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Joni Mitchell signed by Starbucks
- 27 July 2007
Starbucks has secured a deal to distribute singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell’s new album through its outlets worldwide. The move follows a similar deal with Paul McCartney, which helped shift 447,000 copies of his new album Memory Almost Full after its release last month. McCartney was consistently played to coffee drinkers around the world, with Starbucks subsequently taking credit for 47% of sales. Starbucks set up the label Hear Music with the Concorde Music Group. Mitchell said her first collection of material since 1998, entitled Shine, is “as serious a work as I’ve ever done”. Her 10-track album includes nine original songs, with an adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s poem If. Shine will be released around the world in the week beginning September 24 and in the US and Canada on September 25.


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Oh boy. As Staples (and its failed merger partner, Office Depot) tries to recover from disappointing sales, it has partnered with Workbar to set up office spaces for customers in a few stores around Boston.
The space is far back from the retail area where customers can work without having their own real office. Said Evin Charles Anderson, whose video production company has been using the space, “On the weekends when we’re here, we see people peering in through the windows.”
Yeah. They’re wondering what the hell Staples is doing. The office supplies stores are in a free fall with Office Depot closing stores and regulators ending the proposed merger between Staples and Office Depot.
Staples Workbar is a tactic, not a strategy
Both supply stores, in fact, are looking for new CEOs to lead the retailers into a new era where all retailers are becoming more and more irrelevant. The Workbar additions, just in beta stage at this point, won’t hurt but it won’t fix the problem either.
For one thing, who wants to work in the back of a Staples store? FedEx, off its successful merger with Kinko’s, has something similar that has now existed for nearly a decade.
More importantly, however, the working world is no longer dependent on having a traditional office or even one that resembles one, such as the Staples Workbar situation.
As many employees at very large companies will tell you, working from home is the new normal. (The sheer number of them doesn’t even consider freelancers.) You may go to FedEx Office for shipping but you can buy just about anything off the internet. There’s no need to go to a Staples store to work.
That is, unless Staples had a brand that compelled you to seek it out.
But there’s no emotional reason to go to Staples or even the Staples Workbar space, which is the only reason to create preference. As Napoleon said, “You must speak to the soul to electrify men.”
That’s what the office supplies stores are missing. They believe they can out-tactic their way out of their dilemmas, rather than looking at a complete overhaul of what they provide and what they mean.
I’ve been thinking recently that the entire brick and mortar retail market is in serious trouble. Malls are becoming a thing of the past and the industry as a whole is losing their shirts to Amazon.
So, there’s now Staples Workbar. OK. So what?

domain: news


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Dick Smith Store Revenues Slump, Creditors Meeting Delayed
Administrators to the failed Dick Smith Chain have moved to delay the next creditors meeting until August 2.
A none binding information memorandum relating to the sale of Dick Smith assets, was released earlier this week, offers have to be in by January 27.
The receivers claim that have attracted more than 30 expressions of interest to buy some or all of Dick Smith’s assets.
However, ChannelNews has also been told that of the offers already received several are “extremely low ball” offers of less than $25M.
Earlier today recievers Fewrrier Hodgson said that Dick Smith will close its network of outlets in David Jones department stores as the company’s receivers try to find a buyer for the failed retailer.
Ferrier Hodgson said that the 27 concession stores located in David Jones stores (known as David Jones Electronics Powered by Dick Smith) would be closed.
In a statement the receivers – James Stewart, Jim Sarantinos and Ryan Eagle – said the closure would affect 181 jobs, mostly part-time and casual.
The receivers are in the middle of an attempted sale of Dick Smith after it went into administration in early January. An information memorandum has recently gone to potential buyers.
“The receivers have been undertaking an ongoing review of the operations of the group with a view to maintaining stable operations in order to facilitate its sale as an ongoing concern,” they said in a statement.”As a result of this review, the receivers have determined that they will no longer continue to operate the 27 David Jones Electronics Powered by Dick Smith concession stores, contained within David Jones department stores.
Several Dick Smith store managers who have contacted ChannelNews said that “very few” customers are visiting Dick Smith stores and those that do are walking out with no purchases.
Recently existing stores were instructed to lift the price of Dick Smith and Move branded house products a move that some managers claim has seen a $5 cable suddenly priced at $25.
Install the receivers had targeted to generate $18M a week by keeping the stores open according to sources, however revenues have slumped to sub $8M with the real possibility emerging that stores could be closed down and existing staff retrenched.
Dick Smith’s administrators confirmed to Fairfax Media that they intended to file a court application within the next week seeking orders to extend the period of time to convene the second meetings of creditors up to August 2.
The administrators – Joseph Hayes, Jason Preston, Jamie Harris and Matt Caddy of McGrathNicol – flagged the postponement at the first creditors meeting last week but did not indicate the length of the proposed postponement.
ChannelNews has also been told that several organisations who were initially interested in the Dick Smith New Zealand operation are now walking away from the prospect of buying the NZ stores, after it was revealed that operating costs associated with the NZ group were being picked up by the Australian operation in an effort to make the business look profitable in New Zealand.
A spokesman for McGrathNicol said the postponement would give the administrators more time to assess numerous creditors’ claims and to stabilise Dick Smith’s operations.
Dick Smith called in McGrathNicol as voluntary administrators and a syndicate of lenders appointed Ferrier Hodgson as receivers on January 4 after lenders withdrew their support in the wake of slumping sales and rising debts.
Secured creditors, including HSBC and National Australia Bank, have staked claim to about $140 million while unsecured creditors including Macquarie Group are owed about $250 million.
Shareholders, whose shares were valued at $84 million at the time of the collapse, will only be repaid if Ferrier Hodgson can find buyers to stump up more than $400 million for Dick Smith’s assets, including its standalone chain Move and the New Zealand business.


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But there is a growing trend in appliance design, and it is marked by the arrival of multitaskers. Appliances are now being bred for multiple jobs: ovens are now expected to steam, microwaves are expected to bake and roast, and many countertop appliances are able to grill, toast, bake, and warm. … Read more
Southern California Gas company is testing how well the sun can cool buildings.
The Los Angeles-based utility said on Tuesday that it has chosen two solar concentrators to measure how effective they are at cooling. The units will be installed on the roof of its Energy Resource Center (ERC) in Downey, Calif.
Both products--one from Hawaiian start-up Sopogy and another from HelioDynamics in the U.K.--reflect and concentrate incoming sunlight onto a pipe to heat water. That heated water is used in place of gas or electricity to power an industrial absorption chiller, which creates cold air using a … Read more
Cooliris has just released a new version of its add-on that lets users run multiple instances of its media browsing wall in different tabs of the same browser. Previously, the only way to get it to run like this was to open it in different browsers. This way you can have one tab open to search YouTube videos, another that's browsing online photos, and a third that's playing a TV show off of Cooliris' Hulu.com interface.
Users are only limited in the number of Cooliris tabs they can have by what their computer is capable of. I … Read more
IBM and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology at Zurich plan to build a water-cooled supercomputer whose surplus heat will be re-used to heat the university's buildings.
The Aquasar supercomputer will be located at the ETH Zurich facility, and it will start operations next year, the partners said in an announcement on Tuesday.
The supercomputer will combine two rack-mounted IBM BladeCenter servers, each containing multiple blades with a mixed population of IBM PowerXCell 8i and Intel Nehalem processors. It is expected to deliver a peak performance of about 10 teraflops.
The installation will re-use heat directly for in-building heating. … Read more
I use Twitter. A lot. Twitterfon is likely the most-used app on my iPhone. I have a Twitter widget in my MacBook's dashboard. And Twitter itself is one of my browser's home tabs. I make sure I've got a Twitter client of some sort on all of my devices.
Now, thankfully, I can tweet from my Commodore 64 using the adorable app called Breadbox 64 (yes, guys can say "adorable"). Of course, your Commodore needs an Internet connection, but as developer Johan Van den Brande points out, it's all very doable. In a post on his site, … Read more
In the U.S., the Amazon Kindle remains the most popular and best known e-reader on the market. But not everyone's ready to pay $360 for the device, and the Kindle doesn't appeal to international readers, because its wireless capabilities don't work overseas. And that's where upstart digital readers like Interead's Cool-er come in.
The product's name was inspired by the concept of a "cool e-reader" and it's the first consumer electronics product from Interead, which has offices in the U.K. and New York and also has a companion online … Read more
When I talked to Interead's CEO and founder Neil Jones a few months ago, he told me his upstart U.K. company was getting ready to launch a new lightweight e-book reader that he was hoping would get some attention in the marketplace for sharply undercutting the price of the Kindle 2. He was going to call the thing the Cool-er, and it would cost $250 and tie into Interead's fledgling e-book store.
Jones was planning a very controlled launch for the product, with a target date set for just before Memorial Day here in the the U.… Read more
Scientists at the University of Illinois have developed polymers that change color when the material becomes overstressed.
The materials science invention could be used in things like parachute cords, climbing ropes, or added to smart coatings for bridges.
The polymers contain mechanophores--molecules that create a chemical reaction that makes the synthetic material change color when a certain amount of force is exerted upon it.
One of the polymers offered by the scientists as an example of their work is an amber-colored elastomer that turns progressively more orange as it's pulled and then finally red right before it reaches its … Read more
As weird as this CoolCop contraption appears, those of us who live with the humidity of a tropical climate can probably identify. Essentially a flex hose similar to what's found on vacuum cleaners, the $49.95 CoolCop attachment makes it easy to redirect your 's air conditioning into your shirt to keep you cool and dry. The idea is that policemen wear many layers of clothing, including a bulletproof vest, so they still sweat in an air-conditioned .
The dashboard attachment hooks into into the air conditioning vent and serves mainly American police Read moremodels. Those so inclined …
CoolIris for iPhone has just received a hot update...and we do mean hot. New on the list of features is the capability to turn Google's SafeSearch on or off, which according to the company was one of the most requested features. The app remembers your preferences between sessions, giving you a wider gamut of results that can be, well, NSFW.
Why is this so important? If you're familiar with Apple's app store reviews process and guidelines you'll know the company has been rather stringent. So much so, it won't even let you view the … Read more


