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Will You Give Your Data To Facebook For 50% Off On Coffee?
Submitted by Katonda News Network on November 3, 2010 - 21:45
Facebook has started rolling out business-centric features which will ensure a revenue stream for the company which is yet to go public. Facebook's 'Deal' is a promising and disturbing feature which on one hand keeps mobile users updated with the 'deal' available at the nearby businesses. On the other hand, it keeps and eye on your location sharing it with its partners.
Facebook is taking advantage of its Places, launched recently to monitor the location of a user and show Deals around that place.Facebook's Jon Fougner writes on the company blog, "Starting today, local businesses will be able to offer you deals when you check in to their place on Facebook. Deals will be rolling out over the next few days and will only be available in the United States at this time."
Finding deals near you is easy, claims Jon. All you have to do is go to touch.facebook.com' or the latest version of Facebook for iPhone, and touch 'Places' and then touch 'Check In'. A yellow icon next to the nearby place will indicate if the place has some deals. If you are interested in the deal, you can check in and claim it by showing your phone to the cashier.
"You'll see a few different types of Deals: individual deals for a discount, free merchandise or other reward; friend deals where you and your friends claim an offer together; loyalty deals for being a frequent visitor to a place; and charity deals where businesses pledge to donate to a cause when you check in," writes Jon
The 'Deal' offer is lucrative enough to encourage more users to use Places, which was otherwise heavily criticized by the media and privacy advocates. Facebook may be planning more such features but Places is in the center of it.
Will you be willing to 'sell' info about your wereabout just for 50% off a cup of coffee? Katonda News
Coffee exports up 67% in October on strong demand
New Delhi:India’s coffee exports rose by 67% to 25,000 tonnes in October, the first month of the 2010-11 crop year, on the back of strong global demand and lower prices.
“We have exported 25,000 tonnes of coffee in October, this year, against 15,000 tonnes in the same period in2009,” a senior Coffee Board official told the news agency on Monday.
Overall,coffee exports during the January-October period of this year have also risen sharply to 2,51,355 tonnes from 1,57,824 tonnes in the year-ago period, he said.
The realization from the export of one tonne of coffee was Rs1.07 lakh during October, he added. The coffee year runs from October to September.
India, Asia’s biggest coffee exporter,shipped higher quantity of coffee bean (including arabica and robusta varieties) in October 2010 because of huge global demand plus Indian prices were ruling lower than Colombian coffee, though slightly higher than Brazil, he said.
Besides, there was enough supply of coffee in the domestic market, thanks to good crop in the 2009-10 crop year that ended in September, he added.
The official further said an expected higher production of 3.08 lakh tonnes in the ongoing crop year may further push shipments this year.
Total coffee production in the 2009-10 crop year was 2.89 lakh tonnes. The country had shipped 2.70lakh tonnes in the just completed 2009-10 crop year, the official said.
Italy, Germany and Russia are India’s major export markets.
Indian Monsooned Malabar
Monsooned Malabar is a variety of dry processed coffee beans. The harvested and processed beans are exposed to the monsoon winds for a period of about three to four months, causing the beans to swell and lose the original acidity, resulting in a sweet and syrupy brew. The coffee is unique to the Malabar coast of Karnataka and Kerala and has protected status under the Geographical Indications of Goods Act. The name Monsooned Malabar is derived from exposure to the monsoon winds of the Malabar coast.
The blend is heavy bodied, pungent and of monotone quality and is considered to be dry with a chocolatey aroma and a slightly sharp taste. The blend has its origins from the times of the British Raj, when, during the months that the beans were transported by sea from India to Europe, the humidity and the sea winds combined to cause the coffee to ripen from the fresh green to a more aged pale yellow.
