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Press release: CEOs from Sainsbury’s, SABMiller, Interface, Bupa plus over 300 multinational corporations to gather in London to discuss why sustainability is the key to future business success
Worldwide business leaders will gather in London this month to discuss leveraging sustainability to drive efficiency and innovation within businesses
London, 12th May 2014
In recent years, responsible business is being seen more and more as a key driver of business success, growth and retention of staff. Not only is sustainability the right thing to do, but in many cases it's becoming the best thing to do. The 13th Annual Responsible Business Summit brings best practice and insight into the world of sustainability from 17+ CEOs and C-suite members plus over 40 senior business leaders from leading multinational companies such as Sainsbury’s, SABMiller, The Crown Estate, Bacardi, Bupa and Interface to name a few.
The Summit will provide a global perspective on how to ensure sustainability efforts bring ROI that the board long for, insight into how leading corporations are embedding sustainability at the core of their business strategy plus the importance of driving sustainable innovation.
Over 300 C-suite members and top sustainability professionals from around the world have already reserved their place at this year’s Responsible Business Summit. It is a truly international event with delegates from UK, Switzerland, Belgium, America, Dubai, Russia, Singapore, Spain and Sri Lanka to name a few.
A breakdown on the some of the confirmed brands can be accessed here.
A complete agenda for the Summit, along with a complete speaker and delegate line-up can be found here.
ABIS is a media partner for Ethical Corporation's Responsible Business Summit.
For more information
+44 (0) 20 7375 7573


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OPOWER, a Smart Grid software company, announced the closing of a $50 million strategic round of financing. The round was co-led by Accel Partners and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, with participation from New Enterprise Associates (NEA), OPOWER’s largest investor. The investment will support OPOWER’s rapid expansion and accelerate its product development efforts in order to add new products and features to its Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform in 2011. Global demand for OPOWER’s products and services is at an all-time high. The company’s platform has been proven to help electric and gas utilities engage their customers, drive unprecedented gains in energy efficiency, and improve customer satisfaction. OPOWER’s prior financing was in 2008, with capital raised from NEA and early-stage fund MHS Capital.
“We are thrilled to raise this strategic round of financing from three of the best venture capital firms in the business,” said Dan Yates, CEO and co-founder of OPOWER. “The addition of Accel Partners and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers builds on the strength of our existing investors, and is an important step forward in achieving our goal of engaging tens of millions of households about their energy use and helping drive the next wave of energy efficiency in the U.S. and abroad.”

domain: news


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APL Wednesday (March 15, 2017) announced the launch of the Japan Express (JPX) service – a new weekly Trans-Pacific service which directly connects Japan with the United States West Coast.
Container ship APL Changi - Image courtesy of Les Rickman
"We are excited to expand APL’s Japan-U.S. service network today with the new JPX service. With direct connectivity between Japan and the U.S., the JPX service will be synonymous with competitive transit time that is as fast as a 10-day transit from Sendai to Los Angeles. Together with APL’s comprehensive portfolio of Trans-Pacific services that is set to be enhanced under the OCEAN ALLIANCE this April, APL is delighted to offer our shippers with more compelling shipping options,” said Jesper Stenbak, APL Senior Vice President of Trans-Pacific Trade.
Click for more information on the new JPX service.


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In addition to featuring a number of low-charge ammonia products, the IARW-WFLO Convention & Expo, held in Orlando, Florida on 26 – 19 April, included several exhibitors promoting CO2-only and ammonia/CO2 refrigeration systems. While CO2 is still relatively new for the refrigerated warehouse operators attending the show, it is slowly gaining traction as an alternative to traditional high-charge ammonia systems.
Carrefour has big plans for CO2. The company won’t go so far as to declare an all-CO2 philosophy, yet its expansion into warmer ambient climates, in particular two transcritical pilot stores in Valencia, would suggest that notion is closer to reality than they might think. R744.com sat down with the Director International Support at Carrefour, Jean-Michel Fleury, about the expanding CO2 transcritical market in Europe.
A new flagship market in downtown Boston will keep its seafood fresh with a Howe flake ice machine using CO2 as a natural refrigerant.
SONAE MC’s Amad Hafez spoke to R744.com about their experience with cascade systems in Portugal and the retailer’s feelings about their future use of natural refrigerants. While the company praised the high savings their CO2 subcritical commercial refrigeration systems were able to provide, they are still seeking an alternative to R134a. The performance of its two CO2/NH3 stores has not met expectations. However, SONAE MC is keeping an eye on CO2
With CO2 transcritical retail stores in warmer European climates expected to hit 100 in the next two to five years thanks to technology developments like adiabatic cooling, ejectors and parallel compression, Bulgaria represents a potential growth market for the technology. Although there are still barriers to overcome in the EU Member State positive developments are on the way with leading retailer Kaufland seriously considering CO2-only systems.
Carrier began working with tegut…., a German food retailer, in 2010 with a contract to supply a number of CO2OLtec transcritical CO2 refrigeration systems to the chain. R744.com had the opportunity to talk with Carrier Commercial Refrigeration’s Director Turnkey Operations, Christoph Brouwers about the companies’ experience with transcritical CO2.
Heatcraft’s Bohn CO2 unit cooler line, designed for supermarkets or those involved in commercial refrigeration, helps to minimise environmental impact while maintaining- and improving- efficiency levels. With a broad range of unit coolers to choose from, there will be no one left wanting.
The Food Retailer Panel at ATMOsphere Europe 2015 gathered leading end users, amongst them Metro AG, the Delhaize Group, and Ahold, each of which has opted to invest in natural refrigerants for all new stores. With over 500 CO2 transcritical and hybrid installations between them, these retailers are convinced that CO2 is the best refrigerant solution for new stores and refurbishments.
It was clear at ATMOEurope 2015 that suppliers and end users alike are already charting new territory in order to maximise overall system and building energy efficiency. Integrated CO2 refrigeration systems for CVS layouts from Carel and EPTA Deutschland, CO2 condensing units and the need to scale down solutions for smaller formats were all on topic.
As retailers seek to enhance their commitment to sustainability, a concern often raised is cost. Although replacing a traditional HFC based system with a 100% CO2 system is more environmentally friendly, the initial cost for CO2 refrigeration equipment is generally higher. However, as system manufacturer Hillphoenix explains in their White Paper “DeCO2ded: understanding ROI on CO2 refrigeration systems”, CO2 offers a positive ret


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President-elect Joe Biden has named a bunch of folks to help him and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris use new tech to communicate, both his own social media accounts and new online venues.
They will staff a new White House Office of Digital Strategy, "A reflection of the critical role digital strategy plays in reaching the American people," are billed as a diverse team that will help "amplify and engage" online users.
The office will also look to extend Biden's reach "beyond his own social media platforms."
“Communicating transparently and honestly with the American people is one of the most important responsibilities of a President," Biden said. "Digital communities and online spaces have taken on even more importance in the wake of the pandemic," added Harris, both in a joint statement on the appointments.
The current President has been something of a Twitterer-in-Chief, using that medium to attack the media, Democrats, Republicans, the courts, the Congress, and some of his own government agencies, and most recently to allege the election was stolen and he was really the winner.
While the Biden-Harris administration is promising a "robust dialog" it also says it will be an inclusive one.
The new Office of Digital Strategy Team comprises:
Brendan Cohen, who has been deputy director of editorial for the Biden-Harris campaign, will be platform manager
Rob Flaherty, digital director for the transition team, will be director of digital strategy.
Maha Gandour, who has been digital partnerships manager on the campaign and before that was with talent agency WME in L.A.' will be digital partnerships manager.
Jonathan Hebert, who was deputy video director on the campaign, will be video director.
Jaime Lopez, who is social media and audience development director for the transition, will be director of platforms.
Carahna Magwood, design director for the transition, will be creative director.
Abbey Pitzer, brand designer for the campaign, will be designer.
Olivia Raisner, traveling digital director for the transitoin, will be traveling content director.
Rebecca Rinkevich, who was director of digital rapid response for the campaign, with be deputy director of digital strategy.
Aisha Shah, digital partnerships manager for the campaign will be partnerships manager.
Christian Tom, digital director for the inaugural committee, will be deputy director of digital strategy.
Cameron Trimble, deputy digital director of the inaugural committee, will be director of digital engagement.
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Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.


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"This is not a technical problem, but the logistics of supplying ATMs by banks, normal in periods of high demand", Marco Rocha, from Emis's Communication and Image office, told Lusa.
Luanda province has registered, in recent days, huge floods and long queues at automatic teller machines, commonly known as multicaixas, spread across several municipalities and districts.
According to Marco Rocha, bank customers have resorted to multicaixas en masse, especially in the "period of payment of public service salaries to carry out, mainly, cash withdrawal operations".
"This behavior is already almost a characteristic and the latest floods were no exception to the rule", stressed the official, referring that the process of expanding or reducing these services, installed in bank branches, is the responsibility of the banks.
He also considered that Emis is at the forefront of the process of massification of electronic payments as alternatives to the use of physical money, "solutions sometimes not conveniently felt as a result of the poor financial literacy of the population".
"If we consider this challenge as a process, I believe that we are aligned that the path has been started and is ongoing at a good pace to aim for good results in the near future", concluded Marco Rocha.
Emis is a company that manages the Multicaixa Network and the Automated Clearing House of Angola, comprising payment card management systems, credit transfers, check clearing, direct debits and instant transfers.
The company has 22 commercial banks as shareholders and a share capital of 4.059 billion kwanzas.


