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Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - Oct 7, 2014
October 7, 2014
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Filling a need:
A company in Rome, Italy, has created "spreadable beer."
An Italian manufacturer called Alta Quotta says their 'Birra Spalmabile' doesn't contain real alcohol, but it does contain 40-percent real beer. It comes in two flavors and "spreads like ganache" with a "sticky, smooth texture." It apparently goes great with "appetizers and cheeses" and can be used to "decorate or fill" pastries, cakes, and ice creams. The spreadable beer is available in North America through the company's website. (Still)The Airlines:
There's still problems with flights into Chicago because of the recent FAA fire. Yesterday, arriving flights into O'Hare International had average delays of around 90 minutes, while Midway flights were delayed almost an hour.
The Internet:
Want a sweet gig working in the movie industry? Sorry, but that big break probably won't be coming via email. TMZ.com reports a group of Nigerians is offering so-called "jobs" to eager newbies hungry to make it in the business. Apparently they send applicants a check to deposit, instruct the "employees" to buy pre-loaded debit cards, donate them to charity and take photos for proof. Unfortunately, the checks are bogus and the scammers use the debit cards online before the bank realizes they're funny money.
The feds are looking into the matter and all the IP addresses are based out of Nigeria. (Lee)Shopping Around:
According to British research firm BloomReach, retailers and consumers are waaaaayyy far apart on how online shopping decisions are made.
The study involved a thousand UK consumers and 122 UK online retailers. A third (34 percent) of the retailers believe brand reputation is the most important factor for consumers deciding on a retailer.
Just two percent of the online retailers believe a personalized shopping experience was an important factor.
But the survey shows a personalized shopping experience is hella important: stuff like product recommendations and personalized content were more likely to persuade 31 percent of consumers to make a purchase.
And a significant 85 percent of consumers said brand reputation was not an important factor. (Kaye)Chic Sh*t:
What could Duchess KATE MIDDLETON and BEAR GRYLLS possibly have in common? (Aside from being British.) It turns out, they share a hairdresser. Celebrity hair stylist RICHARD WARD was the creator of Kate's perfectly-perfect Royal Wedding Day hair. A website called "Stuff" (as in, www.stuff.co.nz) says Ward started doing hair for the entire Middleton clan about eight years ago, long before Her Kateness married PRINCE WILLIAM. Ward told the New Zealand-based website that he also knew Bear Grylls before he became one of reality TV's most flamboyant outdoorsman. Other famous clients of the British hairstylist include: ELIZABETH HURLEY, KIM CATTRALL, PIPPA MIDDLETON, DUSTIN HOFFMAN, IVANA TRUMP and MONICA LEWINSKY.
Editor's note: That sounds like the best house party guest list ever. (Bartha) -
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