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In a surprise move, Epic Games, the developer of Fortnite, has officially confirmed that Pokemon will be coming to the game in 2023. An official trailer has been released that confirms the collaboration, and it is rumored that the popular Pokemon Pikachu will also make an appearance. The news of this collaboration has been circulating for a while now, but it is only recently that it has been officially confirmed by the developer.
The Pokemon collaboration will take place in Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 1. While the exact date of the crossover event has not been announced yet, it is expected to happen in 2023. Fans are eagerly awaiting the release of this event, but as of now, no official dates have been confirmed by either Epic Games or Pokemon.
Epic Games has not lined up any big collaborations or events for January 2023, which leads to speculation that the Pokemon crossover event could be launched soon. However, it is important to note that as of now, no official release date has been announced and any rumors should be taken with a grain of salt.
Fortnite players are eagerly awaiting the crossover event with Pokemon, which is set to take place in 2023. Along with the excitement of seeing Pokemon in Fortnite, players will also be able to unlock a variety of rewards. These include Pikachu skins, Pikachu cosmetics, and other skins and cosmetics featuring popular Pokemon. These items will be available in the Fortnite item shop and can be purchased using in-game currency, V-bucks.
Players who wish to acquire these rewards will want to make sure they have enough V-bucks saved up, as they will be able to buy the skins and cosmetics as soon as they are released. However, the estimated price of these items is currently unknown, as Fortnite has not released any information on this yet.
Epic Games, the developer of Fortnite, is known for creating exciting crossover events and this collaboration with Pokemon is no exception. Fans can expect a fully-realized event that will make the most of the Pokemon franchise within the Fortnite universe.
The official trailer of the Fortnite X Pokemon event is already out, and you can watch it on the official channels of Fortnite. As we get closer to the event, players can expect to see more information released on the rewards, gameplay, and specific dates of the event.
Soumyadeep Ghosh is a content writer at Firstsportz. Although assigned a variety of topics, he prefers covering Valorant and Fortnite news among other things. When not working, he could be found doing quite a number of things, ranging from watching anime to grinding Valorant.
FirstSportz is the First Stop for all sports fanatics. Starting in 2019, we initially covered Olympic Sports, but in 2021 we added every other sport which you might be looking for, like NFL, Golf, MLB, WWE Cricket, Football, Tennis, Esports, NBA, MMA and more.


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The e-commerce giant Amazon has announced that it has suffered a major data breach in which names and email addresses of its registered customers have been exposed on its website – The incident occurred a few days before Black Friday.
The company did not reveal what exactly happened, how many users were impacted or what’s their location. However, it did say that the incident wasn’t a cyber attack but a technical error in which exposed names and emails of their users on its website.
According to the email: “A number of affected Amazon customers have received a brief email stating that “We are contacting you to let you know that our site has inadvertently revealed your email due to a technical error. The problem has been fixed. This was not the result of anything you did, and you do not have to change your password or take any other action.”
“Amazon takes all security-related matters very seriously and your account security is our top priority. We have policies and security measures in place to ensure that your personal information remains secure,” the email concluded.
If you are an Amazon customer and received email notification about the breach change your password right now. Remember, you might be using an old password on your account that may have been leaked in a previous data breach which makes your account an easy target for hackers.
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— 𝙚𝙓 𝘾𝟬𝙣 (Kevin) (@YaBoyKevinnn) November 21, 2018
Since BlackFriday and Thanksgiving are a few hours away, the timing of the breach could affect Amazon’s sales. On the other hand, the company can end up with heavy fines under The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Amazon is not new to such incidents, in 2016, Amazon Marketplace data from a 3rd-party server was stolen and sold on an underground forum for BTC 0.02. The same year in October, Amazon sent emails to its registered customers urging them to change their passwords after discovering a list of email addresses and passwords posted online.
Last year, Amazon Web Services suffered a massive outage that took popular sites offline around the world. The very next day it was revealed that the actual reason behind the breakdown was not a cyber attack but a typo error. The company admitted that one of their engineers caused the error.

domain: news


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Each day during the month of December, customers and Facebook fans are encouraged to visit CashNetUSA’s Facebook page daily to discover a money-saving tip for the purpose of saving cash throughout the holiday season
Chicago, IL (PRWEB) November 24, 2011
Launched in 2004, CashNetUSA was one of the first short-term lenders to provide cash advance and online loans without setting foot inside a physical store. CashNetUSA is dedicated to helping clients receive their payday loans from the privacy and convenience of their own home. Their Dallas Cash Advance loan service offers a quick solution for any immediate financial needs.
As a national online lender of payday loans, installment loans and lines of credit, CashNetUSA is excited to announce their upcoming Helpful Holiday Hints campaign.
"Each day during the month of December, customers and Facebook fans are encouraged to visit CashNetUSA’s Facebook page daily to discover a money-saving tip for the purpose of saving cash throughout the holiday season," said Anne Perkins of CashNetUSA.
By visiting CashNetUSA or ‘Liking’ their Facebook page, customers will benefit from a month full of unique tips to help them save money throughout the holiday shopping season. Each tip will be in the form of a video clip with many tips from actual CashNetUSA fans and customers. CashNetUSA hopes to make this stressful time of year a little easier with a few simple pieces of advice.
CashNetUSA knows that the holiday season can be stressful from a monetary sense and they would like to help everyone take the pressure off and allow them to enjoy the family, food and fun of the season.
To learn more, or to get the latest Holiday Hints from CashNetUSA, visit http://www.facebook/CashNetUSA.


