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Entrepreneurs get a quick crack at pitching to investors
Published 10:00 pm, Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Heated gloves. All-natural teas. Virtual gaming worlds. Internet TV distributors.
Those were among the ideas presented Tuesday at the second annual Zino Zillionaire Investment Forum, an all-day event in which 28 entrepreneurs from a variety of industries competed for $150,000 in prize money and the attention of Seattle angel investors.
With just five minutes to convince investors of the moneymaking possibilities of their companies, a few entrepreneurs in the preliminary rounds ran out of time before they could finish their slide shows.
"Time!" yelled a judge as Sampa Chief Executive Paul Gross neared the end of his presentation. "Thank you," responded Gross, who had yet to describe the financial terms of his latest investment round.
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Others resorted to quick sound bites to describe what they do. Robert Brown, president and CEO of Healionics Corp., called his Redmond startup the "GoreTex of biomaterials," while ITNetworks co-founder Pascal Stolz referred to his six-person company as "eHarmony for IT."
Despite the challenge of trying to condense months of research into a few minutes, some welcomed the pressure.
"It helps you understand how to refine your story for an audience that is likely going to be your customer at the end of the day," said Stolz, who, in addition to pitching his startup at the Zino event, has made the rounds at investment forums in Sun Valley, Idaho, and Silicon Valley in recent weeks. At the end of the month, he hopes to have about $1 million in capital lined up.
Braincandy founder Sam Reich-Dagnen was one of six finalists chosen to give 10-minute presentations later in the day. Even though she has presented the children's DVD business on numerous occasions, she described the Zino event as a "great big game of 'Survivor.' "
At the end of the day, Reich-Dagnen -- whose company recently scored $1 million in financing and is now looking for $5 million more -- didn't capture the big dollars. (However, she was chosen as the "best presenter" by the attendees.)
The big winner of the day was END//Outdoor, a Portland company developing environmentally friendly trail running shoes and other outdoor products. It won two awards and $100,000 as the best non-technology company and best overall investment opportunity.
The remainder of the money went to Healionics, which won first place for best technology investment. The University of Washington spinout, looking to raise $1.5 million, is developing biomaterials for use in tissue regeneration. It's first being tested as a treatment for glaucoma in dogs.
Angel investors who attended the event said they were impressed with the quality of companies, with several saying it was tough to choose a winner.
"There are some amazing inventions here," said Charles Stevens, who spent 22 years at Microsoft and is a new member of the Zino Society. Stevens, who described the event as a "last person standing" competition, said he was impressed by Healionics as well as a number of the clean-tech startups that presented.
Brant Williams, an angel investor who also helps startups with sales efforts, said it is amazing to watch entrepreneurs -- who put everything on the line -- present their ideas.
"There were some great companies that presented today who were forced to cram some complex ideas into five minutes," Williams said.


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Do you recognize this? WWII pay card found in Georgetown Walmart parking lot.
GEORGETOWN, Ky. (WTVQ) – Does the term “Soldier’s Individual Pay Record” mean anything to you? Have you lost one recently?
A woman found one in the parking lot of a store in Georgetown Saturday and now she’s trying to get it back to its rightful owner.
Karrie Green was just going on a typical Walmart grocery shopping trip when she stepped out of her car and found a piece of history.
She picked up a “Soldier’s Individual Pay Record.” It’s like the original form of a pay stub.
The one Green found is missing a few pages, but according to Patrick Sinclair with the Office of Veterans’ Affairs, these pay cards typically show how much money the soldier was making and their insurance plan.
This one belongs to a John M. Smith from Beattyville. The year? 1994.
Now, Green is trying to find the family that this World War II-era document belongs to.
Back then, the document shows, she could just drop it in the mail without postage, and it would make its way back to the soldier.
Could Green do that now? Maybe, but she wants to know for sure that the family gets it back.
That’s why she’s asking for your help. Green reached out to the community in a Facebook post, looking for anyone who may know who the pay record belongs to.
Green says several people thought it could belong to the father of Beattyville Mayor John Smith. However, ABC 36 reached out to Mayor Smith Wednesday. He says the pay card does not belong to his family.
If you know who the document belongs to, email our reporter, Lauren Shepard, at firstname.lastname@example.org.
Green says she will gladly hand over the pay card to the owner, or anyone who can get it where it needs to be.

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TORONTO, Ont. — One of the world’s most mysterious and powerful hypercars is making its North American debut at Toronto’s Canadian International AutoShow next month.
With the top-end model boasting a V16 engine and an amazing 5,007 horsepower, the Devel Sixteen has had car enthusiasts on edge. The prototype of the production model was first seen in Dubai in 2017 and it has also been showcased in Paris, but never on this side of the Atlantic. The car will be a centerpiece in the AutoShow’s ever-popular Auto Exotica feature and Devel Motors co-founder and car developer Majid Al Attar will be a featured guest speaker a special ‘Luxury and Supercar Forum’ at the AutoShow in Toronto on February 13th.
“The Devel Sixteen is catching eyes around the world, including those of Toronto’s hip hop megastar Drake,” says Mr. Al Attar. “We are looking forward to bringing the Devel Sixteen to Toronto as we get ready to put the car into production later this year.”
The Devel Sixteen will come in three models. A V8 model will be available for an estimated $1.6 million, a mid-level V16 pushing 3,000 horsepower will retail for $1.8 million and the massive V16 with 5,007 horsepower will go for $2.2 million.
The top-end engine is a quad turbo V16 in a single billet block.
Devel Motors was founded by three brothers from Dubai who share a passion for cars. From the outset, they wanted to create something unique and powerful, with visions of a car inspired by the look of a jet fighter.
“We were working to have the world’s most powerful production car,” says Mr. Al Attar. “There wasn’t a V8 that could give us the power we wanted to produce, so we started working to create our own engine.”


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Mr Kamlesh Patel, CMD and Mr Mukesh Patel, MD, Asian Granito India Ltd
· Net Profit Reports Y-o-Y growth of 60.5% to Rs.91.8 crore;
· Net Sales reports Y-o-Y growth of 21% to Rs.1563.8 crore;
· Exports for FY22 at Rs.204.9 crore.
· Company’s rights issue of Rs.440.96 crore achieved successful closure with 127% subscription. Received bids for over 8.89 crore shares (Rs. 561 crores) against 6.99 crore shares
· Completed land acquisition for three upcoming greenfield manufacturing plants in Morbi, Gujarat
· The company expects to generate peak sales of around Rs.700 crore per annum from the three plants and contribute around Rs.500 crore of revenue from the showroom.
Ahmedabad, May 26, 2022: Asian Granito India Limited (AGL), one of the country’s largest Luxury Surfaces and Bathware Solutions brands, has reported excellent financial performance in FY22. Led by healthy volume growth and better realisation, the company reported its highest-ever Yearly Sales, EBITDA and Net Profit for the FY ended March 2022. The company has achieved a successful closure of the Rights issue of Rs. 440.96 crore to fund expansion in value-added luxury surfaces and bathware segment, including GVT tiles, sanitaryware, SPC flooring, etc. The company has recommended a dividend of 7%, Rs. 0.70 per share on the face value of Rs. 10 per share for the FY 2021-22.
For FY22, the company has reported net sales of Rs.1563.8 crore, higher by 21% over the previous fiscal’s same period net sales of Rs.1292.3 crore. EBITDA for Year ended March 2022 was reported at Rs.124.6 crore (EBITDA margin at 8%). Net Profit for the FY2022 stood at Rs.91.8 crore (PAT Margin 5.9%) compared to a net profit of Rs.57.2 crore (PAT Margin 4.4%). Exports for FY22 were reported at Rs.204.9 crore.
Financial Highlights (Consolidated)
Commenting on the results and performance, Mr. Kamlesh Patel, Chairman and Managing Director, said, “Led by healthy volume growth and better realization, the company reported its highest-ever Yearly Sales and Net Profit for the FY ended March 2022. Thanks to the efficient product mix and strategy to pass the escalated costs, the company strengthened its market share and presence in the domestic and global markets. The ceramic industry has faced extraordinary pressure on input costs in FY22, i.e. gas prices, raw materials, coal prices and international freight costs, etc.; despite the challenges, the company has continued to process on the growth path and reported good numbers for the Q4 as well as full-year of FY22. The goal to achieve company has become debt-free at standalone level now moving towards next aim to become debt-free on a consolidated level.”
Mr. Patel added, “Again want to express my gratitude and sincere thanks to our dear and esteemed shareholders and investors for their support and participation in the Rights Issue. We are delighted and humbled by their extraordinary show of confidence in the future of AGL. Our industry is witnessing tremendous growth in domestic and export markets and has grown at the highest pace globally in the past five years, thanks to the growing demand for value-added surfaces and bath-ware, favourable government initiatives and policies and a big push for housing and infra. The company’s Enhanced Strategic Integration Programme (ESIP) is targeted to expand the margins and place the Company further up in the league table of Luxury Surfaces and Bathware Solutions Players, and this Rights Issue is a Mega Step towards the vision to achieve Rs. 6,000 crore in topline in medium to long term.”
Financial Highlights (Standalone)
Achieves Successful closure of the largest Rights Issue by an Indian Ceramic Company:
The rights issue of Asian Granito India Ltd received an overwhelming response from the shareholders and investors despite challenging times. It successfully closed the largest rights issue by an Indian ceramic company. The company’s rights issue of Rs.440.96 crore achieved 127% subscription and received bids for over 8.89 crore shares (Rs.561 crore) against 6.99 crore shares on offer. The rights issue proceeds shall be utilized towards the capex for the New Projects, additional working capital and general corporate purposes, etc. The Promoter & Promoter Group shareholders of AGL had participated in the Rights Issue for their full entitlement of 28.99% shareholding in the Company. After completing the Rights Issue, total outstanding equity shares of the Company would increase to 12,67,45,316 from 5,67,51,634 equity shares as of March 31, 2022.
Completes Land Acquisition for its Three New Greenfield Manufacturing Plants in Morbi: Company plans to set up three state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities at Morbi, Gujarat, in Value Added Luxury Surfaces & Bathware Segments, including GVT Tiles, Sanitaryware and SPC Flooring. The Company is also setting up one of India’s largest Display Centres at Morbi. The company has completed the land acquisition and necessary due diligence, including land payment, registration and stamp duty fees for setting up plants under Future Ceramics Pvt Ltd, AGL Sanitaryware, and AGL Surfaces Pvt Ltd. Civil & engineering works at the sites will begin very soon. AGL is expected to strengthen its leadership position and generate peak sales of Rs.700 crore per annum from the three plants and contribute Rs.500 crore of revenue from display centres.
New entities incorporated for Expansion:-
Established in the year 2000, Asian Granito India Ltd. (AGL) has emerged as India’s leading Luxury Surfaces and Bathware Solutions brand in two decades. The Company manufactures and markets a wide range of Tiles, Engineered Marble and Quartz, Sanitaryware and Faucets. AGL products are synonymous with reliability, adaptability, innovation, and quality consciousness, and the company has created a strong brand identity, well recognized globally and loyal customer following across segments.
Ranked amongst the top ceramic tiles companies in India, AGL has achieved nearly 40 times growth in its production capacity, from 2,500 square meters per day in 2000 to 98,000 + square meters per day to date. AGL is also the only tiles company to be acknowledged in the Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2015 for achieving phenomenal growth.
The Company has nine state-of-the-art manufacturing units spread across Gujarat and 311 exclusive showrooms, and 12 display centres across India. Further, the Company has an extensive marketing and distribution network pan India and export markets.
The Company looks to strengthen its identity as the leader in the Indian ceramic industry by consistently introducing innovative and value-added products in the market to keep pace with its valued customers. Headquartered in Ahmedabad, AGL is listed on NSE & BSE and reported a net consolidated turnover of INR 1563.8crore in 2021-22. The Company exports to more than 100 countries. (For more information, please visit: www.aglasiangranito.com)
The post Asian Granito India Ltd reports Consolidate Net Profit of Rs.91.8 crore, Cons. Net Sales of Rs.1563.8 crore in FY 22 appeared first on Republic News Today.
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Fast food outlets in fight for survival
One in five Hong Kong fast food restaurants could be forced to close within the next 12 months as a result of the regional financial crisis, it was claimed yesterday.
Cafe de Coral Holdings chairman Michael Chan Yue-kwong said it would be 'survival of the fittest' in the fast food sector as shrinking demand accounted for up to 20 per cent of the 5,000 local stores.
Although the crisis had seen people shift from Chinese restaurants to fast food outlets, there were worries they might eventually avoid eat-outs altogether, he added.
In the past two months, turnover for the 115-shop Cafe de Coral chain had jumped 12 per cent, Mr Chan said.
This was not surprising, since average spending per head in a Cafe de Coral outlet was $26, compared with $100 in a Chinese restaurant.
But Mr Chan warned this might not continue if the crisis worsened and people ate in.
Already speciality restaurants such as Ah Yee Leng Tong and Spaghetti House had seen turnover growth slow as they were hit by plunging tourist arrivals, he said.
'Within such a difficult operating environment, what fast food owners can do is control operating costs, widen product range and open up sources of income,' he said.
Analysts said the potential shut-down aroused concern for the prospect of fast food chain Fairwood Holdings which has lost money in the last three years. It will announce its interim results on Thursday.
However, Mr Chan believed the financial downturn could eventually help fast food shops, putting many in a more favourable position to bargain for lower rents.


