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Bumble officially filed for its IPO last Friday, and though no official date has yet been given, rumors predict that its initial public offering will take place around Valentine’s Day, 2021. Bumble said in its S-1 filing that it will trade under the ticker symbol BMBL on the Nasdaq. It also confirmed that, as of September 2020, the app had over 42 million users, of which 2.4 million are paying members.
The Austin-based dating service is known for being the app that allows women to make the first move. Bumble operates its flagship product, Bumble, which launched in 2014, and Badoo, which was introduced in 2006. Now the company is going public, it seems like the app is still a firm favorite for those searching for dates and love online.
Apple’s new privacy changes
However, all is not sweet in Bumble land as the company said in its IPO filing that changes like Apple’s (NASDAQ: AAPL) upcoming privacy updates to its Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA) could hurt the dating app’s business. These IDs are used to track users who interact with in-app ads and currently are enabled by default. However, with increased consumer privacy concerns surrounding tracking, Apple announced that restrictions were coming.
Apple’s new privacy terms involve prompting a user with pop-ups in each app that asks permission to track users, which can either be accepted or declined. Currently, advertisers use this tracking to target ads and measure how effective they are. However, since users are becoming more aware of their privacy rights and are also starting to dislike how much of their private information is tracked for commercial purposes, many individuals are expected to opt-out when given the choice which will dramatically affect digital advertisers.
Privacy rules pose risks for the tech industry
Following Apple’s upcoming change for developers, Bumble predicts that just 0-20% of its users will agree to opt-in to sharing the unique ID for targeted advertising. The location-based social application stated that this change will likely result in higher costs per registration for app developers and limited ability for advertisers to target and measure campaigns for specific users.
Advertising is a big part of Bumble’s business model. Not only does the company earn revenue from selling advertisement space in-app, but it also pays for ads to obtain new singletons. In 2019 alone, the online dating app racked up $130.4 million in advertising expenses. Therefore, Bumble’s reliance on third-party publishers and platforms means that if any of those parties limit or change their marketing techniques in a significant way, it could really affect its business.
Of course, it’s not just Bumble that will be affected by the iPhone maker’s new tracking rules. Tech giants across Silicon Valley are bracing themselves for the impacts of Apple’s privacy and tracking changes. In December, Bank of America noted that Facebook and Snap are most at risk from the changes. Facebook is expected to lose around 3% of its revenue and a 5% headwind for Snap.
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Nicole's favorite stock is Etsy because she loves its original and handmade items. She believes people are going to stop buying mass-produced items and start purchasing ‘one of a kind’ fashions and furnishings. In a world of sameness, Etsy has the advantage.


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Business Roundtable Mission Flips from Shareholder Capitalism to Social GoodBusiness Roundtable Mission Flips from Shareholder Capitalism to Social Good
51 CEOs ask Congress for new consumer data privacy laws; here’s what that likely means to security providers
September 13, 2019
The Business Roundtable, a prominent business lobby, surprised many by doing a complete 180 degree turn in their mission statement. The abrupt switch from “shareholder capitalism” to “supporting an economy that serves all Americans,” was further underscored by a recent letter to Congress urging “a comprehensive consumer data privacy law.” That letter was signed by 51 CEOs. Reactions to these moves have been mixed with some vocally skeptical and others simply uncertain where dangers and opportunities lie in this shakeup of business affairs.
In previous years, the Milton Friedman worldview, which came to be known as “shareholder capitalism,” held sway over the preeminent lobby and its members’ actions. Last month that changed when the Business Roundtable issued a new statement of purpose declaring a corporation’s true purpose is to promote “an economy that serves all Americans.” This new statement charging corporations to treat their customers, employees, communities, and country as equal to shareholders in the eyes of CEOs harkens back to an earlier time when that was the case.
Some speculate that this change may have been inspired or spurred by the recent business gains found in the new customer experience movement and related technologies. Others wonder if increasing corruption in politics and business has illuminated the flaws in a pursuit of profits alone at the cost of all else. Still others speculate fears of an uprising due to income inequality may be at the root of this sweeping reversal.
Whatever the reasons for the Business Roundtable’s change in focus, Harvard Business Review (HBR) research finds that a purpose that reaches beyond just making money does tend to make corporations more profitable.
“In our data we find that companies with high levels of purpose outperform the market by 5%–7% per year, on par with companies with best-in-class governance and innovative capabilities,” write the HBR researchers.
Not everyone thinks that a business spreading its attention and intention beyond the “business of business,” meaning outside the scope of “shareholder capitalism,” is a good idea. For this group of skeptics, and a few others, the letter to Congress calling for a new consumer data privacy law is simply a bridge of disbelief that stretches too far.
Lucy Security’s Colin Bastable
“Why on earth does a body representing CEOs of supposedly free-enterprise businesses need to be told how to behave by the Nanny State? Their website claims ‘Leadership in Action,’ but we have 50 multimillionaire plutocrats leading from behind, asking Washington (DC) to craft a law, no doubt with help from their lobbyists, that will do the opposite of what they proclaim,” said Colin Bastable, CEO of Lucy Security. “The interests of consumers and the American business CEOs do not equate.”
However, research finds that their interests are intertwined. Having a defined and meaningful purpose also tends to galvanize employees and stir customer loyalties. But only when that purpose is perceived to be mutually beneficial.
“We find that purpose declines when there is a larger gap between the pay of CEOs and median workers and between the…
…performance-based pay of middle- and lower-level workers. Both can result from employees’ feeling that value creation is allocated unfairly within the firm,” write the HBR et al researchers.
In any case, many fear the letter is too broad a request to represent a true change of heart among corporations.
Comparitech’s Paul Bischoff
“The letter requests a federal data protection law without giving any specifics as to what that law might contain. Treat this with a healthy dose of skepticism,” said Paul Bischoff, privacy advocate with Comparitech.
For one reason, Bischoff said, some of the very same executives who signed the letter work at companies that previously lobbied against pro-consumer privacy regulations.
“Comcast and AT&T for example, were both in favor of repealing broadband privacy in 2017. I think this is more of an attempt to make doing business easier by creating a uniform set of regulations across all states, and less of an attempt to protect consumers. It’s also worth noting the companies that aren’t on the list, including Microsoft, Google, Facebook, and Apple,” Bischoff said.
Nonetheless, security partners may see this development as a prime, new opportunity. If corporations are now broadening their focus to any degree, the door is open for enterprising partners to suggest new products and services to help get them to the new goal post. A good start might be in intertwining data privacy with data security in terms of policy and technology choices. By proactively crafting best practices in data privacy, overly restrictive regulations can likely be avoided, and the brand value can also be extended.
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Monkey Puzzle Franchise News
UK Franchise Sector Goes From Strength To Strength
If ever you were considering a day nursery franchise, the omens for success could not be more positive! Once again franchised businesses across the UK have reported continued growth with record highs in turnover and full time employment as reported by the 2013 NatWest/BFA survey.
This most recent survey looked at the 5 years since the country entered recession back in 2008. During this period the UK franchise sector has grown by 20% compared to a 2.5% contraction in the overall economy during the same period!
Other key statistics unveiled by the survey were that the franchise sector contributed £13.7 billion (just under 1% of UK GDP) to the economy in the past 12 months.
Over 250,000 full time jobs were recorded for the first time ever in UK franchise history and when you add in part-time jobs the figure rises to over 560,000 which represents an increase of 20% in the last five years.
Looking at a regional level the franchise sector once again confounded economic trends even in some of the the areas worst hit by the economic difficulties of the last 5 years. Not only did every part of England and Wales record growth in franchise turnover, but there were some outstanding figures posted, with the South East increasing by a huge 42%, Wales 33%, the North West 27% and the North East by 14%.
Brian Smart, Director General of the British Franchise Association, commented, “UK franchising offers thousands of people each year the opportunity to take on their own sustainable business, in turn creating employment for many thousands more – a success that has continued through hard economic times while other parts of the economy have struggled.”
“The exceptional performance of the franchise sector since 2008 augurs well as the UK returns to business growth and prosperity. There are now nearly 1,000 franchise brands operating in this country across multiple business sectors, offering plentiful opportunities for those undertaking the necessary research and due diligence to join the franchise success story.”
So if you have been considering the move into the franchise sector and the day nursery franchise sector in particular, now is the time!
The trend continues to prove that a franchise business offers the greater chance of success over simply starting a small business.
Of course here at Monkey Puzzle Nursery Franchise, we try to simplify things further by offering funding support and full training so that when the doors to a new Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery open our new franchisees are ready and prepared and on the way to a successful, profitable business!
So if you want to get started simply register for your free information and registration pack.
Interesting linksHere are some interesting links for you! Enjoy your stay :)
Monkey Puzzle News
Monkey Puzzle Day Nurseries Ltd
Herts, HP4 2UB
Telephone: 01442 878887


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80 jobs saved at Doncaster firm
Posted on 06 Nov 2019 and read 704 times
More than 80 jobs have been saved after Enact, a dedicated £30 million SME fund, agreed to buy the trade and assets of Doncaster-based Bawtry Carbon International.
The latter manufactures consumable carbon-based products for use in aluminium smelting and has an international customer base, exporting from its facility in Austerfield, where it has traded since 1972.
Enact fund partner Chris Cormack, who will now join the Bawtry Carbon board, said: “We are delighted to have completed the transaction and resolved an uncertain time for employees and other stakeholders.
"Bawtry Carbon has a unique position in a growing market, and we are excited about supporting the management team.
"They have shown remarkable resilience over the last five years, firstly to rebuild the factory after a fire in 2013 and latterly stabilising the business despite parent group pressures creating cash constraints that were no fault of the company and ultimately led to the administration.”
Carl Hammerton, Bawtry Carbon’s managing director, said: “The business is built on strong partnerships in the supply of high-quality carbon products to our customers in the primary aluminium industry.
"Due to our strong market presence and reputation, there was significant interest from several parties. In Enact, we have a partner that we believe will add true value to us as a business.”


