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NEW YORK, NY, 2015-9-1 — /EPR Retail News/ — Macy’s (NYSE:M) today announced the launch of a collaboration with online fashion tech start-up company Nineteenth Amendment on macys.com. The exclusive partnership will expose Nineteenth Amendment’s stable of up-and-coming designers to Macy’s Millennial shoppers who will have the opportunity to purchase garments made on demand in the USA from more than 300 designers worldwide. This alliance is the result of Macy’s mentoring of the fashion tech start-up as part of the inaugural New York Fashion Tech Lab in 2014.
Nineteenth Amendment curates a collection of vetted designers from around the globe and presents their collections in 19-day pre-sales on nineteenthamendment.com. Once the collections are sold, they are put into production. This unique business model allows designers to directly sell their pieces to individual shoppers, who will receive a custom-made garment, produced in a limited quantity and made in the USA, leaving no excess inventory.
“What Nineteenth Amendment provides to independent designers is a risk-free way to come to market,” said Terry Lundgren, Macy’s, Inc. chairman and chief executive officer. “This innovative concept gives customers a made-to-order product and a great shopping experience, while in turn helping new fashion talent find and build an audience, piece by piece. We’re excited to give macys.com customers the opportunity to connect with the design stars of tomorrow while they shop for unique limited-edition apparel.”
“Our mission at Nineteenth Amendment is to launch the next massive designer by giving independent talent around the world an inventory-less business model built for the digital age, while helping to grow U.S. manufacturing and giving shoppers a voice in the future of fashion,” said Nineteenth Amendment co-founders Amanda Curtis and Gemma Sole. “This collaboration is a testament to Macy’s commitment to pushing fashion forward while giving macys.com customers the opportunity to discover and support independent designers from around the world.”
This exclusive relationship with nineteenthamendment.com to support their designer pre-sales via promotional integration will give millions of shoppers who visit macys.com every day the opportunity to browse hard-to-find independent designer collections. Looking to the future, macys.com will have the ability to provide its customers with exclusive first look access to purchase pieces from specially curated designers and collections.
Macy’s and Nineteenth Amendment began working together as part of the NY Fashion Tech Lab, a business of fashion accelerator that is a result of a collaboration between the Partnership Fund for New York City, Springboard Enterprises and major fashion retailers, including Macy’s. The focus of the Lab is to target early stage companies that have developed innovations at the intersection of fashion, retail and technology. Macy’s and Nineteenth Amendment were both participants in the first class of the Lab during the summer of 2014. Macy’s executives chose to mentor the Nineteenth Amendment team for three months and this collaboration resulted in a relationship that will broaden the reach of Macy’s online store into the emerging designer landscape. To learn more about Nineteen Amendment, please visit macys.com/nineteenthamendment.
As a founding member of the Tech Lab, Macy’s believes that the resulting collaborations could yield incredible innovations that have the capability to revolutionize the retail shopping experience. This alliance launching today continues Macy’s long-standing commitment to emerging talent, inclusive of the company’s support of Fashion Incubators in cities across the country, as well as its business of retail program focused on women-owned and multicultural businesses – The Workshop at Macy’s.
Macy’s, the largest retail brand of Macy’s, Inc., delivers fashion and affordable luxury to customers at approximately 775 locations in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam, as well as to customers in the U.S. and more than 100 international destinations through its leading online store at macys.com. Via its stores, e-commerce site, mobile and social platforms, Macy’s offers distinctive assortments including the most desired family of exclusive and fashion brands for him, her and home. Macy’s is known for such epic events as Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks® and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, as well as spectacular fashion shows, culinary events, flower shows and celebrity appearances. Macy’s flagship stores — including Herald Square in New York City, Union Square in San Francisco, State Street in Chicago, and Dadeland in Miami and South Coast Plaza in southern California — are known internationally and are leading destinations for visitors. Building on a more than 150-year tradition, and with the collective support of customers and employees, Macy’s helps strengthen communities by supporting local and national charities giving more than $69 million each year to help make a difference in the lives of our customers.
