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Matthew Panzarino was Managing Editor at TNW. He's no longer with the company, but you can follow him on Twitter. Matthew Panzarino was Managing Editor at TNW. He's no longer with the company, but you can follow him on Twitter.
Sprint has today confirmed that it will be offering its iPhone users unlimited 3G data and a 5GB cap on hotspot data, reports Phone Scoop. Customers looking to purchase the iPhone 4S will have more choices of carrier than ever this time around as the news device is arriving on Sprint as well as Verizon and AT&T.
Sprint spokesperson Michelle Leff Mermelstein told All Things D that “we will be offering the benefit of our unlimited plans that start at just $69.99,” which includes unlimited data and 450 voice minutes as well as unlimited mobile-to-mobile calling. If you want unlimited calling as well it jumps to $99 a month.
When quizzed if the network would be able to take the strain of thousands of iPhone users, Mermelstein said, “we have every confidence in the ability of our 3G network to handle the influx of devices we expect to get. it certainly hasn’t been an issue to date.”
This parity among three major networks in the US makes it more important than ever for each carrier to find a distinguishing characteristic to draw customers toward it that may have purchased the device on one of its competitors. As Sascha Segan puts it, Sprint is Unlimited, Verizon is Reliable and AT&T is Fast.
Apple officially announced that Sprint would become an iPhone carrier at its event yesterday. The carrier will be getting the iPhone 4S at the standard prices with contract:
- iPhone 4S 16GB $199
- iPhone 4S 32GB $299
- iPhone 4S 64GB $399
Pre-orders begin October 7th for the iPhone 4S, for an October 14th release, but currently Apple’s home page says “Sprint coming soon” so we’re not sure when exactly it will be available.
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Advertising Week wasn’t the only game in town during this last week of September. Notable news on both the programmatic and traditional local TV fronts emerged from the other big media event held in New York, the Television Bureau of Advertising’s Forward Conference.
On the programmatic side, Videa, the Cox Media Group supply-side platform that began beta testing late last year, announced its official launch. And in the traditional arena, Nielsen announced that it will expand its Portable People Meter tech into local TV ratings.
Two Big Players In Local PTV
Videa’s platform enables buyers to plan and buy full local TV schedules on a forward-reserve basis, “leveraging the same kind of consumer segmentation data they use to buy, analyze and optimize digital programmatic media,” MediaPost summarized in its first-day coverage.
Videa said that 200-plus stations have signed to offer their inventory directly through the platform, which can be bought as market clusters to optimize audience reach across schedules. In addition to its parent Cox Media, Videa said it now has inventory deals with Graham Media Group, Gray, Hearst Television, Raycom, E.W. Scripps Company, TEGNA and Media General.
About a dozen agencies, including Dentsu Aegis’ Carat, Publicis’ Starcom, and independents U.S. International Media (USIM) and Empower MediaMarketing, are working with Videa to implement programmatic buys. The platform also has partnerships with about the same number of demand-side platforms, including TubeMogul, The Trade Desk and VideoAmp.
Mitch Oscar, director of programmatic strategy at USIM, cites the ability to buy schedules programmatically weeks or months in advance, as in traditional television buying; the partnerships with major station groups and working relationships with several key agencies; and the platform’s integration with the media-buying workflow/processing systems used by agencies (Mediaocean’s Spectra and Comcast’s Strata) as being among Videa’s positives.
“In my view, it’s another good sign for
programmatic television’s evolution that a traditional television station-group owner like Cox is willing to invest in creating a company like [Videa] from the bottom up,” Oscar tells
Audience Buying Insider.
Videa still needs to build or partner on a trafficking and billing component, he noted, while billing and trafficking are core functionalities of the competitive WideOrbit WO Programmatic TV platform, which also has relationships with major TV station groups, DSPs and agencies.
“There are differences in the approaches and models of the two platforms,” Oscar observes. “WideOrbit’s, which comes out of a digital media perspective, has been in the marketplace for more than a year now, so it will be interesting to see what happens now that Videa is actively out there. Both will need to continue to work with the buy and sell sides to test and evolve their systems.”
Portable Meter To Local
In a welcome piece of news for traditional local television buying, Nielsen announced that it will start introducing its Portable People Meter (PPM) measurement technology in its local market TV ratings service for both in-home and out-of-home viewing in 2017.
The addition of the individual-person (vs. household) PPM panelists to local TV service will “effectively double the sample size, provide local clients with ratings that reflect precise measurement of local viewing behaviors and insights, and boost ratings fidelity,” promised Nielsen.
Already used for Nielsen’s audio measurement service, PPM will be extended to include TV viewing from 75,000-plus PPM panelists across 44 local TV markets. Nielsen says that this should result in a 40% decrease in “zero audience estimates” (viewing that falls below statistically valid measurement levels).
“Nielsen is maximizing the strengths of various data sets, including PPM data and Return Path data, to help our local clients understand their total audience by capturing all sources of viewing,” stated Megan Clarken, president, Nielsen Product Leadership.
Clarken, who said that Nielsen is “the only measurement provider that can directly measure the out-of-home television audience,” added that Nielsen will, in Q1 2017, also release a stand-alone service that will enable users in the 44 market areas to see incremental audience generated by out-of-home viewing. PPM will be able to measure TV viewing in bars, offices, hotel rooms and other places outside of the home. Impact data for out-of-home and in-home viewing inclusive of PPM data are expected in Q3, she said.
Nielsen’s objective is to improve the “stability and depth” of its local TV ratings, along with upgrading its national television ratings, as it simultaneously introduces cross-platform, Total Audience measurement.
PPM’s extension into local TV ratings “is a good thing, especially if we see the 40% decrease in zero audience estimates Nielsen is anticipating,” comments Liz Kelly, EVP broadcast media director for USIM, which derives about half of its roughly $1 billion in billings from local television and radio.
“Advertisers are always looking for more impactful ways to reach their audience,” Kelly says. “With all of the different ways video can be consumed, this should help tell us how and where the consumer is viewing the content. We should be better informed on how to reach our target contextually, rather than just reaching by mass impressions.”

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Microsoft Seeks $15.00 Per Phone Fee From Samsung
The fact that Microsoft has over 10,000 patents isn’t going to stop them from charging $15 per non-Windows 7 (Android) phones Samsung sells. This move seems to indicate Microsoft’s forecast for their Windows 7 phone is not as promising as it once looked.
An unnamed communications industry source indicates Microsoft’s partnering with Samsung shows how much more profitable the Android platform is over Windows 7.
Microsoft has already established partnership agreements with HTC. These agreements and patent fees are not usually publicized but when Samsung the largest Android phone manufacturer is paying $15.00 per phone patent fees on sales they report at around 10 million Galaxy Series S in seven months, its news.
Patent fee agreements between large corporations ensure consumers will see more costs passed on to them. This revelation clarifies how a $400.00 phone purchased today can be bought six months later for $50.00.


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In the bustling streets of Kenya, where time is of the essence and food waste poses a formidable challenge, a groundbreaking startup is changing the game. Quick Cart Africa Inc., a Kenyan-based e-commerce trailblazer, has burst onto the scene with an innovative app that promises doorstep grocery deliveries within a mere 10 minutes.
In a region where every minute counts, Quick Cart’s mission goes beyond convenience. It’s a mission to combat post-harvest food loss and reshape the landscape of grocery delivery and sustainability. With the power of technology and a dedication to social impact, Quick Cart aims to significantly reduce the alarming gap between food harvesting and consumption.
A Tech-Powered Vision
Quick Cart’s journey towards revolutionizing grocery delivery hinges on harnessing the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) models. Their primary focus? Fresh produce. By accurately forecasting demand through AI and ML, Quick Cart can guide merchants to optimize their product offerings efficiently, minimizing waste.
Joel Mutua, co-founder of Quick Cart, emphasizes the company’s commitment to this vision, stating, “What sets Quick Cart apart from other platforms is its remarkable promise of a 10-minute delivery window from the moment an order is placed.” This promise has been consistently delivered upon since the startup’s inception.
Seamless Shopping Experience
Quick Cart’s innovative platform, which went live in January 2023, is accessible through web browsers and mobile apps for both Android and iOS. The startup’s commitment to freshness is underscored by sourcing products from local merchants.
Currently serving three Nairobi locations—Hurlingam, Kileleshwa, and Kilimani—Quick Cart has grand ambitions to extend its coverage across the entire city. The Quick Cart shopping experience is lauded as “nothing short of seamless,” from the hassle-free onboarding process to the efficient checkout system.
Cultivating Social Impact
Quick Cart doesn’t stop at reshaping the grocery delivery landscape. It is actively fostering social impact through strategic partnerships. Recognizing the importance of collaboration in addressing Africa’s challenges, the startup has proactively sought alliances.
One of Quick Cart’s key partnerships is with local farmers and retailers, affectionately known as “Mama Mbogas,” aimed at promoting community-led growth. This collaborative approach seeks to uplift local communities while addressing the food waste crisis head-on.
The Looming Crisis
Africa grapples with a pressing post-harvest loss problem, accounting for a staggering US$4 billion annually, as reported by Goobjoog. The World Food Programme identifies this issue as a leading cause of global food insecurity, with a staggering 1.3 billion tons of food produced for human consumption lost or wasted.
Developing markets often face acute challenges, particularly in the preservation of excess inventory due to the lack of specialized storage facilities. However, Quick Cart Africa’s innovative approach is poised to be a game-changer in this landscape.
The Digital Shopping Revolution
The post-pandemic era has witnessed a transformative shift in the digital shopping experience. More consumers in Kenya and beyond are embracing online shopping, driven by convenience, safety, and efficiency. Quick Cart Africa has positioned itself at the forefront of this digital revolution, offering not just groceries but also a sustainable solution to a crisis that affects us all.
In a world where time is a precious commodity and food security is paramount, Quick Cart Africa’s 10-minute service is not just a convenience; it’s a beacon of hope for a more sustainable and efficient future.
Stay tuned as Quick Cart Africa continues its mission to revolutionize grocery delivery and tackle the food waste crisis—one fresh, fast delivery at a time.
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BRADFORD, England , /PRNewswire/ —
Provident is continuing to carve a reputation out as one of the planet’s most accountable financial businesses by yet again being contained in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes.
The DJSI World tracks the performance for the top tenpercent associated with 2500 biggest businesses within the Dow Jones worldwide complete inventory Market Index that lead the field with regards to sustainability, using the DJSI Europe monitoring the sustainability performance of this top 20percent associated with 600 biggest companies that are european.
When it comes to 7th year that is successive Provident happens to be selected for addition both in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World) and Dow Jones Sustainability European countries Index (DJSI European countries).
The Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes were launched in 1999 as the very first international sustainability benchmarks. The Indexes depend on an internationally recognised leading business Sustainability Assessment (CSA) methodology which means they consist of only companies that fulfil specific sustainability requirements which can be much better than nearly all their peers.
Provident’s general rating within the 2011 Indexes was 63% (2010: 59%) – 23% points greater than the typical overall rating of this other programs into the monetary solutions sector – with ‚best in course‘ ratings for ecological monitoring and reporting, and ratings of over 80% according of a selection of other CR dilemmas, including anti-crime policy/measures, stakeholder engagement and social reporting.
Rob Lawson , business obligation supervisor at Provident Financial stated: „We are pleased to continue to be contained in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes and remain dedicated to disclosing home elevators our business duty (CR) performance to your stakeholders.“


