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A marriage of convenience: can Thailand ever overcome its love affair with plastic?
Last June, a whale with over 80 plastic bags in its stomach washed up dead in the southern province of Songkhla. Five months later in November, the same incident occurred in Indonesia, when a dead whale was found washed ashore with more than six kilograms of plastic waste in its stomach. The Guardian reported that the whale contained 115 plastic cups, four plastic bottles, 25 plastic bags, two flip-flops, a nylon sack and more than 1,000 other pieces of plastic.
According to a 2017 report by Ocean Conservancy, a nonprofit environmental advocacy group based in Washington, D.C., Thailand is among the top five Asian countries—alongside China, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines—responsible for more than half of the eight million metric tons of plastic waste dumped into the world’s oceans annually.
This comes as no surprise. Thailand’s plastic use has been out of control for years. We are heavy users of single-use plastic bags; street and fresh market vendors bag each food item separately, while we’ve all experienced convenience stores bagging up items as small as a pack of gum, as well as mindlessly giving out straws with every possible beverage item. According to the Bangkok Post, the growth of Thailand’s plastic industry since the 1970s has fed into the country's increasing domestic consumption, with plastic usage growing 12-percent annually. On average, they claim, each Thai uses eight bags per day, which equates to almost 200 billion bags per year.
Finally, the Thai government has started to address this problem. In June 2017, Thailand pledged at an international forum to reduce plastic use, with Thai delegates admitting that waste mismanagement was the major cause of the country’s poor record. As a result, the Thai government has included waste management in its 20-year national strategy.
Last June the Department of National Parks announced its ban on the use of plastic and foam in all of Thailand's national parks. In October, the Public Health Ministry stopped distributing plastic bags at 30 public hospitals around the country. The government has also teamed up with retailers to help reduce plastic bag distribution to consumers.
Last year on Dec 3, retailers and store operators nationwide signed an agreement with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment not to provide single-use plastic bags to shoppers on the fourth of each month, to coincide with “Thai Environment Day” on Dec 4 of every year. Tesco Lotus, Villa Market, Big C, MaxValu, Tops, Jiffy, Robinson, Foodland, Family Mart, Makro and Home Pro among others have all pledged their commitment to the agreement, launching their own initiatives to tackle plastic waste.
So why hasn’t Thailand’s plastic-use reduction really kicked off?
The initiatives launched by these small and large retailers are mostly “voluntary” campaigns. In some cases, “extra points” are given to shoppers who refuse plastic bags or who bring their own reusable bags. These retailers only have one or two designated no-plastic days a month—an effort that may not be strong enough to tackle this environmental issue.
Many operators, however, voice confidence in their campaigns. According to the official website of Central Food Retail Company Ltd., Phattaraporn Phenpraphat, executive vice president of marketing and public relations of Central Food Retail Company Limited, operators of Central Food Hall and Tops Supermarket, announced, “We received great feedback and support from our customers during our International Plastic Bag Free Day campaign on July 3, 2018 in our 193 branches nationwide. We were able to reduce giving and using 480,000 plastic bags in just one day.”
Since last October, Tops Supermarket has also introduced Green Check Out counters where no plastic bags are provided. Sasiyada Wisesphao, a representative from the marketing department of Villa Market, says that their noplastic bag initiative has existed for the past two-to three years, but the campaign became more serious in late 2018. “Villa Market cares about the environment. Our plastic bags are biodegradable, but we try not to give out any to customers,” she says. “We also don’t put them on display at the cashiers.”
However, Sasiyada’s claim doesn’t ring true. A visit to Villa Market at Silom’s Trinity Complex revealed two cashiers both with plastic bags on display and one staff member dedicated to bagging customer purchases. Still, on the 4th and 14th of every month, Villa Market holds “plastic bag-free day,” from which Sasiyada believes they are able to reduce up to 50,000 plastic bags each month. “A lot of our customers are willing to cooperate too, by bringing their own tote bags or by purchasing the ones provided by us,” she says. “If they make big purchases, we will provide them with paper boxes. As for small purchases, we will have our staff ask the customers whether they want to receive a plastic bag, to slowly adjust their shopping behaviors.”
While local retailers are taking a gradual approach to kick Thais’ plastic addiction, international chains like Ikea—which vows to ditch single-use plastic by 2020—and Makro are enforcing stricter measures. Neither provides any plastic bags to customers. Also joining this approach is French sporting goods retailer Decathlon, who have imposed a charge for plastic bags ever since they first opened in Thailand in 2015.
“To be honest, I was scared when we started the initiative. But in the end, most of our customers understand the purpose of our actions,” says Julien Duchateau, store leader of Decathlon Bangna. “The question of the use of plastic bags has been on the table from the start of our business in Thailand. By coming from a country where free-of-charge plastic bags are not allowed, doing the same in Thailand was my objective.”
When Decathlon opened its first store in Thailand, the team decided to have customers pay B1 for plastic bags. Later, they stopped selling plastic bags completely and instead offered compostable bags (B4) and waterproof reusable bags (B30). “Compostable bags are better than regular plastic bags, but they still create a high ecological footprint. As soon as they’re out of stock, we will stop offering them at all of our 10 branches and only opt for reusable bags. We also strongly encourage our customers to bring their own backpack or reusable bags when they shop.”
CP All Public Company Limited, the operator of 7-Eleven convenience stores in Thailand—10,300 of them countrywide, as of Jan 2018—has no such measures. “We have to meet customers halfway, by giving them options. Don’t forget that 7-Eleven has to serve up to 30 million customers who are all very diverse,” says Samrej Zeepongsekul, general manager of 7-Eleven’s corporate brand strategy. “We believe that there are still a lot of customers who feel they deserve convenience and fast service when they come to us. Even those supermarkets with all the campaigns, sure they may provide a special green check-out lane for eco-conscious shoppers, but for the rest of the lanes, they still need to give out plastic bags to service their customers. As retailers, we need to take the current consumer behavior into account, unless there’s a law to ban plastic bags, which there isn’t.”
Banyat Kamnoonwatana, assistant vice president of CP All Co. Ltd, also shifts responsibilities to customer behavior. “It’s the customers’ right to accept or refuse plastic bags. We can’t just force them not to, since it will go against the Consumer Protection Act, which is the law.”
“It is our responsibility as retailers to service our customers, otherwise they won’t be happy and may accuse us of taking advantage of them, which may lead to a huge backlash on social media.”
Banyat says that 12 years of different environmental campaigns for 7-Eleven has taught him that Thais don’t like to be coerced. “An effective way to deal with Thai customers is to persuade them nicely, especially if there’s an incentive for them to


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Google’s Android OS is a minefield when it comes to potential legal troubles between manufacturers. That’s why today, Google has announced a new patent cross-licensing partnership with eight major Android manufacturers.
The Android Networked Cross-License Agreement is referred to as ‘PAX’ by Google, essentially the Latin word for peace, and when it comes to legal filings, peace is what we all want.
Under the PAX agreement, the manufacturers signed on to PAX, who include Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, Foxconn Technology Group, HMD Global, HTC, Coolpad, BQ, Allview and of course Google themselves.
Collectively, the members of PAX own a staggering 230,000 patents worldwide. It’s from this pool of patents, although obviously not all of these will cover Android and Google Applications, that the PAX agreement will allow signatories to PAX access to royalty-free community patent cross-licenses covering Android and Google Applications preinstalled on devices that meet Android’s compatibility requirements.
PAX is about maintaining an ‘Open’ Android eco-system, at least according to Google. Google is indeed encouraging interested companies, large and small, around the world to join PAX and enjoy what Google calls ‘patent peace’.
One of the main sources of public patent litigation has of course been between Android manufacturers and Apple, though this has been quiet of late. Samsung and Apple resolved all their litigation bar one case in the US, which is still ongoing, in 2014. Whether this stronger portfolio of patents prevents further litigation will have to wait until someone tests it.
A number of large players in the Android eco-system with large patent portfolios including Huawei are notably absent from the PAX partnership. We’ll be watching for more on PAX in the coming months.

domain: news


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Some vcs expect workforces to shrink by 15% on average, adding up to total job losses in excess of 125,000.
Yet Silicon Valley's denizens are not ones to dwell on bad numbers. vcs are scouting for promising firms whose valuations have dropped and which need fresh capital. Investments in America are only down by 25% compared to before the pandemic, according to PitchBook, a data provider. For startups with cash in the coffers, it is an opportunity to scoop up weaker rivals. On May 12th it emerged that Uber, a shrinking ride-hailing service with a growing meal-delivery arm and $9bn in the bank, is seeking to acquire GrubHub, which also delivers food. A few days earlier Uber led a $170m funding round in Lime, an ailing startup that rents out electric scooters and bicycles. Expect more such deals—and more criticism that the likes of Uber are trying to use the pandemic to monopolise markets.
Silicon Valley's leading vc firms are also trying to seize new opportunities. More than one sees the tech industry's sweet spots moving from services that cater to consumers and involve the physical world, such as electric scooters and online ticketing, to offerings for business that are delivered virtually, including specialised webbased software and digital infrastructure.
Much of the venture capital flowing in recent weeks has been aimed at deeply technical targets, such as Confluent, which manages corporate data. The firm raised $250m in April. Startups in telemedicine and online education are also doing well. And business is improving for some firms that had looked less resilient to the virus, such as Veem and Thumbtack. Firms want to move money cheaply and people stuck at home are planning to give their nests a makeover, driving demand for local services.
Looking further forward, the debate now revolves around how the pandemic will change Silicon Valley—and with it much of the tech industry. The crisis will accelerate existing trends. The Valley will continue to spread out, reckons Randy Komisar of Kleiner Perkins, another vc firm. Even before the virus hit, an exodus of sorts was under way. Exorbitant property prices, near-permanent traffic jams and the jarring number of homeless people have pushed a growing numbers to leave.
Startups have been moving away or have become “fully distributed”, with only their most important employees living in San Francisco and the rest spread across the world. Such dispersion is likely to speed up if a consequence of covid-19 is that working remotely becomes the norm. It looks likely. Big Silicon Valley companies, including Facebook and Google, are letting employees work from home until the end of the year. Twitter says they can do so indefinitely.
Another question is whether venture capital, Silicon Valley's lifeblood, will go virtual and distributed as well. Some hope that the crisis will disrupt what Pete Flint of Nfx calls the “archaic world of venture capital”. In April, his firm launched an online service where startups can input the information that investors want, from founders' biographies to business plans, and then get a decision on funding within nine days.
Silicon Valley may no longer be the only place that matters as startups hunker down in cheaper locations with fewer distractions. Frontier is one such firm. It has decamped to Vancouver to build a marketplace for remote workers. It was founded a few months before the virus struck and got its first funding a few weeks ago. Elliot O'Connor and his co-founders are holed up in an Airbnb, using DoorDash and other delivery services to feed themselves. It feels like working in the proverbial garage, he says—not in the Valley, but of the Valley.


