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LAST UPDATED : Nov 24, 2020, 08:20 AM IST
- 6 ways you can boost your hair growth
When it comes to maintaining healthy hair growth, there's no particular trick! From eating good food to the right cleansing techniques, there are many factors to look at. If you're looking for ways to boost hair grown, then try these useful tips that can help. Follow these tips and start noticing a huge difference in your hair health:
- India's October factory growth at decade high as demand bounces back
India's factory activity expanded at its fastest pace in over a decade in October as demand and output continued to recover strongly from coronavirus-related disruptions, but firms cut more jobs, a private survey showed. Asia's third-largest economy is healing after shrinking a record 23.9% in the April-June quarter.
- Stunt proves to be fatal for school boy in UP
A 10-year-old boy was found hanging from the roof of a hut in the outer yard of the house in Moda Taiya village under Pakhvada police station in UP’s Moradabad on Tuesday. Police said the boy, a student of Class VI, was studying at home since the lockdown but was going to a nearby computer center where he allegedly watched some stunt-based programs like 'Shaktimaan' on Youtube.
- US economy posts spectacular growth in Q3; Covid-19 scarring to last
The US economy grew at a record pace in the third quarter as the government injected more than $3 trillion worth of pandemic relief which fueled consumer spending, but the deep scars from the COVID-19 recession could take a year or more to heal.
- Eight core industries' output contracts 0.8% in September
Contracting for the seventh consecutive month, the output of eight core infrastructure sectors dropped by 0.8 per cent in September, mainly due to decline in production of crude oil, natural gas, refinery products and cement. The production of eight core sectors had contracted 5.1 per cent in September 2019, data released by the Commerce and Industry Ministry showed on Thursday.
- India to post strong enough growth pick up in second half of 2020: Moody's
Moody's Investors Service on Tuesday said India, China and Indonesia will be the only G-20 emerging economies to post a strong enough pick up of real GDP in the second half of 2020, and retained its projection of 3.1 per cent growth contraction for India in 2020.
- Moody's ups FY21 India growth forecast to (-) 10.6%
Moody's Investors Service on Thursday upped India growth forecast to (-) 10.6 per cent for the current fiscal, from its earlier estimate of (-) 11.5 per cent, saying the latest stimulus prioritises manufacturing and job creation, and focuses on longer-term growth.
- Exports show signs of improvement, up 22.47% during November 1-7: Official
Showing signs of improvement, the country's exports grew 22.47 per cent year-on-year to $6.75 billion in the first week of November, mainly driven by healthy growth in pharmaceuticals, gems and jewellery and engineering sectors, an official said on Tuesday.
- India will be back to high growth through reforms after overcoming pandemic: CEA Subramanian
Chief economic advisor (CEA) Krishnamurthy Subramanian on Tuesday exuded confidence that the country would be back to a high growth path through reforms announced by the government, after overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic.


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Pastry Chef Toni Roberts has designed frozen treats for meeting groups.
June 29, 2017
The new mobile ice cream cart at theWit Chicago is an inhouse, creative meeting break. As an alternative to typical meeting break bites, theWit provides specialty inhouse ice cream items, such as such as raspberry truffle ice cream bars and minted fudgsicle pops, created by noted Chicago pastry chef Toni Roberts.
In April of this year, Hotel F&B conducted its first-ever State of the Industry Study. Our goal: to better understand the perceptions and overall state of the foodservice/hospitality industry among our subscribers.
We all know first impressions have a lasting impact, whether you’re entering a restaurant, arriving at an awards reception, experiencing a conference’s afternoon break, or attending a welcome breakfast.

domain: news


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Wednesday, August 20, 2008
- Over the past year, the inventory of lender-mediated properties for sale has almost doubled, while traditional inventory has declined by 16 percent.
- Of all current active properties for sale, 21.7 percent are foreclosures or short sales.
- Traditional homes continue to hold their value better than foreclosures and short sales. The Q2 median sales price of foreclosures and short sales has fallen by 11.7 percent in the last two years while traditional homes has declined by only 3.4 percent.
Data on the right (from Calculated Risk) shows that the overbuilding of 2004-06 has yet to be worked out nationally. The same appears to be true for the Twin Cities.


