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The mobile computing trend requires enterprises to meet consumers’ expectations for accessing information and completing tasks from a smartphone. But there’s a converse to that arrangement: Mobile has also become the go-to digital platform companies use to market their goods and services.
Align Technology, which offers the Invisalign orthodontic device to straighten teeth, is embracing the trend with a mobile platform that both helps patients coordinate care with their doctors and entices new customers. The My Invisalign app includes detailed content on how the Invisalign system works, as well as machine learning (ML) technology to simulate what wearers’ smiles will look like after using the medical device.
“It’s a natural extension to help doctors and patients stay in touch,” says Align Technology Chief Digital Officer Sreelakshmi Kolli, who joined the company as a software engineer in 2003 and has spent the past few years digitizing the customer experience and business operations. The development of My Invisalign also served as a pivot point for Kolli to migrate the company to agile and DevSecOps practices.
The pitch for a perfect smile
My Invisalign is a digital on-ramp for a company that has relied on pitches from enthusiastic dentists and pleased patients to help Invisalign find a home in the mouths of more than 8 million customers. An alternative to clunky metal braces, Invisalign comprises sheer plastic aligners that straighten patients’ teeth gradually over several months. Invisalign patients swear by the device, but many consumers remain on the fence about a device with a $3,000 to $5,000 price range that is rarely covered completely by insurance.
To wit, marketing is a critical function for My Invisalign. In 2018, Kolli assembled a cross-functional team comprising IT, sales, marketing, commercial and other business lines. Working with an agile methodology, the team rolled out early features to a small host of patients, using DevSecOps for continuous real-time feedback and releases.
The app encourages patients’ compliance with their treatment via a calendar feature that enables patients to create a change aligner schedule (weekly or biweekly) and reminds them during the scheduled intervals. The MyCare feature allows patients to share treatment progress with their doctors through photos, video and other virtual collaboration features that allow them to skip office visits.
Early challenges required course correction. For example, some users, frustrated by registration errors during the onboarding process, abandoned the app. Kolli’s team simplified the registration process with one-click onboarding, enabled by image text recognition of a QR code that was added to the aligner bag and ML algorithms. After these modifications, My Invisalign adoption soared from 200 downloads to 800 downloads per week.
Emboldened by the growth, the team upgraded the app last fall with features targeting prospective patients, including educational content and other features to facilitate Invisalign adoption. For instance, Find a Doctor helps people find and schedule consultations with a local doctor. The company’s My Invisalign efforts have earned Align Technology an IDG 2020 CIO 100 award for technology innovation.
Machine learning boosts conversions
The real sledgehammer for new patient conversions has been SmileView, which blends virtual reality (VR), facial recognition, smile detection and other patterns to display side-by-side simulations of wearers’ before and after smiles once they upload a selfie photo. Run through ML algorithms, these images helped generate a visualization of wearers’ potential smiles, based on information collected from 7.5 million successful Invisalign installations.
“It visually tells you what is possible, which is better than doctor trying to convince you,” Kolli says of the proprietary feature, which runs its algorithms through Amazon Web Services. “It took a lot of engineering know-how.”
Thanks in large part to SmileView, as well as a healthy dose of promotion via Instagram, Twitter and other social media outlets, thousands of patients are now using My Invisalign during their aligner treatment. The app, which boasts a 4.7 user rating in Apple’s App Store, has been downloaded more than 200,000 times, a number that is increasing 20 percent to 25 percent month over month.
Tracking and analyzing the patient journey is critical for future success. Align uses Google Data Studio to analyze patient engagement, which helps inform personalization and new My Invisalign features, as well as marketing efforts for future sales leads.
Kolli credits the agile and DevSecOps operating model, including daily stand-up meetings, for procuring customer feedback, enabling Align to quickly craft new story points for myInvisalign. APIs and microservices, supported in a platform-as-a-service architecture platform, enable Align developers located all over the world to quickly create new features and touchpoints for consumers — including availability in more than 15 languages across Asia, Latin America and Europe.
“A good platform comes from having a good API and microservices,” Kolli says. “The good thing about having a scalable tech architecture is that features are built easily — and you can take them down easily.”


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Nexus Vehicle Rental (Nexus), the UK's leading corporate vehicle rental provider, has appointed Roger Evans as Sales & Marketing Director.
Evans, who also joins Nexus' Board of Directors, has 25 years of B2B automotive industry experience across commercial, sales and business development roles for companies including car history check service HPI, Avis, Europcar, Arval and The AA.
Nexus' Chief Executive Officer, David Brennan, said: "Roger's appointment completes the new Nexus board and I am delighted to welcome him to the team."
"I know that his automotive sector experience in supporting sales growth and business development will be an asset to our business as we seek to deliver on the ambitious plans we have for the years ahead."
Evans' appointment follows the arrival of former international IBM executive Bernie Waldron as Nexus' Chairman in May.
Evans said: "Nexus is a dynamic and entrepreneurial business with a strong leadership team and an impressive growth record. I am delighted to be joining at such an exciting time and I look forward to developing the sales and marketing strategy to further enhance Nexus’ market-leading position."
Founded in 1999, Leeds-based Nexus has access to over 500,000 rental vehicles in more than 2,000 locations across the UK through its revolutionary intelligent booking and rental management system, IRIS.
Nexus has won numerous industry awards and twice appeared in the Sunday Times Profit Track 100, a league table of private companies with the fastest growing profit.
"Roger's appointment completes the new Nexus board and I am delighted to welcome him to the team."
David Brennan, Nexus' Chief Executive Officer

domain: news


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Supermax Corp Bhd, which has earmarked around RM3.9 billion for the rubber glove maker's expansion, said on Monday (Oct 31) about RM1.3 billion has been set aside for the group’s expansion plans in Malaysia and a further US$550 million (RM2.6 billion) allocated for phase one and phase two of its manufacturing project in the US.
Bursa Malaysia's Health Care index rose more than 3% past 1,600 points to its highest in over two months, helped mainly by the rise in share prices of rubber glove manufacturers, including Top Glove Corp Bhd, Hartalega Holdings Bhd, Supermax Corp Bhd and Kossan Rubber Industries Bhd.
Hartalega Holdings Bhd has formed a non-exclusive partnership with US-based United Global Trading Corp (UGTC) which will import and distribute Hartalega’s nitrile or synthetic rubber gloves tested for use with chemotherapy drugs and fentanyl, to meeok sygt the demands of the North American market, according to UGTC.
Malaysia’s Green Space Industries Ltd has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the United Kingdom’s Cranfield University and Levidian Nanosystem Ltd to collaborate on the advancement of rubber technology, said the Malaysian Rubber Council (MRC).
The Northern Corridor Implementation Authority (NCIA) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Industry Indonesia (MOI) and the Rubber Authority of Thailand (RAOT) to firm up the commitment to jointly develop rubber cities at the 28th Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) Ministerial Meeting today.
Malaysia is focusing on the ASEAN developing countries to support Malaysia's rubber sector as there is global demand for local rubber, said Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin.
Total exports of rubber products in the first half of 2022 was RM15.626 billion compared to RM39.826 billion in the first half of 2021. Meanwhile, the export of rubber in 2021 was RM4.563 billion and with the increase of 1.01% for year 2022, this totaled the numbers to RM4.609 billion.
The Malaysian Rubber Council (MRC) was awarded with The BrandLaureate BestBrands Awards 2021–2022 – Nation’s Pride in Promotion of Rubber & Rubber Products, recognised for its leadership and commitment in building MRC’s branding to be a greater and more successful brand alongside other prominent names under the same award category such as Bank Islam, UMW, KL Tower Malaysia, Bonia and Institut Jantung Negara, to name a few.
Malaysian Rubber Council (MRC) was selected as the Council of the Year for the Sustainability & CSR Malaysia Awards 2022 under the Excellence in Sustainability Reporting & CSR Initiatives category, organised by CSR Malaysia.
Making the remarks in an interview conducted by the Tehran Times on the sidelines of a ceremony to celebrate ASEAN Day 2022 in Tehran on Tuesday, Malaysia’s Charge D’affaires ad intrim in Tehran, Mohd Nizam Halimi said: “At the moment trade relations between Malaysia and Iran is very good; last year the total amount of trade was about six hundred million USD.”
The price of rubber is projected to exceed RM3.50 per kilogram (kg) at the end of this year and continues to be in an upward trend due to very high demand from importing countries, Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin said.
The Malaysian Rubber Council (MRC) has collaborated with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to launch a new employers’ guide to prevent and eliminate forced labour in the Malaysian rubber industry.
Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin wants the Malaysian Rubber Glove Manufacturers Association (MARGMA) to develop a certification for the rubber gloves industry to combat forced labour in the industry.
The invention of the aerospace balloon, the first of its kind, through the combination of graphene extract and natural rubber will bring Malaysia’s rubber industry to the next level on the world stage, said the Malaysian Rubber Council (MRC).
The Malaysian rubber market extended its uptrend yesterday, supported by gains in the Shanghai rubber futures exchange and a weakening ringgit, amid renewed fears of Covid-19 lockdowns in China, said a trader.
Over the next ten years, global food consumption is expected to increase by 1.4% annually, mainly driven by the rising population. Meanwhile, low and middle-income countries are projected to strongly contribute to the demand growth, given the rapid expansion and intensification of their production.
Now calling for agricommodity exhibitors across the region, the Malaysia International Agricommodity Expo & Summit 2022 (MIACES), hosted by the Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities (MPIC), expects to create over USD 68 billion export value for the sector in a global marketplace event with the participation of over 20 countries.
Medical device market regulators participating in the Medical Device Single Audit Program (MDSAP) plan to end COVID-19-era policies allowing remote audits of quality management systems in September 2022.
Over the past months, the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) opened a consultation on the current UK Medical Devices Regulations 2002. For those familiar with the UK MDR 2002, it is very similar to the old EU directives. Thus for medical device manufacturers less familiar with the UK MDR 2002, the current regulation is equivalent to the European Union’s Medical Devices Directive (MDD 93/42/EEC) and In-vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices Directive (IVDD 98/79/EC). So market entrance in the UK would require you to pull up your old MDD or IVDD Technical File again.
PUTRAJAYA, May 15 — The establishment of a working committee between Malaysia and the United States to address the issue of alleged forced labour is an equitable move to resolve palm oil and rubber issues, said Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin.
KUALA LUMPUR, April 22 — The Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities PUTRAJAYA: Rubber glove manufacturers in the country should no longer focus solely on the healthcare sector, but also tap the non-medical industries to drive future demands.
TAIPING: Latexx Manufacturing Sdn Bhd’s decision to implement the construction of an additional factory coincides with the demand for rubber gloves which is expected to be higher than pre-Covid-19 pandemic.
KUALA LUMPUR, April 22 — The Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities is committed to encouraging participation from companies, as well as investors from Egypt and Qatar to take advantage of the Kedah Rubber City facilities and tap the potential markets in Asean.
PETALING JAYA: While the new minimum wage will weigh on glove makers’ earnings, the impact will likely be minimal as they have already been paying workers around the same rate as the revised statutory amount.
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian rubber market, supported by China’s better-than-expected gross domestic product (GDP) data and firmer crude oil prices, closed higher yesterday amid mixed advice from its regional peers, according to a dealer.
Malaysia aims to strengthen agricultural commodities trade relations with Pakistan through a recent three-day working visit to the republic by Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin.
Malaysia's producer price index (PPI) for local production, which measures the costs of goods at the factory gate, rose 9.7% year-on-year in February 2022, “led by higher prices of the primary commodity”, said the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).
The Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade), in collaboration with Malaysia Airports Holding Bhd (MAHB), is building bridges between Malaysian and Turkish companies by launching an e-Gallery at Istanbul Sabiha Gökcen Airport, Turkey.
About 400,000ha, or 40%, of the total rubber plantations operated by smallholders nationwide have been found to be inactive or not consistently producing rubber, says Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin.
The US Food and Drug Administration has finalized guidance on recommended steps medical device, drug and other manufacturers and distributors for initiating and managing voluntary recalls of products falling under the agency’s jurisdiction.
The Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority, or Risda, wants member countries of the International Tripartite Rubber Council (ITRC) — Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia — to come to an agreement on fixing the price of the commodity.
Ansell, a world leader in personal protective equipment, continues to play a leading role in ensuring the protection of workers vulnerable to forced labor in supply chains within the medical supplies industry. On March 1, 2022, the newly-formed Responsible Glove Alliance (RGA) announced its launch, with Ansell one of seven founding members.
Bursa Malaysia-listed glove makers such as Supermax Corp Bhd, Careplus Group Bhd and Rubberex Corp (M) Bhd — which are due to release their October-December 2021 results this month — are set to suffer the same fate as their peers, which saw earnings fall during the latest quarter on lower average selling prices (ASPs) and sales volumes, no thanks to increased supplies from new glove entrants.
PERAK-based Wellcall Holdings Bhd — the largest rubber hose manufacturer in the country — has adopted a high-mix, low-volume (HMLV) strategy, which gives the company a significant competitive edge in producing customised merchandise for its clients.
The US Food and Drug Administration has published new guidance on reporting and notification requirements to better mitigate supply disruptions when medical device manufacturers cease or suspend production during public health emergencies.
The Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin is launching the Malaysia Rubber Product Virtual Showcase (MaRViS) at Expo 2020 Dubai. The launch is in conjunction with the Malaysian Rubber Council’s (MRC) participation during week 17 of Expo 2020 Dubai themed “Energising Today-Exploring Sustainable Agricommodity”.
The National Agricommodity Policy (DAKN) 2021-2030 will drive the development of the agricommodity sector in a more sustainable, competitive and market-oriented manner in line with new norms and increased digital technology use post-Covid-19, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said.
New guidance from the US Food and Drug Administration explains a phased transition plan for medical devices currently covered by agency enforcement policies devised to address the COVID-19 public health emergency.
For electric vehicles (EVs) to become mainstream, they need cost-effective, safer, longer-lasting batteries that won’t explode during use or harm the environment. Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology may have found a promising alternative to conventional lithium-ion batteries made from a common material: rubber.
The rubber glove industry will have to contend with normalising profitability this year due to heightened competition and global vaccination progress since demand has come off its peak seen in the first quarter of 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing to give medical device makers 180-days’ notice before terminating emergency use authorizations (EUAs) and phasing out its enforcement policies for medical devices issued during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE).


