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Breaking News! Walmart Black Friday Ads Released!
As we told you last month, Black Friday will look a lot different this year. For example, is Black Friday 2020 cancelled? Some may argue that it is, because Black Friday sales this year won’t be specifically on the Friday after Thanksgiving. They’re being spread out, so deals might not be quite the doorbusters that we’re used to seeing. However, they’re shaping up to be pretty sweet!
The Walmart Black Friday ad has dropped! With deals beginning Nov. 4, there’s a ton of offers!
Don’t miss BOTH of them! Scroll down to find the link below.
Stores Closed on Thanksgiving
In recent years, Black Friday has been spilling over into Thanksgiving with stores opening on Thursday. However, in 2020, many stores have already confirmed that they will not open on Thanksgiving.
Confirmed stores that are closing on Thanksgiving Day 2020
- Academy Sports and Outdoors
- Bed Bath & Beyond
- Best Buy
- Dick’s Sporting Goods
- Foot Locker
- The Home Depot
- Lamps Plus
- Office Depot/OfficeMax
- Simon Property Group
- Under Armour
- The Outlet Resource Group
Will Black Friday 2020 Be Cancelled?
The coronavirus pandemic has hit retailers especially hard, forcing many to remain closed for months. Even essential businesses had to narrow their product offering to only the most essential goods.
Black Friday is named for being “in the black” (meaning profit), as opposed to being “in the red” (meaning in debt). In other words, it’s a time when stores hope to turn their bottom line into profit rather than loss. So, in an especially difficult year like 2020, it makes sense that they won’t want to lose the Black Friday sales where they can profit. For some, it may be their last chance to turn things around.
For years, Cyber Monday has been the time to save big with online sales. Cyber Monday is the Monday after Black Friday. However, in recent years online sales for Black Friday have started even before Friday. So, it stands to reason that stores will continue to offer great deals online even if it’s not in person.
In conclusion, even though Black Friday 2020 might look different than the usual doorbuster crowds, expect great deals that could even be more spread out over the weeks that lead to Christmas holiday shopping.
COVID Retail Apocalypse
In 2020, retail giants such as J.C. Penney declared bankruptcy and plans to close 200 stores, And, Victoria’s Secret and Bath & Body Works announced they were closing 300 stores. Gordmans bankruptcy and store closings. Tuesday Morning stores declare bankruptcy. And, of course, Pier One Imports closing all of their stores. Shortly after Neiman Marcus, another department store giant, declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy amid the coronavirus pandemic. And, most recently The Children’s Place announced they would close 300 stores. and 24-Hour fitness closes doors to nearly half of its clubs.
See all the 2020 Stores Closing here.


text: WASHINGTON \u2014 An extra cup or two of coffee may be OK after all. More eggs, too. But you definitely need to drink less sugary soda. And, as always, don\u2019t forget your vegetables. Saturated fat is still a problem. Recommendations Thursday from a government advisory committee call for an environmentally friendly diet lower in red and processed meats. But the panel would reverse previous guidance on limiting dietary cholesterol. And it says the caffeine in a few cups of coffee could actually be good for you. The committee also is backing off stricter limits on salt, though it says Americans still get much too much. It\u2019s recommending the first real limits on added sugar, saying that\u2019s especially a problem for young people. The Agriculture and Health and Human Services departments will take those recommendations into account in writing final 2015 dietary guidelines by the end of the year. The guidelines affect nutritional patterns throughout the country \u2014 from federally subsidized school lunches to food package labels to your doctor\u2019s advice. Even with the changes, the report sticks to the basic message of the previous guidelines in 2010: Eat more fruits and vegetables and whole grains; eat less saturated fats, salt and sugar. The committee says available evidence \u201cshows no appreciable relationship\u201d between heart disease and how much dietary cholesterol you eat, but it still recommends eating less saturated fat. As in previous years, the report advises limiting saturated fats to 10 percent of total calories. The panel doesn\u2019t give a specific recommendation for how much cholesterol \u2014 or eggs \u2014 a person may eat. Added sugars should be no more than about 200 calories a day \u2014 about the amount in one 16-ounce sugary drink, says the advisory committee, which is made up of doctors and nutritionists. The report looks at caffeine for the first time, and says coffee is OK \u2014 even good for you. The panel says there is strong evidence that 3 to 5 cups a day can be part of a healthy diet, and there\u2019s consistent evidence that it\u2019s even associated with reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. The advice comes with some caveats \u2014 don\u2019t add calories with cream, milk and added sugars. The report also advises against large-size energy drinks that are popular in the marketplace.

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EU Gives Thumbs Up to Online Copyright Revamp; Facebook Pulls More Fake News Pages; Google to Fund Local Digital News Sources; Apple Card Extra Fraud Prevention FeaturesPosted: March 26, 2019 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
The EU’s revamp of its Copyright Directive has been approved by the EU Parliament after a 2 year process. Theverge.com reports that supporters claim it will balance the playing field between US tech giants and European content creators. It gives copyright holders more power over how big internet platforms distribute their content. Opponents of the new directive say it is too vague and will not only restrict how content is shared online, but will stifle free speech. One controversial part is effectively a ‘link tax’ that lets publishers charge Google News and others when they display snippets of stories. Another clause puts new requirements on YouTube and similar sites to filter and remove copyrighted content, or pay penalties. As with all things internet, a prime complaint is that it will be moot anyway, as people will find ways around it, while the new directive stifles free speech.
Facebook has killed another 2600+ pages, groups, and accounts, citing ‘coordinated inauthentic behavior.’ According to businessinsider.com, Facebook identified 3 separate operations, originating from Russia, Iran, Kosovo, and Macedonia. The Russians had the lion’s share of them, 1907 pages, groups, and accounts. The Russian ones were mostly spam, but also produced fake news about Ukraine. The reach of the Russian ones was some 1.7 million! An Iranian account was impersonating the BBC on Instagram.
Google is beginning an experiment to directly fund creation of local, digital-only news publications. 9to5google.com says they want to fund dozens of the in mid-sized cities…those of less than a half million people, that Google says ‘don’t have access to significant local sources of news and information.’ The initiative is called ‘The Compass Experiment,’ and Google will partner with McClatchy for the next 3 years. Google claims they will have no editorial control or ownership of the publications. The first 3 cities will be selected in the next few months….stay tuned.
With the surprising announcement of the Apple Card yesterday, here are some further details to flesh out the branded MasterCard Apple will offer through Goldman Sachs. We noted yesterday that it will primarily be a virtual card in your iPhone’s wallet, and now tech crunch.com fleshes out how the physical, titanium card will work…having no number, expiration date, or CVV on it. All that info will apparently live in the secure enclave on the iPhone, so when you use the physical card (and not Apple Pay), you check the Wallet on your iPhone to retrieve the card number and the rest. In actual use, the card will send a one-time unique dynamic security code that will act as the CVV. Since it will always change, it adds an extra layer of security should the card be compromised by a skimmer or the like. Other cards are now using biometrics like a fingerprint reader on their cards to fight this sort of thing…but Apple’s one-time CVV will even work online. The Apple Card is expected out this summer.


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Reed Hastings, co-founder of the streaming giant Netflix has decided to step down as CEO of the company leaving the position to his two long-time associate Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters. Hastings will serve as executive chairman of the company.
The new set up will see Co-CEO Ted Sarandos remaining in his position, while Greg Peters, the Chief Operating Officer, will assume Hastings’ co-CEO role as well as join the company’s board.
The announcement comes as Netflix announced a big rise in subscriber numbers in Q4 of 2022, adding 7.66 million paid subscribers, far more than the 4.57 million expected by analysts.
“Our board has been discussing succession planning for many years (even founders need to evolve!), The board and I believe it’s the right time to complete my succession.” Hastings said in a blog post.
Hastings has been signaling he would step aside for a few years. He elevated Sarandos to co-CEO in 2020 and named Peters COO at the same time. He already delegated almost all Hollywood decisions to Sarandos, and has gradually pulled back from the day-to-day affairs of the business.
“2022 was a tough year, with a bumpy start but a brighter finish,” the company said in a statement. “We believe we have a clear path to reaccelerate our revenue growth: continuing to improve all aspects of Netflix, launching paid sharing and building our ads offering. As always, our north stars remain pleasing our members and building even greater profitability over time.”
“I want to thank Reed for his visionary leadership, mentorship and friendship over the last 20 years,” Sarandos said a statement. “We’ve all learned so much from his intellectual rigor, honesty and willingness to take big bets — and we look forward to working with him for many more years to come.”
In a statement, Hastings added “We start 2023 with renewed momentum as a company and a clear path to reaccelerate our growth.”


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It is not exactly a social revolution. But residents in New York City's East Village have launched a protest against corporate America - or specifically, one corporation.
The 7-Eleven convenience store has announced plans to open 100 new locations in Manhattan, including a shop in the city's Lower East Side.
But residents of the gritty neighbourhood - which once was home to the poet Allen Ginsberg, the artist Ai Wei Wei, and the musician Patti Smith - are protesting against the store's arrival.
The neighbours who live in Alphabet City - the streets between Avenues A and D - take pride in the fact that their community remains made up primarily of small businesses.
They worry that the chain will ruin the image of the neighbourhood, put bodegas out of business and generally contribute to a process of "suburbanisation".
Among the protest activities: night chalking, Twitter and Facebook accounts and a bodega walk, a tourist tour where bodega owners tell their stories of the neighbourhood.
A similar group of rebellious neighbours won similar battles in the East Village in the past - for instance, they saved the community gardens from real-estate investors.
Their goal now is zoning and rules that would be submitted to the community to approve the opening of new chains and stores.source


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Visit us on the world’s largest trade fair for agricultural machinery and equipment
From 12th to 18th of November 2017 PRINOTH will be guest at the AGRITECHNICA in Hanover, Germany, the world’s largest trade fair for agricultural machinery and equipment.
PRINOTH will present its innovations in the fields of VEGETATION MANAGEMENT and Alternative Applications. In addition to the latest PRINOTH-Mulchers, the LEITWOLF AGRIPOWER, especially converted from groomer to agricultural applications, is going to have its grand entrance.
See you at Hall 26 – Stand C12!


