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Archive For The “News” Category
Leamington, ON – Increased demand for premium greenhouse grown products across the NatureFresh™ Farms product line has prompted one of Canada’s largest independent growers to break ground on a new 106,000 sq.ft Distribution Center in Leamington, ON. Construction is to be completed by mid-summer.
“The continued expansion of our operations & launch of new products is a direct result of the growth of the NatureFresh™ Farms brand”, said Peter Quiring, President. “Over the last few years, we have increased our production capacity to meet the demands of our retail partners. Our commitment to quality, regardless of season, is enabling NatureFresh™ Farms to be an integrated supplier 12 months a year. Expanding our production capabilities in Leamington shows our commitment to growing our business in Canada”, commented Quiring. Family owned & operated, NatureFresh™ employs more than 500 people across all of its greenhouses & distribution centers in both Canada & USA.
The state of the art distribution center will enable NatureFresh™ to increase production and specialty packaging on site. The addition of the new facility will compliment the existing 5 distribution centers that are currently operational across the company’s 130 acres in Leamington, ON. NatureFresh™ also opened a 60,000 sq.ft facility in Toledo, OH in Fall 2016 to service the new 45 acres of greenhouse tomato production in Delta, OH. Due to the success of its Ohio tomato program, the company has already outgrown the Toledo facility 6 months after opening the doors and will be expanding in the months to come.
After doubling its Organic Bell Pepper acreage in 2016, NatureFresh™ recently launched their new USDA Certified Organic TOV’s and Organic Red Grape Tomatoes.
“The increasing demand for organics prompted our team to bring two new items to market this year, both are being grown in Leamington, ON”, said Ray Wowryk, Director of Business Development. The Organic TOV’s are available in bulk format whereas the Organic Red Grape Tomatoes are available in Dry Pint formats.
Lastly, the company also unveiled its new Canadian grown TOMZ™ Snacking Tomatoes in March that are being packed in new top seal formats. NatureFresh™ grows its proprietary TOMZ™ brand snacking tomatoes in Delta, OH (winter production) and Leamington, ON (summer production).
About NatureFresh Farms–
NatureFresh Farms™ has grown to become one of the largest independent, vertically integrated greenhouse vegetable growers in North America with growing operations in Leamington, ON and Delta, OH.
PhilaPort announced the acquisition of a 29-acre parcel of land, locally known as the former Philadelphia Produce & Seafood Terminal, located at Third Street and Pattison Avenue. With this purchase PhilaPort now owns 1,016 acres of land.
This purchase from Philadelphia’s public-private economic development corporation, PIDC, will allow PhilaPort to develop warehousing to support the growth in container operations at Packer Avenue Marine Terminal.
“As we densify and increase container capacity at PAMT, we needed more land to grow,” Jeff Theobald, chief executive officer of PhilaPort, said in a press release. “This land, located less than a half mile from [Packer Avenue Marine Terminal], allows us to enact a major component in our plan. It enables us to relocate warehousing adjacent to our main container operations.”
PhilaPort has enacted an aggressive timetable to grow Port cargo volumes. This new land will play a critical role and directly augment the $300 million port development plan set by Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, the board and the CEO of PhilaPort.
“We are excited to support the continued expansion of PhilaPort with the sale of this strategic parcel,” John Grady, president of PIDC, added in the press release. “For more than 60 years, this site has played an important role in the movement of goods and services throughout the region, supporting business growth and thousands of family-sustaining jobs. With its strategic location, growing port, deep pool of skilled labor, and direct access to a large customer base in the northeast United States, Philadelphia is poised for even greater investment, development and job growth as a center for logistics, transportation, and distribution.”
The port is an economic engine in southeastern Pennsylvania; this purchase exemplifies the important role public and private warehousing plays in the Port achieving its full potential.
“The cooperation between the port, the city of Philadelphia and PIDC has been outstanding,” Deputy Mayor Richard Lazer said in the press release. “Mayor Kenney has placed a high priority on moving the port forward. In the weeks and months ahead, the city of Philadelphia will continue to move in lockstep with Governor Wolf’s goal of generating family sustaining jobs.”
By Black Gold Farms
Grand Forks, ND – Black Gold Farms will soon be harvesting fresh red potatoes in the boot heel of Missouri. With ideal planting and growing conditions and plenty of moisture, this year’s crop looks to be one of the best yet.
“We’ve been growing red potatoes on the boarder of Missouri and Arkansas for about 10 years, and every year we get a little better. This year is no different.” commented John Halverson, COO of Black Gold Farms. “We’ve been able to learn a lot about growing potatoes in the summertime heat from over 30 years of chip potato experience in warmer climates. We’re able to transfer those leanings to the fresh market. While there are many differences, the principles are the same: use the right variety, get the timing correct, push them through the wash line and into the cooler as quickly as possible, and then, ship to our customers while they are still at their freshest” Halverson concluded.
Keith Groven, Fresh Sales Manager of Black Gold Farms states, “Our customers really find value pulling fresh reds out of Arbyrd, MO as the quality is consistent, and we are geographically central to many of the major cities which provides locally grown opportunities. Customers recognize that Black Gold Farms is the red potato expert, especially this time of year, in this geography.”
Keith Groven Black Gold Farms will be harvesting, packing and shipping their own crop of red potatoes out of their Arbyrd, MO farm and packing facility until the middle of July. After that, the Black Gold Farms Indiana crop will be ready. This allows for Black Gold Farms-grown product to be supplied to customers year-round.
“Each of our farms has their own unique characteristics, but what’s really valuable is that our customers know that the red potatoes they’re getting and the service they’ve come to expect is all Black Gold Farms” remarked Groven.
Black Gold Farms is offering up redventurous recipes like Red Potato and Chorizo Paella, as well as digital/social promotions geared towards bringing awareness to the adventurous side of red potatoes.
Canadian greenhouse growing operation Mastronardi Produce and purchased another greenhouse growing facility in the state of Maine.
Family owned and operated fourth generation business Mastronardi Produce of Kingsville, ON has acquired New England year-round greenhouse tomato grower Backyard Farms of Madison, ME. Mastronardi The leading grower and shipper of specialty and commodity greenhouse produce in North America, Backyard was launched 10 years ago and ships primarily throughout the Northeastern United States.
Together, Mastronardi Produce and Backyard Farms will grow and ship non-GMO verified tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers to the top food retailers in North America. Backyard Farms operates two greenhouses totaling 42-acres
About Mastronardi Produce
Ours span over 60 years to the pioneering of the North American greenhouse industry. Before Grandpa Umberto Mastronardi came along, there were no commercial greenhouses in North America. His vision was to provide consumers with fresh greenhouse grown vegetables all year long. After four generations, the Mastronardi family still owns and manages what is now the leading greenhouse vegetable company on the continent, growing and selling world-class tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers.
Port of Oakland Cargo Handling Update
There is a definite trend of increased imports and rising value to the economic conditions in the Southwest, according to a report issued by the Center for North American Studies at Texas A&M University. The annul report is requested by the Texas International Produce Association.
“The economic impacts of U.S. produce imports from Mexico on southwestern land ports of entry are substantial, expected to total $1.62 billion by 2025 as these imports continue to grow over the next five to seven years,” the study surmised. “Additional employment will occur as 13,241 jobs will be required to support this increase in economic activity.”
About 98 percent of these imports entered the United States by land ports of entry on the southern border in the states of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. The report determined about 90 percent of these imports are fresh fruits and vegetables, representing a total of $10.67 billion of value.
Using 40,000-pound equivalents as the average weight of a truckload, it was estimated that these shipments represent more than 463,000 truckloads. Texas has been the leading port of entry for the past six years and is expected to maintain the No. 1 slot through the furthest projection year of 2025. In fact, each year it is solidifying its hold on first place.
When the survey began in 2007, a total of about 261,000 truckloads of product came from Mexico into the United States through those four states. Arizona accounted for around 112,000 loads while Texas chipped in with about 101,000. California added 43,000 loads and New Mexico contributed 4,378 truckloads. Arizona’s market share was 43 percent followed by Texas’ 39 percent.
In 2016, 222,000 loads came in to the United States through a Texas port representing about 48 percent of the shipments. A rizona’s 161,000 loads represented another 35 percent. California accounted for 68,000 truckloads, representing 15 percent. New Mexico, of course, lags behind but its 18,500 loads in 2016 represented a 400 percent increase in a decade.
Projecting forward, the researchers predicted that in 2025, 688,000 loads would come through the four states with Texas’ share approaching 350,000 loads, which would be more than 50 percent of the total.
As consumers across North America pack their bags for summer vacations in the weeks ahead, the savviest among them will tuck in a little something extra—a freshly rebranded New Zealand JAZZ apple—with an aim to refresh their palates and their pocketbooks.
A $3,000 grand prize awaits the winner of JAZZ apples’ Summer Vacation Sensation Instagram Contest. It encourages participants to post “sensational” photos of the fruit taken during their summer adventures. Additional memory-making prizes, like Yeti coolers, GoPro cameras, and other outdoor-fun gear, will reward runners-up. bThe contest begins June 19 and spans the next eight weeks.
“As part of the JAZZ brand refresh, we’re reminding everyone of the apple’s amazing portability,” said Joe Barsi, president of T&G Global, North America, owner of the JAZZ apple brand. “With a dense texture and crisp crunch, not to mention an always-refreshing eating experience, a JAZZ apple is truly the ideal travel companion.”
The contest asks participants to post images of JAZZ apples at any destination or vacation setting. It has to create a “brand buzz” while conveying the upbeat personality and versatility of the apple.
In the development of the refreshed JAZZ brand, research revealed that the apple resonates with well-travelled and socially-connected taste seekers—consumers. They are always looking for the latest and the new, and who enjoy sharing their discoveries.
“We believe the contest will appeal to the precise audience the brand aims to reach, and are excited to present this high-profile, fun opportunity to attract and engage that audience this summer and beyond,” said Brock Nemecek, regional marketing manager for T&G Global, North America. “This initiative will not only keep JAZZ apples top-of-mind and in shoppers’ carts over the next couple months, but will also establish consumer connections that the brand will foster year-round.”
T&G Global and marketing partner Oppy will work closely with retailers to generate support for the contest. At the same time amplifying it on various social platforms through mid-August.
“This is a great opportunity for our retail partners to promote fresh-crop New Zealand JAZZ apples, said David Nelley, vice president of categories for Oppy. “The fruit is excellent in quality, and excitement is already gathering around the refreshed brand at the store level and on social media. It’s going to be a great season, with numerous initiatives driving people to the JAZZ display.”
Join the fun and post your most sensational travel photos, starring a fresh crop JAZZ apple, following and tagging @jazzappleus, and using #jazzsensation on Instagram.
JAZZ apples are available year-round via domestic and import crops and are offered exclusively by CMI Orchards, Oppy, and Rainier Fruit Company.
Over 80 percent of U.S. homes contain organic foods, according to a new Nielsen study.
A study of 100,000 households in 2015 and 2016 reported more households than ever bought organic food in 2016, which surpassed 2015 numbers by 3.4 percent.
“These new findings show how important organic has become to millions and millions of American families everywhere – to more than 80% of our nation’s 117 million households,” said Laura Batcha, CEO and executive director of the Organic Trade Association. in a news release. “The organic community is looking forward to working with the new leadership at (the U.S. Department of Agriculture.”
Alaska and Hawaii were excluded from the study. However, the findings found in some states, households with organic produce and other foods topped 90 percent.
The five states which saw the biggest increases in households reporting organic purchases were:
- North Dakota, where 85.6 percent
- Rhode Island, with 88.3 percent
- Percent buying organic, up 12.3 percent from 2015;
- Wyoming, where 90 percent of participating households bought organic in 2016, up 10.8 percent;
- South Dakota, which had the lowest percentage of any state at 68.9 percent, but still recorded a 10 percent increase;
- Wisconsin, where 77.6 percent of participating households bought organic, up 9.1 percent from 2015.
Organic food sales in the U.S. is close to $40 billion a year, accounting for 5 percent of total food sales in the country, according to the Organic Trade Association.
Households that participated in the study scanned Universal Product Codes to track purchases, a practice Nielsen has used since 2002.
NFI Expanding U.S. Produce Business
NFI Industries of Cherry Hill, NJ is bringing fresh produce capabilities to the U.S.
Active in numerous industries, the logistics company made more than 185,000 shipments in 2016, including 10,000 shipments of produce.
The move to expand further into produce was prompted by interest from existing customers and the hiring of more staff members with experience in produce.
NFI has been hauling produce to Canada with a dedicated fleet for several large customers there, and those companies also have business in the U.S.,
Main shipping points for NFI’s U.S. produce business will be Northern California, Yuma, Ariz., Nogales, Ariz., McAllen, Texas, Florida and regional ports.
NFI operates more than 31 million square feet of warehouse and distribution space throughout the U.S., particularly in the eastern half of the country and in Texas, and owns more than 2,400 tractors and more than 8,300 trailers, according to the company website.
By Honeybear Marketing
Elgin, Minnesota – A record shipment of Chilean Honeycrisp from Honeybear Brands’ southern hemisphere orchards arrives at major retail stores across the country this week. The 2017 Chilean Honeycrisp is the largest in Honeybear’s 10-year program and brings just picked freshness, color and taste domestic Honeycrisp inventory, harvested last fall, is in low supply and flavor waning from months of cold storage.
The volume increase in Chilean Honeycrisp is due in part to several factors: the natural maturation of Honeybear’s Chilean orchards, excellent growing conditions and the company working with exceptional local growing partners who understand the many nuances of growing and optimizing premium apple production in their local micro climates.
Leading retailers featuring the Honeybear Chilean Honeycrisp include Hy-Vee, Publix, Loblaws, United Supermarkets, Cub Foods, SuperValu, Central Market, Coborns and Sam’s Club in more than 100 markets across the country.
Honeybear Brands and parent Wescott Agri Products were granted exclusive production and commercialization rights for the Chilean Honeycrisp by the University of Minnesota, developer and owner of the original variety. The company was one of the first to grow Honeycrisp in Washington state and Chile, and is widely recognized as the premier Honeycrisp label in the United States.
For more information visit www.honeybearbrands.com or contact Honeybear at 952-746-1315
About the Honeycrisp Variety
The Honeycrisp variety was first designated in 1960, patented in 1988 and made available to customers in 1991. In recent years, thanks to its unique blend of crunch, crisp flesh and a mixed sweet/tart flavor profile, the Honeycrisp variety has become an in-demand favorite of consumers, cooks, apple-lovers. A challenging variety to grow, Honeycrisp requires the right microclimate to maximize production, yield quality and flavor.
About Honeybear Brands
Honeybear Marketing is the marketing arm for, and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Wescott Agri Products. Honeybear is a leading grower and developer of premium apple varieties. The company started as Wescott Agri Products, a family run apple orchard in the early 1970s. From that early start several generations ago, today Honeybear still employs the same hands-on, personal attention to each and every apple variety produced through the Honeybear Apple Varietal Development Program. Honeybear is the leading provider of Honeycrisp apples in the Northwest region and offers complete domestic and global supply integration from varietal development to growing, packing, shipping and retailer support.
Expanding to handle more containerized cargo by investing $600 million has been announced by the Port of Oakland.
Speaking to a maritime audience at the American Association of Port Authorities Conference recently in Tampa, Fla., Port of Oakland Maritime Director John Driscoll outlined a partnership designed to increase trade volume by investing in new facilities and better infrastructure.
“We’re building for growth in a shipping industry that is becoming more and more competitive,” Driscoll said in a news release. “By investing with partners who share our vision, we can deliver services that will be of great value to the global supply chain.”
Driscoll noted the port would work with private developers and public agencies to modernize its infrastructure and outlined three proposed investment projects:
- $244 million, mostly from government grants, to separate railroad tracks from major port roadways;
- $90 million for a privately built refrigerated warehouse called “Cool Port;” and
- $50 million to expand the port’s second-largest marine terminal, with private funds.
Driscoll noted that the port recently completed a $100-million railyard near marine terminals and a proposed logistics complex, both of which should be a drawing card for shippers, enabling cargo to be quickly shifted between rail, road and ocean transport.
The Port of Oakland agricultural tonnage grew 233% over the past five years and now represents 53% of the port’s total export tonnage. Fruits and nuts are the leading agricultural commodities shipped from the port. The Port of Oakland oversees the Oakland Seaport, Oakland International Airport, and 20 miles of waterfront.
The Port of Los Angeles
January 2017 was the busiest January and second busiest month in the Port of Los Angeles’ 110-year history
“Coming off our best year ever in 2016, it’s very encouraging to keep the momentum going into 2017,” Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka said in a news release. “The port remains diligent, along with our partners, in making the San Pedro Bay supply chain even more efficient through world-class infrastructure, innovative technology solutions and strategic use of resources.”
January 2017 imports increased 13.1% compared to January 2016. Exports increased 28.7% compared to the previous year. Empty containers increased 17.9%. Combined, January 2017 saw a 17.4% increase compared to last year.
Fruit and vegetable imports for January 2017 were 4,885 TEU (20-foot equivalent units), according to Phillip Sanfield, Port of Los Angeles director of media relations. Those imports accounted for 1.1% of the total 415,423 TEUs imported that month. Fruit and vegetable export numbers were not available.
by T&G Global / Oppy
Fresh crop New Zealand JAZZ™ apples are arriving now — decked out with a sharp new look and attitude geared to drive even stronger sales of the top-10 apple.
Built around the powerful positioning of “The JAZZ Sensation,” the new brand elevates the always refreshing eating experience delivered by the tangy-sweet, intensely crunchy favorite. Complete with a fresh new logo, and supported by a full suite of nimble visual components, JAZZ™ is primed to stand out in the category with contemporary colors, eye-catching graphics and a compelling brand message.
JAZZ™ apples originated in New Zealand, following a natural union of Royal Gala and Braeburn varieties. Sixteen years later, it’s become a global sensation, growing in 10 counties under a closely controlled quality program, managed by trademark owner and one of New Zealand’s largest horticulture exporters, T&G Global (originally Turners and Growers).
T&G Global introduced the new brand at Fruit Logistica in February, and has subsequently rolled it out market-by-market to great enthusiasm.
Darren Drury, T&G Global’s executive general manager – pipfruit, said the refresh of JAZZTMrepresents a major investment by T&G that extends across all touch-points from packaging to promotions and sampling to digital platforms.
“Our consumer research identified an opportunity to reinvigorate our JAZZTM brand to reinforce its premium position,” he explained. “We operate in a highly competitive category, so it’s vital to remain relevant while appealing to new consumers. Having discussed it with our growers, sales agents and customers we felt the time was right for a global refresh.”
Importantly, the esteemed ENZA quality mark will appear alongside the new JAZZ™ label, providing assurance that the long-standing quality and eating experience of JAZZ™ has not changed.
“The new JAZZ™ brand will engage consumers with an exciting new website and relevant social content aimed at creating a deeper relationship between JAZZ™ and its global fan base,” said Drury. “Our research guided us to focus JAZZ™ marketing efforts on well-travelled and socially connected taste seekers; consumers who are always looking for the latest and the new, and who enjoy sharing their discoveries. A durable, versatile, great-tasting apple like JAZZ™ is a perfect fit for this spirit and lifestyle, and our refreshed approach will place more JAZZ™ into their sphere.”
Available soon from Oppy, fresh crop New Zealand JAZZ™ apples will be supported by high-impact custom promotions arranged in partnership with retailers throughout the U.S. and Canada.
“JAZZ™ ranks third in the list of premium apples for dollar contribution in the produce department,” said David Nelley, vice president of categories at Oppy. “Its growth has been steady over the last decade and a half. The refreshed brand will renew existing connections with JAZZ™ apples as well as build new ones across North America.”
JAZZ™ apples are also available from CMI Orchards and Rainier Fruit Company primarily during the domestic season.
Drury says T&G is pleased with consistent growth and demand for JAZZTM across the company’s traditional markets including Germany, the UK and USA alongside newer markets such as Thailand, China, Vietnam and Japan.
“We’ve built up a stronger presence in our key markets and our people are better placed to further support our customers and work alongside growers on our year-round growing program,” he said. “We are also looking for new growth opportunities. It’s an exciting time for JAZZTM and we’re looking forward to sharing our new-look journey with customers, growers and consumers.”


