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No Bull, a training footwear and apparel brand for athletes, wants its customers to feel like they’re part of a community rather than simply purchasing products from a brand. That way it’s more likely that they’ll become “evangelists” for the brand, according to CMO Todd Meleney.
“Word of mouth is the most powerful form of marketing,” said Meleney, adding that customers are more likely to trust a recommendation from a friend rather than an ad. “[We want to be] a brand that if two people in the airport are wearing our product they’ll stop each other.”
The direct-to-consumer brand fosters that sense of community for its top customers via a group, No Bull Connect, which has roughly 2,500 members who chat via weekly Zooms. The brand has also used a product drop model — new products launched at midnight with limited quantities so that customers would have to shop when it dropped otherwise they’d miss out — that grew a “cult following,” per Meleney. The company’s 50-person in-house marketing team aims to constantly push a community feel via advertising and marketing, per Meleney.
The focus on community extends to the brand’s approach to influencer marketing. No Bull has about a dozen athletes including Olympian Caeleb Dressel, football player Mac Jones and CrossFit athlete Brooke Wells on salary. Instead of seeking out hundreds of influencers to simply post product shots, the brand curates these relationships to work with “a high-powered athlete group with high influence” who “love the brand and want to be a part of it.”
Working with those athletes helps generate content that is then supported by the brand’s channels and media. It’s unclear how much the brand spends on the ambassador program as No Bull did not share exact figures but said that “less than 10%” of its media budget was dedicated to athlete contracts. That said, No Bull does use “additional budget to support them and build their brands through other channels,” said Meleney.
Aside from the athlete program, No Bull currently spends its ad dollars on social, search, radio, programmatic display. It’s unclear how the brand divides its media budget as Meleney would not specify.
Taking a community-focused approach to influencer marketing makes sense to Nik Sharma, DTC investor and advisor and founder of Sharma Brands. “In 2013, when Dirty Lemon was pushing products through Instagram it was all about getting influencers to post and tag you,” said Sharma. “You’d get followers out of it. You’d get a ton of social clout. You could drive sales. Today, when an influencer posts the comments are always, ‘You get that bag’ for the fact that they’re getting a check versus the alignment with the brand.”
No Bull’s retainer strategy is a better approach because it allows the brand to develop a long-term partnership with the athletes who can weigh in on what’s coming down the pipeline and collaborate on product drops, noted Sharma. At the same time it “creates an authentic relationship” for customers and allows the athlete and brand to “grow together.”
Google’s Privacy Sandbox is coming to Android
Google's MAID will be phased out, here's what you need to know.
Digiday+ Research: Instagram wins over Facebook for role in brands’ holiday marketing
Brands differ on how they use each marketing channel during the holidays -- even when it comes to sibling social media platforms Facebook and Instagram, Digiday+ Research found.
How — and why — Candy Crush is in the midst of a 10th anniversary brand refresh
In the years since Activision Blizzard acquired the Swedish game studio King in 2016, employees at the gaming giant have started to internally refer to their company as “ABK” — that is, Activision Blizzard King. But the corporation’s recent financial reports indicate that “KAB” might be a more accurate abbreviation.
SponsoredHow brands are measuring incremental performance on CTV
Connected TV is unique among other advertising channels because it combines linear television’s storytelling capabilities with digital marketing’s targeting and measurement. As more marketers leverage CTV advertisements to reach relevant and engaged audiences, they also want to understand the real value they are generating with their investment. Incrementality reporting and measurement allow advertisers to measure […]
Marketers bring Web3 to the FIFA World Cup with augmented reality, NFTs and virtual worlds
The month-long tournament, which begins this weekend, will be the first World Cup since it took place in Russia in 2018 long before “Web3” entered the global lexicon. Now, official and non-official sponsors are hoping to harness the hype with a range of NFTs, virtual worlds, augmented reality tools and other trendy tech.
U-Haul diversifies its social strategy to tell people it’s more than moving trucks
In recent years, U-Haul's in-house agency has been working to "better leverage social media for brand loyalty."


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Aarons shuffles management
Atlanta – Specialty furniture retailer Aaron’s Inc. is making some changes to its management structure. Steven A. Michaels, VP finance, is being promoted to VP strategic planning and business development.
In addition, Robert W. Kamerschen, senior VP and general counsel, will add corporate secretary to his responsibilities, while Kimberly R. Rivera joins Aaron’s as the VP of learning and development.
"This is an exciting time for all members of Aaron’s as we continue to strengthen our management team and build a platform for sustainable growth," said Ronald W. Allen, Aaron’s chairman, president and CEO.
Report: Wal-Mart web glitch gives consumers huge deals
Bentonville, Ark. – A glitch on the U.S. website of Wal-Mart reportedly provided consumers with enormous discounts for a short time on the morning of Nov. 6. According to Reuters, treadmills that normally cost hundreds of dollars were selling for $33.16 and widescreen computer monitors were selling for $9.
Wal-Mart has not said how many discounted items were sold before the glitch was discovered. The retailer has also said it will not honor any sales resulting from the glitch, but will give those consumers a $10 gift card.
Ikea plans to double solar array on Maryland DC
Conshocken, Pa. – Ikea plans to nearly double the solar array completed in April atop its Perryville, Md., distribution center, the state’s largest such solar energy system. Installation of the new panels will begin in November with completion expected in 2014.
The 467,618-sq.-ft. solar addition will consist of a 2.2-MW system, built with 7,337 modules, and will produce 2,695,355 kWh of electricity annually for the facility. Including the existing system, this 1.7 million-sq.-ft. distribution center’s total 4.9-MW solar installation of 25,913 panels soon will generate 6,092,533 kWh of clean electricity yearly, the equivalent of reducing 4,299 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), according to EPA estimates.
For the development, design and installation of the Perryville distribution center’s current and expanded solar power system, Ikea contracted with Inovateus Solar LLC, an industry-leading solar power distributor and integrator specializing in large-scale solar installations.
Ikea owns and operates each of its solar PV energy systems, as opposed to a solar lease or PPA (power purchase agreement), and globally has allocated $1.8 billion to invest in renewable energy through 2015. Consistent with the goal of being energy independent by 2020, Ikea has installed more than 300,000 solar panels on buildings across the world.
“We are pleased at the opportunity to nearly double the solar energy generated by this facility,” said Steffen Daab, distribution center manager. “This is another example of our commitment to create a more sustainable life for communities where we operate.”

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Resellers across Europe reported a general rise in business optimism, according to the latest figures provided by Context. Information from the analyst's Channel Facts survey - supplied exclusively to CRN - shows that in May the overall trend was up, thanks mainly to increased optimism among German resellers.
The noticeable difference between UK resellers and their European counterparts was in the desktop sector (see below). UK VARs in this space forecast far stronger business than those on the continent.
Notebooks make their mark
In May UK resellers expected improved business in the enterprise space, especially in sales of networks, storage systems and servers. Strong competition is also keeping the notebook market healthy, with most resellers expecting growth in notebook sales.
In general, UK resellers were slightly more optimistic than those elsewhere in Europe.
PCs shall reign
Preliminary PC channel sell-through data for May from Context shows that sales of PCs by UK resellers grew by 5.9 per cent in unit terms compared with a year ago, despite a 5.7 per cent sequential decline for the month.
The drop in sales in May compared with April was seasonal, but the decline is higher than it was last year when sales shrank by 2.8 per cent in May 2003 compared with the previous month.
Fierce competition in the notebook PC sector continues, with channel unit sales up by 23.8 per cent for May compared with a year ago.
Services create smiles
IT services are the place to be, according to Context's survey of vertical markets around Europe. Of all the growing verticals highlighted by UK resellers, IT services were the strongest, with 80 per cent of VARs forecasting positive growth.
This sector made its strongest showing in France and Italy, while telecoms made the strongest showing in France. Government and public administration business looks set to increase most in Germany and France, according to respondents.
Infrastructure provider says international sales now make up 51 per cent of its revenue
Suzanne Chappell of TMS plans sailing venture after selling Oxfordshire-based TMS to acquisitive Chess
Withdrawal of credit insurance by some providers a 'reflection' of current challenge facing IT sector, according to MD Steve Soper
SMART's UK managing director joins Lenovo to boost SMB business