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Bridgestone tyres lost millions of dollars in the past two years of manufacturing in New Zealand, despite revenues rising to $217 million last year.
The Japanese tyres manufacturer announced the closure of their plant in Christchurch by Christmas, sacking 275 people in a move that has devastated workers, their union says.
Companies Office files show Bridgestone, a tyre maker, retailer and wholesaler, lost $7.1 million in the 2008 calendar year in New Zealand.
The Bridgestone NZ loss in the previous year was $3.8m. The firm made a $1.2m profit in 2006.
In announcing the closure of the Christchurch plant and one in Adelaide, Australia, Bridgestone’s owners in Japan blamed intensifying cost competition globally. In Adelaide, 600 jobs will go.
Bridgestone is Japan’s biggest maker of tyres and in the half year to June made a loss of 38.3 billion, hit by the economic downturn in Japan, the United States and Europe.
“Despite continued efforts to improve cost competitiveness at both plants, international competitive forces have been making tyre manufacturing in Australia and New Zealand increasingly difficult to the point where the operations in both countries are no longer viable,” the company said.
Alex Kapadia, Operations Team


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The United States can combine its strengths in agriculture and manufacturing and leverage them with new technology, such as biotechnology, to grow our economy and jobs. That simple premise underpins the Farm Bill energy programs, which with recent reauthorization and expansion promise to continue supporting rural business formation, investment and job growth.
Sen. Debbie StabenowDebbie StabenowMedicare’s coverage decisions need more input from physicians Members help package meals at Kraft Heinz charity event in DC Senate braces for fallout over Supreme Court fight MORE (D-Mich.) led the multiyear, bipartisan effort to reauthorize the Farm Bill. The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) and MichBio stood with her back in October 2011 as she launched her “Grow It Here, Make It Here” initiative, which aimed to make Farm Bill energy programs more effective for U.S. companies. The initiative laid out a concrete path for the United States to use its leadership in technology and manufacturing know-how to generate consumer products from homegrown renewable agricultural resources. With this successful initiative in place, the Farm Bill’s energy programs now support companies that make biobased products and renewable chemicals.
The economic potential for renewable chemicals and biobased products is significant. A recent report by Nexant, prepared for the USDA, estimates an annual economic boost for the U.S. of $775 million by 2017, through production of renewable chemicals. That potential grows to $3 billion in annual economic activity by 2022, which would more than 19,000 new jobs.
The United States is already home to more than 3,000 companies that manufacture biobased products. Some 80 companies make their home in Michigan. And many other states are experiencing growth in this sector. For instance, New York has more than 150 companies; Ohio more than 135; and Minnesota and Pennsylvania more than 120 each. More than 1,000 products have been certified by the USDA to carry the BioPreferred label, which identifies the percentage of renewable biobased content in the product.
The Senate Agriculture Committee is today hosting a showcase of homegrown biobased products and the companies that make them. The Committee is also holding a hearing on policies that foster growth of the biobased economy, with companies such as Coca-Cola and Cargill testifying about their plans for producing sustainable, renewable consumer products.
The hearing will highlight the plain fact that farm energy programs are key to America’s future economic growth. The continuing implementation of these programs will help turn biotech and alternative energy research and development into new, cutting-edge jobs and bring economic development to rural areas that need it. The programs will leverage private investment for building new rural businesses, help farmers to introduce new crops specifically for renewable energy, and create new jobs.
Rapundalo, PhD, is president and CEO of MichBio; Pellerito is senior policy consultant at the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO).


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Derek Tillotson Blue Diamond, October 2009
“From all angles, it’s really been an amazing experience.”
For Derek Tillotson, Nu Skin is more than just a network marketing company that provides the opportunity for individual business success. It’s his life.
In fact, it’s always been his life.
“I was raised in a family that had Nu Skin as a very big part of the family,” he said. “My dad was a distributor. My grandma was a distributor and I have four uncles are all in the business as well.”
Aside from all the distributor involvement in Derek’s family, he learned from an early age about the Nu Skin corporate side while watching his mother, one of the Nu Skin founders, work.
Derek, a student from Salt Lake City, joined Nu Skin as a distributor working full-time two years ago and hasn’t slowed down since.
“I’ve been a distributor since I was a senior in high school, but then I really took action and started taking this serious just under two years ago,” he said.
Derek’s draw to Nu Skin comes from the opportunity to help other people through the company’s various charitable opportunities.
“From all angles, it’s really been an amazing experience,” he added. “I feel like I’m doing a good deed, and I’m helping out other people.”
Derek feels that success in the Nu Skin business comes from one’s ability to understand the vehicle that is Nu Skin. His understanding of the company and his hard work and efforts has paid off, as he and his wife took in the festivities of the October 2009 Blue Diamond trip.
Now, Derek sees a chance to replicate the success in the Nu Skin business that he saw growing up in a Nu Skin household.
“My trust in Nu Skin is because I’ve had an unbelievable experience in my 24 years with the company,” he said. “As a beneficiary of another distributor’s success, I’m trying to duplicate that myself.”
*To qualify for any pin level you must meet all requirements of the Sales Compensation Plan, including retail sales. For a complete summary of the Sales Compensation Plan please contact the company at 800-487-1000 or go to www.nuskin.com.


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MODESTO — Bob Shipley meant to go to law school but ended up in the company of young pigeons favored by fine chefs.
He will retire Friday after 32 years as president of Squab Producers of California, a Modesto-based outfit that is the nation's largest processor of this kind of poultry.
Shipley has seen it through good times, when a strong economy built demand, and tougher times more recently with the rising cost of corn, which is 90 percent of the birds' diet.
"This company is healthy and comfortable, but not as profitable as it was in the '80s, '90s or early 2000s," he said Thursday at the plant, just east of Crows Landing Road.
The company is a cooperative owned by 65 squab growers, most of them in the Northern San Joaquin Valley and others as distant as Marysville and Fresno. It was founded in the Bay Area in 1943 and moved to Modesto in 1983.
Dalton Rasmussen, a Hughson-area squab grower with experience in food processing, will be the next president.
The plant handles other niche poultry, such as a small chicken known as poussin and a black-skinned type called silkie. It also processes under contract for other specialty poultry companies.
The 35 employees handle about 60,000 birds of all types per week, wearing smocks and gloves and taking other precautions for food safety.
Squab, still the signature product, sell for about $23 apiece online. The birds yield a dark, moist meat that was treasured by the ancient pharaohs.
Today's product is sold mainly to high-end restaurants around the country, to Chinese New Year celebrants in San Francisco and elsewhere, and to Asian export markets.
"So many chefs consider squab to be their favorite poultry, but it's expensive," Shipley said.
Squab is a rarity at stores and restaurants in Stanislaus County, despite its leading role on the farm side.
Growers in 2011 raised 518,032 birds and received about $1.9 million in gross income, a tiny piece of the $3.1 billion from all farm products, according to the county agricultural commissioner.
The pigeons, of a type different than those found in city parks, are raised in wooden boxes with one side open to the sun. Males and females mate for life and share in the care of the babies, which are sent to market at four weeks.
"The birds take care of themselves," Shipley said. "Our job is to manage the breeders and try to keep them as happy as we can."
Shipley has served as chairman of the California Poultry Federation, a Modesto-based group that mainly deals with the far larger chicken and turkey industries.
"He was one of the most dynamic and innovative chairmen we have had," president Bill Mattos said, "and he was one of the most active small-market members we have had."
Mattos said squab likely will not grow into a major product but will still serve niche markets "in the Asian community and white-tablecloth restaurants."
Shipley studied rhetoric at the University of California at Santa Barbara, with the idea of moving on to law school. A management job at a supermarket chain led him eventually to the food-processing business.
He is retiring at the same time as his wife, Kathy Shipley, chair of the liberal studies department at California State University, Stanislaus. They have two sons.
Rasmussen, who will start his new job at Squab Producers on Monday, also has been working as production manager at SupHerb Farms, an herb processor in Turlock.
"I really do think that there's a lot of opportunity for squab," he said. "I also think there's a lot of opportunity for custom processing at the plant."
On the Net: Visit www.squab.com to place orders or get more information about Squab Producers of California.
Bee agribusiness writer John Holland can be reached at email@example.com or (209) 578-2385.