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Google has now reportedly made changes in its ad policy soon after removing Mobikwik from its Play Store. The digital payments app was removed by Google from its download store for allegedly violating its ‘Deceptive Ads’ policy by having a link to the Aarogya Setu app.
To recall, Google doesn’t allow apps that contain deceptive or disruptive ads and those that aren’t clearly labelled.
While the Mobikwik app was soon restored and made available for download, Google has now stated that apps containing links to external sites or other apps should be correctly labelled as an ‘ad.’
According to a CNBC TV-18 report, Google has decided to create a new label, which will require having an icon depicting an external link. Importantly, we couldn’t see any changes in the policy for deceptive ads. It may take a few days to reflect.
Entrackr has sent queries to Google over its new ad policy. We’ll update the post as and when it responds.
Paytm and Mobikwik have been promoting the contact tracing app Aarogya Setu on their platform citing a public health interest. While it appears like Paytm has started showing Aarogya Setu app in its ad section, Mobikwik has temporarily stopped promoting the Covid-19 tracing app on its platform.
MobiKwik has confirmed this to Entrackr. “Our app has made a comeback after we stopped the promotion of Aarogya Setu. We have requested Google to allow us to resume the promotion of the government-promoted application. The company will begin doing it as soon as we receive a nod from Google,” said Bipin Preet Singh, co-founder of MobiKwik.
Paytm declined to comment on the matter.
Since its launch in April, the government has been promoting the Aarogya Setu app to the extent of even making it mandatory for many services. Till date, the app has amassed over 116 million downloads. Recently, Aarogya Setu was made open source to counter the rising privacy issues around the app.


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Europe’s beleaguered telecoms equipment and handset vendors are forecast to report minor improvements in their forthcoming second-quarter results, reports Dow Jones Newswires. Of the three major kit vendors in Europe, analysts expect Sweden’s Ericsson to fare best, helped in part by the weak Swedish krona and new managed service contracts (most notably the recent deal with US operator Sprint Nextel). Meanwhile, Alcatel-Lucent is expected to post a narrowing loss on the back of improved US sales and ongoing cost cutting, while Nokia Siemens Networks is forecast to be close to break-even after posting weak sales and an operating loss in 1Q09. However, the report notes that demand for network equipment is expected to remain challenging, especially in mature markets. Demand is expected to remain healthy in major markets such as China, though the European firms will face fierce competition here from local rivals such as Huawei and ZTE, the report says.
On the handset side, the report notes that market-leader Nokia forecast increasing market share and flat or slightly higher industry volumes in 2Q09 compared with 1Q09, but kept its prediction of a 10 percent drop in handset market volumes in 2009 compared to last year. Rival Sony Ericsson, which has predicted a similar decline in full-year volumes, is expected to report ongoing falling sales and market share in Q209, partly due to its exposure to the weakening mid-end segment. However, the firm is forecast to report a smaller loss in the quarter compared to 1Q09 and is planning to launch a series of high-end phones in 4Q09, which it hopes will lift sales.


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- The installation of the new line will require BRL 200 million of the BRL 1 billion (more than $230 million) announced amount;
- The company estimates that the implementation of 5G in the country will generate $ 10 billion in direct investments.
Swedish manufacturer Ericsson has announced that it will have a new assembly line dedicated to 5G technology products at its plant in Brazil, located in São José dos Campos (SP). According to Reuters, the investment of BRL 1 billion (more than $ 230 million) will be made between 2020 and 2025 and is likely to stir competition with Nokia and Huawei, which also are racing to lead 5G deployment in Brazil.
“We already export 40% of all equipment assembled in Brazil to Latin American countries, and it will be no different with 5G,” said Eduardo Ricotta, president of Ericsson Latam South, in a phone interview after meeting with President Jair Bolsonaro, according to Reuters.
Ricotta also told the news agency that the announced amount includes, among other expenses, the cost of hiring and purchasing machines. The installation of the new line will require BRL 200 million of this amount.
The new Ericsson’s plant in Brazil should begin its operation in the third quarter of next year–a date in line with the 5G auction in Brazil.
The National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel), the regulatory agency responsible for the sector in Brazil, had scheduled the auction for March 2020, but later announced that the event would need to be postponed and there is no new date yet.
The company estimates that the implementation of 5G in the country will generate $ 10 billion in direct investments and open more than 200,000 jobs.
Huawei confirmed in August that it will also have a factory in Brazil focused on 5G. At the time, the Chinese giant announced in a relevant fact an investment of $ 800 million between 2020 and 2022 in a new assembly line, in a city of the state of Sao Paulo yet to be defined.


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The 4G, Android-powered handset is available exclusively through Kogan's website, with the company seemingly confident in its abilities – claiming to offer "the features and feel" of models that cost at least twice as much as the Agora.
Kogan has partnered with BenQ to create the Agora, which boasts Android 4.4 KitKat, a 5in HD display, "full day battery life" and a quad core processor, while also coming with the all-important ability to hook up to 4G networks.
Other features include a 3.5mm audio jack, built-in FM radio and 8MP rear-facing and 1.3MP front-facing cameras. It weighs 135g, is 8.5mm thick and offers USB 2.0 and Bluetooth 4.0 connections too.
Ruslan Kogan, the company's CEO and founder, said: "I applaud companies like Google releasing devices such as the Nexus 5, which at about £300 is priced better than Samsung's Galaxy S5 or Apple's iPhone.
"But all these phones are still too expensive for many people. We're releasing a quality device that smashes the competition on the price, yet packs all the features consumers expect from a high end smartphone."
The Agora 4G smartphone is the latest Kogan product the promise high performance for a low cost, with the company having also entered the TV and tablet markets as well.


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Due to the war in Ukraine, the industrial and economic landscape in Central and Eastern Europe continues to change beyond recognition. The gap between the EU Central European countries and Eastern Europe proper has never been greater. In business, over 1,000 international companies have publicly announced they are voluntarily curtailing operations in Russia beyond the bare minimum legally required by international sanctions. According to the Yale School of Management, some 200 companies have continued to operate undeterred, but Western manufacturing is effectively out of Russia. Their domestic manufacturing industries are struggling, primarily due to the lack of advanced components and replacement parts, as the country’s market for machine tools, worth $1.5 to $2 billion, is no longer being served by the West.
Central European countries are increasing their economic ties with the West, making good prospects for machine-tool builders and manufacturers of associated technology. The largest potential for companies either participating in direct sales of manufacturing technology or benefitting from the supply chain opportunities offered by international corporations is found in the Northern Central European Five countries (Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania), in Southern Serbia and Macedonia in the Balkans, and even Turkey, which is only loosely connected with Europe. Potential is strong, especially in automotive, energy, defense, and, in some markets, aerospace.
These markets for machine tools and equipment, together with the markets found in the region’s smaller countries and Turkey, are worth between $2.3 and $2.5 billion – up to $3 billion in a good year. Poland, Czechia, and Turkey lead in consumption. Of all these countries, only Czechia has its own all-around machine tool industry, and partly involved in it are Poland and Turkey, with even smaller input from Romania and Bulgaria. None are close to being able to satisfy their domestic demand.
The region is strong in automotive. Some 20% of European cars are made here. Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, and Turkey produce personal vehicles. Poland, Czechia, Hungary, and Turkey make some quantities of trucks or buses. Most of the countries in the region manufacture auto components, and some have hundreds of such factories.
German, French, Japanese, or Korean companies do not have easy to access to these automotive markets in Central Europe. However, car manufacturers with U.S. content are there; Stellantis is based in Poland, Slovakia, Serbia, and Turkey; Ford is in Romania and Turkey. Stellantis has six manufacturing locations in Poland and has just begun making EV Jeeps in the largest plant formerly under FCA Fiat. They are converting the FCA factory in Serbia into an EV manufacturer and modernizing the factories in Turkey. Ford is the largest U.S. investment project in Romania and makes a good range of vans in Turkey. GM plans to return to Europe and is eyeing Central Europe.
Auto components producers are numerous in Central Europe and are comprised of predominantly small and medium-sized enterprises. But really big players are active as well, such as American companies like American Axle, Aptiv, Borg Warner, Lear, ZF (formerly TRW), Johnson Controls, GE, Flextronics, and Johnson Matthey. Mergers and acquisitions have particularly been buoyant in recent years. Aptiv, Borg Warner, and Lear continue growing, while Delphi or TRW have disappeared, and Johnson Controls has reduced its portfolio.
Energy sourcing has become particularly problematic for the region, as it was dependent on Russian supplies of oil and gas. With that energy source effectively closed off, a lot of activity to obtain a diverse energy mix is taking place. Renewables with low-carbon sources are on the rise; tankers dock at countries with access to the sea; gas interconnectors and storage facilities are hastily being built; and some coal energy capabilities have been resurrected. Nuclear power is roaring back. Hungary and Turkey are in the advanced process of constructing their first power plants. Romania is going to install new reactors in its existing plant. Bulgarian reactors are going to be modernized. Poland has just selected Westinghouse to build its first nuclear power plant.
The region has allocated much more money on defense capabilities, increasing spending from 2% to 2.5% or even 3% of GDP. Some countries are in the market to buy new gear – such as Poland, which has made a strong commitment to buy from the United States and plans to spend some $130 billion by 2035. Romania has become the first country in the region to have a Patriot missile system. Other countries, like Turkey, increased their own output to become independent. However, all these countries have their own armament industries, which are all being renovated, and are placing more emphasis on developing domestic manufacturing alongside inevitable outsourcing.
The aerospace sector of the region boasts nearly 150 manufacturers and total industry revenues of over $2.5 billion in Poland. Some prominent Polish aerospace manufacturers are owned entirely or substantially by parent companies in the United States and Europe. U.S. manufacturers are represented in Poland by Sikorsky, Pratt & Whitney, Goodrich, Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, and others. The star factory, Pratt & Whitney APU Engine Centre in South-East Poland, has so far produced over 2,000 units for all leading aircraft makers of Europe and the United States, and Black Hawk helicopters are also made in Poland. Aircraft building is also represented in Czechia with some 40 factories, including such U.S. companies as Honeywell, Bell, GE Aviation, as well as a prominent holding of Aero-Vodochody, which is currently Czech-owned. Romania has several factories and intends to build a plant to produce Puma helicopters and manufacture parts for Embraer and Airbus with Sonaca. GE Aviation already has a factory in Romania. Poland, Czechia, and Romania are involved in subcontracting to leading U.S. manufacturers and to Airbus. Turkey, recently famous for its drones from private company Baykar, has five aerospace companies led by state-controlled TUSAS.