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MAKING A SPECTACLE OF YOURSELF
If you use prescription glasses, now is the time to get yourself a new pair or two before the government’s intended cuts to reimbursement. Expected to be applied in the near future, aid is set to be capped at €350 in 2015, falling to €200 by 2018, and limited to one pair every two years. The maximum help towards frames will remain at €100.
It is hoped that the cuts to government aid will encourage more internet based competition from internet-based suppliers.
Visioptic, Le Boulou – all things vision related – website – email
16 Carrer d’en Cavaillès, 66160 Le Boulou (Behind the Intermarché) – Phone: 04 68 81 91 69
“Another way of seeing things“
☛ Contact lenses, Children’s vision, experts in sport, driving and général vision
The level of reimbursement for glasses is set to be capped at €350 in 2015, falling to €200 by 2018. The €100 ceiling for frames will remain.
The cap is part of the government’s plan to cut the amount if pays out in complementary health insurance and follows in the wake of the consumer protection bill, or Hamon law, which came into effect in February. Part of the new bill aims to open up the sale of glasses to greater competition from internet-based suppliers.
Reimbursements for replacement or second pairs of glasses – with exceptions for children or for changing prescriptions – will be limited to once every two years.
– See more at: http://connexionfrance.com/government-france-glasses-insurance-bill-reimbursement-opticians-cut-anger-15578-view-article.html#sthash.u3ozidN6.dpuf


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Zeeve and India Blockchain Alliance Join Forces to Drive Blockchain Adoption in India
Zeeve, a leading blockchain Infrastructure-as-a-Service platform, has recently announced a strategic partnership with India Blockchain Alliance (IBA) in an official release. The primary objective of this collaboration is to expedite the evangelism and adoption of blockchain technology throughout the Indian subcontinent. Moreover, the partnership aims to contribute to the development of blockchain-enabled infrastructure for the government, universities, and various enterprises through a range of initiatives.
According to Dr. Ravi Chamria, co-founder and CEO of Zeeve, the partnership with IBA aligns with their dedication to promoting the accessibility and understanding of blockchain across different sectors. As an infrastructure partner of IBA, Zeeve will facilitate the provision of no-code web3 infrastructure to enterprises and governments across India.
Additionally, Zeeve will actively support IBA’s efforts to establish Centers of Excellence in multiple universities by offering blockchain infrastructure as a sandbox environment for innovation and development. Dr. Chamria expressed confidence in the joint endeavors, emphasizing the potential to drive blockchain adoption and foster substantial business growth for startups in India.
Established in 2018, India Blockchain Alliance (IBA) is a non-profit organization that focuses on promoting the evidence-based adoption of Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLT). On the other hand, Zeeve, renowned for its no-code, plug-and-play infrastructure, empowers businesses to leverage blockchain technology by providing access to dedicated node infrastructure and RPC APIs for public, permissive, and application-specific blockchain protocols.
Raj Kapoor, the founder of India Blockchain Alliance, expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration, highlighting the organization’s commitment to working with partners who demonstrate passion, quality, and resolution in their products and services. Kapoor emphasized that the partnership with Zeeve allows them to collectively contribute to the growth of their ecosystems and deliver world-class capabilities across various verticals.
By combining their expertise and resources, Zeeve and India Blockchain Alliance have positioned themselves as industry leaders in the Indian blockchain space. Their collaboration is set to play a pivotal role in driving blockchain adoption, promoting innovation, and establishing a robust blockchain infrastructure across the country.


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Netflix is cutting its prices in several of its smaller markets in the latest twist on the video streaming service’s efforts to keep its recently revived subscriber growth rolling amid stiffer competition and inflation pressures that are pushing more households to curb their discretionary spending.
The lower prices that began to roll out earlier this week affect more than 30 of the roughly 190 countries where Netflix’s steaming service is available — an expanse that has enabled the company to attract nearly 231 million subscribers.
The areas getting lower prices include Middle East markets in Yemen, Jordan, Libya and Iran; European countries such as Croatia, Slovenia and Bulgaria, and sub-Saharan African markets, AP reports.
Netflix isn’t changing its prices in any of its largest markets, including the U.S., where it has been regularly increasing its rates during the past four years to help offset the cost of an programming lineup that includes popular series such as “The Crown” and “Stranger Things.”
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A few years ago, as American consumers were being wooed with “buy now, pay later” loans that let them pay for online purchases — from makeup to Peloton bikes — in small increments, one start-up had an idea: Why not adapt the model to sell outdoor recreation gear, including guns?
Thus, Credova was born.
Founded in 2018, the Bozeman, Mont., company positioned itself as a provider of easy online payment plans to customers of hunting, fishing and camping supplies. But Credova also saw an opportunity to focus on the gun industry, because most of the big “buy now, pay later” companies don’t finance purchases of weapons. Credova has since worked with dozens of online gun merchants to offer customers financing options that make buying guns — which generally cost anywhere from $200 to $900 — more affordable.
Credova’s profile in the gun industry is rising. It has teamed up with the National Rifle Association on at least two occasions, including sponsoring a luncheon at the association’s annual meeting in 2019.
More recently, Credova drew attention because it offers financing plans to customers of Daniel Defense, the manufacturer of the gun used by the Uvalde, Texas, school attacker. Credova told Bloomberg that it did not finance the gunman’s purchase of firearms. Investigators said he had bought the guns with a bank debit card.
Credova “plays a very small role in the legal firearm purchase ecosystem by representing less than one-tenth of 1 percent of financing firearm purchases,” Elizabeth Locke, a lawyer retained by Credova, said in an emailed statement. Most gun purchases are made with credit cards, Ms. Locke said. She added that it would be misleading to describe Credova as focused on gun buyers. (Ms. Locke represented Sarah Palin in her libel lawsuit against The New York Times.)
The company declined to make its chief executive, Dusty Wunderlich, available for an interview.
The gun market, especially the ways in which people buy and sell weapons, has come under fresh scrutiny as the nation grapples with a spate of mass shootings. Congress on Friday passed a bipartisan deal on a modest set of gun safety measures, including enhanced background checks for some prospective gun buyers under the age of 21.
Online gun sales fueled by extreme advertising and social media have been growing, and Credova and other gun-financing companies are part of that broader ecosystem, said Adam Skaggs, chief counsel and policy director for Giffords Law Center, an advocacy group for the prevention of gun violence that is backed by former Representative Gabrielle Giffords, a victim of gun violence herself.
“buy now, pay later” financing can make guns more accessible for people without credit cards, Mr. Skaggs said. “Maybe some prefer this because they don’t have to go to the trouble of getting a credit card.”
Buying firearms on installment plans isn’t new for the gun industry, just as layaway plans have long existed for all kinds of customers. But as gun sales have moved online, the “buy now, pay later” model — which is generally targeted to young shoppers who typically don’t have much disposable income or credit cards — has become a way to attract a new generation of customers.
Although online sales are a small fraction of the $15 billion gun market, according to IBISWorld, an market research firm, they have been growing. IBISWorld expects online gun sales to reach $2.6 billion by 2026, up from $532 million in 2012.
“Credova got into the gun financing business not just because of the layaway culture in gun retail, but because so many guns are being purchased online,” said Mike Weisser, a longtime gun seller in Massachusetts who became a consultant to gun control organizations and writes a blog on ways to reduce gun violence.
Of course, buying firearms and ammunition online is more complicated than a typical Amazon purchase, since they cannot be shipped to a person’s home but must be picked up from a licensed gun retailer after the buyer has passed a standard background check. Credova and other gun financiers are not involved with those background checks; they perform only standard credit checks before extending financing to buyers. Credova says on its website that approval takes “seconds” for most customers.
Retailers like the “buy now, pay later” option because it draws more customers. Customers like it because it’s relatively easy to apply, requiring only a simple credit check. The loans are interest free and can be paid back in three or four monthly installments. The financing companies make their money by charging retailers a fee for the service. Some companies also charge customers fees and interest if they miss payments.
Even though “buy now, pay later” financing has blossomed in the United States, many of the biggest companies, including Affirm, Klarna, Afterpay, PayPal and Zip, explicitly bar gun and ammunition purchases, creating the business opportunity for Credova and other niche firms.
Gearfire Capital, an online financing company, started in January with the motto “Gear Up, Pay Later.” Global Check Services offers online gun financing through its ARC90 program. Sezzle, another company that is about to be acquired by Zip, permits gun purchases, but gun sales are a small part of its business, a Sezzle spokeswoman said.
Ms. Locke, Credova’s lawyer, said the company helped people who were not wealthy buy guns for self-defense. “We believe Credova should not set restrictions on the commerce of lawful goods nor judge what legal goods should be transacted, and doing so creates a dangerous precedent,” she said in an emailed statement.
Credova markets itself as a financing company for hunting, camping and fishing supplies and equipment for outdoors sports enthusiasts, using the motto “Adventure Now, Pay Later.” It also finances puppy purchases from pet stores. Last year, Credova was one of two companies that settled with regulators in Massachusetts over allegations that they illegally leased dogs in the state.
But Credova’s website suggests that guns are a big part of its business. Of the roughly 100 retail partners listed on its website, 60 are online gun and hunting supply retailers, according to a New York Times tally conducted on Wednesday. Gun merchants feature prominently on its site. And it is currently running a sweepstakes in partnership with the U.S. Concealed Carry Association, a gun rights organization, in which the winner can get $15,000 toward the purchase of ammunition or guns.
Two years ago, Credova was one of six companies that teamed up with the lobbying arm of the N.R.A. to raise $1 million to defend the Second Amendment. In 2019, it sponsored a corporate executives’ luncheon at the N.R.A.’s annual meeting, according to a news release, which also said Credova was owned by steadfast supporters of gun rights who were “determined to provide financing options for firearm and sporting goods consumers.”
Credova’s app, which debuted in August 2020, has been downloaded just 19,000 times, according to Sensor Tower, a mobile app tracking firm. By comparison, the biggest “buy now, pay later” firms have had their apps downloaded millions of times.
The availability of easy financing options for weapons raises the possibility of abuse, said Mr. Skaggs of the Giffords center. One potential concern is whether no-interest installment financing can be used by people looking to quickly resell a gun for a profit without first putting a lot of money down, he said.
Not all of Credova’s customers are happy with the company’s business practices, according to court filings and reviews and complaints submitted to the Better Business Bureau. In particular, some customers complained about its one-year installment plan, under which customers can end up paying much more than the list price for a gun if the borrowed amount is not repaid within a 90-day, interest-free period.
Jerry Carver, the general manager of the Bullet Ranch in Pataskala, Ohio, was intrigued by Credova because most financing firms eschew dealings with merchants “in the Second Amendment business.” But Mr. Carver said some installment contracts were too costly for some customers. The Bullet Ranch no longer does business with Credova.
Matthew Sheffield of Selma, Ala., used Credova two years ago to pay for a $400 box of ammunition he had ordered online. He planned to pay for the purchase within the 90-day no-interest period, he said, but was unable to do so. As a result, he said, Credova told him that he would have to comply with the more costly installment contract.
Mr. Sheffield, who works as a welding inspector, said he didn’t plan to use the service again.
In an email, Ms. Locke said that had Mr. Sheffield paid the purchase balance “within the 90-day window, he would have not needed to incur any additional charges or fees.”
On June 15, Credova announced that it would phase out the 90-day interest-free payment window and replace it with a new plan that permits shoppers to pay for their purchases “in four payments, every two weeks, with no interest, at select merchants.”
Ms. Locke said fewer than 1 percent of Credova’s customers had complained about its services.
J. David Goodman contributed reporting. Susan C. Beachy contributed research.
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Be the Batman, literally.
One of the most notable games coming to Sony’s upcoming PlayStation VR headset is Rocksteady’s Batman: Arkham VR, a virtual reality translation of their seminal Arkham franchise. However, even though we’ve known that it is coming ever since its announcement at E3 this year, we haven’t actually seen much of it, nor do we know a whole lot about it.
That changes with this new video for the game that was posted on the official PlayStation channel. The video showcases how the experience of being the Batman has been taken to its logical and literal conclusion with this VR game placing you, quite literally, in the Caped Crusader’s shoes.
The PlayStation VR is set to launch next month, in October- Batman: Arkham VR will launch exclusively on PlayStation VR in October 2016 too. You can check out the video for it below- let us know what you think, and whether or not you intend to purchase the game in the comments section below.