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During the upcoming 2023 Monterey Car Week, Infiniti is slated to showcase a concept that will give insights into both their new design philosophy and the forthcoming generation of the QX80.
The existing design ethos of Infiniti can be followed back to the Essence concept from 2009. However, a fresh appearance is in the works, with the QX Monograph concept, scheduled to be unveiled in Monterey, giving us the initial glimpse. This unveiling will take place at The Lodge at Pebble Beach on August 17.
Infiniti QX80: A Brief Look
On Wednesday, a single teaser image was released, offering a sneak peek of the novel grille design. The Infiniti emblem, adopting a three-dimensional aspect, plays a pivotal role in this design, creating a focal point at the vehicle’s front while infusing a sense of dynamism.
Details regarding the next QX80 are limited, but an unveiling is expected either late this year or at the beginning of the next. This debut will initiate a substantial transformation process for Infiniti, involving a design revamp across their dealership network and getting ready for the launch of electric vehicles.
Infiniti has several electric vehicles in the pipeline, with the first anticipated to be rolled out around 2025. This vehicle will be assembled at Nissan’s Canton, Mississippi plant and is projected to replace both the Q50 and Q70 sedans.
The upcoming QX80 will represent the third generation of Infiniti’s full-size SUV, but will not immediately adopt the electric vehicle path. It is likely to incorporate a revised version of Nissan’s F-Alpha body-on-frame architecture, a lineage that goes back to the original Infiniti QX56 launched nearly twenty years prior.
According to someone in the know of Infiniti’s product strategy, as reported by Automotive News (subscription required) last year, the forthcoming QX80 is set to be positioned as a more luxurious offering compared to the current version. This move aims to set it apart from its Nissan counterparts, the Armada and Patrol, and to enhance its competitive edge against rivals like the Cadillac Escalade and Lexus LX.
In addition to the QX80, the Armada and Patrol are anticipated to undergo a redesign, with rumors circulating that the current 5.6-liter V-8 engine in the existing Nissan SUVs will be replaced by a twin-turbocharged V-6 for the new design. If this information is correct, the V-6 engine will likely be incorporated into the next QX80 as well.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about fokus keyword Infiniti QX80
When will the Infiniti QX Monograph concept be unveiled?
The Infiniti QX Monograph concept is set to be unveiled during the 2023 Monterey Car Week, specifically on August 17 at The Lodge at Pebble Beach.
What does the QX Monograph concept represent for Infiniti?
The QX Monograph concept represents a new design language for Infiniti, and it will provide a preview of the next-generation QX80.
What are Infiniti’s plans regarding electric vehicles?
Infiniti is planning multiple electric vehicles, with the first one expected to arrive around 2025. It will be built at Nissan’s plant in Canton, Mississippi, and may serve as a successor to both the Q50 and Q70 sedans.
Will the next QX80 be an electric vehicle?
No, the next QX80 won’t go down the electric vehicle route just yet. It is expected to use an updated version of Nissan’s F-Alpha body-on-frame platform.
What changes are expected in the next QX80 compared to the current model?
The next QX80 is expected to be more upscale than the current model, and there are rumors of a swap from the 5.6-liter V-8 engine to a twin-turbocharged V-6 for the redesign.
What is the significance of the three-dimensional Infiniti logo on the new grille?
The three-dimensional Infiniti logo is a key element of the new design, serving as a focal point for the front of the vehicle while providing a sense of motion.


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The majority of drivers now think having access to a car is more important than it was before the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to research by the RAC, 57 per cent now value having a car more than they did in 2019, with younger drivers being most likely to say that having access to a car is more important. Those living in central London also value having a car more than they did before the coronavirus situation, too.
Despite a shift in working from home, 64 per cent still expect to need to drive to an office or other place of work in the future, while 68 per cent said a car is essential for carrying items like shopping – this being the most important reason for motorists wanting access to a car.
With public transport being blacklisted by many during the pandemic, motorists are also now more likely to use their cars over public transport than ever before. The survey found that just 43 per cent would use their cars less, even if other modes of transport improved – the lowest figure since 2002.
RAC data insight spokesperson Rod Dennis said: “Even with lower traffic volumes, the pandemic appears to have reinforced the bond between drivers and their cars – with public transport less attractive than ever. Motorists see having access to a car as being even more important for the trips they need to make, be that shopping for essentials or getting out to see family and friends in other parts of the country when restrictions allow.
“Without a concerted effort from government and local councils, the pandemic risks putting efforts to encourage drivers out of their cars for some trips back by years. Even before the coronavirus, drivers complained that public transport fares were often too high and services didn’t run when they needed them to. Now, for the first time since 2002, we have fewer drivers than ever saying they’re prepared to use public transport even if services improved – underlining just what a huge role the car continues to play in 2020.”
The research was carried out as part of the RAC’s ‘Report on Motoring’, with 3,068 drivers being questioned in this year’s survey.


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in this issue
Markets :: Fine Chemicals/Biotech :: Pharmaceutical ingredients
Cambrex reports fall in profits
10:48 AM MST | February 11, 2014 | Deepti Ramesh
Cambrex (East Rutherford, NJ) reports a 79.6% fall in net profits for the fourth quarter of 2013, ended 31 December, compared with the year-ago quarter, to $8.89 million. The results for the fourth quarter of 2012 include tax benefits of $37.6 million, Cambrex says. Net sales for fourth-quarter 2013 increased 47%, however, to $102.4 million, primarily because of higher sales of a recently approved branded active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and controlled substances, partially offset by lower sales of generic and other branded APIs and products using the...
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Nguyen Bich Lam, head of the General Statistics Office, said that small-scale Chinese firms are likely to eye a shift to Vietnam to avoid high tariffs imposed by the U.S.
Such firms typically use pollution causing technology, he said, adding that there have been previous warnings about such FDI projects.
The latest escalation of the U.S.-China trade war only heightens this possibility, he noted.
Vietnam needs to carefully inspect projects which were registered in the last nine months with capital lower than $1 million to prevent those with outdate technologies from harming Vietnam’s natural environment, Lam added.
Echoing Lam, Le Dang Doanh, former director of the Central Institute for Economic Management under the Ministry of Planning and Investment, said that a number of these companies have already entered Vietnam in recent years.
It is the responsibility of the ministry to say no to FDI projects that can harm the environment, he told VnExpress International .
Lam emphasized: “At this time, Vietnam needs to filter out FDI projects, not accepting them at any cost as it did 30 years ago.”
Other experts expressed concerns that Vietnam could end up becoming a dumping ground for Chinese goods.
Economist Nguyen Tri Hieu said that China might seek to dump its goods on Vietnam to avoid Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Cheaper Chinese goods competing with Vietnamese goods will not benefit Vietnam’s economy, he told VnExpress International .
Meanwhile, industry insiders have expressed fears that China might borrow the “made in Vietnam” label to dodge U.S. tariffs.
Diep Thanh Kiet, vice chairman of the Vietnam Leather, Footwear and Handbag Association (LEFASO), said there was a “very high” possibility that Chinese bags would be exported to the U.S. through Vietnam.
Chinese businesses can do this by easily setting up a factory in Vietnam with a budget of only $200,000 to manufacture products with materials imported from China, he told local media.
If this cannot be controlled, there could be grave consequences for Vietnamese textile firms since “the U.S. might apply the same tariffs as they have done on China,” Kiet said.
The U.S. slapped tariffs of 10 percent on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods on September 24, and Beijing immediately retaliated with tariffs at 5 and 10 percent on $60 billion worth of U.S. products.
The two countries have already slapped tariffs on $50 billion worth of each other’s goods earlier this year.


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Cheesecake Factory, Texas Roadhouse ranked as top casual-dining choices
This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.
Casual dining patrons prefer the Cheesecake Factory by far, according to a new report suggesting that customers –- even faced with tough economic times –- are still willing to swallow a bigger bill.
Revenue at the Calabasas Hills-based company is up year over year in the second quarter. Texas Roadhouse, Olive Garden, P.F. Chang’s China Bistro and Carrabba’s Italian Grill rounded out the top five in the study from Market Force Information.
The consumer research firm last month released quick-service restaurant data showing smaller companies like Five Guys and In-N-Out pushing McDonald’s and Burger King to the backburner.
Researchers in the casual dining study polled more than 4,500 consumers –- more than three-quarters of them women –- and then divided the votes for each chain by the number of restaurants. In weighted votes, the Cheesecake Factory garnered 7.3% of the vote share –- more than double the 3.2% from Texas Roadhouse.
All of the top scorers had high marks for cleanliness and food quality and taste. But other attributes varied. IHOP, in 15th place with 0.3% of the vote share, was ranked highest for green-building and sustainable practices. Applebee’s, with 0.8% of the vote share, was the top performer in overall value and speed of service.
Ruby Tuesday was deemed the top option for healthy choices; Red Robin was ranked lowest. Customers said Golden Corral was the best for children; P.F. Chang’s was by far the worst.
-- Tiffany Hsu


