Dienstag, 15. August 2017

There Are 210 Million Reasons Why You Should Expect More Amazon Brand Products

Amazon may call itself the “everything store,” but a growing chunk of that “everything” is now made by Amazon. A new report gives some idea just how much the online giant is making from its store brand products, and a hint at the potential market for everything from electronics through apparel.

According to a new report from analytics firm 1010data, Amazon’s many house brands — which include AmazonBasics, Amazon Essentials, Fire, Kindle, Echo, Goodthreads — are already bringing in hundreds of millions of dollars for the company.

How exactly 1010data gets this information is a bit of a mystery that it describes as, “a number of sources of consumer spending data representing millions of consumers to provide an accurate assessment of online and offline retail sales, market share, and more.” Okay.

What the company has been able to find out while watching what Amazon shoppers buy is that Amazon’s consumer packaged goods are growing steadily in popularity, and its recent proliferation of brands means that an even bigger proportion of the merchandise Amazon sells will be from its own products.

Only 2% of sales for now

The analytics firm also notes that around 2% of Amazon’s sales are normally its own branded products. That’s sure to grow as the brands increase their scope, from baby products to snacks to fashion. This year, house brands comprised about 12% of the company’s sales during the Prime Day shopping festivals.

It probably helped that the company discounted its voice-activated devices significantly on Prime Day. Speaking of electronics…

Gadgets lead the pack

The report shows how the Everything Store now wants to sell everything under its own brands, but most of the store-brand merchandise that it sells right now are electronics.

Specifically, the Fire TV is the top item, and Kindle and Echo products are also in the top ten. AmazonBasics, the company’s brand for commodity gadgets and accessories like smartphone cords and 48-packs of alkaline batteries, is the top brand by far, selling $210 million in the first half of 2017, compared to $120 million of the next most popular brand, Echo smart speaker products.

Fashion & Ampersands

Amazon fashion brands have proliferated in the last year. The “Amazon Essentials” brand is sort of the AmazonBasics of polo shirts, but otherwise, they have names that sound like real fashion brands, like “Lark & Ro” and “James & Erin,” or “Goodthreads.”

If you’re wondering what kind of growth these brands could be looking at, the children’s clothing brand Scout + Ro has been around for a few years, giving 1010data some past data to compare, and it showed that sales were up 542% from the first half of 2016 to the first half of 2017.


by Laura Northrup via Consumerist

Walmart CEO Criticizes Trump Over Charlottesville Response; Does Not Plan To Resign From White House Advisory Board

Doug McMillon, CEO of Walmart, has become the latest — and most high-profile — executive to distance himself from the White House following President Trump’s heavily criticized response to the recent tragic events surrounding a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, VA. However, unlike the other CEOs who have called out the President, McMillon is not planning to give up his seat on a White House advisory council.

“Respect for the individual is one of our core beliefs at Walmart,” wrote McMillon in an email to workers that was later published on Walmart’s website. “As we watched the events and the response from President Trump over the weekend, we too felt that he missed a critical opportunity to help bring our country together by unequivocally rejecting the appalling actions of white supremacists.”

After the Charlottesville rally devolved into violence and reached a tragic pitch when an Ohio man drove his vehicle into a crowd of counter-protesters, injuring 19 people and killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer, President Trump spoke publicly to “condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence, on many sides. On many sides.”

That reportedly off-the-cuff “many sides” remark, coupled with the President’s decision to not explicitly mention the white supremacist, KKK, and neo-Nazi groups that supported the event, led to immediate rebuke by many, even within his own party.

President Trump spoke again on Monday, this time deliberately referencing the groups he’d omitted from his previous statement.

McMillon says that these second remarks “were a step in the right direction and we need that clarity and consistency in the future.”

While McMillon is publicly criticizing Trump’s remarks, a rep for Walmart tells the NY Times that the CEO will continue to serve on the President’s economic development advisory council.

“Representing a company with the largest and one of the most diverse groups of associates in the U.S., and an even more diverse customer base of tens of millions of customers, we believe we should stay engaged to try to influence decisions in a positive way and help bring people together,” concluded the CEO.

Four other high-profile execs have given up their seats at their respective White House advisory groups this week. Merck & Co’s Kenneth Frazier said he could no longer serve on the President’s manufacturing panel, leading the President to immediately attack the drug company exec on Twitter:

Frazier was followed by Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank, who was already under pressure to exit the manufacturing council from some professional athletes who endorse the athletic apparel brand. Intel’s Brian Krzanich also stepped down from this group on Monday.

This morning, Scott Paul, president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing announced his resignation from the manufacturing council, calling it “the right thing for me to do.”

This afternoon, President Trump responded to questions about why these executives are distancing themselves from the White House.

“Because they’re not taking their jobs seriously as it pertains to this country,” said Trump, according to a pool report. “They’re leaving out of embarrassment because they’re making their products outside” the U.S.

For the sake of fairness, it should be pointed out that Trump-branded products and clothing from Ivanka Trump’s brand are also made overseas.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk previously exited two White House advisory groups following Trump’s pledge to withdraw from the Paris Accords on climate change.


by Chris Morran via Consumerist

You Might Be Paying More For Avocados (Yes, Again)

If you’re already planning your end-of-summer barbecue, you might want to set aside a few extra pennies for that guacamole on the menu: The price of avocados has increased again. 

The Los Angeles Times reports that decrease in production from California avocados growers has sent prices for the fruit up by about 60%.

For instance, Sacramento-based Produce Express notes that typically in August the price of wholesale avocados hovers around $0.81 cents apiece. This year, however, that cost is more like $1.33 each.

“It’s very abnormal this time of year,” Jim Boyce, owner of Produce Express, tells the Times.

The Hass Avocado Board noted recently that production in the state during the first week of August was just 3.74 million pounds, about one-third of the typical 10.7 million pounds produced last year at the same time.

