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Last Thursday, I took myself off to London alone to attend the Kids Takeover of Pizza Express on the Strand where they were going to unveil the recipe for Easy Peasy Pizza for the 2014 Lets Get Cooking BIG Cookathon.
The recipe was unveiled by Alex Jones, cheese enthusiast and foodie father of five and the children of Kingswood Primary School in West Norwood, who were chosen as part of a national competition to take over the restaurant and serve up the new pizza in recognition of the fantastic support its cooking club gives its child members.
The children were lovely. We were greeted by them and they showed us to our seats, took our drink orders and then made the pizza from scratch before our eyes.
They did make it look easy, peasy indeed! And it tasted just yum as we were treated to a pizza each.
Alex James described them as “an inspiration for other would-be cooks.” He went on to say, “I loved every minute of the takeover at PizzaExpress. Kids are never too young to enjoy good food, the sooner you get them involved the better. It’s a delight to watch kids cook – they see it as a kind of magic, especially when pizzas are involved.”
I know this is especially true when it concerns my children. They love making pizzas and it also helps to get certain veggies down without complaint.
The pizza is inspired by an original recipe Pizza Express’ Peter Boizot, marks the launch of the Cookathon, which is run by the Children’s Food Trust and, this year, is supported by PizzaExpress as part of its ‘Getting Kids Cooking’ initiative. The Cookathon, which will take place on 4 April 2014, will see an estimated 48,000 people make mouth-watering pizzas, using over 3.6 tonnes of delicious pizza dough.
Health experts tell us that by getting the kids cooking at a young age, they are more likely to eat better as adults. The club at Kingwood Primary School is one of 5,000 run by the Children’s Food Trust across England. Its aim is to give children of all ages, as well as parents who don’t cook, the skills and confidence to make more fresh meals from scratch.
I was thrilled to be part of this exciting event and look forward to the Cookathon on 4 April 2014.
If you want to be a part of this wonderful enterprise you can do so in the following ways.
1. Next time you’re in a PizzaExpress order a Fiorentina – 25p from each one will go to the Children’s Food Trust, who get kids cooking
2. Tell primary school teachers about our free School Visits where learn about basic health and safety in the kitchen, fresh ingredients and how to make a pizza
3. Get online – visit http://www.letsgetcooking.org.uk/ to find out about how you can participate in the 2014 Let’s Get Cooking BIG Cookathon


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GNOME Foundation announced today the dates and location for their annual GNOME Users and Developers European Conference (GUADEC) conference in 2023.
Just like last year’s GUADEC 2022 conference, the GUADEC 2023 event will offer a hybrid model where attendees can join in person or online. If you’re joining in person, you should know that the conference will take place in Latvia’s capital, Riga, for the first time in Europe since 2019.
GUADEC is the place where GNOME users and developers from all over the world gather together to share knowledge and discuss the new features and changes of the next major release of the GNOME desktop environment, in this case for the upcoming GNOME 45 series, which launches in late September 2023.
As for the dates, you should mark your calendars for July 26th to July 31st, 2023. It will be a week of fun during which there will be various talks and workshops where attendees can learn about upcoming technologies, such as GStreamer or GTK, as well as new features of the GNOME desktop environment.
Registration for the event is required, but it’s free, and it will open in the coming weeks. For more details about the speaker list, keynote speakers, accommodation options, and updates, check out the official GUADEC 2023 website.
Since GUADEC 2023 is taking place in Riga, this means that the codename of the GNOME 45 desktop environment series will also be “Riga”. 9to5Linux is proud to be a media sponsor for the entire GUADEC 2023 conference!
Image credits: GNOME Foundation
Last updated 8 months ago

domain: news


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Face the day’s challenges with your iPhone X or XS protected by this rugged Element Formula case. Aerospace-grade carbon fiber combines with machined aluminum and shock-resistant TPU to deliver amazing military-tested drop defense without adding weight. Reinforced corners on this Element Formula case create an extra level of protection for your smartphone.
If these pics and specs are on the money, it looks like Huawei has focussed more on the Mate 2’s looks than its performance. Are you looking forward to the Mate 2? Is 6 inches too big for a phone? Let me know in the comments, or on our Facebook page. Huawei has another massive mobile in the works, and it’s given it a natty new look. Just don’t expect a specs overhaul. Huawei’s Ascend Mate was one of the bigger blowers we saw last year, clocking in at a whopping 6.1-inches large. Now its successor has leaked, and fans of mega phones won’t be disappointed — it’s huge Formula Case for Apple iPhone X and XS – Black/Orange.
The Apple Watch keeps tabs on its wearer’s heart rate, and sends alerts if something looks strange. Doctors figured out Recktenwald was suffering from kidney failure and diagnosed her with a chronic kidney disease. Recktenwald’s family said the disease would’ve gone unnoticed if it weren’t for her Apple Watch Formula Case for Apple iPhone X and XS – Black/Orange. Apple CEO Tim Cook later tweeted that Recktenwald’s story inspired him. Tampa General Hospital confirmed to CNET that Recktenwald has since been discharged, but couldn’t comment on her condition, citing HIPAA privacy laws. A hospital spokesman added: Our doctors never stated the watch saved her life: those claims were made by the family. A different teen claimed an Apple Watch saved his life when he started experiencing chest pains during football practice in 2015; he later learned that he had rhabdomyolysis. Wearables like the Apple Watch have sometimes been touted for their health benefits, and even Tim Cook credits his to losing weight..
For $30 with a two-year contract, the Samsung Evergreen delivers midrange messaging features in an environmentally gentle package. The Samsung SPH-M360 for Sprint isn’t fancy by any means, but it fulfills its promised features well and won’t cost new subscribers a cent Formula Case for Apple iPhone X and XS – Black/Orange. The LG Optimus T is a $30 Android phone for T-Mobile (after a mail-in rebate and with a new, two-year service agreement.) Sure, it’s entry level, but with Android 2.2, it still has Wi-Fi, 3G, turn-by-turn voice navigation, and can serve as a mobile hot spot. The carrier even offered the black version for free for a limited time, which is unheard of with a smartphone..
CNET también está disponible en español. Don’t show this again. The legal dispute centers on Nokia’s use of Qualcomm patents for 3G, but it also has a bearing on Qualcomm’s chips business, which according to Nokia uses many Nokia-patented technologies. We are in negotiations but there’s no agreement, Ojanpera told a news conference at Seoul Digital Forum, an industry event held this week in Seoul, South Korea. Nokia last week filed its first patent countersuit against Qualcomm, seeking damages and an injunction against Qualcomm chips Formula Case for Apple iPhone X and XS – Black/Orange. Analysts estimate Nokia has paid Qualcomm around $500 million per year and now aims to get a better deal..
The navigation array on the Samsung Gravity 2 is markedly different from the first Gravity. Instead of simple rectangular keys, the Gravity 2’s array is a mix of tiny buttons and big circular ones. The two soft keys, the dedicated messaging key, and the Clear key are all small, while the Send, the OK, and the End/Power keys are big. While we were OK with the big round buttons, we found the small ones a bit hard to press without using our fingernails. The aforementioned messaging key can be mapped to one of five functions–a new message, a shortcut to the messaging in-box, a new audio postcard, the e-mail interface, or the instant-messaging menu. There’s an outer circle around the OK key, which acts as a navigation toggle Formula Case for Apple iPhone X and XS – Black/Orange. When on the home screen, the up and down directions of the toggle lead to the call history list and the contacts list, respectively. The left and right directions toggle through your five T-Mobile MyFaves contacts..


text: The folks over at Renishaw, who have largely been known for metrology devices like probes and the like, are also big into 3D printing. They have published a press release detailing a really cool success story using their 3D printing capabilities. Their software used to allowed them to take an aluminum bike part, optimize it in titanium, and create a 33% lighter but much stronger version. This was achieved by using computer modeling to figure out the ideal shape to make the part, leaving out everything that was unnecessary. Read the entire release here.


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Department of Revenue launches App for smartphones
BATON ROUGE, LA. (NBC33) — The Louisiana Department of Revenue has launched a new mobile App for their website.
Visitors to LDR Mobile can check the status of their income tax refunds, make credit card payments and send e-mail inquiries to LDR subject-matter experts.
“Full-featured mobile devices are part of the fabric of daily life for many people,” said Secretary of Revenue Cynthia Bridges. “This is why the Department of Revenue is making many of its customer service functions available on mobile platforms.”
According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, one in three American adults owns a smartphone. Twenty five percent of smartphone owners say the phone is their primary means of accessing the Internet.
To use LDR Mobile, simple visit www.revenue.louisiana.gov. The site will recognize that you are visiting from a mobile device, and will load LDR Mobile instead of the regular website. Use the Add to Home Screen feature to download the LDR Mobile icon to your phone.