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Miami’s Vapor Shop, Gives Away Bruno Mars Concert Tickets
The protest is the consequence of their favor. The users have asked the MEPs to regulate vapor cigarette as a consumer product and not medicinal products. Considering the reaction of users across the globe, DigitalSmoke.Org has provided its reviews on electronic cigarettes as an alternative to tobacco cigarette and cited the reason that users are satisfied with e cigs. Many research and studies are going on worldwide which will declare the outcome soon. About Digitalsmoke.org Digitalsmoke.org got established a couple of years back. The website aims to impart the right knowledge to people to make them aware about the electronic cigarettes.
For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit http://emailwire.com/release/127354-Users-Protest-Vapor-Cigarette-Regulation-through-Open-Letter-to-MEPs-Reviews-DigitalSmokeOrg.html
Antismoking groups push for veto of R.I. e-cigarette legislation
Ratzmann was shopping for his 19-year-old son, who currently smokes a pack a day. “He’s tried the gum, he’s tried the patches,” Ratzmann said. He hopes vapor does the trick.
For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit http://www.nbcnews.com/id/52436895/ns/local_news-fort_myers_fl/t/vapor-shops-growing-popularity-swfl/
(This is critical because your time is valuable. Don’t waste time by looking for parking, keep moving if it takes more than three minutes to get parking). 3. Is the shop easily accessible from a main street? (Again, your time is precious.
For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/miami-electronic-cigarette/miami-eko-cigs-vapor-shop/sbwire-265497.htm
Vapor shops growing in popularity in SWFL
Reynolds Tobacco, the nations second-largest tobacco company and makers of Camel, Winston, Salem, Kool and other traditional cigarette brands, agreed. At the end of the day, what we feel is important is that Rhode Island enact a law that keeps this out of the hands of minors, said Hogan, who is also a former Rhode Island lobbyist. Bottom line. The North Carolina-based company has pushed for legislation banning e-cigarette use by minors in dozens of states, including Rhode Island, this year, as it prepares to roll out its own e-cigarette line, VUSE. Governor Chafee spokeswoman Christine Hunsinger says he is still evaluating the bill, which was introduced by Senate Majority Leader Dominick Ruggerio, D-North Providence, and had not been officially transmitted to his office as of Tuesday. Chafee has six days from when he receives the bill to sign it into law, veto it or let it become law without his signature.
For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit http://www.providencejournal.com/breaking-news/content/20130709-antismoking-groups-push-for-veto-of-r.i.-e-cigarette-legislation.ece


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AS the season of savings rumbles on, National Rail are offering young people the chance to get their hands on a cut-price railcard.
For a few days only, National Rail are dropping the price of a 16-25 Railcard to just £20 – a tenner cheaper than you’d normally expect to pay for the money-saving card.
The railcard will slash the price of every journey by a third, and is available to anyone aged 16-25, as well as mature students of any age.
However, if you’re interested in the deal, which is running as an extended Black Friday offer, you have to claim your discounted card quickly – since the offer expires on Wednesday.
To claim the £20 rail card, which will last for a whole year, you simply need to enter the promotional code BLACKFRIDAY when ordering the card online.
FAMILY AFFAIRMum who was raped and beaten by her dad from the age of ten hired a hitman at 16 who MURDERED him
PROTECT YOURSELFSex-crazed spiders have begun their invasion of the UK - so here's how you can protect your home from them
‘I’m happy’Scot whose life was ruined by facial deformity completes corrective surgery and wants to inspire others
ALL CHANGE PLEASEIntroducing the new 12-sided one pound coin - here are all the details on the counterfeit-proof quid
Sex sells?Model reveals the truth about prostitution in the fashion industry and claims you can earn £1.5MILLION a night
The deal comes amid a raft of money-saving Black Friday offers, and with Cyber Monday upon us as well, there’s no end in sight for online bargains.
Many big retailers are leaving their discounts up all weekend, with some offers – such as the cut-price railcard deal – set to last well into the week.


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The great Starbucks experiment is over — or at least, it’s turned another corner.
The Seattle-based coffee company will reclaim one of its boutique coffee shops, re-branding 15th Ave Coffee & Tea on Capitoll Hill as a Starbucks. That means the experimental coffee shop will likely take on many of the characteristics of the Starbucks cafe on Olive Way, which boasts a more upscale atmosphere but still advertises “Starbucks” on a rooftop sign outside.
Starbucks launched 15th Ave Coffee & Tea as an experiment in owning shops with a more neighborhood-appropriate vibe. Roy Street Coffee, also on Capitol Hill, is another experimental shop that — at least for now — will keep its name.
Roy Street — at least not yet — will not be part of this return to the Starbucks brand. CHS has been told that the Roy Street shop will continue to be operated as a “learning environment,” the position Starbucks has evolved for its indie-concept stores in recent months as it has rolled out an international effort to overhaul its offerings. The $550,00+ overhaul of the East Olive Way Starbucks in summer 2010 is part of this new wave — Starbucks branded but with a look and feel more tailored to the neighborhoods the stores call home.


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On Air Now
Saturday Breakfast with JK & Kelly Brook 9am - 12pm
21 March 2020, 15:33 | Updated: 21 March 2020, 23:24
Supermarket giant Tesco is looking for 20,000 new staff to ease the intense pressure as shoppers continue to panic-buy during the Coronavirus outbreak.
The applications will be fast-tracked as they want people to start straight away to help them cope with the 'unprecedented demand'.
Most positions are temporary but will be for at least 12 weeks. There is also the incentive of getting paid almost immediately after starting.
The job openings are aimed at those who have lost their jobs as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Natasha Adams, Tesco's chief people officer, said: "I'm so proud to be welcoming thousands of new colleagues to Tesco.
"Thank you to everyone offering to help as we work day and night to keep our shelves full for customers.
"The community spirit at Tesco is fantastic and together, we can do this."
The store has also announced a 10% bonus on hourly rate for hours worked to colleagues across stores, distribution and customer engagement.
If anyone is looking for work, look to apply to supermarkets! I completed my application this morning at 9am, had my interview at 8pm and I start tomorrow at 12pm.— L (@ld04_) March 20, 2020
I know Tesco and Iceland (+Food Warehouse) are frantically recruiting. Please RT to help someone x
Rivals Asda, Aldi Co-op and Lidl are also on a recruitment drive.
Aldi are looking for 9,000 people, Adsa and Co-op are looking for 5,000 new staff while Lidl is recruiting for 2,500 positions.
All of the supermarkets have now placed restrictions on key items such as soap, hand sanitiser, pasta, toilet roll and milk to allow everyone to get their shopping done as they face self-isolation.


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Netflix has never seen a competitor like this.
Yesterday a box arrived at my door. It contained popcorn. Kids games. Coasters. A 500-piece puzzle. And a portable digital projector, all from Peacock, all in support of a massive PR push about the new streaming service’s launch. I have no clue what the value is, but it’s probably well over $300. Multiply that by a few hundred targeted journalists.
Monday I received an email from MediaRadar, an ad intelligence firm. Peacock is outspending both HBO Max and Disney+ at comparable phases of their launch. At the two weeks prior mark, Peacock's advertising was up 71% compared to Disney+.
And consider the company.
Peacock is a brand-new brand. But it’s from NBCUniversal. Which is owned by Comcast. Which also owns Xfinity, where you can get Peacock for free or a special rate, depending on the product tier. And of course, Comcast also owns Sky Group, the British media and entertainment powerhouse. And sports teams, ad networks, production studios ... the list goes on.
The point: there’s a lot of money and power and distribution behind Peacock.
But that’s not all.
There’s also a different value proposition than some of its key streaming rivals.
Netflix has long resisted offering a free ad-supported tier of service. Peacock will have that, and its free streaming service will include more than 13,000 hours of content, completely free, including the Jason Bourne movies, the Jurassic Park moves, the Matrix franchise, and many, many other known and popular shows. Not to mention hit TV series like 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation, Saturday Night Live and literally scores more. Plus live sports like English Premier League, golf, NFL, Olympics (assume we ever have them), horse racing, and more.
And that’s just the free tier.
The premium tier is, of course, more impressive.
In other words, Goliath is finally coming to the streaming wars. There have been a lot of Davids in the battle, and they’re large and impressive in their own right: Netflix, Hulu, Crackle and others. And then there are the side hustles from Amazon and Apple. The impressive but limited offerings from HBO and Disney. And, of course, the top streaming competitor, Netflix.
There’s room for many to be successful, but it’s limited. The average American household is currently subscribed to 3.4 streaming services. (That makes me fairly average: we currently have Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV+). For those average 3.4 services, they pay about $30/month.
Peacock’s pricing is right in range:
- Free: ad-supported free tier (5 minutes of ads per hour)
- $5/month: ad supported premium tier
- $10/month: ad-free premium
There is also special pricing if you’re a Comcast Xfinity TV or Cox Communication customer.
This is a major heavyweight contender in the streaming wars. Amazon Prime Video will be okay: Amazon throws it in with its Amazon Prime free shipping service, so it is almost bulletproof. Apple TV+ will be fine — as much as a pretty-much stillborn streaming competitor can be called fine — it’s also a throw-in with every new Apple device. Netflix is big and powerful itself now, but it will likely feel the squeeze from Peacock: if not from losing customers, at least from the inability to acquire new customers.
The closest direct competitor for the service might be Hulu, which explains the pricing: Hulu starts around the same $5 level. (NBCUniversal was of course one of the founding members of Hulu, and Comcast is still a silent partner in the enterprise, but its stake will be sold to the primary owner, Disney, in the future.) Other minor ad-supported competitors like Crackle, Roku Channel, Sling TV Free, Pluto TV, and Tubi TV are likely to start to feel the squeeze.
Peacock has content, it has distribution, it has cash for marketing.
And that makes it a nightmare competitor.
For Netflix, the key challenge might be financial. Netflix has leveraged itself in a capital-intensive content development battle to capture the streaming industry. It’s now at an almost 170 debt-to-equity ratio which likely pits the future value of an ever-expanding client base against today’s costs.
If increased competition in streaming shuts down its customer acquisition pipeline, that could have significant impact on Netflix’s ability to continue producing quality content.
Note: I will donate the projector to charity or give it away.