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Mumbai: One of the country’s largest duty-free shopping chains, Flemingo Duty Free Shop Pvt. Ltd, is planning to raise capital from private equity (PE) investors and has mandated Mumbai-based investment bank Avendus Capital Pvt. Ltd for the deal, said three persons familiar with the plan.
One of the three, a senior official at Avendus, acknowledged that the company had the mandate, but did not offer details. All three requested anonymity.
Flemingo chief executive P.K. Thimayya, too, declined to offer details on the mandate given to Avendus. “I cannot say anything right now. It’s too premature. We have not finalized anything,” he said on the phone.
File photo of a retail outlet at Anwar Shah Road, Lake Garden, South Kolkata. Photo by Indranil Bhoumik
Flemingo Duty Free is a part of Dubai-headquartered Flemingo International Inc., a global company operating duty free shops in Asia and Africa. In India, it operates at 12 airports, eight sea ports as well as at the Wagah border between India and Pakistan, offering products such as liquor and spirits, tobacco, confectionery, jewellery and electronics.
According to an Icra Ltd report, Flemingo International holds a 60% stake in Flemingo Duty Free, with the remaining held by directors Atul Ahuja and Viren Ahuja. For the year 2009-10, the firm had net sales of Rs 138.6 crore and net profit of Rs 7.8 crore. For fiscal year 2012, it expects to log net sales of $50 million (around Rs 260 crore) from India, said Thimayya.
According to an investment banker, who is not involved with the deal now but had taken a look at it earlier, Flemingo Duty Free was planning to raise over Rs 175 crore.
Another investment banker, not directly involved in the transaction, said talks with investors are at an advanced stage. Flemingo, in Mumbai, operates as a joint venture with DFS Group LP. “Flemingo definitely requires money. The DFS group is stuffed with cash. So it is highly likely that the DFS Group itself increases the stake in the company or is at least one of the people infusing more cash in the company,” this person said, requesting anonymity.
Investing in duty-free shops is an alternative way of backing retail firms for PE investors as these chains are yet to see an abundance of investments.
The number of foreign visitors to India is rising steadily. According to the annual statistical report for the year 2011, released by the ministry of tourism, there was a 10% rise in foreign tourist arrivals in India to 3.4 million in January-July, from 3.1 million in the same period a year ago.
Striking investment deals in the duty-free shopping space is a challenge. These are not easy deals because these companies deal with products such as liquor and tobacco, said the investment banker who had earlier taken a look at the deal. “Often the lack of understanding of tax and excise duties becomes an impediment for investors, who are generally averse to any kind of regulatory haze,” he said.


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Electromedical Technologies Achieves Internationally Recognized ISO 13485:2003, CE Mark and CAN/CSA ISO Certifications
Phoenix, Arizona, May 11, 2011 – Electromedical Technologies, announced today that the company has been awarded ISO 13485:2003, CE approval and CAN/CSA ISO Certifications. Electromedical joins the ranks of top internationally renowned medical device manufacturers who have obtained ISO 13485:2003 quality system certificates. ISO 13485:2003 is a specific international quality management system standard that requires an organization to demonstrate its ability to consistently provide products and services at the highest level of quality. The ISO 13485:2003 certificate is a mandatory requirement to demonstrate compliance with appropriate medical device regulatory and statutory requirements for CE-marking in the European Union and CAN/CSA for Canadian approval.
The company’s CEO, Matthew Wolfson, stated “Electromedical Technologies has always been committed to effectiveness of our products as well as patient safety and customer satisfaction. We stand behind all of our products and services provided to our customers. By demonstrating to the International Organization for Standardization our ability to meet these Quality Standards, especially ISO 13485:2003, means that Electromedical Technologies has achieved the highest level of compliance possible for a world-class manufacturing company.”
In addition to the ISO certification, Electromedical Technologies has also received CE Mark approval and the Canadian CAN/CSA (similar to the FDA in the U.S.)! For medical devices, the CE mark and Canadian CAN/CSA is awarded only to those companies which both satisfy the rigorous standards of ISO 13485:2003 and comply with the European Union's Medical Device Directive (MDD)." Mr. Wolfson stated, "These approvals are Huge, this is the culmination of more than two years hard work by all of Electromedical Technologies’ employees. We are proud of the tremendous efforts made by our TEAM in bringing this process to a successful conclusion. The ISO certification, Canadian CAN/CSA and CE approvals open the international doors for our distributors to expand and build their Wellness Pro businesses in many different countries around the world with a license in hand!”
Electromedical Technologies designs, manufactures, and markets Bio Electromedical devices for pain management. Electromedical Technologies currently manufactures the Wellness Pro 2010, which is considered by top professionals as one of the most effective electroceutical pain relief devices on the market by far. The Wellness Pro is now available through the Electromedical Technologies distributor network on a worldwide basis. Visit www.electromedtech.com for updates and NEW information on up and coming Bio electrotherapy products. Electromedical Technologies is dedicated to develop and manufacture the most innovative electrotherapy products based on the state of the art technology.


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By introducing new features, Maya is aiming to encourage more of its app users to use its digital banking services. Maya Bank is one of only six digital banks in the Philippines that the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas granted a license to operate.
Citing data from intelligence firm data.ai, Maya said it has over 1.5 million bank customers making it the No. 1 digital banking app in the country in terms of app downloads and monthly active users.
“By providing an all-in-one digital banking app where people can save, spend, borrow, and invest seamlessly, we have simplified the whole financial services experience for consumers. Our strategy has allowed us to deliver a superior and unmatched banking and payments experience, ” Shailesh Baidwan, president, Maya Group, in a statement. “We have seen firsthand that customers who save or borrow transact 2 to 3 times more than payments-only users.”
Maya launched “My Money. My Bank. My Way” campaign hoping to bring digital banking to the mainstream and empower Filipinos to take control of their finances with innovations that make money management easier, more personalized, and rewarding.
Among the highlighted innovations in the campaign is Maya’s consumer savings account which offers easy account opening with just one valid ID, and a boosted high-interest rate of up to 10% p.a., which can only be achieved when app users use the Maya wallet ecosystem.
Maya is also the first finance app to offer customers their own @username, making sending money as easy as tagging friends in TikTok or Instagram. The Maya card is accepted by over 80 million merchants worldwide.
Maya also introduced media celebrity Liza Soberano as the new brand ambassador and chief advocacy officer in charge of the company’s campaigns for financial inclusion.


