text:
From sitting in front of the TV during a particular time-slot to catch a serial drama full of old values to web series geared towards the country's aspirational youth, Indian entertainment preferences are going through an enormous transition.
Video consumption on the Internet in India is increasing rapidly. According to analytics firm comScore, YouTube alone has over 60 million unique users in India. So what happened to cause this migration to online entertainment?
Firstly, the current state of Indian entertainment television and its programming is dominated by reality shows based on their western counterparts; comedy shows; singing and dancing competitions; and melodramatic soap operas based on yesteryear concepts. The shows are often criticized for being of low quality, and none are doing a good job of appealing to the 356 million people between 10 and 24 years old, which constitutes 28 per cent population of the country.
@Sonia__Singh @TheViralFever @TVFPitchers @qzindia @shellywalia Indian TV is just crap. Full of buffoons n saas bahu crap !!!!
— Ankit Mathur (@ForAnkitM) September 2, 2015
According to Amit Golani, director of The Viral Fever’s online show “Pitchers”, which was recently listed in IMDb’s top 250 list of TV shows, Indian youth don’t have anything to watch on TV. But with an increasing number of original shows online, Indians are making the shift from traditional TV to online entertainment; a 2013 report by comScore revealed that online video consumption in India had doubled since 2011 to 3.7 billion videos a month.
Saw the season finale and I must say this is an answer to everyone who thought we can't go beyond Saas Bahu tv series.@TheQtiyapaGuy
— Abhishek Jha (@abhi_jha86) September 2, 2015
Lack of relevant material which Indian youth can connect with coupled with the increasing number of Internet users in India mean that more people are turning to entertainment online.
#TVFPitchers New revolution .Finaly In India we can see series which ends 5 episode and is far better than Tv serial..U gave new taste
— Shaktiprasadswain (@ShaktiPrasadYo) August 31, 2015
In an interview with Quartz India, Avinash Saurabh, CEO and founder of game-based social wellness platform zoojoo.be, argued that the success of “Pitchers” is its ability to speak to young entrepreneurs. India is indeed one of the world’s fastest growing startup ecosystem.
Yet another show which has garnered the attention of Indian youth is “Pretentious Movie Reviews”, featuring two guys making fun of bad Bollywood movies. Engineers turned stand-up comics Kanan Gill and Biswa Kalyan Rath are YouTube stars and have become famous for their sarcasm and subtle way of criticism. Their channel is a huge hit, with each of the video netting more than a million views.
According to Youth ki Awaaz, the duo’s intelligent and clean humor connects with the masses, especially due to the huge fan-following of Bollywood movies.
The future of TV
India is already the third largest smartphone market in the world, and by the end of June 2015, the number of Internet users in India reached 354 million. More Indians are creating content and sharing it online readily. The country is among the top five in terms of content generation on YouTube, and looking at the enormous growth of online content creation and consumption in India, the company has announced that it is opening its next studio and collaboration space in Mumbai. This will allow YouTube creators free access to tools to make better videos.
Karan Bedi, COO of Indian production company Eros Now, says that entertainment has moved light years ahead of TV. And it’s not just YouTube which people are watching. The Telegraph India puts it that linear TV may soon be replaced with Internet TV and points out the growth of over-the-top content platforms including HOOQ, Ogle, Hotstar and Spuul among others. According to the report India Entertainment and Media Outlook 2014 by consultancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, mobile Internet TV is one of the biggest growth areas in India and a third of smartphone users are watching TV on their devices.
In spite of the growing numbers in favor of online entertainment, traditional TV is not going anywhere. According to the FICCI KPMG Indian Media and Entertainment Industry Report 2015, the number of TV households in India increased to 168 million in 2014, implying a TV penetration of 61 percent. Although the report estimates that the sector will see a higher subscription revenue growth, it remains to be seen how the traditional TV fares against the online entertainment frenzy. It will make for interesting viewing.


text:
A little over two months after agreeing a deal to buy British online casino games developer Red7Mobile Limited for an undisclosed amount and Scientific Games Corporation is set to further expand its digital gaming empire with the acquisition of NYX Gaming Group Limited.
Las Vegas-based Scientific Games Corporation revealed that it has provisionally agreed to spend approximately $631 million in order to acquire all of the digital games and technology provider’s outstanding shares with the price representing a 112% premium on NYX Gaming Group Limited’s stock price as of September 19.
“This important transaction creates a global gaming and lottery powerhouse,” read a statement from Kevin Sheehan, President and Chief Executive Officer for Scientific Games Corporation. “Scientific Games [Corporation] will be a stronger industry leader offering one of the broadest end-to-end portfolios of engaging content, innovative technologies and digital products and services across gaming and lottery.”
Scientific Games Corporation is already the parent behind such industry heavyweights as Bally Technologies Incorporated, WMS Industries Incorporated and MDI Entertainment and stated that the purchase of NYX Gaming Group Limited is expected to be “accretive to earnings and cash flow” in its first year and “leverage neutral” at closing.
“This strategic and financially compelling acquisition combines NYX [Gaming Group Limited’s] premier digital gaming and sportsbetting platforms and expansive distribution network to our own global industry-leading content, technologies and digital products and services,” read the statement from Sheehan. “NYX [Gaming Group Limited] ideally positions us to capitalize on the growing online gaming and sportsbetting markets.”
Upon completion of the purchase, Scientific Games Corporation explained that Matt Davey, Chief Executive Officer for NYX Gaming Group Limited, is set to oversee its newly-created digital gaming and sports division. It declared the new role will see the experienced executive reporting directly to Sheehan and leading a team that is set to include Leigh Nissim, Business-To-Business Interactive Managing Director for Scientific Games Corporation.
“Scientific Games [Corporation’s] acquisition of NYX [Gaming Group Limited] will provide immediate and compelling cash value for our shareholders, expand the products and solutions we are collectively able to offer our customers and accelerate the execution of our long-term strategic plan,” read a statement from Davey. “We will now have scale, content and product development capabilities, complementary global infrastructure and access to an expanded customer base. We believe Scientific Games [Corporation] is the ideal partner for NYX [Gaming Group Limited] and we look forward to working alongside the talented Scientific Games [Corporation] team.”

domain: news


text:
A roundup of new retail tenants at Crocker Park, the firings of two popular local radio personalities and all manner of pieces about the Cleveland Browns were among the most-read stories and blogs of 2015 on CrainsCleveland.com.Based strictly on page views, the most popular story of the year — by far — was this one, published Sept. 9 and headlined “Crocker Park officials unveil lineup of new retail tenants.” The story, which noted that new Orvis and Lululemon Athletica stores, plus an expansion of the existing Trader Joe’s, are among the highlights of a new lineup at Crocker Park, drew more than twice as many page views as the No. 2 story of 2015: this five-paragraph piece from April 10, “WQAL-FM, Q104 declines to renew contract for morning radio host Allan Fee.” Four of the 20 most-read stories actually were published in 2014 but continued to draw a lot of page views in 2015. Here’s the rest of the top 20 stories and blogs of the year, in order:
Our 20 most popular reads of 2015
No. 3: “Sherwin-Williams strikes deal to sell its house paints at Lowe's Cos.,” published Dec. 11, 2014.No. 4: “The Foundry, a $9 million project in the Flats, will be a year-round home for rowers,” published Feb. 15. (Subsequent stories about this project also did very well, by the page views metric, though they did not crack the top 20.) No. 5: “WKRK-FM, 92.3 fires morning personality Chuck Booms,” published May 7. (Stories about radio and TV personalities have for years been strong performers on CrainsCleveland.com.)
No. 6: “Lawyer for TCP files lawsuit against CEO Ellis Yan, company,” published Feb. 27. (This was another topic that generated several well-read follow-up stories.)No. 7: “Former Browns receiver Joe Jurevicius is cleaning up off the field,” published June 14. No. 8: “New Browns uniforms are almost as highly anticipated as outcome of team’s QB controversies,” published Dec. 3, 2014. No. 9: “Cleveland Metroparks to show movies at Edgewater Park this summer,” published May 21. No. 10: “Are Tony Rizzo's rants about ESPN Cleveland real or just an old-school radio bit?,” published March 3.
No. 11: “Parker Hannifin could be cracking case on mysterious Amelia Earhart crash,” published June 21.No. 12: “Gary Fingerhut out as Cleveland Clinic Innovations executive director,” published July 8. No. 13: “List of Cuyahoga County's largest employers proves Cleveland is a health care town,” published Aug. 25, 2014. No. 14: “Home improvement retailer Menards purchases former Super Kmart Center in Brooklyn for $10.4 million,” published Jan. 6. No. 15: “Is Johnny Manziel worth the trouble for the Browns?,” published Jan. 11. (Though it seems like we wrote some variation of that story a number of times this year.)
No. 16: “Civic leader, arts advocate James D. Ireland III dies,” published Jan. 22.No. 17: “University of Akron to slice budget by $40M, cut 215 jobs,” published July 10. No. 18: “Longtime Shaker shopping center being transformed,” published Feb. 1. No. 19: “Weston, Citymark Capital joint venture could add new neighborhood near downtown Cleveland's Public Square,” published Nov. 20. No. 20: “Dots lives on: New owner reopens some locations,” published July 20, 2014. (That one clearly had some staying power.)