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Gone are the days of "Team Edward" and "Team Jacob." Instead, fans of Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight Saga" will have to choose between "Team Edythe" and "Team Julie."
In celebration of the 10th anniversary of her young adult book series, Meyer has released an entirely new "Twilight" novel but this time the roles are reversed.
The protagonist is no longer Bella Swan, but Beau and Edward and Jacob have been transformed into Edythe and Julie.
"I guess my hope is that maybe the younger readers will be reintroduced because a lot of my readers, you know, they're all 10 years older now and so there's a whole new generation," Meyer said in an interview with "Good Morning America" on Tuesday.
Source: Hachette Book Group
More than 150 million copies of the "Twilight Saga" have been sold since 2005. The four novels spurred a five-film franchise, which grossed more than $3.3 billion worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo.
Don't expect an entire series featuring this new cast of characters, however. Meyer told GMA that this will be the only novel featuring Beau and that a film version is also off the table.
"I don't really see that happening," she said during the interview.
The 10th-anniversary bonus material is nearly 400 pages and included with the original "Twilight" novel in a special-edition book. The novel, published by Little, Brown and Co., is slated to be sold for $21.99.


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Latest News on Photo App
Showing of 0 - 10 from 4 results
Photo App - Total results - 4
Nov 28, 2016
Meitu, Chinese smartphone and photo app maker set to launch for IPO worth $735 in Hong KongChinese photo app and mobile phone maker Meitu Inc is set to launch an up to $735 million initial public offering in Hong Kong, IFR reported on Monday, citing people close to the deal.
Oct 06, 2016
Shoto now available for iOS 10, integrates into iMessagesPhoto discovery app Shoto has been officially announced for iOS 10 and iMessage for all Apple devices. According to the company the app leverages Apple’s Messages framework to make all of your Shoto discovered photos, albums and trips available quickly and easily to share.
May 30, 2015
Google I/O: A quick look at Android M features Google borrowed from Apple and othersOne of the biggest announcements to come from Google from its keynote address at I/O is Android M, its latest mobile operating systema nd successor to Android Lollipop.
May 09, 2012
Twitpic launches iOS app, Android users left waitingTwitpic has existed for a long time now and has been the most favourable service for posting pictures on Twitter.


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Libra – Facebook’s cryptocurrency
The project is still in its early stages, but the company revealed the main idea behind the cryptocurrency and announced some serious partners. More details are coming in the following months, but here is what we know so far:
1. What is Libra?
Facebook finally revealed more information about the Libra cryptocurrency, which will allow people to shop and send money with almost zero commissions. Libra targets partially the market of cross-border payments, which is evaluated at $613 on an annual basis.
Just as people can use their phones to message friends anywhere in the world today, with Libra, the same can be done with money — instantly, securely and at low cost.
2. About the project and partners
The project is a non-profit foundation based in Geneva, which includes 100 members from the private sector and civil society members with equal voting rights, to launch Libra in the beginning of 2020. The company announced that the project is open to anyone that meets the requirements including direct competitors such as Google or Twitter. Switzerland was chosen because of its neutral status and strong support for financial innovation, including blockchain technology.
Up until now the list of partners includes companies such as Visa, MasterCard, PayPal, Coinbase, Spotify, eBay, Uber, Lyft, Vodafone, Booking, and others.
3. How can you buy and use Libra?
Facebook announced that it will build its own digital wallet called Calibra, which will be integrated into all apps form the Facebook family and will also be available as a standalone app. Calibra will partner with the authorized resellers of Libra, cryptocurrency exchanges and liquidity providers to help people exchange their money for Libra seamlessly. Facebook said that it hopes the project will appeal to the people that are still not using any bank services – this group represents 1.7 billion people around the world. Kevin Weil, head of product, comments that the company will aim to partner with local businesses such as convenience stores where people will be able to convert currency for Libra directly with their mobile phones.
4. How will Libra be financed?
In order to utilize one „block” from the blockchain technology, each member of the project must commit at least $10 million. Besides that, he has to take part in the popularization of the ecosystem and in the efforts towards mainstream adoption. The gathered funds will go for covering the operational costs, as well as for incentives for the adoption of the technology aimed at merchants, developers and wallet providers. Facebook also announced an upcoming private placement available only for “selected and accredited investors” in order to start the project as soon as possible.


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Lindsay has been leading and advising international and high growth companies for more than 20 years. These include Tyco International, where he worked for 12 years, serving as the Managing Director of Tyco Electronic Systems Group, which included Thorn Satcom Data Services and Thorn Communications & Telecontrol Systems. He then served as Regional Managing Director of Tyco Fire & Integrated Solutions in Benelux and Nordic countries. Since then his CEO roles included Seacon Group, a port-based warehousing and logistics business. His appointment to Isotrak comes as the company celebrates its 15th year in business and completes its largest ever investment in the development of new products and technologies.
Backed by Lyceum Capital, Isotrak has invested in the expansion of its flagship supply chain visibility solutions to access and exploit mobile and business data – which can be used to save costs, increase efficiency and, ultimately, improve customer service by giving the right people access to the right data at the right time. As part of this initiative, Isotrak has bolstered the capabilities of its real-time ATMSi Fleet Management system and deployed its new 3iS Fleetvision solution, which uses business intelligence data to provide retailers and manufacturers with “total vision” of their transportation eco-system – including their own fleets as well as those of third party operators.
Isotrak has attracted customers from new verticals, including key players in the post and parcel sector, as the company continues to build out from its traditional sectors of retail, foodservice, transportation & logistics and home delivery.
“Customer demand has been strong and we have achieved significant advancements across our complete range of products,” said Greville Coe, Managing Director of Isotrak. “We are responding to our customers not only by investing further in existing products but by extending the breadth of our range. Mobile products have seen particular success this year, with over 5,000 devices already deployed.”
“I am joining Isotrak at a very exciting time,” said Lindsay Copland. “With new products and a significant increase in customers, we are looking at a new era of growth. The company is demonstrating that it has the capability to be not just a telematics business but a major player within the logistics supply chain.”
About Isotrak, Inc.
Isotrak is the leading provider of fleet management software solutions to some of the largest Fortune 500 companies and to six of the top 25 largest food retailers worldwide. With our award-winning transport management system, ATMSi, businesses gain real-time visibility, control and measurement of their fleet’s performance through: Vehicle & Trailer Tracking, Job & Resource Management (including Plan vs. Actual), Electronic Proof-of-Delivery (EPOD), Driver Communications, Driving Style Management, Business Intelligence Reporting, and DOT-compliant Electronic Logs for Hours of Service (HOS) and Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports (DVIR).
Joanna Swartwood, Isotrak, http://www.isotrak.com, +1 (858) 220-1711, [email protected]


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Non profit group with ties to Warren Buffet makes a visit to Rockford
Victory Bell sees rehabilitation of southwest Rockford as critical to city's economic recovery.
Scott Christiansen discusses what's being done to bring fresh food to southwest Rockford.
What lessons a black entrepreneur's attempts to end a 'food desert' in his community mean for ending Rockford's.
The foremost expert on 'food desert' talks about how Rockford's and others take years off the lives of its residents.
Finding a grocery store can be difficult for residents in some Rockford neighborhoods, but that may be changing.


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On Thursday in the Northern District of California, Brittany Conditi filed a class-action complaint against Instagram and its parent company Facebook for invasion of privacy alleging that Instagram accessed users’ smartphone cameras when not using features that would require camera access, despite the defendants’ representations to the contrary.
According to the complaint, Instagram “has access to a user’s smartphone camera for the limited purpose of allowing users to directly take a photograph or video and then post that content to its platform.” Furthermore, Instagram “claims to only access users’ smartphone cameras with user permission, such as when a user is interacting with the Instagram application’s…camera feature.” According to the complaint, Instagram stated it does not access a user’s camera when the camera feature is not in use. However, the plaintiff proffered that Instagram “does more than it claims.”
Specifically, the plaintiff averred that “Instagram is constantly accessing users’ smartphone camera feature while the app is open and monitors users without permission, i.e., when users are not interacting with Instagram’s camera feature.” Conditi argued that Instagram has broken its promise with users, as it has no reason to access users’ cameras when they are not using the camera feature.
The plaintiff claimed that Instagram is “able to monitor users’ most intimate moments, including those in the privacy of their own homes, in addition to collecting valuable insight and market research on its users.” The plaintiff further alleged that Instagram does this in order “to collect lucrative and valuable data on its users that it would not otherwise have access to,” purportedly so the company could increase its advertising revenue through improved user targeting. For instance, the complaint says Instagram is “able to see in-real time how users respond to advertisements on Instagram, providing extremely valuable information to its advertisers.” This conduct allegedly came to light when Apple updated its operating system, available to the public on July 9, “which provides notice to consumers when third parties are accessing their camera and microphone or collecting their data.” The plaintiff asserted that this conduct violated her and the putative class’s privacy rights.
Additionally, the plaintiff asserted that Instagram does not obtain consent to access users’ smartphones when they are not using the camera feature and it does not disclose in its data policy that it accesses user’s camera while users are not using the Instagram camera feature or obtain consent to perform said conduct. Moreover, according to the complaint, Instagram “has no legitimate purpose for accessing users’ smartphone cameras while they are not using Instagram’s services.” Instead, Instagram purportedly claimed that this was a “mistake” caused by “a bug in iOS 14 Beta that indicates that some people are using the camera when they aren’t.” However, Apple has not stated that it was a bug, according to the complaint. The plaintiff also pointed to Facebook and Instagram’s history of privacy violations.
Conditi claimed that she uses Instagram on a regular basis, including while she is in her bedroom. She alleged that Instagram surreptitiously accessed her camera and monitored her outside of the scope that she agreed to. The class includes: “(a)ll Instagram users whose smartphone cameras were accessed by Instagram without their consent from 2010 through the present.”
Instagram is accused of violating the California Consumer Privacy Act, which requires a business collecting consumer’s personal information to disclose at or before collection regarding the categories of personal information that will be collected and the purpose for said collection. They must also provide additional disclosures in order to collect more information for other purposes. The plaintiff claimed that Instagram users have a reasonable expectation of privacy as provided in the California Constitution.
The claims for relief include: common law invasion of privacy – intrusion upon seclusion; violation of California Civil Code § 1709; violation of California Unfair Competition Law, Violation of the Wiretap Act and Title 1 of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act; and violation of the California Invasion of Privacy Act.
The plaintiff has sought to certify the class and appoint the plaintiff and her counsel to represent the class; to find the defendants’ alleged conduct unlawful; an award for injunctive and equitable relief; an award for damages; pre- and post-judgment interest; and other relief.
The plaintiff is represented by Lexington Law Group and Lowey Dannenberg, P.C.


