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The future of the Thermomix is about the size of a cigarette box. “So Vorwerk is final digital,” says Rainer Genes, personally liable partner of Vorwerk. The white box connects the Thermomix to the Internet.
For users it is possible to load recipes from the associated online portal on the display of the food processor. Then, the machine performs its built navigation through the preparation. “Cook-Key calls” Vorwerk small transmitter which is attached to the side of the current Thermomix model TM5.
Over the past 132 years of company history, the Wuppertal-based family has woven carpets, vacuum cleaner mounted and at times even had kitchens and prefabricated houses on offer. But never, business was so good as now, where thanks to the Thermomix sales record will be broken after the next.
place Especially in Germany the food processor hotcakes. Were this country in 2014 to around 200,000 units sold, there were last year already twice as many. This also affects the total sales of Vorwerk from which grew within four years by around one billion to around 3.5 billion euros.
The Miracle of the Wupper
Now Vorwerk will digitize its products continue to extrapolate the miracle of the Wupper. For this purpose, the company as the US company Apple slowly turn from a pure PND manufacturer towards a group integrating its physical products into digital ecosystem.
Similarly, the iPhone tries Vorwerk, a world to his equipment around to develop. At Apple there for the App Store, where users can download small programs.
Vorwerk one gropes in similar areas before. Apps there are naturally long for the Thermomix and also successful Kobold vacuum cleaner. The robotic vacuum cleaner Vorwerk can remotely thanks App, the Thermomix can be so far at least save recipes and create shopping lists.
cooking pit-delivery service provides Thermomix recipes
Now Vorwerk combines not only the Thermomix with the Internet, but working with the start-up Hello Fresh also suitably tailored to his products. The Berliner cooking pit-delivery service, is involved in the Vorwerk, has for days specially tailored to the Thermomix recipes, which are then sent to customers including portioned ingredients. Until you test the possibilities, say the Vorwerk manager, but you see great potential in the region
What the Wuppertal for future planning can be imagine if one takes a look at the other investments. So Vorwerk supports start-up Gestigon which specializes in gesture control. Quite possible that Thermomix and Kobold are eventually serviced by sign language.
In Wuppertal you are anyway convinced of being able to continue the growth story of the Thermomix. For the first time we therefore dare to the huge US market. Here the Thermomix counselors should in future give first living around San Francisco around health conscious and high-income people the advantages of the device at the live cooking. For more distant regions, there will be events via video service Skype. “The already do many other companies so”, says the personally liable company Frank van Oers,
While we are delighted about the rapid growth “for us it would be a first.” – This year is the Thermomix down sales by another 20 to 25 percent – could be at the same time the food processor for Vorwerk blessing and a curse. Because similar to Apple, whose iPhone has also broken a sales record after another, the product of Vorwerk is increasingly important.
This dependence increases. 2014 the proportion of the Thermomix in total sales was 33 percent, in 2015 there were already 39 percent. If the development continues, the company could soon realize every second euro with the food processor, especially as the price was last increased. Since April it costs 1199 euros, before that there were around 100 euros less. With the introduction of the Cook Key he would for those who also order him again expensive at around 100 euros.
Australian wants to hurt food processor have
As long as things go well, this is no problem for Vorwerk. Should allegations as true in Australia, where a Licensees claimed to have suffered through the Thermomix serious burns, had Vorwerk a problem. The larger the numbers, the harder would carry weight a recall. So far, the allegations seem however not be confirmed.
Another problem for Vorwerk, that each new product is measured at the TM5. The sale of cordless tools Twercs who presented Vorwerk summer so far seems to be running similarly depressed as with Apple selling the computer clock Apple Watch. This could never build on the success of the iPhone. Also Vorwerk adopt buttoned at Twercs-sales figures, but one is satisfied.
Currently, however, the CEO optimistic about further Thermomix sales. “Until there is a saturation of the market, it will take,” said Frank van Oers. In some cities in southern Germany the Thermomix was indeed already present in relatively many households. Overall, it did not even give the device but every tenth household in Germany. “We think that the Thermomix could easily stand in 15 percent of households,” says van Oers. With 40 million households in Germany, six million devices would – currently there are around two million. There are for the Thermomix saleswomen is still much to do


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WATCH: What lies ahead for Sasol
Sasol CEO designate Fleetwood Grobler and CFO Paul Victor talk to Business Day TV
After two delays, Sasol released its annual numbers, adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (ebitda) fell 9%.
The results were placed on hold to investigate cost overruns at its flagship Lake Charles project, which will now cost the company as much as R190bn — double the original budget — making it Sasol’s single largest capital expenditure item.
CEO designate Fleetwood Grobler and CFO Paul Victor joined Business Day TV to discuss what this means for the company.
Or listen to the full audio:

domain: news


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MTS has launched a new offer that provides on-net (MTS to MTS) local calling for its customers in Maharashtra & Goa on purchase of a color handset worth just Rs. 699. They have also announced new data offers for the customers in the circle.
The customers who purchase MTS colour handset for Rs 699 would get free MTS to MTS local calls for one year. Customers who gets MBlaze connection, can recharge it with Rs 498 to get 5GB free data for a month.
They have also launched special students offer for students. The students who gets MBlaze connection, can recharge it with Rs.1002 and get free data of 10GB for a month. They would also get 50% additional value on all future recharges throughout the year. These offers will be available in across Maharashtra & Goa (excluding Mumbai).


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Burger King received a slap on the wrist Wednesday from a UK regulator for a May tweet that appeared to encourage milkshaking — the act of flinging frappes at unloved politicians.
The Advertising Standards Authority described the now-deleted chirp as “irresponsible” and said it “must not appear again in its current form.”
The fast food chain tweeted May 18: “Dear people of Scotland. We’re selling milkshakes all weekend. Have fun. Love BK.”
A day earlier, police in Scotland had asked McDonald’s to stall its sales of shakes over concerns Nigel Farage, the lightning-rod leader of the Brexit Party, would get hit with one amid a flurry of milkshaking incidents.
A protestor went on to milkshake Farage in England on May 20, nailing the politician at point-blank range on the streets of Newcastle. The ice cream assailant used a banana-caramel shake from Five Guys.
The ASA said in its ruling, “We considered that the ad was likely to be seen as a reference to the recent incidents of 'milkshaking’ political figures."
“Although we acknowledged that the tweet may have been intended as a humorous response to the suspension of milkshake sales by the advertiser’s competitor,” the ASA added, “in the context in which it appeared we considered it would be understood as suggesting that Burger King milkshakes could be used instead by people to ‘milkshake’ Nigel Farage.”
After Farage got soaked in May, he unloaded on his security detail.
“A complete failure," Farage said. “You could have spotted that a mile off.”


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High-tech devices meet low-tech smuggling methods in China, consumers won’t be replaying iTunes movies anytime soon, and how do Apple’s computers boot up? Not so fast, says one company. The remainders for Monday, August 8, 2011 don’t drop their cargo at the first sign of an Imperial starship.
Flying Smuggled iPad In The Air (Video) (M.I.C. Gadget)
Smuggling of any sort can be dangerous business, what with customs agents and lengthy prison terms, but some folks in China have come up with a creative new solution: a very long zipline. Because prices are often lower in Hong Kong than in mainland China, these enterprising folks shot a zipline across the river separating the former British colony from the city of Shenzhen, then sent iPads and iPhones across in bags during the night. However, law enforcement personnel cracked the scheme, as it turns out that they too had attended summer camp.
Apple’s rumored ‘Replay’ service a ways off (CNet)
If you were holding your breath for the imminent announcement of Apple’s supposed “Replay” service, dear god, let it out: It may be a while before the rumored feature shows up—if it ever does. According to CNet, at least four of the big six movie studios have yet to sign on. And something tells me that Apple wouldn’t be too psyched about announcing a service whose marquee launch title is Transmorphers.
Spotify’s U.S. Score So Far: 1.4 Million Users, 175,000 Paying Customers (All Things D)
Though it only launched in the U.S. last month, Spotify has apparently already racked up 1.4 million users stateside. Of those, 175,000 have handed over their hard-earned money to the company, a conversion rate of around 12.5 percent. Not too shabby, but according to my local hipster source, what’s totally in these days is listening to pure static.
Apple Sued over Fast Booting in OS X with a Patent linked to LG Electronics (Patently Apple)
What, you thought we could go a single day without a news item from the patent arena? Think again. Florida-based Operating Systems Solutions—who, in all likelihood, have never produced a single operating system solution ever—are suing Apple over OS X’s fast-booting feature. Operating Systems Solutions acquired the patent from LG Electronics, who clearly in turn acquired it from me, because I totally had the idea of a computer that turns on quickly years ago.
Google+ 18.104.22.1686 – The latest update to the iOS client for Google’s social-networking service brings settings for Huddle, aggregated notifications for when you’re added to a circle, performance and stability enhancements, and support for the iPod touch and iPad (though there’s no native interface for the latter). Free.
Find My iPhone 1.2.1 – Version 1.2.1 of Apple’s utility for locating your iOS device adds various stability improvements. Free.
BBEdit 10 – Version 10 of Bare Bones Software’s text-editor is now available in the Mac App Store. $40.
Stuf 2 – Version 2 of The Escapers’ clipboard enhancement utility for Mac OS X has been rewritten for Lion and Windows 7. Users can now copy and paste items between Macs and Windows PCs over a network. $17 for each platform; upgrade from Stuf 1 for free.