Whole crop cherry coffee are selected and sun-dried in expansive barbecues. The dried beans are cured and sorted into 'AA' and 'A' grades, after which, they are stored in warehouses till the onset of monsoon. From June through September, the selected beans are exposed to moisture-laden monsoon winds in well-ventilated warehouses (12 to 16 weeks time). The monsooning process involves careful handling, repeated spreading, raking and turning around in regular intervals. The beans absorb moisture and get significantly large, turning into pale golden in colour. Further micro-sorting is done to separate fully monsooned beans, and then the world gets to taste the finest monsooned coffees. Absolutely pure and mellow to the core. Per wiki
My opinion
When I first received my order of Monsooned Malabar and saw those pale yellow beans I was nervous. Its the first time I have seen an unroasted bean that was not green. But in the spirit of trying new things, I was ready to get the beans roasted and try it out. Everything about Monsooned Malabar is unique. The roast went incredibly fast, so fast in fact that if you are not careful, you will over roast them. The beans are loaded with oil. Right after first crack the oil seeps out covering the bean and roaster. The one negative I can find on this coffee bean is the amount of cleanup time it takes to get all the oil out of the roasting drum.
As far as the taste goes, if you manage to not over roast it, the coffee has a very smooth and sweet taste. Some say it has an earthy taste, while others say gently pungent. I don't know, I guess it just depends what roast level you use. I found that if you stop roasting right after first crack, staying as close to a city roast as possible, is where this bean is at its best. At this level I taste a smooth sweet chocolate with some unidentifiable spice notes to it. Anyway, it is worth your time to try this coffee out. It is definitely a change of pace from drinking Colombian all the time.
To learn more about the coffee of India, please visit this page!
Coffee Supply May Tighten on Indian Delay, Lower Vietnam Output
October 29, 2010, 12:54 AM EDT
By Thomas Kutty Abraham
Oct. 29 (Bloomberg) -- Global coffee supplies may tighten after an Indian exporters’ group forecast a delay in harvesting because of extended rains and an industry association in Vietnam said that production may decline, potentially boosting prices.
India’s harvest may begin from the middle of November, about three weeks later than normal, Ramesh Rajah, president of the Coffee Exporters Association of India, said in an interview. Separately, Nguyen Van An, a board member of the Vietnam Coffee and Cocoa Association, said today by phone that output may drop as much as 3 percent to 1.1 million metric tons in 2010-2011.
The forecasts may extend rallies in arabica, which jumped to a 13-year high this week, and robusta, at the highest in more than two years. Prices have jumped on concerns that unfavorable weather in Latin America and Vietnam, and delays at Brazil’s Santos Port are curbing supplies. Vietnam is the biggest robusta producer and India is Asia’s third-largest grower.
“Coffee prices may continue to climb until weather concerns ease in Brazil and Vietnam,” said Rajah, who correctly predicted a 10 percent gain in prices on Aug. 24. India’s “harvest has got delayed but the good news is that the crop is in excellent condition,” he said yesterday from Bangalore.
Arabica reached $2.046 a pound on ICE Futures U.S. in New York on Oct. 26, the highest price since August 1997, and the December-delivery contract ended yesterday at $1.966. Robusta advanced to $1,975 a metric ton on NYSE Liffe in London yesterday, the highest level since Oct. 6, 2008.
Indian Harvest
India’s total coffee production this year may be a record and match a forecast of 308,000 tons from the state-run Coffee Board of India, Rajah said. The harvest of robusta, used in instant coffees, may be more than the 208,500 tons estimated by the board, he said yesterday from Bangalore.
The monsoon has yet to withdraw from the Southern Indian states of Karnataka and Kerala, which account for more than 90 percent of the nation’s production, according to the weather bureau. The June-to-September rainy season, which brings more than 70 percent of India’s annual precipitation, is still active over the region, according to the state forecaster.
In Vietnam, the outlook for the year from Oct. 1 from the association’s An is less than the median forecast harvest of 1.2 million tons from a Bloomberg News survey of 10 growers, analysts and traders conducted earlier this month. Officials in Vietnam’s three largest growing provinces -- Dak Lak, Lam Dong and Gia Lai -- also forecast production gains.
Smaller Beans
Rainfall in Vietnam’s Central Highlands, the nation’s main coffee-growing area, was about 30 percent less this year than in previous years, An said. “It hurt the development of coffee cherries, causing the beans to have a smaller size,” An said from Vicofa, as the association is known.
Output of the next crop in Brazil, the world’s biggest overall producer, may drop to 36 million, 60-kilogram bags, the lowest in four years, after a drought hindered flowering, the South American nation’s coffee council said on Oct. 22.
Coffee shipments from producers will decline for a second year in 2010 from last year’s estimated 95.5 million bags and 2008’s 97.7 million bags, according to the International Coffee Organization.