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SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Some early-bird shoppers showed up 30 minutes before doors officially opened at Kohl's in Clairemont Mesa.
Among the crowd, Zelph Miranda and his family, who said it isn’t just about the deals it’s about the experience.
“Because it's like a family tradition keeping black Friday every single year," said Miranda.
A tradition that was put on hold last year because of the pandemic. But, this year they like many other shoppers were ready to get back to the Black Friday festivities which includes being prepared and having a game plan.
“Get here early. Be here first make sure you are here with people you want to shop with and you're in agreement with what you're going to be doing," suggested shopper Sianne Salas.
And this year, these shoppers didn’t have to deal with long lines something tourist Eric Thay noticed, as he tried to get some shopping in before attending Comic-Con.
“Things are more chill, no one is really rushing. Not the craziness that's normal," added Thay.
Despite the noticeable different size in crowds this morning, the National Retail Federation says it’s feeling pretty good about the holiday season.
Between Thanksgiving Day and Cyber Monday this year, it expects there will be nearly 2 million more shoppers than last year. And each shopper is projected to spend about $1,000 during the holiday season.


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For the first time ever, Victoria Beckham is trying her hand at children’s wear. But that’s not the only reason we’re amped up for her Target collection, which will debut April 9, 2017, and includes 200 items for ladies and kids in a wide range of sizes. Victoria chose to base her new pieces off the playfulness in her Victoria, Victoria Beckham line. That means a range that’s equally as wearable as it is bold and hopefully splashed with recognizable prints. (We’re sure there will be a few mommy-and-me styles available too.) But before we get to see the clothes, we’ve got every reason to consider the collab’s inclusivity. For the first time ever, every size will be available in stores and online, ranging from XS to 3X for women and New Born to XL for babies, toddlers, and girls. Victoria even plans to sell select designs on her own site, so customers can shop internationally.
“I can reach so many more women through working with Target. It’s not just because of the price point but because of how many stores that they have, located all around America. These are women that I haven’t been able to reach out to in the past, and I always say that I want to empower women and make women look like the best versions of themselves. That shouldn’t be only people who can afford to spend a certain amount of money,” Victoria told Business of Fashion.
Read on for a first look at the new logo and announcement, then check out our predictions for the new pieces you’ll be adding to your closet come Spring. You might want to get in line right now — the limited-edition collection will only be available for one month or until supplies last.
Send Us News, Gist, more… to email@example.com | Twitter: @pleasuresmagNG


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Apple set a new sales record for the number of iPhones it sold during the final quarter of 2016, but the iPad and Mac lines failed to sell in quite such impressive numbers. Sales of iPhones for the...
The event will be streamed live on the company's website from Apple Park campus in Cupertino
The new machine will be based in Abingdon in Oxfordshire
Acknowledges many small problems that still remain to be solved


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Upcoming Remax AP 2009 Tradeshow in China Announces an Increase in Exhibitors8 Jul, 2009
Upcoming Remax AP 2009 Tradeshow in China Announces an Increase in Exhibitors
Zuhair, China (July 2009) - The Recycler China announced that a batch of new booths (referred to as Batch II) was added to the Remax Asia Pacific 2009 tradeshow since Batch I had been sold out, as 20 plus enterprises were still in need of booths.
According to the organizer, they originally planned 280 booths, yet with the timing parallel with China Sourcing Fair, Hong Kong Electronics Fair, and the Canton Fair, organizers said the collective tradeshows have provided an advantage for attracting more international buyers, resulting in an increase of booths needed for Remax.
\Zhengyu Liu, Marketing Manager of Wuhan Pointrole Information Technology Co., Ltd., said: “Remax has its advantages in timing, location and its organizer. Also, 95% of existing exhibitors have increased their booth size, which are on average, 64% larger than 2008. Batch II features small-sized booths suitable for SMEs.
“We are confident that Batch II will also be sold out soon, says Anna Leung, Sales Manager of the Recycler China. Meanwhile, the Recycler China proceeds in its global promotion for Remax Asia Pacific. In July, the Recycler China will attend the ReciclaMais Expo in Brazil and the RechargRussia Expos in Moscow. Morrow Miao, Marketing Manager of the Recycler China, said: “We try our best to promote Remax, in order to attract more international buyers. In addition, the new website is launched with many new functions which are intended to provide a brand-new information platform for more convenience to our exhibitors and visitors.”
For more information about Remax Asia Pacific, please visit www.visitremax.com.cn, or send email to email@example.com.


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WYOMING — On a sunny Friday afternoon in Wyoming, adults and children, walking and on bicycles, flocked to the Village Green area, the heart of the city’s business district.
Some of the adults sported a cup with “D.O.R.A.” written on the side while others sat on picnic tables to enjoy the new free Wi-Fi. These two resources, put in place in May by the Wyoming Recreation Foundation, are meant to draw more visitors to the area.
“We’re essentially a very residential community, and we’re not really a huge pass-through community,” explained Monica Tuck with the Foundation. “Most people don’t even know about Wyoming."
She hopes that will now change.
The D.O.R.A., which stands for Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area, allows visitors to take alcoholic beverages around the city’s business district, including Wyoming Avenue and Springfield Pike.
“You can go into retail shops with your cups, you can stand outside with your cups,” Tuck said. “As long as they’re coming out of our local businesses.”
D.O.R.A. was launched in the midst of Ohio's stay-at-home order, so Tuck said they are looking forward to seeing how it does when things start getting back to normal.
The city also partnered with Cincinnati Bell to install free Wi-Fi for visitors to use, whether it be to look for a new job or take a class or work outside. This initiative is called the Smart City Experience.
“Once people subscribe to the Wi-Fi we can really start communicating and people can know when events are going on, parks and recreation information, city event information and stay up to date on all the restaurants and retail specials and deals in our community,” Tuck said.
Shops like Wyoming Florists, which was forced to close its doors for the first time since 1951, hope these initiatives will drive people back into locally-owned businesses.
“I think every business in the community hopes that having more foot traffic coming and going will pique interest in the windows or pique interest in ‘Hey, I can get this here instead of in Target or Walmart’,” said April Benken, who owns the shop.
The shop, which has three employees, is returning to regular hours this week. Benken hopes that while their hours are going back to normal, so will their business and sales.
“We are a small owned family-owned business, and we only have two to three employees,” Benken said. “It is really hard to make that decision (to close doors during COVID-19 – because it is their livelihood, and it’s their jobs and they pay their bills.”
In addition to businesses hoping for a turn in events, Wyoming residents are also looking forward to seeing new – and more – faces in the heart of the city.
“I think it’s perfect timing,” said Cara Hyland, who lives in Wyoming but is originally from Cincinnati’s West Side. “With the restaurants and bars being limited capacity and having restrictions, this will bring people out, give us something to do, give us something to look forward to. I think it came at the perfect time!”
Although Monica Tuck looks forward to the influx of visitors, she hopes they will visit the city and do so in a safe manner.
"We will have some street sidewalk signs up soon with the guidelines for the community and local government rules for social distancing," she said. "We want everyone to be able to partake in D.O.R.A. at our restaurant and retail spaces, but we also want to do it in a healthy way."


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Mercedes-Benz is considering launching a compact roadster in its range. According to Auto Evolution website, the German automaker could insert the new model, previously called SLA, just below the already consolidated SLK.
The American Honda has released new information about the line in the 2014 Civic Si sedan and coupe versions. The coupe will have a unique design, with new bumpers, rear spoiler and alloy wheels of 18 inches.
The Mercedes-Benz would be working on developing a new SUV, which would be positioned below the newly presented GLA (above). According to information from the British magazine Auto Express, the Class X would be even lower than the GLA.


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Agreements signed by Egypt to purchase Indian wheat are likely to be exempted from India’s recently-announced restrictions on wheat exports.
Cairo is the world’s largest importer of wheat but it is facing challenges in securing the foodgrain since the onset of the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Egypt had approved the import of Indian wheat, only for India to ban wheat exports on Saturday as a scorching heat wave curtailed the domestic production and drove up the domestic prices.
“For India, we are talking with them on the basis of a government agreement. The ban exempts governments including the government of Egypt,” Egyptian Supply Minister Ali Moselhy’s clarification was quoted in a report by Reuters.
India had said that it might still allow exports backed by letters of credit that have already been issued.
Moreover, New Delhi will also authorise sales to countries that have requested for supplies in order to fulfil their food security needs.
Egypt has signed an agreement to purchase half a million tonnes of wheat from India.
Cairo usually purchases wheat through international tenders rolled out by the state-run General Authority for Supplies Commodity (GASC).
However, Moselhy revealed that the Egyptian cabinet had given the green light for direct purchases for countries or companies this time around.
In addition to India, Cairo was also in negotiations with France, Kazakhstan and Australia for such deals.
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Last summer, omnicom Group Inc., the world's largest advertising conglomerate, faced a major public relations crisis: A front-page article in The Wall Street Journal alleged that the company had cooked its books. In the following two weeks, the stock plunged nearly 50%.
Since then, however, the allegations have been proven baseless, and Omnicom management has appeased investors by adding more independent directors to its board, among other moves.
Still, Omnicom is a stock to avoid. At Friday's closing price of $76.25, its shares fetch 19 times next year's estimated earnings. That is a hefty price to pay for a company whose profit margins are contracting and whose growth is predicated mainly on continuous mergers.
"I would characterize this stock as fairly valued, and we only like buying stocks for less than fair value," says Judson Brooks, an analyst at Harris Associates, a Chicago investment firm that owns more than 700,000 Omnicom shares. "That said, this is a well-run company."
Omnicom is the holding company for several marketing-related firms, including giant ad agencies BBDO Worldwide and TBWA. It also owns such public relations firms as Fleishman-Hillard and Ketchum, as well as media-buyer OMD. With a major boost from dozens of acquisitions--40 in 2002 alone--Omnicom has been able to increase its revenue for 16 consecutive years. But that strategy has also made it tough for analysts to assess just how the company is faring internally.
Burdened by the sluggish economy and a weak advertising environment, Omnicom has had trouble increasing earnings, even with acquisitions. For the first half of the year, it had net income of $1.70 a share, 2% better than in the same period last year, while revenue came in at $4.1 billion, 11% higher than a year ago.
But as the economy shows signs of picking up speed, Omnicom's business is already perking up a bit. The company gained about $2 billion of net new business in the first half of the year, a higher gain than those of its peers, by landing accounts with Gap and Nextel, among others. The coming presidential election bodes well for ad spending next year.
Meanwhile, the implementation of the Do Not Call Registry means money that once flowed to telemarketing might now be shifted toward TV or junk mail campaigns--both of which are services offered by Omnicom. The company has also said that its PR business has turned the corner after a prolonged slowdown.
But pricing pressure remains a problem as corporations try to hold the line on marketing costs. Omnicom's operating margins fell by about 1.6 percentage points, to 15.7%, during the three months ended June 30. J.P. Morgan analyst Fred Searby, who's bearish on the stock, expects margins will shrink to 13.5% over the rest of the year. And while Omnicom's second-quarter earnings came in at $1.02 a share, two cents ahead of the same period last year, they got a significant boost thanks to a lower effective tax rate.
"Earnings quality continues to be questionable," wrote Mr. Searby in a report reviewing second-quarter earnings.