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It’s been nearly two years since Gov. Steve Sisolak ordered the temporary shutdown of casinos and other nonessential businesses on March 17, 2020 – an announcement Vladi Bergman vividly remembers.
Bergman, founder and CEO of jewelry and home décor store Karma and Luck, said he had to lay off nearly 90 percent of his staff and nearly close all of his eight stores for good. But Bergman quickly saw an opportunity, and it’s now paying off.
“We did a huge switch from brick-and-mortar to e-commerce and our e-commerce business grew like 1,000 percent,” Bergman said. out, bringing them to our warehouse, then bringing models in to shoot the product. We had millions of dollars in inventory that was sitting there so we put everything online and we sold it. ”
Bergman said the switch is what spurred the company to open its first brick-and-mortar store outside of Nevada. It opened a location at The Galleria mall in Houston, Texas, in December 2021, and he has plans to open two more in New York this month, followed by a shop in Los Angeles and Miami.
“We were never aggressive online before and that opportunity (during the pandemic) was basically for us to introduce Karma and Luck around the world and that’s exactly what we did – a very aggressive customer acquisition while people were sitting at home,” Bergman said.
He also said federal relief programs for small businesses, such as the Paycheck Protection Program and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, added an extra layer of support, keeping Karma and Luck from permanently closing its doors.
“Without the government support, I’m not sure we would have stayed in business,” he said. “Shopping centers were not giving you a discount (on rent). Our luck was we got the PPP and EIDL funding, but we also took advantage of growing the online business. ”
Shopping from home
Online sales soared during the pandemic as many stores remained temporarily closed or operated under capacity restrictions.
Online and other non-store sales grew 21.9 percent to $ 969.4 billion in 2020, according to the National Retail Federation. It forecasted 2021 online and non-store sales grew between 18 percent and 23 percent to a range of $ 1.09 trillion to $ 1.13 trillion, though it’s releasing final estimates this week.
Meanwhile, research firm Forrester says in-store sales will still surpass online sales despite a large portion of consumers hitting the virtual checkout since 2020. It anticipates 72 percent of retail sales will be in physical stores in 2024, noting that even during the pandemic “ consumers have shown that they will continue to shop in the store when they feel it is a viable option. ”
Analysts including those from Forrester and the National Retail Federation emphasize in-store shopping will outpace online shopping because customers prefer the experience of seeing and touching a product. And with the recent lifting of mask mandates and easing of travel restrictions, Bergman’s retail expansion appears to be well-timed.
Bringing cultures together
Since 2015, Karma and Luck has built a brand around helping customers connect to different cultures through jewelry and home décor for men and women as well as their pets.
Items, which are blessed by a singing bowl, are themed around spirituality. For example, Karma and Luck offers stone bracelets with an evil eye symbol meant to deflect negativity.
Its popular trees, known as Tree of Life, has gemstones for leaves and an agate stone base. The tree comes with a card for customers to write down their dreams or goals as well as a feng shui energy map. Depending on the color of the tree’s gemstones it can offer metaphysical properties such as protection or health, Bergman said.
Prices range from $ 15 for a bronze evil eye cat collar charm to $ 579 for a 14-inch-tall aquamarine Tree of Life. Materials are sourced from countries such as India, Brazil, Thailand and Bali.
“One of our advantages is we’re a very strong gifting brand,” Bergman said. “I’m trying to be a leading gifting brand that offers something different – with a little more meaning.”
He also noted the company is planning to launch a green bracelet; for every sale, the company will plant a tree in Madagascar. It’s similar to its red string bracelet, with sales benefiting charities such as Three Square in Las Vegas and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Bergman said the focus on Karma and Luck’s online business has meant a healthier split between its retail and online sales. He said 65 percent of its sales are from online compared to about 10 percent before the pandemic.
It’s also given the company an ability to see where its customers are located, which helped it decide to open its first store outside of Nevada in Houston.
“The store is doing better than our Vegas locations,” Bergman said. “We knew Karma and Luck had huge fans in Houston because we were shipping there, but we always thought Vegas was the gold mine because there’s huge foot traffic and also a variety. of demographics. ”
He’s now considering opening a location in Austin.
Bergman was quick to add that the number one state for its online sales was Nevada. He quipped that it’s “not the most spiritual place probably in the United States” but credits Karma and Luck’s hometown popularity to its longtime presence in the Las Vegas Valley.
“That’s why we believe our retail brick-and-mortar stores will drive online sales from each region,” he said.
While the company is sticking to tourist destinations such as Los Angeles and Miami for its initial expansion plans, the ultimate goal is to make Karma and Luck a global brand.
“It was always the vision to make it a worldwide brand,” he said. “We do not have a target audience because our audience is everyone. Everyone needs karma and luck. ”
Contact Subrina Hudson at firstname.lastname@example.org or 702-383-0340. Follow @SubrinaH on Twitter.


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Check out the companies making headlines before Friday's bell:
H&R Block — The tax-preparation firm reported adjusted quarterly profit of $3.16 per share, 1 cent above estimates. Revenue was very slightly above estimates, and the company also announced a 10-percent dividend increase to 22 cents per share. Block also said it was intensifying its focus on stemming client losses and lowering its costs.
Urban Outfitters — Urban Outfitters said current quarter comparable-store sales are falling by a "mid single-digit" percentage. That projection — coming in an SEC filing — compares to consensus analyst forecasts for a 1.1-percent increase in comparable sales.
Mattress Firm — Mattress Firm lost an adjusted 10 cents per share for its latest quarter, 6 cents wider than estimates, while the mattress seller's revenue also came up short of forecasts. The company also issued weaker-than-expected current-quarter and full-year guidance, due in part to costs related to rebranding stores acquired through acquisitions.
Tesla — Tesla is under scrutiny on news that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is examining suspension issues related to Tesla's Model S. For its part, Tesla said NHTSA had not opened any investigation. The electric-car maker maintains that there are no safety defects in either the Model S or Model X.
Mobileye, Delphi Automotive — The two automotive stocks were rated "overweight" in new coverage at Piper Jaffray. The firm feels the two companies have the best opportunity to benefit from automation and connectivity technologies taking hold in the auto industry.
Amazon.com — William Blair began coverage on the online retailer with an "outperform" rating, based in large part on the potential growth of the company's Amazon Web Services business.
Applied Materials — The maker of semiconductor manufacturing equipment announced a new $2 billion share repurchase program, which will replace a completed $3 billion repurchase.
Viacom — Sumner Redstone-controlled National Amusements is recruiting potential new board members, according to The Wall Street Journal. That follows the ouster of Viacom Chairman and CEO Philippe Dauman and Viacom board member George Abrams.
Twitter — Twitter is attracting fewer social media ad campaigns than Facebook's Instagram service, according to a new survey done by Comcast unit Strata. That's the first time Instagram has pulled ahead of Twitter in that category.
Yahoo — Yahoo is set to put together a shortlist of bidders for its core internet assets, according to Reuters, following second round bids from Verizon, AT&T and others. CNBC's David Faber reported Thursday that Verizon's $3.5 billion-plus bid was topped by a number of other offers.
Medtronic — Medtronic won a $1.4-billion dispute versus the Internal Revenue Service, receiving a favorable U.S. tax court ruling in a battle over how much the medical device maker's profits should be taxed by Puerto Rico and how much should be subject to normal U.S. corporate tax rates.
Supervalu — Supervalu amended its planned spinoff of no-frills chain Save-A-Lot. Supervalu shareholders will own about 60 percent of Save-A-Lot, down from the originally planned 80 percent. The supermarket chain itself will hold about 40 percent, but will sell enough shares within two years to lower its stake to about 20 percent.
Wendy's — Wendy's discovered a second case of malware at its payment terminals. The restaurant chain said the number of locations affected by malware is now "significantly higher" than the 300 previously reported. The malicious software resulted in fraudulent charges on some credit and debit cards that had been legitimately used at Wendy's restaurants.


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HYGIENE chemical specialist Christeyns has launched a new technology in the UK to help professional laundries reduce fresh water consumption.
In a joint venture with engineering company Veride, HydRO technology is expected to play a vital role in in decreasing the environmental impact of industrial washing and contribute to lower water-related costs for customers.
Typically four to ten litres of water is used per kg of linen in an industrial laundry setting. HydRO can reduce fresh water consumption by at least 80 per cent. In combination with effective rainwater collection, the technology enables the reduction of fresh water consumption to only 0.5 litre per kg of linen.
“Empowering our customers to massively reduce their water consumption and effluent bills, to save energy and reduce their CO2 impact significantly, that’s what this partnership with Veride is all about,” said Alain Bostoen, CEO of Christeyns.
The joint venture offers a modular system for water recovery, treatment and recycling, collecting polluted streams of wastewater from the washhouse to purify and reuse it.
It involves a closed-loop water supply reclaiming at least 80 per cent of the process water and transforming it into fresh water with all substances such as micro-plastics, heavy metals and bacteria filtered out.
“As water recycling presents a huge opportunity for the laundry industry, we need to redefine water management for sustainable growth. We look forward to offering our customers this new technology which will have a positive impact across all aspects of their business,” added Christeyns UK engineering manager Peter Jackson.
The new water-saving system is a plug-and-play solution delivered in container units customised to target wastewater quantity.
The HydRO technology makes all additional treatment such as iron removal, softening, reverse osmosis and wastewater treatment obsolete. In addition, a heat-exchanger is no longer required as the reclaimed water has a temperature of 40°C.
HydRO is the latest addition to Christeyns’ engineering portfolio, driving innovation in the laundry sector across the UK and Ireland.
The technology has already been implemented in more than ten industrial laundries in Europe and is now available in the UK.
Belgian firm Veride and Christeyns co-own the brand, each having a 50 per cent stake.
Christeyns is a Belgian manufacturer of cleaning and disinfection products for laundries, the food industry, cleaning companies and the medical sector. The company was founded in 1946 and has been owned by the Bostoen family since 1989.
The UK head office is located in Bradford. Christeyns UK includes cleaning chemicals specialist Cole & Wilson, Oscrete construction products, Clover Chemicals and Food Hygiene.


