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Updated January 7, 2021
Updated January 7, 2021
Despite Europe’s large population, tremendous spending capacity, and consumers’ liberal attitudes toward cannabis, the region has shied away from more progressive policy regarding cannabis which has resulted in its markets largely taking a back seat to those of its North American peers.
Though international bodies such as the United Nations (UN) – largely influenced by and influential in Europe – have continued to express opposition, there appears to be growing interest in more permissive policy with regard to cannabis scheduling. For example, in early 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) formally recommended that cannabis be rescheduled to a less strictly regulated category, and though the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs’ (CND) delayed the vote on rescheduling twice, it was ultimately decided in December 2020 (by a narrow majority) that cannabis and cannabis resins should be removed from Schedule IV and placed in Schedule I. Though it remains under tight international controls, the move tacitly acknowledged the medical value of cannabis. Meanwhile, countries throughout Europe have been actively developing and adapting regulatory systems to open, build upon and expand cannabis operations despite traditionally having been among the most conservative developed nations to move forward with cannabis legislation. Though advances have been made in a measured fashion, nonetheless, regulatory frameworks and markets are taking shape – with some European countries even broaching adult-use cannabis authorization.
Today, the European legal cannabis market remains rather small, but it is poised to grow rapidly as more supportive country- and continent-level (or global) regulations continue to be put in place, paving the way for more stable and scalable medical cannabis growth. Many countries have chosen to authorize medical cannabis sales, though typically under restrictive regulatory frameworks that loosen (UK) or adapt (Denmark) over time. Most remain in early stages, only seeing incremental growth at this juncture, though the progress seen in Germany will lead the way in driving a US $359 million cannabis market in Europe in 2020. Brightfield anticipates medical cannabis – and to a limited extent, adult-use – will expand significantly over the next five years, reaching a total value of $3.1 billion by 2025.
The primary medical cannabis market in Europe today is Germany – ahead by a huge margin – followed by Italy and Denmark. More medical markets are close to emerging after much anticipation, such as that of France, and we expect to see some incremental growth of adult-use markets in the Netherlands in 2021 (through a government experiment allowing for a shift of supply to a legal framework, with product to be sold through existing coffee shop channels in limited regions), and Switzerland the year following. The report pages below include analyses of regulatory structures and market conditions in each country, highlighting the pros, cons, prospects and potential stumbling blocks of operating in each market.
Though cannabis sales were expected to drop in 2020 as a result of the effects of COVID-19 on supply chains and patient enrollment, on the contrary, they have risen by 28% year-over-year. Economic troubles are plaguing the continent and dampening spending overall as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but this has impacted cannabis spending very minimally, especially among cannabis patients who receive insurance coverage. In many cases, cannabis is a last-resort medication thus it receives spending priority. In others, increased telehealth access driven by the pandemic has actually ushered in more cannabis patients than would otherwise have had access or the willingness to enter their physicians’ offices in search of cannabis, driving patient growth. In addition, supply chains have experienced only minor hiccups in the region despite the tremendous amount of transatlantic and inter-continental shipping the European cannabis market depends on. With few real setbacks in 2020 despite the backdrop of a volatile and vulnerable global economy, Europe’s overall cannabis market is on course to grow and thrive as it builds on its current infrastructure, breaking the US $1 billion mark for the first time in 2022.
The UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) is looking more and more likely to readdress its guidelines and encourage fewer restrictions on medical cannabis, with the support of the WHO recommendations and many country leaders, businesses, industry and trade associations in the region working to have these changes enacted sooner rather than later. Though strictly speaking, nations can and have acted outside the bounds of UN conventions, European countries are among the most likely to adhere to them. Thus, any UN decision in favor of cannabis would be particularly influential upon the growth and acceptance of cannabis in the region.
In recent years, an increasing number of European countries have begun adopting policies allowing medical cannabis products into the market beyond finished pharmaceuticals (e.g. Sativex, Marinol), which has opened up the market to a great deal of new consumers who either did not have a need for these specific formulations, or who could not afford their hefty price tags. In addition, more liberal regional and national stances toward cannabis, especially as reflected in policy and regulatory adjustments, are encouraging a greater number of physicians to consider and prescribe cannabis. Doctors continue to act as an important barrier to patient growth, thus the buy-in of these gatekeepers – attained through wider political and cultural acceptance, local-level education and advocacy – is and will continue to be vital to medical market growth.
2021 will see both the Dutch coffee shop experiment and French and Swiss medical pilot programs come online, though while the former and latter are poised to see significant growth over the forecast period, those supplying France’s pilot must furnish product for free – thus no sales will take place until an expected medical program launches following the three-year trial's conclusion, leading to substantial growth beyond 2024.
Ultimately, as more patients, doctors, pharmacists and government decision-makers are exposed to functional regulated cannabis programs and the legitimacy of cannabis as medicine continues to be more broadly recognized, more support for legalization, accessibility and affordability (including via insurance coverage) will build, generating a gradual swell across the region.
The evolution of European cannabis markets has been distinct from that seen in most other developed nation markets. In North America, for example, many US states and the Canadian federal system have largely used medical programs as a springboard to adult-use programs that function much the same way (same suppliers, products, at times distribution channels and pricing models) with some minor adaptations to meet the needs of a wider market. In Europe, conversely, the two are seen very differently – with medical markets often being the primary or exclusive focus. As such, at this juncture most European countries are intent on building up and lifting limitations within their medical markets, where the vast majority of market activity will take place in the coming years. In this sense, serious competitors looking to invest in the medical space can do so relatively well-assured that medical sales will not be cannibalized by adult-use markets.
However, there are various potential exceptions. For example, by 2022, adult-use cannabis will be made legally available in two countries - the Netherlands and Switzerland. Both are pilot programs, meaning sales are limited and there is no guarantee legalization will occur as a result, though the two governments intend to use pilot findings to inform formal adult-use policy considerations after the trials conclude. These pilots – and the wider adult-use programs they may preclude – are intended to be completely separate from the medical markets of each country. While it is possible there will be shared suppliers, they will go through separate, distinct authorization processes and tenders (and in fact, Bedrocan, the exclusive Dutch medical provider, has been very explicit that it will not be involved with adult-use), as well as supply chains. In addition, though it would offer a smaller market, Luxembourg is also intent on legalizing adult-use cannabis in the medium term.
CBD products available over the counter in much of the region also continue to compete with formal medical cannabis markets due to CBD’s broad availability and lower price points, but this phenomenon is expected to be largely temporary. As medical programs professionalize, gain more physician and regulator buy-in and advocacy, become more price-competitive and less stigmatized among patients, the safe and regulated nature of medical cannabis and wider scope of available products, as well as the prospect of insurance coverage, are expected to drive medical market growth by appealing to the myriad patients whose needs are not met by the CBD wellness market.
As many of the long-held fears surrounding cannabis have been proven to be unfounded, and numerous North American and European countries have demonstrated it is possible to create a safe, regulated market for the controlled substance, international organizations are facing increasing pressure from member states to rethink their positions regarding cannabinoids. This is especially true in Europe, where new countries are establishing medical cannabis markets with great frequency and the growth potential remains substantial.
The European cannabis market is well-positioned to grow substantially in the medium term, given the number and scope of medical programs and adult-use trials in line to launch and expand, and opportunities abound for those willing and able to overcome relatively steep barriers to entry, such as EU-GMP certification. In recent years, this market has drawn investment from many large international cannabis companies seeking to set up and expand operations in the continent, though recently there has been a pivot toward European cannabis firms, both new and established, looking to successfully build up operations in the region. Given the cash constraints and investor demands particularly Canadian cannabis entities are facing today, many of the traditional global market behemoths are slowing or even halting operations in various parts of Europe. With these players constrained, 2021 will offer a strategically advantageous opportunity for local players to join the market and thrive with significantly more white space available than was previously – coupled with fewer start-up costs given their geographic proximity and beneficial regional policies.
One caveat, however, is that a number of Canadian licensed producers have in recent years established major grow (Denmark, Portugal) and distribution operations (Germany) in Europe, many of which are just getting off the ground, thus companies like Aurora, Aphria and Tilray will have enhanced reach in the region as those scale to full capacity – even with minimal additional investment.
Today, top competitors in the region include:
Canadian Licensed Producers
In addition, the product approval and registration process is often less complicated for flower than formulated extracts, limiting opportunities for doctors to prescribe other formats. The Polish market has historically entirely consisted of flower for this reason, with the first unlicensed extract to receive URPL approval not hitting the market until late 2020. There are exceptions, however. In places like Portugal where product dosage must be precise and consistent to achieve authorization, producers are instead more driven to seek licensing for the production of less volatile extracts rather than flower.
Countries which have approved the sale of flower typically require it is either used to create a tea or be vaporized rather than smoked, but in spite of this, physicians remain hesitant (and in many cases, unable as it is unlicensed) to prescribe it for medical purposes. These preferences are expected to shift over time as doctors and pharmacists become more comfortable with the range of products, dosages, onset times, and effects of cannabis products, and the stigma flower holds begins to subside. In the meantime, unlicensed extracts such as oils and capsules, which are easy to dose and more familiar to the medical community, remain popular and are in high demand in virtually all markets where available.


