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New York Times reports that a select number of YouTube videos will be available next month to Verizon Wireless subscribers. Despite the fact that the service won't be free, YouTube expects to be successful. Modern people don't have patience anymore and don't know how to enjoy the rare quiet moments, so they'll go to YouTube on their mobile phone to view some funny videos.
"Verizon Wireless and YouTube said the service would be available early next month. The companies would not discuss the financial terms of their deal but said Verizon would have the exclusive rights to distribute YouTube videos on mobile phones for a limited period of time."
If the experiment is successful, expect more carriers to make deals for mobile YouTube videos.
Almost a mobile Google Video
Google Video remote control


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April 18, 2014
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) | UnitedHealthcare Collaborates with Konami and Zamzee...
(Jutia Group, 1/9/14)
[Business Wire] - UnitedHealthcare today announced at the 2014 International CES...(read more)
(Blogging Stocks, 1/29/10)
Filed under: Law One of the more bizarre cases of corporate espionage and theft of intellectual property has come to an end, with trading card manufacturer Upper Deck settling a lawsuit filed...(read more)
Konami (KNM) Company Overview
There is no analysis for KNM yet. But you can go to Wikinvest to help create one!

domain: news


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The fastest route to the clouds is at the wheel of an electric car.
Volkswagen set a new record at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on Sunday using its battery-powered I.D. R Pikes Peak racer.
Driven by French ace Romain Dumas, the electric machine climbed 19.99 kilometres to the summit in 7m57.148s, 16 seconds quicker than the previous all-time record set by rally champion Sebastien Loeb in 2013; who used a twin-turbocharged petrol V6 Peugeot prototype.
Combining 500kW electric motors in a lightweight platform weighing in under 1100 kilograms, the I.D R offers performance to outstrip more than 100 years of petrol-powered machines on the mountain.
Dumas said the achievement was “awesome”.
“We exceeded even our own high expectations with that result,” he said.
“Since this week’s tests, we have known that it was possible to break the all-time record. For it to come off, everything had to come together perfectly – from the technology to the driver. And the weather had to play ball too.
“That everything ran so smoothly is an incredible feeling, and the new record on Pikes Peak is the icing on the cake.
“I still cannot believe that Volkswagen and my name are behind this incredible time.”
The victory is Dumas’ fourth on the Colorado mountain, adding to outright victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans for Audi and Porsche.
Speaking with Drive at February’s Bathurst 12 Hour, Dumas said he signed on with VW’s electric racing program as it presented the best chance at victory, not because of any compulsion to promote the electric car cause.
“We don’t speak about ‘future’ or ‘green’ or whatever,” he said at the time.
"We speak about performance and this is the best performance you can have.
“For Pikes Peak it’s the right way... electric cars will be the top cars there.”
Reflecting on the victory, Dumas said the electric racing car deserves to be viewed alongside Audi’s R10 TDI diesel and Porsche’s all-conquering 919 Hybrid machines which broke the mould at Le Mans.
“The I.D. R Pikes Peak is the most impressive car I have ever driven in competition,” Dumas said.
“The electric drivetrain means that many things are different and I learned a lot during the project.
“The team did an indescribably meticulous, yet at the same time relaxed, job. Not only did we get the desired result, but the team spirit was also spot on. I am incredibly proud to have been a part of it.”
Volkswagen Motorsport director Sven Smeets said the Pikes Peak achievement represents “a fantastic day for Volkswagen”.
“The I.D. R Pikes Peak is the most innovative and complex car ever developed by Volkswagen Motorsport,” he said.
“Thank you to everyone who worked so hard on the project and showed such fantastic team spirit.”
The project gives VW an important PR victory as it rebuilds its reputation in the US following its diesel emissions scandal.
VW will launch a range of electric cars under its I.D sub-brand in the near future.


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Ripple (XRP) – The CEO of UK’s Santander bank has aired that in few months his firm is introducing an app that will make it the first large retail bank to carry out cross-border payments at scale with blockchain technology. The idea is going to rely solely on Ripple’s xCurrent and RippleNet.
According to Business Insider, the Santander’s UK CEO, Nathan Bostock made this confirmation at an International Fintech conference in London on Friday, saying “this spring, if not one beats us to it, we will be the first large retail bank to carry out cross-border payments at scale with blockchain technology.” However, Bostock did not state the date that the app would be launch. There has been no comment from the spokesperson for Santander since the information was relayed to the globe.
Remember that Santander, in May 26th, 2016, according to Ripple, announced that they are the first U.K. bank to introduce Ripple’s blockchain technology that will enhance international payments through a new app rolled out as a staff pilot, though they intended expanding the application for individual use.
Santander says the app once downloaded by their staff, the next thing is to feel necessary information, then they can make transactions without delay. The staff app is integrated with Apple Pay, and can now be used by users to transfer around £10 and £10,000 with payment available in GBP to EUR and USD.
During the early stage of the app, any transaction made in EUR can be delivered to 21 countries and at the same time, US dollar payments are delivered to the U.S. In an earlier announcement, Sigga Sigurdardottir, Head of Customer and Innovation at Santander, maintained that the app was based on Ripple’s tools. “The need for finance has evolved from providing a physical pound in your pocket or card in your purse, where you pay at a till, to being seamlessly integrated into a new, always on, connected lifestyle. Read more from theindependentrepublic.com…
thumbnail courtesy of theindependentrepublic.com


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Some suspect that the bankruptcy filings of Alex Jones' companies are merely a legal device to avoid payment of the massive financial awards to the Sandy Hook parents he defamed. It's surely not about personal or corporate insolvency, not with that $520,000 salary he proposes for himself in his own bankruptcy plan.
it remains unclear how much money the Sandy Hook families will actually get from Jones and Infowars' parent company, Free Speech Systems. Jones is appealing the verdicts and has said on his show that he has $2 million or less to his name.
Free Speech Systems, owned solely by Jones, filed a proposed reorganization plan Tuesday in its Chapter 11 bankruptcy case in Houston that predicts it will have $7 million to $10 million annually after expenses to pay creditors from 2023 to 2027.


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Casey B. Mulligan is an economics professor at the University of Chicago.
That the introduction of iPhone 5 increases consumer spending is no triumph for Keynesian economics, but merely an advertisement for plans by the Bureau of Economic Analysis to improve national accounting.
Suppose there were an island economy with 100 able-bodied adults, all of whom work as fisherman, each catching a fish a day. The 100 fish are eaten by the island people, which makes inflation-adjusted daily consumer spending in the economy – or consumption, as economists call it – equal to 100.
Perspectives from expert contributors.
(In order to clarify concepts and measurement practices, I have deliberately kept this model economy simple, with no unemployment, liquidity traps and the like.)
Now suppose that 10 of the fisherman decide to quit fishing to build, nurture and tend to an apple orchard. In the beginning, the orchard produces no apples, so consumer spending drops to 90 fish a day, because only 90 adults are out fishing while the other 10 are developing an orchard.
Time passes, and a bountiful 100-apple harvest occurs. Because the apples taste good, the island fishermen obtain all 100 apples from 10 orchard owners in exchange for fish. The apple harvest has by itself boosted consumption in the economy, which suddenly jumped from 90 fish a day to 90 fish a day plus 100 apples.
Edward L. Glaeser is an economics professor at Harvard and the author of “Triumph of the City.”
On St. Patrick’s Day, the Bloomberg administration announced that New York City had “received 18 responses from academic institutions seeking to develop and operate a new applied science and engineering research campus in New York City.”
These expressions of interest, from institutions as far-flung as Stanford and the Indian Institute of Technology in Mumbai, are far from final plans, but they represent the next step in an ambitious concept of expanding the academic footprint in New York City.
Is this a smart economic development plan?
The original request for expressions of intent was made in December, when the city expressed its willingness to “make a capital contribution” and, even more tantalizingly, suggested four possible development sites: the Navy Hospital Campus at the Brooklyn Navy Yard; the Goldwater Hospital Campus on Roosevelt Island in Manhattan; Governors Island; and the Farm Colony on Staten Island.
1:02 p.m. | Updated
SHANGHAI — Having passed Germany (exports), Japan (gross domestic product) and the United States (auto sales) over the past year, China is now poised to lead the world in yet another category: patent application filings.
A new study released this week by Thomson Reuters says that by 2011 China will most likely pass the United States and Japan in new patent applications.
With research and development spending rising here, and Beijing trying to encourage innovation, patent application filings in China are soaring.
In 2009, China filed about 279,298 patent applications, ranking third behind Japan, which led the world with 357,338, and the United States, which had 321,741 filings, according to Thomson Reuters.
But the growth of patent filings in Japan and the United States is slowing, while Chinese patent filings are surging in categories as varied as natural products and polymers and digital computers.
Patents are considered a measure of technology prowess and innovation. While the quality and value of patents vary widely, nations that file the largest number of patents are generally home to innovative corporations and Nobel prize winners.
Experts acknowledge that it is difficult to measure the value of China’s patents (many may be for low-end, incremental technologies), but they say the quality appears to be improving and that China is on a path to becoming a more innovative country. Read more…
A few years ago my colleague Floyd Norris wrote about the rise of patents for tax strategies, which theoretically mean you could get sued if you figure out a way to reduce your taxes that someone else thought of first.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office has been granting such patents over the objections of accountants and tax lawyers, who argue that they make tax preparation more cumbersome and more expensive for anyone seeking or dispensing tax advice.
The issue is live once again, with a coalition of tax advisory, taxpayer and consumer groups renewing requests to Congress to ban such patents. The TaxProf blog has the letter here.
It will be interesting to see if the tax reform subcommittee of the President’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board — which has been charged with simplifying the tax code and reducing loopholes — takes a stand on this issue.
Not much, argue two economists on Vox EU.
Venture capitalists have probably lost the ability to cash out their investments in the stock market. But that does not mean the innovation these investors usually bankroll will dry up, according to Masayuki Hirukawa at Northern Illinois University and Masako Ueda at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The economists point to recent research that found that venture capital does not necessarily lead to more patents (which is, of course, an imperfect measure of total innovation), and that the investment does not significantly affect total factor productivity growth. Taken together, these studies suggest that innovation seems to stimulate venture capital investments, rather than the other way around.
The authors conclude that the recession may mean it takes longer for innovations to be commercialized, but that innovative activity will persist all the same, “thanks to scientific curiosity and enthusiasm.” (The authors don’t say so, but presumably some of the stimulus bill‘s subsidies for science and technology are intended to stoke that “scientific curiosity and enthusiasm,” just in case a decline in venture capital financing reduces the incentive for research and development.)
Providing hope for the commercialization side of the innovation challenge, InsideCRM recently put together a list of big, innovative businesses that began during “economic slumps.” The list includes household names like Burger King, FedEx, Microsoft, Wikipedia and G.E. (Technically, though, some companies named were founded just outside the official recession dates set by the National Bureau of Economic Research.)


