A question that has tormented humanity throughout the ages – until now. Read: QUIZ: If you score 19/20 on THIS quiz, you’re a Vegan God Marlon Farrugia Marlon Farrugia is a freelance writer from Brighton. He has been a dedicated vegan for many years, and …


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Only Your Fat Cells Know For Sure
WHEN IT COMES TO HAIR color, the best do-or-dye efforts haven't gotten to the root of the problem. Biotech startup AntiCancer Inc. in San Diego has a new scheme for zapping those unsightly grays: Its scientists insert color into fatty droplets called liposomes, which can be applied to the scalp in a shampoo, says Andrew W. Perry, president of the consumer products unit. Researchers discovered the technique while developing a treatment for chemotherapy-related hair loss.
The liposomes attach themselves to the hair follicle shaft and deliver the pigments, which could range from conventional blond and brown to eye-popping pink or green. The company hopes to soon start clinical trials on humans and expects few regulatory hurdles, since the product never enters the bloodstream. Meanwhile, in the laboratory, AntiCancer scientists are already grappling with their next big challenge: a gene therapy that would prevent hair from turning gray in the first place.
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Amazon has released proposals to reserve domestic airspace in the US – between 200ft and 400ft from the ground – for high-speed automated delivery drones. The company is looking to use drones to deliver customer’s orders to their doorsteps within 30 minutes of them making the order.
As Ed Pilkington writes in The Guardian, the papers “call for a ‘paradigm shift’ in airspace regulation that will allow hundreds of thousands of small unmanned aircrafts to fly without the current involvement of humans through air traffic control.”
According to Amazon’s proposal, it intends to ‘work in close collaboration with public and private industry on the development of the safest system of access for a wide range of applications, not limited to package delivery’.
Image Credit: Ars Electronica / Flickr


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In the last quarter, the Hang Seng Index was over 2,400 points
With the support of the Mainland’s 11th National Day holiday and the lack of support from the North, the Hong Kong stocks entered the traditional “stock disaster in October". The first day was stable and the 26,000 mark was recovered. Hang Seng Index opened 190 points and then rushed to 314 points, low 25778, a new low since the 4th of last month, followed by a sharp increase in buying, regaining the 26,000 mark, and finally harvested 26,04 points, down 49 points; It closed at 10182, down 18 points, and the turnover shrank to 61.945 billion yuan.
Blue chip stocks developed individually. Tencent (700), which plans to buy a 29% stake in Norwegian game developers, fell 1.57% to close at 325 yuan; HSBC (005) fell 1.24% to close at 59.65 yuan; HKEx (388) fell 0.7% to close 228.4 yuan. MTR (066) closed up to 47 stations on Tuesday, equivalent to half of all 94 MTR stations. The stock price weakened and closed down 1.14% to 43.5 yuan.
Domestic demand stocks are good, Budweiser continues to strengthen
Domestic demand stocks were better against the market. Budweiser Asia Pacific (1876), which was included in the Hang Seng Composite Index, continued to strengthen on the second day after listing. It hit a new high, with a high of 29.8 yuan, a high of 5.32% and a return of 29.7 yuan, and a turnover of 2.866 billion yuan. The transaction was second only to Tencent at the top of the list; Meituan (3690) also broke the top, with a high of 82 yuan, up 1.75% to 81.5 yuan. In addition; Zhou Black Duck (1458) rose 7.28% to close at 3.83 yuan. In terms of apparel stocks, Qian Baidu (1028) surged 16.36% to close at 0.32 yuan; Daphne (210) rebounded 6.22% to close at 0.205 yuan.
On October 1st, many large shopping malls in Hong Kong were closed on National Day
The shopping mall property located at Hong Kong Island, Hysan (014) did not rise and fall, closing at 31.6 yuan; the affected shopping malls (823) rose 0.52% to close at 86.9 yuan; Taikoo Property (1972) rose 2.24% to close at 25.15 yuan; Henderson Land (012) rose 1.64% to close at 37.1 yuan; New World Development (017) rose 2.75% to close at 10.46 yuan, the best performing blue chip.
Fulong Securities Co-Director Tan Langwei said that in October, the market waited for the Sino-US economic and trade talks to be held next week. It is expected that this round of negotiations may not achieve significant results. However, progress on both sides is better than nothing. On the other hand, US President Trump earlier announced that he would postpone the tariff rate on Chinese goods until October 15. The closer the day, the relationship between the two countries may be affected, and the market conditions will be more volatile. Once the HSI 26,000 has failed to hold, it may fall back to the low level at the end of October last year.