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Following the unveiling in May of the privacy-focused DuckDuckGo (DDG) web browser Allows Microsoft scripts to be tracked On third-party websites, the company says now It will start blocking those as well. It was DuckDuckGo Browser Third-party tracker download protection by default It did block embed scripts on websites from Facebook, Google, and others, but so far Microsoft scripts from Bing and LinkedIn domains (but not third-party cookies) have been a pass.
A security researcher named Zack Edwards indicated exclusion Which he apparently disclosed while auditing browser privacy claims, and noted that it’s particularly intriguing because Microsoft is the partner serving ads in the DDG search engine (while promising not to use this data to create a monitored user profile for ad targeting, rather than relying on in context to determine which ones should appear).
DuckDuckGo CEO Gabe Weinberg said at the time The reason for this was the Research Sharing Agreement With Microsoft, and more Updates On the prevention of third-party tracking measures were to come. Backlash ensued, with some exploiting DuckDuckGo’s words that “tracking tracks,” a phrase the company used against Google’s cookies to replace “privacy sandbox” ad technology.
Now Weinberg Writes in a blog post, “I have heard from a number of users and realize that we did not meet their expectations regarding one of our browser’s web-tracking protections.” DuckDuckGo pledges to be more transparent about the trackers that its browser and extensions protect users from, Make his blocking lists available and provide users with more information on how to protect tracking with New help page.
In a letter to the edgeMost of Microsoft’s scripts have already been blocked by other browser protections, said Camille Buzzaz, the company’s vice president of communications, claiming, “We’ve been testing to see how much blocking is happening as a result of this new update and based on the top 1,000 sites, we’ve found that the increase was only 0.25%”.
One thing that won’t be blocked by default after the changes roll out this week, is their scripts bat.bing.com They are loaded immediately after a user clicks on one of DDG’s search ads, which it says are used on advertisers’ sites to measure the effectiveness of the advertisement. But the blog post notes that DuckDuckGo’s third-party tracker load protection will block Microsoft scripts “in all other contexts”. According to Weinberg, users have the option to avoid this by disabling ads in DuckDuckGo’s search settings. DuckDuckGo says it, like some other companies, is working on non-profiling technology to replace scripts, but that’s not ready yet.
DuckDuckGo’s criticism continues to focus on Google’s ad profiles and all the data they tend to collect from its various products, and justifiably – given Google’s parent company Alphabet Profits $257 Billion in 2021Most of it came from ads.
But there’s also more than enough reason to monitor Microsoft’s advertising efforts, too. Beyond that Dealing to support the ad-supported streaming service from Netflixlike that Earning billions of dollars from internet ads. Build a capable platform Its own advertising tech giant can reach More than a billion people. If DuckDuckGo promises its users more comprehensive protection than other browsers, it will have to keep proving it, and only extra transparency can help.
Update 8:25AM ET: bat.bing.com note scripts have been updated, it is allowed to load them immediately after clicking on an ad, but not in other cases.


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Google’s Alphabet has a new walking robot that wouldn’t look out of place in Interstellar or science-fiction homes of the future.
The reportedly as-yet-unnamed robot was shown off at the New Economic Summit in Tokyo by Alphabet-owned Japanese robotics company Schaft. It has a very different design to Alphabet’s other robots made by Boston Dynamics, with a compact two-leg design and central body that can be moved up or down to cope with different tasks.
Unlike Alphabet’s larger bipedal robots designed either to interact in a human-like fashion with the world - the humanoid Atlas - or to be a robotic packhorse for the US military or dog’s plaything, the Schaft robot is designed to be lower cost, lower power and be used by civilians, carrying up to 60kg over uneven terrain and stairs.
The robot was demonstrated dealing with unsure footing, compensating for standing on a moving pipe in one instance and walking on shingle in another.
A spokesperson from Alphabet’s X told Spectrum IEEE: “[The presentation] wasn’t a product announcement or indication of a specific product roadmap. The team was simply delighted to have a chance to show their latest progress.”
Schaft, a spinout from the JSK Robotics Laboratory at the University of Tokyo, was bought by Google at the end of 2013 and won the inaugural US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency robotics challenge with a bipedal robot with arms.
Since acquisition, Schaft has withdrawn from any public-facing contacts, shutting down its website and making few public appearances, shielded by Alphabet’s X moonshot projects division.


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It has been found that BTS's YouTube channel,
What is going on?!
The name of the channel has been deleted while the introduction of the channel has been changed to an introduction of a Japanese online game, IDOLiSH7.
BigHit has not made an official announcement in regards to this issue yet.
Some fans are presuming that this hacking has been done for a promotional purpose by the company who produced the Japanese game.
By Bongbong and Jay Yoo firstname.lastname@example.org


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YesVideo transfers personal videos from VHS, 8mm film, Hi-8 and more to digital formats.
Michael Chang and Andy Choi are now CEO and CTO respectively, and have pledged to deepen relationships with national retailers, increase consumer awareness and sales, and build out new products to help people share their personal video and photo memories in the cloud.
Here's how YesVideo works: consumers mail their video to one of 34,000 retail partner locations in the US.YesVideo then transfers the content and hosts in on the cloud, from where customers can store, view, edit and share through email or social media.
The originals are then shipped back to the consumer. The entire process takes less than three weeks.
“We estimate that there are hundreds of billions of personal video moments locked up on old vintage media just waiting to be discovered,” said Choi.
“Our technical challenge is to make these invaluable memories available on mobile, online, and through connected televisions. Our products are delighting our customers by allowing them to unlock, edit, and share their most precious memories.”


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29 Design Studio Onboards Ag Businesses Focusing on Strategic Marketing Post-Pandemic
Rochester, NY – In a year where recession looms large, 29 Design Studio must be doing something right. The branding and strategy agency isn’t seeing a downturn and has continued to see growth with clients in the food, beverage, and agriculture industries. Scaling agribusinesses Norwich Meadows Farm, ProAgni, and Billsboro Winery have joined the agency’s roster of clients.
“Food, bev, and ag businesses are doubling down on their brand strategies and marketing,” said 29 Design Studio founder + CEO Maureen Ballatori. “We’re starting to see the smoke clear for some after a tough couple of years from the pandemic. Despite those challenges, the farms kept farming, the agtech companies kept innovating, and the wine kept flowing. Now, these companies are focusing on honing their messaging, positioning, and storytelling – helping them better align with their core audiences.”
NORWICH MEADOWS FARM
Warren Lee, Commercial Director at ProAgni, said they chose the agency for their industry expertise and collaborative work ethic. “We needed someone with local knowledge and a strategic mindset. It’s been invaluable to us to have the 29 Design Studio team share their perspective and tune up our messaging, not just for access to a new market for us, but to make our message clearer generally.”ProAgni has been in the media as a recipient of numerous awards for its innovative practices, including winning the $1M top prize in the 2022 Grow-NY food and agriculture competition.
In the agtech sector, farmers have an opportunity to leverage agtech to boost on-farm efficiency. In some cases, agtech may be in reference to automation and robotics, but we’re seeing agtech innovation in other areas too.
One of our clients, Norwhey Brewing, founded by Cornell professor Dr. Sam Alcaine and his co-founder Trystan Sandvoss (formerly of First Light Farm Creamery), created a hard seltzer from whey, a byproduct of yogurt production. This is an innovation in dairy fermentation and upcycling that doesn’t involve robotics.
Another client with a Cornell connection providing an innovative agtech solution is Ascribe Bioscience. The company discovered a way to isolate a microbiome in soil and turn it into an affordable biopesticide, saving farmers money while boosting soil health.
Just being here in Upstate New York is its own opportunity. We’re fortunate to have Cornell University leading major innovation in agtech and other areas of agriculture. We’re also fortunate to have the international food and agriculture competition, Grow-NY. Following the competition is a great way to stay on top of agtech innovations that could benefit our local farms. Grow-NY is always seeking regional ecosystem partners, including pilot farms for the annual finalists to connect with. Learn more about Grow-NY at www.grow-ny.com.
Situated on the banks of Seneca Lake in Upstate NY, Billsboro Winery focuses on small-scale production in crafting award-winning dry classic European varietal wines from the region’s best vineyards. Their commitment to quality is evident in the glass and the atmosphere in their tasting room.
As production increases for owners Kim and Vinny Aliperti, so does their focus on wine consumers and the many ways they interact with the Billsboro brand. Kim said, “The 29 Design Studio team knocked it out of the park for us with our new logo mark and email templates. Their work was so good we’re moving forward with a website refresh to elevate our whole online presence!”
“I’d argue that there’s no bad time to focus on brand strategy and creating messaging that resonates with your target audience,” Ballatori says. “The companies we work with have stories that are hard-earned, and we look forward to helping share them with the world.”
29 Design Studio works with food, beverage, and agriculture brands on strategy, branding, and marketing. Focused on strategic partnerships with clients, the agency specializes in brand-building, realizing success for companies such as Fee Brothers, King Brothers Dairy, Gimme! Coffee, Visit Finger Lakes, and Lattini Sunflower Milk.
View past work and explore case studies at www.29designstudio.com.