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Vivo has launched its latest Y-series smartphone called the Y30 in India. The smartphone was previously launched in Cambodia as the toned-down variant of the Vivo Y50. The Y50 features a punch-hole display, beefy 5,000mAh battery with fast charging and quad cameras as its USP. Notably, the Y50 was already launched in India last month.
The Vivo Y30 comes with a similar set of specs, but gets a smaller display and less-powerful processor. The phone has been priced under Rs 15,000 in India and has already gone on sale in the country. Here are all details of the Vivo Y30 including the pricing and availability.
Vivo Y30 specifications and features
The Vivo Y30 comes with a 6.47-inch HD+ display with a 19.5:9 aspect ratio and a punch-hole cutout in the front. Powering the smartphone is MediaTek’s budget Helio P35 processor accompanied by an IMG PowerVR GE8320 GPU. The processor is further coupled with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. In the software department, the Vivo Y30 boots the Android 10-based Funtouch OS and is powered by a 5,000mAh battery.
Coming to the cameras, the Y30 features a quad-camera setup on the back comprising a 13-megapixel primary f/2.2 camera, an 8-megapixel secondary camera, 2-megapixel f/2.4 depth sensor and 2-megapixel f/2.4 macro camera. The punch-hole cutout in the front houses an 8-megapixel camera for selfies and video calling.
Other features of Vivo Y30 include a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS.
Vivo Y30 price in India
The Vivo Y30 is being offered in a single Dazzle Blue colour option. It comes in a single 4GB RAM + 128GB storage configuration in India, and is priced at Rs 14,990. The smartphone is already on sale on Flipkart with offers like 10 percent off with Axis Bank Buzz Credit Card, flat Rs 30 discount on the first prepaid transaction via RuPay debit card, Rs 30 off on first prepaid transaction through UPI, and Rs 75 off on RuPay debit card purchase above Rs 7,500.


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VANCOUVER (Reuters) - A rolling postal strike, followed by deep service cuts, has highlighted the fading role of Canada’s mail service in the age of the Internet, with neither side likely to end up ahead.
On one side of the dispute are postal workers who are looking for higher wages and more job security -- saying the company is ignoring their ideas to modernize as consumers increasingly pay bills online and use e-mail for letters.
On the other is Canada Post, which, in addition to seeing declining demand, faces what the company says is a yawning C$3.2 billion deficit in its pension system, at a time when more than a third of its workers are within 10 years of retirement.
“The pie they are trying to cut up is already shrinking,” said George Smith, who teaches at Queen’s University and is a veteran of labor negotiations in the railway and broadcast industries.
Smith said the limited action so far indicates the sides know they will both get hurt if the postal service shuts down entirely and the public does not care.
The unionized postal workers started their industrial action last week, staging 24-hour rotating strikes in different parts of the country to press their demands.
The independent, government-owned corporation responded by idling workers and reducing urban delivery to three days a week. It says mail volumes are down 50 percent since the strike began and the workers’ demands will doom the company.
Canada Post, which traces its roots to the country’s founding, reported a C$319 million profit last year on revenue of C$6.1 billion.
But, like postal systems around the world, it has suffered as letter writers turn to e-mail and customers pay bills electronically, and use courier firms like FedEx Corp for parcels and urgent deliveries.
Letter volumes were down 4.2 percent last year and the average number of letters delivered to each address is off 17 percent from 2005, according to the company.
Canada Post says its latest offer would increase the top wage for current workers to C$26 an hour and keep its defined benefit pension system. But it wants a lower pay scale for new hires and other contract changes.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers, which represents the 48,000 urban postal workers, says it understands the difficulties facing Canada Post but it accuses management of not listening to fresh ideas such as offering banking services.
The union says the company is demanding other unfair concessions in areas including wages, staffing and safety.
The company says negotiations have stalled.
There has been surprisingly little public outcry at the reduced deliveries, although the dispute is pinching companies and government agencies that use the postal system for direct mail advertising and billing.
“While Canada Post volumes are dropping, the postal service still delivers 11 billion pieces of mail each year and remains relevant to the Canadian economy,” the Canadian Marketing Association said in a release on Thursday.
The West Coast province of British Columbia faces an extra problem if the dispute escalates -- it is scheduled to hold a mail-in vote later this month on whether to repeal a controversial sales tax deal with the federal government.
John McCallum, a University of Manitoba finance professor, said the two sides need to reach a compromise that will sustain Canada Post for the long term, but he admitted that is very difficult given how quickly its competition is evolving.
“The problem with the future is that it doesn’t come with a manual,” McCallum said.
The federal government has urged the sides to keep talking, but has not said if it plans to intervene and legislate an end the dispute.
Reporting Allan Dowd; editing by Janet Guttsman and Rob Wilson


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Models aren’t the only pretty ones…it runs in their genes and that is what we have in the Balmain sibling ad campgain. Olivier Rousteing’s fall campaign features Kylie and Kendal Jenner, Bella and Gigi Hadid, Joan and Erika Smalls shot by Mario Sorrenti.
See it here
In a statement released Thursday, Rousteing explained that the intimacy captured in Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s Balmain campagin inspired him to keep featuring familial relationships. (Fashionista)
Bella & Gigi Hadid. Bella helping her sister with her lipstick
Joan and Erika Smalls
The most famous of them all…Kylie and Kendall Jenner
Rousteing also stated, This season’s Balmain campaign was inspired by a brief, key moment that happened while we were shooting our last campaign. While I watched Mario capture a kiss last fall, I was struck by the love and emotion that I was witnessing in front of me. Starting with a determination to once again focus on the beauty of an intimate connection, my team and I quickly concluded that a celebration of the unique and unconditional love of siblings is a natural progression from the spirit of last season
It’s amazing where designers and artists pull inspiration from.


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ARM has launched two new products:
- Mali-V61 - a video processing unit (VPU) for 4K120 video performance in real-time video applications such as Facebook Live and Periscope.
- Mali-G51 graphics processing unit (GPU) - ARM’s most area-efficient and energy-efficient GPU to date. Based on ARM’s new Bifrost architecture which has been updated to include a redesigned texturing unit with double the throughput, the Mali-G51 GPU enables these use cases, bringing premium graphics to mainstream mobile devices.
“The cost and visual experience a device delivers are key purchasing factors for Generation Z and mainstream mobile users,” said James McNiven, general manager for CPU and media processing groups, ARM. “Our latest Mali video and graphics IP suite meets this demand by offering immersive VR, gaming and compliance with real-time video standards. This is a system-level media solution that enables developers to balance performance, efficiency and cost control.”
Mali-V61 and Mali-G51 are available to license now and both processors support ARM initiatives such as the new version, v1.2, of ARM Frame Buffer Compression (AFBC), to deliver increased bandwidth savings, and ARM TrustZone technology.


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Sir Kensington's Announces It Will Stop Producing the Ketchup That Made it Famous
When it comes to ketchup, major companies like Heinz and Red Gold have long reigned supreme. But smaller and newer brands can still manage to make a splash when they enter the ketchup market with something innovative and delicious.
One of those smaller brands, Sir Kensington's, unfortunately seems to have suffered the consequences of outside factors like the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation. The company has announced that it will no longer produce its popular ketchup, the flagship product of its brand.
A Feb. 21 post titled "Sir Kensington's Ketchup: A Eulogy," shared on Medium by Sir Kensington's co-founder Scott Norton, explained the disappointing decision to discontinue the condiment.
"Food is a low-margin business that works at high volume. Through the pandemic, international war, and inflation of the past three years, ketchup faced price pressure and cost pressure that was untenable," the post read. "To make change in the food system, products ultimately need to be profitable and resilient enough to be economically sustainable, otherwise, the change is temporary."
The post also noted that Unilever bought Sir Kensington's a few years back, a move that gave the food giant the decision-making power "on what products to launch, what to keep, and what to cut."
Norton continued, "We can't be naïve to think there won't be tough choices, even if we don't always believe a decision was made in the best interest of the brand… It's easy for us to be disappointed, but we knew the risks, and we must take the good with the bad."
Unilever was contacted for comment on the halt in production but did not immediately respond.
Sir Kensington's differentiated itself from other major ketchup brands by eliminating both corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup as ingredients. And customers seemed to love Sir Kensington's unique take on the quintessential condiment. The brand's classic ketchup has an average rating of 4.5 out of five stars on the Sir Kensington's website, while the spicy variety has an even higher average rating of 4.7.
Additionally, Sir Kensington's very nearly scored the top spot in our Eat This, Not That! taste ranking of different ketchups, coming in second place behind only Heinz.
But despite its popularity, another Sir Kensington's condiment has actually grown to surpass the fan-favorite ketchup. According to the Medium post, Sir Kensington's mayonnaise now accounts for 75% of the company's business, while the ketchup has dropped to 10%.
"It's a reminder that you may not yet have invented your defining product, and it might not be the one you were founded on," the post read.
Though ketchup production has halted, the brand will continue to sell its mayo, mustard, and "everything" sauces moving forward. In the meantime, Sir Kensington's ketchup fans should act quick to snag any lingering bottles on grocery store shelves, "because once it's gone, it's gone," the post said.