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Google’s file sync offerings under its Drive service can get a bit complicated, especially if you’re a regular customer who relies on Backup and Sync for personal use and then has to manage Drive File Stream at work. It could also get messy if an organization used both solutions at the same time.
Thankfully, the company is streamlining things with Drive for desktop, a recent relabelling of the enterprise-focused Drive File Stream, in an effort to reduce confusion for all Google Drive users around which app to use on desktop. Google notes that IT admins and business end users won’t be impacted by this change and that it’s launched a beta for the new unified client that will combine the ‘best and most used features’ of Drive File Stream and Backup and Sync.
Later this year, Drive for desktop will allow backing up media to Google Photos, local folder sync, and multi-account access.
Click here for the full list of features that’ll come to Drive for desktop.
Google Drive for desktop will also be rolling out to regular users on PC later this year as a replacement for Backup and Sync. Consequently, they’d need to manually transition to the new unified client as Google retires its current consumer offering.
The company says it will give IT admins and end users three months’ notice before the deadline to transition to Drive for desktop. It will share more details on consumer timelines closer to availability.

domain: news


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Crown Holdings, the US-based global packaging provider, has
announced a drop in its quarterly earnings to the end of September
following a change in its accounting terms, but the company's
year-to-date results continue to show...
Global packaging company Sonoco has announced increased sales for
its fourth and final quarter, which has helped to boost its overall
profits. The company now says it is poised for further global
expansion, particularly in consumer...
Graham Packaging Holdings, the US-based plastic packaging provider,
has said its worldwide unit sales increased 4 per cent in the
second quarter of 2002 and 7 per cent in the first six months of
2002, compared to the same periods...
US-based consumer goods giant P&G delivered double-digit volume
and core earnings per share growth for the January-March quarter,
ended 31 March, exceeding analysts' estimates. However, earnings in
the food and beverage segment,...
Chesapeake, the Virginia-based supplier of speciality paperboard
and plastic packaging, slipped into the red in the first quarter of
2002 with net losses of $0.3 million (€0.34m) compared to profits
of $0.3 million a year earlier.


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Consumer borrowing decelerated in April to the smallest increase in almost six years, suggesting an expected rebound in spending in the second quarter may not be as robust as hoped.
Total consumer credit rose $8.2 billion in April to a seasonally adjusted $3.82 trillion, posting an annual growth rate of 2.6%, the Federal Reserve reported Wednesday. This is down from a revised $19.5 billion gain in March.
The April increase was also well below economist estimates for a $17 billion gain in consumer credit, according to Econoday, and is the slowest monthly growth rate since August 2011.
The main source of credit growth, nonrevolving credit, which covers loans for education and cars, slowed sharply in April. This category rose at a tepid annual rate of 2.9% in April, which was also the slowest pace since August 2011.
Vehicle sales were the second-lowest in more than a year, according to separate figured from Autodata.
Revolving credit, which is mostly made up of credit card loans, increased at an annual rate of 1.8% in April, compared with a rise of 6.5% in March.
Economists are watching the consumer closely as they expect spending to drive growth in the remainder of 2017 after the weak start to the year.
Consumer spending, which accounts for two-thirds of U.S. economic growth, rose at a 0.6% annual rate in the first quarter, down from fourth-quarter growth of 3.5%. As a result, first quarter GDP growth rose at a weak 1.2% annual rate.
Economists have predicted consumption would pick up in the second quarter given the low unemployment rate and improving household balance sheets.


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Buffalo Wild Wings unveils new logo, redesigned restaurants
While the logo colors remain the same, the tagline has changed to “Wings. Beer. Sports.” from “Grill & Bar.” The image of the buffalo has also been changed to appear more muscular.
The Golden Valley, Minn.-based company (NASDAQ: BWLD) said its redesigned restaurants would be revealed in late 2012.
“We’ve refined the look and feel of our restaurant to create an atmosphere that feels more like being in a stadium,” said Kathy Benning, executive vice president of global marketing and brand development, in a statement.
Buffalo Wild Wings received low marks in a recent Consumer Reports ranking of 102 of America's biggest chain restaurants. Readers criticized the restaurant's noise and value.
The chain has three South Florida locations: in Cutler Bay at Southland Mall, in Miami at Dolphin Mall and in South Miami on Sunset Drive.
Ashley D. Torres is web producer for the South Florida Business Journal.
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Software Engineer-Mainframe American Express | Fort Lauderdale, FL
Software Engineer-ETL American Express | Fort Lauderdale, FL
Commercial Lender Dade County Federal Credit Union | Miami, FL
Software Engineer-PEGA American Express | Fort Lauderdale, FL
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Missed our webinar on how leading lenders are using big data and predictive models to slash risk and boost revenue?
You can still watch on demand! Access the free webinar right here.
Alternative lenders are coming to the forefront of the market as governmental regulatory changes and the increasingly tech-savvy market has demanded innovation.
But their ascendence has happened because of an even more important reason: The old model of loan evaluation is unequivocally broken.
Lending data analytics innovators joined VentureBeat analyst Evan Schuman to talk about how lenders can break out of old, broken underwriting models to make more profitable credit decisions using predictive modeling, analytics, and new ways to track down and incorporate alternate, crucial sources of customer data.
Outdated lending models
Traditional banks are commonly using outdated or misleading information and making customers wait weeks for a decision — and those decisions are often wrong.
“With traditional underwriting, you have huge gaps and huge problems in the traditional data world,” says Scott Crawford, VP of product and marketing at Ascend Consumer Financial.
The challenge is to fill in the gaps with alternative data sources. Ascend, which recently raised 1.5 million in financing, leverages a proprietary Adaptive Risk Pricing process powered by a broad array of real-time data that goes far beyond just FICA.
But, says Krishna Venkatraman, SVP of Data and Analytics at small-business loan provider OnDeck, “Resistance to new sources of data is a legacy of incumbency. Adoption of innovation that might disrupt your existing business model is always something that’s fraught.”
More and better data is a huge advantage
Alternative lenders have an advantage in how they build more holistic profiles of their applicants, with more far more essential data at the point of decision.
“More data gives you a better perspective, a very different view of the borrower,” says Crawford. The driving question, he says, is how to get a better, more automated, more robust view of the applicant’s capacity.
As innovative as the new models of customer evaluation are, says Terrence McKeown, practice manager, credit analytics at Envestnet | Yodlee, “It really goes back to the fundamentals of lending. Although we have a lot of the different data sources filling in the gaps of things we didn’t previously know, we have to make sure it’s still a good risk decision.”
However, Venkatraman warns, we’re still in the early days of this proliferation of data sources, which means they’re not yet standardized. “Part of the challenge is how do you gain that jungle of data and information, so that you can bring it in and systematically extract signals that can then inform your credit decisions,” he says.
It’s the ability to understand businesses in the context that they operate, and to allow the data to speak for itself that’s going to be a big differentiator for alternative lenders, and it will ultimately lead to better outcomes for businesses themselves.
But as Crawford cautions, big data is or can be unstructured. When building new lending models, companies are faced with the challenge of understanding exactly what signals they need to make effective decisions.
“The danger with any statistical model is overfitting, leading to spurious correlations that fall apart once they’re examined closely. Make sure any data you use is useful,” says Crawford. “Correlations should be explainable theoretically. It’s not always possible in big data machine models, but you should try — if only for regulatory reasons.”
It’s also essential, says, McKeown, to make sure your data is clean. “It’s great to have all this information,” he says, “but when you’re looking at this data, what’s the source of it, and was it able to be manipulated by the borrower in any way to influence the decision?”
The future of lending
Alternative lending solutions, Crawford says, are the future of the industry. “It’s not just that small upstarts are going to be more nimble about bringing things in,” he says. “It also goes to the testing of the credit models and their ability to quickly put things out into the marketplace and get feedback on it. I think that feedback loop is going to be really important as well as a driver on the credit modeling side.”
Some businesses will evolve faster than others, and slow adopters will follow as models are proven out and regulatory uncertainty goes away.
Perhaps big banks will never get there, with their current business structures. However, Crawford predicts, big banks may partner with smaller, more innovative companies whose business models and underwriting approaches have proven out.
For more on how new, innovative data approaches improve credit risk and drive profitability, check out the entire free webinar now.
Don’t miss out!
In this webinar you’ll:
- Learn the trends driving change in marketplace lending and credit risk management
- Build more accurate predictive ratings models based on alternative data sets
- Get insight into the future of marketplace lending and credit risk management
Scott Crawford, VP of Product and Marketing, Ascend Consumer Financial
Krishna Venkatraman, SVP of Data and Analytics, OnDeck
Terrence McKeown, Practice Manager, Credit Analytics, Envestnet | Yodlee
Evan Schuman, moderator, VentureBeat
This webinar is sponsored by Yodlee.


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Brady Corporation (NYSE:BRC) announced fourth quarter financial results before market open today
The company revealed income of $ 36.61 million or $ 0.68 per share, expanded 3.03 percent compared with income of $ 34.95 million or $ 0.66 per share, a year ago period.
The net sales for the fourth quarter reduced 0.75 percent to $ 295.28 million from $ 297.50 million in the same quarter last year.
Street analysts expected Brady Corporation to report revenue of $ 299.91 million for the fourth quarter.
Analysts estimates are from Thomson Reuters, exclude one time gain or loss.
Further, the company announced 2020 earnings estimate to a range of $ 2.45 ~ $ 2.55 per share.