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14 January 2013
Last Updated: 27 June 2013
On the heels of Nike Golf's major announcement today that Rory McIlroy has joined its athlete roster, Nike Golf have also unveiled a new advert that features Tiger Woods and the Northern Irishman together.
The Nike duo showcase their athletic competitiveness, remarkable talents, and playful attitudes by trying to outdo each other with a series of trick shots on the range.
"I really like the ad," said Woods. "It shows the fun side of us and I had a good time shooting it."
McIlroy added, "I'm genuinely excited about the first Nike TV ad I will be appearing in as a Nike athlete. The theme of the ad is really cool and it's a great way to kick off my career at Nike."
McIlroy and Woods are captured on the driving range lightheartedly taking turns to one-up each other by making amazing shots into a variety of different cups, including bowls in restaurants and champagne flutes at a wedding.
Watch it below to see more:


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IT’S time to bag a terrific bargain with Arnold Clark’s Real Sale – by making use of the latest online technology.
The Real Sale is the UK’s biggest used car event and promises not thousands but millions of pounds worth in savings for customers.
Whether you are looking for a supermini, a family car or a big SUV, there is going to be something for everyone – so vast is the array of cars on offer.
Last year, one enterprising customer actually saved almost £5000 on the cost of their car. That’s a winter holiday somewhere hot for the family.
Sir Arnold Clark, chairman and chief executive of the motoring giants, said: “We are very excited to be able to launch the Real Sale, giving customers the best opportunity to enjoy the savings on offer.
“Each year, we offer real savings on the UK’s biggest range of used cars to customers throughout the UK. Last year, the total amount saved was more than £12million and we hope to exceed that figure dramatically this year.”
What makes the Arnold Clark event so incredibly successful is the number of cars the company can offer. At the touch of a button, customers can search more than 18,000 used cars.
That’s because Arnold Cark now have more than 200 branches throughout Scotland and the UK. Their dealerships straddle almost every marque in the automotive market, offering fantastic deals on brands across the board.
If you have always had an image of your dream car then this might just be the moment to realise that dream. From Ford, Vauxhall, Volkswagen and Citroen right through to Mercedes and BMW, there are fantastic bargains to be had.
And it all comes with a personal touch, too. By using the online tool Your Car Preview, you can inquire directly about the specific car you are interested in.
Only minutes after your inquiry, thanks to the latest technology, you get an email and video of your car presented by one of the company’s young and knowledgeable product geniuses.
He or she will take you around your car and point out its features, making it even easier to come to a decision.
During last year’s Real Sale, more than 21,000 cars were sold – that’s a phenomenal amount. And it allows Arnold Clark to come up with some amazing figures. As an appetiser, showroom managers have highlighted some of their top temptations.
There’s a Ford Fiesta Zetec on offer for just £7488. It’s a 2015 plate with an 82PS 1.25-litre petrol engine and five doors. That’s a saving of £500 on the pre-sale price of £7988.
Want to save more? What about £1000 off a Mercedes Benz C-Class? Wearing a 66-plate the C 250d AMG Line is a five-door automatic that was £30,495 before the sale but now will cost only £29,495.
Then there’s the 66-plate Renault Clio 1.2 16v Dynamique Nav five-door, which was £10,988 and has now been reduced to £9988 or the Citroen C3 1.2 PureTech with 82PS and five doors slashed from £10,888 to £9888 – a saving of £1000 on each.
With the company expecting to top the £12million savings customers made last year, there are some fabulous figures on the forecourts.
The Arnold Clark Real Sale is the real deal. Go to www.arnoldclark.com to find out more, including details of your nearest branch.


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LOS ANGELES—NETbilling announced that this month marks the company’s 19th anniversary serving the e-commerce and retail industries.
As an internet merchant starting in 1997, e-commerce services were still in its infancy. The founders saw an opportunity to provide transaction processing to those with their own merchant accounts “at a fraction of the cost of third-party billers.”
They started NETbilling in 1998 and created a full-service company to provide the processing, call center services and merchant acquiring solutions that they proudly offer today.
Wendy Nelson, NETbilling’s VP of sales who has been with the company for 10 years, said, “NETbilling values our long-time clients and appreciate their loyalty. We pride ourselves in the constant world of mouth referrals that we receive from current merchants and business partners. We can’t wait for 2018 where we will be celebrating the big 2-0!”


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The Meta changed its name because it wanted you to forever associate it with the fledgling metaverse. The devices he produces are supposed to be our window into this metaverse. When you pick up a Meta Quest 2 headset and place it over your head, you’re bound to gasp and quietly wonder about this new virtual world. But I wore Meta Quest 2 to play Saber won or Tetris Or maybe Pistol whip. It’s not a terminal in the metaverse – it’s a game console. And I don’t think Meta realizes that.
Earlier this week, my fellow celebrity fan Alex Heath reported on the Meta VR and AR roadmap for headsets. There are smart glasses that look almost identical to those made by North in 2019, and only the Meta will be controlled via a neural interface when it launches in two years. There’s a very ambitious AR headset codenamed Orion that apparently “projects high-quality holograms of avatars onto the real world” and will be released in 2027. These projects are big, expensive flops for the Meta and porting it to the metaverse, and this should to be sexy. Just late last year we got our first big Metaverse swing set, and it was the then-$1499 Meta Quest Pro. The product was an absolute tool for a device. accompanying software, horizon world, So bad that even the people who make it don’t want to use it. This program is supposed to be the gateway to the metaverse. If it sucks, the Meta’s way of being on the metaverse is pretty stuck in water.
But as bad as Meta is in the metaverse so far, the company is really good at VR. Virtual reality is, of course, supposed to be a component of the metaverse, but judging by the current suite of products, that’s not the part Meta is very good at. It’s nice to make a console that people want to play games on. according to the edgeIn special reports, Mark Rapkin, Meta’s vice president of virtual reality, told employees that Meta has sold more than 20 million Quest headsets to date. This includes both the Quest and Quest 2. IDC previously estimated that Meta has sold around 15 million Quest 2 headsets, which likely means Quest 2 makes up the bulk of headsets sold. That seems like a small number, but the Nintendo GameCube has only sold 21 million consoles in its entire lifetime, and it’s estimated that the Xbox Series X and S have sold close to 20 million consoles to date.
So if you look at the Quest 2, which most people use to play games, as a game console, it’s been reasonably done. And I think we need to look at it as a game console. The Meta may have great ambitions for its VR headset and its place in the metaverse, but the truth is that Quest 2’s best software is all games. Early adopters of virtual reality in the consumer space are buying headsets to play games. Devices like the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and PSVR (which have sold about 5 million headsets by 2020) have been adopted by consumers for playing video games, not tinkering with them in the barely-there metaverse.
And the push for Quest 2 to be a metaverse device didn’t particularly resonate with consumers. Rapkin told staff that “unfortunately, the new collections coming in, the people who bought them last Christmas, weren’t as interested in them” as the early adopters. These early users were eager to play games, and this is what they saw when they put on the headset. New users see ads for things like horizon worldswhich, again, is such a mess that even the people who make it don’t want to play it.
And while Meta pushes metaverse experiences out to users, it kind of ignores the core player audience and doesn’t do much to build it up. Saber wonArguably, the killer VR app is four years old, and no other VR game has captured the zeitgeist in a similar way. People don’t see their friends playing cool games like Pistol whip and run out and buy Mission 2. If they did, I wouldn’t be writing this blog. The platform does not contain a file Super Mario Bros. or The last of us Leadership approval.
Both Steam and Sony fully understand that killer AAA gaming experiences are essential to the VR platform. That’s why we have excellent titles like Half-life: Alex And Horizon appeal to the mountain. They invest as much in the software as they do in the hardware. Meta is not. She’s bought a lot of studios (incl Saber won‘s) and then did things like announce the launch of two-year-old games in Meta Connect or shut down the servers for one of the first multiplayer games on the platform. That latest move was so annoying that former Meta VR evangelist John Carmack publicly berated the company in a blog post:
Even if there are only ten thousand active users, this user value should be avoided if possible. Your company does more harm when you take something dear to the user than it gains by offering something of equal value or to others.
Carmack’s words are not only noteworthy because he’s the former chief technical advisor at Meta. He also helped build the video game industry and created massive and enduring successes such as deathAnd earthquakeAnd Wolfenstein 3D. Unlike Meta, Carmack seems to have realized that telling people you’re going to take their games to free up bandwidth to work on a metaide nobody particularly wants yet is a bad idea.
And boy, I wish Meta had that because it’s currently working on its third Quest headset, and if it were a gaming company, you might realize that it’s about to make the same mistake as other tech companies that have moved into game consoles.
The PS3’s price at launch was so high that it cost Sony crucial ground in its war against the Xbox 360, and in the US, it meant the Xbox 360 won the console wars of that generation. Quest 3 is expected to do the same – cost more than its predecessor at launch. While the Meta hasn’t announced a price for Quest 3, Rabkin told staff that it’s expected to cost consumers “a little more money” than Quest 2 currently costs. Incidentally, Quest 2 now costs more than it did at launch. So while the base model of the Quest 2 initially started at $299, the Quest 3 will cost more than $399 at launch.
Meta hopes to explain this price hike by going over all the great features of Quest 3 versus Quest 2. “We have to prove to people that all of this power, all of these new features are worth it,” Rabkin told staff. And according to his presentation, which my colleague Alex Heath talked about, the plan is to show this in mixed reality. “The main North Star of the team has been from the moment you put this headset on, Mixed Reality should make it better, easier and more natural.”
This plan to focus on something new and different rather than the games that made the console thrive is very similar to what Microsoft did when it launched the Xbox One. This device came with an infrared blaster! It had a coax line so you could use it as a cable box. Microsoft has positioned the Xbox One as a home theater PC that also plays games. And the players just went and bought a Playstation 4 instead.
If the goal is to build an audience of mixed reality rather than a more expensive console that focuses on less proof-of-concept experiences, games are unlikely to do so, especially when you consider that the current big, expensive mixed reality headset performs so poorly that it drops in price after five Only months after its launch. A fourth headset is expected to be coming in 2024, Rabkin said, that would “pack the biggest punch possible at the most attractive price point in the consumer virtual reality market”. But in 2023 it looks like we will be facing a very expensive game console that wants to take us on a journey that most people are not yet interested in.


