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Even With Mass Retail Industry Layoffs, Retailers Should Improve Hiring and Retention Strategies
Talks of an impending recession have been looming the past year, and several industries have been experiencing sales dips, including the retail industry. The demand for retail and ecommerce products that spiked during COVID and more recently during the 2022 holiday season is hitting a lull now, with department stores like Nordstrom experiencing declining retail sales of 3.5 percent the last part of 2022 versus 2021. As a result, retailers are being more cognizant of spending, hitting retail industry layoffs hard early in 2023 with large year-over-year increases from 2022.
Just how hard are they hitting layoffs? Well, retail industry layoffs are only second to the tech industry in number for January 2023, cutting 13,000 jobs, which amounts to a whopping 3,225 percent increase year-over-year, according to a report from Challenger, Gray and Christmas. Plans for hiring seem meager at most, with retailers stating they plan to hire only 615 employees, a sharp drop from the 5,901 in January 2022.
How are retailers’ faring with their talent pools as retail industry layoffs continue and they simultaneously struggle to retain quality workers? April Sabral, President and Founder of retailu, shares her thoughts on the current wave of retail industry layoffs and what needs to be done to better hire and retain talent amidst the layoffs.
“Even though we may be hearing retail layoffs are up year-over-year, it’s relevant to where we were last year. This time last year, stores were struggling to stay open with spikes in COVID, along with coming out of a tough season on hiring. So, if we’re considering layoffs in comparison, this does make sense, but it doesn’t give an overall substantial view on the retail industry at large.
The struggle to find retail workers is real, and if you’re not transforming your recruitment approach and trying in other ways to incentivize young people to join the industry, things that will inspire this generation to work in retail is safety and support. I’m seeing a trend on gathering retail field leadership teams together for the first time in three years to invest in their training, and I’m a big believer in training and development as a retail operations leader for over three decades.
Exit interviews from previous employees that I had read were always talking about leaving because of two top reasons. The person that they work for, career planning and training and developing them, they want to be confident and successful in what they’re doing. So, I don’t believe that this has really changed, but I do believe the lack of tolerance for poor leadership has meaning that if the manager does not know how to create a positive workplace, staff just won’t stay anymore. Young people will not stay.
And now with social media, brands need to work even harder at their brand culture to attract workers. I hear the struggles from many leaders in my retail networks, but then I see the other side of the coin where stores are fully staffed, and it comes back to what I just shared.
I do think the struggle will continue. And if you don’t look at your leadership practices, benefits, programs, and pay, then, you know what, this could be a problem that you continue to face. Like I said, young people want to have their opinion heard and they have a lack of tolerance for anything else. Do I believe that we’re going to continue? Yes. But do I believe we can change it? One hundred percent.”
Article written by Cara Schildmeyer.
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Heads Turn As BLACKPINK’s Jisoo Slays In Dior’s Paris Fashion Week Runway Show
Netizens were recently given a treat as a member of YG Entertainment's BLACKPINK made an appearance in a very prestigious show.
A queen both on and off the stage, BLACKPINK's very own Jisoo recently flaunted her visuals in a runway show and netizens could not get enough of her.
Notably, although BLACKPINK's Jisoo may not have strutted her stuff in the runway at Dior's runway show during 2022 Spring/Summer Paris Fashion Week, the BLACKPINK member still stole the show in her very own way.
BLACKPINK's Jisoo made her way to Paris with Rosé a couple of days ago, and she attended Dior's Paris Fashion Week Runway Show as Dior's global ambassador. Not long after Jisoo arrived, almost all photographers and reporters gave their attention towards her.
Additionally, BLACKPINK's Jisoo was simply stunning as what she wore made her on par with the models walking the runway. This came as no surprise as the BLACKPINK member is known for her amazing visuals.
Furthermore, the gorgeous dress Jisoo was garbed in at the show is part of the Dior Cruise 2022 Collection.
Each clothing and accessory in the collection was made to celebrate what it means to be a woman. Maria Grazia Chiuri, Dior's Creative Director, traveled to Greece to research women's contributions throughout history in order to show the importance and power of women through her clothing designs.
In the show, BLACKPINK's Jisoo was seen sitting next to Pietro Beccari, Chairman and CEO of Christian Dior Couture. This alone shows how valuable BLACKPINK' Jisoo is as Dior's global ambassador, to the delight of the fans of Jisoo.
Stay tuned for more news and updates on the members of BLACKPINK!

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Toronto home prices have tanked by $100k in just the last year
Despite a turbulent past year, Toronto's real estate market is showing signs of rebound after a slight improvement in both sales and home prices, although the number of listings continues to trail behind.
According to a recent report by the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB), GTA housing sales were still lower last month in comparison to April 2022.
However, new listings were also down by more than one-third, meaning competition remained tight between home buyers.
"Many buyers have come to terms with higher borrowing costs and are taking advantage of lower selling prices compared to this time last year," said TRREB President Paul Baron. "The issue moving forward will not be demand for ownership housing, but rather the ability to meet this demand with adequate supply."
GTA Realtors reported 7,351 sales through TRREB'S MLS System in April 2023, representing a decline of 5.2 per cent when compared to the same time last year.
The report reveals that the average selling price in the GTA was $1,153,269 in April 2023, which is down 7.8 per cent when compared to the average selling price of $1,250,704 in April 2022.
In Toronto specifically, the average selling price was $1,120,352 in April 2023 and $1,240,340 in 2022, representing a steep decline of 100k.
When analyzing different types of property, the report found that the average price of a detached home in Toronto in April 2023 was $1,787,752.
The average selling price for a semi-detached home in Toronto trailed behind at $1,326,462, and was closely followed by townhouses ($1,053,864), and condos ($751,916).
"Lack of affordability in the GTA ownership and rental housing markets has been well-documented. On top of this, households faced with steep price increases for basic goods and services have had to make tough decisions to adapt," said TRREB CEO John DiMichele.
You can find the full TRREB report here.
Join the conversation Load comments


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- Conrado Marrero dies at 102; ex-Senator was oldest living MLB player
- ‘Top Gun’ for drones: Squadrons of carrier-based killers have Navy’s approval
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‘Cyber Monday’ could be the last before collection of sales taxes
Traditional retailers, who already collect the tax and, therefore, appear more expensive, want e-commerce sites to play by the same rules.
“It’s becoming a very, very unfair tax,” said Rachelle Bernstein, vice president and tax counsel for the National Retail Federation, which represents both online and traditional retailers. “We think it’s time to eliminate that disadvantage.”
The tax is not new. The only difference is a federal law would allow states to require that online stores collect taxes from out-of-state customers, many of whom don’t realize they are supposed to pay it to the government on their own.
In Quill v. North Dakota, the Supreme Court ruled in 1992 that states could not force companies located outside their boundaries to collect their taxes on long-distance sales. So, currently, e-commerce sites collect taxes only from customers who buy within the state where they are located. That could mean being headquartered in a state or having an office, distribution center, sales representatives or retail outlets there.
But proponents of online sales tax say this ruling occurred before the Internet was widely used as an e-commerce tool, and therefore, it should be reconsidered.
Furthermore, this has caused confusion for online retailers, who have to figure out which states they have a “physical presence” in and what the different tax rates are for the various districts.
Experts say a federal law would lend some continuity to the situation. The issue is heating up in Congress. The Senate’s Marketplace Fairness Act and the House’s Marketplace Equity Act are similar measures. Lawmakers on both sides say they are working together to smooth out the differences.
“The essence of the two bills are very much along the same flavor,” said Mr. Womack’s spokeswoman Claire Burghoff.
Even with Congress focused on the pending “fiscal cliff,” some lawmakers believe an online sales tax bill could get passed by the end of the year.
Sen. Richard J. Durbin, Illinois Democrat and one of the original sponsors of the Marketplace Fairness Act, is optimistic about getting the bill to the floor for a vote in the lame duck session, as opposed to taking it up in a new Congress, his spokeswoman Christina Mulka said.
Daniel Head, spokesman for Sen. Michael B. Enzi, the Wyoming Republican who is sponsoring the bill, said the same thing.
“We’re still pushing the bill, looking for every opportunity to move it forward,” he added.
In the House, the prospects of getting a bill through this year are also good.
“We’ve just gained a lot of traction this year, and so we’re at a point where we can see it going through,” Ms. Burghoff said. “So having to reintroduce that legislation just takes some momentum out of the process that we have going for us right now.”
© Copyright 2014 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.
About the Author
Tim Devaney is a national reporter who covers business and international trade for The Washington Times. Previously, he worked for the Detroit News, Grand Rapids Press, Portland Press Herald and Bangor Daily News. Tim can be reached at email@example.com.
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Funkier Bike is proud to announce that it is supplying the cycling apparel for one of the country’s most authentic and impactful philanthropies: Ride For Water.
Ride For Water was founded in 2013 by a group of undergraduates at Azuza Pacific University, and the group’s goal is to bring awareness to the global crisis in access to clean drinking water – a crisis that affects an estimated 663,000,000 people.
With this year’s goal of raising $85,000, 2017 marks the fifth year that the group has undertaken the arduous journey, and to date, the collection of young adults have raised more than $175,000, all of which is directed to charity: water, a New York-based charity devoted to the cause of providing clean water to the developing world.“We firmly believe that clean water is a basic human right and we want to do whatever we can to support this organization and bring awareness to this global crisis,” said Elijah Jerjerian, a rider who graduated this month from the Southern California school.
The six men and six women – all current or just-graduated students at Azuza Pacific — are taking different routes in their West-to-East cross-continental journey, with two drivers and five cyclists in each group. The varying routes allow them to touch as many Americans as possible during their nearly 3,000-mile journey. The men’s team departed Anacortes, Washington on May 18th and will arrive in New York City in an estimated 21 days. The women’s team departed Florence, Oregon on May 15 after a busy finals week and is expected in New York on July 3.Funkier produces cycling apparel and accessories that are always designed and tested by people who actually ride — because the best way to create quality riding apparel and gear is to have real and passionate cyclists create the gear.
The company worked with the riders to develop semi-customized versions of their Corrazano jersey Boreano bib shorts to maximize comfort and performance for the arduous journey.
“We’re proud to support these young men and women in their pursuit of what is truly a noble goal. This kind of civic engagement and global outlook that gives us hope for the next generation of Americans, and of the continuing civic engagement of the whole cycling community,” noted Funkier Bike’s USA manager Kevin Tuttle.Source: https://www.snewsnet.com/press-release/funkier-sponsors-ride-for-water