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IF YOU THINK shopping is tedious, try juggling 200,000 products in a Walmart. Not literally, of course, but somehow keeping the shelves stocked over an area of tens of thousands of square feet.Read more
You may have seen stores deploy shelf-scanning robots before, but they’re about to get one of their largest real-world tests to date.Read more
Amazon’s blimps will have company in the sky, according to a new patent revealing that Walmart too wants to develop the aircraft.
The discount retail giant has been granted a patent for ‘gas-filled carrier aircrafts’ that would serve as airborne bases for fleets of delivery drones.Read more


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Sprint Providing Mobile Web Service to Ford
March 27, 2009
Under an agreement with Sprint, Ford will provide an in-dashboard PC with Internet connectivity using Sprint's Nationwide Mobile Broadband Network in its 2009 F-series and E-series vehicles within a few weeks. Later this year, Ford Transit Connect vehicles will also have the service.
"This solution suite will empower organizations to continue to work hard while also working smart," said Keith Dardis, a Sprint regional vice president. "We will provide our mutual customers with a competitive edge, unparalleled productivity and cost savings, and the opportunity to do their part to 'drive green.'"
My first reaction when seeing this was, "Wow, Internet radio on the road!" However, the applications mentioned in the Sprint press release are all business related. Entertainment is not mentioned and it doesn't sound like the PC will be connected to the vehicle's sound system. The dashboard PC is expected to cost about $1,200. Monthly Internet access will cost $49.99 per month.
As a side note, watch your monthly data usage if you use your mobile broadband connection for streaming video or audio. While Verizon dropped its prohibition on downloading video or audio and even VoIP, depending on the plan, the monthly bandwidth is limited to 50 MB, or for $20 more, 5 GB. Sprint's terms and conditions state Sprint reserves the right to "limit throughput speeds or the amount of data transferred; and to deny, terminate, modify or disconnect or suspend service if usage either exceeds (a.) 5GB/month in total, unless specified otherwise or (b) 300 MB/month while off-network roaming." In short, don't expect today's wireless Internet to replace TV and radio broadcasting!


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Staff Report/Colorado Community Media
For a fourth year, Colorado Community Media is proud to produce the Holiday Craft Show and Mini-Market at the Douglas County Fairgrounds.
While still recovering from the pandemic in 2021, the show had about 60 vendors. The 2022 show, to be held on Saturday, Nov. 26 and Sunday, Nov. 27 is completely different, showing the region is ready for family events. The show has booked more than 100 vendors who are ready to sale homemade crafts, unique holiday gifts, food and more.
As an added plus in the 2022 show, Santa Claus will be visiting with local youth between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 26.
Event Producer Thelma Grimes said CCM is excited to bring the show back during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Not only are families really kicking holiday shopping into high gear, but it is also a great place to come and spend time with family and friends during the holiday weekend.
Admission to the annual event is free.


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During the pandemic, the closure of restaurants meant the loss of jobs.
But now that they’ve reopened some are busier than ever and now in a shortage of workers to keep up with the demand.
It’s been one challenge after another for the hospitality industry but more relief is on the way.
Samantha York tells us what restaurant owners need to know.
“It’s definitely still an uphill climb”
More relief on the way for restaurants
“It’s a lifeline”
Registration is open for the restaurant revitalization fund the latest effort under president Joe Biden’s American rescue plan and applications begin Monday.
“I think it’s going to be helpful to the smaller businesses and then there’s other set asides for the program to really try to target the family owned businesses the small entrepreneur or the organization that maybe has two or
three restaurants but not huge change throughout the country”
28.6 billion dollars in direct relief funds is up for grabs for restaurants and others in the hospitality industry who’ve been hit hard during the pandemic.
“25, 50, Now 75 percent so they’re still not back at 100% capacity and every table that’s empty that’s arguably a loss of revenue”
The US Small Business Administration is offering the support to those experiencing economic distress and operational losses from shutdowns and limited capacity in the past year vowing to provide them with funding equal to their
pandemic related revenue loss up to “ten million dollars per business.
“The way it impacted our local community the tourist industry that’s a huge bulk of all the restaurants business you know and we rely on solid business seven days a week all of us”
It’s prioritizing small businesses as the first 21 days of the program is focused on getting support to businesses owned by women, veterans and socially or economically disadvantaged individuals.
“It’s a great thing to have somebody who can put you first in line for once instead of last”


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Copying music for personal use is now legal in the UK – 13 years after Apple’s iTunes introduced its CD-ripping function.
Until now it’s been regarded as piracy to make copies of tracks for backup purposes, or for use on another listening platform. The Intellectual Property Act, which came into force yesterday, has changed that.
Users are now able to keep multiple copies of material they’ve purchased – but they’re not allowed to keep those copies if they sell on the original item they bought. It remains illegal to record streamed music or copy a rented title. Sellers remain able to secure material with DRM software.
Minister for Intellectual Property Baroness Neville-Rolfe tells the BBC: “These changes are to bring our laws into the 21st century. They mean that the UK is now responsive to the modern business environment, and more flexible for consumers.”
But analyst Alice Enders notes that content creators aren’t being offered compensation for legal copying – while in other parts of Europe a levy is charged on blank media and media players, as a form of royalty.
Enders says: “Content owners will become more concerned. They don’t want their works to be copied without compensation – they want to sell it, rent it to you or get you on a subscription. No money comes from a copy.”


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It’s official! A local law passed by the Albany County Legislature in May to end the sale of tobacco in pharmacies and stores that contain a pharmacy was signed by Albany County Executive Dan McCoy late last week and will become law in 90 days.
Implementation of this new law will decrease the number of tobacco retailers in Albany County by 10%, eliminate the mixed messages to consumers about the dangers of tobacco products, and make it easier for smokers to quit and for pharmacists to promote health. Thank you, Albany County, for putting health first.
Read more in the Times Union or on WRGB.


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Google has said that it has tested the productivity of remote teams and on-site teams and found no difference in performance.
This deserves to be highlighted, as many companies hesitate to embrace remote work out of fear it will impact performance. Even if its a 1:1 for google, it makes a huge impact on the quality of life its workers experience.
Google doesn’t want its engineers in local coffee shops hooking up with others from other companies and plotting a Google-killer. The more it can keep its people company men and company women – the better.
The better for stockholders of Google.


text: Have a thirst for local liquor? Tom’s Town, the first legal distillery to open since Prohibition, opened last week in Crossroads. In addition to producing vodka, gin and bourbon, the distillery offers tours, a tasting room and event space. Founders Steve Revare and David Epstein drew inspiration from some of the most colorful characters of Prohibition-era Kansas City. In fact, the distillery and its spirits are named after Kansas City’s most corrupt political bosses, including Tom Pendergast – the namesake of Tom’s Town.


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Consumption of processed meat increases the risk of early death, cancer and cardiovascular disease. Not only sausages and frankfurters, but also the apparently less harmless cured meats and red meat of equine, bovine, pork and sheep origin contribute, even more if consumed habitually and in excess, to compromise the health of those who choose to bring these foods on the own table.
Don't store avocado like this: it's dangerous
The consumption of processed meat increases risk of death early, of cancer and to contract cardiovascular diseases. Not only sausages and wurstel, but also the apparently less harmless cured meats and the Red meat from equine, bovine, porcine and ovine contribute, even more if consumed habitually and in excess, to compromise the health of those who choose to bring these foods to their table.
This is what emerged in the course of a large European study, conducted for a period of 13 years and which involved over 400 thousand individuals from 10 different countries. The research in question was conducted by experts from the University of Zurich and has seen its publication in the pages of the scientific journal BMC Magazine.
Experts have shown that the largest consumers of processed meat presented a 44% higher risk of dying prematurely compared to those who limited themselves to a low consumption of the same. A high consumption of processed meats led to a 11% increase in cancer risk and a 72% risk of contracting heart disease.
In the opinion of the researchers, if each individual decides to consume no more than 20 grams per day of processed meats - including ham and sausages - 3% of premature deaths could be avoided. This is what was underlined by the authors of the study, who worked under the guidance of Professor Sabine Rohrmann. The risks identified by the researchers would rise in step with the level of consumption of these foods and would be linked to the excessive content of saturated fats e sale of the same.
Red meat: Doubles the risk of heart attacks, diabetes and cancer
La Red meat serious health hazard
You know what's inside a Hot dog?
Nutrition: the 10 foods that are enemies of the heart


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When Apple launched the Apple AirTags in 2021, it was another fancy accessory from the brand. Fast forward to 2023, Apple’s rival Google is reportedly developing a tracker to compete against Apple AirTag. The AirTags were quite helpful for users to track their wallets, keys, luggage and more. One has to admit that trackers got popular after Apple launched them. The ultra-wideband (UWB) connectivity in the Pixel 6 Pro and 7 Pro can lock or unlock a luxury car or share files with friends. It seems like Google wants to expand the UWB capability.
Compared to Bluetooth, UWB would help with accurate distance estimation and showing directions to the devices with UWB. Famous blogger Mishaal Rahman tipped the news of Google developing its tracker. Later, quoting his tweet, popular Pixel tipster Kuba Wojciechowski reveals that it will feature the codename grogu. Google is expanding its Fast Pair to support a new product type with a locator tag. Many shreds of evidence have pointed out that Google is working on a distributed tracking network similar to Apple AirTags.
Since Google has been improving the Find My Device feature, the new tag would come with Finder Network branding. The device with the codename grogu or groguaudio, or GR10 would be developed by Team Nest. However, it won’t launch under the Nest branding. It would get support for UWB and Bluetooth Low Energy. The tipster adds that it would be available in different colour options and have a speaker for alerts. The product launch may take place along with the upcoming Pixel 8 series at the I/O event.


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Walden Green to host Ladies Night Out fundraiser
Jul 21, 2015 at 11:24 AM
More than two-dozen local artists, crafters and home businesses will be showcased during the shopping event. There will also be a coffee house, raffle and classroom donation jars to help raise money for the Teachers’ Development Fund.
This event at the school, 17339 Roosevelt Road in Ferrysburg, is free to the public. For more information, call the school at 842-4523.


