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The UK food manufacturing sector is set to see a 3-4% rise and reach a value of more than £113bn in the short to medium term, according to a new report from Research and Markets.
The food and drink manufacturing and processing industry (FDMP) is the single largest manufacturing sector in the UK, employing around 400,000 workers.
The report states that there are more than 8,000 companies in the FDMP sector, with 85% being classified as small businesses. The top five food manufacturing firms in the UK account for more than £30bn in turnover and the top 20 companies own and operate over 300 manufacturing sites across the country.
FDMP – key figures:
- Number of active UK food and drink manufacturers: 8,000
- Manufacturing sites and factories: 9,500
- Percentage growth in food and drink manufacturing industry: 3-4%
The report suggests that the growth is predominantly because of the investment in new machinery and manufacturing technologies.
Thanks to the investment in a new stock of manufacturing capabilities across the sector the reports states that output will rise by between three and five per cent over the coming years.
The report identifies the sectors with the most manufacturing sites as meat processing, dairy enterprise and bakery production. The areas with the highest number of food and meat production were the Scotland, the North West and Humberside.
Speaking about the report, researchers commented: “Over the past couple of years the FDMP has seen increased capital investment levels, reflecting the growing optimism in the wider economy.
“New projects were mainly focused on upgrading existing assets to achieve greater efficiencies, leading to higher outputs and lower costs.”

domain: news


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Yahoo! Betrayal towards Koprol Team
Every company’s leader has his own way to save the company from destruction; and that was what Yahoo!’s new CEO, Scott Thompson tried to do last week: by cutting off two thousand Yahoo! employees worldwide, in order to save hundreds of millions of dollars ($375 million annually to be exact). The employees were in shock last week; they did not see it coming at all; even the senior staffers knew almost nothing about this until the rumor was out. Southeast Asia was Yahoo!’s most valuable market all these years, but it did not save the region from the layoff impact; including Yahoo! Indonesia.
Last year, I wrote an article about Yahoo! Koprol, an Indonesian local location-based social network; a Foursquare-similar-kind-of-social-media. Koprol itself was founded in 2008 by Fajar Budiprasetyo, Satya Witoelar, and Daniel Armanto. Later on in 2010, Koprol was bought by Yahoo! for an undisclosed amount and modified its name to Yahoo! Koprol. After the acquisition, all Koprol’s founders and talented developers were brought by Yahoo to join the family. Post acquisition, everything went pretty good: users grew, new Koprol features and designs were introduced; until last week when Sunnydale announced the layoff plan. Unfortunately, the entire team of Koprol developers had to leave the company!
Koprol's Founders and Former Head of Yahoo's Developer Network for Southeast Asia (Source: E27)
Right after the bad news was announced, one of the Koprol founders, Satya Witoelar, posted on his Tumblr the list of developers who are available to be hired or doing freelance jobs. In the interview with Dailysocial, Satya responded “We are still in shock with this layoff. I thank everyone for everyone that can help them (Koprol ex-developers) finding jobs.” Former head of Yahoo!'s Developer Network for Southeast Asia, Michael Smith, who also the make-happen of Koprol acquisition with Yahoo!, responded personally on his blog about the cutoff of Koprol tem, saying “Given this – it was not a huge surprise, still a big blow, to hear that the Koprol team was let go. These are awesome people and any company would be blessed to have some of these people.”
The founders of Koprol, however, are still kept by Yahoo for the next three months, basically to process the transition of Koprol to the new team. But what is the future of Koprol? The new Koprol, which will be called “Koprol 2.0”, will focus more on users’ discussions/conversations, than on check-in activities. But why? Based on what I read on Dailysocial, Yahoo! found out that Koprol users do not care that much about where they check-in, but to shout out and discuss about what is happening at those places. It is a good that they are adjusting their development to market behavior, but don’t we have Twitter/Facebook to tell people what is happening?
Yet, I wish a succes for all the formers of Koprol developers in finding new jobs!
Tagcloudsearch engine marketing viral business gmail website searchcowboys sea images a4uexpo research search engine strategies news indonesia adwords funny google maps social google earth bing ppc apple search engines app street view realtime event smx youtube matt cutts linkbuilding seo baidu internet sem privacy yandex advertising ses microsoft


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ChargePoint: A Prime Beneficiary of Growing EV Adoption
ChargePoint (CHPT) might have missed expectations on the bottom-line in its latest quarterly report, but that is of little concern to Evercore analyst James West, who says the company is “charging towards mainstream adoption.”
EPS came in at -$0.21, $0.05 shy of the consensus estimate, although the company posted a $1.77 million beat on the top-line, with revenue hitting $65.03 million, a 78.8% year-over-year increase.
Looking ahead to FQ4, the company expects revenue between $73 million and 78 million, above the Street’s call for $72.03 million. ChargePoint also increased its full year revenue guidance from $225 million-$235 million to $235 million-240 million. Also above consensus, which had $231.75 million.
West says the quarter was marked by “clear signs of the scale that CHPT continues to build.” ChargePoint added more commercial and fleet clients than in any other quarter in its history. Fleet billings rose by 69% quarter-over-quarter and by almost 200% from the same period last year while residential billings grew by 63% and 50%, respectively. Furthermore, European revenue rose by 190% year-over-year.
It is still early days for the EV segment, but the quickening pace of adoption in North America and Europe places ChargePoint at the center of this secular trend. Over the next 20 years, in the U.S. alone, West anticipates a 60x increase in U.S. charging demand, boosted by a 40-50x uptick of electric vehicles in operation. By 2040, the analyst sees EV U.S. penetration reaching more than 70% of new car sales.
And for investors looking at EV charging plays, West thinks ChargePoint will be their first port of call.
“We continue to believe the company is viewed as an index for charging and investors look to it first for exposure to the sector given its scale, transatlantic reach, and role as the ‘arms dealer’ for the industry,” the analyst said. “As an EV infrastructure designer and manufacturer, CHPT is agnostic to where its equipment is installed with the desire to sell the hardware and become the software provider. Therefore, investors do not have to determine exactly how this mega theme of electric mobility unfolds.”
To this end, West reiterated an Outperform (i.e. Buy) rating, along with a $34 price target. The implication for investors? Upside potential of 62%. (To watch West’s track record, click here)
Granted, not everyone is as enthusiastic about CHPT as West. The Street is almost split down the middle on this one; based on 4 Buys and 5 Holds, the stock ekes out a Moderate Buy consensus rating. On where the share price is heading, the outlook is more conclusive; the forecast calls for one-year gains of 40%, considering the average price target clocks in at $29.38. (See CHPT stock forecast on TipRanks)
To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks’ Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks’ equity insights.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analyst. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.


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Marketing and Sponsorship
Tough Mudder books a hotel brand
Endurance obstacle racing series signs Radisson to a 16-month deal
Endurance obstacle racing series Tough Mudder has signed a 16-month deal with Radisson Hotels, giving North American rights to the hotel chain through 2015.
A source familiar with the deal pegged it in the mid-to-high six figures.
The deal represents another step forward for Tough Mudder, which added supplement company Met-Rx, technology firm Garmin and Monster Energy to its self-titled “official badass” partnership category this year. The category also includes Wheaties, beer maker Dos Equis, the U.S. Army and Bic razors.
More than 700,000 participants tackled the Tough Mudder challenge last year.
Photo by: GETTY IMAGES
“It’s another well-known national brand that has seen value in our property and fan base,” said Dan Weinberg, vice president of partnerships at Tough Mudder. “We believe Radisson will add to the overall experience.”
Final inventory and activation details are still being ironed out, Weinberg said. He predicts Tough Mudder will steer its participants toward nearby Radisson hotels for pre-event breakfast meetings and post-event parties, and that Radisson will offer group rates to Tough Mudder participants.
Weinberg said Radisson will receive branding space in each event’s finish-line festival and advertising rights for the series’ marquee obstacle, “Everest,” a wooden quarterpipe structure that participants must climb.
“Everest gets a lot of digital impressions and Facebook shares,” Weinberg said.
Tough Mudder attracted more than 700,000 participants in 2013, and in 2014 the series is scheduled to hold 38 events in North America. The company has grown consistently since its founding in 2010.
The growth has placed Tough Mudder among the few endurance properties that garner attention from mainstream sponsors. Weinberg said the company is hoping to sign deals in the automobile, consumer electronics and insurance categories.
“We have ambitious plans,” he said.
Stephanie Lopato, brand manager for Radisson Americas, said the partnership represents a new marketing direction for the company. The Minneapolis-based company has no sports deals other than a local deal with the Minnesota Vikings, she said.
Lopato said Radisson hopes to use Tough Mudder to attract young, active customers. The company intends to promote its partnership on the hotel website, across social media and through in-hotel messaging.
“Heads in beds is a focus, but it is not the primary focus,” Lopato said. “We want to get Radisson in front of consumers who haven’t thought of us or stayed with us recently.”
Fred Dreier is a writer in Colorado.


