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A mother was furious when her seven-month-old baby was covered in blisters after using a Banana Boat sunscreen.
Emma Lipson and her family headed to the beach in Adelaide and decided to apply Banana Boat Baby lotion to her seven-month-old daughter, Chloe, before going to the beach, then noticed her baby’s skin turn red.
“We got to the beach and she started to go a little bit red,” Ms Lipson told 7News. “So I put more on her hoping that she wasn’t getting sunburnt then we got home that night and she started getting blisters on her cheeks.”
Upon checking with doctors, they said a chemical reaction caused the blisters.
“I don’t know if it’s too harsh for little baby’s skin but there should be warnings labels and things like that on it as well,” Ms Lipson said.
However, speaking to Seven Network, Banana Boat explained that the baby girl’s sensitive skin was to blame and not their SPF 50+ product.
Just recently, a six-year-old girl, Ruby, and her 11-year-old brother, Wade, from Broadmere, 500 kilometres north-west of Brisbane, also suffered blisters after their mother, Vanessa Munroe had applied Banana Boat’s SPF 50+ sunscreen spray on their skin during a weekend getaway.
Ms Munroe said that Ruby had been kept ‘up all night’ by the blisters on her chin, under her eyes, and on her lips, which turned a ‘yellowy colour’. She added that the blisters were so big that ‘they’d pop themselves’, Yahoo7 reported.
She also said that Wade’s skin was burnt, despite reapplying frequently.
“‘I followed the instructions and put the sunscreen on him every two to three hours during the day and he got badly sunburnt,” Ms Munroe said. “I knew they were swimming so I’d get him out every few hours and make him sit down and put it on.”
A spokesperson for Edgewell Personal Care Australia explained that every Banana Boat product goes through thorough testing.
“All Banana Boat sunscreen products undergo rigorous testing and meet the high Australian standards as administered by the Therapeutic Goods Association. A chemical burn is a serious condition and the substances that cause such burns are not present in sunscreens,” the spokesperson said.


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Nordstrom confirmed Friday that the retailer cut 120 jobs in its IT operations last week, GeekWire reports. The retailer said that the cuts were part of a restructuring of its tech team, which has been ongoing for the past seven months.
Although top positions weren’t part of the cuts, GeekWire notes that executives have left the department store’s tech team in recent weeks, including VP of technology Bill Tucker, VP of enterprise architecture and system development & support John Mayfield, and EVP of selling technology Sam Hogenson.
The 120 job cuts are in addition to 10 job cuts reported by GeekWire earlier this month.
Nordstrom has made its technology revamp no secret, or of its need to cut costs in the face of disappointing results in recent quarters. The retailer recently reported revenues and earnings that missed expectations during the all-important holiday season.
Nordstrom has fared better when compared to others in the department store space, but continues to face headwinds in apparel sales and falling traffic. It has seen success in its e-commerce units though, including flash-sales site HauteLook and Trunk Club, which it recently opened up to women as well as men.
Retail futurist Doug Stephens, who remains confident in what he calls Nordstrom’s fundamentals, including its reputation for excellent customer service, has told Retail Dive that it would be a mistake for the retailer to achieve cost cutting by cutting store associates. It appears from these reports that the company is opting to trim its tech team instead.
That probably makes sense, considering that e-commerce continues to be a small slice of retail, despite two decades of transformation largely led by growing web sales.
Nordstrom is maintaining its $300 million spending level on its e-commerce, but perhaps that is the outer limit of what it’s willing to do considering that its brick-and-mortar stores are integral to its omnichannel success. Despite its tech cuts, Stephens says that Nordstrom is likely keeping a close eye on what it needs to survive.
“I think that Nordstrom has a very good sense of self,” Stephens told Retail Dive. “They understand who they are and what makes them strong, but at the same time they don’t rest on those laurels. And they are a company that is in touch with technology. They aren’t afraid to try new things and experiment.”

domain: news


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Property brokerage firm Square Yards, which is backed by Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group, has acquired Mumbai-based rental platform Azuro as part of its expansion plan.
Founded in 2016 by IIT Bombay alumni Altaf Ahmad, Sushant Kumar, Sudhanshu Mishra, Ayush Agrawal and Vishal Chauthmal, Azuro offers rental and property management solutions. It helps in finding a tenant, background checks, automated rent collection, property maintenance and tenant exits.
The entire team of Azuro, including its co-founders, has joined Square Yards and will continue to operate under the larger umbrella with the same brand name.
Square Yards founder and CEO Tanuj Shori said, “Square Yards is building an integrated intermediary ecosystem for the real estate industry and this requires the best of technology and talent. Azuro’s innovative approach in grabbing market share in the large rentals and property management sector gives us opportunity to add synergies to the current value chain.”
“Both rentals and property management are multi-billion opportunities, but currently under-served in India. We will look forward to scaling this business in India and further globally in countries like UAE, Canada and Australia where we have a significant presence,” he added.
Azuro co-founder Ahmad said, the company aims to catalyse the next phase of growth by leveraging Square Yards’ platform using its reach, operational resources, and the consumer platform squareyards.com.
Azuro has been backed by Kae Capital, Mumbai Angels, White Unicorn ventures, who will now join the cap table of Square Yards after the acquisition.
Gaurav Chaturvedi, Partner at Kae Capital, said the unification is aimed at capturing a big opportunity in the O2O (offline to online) real estate services market.
In India, about USD 32 billion (about Rs 2.27 lakh crore) of rent transactions take place annually and the brokerage opportunity of USD 3 billion (about Rs 21,300 crore) is expected to grow further as more consumers are inclining towards shared economy from asset ownership models.
With the impending roll out of the Model Tenancy Act, 2019, Square Yards said there are bright chances for the rental housing market to not only get regulated but also ripe for disruption through the use of technology.
In September, Square Yards raised USD 25 million (around Rs 175 crore) through preferential issue of equity shares to investors, including Times Group.
The company has so far raised USD 50 million in equity and over USD 25 million in debt financing since its inception in 2014.
Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group’s private equity arm had invested USD 12 million in Square Yards in November 2016.
The Gurugram-based company had clocked a revenue of Rs 220 crore in the 2018-19 financial year. It reported a 56 per cent growth in revenue at Rs 75.5 crore for the second quarter of this fiscal.


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PlayStation 5 chipset issues could slash production by a quarter (Update)
- Sony’s PlayStation 5 has reportedly been plagued by chipset production issues.
- As a result, production estimates have reportedly been cut by four million units.
- Sony has denied this news, claiming it was “false”.
Update, September 16, 2020 (1:30 a.m. ET): Sony made a statement Bloomberg on the grounds that it has not revised its production number. Read the full explanation below.
While we do not disclose manufacturing details, the information Bloomberg has provided is incorrect. We haven’t changed the production number for PlayStation 5 since mass production began.
Original article, Sept. 15, 2020 (7 a.m. ET): Sony could take a hard blow before the next-gen console war begins. According to a, the PlayStation 5’s production forecast has been lowered by more than 26% due to manufacturing issues Bloomberg Report.
The Japanese company is reportedly plagued by low yields from its custom chipset, which may result in fewer consoles being built than predicted. Sony reportedly believed that 15 million units could be produced this year, but that forecast has been lowered to 11 million.
The PS5 chipset uses AMD-made Zen 2 cores with ten times the processing power, twice the RAM, and much faster NVMe-based storage compared to the PlayStation 4. Microsoft will be using a similar high-bandwidth hardware cocktail for the next-gen consoles.
Speaking of the Redmond company, the news couldn’t come at a worse time for Sony. Microsoft was arguably one foot ahead of the Japanese firm in the weeks leading up to launch and stole the limelight by confirming information early on. Both the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X have confirmed pricing and availability details. Sony has not yet announced its plans.
Sony is likely to reveal more details at its event scheduled for tomorrow (Sept. 16), but it’s not clear how the PS5’s alleged production issues could affect the console’s global availability.
Next: Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X – What We Know and How They Compare


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Eesti Telefon wishes to raise call rates for individual consumers
this year while lowering those of commercial users, with the aim of
balancing tariffs by the end of the year when the concession
agreement of the company ends.
The new tariffs can be implemented only with government approval.
Eesti Telefon has thus far submitted 3- and 10-year business plans
alongside the tariffs reshuffle program. The ministry wishes to
receive a thorough business plan which it has received in the
previous seven years.
Eesti Telefon this year decided not to submit a full business plan,
citing business secrets in its new form as a stock exchange company.
According to bourse requirements, Eesti Telefon would have to
distribute the business plan among smaller stockholders. This would
be harmful for the company, said Toomas SÎmera, head of the Telefon
Jurgenson said that the need to submit a business plan has been
included into the concession agreement. Telefon said the volume of
the plan has not been fixed in the agreement.
Eesti Telefon intended to bring new calling rate packages to the
Estonian market this year, offering various monthly fees and call
charges, dependent on the use of the phone.
Eesti Telefon had a nine-month turnover of 1.8 billion kroons ($120
million) last year with a profit of 246 million kroons.


