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Negative coverage has done little to dissuade investment in vaping. Are these latest headlines any different?
One need only look at recent headlines to know that the vaping industry is facing a barrage of criticism on a number of fronts. At least six people have died and hundreds sickened from a mysterious lung disease reportedly linked to vaping, and officials—including the Trump administration—have ramped up calls for outright bans on many popular flavored products to curb teen abuse.
Recent news aside, a Quid analysis revealed that public perception of the industry has been shifting over the last few years from vaping as a smoking cessation tool to an “epidemic” trending among teenagers. At the same time, despite this shift, sales have skyrocketed and investment in 2019 has already eclipsed the previous year’s total.
Negative press hasn’t visibly impacted investment to date, but how does recent coverage compare to larger trends seen over the past few years? Quid looked at nearly 2,500 articles on vaping from the past 3 years, as well as 782 companies in the industry to better understand the evolution of the industry and its public narrative.
Teen vaping represents more than a third of the industry’s public narrative
If you look at the total volume of coverage around vaping from the past three years, teen use represents the largest topic area (34%), followed by vaping as a smoking cessation tool (28%), regulations around the industry (23%), and associated health risks (13%).
Negative coverage outpaced positive coverage 4:1, with health risks emerging as the most damaging topic area for the industry’s public image.
During the entire three-year period, only 11% of stories written received a positive sentiment score, compared to 44% negative and 46% neutral. Broken down into specific topic clusters, the only one to receive a distinct area of positive coverage was the debate about vaping versus smoking (9.7%). Articles here discuss some of the benefits of e-juice, how vaping can help long-term smokers kick the habit, and even save smokers in the UK nearly £350 per year.
But when it comes to health risks, negative coverage shot up to 64% overall and even higher for specific cluster areas like cancer risks (84% negative), the Surgeon General’s comments about vaping as a “major public health concern” (80% negative), and lung disease and heart attack risks (63% negative). Health risks, though comparatively smaller than other topic areas in terms of the volume of coverage, also received the highest social engagement from online readers, followed by efforts by officials to ban, tax, or regulate products. Areas that drew higher media interest—such as smoking cessation—received lower engagement rates online, showing a disconnect between media coverage and reader interest.
Analysis shows a distinct narrative shift from more positive coverage of vaping as a less-harmful smoking alternative, to criticism around the explosion of teen users and health risks posed from products.
When viewing the percentage of coverage received by each topic area by quarter, you can see a decline in the rate of stories focused on the smoking cessation theme (seen in red), while teen vaping (light blue) has risen.
Meanwhile, in the most recent quarter, health risk coverage rose to its highest rate during our three-year period and will likely continue to rise given the news of a six death tied to product use.
A deeper dive into health risks coverage reveals that customers are highly engaged with news about risks from lung disease and heart attack, and cancer.
Stories about lung and heart risks received higher online engagement rates than news of the Surgeon General’s warning about the dangers of youth vaping, though the latter captured a greater share of media attention. Public interest in this highly negative topic area should be especially concerning to the industry, given that they are currently facing backlash for deaths linked to a mysterious lung disease.
Articles from the past few weeks cover recent hospitalizations and deaths from both local and national perspectives (“Doctor weighs in on vaping after local man nearly dies,” KMOV), and look at the potential impact of recent health scares on the industry (“Milwaukee vape shop sees dramatic decrease in sales amid outbreak,” -WTMJ).
One topic that is engaging online readers but hasn’t received much media attention is cancer risk. As seen in an earlier graph, the NBC article “Teens inhale cancer-causing chemicals in e-cigarettes” was the most widely shared of any article in our data set.
New market entrants have focused heavily on two areas that currently face widespread criticism in the press: e-juice retailers and cannabis vape products.
Prior to 2010, companies focused more on packaging and big retailer distribution. Since then, the industry has diversified in terms of products and retailers. High growth areas include e-juice manufacturers—particularly those who produce flavored products—cannabis devices, and online retailers.
Two of these high growth areas have received mounting criticism in the press and face potential bans at the city, state, and federal levels: flavored e-juice manufacturers for their appeal to teen users, and those producing cannabis vape products for their perceived link to the current outbreak of hospitalizations and deaths.
Despite negative headlines, coverage around health risks and regulation have not threatened skyrocketing investment to date.
Investment peaked to record highs in 2018 when JUUL received $14.1 billion, including $12.8 billion from Altria Group, the owners of Philip Morris USA and makers of Marlboro cigarettes. For easy viewing, there are two charts below (for comparison, the inset includes the Juul investment). Even without Juul’s industry-record investment, growth remains impressive. So far, the rest of the industry has raised over 250% more in 2019 than in 2018.
When comparing the investment timeline with the timeline of news coverage around topics that might threaten industry growth—health risks (purple) and regulation (green)—investment actually spiked after news coverage of these topics reached their peak. Combined, these topics were most visible in the public narrative from February to April 2018. Just six months later, JUUL received $1.3 billion in private investment and then another $12.8 in December 2018.
In addition to the billion dollar investment in JUUL from the owners of Philip Morris USA, large tobacco companies represent three of the four top acquirers in the industry.
Top acquirer, British American Tobacco (maker of Dunhill and Lucky Strike) absorbed a number of manufacturing and distribution companies, including e-cigarette and flavored refill maker Ten Motives in 2016. Similarly, Imperial Brands (Winston and KOOL) picked up Blu Cigs in a 2014 deal with Reynolds American (also a big tobacco company, but the brand was initially started by an Australian entrepreneur in 2009). Blu makes vaping devices with flavors such as vanilla, java jolt, and pina colada.
Just ahead of Standard Diversified is Namaste Technologies, a cannabis-related tech company that sells vaporizers in more than 20 countries. The company acquired URT1 Limited, an online smoke shop that sells bongs and pipes, in 2016.
So far, negative headlines around vaping have done little to dissuade investment and expansion within the industry. Though coverage of health risks, identified as a particularly harmful narrative for the industry, have increased with the recent news of deaths and hospitalizations tied to vaping, it remains to be seen if this will negatively impact industry growth in the longer term.
Potentially more concerning are discussions around regulation—particularly around flavored products, which have been a leading focus area for investors, new companies, and big tobacco acquisitions. Cannabis-related vaping products may also face similar bans or regulations, given potential ties between these products and the mysterious lung disease affecting users around the country. Like flavored e-juice retailers and manufacturers, cannabis vape products have been a huge growth area in the industry.
If you’d like to learn more about how Quid can help you get smarter on an industry, sign up for a personalized demo today.


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Truth is, there’s less consumption of Coke nowadays. But that hasn’t stop Coca-Cola Company from making more money. In fact, with consumption down, the company found that it is earning more.
While America has decided to cut down on their regular servings of Coke, it has not cut down the popular soda from its diet altogether. This is where Coca-Cola saw an opportunity, charging customers more for bottles that contain less of the carbonated drink. And the upside is that the company makes more money from it.
According to a presentation done by Coca-Cola North America President Sandy Douglas and Coca-Cola Chief Financial Officer Kathy Waller from the Morgan Stanley Global Consumer Conference, the company is actually accelerating its price realization while maintaining volume growth. In fact, both price/mix and unit case growth are up by 2 percent during the first nine months of the year throughout September.
The company has managed to find a great balance between quality and quantity, especially when it comes to its number one product, Coke. Whereas the 2-liter bottle of Coke only delivers $0.18 in revenue per purchase, the slim and stylish 8.5 oz. Coke bottle delivers $1.60 per purchase. Meanwhile, the 12 oz. bottle delivers $1.35 per purchase. Moreover, there is a lot of value growth in smaller packages with the transaction purchases growing to as much as 15% in value growth, while the core’s value growth dips slightly by 2 percent.
Today, Coca-Cola continues to provide for as much as 1.9 billion servings of products daily. With more than 3,600 products, it continues to be number 1 worldwide when it comes to sparkling beverages, still beverages, juice drinks and ready-to-drink coffee.

domain: news


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Fans of PS Plus Free games have plenty to look forward to in October as it has been announced that several AAA games have been included in the list of free games they can avail of in October.
A few days leading up to the October announcement of free games for PS Plus, there are already speculations and wish lists being floated online on possible titles to be included.
According to an image leaked by Product Reviews, among the games included for release in North America may be “Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag” as it has been marked free in a store’s website.
However, when the icon was clicked by the user, it still asked for payment to be made, leading to speculations that it is being prepared to be made free soon,
Super Meat Boy on the other hand, has already been confirmed for free release in October.
Another rumored inclusion is “Three Forth Home: Extended Edition” which may be included as a bonus since the actual game is still pending release.
Meanwhile, a Latin Post article hinted that “Badlands GoY” and “Grim Fandango Remastered.”
The report said that gamers are also requesting a Vote to Play option for a Halloween themed game but it is unsure if Sony will grant this request.
It can be recalled that September was also a big month for PS Plus gamers as they were able to access titles like “Grow Home,” “Super Time Force Ultra,” “Xeodrifter,” “Twisted Metal,” “Teslagrad” and “La Mulana EX.”
In a Twitter post by Sony’s Fred Duttton, he answered a fan query on when they will be making the announcement for October, reported GamePur.
“@darkswabber currently planned for next week,” he said in a post dated September 21.


