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"It's all about accountability," said Tom Gensch, chief growth officer at Cygnus Business Media. "Clients want to measure the results their advertising spending is bringing them."
Even though lead generation, on its own, may not be as useful as some marketers seem to think, most b-to-b publishers have given up trying to argue with their clients' demands. Among the drawbacks: Contact information is a precursor to a lead, not a lead itself; and huge numbers of leads are useless if salespeople can't handle them. "Lead gen is right for the customers who are set up to reap the benefits," said Doug MacDonald, executive director of online sales development at Penton Media. If they don't have a CRM system to follow up on the leads, they won't get results."
Even among clients seeking leads, there are variants. "There's a tension right now between the lead-generation model designed to generate a mass quantity of leads and programs that target specific types of leads," said Warren Bimblick, senior VP of Penton's Financial Services & Marketing Media Group.
Part of the problem may be what's being measured, said Dan Hirsh, VP-online development and custom media at IDG's Network World. "Most marketing groups are still being measured on lead generation, not lead conversion," he said. "But they are getting a backlash from sales." And although it's not yet widespread, "marketers are starting to ask for a number of leads against a particular demographic profile," he added.
Stacy Money, director of custom media for the 1105 Government Information Group, is responsible for many of the company's lead-generation initiatives. "Vendors are finding it more and more difficult to find decision-makers," she said. "They're looking to us for lead and inquiry capture more than ever before."
Because government purchases tend to involve groups and committees rather than a single decision-maker, Money said vendors "are looking for more targeted demographics." She added, though, that they are not asking for lead scoring yet.
If the first generation of lead generation was about lead volume, the next, now dawning, will be about quality.
For example, generating a big list of names of people interested in a particular topic—whether or not they have the intent or ability to buy—may not take much more effort than posting a white paper or conducting a webinar. But locating prospects for a b-to-b product or service who are decision-makers with purchasing authority requires a very different process. It involves weeding out the unqualified, harvesting the hot leads and nurturing the rest.
Another key component is developing relationships with potential buyers so that they voluntarily provide information about their purchasing role, requirements, budgets and time frames.
"What we're really doing is using media to move prospects through the sales cycle, so that we can qualify and prioritize high-value leads for the marketer," Hirsch said." Like many others, he pointed out that multiple types of media have roles in the lead-generation process.
"Research has shown that print is best for raising brand awareness," Hirsch said. "Online is for researching and comparing solutions. Live events allow prospects to ask final, individualized questions. We see the various media working together all the time in our metrics."
Jeff DeBalko, chief Internet officer at Reed Business Information and president of Reed Business Interactive, summarized the impact on his media company this way: "As the marketplace becomes more sophisticated about lead generation and ROI, there's a rapid move toward quality in everything we do."
But as clients drive to obtain more leads, it's the b-to-b publisher's responsibility to apply the brakes when necessary.
"There are ramifications to using a lead-generation strategy," Hirsch said. "For example, if vendors aren't set up to follow up with leads quickly—within 48 hours, according to third-party research—they can actually tarnish their reputations."
Publishers can avoid downstream problems with their clients by clarifying what the word "lead" means to each client and for each program. "As publishers, we need to become more sophisticated," Bimblick said. "It's incumbent upon us to ask questions and find out what clients are looking for in a lead."
In many ways, lead-generation programs give b-to-b media companies an opportunity to shine, Bimblick added. "It's a core capability of b-to-b media to take a large mass audience and filter it down to find our customers' clients," he said.
Moving content to the forefront
As advertisers gravitate toward lead generation, an entire industry has emerged to provide lead services. Among those involved are vertical search engines, online directories, advertising agencies, consultancies and software companies. As a result, b-to-b media companies are relying more than ever on their content-creation capabilities and marketplace insight to differentiate themselves from the pack.
"We're definitely finding that the content has to be better than ever before to cut through the clutter," Bimblick said. "Whether it's a webinar, a white paper or a blog—it better be compelling."
"Content drives engagement," DeBalko agreed. "This is even more important in lead generation than in advertising." He said the more the content is targeted to a small, specialized niche, the more likely the prospect will trade personal information to receive it.
"In our case, we have people who understand how to create great content and who also have deep knowledge of the vertical markets," DeBalko said.
A lead-generation program that incorporates multiple media to spin out qualified leads is costly to implement. So how are b-to-b publishers charging for these programs?
For the time being, they have shied away from pay-for-performance programs such as cost-per-lead (CPL) and cost-per-action (CPA).
But DeBalko, for one, expects to see the more sophisticated marketers moving in that direction. "I think it's inevitable that this model will become more prevalent as lead generation matures," he said.
Among the media companies interviewed for this report, only one has been involved in this type of program—and it was a print, rather than online, advertising program.
"We tested a new paradigm: performance payment," Cygnus' Gensch said. The client, a large financial institution, paid a fee for each lead that connected it to the elusive small-and-midsize business segment, he said. "We also offered a corporate buy across the breadth of our publications, which in itself is unusual," he said.
The CPA campaign came out of a partnership between Cygnus and ID Media, a direct response-services company. Gensch said the test went well enough that Cygnus plans to pitch similar programs next year.
At 1105 Government Information Group, Money said, "We don't do CPL. We prefer to put together an integrated program with a target number of leads, but we never guarantee a number."
SourceMedia is not offering CPL programs, said Anne O'Brien, exec VP-marketing and strategic planning. "We don't have the information ourselves to ascertain the client's CPL. Also, we have no control of how the client follows up."
On the other hand, O'Brien now has enough experience to feel confident about making some types of guarantees. "Over the last three years, we've built up enough of a history that we can say, `Providing you follow our direction, we can guarantee X number of leads.' But the program is still designed as a package that costs `x dollars' for all the components."
The package includes branding and exposure for the sponsors through a promotional program that includes print advertising, banner advertising and e-mail blasts. "Even though the client's goal may be lead generation, the total program will also provide reach and frequency," O'Brien said.
Using events to capture live leads
Although white papers and webinars are by far the most popular content types used for lead generation, custom live events are gaining traction.
The live events are typically tied to a product launch or a new service. "These are held in multiple cities, and we invite a very, very targeted group of people," said SourceMedia's O'Brien. "In most cases, the sponsoring company is using us as a conduit, so it's branded by them.
1105 Government Information Group's Money said she is having success with live events. "One trend we're seeing is the use of custom events to capture registrants," she said. "Our custom events business has increased 35% over last year."
Even in print, b-to-b publishers are not immune to the demand for lead generation.
At ALM's legal division, print advertising, not online, is still the primary buy for law firms, said Steve Lincoln, VP- advertising and national group publisher for the division.
But that doesn't mean these advertisers aren't interested in obtaining leads. In conjunction with Intelligent Data Services, ALM launched a program last year that uses telemarketing to gather purchasing authority and intent, time frames and focus directly from subscribers. Leads are passed along to advertisers based on the purchasing categories in which readers have expressed interest.
"Webinars are the first step into online lead generation," Lincoln said. "We've seen an increase in interest in webinars, and we will be doing a lot more with digital media in general in 2008 and beyond."


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The Fellowship brings on three students each year to help identify and invest in “conscious agricultural businesses” in the US or abroad out of a $300k fund. The Kirchner Group could invest further in later rounds if the investments perform well.
“We typically invest in seed rounds before Series A, but after angels, and we wouldn’t lead a round, but would join other investors,” said David Byrnes, one of this year’s fellows, adding that the Fellowship invests around $30k to $60k in each opportunity.
This year’s cohort, which also includes Eamonn McGuinty and Sarah Piccini, decided to focus on investing in post-farm gate businesses as a way to tackle food waste and boost farm incomes at the same time, said Piccini, because they believed this would make the most impact on food security today.
“One of the biggest tasks we’ve faced is in sourcing deals and painting a landscape of the opportunities out there,” added McGuinty. “It’s been like venture capital 101, and a great introduction to the VC world and impact investing.”
The Fellowship’s latest investment in Till is a pre-seed deal, ahead of Till Mobile’s $2 million seed round, which it expects to complete next month.
Till Mobile aims to connect smallholders farmers with the big name brands and grocery chains purchasing their produce across the food, footwear, and apparel industries. Using mobile phone voice and SMS — which do not require an internet connection and are readily used across much of the emerging markets — brands can negotiate prices, quantities, and discuss logistics with their smallholder farmers.
For the brands and grocery stores, Till Mobile aims to help them fill gaps in their supply chain data. “If you make it an easy transaction and free, you can start to collect and fill these data gaps,” said Justin Oberman, CEO of Till. These gaps are focused on price, quantity quality, safety, sustainability, and a range of issues around worker protection, he added.
Till is working in the US, India and parts of Africa, and has noticed an increase in yields when the service is used as brands can use it to educate their farmers on growing practices, give them guidance on handling, send weather reports and so on. The World Cocoa Foundation demonstrated a 40% yield improvement in Africa through SMS communication, according to Oberman.
Till can also help to reduce post-harvest losses and improve the logistics around collecting produce.
Oberman believes Till Mobile is introducing a new type of agtech to the market, not only with its focus on connecting smallholders to large global food brands but in its adoption and distribution method, particularly in emerging markets.
“Mars, Pepsico, and Nike gave us the idea for Till; they told us they wanted access to their smallholder growers,” he said. “And I’m increasingly convinced that if you aren’t connected to the marketplace, and specifically the world’s biggest buyers, then you can’t connect with these growers. The tools out there enable farmers to connect to each other and get information from the market, but they won’t get as much traction as if they were connected to the world’s largest brands that are spending the most money.”
The Kirchner Food Fellowship recently closed the application process for the 2016-2017 cohort and will announce the successful candidates in June. As well as giving fellows the freedom to source and invest in companies, the Fellowship also offers interaction with existing companies in the portfolio, which are managed by the Kirchner Impact Foundation. For example, this year’s cohort took a trip to Nicaragua with Kuli Kuli, the moringa products company the fellowship invested in last year, to help out with new sourcing.
Expect to read more about Till Mobile on AgFunderNews.com when the seed round closes. In the meantime, if you have any comments or news, get in touch on email@example.com.