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Crocs Inc.’s shares fell 10.7% Thursday after the footwear company that acquired HeyDude earlier in the year cut its forecast despite exceeding earnings expectations.
The Colorado-based company’s second quarter revenues increased 50.5% to $964.6 Million compared to last year. Crocs’ quarterly revenue record was $732.2 million. This is an increase of 14.3% over the previous year. Hey, Dude’s second-quarter revenue was $232.4 Million, an increase of approximately 96% over 2021.
On Thursday, Crocs CEO Andrew Rees stated there was uncertainty about the future macroeconomic environment and changing consumer behavior. This led to Crocs planning for a drop in growth in the short term.
These factors have led to Rees adjusting Crocs’ earnings for the third quarter. This will allow Crocs to “prudently manage” its investments and inventory.
Investors further pressed Rees during the call. He stated that he is optimistic about back-to-school but anticipates that the impact on consumers, like inflation and high-interest rates, will cause businesses to slow down as the year progresses.
Crocs expect consolidated revenues of $3.395billion to $3.505billion for the whole year, as opposed to its previous outlook for $3.5 billion. Crocs will see a 14% to 17% increase in revenue on a constant currency basis. However, reported revenues are expected to grow from 10% to 13%. The company had previously projected upwards of 20% growth. Hey, Dude expects to earn between $850 and $890 million on a reported basis.
Rees anticipates Hey Dude to earn nearly $1 billion this year in pro forma revenue. Rees stated that the company intends to reach this goal through the brand identity, which was recently launched, and more wholesale distribution. Rees mentioned that the brand is available now at Famous Footwear and Rack Room Shoes. Crocs will be adding more doors over the next year.
Rees stated that Hey Dude is also doing brand advertising for the first time in its history. “We will continue developing consumer messaging and brand advertisement that will begin to play out earlier than 2023.”
Rees described Crocs and Hey Dude as being in “exceptional demand” in a dynamic setting.
He stated, “We remain extremely confident in our long-term growth and our ability generate best-in class profitability.”


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The law that is bipartisan hemp and low-THC CBD products went into impact immediately.
Updated at 11:44 a.m. by having a declaration from Texans for Responsible Marijuana Policy Director Heather Fazio as well as 1:50 p.m. with comment from Texas Commissioner of Agriculture Sid Miller.
AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott signed a brand new legislation monday that clears up which CBD items are appropriate in Texas and also will enable regional farmers to develop hemp as being a crop.
It’s going to enable Texas to setup a federally authorized program for farmers to cultivate hemp being a crop that is industrial including procedures for sampling, examination and evaluation. Moreover it expands the type of hemp items that could be lawfully bought in Texas to add any hemp or hemp-derived services and products containing not as much as 0.3 per cent of THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, the compound that is psychoactive in cannabis flowers.
This can include cannabidiol, or CBD, services and products. While Texans have discovered natural oils, tinctures as well as other CBD products on shop racks for a long time, those who contained also locate quantities of THC were technically unlawful here. Now, provided that these items are based on hemp, contain not what is cbd oil as much as 0.3 % THC and meet other quality and labeling criteria, they’ve been appropriate.
Abbott, a Republican, would not signal the hemp bill publicly nor did their workplace return a ask for touch upon the new legislation. Other GOP leaders applauded the bill’s passage into legislation for as long overdue.
«we have always been excited that individuals have taken an additional action towards providing producers in Texas the chance to develop hemp,» Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said in a declaration. «Texas is supposed to be a frontrunner in hemp production, and we’ll be publishing our plan and composing guidelines to stick to the 2018 Farm Bill together with legislation recently enacted in Texas.
«This will be another device for farmers which are seeking to diversify their farming operations.»
The federal government eliminated hemp from the directory of managed substances, a move the Lone celebrity State replicated in April. But unlike the 42 other states that has already opted into industrial hemp production, Texas hadn’t, a choice farmers said ended up being keeping them back from making use of a profitable and crop that is popular.
In fact, until Abbott signed the hemp bill into law Monday, state legislation still defined cannabis and hemp while the exact exact same, making both broadly illegal in Texas. Hemp and marijuana both originate from the cannabis plant family members. Unlike its high-inducing cousin, hemp contains lower levels of THC.
Heather Fazio, director of Texans for Responsible Marijuana Policy, called the bill’s signing into legislation «a step that is big Texans and another we could all be happy with.»
«The Texas Legislature got one or more thing appropriate this session once they legalized hemp. Finally, Texas farmers are no longer cut right out of the profitable market that is agricultural. Plus, Texans are actually absolve to utilize CBD without concern about arrest,» Fazio stated in a declaration.
Cannabis guidelines had been an issue that is major the 2019 legislative session that wrapped up May 27. While a bill to decriminalize control of smaller amounts of marijuana failed, lawmakers authorized an attempt to somewhat expand who is able to access medical cannabis under hawaii’s Compassionate utilize Act. That bill is still awaiting Abbott’s signature or veto.
The governor has until June 16, to make a decision sunday.
Lauren McGaughy. Lauren has covered Texas politics for four years, emphasizing everything from K-12 training to mention gun laws and regulations. She presently writes about unlawful justice, state courts and problems relevant to your LGBTQ community. She formerly worked for The Houston Chronicle as well as in Baton Rouge, where she covered Louisiana politics for NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune. She really loves kitties and comic books and cooks a mean steak.
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You just read, we encourage you to submit a letter to the editor if you have a comment specifically about the story.


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Stigma against online degrees fades, but slowly
Does an online degree pack the same punch as a traditional degree obtained through classroom attendance? According to a recent Society for Human Resource Management survey: Probably not. Forty-nine percent of hiring officials polled said they vie...
Does an online degree pack the same punch as a traditional degree obtained through classroom attendance?
According to a recent Society for Human Resource Management survey: Probably not.
Forty-nine percent of hiring officials polled said they view an online degree less favorably than a "traditional" degree.
Does that mean online degrees are a waste of time for workers striving to advance their careers?
Again, probably not.
Seventy-nine percent of the human resource officials said their organizations had hired job applicants with online degrees in the past 12 months.
But there's one caveat: That assumes the online degree is from an accredited institution.
The relatively lawless nature of the Internet creates a feeding ground for unscrupulous and less-than-professional opportunists. Buyer beware. In education services, as in product purchases, be sure you're buying quality.
Human resource professionals know the trend lines. As more people seek to augment their credentials by adding advanced degrees, more will turn to online purveyors because of cost and time advantages.
"The majority of surveyed HR professionals said they think online degrees are viewed more favorably today than five years ago," said Mark Schmit, director of research at the society. "And a growing number see individual courses taken online as equally credible to courses taken at traditional universities."
Most hirers said they will consider the online schools' reputations and certifications to help decide how much value they'll give to applicants' education credentials.
The survey also noted that it's getting harder to distinguish between online and traditional educators, as more online companies are offering classroom locations and brick-and-mortar schools are offering online programs.
For now, though, six out of 10 hirers agreed their organizations prefer job applicants with "traditional" degrees over those with online degrees, presuming similar work experience.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services


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Apple will announce today what it plans to do with its vast cash balance of about US$100 billion ($121 billion) from its hugely successful products including the iPad and iPhone.
Apple said chief executive Tim Cook and chief financial officer Peter Oppenheimer would hold a conference call "to announce the outcome of the company's discussions concerning its cash balance".
Speculation mounted yesterday about what Apple would do with the cash. News agency Bloomberg tipped the tech giant would announce a dividend for investors, perhaps of about US$2 a share.
Others raised the possibility of a bolder move - buying micro-blogging site Twitter. Howard Lindzon, founder of finance blogging service StockTwits, said in a post:
"It has to be Twitter. They can afford it. Even if they overpay for Twitter - say US$12 billion, the market would chase the synergies higher for a long time."
In its most recent quarter, Apple reported a record profit of US$13.06 billion while revenue soared to US$46.33 billion.
Apple sold 37 million iPhones in the latest quarter, up 128 per cent from a year ago, and 15 million iPads, an increase of 111 per cent.
Its new iPad tablet went on sale at the weekend with Apple fans lining up from Sydney to San Francisco to snap up the latest model of the tablet computer.


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Dedication to Female Empowerment and Sustainability Leads to Recognition as One of the Most Sustainable Companies in the World.
Santa Barbara, CA November 02, 2022 –(PR.com)– Parker Clay, an Ethiopian leather goods brand with a mission to uplift at-risk women received a new B Corp score of 112, becoming one of the highest rated sustainable brands in the world. Becoming a B Corp starts with scoring at least 80 on their Impact Assessment. Over 50,000 companies have tried, but only 7% succeed. The average score is 50.9 and on their latest re-test, they beat that by more than double.
The commitment to hiring at-risk women, paying living wages and benefits and providing skills training, career advancement and financial literacy opportunities for all employees are contributing factors to their new B Corp score. Since 2014, Parker Clay has provided over 1.5 million hours of employment to their team of over 200 employees, always maintaining the company’s vision of creating luxury products ethically while empowering the surrounding community.
“We have worked tirelessly to create a brand that prioritizes impact. It is an absolute honor to be considered one of the best for the world. We are so proud of our score and to be alongside such large, globally admired brands. We’re looking forward to continued growth, keeping female empowerment and sustainability at the foundation of our brand.” – Ian Bentley, co-founder
The brand has been a leader at implementing fair trade practices the last eight years through their use of ethically sourced leather and the support of local artisans. Parker Clay aims to make progress towards the B Corp movement’s collective vision to transform the global economic system to benefit all people, communities, and the planet. This recognition comes after months of retail expansion throughout California and Colorado, adding to their flagship store in Santa Barbara. This focus on in-person is an extension of their community efforts at their Addis Ababa, Ethiopia HQ. The dedication to human connection and impact is a direct reflection of their new B Corp score.
About Parker Clay
Parker Clay crafts premium leather bags and other goods that provide dignified employment and uplift women out of exploitation. As consumers continue to demand details of their purchase journey, Parker Clay shares the hours of equitable employment created with each purchase so customers can fully understand the difference they’re making. Parker Clay believes that a better process and better bag leads to a better world. Parker Clay is available for purchase at their flagship store location in Santa Barbara, CA and at www.parkerclay.com.
Read the full story here: https://www.pr.com/press-release/872647
Press Release Distributed by PR.com


