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Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–March 7, 2014. A federal court has found that marketers of bogus remedies for treating and preventing diabetes violated Section 5 of the FTC Act, and has ordered them to pay nearly $2.2 million. The FTC will use the funds it recovers to reimburse consumers.
The court has prohibited the company – Wellness Support Network Inc.– and its two principals, Robert Held and his daughter Robyn Held, from claiming without rigorous scientific proof that their supplements would treat and prevent diabetes, and from making other deceptive claims.
“Giving false hope to those who struggle with a serious illness is disgraceful, and the FTC is determined to ensure that deceptive marketers face the consequences,” said Jessica Rich, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.
The FTC’s case against Wellness Support Network Inc. is part of its ongoing efforts to stop
bogus claims that unproven remedies can be used to prevent and treat serious diseases such as diabetes and cancer.
The FTC’s October 2010 case challenged claims for the defendants’ Diabetic Pack and Insulin Resistance Pack – which contained identical blends of vitamins, minerals, and plant extracts. The defendants touted the Diabetic Pack as a treatment for diabetes, and the Insulin Resistance Pack as a means of purportedly reducing insulin resistance and preventing diabetes. The defendants advertised primarily online, relying heavily on consumer testimonials and running ads that claimed a “Diabetes Breakthrough” and a “clinically proven natural solution to diabetes with a 90% success rate.” The defendants sold the products for $76.70 for a 30-supply supply.
The court ruled in favor of the FTC’s motion for summary judgmentand found that the following claims made by the marketers are false or unsupported by scientific evidence:
Diabetic Pack is an effective treatment for diabetes, is proven as an effective treatment for diabetes, reduces or eliminates the need for insulin and other diabetic medications, and is proven to cause an average drop in blood glucose levels of 31.9 percent.
Insulin Resistance Pack reverses and manages insulin resistance, is proven to be an effective treatment for insulin resistance, prevents diabetes, and is proven to cause an average drop in blood glucose levels of 31.9 percent.
The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California entered the final judgment and order on February 19, 2014.
The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 2,000 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s website provides free information on a variety of consumer topics. Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.


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Here’s a bizarre twist from all the previous video/images of the upcoming BlackBerry Pearl 9100. RIM has yet to announce the updated version but we’ve seen videos that showed the smartphone with the new trackpad and is WiFi enabled… but a picture has surfaced from Chinese cell phone parts retailer TrueSupplier have put for sale a “OEM Blackberry Pearl 9100 Keyboard Keypad Black”. It’s not currently available but it’ll retail for $16.99.
Yup… perhaps gone are the days of RIM’s tight SureType and possibly saying hello to a full QWERTY stuffed into the small device. This would be a great transition for them as more people are getting comfortable with a QWERTY device.
In Canada, it’s rumoured that TELUS, Bell, Wind and Dave will bring the 9100 when it becomes available.
What do you think… will it surface?

domain: news


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PHOTOS: Kurdish farmer organizes festival in Erbil to display local produce
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – During a festival on Sunday, a farmer from the Kurdistan Region’s city of Halabja displayed Autumn produce from his estate in Erbil, showcasing many fresh fruits and vegetables.
During the event called “Pomegranate Festival,” Azad exhibited many crops and local fruits and vegetables, with the main attraction being pomegranates. The event took place at the Shanadar Park in central Erbil.
“These products belong to all Kurds and Kurdistan,” Azad told Kurdistan 24. “My goal is to encourage consumption of local produce” and “push youth to keep Kurdistan green.”
Azad had large amounts of pomegranates on display, which he brought from his farm in Halabja, which is famous for the quality and yield of the fruit. He had also brought bottles of pomegranate molasses, a local favorite that is used in Kurdish cuisine.
In the past few years, farmers have repeatedly called on the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to block the flow of foreign products that are already produced or grown at home into the Kurdistan Region. They argue they are capable of fulfilling the needs of the domestic demand.
“I call on the [KRG] to import seeds that are available in other countries and not in the Kurdistan Region” to help local farmers with their business. He also reiterated calls on the KRG to incentivize the purchase of domestic products to contribute to a robust independent economy.
“I went to three advanced countries and brought 35 types of seeds,” he explained as he displayed zucchini yields from seeds he had purchased in Germany.
Just ahead of pomegranate season in early September, the KRG ministry of agriculture issued a temporary ban on imports of the fruit in preparation for a heightened supply surplus.
Editing by Karzan Sulaivany


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Last year PAX Australia brought in Ron Gilbert, creator of Monkey Island, as its keynote speaker, this year they’ve announced that spot will be filled by Pete Hines of Bethesda.
While it may be arguable which came first, the complicated legal codes or the attorneys who get paid by the hour to decode them, what’s inarguable is that legal shit is mind-numbingly complicated. Trademark law included.
Last week at QuakeCon 09, Bethesda’s Todd Howard was quoted as saying the company had “no current plans” for a fifth Elder Scrolls game. According to Bethesda, that’s not what Howard said at all.


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At press time, Flint’s most at-risk citizens had taken three shots each.
Sources confirmed Thursday that in an effort to provide aid for residents affected by the Flint water crisis, Ann Arbor liquor store Beer Depot sent 500 cases of unsold Pinnacle brand Whipped Cream vodka.
“Our hearts go out to the people of Flint in this difficult time,” said Beer Depot manager Alan Copeland. “We thought we could do our part to help out our neighbors up north—you know, this really could have happened to any Michigan city. That’s why we’re unloading 500 of our finest cases of Pinnacle Whipped vodka on the good people of Flint.”
“Tragedies like this make us realize how many things we take for granted, so we want to help out in the best way we know how,” continued Copeland. “We at Beer Depot will not stop serving Flint until every resident has access to vodka that starts out smooth and goes down smoother.”
Along with the vodka, Copeland confirmed that the store has donated 30 cases of Bud Light Lime-A-Ritas, 12 bags of Andy Capp’s Hot Fries, and a few extra cans of Diet Faygo Redpop.
Flint resident Sara Jenson was surprised that Beer Depot was so willing to part with such a large amount of merchandise. “It warms my heart to know that there are people out there who care enough to give away so much and ask for nothing in return. Knowing that Michiganders like Eminem, Madonna, and Big Sean are donating money and bottled water is amazing, and Beer Depot’s generous contribution of Pinnacle Whipped vodka is just the icing on the cake.”
When reached for comment, Flint Mayor Karen Weaver stated that at the very least, the effects of the sugary, 80 proof liquor has provided her citizens with “a welcome distraction” from their deteriorating health.


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Sugar is on the receiving end of some extra attention at the moment for its supposed effects on health and, as this very interesting piece in The Guardian shows, the finger is being pointed at the food we eat and drink we swallow for leading to an average 19kg increase in weight since the mid-’60s. But hey, at least the ad campaigns for these sugary elixirs are cool. Right? Anyway, the next instalment of V’s Motion Project has gone live, with “technology experts, motion graphic artists, dancers, Burundi drummers, guitarists, marching bands and the vocal talent of Brandon Black from The Wyld” banding together to create the track, ‘Can’t Help Myself’. Pull your hoody up, let your pants hang low and download it here.
Marketing, advertising & media intelligence
With Survivor New Zealand set to hit screens on 7 May, TVNZ has released another round of its campaign with a colourful, energetic video via TVNZ Blacksand, as well as unveiling the contestants. We chat to executive creative director Jens Hertzum about giving the local format a contemporary and fun feel.


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A company looking to expand its coffee brand across the U.S. is setting up shop in Richmond.
OK, not really, but if you’re a fan of the cult television series “Gilmore Girls,” then hopefully you were one of hundreds who got their fill of Luke’s Diner coffee Wednesday.
Both Captain Buzzy’s Beanery at 2623 E. Broad St. in Church Hill and Alchemy Coffee at 814 W. Broad St. near VCU were transformed into the TV series’ Luke’s Diner – a popular hangout spot for many of the main characters of the drama series.
The Richmond coffeehouses were two of more than 200 coffee shops nationwide to participate in the celebration of the 16th anniversary of the hit series, which first aired Oct. 5, 2000.
It also served as a publicity stunt for Netflix, which is bringing back the show Nov. 25 as a four-episode miniseries.
All morning until about noon, both Richmond shops served up free coffee drinks in cups adorned with coffee sleeves advertising the new Netflix miniseries using the Luke’s Diner brand.
Brian Russo, a supervisor at Captain Buzzy’s, said by the time he came to work around 6:30 a.m., a line had formed stretching from the front door to 26th Street.
He said Netflix provided the coffee shop with Luke’s Diner hats, aprons and a sign to post out front to hype the appearance of the shop.
“We were serving up coffee all morning,” Russo said. “It was the busiest we’ve been since the (UCI) bike race.”


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Going public might be quick and painless for Twitter, but users should expect changes to the social media network.
Donald Duck’s uncle, the billionaire Scrooge McDuck is considered the world’s richest person, according to Forbes magazine.
Honduras has seen a 150 percent increase in public debt since 2009.
The mobile phone market has been projected to rebound from the "nearly flat" growth experienced in 2012, according to new figures from the International Data Corporation (IDC).
Google surprised everyone by announcing that the newest iteration of the Android mobile operating system would not be Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie - as most suspected - but rather would come as Android 4.4 "KitKat."
A day after Microsoft announced plans to acquire Nokia's mobile division, the Redmond-based organization might be eyeing on a deal with BlackBerry as well.
Microsoft has announced its intentions to purchase the mobile division of Nokia.
In time for the launch of "Pokémon X and Y," Nintendo announced the launch of the Nintendo 2DS console.
Apple's loss is Google's gain as the latest mobile operating system market share figures were released for August.
Ahead of Apple's rumored launch event of the iPhone 5 or iPhone 6, Walmart has reduced the price of the current iPhone.
Projections for tablet shipments have been lowered as it faces stronger competition in the market.
The Ministry of Agriculture in México unveiled its plans to enter the Chinese market with about 10 million liters of tequila in a five-year period, which will place China as the second biggest consumer destination below the United States.
Apple has made another acquisition of a start-up software company but this time from Sweden.
A U.S. court has ruled Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. do not have to make their financial details public amidst the ongoing patent infringement cases.


