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December 8, 2011, 11am PST
At a recent conference, spokespeople for Burlington Coat Factory and other big retailers explained that they are having great success at locations on subway stops and major bus lines.
October 18, 2011, 9am PDT
A Sears Shopping Center in Lincoln Park, Michigan has found a novel way to kill their competitor - close the easement the developer is using to access the property.
September 29, 2011, 6am PDT
With hundreds of former Borders locations vacated comes the question of what to do with the spaces. They are generally just too large and expensive for other booksellers, writes Susan Stellin, though at least one landlord has made it work.
September 21, 2011, 10am PDT
Some say that there is simply not enough retail in existence now; versus U.S. cities, at least, Toronto has fewer malls in both numbers and square footage. Dana Flavelle explores why that might not necessarily mean it's underserved.
September 4, 2011, 7am PDT
Net lease investors see drugstores as solid, no-nonsense investments, and with an unstable market that's music to an investor's ears.
August 5, 2011, 8am PDT
The location of parked cars can either destroy walkability or enhance it, writes urbanist Steve Mouzon.
July 20, 2011, 9am PDT
To its minimal
credit, Borders Books & Music always had a a few shelves where the works of
Jacobs, Mumford, Kunstler, Whyte, Florida, and others resided.
But, judging by the
financial and aesthetic bankruptcies of, respectively, Borders and many American cities,
it seems that copies of Life and Death (or anything else) weren't exactly flying out the door. If
the public's understanding of urban economies even began to rival its
fascination for gossip, self-help, and vampires, Borders never would have
arisen in the first place.
May 26, 2011, 12pm PDT
Having lured its first major retailer on Main Street, revitalization efforts in Columbia, South Carolina's urban corridor seem to be finally paying off.
May 20, 2011, 3pm PDT
A comment I hear frequently from planners is that the focus on food and planning is “trendy”. I must admit that this puzzles me quite a bit. Professional planners in rural areas have concentrated on planning for agriculture – food planning – for decades. Before we had professional planners, human populations planned their communities around food, whether they were planning how best to follow herds for hunting, structuring early agricultural societies, or developing the first cities where food proximity and trade were central considerations.
May 16, 2011, 7am PDT
Retail shopping in Hong Kong is a diverse experience of density, hidden storefronts and extreme visual stimulation, as this tour of the city's shopping areas shows.
May 3, 2011, 12pm PDT
Counter-intuitively, Natl. Real Estate Investor says that sales in physical stores is supported by increases in broadband, and therefore the internet seems to enhance retail sales in shops.
National Real Estate Investor
April 24, 2011, 7am PDT
A new project is opening in San Francisco that utilizes a vacant piece of land for a temporary retail installation using shipping containers.
The Architect's Newspaper
March 31, 2011, 8am PDT
Who ever heard of "small-box stores"? Retail experts say the Walmarts and Targets of the world should have great success with smaller stores in urban settings.
March 23, 2011, 12pm PDT
Built around a BART station in 1999, Oakland, California's Fruitvale Village has had a tough time keeping its retail space alive (as have many TODs). The property managers have learned some lessons over the years about how to overcome the challenges.
February 4, 2011, 10am PST
Developers are planning a push into the Great White North with an (until now) distinctly American product - the outlet center.
February 1, 2011, 5am PST
A national survey of independent businesses found that those in communities with an active "buy local" campaign experienced significantly stronger revenue growth in 2010 compared to those located in areas without one.
January 11, 2011, 5am PST
Wal-Mart has started a major public relations effort to try to get the public behind plans to open several of its big box retail stores in New York City.
December 23, 2010, 10am PST
Big box retailers are continuing to target urban markets, and finding new ways to squeeze their large sizes into dense urban settings.
November 13, 2010, 9am PST
As chain stores move into a Brooklyn neighborhood, some locals worry about the loss of local character and small businesses.
September 23, 2010, 12pm PDT
The Save-a-Lot grocery chain has succeeded by going into urban and rural low-income areas that other chains have shied away from.


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The marijuana marketplace is experiencing historic growth, with sales booming across nearly all categories. But growth among the many categories of cannabis, including flower, edibles, concentrates and topicals, is not uniform.
An interesting place to examine slow-downs in growth is edibles. The category remains the third-most-popular sales category across the three states, capturing 13 percent of the cannabis market during April of this year, according to cannabis market research group BDS Analytics. And sales between Colorado and Washington for April (recreational dispensaries in Oregon could not sell edibles during April of last year) rose 17 percent over April last year.
What may sound like great growth is unremarkable in the cannabis space, especially given the edibles category’s size relative to larger categories like flower and concentrates. Edibles sales in Colorado rose 9 percent in April compared to the previous April. Between April 2015 and April 2016, however, edibles sales rose by 77 percent. And we can’t blame this year’s declining sales in the medical channel (down 4 percent) for the brakes on growth—growth was 13 percent in the busy adult-use channel in the Centennial State—meaning we are seeing a significant slow-down in growth for edibles.
The same slow-down holds true in Washington, although it is less pronounced. Edibles grew by 47 percent in April this year, compared to the previous April. However, edibles growth in Washington was 71 percent between April 2015 and April 2016, so again we see a significant decline in growth. Meanwhile, concentrates sales in Washington rose by 85 percent in April compared to a year earlier, and the concentrates market is larger than edibles in Washington (ditto for Colorado and Oregon), second only to flower.
Within the edibles marketplace, we encounter a wide range of products, from baklava to mints. In terms of growth, the biggest movement is toward candy, rather than chocolates, beverages, infused foods (like cookies) and other subcategories. In Washington and Colorado during April, the candy category grew by 28 percent, compared to growth of 16 percent for chocolate, the next largest edibles category. Much of candy’s growth is led by gummies, which vaulted up by 40 percent in April compared to April last year. Meanwhile, the No. 2 edibles category, chocolate bars (capturing 13 percent of the edibles market, compared to 24 percent for gummies), fell by 0.3 percent in April this year.
Sales trends within the states vary. For example, during April, the No. 1 edibles product in both Colorado and Oregon was gummies, but in Washington it was chocolate pieces. In Washington, gummies are—in fact—behind several categories.
As we see, all broad categories of cannabis products are continuing to perform with gusto so far this year—especially concentrates. Growth in the edibles category is slowing down, compared to growth in its main competitors for market share. But the cannabis marketplace is nothing if not fluid. It is unlikely the breakdowns in growth a year from now will mirror this year’s numbers.

domain: news


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BARCELONA — Intel’s recently launched processors aimed at mobile phones are one or two generations behind the existing technology products produced by ARM Holdings, the chief executive of the Cambridge-based company said Wednesday.
ARM chief Warren East said the devices, which Intel Chief Executive Paul Otellini announced at Mobile World Congress on Monday, were comparable with ARM-based solutions one or two generations ago. “We think from a technical point of view the Intel solution is much better than it has ever been before for smartphones, but they are still a generation or two behind,” he said.
However, Mr. East said they took the arrival of Intel seriously. “Because we run a business, and because Intel are the world’s biggest semiconductor company and very well resourced and have excellent manufacturing technology and very good microprocessors, I have to say of course we need to be somewhat concerned.”
A spokesman for Intel did not comment on Mr. East’s specific comments, but said, Jon Carvil: “The smartphone market is still in its early stages and we feel good about our position as we enter the market with a growing list of customers and highly competitive new platforms.
“The world’s best manufacturing technology combined with leading-edge design and software capabilities gives us a tremendous set of resources to compete and win in this space in 2012 and beyond.
While Intel sought to establish a toehold in the market, Mr. East said its chip design would continue to innovate. He suggested that while the talk of Mobile World Congress had been the unveiling of four-core processors, he did not expect to see higher number of cores in mobile devices.
Mr. East said the growth of processors aimed at driving the “Internet of things” was becoming an increasingly important part of the business. This refers to the widely predicted move for remote sensors to be built into everything from bridges to smart meters to vending machines.
“We have seen triple-digit growth in this area for some years now,” he said. “Last year we reached one billion a year, that was up from half a billion just the year before.”


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Apple is no longer signing iOS 16.3.1 builds after the release of iOS 16.4.1, stopping downgrades to versions earlier than iOS 16.4.
Apple keeps breaking things with each new update so perhaps we shouldn't be so eager to install them anymore.
Apple might or might not be ditching the iPhone X and iPhone 8 when iOS 17 is released later this year. Here's why I think that it's time those old phones were cut loose.
Users report that the latest iPhone software update, iOS 16.4, has ruined battery life. Anyone who's not updated might want to hold off until Apple has fixed the issue.
Apple's upcoming iOS 17 update is said to be dropping support for the iPhone X, iPhone 8, and others. But a contradictory report says otherwise.
General Motors is phasing out Apple CarPlay from its electrical vehicles and option for Google integrated vehicle systems instead.
According to rumors, the next iPhone update could bring more than bug fixes when it launches later this year.
You can set-up a VPN on your iPhone or iPad using the built-in network configuration tool. Here's how to do it.
Apple has made changes to iOS that makes unlocking an iPhone with Face ID easier while you’re wearing a face mask.
Using the Calendar app to manage and share events can make your life so much easier. Here's how it works!
The Lock Screen is the first thing you see when you pick up your iPhone. Here's how to make it yours by customizing it to your heart's content on iOS 16.
Our news, reviews, opinions, and easy to follow guides can turn any iPhone owner into an Apple aficionado
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GARDEN GROVE | January 6, 2012
Garden Grove police actively seek two violent male teen suspects involved in a beer heist Wednesday at a local Circle K. Within the course of seconds, one of two male teens, both wearing hooded white sweat shirts while stealing an 18-pack of beer from the Circle K convenience store on the 12500 block of Knott Street around 11 p.m. Wednesday in Garden Grove violently threw in excess of 21 punches at the store clerk, dragging him outside of the store. Meanwhile a customer who attempted to intervene and stop the beer heist was also punched violently several times by another male teen also involved in the heist. Surveillance video captured the incident and Garden Grove police are asking anyone with information to call them at (714) 741-5704.
The term “violent drunk,” is a well-known term which gives reference to the type of person who drinks only to become violent thereafter. But violent to get drunk? Wikipedia may need to update.