For Macy’s media materials, including images and contacts, please visit our online pressroom at macys.com/pressroom.


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What do you think? Is it time for plastic to be ditched at Halloween?
PUBLISHED: 08:12 18 October 2019 | UPDATED: 08:12 18 October 2019
Forget wicked witches and things that go bump in the night.
The scariest thing about Halloween is the amount of plastic waste - with a report by Norfolk charity Fairyland Trust and environmental group Hubbub estimating that the UK will generate 2,000 tonnes of plastic waste from Halloween costumes.
The new study on seasonal clothes at 19 retailers, which included: Aldi, Argos, and Tesco found that 83pc of all the materials used were plastic, with polyester being the most common.
They believe that many consumers do not even realise that materials like polyester are plastic.
CEO and co-founder of Hubbub, Trewin Restorick, said: "Retailers must take greater responsibility to offer ranges for seasonal celebrations that don't worsen the already worrying impact of plastic waste on our planet." The groups are now calling out manufacturers and retailers to have more consistent labelling on their products.
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However, the statistics do not take into account the total plastic waste footprint of Halloween, with Halloween party kits, decorations, and sweet wrappers creating a huge amount of plastic waste.
With Halloween becoming a bigger event across the country, with more events held every year, the charities are expecting over 33 million people to dress up this year.
Both groups are now urging people to create planet-friendly costumes with using existing or second hand clothing, or scouting them out from charity shops.
Chris Rose, from the Fairyland Trust, which encourages families to get out and enjoy nature and holds several events in the county, said: "It is vital that we all try and choose costumes that are as environmentally friendly as possible. Concerned consumers can take personal action to avoid buying new plastic and still dress-up for Halloween by re-using costumes to create outfits, or making their own from non-plastic materials."
The Fairyland Trust is hoping to encourage people to go new plastic free with their The Real Halloween event at Bradmoor Woods, near West Acre, on October 26 and 27.
The plastic-free nature events include workshops for children, Veg-o-Lantern competition, an animal lantern parade and a no-new-plastic Fancy Dress Competition for adults and children.
Tips for dressing up at Halloween without new plastic can be found at: http://www.fairylandtrust.org/more-activities/dressing-up-without-new-plastic/
If you value what this story gives you, please consider supporting the Eastern Daily Press. Click the link in the orange box above for details.

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From the Wires
Blyth, Inc. Reports 3rd Quarter Sales Increase Of 40%
3rd Quarter Normalized Operating Profit Increased Over 300% Versus Prior Year
By: PR Newswire
Nov. 6, 2012 06:48 PM
GREENWICH, Conn., Nov. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Blyth, Inc. (NYSE: BTH), a direct to consumer company and leading designer and marketer of candles, accessories for the home, and health and wellness products, today reported earnings for the third quarter. Net Sales for the three months ended September 30, 2012 increased 40% to $268.8 million versus $191.5 million for the comparable prior year period primarily due to the 132% year-over-year sales growth at ViSalus. International sales for Blyth represented 25% of third quarter sales this year compared to 34% last year, driven by ViSalus' strong domestic sales growth.
Commenting on the very strong third quarter sales growth, Robert B. Goergen, Chairman & CEO noted, "We are extremely gratified that ViSalus continues to grow well beyond our initial expectations for North America and fully expect growth to continue in that region going forward. Moreover, as ViSalus initiates its global expansion outside North America in the first half of 2013, we expect strong sales growth trends to prevail." Reflecting on last weekend's National Success Training, ViSalus' CEO Ryan Blair said, "The record Promoter turnout in St. Louis demonstrates the continued appeal that the Body by Vi™ 90 Day Challenge holds for our Promoters and customers and underscores our confidence in the continued growth potential of the North American market."
On October 29th, after the close of the third quarter, the Company announced the sale of its Sterno subsidiary to Candle Lamp Company LLC for $23.5 million in cash, completing Blyth's strategic transformation from a multi-channel marketing company to a direct-to-consumer marketing company focused on the direct selling and direct marketing channels of distribution. As such, Sterno's operating results have been presented as discontinued operations for all periods shown.