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The McClatchy Co. entered into separate agreements Friday to sell the assets of The Newspaper Network Inc. to Vertis Inc. and The Associated Press.
The Newspaper Network works with advertisers and newspapers nationwide in the planning, pricing and placement of newspaper advertising.
Vertis, an international marketing and advertising firm, will buy the sales, marketing and media planning assets of TNN and operate them as The Newspaper Network, a Vertis company.
That company will continue to do business from current TNN offices in Sacramento, CA; Greenville, SC; Atlanta and New York. Joining TNN's media functions with Vertis' media and marketing services unit is expected to result in media billings of more than $1 billion annually, establishing Baltimore-based Vertis as the nation's second-largest newspaper media-buying agency.
AP, New York, will buy TNN's ad-processing operations, which are responsible for all placement and billing processes.
Tom Brettingen, AP vice president of business development, said the acquisition will be a major addition to its present AP AdVantage ad-processing business and its AP AdSend ad-delivery business.
McClatchy, based in Sacramento, is a newspaper and Internet publishing company whose properties include the Star Tribune in Minneapolis, the Sacramento Bee and The News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C.
Terms of the agreements were not disclosed. The transactions are to be completed in June.


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Macworld’s live coverage of Steve Jobs’ keynote has concluded. Please visit our Web site for more information and news from the show.
Instead of the usual venue in Moscone’s South Hall, Apple has shifted today’s keynote address to Moscone West, a newer facility next door to the Moscone Convention Center that Apple has used to house WWDC and other special events.
Greenpeace activists, trying to draw attention to claims that Apple uses hazardous chemicals in its products and lacks a worldwide computer and iPod recycling program, staged a protest on the street outside the venue.
Following a recording of James Brown singing, “I Feel Good,” the lights of the keynote hall dimmed and Apple CEO Steve Jobs took the stage to thunderous applause from the crowd.
“Thank you for coming. We’re going to make some history today,” he said.
“It was just a year ago that I announced we were going to switch to Intel processors,” said Jobs. “I said we’d do it in the coming 12 months. We did it in seven months. It’s been the smoothest and most successful transition that we have seen in our industry.”
Half of all Macs in the United States are now being sold to people who are first time Mac users, said Jobs.
“2007 is going to be a great year for the Mac, but this is all we’re going to talk about the Mac today,” he added.
The iPod is the world’s most popular music player, and the iPod nano is the world’s most popular MP3 player, said Jobs. Apple has sold more than 2 billion songs on its iTunes Store to date.
The iTunes Store and movies
“There was an article recently that said iTunes sales have slowed dramatically. I don’t know what date they’re looking at,” said Jobs. “What we see is iTunes sales were really up this year. We doubled the number of songs we sold in 2006. We are selling over 5 million songs a day. Isn’t that unbelievable? 58 songs every second.”
Jobs said that the iTunes Store has sold 50 million TV shows through the iTunes Store. And within four months, the service has sold 1.3 million movies. “Which I think has exceeded all of our expectations,” he added.
Jobs then revealed that Apple has struck a deal with Paramount. “We’re thrilled because they have some awesome movies: Tomb Raider, Patriot Games, Star Trek, Red October, School of Rock,” he said.
250 movies are now offered on iTunes, said Jobs. “We’re getting them up as fast as we can in the next week or so,” he said. “We hope to add more movies as other studious throw in with us in 2007.”
The newest iPod competitor on the block in Microsoft’s Zune, which launched this past holiday season. Jobs said that Zune had a 2 percent market share.
“So no matter how you try to spin this, what can you say?” Jobs said. Behind him, an image of the Zune on the screen burst into flames and faded away.
Jobs then revealed the final name of the product he first revealed during a special event in September, 2006—then named “iTV.” The final product is called Apple TV.
The Apple TV wireless connects your digital media to your widescreen TV, said Jobs. The device includes power, USB 2.0, ethernet, built-in Wi-Fi, HDMI, component video, audio and optical audio ports on its back.
The Apple TV is capable of displaying 720p HD video, and incorporates its own 40GB hard drive, said Jobs—capable of storing up to 50 hours of video.
The Apple TV uses the new 802.11n draft standard, said Jobs—a faster wireless networking technology. “And it has an Intel processor in it, so it’s got processing horsepower to do the kinds of UI we like to do,” he added.
The Apple TV auto-syncs content from one computer and can stream content from up to five computers, said Jobs. “Just like you can set up an iPod, you can set up an Apple TV,” he explained. It works directly from iTunes. Computers that stream content to the Apple TV don’t store their content on the drive, but users can watch it live via the network.
Jobs then demonstrated the Apple TV, showing the interface, playing movie trailers and clips from television shows. He added that the Apple TV can also be used for digital still images and music. “When it’s playing a song, the album art appears and there’s an iTunes-like interface. Every ten seconds or so it flips the positions so it doesn’t burn in your LCD TV,” he said.
Apple senior vice president of worldwide product marketing Phil Schiller then took the stage with Jobs, MacBook in hand, to demonstrate how the Apple TV works with someone else’s computer. Jobs went to the Sources menu, chose Connect to New iTunes and put in a PIN number. Schiller then entered that number on his copy of iTunes, and connected. Then Schiller streamed a clip from television shows stored locally on his MacBook.
The Apple TV is priced at $299, and is shipping in February, 2007. Jobs said that Apple is taking orders starting today.
“This is a day I’ve been looking forward to for two and a half years,” said Jobs. “Every once in a while a revolutionary product comes along that changes everything.”
In 1984, said Jobs, Apple introduced the Macintosh, and changed the computer industry. In 2001, Apple introduced the iPod, and changed the entire music industry.
“Well, today, we’re introducing three revolutionary products of this class,” said Jobs. “The first one is a widescreen iPod with touch controls. The second is a revolutionary mobile phone. The third is a breakthrough Internet communications device.”
“These are not three separate devices,” said Jobs. “This is one device. And we are calling it iPhone. Today Apple is going to reinvent the phone.”
Jobs explained that smartphones provide phone and email and what he called “the baby Internet. They’re not so smart and not so easy to use.”
“We don’t want to do these,” he said. “We want to do a leapfrog product that’s way smarter than these phones and much easier to use. So we’re going to reinvent the phone.”
The iPhone does not use a keyboard, nor does it use a stylus, as many smartphones do today. The device uses new technology called “Multitouch.”
“We’re going to use the best pointing device in our world,” said Jobs. “We’re born with 10 of them, our fingers.”
Multitouch is far more accurate than any touch display, according to Jobs. It ignores unintended touches, supports multi-fingers gesture. “And boy, have we patented it,” he added.
The iPhone runs Mac OS X, said Jobs. “We start with a solid foundation,” he explained.
“Why would we run such a sophisticated operating system on a mobile device? It’s got everything we need,” he said. “It’s got multitasking, networking, power management, awesome security and the right apps. It’s got all the stuff we want. And it’s built right in to iPhone. And has let us create desktop-class applications and networking.
iPhone also synchronizes through iTunes. It syncs media, contact information, calendars, photos, notes, bookmarks, email accounts. “All that stuff can be moved over the iPhone completely automatically,” said Jobs.
The iPhone features a 3.5-inch, 160 dot-per-inch color screen. There’s a small “Home” button it. It’s also remarkably thin—11.6 millimeters, thinner than any smartphone out there, according to Jobs.
On one side, the iPhone sports a ring/silent switch, volume up and down controls. On its silver back side is a 2 megapixel digital camera. The bottom features a speaker, microphone and iPod dock connector.
The iPhone also incorporates a proximity sensor that automatically deactivates the screen and turns off the touch sensor when you raise the device to your face. An ambient light sensor will sense lighting conditions and adjust brightness levels accordingly. And an accelerometer can tell when you switch from portrait to landscape mode.
Jobs’ demonstration of the iPhone began with iPod-related features. An iPod icon along the bottom of the screen brings up a list of music, and Jobs flicked his finger to scroll up and down. He flipped the iPhone on its side and it reoriented to landscape mode, displaying album art in iTunes’ “Cover Flow” mode. Jobs also showed video on the device.
“We want to reinvent the phone,” he reiterated. “What’s the killer app? The killer app is making calls! It’s amazing how hard it is to make calls on phones. We want you to use contacts like never before.”
The iPhone can synchronize contacts from a PC or Mac, and features “Visual Voicemail.” He described it as “random access voicemail” that lets you navigate directly to the voice messages you’re interested in.
iPhone is a quad-band phone that operated on GSM and EDGE networks. That’s the most popular international standard, said Jobs, though Apple plans to make 3G phones in the future. It also integrates Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity, and will automatically switch from a cell phone data network to Wi-Fi when it gets in range.
Demonstrating the phone’s ability to make calls, he touched the screen’s phone icon and scrolled through his contact list, pulling up Jonathan Ive, senior vice president of industrial design. Phil Schiller then called Jobs—visible through call waiting. Jobs pressed a “merge calls” button and then created a three way conference calling.
The iPhone’s text messaging interface looks similar to iChat—user dialogue is encased in bubbles, and a touch keyboard appears below. And the phone’s photo management software enables you to use a “pinching” motion to zoom in and out of pictures.
The iPhone’s Internet connectivity includes HTML-capable email that works with any IMAP or POP-based email service. Apple has also included its Safari Web browser. Jobs called it the “first fully usable HTML browser on a phone.”
The same finger-pinching trick also works with Safari, to zoom in and out of images on Web pages.
Jobs said that Yahoo will offer free “push” email capabilities using IMAP to all Yahoo! Mail users. “When you get a message, it’ll push it right out to the phone for you,” he said.
The iPhone also supports Dashboard widgets, starting off with weather and stocks.
“This a breakthrough Internet communicator,” said Jobs. “It’s the Internet in your pocket.”
Following Jobs’ demonstration of how the iPhone works with Google Maps—he searched for Starbucks, zoomed in to a location and called, then jokingly ordered 4,000 lattes to go—Google CEO Eric Schmidt joined him on stage, congratulating Jobs and Apple for the iPhone’s introduction.
Schmidt said that the iPhone lets companies like Apple and Google “merge without merging,” combining the “brain trust” of Apple’s development team and companies like google to create a “seamless environment.”
Jerry Yang, co-founder and CEO of Yahoo, expressed similar sentiments, and stated his hope that Yahoo’s OneSearch feature will be supported on the iPhone soon. “Just think,” said Yang. “It’s basically like having a BlackBerry without the Exchange server.”
Apple is also introducing accessories for the iPhone, including stereo headphones that include a microphone and switch and a Bluetooth headset.
The iPhone features a battery that lasts for five hours of talk time, video or Web page browsing, or 16 hours of audio playback.
“So what should we price it at?” Jobs mused. The price will be $499 with a two year contract for a 4GB model, or an 8GB model for $599. And it will be released in the United States in June. Jobs said Apple anticipates bringing the iPhone to Europe in the fourth calendar quarter of 2007, and Asia in 2008.
Cingular, the North American cell service provider that has sold iTunes-equipped phones from Motorola, will be Apple’s exclusive service partner. “They are the best and most popular network in the country,” said Jobs, adding that Cingular worked with Apple to develop the Visual Voicemail technology—“the first fruit” of their collaboration, which required the development of technology both for the phone and network.
Stan Sigman, CEO of Cingular, joined Jobs on stage and said that his company is pleased to distribute “one of the most eagerly anticipated wireless products ever.”
“This is not an MVNO,” said Sigman, referring to a Mobile Virtual Network Operation, such as Virgin Wireless, Disney Mobile, Helio and others—companies that buy bandwidth capacity on cell service provider networks and offer added value, such as exclusive handsets or content. “It’s a unique relationship that lets Apple be Apple and Cingular be Cingular.”
Jobs showed a slide that estimated the market for phones to be in the vicinity of 957 million units. “In 2008 we are going to try to grab 1 percent marketshare,” he said. “We think we’re going to have the best product in the world.”
“The Mac, iPod, Apple TV and iPhone. Only one of those is a computer. So we’re changing the name,” said Jobs. “We’re announcing today that we’re dropping the ‘Computer’ from our name, and from this day forward we’re going to be known as Apple Inc.”
“The iPod changed everything in 2001,” he said. “and we’re going to do it again with the iPhone in 2007.”
Jobs then asked the audience to applaud for “these folks who worked on these products,” asking the Apple employees to stand up. “Thank the families,” he added. “They haven’t seen a lot of us, especially in the last six months.”
Closing the proceedings, pop singer John Mayer—who has stood on stage with Jobs several times over the past few years—played his hit songs “Gravity” and “Waiting On the World to Change.”
“Steve Jobs and Apple Inc. just make life more fun,” said Mayer in between songs. “It’s the exact opposite of terrorism.”
After Mayer finished, Jobs thanked Macworld Expo attendees for coming, and added, “We’ll see you all soon.”


