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IBM is buying Red Hat: What they want you to know
Monday, October 29, 2018 by Richard Harris
IBM announced plans to acquire Red Hat, the world’s leading provider of open source technology for approximately $34B.
According to Mergermarket data, this is the second-largest computer software deal ever recorded globally, which dates back to 1998.
As IBM’s most significant acquisition, and the most significant tech acquisition of 201...


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AJAC Car Of The Year Finalists Announced
So over the last week, the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) had assembled in the Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario to see which cars are the best in their category. The winners in each category will then go head to head with each other to name just one Car of the Year and Truck of the Year, which will be announced at the Toronto International Auto Show on February 16, 2012.
For now, here is the list of winners per category:
BEST NEW SMALL CAR (under $21k) – Hyundai Accent
BEST NEW SMALL CAR (over $21k) – Hyundai Elantra
BEST NEW FAMILY CAR (under $30k) – Kia Optima
BEST NEW FAMILY CAR (over $30k) – Kia Optima Hybrid
BEST NEW LUXURY CAR – Mercedes-Benz C350 4MATIC
BEST NEW PRESTIGE CAR (over $75k) – Mercedes-Benz S350 BlueTEC 4MATIC
BEST NEW SPORTS/PERFORMANCE CAR (under $50k) – Hyundai Veloster
BEST NEW SPORTS/PERFORMANCE CAR (over $50k) – BMW 1M
BEST NEW SUV/CUV (under $35k) – Dodge Journey
BEST NEW SUV/CUV ($35k-$60k) – Volkswagen Touareg TDI
BEST NEW SUV/CUV (over $60k) – BMW X3
Interestingly, the only American brand to have a category winner is Dodge, and the country with the most winners on this list is S. Korea, while no Japanese car made the cut.

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Brambles to hive off Recall arm
Brambles has resorted to spinning off its document-storage business, Recall, into a separately listed company on the Australian sharemarket after failing to sell the unit to trade buyers last year.
In the biggest company split in Australia since Westfield spun off a retail trust in 2011, the world's largest supplier of wooden pallets will list Recall as a separate company with a market value estimated at $1.1 billion to $1.5 billion by December. It will make Recall a top-150 company on the ASX.
Recall has faced what management have termed a near "perfect storm" over the last year, including a large decline in pre-tax earnings in the second half. But Brambles chief executive Tom Gorman emphasised the demerger would allow Recall to "pursue its own opportunities" while Brambles could focus on its pallet-pooling operations.
"After a disruptive year [for Recall] ... the focus is now going after some of those business opportunities. We do believe there continues to be top-line growth opportunities," he said.
Brambles abandoned in June last year attempts over almost a year to sell Recall to trade buyers for as much as $2 billion. It blamed "challenging capital markets" and low offers for the lack of progress.
The Sydney company expects Recall to post an underlying profit of between $US138 million ($151 million) and $US142 million for the year to June, down from $US174 million in 2011-12.
Recall bore the brunt of a sharp decline in paper prices in the first half, while a slowdown in transactional activity affected the business in the second half. Its main competitor is US company Iron Mountain, whose stock price has tumbled 32 per cent over the past two months.
The document-storage business has a workforce of 4500, and its main operations are in North America, Europe and Australia. About a third of Recall's business is here.
While companies could still be interested in buying Recall, Mr Gorman said it would have to be a "significant premium" to stop him pursuing a listing by the end of this year.
The former Ford executive said it had been difficult for Recall to "shine well" in the shadow of its parent, whose pallet pooling business had higher growth potential.
Analysts believe a demerger makes sense because Recall is a "non-core asset".
Morgan Stanley has said that research on demergers in Australia over the past 15 years, including Fosters and Orica, suggested they had a "strong track of creating value".
Shareholders will vote on the latest demerger in December, and subject to them giving approval, Recall will list on the ASX shortly afterwards.
They will gain new shares in Recall proportionate to their existing Brambles stock. Recall will carry about $450 million in net debt once it is spun off.
Ian Blackburne, the chairman of poker machine maker Aristocrat, has been named chairman of Recall. The full make-up of its board will be revealed when a scheme booklet is released in October. Recall chief executive Doug Pertz will remain in the top job.


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Mooresville, N.C. (June 10, 2013) – Starting this weekend at Michigan International Speedway, Takagi will debut as primary sponsor on Cole Whitt’s No. 44 Toyota Camry. Whitt and Takagi will then team up for Indianapolis (July 27th), Atlanta (August 31st), Texas (November 2nd) and the season finale at Homestead (November 21st).
“I am really excited to have Takagi’s support this season. They are a big attribute to my family’s business and I look forward to earning some good finishes for them in the Takagi Camry,” said Whitt.
This will not be the first time Takagi and Whitt have teamed up; Takagi sponsored Whitt’s No. 88 JR Motorsports entry last season at Phoenix International Speedway.
“We at Takagi are excited to partner with Cole Whitt again during the 2013 NASCAR Nationwide season,” said David Chisolm, Director of Marketing at Takagi. “Cole is a talented driver and is very capable of producing solid runs in the No. 44 Takagi Toyota Camry. Also, the fact that his family’s plumbing business uses our products every day, really makes us partners both on and off the track, so we’re happy about the dual partnership.”
TriStar Motorsports owner, Mark Smith said, “I greatly appreciate Takagi’s support in Cole’s racing career, he’s a very talented driver and I look forward to our partnership.”
Whitt’s partnership with Takagi couldn’t come at a better time; Whitt led 10 laps at Michigan last year and finished fourth.
A producer of tank-less water heaters since 1952, Takagi is a worldwide industry leader and the first tank-less water heater company specializing in tank-less only products. In addition to its commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction, Takagi is focused on increasing consumer awareness surrounding the use of energy efficient products at home. For more information, visit www.takagi.com
About TriStar Motorsports:
TriStar Motorsports was established in 1989 by Mark and Kathy Smith. In its early years, the team competed in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, where the team won the Coors Light Pole for the 1994 Daytona 500 with Loy Allen Jr. – the first rookie in the history of NASCAR to set the pace for the historic race. After accumulating 151 starts in the Winston Cup Series, Smith withdrew from team ownership to focus on building engines for the NASCAR industry. Now, Smith’s company – Pro Motor Engines – is the leading independent builder of race engines for all three of NASCAR’s top-tier divisions and other series like ARCA and the SCCA. Smith was eager to return to team ownership and the opportunity came along in 2010 when he re-launched his TriStar Motorsports team and began fielding cars in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.


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Vocollect has set out its vision for the future: the voice-centric warehouse. It reckons that using voice technology for put away, replenishment and loading can replicate the benefits of voice picking, right across the warehouse.
Vocollect has updated its software architecture to be easier for WMS producers to control and adapt for multiple functions, and for individual clients’ needs. For example, Argos has taken on Vocollect’s voice solutions for put-away. After trialling the system over the past year the retailer intends to adopt voice for put away in all of its 700 stores.
In its full year results, Argos’ owner Home Retail Group said: “This technology helps to automatically guide stockroom assistants to the correct location, with key benefits being quicker processing and further enhanced stock file accuracy, thereby improving availability and customer satisfaction. Having been extended to 130 stores during the year, ‘voice put-away’ will now be rolled-out across the rest of the portfolio over the next two years.”
Vocollect made better than predicted sales in 2009 and plans to grow its market share by expanding into new areas. As well as using voice for more functions within the warehouse, Vocollect predicts higher take-up by smaller warehouses, are extending into industries beyond their strong hold in the grocery sector, and are seeing global expansion, typically when a multinational moves into a new territory taking voice with it.


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Accutron Arrives At Watches of Switzerland and MAYORS
For fans of mid-century modern timepieces, the rebirth of Accutron has been a great cause for celebration (read HERE).
Vintage collectors have long loved Accutron for its retro aesthetics. Newer enthusiasts appreciate its pioneering precision technology. And watch fans of all stripes can get behind the optimism for the future that these timepieces represent.
Previously the only problem was getting your hands on one of these storied timepieces on the secondary market. But now, not only have they been reborn, but the entire Accutron collection will be available at Watches of Switzerland and MAYORS boutiques starting today, September 22.
“Watches of Switzerland prides itself on providing our clients the best the watch world has to offer, which is why we are excited to announce our retail partnership with Accutron,” commented David Hurley, Executive Vice President of Watches of Switzerland, in a press release. “Much like Watches of Switzerland, Accutron has long been a disruptor in the industry, and we look forward to bringing their unique timepieces to our platforms.”
Specifically, Watches of Switzerland and MAYORS will be bringing three new Accutron collections – Legacy, Spaceview 2020, and Accutron DNA – to its customers.
The origins of Accutron’s resurrection comes from the collecting community. Thanks to forums and social media, vintage models have grown in popularity. Historic Accutron designs are highly sought after because they took sartorial risks. Asymmetric silhouettes, textures cases, and fancy lugs became the signature of these watches.
So Accutron, an independent brand within Citizen Watch America, invited collectors to visit its archives in the Empire State Building to help identify which of Accutron's most coveted references should be brought back and reinterpreted for the modern consumer (read HERE).
The last detail is important – the new collections are not reissues, but a fresh take on the classics. As the President of Citizen Watch America, Jeffrey Cohen, said in a press release, "These new timepieces, powered by electrostatic energy, are the first of their kind and pay tribute to the iconic Spaceview design that gave Accutron the recognition of being an industry trailblazer."
As the name “Legacy” implies, history is important to Accutron. And the styling of these references definitely takes a page from their 1960s and 1970s ancestors.
From the sleek oval case and 4 o'clock crown of the Day and Date "Q" to the hypnotic cross-hatching on the asymmetrical case of the new 565, the watches of the Accutron Legacy collection are poised to become collector pieces in their own right.
Made up of 12 watches, each model in the Legacy collection is limited to 600 pieces, all of which are powered by Accutron’s Swiss-made, 26-jewel automatic movement. Priced between $1,290 and $1,550, these limited edition watches are now available at Watches of Switzerland and MAYORS boutiques and e-commerce platforms.
Accutron broke accuracy records with its tuning fork technology. But this new generation introduces a completely new electrostatic movement showcased in the style of the futuristic see-through Spaceviews of the past.
The two new Accutron Spaceview models – the Spaceview 2020 and the Spaceview 2020 LTD – use a unique-to-watchmaking mechanism. Conventional quartz calibers tick along in increments, for example. The new Spaceviews use both an electrostatic motor to drive the second hand and two smaller electrostatic generators to provide the charge that spins the rotor. In turn, the hands advance smoothly, and the rotor rotates quite rapidly. It’s downright hypnotic watching the turbine-like blades in action through the Spaceview’s cutaway face!
Priced at $3,450 for the Spaceview 2020 and $4,000 for the Spaceview 2020 LTD, which is limited to 300 individually numbered pieces and comes with the book, Accutron: From The Space Age To The Digital Age as part of a boxed set, these new Accutron Spaceview collection stands out from the crowd.
Accutron DNA Collection
Last but not least, the new Accutron DNA collection is powered by the same electrostatic movement as the Spaceview collection. It even takes a few design cues from the original Spaceview.
But the new Accutron DNA collection is less of a visual reboot, like the Legacy collection, than it is a synthesis of modernist-minimalism and sci-fi aesthetics.
These skeletonized beauties retail for an eminently reasonable $3,300.
How To Purchase
(Photography by Liam O'Donnell)


