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Jan 10, 2022
Associate Professor Anne Porterfield first discovered her passion for 3-D design in the theater world. Now, she's an expert in 3-D apparel design software.
Sep 23, 2021
Each year, the color project teaches the foundations of surface design to first-year fashion and textile design students at Wilson College.
Sep 13, 2021
A new camp uses 3-D programming to help middle school students understand the link between fashion and the sciences.


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James Pinto joins board of directors at Scovill Fasteners
James Pinto has been appointed as the newest member of Scovill Fasteners’ board of directors. Pinto is an executive with The Gores Group, Scovill’s parent company.
“I’m pleased to have someone of Jim’s caliber and experience join our board, and am excited for our team’s opportunity to work with him," said Craig Stoudt, Scovill CEO. “Over the last several months, Scovill has made tremendous progress as we have transitioned our organization forward by focusing internally on operational improvement and externally on providing the best possible experience for our customers. Jim’s background in operations and experience with best-in-class organizations will provide us with valuable insight as we continue our transformation and growth."
Pinto has performed in various operational and supply chain capacities for various aerospace and industrial businesses. His previous employers included Textron Lycoming, Greenlee Textron, Textron Fluid and Power and Tyco International. He also carries Six Sigma Greenbelt and Champion Certifications.
Scovill is a manufacturer of closures and fasteners for various markets, ranging from apparel to sporting goods, military, marine and medical.
“I look forward to partnering with Craig and the Scovill leadership team,” said Pinto. “The business has made significant progress during the past year, and I look forward to assisting the team with continued top-line growth and operational improvements.”
DAP launches new online resources for SmartBond adhesive
In an effort to help customers understand its new construction adhesive product, DAP has set a number of new resources live on the SmartBond website.
Visitors to the site will be able to take advantage of the SmartBond Coverage Calculator, which gives uses an estimate of how much product is needed for their job, as well as how many traditional adhesive cartridges would be required for the same job.
Other resources include product demonstration videos, mobile Home Depot locator, detailed product information and a Spanish-language version of the site.
SmartBond is a construction adhesive that provides eight times the coverage in one 20-oz. can as a standard 28-oz. cartridge, as proven by the NAHB Research Center. It can also be applied up to 25% faster than a 10-oz. cartridge adhesive — it takes 20 seconds to start using a new can, compared with two minutes or more to change a traditional cartridge.
Customers can choose between three product varieties for Subfloor, Heavy Duty and Landscape. DAP touts the collapsible foam as an industry first.
Perennial Wood seeks prize decks
Eastman Chemical Co. has announced today the six finalists for the 2013 Perennial Wood Pro Challenge.
The six finalists represent a range of outdoor living trends, including the use of natural materials, decks and porches that maximize views, outdoor lounge areas and historic restorations/historic-looking new construction. Now, the public will determine the grand prize winners through crowd-sourced voting for the following finalists:
Photos are on display at the company’s Pro Challenge website.
The one deck project and one porch project with the most votes when voting closes on Oct. 26 will be the grand prize winners. The trade professionals who entered the winning projects will receive up to $5,000 in free Perennial Wood products and professional photography of their winning projects.
“Since its introduction in 2012, Perennial Wood has been embraced as the next generation of premium, real wood decking and porch flooring,” said Jim Flickinger, market development manager of Perennial Wood. “The contractors who entered the Pro Challenge take pride in their decks and porches and used Perennial Wood decking and porch flooring because they know Perennial Wood is perfect for showcase projects.”

domain: news


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Taste and nutrition company Kerry has observed a rising trend in meat products with cleaner, shorter labels. More consumers are actively working to eliminate unrecognizable and artificial ingredients from their diets. “The outbreak of COVID-19 has accelerated this trend by creating feelings of vulnerability, leading consumers to view the foods they eat as an area of life over which they have some control,” says Brian Nevin, vice president of food protection at Kerry.
A recent Kerry Cleaner Label survey of consumer attitudes in the Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa regions on the subject of safety, health, and the environment found that the top six clean label concerns in these geographic areas are related to food safety.
Consumers in every region of the world, particularly Australia and New Zealand, Southeast Asia (Thailand, Malaysia), Japan and South Korea, consider food safety a priority.
“This is why clean label meat products with fewer chemical-sounding names on the ingredients list are increasingly viewed favorably,” Nevin maintains.
“However, replacing the food safety functionality of traditional artificial preservatives with consumer-friendly alternatives is a complex and multi-faceted challenge that requires a high level of expertise,” says Nevin.
Throughout the US’s Food Safety Month this September, the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) reminds consumers to think about health and safety in the kitchen.
“My vision for food safety includes enhancing and emphasizing consumer education,” says Mindy Brashears, undersecretary for food safety at USDA. “Consumers play a vital role in reducing foodborne illness – and by providing scientifically accurate and effective food safety information, we can help empower them to adopt and practice safe food handling behaviors in their own homes.”
Consumers should follow four simple steps for food safety – clean, separate, cook and chill. “Our research has shown that handwashing and preventing cross-contamination are two food safety steps that consumers sometimes struggle with,” adds Paul Kiecker, an FSIS administrator.
According to Nevin, around the world, food safety is top of mind. “Nowhere is this more evident than in meat production, where food safety is subject to widespread concerns about health and cost,” he stresses.
Full story: https://www.foodingredientsfirst.com/news/kerry-covid-19-has-accelerated-trend-for-food-safety-and-cleaner-meat-products.html


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Cox Business Entrepreneur Profile
Huge thanks to Cox Business for continuing to support our local community!
Thai Cuisine, located at 607 Kaliste Saloom Road, recently closed for remodel, according to door signage. We are told...
In May this year, we posted that a proposed Tesla Supercharger station was planned for the Stirling Center at...
The Bougie Bar, located at 403-B in Downtown Lafayette is now open and booking candle parties! The Perfect Candle...


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McKinsey & Company, a consulting firm, finds that there is hardly any evidence that block chains are put into practice. The report, released on Jan. 4 (local time), showed this opinion.
McKinsey is the world’s largest consulting firm with more than $ 10 billion in sales last year and 27,000 employees worldwide. McKinsey’s report points out that there is very little evidence that the block chain is practical and used for expansion. The breakthrough technology that block chains seemed to be expected in some cases has not yet been shown, and most of the time, considering consumption funds and time, has not achieved substantial results.
The report also points out that it is not surprising that the block chain development process is not smooth, because the block chain is relatively unstable and expensive and is an early stage technology. In order to evolve a product, this report can be divided into four stages: introduction, growth, maturity, and decline according to the life cycle hypothesis, while the introduction is the starting point of technology and the second is the product success. But the report says that the block chain has not yet reached stage two.
Also, given the principle of problem solving, where the simplest solution is often the best solution, it is possible that a block chain payment might be a wrong answer. McKinsey, meanwhile, stresses that there is practical value in that it is a way to show niche applications, rationalization, and even innovation capabilities in a block chain. The block chain will also help to move ownership from business to consumer, he added.
At the end of December last year, the US news magazine Times reported that Bitcoin could bring about fundamental freedom. It is a non-censored means of exchange that can be a valuable financial tool. Nevertheless, I analyzed the current situation that the speculative elements, fraud and greed in the industry of cryptography and block chains are making the idea of Satoshi Nakamoto away, focusing on openness.
According to the report, the government may have trouble freezing bitcoin wallets or monitoring transactions, but the account opened by WikiLeaks on the Coin Exchange Exchange coin base was frozen last April, but WikiLeaks No one in the wallet interfered with the WikiLeaks transaction.
Time magazine also says the beat coin has the usefulness to protect itself from legal currency inflation. For example, if you transfer money from the United States to Venezuela, the commission goes up to 56%. To avoid this situation, however, Venezuela has begun to use cipher money and sometimes receives bit coins from relatives living abroad. Existing money transfer systems transfer money to Colombia, receive deposits here and pay cash to Venezuela, but they are much more time and costly than beat coins.
In Venezuela, where 200,000% of inflated murders are inflated, President Maduro raised the benchmark price of Petro, the state-owned custodian, by 150% in December. Zimbabwe has also criticized Mugabe for cashing in on inflation measures, but Time magazine pointed out that his successor would not be able to print a bit coin. For more information, please click here .


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A new commercial is in the works to clean the air in your car.
The product is being marketed as a “smart” car air purifying system that can be installed by owners who don’t want to purchase one of the pricey, high-tech devices.
The idea is that a vehicle owner can install the smart air purifiers in a garage, or in a nearby car wash.
In an interview with CNBC, the company says the “smart car air cleaner” will reduce the amount of pollutants emitted from your car by more than 90 percent.
The smart air cleaners work by measuring the carbon monoxide content in your air and filtering it out.
The company claims it can cut the carbon dioxide level in your vehicle by 80 percent in as little as 30 minutes.
The air purification is supposed to last about six months.
The technology is still being developed and is still a long way from being commercially available, but if it proves to be useful, it could potentially save billions of dollars in air pollution costs.
In a statement, the Air Resources Board said the device “could help reduce pollution by improving the performance of commercial air cleaners.”
It’s a great idea, but the technology could actually be used against it.
A new study released by the Environmental Protection Agency says that by 2020, more than 1.3 million American homes could be at risk of becoming “air quality hotspots,” as a result of emissions from diesel-powered cars.
That’s an increase of almost 6,000 homes per day over the next 20 years, according to the study.
According to the EPA, the increase in emissions will result in about 10,000 premature deaths.


