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Austria-based Starlinger & Co. GmbH received several orders during its recent three-day open
house that focused on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) recycling.
The company sold two Recostar 165 PET iV + lines with SSP technology during the open house. A
third Recostar line, on display at the event, had been sold beforehand and was installed in
combination with two Viscostar 75 reactors in late December, to be used for post-consumer bottle
Starlinger also received one order for the new viscostar 75. It will be used for refinery
products. Another unit will be used in front of a production line used in the high-strength fiber


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Sony’s Japanese branch has seen a massive restructuring over the last several months, with many high-profile departures occurring at Sony Interactive Entertainment Japan.
In December, Teruyuki Toriyama announced his departure from Sony Interactive Entertainment Japan, followed shortly after Keiichiro Toyama who left to start up his studio, Bokeh Game Studio, which enlisted another two former SIE Japan members, Junya Okura and Kazunobu Sato. Masaaki Yamagiwa announced his departure in February before a massive layoff happened at SIE Japan, which included Brendon Pritchard, and Ryo Sogabe,
Not long after the news, Sony confirmed that Team Asobi would lead development on new projects.
Now, it looks like Masami Yamamoto has joined his former colleagues in departing from Sony back in January. If you aren’t familiar with his work, Yamamoto worked on Tokyo Jungle, Soul Sacrifice, and Bloodborne.
少し遅れてのご報告です。2/28を持ちまして、SIE JAPAN Studioを退職しました。テヘ。前職SMEから含めるとソニーグループに25年。1stでの仕事は、ゲーム制作者として幸せに満ちたものでした。これも皆さんの応援のおかげです。あ、今後はどんなPFのゲームを作ってもいいんだ…すんごい不思議な感覚！ pic.twitter.com/oJJgvSEfID
— 山本正美@SHUEISHA GAMES (@camp_masami) March 15, 2021
“Including my last position at Sony Music Entertainment, I was with Sony Group for 25 years,” Masami said. “As a game creator, my job at a first-party was full of happiness. And it was all thanks to your support. Ah, in the future, I’ll be able to make games on any platform… what a strange feeling!”

domain: news


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Charlotte entrepreneurs Carl and Gayle Guliford are slated to open the Kono Pizza franchise’s first kiosk inside a Walmart, just in time for Black Friday shoppers.
The store is located at 805 S.C. 9 Bypass, in Lancaster, S.C.
Kono Pizza describes its product as pizza served in a thin-crust cone that bakes in minutes. The Edison, N.J.-based franchise has 130 locations in 20 countries.
The Gulifords have an agreement to bring three locations to the greater Charlotte area, according to a press release.
Charlotte-based Studio C -- also known as Carolina Pad, the school supply manufacturing company -- will hold a warehouse sample sale on Nov. 13-14.
Organizers say everything will be marked at 75-85 percent of retail price: notebooks, binders, organizational items, backpacks, laptop sleeves and totes, tablet cases, iPhone and Galaxy phone cases, pencil cases/accessory clutches and more.
Here’s a sales list from the company:
▪ Backpacks and messenger bags: $10
▪ Fabric tote bags: $10
▪ Laptop sleeves: $10
▪ Notebooks: 75 cents
▪ Memo books: 50 cents
▪ Expandable folders: $2
▪ Clutches, pencil cases and pouches: $2
▪ Binders: $1
Hours are 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. on Nov. 13, and 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. on Nov. 14. The warehouse is located at 3552 Westinghouse Blvd. See more at www.shopstudioc.com/.


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Oatly, the Swedish oat milk giant, saw its shares fall by almost 20% tPrevious sales predictions were of $690 million, while the more recent sales are projected to come in at around $635 million for the year. According to Bloomberg data, the Swedish oat milk brand recorded just over $171 million in Q3 revenues, missing the consensus target of $185 million.
Oatly stated that the missed targets and reduced sales are due to supply chain and logistics-related issues. The company says that container rates are going up, and also cited pandemic-driven disruptions in Asia, as well as a potential “quality issue” that could mean throwing out significant stock in its US production plant in Utah.
The issues in its US facility were responsible for a $3 million impact on sales, which added to its delayed delivery problems from driver shortages and Covid-related foodservice closures.
“In EMEA, we are starting to build supply to meet consumer demand, but the pace at which we expected to increase revenue in new and existing retailers and to open new markets is slower than we anticipated as we navigate a dynamic COVID operating environment,” stated the Blackstone-backed firm in its latest earnings report.
The company believes this was “primarily a timing issue” and expects a recovery on retail shelves “in the first half of 2022”.
Although Oatly is credited for being the brand that popularized oat milk, it faces strong competition from long-time vegan milk makers such as Alpro and Silk, along with dozens of other dairy-free milk players. According to data from Euromonitor International, Alpro takes up around 25% of market share in Western Europe, while Swedish oat milk maker makes up around 9%. Big conglomerates like Nestlé are also launching new brands like pea milk Wunda.


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Black Friday and Cyber Monday Apple deals were plentiful, with many of the bargains still in effect. We've rounded up the steepest discounts left over on top configurations and devices, from up to $300 off 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros to up to $120 off AirPods.
The 2021 Black Friday AirPods sales event is underway and Apple's entire lineup of AirPods are being heavily discounted by popular retailers (even the recently-released third-generation AirPods are on sale).
Apple directly compared the graphical capabilities of the 16-inch MacBook Pro against the MSI GE76 Raider gaming notebook at its launch. Here's how it fares against the rest of the notebook's specifications.
Apple's new 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M1 Max processor is undeniably a powerhouse. Here's how it compares to Apple's Intel-based Mac Pro tower, and why folks that rely on that machine may need to consider the laptop as a viable upgrade.
As Apple introduces its updated designs of MacBook Pro to the world, some other notebook producers are arguably moving in Apple-like ways. Here's how the latest 16-inch MacBook Pro compares to the Dell XPS 17.
A Mac with Apple Silicon inside isn't just noticeably faster than their Intel counterparts; it's capable of a few other exclusive features too. Here is what an Apple Silicon-based Mac can do that the Intel Macs can't.
Google launched its new Pixel 6 lineup on Tuesday, with its smartphone range now sporting its own Tensor processor. Here's how the search giant's latest compares against Apple's iPhone 13 and the iPhone 13 Pro.
With holiday shopping in full swing, Amazon's latest round of price drops on Apple products offer discounts on everything from AirPods Pro with MagSafe to 2021 MacBook Pros. Discover our top five picks for the best early Black Friday Apple deals on Amazon.
Early Black Friday AirPods deals continue to pour in, with Apple's 2021 AirPods Pro with MagSafe returning to $189.99 ($60 off) ahead of Walmart's $89 AirPods 2 Black Friday promo that starts later today.
B&H has launched its annual Holiday sale, with a variety of discounts on Apple hardware and accessories (in addition to DealZone prices on photography gear, markdowns on networking equipment, and more).
Apple AirPods 3 with Spatial Audio support, AirPods Pro with a MagSafe Charging case, and 2021 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros are already on sale at Amazon, despite having just been announced on Oct. 18 during the "Unleashed" Apple Event. Save up to $50 instantly during the early Black Friday sale.
Early Black Friday discounts are going on now at Adorama, with AirPods Max $100 off, Apple's loaded MacBook Pro 13-inch marked down to $1,699 ($200 off), and AirTag accessories on sale for $19. Plus, much more.
The HexGaming Ultimate Controller lives up to its name with a fully-customizable design, swappable joysticks, and programmable paddle buttons. It also happens to be compatible with Apple's well-connected ecosystem.
The new Belkin BoostCharge Pro Portable Fast Charger for Apple Watch is the only standalone charger — besides Apple's — to support fast charge on the latest-generation Apple Watch. But it may have promised more than it can deliver.


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Now when clients bring in their laundry to the laundromat for a cleaning, they don’t just have to sit and watch the dryer toss their clothes around in circles. They can step next door (in the same building) for a meal, snack or just a coffee at the newest restaurant in town. The Elbow Room is a deli/café offering breakfast, lunch and dinner from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Manager Kim Kennedy, welcomes the public to come on in and give their food a taste. The deli/café is open to everyone of course, and not just those whose clothes need a cleaning. It is located straight across from Golden Hills Grocery at 148 Bridge Street.
Kennedy moved to Princeton a year ago with her husband and two grandchildren. Husband Bill transferred to Copper Mountain Mine from Huckleberry Mine near Granisle, B.C. and they haven’t looked back. “We really like Princeton,” stated Kim. “The people here are really friendly. We haven’t regretted the move one iota.”
The deli/café and attached laundromat are owned by Michael Yates and Kennedy who has worked in the service industry for 35 years is the charge of the operation for the new deli. The deli has been open since last Tuesday, Oct. 11 and so far the response has been good. “People have been enjoying their food, telling us they like the atmosphere and the prices,” stated Kennedy. “We are pleased with the comments of opening week.”
The Elbow Room offers breakfasts of omelettes, French toast, pancakes, quiche Lorraine, bacon ‘n eggers, toast, bagels and fruit salad. Lunch includes daily soup and sandwich specials and all kinds of sandwiches and salads including burgers, chicken strips, quesadillas and chilli on a bun. The dinner menu is simple. “I have one dinner special a day,” Kennedy stated. “We wanted to keep it simple.”
On top of daily specials and the regular menu, Kennedy is available for catering or to make up cheese and meat trays or other platters as desired by her customers. One thing she wanted to stress is that the fries are homemade. “No frozen fries are allowed in here,” said Kennedy. “They are homemade and that’s the way it’s going to stay.”
Kim and Bill have had their grandchildren living with them for the past 10 years. William and Hannah are liking Princeton too. “Princeton is friendly and family oriented,” Kennedy concluded. “To us that’s a good reason to stay. Come see us some time.”