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As Pakistan’s Esports industry grew, NGES approached Realme and encouraged them to join in, host an Esports competition for young people, and promote their smartphone line. Following a constructive discussion, Realme and NGES agreed to organize the Realme PUBG Gaming Championship, an online PUBG tournament.
This was the first PUBG tournament NGES conducted that had a significant brand presence. Casual, as well as Esports players from around the country, signed up for the competition. In three online qualifiers in January 2020, competitors fought ferociously for the opportunity to be crowned champions. The tournament was streamed live on Realme’s social channels.
NGES was in charge of all the league operations for the tournament, managing registrations, matches, and all the necessary functions of an Esports Agency. Moreover, NGES also broadcasted the whole event on Youtube and other social networks.
250+ teams registered for the PUBG tournament. We saw some intense battles at the Grand Finale of the Realme Gaming Championship as squads went head to head against each other in competitive battles. Big teams like R3D, i8 Esports, and QWERTY participated in the tournament.
i8 Esports won the PUBG Championship in a spectacular demeanor and won Realme flagship gaming phones.
The Realme Gaming Championship winners and NGES received formal invitations to the Lahore Realme Launch Event. The winners received cash prizes and Realme gaming phones. The CEO of Next Generation Esports, Ozair Ahmed, was also invited to the stage to receive a Realme smartphone as a token of appreciation at the Launch Event.
Explore more of these kinds of events here.


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Twitter updates app for Android and iPhone
Now both apps got bak the the swipe shortcut which allows users to reply, share and retweets quickly without leaving their own timeline.
The updated iPhone and Android apps also both introduce a feature designed to expedite the process of finding friends on Twitter via existing email and phone contact lists.
Twitter has made some changes in user iterface and design for iPhone app. It has updated the design of the direct messages. Users can also mark all messages as unread by tapping a checkmark in the lower righthand corner. There is also an option to change the font size. iPhone users can also activate. Twitter has also added a read-it-later option to save links within tweets for delayed gratification.


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Wall Street bonuses are back big time – giving Wall Streeters average bonuses 38 percent bigger than a typical New Yorker’s entire year of pay.
A whopping $10.7 billion will flow from the handful of Wall Street firms into the pockets of their employees – with thousands of brokers getting bonuses in excess of $1 million each.
In a boost of 25 percent over last year, employees at financial services firms are receiving year-end bonuses averaging $66,800, said New York State Comptroller Alan Hevesi.
“That is more than the average annual salary of a person working in New York City outside of the financial industry, which was about $48,500 in 2002,” said Hevesi.
But he said he’s delighted to see the money hitting the city’s economy. The tax coffers of the state are expected to pick up about $805.2 million from it, and the city will collect about $182.5 million.
The extra billions are also a welcome windfall for luxury goods sellers along Madison Avenue, as well as Porsche dealerships, yacht salesmen, high-end apartment brokers and fancy restaurants.
“Yes, the one-month wait for reservations at certain restaurants is back,” said Tim Zagat, publisher of the Zagat Survey. “For the first time in three years, restaurant business is picking up – so much so that it’s now become hard again to get into the popular places.”
Star-studded eatery Nobu in TriBeCa had been easy to get seated in during the recent slump. “Now they’re back to one-month waits for reservations, if they answer the phone at all,” Zagat said.
Wall Street’s cash has also turned couples’ searches for bigger apartments into bitter bidding duels with strangers.
“The extra third bedroom that everybody wants now costs an extra $1 million, and there’s a lot of bidding wars over it,” said Pam Liebman, CEO of the Corcoran Group, broker of high-end apartments. “It’s just crazy out there – people are being outbid all over the place.”
“The Wall Street bonuses are bringing in more buyers in at the last minute, and they’re causing aggressive bidding and a shortage of inventory,” she added.
Experts say that Wall Streeters who already have homes are plowing their extra money into extravagances to upgrade them, such as luxury spas, bigger pools and elaborate security systems.
“There’s an upgrading frenzy in the hearth and home,” said Ken Patton, dean of New York University’s Real Estate Institute.
“People have wanted more comfort after 9/11, and now the money’s there for their impulses,” Patton said.
Wall Streeters are taking home 25 percent more in bonuses than in 2002 – an average $66,800 each. Some things they’re buying:
* Shares in private jets
* Meals at pricey restaurants
* Sports cars and yachts
* Real estate and home upgrades


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iPhoneUI v0.2a Released
Member chabbe11‘s iPhoneUI has been recently introduced to the site as an iPhone-style shell for Windows Mobile 6.0+ phones, and has just been updated to version 0.2a.
The shell is designed principally for use with the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1, although it should work perfectly with any phone of WVGA resolution. It mirrors the iPhone’s simplistic SpringBoard app-launching screen, multiple homescreens, toggle buttons for WiFi and Bluetooth and its ‘slide to unlock’ feature, while still allowing you to enjoy your favourite Windows Mobile applications. According to the developer, iPhoneUI uses a mere 6.5 MB of RAM.
You’ll need to install .NET CF v3.5 to run the shell – downloads of both are available in the application thread.
Want something on the XDA Portal? Send us a tip!
In a not entirely surprising move, Google announced that it's putting an end to SMS notifications for Google calendar as of June 27th. They stated earlier, "SMS notifications for Google Calendar launched before smartphones were available. Now in a world with smartphones and notifications, you can get richer, more reliable experience on your mobile device, even offline". Google Drive for Work, Google Apps for Work (paid edition), Education and Government customers will not be affected by these changes and can continue using...
One year ago, Google introduced cardboard. Amazingly enough, that was all it took to fire up the Virtual Reality scene on Android, and what began as an open design concept exploded into thousands of apps and dozens of headsets from big and small vendors alike. Now, there are more than 1 million cardboard viewers/handsets - a Google-quoted number that might not even be accurate given the ease with which headsets can be rigged through off-the-shelf equipment. This year, cardboard returned...
Android M preview images are available. That and much more news is covered by Jordan when he reviews all the important stories from this week. Included in this week's news is the announcement of Google's Project Tango going on sale and be sure to check out the article talking about Google's Roboto font going open source. That's not all that's covered in today's video! Jordan talks about the other videos released this week on XDA TV. XDA TV Producer TK...


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Jaguar Land Rover to celebrate 50 years of James Bond at 2012 Paris Motor Show
Last Updated at
- 11:03 am, September 20, 2012
JLR stand will showcase the Defender driven by Agent Eve in the upcoming James Bond movie, Skyfall; to hit cinemas in India on 2 November.
Jaguar Land Rover is gearing up to celebrate 50 year of James Bond at the upcoming 2012 Paris Motor Show this month, by showcasing one of the Land Rover Defenders used in upcoming Bond movie, Skyfall. The Double Cab Pick Up, driven in the opening sequence by field agent Eve - played by Naomie Harris - will be showcased on the Land Rover stand in Paris from 28 September.
The Hollywood action flick that will be released in India on 2 November 2012 features a total of 77 vehicles in the movie, including the Land Rover Defender, Range Rover and the Jaguar XJ. These high-end cars were used for on-screen shoots as well as production support vehicles.
Alongside Daniel Craig as James Bond, the cast includes; Dame Judi Dench, Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes, Bérénice Marlohe, Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw and Albert Finney.
Speaking at Pinewood Studios where Bond was filmed, Co-Producer Andrew Noakes, a veteran of 11 James Bond films, said; “Bond is quintessentially British and Jaguar and Land Rover are two of the most established and globally recognised British brands, so it was a natural step for us to involve them in the film. “
Global brand director for Land Rover John Edwards said, “Land Rover is extremely proud to be associated with the new James Bond film SKYFALL. The iconic Land Rover Defender is recognised around the world for its rugged appeal and the Range Rover is the pinnacle of SUV luxury and capability. Both vehicles are renowned as examples of excellence in British design and engineering.”
Adrian Hallmark, global brand Director for Jaguar said, “The Jaguar XJ is the most advanced technological vehicle that Jaguar currently produces. Constructed out of aluminium, its chassis is lightweight yet immensely strong allowing the car to blend responsive handling with effortless cruising over long distances. The XJ benefits from the very latest generation of entertainment and comfort technologies, and together with its award winning design, creating a unique combination of luxury, technology and performance which is unparalleled.”
First Published on 11:03 am, September 20, 2012
- BMW reveals 5-Series facelift; adds new entry-level diesel variant
- Volkswagen CrossBlue and CrossBlue coupe to be made in China
- Gran Turismo 6 announced
- Skoda plans to discontinue Fabia
- Scoop: Upcoming BMW 2 Series caught undisguised


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Category: Ningbo Business
Published: Tuesday, 17 January 2017 08:36
With less than half a month until the Spring Festival, year-end bonus naturally became the top concern of “nine-to-fivers”. A survey into the annual bonus of white-collar workers was derived from the Ningbo website of Zhaopin, a Chinese employment agency, in Jan. 12th. According to it, the average amount white-collar workers in Ningbo received is Rmb6,812. Of all the respondents, 46.2% said that they could get a bonus while another 15.4% were told their bonus had been delayed until after the New Year holiday.
Payouts also varied substantially with 19.8% getting less than Rmb1,000. Workers whose bonuses were between Rmb5,001 and Rmb10,000 occupied the largest proportion, reaching 31.6%. Besides, those with a bonus of Rmb1,001- 5,000 and Rmb10,001- 20,000 accounted for 28.9% and 15.5% respectively. And there were 4.2% claiming over Rmb20,000 income.
A high-tech firm in the High-tech Zone of Ningbo offered a huge bonus to its employers. “The company has showed excellent performance in 2017, totaling 0.5 billion in revenue. So the fruit of its development should be shared by all.” However, in another foreign trade company, employee Liu Pingping voiced her concern about her year-end bonus: “The general situation of the company in 2017 is quite stern. I suppose even though there were bonuses, they would be symbolic, without carrying much value.”
Read more: Ningbo White-collar Workers Get...
Category: Ningbo Business
Published: Wednesday, 21 December 2016 06:05
The 2016 Ningbo Production & Sales Fair for Agricultural Products, sponsored by Ningbo Commission of Commerce and hosted by Yinzhou District Business Bureau, was held at the Universe Intime City on the afternoon of December 16. A total of 72 agricultural product suppliers attended the fair to promote the local agricultural products, bringing about great benefits for such food purchasers as supermarkets, vegetable distribution companies, agricultural products e-commerce platforms and catering businesses as well as the ordinary residents.
Reportedly, the air covers an area of about 5500 square meters with 100 standard exhibition booths. To the convenience of the consumers, the fair is divided into four exhibition blocks, respectively for eggs, husbandry, aquatic products, and vegetables & fruits.
According to a person in charge from Ningbo Commission of Commerce, the fair aims to resolve the conflicts between production and purchase and realize the tripartite wins. Purchasers can choose the suitable procurement channels in line with their own needs and greatly reduce the procurement costs, suppliers can get timely market feedback and optimize their production structure to promote the O2O sales, while consumers can purchase the quality agricultural products at a more reasonable price for the coming Spring Festival.