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In a follow-up to his January report, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster continues to believe that Apple will be releasing a cheaper iPhone by the end of 2013, presumingly made of polycarbonate plastic. He believes that the cheaper iPhone would be a huge hit in markets such as: Germany, UK, France, China, Brazil and India.
“We believe a lower priced iPhone will be a positive for AAPL shares for two reasons,” he writes. “First, despite its lower margin, it should accelerate gross profit growth given the size of the low-end market (we estimate $135B in 2013); second, investors have historically bought into AAPL ahead of major new product releases.”
In the aforementioned markets, the lowest priced iPhone 4 is 133 percent more expensive than the average low-end smartphone, the iPhone 4S is 48 percent more expensive than mid-ranged phones, and the iPhone 5 is 19 percent more than flagship phones like the Galaxy S3.
Munster believes that the cheaper iPhone could absorb much of the $135 billion market, which accounts for 60 percent, or 540 million smartphones Apple has not engaged in.
The analyst expects the Apple will debut the cheaper iPhone at a price of $199, with no contract, around September 2013. He expects that cheaper iPhone sales to be around 37 million units by the end of 2013, with 96 million units in 2014, and 170 million units in 2015.
For more updates you can follow iOSVlog on Twitter, Like on Facebook, or Add us to your circles on Google+


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CHELMSFORD -- After a long public hearing that spanned two meetings, the Board of Selectmen granted a liquor license to a proposed craft beer house that was met with a great deal of both criticism and support.
Vinal Square's Craft Beer House and Premium Liquors, proposed by local real-estate agent Joe Ready at 11 Vinal Square, was granted an all-alcohol package store license on a 3-1 vote. Selectman Laura Merrill was the sole vote in opposition. Chairman Matt Hanson recused himself due to a former business relationship with the applicant.
Over the course of the public hearing, selectmen heard from a number of residents and nearby business owners both in favor of and opposed to the establishment. Some welcomed the idea of a craft beer house to the square, believing that it will help to attract other businesses and revitalize the area. Others expressed concerns about increased traffic in the neighborhood, on-street parking issues and potential dangers of having a liquor establishment close to school bus stops, a driving school and a church. Owners of other area stores also expressed fears that if the beer house eventually offered lottery and other convenience store items, it would take away business and force them to close.
Susan Gates, a former selectman who now runs the Chelmsford Center for the Arts, spoke highly of Ready, whom she has known since he was a child. She said he is invested in the town and would run a responsible business.
Mike Kowalyk, chairman of the Economic Development Commission, said craft beer is a high growth industry and a good opportunity for Chelmsford to seize what could be an anchor store for Vinal Square.
"It could be the linchpin to bringing in other businesses of that same ilk into this development," he said.
Gary Bevis, who owns a neighboring commercial building, spoke at length in opposition to the beer house. While the business has been touted as catering to those with refined alcohol tastes, Bevis said he didn't believe it would be anything more than a normal package store. Bevis said many in the densely populated neighborhood are against having a liquor store nearby, and presented the board with a petition with several resident signatures.
Attorney Philip Eliopoulos, representing Ready and business partner Kenneth Pantuso in seeking the license, said his clients took the concerns expressed by residents at the previous meeting to heart and decided to shorten the proposed Sunday hours of operation to noon to 6 p.m. from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eliopoulos said they also hired a firm to conduct a traffic study and found the business would only bring about an additional 21 cars to the area during peak traffic hours. He said that any business of any kind coming to that location would increase traffic to the area.
Selectman Janet Askenburg said it was tough decision, because she could see both sides of the issue. She said she empathized with the residents' concerns, but ultimately voted in favor of the license because the applicant met all of the requirements.
Vice Chairman Bob Joyce and Selectman George Dixon said they were both part of the Vinal Square Master Plan and that this use supported one of the development desires expressed by residents as part of that process.
Merrill opposed the license for a number of reasons, including the neighborhood opposition and traffic concerns. She said a business of the size proposed should have sufficient parking for both customers and employees.
In other business, the board met with Chelmsford's legislative delegation to discuss local and state matters affecting the community. State Reps. Cory Atkins, Jim Arciero and Tom Golden and state Sen. Michael Barrett all attended the meeting. State Rep. Dave Nangle was absent.
Follow Alana Melanson at facebook.com/alana.lowellsun or on Twitter and Tout @alanamelanson.


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Heineken, the second largest brewer in Brazil and worldwide, announced at a conference an investment of BRL 550 million (USD 141 million) in the state of São Paulo. The contribution is part of the company's expansion strategy and aims to modernize its breweries Araraquara, Itu and Jacareí, and its microbrewery in Campos do Jordão (Baden Baden). The group will also open a new distribution center in the countryside of São Paulo, still in 2019.
Recently the Dutch multinational also announced an investment of BRL 15 million (USD 3.9 million) in the Brazil Beer Institute (ICB), an institution dedicated to offering qualification courses for the beer market.
"Since 2015, we have consistently invested in our breweries to support the growth of the Heineken Group in Brazil. São Paulo is an extremely important state for us due to the supply of the Southeast region, a strategic market for the company, especially in the premium beer segment," says Nelcina Tropardi, Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Heineken Group.
In 2017 Heineken acquired Brasil Kirin Holding and its leading brand Schincariol from Kirin Holdings Company, Japan, and became the second largest brewing group in Brazil after Ambev (AB InBev). The Dutch brewer started a series of restructuring measures and was successful in turning the ailing brewing group profitable again.
In 2018, Heineken’s growth in Brazil exceeded its sales expectations, and demand for its flagship brands even exceeded its production capacity in the country. In early 2019 Credit Suisse and Bradesco BBI identified the restricted production capacity as obstacles for future growth of Heineken in Brazil.
In its report for the first quarter of this year, Heineken stated that beer volume grew again double digit, driven by both the premium portfolio led by Heineken, and the mainstream portfolio led by Amstel and Devassa. (inside.beer, 24.4.2019)
In addition to its main product of the same name, Heineken owns the Sol, Kaiser, Bavaria, Amstel, Kirin Ichiban, Schin, No Grau, Devassa, Baden Baden, Eisenbahn and Glacial brands. The non-alcoholic portfolio includes soft drinks and water such as Água Schin, Schin Tonic, Skinka and the soft drinks Itubaína, FYs and Viva Schin. Headquartered in São Paulo, the company is a subsidiary of Heineken NV, the largest brewery in Europe, the second in terms of profitability and the third in volume. Heineken operates 170 breweries in more than 70 countries.


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fuboTV, a “virtual” MVPD that offers a mix of sports and entertainment programming over-the-top, has picked the Amazon Fire TV to introduce a next-gen app that includes a cloud-based DVR as well as in-app purchasing capabilities.
The in-app purchasing component, also offered on the Fire TV Stick, will enable its subscribers to make buys using Amazon’s 1-Click settings, the programmer noted.
“Amazon customers now have even more ways to watch the best soccer and entertainment TV has to offer today,” said David Gandler, CEO fuboTV, in a statement. “With the introduction of fuboTV's DVR feature on Amazon Fire TV and Fire HDX tablets, Amazon customers can now watch and re-watch their favorite matches and shows on DVR.”
The new app arrives soon after fuboTV inked distribution deals with Univision Communications, Pivot and Revolt Media & TV that added 15 networks to its lineup. Earlier this month, fuboTV said it had about 40,000 subscribers, putting it behind only Sling TV among providers in the virtual MVPD category. fuboTV launched service in January 2015.
fuboTV said it now broadcasts over 2,000 live sporting events from more than half of the major international soccer leagues and other sporting events from around the world, thanks to deals with networks such as beIN SPORTS, GolTV, Univision Deportes and Benfica TV. The service starts at $9.99 per month.
fuboTV also supports Web browsers, iOS and Android mobile devices, the Apple TV, Google Chromecast adapter, and Roku players and Roku TVs. It recently extended support to Binge On, T-Mobile’s optional bandwidth-optimization service that delivers video in 480p and exempts those streams from T-Mobile's cellular data caps.


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UPDATE: Blaze have advised us today that UK pre-orders are available via Funstock, here. Good news for fans of SNK fighters: Ninja Masters joins the list of 20 games already bundled with the highly anticipated new handheld.
There hasn’t been a new SNK console in over 13 years and die hard SNK fans are already chomping at the bit to get their hands on the 4.3″ Neo Geo X. Today the release date for the handheld has been confirmed as 6th December 2012 and one new free title has also been announced, joining the 20 games that are already bundled with the system for early adopters.
Ninja Masters is a Nineties fighting franchise similar to Samurai Showdown and features 12 playable characters. It’s main feature is allowing players to switch between hand-to-hand and weapon-based combat, offering huge combo counts and multiple styles of play.
The NEOGEO X GOLD Limited Edition is set for a worldwide release on December 6, 2012 for a suggested retail price of $199.99. The NEOGEO X GOLD Limited Edition is currently available in the US for pre-order through a number of retailers, including Amazon.com. European distribution is being organised through Blaze, but details for pre-ordering are scarce. Expect availability through resellers, importers, eBay and the usual sites like Play-Asia, who haven’t started taking pre-orders yet, but these are due to open soon.
The Gold bundle retails at $199.99 and is packed full of goodies, including:
- The NEOGEO X Handheld – 4.3″ LCD screen, stereo speakers, 16:9 and 4:3 display options
- The NEOGEO X Station – houses NEOGEO X Handheld for charging and audio/video output capabilities via HDMI and composite cables (for a true “classic” experience)
- One NEOGEO X Arcade Stick – for an authentic arcade experience
The 20 bundled games are listed here and include King of Fighters, Fatal Fury and King of the Monsters. The NEOGEO X Gold apparently has 2GB of flash memory on board and supports SD cards. Additional games will be released after launch.


