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February 23, 2004 With the well-publicized bid for The Walt Disney Co. still fresh on people's minds, last week the world-famous entertainment company announced it was purchasing the Muppets, which include characters like Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog. Morning Edition producer and freelance puppeteer Barry Gordemer worries that there could be character conflicts in a Disney/Muppet merger.
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February 16, 2004 Morning Edition producer Barry Gordemer makes some observations about the American International Toy Fair, which got underway Monday. The hot toys that you'll see this Christmas are on display, but it's not all fun and games.
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- Chick-fil-A is rolling out two mobile app features this spring to improve its speed of service, the company announced Wednesday. The chain has begun deploying geofencing at units nationwide and will continue through early summer.
- If customers enable location services on the app, geofencing technology will alert Chick-fil-A employees when customers are near the restaurant so workers can begin preparing orders. The app also will give users an estimate of how long their orders will take if placed for curbside, takeaway or dine-in service.
- Chick-fil-A tested the geofencing technology in 100 restaurants across the U.S. over the past year and found that average wait times were trimmed by one to two minutes. Estimated wait times at participating stores were 90% accurate, the company said.
Geofencing marks Chick-fil-A’s latest investment in operations designed to speed up fulfillment times and better compete with rival QSRs.
Last summer, the chicken chain began testing a “Drive-Thru Express” lane at 60 restaurants for customers who order via the Chick-fil-A app. When customers arrived at a restaurant participating in the pilot, they would enter the express lane and use the app to scan a QR code before collecting their order at the window.
The popular chain’s drive-thrus routinely service more than 100 cars per hour during peak dayparts, and an October InTouch Insight study found that Chick-fil-A’s drive-thru times clock in at eight minutes and 29 seconds on average. Of the 10 major U.S. QSR chains that InTouch Insight evaluated, Chick-fil-A came in last. By contrast, competitor KFC took first place in the study with average drive-thru times of five minutes and two seconds.
Geofencing has emerged as a popular tool to support restaurant employees as mobile ordering grows. In late March, McDonald’s added the feature to its app to make order preparation more efficient, following similar rollouts at Dunkin’ and Panera.
This geographic technology’s benefits extend beyond speed of service, too. Geofencing gives restaurants access to tracking data that can provide deeper insights into diner behavior, which can help companies improve personalized notifications and promotions on their apps, Stephen Mancini, senior manager of strategy, technology and transformation at CohnReznick, said in a past interview.
Chick-fil-A’s geofencing announcement follows other updates to its app, such as its recent revamp of the Chick-fil-A One loyalty program’s points scheme in March. The program’s members now exceed 50 million.

domain: news


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The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is turning out to be a blockbuster – and with good reason. Last year's attendance topped a record 150,000, and every indication is that this year will match or exceed that number. And you would think that with Mobile World Congress looming in February, we'd see little action in the mobile space, but that's not the case.
So what's hot on the CES floor this year? It's positively littered with tablets, convertible laptops, phones, fitness gadgets, cameras, HDTVs, and cars – you name it, and you'll find a ton of it here.
CES is not only a good indicator of what's hot, but it's also indicative of what's dead. For example, Vizio made a big splash with its 2014 HDTV line-up, which lacks 3D support – a far cry from what you would have seen just a year ago. Consumers largely hated it, so now it's either buried in a submenu or gone altogether.
Manufacturers aren't giving up on smartwatches yet; it was pretty clear 2013 was a trial run, and better designs are definitely in store for 2014. And while hybrid tablet and laptop designs are all the rage this year, conventional laptops and desktops are few and far between.
Even as vendors show off their latest hardware, it's still clear that software leads in terms of overall importance. There's an increased emphasis on apps and services, and which devices are compatible with the ones that mean the most to you. A product could have a killer design or stand-out feature, but if it doesn't work with the apps and services you use, it's a non-starter.
It turns out there's still plenty of room for innovation. Basically, if you think we've already seen everything, hold onto your seat – and perhaps your credit card. From car tech to wearables, in this article we’re going to give you the full rundown on the hottest trends at this year's Consumer Electronics Show. Most of this stuff isn't available at this moment, but it's going to be soon, so get ready.
One of the biggest stories at the show this year is the connected car – nine automakers have shown up to showcase their latest tech, which is a record for CES. Considering that the North American International Auto Show takes place the very next week in Detroit, it signals an increasing emphasis on in-car technologies.
The offerings are all over the map, with laser headlights on the Audi Sport Quattro Laserlight concept (pictured above), 4G LTE-equipped cars, performance action cameras, and pumped-up infotainment systems being just some of the trends we've seen. There was plenty of talk about in-car smartphone integration, particularly from Google, but now we're seeing more capabilities being built directly into the cars themselves. Another running theme: Over-the-air or otherwise modular updates that let you upgrade your infotainment capabilities during the entire time you own the car, and as new apps and services hit the market.
Wearables were huge at CES this year. It's a huge category – dominated by fitness gadgets, but also containing smartwatches, sports gear, augmented reality glasses, and other hard-to-categorise items with wildly varied feature sets and purposes. Pebble may have the first truly desirable smartwatch with the classy-looking Steel, while Garmin and LG are challenging FitBit and Withings with new fitness bands (the Garmin Vivofit is pictured above). Epson has both a fitness band and a pair of smart glasses, and even Intel is getting in the game with its own smartwatch. Wearable tech dovetails with digital health, and is ideal for monitoring your personal wellness and achieving fitness goals – and judging by the popularity of the gadgets already on the market, look for this category to explode even further as 2014 rolls on (for more, see our in-depth look at how wearable technology will develop in 2014).
4K falls to Earth, gets (almost) real
The move to Ultra HD video is in full swing, with many more 4K UHD TVs at far more reasonable prices than last year's five-digit early adopter sets. That said, for most consumers, they're still not cheap enough. We're also seeing a few prosumer-level 4K camcorders.
So why say "almost" real? There's still a giant missing piece of the 4K puzzle, namely content. It's not like 3D, where there was virtually no good content to watch; there are in fact many movies already shot in 4K. But given bandwidth limitations, getting that content into your home and watching it is another story, and whether it's by disc, by streaming Netflix, watching YouTube, or another method, it's still too early to tell just how that's going to play out.
Toy robot revolution
Robot toys are suddenly big, now that the technology is there and prices are coming down. Products like the Orbotix Sphero 2B (pictured above), the Ozobot, and Anki Drive let you control and play with robotic gadgets wirelessly and control them from your smartphone or tablet. Enterprising developers can even program unique apps that work with the robots in new and exciting ways. Several of them are promising support for multiplayer gaming, assuming you can afford to buy several ‘bots. Put it this way: We've come a long way from the 1980s-era cassette-based Omnibot.
Valve's SteamOS is finally a thing – and it turns out that it's actually a lot of things, as Alienware and numerous other vendors showed off a variety of Steam Machine prototypes, which will be capable of playing the latest 3D games on an HDTV without the need for discs. Each of the machines here at CES will run SteamOS and will work with the company's upcoming Steam Controller. The designs are pretty varied, and range from the size of a small set-top box to a gargantuan tower PC. Expected prices are all over the map as well, ranging from $499 (£300) to a whopping $6,000 (£3,600) depending on the configuration. We never thought we'd say this a year ago, but it's possible that SteamOS, rather than the Wii U, will be the big "third" competitor in the living room next to the Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
The 6in LG G Flex is a real curved smartphone, and it actually works – you come to appreciate the display as you hold it against your face for calls. On the other end of the size scale, mammoth curved OLED HDTV screens from LG and Samsung (pictured above) grabbed a lot of eyeballs on the show floor, including ours. What will they look like in a living room with people sat around them? It's too early to say if consumers will take to these, but even if not, OLED technology itself will lead the charge to ever thinner and brighter displays.
Windows 8.1 may have improved the troubled operating system’s usability, but the focus is still on touch. That leaves us with a question: Do you want a tablet or a laptop? How about both in one device? That seemingly simple idea is actually quite complicated, as there are dozens of ways to design a combination of the two. And it seems like all the major PC vendors are trying every possible one, with the Asus Transformer Book Duet (pictured above) being just one of many examples. Basically, people love tablets, but sometimes still need to type on a hardware keyboard; the question is whether a single device can handle that. In the face of steadily declining desktop and laptop PC sales, it's an important question to ask.
By the looks of it, the continuous miniaturisation of consumer electronics is history. Now it's about screen size and use cases. Toshiba unveiled the first 13in Chromebook, Samsung showed off the 12.2in Galaxy NotePRO (pictured above), and 6in phones are appearing in increasing numbers. Many Apple phone fans are now clamouring for larger iPhones, even as the company strove to make the handset smaller and thinner. HDTVs in 60in and 65in sizes are in high demand, and we're seeing sets all the way up to 120in now. Bigger is better at CES 2014, it would seem.