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|By Business Wire||
|December 11, 2012 02:30 PM EST||
Dell today announced a renewed commitment to accelerate growth of small and midsize companies with scalable technology solutions, resources for entrepreneurs, and a new partnership with Clinton Global Initiative designed for next generation business founders.
“Fast-growing entrepreneurial companies are an important catalyst for global economic recovery and job creation,” said Michael Dell, Chairman and CEO of Dell. “At Dell, we’re delivering agile, efficient and powerful solutions to help entrepreneurs succeed today, scale quickly and have their ventures grow as big as their dreams and ambitions.”
Scalable Technology Solutions Designed for Midsize Companies
Dell has invested in strategic acquisitions and programs like the Dell Innovators Credit Fund to build and deliver adaptable, standards-based technology solutions ideal for the midsized business and scalable up or down to meet the needs of organizations large and small. When working with Dell, customers can count on a fast, practical path to results with the flexibility needed to adapt to new challenges. Insights gained through conversations with midsized companies and a recent research study on midsized companies, Dell developed a unique approach to meet the needs of business that will benefit organizations of all sizes:
- Open-innovation that never locks customers into proprietary technology
With new technologies emerging globally, proprietary solutions can put the whole organization in jeopardy. The Dell approach promotes an open-innovation philosophy so business leaders can decide what’s best for the company and adapt to change at any point.
According to Dell’s own research, the top priorities for midsized companies in the next year include increasing effectiveness and productivity, growing revenue and reducing costs. To address key priorities midsize companies, like their larger counterparts, are prioritizing spending on things like virtualization and cloud computing to address their aging infrastructures and security concerns while boosting innovation. With Dell’s end-to-end solutions including virtualization and cloud computing businesses are able to be more productive, drive down costs and expand revenue potential.
- Ability to manage IT services in house, outsource or a combination of both
As customers face new obstacles and opportunities, business needs and IT organizations will evolve. By giving organizations the ability to select a short-term outsourced solution or a full in-house infrastructure migration, Dell provides an efficient path to solve short- and long-term challenges.
The needs of midsized companies are not confined to the private sector; public organizations – particularly education – face the same challenges of limited resources with increasingly sophisticated IT demands. Tulane University, one of the most highly regarded and selective independent research universities in the United States, realized that the ever-expanding technology needs of its more than 12,600 students and 4,300 employees required a more modern infrastructure. Over the last seven years the organization underinvested in networking and had more than 40 relationships with a variety of vendors.
“I inherited a strained network that couldn’t keep up with the requirements, causing a costly and inefficient IT liability,” said Charlie McMahon, CIO of Tulane University. “With Dell, I found a true partner that scoped the services our network needed to architect a solution that solved the problem rather than just add equipment. With the Dell solution, as demand for streaming video, online meetings and use of web applications increases, the new network will facilitate these technology needs, allowing my team to remain 10 steps ahead of user demand.”
- Choice to buy directly from Dell or a channel partner
A recent study commissioned by Dell reveals that midsize companies across the globe prefer to purchase technology solutions direct from the manufacturer for the additional advice and consulting provided. Through a direct sales force and its network of certified partners who serve as an extension of the team, Dell is a single point of accountability to serve the technology needs of midsize organizations from the desktop to the data center. Whether a local firm or large multi-national corporation, organizations have flexible sourcing options that prioritize their needs over the needs of the vendor with the benefit of Dell sales and services professionals and thousands of certified partners from pre-sales to ongoing support.
- The exceptional ability to scale IT up or scale down at anytime
In times of change and economic uncertainty, it’s critical for organizations to solve short-term needs while keeping an eye on long-term challenges and opportunities. Scalability enables companies to not only expand resource capabilities but also cut back while remaining flexible to adapt to future challenges - without paying for more than what is needed.
D4, a leading national provider of electronic discovery, computer forensics and litigation support services, needed enterprise storage that could deliver performance, scalability, availability and cost efficiency to support data that was doubling every 18 months. The company worked with Dell to deploy a Dell Compellent Storage Center array because its automated tiering, replays and cost-efficient scalability could enable the company’s growth. To date, D4 has gone from regional to national, grown revenue by 40 percent, saved hundreds of thousands of dollars a year with automated tiered storage and reclaimed disk space.
“We’re dealing with an explosion in the amount of data that needs to be assessed in litigation,” says John Holland, CEO and founder of D4, LLC, a 135-person firm based out of Rochester, N.Y. “Hundreds of gigabytes of information in a case can be the equivalent of millions of pages and our clients are faced with tight deadlines. Dell got everything stored in a manner where it could be searched and analyzed with automated technology tools that helped our clients decide quickly whether to settle a case or seek victory in a trial.”
- End-to-end solutions company
The Dell portfolio spans across all areas of IT including hardware, software and services. Regardless of the organizational challenge, Dell technology and services can help solve them.
Dell continues to hear from customers that financing and access to capital are a key resource needed for growth. For example, SoloHealth®, a consumer-driven healthcare technology company based in Atlanta, Ga., provides free health screenings and insights from medical professionals with its SoloHealth Station™ consumer kiosks and databases, produced by Dell OEM Solutions. The company struggled with receiving traditional financing, even with 90 percent of year-over-year revenue growth. It turned to Dell for $18.5 million in debt capital from Dell Financial Services in addition to the hardware, services and support to produce and deliver thousands of health screening kiosks to retail locations nationwide.
“We worked hard to get our business strategy and product primed and ready for our big break. And that break came in a phone call from Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club, who both wanted us to deploy more than 2,000 kiosks at their retail locations in 6 months’ time,” said Bart Foster, CEO and founder of SoloHealth. “Dell Financial Services fueled our growth by providing quick and easy access to the capital needed to fulfill the demand. Today, with Dell’s help, we’ve helped more than 5 million consumers take control of their health with a comprehensive self-service technology.”
Dell Launches Center for Entrepreneurs
Dell today launched the Dell Center for Entrepreneurs, under the leadership of its Entrepreneur in Residence Ingrid Vanderveldt, a community designed by and for entrepreneurs. Building on Dell’s entrepreneurial heritage and spirit, the Center for Entrepreneurs creates a gateway to knowledge, solutions and opportunities for growing businesses. Founders at all stages of growth are invited to join this community to access:
- Resources: Assistance in identifying capital through Dell Financial Services and the Dell Innovators Credit Fund helps businesses of all sizes access the credit and leasing they need to invest in technology to fuel growth. Also included: webcasts, videos and case studies from Dell and industry experts.
- Expertise: Building on what Dell has learned through its entrepreneurial journey, the Dell Social Innovation Challenge, Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network, and Dell Founders’ Club are cultivating a vibrant community of entrepreneurs who connect with one another for new sources of financial and human capital, knowledge and markets.
- Solutions: Featuring entrepreneur success stories showing how businesses of all sizes and at all stages leverage cloud computing, virtualization, mobility, and data insights to differentiate from the competition, better serve their customers and grow.
Empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs
Following every economic downturn, entrepreneurs have emerged to create new businesses that jumpstart the global economy. According to a recent report by the Technology CEO Council (TCC), which Mr. Dell chairs, companies that use IT more effectively, especially for data driven decision making, show higher productivity and profitability than average companies.
Building on a history of supporting entrepreneurship, Dell will sponsor this year’s Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) and support the entrepreneurship theme at CGI U 2013. This year’s event will be held at Washington University in St. Louis from April 5-7, 2013, and will bring together nearly 1,200 young leaders who are taking real, concrete steps toward solving a wide range of global economic challenges. The entrepreneurship theme at CGI U 2013 will provide students with opportunities to learn about the multi-faceted risks and opportunities involved with launching, running and growing a business, and the critical role that technology can play in building the enterprises and organizations of the future.
As the visionary outcome of a true entrepreneur, Dell (NASDAQ: DELL) is committed to help power the success of entrepreneurs by developing technology solutions that help their businesses increase productivity and grow. Dell listens to customers and delivers innovative technology and services that give them the power to do more.
Join us at Dell World 2012 – The Power to Do More. Technology professionals will learn from one another and identify key challenges and opportunities connected to the top forces changing business today. Learn more at www.dellworld.com, attend our virtual event at Dell World: Live Online or follow #DellWorld on Twitter.
About CGI University
The Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) brings together college students to address global challenges with practical, innovative solutions. CGI U participants do more than simply discuss problems – they take concrete steps to solve them by creating action plans, building relationships, participating in hands-on workshops, and following up with CGI U as they complete their projects. Previous CGI U meetings have taken place at Tulane University, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Miami, the University of California at San Diego, and the George Washington University, and have convened more than 4,500 students from nearly 750 schools, more than 130 countries, and all 50 states. To learn more, visit cgiu.org.
Dell and Compellent are trademarks of Dell Inc. Dell disclaims any proprietary interest in the marks and names of others.
17th Cloud Expo, taking place Nov 3-5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA, will feature technical sessions from a rock star conference faculty and the leading industry players in the world. Cloud computing is now being embraced by a majority of enterprises of all sizes. Yesterday's debate about public vs. private has transformed into the reality of hybrid cloud: a recent survey shows that 74% of enterprises have a hybrid cloud strategy. Meanwhile, 94% of enterprises are using some form of XaaS – software, platform, and infrastructure as a service.
May. 6, 2015 04:45 PM EDT Reads: 802
Enterprise IoT is an exciting and chaotic space with a lot of potential to transform how the enterprise resources are managed. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Hari Srinivasan, Sr Product Manager at Cisco, will describe the challenges in enabling mass adoption of IoT, and share perspectives and insights on architectures/standards/protocols that are necessary to build a healthy ecosystem and lay the foundation to for a wide variety of exciting IoT use cases in the years to come.
May. 6, 2015 04:30 PM EDT Reads: 1,279
Avnet, Inc. has announced that it ranked No. 4 on the InformationWeek Elite 100 – a list of the top business technology innovators in the U.S. Avnet was recognized for the development of an innovative cloud-based training system that serves as the foundation for Avnet Academy – the company’s education and training organization focused on technical training around top IT vendor technologies. The development of this system allowed Avnet to quickly expand its IT-related training capabilities around the world, while creating a new service that Avnet and its IT solution providers can offer to their...
May. 6, 2015 02:45 PM EDT Reads: 1,050
@ThingsExpo has been named the Top 5 Most Influential M2M Brand by Onalytica in the ‘Machine to Machine: Top 100 Influencers and Brands.' Onalytica analyzed the online debate on M2M by looking at over 85,000 tweets to provide the most influential individuals and brands that drive the discussion. According to Onalytica the "analysis showed a very engaged community with a lot of interactive tweets. The M2M discussion seems to be more fragmented and driven by some of the major brands present in the M2M space. This really allows some room for influential individuals to create more high value inter...
May. 6, 2015 12:15 PM EDT Reads: 5,877
SYS-CON Events announced today that B2Cloud, a provider of enterprise resource planning software, will exhibit at SYS-CON's 16th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. B2cloud develops the software you need. They have the ideal tools to help you work with your clients. B2Cloud’s main solutions include AGIS – ERP, CLOHC, AGIS – Invoice, and IZUM
May. 6, 2015 12:00 PM EDT Reads: 4,532
It's time to put the "Thing" back in IoT. Whether it’s drones, robots, self-driving cars, ... There are multiple incredible examples of the power of IoT nowadays that are shadowed by announcements of yet another twist on statistics, databases, .... Sorry, I meant, Big Data(TM), tiered storage(TM), complex systems(TM), smart nations(TM), .... In his session at WebRTC Summit, Dr Alex Gouaillard, CTO and Co-Founder of Temasys, will discuss the concrete, cool, examples of IoT already happening today, and how mixing all those different sources of visual and audio input can make your life happier ...
May. 6, 2015 11:15 AM EDT Reads: 757
The WebRTC Summit 2015 New York, to be held June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York, NY, announces that its Call for Papers is open. Topics include all aspects of improving IT delivery by eliminating waste through automated business models leveraging cloud technologies. WebRTC Summit is co-located with 16th International Cloud Expo, @ThingsExpo, Big Data Expo, and DevOps Summit.
May. 6, 2015 11:15 AM EDT Reads: 3,250
SYS-CON Events announced today that MangoApps will exhibit at SYS-CON's 16th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY., and the 17th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on November 3–5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. MangoApps provides private all-in-one social intranets allowing workers to securely collaborate from anywhere in the world and from any device. Social, mobile, and easy to use. MangoApps has been named a "Market Leader" by Ovum Research and a "Cool Vendor" by Gartner...
May. 6, 2015 11:00 AM EDT Reads: 4,473
The world's leading Cloud event, Cloud Expo has launched Microservices Journal on the SYS-CON.com portal, featuring over 19,000 original articles, news stories, features, and blog entries. DevOps Journal is focused on this critical enterprise IT topic in the world of cloud computing. Microservices Journal offers top articles, news stories, and blog posts from the world's well-known experts and guarantees better exposure for its authors than any other publication. Follow new article posts on Twitter at @MicroservicesE
May. 6, 2015 11:00 AM EDT Reads: 2,996
Containers and microservices have become topics of intense interest throughout the cloud developer and enterprise IT communities. Accordingly, attendees at the upcoming 16th Cloud Expo at the Javits Center in New York June 9-11 will find fresh new content in a new track called PaaS | Containers & Microservices Containers are not being considered for the first time by the cloud community, but a current era of re-consideration has pushed them to the top of the cloud agenda. With the launch of Docker's initial release in March of 2013, interest was revved up several notches. Then late last...
May. 6, 2015 11:00 AM EDT Reads: 4,025
There is no doubt that Big Data is here and getting bigger every day. Building a Big Data infrastructure today is no easy task. There are an enormous number of choices for database engines and technologies. To make things even more challenging, requirements are getting more sophisticated, and the standard paradigm of supporting historical analytics queries is often just one facet of what is needed. As Big Data growth continues, organizations are demanding real-time access to data, allowing immediate and actionable interpretation of events as they happen. Another aspect concerns how to deliver ...
May. 6, 2015 11:00 AM EDT Reads: 5,893
WebRTC defines no default signaling protocol, causing fragmentation between WebRTC silos. SIP and XMPP provide possibilities, but come with considerable complexity and are not designed for use in a web environment. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Matthew Hodgson, technical co-founder of the Matrix.org, discussed how Matrix is a new non-profit Open Source Project that defines both a new HTTP-based standard for VoIP & IM signaling and provides reference implementations.
May. 6, 2015 10:45 AM EDT Reads: 4,494
In his session at WebRTC Summit, Peter Dunkley, Technical Director at Acision, will look at creating interactive communications via the web by adding messaging, file transfer, and group communication (group chat and audio/video conferencing) into the web experience. He will also discuss potential applications of this technology in areas including B2B, B2C, P2P, and gaming. Peter Dunkley is Technical Director at Acision. He graduated from The University of Edinburgh in 2000 with a BSc (Hons) in Computer Science. After graduation Peter worked on a PSTN switch developing signalling stacks for SS...
May. 6, 2015 10:30 AM EDT Reads: 724
The security devil is always in the details of the attack: the ones you've endured, the ones you prepare yourself to fend off, and the ones that, you fear, will catch you completely unaware and defenseless. The Internet of Things (IoT) is nothing if not an endless proliferation of details. It's the vision of a world in which continuous Internet connectivity and addressability is embedded into a growing range of human artifacts, into the natural world, and even into our smartphones, appliances, and physical persons. In the IoT vision, every new "thing" - sensor, actuator, data source, data con...
May. 6, 2015 10:30 AM EDT Reads: 5,500
What if, during a snow emergency, an on-the-ground sensor could automatically trigger a relevant emergency notification related to snowfall and road impact. And then, after it’s triggered, that notification is delivered intelligently to individuals based on an extensive set of rules designed to alert the most available and capable responders. This “what if” question about “smart highways” is short-sighted. We are already there, and we are only getting started. While mainstream attention is paid to machine-to-machine communications, new technologies are being developed to make these communica...
May. 6, 2015 10:26 AM EDT Reads: 574
The Internet of Things is not new. Historically, smart businesses have used its basic concept of leveraging data to drive better decision making and have capitalized on those insights to realize additional revenue opportunities. So, what has changed to make the Internet of Things one of the hottest topics in tech? In his session at @ThingsExpo, Chris Gray, Director, Embedded and Internet of Things, discussed the underlying factors that are driving the economics of intelligent systems. Discover how hardware commoditization, the ubiquitous nature of connectivity, and the emergence of Big Data a...
May. 6, 2015 10:00 AM EDT Reads: 5,659
SYS-CON Media announced today that @WebRTCSummit Blog, the largest WebRTC resource in the world, has been launched. @WebRTCSummit Blog offers top articles, news stories, and blog posts from the world's well-known experts and guarantees better exposure for its authors than any other publication. @WebRTCSummit Blog can be bookmarked ▸ Here @WebRTCSummit conference site can be bookmarked ▸ Here
May. 6, 2015 09:45 AM EDT Reads: 3,496
Scott Jenson leads a project called The Physical Web within the Chrome team at Google. Project members are working to take the scalability and openness of the web and use it to talk to the exponentially exploding range of smart devices. Nearly every company today working on the IoT comes up with the same basic solution: use my server and you'll be fine. But if we really believe there will be trillions of these devices, that just can't scale. We need a system that is open a scalable and by using the URL as a basic building block, we open this up and get the same resilience that the web enjoys.
May. 6, 2015 09:45 AM EDT Reads: 6,053
Chuck Piluso will present a study of cloud adoption trends and the power and flexibility of IBM Power and Pureflex cloud solutions. Speaker Bio: Prior to Secure Infrastructure and Services, Mr. Piluso founded North American Telecommunication Corporation, a facilities-based Competitive Local Exchange Carrier licensed by the Public Service Commission in 10 states, serving as the company's chairman and president from 1997 to 2000. Between 1990 and 1997, Mr. Piluso served as chairman & founder of International Telecommunications Corporation, a facilities-based international carrier licensed ...
May. 6, 2015 09:00 AM EDT Reads: 938
There are lots of challenges in IoT around secure, scalable and business friendly infrastructure for enterprises. For large corporations, IoT implementations are one of the top priorities of the decade. All industries are seeing a competitive need to sustain by investing in IoT initiatives. The value addition comes from improved customer service, innovative product and additional revenue streams. The data from these IP-connected devices can be leveraged for a variety of business applications as well as responsive action controls. The various architectural building blocks of an IoT ...
May. 6, 2015 09:00 AM EDT Reads: 1,195