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Despite the HTC One having widely been regarding as the best phone of 2013, an accolade recognised in becoming the 2013 TrustedReviews Phone of the Year, Samsung’s better brand standing and monstrous marketing budget saw the Galaxy S4 dominate consumer sales.
According to figures presented to Bloomberg, HTC confirmed that HTC One sales during the phone’s opening two month’s on sale reached the impressive 5 million units milestone.
During the same period, Samsung revealed that Samsung Galaxy S4 sales exceeded a staggering 20 million units.
Although the HTC One marked the Taiwanese manufacturer’s return to smartphone prominence, the S4’s sales are sure to have been bolstered by the preceding success of both the Samsung Galaxy S3 and older Samsung Galaxy S2.
Following last year’s dominance by Samsung, the two manufacturers are once again duelling it out in the smartphone space.
Although the HTC One M8 has again been deemed by much of the industry to have edged the smartphone race, recent reports from retailers have hinted that early Samsung Galaxy S5 sales are even higher than for the S4.
Read More: Samsung Galaxy S6 Rumours


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Nestlé USA has agreed to acquire Sweet Earth, a California-based producer of plant-based foods, for an undisclosed sum.
Sweet Earth makes products for a range of occasions – including breakfast burritos and sandwiches, and frozen meals. It also makes a line of plant-based meat alternatives called Righteous Meats that highlight the company’s ethical stance. They include ‘harmless ham’ and ‘benevolent bacon’.
The acquisition is a further vote of confidence in the meat substitutes market, after Canada’s Maple Leaf Foods bought Lightlife for $140 million in February. It gives Nestlé immediate entry into the plant-based foods segment, which is growing by double digits and expected to become a $5 billion industry in the US alone by 2020.
Sweet Earth has listings in more than 10,000 US retail stores, including accounts with Whole Foods, Target, Kroger and Walmart.
It also operates a 40,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Moss Landing, California.
Nestlé USA chairman and CEO Paul Grimwood said: “In the United States, we’re experiencing a consumer shift toward plant-based proteins. In fact, as many as 50% of consumers now are seeking more plant-based foods in their diet and 40% are open to reducing their traditional meat consumption.
“One of Nestlé’s strategic priorities is to build out our portfolio of vegetarian and flexitarian choices in line with modern health trends. With unique and nutritious food for all times of the day, Sweet Earth gives Nestlé a leading position in this emerging space.”
Sweet Earth chief executive officer Kelly Swette, who founded the business with her husband Brian, said: “Our products meet the demands of flavour-forward consumers who want more plant-based foods, especially millennials who want convenient, real food and flexitarians who are looking to include more vegetables and plant-based proteins in their diet. Nestlé’s acquisition validates what forward-thinking consumers and retailers have been demanding for a while – more wholesome and sustainable choices.”
Both co-founders will continue to lead the business under Nestlé USA’s ownership.
The Sweet Earth acquisition follows Nestlé’s recent equity stake in Freshly, a direct-to-consumer delivery service, and continues the company’s evolution into new products and categories to match changing consumer preferences.
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2024


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- China’s gross domestic product grew by 7.4% in the first quarter, which was the slowest rate in 18 months. However, this was more than the the forecast rate of 7.3% and was successful in calming the nerves of investors.
- The fed released “Beige Book” report, which is a read on the U.S economy from anecdotes gathered by the central bank’s 12 districts. According to the report, the economy of the entire country bounced back after the growth was hampered by the unusually cold winter.
- Stock prices went up for Down Jones .
- Twitter, on the other hand, has been under performing . The reasons being slowing user growth, declining user engagement and premium valuation. There is some potential for its user growth and user engagement to increase in near future, and ad engagement remain healthy as well. The stock rallied at 11% on Tuesday, which is the highest since the day it went public.
- Alibaba, which is a Chinese e-commerce behemoth , produces more sales and net income than ebay and amazon combined. It can raise up to $15 billion at the valuation of up to $200 billions.
- Weibo, which is like twitter, is set to begin trading on Thursday in NASDAQ and JD.com, which is Alibaba’s rival filed for $1.5 billion listing in January.
Under Armour is a leading developer, marketer and contributor of sports apparel and now is venturing into foot wear and women’s wear. Its main markets are North America, Eurpe, Middle East, Africa, Asia and Latin America.
- Trailing P/E: 67.92
- Forward P/E 43.35
- Return on Equity:17.36% relative to cost of capital :9-10%
- Debt:152.92 relative to cash earnings:347.49
- Current ration:2.65x
- Quarterly Earnings Growth-163.4%
1) There is potential of future growth.
- International Expansion
- Expanding into new apparels: women’s wear and youth wear.
2) It is venturing into new innovative products as well.
- MagZip: Zipper which uses magnet to attract bottom rungs of the zipper (http://gearjunkie.com/)
- Workout Monitor
- Heart rate strap
It is also venturing into NBA market, which is a huge news in itself.
The last time we bought it before the Christmas season to capture the consumer spending right in the holiday season. We were able to do that and earned few gains.
Owl Investment Group had elections for new executive board. The new executive board for 2014/2015 is:
- President: Dingwei Li
- Portfolio Manager: Yaxuan Wen
- Bank Treasurer: Yannan (Nancy) Li
- Publicist: Tianyi (Claire) He
- Secretary: Yiling Bai
Congratulation to the new e-board. We hope you have a wonderful time and continue the great legacy of OIG.


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Kathleen Szmit Photo
FARMER’S MARKET GODDESS – Kathy Sanders of Thyme After Thyme natural products is thrilled to be a part of the Mid-Cape Farmers Market, which kicked off its summer season June 6 on Main Street in Hyannis.
Mid-Cape Farmer’s Market in new home
The Mid-Cape Farmers Market is back and basking in the glow of its new location.
After a summer at the Hyannis Youth and Community Center, the bustling market has relocated to a sweet new spot on Main Street in Hyannis on the lawn of the First Baptist Church.
The new locale received rave reviews from vendors on opening day, June 6.
“I think the new location will be fine,” said Jeff Deck of Not Enough Acres Farm, which sells locally grown organic greens and vegetables. “It’s got good foot traffic.”
Priscilla Mariani of Pain d’Avignon deemed it “fabulous.”
“It is fabulous,” she said while inventorying her baked goods. “The exposure, the crowd walking through, tourists and locals. It’s a wonderful attraction for Main Street.”
Mariani said that in the market’s previous location, they weren’t as visible and as a result, business dropped off.
“This has a really cozy feel to it, very warm and inviting,” she said. “Other vendors have already shared with me how warm it feels.”
Harwich resident Doug Macomber, representing new vendor John Crow Farm, purveyors of organic and grass-fed meats, said the farm chose the market specifically for its location.
“Main Street is such a climate of diversified customers,” Macomber said. “That makes it exciting.”
Another first-timer in the Mid-Cape Farmer’s Market was Kathy Sanders, selling natural beauty products. Sanders had rave reviews for the new location.
“This is beautiful,” she said. “I’m just real happy to be here.”
In the coming weeks, the various vendors of the market, which also include Common Ground, Summer House Soaps, Crow Farm and Salty Lou’s Lobster, will feature an abundance of vegetables, greens, baked goods, beauty supplies, flowers, meats, eggs and honey.
“It’s goddess fare,” said Sanders. “Buy local, be fresh!”
The Mid-Cape Farmer’s Market is open Wednesdays from 2-6 p.m. at its new location, 468 Main Street in Hyannis. For more information visit midcapefarmersmarket.com.


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Macquarie Group has set up an agricultural fund to buy dairy farms in Australia as the industry plans further consolidation.
The fund, Harris Dairies, has been registered with the corporate regulator. Key industry personnel have been appointed as its directors, including former Norco Co-operative chief executive Murray Richardson and former Warakirri Dairies chief executive Robert Burbury.
The move comes as New Zealand’s $700 million New Plymouth District Council seeks to raise $200 million to expand its Australian dairying vehicle, Van Diemen’s Land Company, based at Woolnorth Station in Tasmania’s north-west. The council appointed Antipodes Consult Ltd to evaluate sources of funding for the expansion.
Meanwhile in Western Australia, Hangzhou Wahaha Group, chaired by China’s third-richest man, Zong Qinghou, is planning to invest in dairy farms. It aims to spend up to $220 million and has the indicative support of the West Australian government.
In August, a separate Chinese buyer will settle its purchase of the Raven Hill dairy at Albany in the south-west of Western Australia.
There has been downward pressure on milk prices in the domestic market, but export markets for dairy products such as whole milk powder are firming up.
An overview of the market released by the United States Agricultural Department reported traders and handlers were receiving increased inquiry and prices for their product. “Some international buyers are looking to the Oceania region for spot availability, but are finding uncommitted volumes quite limited," the report said.
The Australian Financial Review


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Why Netflix’s Stock Was Downgraded by an Influential Wall Street Analyst
Netflix blew away Wall Street’s expectations a few weeks ago when it reported strong subscriber and revenue growth in the fourth quarter. The strong financial performance, including adding a record 8.3 million new subscribers, sent the streaming company’s stock skyward. On Tuesday, the stock touched an all-time high of $325.79, up 70% just this year (after gaining 55% last year).
The stock’s explosion even has some of the company’s strongest supporters now wondering if the price has moved too quickly. On Wednesday, influential analyst Scott Devitt of Stifel Nicolaus released a short research note downgrading Netflix stock to “hold” from “buy.” Devitt’s target price of $325 implies no further gains for investors this year.
“We are attracted to Netflix’s business and competitive position, but believe share price may have sprinted ahead of fundamentals in the short-term,” the analyst wrote.
At $325, Netflix shares are trading at almost 119 times the $2.74 per share of profit that Devitt expects the company will bring in this year. That compares with a forward price-to-earnings ratio of just 17 times for the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index.
Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.
Netflix (NFLX) shares were down 1% to $321.72 in morning trading on Wednesday, amid a weak overall market in the wake of the resignation of Trump advisor Gary Cohn.
Still, Devitt thinks that Netflix’s business will continue to grow strongly. The company could add 26 million new subscribers this year, Devitt forecast, with revenue increasing 38% to $16 billion. The key is that Netflix is catching on faster than expected outside of the United States, he explained. “In our view, strong traction with international subscribers as shown by the 4Q result / 1Q guide demonstrated a new trajectory (higher) for Netflix’s international ambitions,” Devitt wrote.
Netflix has been expanding overseas and rapidly increasing its spending on original content, even as its approaches a saturation point with U.S. subscribership. This year, the company notched its first ever Academy Award nominations for a feature film, gathering four for Mudbound, though it didn’t end up winning any at the Oscars on Sunday.
Original content seems to be behind the latest subscriber surge. Two of Netflix’s most popular original shows—the science fiction series Stranger Things and the historical drama The Crown—premiered new seasons of programming in the fourth quarter.


