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It looks like something George Lucas would dream up if he needed another Star Wars character. The new I-Dog from Hasbro (HAS) has swinging plastic ears and light-emitting diodes on his shiny chrome head. Connect him to your digital music player, and the pint-size pup blasts tunes from a speaker in his back. Then his head will light up and sway along with the sounds. He'll be available in stores this fall for $29.99.
I-Dog is just one example of how the toy industry is combating a troublesome trend. Kids have largely been passing by stalwarts such as Barbie and Mr. Potato Head in favor of flashier higher-tech gadgets -- from video games to MP3 players. Last year, traditional-toy sales in the U.S. fell 3%, to $20.1 billion, according to market researcher NPD Group.
EARLY START. To fight back, toymakers are designing products that either work with or emulate the electronic gizmos that have been stealing their sales. In a toy-aisle version of if-you-can't-beat-'em-join-'em, companies are making karaoke machines shaped like Cinderella's pumpkin coach and handheld gaming devices that teach math and spelling.
"In today's world, a child is on the computer at age 3," says James Silver, publisher of the Toy Book, an industry trade magazine. "The toy business is becoming the family entertainment business." (See accompanying Slide Show, "Toy Stories").
Just take a look at the flurry of new video cameras on the market. MGA Entertainment, manufacturers of Bratz dolls, made its Bratz Digital Video Camera look like a purse. Mattel (MAT) is rolling out its Vidster camera, with a handle on the bottom to make it easier for kids to hold.
NOT GROWN-UP ENOUGH? Industry insiders say the one to watch will be Hasbro's Vcam Now. That's not because its video and music editing features are superior or because it's priced lower (kids' video cameras all cost between $80 and $99). With its sleek orange and stainless steel cover, Vcam Now just looks like a gadget an adult would use.
That's a point Hasbro may have forgotten in creating its Chatnow handheld communication devices. Made for kids 8 and up whose parents aren't ready to allow them to use cell phones, Chatnow ($75 for two) lets kids talk, send text messages, and take photos with its phone-like devices. Their range, however, is limited to 2 miles, something that may also limit its sales.
"Kids don't want a walkie-talkie that looks like a cell phone," shrugs Sean McGowan, a toy-industry analyst at Harris Nesbitt Securities. "They want a cell phone."
iPOD INFLUENCE. Digital music players are also getting a makeover. Disney's (DIS) Mix Sticks ($49) come in funky shades of purple and green, have controls shaped like mouse ears, and are decorated with drawings of such characters as Tinkerbell.
Like Apple Computer (AAPL) with its iPod, Disney is selling Mix Sticks kid-oriented accessories, such as smaller headphones and a pink carrying case that resembles a purse. MGA's Bratz Plugged In Liptunes MP3 player ($79) is shaped like an oversize tube of lipstick.
"Everybody wants an iPod," says Ellie Shapiro, an independent toy inventor and consultant. "There's no question the demand is there." The children's MP3 devices work with Napster and other music services linked with Microsoft (MSFT), but not with Apple's popular iTunes, which support the iPod music players.
ELECTRONIC ARTISTRY. The fast-growing electronic-learning category is connecting with -- of all things -- the boob tube. This year LeapFrog Enterprises (LF), makers of the popular Leap Pad electronic learning systems, is introducing its new L-Max learning system ($99). A handheld device that connects to the TV, it enables parents to watch and interact with their kids as they go through software titles such as Spider-Man: The Case of the Sinister Speller.
Similarly, Vtech has shrunk its popular V.Smile TV-based learning device into a portable version that either connects to the TV or can be taken on the road. V.Smile Pocket costs $89. Separate "smartridges," educational games featuring such characters as Bob the Builder and Elmo, cost $20 each.
Other digital toys connect to the computer. Disney's Dreamsketcher ($59) is a stylus-operated electronic sketch pad that lets you plays games as well as color and store drawings for printing via a PC. It's priced about $20 less than Mattel's two-year-old and similarly configured Color Pixter device, which has sold well.
PIXEL CHICKS CONNECT. Companies are also taking the fantasy worlds that girls used to create with dolls and translating them into new electronic products. Hasbro's DreamLife ($39) is a role-playing game that plugs into the TV and allows girls to earn points by doing things like playing after-school sports, making friends, or getting a job. The imaginary characters can also buy clothes and furnish their rooms.
Mattel is taking the concept to an even smaller scale with Pixel Chix ($29), a plastic playhouse for an imaginary friend whose hologram-like image appears on a small screen. The character eats, sleeps, and cops an attitude if you ignore her. If a child and a real-life pal each have a Pixel Chix, the virtual friends can visit each other. "The electronics help bring the friend to life," says Timothy Kilpin, Mattel's senior vice-president for girls marketing and design.
In some cases, manufacturers are even taking on the computer industry. LeapFrog's Fly is being billed as the world's first "pentop" computer aimed at the tween market, kids 9 to 14 years old.
INTRIGUED PARENTS. Shaped like a pen, the device works as a music player, game device, calculator, and scheduler. Write down "Sept. 25, 3:30 p.m. soccer practice" on a sheet of paper, for example, and on that date the pen's electronic voice will remind you to go. Draw drums or a keyboard, and you can play and record music.
The Fly costs $99, but that doesn't seem to be a deterrent for some parents. "I'd buy one," says Brook Gilchriest, a father of two in Silsbee, Tex. "It sounds cool."
By Christopher Palmeri in Los Angeles


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Simon has over six years of professional trading experience across FX, commodities and equities. He has a strong passion for financial markets and is particularly focused on price action trading
Shares of Lookers PLC (LON: LOOK) rallied 14% after the UK car retailer announced that the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) had closed its investigation into its possible mis-selling products.
Lookers shares rallied to their current prices after the company revealed that its H2 2020 earnings were promising on January 29, 2021, after reporting a £50.5 million ($69.1 million) in H1 2020.
The company expects to return to profitability in 2021, driven by rising demand for cars as the UK starts to lift lockdown restrictions given its vaccination programme’s success compared to other countries.
Lookers said that the FCA announcement would unlock £10.4 million ($14.43 million) that the company had set aside to cover any potential liabilities arising from the investigation.
Analysts at Zeus Capital recently updated their ratings on the car sales company, revealing that the stock was trading at a 34% discount to its Neta Asset Value (NAV) and a PE ratio of under 5X its FY2022 earnings.
The firm singled out Lookers as a bargain stock given its future earnings potential, yet the markets completely ignored the research as the company’s stock fell on the day the research note was released.
Technically, Lookers shares are trading above a major support level with the potential to rally up to the 58-60p level, but we cannot rule out a drop to the 33p support level before another rally. A break below the level would invalidate this trade idea.
Lookers share price.
Lookers shares rallied 13.99% to trade at 46.05p rising from Monday’s closing price of 40.4p
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage . 75 % of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider . You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money .

domain: news


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Auto body repair experts, including one with time in the insurance industry, last month dismissed the idea of an “industry standard” for collision repair outside of the instructions set out in OEM repair procedures.
“There is no industry standard,” Larry Montanez, co-owner of P&L Consultants, said on Collision Hub’s March “Repair University Live.” “… The industry standard’s set by the manufacturer for each and every vehicle, each and every model.”
(This OEM standard might even change for a vehicle midway through its model year, which is why repairers are advised to look up instructions online anew for each vehicle to avoid performing an inefficient — or worse, incorrect — repair.)
Collision Hub CEO Kristen Felder, whose background includes an extensive insurance career, said the idea of an industry standard came out of the homeowner’s insurance industry, where case law supported the idea of a consistent method to perform residential construction like framing or roofing.
But trying to apply that to automotive was “just kind of hogwash,” she said.
If 19 out of 20 auto body repair facilities don’t have the proper equipment to make a repair and one did, “those other 19 shops shouldn’t be getting any work,” she said.
“… As an insurer, that’s what I should be looking at. … We don’t pay to the lowest common denominator, and ask everybody to lower their standards for repair, and call it an ‘industry standard.'”
For automotive, “the OE is the industry standard, period,” she said.
Montanez said that the same tooling and methodology would be used to cut a metal pipe. But you can’t find that kind of consistency in collision repair procedures, even within a single manufacturer, he said. Even battery disconnect instructions might be different in multiple vehicle lines, he said.
“Coming up with an industry standard is a lie,” he said. “… It just shows your ignorance.”
Felder was more charitable, attributing it to a lack of education and noting that “it sounds reasonable” to an insurance commissioner familiar with homeowner insurance.
Mark Olson, Vehicle Collision Experts CEO, also more charitably suggested it might stem from an attempt simplify what is now a highly complex auto body repair trade. He pointed to comments suggesting “‘We just need like a chart that tells us everything we need to know about every car.'”
“That chart can’t be built,” he said.
You’d think this wouldn’t even be a question at this point, but the issue has arisen this Legislative Season in Indiana and most recently in Rhode Island, where an Amica representative opposing Senate Bill 2679 suggested Tuesday that legitimate alternatives to OEM repair procedures existed.
The bill would create a law that “No insurance company may require any repairer to use repair specifications or procedures that are not in compliance with the recommendations of the original equipment manufacturer for those parts.”
“There was a time when ‘industry practices’ were good enough to repair 9 out of 10 cars that rolled into auto body shops,” bill supporter Wayne Weikel, Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers state government affairs senior director, wrote in an email Wednesday. “That day has passed. The only way a modern vehicle can be properly restored to pre-loss condition with any sort of confidence is for technicians to follow OE repair procedures… every time.”
Collision Hub YouTube channel, March 20, 2018
From left, Mark Olson (Vehicle Collision Experts), Larry Montanez (P&L Consultants) and Kristen Felder (Collision Hub) are seen during a discussion of the idea of a collision repair “industry standard” during a March 2018 “Repair University Live.”(Screenshot from Collision Hub video)