It’s The Heat & Sale

Growers suggest that the slower output of avocados this year is tied to the heat and drought in California — last year.

That’s because the avocados currently being harvested were maturing last summer. As a result of the weather, growers say they lost quite a bit of fruit that otherwise would have bulked up this year’s crop.

In addition to the less-than-stellar summer weather, the Times reports that many growers have simply been getting out of the business, selling their land for a larger profit than they make by growing avocados.

The California Avocado Commission estimates that production this year will drop 46% to 215 million pounds from 401 million pounds last year.

Increased Demand

While supplies might be running low on avocados, that doesn’t mean consumers’ taste for the fruit is waning. American’s per-capita consumption in 2015 was 6.9 pounds, compared to 3.5 pounds in 2006.

Despite the increase in demand and prices, many restaurateurs are trying not to pass along those costs to customers. Chipotle has noted several times that it wouldn’t increase the price of its guacamole.

The owner of a Mexican restaurant in California tells the Times that despite paying double for boxes of avocados, he’s kept prices the same.


by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist

Galaxy Note 7 owners deserve a break (The 3:59, Ep. 267)


We discuss whether Samsung should give loyal customers additional incentives, talk about a new Amazon initiative and discuss the Walking Dead. Galaxy Note 7: http://cnet.co/2uYzYka Amazon Instant Pickup: http://cnet.co/2vB8IvK The Walking Dead: http://cnet.co/2vBl3Qz Good morning from CNET NY Studios while we record the daily news-bite podcast: The 3:59. Hangout while we cover a multitude of stories from around the tech world and then Alfred Ng, Ben Fox Rubin and Roger Cheng will take your questions and comments in the chat. Watch more episodes of 3:59 on Youtube: http://bit.ly/29LVP7F Livestream: http://ift.tt/2sd94Yk Periscope: http://ift.tt/2qU1nTf Subscribe to the audio podcast: iTunes: http://apple.co/29T3fbf Google Play: http://bit.ly/2hkXp5P Feedburner: http://bit.ly/2tVTkqw Soundcloud: http://bit.ly/2hlanQK TuneIn: http://bit.ly/2uVg9vN Stitcher: http://bit.ly/2vfeHXE Cnet: http://bit.ly/2veEfEw Subscribe to CNET: http://bit.ly/17qqqCs Watch more CNET videos: http://bit.ly/1BQxrGw Follow CNET on Twitter: http://twitter.com/CNET Follow CNET on Facebook: http://ift.tt/UQQ9wc Follow CNET on Instagram: http://ift.tt/1YieDuO
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Camping hacks that make your outdoorsing a little easier


Turn your camping trip into a glamping trip with a few of these hacks Subscribe to CNET: http://cnet.co/2heRhep Check out our playlists: http://cnet.co/2g8kcf4 Like us on Facebook: http://ift.tt/1930vfU Follow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/cnet Follow us on Instagram: http://bit.ly/2icCYYm Add us on Snapchat: http://cnet.co/2h4uoK3
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American Apparel Is Back, Offers Choice Of American Or Non-American Apparel

After Canadian company Gildan Activewear bought the American Apparel brand and the company’s assets in a bankruptcy auction, it said it would likely move some manufacturing outside of the U.S., in a big step away from the company’s founding mission. But the brand is back online now, and it’s offering shoppers a choice: Buy “Made in the USA” clothing, or shell out a few bucks less for identical “Globally Made” items.

In May, Gildan announced that it was lining up outside companies to make clothes in the U.S. as part of a plan to sell both U.S.-made and foreign-made merchandise. Executives said at the time that the website would eventually return and offer customers the choice to buy American Apparel merchandise that was made in the U.S. or made abroad, with a price difference of about 25%.

Back in action

As of yesterday, AmericanApparel.com is back in business. In addition to an assortment of basics like T-shirts, shorts, and dresses — which are not made domestically — the new American Apparel offers a collection of eight styles that are manufactured stateside, and “have a globally made twin.”

While both are sweatshop-free and ethically made, they’re different in price. For example, the Made in USA fleece hoodie is $48, while the Globally Made twin is just $38.

Although it might seem somewhat odd for a company to seemingly undercut own brand, Gildan knows people outside this country don’t really care where the clothing is actually made.

“A lot of the growth that we will have with American Apparel will come from other markets outside the United States,” CEO Glenn Chamandy said in May, citing Europe and Asia as examples of markets where Gildan plans to take the brand, and where “Made in USA” is less of a priority.

Online only

While American Apparel is back online, it’s unlikely you’ll see physical stores popping up any time soon. Gildan had the chance to buy American Apparel’s retail locations when it purchased the brand and assets, but it didn’t.

We’ve reached out to Gildan to ask if there are any plans in the works for bricks-and-mortar locations, and will update this post if we receive an answer.

It’s worth noting that Gildan isn’t alone in offering shoppers a choice when it comes to how much they pay for items. Online-only retailer Everlane has a “Choose What You Pay” collection that features items with three different price points:

The cheapest price means 10% of what you pay goes to Everlane to cover costs for development and shipping to the warehouse; the middle price translates to a 20% cut for Everlane and covers the same as the lower tier, plus overhead to pay the company’s workers; and the most expensive price gives Everlane 30%, covers the same costs as the lower tiers, and also allows the brand to work on creating new products.


by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist

Dick’s Sporting Good Hopes Discounted Prices Will Save It From Doom

Let’s take a moment to pay our respects to the dearly departed sporting good stores who have passed on in recent years: Sports Authority, Gander Mountain, Eastern Mountain Sports, Sport Chalet, Golfsmith and we’re probably missing a few. Dick’s Sporting Goods has fed on the bones of some of its former competitors, taking over their locations and inventory, but it still needs a plan to stave off the doom that consumed so many of its competitors.