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KALAMAZOO, Mich. — A clothing company focused on sustainable fashion won first place at Western Michigan University’s seventh annual K.C. O'Shaughnessy Business Pitch Competition and Showcase held on campus Feb. 15.
Rose Soma, a junior from Traverse City, majoring in fashion design and development, claimed the top spot after making a pitch for her company Rose Soma: Up-Cycled Shirts.
Soma's company addresses the issue of the nearly 16 million tons of textile waste generated annually. The company's shirts are created using discarded textiles, which are cut up and reassembled, making each piece unique.
"Winning the pitch competition was unexpected," say Soma. "It's easy to have doubts as an entrepreneur and winning was encouraging and motivating. This summer I will be working strictly on my business, focusing on growth. Once I get my Etsy shop stocked with all new shirts and stickers, I'm planning on doing a marketing push using the funds from the pitch competition."
WMU's pitch competition serves as a test run for student entrepreneurs wanting to present their original business ideas to potential investors. During the event, participants compete for cash prizes while obtaining valuable feedback about what it would take to launch their innovative ideas. This year featured a high school division for the first time with eight student teams from local schools competing.
2019 TOP FINISHERS
Four companies won prizes totaling $5,000 during this year's competition.
First place and a $2,000 prize as well as the People's Choice Award and an additional $300 prize went to Rose Soma: Up-Cycled Shirts, pitched by Soma.
Second place and a $1,400 prize went to Gel Sleeves, a company pitched by junior Conor Mulhearn, an industrial and entrepreneurial engineering major from Jackson. His partners, sophomore Megan Gesler, from New Hudson, sophomore Anthony Mastro, from Oak Lawn, Illinois, and sophomore Valentina Sanchez Briend, from Argentina, are industrial and entrepreneurial engineering majors. The team hopes to enter the growing senior care market with their customizable arm and hand wraps which contain protective gel pockets for individuals who bruise easily due to the use of blood thinners.
Third place and an $800 prize went to Rocket Race, a company pitched by sophomore Benjamin Buell, an industrial and entrepreneurial engineering major from Vicksburg. His partners, first year student Robert Doran, from Davisburg, and sophomore Noah Franchak, from White Lake, are also industrial and entrepreneurial engineering majors. Rocket Race appeals to the growing population of skateboarders. The company's stainless steel wheel bearing design eliminates rust and moisture damage preserving speed and greater bearing longevity.
Fourth place and a $500 prize went to T-Tek, a company pitched by senior Cortney York, an industrial and entrepreneurial engineering major from Warren. Her partner, junior Jasmine Fails, is also an industrial and entrepreneurial engineer major from Westland. T-Tek hopes to cater to the food industry with a customizable trashcan that would eliminate issues caused by overloaded trash bags and leakage using a portable sensor and built-in springs.
ABOUT THE COMPETITION
More than 31 individuals and teams participated in the 2019 K.C. O'Shaughnessy Business Pitch Competition, which honors student innovation and entrepreneurial spirit at WMU. Three-minute pitches for companies were evaluated during progressive rounds by panels of judges representing business community members and WMU faculty. Six companies made it to the final round.
"The pitch competition has continued to grow. We were excited to include the high school division this year alongside our talented WMU students," says Robert Landeros, chair of the Department of Management. "The presentations were incredibly strong, and it is a great opportunity to connect to entrepreneurs in our community."
The Department of Management in WMU's Haworth College of Business organizes and hosts the competition. More information, including videos of recent competition winners, is available online.
For more WMU news, arts and events, visit WMU News online.