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Call it a knockout punch, but it looks like there’s no worthy contender that could match the amount of smartphone shipments that Apple has been able to muster up so far this year.
In fact, Apple’s iPhones claim the top four spots according to the data gathered by Omdia’s Smartphone Model Market Tracker. Earning the top spot is the iPhone 14 Pro Max with approximately 26.5 million units shipped during the first half of 2023, making it the most shipped smartphone.
Even more surprising is that Apple took the top four spots on the list. These estimates bode well for the company’s upcoming iPhone 15 announcement, which is happening on September 12. Given all the excitement and buzz for this year’s batch of iPhones, which are rumored to offer the biggest upgrades in years, it’ll be interesting to see what transpires for the second half of 2023.
Apple dominated the list and easily fended off its closest competition in the Android space. That on its own is shocking given how there were more Android phones on the same list last year. All of this could give Apple a larger piece of the pie as we head into the critical holiday period.
Good news for iPhone 15
This list also highlights the fact that consumers aren’t afraid to dish out the dough to get Apple’s smartphones, as the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 round out the top three on the list. We could potentially see stronger sales for the most expensive upcoming models, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max / iPhone 15 Ultra, which are all rumored to have higher prices.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max / iPhone 15 Ultra, specifically, has been rumored to start at $1,299 due to all the exclusive features and upgrades it’s expected to get — like a durable titanium frame, periscope telephoto camera, A17 Bionic chip, and much more. Meanwhile, the iPhone 15 Pro is also tipped to get a $100 price increase to make its starting price $1,100.
If this report is any indication, Apple could be on track to have stronger shipments for the latter half of the year. Considering how inflation is impacting consumer spending, it’s a sobering reminder people are still willing to spend the money to grab themselves the best phones around. While shipments don’t technically translate to sales, it’s still an indicator for market demand.
Samsung’s the only Android maker to land on the list
Unfortunately for the rest of the field, it’s a one-sided affair with only Samsung being the only other phone maker to make the list. That’s a stark contrast to the same period last year when two Redmi phones managed to make the list.
Shockingly enough, it was the Samsung Galaxy A13 that topped the list for the Korean smartphone maker. Global shipments for the budget phone amounted to 12.4 million units, which actually beat out the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s total of 9.6 million units. The other Samsung devices to round out the list include the Galaxy A14 5G, Galaxy A54 5G, and Galaxy A34 5G.
Pixel phones are noticeably absent
You would think that Google would somehow make the list with its Pixel phones, but they were noticeably absent in the report. That’s somehow unbelievable given how Google’s been really aggressive with the pricing of its smartphones.
For example, the Google Pixel 7a is one of the best cheap phones money can buy at $499 for a phone with mid-range specs. On top of that, its flagship phone in the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro undercut their direct rivals by being $100 less than comparable phones. You would think that this aggressive price undercutting would be enough to spur shipments of its phones, but it doesn’t appear to be the case.
This all puts more pressure on its upcoming Pixel 8 phones to stand out from the field. Considering how Apple’s looking to steal most of the limelight with the anticipated release of iOS 17 and its iPhone 15 announcement, Android makers will need to respond accordingly so that it won’t be a runway for Apple come the holidays.


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Nov 22 (Reuters) - U.S. companies increased their borrowings
for capital investments in October by 16% compared with a year
earlier, the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA)
said on Monday.
The companies signed up for $10.7 billion in new loans,
leases and lines of credit last month, up from $9.2 billion a
year earlier. Borrowings rose 16% from September.
"Fourth-quarter economic growth is projected to be buoyant
despite higher prices and labor imbalances in the economy."
ELFA's Chief Executive Officer Ralph Petta said in a statement.
"With the recent signing of major infrastructure legislation
coming out of Washington, the future for capital investment
Washington-based ELFA, which reports economic activity for
the nearly $1-trillion equipment finance sector, said credit
approvals totaled 78%, up from 76.3% in September.
ELFA's leasing and finance index measures the volume of
commercial equipment financed in the United States.
The index is based on a survey of 25 members, including Bank
of America Corp, CIT Group Inc and the financing
affiliates or units of Caterpillar Inc, Dell
Technologies Inc, Siemens AG, Canon Inc and
The Equipment Leasing and Finance Foundation, ELFA's
non-profit affiliate, reported a monthly confidence of 64.6% in
November, up from 61.1% in October in their index. A reading
above 50 indicates a positive business outlook.
(Reporting by Nathan Gomes in Bengaluru; Editing by Amy Caren


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While ‘touching in’ and ‘touching out’ with an Oyster card has undoubtedly made getting around London’s public transport system a whole lot easier there are fears the security of the RFID chips used in the cards could be compromised.
Back in January, University of Virginia graduate student Karston Nohl revealed that his research team had cracked the algorithms that protect data held on RFID-equipped ‘smart cards’ like the Oyster card.
“We reverse-engineered the cryptographic components of the MIFARE Classic RFID tags. This type of card is used in various micro-payment applications including the Oyster card,” Nohl said in a press release at the time.
According to NXP the MIFARE Plus improves considerably on the security of the Classic one by employing a 148-bit key length compared to the Classic’s 48-bits. This is in addition to number of “additional safety features,” so the company claims.
17 million compromised cards?
Unfortunately though, MIFARE Plus cards are not due for release for another year yet, meaning the current generation of Oyster cards, as carried by 17 million passengers across London, employ the now compromised MIFARE Classic chip.
When TechRadar contacted Transport for London (TfL) for comment a spokesperson simply told us: "The security of the Oyster system has never been breached. We run daily tests for clone cards or rogue devices and none have been discovered.”
When pressed on whether TfL has any plans to switch to the more secure MIFARE Plus chip next year their spokesperson referred us to TranSYS who work in partnership with TfL to supply and run the Oyster card system.
TechRadar spoke with Richard Rowlands, director of engineering at TranSYS, who told us that the current Oyster card was chosen long before researchers like Karsten Nohl had begun to reveal potential vulnerabilities with the technology.
“It was picked eight or nine years ago. That was the card that was around then. However, we are engaged in evaluating other cards, including the MIFARE Plus,” Rowlands explained.
As regards the security of current Oyster cards, TranSYS remain as adamant as TfL that their cards are safe: “There are two levels of security: system level security and card level security” Rowlands explained. “No personal information is stored on the cards anyway,” he added.
Here at TechRadar we’re not entirely convinced by the official reassuring by of TranSYS and TfL though. In a sector where consumer confidence regarding security is of critical importance, we’d expect to hear nothing less.
The cold hard truth is that however hard the operators tout their hitherto flawless security record, the research of Karston Nohl and his colleagues demonstrates that RFID technology is not entirely impenetrable. Nor is it ever likely to be.
That said, there's certainly no need for wholesale panic just yet either. Unless you happen to be a private investigator working on an infidelity assignment there’s very little, if anything, to be gained by mining the personal travel data of individual Oyster users.
Are smartcards smart enough?
No, the real security threat arises when multiple services are combined on a single RFID-equipped smartcard in the name of ‘convenience’. When smartcards carry a users banking details as well as their travel pass they instantly become a much more lucrative target.
Last year TfL in connection with Barclaycard launched the Barclaycard OnePulse. This 3-in-1 smart card triples up as a transport pass, a low-level ‘one touch’ payment card, and a standard chip and PIN debit card.
While there have not yet been any reports of the OnePulse card being compromised, it’s exactly the type of RFID-equipped smartcard that the tech-savvy criminal underworld would be interested in.
It seems RFID technology is set to become just one more tech battleground where manufacturers are under immense pressure to stay one foot ahead of the hackers.


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WorldCoin: Digital Passports and Lucrative Airdropped Currency Sparks Excitement in Kenya’s Crypto Industry
Hundreds of Kenyans have lined up at public shopping facilities to register for what is now known as ‘WorldCoin.’
On Twitter and Instagram, users have been sharing photos and videos of desperate Kenyans swarming WorldCoin outlets for registration and cash incentives, with the throngs in Thika growing to unprecedented proportions.
The startup, which has thus far raised close to $250 million (approximately Ksh.35 billion), primarily offers World ID, an AI-resistant protocol that enables the online verification of human identity through an iris scan, and has set up over 30 stations in Nairobi and other cities to onboard Kenyans.
Using its physical imaging device dubbed the ‘Orb,’ the company describes this service as a “digital passport” that helps prove its holder is a real human and not an artificial intelligence robot.
As an incentive for users to join up, WorldCoin is giving away (Airdropping) their digital currency WLD. According to fintech expert Saruni Maina, 26WLD is given to everyone who registers and is verified.
This latest campaign resembles the ‘Public Likes’ mass hysteria that pervaded Kenya several years ago.
Public Likes was a website that resembled a Ponzi scheme, where users earned money by clicking on ‘advertisements.’
Paid-to-click (PTC) or Pay-per-click (PPC) is a payment model in which advertisers pay a fee for each click that a user makes on their ad. The site’s users allegedly received payment from advertisers for each click they made.
Millions of Kenyans raced to sign up, enlisting their friends and family in a cyber-hysteria that ultimately collapsed, leaving many in despair.
Unemployed and desperate, gullible Kenyans have been racing to get an iris scan for WorldCoin, oblivious to what they are getting themselves into, for the promise of making a quick buck afterward.
Although it has not been made explicitly known how much money Kenyans are receiving, according to Saruni Maina, Kenyans are receiving approximately Ksh. 7,000 for signing up.
“On top of that, WorldCoin gives away an additional 25WLD per week in the form of WorldCoin Grants.” This means that Kenyans can withdraw KES 7,000 per week,” he tweeted.
A key component of WorldCoin’s expansion into Kenya is the introduction of a peer-to-peer (P2P) exchange that enables individuals to trade digital currencies and US dollars directly with one another, without the need for a centralized third party to facilitate the transactions.
“Kenya is the financial and technology hub of East Africa, and there’s a strong, natural interest in the technologies that are shaping the global digital economy,” said Wangechi Mwangi, Market Manager for TFH supporting WorldCoin East Africa.
“WorldCoin is a good example of this type of technology, not only because of the service it offers, but also because, through its partnership with Tools for Humanity, it enables Kenyans to learn more about cutting-edge financial and identity products,” the report stated.
In recent years, the cryptocurrency industry in Kenya has been consistently expanding, with an increasing number of crypto projects and a rise in general population adoption.
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) estimated that there were approximately 4 million active cryptocurrency users in the country in 2022, the highest number in Africa at the time, and that this figure is expected to increase over time.
As Kenyans race to sign up for WorldCoin, the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) has cautioned them to proceed with caution.
“The ODPC is aware that WorldCoin has now been launched and is processing sensitive personal data in a manner that requires a demonstration of proper safeguards under the Data Protection Act, 2019,” said Data Commissioner Immaculate Kassait in a statement released on Friday.
“As the ODPC conducts its assessment of WorldCoin’s practices to ensure compliance with the law, Kenyans are exhorted to ensure they receive adequate information prior to disclosing any personal or sensitive information. Individuals are encouraged to inquire extensively about how their data will be utilized.”
WorldCoin: Digital Passports and Lucrative Airdropped Currency Sparks Excitement in Kenya‘s Crypto Industry