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Preservatives, UV filters, fragrances and more are in the crosshairs of a recent act introduced to the U.S. Congress, which proposes the banning of several personal care ingredients.
The “Safe Cosmetics and Personal Care Products Act of 2018” (HR 6903) would amend the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. It comprises ingredient safety, registration fees, resources for small businesses, labeling regulation and more.
If passed, the act would initially prohibit use of the following:
- Benzophenones (benzophenone, benzophenone-1, benzophenone-3 aka oxybenzone);
- Butylated Hydroxyanisole and Butylated Hydroxyoluen;
- Coal tar dyes (p-Phenylenediamine);
- Cocamide Diethanolamine;
- Dibutyalated Phthalate (Phthalates DBP), Bis(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate (DEHP);
- Styrene or Styrene acrylates;
- Formaldehydes (Methylene glycol/methanediol/formaldehyde) and Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives (DMDM hydantoin, diazolidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl urea, methenamine, quaternium-15 and sodium hydroxymethylglycinate);
- Lead acetate or other lead compounds; and
- Parabens (isopropylparaben, isobutylparaben, phenylparaben, benzylparaben, pentylparaben, propylparaben and butylparaben).
Listed ingredients have the potential to be removed if they are later deemed "safe," under the act’s definitions. Manufacturers would have one year to reformulate their products to eliminate or modify usage of banned ingredients.
An additional list would be created of at least 300 ingredients to be assessed, to which 100 further ingredients would be added annually “until all ingredients that are used in the formulation or manufacture of cosmetics have been added” for review.
Introduced by Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Illinois, the act also calls for changes in the labeling of cosmetic and personal care products; if passed, nanomaterials and contaminants (unintended substances) must be declared, and internet vendors must be provided with and post ingredient lists. Proposed regulations for the labeling of ingredient lists on small products and packaging are expected to follow.
Additionally, the act proposes steps for cosmetic brand owners’ involvement in these proceedings.
“This bill takes a step that should have already been taken—consumers, families and workers have been at risk for far too long. We need to ban toxic beauty and personal care products and give the [U.S.] Food and Drug Administration the resources it needs to keep Americans safe, including recall ability,” said Schakowsky in a statement.
To read the bill in its entirety, visit www.congress.gov.
Update: Pam Busiek, president and CEO of the Independent Cosmetic Manufacturers and Distributors Association (ICMAD), has released a statement on the Safe Cosmetics and Personal Care Products Act of 2018, HR 6903.
“ICMAD and its more than 900 member companies are ardent supporters of modernizing federal cosmetics regulations provided the updated law continues to foster innovation and keeps the U.S. as a worldwide leader in the cosmetics industry.
“We support a clear and uniform national standard for ingredient safety review and good manufacturing practices, which are critical to both large and small independent cosmetics manufacturers across the country who are presently burdened with cumbersome and overlapping regulations.
“The cosmetics industry, backed by years of science-based research and testing, represents one of the safest categories regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
“While oversight of cosmetics by the FDA should provide reassurance to consumers of the safety of cosmetics, it must also give businesses, of all sizes, the guidance and clarity they need to succeed in the cosmetic marketplace and a strong, level foundation for future innovation.
“The Safe Cosmetics and Personal Care Products Act of 2018 (HR 6903) introduced by Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Illinois proposes to amend the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. We have begun a review of the draft legislation and will provide more in-depth comments once our review is complete.”


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This past year and a half has been difficult for the majority of the business owners around the world. Due to the pandemic, many businesses were forced to adapt and be creative in order to overcome all sorts of different challenges which ultimately led to the emergence of a number of new business trends. Today, we’ll be discussing three trends that have grown in popularity over the past year and a half and will continue to do so in the future as well.
Rapidly Growing E-Commerce World
The lockdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic forced many businesses to shift their focus on selling their products online in order to compensate for lost in-person sales. However, many businesses were already planning to grow their online presence even before the pandemic started. On the other hand consumers also played a big role in accelerating the e-commerce trend as they took online shopping to a whole new level during mainly because majority of the stores were closed during lockdowns. Making your presence felt in the e-commerce world should be the prime focus of most business going forward as more and more consumers are adjusting to the convenience of shopping online.
The pandemic caused the world to go cashless and touchless. This trend of contactless payments is getting stronger with every passing day. Contactless payment offers customers a more flexible, quicker, and more convenient way to make payments. Customers can pay for their items using online prepay, tap-and-go cards and digital wallets. Once a customer has started using contactless payment, they’re likely to keep using it.
Businesses should switch to more digital options when it comes to accepting payment customers for their convenience and comfort and also to possibly make your bookkeeping easier.
One of the most important changes the pandemic caused was the widespread shift from working traditionally in offices to working from home.
Many businesses around the world are still working remotely from home as this not only helps in reducing costs but also give workers the opportunity to be more flexible as well as have more control and power over their schedules. The perks that working remotely offers, it seems that this trend is here to stay.
Due to the uncertainty surrounding Covid-19, and a widespread shift in temperament and attitudes of employees, it seems that remote working or mixture of working in office premises and remotely from home will last beyond 2021.


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EVENTS HAPPENING IN YOUR AREA.
THANKSGIVING TURKEY DRIVES AND MOBILE MARKET – OCTOBER 23
THANKSGIVING TURKEY DRIVES
Even as COVID-19 continues to disrupt daily life in so many ways, you can make it possible for families to gather around their tables to celebrate the Thanksgiving tradition.
Spokane’s 21st annual Tom’s Turkey Drive will look a little different this year, but we’re counting on our generous community to support at least 11,000 Thanksgiving meals – a turkey and all the fixings – for people in need. We’re inspired by KREM 2, Rosauers and other generous sponsors, as now more than ever, Tom’s Turkey Drive is needed to bring hope to the tables of families facing so many uncertainties. As in past years, KREM 2 Chief Meteorologist Tom Sherry is leading this effort. Although we’re unable to host the traditional two-day drive in person at local Rosauers stores, the stores themselves will make it easy for their customers to donate by purchasing complete Thanksgiving meals for $20. You can also help by donating here. Watch for updates on the massive Tom’s Turkey Tuesday meal box distribution on Nov. 24 – drive-thru style at Spokane County Fairgrounds – on KREM 2’s website and at 2-harvest.org.
The fifth annual Mid-Columbia and Yakima Valley Turkey Drive will provide Thanksgiving meal supplies for 2,200 families. Your $30 donation will provide a box of food with the ingredients for a holiday meal, including a turkey. Three drive-thru distributions are scheduled: Nov. 23 at South Hill Park in Sunnyside and Yakima Valley Community College, and Nov. 24 at the Toyota Center in Kennewick. Click here to donate toward the food supplies for 2,200 meal boxes with all the ingredients for a full Thanksgiving dinner for Mid-Columbia and Yakima Valley families.
The Mobile Market continues to be a crucial strategy to help meet the increased need for food assistance due to the COVID-19 crisis, particularly in rural areas. A Mobile Market distribution in Othello on Tuesday, Oct. 20 served 300 families. You can read Columbia Basin Herald’s coverage of the event here. To find out when the Mobile Market will be near you, click here.
To sign up to receive our COVID-19 updates via email, please click here.
Thank you to everyone who supported this year’s turkey drives! Your generosity made the holidays brighter for thousands of local families.
COMMUNITY PARTNER SPOTLIGHT: LAMB WESTON - NOVEMBER 18 Author: Jean Tucker Have you planned your Thanksgiving menu? Will you celebrate with family and friends over a bountiful meal of special dishes? Your turkey dinner will cost a lot more this year due to...
VETERANS CONTINUE THEIR LIVES OF SERVICE - NOVEMBER 11 Author: Patty Kieburtz Serving fellow veterans means a lot to three of the volunteers at a Mobile Market at Mann-Grandstaff Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Reba, Charles and Reuel all served in the...
- Spokane House of Hose
- Carolyn Clark
- Incredible Bulk Wine Co.
- Spokane Hyundai


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KLGadgetGuy | Malaysia's fastest growing tech portal and YouTube channel
Mint Gold OnePlus 5 to be unveiled in the future
OnePlus 5 coming soon to Malaysia
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May 13, 2015
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August 22, 2016
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The Sony Alpha A9 launches with a RM21,799 price tag
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Wiko Harry Review: Hardly an entry-level smartphone
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May 30, 2017


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British department store House of Fraser have announced plans to close 31 stores across the UK, placing thousands of jobs at risk. Proposals have been filed for Company Voluntary Arrangements ("CVA") of House of Fraser (Stores) Ltd and House of Fraser Ltd which it claimed are central to the significant restructuring of the business.
In May, it was announced that the parent group of House of Fraser would sell a 51% stake to the Chinese owner of Hamleys, C.Banner International, who would inject £70 million into the business.
House of Fraser has 59 department stores with large associated costs. This equates to 4.4 million square feet of retail space with long-term leases, the average remaining lease being 29 years. Following a review of the stores' property portfolio, this will be reduced to 28 stores.
Pending approval of the CVAs, it is anticipated that those stores scheduled for closure will remain open until early in 2019. This development follows losses last year of £44 million.
Sports Direct, who own 11.1% of the shares, have opposed the CVA and have issued proceedings against House of Fraser, claiming that they have been repeatedly denied information which they are legally entitled to, and demands to be provided with a copy of House of Fraser's corporate plan.
Liam Rowley, Head of Strategic Investments at Sports Direct, said: “We have been frozen out by House of Fraser. Their dealings in China are opaque, and it is blatant that we have been unfairly prejudiced. We have no option other than litigation to protect the interests of Sports Direct and its shareholders.”
Creditors will vote on the CVA on 22 June.