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White House Approves $17.4 Billion Auto Loans to GM & Chrysler
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- President Bush announced a rescue plan for General Motors and Chrysler LLC Friday morning that will make $13.4 billion in federal loans available almost immediately.
A senior administration official briefing reporters said he expects that GM (GM, Fortune 500) and Chrysler LLC will be signing the loan papers to access the cash later Friday morning.
The money will come from the $700 billion fund set aside to bailout Wall Street firms and banks in October.
With these loans, Treasury will have committed virtually all of the $350 billion of that fund that it can hand out without additional authorization from Congress. Once Congress releases the other $350 billion, the two automakers will be able to borrow an additional $4 billion.
The loans are three-year loans but the money will have to be repaid immediately if the firms do not show themselves to be viable by March 31. It is expected that the companies will have to negotiate new agreements with unions and creditors in order to do so.
During brief remarks at the White House, President Bush said in normal times he would have not been in favor of preventing a bankruptcy of the two companies. But the current state of the economy and credit markets left him no choice but to act.
"Government has a responsibility to safeguard the broader health and stability of our economy," he said. "If we were to allow the free market to take its course now, it would almost certainly lead to disorderly bankruptcy and liquidation for the automakers."
"In the midst of a financial crisis and a recession, allowing the U.S. auto industry to collapse is not a responsible course of action," Bush added.
GM and Chrysler immediately issued statements thanking the administration for taking action.
"We know we have much work in front of us to accomplish our plan," GM said. "We thank the Administration for this important support of our industry at this challenging time, and we look forward to proving what American ingenuity can achieve."
The White House and Treasury Department signaled a week ago that they were willing to use cash from the bank bailout fund to help keep GM and Chrysler afloat after the Senate failed to vote for a $14 billion bailout for the two companies. The bill had already passed the House and had the support of the administration.
GM (GM, Fortune 500) has warned it will fall below the minimum amount of cash it needs to continue to operate without $4 billion in federal loans before the end of the month. Privately held Chrysler said it will need $4 billion or it will also run out of cash early next year.
Ford Motor (F, Fortune 500) has more cash on hand and has said it should be able to avoid tapping into federal dollars unless the weak auto sales continue longer than it expects in 2009.
U.S. auto sales plunged to 26-year lows last month as tight credit, rising job losses and weak consumer confidence have led to a virtual collapse in the auto market.
All of the major automakers, including Asian automakers Toyota Motor (TM) and Honda Motor (HMC), are cutting back production. But the situation is particularly severe at GM and Chrysler.
In the last week, those two automakers announced shutdowns of assembly lines for at least a month, several weeks longer than the typical shutdowns during the December holiday season.
Breaking News...Bush announces help for Big 3
He will provide 13.4 billion from TARP and another 4 billion (in Feb.) in LOANS
He said bankruptcy is not an option "at this time"...due to the many reasons that were discussed here...
Admitted these are extraordinary times that require such action to avoid collapse that would be disaster for all Americans
Viable plan by March 31, reforms, etc. or money must be paid back immediately and if the only option is banckruptcy then so be it
Whew...Thank goodness! All that was needed was a fighting chance...I am confident GM can do it :D
Thank God!!!! Best thing that could have happened. My Dad and other retirees can breath a little easier.
Bring on our CAMAROs!!!!!!!!!!!!:thumbup::thumbup::happyanim:
*wipes sweat off brow*
Here's the rub as I see it:
"The government will put other conditions on the loans, Bush said Friday, including making pay competitive with foreign automakers with large U.S. operations such as Toyota and Honda."
I thought the UAW said they were done making concessions since they already have plans to get to these levels in 2010.
If they don't agree to make speed up the time table for the cuts, what happens???
Com'om GM get it done. I know with the new lineup coming out, you can do it!
Bush: Automakers to get 17.4 Billion$
Here is a link:
:happyanim: Let's start partying likes is 1999 :happyanim::drinking::drinking:
Great news to hear, but I hope people will start to buy some GM cars!
Another source (link). FINALLY!!! Some good news. Merry frikin' Christmas :D
"President George W. Bush will doubtlessly be remembered for many things things, but his parting legacy may yet be his eleventh-hour pledge of $17.4 billion in low-interest loans to General Motors and Chrysler (Ford Motor Company has said it does not require relief at this time).
The funding will reportedly come from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), the financial industry bailout package signed off on this fall. Up front, the White House will earmark $17.4 billion in short-term financing for December and January, and in February, another $4 billion will be disbursed, provided it can draw the funds from the second half of TARP's $700 billion.
More details are doubtlessly coming, but the bridge loans appear to hinge largely on whether General Motors and Chrysler are deemed "viable" enterprises by the government. In the terms of the agreement, that means that the automakers must prove whether they have a "positive net present value, taking into account all current and future costs, and can fully repay the government loan." There's no word yet on how they will prove said viability, but we expect to learn more soon. In the meantime, expect for both General Motors and Chrysler to stick to their previous production suspension announcements.
Politico has more specifics on the bailout here.
UPDATE: Press releases from General Motors, Ford and Chrysler have been added after the jump.
[Sources: ABC NEWS, Politico, Photo by Brendan Hoffman/Getty]
GM Statement on Administration Providing Bridge Loan to Domestic Auto Industry
We appreciate the President extending a financial bridge at this most critical time for the U.S. auto industry and our nation's economy. This action helps to preserve many jobs, and supports the continued operation of GM and the many suppliers, dealers and small businesses across the country that depend on us.
This will allow us to accelerate the completion of our aggressive restructuring plan for long-term, sustainable success. It will lead to a leaner, stronger General Motors, a GM that is:
*dedicated to great products, exciting design, and world-class quality
*fully committed to leading in energy-saving vehicles and technologies,
*responsive to the needs of our customers, our stakeholders and the communities we live in and serve.
We know we have much work in front of us to accomplish our plan. It is our intention to continue to be transparent as we execute our plan, and we will provide regular updates on our progress. We again thank the Administration for this important support of our industry at this challenging time, and we look forward to proving what American ingenuity can achieve.
# # #
FORD MOTOR COMPANY WELCOMES ACTION TO PROVIDE EMERGENCY FUNDING TO GM AND CHRYSLER
DEARBORN, Mich., Dec. 19, 2008 – Ford Motor Company said today that it welcomes action by the Administration to provide emergency funding for General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC.
"As we told Congress, Ford is in a different position. We do not face a near-term liquidity issue, and we are not seeking short-term financial assistance from the government," Ford President and CEO Alan Mulally said. "But all of us at Ford appreciate the prudent step the Administration has taken to address the near-term liquidity issues of GM and Chrysler. The U.S. auto industry is highly interdependent, and a failure of one of our competitors would have a ripple effect that could jeopardize millions of jobs and further damage the already weakened U.S. economy."
Ford recently submitted to Congress its comprehensive business plan, which details the company's plan to return to pre-tax Automotive profitability by 2011. In the plan, Ford said the transformation of its North American automotive business will continue to accelerate through aggressive restructuring actions and the introduction of more high-quality, safe and fuel-efficient vehicles – including a broader range of hybrid-electric vehicles and the introduction of advanced plug-in hybrids and full electric vehicles.
"Ford has a comprehensive transformation plan that will ensure our future viability – as evidenced by our profitability in the first quarter of 2008," Mulally said. "While we clearly still have much more work to do, I am more convinced than ever that we have the right plan that will create a viable Ford going forward and position us for profitable growth."
Ford is asking for access to a line of credit of up to $9 billion in bridge financing, but reiterated that it hopes to complete its transformation without accessing a government loan.
"For Ford, a line of credit would serve only as a critical backstop or safeguard against worsening conditions, as we drive transformational change in our company," Mulally said.
Ford reiterated that it is continuing aggressive actions to reduce costs and improve Automotive gross cash to fund its product-led transformation plan, despite the continued weakness in the global automotive market and economic environment. Ford said it is more committed than ever to deliver more of the safe, affordable, high-quality, fuel-efficient vehicles that consumers want and value. The company's plans include:
* Delivering best-in-class or among the best fuel economy with every new vehicle introduced.
* Investing approximately $14 billion in the U.S. on advanced technologies and products to improve fuel efficiency during the next seven years.
* Introducing industry-leading, fuel-saving EcoBoost engines on today's vehicles for up to 20 percent better fuel economy and up to 15 percent fewer CO2 emissions versus larger-displacement engines.
* Bringing to market by 2012 a family of hybrids, plug-in hybrids and battery electric vehicles.
* Upgrading the Ford, Lincoln, Mercury lineup in North America almost completely by the end of 2010.
* Bringing six European small vehicles from global B-car and C-car platforms to be built in Ford's North America plants.
* Retooling three North American truck plants to produce small, fuel efficient vehicles.
* Building on vehicle quality that is now on par with Honda and Toyota – and that consistently is being recognized by important third-parties like J.D. Power and Associates' Initial Quality Study – driven by Ford's disciplined and standardized processes for every product.
* Building on vehicle safety leadership – with the most U.S. government 5-star safety ratings of any auto company and recently moving past Honda for the industry's most IIHS "Top Safety Picks" – plus new smart safety features, such as the industry-first MyKey technology that limits top speed and audio volume for teens and the first forward crash-avoidance system for mainstream vehicles.
* Supporting Ford's products with a lean, flexible global manufacturing system on par with leading Japanese and European facilities.
To read Ford's submission to the U.S. Congress and for more information about Ford's plan, please visit www.thefordstory.com.
# # #
Chrysler LLC Thanks the Administration and Treasury for Their Confidence
Auburn Hills, Mich., Dec 19, 2008 - Chrysler LLC Chairman and CEO Bob Nardelli said on behalf of the men and women of Chrysler and its extended enterprise, that he would like to thank the Administration and Treasury for their confidence in the Company.
"A letter of intent was signed which outlines the specific requirements that must be achieved," said Nardelli. "These requirements will require consideration from all constituents, requiring commitment first in principal, leading to implementation this coming year. Chrysler is committed to meeting these requirements."
# # #
Nardelli said the Company would remain focused on its challenge and this initial injection of working capital would help bridge the liquidity crisis the industry is facing and assist in helping return Chrysler to profitability."
:rolleyes: Why is it that Ford's statement was the longest, and they're not even wanting the money? :laugh:
They must also have the cost structure in line with foreign competitors by the end of CY 2009.
So, the UAW basically has untill the end of next year to implement (not just pass, but must be fully implemented) more concessions or the companies forefit their loans.
Gettlefinger has to take it now. No more discussions and negotiations.
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WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration issued for comment on June 1 draft guidance for the voluntary reduction of sodium in prepared foods. The guidance features 2-year and 10-year goals for sodium content in prepared foods to reduce excess sodium intake among consumers. The F.D.A. has established proposed targets for approximately 150 food product categories that the agency said contribute meaningfully to the amount of sodium in the diet. (To view the list of product categories, click the link.)
|Sylvia Burwell, secretary of Health and Human Services|
“Many Americans want to reduce sodium in their diets, but that’s hard to do when much of it is in everyday products we buy in stores and restaurants,” said Sylvia Burwell, secretary of Health and Human Services. “Today’s announcement is about putting power back in the hands of consumers, so that they can better control how much salt is in the food they eat and improve their health.”
The goal of the guidance is to reduce what the F.D.A. estimates to be an average sodium intake of 3,400 mg per day among consumers to 2,300 mg per day. The guidance emphasizes the reduction would be done gradually over the 10-year period.
|Susan Mayne, director of the F.D.A.’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition|
“The totality of the scientific evidence supports sodium reduction from current intake levels,” said Susan Mayne, director of the F.D.A.’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. “Experts at the Institute of Medicine have concluded that reducing sodium intake to 2,300 mg per day can significantly help Americans reduce their blood pressure and ultimately prevent hundreds of thousands of premature illnesses and deaths. Because the majority of sodium in our diets comes from processed and prepared foods, consumers are challenged in lowering their sodium intake themselves.”
The F.D.A.’s focus on sodium reduction intensified in 2011 and since then many food and beverage companies have committed to reducing levels in many products. This past April, for example, Mars Food, a business unit of Mars, Inc., McLean, Va., announced its commitment to reducing sodium and added sugar in many of the company’s products. Mars Food said it aims to reduce sodium in its products by 20% in the next five years. This past May, Nestle S.A., Vevey, Switzerland, specifically voiced its support for the F.D.A.’s sodium reduction efforts.
|Leon Bruner, chief science officer for the G.M.A.|
“Success in cutting sodium consumption will require a holistic approach that includes actions by manufacturers, retailers and restaurants and that addresses consumer behaviors and preferences,” said Leon Bruner, chief science officer for the Grocery Manufacturers Association, Washington. “G.M.A. members are continuing to improve the nutritional profile of their products and have made more than 30,000 healthier product choices available to consumers between 2002 and 2013 by reducing sodium, calories, sugar and saturated fat, and increasing whole grains, fruits and vegetables. These include 6,500 product choices with reduced sodium, as G.M.A. member companies have been reformulating products to provide lower sodium options to help consumers achieve healthy sodium intake levels.
“Like others inside and outside of government, we believe additional work is needed to determine the acceptable range of sodium intake for optimal health. This evaluation should include research that indicates health risks for people who consume too much sodium as well as health risks from consuming too little sodium.”
The comment period opens June 2 and will run through Aug. 31. Comments may be submitted via www.regulations.gov.


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Rad Web Hosting Awarded Best Web Hosting Service on CrowdReviews.com
2 weeks ago
SANTA FE, NM--(Marketwired - February 27, 2016) - CrowdReviews.com, a platform for reviewing and ranking web hosting companies, has announced Rad Web Hosting as the top online web hosting service based on user reviews. Rad Web Hosting achieved the to...
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What’s incredible about the capabilities of the corporate Twitter feed is that it can be both a means of encouraging dialogue and a mouthpiece for the company at the same time. Could this be a model for businesses to use an outward facing online answering service to stir up dialogue?
Forbes has reported on the way that automobile titan Nissan has used a tweet to try and recover after a perceived failure with their most recent TV ad campaign for the Nissan Rogue. This isn’t the same thing as using these channels specifically for marketing, but it can draw upon its relationship to those kinds of campaigns by starting dialogue and taking user input.
This failure wasn’t necessarily anything in the ad so much as the way it reportedly played incessantly, to the point where it actively drove some previous Nissan fans away from purchasing the car, according to their Twitter messages, as collected by brandchannel. One Tweeter named Devin Long said that the spot’s “unparalleled abundance has ruined television for me.”
As a result, the official Nissan Twitter feed began to respond by saying that it had been “too excited” about this latest car. But this interaction doesn’t have to simply be market research or damage control: it can be the springboard to starting discussions that lead to change in business and eventually set up a relationship with the user and some representative of the company.
Whether or not this apology was “genuine,” it’s another demonstration of the power play that can happen in an instant online and lead to greater relevance.