Operating Profit for the third quarter was $7.8 million this year versus a loss of $4.9 million last year and includes the following pre-tax items:
Excluding the impact of these charges and credit, operating profit would have been $10.6 million this year versus $2.4 million last year. The increase in operating profit is due to the growth of ViSalus.
Net Earnings attributable to Blyth, Inc. for the third quarter was $0.7 million compared to a net loss of $5.6 million for the prior year. Diluted earnings per share for the third quarter were $0.04 this year compared to a loss of $0.34 last year. This year's earnings per share includes $0.12 for IPO related fees, a $0.06 equity incentive credit versus a $0.12 charge last year, $0.03 PartyLite restructuring charges and $0.03 Catalog & Internet intangible impairment charge. During the third quarter, the Company recorded an after-tax profit from discontinued operations for Sterno of $0.03 per share this year and an after-tax loss from discontinued operations of Sterno, Midwest-CBK and Boca Java of $0.02 per share last year. Normalized earnings per share before the aforementioned charges, credit and discontinued operations were $0.13 this year versus a loss of $0.20 in last year's comparable quarter.
The summary reconciliation of unaudited Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) earnings and earnings per share to Non-GAAP earnings and earnings per share presented in the attached table is included as an additional reference to assist investors in analyzing the Company's performance and should be considered in addition to, not a substitute for, measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. In presenting comparable results, the Company discloses non-GAAP financial measures when it believes such measures will be useful to investors in evaluating the Company's underlying business performance. Management internally reviews the results of the Company excluding the impact of certain items as it believes that these non-GAAP financial measures are useful for evaluating the Company's core operating results and facilitating comparison across reporting periods.
Third Quarter Segment Performance
In the Direct Selling segment, third quarter net sales increased 49% to $239.4 million versus $161.2 million for the same period last year due to significant sales growth at ViSalus.
Sales at ViSalus were $169.9 million in this year's third quarter versus $73.2 million for the same period last year, an increase of 132%. ViSalus had over 110,000 independent Promoters at the end of the third quarter, more than double the 52,000 promoters on board at the end of the prior year's third quarter.
Total PartyLite third quarter sales of $69.5 million, versus $88.0 million last year, declined 21%, reflecting the lack of consumer resiliency in the face of economic uncertainty, exacerbated by unfavorable currency movement. PartyLite's European sales during the quarter declined 13% in local currency, or 23% in U.S. dollars, as consultants continued to have difficulty booking shows and reduced their efforts to sponsor new consultants, most notably in our largest markets in Europe, as evidenced by the results in our French and German markets which were the largest contributors to the year-over-year revenue decline. That said, we are encouraged by the growth in both sales and recruiting in the majority of PartyLite's Nordic markets, and heartened by our initial results in Italy, as well as continued growth in the more established Australian market. PartyLite's European active independent sales consultants total over 24,000 this year versus approximately 27,000 last year. PartyLite's U.S. sales declined 16% versus the prior year period largely due to the ongoing consumer malaise in North America. Active U.S. independent sales consultants total over 13,000 in the U.S. this year versus over 16,000 last year. At PartyLite Canada, sales declined 25% in both local currency and in U.S. dollars during the quarter, with active independent sales consultants totaling over 3,000 this year versus approximately 4,000 last year.
Commenting on the third quarter performance, Robert B. Goergen, Jr., President, PartyLite Worldwide said, "The economic and geo-political uncertainty in Europe, which has cast a negative shadow of sentiment throughout 2012, contributed to our consultants' adopting a short-term focus. As they pursued individual sales results, it was at the expense of investing in their future success by not effectively leveraging their efforts to build their teams. And, while this approach has resulted in higher individual productivity, as measured by average order size, it has temporarily sacrificed the longer-term benefits of building a healthy and substantive downline organization. As such, we have redirected much of our sales commissioning, promotional messaging and leadership training to assist those consultants that are newer to the business so that they can focus on the lasting results of successful recruiting and team building, and to remain engaged in this difficult economic environment."