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Starting a new business is a huge, time-consuming undertaking. Having a baby is a huge, time-consuming undertaking. Carolyn Armstrong did both — at the same time. While celebrating the 25th anniversary of Flossmoor Station Restaurant & Brewery owners Armstrong and her husband, Dean, sat with Dean’s brother, George, and his[Read More…]
Tag: craft beer
Flossmoor Station Restaurant and Brewery is hosting its second annual Home Brew Competition from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 20. The competition will feature ales and lagers from nearly 20 home brewers. A panel of local brewmasters will judge the beers to crown the top three brews. In[Read More…]
A craft brewery that needed multiple timeline extensions and received $100,000 in incentives from Homewood is closing its taproom at 18027 Dixie Highway. In a Facebook post dated June 24, Vice District said it was shifting focus toward distribution.
To craft beer enthusiasts, it’s known as “pDLD.” They know that Flossmoor Station’s Pre-Dark Lord Day is a once-a-year chance to taste beers from local brewers around the Midwest. It’s also an opportunity to sample “Wooden Hell,” which has been called the brewery’s “most infamous” product. Hours of Pre-Dark Lord[Read More…]
Vice District Brewing, the newest microbrewery in the H-F area, is reopened. As of Friday, Nov. 9, the code violations that forced its closure have been corrected and the brewery is back up and running. Brewery owner Curtis Tarver is looking forward to an active clientele at the craft brewery[Read More…]
Smiling faces braced against chilly air to sip frosty beers at the first Flossmoor Brew Fest on Oct. 13 along Sterling Avenue. The fest attracted nearly 300 attendees, with about 175 people buying their tickets in advance and 100-plus getting a same-day ticket. Flossmoor Assistant Village Manager Allison Deitch[Read More…]
Vice District Brewing will host the grand opening on Friday, Aug. 31, at its new location at 18027-18029 Dixie Highway in Homewood. The craft brewery is selling tickets for two-hour portions of the opening for $25. Vice will donate 25 percent of the proceeds to local nonprofit organizations.
After more than two years, Vice District Brewing appears to be closing in on an opening for its Homewood location. Village Manager Jim Marino confirmed the business’s liquor license will be on the agenda for the July 24 board of trustees meeting.
Vice District Brewing is hoping to open its Homewood location in July after the village granted an extension to its financial incentive agreement June 26. The craft brewer’s owner Curtis Tarver II said in an email to the H-F Chronicle that the remaining construction on the building at 18027-18029 Dixie Highway[Read More…]
Craft beer aficianados have been eagerly awaiting the opening of two breweries in Homewood, but both have experienced unforeseen delays.


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For the week ending June 18th, Nike’s “Write the Future” campaign received over 3.1M views. Pepsi’s “Oh Africa” campaign surpassed 1.6M views in the same time frame.
Companies have spent tens of millions of dollars to become World Cup sponsors. The top 6 FIFA Partners pay between $24 and $44 million dollars per year for the most exclusive rights to World Cup events and opportunities. That cost Adidas, for example, over $100 million dollars — but they’re lagging behind Nike in terms of online views.
Coke has done particularly poorly as an official World Cup sponsor, with their “Rocket Car” campaign, only generating 750,922 views for the week of June 18th.
Although World Cup sponsors might get additional and significant value from their sponsorships through television spots, merchandise, and additional exposure, it’s clear that smart, aggressive companies have found ways to leverage the Web for gaining big time, meaningful exposure. They’re able to hijack the World Cup theme and get people sharing their content online like never before.


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To apologize for the PlayStation Network outage due to a cyberattack on the service on Christmas day, Sony is offering five extra days onto all active PlayStation Plus memberships, as well as a 10% off discount off for any purchase on the PlayStation store.
Announced in a recent PlayStation blog post, Sony’s Eric Lempel stated that the company wants show their appreciation for the patience of PlayStation gamers during the PlayStation outage during the holidays.
According to Lempel, the extension itself will be automatically applied to all PlayStation Plus memberships that were active on Christmas day. More updates on the extension itself will be given on the PlayStation blog as time goes on. Lempel stated that those whose memberships expire before more information on the extension is made available will be given five free days of PlayStation Plus regardless once the extension becomes available.
As for the 10% off discount, that will be given to players as a promotional code sometime this month for a limited time. The discount will be good for any total cart purchase on any content available on the PlayStation store, including videogames, add-ons, season passes and even TV shows and Movies.
These announcements from Sony come in at the right time after displeased gamers were met with an outage that hit PlayStation network during the holidays. The attack itself was committed by the infamous hacker group known as the Lizard Squad.
Yet, this certainly isn’t the first time that Sony PlayStation Network has been hacked and temporarily shut down. More recently, the network had been put down in early December and even August. However, nothing compares to the massive PlayStation Network breach that took place in 2011, which resulted in the personal data and credit card information of nearly 77 million customers being stolen.
More information on the PlayStation Plus extension and 10% off discount will be reported as the month of January carries onward.
Source: PlayStation Blog


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CEs 2021 kicks off next week but the news is already flowing. LG has just announced its latest WebOS 6.0 smart TV platform, as well as an upgraded Magic Remote.
WebOS 6.0 is here
WebOS 6.0 is the most recent update for LG smart TVs, and it will be available across the brand’s 2021 OLED, Nanocell and UHD TVs. Gizmodo Australia has confirmed that it will not be available on 2020 LG TVs or other older models.
According to LG, WebOS 6 includes an upgraded ThinQ AI, allowing for new voice commands across Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
It also introduces a redesigned home screen which LG says is also faster and streamlines content discovery based on your past viewing habits. RIP to all of you with kids!
It’s unclear whether the divisive bird cursor (which some adore and others loathe) will still be a key element of the latest iteration of WebOS.
LGs Magic Remote will also be getting an upgrade with the new 2021 TVs.
The new version has ‘simpler’ controls and hot buttons for accessing the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+. The 2021 Magic Remote also has once-touch NFC functionality that allows the user to touch their phone to the remote to share content.
LG also seems to rely more on voice-recognition and AI to balance this more streamlined approach to the remote. This includes an upgrade to Magic Link that lets you verbally ask for extra information about what you’re watching (such as the actors and locations in the show you’re watching) and the new Next Picks feature.
This will use your viewing history to recommend more content, including live and set set-top box programs.
On the performance side of things, the Magic Remote is said to have a faster connection between your TV and other connected devices.


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Above all, their complaint alleges that YouTube Kids is exposing them to advertising masquerading as ordinary programming in a variety of ways.
Among other things, the letter to the FTC claims that YouTube Kids mixes advertising and programming in ways that deceive children, for example with “branded channels” maintained by brands like McDonald’s, Barbie and Fisher-Price, which the letter claims are “little more than program-length commercials.”
The letter also raises questions about YouTube Kids’ user-generated segments featuring toys, candy and other products, which the advocates warn may violate the FTC’s guidelines governing endorsements.
The letter also claims that YouTube Kids violates a number of standards applied to broadcast and cable TV programming targeting kids, including prohibiting hosts from delivering commercial messages, time limits on total commercial content and prohibition of product placements and “embedded” ads.
It argues: “The fact that children are viewing the videos on a tablet or smartphone screen instead of on a television screen does not make it any less unfair and deceptive.”
The coalition behind the letter includes groups like Consumer Watchdog, the Center for Digital Democracy, Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center for Science in the Public Interest, Children Now, Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union, Corporate Accountability International and Public Citizen.
The advocates called on expert opinion to back up their complaints, for example, citing Dale Kunkel, a professor of communication at the University of Arizona, who was quoted as saying: “YouTube Kids is the most hyper-commercialized media environment for children I have ever seen. Many of these advertising tactics are considered illegal on television, and it’s sad to see Google trying to get away with using them in digital media.”


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Yahoo Hires PayPal President Thompson As CEO; Was it the Right Decision?
Floundering digital media company Yahoo (NASDAQ: YHOO) announced on Wednesday that it has hired PayPal president Scott Thompson as its new CEO. At first glance, the market is not exactly ebullient about the decision, as YHOO shares are trading down 2.49% at $15.89. Given the fluid situation at the company where a number of strategic transactions are being discussed, including a potential sale of Yahoo's valuable stakes in Alibaba and Yahoo Japan, one would think that investors would have a positive reaction to news that a new CEO has been found.
The trading activity in the stock, however, suggests that this is not the case. The market's reaction to the news may be largely based on skepticism that has built up over the years with regard to YHOO's board of directors, which has received scathing criticism from hedge fund manager Dan Loeb, whose fund, Third Point LLC, owns a substantial stake in the company, among others.
While investors may have reservations about the board of directors' decision-making abilities in relation to key management hires, Scott Thompson's background could be exacerbating the worries. It was not that long ago, January 2009 to be exact, that the board hired Carol Bartz to lead Yahoo as its CEO. Bartz had previously been the long-time CEO of Autodesk (NASDAQ: ADSK), a design software and services company - a very different business model than Yahoo's.
The company continued its long-term struggles under Bartz, who was subsequently fired on September 9, 2011. Some observers have pointed to Bartz's tenure at the company as a mistake from the beginning, believing that she was not the right fit for Yahoo, and should have never been brought in as CEO in the first place. Some contended that her background with Autodesk was not suitable to running a company such as Yahoo, which is a leader, albeit a struggling one, in the digital media space.
In the case of Scott Thompson, similar questions could be raised. The New York Times declares, "Mr. Thompson analysts say, has a background mainly as a technologist instead of being an expert in digital media or corporate turnarounds." Prior to PayPal, Thompson worked at Visa (NYSE: V), and holds a degree in accounting from Stonehill College.
While PayPal has been extraordinarily successful, driving most of the growth at parent company eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY), the challenges that he will face at Yahoo will be quite different than anything else he has done. Particularly, from a strategic perspective, Yahoo provides challenges above and beyond executing on a solid business model. In reality, the company needs a turnaround.
The market's initial reaction to his hiring suggests that there is plenty of uncertainty about whether he is the man that can turn Yahoo's fortunes around in the coming years. Given the company's past failures, continued speculation about strategic transactions, and the general frustration of Yahoo shareholders, Thompson is going to be under immediate scrutiny and pressure in his new role.
© 2017 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.


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Android One failed in India; could Google possibly avoid failure with version 2.0?
Android One was launched amid much fanfare in India last year. Aimed at the entry-level users of the emerging Indian market, Google had teamed up with three well-known low to mid-range players such as Karbonn, Micromax and Spice. The Android One failed. They didn’t sell well and many major retailers even refused to stock them. The news had it that eight major retailers which have 1800 stores between them refused to stock the devices.
Some reports have been pointing at Google making a comeback with the next version of Android One with lava This is one of the reason why new India-born CEO Sundar Pichai is here. Here’s what Google could avoid to ensure that Android version 2.0 manages to make a mark in India’s fierce mobile world.