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On the stage of the past The Game Awards 2022, Geoff Keighley presented several upcoming videogame news. It was one of them Remant 2, sequel to the acclaimed third-person shooter released in 2019 and developed by Gunfire Games. The structure of the game is very similar to that of its predecessor From the Ashesthus proposing a combat system that combines close and distance battles.
In recent hours, after a fairly silent period of the product, the software house has released new information for the title. After the release period and the trailer for one of the classes present, and the first bossfight, the development team has released a new gameplay footage.
This rich nine-minute video illustrates a new game environment, new character classes and, last but not least, a boss fight. However, Gunfire Games would like to point out that all the captured material derives from a pre-alpha build, therefore from a code that is still in full development.
Before leaving you to the clip let’s remember that the launch of Remant 2 is expected during thesummer of 2023 only on the latest generation platforms, i.e. PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. However, considering the amount of information currently disclosed by the software house, we imagine that the communication of the official date will not be long.


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Devil May Cry 5 has been removed from the resume and a 2013 cache of the website suggests he could be referring to DmC Devil May Cry.
NeoGAF user Geek also said:
I emailed Nils about his Devil May Cry 5 credit. He says he “booked the role years ago, but due to scheduling conflicts it didn’t actually come into fruition”
As we wrote in the original story below though, we’ve heard that Devil May Cry 5 is in development.
According to the resume of actor Nils Hognestad, he’s playing the lead in Devil May Cry 5, which is in development at Capcom.
No other information was given on the resume, but Hognestad’s Twitter account says he’s located in Vancouver, BC, so there’s a chance Devil May Cry 5 is one of the three games in development at Capcom Vancouver.
Ninja Theory worked on DmC Devil May Cry, the previous game in the series, but as of March 2015 they weren’t working on anything to do with the series. Devil May Cry 4 Director Hideaki Itsuno also spoke about the franchise last year, saying that Ninja Theory’s game didn’t kill the series, as evidenced by Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition.
We’ve also heard that Devil May Cry 5 is in development, but are unsure if it will be announced next week at E3 2016.
Currently, Devil May Cry games are on sale on the PlayStation Store in North America.
What would you like to see in a new Devil May Cry?


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The Kate Hudson-backed company has tapped banks with an eye to going public, The Wall Street Journal reports. The company, which is owned by TechStyle Fashion Group, is targeting a valuation of more than $5 billion, according to the report, which cites people familiar with the matter.
The company declined to comment.
Further Reading: How to Win the Pandemic’s Activewear Boom
Workout clothes have been a bright spot in the struggling apparel sector this year, but independent brands need to play smart to turn the current bump into long-term success.


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Sydney, July 12 (ANI): Facebook has retracted its ban over images of a nipple-flashing doll used by a Sydney jewellery business.
A Sydney jeweller has rebuked Facebook for its "opaque" and "arbitrary" moderation system after the site apologised for censoring her images of a nude porcelain doll posing with her works.
The social networking site has now admitted that it made a "mistake" in removing Victoria Buckley's photos, after sending her several warning notices for publishing "inappropriate content" and erasing both censored and uncensored versions of the image from Facebook.
"We've investigated this further and determined that we made a mistake in removing these photos," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Facebook as saying in a statement.he offending photo was published on Victoria Buckley's Facebook fan page.
"Our User Operations team reviews thousands of reported photos a day and may occasionally remove something that doesn't actually violate our policies. This is what happened here.
"And while we believe the doll would benefit from clothing to protect her fair skin, we apologise for the mistake and encourage Victoria Buckley Jewellery to upload these photos again if they so choose," Facebook continued in the statement.
Facebook said "technical reasons" prevented it from restoring the photos on its own.
"I'm delighted that Facebook has seen reason, and they are acknowledging that the images are acceptable," said Buckley.
"However, I still haven't heard from Facebook directly. I would love to be able to repost my original images, but I'm concerned that a single complaint in the future might be grounds for closure.
"The Facebook system is still very opaque and seems very arbitrary," she added. (ANI)


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WASHINGTON – Fans who want to see more of Bryce Harper are getting their wish as the Nationals All-Star is modeling underwear for Under Armor.
The Maryland-based company rolled out its ad campaign featuring the Washington slugger online. He is currently gracing the baseball section of the UA homepage.
Fellow teammate Ryan Zimmerman is also featured on the site’s baseball page.
While Zimmerman models more conservative sportswear, Harper is seen in Under Armour’s Charged Cotton Boxerjock underwear.
Harper signed an endorsement deal with the Baltimore-based company in 2011, and earlier this year appeared in another underwear advertisement, reports DCist.
Follow @WTOP on Twitter.
Stay up to date on the latest developments from Paris in the wake of the deadliest attack in France since World War II.
Scenes from this year's American Music Awards, hosted by Jennifer Lopez.


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- The pandemic has shown entrepreneurs that going digital is more important than ever.
- Getting press for your brand is one of the best ways to leverage your online presence and market your direct-to-consumer brand.
- Business Insider spoke with two public relations founders, Adrienne Garland of She Leads Media and Michelle Isaacs of 22 Spring, who each have more than 10 years of experience.
- They told us their best practices to land clients in major and local publications.
- This article is part of a series called Resources for Resilience, focused on providing tips and inspiration for small businesses who are learning how to survive and thrive in today’s economy.
The pandemic has shown entrepreneurs that going digital is more important than ever. Whether it's by building your social media audience or creating an ecommerce site, business owners need to meet their customers where they shop most — online.
Getting press for your brand is one of the best ways to leverage your online presence and market your direct-to-consumer brand. A relevant feature about your company can bring more traffic to your site and generate sales, followers, and loyal customers.
But it's not an easy task for founders who have to wear multiple hats and may not have the time or resources to dedicate to outreach, said Adrienne Garland, founder of She Leads Media, a company that specializes in helping female entrepreneurs market their businesses.
"Small business owners face the challenge of being lost in a sea of content," she told Business Insider, "so it's critically important that they have a super compelling, unique value proposition and know their target inside and out."
Garland and Isaacs each have more than 10 years of experience in public relations, communications, and marketing. The two founders told us their best practices that place clients in major and local publications.
Here are their top five tips for landing press for your brand.
1. Know your objectives
Identify your priorities before you promote your business. For example, featuring a particular product might drive sales, while a profile on your founder might have a long term effect on your brand reputation and following.
Garland asks her clients to clearly outline their goals and objectives as a business before starting any media outreach.
Isaacs worked for GQ Magazine and Player's Tribune before starting her own public relations company, so she understands what editors and journalists look for. Knowing what differentiates your brand will help you tell your story, she said. "A good story builds that connection between consumers and the brand."
2. Understand the publication
Before pitching a reporter, it's important to know what they cover and how the publication approaches stories. Garland reads at least 10 to 15 articles a day to keep her finger on the pulse of the industry.
"When you reimagine based on things that are out there in the media already, and if you can fit your story into that type of context, that's where new opportunities come up," Garland said. She also suggested that founders who are strapped for time hire an intern or assistant to do the initial research, then select a few outlets to focus on.
Isaacs pointed out that not all press coverage brings equal value. Sometimes, a brand may only need one really good story rather than a press storm.
3. Build relationships with journalists
Both Garland and Isaacs stressed the importance of developing genuine relationships with journalists. Building a personal connection with a reporter will help you craft your pitch to fit their work and place you on top of mind when they're looking for sources.
Isaacs said it can take several months for a story to come together, so an introductory coffee can be a good way to plant the seed for something later down the road. Even without a story, staying in touch with journalists can keep you at the top of their minds so they may reach out if anything comes up.
4. Personalize every pitch
Media professionals are already inundated with pitches daily, so it's challenging to stand out in their inboxes. Blasting out a press release or generic announcement is one of the biggest mistakes brands can make, Garland said. Instead, emails should be tailored to the journalist.
Give all the facts and credentials about your brand upfront, so the reporter will have all the information they need to determine whether it's a story worth pursuing. Understanding the publication and getting to know reporters will also help with this step.
"If you can find a way to cut through that clutter and immediately demonstrate that you can add value and make their jobs and their lives easier, the more success that you'll have," Garland said.
Isaacs advised steering clear of anything that comes off as transactional, inauthentic, or opportunistic in an attempt to insert yourself into the news cycle, as seen in many companies' Black Lives Matter posts this summer. Instead, pursue stories that already align with your brand values and initiatives.
5. Utilize tools to forward the story
Garland regularly uses Twitter and Help A Reporter Out (HARO), a platform for journalists to find sources, to connect with journalists and pinpoint unique angles that haven't been told yet. Find new ways to talk about your brand instead of telling the same story over and over again.
"It's important for people to evolve their brand story as the company grows and scales because the press does not want to cover a story that's already been written about in some way a million times before," Isaacs said.


