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Starbucks Taps PepsiCo for International Growth: What Investors Need to Know
Starbucks shareholders had a lot to celebrate last week after the java giant reported awe-inspiring third-quarter results. Net profit surged 22% to a record $939 million in the period. Total revenue, meanwhile, increased 18% to $4.9 billion from the year-ago period. This, together with, earnings-per-share of $0.41 (also in record territory), led to a resounding triumph over Wall Street's expectations for both the top and bottom lines in the quarter.
Investors have rewarded the coffee retailer by pushing its shares higher by as much as 40% so far this year. With the stock now trading near its 52-week high of around $57 per share, many investors worry they've missed the rally. Fortunately for these folks, I believe Starbucks stock has much more room to run -- particularly thanks to its budding digital platform and a new global partnership with PepsiCo .
A partner in crimeTwo of America's favorite beverage giants have officially joined forces. During Starbucks' third-quarter earnings call the company announced a strategic partnership with Pepsi that will bring its ready-to-drink coffee beverages to Latin American markets in the year ahead including the Caribbean. Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, and Uruguay. While this tie-up between the two beverage companies is significant, it isn't surprising.
Starbucks and PepsiCo already have a proven track record of success together. The two companies, for example, teamed up more than 20 years ago to create the North American Coffee Partnership or NACP. That organization has since gone on to dominate the ready-to-drink space in the U.S., with more than 97% market share today. Therefore, history is certainly on Starbucks and Pepsi's side when it comes to replicating this success in foreign markets.
Source: Starbucks ready-to-drink beverages.
In addition to their pre-existing relationship status, Pepsi is also an ideal fit for Starbucks' international growth ambitions because of its vast distribution network and expertise in the region. In fact, PepsiCo has been running operations in Latin America for more than 100 years, thereby making it somewhat of a market expert.
Starbucks' shareholders should be happy about this deal because it will significantly boost the specialty coffee retailer's consumer packaged goods business. Sales from consumer packaged goods rose more than 5% in the latest quarter, though we should see an even greater return in the quarters ahead once Latin America comes online. Moreover, many industry experts now believe Starbucks' CPG business could one day rival that of its retail business.
Additionally, Starbucks knows there is strong demand for its products in Latin America. That's particularly true considering the company has successfully grown its presence there to what is now more than 870 stores in 14 markets throughout Latin America. Ultimately, this existing brand presence and store footprint should help Starbucks and PepsiCo grab a significant piece of the $4 billion Latin America ready-to-drink segment in the years ahead.
The article Starbucks Taps PepsiCo for International Growth: What Investors Need to Know originally appeared on Fool.com.
Tamara Rutter owns shares of PepsiCo and Starbucks. The Motley Fool recommends PepsiCo and Starbucks. The Motley Fool owns shares of Starbucks. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Copyright 1995 - 2015 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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Food doesn't taste as good if you're obese, study says
Obesity may actually dull one's sensitivity to taste, according to a study from Cornell University, which found that inflammation caused by excess weight reduced the number of taste buds on the tongues of mice.
A taste bud is made up of about 50 to 100 receptor cells that play different roles in sensing salty, sweet, bitter, sour and umami flavors. Taste buds have short lifespans, lasting an average of 10 days.
Researchers fed two different groups of mice different diets - an obesogenic diet and a normal diet. After eight weeks, the group that was fed the unhealthy diet weighed a third more than the group given a normal diet.
Additionally, the obese mice had about 25 percent fewer taste buds than the lean mice.
"These data together suggest that gross adiposity stemming from chronic exposure to a high-fat diet is associated with a low-grade inflammatory response causing a disruption in the balancing mechanisms of taste bud maintenance and renewal," said study co-author Robin Dando. "These results may point to novel therapeutic strategies for alleviating taste dysfunction in obese populations."
Ten percent of American deaths are obesity related, and heart disease remains the nation's leading cause of death.
Nearly 37 percent of Americans are obese, and it's estimated that obesity costs the U.S. about $147 billion each year.
Consumption of processed foods is also on the rise. At 57.9 percent, more than half of calories consumed by Americans come from processed foods, while only 30 percent come from fresh or unprocessed foods.

domain: news


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A delegation from Botswana visited Macomb to celebrate new educational exchange agreements between Western Illinois Univesity and universities in Botswana.
There are items we may want like a new cell phone, an iPad or a luxury car. Then there are items we need like food, water and shelter.
Sustainability and affordability can go “hand in hand.” That’s the opinion of an expert with Habitat for Humanity of Iowa.
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn wants to give Western Illinois University even less money next year than it received this year.
The governor’s budget address called for a funding decrease of 2.5 million dollars for Western. In response WIU President Jack Thomas sent a letter to staff telling them to prepare for the cuts.


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How popular is hockey in Canada? So popular, it seems, that if you're planning to break into a convenience store to steal beer, you disguise yourself as a goalie.
Besides the skates, however, there's just one piece of the uniform this beer thief forgot.
"He was wearing everything but a mask," Russell police Cpl. Brett Church told the Winnipeg Free Press this week about the incident that occurred the morning of Aug. 15.
Church said the suspect was wearing a ski mask to obscure his face, so identifying the perpetrator might be difficult. The man's gait, however, might give some clues. Church said the no-good netminder held his hockey stick "in his weak hand....


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New Chevy Camaro 1LE to Debut This Week
Chevy plans to show off the 2016 Camaro 1LE later this week at the Chicago Auto Show.
The package will be all-new for the redesigned 2016 Camaro and will offer improved performance thanks to plenty of added parts.
On the 2015 Camaro 1LE (seen above), the package consists of performance upgrades that include a shorter final drive ratio, wider tires and thicker stabilizer bars. Weight reduction is also used to help this pony car hustle, while new wheel bearings, toe links, a strut tower brace and monotube dampers borrowed from ZL1 also helped it stick to the ground.
READ MORE HERE: New Chevy Camaro 1LE to Debut This Week » AutoGuide.com News


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user retention insights
user retention insights news search results
Developer news items we found relating to user retention insights
Insights on push alert frequency to improve new app user retention
Monday, March 27, 2017 by Richard Harris
Mobile growth company Urban Airship detailed industry findings from its mobile app retention study, spanning new users’ first 90-days of app usage within retail, media, sports & recreation and utility/productivity. By analyzing the frequency of messaging users received and their corresponding retention rates, Urban Airship provides a deeper understanding that dispel...


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InstaVolt has joined Octopus Energy’s EV roaming service Electroverse which provides access to more than half a million public charge points globally.
It now serves one in four EV drivers in the UK – more than any other public charging service in the country.
Electroverse also offers embedded features to improve the charging experience, including an interactive global map showing chargers’ availability, a route-planner, in-car support with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto as well as Plug and Charge support.
InstaVolt operates more than 1,300 ultra-rapid and rapid charge points across about 550 locations in the UK.
Its UK charge points can be found at retail and hospitality locations including Costa Coffee, McDonald’s, Booths Supermarkets and Bannatyne Health Clubs.
Matt Davies, Director at Octopus Electroverse, said, “As more drivers switch to electric, we’re making charging on-the-go as slick as possible. We already have over 580 charge point operators on Octopus Electroverse and we’re incredibly excited to welcome InstaVolt on board.”
Adrian Keen, CEO at InstaVolt, said, “Record numbers of UK drivers are deciding to make the switch to EVs, and as a business we are committed to improving the charging experience for customers with plans to install 10,000 chargers by 2030.
“Our partnership with Octopus Electroverse is yet another important step towards decarbonising the UK’s roads and provides more options for EV drivers needing to charge. The Electroverse tech is industry leading, and the interactivity creates a seamless experience for users.”


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With Facebook a household name and more than 1 billion worldwide downloads of the “Angry Birds” franchise, it’s easy to see why companies like Middletown-based information technology firm Rite-Solutions Inc. are trying to figure out how to use gaming as a means to better motivate employees and serve clients.
At Rite-Solutions, CEO James R. Lavoie has helped bring gaming into the workplace with “Mutual Fun,” a stock market-inspired game that allows employees to make “intellectual capital investments” about the future of the company the way they would make financial investments on the stock market.
Every employee at Rite-Solutions is given $10,000 of fake “investment money” as a way to represent their intellectual investments in different indices, including: emerging technologies, products and services in line with current company offerings, and cost-saving initiatives. “The hope is once they put their money there, they now have an interest in raising the price of that stock,” said Lavoie.
The game is an example of “gamification” – the use of game mechanics, elements and techniques into a nongame setting – in order to engage users and solve problems.
“Games fill an innate human need to overcome challenges and face obstacles,” said Jose Esteves, professor at the IE Brown Executive MBA, a collaborative program between the Madrid-based Instituto de Empressa Business School and Brown University. In his Dec. 5 lecture “The Art of Enterprise Gamification,” at Brown, Esteves explained how social gaming and gamification techniques are being used successfully by companies around the globe.
According to Esteves, who calls gamification a “social phenomenon,” 69 percent of all heads of households regularly play some sort of game, as do 97 percent of all children. It benefits companies to tap into that resource in order to engage users. “Just because we don’t game doesn’t mean our employees, suppliers and customers are not doing it,” said Esteves.
In a 2011 report, Stamford, Conn.-based research firm Gartner Inc. predicts that by 2014, roughly 70 percent of the world’s top 2,000 public companies will have at least one gamified application. Although Gartner said the current growth of gamification is “largely driven by novelty and hype,” the firm predicts it will continue as a highly significant trend over the next five years.