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Toplitz Products have released their farming simulation game Farmer’s Dynasty on the Origin Store.
Stefan Berger, Business Development Manager at Toplitz Productions, said in a press release:
“Farmer’s Dynasty is our first title to be released in conjunction with Origin. Being on Origin gives us one more way to offer our games to consumers. We look forward to the cooperation and the opportunities this new distribution channel will open up for our titles.”
You can view the trailer down below:


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Huawei Pay introduces touch payment
As mobile manufacturers and tech companies are launching their very own payment solutions Huawei is also working on smartphone payment system, popular payments systems launched previously are Android Pay, Apple Pay, and Samsung Pay.
Huawei has now launched a new payment system for Huawei smartphones, all you need is NFC enabled Huawei smartphone to use this payment method. Huawei has made it even easier to pay with ‘touch’.
How to speed up and increase storage space of your Android phone
You just have to take the NFC enabled Huawei phone near the NFC tag to make the payment. Huawei has also released a demo video of how “Huawei Pay” works, the demo video shows that if you have an NFC enabled Huawei phone you will take it near to the NFC tag, the Huawei pay app will open up automatically and give you the option to enter the amount you have to pay, after entering the amount you just have to authenticate the payment with your fingerprint and you’re done.
The entire process of making payment takes no more than 30 seconds, Huawei has also made it easier to implement Huawei Pay for merchants, you do not need to buy any POS machines, code scanning guns or tills to implement Huawei Pay, all you have to do is open up an online smartphone acquiring service.
Apple to offer dual-SIM iPhones in China
The president of Huawei smartphone product line, He Gang, said, “Tough payment will soon be available for pilot tests in major cities, Huawei will become the first mobile phone manufacturer in China to offer ‘touch’ mobile flash payment system.
Digital marketing enthusiast and industry professional in Digital technologies, Technology News, Mobile phones, software, gadgets with vast experience in the tech industry, I have a keen interest in technology, News breaking.


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- 2 min read
Zoho's lawsuit accuses rival Freshworks of stealing client data
Zoho in a lawsuit said that its customers were sent emails by Freshworks executives to court business
Cloud software provider Zoho has accused Sequoia and Accel-backed rival Freshworks of stealing confidential customer data in February that accounts to misappropriation of trade secrets.
Zoho, which is among the first of India's software-as-a-service companies, in a lawsuit said that its customers were sent emails by Freshworks executives to court business. Both companies are US-headquartered with a majority of employees in Chennai.
The case was filed in a US District Court by Zoho on March 17.
According to executives at Zoho, the case was filed after a two-week internal investigation by the company following complaints by Zoho customers and partners that their confidential email ids were receiving mails from Freshworks.
"Freshworks contacted Zoho's customers at email addresses created solely for registration with Zoho's cloud-based offerings. The only way Freshworks would have knowledge of the email addresses it used to contact Zoho's customers is through unauthorized direct access of Zoho's confidential CRM database, which houses Zoho's confidential customer lists and leads, as well as confidential and competitive pricing and customer requirements data," alleged the company in its court filing accessed by ET.
Freshworks said that it would fight the case in the court. "Freshworks is taking these allegations very seriously and plan on defending ourselves," a Freshworks spokesperson said in an email response. "We have no further comments at this time." Unauthorised access and use of confidential customer data is covered under the US Defend Trade Secrets Act, 2016.
Legal experts suggested that the email evidence produced by Zoho could back up their allegations.
"The emails showing the communications between Freshworks and Zoho's client are very strong evidence. Also there is corrobarative evidence where the client has specifically asked them (Freshworks) as to where they got the access to their email ids and whether they comply with GDPR," said Salman Waris, Partner at Tech Legis Advocates and Solicitors.
Freshworks founders Girish Mathrubootham, who is the CEO and CTO Shan Krishnaswamy were employees at Zoho before they branched out to start Freshdesk, a customer service software company in 2010. They expanded to offer a suite of software and renamed the company as Freshworks. The company has raised $399 million from investors and is valued at over $3.5 billion and plans a public listing in the next few quarters. Zoho has remained private and its founder Sridhar Vembu has publicly stated that he is against raising funds from venture capital and private equity funds


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Would you like to get a very cheap Android-based tablet? The folks at the UK-based company Andy Pad have been slowly promoting such a product and now it looks like their marketing machine is starting...
...of Windows 10, more Windows 10, and some other stuff
Windows 10 review: Microsoft goes back to the future
Windows 10 'Service Release 1' coming this month
These ten Lumias will be first to get Windows 10 Mobile
The Redmond Report - Episode 4: Windows 10 gets hit by lightning
Over the last few weeks, Neowin has been paying particular attention to a new Android Tablet that's due to hit the market this September. Unlike many of the tablets out there today, the Andy Pad...
Earlier, we reported on a new Android tablet coming to the market this September. It's called the "Andy Pad" and it aims to bridge the gap between the expensive tablets, like the Motorola Xoom, and...


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Posting in Cities
Although only a few driverless cars are even in testing mode, researchers are already considering how to rework traffic intersections to integrate the computerized vehicles.
Four driverless cars approach a four-way stop: how will they decide who has the right of way without waving their hands and flashing their lights?
According to Peter Stone, a computer scientist at the University of Texas at Austin, such interactions will completely disappear. Furthermore, traffic regulation will become even more streamlined as more driverless cars hit the road. Even complicated intersections, such as traffic lights, will have finely-tuned control to keep traffic moving and prevent collisions.
"[W]e won’t need traffic lights at all (or stop signs, for that matter)," wrote Emily Badger at The Atlantic Cities of his work. "Traffic will constantly flow, and at a rate that would probably unnerve the average human driver."
Stone has modeled how driverless cars progressing down a 12-lane road would move through an intersection, with each vehicle tracking the others to create the optimal movement with no human interception. You can watch the animation here:
The yellow cars in the animation are human-piloted vehicles -- which of course raises the question of how to actually integrate people, including cyclists and pedestrians, into the picture. All the cars will be tracked wirelessly, of course; will people and cyclists additionally require wireless tags for tracking? Badger wrote:
Those human-driven cars would have to wait for a signal that would be optimized based on what everyone else is doing. And the same would be true of pedestrians and bike riders. Stone says the system is designed to have flexibility under the assumption not all decisions would be made by computers alone.
Photo: Amanda Erickson/Vimeo
Mar 3, 2012
Maybe they can get these microchip cars able to drive with people, but what happens when one of them hits my car because I did something the programming didn't expect? Too much liability, lawyers and politicians (who are also just lawyers) will kill this idea in America. And widespread adoption will never occur due to cost. I can get a fairly reliable vehicle on the road for 3-5 thousand dollars. How much will a PC car cost? I'm just too cheap to blow that much money on transportation. Put our efforts into something useful, this will not work any time soon.
The ITS Initiative Main Flaw The future of automated freight delivery and personal transportation is neither a delivery truck nor a car, the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) initiative main flaw is assuming it will! Why is anyone trying to figure out how to make a truck and a car drive themselves after they are designed and built to be driven? I suppose the reason is that we already have the vehicles and the roads; but, has anyone considered developing and implementing a fully automated freight delivery and personal transportation system using vehicles no one has to drive from the start? I did and submitted a U.S. Patent Application for it. You can go to my blog to read more about it: http://theitsinitiativemainflaw.blogspot.com/ Thanks, ALBERTO ZAYAS
Notice in the video how none of the cars stop because the technology allows for them to be woven seamlessly into each other. With current technology, GPS, cars that automatically park - We have embarked into a inovative new world. Lets step carefully, morally, with faith and logic.


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ET ’12, the Tenth International Aluminum Extrusion Technology Seminar and Exposition (ET), is the world’s longest-running educational event devoted to all facets of the aluminum extrusion industry, including aluminum profile production, die design and technology, metallurgy, equipment, and product applications.
ET attracts industry professionals from around the world, including more than 50 countries. ET ’12 was organized by the Extrusion Technology for Aluminum Profiles Foundation (ET Foundation) in conjunction with the Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC).
Held in Miami Beach, Florida, the event this year had the themes “Success by Design”, and “sustainability” , and brought together more than 1130 aluminum extrusion professionals who came to learn of the latest technological advancements and connect with fellow industry peers over four days.
ET ’12 featured more than 110 technical presentations, hosted nearly 100 extrusion industry suppliers at the ET Expo, and highlighted numerous semi-fabricated and finished products using extruded aluminum components at the Extrusion Showcase.
Awards were presented to winners for outstanding technical solutions as well as for ground-breaking applications, one of which was for a Mercedes Benz SL floor.
“The entire program was interesting, educational and extremely productive” said Wadih Kuri, ABC’s President and CEO. “This was our second year in attendance and once again, the quality and relevance of the content over the entire four days was excellent. And it was great to meet up with industry colleagues and make new friends. We will look forward to supporting and participating at ET’13”.


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A excellent deal
Fundraiser features common autos and toy selection
Are you ready to drool over some head-turning, basic cars and trucks while supporting the United States Maritime Corps Toys for Tots marketing campaign? Nearby car or truck golf equipment will be sponsoring a cruise-in and toy selection for the Marine’s Toys for Tots marketing campaign at Hodgman’s Frozen Custard, Route 100, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 14.
Vehicles ranging from everyday motorists to classics and antiques will be on display screen as unwrapped toys will be gathered for underprivileged households. Cash donations will also be acknowledged. Countrywide Road Rod Affiliation protection inspectors will be on hand for all those who would like their typical vehicles inspected.
Espresso and doughnuts will be obtainable in the early morning, incredibly hot dogs and burgers in the afternoon, as properly as Hodgman’s frozen custard stand. For much more details, contact Deb Desjardins at 782-7895 or Dave Barret at [email protected]
Community Honest update
Steve Corning, who has done at a lot of places, which include Disney cruise strains, will be entertaining the full spouse and children with acts this sort of as juggling and other astounding stunts at the New Gloucester Local community Fair. New Gloucester-dependent Sparks Ark will be presenting a exhibit in the afternoon showcasing a range of rescued animals. Returning animals this yr include an alpaca, emu and extra. Animals up for adoption from the Humane Modern society will be in attendance.
The honest committee will be giving away 6 bikes to three boys and a few ladies, and a coloring contest will be conducted in conjunction with the library.
The fairs runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 21, at the New Gloucester Fairgrounds, 106 Bald Hill Street.
Extra than 60 distributors and civic teams have signed up, and reasonable-goers have a choice of a multitude of foodstuff options from food items vehicles to the Minor League marketing hamburgers and very hot canines. Thompson’s Orchard will be commencing the working day off with coffee and doughnuts.
Baking with Brother Arnold
The 1st in a sequence of The Shaker Kitchen area workshops is a virtual workshop and reside Q&A with Brother Arnold from 6-7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 17. Sharing his 40-moreover several years of knowledge cooking and baking at Shaker Village, Brother Arnold will share his culinary experience, impart the importance of food stuff and how it provides community members alongside one another, and reveal his most loved recipe: Sister Elizabeth’s Biscuits.
Brother Arnold will train participants how to make 3 Shaker Village favorites from the identical base recipe: basic biscuits, herbed biscuits and gooey cinnamon rolls. Sign-up on line by clicking on the Workshops menu at maineshakers.com.
Hazardous squander selection working day
The city of New Gloucester is teaming up with the town of Grey for Home Dangerous Squander Assortment Day from 9 a.m. to midday Saturday, Aug. 21. For much more specifics, go to newgloucester.com.
Patti Mikkelsen can be contacted at [email protected]