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Matt Runkle knew a downtown grocery was a top priority for area residents, but as he prepares to open his Native Roots Market in Deep Deuce, he has encountered some visitors who simply couldn't wait for it to open.
“A lady came in four days ago and started shopping,” Runkle said. “She was taking products off the shelf. We had another guy come in, he started browsing the aisles, and you could tell, he was already in the zone.”
Cathy O'Connor, director of the Alliance for Economic Development of Oklahoma City, isn't surprised by such reactions. She ranks a downtown grocery as the top priority for the city's growing urban population.
“The No. 1 thing people ask me is, ‘When do we get a grocery store downtown?'” O'Connor said. “Even though Native Roots is small, it's designed to meet the needs of the downtown market, and it will definitely help with perception of the availability of amenities for downtown residents.”
Runkle and his wife, Sara Kaplan, began planning for the relocation of their store from Norman to the Level Urban Apartments in Deep Deuce last March. In July, they and their infant daughter, Stella, moved into an apartment above the grocery.
Though the couple initially planned to keep their Norman store open, they changed course as they confronted the increased competition posed by Natural Foods and Sprouts Market. At the same time, they witnessed a better-than-anticipated potential market in Deep Deuce.
When first wooed to Deep Deuce by developer and longtime customer Richard McKown, Runkle and Kaplan were led to believe their grocery was needed to help lease the apartments.
The apartment complex at NE 2 and Walnut Avenue, however, was fully leased when it opened in July — even though the grocery was still under construction. Construction since has begun on more apartments at NE 4 and Oklahoma Avenue, and more for-sale housing on The Hill at NE 2 and Russell Perry Avenue.
“That's when we realized, ‘Oh wow, the demand is already down here,'” Runkle said.
Kaplan said much of the emphasis on locally produced foods and goods created by family businesses that the couple had with the Norman store will stay intact in Deep Deuce.
Kaplan estimated they carry items created from 100 local vendors that range from meats to goat milk and wooden toys. She said they get heritage pork from a farmer who can't produce in bulk amounts sufficient to satisfy a single Whole Foods store, yet is well set for a store like Native Roots.
Continue reading this story on the...


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Just 35% of UK adults aware of NFC payment technology, says YouGov report
The public’s lack of awareness and trust in near field communication (NFC) payment technology is preventing its adoption, according to a new YouGov report which shows just 35 per cent of UK adults are aware of NFC-enabled devices.
The study of 1,051 adults also found that fewer than one in ten (9 per cent) mobile and smartphone owners know that their device is NFC-enabled, and of these just over a fifth (22 per cent) ever use it to make payments.
Overall, the figures show there has barely been an increased in awareness and adoption since YouGov last looked into the area in September 2012.
Looking at why the uptake has been slow, YouGov found that 56 per cent of mobile phone owners are not interested in NFC-enabled technology while 53 per cent are concerned about their financial exposure if their phone was lost or stolen.
Moreover, given general contentment with using ‘Chip and PIN’, almost four in ten (39 per cent) say they do not see a need for the technology.
“Despite the advances in NFC mobile technology, the industry has yet to increase the awareness nor put forth a compelling value proposition to the consumer to adopt NFC payments. In addition, retail adoption is rather limited curbing the consumers’ desire to transition,” explained John Gilbert, consulting director YouGov Technology and Telecoms.
By contrast, the UK experienced strong growth in both the awareness and usage of contactless payment cards in the year to September 2013. Awareness of the technology grew from 55 per cent to 70 per cent and acknowledged ownership increased from 16 per cent to 25 per cent.
However, use of contactless payment cards was more limited with only 40 per cent of owners ever using their contactless card. The one key drawback to more usage is that is has yet to be universally adopted by retailers, with six in ten users (62 per cent) wanting more places that accepted contactless card payments.
YouGov questioned the nationally representative sample between 17 and 22 September 2013.


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Will July 21 mark the start of a downward spiral for Clubhouse – the ultra-exclusive, invite-only audio room social space that has attracted the likes of Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Oprah?
If Twitter’s Jack Dorsey gets his way, a new and more accessible space could very well be pushing the hip social platform off its vaunted perch and into a nightmare of decreased valuations.
Twitter’s recent announcement that it is opening applications to test Ticketed Spaces, giving users access to social audio rooms, undoubtedly set the alarm bells ringing within the Clubhouse sphere, as Dorsey cunningly tied the roll-out to a hugely-anticipated debate on BitCoin with Elon Musk.
It all started on Twitter, of course, with Musk and Dorsey’s banter about the cryptocurrency culminating with the latter inviting Musk to be part of The B Word, an online event that will also feature other big names like Blockstream’s Adam Beck and ARK Invest’s Cathie Wood.
Few are surprised at this turn of events. Since Twitter Spaces – which comes with none of the restrictions Clubhouse was infamous for – was announced earlier this year, it was immediately clear that Dorsey would be going head-to-head again Clubhouse for the market space.
And this debate just might be the perfect marketing stunt to launch Twitter Spaces into the stratosphere. It is no wonder that Clubhouse finds itself scrambling to avoid a backlash in terms of downloads and valuation, even going as far as to open access to Android users, something that had been assiduously avoided for the sake of ‘exclusivity’.
But it appears that the days of Clubhouse FOMO are over, as downloads continue to drastically decrease, going down from 9.6 million downloads back in January to a mere 900,000 in April.
And the backlash is likely to be extended to the company valuation, with word on the tech grapevine being that the upcoming Dorsey-Musk ‘clash of the Titans’ likely to be the last straw for an App that was already showing signs of struggle in the past months.
Industry insiders have even gone so far as to say that Clubhouse strategy of excluding a good portion of the market means that they shot themselves in the foot, leaving users with a bad taste in their mouth.
And many entrepreneurs – like SiGMA’s own Eman Pulis – were reluctant to jump on to the Clubhouse bandwagon from the very start, saying that it put Android users at an unfair disadvantage.
It would appear that they were not the only ones to believe this. In fact, Clubhouse failed to see the expected rise in downloads after it was opened up to Android users, with many feeling that the company had missed the boat and preferring to wait for Twitter Spaces to become available.
There was a time when ‘how to get a Clubhouse invite’ was one of the most highly-searched for terms on Google, and when invites were being pawned off on Ebay for ridiculous amounts. It may just be that Dorsey’s Twitter Spaces have killed that.
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WEST PALM BEACH - Teens hoping to make it big, want refunds after a Boca Raton talent agency shut its doors. Since we shared their story earlier this week, our phone lines and email have been filled with other customers asking for help. Now, the talent behind the camera is coming forward because they say they were taken too.
With a push of a button, Aubrie Judka can focus in on snapshots that will make a splash.
"They felt like a movie star," Judka explained.
Judka took photos for local talent.
"The clients ranged from everywhere from newborns to older," explained Judka.
They signed on with the talent marketing company, Interface.
"When I was hired I was like wow!" Judka said.
A big break for a young photographer looking to start her business while helping young talent break into show business.
"You walk in to the studio and you see Interface. It looked amazing. They had pictures of hired people on the walls," explained Judka.
But, the glitz and glamor came to an abrupt end in May when photographers like Judka and makeup artists like Revital Sarkhovitch were told Interface was closing.
"It's a very big company. They have four other locations you wouldn't even imagine that they are going to close the doors in Boca," explained Sarkhovitch.
They worked that last weekend, and even the following one at a different studio.
"We thought oh good they are putting forth an effort to give these people what they paid for so yeah let's go help them out. It was good money we were getting paid good money per day," explained Judka.
The company promised to pay on voicemail, and in emails, but employees say that money hasn't showed up almost two months later.
"I am trying to be an up and coming business. I have a family to feed," explained Judka.
These workers say they know others who are owed money too adding up to over $13,000.
Another photographer had a check bounce.
"If they make a promise stand behind it," explained Sarkhovitch.
The Interface Executive Team responded to my requests for a statement late this afternoon saying, "We appreciate your inquiry. We are formulating a plan to address all outstanding issues and expect it to be put in place no later than the end of next week, at which time we will have more information."
The Attorney General continues to investigate, and has heard from more customers this week. It has 200 complaints, and wants to hear from you if you had an issue at 1-866 9-NO-SCAM or visit their website at www.myfloridalegal.com .
Unemployment fraud frustrating employees
Millions of your tax dollars are paid to thieves each year. They're ripping off you and the government by filing fraudulent unemployment…
Injury after Jeep airbag explodes for no reason
The recall repair process is supposed to fix safety hazards, but in one recall the airbags are still going off for no reason.
American Laser Skincare suddenly closes
A nationwide laser hair removal office closed its doors abruptly surprising customers and employees who are out cash.
Grills rusting exposing flame to propane tank
Grillers across the country say their grill is a safety hazard. The Consumer Watchdog exposes the problem and gets the manufacturer to take action.
Restaurant shut down for roaches 2nd time
Roaches shut down a restaurant for the second time this year. The changes the owner says he is making.