text:
(RxWiki News) Consumers around the country might want to check the labels on meat in their fridge — a recall of certain products has grown this week.
Food safety officials recently expanded an earlier recall of meat products due to unsanitary conditions at the plant where they were produced.
The products include a variety of meat and poultry items produced by a Colorado company and sold in a number of states.
"Pay attention to expiration dates on food items."
According to the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), a recall of food items produced by Yauk's Specialty Meats out of Windsor, Colorado has been expanded.
"FSIS began a food safety assessment at the plant on December 5, 2013, and discovered that product was being produced under insanitary conditions, including rodent activity in the production, storage and retail areas of the property," FSIS reported.
The initial Yauk's recall began on December 9, and as the still ongoing investigation continued, FSIS decided to recall additional products. The recall was expanded once on December 12 to include more items, and yet again on December 16.
The latest recall expansion included “Corner Post Meats” brand hams and bacon and “Old Style Sausage” brand Smoked Andouille and Kielbasa Sausages. The products bear the establishment number "Est. 20309" on their labels, printed inside the USDA Mark of Inspection.
Products recalled on December 12 also have the establishment number “Est. 20309” or “P-20309” and included a number of brands, like Four Sisters Farm, Luc's Pizza, High Point Bison, Mountain States Poultry & Meats and Wyoming Pure Beef, among others.
The initial December 9 recall included “James Ranch” brand jerky and summer sausage and “Rocky Plains Meats” brand hams, bacon, raw and smoked sausage, jerky and raw poultry, plus several others.
The recalled meat and poultry items were produced between April 1, 2013 and December 5, 2013 at the Colorado plant. The products were sold to wholesale and retail outlets in Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.
FSIS did not report on the amount of meat and poultry that these recalls account for.
"FSIS has suspended the assignment of inspectors at the establishment, and the establishment currently is not operating," FSIS reported.
It is important to note that neither FSIS or Yauk's has received reports of illnesses related to eating these products. FSIS encouraged anyone concerned about illness to contact a health professional.
Any recalled foods should be discarded.


text:
SAN ANTONIO — One San Antonio girl's birthday continues to be the gift that keeps on giving for young patients at Baptist Children's Hospital.
For the past seven years, 14-year-old Jordyn Perez has made it her annual mission to collect and deliver toys for the hospital's children. Dozens of toys have turned into hundreds – everything from colored pencils and books to dolls and board games – as she works to grow her donation each passing year.
It all began when her mother in 2016 suggested they celebrate Jordyn's 8th birthday with a charitable effort.
"I thought that it was a really cool idea," Jordyn says. "Now I very much prefer giving than receiving."
Click through the slideshow below to see how Jordyn's donation has grown over the years.
LOOK: How one San Antonio teen's birthday toy donation has grown over the years
Her family spent about a month and a half shopping and collecting toys from friends, family, neighbors, teachers, strangers via an Amazon wishlist—anyone who was willing to pitch in. The toys were dropped off at Baptist just in time for Christmas.
Jordyn attends NEISD, and the district this week gave her a Facebook shoutout for her ongoing effort.
"It was such a blessing to get to interact with the kids again this year in the playroom," said Jordyn's mom, Sondra. "We haven't been able to do that since pre-COVID."
As for how many toys they gathered this time around in total, Jordyn's family says the collection has simply gotten too big to count.
"We've got absolutely no clue," the teen said. "But it was an extreme amount."
>MORE SAN ANTONIO NEWS:
>TRENDING ON KENS 5 YOUTUBE:


text:
This week, in Frankfurt, the new 2011 Eterniti Hemera Concept was unveiled.
Eterniti describes itself as an independent, boutique British luxury brand, uniquely based in London.
The automaker aims to satisfy a growing demand for additional luxury, personalized specifications and exclusivity among car buyers.
The sudden spike in interest in such models is due to strong demand for high-riding performance models from emerging markets such as Russia, India and China, where poor road conditions often negate the ability to drive low slung sports cars at high speed.
The Hemera will be the world’s first super-SUV, providing new levels of luxury, space and performance in an SUV to create a new niche. Eterniti also boasts that it will feature a limo-like rear cabin, including twin reclining seats, iPads and a drinks chiller.
It is based on an existing vehicle platform--a donor Porsche Cayenne--and designed to go up against the likes of a planned Aston Martin Lagonda crossover and a new ‘Super-SUV’ from Bowler. Eterniti’s engineers have apparently rebuilt the chassis, uprated the drivetrain, repackaged the interior, and added carbon-composite body panels.
Peak output will be in excess of 620 horsepower, derived from a twin-turbocharged 4.8-liter V-8, and top speed should exceed 180 mph.
The engineering team is led by Alastair Macqueen, who was responsible for the development of the Jaguar XJ220 supercar and has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans with both Jaguar and Bentley. Eterniti also has its very own F1 driver, Johnny Herbert, like Macqueen victorious at Le Mans but in addition a winner of three Grands Prix during a 10-year Formula 1 career. Johnny will have an active involvement in developing Eterniti vehicles as well as serving as an ambassador for the brand.
Eterniti is currently establishing a London hub featuring a showroom, car build and service center, and a separate atelier where customers can discuss their requirements and create a bespoke specification for their cars, which will be hand-built on site by British craftsmen and technicians. The London facilities will open later this year, with further showrooms in key international cities to follow from 2012.
Production of the Hemera, meanwhile, is also scheduled to start in 2012. However, we're not sure how France's PGO will react to Eterniti borrowing its 'Hemera' name.
Pricing is yet to be confirmed, but don't expect much change from £150,000 (approximately $236,985) the company states.
Note, in Frankfurt Eterniti announced ambitious plans for several new models, including an additional variant of the Hemera, another SUV model, and a high-performance supercar, all of which you can read about by clicking here.
And for our complete coverage of the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show, click here.


text:
Gorenje announces sale of Serbian subsidiary Gorenje Tiki
Announcing the sale of the Stara Pazova-based subsidiary on Friday, Gorenje said it expected interest from several companies producing water heaters and air conditioning devices.
The company said it expected bidders from Europe and the US, adding that the sale represented a continuation of the strategy of selling non-core assets and focusing on Gorenje's principal activity.
It noted that the process had been taking place even before the arrival of the new owner, Hisense, which acquired Gorenje in June 2018.
Gorenje attempted to sell Gorenje Tiki, which currently employs 30 people in Slovenia and 520 in Serbia, already last year, but the process was suspended because of the takeover by Hisense.
The company moved its production of small water heaters from Ljubljana's borough of Šiška to Serbia in 2010. The company, whose development department is based in Velenje, produces around half a million units a year.
According to the newspaper Delo, Gorenje Tiki owned 36,000 sq metres of land in Šiška, which was transferred to the core company. Gorenje has sold three-quarters of the land and is in talks to sell the remaining plots.
The sale announcement comes after Gorenje sold in December the Maribor-based waste processing company Gorenje Surovina and its subsidiaries to Eko Surovina, a fellow waste processing company owned by businessman Izet Rastoder.


text:
As the world becomes more interconnected all lawyers should study international law, claims one law student… PayPal could face US lawsuit… Filmmaker says Scientology lawyers can’t argue with facts…
PayPal could face US lawsuit
The global payments service PayPal may face a lawsuit from the US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau over some of its lending practices. Bloomberg reports that Paypal’s parent company Ebay disclosed late last week that authorities began requesting data relating to some of its credit products in August 2013. The likelihood is that will be legal action brought against it in the coming months with the possibility of it having to change its business practices and/or pay fines, penalties and legal fees to consumers.
Filmmaker says Scientology lawyers can’t argue with facts
A TV documentary made for America’s HBO was released two weeks ago and has not attracted the attention of its subject’s lawyers so far. The programme Going Clear is about the Church of Scientology which is well known for being litigious but the channel and the documentary’s maker says they are confident that there would be no case to answer. Filmmaker Alex Gibney told CNN: “We were very rigorous in terms of how we checked our story, how we had it scrutinised extensively by lawyers - not only my own lawyers but by HBO's lawyers.” HBO’s CEO Richard Plepler added: "Everybody's entitled to their own opinion, but they're not entitled to their own facts.” The channel’s head of documentaries has previously purposely-exaggerated that the programme had “160 lawyers involved".


text:
A circular cruise route between countries such as Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran-Azerbaijan-Russia can be launched next year.
According to "Kazinform", this was said by Kasim Tlepov, acting chairman of the Transport Committee of the Ministry of Industry of Kazakhstan.
According to him, the five countries bordering the Caspian Sea are doing relevant work to develop cruise tourism and solving the main issues: "For example, we see how the city of Aktau is changing. The beach has been improved and hotels have been built. Mangistau region, Aktau city has great potential in the development of tourism.
K. Tlepov said that currently they expect the cruise ship to be ready: "The Russian side is building this ship in Astrakhan. The ship will be called "Velikaya Rus". We think that the ship will be ready next year."
He also shared information about the planned cruise ship's route. "Routes will be opened from Astrakhan to Aktau, from Aktau to the Avaza tourist center of Turkmenistan, from there to the city of Amirabad in Iran, from Amirabad to Baku and Makhachkala. Thus, in the future, a tourist route that travels around the world through the territories of five countries will operate," said K. Tlepov.
It should be noted that the potential tourist flow of the cross-border cruise route is expected to be 30,000 people per season.
"Azerbaijan Airlines" CJSC (AZAL) will continue flights from Baku t...


text:
The union voted to ratify its new contract with GM Canada this week, which includes a $1.3 billion investment for GM Oshawa Assembly to begin building both light and heavy duty pickup trucks at the southern Ontario facility. In addition, the contract will see the automaker invest $109 million in the GM St. Catharines Powertrain plant in order to “in-source new transmission work for the Corvette and support continued V8 engine production,” at the facility.
It’s not clear if this transmission work will relate to the current TR-9080 version of the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission found in the C8 Corvette Stingray, or if it’s for a new version of the transmission for an upcoming variant of the mid-engine sports car. GM says it is in-sourcing work for the transmission, however, which could mean that it is taking over part of the manufacturing process from Tremec, the Wixom, Michigan-based company that currently manufactures the quick-shifting DCT.
Chevy has several new C8 Corvette model variants in the works that could require a slightly different style of transmission, including the upcoming flat plane crank V8-powered Corvette Z06 and hybrid Corvette E-Ray.
The GM St. Catharines Powertrain plant currently manufactures the GF6 six-speed automatic transmission, however, this transmission is set to go out of production in the coming months. Unifor was therefore hoping to secure new product for the St. Catharines facility in the pattern bargaining process with GM, which it has now received in the way of the C8 Corvette transmission work.
In addition to the transmissions, the facility is also responsible for making the GM 5.3L L84 V8 and GM 6.2L L87 V8 engines, which used in the Chevy Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500, among many other GM products. These engines will continue to be built at the facility for the foreseeable future following the $109 million investment.