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Core Gaming is a proficient and leading software developer. Specialising in HTML5 and tablet casino games, this game producer has declared that Betfair, the innovative casino company, would be launching the Evel Knievel branded slot game.
This game, therefore, that is built upon the American fascination with one of their legendary stunt riders, has been created to specification by Core Gaming, and will now be available at Betfair’s Arcade of games, hence the online news that Betfair Casino launches Evel Knievel online slot that is being talked about in the media.
The Core Gaming technical division has an excellent pedigree since they have successfully produced, or been involved in the creation of, some of the more popular slots games, https://mobilecasinocanada.org/sic-bo/, bingo sites, online scratch cards and fixed odds flash games that are available in the online sphere.
An Online Collaboration
The final outcome and result of this high-level collaboration of expertise and know-how is that the much anticipated slots game of Evel Knievel, resplendent with 50 paylines, would be featuring a new, innovative and client-enticing potentially unlimited Free Spins bonus during the game itself.
Core Gaming have thereby compiled a slot machine of such outstanding features that it pays dutiful homage to the legendary stunt riding icon. They have made sure that the Betfair Casino launches Evel Knievel online slot headline attracts the markets’ attention by utilising the very latest in casino game development techniques, ingenious slot and casino mathematics and the capabilities of the current laptops and mobile devices to create a graphically rich slots game capable of duly respecting the legacy of the great stunt performer.
It all Started in 2012
This is the result of a contract between Core gaming and the Knievel estate that was signed in 2012. This exclusive contract was aimed at building slots games around the powerful Knievel brand, and duly rolling these games out to the online gaming industry in the most effective manner possible. The platforms targeted include GTS, Openbet, and Leander, as well as the newer platforms such as Odobo for delivering the Evel Knievel brand into the USA and ‘brick and mortar’ UK market.
The Betfair Influence
Betfair brings so much to the online party. Since pioneering the successful Betting Exchange in 1999, Betfair has become a member of the FTSE 250. The betting Exchange remains the company’s core business model, Betfair now also operates an established online casino and poker business across most of Europe and is firmly entrenched in the European market.
More than seven million transactions are processed daily from the four million Betfair-registered customers. The portfolio that Betfair carries includes a powerful sports betting component, as well as broad casino games, exchange games and, notably, poker. Betfair currently employs more than 2,000 members staff worldwide, and hold betting licences in the USA, Germany, Gibraltar, Tasmania, Italy, Denmark and Malta.
Betfair despite some economic challenges over the past few years, continues to be an influential casino brands. This has been enhanced by their partnership with Playtech, a partnership that they are aiming to expand upon by building and growing new partnerships. Just one of these recent partnerships is the agreement with Core Gaming in launching the new Evel Knievel slot game.
Betfair Casino Continues to Expand
Now, they are looking to build on their existing selection of Playtech games by signing up partners from around the world to both enhance and expand the selection. One of those new partnerships comes to fruition soon with the launch of Core Gaming’s Evel Knievel slot.


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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Walmart and Sam's Club are expanding access to the COVID-19 vaccine to all of their pharmacies nationwide. The company made the announcement Tuesday.
Customers are welcome to make an appointment to get the vaccine, but Walmart and Sam's Club say walk-ins are now being accepted at any of the more than 5,100 locations. Walmart says this makes it more convenient for customers to get their shots while shopping for groceries or other essentials.
Walmart also says it's rolling out new programs to encourage everyone to get vaccinated and will continue efforts to increase access across the U.S.
“Now that supply and eligibility have expanded, it’s even more important for us to reach underserved and vulnerable populations to ensure equitable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine,” Dr. Cheryl Pegus, executive vice president, Health & Wellness, said.
To encourage more Americans to get vaccinated, the company also launched a nationwide Get Out The Vaccine campaign. It's an extension of the retailer's role in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program and the existing vaccination program. It provides education materials to be displayed in stores about the effectiveness and safety of the COVID-19 vaccine.
“Widespread vaccination is the only way we will eventually end the pandemic and help our country reopen, and we don’t want anyone to get left behind as we enter this new chapter in our fight against COVID-19,” Pegus said.
Walmart is also utilizing mobile clinics to take vaccines straight into select communities. Most recently, Walmart partnered with the National Hot Rod Association at their Southern Nationals event in Georgia, where walk-up vaccines were offered to race fans.
With the expansion of vaccine supply, there are now around 4,000 Walmart and Sam's Club stores that are administering vaccinations in areas that have been designated as Medically Underserved Areas by the Health Resources and Services Location.
To encourage vaccination in these communities, Walmart and Sam’s Club will continue partnering with national and local non-profits, community partners and faith-based organizations on community vaccine events.
To get your vaccination, you can just walk into any Walmart or Sam's Club location, as supply allows. You can also schedule an appointment at walmart.com/COVIDvaccine or samsclub.com/covid. Customers can complete pre-vaccination paperwork ahead of time, if they want.
Walmart and Sam's Club pharmacies are administering the Johnson &Johnson, Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. You do not have to be a member at Sam's Club to get vaccinated there.
Walmart pharmacies are open seven days a week. Sam's Club pharmacies are closed on Sundays.
CORONAVIRUS AND VACCINE RESOURCES AND ANSWERS:
- San Joaquin County Help: A Resource Guide for Struggling Families and Individuals
- Yolo County Help: A Resource Guide for Struggling Families and Individuals
- Stanislaus County Help: A Resource Guide for Struggling Families and Individuals
- Sacramento County Help: A Resource Guide for Struggling Families and Individuals
- Q&A: Why wear a mask after you've been vaccinated?
- Can my employer require the COVID-19 vaccine? | Q&A with workers rights attorney
- Q&A: How do the COVID-19 vaccines work? Are they like the flu vaccine, will there be side effects?
WATCH MORE FROM ABC10: How to help India during COVID-19 case surge through local supports


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Google confirming that contractors to listen to private conversations via Assistant once again raises concerns about user privacy. It is time Google builds privacy first products and not take privacy as an afterthought.|
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2019-10-17 21:06:49 Upload
2018 was a bad year for Facebook, then it appears 2019 could well be Google’s worst yet. Besides criticism of its data practice, the search giant is also facing the ire of regulators for its various platforms. In the midst of the ongoing challenge to protect children on YouTube, Google has confirmed that one of its language reviewers leaked confidential Dutch audio data.
The announcement shines light on how data policy around smart audio devices still remain grey. While tech companies such as Google and Amazon claim that their digital assistants only record audio when they hear the wake word, the framework in reality is far from robust. Amazon first sent private Alexa recordings to a random person and then confirmed that its employees listen to customer voice recordings. Now, Google has confirmed that its contractors listen to your voice recordings as well.
CONVERSATIONS VIA ASSISTANT
Controversies around privacy and security with tech companies
Tech companies are no strangers to controversy and often they have come out stronger. But the new kind of controversy affecting tech companies like Facebook and Google puts fundamental rights at risk. The biggest problem is surrounding how these tech companies collect user data and how they process or use them. Facebook and Google claim to collect user data to make their products better. However, the good faith with which users complied to these terms seem to have been taken for a ride.
When the Cambridge Analytica scandal came to light last year, it became evident that Facebook didn’t have enough security measures in place to prevent such an incident. The scandal saw the consulting firm scrub user data of 87 million people from Facebook without much effort. While Google doesn’t seem to have engaged in exposing user data, it has its own fair share of controversial practices. An investigation last year found Google tracking movement of its users via iPhone and Android devices.
It was discovered that Google stored location data of users even if the privacy setting prevented the company from doing so. This privacy blunder was found to affect nearly two billion Android users around the world. Since Google Maps is the most commonly used mapping service, Google was able to track users and pinpoint their location. Google was also fined €1.49 billion ($1.69 billion) by the European Commission for breaching antitrust rules with its online advertising.
Google has also come under the hammer of regulators for failing to prevent the spread of misinformation. The European Union called out Google, Facebook and Twitter for failing to combat the spread of fake news. It has also had its own #MeToo moment with the company protecting Android creator Andy Rubin and paying him $90 million despite sexual harassment allegations. The most recent controversy saw Google bowing out of its plan to build a search platform in China. The Intercept reported that Google was planning to re-enter China with a censored search engine.
Google’s corporate mission is “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” The information is no longer confined to the interwebs and it is available in different streams and services. In the past years, Google has repositioned itself as an artificial intelligence-driven company. It has been weaving AI into everything, be it search or Android. The dilemma for Sundar Pichai-led Google is to make AI better not only needs more data, but also unique sets of data.
While it is getting access to data like search query or Google Photos images, the voice data is the key. With voice set to become primary interface, Google needs to understand voice and commands better than rivals. However, if it does so by bending rules and letting contractors listen in on user conversations, then trust be the resulting victim. Google already does not rank high in trust barometer, its future actions will speak louder than voice.
In order to fulfill the basic functions of our service, the user hereby agrees to allow Xiaomi to collect, process and use personal information which shall include but not be limited to written threads, pictures, comments, replies in the Mi Community, and relevant data types listed in Xiaomi's Private Policy. By selecting "Agree", you agree to Xiaomi's Private Policy and Content Policy .


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Google’s Chromecast media streaming dongle has been a runaway hit, becoming Google’s best selling hardware product since its debut a scant few years ago. After having received an updated model and an audio-only variant, the Chromecast seems to have finally found its niche in the market, and recent sales have shown it. Driven by a number of factors, more than likely including the rise of YouTube Red, sales of Chromecast units of all spades have exploded. Of the Chromecast family’s total sales of 30 million over the course of its lifetime, 5 million of those have been sold since May.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai let the figure slip during Google and Alphabet’s second quarter 2016 earnings call, along with the fact that Chromecasts had only seen 17 million total sales back in May of 2015. The sudden jump in sales since May of 2016 comes on the heels of steady and reliable sales from the device’s inception. With Google having recently handed over hardware duties to a dedicated department of Alphabet, it’s hard to say exactly where responsibility lies for the sudden burst in Chromecast sales. Whatever may have happened and whoever may have caused it, the Chromecast has recently seen a huge uptick in sales, proving that Amazon’s stark refusal to sell the device or its competitor from Cupertino didn’t do the device’s appeal or revenue much harm.
Google has been mostly mum about their new hardware division’s adventures, though bringing on Rick Osterloh recently made it quite clear that they were getting serious about their hardware efforts. The division is in charge of just about all of Google’s hardware products now, from Chromebooks to the Nexus program, and of course, Chromecasts. Having topped sales of all streaming devices in Q3 of 2015 during its steady sale period, it’s not hard to imagine the Chromecast’s momentum keeping its fever pace and spelling at least another few million sales before the third quarter of 2016 is wrapped up, though thus far, analysts haven’t spoken up on the matter. The Chromecast seems set to keep up at least steady gains in sales figures, but at this point, only time will tell if the device will continue selling at a good pace or if sales will begin to plateau or even drop off.