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Islamabad (25th May 2021): Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has issued Mobile Device Manufacturing Authorizations to 19 foreign and local companies for the production of mobile devices (2G/3G/4G ) locally. Initially valid for next 10 years, the manufacturers may also establish their own new brand under the authorization, helping in promotion of Continue Reading
Jazz, Pakistan’s number one 4G operator and the largest internet and broadband service provider, has collaborated with the Universal Service Fund (USF) to provide 4G services in Jacobabad, Shikarpur & Kashmore districts of Sindh. The contract was signed by Haaris Mahmood Chaudhary, CEO – USF and Aamir Ibrahim, CEO – Continue Reading
“Digitalization is not a mechanical process”. Ali Naseer, Chief Business Officer, Jazz, talk at the DX Summit, narrating the story of Jazz’s digital success and learn about the challenges a company undergoes while making it to the top. Ali emphasized the pressing need for companies to adopt digitalization, saying, “The ability of Continue Reading
Islamabad (17th May, 2021): In line with the Government’s vision of promoting tourism across the country, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and the telecom operators are focusing on improving telecommunication services in areas full of tourism potential. To provide better communication facilities to the mountaineers and trekkers, a 4G Base Transceiver Station Continue Reading
Internet of Things is revolutionizing the Supply Chain Industry. The Growing demand of connectivity and integration of digital solutions in day to day business affairs taking the front seat in todays world. Recently released as a success story, Watch how Sukkur Beverages has put their trust in Jazz IoT Services Continue Reading
As per The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies – ICTs. World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) has been celebrated annually every 17 May since 1969 to mark the founding of ITU and the signing of the first International Telegraph Continue Reading
To satisfy the booming demand for digital content in Pakistan, Lambda Marketing Solutions is providing consumers with local content served up with ads. It started by bringing on-demand entertainment to passengers on inter-city buses, with the ads hosted offshore. But connectivity issues and expensive bandwidth hampered the company’s growth. By Continue Reading
Pakistani freelancers received more than Rs. 4 billion since January 2020 utilizing a tech-based solution in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, said Ghazanfar Azzam, President, and CEO, Mobilink Microfinance Bank, on Monday. Talking to the media, he said, “Freelance work by IT professionals increased under the circumstances, but they were Continue Reading
According to the details, Pakistan has reportedly received approval from Amazon to Register Pakistan in the verified Amazon seller list. Pakistani sellers will now officially be able to create Amazon IDs and sell their products on the global platform. This opens a great window of opportunity for Pakistan. Founded by Continue Reading
As per a global report ‘Inclusive Internet Index’ released by the Economist Intelligence Unit and commissioned by Facebook, Pakistan dropped to 90th rank among 120 countries. This Index calculates scores based on how countries perform in four categories; Availability, Affordability, Relevance and Readiness. Pakistan not only remained the lowest in South Asia, but also lags behind other regional states, like Iran.
Pakistan’s poor ranking is due to multiple reasons, such as large gender gaps in the index, in both mobile and internet access, with only 10% of women in Pakistan having access to smartphones. There also exist low levels of digital literacy and compared to better scoring countries.
Experts suggested some urgent interventions to combat this “Digital Emergency”
- Prioritizing assembly of 4G compatible smartphones while banning the production and import of 2G-only phones
- Reduction in taxes to make quality 4G access to end user more affordable
- Incentives for manufacturers to develop/assemble 4G enabled smartphones
- Government level policy to allow the operators to sell smartphones on instalments with a loan recovery mechanism
- And greater focus on bridging the gender gap in Internet Access, empowering more women to reap the benefits of Digitization
Timely focus on the factors identified by experts may result in a turnaround in global rankings for Pakistan.


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Mills Group c-stores will continue to provide more fresh and chilled products in a bid to combat competition from the likes of Tesco Express, managing director Nigel Mills said at the company’s annual conference at Oulton Hall, Leeds. Mills said the company needed to change its customers’ perceptions of the goods it sells and told C-Store: “We will continue to move away from a news and booze format to concentrate on grocery, in particular fresh and chilled. We have no plans to further develop our CTNs as they are trading well in their existing format.”
The company, which hits its 20th year in 2006, said retail sales had risen from £55.8m last year to £58m this year. Mills highlighted security as another challenge for 2006. He said: “Violence against shopkeepers is a problem which is on the increase and we will introduce digital CCTV systems with IP-based connectivity.” The group has also pledged to improve epos systems and £200,000 will be spent on IT in the first quarter of 2006.


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Carolan Lennon, CEO of Eir, Mary Dunne from Ardee and TV presenter Brendan Courtney
A 76-year-old Ardee woman has been crowned as the winner of the IT Enthusiast Award at the 2018 open eir Silver Surfer Awards.
The internet-savvy Ardee lady, was presented with her award at a ceremony in eir’s Head Office by well-known fashion designer, TV and radio personality Brendan Courtney.
The ceremony was officially opened by Minister of State at the Department of Health with special responsibility for Mental Health and Older People Jim Daly T.D.
Mary Dunne has become a role model for her friends at the Ardee Active Retirement Group, which now boasts of 80% internet usage amongst members.
And it's all down to the Louth woman's determination to keep up with modern technology. Mary only learned how to use the computer in her late 60s and is now keen to share her knowledge with her peers at the Ardee Retirement Group.
The Louth lady books adventures online for her fellow pensioners throughout Ireland and across Europe and also uses Pinterest to get inspiration for decorating her local church.
She has set up a WhatsApp group to stay in touch with her six children and 16 grandchildren and has been known to give out tips for the Galway Races using the BetFinder app.
Mary is an active promoter of internet safety and seeks to alleviate fears held by some older people around using the internet.
John Church, CEO of Age Action, said: “We are proud to celebrate today some truly inspirational people. These Silver Surfers are challenging ageist stereotypes that the internet, social media and new technologies are only for young people.
“They’re not just doing so to improve their own lives but, in many cases, to assist their neighbours, support their communities and reach out to people who need help. We hope they will inspire thousands more like them to dust off the laptop or tablet sitting at home and get online. There is an entire world of information and entertainment waiting for them. And who knows, maybe some of those inspired by this year’s Silver Surfers will be joining us at next year’s awards.”
Carolan Lennon, CEO, eir said: “Today’s winners are a fantastic example of what can be achieved by embracing technology. We are delighted to support an initiative that celebrates older people and those who support them.”
Minister Daly also congratulated all the open eir Silver Surfer award winners and nominees, noting that Age Action’s Getting Started Computer Training Programme, along with eir’s commitment to provide the best mobile and broadband network to every household and business across Ireland, is instrumental in helping older people experience the benefits that technology can bring to their everyday lives.
Pick up your copy of the new look Dundalk Democrat, in shops this week. With a fresh, new look and great sections including Dundalk Life and All Our Yesterdays - plus the best sports section around - don't miss your chance to read the Dundalk Democrat. Available in all good shops and newsagents.


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This article originally appeared in Health Central. For the original, click here
It’s fast food central near Henderson Intermediate School. Located on Lincoln Road in West Auckland, the route to and from school for many students involves walking past an array of fast food outlets. Within 500 metres of the school there is a Burger King, McDonalds, Burger Fuel and Sal’s pizza. There is the local fish and chip shop. A bit further down the road is a KFC. All vying for the students’ cash. Burger King even has an enclosed basketball hoop as further enticement for this age group.
Deputy Principal Debbie Wylde says it is hard to encourage the students to make healthier choices with their money.
“It is common for many of our families to give their children lunch money for the week. We have a school canteen which provides healthy choices as well as pies and sausage rolls. However, many students save their money to spend after school at the fast food outlets.
“Often students also spend on their way to school in the morning. I regularly stop students bringing in large fizzy drinks from McDonalds onto our school grounds as we are a water only school,” says Wylde.
And it doesn’t stop there. The rise of Uber Eats has increased the availability of fast food.
At a recent series of West Auckland community workshops aimed to tackle the problem, one participant said, “My teenage son gets Uber Eats delivered to his bedroom window – how can I compete with that?”
“When I open the [Uber] app in this neighbourhood there are 117 places that can deliver me food in 20 minutes and none of them are a healthy choice,” said another.
The workshops – facilitated by the University of Auckland and Healthy Families Waitākere – were part of an initiative to make West Auckland’s food environment healthier.
Attended by residents and community leaders, participants identified a number of barriers to children eating the Ministry of Health’s recommended fruit and vegetable daily intake of 5+ A Day. And top of the list was the high density of fast food outlets and the high volume of fast food advertising and promotion.
Other barriers included the high cost of fresh produce in comparison to fast food, parents having little time for food preparation, and declining cooking skills and knowledge.
A study based on the workshops is published in scientific journal PLOS ONE. Study participants included high school students, people who worked in health promotion, local food retailers, kaumātua and parents. The study was part of a larger Health Research Council-funded project to explore barriers and solutions to children’s fruit and vegetable intake.
Co-author and Healthy Families Waitākere systems innovator, Michele Eickstaedt, says participants identified two barriers that were outside of their control: the toll of low-income work on health, and the density of fast food outlets with pervasive advertising and signage in their neighbourhoods.
“Parents said they work multiple low-wage jobs, and are bound by inflexible hours. This leaves them with little time to cook meals, leading to a lack of cooking skills and knowledge within the household, which inevitably leads to poor health outcomes and increased rates of preventable chronic disease.”
Participants also said that families with low household budgets are more likely to prioritise satiety – feeling full – over nutrition.
“School principals are telling us students are walking in the front gates with breakfasts of $5 fried chicken and chip combo’s, purchased from fast-food outlets just outside school gates. A meal like this provides satiety, but leaves their brains ill-equipped for their day in the classroom.”
One study participant remarked, “How do you change what is sold right outside the school? I have a lot of respect for the shop owners – we all grew up knowing them – but what they’re selling is not good for our kids.”
The number of children eating enough fruit and vegetables is in steady decline across Aotearoa. For the past three years, the New Zealand Health Survey has found half of children aged 2–14 years (50 per cent) do not eat enough vegetables (two serves a day for pre-schoolers, three serves for 5-14 year-olds). Fruit and vegetable intake is lower in the Auckland region, where only 42 per cent of children meet the recommended ‘5+ A Day’, and even lower among non-European children and children living in areas of high deprivation.
Study lead Dr Sarah Gerritsen, a research fellow from the University of Auckland’s School of Population Health, says eating healthy is costly.
“Earlier research conducted here found that, on average, eating a healthy diet is more expensive than an unhealthy diet, particularly when takeaways are included. And while it is possible to eat a healthy diet for the same price, this requires more time and cooking skills.”
Dr Gerritsen backs the participants’ call for government regulation of the fast food sector to address advertising standards and outlet density.
“Communities cannot tackle these systemic issues on their own – they can’t limit advertising or prevent more fast food outlets from opening in their neighbourhoods,” she says.
The Fruit in Schools programme is currently only available to decile 1 and 2 primary and intermediate schools, but Gerritsen would like to see it expanded to more schools, including high schools.
“Schools could be supported by a standardised healthy food policy, which could be tailored to suit their needs and strengths. Advertising of fast food needs stronger regulation, and the concentration of fast food and convenience stores, particularly around schools, must be addressed.”