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Ex-Big Brother Naija housemate, Asogwa Alexandra, better known as Alex Unusual, has signed a new endorsement deal with L’Avyanna Skin Naturals.
The free-spirited model who is known for her exceptional writing skills shared the news of her latest achievement on her Instagram page.
“Say hi to the latest brand ambassador for @lavyanna_skin …
“This endorsement means so much to me because it promotes self loveand celebrates our natural skin color.
“I feel honored and thankful. ❤”
Her manager, Ms. Naomi Adenuga, also shared the news of her endorsement via her Instagram page.
The beauty company further congratulated Alex on their social media handles and said that the official opening of the Lagos store was a “huge success.”
“@alex_unusual the newest Addition to the L’Avyanna Family. #brandambassadoralert 💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻
“L’Avyanna Ikoyi Store Opening was a huge success 💃🏻💃🏻 thanks to all our amazing customers who showed us, love 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽.”
Meanwhile, a week ago, Alex signed an endorsement deal with Real Estate company, Jenesis Colony.
Her agency released a statement on their Instagram page congratulating Alex.
“Naomad Agency proudly announces the endorsement deal between Jenesis Colony @jenesiscolony1 and Alex Asogwa @alex_unusual.
“The Jenesis Colony team chose Alex because of her love for positively motivating Youths and promoting the need for a better life and standard of living.
“Jenesis Colony’s aim is making house ownership available to those who never thought of owning one at affordable prices and to be one of the best Real Estate Solution providers in the world.
“They aim to provide homes for all classes of people with qualityinfrastructure of acceptable international standards with innovative and cost-effective solutions. Just like Alex, Jenesis Colony is unique and unusual, the statement reads”
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Our annual GMO Awareness Week is upon us, and in this interview, Ronnie Cummins, founder of the Organic Consumers Association (OCA) details the current state of the opposition to genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
We first met about six years ago, when we collaborated to create the direct ballot initiative to label GMOs in California.
A lot has happened since then, including the passing of what’s colloquially known as the Deny Americans the Right to Know (DARK) Act, ironically misnamed “The Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act” — this despite a full 90 percent of consumers supporting mandatory labeling.
The Trump administration has also selected or appointed notorious cheerleaders for GMOs and factory farms to his cabinet — Mike Pompeo as head of the CIA, Sonny Perdue as USDA Secretary, and Rick Perry as Energy Secretary.
Meanwhile, his Tea Party allies in Congress have called for the abolition of the entire National Organic Program!1
On the upside, in 2016 we saw, for the first time in nearly 20 years, a decrease in the amount of genetically engineered (GE) crops grown around the world, in terms of acreage.
As noted by Cummins, “This represents the fact that this technology is failing, in the sense of superweeds and superpests are popping up all over the world.” In the U.S., three-quarters of farmers growing GE crops like soybeans, corn or canola are having problems with these herbicide- and pesticide-resistant pests.
Market Rejection of GMOs Has Grown
Even more importantly, consumers around the world have become aware of the many problems associated with GE crops and the toxic herbicides and pesticides used on them, and do not want any of it on their plates.
In other words, the market has started rejecting GMOs, and that’s what we’ve been fighting for all along. Nothing can or will change unless consumers apply pressure in the form of refusing to buy GMOs.
In the European Union (EU), which is the biggest agriculture market in the world, few if any GMOs are found on supermarket shelves.
In the U.S. — despite industry spending hundreds of millions of dollars to manipulate market preference — about 40 percent of Americans still believe GE foods and GE ingredients are dangerous. Another 20 percent are unsure whether GMOs are dangerous or not.
“This combination of consumer rejection and, basically, Mother Nature’s resistance, has caused a drop-off,” Cummins says. “I think this is the beginning of the end of at least this generation, the first generation, of GMO crops.
Now, industry is saying, ‘Don’t worry about the fact that we’re using more and more toxic pesticides and herbicides … Don’t worry about these pests spreading across the fields. We’ve got a new generation of GMO crops where we can just do gene editing.
We don’t have to pull some DNA from a foreign species and haphazardly splice it into a corn or a soybean crop.’
But the bottom line is that this gene-splicing and this so-called new gene editing are unnatural processes that disrupt the genetic structure, the natural workings of living organisms. These aren’t going to work either.”
Organics and Grass Fed Are Increasing in Popularity
Worldwide, we’re also seeing strong growth in organics and grass fed farming and ranching. In the U.S., the organic sector grew 11.5 percent in 2016. Grass fed grew about 50 percent. In France, organics grew by 20 percent.
“This is because people understand this public health crisis has now spread worldwide, and this environmental crisis and its relationship to the climate crisis are all due to an out-of-control, industrial, chemical-intensive GMO agriculture. People are turning away,” Cummins says.
In the U.S., we now also have a brand new grass fed certification by the American Grassfed Association (AGA), which is the highest certification you can get for dairy, beef and poultry, including chickens, sheep and goats.
In short, we’re seeing a massive demand for healthier foods. A lot more people now know about the drawbacks of factory farmed beef and dairy, for example, and are aware that when herbivores are grazed naturally, without hormones, antibiotics and other drugs, you end up with a far healthier product.
“What’s been driving the growth of the grass fed beef and dairy industry are health concerns,” Cummins says. “But also, people have become aware over the years that the factory farm system … is not right. You don’t have to be an ethical vegan to have feeling for animals.
Animals are sentient beings … Industry says if you want cheap food, you’ve got to go with factory farms. But I think more and more consumers are saying, ‘I don’t want cheap food if it means it’s going to harm my health and the environment, and if you have to be that cruel to animals.’
I think we’re seeing the beginning of the end of the factory farm model, which actually has only existed [for] 40 years or so. Most animals used to be raised naturally …
It’s this wonderful coming together in the United States of the American Grassfed Association, merging in the dairy sector with dairy farmers who are already organic, to produce a higher quality 100 percent grass fed dairy.
In the beef industry, there has been a tremendous growth in the demand for 100 percent grass fed, grass finished beef. Unfortunately, most other grass fed beef in the United States is still coming from overseas, from countries like Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil …
We still don’t have the infrastructure in the United States that we had 50 years ago with processing plants in every region of the country and so on, but we’re catching up.”
Challenges Involved in Organic Grass fed Beef Production
Indeed, the lack of processing plants is really slowing down the reversal of the system. While American farmers have the capacity to provide an ample supply of grass fed cattle, the problem is there aren’t enough processing plants to accommodate a massive increase.
In all, the U.S. has about 500,000 ranchers raising livestock, but there are only three or four major buyers. Ranchers may raise the animals on pasture and treat them well, but after a year and a half or so, they must be sold.
The cattle are sold at auction, and the buyers, such as JBS (a Brazilian firm that has bought out a large part of the beef industry in the U.S.), Cargill and Tyson Foods, will offer you the lowest possible price, regardless of how much you spent on the cattle’s health and wellbeing.
This cartel-like system effectively prevents farmers from recouping what they’ve invested, and slows down the pace at which a farmer can possibly make positive changes that require greater expenses.
Once sold, the animals are transported to gigantic feedlots — basically animal factories — where they’re placed in tiny pens. GMO grains and drugs are routinely used to fatten the animals up as quickly as possible. However, in doing so, the animals’ health and wellbeing suffer. For example, E. coli 0157H, a virulent pathogen, can thrive in the animals’ intestines under these conditions.
“The reason why it’s illegal for journalists or concerned citizens to go in and film in these giant feedlots is because the industry … don’t want you to see the filth and the cruelty involved,” Cummins says.
Factory Farmed Meat Is No Bargain
Next, the animals are sent off to mega slaughterhouses, of which there are only a few dozen in the entire country. As in the feedlots, these are hellish places where photographs and video taping is often illegal. As noted by Cummins:
“The workers are immigrant workers typically, who don’t have citizenship papers. Why is this? Because U.S. citizens will not take this kind of job. They would not work under these conditions … They have terrible health problems, terrible psychological problems. They’re underpaid and overworked.
What comes out on the other end is meat that might appear to be cheap … but it’s not cheap in terms of what it does to your health … It clogs up your veins. You’re ingesting pesticide and hormone residues. You end up supersizing yourself … Yeah, you’ve got your cheap burger. You’ve got your cheap steak. But you have damaged your health. That’s going to be very costly over time.
You also contributed to massive supply chain damage to the environment. The GMO corn and soybeans that make up the bulk of the feed in the feedlots, they have been sprayed with a horrendous amount of chemicals. These factory farms are the No. 1 contributors to water pollution … You’re part of a long chain of animal cruelty, exploitation of workers, destruction of the environment …
This paradigm is going to end. But we need more awareness [among] consumers, and we need more ranchers to be able to directly come into contact with consumers who want to buy their products so they can cut out the cartel middlemen …”
Via Organica Paves Way for Organic Chicken and Egg Production
Mercola.com and OCA are both founding members of an international network called Regeneration International, which is seeking to replace, among other things, the outdated factory farm system with a natural humane system, whereby herbivores are raised on perennial grasses under a system of holistic management.
The same problems exist in poultry and pig farming, yet innovative farmers like Cummins and many others have proven there are far better ways of raising chickens and pigs on a larger scale as well.
Cummins’ farm, Via Organica, located in the high desert of Central Mexico, uses a system based on the traditional raising of poultry. In the first phase of the project, they installed a couple of thousand laying hens, which live outside all day in a 2.5-acre paddock filled with 400 olive trees and other crops. While the trees offer protection against predators from above, chicken poop acts as a natural fertilizer for the trees, making additional fertilizer use unnecessary.
By eating the insects, they also eliminate pests that might otherwise pose a threat to the trees and other crops. “If you’re a small farmer, it’s very difficult to make a living off just your eggs. But if you’ve got another cash crop in the paddock where the chickens roam, you’re going to be bringing in twice as much money over time,” Cummins says.
The chickens roam free all day, pecking in the dirt for worms, insects and other foraged foods. At sunset, they come into the chicken house, which is where they roost and lay their eggs. The feed provided in the chicken coop, given as a supplement to their foraged diet, is grown by local farmers using traditional, non-GMO seeds and regenerative methods.