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Wedding car hire firm cuts fuel costs 40 per cent with LPG-powered Daimler saloon
Couples can now add a hint of green to their traditional white weddings by hiring a Daimler saloon powered by liquified petroleum gas (LPG) for their special day. Wedding car hire firm Dallingers of...
BusinessGreen 10 Years On: Corporate sustainability has entered the mainstream, but where does it go next?
BusinessGreen charts the rise of corporate engagement with sustainability over the last decade and unwraps the challenge facing the next decade of green business development
From today the dirtiest cars will have to pay an extra £10 to enter London's city centre, giving the capital the toughest emissions standard in the world
It's been an eventful decade for BusinessGreen, and if anything the coming years promise to be even more exciting
Winnow will use new cash to accelerate the rollout of its food waste management technology, which helps chefs cut food waste levels in commercial kitchens


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Just this morning, our Slack discussion was about the truck’s sales potential. We came to the not-at-all surprising conclusion that yes, it will sell.
While North America awaits Tesla Motors’ electrified big rig, the rest of the globe’s manufacturers are working on battery driven commercial vehicles of their own. These vehicles may not be able to match the Tesla’s size or ability to do burnouts, but their existence shows companies are taking electrification seriously.
FedEx, which has already reserved a handful of the Tesla trucks, bragged it would soon deploy Navistar-sourced electric trucks way back in 2010. However, with the exception of ultra-dense urban environments and shipping hubs, these units haven’t see a lot of action. For the most part, the addition of zero-emission vehicles seem like a good way for companies to virtue signal and test the feasibility of such a platform in a commercial setting. For example, UPS issued a press release in February saying it wanted to develop 50 battery electric vans that might someday replace its fleet of 35,000 gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles.
Still, there’s momentum building behind alternative energy vehicles in the commercial sector. Daimler-owned Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation started the slow rollout of its eCanter courier truck last September. It probably won’t break any sales records for the brand, but it does show manufacturers’ desire to not just develop, but sell these things at a meaningful volume — and it’s soon to be followed by Volvo Trucks’ brand new FL Electric.
The United Parcel Service said Tuesday it will purchase 125 all-electric semi trucks from Tesla, surpassing PepsiCo’s order to make it the largest known order for the vehicle thus far. While the purchase isn’t tantamount to UPS making a complete shift to an electric fleet, the company has previously stated it wants to convert up to 1,500 delivery trucks in New York to battery electric units and has been researching non-traditional powertrains for some time.
With so many of its trips taking place between distribution hubs, a medium-range EV truck boasting a high capacity could be a good fit for UPS. At the very least, Tesla seems to think so — the delivery service provided the automaker with extensive data on how its trucks function on real-world routes in order to evaluate how the hulking BEVs might perform in its fleet. Of course, the cooperative experience also helps both companies promote themselves as leaders in the green revolution.
PepsiCo nearly doubled the number of new electric big rigs Tesla will have to manufacture after reserving 100 units. Adding to the list of orders by more than a dozen companies, including other massive companies like Wal-Mart and Anheuser-Busch, Pepsi is helping Tesla make a case for EVs with a fixation on freight.
Last year, the food brand stated it wanted to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20 percent by 2030. With a fleet of over 10,000 units, semi trucks might be a good place to seek improvements. Granted, depending upon how it’s generated, pulling energy from the grid isn’t a perfect solution. But, at that point, it’s someone else’s problem.
When you’re selling the self-professed “King of Beers,” you’re going to want to transport them in a style befitting of royalty. Either that, or you’re interested in keeping your shipping costs to a minimum and have the capital necessary to invest in new technologies like an electric semi.
Anheuser-Busch, maker of Budweiser and over a dozen other beer brands, has decided to purchase 40 of Tesla’s battery-electric trucks. The company said it made the move in hopes of reducing fuel costs and cutting vehicle emissions. We’d also gamble that the adult beverage purveyor is interested in the vehicle’s claimed autonomous driving capabilities.
Having already dropped itself into an ocean of electric car R&D, Volkswagen is now making plans to develop battery-powered commercial vehicles aimed at servicing urban areas where public officials are having night terrors about air quality.
Jürgen Stackmann, VW’s board member responsible for sales and marketing, promised the company would be at “full steam” on EV production and development by 2020. That includes a battery-only option for “all styles and body types” by 2030, according to Stackmann. But the brand wants to have something similar on the table for trucks and buses before then.
Volkswagen Truck & Bus is investing 1.4 billion euros ($1.7 billion) into new electric drivetrains for use in both medium and heavy-duty distribution transport and city buses. While that development will go toward European vehicles initially, VW and strategic partner Navistar will use the “e-drivetrain” platform on U.S.-based electric trucks from 2019 onwards.


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Sustainable food companies gaining loyalty, reducing costs and improving food safety
New research by the Aberdeen Group, entitled “Sustaining the Global Food Supply Chain: Three Keys to Gaining Competitive Advantage”, has investigated the sustainability initiatives of food and beverage sector companies and revealed the opportunities created by, and benefits of, sound corporate responsibility.
The study was conducted in support of the Marrakech Process of the United Nations agenda on Sustainable Consumption and Production, and highlights the strategies and capabilities of companies with sustainability-framed initiatives to increase food quality, safety, and overall corporate responsibility. Around 56% of respondents rank “the need for competitive advantage” as the top business pressure driving their organisation to focus on a sustainability initiative.
Survey results show that top performing firms have made a resoundingly strong business case for integrating sustainability into corporate strategy. Leading companies achieved:
– 19% decrease in energy costs
– 17% decrease in waste / disposal costs
– 13% decrease in defects / non-conforming goods over last 12 months
– 5% decrease in year-over-year overall operational costs relative to changes in volume of business
– 15% increase in customer acquisition rate
“Top performing companies are driving down operational costs while increasing operational efficiency,” Jhana Senxian, research analyst and report author, advised. “This has especially high impact during economically challenging times. The hyper-visibility and critical nature of food company practices – and missteps – have driven thought leading companies to adopt strategies geared to responsibly sustaining the business while also sustaining the environmental and social infrastructures upon which the business depends.”
To obtain a complimentary copy of the report, www.aberdeen.com/summary/report/benchmark/5368-RA-global-food-supply.asp.
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NEW YORK and MADRID, Spain, July 30, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- More and more brands are launching multiscreen campaigns to connect with users who jump from one screen to another and consume media simultaneously and interactively. In its latest online campaign, Mercedes shows the technical innovations of its new model via an interactive piece that connects the phone and PC. The campaign was run in Spain by the Zenith media agency, which Mercedes has relied on since 2006. It worked with the creative agency, Pixel&Pixel, and Sizmek's technology (Nasdaq:SZMK) in developing the multiscreen digital advertisement.
Photos accompanying this release are available at
The creative agency, Pixel&Pixel, worked with Zenith and Sizmek to develop the innovative approach of the piece. The campaign is designed to let the public experience the latest innovations of the new Mercedes GLA. From the start, the creative invites users to interact, play with and enjoy the Mercedes GLA. It seduces them into taking the key and closing the door, trying out new features, and delving slowly into the car's technical characteristics. All this is made possible by connecting a PC to a smartphone using Sizmek technology.
The launch of the GLA required extra recognition and required a breakthrough in connectivity and technical achievements. Elena Steiner, Mercedes-Benz Brand Manager, explains it like this: "Our debut in the SUV segment required us to carry out a different, ground-breaking type of communication that would completely capture the attention of all our potential customers, so we could express the positioning of the model to them in a clear manner." She adds, "The first contact with a customer is a key factor; hence, the focus on such a sophisticated, creative game. The interactivity between a PC and a mobile phone has enabled us to make the versatility suggested by the GLA a reality."
Miguel Lopez Guzman, Digital Director at Zenith and head of Mercedes-Benz's digital strategy states, "This campaign was a challenge. We needed to attract the appropriate amount of attention due the release of a completely new model, but the very complex creative mechanics required us to use specific ad formats. And all this without leaving the quality that a brand like Mercedes-Benz requires, of course. The results in terms of ad recall could not be better."
"We wanted to bring the campaign's claim of 'Freedom is contagious' to its fullest expression, allowing the user the freedom to surf the banner from their mobile and in an unconventional way. We also gave them the freedom to create the ideal scenario where they'd like to be with their new GLA. The mountains? Beach? In the city? With snow or rain? And then combine them with a number of elements to create a unique situation," explains Victor Coello Muñoz, CEO and Executive Creative Director of Pixel&Pixel.
"Our technology is allowing user experiences that were, until recently, unimaginable. Now, no one is surprised to see ads that jump from a computer screen to a mobile device to present a brand. But Mercedes GLA wanted to go further with this piece, enabling the user to drive virtually, play and, ultimately, experience the vehicle from any screen," states Pedro Travesedo, Country Manager of Sizmek Spain.
Sizmek Inc. (Nasdaq:SZMK) promotes digital advertising campaigns for advertisers and agencies around the world with cutting-edge technology to engage the audience via any screen. For the past 15 years, Sizmek has led the digital advertising industry since its inception, including the uses of rich media, video and multichannel online advertising targeting. Sizmek's open advertising management platform, Sizmek MDX, delivers the most creative and impressive multiscreen digital campaigns via mobile phones, displays, rich media, videos and social networks that are all driven by an unsurpassed data platform. With New York as a hub, Sizmek connects 20,000 advertisers and more than 5,000 agencies with the public, serving more than 1.5 billion views per year. Sizmek operates on-site in 48 countries and has a team of over 850 employees. For more information, go to www.sizmek.com.
CONTACT: Media Contact: Dana Miller Tel. 646-437-3737 firstname.lastname@example.org