“Roasters have waited long on the sidelines for prices to cool and with the winter approaching they may begin to cover needs,” Rajah said. Arabica may gain to $2.13 a pound, while robusta may climb to $2,150 a ton in a few weeks, Rajah said.
“Global coffee prices will be good this year, so we expect to earn $1.8 billion to $2 billion in export turnover,” said An at Vicofa, a non-governmental organization that represents producers and traders and helps to shape government policy.
--Nguyen Dieu Tu Uyen. Editors: Jake Lloyd-Smith, Matt Oakley
To contact the reporters on this story: Thomas Kutty Abraham in Mumbai at tabraham4@bloomberg.net; Nguyen Dieu Tu Uyen in Hanoi at uyen1@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: James Poole at jpoole4@bloomberg.net
http://www.businessweek.com/news
Coffee, Tea Consumption Linked to Lower Glioma Risk
THURSDAY, Oct. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Coffee and tea consumption is associated with a lower risk of glioma, according to research published in the November issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Dominique S. Michaud, of Imperial College London, and colleagues analyzed data from 410,309 men and women in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition study, who reported coffee and tea consumption in food-frequency questionnaires and were followed for a mean 8.5 years.
The researchers found that, during this time, 343 glioma and 245 meningioma cases were diagnosed. Individuals consuming at least 100 mL of coffee and tea daily were found to have a lower risk of glioma compared to those drinking less (hazard ratio, 0.66). These cutoffs for coffee and tea consumption combined weren't found to be associated with meningioma risk, nor was a 200-mL daily cutoff.
"Coffee and tea both contain caffeine and many other compounds, some of which have antioxidant properties. In fact, coffee has a greater total antioxidant capacity (i.e., cumulative capacity of food components to scavenge free radicals) than any given fruit or vegetable. Given that we did not observe an association between coffee and tea consumption and meningioma risk, it is possible that the effect of coffee, if causal, is acting late in the process of carcinogenesis by preventing tumor growth," the authors write.
Copyright © 2010 HealthDay. All rights reserved.Doctorslounge
Coffee Harvest in Vietnam May Climb on Favorable Weather, Increased Area
By Bloomberg News - Oct 25, 2010 12:26 AM ET
Coffee production in Vietnam, the largest robusta grower, may climb this year after favorable weather and expanded planting boosted the harvest, potentially easing a global shortage that’s driven prices to a two-year high.
The crop may total 1.2 million metric tons, or 20 million 60-kilogram bags, in the year from Oct. 1, according to the median from a Bloomberg News survey of 10 growers, analysts and traders. That compares with last year’s harvest of 1.05 million tons, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Separately, officials in Vietnam’s three largest growing provinces -- Dak Lak, Lam Dong and Gia Lai -- all forecast gains.
The increased production of the beans used in espressos and instant drinks may help to curb the advance in robusta futures, trading at their highest since 2008. Indonesia, a rival robusta grower, may increase output as much 3 percent to 10 million bags this year, according to the International Coffee Organization.
“The crop looked positive, with some increase in production,” said Pham Dinh Khai, director of An Giang Coffee Co.’s branch in Buon Ma Thuot, the capital of Dak Lak. Khai, one of the survey participants, predicted that nationwide output would be “at least” 1.2 million tons.
Robusta Rally
Robusta has advanced 34 percent over the past year amid what Nestor Osorio, the outgoing executive director of the International Coffee Organization, said on Sept. 7 was a “very tight situation between supply and demand.” The most-active contract on NYSE Liffe in London touched $1,910 a ton on Oct. 21, the highest since Oct. 14, 2008, and ended at $1,826 last week.
Arabica reached $2.035 a pound on ICE Futures U.S. on Oct. 21, the highest price in 13 years. Output in Brazil, the biggest producer, may drop to the lowest level in four years in 2011 after a drought hurt flowering and plants enter the lower- yielding half of a two-year cycle, the National Coffee Council, a growers’ group, said Oct. 22.
“Favorable weather has helped buoy the crop,” said Bui Hung Manh, head of the business department at Tay Nguyen Coffee Investment, Import and Export Co, referring to adequate rains, which aid flowering and fruiting. “Some new coffee-planting areas have started producing beans from this crop as well.”