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Yelp revealed the most popular beauty services in 2019 with HydraFacial coming out on top. The user-generated review forum, found that the HydraFacial treatment was the top choice of beauty lovers for 2019, and that it is mentioned four times more often in reviews than it was four years ago.
Yelp, in celebration of its 15th anniversary, found what beauty treatments were on the rise in 2019 based on nearly 200 million reviews it received. Yelp even stated in its statistics that HydraFacials have seen a meteoric rise in popularity in the last five years. Other beauty treatments that continue to rise in beauty as well was dermaplaning and microneedling.
Bazaar believes that the rise in these three treatments could be due to the popularity of the "no makeup makeup" look that also rose to fame in 2019.
"At Yelp, we’re seeing that people are going for beauty treatments that are reflective of a more natural look—ditching the fake tans and permanent makeup," Tara Lewis, a Yelp trend expert revealed to Elle US in an interview. Lewis continued to explain how people are instead turning to skin care treatments in the beauty realm to aspire to a naturally beautiful look rather than packed on false eyelashes and fake tans.
Other honorable mentions that made the top reviews on Yelp in 2019 are:
- Laser facial
- Nail art
- Vaginal Steaming
- Lash Lift


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Part one in a two-part series.
Residents of Sitka could vote this fall on whether to build a dock for large cruise ships near downtown. Right now, visitors arriving aboard such vessels are ferried to shore on smaller boats.
The Sitka Assembly is debating whether to ask voters if they want a dock in the area behind Centennial Hall. The idea is more to get a sense of whether Sitkans want the city to pursue funding for a downtown dock.
Those in favor of the dock hope it will bring more money into the community. Those against the dock are concerned it could spoil Sitka’s downtown. But the arguments are more complicated. A downtown dock has been a complicated – and controversial – topic in Sitka for many years.
A navy blue Holland America ship is anchored in Sitka Sound. Passengers are combing through downtown stores. And, on this Thursday afternoon, I’m walking along Sitka’s main drag with Tonia Rioux. She runs the Sitka Convention and Visitors Bureau.
We take a look around.
“I see a lot less people for a cruise day than what we used to see downtown,” she says. “And I see some empty storefronts and a lot of sale signs in the window — discount sale signs, liquidating. Some shops have goods in them but they’re closed right now, even though it’s still early afternoon.”
This scene was a little different four years ago, when nearly 290,000 passengers came to Sitka on cruise ships. This year, 106,000 people are expected to arrive that way. It’s about a third as many, and it is the lowest number in at least 15 years.
“By nature, I’m always very optimistic,” Rioux said. “But the reality of things right now is that people are very worried. I feel like there’s cause for that. There’s valid cause for concern.”
We stop for a minute in front of an empty store at the corner of Lincoln and American streets. A sign behind the building reads “Parking for Colin only.” That’s Colin Hereforth, but he’s not parking there anymore. He and his wife Christy Jones, ran the Fairweather Gallery and Gifts from this location for 17 years. But this year, they moved the business to Juneau.
“When we got the cruise ship calendar last fall for this coming season, and we saw that it was down again further, somewhere around 100,000 visitors, versus a million in Juneau, it seemed like, well, how can we not do this?” Hereforth said.
Still, Hereforth says it was a difficult decision, and one that’s confused a few people.
“’Oh have you moved to Juneau? Are you in Juneau now? Are you living in Juneau?’ And adamantly, I tell everybody, absolutely not. Sitka’s my home,” he said. “Sitka’s been my home for a long time, I’m well rooted here and I have no desire to leave this community. That was part of the heartbreak – the difficulty in deciding to take our business elsewhere.”
The studio portion of Fairweather will remain in Sitka, too. But moving the store to Juneau appears to be paying off.
“We’re doing, generally, five days a week, what was our absolute best days over here in the past, which would only be a handful – half a dozen – during the course of the summer,” Hereforth said.
Hereforth, though, is torn on the issue of a dock. Would it help to have more visitors coming through town? Absolutely, he says. Is a dock the way to do it? It’s part of it, he says, but not a silver bullet.
The case for a dock goes like this: If it was easier for passengers to get on and off the boat, more of them would spend more time on shore, and therefore more time shopping. That translates to more money for local businesses, and here’s where the city comes in, more sales tax revenues for the municipal government.
The case against a dock includes the worry that downtown would be overwhelmed, or that more businesses would close up in the off-season, leaving downtown deserted.
“You know, I’ve tried to stay open in Sitka, one winter,” said Marcus Hernandez, owner of the Sitka Fur Gallery. The store is closed during the off-season. He says the winter he tried to stay open, he didn’t have enough sales to make it worth it.
“If I did, I would,” he said. “But we’re an Alaska company. I pay my taxes, I have a home here in Sitka, I own several properties in Sitka. I love Sitka. If I could be here, I would.”
The Fur Gallery also has other locations, including Ketchikan. That’s where Hernandez meets customers who chose not to get off the boat in Sitka.
“The amount of people that have told us that they did not get off the boat is quite a few,” Hernandez said. “It’s a problem if you’re handicapped, if you don’t like the lightering, if it makes you nervous … I mean, give somebody a reason not to get on shore and they’ll stay on board.”
This is the first of two reports on the possibility of a cruise dock in Sitka. In the next report, we’ll hear from cruise passengers, an industry representative, and the organizer of an online discussion titled “Sitka Dock – should or should not.” All of that airs Monday on Raven News.


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Isis NFC mobile payment group gets backing from handset manufacturers
Isis, a joint venture of Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile, has announced that the major hardware makers of Android (and Windows 7) phones have climbed on board and will offer hardware that implements Isis' NFC tech and standards. The press release names LG, Motorola, HTC, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and BlackBerry manufacturer RIM as hardware partners, as well as DeviceFidelity to offer solutions such as NFC enabled memory cards for phones built without NFC hardware. Scott Mulloy, chief technology officer at Isis, says the following:
While we can't see the future, we're going to have to assume this isn't good news for Google and their own NFC payment system, Google Wallet. Mired in some unknown exclusivity agreement with Sprint, Google Wallet was not provided for any unlocked, non-carrier branded Nexus S devices, though they would be fully capable. With carriers and OEM's on board with Isis, it looks like another uphill battle for Google. The good news for us is that now companies are seeing the value in devices with NFC technology, and the manufacturers are ready to provide it. There's still one major player who hasn't chimed in yet, though -- Apple. Only time will tell if Apple jumps on board with the upcoming "standard" or if they implement iWallet themselves in pursuit of a bigger cut. The press release is after the break.
Read more about RIM and Isis at Crackberry
HTC, LG, Motorola Mobility, RIM, Samsung Mobile, Sony Ericsson and DeviceFidelity to Implement Isis NFC and Technology Standards
Mobile Device Makers to Accelerate Adoption of Mobile Commerce; NFC Architecture Provides Security and Convenience
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Isis, the joint venture between AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile USA and Verizon Wireless, announced today that HTC, LG, Motorola Mobility, RIM, Samsung Mobile and Sony Ericsson will introduce NFC-enabled mobile devices that implement Isis’ NFC and technology standards. For consumers who have or purchase smartphones that are not NFC-enabled, Isis is working with DeviceFidelity to add NFC functionality to the mobile device, ensuring a wide range of consumer choice.
“Isis’ technology standards provide the direction and certainty needed for the development and deployment of NFC devices and the mobile commerce ecosystem,” said Scott Mulloy, chief technology officer, Isis. “Working together with the device makers and our founding mobile carriers, Isis can provide the consumer choice and scale necessary for widespread adoption of mobile commerce.”
NFC-enabled phones will allow Isis consumers to securely make payments, store and present loyalty cards and redeem offers at participating merchants with the tap of their phones.
“Today’s announcement signals the growing acceptance of NFC technology by some of the world’s leading device makers,” said Kouji Kodera, chief product officer, HTC Corporation. “At HTC, we see tremendous opportunities for consumers and merchants as we move beyond traditional payments to a future of NFC-enabled mobile commerce.”
“NFC technology on LG devices will provide consumers with an all-in-one mobile experience that delivers convenience without comprising security or piece of mind,” said Jeff Hwang, president, LG Mobile Phones. “Creating the ideal mobile wallet, LG NFC enabled devices will help change the way consumers shop, pay and save.”
“NFC is the future of mobile payments and will ensure that transactions are done securely from mobile devices,” said Christy Wyatt, corporate vice president of software and services product management, Motorola Mobility. “Through working with Isis as well as the broader Android ecosystem, we look forward to providing consumers with NFC-enabled handsets that make mobile commerce a reality.”
By using NFC-enabled smartphones, Isis will enhance how consumers, banks, payment networks and merchants interact, significantly modernizing the payment experience.
“RIM is working in close collaboration with Isis to help make the concept of mobile commerce a reality,” said Andrew Bocking, vice president of BlackBerry Software, Research In Motion. “The new line-up of BlackBerry® 7 smartphones include various models that are NFC-enabled and demonstrates RIM’s commitment to enabling NFC-based experiences on BlackBerry.”
“The key to widespread adoption of mobile commerce will be the broad availability of NFC-enabled handsets,” said Dale Sohn, president, Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile). “Samsung Mobile will be working with Isis and the mobile carriers to ensure NFC-enabled handsets are widely available to consumers.”
Isis is committed to developing a comprehensive, open mobile commerce platform that aligns the interests of all key stakeholders and provides consumers with freedom of choice and security.
“NFC offers consumers the ability to broaden their communication experience beyond the phone, and common standards and best practices are key to a secure and convenient mobile commerce experience. Sony Ericsson is poised to be part of this movement and to drive the development of new, exciting and creative experiences to deliver the most entertaining smartphones,” said Jan Uddenfeldt, chief technology officer, Sony Ericsson.
“DeviceFidelity is proud to be among those chosen by Isis to power its NFC mobile wallet offering,” said Deepak Jain, chief executive officer and co-founder, DeviceFidelity. “Working side-by-side with Isis and leading handset makers, we aim to provide the scale and choice of consumer preferred devices to ignite the industry and assure continual mass adoption of mobile commerce.”
The joint venture is between AT&T Mobility LLC, T-Mobile USA and Verizon Wireless and is based in New York City. The venture is chartered with building ISIS™, a national mobile commerce platform that will fundamentally transform how people shop, pay and save. The Isis mobile commerce platform will be available to all merchants, banks and mobile carriers. Isis is a trademark of JVL Ventures, LLC in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other logos, product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
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Jerry is an amateur woodworker and struggling shade tree mechanic. There's nothing he can't take apart, but many things he can't reassemble. You'll find him writing and speaking his loud opinion on Android Central and occasionally on Twitter.