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Amazon says more than half a dozen hardware vendors have indicated they cannot enter into a TV production relationship with the e-commerce group for fear of retaliation from Google, escalating tensions with the search giant it competes with in several companies.
The disclosure, officially first shared by Amazon, was made by the company’s India unit to the Competition Commission of India as part of the antitrust watchdog’s long-standing investigation into Google over claims it is abusing its dominant position in Android. . google is abusing its dominant position in Android, the regulator said in a statement on Thursday, fined $162 million on Thursday.
As part of the investigation, the Competition Commission of India interviewed several industry players, including Samsung, Microsoft and Mozilla. But no one spoke more freely than Amazon, a quick analysis of the Order of 293 pages published on Friday.
Here’s what Amazon told the CCI:
Amazon has explored partnerships with mobile OEMs/ODMs/CMs who also manufacture non-mobile smart media devices, such as smart TVs, to enable those manufacturers to use non-mobile smart media devices (including smart TVs) with the Fire OS (eg Fire TV Edition (FTVE) for smart TVs). In these discussions with OEMs, at least seven OEMs have indicated that their ability to enter into such a manufacturing relationship with Amazon is either completely blocked or significantly limited (e.g. in terms of geographic scope) by their contractual obligations to Google and the fear that Google would retaliate against another OEM company that manufactures Android devices.
Amazon claimed that the device manufacturer has indicated in “several cases” that it cannot cooperate with Amazon “despite a expressed desire to do so in connection with smart TVs”. Even if the manufacturers agreed not to work on Android-powered smart TVs, they were still concerned that by working with Amazon on Fire OS-powered TVs, they would still be risking their GMS license from Google for other companies, it said. Amazon.
In addition, companies including Foxconn and Panasonic tried to get permission from Google to work with Amazon, the e-commerce giant said.
In other cases, the OEM has tried to obtain “permission” from Google, but failed. Such discussions have taken place, for example, with Skyworth, TPV (with regard to the Philips brand), UMC (with regard to the Sharp brand), Foxconn (with regard to the Sharp brand) and Panasonic. Panasonic also shared its concerns about potential retaliation by Google against its automotive and aviation operations if it continued to install FTVE on smart TVs.
In a series of other allegations, Amazon also said smartphone vendors told the company that their terms with Google required them to have Google Chrome preinstalled on their handsets and display a mobile browser shortcut on the device’s home screen. in a move that hurt the growth of Amazon’s browser, Silk.
This impacted the adoption of Amazon Silk as Amazon’s research at the time found that the default browser was used by 58% of users, forcing Amazon Silk to compete with other web browsers such as Opera, Firefox and UC for the minority of users using the default browser. not used browser.
Another potential barrier to distribution was OEMs’ request that Amazon pay significant amounts to be pre-installed on the device, but even with payment, OEMs would make no guarantees about the app’s placement or willingness to use Chrome Browser as default browser (which would require them to remove the Google Play Store and other Google apps).
(As an aside, Amazon said it has been investigating distribution agreements with Reliance Jio, Micromax and Intel, something not previously publicly known, but the discussions did not lead to significant success for Silk.)
Amazon, which operates Android-powered Fire OS that comes without all of Google’s popular mobile services, internally assessed whether Android OS and GMS would be licensed “because of the barriers created by the absence of GMS,” but decided against it. to do so “because it’s a ‘one-way door’ and result in relinquishing too much control to Google over Amazon’s current and future devices,” the company told the regulator.
The retailer cited lack of access to Google Play and its apps as the main reasons for the failure of Fire Phone, the company’s smartphone.


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We got advanced warning of Asus' IFA 2013 plans at the start of the week, and now that Asus has done the deed officially we can start to chew over some of the details.
And as usual with Asus there's a bunch of new devices to talk about, but we'll focus here on just two – the Asus FonePad 7 and FonePad Note 6.
The FonePad only launched at MWC back in February, raising eyebrows with its ability to make calls like a normal smartphone despite its 7in display. But Asus has now consigned the first-gen FonePad to the history books with the announcement of this upgraded FonePad 7.
As before you get a 7in display with 1280 x 800 resolution, but the processor has been bumped to a dual-core Intel Atom Z2560 running at 1.6GHz, backed up as before with 1GB of RAM.
One of the new features is the presence of a 5MP camera round the back, a feature only present in some markets until now, and there's a choice of 8GB, 16GB or 32GB of storage.
There's nothing on price as things stand, but considering the modest spec bump there's every reason to believe Asus will stick to the existing model's prices, which in the UK currently start at £179 for the 16GB model.
Moving on to the FonePad Note 6 and we have a 6in phablet with stylus support – hence the “Note” in the title. This is a more premium offering, dishing up full HD resolution from the Super IPS+ display and boasting Intel's new Z2580 processor running at 2GHz.
The camera is nothing to write home about at 8MP, and you can choose from 16GB or 32GB of storage.
As with the FonePad 7, however, Asus has yet to reveal prices – or when either of these babies is going to be available.


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Gamers are no strangers when it comes to the Need For Speed franchise. Speaking of, recent gameplay images of the newest instalment to the franchise, Need for Speed (2022), have allegedly been leaked ahead of the game’s reveal (thanks, @just4leaks2) and players are thrilled.
Electronic Arts is the brains behind this franchise and the racing video game series is one of a kind, keeping racing game enthusiasts glued to their controllers and providing a breathtaking racing experience. The franchise has been around for roughly three decades now and the company is not about to rest its foot on the gas.
here an example : thats from leaked footage pic.twitter.com/6xBOzEzQZY
— Shaun Weber (@just4leaks2) June 28, 2022
The franchise took off back in 1994 with the release of The Need for Speed. The game was ahead of its time. Sure, looking back on the game today doesn’t make it feel special but back then, it was a great deal. The game was well-received and Electronic Arts went ahead to create more masterpieces.
Electronic Arts’ recent Q4 2022 earnings call slides revealed that the game is set to reveal before the end of this year. With that being said, the leaked gameplay images of Need for Speed (2022) are possibly showcasing a very early build of the upcoming game.
Although the images don’t tell much about the gameplay, the graphics are surely an advancement, as previously stated by Jeff Grubb that the upcoming Need for Speed (2022) will “adopt a stylized aesthetic combing photorealistic graphics with anime elements.”
Electronic Arts’ last installation in the franchise was back in 2019 with Need for Speed: Heat, so a new game’s reveal was long overdue. Both Codemasters and Criterion Games are working on a new title, however, there’s no official reveal date that has yet been announced.
Just a couple of days ago, we reported that Electronic Arts is expected to reveal the upcoming instalment to the Need for Speed franchise in July. With new features and “unique” maps coming to the game, the title for the game is also rumoured to be “Need for Speed: Unbound.” However, that’s uncertain at the moment.
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For A + Japanese Auto Repair in San Carlos, being “green” has gotten easier with time.
“The biggest challenge was taking the first step,” said Eric Sevim, co-owner and shop manager. “Sure, we had to dedicate plenty of time, money and resources, but the payoff makes us feel good and helps our bottom line.”
The auto repair shop was among 63 small- and medium-sized businesses that were recently recognized by the San Mateo County Green Business Campaign for their efforts to adopt environmentally friendly practices.
The program, launched two years ago by county Supervisor Mark Church, requires businesses to complete a checklist of measures and undergo compliance in four areas of resource conservation: energy, water, pollution prevention and waste reduction.
“This program has expanded from just 16 businesses certified less than a year ago to 63, with another 100 businesses in queue,” said Kim Springer, resource conservation program manager for the county Department of Public Works.
Recognized green certified businesses like A + Japanese Auto Repair have made broad changes to meet higher standards of environmental performance by reducing waste and pollution.
Eric Sevim and his brother Adam decided to sign up for the program when a high school-aged employee pointed out the amount of waste generated through paperwork and parts packaging.
“She made some phone calls and got us a recycling bin,” said Sevim. “We filled it in two days.
With the help of Allied Waste, a metal recycler, and a tire recycler, the repair shop implemented a full recycling program for almost every material used in the shop.
A + took advantage of rebate programs from Pacific Gas & Electric Co., replacing 252 four-foot fluorescent bulbs with high-efficiency bulbs, along with new ballasts. They also reduced their water consumption by replacing toilets, faucet heads and by issuing coupons to a local green-friendly car wash, rather than washing customer cars in the shop.
“Automotive repair is an inherently toxic industry with a large carbon foot print,” said Sevim. “We want to change that.”
San Francisco International Airport has set a goal to have its tenant businesses green-certified in just a few years and has been pushing environmental efforts at the site for some time.
“We’ve always been environmentally minded,” said Wayne Chang of Osho Japanese Cuisine in the International Terminal. “The Green Business Campaign auditors came in and pointed out ways to improve what we were already trying to do.”
The program offers business-specific guidance and resources generated from a local database of recycling facilities, donation centers and green products — helping businesses like Chang’s go from green-friendly to green-certified in a matter of months.
Businesses interested in the program can visit RecycleWorks.org Web site and submit an application.