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NCBA Focused on Fake Meat
After a big year for its plant-based burger, Impossible Foods has something new to offer.
The California-based company unveiled Impossible Pork and Impossible Sausage at the CES gadget show in Las Vegas.
The LA Times reports, It’s Impossible Foods’ first foray beyond fake beef. The Impossible Burger, which went on sale in 2016, has been a key player in the growing category of vegan meats. Like the burger, Impossible Foods’ pork and sausage are made from soy but mimic the taste and texture of ground meat.
Impossible Pork will be rolled out to restaurants first. The company isn’t yet saying when it will come to groceries. Impossible Foods only recently began selling its burgers in grocery stores, although they’re available at more than 17,000 restaurants in the U.S., Singapore, Hong Kong and Macao.
Burger King will give consumers their first taste of Impossible Sausage. Later this month, 139 Burger King restaurants in five U.S. cities will offer the Impossible Croissan’wich, made with plant-based sausage coupled with the traditional egg and cheese. Burger King did a similar test of the Impossible Whopper last year before expanding sales nationwide.
NCBA is leading efforts in Washington to make sure that fake meat – both current plant-based products and potential lab-produced products in the future – is properly marketed and regulated. First, we are asking the USDA to work with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to enforce existing labeling laws for plant-based protein products.


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Economic activity in the logistics sector expanded in December, but at its slowest rate in three years, according to the latest Logistics Manager's Index (LMI) report, released today.
The LMI, a monthly survey of logistics industry professionals, registered 54 in December, down slightly from its reading of 54.5 in November, but down considerably from its year-ago reading of 67. An LMI above 50 indicates expansion in the sector; a reading below 50 indicates contraction.
Declining inventory levels helped drive the lower December results.
"The drop is really driven by a big decrease in inventory levels ... [which] dropped down to 42.3, [marking] the first time we've seen active contraction in inventory," said LMI researcher Zac Rogers, assistant professor of supply chain management at Colorado State University. Slowing growth in inventory levels is expected after the holiday shipping rush, but contraction is uncharacteristic, Rogers explained. He said the results point to an overall uncertainty in the marketplace and an expectation of slower economic growth as 2020 gets underway.
The LMI dropped below 60 for the first time last April and has remained there, slowing each month with the exception of last July, but remaining above the 50-point mark indicating growth in the sector.
"... the growth has just been very slow (and has been trending slower)," the researchers wrote in their December report. "It seems to indicate that the U.S. is currently in an uncertain economic time. While it is possible that we are through the 'soft patch' we hit last year, many CFOs are still concerned about a recession due to the ongoing trade wars and weakness in other parts of the world."
The LMI tracks logistics industry growth overall and across eight areas: inventory levels and costs; warehousing capacity, utilization, and prices; and transportation capacity, utilization, and prices. The report is released monthly by researchers from Arizona State University, Colorado State University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rutgers University, and the University of Nevada, Reno, in conjunction with the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP).
Check the LMI website for past reports and to participate in the monthly survey.


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"We're excited to work with a strong international player like Guru Studio and build the 'True and the Rainbow Kingdom' brand in Russia," says Denis Kulakov, chief executive officer, Brand4rent. "We're already seeing success with the brand due to the show's standout animation, charming characters and fun narrative."
This year, the series launched in Russia on Carousel, with all four seasons rolling out now. The brand is also on every main Russian VOD-platform and has launched an official YouTube channel in Russia.
"Brand4rent has a proven track record of building long-lasting successful brands in Russia," says Jonathan Abraham, vice president, sales and business development, Guru Studio. "With Brand4rent, we're confident
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Samsung has unveiled a television so huge it’s simply called ‘The Wall’.
The South Korean tech giant showed off the mega-telly at Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, the most important consumer tech event of the year.
It’s the first Samsung gogglebox to feature MicroLEDs, which are much smaller than current LEDs in TVs and produce their own light so individual pixels can be turned on and off to provide richer colours and higher contrast.
If for some reason the 146-inch TV isn’t big enough, you will be able to install several at once and build a modular screen as big as your living room and bank balance will allow.
‘As the world’s first consumer modular MicroLED television, ‘The Wall’ represents another breakthrough,’ said Jonghee Han, president of visual display business at Samsung Electronics.
‘It can be customised to any size and delivers incredible brightness, colour gamut, colour volume and black levels.
‘We’re excited about this next step toward the future of screen technology and the remarkable viewing experience it offers consumers.’
Now, you might be thinking that it’s easier just to buy a projector rather than go to the fuss of having a ginormous television delivered – because there’s no way Samsung’s monster is going to fit through a small front door.
But The Wall’s picture quality is likely to be significantly higher than a projector could manage. It is also more convenient because you can just sit back and turn it on rather than having to unfurl a screen, fiddle about with the projector or make sure your room is dark enough to get a good picture.
Tellies are also more durable because projector bulbs wear out and can be expensive to replace.
Having said that, Samsung’s television is likely to be much, much more expensive than a projector, so it’s not going to be very attractive to bargain hunters.
However, we don’t know exactly how much The Wall will cost and its release date has not yet been revealed.


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Identity theft, despite ever-more consumer education about how to avoid it, is actually getting worse over time. 2012 saw a 32% increase over 2011 in terms of the raw number of instances, according to The Identity Theft Resource Center, a non-profit organization established to support victims of identity theft in resolving their cases.
The FTC estimates that as many as 15 million people are the victim of identity theft every year, with the attack vectors coming from many directions. In 2012 the number of complaints reported to the FTC’s Consumer Sentinel Network grew to 2,061,495, up from 1,895,012 in 2011, for an increase of nearly 9%.
Overall, the ITRC said that 46.4% of its reported cases involved issues with government documents or benefits fraud. This represents a drastic spike of nearly 70% over the previous year.
“These types of cases very often involve the use of Social Security numbers making them more complex than other types of identity theft,” said ITRC CEO Eva Casey Velasquez. “As we are fully into tax season, we anticipate that there will continue to be increases in the reporting of this crime. Government-related identity theft has averaged approximately 25% of total cases handled by the ITRC for the last two years and was 25% of our total cases in January 2013 as well. We will continue to monitor these trends and will release our 2013 tax time numbers in April.”
In a state-by-state comparison, Florida continues to rank first in this type of identity theft, with 72% of the reported complaints involving government tax or benefits fraud. Georgia (+66%), Mississippi (+58%), Michigan (+54%) and Louisiana (+53%) rounded out the top five states.
For all types of ID theft, those states with the highest rate of change in 2012 over 2011 are as follows: Alaska (30%); Rhode Island (25%); Wisconsin, Kentucky, West Virginia and Maine (23%); Michigan 22%; and Florida and Kansas (21%).
Kansas ranked 35th in percentage of government tax or benefits complaints, but made the top 5 in rate of increase in 2012 over 2011.
The growth in reporting government ID theft, as well as the increase in reporting from several smaller states, could be a reflection of either an increase in this type of crime, or an increase in awareness and reporting, according to the ITRC. It is likely a combination of the two. While the IRS doesn’t report complaints directly to the FTC Consumer Sentinel Network, its dedicated effort to build consumer awareness and education about the issue of tax fraud has likely contributed to consumers more often reporting this issue to the FTC, thus capturing this growth.