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Carrying the Same Slogan of “Technology. Innovation . Talent” the international technology entrepreneurship event took place on May 7th to 8th 2016.
Techne summit is an annual event that kicked off in October 2015 acts as a platform including the main global players in the technology industry namely technology businesses, entrepreneur, startups and investors.
Savvy Arabia has exhibited at Techne Summit 2016, the exhibition gave us opportunities and opened up possibilities for business collaborations as well as foster the exchange of ideas and experience across various regions worldwide.
Techne Summit 2016 was held under the auspicious of The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology where Minister H.E. Eng. Yasser El Kady led the event’s opening ceremony along with Previous Alexandria Governor Mr. Mohamed Abdel-Zaher.
The event focused on connecting companies and entrepreneurs, as well as fostering collaboration and presenting opportunities for businesses particularly keen on growing in the Middle East and Africa regions.
Techne Summit 2016 was built on the success of the first Techne Summit held back in October 2015 where it was the first of its kind event in the region. And it will continue with the same success and goals.


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Australian real-time merchant payments (A2A) platform Zepto on Monday said it had raised A$25 million Series A (about $18.8 million) led by AirTree Ventures and Decade Partners.
The Instant Payment Platform allows merchants to make, manage and receive secure payments by directly connecting between the payer’s bank and the merchant’s bank.
Series A funding comes after a 10x year-over-year revenue growth in the four years since its launch in 2018. The company, which did not provide baseline data for this development and its valuation, says it is facilitating more than $4 billion in payments. It is expected to handle over $50 billion per month and payments this year.
More than 100 Australian organizations, including banks, fintech companies and credit unions, use nuclear plant (new payment platform), Australian open access infrastructure for faster payments, according to the NPP website. nuclear plant to pay is a new digital tool for merchants and businesses to initiate real-time payments from customer bank accounts.
Zepto becomes the first non-bank Approved as an NPP partner in October. This means that Zepto can directly connect its customers to the PayTo NPP service, which will be launched in mid-2022.
“Real-time data rich payments is how we do direct transactions between bank accounts and Australian politicians have recognized this with the rollout of Payto NPP which will replace direct debit in about 3-5 years. , CEO of Chris Jewel Zepto. “The payment preferences of merchants and consumers are moving away from costly legacy payment methods like credit cards and the slow, blind traditional direct debit.”
There will be a whole generation of consumers who will never have a credit card or purchase approval, pay later, but bank accounts are ubiquitous and direct payments among them are a simple, clean and efficient way to pay for things,” continued Jewell. .
Real-time payments through Australian NPPs accounted for 31% of all payments between accounts in October 2021, according to Jewel. He said the total cumulative value of NPP payments since its launch in November 2017 was about $2.6 billion.
Jewel said account-to-account (A2A), which refers to a transaction between bank accounts, does not require a card or PIN. While debit cards are usually managed by Visa and MasterCard, A2A cuts them off as an intermediary.
according to this FIS Global Payments Report A2A payments will account for 20% of all e-commerce payments by 2020 and will surpass credit and debit cards by 2023.
Zepto serves hundreds of Australian businesses including lenders, merchant/crypto platforms, third party processors, technology companies, travel and travel companies. Binance Australia, Superhero, Novati Group, Nimble, Powerpay, Till Payments, Bluestone, Rentbetter, Biz Pay and Get Blys are among its clients.
Jewel said the startup will use the latest funding to scale its functionality on top of the Peto NPP infrastructure and accelerate its international expansion starting in New Zealand, driven by growing demand for Zepto infrastructure in the region. Zepto wants to enter the US after New Zealand
“The global payments landscape is undergoing one of the biggest upheavals in decades as open banking and real-time interbank payments are changing the way we pay and pay,” said James Cameron, partner at Airtree Ventures. “With Open Banking and NPP, Australia is at the center of this breakthrough and Zepto is a leading innovator in this area. Through companies such as Afterpay, Athena and Airvolex, Australia has shown that we can bring fintech innovation to the world. Presses on us.”


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Twentieth Century Fox will start to sell movies including "X-Men: The Last Stand" and TV shows like "24" from websites owned by parent News Corp. in the company's first step in the online movie market.
Fox Interactive Media said it will begin to sell movies and shows on the Direct2Drive download site, owned by Fox's IGN Entertainment, by October. The programs can be viewed on personal computers as well as Windows portable media devices.
The programs will be made available for purchase from News Corp.'s popular online teen hangout MySpace.com shortly thereafter, Fox Interactive Media president Ross Levinsohn said in an interview.
Twentieth Century Fox now sells its films to download services like CinemaNow and Movielink, but it has not invested in the websites, unlike other studios including Walt Disney Co., Viacom Inc.'s Paramount Pictures and Time Warner Inc.'s Warner Brothers.
The new project is an early indicator of News Corp. Chief Executive Rupert Murdoch's ambitions to exploit Direct2Drive's technology in the fledgling movie download market, said one analyst.
"It's an infrastructure that they use to deliver gaming software that can be a horizontal platform," Gartner research director Allen Weiner, who was briefed on the announcement, said. "It doesn't matter what facade you put in front of it."
Direct2Drive, a digital media distribution system, has been contracted by other companies to build Internet media store fronts, and could some day serve as the underlying technology behind other video stores on Fox Interactive Media properties, including FoxSports.com, Weiner said.
Fox Interactive Media could also hypothetically court other movie and TV studios to sell program on its web properties, potentially competing with the download services offered by other Hollywood studios.
Levinsohn was coy about future plans, but said: "The more we can diversify, the more it bodes well for our business." Murdoch has time and again fostered collaboration among News Corp.'s myriad divisions, accomplishing what other media conglomerates have often attempted but often fail to do. After buying a controlling stake in top U.S. satellite TV operator DirecTV Group Inc., for instance, the News Corp.-controlled NDS Group edged out TiVo Inc. as DirecTV's top supplier for digital video recorders.
In contrast, the world's largest media company Time Warner has rarely been able to get its units working together, most notably with its AOL online unit.
The move comes a week after MySpace selected Google Inc. as its search advertising partner in a deal that guarantees to pay Fox Interactive Media at least $900 million.
Movies will sell for about $20 and shows for $1.99 and will be playable on portable entertainment devices that employ Microsoft Corp.'s copy protection system.
Return to internet news headlines
View Internet News Archive


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ITB Berlin: Strong upward trend in India's outbound travel
The strong growth in outbound trips from India continued seamlessly again into 2019. In particular, destinations within Asia benefited from this upward trend. As in Asia overall, holidays abroad are becoming increasingly popular in India too.
The launch of ITB India in April 2020 emphasizes the importance of the Indian market in the international scene. The event will put India’s growing travel industry in the limelight. ITB India will be the gateway to the Indian travel market for international players to gain access to one of the fastest growing outbound market in Asia. The latest findings of the World Travel Monitor by IPK International point to further growth in outbound trips from India in 2020. The World Travel Monitor® is based on the results of representative interviews with more than 500,000 people in over 60 countries worldwide. It has been compiled for more than 20 years and is recognized as the most widescale continuous survey of global travel trends.
Despite a large population and economic development India is not one of Asia’s high-volume source markets for outbound trips. It ranks fifth, a long way behind China, South Korea, Japan and even Taiwan. However, in recent years India’s market has recorded above-average growth in outbound travel: With an increase of seven per cent in the first eight months of 2019, outbound trips from India exceeded the average figure for Asia overall.
The main beneficiaries of India’s growth in outbound travel are destinations in Asia, whose market share rose to almost 70 ...
More on: www.eturbonews.com


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How to put a fresh spin on a reliable, well-regarded staple on hardware store shelves for the past 131 years? To hear David Melançon tell it, the biggest challenge he faced when he joined Benjamin Moore as CMO was to dispel the assumption that “paint is paint is paint.” So Melançon turned to one of the country’s most beloved cultural cues.
You don’t have to be hip, young or a cultural trendsetter to rock a pair of Levi’s jeans, according to Jennifer Sey, global CMO of the Levi’s brand. The company, which saw its U.S.
Chipotle’s arty marketing decrying factory farms and food processors won awards at Cannes and elsewhere, but behind the scenes, the agriculture industry is fuming.
Jamba Juice has decided to jump with both feet into the business of green juices, blended mixtures of whole vegetables such as kale, cucumber and beets. Starting this month, the company is expanding its menu to include veggie juices in most of its U.S. stores and launched an online dancing contest to get the word out.
Paul Ross, CEO of Edrington Americas, is borrowing tactics from the craft spirits movement to market his high-end Macallan single-malt Scotch whisky. Scotland-based Edrington, known in the U.S. mainly for its Cutty Sark blended Scotch, decided to stop farming out U.S.
To win over trendy young drivers, BMW is launching a new on-street car-sharing service this month in San Francisco. Drivers will be able to rent BMW electric cars that are parked on city streets and return them to several drop-off points in the Bay Area, including major airports.
Getting the right scream for an angry goat in a Doritos crowdsourced Super Bowl spot was just part of the job for the musicians at Tunewelders, a 5-year-old music production company in Atlanta.