text:
Rhea Lana’s Upscale Re-Selling Event Is Coming To El Paso This Spring
Spring cleaning is probably in full force for most of us. Especially parents who are clearing out their children’s closets and getting rid of clothes that their children no longer fit into.
Well, if you’re doing some Spring cleaning and you find yourself left with a lot of clothes that are still in good condition then why not consider re-selling them to make some extra cash to buy your kids some new clothes!
Lucia Esparza and her twin sister Luisa Bowcutt are moms to three kids and they both also work full-time in the healthcare field but this spring break they will be adding a new title to that list; Owners of Rhea Lana’s west El Paso.
“We first consigned in Las Cruces and we fell in love with the concept,” said Lucia. "I brought my sister, Luisa, with me since we both have three children and we had a lot of stuff so we were consigning and we really fell in love with the concept."
It was after witnessing the consigning experience first-hand that the sister’s decided this was something they wanted to bring to El Paso.
“We loved it so much,” said Lucia. “It’s fun, it makes sense, it helps growing families reduce costs, and it also helps the environment.”
Rhea Lana’s is a clothing pop-up consignment sale with over 150 franchises nationwide.
This Spring break the sisters will be bringing the first Rhea Lana’s children consignment event to The Outlet Shoppes at El Paso.
The semi-annual event allows families the opportunity to sign up online as a consigner to sell their gently used items at an in-store pop-up event. This event differs from other children’s resale stores because the seller is in charge of setting their own price for the items they sell.
“We set up the store for a week and they input their information online and set their own prices on the items they are selling,” explained Lucia. “We get to sell it for them and we do our best to prepare the store and showcase their items so they can get those sales. We want everyone to sell as much as they can.”
Items that can be sold range from clothing to furniture to electronics.
If sellers don’t sell all of their items they have a chance to give back to those in need in our community.
“If the clothes don't sell then the consigner is able to decide if they want to donate it and we partner up with foster families in the community,” said Luisa. “We invite the foster families to come and shop for free and we also are teaming up with a pregnancy center to allow moms to shop for free as well.”
Families are invited to shop at the first pop-up event this spring break week at the Outlet Shoppes at El Paso beginning March 16th at 3 p.m. until March 22nd.
Shoppers can also buy tickets online for early access on March 16th. These tickets will allow shoppers to enter the store before 3 p.m.
Moms-to-be, military, and health care workers will also get first access into the door, and after 3 p.m. the doors will open to the general public.
Both sisters are proud to bring this new experience to El Paso families and they are looking forward to their next pop-up event which will happen sometime this Fall.
“It’s a good way for El Paso families to save and that’s the important thing about consigning,” said Lucia. “It helps you save money.”
People who would like to register to sell their items can do so until March 11th. Click Here for more details on how to register and also for event details.
Rhea Lana’s East El Paso:
The west location won’t be the only Rhea Lana’s franchise making its way to El Paso this Spring.
East El Paso residents will have a chance to participate in Rhea Lana’s consigning event in April thanks to Rhea Lana’s of East El Paso which will open their doors from April 1st through April 5th.
You can follow both locations on Instagram to stay updated on event details and more!
Rhea Lana’s West El Paso


text:
By Steve Kopfinger
The Vineyard at Hershey
Call it a case of four guys planting the seeds of a dream – a dream that’s coming true.
And how lucky that is for local wine lovers.
Just over a year ago, Jason Reimer, Doug Gellatly, L. Paul Vezzetti and Michael Wilson launched The Vineyard at Hershey on a sloping tract of land in Middletown. It’s hard by busy Route 283, but it’s a peaceful oasis where grapes grow by a pond and where, in warm months, music floats through the air in the form of fair-weather concerts.
There is an old farmhouse that serves as a tasting room and a newly built sheltered deck where you can sip and sample and enjoy the view. You’ll actually be grateful that the highway is nearby, as it will quickly get you to this peaceful spot, which is a bit Napa Valley-esque.
That’s the idea. Pennsylvania has enjoyed a growing reputation as a wine-making place over the last several decades, but the Keystone State is often overshadowed by California and even neighboring New York State when it comes to the fruit of the vine.
The guys at The Vineyard at Hershey are working to change that impression.
“I said ‘Pennsylvania winery?’ ” recalls Reimer, who credits partner Vezzetti as an inspiration for the founding of The Vineyard at Hershey.
“We’re building something,” sums up Reimer, during a rainy-day interview that was made cheerful by a big event: the February debut of the vineyard’s Moscato, a sparkling wine that’s often associated with a sweet taste.
The Vineyard at Hershey puts its own tweak on that.
The Moscato, unveiled Feb. 23, delights with hints of orange blossom and peach. Despite the chilly weather, the vineyard was packed with people eager to enjoy a little taste of summer. It was welcomed.
Fashionably attired women – many in heels – mingled with those dressed up and dressed down, or, in the case of Wilson, a guy attired in a lavender suit. Wilson, the vineyard’s vice president of marketing and outreach, leans on social media, not social snobbery, to get the word out about wine.
That’s a long way from the image of wineries as places presided over by fussy patriarchs and matriarchs, as seen in the movies and old television shows such as Falcon Crest.
The results of that laid-back approach to the grape are having an effect. In its first year, some 15,000 wine fans have visited the tasting room at The Vineyard at Hershey.
“We believe in our vision,” says Reimer.
The Vineyard at Hershey is very much a team effort. Reimer is a lawyer; Gellatly, who serves as the vineyard’s chief financial officer, has an accounting degree, and he and his wife, Stephanie, played an instrumental role in acquiring the land that makes up The Vineyard at Hershey.
Vineyard manager Vezzetti was the vineyard manager behind everything – he comes from an Italian family from the western part of the state – and then there’s Wilson, who, if you check out the winery’s website (vineyardathershey.com), you might catch him wearing a golden crown.
Again, there’s no nose-in-the-air wine attitude at this vineyard.
That also holds true for the labels. In addition to the new Moscato, check out such standards as Twisted Kiss, a sweet blend of white and red wines that salutes America’s chocolate city, Hershey, just up the road. It’s the town where the Hershey Kiss was invented, after all.
Or, if dry red wine is your thing, don’t miss Trilogy, a mix of Boudreaux, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Serve it with a steak, and you can’t miss.
If you visit the The Vineyard at Hershey, expect a friendly welcome. It is, as Reimer sums up, “a winery where people are going to gather.”
The Vineyard at Hershey is located at 598 Schoolhouse Road, Middletown. Call (717) 944-1569 or visit vineyardathershey.com for information on hours and prices for wine.


text:
Wyckoff, NJ jewelry store hit by thieves with crowbar, garbage can
WYCKOFF — Police have been investigating a smash-and-grab burglary that targeted a jewelry store early Sunday.
Around 12:25 a.m., officers in Wyckoff responded to an alarm going off at Devon Fine Jewelry at 303 Franklin Ave.
Surveillance video from the store shows that three men arrived in a red Honda Accord, between model years 2018 and 2022, with a rear New Jersey license plate.
One of the individuals used a crowbar to break the front window and display cases.
Another removed a gray plastic garbage barrel from the rear seat of the car and used it to clear out broken glass from the doorway.
Stolen items were put inside the garbage can and it was placed in the rear seat of the Accord.
The trio then drove away and headed east on Franklin Avenue.
Jersey City jewelry heist
Hours later on Sunday in a separate, unrelated incident, officials said a crew targeted a jewelry store in Jersey City, smashing into cases and making off with valuables.
Five people had ordered customers and staff inside the store to the floor — no one was hurt, according to a city spokesperson.
The owner of Sara Jewelry on Newark Avenue said a half-million dollars in jewelry and cash had been stolen, which he was not insured against.