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The small percentage of loyal buyers are responsible for a significant percentage of revenue, showing a huge amount of online retail marketing is wasted.
Qubit, a marketing platform, analysed 950 million page views from more than 123 million website visits and found 1.06 per cent of visitors generated 40 per cent of a site’s income.
The loyal users, nicknamed ‘big spenders’, visited their preferred sites 300 times more often than the average user.
Majority were found to live in London’s suburbs, particularly in Ealing and were 20 per more likely than average users to shop using a tablet.
Graham Cooke, CEO of Qubit, said: “By understanding what people are doing on your site, and whether or not they’re going to turn into paying customers, you can make more informed decisions about where to invest your marketing budget.
“Conversely, its vital that you encourage and embrace your golden core and the focused few because these tiny segments are driving a massive percentage of your revenue.”
Other online shoppers were divided into caterogies of ‘sofa surfers’, ‘basket cases’ and ‘speedy shoppers’.
‘Sofa surfers’ made up 17 per cent of website users, who regularly visit visits but never make a purchase
Geographically they come from urban areas, and their daytime viewing hours suggest they are stay-at-home mums or non-working individuals.
‘Basket cases’ fill up their online shopping basket but never complete their purchase.
They represent 2.46 per cent of users but generate no revenue for the retailer, and come from the Midlands and North West, particularly from Birmingham.
‘Speedy shoppers’ make up 1.03 per cent of users and generate 10 per cent of total revenues, making them the second most valuable segment to retailers.
They are 18 per cent more likely to be using a mobile and many come from London.
Mr Cooke added: “By breaking down online shoppers into these different personas it’s easy to see where retailers should be focusing their efforts.
"Sofa surfers and basket cases show all the traits of ‘real’ shoppers and if you’re not analysing your audience properly you’ll never know that they’re giving you nothing back.”


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Update: Synopsys Expands DesignWare IP Portfolio with Acquisition of Kilopass Technology (Jan. 10, 2018)
Kilopass XPM IP Implemented in TSMC Latest FinFet Process for storing Configuration Settings
San Jose, Calif., July 11, 2017—Kilopass Technology Inc., a leading provider of semiconductor logic embedded non-volatile memory (eNVM) intellectual property (IP), today announced that STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, designed the Kilopass XPM IP one-time programmable (OTP), anti-fuse, NVM memory into an ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) IC . Implemented in the advanced FinFet process from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) Limited, the Kilopass XPM IP stores configuration settings for automotive peripheral sensors.
“We are excited that STMicroelectronics has adopted our anti-fuse OTP NVM for their ADAS chip” said Linh Hong, Vice President and General Manager of the Kilopass OTP Division. “Our team has worked hard to ensure our IP meets the auto industry’s stringent ISO/TS 16949, ISO 26262, and AEC-Q100 standards. In addition, Kilopass’ long and extensive relationship with TSMC has enabled us to offer our standard logic CMOS OTP NVM anti-fuse products on every TSMC node from 180nm to today’s leading edge processes. This availability and history of over 10 billion units shipped with our IP provides assurance to tier 1 semiconductor companies like STMicroelectronics that Kilopass will be a capable and reliable long-term partner.”
“STMicroelectronics’ long history as a supplier to the world’s tier 1 automotive manufacturers demands a robust supply chain of semiconductor IP. Any IP suppler we use to construct our chips must have a solid track record of delivering reliable world class product,” said Marco Monti, Automotive and Discrete Group Executive Vice President and General Manager. “Kilopass has the right product at the process node we needed.”
Kilopass anti-fuse OTP NVM is the ideal solution in these platform solutions. The memory can contain calibration and temperature-compensation data for sensors and configuration information that can be updated and then individually locked to prevent change or erasure. Implemented in any standard logic CMOS process, the memory once programmed cannot be altered, nor can it be hacked by physical (de-caping the chip and examining the die) or side channel attacks (examining power profile as an indicator of content).
ST is a global semiconductor leader delivering intelligent and energy-efficient products and solutions that power the electronics at the heart of everyday life. ST’s products are found everywhere today, and together with its customers, ST is enabling smarter driving and smarter factories, cities and homes, along with the next generation of mobile and Internet of Things devices.
By getting more from technology to get more from life, ST stands for life.augmented.
In 2016, the Company’s net revenues were $6.97 billion, serving more than 100,000 customers worldwide. Further information can be found at www.st.com
Kilopass Technology, Inc., a leading supplier of embedded NVM intellectual property using standard logic CMOS processes to deliver one-time programmable (OTP) and few-time programmable (FTP) memory. With more than 60 patents granted or pending and more than 3,000,000 wafers shipped from a dozen foundries and Integrated Device Manufacturers (IDMs), Kilopass has 150 customers in applications ranging from storage of firmware and security codes to calibration data and other application-critical information. The company is headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif. For more information, visit www.kilopass.com or email email@example.com.


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OMET announces order for Varyflex and XFlex at recently held LMAI conference
September 16, 2013
Courtesy of Printweek India
OMET, the Italian manufacturer of narrow web flexo presses, announced at the recently held LMAI conference in Goa that it has received orders for OMET Varyflex and XFlex narrow web flexo presses.
The manufacturing company bagged the orders from Zircon Technologies for Varyflex and Sel-Jegat Printers for XFlex.
Paolo Grasso, sales area manager at OMET, said, “India is a growing market and we believe in it. The installation at Zircon will be one of the biggest in India.”
Grasso added, “With the advent of the new technologies, we need to educate the Indian label converters, as the label printing business is not simple. It is complicate. There are multiple variables in the process.”
Meanwhile, OMET recently installed XFlex X4 label press at Hyderabad-based Arunodaya Print Pack. The 300+ strong organisation currently owns three label presses and four sheet-fed offset presses and is specialized in the production of mono-cartons, labels, leaflets etc. and their clientele is spread across varied industries like liquor, pharmaceuticals and FMCG product segment.
Suresh Varma of Arunodaya, who along with his brother Vijay Varma manages the business, which is housed in three separate units at a massive size of 70,000sq/ft, said, “With the acquisition of OMET XFlex X4, we are better equipped to meet the exacting demands of our valuable customers especially thanks to its innovative register control system, which we think makes it best in the class.”
The sale of OMET presses is handled by the New Delhi-based Weldon Celloplast, the Indian representative. Pawandeep Sahni of Weldon Celloplast, said, “We are happy with the response for OMET. The Indian label converters can expect value for their money and look forward for the innovations of OMET at the upcoming Labelexpo Europe 2013 in September.


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Media tablet shipments in the Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) region are all set to grow from 1.3 million units in 2009 to 9.6 million units in 2014, according to research firm IDC. This growth represents a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 65 per cent. IDC has identified Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore as key nations for media tablet sales in the near term. Both China and South Korea will offer major opportunities for vendors towards the end of the forecast period. Multi-function entertainment devices The media tablets feature 7-12 inch color displays, harness ARM-based processors and use operating systems such as Apple's iOS and Google's Android OS. Apple's iPad is currently the hot favourite among media tablets, but IDC forecasts that both PC and mobile phone makers are making efforts to introduce more such products in the market. Bryan Ma, associate vice president, Asia Pacific devices and peripherals research at IDC said that although media tablets are set to occupy a space between smart phones and portable PCs, they will not replace either. In addition to complementing PCs as media consumption devices, media tablets will allow seamless sharing of content with mobile phones. Ma added that media tablets are currently marketed as multi-function entertainment devices, and their success will depend greatly on the availability of local applications and content. Asian brands Commenting further on media tablets, Ma said these devices are certainly popular right now but the coming months will be critical for the category's evolution. This is significant because early adopters will evaluate the usefulness of the product. E-Book content is not as readily available in Asia as in Western countries, but Ma notes that simple Web surfing and gaming apps could still provide enough of a value proposition to allow the category to move forward here. "IDC remains cautiously optimistic about the longer term potential of the media tablet segment. In Asia, in particular, the iPad is likely to spark off intense competition from Asian brands, leading to a wealth of offerings in varying price tiers," said Ma. "With operators migrating towards 4G networks in the coming years, media tablets will further become a strategic vehicle for increased mobile data usage. There are certainly roadblocks, but the media tablet appears here to stay."
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LONDON: The global motorcycle anti-lock braking system (ABS) market is still in its nascent stage and is expected to witness strong growth by 2020. This prediction is based on the mandate issued by governments worldwide stating that ABS technology be installed as a standard feature in motorcycles above 125 cc displacement. The prediction is also based on anticipated push from the demand side due to increasing safety concerns among motorcycle customers.
Based on this, global research firm Technavio has announced the top five leading vendors in their recent global motorcycle anti-lock braking system (ABS) market report until 2020. Top five motorcycle ABS market vendors - Bosch, BWI (BeijingWest Industries), Continental, Honda, and ZF TRW.
According to the report, the motorcycle ABS market has limited manufacturers and is characterized by rapid technological innovations. An investment in developing innovative design in terms of size and weight is expected to continue during the forecast period. The possible introduction of new OEMs like Hitachi Automotive and LG Innotek will spur the competition among existing players during the forecast period.
“Bosch has the maximum geographical presence due to its leadership position in the ABS market globally. Bosch has a presence in both one-channel and multiple-channel ABS segments, catering to low-powered as well as heavyweight motorcycles. The continuous evolution of ABS for the motorcycle segment in terms of weight and size allowed the company to consolidate its leadership position. Bosch is the first company to focus specifically on ABS for motorcycles,” according to Siddharth Jaiswal, one of the lead automotive electronics research analysts from Technavio.
Continental is another major player in the ABS market. Following Bosch, it also developed one-channel ABS for low-powered motorcycles along with earlier multiple-channel ABS. It has a good presence across all regions and is currently targeting APAC. For instance, Continental partnered with TVS Motors for supplying multiple-channel ABS for its Apache model.
Videos of Epluto scooters on fire have gone viral on social media raising concerns over the safety aspect of EVs in general. If not nipped in the bud, it can potentially undermine India's nascent electric mobility revolution.