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Singapore recently passed legislation that requires crypto firms located in the country to seek a special license to serve overseas consumers. As a result, other jurisdictions, such as Dubai, have become more attractive. Before this legislation, Singapore was considered a crypto haven.
The Financial Services and Markets Bill (FSM) mandates that Singapore-based crypto firms obtain a specific license. The reason for this required license is to do business with companies located outside of Singapore. On the contrary, though, this might result in Singapore not being a crypto haven anymore.
According to a report on Business Insider India, the bill will significantly impact crypto companies. It will mainly affect companies from India that have relocated to Singapore to avoid regulatory issues back home.
In addition, Singapore’s latest verdict may serve as a precedent for other countries hoping to benefit from international trade. As a result, Singapore appears to be moving away from being a favorable location for crypto platforms in general. MAS has been given new powers to supervise cryptocurrency businesses that only serve foreign markets from their Singapore headquarters.
The New Bill
The board member of the MAS, Alan Tan, expressed his opinion regarding the new bill. He said that Singapore companies who offer services related to virtual assets like Bitcoin outside Singapore may represent harm. Tan noted that the goal of the FSM Bill is to reduce these risks by regulating these players and requiring them to meet AML/CFT standards.
MAS acknowledges that some of the technological use cases for cryptocurrencies are cutting-edge and enticing. However, it still does not believe that crypto is a secure investment for the average retail investor.
On the other hand, the assistant managing director of MAS, Loo Siew Yee, added some points regarding blockchain and crypto. As blockchain technology and unique use cases for crypto tokens continue to be developed, MAS enthusiastically supports these efforts.
Nonetheless, it is important to keep in mind that trading cryptocurrencies can be quite dangerous. Thus, they don’t recommend this to the general public. The risks of trading in DPTs are so substantial. Therefore, neither should DPT service providers try to make the process appear less risky than it actually is. This is what Yee noted in order to reason the decision about the bill.
The Lack of MAS’s Support For Crypto Investment
The MAS’s attitude toward cryptocurrency investment is unpleasant. For the average retail investor, entry to crypto is getting difficult as more countries follow this path.
As the MAS describes the risks, it is true that there are extremely risky investments. However, many investors would rather take the risk of investing in crypto’s more trustworthy chances, such as the DeFi sector, than keep their money in the bank. Since other alternatives like Dubai are more welcoming to small investors and the blockchain and cryptocurrency industry, it is hopeful that they will continue to grow and thrive.


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Pune, India, April 23, 2019 - SRKay Consulting Group, After two years of research and development spanning across India and Finland, SCIKEY today launched its version 1.0 Talent Commerce Platform in the India and Malaysia market. Funded by SRKay Consulting, a PE and acceleration firm; this unique platform uses AI and Advanced Data Analytics to connect demand for talent on one side of the platform to the supply of talent on the other.Read More
Pune, India, April 12, 2019 - SRKay Consulting Group, a Mumbai & London based private equity and acceleration firm, today announced the opening of Malaysia office in Kuala Lumpur. SRKay has been strategically investing and hiring in multiple countries that can give its ventures an excellent platform to expand globally. With its offices in USA, Finland, UK, India and now in Malaysia SRKay continues to expand its global acceleration ecosystem for the growth of its start-up ventures at a global scale.Read More
Pune, India, April 2, 2019 - SRKay Consulting Group, a PE and acceleration firm, announced its third round of investment in SCIKEY today. SRKay reconfirmed its belief in SCIKEY that has been field testing its Talent Commerce platform since several months, with highly encouraging feedback from users.
With this round of investment, SRKay has for the first time shed its image of keeping the funds limited to seed investment and has also openly expressed its intent to raise further funds for this venture in future. SCIKEY has been accelerated by SRKay for last two years, with currently close to one hundred employees in India, Finland, and Malaysia. SCIKEY's previous round of funding came in April 2018 that helped it build strategic depth accompanied by a global outlook that has been at the core of its platform.Read More
Pune and London, 21st November 2018: More than 90 percent of startups fail, but with an increasing number of professionals shunning off their cushy jobs and taking a plunge in uncertain waters of entrepreneurship, these numbers have only increased over time. SRKay Consulting Group, a Private Equity, and acceleration firm based in Pune had embarked on a journey to decode every possible factor that can be managed to improve the success probability of startups.Read More
Pune and London, 5th October 2018: SRKay Consulting Group, a private equity venture of the multi-billion dollar SRK Group, has been going all out to get on board the best in the industry to lead their ambitious technology investments. SRKay had earlier announced its second round of funding for its talent commerce and consulting venture SCIKEY that is now getting launched in the Indian market and will expand to other global locations by 2019.Read More
Pune and Geneva, 19th July 2018: SRKay unveiled the path-breaking MindMatch Algorithm, based on the research by its Talent Solutions venture SCIKEY which can predict startup success, at the recently held UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development) meeting in Geneva. The algorithm utilizes several human-only attributes for the prediction, which have been largely ignored by startups and funding agencies across the globe, leading to massive startup failures so far. Thrashing some famous studies that point out several reasons why startups fail, Mr. Alok Kumar, the Managing Partner of SRKay said, "78 percent of startups are successful due to human only factors while the failures are primarily because of ignoring these factors."Read More
Pune, India. – July 10, 2018: SRKay Consulting Group, a private equity arm of the Mumbai-based multi-billion dollar SRK Group continues its rapid growth and announced the inauguration of its new office at the prestigious World Trade Centre in Pune. The company had recently opened a new office at The Willis Towers in Chicago in the month of May and the Global R&D Hub for its Ventures in Helsinki, Finland which was inaugurated in April 2018. The new office at WTC in Pune will cater to SRKay's ventures.Read More
Chicago and London, 27th June 2018: SRKay Consulting Group today announced the appointment of Philip Robbins-Jones as the President of its Technology Services venture, ScrumStart. Philip will be based out of Chicago and will manage the ScrumStart (SRKay Venture) operations in the US and Europe. Philip is an experienced, innovative CIO and Technology leader with a deep background in retail. His broad business background coupled with extensive technology experience has enabled success in multiple business critical leadership positions at some of the world's leading retailers, including Tesco, Sainsbury's and Sears.Read More
Pune and Chicago, 3rd May 2018: SRKay Consulting Group today announced the opening of its US office in Chicago. With its presence in the US, SRKay intends to open the vast market of North America to its ventures. Recently SRKay announced its intention to open the Helsinki R&D office in Finland to support innovation needs of its funded and accelerated ventures.Read More
Helsinki, London and Pune, 26th April 2018: SRKay Consulting Group announces its second round of investment in 'SCIKEY', a hiring lifecycle automation and talent marketplace that is planned for beta launch in select markets in May-June this year. SCIKEY got onboarded onto SRKay's accelerator ecosystem in late 2016, and since then team SCIKEY has been deeply engaged in cutting-edge research.Read More
Pune, 7th March 2018: SRKay Consulting Group, a technology private equity venture of the multi-billion dollar SRK Group, has been going all out to on board the best in the industry to lead their ambitious technology investments. SRKay today announces the joining of Sooraj Keswani as the Head of Consulting Practice, to lead the go-to-market strategy for products and solutions of ventures in Asia Pacific region.Read More
Florida & Pune, 21st December 2017: SRKay Consulting Group, a London-headquartered private equity venture of the multi-billion dollar SRK Group, announces the joining of Stuart Kippelman on its advisory board. Stuart is a highly acclaimed business and technology leader in the U.S., and is the former Senior Vice President and Global CIO at Platform Specialty Products, based in Florida.Read More
London, Pune, 10th October 2017: SRKay Consulting Group , a venture of the multi-billion dollar SRK Group, announces the appointment of Vinit Teredesai, ex-Senior VP & Global Head of Finance, HSBC GLT’s, as the Advisor Finance. He would be advising the Group in the areas of strategic global expansion, value measurement, pricing strategy, financial discipline and M&A for streamlining the growing global business operations for the group’s ventures.Read More
Pune, 16th August 2017: SRKay Consulting Group , a venture of the billion dollar SRK Group, based out of London and Mumbai, today announced its first product venture 'Serena Way', that will focus on solving customer experience challenges for businesses with its CXM (Customer Experience Management) platform and services.
Serena Way , a CXM venture is the outcome of more than one year of research and development effort.Read More
Pune, June 14, 2017: SRKay Consulting Group, a venture of the multi-billion dollar SRK Group, is going all out to get on board the best in the industry to lead their ambitious technology ventures. SRKay announces Shriram Viswanathan as the Group Chief Business Officer (CBO). He would be responsible for streamlining the global business operations for the group ventures.
"Shriram brings rich technology leadership that will help SRKay streamline its global business operations for several of its technology ventures after months of R&D efforts," said Alok Kumar, Managing Partner, SRKay Consulting Group.Read More
Pune, 27th July 2017: SRKay Consulting Group, a private equity venture promoted by Mumbai-based multi-billion dollar SRK Group, has taken yet another step in their vision towards becoming a global company. SRKay Consulting Group Limited UK will start operating their global operations from London and will focus on creating a footprint of its ventures from UK to other global destinations.
"We decided London as our global headquarters at the time when our first venture ScrumStart gained multinational clients and now is well-poised to accelerate its growth through physical presence in leading global locations. With this expansion, SRKay is looking at creating a network of strategic channel partners that would help us with our expansion plans," said Alok Kumar, Partner of SRKay Consulting Group in London, where he visited as part of the NASSCOM business delegation from India.Read More
Pune, 12th May 2017: SRKay Consulting Group, a private equity backed by one of the largest diamond manufacturing groups in the world, SRK Exports, has been able to break-even with one of its ventures in the first year itself. "Our first venture, ScrumStart Services, gets its break-even right in its first year. We are highly hopeful to repeat this success," said Alok Kumar, Managing Partner, SRKay Consulting Group, who is a renowned personality in the IT fraternity.
Since its inception last year, ScrumStart has been able to advise and help organizations around the globe in setting up and running their technology centres in India in the most effective way. It is now extending its services to assist organizations, especially in the technology products' domain, set up and launch their businesses in India.Read More
MUMBAI, November 25, 2016: SRK Group, India's leading diamond manufacturing company, is all set to make its arrival into IT industry. SRK Export, a well-known name in global diamond industry, has engaged Ex Managing Director of Sears IT and Management Services India Pvt. Ltd., Alok Kumar, to lead their ambitious high-end IT Company - SRKay Consulting Group. A well-known personality from technology industry, Kumar has previously started two technology companies successfully and he is set his standard higher with his new partnership with Shreyans Dholakia, Owner and Director - Marketing and IT at Shree Ramkrishna Exports Pvt. Ltd. (SRK Exports).Read More