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Dr. Weeks’ Comment: It is about time!
Smartphone Class Action Lawsuits Consolidated. FCC Accredited Lab Confirms Models Exceed RF Safety Levels Up to 500%
DECEMBER 6, 2019 BY B.N. Frank
In August the Chicago Tribune published a report that 11 smartphone models exceeded federal RF safety levels. This led to FeganScott law firm starting a class action lawsuit against Apple and Samsung. Consumers claim they were not adequately warned about radiation exposure risks from these devices. In fact, no “safe” level of cell phone radiation has still been scientifically determined for children or pregnant women.
For many years now, health experts, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, have also been warning that children are more susceptible to harm from exposure. Regardless, phone manufacturers continue to make and market smartphones and other wireless devices to children and for children.
Thanks to FeganScott for providing updates about their progress:
FeganScott Law Firm Confirms PhoneGate: New FCC-Accredited Lab Results Show Apple and Samsung Smartphone RF Radiation Levels Exceed Federal Limit
Third-party test results show radiation exposure exceeds five times the federal limit
San Francisco – December 6, 2019 – National consumer-rights law firm FeganScott consolidated its two proposed class action suits against Apple (AAPL) and Samsung Electronics (SSNLF) after independent testing from a Federal Communications Commission-accredited laboratory confirmed that radio-frequency (RF) radiation levels from popular Apple and Samsung smartphones far exceeded federal limits when the devices are used as marketed by the manufacturers.
Beth Fegan, managing partner of FeganScott and the attorney representing the consolidated suit, which was filed after the firm hired the industry-recognized lab, says that smartphone manufacturers must take responsibility for misleading consumers about the levels of RF radiation emitted by their smartphones when used against or in close proximity to the user’s skin.
“Apple and Samsung smartphones have changed the way we live. Adults, teenagers and children wake up to check their email or play games and do work or school exercises on their smartphones. They carry these devices in their pockets throughout the day and literally fall asleep with them in their beds,” Fegan said.
“The manufacturers told consumers this was safe, so we knew it was important to test the RF radiation exposure and see if this was true,” Fegan noted. “It is not true. The independent results confirm that RF radiation levels are well over the federal exposure limit, sometimes exceeding it by 500 percent, when phones are used in the way Apple and Samsung encourage us to. Consumers deserve to know the truth.”
The FCC-accredited lab tested six different brand-new smartphone models at various distances, ranging from zero to 10 millimeters to measure the amount of RF radiation released when touching or in close proximity to the body. When tested at two millimeters, the iPhone 8 and Samsung Galaxy S8 were more than twice the federal exposure limit. At zero millimeters, the iPhone 8 was five times more than the federal exposure limit, and the Samsung Galaxy S8 was more than three times the federal exposure limit.
The consolidated suit filed by FeganScott includes a comprehensive list of all named plaintiffs and includes the extensive FCC-accredited lab test results from all the smartphones tested: iPhone 7+, iPhone 8, iPhone XR, Galaxy S8, Galaxy S9, and Galaxy S10.
The test settings reflected the smartphones’ actual use conditions, rather than the conditions set by manufacturers in order to produce results that appear to be safe for consumers.
“Smartphone owners across the country deserve to know that the RF radiation levels from smartphones when touching the skin or used close to the body may be unsafe,” Fegan noted. “The emails and calls from concerned consumers have increased as more research comes to light, and it is our goal to show that Apple and Samsung were aware of the alarmingly high radiation levels when their products arrived on the market.”
According to Pew Research Center, 96 percent of Americans own a cell phone, and of those, 81 percent own a smartphone. Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization, reports that 29 percent of American teens sleep with their phones in bed with them, which makes the radiation level findings especially alarming.
Filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California, San Francisco Division, the lawsuit seeks to represent Apple and Samsung smartphone owners. The suit asks the court to order the defendants to pay for medical monitoring and damages
FeganScott is a nationwide class-action law firm dedicated to helping consumers. The firm’s partners have successfully recovered $1 billion on behalf of consumers and victims nationwide. FeganScott is committed to pursuing successful outcomes with integrity and excellence, while holding unjust parties accountable. To learn more, visit www.feganscott.com.
Verizon to launch smart phone plan meant for kids https://youtu.be/1hrJuNNYdjc
Cellphone radiation penetrates brain – scientific imaging https://youtu.be/FRPnXsEVGUY
Cellphone radiation permeates children’s brains deeper than adults https://youtu.be/h_YhKblPtOo
Activist Post reports regularly about biological exposure risks from all sources of Electromagnetic Radiation aka Electrosmog. For more information, visit our archives and the following websites:


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Wellington businesses and tourist operators will soon have easy access to millions of Chinese customers through one of the world's largest online platforms.
The Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency (WREDA) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Christchurch Airport, granting Wellington tourist organisations use of the airport's store on Fliggy, Alibaba's travel portal, which boasts more than 200 million members.
Similar to Expedia, Fliggy allows customers to book travel-related products such as flights, accommodation, tours and product bundles.
The agreement will allow small to medium sized businesses to use data from the airport's agreement with Alibaba to better market and advertise their products on Tmall Global, Alibaba's "online mall" and the largest business to consumer website in the world.
Businesses will be able to sell products from boutique chocolate to Wairarapa wine on the platform and ship them directly to consumers in China.
Through both Fliggy and Tmall, brands develop and operate their own branded stores within the online mall. Christchurch Airport has created a "South" store, focusing on the South Island, while Wellington businesses will have a separate section dedicated to their region.
Access to the Chinese behemoth's payment platform system, AliPay, will also begin to be ramped up in the capital under the agreement, with businesses provided support to set up and advertise within the app.
A select few Wellington businesses, such as Te Papa and Weta Workshop, have already introduced AliPay, which is used by more than 520 million Chinese people each month.
AliPay is the preferred way for Chinese consumers to both find businesses and pay for goods and services.
Ian Phillips, manager of strategic projects and retail at Weta Workshop, said customers started using AliPay within 15 minutes of the payment method going live.
"We've had it in place just over 12 months now . . . we saw immediate uptake, which was obviously encouraging."
Phillips said Chinese customers did things differently to those in the western world - when Weta Workshop staff visited China there were even restaurants where they could not pay in cash.
Many people used their mobile phones to pay for goods and services, he said.
AliPay works much like paywave, with customers scanning a QR code on their phones to pay at the counter. The machine sits alongside other eftpos machines and was easy to set up, he said.
About 3-5 transactions each day at their main visitor location were made through AliPay.
"We're happy to kind of liaise or chat with other operators . . . it's a pretty low impact in terms of setting it up."
The agreement with Christchurch Airport will give Wellington direct access to the Chinese market, WREDA general manager of regional development, destination and attraction David Perks said.
"A key part of that exposure is to get more Wellington businesses accepting payments through AliPay and WePay, which are used by nearly every Chinese tourist."
Christchurch Airport chief aeronautical and commercial officer Justin Watson said the agreement had enormous potential.
"This is a great example of two parts of the country working together to grow New Zealand's collective tourism and export success. In short, the agreement between the airport and WREDA will enable Kiwi businesses to connect and do business with the record number of Chinese visitors coming to New Zealand – before, during and after their trip."
Watson expects the agreement to spark significant interest from businesses in and around the Wellington region.
"AliPay has 800 million Chinese users, Fliggy has 220 million members and Tmall Global has more than 515 million. This presents a huge opportunity. "
The agreement comes after it was revealed Wellington is the New Zealand city most Chinese want to visit on their trip.
More than 3000 recent Chinese travellers surveyed by Hotels.com had Wellington at the top of the respondents' wish list (52 per cent), followed by Auckland (45 per cent) and Queenstown (31 per cent).