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Codemasters’ F1 2021 has received a new free update which adds the first of three post-launch circuits – Portimao. It also adds a new vehicle in the Aston Martin Safety Car and updates car performance to more closely match the real-world season. Check out the trailer below to see the new content in action.
We also get a brief look at future content with the Imola circuit arriving next month along with Sports Livery updates. November sees the release of Jeddah circuit and the F2 2021 season. Beyond that, we’ll have to wait and see but there is content to keep fans coming back.
F1 2021 is currently available for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5 and PC. As the first title published by EA Sports following Codemasters’ acquisition, it introduces a new story mode in Braking Point, co-op Career Mode and revamps several features like R&D. For more details, check out our official review here.


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UK: John Lewis launches first own-label lifestyle line
Department store operator John Lewis has launched its first private label lifestyle collection for men, women and children.
Kin, which includes shirts, dresses, unstructured jackets and outerwear, will be available in store and online from 1 February. Prices will range from GBP7 (US$11) to GBP99.
Matt McCormack, director of buying and fashion at John Lewis said: "We are very proud of Kin, which has been designed in-house and has given men's wear, women's wear and children's wear the opportunity to collaborate to launch a brand that will appeal to one of our core demographics. The collection is easy to wear and has something for the whole family."
How retailers deal with the omni-channel challenge varies greatly, as do opinions on how to integrate strategies for online, mobile and physical transactions....
More than 220 companies have now signed the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh following the collapse of the Rana Plaza factory building in Dhaka, which killed more than 1,100 people in ...
Clothing retailers met with UK government representatives yesterday (3 July) to discuss ways to improve their supply chains following the collapse of the Rana Plaza apparel factory building in Banglad...
UK department store retailer John Lewis has appointed Paula Nickolds as its new buying and brand director, succeeding Peter Ruis, who has been named CEO of clothing chain Jigsaw....
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- Li & Fung divests Asia distribution business
- US looks to boost trade with Sri Lanka
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NewsweekPublic Emergency Declared After Baltimore Rioters Burn Police Cars, Loot ...NewsweekAfter school let out, teenagers near the Mondawmin Mall, where the Gray funeral was held, began throwing rocks and bottles at vehicles, mainly police cars. The rioting spread and became more violent. Rioters threw bricks at police officers, looted ...State of emergenc […]
PoliticoMassive trade deal could come down to two things: Rice and carsPoliticoRice and cars have always been a sticking point in U.S-Japanese trade relations: Japan is very protective of its home-grown rice industry, which is ingrained in the country's culture, while the U.S. doesn't want Toyota and Honda to undercut the iconic ...As trade talks h […]
Chicago TribuneRail cars blow off bridge during severe storms in LouisianaChicago TribuneA video by WGNO-TV, taken through a windshield into a driving rain, shows a double-stacked freight container tilting, then apparently pulling over the cars just ahead of and behind it. The big, rectangular containers fall ponderously to the ground ...Louisiana Storm Blow […]
HotNewHipHopCurren$y "Cars" VideoHotNewHipHopHe's already put out the video to "Rhymes Like Weight," and now we get the second video off the EP, "Cars." If you're a Curren$y fan, you're well aware of his obsession with classic cars, and the new video gives us a look at some of his most prized low ...Curren$y – “Ca […]
JalopnikFive Things That Autonomous Cars Will Change In TV And MoviesJalopnikI also realized that there's one movie that hinges its entire plot on sleeping-while-driving, but the particulars of that movie make it especially strange in this context: Cars. In that movie, actual, living autonomous cars fall asleep while driving ...
ABC NewsLouisiana Train Cars Tumble Off Track Due to Strong WindsABC NewsDramatic video captured nearly a dozen shipping containers on train cars that derailed and fell off an elevated train track due to strong winds in Louisiana. Like toys tumbling over like dominoes, the real train was blown off the track as the camera ...and more »
NOLA.comTrain cars blown off Huey P. Long Bridge did not contain hazardous materials ...NOLA.comA spark from a shorting out power line illuminates firemen surveying the damage after several freight cars lay crumpled on the ground after being blown off the Huey P. Long Bridge trestle in Elmwood as heavy weather hits the New Orleans area amid ...and more »
NOLA.comTrain cars blown off tracks on Huey P. Long Bridge, FOX 8 reportsNOLA.comRail cars fall from Huey P. Long Bridge trestle in Elmwood on 27April2015 via WGNO.png. Four rail cars carrying shipping containers were blown off the elevated trestle of the Huey P. Long Bridge in Elmwood on Monday, April 27, 2015. Two of the ...
Green Car ReportsDespite Quick Charging, Toyota Exec Says Electric Cars Won't Work For Long ...Green Car ReportsToyota does not like battery-electric cars, and the world's largest carmaker isn't shy about that sentiment. Through numerous ads and statements from its executives, the carmaker has repeatedly criticized the short ranges and long ch […]
PC GamerProject Cars trailer showcases multiplayer features, looks nicePC GamerYou can tell Project Cars is releasing soon because there have been a lot of trailers lately. This latest one is focused on the game's multiplayer offerings, but it's really just another excuse to look at shiny cars and nice weather effects, all in 60 ...Project CARS Loo […]


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On June 22-24, 2018, the “2018 National Gear Technology Symposium” was held in Zhongshan City with the theme of “Intelligent Manufacturing, Synergy, and Cohesion”. The seminar was organized by China Mechanical Engineering Association and China Machinery. The highest-level technical communication conference of the national transmission industry sponsored by the General Parts Association and the China Machinery Manufacturing Association brings together international and domestic standards certification associations, gear transmission manufacturing, automobile manufacturing, aerospace, shipbuilding high-speed rail, machinery and equipment manufacturing, and electronic information. Many well-known industry elites, corporate technology leaders, and college and university experts from precision equipment and other “industrial clusters” participated in the conference. The number of participants was about 450, including about 15 experts from Germany, the UK, and Japan.
The three-day symposium invited the top experts from the German Federal Institute of Physics Technology, the British National Gear Technology Center and China's gear industry to give keynote speeches. Including: intelligent manufacturing, connotation, technology and practice of gear industry; international gear design, test and measurement cutting-edge technology and practice; "gear transmission + electric drive" integrated technology; gear new technology, new technology, new equipment exchanges and other major content. During the seminar, a working meeting for the preparation of the "Gear Manual" will be held, and some companies will be visited on the ground.
With the deepening of major transportation infrastructure such as the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, Guangdong's advantages and industrial upgrading will further manifest itself. In the future, we will adopt a more brand-new attitude, embrace a strong circle of friends, and look forward to conducting more dialogues, exchanges, and cooperation with universities, scientific research institutions and enterprises across the country. We also hope that the guests will use this platform to enhance mutual understanding and promote pragmatic cooperation to achieve mutual benefits and win-win.
In the past 30 years, China’s gear industry has experienced three growth cycles and has become the world’s largest gear manufacturing country. With the “Made in China 2025” proposal and the development of Industry 4.0, the current gear industry is entering the fourth growth phase, facing New opportunities and challenges for transformation and upgrading.
©2009-2018 Shenzhen Kinmore Motor Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved. ICP:17128224


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DEL MAR — The building and location are different, but the name is historic. And like its eponymous predecessor, the Stratford Inn will soon be called something else.Following a multimillion-dollar renovation that began in July 2010, the 94-room hotel on Camino del Mar, at the south end of downtown, is set to be renamed Hotel Indigo on March 27.
Pacifica Host Hotels took over the property in 1994 and did not renew its contract with Best Western this past November. In addition to a new look and name, the site is being transformed with an innovative concept.
“Hotel Indigo is all about the neighborhood story,” General Manager Susan Knapp said. “The design incorporates that neighborhood story. Ours is the beach and the race track.”
For example, each room will feature a mural that reflects those themes, she said. The stairway between one of the pools and the lobby includes the names of horses that have raced at the Del Mar track or their owners.
But guests won’t have to rely on their own knowledge of local history to understand the surroundings.
“The staff will be educated on the history and the stories,” Knapp said.
The hotel will also use local vendors for goods and services, including an area coffee roaster. The new lobby and terrace were created by Design Line Interiors, which is located in the downtown village.
“We’re all about the city of Del Mar,” she said.
Hotel Indigo is a “chic boutique” chain that was launched about seven years ago, Knapp said. The first facility opened in Atlanta, Ga., and there are properties overseas.
The Del Mar site is the 35th in the nation. It will feature a full-service spa and state-of-the-art fitness center. Two ocean-view terraces have also been added, one off the lobby with fire pits and another across the courtyard that will be available for social events such as meetings or wedding receptions.
Anchoring the city at the northern end is L’Auberge Del Mar, another upscale boutique hotel that underwent a massive renovation in 2008.
It was the site of the original Stratford Inn, which was built in 1910 and renamed twice before being razed in the late 1960s.