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UPDATE 3: The new Solo: A Star Wars Story trailer is here!
UPATE: Ron Howard has tweeted confirmation a second Solo trailer is coming through the pipeline
Solo: A Star Wars Story is right around the corner, and some are starting to wonder when Lucasfilm will release the full theatrical trailer for the spinoff. Marketing for Ron Howard's entry in the franchise has been interesting to say the least, as the studio waited until February to kick off the campaign. This was a strategic play on their part, as they wanted to give The Last Jedi its moment in the spotlight and use the platform of the Super Bowl as a launching pad. Lucasfilm has never advertised two movies at the same time, so they were content letting Howard spread the word about Solo via his social media set photos while they concentrated on Episode VIII.
But with The Last Jedi now on home media, Solo is about to become the center of attention in a big way. As of this writing, there are just two months to go until its premiere, and we still have much to learn about its specifics. Star Wars trailers are known for throwing curveballs to the audience, but it's still expected a second trailer will shed more light on the story - beyond it being Han Solo's origin tale. As for when that preview will see the light of day, we've got a theory.
We believe the full Solo trailer will debut at some point the week of Monday, April 16. The reasoning behind this thinking is two-pronged. For starters, it would mean new footage comes out in time to be attached to prints of fellow Disney blockbuster Avengers: Infinity War, which opens worldwide on April 27. Considering how massive Infinity War is poised to be, multiple studios are going to want to take advantage by unveiling a fresh preview to play before screenings of the summer's biggest event. Plus, the Solo teaser was released ahead of Black Panther, so there's precedence here. The Mouse House is keen on using one property to promote another. The first Infinity War trailer hit the web weeks before The Last Jedi.
There's also an in-franchise explanation for releasing the second Solo trailer around this time. It's believed the movie's tie-in merchandise will hit shelves on what's being called "Wookiee Weekend," beginning April 20. Combining the toy rollout with a major marketing push makes sense, since Lucasfilm will want to generate revenue from all the products. There aren't many better ways to ensure the merchandise sells like hotcakes than to get the general public excited with a new trailer. It wouldn't be surprising if advanced tickets went on sale during this window as well.
With all the genre movies that opened this month, it would have been easy to think a Solo trailer would hit in March, but we're still not too far removed from the initial teaser, and if anything was coming out with Ready Player One (targeting a similar audience), it probably would have been announced by now. It looks like April is the date, signaling the home stretch as people count down the days to another Star Wars adventure. After the teaser generated a positive response, hopefully the full preview really sells people on Alden Ehrenreich's Han and makes all the concerns about the troubled production a distant memory.
Source: Jedi News
- Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) release date: May 25, 2018
- Star Wars 9 / Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) release date: Dec 20, 2019


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The global biometrics market will reach more than US$30bn by 2021, representing a 118% increase from 2015, according to a new forecast from ABI Research. “Consumer electronics, particularly smartphones, continue to boost the biometrics market, with embedded fingerprint sensors anticipated to reach two billion shipments by 2021, at a 40% compound annual growth rate (CAGR),” the firm says.
- Mastercard to make Apple Card technology available to other issuers
- Facebook to roll out GlobalCoin digital currency in ‘a dozen countries’ next year
- iPhone NFC ticketing goes live at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium
- India sets out plans for a cash-lite society
- Monese teases Apple Pay launches in 13 European countries


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Fueling hopes that its recovery from the March 11 quake and tsunami disasters is on track, Japan's economy shrank an annualized 1.3% in the first full quarter -- beating bleak market expectations of a 2.7% contraction.
The figures highlight that Japan's economy has started to bounce back from the calamity, which killed more than 20,000 people, wiped out entire towns along the Pacific coast and sparked a nuclear emergency.
"It was negative growth, but not bad data," said Mitsumaru Kumagai, chief economist at the Daiwa Institute of Research. "Our basic expectation now is to see gradual growth on the back of reconstruction demand."
On-quarter, Japan's gross domestic product (GDP) shrank by 0.3% in April-June, after a 0.9% contraction in the January-March period and shrinkage of 0.6% in the previous quarter.
Exports plunged by an annualized 18.1% in the second quarter, when tsunami damage to factories in Japan's northeast still hobbled supply chains, especially in the crucial auto and electronics sectors.
As the scale of the disaster weighed on the nation, private consumer spending, nearly two-thirds of Japan's GDP, fell 0.1% on-quarter.
However, rebuilding efforts also stimulated the economy. Government consumption rose 0.5% and public investment increased 3% due to relief and reconstruction projects for the quake-hit areas.
Corporate investment grew by 0.2%, said the data, which follow recent figures showing increases in industrial production and machinery orders, a key indicator of capital spending.
Kumagai said that "despite the damage done to supply chains, consumption of durable goods, such as televisions and air-conditioners, did not fall," he said. "Exports did fall, but not as sharply as expected. For July-September, it is reasonable to assume a return to growth."
Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda said Asia's second-biggest economy looks likely to grow again in the July-September quarter, although he warned of the risk posed by the strong yen, which hurts Japan's exporters.
That has prompted investors to flock to the yen, which is considered a safe-haven currency. The heavy buying has sent the yen soaring to near its post-war high of 76.25 to the dollar -- a trend that hits Japan's export sector by making its goods less competitive abroad and eroding repatriated overseas profits. The yen traded at 76.83 to the dollar amid thin trade in Tokyo in the afternoon, from 76.76 yen to the greenback late on August 12 in New York.
Japan's government intervened in the forex market earlier this month in a bid to tame the yen's rise, and has signaled it is ready to do so again, as businesses have threatened to move factories abroad.
Companies have also warned of the risk of electricity shortfalls and higher prices as Japan goes through a summertime electricity saving campaign sparked by the Fukushima nuclear crisis.
The accident has fuelled anti-nuclear sentiment among the Japanese public and kept many reactors offline after scheduled safety inspections as many host communities have been unwilling to approve restarts. Only 15 of Japan's 54 nuclear reactors are now operating, with more due to cease operations soon for regular checks.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2011


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Debt management companies have been given a warning to clean up their act by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT).
These firms charge a fee to clients in return for advice on how to get out of debt. But the number of complaints about them has been steadily rising, leading the OFT to take action.
One of the most concerning types of complaint was from consumers saying that a debt management company had taken money from them but not passed it onto the people they owed.
The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) saw an 18% rise in complaints about these companies in 2011, compared 2010. There were 546 complaints last year and the FOS found in favour of the consumer in more than half of those cases.
The OFT has now stated that debt management firms must not send unsolicited text messages or emails and they must make sure the products they offer are suitable for their clients' specific needs. They have also been warned not to offer inappropriate financial incentives to staff.
"It's good to see the OFT tackle unacceptable marketing practices carried out by many debt management companies," says Gillian Guy, chief executive at the Citizens Advice (CAB). "It's not necessary to pay for debt advice. CAB offers free impartial advice."
The regulator has backed up its advice by warning that it will take action against any companies it feels are acting inappropriately. That includes operating websites that make the firm appear to be the same as an advice charity or government body.


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Obama Renews C.R.’s Sweet Sugar Deal
U.S. President Barack Obama signed a proclamation to reinstate preferential treatment for Costa Rican sugar, the White House said Monday, June 14.
The sugar quota was suspended due to Costa Rica’s delays in enacting a reform required under the Central American Free-Trade Agreement with the United States (CAFTA) adopted in January 2009, according to the statement..
Outstanding copyright reforms prompted the U.S. to block the key sugar deal in January this year.
After Costa Rican legislators approved the controversial law in April of this year, the country regained preferential treatment on June 15. This reactivates the export quota of 13,880 annual metric tons of tariff-free sugar and sugar-containing goods a year to the U.S.
Sugar producers and trade officials celebrated the announcement. “We’re very satisfied with this result, which allows Costa Rica to take advantage of the benefits of the agreement,” said Anabel González, Costa Rica’s foreign trade minister.
The country’s sugar sector lost an estimated $1 million as a result of the quota’s suspension, according to Edgar Herrera, executive director of the national sugar cane association, LAICA.
Herrera said LAICA represents more than 12,000 producers and 15 mills, and that sugar is a $200 million industry in Costa Rica.
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Shares of Kraft Heinz Co. (KHC) dropped 0.9% in premarket trading on Wednesday, reaching a five-week low. The company, known for its popular brands such as Heinz ketchup, Jell-O, and Cheez Whiz, reported second-quarter sales that fell short of expectations. Despite an 11% increase in pricing, a 7% decline in volume and mix, along with market share pressure, resulted in disappointing financial results.
Strong Net Income Growth
However, net income saw a significant rise to $1.00 billion, or 81 cents per share, compared to $265 million, or 21 cents per share, in the same period last year. Adjusted earnings per share, excluding nonrecurring items, came in at 79 cents, surpassing the FactSet consensus of 76 cents.
Modest Sales Growth
While sales experienced modest growth of 2.6% to $6.72 billion, it still fell short of the FactSet consensus of $6.80 billion. North America sales increased by 0.8% to $5.08 billion, while international sales saw a more substantial growth of 8.5% to $1.64 billion.
Kraft Heinz reaffirmed its adjusted EPS guidance range of $2.83 to $2.91 for 2023. CEO Miguel Patricio expressed confidence in the company’s performance, stating that despite the challenges faced in the second quarter, their action plans have resulted in month-by-month improvement in market share.
Over the past three months, Kraft Heinz’s stock has declined by 9.1%, contrasting with the S&P 500’s gain of 11.1%.