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Oct 8, 2018 8:00 am
Nothing illustrates how complex and fragile our food network is than a bacterial outbreak. Back in April, an E. coli outbreak involving romaine lettuce spread to 22 American states, leading to people being admitted to hospital and developing...
Sep 24, 2018 8:00 am
Just a few years ago it would have been unthinkable to get into a strangerís car at night or stay in a strangerís home. Surprisingly, today it is commonplace. Why? Why do we inherently trust strangers today in ways that would have been...
Sep 11, 2018 8:00 am
Pets.com, a website dedicated to online sales of pet food and supplies, was the poster child of the burst of the e-commerce bubble. The hype surrounding the potential for e-commerce had reached a fever pitch by the time it held its initial public...
All-new Senate line-up for OBA
Botanical Gardens infested with rats
Family Ďhurtí Ferguson shooter is still free
Freak accident costs landscaper a thumb
New Hamilton eatery to open next month
Three made redundant at Bermuda Motors
Van driver had only auxiliary cycle licence
Thousands walk for breast cancer awareness
Take Our Poll


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Apple's Core: The iPhone (Update 1)
NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Apple(AAPL) reports second-quarter earnings after the bell Tuesday and investors will be paying particularly attention to iPhone sales, given recent worries of a slowdown.
The importance of the iPhone is vast, as it accounted for 52.66% of Apple's revenue in its most recent quarter .
Concerns about iPhone sales strengthened last week, when Apple supplier Qualcomm(QCOM) said it's seeing supply constraints for its 28 nanometer (NM) chips during its second-quarter earnings call. The San Diego-based chipmaker said it's working on getting supply up to speed, but that's led some to believe Apple may not sell as many iPhones as it could.
Canaccord Genuity analyst T. Michael Walkley lowered his near-term iPhone estimates, as iPhone 4S sales slow down in developed markets. He did raise fiscal 2012 iPhone estimates based on expected strong demand for the iPhone 5.
"Our recent channel checks indicated iPhone sell-through share has modestly declined in certain developed markets, and we expect this could continue as Android competitors ramp new smartphones during the June and September quarters and consumers start to hold off iPhone purchases in anticipation of the iPhone 5," Walkley wrote in his research note. He lowered his 2012 earnings estimates but raised his 2013 earnings.
Walkley rated Apple shares buy and raised his price target to $740 from $710.
Apple sold 37.04 million iPhones, 15.43 million iPads, 5.2 million Macs, and 15.4 million iPods during its all important first-quarter, which Bill Kreher, technology analyst for Edward Jones, described as "mind-boggling."
There are also concerns that telecom giants AT&T(T) and Verizon(VZ) may cut subsidies for the iPhone, as it's proven to weigh on their margins, leaving the potential for Apple to sell fewer phones. Verizon said it activated 3.2 million iPhones during the last quarter, down from 4.2 million the previous quarter.
AT&T also posed worries Tuesday when it announced that it activated 4.3 million iPhones during its first-quarter, below Wall Street expectations.
Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster said he believes the fears of a subsidy cut are overblown, in light of Verizon's comments on its earnings call. Munster noted Verizon management said it manages subsidies by handset, and that "Verizon appears to be looking to potentially control subsidies through greater handset provider competition."
Channing Smith, portfolio manager at Capital Advisors Growth Fund believes Apple's earnings will be good, but warrants some caution in light of lofty expectations.
Expectations have been rising and the stock price has been falling over the last week which is troubling. Near-term momentum has been weak with the stock trading well below its 10-day and 30-day moving average and is close to breaching the 50-day average. If earnings disappoint you could see this selloff be more pronounced as the technical support "breaks down further," Smith said in an email. He is long Apple shares.


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April Fools 2012 is right around the corner, falling on Sunday this year. It may not be a national holiday, but it's definitely an opportunity to let off a bit of steam by commissioning some good humor.
For those not keen on hashtags and trending topics, Do a Barrel Roll has been sweeping social networking sites for the past 36 hours. Thanks to the behemoth Google, Do a Barrel Roll became one of the hottest search terms on the site, as individuals across the world wanted to see what exactly a barrel roll was.
Hijinks at Google headquarters create endless fun for the rest of us
Monk Class, the Pandaren race and Pet Battle System are among the new additions of Blizzard's popular MMORPG.
This year, the usual suspects in the tech world pulled their pranks on April Fools’ Day
The Royal Wedding was a top target for Friday's pranks in the press. According to MSNBC, The Daily Mail joked that princess-to-be, Middleton, went shopping for baby clothes. The paper had a Middleton look-a-like shopping for baby clothes. The photographer was Will Sandkate.
Witticisms, super pranks, ultimate gags, hoaxes and plain lies are searching for fools this day. People turn the most cynical this day so that they don’t look naive, and turn on their gullibility meter at the highest level of alert. But a lot of us are caught off guard by some comic concoctions that mix contemporary humor with ingenious lies which are sometimes delectable.
April Fool's Day frenzy grips Twitter, with tweeps playing pranks, and a flood of jokes on celebrities like Rebecca Black, Justin Bieber, and Lady Gaga.
The National Weather Service (NOAA) has issued an advisory stating that New England can expect a spring storm on April Fool's Day on Friday owing to a low pressure system coming from the southeast.
The shocking (and highly ludicrous) news over the weekend that Mark Zuckerberg was going to shut down Facebook because it was causing him too much “stress” was only the latest in a long line of corporation-related hoaxes that have long amused, annoyed and bedeviled the public.
PC users are bracing themselves for the latest virus, one so menacing that Microsoft has offered a reward of a quarter of a million dollars for tracking down its creator, which some experts believe will strike on Wednesday April 1st.


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Samsung's new smartphone camera was intended to be the marketing focal point of the Galaxy S5's massive upgrade, but production issues are threatening to delay the launch of the phone and disrupt overall distribution, according to Business Insider. While both Samsung's reputation and bottom line are likely to suffer as a result, the delay should stand as an example for other product suppliers everywhere: Logistical versatility is no longer a luxury, but a necessity. That is why companies from myriad industries have taken to investing in a more optimized operations and supply chain management system.
The upgraded Galaxy S5 smartphone is the company's flagship product, and the first to use its patented ISOCEll technology, the news source reported. Using a slimmer lens, Samsung was able to develop a 16-megapixel mobile phone camera capable of capturing low-light images and more accurate colors. The only problem is that such a thin lens is prone to performance issues.
"On a thin lens, even the slightest flaw results in a considerable optic distortion," an unnamed "industry insider" told Korean publication ETNews. "To make [a] plastic lens thinner, more accurate mold technology is necessary."
The Overall Implications
The popular technology manufacturer is working on fixing the problem. However, it seems developers are having little luck. ETNews confirmed that Samsung's current lens production yield is hovering between 20 percent to 30 percent, which has already stalled production. Construction on the phone's camera module was set to begin in February, but lens delays are continuing to push the deadline back further.
Samsung announced last month that April 11 would be the launch date of the new Galaxy S5 in key regional markets in more than 150 countries, but KTNews confirmed that going by its own schedule, the launch will have to be delayed in at least a few areas. It's still unclear as to whether the U.S. will be affected.
To organize the same-day launch of a single product worldwide takes considerable organization and logistical prowess, but Samsung's latest issue demonstrates how vulnerable supply chains really are. If companies don't have the proper systems in place to handle such sudden setbacks, the resulting damages could be significant, not only to production but to overall business. With comprehensive supply chain and inventory control software, businesses can regain confidence in their own operations. By optimizing processes, companies will be better equipped to handle unexpected changes in the market and in production.


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Google Phone = "NEXUS ONE"
It’s going to be really hard to convince anybody that’s been reading the news for the past 24-hours that the Google Phone (Nexus One) doesn’t exist, and now a higher resolution picture of what is supposedly the Nexus One has surfaced. Of course, it’s physically the same as the HTC Passion, sans the HTC logo at the top of the phone. Could this be a photoshop job, or the real thing? Regardless of that, we’re fairly sure you’re waiting eagerly to give the Google Phone a try.
- Watch the Complete Specs Nexus One vs Motorola Droid : Head to Head.
- Watch the Complete Specs Nexus One vs iPhone 3GS : Head to Head.
UPDATE: MORE PICS : Exclusive Nexus One photos, Android 2.1 on-board.
UPDATE: Checkout Pathpartner’s MEDIAPHONE.
( Launched @ CES, JAN-2010 Las Vegas)