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Forex in this article
• Fed chief warns of risks from Bitcoin
• Powell: Bitcoin is not a substitute for the dollar, but rather for gold
• Central bank digital money is being explored, but no rush
While the love of investors for Bitcoin currently apparently knows no bounds and the cryptocurrency is rising to ever new heights, voices are once again being heard in US politics warning of the dangers of digital money. After recently US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen Describing Bitcoin as a “highly speculative asset” and “extremely volatile”, Jerome Powell, her successor at the helm of the US central bank, has now expressed skepticism about cyber money. For him, Bitcoin and Co. are purely speculative investments that have little in common with a real currency.
Powell: That’s why Bitcoin and Co. are not suitable as a money substitute
At a virtual conference last Monday, which was organized by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), Powell made it clear, according to the news channel “Al Jazeera”, that he would rather call cryptocurrencies “crypto-assets” because of their high volatility Undermine the ability to store value, which is one of the basic functions of a currency. “Crypto investments are highly volatile – see Bitcoin – and therefore not really useful as a store of value,” the Fed chief is quoted by MarketWatch as saying. – Trade Bitcoin with Plus 500 – that’s how it works. 76.4% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should carefully consider whether you can afford the high risk of losing your money. – Cryptos are therefore “more of a speculative asset that is basically a substitute for gold rather than the dollar,” Powell continued.
In fact, wild price fluctuations and a certain instability in Bitcoin cannot be denied. The largest crypto currency is currently in the range of 52,470 US dollars and has thus gained more than 80 percent in value since the beginning of the year, when a Bitcoin only cost around 29,000 US dollars. In the meantime, the digital currency even rose to an all-time high of more than 61,000 US dollars in mid-March – only to drop back to a good 53,000 US dollars a few days later.
Due to these violent price fluctuations, digital currencies such as Bitcoin are disqualified in Powell’s eyes as an alternative to conventional money. According to the Fed chief, this can also be seen in the fact that Bitcoin & Co. are not particularly used due to their volatility in the area of payments. “The public must take the risks [von Krypto-Assets] understand, “Powell warned,” The basic thing is that there is volatility. Then there are the excessive energy requirements in mining and the fact that they are not covered by anything, “said the head of the Federal Reserve.
Stablecoins only a little better for Powell
Stablecoins, whose value is linked to another asset such as a national currency or a currency basket, does not give Powell very good marks either. According to “Business Insider”, he described this at the BIS conference as an “improvement” compared to the other crypto currencies and said that it was in the digitalization of the dollar “could play a role”, but at the same time he was skeptical that they would form the basis for a global monetary system. “Stablecoins could play a role with proper regulation, but that role will not be to lay the foundation for a new global monetary system. They will not be a substitute for a solid monetary system based on central bank money,” Newsweek quotes Fed chairman.
The US Federal Reserve is in no hurry with its own digital currency
However, the Federal Reserve wants to take its time with creating its own digital currency. “Because we have the world’s leading reserve currency, we don’t have to rush this project,” said Powell. According to “CNBC”, however, initial investigations into the potential of digital central bank money are already underway. In August 2020, for example, the Boston Fed started a joint study with MIT, which should lead to a better understanding of digital currencies. The study, which is expected to take two to three years, focuses on hypothetical facts instead of an actual implementation of crypto money by the central bank.
“You can expect from us that we proceed with great caution and transparency with regard to the development of a central bank-supported digital currency,” Powell said, according to “CNBC”. He also pointed out that a digital central bank currency will ultimately need approval from Congress and the government as well as large parts of the public on its way – and this is still at the very beginning.
Finanzen.net editorial team
Image Sources: mk1one / Shutterstock.com, Alex Wong / Getty Images


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CU-Boulder Professor Eben Johnson sees lessons for his marketing and high tech venture students everywhere, even from a parked car.
Noticing a Tesla parked outside a local coffee shop one day, he gave himself a mission—to find the owner. “I found and met the owner,” he said. “He turned out to be a great and personable fellow, so I asked him if he would talk to my class about being an 'early adopter.'”
Johnson is a professor with the Lockheed Martin Engineering Management Program at CU-Boulder. He continually strives to bring real-world learning to his classroom experience. This time he brought a state-of-the-art car to campus.
Herb Morreale, owner of the Tesla S, alumnus of the College of Engineering and Applied Science, and a successful IT entrepreneur proceeded to share with Johnson's students his experience with the car from not only a technical perspective but also from initial interest through purchase.
“I wanted Herb to help students understand how the early adopter is a different kind of customer,” Johnson said. “These early adopters are taking risks, spending a lot of money, and have certain expectations that are different from mainstream customers who often buy more stable, mature products.”
One interesting aspect of Morreale’s purchase was his first real experience with the Tesla team. “Herb went to a ride-and-drive event and wasn’t that impressed. He was ready to walk, but he happened to introduce himself to an employee with whom he hit it off well. The employee turned out to be a Tesla engineer who was able and willing to talk technical,” Johnson said. “Tesla was lucky.”
Morreale explained to the class how he was surprised how little the company did to support him with his purchase and to generate a positive and exciting experience. When his car was ready for pickup, he received a brief, simple email telling him he could take delivery of his car at such a place and time. “Especially at this stage of Tesla’s life, and for the electric-car industry in general, we need to understand we’re not just selling someone a car,” Johnson said. “We’re selling an experience, an opportunity to contribute and be part of something new and exciting.”
In fact, a main concept of Johnson’s course is to show students that it’s more than just the product that’s created—it’s the whole package, it’s the whole experience. He puts up a bulls-eye target in class, where the inner ring is the core of what the customer is buying, the deep need that’s being satisfied and the experience that’s being sought. The next ring addresses the many features common with most products and services, and the final ring includes all the supporting attributes such as the sales support, financing, delivery, and after-sales service.
"I want students to see that the customer will first be attracted by the core technology, but that alone is not enough; the customer’s overall experience is critical," Johnson said. "Great testimonials and word-of-mouth are critical in the early days of a new technology, a new company, a new industry.”
In the end, the Tesla engineer helped secure the sale. Morreale loves his car and is delighted with the performance. “Sure, a couple things weren’t quite right,” Morreale said. “But most have been taken care of, and that’s OK. As customer number 8,400 or so, and being an early adopter, I’m making a bit of a contribution, I’m helping, and I expect a few things to still be 'under development’.”
Many professors in the Lockheed Martin Engineering Management Program strive to bring in guest lecturers offering real-world lessons. Contact the Lockheed Martin Engineering Management Program at 303-492-0954 or at firstname.lastname@example.org to learn more about course, certificate, and degree options.
Story and photos courtesy of the Lockheed Martin Engineering Management Program