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EATEL offers online Winter Olympics content
Whether figure skating, bobsledding, downhill skiing or curling, the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games are coming, and EATEL High-Speed Internet customers will have free online access to premium Olympics coverage.
From Feb. 12-28, High-Speed Internet customers will have free access to more than 1,000 hours of live streaming video, select Gold Medal events, full-event replays and more, EATEL announced
Customers can visit www.eatel.net, click on the Vancouver Winter Olympics icon, and enter their EATEL account information. This allows entrants access to free live coverage and full event replays, and qualifies them for a chance to win a free trip to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.
Visitors can also check out a variety of free highlights, recaps, interviews, news, results, features, athlete biographies, photo galleries and other online content without registering.


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World AIDS Day: Together we can make a difference
This World AIDS Day, we’re partnering with (RED) and Lifelong in the fight against AIDS. Lifelong is committed to improving access to food, housing, and healthcare for those affected by AIDS in the Seattle community. Our global partner, (RED), has set its sights on eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV globally by 2020.
Today, riders in Seattle can support both of our partners by selecting the (RED) option in the Uber app to donate $5 to the cause. In addition, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has generously pledged to match all donations made by our riders.
Your uberX ride will be the same as usual on December 1st, but cars will be turned red in the app and Uber will text you at the end of your trip. Reply YES to donate $5, which will be shared by the Global Fund* and Lifelong. Thank you for joining us in the fight for an AIDS-free world.
*The Global Fund, the recipient of (RED) funds, is a 21st-century organization designed to accelerate the end of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria as epidemics.
$0.25 of each $5 donation will be used to cover processing fees.
We’re excited to expand the Uber for Business platform beyond business travel, to include a world-class customer transportation solution, Uber Central. With Uber Central, organizations of all shapes and sizes can now easily provide on-demand, door-to-door transportation for their customers, clients, and guests.
A little over a year ago, we set out to put a new spin on an old classic–make reliable food delivery available at the tap of a button. Back then, we started by offering food in the UberEATS app from 1,000 pioneering restaurant partners in four cities. And today, more than 40,000 restaurants globally–from poke shops to pasta spots–are sharing food with customers through UberEATS. With a growing restaurant community comes more choices and more complexity. So we’re cooking up features to continue to make UberEATS easy and reliable. Here is a taste–
This flu season, we’re delivering free flu-fighting care packages across the country. When you receive a pack, you’ll have the option to request a free flu shot from a registered nurse–for up to 5 people.


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SPENCER SAVINGS BANK BECOMES A SUPPORT LEVEL SPONSOR PRIDE OF NEW JERSEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Wayne, New Jersey (July 20, 2022) – The New Jersey Pride Chamber of Commerce (NJPCC) is proud to announce that it has secured Support Level Sponsorship from Spencer Savings Bank, one of New Jersey’s strongest community banks. The bank specializes in providing premium banking products and services to consumers and businesses and is deeply committed to the communities it serves.
During a special presentation ceremony at Spencer Savings Bank’s Westfield Financial Center, Noah Michael O’Hare, NJPCC Ambassador and Director of Ewing Financial Center, presented a check for $5,000 on behalf of Spencer Savings Bank , to Gus Penaranda, Executive Director of the NJPCC and Stephen P. Blazejewski, President of the NJPCC.
“At Spencer, we draw our strength from diversity,” said Jose B. Guerrero, president and CEO of Spencer Savings Bank. “We are deeply committed to supporting various community organizations in our service areas that help all members of our community live more productive, fulfilled and enriched lives. We are proud to partner with the New Jersey Pride Chamber of Commerce to help provide New Jersey LGBTQ+ business owners with a variety of business and professional development resources.
“Spencer Savings Bank has made it clear that its commitment to the LGBTQ+ community goes far beyond simply changing its logo to rainbow colors during Pride Month,” Penaranda says. “We are grateful to Spencer Savings Bank for their generous support of the NJPCC and we are excited to expand our partnership to benefit our LGBTQ+-owned businesses in the coming year.”
ABOUT THE NEW JERSEY PRIDE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE:
Since 2013, the New Jersey Pride Chamber of Commerce has been the premier LGBTQ+ business organization and ally committed to facilitating successful business collaborations and increasing the economic resilience of its diverse members. As an inclusive platform for business visionaries, the Chamber is the first stop for LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs and allies looking to grow and access opportunity. Its primary mission is to promote economic growth and local community development and to help better serve its members’ businesses by providing resources and opportunities for education, networking and community engagement.
For more information, please visit http://njpridechamber.org or connect with the NJ Pride Chamber of Commerce on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
The NJ Pride Chamber of Commerce is an official affiliate of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC). It offers LGBT Business Enterprise (LGBTBE)® certification as a benefit of membership in the organization. Certified LGBTBE individuals are regularly sought out by more than 300 NGLCC partner companies looking to increase their spend with the LGBTQ+ business community. Certified LGBTBE individuals are also eligible for scholarship programs, mentorship and leadership training, and other business development tools.
About Spencer Savings Bank:
Spencer Savings Bank, a leading community bank based in New Jersey and headquartered in Elmwood Park, NJ, has served its local communities with integrity and pride for over 100 years. The bank has nearly $4 billion in total assets and operates 26 financial centers in New Jersey. Spencer specializes in providing premium banking products and services to consumers and businesses. Visit SpencerSavings.com for more information.
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But recent data on business start-ups is contradictory and in some cases counter-intuitive. Much depends on the time scale of the surveys taken, the size of the sample and the data sources. And in Scotland there are worrying signs of a weakening business start-up rate.
However, I was heartened to read a survey from a prominent small business lending and support group last week showing (as the headline had it) “Ever growing entrepreneurial ambitions – 9.3 million working British workers planning to become their own boss”.
Really? Could these downbeat macro-economic forecasts of subdued growth be wrong? Might the dreaded curse of “Brexit uncertainty” be starting to lift at last? Are on the cusp of a micro business surge?
The survey, by the Aldermore banking group, found that almost three in 10 British workers (29 per cent – the equivalent of nine million people) aim to become self-employed in the future – up from 15 per cent in 2017. One in seven (15 per cent) plan to launch a business in the retail sector, closely followed by the catering and accommodation industry, which just over one in ten (11 per cent) plan to enter.
There are few forces more potent than the enthusiasm and blind faith of the start-up entrepreneur – the intoxicating belief that their business dream cannot but succeed. But a perusal of recent business headlines must give all but the most foolhardy pause for thought. The retail sector in particular has been going through a torrid time, from giants such as BHS and House of Fraser to Jaeger, Juice Corporation and Palmer and Harvey. Indeed, since 2007 more than 25,000 high street retail businesses have gone bust, hit by a combination of squeezed consumer spending power and the relentless march of online trading. Barely a month passes without a howl of anguish from the British Retail Consortium and its Scottish counterpart over miserable sales figures.
And who does not know of a bijou restaurant business, launched with a flourish in year one, the menu (and staff) cut back in year two – and the For Sale sign hung out in year three?
The Aldermore research, based on a survey of 1,002 self-employed adults, does admit to the downside of start-ups: over four in ten (44 per cent) were worried about not having a regular source of income, and almost two-fifths (38 per cent) were worried about an irregular volume of work. These concerns are proven; half of those already self-employed have experienced irregular income and two-fifths have had to deal with inconsistent cash flow. Other difficulties encountered by the self-employed are late payments from clients (37 per cent), as well as a lack of free time (21 per cent). The self-employed have also cited difficulties trying to secure a mortgage.
Since the recovery from the 2008-09 recession, the start-up story across the UK has been strongly positive, helped by support from organisations such as Start-Up Britain. ONS figures show that in 2016 the number of business births rose from 383,000 to 414,000, a rise from 14.3 per cent of businesses to 14.6 per cent. Although business deaths were also up, from 283,000 to 328,000, or from 10.5 per cent to 11.6 per cent.
The improvement in the business birth rate was due, the ONS said, to increased employment and strengthening of the labour market. Lower interest rates, further reduced financing costs.
But more recent data points to a distinct fall in momentum. Last year business start-ups UK-wide fell more than 10 per cent to just over 589,000, according to figures from the Centre for Entrepreneurs (CFE) think tank. Data from Companies House showed 589,008 new businesses set up shop in 2017, down from 657,790 the previous year – the first drop in business launches since 2010.
The CFE’s analysis suggests this was caused in part by the government’s clampdown on so-called “disguised employment” among public sector workers. The measures, which stopped businesses from being classified as contractor accounting firms to avoid tax, came into effect in April 2017.
Here in Scotland the business birth rate figures not only continue to trail the rest of the UK, but have also been showing a weakening absolute trend. Recent figures showed the gap in Scotland between the number of businesses created and the number failing each year pointing to the lowest business growth rate in the UK.
A total of 22,000 businesses were created in Scotland in 2016, equivalent to 12.4 per cent of the 178,000 business universe. However, this proportion was the second worst in the UK – only Northern Ireland was worse, with a start-up rate of 10.2 per cent.
The figures echoed the observations of Hugh Lightbody, head of Business Gateway, in its 2015-16 annual review. Indeed, while the ONS cited strong employment growth as a factor behind the growth in start-ups, “the robust employment and labour market in Scotland in 2015/16”, writes Lightbody, “appears to have reduced the level of interest in self-employment and starting new businesses”. Labour Force Survey statistics showed there were 14,000 fewer people in self-employment in 2015 than in 2014. Business Gateway has seen a corresponding fall in the number of start-up businesses supported in 2015/16 – nationally 9,087 businesses were helped to start trading, down from 10,103 in the previous year.
In the big macro picture of the UK economy, does small business matter that much? The sector employs 2.2 million more than in 2000 and accounts for 99.3 per cent of all private sector businesses at the start of 2017. Total employment in SMEs is just over 16 million – 60 per cent of all private sector employment in the UK. And the combined turnover of SMEs at £1.9 trillion represents 51 per cent of all private sector turnover in the UK.
Its health and vibrancy is critical – and in Scotland as much as the UK overall.