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Consumer advocate named to IL utility commission
By Illinois Public Radio
Springfield, Ill. – Governor Rod Blagojevich has overhauled the Illinois Commerce Commission appointing a consumer advocate as its chair.
Marty Cohen, who has headed the watchdog Citizens Utility Board, will take over.
Blagojevich reportedly sent a letter to two commissioners, including Chairman Ed Hurley, threatening to fire them if they failed to step down. Hurley resigned and has been given another position.
Governor Blagojevich has refused to say why he felt a change was needed.
Blagojevich has made it clear he opposes a plan the state's two largest power suppliers are pushing regarding wholesale energy, which consumer groups argue could result in big rate increase.
Blagojevich says having Cohen head the Commerce Commission will provide a voice for utility customers.


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Posted by Chau Tu
For Marketplace, Thursday, July 21, 2011
It's been one year since the financial reform, Dodd-Frank, was signed by President Obama. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau officially opens today. Commentator Bethany McLean wondered where the anger from the financial crisis has gone. Grover Norquist's no-new-tax pledge is becoming bigger than himself.
Express Scripts is buying out Medco Health Solutions. Metlife is selling its banking operations. And there may be a deal in the works for Greece. Here are the songs we played:


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Bloomberg reports Nokia may be close to finalizing the sale of their luxury phone brand Vertu.
According to reports out late Tuesday, Nokia might strike a deal with Swedish private-equity firm EQT Partners to divest its Vertu phone unit. The deal may be valued as much as â‚¬200 million (about $250 million).
Nokiaâ€™s Vertu jewel-encrusted handsets have been selling for â‚¬5,000 or more, and has 60% of the luxury phone market, and is still seeing "high double-digit sales growth" in 2010 and 2011, expanding particularly into the Middle East and Asia.
The sale is part of Nokiaâ€™s move to shore up its cash position while it transitions to a fully Windows Phone ship, but likely means we will never see solid gold Nokia Lumia (or at least not for a while).
Read more at StreetInsider.com here.


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The Victorian Government is backing a Victorian vegetable growing success story to expand into the lucrative Asian export market.
Victorian Minister for Agriculture and Regional Development Jaala Pulford announced $25,000 from the revamped Food Source Victoria (FSV) program to support a network of growers who sell their produce under Flavorite Marketing.
Flavorite is a well-known Victorian business that works with six greenhouse producers across the state to market tomatoes, capsicums, cucumbers and eggplants.
Its produce is well known across Australia, but only 8 per cent is exported. The FSV-backed project will help the company specifically assess the potential in Japan and China.
Earlier in 2017, Flavorite took advantage of the Victorian Government’s $10 million Latrobe Valley Economic Facilitation Fund – which is growing existing and future industries, creating jobs and attracting new investment.
The company will build a 4.3 hectare glasshouse, fitted with heating, irrigation and infrastructure to produce high-quality hydroponic tomatoes and other vegetables.
The glasshouse will use new environment control systems to increase production yields by 10 to 15 per cent.
An export strategy will consider issues such as the size of the potential markets for the produce, competitors, and consumer drivers, as well as packaging and certification requirements.
The FSV program has recently been modified to make it easier for Victorian agri-food businesses along the entire supply chain to apply and connect with regional producers. The application process has been simplified and streamlined, and support is now available to help applicants find partners and develop their ideas.
Source: Vic Government


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F-Secure SAFE to support Windows 10, adds Network Checker
F-Secure recently released an update for its F-Secure SAFE security software that will
enable it to support Windows 10 devices. F-Secure says the update will ensure that customers moving to the new Windows 10 operating system later this year will continue to benefit from F-Secure’s security software.
The company said the update adds a new network layer security tool called Network Checker, which is available to users running F-Secure SAFE on Windows Pcs.
Network Checker verifies the network settings that people use when they connect to the Internet to ensure those settings haven’t been altered to expose people to attacks. This is expected to add an advanced layer of protection, regardless if users are surfing from home or from a public Wi-Fi hotspot.
Samu Konttinen, F-Secure’s Executive Vice President of Consumer Security, commented on the update, “We’re thrilled to announce that F-Secure SAFE will support Windows 10. F-Secure SAFE gives people an easy to use, comprehensive security solution to online threats. People rely on SAFE to protect their devices, digital lives and families, and so we will continue to provide this protection after they upgrade to Windows 10.”
Microsoft has announced plans to release Windows 10 on July 29, 2015, and offer it as a free upgrade for anyone currently running Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 on their PCs.
Router hacking has become a popular modus operandi as “smart” devices continue to flood the market. Research indicates that tens of thousands of compromised routers are being used in the creation of botnets, which are integral components of large distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. F-Secure Labs says that over 300,000 home or office routers were discovered to have altered settings in 2014.
David Hentunen, Senior Researcher at F-Secure, said that attackers have grown fond of routers and smart devices because people don’t identify them as potential risks. “Routers tend to be neglected, people set them up once, put them in a corner, and never think about them again. They don’t really think about doing firmware updates, or even changing the default passwords. This makes them easy targets for attackers, and hijacking one router will let attackers manipulate all the traffic that runs through it.”
F-Secure says that Network Checker runs in the background and checks the network at predefined intervals, or when it detects a change in the settings. While Network Checker is available to people who have installed F-Secure SAFE on Windows PCs, F-Secure’s on-demand Router Checker offers people using other devices a web-based tool with similar capabilities.
F-Secure says its SAFE release also offers several improvements for Mac, iOS and Android, and completes making F-Secure SAFE fully cloud security powered. According to the company, the new benefits include:
·Cloud-based reputation scanning for Macs that checks the reputation of files and websites in real-time
·A next generation version of F-Secure’s cloud-based malware scanning for Android that combines client and cloud-based anti-virus protection
·Redesigned parental controls for Android and iOS to improve the feature’s usability


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BuySeasons founder Jalem Getz has a new startup, and it's growing up fast
Wantable Inc. is his new e-commerce venture, hearkening back to Getz's retail roots. The 3rd Ward company employs 23 and mails out monthly boxes of personalized makeup, accessories and intimates to young women. Each box is personalized through an algorithm and by Wantable employees' intuition, adjusted to each customer's individual tastes and the season.
If that sounds familiar, you're probably thinking of Birchbox Inc., the New York beauty box startup that recently raised $60 million. Getz said Wantable targets a different set of customers, women willing to pay just a little bit more and who get more than just beauty products in full-, not sample-size.
Getz believes his is the fastest-growing e-commerce company in Wisconsin. The Milwaukee entrepreneur isn't sharing numbers, though a filing with the federal Securities and Exchange Commission indicated he did raise $800,000 from private investors in early 2013. Instead, he points to Wantable's physical growth.
The startup expanded its 3rd Ward space this week, adding an additional 4,000-square-feet of warehouse space, bringing it to almost 8,000-square-feet total. The company started in about 1,500 square feet of space on Water Street in 2012. At its old office, Wantable employed six; now, it's at about 23 and hiring.
Wantable scales by leveraging search engine optimization tools and sharing its beauty boxes with fashion bloggers, who in turn promote Wantable to fans. Social media plays a role, too.
"Facebook has been good to us," Getz said.
On Facebook, Wantable has more than 113,000 likes; almost 30,000 follow the company on Twitter. Both social media spaces spur interaction and engagement through giveaways and contests. Wantable will soon launch a new, Instagram-inspired mobile application letting users share accessory and makeup combinations, creating a community and hopefully continuing to drive customers.
Getz sees the company continuing to scale, but at his own pace. He said he's taking a "more methodical, calculated approach" that namely involves a lower dollar amount to start, scale and head toward another successful exit.
Reporter Alison Bauter covers finance, technology, retail and education for the Milwaukee Business Journal.
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HDFC Bank’s Internet Banking customers have faced issues multiple times over the past year
HDFC Bank’s digital woes somehow seem to continue, even after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) gave a hard rap on the knuckles last December following a series of digital outages, barring it from new digital launches till it resolves the technology issues. The December action from the RBI was supposed to be a strong warning for the new management under Shashidhar Jagdishan to get the technology capabilities ready and avoid further slips.
On March 30, HDFC Bank again reported a problem. It said some of its customers are facing intermittent issues in accessing its digital banking channels. Later in the day, an HDFC Bank spokesperson said the bank has resolved the snag. “The issue faced by some of our customers in accessing net banking/mobile banking stands resolved. We apologize for the inconvenience caused and thank you for your patience,” the spokesperson said.
But the recurring technology issues raise a question