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One economic indicator about business activity across the Delaware Valley has been improving since the COVID-19 pandemic began three years ago, according to recently released Federal Reserve of Philadelphia survey data.
Each fall, the Federal Reserve surveys thousands of small business owners nationwide and hundreds in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington metro area about their financial situation.
About 56% of small business owners said they did not see an uptick in revenue between 2021 and 2022 across the metro area. Inside that figure, 41% saw revenue decline and 15% had no change. There were 350 small businesses with employees represented in the regional survey.
Across Pennsylvania, 55% did not see revenue gains between 2021 and 2022. That’s better than 65% who said the same between 2020 and 2021, and a significant improvement compared to 87% between 2019 and 2020.
Overall, 60% of small business owners across the metro area said their financial situation was poor or fair in 2022.
“They are both on the right road to recovery and still dealing with some lingering challenges from the pandemic,” said Alaina Barca, a community development research analyst with the Federal Reserve of Philadelphia.
In 2022, small businesses said the top operational challenges were supply chain issues, hiring and keeping qualified workers, and growing sales. As for financial challenges, increased costs, paying for operational expenses, and weak sales were top of the list in 2022.
There are some regional differences. For example, small businesses in Philadelphia reported better financial situations than those in New Jersey but were on par with business activity across Pennsylvania, Barca said.
Ashley Putnam, director of the economic growth and mobility project at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, says sometimes it’s about helping to navigate their options.
“The problem isn’t just that the money isn’t there, but that often businesses don’t know where to go,” Putnam said. “Many really small business owners need help with the paperwork, the administrative burden, or just navigating all of the different lenders and opportunities that they have to know what is a good mix for them.”
Of the small business owners who did look for financial support, 42% applied for a line of credit. The majority did not continue to seek pandemic-related financial support.
The Federal Reserve of Philadelphia compiled a toolkit to improve access to capital for small businesses in New Jersey such as advising lenders to provide financial counseling for business owners applying for their first loan product and engaging with minority chambers of commerce to build trust.
Next month, the Federal Reserve of Philadelphia will begin to survey small business owners about finances in 2023.
Get daily updates from WHYY News!


text: HEALTHCARE\nCould our system stand a checkup?\nCanadians should stop comparing their healthcare system with that of the US in order to give themselves a pat on the back. Instead, they should learn a thing or two from other countries that do a better job, says a recent C.D. Howe report.\nWhile preserving the principles of universal coverage and quality of care that are so important to Canadians, countries such as the UK, Switzerland, Australia and the Netherlands get more bang for their healthcare buck, says the report.\nThese countries don’t rely on private coverage any more than Canada does. Private plans account for approximately one third (34%) of total payments versus 30% here. But while Canada offers good public coverage for hospitals and doctors, and much less for items such as outpatient drugs, they have a more balanced mix, with government plans paying for a larger share of drugs, dental and continuing care.\nCOLLECTIONS\nAll shiny and old\n \nIn his car collection, arguably one of Canada’s best and largest, Jim Ratsoy has classic models dating back to the time when it was still hard to tell the difference between a car and a horse buggy. Now he is selling 100 of his gems to a car dealer in China, reports Driving.ca.\nAs the owner of a General Motors dealership in BC, Ratsoy spent the past three decades putting together a collection of vehicles that spans nearly a century, from 1906 to 1991. His oldest model is a 1906 Brush roadster with a one-cylinder engine.\nHealth issues now require him to liquidate. "I’ve had some negative comments about the sale," he told Driving.ca. "But no one here stepped up and wanted to buy them. I have no second thoughts."\nSMARTPHONES\nAre you a lazy thinker?\n \nPeople who grab their smartphones to answer any question that pops up might be less intelligent than others, according to a study from the University of Waterloo.\nThe study, published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior, provides support for a link between heavy smartphone use and lowered intelligence. Users who turn to their device’s search engine "may look up information that they actually know or could easily learn, but are unwilling to make the effort to actually think about it," says Gordon Pennycook, co-lead author of the study. Whether smartphone use actually decreases intelligence is a question that "requires future research," he adds. But what is clear is that highly intelligent people tend to solve problems in more analytical and logical ways than their search-engine-seeking peers.\nMANUFACTURING\nOne step forward…\nAfter 21 months of sustained growth, manufacturing is showing signs of sagging. According to RBC’s Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index, the sector fell in February to its lowest level since the survey was launched in October 2010.\nThe survey notes that output, new orders and employment fell in February, while a weaker exchange rate led to input cost inflation and new export sales showed their steepest rate of decline in three years.\nBut all is not lost. "Over time, we expect the weaker Canadian dollar and stronger US economy to turn sentiment higher," said Craig Wright, senior RBC vice-president and chief economist.


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Despite being what many would deem to be the most powerful man in the world, President Barack Obama is still bound by certain rules and regulations. For instance, as much as he would like to use an iPhone as his regular communications device, he is unable to do so because of “security reasons”. In fact, when President Barack Obama jumped on board as the President of the U.S., you could more or less say that he and the BlackBerry were virtually inseparable. When he attempted to work out a deal for a “cooler” handset to use in the Oval Office, he ended up with a BlackBerry 8830 World Edition that carried a special app within known as SecureVoice, which ironically delivered top secret information from the NSA.
His two daughters, however, are iPhone users, and he did share that he has an iPad 2 but does not own an iPhone. That iPad 2 is extra special, since it was given to him by the late Steve Jobs over a Silicon Valley dinner a couple of years ago. So far, President Obama claims that only 10 people have his personal email address, which is interesting to note since it would be easy to keep track of incoming mail each day.


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It has been a long time coming for fans of Blizzard's Warcraft-themed card battle game Hearthstone , but it is finally rolling out on Apple's iPad tablets today.
The staggered launch has seen Canada, Australia and New Zealand get the game first, with other countries set to follow as Blizzard stress tests its servers to cope with the increased demand as the already massive player base grows with the new platform. According to the company, there are already 10 million registered Hearthstone accounts, and the iPad edition is almost certain to boost that number further.
According to Blizzard's Mike Morhaime, "The game is a natural fit for tablets. We encourage everyone to check it out on their couch, in their backyard, in a coffee shop... or anywhere else they take their iPads."
If you're unfamiliar wit Hearthstone, it's a fast-paced digital card game that takes characters from the World of Warcraft MMO and turns them into card decks that can be used to battle other players. The game itself is free to play, with optional micro-transactions for buying new cards.
If you won't own an iPad, you should still be able to enjoy Hearthstone on your tablet in the future, with Blizzard planning Android and Windows tablet versions. Don't expect to play Hearthstone on your morning commute, however; according to Blizzard, the game required an internet connection "so the Battle.net gnomes can keep your card collection up to date across platforms".
Hearthstone should be arriving in the UK iTunes store soon, and we'll be giving it a try as soon as the download becomes available.


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Xiaomi's sub-brand, Redmi, is set to launch the Redmi Buds 5, dubbed "Superbuds," in India on February 12. Priced around Rs 4,000, these wireless earbuds boast 12.4mm titanium drivers, hybrid ANC up to 46 dB, dual-device pairing, and a 38-hour battery life.
an exciting revelation, Xiaomi's sub-brand, Redmi, has officially announced the
launch date of its much-anticipated wireless earbuds, the Redmi
Buds 5, in India. The event is scheduled for February 12, marking a
significant leap in Redmi's foray into the Indian audio accessories market.
under the hashtag #Superbuds, Redmi is creating a buzz around these upcoming
earbuds, building anticipation among tech enthusiasts and audiophiles alike.
The official announcement was made on the social media platform X, a strategic
move to tap into the vast user base on this popular platform.
cater to the eager audience, Amazon. in has already set up a dedicated page for
the Redmi Buds 5, allowing interested users to sign up for notifications. The
page provides a sneak peek into the key features of these earbuds, adding to
the excitement around their imminent release.
the pricing for the Indian market is yet to be disclosed, the Redmi Buds 5 are
currently priced at 199 yuan in China (approximately Rs 2,300) and $46 in
global markets (nearly Rs 4,000). Speculations are rife that the Indian pricing
will align with the global cost, making it an attractive proposition for
One of the standout features of the Redmi Buds 5, as revealed by the Amazon listing, is the presence of 12.4mm titanium drivers, ensuring a superior audio experience. The earbuds also support hybrid ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) up to 46 dB, promising an immersive listening experience by minimizing background noise. Additionally, multiple sound modes cater to various moods and content preferences.
terms of connectivity, the Redmi Buds 5 will offer dual-device pairing, a
convenient feature for users juggling multiple devices. The earbuds also boast
a dual-mic AI voice assistant, enhancing the overall calling experience for
claims that the Buds 5 will provide an impressive total battery life of 38
hours, considering usage with the charging case. This extended battery life
makes the Redmi Buds 5 an attractive choice for users who prioritize
uninterrupted audio experiences throughout the day.
the launch date approaches, more details about the Redmi Buds 5 are expected to
unfold, adding to the excitement and setting the stage for a successful entry
into the Indian market. Tech enthusiasts and consumers, already intrigued by
the promising features, are eagerly counting down the days until they can
experience the sonic marvel of the Redmi Buds 5.


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PlayStation Mobile Gets More Games
This week’s update of the PlayStation Mobile Store included three new games for mobile gamers to enjoy.
The three games released this week are OMG-Z, Cubixx, and Pinky Spots Leg Massage. OMG-Z is a re-release of a PS minis game that has players blow up chains of zombies in a this unique puzzler.
Cubixx, another PS minis game, will have players using a laser to cut away at a cube in this puzzle game.
Pinky Spots Leg Massage, also available on Google Play, has players tapping and rubbing spots on a photo of a Japanese girl’s legs.
OMG-Z and Cubixx will retail for $2.99 while Pinky Spots Leg Massage retails fro $1.99. Looks like PS Mobile is becoming home to a unique batch of games that has a little something for a variety of gamers to enjoy on their tablets, phones, or Vitas.


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Thursday, November 19, 2009
KeyVive.com Targets Diabetes
Park City, Utah-based KeyVive.com, an online community focused on diabetes, launched yesterday saying it is looking to provide consumers with information on diabetes. The firm said it is looking to provide social and lifestyle tools to help people with diabetes to manage their lives. KeyVive was founded by husband-and-wife team David and Aimee Greenholtz.