That plan? More promotional pricing. At least that’s what Dick’s is saying after releasing quarterly financials showing stagnant, lower-than-expected sales figures.

Sales at stores open at least one year were up only 0.1%, lower than the company’s expected, modest growth of 2% to 3%.

CEO Edward Stack said on an investors call today that the company will “aggressively be promoting our business to drive market share to our stores and online.”

How’d We Get Here?

The second quarter’s flat sales are an about-face from Dick’s first quarter, when they increased 2.4%.

That figure was buoyed, however, by Dick’s taking advantage of Sports Authority’s demise and opening stores in new areas, as well as taking over some former Golfsmith locations after the golf chain filed for bankruptcy.

Still, the decrease wasn’t exactly a surprise: Stack had warned during the first quarter that he believed the troubles plaguing the sporting goods sector would continue. And they apparently are.

Making Changes

Stack noted on the call with investors today that the retailer would increase discounts in order to bring in more customers.

Specifically, the retailer will target marketing and pricing efforts in regions where there’s more competition.

“We’ve conducted extensive consumer research, and the customers have told us they feel our prices are not competitive in today’s environment,” Stack said. “Consequently, we have become more promotional and competitive.”

Additionally, the company will use its new “best price guarantee” tool to attract customers. Under the program, if a customer finds a product somewhere else for a lower price Dick’s will match that cost.

Stack noted on the call that the company also plans to “surgically invest” in the hunting and athletic apparel business.

To do so, Stack says Dick’s will work to “capture as much market share as possible that was left behind by Gander Mountain”, another retailer that closed many stores in recent months.

As for apparel, Stack says that the category has seen meaningful increases in distribution and promotion. To this end, the retailer will continue to focus on its private brands, which saw a 7% increase in sales during the second quarter.

These private brands are expected to bring in $1 billion in sales this year.

Going Online

Stack said during the call that the company will continue to support and promote its online division. The company plans to provide its e-commerce customers with a better experience, Stack said.

“Looking ahead, we are planfully investing in the online experience through faster delivery, better pricing, more targeted marketing, and continued improvements in our digital channels,” Stack said. “This is going to be a bit more expensive in the short-term, but it is what we need to do for the long-term benefit of the company and our shareholders.”


by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist

Why You Should Care About This Lawsuit Against A Data Company You’ve Probably Never Heard Of

Smart grills battle for BBQ supremacy


We make two smart grills battle to see which is best. Subscribe to CNET: http://cnet.co/2heRhep Check out our playlists: http://cnet.co/2g8kcf4 Like us on Facebook: http://ift.tt/1930vfU Follow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/cnet Follow us on Instagram: http://bit.ly/2icCYYm Add us on Snapchat: http://cnet.co/2h4uoK3
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A drone accidentally landed on Britain's biggest warship | Engadget Today


And no one batted an eyelash. http://ift.tt/2wL8PTP The Pentagon has already approved a policy giving military bases the right to shoot down drones that get too close. A lot of other countries' governments and militaries, however, are still in the midst of figuring out how to deal with them as they become more common. A photographer operating under the name "Black Isle Images," for instance, landed a drone aboard Britain's biggest warship, the HMS Queen Elizabeth, and nobody seemed to care. Subscribe to Engadget on YouTube: http://engt.co/subscribe Get More Engadget: • Like us on Facebook: http://ift.tt/1k1iCZT • Follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/engadget • Follow us on Instagram: http://ift.tt/1k1iCZV • Add us on Snapchat: http://ift.tt/1UqS18a • Read more: http://www.engadget.com Engadget is the definitive guide to this connected life.
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Donald Trump, Präsident der Antidemokraten

Sein Zögern, sich vom ultrarechten Rand zu distanzieren, hat strukturelle Gründe. Trumps militante Anhänger könnten ihm noch als Drohpotenzial dienen, sollte seine Präsidentschaft ins Wanken geraten.
by Richard Herzinger via Endless Supplies .De - News

„Man kann Scharia zu Teilen so interpretieren, dass sie mit unseren Regeln übereinstimmt“

Werteunterricht, um Migranten unsere Rechtsordnung zu erklären – dazu fordert Eric Hilgendorf Zugehen auf muslimische Werte. Denn man könne die Scharia so interpretieren, dass sie mit unseren Regeln übereinstimmt. Er sieht aber auch Grenzen.
by Ricarda Breyton via Endless Supplies .De - News

Im Weißen Haus hat Steve Bannon einen mächtigen Feind

Steve Bannon gilt als Kopf hinter Donald Trumps Politik. Nach den Ausschreitungen von Charlottesville wächst der Druck auf den Präsidenten, seinen Chefstrategen zu entlassen. Noch zögert Trump – aus gutem Grund.
by Stefan Beutelsbacher, New York via Endless Supplies .De - News

„Flüchtlinge haben bessere Chancen, wenn sie ihre Papiere wegwerfen“

Der Tübinger Oberbürgermeister Boris Palmer hat scharfe Kritik am derzeitigen Asylsystem geübt. Dieses setzte Fehlanreize für ankommende Flüchtlinge. Palmer hat auch einen Vorschlag, wie der Missstand behoben werden könnte.
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„Sehen Sie, in welcher Dimension Sie sich nach deutschem Recht bewegen“

Eine ausgelassene Silvesterfeier endete in Neumarkt mit einer Vergewaltigung. Zwei Flüchtlinge nahmen eine Frau mit in ihre Gemeinschaftsunterkunft. Vor Gericht zeigten sie Reue. Doch der Richter zeigte sich unbeeindruckt.
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Die Rückkehr der Überschall-Passagierjets