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It’s been a long time since the name XBMC echoed through our corridors. Apple TV 2 owners can start their celebrations as XBMC has released the Beta 1 of their next major update, v. 13.0. After Eden and Frodo, they’ve come up with Gotham as their codename, just to make sure it’ll never get unnoticed by movie fans.
In our last post, we came across some stunning implementation of the dual screen AirPlay functionality of iOS – showing different screens on your Apple TV (the gameplay) and your handheld (the controls). In case you din’t catch that one, you can read it here. Thanks to a few tips from our readers and some digging from our part, we’ve come across more dual screen games you can play on your Apple TV. In fact, we think the games in this post are better that the last one, at some points. So lets dive in!
Till a couple of days back, finding Apple TV‘s product page on Apple.com was a bit difficult thanks to its mysterious location in the Accessories section for iPods. Generally I used to resort on Google to find it rather than taking the pain in browsing through the website. However, that shouldn’t be a problem from now on, as Apple TV has been promoted to occupy one of the tabs besides Mac, iPhone, iPod and iPad at the Apple online store. In addition, Apple TV now has its own pages for accessories, community and refurbishes.
Yesterday Apple released their 2013 Q4 numbers and spoiler alert – they sold a lot of stuff. Specifically, they sold a lot of iPhones, iPads, iPods, Macs, and iTunes content, providing specific sales numbers for each of these categories. What wasn’t detailed is how many Apple TV’s were sold.
We’ve been waiting for the fourth generation Apple TV for quite sometime now. Initially we thought it would be announced in the iPad event in October, 2013. Later it was speculated that Apple will hold a separate event for the next Apple TV in November. And after the acquisition of PrimeSense, it was deemed that Apple will come up with gesture-recognizing control system for the same. Now, iLounge has learned something exciting and believable from their reliable source. Wait for it.. the next Apple TV will support native gaming!


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With the declining trend in COVID-19 cases, the Rajasthan government, earlier, had extended the coronavirus lockdown till June 8. However, the government, on Monday, issued guidelines to start the “unlock” process by easing certain restrictions from June 2.
According to the guidelines for the modified lockdown, exemption for various activities will be given only in areas where the positivity rate is less than 10% or the use of oxygen, ICU and ventilator beds is less than 60%.
Following the instructions of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, the Home Department has issued new guidelines in this regard.
New Guidelines issued by Rajasthan Government
Here is all you need to know about what is allowed in Udaipur and what is not:
- All the government offices will open from 9:30 am to 4 pm with the presence of 25% employees till June 7, and after that with 50% employees.
- Private offices can be opened up to 2 pm with the presence of 25% employees.
- e-Pass will be issued for the movement of workers working in industries.
- Shops & Mall
- Grocery and flour mill will open from 6 am to 11 am as before.
- All types of shops and business establishments will also be able to open from Tuesday to Friday from 6 am to 11 am.
- Fruit and vegetable shops will open from 6 am to 5 pm.
- Shops selling processed food, sweets, bakeries and restaurants will be open from 6 am to 11 am from Tuesday to Friday. Only take-away will be available.
- The facility of home delivery will be allowed till 10 pm.
- Sitting and eating in restaurants, shops will not be allowed.
- The street vendors and stalls will be allowed daily from 6 am to 11 am.
- Fuel pumps will be open from 5 am to 12 noon.
- Fully air-conditioned shopping complexes, malls will not be allowed to open at present.
- Maintenance service workers such as electricians, plumbers, carpenters, motor mechanics, IT service providers will be also allowed to travel.
- The ban on wedding ceremonies will continue till June 30.
- Marriages at homes and court marriages will be permitted as earlier (maximum attendance of 11 people).
- Details will have to be submitted on covidinfo.rajasthan.gov.in.
- Inter-state and intra-state movement
- Intra-district movement of private vehicles will be allowed from Tuesday to Friday between 5 am to 12 noon.
- After June 8, traffic will be allowed in the entire state from 5 am to 12 noon.
- Public transport, including the State roadways and private buses, will be allowed from June 10. Separate orders will be issued for the same.
- RT-PCR negative report (conducted within 72 hours) will be mandatory for travellers coming from outside the state.
- Inter-state and intra-state movement of vehicles carrying goods will be allowed.
- Weekend Curfew
- The weekend curfew will remain in force every Friday from 12 noon to Tuesday 5 am.
- It will continue till the number of active cases in the state reduces to 10,000.
- All types of religious places will remain closed for devotees/visitors throughout the state.
- Public, social, political, sports-related entertainment, educational, cultural and religious functions/processions/festivals/fairs market will not be allowed.
- Cinema halls, theatres, multiplexes, auditoriums, swimming pools, amusement parks, picnic spots, sports grounds and public parks and similar places will remain closed.
- All educational, coaching institutions, libraries etc. will remain closed.
- e-Mitra and Adhaar Centres will be open till 4 pm.
There are more than 22 districts in the state, where the infection rate has been less than 5% during the lockdown.


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As part of the Pwn2Own 2010 hacking contest, Vincenzo Iozzo and Ralf Philipp Weinmann created an exploit which allows them to hijack fully-patched iPhones' SMS databases—right down to deleted messages—simply by luring users to a "rigged" website.
Aside from hijacking entire SMS databases in about 20 seconds, the exploit could potentially also be used to "exfiltrated the phone contact list, photographs and iTunes music files." All that by simply having a user visit a specific website and without ever needing to leave the iPhone sandbox.
Iozzo and Weinmann received $15,000 for writing this contest-winning exploit, but no details of the hack will be released until Apple has been notified and is able to patch the vulnerability. [ZDNET]


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BETER to make debut at G2E Asia
Leading provider of next-gen content and data, BETER is making its debut at G2E Asia 2022 — a must-attend marketplace for the Asian gaming and entertainment industry.
The company will be exhibiting its diverse and newly updated range of sports, esports, gaming, and live B2B products at stand B620, while sharing its insights on the latest trends in the betting market.
Gal Ehrlich, CEO of BETER, said: “We are delighted to participate in this top-tier exhibition for the Asian betting and gaming industry. Our comprehensive product portfolio, reinforced by our partnership with leading operators and data providers, helped us build a fully-fledged offering that is sure to satisfy even the most demanding audience. Betting fans can look forward to thrilling live games with Asian themes and designs, as well as the major esports tournaments with the instant and the most accurate data.”
“We intend to continue expanding our footprint in the betting industry worldwide, and our debut at G2E Asia 2022 brings us one step closer to establishing new, mutually beneficial partnerships, and achieving the ambitious goals we have set for our business.”
BETER covers 40,000 global esports events each year and provides live streams and data for 17,500 events on ESportsBattle from the worlds of efootball, ebasketball, and CS:GO every month. It is one of the most comprehensive coverages across the biggest disciplines offered by industry companies. BETER also has direct access to instant game statistics from official esports data providers, which means that the company can supply betting operators with premium esports products, all bundled up with the most accurate data and one of the highest uptimes.
BETER is also proud of its expansive portfolio of sports products, which includes 24/7 live streaming and data for more than 10,000 fast table tennis matches of Setka Cup every month. New BETER products include its studio with an Asia-inspired design and three brand-new additions to the game collection — Bet on Teen Patti, Andar Bahar, and Sic Bo. The BETER Gaming division also offers a comprehensive selection of Turbo Games.


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Updated: Jan 11, 2021
Taxis and private hire drivers licensed in Craven will have to install CCTV cameras into their vehicles by April, the council's licensing committee have decided.
The decision has been made in order to protect both drivers and their passengers, council members confirmed.
Drivers licensed by Craven District Council had been due to have the installation of CCTV cameras introduced as a licensing condition back in September 2020, but due to the coronavirus outbreak, the new rules were deferred.
September's deferral was not the first from the council in relation to mandatory CCTV in taxis and private hire vehicles.
The council originally adopted its new taxi and private hire policy in June 2018, and proposed giving owners until April, last year, to get cameras fitted. But, following concerns from members of the trade about the cost of the equipment and installation, it was put on hold.
At the council's licensing committee meeting which was held online and made available on the council's website, the council’s Licensing Committee did consider putting it off again until June, once again over uncertainty due to the coronavirus pandemic. However they decided it had been going on long enough.
Newly licensed taxis will now be expected to have cameras from this month, while all others will be expected to have cameras fitted by April.
Council members did however stress that any taxi or private hire driver struggling to comply due to financial hardship, would be able to go to them to explain and would be unlikely to be subject to enforcement action.
According to figures discussed during the meeting, there are currently 130 hackney carriages operating in Craven and 15 private hire vehicles.