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Google Music launched just 3 months ago, but CNET is already hearing from Google managers and record labels that the company is disappointed by the service's performance so far. In a nutshell: when Google Music launched, there were 200 million Android users, and that number was growing extremely quickly. The expectation was that it would be fairly easy to convert some of those users to Music customers. Unfortunately, that just isn't what's happened, with adoption lower than expected.
According to CNET, those involved with Google Music "aren't panicking"; it's only been 3 months, after all. But more importantly, Google has yet to go full-force with its major music push.


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U.S. PlayStation fans weren’t fortunate enough to receive a big Easter promotion like their European counterparts, but Sony is making up for it with a 99 cent flash sale this weekend, slashing prices on over 25 games on the PlayStation Network. Sony announced on the PlayStation Blog that the offer had officially gone live on Friday, featuring PlayStation 3, Vita and PS2/PS1 Classics that will cost you less than a dollar to pick up. The full list follows below. More →
Sony has announced the April Instant Game Collection lineup for PlayStation Plus subscribers on the PlayStation Blog. As with every update since the launch of the PlayStation 4, only one game will be featured for the new generation console, but it’s one that PS4 owners should be excited to get their hands on. Mercenary Kings is the latest 2D send-up from Tribute Games, the team that brought Scott Pilgrim vs. The World to the PS3 and Xbox 360 in 2010. Mercenary Kings pays homage to the 2D shooters of old with challenging enemies and customizable weaponry. More →
It wasn’t until last year that I finally took a chance on baseball. It was the outcome of a single, crazy, stressful game early in the season that pulled me in, and over 100 games later, I was hooked. However, I could do without the endless pitch counts, which is why MLB 14: The Show might be the first baseball game I pick up since middle school. More →
It’s a generation behind, but it’s finally arrived. Sony announced on the PlayStation Blog that the HBO Go app will be available to PlayStation 3 owners starting on Tuesday. In January, HBO announced that the app would finally be coming to the PS3, nearly two years after it hit the Xbox 360. The team is currently working to bring HBO Go to the new consoles, although there is no release date for the app on either the PS4 or Xbox One yet. More →
South Park: The Stick of Truth is, among other things, the best episode of South Park I’ve seen in years. Matt Stone and Trey Parker went as hands-on with this project as they have with anything outside of the actual cartoon, and it shows. It’s belligerent, horrific, hysterical and it feels fresh. But woven between the hysteria, there’s a game that you’re going to have to play. So is that game any good? More →
Sony has unveiled the latest round of free games for PlayStation Plus subscribers to add to their Instant Game Collections. In March, PlayStation 4 owners will get their hands on Dead Nation: Apocalypse Edition, an upgrade to the 4-year-old top-down shooter from the same studio that brought Resogun to the console last year. The PlayStation 3 will bring in the biggest haul, most notably the incredible Tomb Raider remake that received nearly unanimous praise from gamers and critics alike last year. Indie titles Thomas Was Alone and Lone Survivor: Director’s Cut round out the PS3 list. More →
PlayStation fans, get ready for a big month! Following a somewhat slow January, Sony’s PlayStation platforms will see a number of exciting new game releases in February. PlayStation 4 owners will finally be able to get their hands on the highly anticipated horror title “Outlast,” as well as “Rayman Legends” and “Thief.” Meanwhile, PlayStation 3 owners will get 11 new games to choose from this month and another three games will be released for the PlayStation Vita handheld console. The full list, which was assembled by Playstationing.com, follows below along with exact launch dates. More →
We get it: you’re fed up with the ‘console war’ narrative. Both the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 are flying off of store shelves and we’re all waiting anxiously for games to start showing up on both consoles later this year, but Microsoft’s latest offer is more than a slight jab at the competition. Oxidax, a NeoGAF forum-goer, received an email containing the image you see above, advertising a deal at any Microsoft retail store which will allow customer to trade in a working PlayStation 3 for $100 off a brand new Xbox One. More →
There has been a changing of the guard in the U.S. video game console market and for Microsoft, it couldn’t have come at a worse time. With the next console generation right around the corner and several analysts predicting Sony’s PlayStation 4 will have the upper hand this time around, Microsoft’s run at the top in the U.S. market has come to an end prematurely. The company’s current-generation Xbox 360 console had been the top-selling home video game console in America for 32 consecutive months according to market research firm NPD Group, but that unbelievable streak came screeching to a halt in September as the PS3 pulled ahead. More →
Fear not PlayStation 3 owners, Sony has confirmed that it has no plans to abandon its current console when the PlayStation 4 launches this holiday season for $399. Sony Japan president Hiroshi Kawano and Sony Worldwide president Shuhei Yoshida revealed in an interview with Japanese gaming magazine Weekly Famitsu, translated by Kotaku, that support for the PlayStation 3 will continue indefinitely and the company has “no intention of immediately shifting from the PS3 to the PS4.” Kawano noted that after seven years the console continues to “sell at a constant pace,” adding that there are also many upcoming titles are for the system. More →
Sony on Wednesday evening announced that a firmware update is rolling out to fix broken PlayStation 3 consoles. The update is meant to reverse the damage caused by an earlier patch that left a “small number” of users with bricked consoles. The company also posted detailed instructions for users to install the update even if their consoles won’t turn on. Required equipment includes a USB Mass Storage device such as a USB flash drive with at least 168MB of free space, or older models can use an SD card, Memory Stick or CompactFlash card. Users must then boot up the PlayStation 3 in safe mode and load the update onto it manually. Sony’s full instructions on how to install firmware update 4.46 can be found below. More →
Earlier this week, Sony issued a system update for its PlayStation 3 gaming console. The patch was meant to fix preexisting problems, however it was found to be doing the exact opposite for some owners who found their consoles unusable after the update was installed. Sony was forced to pull the 4.45 system update, but not before leaving a “small number” of users with broken systems. The company on Friday revealed that it has identified the problem and plans to issue a new update that will fix the issue on June 27th. The statement came from Sony’s European PlayStation Twitter account and it remains unclear if the patch will be available to owners worldwide or only in select regions.
Sony’s newfound goodwill with gamers won’t last long if it starts bricking users’ consoles. BBC News reports that Sony has pulled its 4.45 system update for the PlayStation 3 that was leaving some consoles unusable. Sony says that it is investigating the reason its latest update, which it first released on Tuesday, bricked consoles and tells BBC News that it only affected a “small number” of PlayStations worldwide. Sony also apologized to users and encouraged them to wait for an official fix for the problem instead of trying to fix it themselves.