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This is a guest post from Anjan Ghosal, CEO of Diametriq, who describes the effects that the iPhone has had on the telecoms industry.
On Jun 29, 2012 Apple celebrated the fifth anniversary of the iPhone, a remarkable event indeed. In these few years, the iPhone has generated an astounding US$143 billion in revenue – more than the GDP of New Zealand! Today, the annual revenue for this single product surpasses that of Coca Cola Company and Microsoft!
But while we raise our glasses to celebrate this veritable milestone, let us not forget to dedicate a moment of silence to mark the obituary of telecoms (as we knew it!).
In the late 1990’s, if you chanced to visit CTIA or Mobile World Congress, the biggest booth (and after show parties) belonged to Nortel, Siemens, Lucent, Ericsson, Nokia, Alcatel. All of them falling over each other to woo mobile operators with bulging wallets. Those that did not have a booth ferried the high rollers to their rented mega yachts parked overlooking the bay at Cannes – something that would put Las Vegas to shame.
Well, those days are gone. Nortel is no more. Alcatel and Lucent merged and have never been profitable since. Nokia-Siemens are no different. Ericsson and Huawei are locked in fierce competition with no breakout in sight. The mega yachts and fancy booths have been consigned to history!
The telecoms world today belongs to Apple, Google, Facebook and Microsoft (with Skype, Microsoft is the largest telecom operator in the world). And all this can be traced to the advent of the iPhone.
The iPhone is responsible for morphing the phone from a mere voice communication tool to our window to the world. (From someone who has never owned an iPhone it is quite a compliment!). It has changed how we live life (when is the last time you bought a map, or looked something up in the Yellow Pages?) and spawned a new multi-billion dollar industry around mobile applications, a trend continued by the iPad.
It has given rise to new acronyms like – OTT – “Over the Top” – whereby third parties make millions leveraging the mobile networks infrastructure to deliver applications to your device, yet not having to share any of the revenue with them. The net result has been an explosive growth of data traffic on operator networks but with an inability to monetize that growth.
Technologies like wif data offload and Long Term Evolution (LTE) are a direct response of the impact of the iPhone (and its ilk). And it is not only having an impact on the data capacity of the networks, but also the underlying signaling capabilities. Operators and vendors have to adjust to the “new normal” and have discovered that for them, an Apple a day can be fatal.


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Life is sweet for Sugar Publishing.
In the last 12 months, Lisa Sugar and husband Brian Sugar turned Lisa's hobby -- writing a celebrity gossip blog called PopSugar -- into an exploding network of 10 female-focused web sites and a burgeoning business.
The San Francisco startup bagged an advertising deal with Banana Republic six months before hiring a single sales person, hooked funding from rock star VC firm Sequoia Capital, and is bringing on 10 more employees to end the year with 48.
All this might sound rather bubbly except that Sugar Publishing, which brings in a reported $5 million in annual revenue, expects to be profitable by year's end. Given today's cheaper software, computer memory and Internet bandwidth, a dot-com can be built for a fraction of boom-time prices.
"It costs us $500,000 (a month) to run the business," said CEO Brian Sugar, a serial tech entrepreneur. "It's not that difficult to get $500,000 in advertising."
Indeed, for the Sugars, it's been easier than for most.
In July 2006, Banana Republic called Lisa to buy all PopSugar's ads for a week. The retailer wanted to cozy up with the blog's readers, most of whom are college-educated women between the ages of 18 and 34 who earn more than $60,000. Nike, the Gap and Neiman Marcus followed. The company made its first sales call in March to San Francisco ad giant Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, where Lisa, now editor-in-chief of all Sugar properties, previously worked as a media planner.
The result: a national Dreyer's Ice Cream campaign for its limited edition "American Idol" flavors.
With an estimated $5 million picked up from Menlo Park-based Sequoia Capital in October, Sugar Publishing is now building a sales team and adding to its pool of writers, editors and producers.
"We were going to raise a small amount from angels," said Brian Sugar, who co-founded the business with $250,000 of his own money. "But all of the sudden we got very hot."
Sequoia superstar Michael Moritz, who funded Yahoo and Google, took a seat on the board and watched its number of unique visitors jump from 1 million in September to 3.5 million today. The May launch of its newest site, a beauty blog called BellaSugar, was exclusively sponsored by retailer Sephora. Five more blogs with a similar chatty, in-the-know tone are forthcoming, including LittleSugar (babies) and SavvySugar (career and finance).
"Brian and Lisa have come up with a concoction that is suited for the women of today and tomorrow who will look at the world very differently than the women of yesterday," Moritz said.
The company's stable includes blogs like FabSugar (fashion) and GeekSugar (tech). That structure is part of a new generation of blog networks such as Gawker Media that aims to build solid businesses by selling ads across various titles, much like traditional magazine publishers.
"We're going to create a new media version of CondeNast," Brian Sugar said. "We're going to go category by category."
Despite the growth of online ad spending, which eMarketer predicts will increase from $16 billion in 2006 to $37 billion in 2011, the San Francisco firm is no shoo-in with advertisers.
"It's going to be a hefty (network)," said Goodby executive Christine Chen. "The trick is, there's a lot of competition."
Rivals include NBC's iVillage and newer outfits such as Glam, DailyCandy and BellaOnline.
The more, the better, said Moritz: "Any time you invest in a company where there isn't much competition, there isn't much demand for the product."
And, said Brian Sugar, today's Internet rivals are also partners. Sugar's blogs link to competitors all the time.
"I'm sure people are reading all the various cool blogs from Gawker's sites to safe-for-work UsWeekly and People, and then the not-safe-for-work PerezHilton (celebrity gossip) site ... Can you imagine if the New York Times linked to the Wall Street Journal? That would be crazy."


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The Aussie ad in which a man is crunching down on Doritos during his partner’s ultrasound has just aired during the Super Bowl.
Usually the ad that is aired is the one that has won the Crash the Super Bowl competition. There appears to be some confusion as to whether the ad just won or not, as Business Insider has reported the ad by Aussie filmmaker Peter Carstairs has won, however Doritos has tweeted it’s one of two being aired.
— Doritos (@Doritos) February 7, 2016
Hey everyone, yes Ultrasound just screened – but we haven’t won yet!! They’re screening 2 of the 3 finalists!!! #CrashTheSuperBowl
— Doritos Baby (@DoritosBabyAd) February 8, 2016
We’ve asked Doritos what the go is, so will fill you in as soon as we know.
Hey @Doritos! Has Ultrasound just won the Crash the Super Bowl comp? Or is it one of two finalists aired? And when will winner be announced?
— Emma Mackenzie (@EmmaKMackenzie) February 8, 2016
The ad is one of three ad ads within Doritos’ Crash the Super Bowl competition that made the finals.
Nevertheless, it’s an exciting time for Carstairs and the team at production house Mr Smith. When he first made the finals, Carstairs told B&T he hadn’t be holding his breath.
Ad agency Cummins&Partners also played a role in the making of the ad, with two of its creatives Liam Jenkins and Heath Collins joining forces with Carstairs.
Ben Couzens, executive creative director at Cummins&Partners said: “Having an opportunity to write a Super Bowl script isn’t something that comes up very often down here in Oz so when Pete came to us from Mr Smith and asked us to write him a script for the competition, we obviously jumped at it.”
Helene Nicol of Mr Smith added: “Our mantra is ‘Make it Happen’. On Ultrasound, it was simply a matter of bringing together the right people and giving them the resources needed to bring a big idea to life.”
Aussies have been close to winning the Doritos competition before, but have been pipped at the end. Here’s hoping it’s our year this year!
In an interview with Mindshare’s Katie Rigg-Smith, recently returned Australian CMO Brent Smart said advertising lacks enough emotional storytelling, and that marketers lack the support of their organisations to brand build in the long term. Smart is the chief marketing officer at Insurance Australia Group, a position he moved to after returning to Australia from […]
Media strategy specialist Slingshot has won the strategy, planning and buying account for Masterpet, and Endeavour Consumer Health. Masterpet owns pet care brands Black Hawk, VitaPet and Aristopet, while Endeavour Consumer Health includes brands like Red Seal, Pharmacy Choice and Faulding. Slingshot CIO and Partner Simon Corbett (pictured) said that winning the two businesses was […]
Leading South Australian ageing care provider ECH (Enabling Confidence at Home) is shining a light on the need for Australians to talk openly about death with their family members and loved ones to ensure any specific wishes or choices can be fulfilled. Australia faces a significant societal challenge as death continues to be a subject […]
You might have noticed a colourful scoreboard sitting on the B&T homepage this month. Well, allow us to formally introduce ourselves – and it. We’re Zavy. And we believe in the promise of social media: brand building by two-way engagement and rich communication. What does this have to do with a scoreboard? […]


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Washington, D.C. Air Force personnel may no longer use hemp seed oil products because military drug tests can not distinguish between the legal product and marijuana, the Air Force Print News reported.
NORML board member Don Wirtshafter of The Ohio Hempery criticized the military's ban on legal hemp oil products. "This is not a health issue," he said. "The onus is on the drug testing industry and the employers. They are the ones putting out a faulty product that is not able to differentiate between legal consumption of hemp products and the illegal consumption of drugs."
Studies reported in The Journal of Analytical Toxicology demonstrate that regular users of hemp seed oil may test positive for low levels of THC. This outcome is because trace amounts of THC-bearing flower parts sometimes adhere to the sterile seeds' outer shell. Military courts acquitted a pair of officers last year of charges they smoked marijuana after hearing evidence that they consumed hemp seed oil. "In the interest of military readiness, good order and discipline, active duty, Reserve and Air National Guard members are now prohibited from consuming any products containing hemp seed oil," Lt. Col. Greg Girard told the Air Force news wire service. He said that consumption of the products "effectively interferes" with the agency's ability to maintain a drug free force because personnel could use them to mask their use of marijuana.
Hemp health products, such as hemp seed oil, are sold in nutrition stores and praised for their high concentrations of amino and fatty acids.
Previously, the Hawaii Transportation Association and the New York City Department of Transportation warned employees that they will not accept hemp seed oil consumption as an excuse for a positive drug test.
For more information, please contact either Don Wirtshafter of The Ohio Hempery @ (740) 662-4367 or Allen St. Pierre of The NORML Foundation @ (202) 483-8751.
Source: Cannabis News
Date: 12 February 1999