Turning to the U.S. market, Mr. Goergen continued, "We continue to have a very strong product offering which contains new fragrances and forms including, most notably, our extended line of translucent GloLite by PartyLite® candles, and have implemented a number of initiatives to stabilize and revitalize the PartyLite business in the U.S. While still early in the process, these efforts are contributing to a moderation in the recent sales decline, but are incomplete in stabilizing and returning the North American business to growth. As such, we are not only moving forward with exciting new product launches in Q4 and the first half of 2013, but also continuing to invest in compelling tools for our consultants to leverage their efforts in both sponsoring and personal sales. Further, we are aggressively moving forward with similar and robust initiatives in Europe, including the implementation of online ordering, which today comprises 25% of U.S. sales, and the establishment of consultant websites to facilitate complementary sales. While the party plan format remains essential to the PartyLite business, successful direct sellers today are reaching their customers in a variety of ways and PartyLite is ensuring its consultants have the tools and online applications necessary to accomplish this."
In the Direct Selling segment, third quarter operating profit was $9.6 million versus a loss of $4.0 million in the same period last year. Excluding the related aforementioned charges and credit, operating profit for the segment would have been $11.5 million in this year's third quarter versus $3.3 million last year. Strong sales and profit growth at ViSalus more than offset lower sales and profits at PartyLite.
Third quarter operating profit for ViSalus was $26.1 million this year versus $4.3 million last year. Excluding the equity incentive charges and credit and IPO fees this year, third quarter operating profit for ViSalus would have been $27.4 million this year versus $11.6 million last year. Third quarter operating loss for PartyLite was $11.4 million versus a loss of $4.4 million in last year's third quarter. Excluding restructuring charges, PartyLite's operating loss would have been $10.7 million this year versus a loss of $4.4 million last year. The decrease was driven by the decline in worldwide sales. Corporate expenses and other allocated to the Direct Selling segment were $5.2 million this year and $3.9 million last year.
In the Catalog & Internet segment, third quarter net sales were $29.4 million versus $30.4 million last year, due to the continued trend of soft sales of general merchandise. This was partially offset by the strong sales of health and wellness products which continue to achieve double digit growth through the health and wellness catalogs, Easy Comforts® and As We Change®, as well as through the general merchandise catalogs. Third quarter operating loss in this segment was $1.8 million this year versus a loss of $0.9 million last year. Excluding the intangible impairment charge this year, the segment's operating loss would have been $0.9 million for both this year and last year.
First Nine Months Fiscal Performance
Net Sales for the nine months ended September 30, 2012 increased 59% to $848.5 million versus $533.5 million for the comparable prior year period. Operating Profit for the first nine months was $44.8 million this year versus a loss of $2.3 million last year and includes the following pre-tax items:
Excluding the impact of these charges, operating profit would have been $61.5 million this year versus $13.2 million last year.
Net Earnings attributable to Blyth, Inc. for the nine months were $16.3 million compared to a loss of $11.9 million for the prior year. Diluted earnings per share were $0.94 this year compared to a loss of $0.72 last year. Year-to-date earnings per share includes $0.12 for IPO related fees, a $0.26 equity incentive charge versus a $0.23 charge last year, $0.08 PartyLite restructuring charges and $0.03 Catalog & Internet intangible impairment charge. The Company recorded income of $0.09 per share, during the first nine months this year from discontinued operations and a loss of $0.45 per share, during the first nine months last year. Normalized earnings per share before the aforementioned charges and discontinued operations were $1.34 this year versus a loss of $0.04 in last year's comparable period.
The sum of the individual and segment amounts may not equal the reported totals for the quarter for Blyth overall due to rounding.
Blyth, Inc., headquartered in Greenwich, CT, USA, is a direct to consumer business focused on direct selling and direct marketing channels. We design and market home fragrance products and decorative accessories, as well as weight management products, nutritional supplements and energy drink mixes. These products are sold through Direct Selling utilizing both home party plan and network marketing. The Company also designs and markets household convenience items and personalized gifts through the catalog/Internet channel. The Company manufactures most of its candles and sources nearly all of its other products. Its products are sold direct to the consumer under the PartyLite®, Two Sisters Gourmet by PartyLite® and ViSalus Sciences® brands and to consumers in the catalog/Internet channel under the As We Change®, Miles Kimball®, Exposures®, Walter Drake® and Easy Comforts® brands. In Europe, Blyth's products are also sold under the PartyLite brand.