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Galaxy S8 6GB RAM Variant Hits US With Sad News
The upcoming smartphone from tech giant and South Korean company, Samsung has been making waves since the release of the Galaxy S7 device. However, as much is known about the upcoming device, there is a sad news in the rumor mill, and it would break users for the US market’s heart.
The Samsung Galaxy S8 and the S8 Plus variant which is expected to come into the market with 4GB of RAM has been reported to be coming to market in a more premium version in the form of the 6GB RAM version and the sad news is that the more premium version will not be featured in the US market.
The decision, however, shortchanges the US market in the productivity, performance and speed departments as the US market will not be getting the much faster Exynos 8895 processor variant and will also be stuck with the 4GB RAM version.
However, asides the RAM and the processor, the US Market will be getting pretty much the same thing as other markets, especially the Chinese market.
Other specs expected to be featured on the device, however, include the smart AI Assistant named Bixby, the possible fingerprint sensor, and a better camera as it has been rumored that the device will be able o capture up to 1,000 frames per second for video coverage.
Other perks to expect on the device includes a 3.7MP camera loaded on the front panel asides the expected 8MP camera for facial recognition. The Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus has also been rumored to be coming with integrations which will allow the use of fingerprint, iris and facial detection for user verification during mobile payments on Samsung Pay.


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Sure, you can find sushi alongside General Tso’s chicken in cheap neighborhood places. But this season, some high-end Chinese menus in New York will include raw seafood in many forms.
“I think it’s very new, but I hear it’s happening now in Beijing and Shanghai,” said Stratis Morfogen, who is opening the Jue Lan Club, a Chinese restaurant with an emphasis on seafood, including raw items, in the dining rooms and courtyard of the Limelight, in Chelsea. Oscar Toro, the chef, said there would be a few raw dishes on the menu at first. “But you’ll see most of it in the courtyard in the spring, where we’ll have a real raw bar,” he said.
La Chine, the elegant restaurant coming to the Waldorf Astoria (which is now Chinese owned), will showcase dishes like raw lobster with winter melon and peony oil, and raw drunken shrimp in yellow wine.
David Garcelon, the hotel’s culinary director, said that even though raw food of any kind is not typical in most of China, it is a specialty of the coastal Zhejiang Province, south of Shanghai — one of the areas that inspired La Chine’s menu.
Of course, there’s nothing particularly Chinese about the flavor of raw fish; creating that personality comes down to seasonings and garnishes. Bring on the peony oil and fermented black beans.
As Mr. Toro said: “I’ll be doing things like using shao hsing wine and minced lily bulb instead of a mignonette with oysters. I’ve done raw fish Japanese and Spanish style, so why not Chinese?”


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The explosions caused damage to some of Britain's biggest businesses, leading to a possible shortage of everything from Christmas presents to prawn sandwiches.
Companies with premises on an industrial site near the oil depot include Scottish & Newcastle, whose warehouse contained millions of bottles of wine and spirits ready to be shipped to pubs and bars.
S & N, which was fully insured, has written off £10 million-worth of stock after a wall was flattened. Asos.com, an online fashion retailer, said its entire stock, worth £5.5 million, might have been destroyed as its warehouse doors blew off and sprinklers drenched clothing.
Nick Robertson, the Asos chief executive, has not had a chance to inspect the site but said he was planning for the worst and that many Christmas orders would not arrive in time.
The website was not operating yesterday and the company asked for dealing in its shares to be suspended, pending assessment of the effect of the explosion on its business.
Both Marks & Spencer and McDonald's had to close their food depots at the industrial estate. M & S admitted there would be gaps on shelves at some of its north London and Hertfordshire stores. "If you go into a store you will have a very limited range of sandwiches," a spokesman said.
McDonald's said it could run short of burger buns as the estate was home to one of its two British bakeries. "If needed we could draw on resources from Europe," a spokesman said.
Dixons relocated 1,500 staff at its Hemel Hempstead headquarters to either central London or Stevenage.
About 500 staff at Northgate Information Solutions, which provides software support to councils and police forces, were coming to terms with the news that their £8 million head office would take a year to rebuild.
Total and Texaco, the oil companies which own the depot, said they were both insured for any damage.
A Total spokesman said: "We are insured, but at the moment we are tackling the fire and everything else will fall into place after that."
The Association of British Insurers advised local people affected by the fire to contact their insurance companies as soon as possible.


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With Hurricane Irma currently on a path to cause extensive damage in many areas along the Atlantic Coast, consumers are rushing to purchase survival essentials. However, some companies aren’t making it very easy. As of Thursday, more than 3,000 complaints related to price gouging have come into the Florida Attorney General’s office.
Florida consumers outraged at sky-high prices
Martin Green, a call center operator told the Orlando Sentinel, “The worst call I got today, and this was the worst of the worst, was a 24 pack of six-ounce bottles of water, for $72 … $72. That was in Jupiter today.”
In Southeast Florida, consumers are lining up at gas stations and department stores. Grocery store shelves are empty and cars are backed up for blocks anywhere you can even find gas at this point. Unfortunately, these high demands are creating even more headaches for people staying home for the storm.
Online shoppers frustrated with Amazon prices
With many local grocery stores undersupplied with water, people turned to Amazon, which guaranteed delivery before Friday if you ordered on Tuesday. Despite the convenience, shoppers were met with exorbitantly high prices for common goods.
For example, check out this shopper looking for water:
Went to see if I could use Amazon Prime to get more water over to my family in South Florida for Irma. Check out the price they quoted me. pic.twitter.com/FlrQB331tE
— Diana Moskovitz (@DianaMoskovitz) September 5, 2017
Not only was the water more than $18, the shipping was a whopping $180.
Amazon has repeatedly responded to price gouging attacks by claiming their pricing algorithms are supposed to go higher as demand increases. Also, they do not set the prices for products that are listed by third party retailers. It should also be noted that this kind of pricing isn’t illegal, but it is extremely frustrating during hurricane preparation.
On the other hand, some people are deciding to completely skip the water in hopes of finding an exit route instead.
Airlines increased ticket prices 400 percent
One traveler tweeted that Delta Air Lines raised ticket prices to Arizona by almost $3,000. Already, the tweet has more than 30,000 retweets.
— Leigh (@LeighDow) September 5, 2017
Other consumers were frustrated by their experience as well:
Totally unacceptable, a $358 flight from Miami to NYC went up to $3578. Why should expect anything decent from these airlines??? F ing RATS! https://t.co/rjdH6J0yOL
— Joseph Pep Nodarse (@joerileyhudson) September 6, 2017
Looking for flights for the last hour-plus was one of the most stressful experiences I’ve had in quite a while. Finally got one.
— Alex Schwartz (@AlexJSchwartz) September 5, 2017
@AmericanAir really charging $2000 for a flight from Miami to DC. Scum I tell you.
— The Last DJ Bender! (@djpushplay21) September 5, 2017
To combat the negative publicity, Delta started offering more flights out of areas like South Florida with lower prices for travelers.
JetBlue stepped up with lower prices
With the rush to evacuate, JetBlue started offering direct flights out of Florida for $99, primarily so people would have additional options to get out of the state, especially for travelers coming from areas with mandatory evacuations, like the Florida Keys.
Some experts rushed to the defense of higher-priced airlines. Seth Kaplan, the managing partner at trade publication Airline Weekly, said, “What we’re seeing, with the very expensive fares for the few seats that remain, is just their standard pricing for any flight anywhere that’s in high demand… It basically becomes an auction for the few seats that remain.”
Overall, while raising prices in times of need is technically legal in some cases, there is a fine line that shouldn’t be crossed — especially for life-saving materials. If you believe you are a victim of price gouging, report the violation by calling 1-866-966-7226. Violations may also be reported online at http://myfloridalegal.com.
— Peter Amirata