Das US-Start-up Boom will 2023 mit einem Überschall-Passagierjet durchstarten, der schneller, leiser und günstiger sein soll als früher die Concorde. Fünf Airlines haben bereits Flugzeuge reserviert.
by Andreas Spaeth via Endless Supplies .De - News

Jetzt erwacht Draghis mächtigster Gegner zu neuem Leben

Das Bundesverfassungsgericht stellt die Anleihenkäufe der EZB infrage. Die Kritik der Richter ist konkreter und erfolgsversprechender denn je. Für Deutschland hat das weitreichende Konsequenzen.
by Holger Zschäpitz via Endless Supplies .De - News

Mit einer Autofahrt ins Gefängnis

2011 wurde Manal al-Sharif mit einer „gewagten“ Aktion in Saudi-Arabien berühmt: Sie ließ sich beim Autofahren filmen und stellte die Aktion ins Netz. Ein Akt des Widerstands mit drastischen Folgen – bis heute.
by Barbara Barkhausen, Sydney via Endless Supplies .De - News

„Rot-Grün hat sich zu einer Abwärtskoalition entwickelt“

Nach zweieinhalb Jahren zieht die CDU eine verheerende Zwischenbilanz für die Arbeit des rot-grünen Senats. Vor allem die Bemühungen von Bürgermeister Olaf Scholz seien auf ganzer Linie gescheitert.
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Die besten Gartenmöbel für verregnete Sommer

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by Janina Temmen via Endless Supplies .De - News

Die Apokalypse ist nur ein betrübliches Ereignis

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by Hannes Stein via Endless Supplies .De - News

„Hoffe, dass wir besser spielen“

Für die TSG Hoffenheim sind es die ersten Erfahrungen im Europapokal. Jürgen Klopp wird auf der Pressekonferenz vor dem Spiel zu seinem ersten Mal gefragt - und gibt intime Einblicke.
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Woods nahm unheilvollen Medikamenten-Cocktail zu sich

Er ist der größte Golfspieler aller Zeiten. Doch seit geraumer Zeit nehmen die Negativschlagzeilen über Tiger Woods nicht ab. Nun wurde der Bericht zur Festnahme veröffentlicht. Eine deftige Mix-Tour.
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Wasser und Seife reichen für die Handhygiene

Die Deutschen sind fleißige Käufer von Handdesinfektionsmittel und Hygienetüchern. Experten meinen aber: Für die meisten sind die Sprays, Gels und Tücher unnütz, profitieren würde davon nur der Handel.
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"Er ist der neue Hengst“

Jürgen Klopp outet sich im Vorfeld des CL-Quali-Hinspiels bei der TSG 1899 Hoffenheim als Fan von Julian Nagelsmann. Der Liverpool-Coach findet nur lobende Worte für den TSG-Coach.
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Nur ein Trainer traut dem FC Bayern den Titel nicht zu

Die Vorherrschaft des FC Bayern in der Bundesliga wird kaum zu brechen sein. Darin stimmen die meisten Trainer der Konkurrenz überein. Schwieriger wird es für den Klub nach Expertenmeinung in Europa.
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So gelingen gute Bilder von sich bewegenden Motiven

Motive, die sich schnell bewegen, sind eine Herausforderung für Fotografen. Vor allem in der Sportfotografie sind Aufnahmen schnell unscharf oder verwackelt. Doch die Probleme sind lösbar.
by Thomas Schörner via Endless Supplies .De - News

Europäischer Gerichtshof überprüft Kaufprogramm der EZB

Das Bundesverfassungsgericht hat entschieden: Das Anleihenkaufprogramm der Europäischen Zentralbank muss vom Europäischen Gerichtshof überprüft werden. Grundlage sind drei Verfassungsbeschwerden.
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Was ihre Wahlkampfgeschenke über die Parteien verraten

Ein Sieger des Superwahljahrs 2017 steht jetzt schon fest: Die Werbeartikelhersteller, die endlich Nippes unters Volk bringen können. Die Auswahl lässt dabei tief in die Seelen der Parteien blicken.
by Steffen Fründt via Endless Supplies .De - News

„Cool wäre romantischer Ansatz, dass man fünf Jahre zusammenbleibt“

Trainer Jürgen Klopp wünscht sich einen romantischeren - und naiven - Ansatz bei Spielerwechseln: Entwicklung findet auf dem Platz statt. Wie wäre es, mit einem Team vier oder fünf Jahre zusammen zu bleiben?
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Bodyshaming: Plus-Size-Model setzt sich sexy zur Wehr

Die 21-jährige Schönheit Diana Veras ist mittlerweile ein sehr gefragtes Plus-Size-Model in den USA. Vor allem ihre einzigartier Look macht sie so speziell. Doch wegen ihrer Kurven wird sie oft angefeindet. Deswegen ging sie jetzt in die Offensive. Halbnackt!
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Übergewicht ist nicht die einzige Ursache für Kniearthrose

Sie wird oft als Verschleißerscheinung bezeichnet, als eine Krankheit, die man eben bekommt. Nun zeigen Analysen, dass die Kniearthrose vielerlei Ursachen haben muss. Eine hängt mit äußeren Umständen zusammen.
by Andrea Barthélémy via Endless Supplies .De - News

Deutsche Wirtschaft legt um 0,6 Prozent zu

Die deutsche Wirtschaft ist auch im zweiten Quartal kräftig gewachsen. Getrieben von der Konsumlust der Verbraucher und steigenden Investitionen der Unternehmen stieg das BIP um 0,6 Prozent im Vergleich zum Vorquartal.
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Chick-Fil-A Customer Claims Her Chicken Sandwich Had A Dead Mouse Baked Into The Bun

Although you might like a nice crunch in your chicken sandwich, one Chick-fil-A customer claims there was an unexpected texture baked into the bun of her sandwich: A dead mouse.