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Alton Mason paid tribute to the Chanel bride in his 2023 Met Gala outfit.
Mason, a Jamaican-Ghanaian mannequin, grew to become the primary black mannequin to stroll for Chanel when he appeared on the runway for the home’s 2018 Métier d’artwork present, per W Journal.
The Chanel bride is the ultimate look of each Chanel Haute Couture present, the place Lagerfeld would ship the “It woman” of the second down the runway in a bespoke white robe.
Previous Chanel brides embody Shalom Harlow and Cara Delevinge, per Vogue.
For his Met Gala outfit, Mason opted for an all-white look full with lace appliques and a tulle veil.
Chinese language singer-songwriter Cai Xukun, higher referred to as Kun, confirmed up in a sequinned Prada coat.
Cai is without doubt one of the largest stars in China, with over 38.2 million followers on Weibo.
He made his debut as a member of the boyband SWIN in October 2016 after competing within the Chinese language actuality present “Tremendous Idol,” per i-D journal. He cemented his reputation in 2018, after putting first on “Idol Producer,” one other actuality present primarily based on South Korea’s Produce 101 franchise.
For his Met Gala look, Cai opted for a protracted sequinned Prada coat with a damaged glass impact.
He has additionally been a Prada ambassador for the final couple of years, after first showing within the model’s Fall 2019 menswear marketing campaign, per Ladies’s Put on Every day.
Lil Nas X teamed up with make-up artist Pat McGrath to create a shiny silver cat look utilizing crystals and pearls.
It took the duo 9 hours to place the look collectively, McGrath instructed Vogue.
The cat-inspired look is a nod to Choupette — Lagerfeld’s beloved pet cat — and required 1000’s of crystals “from Austria” in addition to “couture lace from 25 years in the past,” McGrath mentioned.
Pedro Pascal confirmed up in a purple Valentino coat with black shorts and excessive socks.
The Chilean-born actor, who’s starring in HBO’s “The Final of Us,” is having an enormous Hollywood second — and he is now making waves on Twitter for his Met Gala outfit.
Jeremy Pope paid tribute to Lagerfeld with a Balmain-inspired cape that includes an illustration of the late German designer.
The steps of the Met Gala have seen some spectacular outfit trains through the years, and this yr’s successful look belongs to actor Jeremy Pope, who confirmed up in a 30-foot cape adorned with Lagerfeld’s face, per Fashionista.
The Balmain look was made with the assistance of 70 seamstresses and “over 5,000 meters of silk chiffon,” the model instructed Fashionista.
Singer-songwriter Conan Grey was additionally decked out in a bejeweled Balmain swimsuit with an identical fan.
Grey’s outfit was designed by Balmain, per W Journal. It includes a floor-length jacket with sequinned sleeves and pearl-encrusted detailing.
The singer is not any stranger to gorgeous outfits on the Met Gala — final yr, he confirmed up in a sheer Valentino shirt with a billowy, translucent cape.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs made an entrance with a self-designed look comprising a floor-length coat adorned with camellia flowers.
Aside from making music, Combs additionally based the style label Sean John in 1998, per Vogue.
His self-designed Sean John look options 600 Swarovski crystals and black pearls as a nod to Lagerfeld’s work at Chanel, Fashionista reported, citing a press launch from the model.


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Covid-19 has impacted the financial aspects of many people. It’s easy to assume that this impact has been devastating. However, the Money and Pensions Service’s recent analysis of Covid-19’s impact on UK households revealed some insightful and unexpected outcomes.
In January 2020, the Money and Pensions Service set out a ‘UK Strategy for Financial Well Being’. The strategy aimed to improve individuals' financial wellbeing through educational partnerships and collaborations with the private sector, employers, Government, and financial services. The wellbeing strategy is underpinned by the following goals:
- 2 million more people to be able to access debt advice.
- 2 million fewer people regularly using credit to pay for essentials.
- 2 million more working-age people to save more regularly.
- 5 million more people to be able to plan for financial stability in later life.
New analysis from the Money and Pensions Service takes into account how Covid-19 may have impacted how these goals will be achieved, and takes a wider look at how the pandemic affected the nation's finances.
*Starling Bank will not charge you withdrawal or currency conversion fees, but some ATMs may charge a fee.
**On top of this amount, some ATMs may charge a fee
How has Covid-19 impacted the UK?
As of March 2021, the Office for National Statistics reported that the UK's GDP production remains 7.2% below the level recorded in February 2020 but still up 1.2% against January 2021. Whilst overall GDP and production levels are gradually increasing, this has still had a knock-on effect for UK households.
The Money and Pensions Service's review revealed the catastrophic and surprising impact of Covid-19 on finances. The Money and Pensions Service billed this as ‘The 3 D’s of Covid’ and the impact of the pandemic:
- Has been divisive.
- The financial impact has been deferred.
- Consumers have increased their use of digital skills in relation to their finances.
The impact of working from home
It is easy to assume that Covid-19 has impacted many people's finances negatively. However, the Money and Pensions Service's review found that those on higher incomes could better adapt to working from home.
Working from home and lockdown allowed individuals to potentially:
- Significantly decrease or even eliminate commuting costs
- Reduce the cost of socialising and eating out
- Reduce spending on holidays
- Reduce expenditure on childcare costs
- Maintain their income overall
The review also found that those working from home had managed to build up their savings and pay down borrowing.
Working from home, however, brought financial challenges. Home workers needed to spend more money on their weekly shop and heat their homes for longer.
The impact on hospitality and lower-income workers
Those who could not work from home (such as those working in hospitality and retail) found their incomes suffered. A reduced income due to job losses or furlough combined with increased essential costs (food, energy, rent, or mortgage) meant that this group struggled during the pandemic. Many lower-income workers lost all their work or were unable to work due to childcare commitments, illness, or caring responsibilities.
The review especially noted that those most affected by a loss of income were single parents, ethnic minorities, and young people aged 18-25.
Debts only deferred
Interestingly, the demand for debt advice fell after the first lockdown due to many of the supportive schemes available.
The combination of the Government’s furlough scheme and lenders considering payment holidays on mortgages, credit cards, and loans gave consumers a much-needed break. Emergency legislation also prevented landlords from evicting tenants with rent arrears.
However, as lockdown is easing, many of these payment holidays and schemes are coming to an end. The impact of repaying debt has only been deferred as a stress for many individuals and families. Loans and loan repayments will likely have increased, and landlords will now pursue unpaid rent.
The drive to go digital
As face-to-face services ceased, the UK had to adapt to many new conditions. Demand for home office equipment increased due to homeworking, and people needed faster internet to keep up with homeschooling and online meetings.
The pandemic led to many habit changes, with a greater uptake of online shopping and contactless payments amongst older consumers. Online shopping had its best year yet during the pandemic. With little else to do at home, online shopping accounted for a lot of time spent on the internet.
The digital divide in education
Lockdown meant that many children had to access learning materials online. Poor internet connection and a lack of access to computers put many lower-income children behind their peers. 39% of Private school students were able to access more than five hours of learning per day compared to 12% of state school students.
What are the key impacts of Covid-19 on households?
Covid-19's impact on life is controversial, as many households have benefitted by being able to save. In contrast, many more have struggled to keep afloat. The Money and Pensions Service's analysis shows that more resources are needed to support UK households as we move past the pandemic.
More individuals will need to access debt advice. More services will need to invest in digital platforms to meet this demand in the next 12 months.
Despite the impact of Covid-19, many individuals and families have started to save regularly. However, the delayed impact of debt repayment and an ever-changing economy could reduce the capacity to save.
Lower-income consumers could face more challenges in managing their debt accumulated during previous lockdowns, may need more support with debt advice, and struggle to save money. Consumers may still be turning to more borrowing solutions as schemes come to an end.
Job instability and reduced confidence in making financial decisions may impact consumers' plans for their future. Furlough will have resulted in a reduction in pensions for many individuals. As only 80% of wages were being paid, pension contributions decreased. Instability in the financial markets also means that consumers will need to know more suitable pension products and investment schemes.
What can you do based on this analysis?
However Covid-19 has impacted your household’s finances, there still is a lot you can do.It is always worth reviewing your current financial situation and your future plans. It is difficult to plan for every unpredictable change, but you can work to understand your spending habits and create a budget. Aim to develop an awareness of the resources and help available such as debt advice management. This can ensure you're on the path to financial security despite the ups and downs of Covid-19.