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COLOR WHEEL: Karl Lagerfeld is getting the color printing treatment.
The designer has tapped artist and illustrator Steven Wilson to collaborate on a limited-edition capsule collection of clothing and accessories featuring designs made using layers of cyan, magenta and yellow — the hues that form the basis of the printing process.
Wilson created graphics including a portrait of Lagerfeld, his cat Choupette, the brand logo, a camera and a pair of sunglasses. They feature on items such as an embroidered satin bomber jacket, sweatshirts, jeans, a tote bag and an assortment of accessories that will go on sale in stores and online on April 1.
“The principle behind the graphics is that they are made using just three layers. Abstract cyan, magenta and yellow shapes are laid on top of one another to create a design that has identifiable form,” Wilson said in a statement. “The beauty of this process is that where the colors overlap, you get secondary colors — red, green and so on.”
The U.K.-based illustrator has worked with brands including Nike, Adidas, Levi’s, Converse and Stussy, but said he rarely gets name-checked. “All too often my work is used anonymously under a brand name, so to have the opportunity to have my name and work used alongside Karl Lagerfeld is very special,” he noted.
It’s not the first time Lagerfeld has tapped an illustrator to put their spin on his namesake label. In 2015, Tiffany Cooper created a capsule collection for the brand, followed by a comic book about Lagerfeld titled “Karl’s Secrets.” Choupette, meanwhile, has featured on the brand’s accessories as a fearsome cartoon character called Monster Choupette.


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GoCo profits fall on Covid hit, but upbeat on AutoSave prospects
Go-Compare owner GoCo reported lower interim profits due to the coronavirus pandemic and further investment in its “AutoSave” brands.
The price comparison platform company on Thursday reported a 20% fall in pre-tax profits to £6.1m, while revenue rose 9% to £82.8m. An unchanged interim dividend of 0.4p a share was declared.
GoCo cited Covid-19 on its price comparison and rewards segments and higher total administration costs, partly offset by a significant improvement in trading profit at AutoSave business.
The company acquired 183,000 new customers in the first half, affirming “the significant growth opportunity and the very attractive business model which has higher margin potential with good customer retention and lower marketing costs”.
“We continue to run two brands cost-effectively, Look After My Bills and weflip, around one integrated AutoSave team. We are focused on transforming the huge addressable auto-switching opportunity, generating savings for consumers, and have confidence we will continue to sustainably scale the business through the second half of 2020.”
“The group has seen an improvement in performance since the middle of May, however, we are aware that the consumer environment remains vulnerable and uncertain with a broad range of outcomes for the year still possible,” GoCo said.
“We are therefore continuing to suspend formal guidance for 2020 but we maintain our commitment to keep the market apprised of our position.”


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Farmers can see drought relief coming as most flush green again after months without meaningful rain, and additional government drought relief measures are announced.
A new report into sheep milking in Southland has estimated the industry could be worth $124 million to the region by 2040.
Drought affected farmers in Taranaki are down to half their normal milk production and winter feed stores as the dry conditions begin to bite on rural incomes, a Rural Support Trust drought update meeting heard.
Three more farms infected by Mycoplasma bovis have been confirmed in Canterbury and Southland by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), bringing the total to 17 properties.
It has rained, but not enough.
Specialist butchers may have been closing up and down the country in recent years, but that hasn’t stopped two enterprising Taranaki-raised brothers from opening a shop of their own – with plans for a second and a third already in the pipeline.
Red meat farmers are in a “pretty good space” these days, says a Beef+Lamb New Zealand farmer-director.
Inland Revenue has confirmed tax relief measures for drought-affected farmers.
Kiwis can rest assured that there is little difference in quality between the fruit and vegetables they pick in supermarket aisles and what is exported.
Uplifting sights were in short supply when Waikato’s Garry Reymer took possession of a failing, rundown Kaipaki dairy farm, but seeing a Fonterra tanker roll up the track instead of Open Country Dairy’s was a real heart-warmer.


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SeeSaw Networks, a media company offering extensive network of place-based digital video advertising, today announced partnerships with eight additional networks. The new networks help consumer packaged goods' advertisers reach the on-the-go audiences of "moms," "millennials" and Hispanic families as they shop in convenience and grocery stores and at other quick snack and shopping destinations.
The eight new networks include Digital Promo Network, InStore Vision, QuickStore24(TM), WNC Checkout, WNC Aisles, RDS Media, BuzzHub Network and Cabco's TV Kart Network. As part of the 50 million weekly impressions delivered by the SeeSaw network, the new networks enable SeeSaw to deliver over 10 million weekly gross impressions at more than 2,500 convenience-oriented locations like convenience stores, malls, grocery stores and snack vending machines located in office buildings, manufacturing complexes, college campuses and hospitals.
"We are thrilled to be selected as one of the newest affiliates to join SeeSaw's diverse and high quality network of place-based digital video advertising partners," said Jim Colony, CEO of Digital Promo Network.
Each of the new networks offers engaging and captivating digital video advertising venues and techniques into a person's everyday experience. For example, Digital Promo Network and InStore Vision engage convenience store customers with point-of-purchase advertising and in-store promotions. The QuickStore24(TM) At Work Media Network delivers interactive media encompassing advertising and content through video touch-screens centered on high-traffic retail vending systems in a variety of blue-collar and white-collar at-work settings, including break rooms and cafeterias within large offices, manufacturing facilities and health facilities.
SeeSaw's bet is to intercept people in their daily routines — when they work, play, socialize, run errands and get healthy — advertisers can reach people when they are most receptive to contextually relevant messages.