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Despite constraints imposed by COVID-19-induced business disruption and supply chain and talent issues, the advertising and marketing sector had its strongest year in the last decade, according to the latest research from Winterberry Group.
In its annual spend analysis of 20 media channels—nine offline and 11 digital—the consultancy saw marketing and advertising spend to reach $436.3 billion in 2021, an increase of 21.6 percent over 2020 ($358.8 billion). That current total represents a $77.5 billion increase from a recessed 2020.
Winterberry Group expects continued growth of 11.8 percent in 2022 to $487.8 billion. That growth will be fueled by economic growth and higher corporate profits, media cost inflation, the convergence of connected and linear TV, and a continuing digital shift powered by data, it concluded.
Major areas that performed better than expectations included retail media marketing, which doubled from $20 billion to $40 billion between 2020 and 2021; experiential/sponsorship marketing, which grew by $10 billion off the historic lows of 2020; and connected television, which grew by $6 billion last year and is projected for another $5 billion of growth in 2022.
With tailwinds from media expansion, data-related spending (including data, identity, analytics, platforms, and measurement/attribution) grew to $29.3 billion, up 26 percent over the prior year, and is forecast to gain another 13 percent in 2022, according to the research.
Expected headwinds from the loss of online and mobile identifiers shifted spending toward the following:
Personalization of first-party data across all online and offline platforms;
Adoption of data management and cleanroom solutions;
The use of alternative identity solutions, including contextual targeting; and,
A rebound in direct mail acquisition fueling third-party data spend.
In aggregate, spending on data as a percent of total media increased from 11.6 percent in 2021 to 12.3 percent in 2022. Key growth drivers expected to impact 2022 include the following:
- A continuing loss of identifiers in media, driven by privacy concerns, which will force marketers to deploy a wider range of identity solutions by year’s end;
- The war to attract, retain. and compensate industry talent, which will continue for at least another 12 months;
Steady progress in the shift from campaign-centric marketing to customer-centric and journey-based approaches; and,
Increasing investment and market consolidation, fueled by a huge influx of venture capital, private equity, and public market capital.


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Rob Ford thinks the plastic bag fee did what it came to do and should now retire
Toronto has faced a “war on cars,” a “war on bikes” and a “war on children,” and now the “war on plastic bags” is claiming Rob Ford’s attention—again. The mayor has renewed his calls to eliminate the five-cent bag fee, saying it has successfully changed consumer behaviour because it has brought plastic bag usage down by 53 per cent. The fee generates about $5.4 million for retailers every year, which councillor Michelle Berardinetti thinks should go toward the city’s struggling tree canopy. Ford, however, will ask his executive committee today to simply scrap the fee, since “it is highly unpopular among many residents” (including HST, the cost of a plastic bag balloons to about six cents). Still, even if Ford can overcome council opposition and strike down the bylaw that makes the charge mandatory, that doesn’t mean the fees will disappear: industry reps have said they‘ll probably keep charging for bags. [Toronto Sun]
7 thoughts on “Rob Ford thinks the plastic bag fee did what it came to do and should now retire”
It’s about time.
Paper bags are supposed to be free, but what store gives the shopper a paper bag?
Paper bags are free at the LCBO
only at the LCBO havent seen paper bags anywhere else
indigo gives paper, so does the gap, and a whole host of other retailers….
When the fee is lifted usage will return to previous levels within a short few months.
I agree with @B. Grush: The mayor seems to believe that if a disincentive is working then it should be abolished. As anyone knows, once you remove a disincentive, the bad behaviour will return (except the mayor: perhaps this is why he has cancelled his weekly weigh-ins).
Comments are closed.


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If your company has thought about the possibility of exporting, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation wants to help you turn that thought into reality.
WEDC is offering global trade missions to help connect Wisconsin companies with partners overseas as a part of its effort to continue to grow exports and investment in Wisconsin. In May, the agency is visiting Tanzania and Kenya in East Africa and the trip has appealed to some Milwaukee-area water technology companies, says Katy Sinnott, WEDC’s vice president of international business development.
“There’s some extraordinary opportunities there, because these two countries represent some of the strongest economies in Africa,” Sinnott says. “They have an extraordinarily strong growing middle class, which implies needs for lots of things. There is a need for infrastructure, there is a need for consumer goods.”
Historically, Wisconsin companies haven’t exported much to this region. “I think it’s a great opportunity to get in on the ground when it’s just starting to really explode,” Sinnott says.
In April, WEDC visits Western Europe — France, Spain and Germany — a trip that begins with the Hannover Messe Trade Show in Germany, one of the largest manufacturing trade fairs in the world. Gov. Scott Walker plans to attend this trade venture, and New North area companies are encouraged to participate.
“It really isn’t limited to one kind of manufacturer,” Sinnott says. “We would encourage all manufacturers to go — everything from mining equipment to small components is being presented there at the fair.”
In 2014, Wisconsin businesses reached an all-time high record for exporting, sending $23.43 billion in goods worldwide, says the WEDC. That’s an increase of 1.4 percent over 2013. During the past four years, the state’s total exports have increased by 18.3 percent.
WEDC is hoping to attract the attention of more New North-area manufacturers and get them started in exporting. Considering that 95 percent of the growing middle class is found beyond America’s borders, “you’re missing a huge customer base” by not exporting, Sinnott says. “If you look at China, they’re going to have a huge number of billion-dollar companies in the next 10 years. That will create many more middle-class people and their people will demand products.”
A trade mission to South America planned for last fall in conjunction with Global New North, an initiative of the nonprofit New North Inc., attracted interest from just one northeastern Wisconsin company that ended up visiting Columbia in March through WEDC’s International Market Access Grant, Sinnott says.
“One of the things I hear from companies is they say, ‘Well, the economy has come up and we’re doing really well,’” Sinnott says. “Companies shouldn’t wait until a downturn to export. The time to start addressing the export market is when your company is doing well.”
Global New North is trying again to interest 10 companies in participating in a different trade mission, this time to either Canada or Mexico, and not until Spring 2016, says Jerry Murphy, executive director of New North, Inc.
“What we learned is that we were way, way, way too short in our timeline to be able to recruit companies to participate (in the South America venture),” Murphy says. “So out of that came an appreciation for the need to be way ahead of the decision-making timeline.” Secondly, they learned that new-to-exporting countries were reluctant to start with South America.
Global New North also is seeking a grant from the Economic Development Administration to investigate foreign direct investment in the region, Murphy says.
“If we had a pretty good feel for why foreign companies have made investments in the New North over time, if we understood what the drivers were for those decisions and if there were some common elements across multiple industries, we might be able to develop a strong selling proposition that anticipates those things,” Murphy says.
While on the Western European trade mission, WEDC is also working to attract direct foreign investment from Western Europe. “When we look at the supply chain in Wisconsin, we’re looking for gaps and we would seek companies who could support that,” Sinnott says.
While WEDC sometimes hears concern about added competition, the flip side is that building a stronger industry promotes university research, education and attracts more companies related to that industry. “So I think that’s a really strong argument for foreign direct investment,” Sinnott says.
Wisconsin’s Top Five Export Destinations
Value of exports: $7.94 billion
% change from 2013: +5.5%
Value of exports: $2.84 billion
% change from 2013: +12.7%
Value of exports: $1.56 billion
% change from 2013: -5.7%
Value of exports : $901.9 million
% change from 2013: -3.4%
United Kingdom :
Value of exports : $848.3 million
% change from 2013: +24.9%
There’s still time
To register for the April Western European Trade Mission, visit InWisconsin.com/Western Europe2015 and the May East Africa trip at InWisconsin.com/eastafrica. While the registration deadlines have passed, WEDC will try to accommodate any New North manufacturer interested in participating.
Global export experts
To find assistance with developing your export business, visit: thenewnorth.com/strategic-initiatives/global-new-north/global-new-north-directory/
To learn more about the Global New North trade venture in Spring 2016, contact Jerry Murphy at[email protected].