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Digital economy transformation, experience digital life in China
8 Apr 2019 14:30h - 16:15h
The session was opened by a short statement from Mr Houlin Zhao (Secretary General, International Telecommunication Union (ITU)). He stated that information and communications technologies (ICTs) have developed everywhere, noting that the Chinese industry is one of the best examples in using ICTs.
Mr Xinzhe Wang (Director of Network Technology Research Department, China Unicom Network Technology Research Institute) explained that the digital economy attracts a lot of attention in China and that they are promoting ICT infrastructure, Internet access, and investments in accelerating network speed. He mentioned that there is a national consensus on digital transformation and that it improves the Chinese economy. He also spoke about cloud computing and data.
The session moderator, Mr Xingang Yu (VP of Wireless Network Marketing & Solution Sales, Huawei Technologies Co Ltd) explained the ‘Opening new era of 5G commercialisation in 2019’. He said that 5G has the capacity to create solid business foundation and reduced cost per gigabyte. Yu explained the ‘Global carriers’ strategy around 5G’ and talked about its role in 5G smart monitoring, the 5G connected vehicle, and the virtual reality in medicine. Furthermore, he mentioned the ‘China Joint 5G Use Cases Innovation Pilot’, i.e., the 5G automatic bus in Shenzhen city, the Internet of Vehicles in Chongqing city, intelligent manufacturing in Jiangsu city, etc.
In addition, he talked about the ‘China operator Fujian launching 5G Based VR service’. He further mentioned ‘Fiber-like experience wireless broadband by 5G in China and global’. He also noted the ‘New Media Style in China Enabled by 5G’: in 5CPE with a camera, and the 5G network in the football stadium. In conclusion, he mentioned that the Chinese government is strongly supporting the Internet of things (IoT) business and eco-cities.
Mr Guangquan Wang (Director of Network Technology Research Department, China Unicom Network Technology Research Institute) started by explaining ‘5G for Better Life’ and ‘5G Innovation in China Unicom’. He mentioned the role of the excellent development of applications and talked about ‘Smart Operation’, ‘Open Ecology’, and key strategic partners like Baidu and the Alibaba Group.
Wang said that they have ‘Open Labs Research’ and ‘Trial Commercial Networks Deployed 5 Leading Industry Development’ promoting ecological cooperation. Furthermore, he highlighted the 5G New Media Products regarding the editing cloud, education cloud, security cloud, and office cloud. Moreover, he noted 5G VR Live Broadcasting at the Spring Festival Gala. He also added the ‘5G Assists Automatic Driving in Regional cloud and Edge cloud’. He underlined the ‘World first trial of 5G supporting multi-centre remote collaborative surgery’.
He further talked about ‘5G Enables Smart Education’ and said that it is the holographic interactive education demonstration. In conclusion, he said that we have to be connected to the world and participate in the massive deployment of 5G.
Mr Tao Lou (Manager, Division of Quality Management, Information Security Centre, China Mobile) explained how to use artificial intelligence (AI) technology to prevent spam and improve digital life. He noted the ‘Spam undermines user interests’. He mentioned the ‘AI-based spam prevention platform’ that detects abnormal behaviours, and ‘Smart identification and processing’. He said that one billion users are protected from spam and seven billion spam messages are blocked on average every year. He noted that their system was awarded the ‘Best Big Data Application’ in 2017. He added that this project will be further conducted in the future to better promote ICT development and promote sustainable production and consumption patterns.
Mr Cen Li (Group Customer Manager, China Communications Technology Co Ltd) gave an overview of the development of the digital economy in China. He said that there has been a new development period since 2003 in China regarding high-speed Internet connections. In addition, he noted the new-generation information infrastructure, the digital and intelligent upgrade of traditional industries, the new smart city construction, and the integration of the Internet with real economy.
He explained why there was a need for the ‘ICT training center for high-skilled workers’ in China: less supply, more demand, and the low level of technology. However, he said that they are facing challenges such as training device selection, training courses design, etc.
Ms Xin Li (Senior Engineer, National Computer Network Emergency Response Technical Team/Coordination Center of China (CNCERT)) explained the introduction of e-commerce security development in China. She talked about the e-commerce trend and explained that e-commerce has become an important growth point of the national economy. She mentioned the platforms for service and underlined the growth of mobile e-commerce.
Moreover, she noted cybersecurity threats for payments, data protection, spam messages, etc. She highlighted data security and personal privacy as huge challenges for e-commerce in China. In addition, she shared the Chinese experiences concerning the legislation that would clarify responsibilities, structure the market better, and strengthen the main position of enterprises.
Ms Meiyan Li (Senior Engineer, CNCERT) explained her work on ‘promoting the construction of new type smart cities with different classification’. She noted that more than 300 Chinese cities have launched smart city construction plans. She highlighted how China’s smart city construction has benefited people’s lives in building, power grids, urban public utilities, etc.
Li said that the smart cities are actively practicing new development concepts, and that the industrial chain of upstream and downstream service enterprises are being formed. In addition, she explained that China is accelerating the construction of a new type of smart cities with different levels and classifications. Furthermore, she said that the cities need to develop an interconnected and comprehensive program that connects isolated areas between energy and transportation. She concluded that with the development of the smart industry, people will have more sense of gain, happiness and security.
By Gilles D. Bana
World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) 2019
8 Apr 2019 09:30h - 12 Apr 2019 19:30h
Geneva, Switzerland; and online


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Labourers at a flyover project in Ahmedabad, India. Reuters
Indian economy is likely to swell to $5 trillion mark ahead of its target of 2024 despite huge challenges and global trends. This was stated by T.N. Manoharan, non-executive chairman of India’s Canara Bank recently in Dubai,
Adding to the persisting concerns of a weakening economy, an IHS Markit report said that business sentiment in the country in June fell to the lowest level since 2016 as companies are worried over a subdued economy, government policies, regulation and water shortages.
India’s government forecast on Thursday that economic growth could get back up to 7% per cent this year, but cautioned it will face challenges keeping its fiscal deficit in check.
Dubai Chamber members who are trading with markets in Asia are faring better than expected despite business challenges brought forth by the (Covid-19) pandemic, a new report issued by Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry has revealed.
The Federal Tax Authority (FTA) asserted that its recent decision to postpone the final step of phase two of the Marking Tobacco and Tobacco Products Scheme until January 1, 2021, does not affect the first two steps that were already implemented, nor does it impact the Excise Tax rates.
The Umm Al Quwain Free Trade Zone Authority has taken a series of proactive steps to ensure business continuity for its existing investors who are battling the economic backlash. These welcome measures will lend a helping hand to SMEs and microbusinesses to overcome serious cash flow challenges in the next few months, retain their workforce and sustain their businesses.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Accountability, Shahzad Akbar says a subsidy of Rs29 billion was given to sugar industry in last five years to the subsidy of just Rs2.4 billion by the PTI-led Punjab Government.


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BlackBerry’s CEO, John Chen, had a frank talk with Re/Code before the weekend that is definitely worth reading. First he mentioned that “I think I am going to sell the server first,” Chen said. “The server will lead the device sale.” This is in terms of converting BES 10 companies trying the server to stick with the platform. He also said that “I’m abnormal” in terms of not wanting a safe easy job but rather paints himself as the surgeon treating BlackBerry (the patient). He went on to state that “If you are an emergency room doctor, you should not be afraid of the blood,” and that surgery is not without its challenges.
Either way its a nice and frank view of the companies leader and his vision for using BES 10 to revive the company. Check out the full interview here.


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Nintendo has issued a statement following a predictable spate of complaints from gamers suffering headaches and eyestrain when playing the new 3DS console.
Despite a successful launch of the new glasses-less 3D handheld console this weekend, a select few buyers have made waves with their inability to play comfortably.
Defiantly, Nintendo's UK PR head Rob Saunders says that the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive since Friday's launch and a risk of discomfort comes with the territory of 3D content.
"We have shown Nintendo 3DS at multiple events around the world to literally hundreds of thousands of people and have received very few negative comments," he told Maxconsole.
Take a break
"As with anything that requires focus, from reading to staring at a computer screen, taking breaks frequent breaks is always recommended.
"When viewing any kind of 3D images, some people might experience minor discomfort. The effects are short term and have no lasting effect, in fact most players can continue after taking a short break.
"The Nintendo 3D was designed with a 3D depth slider that lets users adjust the 3D effect to a level that suits them for optimum enjoyment."
Basically Saunders is offering a priceless piece of advice to all those Nintendo fans experiencing discomfort: If you don't want a headache, don't stare at a tiny screen for hours on end. You're welcome.
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A technology journalist, writer and videographer of many magazines and websites including T3, Gadget Magazine and TechRadar.com. He specializes in applications for smartphones, tablets and handheld devices, with bylines also at The Guardian, WIRED, Trusted Reviews and Wareable. Chris is also the podcast host for The Liverpool Way. As well as tech and football, Chris is a pop-punk fan and enjoys the art of wrasslin'.


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Eleven new Amiibo’s have been revealed and set to be released in February 2015.
Walmart is having an early 2DS sale now going on through November for the low price of $79.99. This sale is an online exclusive and will most likely only last while supplies last so take advantage while it’s still available. Though it is an online exclusive, you can purchase online for store pickup and save on shipping. Continue reading


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It’s been a strange few weeks for news-reading apps. First, Google announced plans to shutter Reader, its popular RSS service. Long-time Reader users fled to competitor Feedly in droves, and Digg decided to launch a new reader.
Now changes are in store for another popular newsreading service, Pulse. The professional networking site LinkedIn on Thursday said it will buy the 3-year-old company for $90 million.
But before any of Pulse’s 30 million users begin searching for another reader, Pulse said its apps for iOS and Android will stay the same, and the company will continue to work on its existing products while developing new ones with LinkedIn.
In its Thursday announcement, the Pulse team said that it plans to help “professionals looking for insights to help make them better at what they do.” The first step is offering a LinkedIn influencer feed to push posts by entrepreneurs like Jack Welch and Richard Branson.
Another change: Pulse’s team will join LinkedIn’s employees at the company’s headquarters in Mountain View.
Purchase makes sense
The acquisition of Pulse makes sense for LinkedIn, which has worked to evolve beyond just a basic resume site. The network recommends connections and helps users find and apply for new gigs, with premium accounts for job-seekers. LinkedIn recently revamped its search features to help you network more effectively.
The company didn’t say exactly how it plans to integrate Pulse into its existing services, but LinkedIn’s Deep Nishar said in a statement that the company’s “vision for content is that LinkedIn will be the definitive professional publishing platform, and Pulse is a perfect complement to this vision.”
“We believe we can help all professionals make smarter and more informed business decisions leveraging all the great business knowledge flowing through LinkedIn in the form of news, Influencer posts, industry updates, discussions, comments, and more,” Nishar wrote in a Thursday blog post.
So your LinkedIn news feed, largely populated by articles your connections share, may soon become a source of more original content.
This story, "LinkedIn buys Pulse newsreader, no changes planned yet" was originally published by TechHive.