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TikTok cosmetic surgery is a world of Eurocentric beauty standards and feelings of inadequacy.
Over the weekend, an aesthetic nurse practitioner sparked a massive backlash on social media after she shared a video about Natalia Dyer, who plays Nancy Wheeler in the Netflix series Stranger Things.
In the video, user @np.miranda describes exactly the cosmetic changes she would recommend if she were Natalia’s injector. Her first suggestion is to “treat” Natalia’s maseeters, as two white arrows point to the part of the actress’ face where her cheekbone connects to her jawline. Next, she plans to add chin filler, so Natalia’s face can look more “heart-shaped.” She then offers to add filler to her lips, but “nothing crazy”, just a “beautiful pout”. Botox is next on the agenda, and she suggests a brow lift to “open up” her eyes, before finally suggesting skin treatments, as she thinks Natalia has pretty thin skin.
At the end of the video, she poses a digitally altered photo of Natalia, an “end product” of the recommended procedures. The image is a distortion of the actress’s face. It doesn’t look like her anymore, but the nurse is proud of her photoshop skills that see an overall thinning of Natalia’s face as well as bigger lips and a completely different face shape.
One thing they taught me young in advertising (before I left it) is that our job is to destroy self-esteem. By targeting someone who people consider extremely beautiful, they are targeting your self-esteem more than Natalia Dyer.
— rafael shimunov (@rafaelshimunov) July 25, 2022
When the video hit Twitter, many users called the aesthetic nurse, and she ended up posting a video discussing the backlash. In it, she defends herself and says she was “just offering suggestions” of what is possible, rather than insisting that Natalia undergo the treatments. She then posted an old photo of herself and put her image through a similar process, and explained how, through cosmetic procedures, she “treated” her masseters to slim her face, added filler to cheeks and lips and had a brow lift to “even out”. their eyes.
Np.miranda’s TikTok page has over 41,000 followers and his videos have amassed over a million likes. Other content on her channel advises people to get botox in their twenties to “mitigate” aging, or suggests that opting for botox and lip fillers is simply an indication that one is “getting tired”. care” about their appearance. But np.miranda isn’t the only TikToker creating content promoting cosmetic procedures. The botox hashtag has over 3.4 billion views, while botoxchallenge has racked up over 98 million views.
With over a billion users, there’s no denying the cultural influence of TikTok and, therefore, it’s reasonable to be concerned about the content being shared on it. In recent years, many have pointed to the link between Snapchat facial features — which digitally alter the face to conform to Eurocentric beauty standards — and low self-esteem. These filters encourage users to “correct” their face, and as an article published in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery found, they can lead to feelings of low self-esteem, inadequacy, and can even trigger body dysmorphic disorder. The hypothetical content of the cosmetic procedure is the natural progression of these filters and is therefore likely to pose similar mental health risks.
The impact such content can have on its viewers becomes particularly insidious when you consider the fact that the majority of such videos exist as marketing techniques. Not only do these videos cause potential harm to those who watch them, but they also function as a mechanism that generates profits and contributes to the plastic surgery industry – a behemoth estimated to be worth over $511 billion. in the world.
Moreover, this content amplifies the troubling values of the industry, which is the one that promotes Eurocentric beauty standards. In this model, certain facial features are seen as problems that need to be “fixed” by medical procedures.
As it stands, most countries restrict social media advertising for cosmetic procedures, but online creators are not bound by these regulations. While I’m not suggesting that cosmetic professionals should be banned from promoting their work, one must recognize the role this content plays in promoting a uniform standard of beauty and consider the risk that unquestionably accompanies its consumption.


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ay by day Instagram proves that the competition in today’s progressive market is harder than ever, Instagram is working hard and doing their best to top all the social media entertaining platforms around the world.
Hence, everyday Instagram is testing new creative features, options, and tools, in order to provide an enjoyable, effective, and entertaining platform for all Instagrammers globally. One of those recently tested features -this week- is adding some new additions to the “Super Zoom” feature, an enjoyable tool that’s joined the Instagram stories features, recently.
These new additions to “Super Zoom” provide creative, additional, and different ways to use the option in the Instagram Stories, as reported by the Social & Digital media consultant, Matt Navarra on his official Twitter account, a few hours ago.
— Matt Navarra (@MattNavarra) September 6, 2018
Back in October 2017, Instagram and Facebook added new features for Halloween, Including ‘Super Zoom’, which has been added to enhance the users’ Instagram Stories and DMs. It was providing only the ‘dramatic close-up” zoom tool.
The new feature “Super Zoom” is already proving popular and successful in remaining in high circulation long after Halloween. Then on November 1st, Instagram revealed their plan to provide Halloween-style face filters.
As explained by Instagram:
“When you open the camera, you’ll see “Superzoom” next to “Boomerang” under the record button. Tap “Superzoom” and then tap record to automatically zoom in with suspenseful music.”
Since then, Instagram worked on testing several options in different ways, but this is the first time Instagram has listed a broad collection of them in the app, with each of them providing Instagrammers with a different effect.
On the other hand, These additions are not the only Instagram steps to improve the Instagram stories experience for all its users; In June, Instagram launched “@Mention sharing”, a new feature that enables Instagrammers re-sharing stories, in addition, users will be able to reshare any photo or video in which they’ve been tagged and share it into their own story. Then, through the same month, they rolled out “Shopping Tags in Stories”, a new feature that enables businesses to add a sticker with a shopping bag icon to their product image in their Instagram Stories, to enable their customers to see more details about it.
After that, in July, they added A new “music sticker”, which enables Instagrammers to add a soundtrack to their stories and choose the song which fits their story vibe.
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Posted by: Viki ZabalaJanuary 4, 2013
- Christmas 2012 saw record iOS and Android device activations, while industry reports show App Store downloads soared by 87 percent.
- Both the Apple App Store and Google Play saw healthy revenue gains in 2012, with more monetization and potential for global growth ahead in 2013.
- 2012 was (finally!) the year of mobile – from the launch of the iPhone 5 to Android device supremacy. But some say we’ll look back on 2013 as the year of the tablet.
- Will Apple unveil a new iPhone in 2013? This is just one of many predictions industry experts are making for the new year.
TheNextWeb reports that Christmas Day 2012 saw a record 17.4 million iOS and Android device activations – or 2.5x more than Christmas Day 2011 – according to Flurry. And new stats from Distimo indicate that daily downloads in the Apple App Store increased by 87 percent on Christmas Day, while revenues increased by 70 percent. This data “supports the common idea that developers should make a point to take advantage of the holiday season by updating and tweaking their apps in the weeks leading up to the 25th of December,” writes TheNextWeb’s Emil Protalinski. The 2012 holidays also marked a turning point in the history of mobile marketing, with more campaigns and shopping conducted on smartphones and tablets than in years past. If you’re interested in learning which holiday mobile marketing strategies worked well this year (and which ones didn’t), we invite you to join our free Mobile Marketer webinar on Jan. 24 – register here.
TechCrunch reports on the latest findings from ABI Research which show that mobile apps hit 43.6 billion downloads worldwide between September 2011 and September 2012, with Apple’s App Store leading the pack. In fact, all the app stores felt the boom of the mobile economy during 2012. Daily revenue in the Apple App Store grew 21 percent in 2012, while Google Play’s app revenue increased 43 percent, reported Steve Smith of MediaPost. Android’s operating system also realized remarkable gains in the latter half of 2012 with its improved user experience and scale of penetration. Device-wise, international growth also surged – the iPhone in Japan, China, and Russia; and Android devices in Korea, Japan, and France.
While pundits have been proclaiming "the year of mobile" for a few years, now, 2012 actually lived up to those expectations in several ways. But what will be shaking the industry in 2013? Greg Sterling of Marketing Land predicts that a year from now, we’ll look back on 2013 as “the year of the tablet.” According to a recent Nielsen survey, the gadget children and adults desired most this holiday season was the iPad, and many unwrapped Apple’s tablet Christmas morning. In fact, of the 17.4 million devices activated Dec. 25, 51 percent were tablets.
And what will make headlines in 2013? Will it be a new iPhone from Apple? A new flavor version from Android? Will Motorola make its first official flagship device for Google? Dan Rowinski of ReadWrite makes some bold predictions on what’s to come for mobile in 2013, especially after a year of tremendous industry growth.
Posted by: Viki ZabalaSeptember 1, 2011
The industry continues to buzz with discussions around Apple’s future in the wake of Steve Jobs’ departure, while new research has surfaced claiming that mobile app advertising could surpass online advertising by the end of this year. This week’s Fiksu Feed includes a recap of these stories and a number of other trends in the mobile space surrounding skyrocketing smartphone usage and changes to the Apple App Store.
After masterminding the iPhone, iPad, iPod, iMac and iTunes, Steve Jobs truly epitomizes the Apple brand. His resignation as CEO sent shockwaves through the tech community, marking the end of an era. An interesting Seeking Alpha article points to the “app economy” as the driving force behind Apple’s future success under new CEO Tim Crook’s leadership. Apple’s mobile app economy continues to strengthen and expand as paid downloads are expected to drive nearly $2 billion per quarter by the end of 2012 and mobile ads are predicted to generate around $3.3 billion worldwide by the end of this year.
With more than half a million apps available for more than 350 million iOS and Android devices today, it’s no secret that mobile app ad display inventory is thriving. Mobile analytics company Flurry published new data revealing that mobile app inventory is growing so aggressively that it could potentially absorb U.S. online display ad spend by the end of 2011. TechCrunch has more on these growth findings.
In other research news, new data from comScore revealed that 82.2 million Americans owned a smartphone as of July 2011, marking a 10 percent spike in just four months. Unsurprisingly, Google continues to dominate the smartphone space with 41.8 percent of market share, while Apple places second with 27 percent. The data also indicated that 234 million Americans 13 years and older use some type of mobile device. Of these users, about 40 percent have downloaded and used an app on their phone – a 2.8 percent increase from April. Read this Mashable piece for further details.
While the Windows Phone app store isn’t exactly ready to compete with Android and iOS, the new marketplace has reached a milestone worth noting. In just 10 months, the Windows Phone 7 marketplace now touts more than 30,000 applications. Mark Jones of Rethink Wireless notes one of the potential reasons for this lightning-fast growth could be that Microsoft is actively encouraging amateur app developers to submit their apps. As the overall app landscape expands, competition for visibility in the app stores continues to increase – spelling both challenge and opportunity for mobile marketers.
Borrell Associates has published a new report indicating that small and mid-size U.S. businesses are embracing mobile advertising in a big way. Driven by the explosion of social media, smartphones and daily deals, these businesses are expected to spend almost $800 million in 2011 on mobile ads, half of which will be spent on mobile promotions. According to the report, mobile ad spending is predicted to double every year for the next five years, bringing the total amount spent to $18 billion for advertising and $4 billion for promotions by 2016. Read more in Tech Flash.
If you’ve visited Apple’s App Store category pages recently, you may have noticed a new look and feel, similar to that of the home page. This re-vamped look has appeared in the Education and Games categories, featuring a large banner showcasing select, ‘New and Noteworthy’ apps. While it is still unclear if this streamlined design is a temporary or permanent change, The Next Web’s Matthew Panzarino predicts that we’ll soon see this uniform design across the entire Apple App Store.