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OPINION: Has Google waited too long to jump into the subscription music market?
NZ-born group concerned Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement will unfairly extend intellectual property rights.
We're still a far cry from actually having a conversation with a computer.
Google staged four discussions expounding on the finer points of its wearable computer at developer conference.
A group of technology-savvy Kiwi teachers are now Google-certified after attending an exclusive academy.
We're increasingly reliant on phones and tablets - and thieves and cyber crims know it.
Which new gaming system are you most excited about?Related story: (See story)
Nintendo, whata you up to?
Google Now is the future


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Tough 2019 lumber market results in big loss for Canfor
Soft demand and sagging prices take a big toll on the lumber producer’s sales and profits.
Canfor, the Vancouver, British Columbia-based lumber and pulp producer, reported that fourth quarter 2019 sales increased 7.5% to 1.105 billion Canadian dollars (US$836.6 million) from sales of C$1.028 million (US$ 778.3 million) in the fourth quarter 2018.
Sales for the full year fell 7.6% to C$4.658 billion (US$3.53 billion) compared to sales of C$5.044 billion (US$3.82 billion) in 2018.
Canfor posted a net loss of C$39.1 million (US$29.6 million) in the quarter. The company reported a net loss of C$52.4 million (US$39.68 million) in the fourth quarter last year.
For the full year, Canfor reported a net loss of C$263 million (US$199 million) – a huge, downward swing from a net income of C$354.9 million (US$268.7 million).
Unlike record-high lumber and pulp prices in 2018, weaker global lumber and pulp demand for much of 2019 along with excess inventory levels resulted in a sharp drop in market pricing for both lumber and pulp products.
During much of 2019, Canfor was hampered by numerous curtailments and shutdowns throughout its network of sawmills.
Canfor said that global lumber market fundamentals have displayed modest improvement in recent months, particularly in the United States, resulting from moderate growth in home construction activity in addition to demand in the repair and remodeling sector.
In the fourth quarter, Canfor and Canfor Corporation and Great Pacific Capital Corp. mutually terminated an acquisition agreement. The plan called for Great Pacific Capital, a subsidiary of Great Pacific, to acquire the remaining 49% of Canfor that it does not already own. Great Pacific is owned by Canadian billionaire Jim Pattison.
The deal was worth an estimated C$1 billion (US$757 million).
The Bottom Line: Weaker demand and soft lumber prices hammered Canfor’s sales and profits as the company reports a net loss of C$263 million (US$199 million) for 2019.
What the CEO said: “The challenging global lumber and pulp market conditions of 2019, particularly across all our BC operations, overshadowed the transformational global diversification undertaken by the company during the year, with the acquisition of Vida and the expansion in our business in the U.S. South,” said Don Kayne, Canfor CEO and president.
“We look forward to further leveraging benefits from our diversification strategy, while maintaining a focus across all our operations on improving productivity, maximizing fibre utilization and reducing costs and debt levels, so that we are well-positioned to fully capitalize on improving market conditions through 2020,” Kayne said.
Company info: The full fourth quarter 2019 report from Canfor is available here.
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Top cryptocurrencies to buy in 2021
Bitcoin remains without a doubt the largest cryptocurrency in terms of market capitalisation, and that can quibble about its 300% rate gain in 2020? But that’s nothing compared to smaller cryptocurrencies like Ethereum, Chainlink, Polkadot as well as Cardano which appreciated by an astonishing 500% to 700% over the in 2015. Have a look at the following table of the top 10 executing cryptocurrencies over one year: Source: Revix These might appear like phenomenal returns and also they are when compared to even more conventional investments like supplies and bonds yet in crypto terms they aren’t unusual.
The cryptocurrency possession course has been hands-down the best-performing financial investment group you can have picked over the last decade, turning out a remarkable 39 583% return over that period. You read that. It indicates that a R10 000 investment in the more comprehensive crypto market ten years earlier would be worth R3.
While Bitcoin is delighting in expanding assistance from institutional capitalists as well as huge corporates, with Tesla being the newest blue chip to obtain a record damaging $1. 5 billion (R22. 4 billion) as a result of its regarded role as digital gold as well as thus a bush versus rising cost of living the other cryptocurrencies shown over have totally different pressures powering their costs.
Questions About Cryptocurrency? Here Are 21 Answers
Bitcoin stays by far the biggest crypto in terms of market cap, several altcoins (a terms made use of to define any kind of cryptocurrency that is not bitcoin) have actually considerably surpassed Bitcoin over the last year. Ethereum is up 630% over the last year, Chainlink 697%, Cardano 533%, as well as Polkadot 428%.
“This is in part thanks to the explosive rise in decentralised money [De, Fi], which is a subsector of the cryptocurrency market where entrepreneurs are developing automated trading and lending systems atop blockchain networks that do not need any type of middlemans like financial institutions or brokers,” says Sanders. One way to obtain wide exposure to these arising cryptocurrencies is by investing in among three diversified ‘crypto bundles’ used by Revix.
Those that want to own a more comprehensive spread of cryptos can acquire the Leading 10 Package, which spreads their financial investment equally over the 10 largest cryptos and also automatically updates their holdings on a month-to-month basis. There’s also a Settlement Bundle for those that desire direct exposure to those cryptos that are looking to become digital money (like Bitcoin or Litecoin).
My 2 Best Cryptocurrencies to Buy and Hold
You can additionally acquire USDC on Revix, a ‘USD stablecoin’ completely backed by the US buck as well as Pax Gold which is an asset-backed token backed 1:1 by physical gold bars held in London Brinks Vaults. Right here’s just how these bundles done over the in 2015 to date loved one to Bitcoin: While numerous financiers in standard assets have stayed careful about diving right into cryptos, thinking either that it is a bubble waiting to burst or that it has actually already run expensive, a little historic point of view may aid.
Those cautions are merited, offered its severe volatility. After striking $20 000 in December 2017, bitcoin drew back greatly by 84% before resuming its exceptional healing. What’s various this time is the entrance of solid acquiring assistance from both retail financiers and also organizations like Tesla, Pay, Friend, Black, Rock, Integrity, JP Morgan, Micro, Method, Harvard’s endowment fund and also Twitter founder Jack Dorsey’s firm, Square, along with billionaire financiers like Paul Tudor Jones and also Stanley Druckenmiller.
It marks an important shift in the public’s understanding of cryptocurrencies: as opposed to being seen solely as a speculative asset for those looking for eye-popping returns, cryptocurrencies now maintain a much more comprehensive appeal. Bitcoin will likely continue to be king of the cryptos for the foreseeable future, yet attention is shifting to the financial investment possibility of smaller cryptocurrencies like ether (or ETH, the coin that makes business feasible on the Ethereum blockchain), Cardano, Chainlink and also others.
My 2 Best Cryptocurrencies to Buy and Hold
While Bitcoin will only ever before have 21 million coins in concern, ETH has no ‘tough cap’ and is increasing its coin issuance by around 2% a year. The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) is established to debut its brand-new futures contracts on ETH this week, which will certainly generate extra buzz around the coin.
This is the fast-growing world of De, Fi and ETH is the money that oils the system. The Ethereum blockchain is being upgraded to take care of bigger volumes at rate, and more ETH coins are being held instead than traded including a possible element of shortage of the kind that has driven bitcoin to such elevations.
“Rate corrections are a natural part of any type of financial investment market as well as are particularly natural in the crypto ecological community. However one thing is clear: crypto has shown up and the time to be successful of crypto’s mainstream outbreak is starting to run short.” If you’ve been watching this year’s crypto boom from afar, and also wish to get Ethereum, Bitcoin or a diversified crypto basket, currently’s your possibility to get going by registering for a totally free account at Revix.
Best cryptocurrency 2021: top performing crypto Bitcoin and …
What Are The Top Cryptocurrencies To Invest Now? Here’S
The minimal investment is R500, and also while you may assume that crypto rates have run away from you as well as it is far too late to capture the crypto bullet train, numerous customers ignore the rate motions and simply invest a little every month called buck price averaging. Revix charges no month-to-month account or membership fees, yet instead a straightforward 1% transaction cost for both deals as well as a 0.
04% a year) on the complete package worth held (this charge is not levied on solitary cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or the Pax Gold token). Given you by Revix. For additional information, browse through. This write-up is intended for informative purposes only. The views shared are not and also must not be interpreted as financial investment guidance or referrals.
You need to not invest greater than you can afford to shed, as well as before investing please think about your degree of experience and also investment goals, as well as look for independent economic advice if needed.


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Since 2019, folding screens have gradually become a hot technology in the smartphone industry. After all, this is already the most anticipated innovation. Although Samsung continues to promote the development of the folding screen production line, and manufacturers such as Huawei, Motorola, Rouyu, and Microsoft have also stepped into it, in general, the folding screen mobile phone is still a geek plaything for niche users who want to become a mature smart For the mobile phone category, there is still a way to go in terms of software and hardware.
To make folding screen attention and even sales to a new level, there is a manufacturer that is crucial- Apple. Previously, with Apple Watch and AirPods, Apple spurred the development of smartwatches and true wireless headphones. Even after the release of self-developed chips, PCs based on the ARM architecture are not so “tasteless”. Therefore, if Apple releases a foldable iPhone, this market segment will be more active.
In fact, Apple has been paying attention to foldable smart devices and has applied for many patents. The recent news seems to make this unreachable concept machine one step further from the market. According to people familiar with the matter, Apple is developing two folding screen mobile phones internally and is testing prototypes in Foxconn factories.
It is worth mentioning that one of Apple’s two “folding screen iPhones” is a dual-screen design (similar to Surface Duo). Although connected by hinges, the overall panel looks like one piece with almost no gaps. Another prototype uses a top and bottom fold design, which is similar to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip series or Motorola RAZR.
At present, the quality test of the two prototypes in the factory has come to an end. Apple may evaluate two options and choose one of them. According to analysts, the foldable iPhone may not be interviewed until the end of 2022 or even 2023. Of course, in addition to the distant release time, the price and configuration of the foldable iPhone may also reach new heights. However, in my opinion, the key to the success or failure of this device lies in experience. For Apple, which controls the iOS system, it may not be difficult to complete the adaptation of the system and applications to the folding screen and dual-screen. Therefore, what kind of experience the foldable iPhone will bring in terms of hardware and software, and whether this device can lead the foldable screen terminal to the next stage is worth looking forward to.