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Posted May 25, 2021
Green Dot, a prepaid card issuer that entered the tax refund processing business seven years ago, announced a $165 million acquisition Friday that would expand its presence in the tax segment.
The Pasadena, California-based company agreed to purchase the assets and operations of Republic Bank’s tax refund solutions business unit. The two companies expect the cash acquisition to close in the fourth quarter, they said in a press release.
Under the deal, Louisville, Kentucky-based Republic will provide transition services to Green Dot during 2022. The companies said that Green Dot plans to retain Republic employees who are primarily dedicated to the tax refund solutions segment, while other employees will stay at the Kentucky bank to manage remaining business lines within its Republic Processing Group.
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Windows 10 will be a free upgrade for all Windows 7 and 8.1 users
Microsoft today announced that Windows 10 will be made available as a free upgrade for all Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows Phone 8.1 users. Details of the program are currently scarce, but the company confirmed that it will offer users the free upgrade for at least the first year of Windows 10's commercial availability. While all Windows 7 users are eligible for an upgrade, not all Windows 7 devices may have the hardware capabilities to run Windows 10. The vast majority of Windows 8.1 devices will be Windows 10 capable due to sharing the same minimum hardware requirements.
Tyler Myerson, Microsoft's Executive Vice President said that this is more than a one-time upgrade: "Once a Windows device is upgraded to Windows 10, we will continue to keep it current for the supported lifetime of the device – at no additional charge".
Myerson explained that the company is now thinking of Windows as a service such as OneDrive or Rdio, and because of this, it will be updated like one.
"Just like any Internet service, the idea of asking 'What version are you on?' will cease to make sense," said Myerson. "With Windows 10, the experience will evolve and get even better over time. We’ll deliver new features when they’re ready, not waiting for the next major release."
Other key announcements regarding Windows 10 this morning included confirmation that Cortana will indeed by part of Windows 10 on desktop and tablet in addition to mobile, and of a new web browser currently called Project Spartan.


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Ladies pamper night in Leigh to raise money to battle Motor Neurone Disease
7:30am Tuesday 1st April 2014 in North West
A LADIES shop and pamper night is being held to raise money for Motor Neurone Disease (MND).
There will be a range of stalls selling goods and pamper treatments at Twelve Apostles on WestLeigh Lane, Leigh, on April 25 at 7.30pm and entry is free.
Comments are closed on this article.


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Apple publishes five new Apple Watch videos about using Siri, band changes, and more
Monday, 25 March 2019 Apple posted a collection of five new tip videos to its YouTube channel, teaching owners of the Apple Watch Series 4 how to perform some basic functions on the wearable device, including a few covering the wrist-worn hardware's fitness functionality.
Apple's doubling down on services, its fastest-growing revenue segment. In a keynote, Apple CEO Tim Cook and a lineup of executives introduced its new slate of services offerings, spanning news, games, payments and television. Apple revamped Apple News, and added a new subscription offering called...
The Walt Disney Corporation officially announced Disney+, its direct-to-consumer streaming service, during its Investor Day webcast last week. The new over-the-top service will become available on Nov...
Credit: Wochit Entertainment Duration: 00:48Published
Click here: http://bit.ly/2Gh0zSp to learn more about CleanMyMac X and download a free trial here: http://bit.ly/2GahzbA Sponsored by Clean My Mac.Last year's iPad Pro 11" and 12.5" changed how I view..
Credit: TechnoBuffalo VAN Duration: 10:14Published
Here's what Jim Cramer is watching in the markers Wednesday morning. Abbott's Earnings Abbott Labs reported first-quarter earnings that topped its own forecast. Abbott reported adjusted earnings of 63..
Apple today shared additional videos in its ongoing Apple Watch tutorial series, highlighting health-related Apple Watch features that include fall detection and... MacRumours.com Also reported by •AppleInsider •Business Insider
Apple has added a new confirmation pop-up to the App Store when users opt into a subscription using Touch ID or Face ID. While Apple has not said as much, the... betanews Also reported by •MacRumours.com


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Las Vegas, Nevada (PRWEB) January 17, 2018
Optoma, a world-leading manufacturer of video and audio products, was awarded last week on the CES stage at International CES® 2018 as Best Home-Theater Product winner of International CES 2018 “Best of CES Awards” with its UHD51A 4K, voice-enabled smart home theater projector. Chosen from thousands of companies appearing at CES 2018, Optoma stood out to Engadget’s editors based on its level of innovation, quality of design, overall efficiency and market demand. Winners were chosen in 16 different categories.
Engadget awards companies that have demonstrated rich innovation and groundbreaking applications that are poised to disrupt industries. As the first Alexa skills-enabled 4K UHD projector, the Optoma UHD51A combines incredible quality and convenience at an extremely accessible price.
“Every year thousands of companies show up in Vegas to debut what they hope will be the next big thing in consumer technology and Engadget is there to find the real gems,” said Christopher Trout, Editor-in-Chief of Engadget. “In the five years that we've produced the official Best of CES Awards, we've seen some truly exceptional, sometimes incredibly bizarre products and 2018 is no exception. We're thrilled to crown the best of the best again this year.”
Editors at Engadget selected and presented this year's official "Best of CES" award winners. Along with widespread coverage and exposure across Engadget's networks, Optoma was awarded a custom-produced trophy on the Engadget stage during the final ceremonies, broadcast live on Engadget.com, YouTube, Xbox One, Roku and Apple TV.
The Optoma UHD51A 4K UHD voice-enabled home theater projector, unveiled at CES, integrates with Amazon Alexa Smart Home and Custom Skills to enable projection to fluidly align with speakers, screen, lighting and more in any smart home setting. With 2,400 lumens, 500,000:1 contrast ratio, and an RGBRGB color wheel and HDR10 with Rec.2020 / DCI-P3 Wide Color Gamut, the Optoma UHD51A packs a visual punch, with its clarity, brightness and eye-popping color. It also features a built-in 4K UHD media player and Android OS, along with a pair of HDMI 2.0 inputs with HDCP 2.2 support to ensure compatibility with the latest 4K UHD video playback devices and game consoles with HDR at 60 Hz refresh rates for unmatched image smoothness. It will be available in April for an expected street price of just $1,699.
Optoma joins 17 other category winners in the International CES® 2018 "Best of CES" awards.
The Best of CES Awards Program started over a decade ago to celebrate the innovation and noteworthy products on display at the International CES each year. Engadget returns for its fifth year adjudicating the official Awards in partnership with the Consumer Electronics Association. CES® is a registered trademark of the Consumer Electronics Association.
Engadget was founded in 2004 as a devoted, real-time source for tech news. Now in its second decade as a leading technology and culture publication, Engadget's web, mobile, and Flipboard presence has grown to reach over 25 million unique readers per month. Engadget is the official partner of the Best of CES Awards and has been the Official Online News Source for the world's largest tradeshow for consumer electronics since 2009. Find Engadget online at http://www.engadget.com and its apps in the iTunes and Google Play stores.
About Optoma Technology
Optoma Technology is a world-leading designer and manufacturer of award-winning video and audio products for home entertainment and theater, ProAV and business. With a focus on premium quality and functional style, products are designed with the end-user experience in mind. Optoma and its audio brand NuForce deliver stunning crystal-clear images and exceptional sound with ultimate reliability. Optoma Technology is part of The Optoma Group, which has continental headquarters in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. For more information, please visit: http://www.optomausa.com.


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PLYMOUTH'S city centre will sparkle extra brightly this festive season with a new and spectacular display of Christmas lights that haven't been seen before.
A beautiful wave-shaped arch will form a new walk-through entrance to Plymouth Christmas Market close to the Sundial, while at the other end of the market the giant bauble archway will be redressed in multi-coloured lights.
Elsewhere in the city centre the streets will be lit up with giant sail banners and, for the first time in the city, curtains of light and other features that can be animated and used all year-round The Plymouth City Centre Company, which runs the city centre Business Improvement District (BID), is working with a newly appointed Christmas lights supplier, LITE Ltd & Twinkly UK, to create the new display.
The incredible spectacle will be switched on from Thursday November 18 coinciding with the first latenight shopping evening.
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THE PILGRIMS HAVE DROPPED TO THIRD IN THE LEAGUE, A POINT ABOVE WIGAN, AFTER BACK-TO-BACK DEFEATS
Solomon ravaged by days of violence
SOLOMON Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has blamed foreign interference over his government’s decision to switch alliances from Taiwan to Beijing for anti-government protests, arson and looting that have ravaged the capital Honiara in recent days.
Plans for more cabbies ‘simply will not work'
A PLYMOUTH taxi driver has blasted the city council after it revealed plans to bolster the cabbie trade in the city.
MP bemused by ‘sexist' speech
VIEWS ON FEMALE TV ROLES UNDER FIRE
Farmers plant savings in eco future
FOUR young farmers have spent their life savings on 16 acres of land to build an eco-farm that could feed more than 400 families.
Expert tips from the Berry best
Mary Berry is back with a new series and cookbook, Love To Cook. ELLA WALKER gets some top advice
Carer took money from accounts of his clients
MAN TARGETED BY CHANTING FANS AFTER HIS EXPOSURE
Albion still a work in progress
HAVING sat on the sidelines for the best part of a two-season Covid-19 shutdown, we find ourselves racing towards Christmas with just three wins from 10 games. It is not the start we wanted, nor the aspirations planned for Plymouth Albion’s sustainable success.
Storm Arwen is on its way here
Windy weather is set to hit the South West this weekend
APPEAL AFTER SUSPICIOUS INCIDENT ON BONFIRE NIGHT


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Year of growth for menswear retailer End as revenues and profits surge
today Sep 26, 2019
Newcastle-headquartered Ashworth and Parker has hailed the progress of its End menswear destination End in its latest financial results.
The contemporary menswear retailer, which sells a mix of luxury and cult labels such as Saint Laurent, Off-White and Gucci has reported a 33% increase in revenue to £134.7 million in the year ended 31 March 2019.
It comes after “another strong period of growth”, with the brand opening its largest retail space yet - a flagship store at 59 Broadwick Street in the heart of Soho in London - in October.
The company, which also operates stores in Newcastle and Glasgow, delivered a strong operating margin at 20.0%, helping it boost pre-tax profits by almost 18% to £27.2 million.
There is a growing appetite for fashionable menswear, and End’s online store and bespoke iOS and Android apps can confirm this. The retailer said over 10 million people visit its website and apps each month, and more than 2.4 million people follow its social media accounts.
Revenues have been growing steadily at this independent retailer, rising at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 50% between 2015 and 2019.
To support its growth, End. is opening a new distribution centre close to the A1 in Washington (south of Newcastle Upon Tyne), and the majority of its operations will transition there in late 2019.
Copyright © 2019 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.