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German automaker Volkswagen(VW) has stated that it wants to sell one million electrified vehicles by the year 2025.
VW's new sales aim is not in response to the current 'Dieselgate' scandal but instead is a target that the German automaker wants to meet with regards to its own sales targets and stricter emissions norms in the near future.
While European emission norms are quite strict already, the world's largest car market, China, is expected to push out even more restrictive emissions legislation which should go into effect by 2020.
Speaking to Automotive News about the news, the VW Group's Head Of Complete Vehicle Development for Electrified Cars, Thomas Lieber said, "It's simple, the CO2 legislation in the various regions will mean every OEM is compelled to offer e-mobility."
The VW group currently sells just three fully electric cars (VW e-Up, e-Golf and Audi R8 e-tron) along with six hybrid vehicles (VW Golf GTE, Passat GTE, Audi A3 Sportback e-tron, Q7 e-tron quattro, Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid and Cayenne S E-Hybrid) but it plans to ramp up its electrified fleet by adding 20 new electric and plug-in hybrid cars by the year 2020.


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58.com, the online classifieds marketplace often referred to as the “Craigslist of China,” will hold its initial public offering of 11 million American Depository Shares (ADS) at $17 each on the New York Stock Exchange today. The shares will be listed under the ticker “WUBA.”
Hurst Lin, general partner of DCM, 58.com’s lead investor, tells me that the company will use proceeds from its IPO to focus on product development, especially mobile apps, and launch more verticals. Products that have proven especially successful for 58.com include short-term job classifieds for blue-collar workers. The company plans on developing location-based mobile apps for those listings in order to quickly connect job searchers with nearby opportunities. 58.com was founded in 2005 and booked $107 million in sales during the twelve-months ending in June 2013.
Other Chinese tech companies that plan to hold U.S. IPOs this year include Qunar, a travel Web site owned by Baidu, which wants to raise up to $155 million when it goes public on NASDAQ this week, as well as sports lottery site 500.com and app developer Sungy Mobile, which want to raise $150 million and $80 million, respectively.
E-commerce giant Alibaba might also opt for a U.S. listing in an IPO that could potentially value the company at an impressive $75 billion. Alibaba had originally planned to list on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, but reportedly decided not to because the HKSE’s rules prohibit dual classes of stock and other corporate structures that would make it easier for minority shareholders to hold onto control of a company.
If Alibaba does indeed pursue a U.S. IPO, it may lead the way for other Chinese companies to return to U.S. stock exchanges.
Between 2009 and 2011, 67 Chinese companies went public in the U.S., raising a combined $8.26 billion, according to Dealogic. But the appetite for U.S. listings was hurt by falling stock prices and a U.S.-China regulatory dispute that lead to concerns Chinese companies would be delisted. Since 2011, only five Chinese companies have had a U.S. IPO.
These include tech companies LightInTheBox, which had a successful debut on the New York Stock Exchange in June and online retailer VipShop, which went public in March 2012.


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Adobe created a hole in the market when it admitted finally that it will be unable to create a version of its Flash that can run on mobile devices. Sibblingz is stepping into that hole to provide game developers with a platform that enables them to create web and iOS and Android mobile games at the same time.
“Mobile Flash blew up,” said Peter Relan, chairman of YouWeb, the incubator that created Burlingame, Calif.-based Sibblingz. “Now we have this new version of Spaceport to serve the developers who were otherwise depending on Adobe.”
Relan said in an interview that Spaceport 3.0 has been designed to be a drop-in replacement for Flash. For years, Flash ran fine by tapping a computer’s central processing unit (CPU). But in the mobile era, CPUs were too under-powered to run Flash properly. If Adobe had adapted Flash to run on graphics processing units (GPUs), it would have worked fine on mobile devices. But the company never did that.
As a result, developers can use Spaceport to create games that run on web sites, on iOS devices, or on Android phones. Relan said the work on this began after Sibblingz shipped Spaceport 2.0 in the spring. After that, developers offered their feedback for what they wanted in version 3.0. After that, Sibblingz created an applications programming interface (API) that mimicked the Flash API, making it a lot easier to take a Flash game and move it over to Sibblingz.
With the compatible API, game creators can still use their familiar Adobe PC content creation tools to create games for the Sibblingz platform. That is one of the main differences between Spaceport 2.0 and Spaceport 3.0. Spaceport 3.0 has a web service that automatically converts Flash animations created with Adobe tools into SWF files using Spaceport’s vector graphics. These are then rendered on iOS or Android devices by the GPU-based rendering engine.
“Adobe is a great tools company, but they failed to do this for the developer community,” Relan said.
Michael Cai, an analyst at market researcher Interpret, said that game developers are looking for alternatives like Sibblingz because of Adobe’s move.
In a side-by-side comparison, games rendered with Spaceport 3.0 run visibly faster on Android, compared to rendering via a Flash mobile plug-in. (See the video below for a comparison). Developers can use Spaceport with no upfront fees.
YouWeb has an interesting position in the mobile game market, since it has created both iSwifter and Sibblingz. iSwifter enables developers who continue to create PC flash games to get those games to run on iOS tablets via streaming technology. Sibblingz, meanwhile, lets game companies migrate from Flash to Spaceport.
Rivals include pure HTML5, which is slow and may be a couple of years away from having enough performance to run fast-moving games. Sibblingz is being used by CrowdStar and a couple of other game companies now.


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Though Snap (SNAP 1.80%) missed analysts' consensus forecasts for revenue and earnings per share last week when it reported its first-quarter results, the miss wasn't bad enough to spook investors. After all, investors seem to be pricing in a challenging operating environment; many growth stocks like Snap have fallen sharply in 2022 as investors brace themselves for tough year-ago comparisons and an uncertain economy amid continued supply chain issues and elevated geopolitical tensions.
It's not surprising that Snap stock hasn't sold off since the company's earnings report. Its results were actually quite solid in light of the macro backdrop.
Here's a closer look at some of the key takeaways from Snap's first-quarter results.
1. Decelerating but robust revenue growth
After growing its revenue 42% in Q4 as advertising spend continued to rebound from a contraction in 2020, Snap management knew the social media company's top line would decelerate in Q1. The company guided for revenue during the first quarter of 2022 to increase 33.8% to 40.3%. Impressively, the company's reported 38% revenue growth in Q1 was still well within this expected range despite continued macroeconomic uncertainty.
While revenue was in line with management's guidance, it was slightly below analysts' average forecast. On average, analysts had expected revenue of $1.07 billion. Actual revenue for the quarter was $1.06 billion.
2. Strong user growth
It's also worth noting that Snap actually beat expectations on one important metric. The company's daily active users -- a measure of the number of highly engaged users on its platform -- increased 18% year over year to 332 million. Analysts, on average, had expected two million fewer daily active users in Q1.
Management called out strong growth in users in its Rest of World segment, which excludes North America and Europe. The company added 10 million users in this geographic segment. Going forward, management thinks there remains significant opportunity to grow its users in this important and large geographic market.
3. A challenging macro environment
Snap said its primary negative headwind to client demand is the macroeconomic environment. Specifically, management said that continued supply chain disruptions, rising interest rates, and geopolitical risks amid the war in Ukraine are chief concerns weighing on companies' advertising budgets.
To this end, management explained in its first-quarter earnings call that growth in Q2 has been slower to date:
We believe the impact of the war in Ukraine on input cost, marketing budgets, and overall economic confidence has been significant and that it is difficult to predict its impact on a forward-looking basis. Given the uncertainty caused by these challenging circumstances, we have opted to share that our growth rate thus far in Q2 is approximately 30% year over year or just below the approximately 32% growth rate we observed following the invasion of Ukraine in Q1. That said, we are concerned that the operating environment ahead could be even more challenging, leading to further campaign pauses or advertiser budget reductions.
This backdrop informed the management's guidance for second-quarter revenue growth to decelerate further. Management said it expected its second-quarter revenue to grow at a year-over-year rate between 20% and 25%. This expectation for slower growth, however, also takes into account an extremely tough year-ago comparison, when revenue skyrocketed 116% year over year.
Given Snap's tough year-ago comparisons and the macro challenges, it is facing, the company's business is performing extremely well. Investors should be pleased with the company's performance.


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Cryptocurrency guru John McAfee of computer security software fame is offering $100,000 to anyone who can hack a new wallet.
McAfee boasts the Bitfi wallet is ‘unhackable’.
Bitfi brags the wallet is a fortress for cryptocurrency traders and investors.
“By inventing the most sophisticated instrument in the world, we are constantly pursuing one clear target: universal adoption of the emerging decentralized digital asset economy in everyday life, for
everyone,” says the company.
“Never before has one hardware wallet so seamlessly combined such contradictory attributes as faultless, impenetrable security with incomparable ease of use and all without a trace of compromise. This is the definitive hardware wallet that vaults performance into previously uncharted territory.”
Bounty for breaching security
The company has put up the bounty and probably paid McAfee to spread the news – he has previously confessed he accepts cash to talk up cryptocurrency ventures.
Bitfi says the bountyfor any hacker successfully breaching their security is not to identify vulnerabilities because they believe there are none, but to support their advertising claims the wallet cannot be hacked.
“We strongly believe in the value of a bounty to resolve any possible concerns about the security of the Bitfi wallet. This bounty program is not intended to help Bitfi to identify security vulnerabilities since we already claim that our security is absolute and that the wallet cannot be hacked or penetrated by outside attacks,” says the company.
Dilemma for executives
“Rather this program is intended to demonstrate to anyone who claims or believes that nothing is unhackable or that they can hack into the Bitfi wallet, that such attempts are futile and that the advertised claims about the Bitfi wallet are accurate.”
The dilemma is no one claiming the bounty does not mean the wallet is unhackable, just that no one has reported the fact.
Secondly, the company executives will have red-faces when they must admit their claims are not true if a hacker wins the prize.
“For all you naysayers who claim that “nothing is unhackable” and who don’t believe that my Bitfi wallet is truly the world’s first unhackable device, a $100,000 bounty goes to anyone who can hack it,” McAfee has tweeted.