“We have a special plow developed in Australia that’s now spreading all across the world,” Cummins explains. “It’s called a Keyline plow. It doesn’t disturb the earth the way that traditional plows do. It creates an environment in your field to where when it rains, there’s a built-in filtration of the rain into the soil. It turns the soil into a sponge …
There are no chemical fertilizers. We work with the farmers to be able to have natural compost … [I]f you look at our eggs, one thing you notice is the yolk is bright orange. They taste really good. If you do a nutritional analysis of these eggs and compare them to the factory farmed eggs in the grocery store, there’s a world of difference. If animals can live outside or live in a natural environment and exercise their natural behaviors, it ends up being a superior product.”
Why Vegetarianism May Not Be the Most Environmentally Conscious Choice
Quite a few people have embraced veganism or vegetarianism as a way of bowing out of the factory farm system that abuses animals for per-pound profit. Cummins was a vegetarian for 40 years for this reason.
“I was a vegetarian between 1970 and 2010 … until I had some ranchers in New Mexico explain to me this whole system of holistic management and rotational grazing, 100 percent grass fed … [T]hey said, ‘Hey, you’re an environmentalist, right? You’re an animal welfare proponent, right? … You’re not any of those things. You’re a hypocrite, Ronnie.’
Because conscious consuming of a moderate level of meat and animal products — where the animals have been raised humanely, where they’ve been raised naturally, where the end product, the food, is good for your health — is [also] good for the environment. Yes, that last instant of their life, when they’re sacrificed for our food, that’s not a good moment [for these animals]. But we’re all going to have a bad moment at the end of our lives. We’re going to physically die.
When we’re in the ground, guess what’s going to happen? The little animals eventually are going to eat us. It’s all part of this great chain of being. It’s natural. There are vegans starting to understand, like David Bronner [CEO of Dr. Bronner’s] … David’s been a vegan for many years, but he’s coined this term — instead of vegetarian — “regenetarian.”
Why Become a Regenetarian?
A regenetarian is a person who never, ever eats factory farmed meat or dairy products, just like a vegan. A regenetarian will however consume grass fed beef, grass fed dairy and other grass fed animal products.
“We’re talking about fish here, too. Most of the fish in the world are now coming from these factory farm fish operations — horrible industrial trawlers in the oceans that are ripping up everything and killing everything in sight … A conscious consumer who wants to preserve their health, but also knows that we want to preserve the health of the planet — we want regular rainfall. We want climate to be normal again — we have to become regenetarians,” Cummins says.
“I never eat meat or animal products in a restaurant unless that restaurant has on the menu, and has a convincing story, that this is grass fed or genuinely pastured. As soon as enough people start doing that, this system is going to change.”
The average American spends a mere 10 percent of their income on food, which is ridiculously low when you consider what the highest quality, most nutritious food would cost. You cannot expect to get the highest quality at this rock-bottom price. At that level, all you’re getting is cheap corn-based meals. As Cummins says, it would be reasonable to spend twice as much on food.
To pay for it, you may have to consider cutting down on other wasteful spending, such as the trend of treating clothing as single-use, disposable items. Organic foods cost more, and must cost more, because doing it right and not cutting corners costs money. It’s the cost-saving measures that have resulted in hormone-laced milk and pesticide-ridden produce. It’s cost-saving measures that have turned beef into a metabolic wrecker. Cheap food is cheap for a reason.
Current State of GMO Movement in the US
Last August, the so-called “DARK Act” was passed. And while many have placed their hopes on President Trump making sweeping changes, we’re not likely to see any difference under Trump when it comes to GMO labeling. As before, the U.S. Congress doesn’t seem to care that 90 percent of Americans want to know whether their food has been genetically engineered or not, or contains GMO ingredients.
To summarize last year’s events, on July 1, 2016, Vermont’s state law for mandatory GMO labeling took effect, forcing major food companies to start labeling their wares. Alas, the food industry basically bought Congress, sweeping a 100-year tradition of states’ rights to implement food safety rules at the state level under the carpet. That’s what the DARK Act did. It revoked states’ right to impose mandatory labeling of GMOs, and with that, the Vermont law was made null and void.
In its place, the federal law replaced clear GMO labeling with quick response (QR) codes which, when scanned with your smartphone will bring you to the company’s website, where you may or may not find information about the presence of GE ingredients.
“The only difference under Trump, looks like that we’re not even going to have these QR codes, which were ridiculous anyway,” Cummins says. Where does this leave us as consumers? I think there’s a growing recognition among conscious consumers in this country that right now, we can’t count on Congress.
We can’t count on regulatory agencies like the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or the United States Environmental Protection Agency, or the Federal Trade Commission.
These people are in the pockets of the 1 percent. They do what their financial backers tell them to do. We’re left with our power in the marketplace. That is, they can’t pass a law that tells you what to do when you pull out your wallet. We still have free choice to choose organic or grass fed foods or non-GMO foods in the marketplace …
At the rate we’re going now, most food in the United States will be organic within three decades. It’s taken us three decades to get to the 5 to 10 percent range. Most of the food will be organic and grass fed within 30 years. However, when you look at our public health crisis and our climate crisis and all these other things that the economic crisis in rural areas, we can’t wait 30 years.”
New Goal: Double Organic Sales in Four Years
The consumer revolution platform now is an ambitious one — double organic sales in the next four years. At current rates of growth, we could expect it to increase by about 50 percent. Instead, we need to quadruple sales of organic and grass fed. As noted by Cummins, by speeding up the rate at which we reach the tipping point where 15 percent of our food supply is organic or grass fed, the acceleration will multiply exponentially thereafter.
“That’s our answer to the gridlock in Washington, to the failure of federal government,” he says. “Let’s get active in the local and state level where we have more power, [and] intensify our impact in the marketplace where no one can tell us what to do. We’re going to bring about our revolution in health and nutrition in the marketplace if they won’t let us do it with public policy.”
It’s time to launch a #ConsumerRevolution boycott that is larger and more powerful than ever. And at the same time, we apparently have no choice but to launch a #PoliticalRevolution, especially at the local and state level, that will “throw the bums out” from Main Street to Washington D.C. — those politicians and the army of lobbyists and PR gunslingers who continue to represent the corporate and financial elite, the “1 percent,” instead of the rest of us.
In order to carry out this “Resist and Regenerate” strategy, the OCA and its closest allies have come up with an Action platform called Consumer Revolution/Political Revolution 2017-2020, which includes the following.
#Consumer Revolution 2017-2020
Overarching goal: Force corporations that sell consumer products, including food, clothing, drugs and personal care products, to respond to consumer demand for truthfully labeled products that have a positive impact on human health and are produced using regenerative processes and practices that not only prevent harm to human health and the environment, but also measurably improve soils and combat global warming.
1.Move toward making organic, 100 percent grass fed and regenerative food and farming the norm, not just the 5 percent alternative in the marketplace, by doubling sales of organic to $80 billion by 2020, and by increasing sales of U.S. grass fed meat and dairy, and organic and pastured poultry and pork by at least 400 percent by 2020.
Achieve a 50 percent reduction in sales of GMO food and animal feed by 2020, with the aim of driving GMO animal feed off the market.
2.Force major food brands and companies that fraudulently label their products as “natural,” “organic” or “GMO-free” to remove misleading labels and/or transition their products and production methods to organic and/or regenerative practices.
3.Increase market share for clothing made from organic cotton, wool and other natural fibers through a high-profile “Care What You Wear” campaign that encourages consumers to boycott GMO cotton and synthetic fibers.
Many Legislative Changes Are Needed
We also need to continue fighting for legislative changes that help and support organic farmers. The reason France was able to grow the organic sector by 20 percent last year, compared to 11.5 percent in the U.S. was because the French government started paying farmers who quit using pesticides and use compost instead of chemical fertilizers.
In a nutshell, France decided to pay farmers to do the right thing, whereas the U.S. rewards farmers who agree to do the wrong thing. France also passed a law that at least 40 percent of food for schools must be organic and purchased from local farmers.
“I mean what kind of rules do we have regarding [this]? We have the worst school lunch programs in the entire industrialized world. Our food stamp program for poor people is basically junk food that the companies would have disposed of, but they get a tax break for giving us their factory-farmed cheese and milk, and so on.
We do need to change policies as well as the marketplace. But looking at the federal government, our best way to influence public policy is to get involved at the local level — city council, county board, state legislature, our school boards. We have some power there.”
Take Control of Your Health by Making Wiser Choices
For the first time in two decades, the average lifespan in the U.S. has decreased, and the U.S. is the only country in the developed world where this is happening. I for one am convinced our emphasis on factory farmed foods play a major role in this decline. Moreover, if we persist with this industrial farming model, we will eventually run out of topsoil and potable water, and that day is approaching at a rapid clip. Some estimates suggest we have less than 60 years of topsoil left if we keep going as we have been.3
We’re causing potentially irreparable environmental damage. If we destroy this infrastructure for future generations, how can they possibly grow food? This is a serious issue and I’m glad so many of you are beginning to appreciate the enormity of the problem — and are embracing the solutions. As Cummins says, your greatest power lies in your choice of spending.
By avoiding food not grown in accordance with regenerative measures, non-organic cotton clothing, and ethanol-infused fuel, you help cut off the lifeblood of corporations that are destroying your children and grandchildren’s chance of a healthy future. When it comes to food, choose organic produce, ideally biodynamic certified organics, and look for the AGA’s grass fed certification for animal products.
The goal of the AGA is to promote the grass fed industry through government relations, research, concept marketing and public education. Their website also allows you to search for AGA approved producers certified according to strict standards that include being raised on a diet of 100 percent forage; raised on pasture and never confined to a feedlot; never treated with antibiotics or hormones; born and raised on American family farms.
Also, seriously consider making a generous donation to the OCA. Your previous support has been instrumental in catalyzing major changes in the organic and health world. And, please remember that I will match your contributions dollar for dollar.