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Electronic Arts' E3 keynote last week featured an awful lot of soccer (football to the rest of the world), Battlefield and Titanfall, but no word on how developer Criterion's post-Burnout racing game was coming. That's because the team is occupying different pastures, according to GameSpot. An EA spokesperson tells the publication that the studio has "moved on from the previous project they've spoken about and aren't pursuing it." It was teased at E3 2014 during the company's media briefing and never heard about since.
The "biggest game that Criterion's ever made" was supposed to combine action racing with helicopters, wing-suits, jet skis and ATVs has been abandoned in favor of Criterion working in that galaxy far, far away. Specifically, co-developing the Battlefront VR game that EA teased back in March, which we now know as Star Wars: Battlefront X-Wing VR Mission. Rolls right off the tongue, doesn't it? Regardless of how cumbersome the name is, you'll be able to play it this October -- for free assuming you haven't traded Battlefront off just yet.
Maybe after that ships we could see the team make a long-awaited follow-up to Star Wars: Episode One Racer. If anyone could pull that off, it'd be Criterion.


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Benchling, the R&D Cloud powering the biotechnology industry, today announced new executive leaders, Shawna Wolverton as chief product officer and Stuart Kerst as head of revenue operations. Wolverton, formerly of Zendesk and Salesforce, played a critical role in developing both companies’ platform product strategies with a focus on end-user community engagement. Kerst brings 25 years’ experience managing global field teams, most recently from Workday, but also SAP, HP, and SurveyMonkey.
“Both Shawna and Stuart have world-class experience in building the cloud ecosystems that revolutionized how multiple industries work,” said Sajith Wickramasekara, CEO and co-founder of Benchling. “Biotechnology is leading the most important technological revolution since computing, and our R&D Cloud plays a critical role in unlocking that potential. Shawna and Stuart will help scale our product and our go-to-market as we support more customers across the broad reach of biotech — in agriculture, consumer packaged goods, pharmaceuticals, materials, and more.”
In her new role, Wolverton will lead Benchling’s ambitious goal to be the R&D Cloud at the center of an expansive biotech ecosystem. At Zendesk, Wolverton led the product organization as executive vice president of product. Prior to that, as senior vice president of product management at Salesforce, Wolverton was at the forefront of bringing a platform strategy to SaaS and in championing the role of developers and administrators in the Salesforce community. Throughout both her 14-year tenure at Salesforce and her more recent role at Zendesk, Wolverton developed products that served companies spanning small businesses all the way to Fortune 500. At Benchling, Wolverton will lead product and design.
“In this new era of R&D, where data, analytics, and automation offer a competitive edge, scientists need a central source of truth for their work. These scientists entrust Benchling with their most critical work — the customer demand and product love for the company is truly impressive,” said Wolverton. “I’m honored to join the team at Benchling, and to build the solutions that enable scientists to spend more time doing the work that really matters, as they solve today’s most pressing challenges.”
At Benchling, Kerst will ensure the company scales a high-level of service globally, to organizations of all sizes. A seasoned leader with experience in business development, sales strategy, and field operations, Kerst came to Benchling from Workday, where he served as vice president of global field operations.
As biotech grows, Benchling continues to expand its R&D Cloud to support companies throughout their lifecycle of bringing transformative products to market. This year, Benchling incorporated in vivo research into its R&D Cloud with the acquisition of Overwatch Research and also launched novel solutions such as an AlphaFold beta integration.
The executive leaders join at a time of rapid growth for Benchling. In its most recent fiscal year, Benchling saw 80% year-over-year growth in customer count, with more than 900 biotechnology companies now using Benchling’s R&D Cloud. The company’s market leadership can be seen in the results it drives for customers:
- One in four biotech startups that went public in the last two years was built on Benchling.
- Nearly one in three of the new drugs and biologics approved by the FDA in 2021 were developed by Benchling customers.
- Customers have experienced a 62% reduction in scientists’ time spent on avoidable logistical tasks with Benchling.
- Using Benchling, customers have reported an approximately 50% increase in confidence in data quality.
- Using Benchling improves ease of scientific data hand-offs by 102%, enabling cross-team collaboration.
In the last year, Benchling has expanded its executive bench with the appointments of Paul Robson as President of Field Operations, Lindsey Irvine as CMO, Richard Wong as CFO, and Zach Powers as CISO. The company also added Elena Donio to its board.