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- Greetings from a sunny and increasingly light Helsinki
- ECHA updates its key IT tools ahead of the 2013 deadline
- Stakeholders' Day focused on registration, evaluation and authorisation
- Regulation on biocidal products enters into force
- Simplified submission of downstream user reports available
- "To achieve the common REACH goals, cooperation with EU Member States is crucial"
- To apply or not to apply - that is the question for business
- Targeting evaluation where safety matters most
- Users help to test the new version of Chesar
- Guest column: Five year of REACH
- REACH and CLP impact : Chemicals legislation changing in Asia
- MEP Julie Girling visits ECHA: Understanding the role of the agencies
- Blogging about chemicals
- Helsinki Chemicals Forum 2012: Chemical safety in the spotlight
Send your feedback to:echanewsletter (at) echa.europa.eu
Article related to: People and perspectives
Helsinki Chemicals Forum 2012: Chemical safety in the spotlight
The harmonisation of chemical regulations, communicating on the safety of chemicals, challenges to innovation and alternative testing methods were among the topics of the Helsinki Chemicals Forum from 24 to 25 May in Helsinki.
ECHA's Executive Director Geert Dancet opened the event by thanking industry and regulators for their efforts in the REACH and CLP systems, but reminded that a lot remains to be done. "Together, all of us being part of the interaction between industry and regulators, we are undoubtedly moving ahead on the road to safer chemicals. We in Europe have seen an enormous and supportive response by industry in living up to their obligations as duty holders under the REACH and CLP regulations. But nonetheless we cannot ignore that the quality of information provided has in a number of respects often fallen short of the legislator's expectations. We still have quite a long way ahead", he said.
Rob Visser, a former Deputy-Director from the OECD, spoke about the future of chemicals management. He convinced the audience that chemical safety will remain a policy priority in the future. "Chemical safety is not finished business. REACH is an excellent basis for risk management but chemical safety is a moving target. New types of chemicals are being developed constantly", he said. To move forward in the field of chemical safety Mr Visser highlighted the need to make regulatory convergence an international policy priority, to use the same or similar assessment tools and to further develop international cooperation on raising awareness and promoting mutual understanding of chemical safety globally.
HARMONISING REGULATIONS TO MINIMISE THE BURDEN FOR INDUSTRY AND AUTHORITIES
The first panel discussion tackled the regulatory convergence of chemicals legislation. Derek Knight from ECHA promoted the REACH system as an inspiration for worldwide convergence. "The philosophy and principles of REACH and CLP are transportable outside Europe as well. REACH is not perfect, but it is good enough, it targets the activities to get maximum effects", he said. Kaj Madsen, Senior Programme Officer of UNEP, brought the perspective of developing countries into the discussion. To achieve convergence, the developed countries need to assist developing countries by providing advice on the development of legislation, creating administrative institutions, building capacity and ensuring finance.
Manfred Marsmann from Bayer AG spoke about improving the regulatory framework by reviewing and eliminating overlaps and gaps, by mutual acceptance of methods and by strengthening the quality of regulations. To that end, he welcomed the review of REACH currently underway in the Commission.
Michael Walls, Vice President of the American Chemistry Council, highlighted the importance of clear objectives and priorities. "Minimising duplication and minimizing the burden on industry is one thing, but we should also enhance the information upon which regulatory decisions are made. If we can be clear about our objectives we can probably bring some significant work forward in this area", he said.
COMMUNICATING WITH THE GENERAL PUBLIC - ARE WE REACHING THE CITIZENS?
The challenge of communicating and popularising information on chemicals in order to reach the general public was discussed intensively in the second panel discussion. ECHA Director Andreas Herdina chaired the panel and pointed out the fact that at the moment there is a wealth of information shared among the insiders of the chemicals field but for the general public "we need to do more". David Azoulay, an environmental attorney from the Swiss firm Ciel, spoke about the importance of reaching out to the general public in a transparent way. "People need information to make an informed decision on whether to use or not to use a certain product", he said. According to Mr Azoulay there are shortcomings in ECHA's registered substances database. "Unfortunately, the situation is not much better now than it was prior to REACH. The ECHA database is very generic. The will is there but it is not enough. The database should be more comprehensive and easier to use."
Dr Hans Bender, representing the European Detergent and Cleaning Industry as President of A.I.S.E. , told the audience that industry sees itself as an expert in communicating with the general public, and that industry is taking voluntary action to enhance the knowledge of consumers. "Consumers' choices have the most impact on the environment; we need to make consumers more knowledgeable about the product and also about the use. On-pack labelling is the key, but it should be complemented with more detailed information on websites. Consumers want to understand which precautions they need to take when using a product", he said.'
Sylvia Maurer from The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) represented consumer organisations on the panel. She told that consumer organisations are communicating about chemicals through comparative product testing in magazines, campaign websites and through social media. As an example of engaging consumers in social media, she mentioned an application developed in Norway to scan cosmetic products for endocrine disruptors. According to Ms Maurer the consumers ‘right to know', introduced by article 33 of REACH, does not work. "Companies do not seem to have a systematic management how to deal with the requirements of article 33", she stated. Although the starting point with consumer products is that they have to be safe, Ms Maurer sees a need for additional regulatory action. "Chemical safety is a moving target, which is why regulation needs to play a role. We also need a horizontal approach on chemicals across product groups to lower the exposure of general public."
| Ms Anne-Sofie Andersson and Dr Hans Bender debate substitution. |
Image copyright: HCF.
SUBSTITUTION OF CHEMICALS DEBATED
The issue of substitution and whether it is being encouraged by the new legislation was debated between Dr Hans Bender representing industry and Ms Anne-Sofie Andersson from ChemSec, an environmental NGO based in Sweden. Dr Bender was convinced that the legislation can encourage substitution but that substitution should not be an end in itself. "There is much more. Substitution is one element in the safe management of chemicals and it should ideally be part of a broader innovation effort. One central element to enable substitution in REACH is authorisation, which provides the framework and structure for the assessment of alternatives and substitution", he stated.
Ms Andersson mentioned two REACH processes that entice substitution: authorisation and the Candidate List. "Authorisation is not really working. It is going slow and has an uncertain outcome. Also, the relevance of third party contributions will depend on the information available and the time given to contribute, and more transparency on the process is needed. However, the Candidate List is working. It has created new thinking on what producers have in their portfolio. This is very important. The process could be quicker though", she said. According to Ms Andersson the substances of very high concern (SVHCs) and the Candidate List have raised awareness among industry about which chemicals to prioritise and focus on. "Substitution might have benefits such as saving money on waste costs, on take-back actions or on the impacts of bad reputation."
REGULATION AS DRIVER FOR INNOVATION
The second day started with a panel discussion on the relationship between innovation and regulation. Director Gwen Cozigou from the European Commission said that we should find the right balance between means that provide safety and means that enhance innovation. "Regulation can certainly play a positive role in innovation but it is to be looked at very carefully knowing that safety, competitiveness and innovation can play together but they can also conflict. The first source of innovation is not with us but with the private sector", he said.
Swiss consultant Wim Jetten sees that regulation alone cannot drive innovation. "Regulation alone is not going to give you a business reward, it needs more than that. Competitive, societal, financial and sustainability challenges are drivers that make you think what kind of products you would like to develop. However, regulation has a role in setting the conditions, directing, stimulation, setting timelines and ensuring a level playing field", he explained.
Dr Gernot Klotz, Executive Director of Cefic, pointed out that innovation is a mindset change, not just technology and that innovators have to deal with uncertainty. "Innovation is moving forward much faster than the regulatory processes. How are regulations maturing to back up innovation?" he asked.
ALTERNATIVE TESTING METHODS
The Helsinki Chemicals Forum concluded with a session on alternative testing methods to test long-term toxicity. Dr Erwin Annys, Director at Cefic, emphasised the role of OECD for achieving internationally agreed test methods, and the fact that REACH encourages the use of alternative methods. "It is mentioned in REACH that animal testing should be used only as a last resort. REACH promotes a variety of alternative possibilities: use of existing data, weight of evidence approaches, structure activity relationships, in vitro methods, grouping and read-across, and exposure based adaptation of information requirements", he said. All these methods should result in the same quality of information that would be received through traditional testing. "There must be a regulatory acceptance of the new methods and it has to give the same quality information as the traditional tests. The legal texts are not very flexible in their interpretation, which means that a lot of creativity is needed to use newly accepted test methods before all legislations are updated."
Dr Katy Taylor, Senior Science Advisor, from the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV), spoke about the bureaucratic, financial and attitudinal barriers to using alternative testing methods. According to Dr Taylor, harmonisation of alternative testing methods is great, but unfortunately takes a long time. "The EU waits for OECD acceptance. It takes two years from OECD acceptance until entering into the test method regulation. The attitudes also need to change. There is a failure to appreciate the shortcomings of animal tests, and sometimes regulators fail to inform industry of updates", she said. Dr Taylor concluded with a plea to both regulators and industry. "Let's invest more into the science and let's make sure that we have the [alternative test method] processes in place so that we can move on as soon as the science is there."
The next Helsinki Chemicals Forum will be held on 18-19 June 2013 in Helsinki.
Image: Panel members at the Helsinki Chemicals Forum are taking questions from the audience through an online message board. Image copyright: HCF.
Text by Hanna-Kaisa Torkkeli
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Biocidal Products Committee:
30 November-4 December (tentative)
Committee for Risk Assessment:
6-8 October (RAC-52B);
30 November-4 December (tentative);
7-11 December (tentative)
Committee for Socio-Economic
30 November-4 December (tentative);
7-11 December (tentative)
Member State Committee:
7-11 December (tentative)
Management Board meeting:


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Raisin appoints former UBS chair Axel Weber as advisor and board member
Berlin-based fintech Raisin has appointed Axel Weber, the former president of the German Central Bank, as an advisor and board member.
Prior to joining Raisin, Weber served as chairman of the board of directors for Swiss bank UBS from 2012 to 2022.
As president of the German Bundesbank from 2004 to 2011, Raisin says Weber was “one of the key figures during the euro crisis, when the threat of a breakup of the European Economic and Monetary Union loomed”.
The appointment comes as Raisin claims to be experiencing a “steep growth curve” amid interest rate hikes and a “savings rush”. The fintech says it has now hit €50 billion in assets under management, a 66% increase from the €30 billion it recorded in December 2022.
Founded in 2012, Raisin offers savings, investment and pension products to more than 1.3 million consumers in the European Union, UK and US. In addition to Germany, Raisin claims all the major markets it operates in have witnessed a “significant growth” in savings products.
Tamaz Georgadze, co-founder and CEO of Raisin, says the company is aiming “to capture the gigantic market of over €95 trillion in deposits and investments in the EU, the UK and the US”.


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Apple unveiled its long-awaited third generation iPad on March 6 in San Francisco, California. Dubbed simply the new iPad, the device offers a number of upgrades the company thinks will keep it far ahead of the competition.
Apple has sold some 15 million iPads and, judging by the reaction in the room, is likely to keep up the pace with this new model. Here, take a closer look at the new iPad.
A better screen, a better processor, a better everything.
|The medical marijuana ad that never aired, despite contrary media headlines|
|2 million students missing out on college aid|
|GM raising Corvette prices|
|China to fight pollution with drones|
|Boeing reports wing cracks on Dreamliners|


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New Delhi: Earlier this week, WhatsApp began sending in-app notifications to users about changes to its policy and terms of service, indicating that user data would be shared with its parent company, Facebook.
Users will have to agree to the changes, that are set to kick in on 8 February, to continue using the application.
The important changes to note are how user data will be processed henceforth, how businesses can use Facebook services to manage WhatsApp chats, and how WhatsApp partners with Facebook to “offer integrations” with products from Facebook Inc.
The news has raised concerns about user privacy and how much data Facebook will be able to access, given that the app now supports financial transactions and e-commerce.
To be clear, WhatsApp’s policy has always said it shares information with Facebook. But the latest update has one significant difference.
This isn’t the first time WhatsApp is facing privacy concerns. In 2019, it became a concern world over including in India, when it came to light that hackers were able to use the application to spy on targeted users using the spyware ‘Pegasus’.
However, since 2016, WhatsApp has enabled end-to-end encryption, which means message and call content is not readable to WhatsApp.
Also read: Spying or hacking — nothing is hurting WhatsApp’s status as India’s top messaging app
The key change
What has set this terms & policy update apart from earlier ones is that it does not give WhatsApp users the choice to not share information with Facebook.
While WhatsApp has had a data sharing model for sometime now, users could opt to not have their data shared with Facebook.
WhatsApp’s last policy version from July 2020 and the earlier December 2019 version say: “As part of the Facebook family of companies, WhatsApp receives information from, and shares information with, this family of companies. We may use the information we receive from them, and they may use the information we share with them, to help operate, provide, improve, understand, customize, support, and market our Services and their offerings.”
The updated policy version that comes into effect in February 2021 no longer has this section, giving users no choice in the matter of sharing information with Facebook if they wish to continue using the application.
Also read: Govts want backdoor entry to encrypted WhatsApp texts. It can also be backdoor for hackers
What kind of data will WhatsApp share
WhatsApp says it “currently” shares the following information with Facebook companies:
A user’s account registration information (like phone number), “transaction data, service-related information, information on how you interact with others (including businesses) when using our Services, mobile device information”, and the user’s IP address. The IP address is a string of numbers assigned to a device by an internet service provider and can be used to track the physical location of a device.
Under the ‘Information We Collect’ section, according to the January 2021 policy, the company lists a user’s payment and transaction data, and gives more detail about what kind of data will be collected under ‘Transactions And Payments Data’.
“If you use our payments services, or use our Services meant for purchases or other financial transactions, we process additional information about you, including payment account and transaction information. Payment account and transaction information includes information needed to complete the transaction (for example, information about your payment method, shipping details and transaction amount).”
The previous policy update (July 2020) only briefly explained ‘Transactional information’ as: “If you pay for our Services, we may receive information and confirmations, such as payment receipts, including from app stores or other third parties processing your payment.”
Also read: Stigma of fake news is locking WhatsApp out of India’s lucrative digital payments market
What do the changes mean for users
What this means is that WhatsApp may now share more user information with Facebook than before. If users don’t click on the ‘accept’ button to agree to the new policy and terms, then users will not be able to continue using WhatsApp.
Other messaging apps, such as Signal and Telegram that are popular for their encrypted services, may see a boost due to this, or even the basic short message service (SMS) provided by your network provider.
Also read: How did leaked Bollywood ‘drug chats’ affect WhatsApp? Its downloads saw 25,000/day jump
Most users are concerned about their conversations on watsapp. Does that continue to remain secure or are they reviewing and transferring that as well to understand customer behaviour?
Join Discord and Signal.
More functionalities and easy to use.
FB is an unscrupulous company. I don’t trust it. Criminals have used FB to stalk, burgle, hack users. I am stopping Whatsapp use on 7th Feb. In short, THERE IS NO FREE LUNCH in this world.
Comments are closed.