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Wearable Therapeutic Devices Demand Accounts for 50% of Wearable Devices
03 June 2021: Future Market Insights’ report projects the global wearable medical devices market to expand by 7% CAGR throughout the forecast period of 2021 and 2031.
Innovations in biopharmaceutical industry and rising prevalence of chronic diseases such as diabetes are favoring the market growth. Surging consumer demand for health and fitness solutions and technological developments in the medical field are major factors bolstering the demand for wearable therapeutic medical devices.
Integration of artificial intelligence with the smartphones and wearable medical devices have increased the adoption, furthering the demand. Burgeoning cases of diabetes across the glove have improved the adoption of glucose monitoring devices, especially among the geriatric population.
Also, due to the penetration of online platforms and increasing awareness about health, the demand for home healthcare wearable medical devices have increased exponentially. Furthermore, increasing expenditure in the healthcare industry across countries such as India, US, China and UK have propelled the market demand.
“Growing demand for portable and advanced medical devices to monitor the glucose level and heart rate, due to the increasing cardiovascular diseases and diabetes cases, has been encouraging manufacturers to incorporate technologies such as artificial intelligence and Internet of Thinking (IoT). This will pave way for the expansion of the wearable devices market over the forecast period,” says the FMI analyst
# Wearable therapeutic medical devices accounted for more than 50% of global market share in terms of product type
# Home healthcare wearable devices segment is expected to be the largest contributor in the market revenue, accounting for over 60% of market share
# Clinics are anticipated to be the primary distribution channel for wearable medical devices market, followed by hospital pharmacies
# Increased healthcare expenditure in USA expected to foster the wearable devices sales
# Germany is expected to lead the Europe’s wearable medical devices market through 2021
# Favorable policies and high investment in the medical field across China are expected to bolster market growth


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After 95 years in business, Eugene print shop Shelton Turnbull is closing its doors and joining Portland company Morel Ink in building a new print production facility in Eugene.
Interim President John Boytz said the business, which had been struggling for a number of years, started looking into next steps earlier this year. Shelton considered merging and acquisition first — and had a letter of intent signed with Morel Ink to purchase the company. But the deal fell through because the “risk was too big,” Boytz was told.
“It is an older building, some of the printing equipment is older and aging, and they just didn’t feel like it was a good business decision,” he said.
After a second round of discussions, the companies decided that Morel Ink would expand its production facility into Eugene, using Shelton Turnbull employees — a move rarely seen in the printing industry.
“Typically what happens is companies either go under if they’re struggling or they get bought out,” Boytz said. “It’s rare that a printing company is built from scratch; it just doesn’t happen.”
Scott Ballo, one of Morel Ink’s four owners, said while opening a new office in Eugene is exciting for them, they worked hard to try and keep Shelton Turnbull open. With so few union shops in business anymore, Morel Ink didn't “really see (Shelton Turnbull) as rivals as much as we do colleagues.”
“We know that Shelton has been part of the community for over 90 years; it’s sad when a company like that goes away,” he said, “But we are excited to introduce ourselves to the community. We’re really active in our community groups in Portland and Vancouver, and can’t wait to do the same in Eugene.”
For multiple years, Morel Ink has won the Corporate Philanthropy Award for its charitable donations. In 2016, the Portland Business Journal ranked the company as the second most generous philanthropists in Oregon and southwest Washington.
Although the businesses haven’t finalized a location in Eugene, Boytz said they are close to signing a lease on a building shell that would need to be finished out. He estimated it would be built in the next eight to 10 weeks after which equipment would need to be installed. Until then, work temporarily would be sent to Morel’s production facility in Portland. Billing also would be shifted from Shelton to Morel.
Shelton Turnbull has 43 employees — 17 of whom will start with Morel immediately. These positions include sales, account managers, customer service representatives and technical/IT staff. Boytz said as Morel adds production equipment to the new facility, it would be able to put more Shelton Turnbull employees back to work. It was a priority for Morel to find a place for the employees and figure out “how to maintain as many jobs in the community as possible,” said fellow Morel owner Shauna Ballo.
New equipment would include a sheet-fed label press, along with short-run digital and bindery capabilities. Ballo said Shelton Turnbull clients now would have added services that Morel Ink offers from “printing almost everything, mailing, wide-print format, crates, custom-made boxes and displays.”
Shelton offers print services for material, forums, packaging, labels, mailers and promotional products. It services customers across a diverse range of industries including: health care providers, financial institutions, senior living and retirement facilities, manufacturing, government, retailers, restaurants, wineries breweries and more.
Client Joni Bridges of Leavitt’s Freight Service in Springfield said it’s always sad when a company that’s been in the community as long as Shelton Turnbull closes.
“We were disheartened, but thankful that they can keep some of their employees and continue under a new name,” Bridges said. “They’re not gone ... they’re still there working for us. They’re the same people we’ve worked with for years, but they have new equipment and can do greater things in the future.”
Although Boytz is disappointed Shelton Turnbull had to walk away from its “incredibly dedicated and committed” vendors and suppliers, he is pleased to continue to take care of customers such as Bridges.
“Part of it is, I’m sorry that we couldn’t work something out with Morel by staying here and staying Shelton Turnbull,” he said. “(But) I think the exciting part is that we get to take care of our long term customers. We’re grateful for their tolerance and patience, and their understanding as we move forward.”


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- ALSO READ
US e-commerce sales expanded at a much slower pace in the holiday season of 2021, according to a report issued by Mastercard Inc.
US e-commerce sales from November 1 to December 24 grew 11 per cent from the same period of 2020 in comparison with a hefty year-on-year increase of 47.2 per cent in the holiday season of 2020, Xinhua news agency quoted the Mastercard SpendingPulse report as saying.
The Covid-19 pandemic resulted in robust expansion of online sales in the US, but the breakneck growth has slowed down due to economic reopening and fading growth momentum.
E-commerce sales made up 20.9 per cent of total retail sales in the holiday season of 2021, slightly higher from 20.6 per cent in 2020.
By contrast, e-commerce only accounted for 14.6 per cent of total retail sales in the holiday season of 2019.
The US reported $214.6 billion of e-commerce sales in the third quarter of 2021, up 6.6 per cent year on year, much lower than 36.1 per cent of year-on-year expansion in the same period of 2020, according to adjusted statistics issued by the Department of Commerce on November 18.
The share of e-commerce in total retail sales even declined gradually from 13.8 per cent in Q3 of 2020 to 13 per cent in Q3 of 2021, according to the Department of Commerce.
However, e-commerce sales in the holiday season of 2021 still posted a higher growth rate than 8.1 per cent expansion of in-store retail sales, according to the Mastercard report.
The e-commerce channel continues to experience elevated growth as consumers enjoy the ease of holiday browsing and buying in the comfort of their own homes, said the report by Mastercard.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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First Published: Tue, December 28 2021. 09:55 IST


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CBD for Addiction Treatment? Studies Show Promise
There’s no question about it: heroin and opioid use is a national crisis. Every day, more than 130 people in the United States die from opioid overdoses.
Recent studies spark new hope that using cannabidiol (CBD) for addiction treatment can work. It may even prevent relapse. While research is in early stages, medical experts say they hope CBD can be used as a tool to help fight the opioid crisis.
Yasmin Hurd was the lead researcher on a recent study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry that found CBD suppresses the cues or triggers associated with heroin use. “The intense craving is what drives the drug use,” Hurd, director of the Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai, told CNN. “If we can have the medications that can dampen that [craving], that can greatly reduce the chance of relapse and overdose risk.”
CBD May Help with Pain That Leads to Addiction
While studies show the use of CBD for addiction treatment may be effective, it’s unclear exactly how it works. One theory, Hurd said, is that CBD may affect “how brain cells that have been damaged by opioids communicate with each other.”
Psychiatrist Dr. Julie Holland is former assistant professor of psychiatry at the New York University School of Medicine. She said CBD goes a step beyond reducing the anxiety and cravings associated with addiction.
“It also diminishes the original pain and inflammation that leads to opiate use in the first place,” Holland told CNN.
Shereef Elnahal, M.D., the commissioner of New Jersey’s Department of Health agrees. “CBD has promising effects on pain, which could make it an effective substitute for opioids,” he told Yahoo News.
Mount Sinai Study on CBD as an Addiction Treatment
In the Mount Sinai study, researchers found that when compared to a placebo, CBD reduced drug cravings and anxiety. The test subjects included 42 men and women who formerly used heroin, but who were not current users.
The study subjects were put into three groups. Each group was given either an 800 mg dose of CBD; 400 mg of CBD; or a placebo twice a day for three days. For two weeks afterward subjects were shown nature scenes and drug use paraphernalia images. They were asked to rate their cravings and levels of anxiety. The subjects who had been given CBD had a two- to three-fold reduction in cravings when compared to the placebo group. There was not much difference between the two CBD groups as far as cravings and anxiety, Hurd said.
The results of the studies suggest that high doses of pure CBD (400-800 mg) can reduce response to heroin triggers and decrease anxiety. After dosing for three days, the participants experienced relief for up to a week.
At the very least, researchers see the potential of CBD for addiction treatment. “CBD’s potential to reduce cue-induced craving and anxiety provides a strong basis for further investigation of this phytocannabinoid as a treatment option for opioid use disorder,” researchers reported.
The report also noted there were no significant, adverse side effects. The few minor side effects that were reported included mild diarrhea, headache and tiredness.
A Safe Opioid Treatment Is Needed
In 2017, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported more than 2 million people in the U.S. have an opioid use disorder. There is an acute need for a safe, non-addictive and effective means to help treat addiction and prevent relapse.
“A successful non-opioid medication would add significantly to the existing addiction medication toolbox to help reduce the growing death toll, enormous health care costs, and treatment limitations imposed by stringent government regulations amid this persistent opioid epidemic,” Hurd said in a news release.
Studies to date have been few and far between. A big reason is the legal status of cannabis up until last December when the 2018 Farm Bill (The Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018) removed hemp from the Controlled Substances Act.
There’s also a stigma related to CBD because it, like marijuana, belongs to the cannabis family. However, pure CBD is made from hemp and doesn’t contain THC like marijuana does, so it doesn’t get you high.
Another study, published in Neuropsychopharmacology in 2018, found drug-seeking behavior was reduced in rats after they were given alcohol and cocaine, and then administered CBD.
According to researchers, the results are proof of principle that CBD has potential for addiction treatment and relapse prevention. They said the study results can inform debate about the medical benefits of non-psychoactive cannabinoids.
Preliminary data from a 2015 study suggests that CBD may be beneficial in cannabis and tobacco addiction in humans, as well.
Still More Data Being Sought
Dr. Hurd’s research team will do two follow-up studies. “One delves into understanding the mechanisms of CBD’s effects on the brain,” according to a press release from Mount Sinai. “The second paves the way for the development of unique CBD medicinal formulations that are likely to become a significant part of the medical arsenal available to address the opioid epidemic.”
While the studies show promise, more work needs to be done. Julia Arnsten, M.D., is chief of general internal medicine at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City. She told Yahoo News she is weaning some patients off opioids using medical marijuana with CBD and THC. But, she said, it’s still early.
“We’re probably going to need to see thousands of patients before we get enough to say, yeah, this is really successful.”
There’s always one caveat when using CBD to treat medical or mental issues: Talk to your doctor or health professional to make sure there’s no risk of drug interactions. Also, your doctor can give you the best information and support available. If your provider isn’t familiar with CBD, ask if they can refer you to a medical professional who is.
* * *
When you buy CBD, be sure to look for an American-made, organic product that has been tested by an independent third-party lab. Sunrise CBD products are 100% natural, made from hemp grown in Colorado and are gluten-free and vegan.
All our products are sent to an independent third-party lab for verification and are certified for purity and consistency. Every bottle of Sunrise CBD oil is also guaranteed to be free from impurities and contaminants. Our product contain no pesticides, heavy metals, residual solvents, or bacteria. We promise you’ll get consistent quality, 100% pure CBD — and nothing else. See our products at https://sunrisecbd.com/shop/.