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With the employment situation showing continued signs of strength, accelerated economic growth could be on the horizon.
As the economy grows, business at small- and medium-sized manufacturers and wholesalers could pick up, which may lead to an increased need for purchase order financing.
The U.S. economy added 195,000 jobs in June, but the unemployment rate was unchanged at 7.6 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Employment increased in leisure and hospitality, professional and business services, retail trade, health care and financial activities.
June's job gains were greater than expected, as economists surveyed by Bloomberg projected 165,000 additional positions.
"Job growth is starting to hum along," Jonathan Basile, director of U.S. economics at Credit Suisse Holdings USA, told Bloomberg. "All of it is laying the groundwork for more spending and more jobs. This virtuous cycle is really taking hold for the second half of the year."
Neil Dutta, head of U.S. economics at Renaissance Macro Research, told the source that wages are growing as well, which should help benefit economic growth.
"The improvement in employment and the improvement in wages suggest aggregate incomes are rising quite nicely," he said. "This sets the stage for a stronger second-half outlook for consumption."
Consumers confident in the direction. of the economy
Americans are beginning to feel more confident in the economy and their personal financial situations.
After dipping slightly in early June, consumer sentiment rebounded to remain at a high level by the end of the month. Rising household wages were the biggest driver behind high confidence levels, but job gains and wages also played a role.
The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Index of Consumer Sentiment was at 84.1, down slightly from the previous month, but much higher than a year ago at this time.
"Consumers now believe the recovery has achieved an upward momentum that will not easily be reversed," said Surveys of Consumers chief economist Richard Curtin.
Americans are also feeling better about their future prospects, with the Index of Consumer Expectations rising to a mark of 77.8, a 2.6 percent monthly bump and 14.7 percent year-over-year increase.
Purchase order financing demand could rise as the economy grows
With the economy poised for growth, small- and medium-sized manufacturers and wholesalers could begin to see additional business.
Should this come in the form of orders larger than they are used to handling, some sort of financing will likely need to be utilized.
When turning to a bank, smaller businesses are typically turned away, as they often have limited available capital or lagging cash flow. But that doesn't mean financial assistance isn't available.
Manufacturers and wholesalers that are told "No" by a bank can turn to purchase order financing. This lending agreement allows a business to obtain up to 100 percent of the funds needed to fill an order.
By using purchase order financing, small- and medium-sized manufacturers and wholesalers are able to avoid having to sell any equity, which allows owners of these companies to retain 100 percent ownership.


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The Costa del Sol accumulates in the first eleven months of the year a slight rise of 0.5 percent in the number of hotel travelers, which highlights the increase of 2.1 percent of domestic travelers, while international travelers staying in hotels suffered a drop of 0.4 percent.
In total, the destination received a total of 5,165,276 hoteliers until November, according to the latest data from the Hotel Situation Bulletin prepared by Turismo Costa del Sol.
Regarding the overnight stays generated by these travelers, the Costa del Sol maintains a similar trend, with growth of 3.3 percent in the total overnight stays of Spaniards, while foreigners reduce by two percent their stays in the hotels in the province, surpassing the barrier of 19 million overnight stays in the first eleven months of the year and a total decrease of 0.7 percent.
The president of Tourism Costa del Sol, Elias Bendodo, has assessed that the destination present in the accumulated of the year a rise in hotel travelers and a slight decrease in the total overnight stays “which demonstrates the strength and capacity of the Costa del Sol Sun that has attracted tourists from other markets such as the French, Nordic or Portuguese countries that have replaced the descent of arrivals of British and German tourists, who are our main international clients.
Bendodo recalled that in the absence of closing the month of December and with the forecasts handled by the Department of Tourist Intelligence of the company, the Costa del Sol will close the tourist year of 2018 with an increase of 2.5 percent in the total of tourist income up to 14,200 million euros; a rise of 4.5 percent in tourist employment with a total of 173,800 people working in the industry, and a slight increase of one percent in the number of tourists to reach 12,556,000 visitors.
The president of Tourism Costa del Sol has highlighted, through a statement, also that “tourism continues to create employment as shown by the data in hotel establishments in the first eleven months where there are already 13,745 people working in hotels, which is a increase of three percent in relation to the same period last year “.
On the other hand, on November, hotels on the Costa del Sol registered 961,554 overnight stays last November, which is 0.8 percent more than in the same month of 2017, according to the latest Bulletin of Coyuntura Tourist that elaborates Tourism Costa del Sol.
This slight rise is due to the increase in two percent of hotel overnight stays made by foreigners compared to the 8.4 percent decrease of those made by national tourists compared to November 2017. In total they spent the night in hotels in November of the Costa del sol a total of 244,029 national tourists and 717,525 international travelers
Last November, travelers staying in hotels in the province of Malaga increased by 0.9 percent, with a rise of 2.5 percent for international travelers, 173,200, and a decrease of 1.2 percent. hundred of the nationals, 120,822.
In this way, the average stay in November decreased by 1.8 percent from 3.33 days to 3.27 days, while the occupancy rate of the hotel plant was reduced by 1.35 percent , from 50.7 percent to 49.3 percent of average occupation.


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Arts and crafts retailer Michaels Cos. warned investors after the market closed on Tuesday that so far its second quarter results are trending in the low-to-middle range of its forecast.
Last month, Michaels said it expected a second-quarter profit of 16 cents to 18 cents a share, which was below the consensus analyst forecast of 21 cents. It also estimated a sales increase in the range of 0.4 percent to 1.4 percent.
The Irving-based retailer disclosed the updated forecast in connection with a secondary offering of its stock.
The retailer's majority shareholders are selling 11 million shares. Michaels was taken private in 2006 by Bain Capital and Blackstone Group through a $6 billion leveraged buyout.
Two years ago, when Michaels went public again, Bain and Blackstone continued to own about 80 percent after the IPO. The secondary offering is part of their exit strategy.
The stock price was lower in the after market on Tuesday.


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Content marketing company Contently has appointed Pearl Collings chairperson and CEO, succeeding founder Joe Coleman. Coleman has transitioned to an advisory role after eight years leading the company.
Collings' appointment follows what the company said was an eight-month search.
Previously Chief Business Officer at Time Inc., Collings is credited with leading the publisher’s digital transformation prior to the $2.8 billion sale of the firm to Meredith. Earlier, she held senior roles at Dotdash and Everyday Health.
Contently also announced the return of founder-at-large Shane Snow to the company’s Board of Directors.
Earlier this year, Contently made headlines and drew backlash for a plan to charge the freelancers it works with a 4.75% service fee on top of existing fees. A short time later the company apologized and withdrew the plan.


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In exchange for a cryptocurrency token, you can own a digital watercolor of Melania Trump’s eyes.
The former first lady started a company this week that sells NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, on her website in exchange for a Solana token currently valued at around $ 180 each.
Melania Trump will “periodically” post NFTs on its website, according to a press release, with a portion of the proceeds going to foster children. It is unclear what percentage of the proceeds will be donated or whether the donations will benefit certain charities for foster children. An email request about how the donations should be structured was not answered by Melania Trump’s press contact.
Aaron Dorfman, president and CEO of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, says when a company says “a portion of the proceeds” will go to charity without giving the exact amount, “it’s a huge red flag.”
“That means charity is not a serious part of their plan,” said Dorfman. “It’s a marketing ploy.”
The Trump family has a difficult history with charities, although Melania Trump was not directly involved in a dispute over a charity the family ran in New York.
JUDGE DENIES TRUMP EFFORTS TO BLOCK CONGRESS AT HIS TAXES
While he was still president, Donald Trump paid a court-ordered $ 2 million fine after admitting he used his charitable trust as a personal piggy bank. The fine was divided among eight charities.
The Trump Foundation was dissolved.
Additionally, Trump agreed to restrictions on starting a new charity or foundation, and New York State required compulsory education for its children Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, and Eric Trump, all of whom were involved in the Trump Foundation.
Non-fungible tokens are essentially digital certificates of authenticity that can be attached to art, music, or any other type of digital file. NFTs confirm ownership of an item by recording the details on a digital ledger called a blockchain, which is public and stored on computers over the internet, making it virtually impossible to lose or destroy.
MELANIA TRUMP BECOMES 50 IN THE CORONAVIRUS QUARANTINE
An NFT from Beeple’s digital artist sold for nearly $ 70 million earlier this year. It sparked great interest in digital technology, which has been around for several years, and supported a bitcoin craze that made blockchain a household name. Digital cat figurines sold for six-figure sums back in 2017, and today you can buy LeBron James digital basketball highlight NFTs for a few dollars to nearly a quarter of a million dollars.
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Although they are often viewed as a fun hobby like collectibles because their values fluctuate, many view NFTs as an investment. Like cryptocurrencies, they are largely unregulated and many experts warn against putting money into them.