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- Royal Caribbean Cruises and Miami-Dade county announced an agreement to build a terminal at PortMiami, slated for December 2018. It will be large enough to accommodate Oasis-class ships.
- Ovation of the Seas was named by Chinese actress Fan Bingbing at a ceremony attended by 100 Australian travel agents and cruise line executives.
- MSC Cruises announced that the second Seaside-generation smart ship due in June 2018, will be named MSC Seaview and will homeport in Genoa, Marseille and Barcelona. MSC Seaview has a 360° promenade with glass balustrades that runs around the ship.
- The expanded Panama Canal, linking the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans, was officially inaugurated. It will provide an additional lane of traffic.
- A fire on board Fred Olsen’s Black Watch damaged three out of seven auxiliary engines. Passengers were returned home by aircraft and there were no injuries.
- Celebrity Cruises, Cunard, Princess Cruises, Seabourn and Windstar cancelled cruise calls to Istanbul after Tuesday’s airport bombing.
- Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas had to return to port hours after departure when an eight-year-old boy was found unconscious in one of the pools.
- Hurtigruten intends to launch up to four new expedition ships.
- The world’s oldest ocean-going passenger vessel, Astoria, will leave Cruise and Maritime Voyages in 2017.
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How Amazon Is Changing Shipping
It seems like Amazon is disrupting just about every aspect of commerce these days. Between allowing customers to click a button when they need more laundry detergent to giving grocery shoppers a checkout-free experience, Amazon is on the cutting edge.
Of course, being an e-commerce platform, shipping is a major part of business, and Amazon has shown it has its sights on changing the shipping game as well.
For this busy holiday season, Amazon leased 40 cargo jets to supplement its shipping capabilities to ensure Prime customers received their orders on time. They called it Prime Air. While Prime Air is only meant to complement the shipping done by UPS and FedEx, it’s still a presence in the shipping portion of the supply chain.
According to Forbes, though, the 40 planes are hardly a drop in the ocean, compared to FedEx’s fleet of 659 aircrafts or UPS’s 236.
But, Amazon’s steps are still important to note. Especially after it acquired French delivery company Colis Prive earlier this year.
Also, Forbes reported that Amazon is working on an app that matches truck drivers with shippers, set to debut Summer 2017. Similar to the app-based delivery services popular in cities, this app likely will make it easier for truck drivers to find shippers, eliminating the middle men who set up the business for a commission.


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KIGALI, Rwanda – Mobile network operator MTN and Verifone Mobile Money have teamed up to launch MTN Tap&Pay, a service that allows customers to use mobile money to pay for goods and services simply by “tapping” their phones on a merchant point of sale device. The service supports the Rwandan government’s goal of establishing cash-light, interoperable payment systems in Rwanda.
MTN Tap&Pay is powered by near-field communication (NFC) technology developed by Youtap, a global provider of contactless mobile payments and financial services software.
The experiential launch took place at Kigali City Tower (KCT) and saw MTN partner with one of the biggest retail chain stores in the East African region, Nakumatt, to go live with this service.
Speaking at the launch event, MTN acting CEO Yvonne Manzi Makolo said, “We are pleased to partner with Verifone Mobile Money to bring this innovative payment solution to Rwandans. MTN Tap&Pay is just another one of our many commitments to ensure that we are living up to our vision of leading the delivery of a bold, new digital world to our customers.”
“We believe that MTN Tap&Pay will bring a strong value proposition for all MTN Mobile Money merchants and customers as well as offer an innovative shopping experience which is fast, secure and easy,” added Norman Munyampundu, General Manager of MTN Business.
“Tap and Pay technology benefits both consumers and merchants,” said Shaun Morgan, GM Sales – Africa with Verifone Mobile Money. “For consumers, it’s a more convenient way to use mobile money. For merchants, it provides access to a whole new world of sales data and market intelligence.”
MTN is hopeful that this new payment solution will contribute to the growth of mobile retail payments in Rwanda, where cash is still predominant. As a country, Rwanda’s goal is to fully achieve a cashless economy with at least 95% of all transactions happening electronically by 2017.
MTN Rwanda now boasts more than 1 million active Mobile Money users making more than 7 million transactions per month, with a monthly transaction value of Rwf 70 billion on its Mobile Money platform.
In the first deployment phase, MTN has targeted 100 merchants who will be using the payment service in their stores. Phase 2 will see an additional 3,600 merchants begin to use MTN Tap&Pay by the end of March 2017.


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Now that we know how Google plan to name future editions of the Nexus family, the obvious question we’re all asking is when will we see a Nexus 10 (2013) and a Nexus 4 (2013)?
Well, according to a rumour kicked off by a tweet earlier this week, we could be seeing another Samsung built Nexus 10 being released soon.
— Amir Efrati (@amir) July 24, 2013
I always had the feeling that the N10 was not quite as successful as the N7, despite being a decent bit of kit. If this is the case then surely Google will be pushing for some decent hardware improvements if they are to gain market share from the 10″ tablet leader – the Apple iPad.
So, will we see a Nexus 10 (2013) and will this be Google’s launch platform for Android 5.0?


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Published: Feb. 24, 2015
Photo of Dawn Ackerman by Paul Chinn, San Francisco Chronicle
Becoming part of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce’s (NGLCC) Supplier Diversity Initiative is about more than supporting the national movement for LGBT equality. It’s about helping small businesses become recognized and make money, thereby bolstering the economic base of the entire LGBT community. The GGBA sat down with Dawn Ackerman to find out why it’s important for GGBA’s small business members to get certified to become part of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) Supplier Diversity Initiative in advance of the free LGBT Business Builder event taking place on March 2, 2015.
Dawn is vice president of the GGBA Board of Directors and President, CFO, and co-founder of OutSmart Office Solutions, a full-service office interior design and space planning company. In 2012, OutSmart Office Solutions was recognized as the NGLCC’s 2012 LGBT Supplier of the Year.
GGBA: You’re very involved with the NGLCC. Will you tell us why you’re so involved?
Dawn: When I was living in Los Angeles in 2004, I heard from a fellow business owner that there was a new, National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, and they were having their conference in San Francisco to talk about LGBT Business Enterprise certification. I decided to buy a ticket and come to San Francisco to check out this conference. While I was at that conference, I learned about certification, and I learned that there were LGBT Chambers all over the country. I joined the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Chamber and started understanding how important certification could be for LGBT businesses—if they knew about it. We’ve been promoting it now for almost 10 years.
I also met my business partner at that San Francisco conference. Over the next few years we decided we would form a new company, get certified, and work together. We formed Outsmart Office Solutions in 2007. In 2009, we went to the NGLCC conference and that’s where we met Office Depot. In 2010 we became their first LGBT partner and in 2013 we became their first and only LGBT vendor with our own line of product.
GGBA: Roughly how much business have you gotten as a result of your certification?
Dawn: I’m going to say at this point it’s about 50 percent of our revenue. We have bid on multiple multi-million dollar office supply deals. Recently we’ve been focusing on larger local contracts. For instance, we just signed a bank in the Seattle area. It’s an LGBT-owned bank and they have 12 locations.
GGBA: Where did this idea of certification come from?
Dawn: The NGLCC started the program because IBM came to them and said we really want to do business with LGBT businesses, but we don’t know how to find them. The certification allows companies to get the official stamp because it says this company is 51 percent or more LGBT-owned and operated.
NGLCC now has 150 corporate partners that they’re serving to help them find and recruit more LGBT businesses into their supply chain.
Because GGBA is an affiliate Chamber, our small business members get all these local and national opportunities to do business and the $400fee for certification is waived as a member benefit.
GGBA: So there are very real business opportunities here, right?
Dawn: There are hundreds of companies that are specifically putting LGBT supplier diversity goals into place. The only way they can count their spend to meet their goals is to procure goods and services from a certified LGBT Business Enterprise.
Certification also gives us access to more opportunities. The more LGBT businesses that come out and get certified, the more it allows lawmakers to realize that we really exist and that we are a part of the economy and should be counted. It gives us access to services. For example services from the SBA, opportunities for lending, for business building, importing and exporting, and job creation. I think it’s important for people to come out and get certified so that we have strength in numbers.
GGBA: Anything else you’d like to say about LGBT certification?
Dawn: The only way our certification numbers are going to grow is if more people know that certification exists, and if people who have been through and understand the process of certification are talking about it and getting people to understand that it really can benefit their business. A company that wants to grow and be sustainable and possibly take on contracts with either large corporations or their suppliers and government agencies, are absolutely doing their business a great service by getting certified. They are also helping the community as a whole, because the more of us that stand up to be counted and make the opportunities work for our businesses, the more economically stable it makes the entire LGBT business community.