text:
Business News›Hybrid Air Vehicles
HYBRID AIR VEHICLES
View: How EVs can make a difference in India's quest to reduce vehicular pollution levels
According to the Centre for Science and Environment, when pollution from all sources is calculated, Delhi's vehicles account for nearly 17% of the total PM 2.5 concentration. Internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles have significantly reduced tailpipe emissions in recent years, thanks to the implementation of Bharat Stage Emission Standards (BSES).
As air turns toxic, Delhi NCR companies take steps to protect staff
The AQI crossed 700 (a value above 150 is considered unhealthy) in many parts of the NCR on Thursday, forcing the shutting down of primary schools. Over a dozen companies including Deloitte, KPMG, Panasonic, BigBasket, BluSmart, Zepto and CIEL HR Services that ET spoke with said they are taking initiatives include offering work-from-home options to employees, providing masks at offices and to frontline staff, installing air purifiers and indoor plants as well having a doctor on call.
Full speed ahead: Vehicle sales set to touch a new high in April-September period
This period has also seen significant changes in powertrain share, with hybrid, CNG and electric vehicles showing gains. This change is being driven by rising fuel prices, concerns about air pollution and government incentives, said Ravi Bhatia, president, Jato Dynamics.
Ola S1 Air delivery to start from July: CEO Bhavish Aggarwal
S1 Air is available in three versions - 2kWh, 3kWh and 4kWh. The 4.5 kW (6 horsepower) motor model claims to deliver a range of 165 km (IDC) on a single charge with top speed of 85 kilometres per hour.
The FAME scheme: Accelerating change in India’s two-wheeler industry
The excessive dependence on imported fuel does not bode well for the Indian automotive industry and its stakeholders (essentially, all Indian citizens), as the consumption of fossil fuels has several adverse effects.
- Go To Page 1
View: India needs accelerated support for electric vehicles to achieve net zeroThe fact is that decarbonizing the transport sector will be essential for India’s clean energy transition and its journey to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070. EVs are the key technology in this process.
First-world India? First, fix the airChecking pollution at source is the most effective solution for improving air quality. There are several measures that must be taken to help bring down pollution levels, or at least avoid a possible rise. The most important is putting in place an integrated mass public transport system that is reliable, affordable and accessible.
Tesla sales in China slump as competition intensifies as cheaper electric vehicles take over car marketTesla has grown rapidly in China but is facing increasingly stiff competition from companies like BYD, which sells well-regarded cars at lower prices and is the country’s No. 1 electric vehicle brand. BYD sales including hybrid vehicles more than doubled in December from a year earlier, and rose 2% in December from November, according to the Passenger Car Association’s data.
Centre collaborates with think thank to push production of EV batteries in IndiaAnumita Roychowdhury, executive director-research and advocacy, CSE, said: "India has been working with FAME and production-linked incentives to push the EV story, but challenges are abound with regard to cost, safety and charging infrastructure - all of which point at gaps in fulfilling the country's zero emission ambitions.
Toyota scrambles for EV reboot with eye on TeslaA working group within Toyota has been charged with outlining plans by early next year for improvements to its existing EV platform or for a new architecture, the four individuals said. In the meantime, Toyota has suspended work on some of the 30 EV projects announced in December, which according to the sources and a document reviewed by Reuters include the Toyota Compact Cruiser crossover and the battery-electric Crown.
As air quality plummets, Mumbai, Pune huff and puff to breathe easyAs per the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), Maharashtra has the largest number of non-attainment cities, all fast-growing metropolitan areas struggling to control emissions at source, whether due to industries, automobiles, building or development projects, or subpar waste management, with a daily average of PM2.5 consistently exceeding 35ug/m3. This naturally has its ill-effects on the people, society, agriculture and the economy, calculated at nearly $3.7 billion (Rs 27,000 crore), said pollution experts.
India should consider taxing passenger vehicles based on emissions: Nissan Motor India MD Rakesh Srivastava"We can have different tax slabs based on the level of emissions," Nissan Motor India MD Rakesh Srivastava said here in an interaction, adding the government already has a different tax structure for below four meters, above four meters, in terms of length and in terms of fuel. Under the GST regime, cars attract the highest tax slab of 28% and on top of that a cess is levied.
New York state to adopt California 2035 EV rulesThe California Air Resources Board (CARB) adopted its rules after Governor Gavin Newsom issued a 2020 executive order directing the move. CARB said the rules will reduce smog-causing pollution from light-duty vehicles by 25% by 2037 and result in 9.5 million fewer conventional vehicles sold by 2035.
Electric planes are coming: Short-hop regional flights could be running on batteries in a few yearsTwo-seater Velis Electros are already quietly buzzing around Europe, electric sea planes are being tested in British Columbia, and larger planes are coming. Air Canada announced on September 15 that it would buy 30 electric-hybrid regional aircraft from Sweden's Heart Aerospace, which expects to have its 30-seat plane in service by 2028.
Let’s hit the road, EV rider: India's time for a tech leap may have arrivedGoI has taken a series of measures to support a clean mobility future. Established giants like Bajaj and TVS are also doing extensive R&D and have come out with new products in the market. All this shows signs of a market waiting to burst out.
Tata Elxsi brings new age solutions for driverless cars, connected vehicles and more: Elxsi CMO Nitin PaiNitin Pai highlighted the success of Tata Elxsi products and initiatives. He cited the example of TETHER Auto, which Tata Motors has adopted and is powering connectivity and data-led services for nearly 500,000 on-road vehicles across its lineup of electric, passenger, and commercial vehicles.
Are retrofits the answer India is looking for to bring about an EV revolution?Retrofitting of vehicles is also among the solutions offered to tackle the polluting internal combustion engine or ICE vehicles currently plying on Indian roads. It is like this: the Government wants to junk old vehicles. Retrofitting companies ask: why not retrofit them? We talk to companies engaged in retrofitting and find out why this route can be more viable for Indian consumers, and why a legislation surrounding it is needed.
Global automakers such as General Motors, Volkswagen face electric shock in ChinaThere are no foreign brands among the top 10 automakers in the new energy vehicle segment this year, with the notable exception of Tesla in third place. All the rest are Chinese brands, from BYD and Wuling to Chery and Xpeng. China leader BYD has sold about 390,000 EVs this year, more than three times as many as Tesla sold there. The top-ranked traditional carmaker is Volkswagen's venture with FAW Group, in 15th place for EV sales.
EVs are fast winning over the hesitant buyer. Better charging infra will accelerate it furtherTo save mankind from the impending disaster of global warming, the transition of transport away from fossil fuels is critical. The International Energy Agency (IEA) Report of last year on the feasible pathway to net zero by 2050 and restricting global warming to 1.5 degrees envisages the complete switchover in the world to EVs by 2035 and of electricity systems phasing out fossil fuel use around the same time.
The speed bumps in India's electric vehicle drive that no one's talking aboutAround 20 states in India have already come up with either a draft or final state level electric vehicle policy, these state policies overall aim to promote India’s transition from ICE to EVs. The objectives of each state level policy will vary but some common objectives that these policies include is to solve air quality issues, help in climate change mitigation, reduce dependence on oil imports and promote development of EV industry. Almost all of the state policies prioritized 2 & 3 wheelers, public transportation and job creation.
IIT-Madras faculty founded 94 startups valued at Rs 1400 crore; hybrid aerial vehicles among projectsThe number of companies directly founded by IIT-Madras faculty members stood at 94 in October this year. These have a combined valuation in excess of Rs 1,400 crore, based on investment raised by these startups from angel investors or venture capital firms.
The coming electric vehicle disruption that nobody is talking aboutElectric vehicles contain a fraction of the parts of their gasoline-powered counterparts and require less servicing and no fossil fuels or corn-based ethanol. It’s a transition that will be felt well beyond Detroit, as millions of workers at repair shops, gas stations, oil fields and farms find their jobs affected by an economic dislocation of historic proportions.
Toyota led on clean cars. Now critics say it works to delay themWorldwide, Toyota is opposing stricter car-emissions standards or fight electric vehicle mandates. For example, executives at Toyota’s Indian subsidiary publicly criticized India’s target for 100% electric vehicle sales by 2030, saying it was not practical.
Hybridising India’s automotive sector: From EVs to alternative fuel vehiclesThe Indian consumer is increasingly leaning towards alternative fuel cars that include both hybrid and electric vehicles. The GfK Automotive Syndicate Monitor Study 2020 reveals that currently, 6% of passenger cars owned by Indian consumers are alternative fuel-driven. However, this will be 21% if the number of consumers intending to buy such a car is taken into account.
View: The Jammu attack’s lesson is that in the era of hybrid war, civilian systems can be adapted for military useIn June, a drone carrying arms and ammunition was shot down in the adjacent Kathua area leaving behind debris, including GPS (global positioning system) devices, which indicated that it came from Pakistan.
Delhi Cabinet approves proposal to engage 300 fully electric air-conditioned buses"So far DTC has only been operating buses owned by it. Electric-powered buses are being inducted into the DTC for the first time. The induction of 300 electric buses by DTC at a time is one of the largest engagement of electric buses by any state government or state transport undertaking (STU)," an official statement said.
China’s MG Motor banks on EV portfolio in IndiaThe electric car is likely to be priced between Rs 25 lakh and Rs 30 lakh and it will have 350 km range.Load More
BACK TO TOP


text:
GlassBuild America is the largest annual trade event for the glass, window, and door industries in the western hemisphere. It is where businesses in the sector have the opportunity to network, interact, and introduce new technologies and products. In October 2022, Quan Dat’s first participation in GlassBuild America marked its determination to enter the American and international markets.
The Quan Dat team at the event.
Experiencing GlassBuild America 2022 helped Quan Dat gain a more comprehensive view of the glass and window market in the Americas and the world, to determine the appropriate development orientation of the company.
The Quan Dat team visited the booth of glass test equipment at GlassBuild America 2022.


text:
In 2021, Spotify announced its ongoing efforts to enhance the quality of its song library with superior HiFi audio. According to Bloomberg’s Ashley Carman, the streaming service is now preparing a premium subscription tier called “Supremium” to increase revenue.
The priciest Spotify plan is expected to include HiFi, which is already offered at no extra cost on Apple Music and Amazon Music, along with other added benefits. Sources familiar with the matter suggest that the company may provide subscribers with expanded access to audiobooks, either through a monthly allocation of free hours or a specific number of titles. Additionally, there may be an option to purchase additional content.
The anticipated launch of this feature in the US is slated for October, followed by expansion into other markets. Presently, users can exclusively purchase audiobooks individually via the Spotify app. The company’s spokesperson has chosen not to comment on the matter.
Earlier this year, Spotify’s CEO, Daniel Ek, alluded to a potential price increase in 2023, emphasizing that it would be justified by the substantial value the company delivers to its customers.
During the initial quarter of the year, Spotify surpassed market expectations by reaching 515 million monthly active users, out of which 210 million were Premium subscribers. Unlike Apple and Amazon, whose primary business focus isn’t streaming services, companies such as Spotify and Netflix face challenges in generating revenue, and their customers tend to be more price-sensitive.
The impact of HiFi quality on increasing Spotify subscribers remains uncertain. For many individuals, improved audio quality may not matter significantly, especially considering the widespread use of wireless earbuds that cannot stream Lossless audio.