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Discover more from More Perfect Union
Biden's Message to Non-Union Workers
"Join, organize, picket, protest."
Last Thursday, More Perfect Union interviewed President Biden when he traveled to Belvidere, Illinois to celebrate the re-opening of an auto assembly plant and the creation of a new electric vehicle plant.
After decades of watching 65 auto plant closures occur, this rare re-opening is a welcome reversal of the trend and big credit goes to the UAW leadership and the Biden administration for working together to get it done.
The Belvidere facility that once employed more than 1,200 hourly workers is now set to reopen as an assembly plant in 2027, building a new midsize pickup truck. “In the meantime, it will start making batteries for electric vehicles and serve as a parts depot for the company.”
We'll be producing a long-form video of our interviews with Biden, UAW president Shawn Fain, and others in a week or two. In the meantime, we posted a quick clip in which we asked the president what his message is to non-union autoworkers at Honda, Toyota, Tesla, and other plants.
“Join, organize, picket, protest,” he told us. “You have a right to form a union, and you cannot be stopped. You cannot be intimidated.” (Watch the full response here.)
The video went viral, receiving well over a million views on Friday. More important than views, the video report had real-world impact. Within six hours of us posting the clip, UAW reported that it was being inundated with workers who had heard the president’s comment and wanted to begin organizing.
The UAW then announced a public campaign to organize Honda plants:
Then, hours ago, Hyundai became the third auto company (along with Toyota and Honda) to announce raises for workers in the wake of UAW’s gains at the Big Three. Hyundai said it will raise pay for its U.S. factory workers by 25 percent by 2028.
(Rarely do news outlets note that these three companies all run union shops at home, and also lobbied to kill a proposed U.S. tax credit for union-made EVs that Congress debated in 2021. That provision was single-handedly sunk by Sen. Joe Manchin, who announced his opposition at a non-union Toyota plant in West Virginia.)
Of course, these promised pay raises for non-union autoworkers are just that — promises. Tomorrow management could change their minds.
“That’s the difference,” UAW’s Jonah Furman tweeted. “When these workers join the UAW, they’ll have a deal in writing, backed up by the power of the strike and one of the strongest industrial unions in the country.”


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in this issue
Asian Olefins Prices Sluggish
5:04 PM MDT | June 21, 2012 | Lindsey Bewley
Naphtha price levels continued to slide this week to USD 760.0 – 762.0 as compared to USD 785.0 – 787 last week on FOB Korea basis. This is due to downward movement of crude since last number of weeks. This trend is expected to continue in the coming weeks; the effect can be observed down the complete value chain till the derivative products. Ethylene moved down to USD 820-830 as compared to USD 980-990 last week on FOB Korea basis. Sentiments are low and therefore the price of the product is not strong. The end user markets for the derivative...
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In the face of the challenges the world is currently facing — from wars to the repercussions of the pandemic and the climate emergency, the role of design and architecture in societal and global change has never been more important. DesignTalks 2023, an international conference that took place within DesignMarch festival at Harpa on May 3rd, addressed these issues, and highlighting the power of creativity in finding solutions.
DesignTalks 2023 brought together a diverse group of experts — sci-fi architects, designers, bio-designers, artists and curators to explore the question of “What now?”. Unfortunately, a few speakers had to cancel last moment and couldn’t attend the conference. Two speakers connected online due to personal circumstances.
The Grapevine spent the whole day at the conference. Here are some of our impressions and takeaways.
Trees on stage
There were at least 10 small pine trees, as well as birch trees, bushes, and an abundance of moss on the stage. Despite claiming that the trees were donated by Kópavogur forestry and rescued from trash bins and such, the view was rather surreal, especially since the first few talks heavily focused on sustainability. Some of the attendees, including us, were puzzled about whether having real trees on stage helps support sustainability solutions in any way, considering the carbon emissions involved in bringing those trees to Harpa.
AI in art: a blessing or a curse?
The first block of talks was titled “What now? Let’s talk about creativity” and featured talks by Liam Young, a sci-fi architect and director, and Refik Anadol, a media artist director and data and machine intelligence enthusiast. Both artists focused on using technology to maximize creativity. “I’m trying to bring inspiration, joy, and hope, but not necessarily ignoring the problem,” says Refik Anadol, speaking about the threats that AI and other technologies currently on the rise pose to artists. “I do believe in the power of the education part. We do have more chances to communicate.”
“Climate change is no longer a technological problem. There’s no billionaire who can deliver us a magic bullet solution. Climate change is now a political and cultural problem,” stressed Liam Young.
Ingvar Helgason, designer and founder of VitroLabs, spoke about his company’s research on growing real leather in a lab. By taking a single biopsy from a cow, they can produce enough leather for millions of handbags. The product uses 98% less land, emits 76% fewer greenhouse gases, and does not harm any animals in the process. “How do we work with customers to replace the leather, rather than adding new alternatives?” — is one of Ingvar’s main goals as he talks about the fashion brand Hermes willing to add lab-grown leather to their product chain, rather than saying no to real leather in general.
Outerwear that lasts
Bjarney Harðardóttir, CEO and owner of 66°North, spoke about the importance of creating performance outerwear that lasts and putting repairability at the forefront of her brand. She stated that “It became the outerwear of the nation,” and emphasized that creativity thrives when working within limitations.
The talk featured examples of how 66°North have been repurposing leftover materials, as well as a conversation with Charlie Constantinou, an aspiring UK-based designer that has just released a limited collection with 66°North.
Human shells for introverts
One of the most inspiring talks in our opinion turned out to be a keynote by Sigríður Sunna Reynisdóttir, artistic director and founder of ÞYKJÓ, a brand that designs toys, costumes and furniture for children, with children.
The talk guided us through the creative process of the brand as well as well the ins and outs of featured projects. “Kids are being experts on being kids,” says Sigríður.
From waste to well-being
After attendees were treated to some ugly veg soup, it was time for a talk by Sigurður Þorsteinsson, Partner at Design Group Italia and Chief Brand, Design and Innovation Officer at the Blue Lagoon, who spoke about how the Blue Lagoon has reinvented its brand over the years. “This wouldn’t be allowed today,” he laughed, saying that the blue water in the Blue Lagoon is just the waste water of a power plant. As tourism in Iceland grew, the Blue Lagoon focused on attracting affluent visitors rather than everyone. Sigurður also unveiled a few plans that the Blue Lagoon has in store for 2023.
While DesignTalks 2023 might be over, the DesignMarch festival continues. Today, we’re planning to pop in to the following events:
Pizza time, Studio Flétta and Ýrúrarí invite you to grab a pizza made of wool offcuts (Gallery Port, Laugavegur 32, 101 Reykjavík, 16:00-19:00)
Bespoke rugs, a collection of rugs by Lilý Erla Adamsdóttir inspired by nature — heather, moss and Icelandic rocks (Sjöstrand, Hólmaslóð 4, 101 Reykjavík, 17:00-19:00)
Jewellery at The House of Collection, an exhibition, showcasing works of students (Technical College Reykjavík) in gold and silver smithery (Safnahúsið, Hverfisgata 15, 101 Reykjavík, 15:00-17:00)
Quarter to Five, a new scent presentation at Fischersund (Fischersund, Fischersund 3, 101 Reykjavík, 16:45-21:00)
REEL, a coffee table collection made of recycled and discarded materials (S/K/E/K/K, Óðinsgata 1, 101 Reykjavík, 18:00-20:00)
These are just a few of our picks, there is much more! Choose your favourite and prepare for design inspiration this week: designmarch.is
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To the delight of local craft beer fans, acclaimed brewer Chuck Silva has opened his new brewery and tasting space behind the Pour House in Paso Robles.
Silva Brewing debuted Dec. 3 with Paso Pale, a hop-forward combination of Simcoe and Cascade hops on a pale malt backbone. The following weekend came 1st Gold, a German-style blonde inspired by Silva’s first gold-medal winning beer at the World Beer Cup in 2000.
An American IPA called 525 Pine and a German-style amber called Suite B — both named for the brewery’s street address — are set to be released this weekend.
The small, 333-square-foot brewery’s opening coincided with a tap-takeover at the Pour House featuring Green Flash Brewing Co., the San Diego brewery where Silva helped herald the craft beer revolution over the past decade.
“It worked out really well,” Silva said. “We had a good crowd throughout the day.”
At a sleek bar overlooking the compact brewery’s 10-barrel brewing system and 20-barrel fermenters, Silva offers 2-ounce samplers for $2 and 10-ounce pours for $4. For those seeking fresh beer to go, the brewery offers 32-ounce crowlers as well as 64-ounce stainless steel Miir growlers.
Rather than brand and fill only the brewery’s own growlers, as most do, Silva stamped his growlers — $45 to buy, $20 to fill — only with #CaliforniaCraft. He plans to refill any nonbranded swing-top growlers and hopes to get other breweries to adopt similar practices.
“One growler to rule them all,” he described his goal with the vessels.
Keg distribution to area bars and restaurants will kick off soon.
The brewery at 525 Pine St., Suite B, can be accessed from the Pour House or from the alley behind the buildings and is 21-and-over because it shares bathrooms with the bar. Hours are 3 to 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
A few blocks away, a 3-year-old microbrewery opened its first tasting space at 1111 Riverside Ave., Suite 103.
Toro Creek Brewing Co. has been pouring its brews — made with farm-grown hops and barley — primarily at festivals and events, with occasional tap appearances around the county.
The opening of the airy tasting room, by Cool Hand Luke’s Steakhouse, marks the first time the beers will be readily available to the public. Hours are 2 to 8 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday, 2 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday.
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The gamification of loyalty schemes is accelerating in the Irish market with the advent of Topaz’s “Play or Park” game.
Chilli Pepper Marketing, the specialist loyalty company that advised Topaz on the game, believes other brands will have to update their schemes if they want to keep customers engaged.
“Topaz are luckily the first ones out there,” says Leanne Papaioannou, managing director of Chilli Pepper Marketing. “Other schemes will have to evolve.”
The fuel retailer is investing €3 million in the online and app-based game, which dangles luxury lifestyle experiences as monthly prizes to players who have amassed sufficient points through Topaz purchases.
It also offers “rewards” such as free coffees and sandwiches when customers use up their points by playing.
From this weekend, the scheme will be backed by an advertising campaign created for Topaz by Target McConnells, which also designed the app and website for the game.
Loyalty schemes have become ubiquitous since the onset of the recession that it has become difficult for brands to get theirs to stand out – customers, after all, can’t be loyal to everyone.
Although nine in 10 Irish consumers are estimated to carry at least one loyalty card and six in 10 carry more than three, consumers typically participate in fewer than half of the schemes to which they belong, Papaioannou says.
“A lot of the time it is because the offers are very similar across a lot of loyalty programmes,” she says. “They become stale and irrelevant to customers.”