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The Creta is the only crossover to offer petrol automatic variant in its segment.
Category - Hyundai
Founded in 1947, Hyundai Motor Company is one of the largest and fastest growing car maker in the world today. Present in India via their completely owned subsidiary, Hyundai Motor India Limited, it is the second largest car maker in the country.
Will rival the new Honda City facelift, which is also set to debut in 2017.
This will be the fourth time Hyundai Creta production will undergo an increase due to...
The South Korean automaker is reportedly expecting sales of around 1 lakh units a year...
Hyundai India has added new safety features to their line-up of Grand i10, Eon and Xcent.
The new Hyundai ‘Drive Mein Junoon’ music video song casts include Arijit Singh...
We expect both the cars to be launched in the coming months.
Only 2,000 units of the special edition models will be sold in the country.


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- The average per mile truckload linehaul rate that C.H. Robinson charged to its customers increased nearly 33% YoY in Q1, CEO Bob Biesterfeld said on the company's earnings call last week.
- The uptick in rates came on as truckload volume declined 6.5% in the quarter, and LTL volumes grew 15%, according to the company's financial release. And Biesterfeld noted that a macro environment with tight capacity is pushing up rates due to a lack of drivers and winter weather in the quarter.
- "It's our belief that — given the current structural constraints around expansion of truckload supply, coupled with additional government stimulus, a back-half reopening of the economy and potential infrastructure spending — the market conditions that were existing today have the potential to remain out of balance for the next several quarters," Biesterfeld said.
The trucking market — along with generally every other freight mode — has been dealing with demand surpassing its supply of equipment and resources for months now, as consumer spending drives the need to restock inventories.
C.H. Robinson's quarter ended March 31, but this trend continued through April.
Spot load posts were up more than 577% YoY in April, while truck postings were down 17% YoY. The imbalance sent rates across truck modes up more than 50% YoY, according to the latest figures from DAT.
With rates surging in the spot market, C.H. Robinson saw this business "increased significantly," while its contractual business "declined as we continued to pursue profitable volume growth by reshaping our portfolio through repricing the book of business with new and existing customers," Biesterfeld said.
He said that the company has been working since Q4 of last year to reprice its contractual business, an effort he said is going to continue into Q2. As it reprices its contracts, the company is betting that the tight market dynamics will continue, giving it pricing power over the shipper.
"Based on our forecast run rate right now, by the end of the second quarter, we'll have about 75% to 80% of our contractual book repriced in either the fourth, first or second quarter," Biesterfeld said. "So, for all practical purposes, we'll call that current truckload market pricing."
Contractual rates tend to lag spot rates, and Biesterfeld confirmed that the "spot market does continue to pull the contractual market up."
This is an environment that is lifting other brokers as well, as noted by XPO Logistics on its earnings call this week. XPO saw its brokerage revenue rise 83% YoY on a 25% YoY bump in loads per day.
"In brokerage, capacity is still tight, and the volume backdrop remains fantastic," XPO Chief Strategy Officer Matthew Fassler said on the call.


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Shares of Dutch payments processor Adyen (AMS:NL:ADYEN) slumped 11% in early trade after missing expectations on EBITDA, even as payments volume soared 60%. Margins deteriorated after a 47% increase in operating expenses, said Paul Charpentier, an analyst at Bryan Garnier. He also flagged a disappointing take-up rate. "Note that the drop in take rate was driven by a combination of the ramp up in the eBay contract, Adyen's tiered pricing strategy paired with growth from existing merchants already on-boarded in previous periods and a bounce in airline volumes," added analysts at Stifel.
Aug. 18, 2022, 3:47 a.m. EDT


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Tata Motors, India’s largest automobile manufacturer, is under the radar over a fire incident.
A video has been circulating on Indian Twitter since yesterday (June 24), showing the company’s popular electric car, Nexon, in flames.
Responding to the video, Tata Motors issued a statement saying it is investigating the incident.
“A detailed investigation is currently being conducted to ascertain the facts of the recent isolated thermal incident that is doing the rounds on social media,” a company spokesperson said.
“We will share a detailed response after our complete investigation. We remain committed to the safety of our vehicles and their users…This is the first incident after more than 30,000 EVs have cumulatively covered over 100 million kilometres across the country in nearly four years.”
This, however, wasn’t enough for the government which has now ordered a probe into the matter.
The accident also adds to growing scepticism around electric vehicles in India where they have been grabbing bad press due to similar incidents, raising concerns around safety.


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BlackBerry acquired Encription Limited, a U.K.-based cybersecurity and forensic services firm, and announced that the Canadian phone manufacturer is launching a professional cybersecurity services practice.
The new consulting practice will offer enterprise mobility management, technical and product development, IoT security consulting and threat detection and penetration testing services.
The company's shift to a stronger focus on enterprise and consulting services is crucial to BlackBerry's success. While the company is best known for its mobile phones, device sales have dropped off in recent years.
In October, just after BlackBerry confirmed plans to roll out the Priv, CEO John Chen said the company may exit the smartphone handset business if it isn't profitable within the year.
While security has historically been a hallmark of the company's phone sales, the company's reputation for strong mobile security was tarnished in January when Dutch police claimed they could access encrypted PGP messages on BlackBerry devices (the phone maker disputes this). Also last month, Sean Penn published an interview in Rolling Stone in which he mentioned that he and Mexican druglord Joaquin Guzmán, a.k.a. El Chapo, communicated through “a web of BBM devices” – after which El Chapo was promptly captured by Mexican authorities.
On Tuesday, Chen said the company is “the gold standard when it comes to security and we're always evolving to maintain this high standard as the complexity of enterprise mobility and security increases.”
Encription has not announced any funding rounds since the company launched in 2006.


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Google Finance has been renovated. As a part of this process, the Portfolios feature will be taken down soon.
You can continue to follow stocks in the new Google Finance. Initially up to 50 stocks were migrated from your portfolio list,
and soon you’ll be able to add stocks from your portfolio to the new Google Finance. You can also download your full portfolio
in csv format, which can be imported into other portfolio services during the transition period.
KFC has closed more of its outlets in the UK after delivery problems meant it ran out of chicken. Its website shows that 646 of the fast-food chain's 900 outlets in the UK and the Republic of Ireland were shut as of 11:25 on Tuesday morning.
Home Depot on Tuesday reported earnings and sales for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2017 that topped Wall Street's expectations, as more shoppers flocked to its stores and rung up bigger tickets during the period.
Canada's Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Navdeep Bains and Dr Anita Gupta, Associate Head, NSTEDB, DST announced a new bi-lateral programme on Tuesday to support entrepreneurs from both countries - with a special bent towards ...


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Blackberry brand under fire following UK riots
Blackberry's reputation has suffered this week after the mobile messaging service became embroilled in the national riots following reports that rioters used it to coordinate attacks during the violence.
Widespread attacks across Britain's cities including London, Birmingham, Bristol and Manchester has forced a spotlight onto Blackberry's messenger system which has been a popular means of the gangs coordinating the attacks. However Blackberry, which is owned by Research in Motion, has been quick to offer full cooperation with the police as the rioting subsided and those culpable are sought to face up to their crimes.
According to research conducted by social media monitoring company Brandwatch, the company has been the subject of negative comments across social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook. In fact, the data suggests that the number of mentions of Blackberry on Twitter has increased from 1500 a day to over 8000 during the violence.
Other social networkng sites have also come under fire for aiding rioters' communication during the disturbances."Twitter and Facebook have also acted as an accelerant in many cases, with users copying and pasting statuses from BBM to the more public social networks. Although BBM is a closed network, nearly everything on Twitter can be tracked and much of Facebook can be too, but this depends on user-privacy settings," said Giles Palmer, chief executive, Brandwatch.
"Their reputation has been heightened with the trouble since they were used to spread the word used in the #riotcleanup campaign in recent days," he added.
- » Walk before you can run: Start small and smart to get data-driven marketing right
- » The age of engagement: Why brands need to interact with customers as individuals
- » Why the future agency model needs to be fast and fluid
- » AI in customer communications: Why the need for diversity is key
- » Everything marketers need to know about Gen Z: Authenticity with individuality


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Reuters recently reported in “Bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox disappears in blow to virtual currency” that,
“Mt. Gox, once the world’s biggest bitcoin exchange, looked to have essentially disappeared on Tuesday, with its website down, its founder unaccounted for and a Tokyo office empty bar a handful of protesters saying they had lost money investing in the virtual currency.
“It was not clear what has become of the exchange, which this month halted withdrawals indefinitely after detecting ‘unusual activity.’ A global bitcoin organization referred to the exchange’s ‘exit,’ while angry investors questioned whether it was still solvent.”
What’s been done to Mt Gox Bitcoins can be done to any other digital currency—including the fiat dollars in your credit cards, debit cards, bank accounts and pensions funds. It can all be made to disappear in moment, and investors can be left with nothing.