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Goodricke Group acquires Godfrey Phillip's tea business for Rs 20 cr
By Avishek Rakshit |Kolkata| Business Standards | October 18, 2017
Acquirer aims to grow its tea retailing business from 9 mn kg currently to 14 mn kg, expand its portfolio
Aiming to grow its tea retailing business from the current nine million kg (mkg) to 14 mkg in the near term, as well as expand its portfolio, Goodricke Group has entered into an agreement to acquire the brands of Godfrey Phillips India (GPI) for a consideration of Rs 20 crore.
The agreement provides Goodricke control of the Tea City, SC Gold, Symphony, Samovar, SC Premium, Super Cup, Rangoli and Utsav brands hitherto owned by GPI and will provide Goodricke access to over 400 distributors across Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh , Bihar, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh.
The deal gives the rights to Goodricke Group on the trademarks, titles and brands associated with GPI's tea business, but doesn't include transfer of any physical assets.
Vikram Singh Gulia, vice president at the Goodricke Group told Business Standard that the company has targeted to grow its packaged tea business from the current Rs 175 crore to Rs 275 crore during 2018-19 and that brand acquisition was the way forward.
"If you see, we have acquired brands which are present in territories where we are not. Although servicing these brands (formerly) hasn't been very good in the past, there is no negativity about these brands. Given our focus on tea, I believe we will be able to grow these brands which we have just acquired", he told this newspaper.
As per Gulia, the brand recall, pricing and positioning of these brands will help Goodricke gain an immediate revenue surge and he expects to close the current fiscal year at revenues of Rs 210-215 crore from the packaged tea business.
In the last fiscal year, GPI posted a turnover of Rs 105 crore from its tea business, which accounted for less than one per cent of the company's consolidated turnover.
The official stated that Goodricke will continue to keep these brands instead of amalgamating them with its own existing brands and the blends in these will be mostly serviced by the produce from its own gardens in Dooars and Assam.
The Goodricke Group, which is one of the largest Darjeeling tea producers and directly owns 17 tea gardens in West Bengal and Assam, has been increasing its focus on the packaged tea business to shield itself from the vagaries of nature and other risks associated with agriculture.
Recently, owing to the Gorkhaland agitation which resulted in an over 100-day garden closure, the company had to take a hit of an estimated Rs 20 crore.
The Goodricke Group's packaged tea business accounts for around 26 per cent of the company's annual turnover at Rs. 680 crore and Gulia plans to take this contribution up to around 40 per cent in the coming few years.
However, it will not imply the group focussing more on the retail business and loosening its grip on tea production. In fact, the company is on the lookout to acquire two gardens in Assam to strengthen its production portfolio.


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Mahindra Susten, which expects to have 350 MW of EPC installations by the end of the year, is looking to scale up its own solar energy capacity.
The investment will mainly be financed by taking on 33 billion rupees in debt, with the rest funded through cash, Anand Mahindra said.
India gets twice as much sunshine as many European countries that use solar power. But the clean energy source contributes less than 1%.
“Due diligence is on. Mahindra Partners is looking to buy Babyoye through its retail business Mahindra Retail,” said one person directly involved in the deal.
"The Centre and states should have a harmonised policy so that investors can easily put up projects," said Suzlon's Tulsi Tanti.
In domestic market, M&M's sales declined by 11 per cent to 34,918 units last month as against 39,338 units a year earlier.
The Centre should provide a guarantee that if states/SEBs do not pay solar developers in time, they will step in and take it out of allocation to the states.
With a view to promote clean energy transport, an auto-driver of the city came up with a novel idea and introduced solar panels in his electric powered e-rickshaw to ensure clean and green environment.


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MAY 26, 1997
Ford decides against customer V10s
The original plan had been for Stewart Grand Prix to use an all-new V10 engine in 1998 with two or more customer teams paying $8m apiece for the 1997 specification engines.
The current Ford V10 is not very competitive but with the current shortage of engines it will be a blow for those who hoped to be able to close the gap in the midfield.
The news will not be popular at Cosworth, which designs and builds Ford's F1 engines in association with the Advanced Engineering Department in Dearborn, Michigan. Cosworth has made considerable profits in recent years from customer engine programs which has helped its parent body Vickers plc to keep its shareholders happy.


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Months after its core development team was acqui-hired by accommodations startup Airbnb, bitcoin tipping service ChangeTip is closing its doors.
Nick Sullivan took to Reddit today to announce the closure. He said that the tipping service will be officially turned off at the end of November, though its website will remain open “for a number of months” in order to allow for user withdrawals.
The closure comes less than two years after the startup, once a popular tool for sending bitcoin tips via social media, raised $3.5m in a seed funding round. ChangeTip sought to bring bitcoin tipping to popular Web platforms like Twitch and Facebook.
In today’s post, Sullivan confirmed the struggles to find a future for the service, adding that the cost of continued operation played a role in the decision.
“In the spring of 2016, ChangeTip’s employees were acqui-hired by Airbnb, where most of us work today. Since then, we’ve been searching for the best outcome for ChangeTip, and unfortunately the only remaining option is to shut it down.”
Sullivan said that withdrawals would be processed every 24 hours or so, before going on to the service’s users for their commitment over the years.
“It was a great adventure, and we’re proud of what we built – we sincerely hope you enjoyed using ChangeTip,” he wrote.
Disclaimer: CoinDesk is a subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which has an ownership stake in ChangeTip.
Image via Shutterstock


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Consumer confidence falls in March
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Americans are less confident in the economy than they were last month as massive government spending cuts have stoked economic uncertainty.
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For 2020, the Water Environment Federation Technical Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC) will be a fully virtual event held over five days (October 5-9). Called WEFTEC Connect, this virtual experience will offer attendees interactive education, an exhibitor showcase and networking experiences.
Earlier this month, Water Equipment Federation canceled the traditional WEFTEC in-person October meeting in New Orleans due to coronavirus pandemic and the travel restrictions and social gathering limitations put in place to slow the spread of the pandemic.
The online learning platform for WEFTEC Connect is designed to create an immersive experience for attendees. Through its portal, WEFTEC Connect will offer an environment where water professionals can learn and share with peers no matter their location. The event will include hundreds of hours of live and recorded content that can be used for professional development credits.
Registration for WEFTEC Connect is now open. Those registering before August 14 will receive a discounted rate. Click here to register.
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PLANS have been unveiled to build a new Sainsbury’s supermarket in Broxburn.
The company have announced the scheme to develop a store at New Liston on the east side of the town, on a site between Glenmorangie’s and the railway viaduct over the A89.
Sainsbury’s plans are to create a 35,000 sq ft foodstore and a petrol filling station in an area where there are plans to develop over 2000 family homes.
An initial phase of up to 900 homes is currently proposed directly behind the new store.
Sainsbury’s announcement came just a week after rivals Tesco announced they plan to lodge an application for a supermarket at Candleworks near Greendykes Industrial Estate in Broxburn.
Michelle Dix, Sainsbury’s property communications executive, said the company is keen to work alongside traders in the town.
She said: “We believe that the creation of a high-quality foodstore in the town will improve the vibrancy of the local area.
“We see this as an opportunity to further enhance Broxburn, improving shopping and providing a catalyst for the rejuvenation of the town.
“We want to work with the community, the Traders Association and community representatives to make sure we get our proposals right for Broxburn.”
The company now plan to hold a public exhibition on September 28 and 29 at The Club on Greendykes Road, to allow local people to have their say on the proposals.
Sainsbury say they plan to work closely with Broxburn and Uphall Traders Association, the Broxburn Community Council and other local groups to make sure we take account of local views about how best to enhance shopping in the town.
Michelle Dix added: “We want to make a difference.
“And we believe that is best achieved through working with and supporting the community and its good causes.
“We look forward to speaking to the local people and businesses to help us deliver what people think is best for Broxburn.”


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Economic development director hired
Marion employs former hardware store manager
The City of Marion has hired an economic development director — Roger Holter of Topeka.
Holter currently works as the general manager of Lowe’s Hardware stores in the Topeka area. City Administrator Doug Kjellin said Holter has about 30 years of experience in the business world, at least 25 years based in retail.
“A full understanding of the retail environment, for our current makeup of businesses, is what we need,” Kjellin said.
Kjellin was the last full-time economic development director for Marion before taking the city administrator position in 2010 and taking on the economic development duties part time.
Although Holter does not have any previous experience as an economic development director, Kjellin believes his business experience will be vital for Marion. Along with a comfort in retail, Holter also has experience with warehousing and wholesaling.
Holter will have an established base of business contacts and relationships with economic development representatives at conferences. Kjellin said Holter’s stability, having worked the majority of his career at Lowe’s, is a point of confidence for Marion business owners.
“We need that individual that can communicate well with a strata of individuals,” Kjellin said. “It’s easier to bring experience to a younger environment.”
Holter has experience with Marion. He has a home at Marion County Lake. Kjellin said Holter’s adjustment, moving from Topeka and from a corporate behemoth, would not be much different from any one taking on a new job. The difference of course is that Holter has experience in other areas.
The starting salary for the position is $32,000 a year. Holter will start June 3, but might be available for the May 28 city council meeting.
While it was not the primary reason for the hire, Kjellin said Holter might have the ability to recruit a hardware store to Marion.
“If there was an individual that did have a base of knowledge for hardware, it’s just gravy,” Kjellin said.