Forecasts in the Bloomberg survey, undertaken between Oct. 11 and Oct. 22, ranged from 17.7 million to 22 million bags, with two forecasting a fall and eight looking for a gain. The USDA forecast for last year’s crop was issued in a June report.
‘Reasonable Rainfall’
Coffee bushes in Vietnam usually flower and form fruits between January and March, according to growers. “Vietnam experienced reasonable rainfall during blossoming, which was followed by good fruit-setting and cherry development,” the USDA said in the June report. The harvest usually starts Oct. 1
“Thanks to good weather during flowering period, the trees have more cherries this year,” said Pham Van An, head of the Lam Dong agricultural department. An, who didn’t contribute to the survey, forecast output from Lam Dong, the second-largest growing province, may gain 10 percent to about 330,000 tons.
Van Phu Bo, head of the cultivation office at Gia Lai’s agricultural department, forecast an increase in local output of 4.3 percent to 146,000 tons. Nguyen Van Sinh, deputy director of the agricultural department in Dak Lak, forecast a 5.3 percent gain to 400,000 tons.
Coffee companies expect the government to provide low- interest loans this season to help them to stockpile beans, the Vietnam Coffee and Cocoa Association said on Oct. 11. The plan, similar to state support offered late during the last harvest, may enable them to hold 300,000 to 500,000 tons from 2010-2011 output, said Luong Van Tu, chairman of the group known as Vicofa.
--Nguyen Dieu Tu Uyen. Editors: Jake Lloyd-Smith, Richard Dobson
To contact the reporter on this story: Nguyen Dieu Tu Uyen in Hanoi at uyen1@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: James Poole at jpoole4@bloomberg.net
Bloomberg
Transport of green coffee beans may be regulated
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| HILO, Hawaii (AP) — A proposal to quarantine the transport of green coffee beans from South Kona on the Big Island is to be taken up by a state Department of Agriculture advisory committee. Such a move would be made to combat the spread of the coffee berry borer pest. State Department of Agriculture Plant Industry Division Administrator Lyle Wong told the Hawaii Tribune-Herald on Friday the committee would meet in a week or so. He says if the pest is deemed an "immediate emergency" and the committee passes the proposal, it would go before the Department of Agriculture board for approval and implementation. A quarantine would mean green, or non-roasted, coffee beans would have to be treated with heat or an insecticide before being shipped off-island. |
Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee
Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee or Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee is a classification of coffee grown in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica. The best lots of Blue Mountain coffee are noted for their mild flavour and lack of bitterness. Over the last several decades, this coffee has developed a reputation that has made it one of the most expensive and sought-after coffees in the world; over 80% of all Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is exported to Japan. In addition to its use for brewed coffee, the beans are the flavor base of Tia Maria coffee liqueur.
Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is a globally protected certification mark, meaning only coffee certified by the Coffee Industry Board of Jamaica can be labeled as such. It comes from a recognised growing region in the Blue Mountain region of Jamaica, and its cultivation is monitored by the Coffee Industry Board of Jamaica.
The Blue Mountains are generally located between Kingston to the south and Port Antonio to the north. Rising to 2,300 metres (7,500 ft), they are some of the highest mountains in the Caribbean. The climate of the region is cool and misty with high rainfall. The soil is rich, with excellent drainage. This combination of climate and soil is considered ideal for coffee. Wiki
Per Burman Coffee
Mavis Banks is one of the top quality producers and the largest millfor Blue Mountain coffee, this is the excellent new 2010 crop. One ofthe best prepared coffees in the world.
It is rich, subtle, smooth and delicate, over roast it and yourisk loosing those sweet, complex undertones of chocolate and fruit.
An excellent balanced coffee with a lovely aroma, with a very smooth finish.
Just the one for special occasions, keep some around.
All Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee must be certified by the coffeeindustry board of Jamaica. The regulations are very strict and much ofthe coffee is rejected.
Tasting Notes:
You can tell this is an island premium coffee upon your first sip.Light to medium bodied this is one delicate cup of coffee with manydifferent flavors that come out. Crisp and clean this cup is markedwith fruity highlights and a sweet molasses bottom.