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Sony's next big PlayStation 4 exclusive, Horizon Zero Dawn, launches next week. Now, a new report from SuperData claims the game--which is a brand-new franchise--may sell millions of copies this year and go on to become a hit on the level or close to Uncharted 4 and Metal Gear Solid V.
Horizon Zero Dawn will shift as many as 6 million copies by the end of 2017, SuperData said. Total sales could reach 8 million units, which would put it close to the most recent Uncharted and Metal Gear Solid games.
In its report, SuperData CEO Joost van Dreunen cited Horizon Zero Dawn's strong review scores from critics as an element that could help boost sales


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Google is adding some basic mobile device management capabilities to Google Apps that will let IT managers remotely wipe data from lost iPhones. The remote wipe and other management features are available to users of Google Apps Premier and Education Edition and will work for iPhones, Nokia E series devices, and Windows Mobile smartphones. Google Apps won't be able to manage smartphones using Google's own Android OS, though Google says it will add such capabilities later on.
[ Stay up on tech news and reviews from your smartphone at infoworldmobile.com. | Get the best iPhone apps for pros with our business iPhone apps finder. | See which smartphone is right for you in our mobile "deathmatch" calculator. ]
Managers will also be able to lock idle devices after a period of inactivity and require and manage passwords on phones. Administrators can start using the features from the Google Apps administration control panel.
The capabilities could help companies that are trying to manage the growing number of people who bring their own phones to work, rather than use one that is sanctioned and issued by the IT department. The iPhone has helped grow that segment of mobile business users as workers seek to use their preferred phone, Kitty Weldon, an analyst with Current Analysis said. But those phones are sometimes not supported by enterprise-grade mobile phone management systems.
The phones that Google is supporting all have other options for remote wipe, if the phones are used with other email products. iPhone OS, Windows Mobile, and Nokia E Series smartphones that sync with Microsoft Exchange server can be remotely wiped. The iPhone also has a remote wipe feature that users can initiate through their MobileMe accounts.


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Injured by Ozempic, Wegovy or Mounjaro?
Eli Lilly Warns About Potential Health Risks From Mounjaro, Zepbound Counterfeit Versions
The makers of the diabetes and weight loss drugs Mounjaro and Zepbound are warning that fake and compounded versions of the medications carry an increased risk health risks and should not be used for cosmetic weight loss.
Eli Lilly published an open letter on March 7, indicating that unapproved uses of the active ingredient of Mounjaro and Zepbound, tirzepatide, can lead to bacterial infections, may contain impurities, and warns some products claiming to be those drugs have completely different chemical structures.
Mounjaro is a popular diabetes treatment that was introduced by Eli Lilly in 2022, as part of a new generation of treatments for diabetes, which are also effective for weight loss. It is part of the same class of drugs as Ozempic (semaglutide), and both medications have been widely prescribed “off-label” as diet drugs, given the positive effect they have helping to reduce hunger, decease food intake and promote feelings of fullness.
Last year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the approval of Zepbound, containing the same active ingredient, tirzepatide, which is now specifically authorized for chronic weight management in adults with obesity.
Amid the increasing popularity of the drugs, a number of former users are now pursuing Mounjaro lawsuits, Ozempic lawsuits and Wegovy lawsuits against the manufacturers, each raising similar allegations that the drug labels fail to adequately warn about the risk of severe and long-lasting side effects, including a form of severe stomach paralysis, known as gastroparesis. However, demand for the drugs has still resulted in widespread shortages, causing many compounding pharmacies to offer generic versions of the treatment.
Find Out If You Have a Lawsuit
In its letter, Eli Lilly warns against the use of either drug as simply an easy means of losing weight.
“Mounjaro and Zepbound are indicated for the treatment of serious diseases; they are not approved for – and should not be used for –cosmetic weight loss,” the letter states. “Lilly does not promote or encourage the use of Mounjaro, Zepbound, or any Lilly medicines outside of a medicine’s FDA-approved indication.”
The company also noted that the two drugs are not approved for use by children under 18 years of age.
Fake and Compounded Mounjaro, Zepbound Risks
In addition, Lilly notes that it is the only lawful supplier of tirzepatide in the U.S., and does not sell or provide the ingredient to compounding pharmacies, warning that patients taking any product only referred to as tirzepatide, and not sold under the brand names of Mounjaro or Zepbound, are not taking an approved product.
The company warns that it has discovered products claiming to be compounded tirzepatide have been found to contain bacteria, high levels of impurities, different chemical structures, and in one case discovered that a product being sold as tirzepatide contained only sugar alcohol.
The letter indicates the company is pursuing “legal remedies” against compounding pharmacies and counterfeiters at certain medical spas, and wellness centers who falsely claim their products are Mounjaro, Zepbound, or an approved FDA alternative.
The warning comes after a report published by Reuters in January, which found that at least three cases of hypoglycemia has been linked to counterfeit Ozempic products.
The American Poison Centers indicates that it received a total of 3,316 reports involving Ozempic poisoning last year.
Mounjaro, Zepbound Stomach Paralysis
However, a number of concerns have arisen over the last year about the risks of taking the actual, approved versions of the drugs, as well as others in the class of medications known as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs), which also include Ozempic and Wegovy.
In July 2023, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) issued a warning about using Ozempic and Wegovy before surgery, indicating that the lack of gastric emptying linked to the drugs could put patients at risk of vomiting and aspiration while under the effects of anesthesia. Similar side effects are linked to Mounjaro, which could also pose a problem during surgical anesthesia.
In 2017, researchers with the Mayo Clinic conducted a study involving a similar diabetes medication known as Victoza, which found that the drug caused significantly slower digestion in users, taking about 70 minutes for half the food they ate to leave their stomachs, compared to four minutes for people who did not take the drug. However, the study found that people’s bodies tended to adjust over time.
In September, the FDA issued new label warnings for Ozempic, indicating that it can increase the risk of intestinal blockages. The warning links Ozempic to a condition known as ileus, which can cause abdominal cramps, bloating, nausea, vomiting, constipation, difficulty passing gas and difficulty eating.
Find Out If You Qualify for Ozempic or Wegovy Compensation
More Top Stories
The U.S. JPML has ordered all baby food toxic metal lawsuits consolidated before one federal judge in Northern California for pretrial proceedings over claims of autism and ADHD injuries.
Uber has announced new safety features to protect passengers from driver sexual assaults, as it continues to face lawsuits from users of the app who say the lack of such features contributed to their attacks.
A U.S. Judge has pushed back Covidien hernia mesh bellwether trials after plaintiffs discovered Covidien had failed to turn over numerous key documents.


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We have collected some of the facts you should know about the privatisation.
1. The Amount
Privatization amount will involve a massive amount of 2.5 billion pounds, which is equal to 3.7 billion US dollars
2. 1,50,000 employees to get free shares
According to reports, about 1,50,000 of the postal operator will get free shares amounting millions of pounds. So the employees could be the main beneficiaries of the move.
3. Blow to Trade Unions
Trade unions of the country are opposing the move saying that it will surge decline in postal services in the country.
4. Legacy of about 500 years
The Royal Mail has a legacy of about 500 years as the its history dates back to 1516.
5. Royal Mail on Profitint Route in Online Shopping Boom
In all privatization phenomena, the fact should be forgotten that the service had doubled its profit with making its business compatible with Online Shopping Boom
6. Products and Services Extension
Officials believe that the decision will extend the portfolio of products and services of the Royal Mail
“I would hope that a privatised Royal Mail would be looking to expand on their products and services, and to make those services ready for 21st century consumers,” Robert Hammon, Consumer Futures director told Sky News.
What’s your say on the issue?


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Manny Khohsbin, an entrepreneur and car collector, who takes pride in calling himself as a "car influencer" and an owner of several supercars with limited production (such as a Pagani and Bugatti), bought a Koenigsegg Agera RS recently. This car has been adjudged to be the world's fastest production car. It's been sold at $3 million (₦1 billion) and has just been delivered to Khohsbin.
The Swedish mid-sized engine sports car was premiered in 2015. The automaker built only 25 units and at an original price which stood at $2.5 million each. They were all sold out within 10 months.
According to Justin Bell, a retired race car driver: “It’s one of the rarest cars in the world.” He was with Khohsbin as he awaited the arrival of the Koenigsegg.
Koenigsegg Agera RS, the fastest production car in the world
The Swedish auto manufacturer, Koenigsegg, had in November 2017, tweeted on their Twitter handle that this model attained a world record of 277.9 mph. This feat was documented on a video which has gotten beyond 1 million views.
This sports car isn't custom produced and isn't put up for sale to the public.
>>> You must be a fan of car speed, we pick this for you! 0-60 mph in 1.85 seconds: The world's fastest accelerating cars 2019
The Koenigsegg Agera RS Phoenix was hand built by the Swedish automaker for Khohsbin, featuring 24-carat gold accents fitted in the engine, Tyres, and the exterior trimmings of the hypercar.
$3 million for the car and $300k more for the rear wing upgrade
Bell said it's the first car he has seen which has a gold exhaust stack.
Khohsbins admitted his likeness for everything to be over the top. It’s no wonder he had a customized option built on the car which cost him over a million dollars. On the car, its entire bodywork is built with high-caliber carbon fiber, while the car's rear wing gulped over $300,000 as stated by Khohsbin. Now, that's one huge money there and when converted to our currency, it will fetch about ₦108 million.
As gathered by Naijauto, Khohsbin had the Koenigsegg delivered to his private garage.
The supercar has no handbook, leaving you to figure it out yourself as Bell said
He also has this to say about closing the car incorrectly.
If you close the car incorrectly, it will crack and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars” to repair. This is due to the expensive and fragile, high-caliber carbon fiber bodywork on a handbuilt car.
The Agera RS Phoenix is powered by a twin-turbo V8 engine and produces a maximum power of 1,400hp. Bell says it's like a rocket ship.
See how this guy test drive the world fastest production car!
It can also accelerate from zero to 60 mph in sharply 2.9 seconds. This beast can speed up to 284 mph at max, a truly impressive figure.
After driving the car around with Bell, Khohsbin has this to say.
It’s going to be between the McLaren P1 and, another beautiful car, the Pagani Hermes Edition
The McLaren P1 was listed for $1.1 million (~N397 million) and got the 375 cars built all sold out. Its top speed is limited to 217 mph and can run from 0-60 mph under 2.7 seconds. And for Khohsbin's Pagani Huayra, it's priced at $2.6 million (~N939 million).