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“Mac fans in our office (and there are more than a few) were getting excited yesterday – we were expecting an announcement from MacWorld 2009 in San Francisco, confirming that Apple would as promised be removing all toxic PVC plastic and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) from its entire new product range,” Greenpeace writes.
“Confidence was high that this was going to happen because we’ve had the word from the man himself – Apple CEO Steve Jobs – from as far back as May 2007 that toxic PVC and BFRs in Mac computers would be history by the end of 2008. His enthusiam for the subject, of course, initially stemmed from the success of our Green my Apple campaign, which generated huge support and discussion from Mac addicts worldwide,” Greenpeace writes. “In October last year he reiterated this promise: Last year we announced the unprecedented goal of eliminating polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) from Apple products by the end of 2008. I’m proud to report that all of Apple’s new product designs are on track to meet our 2008 year-end goal. Steve Jobs, October 2008″
“That’s a pretty definitive statement – not much room for misunderstanding there, I’d say. And yet the one new product announced so far at this year’s Macworld, the Macbook Pro, turns out not to meet Mr Jobs’ new greener specification; sure it has reduced amounts of the offending chemicals, but they’ve not been removed altogether. Definitely NOT what Apple promised for 2009,” Greenpeace writes.
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Greenpeace. Completely and shamelessly aboard the Apple publicity train and not getting off any time soon, no matter what.
And now, for the rest of the story:
The new 17-inch MacBook Pro is made of highly recyclable materials, meets stringent energy efficiency standards and is made without many of the harmful toxins found in other computers. Apple uses advanced chemistry, intelligent monitoring of the system and battery, and Adaptive Charging technology to create a revolutionary new notebook battery that delivers up to eight hours of wireless productivity on a single charge and up to 1,000 recharges without adding thickness, weight or cost to the MacBook Pro’s incredible design. The longer battery lifespan equals fewer depleted batteries and less waste, which is better for the environment.
The new 17-inch MacBook Pro joins the aluminum unibody MacBook family in setting new standards for environmentally friendly notebooks with every model achieving EPEAT Gold status. Each MacBook unibody enclosure is made of highly recyclable aluminum and comes standard with energy efficient LED-backlit displays that are mercury-free and made with arsenic-free glass. The new MacBook family meets stringent Energy Star 4.0 requirements, contains no brominated flame retardants and uses internal cables and components that are PVC-free. The battery in the new 17-inch MacBook Pro provides additional environmental benefit because its extended lifespan means fewer depleted batteries resulting in less waste. Depleted batteries can be replaced for $179 which includes installation and disposal of your old battery in an environmentally responsible manner. – Apple Inc.
Direct link via YouTube here.


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The recently revealed CLS Shooting Brake is being followed by its high-performance sibling.
Mercedes-Benz released its new CLS Shooting Brake over the weekend. But the one we'll all want to see is the high-performance version. Fortunately the AMG wagon has already leaked out in this video clip. Packing the same 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8 and Speedshift MCT 7-speed transmission as the "four door coupe", the Shooting Brake version will combine 525 horsepower with a more versatile body-style and additional storage space.
The svelte wagon should offer similar performance to the four-door model, so expect a 0-60mph time in the low 4-second range and a top speed electronically limited to155 mph.
Superior handling over the regular CLS Shooting Brake will come from the latest AMG Adaptive Suspension damping system, an AMG-specific electro-hydraulic steering system and a custom front axle arrangement. Official details and pictures should be released in the near future.


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Patrick Kaler, CEO of Visit Buffalo Niagara, has been named the New York State Tourism Executive of the Year by the New York State Hospitality and Tourism Association.
Kaler was nominated for the award by Jill Delaney, president and CEO of Visit Albany. NYSHTA is an advocating association for the travel and tourism industry.
He has also been elected chair of the U.S. Travel Association's Destinations Council. In Kaler's national position as chair of the Destinations Council, he'll oversee advocacy efforts for the tourism industry including 400 members of the U.S. Travel Association.
Kaler became president and CEO of Visit Buffalo Niagara in 2014. Previously, he worked in tourism promoting Lake Tahoe, Los Angeles and Virginia's wine country.


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King's College London's Sophie Medlin argues there no rules to following a plant-based diet
Many people will have had their fill of cheese, chocolate and meat over Christmas and have felt much more energised after going vegan in January (an event known as Veganuary). This invigorating feeling...
Tech giant quadruples number of locations for US customers to hand in old iPhones as part of recycling and reuse drive
GreenBiz releases its latest update on soaring renewables demand from US corporates
Record amount of future new wind capacity will be financed from last year's investment, according to WindEurope
Nation known for its natural beauty is under pressure with extinctions, polluted rivers and blighted lakes


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Indian govt ropes in tech giants, local agritech firms to boost farm productivity: Report
New Delhi/IBNS: In a bid to increase farm productivity and ensure food security, the government has embarked on an ambitious productivity drive aimed at transforming the country's agricultural industry, according to a media report.
Technology giants Amazon.com Inc., Microsoft Corp., and Cisco Systems Inc. are lining up to harness data from India's farmers, according to a Bloomberg report.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration has signed preliminary agreements with the three U.S.-based companies and several local businesses since April to share farm statistics it has been collecting since coming to power in 2014, the report said.
Under the agreement, the big tech companies help the government in developing proof of concepts to offer tech solutions for farm-to-fork services, which farmers will be able to access at their doorstep, stated Bloomberg report.
The private sector can help farmers multiply yields with apps and tools developed from information such as crop output, soil quality, and landholdings.
If beneficial, firms would be able to sell the final product to the government and also directly to growers and the solutions would be scaled up at the national level, the report stated.
PM Modi is trying to bring in long-due reforms to give a makeover to a farm sector India's half of 1.3 billion people are employed and contributes nearly a fifth of Asia's third-biggest economy.
The government is hoping that the project would succeed and boost rural incomes, cut imports, reduce some of the world's worst food wastages with better infrastructure, and eventually compete with exporters such as Brazil, the U.S., and the European Union, according to the report.
Ernst & Young estimates that India's agritech industry, which has a current penetration of only 1%, has the potential to reach about $24 billion in revenue by 2025, the report said.
It is also a chance to deploy networks, artificial intelligence, and machine learning in a developing country, the report stated.
E-commerce firms such as Amazon and Reliance, securing an uninterrupted supply of farm produce could help crack a groceries market that accounts for over half of the $1 trillion in annual retail spending by Indians, it said.
Microsoft has already selected 100 villages to implement AI and machine learning and create a platform, according to Bloomberg.
Amazon has already initiated offering real-time advice and information to farmers through a mobile app. The tech giant is offering cloud services to solution providers, it added.
However, representatives at the India offices of Microsoft and Amazon didn't respond to emails seeking comment, it said.
One of the Indian agritech companies involved with the project, Star Agribazaar, whose co-founder Amit Mundawala calls the project a "game-changer," will collect data on agri land profiling, crop estimation, soil degradation, and weather patterns, the report informed.
Another company, ESRI India is using geographic information system to generate data and create applications, according to Managing Director Agendra Kumar.


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Samsung Galaxy S2 owners on Vodafone will be able to update their handset to the latest Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) version of Android via an over-the-air (OTA) download today. Pending a repeat of last-minute glitches, that is.
Voda initially planned to push out the platform bump to Android 4.0 over the air on April 12th. However, citing delays at Samsung’s end, it postponed the rollout until today.
If users wanted to get their two scoops of ICS in the meantime they had to plug their phone into their desktop or lappy and grab it through Sammy’s Kies download solution – a method markedly more fiddly and less user-friendly than simply getting it over the air.
At the time of writing, Voda’s CS reps assured us that today's OTA update is going ahead today as planned. Although the fact that it is set to be rolled out in stages means it’s hard to say for sure.
Features ICS brings to the Galaxy S2 include the much-maligned Face Unlock security feature, plus new versions of native apps and slicker multi-tasking.
If you’re got ICS on your Vodafone-branded Galaxy S2 or you’re still waiting, let us know in the comments section below.
Vodafone support forums
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INDIA MOBILE RETAILERS ASSOCIATION
Mobile phone makers seek rollback of GST increase
In a recent letter to finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the Indian Cellular & Electronics Association (ICEA) said the hike in the GST rate to 18% effective April 1 from 12% would “draw out Rs 15,000 crore from the ecosystem and devastate the retail sector already under attack from Covid-19" and further impact 80 crore consumers at a time when their spending capacity could come under pressure.
Telcos to opt for EMI moratorium; tariff to remain stable: COAI
Debt-ridden Vodafone Idea has proposed that the minimum price of data should ...
After SC order, India's cryptocurrency space is whirring back into action
Even as Coronavirus spread, with sectors such as retail, travel, ...
COVID-19: Offline retailers urge FM, NBFCs to allow delays in EMI payments
The industry body represents 1.50 lakh mobile retailers who may be unable to pay their monthly instalments and interest towards credit cards, vehicle loan, home loan and business loans taken by them. A similar letter highlighting the concerns of the mobile retailers was also sent to non-banking finance companies (NBFCs).
Covid lockdown: Retailers offer incentives to staff to keep operations normal
Two industry executives said union commerce minister Piyush Goyal had told all leading retail chains and e-commerce firms on Thursday’s video-conferencing meeting that they have to motivate their workforce to work so that consumers are not inconvenienced. Goyal has also apparently said that the companies cannot call back the labour that has gone back to their native places.
Covid-19: Retailers say staff manhandled by police amid lockdown
Retailers in many cities said on Wednesday that staff were stopped and manhandled by police, even as the central government reiterated that essential services should not face disruption from local authorities.
Covid 19: Retailers roll out steps to maintain social distancing, sanitisation at stores
Big retailers, which are presently dispensing only essential items amid the lockdown, are taking precautionary measures like restricted entry and marked lines to maintain social distancing to avoid coronavirus infection at their stores.
E-commerce delivery services excluded from curfew restrictions in Maharashtra
Several ecommerce companies have taken to social media to highlight that their delivery executives have been stopped multiple times by police personnel on the ground.
India under lockdown: Supply woes ease, but still a long road ahead
Trucks carrying essential supplies that had been stuck at state borders for days also began moving. Retailers and consumer companies said matters began improving after meetings with police and local authorities in many states. Not everyone is convinced the situation is better.
Facing curbs, ecommerce companies Flipkart and Amazon halt pickups from vendors
Amazon, Flipkart suspend pickups; offline retailers say warehouse closures by authorities hurting supplies.
Lockdown: DoT asks telcos to approach wireless wing for additional spectrum to meet data demand
Telecom operators have requested the Department of Telecom(DoT) for additional spectrum allocation to meet the rising load on networks due to the ongoing lockdown mandating people to stay at home.
Telcos set up war rooms to monitor networks during Covid-19 crisis
The three private telcos have obtained approvals from the DoT to ensure critical workers manning their NoCs – the brains of any mobile communications network – can freely travel amid the pandemic-induced countrywide lockdowns to resolve network-related glitches at a time when bulk of corporate staff across India is working from home.
GST filing deferment no relief for mobile phone makers after recent rate hike
An intelligence firm that tracks the smartphone market has cut this year’s growth estimate to 5.5% from 8% earlier. Realme has estimated that phone prices could go up by 12-15% for reasons including fluctuation in rupee-dollar exchange rates, impact of Covid-19 on the supply chain for components, an increase in memory prices of smartphones, and higher GST.
Department of Financial Services ensures unhindered banking services
The Department of Financial Services has told the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to ensure that all electronic and digital payment modes and channels function unhindered. It has directed Indian Banks' Association (IBA) to coordinate with banks to ensure cash availability in ATMs.
Union Bank expects Rs 2,500 cr benefits due to amalgamation: CEO Rajkiran Rai G
Union Bank said implementation of all the processes under amalgamation will happen without much disruption to customers and employees of Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank.
Copyright © 2020 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All rights reserved. For reprint rights: Times Syndication Service