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Did you know that Amazon will be opening its full retail services in Australia in late 2017early 2018 As a Vendor here are some facts you need to know!
To date Amazon has only offered its Kindle and AWS services to the Australian market, however that is soon about to change as Amazon prepares to launch its full range of retail services in Australia by late this year or early 2018. Amazon recently released this statement, “Amazon Web Services launched an Australian region in 2012, we launched a Kindle Store on Amazon.com.au in 2013, and we now have almost 1,000 employees in the country. The next step is to bring a retail offering to Australia, and we are making those plans now. We are excited to bring thousands of new jobs to Australia, millions of dollars in additional investment, and to empower small Australian businesses through Amazon Marketplace. We are optimistic that by focusing on the things we believe customers value most – low prices, vast selection, and fast delivery – over time we’ll earn the business of Australian customers.”
Here are some facts and figures that EDI Here has uncovered regarding Amazon offering full retail services in the Australian Marketplace:
- Amazon, the US headquartered online retail giant is actively looking for a warehouse to become a fulfillment centre, the first of many in Australia, with floor space of up to 93,000 square metres.
- Based on its track record in other countries, Amazon will spend hundreds of millions of dollars over the next few years to establish its services in Australia.
- 56% of Australian adults told Nielsen in February they will buy from Amazon when it lands.
- In Australia, Amazon is already selling entertainment, including ebooks and Amazon Prime streaming of television series and movies. The next stage is local ordering and local delivery of goods from and within Australia.
- The initial focus for Australia will be consumer and home electronics — the market currently dominated by JB Hi-Fi and Harvey Norman — the type of goods which can be held without spoilage and can easily be shifted to a consumer in a box.
- First, and most obviously, Amazon is going to take a gigantic bite out of local retail revenues. One analyst briefed by Amazon’s management team last year told news.com.au that Australia’s high prices were the main reason for its entry into this country.
- The combination of lower prices and the attraction of Amazon’s efficient delivery model already sees Australians spend about $1 billion a year at Amazon. But that figure is expected to quadruple over the next five years as Amazon grows its local presence and cheaper delivery costs. Those $3bn in additional sales have to come at the cost of existing retailers and as the expected September launch date for Amazon’s local delivery approaches, every major retailer in the country is, as we speak, preparing to lose market share while talking tough in the local media.
As an EDI provider, EDI Here has been helping Amazon vendors automate their supply chain processes for many years. EDI Here supports Amazon vendors in all categories including Amazon Vendor Central, Amazon Seller


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Li Shengli, a professor at China Agriculture University and director of the Sino-Dutch Dairy Development Center, meets the press in Beijing. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]|
The Chinese dairy industry needs the "spirit of the craftsman" and to train more professionals to safeguard food safety and provide better products, a leading dairy expert said.
Li Shengli, a professor at China Agri ...
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Dauntless Announces New Platforms with Crossplay and More
Phoenix Labs has made some huge announcements for Dauntless at the Game Awards, featuring a new trailer also revealed on stage.
Dauntless will be launching free on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in April 2019, when it will also launch on the Epic Games store. Later in 2019, Dauntless will arrive on Nintendo Switch and mobile platforms.
These new platforms will bring Dauntless closer to its vision for “One Dauntless,” which will offer seamless cross-platform play, progression, and account management globally.
Dauntless has also confirmed its new major content update, Frostfall, has begun, introducing seasonal content and a new Behemoth, Valomyr.
The Dauntless Hunt Pass is also available for $10, which grants players new in-game activities and challenges that grant exclusive items, emotes, and cosmetics.
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Sale of Prescott Gateway Mall falls through
Going, going… not gone.
The Daily Courier has confirmed that the sale of the Prescott Gateway Mall has fallen through.
After a two-day auction, the Prescott Gateway Mall sold on April 5 with a final bid of $10,009,999.
The sale, which was hosted on Ten-X, an online real estate marketplace website, was for the mall’s 318,500-square-feet. It did not include the anchor stores — Sears, JCPenney and Dillard’s — which own their individual spaces totaling about 200,000 additional square feet.
The winning bidder was not disclosed and the listing agent for the property, Thomas Dobrowski, said more information would be available once the sale made its way through escrow, which can take anywhere from 30 to 60 days.
The Courier regularly checked on the status of the sale within this timeframe and kept being told that the negotiations were ongoing.
It wasn’t until Wednesday, July 5, that Tabani Group Inc., which owns the property, was willing to provide a comment on the matter as rumors were circulating.
“The mall has not changed ownership, but I’ll certainly let you know if/when that changes,” Theresa Dorlan, marketing coordinator for Tabani Group, stated in an email.
This was further confirmed when a tenant of the mall received an email from the mall’s property manager, Kaela Seisinger, stating that the sale of the mall was no longer in progress and that Tabani Group will continue operations as they currently stand.
The tenant provided the Courier with a copy of this email. It makes clear that tenants of the mall are not at risk of losing their leases and that additional tenants are being sought to fill vacant space.
The mall was initially built in 2002. Tabani Group, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, bought the property in late 2013 for $16.3 million, according to Yavapai County Assessor’s Office records.


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By Jocelyn Buhlman
The first real-life Hellfire Gala jumped from the pages of X-Men comics to Parq Nightclub in San Diego, California, this past Saturday, July 22—and D23 Members dressed to impress! Inspired by mutantkind’s biggest event in Marvel comics, our Hellfire Gala brought out the best of cosplay and costuming inspired by not just the X-Men, but an array of fashionable Marvel characters. It’d be a Sentinel-sized challenge to show every single superpowered style from that night, but we’ve rounded up some of our favorites to keep the celebration of 60 years of X-Men comics going. Check out the gallery below, and explore the #XMenHellfireGala tag on social media to see more of the amazing costumes from the night!


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Cannes, MIPCOM – October 16, 2017 — Sebastien Perioche and Jacques Perioche, founders of leading content networks Eurocinema World and Eurocinema, today have unveiled the new short format content app FlixSnip, which will feature exclusive, curated content designed for today’s busy lifestyle.
Set to launch in December 2017, the FlixSnip app and exclusive content will be available to cable operators, telcos, OTT, mobile and VOD platforms worldwide, offering them the opportunity to embed the app on their services, providing an additional viewing option for their customer base. FlixSnip will also be available to video streaming services like Hulu, Amazon, Google Play, Apple TV and Facebook Watch.
“With FlixSnip, we’re providing a wonderful opportunity to enhance the current content consumption options offered by our cable, mobile and telco partners,” comments Sebastien Perioche. “Now viewers will have the possibility to enjoy quality, short form filmed content, anywhere and at any time on their tablets, phones and mobile devices.”
FlixSnip will feature high quality, short format entertainment content, 15 minutes or less, in all genres, including drama, animation, children’s, family, comedy, science fiction and horror. Curated from top distributors and filmmakers around the globe, thirty hours of premium, localized content, featuring English subtitles, will be available at launch.
The company has offices in Paris and Barcelona.


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By: Wang Shu-fen and Lilian Wu
Kaohsiung, July 18 (CNA) iPass Corp. (一卡通票證公司), a competitor of EasyCard Corp. in
Taiwan’s stored-value card market, is hoping to follow EasyCard in trying to raise the daily spending ceiling of its card, the company said Saturday.
Wang Kuo-tsai (王國材), chairman of the Kaohsiung-based iPass Corp., said his company’s card now allows holders a maximum single payment of NT$1,000 (US$32) and accumulated payments of no more than NT$3,000 per day, similar to the existing spending limits for the EasyCard.
But he said the company is trying to encourage card holders to make more small-value purchases with the card and therefore hopes the daily ceiling can be raised.
The iPass card, which still operates in the shadows of the dominant EasyCard, can be used to pay for rides on the Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit and other public transportation systems. [FULL STORY]
It can also be used to make purchases at Taiwan’s four major convenience chain stores and to pay government service fees and hospital bills.


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Nicki Minaj became the first female to grace FORBES’ Hip-Hop Cash Kings in 2011, pulling in $6.5 million, enough to land the No. 15 spot on the annual accounting of rap’s top earners. Performances at the Super Bowl and the Grammys helped raise her profile while a new album, extensive touring and endorsements with Pepsi and others lined her pocketbook.
Minaj has signed a seven-figure endorsement deal with Pepsi expected to include an international commercial and a gig as the face of a new natural soda called “Pop” in fourth quarter. The Pepsi pact marks Minaj’s biggest brand relationship to date, following a recent partnership with Mattel to auction a one-of-a-kind Nicki Minaj Barbie doll in December. Bidding for the doll started at $1,000 and closed at $15,000, according to the Charity Buzz page that hosted the doll’s bids. Other recent branding deals include MAC’s Viva Glam, OPI nail polish and Onch Movement jewelry.
Her debut album Pink Friday debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 sold 375,000 copies in its first week. It ultimately reached number one and spent 39 weeks on the chart. As of February 2012, it has sold 1,774,000 copies in the United States. The album also charted within the top 20 in Australia and the United Kingdom, where it had sold 281,346 by April 2012. The album garnered Minaj three Grammy Award nominations for Best New Artist, Best Rap Performance for “Moment 4 Life” featuring Drake and a Best Rap Album nomination for Pink Friday at the 54th Grammy Awards in 2012.
Sophomore release Pink Friday Roman Reloaded was dropped in 2012. The album debuted atop the US Billboard 200 with 253,000 copies in first-week sales, becoming her second number one album on the chart. It was later certified platinum for shipments of one million copies by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Internationally, the album peaked at number one in Canada, Scotland, and the United Kingdom and within the top five in Australia and New Zealand.