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Among other things, blockchain is known for its transparency. The public ledger records each transaction and traces it back to a miner. That transparency, however, has prevented the technology's adoption on Wall Street, where client and transaction confidentiality are necessary for operations. But that might change soon.
According to a recent Bloomberg article, a "mind-boggling" mathematical operation known as "Zero Knowledge Proof" has made it possible to encrypt transactions on the platform, thereby widening the scope and uses for blockchain on Wall Street. The Enterprise Ethereum Alliance, whose member include the likes of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) and Credit Suisse Group AG (CS), is already said to be at work to include the proof in Quorum, its distributed ledger.
Only one public company – Zcash – is using the proofs to guarantee privacy in transactions on blockchain. The service allows user identity and the amount of money being transacted between parties to remain hidden. Ethereum, the most popular implementation of blockchain, does not have that capability. The main node of blockchain itself is being upgraded with the proofs as part of the Metropolis project.
Transparency in transactions is blockchain's unique selling point for network effects. However, that transparency is also the system's biggest stumbling block for adoption on Wall Street. On a blockchain network, orders are disseminated as smart contracts, which are visible to miners. It is possible for unscrupulous miners and traders to profit from this knowledge through front running, or jumping queues. According to Zooko Wilcox, co-founder of Zcash, zero-knowledge proofs "cryptographically demonstrate the truth of something without revealing any information about it other than it's true."
Several financial services firms have explored the use of blockchains in their transactions in recent times. For example, The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (GS) recently announced its intentions to set up a bitcoin trading operation. Similarly, JPMorgan is part of the consortium that has developed Quorum, a ledger built on Ethereum. The World Economic Forum conducted a comprehensive survey of global financial services and found that 80% of such banks were poised to start blockchain-related projects. The international agency stated that the internet was entering a second era based on blockchain. (See also: BlackRock CEO Is a 'Big Believer' in Blockchain.)