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“When you live in a culture that tolerates and even promotes copying that is, in fact, what you get. When everyone copies everyone that means no one is innovating.”
Recently the Wall Street Journal published an article detailing Facebook Chief Executive and Founder, Mark Zuckerberg, directing employees to not let pride get in their way and to copy rivals in the industry. The Wall Street Journal reported that one particular employee present at this all employees meeting said that after this meeting the internal slogan within Facebook became: “Don’t be too proud to copy.”
Facebook executives have routinely said that it is common within the tech industry for companies to build upon technologies pioneered by others, which of course is true. Still, standing on the shoulders of those who come before you is very different than copying rivals and a company-wide understanding that the CEO and Founder wants you to take what others have spent time, money and energy developing. One is how the march of innovation proceeds, the other is the anatomy of infringement.
Just look at Snap for example.
Much of Snap’s IPO filings at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) talked directly about patent and IP theft as a material risk. Indeed, while much of the Snap, Inc. S-1 Registration Statement filed with the SEC discusses the risk posed by the threat of patent infringement lawsuits against Snap, the statement also explained that “third parties may knowingly or unknowingly infringe our proprietary rights,” which turned out to be rather prophetic.
“If we are unable to protect our intellectual property, the value of our brand and other intangible assets may be diminished, and our business may be seriously harmed,” reads another section of the Snap S-1 Registration Statement.
Conveniently for Zuckerberg, and Facebook, “efficient infringement” has become fashionable thanks to Silicon Valley spending hundreds of millions in lobbying on patents the past 20 years.
This ‘take without paying’ philosophy that is pervasive in big tech within Silicon Valley comes from a place that is hardly new to those familiar with the business of innovating. As a company grows in size they are less capable of innovating, with extremely few exceptions. And even when most large technology companies continue to innovate they are really building upon the shoulders of acquisitions – whether it be the acquisition of companies or technologies. Innovation by M&A is common for large incumbents. Facebook did try to buy Snap. But Snap said no so now Facebook just copies Snap in order to keep bumping up their user and data numbers.
As for the excuses, the Wall Street Journal explains in the aforementioned article that the Silicon Valley culture has long regarded copying as a good thing and necessary for rapid growth, first to market, first mover advantage, network effects, world domination, liquidity for early investors and Founders, etc. What complete and total garbage. When you live in a culture that tolerates and even promotes copying that is, in fact, what you get. When everyone copies everyone that means no one is innovating. Many studies and articles in recent years have highlighted how we have a net loss of startups over the past 30 years and that companies are no longer innovating. Perhaps Apple has received the brunt of this criticism as nothing really breakthrough has occurred since the untimely death of Steve Jobs and much of Apple’s activity seems to be about suing partners like Samsung for copying!
The tech elite have mortgaged their own future by lobbying in Congress and arguing in the Courts for the dismantling of the patent system. They have crushed independent inventors and made it increasingly difficult, if not impossible, for fledgling tech startups to get off the ground. That means less job creation since startups create the jobs, but it also means a lot less innovation, and with that the result will be much less to copy, which will further result in stagnant innovation.
Ironic that the giants lobbied Trump earlier this year to make sure that the United States Trade Representative chief protected their patents. Now that Trump is going after China for IP theft it will be interesting to see China point out how these same tech companies have hollowed out America. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, hardly a fan of litigation, reported this year in its annual Global IP Index that America has dropped from #1 to #10 in terms of patents thanks to the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) and Alice. Joe Matal, temporary leader of the USPTO, said at the recent quarterly PPAC meeting that the U.S. used to issue patents in software but now other countries are doing it. In fact, Europe is now where innovators go to obtain software patent protection, not the U.S.
Reed Hastings, a Facebook board member, has called for Peter Thiel, another Facebook board member to resign because Thiel exercised poor corporate governance judgment by backing Trump. Hastings, founder and CEO of Netflix, is betting his shareholder’s future on paying for the creation of original content, competing head to head with the likes of Disney. How can Hastings justify sitting on the Board of Facebook as a content creator when Facebook has a culture of copying? If Thiel exercised poor judgment backing Trump, what is Hastings doing by tolerating a culture of copying at Facebook?
Facebook, like other tech giants that fund the infringer lobby, dearly want Trump to protect them from China’s policies on IP, data localization, cybersecurity and antitrust. Yet their lobbying against patents in the U.S. deliveries a great political and economic gift to China. Shouldn’t Hastings take a page from the Netflix book and take Facebook out of the copying business? Or will it be Thiel? Hard to see him switching sides and embracing patents given his libertarian roots and statements against patents.
Perhaps an entrepreneurial activist shareholder will be able to profit from the hypocrisy and cognitive dissonance of these billionaires.


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Consumerist linked to this Bankrate.com report about Chase Bank’s decision to end double-cycle billing. Says Chase’s chief marketing officer, “In our continuing review of customer feedback, we found that this practice was difficult to understand.”
To say the least. Basically, they billing every two months, instead of every month. The only clear reason was that it resulted in higher fees to Chase. Of course, the change came just before Senator Christopher Dodd announced hearings on credit card industry practices. One wonders if Chase didn’t have insider information and caught the PR wave early.


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DaimlerChrysler reported the loss on the same day that Chrysler, in an embarrassing step, recalled 11,000 of its new minivans, saying a front-suspension bolt could break, causing the van to go out of control.
The company said owners of the affected vans should not drive them but wait for a dealer to pick them up and fix them. The minivan is Chrysler's largest-selling vehicle, and the recall applies to about 3 percent of the 2001 model built since introducing the redesigned model last autumn.
The German-American vehicle maker posted an operating loss of 610 million euro ($A1.1 billion), compared with a 2.5 billion euro operating profit in the year-earlier quarter. On top of that, it posted one-time charges of 3.1 billion euros, mostly for restructuring costs at Chrysler, which is cutting thousands of jobs and shuttering factories. DaimlerChrysler said revenue had fallen 13 percent to 35.5 billion euros, from 41 billion euros.
DaimlerChrysler as a whole posted a first-quarter net loss of 2.4 billion euros, or 2.35 euros a share, from net income of 1.7 billion euros, or 1.67 euros a share, in the year-ago period.
The company tried to put the best face possible on its results, noting the loss was less than the 800 million to one billion euros it had predicted in February when it announced a three-year plan to fix problems at Chrysler and its Japanese affiliate, Mitsubishi.
But even DaimlerChrysler's chief financial officer, Manfred Gentz, took pains to avoid raising investors' expectations. "The outcome for the first quarter is better than we saw in February, but the year isn't over yet," he told analysts, restating the operating-profit target for 2001 laid out in February: 1.2 billion to 1.7 billion euros.
In New York trading, the shares closed 12US cents down at $US49.79.
The nastiest surprise was the worse-than-expected results for Freightliner. DaimlerChrysler would not reveal the loss figures but said it outweighed profits at DaimlerChrysler's commercial-vehicle units overseas, swinging the entire commercial-vehicles unit to a quarterly loss of 138 million euros, from a profit of 258 million euros a year earlier.
- Wall Street Journal