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New Quests Coming to Disco Elysium in The Final Cut
Aquma, 08 February 2021, 12:48
During a recent conversation with journalists of one of the industry websites, one of the devs from ZA/UM presented the most important novelties that will appear in the extended edition of Disco Elysium - the so-called The Final Cut.
Disco Elysium The Final Cut Coming Next March, Also on PS5
Karol Laska , 11 December 2020, 02:15
Disco Elysium will receive a small add-on that will expand the storyline with a new area, missions and characters. The creators have also thought about the next-generation release of the work and the launch of an online store with game merch.
New Disco Elysium Announcement Expected at The Game Awards
Aquma, 09 December 2020, 11:50
An illustration that appeared on the official website of Disco Elysium suggests that we will soon receive something new from the developers. It may be an announcement of an expansion or a sequel, or a release date for console versions.
Disco Elysium Will Get TV Adaptation
Froozyy, 26 June 2020, 22:10
We just found out that the debut RPG of developer ZA/UM, Disco Elysium, is going to be adapted to a TV series. Dj2 Entertainment will be responsible for the project (working on Sonic the Hedgehog. among others).
Patch for Disco Elysium Lowers Hardware Requirements
Aquma, 13 May 2020, 11:20
Estonian studio ZA/UM - creators of the RPG Disco Elysium - released a new patch for their work. One of the biggest changes is the reduction of minimum hardware requirements - we will now launch the game even on some PCs that are 10-12 years old. The patch also introduced a lot of other improvements.
Disco Elysium - Addictions and Poverty in Hardcore Mode
Adrian Werner, 24 January 2020, 15:15
Disco Elysium has received a new mode of difficulty, which makes the hero poorer, more unlucky and more susceptible to addictions.
A Mediocre Year; Metacritic Summarizes 2019 Game Reviews
Entelarmer, 03 January 2020, 22:54
Metacritic published a list of the best-rated games in 2019. The year turned out to be somewhat poor in outstanding titles (i.e. those with an average review score above 90/100), despite featuring many titles appreciated by critics.
Winners of The Game Awards 2019
Froozyy, 13 December 2019, 10:58
This year's The Game Awards gala is behind us. We got to know the games recognized in the best game of the year and 28 other categories, for a total of 29 statuettes awarded during the gala. The full list of winners can be found in this message.
Disco Elysium and Postal 4 Among Biggest Steam Launches of October
Adrian Werner, 27 November 2019, 11:06
We've got a list of the top 20 Steam launches of October. Among them were such titles as Destiny 2, Disco Elysium or Postal 4: No Regerts.
Disco Elysium Coming to PS4 and Xbox One in 2020
Serek, 01 November 2019, 11:16
Disco Elysium will hit PlayStation 4 and Xbox One next year. That's the information shared by the game's project manager, Robert Kurvitz. Unfortunately, we do not know the game's exact release date on consoles.
Launch and Reviews of Disco Elysium - Breath of Fresh Air in RPGs
AlexB, 15 October 2019, 14:01
Today, we've seen the PC launch of Disco Elysium, a narrative-oriented RPG created by ZA/UM studio. The title collects very positive reviews in the industry media.
Devs of Disco Elysium Boast - One Million Words, 60+ Hours of Gameplay
Serek, 26 September 2019, 12:22
ZA/UM Studio, responsible for the upcoming isometric RPG Disco Elysium, shared some numbers to show how ambitious the title is. Thanks to this, we learned the length of the game, the complexity of the quests and the number of written words or... of psychoactive substances appearing in the game. It is said that we will have to finish the adventure at least three times to see most of the content.
Disco Elysium - Unique Isometric RPG Gets a Release Date
Ender, 18 September 2019, 21:46
Developers of the unique isometric detective RPG Disco Elysium presented the official release date of the title on PC. The game will debut on Steam and GOG.com in mid-October.


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“Natural” Food: Take That With A Grain of Salt
Image via foodnavigator-usa.
What do you think when you see the word “natural” prominently displayed on a package of chicken breasts? If you are like me, you assume it means that the hen was raised without antibiotics, artificial growth hormones, and genetically engineered feed. You might also assume that she was housed in a “natural” environment, with fresh air, soil or grass, and room to move and stretch her legs.
And, if you’re like me, you might feel (at least sorta) okay about buying the product because it didn’t come from one of these terrible factory farms we hear so much about.
I have some sobering news: As it turns out, “natural” doesn’t mean ANY of those things when it comes to the labels manufacturers are allowed to place on food.
In fact, according to petitions to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration filed last week by Consumer Reports and a host of other consumer watchdogs (including Public Justice), meat labeled as “natural“ can come from animals that were raised with daily doses of antibiotics and other drugs, given artificial growth hormones, fed genetically engineered soy and corn feed and other artificial ingredients, and continually confined indoors.
The root of the problem is that the U.S. government has done very little to control this type of misleading advertising. The USDA, which regulates meat and poultry, allows a product to be called “natural” if it contains “no artificial ingredient or added color and is only minimally processed.” Importantly, this standard says nothing about the way animals are treated before they are slaughtered, so meat producers can do just about anything to their animals while they are still alive and still call the meat “natural” when it hits your grocery shelf.
The situation is no better over at the FDA, which regulates the labeling of foods other than meat and poultry products. The FDA allows food to be labeled as “natural” so long as “nothing artificial or synthetic” is added, even if the crops were doused with toxic pesticides or grown from genetically modified (GMO) seeds.
In short, “natural” often means anything but. Yet consumers are buying so-called “natural” products in droves, having been lulled into a false sense of security by misleading labels that hide the truth about where our food is really coming from.
Don’t feel bad if you’ve fallen for this ploy, because you’re not alone. According to a recent survey by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, the majority of consumers think that the “natural” label on meat and poultry currently means that no artificial ingredients were added to the meat/poultry (70 percent), no growth hormones were used (68 percent), the animals’ feed contained no GMOs (64 percent) or artificial ingredients (60 percent), and no antibiotics or other drugs were used (60 percent). As for non-meat products, the majority of consumers think that food labeled “natural” was produced without toxic pesticides or artificial ingredients or colors (66 percent), chemicals (65 percent), or GMOs (64 percent).
The upshot is that consumers everywhere are being misled, and corporations across the nation are profiting from modes of food production that threaten public health and safety in a serious way.
Lest this sound like hyperbole, consider the overuse of antibiotics in factory farming. A few months ago, I wrote that over 80 percent of antibiotics sold in the United States are used for livestock production. The reason? Antibiotics make healthy animals grow faster and suppress diseases that arise due to the unsanitary and overcrowded conditions in which they are raised. The inevitable result of this practice has been an increased resistance to infections in humans, which kills thousands of people every year.
Because the government has refused to place any meaningful restrictions on antibiotic use in agriculture, the only way to stop the madness is for consumers to stop buying meat, poultry, and dairy produced in factory farms. A lot of consumers are trying to do just that, but this is where the real problem with “natural” labels rears its ugly head: as the Consumer Reports survey reveals, the majority of consumers read these labels to mean that the product was raised in an “antibiotic-free” environment.
This means that as long as meat and dairy producers are allowed to slap “natural” labels on their products, consumers will continue to buy them – and, as a result, business will continue as usual with regard to antibiotic overuse in the animal industry.
This is just one example. Serious problems also exist with regard to the use of growth hormones and genetically modified feed (just to name two more), but as long as manufacturers are allowed to use the word “natural” with impunity, the marketplace will still welcome their products with open arms.
What is to be done? Our petitions offer a solution, at least for the short term: they argue that because the U.S. government isn’t willing to define “natural” in a way that matches consumer expectations, the USDA and the FDA should simply ban the use of the word natural outright. Such a ban would stop the widespread deception and allow consumers to get the information that they really need to make informed choices about the food they eat.
Importantly, a ban on the word “natural” wouldn’t stop food manufacturers from extolling the virtues of their product; it would merely require them to be specific about their actual methods. As a result, those manufacturers who employ truly “natural” production methods (as that term is understood by ordinary human beings like us) will be rewarded for their efforts by consumers who are willing to pay a premium for socially responsible products.
We think this makes good sense. If the government can’t manage to fix its regulations, then the only real solution – at least in the short term – is to stop the misleading labeling at its source. It’s a win-win for consumers and responsible producers; the only losers would be food producers who are currently profiting from misleading use of the word “natural.”
That can’t be a bad thing – naturally.
If you would like to sign the petitions and find out more, check out takepart.com/food-labels. We need all the help we can get.


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The biggest retailers in the country have seen their labels disappear from merchandise and replaced with calls to pay their staff a living wage.
Some protests are better than others – here's what the nation's angry, poor and disenfranchised learned in the last 12 months.
The face of poverty in the UK is changing. Fast.
The smiley-faced insignia of the country’s largest employer has become a symbol of exploitation to many who stock its shelves and man its registers. Protests were held in cities across the country Thursday calling for better working conditions and...


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Ensure consumers don’t face inconvenience: Shantmanu to officers
Post by RK News on Sunday, December 11, 2022
Jammu, Dec 10: Union Additional Secretary and Financial Advisor, Food and Public Distribution, Shantmanu while reviewing the performance of the FCS&CA department here on Saturday asked the officers to serve the consumers in a “completely professional manner” so that they don't face any inconvenience.
During the meeting, a threadbare discussion was held on supply position, the status of Aadhaar Seeding, market checking, online transaction and POS, ONORC transactions, deletion of bogus ration cards and other points.
Shantmanu urged the officers to work with zeal and enthusiasm to improve the overall functioning of the department and provide timely ration supplies to the public at their doorsteps.
He said the government is spending a large amount of money to ensure the food security of the people.
Union Additional Secretary lauded the One Nation One Ration Card scheme saying that this initiative has enabled migratory workers, and seasonal labour among all other citizens to get ration at any place in the country.
He appreciated the J&K Food and Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Department for achieving 100 percent Aadhar seeding and other milestones within a short time. He hailed appreciated the department for promoting the use of the PDS database for Ayushman Bharat verification in J&K.