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The well-worn consumer adage 'you get what you pay for' has application to African consumer purchases of used PCs.
The savings on purchase price may quickly evaporate in the face of increased costs for maintenance and support, if there is any support at all. This is the conclusion of the South African research organization Open Research. The comments came in a recent report in Business Day (Johannesburg) in late March.
Not only are the machines likely to have a higher Total Cost of Ownership (TOC) but they can be unstable as well. Computer crashes not only affect customer satisfaction, but if the customer happens to be a small business or a school, poor PC performance can affect productivity and profits, or in the case of school PCs, learning. A computer that crashes frequently can create frustration on the part of students and impact their motivation.
Refurbished PCs come onto the African market as an answer to technology underdevelopment. But the additional expense from higher maintenance and loss of data may mean that prospective buyers should 'just say no', says Business Day.
Open Research blamed donor nations from developed economies for foisting used PCs on African countries as a means of getting rid of the PCs. Under such circumstances the donation may cause more harm than good.
TOC is affected not only by maintaining the hardware, but also by technical...


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'It must be drugs': Tamarama cafe manager arrested as he allegedly collects package for his dealer
When police arrested Diego Ardimento and his girlfriend Casja Lindroth Falk outside Paddington Post Office in April this year, he thought he knew why. The Italian national, who had been living in Tamarama with his partner and managing a cafe, had allegedly been asked by his drug dealer Antonio D'Amico to collect a package from the post office for him in exchange for cannabis.As the couple strolled down Oxford Street with the parcel, detectives descended.Document seen by the Herald allege the cafe manage resisted arrest, then said "What's in there? It must be drugs. I am just so scared".
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Cannabis -infused products , like chocolates from Kiva, are becoming more popular. As cannabis becomes more legal, the industry surrounding it continues to expand. Politicians now campaign on a platform of total weed legalization since it's that popular a stance, and it seems every other week
Cannabis cookies, jelly chews, popcorn and oil were found among other weed-related products in packages sent through the mail in Adelaide.
The total of 66 Express Post packages were intercepted by South Australia Police between October 29 and 31, and were addressed to different locations around the country.
"The AFP and its agency partners are well aware of this method of obtaining and distributing illicit drugs, and are committed to combating it by working proactively with freight companies and Australia Post," Australian Federal Police Detective Acting Superintendent Joshua Walsh said.
Illegal gardener jailed for 'enormous' cannabis haul in WA big enough to fill shipping container
A Vietnamese man is sentenced to seven years behind bars for growing one of the biggest marijuana crops ever discovered in Western Australia, with an estimated street value of more than $17 million. When police raided Truong's rural property near Gingin, north of Perth last year, they found enough cannabis plants to fill a 12-metre shipping container.A total of 7,567 plants were growing in 14 commercial-scale greenhouses on the 19-hectare property in Red Gully.At the time, WA Police Senior Sergeant Michael Rowson said he had "never seen anything like it" and said he suspected the crop was linked to organised crime.
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Mota Cannabis Products Canada offers Canadians high quality cannabis flower, cannabis oil, cannabis edibles and food products . Mota Cannabis Products . We create all our products with personal hand-tended quality, to give you unmatched variety with your unique needs in mind.
Police found two different clandestine drug laboratories in two houses located in the southern suburbs of Adelaide as a result of an investigation started after the seizure of the packages.
Cannabis rosin and oil was being extracted in one the premises and then being used in the baking of cookies, confectionary slice, jelly chews, chocolate and popcorn in the other laboratory.
Two men in their mid-30s were arrested and charged with 29 counts of trafficking and manufacturing a controlled drug.
They were granted bail and will have to face court on December 12.
Man charged for lighting NSW bushfire to protect cannabis crop .
A 51-year-old man has been charged for allegedly lighting a blaze that threatened homes in the northern NSW. Police allege the man lit the fire, which has grown out of control and burnt more then 3500 hectares, to protect his cannabis crop near Ebor, east of Armidale in the Northern Tablelands on Thursday.The man was arrested on Friday afternoon and taken to Armidale Police Station where he was charged with intentionally causing a fire and recklessness to allow its spread.© AAP More than 60 fires are burning across NSW.


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POSTED: 03:51 PM Monday, December 9, 2013
BY: The Associated Press
TAGS: Barneys, Bergdorf Goodman, civil rights, Lord & Taylor, Macy's, racial profiling, Saks Fifth Avenue, The Gap
Responding to allegations of racial profiling, a coalition of major retailers agreed Monday to create a customer bill of rights that will explicitly prohibit profiling and unreasonable searches.
POSTED: 10:16 AM Friday, December 6, 2013
BY: Robin Shannon, Reporter
TAGS: 225 Baronne, 919 Gravier, Aloft Hotel, Boeing Corporation, CBD, Chrysler Corporation, construction, development, HCI Architecture, HRI Properties, Josh Collen, New Orleans, Robin Shannon, Roy Anderson Corp., Starwood Hotels
HRI Properties has closed on its $100 million financing package for the purchase and conversion of a 30-story downtown office tower into apartments and a boutique hotel.
POSTED: 02:30 PM Thursday, December 5, 2013
BY: Jessica Gonzalez, Reporter
TAGS: clothing manufacturing, clothing production, fashion design, Harvey, Jefferson Parish, Jessica Gonzalez, Lisa Iacono, New Orleans, New Orleans Fashion Week, NOLA Sewn, West Bank
Unlike many large clothing manufacturers that can pump out orders fast and cheap, NOLA Sewn’s selling point is its hands-on, human approach to clothing development and production.
Next Page »