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IBM and Asustek said on Tuesday that they have entered into a broad patent cross-licensing agreement that ends all patent litigation between the two companies.
Samsung Electronics, considered a technology industry bellwether for the number of mobile phones, memory chips, and LCD panels it sells, on Tuesday announced preliminary third quarter sales and operating profit sharply higher than the same quarter la...
Mobile printing has never been easier. For a busy office, reliable and easy-to-use tools are essential. Samsung's latest smart printers are equipped for wireless printing from mobile devices. Find out more about what is all about.
Small to medium businesses (SMBs) are risking the loss of valuable corporate data because they are failing to take enough steps to secure their data and are not backing it up.
Nvidia may have renamed its NVISION promotional conference to the 'GPU Technology Conference', but it's still an Nvidia show through and through.
Nvidia showed off a new GPU architecture on Wednesday that it hopes will allow it to move beyond gaming to play a greater role in the supercomputing market.
Without a radical change in the way much of it is written, software, sadly, just can't go much faster anymore.
Worldwide semiconductor sales will grow in 2010 as chip sales gain steam in response to stabilizing economies, analyst firm iSuppli said on Wednesday.
After comfortably residing for years in mobile devices like cell phones, chips based on the Arm design are finding their way into commercial laptops.
Dell today announced the release of its latest SMB notebook, the Latitude Z. Billed as the world's "slimmest and lightest 16-inch laptop" the Dell Latitude Z notebook has been designed for SMB workers who require something smart, portable and ultra-s...
Intel is set to start production of its next-generation Xeon quad-core chips for workstations and servers ahead of schedule, which could then appear in systems as early as the first quarter of next year, a company official said on Tuesday.
Intel has made available for download its latest Linux-based operating system, Moblin 2.1, just a few days after announcing the new software.
Intel Corporation has unveiled a 45 nanometre (nm) system-on-chip (SoC) processor, ushering in a new era of communication technologies.
Intel will ship a new line of Atom processors for netbooks and nettops during the fourth quarter of this year, a company official said late on Wednesday.
Intel's chips already go into many laptops, but it is now making a play for television sets and cable boxes through a new processor it released on Thursday.
Intel has expanded the scope of Linux-based Moblin by porting the OS from netbooks to mobile devices and desktops, where it could compete with Microsoft's Windows OS.
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GGG Evaluation Team
First impression on unpacking the Q702 test unit was the solid feel and clean, minimalist styling.
For work use, Microsoft Word and Excel programs pre-installed on the device are adequate for preparing short documents.
The Fujitsu LifeBook UH574 allowed for great mobility without being obnoxiously heavy or clunky. Its twelve hours of battery life did not disappoint.
The screen was particularly good. It is bright and visible from most angles, however heat is an issue, particularly around the Windows button on the front, and on the back where the battery housing is located.
My first impression after unboxing the Q702 is that it is a nice looking unit. Styling is somewhat minimalist but very effective. The tablet part, once detached, has a nice weight, and no buttons or switches are located in awkward or intrusive positions.


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Jun 12, 2017 07:23 AM EDT
The latest Xiaomi Mi Notebook Air has been the hot topic in the online news today. This is after the Xiaomi company officially revealed the existence of the said laptop that soon to be launch in the market. But aside from revealing the device, leaks are spreading that it will feature a 7th gen Intel CPU, a new GPU and a fingerprint reader.
Xiaomi is a Chinese electronics company that designs, develops and sells smartphones, mobile apps, laptops and other related consumer electronic products. Founded in 2010, it already established a name in the consumer electronic industry being named as the fifth smartphone maker in 2015. Now, the company is ready to unveil its latest Xiaomi Mi Notebook Air that will be a fresh addition to the company's product line.
Aside from the Mi Notebook Air series, Xiaomi's well-known device are the Xiaomi Mi series smartphones. But presently, the Chinese tech company is focusing on its Mi Notebook Air product line and reports say that the latest Xiaomi Mi Notebook Air will boast with an upgraded specifications and will sports a comparatively compact design.
According to GSMArena, the latest Xiaomi Mi Notebook Air will feature the newest 7th gen Core i5-7200U with a clockspeed of 3.1GHz from the previous 6th gen Core-i5 chipset. It will have the new Nvidia GeForce MX150 GPU replacing the GTX 940MX GPU of older models. It will also carry an 8GB of DDR4 RAM with an option of 128GB or 256GB internal storage. It will also come with a fingerprint reader found at the corner of the trackpad for the internal hardware refresh.
Android Headlines further added that the latest Xiaomi Mi Notebook Air will possess a 13.3-inch IPS LCD Full HD display panel having a 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution. The device will be relatively small with a size dimension of 309.6 × 210.9 × 14.8mm (12.19 x 8.30 x 0.58 in) and will weigh only at around 1.5kgs (approximately 3.3 pounds).
The latest Xiaomi Mi Notebook Air will also feature a USB Type-C port, an HDMI port and a Bluetooth 4.0 version. Moreover, it will be powered by a 4-cell Lithium-ion battery however it never detailed how much long will the battery last. Sources also say that the 2017 Mi Notebook Air will be launched today, June 12, as pre-orders will also be offered.
2. Sep 17, 2018
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2. Jul 26, 2018
Researchers develop a new method to detect nucleation
3. Jul 26, 2018
New system can identify drugs to target 'undruggable' enzymes critical in many diseases
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Health benefits of moderate drinking may be overstated, study finds


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Google Patents Device That Would Be Injected Into Your Eyeball
Science fiction and reality are basically the same thing these days. Space travel? Decades ago. Holograms? Coming on nicely. Electronic implants injected directly into your eyeballs? Google’s just filed a patent for it.
Google’s eye-based antics are long-known at this point. With things like smart contact lenses and, to a lesser degree, Google Glass. Their new patent is specifically for “injecting a fluid into a lens capsule of an eye, wherein a natural lens of the eye has been removed from the lens capsule". It’ll be powered by “radio frequency energy” and even have its own data storage. You could say it makes your vision feel a little… cloudy? Eheh? Eheheheheh?
Anyway, a more visceral and layman way of saying that is that Google wants to tear off the natural “skin” of your eyeball and replace it with a new skin that can do who-even-knows. A real life Heads Up Display? Night-Vision? Cure for blindness? Or just an overly complex way to monitor one’s health, such as the aforementioned smart lenses?
Given that Google has only just filed the patent, it’ll be a while before we see anything solid from this. Maybe, like so many patents, it’ll just fade away. In which case we can say… ze googles do nothing. … … … Heh.
What is the future of consumer tech? I went to IFA 2019 to find out…
I’ve always been an Apple fan, but after that underwhelming iPhone 11 announcement, this could be the year that I turn to Android.
What can you expect from Apple’s announcement of iPhone 11?
As online depression test websites leak answers and test results with third parties for advertising purposes, something has clearly gone wrong with European data protection.
Electric Palace in Weymouth – a memorable seaside arcade from my childhood. Does the excitement still hold up?
What does my Dad - a car industry veteran - think to what was on show in the Future Lab at Goodwood Festival of Speed?
A social life? What’s one of those? All I see is Prime Day deals…
Noticed that everybody is looking old all of a sudden? Here’s why the Russian-developed FaceApp could be a risk to your privacy…
Defying all expectations, this is a brilliant pro controller at a decent price.
E3 2019 has come and gone, leaving me with three important lessons.


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A SHOP owner who took part in a €9,000 online banking scam has avoided a jail sentence.
Radu Budai (28), who runs a Romanian shop and restaurant on Bolton Street, in Dublin, allowed his account to be used to store money which had been defrauded from AIB customers.
Budai, of Premier Square, Finglas, pleaded guilty to recklessly handling stolen property on September 29, 2011.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that two customers received a text message purportedly from the bank stating the online banking website was down due to technical difficulties. It told them to use a different website which the scammers had set up.
The customers entered their security details into this site and the scammers used these to steal money from their accounts and transfer it into Budai's AIB account.
Minutes later Budai visited two separate AIB branches and withdrew all the money. He later gave it to an unnamed person. One customer lost €5,000 and the other lost €4,100.
Detective Garda James Morrow told prosecuting counsel John Fitzgerald that Budai was identified on CCTV at the bank and arrested soon after.
In interview, Budai told gardai a man had come into his shop and asked to use his account to put money into so he could pay his employees.
Det Garda Morrow said they did not know who sent the texts or set up the fake website and doubted Budai had the relevant technical knowledge. The money was never recovered but Budai has since raised €9,100 to repay the bank.
John Gallagher, defending, said it was inevitable that Budai would be caught as the account the money went into was in his own name. He said Budai did not know he was involved with a scam and that he was reckless when he agreed to allow the other man use his account.
Mr Gallagher told Judge Martin Nolan that both customers have been reimbursed and it was AIB who suffered the loss.
The judge imposed a four-year sentence which he suspended for four years.


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Social distancing and other safety guidelines will be in place
Battleship North Carolina will reopen to visitors on Tuesday, according to a press release.
To ensure the safety of staff and the general public during the COVID-19 pandemic, new procedures will be put in place as it opens at 10 a.m.
Those include installing hand sanitizer and hand washing stations, increasing the frequency of cleaning high-touch public areas and restrooms, using protective barriers at sales desks, welcoming only non-cash (credit card) payments, limiting the number of visitors allowed in the gift shop and the ship, and closing the visitors center and reconfiguring the tour route to include only the Ship's main deck and above, and offering only self-guided tours.
Adult admission will be reduced to $10, with all visitors offered the group, child, military or ADA rate as applicable.
Tuesday's hours will be 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Starting Wednesday, operating hours will be 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Visitors are encouraged to wear a cloth face covering, wait at least six feet away from others and wash hands frequently or use hand sanitizer. Postpone any visit if you are experiencing any symptoms of illness.


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Pokemon Go is finally available in Canada, meaning that the game is out in over 25 countries worldwide. Not everyone is happy though, with Pokemon Go still missing in some places.
We want you to get in touch with us now if you are still waiting to play the game in your area. We know for a fact that one of the biggest talking points is that Pokemon Go is still not out in Japan which is amazing given it’s Nintendo’s home audience.
Another country that is desperate to get the game is Brazil, although we have to feel that Brazil is next on the list with the likes of Spain and Portugal already getting the game – what is the hold up?
You can keep track of Pokemon Go release dates in other countries on Twitter here, as the official developers will always announce new availability before anywhere else.
Are you still waiting for the game? Let us know what area you are and if you are getting frustrated with the delays as everyone else plays without you.
*Identifying Monetised Links - outgoing links that we monetise are marked with an '*' symbol.