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Don't go too Apple crazy - you'll be Tasered
- From: news.com.au
- December 13, 2012
- Woman 'tried to buy too many iPhones'
- Apple store tried to kick her out
- Police pushed her to ground, used Taser
A WOMAN in the US tried to buy too many iPhones, if that is in fact even a thing.
So police took what they thought would be the appropriate response, and Tasered her.
Xiaojie Li, a resident of New Hampshire in America, was left shrieking in pain after she tried to exceed the iPhone-per-person quota at an Apple store in the Pheasant Lane Mall.
Her daughter said her mum simply didn't understand what was happening.
Police were called by the store, and then resorted to the Taser because Ms Li apparently resisted arrest. She is alleged to have been carrying $16,000.
Captain Bruce Hansen, of the Nashua Police Department, says it's possible this was a case lost in translation.
"She's certainly capable of coming up here and purchasing these things from the Apple store here," he said.
"Whether her language inhibited that, I really don't know."
Ms Li's daughter said the officers were unnecessarily rough.
"So then the police took my mum's phone and tried to take my mum's bag," she said.
"And my mum tried to ask them why, and they just threw her to the ground."
technology top stories
HARRY TUCKER IT SEEMS like science fiction, but the technology coming your way in the next five years will absolutely blow you away.
A MAJOR breakthrough in cancer treatment has been achieved in a world first. Scientists have used herpes to pave the way for new cures.
EMMA REYNOLDS FAR-RIGHT blogger Charles “Chuck” Johnson has been banned from Twitter six years after he joined, but his social media silencing looks unlikely to last.


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Big is ugly (in a corporate sense)
The collapse of the Pru's attempt to buy AIA of Asia for more than £24bn is an important event in the history of British stock-market capitalism.
It shows that conventional investment institutions are prepared to act more like the independent owners of a business and not as absentee landlords too readily compliant with the wishes of managers - which is how their critics would characterise them.
In this rare case, it was the Pru's own shareholders who frustrated the takeover - by making it clear that they thought the purchase price was too steep and by telling the Pru's directors that they would vote down the deal.
The implications are significant.
The Pru's chief executive and chairman may have to resign, having wasted hundreds of millions of pounds of shareholders' money on a deal that won't happen.
But perhaps more importantly, it shows that investors have become much less supportive than they were of companies that want to become global giants through takeovers - since gigantism has often led to monstrous blunders.
After the woes of those enormous banks - from Citigroup to Royal Bank of Scotland - and the current humiliation of bid-bloated BP, it's not surprising that shareholders now see big not as beautiful but as grotesquely, dangerously ugly.
What investors have learned is that there are limits to the benefits of geographic and product diversification.
When a company becomes bigger and less reliant on a limited number of products, services or customers, there is reduction in the risk of serious setbacks up to the point where human ingenuity and information technology can actually monitor the risks being run by said company.
What we've learned in the last three years is that a number of massive global businesses - especially but not exclusively in the banking sector - grew well beyond the limits were any mortal could have a proper grasp of what was going on in the myriad nooks and crannies of those businesses.
Which is why, as the Pru's management have learned the hard way, investors have become much more wary of companies that want to carry out mega, "transformational" takeovers.


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Ever since Cardi B burst onto the scene with her hit song, ‘Bodak Yellow’, she has consistently been making “money moves”. Case in point: her new collaboration with sportswear giant Reebok.
Announced via Cardi’s Instagram, the rapper is seen rocking the classic Aztrek trainers in, what appears to be, a not-yet-released tracksuit. The Aztrek trainer sees the brand continuing fashion’s love of the dad trainer, as well as, dipping into its archives with the 90s throwback silhouette, which will be heavily promoted to the artist’s 35 million followers.
The chunky trainers are set to retail for £68 and will feature dad-esque designs in pinks, purples and blues.
“Cardi isn’t just a world-class entertainer,” said the brand in a press release, adding, “she’s a mother, a style icon, a pop culture magnet and–above all else–a fearless individual. She’s broken every mould that superstars are supposed to fit into–and she’s reached the top by following nobody’s path but her own.”
The past few years have seen the brand sign more prominent ambassadors as it tries to keep up with its growing female customer base. Gigi Hadid, Ariana Grande and Gal Gadot are some of the recent celebrity ambassadors who have helped push their women’s products.
The partnership will rack Cardi’s brand deals up to three. Earlier this year she announced a collaboration with Steven Madden and just last week she revealed a collection with Fashion Nova that will be dropping Nov. 15.
Details surrounding the Cardi B x Reebok partnership have been kept under wraps, but the rapper is expected to play a big role in the collection, with Reebok describing her as the perfect embodiment of the collaboration.
“Everything that you love about Cardi B is what you love about Reebok,” the brand added. “There’s nothing we love more than taking risks and standing boldly.”


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APEXX Global raises $25m to expand presence in North America
By Leandra Monteiro
APEXX Global, a global payments orchestration platform, has raised $25 million from existing and new investors, closing its Series B round. The funds will be used to develop APEXX’s products and technology and to expand its presence in North America.
APEXX raised the proceeds from investors across Europe, including MMC Ventures, who has backed the company since 2017, alongside Alliance Ventures and Forward Partners who increased their investments after participating in the previous round. MMC Ventures’ Chairman and Co-Founder Alan Morgan will also take a seat on APEXX’s board.
APEXX will use the new capital to expand into North America via its New York office. APEXX will also invest in its capabilities across the global payments ecosystem and reinforce its position as a payment orchestration platform and BNPL aggregator. This will allow the company to introduce more payment methods to businesses globally.
Peter Keenan, Co-founder and CEO of APEXX Global, said, “I’m delighted to announce that we have successfully closed our Series B funding round. Since day one we’ve been laser focused on our mission to build the world’s leading payment orchestration platform and deliver clear benefits to merchants. We‘ve seen strong growth across international markets, delivering significant cost savings and transaction conversion benefits. We look forward to using these funds to further consolidate our position in driving the future of global payments.”
Alan Morgan, Chairman and Co-founder of MMC Ventures, said, “APEXX has achieved an inflection point, demonstrating its ability to win and expand large enterprise customer accounts, including CarTrawler, Ryanair, AVON Cosmetics and XE.Com. We’ve seen good momentum in terms of customer growth, and we are delighted to continue to back Peter and his talented team as they work with merchants to rethink payments and save money.”
Founded in 2016, APEXX is a global payments orchestration platform that combines acquirers, gateways, shopping carts and alternative payments methods into a single API. With offices in London, New York and India, APEXX helps consumer-facing businesses increase transaction efficiency, reduce costs and boost sales conversion rates.
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Target’s chief financial officer and executive vice president John Mulligan authored an opinion piece in The Hill on Monday, in which he revealed the company is accelerating its $100 million smart card program following the massive hack it suffered in late 2013. According to Mulligan, the first REDcards smart cards will be deployed in early 2015, more than six years earlier than initially expected, and the technology will also be implemented in the retailers store.
The smart cards, which are widely used in other countries but not the U.S., will include a microprocessor chip that “encrypts the personal data shared with the sales terminals used by merchants,” Mulligan wrote. “Even if a thief manages to steal a smart card number, it’s useless without the chip,” he added. Furthermore, the smart cards will require a four-digit personal identification number (PIN) for “greater safety.”
Target had a similar project in place ten years ago, which it discontinued after only three years, after seeing mixed results. “Notably, the cards were much more expensive to produce and required the replacement of store card-readers,” Mulligan wrote. “Also, the technology at that time would have only been usable in our stores, making for a confusing experience for customers, overall. After three years of going it alone, we discontinued the program.”
However, in light of the recent sophisticated attacks that hit Target, Neiman Marcus and others last year, Target feels it has to do more, urging the business community to “move together,” in order to improve consumer protection.
Mulligan said that according to industry data, financial losses related to lost or stolen cards in the U.K. are at their lowest levels since 1999, dropping by 67% since 2004, as the country uses smart cards. In Canada, where Target and others are already using smart cards, losses from card skimming – the technology used to steal credit and debit card data for 40 million Target customers in the recent hack – were reduced by 72% from 2008 to 2012.
In a recent note to retailers, the FBI has warned that Target-like attacks may still hit other companies due to their sophisticated nature – the malware program used to attack Target is available for sale in underground forums and can be further upgraded to avoid discovery.