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Apple Vision Pro finally gets FCC approval as launch inches closer
Apple can finally launch the Apple Vision Pro in the US in peace.
Apple Vision Pro is all set to grace us on February 2, while the pre-orders will start weeks before that, on January 19. As the launch date gets closer, Apple has finally received FCC approval in the United States for its first mixed-reality headset.
Today, the FCC has published filings from Apple and test reports confirming that Vision Pro can be sold in the United States.
However, it wasn’t a secret that the Apple Vision Pro didn’t have FCC’s approval up until now – the company has always been upfront about it, and even its marketing material included the disclaimer.
Apple Vision Pro has not been authorized as required by the rules of the Federal Communications Commission. This device is not, and may not be, offered for sale or lease, or sold or leased, until authorization is obtained.
So, Apple can finally remove this disclaimer from its marketing materials, courtesy of the FCC.
That said, several FCC documents are still labeled as short-term confidential, with more details set to become available on July 14, including internal photos, setup photos, and more.
Apple Vision Pro lacks UWB and the latest Wi-Fi chip used in the M3 Macs
The FCC filing has revealed an interesting new detail for the Vision Pro. Apparently, Apple’s mixed-reality headset lacks Ultra Wideband and Wi-Fi 6E or 7 chips.
However, this shouldn’t come as a surprise, as the hardware inside the Vision Pro was developed around Apple’s M2 silicon. Apple has since moved on to the M3 chip.
So, the absence of these chips was speculated. The FCC filing just supports these assumptions.
For this same reason, the Apple Vision Pro will support Wi-Fi 6, not the Wi-Fi 6E. And for those who were expecting Wi-Fi 7, according to MacRumors’ Joe Rossignol, there’s always Apple Vision Pro 2, but we will likely have moved on to Wi-Fi 10 by then.
In addition, the FCC filing reveals that Apple Vision Pro will not come with Ultra Wideband capabilities.
Reportedly, the iPhone 15’s UWB is of a specific kind, and the Vision Pro lacks that. Apparently, Apple’s UWB chip is all about spatial awareness, but it is also different from spatial computing.
Now that the FCC has officially granted its approval, Apple can officially launch the Vision Pro in the United States.
However, if you are disappointed about the $3,499 Vision Pro not having UWB and Wi-Fi 6E/7, don’t worry. Apple Vision Pro has plenty of things to get excited about.
- Apple Vision Pro apps finally begin arriving to the App Store
- Apple Vision Pro demo will take a good chunk of your time
- Apple Vision Pro box contents revealed ahead of pre-orders
- Why the Apple Vision Pro might be a challenge to get your hands on in 2024


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Adverts which are designed to undermine Londoners’ confidence in their body will be banned on the Transport for London network from next month, in keeping with mayor Sadiq Khan’s manifesto pledge.
The policy, which Mr Khan adopted from former Labour mayoral hopeful Tessa Jowell, will make it much harder for advertisers to promote unrealistic or unhealthy body shapes in order to sell their products.
Dame Tessa proposed the ban in response to adverts such as the controversial “Are you beach body ready?” poster which drew hundreds of complaints from passengers but was later cleared by the Advertising Standards Authority.
Mr Khan said: “As the father of two teenage girls, I am extremely concerned about this kind of advertising which can demean people, particularly women, and make them ashamed of their bodies. It is high time it came to an end.
“Nobody should feel pressurised, while they travel on the Tube or bus, into unrealistic expectations surrounding their bodies and I want to send a clear message to the advertising industry about this.”
TfL will also set-up an Advertising Steering Group, which will include representatives from its partners Exterion Media and JCDecaux and a range of stakeholders, to keep its advertising policy under regular review.
Graeme Craig, TfL Commercial Development Director said: “Advertising on our network is unlike TV, online and print media.
“Our customers cannot simply switch off or turn a page if an advertisement offends or upsets them and we have a duty to ensure the copy we carry reflects that unique environment.
“We want to encourage great advertising that engages people and enhances the transport network.”


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Consumers now have just one week left to take advantage of Sky's ongoing broadband deal, which offers a free Sky+ box to bundle subscribers.
The internet service provider is currently offering a free box-set to households signing up for its Sky Broadband and Talk package with basic satellite TV access.
With a Sky+ unit, TV viewers are able to access Anytime content, and store up to 185 hours of programmes to be watched at a later date.
They are also able to pause, rewind and record live television, meaning viewers never have to miss any of the action.
The broadband deal has already been extended once this month, having originally been due to expire on February 3rd.
However, the upcoming deadline is likely to be final, meaning consumers need to decide soon whether this is the broadband package for them.


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Tag: farmers market
Today is the first farmers market for 2014, from 12:00noon till 4:00pm, yeah!
Friday nights could mean food trucks in Occidental Park.
Every Monday night starting April 29, the Marietta Food Truck Rally will offer Cobb foodies a taste of the thriving urban street food scene.
"It's the natural progression of the business," said Strait.
He prepares and cooks all the meals from raw ingredients on-site
New ordinance could be fined $100 to $1,000 for each offense.
Nashville’s mobile food truck vendors have a message for city officials


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FDA uses new method to detect counterfeit or sub-standard anti-malarial drugs
The CD-3 is a handheld, battery-operated device that uses light wavelength to compare unidentified products to their authentic counterpart to test authenticity. The device, developed by scientists at the FDA's Forensic Chemistry Center, is currently used to test cosmetics, foods, cigarettes and medical device authenticity. A new contract with Corning, however, has been signed to design a device that can screen products in bulk.
The FDA partnered with the Skoll Global Threats Fund, the U.S. Pharmacopeia, the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the multi-agency President's Malaria Initiative, led by the U.S. Agency for International Development, in support of an initiative to reach global control of malaria.
"Fake or substandard anti-malarial drugs cause double damage: without adequate, prompt treatment, the malaria parasite can kill a person in a matter of days, and inadequate treatment can also lead to the development of drug resistance, potentially rendering all treatment ineffective," FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg said. "The development of the CD-3 and the formation of this important partnership are critical steps toward the FDA's goal of improving the global product safety net in order to protect consumers in the U.S. and worldwide."
The new initiative will begin by optimizing testing on anti-malarial drugs to detect falsified products or vaccines that do not have an adequate amount of active ingredients, since this contributes to drug-resistance and can greatly increase risk of death due to infection. CD-3 efficacy testing will begin in Ghana this year and run through 2014 via the USP Promoting the Quality of Medicines Program; other partners of the initiative provide the funding to make these efforts possible.
Malaria kills over 660,000 people each year, mostly children from African and Southeast Asia. Making preventative methods available to these regions is critical in reaching global control of the disease, according to a study commissioned by the FDA.


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Saudi Arabia’s largest food producer Savola says it will maintain business in Iran, brushing off speculation that its stake might be sold in the wake of a diplomatic spat between the two countries.
Savola’s shares plunged after Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir was quoted as saying that Riyadh was severing “all commercial relations” with Iran along with diplomatic ties and halting flights to the Persian country.
However, a senior Savola executive quoted by Reuters, said the company “plans to maintain its investments there (in Iran) despite a diplomatic standoff between the regional powers.”
“We knew the risks of doing business in Iran from the start,” said the executive, who declined to be named due to Saudi disclosure rules.
The Saudi holding has a controlling 90% stake in Savola Behshahr Industrial Company which accounts for 40% of Iran’s edible oil market. The firm’s Iranian edible oils and sugar businesses account for some 13% of total revenues.
It also holds 100% ownership in the Savola Behshahr Sugar Company, distribution firm Tolue Pakhshe Aftab and confectionery maker Modern Behtaam Royan Kaveh, according to the group’s annual report.
Iran provided 11% of Savola’s total revenue in the third quarter of 2015 and the company’s revenues for Iran totaled 2 billion Saudi riyals ($534 million) in the first nine months of 2015.
The company has come under scrutiny, with several Iranian MPs questioning Savola’s perceived monopoly over edible oils business in the country and local producers accusing it of dumping.
The Saudi government is reportedly the second-largest single shareholder in Savola through a 10% stake held by a social-insurance board.
Local producers in Iran have accused the company of flooding the market with its products in anticipation of expanding the company’s clout.
Savola says it is looking to an imminent lifting of sanctions to further boost Iran business.
“For the long term, Savola will have a competitive advantage once sanctions have been lifted,” the company’s executive told Reuters.
Saudi businesses in Iran
The fallout from recent deterioration of diplomatic ties looms large over commercial ties between Tehran and Riyadh but trade volumes are paltry.
The few Saudi companies operating in Iran are mainly involved in food and consumer goods businesses.
Since 2005, Rani Refreshments has been making its popular fruit juice products in Iran under license from Saudi Arabia’s Aujan Group Holding, itself operating under British firm Nichols and Coca-Cola through a $1 billion joint venture.
Kaveh Aluminum Can Company in Iran supplies cans to the Aujan Industries Iranian Company as well as Coca-Cola, Pepsi and other brands for sale in Iran, according to Reuters.
Who will lose the most?
Meanwhile, it is not clear yet how the recent diplomatic row will affect proceeds from more than 1 million Iranians traveling to Saudi Arabia a year for the Hajj pilgrimage.
While Saudi Foreign Minister Jubeir has stated that Iranian pilgrims would still be welcome to visit Mecca and Medina, an Iranian official said the decision to continue or suspend the Hajj is up to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei to make.
On Wednesday, the Fars news agency said Saudi Arabia makes a minimum of $1 billion a year from Iranian Hajj travels, which could enormously damage the kingdom’s economy if Iran decides to halt them.
“Regardless of diplomatic and political aspects, it is Saudi Arabia which will definitely lose economically,” from its decision to cut relations with Iran, the news agency said.
“Existing figures and reviews show we are not buying any special commodity from Saudi Arabia because Saudi Arabia basically is not a producer for its goods to be used in the Iranian market,” Fars added.
Meanwhile, head of the Jewelry Producers’ Union Ebadollah Mohammad-Vali said Iranian gold producers who sell to Saudi customers “can easily find a new market,” the ISNA news agency reported.
By Press TV


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Zenimax Online Studios has announced a new expansion for The Elder Scrolls Online. Titled Necrom, the expansion takes players to a new area.
The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom is scheduled to take place in the Telvanni Peninsula and the realm of Apocrypha. The Telvanni Peninsula is home to huge mushrooms and rock spires.
More details about the expansion are scheduled to be revealed after Xbox and Bethesda Developer_Direct, where the studio will delve further into the expansion’s new features and details about its new zone.
The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom is scheduled to launch on June 5 for PC and June 20 for Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.
All previous chapters are now also available for free for a limited time. This means that players can play through over 20 different DLCs that have been released for The Elder Scrolls Online since the game’s release.