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Black Style Honest, a digital listing of Black designers began by Antoine Gregory, is taking its undertaking to print.
What started in 2016 with a Twitter thread from Mr. Gregory itemizing quite a few “Black designers you need to know” has given option to a sturdy on-line library of impartial designers and Black-owned manufacturers, in addition to a market the place folks can purchase immediately from them.
Now, Black Style Honest has launched its first print product, an almost 200-page e-book that highlights designers previous and current, and explores Black affect in vogue via essays, interviews and pictures, forward of New York Style Week. (The exhibits start Feb. 11.)
“I wished to present an actual worldview of Black vogue, type and tradition because it exists proper now,” Mr. Gregory, 28, stated in a video interview from Lengthy Island, the place he lives. “I’m placing worth on Black issues, worth on Black designers, and that’s doing it on the highest degree.”
As the style business continues to confront its systemic racism, a number of organizations are working to make sure that Black designers get their due. That features signal-boosting impartial companies and pushing for extra inclusive casting on the runways and in promoting campaigns.
Style magazines specifically have been singled out for not together with Black creators or Black tradition of their pages, and alter has been incremental. Mr. Gregory, who can be a stylist, guide and model director for the style label Theophilio, stated that he wished to create one thing that will problem the gatekeepers within the business. He sees this as distinct from the present rush within the vogue business, which he described as seizing up Black expertise out of “drive.”
“There’s no excuses anymore. I believe now we have an excessive amount of entry on the planet, now we have an excessive amount of entry to the web and to one another to say, ‘Oh I didn’t know’ or ‘I couldn’t discover,’” Mr. Gregory stated. “There’s so some ways to find all this expertise that’s popping out.”
Mr. Gregory grew up in Brooklyn and was impressed to start out his archiving undertaking whereas he was a pupil on the Style Institute of Expertise, the place there was no curriculum dedicated to Black designers on the time. By Black Style Honest, he has hosted numerous group occasions and created training initiatives, together with a partnership with the Brooklyn Stitching Academy.
A consultant for F.I.T. wrote in an electronic mail that Black Style Honest “is a useful useful resource for college kids studying all elements of the style enterprise and vogue historical past, and for B.I.P.O.C. individuals who aspire to careers in vogue. Realizing that individuals who appear to be you’ve gotten succeeded within the business earlier than you is a robust motivator in a subject nonetheless suffering from systemic discrimination.”
Mr. Gregory’s print publication, “Quantity 0: Seen,” options the designs of Kerby Jean-Raymond’s Pyer Moss, Sergio Hudson, Home of Aama and Edvin Thompson of Theophilio, who was named rising designer of the 12 months by the Council of Style Designers of America.
Its pages characteristic Black photographers, together with Aijani Payne, Amber Pinkerton, Quil Lemons, and Ahmad Barber and Donté Maurice, who’re collectively often known as AB+DM.
Mr. Barber, 31, stated that vogue shoots usually require him to meet the imaginative and prescient of a set of journal editors; right here, the photographers had the chance to carry all of their concepts to every shoot.
“It was super-freeing to have the ability to have a undertaking like that,” Mr. Barber stated in a video interview. “If we wouldn’t have shot them on this publication, who is aware of if, not solely us, however different creatives would have been capable of see their work in print on this approach.”
Beginning Feb. 7, the e-book ($95) will probably be bought on Black Style Honest’s web site and at Mulberry Iconic Journal retailer in Manhattan.
Not like most vogue magazines, it incorporates no ads, because of the help of Warby Parker, the eyeglasses model.
Neil Blumenthal, a founding father of Warby Parker and its co-chief government, stated in a press release that “it’s been an honor to associate with Black Style Honest on their first journal. Each web page is an inspiring testomony to their dedication to group and creativity.”
Among the many publication’s options are behind-the-scenes pictures of Anifa Mvuemba’s runway debut in Washington, D.C., for her vogue model Hanifa; an essay on the significance of Vibe journal and the way it traditionally highlighted the “richness of Black type”; and a vogue unfold that includes Joan Smalls draped in customized Theophilio.
“I believe after we don’t personal our personal tales, that individuals can actually create a really particular and really weaponized narrative about Black tradition,” stated Mr. Thompson, the 29-year-old Theophilio designer, in a telephone interview. “I believe throughout the final two years, the entire artistic business has led so many conversations and I believe the launch of Black Style Honest: Seen is ideal timing.”
One of many issues Mr. Gregory is most pleased with, he stated, was having captured within the e-book the preferred designs and tendencies within the Black design scene at present, like Brandon Blackwood’s first ready-wear assortment and Pyer Moss’s first couture assortment.
“This needed to be probably the most wonderful factor that I’ve give you to make it price it,” Mr. Gregory stated. “And that’s type of scary since you see magazines day-after-day that don’t have the kind of content material this has, however they’re international points.”
The publication, he added, received’t be the final of its variety.
“If I can put all these wonderful folks in a single bodily factor, we are able to have that endlessly,” he stated. “That was my aim with this, to make one thing that we are able to have endlessly.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/07/type/black-fashion-fair-publication.html A Digital Archive of Black Style Delves Into Print


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European Confidence in Porsche Holding Representative Offices
The further more government authorities in many countries of the world entrust management of their vehicle fleets to representative offices of Porsche Holding and automotive brands they represent.
The success of this trend is based on the high quality of Volkswagen Group products as well as on first-class services and professional staff of Porsche Holding representative offices.
At the end of 2014, Porsche Hungary concluded an agreement with the police and provided police officers with 1 005 brand-new Volkswagen, Skoda, SEAT passenger cars and Volkswagen commercial vehicles.
In March 2015, Porsche Slovakia reinforced the national Ministry of Interior fleet with 13 Volkswagen Tiguan cars, and Porsche Albania passed 47 Volkswagen vehicles to Albanian government bodies.
Taking into consideration the European Union's high confidence in Volkswagen vehicles and Porsche Holding, the support of vehicle order and delivery for the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine has been entrusted to Porsche Ukraine, the general importer of Volkswagen, Audi and SEAT.
The European Union has provided the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine with border security equipment, 142 Volkswagen Amarok cars and 51 Volkswagen Т5 minibuses.
David Liska, Managing Director of Porsche Ukraine, comments the momentous event: "Porsche Ukraine follows the principles of corporate social responsibility of business towards customers and the society. We are happy that Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles have been chosen for such an important mission as guarding and patrolling the Ukrainian border. One of our invariable tasks is to focus on requirements to vehicles and satisfy the needs of every client, and this contract is certainly no exception to such rule."


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The UK's convenience store market is braced for exponential growth over the coming years.
According to the latest projections from grocery thinktank IGD, the industry is braced for a 30 per cent increase in value of 30 per cent over the next five years. This represents a significant jump and will see it worth £49 billion by 2019 with group operators Nisa and Costcutter continuing to thrive. The pair have the biggest overall share in the market accounting for £4 of every £10 spent in the UK.
In recent years, supermarkets have been increasingly looking to the high street for a source of extra revenue. Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose and Morrisons have all branched out and opened various smaller stores across the country but the research has shown that the convenience market is remaining strong despite the increase in competition from household names.
IGD noted that sales within the symbol group, which represent more than the next two largest groups after Nisa and Costcutter, had soared to a combined £15.5 billion in the 12 months to April 2014. Convenience multiples were found to have the fastest growing increase in sales during the same period and now represent the largest part of the market with a net worth of £7.3 billion.
It had also been a positive year for unaffiliated independent stores and symbol group which account for 70 per cent of the total number of convenience outlets across the country. The two sectors had grown at a fast rate up until April 2014.
Joanne Denney-Finch, IGD chief executive, said: "Convenience stores are benefiting from changing social demographics, such as smaller households, and shopper spreading more of their spending across a variety of grocery formats.
"Our latest ShopperVista research shows that seven out of ten (71 per cent) of them are using both a supermarket and convenience shop in any given month."


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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) joined Mike Lee (R-UT) in co-sponsoring the Fixing Our Regulatory Mayhem Upsetting Little Americans (FORMULA) Act to combat baby formula shortages by increasing access to foreign-made baby formula. The bill temporarily waives current trade protections, such as tariffs and quotas, on formula imports to increase supply, lower costs, and put formula back on the shelves.
“No mom should have to fear whether or not she will have enough formula for her child,” said Dr. Cassidy. “The Biden administration knew the shortage was coming, but they did nothing. Once more, they have mismanaged an impending crisis.”
“American babies are going hungry and the federal government is standing in the way. Current policies, tariffs, quotas, bans, and regulations are preventing mothers and fathers from being able to make the best choices to feed their babies. My FORMULA Act will give these families relief during this unprecedented shortage. Congress needs to pass this bill immediately to protect American babies from going hungry,” said Senator Lee.
Recent shortages come after a recall and temporary closure of a major American formula factory, but highlight systemic weaknesses in this vital supply chain.
The FORMULA Act would also waive regulations that prevent the importation of safe baby formula from abroad. This would allow American families to access safe and plentiful formula manufactured in Europe and elsewhere during the current shortage. The bill will also allow Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program recipients to use vouchers to purchase formula from any producer rather than be limited to the brand or product listed on specific vouchers, which may be unavailable.


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Ifo said its business climate index fell to 90.1 from an upwardly revised reading of 92.2 in December. A Reuters poll had forecast a January reading of 91.8.
"The second Corona wave has temporarily ended the recovery of the German economy," Ifo President Clemens Fuest said in a statement.
Chancellor Angela Merkel and state leaders agreed last week to extend a lockdown until mid-February as Germany, once seen as a role model for fighting the pandemic, struggles with a second wave of infections.
Ifo economist Klaus Wohlrabe told Reuters the economy would stagnate in the first quarter of the year, adding: "The German economy is starting the year with little confidence."
The economy is likely to reach its pre-pandemic levels in mid-2022, according to a draft document prepared by the economy ministry and seen by Reuters on Monday.
In a telling sign of corporate nervousness, Ifo's expectations index fell to its lowest level since June, confounding expectations for a rise.
Unprecedented government rescue and stimulus measures helped lessen the shock of the pandemic in Germany last year, when the economy shrank by 5.0%, less than expected and a smaller contraction than during the global financial crisis.
But the renewed lockdown measures are suppressing economic activity and confidence. Ifo's index on current conditions fell to its lowest since September.
"Fear is back," wrote ING economist Carsten Brzeski. "It will take more momentum in the vaccination schemes and a further reduction in the number of infections before the economy can take off again. It currently looks as if it will take at least until spring time before this will be the case."
Highlighting the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on German industry, carmaker Volkswagen said on Friday profit almost halved last year because of the pandemic, but a rebound in premium car sales in China and stronger deliveries in the fourth quarter helped keep it in the black.
The Federal Statistics Office will publish gross domestic product figures on Friday for the fourth quarter, when some lockdown measures had already been implemented. The statistics office said earlier this month growth probably stagnated in the fourth quarter.
The government expects the economy to grow by 3% this year, a government official told Reuters on Friday, a sharp downward revision from last autumn's estimate of 4.4% caused by November's imposition of a second coronavirus lockdown.
(Writing by Paul Carrel; editing by Maria Sheahan and Larry King)
By Paul Carrel and Rene Wagner