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Gart’s Mark Sidell counts on ‘patience and groundwork’
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The man perhaps most responsible for bringing popular global retailer H&M to Colorado revealed the secret to making the deal: patience and a lot of groundwork.
Denver-based Gart bought the 347,000-square-foot shopping center on the 16th Street Mall in 2008 and immediately sunk tens of millions of dollars into infrastructure work, mainly into escalators, elevators and huge LED signs to increase visibility.
“It was important to provide an opportunity for every tenant to have a face on the 16th Street Mall, whether that was through the LED signs or other signage,” Sidell said.
With an average of 46,102 pedestrians per day walking by the center, according to the most recent traffic counts by the Downtown Denver Partnership (DDP), it’s easy to see why that would be important to a retailer.
Sidell said patience was the key to signing up H&M, which Gart had tried to land since buying the property. H&M will go into the former NikeTown space.
“The secret is listening and figuring out what everyone needs to make them put a check in the ‘win’ column, he said. “Listening and waiting make the biggest difference,” he said. “A lot of people are in a hurry to figure it out.”
It was also the topping on a “building block” process that included the upgrades, which attracted Forever 21 to a 32,000 square-foot-space.
Now with H&M — which is expected to open in November, before the busy holiday shopping season — Sidell said he’s getting calls from retailers who never would have looked at Denver before.
Dennis Huspeni covers real estate and retail for the Denver Business Journal and writes for the "Real Deals" blog. Phone: 303-803-9232.
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Motor Co. Chairman and CEO Bill Ford will take over duties of President and Chief Operating Officer Jim Padilla, who will retire July 1 and give up his seat on the company’s board of directors in May.
Padilla’s exit had been rumored for months. Since Mark Fields was named president-The Americas last September and began leading a major restructuring effort, Padilla, 59, appeared to have a reduced role at the auto maker.
Billnow will oversee a new Executive Operating Committee, composed of the auto maker’s executive vice presidents, including Fields; Mark Schulz, president-International Operations; Lewis Booth, head of Ford of Europe and the Premier Automotive Group; Ann Stevens, COO-The Americas; and Chief Financial Officer Don Leclair.
Fields and Schulz, who had reported to Padilla, now will report directly to Bill Ford.
Padilla has spent 40 years at Ford much of it on the manufacturing side. He also was president of Ford South America Operations from 1996 to 1998. He assumed his current position in February 2005.


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KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water (KeTTHA) is targeting to generate RM1.6 billion in business leads through its annual and eighth edition of the International Greentech & Eco Products Exhibition & Conference Malaysia (IGEM 2017).
"As urban populations continue to rise, it is becoming increasingly important to create sustainable living spaces through ecological innovations and practices,” said KeTTHA’s acting deputy minister, Datuk Seri SK Devamany in a statement.
“This year’s theme of Powering Green Cities not only reflects this necessity, but also ties in seamlessly with Malaysia’s TN50 aspiration of creating a greener future whereby cities are powered by renewable energy, people commute via electric and energy efficient vehicles as well as live and work in green buildings.”
“In fact, we expect to attract 25,000 trade visitors from over 20 countries this year, and is aiming to generate RM1.6 billion in business leads.”
This year’s event also is set to highlight key areas of green technology critical to the development of sustainable cities through dedicated zones that cover green energy, green transport, green buildings and green industry, with major players presenting their latest innovations for trade visitors to explore the promising opportunities in green technology.
It will also include international pavilions from China, Japan, Korea as well as regional representation from Taiwan and European Union countries via the EU-Malaysia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (EUMCCI).
Organised by KeTTHA and co-organised by Malaysian Green Technology Corporation (GreenTech Malaysia), the region’s go-to green technology platform will be held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre from 11th to 13th October and will feature 320 exhibitor booths.
Since its inception in 2010, IGEM has established a successful track record of generating business leads exceeding RM10 billion, attracting over 2,000 exhibitors and 380,000 visitors from more than 50 countries.
Source by : New Straits Times


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Digicel Jamaica’s head of legal and regulatory affairs, Richard Fraser, has responded to reports of a lawsuit from the nation’s Fair Trade Commission (FTC) regarding the company’s merger with Mexico-based Claro claiming that no legal challenge has yet been served on either company. In a letter to local newspaper Jamaica Observer, Fraser outlined the benefits that the merger will provide to consumers, and criticised the FTC for its attempt to ‘squeeze merger regulation through the back door, when it has admitted on numerous occasions that it has no power or statutory authority concerning the regulation of mergers and acquisitions’. The FTC has been aware of the companies’ plans since March 2011 and its failure to bring Claro or Digicel to court suggests, according to Fraser, that the commission is reconsidering its position, acknowledging that it is unlikely to win a case brought against the cellcos. As previously reported by CommsUpdate, the basis for the FTC’s challenge is that the merger will significantly reduce competition in the wireless market, and therefore harm end users. Jamaica’s third and smallest wireless provider by subscribers, UK-based LIME, in an unsuccessful legal challenge shortly after the merger was approved, made a similar case claiming that the prime minister had acted unlawfully, and to the detriment of the sector.
Faced with opposition from the competition regulator, and its sole rival, Digicel said that it ‘strenuously refute[s] any contention by the FTC or otherwise that consumer welfare will be negatively impacted as a result of the acquisition’. Rather, customers will benefit from lower rates; Digicel announced earlier this month that it would reduce cross-network tariffs by up to 20%. The company will invest a further USD30 million in the sector, reportedly to integrate the two networks and spectrum, though one of the conditions of the merger was that the networks would remain separate. The combined company will also drive innovation by rolling out a HSPA+ network with 80% coverage, previously planned by Claro allowing faster download speeds than the current HSDPA networks operated by LIME − and previously by Claro.
If the FTC is unsuccessful in its bid to acquire an injunction, the acquisition will see the enlarged Digicel control approximately 77% of the market whilst its only remaining rival, LIME will control 23%.


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Virbac has launched VeggieDent FR3SH Dental Chews which incorporate technology that targets the causes of halitosis in dogs in three ways – cleanses, cools and addresses digestive causes of bad breath.
Product manager Claire Lewis said VeggieDent FR3SH Dental Chews provide significant daily breath improvement from day one for a full 24 hours, as well as continued breath improvement over a two-week period. Ninety percent of owners highlighted an improvement in bad breath following use of the chews, she added
Still offering the same benefits as traditional C.E.T. VeggieDent Tartar Control Chews for Dogs, including a proprietary Z-shape to maximise prehension, VeggieDentvFR3SH is proven to reduce calculus and plaque when given daily, Ms Lewis said.
She added: “With two out of three pet owners having a least one dog with bad breath, we are delighted to be able to add new VeggieDent FR3SH to the Virbac range of oral healthcare products.”


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Catherine Rampell shows how much holiday sales matter:
As you can see, holiday sales make up a decent chunk of annual sales across the retail industry. In the jewelry subsector alone, 29.51 percent of annual sales come during the holiday season. In other words, a disappointing holiday season can affect 2011, too.
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.The announcement was made this Wednesday (14) to the Argentinean authorities of Economy and Industry
. Vehicle assembly will start in the city of Cordoba in 2024
. Production will be of VW Delivery, Constellation and Volksbus models
Volkswagen Truck & Bus has just signed a partnership with Volkswagen Argentina for the assembly of its products in the country. The new factory will be inaugurated in the beginning of 2024, in the city of Cordoba, and its main objective will be to supply the local market. The announcement was made this Wednesday (14) to Sergio Massa, Minister of Economy of the Nation, and José Ignacio de Mendiguren, Secretary of Industry and Productive Development, by Roberto Cortes, President and CEO of Volkswagen Truck & Bus, and Marcellus Puig, President and CEO of VW Group Argentina.
"Next year, our brand will celebrate 25 years in Argentina, which is historically our most important export destination in South America. Today we have a successful commercial operation between our companies, with shared management and a network of local dealerships. Nothing better than celebrating this anniversary in advance with such a special announcement, which will also reinforce our internationalization strategy", said Roberto Cortes, President and CEO of VWTB.
Five models are currently imported from Brazil and will be assembled in Cordoba, where transmissions for automobiles and, starting this December, the high-end Ducati Scrambler 803cc motorcycle are already being produced. The assembly line will be installed in an exclusive area of 15,000 square meters for the trucks VW Delivery 9.170 and 11.180, the Constellation 17.280 chassis cab and tractor versions, as well as the VW Volksbus 15.190 OD bus chassis.
"Volkswagen Group Argentina's Cordoba Industrial Center is recognized among the Group's component factories in the world for its great professionalism and excellent team. That is why it is a great pride that it continues to be selected to carry out new innovative projects of the VW Group in Argentina, as is the case of Ducati with the recent start of production of Scrambler in the country, and now this ambitious truck and bus project", said Marcellus Puig.
With more than 1.1 million vehicles produced in 42 years of history, VWTB is present in more than 30 countries in Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. The company has plants in Resende (RJ), Brazil, and Querétaro, Mexico, as well as partnerships in São Paulo (SP) for the production of MAN D08 and D26 engines, and vehicles in Pinetown, South Africa, and Manila, Philippines. In total, its dealer and authorized importer networks have more than 340 sales outlets worldwide.