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Good old days: Christmas market at Cologne Cathedral in 2018
Photo: Oliver Berg / picture alliance / dpa
In view of the aggravated corona situation, the federal government wants to give more support to operators of Christmas markets.
This was announced by the acting Minister of Economic Affairs, Peter Altmaier (CDU), after a cabinet meeting and after negotiations with the Ministry of Finance.
Due to the drastic increase in the number of infections, some countries have decided to cancel Christmas markets.
The bridging aid, which was previously limited to the end of the year, as a central crisis instrument of the federal government, will - as already known - be extended until the end of March 2022.
According to Altmaier, Bridging Aid III Plus should become Bridging Aid IV.
The restart aid for self-employed people should also be extended.
He also mentioned easier access to equity grants as a new instrument.
Altmaier called the Corona situation "extraordinarily serious".
The economic upswing in Germany is intact.
It is now a matter of putting on the "seat belt" for the winter for companies and employees.
In the decision paper after the deliberations of the federal and state governments last Thursday, it said that the federal government wanted to work with the states to develop further measures to support the Advent and Christmas markets that are particularly affected by corona protective measures. Affected retail companies should continue to have the option of taking into account seasonal goods that cannot be sold due to Corona measures as part of the bridging aid.
The billion-dollar bridging aid is the federal government's central crisis instrument to cushion the consequences of the pandemic on companies and jobs.
According to the current status, companies with a corona-related drop in sales of at least 30 percent will be supported - according to Altmaier, this rule should also apply to the extension.
The comparison value is usually the respective month in the pre-Corona year 2019. Fixed operating costs such as rents and leases or expenses for electricity and insurance are reimbursed.
The amount of funding is staggered depending on the size of the drop in sales.
mamk / dpa-afx


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Jewett Cameron Company Continues to Grow as New Team Members Join Thriving Business
Locally operated fencing, pet home and outdoor living business, Jewett Cameron Company (“JCC”), recently finalized its most successful year in the company’s 68 year history with the addition of three new team members.
Chief Operating Officer, Marty Ramirez, comes to JCC with 20 years of experience in global product marketing, sales operations and client management. With a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Northern Arizona University and a master’s degree in finance/decision science from the University of Arizona, Ramirez will focus on the improving the overall logistics and operations at JCC.
Joining JCC as the Brand & Marketing Manager, Ciara Castellanoz brings with her a diverse skill set, including strategic marketing, public relations and entertainment and events management. With a bachelor’s degree in mass communication and journalism and a master’s degree in business administration from California State University, Fresno, Castellanoz will focus on coordinated marketing efforts and furthering the development of the JCC brands.
Madison VanBaggen joins the JCC team as a Digital Marketing Specialist. A recent graduate from the University of Montana Western with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management, VanBaggen will manage email marketing, digital advertisements and all social media platforms represented under the JCC brand.
“Our goal for 2020 was to invest in our core businesses by adding to our facilities, staff, products and brand awareness,” said Charlie Hopewell, CEO at Jewett Cameron Company. “We are thrilled to add Marty, Ciara and Maddie to our team. Each of them bring the talent and expertise needed to further the long-term development and success of our ever-growing business”.
About Jewett Cameron Company
Founded in Oregon in 1953, the Jewett Cameron Company strives to develop and build premier products in fencing, pet home, and outdoor living. As the parent company of Lucky Dog®, Lifetime Fence® and Spring Gardener brands, JCC is guided by its defining principles of crafted, stewardship and legacy.
Ciara Castellanoz – Brand & Marketing Manager – firstname.lastname@example.org – (559) 303-9286
Source: Jewett-Cameron Trading Company Ltd.


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The highly anticipated thought leadership keynotes will take place on Tuesday, May 10, from 8:35 am – 10:30 am, at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, California, immediately preceding the opening of the 150+ exhibitor Display Week Exhibition at 10:30 am, which is expected to attract thousands of visitors from across the globe. On Wednesday, May 11, there will be a special speaker at the annual awards luncheon, starting at noon.
- Soo-Young Yoon, Executive Vice President and CTO, LG Display Co., Ltd.
- Joe O’Keeffe, VP of Display and Optics, Meta Reality Labs
- XuXiaoguang, Chief Technology Officer, BOE
- Michael Zink, Vice President of Emerging & Creative Technologies, WarnerMedia (Awards Luncheon Speaker)
About the Speakers
Soo-Young Yoon, Executive Vice President and CTO, LG Display Co., Ltd.
May 10, 8:35 a.m.
Presenting “The New Normal and Displays”
Soo-Young Yoon is executive vice president and chief technology officer of LG Display. He is responsible for the development of next-generation displays as well as OLED technology. Since joining LG Display in 2002, Yoon has led the development of various innovative technologies. In 2007, he developed the GIP technology that embeds semiconductor integrated circuits into a display panel, which is currently applied as a standard to reduce the cost and bezel size of displays. As director of LG Display’s OLED Research Division (2011-2014) and laboratory (2015-2020), he contributed to strengthening the competitiveness of OLED through the development of OLED technologies such as flexible, transparent, 8K, and rollable. He presented a blueprint for the future of OLED by successfully completing the 77-in. transparent flexible OLED national project in 2017. He received his Ph.D. in physics from Hanyang University in 1999, and afterward worked as a researcher at Philips, UK.
Joe O’Keeffe, VP of Display and Optics, Meta Reality Labs
May 10, 9:10 a.m.
Presenting “Displays for AR/VR: Challenges and Trends”
Joe O’Keeffe is VP of display and optics at Meta Reality Labs, where his team is responsible for all display and optics-related technology development and productization for Facebook’s AR, VR, and Portal products. O’Keeffe, a serial entrepreneur, founded and was CEO of InfiniLED, an innovator of uLED display technology, which Facebook acquired in 2016. He was also the founder and CEO of SensL, an innovator of SiPM sensor technology for LiDAR and PET scanning (acquired by ON Semi in 2017) and the founder and CEO of EnBIO, an innovator of metal coating technology for space and medical applications. His career also includes stints as managing director of the European arm of Inflow, a U.S.-based data center/IT managed-services company and as business development manager with Motorola in Russia, where he was responsible for Motorola’s first manufacturing operation in Eastern Europe.
Xu Xiaoguang, Chief Technology Officer, BOE
May 10, 9:45 a.m.
Empowering IoT with Displays – The Future and the Pathways
Xu Xiaoguang graduated with a PhD in physical chemistry from Peking University and joined BOE in 2009. He was formerly in charge of the BOE Technology Strategy and International Cooperation Center and the chief strategy officer (CSO) of BOE, and now serves as chief technology officer (CTO) of the group. In addition, Xu is director of the Center of Technology Innovation for Display in the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area and the director general of the Beijing Enterprise Technology Center Innovation Service League. As the group CTO of BOE, he has played a pivotal role in strategy formulation, global cooperation for technology sourcing, new display types, and advanced technology innovation, taking the lead of BOE in ceaselessly making breakthroughs and realizing technology advances worldwide.
Awards Luncheon Speaker
Michael Zink, Vice President of Emerging & Creative Technologies, WarnerMedia
May 11, Noon, Room 220A
As vice president of emerging & creative technologies at WarnerMedia, Michael Zink is responsible for exploring emerging technologies to enhance WarnerMedia’s storytelling capabilities across different platforms. This includes assessing the latest technologies, developing innovative experiences, and integrating new solutions into creative production workflows. Zink also participates in several industry associations, serving as president & chairman for the UHD Alliance, and education vice president for SMPTE. Prior to joining Warner Bros. in 2014, he worked at Technicolor for more than 10 years, most recently as vice president of technology strategy, where he was responsible for launching the production efforts around various new distribution formats, and adoption of Technicolor technology solutions within industry groups. Earlier in his career, he worked for several media production facilities in Germany.
Among key highlights of Display Week 2022:
Display Week’s international Technical Symposium is known for its depth, breadth and deep-subject matter expertise, and includes Sunday short courses and Monday seminars, together with more than 70 technical sessions consisting of 400+ oral and poster sessions throughout the week presenting the most current developments and advancements in high-tech display technology.
The Display Week exhibition attracts more than 150 market-leading companies from Asia, the U.S and Europe and is the only exhibition covering the entire electronic display and visual information technology supply chain.
To register for Display Week:
To review the exhibitor list: https://www.displayweek.org/2022/Exhibitor-Sponsors
Press Registration Request
About Display Week 2022
The 59th International Display Week Symposium and Seminar, presented by the Society for Information Display (SID), will be held in San Jose, California, May 8-13, 2022. Display Week is the world’s leading event focused on emerging electronic display and visual information technologies from concept to market. Display Week attracts attendees from the entire ecosystem of R&D, engineering, design, manufacturing, supply chain, marketing, sales and financial, as well as commercial and consumer end-user markets. It delivers unparalleled learning opportunities, market-moving trends, sourcing, roadmaps-to-market, and connections for career and business growth. For more information on Display Week 2022, visit www.displayweek.org or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter @DisplayWeek (hashtag #DisplayWeek2022), or the Display Week YouTube Channel.
The Society for Information Display (SID) will celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2022. SID is the only professional organization focused on the electronic display and visual information technology industries. In fact, by exclusively focusing on the advancement of electronic display and visual information technologies, SID provides a unique platform for industry collaboration, communication and training in all related technologies while showcasing the industry’s best new products. The organization’s members are professionals in the technical and business disciplines that relate to display research, design, manufacturing, applications, marketing and sales. To promote industry and academic technology development, while also educating consumers on the importance of displays, SID hosts more than 10 conferences a year, including Display Week, which brings industry and academia all under one roof to showcase technology that will shape the future. SID’s global headquarters are located at 1475 S. Bascom Ave., Ste. 114, Campbell, CA 95008. For more information, visit www.sid.org.