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Business conference all about small companies
Senator Bob Bennett (R-Utah) encouraged hundreds of small business owners and entrepreneurs in Utah to stay positive about the economy as he kicked off his ninth annual Rural Business Conference in Price where the focus was on job creation and economic growth in the energy sector.
"Job creation comes from small businesses, not from Fortune 500 companies," said Bennett. "But it's those small businesses that grow that have the potential to become Fortune 500 companies. The government must do more for this sector of the economy and recognize that small businesses are the key to igniting our economy.
Nearly 520 small business men and women from 67 cities and 22 counties in Utah attended the conference at the Carbon County Event Center on Friday. More than 50 organizations and businesses were also on display during the business exposition, giving attendees the chance to network.
Steve Appleton, CEO of Micron Technology, was the keynote speaker and addressed the conference about tactics and values he believes will help make small businesses successful. He encouraged attendees to set realistic expectations, to build relationships, and to persevere. Micron is one of the world's leading providers of advanced semiconductors, and with Intel Corporation, jointly operates IM Flash Technologies in Lehi to manufacture memory used in various computer and communications devices. When he became CEO of Micron at age 34, Appleton was one of the youngest CEOs in the Fortune 500.
The conference included various workshop sessions on budget-friendly strategies for marketing and sales, building a home-based business, acquiring small business capital, community economic development, developing social media strategies and rural business growth.
Bennett also led a discussion on energy development alongside Kevin Book, managing director of ClearView Energy Partners. The two discussed the policy and economic impacts related to climate change and energy development in a local, national and global setting and took questions from the crowd.
At the opening session of the conference, Bennett was given the key to the city of Price by Mayor Joe Piccolo.


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Avon said Monday that it is negotiating with Plano-based J.C. Penney Co. and Sears Roebuck & Co. to launch a new line of cosmetics in their stores a year from now.
Last week, another direct seller was in the news. Tupperware Corp. said it is buying Carrollton-based BeautiControl Inc. for $60 million to broaden its product offerings. Twenty-year-old BeautiControl, with 50,000 sales consultants, had retail sales of $130 million last year.
All three cosmetics companies said the changes won't affect their existing sales structures. Mary Kay says its Web site will be used to enhance the sales of existing representatives, and Avon stressed that it will be selling a new product line, not the products its direct-sales reps sell. Tupperware said it planned to keep BeautiControl's sales staff in a separate division.
In the last year, Dallas-based Mary Kay has set up individual Web sites for about 75,000 of its 650,000 beauty consultants. The company plans to have 25,000 more selling online by the end of this year, said Russell Mack, executive vice president of Dallas-based Mary Kay.
"Some companies use the Web to go around their sales force. We use it as a tool to give our sales force more business," he said.
The privately held company doesn't report sales and profits, but Mr. Mack said that Mary Kay is profitable and that sales have increased from about $1 billion to $1.2 billion, or $2.4 billion at the retail level, over the last couple of years.
Mary Kay, which celebrated its 37th anniversary last week, isn't exploring a retail strategy, the company said Monday.
"We're not taking that approach at all. Our company has been built on the independent beauty consultant," Mr. Mack said. "We would never do anything to circumvent our sales force."
Having a Web site has increased her business, said Alison Williams, a Mary Kay consultant in Dallas.
"My customers tell me they think of me twice a day, in the morning when they're washing their faces and at night when they're doing the same thing, but they don't want to call at those times," Ms. Williams said. "But they can get online and order anytime."
Avon stressed Monday that the makeup and lotions sold in Sears and J.C. Penney stores will be "a completely different product line" from the one sold by its 500,000 representatives in the United States.
"While direct selling will always be our principal sales channel, expanding access to new customers will help accelerate top-line growth," said Andrea Jung, Avon's president and chief executive officer.
Avon, Penney and Sears officials declined to say how many Penney and Sears stores would sell the new product line. And Avon wouldn't say whether it had approached other chains, such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. or Target Inc.
Unlike other mall department stores, cosmetics aren't a big revenue generator for Sears or Penney, largely because both retailers have been shut out by major cosmetics manufacturers.
Estee Lauder, Lancome and other upscale brands dominate cosmetics counters at Foley's and Macy's, for example, but they don't sell to Penney and Sears, who appeal to a more moderate-income shopper.
Avon has been selling directly through its network of independent representatives for 115 years. Two years ago, it started opening company-operated kiosks, which now operated in about 50 malls nationwide, including Valley View Center in Dallas.
"We've learned that at retail, we attract new customers, not the same people that our representatives are serving directly," said Debora Coffey, a spokeswoman for Avon in New York. A few of those kiosks are being operated by licensed Avon representatives, and the company is considering expanding that test with more of its independent representatives.
Avon is trying to defuse any problems its independent reps might have with its Penney and Sears agreements.
"We're having an early dialogue with our sales representatives so they understand that we're reaching new and different customers with a new and different product line," Ms. Coffey said.
Beth Kim, a former Avon representative who now runs avoncalling.com for other Avon sales reps, said the kiosks are a bigger threat to Avon representatives than a new line of Avon-branded products showing up in Penney and Sears stores. The kiosks sell the same products that Avon reps have in their catalogs.
"A new line in the stores won't interfere," Ms. Kim said from her New York home office.


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Our US colleagues highlighted this week the perfect storm of negative headwinds affecting the global shipping industry, creating bottlenecks in supply chains and sending costs soaring towards $20,000 per container in some instances.
As reported in The Financial Times, too, sky-high demand and raw material price rises are piling additional pressure upon retailers as they try to prepare for the upcoming holiday period, which will prove critical in accelerating recovery – or indeed securing survival - post-pandemic.
The debt mountains taken on board to carry UK operators through the worst of the COVID-19 crisis now weigh heavy on balance sheets, and positive performance is essential during one of the busiest times of the year for trade.
With eyes turning toward Christmas, seasonal goods such as fairy lights have been called out as likely to be in short supply, while The Guardian has also reported that the macroeconomic factors at play in Asia could cause a scramble amongst shoppers to secure children’s toys at the earliest opportunity, given likely shortages related to limited shipping container availability and the associated astronomical costs.
Retailers now face difficult decisions regarding paying over-inflated prices to secure supply of the products that will prove a business boon this winter, while any efforts to stockpile will bring storage dilemmas to solve too.
One thing is for certain, the supply chain scenario playing out now will not disappear when the final Christmas lights are turned off (should you secure them) and we move into the New Year.
As with the many business pivots enforced over the past 18 months, retailers will once again need to ensure they are acting fast to flexibly shift their approach to mitigate such disruption – adjusting budgetary forecasts to factor in increased costs, implementing operating models to maintain business efficiency and reconsidering supply chain options where fragilities may have once again risen to the surface.


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The deal between video game publishers Vivendi and Activision to create Activision Blizzard has been completed following green lights from all relevant parties.
The combined strengths of the two businesses offer "immense growth potential ", according to Jean-Bernard Levy, chief executive at Vivendi.
The merger will combine a range of highly popular franchises such as World of Warcraft, Guitar Hero, Diablo, Call of Duty, Spiderman and Tony Hawk.
"With more than 10.7 million subscribers on World of Warcraft, and with tens of millions of people playing Guitar Hero, Activision Blizzard's games transcend the traditional stereotypes and are more popular as a form of entertainment than ever before," said Robert Kotick, president and chief executive of the new company.
As part of the deal, shares of Vivendi Games were converted into approximately 295.3 million new shares of Activision common stock, of which Vivendi purchased around 62.9 million at $27.50 per share.
This sum of around $1.7bn in cash gives Vivendi 52-54 per cent of Activision Blizzard.
Within five business days of the closing of the transaction, Activision Blizzard will launch a $4bn all-cash tender offer to purchase up to 146.5 million Activision Blizzard common shares at $27.50 per share in order to maintain a majority shareholding in the new company.
Using photocatalysts to convert carbon dioxide into usable energy such as methane or ethane


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|Members of the U.S. Paralympics Cycling National Team unveil new team kits made by ZOCA|
CHULA VISTA, Calif. – U.S. Paralympics, a division of the United States Olympic Committee, announced today that ZOCA Performance Gear, a manufacturer of custom cycling apparel, has been named an official supplier of the U.S. Paralympics Cycling National Team.
The partnership between the U.S. Paralympics Cycling National Team and ZOCA represents the first agreement of its kind for the cycling team.
“We are thrilled to have ZOCA join our team and support Team USA as we strive to be the best team in the world,” said Ian Lawless, high performance director for U.S. Paralympics cycling. “Our athletes are excited to race in their made in the USA kits, and with the support of ZOCA, hopefully we’ll see many of them standing atop the podium this year.”
The 2014 national team kit was unveiled at the U. S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, as the U.S. Paralympics Cycling National Team concluded a camp to help them prepare for the start of the international racing season.
“Being an American made brand, we are honored to have the opportunity to outfit a great American team that will compete on an international level,” said ZOCA’s sales and marketing manager, Samantha Edwardes.
Team USA’s cyclists will compete in the custom-made kits for the first time at the 2014 Para-cycling Track World Championships in Aguascalientes, Mexico, April 10-13.
In 2013, Team USA was the best in the world with U.S. cyclists finishing No. 1 in the medal count at the International Cycling Union Para-cycling Road World Championships; Team USA won 19 medals (12 gold, two silver and five bronze).
With their eyes firmly set on the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, Team USA has a busy 2014 calendar with a full slate of domestic and world cup competitions before its season culminates this summer at the U.S.-hosted UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships in Greenville, S.C.
ZOCA will produce two kits for Team USA – a standard competition kit and a special edition world championships jersey for the team to wear in Greenville.
With over 20 years of experience in designing and manufacturing athletic apparel, ZOCA is proud to be MADE IN THE USA. The San Diego based company offers a complete line of custom endurance apparel created for cyclists, triathletes and runners. Using only top-quality technical fabrics, ZOCA tests their apparel on local athletes to ensure comfort and high-performance.