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Although China Unicom is definitely in talks with Apple for selling the iPhone across China, it looks like the carrier actually didn’t buy 5 million iPhones, as reported yesterday by Chinese sources.
According to Cellular-News, China Unicom’s spokesman Yi Difei declared about the 5 million order rumors that they are “not true”.
However, the spokesman did say that “talks between us and Apple have been going on for some time”, albeit without reaching an agreement yet.
Tiffany Yang, an Apple spokeswoman in Beijing, also said that there are no clear details about iPhone’s official launch in China.
This probably means that China Unicom will not sell Apple’s smartphone starting September, as previously reported.
If you liked the post, you might find these interesting too:
- China Mobile in final stages of talks with Apple to bring iPhone to China
- iPhone 3G S may hit China in Q4 2009 as China Unicom and Apple sign 2-year deal
- 5 million iPhones bought by China Unicom – sales to debut in September
- Apple iPhone 4 will be available in China on September 25th
- iPhone 3G to finally hit China this spring


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EA confirms New Need for Speed & Plant vs. Zombies Coming Before The End of 2019
Despite the ups and downs it has faced, the Need for Speed series is one of the most beloved in the industry and the simple announcement that a new installment is in development is enough to raise the hype of its large player base.
Currently, we know that there is a new Need for Speed on the way, but the lack of information suggests that we are still far from its debut, however, it seems that we will get greeted with the new installment before the end of this year 2019.
Today, during the presentation of its financial report, Electronic Arts presented the plan of launches that they have for the following quarters of the fiscal year 2020, which is where the company is at the moment, and there it was confirmed that the new Need for Speed will arrive this year.
According to the information shared by Niko Partners analyst Daniel Ahmad, the third fiscal quarter, which runs from October to December this year, will see the launch of NBA Live 20, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Need for Speed and the new installment of Plants vs. Zombies.
So far, Electronic Arts has only revealed that the new Need for Speed is in development and that it will return to the issue of persecution of police chase, so you can expect something similar to Need for Speed: Most Wanted with elements of the titles of Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit. The company also confirmed that Plants vs. Zombies 3 is a reality, although there are rumors that indicate a new installment of Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare is in development, so it is not yet known which title will debut this year.
In recent news, a new title named Need for Speed Heat was leaked by an Austrian retailer, you can check the details at this following address.
Are you eagerly waiting for the new Need for Speed or Plant vs. Zombies? Tell us in the comments below.
Need for Speed and PvZ are still on track to launch before the end of calendar 2019 according to EA, specifically between October to December. pic.twitter.com/qugKC4tQ8V
— Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) July 30, 2019


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The best-selling author Paulo Coelho has managed to turn tables on his publishing house Harper Collins. Indeed, the New York Times released an article (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/11/business/media/11harper.html?_r=1&ref=business&oref=slogin)
saying how Harper Collins is enabling the online reading of Coelho's book The Witch of Portobello in its website. The publishing house also announced it would be putting a Coelho book per month on it's website.
It seems that Harper Collins had no choice, since Coelho confessed in his speech during the DLD conference earlier this year, that many books (including Harper English versions) where in Pirate Coelho – a blog he created for free download : http://piratecoelho.wordpress.com/
Thumbs up for Pirate Coelho!


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Uber & Propelify Partner on Exclusive Rideshare Partnership Uber will support this year Propelify Innovation Festival and donate a portion of the fare to STEM education.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Today, Uber and Propelify announced a partnership designating Uber as the official rideshare app for Propelify's 2017 Innovation Festival. Propelify is part business conference, part festival and is focused on uniting innovators, for talks, tech, exhibitors, drones, investors and fun.
To kick off the partnership, Uber is pledging to donate $1 to a New Jersey STEM organization for every ride taken using the promo code PROPELIFY between 5/15 and 5/25.
"Propelify is leading New Jersey's innovation community, and we're proud to support local STEM education through this partnership" said Craig Ewer, a spokesperson for Uber New Jersey. "If you're interested in big ideas with big potential, be sure to stop by Propelify this week -- and if you take an Uber, enter the code PROPELIFY before you request your ride."
"We are thrilled to partner with Uber for this great initiative to support and help further New Jersey STEM education," said Aaron Price, CEO and Founder of Propelify. "The partnership aligns perfectly with the goals of Propelify – to educate, inspire and connect the tech community, and by welcoming Uber as the event's official rideshare app, we hope to expand our entrepreneurial culture into the community and benefit New Jersey's STEM education."
To make it easier for riders and drivers to get to and from Propelify, Uber will set up an exclusive pickup and drop-off zone at the Hoboken Waterfront and Uber signage will be in place to help everyone find their ride. Anyone requesting a pickup from Propelify will be directed to this location through the app so it's easy to connect with your driver.
In addition to the partnership, Uber's Jason Post will take the main stage on Thursday to share the company's vision for the future of urban mobility: using new technology and today's infrastructure to cut congestion, decrease pollution and make transportation more accessible in our cities.
- Open the Uber app anytime May 15 - May 25.
- Tap the menu button and go to the Payment section.
- Enter the promo code PROPELIFY at the bottom.
- Request your ride.
- Uber will donate $1 for every ride using this code, up to $10,000 total, with a minimum donation of $2,500.
- The NJ STEM organization will be announced in the coming weeks.


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Search Winsight Grocery Business
Short and sweet, the Southeast Produce Council’s Southern Exposure show packs quite a punch.
By delivering on its “five promises,” Raley’s creates loyal customers and provides a superior shopping experience.
The Annual Meat Conference allows meat and poultry professionals to discover the latest trend and product innovations in the industry.
Power Meals feature fresh, whole ingredients served with balanced nutrition.
With this season’s production being a success so far, Uesugi expects to produce more peppers than ever before this season in Mexico.
Does where a person lives have an impact on whether or not they will keep a New Year’s resolution?
After a successful four-week social media campaign, Shuman Produce will donate 2,602 pounds of its RealSweet brand Peruvian sweet onions to Farm Share Florida.
The shipping service will reduce fruit transit time by half, resulting in 4-5 days from the banana production area to the Port of Hueneme-Los Angeles.
Kraft Heinz will initially develop, manufacture, market and sell this new line of food products in the U.S.
FMI’s Rick Stein and IRI’s Steve Ramsey and Sally Lyons-Wyatt will unveil the latest research in fresh food during a special presentation titled “Top Trends in Fresh.”
The Specialty Food Association is calling out 10 products for pushing the envelope of innovation the farthest.
The event will be held Feb. 28 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Fretz Kitchen Showroom on the Philadelphia Navy Yard.
Get today’s need-to-know grocery industry intelligence. Sign up to receive texts from Winsight Grocery Business.
The latest from Winsight Grocery Business, sent straight to your inbox.
Meat—or, rather, meat prices—starred in stories about rising inflation at the grocery store in 2021.
In this special report, compiled using data and insights from CrowdStreet and Placer.ai, Winsight Grocery Business looks at five hot markets for grocery retail investment in 2022 and who’s leading the pack in those regions.
New store updates are important to our readers, so we’re adding a monthly feature to highlight them and demonstrate supermarket growth trends around the country.
Listen in to WGB’s flagship podcast, 10 Items or Less, featuring insights from retailers and industry professionals.
Exclusive industry info and insights straight to your inbox
Your go-to resource for all things grocery


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Lab Tied To Eye Infections Halts Sterile Drug Production
Franck's Compounding Pharmacy said it would focus solely on its nonsterile compounding business. Franck's, like other compounding pharmacies, uses bulk pharmaceutical products to create customized dosages or mixtures for doctors and veterinarians. Its sterile business included chemotherapy and other injectable drugs.
“Franck’s Compounding Pharmacy has made the difficult...
To view the full article, register now.


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By Katie Paul
(Reuters) – Meta, Microsoft and other tech giants rushing to build on the emerging concept of the metaverse have formed a group to promote the development of standards that would make companies’ nascent digital worlds compatible with each other. others.
Metaverse Standards Forum attendees include many of the biggest companies working in the field, from chipmakers to video game companies, as well as established standards organizations such as the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the group said. .
However, Apple is conspicuously absent from the list at the moment, and analysts expect it to become dominant in the Metaverse race once it introduces a mixed reality headset this year or next.
Gaming companies Roblox and Niantic were also not among the forum participants, nor were emerging cryptocurrency-based metaverse platforms like The Sandbox or Decentraland. Apple has yet to publicly acknowledge its plans for a headset, although it did give the board a preview of the product, according to Bloomberg. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the creation of the metaverse forum. The introduction of such a device will put Apple in direct competition with Meta, which has staked its future on the growth of the Metaverse and invested heavily in hardware to realize its vision of interconnected virtual worlds.
Apple has been heavily involved in creating web standards such as HTML5 in the past. For three-dimensional content in the Metaverse, Apple worked with Pixar on the “USDZ” file format and with Adobe to provide support for the format.
Neil Trevett, an executive at chipmaker Nvidia who chairs the Metaverse Standards Forum, said in a statement to Reuters that any company is welcome to join the group, including participants from the cryptocurrency world.
The forum aims to facilitate communication between a variety of standards organizations and businesses to bring “real-world interoperability” to the metaverse, he said, without addressing how the lack of ‘Apple will affect this goal.
“Pop culture fan. Coffee expert. Bacon nerd. Infuriatingly humble communicator. Friendly gamer.”