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The Himachal Kisan Sabha and the Himachal Seb Utpadak Sangh to organize protest Rallies at the Block Headquarter of the apple growing area of Shimla, Kinnaur, Kullu and Mandi Districts on 1st Aug. 2013.
These farmer’s organizations stated that the apple cultivation was in serious crisis as terms of trade were turning more and more against the farmer. In their joint press statement, these organizations stated that under the neo-liberal path of development, the state investment in agriculture has been reduced, the regulatory roll has changed in favour of the corporate capital and above all the Govt. has no vision and perspective how to meet the challenges, once the WTO laws come into operation from 2014. They said
“It is not surprising with all these factors operating the cost of production have increased varying from 23 percent to 35 percent over the previous year in different apple growing areas of the state. The smaller the holding the higher is the cost of production. While on the other hand the price of the goods produced by the farmers is on a continuous decline. As far as apple is concerned the decline in the price is on an average of 30 percent, over the last years harvest”
Rakesh Singha, President Seb Utpadak Sangh, who was spearheading the campaign, stated that after the enactment of the Himachal Pradesh Agricultural and Horticultural produce marketing (Development & Regulation) Act 2005. Private unregulated markets have come up in large number in different places in the apple growing areas. These markets have only given illusionary benefits to the farmers, a very large number of farmers have been cheated by these commission agents. Alone last year a payment of 10 to 15 crores of rupees are yet due to the farmers.
He also threatened to publish a list of all those commission agents who have failed to give payments to the growers for the previous apple season. They have asked these commission agents to complete unpaid payments be made by 7th August with a 12 % interest failing which the list will not only be published but also a boycott of these Arthiyas will come into operation from 8th Aug. 2013.
CPM backed farmers organizations alleged
A large number of commission agents of the unregulated markets were fleecing the small and marginal growers by selling the apple of less than 60 mm size at 40 percent less than the other fruit. This is illegal as per the rules of the regulated market and moreover fruit in the retail market is not sold by size but by weight. The commission agents are taking advantage of the smaller size of fruit to loot the farmers
Seb Utpadak Sangh has blamed Govt for not providing any services or benefits to the farmers but at the same time increasing the amount of different kinds of taxes imposed on the apple export and its marketing. The one percent marketing fee imposed on apple is unacceptable which was neither logical nor justified. Till last year only Rs. 2/- per box was being imposed which now has been increased many fold apart from this the govt. has also more than doubled the Tax being imposed at the Parwanoo barrier to Rs. 5/- per box (Certain goods carried by road)
They have also accused the Govt. of serving the interest of the commission agents. It is under their pressure the Govt failed to introduce a standardized 20 kg packing and implement law for penalizing the commission agents who compel and allure farmers to pack over weight fruit in cartons weighing beyond the international standard weight of 20 kg packing. Rakesh Singh also lambasted at the decision of increasing 15 percent hike in the freight charges. He alleged that this goes to the advantage of the Truck operators lobby.
Seb Utpadak Sangh has also said that as per an analytical study of the data available from the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCIS) on the import of apple reveals that once the 52 percent import duty on apple is withdrawn, and thus it’ll adversely impacted the apple business of state and virtually collapse in the coming time.
Sangh also accused that the Horticulture Deptt. of state has failed to disperse subsidies on agriculture equipment including anti- hail nets since the financial year 2009-2010 amounting to more than 40 crores of rupees. The govt. has the tendency only to take but as far as giving was concerned the concessions were given to the corporate houses under the garb of incentives, Sangh alleged.
Seb Utpadak Sangh and Himachal Kisan Sabha also blamed government for checking on import of apples from other countries. The farmers organizations stated that in 2012-13, 9,96,310 boxes of apple were imported the major consignment coming from China and USA, each importing 3,87,800 and 3,35,295 boxes respectively. Iran which was importing only 930 boxes in 2011-12 increased its import to 27,885 in 2012-13 by misusing the South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) though it was a non SAFTA country but it chose the Afghanistan route for the import of the fruit. The increase has been 28 times more in quantity, they alleged. They feared that if China and USA who were the major producers of apple fruit in the world increase their import by 28 times the quantum of boxes of just these two countries would amount to 2.02 crores boxes (50 % of the production of Himachal Pradesh). Farmer organizations have accused government for failing to prevent the illegal import of apple that was hitting state farmers hard and also the Govt of India as there was evasion of import duty to the state exchequer.
The two organizations have asked the Govt to address the concerns of the apple farmers failing which the farmers will launch infinite protests in the state.


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The Stafford County Sheriff’s Office is looking for a man and woman they said stole a customer’s wallet at a Panera Bread.
The duo stole the diner's wallet on November 29 while at the Panera Bread off of I-95 exit 133/24 South Gateway. After stealing the wallet, deputies said they used her credit card less than 500 feet away, at a Target around the corner on 25 South Gateway Drive in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
Both suspects were seen leaving in a gold, early to mid-2000's Honda Accord, according to Public Information Officer M.C. Morris Moncure. The woman was pictured wearing a pink hoodie, Rasta hat and jeans and may have dreadlocks. The man was described wearing a gray hoodie and jeans.
Anyone with information in identifying the suspects is encouraged to contact the Sheriff's Office at (540)-658-4400.