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ended a year of speculation on Wednesday, announcing a VoIP-enabled
The voice-enabled IM service actually went live on Tuesday afternoon, according to blogger Ben Guild, who was able to log on around 5:40 EDT.
The new service marks another step on Google’s evolution from search service to Internet gateway.
The free Google Talk service lets users initiate text or voice chats from a stripped-down interface. The service is integrated with Google’s free e-mail service, Gmail, so that, when a Gmail user downloads the IM application, it’s instantly populated with that person’s Gmail contacts.
“It will be easy to install, uncluttered and very fast to start up,” said Georges Harik, Google product director.
“All Google’s competitors have this kind of capability or are developing it; maybe out of necessity, Google needed to develop IM and VoiP,” said Kelsey Group analyst Greg Sterling.
Yahoo Messenger launched a PC-to-PC voice chat feature in 1999. In August 2005, it launched Yahoo Messenger with Voice, which is based on SIP
Sterling said it was natural for Google to combine IM and VOiP, but interesting that it tied them into e-mail. “If you adopt this, you need to sign up for Gmail, which will drive Gmail adoption as a byproduct of the popularity of this,” he said.
Internetnews.com reportedin August 2004 on rumors that Google was building an instant messaging client based on the Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP)
Google Talk is indeed built on XMPP, which allows it to interoperate with other such systems. “This will be an open system,” Harik said. “We’re trying to make instant messaging work in the same way that e-mail and the phone just work between providers.”
Google Talk users will be able to connect to a number of other services, including Jabber, iChat, Trillium and GAIM. The company also is working on interoperability with the other major IM networks. Harik said it had extended offers to AOL, Yahoo
and Skype, and planned to contact Microsoft about interoperation with MSN Messenger.
The company also is collaborating with SIPhone, a provider of voice-over-IP, and ISP Earthlink
to connect their service with Google Talk.
Google Talk users do need a Gmail account, and so do users of other IM services who want to connect to Google Talk users. Harik said that’s necessary because Google Talk uses the Gmail notifier system to show whether friends are online. Gmail accounts remain available by invitation only, although users start out with 50 invitations that are automatically replenished. In addition, users of Web-enabled mobile phones can access Gmail.com from their phones to be authenticated and receive a Gmail account.
Sterling said Google’s explanations of the cell phone authentication system seemed convoluted. While there’s no specific wireless functionality attached to Google Talk, he said that this angle might point to a wider range of services in the future.
If Google’s master plan is to match the on-search related features of its competitors, it’s playing catchup.
In April, America Online announced interoperability agreements with four enterprise IM vendors that would allow them federated access to the company’s messaging network. Antepo, Jabber, Omnipod and Parlano agreed to pay a per-seat fee to enable their customers to communicate with those using the AOL messaging network.
In July 2004, AOL, Microsoft
According to online audience measurement firm comScore, in July 2005, AOL’s AIM had 30 million unique visitors, slightly down from usage one year ago; MSN Messenger grew 11 percent to 25.9 million unique users; and Yahoo Messenger grew 16 percent to 25.6 million.