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- Identify The Strengths Of Your Services And Where Improvements Can Be Leveraged
- How To Succeed In A Continually Changing And Unstructured Workplace
- 6 tips to get back in touch with an old colleague
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KPMG Raises Concerns of Online Data Leaking
August 20, 2012
KPMG has recently released the findings of its Cyber Vulnerability Index. According to their findings, hackers are becoming a greater concern for businesses throughout the world. The auditor cautions businesses to take greater measures to discourage hackers from exploiting sensitive data.
Hackers have become increasingly bold in recent years. KPMG said that even some of the largest businesses in the world are vulnerable to attacks from cyber-criminals. In order to assess the threat they pose, they created a simulated attack on many of the largest businesses in the world. Their investigation revealed a number of security holes that businesses need to work harder to patch.
Software and technology firms need to take the greatest measures to protect themselves against online criminals. They face two security vulnerabilities. First of all, they need to keep their software as up to date as possible. Expired software is one of the leading causes for security problems.
High technology companies also need to take new measures to safeguard trade secrets. Many secrets are released through online forums and other communities which places them at risk.
Martin Tyley is one of the directors of KPMG’s Northern Risk Management division. Tyley said that the Internet is a double-edged sword for many businesses. They reach more prospective customers and partners, but they need to be more aware of the security risks it poses.


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According to Mazda?s press release: ?The all-new Mazda6 arrives as a full redesign of Mazda?s first model to embody the Zoom-Zoom product philosophy, providing a thrilling drive to all these who nevertheless try to remember the appreciate of motion very first knowledgeable as a child.? The Mazda6 is the comply with-up of the automaker to the new Mazda2. The mentioned new hatchback is smaller than its predecessor therefore there are speculations that the new Mazda6 may perhaps be smaller than the existing models.
The higher gasoline charges may make it also high priced to travel a long distance to shop at the mall. That would be superior news for the compact businessman. It would bring back the ?Mom and Pop? shops to your neighborhood. It would even enable you to get to know your neighbors better. Big businesses might start out opening up close by in order to be near their staff. There would be much less congestion on the highway and cleaner air.
The Ford Mondeo has been nicely received in Europe and this might be something that Mazda will use in its advertising and marketing of the new Mazda6. According to Edmunds, the leading on the net source of auto facts, the style of the Mazda6 is much more European than Japanese. Thus this suggests that the new Mazda6 was designed for the satisfaction of loyal Mazda enthusiasts. The level of acceptance of the Mazda6 even though is still to be gauged as a complete critique of the automobile is but to be released. Specifications are also not but announced. Reliability expectation is higher considering that Mazda6 parts are identified to be dependable.
The new Mazda6 applying Ford?s platform for the Mondeo implies that the Japanese automaker has dropped the CD3 platform which it has been using for the past models. This shift in terms of the platform becoming used is part of Ford?s turnaround plan. The Dearborn automaker has shares in Mazda and the two automakers are sharing platforms to reduce down price in the manufacturing method.
For the 2008 model year, with the unveiling and subsequent release of the Mazda6, a trim level that has been presented in previous models will be missing. Mazda will be discontinuing production of a wagon variant of the Mazda6. The dropping of the wagon version may possibly hurt sales of the automaker but Mazda is searching to concentrate only on the current demand. The wagon is now pretty much extinct as extra and much more consumers are deciding upon crossover SUVs for their day-to-day drivers.
Read Also – auto upholstery near me
Get prepared for the largest tragedy in American history. If the price tag of gasoline ever goes above 5 bucks a gallon, millions of gas guzzling automobiles will be worthless. Filling up a complete tank will then cost more than one hundred bucks. With a recession coming on and the unemployment rate rising quite a few of those gas guzzlers will be unaffordable. Most will have to be turned into scrap metal. Quite a few workers who can?t afford a new auto will have to piggyback with a neighbor that is traveling in their path or stroll to the bus quit.
No matter what argument the USA government has place forward on why they had to do the Iraq war, it really is obvious that OIL is one particular of the motives for the war. And mainly because of this war in Iraq, US soldiers continue to die on a everyday basis. And no matter how significantly you hate and scuff at the US government for the war, they didn’t have much choice. The less we get dependent on oil, the less we would have to have to get involved in such wars as that in Iraq. And the less we get involved in such wars, the less our soldiers will die! So, yes, you also can get involved in assisting to save the lives of US soldiers in Iraq by powering your auto with water and helping to spread the word about it.
Men and women seeking to buy a new car want fuel efficiency prior to something else. They are the only vehicles on display at the auto shows. The sales of motorcycles have also increased simply because most of them can travel over fifty miles on a gallon of gas. You can anticipate inside five years to see as many motorcycles on the highway as autos if the price of gas keeps rising. Japanese automaker Mazda recently announced that the new Mazda6 will be unveiled at the upcoming 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show. The event is slated to be held from September 11 until September 23. The new Mazda6, according to the automaker, is based on the Ford Mondeo. The new sedan is stated to embody the Zoom Zoom driving dynamics that the automaker prides itself in.
melpol The higher value of gasoline may be a blessing in disguise and produce a greater way of life for most of us. Along with the announcement, the automaker released an official picture of the sedan. By looking at the image of the new Mazda6, one can see its resemblance to the RX8 sportscar and the Mazda3. But the new sedan has its personal exclusive look, thanks to the smooth lines on its front fascia.
According to the automaker. Most will have to be turned into scrap metal.
?Following the all-new Mazda2, the new Mazda6 is the second Mazda new generation item to evolve to the subsequent stage, further deepening the emotional connection amongst man and machine,? according to the automaker. The people of USA want the oil and the government has to get it for them at ANY price. Even at the expense of its soldiers’ lives. But do you know what is tragic? It’s the truth that such deaths from such wars as the Iraq war can be avoided! They can be avoided if we can decrease our dependence on oil. And we can decrease our dependence on oil by utilizing option energy to power our autos and other such fuel consuming machines such as generators.
As amazing as this sounds, it really is doable and even now a reality. we can do with no all that oil that we consume on a daily basis, not only in the USA but all over the globe. The oil we consume in powering our cars and other autos can be decreased drastically….. by powering our autos with WATER! Yes, you heard that ideal. We can now energy our vehicles with water and by so undertaking lower our dependence on oil.
There is no resolution for the trouble of higher expense gasoline. Labor and refinery expenses are rising combined with its restricted supply. The really hard facts have to be faced that gasoline costs will continue to be high. But with flexibility motorists can get utilised to a smaller far more fuel effective automobile or even a motorcycle. Regardless of the wagon variant discontinuation, the automaker is anticipated to attract consumers with the new Mazda6. The Mazda2 was nicely received and has earned favorable testimonials from auto journalists and it will not be surprising if the new Mazda6 receives the identical accolade.
Read Also – 135 auto auction
According to Mazda?s press release: ?The all-new Mazda6 arrives as a complete redesign of Mazda?s initial model to embody the Zoom-Zoom item philosophy, providing a thrilling drive to all those who nonetheless recall the appreciate of motion very first knowledgeable as a child.? The Mazda6 is the comply with-up of the automaker to the new Mazda2. The said new hatchback is smaller than its predecessor hence there are speculations that the new Mazda6 might be smaller sized than the current models.
The higher gasoline fees may make it also costly to travel a long distance to shop at the mall. That would be great news for the little businessman. It would bring back the ?Mom and Pop? shops to your neighborhood. It would even assistance you to get to know your neighbors superior. Massive firms may possibly start off opening up close by in order to be near their staff. There would be significantly less congestion on the highway and cleaner air.
The Ford Mondeo has been properly received in Europe and this may possibly be some thing that Mazda will use in its advertising and marketing of the new Mazda6. According to Edmunds, the major on the internet source of auto information, the design of the Mazda6 is a lot more European than Japanese. As a result this suggests that the new Mazda6 was designed for the satisfaction of loyal Mazda enthusiasts. The level of acceptance of the Mazda6 even though is still to be gauged as a complete critique of the automobile is yet to be released. Specifications are also not but announced. Reliability expectation is higher because Mazda6 components are identified to be dependable.
Bellingham Auto Auction – They can be avoided if we can lessen our dependence on oil. You can count on within five years to see as a lot of motorcycles on the highway as autos if the cost of gas keeps increasing.


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If this isn’t the best way to celebrate twenty years of Friends, we don’t know what is? To celebrate two decades since the sitcom’s very first episode, a pop-up Central Perk is coming to New York this autumn.
The special event – titled “The One With the Free Coffee” – will appear at 199 Lafayette Street at the corner of Broome Street in Soho, Manhattan and will open its doors for a month from Wednesday 17 September. Fans of the show can visit the shop, drink free cups of Eight O’Clock Coffee, including a specially-devised Central Perk Roast and, if you’re lucky, sneak a glimpse of TV’s best-known barista Gunther (played by James Michael Tyler).
The pop-up will also feature signature props from the show, live performances (of Smelly Cat, surely?), in-store promotions and the chance to lounge on that famous orange couch. Could we be any more excited?
We’re booking our flights RIGHT NOW. No one mention that left phalange…
And as if that wasn’t enough of a Friends fix for one day, make sure you watch Jimmy Kimmel’s brand new episode featuring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox and Lisa Kudrow. Yes, this actually happened.


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Although Google is really good at helping you find the exact information you are looking for when it comes to text, it’s not as good for content like videos. And that’s about to change, thanks to a new feature the company is rolling out to Google Search.
YouTube content creators will now be able to mark Key Points in a video, which will essentially involve the content creators providing Google with timestamps for key moments in a video. Using that data, Google will surface the key moments within videos in the search results. For example, it will highlight the different steps in a how-to video or the key moments from a long speech.
The new feature sounds incredibly useful, and Google says it will also make video content more accessible for those with screen readers. The feature is only launching for users using Google Search in English, by the way.
Although this is a really nice addition, whether it will actually be useful depends on if YouTube video creators will actually provide Google with the timestamp data. The company says it’s working with publishers such as CBS Sports and NDTV to add the key moments from their videos, so hopefully other creators will eventually follow suit.