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Vivo Nex is one of the most innovative smartphones that have been launched recently. It has unique features like the pop-up front camera. Zack Nelson from YouTube channel JerryRigEverything thought it is unfair to hide the mechanics of this innovative camera. So he decided to replace the back panel with a transparent backing.
The YouTuber used a heat gun to soften the device's adhesive and lifted the backing away from the phone. After removing the back panel, he found that the plastic material can be pulled off the Gorilla Glass. This allowed him to look inward at the camera's mechanics once the device was put back together.
As shown in the video, Melson wasn't happy due to the metal piece that was shielding the top of the spring system that raises and lowers the front camera. To fix this, he cut the portion of the shielding that was laying on top of the mechanics. He then mounted a metal cover back on the rear panel as it served a specific purpose inside the Vivo Nex.


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Crypto memes have become a popular form of expression in the cryptocurrency space, often shared on social media platforms. However, a new proposed guidance from the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) suggests that these memes could be considered financial promotions and may be subject to advertising laws in the country.
The FCA has expressed concerns that many people are being exposed to financial promotions from sources that may not be suitable or reliable. This is particularly prevalent in the crypto sector, where promotional memes are commonly circulated. The FCA emphasizes that any type of communication, including memes, could potentially be deemed a financial promotion.
The FCA considers cryptocurrencies to be high-risk investments and has specific regulations in place for their promotion. Retail investors can be targeted with crypto advertisements, but they must include risk warnings and are prohibited from using investment incentives. The FCA revealed that in the fourth quarter of 2022, 69% of financial promotions on websites or social media from authorized firms were either amended or withdrawn as a result of intervention by the regulator.
To address these concerns and update its guidance from 2015, the FCA has launched a consultation aimed at clarifying its expectations regarding the implementation of regulations on promotional activities. The regulator points out that it has witnessed an increase in financial products being promoted to younger audiences without adequate knowledge, often through influencers on social media platforms.
The FCA warns both crypto firms and influencers that failing to comply with financial promotion rules could result in criminal offenses and carries penalties of up to two years in jail, unlimited fines, or both. It is important to note that these rules also apply to promotions originating from outside the UK but have an impact within the country.
The FCA’s decision to address the issue of crypto memes and financial promotions is based on research that indicates a significant portion of young individuals follow and trust social media influencers. A survey conducted in 2021 by the regulator revealed that 58% of respondents under the age of 40 cited social media hype and news as influencing their investment decisions in cryptocurrencies.
Public comments on the proposed guidance will be open until September 11, giving interested parties an opportunity to provide feedback and suggestions. In the meantime, it is likely that crypto firms and influencers will need to start adding disclaimers to their promotional memes to ensure compliance with advertising laws in the UK.
This development highlights the growing scrutiny and regulation surrounding the cryptocurrency industry, as authorities strive to protect consumers and ensure they make informed investment decisions. As the popularity of cryptocurrencies continues to increase, it is important for both investors and industry participants to stay updated with the evolving regulatory landscape.


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#Live! Jenny Hanna Goldfarb joins me on The Elysabeth Alfano Show, the nation's first and only plant-based radio show on WCGOradio (1590AM and 95.9FM in Chicago, streaming here, on WCGORadio.com and Alexa**) and the Smart Talk Radio Network. Tune in to learn how this Wonder Woman of Plant-based Deli Meats came to take Shark Tank by storm! Jenny Hanna Goldfarb , Elysabeth Alfano: Radio Show & Awesome Vegans Podcast/Video Series Host, Eleven City Diner, WCGOradio�**Want The Elysabeth Alfano Show on your hometown radio station? It's available through the Smart Talk Radio Network nationwide. Let your local station know!
Posted by Jane Unchained News on Sunday, January 19, 2020
Host Elysabeth Alfano sits down the wonder woman of plant-based deli meats! Jenny Goldfarb is quickly becoming a central player in the plant-based-food explosion. Where Beyond Meat and Impossible have largely monopolized the burger landscape, Jenny is the primary player in the plant-based deli sector.
Born out of compassion for animals and concern for the environment, Jenny took on a vegan lifestyle several years ago. This inspired her food blog, Count Your Colors, where she cooked up different plant-based recipes every week. In 2019, she launched UNREAL DELI. Her debut product, Mrs. Goldfarb’s Unreal Corned Beef, has exploded in the major delis and restaurants in L.A. (Canter’s, Factor’s, Art’s, move studio lots, and now Whole Foods). She famously won the hearts of America on “Shark Tank” in November, scoring a deal with newly vegetarian Mark Cuban. Keep a look out for Unreal Corned Beef, coming to grocery stores and national chains across the country in 2020, or order a box online today at www.unrealdeli.com.
The Elysabeth Alfano Show airs every Sunday 4p ET live on the JaneUnChained News Network, WCGO-Chicago, WCGORadio.com, The Smart Talk Radio Network, and Alexa. To hear more of The Elysabeth Alfano Show, click here. And please help us make the first and only syndicated plant-based radio show in the nation a huge success! Tell YOUR local station to pick up The Elysabeth Alfano, available across the nation through the Smart Talk Radio Network or by contacting Elysabeth at Elysabeth@ElysabethAlfano.com.


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Commercial and industrial solar presents economic opportunity in seven Sub-Saharan nations
Zurich and London, January 24, 2019 — A combination of high electricity tariffs, falling PV prices and a lack of reliability in the grid is spurring sales of on-site solar to business customers in Sub-Saharan Africa. This is the conclusion of a new report by research company BloombergNEF (BNEF), commissioned by responsAbility Investments AG, assessing the potential of commercial and industrial solar opportunities in the region.
The report entitled “Solar for Businesses in Sub-Saharan Africa” finds that the commercial and industrial (C&I) solar sector in Sub-Saharan Africa is growing not because of regulatory support – as has been the case in many developed economies – but because of economics. On-site solar power is cheaper than the electricity tariffs paid by commercial or industrial clients in 7 out of 15 markets in Sub-Saharan Africa studied by BNEF.
“While the market is still small, it has great potential,” explained co-author Takehiro Kawahara, lead frontier power analyst at BNEF. “An immense energy deficit and crumbling infrastructure makes Sub-Saharan Africa fertile ground for solar. As of November 2018, developers built a record number of 74MW serving business customers directly, offering them cheaper power than the grid. Kenya, Nigeria, and Ghana installed 15MW, 20MW, and 7MW respectively as of November 2018.”
According to the authors, the financial sector has yet to take on a major role in providing funding for C&I solar systems. So far, most business customers have bought systems for cash, without using third-party finance. There are, however, big opportunities for specialized financiers in the region to do more.
responsAbility-managed funds have financed the off-grid solar sector in Sub-Saharan Africa for five years, focusing primarily on residential customers. The company expects solar to be increasingly deployed on C&I sites, where it often complements diesel power generation.
Antoine Prédour, head of energy debt at responsAbility, underlined: “Electricity outages are commonplace across most of Sub-Saharan Africa. When the grid is out, customers must either shoulder high opportunity costs from lost sales or manufacturing output, or resort to much costlier backup power, usually from diesel. This is where financing solar installations can contribute to climate change mitigation by replacing fossil fuel.”
responsAbility, in cooperation with the dedicated climate fund it manages, and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), commissioned BNEF to identify and assess potential target markets for C&I solar in Sub-Saharan Africa. Following a desk-based regional study that identified three high-priority markets, BNEF conducted interviews with 36 stakeholders in those markets. Overall, stakeholders are optimistic about the future and BNEF expects 2019 to be a record year for the C&I industry.
 This excludes South Africa.
responsAbility Investments AG
+41 44 403 06 33


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“It’s great to welcome Police to Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport,” said Toto Wolff, Team Principal & CEO. “We’re delighted to partner with a brand that embodies high quality and attention to detail – two characteristics which are incredibly important in our sport.
“This partnership demonstrates the growing interest of lifestyle brands in the team, which underlines the great appeal of Formula One as a marketing platform.”
Massimo De Rigo, Executive Vice President of the De Rigo Group, added: “We are extremely proud of this prestigious collaboration between Police, our house brand which we value particularly, and Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport, the historic Formula One team.
“Our determination to work with Lewis as both a brand ambassador and designer presented a unique opportunity to join Police to the sports world once again, and we are proud to be partnering with the strongest team in one of the most popular sports in the world.”