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April 26, 2019
Ireland Country Manager Chris Deans couldn't be more proud of his team. 'Firstly, this is a fantastic achievement for the Crane Worldwide Logistics team in Ireland, it is a testament to the daily hard work the team put in. Crane Worldwide Logistics Ireland are daily looking to add value to our clients supply chain by being that client advocate and consistently looking to improve our processes to ensure we are easier to do business with. I feel proud of our entire team who have been recognized in this category, it's a real achievement," said Deans.
"In 2018, the Crane Worldwide Logistics Ireland team achieved both ISO & AEO status. These certifications demonstrate the structure and discipline in the daily management of our business by all staff. Through innovation and working to understand our clients our reputation as Supply Chain experts is increasing and we have seen continued growth in Ireland, recently adding new warehousing capability in Dublin.'
The winners will be revealed at the 10th annual Irish Logistics & Transport Awards on Friday, June 7, in the Clayton Hotel Burlington Road, Dublin.
Launched in 2009, The Irish Logistics & Transport Awards annually recognize & celebrate excellence in the Irish Logistics & Transport industry in Ireland.


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In the days since the election, frozen pizza has been an increasingly popular option, with some customers ordering the item in person and others ordering online.
However, some of the popular keto pizzas are not available online, and the same goes for the flatbread pizza.
“People are not buying it online,” said Anita Dias, who runs an online food delivery service.
“I would not order from someone who ordered online.”
The US food industry is also struggling to adapt to a Trump administration that is attempting to roll back regulatory protections.
In October, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) banned products containing the controversial artificial sweetener aspartame from sale, and it is currently investigating whether to ban products containing corn syrup, the most common form of sugar used to sweeten baked goods, which have been linked to obesity.
“In this day and age, there is a lot of uncertainty around the FDA’s enforcement priorities,” said Dias.
The ban on aspartine has been in place since at least the 1950s, but many people continue to use the product to make their favourite food.
“It’s a lot easier to make a frozen pizza or a keto pie than it is to make something that’s made in a bakery,” said Katherine Langer, a nutritionist and author of The Fat-Free Diet Revolution.
She said people could easily use aspartines as a substitute for sugar if they needed it for cooking or baking.
“For the average American, you can’t do keto and aspartage without making a frozen pie, but that’s what we do,” she said.
“The idea of the pie is that the filling is the filling, so when you put it in the oven, it’s the same.
You put the topping in the pan, you get a different result.”
Aspartine is used as a sweetener in several popular baking products, including ice cream, ice cream sandwiches, and ice cream mousse, as well as in products such as baked goods such as pies and mousse.
But in recent years, the industry has seen a spike in demand for frozen desserts, particularly in the US.
In March, the USDA banned aspartin-free products from sale.
Some of the products banned by the USDA included frozen pies, flatbread pizzas and frozen dessert bars.
In May, a group of leading food and beverage companies including Coca-Cola, Kraft, and McDonald’s issued a joint statement saying aspartate products would be banned from the US in 2018 and 2019.
The companies said that aspartyls were “part of a long-term, emerging class of chemicals” that were “more harmful than a range of other substances”.
“Aspartyl-based food additives have been shown to cause cancer, birth defects, liver damage, and neurological disorders, including autism, among others,” the statement said.
Despite this, asparta products are still available in many countries, including the UK and Australia.
Dias said the FDA should not ban products that are widely used.
“A lot of people have a lot more aspartic acid in their body than they think,” she explained.
“That means that you can make aspartyltin-based foods.
That’s what you want, because it’s a more powerful asparting agent than what’s in the food itself.”
Dias added that frozen desserts should be served at least one day a week, even if they contain aspartames, to help people switch off the artificial sweeteners.
“There’s no reason to serve them for a week or a month or two weeks,” she advised.
“You need to try it, and then you can try different things.”
As a result of the recent ban on the aspartamate products, some people have decided to make asparagus-based pies instead of frozen desserts.
“Asparagus is an amazing thing,” Langer said.
“It’s really a great source of protein, fiber and minerals.
People are trying to do that with asparagas.”
Kathryn Foulkes is a freelance journalist from the Bay Area, California, USA.
Follow her on Twitter @KathleenFoulkes


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Posted by Jason Cartwright
July 24, 2021
Ahead of the 2021 World EV day on September 9th, ABB has teased a new product announcement within the electrical automobile charging space. By now, many electrical automobile owners have had the chance to abilities the 350kW ABB Terra HP chargers, installed as part of third-party charging networks fancy Chargefox.
As the electrical automobile space welcomes new entrants, that also means new varieties of automobiles are going electrical. Given larger, more commercial automobiles are becoming electrified.. I suspect the largest charger within the lineup, will offer more than 1TW of energy and facilitate charging sessions from vans and busses.
In a new submit on LinkedIn, ABB Australia’s Product Marketing Manager posted this:
No longer tell material with having one among the widest and nicely specified charging portfolios ABB continue to push the envelope… as we stride toward the day where we celebrate the transition to emission free mobility World EV Day on Thursday the 9th of September I wonder what’s subsequent ? .. watch this space !!!
Steve Amor, Product Marketing Manager ABB Australia – Electrical Car Charging Systems
We have already viewed an announcement from one among ABB’s opponents, Brisbane-based Tritium, who announced back in November, that a 3TW charger was within the works, due in 2022. If ABB wants to play in that market, it’s clear they need a commercial/industrial scale for charging.
With the additional payload or towing weight of a commercial automobile, along with an increased need for long ranges per day, large battery capacities are required. While passenger automobiles deal with batteries around the 70-100kWh range today, the larger packs required for Semi-vans, can be as large as 1 MWh.
In the commercial freight world, time is cash, so the faster these large batteries can be recharged, the simpler, making any great-ultra rapid DC charging essential.


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As consumers are increasingly browsing supermarket shelves for food that will help them achieve their individual health and wellness goals, supermarkets are introducing a variety of resources to help shoppers, including introducing in-store dietitians to provide one-on-one guidance. Today, nearly 11,000 supermarkets across the country are being served by over 1,000 dietitians and, as usual, the independent supermarket industry has an advantage over national chains in this category.
In fact, according to NGA’s “The Independent Consumer,” having a dietitian in the store is of strong importance to consumers and health is a top reason why most shop at an independent supermarket. “I can honestly say that I would love to see an in-store [dietitian]. That would allow us to somewhat live a healthy lifestyle,” said one survey respondent.
Shoppers at Wisconsin-based Festival Foods stores don’t have to visit the supermarket to get tips from a dietitian, however. The grocer’s team of registered dietitians developed an Eat Well program to promote the services they offer, including ideas for healthy and affordable meals consumers can make at home.
It works like this: each quarter, the dietitians showcase recipes that are affordable, quick, easy to make, and on sale. They prepare and test the recipes, write the recipe cards, and photograph the finished product to showcase it to customers.
This isn’t your average Caesar’s salad either. Recent recipes range from cranberry almond quinoa pilaf to peanut butter black bean brownies and pesto lasagna zucchini boats, and are promoted through blog posts, email marketing, YouTube videos, and local broadcast segments. It’s a prime example of the many ways independent supermarkets don’t just stay ahead of rising consumer trends – they go above and beyond for the communities they serve.
And it paid off big for Festival Foods, too. Not only did the stores build stronger relationships with consumers, but the supermarket gained recognition as a leader in the grocery industry, besting more than 300 entries to be named this year’s “Outstanding Merchandiser” – one of the highest honors of NGA’s Creative Choice contest – at The 2017 NGA Show.
The annual Creative Choice Awards contest, presented by Kellogg’s and Unilever, honors and recognizes the best marketing and merchandizing programs throughout the industry that both boost sales and build customer loyalty. And if your store is putting on a creative program, campaign, or event like Festival Foods, we want to know about it! With 11 different submission categories, from public service to grand opening and digital marketing, there’s something for everyone.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to earn recognition as an industry leader. Submit your own campaign in the Creative Choice Awards contest HERE.


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Southeast Asia's choking air pollution continues unabated, fuelled by the burning of peat swamps for agriculture. The issue flies in the face of long-standing regional agreements on land clearance by governments in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and is at last galvanizing non-governmental organizations (NGOs), banks and businesses into action against the companies responsible.
Singapore's punitive Transboundary Haze Pollution Act has met with some success (see, for example, J. H. S. Lee et al. Environ. Sci. Policy 55, 87–95; 2016). The Singapore Environment Council, an NGO, has suspended environmental certification of paper-pulp companies that might be connected with the fires. This has prompted some supermarket chains in Singapore to stop selling products containing raw materials from these companies, and banks are reviewing their policies for lending to them. Suspension could prompt companies to become more sustainable and to consider setting aside undeveloped peat-swamp forests for conservation.
Consumers should back this drive for corporate environmental accountability by using publicly available resources (see, for example, www.ethical.org.au) to ensure that their product choices do not result in peat clearance.
About this article
Cite this article
Wijedasa, L., Posa, M. & Clements, G. Peat fires: consumers to help beat them out. Nature 527, 305 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/527305b


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LG and Samsung SDI Co have reportedly developed the primary pattern cells of Tesla's 4680 battery to get a contract from Tesla. Final 12 months, Elon Musk's led automaker had revealed its plan to provide its personal new tab-less battery cell. These battery cells will guarantee quicker charging time and are anticipated to be cheaper which is able to assist Tesla to cost its autos more cost effective. It is going to additionally assist the carmaker to make a sub $25,000 hatchback for the Asian market. Samsung & Tesla Reportedly Signal $436 Million Deal for Utilizing Newest Digicam Modules in Cybertruck.
A report from Korean Herald has revealed that each LG Energy Solutions and Samsung SDI have accomplished the primary pattern of cylindrical 4680 battery cells and are at present performing a number of assessments at their factories. Along with this, each firms have additionally provided specs of 4680 battery cells to their distributors.
Samsung and LG will not be solely those which are in search of a contract from Tesla. A report has revealed that Tesla is in talks with CATL, which is the world's largest provider of battery cells. Additionally, Panasonic is at present making samples of those battery cells at its Nevada manufacturing facility.
(The above story first appeared on SociallyTrend on Jul 14, 2021 03:07 PM IST. For extra information and updates on politics, world, sports activities, leisure and life-style, go browsing to our web site sociallytrend.com).