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3D Printing has taken the world by storm, with new innovations and applications within the space coming about almost on a daily basis. Today, a woman named Grace Choi, who describes herself as a serial inventor, made her way on stage of Techcrunch Disrupt, to launch her innovative new 3D printer.
When you hear “3D printing” you usually think of plastic little trinkets coming out of a Makerbot Replicator or some other FDM based printer like it. This 3D printer is something entirely different, revolutionary, some may say. Choi’s creation is a 3D makeup printer. That’s right, her 3D printer, called The Mink, will print out all sorts of custom makeup from lipsticks, to eye shadows, powders, creams, foundations, and more. The driving force behind this creations stems from Choi’s frustration around finding the perfect color of makeup at a decent price. Companies like Walmart usually will only offer the most popular colors of any given makeup, while companies like Sephora, which offers a wider range of colors, charges substantially higher prices for their convenience.
What Choi has done is combine the nearly infinite color options of the internet, with the convenience of never having to leave one’s home. The Mink 3D printer can pull any color off the internet, via a phone, laptop, or tablet, and print a makeup in that exact color. There is absolutely no need for any new software to use the Mink. All that’s needed is a color picker to translate the color within a photo to a hex code. All that the printer needs is substrates, and ink. The substrates come from the same exact sources that trusted makeup brands use, and are all FDA approved. The ink is printed in a similar fashion as your inkjet printer do at home.
“We are going to live in a world in which you can just take a picture of your friend’s lipstick and just print it out,” stated Choi. “The definition of beauty is something they [her customers] should be able to control, not the corporations,” Continued Choi.
Choi is looking at targeting a younger age group of girls and young women between 13 and 21 years of age. By keeping the printer itself affordable at around $300, and the ink, as well as makeup substrate at commodity prices, she hopes to launch with a bang. What this could mean for the makeup industry is almost unfathomable. Take part in the discussion around this innovative new device at the Mink 3D printer forum thread at 3DPB.com. Check out the video below from Choi’s presentation at Techcrunch Disrupt earlier today: (Source: TechCrunch.com, GraceMink.com)
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ITC has generated a lot of investor interest, but its stock performance has been lacklustre over the past five years even in an unprecedented bull run. While recent data suggests that retail investors have increased their stake in the stock to 12.6%, technical charts show why they should avoid entering it at current levels.
Retail investors are attracted to falling stocks that are in the news, so much so that they have a cult following. While there’s nothing wrong with the strategy, it is something that is best left to professional fund managers, who do it for a living. However, retail investors are the ones who often end up losing money in such situations. Reason: They fall into the trap of buying the stock when institutional players are dumping it. The ITC stock
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Android-powered gaming consoles aren’t a bad idea. In fact, OUYA was one of the few such consoles that managed to get a lot of attention, although after many delays, its launch left a lot to be desired. It’s safe to say that despite the initial hype, the console did not prove to be quite the hit as many had imagined, but apparently ASUS is hoping to change that.
Apparently ASUS has an Android-powered gaming console in mind called the Game Box, and thanks to a recent Bluetooth SIG certification, an image of the console’s controller has been leaked, as you can see in the image above.
Based on the design, it appears that the controller is sort of a cross between the PlayStation’s controller and the Xbox One’s controller, with the placement of the analog sticks reminiscent of the PlayStation, while the colorful buttons reminds us of the Xbox.
There’s no telling when ASUS might unveil their Game Box, but seeing as the controller has already been pictured and been certified, we can only assume that the device is complete and could be close to being launched, so we’ll definitely be keeping our eyes peeled for more information.
As far as its specs are concerned, it has been rumored that the ASUS Game Box could pack an NVIDIA Tegra 4 chipset with 2GB of RAM, 8GB of onboard storage, and will come with Android 4.3 Jelly Bean preinstalled. It’s probably not the most powerful console we’ve seen, but we reckon it should be more than capable of running Android games, thanks to its NVIDIA chipset.


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Another special reason to celebrate Black Friday…the release of the M·A·C Limited-Edition Black Friday Virtual Kit! While past years’ releases have often been centered around a lipstick, this year, M·A·C is offering a set that includes a Vamplify Lip Gloss in Black Plum.
The M·A·C Cosmetics Black Friday Virtual Kit includes:
- Vamplify Lip Gloss in Black Plum – blackened plum (new shade)
- Pro Longwear Lip Pencil in Bespoken For – dark plum cream
- Rebeleyes Gel Liner in Top/Bottom – rich smoky black
I received a preview sample of the Black Plum Vamplify Lip Gloss and it’s a dark, plummy shade that is not only on-trend, it’s very wearable. I love the Vamplify formula, which is long-wearing and super-pigmented. The Black Plum shade has a definite wow factor. This is my favorite Black Friday M·A·C release yet.
The exclusive M·A·C Cosmetics Black Friday Virtual Kit will be available only at maccosmetics.com on Black Friday for $35, which is an excellent deal! The retail value of these three products, if purchased separately, would be around $64, so if you’re interested, jump on it. In addition, you can get free shipping (no code needed) and free gift wrap. I’d also encourage you to sign up in advance for the M·A·C Select program, which is the loyalty program that offers additional benefits.
Will you be picking up the M·A·C Cosmetics Black Friday Virtual Kit?


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In February of 2010, a devastating earthquake hit Chile right around the start of the grape harvest there. In wine-producing regions, the media described “rivers of wine” flowing – tanks and barrels that had been smashed or overturned spilled their contents out into the streets. The smell permeated the air. It took some time for the country and, specifically, its wine industry to recover. Then, eight months later, 33 Chilean miners were freed after being trapped underground for 68 days. And how did the rest of the world respond? For one, they started drinking more Chilean wine.
The brief spike in Chilean wine sales after the miners were liberated didn’t do much to affect the industry as a whole. But a year and nine months after the earthquake, the face of Chilean wine has changed. Long associated with cheap and cheerful wines, the country has been showing off its more premium bottlings lately. Not that you still can’t find a deal from there. Only now, value is just one of the reasons to drink Chilean.
Here are five more, and bottles to go with them:
- Hot, hot Carménère
The grape of the moment in Chile is Carménère. Originally a Bordeaux varietal that disappeared from the region, it’s become iconic in the South American country. All fine and dandy, but lovers of the grape are hoping it won’t fall prey to the “Malbec effect”—becoming a ubiquitous brand rather than a simple varietal, prompting producers to saturate the category. For now, it’s still a wine most people have yet to discover – often gamy and herbaceous, with dark fruit flavors, it’s often cited as the ideal pairing for curry and other spicy foods. Try: Plummy, peppery Errazuriz 2009 Aconcagua Valley Carménère ($16)
- The ladies
Chile trails only the U.S. for number of women winemakers, with some 35% of the country’s wineries led by ladies. It’s not that women make better wine – or even different wine – from men. But the roughly 1:3 ratio of women to men in the business does reflect a certain progressiveness and, yes, that can extend to the wines themselves. One of the most famous women in Chilean wine is Alexandra Marnier-Lapostolle, heiress to the Grand Marnier fortune. She leaves the winemaking at her French-influenced winery to Andrea León, another woman in the industry. Try: Bordeaux-style Lapostolle 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon “Cuvée Alexandre” ($25)
- Going green
The wine industry is hardly an eco-friendly one. But a number of wineries around the world have invested their profits and efforts into reducing their overall environmental impact. In Chile, one producer partnered with Yellow+Blue (“makes green”, get it?) purveyor of organic wines in environmentally friendly TetraPak. These cartons are lighter and cheaper to transport than glass, and result in less waste. The producers providing wine to Yellw+Blue remain nameless, but often go for $15-$20 per bottle when sold under their own brand. Try: Aromatic, zingy Yellow+Blue Sauvignon Blanc, from the Central Valley ($12 for 1L)
- Defining terroir
Chile has been making wine since the conquistadors arrived in the 16th century, but the industry as we know it has only existed for a few decades. In that time, Chile got a reputation for “international style” wines – in other words, wines that could have been made anywhere. In recent years, however, several producers have started going a different route: trying to express the country’s terroir. One of these is Clos Ouvert, in Maule, led by two Frenchmen. They work with, among other varietals, the País grape, the country’s oldest variety, which produces a rustic, fruit-forward wine and, arguably, one of the purest expressions of the region’s terroir. Try: Spicy, bright Clos Ouvert 2008 Huaso Cepage País ($28)
- It’s a pleasure, PX
Pedro Ximenez – aka, good ol’ PX – is a white Spanish grape that Chileans have long used to make Pisco. As it turns out, it makes pretty darn good table wine, too: fresh and flinty, with honeyed notes. So, what might make this wine even more exciting? How about ordering it by the keg. The Gotham Project, a wine-by-the-keg operation that provides easy-drinking wines on tap for locavoric, sustainably-minded restaurants around New York and beyond, has turned PX into a keg party. Find it at a forward-thinking wine bar or restaurant near you. Try: Lush, yet mineral, Gotham Project’s 2010 Pedro Ximenez, from the Elqui Valley.
Read more about the world of wine on Food Republic:


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US favors Vietnamese produceUpdate: 11/29/2012
The US market has been importing increasing volumes of Vietnamese fresh fruit and vegetables, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade's Export-Import Department.
The department reported that US consumers preferred fresh fruit and vegetables to canned goods. Since the start of this year, 36 varieties of fruit and vegetables have been exported to the US from Vietnam, with a total export turnover US$1.1 million.
According to Vietnamese Minister Counselor to the US – Mr.Nhan Dao Tran, US consumers enjoy lychees, mangosteens and dragon fruit.
They even liked sweet potatoes, ginger and garlic, but dragon fruit remained the most popular, Nhan said. In the first two months of this year, Vietnam earned $624,000 from dragon fruit, a year-on-year increase of 171 per cent.
Mr.Nhan said that this was a good chance for Vietnamese companies, and advised Vietnamese companies to meet the strict US standards on hygiene safety. In addition, managers and producers must have a long-term strategy to support production in order to effectively export fruit and vegetables to the US.
Dragon fruit farmers are benefiting from a new initiative that makes value added products from dragon fruit that do not meet export criteria.
The local Department of Science and Technology is working with Companies to make refreshment products like bottled beverages from dragon fruit.
La Mai Han Trang, Director of the company, said it produced more than 25,000 refreshment products of various kinds every day, all of which were made with dragon fruit that were of good quality but fell short of specific export standards.
The packaging for these products, including bags and bottles, was imported from South Korea. They could be recycled and were environmentally friendly, Trang said. "We aim to introduce products to the market for the first time," she said.
Two of these products had been exported to Cambodia and Laos and were also on sale at many supermarkets at home, including Citimart and Satra Saigon, she added. "The company will continue to research and diversify the products made from dragon fruits, making them more competitive. We are also looking to expand foreign markets for these products," Trang said.
Farmers benefit from the new venture because they are usually forced to sell dragon fruit that do not meet export criteria at lower prices. Dragon fruit is currently the most Vietnamese prominent product. However, exports of the fruit via official channels account for just 10-20 per cent of the total output.


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Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance Update United for a Barrier-Free Society for All People with Disabilities
Web: https://www.aodaalliance.org Email: email@example.com Twitter: @aodaalliance Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aodaalliance/
March 5, 2021
We’ll have more news to report to you over the coming days about the disability community’s campaign to protect Torontonians with disabilities and indeed all of us from the injuries and accessibility barriers that would be suffered if Toronto wrongly decides to allow electric scooters (e-scooters). Here is just some of the latest news.
1. On Tuesday, March 9, 2021 at 5 pm EST, CNIB is hosting a virtual public forum to talk about the dangers that e-scooters pose to people with disabilities and others, and to give you ideas on how to help oppose e-scooters. The announcement, set out below, tells you how to take part. Please sign up. While it says it focuses on the dangers to people with vision loss, everyone is welcomed, regardless of their disabilities. We are in it together.
2. Please encourage everyone to watch our captioned 15 minute video on how to help us get Toronto to reject the idea of allowing e-scooters. The video is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDdTJt9NK14&feature=youtu.be We have gotten so much great feedback on it.
3. It is illegal to ride an e-scooter in Toronto in public spaces like roads, bike paths, and sidewalks. Despite that, some people are buying e-scooters, and then riding them in public. Toronto’s law enforcement need to enforce the law, to protect the public.
The February 24, 2021 Toronto Star included an article reporting on stores that sell e-scooters. It is set out below.
That article quotes AODA Alliance Chair David Lepofsky to the effect that police should enforce the ban on riding e-scooters.
Not addressed in this article, in a breathtaking example of trying to capitalize on illegal use of e-scooters, some e-scooter corporate lobbyists argue that because there are some people buying e-scooters and riding them illegally, the City of Toronto should allow rental of e-scooters. Yet two wrongs don’t make a right. There are assaults going on in our society, contrary to the law. The solution is not to legalize assault.
Stay tuned for more on this issue. For more background, read the AODA Alliance’s February 22, 2021 brief to the Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee. Visit the AODA Alliance e-scooters web page.
CNIB Announcement of March 9, 2021 Virtual Public Forum on How to Fight Against Electric Scooters
The Dangers of Electric Scooters Town Hall
Date: March 9, 2021
Time range: 5:00 pm-6:00 pm
CNIB has partnered with David Lepofsky of the AODA Alliance (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance) for a special meeting on the issue of e-scooters and their dangers to the low-vision/blind community. Join us as we discuss how we can all take action to ensure Toronto leaves in place the ban on electric scooters.
This meeting runs via Zoom web conference on March 9from 5 to 6 p.m.Eastern Time. Call in information will be given upon registration.
Please be advised that you must register for all programs. We kindly ask you to RSVP a minimum of 1 full business day before the start of the program.
Registration required.To register for this meeting, please contact Neisha Mitchell, Coordinator Advocacy and Outreach at firstname.lastname@example.org call416- 525-7951
Toronto Star February 24, 2021
E-scooters are selling fast in Toronto, retailers report. The catch: they’re illegal on city streets |
Barry Nisan, owner of Epic Cycles on Dundas Street West, says e-scooter owners need to respect the law and other road users. “If people are riding on the sidewalk, they shouldn’t be,” he says. By Ben Spurr
In an article posted to its website last month,
a company called TekTrendy outlined the “key benefits of using e-scooters in Toronto in 2021.”
The electric-powered kick-style scooters “help save time, save money and make travelling more fun,” according to the Toronto-based company, which is just
one of a number of retailers selling e-scooters in the city and whose site lists four models for sale, ranging in price from $699 to $1,099.
“Many of our customers happily use their scooter to commute to the nearest TTC (stop),” the company reported.
There’s just one catch: in Toronto in 2021, it’s illegal to ride e-scooters on city streets, sidewalks, bike lanes, trails, or virtually any other public place. (TekTrendy’s website does advise customers to check the regulations in their area).
The devices are allowed on private property, however, and it’s not illegal to sell them. That grey area has helped foster a growing retail trade that’s troubling to critics who warn e-scooters pose a safety risk. “It is a loophole that needs to be investigated,” said Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam (Ward 13, Toronto Centre).
She chairs the Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee, which opposes legalizing e-scooters on the grounds the near-silent vehicles can harm blind people and others with accessibility challenges if they’re ridden or parked on sidewalks. “Unless somebody has a very large backyard that’s paved over that they plan to exclusively use that e-scooter in, there’s a very good chance that they’re going to take it out” on public streets or sidewalks after they buy it, “and none of that is permitted,” she said.
She acknowledged that outright banning their sale in Toronto may not be the best solution, because a prohibition could easily be circumvented through online retailers. The committee is set to debate e-scooters Thursday.
TekTrendy didn’t return requests for comment. It’s far from the only company selling e-scooters in Toronto, however. A handful of independent retailers offer them, and Canadian Tire lists at least six models available at its Toronto locations.
Barry Nisan, owner of Epic Cycles, said demand for e-scooters is growing fast. He recently opened a new location in Toronto’s Junction neighbourhood, in addition to his flagship store in Vaughan (where officials say e-scooters are also barred from public roads). His shops primarily sell electric bicycles,
but he said sales of e-scooters have quadrupled every year since he started stocking them about four years ago. He estimates Epic sold close to 500 of them last year.
Nisan said he informs customers e-scooters aren’t permitted in on Toronto roads. Asked whether it’s responsible to sell vehicles that aren’t allowed on public rights-of-way, he said e-scooter owners need to respect the law and other road users. “If people are riding on the sidewalk, they shouldn’t be. The same as you shouldn’t be riding bicycles on the sidewalk,” he said.
He predicted authorities will soon allow e-scooter use more widely. “We’re excited about it. We think it’s a great solution to commute and travel, and for getting out and having fun,” he said.
Last year the Ontario government took a step toward legalization by launching a five-year e-scooter pilot project. To take part, municipalities have to pass bylaws setting out where the vehicles are permitted. Ottawa has opted in and is reporting positive results so far, but Toronto has yet to take part
despite a flurry of lobbying from e-scooter companies at city hall.
Last June, a city staff report said e-scooters had the potential to be a convenient, low-cost transportation alternative, but it also flagged concerns about safety, lack of enforcement resources, and legal liability.
According to the city, research from Europe shows scooter riders are four times more likely than bicyclists to injure others. Because e-scooters aren’t covered by insurance providers, staff warned accident victims will sue the city if they get hurt.
E-scooter companies dispute research that says the vehicles, which under provincial rules must top out at 24 km/h, are unsafe, and argue they’re no more dangerous than bikes.
The city report recommended Toronto consider joining the provincial pilot if staff concerns could be addressed, and set a tentative date of May 2021 for opting in. But last July council members voted to refer the matter back to staff for more study. They’re expected to report back in April.
In the meantime, it’s not clear to what extent the city is enforcing the current ban on e-scooters in public places. A spokesperson for the Toronto Police said she couldn’t immediately provide details of e-scooter enforcement.
David Lepofsky, chair of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance, said “the police need to vigorously enforce the ban on (e-scooters) now.”
City spokesperson Diane Morrison said city staff are aware “some residents (are) using e-scooters illegally” and “we are monitoring those uses.” She said
the city recommends retailers “properly inform their customers of the status of the use of e-scooters on public roads.”
Ben Spurr is a Toronto-based reporter covering transportation. Reach him by email at email@example.com