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“The results of Fortune‘s quarterly survey of Apple (AAPL) analysts are in,” Philip Elmer-DeWitt reports for Fortune.
“The professionals are, as usual, more cautious than the amateurs — but not consistently so (see iPods, Macs and iTunes),” P.E.D. reports. “Nobody, however, is expecting a blow-out quarter. Earnings estimates are down across the board — anywhere from -7% year over year (according to independent Patrick Smellie from the Braeburn Group) to -29% (Susquehanna’s Chris Caso).”
P.E.D. reports, “Most agree that revenues will be flat or down slightly, although there’s still a $5.5 billion gap between Caso’s $32.8 billion and the $38.3 billion submitted by the Braeburn Group’s Ilari Scheinin.”
Read more and check out the full chart of the analysts’ estimates here.
Wall Street analysts expect Apple to report fairly miserable Q313 results – July 22, 2013
For Apple’s earnings, it’s all eyes on the iPhone – July 22, 2013
Apple to report Q313 earnings results on July 23rd amid drastically lowered expectations – July 10, 2013


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NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Tropic, the all-in-one SaaS procurement platform that helps companies optimize their software spend, today announced a partnership with Tranch, a B2B Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) provider, to allow its customers to pay their software costs on their terms. The Tranch partnership is the latest addition to Tropic's robust SaaS procurement solution that streamlines every stage of SaaS purchasing from discovery to purchase to management. In addition to Tropic customers reducing their annual SaaS spend by 20%, the BNPL option gives companies flexibility in payment options, giving high growth companies more control over their cash flow.
“In this period of economic uncertainty, cash is definitely king, but effective cash flow management is weighing heavily on the minds of many growing businesses. With software now a top three spending category for most companies, today's businesses need more payment options that offer flexibility, seamlessness and predictability for responsible software spend,” said David Campbell, CEO and co-founder of Tropic. “The addition of a BNPL option is another way Tropic is helping its customers make SaaS buying a strategic advantage, by allowing them to pay on their terms.”
Under this new partnership, Tropic customers can submit invoices via Tranch, who will pay SaaS suppliers in full, up-front. Customers then pay the balance over any term up to 12 months. Customers will not incur any Tropic fees for using the BNPL option and can often offset their Tranch fees with discounts typically offered by suppliers for up-front payments. Customers simply connect bank accounts via Plaid to start instantly and be approved.
“The payment experience for large invoices from software to legal fees is a major blocker to growth for countless businesses,” said Philip Kelvin, co-founder and CEO of Tranch. “We are excited to partner with Tropic as they help companies take control of their SaaS spend by providing these businesses with flexible options for how they pay for their software invoices. Tranch’s BNPL allows companies to prioritize the spend they need for growth, without compromising the SaaS tools they need to get there.”
Tropic makes buying and managing SaaS ridiculously easy. Companies of all sizes—from startups to Fortune 500s—use Tropic to buy software, manage contracts, and guarantee savings. By delivering a rich combination of data, tools, and services, Tropic enables customers to save an average of 23% and 400+ hours annually on software buying. Tropic manages hundreds of millions in spend for companies like Daily Harvest, Nextdoor, Intercom, Vimeo, and Zapier. Tropic is also hiring, learn more at www.tropicapp.io.
Tranch is a B2B buy now pay later (BNPL) platform enabling SaaS and Services providers to be upfront and offer their customers flexible payment options up to 12 months, By offering a ‘Pay with Tranch’ payment method, SaaS other services providers their end-customers with an alternative way to pay for contracts worth up to $500,000.
Tranch was founded in 2021 and is based out of New York and London with backing from Global Founders Capital, Y Combinator, Soma Capital, FoundersX, TracVC and more.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221011005282/en/
Copyright Business Wire 2022


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Great news retro fans – Ubisoft has just told us that Flashback, a remake of the iconic 1992 title, will be released on August 21st 2013 as part of the XBLA Summer of Arcade.
It will also release on Playstation Network and Digital PC this spring.
The original core team revamped their own creation, leveraging the best of today’s technology while remaining true to the classic side-scroller that set the standards of the genre in the 90s. A new generation of players can now experience a game that helped define sci-fi Action/Adventure games.
In addition to the updated version of the game, Ubisoft is pleased to announce that the original Flashback will be included so players can play the original game that started it all. Now is your chance to play the re-imaged cult classic hit as well as the original game you may have missed.
Conrad is back to save humanity from an invasion of alien morphs set on absorbing our minds and incorporating our species! Rolling and shooting, always ready for another fight, help Conrad save the world and his girlfriend.
[jwplayer config=”STG Player” mediaid=”4427″]


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The Home Depot's Colores Origenes paint line, whose paint colors are described using Spanish words as a way of appealing to Hispanic consumers, had its roots in a Grupo Gallegos pitch two years ago for Home Depot's Hispanic account. Home Depot executives were so impressed by the Hispanic-targeted paint line idea that they asked Grupo Gallegos to develop and launch Colores Origenes, even though the business ultimately went to the Vidal Partnership, New York, which won Home Depot's overall Hispanic account.
The New York Times Company has made Vivian Schiller SVP and general manager of The New York Times on the Web, and Jason L. Rapp will be VP for online development and associate general manager of the Web site. Schiller will manage daily operations of NYTimes.com.
Interactive Web shops such as Tribal DDB are taking advantage of consumers' willingness to interact with companies via online games, by helping clients, including McDonald's and Volkswagen, develop games that help create brand experiences. Some agencies tackle the issue of creative development by outsourcing online game design to specialist shops such as Fuel Industries and WildTangent.


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Recently, tech giant Apple launched the new iPad Air 2022, powered by the M1 chipset. The Cupertino company has equipped the device with top notch hardware. However, based on user reports, it seems the build quality of the iPad Air has room for improvement. Several users who purchased the new iPad Air 2022 have voiced their complaints about the creaking design. Many have stated that the body of the device does not instill confidence.
Users have discussed concerns about the thinner aluminium enclosure on Apple‘s new device. It gives it a hollow sensation in the hand, according to them. Users have also stated that the new device feels like the body is extremely close to the battery unit within the device, when compared to the 2020 version of the iPad Air.
Several users have mentioned feeling like the iPad Air 2022 build quality has been a downgrade. However, the only change with the new device is the replacement of the A14 Bionic chipset with the M1 chipset.
Several users have voiced their discontentment about the device. The sheer number of buyers voicing their displeasure indicates that the build quality issues are likely not isolated.
Many of the elements of the iPad Air 2022 are borrowed from the 2020 variant. At 10.9-inch, the screen remains the same. The device even retains the Liquid Retina display. As far as the changes go, only the hardware has seen changes. The device now flaunts the M1 chipset and is equippedwith 8GB RAM.


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Bosch, one of the world’s largest auto components suppliers, has agreed to pay $25 million in order to resolve the company’s participation in the global diesel emissions scandal. The settlement was confirmed by California state Attorney General Rob Bonta, who said earlier this week Bosch has agreed to resolve the state’s probe into the firm. The settlement is still subject to approval from the court.
Bosch allegedly participated in the scandal by "providing hardware, software, and software programming or calibration services to Volkswagen and Fiat Chrysler when it knew or should have known that these auto manufacturers were violating environmental and consumer protection laws," Bonta said, quoted by Automotive News. The company, in turn, declared it "neither acknowledges the validity of the claims brought forward, nor does it concede any liability."
Several years ago, Bosch was alleged of creating diesel emissions cheating software, which was developed only for testing purposes. However, Volkswagen Group eventually decided to use it on production cars under its brands VW, Audi, Skoda, and SEAT, despite Bosch telling the company the so-called “defeat device” was illegal. In total, more than 11 million cars were delivered with software that alters the engine’s emissions during tests.
"Bosch violated consumer trust when it gave Volkswagen and Fiat Chrysler the technology they needed to skirt state and federal emissions tests," Bonta added. "Bosch's actions facilitated one of the biggest environmental crimes of our time, and today, they are paying the price."
In previous settlements, Bosch agreed to pay more than $400 million to resolve different claims over the diesel scandal. Volkswagen, in turn, had to spend more than $30 billion in different fines and penalties, as well as vehicle buybacks. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, now part of the Stellantis group, agreed to pay $300 million in a court settlement, while also paying $311 million in civil penalties and $183 million in compensation to customers.


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Intel is seen as a technology bellwether
Intel, the world's largest maker of semi-conductors, said its first-quarter net income fell 12% to $1.44bn (£0.73bn) from $1.64bn a year ago.
But the firm, whose revenues rose to a record first-quarter $9.67bn, from $8.85bn, said it was optimistic about growth opportunities in the year.
It said it had seen "healthy demand for our leading-edge processors and chipsets across all segments".
In March Intel had warned of weaker pricing on certain memory chips.
Prices of NAND flash memory-chip market have been under pressure for more than a year now.
But, announcing the results, chief executive Paul Otellini, said: "Our first quarter results demonstrate a strengthening core business and a solid global market environment."
Shares in Intel were ahead by 5% in after-the-bell trading.
Cody Acree, analyst at Stifel Nicolaus, said: "More important than anything it's simply that Intel is not giving an indication that the wheels are coming off."