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Event Round Up:
Packaging Innovations 2018
Inside Packaging rounds up the best ideas from Packaging Innovations 2018 held in Birmingham, UK
Credit: Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock
Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre (NEC) has opened its gates to industry leaders, world-class topic speakers and retailers for the annual Packaging Innovations event on 28 February and 1 March 2018.
Sustainability and the role of plastic in packaging took centre stage throughout the two-day conference, as the leading experts in the field debated on the how to safeguard the environment from pollution.
Inside Packaging rounds up the best ideas from the event.
Friendlier solutions: plastics can be eliminated
During the months leading up to Packaging Innovations 2018, the packaging and retail industries witnessed a huge increase in demand for environmentally-friendly solutions and were urged to phase out plastic from their products.
Within this framework, Easyfairs launched a competition for emerging companies to present their sustainable alternatives.
The resulting winners, Finnish non-profit organisation VTT, stood out for coming up with 100% renewable and compostable material solutions for multi-layered plastic packages for food packaging applications.
Among the participants was also British manufacturer James Cropper, which showcased its 100% renewable natural woods fibre that was used to produce creative packaging for brands like Lush and Floral Street.
Other companies took advantage of the occasion to introduce their alternatives to the much-discussed disposable coffees cups, which has triggered debate in the UK since January.
Yet, while many presented their plans to eliminate plastic, some instead tried to show how to use it in the best way. This was the case of RPC group, which showcased its packs made from sugarcane and recycled plastics.
Whether it was a matter of discussing its perks and flaws, its use or its alternatives, plastic packaging was clearly Packaging Innovations’ biggest protagonist.
New technologies: The role of AI in packaging and labelling
Investing in digital development was at the core of this year’s Packaging Innovations summit, since it helps to elevate the consumer experience to a new level.
In this category, OAL held a forum focused on the usefulness of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in packaging systems to fix problems created by human errors in data code printing. Using AI, OAL created April Eye, a data code verification system that reads back and verifies dates codes.
Multi Packaging Solutions also invested in digital innovation to develop high-tech barcode that can interact with smartphones. These ‘SmarterBarcodes’ are able to transform a regular barcode into a two-way communication channel.
Meanwhile, LageenTubes presented a range of digital printing solutions with designs that can be touched and felt at 360° with the aim to improve consumer experience.
Expanding portfolios: innovation within food
A large number of packaging manufacturers focused on improving or expanding their food packaging portfolios in Birmingham this year.
Whether it was a matter of exploring how to help cut down food waste, encouraging consumers to cook more at home or finding new ways to improve the Food To Go sector, several companies have proved to be innovative, as well as original.
A paperboard KFC bucket – the brand’s first to be plastic-free and with improved resistance against excess oil – was on display at Graphic Packaging International’s stand. The British manufacturer also launched a new range of flexible-rigid packaging for food-to-go meals that is easy to open and reseal.
Kingsmoor Packaging showcased its portfolio of packaging with integrated thermoforming capability, suitable for pre-packed food and meals to have on the go.
Lastly, ri2r also returned to Birmingham to exhibit its range of greaseproof paper products and array of wrinklewall and smoothwall semi-rigid aluminium foil containers, which have proved to be extremely popular this year in the UK.


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Discussion about cloud services tend to be about IT benefits – CAPEX to OPEX, capacity flexing and rapid deployment. Those things are real benefits, and as our news feed this week shows, CIOs are more focused on cloud than they are on running in-house data centres.
I have long argued that readily available public infrastructure and cloud computing services will reduce IT from being a competitive advantage for the major corporations and level the playing field for new, nimble start-up companies – who will therefore be able to compete much more aggressively.
Small start-ups have another advantage from cloud too. They can move offices at the drop of a hat, as they grow. It’s relatively cheap to move physically – certainly not a barrier – although there are business continuity issues to deal with. With the complete computing suite in the cloud there is no IT disruption involved in a move, no configuration changes nor additional risks to any such move.
There is a big difference between relocating a few tens of people in a start-up from moving thousands of people in a plc. It’s more than just a scale problem. But a start-up will move frequently as it grows, and a plc tends to open up a new office if it needs it and thereby creates more network complexity.
I’ve never been much taken with the idea of a private cloud. After all cloud computing services are just a data centre and a network. If you’re running your own then call it what it is. However, thinking differently, and thinking appropriately about your business, may lead you to conclude that private cloud can have some benefits. I recall a major retailer implementing SAP in multiple instances – at a time when that was more expensive and not particularly popular. The explanation was compelling – the Board were buying and selling businesses, and although more expensive initially, in the longer term this was a cheaper way to detach IT in companies that were sold. It was also easy to open up a new instance and implement it in an acquired business.
As a CIO you need to look at the growth patterns of your businesses, to look at the propensity to add new offices, or move to bigger premises, and ensure your team designs the IT solutions around them. You might just be negating one of the advantages that a start-up competitor will have over your organisation – and so you can concentrate more on the real business of ensuring that your customer service, in all respects, is such that you build brand loyalty and deny the start-up a toehold.


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Sony steals the 2nd place spot from Apple in India
Sony India has overtaken Apple in their sales for smartphones in India becoming the second largest mobile phone shipper in 2014. This aggressive movement has been rewarded to Sony thanks to the company’s focus largely on the Rs 10,000-20,000 smartphone space, backed by Rs 300-crore marketing spend.
The number one spot was retained by Korean smartphone giant Samsung with 43% market value share. Sony took second place with 9.1% value share in the Indian smartphone market in the October-December quarter of 2013 against Apple’s 7% share.
This decline in Apple’s sales has been thanks to the company’s decision to withdraw sales of their largest selling unit the iPhone 4, and hence the disappearance of Apple from the under Rs. 20,000 price bracket. Apple did relaunch the iPhone 4 specially for the Indian market but failed to gather any response from the market who were hoping for a cut on the price of the iPhone 4s.
Sony Executives claim :
While this loss of sales prompted Apple to relaunch iPhone 4 once again in India in January, sales have not picked up since it is not at all spending on marketing or offering any buyback offer and even the initial euphoria around iPhone 5S has sobered down,
Kenichiro Hibi, managing director at Sony India, said the company’s smartphone business has attained similar revenues as its flagship television business in the fiscal ended March 31.
[quote text_size=”small” author=”Kenichiro Hibi, ” author_title=”Managing Director at Sony India”]The smartphone business doubled in last one year which led to 20% growth in overall sales in 2013-14. We expect to grow at a similar pace this fiscal as well to touch Rs 12,000 crore sales[/quote]
While this may be considered a big loss for Apple, the company has seen decline of sale during the months that lead up to the launch of their next flagship.


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When it comes to the Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone, one thing is always going to be true: rumors are never going to die down. No matter what is going on with Cupertino at a given time, there will always be people considering what the company is going to come up with next. This is all part of the territory when you are one of the top tech companies in the world.
Right now, there are quite a few Apple iPhone rumors out there. Some are enough to get people excited while others have been rehashed so many times that nobody takes them seriously any longer.
One that many are paying attention to is that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) will soon roll out an iPhone with a 4.8 inch screen. This is something that people have been calling on for quite some time, and this rumor is not likely to die down until Cupertino actually makes good.
Patently Apple is citing a research note by Citi Research, saying that Cupertino is set to launch an iPhone with a 4.8 inch screen as early as next year.
To some, this is a great move. To others, it doesn’t make any sense. Those who feel that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) should do this sooner rather than later believe this is a good idea because many competitors offer a larger screen.
Here is more from the Patently Apple piece:
“Contrary to Apple’s traditional iPhone events held in September, Citi’s note says that the larger iPhone design is being scheduled to debut in Q1 2014. If the rumor is true, it would mark a new strategic move by Apple to counter the wave of news that traditionally emanates out of the Mobile World Congress tradeshow that is held every February.”
Whether or not Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) decides to do this is still up in the air. Of course, this is not the only iPhone rumor out there. Others are looking for a cheaper smartphone to be announced soon enough, with just as many hoping that Cupertino brings more color to this device.
A rumor is a rumor for a reason. When it comes to Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), there will always be rumors floating around. This one is picking up steam, and now that Citi Research has brought it to light who knows what is going to be said next.


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The keynote event for the Windows 8 press launch in New York City earlier today began with a rather interesting video clip. Now, Microsoft has released that video as yet another new promotional tool for Windows 8.
The 97 second clip shows a spinning globe of the world that is placed in several locations around the world; it also shows a number of recent Microsoft events from overseas. They include the recent world record setting Windows AppFest and the Windows 8 pre-launch event in China that was just held earlier this week.
Obviously, the theme is that it won't be just the US or Europe that will feel the impact of the launch of Windows 8 but that this is truly a global event. It's currently unknown if this clip will become a part of Microsoft's official TV commercial campaign for Windows 8.
As we reported earlier this week, Microsoft is expanding its number of Windows 8 TV ads and creating a several of them for different territories and languages. They included a parkour ad for Asian countries and an "after party clean up" clip for Latin American customers; q new US ad features an indie rock band playing on the road.
Source: Microsoft on YouTube


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It appears that retailers have already begun listing Rockstar’s GTA V for PC. The world’s largest online retailer, Amazon, recently listed the open world game for PC and has begun taking pre-orders for the title.
Retailers do traditionally get information ahead of anyone else in regards to what’s coming and when in the world of video games, so there could be some credibility to this recent listing. However, this could also just be a mistake on the part of the website. They may just be assuming that Rockstar will deliver a PC version some time after the release of the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of GTA 5.
Rockstar themselves haven’t said anything about a PC version of GTA V. They’ve said they are focused only on the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game, and will share more details when the time comes. So far, 2013 hasn’t held any new news about the open-world title. Fans have yet to hear an official release date, outside of the Spring window, but Rockstar is expected to announce these details later this month as well as reveal the game’s official box art.
This listing shouldn’t be taken as a confirmation of the PC version of GTA V, but it wouldn’t be surprising if it turns out to be true.