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One car wash is set to replace another on Knoxville Avenue in Peoria. Here's what's new
PEORIA — A Central Peoria location that once was home to a car wash is poised to be home to another car wash.
Tommy's Express Car Wash is to occupy the vacant lot at 2145 N. Knoxville Ave. That address was the site of Waterworks Car Wash, part of a regional chain. But that location closed recently and was demolished.
Located just south of a McDonald's restaurant, the planned car wash appears to offer more bells and whistles than did its predecessor.
Michigan-based Tommy's Express has about 120 locations in at least 11 states, according to its website. About half those locations are open; the rest are under development.
The Tommy's Express in Peoria is to have three lanes of drive-thru traffic, according to Tanner Brandt. He represents Tommy's developer Christianson Companies, which is based in Fargo, N.D.
One Tommy's Express lane is for customers who pay with cash or credit/debit cards, Brandt said. A second is only for card users.
The third is for members of "TommyClub," customers who pay by the month. They're processed through a Tommy's Express mobile-phone application and a license-plate reader.
Waterworks also featured an automatic wash, but its emphasis was on self-service wash bays. Cars were stationary for both options. Tommy's Express operates on a conveyor-belt system.
"It's kind of like a magic carpet," Brandt said. "You roll your wheels on, and it pulls you right through the wash."
The closest open Tommy's Express to Peoria is in Davenport, Iowa. In Illinois, one location is open in Orland Park, and another is under development in Lombard.
According to Brandt, Peoria was chosen through company research that incorporated population growth.
"We just thought it was a good site with good traffic and thought it would be a good community to move into," he said.
The new car-wash building is expected to differ from the previous one in physical orientation, too.
Plans Brandt's firm provided city planning officials have the building situated east to west, perpendicular to Knoxville Avenue. Waterworks was north-south, parallel to the street.
Brandt wasn't sure when construction might begin or when the new car wash might open.
The land upon which the car wash is to be built, owned by Peoria dentist Floyd Rashid, is for sale, according to a sign posted on the property. On Monday, city planning officials confirmed the car-wash project is unaffected.
Zoning at the Knoxville Avenue location is compatible with a car wash. City Council approval isn't needed. That's unlike the northeast corner of Glen Avenue and University Street, where a proposed Club Car Wash has elicited concerns about traffic.
A council decision regarding land-use changes to accommodate the Glen-University car wash has been deferred until at least March 23.


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Intuit's GoPayment is going freemium to battle Jack Dorsey's Square, but is the mobile payment pie worth fighting over?
Intuit, best known for its Quicken, QuickBooks and TurboTax accounting software, is making a big push into the burgeoning mobile payments business with the launch today of a free version of its nearly two-year-old GoPayment service.
GoPayment, designed for small businesses that don't yet accept credit cards — think babysitters, plumbers, dogwalkers and flea market vendors — aims to compete with Square, a mobile payments company launched in 2009 by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey. Fortune has learned that Intuit will begin promoting its new services through television ads and YouTube videos starting this week.
“This will attract the smaller businesses that couldn’t take credit card payments before or are taking them but not getting enough value,” says Chris Hylen, general manager of Intuit’s payment solutions division. “It’s for people who are on the fence because they don’t want to pay a monthly minimum.”<!-- more -->
Like Square, Intuit’s GoPayment is a mobile app coupled with a magnetic stripe reader that attaches to smartphones. Both companies take a cut of each credit card payment that’s run through their readers. But up until now, Intuit also charged a $13 monthly fee for its service and its readers retailed for as much as $219 (Square’s stamp-sized readers, which fit into a phone’s audio jack, are less rugged but have been free since day one). The new offering not only does away with the monthly fee, it also includes a free, arc-shaped reader.
Of course, free is never really free. The new flavor of GoPayment comes with higher discount rates—the cut that gets taken out of each credit card transaction and divvied up among Intuit, the credit card companies and banks. Instead of 1.7%, the new discount rate is 2.7% (which is still a teeny bit lower than Square’s rate, 2.75%). Update, 1/10/11, 5:40PM: Intuit's new 2.7% discount rate does not apply to American Express transactions, which are charged a variable rate depending on the customer's industry.
Square has Dorsey, the co-founder and former CEO of Twitter, to thank for the fawning attention it’s received in the media. Intuit’s secret weapon is its history of serving small businesses. (QuickBooks, its popular accounting tool, has legions of devoted small business users, and Intuit naturally has an advantage at marketing to them.)
But at least for now, Intuit’s offer comes with one glaring downside—an expiration date. To qualify for the free reader and free account, businesses must sign up by mid-February.
Hylen assures the push for free is not “half-assed.”
“We are committed to free,” he says. “This is just the first step, and we wanted to go big but allow some flexibility to adapt.”
Making credit card payment simpler and cheaper is a win-win for small businesses, but just how much money is there to be made from processing relatively miniscule credit card payments via mobile phones?
“Maybe there’s a reason why these types of businesses don’t already accept credit cards,” says Sean Harper, co-founder and CEO of FeeFighters, a comparison-shopping website for merchant accounts. “Maybe it’s because the incumbents [the banks who traditionally sell accounts and credit card terminals to businesses] have decided it’s not economical to market to them.”
Lucky for Intuit, it will always have TurboTax to fall back on.


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Global travel boosts luxury consumption, say Italian professionals
Italian professionals said that international tourism is increasing luxury consumption at a forum in Beijing early this week as the National Chamber of Italian Fashion was in the Chinese capital to promote Milan Fashion Week.
Mario Boselli, the honorary president of National Chamber of Italian Fashion, said that as developing countries were seeing an increase in population, the global tourist industry was expanding.
"The biggest boost for international tourism is coming from Asia, especially China," said Maximilano Nicolelli, the former strategy director of Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy, who also sees international travel boosting the luxury industry.
"And many companies have realized this so they are rearranging their sales to meet consumers' needs."
"Airports are popular spots for distribution," Nicolelli said.
"They used to be messy places where people lay down on the floors because there wasn't much entertainment and shopping."
Nicolelli said that airports have now set up recreational facilities and shopping.
"This is a huge change that's closely related to tourism and the rise of luxury shops in airports."
And Nicolelli said that airport stores must tempt consumers with competitive prices, and human resources that offer consumers efficient communication and an enjoyable shopping experience.
"For example, the Chinese travel to Dubai a lot, and the fitting rooms there are bigger than traditional ones because the Chinese often shop with friends and two people often share a fitting room."


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The number of motorists choosing to buy new cars on finance rose 42 per cent in July compared with last year.
This is the largest monthly rise of 2012 to date, with the value of these finance deals also growing by 48 per cent.
Over 68 per cent of new cars bought by motorists and car insurance policy holders were purchased on finance.
Paul Harrison, head of motor finance at the Finance and Leasing Association, said in a press statement: "600,000 people used finance from dealers to buy their new cars during the past 12 months, showing that it is a vital source of credit for consumers.
"It lets people access the cars they need to get to work and support their families and lifestyle.
"More than £15bn has been lent by car dealers to consumers in the past year, helping to support the economy. The government should make sure that the specific needs of this important sector are catered for as it continues to review the future regulation of consumer credit."
The rise in finance deals overall in 2012 has been the highest since the FLA's records began.
Personal Contract Purchase, where customers pay a set fee for a specified time, accounted for three fifths of car finance deals in July. Hire purchase accounted for a further 28 per cent of finance arrangements while leasing made up 7 per cent of the figures.
Another 5 per cent of customers opted to use personal loans provided by car dealers to finance the purchase of their new car.
Interested in financing your next car purchase? See how Admiral Car Finance can help, or read our guide to find out everything you need to know about car finance.


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At last week's International Solid-State Circuits Conference, IBM, Toshiba, and Sony unveiled details of their new Cell processor chip—a device that The New York Times proclaimed would create "a new digital computing ecosystem that includes Hollywood, the living room and high-performance scientific and engineering markets."
As 2004 wound down, the Los Angeles sheriff's department successfully conducted five simultaneous raids on illegal CD replication plants in southern California on December 15. Dubbed "Operation Final Release," the joint operation between the Southern California High Tech Task Force and the LA sheriff's department put 65 officers into action, closing down five optical disc replication facilities in LA and Orange counties suspected of churning out millions of pirated CDs, which were sold throughout the United States.
If you're an audiophile, the words "hearing loss" are bound to strike terror into your heart. Of course, many of us aren't preternaturally acute—and all of us lose some high-frequency sensitivity as we age—but there's no excuse for not taking care of what you've got. When it comes to hearing, more is always better.
The Primedia team has been staying at the San Tropez, home of T.H.E. (The High End) Show, which means some of us have been walking down halls filled with exhibitors frantically getting rooms put together before the throngs arrived. The night I arrived, one room in my building was making music that beckoned to me as I passed by—today, I finally entered and took over the sweet spot.
Audiophiles everywhere were saddened to learn of the death of Frederick Fennell on December 7. He was 90, which made him only a few years senior to the process of electrical recording—an art form in which he made quite an impact.
On August 18, XM Radio invited the press to Manhattan's Rainbow Room to announce its latest product offerings. The locale was not unintentional, according to Chance Patterson, XM's vice president for programming operations, "This building [30 Rockefeller Plaza, headquarters of NBC] was at the center of radio's first flowering, and XM represents radio's future."
The oldest verified surviving recording is an 1878 tin cylinder of a talking clock (you can hear it at tinfoil.com/cm-0101.htm). There's just one problem, however; the recording's surface noise is so pronounced that you can barely hear the featured attraction. Chalk it up to age, imperfect recording media, poor storage, or even to the ravages of mold, but the facts remain the same—we're in danger of losing our audio patrimony: the hundreds of thousands of historical recordings from the dawn of recording.
On July 11, Kevin Britten of Hays, Kansas downloaded the 100 millionth song purchased from Apple's iTunes music store. Britten spent 99¢ for "Somersault (Dangermouse remix)" by Zero 7 and, in exchange, won a 17" PowerBook, a 40GB iPod, and a gift certificate entitling him to 10,000 iTunes songs (the approximate capacity of a 40Gb iPod). As Apple counted down to 100 million, it also gave "special 20GB iPods" to the consumers who downloaded each 100,000th song between 95 million and 100 million.
Running counter to the music industry's paranoia concerning the perils of modern digital technology, some musicians want you to share their music—within limits. GarageBand.com, which bills itself as "the world's largest musician community," announced June 7 that it now offers the Creative Commons Music Sharing License as an optional tag for all songs uploaded to its website.