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Despite the slowdown in rural spending and purchase of cars, urban India has posted double-digit growth in discretionary spends in Q4
News by Sagar Malviya
Colgate’s overall share fell 210 basis points to 49.4% in year-to-March after key brands — Colgate Dental Cream, Active Salt and Cibaca — lost share, according to industry executives
Move seen as a precursor to stake sale deal between the two companies
At its AGM on April 25, company to seek approval for payout every 5 years against one-time sanction.
Haldiram, Bikaji and Bikanervala had combined sales of Rs 7,042 crore in 2018 as per Nielsen data.
"We welcome Nick to the ABD family and look forward to working with him to take ABD to further heights of glory," said Deepak Roy, executive vice chairman.
The company also claimed that its brand, Head & Shoulders, is now the largest shampoo brand in the country.
The overall FMCG market by volume declined 1% in 2018 compared with a 7.5% rise a year ago, according to Kantar Worldpanel.
Ecommerce firms were asked to provide services such as warehousing, logistics and advertising to all sellers in a fair manner.
7-Eleven has signed an agreement with Future Group that will open the eponymous brand stores in India.
Future controls about a third of India’s organised food and grocery market through Big Bazaar and Nilgiris
In India, biscuits, snacks and dairy are the three largest categories in packaged consumer products
About two years ago, the company changed its business model to inventory-led from a hyperlocal delivery start-up
For the $26 billion Mondelēz, the Indian business accounts for less than $1 billion by revenue, but market share of flagship brand Cadbury Dairy Milk in the country was the highest for Mondelēz globally.
The Diageo-controlled maker of McDowell’s and Signature whiskey said it expects the upcoming general elections to have an impact on their sales during the next quarter
Carlsberg said profitability improved considerably due to the volume growth, positive price mix and supply chain efficiencies
Last year, the govt tightened norms for FDI-funded ecommerce companies including Flipkart and Amazon and said such entities cannot exercise ownership or control over inventory.
Growth at 29% was significantly slower than preceding years when it doubled business each year
Palantir Technologies earlier worked for the NSA, Pentagon and CIA in Afghanistan and Iraq
The cascading benefits of GST regime such as supply chain efficiency will continue to boost the bottom line performance in the quarters to come, said the Nielsen report
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CHART: Industry Expectations for Weekly Cattle Slaughter
Dietary Guidelines for Americans Solidifies the Benefits of Beef and A Healthy Diet
The National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) commends the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for finalizing the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs), which recognizes the role of lean beef in a healthy diet across all life stages and ages.Updated every five years, the DGAs serve as the foundation for federal nutrition policy and shape the recommendations found on USDA’s MyPlate. While there is no one-size-fits-all diet, “Beef is one of Americans' favorite foods, and science consistently shows...
Meat and Poultry Industry Reacts to COVID-19 Stimulus Package
The COVID-19 stimulus bill agreed upon by Congress contains language that would authorize the USDA to provide up to $1 billion in assistance to contract chicken growers for revenue losses sustained because of the pandemic. According to the bill, the fund is specifically for contract growers of livestock and poultry to cover up to 80% of revenue losses.
Mike Brown, President of the National Chicken Council, said, "On behalf of the chicken industry and our farm families across the country, I want to personally thank Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) for his leadership and his support in helping to secure this vital funding...
NCBA Commends Selection of Vilsack to Lead USDA
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) issued the following statement in support of Tom Vilsack's pending nomination as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA):
"Former USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack is adding another chapter to an already storied career in agriculture. He has the unique skill set to be able to hit the ground running on day one and cattle producers are...
ANALYSIS: Australian Beef and Veal Exports to USA Hit Record Low in November
This week the Australian Department of Agriculture (DAFF) reported total beef and veal shipments to the United States at...
Changed Beef Consumption Habits Following COVID-19 Create Opportunities
The global Covid-19 pandemic and African swine fever (ASF) have changed beef consumption patterns through 2020. While total beef consumption has not seen too much change, we have seen distribution channels change, benefiting some at the expense of others. As the impacts of ASF are overcome and disruptions from Covid-19 subside, old distribution channels will recover.
“It is likely that many consumers will revert to their previous habits, but we do see opportunities for...
ANALYSIS: Cash Cattle Prices Could See Pressure in Q1
Boxed beef prices appear to be seasonally topping after staging an impressive rally throughout November. Although some primals continue to be...
NCBA Congratulates Rep. David Scott on His Nomination to Chair the House Agriculture Committee
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) issued the following statement in response to U.S. Representative David Scott (GA-13) being nominated by the Democratic Steering Committee to become the next Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee:"Congressman Scott is a devoted friend of America’s cattle producers and I congratulate him on being selected by his colleagues to lead...
Cattle Producers Congratulate Congressman Newhouse On Being Elected Western Caucus Chair
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association's (NCBA) Vice President of Government Affairs, Ethan Lane issued the following statement in response to U.S. Representative Dan Newhouse (WA-04) being unanimously elected as Chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus:
"Congressman Newhouse is a strong advocate for cattle producers and has been instrumental in getting critical legislation across the finish line – while at the same time educating others on...
NCBA and PLC Secure NEPA Improvements for Livestock Producers
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Executive Director of Natural Resources and the Public Lands Council (PLC) Executive Director Kaitlynn Glover released the following statement on the U.S. Forest Service’s (USFS) final rule to update the agency’s National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations:
"This announcement represents decades of work by livestock producers who have told the Forest Service and other federal agencies for years that NEPA regulations need serious improvement. This rule formalizes changes that will allow
Tyson Foods Announces Global Forest Protection Standard
Tyson Foods, Inc. announced a Forest Protection Standard focused on reducing deforestation risk in its global supply chain of four commodities – cattle and beef; soy; palm oil; and pulp, paper and packaging.
Earlier this year, Tyson Foods partnered with Proforest to conduct a deforestation risk assessment. The assessment concluded that nearly 94 percent of the company’s land footprint is at no to low risk of being associated with deforestation. To proactively address the remaining six percent that was found to be...
CHART: Industry Expectations for Weekly Cattle Slaughter
Cattle Industry Convention Postponed Until August 2021
The Cattle Industry Annual Convention and NCBA Trade Show is one of the industry’s biggest events each year, bringing together cattlemen and cattlewomen from across the nation to do the work of our industry. Unfortunately, the current pandemic presents challenges that make bringing people together difficult. With the health and safety of our attendees, exhibitors, sponsors, and partners in mind, NCBA has made the difficult decision to postpone the in-person event to August 2021. However, NCBA will hold some of its traditional business meetings in the January or February timeframe, in accordance with the association’s bylaws.
“Decisions of this magnitude, which impact multiple organizations, stakeholders and companies, are never easy. However, the limits on the number of people who can gather at an event in Nashville and the travel restrictions facing...
The Case for Capacity: Can the U.S. Beef Industry Expand Packing Capacity?
Rabobank’s analysis suggests that an additional 5,000 to 6,000 head daily beef packing capacity would help return US cattle supplies and packing capacity to an historical equilibrium without a sharp contraction in beef cow numbers, while still maintaining packer profitability.
Recent supply chain disruptions in beef packing and processing have amplified the discussion surrounding the need for and feasibility of US beef packing capacity expansion. Adding packing capacity would result in both a larger US beef industry over the long run and more balanced profitability throughout the supply chain. If the US can avoid...
ANALYSIS: Pork 42 Trim vs. Beef 50 Trim
For some processed meat products, beef and pork trimmings can be used interchangeably on items such as...
NCBA Responds To Cattle Market Transparency Act
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) released the following statement in response to the Cattle Market Transparency Act, introduced today by Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.):“Price discovery is an issue of critical importance to cow/calf producers, stockers, backgrounders, and feeders across the United States, and more negotiated trade is needed throughout the cattle feeding regions to ensure sufficient price discovery. That is why all of NCBA’s 46 state affiliate organizations unanimously adopted a fed cattle price discovery policy at our 2020 Summer Business Meeting. This policy directs NCBA to pursue a voluntary approach to price discovery...
Tyson Foods to Verify Sustainable Cattle Production Practices at Scale
Tyson Foods announced its work to verify sustainable beef production practices on more than 5 million acres of cattle grazing land in the U.S. This would be the largest known beef transparency program in the U.S., and part of Tyson Foods’ focus on sustainably feeding the world while taking care of people, the planet and animals.
Working with Where Food Comes From, the largest provider of certification and verification services to the food industry, Tyson Foods will source cattle from BeefCARE™ verified beef producers who are committed to raising cattle using...
Rabobank Beef Quaterly Q3 2020: New Faces Shaping Future UK Beef Imports
Once outside the European bloc, the UK is expected to become the fifth or sixth largest beef-importing country. Consumer acceptance and non-tariff barriers will play significant roles in determining which countries ultimately supply the UK beef market in the future.
Brexit trade talks between the UK and EU continue to progress. “While pure economic reasoning and geopolitics normally play strong roles in trade negotiations, we believe that, in the case of the UK, consumer acceptance and non-tariff barriers will be equally significant in determining...
Fed Cattle Exchange Acquired by Central Stockyards
The Fed Cattle Exchange, the only weekly fed cattle online auction for the cattle industry, has been acquired by Central Stockyards, LLC from 5150 Productions Company, LLC.
Since 2016 the Fed Cattle Exchange has provided the cattle industry with weekly, cost-effective cattle auctions that provide a platform for price discovery through competitive bidding. The prices determined in the weekly auctions benefit...
NCBA and NAMI Respond to USDA Report on Cattle Markets
The USDA suggested broader reporting requirements for meatpacking companies as it investigates cattle market movements driven by the coronavirus pandemic and a fire at a major beef plant. The USDA stated in a report in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Justice that it continues to investigate potential regulatory violations and anticompetitive conduct within the industry. However, the report does not detail any wrongdoing by meat processors.
“In its analysis of the effects of the fire and the pandemic, USDA found no wrong-doing and confirms the disruption in the beef markets was due to devastating and unprecedented events,” said North American Meat Institute President and CEO, Julie Anna Potts. “It is difficult to see how the USDA’s recommended legislative proposals would have...
New Funding for Cattle Producers to Secure Strong Future for the Beef Industry
The National Cattlemen’s Foundation (NCF) announced its partnership with Cargill to provide funding to North American cattle producers to provide practical tools to help manage market shifts, reduce costs, manage finite natural resource availability and withstand extreme weather events.
The four-year strategic partnership, which was funded by a $3 million contribution from Cargill’s protein business, establishes a professional development scholarship program, and provides educational resources through the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (USRSB) and experiential learning in partnership with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA).
“Cargill is invested in the future of ranchers and farmers,” Jon Nash, Cargill Protein – North America business leader. “This contribution is just one of the ways...
NCBA CEO Colin Woodall Responds to Burger King #CowsMenu Campaign
The following statement was provided by Colin Woodall, CEO of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association:
"Members of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association are disappointed by the release of Burger King’s #CowsMenu campaign. The nation’s burger restaurants can, and many of them do, play a vital role in helping improve beef’s sustainability and reducing its environmental footprint. Unfortunately, Burger King has chosen a different path, relying on kitschy imagery that misrepresents basic bovine biology – cattle emissions come from burps, not farts – and on the potential impact of a single ruminant nutrition study that was...
CHART:Industry Expectations for Weekly Cattle Slaughter
NCBA Applauds Introduction Of Emergency Grazing Legislation
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) today applauded the introduction of the bipartisan, bicameral PASTURE (Pandemic Authority Suitable To Utilize Reserve Easements) Act of 2020 by U.S. Representatives Roger Marshall (R - 1st Dist., Kansas) and Angie Craig (D - 2nd Dist., MN). Companion legislation was introduced in the Senate by Sens. John Thune (R-SD) and Tina Smith (D-MN).
“Introduction of the bipartisan, bicameral PASTURE Act is a welcome step toward providing grazing flexibility to livestock producers during the COVID-19 pandemic," said NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane. "As farmers and ranchers are keeping and feeding livestock for longer periods of time, Congress must ensure that...
The Trip Back to 'Normal' Slaughter Levels
Tuesday, May 26th, was a relative milestone for the hog industry as of late. The day’s kill was estimated at 405,000 head, the first time daily slaughter reached the 400,000 mark since April 17th. While this is a small victory, it is a victory nonetheless for an industry that has seen a precipitous drop in chain speeds due to COVID-19. The last time hog slaughter was near ‘normal’ was the week ended April 18th. Just two months ago, the industry achieved the largest daily hog slaughter on record at 500,879 head. As worker absenteeism and plant shutdowns disrupted chain speeds drastically during the last week of April, daily kill dropped to as low as 267,367 head, nearly 47% off its peak.
It has been a slow but steady climb back to ‘normal’ slaughter levels. The improvement in production capabilities during the latest five weeks has helped nudge last week’s kill to over 2 million head. Early indications for this Saturday’s slaughter are pushing...
Webinar: UB Insights Into COVID-19 Impacts on Red Meat, Poultry
This exclusive UB Insights webcast, aired May 14, 2020, features Urner Barry experts discussing the volatility of the beef, pork, and poultry markets during the coronavirus pandemic. Featured are beef market reporter Gary Morrison, pork market reporter Russell Barton, poultry market reporter Russ Whitman, livestock staff writer Courtney Shum and moderated by editorial director Jamie Chadwick...
NCBA Sends Letter To Ag Secretary Perdue Urging Against CFAP Payment Limitations On Cattle Producers
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) urging against payment limitations for cattle producers under the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane issued the following statement:
“The economic damage to cattle producers across the country continues to mount due to the COVID-19 crisis. While we are extremely grateful to Congress, USDA and the Trump Administration for their work to keep the beef supply chain moving and deliver aid to our producers, we are concerned that...
NCBA Delivers "Paycheck Protection Program Increase Act" for Cattle Producers and Small Business
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Vice President, Government Affairs, Ethan Lane issued the following statement in response to U.S. Senate passage of additional legislation, the Paycheck Protection Program Increase Act of 2020, to provide relief in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic:
“We applaud the Senate for advancing this critical replenishment of funding to programs like Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and we are pleased to see the reaffirmation of Congress’s intent that cattle producers be granted access to the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program administered by the Small Business Administration.
"We urge the House of Representatives to move swiftly to approve this package and deliver these funds to producers across the country who are continuing to...
NCBA Applauds USDA Relief Plan
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Marty Smith issued the following statement regarding the announcement related to USDA’s plan for distribution of CARES Act funding.
“We appreciate Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue’s announcement that the agency will soon distribute funding to the cattlemen and cattlewomen who desperately need help during this national emergency. We applaud USDA’s work to quickly craft a plan to distribute the funds to those who need it most and we look forward to learning more about that plan very soon. America’s cattle producers are facing unprecedented crisis after...
ANALYSIS: Recent Plant Closures Creating Additional Uncertainty in the Value Chain
One of the first meat plants to announce its temporary closure due to the coronavirus was the JBS beef plant in Souderton, Pennsylvania on March 31st. Since then, additional beef, as well as...
Coronavirus-Related Cattle Industry Losses Estimated at $13.6 Billion
A study released estimates cattle industry losses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic will reach $13.6 billion. The study was commissioned by NCBA and conducted by a team of industry-leading agricultural economists led by Derrell Peel, Breedlove Professor of Agribusiness and Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist at Oklahoma State University, to assist USDA in determining how best to allocate CARES Act relief funds to cattle producers.
The study shows cow-calf producers will see the largest impact, with COVID-19-related losses totaling an estimated...
ANALYSIS: Chuck Contribution to Beef Cutout Making Major Moves
There has been a clear shift in demand patterns when looking at buying of boxed beef items during the current world pandemic. Middle meats, ribs and loins, typically...
NCBA Applauds Bipartisan, Bicameral Letter Urging COVID-19 Relief for Cattle Producers
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) applauded a congressional letter that was sent today to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue, urging swift relief for American cattle producers who have been adversely impacted by the ongoing Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The letter was signed by a bipartisan group of over 145 lawmakers from both chambers of Congress.
“America’s cattle producers have been hit hard by the unforeseen financial challenges brought on by this pandemic. We thank each and every lawmaker that showed their continued support to rural families by signing onto this critical letter,” said NCBA President Marty Smith, a family cow-calf operator from Wacahoota, Fla. “We remain hopeful that...
Industry Reacts to Senate Passage of the Coronavirus Stimulus Package
The $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package is expected to pass in Congress. The Senate passed the legislation Wednesday evening and the House is set to vote today. The bill includes $250 billion to make unemployment insurance available to more categories of workers and to extend the duration of benefits. About $150 billion will go to states, distributed according to population size. Another $349 billion will be used as loans for small businesses.
Matthew Shay, President and CEO of the National Retail Federation, said, "Companies that were investing, growing and contributing to a vibrant economy just a few weeks ago have been thrust into survival mode through no fault of their own." The Federation spoke on behalf of the retail industry in a press release by expressing appreciation for the efforts by leaders in Congress and President Trump to...
NCBA Sends Letter to Capitol Hill Urging Relief for Cattle Producers
In response to the ongoing efforts to provide relief to Americans impacted by the COVID-19 crisis, NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane issued the following statement:
“As the country reels both economically and emotionally from the spread of COVID-19, NCBA has been hard at work ensuring that cattle producers remain able to focus on the national infrastructure priority of keeping high-quality beef available to consumers.
“Meeting that challenge requires federal officials at the Departments of Agriculture, Transportation, Interior, Treasury, and more to have a full understanding of how our product gets from the pasture to the plate – and...
Cargill Survey: At-Home Learning is Changing Parents Buying Habits as School Meals Off the Table
Current Restaurant Restrictions and Capacity By State
Urner Barry Releases January Soy and Wheat Protein Report
Meat and Poultry Worker COVID-19 Case Rates Five Times Lower in December than May
Urner Barry Expands Lamb Price Coverage with New Imported Market Report
URNER BARRY INDICES