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There was a time not that long ago when few of us knew what the Scoville scale even was, but years and years of unbearably hot chili peppers have changed all that.
If you were unaware, the scale measures how hot a pepper is. As a guide, most regular Jalapeños come in at up to 10,000 Scoville heat units and a Scotch Bonnet can be as high as 350,000, but it gets even hotter.
Some six years ago, we were introduced to the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion, which at the time was the hottest chili on the planet, with a Scoville rating reaching 1.2 million.
Others to hit seven figures include the Naga Infinity chili and the Carolina Reaper, but now we have a new hottest chili in the world – and it’s so potent we daren’t even give it a proper name.
‘Pepper X’ is the active ingredient in ‘The Last Dab’, which claims to be the hottest hot sauce on the planet.
According to First We Feast, the pepper – which might not ever earn itself a name rather than a letter – was developed by Smokin’ Ed Currie of Puckerbutt Pepper Co. close to a decade ago.
It has been claimed that it is twice as hot as many varieties of the Guinness record-holding Carolina Reaper, and even hotter than the Dragon’s Breath chili, which was grown in Wales and is also reportedly even hotter than the Reaper.
According to Currie, the sauce alone contains 2.4 million Scoville units, but the pepper itself – according to initial tests – is hitting 3.18 million.
“Pepper X is three times hotter than any of the other peppers that are out there commercially,” Currie told First We Feast.
He confirmed the pepper has been submitted to the Guinness World Record judges, and could become the official new record-holder as soon as November
“We always wanted to have that hottest sauce, so when we were discussing how we could possibly make a new hottest sauce without extracts, there was only one man to talk to,” Noah Chaimberg of hot sauce sellers Heatonist explained.
“I knew through the grapevine that Ed had in his back pocket something really special, and that something turned out to be Pepper X.”
‘The Last Dab’ is available exclusively from Heatonist for US$20 (£14.94), and there’s a two-bottle limit per customer - that’s how you know it’s hot.
(Images: YouTube/First We Feast)


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WASHINGTON, Dec. 5 (UPI) -- A U.S. House panel said House members are now allowed to include holiday greetings in official mail to constituents.
Administration Committee Chairman Candice Miller, R-Mich., announced Wednesday the committee has introduced a new policy allowing representatives to include holiday greetings in official communications to constituents, USA Today reported Thursday.
Lawmakers are given free postage to send official mail to constituents in a process known as "franking," which is regulated by rules stating the mailings must be official business only, banning political material.
"I am pleased to announce that, effective immediately, Members of the House may include holiday greetings in their communications to constituents," Miller wrote in Wednesday's announcement. "In the past, including any form of a holiday greeting was banned. While still prohibiting the misuse of official funds, this new commonsense policy allows members to share their holiday wishes with constituents in otherwise official communications. I feel it is entirely appropriate for members of Congress to include a simple holiday salutation, whether it is Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and so on."


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'When will they learn?': QVC faces ANOTHER embarrassing wardrobe malfunction as an underwear model's nipples are visible live on air
- The model appeared on the French version of the show
- Bared her nipples whilst modelling a bra on the shopping channel
- Viewers were quick to comment on the wardrobe malfunction
- It's the second time that there's been a mishap on the show
QVC drew in viewers for all the wrong reasons when a model bared more than she bargained for on the shopping channel.
The model, who appeared on the French version of the show, was modelling a Vercella Vita bra but it seems viewers were distracted from the lingerie she was trying to sell.
The brunette strutted onto the show and as the camera panned in on her chest, her nipples became more and more apparent - which didn't go unnoticed by viewers.
QVC has faced another embarrassing wardrobe malfunction after an underwear model's nipples were visible live on air
'That's one way to get items sold,' said one viewer, whilst another added: 'Feel sorry for her but seriously – when will they learn?'.
The model, seemingly unaware of the wardrobe malfunction, continued to twirl around showcasing the garment.
This isn't the first time that a similar wardrobe malfunction has occurred on the shopping channel.
In September, a model revealed more than she was hoping to on the show.
The model, seemingly unaware of the wardrobe malfunction, continued to twirl around showcasing the garment
'That's one way to get items sold,' said one viewer who spotted the malfunction on YouTube
Due to the tightness of the bra, the nude hue and some glaring lighting, little was left to the imagination
Donning a tight-fitting grey slip, which aims to give you a flawless figure under your clothes, Hampshire model Sammi Marsh-Wade was not aware that her nipples were clearly visible.
Due to the tightness of the dress, little was left to the imagination and eagle-eyed viewers quickly pointed out the wardrobe malfunction online.
The video, posted to YouTube, has since been viewed over 280,000 times.
In the clip, the two presenters say that bodysuits are making a bit of a comeback - calling the slip 'very Hollywood' and 'glamorous'.
The QVC sales segment encouraged viewers to buy the tight grey slip - but it became popular for an entirely different reason.
The thin and tight nature of the dress meant that the 26-year-old Sammi's nipples were visible through the material and viewers even unkindly pointed out that her nipples were 'uneven'.
The above sales segment on QVC has had over 280,000 views on YouTube
Sammi modelled a tight grey slip for the segment
However, most viewers were complimentary of the model in the figure-hugging slip.
One person wrote: 'Amazing. This blonde knows she is hot'.
While another said: 'Best QVC vid I've ever seen.'
Another said: 'If they did this for QVC USA they might have an audience.'
Viewers called the model, pictured above, 'amazing'
One commenter on YouTube called the clip the 'best QVC vid I'd ever seen'
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With the new partnership, MoEngage hopes to utilize its forward-looking, AI-driven marketing automation platform to drive engagement on Samsung India’s My Galaxy application.
Huawei unveiled its first mobile AI computing platform "Kirin 970" early in September in its bid to pack smart devices with powerful AI features to offer better user experience.
The ultimate computing experience will be one that blends the real and virtual world.
Earth is becoming too small and humanity is bound to self-destruct, with AI replacing us as the dominant being on the planet, according to scientist Stephen Hawking.
It will be available first on the Cisco Spark Room Series portfolio, including the new flagship Cisco Spark Room 70.
The approach could mean computers learn to identify a photograph of a face taken from a different angle from those it had in its bank of known images.
Chinese firm Cheetah Mobile on Monday has announced the roll- out of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies across most of its utility applications.
The advent of IT and software eliminated some jobs involving repetitive work but a large number of functions did not get impacted.
Buoyed by the demands from sectors like e-commerce, banking, telecom, government and other enterprises to store and scale up Big Data, global chip maker Intel is ready to help India achieve high-performance computing.
US-based supercomputer manufacturer Cray has partnered with Microsoft to bring its devices and storage system to the Azure Cloud platform.
The phone promises new facial recognition features such as Face ID to sign on to their phones or pay for goods with a steady glance at their phones.
With the tech world getting divided between whether or not to regulate AI, the body feels that technologies should be freely allowed to mature first.
One in three smartphones -- roughly over half a billion -- shipped in 2020 will have machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities at the chipset level, new research said on Monday.
Kanumury was heading the startup initiative of IBM India, called the Global Entrepreneur Program.
"We are pleased with the overwhelming response to the 'Oracle Startup Cloud Accelerator' programme," said Sanket Atal, Group Vice President of Development, Oracle India, in a statement.
Currently, the voice service offered by the company is active in India and Middle East.
Digitalisation is fuelling the rise of 3D printing, artificial intelligence, the Internet of things, cloud computing, big data and automation.
Editor's Picks ›
DoT exempts featurephones from GPS installation diktat / Intex eyes Rs 4200 crore revenue this fiscal; kicks off domestic LED Panel production / Idea Cellular deploys 5MHz spectrum in 1800 MHz band to double 4G speeds in Maharashtra & Goa / Idea Cellular deploys 5MHz spectrum in 1800 MHz band to double 4G speeds in Maharashtra & Goa / Nokia 2 to be available at Rs 6999; users to get 45GB 4G data from Reliance Jio / GSMA wants India to prepare spectrum roadmap for 5G rollout / Crisil ups Tata Tele (Mah) debt rating / TTSL mobile customers begin transitioning to Airtel network under ICR deal / ACT Fibernet launches new initiative to strengthen workforce / Atria Convergence Technologies joins COAI as Associate Member


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PV Nano Cell releases new product in portfolio of nanometric conductive digital inks
PV Nano Cell, an innovative single-crystal nanometric conductive digital inks producer based in Israel, has announced the release of its new product, Sicrys I50TM-119. It is the latest in its portfolio of conductive digital inks that have the capability to significantly advance printed electronic technologies. Sicrys inks enable the use of fast, inexpensive inkjet printing technologies, including 3D printed electronics, to bring intelligence to virtually any object. The new formulation will be used in technologies including antennas, printed circuit boards, sensors, security devices and more.
“With the advent of this new ink, we are bringing yet another high-quality product to the printed electronics market. The Sicrys family of inks enables the implementation of digital conductive printing in industrial mass production applications and environments,” said Dr Fernando de la Vega, founder and CEO of PV Nano Cell. “We are working with numerous manufacturers of various printed electronics devices, including printed circuit boards and antennas, who will be implementing our inks to help advance their technologies.”
The Sicrys I50TM-119, a conductive ink based on single-crystal silver nanoparticles, has been designed for inkjet printing and low-temperature sintering applications, which allows for printing on flexible substrates, such as plastic, fabric, or even paper. The ink, conveniently stored at room temperature, is reported to provide high silver loading, low viscosity, long shelf life, reliable jetting and good printability. Printed patterns offer a unique combination of properties, including low electrical resistivity, good adhesion to a wide range of substrates, both polymer and ITO films, and excellent durability in humid and aqueous environments. The new formulation shares in the properties to the greater Sicrys ink family in that they all support the implementation of digital conductive printing in mass production applications.