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The U.S. Copyright Office reauthorized circumvention of certain copyright encryption techniques for jailbreaking mobile phones and e-books, but the group remained unmovable when it came to game-console modifications and copying DVDs for personal use.
“The ruling hands yet another loss to digital rights groups who are waging an ongoing campaign to chip away at the scope of a law that limits citizens’ rights by treating copyright owners’ encryption techniques as sacrosanct,” reports Wired.
Every three years, groups can submit requests to the copyright office to change aspects of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. This year, the regulators argued that controls on DVDs and consoles are necessary to prevent piracy.
“The record demonstrated that access controls on gaming consoles protect not only the console firmware, but the video games and applications that run on the console as well. The evidence showed that video games are far more difficult and complex to produce than smartphone applications, requiring teams of developers and potential investments in the millions of dollars,” the copyright regulators state.
Regulators backed the Motion Picture Association of America in keeping DVD duplication illegal. Users can, however, legally circumvent encryption “to make use of short portions of the motion pictures for the purpose of criticism or comment,” regulators say.
They are allowing jailbreaking for smartphones, but not for tablets. “When the only difference between a Galaxy Note and a Android tablet is an inch and a radio that can handle voice and data channels, it’s a pretty odd line to draw,” Wired writes.
While some consider e-books “tablets,” authorities allow circumvention for e-books to enable read-aloud functions for the sight impaired.
Fans of AMC’s “The Walking Dead” could see their likeness used for characters in the new Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC game.
Activision Publishing has teamed with developer Terminal Reality for the eight-week “Dead Giveaway” contest, giving fans the opportunity to be a part of the upcoming game, a prequel to the show.
“Clues will be revealed during new episodes of ‘The Walking Dead’ season three on Sunday nights at 9 p.m. on AMC,” The Hollywood Reporter explains. “Fans can enter the clues online at www.amcdead.com and each week one lucky winner will be chosen to appear as a character in the game.”
“Terminal Reality will then use photos of his or her facial likeness to create a unique character whose backstory and chilling death scene may be encountered by players during ‘The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct.'”
“‘The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct’ is a do-whatever-you-need-to-survive first-person action game that brings the deep, character-driven world of AMC’s Emmy Award-winning TV series onto console gaming systems and the PC in a frightening new way,” the article explains.
In the game, survivors will be able to learn about these characters and their horrific ends; there will be a special task to discover all the contest characters.
From now until December 2, 2012, every new episode of the show offers a new chance to win.
With the advent of e-readers and tablets, people aren’t reading less and authors aren’t searching for new jobs. In fact, by many reports, consumers are reading more and, as this fall publishing season demonstrates, there is a great range of books still being produced.
“The notion that books are somehow less of a factor in the cultural or information ecosystem of our time doesn’t hold up to the evidence,” suggests The Atlantic.
Trade sales increased 13.1 percent to $2.33 billion in the first six months of 2012, according to the Association of American Publishers, which looked at 1,186 companies.
“The most important indicator is the continuing boost in e-book sales, up 34.4 percent, to $621.3 million, which makes it competitive with the totals for hardcover print sales,” explains the article. “When you consider that it was only with the appearance of Amazon’s first Kindle reader in 2007 that e-book sales took off, the pace of change is stunning.”
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos recently revealed that his company doesn’t make any money on selling Kindle devices. “What we find is that when people buy a Kindle they read four times as much as they did before they bought the Kindle,” said Bezos. “But they don’t stop buying paper books. Kindle owners read four times as much, but they continue to buy both types of books.”
Amazon notoriously makes hard bargains with publishers and they in turn have become dependent on Amazon and other tech companies.
“Instead of the competition among traditional booksellers for the attention of readers that was for so long the way books were sold,” The Atlantic writes, “publishers now must confront the immense power and reach of tech giants and adapt to their influence.”
“Satellite radio seemed like a good idea a decade ago,” writes Wired. “But today, paying for satellite radio has become much less appealing, as gigabytes of music fit in the palm of your hand and smartphones with streaming services flood into vehicles.”
Satellite radio provider SiriusXM is now looking to telematics to supplement the flailing radio service. The company will provide 24/7 emergency support for accidents, stolen vehicle tracking and roadside assistance to select Nissan models.
“Customers will also enjoy the simplicity of a consolidated bill for their audio entertainment and a central site to manage subscriptions,” SiriusXM said in a press release.
The company says it will incorporate both satellite and cellular networks to “expand coverage beyond traditional cellular-based telematics services” and “create the potential for personalized services and next-generation audio offerings.”
“And while having a satellite connection to the car could give SiriusXM an advantage over cellular-based telematics services by allowing wider coverage — when you’re out of cell range with most systems, you’re out of luck if you need help — the company’s satellites currently only beam information one way,” explains Wired. This means that satellite signals can transmit to connected cars but not visa versa.
Because SiriusXM is already available in multiple vehicles and it has a strong brand name, the company has the ability to add services to stay relevant — although what these services will be is still uncertain.
Roger Lanctot, an analyst at Strategy Analytics, says the SiriusXM weather, news, sports and traffic services are less competitive now but adding a cellular connection will allow the company to deliver premium content in an IP manner “with potentially more personalization and maybe with some social aspects.”
Online digital music sales growth has dropped off substantially in recent years, causing record companies and Apple to look for new ways to encourage music discovery and purchase.
According to anonymous sources, Apple could secure deals with music companies as early as mid-November to create an ad-supported music streaming service.
Positioned as a radio service to rival Pandora, Apple’s music offering will be available on its iPhone, iPad and iPod touch as apps instead of using a Web browser. It could reportedly come to devices in the first three months of 2013.
Apple is pushing hard in licensing discussions, trying to get more flexibility and earlier access to new releases, which could provide an edge over Pandora.
“Apple’s negotiations with record labels have centered around advertising, the [sources] said. In addition to an upfront fee, record companies are seeking a percentage of ad sales and the ability to insert their own commercials for artists,” Bloomberg reports. “Apple sees the service as a way to grow its iAd mobile advertising platform, and is exploring ways to integrate iAd with iTunes to steer customers back to iTunes.”
“If Apple offers a radio product, it will be far superior to anything else on the market,” says Rich Greenfield, a BTIG LLC analyst who recommends selling Pandora shares. “They’re seeking direct licenses to avoid all the restrictions that come with a compulsory license.”
In a discussion of the IP implications of the maker movement, Wired editor Chris Andersen said, “I can tell you with certainty I’m going to be sued. I’m going to be sued sooner or later — hopefully later.”
“That inevitability, though,” the Atlantic writes, “is part of the organic disruption the Internet has brought about. ‘This is what the web does,’ Anderson said: ‘You’re incentivized to try things out, to iterate, to throw it out there and see what happens.’ And that kind of freewheeling invention is bound to butt heads with a system that stridently emphasizes the ‘property’ aspect of ‘intellectual property.'”
The article continues, “In forums where makers — ‘hobbyists turned entrepreneurs turned, you know, megalomaniacs’ — discuss IP issues, Anderson said, one thing becomes clear: ‘The simple answer is no one knows what the rules are.'”
Anderson is promoting his new book “Makers: The New Industrial Revolution.” During Thursday’s talk, he discussed new partnerships forming between makers and established tech and manufacturing firms. Anderson also detailed what he considers the two approaches to patent litigation.
“You can either do a patent search and find out whether you’re going to violate a patent” — and “you probably won’t get a good answer.” Then, “if you do then violate a patent, the fact that you did a search first actually increases your liability.”
Or “you can do what we do, which is just: Do it. Wait for the [cease-and-desist] letter. When the letter comes, try to innovate around it,” Anderson said. “If the trolls come after us, one of us is going to be brave enough to fight back. And the courts will ultimately decide.”
Microsoft has been making moves to compete with Amazon and Apple in multimedia content, redesigning and ramping up its music and video offerings.
“The evolution of Music and Video begins up front, where the apps have shed their Zune branding. Instead, Microsoft chose to reuse the Xbox brand, as the company moves to expand the scope of the Xbox name from gaming to all media and entertainment,” Ars Technica writes.
At first glance, the Xbox Music and Video applications are very similar. “In both apps, the first/main screen is dominated by Microsoft’s attempts to sell to you,” the post states, introducing a reoccurring theme in Microsoft’s multimedia offerings. “Users are greeted by a mix of promotional areas that highlight ‘hot’ artists or movies, and entryways into the music, movie, and TV stores. Your own media are hidden out of view to the left.”
Browsing your own content in the apps is difficult. For video, there are a bunch of unscalable thumbnails and faulty filters that make searching difficult; for music, the spreadsheet layout is “extraordinarily slow” and lacks a “fast scroll” mechanism like an alphabetical sidebar.
“One smart feature: when Music is playing, the volume popup that appears when you use the hardware volume keys also includes playback controls and album art. It’s a nice touch,” the post states. “One not at all smart feature: the play/pause key on keyboards with media keys doesn’t control playback of the Music app. Want to quickly pause playback to take a phone call? You’ll have to go into the app to do it.”
Ars Technica also details Microsoft’s Pandora competitor: “Xbox Music offers free streaming of a claimed 30 million songs available through the service. The streaming is free and unlimited, albeit ad-supported, for six months. After six months, you’ll be restricted to 10 hours a month.”
Android will be running on 2.3 billion computers, tablets and smartphones by the end of 2016, according to a new report from Gartner.
By that same time, 2.28 billion devices are expected to be running Windows. “That compares to an expected 1.5 billion Windows devices by the end of this year, against 608 million using Android,” reports Reuters, noting a significant shift is anticipated for the future of this technology sector.
Android has seen rapid adoption as a smartphone and tablet platform. The operating system also helps Google push its main search business.
“Worldwide shipments of personal computers fell by over 8 percent in the third quarter, the steepest decline since 2001, as more consumers flock to increasingly powerful tablets and smartphones for more basic computing,” explains Reuters.
“Microsoft’s Windows has dominated the personal computer industry for decades, but the company has struggled to keep up with shift to wireless, and in smartphones its market share is around 3 percent.”
Google has a tradition of releasing research papers detailing the software it uses to drive its online services, allowing open source projects to take advantage of its ideas.
A relatively new project from Google called F1 is a regional database management system (RDBMS), which the search giant uses to run its online ad system in conjunction with Spanner.
Google only revealed F1 last May and has yet to release a paper on the technology, but Silicon Valley startup Cloudera has already created its own open source version, called Impala.
Cloudera hired Marcel Kornacker, one of the main engineers on the F1 project, and has been working on Impala for two years. “Impala is a means of instantly analyzing the massive amounts of data stored in Hadoop,” an open source platform for spreading and crunching data, explains Wired.
Hadoop is used as a batch processing platform for various data-crunching tasks. Cloudera has brought Hadoop to the business world and now aims to more efficiently use the platform with Impala.
“With open source tools such as Hive, you can also analyze Hadoop data in much the same way you would query a traditional database using the common Structured Query Language, or SQL,” notes the article. “Impala lets you query the same data ‘in real-time’ — i.e., in seconds. According to Cloudera, it’s 10 times faster than a tool like Hive.”
Cloudera is four years old, but is only just starting to build “what I wanted to build when we started the company,” says founder Jeff Hammerbacher.
A study from security protection company AVG surveyed 4,400 consumers from 11 countries and found that one-fourth of users aged 18-25 are friends with their bosses on Facebook.
Consumers in Italy and the U.S. were more likely to friend their bosses (33 percent) compared with the small eight percent of French participants.
“The study also revealed that 60 percent of Facebook users in the 18-25 age range who are Facebook friends with colleagues do not restrict any content from them,” reports Mashable. “Topping the list of the countries with the least restrictive users is Japan (73 percent do not restrict), followed by the Czech Republic (70 percent), New Zealand (67 percent) and the UK (66 percent).”
One in eight young adults reported having posted abusive content about their employers online.
“Our research shows that a good percentage of young adults between the ages of 18-25 do not filter personal or professional data or pictures that are posted online,” says Tony Anscombe, AVG’s senior security evangelist.
“They need to pay closer attention to how they interact with their bosses, colleagues and friends via social channels, and ensure they don’t negatively impact their future by sharing information in a careless manner,” he suggests.
Stamped is a startup launched a year-and-a-half ago to create “a new kind of review site that allowed people to discover and share their favorite things to read, listen to or eat,” reports AllThingsD.
Recently, the company was acquired by Yahoo for an undisclosed amount, so Stamped will close up shop by the end of the year and move to offices in New York.
“In a note on the company’s website, the founders of the team, which includes a handful of ex-Googlers, said: ‘We’re excited to start work again on something big, mobile, and new — but we can’t discuss the details just yet. And we’re really stoked to be able to hire lots of talented engineers and designers for this new project,'” notes the article.
The acquisition is Yahoo’s first under new CEO Marissa Mayer and reflects her strategy to invest in mobile with smaller, sub-$100 million deals.
Stamped had attracted some top name investors including Eric Schmidt, Ellen DeGeneres, Justin Bieber, Ryan Seacrest, Columbia Records and more.
Redbox Instant, Coinstar’s new venture with Verizon, has secured a deal with Warner Bros. to distribute digital movies.
Warner Bros. becomes the first studio partner for the upcoming subscription streaming and rental service created to compete with Netflix and Amazon.
“This agreement fits perfectly with Redbox Instant by Verizon’s vision for bringing people the movies that matter, wherever and whenever they choose, using the devices and media they prefer, at home or away,” says Shawn Strickland, CEO of Redbox Instant by Verizon.
In a separate multi-year deal, DVD titles released between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2014 will come to Redbox kiosks 28 days after their retail release dates. Warner initially pursued a 56-day delay, which Redbox avoided by buying discs from retailers for day-and-date distribution.
“The Instant by Verizon digital service, which is set to launch later this year, can support and distribute Warner Bros. UltraViolet-enabled pics, a key part of the overall deal given Redbox’s easy interface with consumers,” reports Variety. “Redbox also announced plans to join the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem industry group to promote UltraViolet through marketing and promotions.”
“Streaming titles will be available in VOD and electronic sell-through format, and the pact covers a multi-year SVOD pact supporting feature-length content,” notes the article.
Sony has continually discouraged the use of custom firmware on its PlayStation 3, but the company could have a harder time enforcing its proprietary system after hackers published a critical cryptographic key.
“The so-called LV0 key, released by a crew calling itself ‘The Three Musketeers,’ grants access to one of the most sensitive parts of the PS3,” Ars Technica writes.
“Its availability should make it easier for hackers and modders to work around restrictions Sony places on the console. The key can be used to decrypt future security updates Sony issues for the console and to incorporate those changes into custom firmware packages not authorized by the Japanese company.”
The hackers had supposedly cracked the key a while back, but only recently published it because they feared another hacker group was using their work to build and sell its own firmware.
“It remains unclear just how damaging the key’s release will be to Sony’s attempts to stop the running of pirated games and other types of unauthorized software on the PS3,” explains Ars Technica.
“[Sony’s] going to have to depend on obfuscation as [its] primary security measure to keep people from decrypting [its] updates,” suggests Nate Lawson, a cryptographer at Root Labs. “It’s a cat-and-mouse game that’s now more closely in the favor of the attackers. But Sony has plenty of things they can still do. It’s just another link in the chain.”
David Pogue of The New York Times suggests “this may be the biggest week in Microsoft’s 37-year history.” Yesterday, the company demonstrated its very first computer — the Surface tablet, the new Windows Phone 8 operating system, and, “believe it or not, two PC operating systems”
“I’m not talking about Windows 8 and Windows RT, which are, in fact, two new and distinct operating systems from Microsoft,” writes Pogue. “I mean the two different worlds within Windows 8 alone, one designed primarily for touch screens, the other for mouse and keyboard.”
“Individually, they are excellent — but you can’t use them individually,” he adds. “Microsoft has combined them into a superimposed, muddled mishmash called Windows 8, which goes on sale Friday at prices ranging from $15 to $40, depending on the offer and version.”
Pogue suggests that these two environments, which he calls “desktop” and “TileWorld,” are confusing, inefficient and redundant paired together.
“Windows 8’s desktop is basically the well-regarded Windows 7 with a few choice enhancements, like faster start-up, a Lock screen that displays a clock and notifications, and more control over multiple-monitor arrangements,” he explains.
“Here, you can run any of the four million traditional Windows apps, which Microsoft calls desktop apps: Photoshop, Quicken, tax software, games,” he notes, adding that users can log into any Windows 8 PC with a Microsoft ID and have all their settings, accounts and information immediately available.
“TileWorld is modeled on Microsoft’s lovely Windows Phone software. It presents a home screen filled with colorful square and rectangular tiles. Each represents an app — and, often, that app’s latest data,” he writes. All the apps must come from the Windows Store. It works well on tablets, poorly on PCs.
“Two worlds means insane, productivity-killing schizophrenia. The Windows 8 learning curve resembles Mount Everest,” according to Pogue.
Free for existing users, the new Final Cut Pro X update comes with dual viewers to compare shots, MXF plug-in support, Compound Clip creation for reusing clips and much more.
The software will cost $299.99 for new customers and requires OS X 10.6.8 or later.
New audio tools allow users to edit audio channels directly within the timeline and to combine audio from multiple angles with Multicam Clip.
Users can transfer media from both file-based cameras and files and folders with the new unified import window; the update also includes XML 1.2 featuring metadata import and export.
The “Share” interface now enables users to export their projects to one or more destinations.
“The Final Cut Pro X update also includes RED camera support with native REDCODE Raw editing, as well as optional background transcode to Apple ProRes,” reports Apple Insider.
Additional features: “Option to add chapter markers in the timeline for export to video files, DVD, and Blu-ray disc… Range selection now preserves start and end points in the Event Browser and allows you to create multiple range selections on a single clip… Paste attributes window lets you choose specific effects to copy between clips… Flexible Clip Connections allow you to keep Connected Clips in place when slipping, sliding or moving clips in the Primary Storyline.”