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Over the last quarter century, Tycoon Enterprises has grown from a boutique Mexican agency into a licensing behemoth with a reach that now spans all of Latin America.
The Pokémon Company International has launched a Pokémon Boutique in conjunction with the Japan LA Pop Culture Shop.
BlooBuzz has partnered with Showtime, CBS Consumer Products and actor Michael C. Hall to launch the official "Dexter" mobile game.
Warner Bros. Consumer Products and DC Entertainment have launched three new entertainment destinations for Scooby-Doo, Looney Tunes and DC Kids.
Mattel's American Girl brand of contemporary 18-inch dolls, accessories, girls' clothing and play-based content has been rebranded as Truly Me.
Monsanto Company and The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company have extended their nearly two-decade-long partnership for the licensing of Monsanto's Roundup herbicide brand.
Evergreen International Holdings has signed on to bring a number of premium kids' apparel brands to China including Roberto Cavalli Junior, Diesel Kid and Fendi Kids.
The Pennsylvania theme park Idlewild & SoakZone will debut new “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood” features this summer.
In anticipation of the July 10 release of Universal's Minions, Build-A-Bear Workshop has debuted a collection of customizable Minions plush, featuring Kevin, Stuart and Bob.
LEGO Speed Champions and McLaren Automotive have launched a building competition for teenage and adult LEGO builders called Celebrate the Future of McLaren Automotive.
Iconic Sunset Boulevard music venue the Viper Room, which was opened by actor Johnny Depp in 1993, has collaborated with Urban Outfitters for a new line of t-shirts.
Arsenal Football Club and Puma have unveiled additional details of the extensive licensing rights included in their recent partnership agreement.
Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions has appointed its subsidiary, Viz Media, to handle the merchandising of the anime brand Doraemon in the Americas.
In its second year, Licensing Expo's Fashion & Lifestyle zone delivers celebrity fashion tastemakers, lifestyle leaders and new niche brands.
Knockout Licensing has added a trio of new Downton Abbey licensees for a range of play and novelty items.
Penguin Children’s will introduce an augmented reality element in the newest title of its Skylanders licensing program.
FremantleMedia North America has formed its own original digital content studio, Tiny Riot!.
Shout! Factory, in collaboration with Hasbro Studios, is planning a slew of home entertainment releases for the “Transformers."
Lifestyle brand Neff has launched a new collaboration with rapper Wiz Khalifa and his record label Taylor Gang Ent.
Gameloft has unveiled its slate of upcoming games at E3 this week in Los Angeles, Calif.
Character World has signed a new deal with Lisle International to create licensed bedroom textiles for the mobile gaming phenomenon, Flappy Bird.
©2015 ADVANSTAR COMMUNICATIONS INC. All rights reserved.


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Dunedin fashion graduate Emily Scott is still waiting to receive more than $15,000 worth of prizes from Australian Graduates Fashion Week, more than two months after winning the inaugural event in Sydney.
The Otago Daily Times has been told others associated with the November event are also out of pocket and have taken legal action against organisers.
Miss Scott (21) won $10,000 to launch her fashion design career, a $5000 website package, a two-page spread in international fashion magazine Cielo and various other prizes.
But she said calls and emails to event organisers had been ignored and she doubted whether she would ever receive her prizes.
''The whole thing just seems like a joke. If this is how they are going to run it, I don't think it will go very far,'' she said.
An Australian public relations employee who worked for Australian Fashion Graduates Week said the event had ''turned sour'' and Miss Scott was not the only one owed money.
The ex-employee asked to remain anonymous because she did not want to be associated with the competition.
''Myself and several other team members have not received payment for work, nor reimbursement for things we paid for.
''I spoke to Emily before Christmas and advised her to take the same action I have taken, to get legal help for this matter,'' she said.
''Unfortunately, a great event has turned sour and given itself a bad reputation,'' the woman said.
Project co-ordinator Elmedin Kumalic said delays in getting prizes to winners were beyond his control.
He said the $10,000 cash prize was only registered in Australia, despite the competition being opened to New Zealanders. The money had proved difficult to transfer. He said Miss Scott would receive the money in the next week, as well as her other prizes.
''She was advised there was going to be a delay,'' he said.
Mr Kumalic said other prize winners were also waiting to receive products, which had been late coming from sponsors.
He did not know the details about money owed to former employees, but said it was being dealt with. He said prize delays were unfortunate and had been made worse by businesses closing over Christmas and the New Year.
He was unable to comment on whether the event would be held again.
Cielo editor Dimitri Frost, who also judged the competition, said yesterday he had been overseas for work and unable to arrange the spread which was part of the prize. He said he would feature Ms Scott's work as she had been promised.
It was the first major competition Miss Scott had entered, and she was left disillusioned.
''You just presume that if you win something you will actually receive it.''
The event included 32 fashion graduates from Australia and New Zealand, of which Miss Scott was one of three entrants from the Otago Polytechnic School of Design.
She travelled to Sydney with her parents and sister to see her garments modelled at the competition, for which she paid a $98 entry fee.
''I was so excited about winning. It was amazing to be praised by the judges. They said my collection was cohesive. They loved the accessories and colours used, and they appreciated the unconventional cuts of my garments.
''All that excitement and elation has now disappeared, I feel really let down and frustrated.''
Otago Polytechnic academic leader of fashion Margo Barton said it was extremely concerning a graduate appeared to have been ''ripped off''.
''This is an appalling way to treat a young designer and the organisers of this event should be very embarrassed. It's a disgrace that such an exciting moment in Emily's career has been tarnished by this level of unprofessionalism. She deserves her prize,'' Dr Barton said.


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Tesco, Marks & Spencer, Others Pledge to Cut Plastic Bag Use
An agreement involving top British retailers such as Tesco, Marks & Spencer, Sainsburys and Wal-Mart’s ASDA will encourage consumers to use fewer bags and re-use those that they already have, Reuters reports. Retailers will also switch over to recyclable bags where they can.
Details of the plan are still to be worked out, but the goal is to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 58,500 tons a year.
The announcement came as Mayor of London Ken Livingstone announced a plan to make the city the greenest in the world by cutting CO2 emissions by 60 percent by 2025.
Also, in Japan, the practice of charging for plastic bags is spreading.
Last month, Ikea made headlines when it announced that every plastic bag at every IKEA U.S. store across the nation will cost five cents.
Energy Manager News
- Senators National Energy Policy Vision Leads to a Hopeful Future
- Google Builds Data Center on Site of Old Coal Plant
- EPA Honors 3 Facilities for Combined Heat and Power
- Cheese Factory Installs Anaerobic Digestion
- Certification Program Established for Green Button Standard
- Diesel Genset Market to Reach $68B by 2024, Navigant Says
- Emulsion Mist Collectors Designed for Heavy Industry
- IKEA Plugs In Fuel Cells at California Store


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Featuring internationally acclaimed chefs and homegrown local talent.
The annual festivities are underway for Vivid, as Sydneysiders eagerly anticipate after-dark installations and light shows all across the city. Now, for the first time ever, Vivid has announced its brand new experience, Vivid Food, focusing on delivering the greatest dining program any foodie has ever seen. From iconic dining establishments to international culinary greats and local legends, they’ve cooked up an amazing lineup you won’t want to miss out on.
Get Ready For The Ultimate Culinary Residence
Ever wondered what it’s like to dine at one of the world’s greatest, without having to hop on a plane? You can do just that, as legendary New York chef, Daniel Humm, takes over Matt Moran’s Aria for an iconic two-week culinary residency. You might know Humm from his highly acclaimed restaurant, Eleven Madison Park, which boasts a whopping three Michelin stars and is entirely vegan. Now, he’s bringing his team and culinary approach to plant-based dining to Australia from June 6th-17th. Experience two different menus, with a nine-course tasting menu made exclusively for dinner at $550. Bespoke wine pairings will also be available to perfectly match each dish.
Welcome The Vivid Chef Series
This year, the festival is bringing together some of the world’s most innovative chefs to team up with Sydney’s finest restaurants, with the Vivid Chef Series. Restaurants like Kiln, Fred’s, and Yellow will create never-before-tasted menus curated by renowned chefs. The talent includes the likes of award-winning LA chef Jeremy Fox, two-Michelin-starred chef Rishi Naleendra, and Cape Town’s Mmabatho Molefe, who was recently named one of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants 50 Next hospitality pioneers in 2022. From laid-back vibes to upscale dining experiences, you’re in for a treat as you indulge in the best of the best.
Watch Barbecue Masters Take Centre Stage
Ignite your taste buds at the Vivid Fire Kitchen, a celebration of all things flame, barbecue, and mouth-watering food. This year’s lineup features some of the world’s top pitmasters, barbecue experts, and local flame-focused restaurants, all coming together for a truly unforgettable experience. Get a front-seat view to the magic of raw-fire cooking as renowned chef and restaurateur Lennox Hastie (of the three-hatted Firedoor), showcases his skills. Making appearances will also be Australian-born Texas pitmaster, Jess Pryles, 2022 World Barbecue Champion Sterling Smith, and Byron Bay’s own Pip Sumbak to name a few, all putting on a show with accessible fire demonstrations and exclusive barbecue dishes.
Celebrate At The Vivid Sydney Dinner
Following a sell-out event last year, the Vivid Sydney Dinner returns to the Ivy Ballroom, bigger and better than ever before. This year’s edition promises to fuse light, music, and ideas into an unforgettable evening, created by renowned Merivale Executive Chef Ben Greeno and Danielle Alvarez. Greeno and Alvarez have created a menu celebrating their love of NSW’s fresh and seasonal produce, with each dish thoughtfully paired with a matching wine. And of course, it won’t be Vivid without a light show, inspired by nature and served right to your table. The evening will kick on with a huge entertainment lineup, with performances from Montaigne, African fusion artist Julian Belbachir, and beloved vocal powerhouse Christine Anu.
For more information and to view the entire Vivid Food program, visit Vivid’s website here.