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3DFY.ai announced the launch of 3DFY Prompt, a generative AI that lets developers and creators build 3D models based on text prompts.
The Tel Aviv, Israel-based company said the tech democratizes professional-quality 3D model creation, enabling anyone to use text prompts to create high-quality models that can be used in gaming, design or virtual environments.
Until now, high-quality 3D model creation required professional labor and lots of it. Some recent advances in AI, such as those recently announced by Nvidia, Google and OpenAI, offer effortless 3D model creation. But 3DFY said those solutions severely compromise asset quality, which, in practice,
hinders the assets’ usability.
To be more than a cool fad, generative AI models need to be tangibly useful, 3DFY said.
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3DFY’s text-to-3D technology uniquely offers a scalable AI-based solution which generates 3D models comparable to those produced by human 3D modelers. The tradeoff for the professional model quality comes in the form of a category-bound solution, meaning only objects within a range of defined classes can be generated.
However, with a continuously expanding range of available categories, this limitation will quickly diminish with time. The result is beautiful 3D models, which are always divided into semantically meaningful parts,
constructed with professional-level mesh topology available in multiple levels of detail with addition of physically based rendering textures at any desired resolution.
In addition, 3DFY.ai employs strictly ethical AI, as the vast amounts of training data utilized to train the company’s AI are 100% synthetic and generated in-house using advanced computer graphics methods.
Eliran Dahan, CEO of 3DFY, said in a statement, “With 3DFY Prompt, 3D creation can now be available to everyone, regardless of budget or experience, in ways that enable self-expression and save time, money and manual work for creators and without having to worry about possible copyright issues. We’re already working on additional object categories and new, unique functionality. Our overarching vision is to make 3D authoring as fun and easy as playing an online game. We want everyone to be empowered to create 3D content.”
3DFY Prompt is live, and can be experienced for free right now. You can play around, creating your own previously unexpressed desires (“an ottoman that looks like an Oreo” anyone?) and save them for later.
The company has raised $3 million in a pre-seed round to date, and it has seven people, with experience in computer vision, graphics, and AI and machine learning. Dahan started the company in 2019 with cofounder Tal Kenig.
In an email to GamesBeat, Dahan said, “[We] go way back and worked together for many years developing medical imaging technologies. As radiology veterans, we are 3D natives, so when we learned how much manual labor is involved in the production of computer graphics 3D assets, we immediately knew that’s where we want to make an impact. Ever since we started out, we are pursuing a clear vision: To make 3D model creation simple and easy for everyone, without compromising on quality. Somewhat similar to what Canva has done for graphic design. What you see now as the first version of 3DFY Prompt is just the tip of the iceberg, as we are working on additional, unique functionality, materializing this vision one step at a time.”
Asked if the AI could eliminate jobs of game developers, Dahan said, “We think we will see a trend here, similar to other generative AI fields, where creators would require less technical prowess and more skills around creatively using the new capabilities. But in any matter, it will be humans working with machines.”
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New Ownership for Gabriella’s in Hannibal
Gabriella's in Hannibal is under new ownership!
One of Hannibal's classic restaurants Gabriella's is under new ownership. The new owners are thrilled to be able to keep this Hannibal tradition alive, while also very excited to add some new things to the restaurant. On Gabriella's Facebook page they say...
"One of our top priorities was to bring the heart of Gabriella’s back and give all our amazing customers what they want! !!! In the next few months, we will be making many changes! We hope to hear feedback from each and everyone of you ! Our hours of operation will resume the same, Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 11a.m. 10 p.m.!!"
We are excited to see that Gabriella's is going to remain open and can't wait to see all the new exciting changes. To see the full statement from the new owners, follow Gabriella's on Facebook by clicking here!


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How is Christmas celebrated? This is currently the subject of a lively debate on the Internet. Meanwhile, tens of thousands support the Facebook group "Christmas is decided in the manger," an action against the slogan of an electronics chain. Just one example of the struggle for the interpretive sovereignty of the Christian festival.
"Christmas will be decided under the tree," Media Markt says. This slogan undermines the Christian origin of the festival, promotes the pre-Christmas consumer terror and exposes people who could not afford such gifts, describes initiator Melanie Zink the motives of her fellow campaigners.
Meanwhile, the Ingolstadt company's slogan made it all the way to the German Advertising Council. On Thursday, however, the industry's self-regulatory body decided to forgo a rebuke. The chain can therefore continue to advertise without complaint with the slogan. For Volker Nickel, spokesman for the Central Association of the German Advertising Industry (ZAW), the event raises a completely different question anyway. "Why does it need an impulse from outside at all for the churches to stand up and say what is important to them at Christmas??After all, the companies' advertising only reflects what they already find in society," reads the title. "Otherwise it won't work."
"Praise the merchant" In other words: In the future, too, there will be slogans of the brand "We make Christmas a sports festival" and "Praise the merchant". Or commercials featuring the Magi offering frankincense, myrrh and gold to the baby Jesus in the manger, with a fourth colleague in tow offering a case of energy drink. Should the churches jump on this bandwagon and become active for their part? Why not, thinks communication designer Eva Jung. The managing director of the advertising agency gobasil would like to see more momentum from those responsible for spreading the Christmas message. "The churches could stand up confidently and say, 'This is our celebration! And explain to people what it's actually all about."
After all, there are such initiatives on a regional level. One example can be found a few minutes' drive from Jung's office, on the edge of Hamburg's Speicherstadt warehouse district. This is where the headquarters of the "Give Your Tithe" campaign is based. On the Internet and with local media partnerships, the campaign supported by the two churches in Hamburg and the Peter Kramer Foundation wanted to encourage people to think about the annual material battle under the Christmas tree in the run-up to Christmas. And instead, with reference to the biblical passage from the Old Testament, persuade the Hanseatic people to donate to aid campaigns and to do voluntary work.
With success, as an evaluation of the now completed initiative carried out these days shows. According to a study, one in four Hamburg residents surveyed knew what to make of the campaign. Among the key messages that stuck were: "Christmas as a festival of love" and the importance of unpaid commitment to society. "It was worth it," is the organizers' verdict.
"Is the Christ Child the daughter of Santa Claus?" The operators of Bonn's "Kirchenhutte", an ecumenical stand at the city's central Christmas market, have also had a positive response. There passers-by can acquire a brochure with interesting facts about Christmas for one euro. "Is the Christ Child the daughter of Santa Claus??"reads the title. On 59 pages there are answers to questions such as: "Why do many more people go to church at Christmas??" or "Since when has there been a Christmas tree with baubles??"
The initial print run of 5.000 copies are already almost out of print. For the authors, proof that an "aha effect" can certainly attract attention. Whether such approaches could also be used as part of a major advertising campaign? Well possibly, finds ZAW speaker nickel. "After all, the bell is not the only PR instrument."


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Local news stories affecting the auto body industry in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Connecticut, Maryland, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine
A Garden City man pleaded guilty on July 22 to stealing nearly $190,000 over eight years by underreporting sales from the auto body shops he owned in Mineola and Hempstead, according to the Nassau County District Attorney’s office.
Alan’s Collision Center, an independent, single-owner Philadelphia auto body repair business, is investing $15,000 annually in technician training to ensure excellence in collision repair services for customers.
Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced that his office reached an agreement with Binghamton-based Don’s Automotive Mall, Inc. to resolve an investigation that revealed that the company was selling salvaged automobile airbags in violation of New York State law.
After Nationwide Insurance filed a claim against a Pennsylvania body shop for charging “unreasonable and excessive fees,” a county arbitration panel in that state ruled in favor of the collision repair center in May.
When he was just 20 years old, Fred Beans purchased a gas station garage in Yardley, Pennsylvania. He eventually expanded it to include 12 employees. With a passion for the automobile industry, Beans sold the business and traveled to Doylestown, PA to begin building what is now the Fred Beans Group, which includes 18 dealerships, six CARSTAR collision repair centers along with a parts warehouse, an express lube and automotive accessories store, a towing company and a detail and accessory center.
A fire charred the exterior siding at Toll House Auto Body in Littlestown on July 7.
The owner of a Littlestown auto body repair shop believes a soda machine sparked a fire that charred a wall of the business on July 7th.
Symach has announced the integration of a FixLine conveyor system at Barrie, Ontario's newest Zenetec CSN facility, marking the European company's first large-scale body shop installation within the Canadian market.
A Monongahela man was arraigned on July 8 for allegedly running a Craigslist business of selling tailgates stolen from trucks in three counties in 2014.
Lena Sbrogna, Owner of Sbrogna Auto Body
Credit: Heald & Chiampa Funeral Directors
Lena Sbrogna's life was rooted deeply in her faith and family. Born on April 22, 1927 in Worcester, she was one of eight children of Italian immigrants Francesco and Antoinetta (Santora) Flaminio. Raised in Worcester's Italian neighborhood known as 'Shrewsbury Street,' she married Augustine "Gus' Sbrogna in 1946 in Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church.
Tony Ferraiolo of the ABAC and Senator Richard Blumenthal address the students at HC Wilcox Technical High School on June 1.
A main part of the mission statement for the Auto Body Association of Connecticut (ABAC) is promoting safe and dependable auto repairs, and one of the many ways they do this is by supporting automotive programs at local tech schools.
A car caught fire on the back of a tow truck next to an auto body shop on June 25.
Distinguished guests and faculty members pose with a group of students from the Collision and Auto Shop during an unveiling of an old police and fire box during the Putnam Collision Advisory and Appreciation BBQ. The box will be on display at the Police Academy. (Frederick Gore Photo)
SPRINGFIELD — More than 200 visitors filled the parking lot of the Roger L. Putnam Vocational Technical Academy as part of the annual Putnam Collision Advisory and Appreciation BBQ on June 16.


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Sony BMG accused of using pirated software
Small French software developer PointDev is suing Sony BMG saying it uses pirated copies of PointDev's Ideal Migration software.
The application manages Windows domain consolidations and provides migration tools to move networks to Windows 2000 and 2003. Sony is being accused of using this software without a license.
Sony's position smacks of irony, considering that it, along with other record labels have taken a hardline stance against piracy. Its offices were raided in January after PointDev obtained a search warrant from the courts.
In those raids, at least four servers were found with unlicensed copies of Ideal Migration on them. They were seized as evidence, which PointDev has used as a basis for its suit against the company.
"We are not interested in an amicable settlement. It is not just a question of money but more importantly in principle," CEO Agustoni Paul-Henry said. He also implies that piracy may be a problem overall within the company.
Paul-Henry said he plans to make an example out of Sony to ensure that other companies know they will not be free from prosecution.
"I think piracy is linked to the policy of a company. If the employee has the necessary funding to buy the software they need, it will," a translation of the report from La Province reads. "If this is not the case, he will find alternative ways, as the work must be done in one way or another."
Essentially, the company feels that this is not the work of a single employee, but is rather an act of ignorance by the company overall, meaning it could be endemic.
Sony reportedly attempted to have the La Province report quashed, but has otherwise remained quiet about the case.