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James Corden will present the Brit Awards for the third time next year.
Corden said in a statement: "I enjoyed presenting the show so much last year, so being asked back for the third time is a real honour.
"Ever since I was a teenager, I've loved the Brit Awards. As a music fan I feel totally privileged to have the best seat in the house. I can't wait."
Corden reportedly donated his appearance fee for last year's event to Comic Relief.
Artist Sir Peter Blake - who famously designed the album artwork for Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles - has been commissioned to create next year's Brits statuette after fashion designer Vivienne Westwood was given the design brief for this year's trophy.
Blake described the Brits as "[a] most important and exciting music event", adding that he was enjoying the challenge of designing the trophy.
The Brit Awards are due to take place at The O2 in London on February 21, 2012. Tinie Tempah and Arcade Fire were the major winners at this year's ceremony, taking home two prizes each.


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Kate Archer Kent
Sep 5, 2013 The maker of a three-wheeled vehicle wants to get rid of the monthly car payment altogether.
Sep 5, 2013 Technology that comes from a company in Sioux Falls is helping farmers do more with less in a high-tech way.
Aug 28, 2013 Twitter is tapping former Ticketmaster CEO Nathan Hubbard as its first Head of Commerce. The social network wants to generate more revenue from online retail, but the details have yet to be worked out.
Aug 9, 2013 Financial expert Lynnette Khalfani Cox answers listeners' questions about big ticket items, like cars and homes.
Jul 12, 2013 As technology evolves and makes it easier for consumers to use their phones to pay for things, will it change our behavior as well?
Jul 4, 2013 An ad agency has invented a talking window -- and how many hot dogs does it take to win a hot dog eating contest?
Jun 10, 2013 Business bankruptcies are down overall, but companies still make mistakes. And some entire industries are in trouble.
Stacey Vanek Smith
Jun 4, 2013 President Barack Obama is taking steps to rein in 'patent trolls', but some of America's biggest companies use similar tactics.
May 13, 2013 Dr. Eric Topol on the digital revolution in health care
Apr 30, 2013 XM/Sirius dominate the car satellite market, and car sales have bounced back right along with the rest of the economy. But will their success continue against a future of Rdio, Pandora and Spotify?


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News and Analysis
The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that DIRECTV has issued NFL Sunday Ticket refunds to “at least some customers” who have asked for them because they are upset about players protesting during the National Anthem.
Normally, DIRECTV does not offer refunds to the pricey package of out-of-market Sunday games after the season begins. But WSJ quotes Ticket subscribers as saying they were given refunds when they called DIRECTV to complain about the Anthem protests.
DIRECTV customers have posted similar comments on social media sites, such as Twitter.
AT&T, which owns DIRECTV, and the NFL, refused to comment for the article, but the story itself suggests DIRECTV does not have an official policy to offer refunds for Anthem protests.
“DirecTV service representatives contacted by The Wall Street Journal had different understandings of the policy,” the article states. “One said refunds to those concerned about the anthem protests were only offered to subscribers with certain offers or plans. One representative said full refunds were available for those who complained about anthem protests. Another said such people could only get prorated refunds for the remainder of the season. Yet other representatives said the policy hadn’t changed and that no refunds were allowed for any reason.”
So, are they giving refunds for the Anthem protests or not?
Here’s my educated take, based on 23 years of using DIRECTV, and covering it from a journalist’s perspective:
DIRECTV is giving refunds to ‘high value’ subs who ask for them. But not just anyone.
That’s why the customer service reps are giving conflicting statements. The refund is not company policy; taking care of ‘high value’ subs is always policy. (A high value customer is one who subscribes to a premium programming package and/or has been a subscriber for several years.)
So the WSJ story is correct — some customers are getting refunds — but don’t construe this as meaning it’s now AT&T’s policy. The telco’s executives are too smart to initiate a policy that would upset subscribers sympathetic to the protesters, as well as the league which is trying to create the perception that the protests are not hurting ratings or merchandising sales.
My guess is that the customer service team acted on its own to try to keep those high-paying subscribers happy, as it usually does in any contentious situation.
Click Amazon: Today’s 1-Day-Only Deals!
Click Amazon: Back to School Specials!
However, AT&T is now in a pickle thanks to the WSJ article which many journalists are interpreting as meaning a refund for all those who ask is company policy.
If AT&T issues a statement saying it backs the refunds, it will alienate protest supporters, and upset the league. If it issues a statement saying it doesn’t really back the refunds, it will upset subscribers who oppose the protests.
The dilemma like that is enough to bring you to your knees.
— Phillip Swann
“The dilemma like that is enough to bring you to your knees.”
Actually, the NFL should get OFF of IT’S knees!


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ID card provider HID Global has integrated its ActivID Tap Authentication solution with Microsoft’s Active Directory Federated Services (ADFS) to allow users of Microsoft Office 365 to access corporate cloud applications, data and services by tapping a smartcard against an NFC device. “It supports Microsoft Windows laptops and desktops, Android-based tablets and other mobile devices via NFC,” HID Global says.
- Dejamobile to offer seamless banking and mobile payments enrolment via smartphone
- Russian banks prep for launch of national biometric ID platform
- UK to move beyond ‘peak cash’ this year
- Australian iPhone users ‘more likely to bank with a provider if it supports Apple Pay’
- Google Pay replaces Android Pay app starting today


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Trendnet has built up a portfolio of more Powerline Adapters than you can shake a snow globe at, and the networking company almost let 2011 close without one more release. Almost. With just over a week to go before the calendar flips to 2012, Trendnet launched a new compact Powerline AV Adapter, model TPL-306E, that replaces and is about 30 percent smaller than the older TPL-303E series.
Inexpensive wireless routers have rendered powerline adapters a niche category in home networks, and one TrendNet continues to happily serve. The company's latest offering is the 200Mbps Compact Powerline AV Adapter, model TPL-306E, which is capable of extending your Internet connection to areas your router might not reach, such as an Internet television in your mancave or a game console just out of reach on the second floor.