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Neale: 'Bookselling financial model needs updating'
23.09.13 | Lisa Campbell
Booksellers Association president Patrick Neale has said “more needs to be done” by publishers to bring the core financial model of the bookselling supply chain up to date.
In his opening address at the Booksellers Association Conference at the University of Warwick this morning (23rd September) Neale said publishers had to “look again” at the financial model for booksellers because “more can be done, and the more quickly it can be done, the better for the whole ecosystem".
He said: “The book value chain has undergone a revolution during the last 20 years and publishers, exploring new routes to market through new channels, have embraced new models. And yet, in the main, the core financial model of supply to bookshops remains unaltered.” He added that although “work is taking place” to amend this, it wasn’t happening quickly enough.
Neale also told the conference he could detect a “shift in the narrative” of the media and public perception of bookshops as “places solely for retired colonels and the technically inept”. He praised the BA, working through Midas PR, for the change in perception. “They have campaigned to communicate the value of bookshops and the vibrancy of the sector, while at the same time getting across the complexity of the issues faced,” Neale said. “It’s an incredibly fine balance to strike. Go too far in accentuating the positive and you begin to look like Pollyanna . . . Go the other way and you help confirm another lazy assumption that bookshops are moribund. And it positions us as a charity case—which we don’t want either.”
He said British booksellers were another "keystone species" like the bumblebee. If bees disappeared from the planet then man would only have four more years of life left, Neale said. He added: “Now I don’t claim to be Einstein; nor do I claim that the extinction of the bookshop would lead to the death of the planet in less time than it takes to establish a new author. But it doesn’t take a genius, or an optimist, to suggest that the role that booksellers play in the ecosystem of writing and publishing and the health and welfare of authors, publishers and readers is a fundamental one.”
He advised booksellers to “look for the infinite possibilities” in their local communities and within their own businesses to prosper, and finished telling the conference that he thought there was more vibrancy in the industry than ever before.
“I truly believe that there are more vibrant booksellers in the sector now than at any time in the past,” Neale said. “We need to constantly convince and remind our publisher colleagues that we are people to do business with.”
The BA Conference opened with the Gardners Trade Show yesterday (22nd September) and concludes later today with a keynote speech from Bill Bryson.


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In the most recent Nintendo Direct presentation, the video game maker revealed new amiibo cards based on characters from the Animal Crossing series, compatible with the upcoming Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer. Both the cards and the new game are scheduled for release this fall. Nintendo also announced a new line of Yoshi amiibo figures made of actual yarn, and more.
At the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) video game trade show in Los Angeles, Nintendo began showcasing new interactive figures called amiibo, which feature popular Nintendo characters. The company’s entry into the toys to life category, amiibo can interact with Wii U and Nintendo 3DS games in unique ways.
Nintendo will launch the new amiibo line this year with 10 figures, and more during the holiday season and throughout next year. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U will be the first game to support the figures, and upcoming games include Mario Kart 8, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, Mario Party 10, and Yoshi’s Woolly World. A new NFC reader/writer designed for Nintendo 3DS is scheduled to launch next year.


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If you show up decades late for your own surprise party, are guests still expected to cheer your arrival?
Maybe not for most. But it might be a different story if your name is Alfa Romeo.
This week, the Alfa Romeo 4C will appear at the New York auto show, marking the sporty two-seater’s North American debut.
There won’t be a formal news conference -- the 4C is already well-known in Europe -- but its appearance on the show floor will mark the first time since 1992 that Alfa Romeo has shown a vehicle at a major U.S. auto show.
Think about that number for a moment -- 1992 -- and all that’s happened in the intervening 22 years. Then consider that Alfa Romeo has spent those decades quixotically trying to survive without a presence in what has been the largest automotive market in the world for most of that time -- the United States. (China overtook the U.S. for the No. 1 spot in 2009.)
Yet this week, it will come back with a car that is simultaneously beautiful and silly. The 4C is a tour de force of Italian design, stunning to look at, but its near-total lack of storage space may be a compromise too far for many U.S. buyers.
Still, even that might not be a problem, because there are only going to be about 1,000 or 1,200 copies of the 4C for dealers in the United States to sell in any given year. Those will be divided between Maserati and Fiat showrooms -- not all of them, mind you, but only the best-performing ones.
If customers think it’s hard to find storage space in the 4C, wait until they try looking in the phone book for “best performing” Fiat or Maserati showrooms as they try and buy a car.
Alfa Romeo is a special brand that holds a revered place in the automotive universe. Its return to the United States after a generation’s absence is worth celebrating. But for the patient few who may have been waiting for the opportunity to buy an Alfa, the 4C’s shortcomings may mean their wait will last a bit longer.