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Overwatch's festively themed Winter Wonderland event will return next week, Tuesday December 12th, Blizzard has announced.
Winter Wonderland debuted last year, and its return promises a mix of the familiar and the new. There'll be both old and new holiday themed character skins, for instance, with Overwatch director Jeff Kaplan teasing new Legendary skins for "two of our favourite junkers" (Junkrat and Roadhog, surely) in Blizzard's announcement video below.
Kaplan also hinted at the arrival of a new, "long-awaited" Hanzo skin, previously seen in one of the Overwatch comics.
Additionally, this year's Winter Wonderland will feature a number of appropriately festive map makeovers. King's Row and Hanamura will once again be sporting their frosty good looks, and there's a new seasonal update for the Black Forest arena map too.
You'll get a good long look at the newly winter-ised Black Forest during the return of Mei's Snowball Offensive brawl. The event-exclusive mode is also playable on the Ecopoint Antarctica map, and is joined by a new "silly and ridiculous" mode known as Mei's Yeti Hunt.
Winter Wonderland's newest brawl unfolds across Overwatch's Nepal Village map and pits five Meis against one yeti-themed Winston, all controlled by different players. When a match begins, the Meis are tasked with hunting down and eliminating Winston, while he does he best to avoid detection and snaffle up as much meat as he can.
Once enough meat has been devoured, Winston's Primal Rage mode will activate and the tables will turn. From this point on, the Mei players must do everything they can to evade defeat until the game ends.
Winter Wonderland will be available on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 when it launches next Tuesday, and the full line-up of 2017 seasonal skins will likely be revealed soon.


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The handheld has a cult following for a reason: 'Little powerhouse.'
Kate Somerville exfoliant rarely gets marked down, so grab it ASAP.
Take a tour through the scenic Texas Geodome, where guests can relax and enjoy unique architecture and calming nature
Get great discounts on all kinds of home decor while they're on sale.
The NSync star said "bye bye bye" to his famous dark locks.
Serena Williams shares the story behind the iconic Nike catsuit she wore at the 2018 French Open.
"I think my default setting is kind of pessimism, and I'm trying to work against it," said Lynskey, who spoke with fellow actress Danielle Brooks about the nuances of body image, her "cute" husband Jason Ritter and her journey toward optimism in a recent interview with InStyle.
This traveling couple use their renovated school bus to host pop up photoshoots across the country
Tom and Rachael Sullivan share PCOS-friendly meals on their Instagram account and have marked each week of Rachael's pregnancy with adorable food-themed photos.
Abortion restrictions can have harmful economic effects for individual women, state economies and businesses. Research released last year by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) estimated that abortion restrictions may cost the U.S. economy $105 billion per year. Now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned, the cost could be twice has high, the president and CEO of IWPR says.
Keep allergy season at bay and save up to 25% off these high-quality air purifiers for your larger rooms.
Our host Thorgy Thor is here with Isa, who is envisioning a drag makeover inspired by their manifold talents, Latinx roots, and love of anime.
Denise Richards on the cosmetic procedure she regrets, posing in a bikini on Instagram and her role in Amazon Freevee's first original movie, "Love Accidentally," a rom-com that revolves around a love affair between co-workers that begins via an accidental text.
Nearly 17,000 five-star fans have already added this tank to their wardrobes.
Over 142,000 shoppers are resting easy with these.
Tiktokers are spicing things up by adding jalapeños to their wine, but how does 'spicy rosé' taste?
"This travel cup pretty much has everything you could possibly want."
The discovery of two one-in-30-million lobsters within a month is leaving experts questioning just how rare their orange color is.
Barely larger than a book, this amazing battery-powered projector turns any wall into a big screen.
Save on durable Thermos water bottles, Fitbit watches, Adidas sneaks and all your school supply essentials!


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Introducing the Ultimate Technical Presentation Environment with Live InteractivityWe are delighted to announce that Wolfram's latest comprehensive notebook technology extension is here. Released with Version 11.3 of Wolfram desktop products, Wolfram Presenter Tools is the world's first fully computational presentation environment, seamlessly extending the notebook workflow for easy creation and delivery of dynamic presentations and slide shows, automatically scaled to fit any screen size. Our unique presentation features include rapid stylesheet updating and automatic slide breaking based on cell style.
Roaring into 2018 with Another Big Release: Launching Version 11.3 of the Wolfram Language & Mathematica
The Release Pipeline
Last September we released Version 11.2 of the Wolfram Language and Mathematica—with all sorts of new functionality, including 100+ completely new functions. Version 11.2 was a big release. But today we’ve got a still bigger release: Version 11.3 that, among other things, includes nearly 120 completely new functions.
This June 23rd it’ll be 30 years since we released Version 1.0, and I'm very proud of the fact that we’ve now been able to maintain an accelerating rate of innovation and development for no less than three decades. Critical to this, of course, has been the fact that we use the Wolfram Language to develop the Wolfram Language—and indeed most of the things that we can now add in Version 11.3 are only possible because we’re making use of the huge stack of technology that we’ve been systematically building for more than 30 years.
We’ve always got a large pipeline of R&D underway, and our strategy for .1 versions is to use them to release everything that’s ready at a particular moment in time. Sometimes what's in a .1 version may not completely fill out a new area, and some of the functions may be tagged as “experimental”. But our goal with .1 versions is to be able to deliver the latest fruits of our R&D efforts on as timely a basis as possible. Integer (.0) versions aim to be more systematic, and to provide full coverage of new areas, rounding out what has been delivered incrementally in .1 versions.
In addition to all the new functionality in 11.3, there’s a new element to our process. Starting a couple of months ago, we began livestreaming internal design review meetings that I held as we brought Version 11.3 to completion. So for those interested in “how the sausage is made”, there are now almost 122 hours of recorded meetings, from which you can find out exactly how some of the things you can now see released in Version 11.3 were originally invented. And in this post, I'm going to be linking to specific recorded livestreams relevant to features I'm discussing.
What’s New?OK, so what’s new in Version 11.3? Well, a lot of things. And, by the way, Version 11.3 is available today on both desktop (Mac, Windows, Linux) and the Wolfram Cloud. (And yes, it takes extremely nontrivial software engineering, management and quality assurance to achieve simultaneous releases of this kind.)
Our Latest R&D Output
It was only this spring that we released Version 11.1. But after the summer we're now ready for another impressive release---with all kinds of additions and enhancements, including 100+ entirely new functions:


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New World of Warcraft board game is coming next year
Blizzard has announced the arrival of a new WoW-themed party next year based on the Small World gameplay.
This year’s BlizzConon has finally announced World of Warcraft’s next add-on, Shadowlands, but now it turns out that it won’t be the only WoW-themed release next year, with a new board game in the works of Asmodee, although it certainly didn’t get attention as a new chapter in the MMO.
This announcement wasn’t beaten to such a big drum by guys like Shadowlands or Diablo 4’s grandiose debut, but on the spot you could watch the upcoming game accompanied by a short text:
“Blizzard has partnered with Asmode, one of the world’s leading board game publishers, to jointly introduce a new partner based on the world of World of Warcraft. The upcoming Small World game will authentically capture the world of Azeroth, filling it with orcs, elves and more. . “
The game coming next spring is based on a board game called Small World, which is basically a fantasy-themed space-occupying game, so presumably in the WoW release, the fight will go for capturing the world of Azeroth.
How do you like the idea? Will you try it?
- Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
- Publisher: Vivendi Universal
- Platform: PC
- Style: MMO
- Appearance: 2/11/2005
Blizzard is an amazingly successful online role-playing game based on the world of Warcraft.


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| May 20, 2009
As this recession grows bigger, our options keep getting smaller. Consumers have fewer choices on where we shop – for cars, for electronics, for groceries. You can see it in the near-empty lots of some local car dealers or any of the shuttered...
| May 21, 2010
| 6:17 PM
There was the assault on trans-fats. A new law requiring calorie counts on menus. A county in California that banned toys in too-fatty kids' meals. And now there's a war on sodium.
It's no wonder the food industry is hurrying to outrun the increasingly...
| Apr 1, 2011
What is it about high-volume TV pitches that makes us believe these gizmos are the solutions we've yearned for?
A lot of the time, they're solutions to problems we didn't even realize we had.
More and more drugstores and big-box retailers are devoting...
| Apr 22, 2011
Hurricane season in Florida begins in less than six weeks, which means now is the time stock up on the gadgets and supplies that will help keep your home as safe as possible.
Storm experts predict a busy season with up to 16 named storms, including...
| May 19, 2011
One of the fastest, best — and cheapest — ways to add some zing to your look this season is to twist a scarf around your neck.
Lightweight, seasonal scarves are everywhere, starting at just a few dollars at giant retailers like Old Navy,...
| Jun 14, 2011
| 8:16 PM
Florida's case against tax dodgers Expedia, Orbitz and other online-travel companies just got a lot easier.
Recently released documents from a court case in Georgia help Florida make its case by showing that the companies knew as far back as 2003 that...
| Jan 27, 2011
| 7:37 PM
The Florida Chamber of Commerce boasts that it spent $5.5 million last year to help elect 80 out of the 84 mostly Republican candidates it endorsed, including Gov. Rick Scott, all three Cabinet members and 76 lawmakers.
What does the business community's...
| Dec 5, 2010
The one-word names are the very epitome of luxury. Retail palaces filled with lust-worthy delights.
Gucci, Cartier, Tiffany, Vuitton, Chanel.
Strolling along Boul Mich, we pass their windows and gaze wistfully at objets that seem almost familiar,...
| Aug 1, 2012
| 9:31 AM
Hoosier families attending the Indiana State Fair have a chance to stretch their entertainment dollars this year with new money-saving opportunities.
Fair officials have brought back a variety of deals from previous fairs, as well as added a new multi-...
| Feb 15, 2012
| 12:57 PM
The Noblesville School district is telling parents of all non-immunized students to keep their children at home until after the measles outbreak passes.
More than 230 Noblesville students have never been immunized against the measles virus. That...
| Feb 21, 2012
| 6:14 PM
The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's help identifying a fraud and theft suspect.
According to officials, an unidentified woman broke into a car near 116th Street and Towne Road Jan. 5. The suspect then used credit cards...