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Union Pacific EVP Whited sells $855,400 in company stock
(Source: Market Beat, July 7, 2020)
NEW YORK — Union Pacific Co. EVP Elizabeth F. Whited sold 5,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 6. The shares were sold at an average price of $171.08, for a total value of $855,400.00.
Full story: Market Beat
Wednesday, July 8, 2020
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K-Pop Group Tomorrow X Together Joins Dior as Global Ambassadors
After becoming the first Korean group to headline Lollapalooza.
K-pop is on everyone’s playlists it seems as the genre is taking over the world.
Tomorrow X Together is the latest group on the scene as Dior has just tapped the boyband at its newest global brand ambassadors. Members Soobin, Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Taehyun and Hueningkai hinted at the announcement last weekend while they made history as the first Korean group to headline Lollapalooza.
“Our headlining set at Lollapalooza was one of the most significant performances of our career. It was truly an honor to share the stage with Dior and we hope to continue to show Tomorrow X Together’s versatility through this partnership,” group leader Soobin shared.
The boy band took the stage, dressed in custom-made outfits as Soobin, Yeonjun and Taehyun opted for sleeveless gilets, chino trousers and coordinating kilts in various neutral shades. Meanwhile, Beomgyu and Hueningkai wore wool bomber jackets and pleated shorts.
“Tomorrow X Together are the perfect ambassadors for Dior. They have a great attitude and style and they look great in their custom stage outfits,” Dior artistic director Kim Jones stated via WWD.
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text: Many of us in the UK will have been watching the adventures of Claire and Jamie on Amazon Prime. However, not everyone has this service. Those without have had to turn to DVDs to watch the show. Luckily, Channel 4 has come to the rescue for the second year running. At 9pm this evening they will be broadcasting Outlander season 2 on their digital channel More4. And, let’s be honest, it’s also a great chance to watch season 2 again while we endure ‘Droughtlander’.


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In the past two years, with the changes in consumer demand and the development of enterprise digital operations, a single offline exhibition often fails to meet the audience's upsurge of watching exhibitions and the company's marketing development needs, but through a combination of online and offline "cloud watching exhibition" mode, So that offline exhibitions have the opportunity to go online in a more three-dimensional form, vividly presented in front of the audience.
This epidemic has promoted the progress of the nation's leading exhibition "Cloud Exhibition". The executive meeting of the State Council decided on April 7 that the 127th Canton Fair was held online in mid-to-late June in response to the severe global epidemic situation.
At the same time, the General Office of the Ministry of Commerce of the People ’s Republic of China also issued a notice on April 16th, proposing to promote the integrated development of online and offline exhibitions, make full use of modern information technology methods such as 5G, VR / AR, and big data to hold "cloud exhibitions." Carry out "cloud display", "cloud docking", "cloud negotiation", "cloud signing" to enhance the effects of the display, publicity, negotiation, etc .; explore new modes of online and offline synchronous interaction and organic integration of exhibitions.
As the weather vane and barometer of the lighting industry, the Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition Organizing Committee announced in the early hours of April 18 that the Guangya Exhibition in June will be extended to the fourth quarter and announced: "In line with the development needs of the global digital market, and offline display Connectivity, interoperability, complementarity, interaction, and mutual benefit, empowering enterprises' digital operations, Aladdin will launch an online lighting exhibition, which will be officially launched in June. "
This is undoubtedly a very influential change in the lighting industry. Through the introduction of the rich resources of the 25-year lighting industry of Alanya and Aladdin, the online lighting exhibition and the offline optical exhibition will complement each other, interconnection and mutual complementarity. The following marketing provides an excellent stage and gives great momentum to the overall digital transformation and upgrading of the lighting industry.


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One of the most hyped games of this generation has done what many said it couldn’t, it delivered. Bungie’s highly anticipated online FPS game, Destiny, is the most pre-ordered new IP in video-game history and less than 24 hours after release, it has become the biggest selling new video game franchise launch in our industry.
According to figures released by Activision Publishing earlier today, Bungie’s Destiny has shipped more than $500 million worth of units to retail stores and first parties worldwide as of day one.
“Based on extraordinary audience demand, retail and first party orders worldwide have exceeded $500 million for
Destiny,” said Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard.
“This industry milestone marks another blockbuster success for our
company and demonstrates our unique ability to create some of the most
successful entertainment franchises in the world.
The success of Destiny, along with the recent introduction of Blizzard Entertainment’s
Hearthstone, is further validation of our unique capabilities to create great entertainment franchises from the ground up.”
Destiny launched to an unprecedented reception with over 11,000 midnight launches across the globe as fans in over 178 countries flocked to local stores to pick up their copy.
“Since the beginning, we’ve been confident that our investment and belief in
Destiny would pay off. But not many people believed we’d
be able to say it did so on day one,” said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of
Activision Publishing. “Destiny is officially the biggest new franchise launch in our industry’s history.
It’s also the highest-selling day one digital console release in history. We have more confidence than ever that
Destiny will become one of the iconic franchises of this
generation and Activision’s next billion dollar brand. Most importantly,
it’s just a great game which we can’t stop playing. A big thanks to our incredibly talented team
and partners who helped make this happen; most importantly, our partners at Bungie.”
Source: Press Release