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Google Pixel 2 rumored to feature higher price tag, improved camera, and more
Some variants of the Google Pixel and Pixel XL are still hard to come by these days, but the rumor mill is already starting to turn things up when it comes to what’s expected to arrive in the next iteration of the Pixel.
According to a report from 9to5Google, the Mountain View company is hard at work on building the next version of the Pixel, with a few key changes already being formulated. One of the major focal points for the next phone is its camera, with the report stating that the new phone’s camera will “not have large MP size” but that it will instead “compensate in extra features.” Moreover, Google is said to be making sure that it takes even better pictures in low-light situations, which is one of the major features of the original Pixel’s camera.
The source of today’s report says that Google has tested some models of the Pixel 2 with Qualcomm’s “Snapdragon 83X” processor, while other units have been tested with Intel-made chips. MediaTek was apparently considered at one point, but apparently that is no longer the case.
An earlier rumor suggested the next-generation Pixel would have some type of waterproofing, and apparently that feature is “still on the table.” Still, the report seems positive that Google will include waterproofing in the next Pixel.
All of these improvements could lead to a price increase, though. The report suggests that Google is considering hiking the price of the Pixel 2 “by at least $50″ when compared to the first generation. At the same time, Google is allegedly testing a “Pixel 2B” which could be priced much lower than the flagship model and include less powerful hardware. Google could be eyeing to release that device in international markets.
Well, based on these rumors, are you looking forward to the Pixel 2?


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MTN Irancell Supports Iranian Online Games
MTN Irancell, one of the leading mobile operators in Iran, announced on Tuesday that its clients can play Iran’s online browser-based games for free. Accordingly the company is interested in supporting online games in the country by promoting them in various ways.
“The clients of WiMAX internet services are now able to play selected online games for free of charge.” A statement released by MTN Irancell read. Gorz, Speedup and Asmandez are among the supported games in this promotional plan.
“In partnership with the developers of these games, Irancell will reward top players each month. More details regarding this campaign will be released soon.” The statement added.
Currently, Irancell’s WiMAX internet services are available in major provinces and cities. However, Irancell is allowed to offer its WiMAX services in a limited number of locations since it is not a nationwide WiMAX operator. As a mobile network, it has managed to obtain a notable market share in Islamic Republic of Iran.
Gorz, Speedup and Asmandez are among the most popular online browser-based games in Iran. Asmandez II was named as the best game in Massively Multiplayer Online Game (MMO) 2013. Asmandez is also available in English, where users can sign up and play for free.
The motioned games have managed to receive endorsements from Iran’s Entertainment Software Rating Association and the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance.
Over the past few years, the Iranian government has supported video game manufacturers to develop more online games and applications for local users. Accordingly a certain amount of budget has been allocated by the government to Iran’s Science and Technology Ministry in order to support companies willing to invest in this sector.
At the same time, Iran’s privately-held companies are mainly suffering from lack of experienced designers, programmers and experts in this area. Most of Iran’s top universities don’t offer courses in video game fields.


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Cairo: Cairo-based food delivery startup Ordera has raised a six-figure seed funding round to help it expand its team and launch in new cities.
Launched in 2019 by Karim Abdel Kader, Noha Bassiouny, and Abeer Mostafa, Ordera allows users to order ahead, pay, and pick up orders, providing contactless drive-through and on-the-go pick-up options.
The startup says it has witnessed an uptick in the number of users and orders as well as the number of restaurants and outlets listed on its platform since the COVID-19 pandemic, and it has now raised six-figure seed funding to help it continue to grow.
Ordera took part in the Saudi Arabia-based accelerator run by 500 startups in collaboration with Misk Innovation last year, and its lead investor is from the kingdom, in the form of DAAL VC. Alexandria Angels and AUC Angels are also involved.


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Op-Ed by Wimsett and Bunch
Hybrid cars were advertised as the future and many car companies including Toyota, Lexus and Kia seem to be targeting the potential Hybrid buyers. But how green are Hybrids?
The problem seems to come to down CO2. Because of the extra battery weight they actually produce more CO2 than a gas or diesel car of the same engine size. The solution to this must surely be further research; after all, you can’t have a hybrid car or an electric car without some kind of battery. But some countries think otherwise.
The UK plans to stop the production of not only gas and diesel cars but also hybrids by 2035. They also seem to want to get rid of vans, which might be a bit tricky if you are running a delivery business for instance. You can’t just deliver in a normal car. And caravans are important to the tourism industry; it would be damaging to do without them, especially in North America where you need to do a great amount of traveling to get anywhere.
This coming ban is only be a UK thing as, so far, there is no update on what the USA or the EU plans on doing. As for Asia, Africa and South Africa it will be unlikely that these countries will ban any kind of vehicle for the foreseeable future, as they are routinely excluded from strict environmental regulations.
The problem with coming up with a date such as 2035 is that ultimately it is what it is, a date. There is no real incentive to stop car companies creating hybrids or indeed any car that pollutes. In order to make all cars electric at this point there must be a huge amount of investment and education of the public.
Even if you want to have the (current) inconvenience of owning an electric car you are still facing a waiting list to receive one. No car holds its value and because an electric version of a specific brand is more expensive than the gas/diesel alternative a number of families will not be able to afford it. Because electric cars are relatively new to the market it is difficult to get one second hand. EBay comes up with a mere seven results for an electric car, but 2,060 results for a gas car. So it’s no wonder those looking for a used car tend not to be buying electric.
It is not just the car industry, the fashion industry and the plane industry create great pressures on the environment and one may not move without the other. The ultimate tool in the government toolbox is taxing behaviour they believe harmful—which it is very unpopular right now.
The date of 2035 is ambitious, but it is doable? We can only wait and see. Will capitalism bend a knee to environmentalism? Perhaps, yes, but it’ll probably be after the people creating environmental solutions stop creating expensive solutions that are as bad as not taking any action at all.


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Childrenswear retailer Adams is developing design work to support its creation of an as-yet-unnamed clothes label for Boots the Chemists, which will be in-store from January next year. Adams chief executive Michael Hobbs was not in a position to give details, but the news follows reports in the national press of an outsourcing agreement between Boots and Adams. Adams has worked previously with Wakefield-based Qube on packaging, 3D and identity projects, says Hobbs.
As we approach the most wonderful time of the year, we ask creative directors what gift someone should buy a designer for Christmas.
The digital design consultancy has appointed a new head, who will oversee its six global offices and lead on growing the business in size and helping it make more money.
Send us photos of your offices decorated for Christmas, and we’ll be publishing a selection of the best ones next week.
A report on the potential impact of plain food and drink packaging, Pantone’s purple hued colour of the year and Mini’s new, monochrome logo – the news from the last


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Fitbit has been in the fitness tracker business for some time, but it recently introduced a new smartwatch. CEO James Park recently talked about why the company launched the watch, tying it into
several recent acquisitions.
Read the whole story at Mobile World Live »


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BUTTERWORTH: Penang is one step closer to making public transportation services a more seamless experience for users, with upgrading works at the two ferry terminals now completed.
Penang Port Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Datuk Sasedharan Vasudevan said the two ferry terminals, Pangkalan Sultan Abdul Halim (PSAH) here and Pangkalan Raja Tun Uda (PRTU) in George Town have been operating since Oct 1.
“The PSAH ferry terminal is part of Penang Sentral, a transportation hub with bus and train stations, and users are able to ride the bus or train here and then seamlessly switch to the ferry service between the mainland and the island.
“There are still minor works to be done at the ferry terminal like free wifi services for passengers, which will be ready next week,” he told reporters after a visit to inspect the terminal’s facilities with Penang Port Commission (PPC) chairman Datuk Tan Teik Cheng here today.
Sasedharan said RM10 million was allocated for upgrading works which involved the waiting area of both ferry terminals as well as the retail section which includes 16 retail outlets, while another RM20 million was for upgrading works at the ferry’s landing area.
He added Penang Port is currently in the midst of selecting vendors for the retail area.
Going forward, he said Penang Port is anticipating the arrival of four brand new ferries in June 2023 which are currently being constructed in Vietnam. - Bernama


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Its disastrous foray into the smartphone sector notwithstanding, the world’s largest online retailer, Amazon, has had a pretty good time over the past year or so with its pocket-friendly devices like the $50 Fire tablet that apparently went on to become one of the best-selling items for the company during the holiday season. Taking a cue from that success, Amazon has lined up a number of new slates that will apparently be up for grabs this year, including the “Top of the Line” Kindle e-reader dubbed ‘Oasis’ that was teased by the company’s co-founder and CEO, Mr. Jeff Bezos, just last week. However, that's not the only tablet in the pipelines from Amazon right now, if latest developments are anything to go by.
An all-new tablet from Amazon has now been listed on benchmarking site GFXBench, revealing quite a bit about the upcoming device. While there has been no information forthcoming officially from Amazon, the GFXBench listing shows that the device will likely be an entry-level product, which might be a follow-up to the Fire HD 8 if online speculation is to be believed. According to the listing, the device comes with the model number 'KFGIWI' and has a screen resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels with at least 5-finger multi-touch support. As for the rest of the hardware specs as evident from the GFXBench website, the slate will be powered by MediaTek’s MT8163 SoC, which is a quad-core Cortex-A53 CPU clocked at 1.3 GHz and a Mali-T720 GPU.
The device will also apparently come with just the 1.5 GB of RAM and only 8 GB of built-in storage, with no word on whether there will be a provision for capacity expansion. Meanwhile, the rear-facing camera will seemingly be just a 2-megapixel unit, and the front-facing camera meant for selfies and video chat will just have a 0.3-megapixel sensor. Goes without saying, neither camera will support 1080p videos. The upcoming device will apparently miss out on a number of important sensors as well, which is only to be expected for a device like this one which will likely be priced low enough for first-time tablet buyers to try out something new without burning a hole in their pockets.