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Technology sector responded positively on Thursday’s trading session and sector moved up +1.02%. If we look at the key movers of the sector so Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK) and VOXX International Corp (NASDAQ:VOXX) was key percentage gainer while major percentage decliners was Neonode, Inc (NASDAQ:NEON).
Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK) moved up around 18% in Helsinki trading session after a surprise earnings recovery in fourth-quarter signaled CEO Stephen Elop’s scheme to restore the Finnish handset manufacturer is gaining pace.
The Espoo, Finland based company reported its mobile-phone unit possibly had its primary profit in a year comprising some items. That evaluated against its October estimates for a loss of around 10% of sales.
Nokia Corporation (ADR)’s YTD performance was recorded as 12.66% while its market capitalization was $16.67 billion. The company has P/B ratio of 1.63. Institutional ownership owns 12.11% shares of the company while beta factor, which is used to measure riskiness of the security, was 1.61. Net profit margin of the company was -15.93% while its gross profit margin was 27.30%.
Synnex Corporation (NYSE:SNX), based in Fremont, California, announced on Thursday that its profit in fiscal Q4 plunged on lower revenue. However, the company still managed to surpass market forecasts.
But the high-tech contractor issued a disappointing revenue estimates and its shares plunged in extended trading session.
SYNNEX Corporation has market capitalization of $1.34 billion. Its current ratio was 1.83 while its shares were looking forward SMA50 with 8.330. The company offered earnings per share of 4.21 while its 37.34 million shares were outstanding. YTD performance of the stock was 4.25%.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has the market capitalization of $492.46 billion. The company’s EPS was 44.16 while its 940.69 million shares were outstanding. Its institutional ownership was 66.82%. Shares of the company were moving behind of SMA50 with -4.70% while its YTD performance was -1.63%.
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A team of researchers in France has taken a major step towards powering our devices with rechargeable batteries based on an element that is far more abundant and cheaper than lithium. For the first time ever, a battery has been developed using sodium ions in the industry standard "18650" format used in laptop batteries, LED flashlights and the Tesla Model S, among other products.
Most of the keyboards we're familiar with are actually rather complicated pieces of hardware, usually invlolving springs and wiring for dozens of keys, but scientists at the University of Auckland in New Zealand have developed a streamlined, programmable keyboard using a soft, flexible and stretchable type of rubber known as a dielectric elastomer.
A new process in the development of atomically thin materials could advance the development of transparent LED displays, efficient solar cells and tiny transistors. Engineers at UC Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have found a simple method to fix the defects common to the promising films, called monolayer semiconductors.
They say that where there's smoke there's fire, but when it comes to electrical systems, by the time the smoke is detected, it's often too late. To raise the alarm early, a team of researchers from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences have developed hybrid sensors that detect gases given off by overheated plastic cables before too much damage can occur.
Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin may have found a solution to one of the key problems holding back flexible, bendable electronics and soft robotics from mass production. Electronic circuits tend to crack and break when repeatedly subjected to bending or flexing, but a new self-healing gel may automatically repair these flaws as they develop.
You've probably noticed that solar panels sitting on people's roofs appear to be broken up into grids. These grid lines are actually metal contacts and, although they're necessary for conducting the electrical current generated by the underlying semiconductor, they reduce the amount of sunlight reaching the semiconductor layer. Now researchers at Stanford University have developed a way to make these reflective metal contacts almost invisible to incoming light, thereby increasing solar panel efficiency.
The lithium-ion batteries that power everything from smartphones to electric vehicles carry a relatively low individual chance of failure, but the sheer quantity in use everyday means the risk of something going horribly wrong somewhere in the world is quite real. Looking to safeguard against such events, a team of scientists has developed a smart chip that can be embedded inside these batteries to monitor their health, offering a warning when it is at risk of catching fire or exploding.
Nearly five years ago, Iain Sinclair Designs launched a credit card-sized compact camera concept called the Poco Pro. Though it generated quite a bit of interest, component supply difficulties meant that the project quickly ran aground. Now Iain's son, Grant, has updated the design and launched an Indiegogo to bring the new Poco to production. Built around a Raspberry Pi compute module, the pocket-sized "supercomputer" can be a bike-mounted actioncam, hi-res music player, handheld gaming console and portable web browser.
In what seems like the most unlikely of unions, a team of scientists at the Linköping University Laboratory for Organic Electronics are working to combine flowers, bushes, and trees with electronics to produce a breed of botanical cyborgs. Led by Professor Magnus Berggren, the researchers have used semiconductive polymers to create the key components of analog and digital electronic circuits inside a rose plant.
With a few notable exceptions, you'd be forgiven for thinking that laptop audio circuitry is something of a manufacturing afterthought, with decisions on such things made at the very end of the design process when there's very little money left in the pot. Plugging a pair of top drawer headphones into a notebook's (often cheap and cheerful) audio out jack can therefore be a little disappointing, leading many music lovers to look to the USB ports for help. Though some USB digital-to-analog converters and headphone amps can be a good deal bigger than the laptop they're connected to, and have a suitably large price tag to match, smaller options are available. The successfully-crowdfunded ZuperDAC from Zorloo, for example, is about the size of a USB thumb drive and supports audio file resolutions right up to 24-bit/192 kHz. We've spent the last few weeks diving into our hi-res FLAC and WAV vault for some lossless easy listening.


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London Technology Week has kicked off today with Brits predicting a future built on VR healthcare, company boards replaced by robots, drone pizza deliveries and commercial space flights.
A survey of 2,077 British adults from London & Partners, the Mayor of London’s promotional company, has revealed that the majority of the population is aware of the technological advancements of recent years.
According to Accenture’s 2016 Digital Multiplier Report, the digital economy is set to boost global economic output by $2tr by 2020, fostered by the development and adoption of new technologies.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: "London Technology Week shines a light on this hugely important sector of the economy and demonstrates how our city is open to trade, ideas and people from across the globe. Tech-savvy Londoners welcome new digital advances that are going to revolutionise the way that we live and it is crucial that we harness those ideas to help the capital work even better as a city.
"As someone who has helped to run a successful business, I look forward to supporting the tech sector so it goes from strength to strength over the coming years."
One of the biggest findings in the survey is around healthcare. A large majority of people thinks that by 2036 they will no longer have to physically visit their doctor. 62% think doctors’ appointments will be routinely conducted via VR.
Brits are also conscious about the developments in the 3D printing space, and 53% expect that over the next two decades the technology will evolve to print human organs.
Furthermore, 41% think the world’s first human cloned baby will have been born by 2036.
Elsewhere, UK technology consumers are aware of the growth in the number of robots and machines being used and how they will grow to outpace the human race.
23% Brits think the first AI machine could serve on the board of big companies within 20 years. 23% think robots could replace chief executives in the boardroom.
AI avatars are also set to disrupt relationships as 19% of Brits think avatar girlfriends and boyfriends could be commonplace.
In addition, 14% of respondents think robots will outnumber human beings by 2036.
Technology developments in the banking sector have also not gone unnoticed. 68% of those surveyed think physical money will be fully replaced by cashless technologies within the next 20 years.
In the automotive space, although 2040 is expected to be the year when such technologies take over from more common ones, 51% of respondents believe there will be more driverless cars on major roads than ‘regular’ vehicles as early as 2036.
In regards to commercial space flights, 37% of Brits think these will be taking off from major airports such as Heathrow or Gatwick.
Elsewhere, while wearables purchases increased 118% in 2015 compared to 2014, 37% of those taking part in the survey think that these technologies will eventually become embedded in the human body itself. 57% think people will regularly wear clothing connected to the internet.
Lastly, drone deliveries are also expected to be commonplace in 20 years, as five in ten respondents believe drone pizza delivery will be considered normal.
The survey was commissioned ahead of London Technology Week, and was inspired by a series of predictions put forward by Imperial College London’s Tech Foresight research team.
Professor David Gann, Innovation VP at Imperial College London, said: "No city in the world enjoys London’s quotient of talent, technology culture and capital. It is a potent combination.
"London is an environment where ideas flourish, design and innovation is embraced and new technologies are transforming our lives for the better. In London, we do not stand still."
This year’s London Technology Week will focus on London as a centre for the convergence of disruptive technologies and their impact on traditional industries such as fashion, music, financial services and healthcare.
Gordon Innes CEO of London & Partners, said: "London is a world-class destination for culture, science, business and technology. When you combine this with our strong culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, London has the perfect conditions for the convergence of disruptive technologies with traditional industries."
Eileen Burbidge MBE, Partner at Passion Capital and Chair of Tech City UK, said: "As a truly international city, London is one of the world’s largest, most inclusive and diverse technology hubs with a range of opportunities for talent of all backgrounds."
She also said that we are already seeing technology disrupting traditional industries, but in years to come we will no longer be talking about the digital tech sector in isolation. Technology and digital will be integrated into every part of the economy.