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Scott Lincicome, a trade lawyer for the group Republicans Fighting Tariffs, said tariffs on $200 billion would amount to a "multibillion-dollar tax on American businesses and families" and prompt China to retaliate against American exporters.
The tariffs will not be imposed until after a two-month period of public comment on the proposed list, but some US business groups and senior lawmakers were quick to criticize the move.
They expect the tariffs to be implemented, which is likely to further escalate the trade war resulting in $US450 billion worth of USA tariffs. The United States and China launched what Beijing called the "biggest trade war in economic history" Friday, July 6, imposing tariffs on billions of dollars of each other's goods amid a spiraling dispute over technology.
Some countries have already announced retaliatory tariffs and other moves that USA industries have said forced them to curb plans for expansion and investments overseas.
Some companies had successfully lobbied to get their products excluded from an earlier list of USA tariffs.
He told reporters: "The Trump administration lacks the savvy skill to impose tariffs in such a way that doesn't simply harm every single strategic trading partner from the European Union to China". Orrin Hatch, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.
The president has repeatedly described his resort to tariffs - which are paid by American importers - as a lever to extract negotiating concessions from USA trading partners. A public hearing is scheduled for August 20-23.
"China has no option but to fight fire with fire".
Up until now, only a few companies, including Harley-Davidson Inc. and Brown-Forman Corp., have publicly said the tariffs will affect their businesses, as most United States retailers and consumer brands were spared in the first round of tariffs on Chinese imports.
The ministry released no further details about how it would spread the financial relief or whether the aid would cover the total cost of losses, but analysts said the move suggests China could significantly increase its support for industries that stand to be bled by the commercial battle. President Donald Trump had ordered him last month to draw up the list in the event China retaliated against a previous round of US tariffs.
The Washington Post's Danielle Paquette reported from Beijing.
Trade disputes are nothing new for the two economic superpowers, and they are not confined to targeting each other. These initial tariffs are unlikely to inflict serious harm to the world's two biggest economies.
After making it through the quarterfinals, the final four squads will have a couple of days to prepare for their next matches. Such issues seem a lifetime ago as Roberto Martinez prepares his charges for the biggest game in Belgian footballing history.
Small storms can morph quickly - Beryl flared up from a depression Thursday morning to a hurricane in less than 24 hours. While the storm is expected to dissipate as it nears the southern Caribbean islands, rain and winds are expects.
The US president called Boris Johnson a "friend" and indicated he may talk to the former Foreign Secretary in the UK. Mr Trump said: "The US is spending many times more than any other country in order to protect them".
The heat-related death toll continues to rise across Quebec as Environment Canada issues a smog and heat warning for today. About it reports the Montreal Gazette, citing data from the press service of the Minister of health of the province.
Just days after his inauguration in January 2017 he nominated the conservative justice Neil Gorsuch to the court. Trump had discussed the nomination with Vice President Mike Pence in Bedminster, New Jersey yesterday.
The plane, which had been expected at the Aviodrome, 'crashed in South Africa during take-off on a test flight, ' it said. Spokesperson Ernie McCarthy confirmed the incident and that Emer-G-Med paramedics were attending to the scene.
Kavanaugh also did preliminary work that led to Clinton's impeachment for an affair with a White House intern. Many , including Leo, believe that it was a major contributing factor to his victory in 2016.
Other incident commanders have told Noozhawk that, based on aerial observations, they believe only 14 structures were destroyed. Growth on Colorado's third largest wildfire in terms of size in state history has slowed, but it is still spreading.
Wade and ultimately criminalize miscarriages. "There have been a lot of times where there's been a lot of panic about Roe v. Cuomo also backs a measure, known as the Reproductive Health Act, or RHA, which would codify the rights in the Roe v.
This is in addition to the Surface Connector which can also be used for charging purposes and connecting the Surface desktop dock. The Go weighs 1.15 lbs, a little heavier than the iPad , but also about half a pound lighter than the beefier Surface Pro .
Trump's obsession with military costs would make sense if it were part of an attempt to reduce the US defense budget. This disdain for US allies is essentially the beating heart of much of Trump's foreign policy, it seems.
Whole Foods unveils its first-ever Prime Day deals
If you're a Whole Foods Visa card member, you'll also receive 10 percent back on up to $400 in purchases from July 14 to 17. Amazon is offering a free 30-day trial , meaning it is not too late to sign up and also be eligible for those offers.
'Ant-Man and the Wasp' marches to US$76m launch
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom took 3rd place with $28.5 million, bringing its worldwide take to just over a billion dollars. Universal and Blumhouse's " The First Purge " debuted on Independence Day, getting a head start on the weekend.
Samsung opens world's biggest smartphone factory in India
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday will visit Noida in Uttar Pradesh , to inaugurate a new unit of Samsung plant. The plant spans 35 acres (141 thousand sq.m.) and aims to increase overall production of devices in India by 50%.
Kylie Jenner 'Got Rid' Of Her Lip Fillers
And Kylie Jenner posted a series of selfies via her Snapchat account that showcased her noticeably smaller pout on Monday. During a six-minute clip, Jenner admits that she "bounced back fast", but that her body is not how it was pre-pregnancy.
England knows the XI for Tunisia, Delph confirms
Kane says that, despite being captain, leadership will be shared among players but that he knows he has to deliver the goals. Gerrard said: "I think the treatment of Raheem has been slightly over the top".
Four boys rescued from Thailand cave; eight delayed 10-20 hours
The pause will give divers time to prepare gear, including masks and refilling air tanks, for the next round of rescue efforts. Thirteen medical teams - each with its own ambulance and helicopter - await the boys and their coach , according to Reuters .


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Smartphones have become a crucial part of everyone’s day to day lives. They cannot go without it for even an hour. Not only for personal use, but phones are also used for work purposes. As it helps in keeping in contact with our work colleagues, clients, etc. Smartphone technology is changing at a fast pace. So it’s important for everyone to keep their’s updated.
If you are planning to upgrade your current smartphone with a new one, here are some future smartphones that you should consider for the upgrade. These phones have not launched yet, but you’ll be able to see these soon in 2020.
Table of Contents
Google Pixel 4a
Google’s Pixel 4a has rumoured to have features like 5.8-inch display, Punch hole front camera, Qualcomm Snapdragon 765 – 5G and Google’s mind-blowing camera. And all this in an affordable price for people on a tight budget. There are no announcements yet, but It is expected to launch around May. It was expected to be announced at Google I/O 2020, but that got cancelled due to coronavirus. The phone will be available in three colours. The price is not yet revealed, but as there is a drop in the price of Pixel 4, Pixel 4a is expected to be launched at a cheaper price than Pixel 3a. It will be Google’s contribution to affordable future smartphones.
Nokia 8.2 5G
There are no announcements made for the phone, but there’s talk of affordable Nokia 5G handsets. There are no much details available for the handset, but it might be based on Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Series hardware. These devices were supposed to be announced at MWC 2020, by HMD Global, but they withdrew from the event. It is suspected to be announced on 19th March 2020.
Nokia 9.2 PureView
Nokia wants to update its flagship phone, Nokia 9, with a Snapdragon 865 hardware. This might be the reason they delayed the phone until later in the year. As Nokia said that more time was required to make the complex camera system work on Snapdragon 865 hardware. Nokia was meant to launch Nokia 9.1 with Snapdragon 855, but they received mixed reviews on it, so skipping the model, they went to Nokia 9.2. The launch might be seen at the IFA 2020, which is in August.
Apple iPhone SE 2
The affordable iPhone is said to be an upgrade to the iPhone 8. First affordable phone from Apple, iPhone SE, was launched in the year 2016 and people have been waiting for its sequel ever since. Their wait might finally end in 2020. As it is an upgrade to iPhone 8, it might be called iPhone 9. The phone will look like iPhone 8, but the aluminium might be replaced by polished steel and like iPhone 11 pro, it will have a frosted glass back. Rumours are that it will run on A13 Bionic processor with 3 GB RAM and 64 GB Storage. It will serve as Apple’s contribution to affordable future smartphones.
Apple iPhone 12 5G
This will be the 2020’s refresh of iPhone. The launch will be in September 2020. Rumours have said that the design of the new model will be changed with bigger displays, thinner bodies and squarer edges. 3D Depth quad camera is expected in this, with some improvements in the night mode, but the phone can also have a triple camera like the last one. It is still suspense whether iPhone 12 will have 5G models or not. What is sure is that it will run on A14 chip with iOS14.
Xiaomi Mi 10 & Mi 10 Pro
Both of these were launched in China on 13th February. But as the MWC got cancelled, it hasn’t been launched globally yet. The design of both versions is the same. They have 6.67-inch OLED display and refresh rate of 90 Hz. They both have 5G technology. They only differ in the rear camera, While Mi 10 has got 108MP main, Macro, Depth of field, 12MP ultra-wide camera, Mi 10 pro leads with 108MP main, 8MP telephoto, 12MP portrait, 20MP ultra-wide camera.
Samsung Galaxy Fold 2
The phone is rumoured to be launched in mid-2020. Fold 2 is expected to be a flagship-grade phone with a price close to $2000. The fold of the phone is expected to be similar to that of Galaxy Fold’s and it will come with the S Pen support. There is no information on the hardware of the phone, but people are expecting an Infinity-V 7.7-inch AMOLED display along with Snapdragon 865. It is still a question if Samsung will make this a 5G phone or not. But it is definite that it will have a similar camera as Galaxy S20+.
Samsung Galaxy Note 20
The phone is expected to launch in August 2020, with two sizes as Note 10 had. The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 might have the S20 series’ 120 Hz display and S20+’s camera. It is expected to support S Pen.
OnePlus 8 & 8 Pro
The phone might launch in mid-April 2020 with a punch-hole front camera and triple rear camera. The design is already leaked and OnePlus 8 looks similar to a Samsung phone, but with a curved display. OnePlus 8 will have a 6.4-inch AMOLED display and 8 Pro will have a 6.7-inch AMOLED display. Both the phones will have Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 hardware with X55 modem for 5G.
OnePlus will also launch an affordable option of the phone, named OnePlus 8 Lite. It will have MediaTek hardware. A few compromises will be made with the phone but it will be OnePlus’s contribution to affordable future smartphones market.
LG G9 ThinQ
The phone was supposed to be launched at MWC, but same as Samsung, LG too pulled out from the event. And after that, G9 has not been launched yet. The phone has a 6.6-inch display. What makes LG G9 stand out, is its rear camera which looks like the Samsung Galaxy S10’s camera. Other than that, the phone looks almost similar to the LG G8.
The above mentioned is the list of future smartphones which you can look at in 2020 and opt one as per your preferences. Upgrade your current smartphone and choose anyone from the list according to the features and budget. For any queries, you can ask us.