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NEW YORK — Wal-Mart TV could become the most powerful fashion marketing medium in America.
In a world where screen-based media is becoming ever more important and TV is the best means with which to spark the emotional circuits of consumers, fashion marketers must adapt rapidly or else get lost in the shuffle. That’s according to Kevin Roberts, chief executive officer worldwide of ad agency Saatchi & Saatchi, whose upcoming book, “Sisomo: The Future on Screen,” examines how marketers can entice people by conveying emotion-infused stories on various screen-based media via sight, sound and motion — or “sisomo” — a word coined by the author.
The fashion business, marked by the dominance of magazine advertising and dearth of TV spots, has its work cut out for it in such a world. The good news may come in the form of Roberts’ belief that the mind-set of shoppers makes stores the optimal setting for marketing with sisomo. And he looks for the mass chains to be in the forefront, rather than the luxury boutiques.
“People go into stores with the intent of being entertained, engaged and stimulated,” Roberts said in an interview. “It’s an ‘I’m available, attract me’ mind-set. It’s also a moment of dedicated time.” The amount of time people will devote to taking in sight, sound and motion on screens will vary by the age of the viewers, Roberts predicted. “It might be 10 seconds for a kid at HMV or Virgin and 35 seconds for a fashion shopper at Louis Vuitton,” he said.
Target, J.C. Penney, H&M, and Zara are among those Roberts expects to pioneer screen-based marketing in their stores. “Luxury players will be pushed to step up to the plate,” he projected.
Nonetheless, when asked to identify the biggest missed opportunity in the world of sisomo, the Saatchi & Saatchi ceo was quick to point to Wal-Mart TV. “It’s the biggest, most underdeveloped medium in America,” he said of a system he characterizes in “Sisomo” as the fifth-largest TV network in the country, one that reaches 113 million viewers every four weeks. “They put the screens in the wrong places, you can’t hear them, they’re not interactive,” he said in the interview.
In the U.S., home to more than 290 million people, TVs are on for an average of about six hours a day per household, estimated Robert Thompson, trustee professor for TV and popular culture at Syracuse University. And about 40 percent of Americans, or 116 million people, “always watch television while eating dinner,” Roberts points out in “Sisomo,” citing data from the National Institute of Media and the Family.
Television’s omnipresence, its command of people’s time, and what Roberts describes in “Sisomo” as its open-heartedness underpin the medium’s marketing power, said the author, whose new book is scheduled to be published by powerHouse Books in January. Virtually all Americans watch TV, and they spend roughly half their leisure time in front of those screens, engaged by a medium they view as a “family member.”
“It’s very intimate, warm,” Roberts offered in the interview, challenging the traditional notion of TV as a cool medium, one whose programs are watched in a mostly passive manner. Taking a broader view of the TV experience, Roberts observed, “You can watch it alone and not be embarrassed. It’s like eating a box of chocolates by yourself.”
The key to connecting with consumers through sisomo, the author-marketing executive emphasized, is a “big transforming idea.”
“We must not get carried away with all that’s happening with technology now,” he advised. “[Marketers] must be focused on [establishing] emotional connections through the ideas.”
In fact, Roberts contends in “Sisomo,” “The right side of the brain is finding new respectability in the 21st century. Creativity, empathy, inspiration and emotional context have new value as our analytical skills struggle to cope with the information deluge.”
Beyond the U.S., where TV captures about $65 billion in annual ad spending, Roberts believes TV reigns supreme in such countries as China, Russia, India and Brazil, part of the developing world in which 2.5 billion of the world’s roughly 6 billion people already have televisions. Marketers in China, the world’s fifth-largest advertising market, are already devoting 75 percent of their ad spending to television, the author writes.
With screen-based media now rapidly evolving and converging, marketing observers foresee the rise of different kinds of ad plays: new time formats for commercials; entire shows developed to accommodate product placements, and the return of Fifties-style sponsorships of various programs — all of which would create new openings for fashion players, among others.
Commercials may range from spots as brief as 10 seconds to more expansive placements of between three and five minutes, spurred by the burgeoning popularity of on-demand TV programs, which are giving viewers a greater sense of control. Further, soon-to-bow technology may breed a desire for that control as it enables the transfer of digital video recording content from devices like TiVo to video iPods, mobile phones and portable video game units, observers projected. Such options, expected to become available in the first quarter of 2006, will create a consumer who “will increasingly expect what they want, when they want, where they want it,” trend forecaster Irma Zandl said in a Nov. 22 e-mail detailing developments she sees influencing consumer culture in the year ahead.
While Roberts and others don’t expect the 30-second TV commercial to disappear anytime soon, Roberts does foresee its effectiveness ebbing as people continue to use screen-based media in new ways, say, taking in a 60-second mobisode of a longer TV show, on a mobile phone. From January through September, network, spot, cable and syndicated TV took in a combined $79.9 million in ad spending from marketers of apparel, swimwear, and outerwear, a 23 percent increase over the $64.7 million spent a year earlier, according to Taylor Nelson Sofres Media Intelligence/CMR.
Of course, virtually anyone could fall under the sway of sight, sound and motion on screens, but Roberts pegged Baby Boomers as the group most likely to be lured by marketers leveraging the phenomenon — contrary to the notion the embrace of such experiences is mostly a teen scene. “Baby Boomers are going to be sisomoed happily,” Roberts said of the first generation to grow up with TV. “They are the fastest-growing [group of] mobile phone users and female Internet users, and they are blogging and e-mailing to keep in touch with relatives,” he continued. “The screen will become a vital part of aging Boomer lives.”
It will take about five years for a critical mass of people to adapt to today’s emerging media — including a proliferation of screens that prompt people to respond as they would to other people — the amount of time Roberts thinks it will take before there’s a sisomo revolution. “The truth is, we often don’t bother to distinguish between what is physically in front of us and what is mediated,” he writes. “Our emotional responses are the same.”
“We’re seeing technological generations move ahead twice as fast as in the past, when it comes to adopting new technologies,” Roberts related in the interview. “I put ‘Sisomo’ out in paperback because people like a magazine; I wanted it to look more like that. But [its content] will probably be out of date in two years.”
TEN TV SISOMO-MENTS
1936: First daily TV broadcast is aired by the BBC.
1941: First TV commercial is aired, for Bulova clocks, during a Brooklyn Dodgers/Philadelphia Phillies baseball broadcast.
1950: Procter & Gamble sponsors the first TV soap opera, “The First Hundred Years.”
1951: First color telecast is offered in U.S.
1972: First home-use VCR is launched.
1975: First music video, “Bohemian Rhapsody,” is created by Queen.
1994: 95 million people watch the Los Angeles police chase O.J. Simpson, who took to the freeway in a white Ford Bronco, in real time.
1997: The DVD format is launched.
2003: First year people rent more DVDs than videotapes.
2005: Bob Geldof’s Live 8 concert is broadcast in 140 countries.
“America runs on Bulova time,” proclaimed the first TV commercial, a 20-second spot purchased for $9 in 1941 by the clockmaker.
Source: Sisomo: The Future on Screen (powerHouse Books: January 2006)