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Walgreens Fights Muscular Dystrophy
Neighborhood Walgreens are teaming up to make a big splash against muscular dystrophy.
Today at the East Pass Road location in Gulfport, customers could donate a dollar to the MDA. In return, they got a shot at dunking the store manager.
Tomorrow, the fundraiser will continue, running all day at locations across the Coast. Katherine LeBlance with Walgreens Pharmacy said, “Starting in D’Iberville at 9, Biloxi at 11, Dedeaux Road at 1 and 25th Avenue at 3.”
Rashuanda McQueen with Walgreens Pharmacy said, “It’s a dollar a ball. If you just want to give a donation to the cause, that’s fine.”
Walgreens Manager Gus Bridges said, “We’re raising money for MDA to help send a child to camp for a week. It takes approximately $1,000.”
The fundraiser will conclude at the 25th and Pass Walgreens location in Gulfport at 3 p.m. where they’ll be selling hotdogs.


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90-Second Ad Directed by Mike Diva Will Air in Cinema and Social
Halo Top, which was growing without running more traditional ads, is out with what appears to be its least traditional marketing approach yet.
The ice cream brand’s new 90-second spot takes place in an all-white room. But the commercial, directed by Mike Dahlquist, is far from, well, vanilla. A woman is force-fed vanilla ice cream by a robot that would be more at home in a sci-fi movie than a dessert commercial.
Dahlquist, better known to his fans as Mike Diva, came up with the concept for the spot, says Halo Top Founder and CEO Justin Woolverton, a fan of Diva’s work such as a video in which Hillary Clinton was a meme queen.
Read more at Creativity-Online: http://creativity-online.com/work/halo-top-final-delivery/52614


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Gender Neutral fashion hits the catwalk
Exploring gender representations within the fashion industry is the theme of a charity fashion show hosted by Southampton Solent University this March.
Organised by students on the BA (Hons) Fashion Management with Marketing course, a selection of designers, who push the boundaries of gender perceptions, will showcase their designs at the 'Gender Neutral’ fashion show being held at the University on Wednesday 25 March.
Designer Jack Kindred-Boothy’s Collection, 'The Break in the Beam', explores structural vulnerability in menswear.
Commenting on his collection, which was showcased at the Sustain catwalk show at Brighton Fashion Week 2014, Jack says, “It was inspired from trying on women's clothes and finding that very often the structure of the clothing - for example cut-away sections that leave the skin exposed, or thin, see-through fabric - created in me a feeling of vulnerability that menswear never subjected me to.
“I thought it would be interesting to explore the idea of creating clothes for men that do not provide so much emotional armour as they are used to experiencing.”
There will also be live entertainment from DJ Audio k9 and Damien Murdoch and a raffle.
All proceeds from the show will go to Mermaids, a charity supporting young people with gender identity issues.
The show will take place at the Solent Studio in the John Millais Building at East Park Terrace. The doors open at 6.30pm and the show starts at 7.30pm.
Tickets are available online at http://www.seetickets.com/event/gender-neutral-fashion-show/southampton-solent-university/861195 or on the door.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT THE MEDIA OFFICE ON 023 8201 3040 or email@example.com
About Southampton Solent University
Southampton Solent University offers more than 23,000 students over 200 qualifications ranging from HND to PhD, in subjects such as maritime education and training, fashion and design, media and television, music, health, sport and leisure, business, IT and technology. The University was awarded the 2013 Quality Assurance kitemark for quality and standards of teaching and learning. Solent was voted one of the most creative universities in the UK in a Which? University 2014 poll of students. Solent Business School has been awarded the Small Business Charter Award, which is supported by the Association of Business Schools and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and ‘gold approval’ by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).


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Black Friday online sales top $1B, strong Cyber Monday expected
- Staff San Francisco Business Times
Online retail sales on Black Friday reached $1 billion for the first time this year, according to comScore Inc.
The research firm said online sales rose 26 percent on Black Friday to $1.04 billion, compared with $816 million a year earlier.
That number is expected to be topped on Cyber Monday. ComScore estimates Americans will spend $1.5 billion Monday, up from $1.25 billion a year ago, as retailers offer more online deals.
Shopping habits are being influenced by technology in other ways, as well, with more people using mobile devices and social media to shop.
Read more at Bloomberg.
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Have you grown wary of long lines at the airport and over-crowded international flights? JetSmarter gets you, and has finally announced their first ever transatlantic JetShuttle. You will now be able to fly private, for less, between New York City and London.
Claiming to be the first of its kind operating on this route, the JetShuttle allows passengers to book a single seat on a private plane for a direct flight that is said to arrive faster than the Concorde. Private jet companies are finding a happy medium between private jet charter prices and commercial flights, offering affluent travelers more luxurious ways to travel that are more accessible.
JetShuttles currently operate in Europe and the Middle East, with service in London, Paris, Nice, France, Moscow, Ibiza, Spain, Milan, Geneva, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Jeddah and Riyadh, Saudia Arabia among others. Seeing a demand for Transatlantic service, the JetShuttle is now taking round trips from New York to London.
The scheduled flights in the Gulfstream GIV-SP and Bombardier Global Express will take off at 9 a.m. in New York on Fridays, making the return trip on Sunday at 6 p.m. The service will begin on Aug. 26.
JetSmarter is a mobile marketplace that offers instant pricing and availability for private jets worldwide. The application democratizes the private jet industry by decreasing the entry price for consumers, and helping air carriers gain more exposure within the market. By eliminating the middle man when it comes to booking a private jet, this app takes the process into the future with simplicity and ease. The JetSmarter app is available for iOS and Android.
Stay tuned at Miami City Social for more information.
Source : HauteLiving, Robb Report, Luxury Daily


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San Diego-based Qualcomm is the biggest supplier of processors for smartphones and the modem chips that connect the phones to wireless data networks.
The company's chips featuring fifth-generation (5G) cellular telecommunications technology are currently in many premium-priced smartphones such as Samsung Electronics Co Ltd's Galaxy devices.
But Qualcomm has also been working to get the technology into cheaper devices. The new chip, called the Snapdragon 690, will go into devices that it expects to retail at $300 to $500, Qualcomm said. Phone makers such as HMD Global, the owner of the Nokia phone brand, LG Electronics Inc and Lenovo Group Ltd's Motorola plan to use the chips, Qualcomm said.
The push into lower price points means higher volumes for Qualcomm. According to data from Counterpoint Research, smartphones with wholesales prices of $100 to $400, which are somewhat lower than the prices consumers pay, made up about 50% of the overall smartphone market in the first quarter of 2020.
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Hurdles ahead for cable deal
The bid by Comcast to acquire Time Warner Cable would combine America’s two largest cable companies — but there are plenty of hurdles ahead before it can be a $45.2 billion done deal.
Comcast made it official Thursday announcing that it was buying Time Warner Cable in an all-stock deal. The company contends the deal will benefit consumers by creating a company that can deliver new products and services as well as a faster network.
“The combination of Time Warner Cable and Comcast creates an exciting opportunity for our company, for our customers, and for our shareholders,” said Brian L. Roberts, Comcast chairman and chief executive officer. “In addition to creating a world-class company, this is a compelling financial and strategic transaction for our shareholders. Also, it is our intention to expand our buyback program by an additional $10 billion at the close of the transaction.”
Executives explained the deal to investors and journalists in a pair of conference calls Thursday morning. Roberts called the move “pro-consumer, pro-competitive and strongly in the public interest.”
“The deal will benefit millions of customers through accelerated deployment of advanced technology and the development of new and innovative products making our businesses more competitive.”
The company says the move will benefit consumers because it will come with a superior video experience, higher broadband speeds and the fastest in-home Wi-Fi.
But the acquisition will be subject to government approval — and it is already raising concerns in the industry. The deal would combine two of the top four pay-TV companies in the marketplace.
Free Press President and CEO Craig Aaron said the deal combining the two would mean higher prices.
“In an already uncompetitive market with high prices that keep going up and up, a merger of the two biggest cable companies should be unthinkable,” he said. “This deal would be a disaster for consumers and must be stopped.”
The Justice Department or the Federal Trade Commission will examine the deal for antitrust concerns, and the Federal Communications Commission will decide if the merger is in the public interest. Comcast is the largest pay-TV company, followed by satellite TV providers DirecTV and Dish. Time Warner rounds out the top four.
Recent deals have been rejected by the federal government. The Justice Department and the FCC said no to AT&T’s attempt to take over T-Mobile — a deal that would have combined the No. 2 and No. 4 wireless operators.
It’s too early to say what antitrust analysis regulators will do or how they will define the marketplace. In the past, cable company unions have passed antitrust muster as long as the combination didn’t eliminate a cable competitor in a local market.
John Bergmayer, Public Knowledge’s senior staff attorney, added: “Comcast cannot be allowed to purchase Time Warner Cable. Antitrust authorities and the FCC must stop it.”
The deal is already drawing the interest of key lawmakers. The leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s antitrust panel said they plan to hold a hearing on the transaction.
“This proposed merger could have a significant impact on the cable industry and affect consumers across the country,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), the panel’s chairwoman, said in a statement. The hearing will “carefully scrutinize the details of this merger and its potential consequences for both consumers and competition,” she said.
Comcast offered some early concessions to regulators, including a pledge to extend controversial network neutrality rules to the Time Warner Cable systems it acquires as part of the deal.
A federal appeals court earlier this year rejected some of the FCC’s core net neutrality rules barring companies from blocking or discriminating against certain kinds of Web traffic, but Comcast is bound by the rules under a consent decree reached with the government when the company took over NBC Universal in 2011.
“The FCC’s Open Internet order, and in particular its no-blocking and non-discrimination provisions, will continue to be binding not only in the Comcast territories but now in the Time Warner footprint as well,” Comcast Executive Vice President David Cohen said in a conference call.
Comcast executives also said they plan to divest cable systems with about 3 million customers.
Roberts contends that the deal won’t change the field of play in the cable market because there is very little overlap between the two companies. Comcast’s national market share will remain below 30 percent.
But he added that the deal is attractive because it would add big media markets to the company portfolio.
“Its systems are in premier markets including New York, Los Angeles and Dallas,” he said. “This transaction will allow us to extend the benefits of scale to bring technically superior video and high-speed capabilities to Time Warner’s cable customers.”