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Charity is cracking down on puppy trade
11:50am Tuesday 3rd September 2013 in News
AN INTERNATIONAL animal welfare charity is cracking down on the illegal puppy trade by launching a new online platform to ecourage people to report it to local authorities.
The website offers a tool for duped buyers who wish to share their experiences, and visitors to the website will find a checklist, with useful tips on what to consider when buying a dog.
Birgitt Thiesmann, companion animal expert at Four Paws, said: “Our main goal is to reduce the demand for cheap pedigree puppies from dubious sources and to stop the activity of illegal traders.
“For this reason a special offer should never be a factor when buying a dog.
“With the help of concerned dog buyers we wish to gather more research, expose traders and support our demands for changes to the law.
“In special cases we will contact the concerned parties, in order to get more information regarding the case. However because we cannot follow up on every case, we are asking concerned dog owners to collect all the necessary information and hand it in at their local responsible authority.”
Thousands of puppies in the UK are being offered for sale under false pretences through the Internet, in pet shops and in public spaces.
To view the new web platform visit www.stoppuppytraders.org.
For more information visit www.four-paws.org.uk.


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Even more emoji are on the way for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch owners.
Apple will include the approved characters in Unicode 11.0 with software updates for iOS, macOS, and watchOS. The software updates that include new features as well are arriving in the fall. You should expect to see more hair options, a tweaked emoji for bald people, and a bunch of smiley faces that can liven up any conversations.
The fresh batch of emoji also covers animals and foods. Apple says it’ll add a kangaroo, peacock, lettuce, cupcake, and more. There are even new emoji for a superhero, softball, and infinity symbol. Once everything is added, Apple will continue having a massive library of emoji on its devices.
You won’t see these emoji for a few more months, but it’s a fun way for Apple to celebrate World Emoji Day. The holiday, which takes place on July 17, observes the use of emoji to express ourselves in addition to words, pictures, and videos.
In all, Apple will unleash more than 70 new emoji on its devices this fall. Then you’ll have dozens of creative, fun ways to communicate with friends and family.


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Digicel Play rebranded
The home entertainment service formerly known as Digicel Play, has been rebranded to Digicel.
Director of Marketing for Digicel Caribbean Limited, Peter Lloyd said, “This is all about simplifying our business to deliver the best and most amazing experiences and innovation to our customers as one single unified brand.”
He explained, "Digicel has built up a seventeen-year legacy of success, so we’re excited to be streamlining all our products and services under one powerful brand as a total communications and entertainment provider.”
Digicel said the rebranding exercise consisted of a seamless name change with no impact to customers.
There were no changes to the rates, contracts, package structure or service.
They said while the names of packages would be changed to ensure simplicity and transparency, the purple colour that was once synonymous with Digicel Play will be changed over time to Digicel’s iconic red.
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A coffee disease caused a lot of damages in Central America. Farmer are fighting against a fungus called coffee rust that has caused over $1 billion damages in Latin America.
A coffee fungus called "Rust" has proven deadly especially for the Arabica coffee beans which are used to make most high-end special coffees. This fungus has caused damages amounting to more than $1 billion in Latin America. The coffee prices are going to increase due to these damages.
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The U.S. government is trying to help farmers fight against this coffee disease as it wants to control the prices of coffee. The prices of some coffee brands have already increased due to this disease.
“We are concerned because we know coffee rust is already causing massive amounts of devastation,” said Raj Shah, head of the U.S. Agency for International Development.
The coffee fungus rust is also called “roya” in Spanish. This fungus is highly contagious due to airborne fungal spores. It affects many types of coffee but it hit the Arabica beans really hard. And the rain makes this disease even worse.
This coffee fungus hit several brands of coffee including those found in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama and Costa Rica. The U.S. government was expected to announce a $5 million partnership with Texas A&M University’s World Coffee Research Center on Monday in order to destroy the fungus.
Actually, the U.S. government is very much concerned about the small coffee farms and their economic security. The shutdown of these farms will increase joblessness and poverty in the region. And the government does not want this.
According to Time, "Washington estimates that production could be down anywhere from 15 percent to 40 percent in coming years, and that those losses could mean as many as 500,000 people could lose their jobs. Though some countries have brought the fungus under control, many of the poorer coffee-producing countries in Latin America don’t see the rust problem getting better anytime soon."
“We don’t see an end in sight anytime soon,” said Leonardo Lombardini of Texas A&M’s World Coffee Research. However, USAID is said to work with Texas A&M in order to do some research and find preventive methods to end the rust fungus.