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Brendan Tinnelly, a ‘highly experienced digital marketer’, has joined Sportradar as Head of Paid Social Advertising for its ad:s marketing performance platform.
The position will see Tinnelly work to optimise Sportradar’s clients campaigns via the multi-channel ad:s solution’s proprietary technology, leading a group of paid social media specialists.
Prior to joining Sportradar, Tinnelly acquired digital marketing experience at Meta, where he developed global strategy and drove sales for Facebook’s Real Money Gaming offering.
During his seven year tenure with Facebook he also gained experience of working with betting companies, assisting with brand building, customer acquisition, market expansion and navigation of regulatory changes.
The new hire remarked: “I have seen first-hand the transformative impact paid social can have for sports betting operators, many of whom are increasingly shifting their marketing budgets into the channel.
“Through ad:s; our leading betting-focused marketing solutions technology, Sportradar can help sportsbooks across the world achieve strong ROI for their businesses by driving meaningful fan engagement.”
Swiss sports data and technology firm Sportradar has been working to strengthen its marketing capabilities in recent months with several appointments. Most recently, Andrew Bimson joined as Chief Operating Officer to focus on expansion of Sportadar’s North American marketing, betting and gaming and sports entertainment operations.
Tinnelly joins Sportradar as the company continues to press on with its expansion plans, having registered on the US Nasdaq last year, whilst the ad:s platform he will be responsible for has been leveraged by several betting companies, with Kwiff reporting positive results from using the solution.
Rainer Geier, Chief Product Officer, Sports Entertainment, Sportradar, said: “From his senior role at Facebook, Brendan is a well-known figure in the igaming industry and we’re thrilled to have him onboard as we continue to evolve our ad:s offering, combining proprietary and gaming-specific technology, with the best strategic and executional talent in the sector. Brendan’s hire sends a strong signal about the level of our ambition.”


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Hovione has purchased 75% of Hisyn Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. The acquisition "provides Hovione with significant drug substance manufacturing production capacity and strengthens its 20-year presence in China," according to a company statement. The acquisition includes both development labs in Shanghai and an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) plant occupying 22,000 square meters on a 22-acre plot employing 181 staff. Hovione's relationship with Hisyn started with the supply of intermediates, but this factory, which was commissioned in 2005 from a greenfield site, will now produce Hovione's two largest volume products.
"Hisyn represents an opportunity to both increase our manufacturing capacity and ensure a sustainable cost advantage. We find it important to provide our current customers with an assurance of competitive supply over the long run; and in addition we want to have a strong presence in new markets, such as Brazil, India and China, where price is decisive," said Miguel Calado, Hovione's chief financial officer.
Luis Gomes, Hovione's vice president of Generics, was responsible for the investment and integration process. He remarked, "When we first came to the Canton fair in 1979 we were buying raw-materials that would be processed in Macau or in Portugal. For many years we felt we'd be better off being an important client of Chinese plants through contract manufacturing deals, because at that time there many JVs going very wrong. Now is the right time for Hovione to acquire infrastructure in China and tap into a growing market and leverage China's manufacturing abilities. We are planning to invest further monies in 2008 to effectively double Hisyn's manufacturing capacity."
The Zhejiang provincial authorities have already issued the necessary business license and the joint venture (JV) is now operational.


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FORT COLLINS — The owners of a California-bakery that received $300,000 investment on Shark Tank are relocating their operations to Fort Collins. The Dough Bar is a bakery concept that puts 11 grams of protein into its doughnuts and is owned by Ondrea and Marquez Fernandez. The Dough Bar plans to shift its production to 501 Riverside Ave. by mid-February, with a retail shop to open in the spring, reports the Coloradoan. The bakery opened in April 2015 in San Francisco with products sold online across the country. The Fernandezes appeared in a January 2018 episode of Shark Tank and accepted an investment from Barbara Corcoran. The couple will provide an update to Corcoran on the Jan. 27 episode of the show. “We’ve visited family in Fort Collins a number of times and love the area,” Marquez Fernandez said, according to the Coloradoan. “To say we are excited for the move is an understatement…. We think Fort Collins will provide a lot more opportunities. The area is big into fitness and eating healthy, and we will operate in a more central state for shipping across the country.”
The post Shark Tank’s The Dough Bar is relocating to Fort Collins appeared first on BizWest.


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It turns out that people responding to our poll about whether they were buying an iPad 3 — which Apple is unveiling this coming week — are overwhelmingly planning to fork over the dough for a new one.
Nearly 70 percent of those who answered said they would be buying the latest iteration of the popular tablet device, while 17 percent said they were sticking with their old one.
Only 11 percent used a competing tablet — powered by Google Android or Amazon Kindle.
And about 4.5 percent of respondents said that they had not decided, but were looking forward to the last “Twilight” movie, now that Bella finally has her fangs as a newborn vampire with a newborn baby, too.
Thus, many want a bite of the latest Apple, but are definitely not Twihards.
Here’s the poll again, if you want to add your vote:


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STOCKHOLM — Spotify launched on Tuesday a paid subscription platform for podcasters in the United States and plans to expand in other regions in the coming months, a week after Apple unveiled a similar service.
A podcaster could mark episodes as subscriber-only and publish them on Spotify and other podcast listening platforms, the company said in a statement.
Spotify, the world’s most popular paid music streaming service, said it won’t take a commission from podcast creators’ subscriber revenue for the next two years, and planned to charge a 5% fee starting in 2023. Online stores such as Apple’s app store usually charge developers a fee for purchases made on their platforms.
Spotify filed a complaint two years ago with European Union regulators saying that the fees Apple charges for taking payments through the store had made it unfairly difficult for rivals to compete for music subscribers.
Apple competes with Spotify for music streaming and earlier this month unveiled a subscription platform that will cost $19.99 per month and will provide creators the tools they need to offer podcast subscriptions.
Spotify has selected 12 independent podcasters to publish subscriber-only bonus content in their existing podcast feeds, and the company will also expand the programme to more creators over the coming months.
National Public Radio (NPR) will publish five ad-free shows for paid subscribers from May 4, including How I Built This with Guy Raz and Planet Money. — Reuters


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DuPont leader stresses collaboration as the key to improving global nutrition
DAVOS, Switzerland — DuPont Nutrition & Health President Craig F. Binetti told participants at the World Economic Forum here that developing partnerships with local
governments, businesses and universities while continuing to pursue scientific breakthroughs in nutrition research are the keys to elevating global nutrition.
«Improving nutrition around the world takes place when private and public businesses, governments and non-governmental organizations work together in the best interest of people,»
Binetti said. «DuPont has taken extraordinary steps to work with local enterprises in developing countries to deliver highly nutritious products, and intends to do more.«
Binetti participated in a forum panel titled «Investing in Nutrition» which discussed how nutrition can be improved broadly and cost-effectively in less developed countries and how
businesses should respond to changing consumer demands related to nutrition. Binetti discussed how four «mega trends» unfolding around the world directly affect the food supply and
nutrition: population growth; increased food production; the drive for renewable fuels and materials; and the need for improved nutrition.
«With the world population expected to increase by 40 percent by 2050 — and much of that occurring in developing countries — a different food delivery model must be developed,»
Binetti said. «DuPont’s scientific endeavors are providing solutions for increased food production and safety, as well as improved nutrition. Farmers are producing higher yields; global
demands for food, fuel and renewable products are being satisfied; and the nutritional composition of foods is improving.«
Binetti pointed to DuPont’s Agriculture & Nutrition segment as a leading example of how business is bringing healthier and safer food to the world. The segment consists of Pioneer Hi-Bred,
which supplies superior seeds for farmers to grow crops; DuPont Crop Protection, which helps farmers protect their crops from pests and weeds; Solae, which supplies soy protein as a healthy and
nutritious source of an essential building block of life; and Qualicon, which offers advanced DNA-based detection of microbes such as Salmonella, Listeria and other pathogens in food, from raw
ingredients to finished products. Binetti also serves as chairman and CEO of Solae.
«Nutrition is a key area for the food industry, as it affects the entire spectrum of human health,» Binetti said. «Healthy and safe food provides sustainable development and
helps to reduce disease.«
Solae has ongoing programs in Africa that address nutrition in developing countries. In coordination with the Nigerian government, Tetrapak, local suppliers and the World Initiative for Soy in
Human Health (WISHH), Solae is helping to provide soy protein-fortified beverages as part of a Nigerian school feeding program. The program aims to create a sustainable local economy for
farmers while helping children receive adequate nutrition.
«The Nigeria school feeding program is a great success,» Binetti said. «This is the type of collaboration that businesses, governments and non- governmental organizations need
to undertake in order to ensure every human has access to healthy and affordable nutrition.«
The World Economic Forum is an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging leaders in partnerships to shape global, regional and industry
agendas. Incorporated as a foundation in 1971, and based in Geneva, Switzerland, the World Economic Forum is impartial and not-for-profit; it is tied to no political, partisan or national
DuPont (NYSE: DD) is a science-based products and services company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to better, safer,
healthier lives for people everywhere. Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture and food; building
and construction; communications; and transportation.