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January 4, 2019
Paperworld 2019 – including the Remanexpo product group – is just around the corner, with dozens of companies having already confirmed their participation in Frankfurt later this month.
2019’s edition of the annual trade show takes place at Messe Frankfurt, Germany, from the 26th to the 29th of January, and with only weeks to go, excitement and anticipation are reaching fever pitch. Over 100 exhibitors from across the globe have confirmed their presence, and they will be joined at the show by many hundreds of visitors from every corner of both the industry and the planet.
Among the exhibitors in Frankfurt will be Turbon, which will be exhibiting at Booth B70, in Remanexpo’s new home of Hall 5.1. It will be a welcome return to the show for the company, having missed last year’s event, and it will be its first Paperworld appearance since the major reorganisation of last summer.
“The new Turbon Products GmbH is much more customer oriented,” Marketing Director Christof Frei explained to The Recycler when discussing the upcoming show. “The high product standard will always be very important, but in these days the cooperation with our customers, and fast understanding/realising of their requests and their needs, is one of our strengths.”
It’s a strength that means Frei is confident of a strong show for Turbon in Frankfurt, saying that the company’s main ambition at Remanexpo is to “make positive communications” about the restructuring to customers and visitors alike.
Frei continued: “I’m very happy that Remanexpo takes place at the beginning of the year! This gives us the chance to spread the message that ‘Turbon is here!’ I don’t like to say that ‘Turbon is back’ because we never were away, but we are here and much closer to the customers than before.”
In Frankfurt, the company will be presenting its brand new app, Cart-E. The new software “allows you to see all the printers in your network,” explained Frei, “and to have the reseller informed when the end customer will run out of printing supplies.”
Reflecting on the enduring importance and popularity of the annual trade show, Frei told The Recycler that “to have a booth, and to be visible, is very important,” calling Remanexpo “an established and very good platform for the industry.”
Turbon is just one of dozens and dozens of exhibitors due at Remanexpo, within the Paperworld trade show, and it’s still not too late to book your visit – simply click here to register and confirm your place as a visitor at Europe’s premier show for the aftermarket industry.
Last year’s Paperworld show welcomed thousands of visitors, with one big-name exhibitor describing it as “the world’s best office supply trade fair.” To revisit The Recycler’s coverage of the 2018 event, click here, here, here, and here, or check out our bumper review feature in Issue 304 – available here.
Categories : World Focus


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In the wake of the coronavirus, e-commerce revenue from face mask sales has increased by 417%. That’s according to new data from e-commerce analytics platform Contentsquare.
Each week, Contentsquare has been providing updates on the Coronavirus’ impact on ecommerce, based on real-time data from over 50 million transactions from 1400 sites.
The latest research shows that, since the crisis began, visits to pages selling face masks have increased by 2,558%.
It also found that — at one popular online grocery store — revenue from toilet rolls has increased by 42%, while visits to hand sanitizer has grown by 16,452%. Online sales of tinned foods are also up 45% as shoppers prepare for the worst.
Unlike previous weeks, traffic to tourism and transport sites is back up by 9%, as consumers flock back to check refund policies and organize cancelations.
Aimee Stone Munsell, CMO at Contentsquare, commented: “The world’s biggest retailers are seeing the impact of the Coronavirus on their businesses, with consumers avoiding busy high streets in exchange for the safety of shopping online. In the last few alone, we’ve seen a significant boost in online purchases, with consumers buying more groceries — and more healthcare products — online. While there has been a boost in online sales for some industries, others are clearly suffering.
“The ability to pull these types of insights in real-time is vital for brands, which can respond with changes to stock, navigation and on-site promotions in order to drive consumers to the products they need.”
Ecommerce data relating to the crisis will continue to be regularly updated at https://contentsquare.com/blog/


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Our recent crypto assets auction generated worldwide media attention, resulting in bidders from as far as Brazil, USA, Australia, and Singapore!
Wilsons Auctions has successfully realised £300,000 on behalf of UK police forces including the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU) through the sale of bitcoin and other cryptocurrency across two unreserved auctions on Thursday 26th September.
This was the first instruction by a UK police force for the sale of criminal’s seized bitcoin, the cryptocurrency assets were sold across 62 Lots and included bitcoin, ethereum, ripple and more. Despite one of the most significant market price declines in recent months during the auctions, the crypto assets achieved over the market value.
Capturing the attention of a worldwide audience, the auctions achieved over 7,500 bids and included bidders from as far as Brazil, Australia, Dubai, USA, Canada and Singapore. A single bitcoin achieved an average sale price of £6,798.80, half a bitcoin an average of £3,443.68 and a quarter of bitcoin an average of £1,972.74.
A number of high-value luxury goods, seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act, were also included in the Unreserved Government Auction, resulting in a combined total of £426,000 realised in one day, across both auctions for Wilsons Auctions’ government and law enforcement clients.
Items included Rolex watches, gold and diamond jewellery, Louis Vuitton bags and luggage, Mulberry handbags, Christian Louboutin, Valentino and Balenciaga Sneakers as well as Canada Goose and Moncler coats and a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII.
Speaking about the auction, Wilsons Auctions’ Asset Recovery Director Aidan Larkin said: “We are delighted to have marked another first at Wilsons Auctions by carrying out the first auction of bitcoin under the instruction of a UK police force. Following a comprehensive PR and Marketing campaign, the auctions gained interest worldwide, achieving an estimated reach of over 345 million and drove a high frequency of online traffic peaking at 7,000 clicks to our website every second earlier this week.
“Having managed a world-first public auction of bitcoin earlier this year, we are delighted to continue to roll out this new innovative service by successfully managing this auction on behalf of ERSOU. Despite one of the most significant market dips in recent months during the auctions, the results from these auctions indicate that we are exceeding market value by breaking the cryptocurrency down to smaller Lots, we are making it more affordable for bidders, generating a better return.
“Being able to offer this secure solution to our partners worldwide and remove the risks that can be associated with trading with unregulated virtual currency exchanges has been a welcome addition to our award winning auction service as well as giving new and experienced investors the opportunity to buy cryptocurrencies from an insured and trusted auction house, with a proven track record in this field,” he concluded.
Having invested heavily into its infrastructure and systems, Wilsons Auctions is now able to offer government and law enforcement agencies worldwide a secure solution in realising these difficult assets so that the ever-increasing problem of seized cryptocurrencies can be managed by a reputable auction company.
Wilsons Auctions is a leading auction company with over 80 years of experience building skilled knowledge in an extensive variety of assets. The Asset Recovery Department works with 17 countries worldwide realising assets from cryptocurrency to supercars, luxury watches and designer goods and in recent years has realised over £100 million worth of seized assets for government agencies, law enforcement agencies and insolvency practitioners.
For further information on Wilsons Auctions or to keep up to date on any future cryptocurrency auctions follow on Facebook @wilsonsauctionsltd or go to @wilsonsauctions on Twitter and Instagram.