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21 May 2019.
FlowBTC is a Brazilian cryptocurrency exchange where you can buy Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies via bank transfers. Transactions are fast,
Bitcoin (BTC) on Monday evening surged past the psychological mark of $10,000 for the first time since February.What Happened.
Both bitcoin and oil were relatively calm Monday, but that when it comes to volatility over the past couple of months, it’s.
24 May 2019.
Coinmama is a cryptocurrency exchange that works in almost all countries where buying Bitcoin is legal. You can use this platform to buy.
16 Aug 2018.
Where to Buy Bitcoin and Other Cryptocurrencies. Reading Time: 4 minutes. This article first appeared at CoinCentral.com. With the price of.
5 May 2017.
Bitcoin Mining. The incredibly low-cost days of mining bitcoin, which only lasted a couple years, were days where one bitcoin was so cheap that it.
Where can I Use Bitcoin in Italy? Bitcoin ATMs in Italy; Conclusion. What is Bitcoin? In the wake of the.
Bitcoin Vaults To New Record Above $4k 1499460660,cryptocurrency Trezor10,"Amazing. I was horrified until I remembered I'm over 130lbs lighter and literally drowning in. Those big companies can watch, because its public record, who's pulling permits to. you doubt the functionality of Iota?,1504226255,iot Cryptos are very new and
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12 Awesome Bitcoin Memes 27 Mar 2018. 300 APR Coins Giveaway!. View the full context · cryptomonedas01 (25) in # cryptocurrency • 2 years ago. 12-awesome-bitcoin-memes-8. Shadow the Hedgehog is definitely one of the most frustrating games I’ve played, both when it came out
Bitcoin has been struggling to break over the $10,000 per bitcoin level since its highly-anticipated supply squeeze—but that.


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Wayback Burgers is celebrating 30 years of serving up deliciousness throughout 2021. The famed burger joint is already posting record-setting numbers for 2021 after turning in impressive growth numbers during 2020, as a global pandemic ravaged the restaurant industry. Restaurant sales and franchise growth at Wayback Burgers are both up, standing in stark contrast to the restaurant industry as a whole.
According to the National Restaurant Association, restaurant sales fell by $240 billion in 2020, more than 110,000 establishments closed, and there were nearly 2.5 million fewer restaurant jobs by the end of the year.
In contrast, here are some key 2020/2021 growth metrics that show America’s favorite hometown burger joint is defying the pandemic odds:
- Wayback Burgers systemwide sales for 2020 were up 4.9 percent.
- Four restaurants topped $1 million in sales in 2020 (Hinesville, Georgia, Hilton Head, South Carolina, Eugene, Oregon, and Olive Branch, Mississippi).
- Seventeen restaurants are on track to hit $1 million in sales for 2021.
- A restaurant in Woodbury, Minnesota, had a nearly 70 percent increase in systemwide sales over 2019.
- Seventeen new franchises awarded since August 2020
- Four new restaurants opened in 2020
- Twenty-four new franchises are forecast to be awarded in 2021
- Ten additional franchises are forecast to be awarded to existing franchisees through a new expansion program — Let’s Get Growing!
- Franchisees are hiring additional staff in Q1 2021 to keep up with increased business.
- Wayback kicked off their yearlong 30th anniversary celebration with a 30 percent surge in systemwide sales in January 2021.
- Wayback’s growing footprint now includes 166 restaurants.
Wayback Burgers’ success not in just surviving but thriving during the pandemic is due, in part, to its ability to adopt and maximize changing trends in fast-casual dining in 2020. Quick ramping up of online ordering and delivery kept Wayback’s delicious handmade burgers and shakes easily and safely accessible throughout the pandemic.
However, upping the delivery and drive-thru game in 2020 wasn’t enough. Guests really began to miss and crave the guest experience as 2020 dragged on, and Wayback Burgers’ business model was prepared to meet that need, too.
In early 2020 – pre-pandemic — an updated design was offered as a renovation to existing restaurants. A new color scheme, new graphic design elements, exterior signage, and updated fixtures and ceiling tiles give the interiors a fresh, new look that elevates the feel of the restaurant to meet the superior quality of the burgers. Guests feel like they have had a great dining experience, and it translated into higher sales.
All of Wayback’s remodeled locations generated 39 percent or better sales numbers in the backend of 2020, over the previous year, and the East Windsor, Connecticut restaurant saw a 68.7 percent jump in sales — during a global pandemic!
“I think the remodel has had very a positive impact. Most importantly, it creates a better dining experience than before. We have multiple first-time guests coming in every day who tell us about the good things they have heard, in addition to our regulars who have noticed the difference. When you combine this new style with the substance of great food and service, everything works,” says Pat Patel, franchise owner in Wadsworth, Ohio.
In addition to its fresh, updated look, Wayback Burgers offers franchisees a slimmer retail footprint (1600–1800 square feet) and lower initial investment than its competitors, which is especially appealing to new owners looking to invest during a pandemic.
As an extra incentive to grow the franchise family, Wayback has launched a creative program called Let’s Get Growing! to help offset the cost for existing restaurant renovations. If any current owner signs on to build another restaurant, Wayback will use 100 percent of the reduced franchise fee to contribute to remodeling that owner’s existing restaurant(s). That way, more restaurants will experience the benefits of the updated design sooner.
“The investments and the updates absolutely contribute to a great guest experience and increased sales; the numbers bear that out. But even in the worst of the pandemic, we saw older locations trending upward, and that is due to our great franchisees and their teams who are offering amazing products, excellent guest service, smooth operations, and getting out there in their communities lending a hand during this crisis,” says Patrick Conlin, president of Wayback Burgers. “We owe a big thank you to our franchisees, employees, and especially our loyal guests who have proved that even during a devastating global pandemic, success is possible if you stay true to your core principles and keep offering the Wayback feel people crave.”


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From November 22nd to November 26th, TotalEnergies will hold its African Customer Week.
As part of activities to mark the week, TotalEnergies Marketing Nigeria Plc will make appearances on several radio stations across Nigeria, in an effort to further reach its teeming customers.
The TotalEnergies Africa Customer Week provides a veritable platform for the company to engage customers, actively listen to them, and receive valuable feedback on ways to add value, with our services.
As part of the activities marking the week, officials of the company will talk about the bouquet of products and services offered by TotalEnergies during the visits to the select radio stations.
The company has also scheduled to embark on surprise visit to select TotalEnergies service stations and customer sites all over the country where customers will be rewarded with surprise “thank you” gifts.
The company said the year 2021 has been a challenging one for all companies due to the coronavirus pandemic.
According to the statement if TotalEnergies Nigeria PLC, “Regardless of the challenges, our customers have remained loyal and committed to us. As a result, we consider our customers to be more than just consumers. They are, in fact, our partners!”.
The company added in the statement that the main goals of the Africa Customer Week is to enlighten its customers about strategic evolution into a major player in the transition to new energies. “The change cannot be successful if we do not get the support of our customers,” it asserted.
TotalEnergies described attention being giving to customers as a step GREAT SERVICES START WITH SMALL DETAILS. Our customers choose TotalEnergies because we promise to give them more than just fuel; we provide them excellent service.
The statement explained that at TotalEnergies
“We prioritize our customers’ and staff safety.
We have made a commitment to achieve Net Zero Carbon by 2050.
“We have committed to offer cleaner energy products and services using our Solar and CNG offers.
“We take responsibility for our sales and service actions across all our sales channels.
We have an increased level of cleanliness/hygiene in our service stations to ensure our customers’ buying experience is always pleasurable.
“We commit to offering convenience and one-stop offers to our customers and have backed this up with the introduction of Touchpoint financial services across the country.
“We prioritize our stations and facilities’ proximity to ease access to our customers.
”We urge our customers to take advantages of our offerings by visiting any of our service stations and/or share their feedback about their experience in our stations on services.totalenergies.ng/acw and social media handles @TotalEnergiesNigeria (FB) | @TotalEnergiesNG (TW) | @TotalEnergies_NG (IG)”, it concluded.