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Pepperfry’s IPO plans come at a time when discretionary spends across sectors, including furniture retail, have been affected by the Covid-19... ...https://www.hindustantimes.com/business-news/pepperfry-aims-for-ipo-next-year-as-it-nears-break-even/story-Sj1oqD1dnoucxmgJJk0svO.html
The season will be dominated by a fight for market share among three big online platforms — Amazon, Walmart-owned Flipkart and new entrant... ...https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/services/retail/first-time-buyers-from-small-towns-may-help-etailers-bag-big-gains-this-festive-season/articleshow/78179835.cms
Future’s home retailing interests, including furniture and furnishings, are housed under Praxis Home Retail, which was created in FY18 when... ...http://www.rediff.com/money/report/future-sold-biyani-to-keep-home-retailing-biz-going/20200911.htm
Ikea, Flipkart and Pepperfry lead the show. Physical and mental health concerns during COVID times encouraging consumers to choose items that... ...https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/demand-for-home-office-furniture-stillthe-rise_14190661.html
Independence Day 2020: Rishta vohi branding nayi in Swadeshi ads and (social) media Independence Day 2020: Homegrown brand such as Parle Agro,... ...https://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/swadeshi-ads-and-social-media-rishta-vohi-branding-nayi/story-YRQZtv9SJqJFxT9K46oTXK.html
PepperfryCoupons 2017- Promo Codesand...


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The arrival of 2020 marks the end of WhatsApp's operation on Windows Phone, a mobile operating system developed by Microsoft, which did not achieve the desired success. But the popular messaging app will also stop operating on older versions of Android and iOS soon.
Windows Phone support is scheduled to end on December 31, 2019, according to WhatsApp itself. That is, the new year will start without the messenger for those who have a cell phone with the Redmond Company system, remembering that he has not been in the Microsoft Store since last July.
For older versions of Google and Apple systems, the app will have a small survival, running until February 1, 2020 on devices running Android 2.3.7 and earlier and iPhones with iOS 8 and earlier. In these models, users can no longer create new accounts or verify existing ones.
Android Gingerbread devices and iOS 8 iPhones will also be out of the app by 2020. (Source: Pixabay)
According to WhatsApp, messenger features may stop working at any time after these dates. So if you use one of the end-of-support phones and want to save your messages, you should back up your conversations or export them by email before the deadline.
WhatsApp Compatible Systems Currently
On its official website, WhatsApp reports that it has compatibility with the following operating systems:
- Android 4.0.3 and higher versions
- iOS 9 and later versions
- KaiOS 2.5.1 and later, including JioPhone and JioPhone 2
TecMundo Discount Coupons:


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Ethiopian businesses should use digital tech to ride the GDP growth wave
With a decade of consistently high GDP growth – powered by booming manufacturing, agriculture and construction industries – Ethiopia is one of the most vibrant markets in Africa. It is positioned to be one of East Africa’s major digital players as Ethiopian businesses begin to harness digital technologies to boost their competitiveness, agility and productivity.
That’s according to Nikki Summers, Regional Director for Sage in East Africa, who was speaking on the sidelines of the first ICT Expo Ethiopia in Addis Ababa, taking place from 28 June to 2 July this year. Summers says that the event highlights the central role that IT could play in the growth and diversification of Ethiopia’s economy in the years to come.
Says Summers: “With expected GDP growth of over 7% for the year, Ethiopia is one of Africa’s star economic performers. To keep up with the pace of change and growth, businesses will need to improve productivity and embrace innovation. Companies in Ethiopia can leapfrog legacy technologies and modernise their businesses with cloud and mobile technologies. The right technologies can support them in this goal by automating business processes and giving them better visibility into business performance.”
Over the past 10 years, technology has become simpler and more affordable for African businesses of all sizes, adds Summers. Today, Small & Medium-sized Businesses can buy business software such as accounting and payroll solutions as an affordable cloud-based service. Once the software is in place, management and the workforce can access it on a mobile device from anywhere they have access to the Internet.
Less time on red tape
Summers says that automating business processes with modern digital solutions means that companies can spend less time on red-tape and paperwork, and more on growing their businesses. “Many Ethiopian companies are still using legacy business software or even manual processes,” she adds. “That means they don’t have real-time insight into transactions and performance, and that they spend hours doing work that can be easily automated.”
By implementing modern business solutions, organisations can comply more easily with tax and labour laws, increase efficiencies, and gain more control over their business processes, says Summers. They will be able to reduce human errors that creep into manual processes, tighten financial controls and gain access to the reports and information they need for better planning, forecasting and budgeting.
A modern business system is also a platform for more efficient ways of working. Employees can use employee self-service to access information about benefits, payroll, leave and expenses; the sales team can issue quotes or get pricing information wherever they are; and managers can sign off invoices or requisitions from a smartphone.
The cloud has huge potential for businesses, giving them access to modern applications and opening the way for them to do more transactions via mobile and electronic commerce. It also enables them to reduce software and server costs automation and gives them more flexibility in managing their businesses. Only 12% of Ethiopians have access to the Internet, but penetration continues to rise. The ICT Expo Ethiopia gives us hope that the country is moving towards a more digital economy.
“We already have a strong presence in East Africa through our office in Kenya, and we see Ethiopia as an exciting territory for our business,” says Summers. “Though there is much work to be done in improving Internet penetration, Ethiopia has the potential to be a major digital player in the fast-rising East African economic region.”


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Physicians at the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin have warned that eight Wisconsin-area teens have been hospitalized with severe lung damage, exhibiting serious symptoms including breathing problems. According to a report in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, doctors suspect these problems are tied to vaping or e-cigarette use. The teens were brought in with symptoms such as extreme cough, significant shortness of breath and fatigue. Some had lost weight from vomiting and diarrhea, hospital officials said. They said the cases came on rapidly and were considered acute rather than stemming from consistent use over time.
Serious Injuries and Difficulties Breathing
The family of one patient said he has been hospitalized and is in critical condition this week after vaping THC – the active ingredient in marijuana – from a cartridge he bought off the street. He suffered major lung damage and injuries to other organs, his family members said, adding that he was not breathing on his own and that his heart was weak. The other teens who were hospitalized said they had vaped either nicotine and/or THC. No specific products have been identified yet.
The Wisconsin Department of Heath Services is looking into the cause of the hospitalizations. Health officials say the common theme in all of these hospitalizations is vaping or e-cigarette use. But there is no link to one product or a certain type of product. Many of the teens at the children’s hospital responded to steroid treatment and were released without the need for supplemental oxygen at home. One remained hospitalized.
A Warning for Teens and Parents
Public officials are taking this opportunity to caution teens and parents about the potential harm that can be caused by e-cigarette use. Several studies have shown that vaping can cause serious lung damage. Disturbingly, e-cigarette use among teens has jumped 78 percent over the last few years. As of June 30, poison control centers across the U.S. have received nearly 2,100 cases this year involving e-cigarette use and nicotine. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration began regulating vape shops and manufacturers of e-cigarettes in late 2016. Since then, agency inspectors have visited 1,200 retailers and manufacturers.
As product defect lawyers, we have been cautioning the public about the dangers posed by e-cigarettes. We are representing clients who have been severely burned by exploding e-cigarettes. These health concerns are deeply disturbing, too. The companies that knowingly put these dangerous and defective products in stores and aggressively market them to children should be held accountable.