text:
The Chinese yuan is weakening against a basket of currencies midweek as global markets are still reeling from the incoming US tariff hikes on billions in Chinese imports. Beijing has promised it will retaliate, despite reportedly being closer to a new trade agreement. Investors are also combing through new trade data that surprised market forecasts.
President Donald Trump shocked global markets this week when he tweeted that he would be raising tariffs from 10% to 25% on $200 billion in Chinese goods on Friday. Equities everywhere plunged, leaving stock indexes drowning in red ink. Traders fear that not only will economic growth suffer, but also that the tariffs will throw a wrench in trade negotiations this week as a Chinese delegation is in Washington to discuss a new agreement.
The president confirmed that Vice Premier Liu He was coming to Washington as part of the delegation. According to Trump, the vice premier will meet him âto make a dealâ at the White House. But Beijing has said that it is âfully prepared for an escalated trade war,â adding that it might impose countermeasures to retaliate against the tariffs.
Trump tweeted on Wednesday:
The reason for the China pullback & attempted renegotiation of the Trade Deal is the sincere HOPE that they will be able to ânegotiateâ with Joe Biden or one of the very weak Democrats, and thereby continue to ripoff the United States (($500 Billion a year)) for years to come…. Guess what, thatâs not going to happen! China has just informed us that they (Vice-Premier) are now coming to the U.S. to make a deal. Weâll see, but I am very happy with over $100 Billion a year in Tariffs filling U.S. coffers…great for U.S., not good for China!
It has been reported that US officials are unhappy with China reneging on trade commitments, but the administration, calling it âunacceptable,â refrained from listing what exactly Beijing failed to do.
On the data front, Chinese exports declined 2.7% in April to $193.49 billion, down from the 14.2% increase in March. This is lower than the median estimate of a 2.3% jump. Chinese imports rose 4% last month to $179.65 billion, up from the 7.6% contraction in the previous month. This is also lower than the market projection of a 7.6% slide.
Overall, Chinaâs trade surplus tumbled to $13.84 billion in April, down from $26.21 billion at the same time a year ago, according to the General Administration of Customs.
As part of another push to stimulate the economy, the Peopleâs Bank of China (PBOC) cut reserve requirement ratios (RRRs) again on Monday. The PBOC wants to release roughly $41 billion for small- medium-sized banks, allowing companies to borrow more. This move would represent the smallest amount of cash that financial institutions are required to hold in reserves since January 2018.
The USD/CNY currency pair rose 0.09% to 6.7829, from an opening of 6.7769, at 16:06 GMT on Wednesday. The EUR/CNY jumped 0.21% to 7.6019, from an opening of 7.5857.
If you have any questions, comments, or opinions regarding the Chinese Yuan, feel free to post them using the commentary form below.


text:
Amazon Future Engineer Programme launched in India
E-commerce giant, Amazon India, announced the launch of “Amazon Future Engineer” on September 27, 2021 in India. Amazon Future is its global computer science education programme.
- As per company, Amazon future programme will enable access to quality computer science education as well as career opportunities for students from underrepresented and underserved communities.
- During the first year of its launch, Amazon aims to enable and deliver learning opportunities to about 1 lakh students from 900 government and aided schools in seven states of India.
Aim of the programme
Amazon Future Engineer programme was launched with the aim of addressing the gap by bringing early exposure and access to computer science education to students by means of in-person, online and blended learning formats.
Who is collaborating with Amazon?
Amazon is working in collaboration with its global knowledge partner Code.org which is a global non-profit organization dedicated to computer science education.
Curriculum of the programme
Considering the local nuances, curriculum has been contextualized for Indian teacher and student community across government school settings. It will offer students with coding fundamentals along with the future-focused tech courses such as Artificial Intelligence, Natural Language Processing (Voice Technology) in Indian languages and Machine Learning.
Who will be covered under it?
Amazon Future Engineer Programme will enable students from underserved communities in India to get, who face disproportionate barriers to education, especially in computer science, right exposure & accessibility to quality computer science education. This programme will bring Computer Science curriculum closer to all students in the languages of their choice.


text:
MoneyGram announces new partnerships, building strong momentum in Africa
By Pavithra R
MoneyGram International, a global leader in cross-border P2P payments and money transfers, has announced four mobile wallets and FinTech partnerships that give the Company access to mobile wallets in 28 markets in Africa.
According to the GSMA’s 2019 State of the Industry Report on Mobile Money, the mobile money industry recorded astonishing growth with roughly $730 bn global transactions in 2019. The organization reports Africa as one of the fastest-growing mobile money transaction continents in the world with an estimated 190 mn active wallets.
“Africa is seeing significant growth in mobile money adoption across the continent, and we’re excited to partner with Airtel, Thunes, InTouch and MFS Africa to further support our collective goals to mobilize the movement of money. We continue to execute our plan to overhaul major receive markets, and I look forward to building upon our strong momentum in Africa through these new partnerships,” said Grant Lines, MoneyGram Chief Revenue Officer.
MoneyGram’s new partnership with Airtel, Thunes, InTouch, and MFS Africa is expected to help drive digital growth as the firm continues to execute its customer-centric digital transformation. Its partnership with Airtel Africa is expected to help Airtel Money’s customers to receive funds from around the world, access the money immediately, transfer it to other individuals, or convert to cash at many available branches, kiosks, and agents. The collaboration with Thunes, InTouch, and MFS Africa, prominent FinTech payment providers, will enable MoneyGram to expand its coverage across the continent significantly.
Services at Thunes and InTouch will begin as early as this week, while the partnerships with MFS Africa and Airtel will go live in the next few months.
“Our digital business has seen amazing growth over the past several years, and these new partnerships are important milestones as we execute our strategy to accelerate digital growth by expanding access to mobile wallet capabilities. Customer demand for mobile wallets has increased significantly over the last few years and with the onset of the global pandemic, the launch of these strategic partnerships is more important than ever,” said Kamila Chytil, MoneyGram Chief Operating Officer and leader of the Company’s digital business.
Established since 1940, MoneyGram International is an American money transfer company providing innovative money transfer and payment services. Its consumer-centric capabilities enable consumers to transact money in more than 200 countries and territories, with over 70 countries now digitally enabled.
IBSi Daily News Analysis
December 08, 2023
Most consumers seek safer, easier payment verification, research revealsRead More
IBSi FinTech Journal
- Most trusted FinTech journal since 1991
- Digital monthly issue
- 60+ pages of research, analysis, interviews, opinions, and rankings
- Global coverage
Other Related News
December 08, 2023


text:
If you are considering getting a 4K QLED TV, Prism+ has launched its latest 2023 4K QLED TV at less than SGD 1,000. And it now comes with Google TV
I did not expect PRISM+ to venture into this product that is totally different from the current ones. Introducing the PRISM+ latest product, the PRISM+ Zero.
If you are looking at OLED TVs and soundbars, here are PRISM+ latest products – the PRISM+ Alpha (AL) TV Series and the PRISM+ Soundbars.
PRISM+ launched the Q-Series PRO yesterday in a non-virtual event (finally!). Thanks to Prism, I got to witness the latest Q-Series Pro range up close.
Prism+ has just released its latest Prism+ Q-series 4K TV running on the official Android TV operating system starting from S$699 (55-inch).


text:
Three in five public transport users will feel uncomfortable using it after England’s bonfire of restrictions today, a poll warns.
Some 30% of people told YouGov they felt “very uncomfortable” using buses and trains after restrictions on masks and social distancing end. Another 29% were “fairly uncomfortable”, the poll found.
Almost three-quarters (73%) of people who went to nightclubs pre-pandemic said they feel uncomfortable returning, with 51% very uncomfortable.
Some 59% were uncomfortable returning to a large indoor event like a concert, and 41% are uncomfortable about large outdoor events like sports fixtures.
More than a third (35%) are uncomfortable with the idea of going to a wedding while 47% will be uncomfortable at gyms and 43% at cinemas as restrictions lift.
But only 28% will be uncomfortable in coffee shops or high street shops, 27% are uncomfortable in supermarkets and 15% uncomfortable in pub gardens.
YouGov surveyed 3,659 English adults between July 5-15 - but then excluded people who didn’t ordinarily attend each setting before the pandemic.
Eir Nolsoe, Data Journalist at YouGov, said the research “shows the public aren’t completely on board yet” with the idea of ‘Freedom Day’ in England.
She added: “English consumers’ confidence in returning has fallen over the last few months - from previous highs in May - just when they were hoping to get back to normal.
“We’ve seen over the last weeks a debate over where the public are expected to keep their masks on after today.
“But previous polling has shown that the public believes masks should continue to be mandatory for some time in places like shops and on public transport.
“And while some businesses and transport operators will continue to encourage the wearing of them, getting consumers to feel like they can return risk-free, at a time when cases are rising and there are numerous calls to halt unlocking, could be the next obstacle on the road to economic recovery.”
People in England will be “expected and recommended” to wear masks in crowded indoor spaces from today, but the legal requirement has been dropped.
London’s public transport, the Tyne and Wear Metro and Metrolink trams in Greater Manchester have all made masks a condition of travel.
But a string of English mayors have demanded Boris Johnson U-turn and make masks on public transport compulsory across the whole of England.
Air purification firm MedicAir claimed 9.5million people will continue wearing masks at all times in public places even after today’s rule changes.


text:
Regional publisher Local World, whose titles include the Hull Daily Mail, has appointed a new digital product director.
Mike Goldsmith, who was previously head of content strategy, mobile for Future plc, is tasked with delivering a “world class mobile product”.
He said: “Having great local brands and content is central to strong mobile businesses. Local World is in a great position to deliver that and I’m thrilled to be joining at such an exciting time.”
Matt Kelly, digital director at Local World, added: “I’m delighted to have Mike on the team. Mike has a great deal of expertise in delivering quality digital products, particularly across mobile and tablet, having led the Future Plc app strategy for several years.”
Local World, which publishes 107 daily titles in total, was formed in 2012 by former Trinity Mirror chief executive, David Montgomery.


text:
Tpaga is a digital mobile payments platform aiming to bring greater access to digital finance to millions of Colombians. According to the Banco de la República, 87% of Colombians still use cash for their day-to-day payments.
The Tpaga app allows customers to open a digital savings account with multiple services. These include paying bills, managing income and money transfers, investment, and a credit service.
“With digital finance solutions such as Tpaga we can close the financial gap that exists in society,” affirmed Particia Sáenz, founder and partner of EWA Capital.
The Colombian fintech Tpaga reached one million users in 2021. The startup is considering new products such as international payments features and the ability to buy online from e-commerce stores with the Tpaga account.
“This funding will help us to grow our team and further share our products. We want to reach 5 million users with our ‘finance superapp’, which allows customers to save, invest, request credit, and secure a loan,” said Andrés Gutiérrez, CEO of Tpaga.
Tpaga also recently opened up the platform to allow third parties to operate their e-wallets on its digital infrastructure. Pivoting into the open banking and fintech-as-a-service sector will enable the platform to be used to greater potential in the ecosystem.