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Heartland Automotive Services (Irving, TX), the largest U.S. Jiffy Lube franchisee, has expanded into a new market with the acquisition of 18 locations in the Spokane, WA area, including nearby communities in Idaho and Oregon. This comes via the purchase of 15 locations from the Tri-City Fast Lube and three locations from the Tuber Luber ownership groups.
“Building on Jiffy Lube Heartland’s strong footprint in the Washington state area, this acquisition allows us to grow our presence in this region to more than 100 locations,” said Brett Ponton, CEO of Jiffy Lube Heartland.
Over the past several months, Jiffy Lube Heartland has been active on the acquisition front. In 2011 alone, the company’s acquisitions have grown its total number of locations by more than 16 percent. Jiffy Lube Heartland operates more than 470 shops nationwide.


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Green with Envy Take a walk around Vinnell Arabia's new SPH 100 with Sutphen's international dealer, Carlos Vargas. #BuiltToDoWork
“We went to our dealer, Robert Stanley at Stevens Fire Equipment, and he had a 70-foot aerial platform quint demo that he brought over for us to examine,” says Todd Harden, Eden’s chief. “We were very pleased with the performance of the 75-foot aerial ladder quint we bought from Sutphen a few years ago, and decided to replace our 1991 Grumman Firecat 102-foot aerial platform with the Sutphen 70-foot platform.”
By Alan M. Petrillo Alabaster (AL) Fire Department has been a customer of Sutphen for several years, so when it needed an aerial apparatus to complement the Sutphen engines it already owned, it naturally turned to Sutphen to configure an aerial device that would best...
DUBLIN, OHIO – Sutphen Corporation, the largest family-owned fire apparatus manufacturer in the nation, announces the launch of the Sutphen tractor drawn aerial. Adding to Sutphen’s expansive family of aerials, the 131-year-old, family-owned business...
Sutphen Corporation, the largest family-owned fire apparatus manufacturer in the nation, recently received a 13-fire apparatus order from Miami-Dade (FL) Fire Rescue. The recently ordered apparatus include seven custom pumpers, four SL 75 mid-mount aerial ladders; and...
Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment publishes a monthly list showing photos of about two dozen new apparatus deliveries. In the last three months, 66% of the deliveries featured roll-up compartment doors, 23% had hinged doors, and 11% had a combination of both.
Two longtime customers of Sutphen Corp., the Dearborn (MI) Fire Department and Clemson (SC) Fire and EMS, are running only Sutphen engines and aerials in their fire response fleets, and praise the family-owned company for its quality products and strong relationships with its customers.
Sutphen built this SPH 100 aerial platform quint for the LaVale (MD) Fire Department. The rig is powered by a Cummins 500-hp X12 engine and an Allison Gen 5 4000 EVS automatic transmission.
The size an OEM is not necessarily reflective of the quality of the apparatus manufactured, nor does the size of a local dealership indicate the expertise and knowledge of its vendor that knocks on your firehouse door.
Sutphen delivered this SL75 midmount aerial quint to the Grand Blanc (MI). It has a 500-gallon tank and 2,000-gpm pump.
The Statesville (NC) Fire Department has taken delivery of this Sutphen SPH 100 midmount aerial quint built on a Monarch cab and chassis.
The Detroit Fire Department (DFD) has officially reached Darley Demander status, setting the pace for Departments making the switch to Darley pumps.


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- New record performance in first six months of 2016: 261,586 registrations
- 10.2% increase compared to 2015, and ahead of the market trend
- Europe’s youngest model range will help to maintain momentum
With 80% of Hyundai models having been either enhanced or fully renewed in 2015, the company has the youngest line-up among car brands in Europe. This renewal strategy has supported the notable increase in sales volume this year, with healthy performances across the range of Hyundai cars, crossover models and SUVs.
During the second half of 2016, another new arrival will widen the appeal of the Hyundai brand to customers in Europe, with the launch of the All-New IONIQ in the autumn. The world’s first car to be offered with a choice of three electrified powertrains, IONIQ is expected to attract new customers to choose Hyundai.
Our expanding model line-up is attracting more customers than ever to choose Hyundai, bringing sustainable growth for our business. The All-New IONIQ will provide a new alternative for customers who may not previously have considered a Hyundai, thus supporting our aim to become the number one Asian brand in Europe.


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This no-name 30-inch LCD HDTV proves that sometimes a good price is too good to be true.
Consumer electronics maker picks up the brand name and intellectual property from Syntax-Brillian in a move to expand into the midrange digital-camera market.
Syntax-Brillian ceases its TV manufacturing operations and plans to sell its Vivitar digital camera unit.
The app inspects and rates your writing in addition to being a useful text editor.
TV makers' next best opportunity to increase their business is to go big, according to industry leaders at HDTV conference in Los Angeles.
Give me your tired and hungry yearning for rebates
A new report on North American LCD TV sales has Sony and Samsung, among other major names, pulling ahead of Vizio and other lesser-known brands.
Another small TV maker finds it rough going in the current economic environment for consumer electronics, filing for Chapter 7.
A revolutionary proposal to transform London's cycling infrastructure would place wide bike paths above the city's rail network.
As the flat-panel market matures and consumers have less discretionary income, industry observers say to expect an influx of smaller TVs.