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As the tremors of the recession continue, consumers are scared to spend their hard earned money or take a new credit line. According to a survey done by Polk, the average age of vehicles on the U.S. roads is at a record high of 11.4 years, as people are not ready to buy new cars.
Also, a NDP report highlighted that 75% of the surveyed population would still use their old cars, which will further increase the average age of used cars in 2014. And this creates a good opportunity after market retailers such as O'Reilly Automotive (ORLY), Advance Auto Parts (AAP) and AutoZone (AZO).
A look at O'Reilly
O’Reilly has put in a solid performance over the past five years, which is better than its peers. In the fourth quarter, it had the leading comparable store sales growth in the industry at 5.4%, which was even more than last year’s growth of 4.2%. On the contrary, its rivals Advance Auto and AutoZone reported a marginal increase of 0.1% and 0.9% in comps, respectively, in their previous quarters.
O’Reilly reported an annual growth in its revenue of 7.1% on an year-over-year basis, which was supported by a strong comps growth of 4.3%. It had also opened 190 new stores during the fiscal year. As a result of robust comps and top-line growth, its adjusted earnings per share for the full year increased 27%.
Strategies to push growth
The company has adopted a dual market strategy, in which it would serve both wholesale and retail automotive parts businesses. This has proved to be a great success for O’Reilly, which is clearly evident from its results.
This is one of the few businesses which has benefited from the extreme cold weather and along with an increase in average ticket, boosted its comps growth in the fourth quarter. In addition, the miles driven by vehicles during October and November increased, which will further increase the wear and tear in parts. It is expected that the miles driven will continue to increase at the same pace in the future as well. This would be one of the main growth drivers for the company as consumers are holding on to their vehicles longer than before.
Going forward, the company plans to open 200 new stores in this year. In addition to this, there are specific stores that are built out of the professional business in the western parts of the country.
Although O’Reilly has been doing well, it's not alone in the race. Advance Auto also performed well in the fourth quarter, as compared to its earlier guidance of a single digit decline. It sales increased 6% on a year-over-year basis. The growth was mainly led by the acquisition of BWP and new store openings during the fiscal year.
In addition, Advance Auto has acquired General Parts, which will make it the largest player in the automotive industry with a coast-to-coast coverage of about 5,300 company -operated stores. This deal was well received by the market and enabled its shares to rise. But still, over a period of five years, the return is very less as compared to O’Reilly.
But O’Reilly will have to be on guard for its largest rival AutoZone and track its performance. AutoZone has been gaining market share that it had lost earlier. Moreover, the acquisition of AutoAnything will further lead the company on the growth track.
AutoZone’s commercial parts business is growing at a fast pace, and gained 14% last year. The commercial business has immense growth opportunities as only 3,600 stores out of 5,200 run the commercial business, according to the Memphis Business Journal. AutoZone’s expansion of the commercial business could be a major headache for competitors as it has a large number of stores.
Aftermarket retailers have performed extremely well in the past and if we consider the industry trend, they might continue to do well. Out of the three, O’Reilly seems to be a better option as it has posted the highest revenue growth rates of the three, despite its small size. Since the company can still grow its network, it can sustain its momentum in the future as it has got sound strategies to power its growth.


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Nov. 20, 2006: The Detroit News—Toyota Prius Sales Lag in China
Summary: "When Toyota Motor Corp. announced two years ago that it would produce Prius hybrids in China, it seemed like a sure bet.
The air in China’s biggest cities is thick with pollution, and the government is pushing up taxes on gas guzzlers. China appeared to be an ideal market for Toyota’s gasoline-electric car. But sales of the Prius have been extremely disappointing.
‘We started with a target of 3,000 a year, but we’re running short of that,’ said Yoshimi Inaba, an executive vice president of Toyota and its top executive in China. Prius sales are currently running at around 100 a month, or less than half the rate required to meet the annual goal.
The Prius’s poor showing, an anomaly in Toyota’s otherwise dynamic performance in China, suggests that energy conservation is not a priority among China’s newly rich consumers."
It also shows what happens when a government, in this case Beijing, doesn’t enact policies that help it toward its stated goals. We’re not talking world domination here, just a reduction in the nation’s choking pollution levels and greenhouse gas emissions.
The Prius is collateral damage; it may not have been the intended target of high tariffs on imported technology, but they make its base price in China nearly double that in the US. There are no incentives like tax breaks, solo carpool lane privileges, or free parking that could offset that high price.
And it’s just not culturally cool enough to be eco-wise in this go-go-go economy. Chinese movie stars don’t emerge from gas-sippers at their premieres—and Yao Ming flogs hamburgers, not hybrid synergy.


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Lexus South Africa has told TopAuto that its flagship LX SUV will go on sale locally in the first half of 2022.
This range-topping SUV is the luxury-focused counterpart of the Toyota Land Cruiser 300, being built on the same TNGA-F platform and powered by the same engines.
It is also confirmed that the LX will be available in VIP and F Sport specifications, while an entry-level standard trim is also expected to be on offer – as with the LX in Japan and the Land Cruiser in South Africa.
What we know
Lexus said the new LX will be available with a 3.5-litre, V6, twin-turbo petrol engine – or a 3.3-litre, V6, twin-turbo diesel engine.
In Japan, the petrol engine is connected to a 10-speed automatic transmission and puts out 305kW and 650Nm. It must be noted that the South African specifications for these motors have not been released.
Under the shell, the LX is fitted with new electronically-controlled brakes, an AHC suspension system, and front and rear diff locks.
The newest iteration of the Multi-Terrain Select and Crawl Control systems are installed, too, along with downhill assist control and “Back Underfloor View” that projects a feed of what is going on below the boot onto a central display.
Lexus South Africa has revealed little of what the local LX will offer inside, apart from the dual-display infotainment system featuring 12.3-inch and 7-inch central screens.
In addition, the company said the VIP specification will get four independent seats, while a fingerprint-authenticated push-start button is fitted across the range.
Thus far, these are the only confirmed features for the local market.
In Japan, the LX also offers automatic LED lights, a digital instrument cluster, the Lexus Safety System, and support for Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Wi-Fi, voice control, navigation, and web browsing.
While many of these features can be expected on the LX when it lands in South Africa, they are not yet official.
The South African pricing for the new Lexus LX will be announced closer to launch, said Lexus.


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YouGov survey reveals 80% of people in north-east Scotland concerned with single use plastics
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MORE than 80 per cent of people in the North-east are concerned about the volume of single-use plastic items and packaging.
And they would support regulations that limit their use, according to a survey commissioned by Zero Waste Scotland.
An estimated 300 million plastic straws, 276 million pieces of plastic cutlery, 50 million plastic plates and 66 million polystyrene food containers are used annually in Scotland.
The poll, carried out by YouGov found that 82 per cent of respondents in North-east Scotland described themselves as being very or fairly concerned about the amount of items designed to be used only once.
It also revealed that 78 per cent support the introduction of regulations in Scotland to reduce the use of single-use items and packaging.
The survey coincides with a public consultation over plans to restrict some of the most environmentally damaging single-use plastic items in Scotland, including plastic cutlery and plastic straws.
The Scottish Government is seeking views on the introduction of new legislation to restrict the supply of single-use plastic plates, plastic straws, plastic cutlery, polystyrene food and drink containers, beverage stirrers, plastic balloon sticks and products made from oxo-degradable plastics. Reusable alternatives would continue to be widely available.
These are the most common items found on European beaches and were identified in the EU Single Plastics Directive as contributing the majority share of litter found in the marine environment.
The Marine Conservation Society’s 2019 Beach Clean reported an average 492 items of litter per 100 metres of beach in Scotland, with the
majority being single-use plastic or polystyrene.
According to Scottish Government figures around 80 per cent of Scotland’s carbon footprint comes from all the goods, materials and services which we produce, use and often throw out after minimal use.
Iain Gulland, chief executive of Zero Waste Scotland, said: “Whilst plastic can be incredibly useful and beneficial in a number of areas, it also
can cause significant damage to our environment if it isn’t disposed of properly.
"Scots are increasingly concerned about the impacts of disposable single-use items and can see how it is impacting on the country’s natural environment.
“Most of us don’t need many of these single-use items being consulted on. By choosing reusables over disposables we can still have the benefit without the needless waste and carbon emissions associated with throwaway items.”
Part of the consultation process is to understand how access can be maintained for
people who require items that perform a vital function that cannot be easily replaced.
For example, straws may be required for medical use or to support independent living.
The responses across Scotland showed:
- 18-24 years - were most concerned (86 per cent) about the volume of single-use items.
- 55+ (78 per cent)
- 45-54 (76 per cent)
- 25-34 (74 per cent)
- 35-44 (73 per cent)
It is expected that any legislation would be introduced by 2021.
For further details or to provide your views, please click here