Crunchy lunch

A woman who filed a lawsuit in a county court against a Langhorne, PA, Chick-fil-A location says she was taking a bite of a Chick-fil-A sandwich last November during her lunch break at work when she “felt something funny on the bottom of the bun,” reports Philly.com.

She turned it over, and told her coworker that it seemed the restaurant had burned her roll.

Her colleague tells Philly.com that the woman then threw the sandwich on the ground, at which point, she realized “it was a small rodent of some sort.”

“I could see the whiskers and the tail,” the coworker said.

As for the customer, she says “[I] basically lost my mind. I screamed.”

After going outside to get some air, she says she came back to take photos of the object, and then called the franchise’s owner — who, she claims, said, “Oh no, this can’t be good.”

She says she followed that call up by emailing him photos and the receipt, and then went to the hospital where she received intravenous medication for nausea. She continued to feel sick for a week afterward, and received prescriptions for anti-nausea medication as well as anxiety from her doctor.

Suing mad

The plaintiff’s lawyer says he filed the lawsuit because the franchise owner and the store have “stonewalled” any efforts to address the situation. He claims that laboratory analysis shows the object was a small “rat/mouse” that was apparently baked into the bottom of the bum.

The lawsuit claims the restaurant was negligent, and “failed to supervise employees who intentionally and/or knowingly served a sandwich to a customer with a dead rodent baked into the bun,” while also allegedly failing to have inspection procedures in place to keep this sort of thing from happening.

The customer is seeking more than $50,000 for physical and psychological injuries she claims she’s experienced since the alleged incident.

Both Chick-fil-A corporate and the franchise owner declined to comment on the lawsuit.

A familiar tail tale

While these claims are pretty gross, we’re not entirely surprised, as we’ve seen plenty of dead-rodent-in-food claims over the years.

• After a South Dakota man claimed he drank from a can of Coca-Cola that had a mouse sealed inside, Coke claimed it couldn’t be possible, as any mouse entombed in a can of soda would have been more decomposed than what he says he found.

• NYC health officials investigated a report of a fried rat head served at Popeyes in 2016.

• Across the pond, someone found a dead baby weasel in her salad. She was not pleased.

• A Subway customer once claimed to have received a free dead rat with his spinach-filled sandwich.

• In 2015, a bag of fresh spinach allegedly contained — a free dead mouse.

• A McDonald’s customer claimed in 2014 that he’d received a mouse in his coffee.

• A woman eating Kellogg’s crunchy nut cereal claimed there was an added crunch in her food by way of a dead rodent in 2014.


by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist

Garmin HuntView Maps: Seamless Hunting Map Solution


Make sure you’re always in familiar territory with Garmin HuntView™ Maps for Garmin handhelds, including Astro® and Alpha® products. http://ift.tt/2x1dKiP
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Security ChalkTalks: Learn Cisco Stealthwatch


Today’s enterprise network is more complex and distributed than ever before. New security challenges arise weekly. The ever-evolving threat landscape, along with trends such as cloud computing and the Internet of Things, further complicates the situation. Unfortunately, as more and more users and devices are added to the network, gaining visibility into what’s going on is harder to achieve. And you can’t protect what you can’t see. Seeing into all traffic flows, applications, users, and devices that are known and unknown is critical to determine whether there may be anomalous behavior occurring on your network. Using sophisticated behavioral analytics, the StealthWatch System transforms data from existing infrastructure into actionable intelligence for improved network visibility and security and accelerated incident response. http://cs.co/60528a8Lu
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Would You Pay $10 For Unlimited Monthly Movie Theater Visits?

Almost two decades ago, Netflix offered an appealing option to fine-weary movie lovers: Unlimited DVD rentals that customers could keep for as long as they wanted. A company run by one of the founders of Netflix is trying a similar tactic to get movie fans back into theaters by letting customers have unlimited visits for a flat fee. The cost: $10 per month, and signing over your movie habits to Big Data.

How it works

MoviePass has been around since 2011, but you may not be familiar with it. Customers carry a card that they use like a debit card when buying tickets. The card pays the cost of one ticket for 2D, non-IMAX movies.

Theaters don’t have to join any networks or buy extra equipment: Instead, customers can supposedly just use the card at any movie theater that accepts debit cards, or around 91% of theaters nationwide, including independent theaters and the big chains like AMC, Cinemark, and Regal.

What changed today?

The previous MoviePass pricing scheme wasn’t a bad deal, starting at $15 and going up to $50 on a tiered plan according to your usage.

The price has fallen to $10 per month across the board because MoviePass has a new investor: Helios and Matheson Analytics, a firm that provides, in its own words, “big data, artificial intelligence, business intelligence, social listening, and consumer-centric technology.”

MoviePass is losing money now. CEO Mitch Lowe, who formerly helped found Netflix and ran Redbox, told Variety that its long-term plan is to prove how much the service boosts movie attendance, and share some of the proceeds with theater owners.

You are the product

It’s pretty obvious what Helios and Matheson gets out of this deal: you. Specifically, the viewing habits of the service’s users. In a press release, the companies note that after subscribing, MoviePass customers attended twice as many movies, and were much more likely to attend showings in the middle of the week.

“With our big data and artificial intelligence platforms and other technologies that we own, we will be able to bring a significant technological advantage to MoviePass,” Ted Farnsworth, Chairman and CEO at Helios and Matheson, said in a statement. “Our mission at HMNY is to continuously be innovating, and this blending is a natural fit to take us up to the next level and beyond.”


by Laura Northrup via Consumerist

DOJ Demands Company Turn Over Info On 1.3 Million Visitors To Anti-Trump Website

Since most of us aren’t looking at websites via a Tor connection, we’re leaving digital footprints all over the place. The sites you visit may have a surprising amount of information on you, even if you’re not logged in, and even if you went to that site inadvertently. That’s why the Justice Department is trying to compel a web-hosting company to turn over everything it knows about anyone who ever clicked on a site that is critical of President Trump. It’s also why that company is fighting against this demand.