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The largest smartphone maker you've never heard of wants to capture the hearts - and dollars - of the U.S. consumer.
Motorola's (MOT) Droid phone is getting a ton of buzz, and that's by design. Verizon Wireless (VZ) chief Marketing Officer John Stratton has said the marketing campaign behind its iPhone competitor will be the largest in its history.
But the Google (GOOG)-powered device isn't the only smartphone the company is likely MOREJessi Hempel, writer - Oct 29, 2009 6:53 AM ET
|Water becoming more valuable than gold|
|Will 7 Apples a day keep the bears away? - The Buzz|
|Don't assume you're safe from Heartbleed|
|Postal workers protest Staples|
|Tesla finds friends in the FTC|


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Apple releases iOS14
Improve user privacy
This month, Apple held its first online press conference this year and released the official version of iOS14. Compared with the previous operating system, this version of the system has attracted more attention because it will greatly enhance the protection of user privacy.
When we upgrade Apple mobile phones to iOS14, we will have full decision-making power to keep advertisers who track our personal data away.
Face recognition is widely used
Data security bears the brunt
With the advent of the era of big data and sharing, data security issues have become more and more important. A new generation of technological revolution represented by face recognition has begun. Face recognition technology stands out among a variety of biometric technologies due to its non-replicability, non-contact, scalability, and rapidity. Although face recognition technology is convenient for institutions to observe and manage, new problems will follow. From a technical perspective, human faces are biometric information that can be collected without the active cooperation of users. People brush dozens of faces every day. Second, facing the exposure of personal privacy at any time.
The more “intelligent” artificial intelligence is, the more personal information data needs to be obtained, stored, and analyzed. It can be said that massive amounts of information and data are indispensable “food” for the iterative upgrade of artificial intelligence. Obtaining and processing massive amounts of information and data will inevitably involve the important issue of personal privacy protection. How to balance privacy protection in artificial intelligence applications and ensure safety, reliability, and control has become the focus of current social concern.
Artificial Intelligence Application and Privacy Protection
Take face recognition door lock access control products as an example. The general face recognition door lock requires the user to take a picture before the door lock, and then the picture is transmitted to the cloud through the network for face recognition, and finally the recognition result is fed back to the door The door can only be opened with a lock. This process takes a long time. Especially in some cases where the network environment is poor or there is no network, the recognition process of traditional algorithms will be slower. In addition, this process still has certain security risks. Face photos are currently very sensitive and belong to the category of personal privacy. Once the data is leaked, it will cause major security risks. Therefore, the protection of face data is particularly important. Compared with traditional algorithms, the edge algorithm independently developed by Lingzhi can perform local storage in a network-free environment without connecting to a server. This not only saves back and forth transmission time, improves efficiency, but also improves security and ensures The user’s privacy is not leaked. Let people enjoy the convenience brought by artificial intelligence and at the same time have more peace of mind.
Today, Lingzhi Technology’s face recognition products have been successfully applied in Suzhou Xiangmanyayuan Community, Pudong Jinqiao Town and other places, effectively solving local safety management issues. Lingzhi has a wealth of experience.
Your privacy is safe
Guarded by the Spirit
For Lingzhi, security has always been our consistent insistence. Only by having the cornerstone of security can we win the trust of users.
Protect the privacy of users,
It is Lingzhi’s commitment to every user,
Your privacy is safe,
Lingzhi has been guarding!


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TORONTO • Tweed Marijuana Inc. just completed the first major acquisition in Canada’s fledgling medical marijuana space. Now another milestone is on the horizon: positive cash flow.
None of the licensed producers in Canada’s medical pot industry is cash-flow positive right now, and most are still very far from it. The sector only came into existence 17 months ago, and while customer growth has been impressive, far more patients are needed to make the industry consistently profitable. Tweed, which is Canada’s dominant marijuana firm, reported a small quarterly profit of $1 million last week, but that was due to an accounting gain.
Nonetheless, chairman and chief executive Bruce Linton thinks positive cash flow is achievable in the very near future: in early 2016 or possibly sooner.
Tweed, based in Smiths Falls, Ont., has about 6,000 customers following its friendly acquisition of Bedrocan Cannabis Corp., which closed last week. Once the company gets to 10,000 to 11,000 patients, it expects to generate positive cash.
“It feels like the effort to get to (6,000) is three or four times more the effort to double it,” Linton said in an interview.
The federal government’s medical marijuana program is adding about 2,000 new patients per month, so Tweed could reach 10,000 quite quickly if it can claim a growing number of new patients while hanging onto its existing ones. The company has more than a quarter of all medical marijuana production capacity in Canada.
“This is a large production platform with a lot of requirements to create inventory and have it ready,” Linton said. “But once you do, your ability to convert that (product) from inventory into value to the patient and to the market is pretty quick.”
Ottawa birthed this industry in April 2014 when it introduced rules requiring medical marijuana users to buy their product from licensed producers such as Tweed. Today, these companies have more than 25,000 customers, and the number is growing fast as more and more doctors authorize their patients to join the program. A recent Supreme Court of Canada ruling that allows the producers to sell cannabis oils and edibles (in addition to smoke-able marijuana) is also expected to boost customer growth. Those products should start hitting the market late this year.
Linton said he thinks current patient growth rates can be sustained for some time because of the marijuana program’s growing acceptance in Canada’s medical community. He also noted a lot of potential patients are still buying pot from grey market sources such as Vancouver dispensaries and so-called “compassion clubs.”
Aaron Salz, an analyst at Dundee Capital Markets, agreed that new patient additions should accelerate in the short term, especially when the oils and edibles start to hit the market. He thinks the first quarter of 2016 will be a critical one for the industry, as some companies should start to experience positive cash flow for the first time. That is in line with Tweed’s prediction.
“For companies that are fiscally disciplined and have tried to achieve decent margins, I think Q1 next year is a reasonable expectation for most to be cash flow positive,” he said.
Tweed shares closed at $1.64 on Tuesday in Toronto trading, up eight cents or five per cent. They are down 20.4 per cent this year.


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Sunday, November 29, 2009
The Sacramento fashion scene continues to evolve, with more shows and more local designers, models and stylists gaining momentum and attracting national attention.
However, recognizing their efforts - in the capital - has not happened on a big scale.
That's about to change.
[ Merlin Castell, 37, grew up in Honduras and was a contestant this summer on Season 1 of Bravo's "The Fashion Show." He lives in L.A. and is working on three fashion collections.
"My dream is to see 'Merlin' clothing in Nordstrom and on every woman who wants to look pretty," he says.
Castell has never been to Sacramento. He also is eager to talk to the upand- coming designers in the show.
"My advice to them will be to have your own style," he says. "Whatever that is. I'm a little eccentric! Celebrities sell products because they're celebrities. Designers sell because they have character."


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Entries for the annual South African Music Awards (Sama’s) are officially open from 1 November - 31 January 2017.
Advocate Nhlanhla Sibisi, CEO of Recording Industry South Africa (RiSA) saysit is a once-off three-month submission period.
The awards honour and recognise great talent in SA's recording industry and also celebrates the diversity infused in the various music genres.
Anyone who has released an album, a song, DVD commercially from the 1 December 2015 is welcome to enter.— Advocate Nhlanhla Sibisi, CEO of Recording Industry South Africa (RiSA)
Sibisi says they have introduced three categories to the awards, Best Africa Artist, Best African Indigenous Gospel (Clap and Tap/Zion music), and Best Afropop albums.
He says the awards are getting bigger every year which proves that South Africa has good talent.
For more information on the Sama's visit their website
For more talk on Sama's listen below:


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WASHINGTON, MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump and his Mexican counterpart, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, agreed on Saturday on the importance of preserving bilateral trade and critical services, despite U.S.-Mexico border restrictions to fight the coronavirus, a White House spokesman said.
“The two leaders discussed the coronavirus pandemic and the close United States-Mexico cooperation on efforts to combat the virus,” said White House spokesman Judd Deere after the two leaders spoke by telephone.
“President Trump and President Lopez Obrador agreed on the importance of preserving trade and critical services, regardless of travel restrictions,” Deere said, referring to an agreement to limit movement across the United States-Mexico border to essential travel only.
Lopez Obrador took to Twitter to thank Trump for not closing the shared border and proposed speeding up implementation of the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement in order to boost economic recovery in the countries.
Trump said on Friday the United States would swiftly return any migrants who attempt to enter the country illegally, from Mexico or Canada, while closing both U.S. borders to “non-essential” travel to limit the spread of coronavirus.
Trump also said the United States and Mexico would work to keep commerce moving as much as possible across the border to try to limit disruptions to business and commerce.
Source: Read Full Article


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Stein Mart today announced the launch of its online store. Stein Mart is one of the first off-price retailers to extend its offering of current season, brand name fashion apparel for women and men, as well as accessories, linens and home décor at everyday discount prices through an online store. "We're excited to announce that we are in the e-commerce business and happy to be able to serve our customers who like to shop online," said Jay Stein, CEO. "As we learn more and grow this business, we anticipate that this channel will rapidly become our largest flagship 'store'."
Jacksonville, Fla. – Stein Mart has named Jay Stein, its interim CEO since September 2011, as permanent CEO....
_ JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Dec. 20, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Stein Mart, Inc. today announced that D. Hunt Hawkins, previously the company's executive vice president and chief administrative officer, has been named chief operating officer. "Hunt has been an important part of Stein Mart since 1994 and has had a key role in our significant operational improvements over the last several years," commented Jay Stein, interim chief executive officer of Stein Mart, Inc. "This is a great reward for his many years of quality service." Information technology, supply chain and human resources reported to Hawkins as chief administrative officer. With