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E3 — one of many largest online game commerce reveals of the yr — will as soon as once more be an online-only occasion this summer time, the ESA has introduced, citing ongoing considerations across the COVID-19 pandemic. The information, first reported by VentureBeat, marks the third yr in a row that E3 can have skipped its in-person occasion as a result of pandemic.
“Due to the ongoing health risks surrounding COVID-19 and its potential impact on the safety of exhibitors and attendees, E3 will not be held in person in 2022,” the ESA commented in a press release to VentureBeat. “We are nonetheless excited about the future of E3 and look forward to announcing more details soon.”
The ESA had initially deliberate to carry again E3 as an in-person convention in 2022, saying in April 2021 (when it formally moved that yr’s convention to a digital occasion) that “the ESA looks forward to coming back together to celebrate E3 2022 in person.” However with the onset of the omicron variant and case numbers surging in the US, the ESA seems to have determined that it’s not well worth the danger of internet hosting a convention filled with hundreds of journalists, recreation builders, and followers this summer time.
E3’s cancellation of an in-person occasion is the newest in a sequence of main occasions which have been derailed by COVID’s newest surge: the Grammys awards present was simply indefinitely postponed from its unique January thirty first date, whereas the Sundance Movie Competition can also be going online-only, too.
The ESA isn’t the one one trying ahead to summer time gaming occasions; shortly after the information that E3 2022 could be a digital occasion, gaming trade persona Geoff Keighley introduced that his personal “Summer Games Fest” occasion (which itself strove to fill the house left by E3’s cancellation in 2020) would even be returning in 2022.


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“Daytime Café” continues aggressive growth strategy in home state
First Watch, voted Tampa Bay’s favorite Breakfast, Brunch and Lunch restaurant, made its debut in St. Petersburg today with the opening of a restaurant in the newly built Tyrone Crossings retail center. The restaurant company also announced its Brandon restaurant will open Monday, June 17.
The 3,600-square-foot restaurant in St. Petersburg occupies an end-cap space located at 4045 Tyrone Blvd. N. in front of the Walmart- and PetSmart-anchored Lighthouse Crossings center near the Park Street intersection.
The 3,400-square-foot restaurant in Brandon, located at 11305 Causeway Blvd. in the Lake Brandon Village shopping center, occupies a freestanding building, formerly Blinds To Go, and features an outdoor patio. The Brandon restaurant is one of only two First Watch restaurants in the state occupying a freestanding outparcel building.
A recipient of more than 200 “Best Of” accolades in markets across the country, First Watch was recently voted the “Best Business Breakfast” in the Tampa Bay Business Journal Reader’s Choice Awards and “Best Brunch Spot in the Tampa Bay Area” by Clear Channel Media and Entertainment listeners in the first annual iHeart Tampa Bay Awards.
“We’ve received a lot of feedback from the St. Pete and Brandon communities asking for a First Watch to be built in their area, so we know locals are excited about these new locations,” said Chris Tomasso, chief marketing officer for First Watch. “As a result, we expect the restaurants to become a favorite destination like so many of our others have in the Tampa Bay area.”
The St. Petersburg restaurant is the 39th First Watch in the home state of Florida, and Brandon will mark the 40th. Also opening on Monday, June 17, is a First Watch in West Boca Raton at 20401 State Road 7 in the Mission Bay Plaza.
The new restaurants feature an interior design concept that maximizes the natural light provided during the restaurants’ daytime hours and incorporates color tones conveying the warm and inviting personality of the First Watch brand. The design also accentuates an open-kitchen concept, which reinforces First Watch’s honest approach to fresh food preparation.
First Watch features traditional favorites including pancakes, omelets, salads and sandwiches, as well as signature specialties such as the Chickichanga®, Healthy Turkey Omelet™ and Fresh Fruit Crepes. All menu items are freshly prepared to order and the restaurant does not use deep fryers or heat lamps.
In addition to serving unique and fresh entrées, First Watch offers its exclusive Sunrise Select® Premium Blend Coffee. The special blend is made from slow-roasted, hand-selected, high-grown Panamanian, Colombian and Mexican coffee beans.
First Watch serves its entire menu seven days a week from 7 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. The restaurant also offers guests complimentary newspapers and free Wi-Fi Internet access.
For First Watch franchise information, visit
Celebrating its 30th year in 2013, First Watch specializes in award-winning, made-to-order Breakfast, Brunch and Lunch. A recipient of more than 200 “Best Breakfast” and “Best Brunch” accolades, First Watch offers traditional favorites such as omelets, pancakes, sandwiches and salads, to unique specialty items like the fan-favorite Chickichanga® and Fresh Fruit Crepes. It is currently the largest and fastest-growing daytime-only restaurant concept in the U.S. with more than 100 restaurants in 15 states and additional units under development as part of the Bradenton, Fla.-based company’s aggressive growth strategy. For more information, visit www.firstwatch.com.


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Wednesday Aug 13
BK's French fry challenges continue
In a terse statement on Wednesday, Burger King said that the majority of Burger King franchisees have opted to stop selling the lower-calorie fries that were rolled out with much fan-fare late last year.
Mortgage News Daily
Contact Deep Blue Advisory Group: Manny Portuondo Bio
Manny Portuondo is a global Management Consulting executive and entrepreneur with a track record of delivering impressive contributions to business growth and profit.
Woman in Burger King 'Blowjob' Ad...
This you may recall. Five years ago , Burger King ran an ad in Singapore which has since become known as the "blowjob ad."
Burger King enjoys a whopper in 2Q as profits rise on global sales
In Nassau slow moving maintenance vehicle. right lane closed on Seaford-Oyster Bay Expwy/Rt-135 SB between Jericho Tpk/NY Rt-25/X14 and Hempstead Tpk/NY Rt-24/X7 In Nassau slow moving maintenance vehicle.
Meat supplier: China unit fell short of safety standards
In this July 20, 2014, photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, workers gather while they have nothing to do at the workshop of Shanghai Husi Food Co., a meat supplier for McDonald and KFC, in Shanghai, China.
China detains employees of suspect meat seller
A man eats a burger at a McDonald's restaurant in Beijing Tuesday, July 22, 2014.


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IPC is testing two home-shopping catalogues, linked to established magazines, and plans to introduce the idea to other titles in its 70-strong portfolio.
The May issue of Your Garden carries a copy of the Your Garden Home Shopping Catalogue. The March 17 issue of Woman’s Weekly carried the Spring 98 Woman’s Weekly home shopping catalogue, offering clothes, shoes, housewares and some electrical goods.
“This type of shopping is on the increase and there are enormous possibilities for us,” says Julia Porter, business enterprises director at IPC magazines. “We have the opportunity to build products around the [magazine] brands. We will be evaluating the pilot over the next couple of months.”
In November last year, the National Magazine Company launched its first home shopping magazine called Country Living By Post and is evaluating other opportunities. EMAP Elan is also looking at extending its Red Direct phone line service to home shopping.
The entry of big brand players such as M&S, Boots and magazine titles into the 8bn home shopping market is likely to put pressure on the established agency mail order brands, such as Freemans.
News Analysis, page 19


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Last Updated: August 1st, 2012
If you are unfamiliar with rooting or ROMs, you can check out our primers here, because we're going to talk about it:
User lalexi over at xda-developers just posted a link to HTC's official release of the Desire's kernel source code. This is very good news for the development community because, as it stands, developers have to simply patch bugs that occur when trying to overclock the processor and getting things to work, sometimes incompletely, trial-and-error style.
Last Updated: November 3rd, 2010
Although the name may be reminiscent of Optimus Prime, this phone might not live up to the most powerful Autobot. Think of the Optimus T as an Android feature phone with the stats of a mid-range device.
It comes packed with the following specs:
- Android 2.2 FroYo
- 3.2 inch capacitive touchscreen
- 3.2MP Camera (no Flash - what is this, 2005?)
- Wifi (includes Mobile Hotspot Option)
The Optimus T appears to be the exact opposite of what most people are expecting to see from handset manufacturers: a starter phone.
Last Updated: November 7th, 2010
If anyone needed any more evidence that Android wasn't created exclusively for us power users who insist on having the latest and greatest, Sprint's latest announcements should be enough to convince even the most doubtful - the nation's third largest carrier just announced three new Android budget Android devices: the LG Optimus S, the Sanyo Zio, and the Samsung Transform. The first of those three devices will go on sale starting October 31, while the latter two will be available from October 10 forward.


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The Fintech sector is expected to grow to $305.7 billion at a CAGR of 22.17% through 2023. The major driver of growth? Payments.
Of the $305.7 billion, the payments services segment is projected to generate revenue of $207.11 billion by 2023. Notably absent from these projections is the direct dependency that the growth of the FinTech sector will have on identity management. Being in the business of moving “money” isn’t possible without understanding the challenges and opportunities that identity verification plays among the disruption in the payment ecosystem.
After being in the payments industry for 25 years and one thing always core to what I knew…. behind every payment was a person, an identity. A financial transaction starts and stops with a person at either endpoint. Amazon’s recent article, “Hand-Waving-Payments” provides no better proof post that payments and identity are intrinsically interwoven.
The global identity management market is expected to reach $24.52 billion by 2025. While the disruption in FinTech is a catalyst for this growth, unfortunately, so is the growth in Identity Fraud.
- New account fraud is up 13% In 2018, new account fraud accounted for $5 billion in losses, according to Javelin Strategy. The most common targets for new account fraud are mortgages, student loans, car loans and credit cards.
- Account takeovers are up 79% The number of account takeovers also increased, rising from 380,000 in 2017 to 679,000 in 2018. Both individuals and enterprises are at risk for account takeovers.
- U.S. credit-card accounts lost $820 million due to Synthetic Identity Fraud in 2018, according to an Aite Group study, and losses are projected to climb to $1.25 billion by the end of this year.
Fighting fraud in the global digital economy has become more complex and more central to enabling a thriving ecosystem. As new payment methods have emerged, so have the methods and techniques for the rise in identity fraud and identity protection. Over the last 6 years [since the launch of Apple Pay, followed on by Google Pay, Samsung Pay, Apple Pay] we have consciously and subconsciously been linking our identities to our payments. We have been promoting bio-metrics as a verification method to move money, so Amazon’s recent patent is not far fetched.
According to Forbes, “2020 will be the year of embedded financial services. We will move past selling digital versions of traditional financial products and enter a phase where payments, lending, and insurance functionality becomes integrated into existing technology products.” Embedded Financial Services has the potential to deliver $3.6 trillion in market value, surpassing the $3 trillion in value created by cloud and mobile platforms. – Bain Capital Ventures.
To realize the $3.6 trillion in market value, identify verification will be the cornerstone to facilitating embedded financial services. There is no doubt the convergence of Financial Services and Identity Verification has begun.
How we think about identity verification, how we on-board new customers and how we engage with existing customers is undergoing a seismic shift. No longer is verification a one-time event at the beginning of a customer’s journey but a series of incremental events based on need, task, risk-levels, context. No longer does verification require an action by a customer but rather a series of mathematical calculations that happen passively in the background. And no longer is it acceptable to take days, or minutes to verify an identity, it needs to be done automatically, in session, with speed, and with accuracy.
Customers now expect seamless digital on-boarding, rapid loan approvals, and friction-free person-to-person payments – all innovations that FinTechs made popular. And while they may not dominate the industry today, FinTechs have succeeded as both standalone businesses and vital links in the financial services value chain,” a recent industry report by Deloitte and the World Economic Forum (WEB) stated.
At the core of our ability to deliver on the needs and expectations of our customers, is the much-needed change within the financial sector to validate each other’s identity. While who am I starts with the national identity or an identifier issued at birth, the evolution of me extends beyond my national identity to what I want, what I value, the choices I have made, and who I have become.
The future of identity verification is continuous, seamless, and adaptive, with less user “friction” than experienced today. Identity verification and authentication will become a perpetual, passive dynamic set of tasks that are informed by deep machine learning of context, content, historical patterns and, alternative data-sets creating signals that span multiple ecosystems.