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The July Fourth holiday weekend found shoppers at the Silver Lake Trader Joe’s exploring a newly expanded market. The grocery chain’s Hyperion Avenue outlet now claims nearly 12,000-square-feet of space (compared to about 8,700-square-feet before the expansion) after the store took over the former Video Hut space next door. Most shoppers welcomed the additional room. But Jessica Ritz of the Ritz Bites blog, said she’s already nostalgic for what’s missing, including the signs with local streets names posted at the check out stands and other features left out in the new decor:
“Sure, there might be 14 check-out aisles, plenty of wandering room, and expanded shelf space. But gone are the murals showing local landmarks: Dodger Stadium, Travel Town, the Observatory. In its place are other trying to be “funky” eclectic images that don’t have the neighborhood feel of the former decor. For all its shortcomings, I’ve always preferred this pre-mega-chain, old school-feeling TJs, for better or for worse.”
On Tuesday afternoon, some of the shoppers who visited the Trader Joe’s for the first time since the expansion didn’t seem to miss the old store much.
“It seems huge,” said a shopper named Katie from Atwater Village. “The aisles [before]were so crowded. You could not get around other peoples’ carts.” Another customer, Jerry, from Silver Lake, said he noticed a larger selection of meats and produce. “I will probably drop by more often.”


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Blue Pike Cantina opens in Marine City
You might say Dave Pawlak’s grandparents created the Blue Pike Cantina.
Pawlak, 57, of Clay Township, grew up watching his grandparents making their own wines and cured meats. They came from a generation that made the things they didn’t have and grew their own produce.
Pawlak is carrying on the tradition, and sharing the things he and his wife, Kim, 49, make with customers at their new Marine City restaurant at 152 S. Water St.
“In my grandparent’s basement they had a room in the corner called the cantina,” he said. “It was an Italian cantina, not a Mexican cantina, where they would store their homemade wine and prosciutto.”
The Pawlaks bought the Water Street building in January 2014. Since then, they have completely remodeled the building, adding on a smokehouse and wine room, bumping out the front of the building to create a small dining room, and laying bricks to create a roomy patio out back.
The 1,400-square-foot building is designed as a take-out restaurant with just 12 seats in the front, although the 1,500-square-foot patio has seating for 40 people.
The patio was designed with wine tastings in mine, but Kim Pawlak said many people enjoy taking their food to the patio to enjoy the garden atmosphere.
Dave Pawlak has worked in the tool and die business for nearly 40 years — and that’s where the husband-wife business partnership began as Kim worked on the books and Dave ran the shop.
They quietly opened the doors to their new adventure two weekends ago, but plan on having a grand-opening in October.
They said the response so far has been stellar.
“We had about ten groups of people that we didn’t even know show up the first day we opened,” said Kim Pawlak. “And that’s the best part of all of this — the people — allowing someone in your door and laughing and chatting with them made this whole thing worthwhile.”
Dave Pawlak said the items on the menu are recipes that he has been working on for years. The smoked menu includes sausage, chicken, Canadian bacon and meatloaf. The sausage recipe hails from his grandparents and the marinara recipe was his mother’s.
His favorite menu item is the Italian nachos, which consist of deep-fried chips made from pasta dough, topped with homemade Italian sausage, asiago alfredo, vegetables and a dusting of parmesan.
He began smoking meats as a hobby nearly 30 years ago.
“My first smokehouse was made out of a refrigerator and it progressed from there as everyone liked what I smoked,” said Dave Pawlak.
Pawlak said eventually the cantina will be selling smoked fish as well.
As for the homemade wine selection, they currently have 14 varieties bottled to sell or for tastings. A popular one is the Pomegranate Mist, a sweet fruit wine, which already nearly sold out.
The cantina will be open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturdays, and noon to 6 p.m. Sundays, with the remainder of the week set aside to smoke meats for the weekend.
For more information go to their Facebook page at http://on.fb.me/1MrFOS1. The cantina is also in need of another kitchen assistant. For more information on the position call (810) 765-4200.
Contact Nicole Hayden at (810) 989-6279 or email@example.com. Follow her on Twitter @NicoleHayden_TH.
Blue Pike Cantina
• 152 S. Water St., Marine City, (810) 765-4200
• Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1MrFOS1
• Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturdays, and noon to 6 p.m. Sundays


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29 October 2009
Kochi, Oct 29: Global cruise travellers are beginning to flock Kerala, bringing some cheer to the state's tourism industry hit by the slowdown and the recent Thekkady boat mishap.
With the October-May cruise tourism season setting in, already two luxury liners have called at Kochi Port, the latest - 'Aida Cara', which arrived here on Sunday from Mangalore with 1,135 high net worth tourists, mostly from Germany sailed off to Colombo Wednesday.
Earlier, a luxury vessel with 1,000 odd passengers had called at the port.
A little over 980 passengers disembarked from 'Aida Cara' and 954 tourists boarded it from Kochi.
This is the first cruise vessel to make use of Kochi as turnaround port, port sources said. The visitors undertook city tours, pleasure trips to nearby destinations like Fort Kochi and Mattancherry and some showed keenness in taking a bumpy 'Tuk Tuk' ride in an autorickshaw.
Many took houseboat rides to crisscross Alapuzha backwaters and canals, while some preferred a traditional sojourn, which includes a visit to Vaikom Mahadeva temple, classical musical school, khadi weaving centre and coconut extracting unit.
The cruise vessel's arrival sent cheers to those in the tourism industry as after the Thekaddy mishap, there were not many takers for boating and houseboat trips.
From April this year to March next at least 27 cruise liners are expected to call at the port here.


text: Check out the companies making the biggest moves midday: Amazon — The e-commerce behemoth slipped 2.4% after CNBC’s David Faber reported founder and Executive chair Jeff Bezos is expected to be “aggressive” in selling more shares of Amazon. The total sale could amount to more than $1 billion, sources told Faber. Burlington Stores — Shares popped 21.7% after the retailer raised the lower end of its full-year earnings guidance and said it is expecting total sales growth of 11% in 2024. That’s higher than analysts expected. Burlington also said November was off to a strong start. Medtronic — The medical equipment stock jumped 3.8% after the company posted better-than-expected earnings. Adjusted earnings per share came in at $1.25 on revenues of $7.98 billion, versus the $1.18 on revenues of $7.92 billion expected from analysts polled by LSEG. Kohl’s — Shares dropped more than 9% after the retailer reported weaker-than-expected revenues for the third quarter. Same-store sales were down 5.5%, it reported, versus the StreetAccount estimate of 3.8%. Kohl’s lowered the low end of its full-year same-store sales outlook. American Eagle Outfitters — The apparel retailer sank 16% after its operating income guidance for the full year came in weaker than expected. C3.ai — Shares of the artificial intelligence software company added 3.4% in midday trading following an upgrade to outperform from Oppenheimer. Analyst Timothy Horan noted C3.ai remains “one of the few pure plays helping customers drive new revenue sources.” Baidu — U.S. shares of the Chinese technology giant jumped 1.5% after revenue came in slightly higher than analysts forecasted. Baidu reported 34.45 billion yuan for the quarter, surpassing the consensus estimate of 34.33 billion yuan from analysts polled by LSEG. Lowe’s — Shares of the home improvement retailer dipped 2.7% after Lowe’s reported softer-than-expected revenue for the third quarter . The company generated $20.47 billion in revenue for the three months ended Nov. 3. Analysts surveyed by LSEG were looking for $20.89 billion. The company also lowered its full-year sales outlook, citing weaker demand from do-it-yourself customers. Symbotic — The stock surged 37% after Symbotic reported revenue and adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) for the fiscal fourth quarter that topped expectations. VMWare — Shares shed 4.7% after Broadcom announced it received all required regulatory approvals to acquire VMWare and plans to close the $69 billion acquisition on Wednesday. Shares of Broadcom were down less than 1%. Dick’s Sporting Goods — The athletic goods retailer saw its shares rise 4.3% after posting strong quarterly earnings and revenue for its fiscal third quarter that beat analysts’ expectations. The company also hiked its full-year outlook after slashing it in the prior quarter over theft concerns. Abercrombie & Fitch — The stock slid 2.7% after the clothing retailer reported a big earnings beat for its third quarter, but delivered fourth-quarter guidance that was in-line with consensus estimates. Abercrombie shares have already gained more than 200% year to date. Agilent Technologies — The life sciences stock gained 8.3%. Agilent Technologies on Monday reported fourth-quarter earnings and revenue that topped FactSet consensus estimates, though its fiscal first-quarter and full-year guidance fell short of expectations. — CNBC’s Brian Evans, Alex Harring, Jesse Pound, Tanaya Macheel and Sarah Min contributed reporting.