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A&W now serves only antibiotic-free pork
Food in CanadaFood In Canada Sustainability Meat &Poultry A&W antibiotic-free bacon pork sausage
The Canadian quick-service restaurant chain’s bacon, sausage links and sausage patties are now all from pork raised without the use of antibiotics
North Vancouver-based A&W Food Services of Canada Inc. has announced that all of its pork products – including bacon, sausage links and sausage patties – are now from pork that is raised without the use of antibiotics. This follows on the heels of an announcement earlier this year, in February, that all of the bacon served at A&W would be made from pork raised without antibiotics. According to the company, this makes A&W the first North American restaurant chain to serve only pork raised without the use of antibiotics.
“Mornings can be hard, and A&W wants to make them a little easier,” says Susan Senecal, president and Chief Operating Officer, A&W. “At A&W, we love good food, and are on a mission to improve our menu and serve food that ‘fast foodies’ can feel good about.”
The launch of the chain’s “Pork Guarantee” is A&W’s next step in its “Ingredients Guarantee,” which it refers to as “a journey to source simple, great-tasting ingredients, farmed with care.” This journey launched three years ago, and has seen A&W make a number of changes: the chain was the first national quick service burger restaurant in Canada to serve beef raised without the use of added hormones or steroids in 2013; chicken raised without the use of antibiotics and eggs from hens fed a vegetarian diet without animal by-products in 2014; and organic, Fair Trade coffee in 2015.
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According to the IAB UK, with research conducted by strategy consultancy MTM, 28% of all UK display advertising spend went through programmatic channels in 2013. Programmatic direct accounted for 15% of total spend, while programatic exchanges (RTB) accounted for another 13%.
IAB UK expects programmatic to rise to account for 47% of the total display market by the end of 2014, which would represent a 68% growth rate year-over-year. The report notes that programmatic could reach 60-75% of total digital display advertising by 2017.
Sean Hargrave did a great rundown of what the rise of programmatic in the UK could mean for agencies in the London Blog, theorizing that programmatic could take “ad men out of agencies” and “into the cloud.” That question exists in the U.S. too.
But while the expected rise of programmatic spending in the UK presents a potentially sticky situation for some agencies, it could spell opportunity for others, owing to the fact that 25% of European marketers haven’t ever heard of programmatic. (Keep in mind that the 25% figure refers to all of Europe, while the new report projecting spend growth refers to the UK only, which is ahead of other European countries in terms of programmatic adoption.)
If the UK digital ad market is to be 60-75% programmatic by 2017, however, it means that the marketers who have yet to hear of programmatic will be joining the fray. That’s where one opportunity awaits agencies that have already established programmatic methods.
Another opportunity for agencies lies in the fact that more publishers will come on board with programmatic in response to rising demand. Currently, under half (48%) of publishers in Europe are using programmatic to sell, per a recent AppNexus, Warc and IAB Europe report. (Again, the 48% figure refers to all of Europe, not just the UK.)
The fact that more publishers will be turning toward programmatic is significant because it’s likely the publishers will want to go the “programmatic direct” route with at least some of their inventory, meaning that some form of direct relationships will be necessary. As the IAB UK report shows, more spend in 2013 was via programmatic direct than RTB exchanges. This is where agencies can use existing relationships to their advantage.
“Programmatic has risen primarily because of the efficiencies it provides marketers when faced with an overwhelming level of digital inventory and audience fragmentation,” stated Tim Elkington, director of research and strategy at IAB UK. “It’s likely to grow even faster as the market becomes more experienced using programmatic, has a greater understanding of how it works, and is properly educated around the negative perceptions associated with programmatic trading.”
I know I mixed and matched two different reports to theorize -- one for Europe and one for the UK exclusively -- but the point remains the same, even if the UK is ahead of the curve. The expected rise in programmatic spend means more marketers and publishers will come on board, which presents opportunities for everyone in the industry. How those opportunities unfold remains to be seen.


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The Nationwide Marketing Group buying group announced at its Las Vegas-held PrimeTime meeting this week that it would begin offering a private-label TV brand called BEA (for Broad Electronics America) that will be exclusive to Nationwide members.
Doug Wrede, vice president of Consumer Electronics for Nationwide, characterized the product line to Dealerscope as being positioned as members’ “opening price point in TVs.” A group statement said the line “solidifies Tier 3 strategy” for membership.
The line, which will be distributed and fulfilled through a partnership with O’Rourke Sales, does not include “smart” TVs but will include 4K models in screen sizes from 40 to 65 inches and non-4K models in 32-to-40-inch screen sizes.
The brand, with sales and marketing facilities in Minnesota, is 100 percent factory-owned, and customer support will be 100 percent U.S.-based.
Attached to the BEA line will be a one-year “field-scrap” policy that will enable direct replacement for any defective products. Wrede pointed out that this unique policy removes “the complexity of return logistics… freeing up more time for dealers to run their businesses on the front lines.”
BEA executives include Lee Schoenfeld, president, and Al Levene, vice president of sales. Schoenfeld, in an introductory video shown to members, stated, “We have no designs on becoming a Tier One brand. Our line is in opening price points, high-value products and high-value service.” In a statement, he emphasized that the fact that the sets are being made in BEA’s own factory “means that all the TVs… are produced to our own rigid quality standards... We believe this winning strategy is one that provides control for Independents, while also providing the lowest possible acquisition cost and top-shelf customer care support.”
Products are slated to begin shipping in mid-August in time for the holiday selling season.