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More than 2,000 Mexicans selected 10 brands as the most valuable this year, in a study revealed through the Brand Asset Valuator (BAV)The value of Malaysia Email Address a company depends on factors such as its brand reputation, purchasing power, among others. In Mexico, there are some with greater value for the consumer, as revealed by Young & Rubicam Group through the Brand Asset Valuator (BAV) 2017.The tool that measures the positioning of brands in Mexico and the world, revealed the list of the 10 most valuable brands for Mexicans this year, after measuring 1,500 brands from 116 categories.José Vargas, BAVLAB regional director; Natalia Berrio, VP of strategic planning at Y&R México; Héctor Fernández, CEO of Y&R México and Gonzalo Ramos, senior consultant at BAVLAB México.
“The BAV exists in about 51 countries. The tool has been in various countries for more than 20 years ”, commented Héctor Fernández, CEO of the agency.For this, the opinion of 2,860 respondents was considered, with four basic measurement pillars : energized differentiation, relevance, esteem and familiarity.How to keep in touch with your coworkers while working remotely.From this, it turned out that the following brands are the most valued:
The top ten shows that five of the brands are technological, which could be an indicator that Mexico is following the global wave that is SEO EBL increasingly focused on technology, internet and mobile.Against this background, Gonzalo Ramos, senior consultant at BAVLAB México, highlighted that:In Mexico, a country with a lot of presence of food brands in other years, this year they have dropped drastically. Now brands related to the internet world are leading.Thus, Mexico does not escape global trends and reflects this in the brands it considers the most valuable.


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| Jul 24, 2013
| 12:52 PM
A man who allegedly posed as a police officer and cashed fake checks is now in custody.
A spokesperson with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation confirmed Robert Helms was arrested. Helms is in custody in Vinita, Okla., just 30 miles south of the Kansas...
| Jul 24, 2013
| 3:08 PM
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Walmart now has approval to build a new store near downtown Springfield. Voters will not have a say about it. A judge made the ruling on the case Wednesday regarding the re-zoning of property. The judge agreeing with the city's...
| Jul 21, 2013
| 5:00 AM
My new book concerns the countercultural views of today's progressive Democrats. This is not your father's liberalism, and it is certainly far removed from the local Democratic Party I was exposed to as a young kid growing up in Arbutus. That Democratic...
| Sep 5, 2013
Headlines for Thursday, September 5, 2013
ROGER WATERS: One Wall He Does Not Want to Tear Down
Roger Waters took his production of Pink Floyd's The Wall to Berlin, Germany last night, and on Tuesday he joined a protest to protect one of the last...
| Apr 26, 2013
| 12:56 PM
This week, hundreds of Chicago workers organized a major labor strike, demanding a wage floor of $15 an hour and the right to unionize. Their protests come on the heels of the largest strike in the fast food industry's history, which took place in...
| Jul 20, 2013
| 10:32 PM
WASHINGTON — Shortly after she launched her signature anti-obesity initiative more than three years ago, Michelle Obama signaled she would take on a contentious issue: advertising for snacks, soft drinks, sugary cereals and fast food aimed at...
| Jul 9, 2013
| 1:49 PM
Tykeem A. Bacon, 24, of the first block of Mount Royal Avenue, was charged Wednesday with possessing marijuana and drugs with intent to distribute.
Montaze D. Berry, 23, of the 4800 block of Seven Trail Circle, was charged Thursday with...
| Jul 2, 2013
| 3:23 PM
As the sun shines on Walmart in Hagerstown, it also helps to light the inside of the store.
The supercenter at 17850 Garland Groh Blvd. is one of eight Walmart stores and two Sam’s Clubs in Maryland with solar-powered systems to generate clean,...
| Jun 10, 2013
| 11:59 AM
Summer in Chicago for most parents of young children comes down to three long months of hot, humid weather with little to nothing to keep them occupied. But, take note moms and dads, here we outline everything you'll need to survive through August.
| Jul 3, 2013
| 12:30 PM
Samsung Electronics has acquired Internet set-top startup Boxee, which struggled to gain traction as an over-the-top video platform, with the Korean consumer-electronics giant planning to use Boxee's technology in smart TVs and other devices.
| Jul 4, 2013
Wal-Mart sells ammunition for firearms, and they used to sell it as you came in, any day, any time, any amount. The first change was a three-box limit per person. Then they changed it so ammunition can only be purchased at 4:30 p.m., first come, first...


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Lily Aldridge is celebrating her birthday today, and she’s gearing up for the Victoria Secret Fashion Show.
— Victoria Sport (@VictoriaSport) November 15, 2017
Lily is also one of Taylor Swift’s best friends and gave her a shout-out when her album dropped last week.
— Lily Aldridge (@LilyAldridge) November 10, 2017
Lily has had an amazing career so far, and she can rock just about any look that is thrown her way for a campaign.
Lily Aldridge for Bulgari Winter 2016 pic.twitter.com/A71oDmgH7d
— Lily Aldridge Fans (@VSAngelAldridge) November 5, 2017
She has rocked the cover of multiple high-end fashion magazines, including Vogue, Allure, Elle and Harper’s Bazaar. She also just released a new line with Levi jeans that brings back the vintage looks.
Happy birthday, Lily, and we can’t wait to see you rock the runway again in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show on Nov. 28.


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The toy aisle could become a lot more tight-knit if an acquisition goes through. According to unnamed sources speaking to The Wall Street Journal, Hasbro has approached Mattel about a possible buyout. For those unfamiliar with the companies, Hasbro is the company behind toy lines such as G.I. Joe and Star Wars while Mattel is best-known… read more
@ERCboxoffice WOW! Did NOT see that coming at all. Good for them.


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Contrary to what some may believe, last year was not a great one for advertisers.
Overall, 61% of businesses experienced a drop in revenue — including 58% of firms that sell online only, according to State of Digital Advertising 2021, a study by Criteo.
Yet 27% of online-only firms report sales increases, with 9% saying they experienced big ones.
Firms that also have both online and physical stores did worse — 63% experienced declines, and 21% enjoyed at least modest hikes.
In the U.S., 22% suffered major revenue declines due to COVID-19 — only Spain, with 25%, did worse. At the same time, 21% in France and 18% in Australia took big hits.
Looking forward, roughly 40% are planning to boost their digital budgets this year.
Email ranks down the list in terms of probable increases — 36% are planning to raise their email spend, while 47% will hold steady and 17% will decrease spending.
In contract, 47% will budget more for social media, versus 40% who say their spending will remain the same and 13% who foresee a decrease.
Another 44% will spend more on content marketing and 43% will increase spending on advertising on retail websites and apps.
Their 2021 goals are:
Meanwhile, 59% say their digital marketing campaigns are going ahead as planned. In contrast, 53% say the same about marketing budget commitments in general.
Also on track are co-marketing campaigns (51%), launch of new products or services (49%) and in-store marketing campaigns (46%).
Have firm seen any positive outcomes during COVID-19?
Yes. They are:
At the same time, marketing has grown in importance during COVID-19 in support of these goals:


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Earlier this month on a chilly Friday night, hundreds of people flocked to Downtown Marietta for the very first First Friday, hosted by Marietta Main Street. Despite below freezing temperatures, the sidewalks were filled as shoppers popped in and out of shops downtown to warm up and treat themselves to some post-holiday shopping.
A reinvention of the well-known Merchant & Artists Walks, First Fridays are a monthly event intended to draw people downtown for a special experience. While several shops downtown are open until 7 or 8pm on Friday evenings, First Fridays feature extended hours with participating shops open until 9pm. First Fridays will take place throughout the entire year, instead of just during the summer months, giving residents even more opportunity to spend time in their favorite downtown shops.
“Marietta’s first First Friday was great! Despite it being bitter cold, people came out to enjoy the beautiful ice sculptures and to see what each business was featuring,” says Becky Pritchett of Twisted Sisters Boutique, Ltd.. “You could feel the excitement in the air! We met people who traveled to Marietta just for this event, and caught up with locals as well. Twisted Sisters Boutique is looking forward to each and every First Friday!”
“Anything that unites the downtown stores with shoppers is a blessing.”
Downtown merchants met to share ideas and discuss how each business could invite people in and make it a special evening. Shops hosted artists and musicians, offered hot drinks, created themed window displays and sponsored ice sculptures to contribute to the atmosphere of a Fire and Ice Festival. Becky Pritchett and Debbie Cline coordinated with five local chefs and artists for the creation of nine ice sculptures that were placed throughout downtown, as well as a beautiful ice swan that was carved in front of their shop during the event by Chef Tyson Whistler of Glenwood Retirement Community. “We set up free art activities for kids at Peddler of Dreams,” shared owner Prudence Knox Burgardt, “so it’s nice if parents bring their kids downtown for these events – especially when it’s cold! We had the S’Mores Bar set up and everyone enjoyed that, parents and kids alike.”
Initially, there were several merchants who were not in favor of the change from the Merchants & Artists Walks, typically the second Friday of the month, to First Fridays. “I was not on board with First Fridays,” admitted Dagmar Kupshe, co-owner of The Cook’s Shop in Downtown, Marietta. “I have to say, now I love it! Shoppers never knew which Fridays were involved. ‘First Friday’ is just that – the first Friday of every month, a no brainer. Anything that unites the downtown stores with shoppers is a blessing. I would love to see 100% involvement moving forward. Marietta is a ‘timewarp’ community that is built on a small-town structure. Everyone knows everyone – it’s a gem that needs to be preserved and shared.”
The new structure of First Fridays allows the merchants to have more agency over the programming of each month’s event, and opens the door for more organizations to get involved in what’s happening downtown. “It’s really important for the growth of our community that our citizens, local organizations and area businesses feel that they can not only be represented downtown but to enjoy it as the heartbeat of our community,” says Cristie Thomas, Executive Director of Marietta Main Street. “A thriving, dynamic downtown is a vital indicator of the strength of our community. First Fridays are one way that Main Street facilitates that connection.”
The spirit of the Marietta community is clearly evidenced in how the downtown merchants came together to create such a vibrant event. Every shop participated in their own way, making it a unique experience for shoppers as they made their way downtown. It just so happened that The Small Business Revolution team scheduled their visit to Marietta for the first weekend in January. Marietta is currently in the running to be a finalist for a $500,000 makeover and 8-episode series on Hulu through the Small Business Revolution on Main Street, so it was great for their to team to experience the first downtown event of the year.
“I was proud of our community for supporting this event, and I’m glad that the Small Business Revolution team got a first-hand look at how Marietta works together to enhance the downtown experience.”
Laura Pytlik, owner of Wit & Whimzy, commented on the success of the evening: “Despite the frigid temperature, we saw a large number of people downtown enjoying the ice sculptures, Burning Dawn’s performance at the Armory, and the late shopping hours. Corey Shields performed live in my shop and the crowd was great. I was proud of our community for supporting this event, and I’m glad that the Small Business Revolution team got a first-hand look at how Marietta works together to enhance the downtown experience.”
While it’s easy enough to remember, be sure to mark your calendar for all of this year’s First Fridays! The next one will take place on February 3rd, just in time for Valentine’s Day – and Marietta’s downtown merchants are very excited for what the next month will hold. So grab a few friends and make plans to come downtown – it’s a perfect way to let your local small businesses know how much you love them!