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Fischer Lumber Company is suing a construction company and the owners after they allegedly failed to repay a debt.
Fischer Lumber Company filed a lawsuit June 13 in the Madison County Circuit Court against Kenneth P. Karlas, Kathy Karlas and Karlas Construction Co. Inc., citing breach of contract.
The plaintiff alleges it entered into an agreement for the sale of goods in the amount of $6,047.93 with the defendant in September. According to the complaint, the defendant has failed to pay the money due the plaintiff under the contract. The suit alleges the defendants agreed to pay the plaintiff the sum of $56,535.83 in monthly payments beginning Sept. 15, 2012, of which the defendants have failed to pay $49,258.03.
The plaintiff is seeking damages in the amount of $58,305.96 and court costs.
It is being represented in the case by Godfrey attorney John W. Hoefert Jr.
Madison County Circuit Court case number 14-L-856.


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by Owen Williams
Ever since Apple announced iBeacons at last year’s WWDC, the focus has been on how these tiny electronic devices can be used in retail. The potential is clear: retailers can get data on customers while sending them special offers at times when they’re most likely to buy.
It’s been discussed a lot, but beacons have potential far beyond that of retail. They could be deployed by almost every business; especially those at scale. Just about everyone has a smartphone now, so it makes sense to start using beacons for things other than offering coupons.
“There are limitless applications where a more precise location than GPS can provide is needed, said C.K. Sample, EVP of Technology and Engineering at Chaotic Moon Studios. “iBeacons are only limited by the reach of Bluetooth.”
KNOWING WHERE PEOPLE ARE (AND AREN’T)
One of the most obvious applications is for employee management. An auto manufacturer such as Ford could equip its factories with beacons and use them to track employees. By requiring workers to install a “timecard” app, they could automatically punch in and out whenever they pass a checkpoint.
This would also allow Ford to monitor how employees spend their time, helping the company quickly make staffing decisions since they know where everyone is at any point in time.
When relevant, factory management could use the beacons to push information to employees’ devices, including notifications about mandatory breaks, problems on the production line or important meetings they need to know about.
In education, there are already strides being made with beacons. A company called BeHere allows teachers to track which students have entered the classroom in a given day and create a roll of who was absent. Students are also able to request help from a teacher at any time by sending a notification back to the teacher’s iPad.
For hospitals and doctors, iBeacons have much to offer. Not only could doctors and hospitals use them to quickly bring up patient files as they enter a room — potentially saving critical seconds in a life-threatening situation — they could also push information about medication and how regularly to take it directly to patients’ phones.
PROVIDING THE RIGHT INFO – AT THE RIGHT TIME
Airlines like Delta could also take advantage of beacons to provide information on how to get around airports. When passengers are transferring planes, the airline could offer them directions in the form of beacon waypoints, notifying people how far they are from where they need to be.
On top of this, with enough devices in the airport, beacons could be used to quickly notify travelers about delays or changes in gate information. Other forms of public transport could also use beacons to their advantage, such as buses. Prospective riders could use an app to indicate where they want to go and approaching beacon-equipped buses would trigger an alert when they’re heading to the stated destination.
Similarly, museums and art galleries could place beacons throughout exhibits to provide quick, contextual information to visitors. Some museums have already started adopting the technology, too. Estimote recently touted that their iBeacons have been used at Antwerp’s Reubens House museum. Until now, cultural institutions have merely used QR codes or audio tours you rent from the ticket counter. There simply hasn’t been a technology that’s let museums automatically push relevant content at the exact right time.
This would be even more useful at an event, like a conference. If the entire conference venue was equipped with beacons, they could be used to provide precise indoor navigation information as attendees attempt to find rooms. This would make the conference-going experience much smoother for attendees and allow the organizers to see how attendees move around the site.
As these examples demonstrate, beacons can provide unprecedented means for people to interact with their environment. However, like a user’s GPS coordinates, their beacon location is considered private information. The value the service provides has to be good enough to get users to opt-in and share their location data. As with many new technologies, the challenge providers have is creating experiences that bring real value to people.
Expect to see a lot of experimentation with beacons as companies work to figure out the best use of this exciting new capability.


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Update 11/1: Roblox has come back online, and its outage had nothing to do with Chipotle.
In a blog post, Roblox founder and CEO David Baszucki explained that the multi-day outage was down to "a combination of several factors", none of which were due to external traffic or specific Roblox experiences.
"A core system in our infrastructure became overwhelmed, prompted by a subtle bug in our backend service communications while under heavy load," Baszucki explained. "This was not due to any peak in external traffic or any particular experience. Rather the failure was caused by the growth in the number of servers in our datacenters. The result was that most services at Roblox were unable to effectively communicate and deploy.
"Due to the difficulty in diagnosing the actual bug, recovery took longer than any of us would have liked. Upon successfully identifying this root cause, we were able to resolve the issue through performance tuning, re-configuration, and scaling back of some load. We were able to fully restore service as of this afternoon."
Baszucki reassured that there has been no loss of player data; " your Roblox experience should now be fully back to normal," he said.
With the situation now resolved, Roblox is set to publish a post-mortem about what exactly happened once it has completed an analysis. It will also put together an action plan to prevent such an outage occurring again.
Original story: Roblox is experiencing major server issues, and some fans are blaming Chipotle for the outage.
A Roblox Status Twitter account said that as of last night, over 3 million players were impacted by the outage. The official Roblox account addressed the outage this morning, saying they are working hard to get things back to normal.
We know you’re having issues using Roblox right now.— Roblox (@Roblox) October 29, 2021
We’re sorry and working hard to get things back to normal.
While fans are waiting to get back online, some are poking fun at a Chipotle promotion within Roblox, saying it's to blame for the outage. The promotion, called the Chipotle Boorito Maze, is an official crossover with the fast-casual food chain where Roblox players can dress up in a Chipotle-inspired costume, and visit a cashier for a free burrito that can be redeemed at a Chipotle restaurant in real life.
The promotion kicked off on October 28 at 3:30 p.m., and just a few hours later, Roblox Status reported the outage impacting millions of players. We don't know exactly why the Roblox servers are down, but the timing is causing some fans to connect the two events.
The power of Chipotle Burritos was too strong..— KreekCraft (@KreekCraft) October 28, 2021
It crashed Roblox
The Chipotle Boorito event is only running until Sunday night, so hopefully, the servers get back up so people can grab their free burritos.
For more on what's happening in the world of Roblox, check out the Squid Game knockoffs blowing up on the platform,
Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.


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The big story about China is that it’s totally transformed in terms of its economy but what’s that story like? How long did it take? What were the primary drivers of that change? While China changed economically with president Xi as change maker, who were the change stoppers? China is now transitioning from being a factory to the world to a mall to its own people, what’s the great plan to make that transition?
More on China and the story of China with Ivan Rasmussen, Assistant Professor at NYU-Shanghai and Mosharraf Zaidi, Senior Fellow, Tabadlab on Tabadlab Live on March 21, 2019


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Q & A with Cornell Entrepreneurs of the Year
Watch Cornell’s 2018 Entrepreneurs of the Year Steve Conine ’95 and Niraj Shah ‘95, Co-founders of Wayfair, in a Q&A moderated by Lance Collins, Joseph Silbert Dean of Engineering. Learn more about Cornell Entrepreneur of the Year
Take a spin through the CEN highlight reel…
Reunion 2018: How Cornell Does Entrepreneurship
Hear entrepreneurial updates from Zach Shulman ’87 – Entrepreneurship at Cornell, Brad Treat MBA ’02 – Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, Deb Streeter – The Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, Steve Gal ’88 – Johnson Graduate School of Management.
2018 eLab Demo Day
Witness Cornell’s top student startups on their journey to success at Demo Day 2018. Learn more about eLab.
2018 Startups: Antithesis, bumble & butter, Combplex, Doplr, Dragon Catcher, Estalink, Ezra Box, Guardian Health, HairDays, Loch, The Worldwide Travel Network, Rewardzzz, ĺko Systems.
Entrepreneurship Summit 2017
Speakers included: Martha E. Pollack – President of Cornell University, Stefanie Kasselakis Kyles – CEO & President of Vassilaros Coffee, Ilya Sukhar ’07, Meng ’08 – General Partner of Matrix Partners, Liza Landsman ’90 – President of Jet.com, Robert Smith ’85 – Founder Chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners, Steve Hindy ’71, Mat ’75 – Co-Founder and Chairman of Brooklyn Brewery, JJ Ramberg – Co-founder & Chairman of Goodshop and Host of MSNBC’s Your Business, Jon Oringer – Founder, Chairman and CEO of Shutterstock.com.
Moderated by: Scott Belsky ’02
Read up on Cornell and CEN in the news…
Ithaca and the surrounding region are bright spots in upstate New York’s startup economy, according to panelists at a recent “who’s who” gathering of the local entrepreneurship community. Rev: Ithaca Startup Works, a partnership of Cornell, Ithaca College and Tompkins Cortland Community College, hosted the event, “State of Ithaca’s Startup Economy,” June 27 to discuss how the community can encourage a steady pace of startup growth.
A Conversation with Geek Girls, a panel discussion on breaking barriers for women in technology, will feature the co-author of “Geek Girl Rising,” Heather Cabot, April 18 at 7 p.m. in Alice Statler Auditorium, followed by a Q&A. The event is free and open to the public.
For the second time, Stanford University out-muscled its East Coast rivals to top the FORBES 2014 most entrepreneurial universities list. Silicon Valley’s reach has extended across California, as the state’s schools took over half of this year’s top ten spots.
In New York City on Wednesday, executives at leading financial services startups spoke about building a successful startup in today’s increasingly challenging global environment. The event was part of the Cornell Entrepreneurship Network, an extension of the university’s professional business network.