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AMERICAN WOOLEN CO.
Relaunched Mill Has American Heritage and Italian Know-How
A 19th-century textile mill in northern Connecticut is currently humming with the activity of 40 looms making woolen and worsted fabrics for the American luxury market.
The mill, founded as Warren Stafford in Stafford Springs, Conn., has been reopened and relaunched as American Woolen Co., a company with about 25 employees and an initial launch collection of 23 fabrics, all 100 percent wool, for Fall/Winter 2015/2016.
The man behind the relaunch is an American-born financier who spent the last two decades working in investment banking in Europe. Working in London, Paris, Frankfurt and Milan, Jacob Harrison Long, American Woolen’s chief executive officer, became familiar with the quality and the branding behind Italian mills such as Loro Piana, Vitale Barberis Canonica and Filati Drago.
“I spent the last six years in Italy, so I know the Italian names very well,” Long said. “A lot of the Italian fabric companies have done a tremendous job by branding the fabric. If you look back at the old Vogue and Esquire magazines of the past, [U.S.] fabric companies used to advertise directly to the consumers. But that all changed in the 1980s and 1990s.”
When U.S. textile mills began focusing on commodity fabrics and moving production offshore, high-end mills in England and Italy found a niche supplying the U.S. market, Long said.
Long initially purchased the American Woolen trademark in 2013 with the intention of focusing on the design, marketing and sales of the fabric and placing production with some of the remaining wool mills in the United States. One mill that people kept recommending was Warren Stafford, Long said.
“Everyone was pointing me to Warren,” he said. “On the first call, I was informed they were going to close effective Dec. 31, 2013. Once we were informed that Warren was being sold, we changed our strategy and realized that owning and operating our own supply chain would probably be the best way forward given the current conditions in the market.”
Long said he was sold once he met with the Warren staff, saw the equipment and toured the facility. Since 1988, Warren had been owned by Loro Piana, the Italian maker of ultra-fine wool and cashmere. When the Italian mill took over operations at Warren, the company had upgraded the equipment and turned the facility into a state-of-the-art mill specializing in worsted wool, which is wool made from long-staple wool and typically used for suiting fabrics.
“What Loro Piana did was tremendous,” Long said. “Loro Piana bought a woolen mill in 1988 and turned it into a worsted woolen mill. Loro Piana brought over the worsted technology—and I mean not only the machines because, remember, good machines don’t make good product. People working good machines make good products.”
When Long and his partners purchased Warren, they hired many of the longtime staff. Nearly all the current staff are former Warren employees, Long said, pointing to the average tenure of the employees—19.1 years. Two employees are fourth-generation Warren workers.
“People keep talking about the renaissance in U.S. manufacturing, and people keep saying the renaissance is going to come about by cheaper wages and cheaper energy costs. That’s rubbish!” Long said. “The renaissance is going to come about because we can rebrand manufacturing. The people we’re hiring back have a defined skill set, and that skill set is in need and in demand.”
In addition to the state-of-the-art weaving at American Woolen, Long points to the company’s expertise in finishing the fabrics.
“For example,” he said, “certain products may call for washing for 10 minutes. The Italians may wash it for three minutes, take it out and dry it. Wash it for three minutes, take it out and dry it and then wash it in two increments for two minutes. It’s 10 minutes, but [the result is] a different fabric. And that’s what the Italians have absolutely mastered—the finishing techniques—and that’s what we have inherited with the people here.”
The purchase of Warren closed three months ago, leaving Long and his team little time to finalize the Fall/Winter collection.
“We were late [to the season,]” he said. “But we wanted to demonstrate to people that we could move on a dime and we’re able to design, weave and finish 23 different fabrics for Fall/Winter.”
For Spring/Summer 2016, the mill plans to expand its offerings and add some wool blends with silk and linen. For the following Fall/Winter season, American Woolen plans to offer mohair and cashmere fabrications, as well. Going forward, the company is looking at stretch wools and knits.
“We want to focus on what we know well, and we know worsted and woolen fabrics very well. And I would hope we can carve out a definable and defendable niche within those areas [first].”
Prices for the American Woolen launch collection range from $20 to $30 per yard, and there is a four-piece minimum, with pieces running 55 yards each.
“Having been in Italy, I’m the first to tell you that the cost structure in Italy is higher than America. Social costs are higher, energy costs are higher, environmental costs are higher,” Long said. “It was unique that Italy had carved out a niche, yet America, which [once] had that niche, had lost it.”
Last year, Long relocated with his family from Milan to Florida. Back in the U.S. after more than two decades away, the Chicago native sees a renewed interest in American-made products coinciding with a renewed interest in men’s suiting after several decades of casual dressing.
“In the past 30 years, America was very much targeting casual,” he said. “In the 1990s, investment banks were going casual because they were competing with Silicon Valley to retain young workers. Now people are telling me in 2014 most trading floors are men wearing two-piece suits. If you spend time in New York, walk up and down Park Avenue; guys are wearing suits again.”
Long compares the interest in American-made fabrics to the rise in the craft-beer industry in the U.S.
“When I grew up in the 1970s, the only people who wanted to work in a brewery were Laverne and Shirley, if you remember that TV show,” he said. “But the craft beers have carved out a niche, and although it only comprises 8 percent of the U.S. beer market, that segment is growing by double digits while U.S. beer consumption is declining. I believe in made in America. I believe when America sets its mind to doing something, we do it well and we do it correctly and the quality is paramount. That’s what we’re trying to do here. We want to create a niche. We want to create a brand. We want people to look at the garment and say, ‘Is it American Woolen?’”


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Sir, You Are Being Hunted is a 2013 classic sandbox stealth experience from Big Robot Ltd. They've teamed up with Den Of Thieves Games to bring a huge overhaul to the game and a new Sir, You Are Being Hunted: Reinvented Edition has been announced for 2022.
The Reinvented Edition is actually being made for the Nintendo Switch as a "comprehensive remaster" but it's also coming as a standalone game for Linux, macOS and Windows in 2022 with "enhanced visuals, new gameplay options, a modern engine, bigger islands, faster procedural generation, and more".
When it comes to the update to the original game though, it's a big one. A huge bump in the version of the Unity game engine used with Unity 2021.1.18f1 (was Unity 4.6.1f1), online multiplayer was restored, graphical improvements like a new water shader, better distance rendering, a bunch of new high-end graphics options were added, HUD improvements for different resolutions, performance improvements and the list goes on.
Sir is probably one of the most unique stealth games around. Hard too but it's supposed to be, with a brutal AI that will keep you running and hiding for hours.


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KHCB launches new auto finance scheme
Manama, June 14, 2011
Khaleeji Commercial Bank (KHCB), a leading Bahrain-based Islamic retail bank, has launched a new Shari’a compliant auto finance campaign.
“Our commitment to provide the people of Bahrain with Islamic, transparent and hassle free financing solutions is on track,” said Ebrahim Hussain Ebrahim, CEO and board member of KHCB.
“Our auto-financing scheme offers our customers financial freedom by giving competitive rates without the need for a salary transfer, continuing forward with our strategy to offer comprehensive retail banking products.”
However, great retail offerings are not the only issue on this customer-centric agenda, added Ebrahim.
“We have recently opened our new branch in Sanad and will soon be opening branches in Muharraq and Budiaya in the next two months. We aim to ensure all customers have easy access to our products and services. Furthermore, our main goal is to have a wide outreach to our current and potential customers and provide newly improved services,” he said.
“Emphasising the Bank’s flexibility and recognition of individual financing needs the financing scheme offers 100 per cent financing and up to BD50,000 ($132,600) to Bahraini nationals and is also available to expatriate and self-employed residents of the Kingdom with a minimum salary of BD250,” Ebrahim concluded. – TradeArabia News Service


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tax holiday on school supplies starts Friday
Parents shopping for school supplies and clothes for their children will get a break starting Friday as the state waives the sales tax on dozens of items. The holiday runs through next Sunday.
For three days, retailers will not charge the 5 percent sales tax on school supplies valued under $20 and clothes and shoes under $100.
Tax holidays are popular with both shoppers and store owners the Virginia Department of Taxation estimates that consumers will save about $4 million during the three days.
About 15 states have tax holidays. Virginia also has tax holidays for Energy Star products and hurricane preparedness.
Shoppers purchasing non school related items could get a break as well. A provision in the law allows retailers to absorb the tax on all sales if they choose. Several local and national retailers have said they would absorb the tax d asics uring the weekend.
As students count down the days unt asics il school starts, parents are beginning to count the dollars they will have to spend on the pencils, notebooks, asics sneakers, jeans and other gear their children ne asics ed or want for their return to the classroom.


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The slowdown in the UK economy for the first three months of 2016 period is in line with expert expectations, and means the year-on-year rate of progress remain at 2.1%.
According to Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, a figure of 2.1% is "unlikely to stoke substantial inflation or prod the Bank of England towards a first increase in interest rates since 2007."
Slack retail sales and nagging worries about the overall level of debt in the system all raise question marks about the foundations of the UK’s economic upturn, which has been tepid at best since 2009, noted Mould.
“All of this means Bank of England Governor Mark Carney is unlikely to be dashing to raise rates when the Monetary Policy Committee next meets on Thursday 12 May, especially after sterling’s latest bounce,” he said.
But looking ahead, favourable tailwinds should deliver a reasonable rate of growth, according to Rain Newton-Smith, CBI director of economics. "Crucially, consumer spending – which accounts for around two thirds of the economy – is expected to hold up as low oil prices and decent household income growth reinforce spending," she said.
However, Newton-Smith pointed out that global growth could slow further, hitting already weak exports and offsetting the boost from the falling pound.
“There is also a risk that concerns about debt positions in China and emerging markets could flare up again, leading to a return of financial market volatility,” she added.
June’s EU referendum could have an impact on UK's underwhelming growth pace. "Two weeks ago the Bank of England said that concerns about the EU referendum had begun to affect the real economy, and many commentators will view today’s GDP figures as evidence to support this hypothesis," commented Ben Brettell, senior economist at Hargreaves Lansdown.
"Weaker construction and production output are the primary reasons for the slowdown, which could prompt concerns that the UK economy’s reliance on the services sector is increasing further. Production output declined 0.4% and construction was down by 0.9%, whereas the dominant services sector grew by 0.6%," said Brettell.