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CIPS event unites medical and supply chain purchasers
A unique seminar that brought together purchasing and supply chain professionals within the medical industry has been hailed a great success.
The seminar, titled ‘Are you ruining your suppliers' performance?’ questioned whether supply chain replenishment processes can have a negative impact on procurement performance and was organised by Medilink East Midlands in partnership with Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) and in association with specialist medical consultancy, Lime Associates.
Keynote speaker, Simon Eagle from SmartChain LLP, addressed the 30 delegates on topical medical purchasing and supply chain issues including why ‘forecast push' destroys supplier performance, how demand driven supply chains work and how demand driven replenishment can help your company reduce procurement spend.
Simon's supply chain management experience covers both medical devices and generic pharmaceuticals. He has deep subject matter expertise in the area of ‘Demand Driven Planning & Replenishment' and has shared experience and knowledge with Professor Stephen Disney of Cardiff Business School, one of the world's leading authorities on Supply Chain Dynamics.
A round-table discussion on the subject of ‘How can Procurement influence our company's supply chain operating model?' followed the keynote speech and the event concluded with a networking session.
Of the event, delegate Steven Day, Country Head of Procurement UK and Ireland for French multinational pharmaceutical company Sanofi, said the event was an "opportunity for expert insight" and Paul Smith from Healthcare Print and Packaging Limited said it had given him a "better understanding of the supply chain"
Lime Associates' Lee Robinson, founder member and Chairman of the CIPS Health Technology Group, said: "I established the CIPS Health Technology Group to bring together purchasing and supply chain professionals and help to promote excellence in the highly regulated healthcare and medical industry and this was a great example of how to bridge the gap between Health Technology and Purchasing."
The free event was hosted at Medilink East Midlands headquarters at BioCity in Nottingham.
The groups involved
CIPS is an international organisation serving the purchasing and supply profession. Dedicated to promoting good practice, CIPS provides a wide range of services for the benefit of members and the wider business community.
Medilink EM is the East Midlands life science industry association, whose aim is to help companies establish, develop and grow. Medilink EM is a founding member of Medilink UK; a national network supporting over 3,000 companies across the entire UK.
Lime Associates is the only UK purchasing and supply chain consultancy that works exclusively with Medical Device, Biotech and Health Technology companies.
Lime Associates' team of consultants is currently engaged on supply chain, cost reduction and business start up assignments with prestigious clients including Bioventus, Scapa and Invibio.


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Ubisoft has bought Finland-based developer RedLynx, the studio best known for its Trials Xbox Live game.
The publisher has bought the company as part of its active plans to grow its online output. RedLynx has produced some 100 games since 2000.
“We are delighted to welcome RedLynx to the Ubisoft family,” said Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot.
“Their expertise in asynchronous online games and physics-based game mechanics provides us with a great opportunity to bring their powerful brands, most notably Trials, to an even broader range of fast-growing digital platforms."
RedLynx CEO Tero Virtala added: “As part of the Ubisoft team, RedLynx will be able to focus even more intently on creating stand-out, excellent brands that push the boundaries of online gaming in many new growth areas.
“With Ubisoft, a wider audience will get the chance to enjoy our games, we’ll generate more value for our brands, and also leverage our experience more broadly in digital distribution channels."
The acquisition follows Ubisoft’s purchases of other online studios such as Massive Entertainment, Nadeo, Quazal and Owlient as it looks to strengthen its online presence.
Motorcyle Xbox Live game Trials HD, RedLynxs’ flagship title, has had over two million downloads (including DLC) since its release in 2009.


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It looks like it’ll be a while before we start hearing about the next big Halo game.
The second anniversary for Halo 5: Guardians is coming up in a few months, and we still haven’t heard a word about what’s next for the series.
Microsoft is giving developer 343 its time, it seems, as we typically would have gotten at least a teaser for the next game by now. But, E3 came and went, and Halo was nowhere to be seen, unless you count the new expansion for Halo Wars 2.
Fans are rightfully anxious to hear more, and 343 Industries addressed these concerns in a new blog post.
“While there’s little to nothing that can be said on that front, it’s been made clear that we won’t be talking about Halo’s next major title for quite some time,” wrote the studio’s Jeff Easterling.
“And no, that doesn’t mean Gamescom. Or PAX. Trust us, when we’re ready to begin pulling back that proverbial curtain, you’ll know. It won’t be soon,” he added.
If we assume Halo 6 – or whatever it ends up being called, is going to release later next year, it’s easy to imagine a tease of some kind would drop before this year is over. Halo 5 had a nice long run-up to its release, with a beta taking place about a year before the game came out.


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Mexico Economic Outlook
November 10, 2020Preliminary data revealed that GDP contracted at a softer annual pace in Q3 than in Q2 as activity gradually recovered from the Covid-19 blow. On a quarterly basis, the economy rebounded vigorously, growing at the sharpest rate on record. The results underlined an uneven recovery in the making: Firmer foreign demand largely buoyed the industrial sector via a solid recovery in exports, particularly those tied to manufacturing. Meanwhile, the key services sector, which accounts for about two thirds of the economy, lagged behind as some form of restrictions prevailed in most of the country and still-elevated unemployment and weak sentiment weighed on domestic demand. Looking ahead, this pattern seems to have continued into Q4: In October, the manufacturing PMI jumped to growth territory, albeit just barely, for the first time in 17 months, whereas the services PMI retreated further into contractionary terrain.
Mexico Economic GrowthEconomic activity will plummet this year due to the coronavirus fallout, before bouncing back to growth in 2021 as demand revives. That said, significant risks remain, including subdued sentiment constraining household and capital spending, uncertainty surrounding the course of the pandemic, and the lack of significant fiscal relief measures hindering the recovery. FocusEconomics panelists project the economy to expand 3.7% in 2021, which is unchanged from last month’s forecast. In 2022, they see GDP growth waning to 2.5%.
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Mexico Economic News
April 8, 2021
Consumer prices increased 0.83% over the previous month in March, accelerating from February's 0.63% rise.
April 6, 2021
Consumer confidence came in at 40.4 in March, up from February's 38.4.
April 5, 2021
The seasonally-adjusted manufacturing PMI produced by IHS Markit climbed from 44.2 in February to 45.6 in March, the highest reading in one year.
March 26, 2021
Merchandise exports fell 1.1% year-on-year in February (January: -2.6% year-on-year), driven by lower non-oil exports.
March 25, 2021
The monthly indicator for economic activity (IGAE) grew 0.1% in month-on-month seasonally-adjusted terms in January, which up from the previous month's flat reading.


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- Steven Reinberg
- Posted October 3, 2019
Simply Offering More Vegetarian Choices Cuts Meat Eating
Offering more vegetarian choices in school cafeterias significantly cuts meat consumption without hurting overall sales, British researchers report.
In more than 94,000 college cafeteria choices studied, doubling vegetarian options (from 1 in 4 choices to 2 in 4) reduced purchases of meaty meals by 40-80%.
"Replacing some meat or fish with more vegetarian options might seem obvious, but as far as we know no one had tested it before," said lead author Emma Garnett, a conservationist at the University of Cambridge in England. "Solutions that seem obvious don't always work, but it would appear that this one does."
Shifting to a more plant-based diet is one of the most effective ways to reduce the environmental impact of food production, she said.
When more vegetarian choices were available, they were popular at every meal, and meat eaters who ate vegetarian dishes at lunch didn't go all-meat at dinner, the researchers found.
Vegetarian options have been an "afterthought" on menus for too long, Garnett said in a university news release.
"Flexitarianism is on the rise," she said, referring to the eating style emphasizing plant-based foods but also allowing for occasional meat and animal products. "Our results show that caterers serving more plant-based options are not just responding to but also reshaping customer demand."
Simple changes such as increasing the proportion of vegetarian options could be "usefully scaled up, helping to mitigate climate change and biodiversity loss," Garnett said.
The report was published Sept. 30 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
To learn more about vegetarian eating, visit Harvard University Medical School.
SOURCE: University of Cambridge, news release, Sept. 30, 2019


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In our weekly round up series, we’re taking a look at the Wimbledon 2015 Championship’s social media presence.
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 7, 2015
Wimbledon is synonymous with British summers, strawberries and cream, champagne and exciting lawn tennis.
There’s also the rain-delayed matches, serious sunburn and celeb-spotting. With the increasingly digital era tightening its grip on sporting events, second-screen opportunities are no exception in SW19.
The 2015 tournament got underway on June 29th.
Of the four ‘Grand Slam’ tournaments on the professional calendar, Wimbledon ranks highest for social media. It has more followers on social platforms than the French, U.S. and Australian Opens. The 2014 Men’s Final, between Djokovic and Federer, enjoyed over 585,000 related posts online.
Big brands are always keen to associate themselves with the tournament, too.
Official water suppliers Evian have owned the hashtag #Wimblewatch, sharing exclusive video content hosted by celebs and influencers during the Championships.
The All England Club’s first official car partner – Jaguar – has brought the exhilaration of the crowd to social with an array of gadgets and sensors. Heart rate and location data from wearable tech, combined with the crowd’s movement and volume, is analysed for the #FeelWimbledon campaign.
According to our social listening tech partners, Brandwatch, the Championships are being mentioned by thousands of people each hour.
This is in spite of the ban on selfie-sticks imposed at SW19.
As their social channels are dedicated to the tournament, especially during the fortnight in question, the majority of content showcases matches, crowds and behind-the-scenes exclusives.
The competition utilises its heritage, sharing older footage to rekindle nostalgia. The run up to June 29th included posts that built anticipation:
A photo posted by Wimbledon (@wimbledon) on
It’s no secret that engagement rates rise in corrolation with rich media. 34% of Wimbledon-related tweets have videos or images attached, more than the other three Grand Slams.
Last year’s tournament pioneered real-time videos from the matches themselves, accruing over 3.5 million views over the Championships.
This year, Roger Federer’s incredible trick-shot received over 4 million views in under 24 hours.
Each day’s highlights are being shared to the YouTube channel, as are daily insights from pundits and former players.
The All England Club knows it’s annual Championship will draw a crowd, without fail.
The savvy strategy they’ve implemented so well is to not settle for the half-a-million bums in seats, or the millions more watching on television/on-demand.
Instead, Wimbledon amplifies its reach with a wide range of rich content, across all of the largest social platforms.
With a combination of exclusive content, brand partnerships and innovative digital perks – like their intelligent hashtag – the tournament is making it’s mark on the social calendar.
Over To You
What do you think? Have you spotted a clever campaign?