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Jessica Alba celebrates as she and Cash Warren get COVID-19 vaccines following public launch of her The Honest Company
She has described herself as 'thrilled' that her The Honest Company earned a $2 billion valuation after going public on the stock market last week.
And on Wednesday, Jessica Alba had more to celebrate as she and husband Cash Warren got their COVID-19 vaccines.
'Mom and dad are vaxxed,' she wrote on Instagram alongside a selfie of the couple wearing masks and holding up their vaccination cards.
Ce;ebrating: 'Mom and dad are vaxxed,' Jessica Alba wrote on Instagram Wednesday alongside a selfie of herself and husband Cash Warren wearing masks and holding up their COVID-19 vaccination cards
Alba, 39, and Warren, 42, married in 2008 and share three children - Honor, 12, Haven, nine, and Hayes, three.
The former Dark Angel and Fantastic Four star had been joined by her family last week in New York City where she rang the bell at the NASDAQ opening to celebrate her brand's IPO.
Each family member was dressed in a shade of green in a nod to The Honest Company's much-vaunted ethical approach to consumerism.
Family: Alba, 39, and Warren, 42, married in 2008 and share three children - Honor, 12, Haven, nine, and Hayes, three
Successful businesswoman: Last week, Alba had plenty to celebrate as her The Honest Company went public, earning a $2 billion valuation on the stock market
Milestone: The former Dark Angel and Fantastic Four star had been joined by her family last week in NYC where she rang the bell at the NASDAQ opening to celebrate her brand's IPO
On Friday, Alba made an appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show where she spoke about the phenomenal success of the company she co-founded in 2011.
'I just I feel like this is the beginning of our next chapter and I'm just with my kids and my husband, it's been such a journey getting to this point and I'm just thrilled.' Alba, told child star turned TV personality Barrymore.
Asked by Barrymore whether she ever envisioned being a successful business owner as a child, Alba said, 'No, I mean I had this idea to create this company because it just made sense that people shouldn't have to choose between what works and what's good for them.
'And putting people's health and wellness and thinking about the planet and sustainability, and then also like diversity and inclusion and representation.
'And all of those values to me is really I think why we've been able to take the business to this point.'
On Friday, Alba made an appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show where she admitted she was 'thrilled' with the phenomenal success of the company she co-founded in 2011
Honest's offerings include eco-friendly baby products, vitamins, sunscreen lotions and sanitizers that are sold online and through partnerships with brick-and-mortar stores including Costco and Target.
Honest is backed by investment firms Lightspeed, Fidelity and General Catalyst, among others and while Alba has stepped down as chair of the board, she remains a director and also serves as the company's chief creative officer.
Her 6.1 percent stake in the company is currently worth $124 million.
In the money: The actress' 6.1 percent stake in The Honest Company is currently worth $124 million


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Traders launch petition against Brighton parking charges
11:50am Saturday 10th November 2012 in News
Campaigners have launched a campaign to reverse parking charge increases they argue are crippling their businesses.
Traders in London Road have launched an e-petition on Brighton and Hove City Council’s website to return the parking charges to their previous level for the London Road car park and for on street parking, including the first 20 minutes for free.
A paper petition held at shops in the area has already attracted more than 500 paper signatures and organisers hope they can attract 1,250 votes online to trigger a debate at a council meeting.
To sign visit present.brighton-hove.gov.uk before November 29.
See the latest news headlines from The Argus:
- Author Peter James 'lucky to be alive' following 70mph racing crash
- Hove murder: wanted man phones The Argus
- Shoreham Rugby Club holding charity barbecue and fun day
- Police investigate spate of car crime across Sussex
- Sussex Police get Chinese book of sayings as thank you gift


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The Amazing High-Yield REIT Strategy For 7.9% Dividends, 20% Gains
We’ve just been handed a unique opportunity to grab 7.9%+ dividends—and price upside, too.
Now it does involve some risk, and you’ll have to be quick to reap the biggest gains (and dividends).
A Contrarian High-Yield REIT Strategy for Huge Cash Payouts
First up, the opportunity we’re going to dive into today revolves around real estate investment trusts (REITs) that invest in shopping malls and other retail properties.
If you’ve been reading columns written by me and my colleague Brett Owens, you know we’ve been critical of retail REITs, which were being decimated by Amazon AMZN .com (AMZN), eBay EBAY (EBAY) and other online giants before the pandemic hit.
That call was on the money: while the S&P 500 is now positive on the year, major REITs that invest in retail property, like Realty Income O (O), Simon Property Group SPG (SPG), National Retail Properties NNN (NNN) and Tanger SKT Factory Outlet Centers (SKT) are still on the mat.
This plunge has set up some high yields in the retail-REIT space. Simon, for example, yields 7.9%. And Realty Income pays 4.5%, which is near multi-year highs for the self-anointed “monthly dividend company.”
But there’s a low-key catalyst that could soon start driving these REITs’ beleaguered shares higher. That, in turn, would push their dividend yields lower (as you calculate yield by dividing the yearly payout into the current share price). So if you have some cash available for more speculative investments, this could be the time to start floating some of those funds into this beaten-up sector.
Let me explain why.
Retail REITs in Normal Times
First, let’s back up. REITs are basically “pass-through” investments: management collects the rent, keeps enough money to pay for maintenance, possibly expansion, and to keep the lights on, then hands the rest to us as dividends.
The lockdowns, of course, put a serious damper on these dividends. Tanger, for example, suspended its payout in May. And if retailers can’t pay rent, there’s good reason to think retail-REIT dividends won’t be back to normal soon. That’s mainly why retail REITs have plummeted—income-hungry investors jumped ship.
But there’s a quiet shift happening here that few people know about: essentially, retail REITs have realized they can’t beat Amazon, so they’re joining it.
A Quiet Trend Develops
As great as e-commerce is, it loses its appeal when you have to wait days to get your order. This is why Amazon started offering same-day delivery in 2015. Since then, it’s expanded this option, which is a main reason why Amazon customers remain loyal.
But how does same-day delivery work?
Amazon can’t transport goods faster than anyone else, as it has the same infrastructure limitations (speed limits on highways, for example). So it relies on a network of storage depots to get around this. In other words, Amazon needs space near where people live. And that’s where most retail REITs have their properties located.
This shift is already in the works: in the last few days, we’ve seen reports of Amazon beginning talks to take over massive spaces once used by Sears and other retail giants of yore. That includes a report in the Wall Street Journal of Amazon meeting with Simon, with an aim to convert some of the mall owner’s department-store locations into Amazon distribution hubs.
The obvious way to buy into this shift is through Simon Property shares. But Simon isn’t your only avenue: many other retail REITs could also be solid options for Amazon.
The bottom line? If these reports are accurate and deals get done, this period could be remembered as a golden age for contrarian REIT investors.
Michael Foster is the Lead Research Analyst for Contrarian Outlook. For more great income ideas, click here for our latest report “Indestructible Income: 5 Bargain Funds with Safe 11% Dividends.”


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How do you feel when someone pays you late?
How does it make you feel about that organisation or individual, their respect for you, and the way that they do business? My guess is that you’d think it’s a pretty negative look for anyone. And that’s not what we’re all about in the PR industry is it?
The PRCA believes this so strongly that we have launched a campaign to call on all clients to pay their PR agencies within 30 days.
As part of that campaign, 51 agencies from across the industry have agreed to be signatories to a letter calling time on the practice of unethical payment terms.
The level of support I’ve received over this issue has been overwhelming, which should give some indication of how serious a problem this is for our industry. Why so? It is draining the lifeblood of business growth.
According to the RSA, more than half (55 per cent) of SMEs don’t survive beyond five years. The CBI says that small and medium-sized businesses account for 99.9 per cent of private sector companies. Therefore there are huge implications in them succeeding or failing. One of the main factors in their survival is cash flow.
It is unfair that larger organisations take advantage of their suppliers when these suppliers are often smaller companies that cannot survive with an irregular cash flow. Why should smaller companies provide interest-free loans to much larger
There is no reason why any company needs any longer than 30 days to pay for the services with which they have been provided. It is a highly unethical way to treat a commercial relationship, and it has to end.
Of course, we’re not the first to focus on this issue. The Government has made admirable steps in the right direction by launching the Prompt Payment Code. As part of our campaign we want the whole industry – both clients and agencies – to sign up to that code, as the PRCA has signed up to it.
But more can be done, and how the new Government will take on this issue remains to be seen. As part of March’s Budget announcement, the last Government promised to clamp down on late payments by extending the Prompt Payment Code. Matthew Hancock, the previous business minister, announced plans in February to make 30-day payment terms the standard, with 60 days the new maximum limit.
Let us hope that his successor, Anna Soubry, will make that commitment a reality. We call on the Government to make prompt payment a legal requirement, not merely a voluntary measure.
So, I urge you: join us in signing up to the Prompt Payment Code, and let me know if you would like to add your
voice to our campaign.
Whether you are an agency or an in-house team - pay your suppliers on time and make sure you are not the one being chased for late payment.
Francis Ingham is PRCA director-general and ICCO executive director


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The UK Government recently published The Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution which highlights the importance of renewable energy generation, specifically offshore wind and low carbon hydrogen
Experts agree CTV has become more than just another buzzword. But while its potential is vast, there are still barriers that to overcome before the CTV revolution can begin.
After a short-lived surge in 2006, cleantech is making a comeback and investment in the sector is strong. Find out more about cleantech and the various categories it includes.
Our CEO and Founder Victoria Usher recently co-hosted an Appetite Creative webinar entitled ‘How brands can level up their marketing strategies with gaming and esports.’
If there’s one industry booming in the current climate it’s gaming, with audiences turning to video games for new forms of entertainment and interaction while spending more time at home.
With the COVID-19 pandemic pushing the gaming sector into overdrive, the webinar explored the opportunities for brands to capitalise on the gaming boom and interact with growing audiences while they are highly engaged.
Gaming growth has reached a new velocity during lockdown. As homebound consumers have reached for their consoles, PCs, tablets and smartphones, the sector has seen its popularity and profits boom.
Artificial intelligence is no longer the stuff of science fiction movies, it is a thriving part of the technology sector and an integral element of our everyday lives.
Interest in gaming is surging, with the number of people playing video games across the globe rising over 6% this year to reach 2.7 billion.
“EdTech is the next FinTech” — four years ago, this felt like a bold statement from David Bainbridge, CEO of Knowledgemotion. Now, it’s clear that optimism was well-founded.