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Why Travel-Related Mobile Ads Are Taking Off on the iPad
Frequent travelers are increasingly turning to their iPads to book flights, get directions, find the best local restaurant, reserve a hotel room or rent a car.
As a result, Greystripe, a mobile ad network purchased by ValueClick in April, says that it has seen travel-related mobile ad campaigns increase by nearly 50 percent over the past year.
In a study, it found that the overwhelming majority of iPad owners, or 91 percent, used their device for a travel-related activity. The data was collected from Greystripe’s 971 users on a network of iPhone (including the iPod touch), Android and iPad devices during June.
Specifically, it found that 47 percent of iPad users booked hotel rooms, which seems to coincide with the boom of applications catering to this activity.
I’ve written in the past about how travel companies are flooding the mobile app stores, including Expedia, Kayak, Priceline and even start-ups, like HotelTonight, which will find you a room the night you need it. What’s more, InterContinental Hotels Group, the massive hotel chain that includes Holiday Inn, told me it recorded $10 million in mobile revenues in April, jumping from only $1 million in the same period a year earlier.
Following closely after hotels, Greystripe said 37 percent of iPad owners used the tablet to book a flight; 28 percent have used it to make a restaurant reservation; and 24 percent have used it to rent a car.
Although Greystripe found that applications were not required, in fact, 69 percent of iPad users were more likely to use the mobile Web compared to 49 percent of iPhone and Android users.


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WTO Analyses Potential Impact of Blockchain on International Trade
The World Trade Organization (WTO) has published an analysis of the potential impact of blockchain technology on international trade: Blockchain and International Trade: Opportunities, Challenges, and Implications for International Trade Cooperation.
Blockchain technology is a tamper-proof, decentralized record of transactions that allows participants to collaborate and build trust with each other. The technology first emerged during the 2008 financial crisis, at a time when people's trust in institutions, in particular financial institutions, was very low. And it came to prominence as the technology underpinning Bitcoin – the famous and highly controversial cryptocurrency.
A recent study has estimated that the gains from blockchain technology could deliver $3 trillion dollars of value worldwide by 2030. It is anticipated to help ease the administration of intellectual property rights and enhance government procurement processes. Other potential benefits identified by the publication include cross-cutting opportunities to reduce trade costs, enhance supply chain transparency and open up new trading opportunities for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.
“International trade transactions often involve dozens of actors along the supply chain and remain highly paper intensive,” said WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo. “Blockchain could enhance the transparency and traceability of supply chains, accelerate the digitalization of trade transactions and automate processes. It could give rise to a new generation of services, particularly in areas like transportation and logistics, financial services and insurance.”
However, there are challenges that must be addressed before the technology can be used on a wide scale and have a significant impact on international trade. These include issues such as whether the technology can be scaled up for large or complex applications, how immune it is to security threats, to what extent various Blockchain platforms can be used in an integrated manner and which legal issues need to be ironed out to increase mainstream use of the technology.
“Blockchain could accelerate the digitalization of trade transactions, but only do so if the legislative framework allows for transactions to be carried out through digital means, and if laws recognize the validity of e-transactions and e-signatures,” said Azevêdo.
The publication calls for a multi-stakeholder dialogue to assess the practical and legal implications of the technology and to develop collective solutions. “While this technology opens interesting opportunities, clearly it also raises legal, regulatory and policy issues that deserve our attention,” said Azevêdo. “We need to consider how to spread the opportunities and overcome the challenges. We can only do this if we are in full possession of the facts. We need to fully understand the technology – what it can do and what it can't do.”
The report cites Maersk and IBM's Blockchain-based global trade platform, TradeLens. The platform was officially launched in August 2018 after having been piloted for several months. The trade document module, called ClearWay, enables importers, exporters, customs brokers and trusted third parties, such as customs and other government agencies, to collaborate and allows for the automation of various business processes such as import and export clearance via smart contracts.
“The success of the platform will ultimately depend on whether the various actors involved in international trade are willing to sign up,” says report author Emmanuelle Ganne. “At the time of its launch, more than 20 port and terminal operators across the globe, accounting for more than 230 marine gateways, as well as two other ocean carriers (Pacific International Lines and Hamburg Süd), several freight forwarders and customs brokers, and customs authorities in Australia, the Netherlands, Peru, Saudi Arabia and Singapore, were already participating, or had announced that they would participate, in the platform.”
Ganne, says that if projects such as these succeed, blockchain could well become the future of trade infrastructure and the biggest disruptor to the shipping industry and to international trade since the invention of the container.


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Dressed in baby-blue clear coat and spinning a new twin-turbo engine generating more than 550 horsepower, the 2012 BMW M5 sedan was revealed online Wednesday.
Not unexpectedly, the car, which goes on sale in the United States early next year, closely echoes the prototype shown at the Shanghai auto show in April.
Performance tweaks include BMW’s Active M differential and an M-specific chassis with retuned steering and adjustable damping. The car is served by a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission; no manual option is offered.
The 4.4-liter V-8 churns 560 horsepower and 502 pound feet of torque, 62 m.p.h. arrives from a stop in 4.4 seconds and top speed, with the optional M Driver’s Package, is listed at 190 m.p.h. The design modifications for the M are subtle, except for the trio of gaping air intakes beneath the front bumper and the deep-dish 19-inch alloys. Ride height is slightly lower than the more conventional 5 Series cars, as well.
BMW says the retuned motor is 25 percent more efficient that the previous model’s V-10 in terms of fuel consumption and emissions. The new M5 will go up against the anticipated new generation of the Audi RS6, as well as the Cadillac CTS-V and Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG in the hotly contested super sports sedan category.
Pricing for American customers will be revealed closer to the car’s formal introduction in September at the Frankfurt auto show.


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Continue Reading Letter to the Editor: Amos Miller situation unacceptable abuse of legal system
The latest posting on long-time persistent violative raw milk seller Amos Miller illustrates at least two costs of permitting litigants to abuse legal process: 1. It purports to allow illegal interstate commerce in a prohibited
The Lancaster judge overseeing the Amos Miller civil trial case has decided not to explicitly restrict the Amish farmer’s out-of-state sales, saying he won’t hold the ambiguous nature of Pennsylvania law against Miller.
The result…Continue Reading Judge opens area outside of Pennsylvania to Amos Miller’s unpasteurized, raw milk
The Colorado General Assembly has its own routines. One allows a bill to change its spots.
Take SB24-026, for example. It was one of the first bills heard during the current legislative session about “accountability…Continue Reading The subject of Colorado’s ‘Food Freedom’ bill has been changed entirely
Two state legislatures have been handling bills for selling unpasteurized, raw milk. One in Michigan is stalled in committee, while the other in West Virginia has been approved without the governor’s signature.
It is against…Continue Reading Two states consider allowing sales of unpasteurized, raw milk
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have declared over a multi-state outbreak of foodborne infections from Raw Farms unpasteurized cheese.
The E. coli O157:H7 outbreak sickened 11 people across five states. Five were hospitalized…Continue Reading CDC declares outbreak linked to unpasteurized cheese over
— ANALYSIS —
Whether it was in federal court or, as now, state court, Amos Miller has delivered like one of those old Sunday morning serial cartoons.
Pennsylvania’s Attorney General thinks Miller, like everybody else…Continue Reading Miller case inspires a constitutional amendment for food freedom for all
New York officials are warning consumers about contaminated raw milk from Big Brook Farm in Lee Center.
In a warning issued by the State Agriculture and Markets Commissioner the public is advised to stop consuming…Continue Reading State warns consumers to not drink Big Brook raw milk because of Listeria
The debate over the legality of raw milk sales continues to stir discussions among legislators, public health officials, and consumers across the United States. Raw milk, which is milk that has not undergone pasteurization to…Continue Reading States take sides in the raw milk debate
Every so often, somebody tries to make a partisan issue about raw milk. That happened again when Colorado was supposed to be “poised to defy this growing partisan divide” with a bill to allow direct…Continue Reading Bill for direct sales of raw milk hasn’t yet gone anywhere in Colorado
It’s been said that recent outbreaks of illness in the United States are raising renewed concerns about selling and consuming raw milk and raw milk products.
One defense is a federal law prohibiting raw milk…Continue Reading Amos Miller wants to cross state lines to sell his Pennsylvania-made raw milk


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White iPhone 4 Releasing to UK in March
Remember all those carrier internal systems popping up all over the place showing the white iPhone 4, well they may be right in getting ready for the release of the white iPhone 4, at least over here in the UK if the latest rumour turns out to be true.
According to an article over at Intomobile by Marc Flores, the guys over at Pocket-lint are claiming that one of their sources, unnamed of course, has apparently confirmed that the long awaited white version of the iPhone 4 will land in UK stores “at the end of March.”
Apparently the Pocket-lint guys have been n contact with Vodafone UK who apparently replied that there was “no new light to shed on the subject.”
Recently Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak gave his opinions as to why the white iPhone 4 had seen such a long delay, and remarked that the device should be shipping soon, as reported (here).
Having said that, rumours of this mystical beast seem to pop up quite regularly and thus far the white iPhone 4 hasn’t materialised, and still no official word from Apple.
So the thing is does anyone really want a white iPhone 4 now? Especially when Apple is expected to push out the iPhone 5 sometime later in the year, which may or may not come in white as well. So will up grab the white iPhone 4 if it finally sees release or are you quite happy to wait for the iPhone 5?