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Palm has struggled to keep up with its competitors. The Treo has faced problems, buckling under better offerings from other companies. But, the company is hinting that they will announce their latest model in Britain on September 12 in an attempt to improve sales and renew the popularity of their devices.
It’s not clear when the new device will be available, though it seems likely that it would be released in September or October in order to make it to stores in time for the holiday rush.
There are also no specifics on what the device will be able to do, but it is easy to make a guess. For example, the Treo 700p has taken a lot of abuse because the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capabilities require separate cards, while they are built-in on competitors’ models.
The new device will also run on Windows Mobile so people don’t have to use that annoying Palm operating system.


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NIL compensation stands for the deals in which college athletes are compensated, usually in the form of money, for an exchange of letting brands use their names, images, and likeness, especially if they are considered as a celebrity. That being said, college athletes can use their fame and get paid for appearing in an advertisement whether on traditional media channels or through the use of their social networks.
Unlike professional athletes, college athletes in the US have been excluded for years from getting NIL compensations. The argument used was that the young athletes should stay away from the bad influence of money, and concentrate on their performance and professional sports career. Of course, all of that was changed recently with the new NIL policy, becoming official starting July 1st, 2021. The new NCAA legislation will change the world of college sports and will have a strong impact on all student-athletes across the United States, allowing them to earn money from their names.
Even though college athletes have more freedom now to use their names to earn additional money, they are required to notify their schools of their NIL deals. Also, athletes won’t be allowed to promote products that are banned by their respective state’s law or when a deal conflicts with some of the schools' existing arrangements.
More reading on NCAA / NIL Links:


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70 years ago
september 29, 1949
Another fine city improvement is underway this week with the rocking of approximately 25 blocks of alleys throughout the town. Most of the work is being done on the hill in alleys along the route of the city sanitary service truck.
Schroeder Produce and Oil Company will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the business in Marion Oct. 1 by holding an open house at their new building just north of the Marion Street Bridge at the corner of Main and Fifth Sts.
Mr. and Mrs. Herman Bartel have leased the Conoco service station at the corner of East Main and Freeborn from Henry Metzler, it was announced this week.
Economy plus Kroger values this week include a baby beef sale. Sirloin, T-bone, and Club Steaks are listed for 69 cents per pound; Round Steak, 79c lb; Chuck Roast, 49c lb; Stew Meat, short ribs, 29c lb; Smoked Ham, whole or shank half, 49c lb; and Sliced Bacon, 49c lb.
Cecil Rotz, manager and owner of Rotz Furniture stores in Marion and Florence, announced this week that he would close his Marion business.


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Arrival, the once buzzy EV startup that went public via a merger with a blank check company, is in its final death throes. The company has secured a $50 million bridge loan, funds that will keep it af
Arrival set out eight years ago to make electric vehicle production “radically more efficient.” So far, its plan to forgo the gigafactory for local microfactories has proved anything but.
Arrival just warned investors that it’s slashing its workforce yet again. The electric van maker said on Tuesday that it “took actions” on October 5 to “further reduce” c
News from Canoo and Arrival illustrates just how far off the rails the EV-SPAC boom has gone.
Troubled commercial EV maker Arrival has just ended a deal to merge — for the second time in less than three years — with a special purpose acquisition company. Arrival initially went public in Ma
Struggling electric vehicle company Arrival has secured a $300 million lifeline to help it stay in business into late 2023, but no later. The company is seeking additional dedicated funds to develop i
The high cost of trying to develop and produce vehicles, a business pivot and three restructurings has taken a toll on commercial EV maker Arrival. And it doesn’t look like it’s going to g
Arrival is going through another restructuring — this time led by a newly appointed CEO — that will slash its workforce by about 50% as the U.K.-based commercial EV company attempts to reduce oper
Troubled electric vehicle startup Arrival, which is restructuring its business to develop commercial vans for the U.S. instead of Europe, said Tuesday it doesn’t expect to earn revenue until after 2
Welcome back to The Station, your central hub for all past, present and future means of moving people and packages from Point A to Point B.
Commercial electric vehicle company Arrival has gotten a warning from the Nasdaq Stock Market because its stock price is trading too low. The company issued a press release Thursday saying it received
Commercial EV company Arrival is restructuring its business for the second time in six months as it tries to squeeze the most out of its remaining capital. The company said in a regulatory filing post
EV startup Arrival said Friday it has produced its first battery-electric van, a significant step toward its goal to deliver the vans to commercial customers at scale. The Arrival van is the first veh
The Station is your central hub for all past, present and future means of moving people and packages from Point A to Point B.
Arrival, the U.K.-based commercial EV startup turned publicly traded company, has lowered its delivery plans from 400 vehicles to 20 as it postpones development of its battery-electric buses and shift
Arrival, the U.K.-based commercial EV company, plans to slash costs and cut as much as 30% of its workforce as it attempts to protect the business from a challenging economic environment while meeting
The Station is a weekly newsletter dedicated to all things transportation. Sign up here — just click The Station — to receive it every weekend in your inbox. Hi frens, welcome back to The Station
Arrival, the U.K.-founded commercial electric vehicle company, unveiled the first prototype of its purpose-built electric vehicle for ride-hailing on the TechCrunch Sessions: Mobility stage on Thursda
If 2020 and 2021 were the years of the SPAC, 2022 is shaping up to be the year of the reprimand.
Arrival, a U.K.-based electric vehicle company that went public last year, has set itself a lofty goal. The company aims to produce electric vehicles that cost less than other EVs and competes with pr


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Buying beauty products in Mumbai? Look carefully, MRP label might be fake, prices hiked
Officials will now investigate how these products are billed and packed, so they can discover violations in the processUpdated: Dec 16, 2017 13:20 IST
The next time you buy an expensive beauty product from a popular spa or salon, inspect the price tag carefully — you may spot irregularities. In a recent series of inspections, government officials found that 28 health and wellness centers were altering prices and exploiting their customers.
Based on detailed investigations following a tip-off, the legal metrology organisation (LMO) has decided to put an end to the issue of overcharging, which violates the Price and Commodities Act, 2011.
The recent raids have uncovered popular salons and spas’ bid to sell products with undeclared maximum retail price (MRP) labels, manufacturer details, smudged MRP tags or fake MRP stickers.
“This is only a fraction of the violations taking place in this sector,” said Amitabh Gupta, additional director general and controller, LMO.
Gupta said the department has identified the issue of altered price tags.
“Every product, after being imported or manufactured, must enter the market with secured MRP tags bearing information about the manufacturer. We have discovered that MRP labels are either smudged or altered. Some products have no labels at all,” said Gupta.
Officials will now investigate how these products are billed and packed, so they can discover violations in the process.
“We found that salon and spa chains have convinced manufacturers to let them distribute the products without securing the mandatory labels. This enables retailers and wholesalers to alter the price tags,” said an officer.
Gupta said the irregularities were resulting in the government losing taxes.
Naeem Khan from Dadar-based Finesse Beauty Salon and Spa, which is among the violators for sticking false MRP labels on the original packaging, said the distributor had sent them products without labels. “We are not overcharging,” said Khan.
First Published: Dec 16, 2017 13:19 IST