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Valio introduces a new range of plant-based products: the spoonable Valio Oddlygood™ gurts and the Valio Oddlygood™ oat drink – both made from Finnish oats at Valio’s Riihimäki and Turenki plants, in Finland. The new gurts and the oat drink will be available in stores in Finland in February 2018 and in Sweden in spring 2018. Milk will continue to be the focus of Valio’s operations also in the future, and the new product innovations complement our offering.
Valio’s new plant-based products complement Valio’s milk-, fruit- and berry-based product offering. Valio Oddlygood™ gurts are a spoonable, yogurt-style snack made from Finnish oats. The Valio Oddlygood™ oat drink is also made from Finnish oats and can be enjoyed on its own or used in smoothies or for baking or cooking.
Per capita consumption of fluid milk beverages decreased by close to 22% from 2000 to 2016. Through the same period, consumption of non-dairy plant-based milk alternatives has increased by triple digits. The decrease in dairy milk consumption can be interpreted as each consumer going from 10 glasses of milk each week to eight glasses per week, not much on an individual level but enormous when viewed in terms of the whole population on an annual basis. Even so, milk is still being consumed in over 90% of the households in the U.S, a report from Package Facts says.
Package Facts concludes that the reasons behind the decline in dairy milk consumption and the reasons for the rise in plant-based milks, such as health concerns, with a growing number of consumers coming to believe that plant-based foods are healthier than animal-based foods. Further, the report considers the growing consumer base that is motivated by animal welfare concerns, leading them to choose plant-based beverages, as well as other plant-based foods over animal-based products.
Driven by negative health perceptions, reduced retail prices and exports and a growing number of non-dairy alternatives, the US dairy milk market has declined in recent years, as new research from Mintel reveals that sales of dairy milk decreased 7 percent in 2015 ($17.8 billion) and are projected to drop another 11 percent through 2020. Seen as a better-for-you (BFY) alternative to dairy milk, non-dairy milk offerings continue to see strong growth, with gains of 9 percent in 2015 to reach $1.9 billion.
The continued popularity of non-dairy milk is troubling for the dairy milk category with Mintel research revealing that half (49 percent) of Americans consume non-dairy milk.


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The US economy is still going strong
from the no-bad-news-in-site dept
It looks like there is no quick end to the lean mean US economy machine. A report released recently has found that the US economy is still steaming along at about a 4.8% annual rate. It seems like the good times just keep on coming but make sure to keep an eye out for an inkling of the bear.


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Michelin adds new Earthmover tire plant
Michelin is breaking ground next week on a new Earthmover tire manufacturing plant in Anderson County, S.C. The company is also expanding its existing Earthmover tire facility in Lexington, S.C.
The two projects represent a $750 million investment and will create up to 500 new jobs. This announcement is in addition to Michelin’s 2011 announcement to add an estimated 270 jobs and invest $200 million in its existing Lexington passenger and light truck tire manufacturing facility. This expanded operation at Lexington will begin production in October.
“The market for Earthmover tires grew by more than 20 percent between 2009 and 2011,” said Jean-Dominique Senard, managing general partner of Michelin.
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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Gold prices are showing some bounce after the initial market declines that followed Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's congressional testimony last week.Bernanke essentially suggested that it is too early to know when the Federal Reserve will start making reductions to monetary stimulus programs. The uncertainty created by the directionless commentary generated a selloff in gold. But the prospect of continued stimulus is ultimately bearish for the dollar and positive for gold, as the metal shows a strong history of inverse correlation relative to the U.S. currency. The latest strength has sent gold prices through closely watched technical resistance levels at $1,330 per ounce, and this is leading to renewed speculation that this year's bear trends have bottomed out. Short-term rallies in gold have generated highs near $1,340 per ounce, posting single-session gains of more than 3%. Daily moves of this magnitude have not been seen since June 2012, so when we look at things from a short-term perspective, it can be easy to buy into the optimism and start projecting larger runs higher. But before we look at these moves as a new buying opportunity, we should note some of the factors that could stall any rallies that might be seen into the end of the year. The latest example can be seen in announcements that India will place additional restrictions on gold bullion imports. India was the world's largest gold consumer last year, and these restrictions should have a bearish impact on market prices, as measures to curb demand create negative scenarios when we look at the bigger picture. Specifically, these measures will require 20% of all imported gold lots to be made exclusively available for export, and will be applied to all forms and purities of the metal (to include everything from unrefined gold to minted coins). Gold importers in India will be allowed to supply jewelry businesses and outlets selling to jewelers, but 20% of the initial shipment will be held in customs bonded warehouses. Those importers will not be able to make new overseas purchases until 75% of that deposit has been exported. This will likely result in declines for in-bound shipments of gold bullion for the third and fourth quarters, as these required impositions reduce incentives and limit major centers of global market demand.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has chosen to implement these measures as a means for reining in the country's record current account deficit, and to help stall this year's plunge in the Indian rupee. Recent data show that the country's current account deficit has grown to $87.8 billion (or 4.8% of GDP), a factor the RBI describes as the biggest risk for India's economy. At the same time, the rupee has fallen to new record lows this month against the greenback. Currently, India imports almost all of its gold, with consumption levels rising to almost 865 tons in 2012. But the move from the RBI has already led to massive downside revisions in expected overseas gold purchases. Average annual gold exports in India are roughly 70 tons, but at this stage it is clear the RBI is intent on tightening supply. Earlier this year, India doubled its tax on gold imports (to 8%), and placed restrictions on financing in order to reduce the rising demand seen as gold was hitting its lows for the year. So, although these measures do not suggest moves toward an outright ban on imported gold, they clearly change the dynamics seen in local markets. On the positive side, improving economic data in the U.S. could result in renewed expectations that the Fed will begin its quantitative easing cutbacks before the end of the year. Improved economic activity would lead to less accommodative monetary policy settings, which would create a supportive environment for gold bulls. For those holding instruments like the SPDR Gold Trust ETF ( GLD), recent price moves are supportive as well. A clear break of overhead resistance at 130.80 in GLD takes pressure off the downside, and suggests a range trading scenario at higher levels. But at the same time, fundamental factors are seen limiting demand prospects for the metal, and this should prevent any substantial rallies into the end of this year. At the time of publication the author held no positions in any of the stocks mentioned. This article is commentary by an independent contributor, separate from TheStreet's regular news coverage.


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KNOXVILLE – The Southern Graphic Council International Printmaking Conference is March 18-21, 2015. The Art Market Gallery is exhibiting “Mapping the Mississippi”, one of 15 Southern Graphic Council portfolio exchanges that will be on display.
Exhibition dates are March 3-29. The Art Market Gallery will be open 5:30-9:00 PM for visitors on Thursday, March 19, 2015 evening. Refreshments will be served.
Owned and operated by 62 professional regional artists, the Art Market Gallery, at 422 South Gay St., is a few doors from Mast General Store and next to Downtown Grill & Brewery. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday and Saturday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday; and 1 to 5 p.m., Sunday. The gallery is wheelchair accessible, and parking in the abutting garage and on the street is free on weekends and after 6 p.m. weekdays.
For more information, call 865-525-5265.


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Bali’s first ever indoor theme park is set to open on the Indonesian holiday island on Thursday.
The family entertainment centre will be called Trans Studio Bali and will offer a rooftop rollercoaster as well as other attractions in Denpasar, the island’s capital.
CT Corp Group park will be opening the park’s doors to the public on Thursday and will share its location with Trans Studio Mall, which opened earlier this year.
Bali’s first ever indoor theme […]Read more
CHICAGO – More than 20 new luxury hotels and resorts covering six brands will be opened worldwide by Hyatt by the end of 2020.
The list of hotels includes properties under the Park Hyatt, Andaz, Alila, Grand Hyatt, Miraval and The Unbound Collection by Hyatt portfolios.
Included in the Unbound Collection by Hyatt brand are the newly-opened former Metropolitan Police headquarters, Great Scotland Yard in London, and the Hotel du Palais Biarritz, former imperial residence of Napoleon III, due to reopen in […]Read more
The Indonesian trade is urging the government to establish a special visa regime that would give preferential treatment to elderly travellers, in the hopes that such a move would provide the backbone for the development of retirement resorts within the country.
Allowing elderly inbound tourists extended stays in the country is “an additional facility” that would stimulate the emergence of retirement resorts across the archipelago, according to Hariyadi Sukamdani, chairman of the Indonesian Hotels and Restaurants Association (PHRI).
Indonesia trade proposes special […]Read more
DENPASAR – The Regency of Tabanan plans to rebuild the long-abandoned and deserted hotel project in Bali’s Bedugul district, commonly known as The Haunted Hotel.
The Tabanan Administration has reportedly held discussions with the hotel’s current owner and is said to be seeking a new investor to totally revamp the project to become a luxury international-standard property.
The Hotel Puncak Indah, abandoned since 1998, is expected to be demolished and be replaced with a new US$15 million hotel complex, to be named […]Read more
DENPASAR – A sharp fall in the number of Chinese tourists to Bali is being attributed to a crackdown on rogue tour operators.
Bali’s police and tourist industry have been working with Chinese authorities to shut down syndicates running “zero dollar” operations.
Tour operators in China were selling cheap trips – often for less than US$200 for a week – and funnelling tourists into Chinese-owned shops and restaurants in Bali where they were sold goods at vastly inflated prices.
Payment was often made […]Read more