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The Latest figures released from the Insolvency Service make stark reading. The figures show that the number of businesses in England and Wales that have collapsed due to insolvency rose by 18.7% in November 2021 to a total of 1,674 compared to October 2021’s total of 1,410. More alarmingly, this showed an increase of 87.9% compared to 891 in November 2020.
Company insolvencies higher
For the first time since pandemic began, the total monthly number of registered company insolvencies was higher than the levels pre-pandemic. This was driven by the higher number of creditors’ voluntary liquidations (CVLs). In November 2021 there were 1,521 CVLs, 43% higher than in November 2019. Other types of company insolvencies, such as compulsory liquidations, remained lower than before the pandemic.
There 50 were compulsory liquidations, which is 32% higher than November 2020, but 82% lower than November 2019, 10 were CVAs, which is 33% lower than November 2020 and 52% lower than November 2019;
There were 93 administrations, which is 27% higher than November 2020, but 38% lower than November 2019; and there were no receivership appointments.
Between 26th June 2020 and 30th November 2021, in England & Wales, 15 moratoriums were obtained and 10 companies had a restructuring plan registered at Companies House. These two new procedures were created by the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020.
Commenting on the figures Christina Fitzgerald, Vice President of insolvency and restructuring trade body R3 said “The monthly increase in business insolvencies has been driven by a rise in Creditor Voluntary Liquidations (CVLs) to the highest number in more than two and a half years. The increase in the use of this process suggests that a rising number of company directors are choosing to close their businesses, perhaps because they feel that survival is impossible in the current climate.”
Times are tough for Businesses in England and Wales
“Times are tough for businesses in England and Wales as the pandemic continues to take its toll on the economy and the firms that drive it. Over the last few weeks, businesses have been hit by the triple whammy of increased costs, supply chain issues and rising COVID cases.”
“They have also been operating in the face of low consumer confidence and anaemic economic growth in recent months, which, coupled with an increasingly difficult COVID situation, has led to changes in people’s shopping and spending habits and taken its toll on revenue levels.
“It remains to be seen how the introduction of Plan B will affect the economy in the short and medium term, but we know it will affect footfall, spending and operations at a time when many businesses would have been hoping for a busy Christmas period to help after a challenging year.”
“We urge any director who is worried about their business to seek advice as soon as possible. Seeking it at an early stage provides more options, more time and potentially better outcomes for businesses than if it’s delayed – and most insolvency practitioners will give an hour’s free consultation to potential new clients to learn about the situation they are in and outline their potential options for improving it.”
Many Debt Collection Agencies are working through the Christmas period. These offer a expedient way to recover unpaid debts owed to Businesses facing cash flow issues due to non payment of debts.
Debt Collection services are not just limited to the UK. You can utilise Debt Collection in Australia to America so wherever your trading partners are located, there are a multitude of solutions.


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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Crain Communications on Monday launched its fifth city brand publication with the debut of Crain’s Grand Rapids Business.
Crain’s Grand Rapids Business is the culmination of two acquisitions made by Crain last year. The company bought the Grand Rapids Business Journal and MiBiz in 2022. Both publications had long histories in the community, having been founded in the 1980s.
Crain said in addition to providing readers with “timely, in-depth and contextual news and information about West Michigan business,” Crain’s Grand Rapids Business will also offer a “full slate of live events that help business leaders and community members engage and network in meaningful ways.”
“When we entered the West Michigan market with the acquisitions last year, we said we were committed to giving readers and business partners the most comprehensive news and information about the Grand Rapids region,” said K.C. Crain, president and CEO of Crain Communications. “Today is a special day in that we formally launch the new Crain’s Grand Rapids Business brand to deliver on that promise.”
The Detroit-headquartered company has retained leadership from Grand Rapids Business Journal and MiBiz to oversee its West Michigan news, marketing and sales operations.
Crain’s other city brands include Crain’s Detroit Business, Crain’s Chicago Business, Crain’s New York Business and Crain’s Cleveland Business.
Find Crain’s Grand Rapids Business online at www.crainsgrandrapids.com.


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Japan's Hitachi says group net profit more than doubled in the nine months to December - thanks to improved sales and the disposal of part of its stake in a US firm - and lifted its full-year outlook.
Net profit soared 152.7 per cent on-year to 127.3 billion yen ($A1.44 billion) in April-December, the electronics maker said on Tuesday.
Operating profit rose 27.4 per cent to 295.5 billion yen on sales of 6.77 trillion yen, a rise of 4.7 per cent from a year earlier.
Revenue and profits in its power generation systems business sank, with Japan's nuclear power plants remaining off-line following the Fukushima atomic disaster in 2011.
But the slump was more than offset by robust business in lifts and railway systems abroad as well as automotive systems, Hitachi said.


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Loes Heerink, a Dutch photographer waited for hours on the bridge to catch the moment when the vendors passing by. The special images will be present in the upcoming photo book of her.
Living in Hanoi in 4 years, Loes Heerink said, the vendors on the street gave her the inspiration to make a photo book right at the time she arrived in Vietnam.
The last image of a street vendor selling flowers was taken from the bridge by Loes two months before she came back to the Netherlands. Loes said while she was here, she spent a lot of time on the bridge to wait for the vendors passing underneath.
The reason for her to choose this corner is the photos would only have the image of the vendor – without any other factors.
"I want people to see what I saw. I believe that these street vendors create pieces of artwork every day" she shared.
The photos were taken at various sites in the city by Loes, such as from the balcony of the restaurant in the old town, or from the bridge.
Sometimes she has to get up very early to wait for the vendors passing. Sometimes she took time for the break at noon or weekend to “hunt” the precious moments from the street vendors.
"Sometimes I have to wait in 5 hours without taking any photo," Loes shared.
Loes also took the time to talk to the sellers. They shared with her about their livelihood by selling fruit, vegetables and other things on the bike.
She is planning to return to Vietnam to continue another project of photo book about the vendors. Loes also set up the website Kickstarter to raise funds for the project. The photo book about the street vendors will include about 100 photos.


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The lab-grown diamond brand also collaborated with the website The Future Rocks on a collection launching today.
Extraordinary Italian Jewelry Presented Spectacular Jewels to Receptive Buyers
Over 130 Made in Italy Manufacturers displayed their products of Italian style and technological innovation to a crowd of eager retailers.
Brought To You By Italian Trade Agency
It’s safe to say that the Las Vegas trade fairs—JCK Las Vegas and the Couture Show—attracted better than expected buyers and orders. This is certainly true to the more than 130 Italian jewelry manufacturers and designers who make the Extraordinary Italian Jewels contingent that exhibited at the shows.
Massimo Gismondi, CEO of Italian jewelry brands, Gismondi and Vendorafa, spoke for many at the Couture Show, after the first two busy days concluded.
“Yesterday and today, we’ve had very good business. We’ve had appointments with independent jewelers and department stores, and we were well received,” he said. “We’ve received many orders and are very happy. They love my high-end jewelry but also my new Vela collection. The show better than past years because we are increasing our presence in the US market significantly. The mood here is good.”
It was a particularly good show for Peruffo as well. Not only for the increased visitors, but because it was the big winner at the prestigious Couture Design Awards. The contemporary and experimental Italian jewelry brand received four nominations and two wins for “Best Debut Brand” and “People’s Choice,” for its one-of-a-kind 18k gold and blue agate stud collar necklace.
Antonini Milano, a regular at the show for many years has a strong following in the U.S. for its elegant contemporary gold jewels. A spokesperson at the booth said it was a busiest show for them in several years.
Laura Bicego, creative director of gold jewelry brand, Nanis, was ready as the trade fair began on the first day. She was happy that it was the first time Couture wasn’t living under the shadow of Covid. Her booth had a steady flow of retailers during the first two days.
A spokesperson for Palmiero, which produces a variety of elaborate colorful jewels, was pleased with the reception the company received. Gino di Luca of Cameo Italiano, which specializes in traditional and contemporary cameo jewelry, was sufficiently pleased as well.
For Maxioro, which specializes in men’s gold jewelry, a spokesperson at the booth said retailers were highly receptive to its high-end men’s gold jewelry, as men’s jewelry was one of the big trends in Las Vegas.
Overall, The Extraordinary Italian Jewelry companies made a strong impression with their Made-in-Italy jewels that capture the culture, traditional and contemporary style of Italy.
#Italianjewelry #Italiandesign #theextraordinaryitalianjewelry #extraitajewelry #madeinitaly #italiantradeagency #Italianstyle #peruffojewelry #jcklasvegas #coutureshow #bycouture #by_couture #gismondi1754 #vendorafaofficial #antoninimilano #nanisjewels # Palmierojewellery #CameoItaliano #maxioro_jewels_for_man
It’s the hero piece of the newest "Green Jewel" collection, a collaborative offering from the two mines.
With holiday proposals right around the corner, encourage your customers to go for platinum when making the big purchase.
Chris Cramer, who also spent time at Gen Z intimates brand Parade, will take on the dual role.
In a world where the sparkle of a gemstone is only as brilliant as the trust behind it, IGI's purpose is truly invaluable.
The retail offering lets customers track their diamond’s journey.
The Luele mine is expected to eventually make the country the world’s third-largest diamond producer.
From Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday, 200.4 million consumers shopped online and in stores.
The growing company also plans to open more of its own boutiques.
The best quotes from the Oracle of Omaha and his right-hand man Charlie Munger from the 2018 Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting.
The Albany Business Review recently honored the 100-year-old company.
To honor his legacy, GIA has set up a scholarship in his name.
There have been eight attacks in the last month, spanning from a jewelry store parking lot in Rhode Island to highways in California.
Emmanuel Raheb outlines three reasons why Hulu advertising and football can be a game changer for your jewelry store’s marketing.