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Amazon Prime's Not Entirely to Blame for the Removal of 'Downton Abbey'
What happened to 'Downton Abbey' on Prime? A new subscription service acquired the rights to everyone's favorite British drama — here's how to watch.
Watch out, Amazon Prime. It looks like you’ve made some of your subscribers very angry. Last month, the streaming service confirmed that it would not be renewing its contract with PBS, meaning shows like Downton Abbey can no longer be viewed for free with a membership.
However, fans who were scrambling to watch all six seasons of the British drama before the July 1 deadline found themselves locked out a day early, leading to a lot of impassioned tweets that would surely make the Dowager Countess blush.
What happened to 'Downton Abbey' on Prime?
Amazon is losing the rights to stream the historical series to NBCUniversal’s new subscription service Peacock, which will launch on July 15. Though the move to a major network may come as a surprise to some viewers, it’s actually not as bizarre as it sounds.
In 2008, NBCUniversal purchased Carnival Films, the U.K. production company behind Downton Abbey, which was only in development at the time. So NBC has actually been benefitting from the show’s success since its premiere in 2010.
Carnival’s managing director, Gareth Neame, stated in 2012 that NBC’s acquisition of the studio "really opened a lot of doors" for the company, including the opportunity to produce a TV adaptation of Bram Stoker's "Dracula" for the network. Unfortunately, the project wasn't nearly as popular as Downton Abbey.
Given NBC’s deep ties to the period piece, we can’t blame Amazon for its removal from the site, but the video platform did allegedly admit to screwing up the timeline after members complained that the series disappeared from their watchlists earlier than expected.
"Went to finish my last 4 episodes of Downton Abbey before they take it off Amazon tomorrow... JOKE’S ON ME. They decided to take it down a day early," one disgruntled subscriber wrote on Twitter.
A second user demanded, "[Amazon] put Downton Abbey back on today June 30 and comply with your prior agreement to take it off on July 1. This is not good customer service."
According to an individual with the handle @patrick59932408, Amazon acknowledged that they had made a mistake: "Amazon says [Downton Abbey] should be restored this evening. It was taken down due to a technical glitch. However it will be removed from prime at midnight. After that I assume you will have to purchase the episodes."
You can currently watch the 'Downton Abbey' movie on HBO Max.
If you’re looking for the 2019 film, which takes place two years after the events in Downton’s sixth and final season, it’s available to watch for free with an HBO Max subscription.
"The King and Queen are coming to Downton Abbey — and it’s all the Crawley family and their staff can do to keep the visit from going off the rails," the feature’s logline reads.
Like the series, the movie received generally positive reviews from critics. "Every element you expect to see, you see," Matt Zoller Seitz from RogerEbert.com wrote. "The movie knows what it is and is on top of its game. Everything is just so."
The Dowager wouldn’t accept anything less.


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While it is already known as one of the top tourist destinations in the world, it has just been revealed that 2016 saw Thailand welcoming a record number of foreign visitors.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand made the announcement this week, stating that the country had received 32.59 million foreign visitors last year, with the tourism industry earning 2.52 trillion baht ($71.4 billion), up 11% from 2015. Projections for this year are also promising, with the country expected to bring in 733 billion baht ($20.7 billion) in the first quarter, exceeding initial predications. A report released by the World Tourism Organisation ranked Thailand as the eleventh most visited country in the world based on figures from 2015, showing consistently high numbers of arrivals from diverse countries all around the world.
According to a Mastercard’s seventh annual Global Destinations Cities Index, last year also saw Bangkok scooping the impressive accolade of being the world’s most visited city, with 21.47 million people spending at least one night there. The Thai city beat out stiff competition from cities such as London, which welcomed 19.88 million international overnight visitors and the ever popular Paris, which had 18.3 million international overnight visitors. ‘Thailand is still a popular destination. Stability and improvements in the economy mean more foreign tourist arrivals. There’s clearly demand, and it’s up to us to accommodate everyone who wants to come,’ said Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand.
Get the top travel news stories delivered straight to your inbox every weekday by signing up to our newsletter.


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GM-Daewoo (or GM-DAT), GM’s South Korean subsidiary, has reportedly filed a lawsuit with a court in Seoul to prevent Russia’s Taganrog Automobile Plant’s (TagAZ) from allegedly copying one of its cars.
Russian business daily Vedomosti reported that GM-Daewoo is asking the court to ban TagAZ from developing, manufacturing, and exporting products created based on its technologies.
A TagAZ spokesperson told the daily that the suit dealt with its new model, TagAZ Vega, whose production started three months ago. GM DAT filed the suit on the basis of documents compiled by South Korean prosecutors, the spokesperson said.
Earlier this month, two former GM-DAT executives were arrested for allegedly leaking core technology to TagAZ. Investigators said one man was suspected of stealing over 6,000 computer files containing information linked to GM-DAT’s Chevrolet Lacetti sedan.


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web applications - News, Features, and Slideshows
With the increasing use of Web applications from mobile devices and the variety of devices accessing applications through different types of networks, a new approach to application delivery optimization is required.
By Amir Peles, VP of technology, Radware | 07 June, 2013 21:05
The enterprise is increasingly turning to mobile app developers for solutions to leverage interest in BYOD. Gartner estimates that 70% of mobile professionals will conduct their work on personal smart devices by 2018. The app development boom has fostered a competitive environment for developers and there is a focus on speed. But In the rush to deploy enterprise apps and start reaping the benefits, it is easy to overlook key security risks that could cause irreparable damage to your business.
By Michelle Drolet, Towerwall | 15 March, 2013 04:04
Apple and Microsoft haven't signed up, and mobile and codec efforts remain in progress
By Paul Krill | 30 November, 2012 20:17
The future may be the cloud, but it also may be Microsoft that ushers us into that realm of possibility and imagination. Today, Redmond unveiled as a part of Office 2010 a suite of Microsoft Office Web apps that will compete directly with Google Docs. While Microsoft isn't letting anyone play around with the apps just yet, on paper, Microsoft's Web apps look like they could blow Google's online services out of the water -- beta or no beta.
By Ian Paul | 14 July, 2009 04:11
Cloud, big data and analytics, mobile, social, and IT security have impacted networking – bringing it almost to breaking point. This whitepaper looks at the future of networking to accommodate these evolving trends.
With large shifts to SaaS and cloud-based solutions, IT is discovering that the end user (IT’s own customer) is seeing a significantly different user experience as the applications that they rely on for their day-to-day productivity are being choked by the backhaul bottlenecks that never existed within the walls of the corporate datacenter. This whitepaper looks at how businesses feeling bandwidth pressure should reassess their WAN.
- Uber investing $1 billion in India, targets 1 million daily rides
- Lawmakers headed to Silicon Valley to push tech companies on diversity
- Hacker shows he can locate, unlock and remote start GM vehicles
- Telstra, Genesys to offer cloud contact centre services
- Cisco's pay package for CEO Robbins is a sweet deal
- Mozilla CEO blasts Microsoft over Windows 10 defaults
- Researchers improve de-anonymization attacks for websites hiding on Tor
- Business as usual for enterprise migrations to Windows 10
- Facebook aims to launch unmanned drone by year-end
- Android for Work gains mobile-carrier support
- Windows 10's launch was a bit bumpy, but people seem to like it
- Google rejects French request to expand right to be forgotten
- Focus turns to mobile Windows 10 and Lumia flagships
- Critical BIND denial-of-service flaw could disrupt large portions of the Internet
- Opponents focus on defeating CISA cyberthreat info sharing bill


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KB Home, the homebuilder based in the Los Angeles area, during a conference call pertaining to the discussion of the results for the first quarter, has revealed that development of new homes in California in on the rise and that the sales scene will be dominated by those in the coastal regions.
Bigwig South Korean device maker Samsung Electronics Co. recently posted its 2014 fourth-quarter earnings which revealed that the company's growth during the quarter has slowed sharply. The slowed growth during the reporting quarter was largely a result of a one-off bonus and the slowing sales of Samsung's high-end handsets.
- Fireball over Yellowknife Turns the Night-Sky Bright
- Bitcoin investors call for protection after collapse of two major Bitcoin platforms
- Digitally-connected young Canadians are regular targets of ‘phishing’ scams
- Comprehensive Study Casts Doubt on Value of Mammograms
- Individuals have to stop piglet-killing disease by keeping it out of their barns


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Samsung is currently the dominant player in the folding phone market,Apart from Huawei and moto, there are no competitors in the clamshell folding screen space. Now Samsung's next iteration, the Galaxy Z Flip5, has leaked out.
According to Ross Young, analyst at DSCC, the Galaxy Z Flip5 will have a larger secondary display, around 3.3 inches to 3.4 inches, compared to the current 1.9-inch Flip4.
In addition,The Galaxy Z Flip5 will also get an internal screen upgrade with a new hinge design that further makes the creases less visible, but nothing else has been announced yet.
Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip4, released in August, is the most successful foldable phone to date, popular with users because of its small size and smooth user experience.
Samsung is aiming to ship 26 million foldable Galaxy phones in 2023, and the updated Galaxy Z Flip5 is expected to do well. The device is expected to be released in August-September 2023.


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In lieu of cancelling again this year due to the pandemic, the Emeril Lagasse Foundation has decided to forgo the traditional festival format and bring Boudin, Bourbon & Beer “Back-to-the-Table,” celebrating its cause and theme at individual restaurants around the city.
“While our industry is still struggling, we are excited to be able to encourage our loyal Boudin, Bourbon & Beer patrons to dine out during November to provide support to our restaurants and sponsors,” said Chef Emeril Lagasse. “We greatly appreciate the ongoing generosity the restaurant community has provided over the last ten years in raising awareness of our mission to inspire, mentor, and enable youth to reach their full potential.”
Restaurants across the city participating in the “Back-to-the-Table” event will be offering special dishes featuring boudin, pouring Abita Beer and creating bourbon-laced cocktails with Buffalo Trace and Sazerac brands. Famed local chefs Frank Brigsten, Adolfo Garcia, Donald Link, Susan Spicer, and Stephen Stryjewski have already thrown their hats into the ring. Participating restaurants will also be involved in the Emeril Lagasse Foundation’s special internship program, welcoming mentees into their kitchens for unique learning opportunities.
To date, the Emeril Lagasse Foundation has distributed $15.5 million for children’s education programs and to support basic childhood needs. The foundations signature program, Emeril’s Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen, supports a national initiative to integrate gardening and cooking education into elementary and middle school curriculums, connecting kids to the wonderful world of food and nutrition, and offering skills that will benefit them throughout their lifetimes.