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Institutional landlord Landsec has unveiled a new leasing strategy aimed at luring new “digitally native” brands and meeting the “rapidly evolving” needs of traditional retailers.
New and existing occupiers will be offered four new products designed to offer shorter and more flexible lease lengths, reduced upfront fit-out costs for taking a unit, and access to customer insight and footfall data from its centres.
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Timothy Parent is the founder of China Fashion Bloggers and has followed Shanghai Fashion Week for 15 seasons and Fashion Now in Beijing for six seasons. In his latest Fashion Column for That’s, he talks about the ways technology will influence the fashion industry ahead of Shanghai Fashion Week.
Shanghai Fashion Week is just around the corner, and the theme this season is technology. But technology is more than just a theme, and could alter the very fabric and foundation of fashion.
There is so much fashion tech that already exists but isn’t widely available to consumers: hydrophobic clothing that repels all liquids, meaning you’ll never have to worry about stains or rain again; materials with chemical coatings that neutralize pollution, which turns you into a walking air purifier; shoes that harness kinetic energy, meaning every step you take helps generate power that can be used to charge your phone or any other electronic device.
And although these technologies already exist today, consumers are mostly being shown gimmicky versions of the tech-fashion combo, like bags and dresses that have been outfitted with strands of LEDs. Sure, lights are cool, but technology shouldn’t be simply added on top of garments. It should be truly integrated.
At the height of the integration with fashion and technology is surely Iris van Herpen, the Dutch designer known for 3D printed garments that have earned her a place on Paris’s Haute Couture calendar. But China has its own fashion-tech darling, Vega Zaishi Wang, who used electroluminescent panels in a collaboration with Intel’s Creators Project to create dresses that light up evenly across the surface of the fabric, creating an illusion that the garment itself is breathing and alive.
But Vega, who is at the forefront of this movement, isn’t optimistic about technology’s role in fashion; she believes technology seems to be pushing designers to be more commercial and less creative. With the democratization of access to fashion through the internet, there is now even more competition from brands made purely for commercial purposes, and consumers are falling for it. So even though tech certainly enables creativity, it may also be a double-edged sword.
"Tech will help to generate new methods of showcasing fashion”
Babyghost is another local brand that is leveraging technology to enhance fashion. For their Spring/Summer 2017 show, they integrated NFC, or near-field communication, into their work so that the clothes could communicate with a range of electronic devices… and the possibilities are nearly endless! But the design duo believes the real potential comes in enhancing the way clothes are “advertised, interacted with, and sold.” So even though technology can change both the form and function of fashion, in the short term it is more likely to revolutionize the way we perceive fashion… and that seems to be just what Shanghai Fashion Week wants.
“I think tech will help to generate new methods of showcasing fashion,” statesLandon Du, the head of communication at Shanghai Fashion Week. “Both B2B and B2C will benefit from the application of technology in fashion.” How exactly this will manifest is yet to be seen, but one such project fromBeyond the Bund and CFB called “Fashion For All” will livestream the runway shows from Shanghai Fashion Week so that the general public can enjoy them in real time.
Fashion is as exclusive and elitist as ever, but Candy Li, the founder of Green Code, believes that technology will force people to rethink the very definition of fashion. Technology has already paved the way for fashion to become greener, and sustainability is yet another way for it to become more technology-driven. By optimizing production and sales, introducing biodegradable fabrics, and creating a closed-loop system, technology can make fashion more environmentally friendly.
But this is literally the tip of the iceberg. In the future our clothing may be completely digital and projected onto us. Tech-enabled clothing could also bring us nano-fibers that bend light and make us invisible. The possibilities are virtually endless, but the tech/ fashion dichotomy usually ends up leaning one way or the other, which is why it hasn’t really ever worked for the average person. Consumers would surely love to see tech giants like Tencent and Baidu throw their hats into the fashion arena, but will something truly transformative ever come out of this interplay between these industries, or will fashion tech forever be relegated to the headlines of wishful writers?
Timothy Parent can also be found at www.chinafashionbloggers.com. See more of his Fashion Columns.
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The Apple iPhone 2019 models should be presented on September 10th, but we already have a good idea of what to expect. Thanks to several renderings and losses, the new models are focusing and now an unofficial video shows a model of iPhone (LCD) with 6.1 inches and iPhone 11 Pro. The latter must be available in two screen sizes (5, 8 inches and 6.5 inches), both with AMOLED panels. All three phones will feature the square camera module located in the upper left corner of the rear glass panel. Based on previous rumors and losses, the iPhone 11 will be equipped with two cameras (primary + telephoto with 2x optical zoom), while iPhone Pro models will have the same pair of cameras with an additional wide-angle camera included. It is said that the latter has a field of view of 120º.
Last week we broadcast a full report on the new phones, which indicated that the renewed cameras will be able to provide photographs that match the quality of those taken with some traditional cameras. And it seems that Apple has worked hard to improve the photos taken by an iPhone in poor lighting conditions. The same report points out that a new feature will allow iPhone users to edit videos in real-time.
The models seen in the video were created by Shai Mizrahi and Ran Avni (through TechRadar) based on information that has been disclosed to the public so far. What we don’t see is the mini-Apple Pencil that could come with the iPhone 11 Pro or offer as an accessory. A representation of the Olixar case for iPhone 11 Pro models shows a carrying case for the instrument, but the accessory manufacturer has not always been a reliable source.
It is said that Apple iPhone 2019 has greater water resistance
All three models will be powered by the 7nm Aion Bionic chipset and battery capacity is expected to increase 5% -20%; Apple is increasing the size of the batteries to support the planned reverse wireless charging function. This will allow you to use the back of an iPhone 2019 as a wireless charging platform to turn on your AirPods in a wireless charging case, the Apple Watch or a compatible phone. This feature uses the battery of the host phone and it is assumed that the iPhone 11 Pro (6.5 inches) will be shipped with a battery with 4000 mAh capacity; It would be the largest battery ever used on an iPhone.
Speaking of the battery, Apple should keep the Lightning port on the new iPhones with a USB-C modification probably going on by 2020. However, the manufacturer will include an 18 W rapid charger in the package along with a type – C to Lightning Cable. Previously, Apple inserted a 5W charging adapter in the package along with a new iPhone and charged $29 for the 18W brick in the Apple Store.
Another interesting part of the recent 2019 iPhone report indicates that Apple was able to improve the water-resistance of its new phones. Currently, the iPhone XS and the iPhone XS Max have an IP68 protection rating, which means that they can be immersed in almost 5 feet of water for 30 minutes. The iPhone XR has an IP67 protection rating that allows you to dive in just over 3 feet of water for 30 minutes. Earlier this year, it was rumored to say an underwater mode for the 2019 iPhones and that it would allow users to take pictures and surf the touchscreen even underwater (hence the name of the mode). A weeks later, a patent application filed by Apple was published that reveals the technology that would allow an iPhone to optimize underwater photographs.
The video begins to show an iPhone 11 model followed by the appearance of the iPhone 11 Pro (5.8 inches) model. The enclosures displayed in the clip are made by the accessory manufacturer Pitaka and are made of carbon fiber.
- Apple iPhone 12 Series Will Adopt The Rear Flight Time Cameras
- Samsung will Give You Up to $600 on Exchange for a Pixel 3, iPhone X, Note9, or Galaxy S10 if You Purchase a Galaxy Note10
- Apple Watch Cuts More Ties With The iPhone In Latest WatchOS 6 Beta
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Why are retailers still not ready for mobile?
With 20% of all e-commerce traffic now coming from mobile in the UK it could be expected that most retailers are taking m-commerce seriously and providing their customers with an optimised mobile channel, but this is not the case according to the 'UK Retailer Mobile Optimisation' report from digital in-store technology firm Skava.
The report found that, despite the ongoing surge in mobile traffic, one quarter of the top 100 UK retailers have yet to optimise their e-commerce websites for mobile devices. Although, this is a 26% increase on the 50% of UK retailers who had optimised for mobile by March 2013, UK retailers still lag behind the US, where 100% of the top US retailers have already optimised the channel.
According to eMarketer's latest forecasts, worldwide business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce sales will increase by 20.1% in 2014, reaching US$1.5 trillion. In the US, 12% of overall e-commerce revenue is now made up of m-commerce sales. In 2013, UK retailer Argos received £400 million in m-commerce sales, accounting for 10% of the company's overall online sales. However, on average, the top 20 UK retailers saw only 5% of their revenue coming from m-commerce, according to the 2013 Internet Retailer Global Mobile 500 report.
"In Europe, some retailers are still arguing about the importance of mobile as a significant source of revenue. The increase in e-commerce revenue overall is masking the loss of revenue through poorly converting mobile websites," warned Arish Ali, Skava's CEO and co-founder. "Simply creating a mobile website is no longer efficient, but retailers must build mobile optimized websites with a conversion-first approach."
The report also warned that the launch of a mobile website is not the end of a retailer's mobile strategy; rather it is the very beginning. Like e-commerce websites before them, mobile sites and apps require constant updates based on analysis of user behaviours to create a completely seamless shopping experience for the customer.
"Mobile is the fastest growing sector of e-commerce, yet this data suggests that retailers have still to adapt to the changing landscape," concluded Paul Morrison, UK manager for Skava. "M-commerce has increased 78% over the past year and those innovative retailers which have moved beyond their first-generation 'scraped static site' to a conversion-driven mobile design are reaping the rewards."


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MGS2 release date on schedule
It has been announced today that Konami will be keeping the North American release date of Metal Gear Solid: Sons of Liberty on schedule for the PS2. Following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, attention had been drawn to the game concerning whether or not it may be delayed or even cancelled.
According to a press release, "Initially, Metal Gear Solid 2 would have included a scene showing the World Trade Center building. But due to the recent terrorist incident, we have decided to remove that particular scene. The theme of the game focuses on the establishment of peace. Therefore, there will be no change in the plot of the game."
Also mentioned by store retailers, Japan is pondering the idea of moving the release date for MGS2 up two weeks to November 29, contrasting with its original date of December 13. However, Konami has given no official word, as the press release merely stated that the game would be "on schedule as originally planned."
9/18/2001 Matt Stensrud


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After one year in business, a Pflugerville brewery is shutting down
In a stark reminder the beer business isn’t so easy, Idle Vine Brewery in Pflugerville announced yesterday that it will be closing down in a couple of weeks.
The announcement, made on the brewery’s Facebook page, noted that Idle Vine’s last day is March 3, when the brewery is throwing a fundraiser for the Pflugerville Animal Shelter.
“It is with a heavy heart and great disappointment that we must share this update with you today,” according to Idle Vine. “It has been a great experience for us to be a part of this exciting community, and we have met some truly lovely people that share in our passion. We are forever indebted to all of our fans, customers and family members who supported and shared in this journey with us.”
Just over a year old, Idle Vine opened in a warehouse space that the owners outfitted with a homey taproom featuring a range of beer styles, including the monthly vertical bottle release of the Wanderer. In the fall, the brewery teamed up with Round Rock Donuts to make a pair of beers with a couple delectable doughnuts as ingredients.
Pflugerville is also home to Flying Man Brewing, which opened last summer in the old Rogness facility.
Idle Vine is closing as an increasing number of breweries are going live in the Austin area, including Oddwood Ales on Manor Road and the Brewtorium off Airport Boulevard.


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Holiday cheer is contagious.
Days after actor and director Tyler Perry dropped more than $400,000 to pay off all the layaway items at two Atlanta-area Walmarts, musician Kid Rock followed suit in his adopted hometown of Nashville, reportedly playing Santa for hundreds of families.
“Great idea!” the rap-rocker wrote in response to a tweet by Perry about his own kind deed. “I followed your lead and paid off the layaway at my local Walmart in Nashville. Merry Christmas and God Bless You!”
True to his word, Kid Rock, whose real name is Robert James Ritchie, forked over about $81,000 to pay down every last layaway balance — covering some 350 accounts — at a Walmart in the Music City, according to The Tennessean.
Kid Rock called the big-box store Friday to explain his plan, then sent his manager by later in the day to fork over the hefty sum, the paper reported.
Each person who benefited from the not-so-secret Santa is also being a handed a card that reads, “Merry Christmas from your neighbor! -Kid Rock.”
Lucky Nashville residents were overjoyed to find that Christmas had come early.
“It’s such a burden lifted off of our shoulders knowing that our kids will have Christmas,” said mom Autumn Nuccio, who had among her haul a guitar she picked out for her 3-year-old son.
“[Kid Rock] bought my son his first guitar,” gushed the boy’s father, Woody Nuccio, to The Tennessean.
The move came days after “Madea” creator Tyler Perry paid down roughly $430,000 in goods at two Georgia Walmarts, leaving their rightful owners only needing to pay one penny to pick up the items.
The good deed is a turnaround for Kid Rock, who last month found himself on the naughty list — and was booted as the grand marshal for Nashville’s Christmas Parade — after a “Fox & Friends” appearance in which he called “The View” co-host Joy Behar a “bitch.”


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SME business funding with “challenging” credit – funding a mezzanine floor We all love a challenge and this proposition of funding a mezzanine floor for a very challenging credit certainly ticked that box!
Fit Out Finance Teams up with Transmit to offer funding for new start up business Fit Out Finance is pleased to announce that we have entered into an affiliate agreement with Transmit Start-Ups which enables us to offer start-up loans under the official British Business Bank Start Up Loan scheme.
Semi-Permanent Structure Funding Fit Out Finance has a strong record on providing funding for temporary and semi-permanent structures, whether for own-use or for hire and long-term rental purposes.
Coffee Shop Franchise Fit Out Fit Out Finance was recently pleased to offer funding to a start-up franchise in London for the fitout of a small franchised coffee and cake shop.
Brexit creates unprecedented demand for warehouse fit out finance Stockpiling due to Brexit fears is creating unprecedented demand for warehouse space which, in turn is creating growth in the market for financing of warehouse fit out.