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HMD Global made us all nostalgic when it announced the refurbished Nokia 3310 at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2017. The classic feature phone was launched in Pakistan last June and finally, the company has relaunched the device to offer 3G connectivity.
Nokia Mobiles announced the big news via their Twitter handle:
— Nokia Mobile (@nokiamobile) September 28, 2017
Now, in addition to the forever green snake game, the users can enjoy different apps like Facebook, Skype, Twitter and even a 3G radio. The company has made some size changes too 13.29% to be exact in volume to provide more space between buttons.
We already reported that the company plans to introduce the 3G support in its iconic feature phone. Now thanks to 3G, the battery life is reduced as compared to the plain old handset that previously made calls and looked cool in our hands.
Nokia 3310 has slightly different software than in contrast to the 2G version as HMD Global had to develop new core software to enable the 3G support for their handset. Juho Sarvikas, Chief Product Officer HMD Global revealed in a tweet:
Moi! To step up to 3G we had to create a new asset. As easy to use and navigate but with some cool new features. You will feel right at home
— Juho Sarvikas (@sarvikas) September 28, 2017
The new version would be more expensive and would be priced at €69 or Rs. 8,564. We previously did a complete review of the 2G version of the Nokia 3310, do check it out by clicking here.


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Recently, the WTTC announced that almost 1.2 million jobs across the EU will remain unfilled, and that the biggest impact of this problem will be felt by the hospitality, air transport and travel agencies. This new study by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) analyzes labor shortages in major destinations such as Italy, the US, France, Spain, the United Kingdom and Portugal. Analysis...
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Apple may have in excess of a couple of documentaries on tap for its forthcoming streaming video service. Variety has discovered that Apple has a “first-look” deal with Imagine Documentaries, the production organization from Ron Howard and Brian Grazer. The move will allow Apple to gobble up true to life works before different organizations can hop in. While this won’t ensure that Apple will purchase everything Imagine makes, it could leave contenders with shows that Apple either doesn’t think will move or don’t accommodate its family-friendly society.
It could be an overthrow. Imagine Documentaries might be best known for Howard’s narrative on The Beatles’ touring years, yet it has likewise created docs on current hotshots like Jay-Z and Katy Perry.
Up and coming activities handle social subjects like women’s’ issues and parenthood. Apple’s arrangement could make it a go-to hotspot for these prominent documentaries and might lure individuals from Netflix or different administrations where true to life has turned into a selling point.
The move can make Apple’s streaming service a contender in the services already available. It will likewise give the audience more to choose from and pick one from their taste. This is also a major move for Apple to enhance its footprint into the lives of an average consumer. It will be a sight to see how other streaming services react to this new competition in a saturated marketplace.
It’s as yet not certain when Apple’s administration will make a big appearance. Gossipy tidbits have indicated March, however the organization isn’t probably going to dispatch until the point when it trusts it has a sufficiently expansive choice of firsts. At whatever point it dispatches, Imagine creations probably won’t be a piece of the lineup because of the planning.
Image via 9 to 5 Mac
RS News or Research Snipers focuses on technology news with a special focus on mobile technology, tech companies, and the latest trends in the technology industry. RS news has vast experience in covering the latest stories in technology.


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Apple is testing iOS 6.0.1, which includes a fix for the keyboard bug, and resolves a camera flash issue, according to reports
Google on Monday announced a Nexus 4 smartphone, an updated Nexus 7 tablet with a fast cellular connection and a Nexus 10 tablet.
Telstra has announced the release of its own branded, 4G-capable Android tablet, simply called the Telstra 4G Tablet.
With Windows 8, Microsoft introduces a brand new interface that feels designed more for tablets than for laptops and desktops. We'll help you find your way around the new OS and make the most of its features.
Perhaps you’re still bleary-eyed from a late night spent attempting to secure your very own iPad mini—followed by the interminable wait for it to show up on your doorstep. Worry not! Thanks to vendors filling our inboxes with announcements, we’ve got...
Sorry, Android fans, looks like you'll have to wait a little longer to hear more about the Nexus 4 and the Nexus 10. Google has cancelled its Monday morning event in New York City because of safety concerns related to Hurricane Sandy, which is expect...
Apple's Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer has said that the company is working hard to improve the iOS 6 Maps app that was blasted by critics when it launched in September.
Apple's CEO Tim Cook has said that the company has 'learned not to worry' about cannibalising its own products, referring to the comments about how the new iPad mini will affect the sales of Apple's full-size iPads.
Apple this week unveiled its highly anticipated iPad mini, a 7.9in tablet available that will became available to pre-order today, ahead of its 2 November launch date.
Apple plans to open a retail store in downtown Palo Alto, California, on Saturday. The new store, less than two blocks from Apple's existing location, appears set to share the all-glass front common on Apple retail outlets but was still covered in bl...
Tech stocks were flat Friday afternoon after earnings announcements from IT vendors this week and a government economic report offered glimpses of good news, but not enough to dispel the pall that hangs over the technology market.
Microsoft's Surface attracted a line of about a hundred people when it went on sale Friday morning in Palo Alto, California.
About 100 people waited outside Boston's Microsoft Store Friday to buy the company's new Surface tablet, which runs a new version of Windows.
Japan's Casio is preparing to launch a new Android tablet for businesses that acts as a personal scanner.
Apple sold 27 million iPhones and 14 million iPads in the last quarter of 2012, swelling its revenue by 27 per cent, but its profits fell short of what analysts had been expecting.
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The founder of Bitcoin SV (BSV) payment system Showpay was among entrepreneurs to pitch as part of the Bitcoin Association’s inaugural Pitch Day event.
Held at the CoinGeek Conference in Seoul back in October, the event brought together notable BSV investors and crypto VCs, assembled to hear pitches from a select band of startups in the BSV space. A number of firms at different stages of the development cycle were picked to pitch at the event, with Showpay one of the most notable present on the day.
Showpay is a payment system developed specifically and exclusively for BSV and BSV-powered tokens. Aimed at merchants, the system provides both the hardware and the software platforms required to process payments at the point of sale.
The Android native software, dubbed ShowpayOS, allows for transactions to be taken in BSV and BSV-powered tokens, with funds stored in a wallet or exchangeable for cash in the usual way.
The app was pitched by founder Sunny Fung, who said his goal was to make BSV global, daily cash—something he envisaged occurring over the next 10 years, as an increasing number of merchants and consumers turn to BSV for its convenience, flexibility and superior technology to other cryptocurrencies.
Fung said that as more merchants were responding to consumer demand and on-boarding crypto payments, Showpay would look to remain ahead of the trend by offering a comprehensive merchant solution for selling in bitcoin.
The pitch was well received, with Fung demonstrating how Showpay allows merchants to capitalize on the benefits of BSV payments.
Lower transaction fees, fast settlement time and greater convenience for consumers, as well as more effective cross-border payments, mean BSV already offers merchants an alternative to other digital payments.
With Showpay bridging the technical gap between merchants and the BSV blockchain, the hope is the platform can eventually support even smaller merchants in doing business in BSV.
Applications are now open for firms looking to pitch at the next Bitcoin Association Pitch Day in London at the CoinGeek Conference in February 2020.
Do you have a Bitcoin idea? Is it ready for the next step? We’re looking to invest in Bitcoin companies to bring them to the next level. Check out this series, Bitcoin Ventures, for some tips on how to pitch your project and secure financing.
New to Bitcoin? Check out CoinGeek’s Bitcoin for Beginners section, the ultimate resource guide to learn more about Bitcoin—as originally envisioned by Satoshi Nakamoto—and blockchain.


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Mr. André Akse is the new appointed Managing Director of North Atlantic Seafood Forum, NASF, and he joined the organization on November 1st.
Mr. Akse has a broad and varied experience from the Norwegian seafood industry and held several leading positions within the industry. Among them, Director of France for the Norwegian Seafood Council in the 90’s, Hydro Seafood in Bergen, Seagarden, Vikenco, Pan Fish Norway as plant manager at Eggesbøneset and as General Manager for Baader Norway. He has worked on projects and strategies for companies such as Marine Harvest, Atlantic Cod Farms, Optimar and various investment companies. Over the past year, he has been involved in introducing Stora Enso’s EcoFishBox concept in Norway and France.
André is enthusiastically taking the world’s largest Seafood Business conference into the a new digital environment:
“We see a lot of exciting possibilities emerge as we go along with the planning of a digital NASF 2021. Our online event will be available to a much larger audience globally, making it an ideal event to meet old and new acquaintances”
Our website will be updated with news on the conference, so visit us again for more exiting news on NASF 2021.