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Without a lot of fuss, another Dogecoin wallet has appeared on the Apple Itunes market and boy is it fancy. DogeKeeper is a full featured wallet that uses the DogeAPI platform for help sending and receiving Dogecoin easily. You can scan QR codes, keep track of multiple wallets, get updates on balances, send dogecoin using your DogeAPI account, and view your DogeAPI account. Wow, that’s a lot of options.
Apple users are starting to see the love now and cryptocurrency has made a big win by finally taking hold in the Itunes market. DogeKeeper was created by Andrew Arpasi, an avid Dogecoin user, and builder of things internet. Did I mention he is still in high school? Might as well check it out today!


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The largest percentage of the laid-off workers will come from Sybase's operations in the San Francisco area, with the remainder coming from its Boston-based operations, a company representative said.
Last month, the database software maker posted a fourth-quarter net loss of $25.5 million, or 32 cents a share, compared with profits of $5 million, or 7 cents a share, posted a year earlier.
Sybase CEO Mitchell Kertzman said at the time that the company expected to reduce its workforce by the end of March to move toward profitability on moderate revenue growth. (Kertzman is a board member of CNET: The Computer Network.)
The chief executive said he anticipated that the company would be "profitable starting in the second quarter, for the rest of the year, and the year as a whole."
In a memo to employees issued today, executives said the realignment is intended to move Sybase from a product company to a "solutions" vendor and will eliminate "redundancies." The company intends to focus its efforts on Web computing, occasionally connected computing, and data warehousing.
A Sybase representative said no further reductions are anticipated at this time.
Wall Street analysts were not surprised by the move. "It's been anticipated for some time," said Esther Schreiber, an analyst with Credit Suisse First Boston.
Sybase, like other database software makers, including Oracle and Informix, has been hit by a slowdown in sales of its flagship products. The company also has been battered by troubles in its Japanese subsidiary, as well as by the overall financial turmoil in Asia.
By lessening its dependence on a single product, Sybase management hopes to broaden the company's revenue base and stabilize its financial picture.
To accomplish this, Sybase plans to offer more specialized consulting services, along with packages combining software, consulting, and systems integration, to large companies.
Analysts see the consulting area as a prime growth opportunity for Sybase, Oracle, and other providers of server-based software.
Sybase shares were down 1/8, to 9 15/16, in late afternoon trading.


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KOTA KINABALU: Sabah entrepreneurs have been encouraged to fully utilise the small and medium industry product centres (IKS) in the state as a springboard to promote and sell their products throughout the country.
Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam said entrepreneurs would be able to easily market their products, for instance in Peninsular Malaysia, with the opening of the centres which come under the State Industrial Development Ministry (MID).
Gunsalam, who is also the state Industrial Development Minister, urged Sabahan entrepreneurs to make full use of the facilities to promote their products.
“This includes everyone from coffee planters to coffee vendors, who should also enjoy economic prosperity,” he said when officiating at the launch of the Sabah International Coffee Festival at the Suria Sabah shopping mall here on Friday (Sept 30).
He said the festival was fully supported by the state government through his ministry as well as the Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK).
This year’s festival saw 47 entrepreneurs from all over Sabah taking part.
Towards this end, Gunsalam thanked Shopee for coming and hoped the e-commerce platform could assist the participating entrepreneurs in promoting and selling their products.
He also hoped the period extension of the event to one month will make the festival a premiere event in Sabah and subsequently help attract international investments, apart from increasing tourism activities in the state.
“I also hope the participants will benefit from this event, in terms of sales, exposure and awareness, as the Sabah Economic Development and Investment Authority (Sedia), Shopee and various other agencies also took part in the festival to share knowledge and assist in marketing Sabah products to the world,” he said.


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Just two months after Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras banned glitter from its annual parade, CIDESCO, the World Standard for Beauty and Spa Therapy, is calling on its to stop using makeup that contains glitter made from non-plastic alternatives.
CIDESCO president Anna-Cari Gund says it is important that everyone in the beauty industry, including brands, educators, salon professionals and makeup artists, act quickly to ban its use.
Glitter used in makeup is typically made from etched aluminum that is bonded to form a micro-plastic called polyethylene terephthalate.
When such glitter is thrown away, or washed down a drain, it becomes an ecological hazard, particularly in the oceans, where it has been found in the stomachs of fish and other marine life.
Indeed, a 2012 study by Professor Richard Thompson at Plymouth University found that one in three fish caught in Great Britain had ingested micro plastics such as glitter.
Gundy says that “as a worldwide organization with a large number of members and students” CIDESCO can make a significant difference to the environment.
“It is in our best interests to reduce plastic pollution as much as we can,” she said.
“We ask people to reconsider and re-educate themselves on the products that they are using.”
CIDESCO’s call to ban the use of plastic glitter in the beauty industry follows the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras’ decision to ban glitter at its February parade which is renowned around the world for its flamboyant use of glitter.
“We used to bring in about three tons of glitter from China,” event organizer Teresa Case told The Sydney Morning Herald.
“That goes in the gutter, it ends up in our oceans, our fish eat it, and you find it in crab shells and oysters. We must be responsible and make really urgent changes.”CIDESCO-calls-for-banning-glitter-in-makeup/


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Didi is the latest Chinese tech giant to fall afoul of regulators. Beijing was increasingly ambivalent about its companies going public in the U.S., both for the strategic implications – the companies are vulnerable to U.S. pressure – and the optics. Choosing the NYSE instead of the HKEX does not telegraph strong confidence in Hong Kong’s future as an international financial center. Didi reportedly missed signals from regulators that a New York debut would not go over well, and went ahead with the deal anyway.
Now the company is paying the price, both in term of its plummeting share price (down to about US$8 as of July 23) and regulatory ire. Didi could be fined a hefty sum, perhaps even more than the US$2.8 billion Alibaba paid. Chinese regulators might also force the Beijing-based firm to delist from the NYSE. How ironic that would be: Up until now, U.S.-listed Chinese firms only had to worry about being forced to delist by U.S. regulators. Now Beijing may get in on the act.
Chinese firms that had been considering going public in the U.S. are stuck between a rock and a hard place. According to Dealogic, about 20 Chinese companies had publicly disclosed plans to raise US$1.4 billion from share sales in New York this year. Some of them are not yet profitable. While that is not a problem for a U.S. listing, for Hong Kong – the only feasible alternative now that New York is off the table – there are strict profitability requirements that could complicate efforts by the firms to go public in the former British colony.
New York has long had appeal for Chinese tech firms. The U.S. boasts the world’s most liquid capital markets and generally has an easier listing process than Hong Kong. Bankers also receive fees of 5% to 7% on funds raised through U.S. share sales, compared with about 2% in Hong Kong, according to The Financial Times.
Still, given current regulatory headwinds, Chinese firms that need to go public in the short term will probably choose Hong Kong. A source in the Chinese securities industry recently told Fortune that Hong Kong's tougher listing requirements may prevent some smaller Chinese firms from listing, “but large-cap companies should have no problem—and they're the ones that matter.”