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A cashless society: Lawmakers in FL want to protect residents’ rights to pay via cash at businesses
Cash. Credit: Svetl. Royalty-free Collection: iStock / Getty Images Plus.
A cornerstone of society is the freedom to pay for products and services through a variety of payment methods, from cash and coins to credit and debit cards.
And as technology evolves, digital payment options also have become popular, such as Apple and Google Pay using smartphones and online platforms through PayPal.
That said, concerns have been raised about a continued shift to a cashless society, though lawmakers in Florida and some other states want to prevent that from happening.
State lawmakers from both chambers of the Florida Legislature have recently introduced legislation to protect the use of cash at retailers, with bills being considered during the 2022 legislative session.
“There are a lot of people who don’t have a credit card. They don’t even have credit. They don’t have a bank account,” state Rep. Matt Willhite, a Democrat representing part of Palm Beach County, said in a phone conversation Tuesday with the Florida Phoenix.
“They may not have a smart phone; they may not have an online service. What are all those people supposed to do, whether it’s during a pandemic or not, to be able to purchase goods for their family?”
Last week, Willhite introduced HB 233, which would “require certain businesses to accept cash payments for certain transactions,” while prohibiting fees or other conditions attached to cash payments. The legislation would apply to money transactions where customers are “physically present at the place of business.”
“I still believe that a hard day’s work earns a hard day’s pay. And that pay, in my mind, is cash,” Willhite said.
The idea to propose a measure that would ensure customers are able to provide cash payments for goods and services at Florida businesses was prompted, in part, by Willhite’s experience at a restaurant that only accepted card payments.
“I ate at a restaurant a couple of months back. … All three of us are at the table with our bills and they put their credit cards down and I put down cash and the guy says, ‘Well, we don’t take cash,’ “Willhite said.
“And he was able to do that. But what would I do if I didn’t have a credit card to pay my bill? Would I have had to do dishes for an hour or two hours to pay my bill?”
Meanwhile, a cashless society would harm many populations, such as workers in the service industry and tourists coming to explore Florida who only have cash on hand, Willhite said. He told the Phoenix that he believes this is the first time the measure has been proposed in Florida.
“We have tourism and people that come into this country from all other countries,” he said.
“A lot of them bring cash with them and they want to spend it here. And if they don’t have a credit card here or an online account to be able to buy things, how are those tourists supposed to come here and spend money?”
Overall, nearly 7.1 million or 5.4 percent of U.S. households don’t have bank accounts, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s latest survey in 2019. In comparison, about 94.6 percent of U.S. households had banked in 2019.
“Lower-income households, less-educated households, Black households, Hispanic households, American Indian or Alaska Native households, and working-age disabled households were less likely to use bank credit,” according to the survey.
Jones files bill too.
State Sen. Shevrin Jones, a Democrat representing part of Broward and Miami-Dade counties, also is sponsoring a bill to protect the use of cash.
Jones told the Phoenix that the bill could face opposition from groups such as the Florida Chamber of Commerce but said he’d spoken “with two Republican members” in the Senate and “they like the bill.”
The Phoenix is awaiting a response from the Florida Chamber of Commerce regarding whether it supports the measure.
Jones stressed the importance of the legislation protecting “Black and brown communities” that could be disproportionately affected by cashless transactions because many “don’t have access to a bank, credit or debit card.”
According to the U.S. Department of Treasury, there is no federal law “mandating that a private business, a person or an organization must accept currency or coins as for payment for goods and/or services.”
The agency explains on its website that “private businesses are free to develop their own policies on whether or not to accept cash unless there is a state law which says otherwise.”
Recently, some cities and states have already enacted laws to protect the use of cash at retailers.
According to a report from The Pew Charitable Trusts, “left-leaning leaders” in cities and states such as New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco as well as New Jersey and Massachusetts have passed laws to prohibit cashless stores.
Those bills had received some pushback from business groups such as the National Federation of Independent Business, arguing that “retailers should be free to choose how to serve their customers,” The Pew Charitable Trusts wrote.
But advocates against businesses adopting payment systems where customers only can pay with digital currency argue that it would exclude many people who aren’t able to obtain credit cards and don’t have bank accounts.
“There are a lot of places that have started to move away from cash but what’s even worse is the [COVID-19] pandemic has now increased people’s use of a cashless system, whether it’s an excuse or for a real purpose, which is to not interact with cash in your hand,” Willhite said.
“I think technology is moving in the right direction. The problem is we can’t forget that not everybody can keep up with that technology.”
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America Leads the World in Food Wastage
Americans waste about a pound of food per person each day amounting to about 60 million tons (or $160 billion) worth of produce annually, a study conducted at the US Department of Agriculture found. This is when one-in-six people in America face hunger and 13 million children are forced to struggle with hunger.
About 150,000 tons of food is tossed out of US households each day, equivalent to about a third of the daily calories that each American consumes. Fruit and vegetables are most likely to be thrown out, followed by dairy and then meat.
Food Wastage has Far-Reaching Effects
This food wastage has an economic as well as environmental toll. Getting food to our tables eats up 10% of the total U.S. energy budget, uses 50% of U.S. land, and swallows 80% of freshwater consumed in the United States. And it’s not just food, 25% of all freshwater and huge amounts of energy and land are also being wasted. Also to be kept in mind is the fact that to produce the unnecessary food huge amounts of chemicals are being used.
But that’s not all. Most wasted food ends up in landfills where organic matter accounts for 16% of U.S. methane emissions. Furthermore, all of that wasted food could feed many of the 46.5 million Americans who use food banks.
Why is Food Waste so Prevalent?
Americans waste 10 times as much food as people who live in Southeast Asia. Part of the food waste problem in the United States is a lack of education and lack of sensitization towards the issue. It is just not the American households who are the culprit, most of the large grocery chains and supermarkets in the country are also hand-in-glove in this crime. While shoppers refuse to buy imperfect-looking fruit, grocers refuse to stock the shelves with any wonky-looking wares. “Grocery stores routinely trash produce for being the wrong shape or containing minor blemishes,” Doug Rauch, the former president of the Trader Joe’s Company said.
The Guardian’s Suzanne Goldenberg reported that, “vast quantities of fresh produce grown in the U.S. are left in the field to rot, fed to livestock or hauled directly from the field to landfill, because of unrealistic and unyielding cosmetic standards.”
Lisa Jahns, a nutritionist at USDA and co-author of the study feels that it is high time now and recommends educating consumers on fruit and vegetable storage in order to reduce food waste. She further added, “Consumers aren’t connecting the dots, [and] they don’t see the cost when they throw food in the trash. At the same time, we don’t want to undermine legitimate food safety concerns and we need to be aware it’s not just the cost of food that’s the issue. It’s the time and energy required to prepare and store food, which often isn’t a priority in a busy household.”
How Big is the Problem?
To fully gauge the scale of this problem, take a look at the 10 shocking statistics:
- Americans throw away $165 billion of food each year.
- 40% of food is wasted in the United States every year.
- 35 million tons of food are wasted in the United States each year.
- The average American household throws away $2,200 of food each year.
- The average American throws away 300 lbs. of food per year.
- More than 20 lbs. of food is wasted per person every month in the United States.
- 20% of food that the average American buys is never eaten.
- 90% of food is thrown away too soon.
- Food waste in American has grown by 204% since 1960 and 50% since 1990.
- Reducing food waste by just 15% would be enough to feed more than 25 million Americans every year.


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Photographs shared from the Consensus 2019 event in New York have sparked fresh rumors of yet another internet giant following Facebook down the crypto rabbit hole, this time online marketplace eBay.
Hackernoon reported on a Tweet from an event participant shows several banner ads from the retail giant carrying slogans such as “Virtual Currency. It’s happening on eBay.” and “Digital Collectibles. It’s happening on eBay”.
Looks like adoption is going to be a common word in this industry in 2019… https://t.co/YJumSsiJBF
— Gandalf ?♂ (Spaces Rug King) (@Gandalf_NFT) May 13, 2019
The first looks like an obvious reference to cryptocurrency, since the term “virtual currency” has been used by several jurisdictions to refer to crypto such as Bitcoin. The last phrase is perhaps even more curious as it talks about “digital collectibles”, something that blockchain-based games such as CryptoKitties have introduced via specialized tokens created using the Ethereum protocol.
eBay was one of the sponsors for Consensus 2019 alongside many other huge companies, most already dabbling at least in blockchain technology ventures, such as Deloitte, IBM, Microsoft, Australian Federal Government, Citi, AWS and Accenture.
With the likes of Facebook also seemingly intent on creating its own stablecoin, and banking mammoth JP Morgan already hot on the trails of private crypto, it might come as little surprise others are also joining the corporate queue at the blockchain line.
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Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: The Hills of North Georgia,USA
Ford touts the 2005 GT "40" as an 'anti-snob' exotic
By Anita Lienert / Special to The Detroit News
DEARBORN -- The 2005 GT sports car, the most expensive vehicle ever to wear the Ford badge, will be marketed as "the anti-snob" exotic when it goes on sale early next year.
At a GT technical briefing Monday, Chris Theodore, Ford's top engineer, said the new rear-engine sports car, which features a supercharged, 500-horsepower 5.4-liter V-8 and six-speed manual transmission, will earn a reputation as an affordable exotic.
"When the guy in the exotic brand pulls up next to you at the stoplight, you can say, 'Mine goes faster, and I didn't get ripped off,' " Theodore said.
"I don't want to say it's a blue-collar snob car, but it has the potential to have a broader base than the Ferrari."
Ford has said the GT will be priced under $150,000 -- slightly cheaper than the Ferrari 360 Modena, but significantly more than competitors like the Dodge Viper, which starts at around $80,000. Privately, GT executives say the price will be around $135,000.
The GT will be aimed at 45- to 60-year-old men with six-figure incomes. Pilot production will begin in March. Ford will ultimately make about 1,500 GTs a year, or a total of 4,500 by 2006.
The first GTs will be used for promotional purposes during Ford's centennial celebration in June.
Ford describes the GT as a "reissue" of the original LeMans race car that debuted in 1964. It will be offered in a palette of colors that mirror the original 60's race cars.
To keep weight down, the new GT has an aluminum space frame, a design borrowed from modern racing cars. It will have a top speed of 190 mph and, like many competitors, it will be a gas-guzzler, getting an estimated 16 or 17 miles per gallon on the highway.
Theodore said Ford considered putting a V-12 in the GT, but decided the supercharged V-8 -- a milder version powers the Ford SVT F-150 Lightning pickup -- had "more potential."
My first car was a 67 Mustang Coupe, 2nd one was a 67 Cougar XR-7, 3rd one was a 66 Mustang Coupe. Why did I get rid of these cars for ? I know why, because I'm stupid, stupid, stupid.
My next Ford.....