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Submitted by Village Books
Village Books is the recipient of a $7500 grant from bestselling author James Patterson as part of his Million Dollars to Indie Bookstores program. The start-up grant will support the store’s children’s programming, including the new position of Kids Programming Director, filled by Claire McElroy-Chesson, a bookseller who has been with the store for several years and leads various children’s events.
“We were thrilled to be included in James Patterson’s Million Dollar support of indie bookstores,” said Chuck Robinson, co-owner of Village Books. “His grant will make it possible to launch the new Kids Programming Director position in a much bigger way than we would otherwise have been able to do.”
James Patterson will give a total of $1 million dollars to dozens of independent bookstores across the country. His independent bookstore campaign has been featured in the “New York Times” and “Publisher’s Weekly” as well as on “CBS This Morning” and “NPR Morning Edition.” Patterson announced his second round of grants, which included Village Books, at the Book Expo America trade show in New York City at the end of May. Store owners Chuck and Dee Robinson picked up the check at the event.
Village Books will be using the grant to support McElroy-Chesson’s position and to expand on the programs and services to children, families and local schools. In her new role, McElroy-Chesson will work with the children’s book buyer and events coordinator in planning a variety of activities for kids of all ages. She’ll work closely with schools in planning author visits and book fairs, she will lead non-author children’s events at the store, and she will assist with other activities. McElroy-Chesson will lead this year’s Camp VB, a week-long, half-day camp for kids, and she hosts story time the first Saturday of every month in the kids’ section.
“Claire has been with Village Books for a long time and has already been engaged in kids programming,” said Robinson. “She’s the perfect person to step into this position. She’s already created a number of new activities and has many more in the works.”
James Patterson’s grants come at a time when independent bookstores work hard to stand out as community hubs in the face of online retail giants. Patterson is committed to bringing attention to the important contributions of indie bookstores, and he is especially concerned with inspiring children to become lifelong readers. Patterson worked with the American Booksellers Association, publishers and fellow authors to identify stores that would be good candidates, and he accepts applications from viable bookstores that have a children’s book section in their stores. Grants are personally funded by Patterson. For more information about James Patterson and his program, click here.
“It’s great that someone like James Patterson recognizes the value of independent bookstores to our country’s culture and to the future of reading. Everyone should be grateful for his generosity,” said Robinson.


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Just three weeks ago, Sony announced its plans to shut down the digital stores for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, and PlayStation Vita, effective this summer. As such, the PS3 and Vita online stores will continue operations, Ryan said, while the PSP store will still shut down as planned on July 2.
Can I still play online on PS3?
Several publishers have pulled online server support for PS3 games over the years. Despite that, Sony has always kept PlayStation 3 online multiplayer alive with continued PSN support. Many of the Sony Interactive Entertainment titles multiplayer components also remain active. PS3 servers are staying online.
Does PS3 PSN still work?
Players will be able to continue to purchase games on PS3 and PS Vita. So today Im happy to say that we will be keeping the PlayStation Store operational for PS3 and PS Vita devices. PSP commerce functionality will retire on July 2, 2021 as planned.
Are PS2 servers still up?
The last version of the disk was network startup disk 5.0, which was included with the newer SCPH 90004 model released in 2009. However, as of December 31, 2012, the PlayStation 2 has been discontinued, and the servers for most games have all since been shut down.
Is ps4 better than PS3?
Sonys PlayStation 4 has significantly more CPU and graphics horsepower than the PlayStation 3, more RAM, a bigger hard drive, built-in game DVR, newer motion-sensing camera, and a better controller with touchpad.
Is PS4 going to shut down 2021?
Sony Japan confirmed the week of January 4, 2021 that production has officially ceased on all but one of the PS4 models currently on the market. So, no, the PS4 has not been discontinued completely, but there is only one version of the system that will be sold going forward. Also, the PS4 servers are not shutting down.
What happens when the PS3 battery dies?
Once that battery dies, an online check-in with PSN via attempting to play a digital game (or, for PS4, any game at all) is required for the console to receive the correct time, even if a new battery is installed.
Is it worth getting a PS3?
All-in-all, the PS3 was, and still, is a great console. If you have 50 to 70 bucks to spare and want to play great video games without investing a lot of money, the PS3 is a good option – especially since owning a PS3 is the only way to play most PS3 games. Its not a risky investment, just go for it and have fun.


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Jeffrey Welsh Interviews Corvain Cooper of Cannabis Social Impact Brand Brand 40 Tons on Highly Capitalized Network
Aug 6, 2021
VS partner Jeffrey Welsh recently sat down Corvain Cooper, chief brand ambassador at social impact cannabis brand 40 Tons and board advisor for Last Prisoner Project, at the Highly Capitalized Studios in Los Angeles. In the interview, Corvain and Jeffrey discuss social equity in the cannabis industry, the mission of the 40 Tons brand, New York's cannabis legalization, and how social equity programs will benefit the legacy community in New York City.
About Corvain Cooper
In 2013, Corvain received a life sentence without parole after a “third strike” for his participation in a cannabis distribution operation. Despite the relatively minor offense, he was effectively “buried alive” at a federal prison in Louisiana, apart from his wife and two children for something that was increasingly becoming legalized across the country. Through his years in prison, activists and voters continued the campaign to relax cannabis laws across the U.S. and Corvain finally, and fortunately, received a grant of executive clemency from Donald Trump in his final days as President of The United States of America in 2021.
About 40 Tons
40 Tons is a Black, woman-owned premium cannabis, clothing, and accessories brand from Los Angeles, California. Corvain is an avid public speaker, activist and advocate for bringing awareness to 40 Tons and the causes it serves. Representing those impacted by the system — cannabis prisoners, victims of the war on drugs, their families and loved ones — while a booming billion-dollar industry flourishes across the globe, 40 Tons was founded by the very legacy operators who’ve helped build the cannabis industry during the course of battle. Click here to get involved with 40 Tons.
Watch the full interview exclusively on Highly Capitalized and stay tuned for more content and interviews with cannabis, hemp and emerging therapies thought-leaders!


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In 2019, we saw the rise of a series of business tech trends. They include the cloud-based systems so you can work on the go and from any location; email automation to help keep track of who you have emailed; and email marketing platforms such as Mailchimp and Klayvio, so you can reach your customers with information that’s relevant to them.
With the start of a new decade now here, we look forward to six key trends that will help you as a small business owner in 2020.
1. Rise of the cloud
Andrew Dark, director and co-owner of print wear and branding specialist Custom Planet, believes the use of cloud-based systems will continue be a business tech trend for 2020.
He says: “Cloud-based software is influencing the ways our staff can work, giving them more flexibility and allowing them to remote work with greater ease.
“Finance can chase payments, order stock, and have access to all our ordering information from anywhere. Sales can process orders, create quotes and deal with clients.
“I feel cloud-based systems and working from home can help staff to have a better work/life balance and increase happiness in the workplace.”
The same can be said of cloud-based accounting software, which will allow you to stay on top of your accounts when you’re on the go.
2. Adoption of technology
Marketing consultant Nat Sharp is the founder of Sharp Thinking Marketing. She says the adoption of technology will be a key business tech trend and challenge for small business owners in 2020.
“Many businesses think that artificial intelligence (AI) is still in its infancy, but as a small business owner, you can’t afford to ignore it,” she says.
“AI can give you an incredible competitive edge improving response times and the whole customer experience. And in 2020, we will see a huge increase in chatbots.
“Chatbots have traditionally been frowned upon by marketing industry experts.
“But as more social media platforms are permitting bots and as their sophistication has increased, it will become crucial for small businesses to deploy them to improve their customer experience and automate their business.
“Bots can help qualify and nurture leads based on users’ interactions rather than generating a constant stream of sales emails.”
One thing that small business owners don’t always have is time. Part of the reason for that is that they’re busy following up on late invoices that haven’t been paid and other manual processes that need to be dealt with.
Automation can be the answer to save time, so you can focus on more important tasks that help you to build your business. And it’s likely to be a key trend for 2020.
No matter whether it’s down to using accounting software so you don’t have to follow up on invoices or reach your customers easily via email, automation will be one to watch.
Nat Sharp adds: “Smart businesses know they need to capitalise on marketing automation. And I’m not just talking about sending out your company newsletter using the latest email marketing software.
“Those who know the sector understand they need to give their consumers more control over how and when they consume content and personalisation is at the crux of it.
“Marketing automation software has the ability to integrate your website, email marketing and your CRM system, ensuring a seamless and highly customisable customer experience.”
4. Circular technology
Asad Hamir, co-founder at Klyk Tech, believes ‘circular technology’ will be a growing trend for 2020, as small business owners will be looking at ways to cut costs.
He says: “Technology is one of the biggest money drains for small businesses; 45% see replacing their tech as beyond their current spending power.
“Fortunately for them, as we approach 2020, there is a strong argument for businesses to move away from a linear consumption model.
“Instead of buying devices with cash, using them and then throwing them away, businesses are starting to use a circular model where tech is leased, refurbished and repaired for re-use at the end of this first cycle. It’s easy to see the benefits of this approach.
“Buying technology in a linear way means small businesses spend money on expensive assets that will only depreciate and sap the cash flow of a business.
“By contrast, the circular model spreads the cost of a workforce’s devices. Instead of buying new technology, businesses leaders can reduce costs dramatically by purchasing refurbished tech or repairing devices to get more use from them.”
5. Robotic process automation (RPA)
Another trend for small business owners to be aware of is robotic process automation (RPA). This is an evolution of automation and it involves the use of software with AI or machine learning to deal with a high volume of repetitive tasks, such as for finance teams.
Steve O’Brien, managing director of Newicon, a software design and development company, says RPA “has already transformed organisations around the world”.
He adds: “In its current form, it can reduce operational risk, improve productivity, cut costs… you get the idea. It’s transformational. It’s the stuff that we’re working on with our clients as we speak.
“And the really exciting part is that RPA is undergoing a transformation of its own, both regarding the technology involved and the way it’s being adopted.
“Technology-wise, I think we’re likely to see RPA draw more on advances in AI and machine learning. As a result, RPA will enter what others are calling RPA 2.0, or unassisted RPA — where, once set up, there’s no human involvement necessary. This would usher in a whole new level of productivity increase.
“On top of that, look out for an increase in commoditised, plug-and-play hardware, alongside potential libraries of open-source automation software. Together, these two things could open up RPA to a much wider market.
“In terms of adoption, we’re already seeing a huge push towards RPA from China, as it turns to technology to continue its world-leading levels of productivity.
“And we’re likely to see the likes of Europe and the US investing in order to compete. Not to mention businesses looking to find a way to get ahead in the uncertain quagmire otherwise known as Brexit.”
Steve Orrill is the partner account manager at finance automation company V1. He says: “Robotic process automation will become part of the daily working lives for small and medium-sized enterprises as finance departments strive to eliminate manual processes and work smarter, not harder, with their data.
“Finance teams have plenty of manual and repetitive tasks that involve searching and entering data as well as combining data from multiple sources – and these will be eliminated through automation. In fact, Gartner believes RPA can save finance departments 25,000 hours of avoidable work annually.
“What’s more, RPA and humans will work together. RPA will do all the groundwork [data entry, searching and consolidation] to provide more accurate and timely data at people’s fingertips. Humans will still need to have some oversight which means learning how to monitor RPA systems.
“But the reward is gaining greater control and far more incisive decision-making.
“Invoice automation is a place for SMEs to start and, when integrated with cloud technology, it is the ideal first step to achieving an effective digital transformation strategy.”
6. Social commerce
Dhruvin Patel is an optometrist and the founder of Ocushield, a screen protector company. He says 2020 will see the rise of social commerce: the ability to transact on Facebook chat or WhatsApp, for example.
He says: “Tools are coming out already showing capabilities of this, such as jumper.ai, but I imagine the social platforms themselves will look to introduce this as they can earn revenue from this sort of transaction-based automation.
“It will also see AI and chat work closer together as most chat requests especially for e-commerce are usually the same typical questions – shipping, returns policy, etc, therefore this can quickly be identified and the correct response given.”
Conclusion on small business tech trends
As a small business owner, you have a choice as to whether you want adopt the growing trends of automation, artificial intelligence, more environmentally friendly practices.
With these trends emerging in 2019 and now becoming more prominent, it will be worth considering which ones are worth adopting for your business in 2020, so you can stay ahead of the curve, win new customers and boost your business.