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New models - Audi - A3 - RS3 Sportback
Audi RS3 sprints in from $78,900
270kW/456Nm RS3 dynamo to be Audi's most affordable RS-badged model
Click to see larger images
13 Aug 2015
UPDATED: 14/08/2015 AUDI'S scorching RS3 Sportback hatch will lob in Australian dealerships in October with a $78,900 plus on-road costs starting price, about $3000 more than its Mercedes A45 AMG hot hatch rival.
The potent RS3 undercuts its higher-riding RS Q3 crossover stablemate by $3000 to become the most affordable RS-badged model in Audi's Australian range.
It is also $17,800 dearer than the previous A3 performance flagship, the S3, which kicks off from $61,100 in five-door Sportback guise.
Speaking at the launch of the new Audi Sport brand, which encompasses the entire RS range, Audi Australia managing director Andrew Doyle told GoAuto the new RS3 would be the company's most popular RS model to date.
“The interest already is quite amazing,” he said. “I think by far it will be the best selling RS car we've ever brought to Australia.” With its sub-$80,000 price, Mr Doyle explained that the new model would offer a way for aspiring RS owners to get into the Audi Sport brand, but a majority of customers would be existing owners of high-end hot hatches.
“There's a very big appetite from existing S3 owners and other hot hatch owners that are looking for something special in that segment.
“I'm always a bit funny about using the term hot hatch because the Sportback really is such a practical car as well.” Powering the German pocket rocket is Audi's 2.5-litre TFSI five-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, pumping out 270kW and 465Nm. The engine is a revised version of the unit from the outgoing TT RS and RS Q3, and is matched with a seven-speed S tronic automatic transmission driving all four wheels via the quattro all-wheel-drive system.
This makes for a zero-to-100km/h sprint time of 4.3 seconds, which pips Benz's 265kW/450Nm 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder A45 AMG beast by 0.1s.
The RS3 also outpaces its stablemates, the RS Q3's by 0.9s and 210kW/380Nm S3 sibling by 0.7s.
Audi has fitted the RS3 with LED headlights, daytime running lights and tail-lights, 19-inch alloy wheels, MMI navigation 'plus' with MMI touch, DAB+ digital radio, Audi Music Interface with Bluetooth streaming, dual-zone climate control with digital display and rear airvents, and a leather/Alcantara-wrapped multifunction three-spoke flat-bottomed steering wheel with aluminium shift paddles all as standard.
Safety gear includes a reversing camera as a part or parking assist system, Audi Side Assist, an anti-theft alarm and a convenience key.
The also gets RS front and rear bumpers, side sill trims and diffuser insert, plus an RS-tuned suspension, an RS exhaust system with dual oval tailpipes and special sports front seats with electric lumbar support.
Audi Australia managing director Andrew Doyle said the RS3 Sportback delivered “uncompromising performance”, and added that it should have an impact on the local performance hatch market.
“With its imposing stance on the road, astonishingly good dynamics and distinctively ‘Audi Sport’ five-cylinder engine, the new RS3 will undoubtedly make a strong mark on the local hot hatch scene,” he said.
“The sharp pricing and specification we’ve negotiated will ensure that this long-awaited performance model will find the success it deserves in this competitive market.” Audi is officially launching its Audi Sport brand this week which will be pitched as a rival to Mercedes-Benz's AMG and BMW's M performance sub-brands.
S and RS sales in Australia have increased year on year, with the German car-maker recording more than 2700 registrations of performance-honed Audis last year, and increase of about 190 per cent over its 2013 result. The RS Q3 was the best-selling RS variant in its line-up last year.
While Audi is yet to confirm its existence, the car-maker is believed to be working on a booted version of the RS3 to sit above the S3 sedan in its line-up.
13th of December 2014
Audi’s RS3 Sportback revealed
When Audi’s RS3 Sportback lands here in 2015 it will be hunting Benz’s A45 AMG
17th of October 2014
Audi S3 gets power-up, new gearbox options
Hot climate retune yields more power for S3 range as Sedan gets manual option
16th of May 2014
Audi A3 Clubsport heralds RS3
Hyper A3 Clubsport concept hints at forthcoming Audi RS3 for Australia
12th of May 2014
Audi S3 sedan from $62,900 plus on-roads
Price premium for Audi S3 sedan, but still cheaper and faster than Benz CLA250
20th of February 2014
Driven: Audi lands first blow in small-SUV power battle
Feisty Audi RS Q3 gets set to take on Benz brute as baby SUVs turn up the heat
All new models
Motor industry news


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Although the U.S. economy has gone through a period of considerable strain, an economic expansion is "already well under way," Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan told the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs on March 7.
"Despite the disruptions engendered by the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, the typical dynamics of the business cycle have reemerged and are prompting a firming in economic activity," Greenspan said in his semiannual monetary policy report.
The report continuously discusses firmer activity in household spending, homebuilding, sales of existing homes and a rise in consumer spending from the sales of new motor vehicles. He attributed the rise in spending to the support of disposable income provided by a decline in prices of natural gas, fuel oil and gasoline and developments in the labor market.
To read Greenspan's comments, go to http://www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/hh/2002/march/testimony.htm.


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According to M.Video-Eldorado, in the first nine months of this year, Russians purchased 3.2 million
smart TVs.In unit terms, Smart TV sales accounted for 75% of total TV sales, while in monetary terms their share was even higher and accounted for 80% of total sales. Every tenth of the purchased Smart TVs was equipped with domestically developed voice assistants, these were assistants from Yandex and Sber. It is noted that the trend towards an increase in the interest of Russians in buying Smart TV has been fixed for several years, so, in 2021, the share of such TVs in total sales amounted to 70%. M.Video-Eldorado's range of Smart TV models already includes more than 500 devices, and the minimum cost of such devices starts from 10,000 rubles. About 60% of the total sales in nominal terms come from models with screen sizes from 30 to 45 inches.


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GumGum Sports’ latest computer vision analysis also found that playoff run generated $10 million for jersey patch sponsors of Finals teams and that still images produce higher-quality jersey patches exposures than videos.
SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GumGum Sports today released its much-anticipated social media valuation insights for the 2018-19 NBA season, finding that Los Angeles Lakers jersey patch sponsor Wish generated the highest sponsor media value across team owned-and-operated team accounts. The computer vision-powered sponsorship valuation analysis found that Wish’s jersey sponsorship earned $9.3 million, nearly doubling the $4.9 million it generated in the previous season. Wish swapped places with Goodyear, whose Cleveland Cavaliers jersey patch sponsorship dropped from No. 1 in 2017-2018 to No. 4 this year. GumGum Sports did analyze one non owned-and-operated account — LeBron James’ Instagram — and found that the basketball megastar’s personal posts generated 15 percent more value for Wish than all of the Lakers’ accounts combined.
GumGum Sports also conducted social media valuation for jersey patches in the postseason. The NBA Playoffs produced an additional $29 million in total sponsorship media value, including $10 million for the two teams competing in the Finals (Golden State Warriors/Rakuten at $5.5 million and Raptors/Sun Life Financial at $4.6 million as of May 31). As expected, the four teams in the Conference Finals had the top four social media jersey patch values, with the Portland Trailblazers/Biofreeze totaling $3.3 million and Milwaukee Bucks/Harley Davidson adding $2.8 million.
“Next to Nike’s apparel sponsorship, the jersey patch is the biggest sponsor location in-arena on social media,” said GumGum Sports GM, Brian Kim, underlining why the results were an end-of-season highlight for the league as well as for playoff teams and their brand sponsors. “It’s worth noting that due to the variety of factors we use to calculate value – clarity, prominence, visibility, size, placement and share of voice – still images actually generated 86 percent of the overall social media value compared to 14 percent for video,” added Kim.
GumGum Sports’ analysis found that over the entire NBA season jersey patches received 121,000 total exposures, 42 billion total impressions and 3.2 billion total engagements on social media.
About GumGum Sports
GumGum Sports is a division of GumGum focused on leveraging computer vision technology to drive innovation in sports technology. GGS is an AI-powered sponsorship measurement platform, enabling brands and rights holders, both in traditional and esports, to measure the value of their sponsorship portfolios across linear broadcast, social media, and streaming platforms. GumGum Sports provides the most cutting edge and technology-driven media measurement solutions to help value the return on investment for sponsorship investments. For more information about GumGum Sports, visit gumgum.com/sports.


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Stores use billions of plastic bags
Britain’s biggest supermarkets are putting tens of billions of pieces of plastic packaging on the market every year, a survey by campaigners suggests.
Analysis of information requested from retailers by Greenpeace and the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) reveals that ten supermarket chains are putting more than 810,000 tonnes of single-use plastic a year on the market. Seven retailers who supplied information put in circulation some 59 billion pieces of branded and own-brand plastic packaging a year, including yoghurt pots, food wrappers and shampoo bottles.
As well as plastic packaging, the ten supermarkets are responsible for 1.1 billion single-use bags, almost a billion bags for life and 1.2 billion produce bags for fruit and vegetables.
The survey comes in the wake of rising concern over the


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The recent media innovation by Close Up touches the pulse of its target audience- the young couples. And cinema halls are what bring Close-up and its target audience closer. The idea is to play Cupid to young couples and to execute the same, Close Up has arranged for cinema halls to have a separate corner where couples can be seated together without an armrest in between.
Says, Sandip Tarkas, GM-MindShare Fulcrum, “Close up is about togetherness and closeness and by this media innovation we are trying to emphasize this.” The innovation is not only a branding exercise for Close Up, but is also a step towards making the couples sit comfortably and not worry about prying eyes.
Agrees Tarkas, “It gets the consumer to participate with the brand. The consumers will experience the brand and will remember it for long”.
At the moment this initiative is limited to Mumbai’s three up-market cinemas only, but both the agency and the client, are looking forward to expand this initiative to other places also. Says Tarkas, “We are looking to extend this idea to other metros like Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkatta etc. And we hope to do this by the end of this year.”
Close Up’s taken a step ahead to strengthen the brand image in a diverse way in today’s cluttered media environment.


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This week large parts of the Android fanbase had to cope with a hard-to-digest message. Meanwhile, there's good news for our wallets. Here are our winners and losers of the week.
Winner of the week: thrifty shoppers
There was also good news from HMD Global for those who like their high-tech combined with a bit of good old-fashioned thrift this week. The Finns have set themselves the goal of making 5G smartphones significantly cheaper. Nokia wants to halve the prices that are being touted around for smartphone with 5G modems today. Since a 5G smartphone currently costs somewhere in the ballpark of $1,000, or even more, we can only welcome this approach. Good prospects are ahead for all those who are into affordable technology.
You can find more videos on current technical topics on our video page.
Loser of the Week: sweet-toothed software fans
Meanwhile, there were hard times for friends of desserts among Android fans. Google has decided to get rid of Android's nicknames in the future. So Android Q simply means Android 10 instead of Android 10 quark balls, Queen Cake or whatever names were banded around. So there are no more donuts at Google, no more eclairs, no Kitkats and no more cake. Some say it's good because it makes Android look more mature. Others, meanwhile, have become very fond of the sweet nicknames and the puzzling guessing, which dessert is next, over the years. Too bad it's a thing of the past now.
What were your tops and flops of the week? Let us know in the comments.