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Evergreen Line's 1140-TEU Uni-Adroit set sail across the 100-mile-wide Taiwan Straits for China's northern Xingang port on December 15, 2009 opening a new era of direct ocean shipping following a ceremony at Kaohsiung harbor overseen by Taiwan's President Ma Yin-Jiu. The direct link ends a nearly 60-year suspension of such services between Taiwan and the China mainland. The new direct service was accelerated with the election and inauguration of President Ma earlier this year. The two nations signed an agreement in November to ensure the opening of trade as beneficial to both economies. President Ma noted that Kaohsiung, one of the world's ten largest container ports, will allow Taiwan's southernmost harbor to "take full advantage of its central geographical position in east Asia" and bolster the regional economy. It is expected that all of Taiwan's international harbors will eventually be involved in a trade that will include virtually all of China's ports. Direct waterborne shipping will eliminate the need for vessels to stop at a time-consuming third point — typically Hong Kong or a Japanese island. With annual trade between the two countries valued at some $100b, Taiwanese business groups have sought for a long time to end the ban on Taiwan Strait commerce. The Evergreen service, known as the Taiwan - North China or HBT route, will have the rotation of Kaohsiung－Xingang －Dalian－Qingdao－Kaohsiung.
CMA CGM Group has announced that it has signed with Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ), India’s largest port developer and part of Adani Group, an agreement for the development of a new common user Container Terminal at Mundra Port. This will be the 4th Container Terminal in Mundra and will be a 650 meters terminal along with 27 hectares of back area capable of handling 1.3 million TEUs annually.
The CMA CGM Group announced that it has signed with Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ), India’s largest port developer and part of Adani Group, an agreement for the development of a new common user Container Terminal at Mundra Port. This will be the fourth Container Terminal in Mundra and will be a 650 meters terminal along with 27 hectares of back area capable of handling 1.3 million TEUs annually.
The first cargo ship delivering Iranian goods docked at the Omani port of Sohar, a few weeks after Tehran and Muscat opened a new shipping route. The vessel, titled Genaveh 12, container with a capacity of 96 TEUs, is the first ship put into operation in the new Iran-Oman shipping line, which was opened some two weeks ago. Iran and Oman have recently established a direct shipping line between the two countries to enhance maritime trade
Maersk Line is upgrading its ‘Triple Star’ service by launching direct, weekly northbound connections between New Zealand and North East Asian ports. "We are optimising our ‘Triple Star’ service with the launch of direct, weekly connections between New Zealand and North East Asian ports. Starting from late September 2016, Kiwi exporters can enjoy all the benefits of direct access to Taiwan, China, Korea and Japan
British importers and exporters prefer direct mainline container services calling at their national ports and tend to dislike feeder services, says a Drewry report. Is there a risk that a politically isolated UK will no longer benefit from direct vessel calls, particularly as there is no longer any large British container carrier based in the UK to champion their cause? Drewry believes that the container lines will continue to call directly at UK ports
The Port of San Diego plays a critical role in San Diego County's economic rebound by pumping more than $7.6 billion a year into the region from employment, sales and purchases of goods and services, according to a recent report. "The data confirms the Port of San Diego is a powerful regional economic engine with substantial benefits reaching far and wide," said Board of Port Commissioners Chairman Dan Malcolm
France-based CMA CGM today announced a new direct weekly container service to Asia from the Port of New Orleans Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal. Part of the company’s PEX3 service, the inaugural vessel is scheduled to arrive on January 31 for service by terminal operator Ports America. “CMA CGM is proud to be expanding our presence in New Orleans, further showing our commitment to the Gulf region, and Louisiana specifically
New Organisational Structure for Inmarsat Brings Renewed Focus on Core Markets; Stratos, Segovia and Ship Equip Now Align Under the Inmarsat Brand. Inmarsat, a provider of global mobile satellite communications services, has begun the process of including its subsidiary companies within a new organisational structure that will align the Inmarsat business more closely to core vertical market segments and continue to support both direct and indirect distribution of its services
ClassNK Releases New Guidelines and Software for Container Carrier Structures. ClassNK has released a new revised edition of its “Guidelines for Container Carrier Structures – Guidelines for Direct Strength Analysis”, as well as a new version of its PrimeShip-HULL(DSA) software for use in designing container carriers in line with the new guidelines. ClassNK released the first edition of its “Guidelines for Container Carrier Structures” in 2003
The Coast Guard rescued six people from grounded vessels in Atchafalaya Bay, Louisiana, Saturday. At 2:35 p.m. watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received a report from a private helicopter of a 17-foot johnboat with three people on board that was taking on water in the Atchafalaya
APM Terminals Mumbai, India’s busiest container terminal, has embraced ‘Direct Port Delivery’ (DPD)service initiated by the Indian government as part of its “Ease of Doing Business Program” to enhance India’s access to the global logistics chain.
Since it started publishing in 1939, Maritime Reporter & Engineering News has recognized excellence in ship construction. This year 18 ships in total were honored, including many “world firsts.” Ternsund - LNG fueled tanker with Direct Drive Permanent Magnet Shaft
The Coast Guard rescued a jet skier Friday 25 miles east of Miami. Watch standers with the Seventh Coast Guard District Command Center received a personal locating beacon (PLB) notification at 12:59 p.m. and directed the launch of a Coast Guard Air Station Miami MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew
Seadrill, a London-headquartered offshore drilling contractor, said that Asia Offshore Drilling (AOD) has received three-year contract extensions for two jack-up rigs from Saudi Aramco. The jack-ups AOD I and AOD II received three year contract extensions from Saudi Aramco
Maritime Reporter & Engineering News (www.marinelink.com), published since 1939, annually publishes details on the world’s “Great Ships of the Year.” Of the 18 selected as “Great Ships of 2016,” here we rank the Top 10 Ships of 2016
The port of Antwerp will close 2016 with an expected record volume of more than 214 million tonnes of freight handled. The shipping container volume for its part has risen above 10 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units, i.e. standard containers) for the first time in the history of the port
DryShips Inc., an international owner of drybulk carriers and offshore support vessels, announced today that it has entered into an agreement with Kalani Investments Limited, an entity organized in the British Virgin Islands and that is not affiliated with the Company.
The container vessel “FESCO Nagaevo” with deadweight of 5 215 tons joined the fleet of FESCO Transportation Group. The vessel will operate under the Russian flag, the port of registry is Vladivostok. The vessel’s full capacity is 508 TEU
Taiwan's Wan Hai Lines Ltd will expand further on its already extensive south-east Asia network by joining Thailand-Belawan Service (also known as TBS) on 7th of January 2017, to provide a direct service from Thailand to Belawan.
Korea's Incheon Port is rapidly emerging as a port for government stockpile imports due to a significant increase in imports of US edible soybeans. Incheon Port Authority (IPA) announced that the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) designated Incheon Port as
While increasing the capacity of major ports, Ministry of Shipping has been striving to improve the operational efficiencies through mechanization and other measures. As a result key efficiency parameters have improved considerably.
CMA CGM, a leading worldwide shipping group, is pleased to announce that a new call in New Orleans will be added on its PEX3 service, which directly connects the American ports of the Gulf of Mexico, South Korea, China, Hong Kong and Singapore.
Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (NYSE:HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division launched the National Security Cutter Kimball (WMSL 756) on Saturday. Kimball is the seventh NSC Ingalls has built for the U.S. Coast Guard; christening is scheduled for March 4, 2017.
CMA CGM has informed that Brisbane, Australia, will be added to the rotation of its PANAMA DIRECT (PAD) service as from m/v HARMONY N voy. 081RPS-082RPN, ETA Brisbane on February 1st, 2017. This new call will allow PANAMA DIRECT to become the only direct service connecting North


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Internet and catalogue home shopping specialist N. Brown said trading picked up in December after flat performance in October and November.
Total group revenue in the 19 weeks to January 7th increased by 2.3% from a year earlier, while like-for-like revenue, which excludes sales from new stores, rose 2.0%.
The group said the sales profile in the second half of the year was much the same as the first half, but with an upturn in ladies-wear and what the group calls its "mid-life" titles.
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Online sales are now close to comprising half of all revenue, and were up 9% year-on-year over the reporting period.
Singing a song remarkably similar to that sung by other retailers recently, the group said that it has had to engage in "additional promotional activity" - industry code for price cuts and special offers - to drive sales, and this will reduce the rate of gross margin for the financial year as a whole.
"The two Simply Be concept stores have been well received and have attracted predominantly new customers thereby expanding the brand's reach in plus size fashion, and we have committed to five more stores in 2012," the group revealed.
International sales have met expectations in the USA but in Germany the group pulled back a little on recruiting new catalogue agents as it focused on reducing the returns rate, a focus which is showing some early signs of success, the group said.
The board said that with less than two months of its financial year left, performance should be in line with expectations, though this is somewhat dependent on the response to the Spring catalogue, which is despatched to agents in January and February.
Gazing into its crystal ball, the group said that 2012 does not look like it will be easy for its customers but there ought to be some sort of relief from the expected reduction in the rate of inflation, especially for clothing and footwear.
"We will continue to drive for growth in our core UK home shopping business, particularly through the online channel, as well as focusing on our strategic opportunities in multi-channel stores and international markets," the group pledged.
Should your business invest in a VoIP phone service?
Here's what you need to know about VOIP (voice over IP) services before landlines go digital in 2025.
By David Prosser Published
M&S is back in fashion: but how long can this success last?
M&S has exceeded expectations in the past few years, but can it keep up the momentum?
By Rupert Hargreaves Published