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Most marketers talk a good game about protecting consumer data; however, very few have made the actual leap to treating privacy as a key marketing and communications effort, as opposed to simply a legal one. Here are three ways to re-tool data privacy disclaimers, or risk losing the trust and attention of the addressable market.
The Association of National Advertisers has unveiled a collaborative effort, called the Talent Forward Alliance, to address the industry's growing issues with maintaining talent, with board members from Publicis, DDB Worldwide, eBay, HP, Mastercard, Verizon and GE. "Talent is the foundation for our future success and for providing the pathway that will lead to successful brand-building, innovation, and the advancement of business performance," said ANA CEO Bob Liodice.
Some 71% of cdonsumers say loyalty programs don't inspire their loyalty to brands, per Kantar Retail, and with their heightened control in the digital age, consumers are more likely to be loyal to brands that deliver something relevant to their needs. John Zealley, Robert Wollan and Joshua Bellin explain the importance of brands displaying and embodying five traits to encourage loyalty from the modern consumer: purpose, personalization, pride, protection and partnership.
When it comes to creating icons, favicons and logos, simplicity is key, Brenda Stokes Barron writes. She outlines tips and hints for creating graphics that strengthen a site's branding, explaining that it's important to use eye-catching and timeless designs.
Netflix intends to invest $2 billion over the next year to promote around 700 original shows, but the company faces unique marketing challenges due to its release of box sets in full and a dip in social buzz as consumers have become used to its quality programming, writes Alan Wolk. Yet Netflix's powerful recommendation algorithm could help it succeed at launching so much new content, he writes.
Samsung has partnered with uBreakiFix to offer smartphone users same-day authorized service and repairs on several models of the Galaxy S and Note series. Meanwhile, Samsung Galaxy S9 presales have lagged, remaining at or below comparable presales of the Galaxy S8 in 2017.
Sales of refurbished smartphones increased 13% year over year in the last quarter of 2017, Counterpoint Research reports. The robust used smartphone market and longer phone ownership periods have reduced demand for new devices, Counterpoint's Tom Kang said.
Fairphone has developed a smartphone using modular parts that can be easily replaced, part of the company's effort to reduce waste and increase the life of the device. Fairphone also uses ethical sourcing, seeking to work only with conflict-free mineral mines.
The controversy over the election-year misuse of Facebook user data is raising questions among marketers, although they're not yet ready to cut their Facebook ad budgets. Among other concerns, marketers are questioning the extent of the social network's dominance and whether it's giving them all the insights it should.
Business-to-business marketers are embracing account-based marketing both to gather the data required to prove return on investment and to improve personalization by focusing attention on the most valuable leads and accounts, Peter Isaacson writes. The integration of artificial intelligence into ABM will make the strategy even more powerful in its ability to automate messaging based on more meaningful insights, he writes.


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As of 9pm last evening, petrol retailers have cut prices by VND500 per liter, in response to the Ministry of Finance’s demand.
|Petro retail prices reduced by VND500 a liter since May 27 (Photo: VNA)|
Accordingly, a liter of A92 would slide from VND16,990 to 16,490/liter.
Justifying the requirement to lower petrol prices, the ministry said that over the last 20 days, the world prices have declined.
In addition, the ministry also ordered businesses to lower their usage of the Petrol and Oil Prices Stabilization Fund from VND500 to VND200 a liter of petrol as of May 28.
Prices for oil products like diesel, mazut, and kerosene and the rates withdrawn from the fund for these products will remain unchanged.


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As previously mentioned in this blog, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) recently announced that it would begin fielding complaints about payday lenders. On November 20, 2013, the CFPB announced its first enforcement action against a payday lender. The CFPB ordered Fort Worth, Texas-based Cash America International, Inc. to refund consumers for robo-signing court documents in debt collection lawsuits.
Cash America, one of the country’s largest payday lenders, will reportedly pay up to $14 million in refunds to consumers as part of a consent order. The CFPB also fined Cash America $5 million for these and other violations, and for allegedly destroying records in advance of the Bureau’s examination. According to the order, Cash America must develop better compliance-management systems to safeguard against future compliance violations.
CFPB examiners reportedly learned that Cash America’s debt-collection subsidiary in Ohio, Cashland Financial Services, had been rapidly signing off on legal documents to obtain judgments against customers. Specifically, for five years, Cash America employees were told by the company’s in-house collection attorney to stamp a lawyer’s signature on court documents used to sue customers for past-due debts. The CFPB also found that Cash America violated the Military Lending Act by illegally overcharging service members and their families more than 36 percent interest on payday loans. Another subsidiary of Cash America, Enova Financial, reportedly destroyed some documents and other items, such as recordings of phone calls, before examiners could review them and coached some employees on how to answer questions.
Cash America, for its part, released a statement saying that now that it had entered into this settlement, it would continue to focus on serving its customers while working to develop additional compliance programs. This action by the CFPB suggests its intent to aggressively police payday lenders.


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The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has issued a warning that registered investment advisers are not allowed to engage in unregulated products including the sale of digital gold. Although not specifically named, this warning is also directed towards crypto activities, sale of shares in unlisted companies.
In August, National Stock Exchange has directed its members, including stockbrokers, to discontinue the sale of digital gold on their platforms by September 10.
“It has come to the notice of SEBI that some registered investment advisers [RIAs] are engaged in unregulated activity by providing platform for buying/ selling/ dealing in unregulated products including digital gold,” SEBI explained.
The securities market regulator warned that “undertaking such unregulated activity including dealing (i.e. advisory, distribution, and execution/ implementation services) in digital gold by investment advisers is not in accordance with the provisions of Section 12(1) of the SEBI Act 1992, read with the SEBI (Investment Advisers) Regulations 2013.”
Responding on Twitter, Nithin Kamath, Co-founder, and CEO of online brokerage firm Zerodha said, “When you are regulated, everything is normally black & white. People keep asking me why don’t we offer crypto, unlisted private companies, US stocks, digital gold — which we anyways didn’t sell because it’s not the best way to buy gold, and more.”
When you are regulated, everything is normally black & white. People keep asking me why don’t we offer crypto, unlisted private companies, US stocks, digital gold — which we anyways didn’t sell because it’s not the best way to buy gold, and more. Here’s why 👇 pic.twitter.com/XGinZ8mDSM— Nithin Kamath (@Nithin0dha) October 23, 2021
The current security regulations restrict members from engaging, either as principal or employee, in any business other than that of securities or commodity derivatives, except as a broker or agent, not involving any personal financial liability.
In July, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman confirmed that the crypto bill was ready for the Cabinet. In September, Jayant Sinha, a lawmaker from the ruling BJP and former junior finance minister, said that the crypto legislation will take into consideration the security angle.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is working on central bank digital currency but continued to have “serious concerns” regarding cryptocurrencies. The RBI digital currency will be launched in phases later this year.


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CASE PORK ROLL
TRENTON >> Case Pork Roll is pigging out on business.
The Chambersburg-based company has broken ground on an expansion at its current location on Washington Street to increase production, President Thomas Dolan said Thursday.
Dolan said demand has been high over the last two years as interest in the product has risen due to events like Trenton’s dueling pork roll festivals. The company also just opened two new accounts with Giant Food Stores and Shaw’s, in addition to keeping the New Jersey meat delicacy stocked at Wal-Mart, Shop Rite, Sam’s Club and Costco, he said.
“Business is going well,” the president said before an event announcing Mayor Eric Jackson’s summer youth hiring initiative. “We’re becoming the biggest thing since sliced bread.”
Dolan said there will also be a new Case Pork Roll stand at Arm & Hammer Park for the Trenton Thunder baseball season.
In September, Case hosted its first Pork Roll Eating Championship at Arm & Hammer, where famous devourer Joey Chestnut chomped down an unbelievable 32 pork roll sandwiches in 10 minutes.
Founded in 1870 by George Washington Case, the company’s product can be found as far away as Virginia, Dolan said, as the company is dedicated to remain in Trenton and continue to expand.
“Hopefully, eventually we’ll get it all over,’ he said.
The new expansion at the Washington Street facility will be utilized for storage and to create another slicing room.
Dolan highlighted that the quality of the product has also benefitted under a new partnership. Case has started using Hatfield Quality Meats to supply its pigs for the pork roll, which is only an hour away.
The company can now receive fresh pig meat the day it was killed. Previously, Case used to receive most of its meat from the Midwest, he said.


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As the Federal Way Farmers Market opens this weekend for its 18th season, a few new guidelines are in place to keep both vendors and visitors safe.
Farmers markets in the state of Washington have been deemed essential by Gov. Jay Inslee, however, social distancing guidelines have led Federal Way Farmers Market Director Rose Ehl to redesign much of this year’s season.
“We’ve spent hours and days on it to come up with a plan that would be approved by the health department,” Ehl said of the strict rules and regulations that markets must follow.
Federal Way’s Farmers Market opens Saturday, May 16 from 9-3 p.m. Held in the Southwest corner of the Commons Mall parking lot, the market is a weekend tradition for the community from May through October.
This year, visitors and vendors are required to wear masks while at the market. The opening hour of the market (9-10 a.m.) is reserved for people ages 60 and older, and those with compromised immune systems. No dogs or animals, except for service animals, are allowed at the market.
The layout of tables, chairs and vendors that once encouraged catching up with friends or networking has also been restructured to feature one exit and one entrance.
Reorganizing the layout helps limit the amount of people in the market to less than 40 individuals at one time and reduce the ability for socializing in the area, Ehl said.
Visitors to the market can shop fresh produce from local farmers, fresh eggs, bakery goods, kettlecorn, and colorful flower bouquets from local florist Angel’s Greens. Essential items will also be sold at the market, including plant starts, coffee, soaps and masks made by Moni’s Sweet Creations. BECU will also be handing out free shopping bags.
In weeks prior, Ehl was unsure if this season would happen due to the current health crisis, but said she is grateful for the clearance to host the market and help farmers, such as Bautista Farms and Sidhu Farms, earn their much-needed revenue.
With no cooking or meal preparation allowed on site at the market, food truck vendors, such as K.C. Deez BBQ, will have pre-made, pre-packaged food for visitors to purchase.
“They can simply stop by and pick it up, which reduces the amount of standing around in the market,” Ehl said.
The market also accepts programs such as WIC, Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Market Match, previously called Fresh Bucks, also matches any amount of money an individual puts onto their EBT card with coupon dollars to be used at Federal Way’s market this year.
As social distancing guidelines ease and as additional produce from farmers comes into season, Federal Way’s market will be adding more vendors. This weekend, market goers will find a variety of vendors throughout the 20 stalls.
Ehl says the market has not yet canceled any of their events from June onwards, such as the annual Taste of Federal Way held in September, and is thankful for Federal Way’s ongoing support for nearly two decades.
“We’re just as much of a community market as we are a farmers market,” Ehl said. “We’re trying to keep people as safe as possible so that we can continue our market in a safe atmosphere.”
The Federal Way Farmers Market is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays at 1701 S. 320th Street through October.