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Increasing evidence is linking cannabis use in teens with depression, but whether one causes the other is still unclear.
5 Aug 2022
Drug cartels in Latin America are now making more money from synthetic drugs like fentanyl than the illicit substances the continent is best known for, like cocaine and marijuana.
10 Apr 2022
Only cannabis containing over 0.2% of the psychoactive ingredient THC remains illegal. The intent behind the move is to promote use of cannabis for medicinal purposes and build an industry around such products.
4 Jul 2021
Mexicans will soon be able to apply for permits to use marijuana recreationally. The move could help create one of the largest legal markets for cannabis.
23 Mar 2021
Mexico is legalizing the recreational use of cannabis, not least to curb rampant drug-related violence and crime in the country. Can it work?
14 Mar 2021
Mexico's lower house of Congress has passed legislation that would legalize the recreational use of marijuana. Proponents believe the bill could help lessen the influence of the country's powerful drug cartels.
13 Mar 2021
Mexico's lower house of Congress voted Wednesday in favor of legalizing recreational marijuana use.
3 Jan 2020
Marijuana becomes legal in Illinois, the largest US midwestern state, as 2020 is rung in with shops opening at 6 am to support what is expected to be a record turnout for recreational cannabis. "I think this is groundbreaking," Jackie Ryan tells AFP after completing her first purchase at Sunnyside dispensary. "Finally, Illinois is following suit with other states and it's just really exciting."
11 Nov 2019
A US government lab study confirmed that vitamin E acetate is likely behind a wave of vaping illnesses and deaths. Most of the cases involved black market marijuana vaping products.
2 Oct 2019
With a full house and people waiting outside, California's Lowell Farms: A Cannabis Café on Tuesday became the first business in the United States with the license to sell food, beverages and products based on or derived from marijuana, which visitors may also smoke within the premises.
25 Aug 2018
Marijuana stocks including Aurora Cannabis Inc. jumped in Toronto after BNN Bloomberg TV reported Diageo Plc is holding discussions with at least three Canadian cannabis producers about a possible deal.
30 Jun 2018
There’s a new green monster in town: Legal recreational marijuana sales are about to hit the East Coast for the first time -- a possible tipping point for the surging, multi-billion dollar weed industry.


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GroupM is the world’s largest advertising company. So when it speaks out on industry issues, people pay attention. Robin O’Neill is the Managing Director of Digital Trading for GroupM and had some harsh words for Facebook in an article in Digiday.
For a company that will take in an estimated $33.8 billion in ad revenue in 2018, the fact that it self-reports metrics and primarily eschews third-party verification is kind of mind-blowing.
Just read these quotes from O’Neill:
“Facebook doesn’t operate with real-world metrics.”
“I would urge every agency to hold Facebook to account and interrogate the data that comes out from them.”
“We are still not able to verify delivery of our clients’ advertising via Facebook or YouTube.”
“We continue to press them to allow us to independently verify our metrics and operate in the real world.”
“We also have major issues with the quality of the environment our ads are delivering in, especially when it comes to Facebook.”
“Also, completion rates on Facebook are appallingly low.”
“We’re increasingly holding Facebook to account to justify the levels of investment we are putting in them.”
For its part, Facebook says it does provide third-party verification. On its Facebook business pages, it says it works with 40 third-party data verification services.
Facebook also promised “100% In-View Impression Buying and Ad Analytics” in partnership with third-party vendor Moat. It points to independent verification of video ads from Nielsen, comScore, and Integral Ad Science.
Still, Group M’s O’Neill says it’s not enough. “They control the delivery of consumption data back to us,” O’Neill told Digiday, echoing what many in the media world have said for years.
Can you imagine TV getting away without a Nielsen or comScore third-party ratings system and instead telling advertisers to “trust us, here’s how many people saw your ad”?


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Herencia Resources widened its first half losses to 1.59m pounds from last year's 1.3m pounds as the Chilean miner made no revenues as it moved towards starting production at the Patricia deposit.
The company completed a feasibility study on Patricia, which revealed a 3.75m tonne operation with 3.2% zinc, 78 grams per tonne silver and 1.2% lead to be mined over eight years.
Open pit mining is expected to start with a Run of Mine (ROM) production rate of 400,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) with throughput increasing to 460,000 tpa.
The group is targeting first mine production in 2015 subject to board and joint venture (JV) approvals.
During the first six months, the miner also struck an earn-in deal with OZ Minerals for its Guamanga copper-gold project.
Australian copper-focused miner OZ Minerals will pay $3m over 20 months for a 51% stake in the project and a further $5m over another 24 months in exchange for a 80% holding.
Thereafter, Herencia will have the option to sell a further 10% for $5m, leaving it with a 10% stake.
"In summary, Herencia has successfully progressed the Paguanta Project along the development pipeline and has also demonstrated the potential to extend the proposed mine life through resource expansion," said Chairman John Moore.
"Herencia has also been proactive in seeking opportunities to deliver shareholder value through the advancement of the Guamanga Project via a potential JV agreement with OZ Minerals, and entering into an option agreement to acquire 100% of the exciting Picachos copper project."
Mobile commerce company Zamano reported a 4.7 per cent drop in half year revenues, which were largely due to problems in the US, it said Thursday.
Pre-tax profits saw modest growth, from €0.95m to €0.98, helped by lower total administration expenses and sales costs. Revenues declined from €9.46m to €9.02m, after it met with "a number of issues" relating to the sale of Mblox in the US, which meant it was no longer able to advertise its new subscription service offering, which had a "severe impact" on US revenues since mid-March.
In Ireland, sales plunged 41.6% as a result of a new code of practice which distorted its subscription revenues during the first half of last year.
The situation was considerably better in the UK, where sales rose 33.3% on the same period last year, resulting in a gross profit contribution of €1.64m, up 9.2% on 2012. However, the increase in gross profits did not match the increase in sales as Zamano invested heavily in advertising to acquire new subscribers which affected the outturn at gross margin level.
Looking ahead, the group believes the proposed launch in three new markets in the coming months will "significantly enhance the sales contribution from new markets and, in time, reduce our sales dependency on the UK and Ireland".
It continued: "During the first half of the year, Zamano improved its operating performance over the same period in 2012. While revenues declined marginally compared to the first half of 2012, EBITDA [earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation] and operating profits increased and the group's improved balance sheet position gives us a platform to grow and diversify the business during the second half of 2013 and beyond."
In terms of the full year, the group said that while it is "fully aware of the many issues and challenges confronting the business on an on-going basis", it nevertheless anticipates "a satisfactory trading outturn" for the 12-month period.


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Entries in 'polar audio' (18)
Jon Britchford has joined Polar Audio as business development manager for the UK distributor's new Installation division.
Stephanie Dell, owner of Sound Marketing, is climbing Mount Snowdon to raise money for the son of a childhood friend recently diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour.
The Great Hall at Reading University has been equipped with Renkus-Heinz Iconyx loudspeakers.
UK distributor Polar Audio has handed a new head of installation role to its former business development manager Stuart Leader.
UK distributor Polar Audio has hired new staff in response to a rise in business activity since adding several brands to its portfolio this year.
Polar Audio will be bringing a number of new brands to PLASA London 2013 that have joined the supplier's portfolio since last year's show.
Polar Audio, in conjunction with Saville Audio Visual, has provided a speech and background music system for The Merchant Adventurers' Hall in York, UK.
There was a strong pro audio presence at Wednesday's MI Retail Conference & Expo, which has been declared a big success by this year's Event Partners.
Studiomaster and guitar amp brand Carlsbro have outlined their plans for the MI Retail Conference & Expo (MIRC) on June 26th 2013.
Following the company's recent UK distribution deal with Mackie, Polar Audio MD John Midgley talks to API about the latest addition to its brand line-up...