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Americans are turning toward plant-based burgers, however, these patties are engineered to mimic the taste of real meat.
Branding is critical when it comes to plant-based products. According to a study done by Faunalytics, "lab-grown," "in vitro" and "cultured meat" are unlikely to sell, but if they are referred to as "clean meat" it can encourage new shoppers.
In the survey, two-thirds of people said that they'd try the plant-based product if it was described as "clean meat" and if they heard positive descriptions of it. Bloomberg reports that the term reduces a feeling of disgust.
Yet, other research hasn't been as favorable. Bloomberg reports that only 3 percent of consumers expressed "no reservations" about eating such products, while 57 percent responded that they wouldn't eat it. Another survey by Datassential found that 68 percent of people said that they were not interested in cultured meats.
The beef, pork and chicken industries are arguing that if the if it doesn't come from an animal it shouldn't be called meat. However, companies like Tyson Foods and Cargill are investing in startups to plant-based products, Bloomberg reports.
If the demand for plant-based products continue, it could cause a disruption to the agriculture industry. Bloomberg reports that there would be substantial effects on global grain production.
The growth of plant-based foods is largely driven by health concerns. Almost half of shoppers are buying veggie burgers because they believe its better for them.
The future of culture meat depends on if it tastes as good as the real thing and has the right price, Bloomberg reports. While consumers are interested in the products, the Datassential report shows that they'd be more interested if they knew more about production methods and a lack of health risks.


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A hospitality complex featuring Japan's largest airport hotel, an open-air bath and a range of shops and restaurants opened next to Tokyo's Haneda airport Tuesday after a nearly three-year delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The full opening of Haneda Airport Garden, a 12-story compound connected to the airport's Terminal 3, which primarily serves international flights, comes as Japan aims to welcome back inbound travelers after easing its border controls last year.
The large-scale mixed-use development complex, which was initially slated to begin operations in April 2020, is mainly comprised of a Villa Fontaine-brand hotel that, with a total of 1,717 rooms, makes it the country's largest hotel directly connected to an airport, according to the developer, Sumitomo Realty and Development Co.
The open-air bath on the 12th floor of the hotel complex is a natural hot spring and commands a view of Mt. Fuji and airplanes. It can be used by any airport user.
With 74 stores lining the shopping area, visitors are able to peruse Japanese sweets, fans and tea, and dine in restaurants specializing in the country's cuisine.
"We will endeavor to provide a wide range of customers with hospitality and special experience befitting a global hub," the developer said in a press release.
The complex on the 43,000-square-meter development area houses a bus terminal on the ground floor that connects to 30 locations in the country, with plans to expand the number of routes as tourism demand grows.
It also accommodates a hall for conferences and smaller conference rooms.
Japan saw 4.2 million inbound visitors last year, a nearly 12-fold increase from the previous year, although the figure still fell far below the record 31.19 million logged in 2019.
Numbers are expected to climb further this year after China reversed its "zero-COVID" policy, while the Japanese government decided last week to downgrade the legal status of COVID-19 to the same category as common infectious diseases, to be implemented on May 8.
Meanwhile, the Japan Tourism Agency said Tuesday that over 47 million people stayed in hotels and ryokan-style inns across Japan in December, up 20 percent from a year earlier and almost recovering to the level logged in the same month of the pre-pandemic 2019.


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Vietnam’s monetary policies in the past have only served to contain inflation and ensure macroeconomic stability. It does not seek unfair trade advantages, the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) said in a statement Thursday.
The statement was responding to the U.S. Treasury labeling Vietnam and Switzerland as currency manipulators in a report released Wednesday.
Countries must at least have a $20 billion bilateral trade surplus with the U.S., foreign currency intervention exceeding 2 percent of GDP and a global current account surplus exceeding 2 percent of GDP to be labeled a manipulator.
The U.S. Treasury’s report shows that Vietnam has exceeded these criteria. Vietnam, which has seen increased foreign investment by companies seeking to avoid U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods, saw intervention of more than 5 percent of its GDP, the report said.
At least part of Vietnam’s intervention was aimed at pushing down the dong for a trade advantage, it added.
The SBV countered that the trade surplus Vietnam has recorded with the U.S. is the result of a series of factors, and the central bank’s purchase of foreign currency seeks to ensure national financial security as the country’s foreign reserves is at a low level compared other countries in the region.
Vietnam highly regards its trade relationship with the U.S. and will continue to work with U.S. authorities to ensure a “harmonious and fair” trade relationship, it added.
In its report the U.S.Treasury also added Taiwan, Thailand and India to its currency manipulation monitoring list. Others remaining on the list are China, Japan, South Korea, Germany, Italy, Singapore and Malaysia.


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Record number of tourists visit Georgia in June since the beginning of pandemic
In June 2021, a record number of tourists visited Georgia since the start of the pandemic – 146,600 foreign guests have come to the country.
This is 287% more than in June last year when the country was almost completely closed to visitors.
However, despite this growth, Georgia has not yet come close to the pre-pandemic level of tourism – in June 2019, 80% more visitors arrived in Georgia compared to June this year.
77% of visitors this year arrived in Georgia by air, according to the National Tourism Administration.
- Anaklia: Georgia’s forgotten Black Sea resort
- Will tourists come to Georgia this summer?
- ‘Frozen season’: How the pandemic affected Georgia’s winter resorts
Statistics show that most of the visitors in June came from Turkey as well as Israel, Ukraine, Russia and Armenia.
In 2020, tourism revenues in Georgia decreased by 80% and the country thus lost $ 2.7 billion compared to 2019. In the first five months of 2021, Georgia earned only $177 million from tourism.


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When Disney announced that it would be releasing “Mulan” on Disney+, one number stuck out: $30. That’s how much Disney is charging viewers to watch the blockbuster when it debuts next week on its new streaming service.
Consumers were confused. Does that $30 mean you own or only rent the film? Neither, as it happens. If you want to watch “Mulan,” you have to unlock it in what Disney is calling “Premier Access.” In short, the film lives on the service, and you can view it as often as you want as long as you’re a Disney+ subscriber.
The release of “Mulan” on Disney+ is about far more than just money for Disney, however. It’s a significant moment for the film industry and an opportunity for Hollywood’s biggest studio to experiment with what could be the industry’s future.
Although “Mulan” may be a “one-off,” as Disney CEO Bob Chapek has called it, it allows the company, which has been ravaged by the pandemic, to add a revenue stream at a time when the future of going to the movies is in doubt.
Why release it on Disney+?
“Mulan” cost $200 million to make, an amount that may be hard to recoup via digital subscriptions alone. This was a major reason why Disney (DIS) kept delaying the film instead of debuting it on Disney (DIS)+ months ago.
Disney is releasing the film simultaneously to theaters in markets where Disney+ is unavailable and where theaters are permitted to open. This includes China — a country that’s crucial to the film’s box office bottom line. For “Mulan,” international grosses were always going to be a big part of the equation, but while some movies are performing well overseas, its totals may not approach what it could have made without the pandemic.
So releasing “Mulan” on Disney+ rather than delaying the film yet again is not merely a financial decision. It offers Disney an opportunity to “experiment with a disruptive form of distribution,” according to Bernie McTernan, a senior analyst at Rosenblatt Securities.
“There is a good chance Disney could better monetize ‘Mulan’ with Premier Access relative to the box office,” he said. “If there were any questions prior, it shows Disney is all-in on streaming.”
Another benefit to Premier Access for Disney: “Mulan” could incentivize people not to cancel their Disney+ subscription.
“One of the benefits of the streaming age is there are zero costs for canceling services. Consumers can easily subscribe to a streaming service when their favorite show is on and then turn it off when finished,” McTernan said. “This new window could be a way for streamers to dissuade the cycling between services.”
Will it be a success?
Blockbusters are usually judged by how big their box office is, and even though “Mulan” is one of the biggest titles this year, it may not matter if it’s a huge success for Disney.
Hollywood already has evidence that releasing films meant for theaters at home can work. Earlier this year, Universal announced that “Trolls World Tour” earned nearly $100 million in rental fees domestically over three weeks for its digital release in April.
And even if consumers balk at the $30 fee, it’s not like Disney had many other options in releasing the film, according to Zak Shaikh, vice president of entertainment at the research-based media firm Magid.
“If COVID is causing most movie theaters to remain closed, charging via Disney+ would appear the best way to connect to their audience and make more revenue right now,” Shaikh told CNN Business.
So “Mulan” is a monumental moment for the industry, an experiment that will allow Hollywood’s biggest studio to peer into the future. Beyond that, however, it’s hard to say what impact the film’s digital release will have on the business.
“‘Mulan’ on Disney+ is a reflection of the abnormal state of the theatrical business right now,” Shaikh said. “I don’t think consumers have to suddenly start worrying about a number of titles on their streaming services requiring an additional fee.”