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Shares of Ford Motor Co dropped to 1.93% on Friday after the closing of trading on Thursday, automaker reported results of achievement in three months from April to June. Since the beginning of the year, Ford shares have fallen by 28.9%.
Ford Motor reported second-quarter losses of – $ 0.35 per share, which is better than analysts’ forecasts at – $ 1.17 loss per share, but significantly worse rate of $ 0.34 per share in the corresponding quarter last year.
Total quarterly revenue decreased from 50% to $ 19.4 billion, it is higher than Wall Street expectations of $ 15.95 billion.
In fact, in spite of the closure of Ford’s car plants in the early second quarter in many major markets, the company managed to reduce losses from the expected $ 5 billion to $ 1.9 billion.
In Europe, Ford production resumed at all plants by May 4. Most plants in North America returned to operation on May 18, and by the end of the quarter, production in the region had reached 95% of the pandemic level. Ford management said that all regions exceeded expectations.
In the third quarter, Ford expects to make a profit of $ 500 million to $ 1.5 billion, but at the same time, company forecasts a return to losses in the fourth quarter and for the whole year.
Ford’s weak fourth-quarter outlook largely reflects production problems and the cost of launching a new version of the lucrative full-size F-150 pickup for the 2,021 model year.
In its restructuring efforts, Ford also plans to release new Ford Bronco and Bronco Sport SUVs, which should appear in showrooms next year. Just a few weeks after the announcement of Bronco, the automaker received more than 150,000 pre-orders.
In addition to redesigning the cars, the company is working in a strategic “electrification” partnership with Volkswagen, Rivian and Mahindra to strengthen own global presence.
Ford is preparing to release the Mustang Mach-E electric SUV, just company pre-orders for the entire first year are only 50,000 units.
Analysts say the restructuring of Ford will take more time and money, that complicated by the decline in consumer demand in the pandemic time. Wall Street today expects that Ford supplies will recruit strong turnover by 2022.
By the end of this year, the German airline Lufthansa intends to reduce its foreign staff by 20 thousand people, as well as sell its LSG division, which deals with on-board catering, which employs 7.5 thousand people. Lufthansa subsidiaries Eurowings, Swiss, Austrian and Brussels Airlines are reducing the frequency of flights, fleets and staff amid […]
Automaker Lincoln Motor Company has introduced a new car Lincoln Nautilus. The basic version of the car has a 2-liter turbo engine with a capacity of 250 horsepower. The more powerful version is equipped with a 2.7-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine with 335 hp. Both models have standard 8-speed automatic transmission. The interior of the car […]
German automaker Volkswagen will invest about 73 billion euros over the next five years in electrification, hybrid powertrains and digital technology, the company said in a statement following a meeting of the supervisory board. In particular, about 35 billion euros are planned to be spent on electric cars on battery power, about 11 billion – […]
Shares of General Motors, down by 3.7% since the beginning of the year, rose by 3.9% in trading after the company announced the results of the 3rd quarter, which ended on September 30. General Motors reported earnings per share increase of 65% to $ 2.83, which was higher than analysts expected $ 1.38. The amount […]
Shares of Peloton, which rose nearly 346% since the beginning of the year, rose 2% during trading on Friday after the company published the results of the first quarter of fiscal 2021, which ended September 30. Peloton, which went public a little over a year ago, reported earnings per share for the second quarter in […]
Traton Group, Volkswagen’s subsidiary for truck production, announced the purchase of its American competitor, Navistar International. Traton, which already owns about 16.7% of Navistar, is buying 83.3% of the company’s shares for the remaining $ 3.7 billion. Thus, the total value of the American company is estimated at $ 4.4 billion. Traton will pay Navistar […]
Shares of Starbucks recovered from losses of February and March due to the pandemic and rose by 19.7% over the past 6 months. But shares fell again after the publication of the quarterly report, which ended September 30. Starbucks revenue and profit for the 4th quarter of fiscal 2020 showed a strong jump in growth […]
American chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD) is buying rival Xilinx Inc for $ 35 billion under a deal that it will be paid for in full by AMD shares. According to a press release from AMD, the operation will create a company worth about $ 135 billion. “The acquisition of Xilinx will allow AMD […]
As Yaroslav Levitskyi, Pro Agro Company analyst mentioned, in this season the India could be one of the three potential buyers of Ukrainian wheat. Now it the one of the biggest importer of Ukrainian sunflower oil and the pea. The main reason for it is a lacking volume and high local wheat price in India. […]Next
The invention and distribution of coronavirus vaccines have made nine people billionaires. Euronews reported this with reference to the data of non-governmental organizations. “Nine new billionaires have a combined net worth of $ 19.3 billion, which is enough to fully vaccinate all people in low-income countries 1.3 times. Meanwhile, those countries have received only 0.2 […]Next
Hong Kong is known to all as the home of world capitalism. In contrast to the politicized financial centers in mainland China, where according to local residents the markets are transparent and the rights of minority shareholders are protected. As a proof of this is an example of the fact […]Next
On Sunday, Dominion Energy, one of the largest energy companies in the United States, announced a final agreement to sell virtually all of its assets in the gas transportation and storage segment of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. under a deal valued at $9.7 billion, including its current debt of $5.7 billion. The deal with Dominion will […]Next
According to Bloomberg, citing documents submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the short-term rental service Airbnb plans to raise $ 2.6 billion in listing in the US and receive an estimate of $ 35 billion. If the company manages to raise $ 2.6 billion, Airbnb’s placement will be the fourth largest IPO in […]Next
According to financial club, Oschasbank agreed with the credit debt of JSC Avangard-Agro (AG) restructuration. The owner of AG is Oleh Bahmatiuk. It was published in the holding quarterly status report in London exchange. According to documents, the amount of debt will be converted in Ukrainian gryvnia by the rate of 25,65 UAH per 1 […]Next
According to CoinDesk, the price of the most popular cryptocurrency – bitcoin – has updated the historical maximum three times in a few hours, exceeding 47 thousand dollars. Thus, the value of one coin reached its peak on the night from Monday to Tuesday, February 9, and amounted to 47,143 dollars. In general, over the […]Next
Radisson Hotel Group is proud to be the world’s first hotel group to make all meetings and events across 400+ hotels in its EMEA portfolio carbon negative. For every event taking place at its participating hotels, Radisson Hotel Group will offset double the carbon footprint, to ensure that every meeting has a positive impact on […]Next
The State Property Fund of Ukraine sold the Sukhodol distillery in the Lviv region to a private investor for UAH 60.3 million. This was reported by the state concern Ukrspirt, which included the company. The starting price at the auction increased 2.8 times, starting from UAH 21.7 million, Ukrspirt said. Sukhodolsk distillery became the sixth […]Next
The Polish oil and gas concern PGNiG wants to take part in the certification procedure of the Russian Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline. “PGNiG and PGNiG Supply & Trading have applied for inclusion in the certification process of the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline operator. The outcome of the review determines whether the pipeline owner will receive […]Next
The state corporation Saudi Aramco is preparing to place dollar Eurobonds, a source in banking circles said. According to him, the company is considering the possibility of placing up to five tranches of Eurobonds: with a maturity of three years, five years, ten years, as well as thirty and / or fifty years. Starting on […]Next
According to the results of 2020, Ukrenergo’s loss amounted to almost UAH 27.5 billion against UAH 1.86 billion profit a year earlier. This is evidenced by a report in the information disclosure system of the NSSMC. According to him, last year the company’s net income increased 2.2 times (by UAH 31.9 billion) to UAH 58.250 […]Next
According to the results of the outgoing year, Apple and Samsung have not settled the patent dispute in court. As predicted by experts, the penalty in the amount of $ 548 million, which was awarded to pay Samsung for patent infringement, did not accept the competitors, and Apple has demanded additional sanctions in the amount […]Next
American electric car maker Tesla Inc ended the first quarter of this year with record profits, but the company’s revenue was slightly worse than market forecasts. This is stated in a press release from Tesla. Thus, the company’s net income in January-March was $ 438 million, or $ 0.39 per share, compared to $ 16 […]Next
“Ukrnafta” won a court to return the licenses for the three production fields, suspended in January 2016. District Administrative Court of Kyiv canceled an order of the State service of geology and mineral resources of Ukraine about the suspension of special permits of the “Ukrnatfa” PJSC from January 26, 2016. It was reported by the press service of the State Service […]Next
Russia’s gas monopoly Gazprom has not booked capacity at annual auctions through Poland and Ukraine. It is noted that the auctions were held on the booking platforms GSA Platform and Regional Booking Platform. The operator of the gas transmission system of Ukraine exhibited additional “solid” capacities of 9.8 million cubic meters m per day for […]Next


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Luxembourg-based Space Cargo Unlimited sent 12 bottles of Bordeaux wine into outer space 14 months ago to study the impact of microgravity. With the wines returned to Earth, it was time for the taste test.
"Unanimously, the wines were considered to be great wines, which means that despite the 14-month stay on the international space station, the ‘space wine,’ was very well evaluated sensorially," said Philippe Darriet, director of the Oenology research department at the University of Bordeaux, in a statement.
But why launch a dozen perfectly good bottles of Petrus wine into space? The decision was part of Mission WISE, a private applied space research program. The organization is looking for ways to study the effects of microgravity on biological systems in the hopes of discovering insights that could help farmers adapt to global warming.
So on November 2, 2019, the 12 bottles of Petrus were carried to the International Space Station courtesy of French-Italian Thales Alenia Space and the U.S. company Nanoracks. They returned to Earth on January 14, 2021, on a SpaceX rocket.
From there, they were returned to Bordeaux where they are undergoing extensive testing to see how their biology was impacted. But as that testing got underway, the temptation to put them to the taste test was too strong.
So the teams organized the tasting on March 1 at the Institut des Sciences de la Vigne et du Vins in Bordeaux. The 12-member panel included 5 professional tasters.
According to a press release summarizing the judging: “Differences were perceived concerning the color of the wines. Concerning aroma and taste components: the two wines were described with a rich vocabulary attesting to remarkable olfactory and gustatory complexity; sensory dimensions of sweetness, harmony, and persistence were particularly noted.”
In addition to the wine, the partners sent 320 vine canes to the space station. Those are also undergoing testing, but researchers have said that there already seems to be some noticeable impact: The canes are growing faster and showing buds earlier than canes that have remained on Earth.
While that finding is preliminary, the hope is that the research will also yield insights that can help the wine industry.


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Some of the highlights of the partnership will be:
As new Ottawa Senators president and CEO Tom Anselmi settles into his role, he’s contemplating a brand new look for the franchise. The idea of adopting the stylized “O” heritage look as the club’s chief logo is a distinct possibility. “That jersey has inspired lot of people,” Anselmi said in a telephone interview with Postmedia. “It’s a great looking jersey and the players like it. But we’re not going to do anything knee-jerk.” Full article here
Canada Running Series announces Under Armour as the new title sponsor of the Eastside 10k race, which is scheduled for Saturday, September 16th this year. In addition to the title sponsorship, Under Armour is the exclusive athletic footwear, apparel and Connected Fitness sponsor. All participants will receive Under Armour technical running shirts and race organizers will receive technical apparel and footwear. This collaborative partnership will also bring cutting-edge innovation to the Canadian road running scene with activations across Under Armour’s digital training platforms, MapMyRun® and UA Record™. These platforms will include official training programs for runners of all abilities. There will also be an ambassador program and community outreach for run crews and clubs. Full article here
Little League Canada has formally announced a partnership agreement with Spalding and Russell Athletic Canada as their new baseball and uniform suppliers. Effective January 1, 2017, Little League Canada designates Spalding as their official baseball. Spalding baseballs will be used exclusively at Little League Canada National Championships. Little League Canada members are encouraged to use Spalding products at all levels of play. Check out the full article here.
Feb 1st at Big Kahuna is a pretty big deal because it's Paul Michaud day in Canada and a statutory holiday. In order to get the day off each BK Family member has to do something active in honour of our rocking and rolling VP Paul. Here are some of our favourite moments! #BKFamily #PaulDay
For six consecutive Saturday night hockey broadcasts, fans will be able to watch the games live in 360 VR on Sportsnet.ca and the Sportsnet app by using special virtual reality viewfinders. For info & Scheduling visit: http://platform.sportsnet.ca/molson/
It was an night that Lockview Dragons boy’s hockey head coach Tom Myketyn—or his players—won’t soon forget. The Dragons, with permission from the NSSAF and the school, donned their traditional Lockview hockey colours and suited up against Sir John A MacDonald Flames before a mostly pro-Lockview crowd on Feb. 14, at the Sackville Arena.It was a Hockey Nova Scotia Midget X League game. As the national anthem was sung by regular Halifax Mooseheads announcer Peter Baylis, the Dragons locked arms in solidarity for their beloved coach. #adidas #LockviewDragons Full article here
SKLZ, the leader in innovative training products, launches the Agility Trainer Pro, alongside 6 additional training products for general fitness, performance training, soccer, basketball, and golf. With its expert team of athletes and innovative thinkers, SKLZ continues to redefine how training is done for the most rigorous and demanding sports. Full article here
Under Armour is selling its first U.S.-made collection of apparel, including women’s sports bras and leggings made in Baltimore. The apparel, dubbed “Arris Project,” is being produced at UA Lighthouse, the brand’s manufacturing and design center that opened last summer in Port Covington. The sports bras and leggings are made with material designed to cut drying time in half and offer extra support, the company said. Check out the full article here
NBA Commissioner, Adam Silver, has been preparing hoops fans for the reality of advertisements on jerseys for some time now. Thus, it should come as little surprise that today we have our first official look at the uniforms for the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers and Sacramento Kings for the forthcoming 2017-18 seasons which all appear with confirmed corporate sponsorships that include GE, Stubhub and Blue Diamond Almonds. Click here for full article
Tiger Woods made a big announcement on his Twitter account with just a couple days left until his first start of 2017 at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines Golf Club. Woods revealed that in the wake of Nike exiting the golf equipment business, he’s making the switch to TaylorMade clubs this season. Nike’s departure has left a few of the world’s best players searching for replacement clubs in the offseason, and Rory McIlroy revealed that his rib injury was caused in part by his long practice sessions testing new equipment. Full article here.