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Perks are becoming a major part of business for some industries. For example, The tech sector, has created a new job category called workplace coordinator that focuses entirely on managing and delivering new job perks, Human Resource Executive Online reported. People in the technology industry who work at places like Google and Microsoft have become used to having all kinds of things that other businesses couldn't likely afford, such as sleeping pods and a $2,000 espresso machine in the break room.
It wasn't always this way
It hadn't been the case at the beginning that perks would become major parts of business. Twenty years ago, working in the Silicon Valley wasn't too different from other parts of California, but according to historian Michael S. Malone, it changed when Hewlett-Packard began offering donuts in the morning, plus beer on Friday and a large parcel of land for people to enjoy on the weekends. The company added stock options and other benefits as well, Malone added in an interview with HRE Online.
During the dot-com bubble, the perks became more extreme because it was so necessary to get the programing done for much of the business. Companies offered activities such as laser tag, which gave the offices a college-like feel to make the young men at the firms feel comfortable working the long hours.
Things are beginning to change again as those same young people have grown up to be in their thirties and now want more family-oriented perks.
What companies can do to offer perks in their own offices
Although most businesses won't be able to lavish their employees with filet mignon every Friday, there are still some things that they can do to keep people happy with their jobs and retain employees longer.
Forbes reminded its readers that the real value of perks is that they make people feel loyal and boost morale. For companies on a budget, simply letting the office become more relaxed might be enough of an incentive for people to begin to form a community that inspires people to stay longer than they otherwise would. The idea is to make people feel welcome and connected. When people have emotional connections to their job, they are going to stay longer and take the business more personally.
One example Forbes cited was giving a $25 bottle of Whiskey versus a $50 gift card. Gift cards are nice, but they don't reflect the same spirit of knowing someone and what he or she likes that a particular bottle of whiskey does.
In the end, it's really about providing an employee management system that generates a good community that will grow and prosper.
Employer Solutions Blog | Sage HRMS


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UK retail sales slipped by 0.4% in May on a like-for-like basis from May 2016, when they had dropped 0.5% from the preceding year.
The figures relate to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) -KPMG retail sales monitor, covering the four weeks from April 30 to May 27.
BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson OBE commented: “After the pick-up in sales over Easter, consumer spending slowed again in May, resulting in almost flat growth on the previous year.
“Underneath the headlines, there’s continued variation in the performance -of food versus non-food products, as sales performance of the two become increasingly polarised.
“Food sales, albeit positively distorted by inflation, continue to see annual growth, while in non-food categories – which are predominantly capturing discretionary spending – retailers find themselves having to compete even harder.”
She continued: “Overall, May’s sales slowdown is indicative of a longer term trend of a decline in consumer spending power.
“As household budgets become increasingly squeezed by inflation, predominantly in the non-retail part of the consumer basket, it’s vital that the next Government helps retailers keep prices low for ordinary shoppers.
This means securing a tariff-free trade deal with the EU, negotiating frictionless customs arrangements; providing certainty for EU colleagues working in the UK; and ensuring the continuity of existing EU legislation as it transfers into UK law.”
KPMG UK head of retail Paul Martin added: “After the surge in retail sales last month – the by-product of this year’s relatively late Easter – retailers have been brought back down to earth with a thump.
“Like-for-like retail sales contracted in May, which is likely to represent a more accurate depiction of the state of UK retail currently.
“The impact of inflationary pressures on the nation’s purse continues to play out in this month’s figures, with shoppers evidently spending more on food and drink than on non-food purchases.
“With inflation continuing to rise and wage growth stagnating, consumers are starting to feel the pinch – although the highly competitive nature of the UK grocery market continues to play out in the consumer’s favour.”
He concluded: “Many retailers, particularly fashion stores, will be poised and ready to make the most of the upcoming summer, so hopefully the weather will play fair. An increased focus on managing costs will dominate the retail agenda.
“More imminently though, eyes will be firmly placed on the outcome of the General Election, with close attention being paid to the implications it might have on the industry.”


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According to sources, information about when the new KitKat 4.4 update will be released for certain Samsung devices has been leaked
Although this has not been confirmed by Samsung and many believe that some of the listed devices won’t see this update until much later in 2014. A website called iTechAddict shared the leaked information that shows expected dates of release for the new Android update. There’s been a lot of debate already on how accurate these expected dates really are. My guess is these are the goals or dead-lines set by Samsung, which as we all know by now isn’t saying a whole lot.
Side-Note: Google announced that upon the release of Android 4.4 KitKat they would employ an optimization ability called Project Svelte that will allow the update on a larger range of devices, including ones with as little as 512MB of RAM. Even though the capability is there, it’s still up to the manufactures to install the 4.4 update on each device.


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Microsoft Dynamics CRM is available with 40 percent discount in select markets. The special offer is part of Microsoft strategy to make it easy for businesses to buy Microsoft Dynamics CRM to use with Microsoft Office 365.
The offer is available to eligible existing and new Microsoft Office 365 customers, who want to buy professional licenses of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online.
Microsoft said this promotion will be available in 42 markets, where the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online service is offered, till 31 March 2014.
Metro Bank, an early adopter of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013, is using the new solution as the foundation of its customer-first strategy in Great Britain.
“Microsoft Dynamics CRM is our platform to engage with customers and along with Yammer, SharePoint, Office 365 and Lync is helping us to deliver our promise to offer customers the very best in service and convenience,” said Paul Marriott-Clarke, commercial director, Metro Bank.
Meanwhile, Microsoft also introduced new capabilities in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3, the next update for its flagship ERP solution. Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3 delivers new warehouse and transportation management capabilities to provide customers with real-time end-to-end insights into supply-chain execution.
New Lifecycle Services available with this release help organizations improve the predictability of Microsoft Dynamics AX implementations by simplifying and standardizing processes, and bringing innovative and integrated experiences for serviceability and support.
Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3 introduces support for deployment on Windows Azure via infrastructure as a service (IaaS), bringing customers true choice and portability between on-premises and private cloud deployments, along with all the benefits and security features that come with the world-class Windows Azure service.
With the availability of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3 expected in April 2014, the company also shared that it remains on track to deliver the next major version of Microsoft Dynamics AX on-premises and as a public cloud service offering.
Microsoft Dynamics NAV is closing in on 100,000 customers worldwide, a significant milestone for this product.
It also reinforced the availability of Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 R2, which was released in October 2013.


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U.S. Soybean Farmers Work to Loosen China's Grip
Agriculture officials are looking to Asia and Europe amid trade tensions, while producers consider new domestic uses
CHICAGO—U.S. soybean farmers worked for decades to make China their biggest foreign customer. Now they face a tougher challenge: weaning themselves off the market.
As trade tensions cut deeply into exports, U.S. soybean farmers, industry groups and government officials are seeking a stronger foothold in international markets beyond China, including Europe and Southeast Asia.
“While we’ve enjoyed the market share, has China become dependent on us or have we become dependent on China?” Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said at an industry event last week. “That’s not a healthy economic balance.”
A temporary truce struck by Presidents Trump and Xi Jinping at the G-20 Summit in Argentina this month boosted optimism that trade tensions, which have roiled the U.S. Farm Belt, could ease.
The U.S. agreed to postpone planned tariff increases as the two countries begin negotiating other thorny issues.
“Unknown destinations”. Soybean futures rose Wednesday after the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced sales to Mexico, as well as 110,000 metric tons of soybeans sold to “unknown destinations,” that some in the market believed to be China. This, combined with reports of other purchases by Chinese companies, drove hopes that China would soon be regularly buying soybeans from the U.S.
- Salon de l’agriculture
- WSJ & l'opinionMarkets


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Whither the Old Spice Guy? The latest commercial effort from the Procter & Gamble brand is more Axe effect than Isaiah Mustafa, featuring a rotund man in a gym changeroom who takes a whiff of the product and begins to break open like cracked china, revealing a buff biker. The men beside him in an […]
Axe, originally a French brand, has carved out a reputation for being saucy, provocative and, some have argued, downright offensive
A three-day online social media duel between Isaiah Mustafa, the viral video advertising sensation known as Old Spice Guy, and romance cover model Fabio, has ended with the former retaining his title. “The Internet has spoken,” Mustafa told Fabio after he jumped through a wall that separated their commercial sets. The actors shot dozens of […]
The latest online event in Old Spice‘s hugely successful campaign with actor Isaiah Mustafa, a “mano a mano” duel with erstwhile romance novel cover hunk Fabio for the Old Spice Guy title, seemed to wrap up Tuesday night after the pair shot 39 YouTube videos.
Italian model Fabio, known for fronting more than one million romance novel covers, has declared himself the “new Old Spice Guy” on the brand’s new YouTube channel set up for that purpose.
The Old Spice guy is the viral marketing gift that keeps on giving for Procter & Gamble. The men’s grooming brand just released another video on its YouTube channel starring the Man himself, Isaiah Mustafa, which reveals how producers were able to shoot the spots in a single take.
The future belongs to wikibrands — brands that belong to everyone, and grow and evolve based on consumers' direct participation
Isaiah Mustafa, the sultry-voiced Old Spice guy, is back with a video teaser from the Procter & Gamble brand promising consumers a new round of ads.
A San Francisco technology start-up has named its new online marketing tool “ViralSpice” in honour of the Old Spice Guy’s social media campaign. Ajinty has launched a technological platform that allows brands to reach followers through personalized messages. “Being able to measure brand engagement, recall and track conversations in real time is a brand marketer’s […]
The success of Old Spice’s “the man your man could smell like” video has spawned a promo video by the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University. Why can’t Canadian universities do this…..?
Howard Levitt: Want three months off a year, job security despite your performance and to retire at age 55 with a great pension? Become a schoolteacher
Auto lending — which has swelled 20% a year since 2007 — has exposed Canadian banks to the risks of bad loans if the economy turns sour, Moody’s warns
I’ve done this six times as a manager and supported many more as an HR advisor. This advice is meant to help you through a very difficult conversation
The village of Johnsonville, Connecticut, has been a theme park, a textile mill, a movie set, and a ghost town. Now, the entire town can be yours for $800,000
In a deflationary environment, prices actively fall, which can be good for consumers, who pay less for goods and services, but it is usually bad news for the…