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For the past three months, Stow native Troy Allen and his team have been hard at work converting the old Five Guys spot on Detroit (15012 Detroit Ave., 216-563-1115, 16-bitbar.com) into an adult-themed wonderland. And according to Allen, the 4,000-square-foot space came out better than he (and we) could have hoped for.
“We’re really happy with it,” says Allen, who also owns the Columbus-based brand strategy firm Elevate. “We wanted to take everything that was great about Columbus and kick it up a notch in Cleveland — and we’ve definitely done that.”
The Columbus location, coincidentally enough, opened one year ago today. It was voted Best New Bar in Columbus last year by the readers of Columbus Underground and it continues to be a top destination for fans of old-school arcade games and pinball. It does so thanks to its attractive, comfortable and contemporary setting.
“People are always shocked when they walk into our Columbus spot because it’s nicer than they expect,” Allen says. “It’s not dimly lit with that arcade-style neon carpet. And while Columbus is our baby, we’ve made Cleveland even nicer in terms of materials and finishes. We’re really proud of it.”
Allen says that he’s also made the layout more user friendly. There’s more room to move about, a bigger bar, and a sweet street-side covered patio on Detroit that can accommodate 35 people.
There are 40 games — 35 arcade and five pinball. All the games are original, in phenomenal condition, and set to free play (except pinball, which are more expensive to maintain, says Allen). Games are swapped in and out based on customer demand.
16-Bit serves no food but welcomes guests to bring in or order in (hint: Melt is two blocks away). The bar has 24 craft beers on tap plus canned beer and cocktails.
Check it out for yourself when it opens to the public today, August 29, at 4 p.m.
Next up for Allen and 16-Bit is Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, which is slated to open Q1 2015.


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Kenya’s tech-savvy youth are finding opportunities in virtual art, signalling a potential job creation to alleviate the country’s unemployment rate. A number of them are finding profitable ventures in non-fungible token (NFT) art, with many going as far as quitting their day jobs for it.
The sector that was nearly non-existent barely two years ago, now carries the hopes of many and its growing prominence has built confidence for young people who now believe they need nothing more than an artistic flair to earn a living.
It represents a unique digital asset with characteristics that are particular, that is, it cannot be interchanged or replaced by another equivalent token, market tracking firm NonFungible.com says.
NFTs take multiple forms, for instance of a digital work of art (painting, photograph, graphical illustration, music, video, film, etc.), a domain name, or even an equipment in a video game.
For Benson Wanjama, 27, the journey into NFT art began when American digital artist Mike Wilkermann, alias Beeple, sold an NFT of his work for $69 million in a day last year in March, a sale that is todate regarded among the highest ever in the industry.
At the time, he barely knew anything about NFTs or anyone in the trade, but developed a desire to venture into the little-known industry. He sank into the internet and in less than a month, had gathered all the information he needed to start.
“In the first month that I sold my art as NFTs, I made more money than the salary I earned from my day job as a photographer,” he said. He later quit the job and is today purely an NFT artist.
Today, unlike at the beginning of last year, there is a whole society of NFT artists in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and the rest of the continent, with the Kenyan chapter even seeking to get registered as a guaranteed company.
“Our NFT community has over 200 members, mostly people living entirely off NFT art and several enthusiasts who are also in it for the love of art and the entire blockchain environment,” Wanjama told The EastAfrican.
The volume of NFT traded has been on the rise since 2020, bolstered by the Covid-19 restrictions that cut off the income streams for several artists globally.
In Kenya, the association of some of the country’s big names, including marathon gold medallist Eliud Kipchoge and rapper Henry Ohanga, alias Octopizzo, with the new innovation as further improved their adoption.
Kipchoge’s NFT collection, which included digital representations of his career milestones, was among the first in the country and sold for over $40,000 in April 2021.
Octopizzo’s NFT album, Fuego, is said to have garnered over $2,000 worth of sales in the first 15 minutes of release in February this year.
In the first quarter of 2022, the volume of NFT trade, according to NFT market tracking firm NonFungible.com, rose to $16.5 billion, a 13.25 percent increase compared to the same quarter last year.
The volume was buoyed by an 80 percent rise in the prices of NFTs since last December, a phenomenon that was associated to changing taste in the type of assets traded, with gaming assets losing currency in favour of art and collectibles.
But even as NFTs permeate youths’ thinking in Kenya, the principle of how it works still eludes many, even those who have given their lives to it.
Prof Bitange Ndemo, chairman of Kenya’s Taskforce on Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence explains NFTs as digital assets which are unique and irreplaceable in nature and through their sale, the owner earns an income and the buyer gets a special right to earn royalties from the asset, giving a form of financial security.
“An NFT creator is just like a farmer who produces unique coffee and takes it to the market. But before they are paid, investors give them money and in turn earn the right to get a share of their income from the coffee when it is delivered.”
But just like cryptocurrencies, Prof Ndemo warns people not to venture into NFT creation or purchase without proper knowledge as the sector is still foggy to many, including government regulators.
In fact, according to NFT creators and enthusiasts, the lack of regulation in the sector has had them living in fear, as they don’t know whether their income is considered legitimate or not.
“Most people in the NFT community lead quiescent lives as they don’t know if tax officials will track them down for unpaid taxes, because there is no clear law on taxes from income earned in NFTs,” said Mr Wanjama.


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New Google Glasses to Transmit Sound Through Skull
By Tom Porter | February 4, 2013 5:06 AM EST
Google's new augmented reality glasses will use the human skull rather than speakers to reproduce sound, according to documents filed with US regulators.
The wraparound glasses, which are due for release in 2014, will allow users to bring up information on the screen by voice command, using the Android operating system run by a tiny computer in the glasses.
The glasses transmit audio waves down the ear channel and through bone tissue in the skull to generate sound.
Bone conduction sound technology is not new but has not been widely used for everyday products. Last year Aftershokz unveiled new headphones that employ it.
The technology is widely used by special forces and police during covert operations to prevent sound 'leaking' from headphones. It can also be used underwater using a device clipped on to goggles or incorporated into hearing aids.
Last month, Google filed a patent for spectacles that integrate bone conduction sound technology, and the Federal Communication Commission this week approved Google Glass, featuring an "integral vibrating element that provides audio to the user via contact with the user's head".
One advantage of the technology is that it allows wearers to hear sounds in their immediate environment, which could be a lifesaver for users crossing the road in a busy city.
The glasses feature WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity and will allow the wearer to see useful information without having to consult a smartphone or similar handheld device.
Google co-founder Sergei Brin has been snapped by a fellow passenger testing the new glasses on a New York subway.
Developers will receive the first finished models, and have been paid $1,500 to help refine the product before it is launched.
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VTEX partners Mangopay to elevate global marketplace success
By Gloria Methri
Mangopay, a platform-specific payment infrastructure provider, and VTEX, the enterprise digital commerce platform, have joined hands to offer an integration that will enable marketplace operators to cover both pay-in and pay-out on a single solution. Together, they aim to bolster the limitless growth of global marketplaces by ensuring frictionless buying and selling experiences.
Marketplaces powered by VTEX will be able to cater to local payment preferences, due to Mangopay’s modular global payment infrastructure. The integration introduces a swift and seamless seller onboarding process, complete with thorough identity verification.
“This significant alliance symbolises a further alignment of our shared vision with VTEX to adeptly address our clients’ financial services requirements,” said Luke Trayfoot, Chief Revenue Officer at Mangopay. “This move facilitates an automated, seamless payment process benefiting sellers, marketplace operators, and the end buyers. Merging the top-tier technology from both our companies paves the way for novel opportunities for online enterprises.”
“We sought a partner capable of empowering our global customer base to realize limitless growth in a scalable marketplace. Mangopay’s international reach enables VTEX to provide a seamless payment process tailored to the country where our customer is operating,” said Prakash Gurumoorthy, General Manager EMEA & APAC at VTEX. “This partnership represents a unique alignment between two companies that share a lot in terms of customer positioning: B2C, B2B, and marketplace for major retail companies. We are glad to bring to the market such a combination.”
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In a time of financial hardships, Sigma Pi Fraternity at Grand Valley State University decided to help brighten others’ days through their “Stuff the Bus” charity event. They hope to make a positive change in their community and thought donating food to those struggling would be the perfect opportunity.
Stuff the Bus was held Friday, Apr. 2, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Cook Carillon Clock Tower, just outside of the Kirkhof Center on GVSU’s Allendale campus. Altruistic Campus Experience Chair Brenden Cotter, along with co-chair Jack Fowler and Vice President Alex Stulberg came up with this moving idea.
When looking to further their impact, they realized there was a need right on their campus. They saw how some students did not know where their next meal was coming from. So they decided to provide as much food during the event as possible to help these students.
“We reached out to both Kirkhof and Replenish to make sure they wanted to work with us and they both agreed,” Cotter said. “From there, we informed other Greek organizations about the event to spread awareness.”
Since 2009, GVSU’s food recourse program, Replenish, has helped students struggling financially. Replenish provides multiple food sources and personal care items free of charge to Lakers facing temporary challenges.
When they heard about the Stuff the Bus event Sigma Pi was hosting, they knew they had to join in.
Sigma Pi fraternity members, the staff at Kirkoff Center and Replenish all chipped in to try and contribute the most they possibly could.
“Anyone who wanted to helped out,” Cotter said. “There was also heavy involvement from Greek Life.”
The Sigma Pi fraternity looks to promote scholarship, culture, and chivalry, as well as building character and developing lifelong bonds, goals they seek to accomplish through their collaboration on activities and events. Through their commitment and connections, Sigma Pi Fraternity is able to reach out and impact the lives of others.
All the proceeds collected went directly to Replenish in order to make sure their stock was overflowing with a variety of different food items to choose from.
Sigma Pi Fraternity asked participants to bring any food item that has a long shelf life and does not need to be refrigerated.
“Some examples are canned items such as meats, fish, fruit, and vegetables, pasta, peanut butter, jelly, rice products, pancake mix, soup and cooking oils,” Cotter said. “We also accepted hygiene products such as soap, shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste, feminine products and deodorant.”
Sigma Pi Fraternity had a grand total of 804 items, with Alpha Omicron Pi donating the most out of any organization with 153. They won $100 for their philanthropy.
“The greater impact to see is to help Replenish build high quantities of food and supplies to last as long as possible,” said Cotter.