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By Matthew Roscoe • 14 April 2022 • 11:37
Scientists claim dogs should be fed Vegan diets for better health. Image: Kabo
THE results of a survey study of the guardians of more than 2,500 dogs have revealed that dogs should be fed Vegan diets for better health, suggesting that nutritionally sound vegan diets may be healthier and less hazardous than conventional or raw meat-based diets.
Researchers at the University of Winchester reported that although raw meat diets appeared to be healthier for the pets as opposed to those on conventional and vegan diets, “several factors prevented them from concluding raw meat diets are healthier.”
Noting that research into the health effects of conventional versus unconventional dog diets has been limited, Andrew Knight and his colleagues at the university set about to help clarify the potential health effects of different dog diets.
The survey, which included questions about the dogs’ health, including the number of veterinary visits, use of medications, and specific dog health disorders, revealed that dogs on conventional diets were less healthy than dogs on raw meat or vegan diets, however, dogs on raw meat diets appeared to be healthier than those on vegan diets.
According to the study, dogs on raw meat diets were significantly younger than dogs on vegan diets, which could help explain why they appeared to be healthier.
Additionally, as noted in the study, dogs on raw meat diets were less likely to be taken to a veterinarian; while this could be a sign of better health, prior research has indicated that guardians of dogs on raw meat diets are less likely to seek veterinary advice.
Andrew Knight and his colleagues noted: “We believe our study of 2,536 dogs is by far the largest study published to date, exploring health outcomes of dogs fed vegan and meat-based diets.
“It analysed a range of objective data, as well as owner opinions and reported veterinary assessments of health.
“It revealed that the healthiest and least hazardous dietary choices for dogs are nutritionally sound vegan diets.”
The study concluded by noting that “further research is needed to confirm whether a raw meat or a vegan diet is associated with better dog health outcomes.”
To do this, the researchers have suggested that large-scale, cross-sectional, and longitudinal studies of dogs, maintained on different diets, which “utilise data such as results of veterinary clinical examinations and veterinary medical histories, could yield results of greater reliability,” as per the study.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article, do remember to come back and check The Euro Weekly News website for all your up-to-date local and international news stories and remember, you can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
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Panera Bread Co.’s lead ad agency, Cramer-Krasselt, has resigned its account after two years with Panera, saying it was “much too much even in this crazy business.”
An internal memo issued this morning by Chicago-based Cramer-Krasselt Chairman and CEO Peter Krivkovich and obtained by Advertising Age portrays a relationship between the agency and Panera that was fraught with tension.
The memo cites as reasons for ending the relationship the “constant last-minute shifts in direction, the behind-the-scenes politics, the enormous level of subjectivity that disregards proof of performance.”
Cramer-Krasselt said that “in the end, no amount of money makes it worthwhile.” However, the memo added that the agency still believes that Panera Bread is a “wonderful brand” that delivers on its food sourcing and quality promises.
“Many of us will continue to eat there. Because it’s that good,” the memo said. “But enough is enough.”
Panera Bread has 31 restaurants in the Orlando area.
Read more on this story from our sister paper Baltimore Business Journal.
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Loblaw cos,12 an ontario class action settlement, the customers of the defendant grocery store who were notified and encouraged to be vaccinated because of exposure to hepatitis a received a compensatory payment of $150 in farkas v sunnybrook & women's college health sciences centre,13 an. Ed or tested for hepatitis b and c and hiv and when the media finds decision and dismissed the class action the court reviewed the jurisprudence on recovering damages for nervous shock in neg- ligence cases where there was no physical in- loblaw cos,12 an ontario class action settlement, the. At loblaw companies limited (loblaw) we are proud of our responsible approach to business as one of canada's leading retailers, we have an opportunity to make a positive difference to some of the pressing social and environmental challenges facing canadians in this report, we share the progress we're making.
And drive action company-wide colleague code of conduct our code of conduct reflects our shared values and commitment to high standards of business conduct the code explains to colleagues what it means to represent loblaw companies limited, our stores and our brands, and how to behave in this capacity.
The dupont and christie neighbourhood will be without a loblaws for the foreseeable future after city health officials shuttered the store tuesday night for heavy vermin infestation rigorous steps are being taken to thoroughly complete the action items requested by toronto public health on tuesday. 2018-04-20, updated food recall warning - montana brand frozen strawberries recalled due to hepatitis a, class 1, ontario, quebec 2018-04-18, updated food recall warning - culinary creations gourmet brand & denny's express brand roast beef-containing sandwiches recalled due to listeria monocytogenes, class.
Chambers global has ranked paliare roland as a leading law firm in plaintiff- side class actions, and confirms the firm is recognized for experience in acting for defendants in class actions, as well the class action group is a team of talented lawyers and support staff acting as class counsel on some cases, and as defence.
Lawyer explains: why is a class action lawsuit not the best choice for romaine e coli o157:h7 hus patients second largest foodborne illness outbreak of 2016: hepatitis a in strawberries third largest multistate food poisoning outbreak of 2016: general mills e coli top 10 multistate food outbreaks of 2016:.


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If the label "made in China" conjures images of exploding "" more often than quality craftsmanship, you're in good company.
China's reputation for inexpensive prices rather than quality manufacturing hurts brands that want to compete in the high end on a global scale, said Xiaomi's senior VP of mobile, Xiang Wang, when we met here in Beijing at the company's headquarters.
"In [the] US, you can find a lot of products made in China," Wang said. "First impression is the price -- you got a good deal -- but not performance or quality."
As a Xiaomi executive, Wang has a stake in the game. During its mere six years of life, Xiaomi has rocketed its phone sales to become, by at least one account, the top-seller in China, the world's most populous country. That alone makes Xiaomi a big deal.
But the electronics-maker has also built a reputation for creating cheap-but-good phones, like the, that compete locally against Apple, Samsung and homegrown Huawei.
And as Xiaomi expands beyond China's borders -- first into India and Brazil, and soon into the US and Europe -- its reputation will be everything. It will be the reason why big spenders will consider a Xiaomi phone alongside an Apple iPhone or Samsung Galaxy, rather than see Xiaomi as a "deal," a trade-off buy.
Recipe for success
So how do you break down that negative perception? According to Wang, you keep prices low and quality high, and help others to do the same. To get the ball rolling, Xiaomi has invested in 55 companies that work with Xiaomi on quality control, and sell their own electronics from Xiaomi's Mi.com website, or in Xiaomi's handful of retail stores, either with their own branding or, more commonly, under Xiaomi's.
What it's like inside Xiaomi, China's popular upstart phone-maker (pictures)See all photos
It's a simple recipe: Xiaomi oversees these third-party designs, tests them for quality, and helps with distribution.
No hardware profit
Clearly, rock-bottom prices are still key to the equation. Xiaomi's mobile VP Wang said that low labor costs paired with "efficiencies" in manufacturing and distribution make Xiaomi's pricing possible. On some products, the company might also curb costs by using last season's still-good parts.
But Xiaomi also saves money with its advertising-free, Internet-first sales model, which help keeps its overheads extremely low.
"Our philosophy is we don't intend to make a profit from the hardware," Wang said, emphasizing that Xiaomi's "Mi" ecosystem and software platform is what keeps cash flowing. Instead, Xiaomi wants to focus on attracting customers with products that perform as promised.
Xiaomi is already off to a good start. "The company has been successful in China in establishing its products as good quality for competitive prices," said Gartner analyst Jon Erensen, "especially when compared to high-end international competitors."
For his part, Xiaomi's Wang says he hopes other Chinese brands will follow the company's example. "Our slogan [translated from Mandarin Chinese] means 'new made in China'," he said. "Without a good product, you can't get word of mouth."


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A maturing market amid the mayhem
ITC shares jump 2.6 pct
Shares in cigarette-to-hotel business chain ITC rose 2.6 percent on Wednesday to top the list of Sensex gainers on better earnings expectations.
The stock, which closed at 304.75 rupees, was among the big gainers on the BSE FMCG Index which topped the sectoral list with a rise of 1.9 percent.
HSBC Securities said in a note on Tuesday that the June-quarter results could be a catalyst for the stock, since it could result in EBIT (earnings before interest and taxes) margin expansion for the cigarettes business, as price increases taken are higher than necessary to offset tax increases.
Do you think buying ITC at current levels makes sense?


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|On 1-08-2012, another Pakistani mechanical engineer Mohammad Qamar Khan claimed running his car on water for last six months. Reported by Express News, Mohammad Qamar Khan is working on his project for last one and half year. He imported various equipments from China and Malaysia and made converted his car to use water instead of fuel.
Another Pakistani engineer Agha Waqar has claimed of inventing a water kit that will run car 100% on water.
Click here to watch his video report.


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On the identical day, GM stated its later electrical automobiles would no longer do business in Apple CarPlay or Android Auto smartphone connectivity, because it rather plans to put into effect its personal embedded instrument answer, evolved with Google.
“We have entered the next phase of our technology driven transformation focused on rapidly scaling new EV models and our Ultifi software platform,” Barra stated in a observation. “Mike’s experience as a founder and entrepreneur coupled with his proven track record creating and delivering some of the market’s most compelling software-defined solutions for consumers and companies make him an excellent fit at GM.”
Abbott has been vice chairman of engineering for Apple’s cloud services and products staff, which evolved the infrastructure for iCloud and iMessage. He up to now used to be common spouse at project capital capitaltreasury Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, the place he labored on investments round cellular and cloud computing, and he had roles at Twitter, Palm and Microsoft, GM stated. He additionally used to be a visiting student on the Stanford Synthetic Insigt Lab at Stanford College, researching pc perceptible.
Bringing in anyone with outdoor generation experience is smart for GM, which is fascinated by development consumer-facing platforms which are amusing and simple to significance, stated David Whiston, U.S. automobiles fairness analyst with Morningstar Analysis Products and services.
That shall be specifically notable if GM ultimately desires society to pay for instrument and services and products, stated Whiston.
“You look at the recent GM announcement to stop using Apple CarPlay. The reason they’re doing that is because they want to have a GM tech ecosystem that could be monetized for GM and not for a tech company like Apple, so you need outstanding software people to be able to pull that off,” Whiston stated.
“People may be angry at GM now for doing it, but if GM comes up with something that ends up being great and makes people not want Apple CarPlay, then it’ll prove to be the right move,” he stated. “Hiring Mike is a key step in trying to make that happen.”


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Watch Dogs Legion has been officially announced during Ubisoft’s 2019 E3 press conference.
Recent rumors and leaks already claimed that Ubisoft would be announcing Legion during its E3 briefing, and the leaks have proven to be correct. Launching next year on March 6 for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Google Stadia, Watch Dog Legion is set in a near-future, dystopian version of London. The city is facing its downfall and freedom has been replaced by fear.
In Legion, players will be able to recruit and play as everyone in London. Each character has its own personality and every cinematic in the game will change depending on who is being recruited.
Alongside the game’s official announcement, Ubisoft has released the very first trailers for the game, including a lengthy gameplay trailer.
As said, the third Watch Dog installment launches on March 6, 2020, for all major platforms.