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Mondelēz International completed the acquisition of Clif Bar & Company, a leading US maker of nutritious energy bars with organic ingredients, in August 2022.
The bolt-on expanded Mondelēz’s global snack bar business to more than $1bn, with Clif’s portfolio – Clif, Clif Kid and Luna – complementing its US refrigerated snacking business Perfect Snacks and its UK performance nutrition business Grenade.
Mondelēz continues to operate the Clif Bar business from its headquarters in Emeryville, California, along with its two plants in Idaho and Indiana, but is swapping out the management team.
A Mondelēz spokesperson confirmed that Grimes will be stepping down at the end of February.
Moving into the seat – in the renamed role as president – is Alexandre Zingliara, who has been leading the integration of Clif into the snacking major.
“Sally is an incredible business leader. She and Alex have had a very collaborative relationship in supporting the integration and continue to work closely together,” said Laura Guzzinati, VP of corporate and government affairs for Mondelēz.
Prior to this, Zigliara spent a year as senior VP and GM of strategic growth channels at Mondelēz. He also spent more than 17 years at Coca-Cola in a variety of leadership roles around the world, including president and GM of its business in Italy and Albania.
Help the business move forward
Several other Clif executives are also set to leave the company. A new leadership team was announced internally, but details still remain disclosed, expected to be introduced over the next few months.
“I would highlight that the leadership team moving forward for the business absolutely has a number of individuals who have been incredible talent within the Clif organisation who will continue on to help carry the Clif business moving forward,” said Guzzinati.
On LinkedIn, Zigliara posted, “I am humbled by the honour to lead such a talented team with such a deep passion for Clif’s purpose and culture and raising the bar.
“I am super excited for us to take this very special brand and business to new heights.”
In its 2022 annual earnings report, the Oreo and Ritz maker posted a 9.7% revenue increase for the year, to $31.5bn, primarily driven by incremental net revenues of $351m from its acquisitions of Clif Bar, along with Chipita and Ricolino.
"Our 2022 results demonstrate the strength and diversification of our portfolio as we delivered broad-based growth in terms of regions, categories, and brands,” said Dirk van de Put, chairman and CEO of Mondelēz, in the January earnings call with analysts.
“These results were underscored by continued strength in emerging and developed markets as well as solid contributions from our recently acquired businesses.
“We made significant progress against our strategy of accelerating growth and focusing our portfolio in the attractive, resilient categories of chocolate, biscuits and baked snacks, while continuing to invest in our brands and capabilities.”