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Recently, the infamous Nintendo Playstation went up for auction through Heritage Auctions and sold for a huge $360,000. This almost one-of-a-kind prototype was rediscovered in someone’s attic back in 2015 and has become the stuff of legends.
The Nintendo Playstation was created as part of a collaboration between Nintendo and Sony. The Playstation was originally designed to add CD-R capabilities to the Super Nintendo and was to be Sony’s first foray into the world of video games. Eventually, the deal fell apart with Nintendo partnering with Phillips instead. Sony went on to create their own console called the “Playstation” which released in 1994, and Sony went on to sell over 450 million consoles across the 4 Playstation generations and over 90 million handheld consoles, with the number still climbing each day. I think its safe to say Sony still did OK, all things considered.
Around 200 Nintendo Playstation prototypes were made, but only one is known to still exist, and this is the one that has now been sold to Pets.com founder Greg McLemore.
Greg sold Pets.com to Amazon some time ago and presumably made a nice little profit on it, allowing him to splash out on items such as the Nintendo Playstation. The good news is that its not expected to be stored away in some rich guy’s mansion; Greg is planning on starting a video game museum, meaning we will all be able to go see and even play it.
Other bidders of the Nintendo Playstation include Keemstar, founder of Drama Alert, who is also planning on opening a video game museum in Buffalo, NY. Unfortunately, Keem’s museum won’t house this piece of video game history.
Be sure to check out more of the latest news and guides on Gamezo, the new and upcoming gaming site. Follow us on Twitter to stay up to date with all the latest articles.


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It's never easy for companies in brand new industries to navigate early market trends and uncertainties. For pioneers of electric vehicle ((EV)) charging solutions, those challenges are multiplied by regulatory issues as well as the need to steer through a maze of government grants and to cooperate with global automakers.
That's why several EV charging companies are making sure to populate their boards of directors with people who can make a difference. Some companies are including outside directors with EV industry experience or industrial expertise. Others are looking to high-profile politically connected directors who can help a young company get an edge as the market evolves.
Coulomb Technologies, a privately held company that operates the ChargePoint Network for EVs in 14 countries, boasts the inclusion of Martin Eberhard on its board. As a co-founder of Tesla Motors (TSLA), Eberhard is well placed to help Coulomb technologies develop its charging stations to meet the needs of a new generation of EV drivers.
Eberhard was pushed out of Tesla in a big dispute, in which he filed a lawsuit against co-founder Elon Musk that was subsequently dropped in 2009. Still, he's widely credited with conceiving the Tesla Roadster, the trend-setting electric sportscar that has pushed the limits of the EV industry. He later did a stint at Volkswagen's (VLKAY.PK) EV program, giving Coulomb additional insight on how big auto manufacturers are thinking about electrifying vehicles.
While Eberhard is something of a controversial figure, some companies prefer to draw more conventional insiders to their boardrooms. For example, ECOtality Inc.(ECTY), the Nasdaq-listed company which operates the Blink network of EV charging units for residential and commercial use, added Enrique Santacana as a director in early 2011. Santacana is the North American regional manager for ABB, the Swiss-based giant manufacturer of power and automation technology. ABB has taken a stake in ECOtality and is partnering with the company to penetrate the US market for EV charging systems.
Santacana is a big catch. As a senior member of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, Santacana can offer ECOtality unique insights on industry developments. He's also networked with government officials in the field, having served on the U.S. Department of Energy's Electricity Advisory Committee. Since ABB is one of the biggest industrial players in the EV charging game, with aspirations to help foster a global EV charging network. For investors seeking assurances that an EV charging player is hooked into bigger industry trends, Santacana's ability to give ECOtality strategic direction should provide some comfort.
Political officials can also help fledgling EV charging companies grow their business. On this front, Car Charging Group Inc. (OTC:CCGI), a Miami-based upstart, pulled off a major coup by adding Bill Richardson its board as its Chairman in December 2012. Richardson, a former US Secretary of Energy who has served two terms as governor of New Mexico, has a unique combination of political experience and a passion for alternative energy.
As New Mexico's governor, he pushed an aggressive renewable energy agenda by requiring utilities to generate 20% of the state's power from renewable sources. He's also a vocal proponent of greater global coordination to accelerate the adoption of alternative energy sources. And he has impressive international influence as well, having served as the US ambassador to the United Nations.
Car Charging Group has 40 strategic property and retail partnerships, giving it access to 6.4 million parking spots across the US and has set its sights on opportunities in Mexico and Europe. Investors who are concerned about an EV charging upstart's ability to enjoy crucial government support should take note - since the development of infrastructure for EV charging requires government support until there is a critical mass of electric cars on the road, Car Charging Group is likely to benefit from a political heavyweight like Richardson on its board. Additionally, it is also worthy to note, that a person of Richardson's public stature does not simply lend his name, nor accept to be the chairman of the board, to just any company unless he sees a significant benefit for both he and the company. Perhaps his joining of the board could be viewed as a part of the company's long term strategy that has yet to be announced.
Political experience could prove important in the embryonic market for EV charging services. According to an academic study published in the Journal of Law & Economics in 2001, having a politically experienced director on board is especially important for companies that are more subject to political influences. It's no coincidence that in the 1990s, when US electric utilities faced increased retail competition, many companies in the sector brought in politically experienced directors, according to the study.
Companies that don't make an effort to include outside board members with industry or political experience do so at their own risk. Take Better Place, which has built a network of battery-changing stations for specially designed Renault cars in Israel. When Better Place launched in 2007, the company had political connections at the highest level, including support from Shimon Peres, the Israeli president, and Ehud Olmert, then prime minister. Shai Agassi, the company founder, even got Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Renault, to back the project and create specially designed cars for the pilot.
However, Better Place's board of directors remained surprisingly void of industry insiders or political rainmakers. It's true that Idan Ofer, the company's chairman and head of Israel Corp, is a well-known Israeli business heavyweight with a network of connections in industry and politics.
Yet the privately held company's founders have continued to pour money into Better Place during a turbulent year which saw the ousting of Agassi. It would be unfair to blame the company's well-documented failures in 2012 on the composition of its board. Still, it's possible that Better Place may have lacked crucial insight on EV industry trends partly because it had no senior outside directors with the right credentials.
Outside directors offer companies important insight on where they're going, and an independent view of a business model's viability in any industry. In the EV industry, where so many questions about the evolution of the market remain unresolved, having such perspective inside a boardroom may prove vital to a company's survival.


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The 850 employees of Official Airline Guides in Oak Brook were waiting for the other shoe to fall Monday in the wake of the announcement of an agreement to sell the business to British publisher Robert Maxwell.
Dun & Bradstreet Corp. agreed over the weekend to sell Official Airline Guides for $750 million to Maxwell Official Airline Guides, a company newly formed by Maxwell`s Pergamon Group Holdings Ltd., based in England. The transaction is expected to close by the end of the year.
``As far as I know the corporate headquarters will stay (in Oak Brook),`` said David Emery, senior vice president of administration and chief financial officer of Official Airline Guides.
``We really have very little information`` other than the companies`
official announcement, he said. ``We certainly are just as curious as anyone.``
The sale of Official Airline Guides will result in an after-tax gain of more than $450 million, said Dun & Bradstreet. Its stock rose 62 cents, to $55.25, Monday on the New York Stock Exchange.
Official Airline Guides, which includes Thomas Cook Travel USA, had operating income of about $65 million last year, the company said.
In connection with the sale, Pergamon received an option to purchase Thomas Cook Travel USA, which operates 60 travel offices, including nine regional reservation centers.
Houston-based Lifeco Services Corp., a travel management company with sales of $600 million, also wants to buy Thomas Cook Travel USA and intends to continue its efforts, said Stephen Taylor, chief operating officer of Lifeco. ``The fat lady hasn`t sung yet,`` said Taylor. ``We have been anxiously awaiting the sale of the Official Airline Guides piece so the rest of the process can continue on.
``The ultimate disposition of Thomas Cook Travel USA has by no means been decided. It`s still in an ongoing process and we`re involved. Other than that I can`t comment as to our specific strategy.``
Also involved is Thomas Cook Group Ltd., a British-based conglomerate from which Dun & Bradstreet acquired the American branch.
Midland Bank PLC, Thomas Cook Group Ltd.`s parent, reportedly has an option to purchase 20 percent of the American group.
The transaction is subject to a determination that it conforms with antitrust laws.