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Lindsey Epperly, of Travel Edge in Atlanta, GA says the rise of the mega-moon is a major trend for luxury honeymoons. “We see couples combining luxury destinations that span across multiple countries, if not multiple continents, in a way that makes their honeymoon unique only to them. It’s not the usual cross-country Europe trip — think instead of a combination of Paris and Mauritius, Tokyo and Maui — you name it.”
She tells Luxury Travel Advisor that couples seem to be more willing to travel to farther-flung destinations in the name of a unique honeymoon. “We’re definitely seeing requests for new spots; three C’s come to mind: Cambodia, Colombia and Croatia,” says Epperly.
She is enamored of the new Park Hyatt St. Kitts because it offers a new take on a luxury Caribbean getaway for a couple who wants a more traditional beach destination. Looking for something a little more unique? Epperly just spent several days at the Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle in Chiang Rai, Thailand and says it’s her new favorite romantic spot in the world.
“Think spa treatments in a suspended pavilion above a rainforest, a day spent with the elephants and their guides, indulging in amazing food and the romance of a luxury tented accommodation with its own hot tub,” she says.


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Witness Amber Tate said she was in the parking lot of the mall when she saw the shooter run by, wearing a mask and carrying a machine gun, headed for the Macy's.
"He looked like a teenager wearing a gun, like a bullet proof vest and he had a machine, like an assault rifle and a white mask and he looked at me," she said.
Other witnesses described the shooter as being on a mission and determined, looking straight ahead. He then seemed to walk through the mall toward the other end of the building, shooting along the way, according to witness reports.
Witnesses told KATU they heard "pops" and then saw the mall Santa fall to the ground. The man dressed as Santa, who did not give his name, told KATU that he wasn't concerned at first by what sounded like balloons popping.
"Then when I heard about 18 more shots, I decided it was a semi-automatic and I hit the floor and my employees must have just scattered and got out of there because when I got up there was nobody there but me," he said.
Others interviewed said that Macy's shoppers and store employees huddled in a dressing room to avoid being found.
"I was helping a customer in the middle of the store, her and her granddaughter and while we were looking at sweatshirts we heard five to seven shots from a machine gun fire just outside my store," Jacob Rogers, a store clerk, told KATU.
"We moved everyone into the back room where there's no access to outside but where there's a camera so we can monitor what's going on out front," Rogers said.
Evan Walters, an employee of a store in the mall, told ABC News Radio that he was locked in a store for his safety and he saw two people shot and heard multiple gunshots.
"It was over 20, and it was kind of surreal because we hear pops and loud noises," he said. "We're next to the food court here and we hear pops and loud noises all the time, but we don't -- nothing like that. It was very definite gunshots."
Former FBI agent and ABC News contributor Brad Garrett said the shooter's mask is typical for mass shooters, who often dress up in costume or wear something other than their regular clothes when they open fire in public.
"The biggest thing for a mass shooter is the control and empowerment for the shooting," he said. "It isn't uncommon for shooter to wear a costume, or sometimes simply to dress in black. In this case, apparently, he wore a hockey mask. He went there being someone other than who he is in reality because it gives him power."
Garrett called the shooting today one of the worst scenarios for law enforcement, as malls are more crowded than ever during the holiday shopping season.
"The thing about mass shooters is that they almost always are premeditated. They are planned," Garrett said. "This shooter I'm sure went through some period of steps before he actually reached going to mall, and there'll be signs or systems either through friends, online, through relatives that will play into understanding why he committed this act."


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I'M A Celeb may have finished weeks ago, but it seems fans and viewers are still obsessed with Holly Willoughby's jungle style.
The TV presenter was regularly seen wearing a pair of lace-up hiker boots during her stint on the show and after being restocked today, the shoes flew off the e-shelves (yet again) within hours.
When the 37-year-old wore the boots on her first night presenting the reality show, fans were desperate to get their hands on them.
Today, the brand took to Instagram to reveal the "Nanette" shoes were back in stock - this time, £10 more expensive than before.
However, some fans were disappointed yet again after the chunky leather boots sold out in nine sizes - leaving just sizes 7.5 and 8 still available.
One shopper wrote on Instagram: "When is your next restock already gone in my size."
- Nanette hiker boots, £265, Grenson - buy now
While another said: "Sold out I tried on line and in your shop....I was having an MRI scan first thing when you announced they were back in stock... will you be taking orders to make more?"
One frustrated shopper revealed they'd been waiting months.
"Can’t believe they are gone again already. I’ve been trying to get a pair since winter last year!"
The boots were a staple in Holly's Oz wardrobe and during her time Down Under, the presenter teamed the style with chic leather skirts, shorts, feminine dresses and denim pinafores.
They've also been worn by the likes of Angela Scanlon, Stacey Dooley, Jodie Comer and Laura Jackson.
Speaking about the trend, celebrity stylist and designer, Lucas Armitage told the Mail Online: "The fashion power of Holly is unstoppable right now, there's no other explanation for how an ugly hiking boot could become the unlikely boot hit of the season.
"Grenson are a very functional practical brand so juxtaposed against high fashion look they create an interesting vibe."
MOST READ IN FABULOUS
Earlier this week, we told you about the ‘tearful’ woman who said Pretty Little Thing ‘ruined’ her New Year’s Eve after sending her the wrong dress.
We also revealed Mum has ‘confidence crisis’ after teen daughter says her wedding dress ‘looks like something from the 80s’.
And we showed you Topshop’s sell-out animal print slip dress is in the sale for £15 – and it’s a fashion bloggers’ favourite.


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Want some good news during the Coronavirus pandemic?
The Coronavirus has drastically reduced traffic due to stay at home orders. Fewer cars on the highway, have resulted in fewer car accidents.
Fewer accidents have resulted in lower claims pay-outs for Car Insurance companies. In an effort to help the country during these troubled times, some Car Insurance companies have decided to return some premiums to their insureds.
It’s their way of helping the country get through the Coronavirus pandemic over the next few months.
We are proud to announce that our Car Insurance companies have offered to pitch in.
Read below to see what Progressive, Mercury, Travelers, and Safeco have planned to refund to their customers.
Progressive to return $1 billion to customers
Progressive returns $1 billion in premium to customers
Today we announced that we’re providing credits of approximately $1 billion in premium to Progressive personal auto customers as a result of fewer claims that come with less frequent driving. Subject to approval by state regulators, Progressive personal auto customers who have a policy in force as of April 30 will be credited 20% of their April premiums in May and personal auto customers with a policy in force as of May 31 will be credited 20% of their May premiums in June. We estimate that the sum of these two credits will total approximately $1 billion. We may offer additional credits in the upcoming months.
Progressive CEO Tricia Griffith explained, “We understand how difficult and uncertain people’s lives are right now. While auto insurance might not be the most pressing topic on everyone’s mind, we know that finances could be. For our customers who have trusted us to be there in their times of need, we’re fulfilling that promise. We want them to know how much we care.”
Mercury Private Passenger Auto coronavirus Relief
|Recognizing that many customers are driving their vehicles less as a result of shelter-in-place actions, Mercury plans to give back 15% of monthly premiums for April and May 2020. This applies to all Mercury Private Passenger Automobile policyholders.
Customers will receive their Givebacks in the same manner their premiums were paid. As soon as we receive guidance and approval from the Department of Insurance, we expect to begin processing the payments.
Mercury recognizes we are in an unprecedented time and would like to reiterate our commitment and support to you and our shared customers.
Safeco Personal Coronavirus auto relief fund
Taking care of our customers, employees and agents is a top priority for Safeco. We recognize the uncertainty and financial challenges many of our joint customers are facing as the nation bands together to slow the spread of the coronavirus. To help Safeco customers, we have taken the following actions:
Personal Auto Customer Relief Refund
Fewer drivers are on the road, which means fewer accidents. With this in mind, we are announcing our Personal Auto Customer Relief Refund, which will return approximately $250 million to our Liberty Mutual personal lines and Safeco auto customers. Here’s how it works:
- Personal auto insurance customers will receive a 15% refund of two months of their annual auto premium as of April 7, 2020, pending regulatory approval.
- The refunds will begin in April and will be issued either by check or in the manner the customer made their most recent payment.
- The payments will happen automatically. Customers do not need to call Safeco to receive the refund.
Travelers insurance offers relief to car customers
- Providing billing relief for all U.S. customers, including suspending cancellation and nonrenewal of coverage due to nonpayment through May 15, 2020 (no interest, late fees or penalties will be charged).
- Giving U.S. personal auto insurance customers a 15% credit on their April and May premiums.
We are proud to represent Car Insurance from some of the best companies in the industry.
Their willingness to offer car insurance refunds without any public outcry or pressure from any government agency reflects their commitment to their customers.
So when you are shopping for car insurance, remember Progressive, Mercury, Safeco and Travelers when making your choice. They will be with you in good times and hard times.
And so will Cronin Insurance Agency.
Low rates, choice of (GREAT) companies and personal advice.
Cronin Insurance is the Wise Choice.