The company hosting the site, DreamHost, explained in a blog post what was going on.

It’s very common for tech companies, including hosting services, to get requests for data from law enforcement. DreamHost, like its peers, has a legal team in-house that receives search warrants and other requests and decides how to respond.

In the case of “vague or faulty orders,” DreamHost writes, the legal team “rejects or challenges” the requests. Including this one.

What do the feds want?

The Justice Department has requested that DreamHost provide a list of the IP address of every single visitor to the website.

That’s not just content creators or subscribers; that’s everyone who ever typed the address into their browser or clicked the link on Facebook. And it’s a list that’s 1.3 million visitors long.

Along with the IP addresses, DreamHost says, the warrant also asks for the dates and times of the visits, along with browser and operating system information.

In short, the feds are asking the site host to send them all the information they need to peg down exactly who visited the site, when, and from where.

There can be times when site visitor log information is absolutely vital to law enforcement activity. For example, if someone is accused of trying to plant a bomb, having proof that the suspect accessed a certain site about bomb-making, from their home, one week before planting the bomb, would be valuable information.

Related: Without internet privacy rules, how can I protect my data?

But that’s not what this request is. This warrant asks for the identifying information of every single person who visited a website during a period of time, full stop.

Why are they asking?

The site in question is disruptj20.org, created to help organize one of many protests set against the backdrop of President Trump’s Jan. 2017 inauguration.

Hundreds of protests were held nationwide during the inauguration weekend, Jan. 20-22, including the massive women’s marches, largely without incident.

But the DisruptJ20 protest, which occurred on Inauguration Day, resulted in more than 200 arrests. Many of those arrested have since been indicted on, and are now facing, felony rioting charges.

Many of the cases are still ongoing, and in various stages of investigation and prosecution. Although DreamHost did not have access to the specific reason why they were served this search warrant, it seems very likely to be related to those cases.

The answer: Nope!

DreamHost, the company writes, found the request to be “a strong example of investigatory overreach and a clear abuse of government authority,” and so they challenged the warrant.

This, the company says, is its standard procedure. But “instead of responding to our inquiries regarding the overbreadth of the warrant,” DreamHost writes, the Justice Department filed a motion asking for a court order to compel the records.

DreamHost is fighting back. The company filed arguments opposing the court order, and both the company and the DOJ will be arguing it out at a hearing on Friday, Aug. 18.

“Internet users have a reasonable expectation that they will not get swept up in criminal investigations simply by exercising their right to political speech against the government,” DreamHost concludes. “We intend to take whatever steps are necessary to support and shield these users from what is, in our view, a very unfocused search and an unlawful request for their personal information.”


by Kate Cox via Consumerist

Thermaltake Versa C23 Tempered Glass RGB Chassis


The new Versa C23 case features everything you need with a wallet friendly price. This case includes a fan controller to control the included RGB fans. A tempered glass side panel and RGB lighting on the front panel will set your build apart from the rest. In this video we show you how easy it is to build and customize in the Versa C23 RGB case. Buy at: http://amzn.to/2t1M8gg More Info: http://bit.ly/2uNlzqR Join the discussion on Thermaltake's Social channels! Tt Community Forums: http://ift.tt/1TERHWS Facebook: http://ift.tt/2qnCHG5 Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/thermaltake Instagram: http://ift.tt/2qYlwI0
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Bosisio S. A. - Kodak Flexo Customer Serves Global Brands (Spanish w/ English subtitles)


Learn how Bosisio turned to Kodak's FLEXCEL NX Technology to help elevate their packaging capabilities. The KODAK FLEXCEL NX System enables flexo printers to achieve greater density of print, tonal range, and contrast for greater shelf impact and consistency. This video is in Spanish with English subtitles. http://ift.tt/2qSt5iA
by Eastman Kodak via Endless Supplies .De - Brands

inReach in Nepal: Real Stories from the Earthquake


On April 25, 2015 at 11:56 AM a 7.8 magnitude earthquake shook Nepal, claiming the lives of more than 8,000 people and permanently changing the lives of countless more. As the dust settled, the world mobilized to provide relief and help the people of Nepal recover from such a devastating event. There were over 50 inReach devices in Nepal when the earthquake struck, and in the days and weeks following they were used to help coordinate disaster assistance around the country. Climbers, guides, doctors and relief agencies depended on the inReach for communication and emergency response when it mattered most. This video takes a look at the diversity of Nepal and its people, while recounting two amazing stories of how inReach helped facilitate the long path to recovery.
by Garmin via Endless Supplies .De - Brands

Taco Bell Has Decided To Inflict Taco With Fried Egg Shell On The Entire Country

Earlier this spring, Taco Bell continued its assault on the definition of “taco” by testing a new breakfast item in Michigan that involved putting stuff inside a fried egg and calling it a Naked Breakfast Taco. Now, the fast food giant is taking the item nationally. 

Taco Bell announced today that the Naked Egg Taco will debut on menus across the country starting Aug. 31.

The new $2 breakfast item is created by flattening and frying an egg, then shaping it like a taco. Not unlike the way the fast food giant sculpted its fried chicken shells for the currently unavailable Naked Chicken Chalupa.

Once the egg shell is formed, Taco Bell stuffs it with diced potatoes, sausage crumbles or bacon, nacho cheese, and shredded cheddar.

For those less adventurous eaters, the Naked Breakfast Taco can be ordered “dressed,” or at least stuffed inside a flatbread.

To mark the new item’s debut, Taco Bell says it will allow customers in New York, Austin, Chicago, and Laguna Beach to reserve a table at select restaurants to taste the taco.

What’s A Taco?