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Enterprise spend management software company Coupa’s investors are ringing the alarm about a possible sale to private equity, concerned that any such transaction in the current investment environment may unreasonably limit its value.
This is something you don’t see every day. Last week, rumors surfaced that Vista Equity Partners was interested in buying Coupa. Today, Coupa’s largest shareholder, HMI Capital, with 4.8% of the stock, made a letter to the Coupa board public, stating that it would oppose any deal that it believed undervalued the company.
It pegged its value at a minimum of $95 per share. Coupa’s share price hovered around $63 this afternoon, down nearly 3%. Like many SaaS stocks, Coupa’s value has dropped precipitously in 2022, down 60% for the year.
HMI is worried that Coupa’s current value doesn’t reflect what it believes will be a lucrative future once it gets beyond today’s troubled valuation market for software companies.
Unlike the poison-pen letters we are used to seeing from activist investors, this one was full of nothing but praise for the company (probably because its goals were very different):
As we have conveyed to the Board and management team, we invested in Coupa based on our belief that it is an excellent business. Its management team — most notably Chief Executive Officer Rob Bernshteyn — has done an exceptional job building the Company from a startup to a clear market leader, while establishing business spend management as its own critical category. Perhaps most importantly, Coupa’s outlook for future growth and long-term value creation is bright. As Mr. Bernshteyn himself stated only a few months ago:
“Now near-term scenario aside, we are proudly the clear leader in business spend management. Our total addressable market is massive and under-penetrated and we are excited as ever in our pursuit to revolutionize this market and deliver customer success like never seen before.”
It’s our view that we speak for many other shareholders when we say that we would be pleased to own Coupa for the foreseeable future and to bet on the team to continue to build momentum and execute its proven strategy.
It’s almost odd to see an external investor praising a company’s leadership, as most public investor comment is negative. Here we do not see an investor begging management to cut costs or change direction. Instead, it’s praise and a belief in greater value yet to come.
The sunny view of Coupa’s future conflicts with present public market sentiment about the future value of tech companies. That prevailing viewpoint, crossed with huge amounts of private equity dry powder, may have put PE investors in a deal-making mood.
HMI is begging the Coupa crew to stick it out, or at least demand more than they otherwise might settle for. Of course, this is HMI talking its own book, but there may be some substance to its argument. Let’s check the math — and a comp.


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RBA's mistakes will lead to rates falling sooner
The RBA (or as I like to call it, the Reverse Bank ) is starting to destroy the Australian economy. We’re now getting more and more data confirming the huge policy mistake from the November rate hike. That decision in hindsight was totally unnecessary.
Since November’s hike, we’re seen 50,000 jobs lost and a whopping 2.7% slump in retail sales. To put that in perspective, we haven’t seen retail sales falling this bad since the pandemic.
To make matters worse, Australia’s inflation rate has continued to trend lower. The December monthly indicator is now at a seasonally adjust annual rate of 3.4%. The RBA target band range is 2-3%, so we are now almost completely back to normal.
Inflation is dying and will be dead in a few months.
Yet the impact of the November hike is still being felt and will ultimately push the RBA to cut sooner than expected. I previously thought we would see cuts in late 2024, but that could be brought forward if data doesn’t improve quickly.
We’ve seen this from the RBA many times. They tend to always over-react at the top and bottom. I have no doubt that they will pat themselves on the back in a couple of months for bringing inflation back, before cutting. But this isn’t good enough, as it will mean many people will lose their jobs when they didn’t have to.
The RBA is cleaning up the mess it created.
With record high migration, low supply and the potential of falling rates, I can already start seeing the residential property market move higher. Sydney and Melbourne will be the main benefactors.
More analysis in the video attached.
Peter Esho is an economist and Founder of Esho Group. He has 20 years of experience in investments and markets.


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Ford to invest in Rivian
Earlier today, the second-largest US automaker, Ford Motor Company (F), announced a plan to invest $500 million in Plymouth-based automotive company Rivian. Rivian plans to launch its electric pickup truck, the R1T, and its electric SUV, the R1S, in the US market by 2020. So it could be considered a Tesla rival, as Tesla (TSLA) also plans to launch an electric pickup truck over the coming years.
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Ford’s expectation from Rivian
Ford expects to form a strategic partnership with Rivian with a $500 million investment. Under this partnership, both companies will “work together to develop an all-new, next-generation battery electric vehicle for Ford’s growing EV portfolio using Rivian’s skateboard platform,” Ford said in a statement.
On Wednesday at 2:38 PM ET, Ford stock was trading with 0.2% gains against 0.2% losses in the S&P 500 Index. By comparison, General Motors (GM), Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCAU), Toyota (TM), and Honda (HMC) were down 0.5%, 1.5%, 1.7%, and 3.2%, respectively. A positive movement in Ford stock despite the broader-market weakness could result from investors’ optimism about the news of Ford’s partnership with Rivian.
At the same time, Tesla (TSLA) was trading with 2.1% losses ahead of its first-quarter results scheduled to be released after the market closes today.
Newmont Mining (NEM) is slated to release its Q1 2019 earnings on April 25 before the market opens.
In the last month the CSI 300 is down 11.5%, much more than US indices.
JCPenney (JCP) is slated to announce its results for the first quarter of fiscal 2019, which ended on May 4, on May 21.
The key point of contention in the US-China trade dispute is the large trade deficit the United States runs against China.
On May 16, the Labor Department reported jobless claims for last week. Initial jobless claims fell by 16,000 to 212,000 for the week ended May 11.
Jeffrey Gundlach recommended investors take advantage of the volatility in interest rates at the recent Sohn Conference.
Tesla (TSLA) has fallen 4.2% as of 11:55 AM EDT on May 17. While US equity markets opened in the red today, they've recouped their losses.


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Lanark's Border Biscuits seals 'landmark' deal to double up with Sainsbury’s
Border Biscuits is set to strengthen its UK foothold thanks to a new “landmark” deal with supermarket major Sainsbury’s.
The supply deal will see the Lanark firm more than double its presence across the chain’s main retail estate.
The business is also aiming to emulate the success of its dark chocolate ginger bars with two new bars joining the range – milk chocolate ginger and dark chocolate ginger & orange.
Some £1 million of investment has already boosted the firm’s manufacturing plant, enabling a run rate of up to 500 chocolate biscuit bars a minute.
Alex Sano-Davies, the company’s head of grocery, said: “With snack brands dominating new product development last year, our own innovation pipeline has been key in the expansion of this brilliant partnership with Sainsbury’s.
“Driven by the needs of modern consumers, the range further cements Border Biscuits as a genuine category innovator, while placing us one step closer to achieving our ambitious growth targets for 2021 and beyond.”
Earlier this year, the firm announced that it had hired former Cadbury, Tesco and Genius Foods “heavyweights” as it looks to fatten up its market share.
The company said the “talent acquisition drive” underpinned its ambition to disrupt the UK snack market.
Ranking at number 15 in the UK’s top 20 sweet biscuits category, the manufacturer’s dark chocolate ginger biscuit is officially the nation’s favourite chocolate covered ginger biscuit.
Border Biscuits donates 10 per cent of its profits each year to support local organisations and community projects through its charity, Border Biscuits Community Support.
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Ofwat calls on water companies to have robust data strategy
Water companies must be ambitious in the way they use data to benefit customers, and ensure they have a robust data strategy in place, Ofwat has insisted.
The regulator said data presents “massive opportunities” for the water sector.
“The water sector is sitting on an almost universal property data set because it supplies services into almost every household and business property in the country, services that are used by literally every person in the country and go to the heart of how people live,” said Ofwat chief executive Cathryn Ross.
“The potential in that data to improve lives, to drive innovation, enable efficiencies and improve resilience, is huge.”
Speaking at the launch of Ofwat’s report – unlocking the value in customer data – Ross said the regulator had identified four issues which will enable companies to make the most of their data.
As well as implementing a good data strategy, companies must “be smarter” in the way they use data. To do this, they must understand and have knowledge of the data they hold.
She said accuracy and high-quality data is “essential”.
“In April when we opened the business retail market, allowing business customers to choose their water provider, companies had to do a lot of work to get their data sets up to a certain quality. More work than we expected,” she added.
“This was very concerning to us and a sign that companies may have neglected their data sets for too long. Next year, new general data protection regulations will be implemented in the UK and there are huge implications for water companies.
“Not only will they give customers more control over their data, they will raise the bar on things like consent as well as allowing us as regulator to penalise those companies who are not in compliance.”
Ross also said data security was of paramount importance. “We see that these steps towards better data management is a journey for water companies,” she said. “Good quality, well understood and secure data builds a strong foundation from which to build a data strategy.”
-This is a version of an article that first appeared on Utility Week.
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HTC To Continue Google Android Onslaught
HTC CEO Peter Chou said HTC will have at least three more handsets based on the open-source mobile operating system available by the end of 2009, according to The Wall Street Journal.
HTC has led the charge when it comes to Google Android, not only hitting the market first with the Android-based T-Mobile G1 last October, but by announcing the second Android device, the HTC Magic, at the Mobile World Congress in February.
The HTC Magic, affectionately known as the G2 -- or Google 2 -- is expected to be available this spring. The Magic is just one of the Android smartphones HTC plans to make available this year.
Another of the expected HTC devices will be a second-generation smartphone, Chou told The Journal. Chou did not divulge specific details of the other Android devices HTC has in the hopper for this year.
New devices from HTC would further extend its lead in the Google Android game. So far, HTC has said it has sold one million T-Mobile G1s, taking on the Apple iPhone 3G and the BlackBerry Storm in the battle of the touch-screen titans.
And the Magic, which is similar to the G1, but without a full slide-out keyboard, will come with the Android Cupcake software update, which adds a virtual QWERTY keyboard, video recording and a host of other new features. Cupcake is expected to be available for the G1 next month.
For the most part, HTC has been the only device-maker capitalizing on Android. It is the only one to release devices so far, despite a handful of manufacturers like Huawei, Samsung, Motorola and Sony Ericsson upping their Android development initiatives and promising devices based on the OS in the near future.