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The fourth iteration of perfect replica Cartier’s heritage timepiece, the 106-year-old Tank Watch, launches with a futuristic upgrade via a new Snapchat augmented reality Lens, the companies said Wednesday.
The luxury fake Cartier Tank Française collaboration offers consumers a virtual try-on experience and the ability to purchase, along with a bit of the luxury jewelry company’s history and branding.
“The Snap camera takes us back in time to 1917, and from there, a few simple taps send you through the most monumental time periods for the super clone watch — first 1936, then 1977, ending in 2023. Snapchatters can discover the collection and see Paris over the years, as well as try on the newest 1:1 fake Cartier Tank Watch themselves,” the companies said in a statement.
The fourth iteration of Swiss made replica Cartier’s heritage timepiece, the 106-year-old Tank Watch, launches with a futuristic upgrade via a new Snapchat augmented reality Lens, the companies said Wednesday. The aaa quality fake Cartier Tank Française collaboration offers consumers a virtual try-on experience and the ability to purchase, along with a bit of the luxury jewelry co …
Although the brand operates more than 200 stores around the world, few people get to try on a high quality fake Cartier watch in real life. But, as Geoffrey Perez, Snap’s head of global luxury, pointed out, more than 250 million people use AR daily in the Snapchat app. That casts the project as a step toward democratizing luxury, but without diluting the brand. The experience also offers an immersive 360-degree tour of the streets of Paris through time.
“Our technology opens up previously unimaginable creative possibilities, helping to make the luxury industry even more personal, accessible and practical,” said Perez.
Accessories from jewelry to eyewear have been a growing target for Snap’s AR tech. This latest fashion collaboration appears to bring together everything the company has learned over more than a decade of development. Naturally, many of those advancements also hinge on the smartphone makers, which have been elevating the technical sophistication of their cameras, sensors, image processing and software.
Behind the scenes, Apple and Google also continue to fine tune AR for iOS and Android through software tools like ARKit and ARCore, adding to what Snap can do with its own development. Over the years, its experiences have gone from funny cartoonish sombreros to makeup, jewelry and more. Eventually, with its ongoing work on cloth simulation and bodytracking, that may include more believable AR for apparel as well. Items like replica watches for sale are far easier to pull off, and a glitch-free experience matters for premium goods.
“Times change but the elegance remains the same,” explained Arnaud Carrez, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of top replica Cartier. “That’s what we tried to express in an immersive way thanks to our partnership with Snap, which put augmented reality at the service of the discovery of the new Cartier Tank Française fake for sale.”
Swiss movement fake Cartier’s new Lens, which launches globally in the Snapchat app on Wednesday for iOS and Android, can be found via search or through the brand’s profile page.


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freshidea - Fotolia
With the end of SAP ERP Central Component support looming, SAP customers face some tough decisions in the near future. Understanding the best path forward is a must.
2019 was a tumultuous year for SAP as it underwent major layoffs and leadership changes. The vendor's internal restructuring will undoubtedly influence the direction of the company. But most customers arguably are far more concerned with an SAP ECC to S/4HANA migration as they face the 2025 deadline for the end of ECC support.
To help CIOs and other leaders understand that issue, here are five critical points to understand about an SAP ECC to S/4HANA migration -- and whether all customers are even planning such a move.
1. SAP customers aren't making quick moves to S/4HANA
SAP customers are taking their time planning an SAP ECC to S/4HANA migration, and some aren't even planning to do so, according to a 2019 survey by the Americas' SAP Users' Group (ASUG).
Fifty-six percent of respondents haven't taken specific steps toward an S/4HANA migration, although at some point they intend to, according to the survey. However, 12% do not intend to move to S/4HANA at all.
SAP customers cite a number of reasons for delaying a move to S/4HANA, including the importance of other IT projects, lack of IT resources and lack of a solid business case.
Still, SAP's position is that, eventually, customers are planning an ECC to S/4HANA migration.
"Overall, there's a general sense that they want to do it, they're planning for it, they're gathering data and information, and they're looking for use cases that drive a business case," said ASUG CEO Geoff Scott, when evaluating whether companies are taking a wait-and-see approach.
2. Multiple end-of-support ECC options exist
A number of SAP articles are focused on what options customers have. This is especially true for companies that haven't already considered what a move off ECC entails.
SAP and its partners have encouraged customers that don't have a clear path to S/4HANA to go with tangential products, such as C/4HANA, Concur, SuccessFactors or Ariba, said Len Riley, commercial advisory practice leader at UpperEdge.
"[These customers are] being somewhat nimble and realistic relative to what they can achieve with peripheral cloud solutions as opposed to trying to push a rock up a hill and move from ECC to S/4HANA," he said, when commenting on options for moving off ECC.
Another option for customers is to shrink their ECC footprint with a more modular approach, Riley said. For example, they could choose C/4HANA for their customer experience management platform. For other business processes, they might look to vendors besides SAP.
3. A business case is critical to moving to S/4HANA
Deciding whether and how to move to S/4HANA requires understanding technical requirements and creating a business case. Organizations can deploy S/4HANA in the cloud, on premises or in a hybrid environment, with each having benefits and drawbacks.
ECC has fully developed modules for a number of industries and a full range of functionality, but SAP leaders believe it's not enough for capabilities like real-time decision-making, big data processing and other applications that are a part of business today, said Bjoern Braemer, head of SAP S/4HANA movement at SAP, which could help build an S/4HANA business case.
Data volumes are growing exponentially, and S/4HANA's business intelligence and analytics capabilities present a compelling case for a move, Braemer said.
Yet a move to S/4HANA can seem overwhelming, as worries of ecosystem complexity force SAP customers to consider the greenfield vs. brownfield question head-on, and decide on cloud deployment options. SAP customers considering an S/4HANA move should not underestimate the number of technical and business decisions they need to make.
4. S/4HANA is meant to enable an 'intelligent enterprise'
Any article covering SAP in early 2020 would not be complete without addressing what SAP calls the "intelligent enterprise."
S/4HANA is meant to help create an intelligent enterprise with its focus on getting in-depth and close to real-time insight from the data, said Derek Oats, CEO of Americas at SNP, an SAP partner based in Heidelberg, Germany that provides migration services, in a comment on S/4HANA and the intelligent enterprise.
To create an intelligent enterprise, customers need a platform that can take data from sources, such as enterprise applications and IoT sensors, and prepare it for analytics, AI and machine learning, said Oats. S/4HANA uses SAP HANA to do that and then presents the data in an easy-to-navigate user interface, he said.
However, many current SAP customers could turn to other vendors to enable these capabilities.
"There's going to have to be this movement in the customer base," said Joshua Greenbaum, principal at Enterprise Applications Consulting. "The 'where' and 'what next' is complicated."


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K11 art mall invests US$10m in AI startup
K11 art mall has invested US$10 million into AI startup Oben with a view to introducing immersive experiences to retail.
Oben creates virtual identities, while K11 was founded by entrepreneur Adrian Cheng, whose family owns the Hong Kong conglomerate New World Development as well as jewellery group Chow Tai Fook.
K11’s funding will be used to drive the growth of Oben’s technology, which can simulate a person’s voice, face and personality, and perform tasks on their behalf. Founded in 2014, the California-based startup has raised more than $23.7 million to date.
Its technology enables users to quickly create an intelligent personal 3D avatar that is authenticated and registered on the blockchain.
“With this strategic investment from K11, we will be able to reach millions of new customers and create experiences that will shape the future of retail,” says Oben co-founder/chief executive Nikhil Jain.
Through Oben’s Personal Artificial Intelligence (PAI) concierge, consumers can receive real-time information and personalised shopping advice. The technology will be introduced early this year at the Shanghai K11. Visitors will be able to use tablets provided by the retailer, walk up to an art or design display and engage with an avatar in the form of a celebrity, curator or even Cheng himself.
“In the future, this can be applied to in-mall LCD screens as well as users’ smartphones to provide shopping tips and retail guides,” says a spokesperson.
The announcement follows several retail investments by Cheng, heir of the billionaire Yu-Tung Cheng, reports BoF.
In October, he formed C Ventures, a fund that targets millennial and gen-Z focused brands in China and the US, including media channel Dazed, social-media platform Galore, fitness-and-beauty hubs Bandier and Beautycon, and Not Just a Label, a community and e-commerce site promoting emerging fashion designers. In December, C Ventures and K11 led luxury e-commerce site Moda Operandi’s $165 million investment round.
Eventually, Oben’s AI-powered tools could be used by these businesses.
In June, Oben teamed with K-pop management company SM Entertainment to launch the JV AI Stars, which lets celebrities create special experiences for consumers and retail outlets.


text: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an update Monday reporting that the number of Hepatitis A cases associated with Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend now totals 162, with 71 people having been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported. The cases were reported in 10 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah and Wisconsin. CDC notes that the cases reported from Wisconsin resulted from exposure to the Townsend Farms product in California, the cases reported from New Hampshire reported exposure during travel to Nevada, and the case reported in New Jersey was a household contact from a confirmed case from Colorado. Household contact can resulted in what are known as “secondary cases,” or cases that are the result of exposure to an infected individual rather than a contaminated product. In its latest update, CDC stated that illnesses had been reported in individuals ranging in age from 1 to 84 years. Illness onset dates range from March 31, 2013, to July 25, 2013. While the product was sold at both Costco Wholesale stores and Harris Teeter stores, nobody has been identified who bought the product at Harris Teeter. Townsend Farms of Fairview, OR, recalled its frozen Organic Antioxidant Blend for potential Hepatitis A contamination on June 3, 2013. Costco notified its members who purchased the product, urging them to receive prophylactic treatment to prevent hepatitis A infection and to discard the berry blend. The recall was expanded on June 28 to include additional UPC codes. Public health officials ultimately determined that pomegranate seeds included in the Townsend Farms mix were the source of the Hepatitis A outbreak. The pomegranate seeds were imported from Turkey by Goknur Foodstuffs Import Export Trading. FDA said it will detain shipments of pomegranate seeds from Goknur when they are offered for import into the U.S. Hepatitis A is a communicable disease that spreads via a “fecal-oral route.” Food-related outbreaks are usually associated with food contaminated during cultivation, harvesting, processing or distribution. Infected restaurant workers are a common source of hepatitis A exposure. Approximately 10 to 12 days after exposure, Hepatitis A is present in an infected person’s blood and is excreted into their feces. About two weeks after exposure, symptoms appear and the amount of Hepatitis A virus excreted in a person’s feces lessens. While young children do not typically exhibit symptoms of Hepatitis A infection, older children and adults typically experience muscle aches, headache, abdominal discomfort, loss of appetite, fever and malaise 15 to 50 days after exposure. After a few days of these symptoms, jaundice (a yellowing of the skin and eyes) sets in. In general, symptoms of Hepatitis A usually last less than two months, although relapse is not unknown. Unlike chronic forms of hepatitis, such as B and C, individuals with Hepatitis A infections typically recover. Once a person has recovered from a Hepatitis A infection, they are immune to the virus.