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Increase of Plastic Waste Blamed on COVID-19 Concerns
Posted on: July 28th, 2020
In a recent post entitled Packaging Waste Increases as Online Shopping Hits Unprecedented Growth, HC discussed how quarantine restrictions have forced much of society to do their shopping online. This undoubtedly leads to an increase of plastic waste.
According to Adobe Analytics, U.S. online sales for June 2020 totaled $73.2 billion (up 76% when compared to June 2019, which rang in at $41.5 billion – still an impressive number).
This increase of plastic waste, due to record online shopping, is what now concerns environmental groups. As does the resurgence of single-use plastics, most commonly in the form of plastic bags.
Many U.S. cities and states have dedicated a great deal of time and energy figuring out ways to reduce our reliance on single-use plastics such as styrofoam, plastic bags, and straws.
Progress was in fact being made as “bring your own” grocery bags, mugs and other food ware items had become normalcy for many consumers. New Jersey was even in the process of adopting a bill that would’ve made it the first state to ban all single-use bags.
But much of these sustainability efforts came to a halt with the onset of COVID-19.
A few months after the pandemic hit U.S. shores, plastic bags made a quick return to grocery and other retail stores – even in states which had previously ban their use. Suddenly, an increase of plastic waste was proliferating much of society, propagated by homes from coast to coast.
In a Smithsonian Magazine article entitled, COVID-19 Has Resurrected Single-Use Plastics—Are They Back to Stay, authors Jessica Heiges and Kate O’Neill write, “COVID-19 is changing how the U.S. disposes of waste. It is also threatening hard-fought victories that restricted or eliminated single-use disposable items, especially plastic, in cities and towns across the nation.”
Plastic waste re-enters the market
By late June, many cities and states had temporarily suspended single-use policies across the U.S. – mainly the plastic bag ban.
The perception during this pandemic has been that plastic bags can be more easily disposed of, thus taking with them any germs which may be living on their surface. While many dispute the possibility of contracting COVID-19 from plastic bags, it’s a convenience which makes many feel better as we all strive to stay as healthy as possible during these unprecedented times.
However, it comes at a price to the environment.
Heiges and O’Neill go on to say, “For the longer term, it is unclear how COVID-19 disruptions will affect consumerism and waste disposal practices. In our view, one important takeaway is that while mindful consumers are part of the solution to the plastics crisis, individuals cannot and should not carry the full burden.”
Society must continue to push for sustainability practices and packaging from the companies they support in an effort to combat this increase in plastic waste – even during the pandemic. If we lose sight of the importance of such environmentally altering policies now, it will be increasingly difficult to reintroduce them later.
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Square's value to double, analyst says
Mobile payments service Square will double in value to $3.2 billion as it finishes its latest round of fundraising, according to PrivCo, a research firm that tracks private companies.
The increased capital for the 3-year-old San Francisco company, led by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, will allow it to hire more engineers, with the aim of delivering advances that keep it ahead of mobile-payment options from Google, Intuit and PayPal.
The $200 million Square is set to bring in falls short of expectations, said PrivCo CEO Sam Hamadeh. But that's because competitors such as PayPal and LevelUp have quickly emerged this year and been willing to lower the processing fees that drive Square's revenues. Low investor confidence in the wake of Facebook's dismal post-IPO stock values also contributed to the funding round's falling short, Hamadeh said.
"If companies keep coming out with copycats, they are going to have to innovate," Hamadeh said. "At the end of the day, merchants don't care who the processor is as long as they get their money in two business days and pay the lowest possible cost."
Marcie Haitema, who advises merchants about payments processing, said Square works great for businesses that can benefit from consumer data and don't want to be tied into long-term contracts.
"Their solutions are simple, intuitive and elegant," she said.
But Haitema added that Square must pay more attention to security.
Karen Webster, an adviser for several tech companies and CEO of Market Platform Dynamics, said security concerns are slowing the adoption of mobile-payment systems among consumers in Europe. That leaves the United States as a critical stage for the competition to play out.
Still, the industry will get a boost in London as Visa will hand out thousands of Samsung Galaxy S3 phones to athletes at the Olympics, who can hover their phone over special readers to pay for goods and services at Olympics Village merchants.
Square, which now has more than 350 employees, processes about $500 million in payments a month and is expected to reach the $1 billion mark by the end of the year. About 1 million card readers have been shipped, according to PrivCo. Square says 2 million businesses or individuals are able to accept payment cards.
By the end of the year, the company still hopes to ship its first reader overseas.
Hamadeh believes that a bigger player in the market with deeper ties to merchants and a larger volume of customers will buy Square within the next two years. Google, Amazon and CyberSource are among the possibilities.
Apple, with 400 million iTunes accounts linked to credit cards, is seen as a major player as well. Webster said Apple probably will be intrigued by the high-profit-margin business of wrapping payment-processing hardware around Square-like software.


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By Collins Nweze
Ecobankmobile *326# has announced its partnership with the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) 2019 slated for Lagos Nigeria from 20th through 23rd, November.
AFRIMA, Africa’s most glamorous music event, is an annual celebration of African talents from all regions of the continent. The Lagos Awards which is the sixth edition has as its theme: “Feel Africa”.
Managing Director, Ecobank Nigeria, Patrick Akinwuntan said it is one of the several initiatives by the bank to boost tourism, culture and the entertainment industry in Africa. He said it is also in line with Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN’s) initiative for banks to support the growth of the creative industry in the county.
According to Akinwuntan, Ecobankmobile *326# is pleased to support the growth of the creative and music industry which is a key driver of Africas history and rich culture and most significantly youth engagement and empowerment. ”As the Pan-African bank, Ecobank is proud to partner with Africa’s most renowned music awards, which is a symbol of our support to building the family and lifestyle of Africans. Ecobankmobile *326# is joining AFRIMA to ensure that the Lagos show is a success.” He stated.
Further, Akinwuntan said Ecobankmobile *326#, Ecobankpay, Ecobankmobile App, Ecobankxpress Account are bringing easy, affordable and convenient financial services to the youth, entrepreneurs and businesses, both local and foreign which are expected at the events.
“Our products interact with the lifestyle of Africans. Ecobankmobile *326# makes it easy to open an instant account, make transfers, pay Bill’s and buy airtime.
Also speaking, President and Executive Producer, AFRIMA, Mike Dada said “The AFRIMA-Ecobank partnership for the 6th All Africa Music Awards brings together deep skills in financial and culture industries strategy, product ideation, technology development and deployment and organizational change management to help support African communities for successful socio-economic transformations.


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Australian building and construction materials group Boral has agreed to sell its US Block business to Quikrete Holdings for $156m as part of a strategy to focus on its core activities.
Boral has owned the US Block business through the acquisition of Headwaters in May 2017.
The company’s US Block business supplies construction materials and building products.
The US Block business, which has a fly ash processing and distribution business, manufactures concrete block, stone veneer, concrete and clay roof tiles, light building products and windows for residential and commercial construction markets.
It also has a construction materials business in Denver, US, and a 50% stake in the Meridian Brick joint venture.
According to Boral CEO and managing director Mike Kane, while the Block business has performed well, the company is focusing on its core building products and fly ash businesses in North America, its gypsum-based wall and ceilings business in USG Boral and construction materials in Australia.
Kane said: “The Block business in Texas is an attractive business and under Quikrete’s ownership, the business is well-positioned to continue to perform strongly.
“For Boral, this divestment helps to further strengthen our balance sheet and our focus on core operations. It is particularly helpful as we continue to assess the alternatives relating to the future ownership of our USG Boral joint venture.
“As we have previously indicated, following the merger agreement that has been announced between Knauf and USG Corporation, we are now considering whether to return to 100% Boral ownership or form an expanded joint venture.
“We have indicated that our preference is to fund any transaction in relation to USG Boral through debt and asset sales, so this divestment is well-timed and a pleasing outcome.”
The transaction is expected to be completed in November 2018 subject to regulatory approval.
In May 2018, Boral announced that it has agreed to sell US Concrete and Quarries business in Denver, Colorado, to Brannan Sand and Gravel for $127m.
Image: Boral to sell US Block business for $156m to Quikrete Holdings. Photo: Courtesy of PinkBlue/FreeDigitalPhotos.net.


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Prices rose just 0.1% from April to May; and year-to-year, it was up only 4% increase compared to 4.9% one month earlier. Gas and lower grocery price hikes helped.
WASHINGTON (AP) – Consumer prices in the United States cooled last month, rising just 0.1% from April to May and extending the past year’s steady easing of inflation. At the same time, some measures of underlying price pressures remained high.
Measured year-over-year, inflation slowed to just 4% in May – the lowest 12-month figure in over two years and well below April’s 4.9% annual rise. The pullback was driven by tumbling gas prices, a much smaller rise in grocery prices than in previous months and less expensive furniture, air fares and appliances.
Tuesday’s inflation figures arrive just as Federal Reserve officials begin a pivotal two-day meeting, after which they’re expected to leave interest rates alone after imposing 10 straight rate hikes dating back to March 2022. On Wednesday, the central bank will likely announce that it’s skipping a rate hike but may hint that it will resume raising rates as soon as July. Top Fed officials have said they’re leaning toward a so-called “skip” to allow time to assess how their rate hikes have affected inflation and the overall economy.
Still, last month’s drop-off in overall inflation isn’t likely to convince the Fed’s policymakers that they’re close to curbing the high inflation that has gripped the nation for two years. The Fed tends to focus more on “core” prices, which exclude volatile food and energy costs and generally provide a clearer view of inflation.
And core prices remained high last month, rising 0.4% from April to May, the sixth straight month of increases at that level or higher. Compared with a year ago, core inflation slipped to 5.3% from 5.5%. That is still far above the Fed’s target of 2%.
Last month’s core inflation was fueled mainly by high apartment rental costs and a second straight jump in used car prices, which soared 4.4% just from April to May. On the other hand, wholesale prices of used cars declined last month, which may foretell lower retail used-car prices in coming months.
Gas prices, adjusted for seasonal patterns, fell 5.6% from April to May; they’re down nearly 20% from a year ago. And grocery prices ticked up just 0.1%, a relief to consumers, though they’re still 5.8% higher than they were a year ago.
The stubbornness of underlying inflation reflects a fundamental challenge for the Fed: The economy has steadily defied long-standing forecasts for a recession, dating back more than a year. Instead, businesses have kept hiring at a healthy pace, average paychecks are climbing and workers are freely spending their larger wages.
Though a resilient economy is great for households and businesses, it may also be helping fuel chronically high inflation. Some economists argue that many companies are keeping prices artificially high, more than is needed to cover their own higher costs, to drive profit growth. The nation’s consumers might have to pull back, en masse, before most businesses will reduce prices. In the meantime, steadily robust hiring is allowing Americans, as a whole, to keep spending.
The Fed has raised its benchmark rate by a hefty 5 percentage points over the past 15 months – the fastest pace of rate increases in four decades. Those hikes have led to much higher costs for mortgages, auto loans, credit cards and business borrowing. The Fed’s goal is to slow borrowing and spending, cool the economy and tame inflation – without causing a deep recession. It’s a notoriously difficult task.
There are some signs that the Fed’s efforts are having the desired effect. Inflation is expected to take another big step down in the June figures that will be reported next month. Price growth could slide as low as 3.2% from a year earlier, according to some economists’ estimates. That would be significantly below inflation’s peak of 9.1% in June 2022, the highest level in four decades.
Yet any sharp declines in May and June will in part reflect the fact that prices soared in both those months last year. As those months drop out of the year-over-year inflation calculations, they are replaced with smaller monthly gains. The effect can sharply lower measures of annual inflation.
Still, core prices are expected to stay high in May, driven up by another jump in used car prices and steady increases in rental costs. Used car prices soared 4.4% just from March to April. Economists expect another increase, though not quite as large, from April to May.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.