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“But when the PPP initiative inevitably winds down, what remains could be an ecosystem of traditional lenders without the risk appetite to finance SMBs (small- to medium-business), and a community of FinTechs that may be slow to fill the gap.”
April 9, 2021
Avoiding The Bait-And-Switch Of Small Business Finance
SMB borrowers today are faced with an interesting conundrum. While the number of sources that can facilitate access to capital could shrink, the number of financial products available on the market today designed for SMBs continues to grow.
While SMB owners are intelligent, they are busy, and they often lack the time it takes to get fully educated on which products might be most appropriate for their unique needs. Flo Co-founder Ryan Ridgway told PYMNTS what he expects to see in an SMB landscape in the coming months, and the importance of financial service providers collaborating with borrowers to heighten understanding and awareness of loan product choice.
In the absence of a well-educated borrower, he warned, bad actors may jump at the opportunity to step in and connect SMBs with capital that could do more harm than good.
What Lies Ahead
Over the last year, the introduction of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) has revealed just how crucial it is for both traditional and alternative lenders to provide a digital-first, friendly user experience for SMB borrowers.
But when the PPP initiative inevitably winds down, what remains could be an ecosystem of traditional lenders without the risk appetite to finance SMBs, and a community of FinTechs that may be slow to fill the gap.
“A lot of business lending marketplaces have paused funding altogether or tightened up their underwriting criteria,” said Ridgway. “Most of them are almost exclusively focused on PPP. Those funds will be exhausted sometime late-April, early-May, which is coming up really quickly. My concern is that some of those lenders may have pivoted so heavily into PPP and might be slow to re-enter the market.”
There is also likely to be market consolidation ahead, he predicted. As more banks and non-bank lenders begin to integrate the same kinds of technologies, whether it be Plaid’s data aggregation capabilities or the know your customer (KYC) and onboarding automation tools of other tech providers, Ridgway said he foresees more industry players finding value in merging.
With that in mind, SMBs may eventually find that there are fewer sources of capital to approach when in need. But more of a concern for Ridgway is the threat SMBs face of not being able to access the right kind of capital.
From supply chain finance to a revolving line of credit, the list of finance products designed for SMBs is long. And not every product is best suited for every use case.
There is often a bait-and-switch tactic that some lending companies use to capture business, noted Ridgway.
“Even incumbents in the space can dangle the carrot with a particular product, only to unfortunately place a merchant or a borrower into a different product, which may not be great for their business,” he said.
That different product, he continued, is often the merchant cash advance (MCA). It’s a tool that has, in recent years, attracted negative attention, sometimes likened to the payday loan of the SMB borrowing world.
It’s not that the MCA is inherently bad, said Ridgway. For a high-margin business, the MCA can indeed be a tool that supports growth and can connect businesses to much-needed working capital. The problem arises when an SMB with thin margins is pushed into the MCA under the guise of affordable rates.
Players within the transportation or construction space, for instance, are rarely a good fit for the MCA thanks to a low frequency of deposits.
“It’s not really fair to look at that business’s revenue on a month-over-month basis,” he added. “They are getting siphoned into these daily payment advances with egregious rates, and [MCAs] end up doing more harm than good.”
In another example of how SMB loans can be mismatched to the borrower, Ridgway highlighted cases in which a SMBs, looking to finance a three-month marketing blitz, are pushed into a credit instrument that may require repayment for years to come.
Other potential pitfalls occur when a firm will advertise attractive terms to bait a business borrower, only to switch what’s actually available for that SMB. As Ridgway explained, these rates are advertised merely as a way to start the conversation with an SMB.
“A lot of this is just smoke and mirrors and marketing, and a means of getting a client,” he noted.
Often, SMBs aren’t even sure exactly what type of products they need for their particular scenario. It creates a vast opportunity for the SMB lending industry to continue its strive toward a better borrowing experience, not only through digitization and speed, but through a more ethical approach to financing. Ridgway said this will require an effort by lenders to educate the borrower community, as well as for brokers to take on greater responsibility in the financing process.
“It needs to be greater accountability,” he said. “Helping small businesses disseminate between the different credit instruments and correlating it back to the use case of funds is a really important thing that needs to be done.”