Taco Bell has been working to redefine “taco” as “just taking one piece of food and wrapping it around some other pieces of food” for years.

“Shell innovation is at the core of where we experiment – and whether it’s crispy chicken, biscuits or waffles that wrap up menu item classics – we bring our fans craveable and unexpected food experiences that leave them wanting more,” Liz Matthews, Chief Food Innovation Officer at Taco Bell Corp., said in a statement.

In 2013, it began testing the Waffle Taco, which was really just a waffle folded over some breakfast food.

A year later, it said “hey, let’s try the same thing, but with biscuits!,” only to then move on to trying it all over again with croissants.

In February, the company dropped its fried chicken shell Chalupa on customers nationally. The Naked Chicken Chalupa was created by frying a piece of four-ounce breaded and seasoned white meat chicken into a shell that is then filled with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, cheddar cheese, and avocado ranch sauce. The item was taken off the menu in March.

Prior to that, the company created the Doritos Locos Taco, using a shell fashioned out regular cheese Doritos, and eventually Cooler Ranch and Fiery Doritos. 


by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist

Norman Reedus talks about Daryl Dixon's emotional journey


Watch Norman Reedus talk about what he loves - and fears - in real life on AMC's hit series. Hint: He's definitely not a horse person. Subscribe to CNET: http://cnet.co/2heRhep Check out our playlists: http://cnet.co/2g8kcf4 Like us on Facebook: http://ift.tt/1930vfU Follow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/cnet Follow us on Instagram: http://bit.ly/2icCYYm Add us on Snapchat: http://cnet.co/2h4uoK3
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Norman Reedus really, really loves motorcycles!


The actor thinks Marianne Faithfull would have made a great guest on his motorcycle travel series, called "Ride with Norman Reedus." Subscribe to CNET: http://cnet.co/2heRhep Check out our playlists: http://cnet.co/2g8kcf4 Like us on Facebook: http://ift.tt/1930vfU Follow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/cnet Follow us on Instagram: http://bit.ly/2icCYYm Add us on Snapchat: http://cnet.co/2h4uoK3
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The Best Ways to Watch the Eclipse | OOO With Brent Rose | WIRED


WIRED's Brent Rose goes over some of the best ways to watch this year's total eclipse. Still haven’t subscribed to WIRED on YouTube? ►► http://wrd.cm/15fP7B7 CONNECT WITH WIRED Web: http://wired.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/WIRED Facebook: http://ift.tt/1dBz3Oa Pinterest: http://ift.tt/1JeJD7O Google+: http://ift.tt/1Ch4gR7 Instagram: http://ift.tt/1lUgynY Tumblr: http://WIRED.tumblr.com Want even more? Subscribe to The Scene: http://bit.ly/subthescene ABOUT WIRED WIRED is where tomorrow is realized. Through thought-provoking stories and videos, WIRED explores the future of business, innovation, and culture. The Best Ways to Watch the Eclipse | OOO With Brent Rose | WIRED
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Amazon’s New ‘Instant Pickup’ Service Should Just Be Called ‘Going To The Store’

Here’s the newest concept from Amazon: A place where customers can quickly pick up a snack or a roll of toilet paper without having to wait in long lines. It’s called “Instant Pickup,” but you might already know it by a more familiar name: “Going to the store.”

Instant Pickup allows Prime and Prime Students members to choose from a curated daily assortment of “essentials” — from the bag of chips and the cold drinks you need to survive a hangover to a new phone charger to replace the one you lost last night — that can then be picked up from self-service lockers.

To use the service, customers shopping on the Amazon app can tap the menu button at the top of the app, then look for Instant Pickup in “Programs and Features.”

Customers then select their items, place the order — or add last-minute items to an online order if they need to — and then pick them up from a designated pickup location. Orders will be ready in as little as five minutes, Amazon says.

There are only five locations offering the service thus far — Los Angeles, Atlanta, Berkeley, CA, Columbus, and College Park, MD — but more locations will be added in the coming months, the company notes.

It’s no secret that Amazon has its eye on the younger set: The company knows that if it wants to get newly minted adults hooked on its service for life, offering them everything they need, when they need it, could be a good way to hook ’em.

To that end, Prime Student only costs half of what the grownup version costs. Amazon currently offers 22 pickup lockers on colleges campuses across the country for members of the service.


by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist

Uber Settles Federal Allegations It Deceived Customers About Privacy & Data Security

Uber has reached a deal with the Federal Trade Commission to settle the government’s investigation into the ride-hailing service’s allegedly questionable privacy practices.

As part of the settlement, Uber will implement a comprehensive privacy program and obtain regular, independent audits in order to settle charges that it deceived customers by failing to secure their private, personal information.

In a complaint [PDF] against the San Francisco-based company, the FTC claims Uber failed to closely monitor employee access to customer and driver data, or create reasonable measures to secure users’ personal information that was stored on a third-party server.

Employee Access

In late Nov. 2015, Uber landed in hot water after an executive discussed the idea of digging up dirt on journalists critical of the company.

At the time, Uber executive Emil Michael suggested Uber should spend millions of dollars to hire a team of opposition researchers to spread details of the personal life of Sarah Lacy with PandoDaily – a Silicon Valley site that has a rather contentious relationship with the ride service.

The executive’s comments to Buzzfeed came a month after the journalist wrote an article about her decision to delete Uber’s app after a promotion by the company in France offered to pair riders with “hot chicks.” The journalist encouraged others to ditch the app, too.

Related: “Security As An Afterthought:” 3 Frightening Privacy Claims From Former Uber Staffers

While the Uber executive issued an apology for his remarks, saying they were supposed to be off the record, the company was the subject of intense scrutiny from once-loyal users after additional reports suggested the company used an internal aerial tracking tool, dubbed “God View,” that allowed employees to easily track riders.