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President Maithripala Sirisena has instructed finance minister Ravi Karunanayaka to increase the tax on imported beer (5% alcohol content) which was reduced by Rs.30 in the budget proposal, Presidential Media Division (PMD) said
Finance Ministry had reduced the tax imposed on a liter of beer with low-alcohol percentage to Rs. 160 from Rs. 190 to remove tax discrepancy on import beer.
President had instructed the Finance Minister to increase the tax on import beer as reduction of tax would lead to promote such beer.
Comments - 8
BV Wednesday, 25 November 2015 08:15 PM
VERY GOOD MOVE SIR. via DM Android App
Bhathiya Waduge Wednesday, 25 November 2015 08:26 PM
Ohhh why ??????
Giabao Wednesday, 25 November 2015 08:42 PM
of course it looks like a pre-agreed thing. LOL
ANTON Wednesday, 25 November 2015 09:11 PM
MAHINDAAAAAA ....... WHERE ARE YOUOOOO .......
Coconut Republic Wednesday, 25 November 2015 09:19 PM
Makes good economic sense..
paddy Wednesday, 25 November 2015 09:31 PM
You prefer to increase kasipu instaed...
janaka Wednesday, 25 November 2015 10:09 PM
Shame, living on Alcohol Tax instead improving basic exports to the world.
Maathalan Thursday, 26 November 2015 12:46 PM
Lets Drink Kasiyaa
Comments will be edited (grammar, spelling and slang) and authorized at the discretion of Daily Mirror online. The website also has the right not to publish selected comments.


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Britain‘s biggest retailer Tesco has been paid $61m (£39m) by MasterCard, reaching a settlement as part of a multi-billion dollar lawsuit it files last year over credit card fees.
According to Bloomberg, over 20 UK retailers are suing the payments company because of fees MasterCard charged for transactions that used its credit and debit cards. MasterCard has filed responses to the remaining retailers‘ claims in court.
“We have been settling with Tesco, which is the largest merchant claimant in this litigation,” Martina Hund-Mejean, Purchase, New York-based MasterCard‘s CFO, said on the company‘s earnings call Wednesday. “We are pleased that that is behind us.”
Tesco sued MasterCard in 2014 so that it could “recover the historic overpayment of anti-competitive interchange fees. These proceedings have now been settled and discontinued on mutually acceptable terms,” a spokesperson for the big four grocer said in an e-mail.
As well as the UK lawsuit, the European Union sent MasterCard a formal complaint earlier this month, which could result in fines, over “artificially high” card-payment fees. The EU‘s statement of objections targets measures preventing cross-border competition among banks that offer card services to retailers as well as excessive fees when foreign visitors go shopping in the 28-nation bloc.
MasterCard says interchange fees facilitate electronic payments globally by balancing the benefits and costs of the system among its participants.


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The latest batch of 11.6-inch Apple MacBook Air laptops includes some that feature faster solid state drives (SSDs) than earlier SSD-only models that began shipping last fall, according to AnandTech.
The first new MacBook Airs to appear in October 2010 following Apple's refresh of the product line used use Toshiba's 128GB Blade X-gale SSDs. But about a month ago, some MacBook Air laptops began to appear using a different 128GB SSD with faster sequential read and write speeds that AnandTech recently concluded was likely made by Samsung.
The Toshiba SSDs (model number TS128C) can hit speeds of up to 210MB/s read and 185MB/s write in benchmarking conducted by the site. The newly appearing SSDs (model number SM128C) have performed a good deal better in user benchmarks cited by AnandTech, managing speeds of up to 260MB/s read and 210MB/s write for a 20 to 25 percent performance gain.
AnandTech also stated that "what we can't confirm is how the two models differ in more intense testing, specifically with regards to random read/write performance, TRIM support, etc."
The SSDs in the 11.6-inch MacBook Air are unusual in that they aren't built to the standard 2.5-inch or 1.8-inch form factors normally used in laptops, the site notes. Rather, Apple apparently commissioned a brand new form factor for mSATA SSDs, now called blade SSDs.
In PCMag.com's review of the 11.6-inch MacBook Air, we noted that it is "the lightest, smallest laptop in Apple's inventory, but you'll have to give up certain luxuries and pay a hefty price for it."


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Outside a factory in Jiaxing, China, workers inflate a giant chicken resembling Donald Trump -- a wildly popular the Year of the Rooster decoration this year. The 16-foot fowls sport Trump's distinctive golden mane and mimic his signature hand gestures with their tiny wings.
Outside a factory in Jiaxing, China, workers inflate a giant...
Roll up your sleeves, folks. It's about to get real.
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Get your All Digital Pass to Houston insider news and analysis


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CES 2019: Hyundai E-GMP and Style Set Free customisation concept
Like most forward-looking carmakers, Hyundai too is all set to take on the digitisation or automobiles by shaping up for e-mobility solutions and autonomous driving tech. To that effect, the Korean carmaker is developing a new architecture called the Electric - Global Modular Platform to spawn a range of electrified vehicles. At the CES 2019, Hyundai showed us a working prototype of the robotics that underpins it's versatile Elevate Concept, which too utilises the basic modular idea of the E-GMP. The new architecture will also feature an integrated drive axel technology, for quieter operation and improved stability in EVs. In parallel, Hyundai's IONIQ range of electric vehicles will also inch closer to Level 3 autonomous driving technologies.
As cars go digital, Hyundai predicts greater customisation options to be unlocked. To exploit its potential, Hyundai wants to take the lifestyle route with the concept of Style Set Free. It will replicate the concept of high-end gadget stores and their shopping experiences e.g. Apple, Samsung, Google etc. where potential buyers can customise almost all aspects for the car - the powertrain configuration, the layout of the cabin, the arrangement of the seats, the level of infotainment, and of course the usual bits like the colour and trim levels. Existing customers on the other hand might have the opprtunity to upgrade certain equipment and trim. While it may sound familiar in some ways to customisation sudio approach taken by some premium automotive brands, a mass market carmaker taking this route could potentially change the way we interact with car dealerships. Furthermore, Hyundai hints that even markets like India will benefit from the concept of Style Set Free.
A part of this digital move also includes new age connectivity solutions and Hyundai believes that in a few years from now the automotive market will be divided into two halves - one that has completely connected cars and ones that are purely traditional. Interestingly, it believes India will belong to the former set.
- 2021 Force Gurkha deliveries begin across India
- Comparison review: Jeep Compass vs Citroen C5 Aircross
- Near-production Skoda Slavia spied ahead of early 2022 launch
- Top 10 best selling cars in India 2021 - Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai dominate
- Rebadged Maruti Suzuki Ertiga expected to launch as Toyota Rumion in India


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This Western-themed roguelike has style to spare, but falls short on ideas.
MSI and EK team up to cool the CPU and power delivery on its MPG Z490 Carbon board
What's the best way to evaluate a game about dismantling spaceships? Break it down.
To found his own design studio.
Starts January 2019.
Vows to fight the FBI over iOS back-door.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has mocked Microsoft's Metro UI-led convergence plans.
Apple has announced a brand new iPhone model, the iPhone 4S.
Steve Jobs has resigned from Apple.
Apple has categorically denied rumours that it is looking to enter the netbook market, with chief operating officer Tim Cook describing the devices as "junky."
July 1 2020 | 17:34
Copyright © 2000 - 2020, bit-tech.net. All rights reserved.


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Small firms in the United States will soon be able to raise money on Wall Street faster than you can say “jackpot”!
The Jumpstart Our Business Startups bill signed by President Barrack Obama allows small businesses more access to fundraising and investors while providing fewer regulatory burdens which give these new-comers all the flexibility they need to operate in a post-crisis environment.
The JOBS act which received bipartisan support provides small businesses that need capital with many options that were previously unattainable. The provisions of the act are mainly aimed to help the IT industry, fast growing operations like biotech and tech companies. Small businesses however have a lot to benefit from this act as well.
In order for entrepreneurs and startups to raise funds to launch an idea, they usually rely on “crowdfunding”, raising money from everyday folks, on platforms such as Indiegogo or Kickstarter. Contributors however, couldn’t buy shares in a company itself and take part in its profits and losses.
The new law redefines the concept of crowdfunding for seeking actual investors. It can raise up to $1 million this way. To protect investors, those with a net worth of less than $100,000 may now invest 5% of their yearly income or $2,000, whichever is higher. Wealthier types can invest up to 10% of their income.
Solz, a San Francisco clothing and accessories company, raised thousands in donations in the past because of crowdfunding. CEO Brad Carrick hopes that the new law will allow him the possibility to sell small shares of his company for $1,000 to $10,000. “When you pull these people together, you can get a mini-angel investment round”, said Carrick, referring to venture capital that plays a crucial role in funding startups.
As previously mentioned, the law will also benefit small businesses by helping them find accredited investors and here we are talking about those with a net worth of $1 million omitting the value of their primary residence. Moreover, because of the law, the ban on advertising to the general public about investment opportunities is lifted which no longer forces companies to hire brokers.
Last but not least, companies in later growth stages can now benefit from lighter restrictions for publically selling stock. A company with 500 investors or raising $ 5 million previously had to register with the SEC which is costly and time consuming, consequences on filling out loads of legal forms and undergoing accounting audits. The law loosens requirements by raising several thresholds.
Seems like with the new law the American Dream is one step closer to becoming “real”.
Photo by Live W mcs