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Rumors of this or that grocery store opening a Delmar Loop location have run rampant for years. The chatter has only intensified since Washington University announced its plans to build a massive retail-residential development in the Loop.
Construction on the Wash. U. project is now under way, and one local blog believes it has identified which grocery store will occupy a large swath of the retail space.
Alex Ihnen of nextSTL claims that Global Foods Market (421 North Kirkwood Road, Kirkwood; 314-835-1112) will open a location in Wash. U.'s Delmar Loop development. Ihnen couches his report as "nextSTL has learned" without naming a specific source.
Gut Check is always hungry for more restaurant news. Feed us your tips.
Gut Check called Global Foods Market for comment. When we asked to speak with the owner or someone who could address a media inquiry, the employee who answered the phone asked how she could help us. We mentioned the nextSTL report. She said, "We don't have any information on that right now."
Meanwhile, in response to our inquiry, Washington University provided the following statement:
Pace Properties is serving as the broker for leasing the retail component of Washington University's new development in the Delmar Loop.
Pace has many outstanding Letters of Interests for the retail space and is actively negotiating with several potential tenants, including the owners of Global Foods.
No leases have been signed and neither Pace nor Washington University will speculate on future tenants or make further comments until leases have been signed.
More as we learn it.
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The UN General Assembly designated 2021 the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables (#IYFV). An initiative that addresses matters which are core for our company and that sets important objectives, such as:
- raising awareness on the importance of fruits and vegetable for nutrition, food safety and health;
- stimulating a debate around fruits and vegetables, acknowledging their impact on society, on the economy and on environmental sustainability;
- promoting policies, regulations and guidelines based on good practices in the agricultural and food sector that would promote sustainable development and rural economic growth;
- encouraging integrated and holistic approaches in addressing fruits and vegetable food systems that contribute to the achievement of SDGs targets and the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations;
- promoting investments in research and innovation to encourage consumption of fruits and vegetables and to reduce their waste.
A sustainable production, at the service of a healthy and safe diet, leverages economic development by guaranteeing the needs of current generations without compromising those of the future ones.


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Why Consider Online News Sources Of Information
So many individuals all over the globe are accessing news online very fast. Due to how easy it is to access info online, people are moving to the online platform to get all their latest news using their PCs and mobile devices. People can easily use internet-connected laptops and mobile phones to access information online and conduct freelance jobs and research. There are more people who are accessing the internet for all the breaking news and most recent info unlike in the past.
Most of the new consumers are increasingly abandoning the conventional news magazines and newspapers to access the up to date information and news online. This new trend is not favorable to the newspaper companies. To balance these issues, the papers are also making information available online for their customers. Most of the newspaper companies are exploring the online sources in meeting the requirements of their readers and are even delving into the mobile applications to reach them any place at any time. The internet is here to stay; the newspaper firms know this. To avoid becoming extinct these firms must embrace this technology as well. Highlighted below are a few of the reason why customers prefer online news sources.
You can easily access online data at any place. Easy access to info can be obtained fast using laptops, tablets or PCs. Regardless of the time of day or night, you are sure to get the breaking news as it happens. You can also access it in the thick cities, mountains, forests or wilderness. This is unlike the newspapers since there are areas they do not reach. Even on a moving car or plane, you can read your news or any other info you like.
You will not part with your cash buying online report. To read any newspaper, or magazine you will have to use money. You are assured of free info using online websites. You will hover need a fast internet connection for this to happen.
Information online gets updated every second. What this means is that you will never miss out on any current news. To understand what is happening in journals, you will wait until it is delivered the following day. Developing any breaking news is better of delivered online instead of using newspapers. You have the chance of cross-referencing news items from other related source links. This, therefore, means that you will corroborate the new items through checking out all related links and get more info. This is a sure way of knowing the best and up to date info as it happens more so for breaking news.


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Tech giant Microsoft and professional services firm KPMG have announced the opening of new innovation workshops focused on blockchain development.
The latest announcement deepens that relationship, as the two firms are opening offices in Singapore and Frankfurt, with the intention to open a third location in New York at a later date.
Eamonn Maguire, KPMG chief for Digital Ledger Services, said in a statement:
The announcement also points to the growing trend of enterprise-focused firms establishing blockchain workspaces around the world.
Image via Shutterstock
The leader in news and information on cryptocurrency, digital assets and the future of money, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups. As part of their compensation, certain CoinDesk employees, including editorial employees, may receive exposure to DCG equity in the form of stock appreciation rights, which vest over a multi-year period. CoinDesk journalists are not allowed to purchase stock outright in DCG.


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Inspired capped off last year with two big pre-workouts launches in DVST8 Worldwide and DVST8 BBD, which only further cemented its position as Brand Of The Year for 2019. BBD was an extremely exciting release, mostly because it had been built up and talked about for so long, but it was unfortunately only launched exclusively in Australia.
The big news in this week is that Inspired has revealed it’s finally bringing DVST8 BBD to its original fanbase in the US. This is something a lot of fans have been asking about since the debut of BBD three months ago. We don’t know if the brand is making any changes to the formula for its American launch; either way, it will be interesting to see how it turns out.
You can get a full look at the formula of the original Australian DVST8 BBD in our post from last year, which is being tweaked slightly for 2020, as confirmed in January. Inspired is removing eria jarensis and hordenine for the updated version and adding in KannaEase, with everything else in the stimulant powered pre-workout remaining the same.