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In the Know: Jimmy John's keeps moving south
Jimmy John's invasion of Southwest Florida continues, moving to its southernmost point yet on the Gulf of Mexico.
The sandwich shop at 2500 Tamiami Trail N. unlocked its doors this week, less than a block from nicely named Diana Avenue.
“This will be our third store in Naples, and our team is excited," said owner Bobby Malek.
Malek said he plans to hire about 20 employees. Anyone interested can apply at the store, open daily from 11 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and fill out an application.
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The two other Collier locations: 1201 Piper Blvd., off Immokalee Road, and 6434 Naples Blvd., near the Airport Pulling and Pine Ridge roads intersection.
Founded in 1983 in Illinois, Jimmy John's shtick right now is "to serve Freaky Fast! Freaky Fresh! sandwiches."
Malek is touting new sandwiches that, for all I know, could be characters in the old HBO series, The Sopranos: "Jimmy Cubano, Spicy East Coast Italian and The Frenchie.”
The restaurant, with now more than 2,800 locations in 43 states, has limited delivery by calling (239) 268-4250, or ordering online at online.jimmyjohns.com.
Phil Fernandez writes the In the Know column, focusing on growth and development. Send tips or questions to firstname.lastname@example.org.
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Chicago's barbecue renaissance includes a crop of bustling restaurants and one of the nation's most popular online food writers.
Craig Goldwyn's AmazingRibs.com drew nearly 1 million page views in July, ranking it ahead of sites by Kraft Foods Inc., the Food Channel and even his rival barbecue personality, Steven Raichlen, of Florida.
Newer barbecue joints include Chicago Q, Smokey Bears and Brand BBQ Market. On a busy Saturday, three-year-old Smoque in Old Irving Park, which seats just 45, serves 1,500 meals, with a line stretching around the building.
Mr. Goldwyn, 62, known as “Meathead,” has amassed more than 300 pages of recipes, reviews of grilling equipment and video cooking demonstrations on his site, which yields close to a six-figure income in advertising sales.
“Other guys are writing barbecue books, but I decided essentially to put my book on the Internet,” says Mr. Goldwyn, of Brookfield.
Many of his fans are highly opinionated on such topics as Memphis- vs. Austin-style rubs and sauces. Donald Clemens, a 64-year-old Elgin resident whose backyard is littered with grills, quizzed Mr. Goldwyn online recently about the best way to cook an unfamiliar tri-tip cut of beef. “Craig replied right away with great advice,” Mr. Clemens says. “He calls "em like he sees "em. Some of his sauces are truly extraordinary.”
Chuck Hamburg, a professor of hospitality management at Roosevelt University in Chicago, credits the barbecue craze to cook-offs around the country staged for TV.
“Barbecue is the trendy thing right now,” Mr. Hamburg says. “This is a niche that has been underserved in Chicago in the past.”


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Two Firms to Build Blockchain-Based Solution for European Shipping
Ana Alexandre's original article for cointelegraph.com reduced by 57%
Vakt, a blockchain-based post-trade platform for commodities, has signed a memorandum of understanding with essDOCS, a firm that develops paperless trade solutions, to put European shipping on the blockchain. As markets and technology-focused outlet Benzinga reported on Sept. 20, Vakt and essDOCS will work on a blockchain-based solution that will allow digitization of post-trade process in Europe's barge shipping.
In late February, Cointelegraph reported that Vakt signed up four new clients, which meant that Vakt would be used in about two-thirds of all oil deals in the North Sea region. At the time, Vakt's CEO, Etienne Amic said that a significant level of adoption in the energy sector could motivate others to examine blockchain solutions. Earlier this year, Russian authorities signed an agreement with Danish logistics giant Maersk to officially launch blockchain shipping platform TradeLens in order to adopt blockchain-powered digital documentation to replace current transportation operations, which are largely paper-based.
Swiss forwarding and logistics services company Panalpina also started blockchain pilot projects aimed at optimizing supply chains. One of the projects will investigate blockchain applications in high-tech industrial goods and the other will deal with office supplies.
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Instacart expands one-hour grocery delivery service to Boston
California-based same-day grocery delivery service Instacart is expanding its service to Boston, where customers here can get their groceries delivered within an hour from Shaw's, the company announced Wednesday.
Beginning Wednesday, groceries from Shaw's can be ordered and delivered by an Instacart Personal Shopper, with additional stores being added in the coming weeks, according to a release. Customers can order online at Instacart.com.
Instacart uses a crowd-sourced labor force of "personal shoppers" who deliver grocery orders using their own vehicles, for a typical charge of $3.99 for a two-hour delivery and a one-hour delivery charge of $14.99.
Instacart founder and CEO Apoorva Mehta said the company chose Boston for expansion due to its high concentration of tech-savvy urban dwellers and its weather, according to a release. “We’ve learned in our other markets that precipitation is good for business,” Mehta said in a statement. “This winter, snowed-in Bostonians can call us when they need groceries instead of digging out their cars or trudging to the T."
Instacart serves the following neighborhoods: Back Bay, Beacon Hill/West End, Financial District, Theatre District, North End, Kenmore/Fenway, Allston/Brighton, the Seaport, South End and South Boston, Cambridge, Charlestown and Somerville. In the coming months, it plans to expand its service areas.
Instacart currently has one full-time employee in Boston, with another two being added by the end of the year. The company expects to have about 40 personal shoppers in the Boston area by Friday, according to a company official.
The company was founded in 2012 in San Francisco and had expanded its service to Chicago previously. Instacart reports that it employs 35 people and has more than 500 personal shoppers in total.
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South Korean telecom operator KT Corp said yesterday it planned to begin selling Apple’s iPhone 4 this week amid growing competition to expand in the potentially lucrative smartphone market.
KT, the country’s sole distributor for the gadget, plans to start sending out the gadgets on Friday to around 270,000 customers who placed pre-orders, a company spokesman said.
“Our branches will also start selling the phones after the pre-ordered items are shipped off,” he said.
KT, South Korea’s second-largest wireless operator, has sold about 890,000 iPhones since the market debut of earlier models last November.
And tens of thousands of people jammed the company’s Web site on Aug. 18 as it started accepting online orders for the latest model of the popular smartphone.
Local competitors such as Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics have been striving to compete by introducing new smartphones, including the Galaxy S and Optimus series.
Samsung said on Wednesday it has sold more than 1 million units of Galaxy S since the firm’s signature smartphone model hit the market in June.
South Korea’s mobile phone market is one of the world’s most vigorous, with 45 million users in a population of 49 million. Smartphones, however, have a relatively small share, suggesting huge growth potential.
Samsung Electronics estimated about 5 million smartphones will be sold in the country by the end of this year, up from fewer than 1 million last year.
NINE NEW CASES: The CECC said two locally transmitted cases of COVID-19, and seven imported ones – five women and two men – brought the nation’s total to 348 People who refuse to wear a mask on public transportation after being asked to do so would face a NT$3,000 to NT$15,000 fine, effective immediately, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said yesterday after announcing nine additional COVID-19 cases. In a move to curtail the spread of the novel coronavirus, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications on Tuesday announced that people must wear masks on trains and intercity buses, while Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center, on Tuesday said that people should wear them when they cannot maintain a social distance of 1.5m indoors. Chen yesterday
TRILLION PROPOSED: The premier said the goal was to keep ‘businesses solvent, the unemployment rate down, transportation and logistics going, and cash flowing’ The Executive Yuan yesterday announced an expanded economic stimulus package totaling NT$1.05 trillion (US$34.64 billion), including NT$81.6 billion in subsidies for employers to prevent a spike in unemployment. The increased budget comprises a special budget of NT$210 billion, up from the NT$60 billion already passed by the Legislative Yuan; NT$140 billion — up from NT$40 billion — to be appropriated from the general budget; and NT$700 billion in loans to industries affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics Minister Chu Tzer-ming (朱澤民) told a news conference at the Executive Yuan in Taipei. The NT$150 billion increase in the
TARGETED TEXTS: The center’s head said that visitor numbers at scenic spots were greater than expected and people did not do a very good job of social distancing The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday sent two warning text messages to urge people to practice social distancing, especially by avoiding crowded scenic areas. The two messages were sent at 11:55am on the third day of the four-day Tomb Sweeping Day weekend, reminding people about social distancing and hand hygiene to help prevent COVID-19 infection. “When visiting crowded scenic spots during the Tomb Sweeping Day weekend, please keep a social distance of at least 1.5m indoors and 1m outdoors, wear a mask and wash your hands frequently. Please wear a mask and seek immediate medical attention if you are feeling ill
The US National Security Council yesterday thanked Taiwan for its support amid the COVID-19 pandemic following President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) announcement that Taiwan would donate 10 million masks to hard-hit countries. The donation includes 2 million masks to the US on top of the weekly 100,000 announced previously; 7 million to Europe; and 1 million to diplomatic allies, on top of 1 million Taiwan procured for allies from their neighboring countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday. After European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed appreciation for the donations, the US body yesterday wrote its thanks on Twitter. “We