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New Delhi, Jan 20 (UNI) With a view to revive tea industry, the government is likely to float expression of interests for reopening 14 closed tea gardens across the country tomorrow.
''The Law Ministry's clearance is awaited and hopefully we will issue the EoI for the tea gardens on Monday,'' Minister of State for Commerce Ministry Jairam Ramesh said here yesterday.
With this, the government will invoke Section 16 (E) of the Tea Act, 1953, which empowers the state to take over closed tea gardens.
He said out of the 14 tea gardens, nine are in West Bengal and the rest is in Kerala.
West Bengal contributes about 25 per cent to the total tea production of the country.
The West Bengal government had earlier invited bids for reopening two other closed tea gardens in West Bengal such as Ramjhora and Kathalgora tea estates.
UNI SBA PBB AS1357


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November 24, 2017 | 11:15
The Advertising Standards Authority has issued new guidance which will prevent broadband providers from using speeds available to only a minority of their customers using the weasel-words 'up to', requiring instead that only median peak-time download speeds are used.
The use of 'up to' in telecommunications advertising is nothing new: Since the days of dial-up modems internet service providers (ISPs) have been compensating for the varying quality of signal received by subscribers by advertising the peak possible speed as an 'up to' maximum limit. Current UK advertising regulations accept this technique, even if only 10 percent of the company's customers are able to achieve these speeds.
Under new guidance to come into place in May next year, though, ISPs will no longer be able to advertise using these minority peak speeds. All UK ISPs will instead be required to use the median download speed achieved across its customer base at peak times, which will be described as the 'average' speed available.
'There are a lot of factors that affect the broadband speed a customer is going to get in their own home - from technology to geography, to how a household uses broadband. While we know these factors mean some people will get significantly slower speeds than others, when it comes to broadband ads our new standards will give consumers a better understanding of the broadband speeds offered by different providers when deciding to switch providers,' claims Shahriar Coupal, director of the Committees of Advertising Practice. 'We continually review our standards to make sure they reflect consumers’ experiences, the technology available and the evidence base to make sure our standards are in the right place. Following extensive research and consultation, we hope our new standards will improve customer confidence in future ads.'
At the same time the ASA ruled that it is acceptable for ISPs like Virgin and BT to advertise their broadband connectivity as 'fibre' or 'fibre optic', even though the last-mile connection to homes and businesses is typically via twisted-pair or coaxial copper cabling.
The new guidance, which can be found in full on the ASA website, comes into force on May 23rd 2018.
October 14 2021 | 15:04


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The luxury lifestyle magazine industry in Chicago is about to get another player.
Montclair, N.J.-based Mod Media, which publishes HudsonMod for a New York City and New Jersey audience, says it will launch ChicagoMod this month, with 120 glossy pages of fashion, dining, philanthropic and travel content catering to well-heeled readers.
Advertisers will include luxury goods retailers and upscale car dealers, as is the case with its edition out east. About half of its 65,000 circulation will be sent directly to homes in wealthy ZIP codes, but the bimonthly magazine will also be on newsstands for $5.95 and free at some establishments.
The new company will be in direct competition with established Chicago magazines CS, published by Modern Luxury, and Michigan Avenue, a title in the GreenGale Publishing group, that are each part of larger publishing companies that span the nation.
Mod Media President Shannon Steitz says she respects those peers but believes there's room for her publication as well. "I don't see Chicago any more crowded than any other key city that we would look to penetrate," and the competition shows how viable the market is, she says. Like the other publications, ChicagoMod will sponsor events, too, with a launch party already scheduled for next month.
ChicagoMod will be Mod Media's second magazine, and Steitz expects that the company will add editions in other major cities. Still, special publishing projects for clients, also known as custom publishing, have in the past accounted for more than half the company's business, she said. Steitz declined to discuss financials for the private company but said it has about 40 employees with a small editorial and sales office in the West Loop that will eventually have about 10 workers.


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Increased trade tensions continue to weigh on the overall market. The Dow Jones has been falling since late April when it became obvious to the market that a potential trade deal between the U.S. and China would take much longer than expected. This of course led to more tariffs, and most recently President Trump announced new tariffs on the country’s southern neighbor, Mexico.
There is no questioning the fact that all nations involved in the trade war are getting hurt, and politicians face backlash as consumers start to see the impact of the trade war in the form of higher prices.
As trade war tensions linger, the market will remain volatile, but the pullbacks in the broader market can also be used to pick up shares in stocks that were trading much higher just a month ago and should regain their strength as trade tensions ease.
Here are five stocks that look like a great value after cooling off over the last month.
Microsoft (MSFT) has avoided much of the market volatility, but the stock has pulled back from its all-time high set in mid-April as weakness hit the overall market. Microsoft remains a very attractive long-term play as the company continues to grow its cloud-computing services. While the PC market has shrunk, Microsoft remains the dominant player in the sector. Cloud-computing is the real growth driver for the company which is expected to grow profits at an annual rate of 15% over the next five years. MSFT has been a strong outperformer in recent years, and the company’s strong earnings growth will continue to drive the stock and make it a good buy any time the stock pulls back a bit. MSFT is currently trading at $119.80 and analysts have an average price target of $138.29 on the stock.
Athletic goods and apparel maker Nike (NKE) hit a new record high in April, but the stock has pulled back 11% from its high. Nike does have China exposure due to its factories in the country, but it has been setting up factories outside China but still in the Asia Pacific region in recent years which has lowered its exposure more than its competitors. Trade tensions between the U.S. and China will weigh on the stock and create a good long-term buying opportunity as the stock will quickly once a trade deal is reached. Analysts see a lot of growth potential for the company with forecast annual earnings growth of 14% forecast for the next five years. A prolonged trade war could impact earnings growth, but eventually a trade deal will be reached, and Nike will quickly recover. NKE is now trading at $80.47 and analysts see the stock fairly priced at $91.10.
Discover Financial (DFS)
Credit card operator Discover Financial (DFS) is down 7% from its all-time high set in the first week of May. The recent pullback has lowered the stock’s P/E to just 9.5 and analysts expect the company to grow earnings at 12.6% per annum over the next five years. The strong expected growth will keep the stock moving higher, especially with the low valuation, and any pullback in the stock would be a good buying opportunity. The company delivered better than expected earnings in late-April which pushed shares to a record high, and once the overall market regains its footing buyers will quickly come back into DFS. The stock is currently trading at $76.94 and analysts see shares rising to $85.60.
Apple (AAPL) impressed last quarter with strong growth in its services where analysts see a rapidly growing revenue stream for the company that desperately needed to find a way to balance slowing iPhone sales. The stock was trending sharply higher before volatility hit the overall market as Apple does have a lot of exposure in China where it not relies on the nation for a lot of its production, but also counts on the people of China buying iPhones. However, the stock’s 15% pullback since the first week of May has shares trading at just 14 times future earnings. Tech giants are starting to face FTC probes, but Apple may come out ahead of the competition as it has been more successful in protecting data and privacy. China is important to the company, and you can expect the stock to be volatile while trade negotiations play out, but once a deal is finally reached the stock will rebound and the current dip in the stock has shares priced at a very reasonable price. AAPL trades at $178.76 with an average price target of $214.23.


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Wells Fargo and AT&T slide while Walmart and Terex climb
NEW YORK — Stocks that moved substantially or traded heavily on Friday:
Wells Fargo & Co., down 67 cents to $55.36
The bank’s profit disappointed investors as a scandal over fraudulent accounts continued to affect its business.
Citigroup Inc., down $1.51 to $67
The bank’s revenue growth was relatively weak even though the U.S. economy continues to grow.
AT&T Inc., down 56 cents to $31.67
The Department of Justice said it will appeal a ruling that allowed AT&T to buy Time Warner.
Northrop Grumman Corp., down 40 cents to $321.73
The defence contractor said chairman and CEO Wes Bush is stepping down.
Johnson & Johnson, down $1.83 to $125.93
A jury awarded $4.7 billion to women who said asbestos in Johnson & Johnson’s talcum powder contributed to their ovarian cancer.
Terex Corp., up $1.43 to $45.15
The machinery maker said it will buy back $300 million in stock.
Ingredion Inc., down $11.31 to $99.46
The food sweetener, starch and nutritional ingredient company lowered its profit forecast and said it will cut more costs.
Walmart Inc., up $1.18 to $87.70
Companies that make and sell household goods fared better than the rest of the market Friday.


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Moving from a paid model to a freemium one, popular third-party keyboard app SwiftKey on Wednesday updated its Android app to v5.0, and also announced the launch of the SwiftKey Store. Notably, just last week at WWDC, Apple announced system-wide support for third-party keyboard apps, and SwiftKey quickly announced it was bringing its app to the platform.
Perhaps in a reaction to its upcoming growth user base via Apple's iOS ecosystem, SwiftKey has shifted to the freemium model on Android. Once available for $3.99, SwiftKey for Android is now permanently free and the trial version of the app no longer exists on Google Play.
It seems that the company has taken freemium route to get more users, while the revenue generation will be done via paid themes introduced on the SwiftKey Store. At the launch, there are over 30 new themes like Nickel, Cobalt are available at the store, with regular updates planned for future. The app also has a new default theme.
For the existing premium app users, SwiftKey is offering a "Premier Pack" of 10 themes worth $4.99 for free.
The update also adds an optional number row at the top of the keyboard, brings predictions for emojis (which are now part of database of more than 800 symbols supported on Android 4.1 or higher devices), and wider language support including Belarusian, Mongolian, Tatar, Uzbek and Welsh. SwiftKey is also touting the improved prediction engine and 'Flow' accuracy, as well as improved Flow trails.
Most of the features in SwiftKey v5.0 were a part of the SwiftKey beta app for Android. SwiftKey for Android devices was first launched in beta in July, 2010 while the company behind the app was founded in 2008 by Jon Reynolds and Dr. Ben Medlock. The app uses a blend of artificial intelligence that learns from previous SMS messages and enables it to predict the next word the user intends to type.