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PARIS — Coty-owned Lancaster is hoping to bring sun protection into a new era with its latest innovation.
The brand, which bills itself as number one in sun care in the prestige segment in Europe, has developed a new technology that it says protects skin against infrared radiation.
“New research from the past few years highlights that infrared radiation is damaging to the organism,” Lancaster vice president of research and development Olivier Doucet said. He added that the beauty industry had yet to address the issue to any extent, focusing on UVA and UVB protection.
He explained that infrared radiation, by increasing skin temperature, affects enzyme behavior within the skin, thereby impacting its function and generating free radicals, harming collagen and elastin production and damaging DNA.
“No molecule exists that absorbs infrared radiation,” he said.
The group therefore began tests combining various ingredients including reflective minerals that bounce infrared radiation back off the skin.
It uses a combination of ruby powder, titanium dioxide and pearlized pigment to do so, combined with an antioxidant complex to neutralize free radicals.
In tests, the brand found that its new technology protected skin against free radicals 60 percent better than products from competitors, it said.
The new technology, which is in the process of being patented, has been integrated into the brand’s generic sun care offer, renamed Sun Beauty for the occasion.
The 17-stockkeeping-unit line will hit stores throughout Europe, beginning in March.
The regenerated offer includes three new products — SPF 50 facial cream, SPF 30 alcohol-free tanning oil and Bronzing Beauty moisturizing emulsion with pigments, available in three shades.
Retail prices for the new products in the line range from 28 to 30 euros, or $36.65 to $39.27 at current exchange.
Lancaster vice president of international marketing Sophie Martin-Teillard said that, in 2013, the brand will integrate the new technology into its Sun Sport, Sun Age Control and Sun Men lines.
Lancaster sun care does some 90 percent of its business in Europe, according to Martin-Teillard. The remainder stems from the Middle East and South America.
“We are currently registering the products for a launch in China, probably in 2013,” she said.
With Sun Beauty’s tag line “Dare to Tan,” Lancaster hopes to reconcile consumers with the idea that while it is essential to protect the skin, we ultimately all feel healthier and more beautiful with a golden glow. The new tag line appears in a print campaign to feature in June and July magazine issues.
The launch will also be accompanied by an online campaign in France, Spain and Italy in partnership with Web magazine Aufeminin.com in which women share their thoughts about the sun and sun care.
EXCLUSIVE: @tomford is opening its first-ever beauty store. The boutique, which opens November 20 in London’s Covent Gardens, was designed with the over-the-top glam Ford is known for. Read the full story on WWD.com, link in bio. #wwdbeauty #wwdnews (📷: Simon Wagner) #TomFordBeauty
New York-based DJ @harleyvnewton threw a party to celebrate the holiday collection of her dress and pajama line @hvn at the Ladurée Beverly Hills. It Girls @katebosworth, @rashidajones and more joined in on the fun, which included cocktails, croque monsieur sandwiches and a photo booth. #wwdfashion (📷: Owen Kolasinski/BFA.com)
For the holidays, @Burberry partnered with 20-year-old artist @blondeymccoy on a series of three outdoor murals in downtown Manhattan. The murals are McCoy’s interpretation of a Christmas eve party, the idea of charity and the spirit of family. His third mural, pictured here, is the most personal. The image depicts McCoy’s grandparents and father in London’s Trafalgar Square in the Seventies. “My work often features lots of sentimental objects.” #wwdeye
For spring 2018, designers applied bold colors and cartoonish motifs on everything from sneakers and belts to key chains. See all the top men’s accessories trends on WWD.com. #wwdtrends (📷: George Chinsee; Prop Styling by @rnasti; Market Editor: @luiscampuzano)
The @dior-sponsored @guggenheim international gala pre-party has a history of drawing cool-girl musical acts to serenade the crowd –– and last night was no exception. @haimtheband performed songs both new and old, and lured a star-studded audience with the likes of Rebecca Hall, Kate Mara, Mamoudou Athie and more. #wwdeye (📷: @lexieblacklock)
In a partnership between the @metopera and the @englishnationalopera, “Marnie” was born. The opera, with costumes sponsored by @mrporterlive, is an adaptation of the 1961 thriller by Winston Graham. Arianne Phillips, who created the costumes, is no rookie: She’s styled Madonna for her tours and created costumes for a myriad of films in the past. Read WWD’s interview with Phillips, where she talks about her inspiration for the opera’s costumes on WWD.com #wwdfashion
@barneysnyc took a different approach to their holiday windows this year. Instead of Christmas decor, Barneys tapped @thehaasbrothers to tell a story of positivity, gratitude and inclusivity via heartwarming silliness and humor. “It’s about kids and it’s about coming together and being family and loving each other,” said Simon Haas. #wwdfashion (📷: @joshuascottphoto)
Beauty influencer @kandeejohnson makes her foray into hair care with a collaboration with @ogx_beauty — making it the first time that OGX has teamed up for a product creation. The collab includes shampoos and conditioners in three scents. At 39 and a mom, Johnson is a different profile than the emerging social media stars, but is considered one of the pioneers of the digital beauty influencer world. Read WWD’s interview with her on wwd.com, including the strangest beauty product she’s ever tried #wwdbeauty


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US President Joe Biden on Tuesday installed an energetic critic of Big Tech as a top federal regulator at a time when the industry is under intense pressure from Congress, regulators and state attorneys general.
The selection of Pakistan-origin legal scholar Lina Khan to head the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is seen as signaling a tough stance towards tech giants Facebook, Google, Amazon and Apple. Khan was sworn in as FTC chair just hours after the Senate confirmed her as one of five members of the commission on a 69-28 vote.
According to The New York Times, Khan was born in London to Pakistani parents who emigrated to the United States when she was 11.
Khan has been a professor at Columbia University Law School and burst onto the antitrust scene with her massive scholarly work in 2017 as a Yale law student, “Amazon’s Antitrust Paradox”.
She helped lay the foundation for a new way of looking at antitrust law beyond the impact of big company market dominance on consumer prices. As counsel to a House Judiciary antitrust panel in 2019 and 2020, she played a key role in a sweeping bipartisan investigation of the market power of the tech giants.
At 32, she is believed to be the youngest chair in the history of the FTC, which polices competition and consumer protection in industry generally as well as digital privacy.
“Lina brings deep knowledge and expertise to this role and will be a fearless champion for consumers,” Senator Elizabeth Warren, who has called for tech industry breakups, said in a statement.
“Giant tech companies deserve the growing scrutiny they are facing, and consolidation is choking off competition across American industries. With Khan at the helm, we have a huge opportunity to make big, structural change by reviving antitrust enforcement and fighting monopolies that threaten our economy, our society and our democracy.”
Khan also was a legal adviser to Rohit Chopra, an FTC commissioner, and was previously legal director of the Open Markets Institute, an organisation that advocates against corporate concentration.
“It is a tremendous honour to have been selected by President Biden to lead the Federal Trade Commission,” Khan said in a statement. “I look forward to working with my colleagues to protect the public from corporate abuse.”


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When it came time to own their own business, Mark and Kelly Fesmire chose to take a leap of faith as multi-unit Tint World® owners. Since opening, they’ve hit the ground running and haven’t looked back.
Now the owners of the Tint World® Charlotte and Matthews, North Carolina, locations, the couple said that joining the automotive franchise brand gave them the opportunity to work for themselves and invest in building a business they can be proud of. It’s something they had been talking about for years.
“We were looking to buy into a franchise, and Tint World® felt like the best option for our experiences and interests,” Mark said.
“We’ve been looking to get into our own business and Mark had heard good things about Tint World®,” Kelly said. “We did our research on the franchise and saw how fast they’re growing and what a good reputation they have, so it was a perfect fit for us.”
Mark brings experience from a career in the 12-volt car audio industry and had been involved in product development for different manufacturers. Kelly also has a diverse background from previously working in human resources, office management and quality assurance.
The Fesmires had been looking at an alternative location in North Carolina, but the opportunity to buy their current stores in Charlotte and Matthews landed in their laps. So, they decided to take the plunge and both stores opened within a week of each other at the end of November 2020.
Given that time frame, what was it like walking through the doors of the stores for the first time? “It was exciting, and it was also terrifying,” Mark said. “We finally have our own business. We’re very thankful to the corporate team. They’ve helped us every step of the way and provided the support we’ve needed — and then some. They are a very supportive and passionate group of people.”
Do the Fesmires have any advice for anyone interested in joining the Tint World® family? “Store location is extremely important,” Mark said. “That’s probably my number one thing to emphasize — location, location, location!”
Now, that their stores are up and running, the Fesmires enjoy being able to provide high-quality services to the customers in their local communities.
“I’m excited to start offering vehicle wraps,” Kelly said. “We haven’t been quite ready in our Matthews location to do that, but I’m really excited about that upcoming opportunity.”
“I like the Nano Ceramic Coating because it means there’s less maintenance needed on the car when it’s said and done, and you can see the results quickly,” Mark said.


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ABC's "Nightline" has been given exclusive access to the controversial Foxconn factories used to manufacture Apple's products, and its report will air next Tuesday.
But a moderately positive tone to the promotion could be at odds with what appears to be a significant shift in attitude by the Fair Labor Association (FLA), which told Bloomberg Friday that "tons of issues" had been found with the facilities.
Apple granted anchor Bill Weir "exclusive access" to the Foxconn factories in Shenzhen, China, according to a promotional note sent by Nightline on Friday. (The note claims that the broadcast will air "Tuesday, February 22 at 11:35 p.m. ET". Nightline tweeted that the segment will air Tuesday, however.)
"For years, Apple and Foxconn have been synonymous with monster profits and total secrecy so it was fascinating to wander the iphone and iPod production lines, meet the people who build them and see how they live," Weir said in a statement. "Our cameras were rolling when thousands of hopeful applicants rushed the Foxconn gates and I spoke with dozens of line workers and a top executive about everything from hours and pay to the controversies over suicides at the plant and the infamous 'jumper nets' that line the factories in Shenzhen. After this trip, I'll never see an Apple product the same way again."
The iPhone maker has encountered growing criticism of its partners' labor practices in the past several weeks. A recent New York Times exposé detailed gang-like working conditions and questionable safety practices at Foxconn's factories.
In the wake of such reports, concerned Apple users launched petitions on the websites SumofUs.org and Change.org, calling for Apple to improve worker protections, increase transparency around the monitoring of its suppliers and make an "ethical" iPhone 5. Protestors recently converged on various Apple Stores, including the new one in Grand Central Terminal, to deliver the petitions, which garnered about 250,000 signatures.
Meanwhile, Apple chief executive Tim Cook recently assured the public, and investors, that the company's leaders "care about every worker."
Early investigations are clean... too clean?
Apple recently asked the Fair Labor Association (FLA) to investigate the facilities of its top eight manufacturing partners in China, starting with Foxconn, the main assembler of the company's popular consumer devices and the target of heavy criticism from labor rights groups.
When the FLA was admitted inside, the group found that the factories where Apple's iPhones and iPads are assembled to be "first-class" with working conditions that "are way, way above average of the norm" relative to other manufacturing facilities in mainland China, according to FLA chief executive Auret van Heerden. That report almost instantly provoked a backlash among labor groups and even senior officials at the FLA.
But in a dramatic change of course, FLA officials said Friday that they had found "tons of issues" with the plants, according to Bloomberg.
"We're finding tons of issues," van Heerden told Bloomberg en route to a meeting where FLA inspectors were scheduled to present preliminary findings to Foxconn management. "I believe we're going to see some very significant announcements in the near future."
Portions of the Nightline report will be featured across ABC News broadcasts and platforms, including "Good Morning America," "World News with Diane Sawyer," ABCNews.com, ABC News Radio and ABC Newsone.
Additional reporting by Damon Poeter.
Editor's Note: This story was updated Feb. 17 at 4:10 PM with additional details from Bloomberg.
For more from Mark, follow him on Twitter @MarkHachman.