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John Lewis to axe 270 jobs following rebrand
Almost 300 jobs are set to be cut at department store group John Lewis as it embarks on a new chapter with an identity change to reflect the importance of its employees.
The company is axing 270 back office jobs across IT, finance and store security from its 50 department stores, it emerged on Wednesday. It joins a similar announcement by rival Fenwick, which is cutting 408 jobs in a bid to centralise its back office functions.
Department stores are struggling to cope with the challenging trading conditions in the UK retail market, and are under increasing pressure amid higher business rates, muted consumer spending and the rise of online shopping.
Just this week, John Lewis launched a major effort to rebrand all shops, carrier bags, uniforms, marketing activities and online store as ‘John Lewis & Partners’. Managing director Paula Nickolds said the addition of ‘& Partners’ will reinforce the business’ employee-owned nature.
“Our partnership business model and the inherent strength of our partners really sets us apart. That’s why the change to our visual identity this week puts Partners back at the heart of everything we do. This move not only reflects the business we have become but more importantly, the business we want to be,” she said in a statement on Tuesday.
The British group has been trying to shift towards a new retail model where services and unique products are at the centre of the experience. In addition to investing in brand acquisition, it is working on giving staff new skills to offer a more personalised service and advice in the fashion and home departments.
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Council leaders in York admit businesses in the city centre will suffer following the decision to approve a controversial out-of-town shopping centre and sports stadium.
A new John Lewis store will open at Monks Cross on the outskirts of the city along with a Marks and Spencer store. The shopping scheme will help fund a new sports stadium for York City and the city's rugby league club.
Adam Sinclair from the Chamber of Trade says the plans make no sense, but Councillor James Alexander defended York City Council's decision.
More top news
"Big Sam" was spotted letting his hair down in the seaside resort weeks after securing Premier League survival for Sunderland.
A look ahead at the Bank Holiday forecast for the Tyne Tees region.
Do you want to Leave or Remain in the European Union? That's the question facing everyone in the country. But what do young people think?


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GERMANY/USA: Hain Celestial acquires Germany's Natumi
US natural and organic food company Hain Celestial has announced that its Belgian subsidiary has acquired Natumi, a German producer of non-dairy beverages and desserts marketed principally to retailers in Europe.
The acquisition adds Natumi's "Milkfree" brand to Hain Celestial's product portfolio and gives the company the facility to produce its own non-dairy beverages and desserts in Europe, meeting the growing demand for non-dairy products, the company said.
The purchase price of the Natumi business was not disclosed, and Hain Celestial said the anticipated rises in revenue and income are not expected to be material in the coming year.
As organic food continues to move into the mainstream, a wealth of companies, from the family-run to the multinational, are taking advantage of this popularity, with new products and line extensions. ...
The organic market appears to be going from strength to strength, especially if this year's BioFach exhibition is anything to go by. With over 2,000 exhibitors from 70 countries and more than 30,000 v...
Natraceutical, a spin-off of Spanish food group Natra-Zahor, has unveiled ambitious expansion plans, spurred on by growth in the functional foods market. With such high levels of interest in healthy f...
The Australian state of Victoria is investing in a programme to identify new opportunities for its food and agriculture industries. As part of this initiative the government conducted extensive resear...
Innovation is king - or is it? Fear of legislation or simple lack of imagination has depressed innovation in the food sector for a couple of years. Brand extensions and me-too copycats are not the sam...
The UK's largest organic sector body, the Soil Association will today (Tuesday) urge the new minister for organic food and farming, Lord Bach to support high welfare standards in organic poultry farmi...
The European Commission has asked European Union ministers that EU member states should continue to import organic meat and other foodstuffs freely for one more year until December 2006, whilst it est...
Functional food maker Lifeway Foods has announced the introduction of its new line of all natural, organic pudding under the name 'It's Pudding!.'...
- Does Kraft Heinz want to swallow Unilever whole?
- Focus: Nestle CEO plan to balance sales, earnings
- US food next wave on display at Winter Fancy Food
- Comment: Meal kits in US - don't believe the hype
- Why Reckitt Benckiser moved for Mead Johnson
- Kraft Heinz pursuing Unilever in takeover move
- Kraft Heinz pulls Unilever bid
- General Mills issues profit warning
- Kerry operating earnings strengthen on slow sales
- Kerry Group staff in Ireland suspend strike action


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In the past few hours, Samsung team has sent an email to users who have pre-ordered the Samsung Galaxy Fold before the decision to postpone the launch of the device, the email is an update on the corrections made to avoid problems with the foldable display.
Recall that the Korean manufacturer has decided to postpone the debut on the market of the Samsung Galaxy Fold in June because of the problems encountered by some of the first reviewers with the screen.
In the e-mail, the producer confirms that it is making progress in improving the strength of the smartphone but it is still not able to fix a date when the terminal will be ready for marketing.
Gizchina News of the week
Due to the lack of accurate information, Samsung has decided to allow those who have pre-ordered the smartphone to communicate if they want to keep their pre-order or if, on the contrary, they prefer to cancel it.
Still so much uncertainty, therefore, around the device that is not clear if it will arrive on the market in the form in which it was presented last February. It was a brilliant concept, but the failure rate of only a handful of review units in the public should send Samsung back to the drawing board with this one.
Samsung has said it plans to make at least 1 million Galaxy Fold handsets in the first year of production, compared to the total 300 million phones it produces annually on average. It originally closed pre-orders for the device early because of “high demand.”


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Great tip from Julieanne Kost’s Blog This video demonstrates how to use the enhanced Scripted Patterns and Fills in Photoshop to add a picture frame and border to your images.
Businesses can see a return on Tweets, they just need to be using the social media platform properly. Last week, Twitter released a guide to getting direct responses from customers on Twitter–“Drive results with Twitter“– which is worth a read, but Inc.’s Abigail Tracy also spoke with Russ Laraway, head of SMB at Twitter, about how small businesses can create a successful presence on Twitter. Read full article at Inc
It took people in rich countries several years to crawl from slow dial-up connections (remember those?) to ISDN lines, to true broadband. It is by now conventional wisdom that the next billion (or two billion or five billion) people to come online will do so using smartphones and mobile broadband. Read full article here


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The Automotive Industry Association, Verband der Autoindustrie (VDA), criticized the "location, timing and character" of the wage dispute. VDA president Bernd Gottschalk is worried that the development process in the former East German states might come to a halt.
Audi only narrowly escaped a production stoppage because the propeller-shaft manufacturer GKN in Zwickau agreed over a collective contract with the work's council that the production of Audi A4s and A8s could continue as normal. In order to supply Audi with the usual amount of propeller-shafts -- according to GKN factory manager Peter Scholz Audi requires 3,500 units per day -- the workers at the GKN plants in Zwickau, Offenbach and Kiel had to work additional shifts over the last week-end. The manufacture of the Mercedes A-class in Rastatt was also affected by delivery problems at GKN.
The situation at BMW is worse: from June 23 production of the 3 series at the plants in Munich and Regensburg will be idled. The Dingolfing, Steyr and Landshut plants will also stop manufacturing. The reason for this is a strike at the transmission supplier ZF in Brandenburg. Should the ZF plant resume work by the beginning of this week the production of the 3 series could start no earlier than 2 pm, Wednesday, June 25, a BMW manager explained. The company has sent "more than 10,000 employees" home for two days. VW was hit even harder: during the past three weeks employees at all three plants in eastern Germany have gone on strike. The group announced losses of 13,350 cars and 40,800 engines.
Production at the piston-rings manufacturer Federal-Mogul continued despite a blockade. Helicopters flew workers to the plant and components out.


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USA: QRS will provide Kroger with e-commerce services
QRS will provide Kroger with e-commerce services to support online purchase orders, invoices and shipping notices. QRS will also provide to Kroger enterprise-wide connectivity including trading partner transactions.
"Having QRS e-Commerce services means companies can focus on their business, on their true core competencies," said John Simon, CEO for QRS. "QRS eCommerce products and services deliver efficiencies that help companies like Kroger gain a competitive advantage."
Fred Meyer Stores, a division of Kroger, has used QRS B2B e-commerce services for several years, reducing paper trails, lost orders, human errors and telephone communication.
Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, Kroger is the nation's largest retail grocery chain. The Company currently operates more than 2,300 supermarkets and multi-department stores in 31 states under more than a dozen banners, including Kroger, Fred Meyer, Ralphs, Smith's, King Soopers, Dillon, Fry's, Food 4 Less and Quality Food Centers. Kroger also operates 796 convenience stores, 389 fine jewelry stores and 42 food processing plants.
Since 1988, QRS has delivered proven B2B e-commerce solutions to the retail industry. Today QRS helps retailers, vendors and service providers meet the challenges of global trade and collaborative commerce. QRS eCommerce, Content, Applications and Marketplace Services enable our more than 9,000 customers to conduct business throughout the world with proven solutions and trusted information. For additional information visit our website at www.qrs.com.
Companies such as Wal-Mart, Carrefour and Tesco have been international retailers for some time, but there is still room for expansion. As competition in established markets gets tougher and tougher, ...
Kroger Cheese Pizza Bites have been recalled due to the inclusion of an undeclared allergen....
Retail grocery chain The Kroger posted a strong sales increase of 7.3%, at US$60.6bn, for the full 2005 financial year....
NuVim, Inc said yesterday that discussions have been underway with the Kroger Company for Kroger to produce and sell NuVim products....
Grocery retailer Kroger has reported net earnings of US$185.4 m for the third quarter ended 5 November 2005. Net earnings in the year-ago period were US$142.7m....
US grocery retailer Kroger has declined to comment on reports that it is considering a preliminary bid for rival Albertson's but said it was committed to its strategy of boosting sales....
US supermarket group Albertsons has reportedly attracted a preliminary takeover bid from rival grocery retailer Kroger....
US natural and specialty foods distributor Tree of Life has announced that it has been unable to reach agreement with US grocery retailer Ralphs on the terms of any future business relationship....
- General Mills sales woes continue - analysis
- Why personalisation will take-off in US food
- Comment: Meal kits in US - don't believe the hype
- US food next wave on display at Winter Fancy Food
- Column: Kraft Heinz, Unilever and sustainability
- Unilever 'lining up spreads sale'
- UK own-label firm Park Cakes sold in MBO
- Kraft Heinz cuts jobs in US, Canada
- Immigration crackdown "risk" for US dairy industry
- BRF plant suspended amid bribery allegations