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When furniture & houseware retailer Crate & Barrel decided in 2015 to close its Manhattan flagship at 650 Madison Avenue after two decades at the location, it pointed to rising rents in the neighborhood as the main reason.
The 62,000-square-foot retail vacancy gave the landlords — a joint venture co-controlled by Vornado Realty Trust and Oxford Properties — an opportunity to bring in pricier luxury tenants such as leather goods maker Celine and skiwear brand Moncler.
“The Crate & Barrel store consumed a large amount of space and did not mesh as well with the other high-end retail in the immediate area,” DBRS Morningstar analysts wrote in a report this February, noting that the repositioning of the space “from middle-market to ultraluxury” added significant value to the property.
Last December, the landlords secured an $800 million refinancing for the 27-story mixed use tower, which is also home to Ralph Lauren’s global headquarters and medical offices for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
The senior loan was securitized into several CMBS transactions. Documents associated with those deals provide an inside look at the property’s finances.
The 600,000-square-foot building is now 98 percent leased, with Ralph Lauren accounting for nearly half of the rentable space and more than one-third of annual gross rent. The fashion company has been at the building since 1989, although DBRS notes in its report that “it is one of the few fashion brands based in the Plaza District submarket,” and that its upcoming lease expiration in 2024 is a potential risk.
On average, office tenants at 650 Madison are paying about $117 in gross rent per square foot. Among the tenants paying the most is Willett Advisors, Michael Bloomberg’s family office, at $168.
Sotheby’s International Realty, meanwhile, pays just $94 per square foot for its new headquarters, under a lease that commenced last year. The brokerage has also taken over some of the mezzanine space that Crate & Barrel used.
Retail tenants at the building pay a weighted average of $693 per square foot in gross rent per year, with Celine paying the most at $849. Celine has also received a $15 million tenant improvement package from the landlord, which DBRS views as necessary to “elevate” the space from its prior use.
The joint venture acquired 650 Madison from the Carlyle Group for $1.3 billion in 2013, with Vornado and Oxford co-managing and co-leasing the office space, while Vornado and Crown Acquisitions do the same for the retail space. Crown’s Haim Chera has since joined Vornado as its head of retail.
According to loan documents, Vornado and Oxford each own roughly 20 percent of the joint venture, while JPMorgan-controlled Advanced City Fund Global LP has the largest economic stake at 49 percent. Highgate Hotels and Crown each have a 3 percent stake, and another 5 percent appears to be owned by Vaizra Investments — a fund belonging to the founders of Russian social media network VKontakte.
In the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, Ralph Lauren disclosed last month that it would eliminate 155 jobs at its 650 Madison headquarters and 122 positions at RXR Realty’s Starrett-Lehigh Building in Chelsea.


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By Shafaat Shahbandari, Staff Reporter www.gulfnews.com
Dubai: Grocery shopping in Dubai has become a breeze as Dubai Metro commuters can now shop through the Roads and Transport Authority’s (RTA) Smart Mall and have the goods delivered home free of cost.
Currently live at Mall of the Emirates metro station and on display at the 35th Gitex Technology Week, the Smart Mall enables people to sift through a range of 300 food products via an interactive 3D Ultra High Definition (UHD) nine square metre screen.
Two customers can interact with the screen at the same time.
“We have introduced the Smart Mall at five metro stations as a trial. It is currently live at Mall of the Emirates station. We are starting only with food products and as we move on we will have more items. The idea is to help people shop on the go and save their time and effort. Customers can set a time of delivery and have the items delivered at their doorstep,” said Mohammad Al Mudharreb, Director of Rail Operations at RTA.
The Smart Mall is also available at Damac Properties, Dubai Internet City, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank and Baniyas metro stations.
Being set up in conjunction with etisalat, the service can be availed of by anyone with a credit or debit card. More info


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Cortana, Microsoft’s personal digital assistant has been unofficially ported to operating systems other than Windows Phone, according to reports.
Although, Cortana was rumoured to be launching on competitor platforms, such as Android and iOS, the service is currently only available on Microsoft operating systems.
However, VentureBeat is reporting that a group of Italian hackers named “OrangeSec” have successfully modified Cortana to work with Android. The unofficial port, dubbed “Portana” was unveiled at the Droidcon 2015 conference, which took place earlier this month in Turin, Italy.
However, before Android users get too excited, it’s worth pointing out that Portana does have some limitations compared with the official release, with OrangeSec only able to create a basic, albeit functional, version.
Portana can only speak Italian, for example, and only works when online. In fact, the app is still connected to Microsoft servers, as OrangeSec have not been able to duplicate all of Cortana’s features.
Cortana was launched by Microsoft in April last year and is one of several personal digital assistants available to mobile users. Like Apple’s Siri, Cortana is programmed to have a rudimentary form of artificial intelligence, learning the user’s search preferences and common language uses.
Although, currently only a mobile assistant, Microsoft is keen for Cortana to play a larger role in its products. The Redmond-based firm is incorporating the digital assistant into its desktop operating system, Windows 10, when it launches later this year.


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Quibi — after being criticized for launching without a way for fans to easily share their favorite moments — now lets viewers screenshot content, Chief Product Officer Tom Conrad shared on Thursday afternoon. But as Conrad put it, this isn’t “your grandfather’s screenshotting.”
Instead of having users simultaneously press the volume up button and the lock button on their iPhones, for example, Quibi is doing screenshots a bit differently. Quibi’s version has viewers press and hold on a show they’re watching, allowing them to pick a still image from a menu.
To grab a screenshot on Quibi, press-and-hold on any playing episode to reveal a menu. Slide your finger over to the screenshot icon to grab a still. Voila. Screenshot.
BUT WHY? WHY? WHY would we go our own way on this? 3/6 pic.twitter.com/7qJ6RLlTB2
— Tom Conrad (@tconrad) July 23, 2020
Quibi has been widely mocked since its April launch, and Conrad poked fun at the bad press the Los Angeles-based company has received so far. He tweeted that this wasn’t done to “encourage 1000 think-pieces about how we dOn’t knoW wHAt we’Re DoINg,” but simply because of design restraints.
“It’s that products live with constraints & in this case we have to honor the [digital rights management] preferred by our content creators,” Conrad explained.
Having the option to screenshot content should be a welcome addition for Quibi subscribers. Several early Quibi users told TheWrap in May the app would be better off it was easier to share their favorite moments on social, among other complaints.
Quibi’s had a rough start out of the gate; out of 910,000 people who downloaded Quibi in the three days following its April 6 launch, only 72,000 users converted to paying subscriptions when their 90-day trial expired earlier this month, according to Sensor Tower. Making its shows easier to share with friends is one small step that could help drive more downloads.


text: The controller for Microsoft’s upcoming Xbox One console can be mashed and smashed by gamers for the next decade. Microsoft accessories and hardware manager Bob Brown revealed in an interview with Pocket-Lint that there have been numerous rigorous tests the company put the Xbox One’s controller through during its development. Microsoft tested 20 controllers over the past six months, pressing their buttons repeatedly between 4 to 5 times per second for a total of 2 million taps apiece. The thumbsticks are also worked over and over again to ensure reliability and the company even conducts a series of drop tests to ensure the controllers remain intact. The executive noted that controllers should last between seven and 10 years, or in some cases even longer. Given that Microsoft usually updates its console every five to eight years, the Xbox One’s controller should still be alive and well when the company’s next-generation system is released.


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There has been less media attention this month to an exercise in security street theatre by IT security company Sophos, busy spruiking its malware solutions. Paul Ducklin, described as chief technology officer at Sophos (presumably the Australian arm of Sophos), purchased some 70 USB drives from RailCorp - the NSW transport state owned enterprise - in September this year. The drives were being auctioned by RailCorp - along with laptops, bags, umbrellas, thongs, jumpers, beanies, books and other items - as part of its disposal of unclaimed lost property, ie things left behind at railway stations and in RailCorp's trains. (Comments on the Australian Defence Dept's loss of a thumb drive are here.)
How better to get some publicity - and increase consumer awareness - than by buying a swag of pre-loved thumb drives that - quelle horreur - were duly found by Sophos to contain unencrypted personal information. (Sophos is reported as being "shocked when the auction price was nearly twice the average retail value of the USBs", which suggests the security company was after the story rather than stretching the corporate dollar by stocking up on drives at throwaway prices.)
Some 57 of the drives were functioning and reported as containing "troves of personal data including resumes, tax returns, photos and documents". Ducklin is reported as commenting that "We revealed a good deal of personal information about many of the people who lost the USBs, about their families, friends and colleagues".
RailCorp apparently disposed of laptops at the same time after wiping the hard drive on those devices. Such diligence is welcome, given the incident in 2005 where the NSW State Transit Authority auctioned 12 servers but - oops - failed to delete payroll and financial information, Sydney public transport passenger counts, ticketing system codes, incident reports and employee access PINs.
In responding to the current incident the NSW deputy Privacy Commissioner has reportedly "chastised" RailCorp. (There's no statement on the Commissioner's site or on that of RailCorp.)
The Commissioner reportedly stated that RailCorp should have wiped the USBs prior to selling in order to follow best practice.
By selling the information on the USBs they are deemed to be using it and they should delete the information.I suggest that if the cost of wiping the USB drives is deemed to be too high, RailCorp should simply dispose of the drives on a secure basis rather than unleashing the tax returns, photos, university assignments, and other information into the world.
They should not disclose the data without the consent of the person the data relates to.