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According to Businessweek,President Felipe Calderon,pictured above shaking hands with employees as he toured the new,state of the art Chrysler auto plant in Saltillo,Mexico,has become a leader in Auto Production. Chrysler named the new addition to their manufacturing facilities,CENTENARIO in honor of Mexico's 1910-1917 revolution's anniversary.
The new $570 million dollar facility will rely on more than 700 employees to produce Chrysler's Pentastar V-6 Engine for the company's 2011Grand Cherokee Line. Future plans are in place for the Dodge,Avenger,and Journey models in the coming months. Estimated production capacity is 400,000 units per annum.
As reported by the Wall Street Journal,the Penstar V-6 will over time,replace the V-6 engines currently in all of their cars due to the economical advantages of the newly created V-6. Fuel economy will be optimized by 7% but yet offer a whopping 290 Horsepower.
Keeping with Mexico's commitment to a less impactful human footprint,the new plant will be outfitted with over 1900 solar cells that will greatly reduce carbon emissions as well as a wastewater treatment plant that will experience savings of over 114,000 cubic meters of water every year. Chrysler is the fifth largest producer of automobiles that have been completed in Mexico,with six production facilities,and is the reason that the Detroit-based auto group's vehicle production is up 124% from last year.
According to Investment Properties Mexico,American companies are still rushing to do business in Mexico,lured south of the border by low wages,fewer taxes,lower freight costs,and a booming economy.
Over 18,000 American companies are now investing and operating in Mexico with more obtaining new permits every day. In return for investing in Mexico and building factories,Americans get great tax breaks,low labor costs ($4.21 a day in some cases),and worker training paid for by the government.
Mexico was recently named "the most affordable place in the world to do business by International financial experts KPMG.
Whether for vacation,unparalleled real estate investment opportunities,or a healthier bottom line,more of the World is taking a closer look at our neighbor to the South.


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Gas prices increased last week in most markets due to reductions in domestic
supply and the oil market’s response to President Donald Trump’s decision to back out of the Iran Nuclear Deal, reports AAA, The Auto Club Group.
The national average of $2.87 on Sunday is 53 cents more than this time last year. Prices at the pump have jumped six cents in the past week.
Gas prices have not been this expensive in nearly four years (since November 2014). On average, Americans are spending $6 more to fill up their vehicles than a year ago.
Georgia’s gas prices held relatively steady during the past week. The average price in the Peach State is now $2.72, the highest since September 2017.
Mark Jenkins, AAA spokesman, states, “Gas prices are their highest in years, yet that doesn’t seem to be slowing motorists down. The latest round of figures from the EIA shows that gasoline demand is significantly higher than this time last year. A strong economy is helping to fuel motorists along, as we approach the most traveled Memorial Day in more than a dozen years. Those people affected by the higher prices at the pump are likely cutting back on other expenses like shopping and dining out.”
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Only one week after premiere its ImmorTails of Egypt video slot, Swedish online casino games developer Play‘n GO has returned to announce the launch of its new five-reel and 20-payline Fortune Rewind innovation.
The Stockholm-headquartered firm used an official Thursday press release to disclose that its latest three-row iGaming advance is themed around time travel and follows the exploits of Dr Tempis as she treks from the Stone Age right up to the year 3000. The innovator also explained that players are given the ability to follow this intrepid protagonist backward and forward through six distinct eras via a pair of base game modifiers in hopes of taking home prizes that could be worth up to 8,500 times their triggering stake.
Play‘n GO pronounced that the features in its new high-volatility Fortune Rewind video slot ‘unite beautifully’ with the game’s premise to offer aficionados the chance to experience ancient Egypt and the giant cities of the future. The developer moreover stated that the debut of this title with its 94.2% return to player ratio follows the earlier launches of its science fiction-themed Reactoonz and Raging Rex games although marking the first time it has ever ‘covered the theme of time travel itself’.
Established in 1997, Play‘n GO noted that it was already responsible for a selection of over 200 video slots, including the recently-debuted Mega Don, Champions of Mithrune and Bull in a Rodeo titles. The firm pronounced that its Fortune Rewind video slot additionally ‘hammers on entertainment’ courtesy of rewind and fast-forward base game attractions alongside wilds and upgrading symbols ‘that create the opportunity for wins on non-winning rounds’.
Play‘n GO proclaimed that during the free spins bonus game in Fortune Rewind the multiplying ‘wanted’ icon mechanic becomes active to display a random symbol alongside the reels. The pioneer furthermore stated that this representation ‘corresponds to which time era the player is currently in’ and can change depending on the period to award online casino players with boosted rewards.
George Olekszy serves as a games ambassador for Play‘n GO, and he used the press release to assert that Fortune Rewind has correspondingly added the new Dr Tempis personality to a stable of intellectual property that already included its Rich Wilde, Cat Wilde and Reactoonz characters. The representative revealed that this female protagonist additionally ‘plays a key role’ in the title’s gameplay ‘as her animations reflect what is happening during the game’.
Read a statement from Olekszy…
“Fortune Rewind is a super and feature-rich game where the narrative and features complement each other seamlessly. There is always something happening on screen, which is really fun to watch. You really find yourself along for the ride with Dr Tempis as she travels from era to era. It’s all about creating an experience.”


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Those booking with Airtel (having its connection) can either get it delivered to their house/office or pick it up from a nearby Airtel Store.
While it is already available on the iPhone 6S and later devices like the iPhone 7, iPhone 7S, the iPhone 8, and iPhone XS, iOS 12 will now make it available across iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices regardless of their screen capability.
"I'll never let it (his iPhone) go", he said. At the Century City store in Los Angeles, roughly 50 people were lined up for the phones before business hours.
The powerbanks' packaging had these words which seem to take a dig at Apple's new smartphones' battery capacity: "Here's a powerbank".
"I thought there would be a lot of people", says Phuc Nguyen who waited with Vu.
Trump to Spain: Build a wall to keep out asylum seekers
Trump disagreed, according to Borrell's recollection, adding that "the Sahara border can't be bigger than our border with Mexico". The plan has been complicated by funding disputes, complex property transactions and the opposition of Democrats in Congress.
Most customers pre-ordered their new handsets for collection ahead of the store's 8am opening, but about a dozen eager buyers without a reservation turned up to queue through cold and windy conditions on Thursday afternoon.
At the Apple store in London, Huawei arrived with a juice van offering "ju%ce that lasts".
On whether the high price of the new iPhone model had deterred him in any way, he said: "To me, for every amount that I have paid, the quality has been there". The iPhone XS survived the drop with no cracking at all but the same couldn't be said about the iPhone XS Max as it landed on its corner and the front glass was ruined. They said they were inside the coffee shop for about 10 minutes, but when they returned to the vehicle, the phones were gone.
"The scalpers here offer HK$100 lower [than the original of price of HK$10,799, US$1,382]". Those who pre-order the iPhones will have it shipped within 3-5 business days from September 28. The biggest screen ever made into a iPhone. Cao Zhongqiang from Shanghai was told he couldn't get any devices on the first day without an existing order.
"It's been a while since I've upgraded", Photo said.


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Tag: companies going out of business
Browsing articles tagged under: companies going out of business
May 9, 2017
When you hear that a company is closing down or has gone out of business, the news can be worrying for everyone involved, including suppliers, creditors, staff and customers. Depending on...


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In an interview with Bloomberg, Disney CEO Bob Chapek discussed Disney’s park reopening plan, the state of the world, and the release date for Black Widow. In it Chapek said that the release of Black Widow, whether it be in theaters or on Disney+ will “probably [be] at the last minute.”
The CEO is not hiding any cards here, and is making it clear that the decision will be decided when the time comes. If the last year has taught anyone anything, it is that viruses are incredibly difficult to predict. Black Widow was originally scheduled for a May 2020 release, but due to the pandemic received a plethora of delays, eventually landing in May of 2021. It is more hopeful that it will be released at this date.
Black Widow is the first female led MCU film and in being that, Disney has felt it would be important to see the film on the big screen with a packed house. Though it is incredibly difficult to know when that will be possible in the United States as well as much of the world.
If it is going to be released on Disney+, it will most likely be under a $30 paywall that Mulan and Raya and the Last Dragon was under. Though the most popular of the latest Disney releases, Soul, was not under that paywall. However, with the MCU being as large as it is, it would not be a surprise to see the extra charge added to the release of Black Widow, if it is in fact released on Disney +.
With everything in the last year, we’ll have to wait and see. Black Widow is set for a May 7,2021 release date and stars Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, O-T Fagbenle, Ray Winstone, and Rachel Weisz.