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According to the recent reports, there’s immense potential for growth in the Australian logistics. Australian logistics and transportation sector is believed to see expansion and growth in 2017 with the rapidly increasing trade opportunities overseas and within the country.
How to prepare for this new period of opportunities?
According to a market report, the logistics and transportation market will be led by the export of iron ore and coal, as well as strong interest in education services and the tourism sector. The increasing interest in online shopping is also said to set a high increase in package delivery activity.
Needless to say, companies in Australia have already started taking advantage of the emerging opportunities. New strategic plans are being made to boost growth in local transportation.
◼ Developing A Safe Industry
Those looking to be a part of the industry will be pleased to hear about the changes to make the industry more safe and open to female workers. In order to encourage greater gender diversity within the industry, the Australian Logistics Council (ALC) will hold a forum to discuss the current shortfalls and effective methods for action.
◼ Increased Safety
Another recent announcement from the National Transport Commission (NTC) outlined reforms to chains of responsibility obligations to increase safety on Australian roads. The new policy will require all managing parties along the supply chain to take responsibility for risk measures and safety. To avoid overburdening the industry, the NTC will provide clearer and more flexible compliance requirements that will help clear up confusion and ambiguity for firms.
◼ New Job Opportunities
The industry is in the fortunate position to be experiencing strong demand and growth, which results in increased job opportunities. The Transport and Logistics Industry Skills Council has forecasted 151,000 job openings for the period 2013-17, with a corresponding employment growth rate of 1.8 percent a year. This is higher than the all industries rate of 1.4 per cent.
With many developments and much-needed changes, the Australian logistics and transportation sector seems ready to host high growth moving into 2017.


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Mobile Video: The Last Eyeballs
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It's the end of attention.
The few crumbs of spare attention anyone has left over from the barrage of daily media will soon be eaten up by "video snacks," little chunks of content delivered to cell phones to fill those awkward moments when no one is calling, texting or e-mailing us.
On Thursday, SmartVideo Technologies announced a content deal with Two Minute Television, a production company that specializes in entertainment for teentsy attention spans. The two companies will offer a free, ad-supported mobile TV channel featuring shows like "Adventures in Speed Dating."
SmartVideo takes broadcast-quality video and transmutes it for the small screen. It plans to let users subscribe directly while also offering the service to content creators and mobile network operators. The SmartVideo catalog includes programming from ABC News, NBC Universal, Fox Sports and The Weather Channel.
"It just depends on who wants to own the subscribers," said Richard Bennett, SmartVideo CEO. "If we're working for the telco, we act as a content aggregator, and provide that content into their network. If we're working for a content company like a major studio, we would manage their content library and distribute it to subscribers directly."
Bennett said that in the last nine months, interest in mobile content has caught fire. "It used to be incredibly difficult to get content creators," he said. "Now, we get 50 to 75 audition reels a day."
That interest is fueled by what ABI Research says could be a $27 billion business by 2010. But ABI analyst Ken Hyers said that money would be spread around more than in today's mobile data market.
"Initially, we'll see Sprint, Verizon and eventually Cingular powering some of these one-to-one video services over the network, [with] the paradigm we have now," Hyers said. But the delivery model will move to one-to-many digital broadcast networks, much like regular TV networks, with content streamed to devices.
"Once the digital broadcast networks come on board, you'll see 10 to 12 percent of wireless customers signing up by 2010," he said. They'll pay $10 to $15 a month for all-you-can-eat video; Hyers thinks $10 a month is the real sweet spot in terms of getting subscribers. The telcos will sign deals with the companies that run digital broadcast networks, but do the billing themselves, so they can control the customer relationship, Hyers said.
This fledgling business is already adding up to more than chump change.
Sprint just announced a deal with Warner Brothers Online to launch "Looney Tunes and Friends." The mobile video channel is now available on Sprint PCS Vision Multimedia Services. Sprint's streaming audio and video services went live in August 2004. Verizon launched its VCAST service in January 2005. The $15 subscription fee includes unlimited Web browsing and specially tailored programs from major media including NBC, News Corp. and 20th Century Fox. According to Hyers' estimates, Verizon has around 450,000 video subscribers, each paying $15 a month.
PacketVideo, a provider of supplier of embedded multimedia communications software for mobile phones, powers the handset software for the VCAST service. The company has waited for mobile video to take off since before the turn of the century.
Joel Espelien, PacketVideo vice president of strategy, said the operators' moves to faster networks have finally made cell phone video possible, while smart phones with memory enabled the move from browser-based mobile content to all-in-one applications for finding and viewing video on the phone, an experience that's more acceptable to consumers.
"We have faster networks, and the devices themselves continue to march along, better, faster, cheaper. We're now capable of doing very nice video on phones," he said.
With mobile phones our constant companions when we're out, and the TV the audio track of our home lives, it seems inevitable that TV should follow us out the door.
"Mobile TV is part of the whole on-demand world we're moving toward, where I want my information anywhere, any time," said Michael Tchong, trendspotter and founder of the marketing company Ubercool. It plays into several current and emerging trends, Tchong said, including time compression, personalization and what he called "control-freaking."
Tchong sees a big future for mobile video advertising. "There's a lot of upside potential for on-demand infomercials as well," he said. "The information or advertising provider will pay the carrier fee. The subscriber will get the equivalent of a toll-free number to call."
Bennett of SmartVideo agreed. "Long-term, we think ad support is going to be the predominant method for getting it out there, replacing the subscription models," he said. He said the company had signed on several mainstream brands for its free channels, whose names he could not divulge, including beverage, sports apparel and clothing manufacturers.
But the prospect of a populace of walking couch potatoes is daunting. Will we be able to talk to each other at all?
Jacqueline Whitmore, author of "Business Class: Etiquette Essentials for Success at Work" and Sprint's cell phone etiquette spokeswoman, said mobile TV will only add to the attention deficit she's already seeing. While the tiny screen is even more magnetic when it's playing video, she said, "It boils down to common sense: The person you're with should take priority over the telephone."
Whitmore did have one special pointer for kindly mobile video junkies who don't want to jar those around them with the honks of Daffy Duck or the whaps and cheers of the NBA Playoffs: "Wear an earphone!"


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USA – Leading food industry leader Cargill has reached an agreement to acquire Pro-Pet, an Ohio-based manufacturer of private label and co-manufactured pet foods, including premium dog food brand Black Gold for an undisclosed sum.
The acquisition makes Cargill the only national supplier of both animal feed and pet food offerings in the agricultural retail space, according to the company.
Pro-Pet has more than 150 employees and three pet food manufacturing facilities in Owatonna, Minnesota; St. Marys, Ohio; and Kansas City, Kansas, all in the US.
According to Cargill, the Pro-Pet acquisition provides it with increased production capacity and proximity to existing agricultural retail customers to better meet their growth needs within the pet food industry.
“Pro-Pet’s commitment to high-quality, safe pet food and passion for the pet food business is the perfect fit for our Cargill Animal Nutrition business, and allows us to better serve our customers seeking a focused supplier for both animal feed and pet food options,” said Pilar Cruz, president, Cargill Feed and Nutrition.
“Cargill’s vast resources and competency in sourcing of commodities, along with their reputation in the agricultural retail business sector, makes Cargill the natural and best partner for Pro-Pet,” said Jim Wiegmann, the president and CEO of Pro-Pet.
Wiegmann says that Cargill can leverage the strengths and capabilities of Pro-Pet better than any other company, enhancing its ability to serve retail partners and pet food brand owners.
Pet food is a top-growing category among agriculture retailers with an estimated 8% distribution share, in a space that continues to evolve with changing consumer preferences, notes Cargill.
“The pet food category continues to change, as indicated by the increased focus on premium offerings,” said Mark Lueking, U.S. managing director, Cargill Feed and Nutrition.
“Pro-Pet has the capability to satisfy this market need, and our mutual passion for serving customers make us a strong cultural fit.
We look forward to growing the business together by delivering a range of options to meet customer demand.”
Cargill currently operates 50 animal feed production and distribution facilities across the U.S., offering branded and private label pet food to agriculture retailer customers.