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One of our 'finds' at the recent Creativation craft show was Heartfelt Creations. They have wonderful products and even better video instruction. See the video and shop Clubb's for the supplies.
Discover your perfect kernel and get popping!
Sale Starts Today, Ends Wednesday, August 19th
Effective Tuesday, March 24th, Clubb's Craft & Variety, Clubb's Fabrics, and Clubb's Furniture will be open for curbside pi...
After much research, prayer, and thought, we have decided to Temporarily close Clubb’s Fabrics, Clubb’s Furniture, and Clubb’s Crafts and V...


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Saffron harvest in Iran
Iran is busy bringing in the annual harvest of saffron, a spice known to many as 'red gold' because it can fetch up to £1,000 per kilo on the world markets, largely due to its fiddly and labour intensive production process
Iran's saffron exports will increase by more than 10 percent to top an annual 100 tons by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20).
Head of Iran's Union of Sellers and Exporters of Saffron Gholam Reza Miri said the country exported 90 tons of the precious spice last year.
Iran, the largest saffron producer in the world, exports saffron to 46 countries including European and Persian Gulf countries, IRIB quoted Miri as saying.


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Recent Deals – 30 January 2024
Materials developed from converted renewable feedstock; ultra-fast EV charging networks; and mycelium-derived food ingredients – recent deals worth looking at:
Agriculture & Food
Infinite Roots (2018) is a producer of sustainable food ingredients made from mycelium.
Infinite Roots raised $58M in Growth Equity funding on January 25th that will be put towards expanding production capacity, and operations. Formerly known as Mushlabs, the milestone investment ushers Infinite Foods into a new phase of growth as it intends to further global expansion activities with the new capital.
Energy & Power
Sion Power (2002) is a developer of lithium metal batteries with applications in EV, consumer electronics, and other portable storage markets.
On January 24th, Sion successfully raised $75M in Series A funding from LG Energy Solution, Euclidean Capital, and Hillspire.
This funding will be used to achieve technical and market validation of its technology, which uses compression in lithium metal batteries to enhance efficiency, longevity, and safety.
Materials & Chemicals
Zymochem (2013) is a developer of Carbon Conserving technology that converts renewable feedstocks into high-value materials to replace petroleum-based ingredients in everyday consumer goods.
Pragmatic secured $21M in Series A funding on January 16th.
This investment compliments earlier funding from the U.S. Department of Energy on November 8th, 2023, to launch its first high-performance material. Additionally, the funding will commercialization and scale its first partner product.
Resources & Environment
Furbnow (2022) is a developer of residential retrofitting technology to reduce carbon emissions and conserve energy.
On January 15th, Furbnow raised $1.2M in Seed funding from SFC Capital, Norrsken VC, and Daniel Luhde-Thompson. The round accompanies a grant from Innovate UK’s Future Economy Investor Partnership and Nesta and Founders Factory’s Mission Studio.
Furbnow intends to expand its supplier network to better support customers with insulation, ventilation, new energy generation and low-carbon heating installations through this investment.
Transportation & Logistics
Electra Charging (2020) is a developer of ultra-fast charging stations for electric vehicles.
Electra Charging raised $331M in Series B funding on January 15th.
The round will support the company’s expansion in Europe and its plans to deploy 2,200 stations (15,000 charging points) throughout Europe by 2030. This investment will also consolidate Electra Charging’s position through expanding its current infrastructure.
AiDash (2019) is a developer of AI-powered satellite analytics solutions for utility vegetation management.
On January 24th, AiDash raised $50M in Growth Equity funding.
The funding will be used to expand its team, establish a European headquarters, and expand internationally to meet growing demand. Its technology, which enables utilities to identify vegetation to optimize maintenance cycles, has grown in the U.S. and UK markets as well as garnered increased interest in Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.


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Two Silicon Valley giants will soon be going toe-to-toe in an effort to win over health data tracking app users. Google is launching Google Fit—an innovative health platform that collects data from fitness-tracking tools and health-related apps—to compete with Apple’s HealthKit, which acts as a universal storage space for health information collected from third party apps.
It has been speculated that data from fitness devices will interface with Google’s cloud services, creating a collaborative atmosphere for Google Fit’s users. Similar to Google Fit, Apple’s HealthKit works in conjunction with Apple’s “Health” App to share the app’s data collection with a cloud platform. This health app tracks vital health measurements, for example blood pressure, and informs the user’s doctor if these statistics shift outside a healthy range.
Both of these health platforms are coming at a very good time. Some may recall that Google previously launched a health data tracking app called Google Health in 2008 that was shuttered four years later after a less-than-enthusiastic reception. Part of the reason for the failure might be that the world just wasn’t ready for it yet. User concerns over privacy and sharing health data were more prominent then. Today, the market is more open to data collection with the advancement and growing use of wearable devices. Users want an interactive interface that provides feedback about their health data, what it means and rewards for reaching goals and milestones—something both Google Fit and Apple HealthKit feature (and Google Health didn’t). Simply put, user-generated health data is a hot trend right now—it’s no wonder these two companies want to capitalize on it.
What the future holds for the two apps remains to be seen. Both Google and Apple are speculated to release their own wearables in the near future, which could mean that they are looking to build their own ecosystem to increase their bottom lines by selling more of these rumored watches and their smartphones that connect with them.
If this is true, interoperability will be a huge issue. HealthKit skeptics are worried that Apple may go in the way of usual Apple fashion and be closed off, not working easily with other apps and devices. To make these platforms rich with data that is used by consumers, interoperability with not only wearables, but the broader health and medical industry as a whole, is critical. Data needs to be turned into something meaningful and valuable, and not go the route of Google Health by simply providing a place to store health information from a select few devices and apps.
One major advantage that both of these platforms have is that they have a captive audience. If these two platforms are easily made into native applications on users smartphones devices with a simple upgrade, the chances of getting users to open it just once is extremely high. The first step in patient engagement is awareness—by having native applications on the smartphones, they’ve already got one foot in the door. The next step is opening up these ecosystems for integration with devices and apps to support an interoperable system rather than putting consumers’ health information into another silo.
It’s also worth noting that Samsung has been working on their own set of wearable devices and native applications on Samsung phones. Their S Health app syncs to their Gear Fit wearable fitness tracker along with other fitness devices. While they have a smaller market share, they have been in this business longer and currently have both their Gear Fit device and app out in the market.
While we don’t know what’s to come, we can thank Google and Apple for getting into the game and bringing health data tracking and patient engagement into the spotlight. With these two Silicon Valley giants beginning to focus on the personal health space, it will no doubt drive innovation, especially if these ecosystems are open to integration. Competition does bring innovation.


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Drive cars real fast and stuff
Some time ago, we got a nondescript trailer for GRID 2 that showed nothing more than cars doing car-like things. As of today however, a new trailer has surfaced, showing a bit of gameplay.
When asked about the drifting aspect of the game, the official account stated that info for other game modes would be “coming soon,” so stay tuned. In the meantime, you can ponder on the retailer-specific pre-order bonuses (yuck).


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Interesting reading today on GigaOm regarding the line in the sand Apple has drawn over apps that track UDIDs. The mobile device leader will now start rejecting apps that utilize the unique identifier, which could mean great things for the platform and third-party developers.
While it may seem incongruous to most, allowing apps to track specific devices has actually held back grown of iAd. Apple’s platform for delivering advertising revenue took a hit back in 2011 when two high priority apps (Pandora and Weather Channel) were named in a suit that did not allow users to opt out of targeted ad tracking. Many, as the article stipulates, have pointed to this as the reason why more big name brands aren’t utilizing the popular platform more.
Once the gray area regarding the legality and use of this information will be cleared up May 1, iOS will be the most compliant digital advertising platform in existence (including PC Web). I can only imagine the positive implications in the next few months.


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Pokemon Run Carnival, an official Pokemon marathon scheduled to take place next year in Singapore, has opened registrations to the general public.
Customers who sign up between November 1 to November 30, 2017 are entitled to an early bird discount of SGD65 (USD47) per person or SGD60 (USD43) each for a pair of buddies.
In addition, customers who’ve taken part in Pokemon Run earlier this year will qualify for a “loyal runner” discount of SGD55 (USD40), and they’ll also receive a promotional code to share with 4 other friends to receive the special rate. The “loyal runner” discount ends on November 30.
You can register on the official site here.