text:
GUESS has confirmed its Sean Wotherspoon collaboration! The brand took to Instagram on Saturday, November 4 to reveal details of the collab (post below).
Featuring a range of apparel including striped t-shirts and hoodies, the collection dropped exclusively over the past weekend at Complex Con. No releases outside the convention have been announced just yet.
Some apparel pieces can be found online but expect it to be pricey! One t-shirt can set you back up to US$240 (approx. S$327).
The Instagram teaser features an image of a striped GUESS t-shirt along with a multicolored bomber jacket. The teaser is accompanied by a cryptic caption that reads, “OG Guess [emoji] Jeans. Make the old new, and the new old. That’s the goal.”
On Snapchat, the designer’s post showed a picture of what looks like a white jacket featuring GUESS zipper tags (image below).
Not much else is known about the collaboration, but according to Reddit user Kauribe, Wotherspoon has been working with GUESS since 2016.
Wotherspoon last made headlines in March this year when he won the 2017 Nike “Vote Forward” contest campaign, in which 12 sneaker aficionados put their own spin on the Nike Air Max sneakers. Wotherspoon’s entry, inspired by hats from the 80s, won the public vote. His design will be released on Air Max Day 2018.


text:
The Ecologist | 20 August 2015
The perfect pinta vs. the TTIP trade tanker
Britain’s dairy farmers have been having a hard time, writes Vicki Hird, largely thanks to their exposure to an unregulated, unstable, global food market. But if the EU’s TTIP ’trade deal’ with the US is ever signed, pitting UK dairy farmers against zero-welfare US mega-dairies run on hormones and antibiotics, they won’t have a chance.
Cows invading supermarkets last week and milk Ice bucket challenges spreading across the UK this week.
It’s clear farmers are up for a protest with something louder than placards about ’every day’ low prices for their milk.
Alarming headlines such as "Milk cheaper than water", "Dairy farmers state of emergency", filled the media.
In reality, dairy farmers are in a dire situation. Over the past year alone, nine dairy farmers went bust each week (a loss of 421 dairy farmers). Sadly, the outcome of their protest is likely to be weak.
Fragile or empty promises from a food industry structurally incapable of delivering a sustained fair deal to farmers here or overseas and limp statements from a Government disinclined to upset big food businesses.
Also looming over farmers is the threat of more and cheaper US dairy imports produced at lower standards under the new trade agreement - the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) - currently being negotiated between the US and EU. Farmers have already raised alarm bells at the risk - including the National Farmers Union.
A wider crisis in food
Headlines and short lived price promises aside, it is clear that farmers (and consumers) are stuck in an impossibly unfair system. And they have been for decades.
Farmer protests - often involving manure or pallets full of peaches dumped on ministry doorsteps - have long been a common sight in Europe as farmers resort to desperate tactics to try and gain attention for their plight.
Thousands of small businesses (farms) are stuck in one end of an hourglass and millions of consumers in the other end with a tiny handful of supermarket buyers and dairy companies in control the middle. To extend the comparison, the hourglass gets shaken regularly as the global price for dairy commodities is managed by a handful of multinational corporations.
Shifts in global demand add the final uncertainty to the market. China for instance has created a dairy industry of its own so buys less of ours. Russia’s sanctions against EU farm imports have also wiped out what used to be a major export market for dairy and other produce.
Somewhere in all this complex system, ordinary farmers (and their animals) get left behind. As a result they are forced to sell up, so bigger farms are created which have to produce more and sell it for a lower price; pushing the land and animals ever harder to gain even less of the food pound.
We can buy cheaper produce but at a hidden high cost to public health, pollution of natural resources, rural decline and severe hardship for farm communities here and overseas.
The true extent of corporate control of food commodities - or milk to you and me - is huge. They don’t just want to have a say in the global price. They work hard to influence how food is produced. They want cheaper raw materials from wherever they can get them. TTIP may deliver..
New trade rules - in whose interest?
It is these largely unaccountable bodies that will benefit from trade negotiations like the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). Anxious to weaken food regulations by ’mutual recognition’ of different standards or ’harmonizing’ standards to the ones they like, they are very active in the TTIP debate.
As noted by The Ecologist, in food that means pushing to end food border inspections, controls on chemicals, antibiotics and hormone use in livestock production, and allowing GM crops. US meat and dairy industries are pushing to eliminate or weaken animal welfare standards that they say are ’barriers to trade’.
In dairy it’s all about animal health and milk quality. The US dairy exporters would like to see EU limits on somatic cell counts (in effect, pus) in milk removed - yet the cell count indicates mastitis, a painful infection of the breast tissue in cows. The EU standard requires better herd health so lessens the likelihood of herds being unhealthy, but means higher costs.
Protecting consumers, farmers, the environment and animals is central to a resilient, safe and healthy food system. War on Want advocates a new way to manage our food system - based on food sovereignty - an alternative food system that creates practical, sustainable and democratic solutions to the failed industrialised food model.
But if farmers, like those dairy farmers, are unable to make a living and the very companies that are squeezing them to oblivion are setting the rules in a new trade treaty, our food system will go downhill faster than M&S can push a cow out of the chilled yogurt section.


text:
DIRECTOR, WEST COAST OFFICE
California Senate Select Committee on Food-Borne Illness
Public Informational Hearing on the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s California Leafy Green Marketing Agreement
Good morning. My name is Elisa Odabashian. I am the West Coast Director of Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, with 4 million subscribers, and Consumer Reports Online, with more than 2.5 million subscribers. I appreciate today’s opportunity to comment on the CDFA’s marketing agreement to require leafy green industry participants to adhere to Best Practices for insuring the safety of America’s salad bowl.
Last fall’s deadly incident of E. coli contamination in spinach is part of longer history of contaminated leafy green products in California. According to the US Food and Drug Administration, there have been twenty documented incidents in the last ten years of California leafy greens contaminated with disease-causing organisms.
Over the last six months, the leafy green industry has lost $100 million due to plummeting consumer confidence in leafy green products in the wake of E.coli-tainted spinach that sickened 200 and killed five across 26 states. If there were ever a time for our government to do everything in its power to be transparent and objective in its development of industry’s safety standards, to be rigorous and thorough in its inspection of products before they get to market, and to be tough in its enforcement of standards in order to ensure the safety of the food supply and rebuild the trust of consumers, it is now. But utilizing a marketing agreement developed by the very people who brought us spinach contaminated with this particularly virulent strain of E. coli (0157:H7) is not the way to restore consumer confidence or to ensure that another terrible outbreak does not occur.
There are three serious drawbacks to the CDFA’s Marketing Agreement oversight mechanism:
First, we are seriously concerned that the CDFA is allowing the industry to create its own Best Practices standards behind closed doors without any public input; that the CDFA is allowing the oversight Board to be made up almost exclusively of leafy green industry representatives; and that the CDFA appears to be rubber stamping whatever Best Practices the industry comes up with. In recent communications with a CDFA official, I was told the following: “We will take the advice of the industry on the best practices. The roles of the marketing agreement/marketing order/CDFA inspection services division are verification and education, not environmental or health safety regulation (of leafy greens). The best practices guidelines and traceback systems are being developed by proponents of the marketing agreement and marketing order….This process is not required to follow the administrative procedures act. Nor does it follow the federal equivalent.” This willingness by CDFA to “take the advice of the industry” in developing regulations, and the admission by the CDFA that its role “is not environmental or health safety regulation of leafy greens” suggests a serious abdication of government’s duty to safeguard the food supply and protect the public. Industry self-regulation seldom protects consumers and often provides industry with cover when contamination occurs.
Under state and federal laws, standards are almost always put forward for Notice and Comment, so that the entire public has an opportunity to give input, and a government agency is required to consider all comments received. This process has the beneficial effect of getting input from a wide range of sources and experts, some of whom may have been previously unknown to the drafters of the standard. There should be a public opportunity for Notice and Comment before any Best Practices standards for the leafy green industry are adopted.
Our second concern is that, since industry participation is voluntary, the marketing agreement does not cover all leafy green growers and processors. Consumers cannot, therefore, be assured that all leafy greens that reach the marketplace will be as safe as possible. Experts agree that government standards and enforcement of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) for farms and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) programs for processors are essential to maintaining the safety of leafy greens, and thereby consumer confidence. If not all leafy greens in the marketplace are subject to these Best Practices, the door remains open for contaminated produce to reach consumers, with all the attendant negative health effects, publicity and economic effects that that incurs.
Third and finally, we are concerned about the marketing agreement’s use of a certification mark to convey to consumers that leafy green products from participating farms and processors are subject to Best Practices. This approach turns safety into value added in the marketplace. The safety of the food we buy is fundamental to consumers, and government must ensure it. Food safety should not be something that consumers must search out and possibly pay extra for. Furthermore, if romaine lettuce, for example, is implicated in a future E. coli contamination incident, many consumers will not bother to ask whether the produce has the certification mark—they will simply stop buying all leafy greens for a period of time. And when the next incident of E. coli in leafy greens occurs, the certification mark on all those bags of lettuce and spinach and arugula will be rendered meaningless in the eyes of consumers.
In conclusion, the CDFA’s leafy green marketing agreement will not provide the extremely high standard of safety that the industry must achieve to keep and expand its market, due to the insular, exclusive way in which these standards are being developed, due to the fact that this agreement will not cover all leafy green growers and processors in California, and due to the CDFA’s willingness to allow the proverbial fox to police itself in the henhouse. We are also deeply concerned that this marketing agreement starts a trend toward using safety as a marketing tool for foods, and we vigorously oppose the use of a certification mark that suggests an added level of safety on some leafy green products and not on others.
The needed approach to the problem of contamination in leafy greens is for a California governmental agency that does not have as part of its charge the promotion of the leafy green industry—such as the California Department of Health Services—to be given the mandate to require and enforce GAPs on farms and HACCP programs for processing facilities through rigorous inspections and enforcement of standards that have been developed through a transparent, inclusive process. If this approach requires additional authority, budget and staff to do so, the California legislature should provide it during this legislative session.