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X5 Retail Group NV (PJPq.L)
* Svetlana Demyashkevich has been appointed as chief financial officer effective from June 29, 2017
April 27 Russian food retailer X5 Retail Group NV says:
MOSCOW, April 21 Russia's second-biggest food retailer by revenue, Magnit, said on Friday its first-quarter net profit dropped and sales growth tumbled, highlighting a widening gap in its performance relative to market leader X5 Retail Group.
* Q1 net retail sales rose 26.4 percent year on year to 291.5 billion roubles ($5.16 billion).
MOSCOW, March 27 Russian food retailer X5 said it aims to match last year's record 2,000 store openings in 2017 as part of plans to almost double its market share in the next four years.
March 27 Russian food retailer X5 Retail Group says:
Jan 24 X5 Retail Group reported on Tuesday a 27.5 percent rise in sales in the fourth quarter, overtaking Magnit as Russia's biggest food retailer by revenue:
* Q4 net retail sales increased 27.5 percent to 291.3 billion roubles ($4.92 billion);


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We post news, tips, platform tutorials, and other general tidbits regarding our platform, community, the stock market, and cryptos.
The once-booming world of educational technology, or ed-tech, finds itself at a crossroads. The whirlwind surge experienced during the pandemic, when brick-and-mortar schools were forced online, has now given way to a period of introspection and even a touch of downcastness. But fear not, for this isn’t a complete collapse, but rather a necessary shift… Continue reading Ed-tech: Dying or Growing Pains?
Coming to you guys with a double dose of your weekly reports. Lets knock out your research early so you can spend that extra time doing all that Christmas shopping you’re still putting off. Remember, invest wisely and Get your Share! Week 49 12/05 AutoZone Inc. Q1 2024 Earnings 12/05 Ferguson PLC Q1 2024 Earnings… Continue reading Upcoming Quarterly reports 12/4 – 12/8 & 12/11 – 12/15 (Weeks 49 & 50)
Pfizer, a global pharmaceutical giant, has witnessed a significant decline in its stock price over the past year. From its peak of $57 in December 2021, the stock has plummeted by more than 50%, reaching a three-year low in November 2023. This dramatic downturn can be attributed to a confluence of factors, including weakening sales,… Continue reading Pfizer’s Stock Plunge: A Tale of Declining Revenue and Uncertain Future
That’s right, Nividia may be worth over $700 a share come next year. While they are currently priced at $483, the possibility of it climbing to $700 isn’t all that unrealistic considering just last year around this time they were worth $158 a share. Now some may say that Nvidia is still overpriced and is… Continue reading Nividia worth over $700 next year.
It’s the last week of November and it time to start getting ready for Christmas! Before we get to the greatest holiday season we need get through some quarterly reports along the way. It’s a meager showing this week for the Large-cap companies, next week isn’t all that much better, but that just means you’ll… Continue reading Upcoming Quarterly Reports 11/27 – 12/1 (Week 48)
We got a short list this week as we head into Thanksgiving. Get your fill of quarterly reports but leave some room for that great turkey dinner! Remember the Stock market is closed on Thanksgiving day so join our special crypto contests to get your daily dose of MarketDraft fun. Go Get your Share and… Continue reading Upcoming Quarterly Reports 11/20 – 11/24 (Week 47)
It’s a Happy Thanks-Crypto-giving! Join us on our next crypto prize contest this Thanksgiving with $HBAR as the prize. Like the others, this will be a two week long contest so do your homework and fatten your wallet with some $HBAR this Thanksgiving Day! Be sure to join our Special 1-day Thanksgiving contest as well… Continue reading Two Amazing Thanksgiving Contests
2U, Inc., a global leader in cloud-based education technology solutions, has been a prominent force in the transformation of higher education. Founded in 2008, the company has partnered with over 60 non-profit colleges and universities to offer online degree programs, reaching millions of learners worldwide. However, recent years have seen a significant decline in 2U’s… Continue reading Major Ed-Tech Platform, 2U Inc, Now Trading Below $1
It’s a new week and it’s a new batch of quarterly reports. Check it out and plan your picks and investments accordingly. Get out there and Get your Share. 11/13 Mizuho Financial Group Inc. Q2 2023 Earnings 11/13 Sun Life Financial Inc. Q3 2023 Earnings 11/13 Tyson Foods Inc. Q4 2023 Earnings 11/13 Aecom Technology… Continue reading Upcoming Quarterly Reports 11/13 – 11/17 (Week 46)
WeWork is a shared workspace company that provides flexible office space to businesses and individuals. It offers a variety of membership options, including hot desks, dedicated desks, and private offices. WeWork also offers a range of amenities, such as meeting rooms, conference rooms, and kitchens. WeWork’s business model is to sign long-term leases on commercial… Continue reading What’s happening with WeWork?


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The tree will be lit on Saturday, December 5th, however, out of an abundance of caution there will not be a formal tree lighting and event this year. We do encourage everyone to drive by the tree and stop downtown on their way around to see the beautiful decorations around the Village.
As part of this year’s holiday celebration, Illuminate Goshen and the Goshen Chamber of Commerce are asking all local businesses to help ‘illuminate downtown’ to bring some extra cheer to an otherwise not-so-cheerful year by asking that local business string lights and decorate their businesses for the Holiday Season. We will come around and take photos for social media and feel free to take your own and tag @Goshennychamber and @illuminategoshen.
Goshen Christmas House Tour Event
Purchase tickets link below or call 845-294-5124 ext 1000.


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In some ways, Elmhurst, Ill. manufacturer Lava Lite LLC resembles its signature product, the Lava Lamp: well-established but maybe a little out of date. Lava Lamps are sold by traditional retailers such as Wal-Mart, Target and Menards, but company President Dale Zalusky acknowledges that mobile and social-media marketing are "a new world for me." Still, Lava Lite and Zalusky are attempting to rally: The company is preparing to debut a Lava Lamp application for the iPhone and Android mobile platforms, and he is "going crazy downloading apps" in an effort to get up to speed. Businesses such as Lava Lite are going mobile because more of their customers are using their phones to shop. As of the end of 2009, 17 percent of American cell phone users had smartphones, up from 11 percent at the beginning of last year, according to Virginia-based market research firm ComScore Inc. It costs about $5,000 to establish a simple, mobile-optimized Web site, according to several local developers. Doing at least that much is a worthwhile investment, says Eric Lefkofsky, co-founder of the daily discount Web site Groupon Inc. and of Lightbank, a Chicago firm that invests in tech startups. "I don't draw a huge distinction anymore between business models for the Web vs. mobile. Fundamentally, you have to design for both because there are so many people interacting with the Web via cell phone that you can't afford any longer not to take mobile computing into consideration when designing any kind of Internet site," Lefkofsky says. "I can't imagine people who are serious about transacting on the Internet asking, 'Should I have a mobile strategy?' If you don't have one, you're just lost." Apps are standalone bits of software that users download onto mobile devices. Most businesses regard them as brand-building tools or as a portal through which customers can buy what they're already selling. But if you're thinking that you're going to reap massive revenue via an app, you might want to think again. Small and mid-sized businesses considering adding apps or mobile-optimized versions of their Web sites must do more than simply weigh the costs of development and marketing against the opportunities presented by mobile technology — such as the promise of reaching more consumers, more often, in more places. They also need to devise a smart mobile strategy, and there is no single blueprint for that. It's up to each business to decide what it wants to accomplish with a mobile offering, what the mobile product should deliver and how to measure success. Then, most critical, each business also must determine what its customers want in a mobile offering. "You have to have your customers drive this. It has to make sense for them," says Linda Darragh, a professor at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business. "Is there something they aren't getting now that could be enhanced on a mobile platform? If you're not serving the customer, it's not worth the effort." App developers that create mobile offerings for corporate clients agree that the customer's needs should be the first consideration. "Companies will come to us and say, 'We want an app,' and a lot of times they think they just need to put their Web content on a phone, but that's not it," says Tim Courtney, director of brand strategy at KeyLimeTie LLC, the Downers Grove development firm that created the Lava Lamp app. "You have to understand what consumers are trying to achieve when they interact with your company." Lava Lite, for example, first was drawn to the idea of building an app because there already are several in the iPhone's App Store that mimic the shape and motion of a Lava Lamp. Initially, the company wanted its own app to be geared toward selling actual lamps. But after consulting with KeyLimeTie, Lava Lite settled on an entertainment focus along the lines of the imitators. The company's next step was to decide what it wanted to get out of it — did it want marketing and brand awareness, or profit? Zalusky, Lava Lite's president, doesn't know how popular the imitation apps are, or how many times they've been downloaded, because Apple doesn't disclose that information. But he knows that the rival apps cost up to $1.99, which has him thinking of his as both a product and a marketing tool. He's considering charging 99 cents for the official version. The hybrid model is viable, according to Darragh, the U of C professor. "If you can charge 99 cents, fine; you're entitled to make a revenue stream where you can. Just remember that the ultimate goal is marketing, and you have to watch the metrics to make sure it's generating what you want it to." Those metrics are relatively easy to track with a mobile-optimized Web site, where a company can use free tools such as Google Analytics to see how many people accessed the mobile version of its Web site. Measurement is more elusive in the world of apps because businesses can't track the success of competing versions. That makes it difficult for Zalusky to forecast his sales, or estimate how much a 99-cent charge would discourage consumers from downloading Lava Lite's offering. Besides, if the goal is marketing, a company might choose a different method of evaluating success, such as measuring traffic driven to its Web site. If the goal is sales, on the other hand, the company is more likely to measure its success on the basis of downloads and revenue. While the Lava Lite app is being built both for Apple's iPhone and Google's Android, Zalusky figures he may have an ace in the hole when it comes to the Android market: Google is a loyal Lava Lite customer, and Lava Lamps are a staple of Google corporate culture. "We're not counting on anything, but I have a feeling they'll appreciate the fact that we're doing this," he says. From Crain’s Chicago Business
Apps are the hottest trend in mobile technology, but does your business really need one?