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Running a credit card division locks up some of a retailer’s capital and resources. Nordstrom’s credit card portfolio sale will let it focus on its core retail business.
On May 26, Nordstrom (JWN) announced the sale of its credit card portfolio to Toronto-Dominion Bank, or TD Bank, Canada’s second largest bank.
On May 20, PepsiCo (PEP) announced the launch of Pepsi Limon, a new cola with real lime juice. The company launched Pepsi Limon specifically to attract Hispanic.
PepsiCo expects its recently launched flavors to boost beverage sales, which accounted for 47.0% of the company’s total revenue in 2014.
On May 18, PepsiCo (PEP) announced the launch of four new energy drink flavors under its AMP Energy brand. PepsiCo hopes the drinks will strengthen its AMP Energy portfolio.
PepsiCo (PEP) and peers like Coca-Cola and Dr Pepper Snapple have been developing several products based on the tastes and preferences of Hispanics.
On May 26, Procter & Gamble (PG), the world’s largest consumer products company, also stated that it was exploring the possibilities of 3D bioprinting.
According to Kantar World Panel’s Brand Footprint 2015 report, Procter & Gamble’s (PG) fabric softener Downy was the fastest-growing brand in 2014.
Kantar World Panel’s Brand Footprint report ranked Colgate-Palmolive’s (CP) Colgate as the second-most chosen CPG brand worldwide—in terms of CRPs.
Recently, Kantar World Panel released its Brand Footprint report for FMCG brands for 2014. Coca-Cola (KO) was the most purchased FMCG brand worldwide.
Gatorade’s position and volumes have been impacted by rising competition. It has also felt the effect of the popularity of bottled water, ready-to-drink tea, coffee, and energy drinks.
Gatorade is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. It’s one of PepsiCo’s $22-billion brands, generating more than $1.0 billion in annual retail sales.
Keurig shares fell because the company announced a higher-than-expected initial price for Keurig Kold. The beverage maker is to retail in the $299 to $369 range.
Keurig Green Mountain will offer proprietary brands as well as brands from partners when it launches Keurig KOLD in the retail market this fall.
Keurig Kold can leverage Keurig’s established brand name. Globally, Keurig Kold has about 50 issued patents and 100 patent-pending applications related to the Kold platform.
By refranchising its bottling operations to independent bottlers, Coca-Cola can take advantage of these bottlers’ local expertise—including local consumer preferences, demand, and marketing programs.
Under a new agreement, Coca-Cola will grant expanded territories in ten states and the District of Columbia to Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated.
If users start searching for Facebook information directly on Facebook, the move could threaten Google—the dominant player in the search advertising market.
Another new feature from Facebook is the “Add a Link” mobile search feature, according to a May 9 report from TechCrunch.
Facebook (FB) recently introduced its Instant Articles feature, which lets users read articles within their News Feed itself.


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Cyber Monday Out, Make Way for Sofa Sunday
E-commerce is on hype this holiday season.
ComScore said that online shopping for the first 48 days of the Christmas season reached a staggering amount of $32 billion. This is 15 percent greater than last year.
IBM, on the other hand, analyzed mobile trends and found out that online sales increased 16.4 percent from the holiday season of last year. IBM said this trend took place since consumers continued shopping after shopping for Christmas presents.
Based on the reports, most mobile shopping transactions were made using an iOS device. In the statistics provided by IBM, iPad accounted for 7 percent traffic while iPhone reached 6.4 percent.
Another quirky name for a shopping holiday is also introduced by Joaquin Ruiz, the co-founder and CEO of Padopolis. He dubbed Christmas day as Sofa Sunday. He projected that the Sunday after Thanksgiving will cause traffic after people shopped on Black Friday and then stay curled on their couch come the following Sunday to recover.View Article Source »


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Tyler Technologies, Inc., the nation’s leading software provider exclusively serving the public sector, has unveiled a new comprehensive brand strategy. This expansive branding effort was developed in partnership with Addison-based Agency Creative. Tyler delivers integrated, end-to-end information management solutions and services that empower local government—cities, counties, schools and other government entities—to be more efficient, accessible and responsive to their citizens. Tyler has grown over the past decade through a series of strategic acquisitions and, as a result, the company has added many well-known public sector software brand names such as Munis ® , Incode ™ , Odyssey ® and Versatrans ® .
“These acquired businesses were market leaders in their own right, each having their own identity and brand equity that were extremely valuable to Tyler,” said Tyler’s Vice President of Marketing Samantha Crosby. “At the same time, this posed a challenge for us. We needed a new brand position that would enable us to more effectively promote Tyler the company, without losing the equity of these distinct solutions and diverse product offerings.”
Tyler selected Agency Creative to help accomplish this major undertaking. “This was a huge assignment to wrap our arms around,” said Agency Creative President Mark Wyatt. “We wasted no time in getting started.”
After quantitative research, the result was a new brand position, a portable logo and a strategically focused tagline. The new Tyler logo places greater emphasis on the parent brand. It is a portable brand mark designed to also lock up the names of Tyler’s solution sets. The new brand was previewed at the 2009 Courts Technology Conference with a 40’x40′ exhibit. In addition to eye-catching graphics, the display featured the company’s new positioning line “Empowering people who serve the public” and a three-minute video developed by the agency.
Agency Creative also created a new, broad-based print campaign targeting the various branches of the public sector. The print ads, as well as the collateral, were based on insights gleaned from the Tyler team and market research. The agency also developed an upbeat corporate video and an internal marketing campaign to build employee enthusiasm for the new brand. All of this culminated in a coordinated unveiling in early October to more than 2,000 Tyler employees and managers in eight locations across the country.
“Agency Creative has provided tremendous counsel, creative strength, insights and patience throughout this process,” said Crosby. “Their partnership was essential to the success of our new brand.”
Agency Creative , headquartered in Addison, Texas, is a full-service strategic branding agency that specializes in helping companies deal with the challenges and obstacles that are associated with brand transition. More information about Agency Creative can be found at www.agencycreative.com .
Tyler Technologies, based in Dallas, is a leading provider of end-to-end information management solutions and services for local governments. Tyler partners with clients to enable the public sector–cities, counties, schools and other government entities–to become more efficient, more accessible, and more responsive to the needs of citizens. Tyler’s client base includes more than 8,000 local government offices throughout all 50 states, Canada, Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom. Tyler has been named one of “America’s 200 Best Small Companies” for two consecutive years by Forbes Magazine. More information about Tyler Technologies can be found at www.tylertech.com .


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Ford is recalling over 200 F-150 Lightning units due to a loose or missing retention nut on the high-voltage battery that could increase the risk of a fire.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) last month issued a recall notice affecting as many as 216 F-150 Lightning units. The affected vehicles, produced between October 31, 2022 and August 2, 2023, may have one or more missing or loose retention nuts on the high-voltage battery junction box bus bars, potentially causing electrical arcing and increasing fire risk, according to the report.
“Missing or loose retention nuts on the high voltage battery junction box bus bars in the high voltage battery pack may result in electrical arcing, which can increase the risk of fire,” the agency writes in the defect notice. “In addition, a ‘Stop Safely Now’ message may occur in the instrument cluster followed by loss of motive power, which can increase the risk of a crash.”
The report also says that the issue was caused by one or more of the retention nuts on the high-voltage battery junction box bus bars potentially having been removed in error during a re-work operation. Although the recall could affect up to 216 F-150 Lightning units, only 20 percent of them are estimated to have the defect.
The NHTSA Recall number for the F-150 Lightning issue is 24V-144, while the manufacturer recall number is 24S11.
In order to fix the issue, owners will need to bring the affected F-150 Lightning to a Ford or Lincoln dealer to have the high-voltage battery junction box bus bars inspected for the loose or missing nut. The service will be performed at no charge, and the NHTSA says that it notified dealers on February 26, 2024, and that it will mail owner letters on March 18, 2024.
See the full defect notice from the NHTSA below.


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Pending updates to Canada’s energy efficiency regulations will tighten minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) for 20 categories of commercial and household equipment and appliances, but will relax an existing requirement that has proved problematic for gas furnace retrofits in multi-residential buildings. The proposed amendments, which are open for public review and comment until mid-July, reflect a bi-national agreement to harmonize performance requirements as much as possible for energy-consuming products sold in Canada and the United States.
“Natural Resources Canada estimates that, as of January 2016, Canada’s regulations align with less than 50 per cent of product categories regulated in the United States,” the regulatory impact analysis accompanying the recent proposed amendments states. “As a result of removing unnecessary regulatory differences, compliance costs associated with having to test the same product model twice to comply with Canadian and U.S. regulations would be reduced.”
Commercial and multi-residential building applications covered in this new round of amendments — in keeping with ongoing modifications since Canadian energy efficiency standards were first introduced in 1995 — include lighting, electric motors, HVAC systems and components and commercial clothes washers. More stringent performance standards are also proposed for commercial refrigeration and ice-makers, and a range of residential products.
Projected outcomes include a $1.6-billion net cost benefit by 2030 and 0.8-megatonne reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the same period. Payback on investment is calculated at less than 10 years across the entire slate of designated product types, and at no more than two years for six of the categories.
The proposed amendments also roll back the standard for annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) in through-the-wall gas furnaces in multi-residential buildings to address the technology’s limitations in retrofit scenarios where a new unit would be constrained to the same space its forerunner had occupied. The current regulation mandates 90 per cent AFUE for gas furnace replacement units, while the proposed new threshold is 78 per cent.
“They are designed to be installed in a standard-sized opening in the exterior wall of each residential unit,” the regulatory impact analysis explains. “Industry raised concerns that the commercialization of technology that achieves this level of efficiency without increasing the physical size of product has occurred at a slower pace than initially anticipated. Therefore, buildings with existing wall openings that cannot accept larger products have had difficulties sourcing equipment for retrofit applications.”
Natural Resources Canada is also preparing to launch consultations on another 15 product categories with the expectation that proposed amendments will be ready by the spring of 2017.