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Xiaomi has just released the Mi Note 2 and the Mi MIX, and now, rumors claim that the tech manufacturer is about to work on its new flagship, the Mi 6. A new report claims that Xiaomi is in the initial stages of product development as it has asked consumers for their opinions on specs and keys features for the upcoming device.
According to Phone Arena, Xiaomi has opened a dialogue with tech watchers through a questionnaire which gives fans three options for the Mi 6. The first listed is a Mi 6 with a Snapdragon 8xx chip and a 20-megapixel camera, 4 GB of random access memory (RAM), 32 GB of native storage, and a “light metal body.” The second option is said to be a device with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB internal storage in a “curved glass body,” dual cameras, and a Snapdragon 65x system-on-chip (SoC). The third option suggests another Mi 6 with dual cameras but no optical image stabilization, a Snapdragon 65x chip, 6 GB of RAM, 64 GB internal memory and a light metal body.
Whatever people will vote for, it’s expected that Xiaomi will do everything to stay ahead in the competitive smartphone market as it gets the best specs and features into one device for just under $300. Part of Xiaomi phones’ appeal is largely due to its price tag, as many of the company’s devices feature premium specs at more than half the price of its competitors.
Previously, it was rumored that the Xiaomi Mi 6 would likely have a 4K display with a resolution of 4,096 x 2,160 pixels and pixel density of 700 pixels per inch. It was also said to be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 830 chipset and will run on Android 7.0 Nougat. The smartphone is also believed to have 64 GB of memory expandable up to 1 TB with a microSD card. There are claims that the phone could have a 23-megapixel rear camera and a 7-megapixel front shooter, as well as a physical home button embedded with a fingerprint sensor.
The device is expected to be released in 2017. Stay tuned for more news about the Xiaomi Mi 6.


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15 Jan 2015 Posted in ABPI statement By Press Office
The UK is a global leader in medicines manufacturing and the sector has the ability to transform the lives of patients through the research, development and delivery of new and innovative medicines. Part of the UK’s success in medicines manufacturing is having a supportive and progressive regulator in the MHRA.
Last year the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) and the BioIndustry Association (BIA) set up and launched the Medicines Manufacturing Industry Partnership (MMIP) to create and promote a vibrant medicines manufacturing sector in the UK. We have been working closely with MHRA to develop a series of case studies that demonstrate the range of support and guidance MHRA can offer companies as they develop new products and technologies. This case study – the second to be published by the MHRA - is another great example of how UK medicines manufacturers like OxSonics are using this support to develop a new generation of devices and treatments that will improve the outcomes of patients.
The ABPI represents innovative research-based biopharmaceutical companies, large, medium and small, leading an exciting new era of biosciences in the UK.
Our industry, a major contributor to the economy of the UK, brings life-saving and life-enhancing medicines to patients. Our members supply 90 per cent of all medicines used by the NHS, and are researching and developing over two-thirds of the current medicines pipeline, ensuring that the UK remains at the forefront of helping patients prevent and overcome diseases.
The ABPI is recognised by government as the industry body negotiating on behalf of the branded pharmaceutical industry, for statutory consultation requirements including the pricing scheme for medicines in the UK.
ABPI Press Office
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7747 1410 or +44 (0) 20 7747 1441
Mobile: +44 (0) 7850 312064 or +44 (0) 7808 641811


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- Some Silicon Valley companies are hiring attractive women to attend their holiday parties.
- The CEO of Models in Tech told Bloomberg she often must deny client requests for models with short skirts.
- It's a problematic practice in an industry trying to attract more women engineers.
Nothing's worse than a boring holiday party, so the disruptors in Silicon Valley have found a way to spice up their soirees: by hiring pretty people to attend them, reports Bloomberg's Sarah Frier.
Big companies and small startups alike are enlisting modeling agencies to send attractive women to attend corporate holiday parties this year, paying them as much as $200 per hour.
Some companies may also push the lines with these paid attendees — the CEO of Models in Tech told Bloomberg that she has to shoot down requests for "cleavage and short shorts."
It seems like a minefield — the tech industry, which still has mostly men in its coveted engineering roles, had to deal with allegations of toxic, harassing investors and executives this year. Uber, the most valuable San Francisco startup, fired its CEO over a cascade of scandals that started when former employee Susan Fowler wrote that HR had threatened to fire her over her reporting sexual harassment. (One Uber investor allegedly harassed women at a holiday party he brought a live donkey to.)
Plus, the tech industry has a history of hiring so-called "booth babes" to attract passersby at big-trade shows, which has caused some major controversies.
So there's a lot of risks involved if a startup hires "ambiance and atmosphere models" for its big holiday party. But what's driving the trend, according to Bloomberg, is that the parties are meant to help retain high-paid, high-demand engineers, who are mostly men. After all, who wants to go to a boring party with the same coworkers you see every day?


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Short videos have taken social media by storm – Facebook reports over 1 billion video views per day, Twitter acquired Vine to further its short video platform, while leading global brands like Nike and GoPro more than doubled their Instagram followers in a year by increasing use of video.
And this explosion in video is also apparent in the local market. According to the World Wide Worx South African Social Media Landscape 2015 study: YouTube had reached an active user base of 7.2-million South Africans by August 2014, making it second only to Facebook’s 11.8-million, while Instagram grew from 680 000 active users in 2013 to 1.1-million in 2014.
Just over half of the South African brands surveyed for the study also said they would increase spend on social media, with 60% of those saying they would spend more on multimedia content.
A brand with an active social media presence can make fuller use of digital media by posting several images to their Facebook albums or Instagram accounts, making use of live tweeting from events.
Public Relations agencies have traditionally stuck to press releases, case studies and white papers in their submissions to the press for coverage, but in the age of digital and social media, they should also turn to video to promote content.
This is especially useful when clients take part in, or host conferences or exhibitions, or have product launches, where media outlets – especially those that also have an online offering – can be further persuaded to use content because of the value added by giving them access to high quality photographs and short, sharp videos.
Videos help not only because they can bring press releases to life, but because they enable people to digest more information with less effort. What is important though, is to make sure that your video offers ‘something extra’, and doesn’t just repeat what is already written in the press release.
Alternatively, longer videos can cover an entire presentation, or a full-length interview with company spokespeople or executives.
As the cost of data continues to decline, and smartphones become more affordable and accessible, the increased use and consumption of video is set to continue. Make sure your brand is well-positioned to take advantage of this trend.


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Well, this post has aged poorly. Just two months after we published a story on how Hertling is still going strong, it looks like they may close their factory in Greenpoint, Brooklyn within the next few weeks.
Hertling, for those unfamiliar, is a legendary trouser manufacturer. Having started in 1925, they’ve been doing private label work for some of the clothing industry’s best names – Paul Stuart, Orvis, Sid Mashburn, and Billy Reid, along with many others. For value-minded shoppers, nothing really beats a pair of Hertling-made pants. J. Crew’s wool trousers run for $225, but they’re made in China and often constructed from mediocre materials. Hertling’s pants are made in New York City, of exceptional quality, and come in a variety of fits. Traditional clothiers such as Ben Silver offer them in fuller cuts; niche retailers such as Epaulet and Dapper Classics sell them in slimmer, more contemporary styles. For comparison, the next most popular option is Rota’s Italian-made trousers, but those cost $400 per pair – nearly twice the price of Hertling’s.
Much of the company’s success can be credited to Julius Hertling, who’s affectionately known to many in the trade as Julie. He’s been managing the family business since 1946, when he returned home after having served in WWII (he was in the US Army). His father, Morris, started the business.
Julie fought for his company during a time of tremendous change in the US. Americans now import most of their wardrobe from overseas. Fast fashion retailers have streamlined the production process and driven down costs, making it possible to buy pants for as little as $20. And it’s never been easier to comparison shop. Just open an Internet tab and you can find a million options for flat front chinos or simple button-ups. It’s been hard for domestic producers to compete in that environment – even top-end brands have shifted their production overseas in order to be price competitive – but the Hertling company has miraculously survived and even thrived for almost a hundred years.
Towards the end of Julie’s life, however, the factory started struggling. And when the new investors took over in the winter of 2016 – about a year before Julie’s death – they hoped to revive the plant and expand into direct sales. It’s hard to say for certain what’s happened (Hertling is, after all, still a private company), but the new owners have faced some important headwinds.
For one, Julie and his landlord were personal friends, so Julie was able to secure a particularly good lease for the factory. When he passed away, the landlord raised the rent. It’s still well below the neigborhood’s market rate, but about 25% higher than what Hertling was paying under Julie’s tenure.
Second, New York raised its minimum wage from $11/ hour to $13/ hour in 2017, and has plans to raise it again to $15/ hour by the end of this year. Justin Christensen, one of Hertling’s new owners, tells me this has cost the company an additional $100,000 a year in labor.
Third, Hertling may have been buoyed for a while by the revival of Americana and heritage-styled clothing. Back in the early aughts, consumers cared more about where their clothes were made. And as those fashion trends have waned, so has consumer loyalty. People are savvier now about comparison-shopping and they use the internet to find the best deals possible.
In some ways, this may be connected to the broader story about how the middle of the fashion market is collapsing – those brands that sit somewhere between the uber-luxury labels sold at Mr. Porter and fast fashion retailers such as Zara. As mid-tier brands struggle to survive, so have the factories that support them. Bill’s Khakis, who used to be admired for their $150 American made chinos, shut down their domestic production not too long ago and the company has been since restructured by a private equity firm. International Textile Group recently closed their Cone Mills White Oak plant in North Carolina, as they found the denim production there couldn’t be sustained in the face of increasing imports. And some of Hertling’s partners, such as Haberdash in Chicago, are no longer in business.
Lastly, the end of Hertling may just be a story about poor management. Justin Christensen admits that he’s learned a lot about business in the last eighteen months, particularly with regard to things such as managing cash flow and keeping a factory as lean as possible. In the next few weeks, he and his investors will be deciding on the factory’s future. They may close the Brooklyn factory; they may not. They may just turn the Hertling name into a clothing line, with the production done elsewhere. If that’s the case, the Greenpoint factory will close, but the Hertling name will remain as a ready-to-wear label.
Christensen tells me he’s still hopeful about American manufacturing, but only on the higher-end of the market. “I don’t think this is about the death of American manufacturing,” he says. “I’m confident you can still have US clothing factories, but they have to produce for the luxury-end of the market, where you see Italian factories currently operating. $200 for a pair of US-made trousers simply isn’t sustainable. The real price has to be closer to $300 to $350. That gives you enough room to pay for costs – labor, materials, and the bare basics of doing business – as well as give your retail partners some margins so they can eat.”
I talked to Epaulet and our sponsor Dapper Classics about what they plan to do if Hertling actually closes. Epaulet has already made plans to switch their trouser production to Southwick; Dapper Classics says they’re still waiting to see what happens. I also asked Mike Kuhle, co-founder of Epaulet, what he remembers most from his long-time friendship with Julie himself.
“Our weekly lunches at Peter Luger. It’s a Brooklyn steakhouse that sits right under Williamsburg Bridge. Julie and I went there every Tuesday to have lunch. It’s super expensive, very traditional, and extremely popular. But when Julie walked into the place, it was always like that scene from Goodfellas – everyone made way for him. It was always like ‘Hello, Mr. Hertling! Right this way, Mr. Hertling!’ The man had been going there every Tuesday for lunch for almost forty years. He had the same waiter; he always ordered the same food. We’d eat a heavy meal together, have some drinks, and talk. Sometimes he told old war stories, but he mostly loved talking about pants – Julie could talk to you forever about pants. He loved his work. He was an old-school garmento.”
Maybe one upside to this whole story: had Christensen and his investors not taken over the factory, Hertling as a company would have likely closed with Julie’s passing. At the time, no Hertling family members or outside parties were interested in taking it over. Everyone I talked to for this story agreed that, at least, the employees have been able to get another eighteen months of wages – and someone made a go at trying to keep a piece of American manufacturing still going.
In the meantime, readers can buy Hertling’s new old-stock through LuxeSwap. There are about 750 pants on sale right now, some for as little as $50 to $75, in a mix of about a hundred styles (many were originally produced as samples for tradeshows and come in old cuts). We’re told everything is first-quality, but all sales are final. There are some posts about it on Reddit and Ask Andy About Clothes.