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Some new tenants are moving into Fremaux Town Center off Interstate 10 in Slidell.
Pizza Platoon is leasing 2,500 square feet of space in a new building recently constructed on the east side of Levis Lane. The restaurant plans to open next summer. Kay Jewelers occupies the other 2,000 square feet and opened Nov. 8.
European Wax Center recently joined the shopping plaza, and Rock N Roll Sushi will celebrate its grand opening soon, according to a news release.
SpringHill Suites by Marriott is on track to begin construction early next year and has plans to open in late 2018. It will be located on another 50 acres that will be open for development. A new road that connects Town Center Parkway and the I-10 access road opened this year, providing access and utilities for the new development.
The hotel will have 88 rooms and will be located on the south side of the shopping center.
Stirling Properties and CBL Properties, which manage and lease property at the center, say that the entire 635,000-square-foot development is 97 percent leased.
Additional phases are coming soon with added residential, retail and office park, the companies said.
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Covid-19 - Wednesday, 21/04/2021 - iWood is taking and processing orders as usual.
We're currently experiencing a high volume of orders, and with Covid restrictions in place,
we're currently working to a lead time of 25-35 working days
(some products have longer lead times as described in their individual descriptions such as Oak beams which are currently on 35-45 working days).
Great news! As of 2012 the EU will finally ban all illegally logged timber. Timber merchants will have to prove where their timber was sourced from.
Illegal logging is causing deforestation at a rate of an area half the size of the UK every year. iWood supports the responsible sourcing of timber from managed forests.
Read the full story here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10341925


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Gulf Bank’s KD 250,000 Danah winner announced
Concluding one of the most anticipated draws of the year, Amnah Ammar Hassan Bin Nekhi was announced the winner of Gulf Bank’s second quarterly Al-Danah KD250,000 cash prize, after the draw was held live on 88.8 FM ‘Rabaa Al-Diwaniya’ show, on Thursday, 13 July 2017, under the supervision of Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The Bank’s sixth monthly red account draws were also held and winners were announced live on air.
The three winners of the sixth monthly red account draws are Waad Khaled Farhan Al-Bathali who received an iPhone7 Plus, Sarah Ali Mohammed Behbehani who received an iPad Pro and Shareefah Mohammad Mohsen AlAjmi who received an Apple Watch.
Gulf Bank’s Al-Danah 2017 draw lineup includes daily draws; with two winners per working day and each receive KD1000, quarterly draws and the final Al-Danah draw for KD 1 million. Al-Danah’s third quarterly draw for the prize of KD500, 000 will be held on 28 September, 2017. The final Al-Danah draw for 1 Million Kuwaiti Dinars will be held on 11 January 2018, when the AlDanah Millionaire will be announced.
Gulf Bank invites its customers to increase their chances of winning by depositing more into their Al-Danah account, through the Bank’s ITMs, ATMs, the new ‘e-Pay’ service or by visiting any of the Banks’ branches across Kuwait.
red is a dedicated account for high school, college and university students aged between 15 and 25, which does not require a minimum deposit. Eligible customers will get the chance to enter the draw automatically and on a monthly basis, upon transferring their student allowances. Each month, an iPhone 7 Plus, an iPad Pro and an Apple Watch will be gifted to three lucky winners. The draws will run until January 2018 and the next draw will be held on 24 July, 2017.
In addition to the Apple prizes, students will have the opportunity to win a Fiat 500c-Model 2017 at the annual car draw, upon transferring their allowance. Also, movie tickets at all Cinescape theatres will be available for only KD2 seven days a week. red customers can also shop from the USA or the UK with a dedicated company (edfa3ly), which provide a mail box for internet shopping services from their website https://kw.edfa3ly.co/GulfBank.
red customers can now also transfer money from anyone, from any local bank into their Gulf Bank account through the all new e-pay service, which also allows customers to pay their mobile bills for Zain, Ooredoo, and Viva and buy iTunes and Google Play cards, instantly using the new ‘e-Pay’ service available on Gulf Bank’s Online Banking and Mobile Banking App.
For more details about both accounts, customers can visit one of Gulf Bank’s 56 branches, transfer on line, or call the Customer Contact Center on 1805805 for assistance and guidance. Customers can also visit the Bank’s website www.e-gulfbank.com or log on to www.e-gulfbank.com/aldanahwinners , to find out more about Al-Danah and its winners.
KUWAIT: The Commercial Bank of Kuwait (CBK) recently participated in a radio program broadcasted by Kuwait Pulse 88.8, during which it gave a presentation about its special offers and campaigns.


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The website Wallethub released a survey listing the top 20 cities for Hispanic entrepreneurs, and Florida cities dominate the list.
Students Taylor Sirios of Massachusetts and Natniel Zemede of California are each receiving $10,000 Taking Root Scholarships from Arborjet/Ecologel.
Advanced Turf Solutions and Corteva Agriscience will give away a free Steel Green spreader/sprayer in The Ultimate Sweepstakes.
Destructive spongy moths have been found in almost half of U.S. states, and can cause damage to more than 300 tree species.
Today's weather makes snow and ice management seem more erratic than ever. The PLOW August 2023 issue helps you plan for the unknown.
In honor of 9/11, Turf is rerunning this post from 2020 about the swamp white oak trees planted at the Memorial. Today marks a day...
Bobcat's $25,000 Backyard Makeover Contest winner is Julie Rummer from Turlock, California. Bobcat will help turn Julie's backyard into a wheelchair-accessible oasis for the avid gardener.
Nufarm is launching its Edge Rewards early order program, which offers savings across its lineup of new and trusted solutions for customers who register and order early.
Dramm corporation has begun constructing a new 2,500-sq ft research and testing greenhouse at their Wisconsin HQ, to open this Fall.
The Alliance for Low-Input Sustainable Turf (A-LIST) has approved three creeping bentgrass varieties from DLF.


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Microsoft has bought up Israeli cloud vendor Adallom, confirming reports in July that it was set to do so. In this morning's announcement, written in a blog post by corporate VP of cloud and enterprise...
New CEO Kerry Bailey says today's hacks are designed to evade standard security controls
Daily tech news and analysis channel partners need to know now, including cloud's billing trends, CompTIA's call for reform, workers' security obliviousness and more
Check out which articles grabbed the most attention this week
Revenues top $8.5 billion with UK market growing 28 percent


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The latest news from academia, regulators
research labs and other things of interest
Posted: July 7, 2009
Environmental Working Group releases their 2009 Sunscreen Report
(Nanowerk News) The Environmental Working Group (EWG), a United States-based non-governmental organization that works to expose threats to health and the environment, has released their 2009 Sunscreen Report. The investigators expected to recommend against the use of micronized and nano-sized zinc oxide and titanium dioxide sunscreen, but after months of research and analysis of nearly 400 peer-reviewed studies, they found themselves recommending some sunscreens that may contain nanoparticles.
EWG's study found that consumers who use sunscreens without zinc and titanium are likely exposed to "... more UV radiation and greater numbers of hazardous ingredients than consumers relying on zinc and titanium products for sun protection. We found that consumers using sunscreens without zinc and titanium would be exposed to an average of 20% more UVA radiation — with increased risks for UVA-induced skin damage, premature aging, wrinkling, and UV-induced immune system damage — than consumers using zinc- and titanium-based products. On the contrary, a 2007 Consumer Reports testing found that consumers could be protected from UV radiation using products free of nano-scale ingredients like zinc and titanium.
EWG took a comprehensive approach in testing over 2000 suncreen products. They looked not only at whether or not products provide broad-spectrum UV protection, but also at which sunscreens break down in the sun, and at the full range of potentially hazardous sunscreen ingredients that can absorb through the skin and into the body to pose other risks.
"Sunscreens without zinc or titanium contain an average of 4 times as many high hazard ingredients known or strongly suspected to cause cancer or birth defects, to disrupt human reproduction or damage the growing brain of a child."
A review of 16 studies on skin absorption of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide nanoparticles revealed that nearly all studies showed no absorption of small-scale zinc and titanium sunscreen ingredients through healthy skin, while other studies did show that the common sunscreens octinoxate and oxybenzone, do absorb into skin, often in large quantities, with potentially harmful results, including allergic reactions, and increased risk of breast cancer.
EWG conducted the sunscreen study because comprehensive sunscreen safety standards have not yet been set in the US. FDA has been drafting such standards for 31 years, and the agency has not yet evaluated sunscreen chemicals that are widely available. For nano-scale ingredients EWG also called for full labeling so consumers can make informed choices.
On balance, EWG researchers found that zinc and titanium-based formulations are among the safest, most effective sunscreens on the market based on available evidence. However, in some sort of precautionary approach, they only recommend using nano suncreens if the nanomaterial brings a clear advantage: "If it's not protecting your health, don't use it."