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Vital but unloved – negative buzz about home telecoms /TV /broadband providers exceeds that of banks, finds Keller Fay
LONDON, March 6, 2014 /PRNewswire – Data from marketing research group Keller Fay’s TalkTrack® programme indicates that negative word of mouth (WOM) for telecom companies providing phone, TV and broadband services in Britain is higher than for most other sectors. Every day in the UK, an estimated 3 million negative opinions are exchanged about one or other of five major providers – BT, Sky, Virgin Media, TalkTalk or Plusnet TalkTalk attracted 29% negative WOM, a figure which is almost three times the UK all-category average (10%). The performance of BT is not much better, receiving negative press in over a quarter of discussions. Plusnet is the best of the providers, recording the lowest criticism and achieving the highest level of positive sentiment (58%) – although even this fails to impress when it is compared to the UK all-category average of 62%. Plusnet’s
Preview of ReThink 2014 Presentation March 23-26 NYC Presenters Beth Rockwood, Senior Vice President, Market Resources, Discovery Communications and Ed Keller, CEO, The Keller Fay Group Almost no topic captures more attention in the media and marketing trade press than social TV. Keller Fay has been undertaking an ambitious research project on behalf of the Council for Research Excellence (CRE) to help the industry better understand the role of social media in driving television viewing behavior. Ed Keller and Discovery’s Beth Rockwood will be unveiling the new research at the Advertising Research Foundation’s Re:Think 2014, and give a preview in this video: The research that is being presented is the most extensive investigation of role of social media behavior related to television viewing ever undertaken. It builds on work that Keller
Next Wednesday, Feb. 19th, Brad Fay, COO of the Keller Fay Group, and Peter Storck, SVP of Research at House Party Inc. will be among a panel at Social Media Week NYC addressing the question of return on investment of social marketing – both online and offline. It’s a burning question for most marketers today: Can you really measure the ROI of “social,” online and off? And if so, how? In this informative session a panel of thought-leaders in social marketing measurement will provide the answers needed to measure and justify the social in marketing plans. And they’ll share about a major Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) initiative to measure the ROI of social, relative to other media. Brad Fay will discuss how brands can track their share of
by Ed Keller The Seattle Seahawk’s vaunted “12th man” and the crowd noise they generate make their home field the loudest of any stadium in the NFL. That sound is beginning to reverberate across the nation, as the Seahawks moved up 11 places in terms of their NFL Word of Mouth ranking among the 32 teams. Nevertheless, the Denver Broncos have had a clear word of mouth lead over the Seahawks, nationwide, over the course of this football season. These are the season-to-date statistics about word of mouth for the NFL, according to the Keller Fay Group, a word of mouth marketing research company that provides ongoing word of mouth tracking including both offline conversations as well as online chatter. Denver jumped into the ranks of top 5 most talked NFL
As Keller Fay COO Brad Fay assumed the role of Chairman of Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) for 2014, he wrote this piece about WOMMA’s Tenth Anniversary for WOMMA’s All Things WOMM blog and we are reprinting it: Ten years ago, in 2004, Facebook was still a Harvard student experiment known as “thefacebook.” The founding of Twitter was still two years away. But three innovative entrepreneurs knew that consumer marketing was about to experience a gigantic change. They foresaw the rapid rise of peer-to-peer consumer influence, online sharing and a two-way communications dialog between brands and their customers. Those prescient men were David Balter, CEO and founder of BzzAgent; Pete Blacksaw, then CMO of Intelliseek; and Jonathan Carson, then CEO of Buzzmetrics which later acquired Intelliseek and was acquired
by Ed Keller Each December, CBS’s Chief Research Officer Dave Poltrack addresses the UBS Annual Global Media and Communications Conference. This year’s talk, “The Outlook for the Broadcast Networks,” covered a wide range of topics, including social TV: “Nothing was hotter this year than social media with Twitter front and center with its IPO,” according to Poltrack. “Television programs and televised events have always been a major source of conversation. With the emergence of the online social media we are seeing how much these subjects dominate people’s non-personal interaction.” Then, in what might have been a surprise to the investors in the audience, Poltrack made this strong statement: “However, the real action is not online, it is still face-to-face.” And the correlation statistics he shared bear this out. To begin,
Word of mouth is more effective than traditional marketing, but difficulty proving ROI is a significant obstacle to growth. Those are two of the most significant findings to emerge from the recently released “State of Word of Mouth Marketing Survey,” conducted by the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) and the American Marketing Association (AMA). According to the study, two thirds of marketing professionals feel that word of mouth marketing is more effective than “traditional” marketing. Reflecting this belief, 70% of marketers expect their companies will spend more money on social media in 2014, representing a bigger increase than any of 10 forms of marketing that were studied. Standing in the way of bigger investment in word of mouth and social media marketing, however, are difficulty measuring offline WOM (89%),
How well does WOM about TV shows align with ratings? The latest tracking from Keller Fay for Ad Age says, “Quite well.” People talked the most about the shows they watched the most … for the most part. So what do you think? Does water cooler talk predict the hit series? See the results and story on Ad Age: http://bit.ly/Hw5dL2
Mediapost’s Marketing Daily Commentary by Ed Keller, October 22, 2013 – Location, Location, Location – brands in pursuit of all-important consumer word of mouth and advocacy cannot afford to ignore it, same as channels or demographics. Read Ed Keller’s take in MediaPost on what goes into marketer’s ‘secret sauce’. Based upon a new research study, “America’s Most Talkative Cities”. Read more at Mediapost.com: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/210949/for-word-of-mouth-the-secret-sauce-lies-in-the-so.html?edition=66019#ixzz2iW6oVQ9W
Houston Ranked #1, Jacksonville #2 and Miami #3 Most “Talkative” Cities According to New Word-of-Mouth Marketing Study
Keller Fay Group Study Reveals Top 10 Ranking, Highlighting Opportunities for Brand Marketers to Drive Recommendations, Especially “Down South” Houston More Likely to Talk About Automotive (+37%), Jacksonville – Finance (+56%), Miami – Travel (+75%) New Brunswick, NJ – October 21, 2013 – Are certain U.S. cities more “talkative” about brands than others? A new study, “America’s Most Talkative Cities,” released by leading word-of-mouth research company, The Keller Fay Group, reveals that residents of Houston, TX have an average of 95 consumer conversations per person per week, more than the residents of any other major city in the United States. As marketers are increasingly recognizing the significant role that word of mouth (WOM) plays in driving business outcomes such as sales, results suggest that certain cities are more WOM-focused than
NEWS & INSIGHTS
Vital but unloved – negative buzz about home telecoms /TV /broadband providers exceeds that of banks, finds Keller FayLONDON, March 6, 2014 /PRNewswire - Data from m...
- Preview of ReThink 2014 Presentation March 23-2...
- The Next Social Marketing Revolution How to ...


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RepairPal, a site for auto repair estimates and advice, has raised $4 million in a first round of funding.
When car owners go to the Emeryville, Calif. startup’s web site, they can enter basic information like the manufacturer, model, and year of their cars, as well as the repairs needed, and the site will give them price ranges for how much they can expect to pay for parts and labor. (The estimate is customized to their locations.) It sounds much easier than calling around to different shops to find out if an estimate is reasonable.
The site includes other resources to help you make the right repair decisions, such as specific recommendations and things to watch out for, as well as links and customer ratings for local mechanics who can perform the repair. (Some of these links are sponsored.) RepairPal also offers an iPhone application.
The funding was led by Tugboat Ventures, with participation from individuals including Rick Keister, former chief executive of Keystone Automotive Industries; David Strohm, partner at Greylock Ventures; Mark Goines, a former Intuit executive; and Michael Torres, chief executive of Adelante Capital Management. RepairPal previously raised more than $3 million from angel investors.
The company’s competitors include DriverSide (although RepairPal has a narrower focus) — in fact, RepairPal and DriverSide launched within a week of each other. RepairPal says it is approaching 1 million monthly visitors between its web site, the mobile application, and partner sites.


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MISSISSAUGA, ON— Trailer Wizards is collecting food on behalf of local food banks from November 25 to 29.
“We want to do what we can to ensure that people have a happy holiday season and a healthy new year,” says Doug Vanderspek, president of Trailer Wizards.
Trailer Wizards “Haul Away Hunger” Holiday Food Drive runs across Canada at all participating Trailer Wizards branches, where they will be collecting on behalf of local food banks in their communities.
“Close to 850,000 Canadians rely on food banks each month,” Vanderspek says. “Please drop by one of our locations and donate non-perishable food or grocery items and help us haul away hunger.”
In the past, Trailer Wizards collected food for Hunger Awareness Week and its 50th anniversary celebration, and Vanderspek says they made a “huge impact collecting food” thanks to help of their customers and suppliers.
If you would like to drop off non-perishable food or make a monetary donation, visit a Trailer Wizards’ location near you.
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They say “History repeats itself, but opportunity doesn’t.”
Google has given Cape Townians a golden opportunity to take part of the launch of Google Maps in South Africa, this Friday October 30 at the University of Cape Town.
Speakers will include Google Business Product Manager Jarda Bengl, (This is also a good chance to connect for those interested ).
The Talk will cover an Introduction to development with the Google Maps API and to quote from Google themselves …
Duration of the Talk : From 10:00-12:30
Location: University of Cape Town, Lecture Theatre 302, Computer Science building, 18 University Avenue, UCT Upper Campus


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The next generation BMW 7 Series (G11) has been photographed again. This time BMW engineers have started to test the new flagship model on the Nürburgring.
The next generation BMW 7 Series was caught in February for the first time and continues to wear heavy camouflage and temporary lights.
Compared to the current model, the front door looks shorter, while the rear door is much longer, hinting at even more leg room for rear seat passengers. New 7er is expected to loose a good deal of weight and will be packed with different high tech options and new safety features.
The new 7 Series is expected to arrive in late 2014 or in early 2015.


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Here is an industry update of interest to consumers and musicians alike.
In light of a recent report that Apple will soon abandon music downloads (later denied, but undoubtedly containing a certain amount of inevitability), we thought we’d take a moment to update you on the state of Bandcamp’s business and our plans for the future.
Bandcamp grew by 35% last year. Fans pay artists $4.3 million dollars every month using the site, and they buy about 25,000 records a day, which works out to about one every 4 seconds (you can see a real-time feed of those purchases on our desktop home page). Nearly 6 million fans have bought music through Bandcamp (half of whom are younger than 30), and hundreds of thousands of artists have sold music on Bandcamp. Digital album sales on Bandcamp grew 14% in 2015 while dropping 3% industry-wide, track sales grew 11% while dropping 13% industry-wide, vinyl was up 40%, cassettes 49%… even CD sales…
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Lewis family says investment reflects high confidence in the business, brand and people.
The family behind the River Island clothing chain has taken control of Mint Velvet, the fashion label founded by three former Principles executives, in a deal understood to value the company in excess of £100m.
The co-founders Peter Davies, Liz Houghton and Lisa Agar-Rea will share a multimillion-pound payout from the deal with the Lewis Trust Group (LTG).
It is a second fashion fortune for Davies, who previously rescued and sold Principles and Warehouse, making nearly £40m in three years.
LTG, which also owns stakes in the Everyman cinema chain and the San Francisco-based fast fashion label Dolls Kill, first bought a stake in Mint Velvet in 2015. It is understood to have exercised an option to take control of the company last week.
Mint Velvet, which specialises in “relaxed glamour” for the over 30s, was started from Houghton’s kitchen table in 2009 and launched with concessions in House of Fraser.