text:
On August 1st, hundreds of Michigan locals had arrived at downtown Ann Arbor, after the University of Michigan switched from adidas to Nike, with a 15-year-deal worth over $173.8 million. Just before the clock struck twelve, a swarm of fans began flooding into the M-Den. All of them were excited about the new athletic accessories and apparel that now feature Jordan Brand and Nike branding. Even the M-Den website temporarily went down from all the online orders that were being made. However, apart from the accessories and apparels, it seems Jordan Brand might also have an entire Air Jordan Retro Michigan Collection in the works.
On August 2nd, the new Michigan Wolverines uniforms featuring the Jordan “Jumpman” logo were officially unveiled at Detroit’s Ford Piquette Avenue Plant during a media event. Uniforms for the University of Michigan’s baseball, golf, softball and other sports teams had already been unveiled earlier that day. Jim Harbaugh, the coach of the Michigan Wolverines, was also present during the unveiling of his team’s uniforms. It must be noted that the Nike jerseys are aesthetically quite similar to the ones that had been designed by adidas. It turns out that an Air Jordan Retro Michigan Collection may also be a part of this new sponsorship deal.
The photo that can be seen above was shared by Twitter user @SportsRecruits. In the photo, a portion of a poster can be seen, which appears to be showcasing an entire Air Jordan Retro collection with all of the models dressed up in the University of Michigan’s official colors. As can be seen, all of the notable Air Jordan retro silhouettes appeared to be covered in varying combinations of Blue and Maize. It is very likely that members of the Michigan Wolverines will be sporting these featured sneakers during the upcoming season. However, it is much too early to state whether this collection will also be among 2016’s upcoming general Jordan release date as well.
Michigan Wolverines Air Jordan Retro Collection


text:
Table of contents
Apple today announced PQ3 (Post-Quantum 3) - a revolutionary cryptographic technology built into iMessage to strengthen security against advanced quantum computing assaults.
Quantum computers, while not yet widely available, offer a potential future threat to conventional encryption technologies. The tremendous processing capacity of quantum computers can potentially undermine standard encryption algorithms such as RSA and Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC), rendering them obsolete.
To address this coming risk, Apple is implementing PQ3, which uses post-quantum cryptography to protect iMessage from future quantum assaults. Unlike traditional encryption methods, post-quantum cryptography employs algorithms designed to survive attacks from quantum computers, providing strong protection for users' messages.
PQ3 marks a paradigm leap in secured messaging, with several significant improvements that enhance privacy and resilience:
- Integrated Post-Quantum Encryption: PQ3 uses post-quantum encryption at the start of each iMessage discussion, offering total protection.
- Automatic Key Restoration: In the case of a key compromise, PQ3 restores security safeguards, reducing the risk of data breaches and unauthorised access.
- Hybrid Encryption Design: PQ3's hybrid encryption design mixes post-quantum cryptography with classical ECC encryption to ensure the protocol's security against sophisticated attacks.
- Cryptographic Self-Healing: PQ3 has a unique capability for quickly and automatically re-securing talks, providing exceptional resilience against security breaches.
Apple has subjected PQ3 to rigorous third-party testing to ensure its efficacy and reliability. Cryptography experts have validated PQ3's design, confirming its capacity to guarantee post-quantum confidentiality and strong protection for user communication.
PQ3 works smoothly into the existing iMessage architecture, requiring no user input. PQ3 will be enabled by default in the forthcoming iOS, macOS, watchOS, and iPadOS updates, assuring widespread adoption and improved security for iMessage users.
Apple's goal in deploying PQ3 is to future-proof iMessage against evolving cyber threats, giving users unprecedented privacy and security for their digital communications. With PQ3, iMessage establishes a new standard for secure messaging, outperforming other commonly used messaging apps regarding protocol protection and quantum security.
Users should expect PQ3 to be seamlessly integrated into iMessage, requiring no changes to existing messaging habits. This next-generation encryption technique assures that interactions stay safe and secure, even as quantum computing advances.
As more apps and platforms implement post-quantum encryption, consumers may expect increased privacy and security across a variety of online interactions, enhancing the protection of sensitive data and conversations in the digital domain.


text:
TAIPEI, Taiwan – As the world’s largest electronics contract manufacturer, with products ranging from Apple’s iPhones to Nintendo Switches, Foxconn Technology Group has been seeking to move up the value chain, and boost its chronically thin gross margin between 3-4 percent, according to an interview with Fusionmedium. Less than a month ago, Foxconn just showcased for the first time its EV prototypes and the software platform it developed with partners.
Young Liu, Foxconn chairman, is expecting to boost Foxconn’s gross margin to 7 percent by the end of 2021, and aiming for a gross margin above 10 percent the long term. To realize the ambition, Foxconn has come up with a so-called “3+3 strategy” targeting the EV, robotics and digital health industries, backed by the key enabling technologies of AI, semiconductor, and 5G.
‘From brawn to brain’
Foxconn Research Institute, founded in early 2021, has been charged with this transformation, a process termed by Foxconn as “from brawn to brain.” In 2021 CONNECT, an annual tech event hosted by TechTaiwan and TechOrange, the chief executive officer of Foxconn Research Institute, Wei-Bin Lee, explained the philosophy and the strategic role of the Institute within Foxconn’s overarching goal.
Lee, formerly a commissioner of Taipei City Government in charge of information technology, has an academic background rooted in network security, cryptography, and information security management.
According to Lee, Foxconn’s multiple business groups have already matured, and are able to identify the products in the coming 1-2 years. A solid R&D foundation, however, is what Foxconn needs to look further beyond, grasping the trends in the next 3-5 years. In this sense, Foxconn Research Institute is a stabilizing factor in the company, proving a technological roadmap to the future.
Driven by down-to-earth topics
For Foxconn Research Institute, it is not a priority to pour in R&D resources: as long as an overarching strategy for the entire technology group can be first identified, then the relevant logistics can be provided. As Lee explained, Foxconn Research Institute differed from other R&D units created by tech giants like AT&T, Google and Microsoft. “Foxconn doesn’t do purely experimental research,” said Lee, “its research focuses are always guided by the overall corporate strategies, and driven by down-to-earth topics developed in accordance.”
Currently, there are five research centers under Foxconn Research Institute, each focusing on a key sector: AI, semiconductor, next-generation communications, information security, and quantum computing. Every research center is staffed by an average of 40 professionals.


text:
Qatar Holding, the global investment fund controlled by Qatar Investment Authority, has acquired a minority stakein the French e-commerce company. Founder and CEO of the online retailer Vente-Privée.com, Jacques-Antoine Granjon has also increased his stake in the company and holds close to 25 percent of the ownership, according to French newspaper Le Monde.
Qatar Holding, parent company of luxury British department store Harrods joins the Summit Partners in holding a minority stake in Vente-Privée, a US-based equity firm who has been a minority shareholder of Vente-Privée since 2007.
“We are happy to have agreed terms to finalize our investment in vente-privee.com alongside Jacques-Antoine Granjon, one of the most successful entrepreneurs in France. We will fully support his efforts to drive the Company in its new phase of development... It is envisaged that our investment will translate into the development and globalization of vente-privee.com as a French champion in the e-commerce sector,” declared a spokesperson for Qatar Holding in a press release
The size of the stake acquired by Qatar Holding remains unknown, but over the past years the company has acquired a number of retail and luxury estates. Vente-Privée was founded in 2001 and specializes in the online sale of branded collections, organizing special sales events for its 20 million members. In 2012 the company reported a gross turnover of 1.3 million euros and predicted 1.5 million euros for 2013.


text:
All major flagships releasing next year will naturally have top-of-the-line features that'll justly succeed the current-generation smartphones. All brands including Samsung, Google, HTC, LG, Sony and even OnePlus will have to build their flagships in a wise way to make 2018 memorable, and the first potential feature linking them all has been leaked.
What most consumers see is the work the individual brands put into their flagship's design and features like camera and battery, but the core elements are often overlooked. While all major flagships rose to fame in 2017, Qualcomm played a crucial role in making their journey to the top possible.
2018 isn't going to be any different for Qualcomm as it remains a top priority for powering most flagships. A new leak on China's Weibo has revealed the list of smartphones that'll be powered by Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 845 chipset along with the potential timeline of their release.
The list revealed the following smartphones to be powered by Snapdragon 845 next year and their potential launch timeline:
|Samsung Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+||February 2018|
|LG G7, G7+||February 2018|
|Xiaomi Mi 7||April 2018|
|HTC U12||May 2018|
|OnePlus 6||June 2018|
|Sony Xperia XZ Pro-A||June 2018|
|ZTE Nubia Z18||June 2018|
|Samsung Galaxy Note 9||September 2018|
|LG V40||September 2018|
|Xiaomi Mi MIX 3||September 2018|
|Google Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL||October 2018|
|ZTE Nubia Z18S||October 2018|
|Sony Xperia XZ2||October 2018|
|HTC U12+||October 2018|
|Moto Z 2019||November 2018|
|Samsung W2019 flip-phone||November 2018|
|OnePlus 6T||December 2018|
Even though all of these phones will have Snapdragon 845 under the hood, Samsung will have some variants powered by its own Exynos chipset, which is due for release in January. Depending on the markets, Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy Note 9 will arrive with either Exynos or Snapdragon chips.
Qualcomm launched Snapdragon 845 earlier this month and revealed specifics of the chipset and the capabilities it'll unlock in premium smartphones. For starters, it comes with an octa-core chipset, four of which are high-performing cores clocking 2.8GHz. The new chipset offers about 30 percent better performance than the lauded Snapdragon 835 and gives phones the power of AI computing, better camera and battery.
Are you excited about 2018's flagship lineup? Stay tuned for updates.