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Samsung nearly lost its right to manufacture and sell phones in China—but it scraped by thanks to a judge’s ruling on Friday that will allow the tech giant to keep its foothold in the Chinese market.
Samsung is currently locked in a patent fight with Huawei, which alleges that Samsung is infringing on two of its patents related to the ETSI LTE protocol—a protocol that’s essential to any smartphone using LTE. A Chinese court previously sided with Huawei in the case and ordered Samsung to stop manufacturing and selling 4G LTE smartphones in the country.
According to court filings, Samsung’s Chinese manufacturing hubs have the second-largest output of any company worldwide—so being forced to stop manufacturing in the country could have sweeping ramifications on Samsung’s business.
However, Samsung won a reprieve in US District Court on Friday that will allow the company to continue manufacturing and selling in China while a separate legal dispute between Samsung and Huawei plays out in the US.
U.S. District Court Judge William Orrick ruled that the Chinese court’s orders could render the US case meaningless, and so should be put on hold while the case proceeds.
Orrick also chastised both parties in the case for not finding a way to settle their differences.
“I will not recount the history of their failure to reach agreement in the ensuing years, since all of the information has been filed under seal, except to wonder aloud how it can be in the interest of these important multi-national corporations to slog through unending litigation around the globe rather than figure out a process to resolve their differences if agreement is impossible,” Orrick wrote.
Read Orrick’s full order below:


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This year, National Tequila Day falls on Saturday, July 24, which means even more time to celebrate.
Some restaurants are serving up drink specials and hosting events to mark the occasion. Whether you’re looking for the classic margarita, tequila sunrise or maybe just a shot, hit up these restaurants to celebrate.
Check back for updates as we get them. Contact us here to let us know about any other great National Tequila Day offerings.
Los Jefes Grill
Los Jefes Grill in Metairie celebrates National Tequila Day with a free day party from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. Guests can take advantage of free tequila cocktail samples all throughout the day, in flavors like spicy mangorita and a blackberry mint rita.
Festivities will also include sounds by DJ2Nyce, along with an outside bar and outside taco station.
Felipe’s Mexican Taqueria
All Felipe’s Mexican Taqueria locations in New Orleans will offer two-for-one house rocks and frozen margaritas in honor of National Tequila Day. Guests can also partake in $4 tequila shots available all day. The restaurant has three New Orleans locations: 301 N Peters Street, 6215 S. Miro Street and 411-1 N Carrollton Avenue.
El Paso Mexican Grill
El Paso Mexican Grill in Metairie will celebrate National Tequila Day with an all-day, family-friendly event starting at 11 a.m.
The restaurant’s home, at 601 Veterans Memorial Blvd in Metairie, will feature children’s activities, music and drink specials.
Tequila tastings begin at noon, with silver tequila featured from noon until 2 p.m., reposado from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and añejo from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Premium and gourmet mixed cocktail specials will be available all day, along with two-for-one small house margaritas.
Local DJs will provide music from noon until 4 p.m. David Jesús will be featured from noon until 5 p.m., and Latin musicians Julio & Cesar will perform live from 6 p.m. to closing. Children can participate in balloon art and face painting, with entertainment from local clowns.
This event is free and open to the public.
Mr. Tequila, the family-owned Freret Street eatery, says it will offer specials on tequila shots and margarita buckets for National Tequila Day.
Auction House Market
Drop in at Warehouse District food hall Auction House Market for tequila flights, shots and frozen Palomas for National Tequila Day. The spot features specials such as an Espolon tequila flight for $12, Modelo and a shot of Espolon for $7 and frozen Palomas for $5, while supplies last.
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The economy may recover from the present economic crisis in 1995, says the OECD in its half-yearly economic outlook published on 30 June. Economic growth could return to about 4.5 per cent for the year compared with the 0.6 per cent expected for 1994.
The present economic crisis will halt growth and increase inflation, according to the report. The OECD makes no specific forecast of inflation but according to the government’s commitments to the IMF, inflation will decline to 20 per cent in 1995 from the 117.8 per cent registered in consumer terms in the 12 months to the end of May.
The OECD does, however, say that the current account deficit might narrow to around 2.5 per cent of gross national product (GNP) in 1994 and 1995, compared with 5.3 per cent in 1993. The government’s target is a near- balanced current account in both years. The OECD says recent trends indicate a fall-off in tourism revenues. Bomb attacks on tourist resorts by the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) are deterring visitors (MEED 8:7:94).
The OECD outlook also notes that special interest groups might impede the implementation of the government’s austerity programme, which has been endorsed by the IMF. Such obstruction could prolong current instability in the markets and economic uncertainty generally, resulting in lower output and higher inflation.


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When Jeff Anderson pulled up to the bee yard southeast of Sacramento, Calif., to check on his hives, it took him a minute to process that something was amiss.
A third-generation beekeeper who splits his time between winters in California and summers in Minnesota, Mr. Anderson was getting ready for the almond bloom, when roughly two-thirds of all the commercial beehives in the United States are trucked to California to pollinate the more than 1.2 million acres of almond orchards in the state.
He was on a conference call on his cellphone when he noticed patches of bare pavement among the pallets stacked with hives that he had laid across an abandoned road behind two locked gates. “It dawns on me that I should be up close to the bees and I’m not,” he recalled of the brisk January day two years ago.
Thieves had made off with 96 of Mr. Anderson’s hives, leaving behind a muddy winter glove and sets of tire tracks, which Mr. Anderson believes were made by a skid loader, a piece of heavy equipment. In total, Mr. Anderson estimates he was out almost $50,000 (U.S.) in lost income from the contract to rent the hives to an almond grower and the cost of replacing the stolen bees and equipment.
Beehive theft has exploded in recent years in California. Police estimate thieves have made off with about 2,000 hives across the state so far this year, after more than 1,500 went missing last year.
Rising almond prices have enticed farmers to devote more of their land to the crop, pushing up the rates to rent bees from about $150 per hive in 2013 to as much as $220 today. And beekeepers point to the high numbers of bee deaths, which have made it more expensive to maintain colonies and have created another motive for desperate beekeepers to steal from their neighbours.
California grows roughly 80 per cent of the world’s supply of almonds. With so many almond orchards and not enough bees to pollinate the crops, the industry attracts thousands of beekeepers from across the country each year. They typically ship their hives to California every winter and store them in remote fields until the almond pollination season starts early in the year, making the hives easy prey for thieves.
“It created a lot of financial incentive for crooked beekeepers or crooked orchardists,” Mr. Anderson said. “When you’ve got that many bees out there –…


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These Oracle of Omaha favorites can help you have a financially healthy retirement.
News & Analysis: Coca-Cola
If you want to avoid risk, then you should take a look at this trio of longtime dividend payers. They're boring, but that's pretty good.
A look at what's going on in the stock market.
The soda business is on the mend as consumers start moving around again.
The beverage giant posted a sales increase after three quarters of decreases.
The company comfortably exceeded analyst estimates on both the top and bottom lines.
KO earnings call for the period ending March 31, 2021.
With the virus threat receding, Coke could boost its outlook on Monday.
The beverage maker will soon report its results for the first quarter of fiscal 2021.
Can Coca-Cola sustain its dividend record amid major challenges?


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Alan Park, SWA director of legal affairs, looks at what Brexit might mean for the Scotch Whisky geographical indication (GI).
The Scotch Whisky Association has set out the priorities for the Scotch Whisky industry as the Brexit transition agreement is set to be approved by EU leaders.
The Scotch Whisky Association has welcomed joint proposals by European alcoholic beverage producers on how the industry will provide consumers with nutrition and ingredient information.
SWA Chief Executive Karen Betts has joined the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and other women in leadership positions in Scotland in pledging to spend time mentoring young women to help break the glass ceiling.
SWA Chief Executive Karen Betts responds to the Prime Minister's Brexit speech
The contribution of the Scotch Whisky industry to tourism highlighted at the Scottish Parliament
Scotland’s national drink has secured enhanced legal protection in New Zealand after the Scotch Whisky Association’s application to register “Scotch Whisky” as a Geographical Indication (GI) was successful.
Our CEO Karen Betts blogs on a busy month, from Scotch in the States to Whisky in Wuhan and home again.
Scotch Whisky exports increased 8.9% in value and 1.6% in volume in 2017.
The Scotch Whisky Association has successfully renewed the industry's IP protection in China.


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In what could be called a cry for people to calm down about Christmas Ale, Great Lakes Brewing Co. posted an open letter about the availability of its legendary seasonal beverage on its website yesterday.
The brewery explained that a large capital investment at its Ohio City facility delayed production of this year's batch until September — about a month later than the usual start. This, in turn, has meant less six-packs on store shelves during the hype-heavy early weeks of the annual brew's release. And that has apparently made some of the natives grumpy.
Never fear, the brewery is cranking like mad and said in the letter, "We are now shipping more Christmas Ale each week than we normally ship of our popular Dortmunder Gold Lager in a month and a half."
You can read Great Lakes Brewing Co.'s politely worded statement about the matter here. But, if you ask us, they were being too nice. Here are some rules to live by in the face of our temporary Christmas Ale shortage.
1. There's no need to panic; you'll get some.
How Great Lakes worded that: "... due to the late start, we are releasing the beer in greater increments throughout the season instead of up front. If your distributor ran out of Christmas Ale before Thanksgiving last year, please know that the supply of this beer will continue into December."
2. Don't trash talk GLBC online.
How Great Lakes worded that: "We review and appreciate the many comments made throughout our social media outlets, including those from customers who own or manage retail outlets."
3. No, there is no conspiracy against you.
How Great Lakes worded that: "Our distributors work diligently to allocate this exclusive brew. With a limited supply, they understandably first sell to accounts — chains and independents alike — that feature our entire family of beers throughout the year."
4. Don't embarrass yourself.
How Great Lakes worded that: "Thank you again for your support of Great Lakes Brewing Company and our Christmas Ale, which we encourage all to enjoy responsibly."