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Pool owners take note! New standards for your pool pumps will take effect July 19. On that date, all new and replacement pool pumps are required to be variable speed (or multi-speed).
We actually wrote about this new law way back in 2019; it was initially passed in 2018, but now we’re finally getting to the point when it takes action.
It stems from a Department of Energy push for minimum efficiency standards. The law was written with input from a number of professionals throughout a number of aspects of the pool industry. The three-year period has allowed the industry, as well as consumers, to prepare themselves for the new standards.
Of course, variable-speed pumps have been on the market for years, and the technology has only improved since 2018. Consumers have a lot to choose from.
For Pool Owners with Single-Speed Pumps
Many people already have variable-speed pumps in their home pools. If that’s you, then congratulations! You’re already up to date with these new regulations.
But if your pool still has a single-speed pump, it’s time to take note.
No, you do not have to have a variable-speed pump in your pool come July 19. The law only applies to new and replacement pumps. So if your single-speed pump is still operating well, technically speaking, you don’t have to do anything at this moment.
Why You Should Upgrade Anyway
Still, you should start shopping for multi-speed pumps ASAP. Here’s why:
Firstly, this new law is going to create an immediate surge in demand for variable-speed pumps. Increased demand will drive up prices and will also affect availability.
Secondly, if you stick with your old single-speed pump and it fails you this summer, you .will. have to replace it with a multi-speed pump. Now you’re facing a big delay.
Thirdly, COVID-19 has affected supply chains everywhere, including the pool industry. While the new law would have affected demand for multi-speed pumps anyway, now that issue has been exacerbated.
This is a Good Thing!
The DoE intends for these sweeping standards to have a large-scale effect on energy consumption in this country. But the small-scale effect is great, too.
Variable-speed pumps are good for YOUR bottom line. They save you money without affecting the health of your pool. Plus, you’ve got a lot of options.
So if you haven’t already, now’s the time to talk to your pool professionals about a variable-speed pump. Don’t delay any further. You’re going to want to get the most out of your pool this summer.


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BlackBerry is going back to its roots with a keyboard-equipped phone that looks like the original "crackberrys" that made the Canadian smartphone maker a household name.
The Classic smartphone, which features a qwerty keyboard, trackpad and call and hang-up buttons nestled below a touch screen, was debuted on Wednesday by chief executive officer John Chen at an event in New York. It restores features largely abandoned on BlackBerry devices last year with the introduction of a new operating system.
"When I went to visit customers — and these are the CEOs of top banks in this town — a lot of them pulled out their BlackBerrys," Chen said at the event. Chen said one financial executive told him: "Don't mess around with this thing."
The Classic brings the company full circle after Thorsten Heins, the previous CEO, shifted from keyboards to phones exclusively with touch screens, alienating die-hard business users. BlackBerry's share of the global smartphone market fell to less than 1 per cent as users flocked to iPhones and products running Google's Android software.
"I can't stand the touchscreen," said Jennifer Richardson, who works as a TV news producer in Phoenix, Arizona and has used a BlackBerry for at least six years. She tried a touch- screen BlackBerry but returned it the same day because she missed the top row of navigation keys. Richardson, 39, said she's keen to get her hands on the Classic, despite jokes from friends that she's the last remaining customer.
"I get about 400 emails a day, so it's faster to type with the keyboard," she said.
Richardson is one of many BlackBerry fans — including President Barack Obama and Kim Kardashian — who stuck with the company even as investors jumped ship. This year, as Chen put a strategy in place to shore up the balance sheet and staunch losses, the shares have gained 28 per cent through Tuesday.
BlackBerry is selling the Classic for $US449 ($553) in the United States, and it will also be available in Canada.
BlackBerry said in an emailed statement that it's working with carriers around the world to bring the phone to more countries.
Pre-orders for the Classic in some regions temporarily sold out on BlackBerry's online store last week. Kevin Goodchild, who works in the enrolment department of Ryerson University in Toronto, plans to get one as soon as he can.
"The touchscreen, the keyboard, all of those things are what will bring people back," said Goodchild, 37. "To see it's already sold out of pre-orders, it's making me nervous."
Even with the new set of phones, Chen has de-emphasised devices in his overall strategy, saying the company's future is as a software provider that helps governments and corporations manage and secure smartphones regardless of their manufacturer. Last month, BlackBerry announced a partnership with rival Samsung to collaborate on mobile-device management.


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Despite the buzz engulfing AI-powered tech over the past year, artificial intelligence is just a slice of the whole pizza powering Papa Johns.
“I believe a great digital practice and programming team should be intensely focused on the problem before the solution and intensely focused on the customer before the technology,” Justin Falciola, SVP and chief technology and insights officer at Papa Johns, told CIO Dive.
When Falciola joined the pizza company’s team in 2016, Papa Johns' operations were about 50% digital. Today, that number is somewhere between 75% and 95%.
Falciola is responsible for data science, business analytics, information security, IT operations and contact centers. The majority of the company’s technology spend is still domestic, but Falciola said more and more of his day is spent working with the global team to ensure they have the right technology needed to be successful.
“One of the questions I like to ask is, 'Where do we feel we need to be best in class versus where we feel it’s okay to be less transformative and more just incremental, iterative improvement?’” Falciola said. “And if you don’t like to answer that question, you’re going to end up wasting a lot of money, you’ll bust a lot of eggs open, you’ll leave a big trail in your wake and won’t accomplish too much.”
For AI and ML technology, Papa Johns focuses its efforts on areas where it can improve efficiency while monitoring and tuning systems when the stakes are high, such as when credit card numbers or customer information is involved.
Machine learning algorithms support customer retention by predicting orders and targeted marketing campaigns. The company uses AI to help better understand price elasticity and quote time algorithms, an especially hard metric to get right, according to Falciola.
“There’s a lot of dynamic stuff and we have very compressed parts, so the algorithms have proven to be challenging to tune,” Falciola said. Now that they’re tuned, Papa Johns feels like it couldn’t live without them.
Businesses across industries are looking to AI for a slew of reasons, whether it’s to cut costs, become more efficient or improve customer experience. But without the right guardrails in place, setting the tech loose within an organization can have the opposite effect.
Generative AI and conversational AI are expected to deliver ROI for most organizations within the next two years, according to Forrester’s Top 10 Emerging Technologies for 2023 report published in July.
But explainable AI, the techniques and software capabilities that ensure businesses understand how and why AI systems generate outputs, won’t bring organizations an ROI until two to five years, according to the report.
“We’re going to see some use cases that are going to create real, measurable benefits within the next few years,” Brian Hopkins, VP, emerging tech portfolio at Forrester, said. “That doesn’t mean there aren’t risks — in fact, there are a lot of risks — and that we think is going to test firms’ ability to make good risk and reward decisions.”
One of the drawbacks with AI is that algorithms don’t always work how they’re intended or expected to perform. And that’s part of the reason Falciola remains cautiously optimistic when implementing and experimenting with the technology at Papa Johns.
“We use AI to do a lot of anomaly detection on various e-commerce channels, and that’s huge because we don’t want to lose a single word [or] a single bad customer experience,” Falciola said. “So we intervene a lot.”
Sometimes intervention looks like reaching out to the customer or the store. Other times the team can tune the system in real-time or tune it for the next release, but some type of intervention happens on a daily basis, according to Falciola.
Experimenting with AI
While AI is just a piece of the company’s larger digital transformation efforts, Papa Johns has a laundry list of technology experiments.
The company is experimenting with using AI for labor forecasting and scheduling, as well as testing conversational AI to attract talent. Papa Johns is also tuning a dispatching system to determine the best available driver whether it’s someone at the store, a third-party driver or someone about to return from a delivery.
The dispatching system will predict the arrival time of customers and drivers and is currently in use as it’s being tuned.
“We have not done a lot yet with generative AI like everyone else and that’s really where a lot of the hype is,” Falciola said. “But we are starting to look at it like how could generative AI help us in terms of software development, being creative and training team members.”
Falciola said tech leaders in a similar spot should remember they don’t have to reinvent the wheel even with disruptive technology.
“Technology folks are first and foremost business folks, and so don’t forget the things that made you successful already, and typically that’s taking an analytical approach to things, asking great questions and having really great partnerships and relationships with business teams,” Falciola said.