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Bridgestone says it is “sowing the seeds for a busy season of sales amongst farmers and contractors, following what it describes as its “best ever” showing at LAMMA. Agriculture sales manager Stephen Lamb and his team presented the features of the manufacturer’s premium VT-Tractor range. With spring drilling planned for the coming weeks and months, and the UK’s wet weather causing headaches, the VT range offsets the worst that these elements can throw at farmers as it can operate at lower inflation pressures. With much larger footprints, the wettest and boggiest of land is still protected as a result.
Agricultural contractor RM Simpson is to fit Michelin XeoBib tyres across all its tractors. The Bradford farming company specified VF 710/60 R38 and VF 600/60 R28 Michelin XeoBib tyres as original equipment on its John Deere 6930 in 2009. The first set completed 9,500 hours before needing to be replaced, with the second set to last longer.
Bridgestone will show off its pulling power at LAMMA alongside its Firestone brand on 7-8 January 2020. The manufacturer hopes that its dual-brand approach to the agricultural show will double its impact on people visiting the stand, which will feature a multi-V8 modified tractor puller called ‘Aftermath’ on Firestone Puller 2000 tyres centre stage.
Thoresby Farming has more than doubled the productivity of its main cultivating tractor after upgrading to a Fendt 1050 featuring VarioGrip technology. The flagship Fendt was specified from the factory on a set of AxioBib IF 710/60 R38 and IF 900/65 R46 fitments – Michelin’s largest agricultural tyres.
An addition to the Continental TractorMaster range will be presented at next week’s Agritechnica show. Called the TractorMaster Hybrid, the new tyre comes with built-in pressure sensors. The pressure and temperature information these provide enables operators to adjust tyre pressure to match the task at hand. Continental’s aim is to deliver a tyre that offers traction with lower soil compaction in the field and greater comfort on the road.
Bridgestone’s first nationwide tractor tour, has seen hundreds of farmers assemble and £2,000 donated to local Young Farmers’ Clubs. Two John Deere tractors stopped at 10 different locations in Scotland and England to demonstrate the tyre manufacturer’s new VX Tractor in a series of comparisons against comparable tyres.
RG Contracting plans to move its entire fleet onto Michelin XeoBib agricultural tyres. The Scottish farming business specified the fitments on nine new John Deere tractors, and has been pleased with the results.
Bridgestone is embarking on a nationwide tractor tour to bring its VX Tractor agricultural tyre to farmers and contractors. The company is rolling into 10 locations across England and Scotland in September with a £200 donation on board. The manufacturer is seeking to generate increased interest and awareness around the product in an agricultural heartland of England, with Bridgestone experts will be on hand to demonstrate its capabilities through presentations featuring comparison test results.
Apollo Vredestein is supplying Vredestein brand agricultural tyres to John Deere’s Mannheim, Germany plant, allowing buyers of the tractor-maker’s 6R and 6M series to choose Vredestein Traxion tyres as original equipment.
Cornwall-based Wills Brothers has become one of the first farms in the UK to fit a patented new safety system designed to protect machinery and trailers from the risk of tyre under-inflation. Arable Manager Tom Wills specified the Michelin Tyre Pressure Management System (TPMS) Light Fleet – pioneered by UK technology firm Wheely-Safe, an official licensee of Michelin – after seeing the product on show at Lamma.
Vredestein will exhibit its latest Traxion tractor tyres on the French market at The Paris International Agribusiness Show (SIMA). The tyre manufacturer said it would showcase its new Traxion 65/70 for compact tractors along with the latest sizes in its Traxion Optimall VF range for large tractors. “It starts with the unique curvature of the tread cleats,” says Ruud Nijland, divisional head sales for agricultural and industrial tyres Europe at Apollo Vredestein.
Hinckford Farming has praised Michelin’s “excellent support” after replacing a rubber tracked crawler with a Claas Xerion 5000 fitted with a set of the manufacturer’s Ultraflex high volume AxioBib tyres. The arable farm had been using tracks for many years for its heavy cultivations but had recently struggled with grip in wet conditions, and suffered damage to the soil structure on headlands when turning.
The launch of a flagship product is a tough act to follow, but Apollo Vredestein has managed to keep things interesting this past year. The ranks of its top-flight Traxion Optimall line have swelled since the tyre’s launch at Agritechnica 2017, and the Vredestein brand is also experiencing growth further down the size scale. By doing so, doors are opening to markets where Vredestein isn’t yet well known in agricultural circles.
Alliance Tire Group (ATG) is showcasing the brand’s agricultural expertise at LAMMA, the UK’s largest agricultural and machinery show (8-9 January 2019, Birmingham NEC). It is displaying its row crop Agriflex 363 IF and the Agriflex 372 VF for tractors, the Alliance 389VF, Alliance 885 and Alliance 882 Agri-Transport radial flotation tyres for implements, and the versatile Multiuse 550. The Alliance agricultural tyre range is exclusively distributed in the UK and Ireland by Kirkby Tyres.
Vredestein has been awarded the gold medal in the LAMMA 2019 Innovation Awards’ Driven Innovation category for its Traxion Optimall tyre. This VF (very high flexion) tractor tyre is designed to deliver traction, fuel efficiency and productivity to reduce substantially the total cost of ownership. It will be displayed on the Vredestein stand at LAMMA Birmingham, the UK’s largest farm machinery, equipment and services show, on 8-9 January.


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IFA National Dairy Chairman Tom Phelan has commented that farmers, at this point, need their co-ops’ spokespeople and leaders focused on holding prices and paying justified top-ups on 2017 supplies.
He added that, rather than seeking to publicly condition farmers for 2018 milk price cuts, he would like co-ops’ spokespeople to display their enthusiasm in explaining how they would support farmers when it becomes necessary.
“In these days of instant communication, dairy farmers are better informed than ever about prices and markets, and all are well aware that 2018 will prove more challenging,” Mr Phelan said.
“Meanwhile, IFA has shown that, while paying increased milk prices, co-ops have done quite well out of an exceptionally good year in 2017. It is clear that they have had ample opportunity to rebuild their balance sheets. We estimate that, based on the EU Milk Market Observatory weekly price reports for the period from July 2016 to October 2017, co-ops made over €190m in addition to the increased prices paid to farmers,” he said.
“Last week, Bord Bia pointed out in their 2017 Food and Drinks Exports report that with a 20% increase in trade – a combination of volume and returns – the dairy sector had contributed one-third of Ireland’s €12.6bn record food export performance, despite all the problems caused by Brexit.
“Farmers, on the other hand, have delivered 8% more milk this year for co-ops to trade on strong markets, and in 2017 had only the first opportunity to start improving their finances after two very challenging years. It is essential that they would be allowed to maximise the benefits of good market returns in 2017 before any downturn.
“I think farmers are entitled to expect more from their co-op leaders as we enter the calving season than warnings on 2018 milk prices. I urge all co-op board members to focus their energy this month on holding milk prices into spring, and examining their much-improved balance sheet to find ways of emulating those co-ops who have agreed bonuses for 2017 supplies,” Tom Phelan concluded.


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IBM and a consortium of gold and diamond industry leaders have announced a cross-industry initiative to use blockchain to trace the provenance of finished pieces of jewellery across the supply chain for increased transparency. Asahi Refining (precious metals refiner), Helzberg Diamonds (U.S. jewelry retailer), LeachGarner (precious metals supplier), The Richline Group (global jewellery manufacturer) and UL (independent, third party verification) are launching the TrustChainTM Initiative, powered by the IBM Blockchain Platform, delivered via the IBM Cloud.
TrustChain is initially tracking six styles of diamond and gold engagement rings on the blockchain network. As the program continues to develop, Trustchain™ jewellery is expected to be accessible to consumers in participating retail stores by the end of 2018.
Mark Hanna, Richline Group’s Chief Marketing Officer, commented: “This initiative is important for our industry as we seek to raise the collective responsibility and provenance practices to new heights. TrustChain is the first blockchain of its kind within our industry, designed as a solution that marries IBM’s leading blockchain technology with responsible sourcing, verification and governance by third party organizations, led by UL as the administrator,”
Senior Vice President of Industry Platforms and Blockchain, Bridget van Kralingen said: “The global scale and complexity of the jewellery market makes it ripe for blockchain to serve as a unifier for all participants to improve trust, transparency and efficiency. It also illustrates the ways in which blockchain can be used to form entirely new business models where all parties win. The collaboration will benefit not only trade partners, but also the individuals wo matter most – consumers purchasing gold and diamonds to mark milestone moments in their lives.”
The TrustChain Initiative tracks and authenticates diamonds and precious metals through every stage of the supply chain as it becomes a piece of finished jewellery. It provides digital verification, physical product and process verification, and third-party oversight. The collaboration’s goal is to instil trust in the origin and ethical sourcing of jewellery by bringing together a community of responsible and ethical organizations across the complex and multi-tiered jewellery supply chain.
Built by IBM Services on open source technology and based on IBM Blockchain and the Hyperledger Project, TrustChain uses distributed ledger technology that establishes a shared, immutable record of all the transactions that take place within a network and then enables permissioned parties access to trusted data in real time. By applying the technology to digitise processes, it will empower those in the blockchain network to collaborate and establish a single shared view of information without compromising details, privacy or confidentiality.
For consumers, TrustChain establishes a trusted product with documented provenance and brings together quality assurance, social and environmental responsibility and authenticity spanning the jewellery ecosystem – from miners, manufacturers, wholesale suppliers and retailers – on a single digital platform.


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Despite stricter measures to prevent pet food contamination after the deaths of thousands of cats and dogs in 2007, pet owners are still worried about the products' safety
Fifty-seven percent of dog owners and 55 percent of cat owners agreed that “fear of pet food contamination/product safety is a key consideration in the dog foods/cat foods I buy,” according to a recent survey by Rockville, Md.-based market research firm Packaged Facts, while more than 60 percent of dog and cat owners admitted that they’re worried about the safety of the pet food, treats and chews they purchase. The findings appear in Packaged Facts’ "Pet Food in the U.S., 14th Edition."
“No pet food industry participant then in business will ever forget the Great Pet Food Recalls of 2007, which encompassed over 100 pet food brands and resulted in the deaths of thousands of dogs and cats,” noted David Sprinkle, research director for Packaged Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com.
Following these recalls, stringent new pet food safety initiatives were enacted. Packaged Facts found that since that time, pet owners have trended up to pet foods that they believed to be safer, like those marketed as natural, organic, containing limited ingredients, human-grade, made in the U.S.A., free from China-sourced ingredients, non-GMO and “clean.” The sales of those products subsequently soared, with most still outpacing regular pet food.
But in spite of the improvements and upgrades, more than a decade later, the pet food industry still faces safety concerns regarding such contaminants as listeria, pentobarbital and salmonella. The most recent wave of recalls, however, dealt with too much vitamin D, an otherwise essential nutrient for dogs that in large doses can be toxic or even deadly. The alert involves various pet food brands.
“There’s no doubt that stricter government oversight has shed a spotlight on issues that otherwise might have gone unnoticed,” adds Sprinkle. “But there's still clearly an opportunity to do better.”
The full report is available for purchase online.


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Toyota Compact Cruiser concept EV wins 2022 Car Design Award
Toyota has released new images of an actual model of its Compact Cruiser EV and announced that the car has won the 2022 Car Design Award. The award was presented to the company at Milan Design Week. The electric off-roader was first revealed in December and was created by Toyota Europe Design at the company’s Nice development centre.
Toyota Design was a finalist in all three Car Design Award categories: Production Vehicles, Concept Vehicles, and Brand Design language. The Compact Cruiser won the Concept car class, and the Toyota Aygo Cross was a finalist in the Production cars group.
Toyota notes that the electric vehicle’s design nods to the first-generation Land Cruiser. For example, the car features squared-off wheel arches and strong body sections. The concept car has LED lights, a built-in ladder and a roof rack, plus mismatched wheels on either side of the vehicle. The company says that it is targeting young people living in cities with the lifestyle-oriented all-wheel-drive vehicle.
Other information about the EV, such as its power, mileage, cost and release date, are currently unknown. Toyota’s first all-electric vehicle, the bZ4X, was recently launched in the UK, starting from £41,950 (~US$51,930). Also, a GR Sport version of the car is rumored to be on the way.