Blyth, Inc. may be found on the Internet at www.blyth.com.
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance and underlying assumptions and other statements that are other than statements of historical facts. Actual results could differ materially due to various factors, including the slowing of the United States or European economies or retail environments, the risk that we will be unable to maintain our historic growth rate, our ability to respond appropriately to changes in product demand, the risk that we will be unable to integrate the businesses that we acquire into our existing operations, the risks (including foreign currency fluctuations, economic and political instability, transportation delays, difficulty in maintaining quality control, trade and foreign tax laws and others) associated with international sales and foreign sourced products, risks associated with our ability to recruit new independent sales consultants, our dependence on key corporate management personnel, risks associated with the sourcing of raw materials for our products, competition in terms of price and new product introductions, risks associated with our information technology systems (including, susceptibility to outages due to fire, floods, power loss, telecommunications failures, computer viruses, break-ins and similar events) and other factors described in this press release and in the Company's most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K.
SOURCE Blyth, Inc.
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Technology to help save billions of dollars for tourism industry
A study by the Arabian Travel Market’s research partner says that the tourism industry is set to create multi-billion dollar savings through the use of IoT, robotics, artificial intelligence and wearable technology
According to a study by the Arabian Travel Market’s research partner Colliers International, the tourism industry is set to create multi-billion dollar savings through the use of IoT, robotics, artificial intelligence (A.I), Virtual Reality (VR) and wearable technology
The research revealed, that in addition to vast cost savings, the customer experience is set to be more streamlined with travel set to become better, smoother and more personalised with bookings on VR platforms, AI chatbots guiding customers through the booking process and IOT providing internet based inter-connectivity between everyday devices.
Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said: “The tourism industry is at the very forefront of tech innovation with companies investing huge sums of money to improve the customer journey and experience.
“Airports and airlines accounted for $30 billion of investment in IT in 2018, however this will be offset by the implementation of technology that will see fuel savings alone top US$30 billion in the next 15 years,” he added.
“We’ve seen incredible developments in recent years, SITA, the multinational tech company to the air transport industry for example, is using robots to check travellers onto flights and to transport their luggage, while, although in the infancy stage, robots have been used in some hotels to welcome guests and show them to their room," Curtis added.


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Marc Haendle at Ocean Independence tells me his latest listing, the 23.5m motor yacht Pure Pleasure, is now on the market for the first time.
A performance yacht, she was built by Pershing in 2003 to design by Fulvio di Simone. Under the same ownership since delivery, Marc says Pure Pleasure has always been a private yacht and never chartered. Accommodation is for eight guests in a master suite, VIP stateroom and two guest cabins. Powered by twin 2000hp MTU engines, this superyacht cruises at 38 knots and benefits from a brand new teak deck. Currently lying in Sardinia, Pure Pleasure is asking €1.55 million.


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There’s no denying that the SIG Sauer P365 changed the game. It has found its way into the waistbands of thousands of concealed carriers across the United States. While the P365 is a great pistol, that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement. Now, Strike Industries is looking to do just that. Adding their usual style and added functionality, Strike has just released the Strike Slide for the SIG Sauer P365.
Get all the specs on The Firearm Blog by clicking below.


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Panasonic Computer Solutions Company, maker of durable, reliable Panasonic(R) Toughbook(R) notebook computers, today announced an expansion of its federal distribution channel with the addition of SYNNEX Corporation (NYSE: SNX) and Tech Data Corporation (NASDAQ: TECD) as distributors for federal government sales. The companies, which have been distributing Toughbook notebook computers in other markets for some time, join GTSI Corp. (NASDAQ: GTSI) as authorized federal Toughbook distributors.