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Amazon is streamlining its app downloading experience on Fire TV devices, making it faster and more efficient to get to the content you want. The TVS and devices now have a new Auto App Download feature that will start downloading a free or previously purchased app the moment you click on it without having to go through any extra steps.
AFTV News first shared the update about the feature, which does not work with apps that require payment.
Previously, users had to select an app, wait for the download, and then go to their app list to find and launch it. But with this new auto download feature, it can all happen with the click of a button after enabling the setting.
New Fire TV users will be asked if they want to enable this feature during set up. You can also enable it by going ot Settings > Applications > Appstore.


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Royalty revenues were down US$26 million (-0.4%) in 2003, but that didn’t seem to put a damper on anyone’s spirits at this year’s Licensing Show. Human traffic clogged the aisles, despite the fact that floor space increased by 14% from last year, and key players such as Disney, Warner Bros. and Nickelodeon made a splash with big booths that a number of industry players said seemed a little flashier than 2003′s models.
As for trends, it’s pretty clear that direct-to-video (DTV) releases are becoming a significant part of the licensing program strategy for properties based on toys or media outside of the film/TV realm. Not only did Hasbro announce a major partnership with Paramount Home Entertainment for the production of DTVs based on just about all of its properties – including GI Joe, Transformers, Tonka, Secret Central and Weebles – but MGM (Pink Panther Pals), King Features (Popeye), Classic Media (Peter Cottontail) and American Greetings all announced plans for DTVs in 2005/2006.
American Greetings, in particular, is looking to its recent retro hit Care Bears, which is on track to pull down more than US$500 million at retail this year and has a CGI DTV in production with Nelvana, as the model for upcoming revivals of Holly Hobby and The Get Along Gang.
Holly Hobby licensing agent Nickelodeon Consumer Products is taking a two-tiered approach to the property’s re-introduction. Classic Holly Hobby products will hit shelves in spring 2005, with a focus on home accessories and dolls for adult collectors. But Holly will be made over to appeal to the sensibilities of today’s three- to seven-year-old girls in 2006, starting with a DTV feature being produced with Paramount Home Video. Similarly, Debra Joester, president of The Get Along Gang licensing agent The Joester Loria Group, says the new, urbanized group of animal friends will make their debut via a DTV release targeted at preschoolers in fall 2005.
Tween girl properties garnered considerable attention, too. The debut of DIC’s Trollz – and perhaps the sight of DIC senior execs Nancy Bassett, Andy Heyward and Brad Brooks in giant Trollz wigs – made a big impression with show-goers. DIC added Mamiye Brothers as master apparel licensee in the lead-up to launching the fashion prong of its Trollz program in fall 2005.
Also picking up steam is KidScreen’s Virtual Showroom favorite, Atomic Betty, the Atomic Cartoons/Breakthrough Entertainment/Tele Images co-pro debuting on Cartoon Network this fall. Licensing agent Joy Tashjian walked away from the show with a number of key deals signed. Playmates Toys (master toy) and Penguin (publishing) will have product out for January 2005, to be followed in fall ’05 by merch from Kids Headquarters (girls sleepwear), Ripple Junction (T-shirts), SBH (girls intimate apparel), Sara Lee (underwear), Wiesner Products (footwear) and A.D. Sutton (backpacks). Tashjian says she’s now on the hunt for master apparel, room décor and bedding licensees.


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Who Owns Bitcoin?
8 Dec 2017.
Holders of large amounts of bitcoin are often known as whales.
the founders and a handful of investors will own the majority of the asset.
12 Jun 2019.
Blockchain, or “distributed ledger” technology, has been devised as an alternative to the law of finance. While it has become clear by now that.
The Bitcoin investors are a crucial part of this market, because they are experienced in this field, but also invest their.
Data analysis suggests bitcoin is strongly tied to equities, but will more closely resemble gold over the coming years.
If owning bitcoin means storing at least $1 worth of it it in a Bitcoin wallet you own , there can't be more than ~20.5 million owners. But, if owning bitcoin includes.
5 Apr 2020.
He bought a lot of the cryptocurrency back in 2013 when the Bitcoin price was around $80 per coin, and he claims that, at one point, he owned.
Microsoft’s Bitcoin-based decentralized identity tool, ION, went live with a beta version on mainnet Wednesday as one of many.
I now believe this is a possibility not because the value of bitcoin will go up, though I believe it will, but because the.
BitMEX parent company HDR Global and OKCoin are collaborating on a joint $150,000 grant for an independent Bitcoin developer.
Bitcoin has no central issuer; instead, the peer-to-peer network regulates Bitcoins , transactions and issuance according to consensus in network software. These.
Top 5 Bitcoin & Crypto THE PRICE of Bitcoin dipped below $9,000 for the first time in three weeks, as it mirrored selloffs made in traditional. BeInCrypto got a chance to speak with Joe Vezzani, the CEO and founder of LunarCRUSH to discuss social media influence on. In my view, investing in stock market crash bargains is the best way
How Bitcoin Works In Layman’s Terms Bitcoin was invented by someone using the name Satoshi Nakamoto. A Bitcoin. Miners either compete with one another or work together in groups to solve a. 25 Jun 2014. In 190 seconds we explain what bitcoin actually is, where the idea came. . Mrs Jane is legit and her method works like magic I keep
7 Feb 2020.
Surprisingly, it is far from clear how virtual currencies and other crypto assets are transferred and acquired. The traditional requirements posed by.
If you don’t want to buy cryptocurrencies for yourself, consider purchasing shares of one of the miners in the space. Hut 8.
Who Owns Bitcoin?


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It’s official, Dr.
Read This Article
German automaker BMW has agreed to pay a $3 million fine for delaying reports of safety defects and recalls to the US government.
A tumultuous year that ushered in sweeping change, 1959 saw the U.S.
A new BMW i8 video shows off the supercar in its best light.


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Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Kindle Tablet: $200 - Great For Users, Ouch For Competitors
The new Kindle tablet will go on sale on November 15th for $199. This is going to be an awesome device for consumers.
Quick thoughts: This is going to hurt a lot of tablet makers. Now, no one thought this was going to cost $200. $250 To $300 but not $200. It's going to kill off a lot of tablet makers.
Second, the final battle between Amazon and Apple won't happen until Amazon unveils its 10" tablet. I wonder if Amazon will price that down to $250.
Here's a video Amazon released for the Kindle Silk.
The 2016 MacBook sitting off to the side still has some value as I gleefully starting using my MacBook Air M2 that I got for a decent price ...
We can walk and chew gum at the same time. But how about watching a video while doing yard work, during a meeting you don’t want to be at, ...
I had a short conversation with ChatGPT and I am unable to tell if those answers were predetermined by the developers or something it came u...


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‘A whole different look’
Published 9:07 pm Tuesday, February 12, 2019
Jake’s Pizza serves new look with finished interior remodel
An Albert Lea restaurant sliced up more than pizza for two months and is now a few steps away from a finished interior remodel.
“We’ve been talking about it for awhile,” Jake’s Pizza co-owner Jim Johnson said.
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According to fellow owner Bill Anderson, the restrooms were a priority.
“Those had been, those bathrooms were probably, I mean other than just paint, the same as they were when I worked here in high school,” he said.
In addition to a complete bathroom remodel for both single bathrooms in the back of the restaurant, Jake’s Pizza got new stainless steel countertops up front and to the side of the kitchen, both done by Albert Lea Steel.
The restaurant has new paint and new lighting, a change from the maroon-heavy, two-toned walls to a muted gray. Johnson was leery of it to start, but now — especially with the art he knows is coming from Homestead Design — he likes it a lot.
Johnson, Anderson and fellow owner Greg Undahl utilized a slew of local businesses to help complete the work, including Broadway Home Design, Jim & Dude’s, Albert Lea Electric, Albert Lea Steel, Freeborn Lumber and Back Acres Construction, they said. Another artist, formerly locally based, will also be contributing work.
“It’s a whole different look,” Anderson said of the interior remodel.
Jake’s Pizza also raised the floor in the front-most portion of the dining room to match levels with the main dining area. It was a tripping hazard, Anderson said.
It also used to be covered in carpet (and ceramic tile in the bathroom). Now, it’s all a moderately dark wood-like finish.
“We always just try to give our customers a good, clean experience when they come here, and this is going to help us do that,” Anderson said. “That’s what we do it for … for our awesome customers we’ve had forever.”
Customer reactions to the interior work have been positive, though Anderson said some customers were eager to see the atmosphere remain.
“‘Oh, I hope you don’t change it too much,’” he said he heard.
Anderson said the contractor worked around the business’s schedule for much of the two-month project, which started the first week of December. There were two days the business sold pizza as pickup or delivery only.
Largely, the project encompassed a lot of what both owners were hoping to work on, though there are still a few items on the to-do list. There is some work to be done in the kitchen area itself, Anderson said, and they’re looking to put in more light above the front countertop, Johnson said. Additionally, the pizza place may get a freezer for half-baked pizzas customers can finish in their own homes, Johnson said.
The pair expects these changes to be made in the next few months. They are considering some exterior storefront work, but that would be part of a longer-term timeline.
But for now, the pair is waiting excitedly for its metal signs — a Jake’s emblem for a front window that shares a wall with dining space and the restaurant’s entrance, a Jake’s logo for each wall in the main dining room and an Est. 1964 sign in another spot. Then, the remodel will feel complete.
“The only thing that hasn’t changed is the pizza,” Anderson joked.