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SEATTLE (CBS.MW) -- Silicon Graphics Inc. on Thursday said it plans to sell its struggling Cray supercomputer business to Tera Computer Co., which will change the name of its company to Cray Inc.
The amount of the transaction, paid for with cash, notes and common stock, wasn't immediately disclosed by the companies. Analysts peg the value of the deal is less than half of the $767 million that Silicon Graphics paid for Cray in 1996.
For Silicon Graphics SGI, +1.41% dumping Cray is a planned cost-cutting move aimed at helping the computer maker to turn consistent profit. Silicon Graphics, which has had trouble with the bottom-line since 1996, plans to focus on its technical computers that run on the Unix operating system that sell in higher volume compared to supercomputers.
"They finally got it done; they're following through with their plans," said Jay Stevens, an analyst with Buckingham Research Group in New York.
In the short run, the sale of Cray won't have a significant impact on Silicon Graphics' bottom line, said Ken Coleman, a company senior vice president. But he expects the sale to eventually improve Silicon Graphics' focus.
For tiny Seattle-based Tera TERA, +0.00% with third-quarter sales of less than $850,000, it gives the little-known computer maker access to the legendary Cray name. Cray was founded by renown engineer Seymour Cray in 1972.
It also gives Tera access to Cray's products, facilities, and service contracts. Tera gets a company with annual revenue of more than $200 million, and access to what the companies say is a $2 billion installed customer base of more than 600 computers.
Tera executives weren't immediately available for comment.
Since Tera's founding in1987 with help from entrepreneur Jim Rottsolk, the company has seen hard times at least equaling that of Silicon Graphics. Tera has offered only one machine to-date, and has been plagued both by technical chip problems, as well as financial woes.
Tera had planned to revolutionize the supercomputing world with its computer design. But since Tera's existence, the supercomputer business has foundered. Cray and Tera are two of a handful of ships left in a sinking supercomputer market. One of the only other U.S.-based makers of traditional supercomputers is IBM.
While some IBM executives suggest the $1 billion supercomputer market is growing, most analysts say the market is stagnant, at best. The machines are used mostly by government institutions, research facilities and for only the most demanding business tasks.
Cray's computers, in particular, are aimed at technical markets. That high-end supercomputing market, also where Tera competes, is in decline, analysts say.
There's not a strong demand for machines with massive processing power, said Rob Enderle, an analyst with Giga Information Group, in a recent interview. Instead, speedy server computers that can dish out the most transactions at a time is what the market demands.
"I'm not seeing any ramp-up in the need for supercomputers," Enderle said. "The machines don't really lend themselves to a Internet types of solutions."
What's more, Cray is losing its supercomputing edge, in some respects. IBM IBM, +1.02% took over Cray in the latest list of the world's 500 fastest supercomputers. The list was compiled in November by Jack Dongarra from the University of Tennessee and Erich Strohmaier and Hans Meuer of the University of Mannheim in Germany. IBM now holds 141 of the top 500 supercomputers. Still, Cray has 12 of the top 20 machines, compared with IBM, with only four of the top 20.
Shares of Silicon Graphics fell 1/4 points to 9 7/8 in Thursday trading. Tera shares fell 1 1/8 points to 9 7/8.


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Coplus has long been known as the "Apple of automobile lighting mods" with its industry leading design and R&D capacities. With V2X connectivity on the rise, Coplus plans to build connectivity into its components in two to three years with AI wheel lights, electronic rear view mirrors, and AI shock absorbers. In addition, the company will leverage big data to improve its design and manufacturing processes, as well as help users monitor component usage. Coplus is the first company from the Taiwan Innovative Board (TIB) initiative to file for stock market listing in 2023, and is expected to be listed in mid-October.
Automotive LEDs became the driving force of LED deliveries in the third quarter of this year. As more new cars are poised to be launched, suppliers are ramping up more actively. LED testing and packaging companies like Brightek Optoelectronic, Everlight and Edison Opto are all optimistic that the demand for automotive LEDs will stay on the growing track in the second half of 2023.
Taiwan-based Favite, dedicated to supplying AOI (automatic optical inspection) equipment, has newly incorporated AI into its products, while also applying them to microLED and microOLED production processes, able to inspect 100 million LEDs in just six minutes, according to Minnie Wang, company vice president and spokesperson.
Chinese TV makers like TCL and Hisense showcased several new ultra-large Micro LED and Mini LED TV products at IFA Berlin 2023. It appears that they are setting Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics as their benchmarks and intensifying their efforts to catch up.
As the applications for microLED expand, it is being challenged by the relationship between cost, production capacity, and market demand that new technologies face when entering the market, according to chipmaker PlayNitride.
As Apple has decided that the next-generation iPad Pro's 11-inch and 13-inch products will both adopt the OLED display panel, supply chain partners have already started to expand their touch panel capacity quietly so that they will be able to meet the demand of the new iPad Pro's launch, scheduled in the mid or second half of 2024.
In the first half of 2023, the two major South Korean brands, Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, continued their dominance of the global TV market. Samsung maintained its spot as the market leader for the 18th consecutive year, while LG's OLED TV achieved a market share of over 50% in the OLED market.
The collaboration between LG Display (LGD) and Mercedes-Benz on automotive OLED panels is expected to help accelerate adoption of OLED technology in the automotive industry, according to sources at Taiwanese IC design houses.
Recent reports from the cross-strait supply chain indicate that a major Chinese new energy vehicle manufacturer had ambitious plans early this year to make significant inroads into the upstream SiC compound semiconductor material-supplying sector. The plan involved a wide array of processes in the upstream supply chain.
Lai Ju Chen, chairman of the Taiwan Perovskite Research and Industry Association (TPRIA), said Taiwan has great potential in developing the third-generation perovskite solar cells (PSC). Taiwan holds advantages in the semiconductor, photovoltaics, and panel industries and its expertise is increasingly demanded due to geopolitical factors.
Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics recently have both launched ultra-high-end, oversized TVs that are priced at over KRW 100 million (US$75,000) and feature next-generation microLED display technology, garnering significant attention in the industry. However, the price tags exceeding KRW100 million have also raised market curiosity about the strategic considerations of the two major Korean manufacturers.
One of the recent uses for AI is its application in service robots with an aim to incorporate them into more applications. Amidst the buzz is Nuwa Robotics raising nearly NT$200 million (US$6.26 million) in its series B round funding, led by its main existing investor, Foxconn.
With major CSPs aggressively building AI servers and pushing up demand for AI processors and HBM memory, global advanced packaging capacity is predicted to expand by 30–40% in 2024, according to TrendForce.
While Micro LED technology continues to advance towards commercial production, its market acceptance is still subject to observation. However, Taiwan-based LED chipmaker PlayNitride remains optimistic that microLED sales will grow exponentially in the coming years and expects to make significant progress in incorporating microLED technology into automotive applications in 2024.
It's reported that Samsung Display (SDC) plans to purchase all the shares of US Micro OLED maker eMagin by the end of 2023. If everything goes smoothly, this move will grant SDC the entry ticket to the military extended reality (XR) device market.
Taiwan-based display driver IC company Himax Technologies saw its sales and gross margin decrease in the second quarter of 2023. The company said demand from automotive electronics has been recovering, expected to bring its gross margin back to over 30%. However, its sales will likely keep declining slightly in the third quarter due to the sluggish consumer electronics market.
LGD (LG Display) has reportedly purchased Micro LED patents from a Taiwanese company. Most are on "transfer printing process patents," a core technology of Micro LED. It's speculated that LGD will use the transfer printing process with Micro LED backplanes to improve profitability. This technology is also expected to be used in Apple Watches in the future.
South Korean industry sources reported that OLED panels are expanding their application portfolio. It's estimated that the share of smartphones with OLED panels will exceed 50% for the first time in 2023.
Ennostar Group's Q2 2023 revenue and profit demonstrated a sequential improvement, though unused capacity continued to weigh on operations. The gradual recovery of the consumer market led to these gains, but the lingering excess capacity remains a concern. Ennostar Chairman, Paul Peng, highlighted that while H2 this year will likely outperform H1, the growth magnitude might not be significant. He added that optimizing unused capacity and enhancing profitability are top priorities for Ennostar.
Innolux expects an 8% growth rate in size for panels to be shipped in 2024, driven by large sports events such as the Paris Olympics, the European Cup, and the Copa América, all scheduled to occur between June and August next year. This anticipated rise contrasts with a capacity annual growth rate of just 1.6%, keeping inventory levels low.