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Pokemon X and Y
Nintendo has launched a new update for "Pokémon X" and "Pokémon Y" video games for the Nintendo handset console.
Pokémon Bank's U.S. arrival has been set in time for the holiday season.
The tenth episode of the Kalos-based Pokémon anime series has aired in Japan and major developments were revealed.
The Pokémon franchise has a new soundtrack available for fans to purchase, and it revolves the first-generation remake video games.
The Pokémon anime series based on the fifth-generation Unova region concludes on Dec. 7, leading up to the premiere of the “Pokémon the Series: XY” season.
The Pokémon franchise has proven itself to be popular down under with record-breaking sales in Australia and New Zealand.
The music in the "Pokémon" video games are finally available in mp3 form as the franchise have released a "Super Music Collection."
The English-translated "Pokémon Origins" special is set to debut in the United States featuring first-generation video games' protagonist Red.
With the sixth-generation Pokémon video games now available, a new PokéRap has been unofficially released featuring all confirmed 718 pocket monsters.
"Pokémon X and Y" are nearly one-month old since its worldwide release, but new images have circulated the Web about new Pokémon that have yet to be discovered.
Nintendo has released its financial results from the third quarter of 2013, and the company encountered mixed numbers.
Nintendo of America are preparing for the holiday season with price cuts and new video games coming to North America.
Nintendo has confirmed reports of a game-breaking glitch on "Pokémon X and Y."
An alleged game-breaking bug has been found in the latest Pokémon video games, less than a week after the worldwide launch.
As if "Pokémon X and Y" didn't make history already by being the first Pokémon games to launch simultaneously worldwide, the sixth-generation video games have smashed sales records.


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Jessica Lane, Staff Writer, firstname.lastname@example.org
New Main Street Chickasha Director, Andrew Ford, wants to bring Chickasha's rich history to the forefront.
Ford said he remembers when his dad worked in the Petroleum Building. Every day, they would take a break around 10:30 in the morning at Liberty Drug for a milkshake or soda. Ford's mom always took him to William's Shoes for their great shoe selection and he even got his hair cut at the Chickasha Mall.
"I'm hoping to get that aura back to Chickasha," Ford said.
A third generation Chickasha resident, Ford's parents and grandparents grew up and raised their families in Chickasha. Ford graduated from Oklahoma University in 2010, majoring in film and media studies with an emphasis in broadcasting. He married and moved back to Chickasha and started working for KOOL 105.5 FM as a sports announcer.
Ford wants Chickasha Ave. and the surrounding area to be a place where families can spend a Saturday together.
"I want to make it a fun place for them to hang out."
Some of Ford's goals include increasing retail shops such as small clothing stores, create a night life and draw in more restaurants. Ford said that the area does have three good options, Temazcal, Crazy 8 and BJ's Pizza, but he would like to see more variety.
Ford said he would like to see the movie night idea at the Rock Island Depot revived.
Ford said that there are events during the fall and winter, such as the downtown Halloween event, the Rock Island Arts Festival and Christmas parade. Ford said he would like to start laying the groundwork for a late spring/early summer event, possibly a block party.
Events downtown could draw attention to the area's history, such as the train depot, the Grady County Historical Society which is located in the Dixie building and the Washita Theater.
Ford said he wants the community to know that he is open to any ideas of activities, events and other attractions that could be brought to downtown Chickasha. Contact information is being set up and will be made available in the near future.


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Former first lady Michelle Obama has co-founded the food and drink company PLEZi, designed to provide healthy options for kids, she announced Wednesday.
Obama said he’d be working behind the scenes to guide PLEZi’s mission, which serves as an extension of thecampaign to fight childhood obesity that she launched as first lady.
“I’ve learned that on this issue, if you want to change the game, you can’t just work from the outside. You’ve got to get inside — you’ve got to find ways to change the food and beverage industry himself,” Obama said during the company announcement at The Wall Street Journal Future of Everything Festival. “I’m proud to announce the national launch of a company designed not only to provide better products, but to jumpstart a race to the top that will transform the entire food industry.”
PLEZi’s first product is a drink for kids ages 6-12 with 75% less sugar than average leading fruit juices, Obama wrote on the company site. The former first lady noted that water and milk are still the best drink options for kids 5 and under.
“But once kids become school-aged, we all know drinking only water and milk isn’t a reality,” she wrote. “That’s why we created PLEZi as your worry-free alternative — it’s got less sugar, less sweetness, and more nutrients like fiber and potassium than you’ll find in many drinks out there.”
The average daily intake of added sugars for Americans aged 2-19 years old was 17 teaspoons from 2017-2018, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A 2021 survey found more than half of children in most states drank a sugar-sweetened beverage at least once during the week preceding the survey.
“Limiting or reducing foods and beverages higher in added sugars, including sugar-sweetened beverages, is important because added sugars are associated with increased risk of obesity, dental caries, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease,” the CDC said in a February report.
PLEZi drinks are currently available in four flavors at Target and Spout stores nationwide. They’re also available online at Walmart. The company plans to expand into additional drinks and snacks in the future.
As a public benefit company, PLEZi Nutrition said it would invest 10% of profits into the movement to promote kids’ health. Obama also announced the company is donating $1 million to FoodCorps, a nonprofit working on children’s nutrition.


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THE Zamfara State government has supported 300 point-of-sale (PoS) operators with N70 million to fast-track implementation of the cashless policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in the state.
The Commissioner for Commerce and Industries in the state, Yazeed Danfulani, disclosed this on March 8 while distributing the PoS machines to 300 youths and women.
Danfulani said the gesture was part of Governor Bello Matawalle’s empowerment and wealth creation programmes, adding that the PoS business would boost the cashless policy and make beneficiaries self-reliant.
”Each of the beneficiaries will receive a PoS machine, mobile shop, a set of plastic chairs and tables to attend to customers.
”Each beneficiary will equally receive N50,000 seed capital to start the PoS transaction,” he said, adding that about N70 million had been earmarked for the programme.
According to him, the PoS business would boost the state economy and revenue base, as well as enhance wealth creation in the society.
He said the government had set up a monitoring mechanism to ensure prudent use of the machines and other items given to the beneficiaries.
The Commissioner urged the beneficiaries to ensure effective utilisation of the items and set up their businesses to enable them become self-reliant.
Harrison Edeh is a journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting, always determined to drive advocacy for good governance through holding public officials and businesses accountable.


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CNBC's Jim Cramer had one question Wednesday: Where are all the U.S. rate-hike supporters now?
Recent U.S. economic data — particularly retail sales, housing starts and consumer prices — have disappointed economists. Meanwhile, U.S. markets are off to a poor start for the year, having fallen into correction territory, or down at least 10 percent from their 52-week high.
"There were many people who came on our air, over and over again, and told us that a Fed rate hike would be good for the economy," Cramer said on "Squawk on the Street." "It was good for nothing. All that's happened is that auto [sales] have peaked, the housing numbers today were just disastrous."
The Federal Reserve in December raised rates for the first time in almost a decade and suggested it would make four hikes in 2016.
However, Cramer said the Fed might have to add more liquidity into the economy if the markets, as well as the data, continue to disappoint.
"But they don't want to say that because they'll look like idiots."


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It’s the first time Spectrum Mobile, or any cable provider, has claimed the top spot in the company’s survey of the satisfaction of wireless customers.
The survey found one area where all wireless companies appear to be challenged -- providing customer service to their clients. As has been well-documented during the pandemic, wireless companies -- as well as most enterprises -- are having difficulty hiring and retaining customer service personnel.
“Maintaining a fully staffed, highly trained customer service and sales organization in pandemic times is no small feat—the decline in many of the attributes we measure across the purchase experience is not surprising given the number of open positions across the industry,” said Ian Greenblatt, managing director at J.D. Power.
But Greenblatt said carriers appear to be investing in highly trained store representatives who are committed to customer success because it’s a major factor in whether consumers remain with a company.
Good customer service often equals a 5-star review
Reviewers posting on ConsumerAffairs are usually quick to cite poor customer service as a big part of their frustration with any company they are dealing with. At the same time, they often cite good customer service when they award a company a 5-star review.
“That was the best customer service I’ve ever had with T-Mobile,” Fred, of Jacksonville, N.C., wrote in a ConsumerAffairs review last month. “Thank you Jim for taking the time to call me but most importantly LISTEN to my concerns with my business with T-Mobile! That coming from me is really saying a lot.”
While T-Mobile took the top spot in customer satisfaction for the eighth year in a row, AT&T was second.
Cricket Wireless placed third behind Metro and Spectrum among mobile virtual network providers that bulk-lease capacity from major wireless operators. Consumer Cellular also turned in a strong showing, according to this year’s survey.


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Advertising watchdog in greenwashing crackdown: ASA to crack down on 'hot air' environmental claims
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said the public remained wary of 'greenwashing'
The advertising regulator is to crack down on 'hot air' environmental claims amid confusion around terms such as 'net zero'.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said the public remained wary of 'greenwashing' and it is ready to ensure consumers are not misled by brands trying to boost their environmental credentials.
It comes after it banned posters for HSBC which advertised green initiatives but omitted information about the bank's contribution to carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions.
A study by the ASA found consumers have a low overall understanding of claims used by advertisers. 'Carbon neutral' and 'net zero' are the prime sources of confusion, with neither having official definitions, and no fixed rules for how businesses should use the terms.
ASA pledged to crack down on unqualified claims likely to breach existing rules.
Miles Lockwood, its director of complaints and investigations, said: 'We'll act on these findings: updating guidance, sharing with Government and partners, reviewing the evidence and taking enforcement action where necessary to ensure environmental claims aren't just hot air.'
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iOS is considered as the most popular operating system that developers prefer to use on their devices, and I am not the one who is saying iOS remains developers "First Choice", but that's what reports and studies is showing... Check out for more details after the jump:
According to Forrester
, 35 percent of the North American and European software developers surveyed during the first quarter of 2013 picked the iPhone as their priority device. Under a third (27 percent) of the 1,600 developers picked Android.
This seems to reflect other research finding a preference for iOS among developers. Among the key likely reasons for the difference: app revenue, according to TechCrunch
A recent Flurry study found a wide disparity in how much developers earn from iOS versus Android.
Check out the following table:
As expected, overall Android gets more overall developer interest, 84 percent versus 77 percent according to Forrester. But when it comes to individual priorities, iOS continues to lead Google’s mobile software.
Also you can see that Apple's iPad lead over Android tablets...
Again, this contest essentially has only two contestants: Apple and Android. Everyone else is left far in the dust. For instance, Windows RT tablets “are being largely ignored by developers,” according to Forrester.
As an Apple fanboy, you must be proud that you own a valuable device between your hands... So what do you think guys ? Are you an Android user or Apple ?