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Ys VIII Finally Hits PC Next Week
NIS America has announced that the delayed PC version of Nihon Falcom’s Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana will be released on April 16, 2018. The game will be available through Steam and GOG.com, with those who buy the game during its first week on sale receiving the following bonuses for free:
- Adol’s Adventure Essentials DLC (including the “Silver Armor” and “Adventurer’s Clothes” costumes)
- Digital mini art book
- Digital soundtrack sampler
- Laxia’s “Eternian Scholar” costume
The latest title in Nihon Falcom’s long-running action RPG series, Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana was initially released in North America and Europe for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita in 2017, with an updated localisation released via patch in January 2018. The PC version features all the content from the PlayStation 4 version, plus the updated localisation. A Switch version is also set to be released in North America on June 26, 2018, with the European release following on June 29, 2018.


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- Shopping by smart speaker is growing more slowly than previously forecast amid security concerns and competition from smartphones, eMarketer said in a revised outlook. As a result, the researcher cut its forecast for the number of U.S. consumers who will make a purchase through a smart speaker to 21.6 million this year from 23.6 million.
- The revised estimate indicates that the number of smart speaker shoppers will grow by about 18% this year from 18.3 million in 2019, and make up about 11% of total digital buyers. By next year, the number of voice shoppers is expected to reach 23.5 million to make up about 12% of total e-commerce consumers, per eMarketer.
- The researcher now expects 26% of smart speaker owners to make purchases with their devices this year, down from a prior estimate of about 28%. The forecast number of smart speaker users was cut to 83.1 million by the end of 2020 from the 84.5 million previously forecast.
EMarketer's lowered forecast for shopping by smart speaker acknowledges several hurdles to greater adoption. Consumers are worried about privacy and the security of payments on smart speakers, as other research has suggested. More than half (59%) of people who regularly use voice-powered devices have concerns about privacy, per a study by Hub Entertainment Research. Among consumers who don't yet have a smart speaker and don't plan to buy one, 66% cited privacy as a key reason to avoid buying the devices.
Consumers also want to see products before making a purchase, but many smart speakers don't have a display — a key feature of smartphones that makes them more viable for online shopping, per eMarketer. Consumers have tended to buy lower-cost entry models of smart speakers without displays, and more than half of people who buy a smart speaker have an entry-level device like Amazon's Echo Dot or the Google Home Mini, per Consumer Intelligence Research Partners estimates cited by Marketing Land.
EMarketer's revised estimate for smart-speaker shopping also acknowledges how people use their devices for activities ranging from listening to audio to getting information. The researcher made an upward revision to its estimate of the percentage of smart speaker users who listen to audio to 81% and make inquiries to 78%. That estimate bodes well for streaming media companies like Spotify and Pandora that provide on-demand audio through smart speakers. The findings also suggests that device makers need to make broader efforts to add more features to smart speakers and educate consumers about those capabilities to boost adoption.


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Trifunctional molecule decodes cellular communication
(Phys.org)—How does one define the factors on the surface of human cells to which a molecule of interest binds? This question is typically hard to answer. Researchers of ETH Zurich have developed a new ...
Tall, skinny iPhone in US stores Sept 21 (Update 3)
For the first time, the iPhone is growing even as it slims down. After sticking for five years to the same screen size, Apple on Wednesday revealed a new phone that's taller, with a bigger display.
New imaging technique homes in on electrocatalysis of nanoparticles
(Phys.org)—By modifying the rate at which chemical reactions take place, nanoparticle catalysts fulfill myriad roles in industry, the biomedical arena and everyday life. They may be used for the production ...
Google upgrades Android maps as Apple battle looms (Update)
Google's mapping service for mobile devices is getting an upgrade as the Internet search leader braces for new competition from iPhone maker Apple.
Did NSA plant spyware in computers around world? (Update)
Did the National Security Agency plant spyware deep in the hard drives of thousands of computers used by foreign governments, banks and other surveillance targets around the world?
Agreeing on standards is a key to electric vehicles
Standards are a key part of technical progress and for the increased use of renewable energy.
The pen is mightier than the sword, but the computer mightier than both
It's official. In 2015, the keyboard has began to genuinely challenge the pen for dominance in the classroom.
Box wraps up IPO at $14 per share to raise $175 million
Online storage provider Box has wrapped up its long-delayed IPO at $14 per share, setting up a test of investors' appetite for a rapidly growing technology company that hasn't proven it can make money.
Research suggests tablet computers good medium for educational materials
Despite being more commonly thought of as a device designed for the passive consumption of content, touch-screen tablet computers can support the learning process when used in an educational setting – and not just as a ...
Research leads to better asphalt roads
In cooperation with eleven road construction companies, the University of Twente is working on improving asphalt roads in the Netherlands. By using new technology during the asphalt paving process, the resulting ...
IBM 4Q revenue continues to sag, 2015 outlook disappoints
IBM's fourth-quarter net income dropped 11 percent as revenue in most categories continued to decline, and its outlook for the year disappointed investors.
Research team invents new chemical detector
A team of researchers at the University of Delaware's Catalysis Center for Energy Innovation (CCEI) recently invented the Quantitative Carbon Detector (QCD), a new device that identifies and quantifies chemical compounds ...
We burn 2.7 million gallons a minute, so why's oil so cheap?
The world burns enough oil-derived fuels to drain an Olympic-sized swimming pool four times every minute. Global consumption has never been higher—and is rising.
Tech never sleeps in quest for better slumber
This new technology is staying up all night, so you don't have to.