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Police searching for missing Jupiter man
The Jupiter Police Department is searching for missing, endangered 39-year-old Brian Thomas Smisek, who they say was reported missing on…
Homecoming surprise for high school player
An ordinary night of football at Seminole Ridge High quickly became anything but Wednesday night.
Suspected hit and run driver sought
Police in Riviera Beach need you help looking for man believed to be involved in a deadly hit and run.
Card skimmer found at Palm Beach Co. gas station
Another credit card skimmer has been found at a gas station in Palm Beach County.
Roaches temporarily close Tobu Oriental Eatery
Consumer Watchdog Jenn Strathman shows you where you might be dirty dining.
Sears not fixing all Kenmore grills with holes
Before you fire up the grill this Fourth of July, we're showing you the hidden problem you need to look for. The Consumer Watchdog…
Drivers complain of paint chipping off their car
Drivers are frustrated as paint chips off cars piece by piece. The Consumer Watchdog shows you how to protect your car.
Roaches close Italian, Sushi, & Mexican kitchens
Three restaurants temporarily closed for roaches.


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Your donation today gets you two things to keep you going – your daily news fix and your new favorite mug.
Car companies have been slow to adapt to a connected world. But they’re starting to catch up, putting out cars that increasingly work like huge smartphones on wheels.
Qualcomm is a company built on smartphone chips. But lately, they’ve also been trying to get their chips inside cars.
“Fundamentally, the car is turning into a smartphone,” says Qualcomm’s senior vice president of business development Kanwalinder Singh. He’s speaking from the passenger seat of an Audi A3, the first car with its own 4G connection.
With the help of Qualcomm chips, the A3 features more detailed Google maps, internet radio, and Netflix streaming for the kids in the backseat. Drivers can dictate Tweets using voice command, and the car reads incoming text messages out loud.
Singh says Qualcomm is giving drivers the features they want, and they’re doing it in a safe way.
“We believe that driver distraction would actually be alleviated by providing these services,” he says. “When all of this is embedded, like it is in this Audi, phone calls destined to you and your smartphone would actually come through the car’s antenna, and play through the car’s audio-visual system. You would interact through the car.”
But some driving safety researchers say moving these features from the phone to the car won’t make drivers any safer.
“I think they’re really ignoring the powerful effect of cognitive distractions,” says Linda Hill, who leads a team of driving safety researchers at the UC San Diego School of Medicine.
Hill admits voice command might cut down on visual distraction, preventing phone-handling drivers from staring down into their laps. But eye-tracking studies have shown that even when drivers have their hands free and their eyes on the road, their minds can still be elsewhere.
“A recent study looking at that found that voice-to-text increased driving errors more on a closed driving course than text-to-text did, shockingly,” Hill says.
Hill does like the idea of building one bit of technology into cars, though: An app that disables phones in moving vehicles.
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Toyota are recalling around 75,000 cars in the UK due to a possible steering fault.
The UK is part of a 2.77 million worldwide recall by the Japanese company.
The UK recall will affect certain Avensis and Corolla models from July 2001 to March 2009 and for some Prius models from July 2003 to April 2009.
Toyota GB said today: "On certain Avensis, Corolla and Prius models there is a possibility of an issue with a component in the steering system, prompting a knocking or rattling and possibly a reduction in steering response. In such circumstances, the vehicle will remain safe to drive.
"There have been nine reported cases of this issue in Europe and no reports of any associated accidents."
More top news
The Olympic champion released a statement after a newspaper alleged his American coach may have broken anti-doping rules.
Storm Ewan gives a wet and windy end to the weekend across many northern and western areas.
The Home Secretary said the Government is "against cliff edges" and immigration figures will not suddenly fall when the UK leaves the EU.


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Apple lawyers change focus from Samsung to lobby for IP issues
Apple has reportedly hired the firm that represented it in its trials with Samsung to now fight on its behalf in Washington D.C.. Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr will now be responsible for lobbying the government on intellectual property issues in the tech industry for Apple.
The firm will be added to a sizable list of lobbying firms that Apple currently employs in addition to its own in-house lobbyists. So far this year, the Cupertino-based company has spent roughly $3 million on its lobbying efforts across a wide variety of topics.
It will be interesting to see exactly what comes out of this, as it is unknown which specific subjects Apple will have the firm will lobby for. Topics that they currently pursue include everything from international taxes to medical devices.
Source: PC World
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Qantas and Virgin Australia have asked passengers on flights who own a Samsung Galaxy Note7 to avoid in-flight use or charging of the devices.
Qantas says it’s excited to be "gearing up for the rollout of in-flight Wi-Fi on about 100" of its domestic aircraft – fast and free!
Virgin Australia has announced Wi-Fi for domestic Australian flights after a trial this year, but unlike Qantas which made a similar announcement in February, will Virgin’s Wi-Fi be free?
Whenever this app is discussed it is always number of downloads - a meaningless number as the app may have[…]
Not really Sam. We are a long way from out of these woods. A workable contact tracing app would be[…]
One would think it's a little too late in the day for that.
Sorry, didn't note initially that you mentioned _state-owned_. In that case, the only private company is Huawei but who would[…]
You are spot on, mate.


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Nike Launches Program To Highlight Sustainable Products
To celebrate the Earth Day, Nike has launched a range…
To celebrate the Earth Day, Nike has launched a range of new features to help consumers to identify its sustainable designs.
The sports brand has added “Shop Sustainable Materials” tab that applies a direct filter. Along with it, they will now also display its Sunburst badge on both its product walls in-store and on product display pages online, signifying that a product is made from at least 50 percent sustainable materials.
There will also be a new feature titled “How This Was Made,” that will give customers more insight into where things were sourced and how the product was produced.
“Earth Day, long credited with launching the modern environmental movement, is more than an annual observance for Nike,” the brand writes. “It is fuel to continue building on decades of advancing sustainability and setting bold goals for the future. From creating innovative ways to recycle shoes nearly 30 years ago to recent measures that address climate change, Nike has long been committed to helping protect the planet to create a better future for sport. After all, there is no finish line.”


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Vodianova teamed up with Pentatonic, a circular design company, well before the pandemic to create a truly sustainable face mask.
The face coverings were manufactured by Suay, an L.A.-based green production firm.
Five masks will be offered on The RealReal each week through the end of November.
The United We Mask initiative utilizes deadstock fabric with a focus on inclusivity and skill-sharing for kids and youth.
Cohen collaborated with Gigi Burris, Carolina Bedoya and Antony Vallon.
The National Retail Federation is now urging all retailers in the country to follow suit.
Influencers Serena Goh and Anthony Urbano are working to secure a 100,000 mask order through the new fund-raising initiative.
Bvlgari's Jean-Christophe Babin describes diversity and inclusion as an ethos embedded into the renowned brand.