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While the owners of the Petaluma slaughter house were running a scheme to collect a few hundred dollars at a time from area ranchers by harvesting an occasional condemned cow and pocketing the money, the same facility was also being used by BN Ranch on its mission to create “the best-tasting, most wholesome humanely raised meat in the world.”
BN Ranch is the latest project of Bill Niman of Niman Ranch fame. He left there in 2007, after setting bar high for raising grass-fed beef without antibiotics or growth hormones. Niman got caught in the proverbial crossfire between Rancho and USDA because he’s done business with the Petaluma slaughterhouse for about 30 years.
But he was not just selling cattle to a slaughterhouse, he was harvesting his own animals and taking the speciality meat with him.
As the criminal defendants are now moving through sentencing, some court documents filed recently show how costly Rancho Feeding Corp’s recall was for the grass-fed cattle ranchers who used the slaughter facilities and how hard and long they worked against it.
But USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) was not only un-moved, it was prepared to take harsher action. William Smith, who headed the investigation, said had Rancho not immediately agreed to a voluntary recall, as originally announced on Feb. 8, 2014, USDA was prepared to detain and seize the products.
Rancho owners and two of its employees were at that time being investigated for processing cows that were condemned by USDA inspectors, mostly for eye cancers; and pocketing the money.
The recall, mostly for beef and veal, involved about 8.7 million pounds of meat produced at the Petaluma slaughterhouse in 2013 and the first month of 2014.
Niman and other ranchers were caught in-between. With the recall underway, Niman on Feb. 19, 2014 explained in detail to FSIS how the 427 head of BN Ranch cattle that were slaughtered at the Petaluma facility were never co-mingled with other cable and how USDA inspectors were on hand at all times to work with BN Ranch personnel who supervise the “Tuesday kills.”
Try as he might, however, Niman could not persuade USDA to carve BN Ranch’s production out of the “blanket” recall. “Unfortunately, this includes ours, along with several other local ranchers and meat companies, “ Niman told BN Ranch customers.
BN Ranch—a network of “like-minded” ranches—used the Rancho Feeding Corp. slaughter house once a week or so because it allowed Niman “full transparency.” BN Ranch personnel were able to oversee the process “from live animal to carcass.”
Trying to move USDA to his view of the situation, Niman wrote: “We are very hopeful that you will find our safeguards and proactive involvement at so many critical control points more than adequate to exempt BN Ranch Beef from this recall situation.”
For at least 3 months after the recall, Niman kept the beef not already shipped to customers in cold storage in Richmond, CA. When USDA did not budge, he suggested another possibility.
Niman sent a May 23, 2014 email to Dr. Dan Engeljohn, who heads the powerful Office of Policy and Program Development (OPPD) at USDA’s Food Safety and inspection Service (FSIS).
“We were just informed by one of the USDA/FSIS veterinarians that we could give our beef that was subject to the recall away as long we didn’t take money for it,” Niman wrote.
Engeljohn said he was sorry to inform Niman that he was misguided by the Vet.
“All product impacted by the recall is considered unwholesome and unfit for human consumption due to the product being produced without the full benefit of inspection. Thus, your product cannot be donated for human consumption regardless of whether you accept payment or not,” Engeljohn responded.
The exchange of emails ended with Engeljohn advising Niman “to properly dispose of the product so it does not inadvertently get into the human food chain.” Niman said BN Ranch was unwilling to destroy the recalled product until the investigation was over.
Only about 20 percent of BN Ranch production remained at the time of the recall and no illnesses were ever associated with its beef that was consumed. “We consider it immoral to kill healthy animals then take so much to their meat to the dump,” Niman wrote Engeljohn.
BN Ranch and others caught in the collapse of Rancho Feeding Corp. were ultimately left with two options: suing for damages in state court or waiting for restitution in the federal criminal case. Full disclosure of the costly recall is not possible because state and federal courts have allowed some documents to be sealed to protect proprietary business information.
But enough is known to paint the big picture. Rancho owner Jesse J. Amaral was free for almost a year before being sentenced, largely to allow him to settle claims that were made against he and Rancho Feeding Corp.
When he was sentenced on Feb. 10, to one year and one day in federal prison, plus two years of supervised release including one year in a residential re-entry program, the amount of restitution imposed was just $1,484.
The modest amount for restitution suggests that U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer is satisfied with the settlements Amaral has reached mostly in state courts with the parties making claims.
The amounts sought have not been small.
Irwin Miller, president of Vernon, CA-based RBR Meat Company Inc. filed a declaration claiming direct losses of $27,372,641.
A Rancho Feeding Corp. customer since the early 1990s, RBR is a cow boneing operation. It mainly sells meat mostly to companies that grind hamburger.
BN Ranch out-of-pocket costs totaled $726,385.17; including $306,163.27 for that beef it held in cold storage. It was all destroyed under USDA supervision on Aug. 1, 2014. Like others, Niman filed an estimate for future business losses and damages due to public perception. He puts these intangible injuries at $5.5 million.
In a filing on the “impact of our business and personal lives,” Niman says being included in the Rancho recall has cost each of the BN Ranch partners thousands of dollars and it will now “be difficult to manage and survive.” He says the wealth of the defendants should be “redistributed to those of us damaged by their actions.”
In an interview with prosecutors, a risk manager for Advance Pierre Foods claimed a lost of $584,921.99. Other claims in state court that might have been settled involved Custom Foods LLC, and S&S Food LLC.
Three other defendants in the Rancho criminal case will be sentenced in March, including co-owner Robert Singleton and employees Eugene D. Corda and Felix Cabrera. Each has plead guilty distribution of adulterated beef.
The scheme cheated local farmers and ranchers out of the value of the condemned cows, estimated at $16,677.14.
(To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.)© Food Safety News


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Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer believes his company’s plan to release a revamped operating system (OS) for smartphones, Windows Phone 7, will propel them into the race for smartphone OS market share and the advertising treasure the leader will enjoy. Apple and Google have seen their OS and the devices running on them rapidly erode long time cell phone leader Nokia’s dominate position. Nokia has finally taken their blinders off and has recently released a new version, Sybian 3, of their OS. One would have to go all the way back to 2006 to find Nokia’s last smartphone success, the N95, since that time, Apple’s iPhone, released in 2007, has been gaining ground as has Google’s Android released in 2008.
In my previous blog on this topic, Mobile Search and Mobile Advertising, I provided charts outlining the leader board for the smartphone OS and mobile advertising spending with projections. I noted the absence of Mircrosoft and that they would act quickly to get into the race. Microsoft has taken a two prong approach to gaining on the leaders. The first is with their innovating new OS, the second is with their legal muscle as exhibited by their patent lawsuit against Motorola. The stakes are extremely high for all the players in this space, as is the reward. Will a rash of legal maneuvering and the negative press of a patent lawsuit against an open source backed OS be effective in product promotion for Microsoft? I’m not sure the legal approach is going to help Microsoft’s image or convince the public to purchase a device, nor is it going to assimilate developers and we all know that the applications which run on top of the OS are the steroid for these entrants in the race.
In the graph below take a quick look at how the OS race has been playing out during the first three quarters of this year; it clearly shows a steady player, one that rewards developers via low cost of entry due to being open source and few restrictions, Android and Google.
I like the fact that “Do no evil” is the corporate motto and have trusted the search engine giant for years. They continue to innovate and refine their services, an important attribute an application developer considers when picking a development platform, since they rely on a steady stream of income from their applications. Google’s AdWords is the dominate search engine marketing vehicle, and I believe they will continue to refine it to allow all size businesses equal access to the mobile advertising market. Keep your eye out for more articles on this dynamic, fast growth industry news. We will.
Three years ago Apple released the first iPhone, and mobile advertising will never be the same. The Apple orchard has continued to grow its’ market share of the smart phone niche and now owns roughly, 28% according to Nielsen survey.
Last week the Apple iPhone 4 went on sale with analysts projecting 1 million to 1.5 million units would be sold in the first three days, compared with 1 million during last years launch of the 3GS. The Apple faithful that were upgrading their device represented 77% of the iPhone 4 sales.
Advertisers are aware of this growth, are anxious to tap into these markets and get their content into these smartphones. Just one problem – Apple’s strict control of the applications (apps); these apps will be the vehicle for advertisers to reach this valuable market of tech-savy leading-edge gadget buying consumers.
Apple has truly gotten everyone’s attention, including the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, which will investigate whether Apple Inc.’s practices are harming their competition. Wow, in just three short years, Apple has enraged the folks at Adobe over its choice to ban Flash video technology in favor of the HTML5 standard. Google has also complained about being shutout of the market place for presenting ads inside the iPhone, due to restrictions placed on the developers of the highly prized apps running on their devices. AdMob’s founder and now Google vice president Omar Hamoui said in a blog post, “if enforced as written, would prohibit app developers from using AdMob and Google’s advertising solutions on the iPhone.” He added Apple’s rules “hurt both large and small developers by severely limiting their choice of how best to make money.” These conflicts reinforce the fact that mobile advertising represents a huge potential market worth fighting for.
How this will all play out remains to be seen, but one thing we can agree upon is that it is worth monitoring. Keep your eye on the news out of the MicroSoft camp and their recently released mobile operating system. How will Yahoo place it’s content on these smartphones? Does Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz have a plan of attack via a deal with Nokia to provide email and chat services? I’m sure the next three years will bring more excitement and opportunities for savy internet marketing professionals, and the entrepreneurs mining these channels.