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CLARK, NJ - Looking to get rid of some of those unwanted items? Can't decide what to do with all the stuff you have after decluttering those closets, basements and attics?
Mayor Bonaccorso is inviting the community to participate in a town-wide yard/garage sale. He said residents can host a sale at their private residence on Saturday, October 17 and/or Sunday, October 18 from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Individual permits are not needed, but those interested in having a sale must register with the town at firstname.lastname@example.org or by phone at 732-388-3669 by October 1. Residents should include their full name and address when sending an email or leaving a voice mail.
Registered families will be included in a map the town will create to guide shoppers to sale locations. This event will be advertised by the town through local print and online media.
As an added bonus, the town will pick up unsold and unwanted items curbside with a bulky pick up on Monday, October 19.
Didn't know this event was happening? Sign up for enews so next time you will be in the know!


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By: M.S.Yatnatti: Editor and Video Journalist Bengaluru: In fact, it's the kumkum and bangles that are a choice, but they have been exempted from GST. Menstruation is not a choice biological functioning, but not womans choice "Sex is a choice, period is not". Reportedly this hard-hitting statement has been going viral since the Centre introduced GST and levied a 12% tax on sanitary napkins. On Facebook, women have begun an online campaign, `Don't tax my period', to urge the government to withdraw the tax levied on sanitary pads .Stating that the move will lead to unhygienic practices, many women's groups, gynaecologists and NGOs have been vociferous about their demand."What should be treated as a necessity has been taxed. In fact, it's the kumkum and bangles that are a choice, but they have been exempted from GST. Menstruation is my pride; my biological functioning, but not my choice. The government that talks about `Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' does not seem to have respect for women. "This is an issue of basic hygiene, something which is non-negotiable," also pointing to the need to look into matters of sustainable menstruation products which too would come under the tax net. "There is a need to look into all the options available for sustainable menstruation, Doctors said.In fact, protests by several women's groups have received the endorsement of doctors and gynaecologists. "Ideally, use of sanitary napkins should be incentivized. This kind of taxation will only take us back to unhygienic practices. In rural areas, many young girls do not have water to drink or wash, and use of sanitary napkin has been a boon in such places. Women shouldn't refrain from using pads now just because of the added financial burden," .Ferw hospitals are distributing Pads like Dr Hema's hospital (Diva kar's Hospital) has been distributing Kanya Pads, a made-inIndia product, to create awareness about menstrual hygiene among girls in government school and, so far, 25,000 girls have benefited from the initiative. "We do haemoglobin checks on girls and explain to them the need to use pads. As we have sufficient stock, we may not be hit by GST immediately. Our intention is to make girls use pads. If they use them for a year, they won't stop using them," said Dr Hema.
Goods and service tax is with the lower rates for some items also a highest for de-merits also luxury goods that would also attract the additional, was decided by all-powerful GST council.The lower tire is 5% would for the common use items and there be the two standard rates of 12% and 18% under the GST regime. Tobacco, aerated drinks and Luxury cars also levied with the additional on top of a highest tax rate.GST is glorified the system of taxation by a economy will take upward swing also further it was the trade also industry with respect to the indirect tax system of the country. Indirect tax has to paid by trade and industry also the other indirect taxes will subsum in GST. The citizens are demanding that GST taxes need to be revised and taxes need to be lowered as tax burden will be more on consumers .
All existing taxpayers registers on any Act will be transitioned to GST. The enrolment for GST will ensure clear transition to the GST regime. The data present in different tax authorities is incomplete and therefore fresh enrolment has planned. The Final GST Registration Certificate is issued within 6 months by verification of documents by authorized sate/ center officials of the concerned Jurisdiction after appointment date.
Only time will tell :Prices of a vast majority of everyday-use and mass consumption items, as well as that of scores of industrial inputs and capital goods, could potentially reduce significantly(Only time will tell) , giving a big push to both consumption and investment demand in the economy, as the country embraces the goods and services tax (GST) shortly. Businesses will acquire the ability to cut prices without taking a hit on their bottom lines, as either lower tax rates (in a minority of cases) or enhanced input tax credit or a combination of both will reduce their tax costs and help boost sales volumes. More than four-fifths of the goods would fall under a GST rate of 18% or below, finance minister said after a crucial GST Council meeting, which endorsed the rate fitment for "1,211 items barring six categories”, the bulk of the GST goods universe.
According to reports one of the stated objectives of introducing the goods and services tax (GST) is to eliminate multiple taxes, remove cascading of taxes, rationalise tax rates and enhance the spectrum of the input tax credit. This would reduce the incidence of indirect taxes on the products and services.With such a reduction in the tax incidence, it is expected that the prices of goods and services are reduced. This, in turn, one would expect, would result in consumer benefits handed down .With such a reduction in the tax incidence, it is expected that the prices of goods and services are reduced. This, in turn, one would expect, would result in consumer benefits handed down from the reduction in the incidence of taxes. The government made its intention clear by introducing an anti-profiteering clause in the GST law to ensure that a commensurate cut in the prices on account of a reduced tax rate, or the benefit of higher input tax credit, is passed on to the consumer. It also proposed to set up an authority to monitor such instances of profiteering. The prices are mainly driven by elasticity of demand, supply constraints and competition.
As pricing is a function of multiple factors, it is difficult to attribute only one factor responsible for increase or decrease in prices. Therefore, the actual implementation of this provision is quite challenging both for business and government. It may be possible that the incidence of taxes for a given commodity has reduced. However, due to high demand and supply constraints, the prices have increased. Thus, the procedure to be followed by the anti-profiteering authority becomes critical to examine cases where the change in price is on account of incidence of tax or any other factors.