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Michael Kors is painting New York black-and-white with his latest collection.
With the launch of #MKGO Graffiti, the fashion designer’s first series of limited-edition capsule collections, Kors has unveiled a collection of jackets, shoes and bags in black-and-white graffiti print, inspired by the ’80s art scene in New York.
“I started my company in 1981, at a time when uptown and downtown were really colliding. Uptown girls partied downtown at the Mudd Club and Club 54,” Kors says. “Artists like Fab 5 Freddy and Jean-Michel Basquiat showed their work at PS 1, and yet you’d still be just as likely to find their signatures on the side of a building in the LES or your subway car. Today, that mix of high/low is everything.”
For his new collection, the designer enlisted the help of former Creative Director for all Bloomingdale’s window displays, Candy Pratts Price, to design standout window displays for the capsule collection at select Michael Kors store locations.
Sitting down at Mr Chow with Price in New York, Kors discusses his collection and his desire to create eye-catching window displays. “Graffiti is storytelling,” he says. “In today’s world, we are, more than ever, storytellers.”
The Michael Kors x Candy Pratts Price window displays feature mannequins in the graffiti designs taking selfies against a giant print backdrop of the designer.


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Tesco is expected to reveal a new brand next week at a store in Cambridgeshire that was mothballed three years ago.
Some "exciting news" has been promised by the UK's biggest supermarket chain next Wednesday at a media event in Chatteris.
The outlet is expected to be named Jack's, the first of a new chain of discount stores aimed at countering the rise of Lidl and Aldi.
The two German chains now have just over 13% of the UK grocery market.
That is less than half the share claimed by Tesco, but it continues to be outpaced by double-digit growth at both Aldi and Lidl.
Chatteris may have been chosen as the location for the first Jack's as it has an empty Tesco store waiting to be brought back to life.
Half the building is now a Poundstretcher store, leaving the remaining 26,500 sq ft ready for Tesco's second foray into the discount darkness after a failed attempt in the 1980s with its Victor Value brand.
Creating a new brand is a very bold move and not without its risks, says Natalie Berg of NBK Retail: "It's no easy feat to establish in a crowded and cut-throat market, but it's now so competitive that retailers are being forced to think outside the box.
"The only way to compete with the discounters is by becoming one."
Setting up Jack's - said to be named after Jack Cohen, who founded a grocer in 1919 that later became Tesco - is also an admission that the discounters are now credible competitors, Ms Berg says.
Aldi and Lidl have also shown consumers that they do not have to sacrifice quality in their search for low prices, she adds - and are willing to put up with less product choice and worse service.
It remains unclear how many Jack's stores Tesco plans to open. Clive Black at Shore Capital says the company may want to rebrand between 50 and 100 of its "problem" Metro stores, which are smaller than out-of-town supermarkets but larger than its Express convenience chain.
"Quite where Jack's end up though, across Tesco's network, remains to be seen; it would be a lot of effort for 100 small stores," he notes.
"Jack's, if we are correct, also represents Tesco firmly moving on, coming out of 'fix' mode and being more creative, innovative and ... on the front foot."
Analysts at Bernstein think Tesco will not directly copy the Aldi/Lidl model but opt for a "cross over between a cash and carry and a discounter", with at least 20 stores to be announced initially.
"Tesco has about 3,400 stores in the UK: we would expect some unused sites, a collection of Metro stores and some smaller supermarkets to be converted," they said.
"If successful, this new retail format is likely to put material pressure on all other UK retailers."
Bruno Monteyne at Bernstein adds that Tesco is perhaps unique in having "the scale and power to develop such an innovation".
The arrival of Jack's is just one of several tectonic shifts taking place in Britain's ultra-competitive grocery market. Sainsbury's, the second-largest supermarket chain, shocked the industry in late April by announcing a merger with the struggling Walmart-owned Asda.
Combining the two chains would give it just over 30% of the market - more than Tesco's - but the competition watchdog is yet to give its approval.
Sainsbury's had already bolstered its position by buying the Argos chain in 2016 and the "Sasda" merger was partly a reaction to Tesco's £3.7bn takeover of Booker, the UK's largest food wholesaler which also owns the Premier, Budgens and Londis convenience store brands. That combination got the final nod from the Competition and Markets Authority in December 2017.
Lest we forget Sainsbury's dipped its toe in the discount pool four years ago in a joint venture with Denmark's Dansk Supermarked to revive the Netto discount brand. The difficulty and cost of expanding was blamed for the closure of its 16 stores in 2016.
Morrisons, the smallest of the "big four" supermarkets, struck a deal in February 2016 to supply groceries to Amazon's UK customers.
That relationship has sparked speculation that the US online giant could buy the Bradford-based grocer, whose market value is £6.3bn - something of a rounding error for a company whose value recently rose just above $1 trillion.
However, Ms Berg thinks Jeff Bezos's company could have its eyes on a far bigger prize in the form of Tesco - even if it is worth almost four times as much as Morrisons.
She is convinced Amazon will have acquired a UK supermarket within two years to make it a real player in UK food and apply what it has learned following the company's $13.7bn takeover of upmarket US retailer Whole Foods last year.
If Amazon does decide to wade into the UK grocery war, it may take more than the launch of a discount chain to save the likes of Tesco.


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CBD Benefits for Dogs
CBD has become renowned for its painkilling properties. CBD can help manage pain in many different ways. First of all, studies have shown that CBD can temporarily stop the absorption of anandamide, a chemical that helps dampen pain signals in the brain. This temporary availability of anandamide can have various effects, one of them being reduced pan sensations. CBD has been shown to be a powerful anti-inflammatory.
It’s important to note that CBD doesn’t just help deal with physical symptoms. In fact, many studies have shown that CBD can help manage the symptoms of a variety of mental conditions, including anxiety. Much like humans, pets can also suffer from anxiety, stress or even specific phobias.
There is a strong body of evidence that shows that CBD is a successful antiemetic, controlling both nausea and vomiting while also stimulating appetite.
Another study, published by researchers from the University of Naples Federico II, Italy, showed that CBD can help protect against colon cancer in rats by stopping the development, growth, and spread of malignant tumours.