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The new vehicle import regulations we have all been waiting for were finally passed by the Aust. Govt. yesterday… after 5 long years.
At last, Australian consumers will have a greater choice of vehicles at lower prices including low emissions options
What happens next ?
There is a 12 month period before the new regulations will apply.
The old scheme will be phased out over the next 2 years.
Once the new regulations are released by the Govt. we will provide a full update explaining how the import scheme will operate in the future.
Here is a quick summary of the main points:
25 Year Rule will allow the import of classic and enthusiast vehicles over 25 years old
Models younger than 25 years and originally sold new in Aust will still be blocked for import BUT different “variants” will be allowed – e.g. hybrid, turbocharged, 4WD etc.
Many new hybrid, electric and kei cars will be available – any model not sold new in Aust that meets the environmental criteria
Change from 18 month –> 3 month gap for release to world market means that early R35 GTR’s will be eligible for import
Rare LHD vehicles won’t require conversion
New inspection system should ensure higher quality standards


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iTunes Radio is coming to a computer near you and it’s bringing friends: McDonald’s, Nissan, and Pepsi, to name a few. These brands are paying tens of millions to be the only advertisers in their respective categories (food, soft drink, automobile) for the first 12 months of the service.
A new ad salutes the “normal ones” in defiance of Apple’s famous “crazy ones” campaign. Papercut, a DVD, book and magazine shop in Stockholm, sells itself as the antidote to a boring life. “Because when you’re ordinary, you need something out of the ordinary.”
Apple Active Packaging
Today the news brings word of another wild patent from Apple – this time it’s packaging related. This patent titled “Active Electronic Media Packaging” shows Apple is interested in wirelessly charging its devices…while still on shelves. This patent would also allow Apple to transmit data (like softwareupdates) and display imagery on screens (advertising?).
Apple has big eyes for packaging, according to their patent file: “Although typical packaging for an electronic media device may be designed to adequately protect the device from shock or damage, the packaging is extremely limited in other respects.
For example, the ability to fully view or interact with the electronic media device while still inside the packaging is severely limited in most packaging designs. Although unobtrusive packaging designs have been developed, these designs typically do not allow electronic media devices to be interacted with while inside the packaging.”
For now it’s just a cool idea, but we think their long-term thinking is right on track.


text: In the last few weeks we've had the pleasure of twice witnessing a bizarre phenomenon – iPhone battery bloat. Due to gas build-up, some old iPhone batteries can swell up to such an extent that they damage the phone. On this customer's phone, the spectacularly iPhone bloated battery even pushed the screen assembly out from the back case. Fortunately, there was minimal damage and a battery replacement restored the iPhone to fully working order. It looks like it's an issue that Apple is well aware of and is tackling through engineering changes.


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Xiaomi Redmi 10 will arrive in India on March 17 with a 6nm Snapdragon chip and a 50MP dual camera
Xiaomi’s Redmi introduced the Redmi Note 11 Pro, Note 11 Pro+ 5G and Watch 2 Lite in India yesterday, but the month is not over yet as the company announced today that it will launch the Redmi 10 in India on March 17.
However, the Redmi 10 that will arrive in India next week is not the one that was unveiled last August or February this year (called Redmi 10 2022) with Helio G88 SoC. We are facing a new smartphone.
Redmi has yet to detail the specifications of the Indian model Redmi 10, but the company gave us a preview of its design and revealed some features. For starters, the Indian Redmi 10 will be powered by a 6nm Snapdragon chip and sport a notch display instead of one with a centered punch hole.
The Indian Redmi 10 will come with a 6nm Snapdragon chip and a notched display
The smartphone also has a textured back cover with a blemish-free finish, and now sports a square island, which houses a flash and dual cameras. The main camera uses a 50MP sensor and the secondary unit might just be a depth sensor.
The island also houses a fingerprint reader, reminiscent of the Realme Narzo 50A.
Indian Redmi 10 will feature textured back with 50MP dual camera and fingerprint scanner
Redmi also touched on fast charging, “massive battery” and “super fast storage” on the Redmi 10, but did not go into detail.
Indian Redmi 10 will come with fast charging, big battery and fast storage
While we wait for more details about the Indian Redmi 10, here is a small summary of the Redmi 10 released last August. The smartphone comes with Helio G88 SoC, 6.5″ 90Hz FullHD+ LCD, MIUI 12.5 based on Android 11, 8MP selfie camera, 50MP quad camera and 5000mAh battery with 18W charging.
It also has a side-mounted fingerprint reader and comes with stereo speakers.
Xiaomi Redmi 10 launched last August
The Redmi 10 2022 shares specs with the 2021 model except for the dedicated microSD card slot. You can head this way to see the detailed specifications of Redmi 10 and Redmi 10 2022 and browse here to read our Redmi 10 review. We also have a video version, which is linked below.
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On April 1, 2022, the United Kingdom introduced the plastic packaging tax (PPT) to encourage the use of recycled plastic over new plastic within packaging. The tax applies to plastic packaging manufactured in or imported into the UK, which contains less than 30% recycled plastic by weight.
As of April 1, 2023, the rate of tax increased to £210.82 per tonne of plastic packaging. One year on, we will explore key learnings and upcoming developments in the field.
Key Learnings from the First Year
The Importance of Data
The PPT has brought about significant administrative requirements for businesses, necessitating more detailed data on the plastic packaging used. This information may come from various sources and might not typically be part of the finance systems. The need for more granular data remains a key focus for businesses.
Cross-Functional Team Responsibilities
Compliance with PPT often requires a cross-functional effort. It often falls on the tax team, but the responsibilities extend to procurement, logistics, compliance, IT, product, and sustainability teams. This cross-functional collaboration is essential for managing various packaging compliance requirements.
Embedding Circularity at All Levels
The PPT and related measures aim to encourage businesses to embed circularity into everyday decision making. This includes reducing the use of virgin plastic and embedding recyclability in product design. However, moving towards a truly circular economy will require new business models and value chain collaboration.
Policy Developments on the Horizon
New Plastic Packaging Taxes in EU
Since January 1, 2021, all EU member states must contribute to the EU budget based on the amount of non-recycled plastic packaging waste. Spain introduced a PPT effective from January 1, 2023, at a rate of €0.45 per kilogram of non-recycled plastic packaging. Italy is also looking into introducing a similar tax.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)
Changes to the EPR program in the UK will take effect in a phased approach from 2024. Businesses will be required to pay the cost of collection and recycling for packaging they put on the market. After two years, eco-modulation will be introduced, which will mean companies paying more for less sustainable packaging.
Other Policy Changes
Other regulatory changes are being implemented, such as bans on certain types of single-use plastic products. For instance, Canada will implement such a ban from December 2022, France has started a phased introduction from January 2021, and the UK will implement the ban from October 2023. The UK is also reviewing a deposit return scheme for drinks containers, with a potential introduction from 2025.
Strategic Considerations for Plastic Use
Businesses need to think strategically about plastic packaging, keeping up with the evolving tax and regulatory landscape. Some actions businesses can consider include:
- Embed PPT and EPR requirements into existing processes to support ongoing compliance.
- Map your plastics footprint, including on-site waste, own product packaging, and plastics in the value chain.
- Assess how to reduce plastic packaging: Are there plastic-free options? Could a different type of plastic be used? Could there be a reusable solution? What key performance indicators is the business committed to and place on its suppliers?
The Bag Broker’s Proactive Adaptation to the Plastic Packaging Tax: A Shift Towards Sustainability
The introduction of the plastic packaging tax has sparked a transformative wave across industries worldwide, prompting companies to rethink their packaging choices. At The Bag Broker, we’ve been ready for this change. Not only have we adapted to the new plastic tax, but we’ve also been steadily transforming our approach to packaging since 2019, demonstrating a strong commitment to sustainability.
Proactive steps toward recyclability
Our journey began in 2019 when we introduced recyclable high-barrier bags to our product lines. These bags were designed with an eye on sustainability, utilizing high-barrier films that ensure both product quality and environmental responsibility. Despite these bags being impacted by the new plastic packaging tax, their introduction marked a significant stride in our commitment to greener packaging solutions.
Expanding our compostable bag lines
Complementing our recyclable offerings, we have expanded our line of compostable bags. These bags serve a dual purpose – offering an excellent packaging solution for our customers, while also ensuring a reduced environmental impact. Unlike traditional packaging, these compostable bags break down into natural elements under composting conditions, significantly reducing waste going to landfills.
Introducing PCR Recyclable Content Bags
More recently, we have introduced Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) Recyclable Content Bags to our product line. These bags, made with at least 30% PCR content, not only showcase our commitment to a circular economy but also navigate the recent plastic packaging tax in a smart way.
As per the new regulations, packaging made with 30% or more recycled plastic can be exempted from the plastic packaging tax. Thus, our PCR bags offer a win-win situation – they reinforce our commitment to sustainability while also offering cost benefits to our customers by evading the plastic tax.
Continuing the Journey
The introduction of the plastic packaging tax has added a financial incentive to an environmental imperative, and at The Bag Broker, we have wholeheartedly embraced this change. We’re proud to offer our customers a wide range of sustainable packaging solutions that not only meet their needs but also contribute to the broader goal of reducing our collective environmental footprint.
Our journey towards sustainability is far from over. As regulations evolve and new sustainable technologies emerge, you can be sure The Bag Broker will continue to adapt and innovate, always putting our commitment to sustainability – and our customers – at the forefront of what we do.