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Take your pick! olloclip lens sets are available at your nearest Apple Store, worldwide. Order online for in-store pick up or grab one off of the shelf. Can’t find it in store? Ask a team member and they’ll track one down for you.
Today at Apple – Now you can experience the olloclip lens system, hands-on at Apple stores worldwide. Schedule a session today to practice using our lenses and learn how to use different focal lengths with your own iPhone or the latest iPhone models. @apple#todayatapple#olloclip
𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗽 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲’𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗮 𝗱𝗼 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲.™
Be Realistic With Your Time
When it comes down to the last month of your planning (and when you're particularly hurried) look at your mile long to-do list and cut things. Eliminate only the over-the-top tasks that can be handled by anyone else.It shouldn’t be only you doing everything, cross them off and make a pledge not to think about them again. #FleurieTips
New York man filed a $1 billion lawsuit against Apple, claiming the tech giant’s facial-recognition software wrongly blamed him for stealing from Apple stores. Ousmane Bah, 18, claims someone used a stolen ID to pass themselves off as him when they were busted stealing $1,200 worth of merchandise from an Apple store in Boston on May 31, 2018, according to papers filed in Manhattan federal court.
The ID listed his name, address and other personal information but did not include a photo. Bah believes Apple took the perp at his word, and then programmed its security systems to recognize the man’s face as Bah’s.The thief then ripped off Apple stores in New Jersey, Delaware and Manhattan incidents Bah was blamed for, the suit claims.
Bah only learned about the mix-up after receiving a Boston municipal court summons in the mail in June, according to court papers.The NYPD arrested him on Nov. 29, but a detective working the case viewed surveillance footage from the Manhattan store and concluded that the suspect “looked nothing like” Bah, his lawsuit states.Charges against Bah have been dropped in every state except New Jersey, where the case is still pending. Apple’s “use of facial recognition software in its stores to track individuals suspected of theft is the type of Orwellian surveillance that consumers fear, particularly as it can be assumed that the majority of consumers are not aware that their faces are secretly being analyzed,” the lawsuit states. Apple did not respond to a request for comment.
IPhone X 64Gb , 256Gb
Kondisi mulus 98%
LCD bawaan original
Ready warna silver , grey
Iphone X 64Gb : 10.500k
Iphone X 256Gb : 11.500k
Bergaransi toko 1-2 minggu
Konsultasi tentang iphone
Temperglass + softcase


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Tyson Foods, Inc. has announced that it will be investigating claims in a recent lawsuit that supervisors and managers at its Waterloo, Iowa pork plant wagered on how many employees would contract COVID-19 and forced employees to come to work even when they were showing possible symptoms.
Winter is on our doorstep and we need to prepare for a long battle against COVID-19 while keeping businesses afloat and people safe. The imposition of lockdown measures may be required in areas experiencing high positivity rates and where health professionals predict hospitalizations will exceed capacity. However, there is a middle path where concerns over health and safety gain priority in concert with keeping businesses open.
The e-commerce revolution has not only changed the rules for consumer packaged goods companies, it has created a whole new game in which the new coronavirus has only cemented the need for brands to adapt.


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According to raw data from the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System, gun sales keep soaring. The data showed 187,585 background checks on Black Friday. This puts it in the top 10 days in the system’s history. In total, Black Friday NICS checks topped 680,000 over the week.
Black Friday NICS Checks
Background checks are down from the earth-shattering numbers set in 2020. 2021 is still tracking to set the second highest number of NICS checks in history. According to Joe Bartozzi, NSSF President and CEO, “We anticipate, based on annual data, that firearm sales will rise during the final month of the year coinciding with hunting seasons and holiday sales. This figure, though, underscores the appetite for lawful firearm ownership in America and the resilience of the firearm and ammunition industry to meet that demand.”
In the week running up to Black Friday, NSSF partnered with retailers. The organization spaced its promotions and sales out over the week. This was to avoid overwhelming the background check system. Black Friday’s numbers were the highest of the week, with Wednesday the 24th coming in second place. Most retailers chose to close on Thanksgiving. But open shops still processed an additional 26,000 background checks.
The Full Black Friday Week NICS picture
The NICS numbers provided are raw data, and don’t represent the total number of firearms sales, but they are a good indicator of the strength of the retail market. For example, the raw NICS data wouldn’t show if a check was denied for some reason, and it also doesn’t include data from states like Florida, which use their own background check system. Additionally, some states allow purchases with a concealed carry permit to complete their purchase without a NICS check, so that sale wouldn’t be included in the final NICS numbers.
However, processing nearly a quarter of a million NICS checks in a holiday week indicates that the legal demand for firearms remains strong and that Americans are, as always, interested in preserving the right to keep and bear arms with their hard-earned dollars.


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China exports jump a surprise 7.2% in July driven by rising demand for medical supplies, despite Trump's 'tech grenade'
- China's exports for July jumped 7.2% thanks to rising demand for medical goods and automobiles as COVID-19 restrictions relax around the world, data showed on Friday.
- Analysts had expected exports to fall by 0.6%.
- However, a steady rise in external demand for China's exports is unlikely to last long since COVID-19 clusters have emerged since late July and might hamper trade, according to ING's think tank.
- China's strong data came as Donald Trump "lobbed another tech grenade in his cold war with Beijing," by banning US firms from business transactions with the parent companies of TikTok and WeChat.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
China posted an unexpectedly strong 7.2% jump in exports for July, driven by demand for medical supplies and automobiles, according to data released by the country's customs authority on Friday.
Analysts polled by ING's think tank had expected a fall of 0.6%. Meanwhile, China's imports for July fell 1.4% year-on-year.
In June, China's exports rose by just 0.5% year-on-year, driven by demand for textiles and garments. Imports in that grew 2.7%.
Economists have said that an increase in demand for medical products to safeguard oneself against coronavirus, like face masks, led to the bump in exports, according to CNBC.
It remains unclear whether this level of demand for medical goods will last much longer. But data observers say the jump is unlikely to carry on because COVID-19 clusters have emerged since late July, as lockdown restrictions may have been removed in a hurry.
China's July trade surplus stood at about $62 billion, the second-highest level recorded since October 2015, but down from May's record $63 billion. The politically sensitive trade surplus with the United States widened to $32.5 billion last month, from June's $29.41 billion.
Representatives from Washington and Beijing are due to meet next week to review the implementation of the phase one agreement on trade signed at the start of the year.
Overseas demand for luggage remained flat, reflecting the relentless ongoing difficulties of international travel, ING chief economist Iris Pang, said.
The economy's robust export growth came even as tensions with the US have steadily been on the rise.
Late on Thursday, President Trump issued an executive order that bans any US transactions with the Chinese companies that own social media platforms TikTok and WeChat.
The order said US firms had 45 day to September 15 before the ban would restrict "any transaction by any person, or with respect to any property, subject to the jurisdiction of the United States," with the companies.
The major escalation showed how "the president lobbed another tech grenade in his cold war with Beijing, almost guaranteeing some kind of retaliation from the rival superpower," Connor Campbell, a financial analyst at SpreadEx, said.
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A 14-year-old schoolboy from Alabama, US, turned down a whopping $30 million (about Rs 200 crore) buyout offer from a national healthcare company for his invention of vending machines that dispense first aid kits.
Taylor Rosenthal came up with the idea of creating vending machines that dispense prepackaged first aid kits for dealing with cuts, blisters and sun burns after watching his friends fall over at baseball games.
“Every time I’d travel for a baseball tournament in Alabama, I’d notice that kids would get hurt and parents couldn’t find a band aid. I wanted to solve that,” Rosenthal told CNN Money.
Rosenthal, who launched his start-up RecMed last year, was offered a $30 million buyout offer by a “large national healthcare company”, but he rejected it.
He has already raised $100,000 (Rs 67 lakh) in angel investments and plans to sell the machines for $5,500 (Rs 3.7 lakh) each.
The machines will sell prepackaged first aid kits and individual supplies like plasters, rubber gloves and gauze pads costing between $4 (Rs 268) and $11 (Rs 737).
Rosenthal said he was open to advertising on the machines and hopes to deliver them to amusement parks, beaches and stadiums over the summer. Six Flags theme park in the US has already put in an order for 100 machines.
Rosenthal initially pitched the idea of first aid pop ups as part of a school project but then changed it to vending machines. A few months later, the young CEO had his own patent.
“It has been amazing watching Taylor grow over the past year into this confident and amazing businessman. Even with all of his success, he remains humble and ready to help others. He’s just 14. Bill Gates should be worried,” said Rosenthal’s teacher Clarinda Jones.
However, CNBC reports that Rosenthal is open to selling if the offer is worth $50 million.
(With inputs from PTI. Feature image source: RecMed)