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Toyota Agrees to Pay Fine, But Won't Admit Wrongdoing
Posted: Apr. 20, 2010
Toyota has agreed to pay a $16.4 million government fine for waiting several months to notify the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) about its sticky accelerator pedal defect.
According to the Washington Post, “The sanction represents the largest financial penalty imposed by the U.S. government on an automaker.” However, they add that the proposed fine is “relatively small for an automaker that reported revenue of more than $200 billion last year, consumer advocates said.”
Still, the fine is the maximum amount allowable under law. The Detroit News explains, “If there wasn't a cap on fines, NHTSA said it could have assessed a $6,000 per vehicle penalty -- or $13.8 billion.”
Though Toyota has agreed to pay the fine, the automaker isn’t admitting any wrongdoing. The Detroit News, which obtained the four-page agreement, says, “In the agreement, Toyota denies wrongdoing, but agreed to make the payment by electronic funds transfer to the U.S. Treasury within 30 days.”
Autoblog elaborates, “Toyota denies that it withheld any pertinent information from NHTSA, saying, ‘We did not try to hide a defect to avoid dealing with a safety problem.’”
Toyota’s denial is more likely a legal move than simply a stubborn refusal to admit guilt. The Los Angeles Times explains: “Toyota is facing scores of personal-injury, product liability and class-action lawsuits in which an admission of guilt could be used as evidence against the company. But refusing to pay the fine could have led to a prolonged and public fight with the Justice Department.”
This new chapter won’t be the last in Toyota’s recall saga. The world’s largest automaker still faces “more than 200 civic lawsuits, a criminal investigation by the U.S. Attorney's Office in New York and a probe by the Securities and Exchange Commission in Los Angeles,” adds the Detroit News.
On top of all that, Toyota recently issued a voluntary recall for its Lexus GX 460 after Consumer Reports issued a rare “Don’t Buy” alert due to the SUV’s risk of rollover.
With Toyota’s woes continuing to mount, there’s a small chance the automaker will continue its aggressive incentives for a few more months.
Business Week reports: “There’s no decision yet on whether current offers will be extended beyond May 3, said Celeste Migliore, a spokeswoman for Toyota’s U.S. unit. While the focus on low- cost financing rather than cash rebates will continue, Toyota may shift to setting incentives by region in the U.S. instead of one national program, she said.”
LINK: Toyota Agrees to Pay Fine, But Won't Admit Wrongdoing - U.S. News Rankings and Reviews


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Crocs inventory will rise by 2021 because of the elevated promoting outlook
Victor J. Blue | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Crocs stock rose Monday after the retailer raised its fourth quarter outlook and expects sales to accelerate up to 25% in 2021, building on the brand’s momentum over the holidays.
The retailer’s stock rose nearly 11% in premarket trading.
Prior to a presentation at the annual ICR conference, the shoemaker announced that fourth-quarter sales are expected to increase around 55% year over year and amount to $ 407-410 million. This is above the previous outlook from a jump from 20% to 30%.
Crocs expects full-year 2020 sales to grow more than 12% to a record high of around $ 1.38 billion, compared to an earlier range that predicted growth of 5% to 7%. In 2021, sales growth of 20% to 25% is required.
“Amid a global pandemic in 2020, we will have the highest sales in Crocs history,” said CEO Andrew Rees in a statement.
Crocs stock is up more than 53% in the past 12 months.
The full version of Crocs can be found here.


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China Progress on Phase-1 and Organic Sales Higher
**As local agencies implement a new state groundwater law, farmers fear water costs could rise to unsustainable levels, and farm groups say that appears to be happening in one area.
The California Farm Bureau and Western Growers say an agency in the Indian Wells Valley of eastern Kern County has imposed a water-replenishment fee so high farmers can’t afford it.
The groups have asked the agency to respect farmers’ overlying water rights.
**The U.S. Trade Representative and USDA have issued a report highlighting the progress made to date in implementing the agricultural provisions in the U.S.-China Phase One Trade Agreement.
To date, China has implemented at least 50 of the 57 technical commitments under the Phase One Agreement that should benefit American farmers for decades to come.
China also has substantially ramped up its purchases of U.S. ag products, having purchased over $23 billion worth, roughly 71% of its Phase One obligation.
**The USDA’s National Ag Statistics Service released the results of the 2019 Organic Survey, which show total sales of $9.93 billion in organic products, an increase of $2.37 billion, or 31% percent, from 2016.
California lead the nation in certified organic sales with $3.6 billion, 36% of the U.S. total and four times that of any other state.
Washington, Pennsylvania, Oregon, and Texas round out the top five.


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Call of Duty Black Ops 4 Merchandise Appears on GameStop System
We know that Treyarch is working on the new Call of Duty, whose release is scheduled for the end of the year, as confirmed by the publisher Activision. Today CharlieIntel informs that Call of Duty Black Ops 4 merchandise has appeared in the price lists of GameStop USA.
The image posted at the top of the news was retrieved from the GameStop site where, if you search for products related to the franchise, it shows different Black Ops 4 merchandise under the heading of Call of Duty Black Ops 4.
Specifically, in the database of GameStop USA (it is not clear from which point of sale the images come) appeared the listing for various products such as T-shirts, hats, key rings and other merchandising dedicated to the game, not yet officially announced.
According to the latest rumors, Call of Duty Black Ops 4 will be announced during the spring, probably between mid-April and early May, with a presentation in style expected for the E3 in Los Angeles.
The launch of the game would instead be fixed as usual for the fall, it remains to be seen if the release date of Red Dead Redemption 2 (October 26) will affect the release date of the new Call of Duty, Activision could indeed anticipate the launch in September or delay the release for not having to compete with the Rockstar title.


text: Released on 21.09. 2021 An e-bike with a Brose motor. Photo: Sven Hoppe Already heard? You can now also have your messages read out to you. Simply click on the play symbol in any article or add the article to your personal playlist using the plus symbol and listen to it later. Listen to the article: During the corona pandemic, more and more e-bikes were bought in Germany. At the beginning of the year, 7.1 million electric bicycles were in private households - thus 20 percent more than in the previous year. Wiesbaden (dpa) - The e-bike boom in Germany has continued to pick up speed in the Corona crisis: According to the Federal Statistical Office, around 7.1 million electric bicycles were available at the beginning of the year 2021 in private households. That was 1.2 million or 20 percent more than a year earlier, as the Wiesbaden authority announced on Tuesday. The E- Bicycles are distributed among almost 5.1 million households, so that mathematically around every eighth private household (13 percent ) owns at least one electric bike in Germany. At the beginning 2020 it was still every ninth household (11 percent). The comparatively expensive companions can be found especially with higher earners: In households with more than 3500 monthly income there was in every fifth household ( 20 Percent) at least one electric bike. Owned in total according to information from the Federal Office beginning 2021 around 30 million households and thus 30 percent of all households in Germany bicycles or electric bicycles.


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The internet has become a key element of our daily life. It is so easily accessible on our phones that for some it might seem hard to live without it.
In 2022, 90% of people aged 16-74 in the EU reported they had used the internet during the previous 3 months (see notes). This share ranged from 79 % in Bulgaria to 98 % in Luxembourg. Internet use has grown rapidly in the EU over the years – in 2010 it stood at 67%, and in 2015 at 78 %.
In 2022, the internet was used mainly to communicate with others, sending/receiving e-mails (77 %), instant messaging (72 %), to find information about goods and services (70 %), telephoning or video calls (66 %) and watching internet streamed TV or videos (65 %).
A majority of people also used the internet for reading online news sites/newspapers (64 %), watching video content from commercial or sharing services (61 %), banking (60 %), participating in social networks (58 %), and listening to music (54 %).
52 % of people used the internet to seek health information in 2022
At the EU level, in 2022, 52 % of people reported using the internet to seek health information, while 33 % said to have used it to make an appointment with a practitioner via a website, 24 % accessed personal health records online, and another 18 % used it to access other health services via a website or app instead of having to go to the hospital or visit a doctor.
Among EU Member States, Finland registered the highest share of people using the internet for health-related activities, with 81 % of people using the internet to seek health information and 79 % accessing personal health records online.
When it comes to using the internet to seek health information, Finland was followed by the Netherlands (78 %) and Cyprus (73 %). In contrast, Romania (29%), Germany (37 %) and Bulgaria (39 %) had the lowest shares of people using the internet for this end.
As for using the internet to access personal health records online, Denmark had the second highest share of people (66 %) after Finland, and was followed by Estonia (59 %). Germany was the Member State with the lowest share of people accessing the internet for health records with only 2 %, followed by Romania (8 %) and Slovakia (14 %).
For more information
- Statistics Explained article on digital economy and society statistics – households and individuals
- Database on digital economy and society
- Thematic section on digital economy and society
- Eurostat has just released fresh 2022 data for the Community survey on ICT usage in European households and by individuals; the full data from the survey is available here.
- The data in this article are based on the annual survey on the use of ICT in households and by individuals; the results above refer to individuals’ experiences during the last 3 months prior to the survey.
- 2022 data for Ireland are not available. As a result, the EU value has been estimated.