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The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC)’s new initiative to register all handsets in the country is certainly a giant step toward establishing transparency and accountability in the telecommunication sector. It came at the back of completing another similar mammoth task which is the biometric registration of all mobile-phone SIM card holders.
Speaking at the launching ceremony of the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) system, the Posts and Telecommunications Minister rightly said that the initiative is a historic milestone for Bangladesh. The country has witnessed a massive advancement in the sector of telecommunication technology. Riding on the back of widespread use of smartphones and other digital gadgets, digital crimes have increased drastically. Besides, crimes committed in the real world can also have a digital footprint thanks to the criminals’ use of technologies. Often we see law enforcement agencies manage to track down criminals by tracing the location of their handsets.So, we think the NEIR system will help the authorities to further solidify their control on the country’s digital landscape. It will enable the authorities to stop illegal import of handsets due to which the country loses thousands of crores of taka in revenue. Moreover, once the system is effectively enforced, crimes like illegal manufacturing and smuggling of handsets, phone cloning, theft and grey market selling can be dealt with to a large extent.
Under the NEIR system, the IMEI of handsets will be registered along with the users’ national identity card and SIM number. All phones that were in use before 30 June this year will be automatically registered against the SIMs inserted in them. According to the Minister, phones that have been bought since 1 July will have to be registered. The registration programme will be conducted experimentally for three months. After that, all illegal or out-of-network unregistered handsets will be deactivated.
So from now on, customers will have to be extra careful while buying mobile phones. One must check the validity of the phone before making a purchase by dialling *#06# to get the handset’s 15-digit IMEI number. And then to check the authenticity of this number, customers need to type KYD<space>15-digit IMEI number in the message box and send it to 16002. A return SMS will confirm whether the device was legally imported or not.


text: Novell Inc, still battling it out with the Timpanogas Research Group Inc over just who owns the rights to the next generation Wolf Mountain technology it first demonstrated at the Brainshare conference earlier this year (CI No 3,133; 3,168), has signed up IBM Corp and Hewlett-Packard Co as the latest Wolf Mountain partners. Novell announced the new partners at BrainShare ’97 in Australia, where it showed a Wolf Mountain cluster made up of 12 Intel-based servers from various manufacturers, some of them multiprocessors. The full roster of Wolf Mountain supporters now includes Compaq Computer Corp (and its new Tandem Computers Inc acquisition), Cheyenne Software Inc, Dolphin Interconnect Solutions Inc, Fujitsu Ltd, G2 Networks Inc, Intel Corp, Mitsubishi Ltd, Ing C Olivetti SpA, Oracle Corp, Siemens Nixdorf Informationssysteme AG, and Unisys Corp. However, the key members of the original Wolf Mountain team have gone to Timpanogos to work on a Windows NT version of the technology, in direct competition with Novell. The two companies are now engaged in a multi million dollar lawsuit that looks unlikely to be resolved anytime soon. According to InfoWorld, Timpanogas has offered Novell a $10m licensing agreement for rights to the technology.


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SINGAPORE - More than 800 people have fallen prey to e-commerce scams taking place at online marketplace Carousell this year, amid an increased wave of online scams in Singapore.
The number form the majority of e-commerce scams - which involve victims making payment for online purchases that are not delivered to them - reported in Singapore.
There were 900 cases involving losses of $691,700 in the first half this year, a dip from the $881,400 last year from 1,006 reported cases.
The police also said on Thursday (Oct 26) that there was a 26 per cent year-on-year increase in e-commerce scams and Internet love scams between July and September, though it did not provide a breakdown between the two types of scams.
When contacted, a Carousell spokesman told The Straits Times said there have been over 20 million successful transactions on the portal since its launch in 2012, and that the fraud incidence rate is less than 0.1 per cent of all transactions.
"However, we recognise the impact of fraud on our community and are working hard to improve our detection tools and teams. We have features such as user feedback, user verification, and have developments in the pipeline to improve these features," said the spokesman.
"We also employ artificial intelligence to improve our fraud detection and have dedicated teams in place to monitor our marketplace. We take feedback and complaints seriously and users should report any suspicious activity so that our team is alerted to the problem and can proceed to take the necessary actions."
Citing the risks involved in buying and selling of goods in online and offline marketplaces, the spokesman said the portal makes it a point to regularly share safety tips and encourage its users to be cautious and practice due diligence when arranging deals.
"In general, we also advise users to arrange for meet-ups and cash on delivery so they can physically inspect the goods and ensure they have all the necessary information before closing a deal," the spokesman added.
"If at any point buyers or sellers are uncomfortable with the proposed arrangement, we urge them not to proceed with the deal and look for an alternative."
The police on Thursday advised users of the site to meet the seller in person before making any payment.
In some cases, scammers may try to attain victims' trust by showing copies of an Identification Card or driver's licence. These may not belong to the scammer.
The police advised people to check whether such documents are valid on the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority's iEnquiry portal at https://ienquiry.ica.gov.sg/mobile/vCheck.do.
The police also said there were 349 Internet love scams recorded from January to June this year. Its half-year crime stats released in August also cited 349 cases of Internet love scams, which involve online casanovas swooning potential victims into giving them money.
Such scams saw losses totalling over $22.1 million from January to June, which was up from the $11.2 million lost in the same period last year from 277 reported cases.
The police said on Thursday that it has observed an increasing number of victims targeted in love scams offering their ATM cards, PINs and bank accounts for the scammer's use.
Many said they were instructed by their online lovers to do so. These "lovers" said they needed Singapore ATM cards for businesses in neighbouring countries, among other excuses.
These "lovers" are actually criminals based in other countries, who were using the compromised bank accounts to receive money from various scams targeting Singaporeans.
The police gave a stern warning that bank account holders are accountable for any transaction made in their account, even if it is made by a scammer.
Any account used to receive criminal proceeds will be frozen for investigation and the bank account holder will be investigated.
Furthermore, the bank account holder will be liable for money laundering offences, which carries a penalty of up to 10 years in jail and/or a fine of up to $500,000.
Those who suspect that their bank accounts were abused by someone they met online should not deal with the money but instead inform the police immediately.


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New iMac with Xeon E3, 64GB of RAM, AMD graphics card, and more | Rumor
Following the announcement of Apple regarding the arrival of the new iMac, the Pike's Universum has today shared some rumors regarding the probable features of the new machines.
Citing a source who “is usually a particularly accurate one”, the blog suggests that the refreshed lineup of imacs will be available with these features:
The report suggests that the next iMac models will be revealed in the second half of October, accompanied by a new keyboard. Have recently leaked rumors about a new keyboard with Touch Bar and/or Touch ID.
The other news that emerges from the article is that for macOS, and 10.13 will not be used a name of a mountain or a park. The alternative would be two, one of which begins with the letter M (Monterey?).
Finally, on the Pike's Universum says that the next Mac mini will not be so “mini”, suggesting that the model, the more expensive will have a design more “bulky” than the model currently on the market. Recently Apple said that the Mac mini has a role as “important” in the lineup, but he has not shared information regarding a possible update.


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60% of drivers would prefer their car to pay for parking automatically and 86% of drivers already using this technology have a positive experience, according to research carried out by Parkopedia and Zhongyan earlier this year, where 1600 drivers were surveyed across China.
Drivers in China have embraced cashless parking payments with less than 1% still paying for parking with cash. According to the recent study, the most popular payment method is currently via smartphone QR codes, with integrated in-car digital payment systems already a close second.
In-car commerce is a rapidly growing industry, and offering convenient and efficient vehicle-centric transactions as part of an integrated payment platform is the obvious next step for automakers delivering connected solutions to their drivers. Integrated payments are relatively new technology and currently only available in premium brand vehicles in China. However, over 86% of owners of premium vehicles expressed a preference for this technology above independent smartphone solutions, showing the value of integrated payments once experienced by the driver. With the technology starting to come pre-installed on more vehicles, we believe this trend will continue, and integrated systems will soon take over as the most popular parking payment option - featuring as a connected car system that allows automakers to fully utilise wider vehicle sensors and driver prompts to provide a seamless user experience that assists the driver on every journey.
Currently in China, most major parking operators provide express payment options via smartphone QR codes linked to WeChat or Alipay accounts, as well as payment solutions that can support in-vehicle access and pay. Parkopedia provides solutions for both, across thousands of parking facilities in major cities nationwide, allowing automakers and aggregators to maximize their coverage across the country.
Parkopedia collects accurate parking payment QR codes and embeds these into the vehicle’s infotainment system. Drivers can use their smartphone to scan the location QR code displayed on the dashboard screen to complete an express payment, without having to leave the vehicle. Drivers will also avoid any toll gate queues, time wasted loading various apps or searching for physical QR codes before exiting the parking facility. The in-vehicle QR code payment method provides a solution for facilities without existing connected vehicle access and payment options, helping vehicle manufacturers increase their coverage of parking payment services, as well as providing a convenient experience for drivers.
Parkopedia integrates parking operators into its existing, single API interface, providing ongoing support to automakers in navigating the highly fragmented parking industry, and helping parking operators to provide comprehensive payment options that meet existing and future driver demands.
Ding Xian is responsible for operations, management and network development in China. Xian has more than 15 years experience in the automobile components and head unit industries, and has held various roles in leading companies like Continental Automotive and Mitsubishi Electric.
Sign up to keep updated on the latest news from Parkopedia