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MENLO PARK, Calif., Nov. 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- IoTeX is thrilled to announce the highly anticipated launch of MachineFi, an innovative combination of machine and DeFi to monetize machine-driven data, events, and tasks that unlocks a trillion-dollar opportunity in the Metaverse and Web3.
MachineFi's main objective is to transition traditional IoT and machine verticals into MachineFi decentralized applications (Dapps) that will enable millions of users to participate in the machine economy with billions of smart devices.
The world has witnessed the boom of smart devices and automated machines, including smart home devices and smart cars. However, few have noticed inter-machine communication is significantly increasing.
"Today, numerous machines have already started collaborating, producing, and distributing, and they consume information and resources collectively, forming a heterogeneous network of machines," explains IoTeX CEO and Founder Dr. Raullen Chai.
"Machine networks are communicating with other machine networks accomplishing even more advanced tasks," Dr. Chai added. "This is essentially a new form of economy, a machine economy or machine finance, which is MachineFi. MachineFi is here to reshape the future of the machine economy that is upon us."
According to a McKinsey report, the Internet of Things (IoT) could unlock a global economic value of up to $12.6 trillion by 2030. Techjury estimates that over 125 billion devices will be connected to the Internet by the start of the next decade, powering that machine economy.
Dr. Chai explains that the convergence of artificial intelligence, blockchain, cloud computing, edge computing, the Internet of things, 5G, computer vision, and augmented/virtual reality pushes human society through the next digital revolution wave.
"Although these technologies have evolved independently, they have become increasingly intertwined around a new form of productivity — MachineFi," he added.
At the core of MachineFi
MachineFi is the result of three years of the IoTeX team's continuous and tireless research and development and the establishment of a solid foundation for the project moving forward. MachineFi has been designed to tie machines together. It enables them to trade information and resources in real-time.
"MachineFi ties the machines together, lets them trade information and resources in real-time, and at a global scale, which is unprecedented," explains IoTeX Blockchain and Cryptography Lead Dr. Xinxin Fan.
Dr. Fan says there are two critical ways this new machine economy will shape the future — mirroring the physical world to the Metaverse and programming the material world from the Metaverse.
"By continuously improving the interactions between the physical and virtual worlds, the Metaverse is expected to transform every aspect of our lives and disrupt and reshape the next generation systems in all the sectors in a way that we are only beginning to imagine today," says Dr. Fan.
Machines are the workforce in the physical world, and the information they capture can be supplied to the Metaverse, enriching DeFI, gaming, NFT, and social media applications. However, more groundbreaking is that Metaverse applications can actually "program" the real world by using machines.
MachineFi has been designed to enable millions of people to monetize their personal information and the data their smart devices generate with decentralized applications built on IoTeX, the fastest, most secure, and most scalable blockchain platform in the industry.
Who will own this new machine economy?
IoTeX's revolutionary blockchain has the power to shift the balance of global wealth that is currently in the hands of the 1%. IoT is presently mainly controlled by Big Tech, including Facebook, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and other large corporations. They currently profit from our privacy and intelligent devices. They make about $35 monthly from each user's personal information, according to a recent report. And then there are the hundreds of other companies that collect our data globally, who alone have raked in over $150 billion in 2012, according to a WebFX Team study. It adds that our email address sells for $89.
It's time to end this unethical and unscrupulous control Big Tech firms have over our data and intelligent devices and the valuable information they generate.
MachineFi is here to change that through composability, bringing together the creativity and productivity of pioneering developers.
The current engine — cloud computing, IoT platforms — that powers machines do not have what it takes to push the new upcoming machine economy. It leads to monopolized ownership of the future workforce, and, more importantly, it does not have the critical pillars for a new machine economy to sprout.
MachineFi consists of a suite of blockchain-based protocols such as DeFi, SSI, DAO, NFT, and decentralized device management to enable developers to build innovative machine-driven applications. MachineFi offers a comprehensive set of building blocks for developers creating machine-driven Dapps in the virtual world.
People who own smart devices will be enabled to participate in various machine-driven financial activities to earn cryptocurrencies, including renting their smart devices from other peers to collect data, monitor events, and/or complete tasks for a predefined period.
"MachineFi realizes the vision that devices are owned by the people and are for the people. By participating in the machine economy, people can fully monetize their devices and associated digital assets on a global scale," concluded Dr. Chai.
The MachineFi Roadmap
Q1 2022: IoTeX will release a groundbreaking "real-world data oracle" that will for the first time ever provide blockchain Dapps with real-time data from IoTeX-registered machines rather than price feeds and historical data from APIs. The IoTeX proprietary oracle will have the capability of making telemetry data from machines available to smart contracts, enabling a new design space for developers to build new applications that incorporate everyday activities. For example, one's real-time GPS location can be used to claim NFTs.
Q2 2022: IoTeX releases the first Decentralized Identify (DID) framework for all machines registered to the IoTeX blockchain. This DID will become the standard across all IoT platforms and networks, and allow machines to exclusively own the data and value they generate. It will be with this DID that devices will be able to communicate with each other, with humans and therefore businesses. By combining innovations in blockchain, identity, oracles and hardware, IoTeX will make real-world data available to blockchain dApps for the first time.
Q3/Q4 2022: The MachineFi Hub is launched. Although hundreds of Dapps will already be available on the IoTeX blockchain for public use, the Hub will be where all the Dapps will be available and seamlessly connected to a user's fleet of devices. It will also be where developers can leverage templates and modular tools to create their own solutions and dApps without cumbersome coding and enabling their users to monetize their data in a self-sovereign way.
Q3/Q4 2022: IoTeX launches its cross-chain data bridge, by which all machine data will be able to be used across all EVM-compatible blockchains and therefore have optimal utility for users and developers alike. For example, the ability to combine supply chain tracking data on IoTeX with supply chain documents on Ethereum or other blockchains will expand the utility of machine data originated on IoTeX.
Be sure to watch the MachineFi video with the team, their vision and real-life examples of how Pebble works in the IoTeX blockchain-powered internet of trusted things (IoTT).
For more information or interviews with core team members, contact Olivier Acuna, PR/Comms Director at email@example.com.


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Sub-saharan Africa now represents more than $15 million in combined weekly peer-to-peer trade following triple-digit growth over just a few months.
Africa was the sole region to produce an increase in seven-day P2P trade this past week — with sub-saharan African trade posting its seventh all-time high for weekly trade in nine weeks.
Since early January, the sub-saharan African has overtaken the Asia-Pacific, Eastern European, and Latin American regions to emerge as the second-strongest P2P market by a volume margin of more than 50%.
African P2P trade surges
Data posted to Twitter by crypto analyst Kevin Rooke on June 30 indicated triple-digit P2P activity among Africa’s top P2P markets over just three months, with volume increases of 125% in Nigeria, 194% in South Africa, 199% in Kenya, and 257% in Ghana.
Speaking to Cointelegraph, a


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The word “fraud” is growing in popularity, but certainly not in a good way. That’s because we hear about it frequently on the news nowadays. Heck, if you type “fraud” into Google News as a search query, you’re bound to find hundreds if not thousands of articles that pertain to fraud and e-mail fraud. It’s become such a prevalent topic that we’ve all practically become immune to it, almost to the point that we think that we’re the exception. Of course, this isn’t the case, especially in the cutthroat corporate world. I believe the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners said it best in its2014 Report to the Nations On Occupational Fraud and Abuse: “Fraud is ubiquitous; it does not discriminate in its occurrence”. That means even at your company, fraud is a real concern happening right now.
I apologize if I burst your bubble – nobody likes it when a threat hits close to home. Unfortunately, it’s just another part of reality. On the bright side, it’s better discovering it now and coming up with a plan of action, instead of being hit out of the blue.
It’s plausible that occupational fraud (when an employee defrauds the very organization he/she works for) hasn’t impacted your company YET. It’s even more likely that it’s happening right under management’s nose – but they haven’t caught on to it. In fact, according to the fraud report, the median fraud duration in 2014 was 18 months! In other words, a year and a half passed from the time the scheming began until it was detected. You don’t need me to tell you that a lot can happen in this time period – including losing money and damaging your reputation. As if that’s not bad enough, these are losses that may only be partially returned – on the off chance that they’re not lost forever. When this survey was taken, 58% of the organizations did not recover any of their losses.
So what’s the plan to tackle fraud? The data shows that external audits are the least effective method of catching fraud. Proactive detection methods are key to catching fraud earlier and reducing the monetary loss. We encourage implementing e-mail mining for fraud detectionbecause, believe it or not, so much fraud takes place via e-mail and simply isn’t detected. And when it is detected, it’s usually too little too late. To prove my point, I’ll show you three examples of corporate (you’ll know some of these companies!) fraud losses in the news that could have been prevented had the companies used e-mail mining for fraud detection.
Netflix filed a lawsuit against Mike Kail, the former Vice President of Information Technology Operations, for receiving bribes of 12 to 15 percent of the total deal value from two IT service providers. Considering that Netflix paid both IT companies a grand total of $3.7 million, Kail made off with $490,000 in kickbacks. It was not until after Kail left Netflix that the company uncovered e-mails discussing “referral fees” and showing invoices made to his personal consulting firm. According to Netflix, Kail got away with the crime because he was a “trusted senior employee” who had the authority to approve invoices. Had Netflix implemented an e-mail mining approach, they would have caught the fraudster in action.
(Although owners and executives only accounted for 19% of the fraud cases in 2014, they were responsible for a median loss of $500,000.)
HP filed a $5.1 billion lawsuit against Autonomy, the British software company that it acquired for $11.1 billion back in 2012. Just about two years later, HP realized that it had gotten itself into a big mess. It turned out that Autonomy overstated its finances – by a lot. HP claims that Autonomy was only worth half of what they paid for it - $5.55 billion. Thanks to the trail of e-mails between the former CFO and founder, it was evident that the company had misrepresented its finances. The e-mails contained the phrase “covered up” in the context of falling revenues, and the phrase “imaginary deals” as in what sales reps would be pursuing. Unfortunately, the e-mails were checked and the truth came to the surface only after the deal had gone through. Had HP chosen to use an e-mail mining approach during the due diligence process, they would have discovered this before a deal was made.
Keila Ravelo, a former law partner at Willkie Farr & Gallagher may have had “questionable communications” with the opposing counsel. It turns out the opposing counselor was a close friend with whom she formerly worked. The law firm found e-mails and attachments concerning the American Express litigation – a case in which Ravelo had no involvement. E-mails also indicated that the other counselor, Gary Friedman, sent Ravelo documents that may have been protected by the American Express litigation protective order. In this instance as well, e-mail mining would have benefitted both law firms so that they could have learned that confidential information was being shared.
As you can see from these examples, any company can suffer from internal fraud – whether it’s a big name corporation like Netflix or a small startup company. The point is that in many instances, it’s taking place across company e-mail and employees are getting away with it. It’s obvious that companies are feeling a financial burden from fraud and something needs to be done about it. You’ve seen enough fraud in the news – you don’t want your company to become the next headline. With e-mail mining for fraud detection, you can catch the bad guys in the act so your company doesn’t incur any embarrassing financial losses.