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From The Bookseller:
With the levelling off of e-book sales, many have begun to wonder whether the book publishing industry will be spared the kinds of disruption experienced by other sectors of the media industries. But the digital transformation of the book publishing industry was never fundamentally about e-books anyway: e-books turned out to be just another format by which publishers could deliver their content to readers, not the game-changer that many thought (or feared) it would be. The big question that the digital revolution posed to book publishers is just as pressing today as it was a decade ago: it’s the question of how publishers understand who their ‘customers’ are, and how they relate to and interact with them.
For most of the 500-year history of the book publishing industry, publishers understood their customers to be retailers: publishers were a B2B business, selling books to retailers, and they knew very little about the ultimate customers of their books, the readers. The digital revolution has forced publishers to think again about this model and to consider whether there might be something to be gained by becoming more reader-centric. This fundamental shift in publishers’ self-understanding is likely to be one of the most significant and enduring consequences of the digital revolution in publishing.
But how does a publisher actually become more reader-centric? Over the last decade or so, many publishers have come to realize that one of the most effective ways to make their businesses more reader-centric is to build their own dedicated databases of readers so that they can interact directly with readers via email. Building a customer database can be a slow and laborious process, but with focus and creativity, a publisher can grow a list remarkably quickly: one senior manager I interviewed at a large US trade publisher explained that they had decided to build a customer database in a particular area of their publishing programme and, using a combination of paid ads, partnerships and sweepstakes, they succeeded in getting half a million people to sign up in the first year alone. Having these email addresses and customer information in your own database is much more effective than relying on social media and gives you much more control, as you are not reliant on the algorithms of social media companies to determine which posts get fed through to people’s news feeds. Moreover, with emails to readers, you can get a much higher level of engagement than with many other retail goods, in part because many readers have an emotional connection with authors whose books they enjoy and they want to know more about any new books written by their favourite authors. The benchmark for email open rates is 20%, but the open rate for emails relating to books by brand-name authors can be as high as 60%.
But it’s not just mainstream pubishers who are using digital technologies to establish direct relationships with readers: some start-ups on the margins of the publishing field have taken this much further and are pioneering new kinds of publishing that integrate reader input into their decision-making processes. One example that will be familiar to many in the publishing world are the crowdfunding publishers, Unbound in the UK and Inkshares in the US. While many people think of crowdfunding as an innovative way of raising capital (and it is), the real genius of crowdfunding is that it is an audience-building machine. The crowdfunding model means that every new author brings a few hundred new readers into the system – their friends and family members and the people who have a particular interest in the book they’re proposing to write, and the book goes ahead only when enough readers have pledged their support for the project. Crowdfunding models like Unbound and Inkshares are creating a new kind of relationship between authors and readers in which readers are not simply the buyers of books but, rather, their co-creators. At the same time, they are building networks of engaged readers that enable them to capture customer data rather than leaving it for Amazon to hoover up. By using crowdfunding to create a system of reader curation, they are turning the traditional model of publishing on its head.
. . . .
The real opportunity that the digital revolution opens up for publishers is that, for the first time in the long history of the book, it is now possible for publishers to do something they could never do before: build direct channels of communication with readers and do it at scale. This is a central feature of the digital transformation in publishing, and those publishers that succeed in making their businesses more reader-centric, learning not just how to market more effectively to readers but how to listen to them too, are likely to be the ones that will ride the wave of the digital revolution most successfully in the years to come.
Link to the rest at The Bookseller
Leveling off of ebook sales? Email lists? Reader-centric? Crowdfunding?
PG is certain that the author of the OP (and the book shown below), an Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the University of Cambridge is an intelligent and probably likeable guy, but PG was a bit surprised while reading the OP that The Bookseller (and, presumably, its readers) will think that anything described is actually new information or insight about the book business these days.
A bit of ebook history for those who may not know or remember it:
- While ebooks predated Amazon ebooks, for all intents and purposes, as a meaningful segment of publishing, ebooks didn’t exist until Amazon started selling ebooks and inexpensive ebook readers. (Widespread adoption of small digital screens on phones definitely helped as well.)
- As a classic example of Clayton Christensen’s Innovator’s Dilemma, the creative executives and companies that drove the dynamism, growth and profitability of print publishing, bookstores, newspapers and magazines during the second half of the twentieth century didn’t understand how important electronic media would become and how quickly electronics, including digital electronics and digital networks, would replace print as a means of written communication to audiences large and small.
- Jeff Bezos moved to Bellevue, Washington, rented a house with a garage and became entranced with the potential of web commerce in 1995. He decided that books were a great product to sell online because of the large worldwide demand for literature, the low unit price for books, and the huge number of titles available in print. That decision started a business that would upend the business empires of the great publishers of New York, then move on to disrupt traditional bookselling and publishing around the developed world.
- At the same time Amazon was going public in 1997, Barnes & Noble sued the company, claiming it wasn’t the the world’s largest bookstore, but was, instead, a book broker. Bezos settled out of court and kept going.
- Barnes & Noble CEO Leonard Riggio would have been much smarter to use the money he paid his lawyers to buy Amazon stock because $100,000 invested in Amazon on the day it went public would have been worth more than $120 million as of May 2020.
- Sometime in the summer of 2009, executives at the highest levels of Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin and Simon & Schuster started meeting secretly in the private dining room of a Manhattan restaurant to develop a strategy to prevent Amazon and other ebook retailers selling their ebooks at a discount from list price.
- At the time, these five publishers were producing 48% of the ebooks sold in the United States.
- In December, 2009, Apple’s senior VP of Internet Software and Services contacted these New York publishers to set up secret meetings for the purpose of discussing ebook pricing.
- Apple planned to unveil the iPad on January 27, 2010, and start shipping iPads in April. As part of the launch, Apple wanted to announce its new iBookstore that would include ebooks from the major publishers.
- The Apple VP told the five publishers that Apple would sell the majority of e-books for prices between $9.99 and $14.99, with new releases being $12.99 to $14.99, substantially more than Amazon was charging.
- Apple planned to use the same “agency” model which it used in its App Store for distribution of e-books. Apple would be a sales agent and the Publishers would control the price of their e-books in the iBookstore. Publishers would pay Apple a 30% commission on each sale.
- Apple didn’t want Amazon to be able to sell ebooks at a lower price. The agreement between Apple and each of the big publishers would include a so-called “most-favored-nation” or “MFN” clause which allowed for Apple to sell e-book at its competitors’ lowest price. If the big publishers allowed Amazon to discount prices, Apple could discount them an equal amount and take its 30% commission from that price.
- The Big Publishers concluded that, if Amazon didn’t play ball, their ebook customers would simply buy iPads and buy their ebooks at the iBookstore. Finally, there was a powerful enough tech company to take on Amazon in the ebook game.
- On the day of the iPad launch and the announcement of the iBookstore, including an announcement of Apple’s ebook pricing, a Wall Street Journal reporter asked Apple CEO Steve Jobs why people would pay $14.99 for a book in the iBookstore when they could purchase it for $9.99 from Amazon. Jobs replied that “The price will be the same… Publishers are actually withholding their books from Amazon because they are not happy.”
- This public statement expressed the terms of the agreement. The big publishers, acting in concert, would jointly force Amazon to increase its e-book prices with the threat to cut off Amazon’s ebook supply. If Amazon refused to increase prices, Apple would be the only place to buy ebooks from the major publishers that controlled most of the book marked. If Amazon knuckled under and raised its prices, Apple would face no price competition.
- The United States Justice Department and 31 states filed suit against Apple and the five conspiring publishers for violating longstanding US antitrust laws. Three of the publishers settled the claims on the date the suit was filed, admitting they had violated the law. The other two publishers settled the case prior to trial, also admitting wrongdoing.
- News reports stated that the publishing executives had not consulted their own attorneys about whether their actions were legal or not. (PG notes that any law student who had completed more than three weeks of a one-semester law school antitrust course would have known that this scheme was a clear-cut violation of the law. No legal gray areas available for this hot mess.)
- After a trial, Apple was found to have wrongfully violated US antitrust laws. Apple appealed the decision as far as it could go and lost. Apple was forced to pay $450 million in damages for its wrongful actions.
And the OP describes ebooks as “the wave of digital revolution” as if this is new information.
PG believes that no one would dispute that Amazon is by far the largest outlet for independently-published ebooks anywhere in the world. Amazon does not break out indie ebook sales in its own accounting reports.
Veteran publishing consultant, Mike Shatzkin, estimated that, between 2011 and 2013, self-published books grew from nothing to almost 30% of the book units sold in the US. This growth coincided with a period during which ebook sales also increased rapidly.
The Alliance of Independent Authors estimated that in 2016, in the US, fewer than 1200 trade-published authors who debuted in the last ten years earned $25,000 a year or more, compared to over 1,600 indie authors who earned $25,000 per year or more.
In 2020, ALLi reported that 8% its members had sold more than 50,000 books in the prior two years.
An Enders Analysis in 2016 found that 40% of the top-selling ebooks on Amazon were self-published.
PG won’t say the ebook and indie revolutions are over, but will say that the trends of the last ten years have undeniably been moving towards more ebooks and more money for indie authors. Any industry statistics that limit themselves to ebooks sold by traditional publishers are missing the majority of the overall market.
PG further suggests that for most authors, indie or traditionally-published, a dozen legitimate positive reviews on Amazon are worth more than a signing at your local Barnes & Noble.
The author of the OP is promoting a book he recently published.


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In the June 2015 quarter, Page Industries, licensee of Jockey Underwear and Speedo in India and Sri Lanka, has registered 16 per cent year-on-year with a turnover of US $ 67.12 million. The growth, lowest since FY10, is being attributed to delay in new launches in the sports segment (19 per cent of revenues) and slowing growth in the men’s innerwear segment (60 per cent of revenues).
The women’s innerwear segment, however, has remained unaffected. Analysts though don’t seem to be too worried with Page’s strategy of increasing ‘premiumisation’, new product launches and re-launches across all segments. Page’s entry into swimwear category via Speedo products will enable it to diversify its revenues and better leverage its strong distribution network of about 30,000 retail outlets.


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Some people are complaining because they can no longer share music to their iOS devices, while others say the iCloud Music Library is making a mess of their local iTunes library.
A core component in the rumored next iPhone will be a new Qualcomm-developed LTE chip that doubles its maximum potential Web-connectivity speeds, according to a new report.
The search giant is under fire after its Photo app offensively mislabeled user's photos. It points to another challenge Silicon Valley companies have to face when developing next-gen tech: sensitivity.
The judgment prevents Microsoft from trademarking the Skype name and logo in Europe.
In projectors designed for both the cinema and at home, lasers are starting to replace traditional lamps as the light source of choice. This is potentially awesome. Here's why.
Though it feels too similar to last year's G3, the LG G4 is an excellent big-screen smartphone that will appeal to budding photographers, and has old-school features missing from rival flagships.
Technically Incorrect: Building on the principle of evolutionary convergence, an academic says it's likely that aliens will resemble us.
Alcatel, Huawei and ZTE are hoping that low prices for quality products will lure US consumers online.
Key sections of online community Reddit, including one of the site's most popular drawcards, "Ask Me Anything", are being pulled from public view in protest of the alleged firing of one its key administrators.
Which has the most apps? Which has the coolest features? Which one is the best? The most popular streamers all have their merits, so we'll help you decide which box is right for you.


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Chiquita Brands International Inc. became a jewel in Charlotte’s crown when it moved its headquarters from Cincinnati during the summer. But the banana shipper’s colorful chief executive, Fernando Aguirre, had a local shelf life only a little longer than the company’s primary product.
Chiquita (NYSE:CQB) boasts annual revenue of $3 billion, more than 21,000 employees and operations in nearly 70 countries. But revenue was falling, and the company had to cut jobs and take other steps to slash costs. After nine years with Chiquita, Aguirre left the company in October.
Replacing him as president and chief executive is Ed Lonergan, who was equipped with a list of banana-related terms to help him navigate his new industry. Before joining Chiquita, Lonergan had been CEO of a cleaning-products company and had earned kudos for engineering business turnarounds.
Aguirre was known for his outgoing personality and love of Twitter to share his thoughts about his new hometown. He enjoyed a warm reception in a city struggling with a sluggish economy, with Chiquita bringing 400 high-paying jobs and occupying much of the NASCAR Plaza office building.