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The Moto X4 was due to launch in India this month and now Motorola has revealed that the handset will launch on the 13th of November.
Motorola revealed on Twitter that they will be officially launching their new Moto X4 in India from the 13th of November.
We agree! The #MotoX4 will be unveiled on the 13th of November. Stay tuned for all details!
— Motorola India (@motorolaindia) October 16, 2017
The new Motorola Moto X4 comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 processor and 3GB of RAM, there is also 32GB of included storage.
The handset features a 5.2 inch display with a Full HD resolution of 1290 x 1080 pixels, the device also comes with a 3000 mAh battery and high end cameras.
On the front of the X4 there is a 16 megapixel camera for video calls and Selfies and on the back of the handset there is a dual camera setup with two 12 megapixel cameras. As yet there are no details on how much the Moto X4 will retail for in India.
Source GSM Arena


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A SEA CHANGE FOR SOUTH BEACH
Published 4:00 am, Saturday, January 8, 2000
If we build it, will they come?
For officials at the Port of San Francisco - which plans to build a new cruise ship terminal just south of the Bay Bridge to lure cruise ship lines in search of new markets - the answer is yes. With caveats.
"The cruise ship lines are looking to expand," says Gerry Roybal, a marketing representative for the port. He says market research shows that destinations such as the northwest coast of Mexico could be the hot new markets in the near-term as old favorites like the Caribbean become too crowded and
"In three, four years, markets like Mexico could be prime," Roybal says. "We're going to be coming online right when that happens. This (new) cruise terminal will help position us for that market."
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The planned terminal, set to open in about four years on the broad, nearly empty expanse of Piers 30-32, is designed to replace outdated facilities at Pier 35, a long, narrow finger facility built in 1914, which port officials consider woefully inadequate.
Now a caveat: San Francisco is too far from popular Pacific Rim destinations such as Hawaii to appeal to fans of three- and four-day excursions from better-positioned ports. Short cruises are becoming increasingly popular with time-pressed travelers.
As such, the number of passengers sailing through The City is unlikely to ever equal the numbers at major cruise ports such as Miami, Vancouver or Singapore.
Another caveat: San Francisco is hampered by the 1886 federal Passenger Vessel Services Act. Described as "19th century protectionist legislation" by the port's manager of governmental affairs, Veronica Sanchez, the law requires ships going from one U.S. port to another to be U.S.-built, U.S.-flagged and U.S-staffed.
Most major cruise lines fly foreign flags, build ships at inexpensive foreign shipyards and carry foreign crews, who will work for lower wages than do U.S. crews. To get around the law, many ships - even those run by U.S.-based lines
- use foreign ports such as Ensenada, Mexico; and Vancouver, Canada - and skip American ports entirely.
The City is backing a bill co-sponsored by Sens. John McCain, R.-Ariz., and Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., to loosen restrictions of the 1886 law, but "the new terminal is not contingent on changes to the PSVA," Sanchez says. While long-term growth is expected, she says, "in the near-term we need the terminal for business retention."
Cruise lines account for just 3 percent of the port's annual revenue, according to Roybal, with the real estate division generating 75 percent of its total of $34 million to $37 million a year.
Viewed in that context, the new terminal is more of a real estate play than a maritime venture, but the terminal is key to spurring continued development in burgeoning South Beach. Businesses in the new facility at Piers 30-32, which is on port-owned land, will provide an additional revenue stream for the port and have an economic ripple effect in the neighborhood.
Drawbacks to the present terminal at Pier 35 are obvious. Tour buses, taxis, forklifts and passengers wrestling with luggage maneuver in restricted space under a high roof supported by pillars. On a recent weekday, a port truck, trying to back up, accidentally struck a pillar, nearly pulverizing a mounted fire extinguisher.
The cruise lines have noticed the problems and don't like what they see.
"Passengers have high expectations for the city of San Francisco," notes Michael Ronan, director of destination development for Royal Caribbean International, a major cruise line based in Miami. Royal Caribbean calls in San Francisco from time to time when it moves vessels from the Caribbean to Alaska in the summer.
"We have a very good working relationship with the port," Ronan says. However, "it's difficult for people to understand why San Francisco doesn't have a better front door, so to speak."
Royal Caribbean is one of a
umber of cruise lines that the port has contacted in planning a new
Says Roybal: "The companies have told us 'We don't want fancy. All we want is clean, efficient and safe.' "
The new site will provide easier freeway and airport access and will be much more user-friendly, flooded with natural light and festooned with sleek shops and restaurants. All this is in keeping with the sophisticated profile that San Francisco sells to the travel and tourism industries.
Instead of being a mass-market, Lucky or Safeway-type operation, port officials and industry analysts say, San Francisco is a Molly Stone: mid-sized, upscale and quality-conscious. When thinking about the core market, forget the Love Boat and the party-hearty cruise crowd. Think fine wine, haute cuisine and corporate retreats on the waves.
"Our marketing is focused on the cultural activities," Roybal says, citing the Bay Area's art, music, wine and museums.
That's just fine with the cruise lines, especially companies at the deluxe end, such as Los Angeles-based Crystal Cruises. Crystal operates Alaska cruises from San Francisco, carrying nearly 1,000 passengers per trip.
"From our perspective, (a new terminal) would be a welcome development," says Joseph Valenti, senior vice president of marine operations. "We try to bring our guests through a nice facility. The present facility is really outdated for where the industry is today."
Upscale, niche marketing is the future for San Francisco, according to Greg Miller, senior editor at the New York trade publication Cruise Industry News.
"The industry is looking for new destinations," Miller says. San Francisco's best bet, he believes, are short-haul cruises, including those that showcase culture or host business meetings.
Plans for the new facility have piqued the interest of executives at several mid-sized cruise ship lines. The new terminal, they say, could
be a good fit for small and mid-sized vessels that sail up the West Coast and ply river routes.
"It has definite possibilities," says Stephen Scraper, vice president of operations and administration at Miami-based SeaAmerica Cruise Lines Inc. "A new terminal with access to The City for passengers and access to transportation for provisioning is something we would definitely be looking at."
SeaAmerica, which doesn't presently send ships to San Francisco, is building a new vessel for use on the West Coast beginning in 2004. A decision on where to home-port the ship and which ports to visit is about a year away, says Scraper, adding, "There is so much you can do in San Francisco and the surrounding area. It's a tremendous area."
SeaAmerica is representative of the kind of company port officials hope to lure in order to bump up San Francisco's modest cruise ship traffic. At present, San Francisco is a small fry in the cruise industry, drawing an average of 45 ship visits and 75,000 passengers per year since the mid-1990s.
By comparison, the bustling port of Vancouver, which specializes in scenic cruises to Alaska, drew 300 ship visits and 947,659 revenue passengers in 1999, according to Kristine Sigurdson, manager of market development for leisure travel in the Americas at Tourism Vancouver. Ports in world class harbors such as Singapore, Hong Kong, Sydney and Miami are even busier.
With a new terminal and new marketing opportunities, Roybal says, San Francisco could see 80 to 90 ship calls a year.
That would increase the present $800,000 a year in direct revenue from cruises. The figure doesn't include money that passengers would spend during jaunts to The City or income for Northern California companies that provide food, fuel and other provisions to cruise ships when they come calling.
San Francisco is unlikely to draw the biggest global players with the biggest ships, says Philip
Crannell, chairman of Gee & Jenson, a maritime engineering and architecture firm.
"They are building bigger and bigger ships," says Crannell, a consultant to Lend Lease Development US, which won the port staff's endorsement for the new San Francisco terminal. "The new super-mega class ships are more than 106 feet wide, too wide to go through the Panama Canal; they're trapped in the Atlantic."
Smaller vessels used for coastal and river cruises and carrying 1,000 or fewer passengers are a good fit for San Francisco, Crannell says, adding, "I feel very strongly about the potential in San Francisco. It is a marquee name."
Potential customers include American Classic Lines, based in New Orleans, where Cornel Martin, vice president for corporate affairs, says "River cruises are a big part of our business. Our Delta Steamship Co. operates on the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. In late spring, we'll be launching a ship for use on the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest."
American Classic, Martin adds, has an option to build a new cruise ship for the West Coast. It would launch in 2002 or 2003 to serve ports of call along the coast. Could San Francisco be included? "This is entirely possible," he says.
Erik Elvejord, director of public relations at Seattle-based Holland America, says his company uses San Francisco chiefly "as a positioning port," where ships call on their way from the Caribbean to Alaska in the summer.
"San Francisco is a great stop," says Elvejord, who says a new terminal might spur Holland America "to make a few more calls a year."
More broadly, he says, a beautiful, modern terminal should help The City turn its best face to the water.
"The terminal is the first impression that passengers get when they disembark in a city." <


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GOOGLE ADDS VR CHROME APP TO DOMINATE VIRTUAL WEB BROWSING: Google has its sights set on the virtual reality (VR) market to boost its dominance in web browsing. Google officially launched the Chrome browser app on its Daydream VR platform last week, enabling owners of the smartphone-based Daydream View headset and the stand-alone Lenovo Mirage Solo headset to search the web within VR devices. The VR version of Chrome includes the same features as the web version — including voice search, saved bookmarks, and private browsing — but adds VR-specific features like cinema mode, which optimizes web video for the best viewing experience in VR.
The addition of Chrome to the Daydream App Store will significantly improve upon Google’s earlier efforts to bring the internet to VR users. Though Chrome has been available on Daydream View headsets since September 2017, it could only be launched by manually opening the browser on a smartphone and then placing the phone into the View headset with the browser open. Meanwhile, the first stand-alone Daydream headset, the Lenovo Mirage Solo, had no way to install Chrome since the device doesn’t depend on a smartphone to operate, and can’t access non-VR android apps.
With global VR adoption poised to explode over the next few years, the search giant is likely betting the update will position Chrome as the primary access point to the internet over VR. The global installed base of VR headsets is expected to top 63 million by 2022, a 142% bump from 26 million in 2017, according to ARtillry. And so far, Chrome is the only major web browser that’s optimized for VR experiences, giving it a strategic advantage over competitors like Safari. We also expect Google will eventually roll out Chrome VR to other VR platforms beyond Daydream, further expanding Chrome’s reach and boosting the company’s overall revenue potential.