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Confirmed a company Microsoft plans to bring its xCloud cloud gaming service to Apple’s iOS, and its Windows PCs.
The US software giant said today, Wednesday: The xCloud cloud gaming service will arrive on iPhone smartphones, iPad tablets, and personal computers, starting from the spring of 2021 next.
Microsoft explained at Published On her blog: The PC version of xCloud will be available to users through the Xbox application for Windows 10.
Microsoft said in its post: “In Spring 2021, we will take the next step in our journey to reach more players around the world by making cloud games available as part of the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate service on computers running Windows 10 through the Xbox app and the browser, And on iOS devices through a web browser. ” The company added: “By adding more than a billion devices as a path to play in the Xbox system, we envision a seamless experience for all types of players.”
And xCloud will still be part of Microsoft’s $ 15 per month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription. Microsoft says: It plans to launch the trial version of the cloud gaming service through the Game Pass service to more markets next year, including: Australia, Brazil, Japan, and Mexico.
Due to the restrictions imposed by Apple on iOS applications and cloud services, Microsoft was unable to support iPhone smartphones and iPads when it launched xCloud in the beta version of the Android system last September. The two companies entered into a dispute over the availability of xCloud service in its current form on iPhone phones, after Apple said: that such services need to make games available individually for review.
Although Apple offered Microsoft some kind of concessions by allowing cloud gaming applications to support cloud games on iOS as long as it kept offering games individually for review, Microsoft said: Such a case would be a bad experience for consumers, and decided to focus on providing the service. Through a web browser instead of making it available as an app.
It is noteworthy that other companies providing cloud gaming services decided to do the same thing, as Google and Nvidia announced the launch of web versions of the services (Stadia) and (GeForce Now) GeForce Now last month.
And now, GeForce Now is available in a trial version, while Google plans to launch an iOS version of Stadia through a web browser before the end of this year.


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Cruise Ship Outbreak
Published January 27th, 2014
United States health officials boarded a cruise ship docked in the US Virgin Islands to investigate an illness outbreak that has at least 300 people sick with gastrointestinal symptoms including vomiting and diarrhea.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said nearly 300 passengers on the Royal Caribbean International's explorer of the seas have reported getting sick.
That's nearly 10 percent of over 3,00 passengers on the cruise ship that left Cape Liberty, New Jersey, on Tuesday.
Twenty-two crew members also reported feeling ill.
At least two CDC officials were expected to investigate and evaluate the outbreak response on the cruise liner.
- East Marion Elementary Continues To Battle Illness Outbreak
- NOON UPDATE: Another Carnival Cruise Ship in Trouble
- Death at Sea-Cruise Ship
- Life Boat on Cruise Ship Kills Crew
- Boy, 4, Nearly Drowns On Disney Cruise Ship
- 2nd Suit Claims Cruise Ship Didn't Help Castaways
- Passengers Return to US After Cruise Ship Fire
- Fire Breaks Out on Cruise Ship
- Cruise Ship Stranded in Indian Ocean
- Woman Vanishes from Cruise Ship


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A receptionist from Larne is in the running to be crowned Specsavers’ ‘Spectacle Wearer of the Year’.
Sarah Gaw has been selected from hundreds of people throughout the UK as a semi-finalist in the competition.
Sarah, who celebrated her 30th birthday last month, entered the competition after she spotted it on Facebook and is delighted to be in the semi-final.
She said: “I love wearing glasses and don’t really feel complete without them. However, I didn’t always love them.
“I started wearing glasses when I was nine years old and, at that time, was the only person in my class and in my family who wore them. Added to that I had a nickel allergy so I had the large plastic glasses which looked awful and I was teased at school for wearing them.
“However, as I got older, I grew in confidence and really began to enjoy wearing glasses and trying different styles,” she said.
During a visit to her local Specsavers in Main Street, Sarah received a bottle of champagne, a certificate and a £150 voucher and is now in with a chance of winning £10,000 along with a luxury holiday for two to New York and a glasses wardrobe from Specsavers worth £1,000.
Spectacle Wearer of the Year, the Specsavers annual specs-selfie competition, is open to proud specs wearers from every corner of UK to enter.
The competition aims to celebrate wearing glasses with pride and thousands of people enter every year, in the hope of scooping some fabulous prizes such as a VIP makeover, £10,000 in cash and an all-expenses trip to global fashion capital, New York, and, of course, attending the star studded final in London and lifting the overall Spectacle Wearer of the Year title,
Larne Store director Deirdre McAree is delighted for Sarah. She said: “It’s great to have someone from Larne as a semi-finalist in this competition. This is now the second time the Larne store has had a regional finalist which is fantastic. Everyone from the Larne store wishes Sarah the very best of luck for the competition.’
The awards were launched by former Pussycat Doll, Kimberly Wyatt, earlier this year.
If Sarah triumphs in her age category, she could meet Kimberly and other stars at the celeb-packed awards ceremony in London in October. Last year the celebrities who attended the awards final included Louis Walsh, Joey Essex, Brian McFadden, Twiggy and Sarah Harding.
Now in its 21st year, the competition raises valuable funds for UK anti-bullying children’s charity Kidscape. For each entry made £1 will be donated to the charity, adding to the £300,000 the campaign has raised over the last six years.


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Welcome to the Cannabis Countdown. In This Week’s Edition, We Recap and Countdown the Top 10 Marijuana and Psychedelics Industry News Stories for the Week of October 12th – 18th, 2020.
Without further ado, let’s get started.
* Yahoo Finance readers, please click here to view the full article.
Field Trip Commenced Trading Last Week on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) Under the Ticker Symbol ‘FTRP’
It’s official: Psychedelics provider and mental wellness company, Field Trip Health (CSE: FTRP) (OTC: FTRPF), is now officially a publicly-traded company, joining the growing list of Psychedelic Stocks.
Cannabis-Based Drug Testing is an Inhumane Process
Having to turn over bodily fluid to a stranger, including urine or blood, can be an invasive, humiliating experience. Most international sports competition leagues and/or regulatory bodies subject athletic competitors to various types of drug testing and it almost always includes cannabis.
“MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy is Conducted By a Licensed Psychologist and Trained Clinician Over the Course of 12 Sessions with Three Sessions Lasting Six or More Hours”
MDMA-assisted psychotherapy would result in significantly more cost-effective than currently available treatment options for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to a study distributed by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS).
The Pilot Program is Being Held for UK Customers Only, with Only a Select Number of Retailers
Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) has entered the global CBD market. It was reported earlier this week by BusinessCann that the giant online retailer has begun selling CBD products, but only on a trial basis, with the retailer referring to it as a pilot program.
The Ads Featuring People From a Diversity of Backgrounds Speaking to Their Personal Experiences with the Drugs and the Criminal Justice System, Come as Mail-in Ballots Are Being Distributed to Registered Voters
The Oregon campaign behind a ballot initiative to decriminalize drug possession and expanding funding for substance misuse treatment is rolling out a series of TV and online ads promoting the measure.
The Driving Force Behind the Analyst’s Investment Thesis is RWB’s Dominant Position in the Rapidly Growing Michigan Marijuana Market
PI Financial analyst Jason Zandberg, who is bullish on Michigan, believes “RWB is the best vehicle to invest in the Michigan Cannabis market.” The analyst issued Red White & Bloom (CSE: RWB) (OTCQX: RWBYF) a “Buy” rating and slapped a hefty $2.50 price target on RWB stock.
With Global Mental Health Awareness Day Upon Us, it’s a Good Time to Pause and Reflect on Our Wellbeing as a Species
Psychedelic medicine is poised to be the much-needed solution to the dire mental health issues, such as depression, addiction and suicide, which are plaguing millions around the globe.
Activists Have Been Eagerly Awaiting Action on the Reform Legislation Since the Supreme Court Deemed Personal Possession and Cultivation of Cannabis Unconstitutional in 2018
Mexico‘s high court in April granted a second deadline extension to give legislators additional time to enact the policy change amid the coronavirus pandemic, pushing it to December 15. That said, Ricardo Monreal, the ruling MORENA party’s leader in the Senate, said the chamber will advance the bill before the end of October.
Psychedelics is an Emerging Industry with a Lot of Potential in the Way of Drug Development and Therapy
Entheon Biomedical is comprised of a team of researchers who are dedicating their work to the treatment of substance abuse disorders. The company’s research centers around Psychedelic analogs and how these pharmaceutical compounds hold great potential in treating chronic addictions.
In Spite of the Global Pandemic, Illinois Has Seen Record-Breaking Marijuana Sales Month-Over-Month, Contributing to the Significant Tax Revenue That’s Being Used to Fund Local Governments and Restorative Justice Programs
Illinois has hit a Marijuana tax milestone, the state announced on Tuesday, collecting more than $100 million in revenue from Cannabis sales since the recreational legalization program launched this year.


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Glengoyne “Family Launch and 10 Year Anniversary” – Scotch Whisky News
Join the Glengoyne Family
They say you can choose your friends but you can’t choose your family. With Glengoyne you can with the official launch of a new online loyalty program – the Glengoyne Family.
Following the re-launch of the brand last October…


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ARLINGTON, Va. — The Food Marketing Institute said that a recent study on calorie labeling, which called the practice “feasible” for supermarkets, fails to acknowledge the regulatory burden or the cost to the industry.
“There’s no mention of the regulatory requirements in this study that [the Center for Science in the Public Interest] put together,” Erik Lieberman, FMI’s regulatory counsel, told SN.
“It’s not as simple as … just putting a label out there.”
The Food and Drug Administration has proposed regulations for calorie labeling under the Affordable Care Act that would include supermarkets and convenience stores.
The CSPI study listed the presence of dieticians in many supermarkets as one reason stores should find it easy to add calorie counts to prepared food items.
However, Lieberman contended the federal regulation would make menu labeling subject to several layers of paperwork, so it wouldn’t be a question of in-store dieticians just adding the calorie count to a sign.
Moreover, Lieberman said the man-hours needed to comply with any new regulations, in addition to analyzing each food item and creating new signage, would place an enormous financial burden on supermarkets.
“We’ve estimated it’s a $1 billion cost for the first year alone, for the industry,” said Lieberman. “It’s a huge burden.”
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