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NewsLifeMedia group publisher of food brands Fiona Nilsson today announced a major investment and repositioning of Australia’s leading premium food and lifestyle brand delicious. following NewsLifeMedia taking full ownership of the brand after 13 years licencing it from the ABC.
From the March 2015 issue delicious. has been reimagined with a new design, a host of editorial changes and some of Australia’s best foodies added to the mix. Lifestyle content has also increased to meet the demand of those seeking dynamic and exciting food experiences.
delicious. will also extend digitally with its own website delicious.com.au in the coming months to provide an online destination for the brand.
Fiona Nilsson said: “Through extensive research we identified an opportunity to provide an expanded premium food-lifestyle offering using the delicious. platform. We are now the sole owner of delicious. and through significant investment in the brand we are committed to its next stage of growth with a goal to bring the content to life across all platforms. The new magazine, our exciting digital plans and expanded events offering are just the beginning of many changes to come.
“As part of our strategy for the new delicious. we have introduced a range of very compelling integrated commercial opportunities to reach the highly sought after delicious. audience that we are also taking to market. These opportunities have been built directly around the target markets travel, finance, home, health, dining and entertaining needs.”
delicious. editor-in-chief Kerrie McCallum said: “delicious. is a brand that people fall in love with. The people, the words, the photography, the experiences and the food and we have delicious. insiders at every level – from our family of celebrity chefs to the local producers and right through to our passionate army of delicious. advocates.
“Food touches every aspect of our readers lives and they want to discover, experience and share impressive, yet effortless, food experiences. The new delicious. expands on this offering across all platforms. We’ve introduced some great new features from the art of entertaining, food escapes and more food and lifestyle news pages to longer form features, new regular contributors and launch our next generation dinner series. All while delivering on our promise of translating the latest food trends for the home.”
The core delicious. team of Valli Little, Jamie Oliver, Matt Preston and Jill Dupleix has also expanded to include a host of regular new contributors to provide even more depth and advice to the delicious. brand.
Matt Moran, renowned for his creativity with Australian produce, will now be creating regular features to align with the delicious. Produce Awards pillars of earth, dairy, paddock and sea.
Matt Wilkinson, Melbourne author and chef from Pope Joan will transform vegetables in creative and on-trend ways that translate to the home.
Silvia Colloca, Italian cook, blogger, opera singer, actress and TV host, will be focusing on Italian home cooking with her own charming techniques.
Mike McEnearney, famous for his Alexandria spot Kitchen My Mike, will have a one-page column each month on how-to be an ‘urban farmer’, going back to basics and made from scratch ideas with step-by-step pics.
Anthony Huckstep, entertaining food critic and magazine editor, will feature an ingredient, trend, or movement around innovation in his ‘Innovators’ column each month. If someone is pioneering in a certain field, he will immerse himself in it and write about the experience.
Mike Bennie returns to the delicious. fold with a new wine column.
This year also marks the 10 year anniversary of the delicious. Produce Awards and will see the brand focus on food innovation and the decade ahead.
Verizon Media’s talent program has come to an end for the third year, closing with a hybrid pitch-off event for Musicians Making A Difference (MMAD). The Verizon Media Academy class of 2021, made up of 44 emerging leaders from across Australia and New Zealand media, advertising and marketing industry, were given just one hour to […]
Social purpose organisation UnLtd’s Big Games competition has raised a combined $85,000 for children and young people at risk. Running over five weeks, the competition involved 32 teams from across the advertising, marketing and media industries battling it out virtually for a chance to qualify for the Rocket League final. The tournament culminated in a […]
Stan has announced that the Stan Original Film Transfusion commenced filming in Sydney earlier this week and will premiere on Stan in 2022. Transfusion is a taut, muscular thriller starring Sam Worthington (Avatar) as Ryan Logan, a former Special Forces operative, who is battling to cope with life after the loss of his wife and is thrust […]
According to a decade of data collected by iStock, Australian brands turned to imagery depicting outdated gender stereotypes during the pandemic. Tracking the keyword ‘women’, iStock by Getty Images found that in 2020, ANZ brands and businesses reverted to gender stereotypes. Images of mothers home-schooling were used at almost twice the rate of images of […]
Schwartz Media is congratulating Maddison Connaughton on her three years as editor of The Saturday Paper. Connaughton has decided to finish up her editorship this month. “It’s been an honour to edit the paper,” Connaughton said. “The Saturday Paper is one of the brightest voices in Australian media and I have been happy to see […]
Research from EdBbirdie using Spotify data has identified the most popular songs to study to. After analysing thousands of studying and homework playlists on Spotify, American singer Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘drivers license’ came out as top song to study to. It featured on 48 study playlists, while other top songs included ‘Ophelia’ by The Lumineers, ‘Falling’ […]
Dayna Stewart is the Business Director – Digital Marketing, Media & Creative Services at The Nudge Group. Here, she discusses the challenges that come with building a successful marketing team when working remotely. Before COVID-19 changed the way businesses work, most marketing teams spent their days together in a meeting room collaborating on the next […]
The line-up for the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Festival has been announced as the legendary event returns live in Las Vegas in September. This year, the epic two-day lineup for the iHeartRadio Music Festival main stage will feature performances by Billie Eilish, Cheap Trick, Coldplay, Dua Lipa, Florida Georgia Line, Journey, Khalid, Lil Baby, Maroon 5, Nelly, […]
Shop! ANZ is calling on shopper and retail marketing professionals from all retail related disciplines to participate in the first ANZ Shopper and Retail Marketing Industry Survey in four years. This important research provides a guide of where the retail marketing industry in Australia and New Zealand has come from and what is anticipated to […]


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- Polestar achieves the best-ever second quarter with 36% YoY growth in global deliveries.
- Strong June performance drives a remarkable 73% year-on-year increase in deliveries.
- Polestar is on track to deliver 60,000-70,000 vehicles in 2023 after record-breaking first half.
- Upgraded Polestar 2 with 22% longer range set to debut, enhancing electric vehicle lineup.
- Expansion plans include opening 20+ permanent Polestar Spaces and the arrival of Polestar 3 display cars.
Polestar Automotive Holding UK PLC (NASDAQ: PSNY), the renowned Swedish electric performance car brand, has released its global delivery figures for the second quarter of 2023, showcasing an impressive performance. After experiencing a remarkable surge in deliveries during the month of June, witnessing a staggering 73% year-on-year growth, Polestar has achieved its most successful second quarter to date by delivering approximately 15,800 vehicles, reflecting a remarkable 36% increase compared to the previous year. This outstanding performance sets the stage for Polestar’s ambitious target of delivering an estimated 60,000-70,000 vehicles by the end of 2023, with the company already surpassing the milestone of 27,900 deliveries in the first half of the year.
Thomas Ingenlath, the esteemed CEO of Polestar, expresses his satisfaction with the ongoing trend of escalating deliveries, which has led to an all-time high second quarter. Ingenlath exudes confidence in the continuation of this upward trajectory throughout the second half of the year, a period typically characterized by stronger seasonal demand. Moreover, Polestar enthusiasts have even more reason to celebrate as the company is gearing up to commence deliveries of the extensively upgraded Polestar 2, featuring a noteworthy range extension of up to 22%. This significant enhancement is poised to further solidify the brand’s position in the electric vehicle market.
In a strategic move to expand its global presence and accommodate its expanding product lineup, Polestar plans to open more than 20 permanent Polestar Spaces in the upcoming months. These new spaces will replace the existing temporary locations and offer larger facilities to cater to the growing demands of the brand. Additionally, the much-anticipated Polestar 3 display cars are set to make their debut in these spaces in the coming weeks, generating heightened anticipation among Polestar enthusiasts worldwide.


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RIO DE JANEIRO—A sales pitch for electric air taxis at Web Summit had the benefit of a persuasive backdrop: congested to congealed traffic that for three mornings in a row turned a roughly 6-mile ride from my hotel to the Riocentro conference venue into a 40-50-minute slog.
“I spend one hour a day coming here,” said André Stein, CEO of Eve Air Mobility, in a panel Thursday morning after attendees raised their hands to indicate they’d spent more than 25 minutes on their own commutes.
“Every time you're stuck in a traffic jam, you're probably thinking there's some better way to do that,” he said. “That's what urban air mobility is about.”
(Rio de Janeiro has a fairly extensive bus rapid transit network with its own lanes, although that service only covered part of my Web Summit route.)
Eve, a Melbourne, Florida, startup spun out of and backed by Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer, aims to make this happen with its four-passenger, human-piloted eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft. It will ascend and descend vertically using eight rotors and fly in between powered by two larger ducted propellers for faster speeds and lower noise. Stein said it will begin flying in 2026.
“You can say that it's the kid of a drone and a commercial aircraft,” he told his onstage interviewer, Diogo Teixeira, co-owner and publisher of the Lisbon-based automotive-news site Razão Automóvel.
Eve cites a range of 60 miles but doesn’t advertise a particular speed. A trip calculator on its site assumes a 125mph cruising speed, while an April 2022 concept-of-operations paper (PDF) says a flight from Rio’s Barra da Tijuca neighborhood to its international airport, about 15 miles in a straight line, would take 12 minutes by eVTOL for an average speed of at least 75mph.
That paper doesn’t offer a figure on how long recharging might take—a possible constraint on the frequent operations Eve plans—but also describes battery swaps as an option.
Stein didn’t offer more specifics about range, speed, or charging in the talk. He also left a little room for interpretation about an eVTOL ride’s cost.
“It is quite comparable to ground transportation, and up to six times lower than helicopter,” he said. Later on in the talk, he suggested this might present itself more as a premium option for time-stressed passengers who want to get home from an airport faster.
Stein said the eVTOL design will be cheaper to operate because its battery-electric power zeroes out fuel costs and because its electrical motors will need less maintenance than the machinery on a helicopter.
“Electrical motors, on top of being very light and very small, are very simple,” he said.
Meanwhile, screens on both sides of the stage looped a video reel showing eVTOLs carrying shiny, happy people above such metropolises as Rio, Dubai, New York, and London.
The air-taxi business has featured a non-trivial amount of puffery. Web Summit 2017 in Lisbon featured a keynote from Uber confidently predicting electric air-taxi service by 2020, but Eve and other “advanced air mobility” projects have received notable votes of confidence in recent years.
In September, for example, United Airlines invested $15 million in Eve, a deal that included “a conditional purchase agreement” for 200 eVTOLs. United announced in March that a venture with another air-taxi startup, Archer Aviation, would lead to flights by 2025 from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport to a vertiport about 2 miles from the Loop at a cost competitive with Uber Black ($104 to $114 as estimated by Uber’s site Thursday afternoon).
And in April, the US Air Force said it would start flying Joby Aviation’s electric VTOL aircraft out of Edwards Air Force Base in California next year.
Stein did not understate the difficulty of bringing Eve’s eVTOL from design to flight by 2026. “For startups, that's probably an eternity,” he said. “For aviation, it's much sooner than you think.”
(DisclosureDisclosure: Web Summit provided airfare and lodging in return for my moderating two panels at this event.)


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Report: Foxconn is nearing a decision to invest in Wisconsin
Foxconn is nearing a decision to invest in Wisconsin and could hold an event as soon as this week to discuss its U.S. investment plans, according to a report published Monday in the Wall Street Journal.
During a visit to Milwaukee on Monday, House Speaker Paul Ryan was asked about whether he had any insight on the report.
"I do, and stay tuned. I'll let the governor, who's been the quarterback on this Foxconn negotiations give you more about that later," he told reporters after a tour of MillerCoors and a sit-down discussion about tax reform.
Foxconn assembles smartphones and other devices for Apple, Sony, Blackberry and other brands. In Wisconsin, Foxconn is looking at producing display panels that can be used in large-screen televisions, according to the Wall Street Journal report.
Foxconn, founded in 1974, announced in January that it was considering investing $7 billion in a U.S. factory to produce display panels that would create as many as 50,000 jobs. The company was purchased last year of Japan's Sharp Corp.


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Photograph BY Sébastien Soriano/Figarophoto; courtesy of Nordstrom
After more than a year of anticipation, Nordstrom Rack opens its doors on September 16. Located in Brentwood Square, the chain’s first Missouri store will offer a 34,000-square-foot haven for the frugal. Think of it as an upscale version of Marshalls that carries adored Nordstrom brands (BB Dakota, Michael Kors, Joseph Abboud) for wallet-appeasing prices—often 50 to 60 percent off. Expect marked-down apparel, shoes, and accessories from prior seasons for men, women, and kids.
Wondering when the Saint Louis Galleria’s Nordstrom will open? That’s still another year away, slated for September 23, 2011.