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Poll a few thousand people on the best iPhone ever made, and I’d be willing to bet that the iPhone 5c would have an average ranking in the bottom third or quarter of the list. What was expected to be the “affordable iPhone for everyone” instead turned out to be a slightly cheaper repackaging of last year’s model, without any distinctive features besides colorful shells. Widely considered to be a flop — a point Apple disputed at the time — it didn’t do well enough to inspire either an upgrade or a sequel.
So though Apple could named the iPhone XR the “iPhone Xc,” it didn’t — the new model is both “Cheaper” and more “Colorful” than Apple’s current flagship, but it’s clear that the company isn’t about to repeat the iPhone 5c’s biggest mistakes. As a result, the XR is more likely to succeed than its spiritual predecessor. Here are five specific reasons why.
1. The iPhone 5c was Apple on defense, and XR is Apple on offense
If you think back to 2012 and the iPhone 5 days, Apple was in solid but delicate shape. CEO Steve Jobs had passed away the year before, the iPhone 4s had whimpered its way into the market, and iPhone sales were improving, but not fast enough. As Tim Cook took over as CEO, analysts and critics were haranguing the company to hurry up and release two different but necessary types of iPhones: bigger ones, and cheaper ones.
So at a point when Apple was developing a reputation for catering largely to premium smartphone buyers, the iPhone 5c felt like a defensive move. It seemed like it was almost antagonistically marketed — Jony Ive famously described it as being “unapologetically” plastic — at a price point that was lower, but not much lower than the iPhone 5. Unlike the original plastic iPod shuffle, which had debuted at $99 with a clear mandate to reach every possible MP3 player customer, the iPhone 5c was Apple’s way of opening its doors a little wider, but not too wide.
The iPhone XR is a different beast — a conscious decision to bring some cutting-edge technologies to a lower price point after the iPhone X skimmed the market last year. Apple’s not releasing XR under external pressure, and it’s not acting as if it’s been forced to make even cosmetic compromises this time. But what’s inside the XR is as important as its new wrapper.
2. Apple isn’t just repackaging last year’s technology this time
One of the iPhone 5c’s key mistakes was that it was utterly boring, apart from its redesigned shell. Apple literally took the parts out of the iPhone 5, wrapped them in colorful plastic instead of a metal frame, and called it a day.
The iPhone XR isn’t an iPhone X. It features Apple’s latest processor, the A12 Bionic, and most of the same features found in the iPhone XS — plus a larger (but marginally lower-resolution) screen. Collectively, these components represent conspicuous new engineering and at least a modicum of innovation, which typically help to sell iPhones.
No one will be surprised that it doesn’t have the XS’s second rear camera, few people will mind that it’s missing 3D Touch, and most customers won’t even realize there are other battery and cellular differences. They’re differentiators with the XS, but not showstoppers for the XR’s target markets: iPhone 6/7/8 upgraders and Android switchers.
3. XR is a flagship-caliber phone, inheriting iPhone 6, 7, and 8 customers, not a budget model
Apple’s goal with the iPhone XR isn’t to pull customers away from the iPhone XS; it’s to provide an “affordable” upgrade path from older iPhones and Android devices. The company knew that there was some fraction of its customer base that would gladly shell out $999 or more for a top-of-line iPhone — and a larger fraction that would not. Starting at $749, a $50 premium over the iPhone 8’s launch price, iPhone XR is for the holdouts.
Two years ago, most people would have laughed off paying $999 for a flagship phone, and even Apple didn’t play much in that space: It was risky, without a proven market. By releasing iPhone X and iPhone 8 models simultaneously, it effectively created an “ultra-flagship” tier above its “flagship” models, and used a year to see what the market would do. Since the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus looked sort of stale, iPhone X sales took off — not enough to outsell iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus combined, but enough to beat either one in many markets.
The iPhone XR provides a simple choice for people who have been on the iPhone 6, 7, and 8 paths for the past few years: Instead of choosing a $699 or $799 phone, here’s a $749 model. Apart from being forced to hold a larger device, and accepting the single rear camera and removal of 3D Touch, it’s going to be better in every way than whatever they’re using. Want something smaller, cheaper, or different — a budget phone? Pick an older iPhone. Back in 2012 and 2013, Apple didn’t have a deep enough iPhone bench to pull that off, but now it does.
4. The new design has already been proven successful, and isn’t risky
Even before yesterday’s announcement, it was obvious that the iPhone XR was going to look like an iPhone X from the front and an iPhone 8 from the back. Rumors set the expectations, then part and CAD leaks confirmed them — for a “new iPhone” model, this is almost as conservative as the iPhone 8. By comparison, that’s nothing like the iPhone 5c, a design Apple anticipated would be polarizing, then accentuated with a range of cheap-looking colors.
The iPhone XR is comparatively classy, largely because it’s made from glass and metal. It expands the successful iPhone 8 (and iPod nano/mini) strategy of using colors to appeal to more users, even if that means adding some wacky ones to attract niche customers. In some ways, this is the anodized aluminum color scheme iPhone users have been waiting years to purchase. So there are good reasons that analysts are expecting over half of all new iPhone sales to be the XR rather than the two XS models, with the ratio growing in 2019.
5. More people are buying iPhones now, though only Apple knows the mix from a huge lineup
There’s one reason Apple can’t really fail with the iPhone XR: scale. When the iPhone 5c debuted in 2013, Apple was selling 150 million iPhones a year. These days, the numbers are annually over 210 million, and will likely be around 220 million this year. Only Apple knows for sure how many units are its latest-generation devices, but its hints and independent analysis both suggest that its new phones — not its cheapest phones — sell the best.
Even if Apple’s iPhone unit sales are only 50 percent larger now than they were in 2013, that’s a lot more people buying iPhones. If only 20 percent of all iPhones sold over the next year are iPhone XR models, that would still be 44 million phones, and it would be hard to call that a flop.
Interestingly, success by today’s measures might look like a flop by the standards of 2013. There are now seven iPhones in Apple’s lineup, leaving each to take a smaller fraction of that 220 million unit pie. Back when Apple was selling 150 million phones, there were only three models: the iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, and iPhone 4s.
So without knowing exactly how many iPhone 5c units were sold, it’s possible that — as Apple once hinted — the definition of a given model’s success or failure isn’t as clear cut as most people would guess. It would be amusing if the so-far well-received iPhone XR winds up selling fewer units than the iPhone 5c, but it seems unlikely, unless the XR disappears as quickly from the lineup as the iPhone X did.


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BLACK FRIDAY FRENZY Hundreds Line Up Outside Of Cabela's In Southridge
Reported by: Kristin Keeling
Videographer: Bob Frank
Web Producer: Bethany Simmons
Reported: Nov. 23, 2012 9:51 AM EST
Updated: Nov. 23, 2012 10:04 AM EST
EYEWITNESS ONLINE WEBCAST VIDEO C L I C K T O P L A Y
, Kanawha County
, West Virginia
Braving the lines for bargains! Shoppers gathered outside the shops at Southridge Friday morning.
Hundreds of shoppers waited outside the doors of Cabela's, waiting for them to open at 5 a.m. and the line wrapped around the store.
Cabela's was one of the few stores that opening on Friday. Eyewitness News spoke with some shoppers who had waited in line since 4 p.m. Thursday afternoon to be the first in line.
Shoppers said they are devoted to getting their loved ones the Christmas gifts they want and say the time in line is well worth the wait.
"Half of the people here I think are from maybe two or three miles from where I live and I didn't even know it, so I met all of them," said shopper David Fisher. "And it hasn't been too bad. It got cold in the last two hours."
"Grandchildren are the only thing that would drag me out. To buy gifts for them and things that they want," said shopper Darla Thompson.
It took 20 minutes for all of the shoppers to make it through the doors once Cabela's opened. The first 600 customers received a gift card to use for their Black Friday purchase.


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Just 7% of organizations able to deliver effective cross-channel marketing
A new study reveals that the vast majority digital marketing professionals feel their organization is not able to deliver effective cross-channel marketing.
In their third annual Cross-Channel Marketing Report, carried out in association with Oracle Marketing Cloud, Econsultancy reveal the dire situation among digital and ecommerce marketing professionals.
Their study, among 1,000 such professionals, found that just 7% feel their organization is set up to deliver effective cross-channel marketing. That's despite two-thirds of respondents being in agreement that integrating key marketing activities across channels should be a priority. Less than half of marketers (49%) said their company is set up to enable cross-channel integration, even to a "certain extent".
However, just two in five ''understand customer journeys and adapt the channel mix accordingly". To this end, 60% of respondents said that their current marketing strategies such as messaging, execution and delivery, were fragmented across touch points
A lack of resources was found to be the biggest barrier to effectively orchestrated cross-channel marketing activities (22%).
"Time has become a precious commodity for marketers as they spread themselves even more thinly across multiple channels and platforms," says the report. "With increased emphasis on the importance of agile marketing, the key question on every marketer's lips is: are we spending too much time and energy on deploying and managing campaigns instead of focusing our efforts on experimenting, testing and optimization?"
- Marketers urged to lower ad viewability expectations
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Affirm Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: AFRM) reported better-than-expected revenue for its fiscal fourth quarter on Thursday. Shares still tanked 15% after the bell on widened loss and weak guidance.
Notable figures in Affirm Q4 results
Lost $186.4 million versus the year-ago $123.4 millionPer-share loss climbed from 46 cents to 65 centsRevenue jumped 39% year-over-year to $364.1 millionConsensus was 58 cents of loss on $354.6 million revenueGross merchandise volume increased 77% to beat estimates
What did the CEO say?
Affirm ended the quarter with 14 million active consumers, up 96%. Active merchants grew sharply from 29,000 only to 235,000. In the earnings press release, CEO Max Levchin said:
While the growth of online commerce is falling back to pre-COVID levels, the secular trend toward adopting honest financial products is gaining momentum. We remain focused on scaling our network, maintaining attractive unit economics, capturing greater share, and helping our partners grow.
Versus the start of 2022, Affirm shares are now down more than 70%.
Affirm Holdings’ future guidance
For the current financial quarter, the buy now pay later company forecasts up to $4.4 billion of GMV and $345 million to $365 million in revenue. In comparison, experts were at $4.55 billion and $386 million, respectively.
Affirm expects its gross merchandise volume to fall in the range of $20.5 billion to $22 billion this year on up to $1.725 billion in revenue. The full-year GMV outlook was better-than-expected but analysts had called for a higher $1.91 billion in revenue, though. CFO Michael Linford said:
In light of uncertain macro backdrop, we’re approaching our next fiscal year prudently while maintaining our focus on driving responsible growth and continuing to invest in strengthening our leadership position. We continue to expect to achieve sustained profitability run rate, on an adjusted operating income basis, by the end of fiscal 2023.
The post Affirm Holdings punished on weak guidance appeared first on Invezz.