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Time to capitalize on the potential of fixed wireless access
Up to 50% of the world’s citizens are still waiting for reliable broadband access. For mobile operators, that market demand offers a huge opportunity for growth. Fixed wireless access (FWA) provides a bridge to those potential customers.
With a fixed wireless access offering, network operators can supply vast amounts of new customers with broadband internet. By delivering broadband over existing LTE mobile networks, operators can rapidly increase revenue in untapped markets. Today, operators may be underutilizing as much as 80% radio spectrum in suburban and rural areas, but now it is possible to turn that unused spectrum into a valuable consumer offering.


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E10 Fuel: what is it and how will it impact your car?
You may have seen it on the news, it may have been mentioned in conversation or you may have seen the signs in petrol stations throughout the UK, but no matter where, drivers will almost certainly have seen or heard the term ‘E10 fuel’ in the past few months.
But why is this such an important topic of discussion at the moment? Because it potentially changes the way in which you fuel your car. Below, we take a look at exactly what E10 is and how it may impact you.
What is E10 fuel?
A biofuel, E10 is made up of 90% regular unleaded and 10% ethanol. This is different from the standard unleaded fuel that we are accustomed to, which is made up of 95% regular unleaded and 5% ethanol.
The use of ethanol, an alcohol-based fuel that is the product of fermented plants, grains and other by-products, has been said to be a more carbon-neutral choice over regular unleaded petrol. This is because as the plants that produce ethanol grow, they absorb carbon dioxide, partially offsetting the emissions released by the production and use of the fuel. It must be said, however, that there is still a great deal of debate over the extent of this.
Of course, with E10 fuel containing 10% ethanol as opposed to 5% in E5, this allows the government to take a step, no matter how small, towards their carbon neutral target.
How will E10 impact my driving?
Whilst this may sound positive, there is a reason why E10 has been hitting headlines in recent months, and that is because E10 is not compatible with all vehicles on the road, 600,000 vehicles currently in use to be exact.
Each car manufacturer will be able to provide a precise list of what vehicles aren’t compatible with E10, however as a general overview, cars registered prior to 2002 are not advised to use E10. Those registered after 2011 were required to be compatible with E10 fuel.
Using this fuel in an incompatible car will not mean your car won’t run, however use over long periods may damage the metals, seals and plastics within the car. If E10 has been put into a non-compatible vehicle accidentally, it is recommended that they put in the correct fuel as soon as they can.
For those that that do not have an E10 compatible car, this will unfortunately mean having to pay a higher price to use super unleaded E5 petrol. And for compatible cars E10 has been found to be less fuel efficient, particularly for smaller engine cars.
But it’s not all bad when it comes to E10, it certainly has its benefits also. It has been estimated that this ‘greener’ fuel could reduce co2 emissions by an astounding 750,000 tonnes each year. To put that into perspective, it is equivalent to removing 350,000 cars from the road in the UK.
We aren’t the only country taking advantage of E10, European countries such as Belgium, Germany, Finland and France are already using this fuel.
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The code names of the upcoming Moto G6 series have been revealed by Evan Blass on Twitter. The revelation by Evan Blass assumes importance with Lenovo gearing up to launch the next-generation G series at the MWC 2018 in Barcelona. According to rumors, the company will most likely launch Moto G6, G6 Plus, and G6 Play during the event.
The Moto G6 Play has been named as Ashley, while the Moto G6 will be called as Blaine. Talking about the Moto G6 Plus, the handset will be codenamed as Teller.
Moto G6 lineup codenames:
Ashley – G6 Play
Blaine – G6
Teller – G6 Plus
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) February 21, 2018
While the Moto G6 Plus will be equipped with a 5.93-inch FHD+ display with 18:9 aspect ratio, the Moto G6 Play features a 5.7-inch HD display. Moreover, the Moto G6 series will be designed using a combination of metal and glass, which provides a premium look.
On the specifications front, the Moto G6 Plus will be integrated with Snapdragon 630 processor and will be available in 3GB, 4GB, and 6GB RAM variants. The default storage will be 32GB, while the maximum will be 64GB. Moreover, a 3200mAh battery will provide adequate power. The Play model will be infused with a Snapdragon 420 processor coupled with a 4000mAh battery.
Based on the latest trends, the Moto G6 Plus will offer a dual rear camera comprising of a 12MP and 5MP sensors. It will have both RGB and monochrome lenses. On the front, you will find a 16MP sensor. The remaining Moto G6 series handsets will ship with a single camera on both rear and the front.
Even though we don’t have any information about the pricing, rumor mills indicate that the Moto G6 Plus will cost $350. The upcoming Moto G6 handsets will be showcased at the upcoming MWC 2018 with global availability by the end of March.
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|Resorts World Sentosa is one of the first two integrated casino resorts opened in Singapore.|
In 2005, when Singapore debuted its ambitious 10-year master plan for tourism growth—more than $22 billion in tourism receipts by 2015—all eyes were focused on the diminutive island in Southeast Asia, waiting to see if it could meet its goals.
To achieve that benchmark, Singapore allowed casino gambling for the first time in almost 50 years with the opening of two major integrated casino resorts in 2010, Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa, and it debuted the Formula 1 Singtel Singapore Grand Prix in 2008, the world’s only Grand Prix night race, among other initiatives. In short, it has invested millions into diversifying its tourism infrastructure and offerings. Now, seven years later, the country appears well on its way to achieving its goal.
“In 2011, we saw a new high in our preliminary tourism receipts, which was estimated at $17.6 billion,” said Aw Kah Peng, chief executive of the Singapore Tourism Board (STB). “Similarly, our international visitor arrivals for 2011 stood at 13.2 million, charting a new record and exceeding the year’s forecast range of 12 to 13 million.”
The U.S., says Serene Tan, STB regional director, Americas, continues to be a strong market for Singapore. “Visitor arrivals from the U.S. increased by 6 percent with 441,000 visitors by the end of 2011,” Tan said.
She also noted that, “The U.S. has consistently been among the top 10 markets contributing to our tourism receipts. With the 6 percent increase in arrivals from the U.S. in 2011, we expect the U.S. to continue to be a top market for Singapore.”
Travel Agent consulted with Tan and Aw to find out about their plans for the U.S. market in 2012, as well as to learn more about their overall plans for tourism growth as they head into the homestretch of the STB’s 10-year master tourism plan.
Targeting the Cruise Market
Singapore, long known as an ideal Southeast Asia stopover destination thanks to its stellar Changi Airport facilities and air accessibility, hopes to become an ideal Asia cruise destination, too. In the second quarter of 2012, the new state-of-the-art International Cruise Terminal (ICT) will open, doubling Singapore’s berth capacity and enabling more cruise ships to homeport and call on Singapore.
|The new state-of-the-art International Cruise Terminal (ICT) will open in the second quarter of 2012.|
“We expect more ocean liners to drop anchor here when the terminal is completed in the second quarter of this year, bringing with them thousands of passengers in and out of Singapore,” explained Aw. “With the opening of the ICT, we hope to attract more cruise passengers and make Singapore the choice home port to the fascinatingly diverse Southeast Asian region, which has the potential to evolve into the world’s new cruising playground.”
Aw said that Singapore is also working with other Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam to advance cruise tourism in the region by sharing best practices, developing port infrastructures and enhancing shoreside attractions and amenities.
New Attractions and Hotels
Investments continue for new tourism attractions and hotels throughout 2012. “This year will also see the completion of the first phase of Gardens by the Bay,” added Tan. Gardens by the Bay comprises a 250-acre park adjacent to the Marina Bay Sands.
“The much-anticipated River Safari, Asia’s first river-themed animal park, is also scheduled to open this year, together with new hotels like the W Singapore-Sentosa Cove and Parkroyal on Pickering by the Pan Pacific Hotel Group,” said Tan.
“These new developments will contribute to the existing repertoire of diverse offerings and further reinforce Singapore’s appeal as a vibrant destination for all visitors. As a country, we will continue working to preserve our rich national heritage while also contributing to the country’s growth as both a dynamic and innovative business and leisure destination,” said Aw.
Whetting Foodies’ Appetites
Even as the STB expands into the cruise market and into developing new tourism attractions in 2012, it hasn’t forgotten about one of the pillars of its tourism success: its one-of-a-kind blend of cultures and cuisines.
|Serene Tan, regional director, Americas, for the Singapore Tourism Board, with Anthony Bourdain and Chef K.F. Seetoh.|
In February, the STB invited Anthony Bourdain to speak at a media luncheon in New York about the rich street food culture unique to Singapore. At the luncheon, Bourdain raved about Singapore’s authentic cuisine. Bourdain is not alone in his sentiments regarding the excellence of Singapore’s food scene, either, says Aw.
“Singapore is also quickly emerging as one of the most highly regarded destinations in Southeast Asia for innovative and exciting food,” said Aw. “Beyond the street food culture, the country is also receiving recognition for its homegrown culinary masters.”
In 2010, Singapore was the only Southeast Asian country to make it to the coveted San Pellegrino World’s Best Restaurants top 50 list—with two restaurants, Iggy’s and Jaan Par Andre. Aw also noted that dozens of top chefs from around the world have converged on Singapore to open their signature restaurants—Joel Robuchon, Mario Batali, Daniel Boulud and Susur Lee among them.
Going into 2012, the STB remains committed to working with its travel and tourism partners and its global brand message, “YourSingapore.”
“With strategies customized to the needs of individual markets, based on in-depth understanding of the needs of consumers in the various regions, we will be able to create and deliver better quality experiences to visitors,” said Aw. “This is a natural evolution of the ‘YourSingapore’ destination brand that emphasizes the personalization of experiences. We believe that this visitor-centricity will increase the appeal and relevance of Singapore, and help build a stronger brand in the long term.”
That strength, added Tan, is here to stay thanks to the variety of Singapore’s tourism offerings.
“Our tourism success is really a combination of so many things—the Integrated Resorts drawing new visitors, the awareness that media has generated about the destination, our business events—particularly groundbreaking events like TravelRave which co-locates travel industry events for the different travel and tourism sectors—and our diverse and vibrant dining scene and food culture.”