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Can we give @natesilver538‘s baby just a little more breathing room before burying it alive? It’s hard to reinvent journalism!
— Jack Shafer (@jackshafer) March 23, 2014
While it has been just seven days since the wrapper was taken off the latest iteration of FiveThirtyEight, Nate Silver’s data-journalism project, that hasn’t stopped anyone from offering their sweeping conclusions — both good and bad. Here’s a look at what the Internet had to say about it.
Data journalism isn’t entirely objective
While FiveThirtyEight is predicated on the idea that data is objective and never lies, the reality is that data analysis is just as prone to bias as anything else. “Even data-backed journalism is opinion journalism,” wrote economist Allison Schrager this week.
Put another way, Silver may be pitching FiveThirtyEight on the supposed rigor of numerical objectivity, but many people say he’s missing one key point: In the end, there’s really no such thing as journalism free of ideology or bias. “Everyone, without exception, has some kind of ideological-theoretical perspective that informs the way they interpret the evidence they see,” wrote Ryan Cooper at The Week.
The initial output hasn’t been great
— Paul Raeburn (@praeburn) March 18, 2014
With great expectations come great disappointment. While Silver has promised that FiveThirtyEight won’t write stories that draw “grand conclusions from thin evidence,” not all of the site’s output so has lived up to that mission, some say. The Knight Science Journalism Tracker took issue with the site’s story on decoding health news, which it called “abysmal.” ThinkProgress also pointed out some flaws in the site’s early science coverage.
Disappointment with FiveThirtyEight’s early output was a common refrain. “Maybe it is I rather than they who is misjudging the market,” wrote Marginal Revolution’s Tyler Cowen, “but to me these are ‘tweener’ pieces, too superficial for smart and informed readers, yet on topics which are too abstruse for the more casual readers.”
FiveThirtyEight’s irritatingly long strip tease
Some important FiveThirtyEight hiring news coming out in about 10 minutes. Stay tuned…
— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) November 19, 2013
In the end, maybe Silver has no one to blame for this early disappointment but himself. Since announcing his departure from The New York Times last July, Silver has teased watchers with hiring announcements, interviews and gobs of hype. And that all of that teasing culminated on Monday with 3,500-word manifesto and a bevy of nagging tech problems probably didn’t help early reception either.
Nate Silver’s new venture, 404, is amazing
— Andrew Nusca (@editorialiste) March 17, 2014
Journalists don’t like being told they’re doing a bad job
The lesson from Vox, 538, and Pogue’s tech site? If you launch your site by saying other sites suck, there will be a media backlash.
— Jay Yarow (@jyarow) March 19, 2014
Silver makes no attempt to hide his distaste for the punditocracy. “My disdain for opinion journalism (such as in the form of op-ed columns) is well established, but my chief problem with it is that it doesn’t seem to abide by the standards of either journalistic or scientific objectivity,” he wrote in the site’s lengthy intro/manifesto last week.
As expected, the opinion journalists struck back. New York Times op-ed columnist Paul Krugman said that Silver’s mission to let the data speak for itself is fundamentally flawed. “Here’s hoping that Nate Silver and company up their game, soon,” he wrote.
Marketers weigh the cons of working with Google Ad Manager amid Justice Department’s new lawsuit
When is it time to back away?
Atlas Obscura wants to be profitable before raising funds in a tricky media market
Atlas Obscura wants to turn a profit this year before it raises another funding round, at a time when publishers are facing lower valuations and pickier investors as deal activity slows.
Publishers report Q1 ad revenue is pacing 10-25% behind forecasts
Publishers are facing a slow start to Q1 and sales teams have a lot of work to do to regain lost time.
SponsoredHow ad tech is tackling waste by optimizing supply chains
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What do a number of Italian football clubs, Greek ports, German enterprises, and prime UK real estate have in common? They were all the targets of Chinese investment in the last few years.
The dramatic influx of investment flowing from China has emerged as a major trend across Europe’s post-crisis, growth-craving economies, albeit one that is causing both excitement and fear. Although European leaders have issued numerous public statements regarding their desire to partner with China and Chinese companies, concern continues to grow in some European capitals amid fears that Chinese shopping may drain Europe’s strategic industries by cherry picking “crown jewel” technologies and brands at a financial-crisis induced discount. These concerns are amplified by a lack of reciprocity, as Chinese investments are of often made in sectors restricted to foreign investors in China.
Although negotiations regarding China’s growing appetite for European technology have been ongoing, at last month’s EU summit the newly-elected French President Emmanuel Macron called to curb this trend and hand more power to EU institutions to control Chinese takeovers. Seeking support for what he has called a ‘protectionist agenda’, Macron’s proposal was backed by Germany and Italy. EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker is reportedly working on a new rulebook to deal with Chinese takeovers which could be presented in September. Germany’s cabinet recently issued a new directive allowing ministers to scrutinize deals which affect critical infrastructure. However, EU-wide measures will face opposition from certain Member States, such as Spain, Greece and Portugal, reluctant to hinder a steady flow of Chinese yuan into their economies.
Concerns regarding Chinese investment are not just held by European leaders as the majority of EU citizens also express concern when it comes to Chinese companies. APCO Insight, our internal research team, conducted a survey across opinion leaders from 12 European markets. The research, which was conducted from December 2016 to February 2017 in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary and Finland, found that citizens express very unfavorable impressions of companies from China. Thirty-eight (38) percent of European interviewees held an unfavorable perception of Chinese companies, compared to just 5.4% who had negative perceptions of companies from Germany and 7.5% who felt unfavourable about companies from the UK.
Clearly, Chinese firms face some significant barriers to their European investment goals. However, when examining the inflow of investment, it is important to remember that Chinese investors are not all pursuing European targets for the same reason. But who are these Chinese investors and why are they investing in Europe? Understanding the different types of Chinese investors requires a closer look at their motives, which can be categorized into three broad categories:
“Get my money out of China”
China now has the second-highest number of millionaires in the world and many high-net-worth individuals are diversifying to include European assets. Despite tightening capital outflow restrictions, in 2016, China saw an estimated $725 billion in net capital outflows. That is more than China’s balance of trade surplus over the same period. Many high net-worth individuals aiming to diversify their investments are putting their money in Europe. The Chinese stock market has recently been unstable, Chinese banks provide limited returns on saving and the real estate market is increasingly looking like a bubble. First tier cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen are among the most unaffordable housing markets in the world (along with Hong Kong) on an income to housing price ratio. When considering the 70-year maximum property purchase lease, it’s not surprising that those able to diversify their assets are looking at European investment options. Many high net-worth individuals also plan to migrate overseas and large investments may facilitate access to foreign residency.
In Europe, for China
The majority of Chinese firms investing in Europe are actually looking to increase their competitive standing in China with European technology and brands. The acquisition of Volvo by Chinese carmaker Geely, for example, was done with its domestic market in mind. Geely’s purchase enabled it to bolster its image and upgrade its car manufacturing capabilities in China. China’s massive football fan base also drove the Chinese acquisition of AC Milan, FC Inter and Parma to name a few. Europe’s brands and technologies have enormous potential to act as catalyzers of innovation and to upgrade capacity in traditional sectors creating value and opportunities.
However, not all acquisitions are market driven. The Chinese government has an aggressive industrial upgrading agenda and at the center is the Made in China 2025 (MIC 2025) initiative, which sets ambitious market share targets across key industries. The acquisition of overseas technologies is key to meeting these targets. A remarkable example of this politically-driven trend is the prolific series of investments by state-owned ChemChina, which has acquired some of Europe’s largest companies; from Syngenta, the Swiss global agribusiness, to Pirelli, the Italian tire maker and KraussMaffei, the German chemical-process equipment maker.
The near takeover of the German chip manufacturer Aixtron by Fujian Grand Chip drew worldwide attention once it was clear Chinese government funds were behind the deal. Countries with many small and medium high-tech enterprises such as Italy and Germany are particularly vulnerable to China’s technology shopping spree, often unable to say “no” to above-market offers.
In Europe, for Europe
Fewer in number, but on the increase, are Chinese companies seeking to acquire European firms to secure access to the European market. In 2016 Chinese firms have entered European markets including gaming, aircraft leasing, travel websites and fashion. Meanwhile, larger Chinese conglomerates have long been taking steps to compete and become leaders in global competitive markets. Success in mature markets such as the EU and the United States is the final step for Chinese companies, and champions such as ZTE or Lenovo are proving to be true multinationals – investing and creating value around the world.
As China becomes more connected with the global economy, investments between the EU and China will only increase and create massive economic value for both ends of Eurasia. In some cases, however, politically driven Chinese investments could harm the competitiveness of European businesses and create market distortions. They could yet lead European countries embracing tougher protectionist policies. Legislators need to keep in mind the different motives behind Chinese investments as they assess proposed deals. In addition, Chinese firms should develop engagement strategies to help address any negative perception they may face.
For more on this topic
Watch this video of our colleague Amy Wendholt discussing the three things to know about Chinese Outbound Investment.
Written with the assistance of Alexander Polglase.


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McDonald’s on Tuesday named Tariq Hassan as its next chief marketing and digital customer experience officer for McDonald’s U.S., bringing in an outsider with brand and agency experience to drive the restaurant giant’s increasingly more personalized marketing strategy.
“I think people who know me won’t be surprised by this decision,” says Hassan, who leaves the role as CMO of Petco for the opportunity at McDonald’s.
Hassan says the first word that comes to him when thinking of McDonald’s is “smile.”
Hassan, who will work out of the company’s Chicago headquarters, is the third outsider since 2014 to take on the role of leading U.S. marketing at the world’s largest restaurant company. His predecessor, Morgan Flatley, is being promoted to McDonald’s global CMO role.
Flatley leaves behind a trail of successes within the U.S. marketing organization.
“I think Morgan and the team have done such a tremendous job,” says Hassan, who knows Flatley from her PepsiCo days as a client of his at Chicago-based agency Element79. “The authenticity and the voice are incredibly differentiated.”
Now, it’s Hassan’s turn to lead a team that has had hits with efforts such as its Famous Orders marketing campaigns and is seeing early strength with the MyMcdonald’s Rewards loyalty plan.
“The brand is about community, it’s about connection,” says Hassan.
Hassan says he is eager to continue deepening the connections McDonald’s has established with customers in the U.S. more “directly and more personally,” and doesn’t think the brand’s massive scale precludes McDonald’s from forging such relationships. McDonald’s is starting to do more with the data and customer insights it has, he says.
“I think what you’ve already seen the team do is start to establish a much more relevant voice for McDonald’s,” says Hassan.
He also says that the company’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts were something he explored when making his decision, saying he aligns with the company’s values and leadership’s plans and sees a “great opportunity” to continue to do the work that he has done earlier in his career.
In May, McDonald’s pledged to more than double its U.S. investment in diverse-owned media companies, production shops and content creators by 2024. At the same time, it made that bold proclamation, the company was sued by media mogul Byron Allen’s company over racial discrimination.
In a list of five facts about Hassan shared by McDonald’s, the first is: “He believes that diversity is not a strategy but a value that starts with bringing one’s authentic self to work.” McDonald’s also noted that Hassan was an executive sponsor for Petco’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEI&B) advisory council and of the LGBTQ employee resource group, along with external work including being on the board of the ANA CMO Growth council.
McDonald's again looks outside for marketing leadership
While Hassan thinks those who know him won’t be surprised to see him in the role, some industry watchers might be surprised that Chicago-based McDonald’s once again didn’t find a U.S. CMO within its ranks.
Flatley joined McDonald’s as its U.S. CMO in 2017 when Deborah Wahl, who had come to McDonald’s in 2014, was one of three executives replaced at the company.
After the progress made during her tenure, Flatley says “we now need someone to come in who has the breadth that Tariq has,” citing his experience on both the agency and client sides of the business, touching creative, digital, CRM, data and media.
While CMOs hope to build a succession plan internally, “we’re just not there yet,” says Flatley. She says she wants McDonald’s to do more to build up its talent pipeline to “become an academy of marketing talent.”
She looks at consumer packaged goods companies such as PepsiCo, where she and others moved up in marketing ranks before leaving for roles such as CMO at other brands.
“There are a number of big CPG companies that have started to export talent across companies,” says Flatley. “We have so much outstanding marketing talent here.”
In a message to McDonald’s USA viewed by Ad Age, Joe Erlinger, president, McDonald’s USA, praised Flatley’s work.
“Morgan’s curiosity for consumer insights combined with her passion for creative has resulted in stronger, more inclusive, and longer-lasting connections with our U.S. customers,” Erlinger said.
He also pointed to Hassan’s success in roles at companies including Petco, Bank of America, Omnicom and HP.
“Tariq also has a proven track record of growing and developing talent at all levels within a marketing function, and we look forward to him building on the tremendous progress that Morgan made in the last several years,” Erlinger said.