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UK: WOSA names replacement UK market manager
Wines of South Africa (WOSA) has appointed a new manager for the UK market.
The generic body, which represents South African wine, said today (27 November) that Jo Mason will replace Sophie Waggett who is stepping down to have a baby.
Mason, who takes up the appointment in January, is currently associate director at Westbury Communications, where her clients have included major wine brands, boutique wineries, generic organisations and importers. She has managed generic campaigns for the Languedoc and VDP d'Oc appellations and Wines of Argentina. She previously worked for UK wine retailer Majestic Wine Warehouse.
"We are sad to be losing Sophie, but feel confident that Jo will be a great asset to WOSA," said WOSA's chief executive Su Birch. "There are plenty of challenges facing us in the year ahead and we are determined to regain lost market share. We are looking forward to working with Jo."
Coming up at this year's London International Wine & Spirits Fair…...
Majestic Brands has brought California Cooler back to the US market....
Pernod Ricard has lined up a sparkling wine offering in the UK from its Montana wine brand....
UK wine retailer Majestic saw sales rise over 4% during the Christmas period, the company said today (3 January)....
UK wine retailer Majestic saw pre-tax profits leap 17% to GBP6.5m (US$12.4m) for the first half of the year, as its fine wine sales grew strongly....
Chilean wine producer Viña Ventisquero has upped its presence on the UK high street....
UK wine retailer Majestic Wine is looking to open more new stores this year as it looks to build on a strong last 12 months....
UK wine retailer Majestic Wine has reported an 11% rise in full-year profits as consumers continued to spend more on higher-priced wines....
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- Remy Cointreau's Q2 and H1 - preview
- Constellation and Ballast Point's "sticker shock"
- Sidney Frank CEO to head Clooney's import co
- Diageo sells off United Spirits' Bouvet Ladubay
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- Global Beer Trends 2015 : Global Beer Trends and Long-term Forecasts
- Global sparkling wine insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends research
- Future growth opportunities for global spirits
- Global Scotch whisky insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends research
- Global Wine Market to 2019 - Market Size, Development, and Forecasts


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The Travel Tech Show at World Travel Market will be hosting a range of new companies within the New Exhibitor Pavilion.
Launched in 2013 the Travel Tech Show has enjoyed more than a 20% growth in the past two years with more than £100 million of new business generated for exhibitors last year.
This year the pavilion will welcome more than 14 new exhibitors including SDL and Virtual Service Solutions AG.
Also making a debut is iPortfolio Inc, a company which has created a guidebook app called Travalloon which hosts enhanced e-Guidebooks, video-clips, and a traveller’s social network for Web, Android, and iOS. ButlerPad, a virtual concierge application that provides guests with the ability to communicate with hotel departments will also be present. This new technology allows travellers to place orders, make reservations or ask a question all from the comfort of their own smartphone, tablet or PC.
Fabrizio Scuppa, managing director of Information Technologies, from pavilion sponsors Octorate explained: “We hope to meet with accommodation providers and destinations from around the world, and are looking forward to attending the wide variety of networking events that run alongside the Travel Tech Show at WTM. I have no doubt the four days will be extremely productive for us”.
A number of existing exhibitors have re-signed for the Travel Tech Show 2015 including; TripAdvisor CodeGen, Illusions Online, Pegasus Solutions, Comtec, Open Destinations, Digital Trip Ltd, eMax Revenue and eviivo.
Jo Marshall, sales manager for the show, said: “The growth of the Travel Tech Show at WTM has been phenomenal and the variety and quality of new exhibitors joining the event reinforces the decision to make it a stand-alone event in its own right. It offers travel and hospitality technology suppliers the perfect platform to promote their products.”


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Statement from the Illinois Farm Bureau Regarding Signed U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement
Oct. 7, 2019
The following is a statement from Illinois Farm Bureau President Richard Guebert, Jr., regarding today’s signing of the U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement.
“We are pleased to hear that negotiations between Japan and the United States have concluded with a signed trade agreement that will help to open up markets for Illinois farmers and again provide trade benefits between the two nations.
“U.S. farmers remain strong in their ability to feed the world when they have improved access to some of the world’s largest markets.


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Election Day is coming fast, and alcohol is on the ballot for two South Plains' communities. The issue is pulling a lot of voters in early.
In Abernathy, voters will decide if beer and wine can be sold in their stores and restaurants, while voters in Plainview will choose whether to have all types of alcohol on store shelves. Opposition is brewing in both communities, but supporters say the change will bring more tax revenue.
Those in favoring of selling packaged alcohol in Plainview say it could bring nearly $190,000 in revenue, but opponents are asking at what cost?
"Our whole campaign has been about economic development," Tom Aday said.
He helped put alcohol on the ballot. Aday says a recent study shows Plainview is missing out on around $12-million in alcohol sales. That could mean an additional $187,000 in sales tax revenue to the city.
"Now those are numbers that we need to keep at home," Aday said.
"We believe that the downside, the risk, and the problems that will come from having alcohol available on any street corner in essence will far out way any benefits that we could receive," Coalition to Protect Our Youths Chair Randy Kaufman said.
The group has signs throughout town opposing alcohol sales.
"TABC, even on their web site, admits that 20% of the stores will sell to minors. That's one out of every five. So, once every five times a minor tries to buy alcohol in a store, they do. Those are not very good odds," Kaufman said.
Group members also worry what businesses could come into town.
"Liquor stores, bars, saloons, night clubs, after alcohol comes into town then generally sexually oriented businesses come into town as well. I think if people realize how broad the spectrum is of potential businesses that could come into town, then I believe that the majority of Plainview will vote against it," Kaufman said.
"I look at it as an economic issue; I don't look at it as a moral issue. If you don't believe in drinking, you're already not drinking. If you do use alcohol, you're already using it, and buying it out of town. We might as well have the economic benefit to our community," Aday said.
Early voting ends November 2nd. The election is November 6th, and you can count on NewsChannel 11 to bring you results from both Plainview's and Abernathy's alcohol votes.
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Mar 24, 2017 09:39 AM EDT
Tough security restrictions on flights to the US brought about by the electronics ban could deal a major blow to big Middle Eastern airlines.
Emirates Airline, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways are among the 10 airlines that must follow the ban, which is to prevent passengers flying from the Middle East to the United States from carrying almost all types of electronic devices in the cabin.
According to the new electronics ban, larger than smartphones such as iPads, Kindles and laptops will have to be checked in so that passengers could clear security and board their flight. The rules will be enforced come March 25.
The big three Gulf airlines have promised to comply with the directive but didn't comment publicly on its impact.
A senior executive at one of the Gulf carriers says he was watching the booking closely and expected them to fall following the news of the electronics ban. He describes the decision made by the Trump administration as very unfair and unwarranted. The airlines will also have to figure out how to apply the new restrictions and bear additional costs to the passengers.
"The cost of added security measures, delays in flights because of passenger compliance or check-in delays... will add to their costs and have a roll over effect where someone has to pick up that tab," said Saj Ahmad, chief analyst at StrategicAero Research.
Another risk that the Gulf airlines foresee is that they could risk losing passengers to other carriers not affected by the electronics ban. Senior officials say that the electronics ban, which is introduced due to terrorism concerns, comes at a tricky time for the carriers. This is because Trump's travel ban in January has already caused a huge headache for the airlines after it rolled out. Emirates claim that the rate of booking dropped 35 percent after following the ban.
Meanwhile, the Gulf airlines will not be affected by similar restrictions announced by the UK on Tuesday. The United Kingdom has followed the United States in implementing the electronics ban in all the carriers as part of a security measure. The government notes that the electronics ban may cause some disruption to passengers and flights but vows that the top priority would be to maintain the safety of British nationals.
The affected airlines include British Airways, EasyJet, Jet2.com, Monarch, Thomas Cook, Thomson, Turkish Airlines, Pegasus Airways, Atlas-Global Airlines, Middle East Airlines, Egyptair, Royal Jordanian, Tunis Air and Saudia. The UK government said in a statement that it has been in close touch with the Americans to fully understand their position. The nine airlines affected by the electronics ban were notified of the procedures at 3 a.m. ET Tuesday and it is not clear whether other countries will follow the US and Britain.
Journalists love their jobs because they get to interact with people from all sorts of backgrounds and expertises, then turn around and share their knowledge with the world.
As the metaverse takes over more of our digital lives, the commoditization of all aspects of our virtual beings becomes more and more of a reality.
Rustam Gilfanov is a famous IT businessman, a founder of a large IT company, and a partner of the LongeVC Fund.
Bitcoin and cryptocurrency in general guarantee some amazing profits if invested correctly.
In the currency trading business, many individuals make mistakes. Since most individuals join this profession with too much excitement, they forget about efficient strategies. Instead of controlling their investment and execution process, most individuals make poor choices for trading.
In today's digital world, more and more people are investing in cryptocurrencies. These digital tokens have exploded into popularity over the past few years, and have grown to the point that there are now nearly over 6,000 of them, according to Statista.
Following the pandemic, natural calamities, and major employment shifts, a startling new study on the online news site News Nation shows that 1 in 4 Americans don't have an emergency fund.
Generational wealth is a facet of wealth management that is often misunderstood. Labeled trust fund babies, rich kids, and lucky breaks, those who receive an inheritance from families are rare.
Social media has successfully made it to the mainstream consciousness of over half the global population. DataReportal's latest study shows that over 4.33 billion people worldwide are using some form of social networking site this year. That's why it's no wonder many tech companies are interested in investing or forming the next Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube to capture the hearts and minds of the general population.
Ease of access, freedom to choose in which to invest the money and lines of credit designed according to the needs of consumers, are some of the characteristics that have made consumer credit one of the most important financing products in the world’s market.


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MEPs for regulation of online pet trade
The Members of the European Parliament expressed concern about the growing problem of fraud in on-line sales of animals as pets, mainly puppies and kittens, but also exotic spices. An independent investigation showed 600% growth of the puppies sales from Eastern Europe – Lithuania, Poland, Hungary, to the UK, and the other West European member-states. The drastic increase of sales is explained by abuse of the EU travel with your pet regulation, initially aimed to improve the pet-owners situation.
The investigation showed fraudulent activities around the animal sales, staring with degrading conditions of breeding in Lithuania, as the main supplier of puppies to the UK, to false documentation ensured by vets, transportation tormenting conditions during transportation up to 10-12 hours without water, and food.
As a result consumers too often get sick animal, or an animal with degenerative diseases, caused by intensive breeding, aimed at earing 100 000 a year.
The MEPs considered the French model of an obligatory licensing of the breeders online as a necessary step to protect consumers and animals from abuse and fraud in acquiring companion animals. The other proposal to quell the ongoing fraude in pet-trade is to prohibit to transport puppies under age of six month.
“The new EU Animal Health Regulation provides in its delegated acts several instruments that can help to regulate the sale of pets,” – said Sirpa Pietikäinen, MEP , addressing the monthly meeting of the Animal welfare intergroup, 6.04.2017 – the biggest (107 MEPs), and the fastest-growing congregation of Members of the European Parliament.
“Moreover this legislation foresees that breeders and sellers have to be registered but it doesn’t specify how. The Commission should utilise its powers in this area to ensure that these provisions are used to its maximum effect”.
In this context MEP Pietikäinen welcomed the calls of Four Paws’ “Pet Deception campaign” and suggested that the Intergroup should send a letter to the Commission in support of the request of licensing all breeder and seller establishments, and to set up a publically accessible database on this.