My opinion
The bottom line is this. This is probably the finest coffee you will ever drink. This coffee has a light/sweet taste with a light chocolate aftertaste. No bitterness what so ever in this bean. So if you have a roaster try this coffee, you won't regret it. But at $19 a pound, for most people, this will not be an everyday coffee.
***Media Alert*** Green Mountain Coffee Invites Coffee Drinkers Nationwide to a Live, Fair Trade E-Tasting
WHAT: Green
Mountain Coffee(R), part of the Specialty Coffee
Business Unit of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc.
/quotes/comstock/15*!gmcr/quotes/nls/gmcr
(GMCR
31.60,
+0.00,
+0.01%)
, invites coffee drinkers nationwide to "The
Fair Trade-Out e-Tasting," a live, guided tasting of their top
selling Fair Trade Certified(TM) coffees.
WHO: The tasting will feature the following special guests:
-- Fair Trade USA President and CEO Paul Rice
-- Lindsey Bolger, Senior Director of Coffee Sourcing and Relationships
for GMCR's Specialty Coffee Business Unit
-- Costa Rican coffee farmers from Coopelibertad, a Fair Trade
cooperative.
WHEN: The Fair Trade-Out e-Tasting will be broadcast from Green Mountain
Coffee's coffee lab via UStream on Tuesday, October 26, 2010, at 4:00 p.m. ET. Participants can
also follow the tasting and submit questions via the hashtag #eTaste on Twitter.
WHY: The e-Tasting is part of "The Fair Trade-Out," Green Mountain Coffee's campaign to celebrate Fair Trade Month in October and encourage coffee drinkers to trade out their daily cup for Fair Trade Certified varieties. Fair Trade provides a fair, guaranteed price to coffee farmers for their beans, resulting in higher quality coffee, and a higher quality of life in coffee-farming communities. Green Mountain Coffee recently traded out its Our Blend and Vermont Country Blend coffees to be Fair Trade Certified.
This month Green Mountain Coffee commissioned a study showing that Americans love their coffee, but know very little about what's in their cup, how to make a great cup of coffee, or how their choice of coffee can have an impact on communities around the world. Participants in thee-Tasting will learn what to look for in a good cup and hear first-hand how Fair Trade benefits coffee farmers. Participants will be able to submit questions about coffee and Fair Trade to coffee farmers from Costa Rica and Fair Trade coffee experts.
Green Mountain Coffee offers one of the largest selections of double-certified, Fair Trade organic coffees in the country. In its fiscal year 2009, GMCR purchased 16.2 million pounds of Fair Trade coffee that delivered over$1.6 million to coffee farmers in Fair Trade premiums for community development.
About Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc./quotes/comstock/15*!gmcr/quotes/nls/gmcr(GMCR31.60,+0.00,+0.01%)
As a leader in the specialty coffee industry, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. is recognized for its award-winning coffees, innovative brewing technology, and socially responsible business practices. GMCR's operations are managed through two business units. The Specialty Coffee business unit produces coffee, tea and hot cocoa from its family of brands, including Tully's Coffee(R), Green Mountain Coffee(R),Newman's Own(R) Organics coffee, Timothy's World Coffee(R)and Diedrich(R), Coffee People(R) and Gloria Jeans(R),a trademark licensed to the Company for use in North America and owned by Gloria Jeans Coffees International Pty. Ltd. The Keurig business unit is a pioneer and leading manufacturer of gourmet single-cup brewing systems. K-Cup(R)portion packs for Keurig(R) Single-Cup Brewers are produced by a variety of roasters, including Green Mountain Coffee, Tully's,Timothy's and Diedrich. GMCR supports local and global communities by offsetting 100% of its direct greenhouse gas emissions, investing in Fair Trade Certified(TM) coffee, and donating at least five percent of its pre-tax profits to social and environmental projects. Visit www.gmcr.com for more information.
GMCR routinely posts information that may be of importance to investors in the Investor Services section of its web site, including news releases and its complete financial statements, as filed with the SEC.The Company encourages investors to consult this section of its web site regularly for important information and news. Additionally, by subscribing to the Company's email alerts, individuals can receive news directly from GMCR as it is released.
GMCR-S
SOURCE: Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc.
GMCR's Specialty Coffee Business Unit
Sandy Yusen, 866-968-2739
sandy.yusen@gmcr.com
Copyright Business Wire 2010