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Diet craze leads to cottage cheese shortage
The popularity of dieting methods recommending high levels of cottage cheese consumption has led to a shortage of the product in Swedish grocery stores.
Cottage cheese is a staple for followers of the Low Carb High Fat (LCHF) and Glycemic Index (GI) diets.
The dairy giant Arla’s factory in Skövde in the west of Sweden has not been able to keep up with the demand, reports Swedish Radio.
According to Arla, cottage cheese consumption in Sweden increased by 15 percent last year. The company is now planning to invest in new machinery in order to catch up by January, when demand for cottage cheese peaks.


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This Sunday marks the 10th anniversary of Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune and its first launch in North America. Since it’s the games 10th birthday, so to speak, the folks over at Naughty Dog is commemorating the occasion with a monthlong celebration of all things Uncharted, starting on Sunday and ending at the PlayStation Experience next month.
Partnering up with PlayStation, Naughty Dog has created and will be releasing a new Uncharted 10th Anniversary PlayStation 4 theme and profile avatar, which will be free for 48 hours starting Sunday, November 19 at 8:00am PT until Tuesday, November 21 at 8:00am PT. During this 48 hour window, other select Uncharted PS4 themes and avatars will also be free, so make sure to head to the PlayStation Store and check out what’s available.
Naughty Dog also announced that starting later today and lasting until December 19, they’ll be giving away an Uncharted 10th Anniversary character skin bundle in the Uncharted 4 and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy multiplayer. The bundle will include some classic skins for Nate, Elena, and Sully. The company is also hosting a 50% off sale on all Uncharted Point and Relic items until December 19.
If that’s not enough for some fans, the studio plans on wrapping up celebrations at the upcoming PlayStation Experience with event activities, including a retrospective panel featuring members of the cast of the game and life-sized recreation of Nate’s Attic on the show floor. The panel will be hosted on Saturday, December 9 at 5:00pm PT and can be viewed on the live PlayStation website.
[Source: Naughty Dog]


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Chinese retailer Pou Sheng International has issued a profit warning, forecasting a first-half loss.
Chinese retail group Pou Sheng has ended its Jiezhixing joint venture clothing and accessories business.
Chinese retailer Pou Sheng International has announced that Chang Karen Yi-Fen will be appointed as chief executive officer of the company as of 1 January 2010.
The CEO of sportswear retailer and distributor Pou Sheng is to take up a new post as general manager of the group’s retail operations.
Huang Tsung Jen is resigning as executive director and chief executive officer of Chinese retailer Pou Sheng this Friday (27 February).
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- China cotton: implications and opportunities
- M&S Asia head quits as China stores to close
- Gap names new design head amid mixed Q4
- Pay rise mulled for Sri Lanka garment workers
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- Myanmar's Garment Sector - Opportunities & Challenges in 2015
- Outdoor performance apparel: peaks, valleys, and green fields
- Apparel Retail: Top 5 Emerging Markets Industry Guide
- Management briefing: Outlook 2015: Apparel industry issues in the year ahead
- Global market review of swimwear - forecasts to 2019


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New World's monopoly on the streets of central Wellington is about to change.
Countdown is on the expansion trail as it competes head-to-head with Foodstuffs' New World and Pak'N Save.
The company is owned by Australian-run Progressive Enterprises and is sharpening the competition in selected markets, such as two new stores in the capital, including on Lambton Quay.
Countdown's managing director Dave Chambers said bricks-and-mortor stores are still popular.
"Central Wellington has been a difficult nut to crack and very expensive rents, but great opportunity, so we are pleased to be finally able to bring a couple of stores to central Wellington."
Online shopping was continuing to grow, he said.
"We've actually been in online in New Zealand 20 years already, growing really well - particularly with working mums, but it is still a small proportion of the overall food business, so people want to come in and select," he said.


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LOS ANGELES -- Gone are the days when goodie bags -- those gift sacks full of freebies handed out at parties, fashion shows and other hype-heavy events -- constituted a contradiction in terms, filled as they were with logo baseball caps,...
LOS ANGELES -- Gone are the days when goodie bags -- those gift sacks full of freebies handed out at parties, fashion shows and other hype-heavy events -- constituted a contradiction in terms, filled as they were with logo baseball caps, discontinued lipstick shades and cheap sunglasses. Today, they contain bona fide keepers -- the sort that spark fashion trends, inflate sales and, of course, incite envy among the masses. Luxury gift bags can be valued at upward of $10,000. In these cases, the canvas tote is replaced by a leather suitcase or a rattan basket, which is then stocked with the latest (and priciest) electronic gadgets, Swiss watches, Italian handbags and designer sunglasses.
At the upcoming Golden Globes on Jan. 20, expected celebrity presenters such as Kate Hudson and Cameron Diaz will receive a suede-lined, handstitched leather box containing a gift certificate for a $2,000 Herman Miller table, a $500 Judith Leiber compact and a $1,100 Michele Art Deco-style timepiece, among other items. While the furniture and home accessories are undoubtedly a score, it's often the showy and easily wearable items that garner the most attention.
"Without question, the goodie bag starts trends," says People's West Coast style editor, Steven Cojucaru. "There's a sensation when you open it that this is the latest thing." The practice of selective sampling makes it a cinch for companies to start trends among celebrities says Cojucaru. "They'd rather have something handed to them than have to schlep out and buy it."
Enter a company like Backstage Creations in Santa Monica, Calif., which sets up goodie-strewn VIP lounges at award shows, where vendors can personally lavish their wares on celebrities. Karen Wood, a former talent coordinator for the Grammy and Emmy Awards, founded the company a year ago upon realizing she'd already become a de facto personal shopper for the shows. Although she charges clients a one-time, standard fee of $5,000 to participate, for the most part, it's an easy sell. "It's all about having the cachet of introducing your product to the celebrity," explains Wood. At the March 2001 SAG Awards, nominees and presenters including Kate Hudson, Halle Berry and Kim Cattrall, took home Baccarat jewelry, Scott Kay platinum bracelets and Danier leather bags. For each manufacturer, the cost of the giveaways plus the staff's travel expenses often rises into the tens of thousands of dollars. But many vendors agree that it's more cost-effective than taking out an ad in a magazine, which can cost up to four times as much.
Issa Rae stopped by WWD's NYC headquarters to talk about season two of "Insecure," which premieres this Sunday on HBO. Click link in bio for all the details. #wwdeye (📷: @jgreenery; Styled by @mayteallende)
A Stella McCartney sketch of a custom dress made from protein-based silk in partnership with biotech lab Bolt Threads. The dress will be displayed at The Museum of Modern Art's upcoming design exhibition, "Items: Is Fashion Modern?"


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Thanks to a little kernel magic from Team Whiskey’s morfic, the Nexus S is now running at 1.3GHz stable.
This isn’t the first time Samsung’s 1GHz Hummingbird processor has received the overlcock treatment, devices like the Samsung Vibrant have been OC’ed and lag-fixed to no end. Team Whiskey has long been making ROMs and kernels for Samsung devices, so it should come as no surprise to see them release the OC’ed Trinity kernel for use with Bionix NS1. Development on the Nexus S has been weak compared to Vibrant so far, but it looks like that’s finally starting to change.
As of right now, Bluetooth doesn’t work with the Trinity 1.3GHz kernel, but it’s on the to do list for future releases. To keep an eye on development, check out the Nexus S Trinity Kernel – Bionix NS1 thread.


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February 5, 2018
Storyline, a startup founded in September, has launched version 2 of its easy-to-use visual interface designed to help businesses, brands and publishers develop Amazon Alexa skills without the need for extensive coding knowledge. Since 39 million U.S. consumers now own a smart speaker, voice apps are needed, and Storyline hopes that its simple drag-and-drop solution will help foster that growth. The company refers to its approach as the “Weebly for voice apps,” drawing a comparison to the popular, easy-to-use, website-building platform.
Storyline CEO Vasili Shynkarenka and CTO Maksim Abramchuk, both from Belarus, have experience building chatbots and voice apps for clients, which led to their creation of Storyline.
“We realized there was this big struggle with creating conversational apps,” explains Shynkarenka. “We learned that creative people and content creators are not really good at writing code. That was the major insight.”
According to TechCrunch, Storyline “is targeting brands, businesses and individuals who want to reach their customers — or, in the case of publishers, their readers — using a voice platform like Alexa, and later, Google Home. The software itself is designed to be very simple, and can be used to create either a custom skill or a Flash Briefing.”
Storyline launched in October 2017 and soon 3,000 accounts were opened. About 200 skills from these accounts made it to Amazon’s Skill Store.
“Apple, Google, Alibaba, Microsoft, Samsung — every single one of these companies are opening their own platforms,” wrote Shynkarenka in the announcement. “In 10 years, everything in your home will be controlled by your voice. Your car, favorite restaurant, hotel, conference room, office. Voice is going to be everywhere. And it’s already happening, all BMW cars in 2018 will have Alexa on board and Wynn Las Vegas hotels already use Echo in rooms.”
While other companies such as Sayspring also help build voice apps without code, the idea is that it is the first step in handing the concept to a designer or developer, rather than directly publishing the skill, notes TechCrunch.
“Prototyping tools are great to play with and explain ideas, but it’s super hard to retain users by being a prototyping tool — because they use the tool to prototype and then that’s it,” suggests Shynkarenka.
For additional details and video about Storyline v2, visit the blog post announcement.