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The Chinese government has, at least temporarily, stopped its major investments in its own chip industry. The country is suffering from many corona infections, which puts pressure on the world’s second-largest economy and public finances.
According to sources from the Bloomberg news agency, talks are underway about definitively phasing out the substantial subsidies in the chip sector.
Some top officials involved in the talks are still considering sticking to stimulus measures with a value of around 137 billion euros. A lot of money has gone to the chip sector in recent years, which has led to people misusing the money. On the other hand, the investments have not yet brought Chinese chip companies close to the dominant US competitors.
The Chinese government subsidies have led to the United States imposing sanctions to protect its own chip sector. Developing its own chip companies is one of President Xi Jinping’s top priorities to continue competing with the US in economic and military terms. China previously pursued a similar stimulus policy in the manufacturing industry, where it proved successful.


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Helly Hansen confirms UK's Musto purchase
Norway-based Helly Hansen has signed a deal to buy London’s Musto Clothing, the company that supplies the British sailing and equestrian Olympic teams. Financial terms were not disclosed but earlier reports suggested the deal values the firm at around £50 million.
The purchase is expected to help Helly Hansen as it targets growth in the UK’s higher-end outdoor clothing market beyond its existing offer of branded skiwear and other outdoor pieces. Its pre-tax profit rose 24% last year to NK204 million, but it is still small-scale in the UK compared to its other markets in Europe.
Musto, however, has a growing profile in its domestic market, both through its sailing and equestrian products and also because of its strength in shooting sports.
Helly Hansen said Musto is "the British brand of choice for professional yachtsmen and world-class dinghy sailors." Granted two British Royal Warrants and an official supplier to both the British National Sailing Team and the British Equestrian Federation through to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, it leverages its British roots and sailing heritage to create "high quality, cutting edge technical products that enjoy a hard-earned reputation for innovation and performance."
The UK firm had been controlled by a group of investors led by Phoenix Equity Partners while the Norwegian firm ultimately has a Canadian owner in the form of Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, one of that country’s largest pension funds. Phoenix has owned Musto for 10 years and the change of control sees the brand having access to wider distribution networks and management with deeper pockets as it seeks to grow at the upper end of the market.
Paul Stoneham, CEO of Helly Hansen, said: "Musto accelerates Helly Hansen's long-term aspiration to become a global leader in sailing, matching our leadership position in professional skiing. Our focus will be to expand Musto internationally as an iconic British lifestyle brand with deep technical sailing credentials alongside Helly Hansen. The two brands are highly complementary and hold in common a deep regard for the sailing community and commitment to preserving our oceans."
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Guitar Hero with the latest iteration of the franchise, Guitar Hero Live, a new entry in the series played from a first-person perspective.
Activision introduces its blockbuster military shooter to the world's most populous country by tailoring it to local tastes
On Friday at BlizzCon, Blizzard Activision announced its first new franchise since Starcraft 17 years go, a team-based shooter called Overwatch.
We examine the challenge of moving the world's most popular shooter from current-generation to next-generation consoles.
A good James Bond game would start by making it about James Bond, not a floating hand holding a gun.
Despite a somewhat disheveled campaign mode, Activision Blizzard's military shooter expertly refines the online experience
John Rafacz, communications director for Call of Duty developer Treyarch, outlines what fans of the series can expect from Black Ops II
Activision Blizzard Inc.’s just-released “Diablo III” video game is gaining fame over a software bug
Tech firms making news this morning: LinkedIn Corp., Activision Blizzard Inc., Amazon.com Inc., AT&T Inc. and Apple Inc.
Activision Blizzard Inc., the world’s largest video-game maker, posted third-quarter profit that beat analysts’ estimates and raised its full-year forecast, citing new titles including the eighth “Call of Duty”
When customers asked about the products, Shoppers tracked down the twin sisters selling their parents' creation online, and put in a small order. That soon became a big one
The changes are the latest for the once high-flying retailer, which pioneered the sexy preppy look and made male models with ridiculously ripped abs a billboard standard
Laura Jones: Canada is now the first country in the world to require that for every new regulation introduced one of equivalent burden must be removed
Microsoft and Starbucks beat analysts' earnings forecasts, and Best Buy gets downgraded on slowing sales
A Bank of Montreal report suggests first-time home buyers are increasingly turning to the 'Bank of Mom and Dad'