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French Games Market Has Grown 40% Since 2016 - SalesWilliam D'Angelo , posted on 03 September 2021 / 4,822 Views
The French games market has grown by 40% since 2016, which saw €3.6 billion in revenue. In 2020 the market earned €5.3 billion.
SELL, which tracks the French games market released its yearly report this week, which revealed there were over 27.5 million games sold in France in 2020, with over 2.3 million console sold.
"I think we were just in a specific year -- a year where we would be releasing two new consoles, [which is] one of the main reasons why we were expecting such growth, especially on the hardware side," said SELL president Julie Chalmette via GamesIndustry.
"And we were also expecting quite a lot of big new releases in terms of software. [In 2019], we had this slight decrease on the market compared to 2018, but we had anticipated that 2020 would mark a comeback to growth."
Chalmette added that COVID and the lockdowns have increased the amount of time people have spent gaming and the average spent on gaming grew from €110 in 2019 to €123 in 2020.
"There is no doubt that COVID and lockdown -- especially the first lockdown -- had a tremendous impact on several aspects of video gaming," Chalmette said. "First of all people have played more than they used to. [Across] console, PC, and mobile, the average number of hours played every week increased quite dramatically between the fourth quarter of 2019 and the very first quarter of 2020, which marks the very beginning of the lockdown. So the numbers soared from eight hours and 30 minutes to nine hours and 30 minutes.
"The average spend has increased too, from €110 last year to €123 this year. So not only have people played a bit more, but also they have spent a bit more on video games. What we've also seen is that the number of full games downloaded has increased quite dramatically from one year to another. So last year we sold 27.5 million units of full games, which is an increase of 16.6% -- out of that, 12 million were digital, which was an increase of 65.5% compared to ."
Physical game sales decreased 3.2 percent in 2020, which digital sales grew. This compares to the UK where physical sales actually increased two percent, and by an impressive 15 percent in Australia. Chalmette is not surprised by a shift to digital as this has been a trend for many years.
"I would have expected a much more dramatic decrease given the circumstances on the French market -- many stores were closed for a high number of weeks," she says. "I think it is quite obvious that the trend of the market is going towards digital. [It] is growing from one year to another and there is no doubt that it's a long long-term trend.
"We saw a decrease of physical sales the year before [too] and we've seen that for quite many years. So we would have expected 2020 to be even worse in terms of physical sales. But it's not what happened."
French continues to be dominated by Nintendo as 11 of the top 20 best-selling games in 2020 were published by Nintendo. Those games sold almost 3.7 million units. Animal Crossing: New Horizons was the number one selling physical game with nearly 1.1 million units sold.
This dates back from many years, so it's not only with the Switch, it was true also with the DS," Chalmette said. "Somehow I would say that I think there is more maturity in the [English-speaking] markets for gamers. I think that Nintendo with the DS brought many new gamers [to the market], and people stuck with that.
"Something about the French market as well is that my generation -- I'm almost 50 -- was raised with Japanese manga and anime. France is the second biggest market for manga in the world. So there is this appetite for everything that relates to Japan in France, and maybe part of the explanation lies here. But other than that, I feel that the French market is still more of a mass market -- [with] mass market gamers as opposed to like super hardcore [gamers]. So you probably have a higher proportion of hardcore gamers in the UK than we have in France."
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel dedicated to gaming Let's Plays and tutorials. You can contact the author at firstname.lastname@example.org or on Twitter @TrunksWD.


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Myanmar is on course for a big jump in textile exports to Europe following the return of trade privileges by the European Union (EU), according to the Thailand Textile Institute.
The lifting of the ban on Myanmar under the EU's Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) would rapidly drive up Myanmar's exports of textiles, it said. The institute did not predict the size of the increase, but said it would be significant.
Myanmar's textile exports rose 18% last year over 2011, totalling US$946 million (27 billion baht) .
The EU reinstated trade benefits to Myanmar on April 22 in the wake of democratic reforms after years under the rule of a military junta. Garments are a key industrial sector of the country. Myanmar was struck off the GSP list in 2003 in a protest against the country's dictatorship.
Many textile producers, including companies in Thailand, have relocated to Myanmar in expectation of benefiting from the GSP, low wages and abundant labour. In Myanmar the minimum monthly wage is US$32, compared with $90 in Cambodia and $100 in Vietnam. Myanmar has a 32.5 million-strong work force in a population of 55 million.
The Thailand Textile Institute warned of poor infrastructure in Myanmar, including inadequate electricity supply and lack of facilities at Yangon port, which it said is hampering business.
The EU grants GSP privileges to less developed and developing countries as a means to help their exports to the EU.
(Source: Bangkok Post)


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Nelson Peltz, the corporate raider, last night called on PepsiCo to buy Mondelez, the owner of Cadbury.
Mr Peltz, who by taking a stake in Cadbury instigated a demerger of the British confectionery group’s beverages division that paved the way for Kraft’s £9 billion takeover in 2010, said that he would meet the management of Mondelez to discuss his idea.
Wall Street has speculated for weeks that Mr Peltz could agitate for a combination after his company, Trian Fund Management, admitted taking stakes in the pair in April.
Mr Peltz told CNBC’s Delivering Alpha conference that an offer of between $35-$38 a share, in an all-share deal, would be an appropriate price for PepsiCo to pay. Shares of Mondelez were last night trading up 2.9…