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Zooming out from current US steel woes shows a long slide
OREANDA-NEWS. October 12, 2015. US buyers and sellers of steel have lots of time on their hands to study their predicament as the market remains in the doldrums, but gaining perspective could produce even more malaise.
It has been more than a month since US integrated mills’ union contracts reached their expiration date and there are still no settlements with the United Steelworkers union. Union contracts at American automakers — steel’s best customer — are in limbo too, with United Auto Workers at Fiat Chrysler voting down a tentative agreement that could have set the standard for the industry.
Many in the steel industry are coming to the conclusion that mills must shutter some capacity for prices to rise and stimulate the market. But it seems like the labor situations are complicating matters, making it difficult for a mill to settle on a strategy.
A big boost in demand would solve a lot of the steelmakers’ problems with production, imports and inventories — and it might even help with the union situation — but no such boost is on the horizon. To the contrary, a labor strike or lockout in the auto industry could seriously dim the demand picture.
Steel market players are trying to avoid gloom and doom, but some are seeing a historically weak market. America’s Great Recession is the context for the economic health of the country, and for the steel industry, the current market compares unfavorably.
A look at domestic US hot-rolled coil prices, the bellwether steel product, over the past 10 years tells the tale. While the plunge in prices was more dramatic in 2008, from an unprecedented peak of about \\$1,100 a short ton in July of that year to about \\$400/st in May of 2009, the recovery was shorter.
By recovery, though, we don’t mean all the way back to \\$1,100/st, which was clearly an anomaly, despite suggestions by some mill executives at the time that this was the new normal, that cyclical changes may be a thing of the past and that steel buyers had better “get used to it.”Looking at the span since 2005, the average HRC price, ex-works Midwest mill, has been more like \\$600/st and HRC prices bounced back to that level to begin 2010, a mere seven months after the 2009 HRC price nadir.
The current US HRC market is flirting with \\$400/st again after a wrenching 16-month decline from \\$675/st in May of 2014. The Platts price assessment for US HRC now stands at about \\$430/st ex-works, but that is for orders of up to 500 st. Bigger deals get bigger discounts and talk of sub-\\$400/st HRC is emerging for big buys.
While that’s bad enough, many in the market don’t see a recovery until perhaps the second quarter of 2016, which means the market will have been wandering in the wilderness (or sleeping in a Motel 6) for about two years.


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UK trade group the Health Food Manufacturers Association (HFMA) has been presented with the silver prize for the ‘Best Lobbying Campaign or Advancement of a Cause During COVID-19’ at the Association Excellence Awards 2021.
The award recognises the quick action taken by the HFMA to ensure ‘critical’ status for the health food retailing sector and ‘key worker’ status for member company employees throughout the pandemic, and for the launch of its first direct-to-consumer campaign, ‘HealthyDoesIt’.
Graham Keen, executive director at the HFMA, says: “The HFMA has worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic to promote, protect and defend the interests of the natural products sector.
“The last 18 months have been challenging for many industries, so we are delighted to accept this award as recognition of the hard work and dedication of everyone in the HFMA ‘family’, perhaps most of all our loyal and long-standing member companies. Our response to COVID-19 has led to an increased focus on the role of health foods and supplements, record growth in HFMA membership and, now, this fantastic accolade.”
“Our response to COVID-19 has led to an increased focus on the role of health foods and supplements, record growth in HFMA membership and, now, this fantastic accolade”
The HFMA was also one of six organisations shortlisted for UK Trade Association of the Year.
Pictured: (L-R) Graham Keen, executive Director, Esther Mills-Roberts, communications manager, and Robert Taylor, vice president


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Companies affiliated with Carol’s Daughter filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Thursday in connection with the beauty brand’s move to close most of its stores.
CD Stores LLC, formerly known as Carol’s Daughter Stores LLC, filed its Chapter 11 petition with the Manhattan bankruptcy court, as did the individual companies behind Carol’s Daughter stores. Court papers show that CD Stores is 100 percent owned by parent company Carol’s Daughter Holdings LLC (the parent company didn’t file for bankruptcy). And the petition, which reported assets and debts each in the $1 million to $10 million range, was signed by Carol’s Daughter Chief Financial Officer John D. Elmer.
In new court papers filed Thursday afternoon, Elmer said most Carol’s Daughter stores have been unprofitable since 2010. Before the bankruptcy filing, the company closed all but two of its seven stores and terminated 29 of its 42 employees. It hopes to use its time in Chapter 11 to reorganize and consolidate its operations around its two open stores, in Brooklyn and Harlem. Besides the stores, Carol’s Daughter products are offered for sale on its website and through such third parties as the Home Shopping Network and Sephora.
In fact, Carol’s Daughter products are now available in more than 2,000 other retail stores around the U.S., according to Richard Dantas, chief executive of Carol’s Daughter. He said that the company is refocusing its distribution strategy to focus on these retailers.
“Today’s filing in no way reflects the parent company’s healthy financial situation, and is a part of its plan to grow the brand through national retail outlets,” Dantas said Thursday in an emailed statement.
Joining CD Stores in Chapter 11 were such affiliated companies as CD Store Atlantic Terminal LLC and CD Store Roosevelt Field LLC, which respectively share addresses with Carol’s Daughter stores in Brooklyn and Garden City, N.Y.
Founded in 1993 by Lisa Price (the eponymous Carol’s daughter), the chain makes hair, body and skincare products with natural ingredients, with a special focus on products for African-American women. The line has enjoyed financial backing in the past from such celebrities as actor Will Smith, actress Jada Pinkett Smith and hip-hop mogul Jay Z, and was featured on Oprah Winfrey’s television talk show.


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The world of identity as we know it is about to change, as the looming elimination of the third-party cookies and other identifiers has marketers actively seeking solutions for unprecedented scenarios. While much is still uncertain, it is near guaranteed that the digital marketing landscape is about to be upended. With this massive change on the horizon, it is more important than ever that the advertising community is educated, informed and speaking the same language.
This event took place on Tuesday, August 24, 2021 at 1:30 PM ET. Our panelists discussed the implications of identity and addressability in a cookieless ecosystem.


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A scheme to promote exports will be extended till March 31 this year though the government had decided to discontinue it under pressure from the World Trade Organization (WTO), a business association has said.
The government has not officially announced extending the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) but it will stay till the new Foreign Trade Policy begins on April 1, said the Federation of Indian Export Organisations on Thursday.
The government had decided to discontinue MEIS--its largest export promotion scheme--after the WTO said it distorted trade by providing direct subsidies. The organization, in November 2019, ruled against India in its trade dispute with the US and asked it to stop all export promotion schemes within four months.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced in September a new scheme named Remission of Duties or Taxes on Export Products (RoDTEP) to replace MEIS for all goods exports. Government officials said RoDTEP, would also be based on MEIS and is estimated to cost Rs. 50,000 crore in tax rebates but the rates are yet to be decided.
Indian industry had opposed withdrawing MEIS, arguing they needed government support to ride out a global slowdown blamed on a trade war between the US and China.
"The issue of MEIS benefits on specified products of apparel and Made-ups (is that the word?) is likely to be resolved soon and thereafter exporters would be eligible for benefits till 31 March along with Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies (RoSCTL) benefits," said FIEO president Sharad Kumar Saraf. Benefits under the RoSCTL have been provided to the two sectors since is in place since March.
MEIS—introduced in 2015 by merging five schemes—incentivises merchandise exports of more than 8,000 items. Exporters earn duty credits at fixed rates of 2 per cent, 3 per cent, and 5 per cent, depending upon the product and country.
The exporters federation said that certain products, for which additional MEIS benefits of 2 per cent had been removed on 7 December, will also have their benefits reinstated till March 31.


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Liquid ice cooling has a 58% lower impact on climate change
Halle, Belgium, 2016-Jan-21 — /EPR Retail News/ — Colruyt Group has recently started using a new type of refrigerated container to transport fresh products to the stores. This ‘liquid ice container’ was developed by in-house engineers and uses liquid ice, a first in the sector. The container has an impact on climate change that is 58 % lower than a classic refrigerated container. This is because the liquid ice is made using locally generated green power and is constantly being recycled. Moreover, the refrigerated containers can stay at the same temperature for 48 hours, which makes the logistics more flexible and efficient. Currently, there are more than 600 containers in use, and within approximately three years, all the old refrigerated containers will have been replaced.
Fewer greenhouse emissions
The use of liquid ice containers generates less than half the climate change* impact of regular refrigerated containers. Liquid ice is a frozen but liquid mix of water and ethanol. The coolant is produced at the distribution centre in Halle, using locally generated green wind and solar energy. The mix is pumped into specially designed refrigerated containers, which then reach the desired temperature within half an hour. They can then be stocked with fresh products and leave for the stores in normal lorries. Upon their return, the mix is pumped from the container, cooled again, and reused.
“Moreover, when necessary we can inject a maximum amount of liquid ice into the containers to keep them at temperature for up to 48 hours”, says engineer Benjamin De Cooman. “This greater autonomy affords us more leeway in the logistics chain. The new container also has a larger volume, which means we need fewer containers and can transport more goods during fewer trips. In short, we can have a more flexible and efficient transportation planning, which saves transportation kilometres and greenhouse gas emissions.”
The choice for liquid ice is the next step in Colruyt Group’s realisation of its CO2 reduction plan. By 2020, the group wants to reduce the relative greenhouse gas emissions by 20% as compared to 2008.
In-house research and development
Colruyt Group is the first retailer in the world to use liquid ice for the transportation of refrigerated products. The new containers were developed by engineers in the Energy, Environment, and Special techniques department. “We research new techniques that are more efficient and cost-reducing, and that simultaneously reduce our impact on the environment”, says Benjamin De Cooman. “For instance, we’re also researching the application of liquid ice in our freezer transportation.” Colruyt Group has been using cooling containers for the transportation of fresh and frozen products rather than regular refrigerated lorries for decades. This means that different types of products can be combined in one load, which once again saves a lot of transportation kilometres.
*Impact on climate change (greenhouse gas emission) calculated according to the Product Environmental Footprint methodology of the European Commission.
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SOURCE: Colruyt Group