In an attempt to resolve these issues, Uber assured customers that it had a “strict policy prohibiting” employees from accessing rider or driver data, unless the company has a legitimate business purpose to do so. According to Uber, at the time, legitimate business purposes included:

• Supporting riders and drivers in order to solve problems brought to their attention by the Uber community.
• Facilitating payment transactions for drivers.
• Monitoring driver and rider accounts for fraudulent activity, including terminating fake accounts and following up on stolen credit card reports.
• Reviewing specific rider or driver accounts in order to troubleshoot bugs.

Uber promised customers that employee access to information would be closely monitored on an ongoing basis.

The company even developed an automated system to monitor employee access to consumer personal information. However, the FTC claims the company stopped using it less than a year after it was put in place.

According to the complaint, from approximately Aug. 2015 until May 2016, Uber did not follow up on automated alerts concerning the potential misuse of consumer personal information, and for approximately the first six months of this period, the company only monitored access to account information belonging to a set of internal high-profile users, such as Uber executives.

During this time, the complaint alleges that company did not monitor internal access to personal data unless an employee specifically reported a co-worker had engaged in inappropriate access.

Data Storage

Additionally, the FTC complaint alleges that Uber failed to provide on claims that all customer information was “securely stored within our databases.”

In several instances, the FTC claims Uber’s customer service reps assured customers of the strength of the company’s security practices.

“Your information will be safely and used only for purposes you’ve authorized,” a rep said, according to the complaint. “We use the most up-to-date technology and services to ensure that none of these are compromised.”

“I understand that you do not feel comfortable sending your personal information via online,” another rep allegedly said. “However, we’re extra vigilant in protecting all private and personal information.”

Despite this, the FTC claims the company’s actual security practices failed to prevent unauthorized access to customers’ personal information.

Until Sept. 2014, Uber failed to implement reasonable access controls to safeguard data stored in third-party databases, such as requiring engineers and programmers to use distinct access keys to access personal information of drivers and customers, according to the complaint.

Instead, Uber allowed employees to use a single key that gave them full administrative access to all the data, and did not require multi-factor authentication for accessing the information.

In addition, Uber stored sensitive consumer information, including geolocation information, in plain readable text in database back-ups stored in the cloud, the complaint states.

As a result of these alleged failures, the FTC claims an intruder was able to access personal information about Uber drivers in May 2014, including more than 100,000 names and driver’s license numbers that were stored in a datastore operated by Amazon Web Services, according to the complaint.

Uber did not discover this intrusion until Sept. 2014, the complaint alleges, and only then did the company take steps to prevent further unauthorized access.

While Uber initially identified nearly 49,000 drivers affected by the breach, the company discovered in the summer of 2016 that an additional 60,000 drivers’ information was accessed.

The Settlement

Under today’s settlement, Uber is prohibited from misrepresenting how it monitors internal access to consumers’ personal information, and from misrepresenting how it protects and secures that data.

The company is required to implement a comprehensive privacy program that addresses privacy risks related to new and existing products and services and protects the privacy and confidentiality of personal information collected by the company.

Additionally, Uber is required to obtain within 180 days, and every two years after that for the next 20 years, independent, third-party audits certifying that it has a privacy program in place that meets or exceeds the requirements of the FTC order.

Acting FTC chairman Maureen Ohlhausen noted on a call today that while the settlement does not include a penalty, Uber could be fined if it is found to violate the agency’s order.

Consumerist has reached out to Uber for comment on the settlement. We’ll update this post if we hear back.


by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist

Razer Atheris - Productivity, Meet Performance


Your perfect companion at both the workstation and battlestation, the all-new Razer Atheris is here – rzr.to/atheris Built to last, the Razer Atheris will power through over 300 work hours without ever needing a change of batteries. This compact mobile mouse comes with industry-leading Adaptive Frequency Technology that ensures a stable connection no matter the environment. Equipped with a gaming-grade 7,200 DPI optical sensor, the Razer Atheris commands precision and accuracy for both work and play. Level up on- or off-work with the Razer Atheris. Learn more: rzr.to/atheris SUBSCRIBE and get hooked up with exclusive content, codes. and giveaways. http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=cultofrazer Keep with the Cult: http://ift.tt/GUlBQr http://www.twitter.com/razer http://ift.tt/1jVFkG2 http://ift.tt/nZFRXg
by R Λ Z Ξ R via Endless Supplies .De - Brands

Imecon 4K totem powered by a Seco COM Express board running AMD Embedded R-Series SoC


Learn why the 4K totem by Imecon, featuring a Seco COM Express board with an AMD Embedded R-Series SoC, is well suited for various digital signage needs. Learn more at http://ift.tt/2w771aU *** Subscribe: http://bit.ly/Subscribe_to_AMD Like us on Facebook: http://bit.ly/AMD_on_Facebook Follow us on Twitter: http://bit.ly/AMD_On_Twitter Follow us on Twitch: http://Twitch.tv/AMD Follow us on G+: http://bit.ly/AMD_on_GooglePlus Follow us on Linkedin: http://bit.ly/AMD_on_Linkedin Follow us on Instagram: http://bit.ly/AMD_on_Instagram ©2017 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. AMD, the AMD Arrow Logo, and combinations thereof are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Other names are for informational purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.
by AMD via Endless Supplies .De - Brands

Recommended Accessories for the Dell Latitude 12 5285 2-in-1


Get more done with recommended accessories for the Dell Latitude 12 5285 2-in-1 Learn more at http://ift.tt/2vFNmLS
by Dell via Endless Supplies .De - Brands

Dataquest Collaboration Customer Case Study


This video shows how Swiss company Data Quest uses Cisco Spark to change the way they do business. http://cs.co/cy0815a
by Cisco via Endless Supplies .De - Brands