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Coatings, chemical and glass maker PPG Industries (NYSE:PPG) posted a steep rise in earnings on record sales for its fourth quarter. The results were driven by strength in the coatings division as well as emerging market growth, along with the recovering economy.
IN PICTURES: 7 Tools Of The Trade
Industrial coatings increased sales by 10%, with a boost from the automotive market and strong Asian market sales. Segment earnings fell, however, as raw material costs offset revenue. Performance coatings revenue rose by 7%, while segment earnings increased 14%, as the company lowered these costs. Commodity chemicals and the glass segment were strong performers.
Reported net income for the quarter reached $205 million or $1.24 a share, compared to last year's fourth quarter of $142 million or 85 cents a share. Sales were $3.4 billion compared to $3.1 billion in the fourth quarter a year ago. CEO Charles Bunch cited the improving economy. He indicated the company is "beginning to show the full power of its earnings," despite volumes which are still below pre-recession levels.
Sales increased for the full year from $12.2 billion to $13.4 billion. Reported net income for 2010 was $769 million or $4.63 a share, compared to $336 million or $2.03 per share for 2009. Selling prices increased each quarter, while emerging markets posted double-digit growth.
Specialty Chemicals Group
Specialty chemical companies have mostly done well this year, though there were a couple that had problems. RPM International (NYSE:RPM) had lower earnings in its recently reported second quarter in part due to higher costs. Although RPM's results suffered from its consumer division, industrial chemical use continues to pick up. HB Fuller (NYSE:FUL) had its profits dampened by one time events but showed strong revenue increases.
PPG was joined in its stellar results by Ferro Corp. (NYSE:FOE), which does a lot of work in solar, electronics and household furnishings. Ferro experienced a dramatic turnaround in its earnings for 2010. OM Group (NYSE:OMG), which has seen strong growth in business this year, sees a continuation of this for 2011. Add Poly One (NYSE:POL) to this growth group. PPG and the other specialty chemical companies may do business in a mundane industry, but the strength the group is showing confirms the direction of the industrial economic recovery.
Raw Material Costs, Plus China Worries
Raw material costs, which rose for PPG, are a concern of the chemical companies. This is the beginning of that cycle ramping up. Increase of sales and earnings, though, are expected to continue along with this. Not just for the big names, such as Dow Chemical (NYSE:DOW), DuPont (NYSE:DD) and PPG, but for the smaller specialty names also.
What could derail this acceleration? If China slows down its economy, that would have an impact on emerging market sales, a strength recently for PPG. Yet PPG's business is strong enough globally, along with the developed world's gradual return to increased industrial productivity, to overcome this. The outlook on the Street is positive for the sector and PPG for 2011.
The Bottom Line
The stock has had a long run up, so the outlook and the recent results have mostly been priced in. The underlying business should have room to run, with not only pricing power in the near term, but the prospect of recapturing and eventually exceeding pre-recession sales levels. PPG, which also pays a solid dividend, has fundamentals that look good so investors should keep the stock in mind. (For a related reading, see How Dow Chemical Defeated An International Monopoly.)


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SAN FRANCISCO, CA – March 19, 2014 – SquareTrade®, the top-rated protection plan trusted by millions of happy customers, today announced the launch of the SquareTrade Authorized Repair Network. With over 90 uBreakiFix and other local repair locations in the nation's top metropolitan areas, SquareTrade's Authorized Repair Network allows customers to get their smartphones repaired at their local repair shop with no out-of-pocket expenses. Designed to address common damage to America's most popular smartphones, this marks the first time a warranty company has partnered with local repair shops to quickly resolve customer claims.
"Our goal is to have an easy-to-access SquareTrade-authorized repair shop in every major city in America. Similar to how individuals have a network of authorized healthcare providers, SquareTrade customers now have access to a network of authorized repair shops to service their devices. With accidents becoming increasingly common, it really makes sense to have a local repair option for fixing smartphones quickly," commented president and CEO Steve Abernethy. "The feedback from customers thus far has been very enthusiastic."
"Partnering with SquareTrade represents a huge growth opportunity for us and added convenience for millions of smartphone users," said Justin Wetherill, co-founder and President, uBreakiFix. "The exposure that SquareTrade is giving us to millions of new customers delivers far more value than traditional marketing campaigns could deliver. We see this as a large step forward for our brand and a significant advancement of our business."
"My repair experience with SquareTrade last week was fantastic: a SquareTrade-authorized, local repair shop was right next to my office! I dropped off my damaged phone and it was fixed in under an hour– no appointment needed, no out of pocket expenses. This really takes convenience to a whole new level," commented Craig Nasralla, SquareTrade customer.
While some devices and certain repairs are more easily handled through SquareTrade's huge network of repair depots, its network of local repair shops will be able to handle many of the most common repairs on the most common smartphones. In typical SquareTrade fashion, customers will continue to have access to a variety of resolution options so they can get their lives back to normal as soon as possible.
SquareTrade is the top-rated protection plan trusted by millions of happy customers for its fast and exceptional service. SquareTrade protects mobile devices, laptops and tablets, and other consumer electronics and appliances from malfunctions, accidental damage and life's frequent mishaps. Unlike old-fashioned warranties, SquareTrade is designed for today's consumer and uses innovative technology to deliver a zero hassle claims process. SquareTrade has more than 200,000 fans on Facebook, consistently wins industry awards and receives thousands of 5-star reviews for its legendary customer service. Top retailers around the world offer SquareTrade, achieving significant sales growth and happier customers. Privately held, SquareTrade's investors include Bain Capital and Bain Capital Ventures. SquareTrade is headquartered in San Francisco and London. For more information, go to www.squaretrade.com
SQUARETRADE and the SquareTrade logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SquareTrade, Inc.


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The strong growth in the latest quarter despite the 22 February earthquake, was mainly due to manufacturing. While some businesses in Christchurch were adversely affected, the vast majority were able to continue operating, and the earthquake resulted in some activity that would not normally have taken place.
By industry, the significant movements in the March 2011 quarter were in:
-manufacturing, up 3.6 percent, with large increases in machinery, metal product, and food and beverage manufacturing
- real estate and business services category, up 1.0 percent due to increases in business services
- wholesale trade, up 1.5 percent – the sixth consecutive increase
- construction activity, down 4.3 percent due to decreases in residential and non-residential building.
The expenditure measure of GDP rose 0.6 percent in the March 2011 quarter. The production measure of GDP (up 0.8 percent) is less volatile and is the preferred measure.
GDP increased 1.5 percent in the year ended March 2011, while the expenditure measure rose 1.8 percent.
Notable movements in the expenditure measure of GDP in the March 2011 quarter were:
- the volume of spending by New Zealand households (up 0.4 percent), mainly due to an increase in durable goods (such as furniture and appliances)
- government expenditure (up 1.2 percent), with increases in central and local government partly due to the 22 February earthquake
-investment in fixed assets (down 1.3 percent), with the largest fall being in non-residential building.