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80 Pops makes amazing frozen treats
Thursday, July 31, 2014 11:50 PM
Inappropriate photo? Alert us.
Brian Robinson, founder and CEO of 80 Pops in Irondale wants to see 80 Pops retail shops throughout Birmingham and all around the country. The company makes all-natural frozen treats with ingredients from local farmers and distributors from recipes that Chef Chris Hastings helped develop. (Tamika Moorefirstname.lastname@example.org)


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On 9 May 2023, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced further details on the proposed eleventh package of EU sanctions against Russia.
According to the press statement issued by the European Commission and related press reports, the proposed package mainly focuses on combatting circumvention of EU sanctions. More specifically, it would include the following additional measures:
- Ban of ‘shadow’ entities from Russia and third countries that are intentionally circumventing EU sanctions. These restrictions will likely involve additional designated party listings of individuals and entities. Press reports indicate that, for the first time, various Chinese companies would also be among the parties that are being designated for aiding Russia. Additional designations of entities in other third countries, including the UAE, Uzbekistan, Syria and Iran, are also reported to be included.
- Expansion of restricted item lists for controls on transit shipments through Russia to cover additional items, including advanced technology products and aircraft parts.
- Introduction of restrictions on the sale, supply, transfer or export of certain items to specific third countries that are at risk of being used for circumvention. It is understood that this would be done through introduction of a “new tool to combat circumvention”, allowing the European Commission to propose restrictions on exports of certain items that are found to be going from the EU to specific third countries and eventually end up in Russia, which proposals need to be approved by the EU Member States.
- Further restrictions on the import, transport and supply of Russian oil.
- Prohibition to access EU ports and locks for vessels suspected or found to be in breach of the EU restrictions related to seaborne crude oil and petroleum products and vessels tampering their navigation systems when transporting such sanctioned Russian products.
The European Commission sent its proposal to the EU Member States last week. This proposal will be subject to further discussion, as unanimity among all 27 EU Member States is required before any additional measures can eventually be adopted and enter into force.


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Nearly as fast as bidders came out of the woodwork for Aston Martin's possible sale, CBS secured new sponsorship for its hit reality-show "Survivor" after General Motors canceled its advertising. States Chris Ender of CBS, "The upcoming edition of `Survivor' has a full roster of advertisers across a wide range of categories and GM's position has been filled."
Rick Wagoner, embattled head of General Motors, appeared on CBS's "Face the Nation" Sunday morning news program, and confessed that GM is stockpiling parts and complete vehicles in an attempt to protect the automaker in case its spin-off supplier Delphi decides to strike. Indeed, this comes as little surprise to those who have noted the unusually large discrepancy between GM first-quarter sales and production figures. Wagoner admits that the strike bank wo


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Today, enterprises rely heavily on applications for nearly all business-critical processes. These applications are delivered via a combination of hardware, software and services, known as the application delivery chain. To make this delivery chain work together effectively, IT must take a new and converged approach to network performance monitoring and application performance management.
Samsung this morning opened its first Australian store in Sydney's George Street.
It will be much of the same in the ICT industry this year as it was in 2011, according to a global market trends report just published, which predicts continuing consumer tech disruptions will drive agendas even within the largest of enterprises, and that businesses face a tough time due to economic uncertainty, forcing them to 'pare IT budgets to the bone.'
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It’s been a monumental week for Sky, with the TV company already unveiling some big dramatic changes, including replacing Sky One with something called Sky Showcase and a new channel called Sky Max that will feature hours of entertainment, drama and comedy. Those changes will follow later this year, with Sky promising that the new channels will become “the new home of blockbuster entertainment”.
And Sky Max and Sky Showcase aren’t the only updates coming soon. The US company Comcast, which actually belongs to Sky, has just announced that it will bring its streaming service Peacock to 20 million British customers.
Launched in the US last year, this platform has a variety of top-notch content including The Office, Rutherford Falls, Saved by the Bell, Equalizer, Young Rock, Kardashians, Suits, Downton Abbey, and more.
Although it’s a premium offering, Comcast says there are no additional fees to pay for those who want to watch through their Sky Q box, and there is good news for NOW (formerly NOW TV) users too, since Peacock will also be available on this streaming platform as well.
READ MORE: Stream Movies Illegally For Free? You could get a free TV box for free if you agree to stop
Along with its current catalog, Comcast promises that Peacock will continue to enhance its shows with the best of Peacock originals as well as NBCUniversal’s iconic library of series and films.
“Comcast’s Xfinity has been an integral part of the success of our go-to-market strategy with Peacock in the US, and we see a similar opportunity to expand internationally with Sky,” said Jeff Shell, NBCUniversal’s chief executive officer.
“We are excited to bring Peacock to millions of Sky customers and to bring incredible value to their platforms with a premium catalog of the best entertainment from NBCUniversal included with their subscription.”
The agreement with Sky marks Peacock’s first international expansion since it launched in the US last summer. Last year, 54 million customers in the US signed up for Peacock
Dana Strong, Sky Group Chief Executive Officer, added, “Peacock will be a great addition to Sky customers with over 7,000 hours of content at no additional cost. This exceptional added value is yet another example of the great ways we innovate to give our customers more benefits from the synergies between Sky, NBCUniversal and Comcast Cable. “


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Waterproof and unbreakable
Nowadays, wood is the last material you may consider for a toilet but the Finnish design company Woodio designed its toilet from the seat to the bowl in wood composite which produces 99% fewer emissions during production than ceramics.
As explained here, the wall-mounted toilet, known as Block, was created using a material that is around 80% wood by volume, including aspen from a nearby forest and scraps from the Finnish forest industry, and was designed by Woodio creator Petro Lahtinen.
The company says that these wood chips were combined with a mixture of bioplastic resins and fossil-based polyester to form a composite that is waterproof and “practically unbreakable”. According to Lahtinen, the manufacturing process uses a small amount of water and energy and produces the toilet without the use of heat.
“There is nothing wrong with ceramic itself”, he said. “It is the manufacturing process of the ceramics that causes the environmental impact.”
“Typically, industrial ceramics are fired at 1,500 degrees Celsius for at least 12 hours and this heat is produced typically by burning gas, which obviously causes considerable CO2 emissions”.
Overall, according to Woodio, their manufacturing process produces sanitaryware with 99 percent fewer emissions than conventional ceramic sanitaryware. This, however, ignores any emissions from the source or disposal of materials, which can significantly affect a product’s overall footprint.
“The savings are particularly focused on the gate-to-gate phase”, Lahtinen said.
“Even our products need to be transported and disposed at the end of life, and also raw material sourcing has to be included”.
Lahtinen created the Woodio composite material in 2017, and since then, the company has used an unique cast molding process to transform it into everything from bathtubs to wash basins.
“Basically we have developed moulds that can handle non-fluid raw materials”, Lahtinen said. “It is a really innovative method”.
The Block toilet, created in conjunction with the Finnish design studio Pentagon Design over the course of three years, is the company’s most elaborate and challenging product to date. Although wood shavings and sawdust have long been used to aid in the breakdown of waste in off-grid composting toilets, Woodio asserts that its design is the “world’s first” flush toilet to be manufactured from the material.
Although the company plans to employ entirely bio-based resins once it moves to an industrial production in the coming years, the wood composite still depends on a number of fossil-based resources, including polyester resin as well as a variety of additives and surface treatments.
When the toilet reaches the end of its life, which typically lasts between 10 and 15 years but can be as long as 50, since the material is a composite will also make recycling the toilet nearly impossible.
In order to avoid the toilet from ending up in a landfill, Woodio contends that it can be burned for energy at the end of its useful life. However, this would cause the atmospheric release of both the fossil carbon and the carbon stored in the wood.
Prior attempts to improve the sustainability of toilets mostly concentrated on lowering or eliminating their water consumption. In contrast to a recent Samsung prototype, which burns waste into ashes, the Sandi concept toilet disposes of waste using sand and a miniature conveyor belt.


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Cisco Systems (CSCO) is losing share in networking equipment, according to a report today from UBS’s Steve Milunovich, who cites incursions from China’s employee-owned Huawei and Arista Networks (ANET).
Citing Q2 data from market research firm Dell’Oro, Milunovich notes Huawei in particular is making inroads against Cisco in network switching and routing.
A common theme across most sectors is Huawei gaining share. Huawei appears to have momentum in routing, data center switching, and optical. Most of its share gains appear to be in China, Russia and Africa, regions where Cisco and Juniper have not been strong. However, Huawei has recently signaled increased R&D on Internet infrastructure; we will be watching for its impact in Europe. We believe Juniper could be more vulnerable than Cisco given a limited product portfolio. Arista continues inroads in data center switching Arista continued to gain share in data center switching against Cisco. It's strong presence at Microsoft Azure is an advantage—we expect the 25g/100g product cycle to ramp in coming quarters and cloud vendors to be the fastest adopters. In addition, according to industry sources, Microsoft is building a U.S. data center housing a significant number of servers. Cisco's product cycle gives it an opportunity to regain lost share among cloud vendors with its ASIC-based Nexus 9k, which started shipping in volume in June/July.
Milunovich cites competition for routing dollars in Asia-Pacific, where Cisco gained on Juniper but lost share to Huawei:
The $13bn annual routing market declined 3% YoY in 2Q. Service provider routing declined 10% in North America and 3% in EMEA. APAC—where local vendors tend to have an advantage—grew by 15% [...] Cisco gained 330bps of share from the prior year in North America against Nokia and Juniper. But it was a different story in APAC, where Cisco lost 720bps of share to Huawei and Nokia. APAC was the fastest growing routing market at 12%.
One possible bright spot for Cisco is a coming upgrade cycle in routers among enterprise customers:
Based on historical buying patterns, service providers upgrade their core routing equipment every 5-6 years. Cisco’s core router CRS-3 was introduced in 2011, which could mean its installed base is near upgrading to the NCS 6000 [...] Cisco is holding on to its mid-70s share in enterprise routing. Software-defined WAN appears to be seeing increasing adoption. Based on our conversations, Cisco is being very competitive with iWAN a part of most major SD-WAN deployments. Milunovich has a Buy rating on Cisco and a Nuetral rating on Arista and Juniper.