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A simple narrative is taking over financial markets, especially the short end of the yield curve, where the idea that central banks are “behind the curve” is rapidly gaining traction. Initially, it was just the emerging markets that were hiking; now there is growing pressure on the RBA (whose yield control is looking increasingly shaky), the BoE (largely self-inflicted), the Fed and even the ECB (as if Jean-Claude Trichet were still around). Unexpectedly high and broadening global inflation is clearly a big part of this story, with many commentators increasingly blaming “excessively strong demand”. Central banks, spooked by the threat to their credibility (whatever that means), will raise interest rates in an effort to squeeze this excess demand out of the system. But the true inflation story is more complicated than this narrative implies. Sure, there is a demand element to it, but the problem is relative demand for goods versus services. And there is also a critical supply-side element – persistent COVID disruption, which, rather than diminishing, is now showing strong reflexivity. While it makes sense for central banks to sound hawkish – a sensible “risk-management” strategy – the situation does not warrant an urgent response.
Let’s look at these issues in more detail, starting with the relative demand shock. Since the start of the pandemic, consumers have shifted their spending from services (“experiences”) to goods (“stuff”). The classic example was buying home gym equipment rather than renewing your gym membership. Or buying a new TV rather than going to a concert. Everybody focuses on the situation in the US, which provides the most comprehensive and timely data, but these trends happened everywhere. Yes, policy support was a critical part of the story because without the stimulus of the last 19 months, we would be looking at a totally different inflation narrative – deflation and the risk of a persistent slump. But the idea that this was just about Americans spending their stimulus cheques on Chinese goods is a massive oversimplification. The problem is that these shifts in spending have not reversed as quickly/fully as everyone expected. Worse, consumers are bringing forward Christmas spending because they fear yearend shortages.
Over time, it is likely that spending habits will continue to shift back to pre-COVID norms. But until then, the current situation is compounding the pressures on global supply chains, which have not yet had the chance to recover from the dislocations they experienced at the start of the pandemic. Instead, a supply crunch that initially made it hard to secure specific items – luxury cars, toilet rolls, PlayStations – has morphed into a full-blown international crisis. In general, this supply-chain problem is threefold: (i) shortages of specific components (e.g., semi-conductors, magnesium for EV batteries, iPhone components and textiles); (ii) severe transport delays; and (iii) a shortage of workers in specific industries (e.g., truck drivers in the US, across Europe and even in Indonesia). Worse, we are seeing severe reflexivity, where the problems in one part of the supply chain cascade, amplifying the strains elsewhere. This is an example of the bullwhip effect, but it is happening on an unprecedented scale (as you might expect after the biggest decline and rebound in global GDP for 300 years). Supply chains have never been stressed like this before, and it is remarkable we have not had a total systemic collapse – yet!
The “shortages” angle is now widely recognized but rolling lockdowns in Asia, energy rationing in China and periodic bouts of extreme weather (the odd typhoon here and there) are making it only worse. When the system is operating at full capacity, there is no margin to absorb such problems. When European car producers cannot secure enough semiconductors, they have to halt production altogether, causing output and sales to plunge. The strains in the transport system are also well covered in the media, even if much of this coverage is US-centric. Everyone is aware of ships queueing outside Long Beach, but it is important to remember that almost 80% of ports around the world are suffering similar issues. Waiting times have increased at Felixstowe, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Hong Kong, Singapore and Shenzhen.
There are lots of different angles to the problems in global transport, but the key point is that they interact and amplify one another. Dockyards cannot unload product quickly enough, which causes traffic jams outside the ports. Truck drivers cannot make as many trips per day, which slashes their hourly wage; as a result, they look for work elsewhere – compounding the labour shortage. And as containers stack up in the docks, there is no capacity to unload ships, which further lengthens waiting times. Internationally, there is also an imbalance in the demand and supply of containers, making the whole system work less efficiently. Ships that took medical supplies and PPE to Africa and South America left their empty containers behind, while perverse price incentives encourage US ports to send empty containers back to Asia rather than move them inland to be re-used for US exports. Meanwhile, there are fewer passenger flights, which means more cargo has to travel by ocean. And when retailers over-order to ensure they have sufficient stock for Christmas, they keep those extra products in their original containers, which compounds the shortage elsewhere, widening the imbalance. The strains feed on one another.
How long will these issues persist? The consensus is assuming the situation will improve by the spring – the Chinese New Year is a key date, once we get past the busy Christmas period for the US and Europe. But, ultimately, the answer depends on how quickly consumers rotate back to services and whether those parts of the world that have been deploying a zero-COVID policy will need to continue using rolling lockdowns in 2022. While the problems could persist for longer, it is equally plausible that the situation could reverse faster than the consensus is assuming. Combine continued consumer substitution with a serious economic slump in China and a post-Christmas lull in transport (which allows supply chains to catch up – possibly overcompensate, if the bullwhip effect moves into reverse) and we could even see a quick deterioration in world trade and global industrial production. Since financial markets are always oversensitive to traded goods prices, this might even spark a new deflation scare in 2022.
Tighter monetary policy is not a solution to these problems, since this is not a story of aggregate demand being too strong. Rather, central banks should wait to allow the relative demand shock to unwind and let supply chains adjust. But it is clear they are worried that high inflation is beginning to undermine their credibility. Naturally, those central banks that are most insecure will strike first. But panicking now and bringing forward rate hikes would be a sign of monetary weakness, not strength.


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The round of rumors about the next-generation iPhone from Apple apparently has no signs of subsiding. At least until the device is actually released by the company. A recent report by iMore suggests that the next-generation iPhone will arrive some time in October this year, nearly a year after iPhone 4S launch. iMore also reports that the screen-size of the device will be 3.5-inch and that it will feature 4G LTE.
This report has come at the heels of another report which suggested that Apple was working on a 4.6-inch Retina display iPhone. Both reports disagree on the display size of the next-generation iPhone and neither can be condoned given that they are merely based on ‘inside sources.’
But the 4.6-inch display size has been disregarded by most analysts as a very unlikely shift by Apple. So a rumor about a 3.5-inch model does seem much more credible. Also, another claim in this latest report is that the upcoming iPhone will feature 4G LTE connectivity. Again, there are no surprises here and it is very likely since increasingly more and more users are demanding high-speed connectivity which 4G LTE can aptly provide.
Excitement about the next iPhone has gained traction in recent weeks, even since the new iPad was finally unveiled. Especially when the investment firm Barclays stated that Apple was in the process of reviewing components for the next iPhone, many users became intrigued. Barclays speculated that Apple may end up using Qualcomm’s ‘MDM9615’ LTE chip in the next iPhone. The distinctive character of this chip is that it supports both voice and data connections over 4G.


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- Reporter's Notebook: The Wal-Mart Phenomenon
Wal-Mart is America-s biggest company, and it has big plans for Southern California. Kenneth Stone, a professor of economics at Iowa State University who has studied the national big-box chain for twenty years, examines the "Wal-Mart phenomenon" and what it might mean for Southern California-s future.
For two days now, customers at Ralph-s, Vons, Pavilions and Albertsons have been met by picket lines, as United Food and Commercial Workers try to fight proposed cuts in wages and benefits. Some 70,000 workers are out at 850 stores from Central California to the Mexican border. The union approved the walkout overwhelmingly, and the Teamsters and other unions are in full support. Though wages are an immediate issue, the big one is heath care, which is causing labor strife for the MTA and other employers all over the country. We get different perspectives on the strike from a labor reporter, the head of the local UFCW and an economist from the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation.


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JOHANNESBURG, GAUTENG, ZA – Media OutReach – 8 September 2022 – The 2nd annual Digital Finance Africa is set to take place on the 22nd of September 2022, at The Maslow, Sandton, South Africa. The forum is hosted by IT News Africa, under the theme; Bridging the gap between the future and the present through digital solutions.
Following a successful 2021 event, #DFAfrica22 will bring together over 200 local and international BFSI industry leaders, fintech founders, industry regulators and technology service providers, to learn about cutting-edge innovations and engage in dynamic discussions addressing how finance is being redefined by technology.
This year’s Digital Finance Africa promises to be a success as it plans to address topics such as central bank digital currencies, RegTech, crypto payments, digital transformation and the cold war-like rivalry between Fintechs and banks.
Now, more than ever, we must come together and share our stories and find answers to our questions.
Key topics at the forum will include:
- Why the future of financial services is digital.
- How blockchain is rocking the financial world.
- FinTech vs. Banks – who is winning, or is it not a competition?
- How analytics beats intuition in customer service excellence.
- The pitfalls of digital transformation in Finance.
- Central Bank Digital Currencies: Challenges & Opportunities for the Financial Services Industry.
- Is South Africa ready for a digital currency, and the legal implications thereof?
Confirmed speakers for Digital Finance Africa 2022 include:
- Tracy Bolton, Chief Operating Officer at SAP.
- Tamara Mkula, Business Information Security Officer at Nedbank
- Abe Wakama, CEO at IT News Africa.
- Shem Kakembo, Managing Director at EFCUG, Uganda.
- Peter Neubauer, Chief Executive Officer at VIPASO, Austria.
- Magda Milas, President at Alice in Blockchains, Croatia.
- Moloti Nkune, Chief Information Officer at MICT SETA.
- Michelle Beetar, Vice President and Managing Director: MEA at FICO.
- Sandy Rheeder, CIO at Mukuru.
- Desiree Reddy, Director at Norton Rose Fulbright.
- Charles Mutigwe, Associate Professor, Business Information Systems at Western New England University, USA.
- Ahmed Ali Saleemi, Chief Operating Officer at AFT (Electronic Money Institute), Pakistan.
How to Participate:
Join as an attendee: Join local and international CxOs, line-of-business (LoB) executives as well as heads of innovation, technology and strategy to discuss the future of digital finance.
Join us as an exhibitor: Showcase your technology innovations, projects, and solutions. Put your organisation at the centre of this one-of-a-kind gathering. Find new partners, investors, leads, and opportunities.
Join as a sponsor: Showcase your brand and present your technology solutions to a select audience. Position your organisation at the forefront of digital finance.
For more information about this conference, visit: www.digitalfinanceafrica.com
[t]: +27 12 012 5801 [e]: [email protected]