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The Ghanaian Cedi crosses 15 to the US dollar today at some forex bureaux.
According to Professor Godfred Alufar Bokpin, an economist, the Ghanaian cedi is expected to reach a parity of 15 to the dollar by year’s end. The Professor predicts that the local currency’s decline will not soon stabilize. He has still advised Ghanaians to maintain their composure.
Professor Bokpin said Ghanaians don’t need to undergo panic withdrawals while speaking to Winston Amoah on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Thursday.
“I will now advise my fellow Ghanaians to be calm as we are on track to cross the GH15 to a dollar threshold. We have just one nation. Don’t cannibalize the situation, please. Come along, and let’s practice the essential restraint and composure. There is no need for panic withdrawals.
Earlier: Cedi crosses GHC12 mark to a dollar
The majority of the owners are selling the dollar for more than 12 at major forex bureaus and retail markets. They believe that there are now much less bucks available.
Today, the Ghanaian currency, Cedis, has crossed the GHC12.00 mark to a dollar.
Within a week, the Ghana cedi broke beyond the 12-mark, trading at GHC12.10 at the majority of forex bureaux or the retail market.
The majority of the owners are selling the dollar for more than GHC12. They believe that there are now much less bucks available.
The cedi is once again losing strength slowly against the pound and euro. One euro is currently selling for GHC11.10 while a pound currently costs around GHC12.70.
The value of the local currency relative to the dollar has dropped by more than 6% in just one week (October 10–October 14). This indicates that the cedi has lost about 46% of its value so far this year.
By assuming this rate of depreciation, businesses’ working capital, especially that of manufacturers who rely on the dollar, have reduced.
The Cedi was 11gh to the dollar just a week ago, but that has drastically altered in that short amount of time. The cedi has crossed GHC12 mark.
Numerous economists believe that things could possibly get worse in the future. They claim that if strict procedures are not followed, the Cedi could devalue much further and touch 15gh by January of the next year.
Ghana Cedi crosses 15 to the US dollar


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Web portal and search engine giant Yahoo on Tuesday posted fourth quarter results that beat Wall Street estimates, despite a sharp drop in profit from a year earlier, and said that its long-awaited ad placement system upgrade would roll out a month ahead of schedule.
Yahoo said revenue climbed 13 percent to US$1.7 billion for the quarter that ended in December. With the cost of traffic acquisition removed, the firm said it brought in $1.3 billion, a 15 percent increase.
Profit was sharply lower, however, falling 61 percent to $268.7 million, though much of that was attributed to changes in stock options expensing and one-time gains made during the previous year. The company’s profit figures still exceeded analyst forecasts by 3 cents per share.
Reversing a Trend
CEO Terry Semel said he was “pleased with the progress made in the fourth quarter.”
“We successfully addressed many of the challenges we faced in the third quarter and made aggressive moves to deliver on a number of strategic goals that we set forth for the organization,” Semel said. “I am confident that our new structure and concentrated focus on Yahoo’s key priorities puts us in the best position to take advantage of the many opportunities that we see ahead.”
The results seemed to offer the possibility of halting a trend that began early in 2006, in which Yahoo posted weak quarterly results while main rival Google continued to show strong revenue and profit growth.
Yahoo’s new online ad platform, known as “Panama,” has long been considered a key to reversing that trend and enabling Yahoo to gain more traction in the search advertising space.
Yahoo also said Tuesday it now expects to have the enhanced search placement system, which includes a new self-service interface for bidding on ads and a new system that ranks search relevancy.
Many U.S.-based advertising customers have already begun to use Panama and will migrate to the new system by the end of the second quarter, Yahoo said.
The same system will be rolled out in overseas markets starting in the second quarter.
Panama has long been billed as a major aid in Yahoo’s efforts to compete with Google and also gives it some of the same capabilities of Microsoft’s new AdCenter.
Because it displays ads more prominently on search results pages and because it is meant to offer more targeted ads, Yahoo believes it will generate more revenue with Panama in place.
Yahoo predicted the amount of revenue derived from each search query could climb by 10 percent, with results starting to show up in the second quarter.
There could be an even bigger payback for Yahoo, as advertisers are expected to invest more money into the portal’s search ad system based on results from more focused ad placement.
Yahoo’s outlook, meanwhile, got mixed reviews from analysts, with some saying that despite the increased revenue thanks to Panama, the company’s forecast was still conservative.
First quarter revenue of $1.12 billion to $1.23 billion was below analyst forecasts that were already on the street before Yahoo’s announcement. Full-year sales of $4.95 billion to $5.45 billion also dropped below the $5.47 billion consensus forecast.
Nonetheless, investors appeared focused on the positive Panama news — Yahoo shares were up by more than 6 percent in morning trading Wednesday, to $28.72, which is spreading optimism to other Web stocks. Both Google and eBay saw shares up by more than 2 percent.
Panama may only help level the playing field slightly for Yahoo, since the system has capabilities that Google has been offering for some time, Piper Jaffray analyst Safa Rashtchy said in a research note.
It was likely that Yahoo could find ways to improve the platform in order to boost search monetization in coming quarters, he added.
Another reason for the upbeat response may have been Semel’s comments in a conference call, that brand advertising had rebounded strongly in the fourth quarter.
Earlier last year, Yahoo said it was seeing erosion of growth in key areas of consumer focused advertising, but Semel said revenues from the 200 largest display advertisers rose 30 percent during the quarter.
Retaining Market Share
However, Yahoo may still be fighting to retain, rather than win back, market share. eMarketer said it believes Google will capture 67 percent of search ad revenues in 2007, to just 15 percent for Yahoo.
Nielsen//NetRatings, meanwhile, said fourth quarter traffic to many of Yahoo’s properties increased, with a nearly 200 percent jump in visits to Yahoo Video and a 66 percent increase in traffic to Yahoo Autos. Overall, Web traffic to Yahoo sites was up 6 percent, to 110.1 million unique visitors per month in the quarter, the firm said.
Sterling Market Intelligence analyst Greg Sterling noted that Yahoo CFO Sue Decker — who will soon leave that post to head the company’s advertising business — sounded a fairly conservative tone in looking ahead for Google.
Yahoo has areas to build on as it wars with Google and, to a lesser degree, Microsoft, including strong foundations in local search and mobile search, which could be a key to unlocking the value of local search, Sterling said.
Yahoo scored a victory when Google shut down its live-answer service — Yahoo Answers now garners more than 90 percent of open ended search query traffic, which may be important in social networking settings, he added.


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Maxxium is launching Jim Beam Apple, which will be available across the on- and off-trade from May.
The new variant joins Red Stag by Jim Beam, Jim Beam Honey and Jim Beam Maple in the brand’s flavoured whisky portfolio. It brings together “the taste of crisp, green apples and Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey” and has a “light, juicy twist”.
The launch will be supported by television advertising in June and July, a digital and social media programme, as well as sampling in key urban locations. There will be on- and off-trade activation, in addition to Value Added Packs.
Maxxium UK’s Marketing Controller for Imported Whiskey, Janice McIntosh said: “Jim Beam is once again first to market with a flavour that will recruit new consumers to the category and build the growth of bourbon in the UK.”
Jim Beam Apple is available in 700ml bottles and has an rrp of £19.70.


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Consumer confidence in Northern Ireland has fallen amid Brexit uncertainty, according to a survey by Danske Bank.
Around a quarter of those canvassed felt the EU withdrawal weighed on the level of optimism.
The bank's Northern Ireland Consumer Confidence Index fell to 136 in the second quarter of this year, down from 139 in the first quarter of the year, but above that registered in the second quarter of last year.
Danske Bank Chief Economist Conor Lambe said: "With a new Prime Minister now in place, the Brexit process is likely to dominate UK politics in the weeks and months ahead."
"This survey continues to show that, like the business community, consumers also have concerns around how the UK will leave the EU."
After rising on the back of the strong labour market at the start of this year, consumer confidence fell back in the second quarter of 2019.
Mr Lambe added: "The main areas of concern for local people continue to be the lack of an Executive at Stormont and Brexit."
"Thirty-nine percent of people said that the fact we haven't had a functioning devolved government in two-and-a-half years was the issue that had the largest negative impact on how they were feeling."
"With regards to leaving the EU, 14% of people stated that progress during the Brexit negotiations in recent months negatively impacted them and a further 10% highlighted the UK Government's longer-term Brexit objectives as the main factor that weighed on their confidence levels."
"A quarter of the respondents to our survey said that rising wages was the factor that had the largest positive impact on their outlook in the second quarter of the year."