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Carpenter, speaking at the recent Southwest Beef Symposium in Amarillo, said, “The thing we know about managing bull fertility is the breeding soundness exam performed by a qualified vet is the best and most practical predictor of potential fertility.
The trade show is a part of NCBA’s Cattle Industry Convention, the oldest and largest convention for the cattle business. Reyes’ cattledog demonstration is one of this year’s sessions on ways to increase cattle performance by reducing handling stress and how cattlemen can shape consumers’ perception of beef.
With California farmers and ranchers preparing for a potential fourth consecutive drought year, the California State Board of Food and Agriculture will meet with federal and state officials to discuss drought operations and potential actions for 2015.
Sporting collars equipped with GPS tracking devices, these beef cattle are part of a sweeping five-year study led by Kansas State University to better understand beef production vulnerability across the southern Great Plains in the face of climate change.
Written records were mentioned in the first portion of this story, and they are extremely important when following BQA guidelines and these records become even more valuable when they are passed along to the next segment of the industry with the cattle.
“Food security is an important foundation for peace, political stability and sustainable development. In the history of humanity, time and time again we have seen vicious circles linking violence and hunger, and these are conflicts that are not restricted by national borders,” Graziano da Silva told meeting participants.
Keith Nantz sees himself like this in a few years: Sitting on a horse watching cows and fat calves as they munch on tall grass on his property. Elk graze nearby, wild turkeys strut by with their young, and a creek with clean water meanders past aspens and pines.
U.S. retail Choice beef values climbed through 2014, reaching a record high of $6.30 per pound in November (most recent complete data). Retail value is defined as the average value at the grocery store of a basket of beef cuts, measured in cents per pound of retail weight.
The 2015 National Western Stock Show (NWSS) finished strong with the second highest overall attendance in Stock Show history set at 682,539 visitors. That is an increase of 42,517 guests over the 2014 Stock Show and second highest in its 109-year history.
“We do not want anyone to miss out on the opportunity to complete an application that could provide significant support for a college education,” said Mary Kate Wilson, Director of Philanthropy, Engagement and Project Management at the Noble Foundation.


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The chief executive of mixed-reality company Digital Bridge, David Levine, looks at how Augmented Reality could change the way a new generation of consumers buy kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms
Making the right decisions when it comes to home renovations can be tricky. Home furnishings are often costly, complex to install and difficult to return, meaning that making the right decision first time is incredibly important.
This is causing consumers to delay the final purchasing decision until they are absolutely sure they are making the correct choice. In many cases, shoppers will even abandon the purchase altogether, such is their fear of making the wrong decision.
This problem – known as the imagination gap – is an expensive one, costing retailers an estimated £1 billion annually in the UK alone, and this figure is substantially higher worldwide. This is because consumers are opting out of buying big-ticket, home-interior products as they are unable to imagine how these products will fit into their kitchens, bedrooms or bathrooms.
Here, we’ll take a look at how this issue can be solved by emerging technologies such as Augmented Reality (AR), which helps millions of customers overcome the long-standing issue of the imagination gap by allowing them to preview virtually exactly how products will fit into their home before they buy.
So, why is AR so important?
AR works by overlaying digital elements on to the real world and can be used to help prospective customers virtually “try on” furniture, accurately modelling exactly how it would look in their home and therefore taking a huge step towards bridging the imagination gap.
But, why are we talking about this now? After all, AR technology isn’t that new – in fact, it’s been around for almost half a century.
While this may be the case, AR tech hadn’t really taken off in a mainstream setting until earlier this year, with the launch of ARKit and ARCore – mixed-reality development kits brought to market over the summer by tech giants Apple and Google.
This heavy investment has thrust AR firmly into the spotlight, and we’ve already seen some intriguing use in the retail sector from the likes of Amazon and IKEA, allowing consumers to visualise a range of products in their homes before purchasing.
AR-enabled room visualisation tools have tremendous potential to transform retail, with our research showing that more than 28 million consumers in the UK (55% of the market) would be more likely to make a purchase if they had access to a visualisation tool.
The AR advantage
While the imagination gap is an issue for consumers and businesses alike across the retail sector, it is a particular problem for businesses selling expensive, high-profile products, or those that are involved with long-term projects.
The KBB sector, which is worth an estimated £3 billion a year in the UK, and a staggering $48.6 billion in the US, is a prime example of this.
Redesigning a kitchen, bedroom or bathroom is a complex process, governed by intricate design rules that, if not followed, can lead to an expensive investment that’s incredibly difficult to reverse. In fact, our research found that correcting a poorly thought-out design can cost the consumer as much as £3,000 in some cases.
This is where AR visualisation technology comes in. It essentially brings the retail showroom to your customers by allowing them to overlay accurate models of products onto their existing kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms at home.
With 56% of homeowners planning to make some kind of home upgrade in 2017, emerging technologies such as AR that aid their buying decisions are poised to have a major impact across the home interiors and KBB sectors.
This influence is only going to increase over the next few months, as developers get to grips with ARCore and ARKit and begin to offer more developed user experiences.
AR’s popularity has exploded over the past year, orginally stemming from the 2016 release of Niantic’s wildly popular AR game, Pokemon Go.
Now, the launch of ARKit and ARCore is set to open up mainstream AR to the masses in a way never before possible.
KBB retailers who proactively offer innovative new experiences and solutions to long-standing customer issues like the imagination gap will be best placed to benefit from the shift in how consumers are buying.
I believe that AR will be key to enabling KBB retailers to stand out in an ever-more competitive marketplace, to solve the long-standing issue of the imagination gap, and to engage the new generation of customers.


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A Japanese sportswear and sporting goods company is attempting to dominate the U.S. market with an advertising campaign centered on the question, “What if everybody ran?”
Known mostly for their running shoes, Mizuno hopes this campaign will attract new customers and motivate old ones to take advantage of the benefits of running. More then individual benefits, the campaign also highlights positive changes the U.S. overall.
The media mix of the campaign includes the brand’s first-ever television commercial, a series of video clips, print and digital advertisements. The campaign also increases the brand’s presence on social media with the hashtag #IfEverybodyRan.
Most importantly, the hub of the campaign is located at the web address, www.ifeverybodyran.com. Here, consumers are redirected to a section of the Mizuno USA website devoted to running and are introduced with a 100-second video which acts as a digital manifesto.
Ahmet Abaci, vice president for brand marketing and management at Mizuno USA in Atlanta told a New York Times reporter, “The campaign is reflective of our overall brand purpose. We believe in the transformative power of sports to make the world a better place and help people to live better lives.”
So what would happen if everybody ran? Don’t know? No worries, Mizuno has it covered. They commissioned the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina to conduct a research project to find the answer.
The results are included in various videos. Some are listed below:
- 48,081,000 fewer cigarettes smoked daily
- 20 million more great-grandmothers
- 7 billion more hours spent outside
- Up to $143 billion in health care savings
I don’t know about you but all those reasons seem good to me! I also think the brand’s efforts to describe the bigger-picture benefits opposed to individual goals has a larger impact. One video describes “200 million inches” would be lost if everybody ran.
Overall, I would say this is a very motivational and successful campaign that makes me want to buy a pair of Mizuna and go for a nice, long run.
Elliot, Stuart. 2014, April 14. “Mizuno Campaign Asks Sunny—And Everyone Else
—Run” New York Times. Retrieved from: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/14/business/media/mizuno-campaign-asks-what-makes-sammy-and-everybody-else-run.html?ref=media&_r=0


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Category Archives: Fly Reels
Nautilus Reels has announced a limited edition “No Pebble Mine” reel, which in collaboration with the S. Kent Rockwell Foundation will help raise money to assist the fight to protect Bristol Bay. Read more in the press release below.
The new SPEY reel series from Sage combines classic design elements with modern performance features. Read more in the press release below.
Winston has announced Motofish has joined the Winston/Bauer design team. Motofish is a brand building design, photography, and production company located in Redmond Washington. Read more in the press release below.
Sage has announced the upcoming release of the new SPECTRUM C reel series, featuring a larger arbor and die cast frame. Read more in the press release below.
Colorado-based Abel Reels has announced a soon-to-be-released model, the Abel TR. The large arbor design will be available in sizes 2/3 and 4/5 and will retail at $395. Read more in the press release below.
Beginning in January 2018, Ross Reels has announced they will cut ties with big box stores and instead focus on independent retailers. Read more in the press release below.
Abel, in partnership with the Johnny Cash estate, has announced the release of a Johnny Cash Limited Edition Fly Reel. “We’ve really outdone ourselves with this design, and we couldn’t be happier to be associated with one of our personal … more
Sage has introduced a new reel series to their product offerings. The Spectrum reel family includes the Spectrum Max, Spectrum LT, and Spectrum reel series. Read more in the press release below.
Redington will introduce the new i.D. reel at the IFTD show in Orlando, FL. The i.D. offers unique customization with 34 decal options to put on the flat back surface of the new reel. Read more in the press release … more