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Laser Manufacturer Improves PCB Contract Manufacturing Quality, Delivery Times
PRIDE Industries provides PCB contract manufacturing for Vortran Laser Technology, a company building ultra-reliable, high-performance laser solutions for the biomedical, medical, and industrial markets.
The company’s high-precision lasers perform cutting-edge scientific research such as flow cytometry, which analyzes cells by measuring their response to light; and optogenetics, where a laser activates light-sensitive proteins, called opsins, to control the activity of cells in living organisms.
The precision required to target invisible objects with an accurate beam requires equally precise printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing. Parts need to be close to perfect.
The Challenge: PCB Contract Manufacturing Quality, Delivery Times
In 2020, Vortran had many issues with its PCB contract manufacturing partner. “Delivery times and quality were slipping, and costs kept increasing,” said Managing Director Chris Kruger. Unpredictable delivery schedules compromised Vortran’s ability to meet deadlines, and since the PCBs control laser performance, substandard quality is unacceptable.
“Our lasers need to be ultra-stable and reliable for 20 to 30 hours at a time,” Kruger said. “They have to deliver an absolute reference point for researchers.”
The Solution: Customizable Boards Save Time and Money
Kruger and Vortran turned to PRIDE Industries to improve on all fronts.
“We immediately improved delivery times and quality by 50 percent,” Kruger said. “And we were able to cut costs by 10 to 15 percent.”
Kruger worked with the PRIDE Industries electronics manufacturing team to develop a flexible PCB platform that allowed Vortran to use similar boards it could customize for specific products in the assembly process. The solution streamlined purchase orders and enabled higher volume purchases of platform parts to reduce costs and inventory. And reducing the number of boards to order helped mitigate supply chain strains during and after the pandemic.
Results: A Robust Supply Chain
“A significant benefit PRIDE Industries has delivered is having a robust supply chain,” Kruger said. “We have access to the parts we need, and the team is very good about communicating and anticipating any issues that might impact delivery times.”
But the biggest success factor is quality. “Before working with PRIDE Industries, we had to build a 15 percent excess to account for poor yield,” Kruger said. “That’s gone now. The technology—inspection and manufacturing tools—that they use and the quality they deliver are state-of-the-art.”
“We’re a relatively low-volume PCB manufacturer and appreciate that the PRIDE Industries team works with us to manage our runs and inventories so that it works for them as well,” Kruger said. “It’s a real partnership that is hard to find, especially compared to offshore manufacturers.”
- PCB Contract manufacturing
improvement in delivery times


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Kena: Bridge of Spirits has been postponed again, when launch was just a few days away. The new release date for the game developed by Ember Lab is set for September 21st .
Last November the authors had denied a further postponement of Kena: Bridge of Spirits after the well-known postponement to 2021 , but evidently the difficulties related to the pandemic have also affected the timing this time.
“We have made the difficult decision to postpone the release of Kena: Bridge of Spirits until September 21 to be able to refine the game on all platforms,” the development team wrote in the announcement of the postponement on Twitter.
— Kena: Bridge of Spirits (@emberlab) July 28, 2021


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HeidelbergCement’s Sierra Leone Cement Corp Ltd (LEOCEM) has announced that it will start production of slag cement in June 2014. LEOCEM is the only cement manufacturer in the country, operating one grinding plant in the country’s capital, Freetown, and is a major supplier of cement in Sierra Leone. The announcement was made at the launch of the company’s 20th anniversary celebration, held at its Freetown plant.
Victor John, Head of Laboratory at LEOCEM, stated that the planned production of slag cement was based on demand from consumers. The product will be of a high-grade quality, suitable for use in deep water concreting applications. Arne Johansen, Managing Director of LEOCEM, commented that the move represented part of the company’s efforts to enhance productivity for the good of the country. Johansen further noted that the cost of cement in Sierra Leone is relatively cheap compared to other African counties, especially considering the size of the plant and the expense of operating in a small market.
The Freetown plant began operations in 1994. Since then, two mills have been established to increase productivity and capacity in order to meet local demand. In celebration of its 20th anniversary, the plant is expected to handover a recreational centre as gift to the local community.
Edited from various sources by Rosalie Starling
Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/africa-middle-east/16042014/leocem_to_begin_production_of_slag_cement_in_sierra_leone_52/


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It turns out that the car that’s going back to the future isn’t a DeLorean after all. It’s a seventh-generation Chevrolet Corvette dubbed the Stingray in homage to the classic sports car that first vrooomed onto the tarmac 60 years ago but hasn’t carried that nameplate since the mid-’70s.
To be sure, “this isn’t your daddy’s Corvette,” as Nathan Bomey writes in the Detroit Free Press, “but it will stir emotional memories.”
General Motors hopes the new Corvette, which it formally unveiled with much fanfare at a “clandestine reveal event” yesterday on the eve of the opening of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit (check back here for our Karl Greenberg’s ongoing coverage) “will become the poster child for a 2013 product blitz designed to buff GM's top-selling Chevrolet line,” according to Jeff Bennett and Joseph B. White in the Wall Street Journal. It’s the first major redesign of the ‘Vette in nine years.
"We squandered the market position we had in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s," CEO Dan Akerson said. "Now we have to get it back."
The Stringray itself debuted on a 1959 race car built by GM’s design chief, Bill Mitchell, according to the New York Times’ Paul Stenquist. “The hope for that original Stingray race car was to beat Europe’s best, and GM still seems to be thinking along those lines.”
"We want to reinforce the fact that it is a halo product and tie it closely to the Chevrolet brand," said Chevy’s VP for marketing, Chris Perry.
The New YorkTimes website has an fascinating video about the reconstruction of a 1964 XP-819 concept car that gives an indication of the hagiography surrounding the vehicle.
"I joined the company because of this car," said Mark Reuss, president of General Motors North America. His father was a GM president “who drove him around in the iconic sports car when he was young enough to scrunch down in what passed for a backseat,” writes Bomey.
And he was re-doing a ’69 Corvette when he had his first date with his wife. “It had a 427-cubic-inch, 400-horsepower, tri-power engine with 700-automatic transmission,” he said. The entry-level 2014 Corvette will have a 450-horsepower V-8 and go from 0-60 in less than four seconds. But who really pays attention to those things nowadays except the most dedicated gearheads?
The New York Times’ Nick Bilton suggests in a “Disruptions” column this morning that we’ve become so jaded about performance that what things look like is eclipsing how they actually work in the minds of most consumers.
“We’re on the tail end of technology being special,” John Maeda, president of the Rhode Island School of Design, tells him. “The automobile was a weird alien technology when it first debuted, then, after a while, it evolved and designers stepped in to add value to it.”
Indeed, writes Bilton, “walk into most car showrooms in America and sales clerks might spend more time explaining the shape of the heated seat than the engine that moves the car along.”
Even Car and Driver’s Andrew Wendler writes that the new Corvette “is peppered with more-pronounced creases, larger and more numerous vents, and an angrier front fascia and headlamp treatment” and other stylistic details before he tells us about the “naturally aspirated Gen V small-block 6.2-liter pushrod V-8” under the hood.
Auto critics seem to be loving the latest carnation.
“The iconic American sports car has survived a troubled birth, quality problems and development delays,” writes James R. Healey, in USA Today. “It has overcome threats from recessions and regulations. And it has outlasted waffling by Chevy parent General Motors over whether such a car should exist at all. It appears, through all that, to have become younger than ever.”
In a sidebar this morning, the Wall Street Journal’s Jeff Bennett reveals “GM has quietly sent about 2,300 of its Chevrolet dealers and 600 of its Chevrolet division employees to three-day Disney Institute training sessions.”
“We are not trying to turn them into theme park owners,” according to Chevrolet VP of Sales and Service Don Johnson. “[But] think of all the applicable lessons you can get from Disney that you then turn around and institute in your own organizations.”
The foremost lesson, we presume, is that everybody but the competition likes a happy ending.
“To many fans, the new Corvette symbolizes the rebirth of America's auto industry after its near death in 2009, showing the world that it again can lead in technology, styling and performance -- at a lower cost that European competitors,” writes the AP’s Tom Krisher.