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Team of 20+ experts around the world worked over a year without pay to start campaign!
Berlin – September 13, 2019 – Social business KINAM today announced the start of their crowdfunding campaign to build a competitive and sustainable textile business alongside Maya-descendant artisans from Guatemala. KINAM was founded in 2018 in Berlin by young entrepreneurs who became friends at the Quarters Co-Living-Space and created a vision for a sustainable, competitive social brand. After flying to Guatemala to shot the crowdfunding video themselves, they recruited a global team of 20+ fashion, design & startup-experts to bootstrap the company until the crowdfunding campaign.
The high-quality jackets are completely unique and personalizable with a patch of a person’s individual Mayan guardian spirit stitched on the inside. 10% of product revenues will go back to Guatemala via KINAM’s social projects, to create opportunities for the impoverished indigenous Mayan tribes. The fabric of every KINAM jacket is handwoven in ancient tradition by Maya-descendant artisans in Guatemala, masterfully created over several weeks per garment. The handweaving technique is passed down through the Mayan communities over generations to their children, to preserve traditions and tell the stories of their ancestors via the artful textile.
Despite the invaluable cultural treasures of the past, the majority of Mayan descendants in Guatemala has to live of only a few dollars per day. This situation is originating from a lack of education and missing job opportunities, as well as a limited access to the global markets. These circumstances have been the reason for many Mayan descendants to flee the country as part of the often mentioned refugee “caravan” moving from Central America to the southern border of the US. When Oshko Meija Spiegeler, who comes from German/ Mayan family, learned about this situation, he started creating the first concept of KINAM to help the Mayan communities. When he accidentally met one of his co-founders Nicolas Reitmeier at Quarters Co-Living in Berlin in 2018, they clicked in the first moments and shortly after decided to build KINAM together as an integrated social brand intended to support the Mayan communities.
The business model will help the Mayans regain control of their destiny by providing indigenous tribes opportunities for stable jobs, small-business ownership and education programs that will strengthen local communities. KINAM wants its jackets to be a symbol for conscious consumption and sustainable production, a positive alternative to today’s fast-fashion trends. The brand wants to serve as a role model for future social impact organizations by sharing best practices and training young entrepreneurs. Thereby, the company hopes to kick off an exponential improvement process, not only for the Mayans but for the startup and fashion industry as a whole.
Making the world a better place, one jacket at a time.
Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/embed/bKoiJi4pJOU


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Sony may be wildly known as one of the biggest manufacturers of electronics but the company sure had few things up its sleeves before it shocked tech people at the CES 2020 by introducing an electric-powered concept car dubbed ‘Vision S’. From what we gathered, the vehicle is designed as a prototype, showing off the sensors and in-car entertainment technologies of the company.
The electronics giant, Sony, has dazzled tech attendees at the CES 2020 with its new electric concept car
The Sony Vision S comes fitted with an ultra-wide panoramic screen, positioned at the flank of the dashboard for entertainment and driving information. So far, the company is yet to indicate whether it has any plan for public sales or not.
>>> Are you curious about: How will the future dashboard look like?
While revealing information about this newly unveiled concept car, the chief executive of Sony, Kenichiro Yoshida, disclosed:
"We will accelerate our efforts to contribute to the future of mobility,"
The event was also graced by the Technalysis Research member, Bob O’Donnell, who had his say:
"It was quite a shock to be honest with you," he told the BBC. "It highlights how the company is reinventing itself."
The Vision S's sensing technology is one of the most remarkable features, which is capable of detecting and recognizing the occupants, hereby allowing them to control the entertainment systems through gestures.
The Vision S prototype offers a sensing tech that detects occupants and offers them gesture control of the entertainment systems
Sony has installed a total of 33 sensors in the Vision S prototype. Also from what we learned, the manufacturer has created very strong image sensors capable of analyzing the road ahead of the car.
Video: Sony Vision-S hands-on at CES 2020
>>> Future technology: This N970k car paint can heal scratches itself
O’Donnell made it known that such impressive innovative technology will aid assisted-driving systems in cars that will be manufactured in the future. By so doing, it will assist the driver when to adjust the steering or apply brakes while allowing the owner to make most decisions.
Sony's Technalysis Research member added:
"Assisted driving could be as useful, in fact, in some ways even more useful than autonomous driving,"


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Earlier this week, Bethesda finally confirmed the Fallout 4 release for PS4, Xbox One and PC. The game, which is years in the making, now takes its rightful place amongst the year’s most anticipated video games. With that and E3 2015 in mind, we take a look at everything you need to know right now about the Fallout 4 release and release date.
Its been nearly seven years since Bethesda released its critically acclaimed addition to the Fallout series. Fallout 3 was released in 2008 and in the years since, fans of the series have craved a successor to one of the games that blew the door wide open for open-world adventure games. Fallout: New Vegas was an excellent title though it isn’t considered a true sequel to Fallout 3.
Fallout 4 rumors have been flying around since 2012 and up until this week, Bethesda’s long rumored game was simply that, a rumor. Earlier this week, Bethesda finally came to life and teased an announcement that would end up being the signs of life that fans of the Fallout series had been waiting for.
The Fallout 4 release is confirmed thanks to an epic trailer that Bethesda Softworks released to hold fans over until the company is able to make its grand reveal in just a few short days.
Bestheda’s Fallout 4 trailer revealed a number of key details including the setting and some of the game’s main characters. We’ve also seen a number of other details emerge including clues regarding the Fallout 4 release date. We expect to hear a whole lot more about the Fallout 4 release in just a few short days but today, we want to take a look at everything we learned this week and everything else you need to know about this big AAA title.
Fallout 4 at E3 2015
The Fallout 4 teaser released this week was only the first course. The main course will be coming at E3 2015 in Los Angeles when Bethesda takes the stage for its first big press conference at E3. This is a huge moment for the company that’s known for a variety of games including the Elder Scrolls series.
Bethesda’s press conference will be live streamed on June 14th so that fans of the Fallout series and those interested in it for the first time will be able to see all of the announcements unfold in real time. Bethesda’s E3 2015 press conference starts at 6:30PM PST which means that those of you on the east coast of the United States will have to stay up late to catch the day’s big reveal.
Fallout 4 Release Date
Bethesda’s Fallout 4 trailer was epic but it was extremely light on the details. Namely, the Fallout 4 release date that gamers have been waiting for for seven years. We expect those details to emerge on June 14th but in the meantime, here’s what we know about the Fallout 4 release date.
Amazon and GameStop are both showing December 31st, 2015 placeholder release dates. The game won’t be released on New Years Eve but the fact that they have the game listed in 2015 is certainly interesting. And then there are these two details that provide some clarity.
A user on NeoGaf posted promotional materials for the Australian release at EBGames and the image clearly states that the Fallout 4 release date will land in 2015.
The second clue comes from Bethesda’s own website. At one point, the website listed the Fallout 4 release date as “TBA 2015.” The release date is now listed as TBA.
So, while nothing is certain, all signs point to a Fallout 4 2015 release date. If that’s the case, then we wouldn’t expect it to arrive until sometime just before the start of the holiday shopping season so Bethesda can take advantage of the pull that those months of the year bring.
Fallout 4 Release: PC, Xbox One, PS4
Fallout 4 is confirmed for the PC, Xbox One and PS4. Ahead of the teaser reveal, source code from Bethesda’s website hinted at a release for Xbox 360 and PS3. It doesn’t look like that will be happening though.
All of the promotional material that we’ve seen only lists the three variants of the game and the Fallout 4 pre-orders that we live earlier this week do not include PS3 or Xbox 360 versions of the game.
In 2015, we’ve seen developers start to shift away from the last-generation consoles in favor of the PS4 and Xbox One and at this point, those who own a PS3 or Xbox 360 will probably want to temper expectations. We’re not expecting a Fallout 4 release for either system. Not this year, not ever.
Fallout 4 Pre-Orders Live
If you want to order Fallout 4 ahead of the big reveal at E3 2015, you are more than welcome to. Bethesda and its retail partners are currently taking early orders for all three versions of the game though there are a few caveats that you need to be aware of before you do.
Some retailers like Bethesda will charge your card right now for the game. Others, like Amazon, won’t charge your card until the game ships out.
Fallout 4 Deals
If you’re looking to order now or in the future, know that there are some Fallout 4 deals out there.
GameSpot recently tracked down an offer from Green Man Gaming that chopped the PC Fallout 4 price down to a mere $46 ahead of its release. Green Man Gaming is well known for offering deals on PC games ahead of time so that’s a place to keep an eye on if you’re planning to buy the game.
Best Buy is also offering 20% off the Fallout 4 price to those who are part of its Gamers Club Unlocked program. The program is worth a look if you plan on buying a ton of titles, including Fallout 4, later this year.
Best Buy’s Gamers Club Unlocked program costs $30 for two years making it a sound investment for those that buy or pre-order tons of games.
Fallout 4 Boston
Bethesda hasn’t said too much about the plot or the gameplay but we and many others were able to glean some important details from the game’s first trailer.
In the buildup to the reveal, Fallout 4 rumors hinted at a Boston setting for the game. Fallout 3 took place in and around Washington D.C. so the move to another big city on the east coast made a whole lot of sense.
The Fallout 4 teaser confirmed Boston to be the game’s setting thanks to a series of landmarks that should be recognizable to anyone familiar with the Boston area.
The trailer features the Bunker Hill Monument, the Massachusetts State House, the Paul Revere statue, Fenway Park, and the remnants of the USS Constitution. We also get a glimpse of what appears to be a massive wasteland outside of the city itself.
Fallout 4 Characters
The trailer’s also confirmed several characters and potential enemies. In it, we see The Vault Dweller who is the main protagonist from the first game. In Fallout 3, Bethesda allowed you to customize the looks of your character and we might see the same here in Fallout 4.
Dogmeat is a dog that’s appeared in every single numbered Fallout game (Fallout 1, Fallout 2, Fallout 3) and the trailer shows a dog companion that’s probably Fallout 4’s version of Dogmeat.
Fans of the Fallout series will also spot the Mysterious Stranger, a Deathclaw, Mister Handy the robot who appears inside of a home, a Protectron robot, a robot eye that appears to be from the Enclave, and Feral Ghouls who featured prominently in Fallout 3.
These are only a few of the characters that are expected to emerge.
In the trailer, we’ve spotted a Nuka Cola machine, Power Armor that’s presumably from the Brotherhood of Steel, a laser rifle and a number of other weapons, Vault 111, and comic books that were used as skill boosts in Fallout 3. In other words, it looks like there will be a lot of continuity between the two games. Some things never change.
If none of this makes any sense to you, we suggest taking a look at the extensive Fallout wiki. It offers a mind-boggling number of details about Fallout lore and it’s a quick way to catchup ahead of the event.
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Franklin Templeton has appointed Joe Marassa to the newly created role of head of marketing for its Australian business, as part of the firm's push into the retail market.
Based in Sydney, Marassa will focus on the delivery and execution of the overall marketing and communications strategy for Franklin Templeton's Australian business with a major focus on broadening the firm's local brand presence.
The appointment is part of the ongoing expansion of Franklin Templeton's business in Australia and follows several other key appointments announced in recent months, part of the firm's plans to extend further into the retail market.
Marassa has more than 15 years' financial services experience across both the institutional and retail market segments, having previously held senior marketing roles at Colonial First State, Commonwealth Bank and most recently, as head of marketing for ING Investment Management.
"Franklin Templeton is pleased to announce Joe's addition to our growing business in Australia," said Franklin Templeton Investments Australia managing director Maria Wilton.
"This appointment is another important step in our broader plans to expand our distribution and marketing efforts and Joe's diverse background and experience across both the institutional and retail markets will prove valuable to the delivery of our strategy," she said.