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Last week the H1N1 virus was found in turkeys on farms in Chile. The UN now says poultry farms elsewhere in the world could also become infected.
Safe to eat
Chilean authorities first reported the incident last week. Two poultry farms are affected near the seaport of Valparaiso.
Juan Lubroth, interim chief veterinary officer of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), said: "Once the sick birds have recovered, safe production and processing can continue. They do not pose a threat to the food chain."
Chilean authorities have established a temporary quarantine and have decided to allow the infected birds to recover rather than culling them.
It is thought the incident represents a "spill-over" from infected farm workers to turkeys.
Canada, Argentina and Australia have previously reported spread of the H1N1 swine flu virus from farm workers to pigs.
The USDA is also closing down testing labs, and has shifted what testing is done to dead animals at slaughter instead of testing live animals at the farm. www.tahc.state.tx.us...
Bovine tuberculosis [humans catch it too] is fast becoming an important reason that carcasses are being condemned as unsafe in American beef packing plants. The number of carcasses found infected is 15 times higher than in 1986. Dr. Billy Johnson, said about 80 percent of the condemned carcasses were traced back to animals raised in Mexico.” query.nytimes.com...
Since most people around the world eat their chicken cooked not raw, the most common risk from eating chicken comes from first slaughtering, de-feathering, eviscerating and cooking infected chickens.
This puts you in contact with the dead bird's blood and vital organs and you could become infected with H5N1 in this manner.
Well cooked chicken meat and eggs are safe to eat if cooked properly, according to a joint statement issued by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
They issued this statement in December 2005 through the International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN).
Cooked properly means the meat and eggs must be completely heated to 70 degrees Celsius or 158 degrees Fahrenheit, so there is no red or raw meat.
However, they also recommend that meat and eggs from chickens known to be infected with H5N1 not be used as food.
I've seen people ask, "If it's safe to eat chicken when it's well-cooked, why do they burn infected chickens instead of eating them, especially since those countries are poor and the people are hungry?"
If you give enough people dead bird flu infected chickens and tell them to make sure they cook the chickens thoroughly, some numbskull will NOT cook it thoroughly, eat some that's still pink and raw, get sick and die and their relatives will blame you.
And here we are overly worried about the swine flu, while I eat U.S. beef imports every week! Maybe chickens are safer...
heard about Walmart setting themselves up in India, and causing such heavy competition that the small Indian supermarkets are closing down...it's not fair.


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Pittsburgh native Mark Cuban told KDKA Radio he's worried millions of small businesses and startups could be forced out of business during the coronavirus pandemic.
"There's two sides to the coin. I've got some companies right now that are doing really well. If you sell consumer products that people want to keep in their homes, you're doing well. If you sell food products that are sold through grocery stores, most likely you're doing well. If you sell cleaning products, most likely you're doing well. Even bicycles. I've got a bike company and they're doing really well because parents are looking for ways to get excercise with their kids," he said.
"They are some companies that will do well and coninue to do well as a result of this and then obviously, restaurant, service and entertainment are just getting destroyed.
"The worst part is the uncertainty. The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is great in concept, but the execution hasn't quite been there yet. The banks have really struggled trying to process applications and they've also struggled communicating with small businesses and letting them know the status of their applications, which has made it even worse."
According to the U.S. Small Business Administration website, the PPP "is a loan designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll."
Employers would not have to pay back the loan if they keep all employees on their payroll for eight weeks. The money must be used for payroll, rent, mortgage interest or utilities.
Cuban said that he will continue to pay his employees amid the business closures of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’ll keep on paying and I’m doing it for not just for the Mavs, but other companies as well,” he said. “It’s just the right thing to do.
“As much as we can nitpick and say negative things about people or plans, we’re all in this together and we’ve got to find the positive and we’ve got to work towards getting things back on course. It doesn’t matter what our politicians say. It doesn’t matter what our government does when it’s all said and done, it matters what we do. And that’s the cool thing about Pittsburgh; we bust our ass every minute of every day.”


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Thinking of changing jobs? Then you may be one of the 59% who are considering moving jobs in 2017, according to a report conducted by Investors in People. The report conveys one of the key reasons of moving jobs as pay, yet around a third of respondents stated they would prefer flexible working to a 3% rise in pay. It appears more and more people are realising the benefits of working flexibly as a contractor with the report echoing Mckinsey’s study of happy contractors from last year.
A massive 77% of employees in the IT sector are also thinking about changing roles. With a quick job search revealing an abundance of opportunities in the IT sector, could 2017 see a large amount of people leaving traditional employment and become flexible workers? It certainly seems so.
If you have been thinking to make the switch from traditional employee to contractor, but are not so keen on jumping the bandwagon and opening up a limited company, then becoming a PAYE umbrella employee could be just what you need.
As a PAYE Umbrella employee, you do not need to commit yourself to long-term contracts, especially if you are just testing the waters. Using an umbrella company can sometimes be more efficient and cost effective than opening a limited company, particularly if your focus is on short term contracts.
Additionally, impending public sector legislation changes regarding IR35 and the VAT flat rate scheme targeting limited cost traders will be coming into effect this year. We may see a decrease in some of the benefits of a limited company prompting you to consider PAYE umbrella employment instead.
Cloud9 Umbrella offers simplicity with no sign-up or termination fees, making it easier if you decide to take a break. With Cloud9 Umbrella, you can leave the paperwork and tax payments to our dedicated payroll and customer service team, giving you time to focus on your projects.
As an Umbrella employee, you will be provided with benefits and rights which are the same as that of a traditional employee. Cloud9 Umbrella also has some exciting benefits coming soon so be sure to check our website and social media pages!
Contact Cloud9 Umbrella now for more information including switching from limited to an umbrella company.


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Starting at 3pm PT / 6pm ET / 11pm BST (12am CET on June 3) and running for approximately 30 minutes, the presentation will feature reveals and updates for PlayStation games.
“We’ll have some exciting reveals from our third-party partners, plus a sneak peek at several games in development for PlayStation VR2,” SIE content communications senior manager Brett Elston revealed in a blog announcing the event.
PlayStation later confirmed that Horizon: Call of the Mountain, the VR spinoff from the popular open-world game will be present at the event.
During a recent PlayStation business briefing, SIE CEO Jim Ryan claimed the company was experiencing “unprecedented demand” for PS5.
According to the platform holder, three US retailer events saw PS5s being sold at a rate of nearly 1,000 units per minute while they were available.
Ryan said Sony is “planning on a significant ramp up in PS5 production this year”, although he noted “Covid-related uncertainties persist”.


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A consumer advocacy group dedicated to health and nutrition is taking a stand against Cracker Jack’s new snack, Cracker Jack’D, which will contain the same amount of caffeine as a 12-ounce soda.
The nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest calls out Cracker Jack’D, along with Kraft’s caffeinated MIO Energy and Jelly Belly’s caffeinated “Extreme Sports Beans” as heralds of “a new craze in which manufacturers add caffeine itself or coffee to more and more varieties of food and beverages,” the group said in a press release.
“The way things are going, I fear that we’ll see caffeine, or coffee, being added to ever-more improbable drinks and snacks, putting children, unsuspecting pregnant women and others at risk,” CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobsen said. “How soon before we have caffeinated burgers, burritos or breakfast cereals?”
Frito-Lay spokesman Chris Kuechenmeister told the Boston Globe that Cracker Jack’D is not for children. “Cracker Jack’D is a product line specifically developed for adult consumers and will not be marketed to children,” he said. “The package design and appearance are wholly different from Cracker Jack to ensure there is no confusion among consumers.”
A Kraft representative also told The Globe that MIO Energy is only marketed toward adults.


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Herberger’s in Bismarck appears likely to be liquidated.
The Bismarck store is one of 200 regional department stores owned by Bon-Ton Stores Inc, which filed bankruptcy in February.
The store had been working with a pair of mall owners in an effort to find a bid to keep a large portion of the stores open. But according to Reuters, which cited “two sources familiar with the matter,” the only two companies to enter bids in a court-supervised auction Monday were liquidation firms.
Herberger’s is located in the Kirkwood Mall and has been one of the mall’s major anchor tenants since the mall first opened.


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'Project Runway' vet Nick Verreos got his first crack at a live red carpet broadcast for TV Guide Network during the Oscars, and he knocked it out of the park. 'I'm actually a fashion expert,' he said, 'whereas some people are actors and just call themselves that.'
- Filed Under
It's been seven years since Nick Verreos appeared as a contestant on Season 2 of the hit reality television show "Project Runway," but the now 46-year-old fashion designer has remained an enthusiastic representative of the brand.
In addition to designing a line of dresses called NC, out this spring, Verreos runs NIKOLAKI, a design firm, with his business and life partner, David Paul. He also serves as the spokesman for Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, regularly appears as a fashion expert for award show coverage and makes regular appearances as a "Project Runway" personality.


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NEW YORK – After more than 1,000 traffic violations and millions of dollars worth of fines, New York Apple Tours was forced to surrender its license.
The troubled company that runs the red double-decker tour buses in New York City was fined millions of dollars in the past and cited for many problems resulting in more than 1,000 traffic violations, has gone out of business, according to the Monday edition of The New York Times.
The city’s Department of Consumer Affairs and Gov. George E. Pataki ordered the company’s operating license suspended, and called for hearings into its possible revocation shortly after 71-year-old actor Randolph S. Walker was fatally struck by an unlicensed Apple Tours bus driver in May while crossing a street near Times Square. Walker’s family filed a $20 million wrongful death suit against the company and its driver.
Even before Apple Tours returned its license Feb. 8, it began selling assets to a division of Coach USA, which owns Grayline New York Tours, the Times said.
A Grayline spokesman said that the company had acquired about a dozen double-decker buses from Apple in mid-January, as well as the company’s visitors center at Eighth Avenue and 48th Street, in Clinton. Grayline also hired several Apple Tours employees, but told the Times that the tour bus company’s owner and relatives were not included in the new hires.
Apple Tours began operation in 1992, with buses imported from England. Many of their engines did not meet United States emissions standards and violated numerous environmental regulations.
Although a court order to suspend service was overturned in June, that ruling was overruled in December 2000. The Court of Appeals dismissed the case last month, allowing the suspension to stand.
This month the Department of Consumer Affairs increased its fines against the company to more than $8 million from $2 million, and just completed a license revocation hearing.
In 1995, the company was fined $100,000 after the Department of Consumer Affairs found that it had switched license plates to avoid inspections on many of its 63 buses.


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