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Thirty-six Callaway County businesses have been placed on a Missouri Department of Revenue list for not paying a total of $403,333 in collected sales taxes or employee income tax withholdings.
The 36 Callaway County firms appear on the "Who Is Not Paying" list kept by the Missouri Department of Revenue and updated weekly.
The list shows all Missouri businesses that have had their sales tax licenses revoked for failure to pay either sales tax or income tax withholdings for their employees, or both.
Statewide, 3,206 businesses are on the list, and they owe a total of nearly $33.8 million.
Some of the Callaway County businesses were put on the list under a previous owner but the business is still operating under the same name, so still appears on the list.
"These aren't instances of (being) one day late with the tax and you have a good record," said Ted Farnen, spokesman for the Missouri Department of Revenue. "These businesses are ones we've used our collection efforts on for a great amount of time through written letters, phone calls, that type of thing."
In Fulton the sales tax rate is 7.725 percent of each purchase with 4.225 percent of each purchase going to the state.
Traditionally, the department hasn't singled out businesses that are behind in tax payments. But a 2007 state law directed it to start maintaining a public list of revoked businesses.


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The overenthusiastic spellchecker-cum-predictive-text function in the PathInput app turns ordinary text into a surreal fantasy, writes Shaun de Waal
Kiri Rupiah explains how the Google Image search algorithm works to filter image results – and how these results come to reflect white supremacy.
United States President Barack Obama makes a rare visit to Cuba this week. This after his December 2014 announcement of renewed relations with Cuba.
Google Africa recently paid for 35 journalists from various African countries, including South Africa, to explore Kenya using several apps.
Google has unveiled a surprise corporate overhaul forming a new parent company dubbed Alphabet, which will include a handful of independent companies.
Thousands are fighting for the right to be forgotten on the internet, a place where embarrassments are rarely erased, writes Alistair Fairweather.
The whistle-blowing site has accused Google of handing information to the US authorities without notifying it until almost three years later.
Social media, games and fitness dominate the app stores of three of the major smartphone platforms in South Africa, writes Arthur Goldstuck.
Forget freezing eggs – firms should welcome pregnancy as a chance to invest in its staff.
Although we are living in an age of infinite information, existing in a comfortable bubble has never been easier, writes Alistair Fairweather.
Google is removing the results of searches of some people’s names in line with a court ruling, which has protected people’s “right to be forgotten”.
Google South Africa was down for all of a few minutes, if you blinked, you missed it. Some didn't though, because they don't blink.
To have a private company make decisions that affect the media via an opaque process is to invite a legal, ethical and practical disaster.
Do requests to delete data lead to an 'internet with borders'? Ombud Franz Krüger explores.
Johnny Depp's film "Transcendence" highlights that the battle for "the singularity" - the merging of man and machine - is closer than we think.
Not many people have heard of Vic Gundotra. Yet millions of us have used one or more of the products he championed during his eight years at Google.
It sprang from the brain of one man, Tim Berners-Lee, and is the fastest-growing communication medium of all time.
The London-based firm DeepMind, set up by a chess-prodigy-turned-neuroscientist, is Google's biggest European acquisition.
An appeals court has ruled that Apple did not use patented technology owned by Google unit Motorola Mobility in making its iPhones.


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Kate Briquelet and Isabel Vincent, two reporters for the New York Post, investigated what some food stamp recipients do with the food they purchase on the taxpayer’s dime. What they found was astounding. They were packing the food in barrels and shipping it back to their home countries. Evidently, the practice is fairly common as most Caribbean stores stock plastic or cardboard barrels right in their stores.
This brings up a few interesting points. First, the practice is against the EBT rules. Secondly, if they can afford to use their food stamps to ship food overseas, are they really eligible in the first place? And lastly, since it is a fairly open secret, why didn’t Nanny Bloomberg do something about it? There is no way of knowing just how many food stamp dollars are finding their way out of the country and New York City is probably not the only place this is happening.
I also wonder if the shipping of food is legal even if you use your own money. When you go through customs, the first thing you are asked is if you are carrying any fruits or vegetables or other foodstuff. Regardless, it does prove there is a lax system in place to allow such behavior. And apparently, no one is worried about getting caught.
A senior fellow at the Cato Institute, Michael Tanner, points out:
I don’t want food-stamp police to see what people do with their rice and beans, but it’s wrong. The purpose of this program is to help Americans who don’t have enough to eat. This is not intended as a form of foreign aid.”
Recipients explain their actions, this way:
“This is all worth more than $2,000. I’ve been shopping since last December. You can help somebody else, someone who doesn’t live in this country.”
A man helping her pack the barrel said: “We’re poor here, and they’re poor. But what we can get here is like luxury to them.”
In Massachusetts, they have also found a problem in their food stamp and cash handout programs, hoarding. Authorities have found food stamp cards with balances of over $12,000 dollars. Eighteen hundred have balances above $1500 dollars, including one account which is over $4600 dollars. A Department of Transitional Aid report shows the following disturbing revelations:
• Of the state’s 550,000 food stamp, or SNAP, recipients, 1,794 have balances of more than $1,500, and another 45 are carrying more than $5,000.•
One balance in March hit $12,088, the highest from any of the seven months of data the Herald reviewed.
• For those receiving state taxpayer-funded cash assistance, one EBTcardholder had a $4,622 balance, and another $4,320.
Again, we must ask ourselves, how anyone who is truly eligible for these benefits could actually hoard this much food credit or cash. The food stamps are provided by the federal government and the cash is administered by the state, using funds provided by the federal government.
Courtesy of Red Statements.


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While Indian government is still to give a clear stand on FDI in eCommerce, global retail giant Amazon, which has launched an online retail portal in India earlier this year, has said that it has started engaging with the Indian government for relaxing of foreign investment norms in eCommerce in the country.
Amit Deshpande, who is the Director and General Manager at Amazon, has said that the FDI in online retail is not only good for retailers but also for consumers as this would provide them with more choices and will also improve the level of customer service in the country.
“India is huge opportunity for us. We are here for long term. We believe Indian eCommerce space has got potential,” said Amit Deshpande.
Amazon had launched operations in India in June this year and currently it is following a marketplace model. The company says that once the Indian government relaxes FDI norms, it will start following a hybrid model apart from marketplace model in India.
In a marketplace model online retailers don’t sell goods directly, rather they provide sellers with a platform to sell their product, whereas, when Amazon will adopt a Hybrid model alongwith the marketplace model – it will start retailing for products as well.
Even Reebok, producer of athletic shoes, clothing, and accessories which also has plans to launch an online retail store in the country, is trying to understand how this would work, and is also hopeful that the government may relook and include eCommerce in the rest of the FDI reforms.
Previously, Amazon had also sent its top brass to India to recommend a policy change in FDI in online retail in the country.
There is already up-to 100% FDI in B2B eCommerce since 2006 in the country, while it is restricted to multi-brand retailing. The present FDI norms, announced in September last year for retail sector, have blocked foreign investments in eCommerce and allowed up to 51% FDI in multi-brand retail stores and 100% FDI in single-brand retail.
Amazon had gone online in July 1995, and it had made its Indian foray in in 2012 via Junglee.com which provides customers with tools to find products and compare prices.
To contact author of this post, email email@example.com


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Balatro, the popular roguelike deck-builder quickly taking over the world, has now sold over 1 million copies in less than a month. And good news to all you Balatro sickos out there (myself included): the hit card game is getting ported to mobile devices, too. Finally, I’ll be able to stop playing Balatro on my PC and console and take a break to play it on my iPad.
Released last month on Xbox, PlayStation, PC, and Switch (then unreleased on Switch), Balatro is a hard-to-put-down and incredibly well-crafted digital card game that uses poker rules and hands as the foundation for a strange, but fun deck-building roguelike all about earning massive combos using special jokers and power-ups. Just about two weeks ago, the game hit 500k copies sold. 12 days later, it’s now doubled that number and cracked a million units sold.
As announced on March 18, Balatro has sold over 1 million copies across all platforms. That’s impressive for any game, but keep in mind that Balatro is currently not available on the Nintendo Switch in some regions due to a rating issue—and it sold all those copies in just 26 days.
This morning Balatro hit a momentous milestone...
ONE MILLION COPIES SOLD!
We still have some fun things planned for the future, but for now... pic.twitter.com/S7PEb0qjeG
— Balatro (@BalatroGame) March 18, 2024
In the tweet announcing the big milestone, Balatro’s developers and publisher promised “fun things” are planned for the future, but didn’t elaborate. However, in a recent Reddit AMA, the indie creator behind the game—LocalThunk—did say they wanted to add a run history feature and possibly a way to see all the jokers you’ve unlocked. The dev also said they had plans to add a daily challenge mode, too, adding, “It would be so cool for a lot of reasons. I don’t have a timeline on it but know that it’s in the cards.”
Also in that AMA, publisher PlayStack confirmed it is working on a mobile port of Balatro for iOS and Android. They didn’t say more than that, but promised future news would be shared on Twitter and in Discord. LocalThunk clarified in a follow-up answer that they were personally working on the mobile ports of Balatro.
Now, if you can excuse me, I’d like to stop writing about Balatro and start playing it again. Thank you.


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One of the weirdest lies Trump's attempted so far.
418 Recent Stories
“Consumers shouldn’t have to tolerate another year of companies irresponsibly amassing huge user profiles, data breaches that seem out of control and the vanishing ability to control our own digital lives,” writes Cook.
The successor to iBooks is about to launch — but if Apple wants to compete with Amazon's Kindle, it's missing a key feature.
The Apple CEO feels it's time for stricter controls on how online interests can collect and make use of your personal data.