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If you are looking to achieve long-term capital appreciation, then growth stocks are the way to go. Dividend stocks can offer you less volatility and perhaps more stability in cash flow, but you just won’t see the same returns as you would with stocks that focus on growing and reinvesting in their operations and that don’t distribute out cash to shareholders.
For that reason, I’ve identified three high-growth stocks below that are already up 20% to start the year and could still have a lot of room to grow. These would be great additions to your portfolio that you can hold for years.
Shopify Inc. (TSX:SHOP)(NYSE:SHOP) could see tremendous upside this year, as it continues to grow its sales and expand its reach to more vendors around the world. While the knock on the company is that it’s still unable to turn a profit, investors will be attracted to its top-line growth.
In just two years, Shopify’s sales have more than tripled, and just last year sales were up 73%. Although the company’s rate of growth has started to slow down, if Shopify sees a similar rate of increase in 2018, then it will break through $1 billion in sales, which is a big plateau for a company that, in 2013, had only $50 million in sales.
Investors will be paying a premium for the stock, as it trades at 13 times its book value and more than 20 times its sales in the last 12 months. However, Shopify is quickly becoming one of the top stocks on the TSX and has even received praise from a high-profile CEO south of the border.
In the past year, Shopify’s stock has risen more than 50%, and that is after a big sell-off happened earlier this year when it peaked at over $200 a share. Year to date, the stock price has increased 20%.
North American Palladium Ltd. (TSX:PDL) is another high-flying stock on the TSX, as its share price has nearly doubled in the past 12 months and, year to date, it is up already more than 40%. For investors that are unfamiliar, palladium is found in car exhaust systems, and demand for palladium has been on the rise as car sales continue to increase.
Although palladium has come down from the highs it reached earlier in the year, at nearly $1,000 per ounce, it is still up ~40% in the past five years. The commodity price is a big reason North American Palladium has enjoyed significant success lately and why it could continue to grow.
Stars Group Inc. (TSX:TSGI)(NASDAQ:TSG) is another stock that could earn you significant capital appreciation in the years to come. The company behind the PokerStars brand continues to build on its growth and with another couple of acquisitions already under its belt for 2018, Stars Group is setting up its top line to be even stronger and more diversified in the years to come.
Since 2014, the company’s sales have more than doubled, and it has also been able to turn a healthy profit in each of the past three years. The stock has attracted a lot of hype recently, as the share price has grown 80% in the past 12 months, while year to date it has risen nearly 50%.


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MONTPELIER, Vt, (WCAX) Green Mountain Power and Tesla announced a new program this week. It offers a way for customers to get solar and battery storage for a monthly cost. But the utility is also facing questions from regulators about its close relationship with Tesla, and some groups are crying foul.
Solar panels and two Powerwall batteries — all for an electric bill for $150 to $200 a month. “It really is a game-changer,” said GMP CEO Mary Powell. That’s the new pilot program offering from GMP and Tesla this week — the first of its kind in the country. “It’s bundling it all in a subscription pricing model that makes it really affordable.”
But this newest partnership with Tesla comes as GMP is under scrutiny from state regulators about whether its Powerwall projects are the best option for all ratepayers. The utility wants to expand a different Powerwall pilot program and lease 500 customers two Tesla batteries for $55 a month. But it has raised questions about whether GMP should be offering that service or whether it should be up to third parties.
“We’re in the midst of an unprecedented transformation of our energy landscape and so there are many things that are having to be re-thought,” said Public Service Commisioner June Tierny.
The Department of Public Service asked the Public Utility Commission to review the program. Tierney say it’s not because they think there’s any wrongdoing, but they want to make sure the Powerwall program is cost-effective, consistent with state policy and helping meet energy goals. Because if it doesn’t work as planned, GMP’s ratepayers might shoulder the burden.
“It is our job to ask: ‘Good, if you’re doing this, but is the right risk allocation being observed,'” Tierny said.
Critics at Renewable Energy Vermont filed a letter requesting an investigation. The group’s Olivia Campbell Andersen says implementing this program would kill competition. “You have a foreign, investor-owned monopoly utility picking the product, picking the price and effectively eliminating customer choices,” she said.
Andersen says they’re also concerned that GMP, not the customer, owns the batteries. “The consumer needs to be protected and the ratepayers need to be protected and so that’s why it’s really important that we look at this proposal in fine detail and make sure that it’s good for everyone,” she said.
GMP argues it already has programs that allow people to use other battery options and intend to include 500 customers…


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In recent times, demand for a rare Chinese bowls is unbelievable. Just a couple of days ago, a rare, 1000-year-old Chinese bowl bought for $3 from a garage sale in the U.S. sold for $2.225 million at Sotheby’s fine Chinese ceramics and works of art auction. Now, one more Chinese bowl, although this time it’s about ruby red version with a lotus pattern broke the world record for Chinese Kangxi ceramics on April 8, when was sold for HK$74 million ($9.5 million) at the Sotheby’s Hong Kong Spring sale of fine Chinese ceramics and works of art.
This small, 11-centimeter bowl made in 18-century Chinese imperial workshops was sold to prominent Hong Kong ceramics dealer William Chak of Chak’s Co. Ltd., who paid more than 140 times the price paid three decades ago in a sign of surging demand.
According to Nicholas Chow, a Sotheby’s ceramics expert, the bowl is in “absolutely perfect condition.” Falangcai of the Kangxi reign are among the rarest and most dazzling ceramic wares of the Qing dynasty. This one bowl is believed to be one of the earliest examples of an imperial ceramic that incorporated Western enameling techniques.
This falangcai “Double Lotus” bowl first appeared at auction in 1983 at Sotheby’s fetching HK$528,000 ($67,700) at the time. It then changed hands at a Christie’s sale in 1999 for HK$12 million ($1.54 million). Chak bid at both auctions for the bowl but never won until now.
Now that he has bid on the bowl successfully, Mr. Chak intends to resell it in five years’ time. “I don’t think there is a bubble for these kinds of big items,” he said. “In five years, the price will be up.”


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Yahoo board ousted Chief Executive Carol Bartz on Tuesday after growing impatient with the lack of a turnaround at the once-highflying Web company.
The move was abrupt, amid a raft of competitive and strategic challenges facing Yahoo. Ms. Bartz, 62 years old, was informed of the board's decision by phone and wasn't expecting the change, said a person familiar with the matter.
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