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LUXEMBOURG: Ride-hailing app Uber is providing transportation services, an adviser to the top European Union court said on Thursday, dealing a blow to the US start-up which has argued it is merely a digital enabler.
"The Uber electronic platform, whilst innovative, falls within the field of transport: Uber can thus be required to obtain the necessary licences and authorisations under national law," the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) said in a statement.
The opinion is non-binding but judges at the court tend to follow it in most cases.
Uber said that being deemed a transportation company would not change the way it is regulated in most European Union countries, in response to an EU top court opinion.
"Being considered a transportation company would not change the way we are regulated in most EU countries as that is already the situation today," an Uber spokeswoman said in a statement.
"It will, however, undermine the much needed reform of outdated laws which prevent millions of Europeans from accessing a reliable ride at the tap of a button," the spokeswoman said.


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By - Akshay Vasantgadkar on October 15, 2022
Are you a business owner looking to expand your business? India is the perfect destination to expand or start a new business. The Indian government began a comprehensive program of regulatory reforms in 2014 with the goal of facilitating easier corporate operations. The initiative is an important factor in the collective efforts to improve the business climate of the country. In 2020, India was ranked 63rd out of 190 countries regarding ease of doing business. India’s ease of doing business index improved due to fully integrating multiple application forms into a general incorporation form, dealing with construction permits, improved electronic submission methods and improved rates of resolving insolvency.
In the last few years, the Indian economy has been facilitating exponential growth via investment opportunities and the emergence of various unicorn start-ups. The Indian economy withstood the onslaught of the pandemic in 2020. The fiscal growth for the year 2022-2023 was projected to be 7.1-7.6% making India the fastest-growing economy . Approximately 60% of the Indian population is engaged in the agricultural and allied sectors . However, due to multiple factors, it can be observed that the service sector comprises a major percentage of the Indian GDP . Apart from the economic climate, the cultural climate affects the ease of doing business in India.
India is a diverse country with a large population of 1.3 billion people, where more than 50% of its population is under 30, providing a tremendous workforce to contribute towards the growth of the country. Every sector in India facilitates an investment opportunity, giving business entrepreneurs an impetus to grow their businesses and scale new heights. Some of the major sectors contributing immensely to the GDP are information technologies, automobiles, pharmaceuticals, healthcare and telecom services.
To encourage entrepreneurs and investors, the central and state governments have made reforms in process of Setting up a business in India . Here are a few reforms:
Business Registration In India is not an easy task. The average time taken to start a business in India is 18 days as compared to 29 days in 2015 . However, every business has some legal compliances to follow before starting business transactions. Here is a step-by-step guide:
India is an emerging market with a lot of potential for new businesses and foreign investment. For entrepreneurs, India is the ideal location for conducting business because of the country's advantageous economic, cultural, and legal considerations. For investors, the anticipated increase in the upcoming fiscal year is optimistic, particularly for those in the information technology, automotive, pharmaceutical, healthcare, and fintech industries. Technology is being used by the Indian government, both at the federal and state levels, to improve economic conditions in the country. Due to the significantly less requirement of complex procedures and compliances, the country’s ranking on the ease of doing business index has increased rapidly.
Even though you are not obliged to register to run a business, especially a sole proprietorship, you must do so to collect and file state taxes. As long as your company is lawful and complies with all licencing and tax regulations, operating an unregistered firm is acceptable.
The government of India has taken multiple initiatives to encourage start-ups in the economy. These start-up initiatives have allowed sustained economic growth due to their many benefits including funding, tax breaks, support for intellectual property rights, streamlined public procurement and access to international markets.
A startup should be running for at least 5 years and individuals applying for the scheme should be above 18 years. A start-up should not be the result of the reconstruction of business and should have an annual turnover of fewer than 25 crores. With certain registrations, companies providing new products or services can apply for the scheme .
The Indian Government develops new initiatives and incentives to support startups in India with the goal of reversing the nation's trend of job searchers into employment creators. To carry out this concept, the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP)/Startup India Scheme for Startups under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry was established.
The five-step plan to get a business registered as Startup with DIPP has been set out below:
Register with the DIPP Startup India Scheme
Collect the documents
Select the tax benefits
Acquire the DIPP Registration Certificate
 Indian economy to grow 7.1-7.6% in current fiscal: Report - Times of India (indiatimes.com)
 Economic Survey: Services sector contributed over 50% to India’s GDP | Mint (livemint.com)
 Embassy of India, Hague, Netherlands : Ease of doing business in India (indianembassynetherlands.gov.in)
 Ministry Of Corporate Affairs - SPICe+ Forms (mca.gov.in)


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Months after we saw Baroo, the Boston-based startup that offers residents living in multi-family luxury buildings a full-service pet concierge, was raising funding, the venture announced it’s closed a $2.25 million seed investment. The round was led by Birchaven Group, with participation from Crimson Peak, Krillion Ventures, Sueco and The Graduate Syndicate, a new fund managed by Flybridge’s Jeff Bussgang.
The funding has partly gone towards Baroo’s recent D.C. expansion, with more capital being used for an upcoming fourth market. The company will also be investing in making technological improvements and updates.
“The big thing that’s happened for us is that we’ve gone from being a Boston-based startup to being the leading full-service pet concierge in the country,” Lindsay Hyde, co-founder and CEO of Baroo, told us. “It’s been a unique growth path for us.”
Since we last spoke with Hyde less than a year ago, the startup has seen significant growth. Baroo’s services, which span from dog walking to litter box changes for cats, are now available in nearly 60 residential buildings throughout Greater Boston, including Ink Block, Millennium Place, One Canal and 75 Station Landing.
It has expanded into Chicago and D.C., serving more than 50,000 residents in those markets. The location of its fourth market has yet to be disclosed.
Including Baroo’s direct pet care providers, the company now has about 75 employees. Hyde said, “As we’ve grown, we’ve been able to find passionate pet lovers who are able to be out delivering quality care.”
Part of that care now includes mobile pet grooming services. In September, Baroo announced a partnership with Whole Foods, called b. Mobile by Baroo. Through the service, pet parents can have Baroo’s decked-out doggy van come to them and groom their pets on-site for more convenience.
Baroo has also been testing out onsite doggy daycare within apartment complexes. It has rolled the service out in OneEleven, a residential building in Chicago, and it plans to add four more locations in Boston and D.C. properties.
“We’ve been teaming up with residential managers and property owners to give them what they think their residents need. We’re helping them make pets a priority, which creates a great living environment.”


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Roundy's to close Stevens Point facility, cut 200 jobs
STEVENS POINT – Nearly 200 workers will be without jobs by year's end as Roundy's supermarkets closes its Stevens Point distribution center.
The company will move operations to its Oconomowoc and Mazomanie distribution facilities, it announced on its website. The transition will be done in phases, and the Stevens Point facility will cease operations entirely by Sept. 30.
Dick Jones, a communications specialist with the state Department of Workforce Development, said Roundy's submitted a notice indicating that all 196 employees at the center will be laid off by Sept. 13. The company owns several grocery store chains, including Copps and Pick 'n Save in Wisconsin.
James Hyland, vice president of investor relations, corporate communications and public affairs with Roundy's, said the Stevens Point distribution center supports stores operated by the company in the Twin Cities. Roundy's agreed on May 7 to sell 18 Rainbow grocery stores in the Minneapolis-St. Paul market to a group of retailers including Supervalu Inc. for $65 million.
Hyland declined to give any additional information about how the workers losing their jobs will be compensated or what services the company might provide them as they seek new careers. Workers contacted by Gannett Wisconsin Media also declined to comment.
Stevens Point Mayor Andrew Halverson said he was sorry to hear the news, but anticipated it after the Rainbow sale.
"It was a strategic decision, and in some way, we can be thankful that this distribution center stayed active post-sale. But obviously, it's very unfortunate and our thoughts are with those employees," Halverson said.
Roundy's has more than 26,000 employees in the Midwest. It was founded in Milwaukee in 1872 and operates 174 grocery stores and 110 pharmacies under the Pick 'n Save, Copps, Metro Market and Mariano's brands in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Illinois.
— Filed by Stevens Point Journal Media


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Audi halting sales of petrol A4 and A5 across Europe
Engine changes could have a negative effective on fuel economy
Petrol variants of the Audi A4 and A5 are set to be taken off the European market temporarily — with UK models potentially affected.
Changes to its 3.0-litre TFSI V6 and 2.0-litre TFSI four-cylinder engines mean fuel consumption figures have gone above officially quoted numbers, meaning they have gone out of compliance with EU regulations.
The 3.0-litre turbocharged V6, which powers the S4 and S5, received software updates designed with the intention of delivering power more smoothly in automatic and comfort modes, whilst giving dynamic mode a more responsive feel.
As for the 2.0-litre four-cylinder, a mild-hybrid system has been added with the goal of aiding real-world fuel economy. However, Audi admits it has increased figures in the European Union’s official New European Driving Cycle, a test which represents typical driving.
As a result of these increased fuel consumption figures, the German government must re-approve the engines before they can be sold in the European Union with the changes, a process that Audi say could take six to eight weeks.
An Audi UK spokesman said: “We don’t yet know the implications for the UK market, but we will provide further information as soon as possible.”
In an official statement, the company said: “adjustments and necessary certifications may have the effect, that some models or model-engine combinations cannot be ordered, temporarily, or only with restrictions.”
It also added that the S4 and S5 are currently undergoing technical modifications to improve comfort, which may have an effect on fuel consumption.
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Single-game Blackhawks tickets for potential 2014 Western Conference Final home contests will go on sale to the general public at noon Thursday (May 1), team officials announced.
The tickets will be available exclusively at ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.
Each customer will be limited to four tickets. Refunds for any unplayed games will be available at the point of purchase. In that event, the credit card used to purchase tickets by fans using the Internet or phone will be automatically credited, less any applicable processing fee.