text:
View on Euronews app
The latest breaking European news
Brussels, My Love?
State Of The Union
The Global Conversation
Top News Stories Today
Euronews Tech Talks
Soul Of The South
Women Beyond Borders
The Road To Green
Cry Like A Boy
Meet The Locals
Melting Pot Culture
The Star Ingredient
Depth Of Field
Here We Grow: Spain
The New Uzbekistan
A Greener Future
All You Want Is Greece
Digital Garden City Nation
Galaxy Brain Investor
Invest In Brazil
Under The Hood
More about this topic
Young people of the Amazon are the real guardians of the rainforest
More about this topic
Pope avoids question of married priests in Amazon document
The Argentine Jesuit has long been sensitive to the plight of the Amazon
Game of Thrones star travels to the Amazon rainforest with the UN
Kit Harington, Emilia Clarke or Nikolaj Coster-Waldau? Which Game of Thrones star is trying to save the Amazon?
Tech giants are serious about lobbying in Brussels
Data protection, copy right, and digital tax. As the EU tries to regulate internet sectors big American companies boost their lobbying in the European capital
France calls on US to 'come to its senses' on digital tax retaliation
The French Finance Minister has warned the United States against retaliatory tariffs in response to the French Digital Tax. The US Trade Representative is holding a public hearing on Tuesday to discuss a response; it's already condemned the French measures as protectionist.
Amazon removes 'inappropriate' Auschwitz Christmas products
The Auschwitz Memorial asked Amazon on Sunday to take down items featured on the website that it said were inappropriate.
Black Friday Amazon deals' costs: Workers' health, climate change and your own taxes ǀ View
The e-commerce giant's convenience comes with hidden surcharges: The social cost of its retail dominance manifests in workers’ battered bodies, the mental exhaustion of brutal production quotas, a sprawling carbon footprint and lavish tax subsidies that come out of consumers’ pockets.
Is our obsession with online returns damaging the environment?
December will see record breaking numbers of returns increasing the environmental impact of online shopping.
Review | Claire Foy and Matt Smith star in eco-anxiety masterpiece
Laugh-out-loud funny and simultaneously morbid. 'Lungs' is at The Old Vic theatre in London.
Woody Allen settles $68 million suit against Amazon
Amazon canceled a four-picture deal with the filmmaker amid the #MeToo movement.
Brazilians protest Amazon deforestation outside EU Commission
A group of Brazilian indigenous people burned a tree and held banners outside the European Council in Brussels on Tuesday in a protest against fires in the Amazon forest
Amazon.ae relates running a regional e-commerce giant to basketball
Syrian-born Ronaldo Mouchawar once had ambitions to be a basketball player. Ultimately, however, he followed in the footsteps of his father who was a merchant, and the man who inspired the name of his online auction site, ‘Souq.com’ in 2005.
Why the EU growing its own soybeans could prevent fires in Amazon
Every year, 33 million tonnes of soybeans are imported into the Old Continent, mostly from Brazil and the United States.
Pope Francis set for synod on challenges facing the Amazon
He has summoned bishops, laypeople and indigenous groups to join him in discussing the environmental and sacramental challenges facing the region.
Selfies in the jungle: the dark side of wildlife tourism
Photographer Kirsten Luce spent months documenting animals being exploited for entertainment.
12 million hectares have burnt, three times more than last year
Wildfires are still raging in the Amazon rainforest. 12 million hectares have burnt so far, three times more than last year. In Bolivia, over 5,000 people are fighting the blaze, but it is still out of control. Euronews Aid Zone reporter Monica Pinna recently returned from the affected area.
Watch: Peru's coca farmers encouraged to switch to cacao crop
Authorities are trying to persuade farmers to switch to harvesting cacao from coca, which is used to make cocaine. Peru is a major cacao exporter, but also the world's second largest producer of cocaine.
Hundreds killedin Brazil's Amazon states over land says HRW report
Conflicts over the use of land and resources in the Amazon have taken the lives of more than 300 people says new HRW report.
Amazon fires in August triple compared to same month last year
So far this year nearly 94,000 fires have been observed across Brazil with the majority recorded in the Amazon.
Should we take note of Amazon India's new plastic-free pledge?
The Indian unit of the largest online retailer has committed to curbing its use of single-use plastic by 2020. But is it doing enough?
French firefighters mobilised to fight fires in Amazon rainforest
The EU is sending firefighters, drones and experts to help Bolivia fight forest fires


text:
FCA adding 1,500 jobs in Italy on success of new Fiat, Jeep models
by The Associated Press
"Extremely positive" results for sales of new Jeep Renegade, Fiat 500X will allow FCA to add 1,500 new jobs in Italy
ROME—Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (FCA) said “extremely positive” results for sales of the new Jeep Renegade and Fiat 500X will allow the automaker to add 1,500 new jobs in Italy.
It said the workers at the plant in Melfi, in the southern region of Basilicata, will initially be on temporary contracts.
The company said that once global demand for the models is stable, the workers could be offered new contracts featuring increasing job security.
The round of hiring would be a bright spot for Italy, where unemployment last year topped 13 per cent.
FCA said Melfi, where it has invested more than US$1.2 billion toward the production of the new models, is now one of the world’s most advanced car assembly plants.
Print this page


text:
Woolworths and Target on board with No One Deserves a Serve
In late 2017, the SDA commenced our internationally acclaimed No One Deserves A Serve Campaign throughout Australia.
The campaign has had its ebbs and flows and the major reason for this is that the SDA, as the union which represents retail and fast food workers, challenged the long held employer view that ‘the customer is always right’. We fully understand that the level of customers and the money they spend determines to some extent the number of staff and the amount of hours that our members are employed. However, this does not give customers the right to abuse our hard-working members.
We are slowly moving away from the days when vindictive customers were rewarded with gift vouchers and the like. Of course, this practice must stop immediately as it rewards those nasty customers. It is pleasing that the vast majority of store managers has come on board and now accepts the fact that customers can be rude, can be angry and can become violent towards retail and fast food workers.
The SDA challenged the employers in our industries to show leadership on this important issue. As part of our round table discussions with the employers, we advised the companies that our members clearly wanted signage in their workplaces stating that abuse and violence towards staff will not be tolerated in this workplace.
At Woolworths Darra, the company demonstrated their support for their staff by displaying a sign which reads ‘Please treat our team with respect’. It is our understanding that this signage will be rolled out in their stores throughout Australia.
The SDA welcomes this important recognition by Woolworths that abusive and violent customer behaviour must be eradicated as they take steps to positively and publicly promote and support a culture of respect and dignity for workers. Target has also recently rolled-out signs in their stores encouraging customers to respect their staff.
All reports indicate that the customers have welcomed the signage because many have witnessed first hand the abuse and violence directed towards the staff and secondly, they want their shopping experience to be stress free.
This particular photo was posted on the SDA’s Facebook page, Instagram and the SDA website. The different forums went into overdrive. For example, Woolworths’ members were delighted. Coles’ members said “if it’s good enough for Woolies, it’s good enough for Coles”. McDonald’s members expressed their frustration with their company. They wanted their company to take their head out of the sand and acknowledge that their team has copped a lot of abuse from customers particularly after dark. Other feedback simply said that, “all stores need something like this”.
All feedback was positive and it demonstrates that the NODAS campaign has been well received by the SDA membership and the customers. It is very clear that our members want to work in a safe and healthy workplace and customers want to shop or eat in a safe environment.
Challenge for others
Finally, Woolworths and Target have taken the first step. I look forward to other retailers and fast food companies coming on board. After all, your staff are your greatest asset!


text:
Amagi partners with Google Cloud to accelerate cloud adoption
March 17, 2021
Amagi, a global leader in cloud-based SaaS technology for broadcast and streaming TV, has announced that its award-winning cloud solutions are now available on Google Cloud’s platform for media and entertainment companies across the globe. Broadcast and streaming TV companies can launch, manage, and distribute linear channels – all on Google Cloud.
As a result of this partnership, customers will be able to deploy Amagi’s flagship cloud playout platform, CLOUDPORT, on Google Cloud to spin up 24×7 linear programming. “Amagi is a pioneer in cloud broadcasting, and has championed cloud transition in the industry. Our customers can now power their broadcast workflows using Amagi’s next-gen solutions,” said Kip Schauer, Global Head of Media & Entertainment, Gaming Partnerships, Google Cloud. “We are excited to have Amagi as a partner, and to jointly work with them to enable our customers to leverage the full potential of cloud and future-proof their businesses.”
Amagi’s solutions have been architected for the cloud, and give tremendous flexibility for customers to manage their workloads, optimize usage, and save costs. “We are a cloud-born company. All our products and solutions are designed for cloud, capable of scaling to support dynamic needs of customers’ businesses. By partnering with Google Cloud, we are expanding the choices for our industry to implement best-in-class cloud solutions,” said Srinivasan KA, co-founder, Amagi. “We are delighted that this partnership has come at a time when the industry is increasingly looking to virtualize operations and adapt to multi-screen viewing. Amagi and Google Cloud present an attractive option for customers to choose from, as they transition to cloud.”
Amagi has been responding to a strong demand for cloud solutions. The company grew revenues by 151 percent YoY for the quarter ending December. It manages 400+ channels with deliveries in more than 40 countries across cable, DTH, and OTT platforms. The company has a state-of-the-art cloud broadcast operations center that can support 1,000+ linear channels. Amagi clients include A+E Networks UK, beIN Sports, CuriosityStream, Discovery Networks, Fox Networks, NBCUniversal, Cinedigm, Tastemade, Tegna, VENN, Vice Media, and Warner Media, among others.
Last year alone, Amagi added close to 200 streaming channels on its platform. It has deep technical integration with leading Free Ad Supported Streaming TV (FAST) platforms: The Roku Channel, Samsung TV Plus, Pluto TV, Xumo, STIRR, Redbox, VIZIO, Plex, Sling, Tivo and more.