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Update, October 28, 2022: In the months since this article was published, Interior Define has faced a wave of consumer complaints about failure to deliver furniture items and lapses in communication. In response to an inquiry about these issues, the company provided the following statement to Business of Home:
“We have long prided ourselves on our ability to avoid some of the supply chain woes experienced by many. In the latter half of this year, we have encountered some unexpected headwinds that have had a direct impact on our customer experience. We believe in our product and our people and will continue working around the clock to bring answers and solutions to our customers and earn their trust back.”
Stay tuned for further updates as we continue to look into the matter.
A direct-to-consumer furniture seller opening stores? Check. Seen it.
That DTC retailer expanding its assortment and moving into larger physical locations? Check. Been there, done that.
A furniture retailer not getting tripped up by supply chain and inventory problems? Wait, that’s something we haven’t seen much of before.
Being a custom-order upholstered furniture retailer has turned out to be the secret sauce of Interior Define’s recent success and ongoing expansion into physical retailing. Since it carries no inventory of finished goods and caters to a customer who understands the time constraints of special-order upholstered products, the 8-year-old company has shrewdly stayed out of the line of fire when it comes to managing inventory logistics.
While the company is exploring domestic manufacturing, it currently sources from factories in China and Vietnam. Given its build-to-order model, the brand hasn’t suffered from the shortages wrought by the pandemic, or the more recent excesses many furniture sellers are experiencing. “All of our furniture is made-to-order, so our customers are used to long lead times,” Andrew Neelon, vice president of growth for Interior Define, tells Business of Home. “Supply chain delays have been an issue in terms of longer lead times but have not created an over-inventoried situation for us given our business model.”
As the executive in charge of growth, Neelon has certainly had his hands full recently. Interior Define launched in 2014 as an online-only seller of custom upholstery. Company founder Rob Royer, who left the company in 2020, opened the brand’s first test store in Chicago a few years later, then gradually expanded. “It was always a no-brainer that this category needed stores,” says Neelon, explaining that while the final purchase might not take place in the physical location, the brand quickly realized that shoppers needed to see the product in person before placing their order.
By 2020, the company had stores in eight major metropolitan areas, all modestly sized at around 2,500 square feet. Even as the pandemic hit, limiting in-store activity throughout the entire home sector, Interior Define continued to expand, building to 14 locations by the end of the 2021. With this expansion came larger footprints—some of the new outposts doubled in size, to an average of 5,500 square feet. Newer stores, including Minneapolis and Baltimore locations opening this month, have enough space to house work areas where shoppers can sit around a table and compare fabrics, wood finishes and other upholstery components.
This year, the number of Interior Define stores is expected to double again, to at least 30 (and possibly as many as 33 locations, depending on leases and store build-outs). That total could be even higher, although Neelon cautions that “we’re not opening stores just to chase a number.” Larger-format stores, potentially as big as 10,000 square feet, are another option, though nothing has been confirmed yet.
No matter the size, the brand’s stores have popped up in high-profile shopping areas. “We believe you fish where the fish are,” says Neelon. A recently opened store in the Dallas market, for instance, is in the home furnishings–centric Knox-Henderson neighborhood, not far from retailers like RH, Crate & Barrel and Pottery Barn. Similarly, the Brooklyn store is in trendy, expensive Williamsburg—in other words, where the “fish” are.
Interior Define has continued to work on its e-commerce presence while using online order algorithms to map out its next physical locations. According to Neelon, tracking how much business is done online versus in-store has become largely meaningless given the omnichannel nature of the purchasing process. Instead, opening a physical store boosts sales in that community across the board. “We do know that as our store numbers grow, so too does our e-commerce business,” he says. “When we add a store to a market, our business explodes.”
Interior Define further enhanced its omnichannel capabilities by launching its first print catalog this spring, layering the direct-mailed lookbook on top of its social media advertising and promotional activities. Considered in aggregate, all these changes have contributed to what Neelon says was double-digit growth in May, even as some of the bigger, publicly traded retailers were reporting slowdowns. “The new stores are doing shockingly well—we’re surprised at how well they are doing,” says Neelon. As a private company—it has taken venture capital funding from several backers, including Pritzker Group, Listen Ventures, Breakout Capital, Fifth Wall and Peterson Ventures—Interior Define does not release its financial results.
Down the road, Neelon says there’s no master plan to go public or cash out. For the time being, growth seems to be the way the company, true to its name, defines itself.
Homepage photo: The larger footprint of new Interior Define stores allow for spacious workstations | Courtesy of Interior Define
Warren Shoulberg is the former editor in chief for several leading B2B publications. He has been a guest lecturer at the Columbia University Graduate School of Business; received honors from the International Furnishings and Design Association and the Fashion Institute of Technology; and been cited by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN and other media as a leading industry expert. His Retail Watch columns offer deep industry insights on major markets and product categories.


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This is the fourth and final piece in our series focused on nationalism and its threat to digital identity. If you missed it, read the first three parts (1,2,3), now for the full story.
This series was initiated after the E.U. announced it had revoked the Privacy Shield, a transatlantic agreement that enabled the legal transfer of data between itself and the United States (U.S.). Since that ruling, we have also seen the Swiss Data Protection Authority conclude the EU-U.S. Swiss Privacy Shield was no longer a valid method of transferring personal data between the two countries.
This news, and subsequent follow-up, sparked our OWI team to take a step and ask ourselves if there was a broader trend around the rise of nationalism, both political and economical, and its role in disrupting international data sharing agreements. For digital identity enthusiasts like ourselves, we acknowledge that international cooperation and data sharing are essential pillars in furthering inclusive digital identity infrastructures and preventing bad actors from causing undue harm.
This series intends to capture what the roles and positions of the major economies — the E.U., China, and the U.S. — are in the data economy, and illustrate why the current trend towards centralization is counterintuitive to more effective digital identity strategies. In this finale, we will look at how the U.S.’s inability to lead the international community towards a unilateral digital economy infrastructure — by prioritizing companies’ free will over individual rights over its people — indirectly stifles the possibility for interoperable and secure digital identities.
This retrenchment from the national community has forced countries to implement new mandates or remove existing agreements targeted at U.S. technology companies operating abroad. We believe the rise of nationalistic policies is hurting cooperative approaches to interoperable and inclusive digital identity frameworks. To that end, we will conclude with alternative methods forward and offer some examples of companies pursuing digital identity systems that do not necessitate centralized authorities.
The Influence of CCPA
At the time of writing, October 1st, 2020, the U.S. does not have a central federal level privacy law. Data privacy is instead under the purview of several industry-specific laws (e.g., HIPAA, U.S. Privacy Act, Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), etc.) and championed by several privacy-forward states, most notably California with the California Consumer Data Privacy Act (CCPA), in addition to Maine and Nevada.
California’s economic size, political influence, and role as the de facto technology hub of the U.S. have made CCPA a global conversation topic. And it serves as the closest example of what we could expect a federal mandate to reflect. CCPA’s scope and territorial reach are more limited than the GDPR. Additionally, the extent of the Act is restricted to two main categories.
The first applies to for-profit businesses operating in California. A business must collect California citizens’ data and determine the purpose and means of their personal data, meaning that they slice and dice it for commercial purposes. Additionally, the law has specific qualifications for these businesses. They must:
- Have at least $25 million in annual gross revenue
- Buy/sell or received the personal information of at least 50,000 California consumers, households or devices annually
- 50 percent of your annual revenue comes from selling California consumers’ personal data
This data privacy law continues to be contested by several big tech companies in the United States, contending that they are selling access to data instead of selling data.
The second category encompasses entities that control or are controlled by an entity that meets the first set of criteria or shares common branding with the parent entity. This makes the CCPA targeted as companies are in the personal data business.
Users as End-Products
The lack of a federally-administered data privacy law or of any unified governance over the private-sector’s collection and use of personal data has allowed companies to act at their discretion. This freedom to optimize the user’s experience while maintaining a free business model has made the user the end-product. However, these same business practices are not being received well in countries abroad, creating mounting geopolitical tensions that manifest themselves in events such as the revoking of the Privacy Shield.
Countries abroad recognize that their citizens’ personal privacy is being infringed upon for a foreign entity’s monetary benefit. Moreover, countries have legislation maintaining that personal data privacy is an individual human right (e.g., GDPR), and U.S. companies are not abiding by that principle. It would be the equivalent of parents not teaching their children any concept of right and wrong, and during a playdate, the friend’s parents having to ask the poorly-acting child to leave their home before they can learn not to smash their face with spaghetti.
The U.S. should acknowledge its failure to implement legislation that prioritizes individuals’ rights over company profits; doing so would promote free trade in the digital economy. It is important to note that data privacy issues are not the only issue eroding global cooperation. Not only is the U.S. ineffectively governing private sector companies, but it is also actively reducing the number of formal partnership agreements with allies and trade partners. Over the last several years, the United States has pulled away from several high-profile international agreements, including but not limited to the Paris Accords, JCPOA, Open Skies agreement, the U.N. Human Rights Council, and the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The reluctance for furthering international partnerships is forcing other countries to implement legislation, particularly around data privacy, that keeps U.S. companies accountable.
Moreover, the retrenchment from global cooperation around technology and data interoperability is closing the window on a possible future where governments successfully coordinate a standardized approach to digital identity.
The Path Forward
There are 1.1 billion people in the world without access to a digital identity – and even more people lack a mechanism to transfer or port their digital footprint with themselves outside of their native country. This lack of basic identification and interoperability systems perpetuate ongoing barriers for individuals to access goods and services. Digital identity experts, such as the UNDP, argue that the key to solving these issues is ongoing international cooperation and dedicating resources to establish standards for individuals to receive a universally recognized digital identifier. In addition to the lack of U.S. federal standards and frameworks, the rise of nationalism reduces the likelihood of these initiatives gaining meaningful traction.
Thankfully, there are potential paths forward. There are members of the digital identity community who are working tirelessly to promote alternative systems. Of the initiatives underway, a decentralized identity is a popular option that does not require participation from authoritative sources to maintain digital identities for individuals (e.g., Sovrin, DIF, SecureKey, W3C). These systems commonly leverage distributed ledger technology to distribute identity data for users to readily access their sovereignty and leisure. And on the government front, there is still hope. We encourage members of the digital identity, big data, technology, and data privacy communities to keep raising awareness of these issues and garner the attention of more government officials worldwide to the consequences being inflicted on billions of people. Global problems can only be solved together.