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- New manufacturing facility for Philips Lumileds poised to drive industry demands for growth in LED lighting
- First manufacturing facility in Malaysia fully fitted with LED lighting and energy-efficient solutions to reduce carbon footprint and energy consumption
Bayan Lepas, Malaysia – Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) today officially opened its second Philips Lumileds high power LED production facility in Penang, Malaysia.
The opening was officiated by YB, Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department on behalf of Yang Amat Berhormat Dato' Sri Mohammad Najib Abdul Razak, Prime Minister of Malaysia and Frans van Houten, Chief Executive Officer of Royal Philips Electronics. This second manufacturing facility in Penang is part of Philips Lighting’s efforts to solidify its leadership position in the fast-growing power LED market.
"The Philips Lumileds facility expansion project was announced as an initiative within the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) in March 2011. The completion today is a reflection that Philips is truly a valuable business partner to Malaysia and I am confident that its business investment in Penang will bring us closer to achieving our 2020 goal to be a high-income nation in addition to being a globally competitive investment destination," said Malaysia's Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak1.
The 300,000 square-feet facility for high volume production of the Philips LUXEON LEDs became fully operational in May 2012. Philips LUXEON LEDs are used in city beautification lighting, LCD displays, camera flash on mobile phones, automotive lighting and various other applications. The state-of-the art facility also includes a research, development and design centre to help drive innovative solutions in LED lighting.
"Demand for new digital lighting applications is growing fast and we see very strong sales momentum of LED based Philips products and solutions, with year on year growth rates now exceeding 50 percent," said Frans van Houten, Chief Executive Officer of Royal Philips Electronics. "This new facility in Malaysia will substantially increase the production capacity of our LUXEON power LEDs, whilst strengthening our global leadership in this field, and allowing us to meet the increasing demands of LED lighting."
The Philips Lumileds facility is the first site in Malaysia to be fitted completely with LED lighting in its interior and exterior. The use of LED lighting within the facility will significantly help to reduce the facility’s carbon footprint, and will result in up to 50% savings from lower energy consumption.
Philips Lumileds has pledged to invest significantly in the development of skilled engineering talents in Penang. The facility will offer a well-rounded learning experience for its employees in the areas of education, leadership management, technological advances, and other essential skills that benefit them in their daily work and career," said Chooi Chin Leong, Managing Director of Philips Lumileds Lighting Malaysia." The international exposure working in a multi-disciplinary team for collaborative projects and solutions will further contribute to a generation of high-knowledge workers driving global lighting innovations out of Penang.
Lim Guan Eng, Chief Minster, Penang State2 said: "Today marks an important event for the LED Industry in Penang; a significant achievement for Philips, as we see the company's evolvement since 1972, from involvement in the assembly of core memories for mini computers as well as various LED display units to increased competencies under a 300,000 sqft innovative facility. As an industry, we need to continue working with private sectors to set standards, provide shared facilities and services, develop local supply chain, create awareness on locally-manufactured LEDs and more importantly, establishing Penang as a centre of excellence for science and technology through human capital development and training."
1 speech text read by YB Tan Sri Nor Mohamad Yakcop at the event.
2 speech text read by Dato’ Mansor Bin Othman, Deputy Chief Minster 1, Penang State at the event.


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Vegbred, a first of its kind 100% natural bread made with fresh sweet potato, has today secured a listing in Planet Organic, the UK’s largest fully certified organic supermarket. Vegbred is now available to purchase across seven Planet Organic stores throughout London, as well as directly from Vegbred.com
Demand for natural, ethically sourced, free-from food is growing rapidly and Vegbred is a perfect fit for Planet Organic’s “no to processed foods, no to hydrogenated fats, no to GM” mantra
With 31% of infrequent bread consumers switching to lower carb alternatives and the UK gluten-free market predicted to rise in value to £673 million by 2020[i], there is a clear gap in the market for a product like Vegbred.
With the mounting popularity of sweet potato fries on social media platforms such as Instagram, Vegbred is on trend with the changing taste-buds of the nation. With innovation at its core, Vegbred is a plant-powered, veg-packed and flavourful, totally unique product.
Founded by husband and wife team Jon and Kelly Barfoot in 2017, also known as the team behind the Boxxfresh brand, Vegbred was originally created as a healthy and tasty option in the weekly delivery service. Seeing a spike in demand for the veg-packed loaf and reflecting upon the changing British tastes for healthier bread alternatives[ii], the duo set about bringing Vegbred to life.
The versatile loaf is perfect for those who are environmentally conscious. Not only do the strictly plant-based ingredients make Vegbred completely free from animal products, but the surplus peel from the ethically sourced sweet potato also helps fuel its production, running on green energy produced from the leftovers.
Jon Barfoot, co-founder of Vegbred said: “We’re extremely excited to have Vegbred stocked in Planet Organic stores across London. We developed a product with everyone’s dietary requirements in mind, and our success at getting this right has been confirmed by our listing with Planet Organic. With exciting opportunities in the pipeline, we cannot wait for the next chapter, the next product and the next customer.”
Foodie mum of three and plant-based advocate Kelly Barfoot added: “Vegbred is a result of two years of extensive trial baking with some of nature’s finest ingredients – we really wanted to incorporate the ever-changing trends as well as our own personal preferences and food philosophy. We have created a loaf which can be tailored to the hugely varied requirements of the nation; we’re on a mission to educate the nation that bread can be veg-packed, nutritious and delicious.”
[ii]ref Kantar, Mintel


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Business use of instant messaging is growing fast, but CIOs need to beef up their security to cope.
An IDC study of the worldwide enterprise IM applications market has revealed that revenue shot up 37% in 2004 from the previous year. It expects further meteoric growth, from £180m in 2005 to £420m in 2009.
"Especially in compliance-driven sectors like Wall Street, financial services, and government, instant messaging is a critical differentiator,” comments Robert Mahowald, programme director for IDC's Collaborative Computing research.
“In the next few years, IDC expects instant messaging - once the plaything of teenagers - to continue to grow into its role as a substantial business collaboration application.”
The study pointed out a number of suppliers who are staking their ground in the market. Alongside usual suspects Microsoft and IBM, Jabber has encouraged Wall Street users to ditch consumer products like AIM.
Inevitably, wider corporate usage is creating a new playground for hackers. IMLogic has already warned of a worm targeted at Windows-based machines running IM software, which could send PCs into a perpetual reboot.
IM security specialists such as IMLogic, FaceTime and Akonix are teaming up with the market leaders to fight the new threats.


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PONTIAC: GM's Pontiac division sponsored a task around its Solstice roadster and made 1,000 of the first cars built available to pre-order. The cars sold out in the first 41 minutes after the episode aired.
CREST: In one of the show's first major success stories, P&G sponsored a task around its new Crest Whitening Expressions toothpaste, resulting in the "highest level of online interest in a single product launch in P&G history," the company said. Crest.com attracted more than 800,000 hits in the first two hours alone and 4.7 million hits in the first week.
DOMINO'S: Domino's Pizza sponsored a task in which teams developed and sold a new pizza. Both teams ended up creating meatball pizzas-a product that Dominos wasn't selling, but one that rival Papa John's unveiled in local spot ads it bought in 64 major markets during the episode.
DAIRY QUEEN: As part of the chain's 20th anniversary for its Blizzard product, contestants were asked to create a mascot. But because there are no Dairy Queens in Manhattan, no stores or products were ever shown, only the company's logo. But a contest launched around the episode generated 600,000 entries online.


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Company is preparing to reopen South Carolina wire mill.
Liberty Steel USA has announced it has named Revansidha Gulve the new general manager of its plant in Georgetown, South Carolina. T
Every added feature means that the audio signal must go through additional wires, plugs, switch contacts, capacitors, and amplifying circuits—every one of which may potentially degrade the qu
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Vibrantly-colored "Candy Coated" enamel rings can be purchased separately or in three-ring sets for ... [+] eye-catching stacking.
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It's officially Black Friday, and while a great Dyson hair dryer Black Friday deal didn't turn up, there's more reason than ever to grab a Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer right now. D
DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE )--Newmont Corporation (NYSE: NEM, TSX: NGT) (Newmont or the Company) announced today the early results of the previously announced offers to purchase for cash any and al


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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - Changing the Face of Beauty is an organization that empowers people living with disabilities to branch into the advertising industry.
Katie Driscoll, founder of the nonprofit, says she started the company after having a daughter born with down syndrome.
"I have an 8-year-old daughter with down syndrome," Driscoll says. "I noticed shortly after her birth that our family wasn't represented in advertising."
Changing the Face of Beauty is trying to open the advertising industry to represent all faces.
"They will receive hair and makeup (and then) they will be styled and photographed," Driscoll says.
According to Driscoll, the organization sets up shop in different places around the country.
"We have had 31 clinics in the past three years," Driscoll says. "This started out as an idea at my kitchen table and has grown into an international movement."
Driscoll says she hopes to have a photo shoot in Chicago later this year. Anyone interested in signing up can visit their website at ChangingtheFaceofBeauty.org.


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The Caribbean is known for its beautiful sandy beaches, lined with palm trees where the region’s most famous export grows.
But your emergency supply of coconut water is about to get even more precious – because there is currently a shortage of the tropical fruit in the area.NHS is at ‘tipping point’ as hospitals struggle with severe lack of funds
It has come at the worst possible time, because the global demand for coconuts is as high as ever.
Starbucks wants coconut milk for its lattes and coconut water has seemingly come out of nowhere to become a popular drink.
Compton Paul, who coordinates a regional coconut programme at the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute in Trinidad, told Bloomberg: ‘It’s fair to say that at this pace, the Caribbean is running out of coconuts.’
So why is there a shortage?
In theory, farmers should be cashing in on the growing demand for coconuts.
But instead, production is dropping – due to poor farming weather such as storms and droughts and lethal yellowing, a disease spread by insects.
Entire farms have been wiped out in the area, with growers not buying new trees or fertiliser to improve the crop.
It’s a problem that needs to be solved before it becomes a crisis – All Market Inc., which began selling leading brand Vita Coco in 2004, now cracks about 1.6 million nuts every day.