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The signs should be pretty familiar by now. Looming recession. Slowing corporate tech spending. It has all the makings of a mergers-and-acquisitions boom. And already the big corporate tech vendors are getting bigger"”and the smaller ones are getting gobbled up.
On Jan. 16, two new deals underscored the growing merger mania. Corporate software giant Oracle (ORCL) agreed to snap up BEA Systems (BEAS) for $8.5 billion, an acquisition that struggling BEA spurned just a few months earlier. And Sun Microsystems (JAVA) agreed to pay $1 billion for MySQL, a Swedish firm that makes open-source database software used by Google (GOOG) and Yahoo! (YHOO), among others.
In many ways, the deals couldn't be more different. Oracle is grabbing a key, but struggling, maker of so-called middleware, the software that helps share data among programs sold by different software vendors. Meanwhile, Sun gets its hands on a fast-growing, though largely unpaid for, technology that companies use to run Web sites. That said, both Oracle and Sun are thinking along the same lines: Grab complementary technologies and the customers that use them to fill out business portfolios.
In BEA, Oracle gains access to high-end customers as it moves ever more upmarket to compete with IBM (IBM). As companies in industries such as retail, manufacturing, tech, and banking combine through M&A, middleware is a growth business, since it helps them tie together the computer systems they need to compete globally. Oracle plus BEA would control more than 19% of the $11.7 billion middleware market, vs. nearly 32% for IBM and about 4% for Microsoft (MSFT), according to 2006 data from market research company Gartner (IT).
'When Oracle commits to a market, they want to be seen as the No. 1 player,' says Ian Finley, an analyst at AMR Research. 'There was no way they were going to be No. 1 in middleware by growing organically or making tactical acquisitions. They needed to take out a major player.'
MySQL gives Sun the ability to extend its support services to the open-source world, potentially opening new markets. The deal bolsters Sun's pitch to telecom and Web companies that use MySQL in key areas of their businesses.
The economic backdrop makes it easy to pull the trigger on such deals. There's little doubt that corporate tech spending will slow in 2008. Back in November, Cisco (CSCO) CEO John Chambers said he expects tech spending to be 'lumpy.' That means big tech vendors need to find other ways to boost revenue. 'If the growth isn't organic, companies will look to buy their growth,' says Senior Technology Analyst Andy Miedler, with investment firm Edward Jones.
Pace set to accelerate
What's more, Miedler points out, the big tech firms"”companies such as Oracle, Microsoft, IBM, and others"”are flush with liquidity. And once you get past the handful of really big tech firms, the size of the next tier drops precipitously. 'These acquisitions aren't too difficult to do, and there are a lot of them to be had,' Miedler says.
The consolidation wave has already washed over the makers of business intelligence software, which companies use to analyze corporate data. In the last year, Oracle bought Hyperion, IBM picked up Cognos, and German software giant SAP (SAP) grabbed Business Objects.


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(Ping! Zine Web Tech Magazine) – Websites infringing intellectual property are nothing new on the web. Those with legitimate complaints often turn to Google, asking the top online search provider to remove such content.
Most recently, Google unveiled more data shedding light on just how many removal requests it receives, and exactly where they come from.
And the top copyright owner to complain? According to the report, Microsoft sent Google URL removal requests accounting for 536,716 websites in the past month. Behind Microsoft were companies including NBC Universal and the British Recorded Music Industry.
Others notable mentions further down in the list were Sony Music and Universal Music. Meanwhile, a significant amount of requests involved content on file sharing sites such as torrentz.eu, filestube.com, zippyshare.com and more.
Microsoft has long been noted for its copyright woes. In April, a report from CRN.com indicated that the company was suing reseller PCExchange for selling computer systems containing unauthorized versions of its OS software.


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Card targets £6bn migrant market
A new cash card has been launched, targeted at the large and growing market for migrants who send money back home.
It is estimated that six million people in Britain send a total of £6bn abroad every year.
The Maestro card, launched by Tuxedo Money Solutions and backed by Newcastle Building Society, can be used as a payment card by people who are denied ordinary bank accounts.
It is being marketed at major migrant arrival points, such as Victoria bus station in central London, where 1,000 eastern Europeans arrive every day.
Crucially, it can also be used to send money abroad, inevitably raising fears that criminals and illegal immigrants in Britain could use the card to send cash to foreign accomplices financing terrorism.
The recent expansion in immigration to Britain has resulted in a booming remittance industry, though firms in the sector deny there is a problem.
Rania Elhefian, spokeswoman for Tuxedo Money, says: 'The maximum cash balance that can be held on the card is £2,500, with a £1,500 daily load limit. And only £200 can be sent abroad daily.
'This means that only small amounts can be sent overseas at any one time. We are regulated in the same way as other financial companies and must comply with money-laundering rules. We can identify and check transactions using audit trails so there is little risk of illegal activity.'
Elhefian also maintains that 'rigorous' passport checks are performed on all applicants. ' Illegal immigrants tend to use false documentation and therefore do not pass the checks,' she says.
To get a Tuxedo card, a UK-based customer must show a passport - of any nationality - just once. Duplicate cards can then be sent abroad for use by family or friends.
Other money transmission services have even less stringent demands than Tuxedo. No photo identification is required from consumers sending less than £1,000 overseas via Moneygram, one of the biggest remitters.
Sandra Quinn of the Association for Payment Clearing Services says: 'There is strict legislation surrounding electronic money transfers and companies are responsible for the customers who use them. The company would have to answer to the Financial Services Authority. There are sophisticated systems to ensure nothing illegal happens.'
An application pack for the Tuxedo Blue Diamond card costs £9.95. Cash can be loaded at any Barclays or post office.
Cash machine withdrawals are charged at 1.5% up to £1.50, or £2.25 overseas. Purchases have a higher fee of 2.95%, with a maximum charge of £1.50. There is no credit facility available on the cards.
Tuxedo joins a crowded market of pre-pay cards, including offerings from Bluecorner, Yorkshire Bank, Lloyds TSB, American Express and Post Office.
Next month, claims company Brunel Franklin will launch the Boston Marks pre-pay card aimed at consumers who are bankrupt or in an individual voluntary arrangement and who do not have a bank account.
The cards typically charge a set-up fee, then customers can load cash in banks or at shops.
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Nissan China chief Jose Munoz resigns amid broadened Ghosn probe
Saturday, 12 January 2019 () (Reuters) - Nissan Motor Co Ltd's head of China operations Jose Munoz has resigned following reports that the Japanese automaker has broadened its investigation into ousted Chairman Carlos Ghosn's alleged financial misconduct.
Nissan has broadened its investigation into ousted chairman Carlos Ghosn to include dealings that took place in the United States, India and Latin America, three people with knowledge of the inquiry said. Ed Giles reports.
Ousted Nissan Motor Co Chairman Carlos Ghosn has offered to wear an electronic ankle tag and hire guards to monitor him in an unusual bid to secure his release on bail after two months of detention in..
According to Business Insider, fired Nissan Motor Chairman Carlos Ghosn is set to appear in court within five days. Ghosn requested an open hearing to hear the reason for his detention, NHK reported on..


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If you are a manufacturer, it is important that the representations made to consumers align with the Australian Consumer Law. Communications, and sometimes even a response of silence; can potentially be a breach of the law if found by a court to be misleading or deceptive.
The importance of making correct representations to your consumers about the law has been emphasised in a court decision on the 27 th of June. The Full Court held that LG Electronics Australia Pty Ltd (LG) made representations breaching the Australian Consumer Law on two occasions, both in relation to the representations made to consumers about their legal rights.
Two ways of mitigating the risk of fines include training of front line staff and developing standard communications that comply with the code.


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Nvidia has just launched its new Maxwell-based GTX 960, bridging the gap between the budget GTX 750 Ti and the upper echelon GTX 970 and 980. Is this $200 GPU the power house midrange gamers have been looking for?
Windows 10 is headed to devices this year, and the first major unveil and feature preview have significant enthusiast-oriented improvements. With a free upgrade offer, will Windows 10 finally shake off the doldrums that have haunted Windows 8?
Today, the Windows team will take the stage at Microsoft’s headquarters, and give us a proper rundown of what Windows 10 is all about. Will we finally see something worth upgrading for? Is DirectX 12 going to matter? I’m not quite convinced yet, but we should hear some firm details about pricing and release dates at the very least. Check back here at 12pm EST (9am PST) for all of the latest details as they become available.
Shopping for a laptop can be extremely frustrating at times. Even when you already know the ins and outs of personal computers, there are so many different aspects to consider with laptops. Weight, battery life, and cost come into play right off the bat, and when you factor in specific work requirements, the number of decisions can be more than a little overwhelming. Thankfully, we’ve already done the legwork for you. If you’re on the hunt for a new laptop, look no further.
There are multiple high-speed memory interfaces coming in the future to every aspect of the computing market. Here, we break down the new standards for each segment, their differences, and their respective strengths.
SanDisk had planned to build a major business around its ULLtra DIMM technology but a recent ruling from US courts have killed that momentum. The company will now face trial for allegations that it stole its critical designs from a rival firm after signing a license agreement to jointly develop products.
Adobe’s Lightroom has been popular on the iPad and iPhone since it was introduced for iOS nine months ago. Now, it is finally available for Android users — as long as you’re running 4.1 Jelly Bean or later.
A new proposal from the White House would emphasize community broadband and municipal Internet access programs, while a 20th state is considering banning such utilities at the behest of a cable company.
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CNN has pledged to match ad inventory for any brands making new investments on its digital platforms, which can then be used for social-good messaging around COVID-19, or donated to other charities and organizations.
The news organization says it will match 100 percent of any new digital investment with inventory for the same dollar amount from now until the end of April. Advertisers can run their matched media ads across CNN.com, Great Big Story, CNNgo, CNN Audio and CNN’s digital newsletters.
They can also donate the media to the Ad Council to run its own PSAs, or a charity of their choice, in an effort to combat the pandemic.
MassMutual, AARP and John Hancock are already participating in the program.