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An increasing number of SME Food Producers are opting to seek alternative finance to support a rising demand for high quality artisan products.
Research produced from the recent Companies House filings of almost 600 food manufacturers indicates that borrowing hit a record high of £1.72 billion in 2015, as more food producers utilise the opportunity to invest in additional equipment and high quality ingredients in order to stay competitive.
Increased investment is needed to meet new demand for ‘artisanal’ products
This recent rise in borrowing may also be driven in part by the rising demand among consumers for natural and ‘artisanal’ foods, which tend to require higher cost ingredients, new factory fit-outs and other investment needed to support production methods.
Peter Alderson, Managing Director of LDF, says, “Interest in hand-crafted products has soared. Consumers are now placing more value on quality and originality - meaning more expensive and locally or regionally sourced ingredients are needed. New IT equipment is also often required to improve traceability and investment has amplified significantly as a result.”
Supermarkets are also starting to see the benefits of this shift in demand, and over the last few years they in turn have increased pressure on producers to lower prices, often imposing longer payment terms. As a result, some SME producers have found themselves needing to seek a finance solution to cover costs and fund plans for growth.
Finance can help avoid late payments
“Late payment issues need not cause a major problem for businesses, by adopting effective financial and cash flow management, including the use of finance, can help to alleviate much of the pressure and prevent temporary strain from impacting on long-term growth.” Peter comments.
Late and delayed payment has posed a real issue for SMEs over the last few years. In 2011, the EU implemented the Late Payment Directive, aiming to tackle the problem. Last year, the UK government laid out plans to appoint a Small Business Commissioner, whose remit will include addressing payment issues - the bill that will see the Commissioner appointed is currently going through parliament.
Peter adds, “Reviewing how resources and investment is managed on a company-wide basis is recommended.”
Asset Finance and unsecured Business Loans are suitable options that can help with the increasing demands for late payments and increased productivity.


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In celebration of the nation’s 51st birthday, Bedok Mall has set up a 3-dimensional canned food installation of The Merlion, which has entered the Singapore Book of Records as the “largest sculpture made of canned food”.
Mr Lee Yi Shyan, Member of Parliament for East Coast GRC (centre) with Mr Abdul Rahim Mustafa, General Manager of Bedok Mall (to the left of Mr Lee), admiring the newly minted largest sculpture made of canned food in Singapore.
Measuring about 7.5 metres in length, 3.6 metres in width and 2 metres in height, the sculpture was assembled using approximately 10,000 tins of canned food. It was unveiled this evening by Mr Lee Yi Shyan, Member of Parliament for East Coast GRC.
The installation will be on display at Bedok Mall’s Basement 2 Atrium to serve as a thematic photo backdrop for shoppers from today through to the National Day public holiday on 9 August. Shoppers who correctly guess the exact number of tins used to build the sculpture stand to win attractive prizes (contest details at fb.com/bedokmall). Thereafter, the sculpture will be dismantled and the canned food will be distributed to more than 800 needy households in Bedok.
Mr Lee Yi Shyan, together with organisers and partners of Bedok Mall “Canstruction” 2016, posing next to the installation of The Merlion, which has entered the Singapore Book of Records as the “largest sculpture made of canned food”. The installation measures about 7.5 metres in length, 3.6 metres in width and 2 metres in height.
The tins of canned food, worth more than $10,000, were donated by Bedok Mall’s anchor tenant, FairPrice Finest. The supermarket has also put together a Passion Pack filled with daily necessities that shoppers can purchase and donate to the needy households. Each Passion Pack costs $30 and contains items valued at more than $34. Shoppers can purchase these Passion Packs only at Bedok Mall’s FairPrice Finest from now until 9 August.
This canned food donation drive, named “Canstruction”, is Bedok Mall’s signature annual corporate social responsibility event which marked its debut last year. The second edition this year is held in partnership with Kampong Chai Chee Community Centre Youth Executive Committee, FairPrice Finest and Bethesda Cathedral.
Mr Lee Yi Shyan joined the East Coast Choir to sing a medley of National Day songs in front Singapore’s largest sculpture made of canned food at Bedok Mall this evening.


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Shares of telecommunications company Vodafone Idea (VI) rose around 10% in intraday trading on Tuesday following media reports that US retail giant Amazon and a group of investors are in talks with Aditya Birla Group to invest about Rs 20,000 crore there.
Shares of Vodafone Idea jumped 10% in morning trading to touch 10.20 rupees on the National Stock Exchange (NSE).
Shares of the company had opened at Rs 9.30 per share on the NSE, rose to Rs 10.20 per share and finally closed at Rs 9.55 per share.
According to media reports, Amazon is in talks with Aditya Birla Group to inject around Rs 20,000 crore into the beleaguered society.
Proceeds from the sales are expected to be used for bidding for the upcoming 5G spectrum auction as well as for capital expenditures, the reports citing sources said.
Reports further state that Vodafone Idea is also talking to private equity investors, in a bid to gain exposure to the Indian telecom sector.


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At the end of last year, we got acquainted with Samsung’s plans for 2022 , which implied the production of about 270-334 million devices. Alas, these plans were not destined to come true: the South Korean edition of The Elec reports that Samsung warehouses are overcrowded, which already include about 50 million smartphones, which is about 15-18% of annual plans. This state of affairs indicates low demand, because in a normal situation, stocks usually do not exceed 10% of the annual volume.
The bulk of that 50 million is made up of the Galaxy A series devices, and according to network whistleblower @UniverseIce, their sales in China are approaching zero due to close competition with Vivo, OPPO and Xiaomi. And this time, demand collapsed due to circumstances beyond Samsung’s control: the outbreak of a pandemic in China, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and the subsequent rise in inflation in Europe, which forced buyers to slow down with the purchase of new devices.
© Vladimir Kovalev. mobile phone
Sourced from thelec.net


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PDM Event Postponed until 2021
London: 02 April 2019: Crain Communications and the British Plastics Federation have announced the postponement of the Plastics Design & Moulding Event. PDM 2019 had been scheduled to take place in Manchester in June.
“Working with the BPF, we assembled a show rich in seminars, workshops and expert advice covering all aspects of plastics design, manufacture and recycling to attract UK plastics professionals to Manchester for PDM 2019,” said Matt Barber, sales and events director at Crain Communications. “Unfortunately, the current economic climate, shrouded by the uncertainty of Brexit, has meant companies are hesitant to invest in this year’s event as exhibitors. It is with great regret that we have had to take the difficult decision to postpone until 2021.”
PDM exhibitors with questions should contact their PDM sales representative.
The next edition of PDM will take place in 2021.


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Good news, vegetarians!
Beginning on Oct. 21, Chipotle Mexican Grill will be offering a new spicy, shredded tofu "Sofritas" option in the Midwest market, including all 83 of its Chicago-area restaurants, the Denver-based Mexican chain announced late last week.
The option is also newly arriving at the chain's Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Richmond locations on Oct. 21.
Chipotle debuted the organic, non-GMO tofu option in partnership with Oakland-based Hodo Soy earlier this year in California and the Pacific Northwest and tasted, according to some, something like scrambled eggs.
The expanded "Sofritas" test also coincides with National Vegetarian Awareness Month, the chain noted. The length of the test will depend on its sales performance in the new regions, the Chicago Tribune reports.


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Kenya Business Listing (KBL) is among the newest entries into the market and is averaging 20 company additions per day.
Speaking to HumanIPO, Caesar Waganagwa, chief executive officer (CEO) of the company behind the site, said the inspiration to start the project came from a desire to incorporate what traditional online directories would provide with an Article submission module.
This way, they are able to keep the website clear of any clutter.
“Any registered user at KBL has access to the Article Submission Module through which one can post articles related to their respective business with a single hyperlink to their core website, thus enhancing your website’s ranking,” Waganagwa said.
“To enhance the interaction between the users and the website, we have also added a knowledge resource blog, making KBL the first online directory of its kind in East and Central Africa.”
Just as with other online directories, KBL contains a list of businesses in the country, markets to an online audience and supports both large and small businesses, but that is where the similarities end.
KBL offers free registration to all, provided they publish their business details. The registration procedure takes one minute.
KBL also offers multiple listings to its clients, ensuring that visitors can see a business regardless of whether they were looking by category or alphabetically.
Different businesses have different needs and while it may seem fair to give every business equal visibility on the site, it is not always possible.
Some businesses can do well with traffic of 10 visitors per day, while others need a minimum of 100 per day.
Waganagwa added: “This is precisely why Kenya Business Listing offers three upgrades on the free listing. The idea is to provide increased visibility for the sites that need heavy traffic, at a small fee.
“Again unlike other directories, the 3 categories mean that users have more choices and can take what matches their financial capacity against their needs.”
The three packages in question are Featured Listings, Sponsored Listings and Banners.
There is also articlemarketing, which gives businesses the ability to create and post content that is relevant to them on KBL.
The articles can be press releases, product reviews or sales copies and include a link back to the company’s site.
Waganagwa claims KBL’s conversion rate is 85 per cent, meaning an extremely high proportion of visitors will move on to the site of one of the businesses listed.
He said: “In addition, trackers are attached to any business listed on the website meaning that business owners have access to important tools that can help them evaluate the success of their endeavors.
“They can track the number of people who viewed their business listing on KBL and also monitor how many people click and follow the links on their listings.”


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Nokia World is quickly approaching, being only a handful of hours away, but the leaks continue to roll out. Evleaks has now published the above render of the Lumia 1320, which is expected to be announced tomorrow. The device once again looks to be fairly large, potentially hitting the 6-inch ceiling - a low-range "phablet," if you will.
The Lumia 1320 is believed to be a top low-end Windows Phone, but the actual specifications will be similar to the Lumia 625. A 5MP camera will be installed, as well as a front-facing VGA shooter. While this is an affordable Windows Phone, Nokia is said to be planning to ship the device with the new Nokia Camera app, combining both Pro and Smart Cam.
Unfortunately, little else is known about the device. Source: Twitter (@evleaks)
We'll know more tomorrow, folks. Stay tuned!