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We all got home late last night back from the London Toy Fair where we had been showing over the last 3 days, our new ranges for 2018, for the first time this year.
We have over 50 new products that we presented at the show, to most of the UK’s Major and Independent buyers and they really loved our products :) and will now be buying from us.
It’s really exciting when we have all worked so hard to source and develop these products, to know that later in the year when the shops and stores start to stock our products, that the public will have for the very first time the opportunity to buy them.
Only got 2 working days now until we are off to Nuremberg Toy fair in Germany then we are straight back to the NEC Spring fair for 5 days. It will be tiring but worth it to see how much the buyers love what we have done and have to offer them.


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Failure is a valuable teaching tool. “Learn from your mistakes,” we’re often told, but it’s even better to learn from others’ mistakes. While many libraries use social media, there’s not much data available as to how effectively they use it. Not so with businesses, where effective use of social media can translate to money gained or lost; their use of social media is pretty well researched. A few current studies of social media and business are cited below, which point out some of the failures in businesses’ use of social media. Learn from their mistakes.
- Customers say small business social media efforts failing: Survey says (Huffington Post/Rieva Lesonsky) “Just 8 percent report being satisfied or very satisfied with businesses’ responsiveness on social media. Almost one-third say their complaints or messages had been ignored by companies. And a whopping 88 percent say if they see that their or other customers’ complaints on social media are ignored, they’d be less likely to buy from those companies in the future.”
- Why small business fails in social media (Media Badger/Giles Crouch) “What we found was one overall reason businesses just plain flopped in social media engagement. Committment. Any small business owners out there will probably agree; there’s just not enough time in a day to run the business and pay attention to all the added challenges of engaging in social media.”
- 59% of customers don’t know about their banks’ social media presence (ReadWriteWeb/Alicia Eler) “Even though financial institutes have increased social networking activity, ComScore says that only 18% of customers knew that their financial institutions had a presence on social networks. A total 59% had no idea, and 24% were unsure of what their financial institutions were doing on social media sites.”
- Research shows just 6% of companies value listening online (Simply Zesty/Lauren Fisher) “This trend is worrying for social media, as it means it will be hard for it to progress beyond the ‘fun’, experimental phase, to reach its true potential for joining up individuals and organisations, and indeed for it to reach the full advantages it can offer businesses by providing keen insight into what your customers actually want and what they are doing online.”
One more fact:
The last article quoted above uses data from a study commissioned by Dell, which also found that over 98% of companies are making use of social media at some level.


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PARIS, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- The French government on Monday decided to partially renew the operating licence of processing-meat firm Spanghero that was implicated in the horsemeat scandal.
The domestic company, accused of selling horsemeat labeled as beef, will resume producing minced meat, sausages and ready-to-eat meals, Agriculture Minister Stephane Le Foll said.
However, the licence to stock frozen meats remained suspended, he added in a statement posted on the ministry's website.
Last Thursday, the government decided to withdraw Spanghero's licence, putting at risk about 300 jobs, after preliminary elements showed that it knowingly sold horsemeat in beef products.
Barthelemy Aguerre, the company's boss, rejected the accusations but acknowledged minor negligence.
Later on Monday, French food ministers will meet with representatives of Spanghero workers to discuss the firm's future and the situation of its employees.
The horsemeat scandal has spread to some 16 European countries including Britain, Ireland, France, Germany, Poland and Sweden.


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- If President Donald Trump reverses state laws legalizing marijuana, he could cripple if not bankrupt those states.
- This action could cause yet another economic collapse.
- When we the people vote to legalize something, we legalize it. The president doesn't have the power to overturn our votes.
- Our faltering economy needs the American cannabis industry to continue to grow and succeed.
Last month I gave the keynote address at the Cannabis World Congress Business Expo in New York City. CWCBExpo is the trade show for the cannabis industry. I had the pleasure of meeting thousands of like-minded cannabis activists, and the experience was truly refreshing and inspiring on many levels.
I learned firsthand that those in the legal cannabis industry — whether they're growing hemp, medical marijuana or recreational marijuana in Colorado or California or Oregon or wherever — have formed a united front. Everyone at the convention was looking to work together to come up with solutions on how to get the federal government to move forward and embrace this industry, which has grown exponentially.
When it comes to economics, let me put the state of marijuana to you in this way: If Trump reverses state law, he'll be crippling if not bankrupting the states that have legalized marijuana. Not only will this action go against the will of the people who voted for legalized marijuana, this action will cause yet another economic collapse. And no, that isn't an exaggeration.
Over half of the states have now legalized marijuana in some way and multiple states are receiving millions, soon to be billions, in tax revenue from this industry. When those states no longer have this tax revenue coming in (tax revenue that is projected to increase steadily each year), where will that money come from?
More from America's Top States for Business:
Top States for Business 2017: Complete coverage
Colorado is cashing in on the private space race
States' rights battle heads into uncharted waters over climate deal
Think about it this way: The auto industry was bailed out with roughly $80 billion from taxpayer money, but it is still here, and the industry was able to repay taxpayers overtime. We're talking about making a profitable, multibillion-dollar industry go away overnight. Meaning America's president will voluntarily make hundreds of thousands of Americans unemployed overnight. How many will default on their mortgages? How many will declare personal bankruptcy?
A report by New Frontier Data states the marijuana industry is projected to create a quarter of a million jobs by 2020 — that's more jobs than the manufacturing industry, utilities, or government jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Prior to the 2016 election, the marijuana industry, which existed in 25 states at the time, was worth a combined $7.2 billion. Now, this industry is expected to grow at a compounded annual rate of 17 percent, with medical marijuana sales growing from $4.7 billion in 2016 to $13.3 billion in 2020. Adult recreational sales (recreational use is only available in eight states) are expected to go from $2.6 billion in 2016 to $11.2 billion by 2020.
Colorado alone has a $1.3 billion marijuana industry and much of the tax money is going toward scholarships so students can go to community colleges for free. This isn't "found money" either. Before marijuana was legal, this money was going to the black market, to the drug cartels. Now it's being used to fund college scholarships. Let that sink in for a minute. In the Denver metro area, marijuana tax dollars are being used for infrastructure. Imagine that. We don't need to rely on false presidential promises to fix our local roads and bridges. The town of Edgewater is spending $1.4 million in marijuana tax revenue to repave streets and replace their city hall with a new building that includes a police station and library.
My point is this: When an entire industry is taken away from states like Colorado, California, Oregon, Washington and so on, how does President Trump expect our nation to recover? It is estimated that California will take in $1 billion from marijuana sales tax once dispensaries start selling recreational marijuana in 2018. The cannabis industry is an industry that is bringing back American farms — which means rural areas which have been struggling finally have the chance to thrive — not just through marijuana but through hemp farming. And don't forget: this is an industry that relies solely on an American work force. The cannabis industry is all-American and comprised of American entrepreneurs, employees, and customers. There's no way to outsource labor to other countries. And unlike all those infuriating stereotypes, this is an industry of educated and informed individuals.
To be successful, American cannabis business owners have to stay up-to-date on new laws and regulations — that means many are spending their time fighting against unjust laws and regulations, all while running a company with their own capital. This entire industry is unable to get a bank loan or set up a bank account due to federal law. When you can't rely on a bank to even store your money, you're wearing more hats than any other small business owner or entrepreneur.
If federal law doesn't change by the time Canada legalizes marijuana nationwide in 2018, just watch our neighbors to the north find a way to get their banking system on board for American cannabis businesses. And get ready for American cannabis businesses to go to Canada, or at least set up a headquarters there. Many are already going to Puerto Rico, where the IRS Tax Code 280E doesn't apply. Don't know what that is? Well, you know how businesses can deduct expenses on their taxes? If you're working with marijuana, you can't deduct anything because of 280E. Of course, there's also Mexico. Our neighbors to the south just legalized medical marijuana, so who knows how many American researchers will be crossing the border to study this plant.
If someone ran a successful, legal business that could be taken away at any time because President Trump felt like it, then yes, that person would probably consider moving to another country to survive. But that's not what I discussed at the CWCBExpo. I didn't plead with these businesses to make as much money as possible and then use that money to get the hell out before it's too late. That's not the united front the American cannabis industry is after. These are hopeful, optimistic business owners who have watched cannabis laws slowly change in their favor, and they're doing all that they can to work with lawmakers and educate citizens to continue that trend. This American industry is looking not just to make history but to make America a better place for generations to come. Their tax money is making a significant difference in their local communities — how many of us see our taxes directly contribute to anything worthwhile (and by worthwhile I mean schools, roads, libraries — not foreign wars).
The cannabis industry is about innovation as much as it is about fighting against oppression. That's the American way. And it's all of our jobs as American citizens to remind the federal government what that means: When we the people vote to legalize something, we legalize it. The president doesn't have the power to overturn our votes. Our faltering economy needs the American cannabis industry to continue to grow and succeed. It's really that simple. Why we're even debating this is beyond me.
Commentary by Jesse Ventura, the former governor of Minnesota and the author of "Jesse Ventura's Marijuana Manifesto." He is also the host of "The World According to Jesse," an all new variety news show coming to RT America this summer. He was a Navy SEAL and is a Vietnam veteran. He was also a professional wrestler from 1975 to 1986 under the ring name Jesse "The Body" Ventura. Follow him on Twitter @GovJVentura.
For more insight from CNBC contributors, follow @CNBCopinion on Twitter.


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Shoppable content saw a huge uptick in popularity in 2020 as COVID-19 closed so many brick-and-mortar locations. The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated a shift from the brick-and-mortar consumer economy to a ‘storeless’ environment by as much as 500%. In this session, we will discuss what advertisers need to know about shoppable media.
- Native shoppable content is integrated from a design perspective, meaning it looks and feels like the rest of the content being consumed on a given platform.
- The percentage of marketers who use shoppable video ads grew to 40% in 2020 from 33% in 2019 and 25% in 2018.
- Outside of China, media owners investing in shoppable media formats include Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest and NBCUniversal.