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Former NOA executives to receive Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2007 D.I.C.E. Summit.
Minoru Arakawa, Howard Lincoln First Lifetime Achievement Award Honorees
The Academy of Interactive Arts & Science Pays Tribute to Pair Responsible
for Nintendo's U.S. Presence
CALABASAS, Calif., Dec. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- The Academy of Interactive Arts &
Sciences® (AIAS) announced today that former president of Nintendo of
America, Minoru Arakawa, and chairman emeritus of Nintendo of America,
Howard Lincoln, will be the first recipients of the newly-created Lifetime
Achievement Award at this year's Interactive Achievement Awards® (IAA).
The early work of Mr. Arakawa and Howard Lincoln in the building of Nintendo
of America has been instrumental in revitalizing the business after the
spectacular video game crash of 1983.
The ceremony will be held on Feb. 8, 2007 at the The Joint at the Hard Rock
Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, and the award will be presented to Arakawa
and Lincoln by Larry Probst, chairman and CEO, Electronic Arts.
"I am honored to present the AIAS Lifetime Achievement Award to Minoru
Arakawa and Howard Lincoln. Both are pioneers whose contribution to
Nintendo and to the game industry has had a profound impact on interactive
entertainment. These men personify the industry's highest ideals for
integrity, creativity and innovation," says Larry Probst.
The Lifetime Achievement Award honors those who have devoted their lives to
the advancement of the interactive entertainment industry and have made
significant contributions that have guided the business to the prominent
position it is in today as a booming entertainment industry with global
revenues topping $25 billion.
"The impact of the work done by Minoru Arakawa and Howard Lincoln can still
be felt today," said Joseph Olin, president, AIAS. "The creation of the
licensed publishing model, quality approval for third party games and
peripherals, and the fostering of innovative sales and marketing programs,
played a significant part of Nintendo's success then, and are at the
foundation of the consumer interactive entertainment business."
In 1980, Arakawa established Nintendo of America and became the company's
first president and held that position until his retirement in 2002. During
Arakawa's tenure as president, he worked closely with industry pioneers like
Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of the Mario, Donkey Kong, and The Legend of Zelda
video game franchises and the first person to be inducted into the AIAS'
Hall of Fame. Arakawa also oversaw the development and resurrection of
wildly popular franchises, including Donkey Kong and Pokemon, and with the
exclusive global licensing for the mega hit Tetris, provided the environment
for the successful launch of GameBoy.
With Lincoln's assistance, Arakawa successfully transformed the focus of
Nintendo of America from coin-operated games to console games when they
imported Nintendo's home entertainment console from Japan and christened it
the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Despite initial resistance,
Arakawa worked to persuade distributors to stock the console and games with
a money-back guarantee. The risks paid off, and in the decade following its
1986 release, the NES sold more than 30 million units in the US and had
almost a 90 percent market share.
"I wish I could say that when we took the first Nintendo machines to sell in
New York City in 1985 we knew we had a hit. But that was hardly the case,"
says Minoru Arakawa. "The fact that video games became popular so quickly
with tens of millions of people around the world is both gratifying, and
honestly, still a little amazing."
Lincoln, former chairman of Nintendo of America and current CEO of the
Seattle Mariners, has been involved in the video game industry since 1981;
when he was initially brought on to provide legal counsel to Nintendo.
After this initial exposure to video games, Lincoln became an advocate of
the industry and worked closely with Arakawa to convince retailers and
consumers alike about the potential of video games. In 1983, Lincoln joined
Nintendo as senior vice president and general counsel and was appointed
chairman in 1994. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Lincoln worked tirelessly
within Nintendo to bring video games to the mainstream and became a
prominent voice of the industry in the highly controversial congressional
video game violence hearings.
"There may be no other business where fortunes can change so quickly, and
that makes it great fun," says Howard Lincoln. "This is a pure
entertainment industry where you place big bets, rely on creativity and
reshuffle the deck every time a new generation of machines arrives."
The IAA will take place during the D.I.C.E. Summit 2007. Online
registration for D.I.C.E. is open now. Please visit www.dicesummit.org for
more information and to register to attend the interactive entertainment
industry event of the year. With compelling speakers and activities, the
D.I.C.E. Summit 2007 will be the talk of the industry.


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John Brennan & Séan McGloun of Blakes Always Organic
Three County Leitrim organic food producers have been shortlisted for the upcoming National Organic Awards, organised by Bord Bia and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
The Organic Salad Bag from The Organic Centre, Rossinver is shortlisted in the Best Fresh Product category, Culture Blend Coffee from Blakes Always Organic is shortlisted for Best Prepared Product, and Gooseberry & Seaweed Chutney from Bluebell Organic Farm is a shortlisted finalist for the Direct Selling Award.
The National Organic Awards, which mark the achievements of Irish organic food and drink growers and manufacturers who create excellent quality organic products in Ireland, will take place at Bord Bia’s Dublin headquarters on Thursday, October 13.
Following judging by a team of industry experts, just 20 companies were shortlisted across seven categories.
Commenting on this year’s Awards, Mary Morrissey, Senior Manager in Bord Bia’s Food and Beverage Division said ‘in addition to a record 278 entries, we are delighted to see that the quality and diversity of the products continues to go from strength to strength each year.
“The judges had a difficult task in shortlisting the finalists showing the dedication of Irish organic food producers with the awards offering a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the best the industry has to offer.”
This year’s prestigious judging panel included JP McMahon, Michelin-starred chef from Aniar restaurant, Co. Galway; freelance journalists Suzanne Campbell and Oliver Moore; Alan Kinnear, International Buying Manager, Ocado, UK online retailer; Al Overton, Head of Buying, Planet Organic, UK’s largest fully certified organic supermarket; Lisa Garrett, Innovation Chef with Le Pain Quotidien restaurant, based in Kildare Village and finally, Evan Doyle, Owner The BrookLodge Hotel, Macreddin Village, Aughrim, Co. Wicklow.
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ReposiTrak, a major provider of supply chain, food safety, and supplier management technology solutions, is waiving the $2,000 setup fee for food suppliers connecting to the ReposiTrak Traceability Network. The Network, which is the focus of the recently announced partnership with the National Grocers Association (NGA), is the easiest way for suppliers and their wholesaler and retailer customers to share traceability data that will be required by a new U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rule for high-risk foods, scheduled to be issued this month.
The partnership brings traceability resources to NGA’s independent grocer and wholesaler members, who represent more than one-third of U.S. grocery retail sales.
Complimentary access to the ReposiTrak Traceability Network provides food suppliers with the opportunity to become traceability ready at no cost, making traceability easier for them as well as their retailer/wholesaler customers, said the company in a press release.
“Without the ReposiTrak Traceability Network, the new requirements under the Food Safety Modernization Act Section 204 will become a recordkeeping and data management nightmare for suppliers and their customers,” said ReposiTrak Chairman and CEO Randy Fields. “Through automation and our proven supply chain technology, the Network simplifies the creation and sharing of the Key Data Element records required by the FDA.”
The process to join the Network takes less than one hour, and for a limited time, ReposiTrak will waive the initial setup fees for food industry suppliers.
Once data exchange begins, suppliers will pay a flat fee for unlimited records creation and Key Data Element sharing with their in-network trading partners.
“The FDA has made it clear that the current list of foods that will require end-to-end traceability is just the beginning, as they encourage voluntary adoption of traceability practices industry-wide. The ReposiTrak Traceability Network can support mass-scale traceability records creation and retention at a cost that is less than most companies spend on EDI,” continued Fields. “We think of traceability readiness as a brand differentiator, which is a message we will take to retailers via our partnership with NGA.”
In a step toward industry-wide adoption, the ReposiTrak Traceability Network recently gained momentum through its partnership with NGA, which represents more than 1,700 independent supermarket operators accounting for nearly 9,000 storefronts.
The solution is built on the world’s largest compliance network, and its development was guided by the Food Traceability Leadership Consortium, a group of industry trade organizations, wholesalers, and retailers that set out the objective for ReposiTrak to develop the easiest and least expensive solution that meets and exceeds FSMA 204 requirements.
“Today’s food system has become increasingly complex with many stakeholders spanning global to regional and local levels. At the same time, there is increased public awareness of recalls and expanded government regulations, making it imperative for retailers to be even more focused on product sourcing and food safety standards from farm to fork,” said Laura Strange, senior vice president of communications and external affairs at NGA.
“The ReposiTrak Traceability Network is an essential solution that will help our members and their trading partners meet the new federal regulations and take advantage of many other benefits they’ll see from knowing exactly where products are at all times,” Strange added.
Suppliers interested in the ReposiTrak program should contact Derek Hannum ([email protected]).


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- The social media influencer has one of the biggest followings in the sport (3.9M)
- Spiranac, 30, reveals that she was a gymnast before learning how to play golf
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
Paige Spiranac has defended her choice of attire when she plays golf, as she reveals that some of her outfits ‘really rub people the wrong way’.
The influencer with one of the biggest social media followings in the sport, has hit back at commenters who have called out her skimpy clothing style and ‘hypocrisy’ of online reaction from women about shirtless baseball players, comparing to some of the remarks she gets from women.
And as of late, Spiranac went viral on social media for her ‘case study’ on if she plays better while wearing light clothing, like a tank top, or a typical golf ensemble, such as a skirt and collared shirt.
Spiranac recently explained why her background has a say in the way she choses her outfits in an interview with Sports Illustrated.
‘I was a gymnast before I switched into golf,’ said the former Cactus Tour member. ‘I was so comfortable wearing spandex and very little of it because that’s just what you wear when you’re wearing a leotard and you’re competing.’
Paige Spiranac has slammed critics who have taken offense to her skimpy golf outfits online
Spiranac begged the question of why golfers don’t wear athletic wear more often, just like her
‘When I switched into golf, we were struggling a little bit financially and so I didn’t have the luxury to go out and buy a whole new golf-appropriate wardrobe. And so, I wore what was in my closet which was workout clothes. That’s just how I learned to play the game.’
Spiranac then begged the question of why golfers don’t wear athletic wear more often, considering that they are athletes after all…
She took note of Lucas Glover sweating in his outfit during a PGA Tour event and wonders why golfers can’t just wear their comfort clothing of their choice.
Spiranac was a gymnast before a golfer, as she learnt to play the sport with the clothes she had
Players on the LIV Tour, on the other hand, can wear shorts during tournaments.
‘That was always my mindset when I got into golf, and it really rubs people the wrong way which is shocking,’ Spiranac said.
‘They’ll have really intense discussions over if they should wear shorts or pants or a blade collar or a real collar and I’m just out here just in tank tops or spandex and people are like ”What are you doing?”’ But I love it.’
‘But we’re starting to see that change and fashion is a big part of growing the game and it’s moving in the right direction.’