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Today we see the scale of the problem and we understand the causes of the plastic pollution crisis. In Europe, a set of tools and measures exist to tackle this pressing issue. They must be, nonetheless, implemented and enforced.
One of the key measures for changing the status quo in the waste management practices of plastics is making them recyclable.
The EU has made it clear: all plastic packaging must be recyclable and reusable by 2030. The deadline is tight and there is no time to waste, we need to act now.
Specifically, there is an urgency in ensuring the recyclability of flexible packaging - which is most widely used in packaging - representing over 60 percent of the total demand.
“The high-end applications for recycled flexible packaging remain largely underexploited. Currently, only 13 percent of polyethylene packaging is used in closed-loop applications and therefore, is in practice circular. Our target is to increase the circularity of plastics and secure a sustainable use of resources”
Consequently, plastic packaging coming from households has the highest potential of contributing towards the achievement of the EU recycling targets for plastics, with a prospect of more than tripling in capacity and creating 100,000 jobs during the next decade.
Why is design for recycling a game-changer for flexible plastic packaging? The answer is simple. Recyclability creates an added value as the material can be recycled and used again.
It also leads to more efficient collection, sorting and recycling processes and in turn guarantees higher quality of recycled material. This allows for the material to go back to packaging applications, promoting the ambitious targets of the industry and effectively substituting virgin plastics use.
Today over 20 percent of flexible films that are put on the market are multilayers and multimaterials that are incompatible with recycling. These materials, when collected and sorted into the flexible plastic packaging waste stream are either processed along with the targeted material, therefore negatively impacting its quality, or are discarded and incinerated.
This, in turn, does not only negatively affect the technical performances of such material but also its visual aspect, drastically minimising its end markets.
One such end-markets is outdoor furniture. Take a bench for example, with the amount of multilayer and multimaterial flexible packaging that is put on the EU market today, every year, 25 million new benches could be produced.
If we then consider the EU roads network, this amounts to one bench for every 240 metres. This approach is highly unsustainable and futile in a circular economy.
To ensure full circularity of plastic packaging we need to optimise the quality at the end of its life, which in turn will have an impact on the uptake.
The high-end applications for recycled flexible packaging remain largely underexploited. Currently, only 13 percent of polyethylene packaging is used in closed-loop applications and therefore, is in practice circular. Our target is to increase the circularity of plastics and secure a sustainable use of resources.
Solutions are, nonetheless, there. The value chain has been actively working on the specific guidance that addresses the recyclability of plastic packaging.
RecyClass is an example of a platform that gathers raw material producers, converters, brand owner, recyclers and waste management specialists who cooperate on and elaborate scientifically based recyclability guidelines. This initiative was launched to help close the loop on plastic packaging, which can only be achieved via collective efforts of the entire industry.
The next step is, however, a harmonized approach to recyclability that is based on these scientifically established findings, and its uptake by the value chain to ultimately boost certainty among the industry and consumers.
Efforts and ambitions are present, but we must act urgently to tackle the plastic problem and create a better tomorrow.
Design for recycling and uptake of recycled materials must be paired in parallel with other measures.
Legislative support, along with increased quality of collection and sorting, efficient recycling and recycled content targets are equally crucial to genuinely transform and improve plastic waste management in the EU.


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Escherichia coli gets a bad rap for making people violently ill, even though most strains are perfectly harmless. You could say it's a bug in need of a good press agent.
Or a biologist such as Jennifer R. Anthony, at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia.
By inserting a series of carefully selected genes into the microbe, she has turned E. coli into a living factory for making small amounts of Vitamin A.
The goal is to provide a low-cost supply of the vitamin to the developing world, where deficiencies of that nutrient cause widespread blindness and even death.
The early-stage project, in which Anthony's lab has made one strain of the bug with an eye-catching shade of carroty-orange, is part of a fast-growing field called synthetic biology.
Rather than pasting in a single gene here or there, researchers are adding entire genetic pathways to bacteria or yeasts, inducing them to manufacture compounds for uses that range from textiles to automotive fuel. The approach can be a greener alternative to traditional synthetic chemistry.
"We could potentially ask these bacteria to make anything, if we could find the genes for the pathway and put it in," Anthony said.
Before coming to Philadelphia, for example, Anthony was part of a University of California, Berkeley, team that modified E. coli to produce artemisinin, a key drug in the fight against malaria.
Elsewhere, in a joint venture with Tate & Lyle P.L.C., DuPont Co. uses an altered form of the bacteria to produce 1,3 propanediol - a chemical used in the manufacture of both cosmetics and carpets. Other companies are using designer microbes to make diesel fuel.
While there are just a handful of commercialized products made with synthetic biology, more are in the works.
The fast-growing field has spurred some critics to urge caution - warning, for example, that this sort of genetic tinkering could theoretically be used to make chemical weapons.
Such concerns are worthy of discussion, but there is no reason for alarm, said microbiologist Jack Newman, who was at Berkeley with Anthony and is now a senior vice president at Amyris, a California biotech firm that further developed the anti-malaria drug.
"It is rocket science," Newman said. "Not everybody can do this. It's not like a dirty bomb or something."
Anthony, 34, a Wisconsin native who came to the University of the Sciences in 2007, is using the technique to address a serious public-health problem.
Hundreds of thousands of people worldwide do not get enough Vitamin A, leading to widespread blindness and - because the nutrient plays a key role in the immune system - higher rates of death from ailments such as measles and diarrhea.
She decided to start by modifying E. coli because the bacterium naturally makes chemical compounds that belong to the terpenoids, a broad chemical family that includes Vitamin A. Some other members of this family, such as the common solvent turpentine and the cancer drug Taxol, are derived from plants.
But E. coli's natural process for making precursors to terpenoids is tightly controlled. The bacterium makes only enough for its own use, in its cell membrane.
So Anthony's lab inserted a series of eight genes to make the necessary precursors in greater amounts - almost like a second assembly line alongside the first. Six of these genes came from yeast; two were extra copies of genes already present among the 3,200 genes of E. coli.
Then she added an additional four genes, copied from another kind of bacteria, to take those precursors and advance the process further. These genes transform the chemical building blocks first into lycopene - the reddish compound found in tomatoes - and then into beta carotene, the orange compound in carrots.
The lab has made versions of E. coli that produce each of these compounds as a final product, resulting in red and orange bacteria.
But in order to make Vitamin A, she needed to add still another gene - one that could cleave the beta carotene in two. Humans have such a gene; Anthony used a copy of a similar gene from a mouse.
Both animals need such a gene to derive Vitamin A from the beta carotene in vegetables. Contrary to popular belief, carrots do not contain Vitamin A itself.
With the added genes in place, the custom strain of E. coli yielded its first Vitamin A this year. The vitamin is extracted, so there is no bacteria in the final product. (In any event, the lab starts with an even milder strain of the bug than what is typically found in the human gut.)
So far, the amount of vitamin made is quite small, in the range of micrograms per liter of broth. To make the process commercially viable, Anthony needs to increase production by many thousands of times - a feat she expects to achieve in a couple of years.
That will require further tinkering and "optimizing" the strain of bacteria, and determining the best kind of growth medium for it to live. Currently funded by the university, she is applying for federal grants.
Anthony aims to make her process competitive with the current method of making Vitamin A, which uses methanol. That ingredient comes from natural gas or petroleum, and is subject to big price fluctuations.
The exact wholesale price that Anthony's method would be competing against is unclear. UNICEF buys the vitamin to distribute in developing nations for less than two cents a capsule; the bulk of the supply comes from in-kind donations.
The biggest issue in getting Vitamin A to undernourished people is the logistics of distribution, said Alfred Sommer, a leading Vitamin A expert at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Still, he said the work in Philadelphia sounded promising.
"This is the thing that we all sort of dream about - that is, that some commercial venture will take seriously the needs of the developing world," Sommer said. "The fact that they're willing to spend their time and energy and money and creativity on things that by definition need to be sold inexpensively, is terrific."
Consumers in the United States give little thought to Vitamin A. Even if they don't eat enough foods that naturally contain the nutrient, such as eggs, milk and liver, it is routinely added to cereals and bread.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends a daily intake of 1,500 micrograms, assuming a daily diet of 2,000 calories. A person can easily get the equivalent amount or more from one large carrot.
But in the developing world each day, millions get a small fraction of that amount, Sommer said. So UNICEF distributes large-dose capsules twice a year.
In 2008, the organization gave out more than 540 million capsules, most of them containing 200,000 International Units of the nutrient - equal to 60,000 micrograms. The vitamin is fat-soluble so the body can store the excess in the liver.
For now, it is all made with old-fashioned chemistry. But if Anthony has her way, one day some of the supply could come from a helpful bug.


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The Matt Townsend Show - Season 1, Episode 1511 , Segment 1
Episode: Gender Pricing, The Speed of Trust, Soar Above
- May 24, 2018 4:00 pm
- 44:11 mins
Christine Whelan, Ph.D., Clinical professor in the Department of Consumer Science at the University of Wisconsin- Madison. Products marketed for women or girls are priced higher than virtually identical products for men. Accordingly in one study by the New York Department of Consumer Affairs, personal care products marketed to women cost an average of 13 percent more than equivalent men's products, 8 percent on adult clothing, 4 percent on children's clothing, 7 percent on toys and accessories, and 8 percent on home health care products and products for seniors. One study estimated that these hidden costs, or “pink tax” can cost women nearly $1,400 a year. So why are they products marked up for women? And what is being done to even the cost? Dr. Whelan explains.