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Business | Tomans in Turmoil, Gold Gone Wild
by ALI CHENAR in Tehran
10 Jan 2012 23:25
[ dispatch ] The first sign of trouble appeared in the gold market. There has always been a strong demand for gold and gold coinage in Iran, as Iranians have traditionally saved in the precious metal. "I never lose money buying gold," said Simin, a 50-year-old retired teacher and mother of four grown children. "Even during the war, I registered for Bahar-e Azadi coins [the Islamic Republic's official gold coins]. They are easy to hide and easy to trade. When I need cash, all I need to do is go into the first jewelry store and sell them at market price." Few became alarmed as gold prices began to increase in Tehran; after all, the gold market was on the upswing globally. According to an economist at the Central Bank of Iran (CBI), "Gold was rising everywhere, and it was only natural to see prices increasing in Tehran. Although sometimes the price of gold in Tehran was more expensive than its price in the global market, sometimes it was lower."
But as the price of gold continued to climb, many more started to invest in it. Laleh, a 32-year-old artist and designer, was one. "I used most of my savings to buy gold in the summer of 2010," she said. "Since then, it has gained almost 50 percent in value." That sort of return, which few investments can hope to offer, triggered even greater demand. As demand shot up, the CBI tried to stem it. Central Bank President Mahmoud Bahmani announced on several occasions that there was enough gold for everyone. These proclamations seemed only to fan the flames. Finally, last May, the CBI announced that it would sell no more than five Bahar-e Azadi coins to each citizen; the transaction would be noted in their national ID cards. This too failed to restrain the market, and prices kept rising. People began to queue in long lines to purchase their five coins. Entrepreneurial types were on the scene too, hiring others to stand in line for them. "Renting someone," as the practice came to be called, became very common and the term entered everyday parlance.
At one point this past December, Khabar Online, a news website associated with economic conservatives, reported, "The price for one's place in the line is up to 40,000 tomans" -- 400,000 rials, or $35 at the time. Banks currently sell each gold piece at 60,000 tomans below market price. "One can make up to 300,000 tomans by staying awake and standing in line for the whole night," Noosha, an accounting major, told me. "See, it is easy to make money. Who needs a job in this country?" She said that she and her mother had made about three million tomans in this fashion.
But it had its dangers. "When the bank employees tried to close the doors, yelling 'tamoom shod' [sold out], people would yell back 'na, nashodeh' [no, it's not]. Then the people closest to the door would start to fight and beat each other up," she said, describing the tense atmosphere. There were stories of people getting stabbed in these quarrels.
Some economists suggested that the government should sell gold certificates to calm the market. Right before Christmas, the CBI announced that it would offer gold prepurchase certificates for sale, hoping it would quell the public hunger. But again the announcement did little to stabilize the market.
"People trust the real thing, not the promise of it," explained Mohammad, an economic analyst with a private bank in Tehran. "Paper [documents] and certificates do not do well in Iran -- the market is too volatile. Plus, ordinary people are not very familiar with papers and bonds. So they prefer to have the real thing." Besides, people in Iran do not trust government promissory scrip. Of course, CBI gold certificates are being purchased on the market, but still the price of gold keeps rising.
For now at least, the government is more concerned with another market: hard currency.
To understand Iran's currency exchange market, one must recall what the Iranian economy was like in the 1980s. For a decade, the Iranian government kept the official exchange rate for the U.S. dollar at 10 percent of its black market value. Many government agencies sold their allocated dollars on the streets of Tehran to make ends meet. According to Mohammad, the bank analyst, "In the '80s, Iranian households learned how to find ways to benefit from the opportunities created by the government's meddling in the market and its subsidies." At one point during the following decade, Iran had three different official dollar exchange rates: one for industries, one for tourists, and one for government agencies. It was no small achievement when the administration of President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani was able to introduce a single exchange rate for the dollar. This policy was upheld under Mohammad Khatami.
Khatami's successor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, wanted to maintain a fixed exchange rate, however, so this single-rate regime became untenable. As early as 2010, Iranian economists warned about the growing gap between the government's official exchange rate and the dollar's true market value, and the consequent profit-making opportunities. Still, the growing demand for hard currency did not destabilize the market for a time. This eventually changed in response to political developments.
As the United States led its allies in an effort to curb the Islamic Republic's nuclear ambitions, the Iranian economy came under siege from increasingly severe sanctions. The targeting of its oil industry has restricted its market, and the country now often receives commodities instead of hard currency in return for the oil it sells. Banking sanctions have drastically complicated many international financial transactions; their cost has soared and many Iranian businesses have been forced to use third parties to transfer money.
"Emirate banks started to tell us they cannot open accounts or lines of credit for us Iranian businesses," said Mehdi, who operates an export-import office out of Dubai. "This has made us miserable, since we can't send funds to either our partners in Iran or abroad." And that was just the beginning. As regulations continued to tighten, Mehdi and his colleagues grew ever more fearful of the day they would find their accounts shut down all together. His company reduced its dealings with Iran and sought less risky opportunities elsewhere. The supply of paper money began to decline in Tehran shortly after sanctions were imposed on Iran's banking sector, with a domino effect on Iranian consumers.
Muhammad said, "There is always a strong demand for paper money in Iran; it is caused by demand for foreign travel and imported products, as well as household demand for savings in hard currency." Any shortage of paper money in the market can trigger a spike in the exchange rate, and this is exactly what happened. As the market became more aware of the shortage of paper money and the growing force behind the sanctions, average Iranians started to realize something: "The dollar's real value is much more than its nominal value," in Muhammad's words.
Many began to purchase dollars through official channels with the intention of selling them on the streets of Tehran to make some extra income. Some spirited individuals gather passports and purchase tickets for the passport holders from travel agencies so they can collect their allocated dollars at the official price. Mina, a saleswoman at a Tehran travel agency, has seen many such transactions. "One day a gentleman came in to buy 40 tickets for a Tehran-Yerevan flight, and then he came back three days before the flight to cancel them all. He paid a cancellation fee for each. Still, he made a good profit collecting those passengers' allocated dollars." Mina's observation is not unique. Iranian consumers have long learned to take advantage of such opportunities to make ends meet.
As more people turned to the exchange market for speculation purposes, the sanctions further reduced the supply of paper money. The CBI had to prioritize and the government set allowances for individuals with different needs: $500 for foreign ground travel, $2,000 for foreign air travel, up to $12,500 per semester for Iranians studying abroad. Hamed, a student who came to Tehran for his Christmas holiday, spent most of his time standing in lines in front of the Ministry of Higher Education. "I do not need the cash, since I have an assistantship, but I can receive my tuition at the government rate. Down the street they give me 30 percent more than what I have to pay the ministry in rials. It is good business!" I asked him about the ethics of what he was doing. "Are you kidding?" he exclaimed. "Everybody goes for it. Why should I bother when the government has approved this?"
Good business, indeed, still it seems that speculators have maneuvered the government into a corner. Just this week, the CBI reduced the foreign air travel allowance to $1,000. And Bank Mellat has stopped selling dollars to students. The imposition of sanctions on the CBI roiled the market. The exchange rate skyrocketed to 1,800 tomans (18,000 rials) per dollar. "That was a shock," says the CBI economist. "The market could stabilize around 15,000 rials per dollar. The problem is our prospects do not look too good and the market knows this." There is little doubt that the currency exchange market will remain volatile.
What does this means for Iranian businesses? Yasser, who sells electronics, cellphones, and computer parts in central Tehran, knows that the days ahead will be difficult. "We rely on imports, and imports are going to be costly.... An increase in the value of the dollar always signals an increase in the cost of household items. We rely on imports for everything: food, technical parts, and clothing." He predicts, "All prices will go up in a few months, maybe sooner. Then people will be frustrated and under even heavier pressure than before to make ends meet." Who can blame Tehran housewives for buying gold and dollars? They know that they might soon have to sell them to put bread on the table.
The government has been subjected to heavy criticism for these developments. The Majles summoned Ahmadinejad and some deputies have asked for the CBI president's resignation. Ahmadinejad has told angry legislators, "Honestly, our economy is doing fine." It seems he is the only one who thinks so. He has to act so, at least, what with the upcoming parliamentary elections. His hardline rivals will not hesitate to blame him for the country's economic woes. The stakes for average Iranians are high as it is, but for Ahmadinejad this might be the last battle.
Ali Chenar is a pen name.
Copyright © 2012 Tehran Bureau


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Long-term investors "historically wait for the market to break to new price [all-time highs] before ramping up their distribution."
Buying a luxury car? Your gas and EV options cost about the same. Otherwise, expect to pay nearly $16,000 more to go electric.
A Ford Mustang Mach-E costs about $16,000 more than its gas-powered alternative over the long run, one analysis found.
The $3,499 price tag for Apple's Vision Pro mixed-reality headset may even be a stretch for the world's richest man, Elon Musk.
Luxury home prices drop for first time since the global financial crisis - and will likely keep falling
Knight Frank's Prime Global Cities Index dipped 0.4% annually in the first quarter after climbing 3% in the fourth quarter.
Car companies stand to make billions charging monthly fees for features like heated seats. Electric vehicles make that even easier for them.
Pricey add-ons could start ruffling EV-buyer feathers — but automakers might struggle to survive without them, a new study says.
Most US car-buyers don't want to spend more than $50,000 on an electric car — but new EVs sold for an average of $65,041 in November.
An Olympic curling stone costs about $600, making a full set worth $9,600. Here's why they're so expensive.
Kays of Scotland makes curling stones with two rare granites from Ailsa Craig island. They're the only stones certified for the Winter Olympics.
Starbucks' divisive fall drink returns to stores on Tuesday with a higher price tag. The price of a grande pumpkin spice latte is up 4% vs. last year.
Saudi Arabia is telling oil markets that OPEC+ is still in charge - and don't you forget that, says top energy analyst
"We've had mostly algos trading this market, and you've seen huge volatility," energy analyst Amrita Sen told CNBC.
The 10-year Treasury yield briefly dipped below 3% after weak housing data, but rebounded to climb back above it.
Leaked Walmart memo tells store managers to 'immediately' drop prices on summer items on the same day it slashed its profit outlook. Analysts and managers say it's not enough to combat bloated inventory.
On the same day Walmart announced it expects profits to fall for the year due to inflation, it planned a new strategy to mitigate bloated inventories.
Lumber prices hover near recent lows as new home construction sinks and mortgage rates jump to highest since 2008
The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage climbed 25 basis points to 5.65% for the week ended June 10, the highest level since late 2008.
The popular cryptocurrency trading platform is battling a broader selloff throughout the crypto market that has pushed bitcoin below $24,000.
The Denver-based data software firm said it sees a growing opportunity as defense budgets rise in the wake of the war in Ukraine.
The constant swings in good and bad news make it difficult to value and trade the market at the current time, an analyst said.
Lumber trader who warned of 'climate price' flags 4 ways to ease latest spike that's nearing record highs
Lumber prices are rallying again as housing demand remains hot and supply-chain disruptions continue to drag on.
A Zisha teapot typically holds only about a cup of water, and just one can cost tens of thousands of dollars.
Tinder is free to download and use, but you can pay to unlock extra features or for a premium subscription.
Tesla hiked the price on two models by $5000, weeks after price increases on its most popular vehicles
Tesla just increased the price of its Model X Long Range and Model S Long Range, making the cars more exclusive.
Social media company Snap falls as much as 23% after a blow to its Q3 earnings from Apple privacy changes and supply-chain disruption
Snapchat parent Snap fell as much as 23% on Friday, after changes to Apple's tracking settings and the pandemic impacted earnings.


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People are still talking about Sotheby's sale of "The Scream" for a record-breaking $119.9 million last week.
But last night at rival auction house Christie's post-war and contemporary sale, several major artist records were broken as well.
The highlight of the evening was the sale of Mark Rothko's "Orange, Red, and Yellow," a 1961 oil painting, which went to an anonymous buyer for $86.8 million, well above its high estimate of $45 million. It became the most expensive contemporary work of art ever sold, and set an auction record for the artist.
The sale brought in a total of $388 million, with 95 percent of lots sold.
In addition to Rothko, five other artist records were also broken:
Yves Klein, FC1 (Fire Color 1) from 1962 sold for $36.5 million (est. $30 to $40 million)
Jackson Pollock, Number 28, 1951 from 1951 sold for $23 million (est. $20 to $30 million)
Barnett Newman, Onement V from 1952 sold for $22.5 million (est. $10 to $15 million)
Gerhard Richter, Abstraktes Bild (798-3) from 1993 sold for $21.8 million (est. $14 to $18 million)
Alexander Calder, Lily of Force, standing mobile from 1945 sold for $18.6 million (est. $8 to $12 million)
All of the buyers remained anonymous.