Panasonic will engage these federal distribution partners in increased joint marketing and support for Panasonic federal resellers. In addition, Panasonic anticipates that the combination of these partners will create a broader portfolio of financial solutions to maximize reseller--and customer--flexibility.
Today's announcement follows closely on Panasonic's recently launched Federal Partner Program designed to provide enhanced support for resellers and systems integrators seeking mobile computing opportunities within the federal sector.
Panasonic has been a recognized leader in delivering rugged and semi-rugged mobile computing solutions to federal customers for more than a decade. By opening up new federal distribution options, Panasonic is aiming to foster flexibility and promote greater channel access to Toughbook inventory for traditional rugged deployments and for government users seeking greater reliability with Panasonic's expanded line of thin-and-light business PCs.
"Panasonic's business with the federal government is 100% fulfilled through our channel partners and we are doing our best, through expanded distribution and our recently announced federal partner program, to support more resellers, VARs and systems integrators who want to offer their customers proven Toughbook reliability," said Rance Poehler, president, Panasonic Computer Solutions Company.
"GTSI has been our proven distribution partner for over a decade and, with the addition of Synnex and Tech Data as authorized federal distributors of Toughbooks, the channel can anticipate expanded access to the products their government customers are counting on," said Poehler. "We believe our proven loyalty to the channel represents an excellent alternative for those who are increasingly being asked to sell product from companies who, essentially, compete with them through direct sales."
For more information about Panasonic's expanded federal distribution and the new Panasonic Federal Partner Program, call the Federal Partner dedicated number: 800-662-3537 ext. 7015.
About Panasonic Computer Solutions Company
Panasonic Computer Solutions Company empowers the mobile workforce. The company is a unit of Panasonic Corporation of North America, which is the principal North American subsidiary of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (NYSE:MC). Panasonic has delivered reliable, durable mobile solutions through its Toughbook(R) line of notebook computers for thirteen years and has expanded the boundaries of wireless technology through a broad portfolio of products, ranging from fully rugged, industrial strength notebook computers and tablet PCs to thin and light semi-rugged notebooks. A core manufacturer, Matsushita Electric and its subsidiaries control the entire process of design, manufacture, quality assurance, service and support. As a result, Panasonic Toughbooks are known for having the lowest failure rates in the industry. Government, industrial, and commercial users -- from Fortune 1,000 companies to small businesses -- rely on solutions from Panasonic, wherever their work takes them.
All brand and company/product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of the respective companies. All specifications are subject to change without notice. Information on Panasonic's full line of notebook PCs for the mobile professional can be obtained by calling 800-662-3537 or at http://www.panasonic.com/toughbook


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Following news reports about mysterious vaping-related illnesses, the Trump administration intends to prohibit flavored nicotine vapes, on the theory that flavored vapes are especially appealing to minors and encouraging them to take up nicotine use.
I am agnostic on whether a flavored-vape ban is a good idea. I think teen vaping is a serious problem: Teen smoking has been close to defeated, but now teens are using nicotine vapes at levels close to their smoking rates from two decades ago. But because vaping appears to be safer than smoking cigarettes, I worry about any rule that might make switching from cigarettes to vapes less attractive for adults. Also, importantly in the context of this summer’s news about vaping-related illnesses, I worry that restrictions on legal flavored-vape products could lead consumers to buy less-regulated vape products on the black market.
Important though the question of teen use of nicotine vapes is, it does not appear to have much to do with the acute crisis in the news, which is people getting very sick and sometimes dying from acute illnesses linked to vaping. As former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb has noted, most of these illnesses appear to be related to marijuana vape products, not nicotine products.
Unlike with nicotine vapes, the FDA does not have legal authority to regulate marijuana vape products. Gottlieb is right to note this is a problem. Marijuana is now de facto legal in the U.S., and there is a bustling industry churning out novel products, including vapor products. This is a positive change in many ways, but we’re seeing now that some of those products can be dangerous, and consumers are not well-equipped to figure out which ones.
Federal regulators are needed to ensure consumer safety — and that has to start with Congress admitting marijuana is legal and giving the FDA authority to regulate it.


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MILAN (AP) — Fiat Chrysler and France's PSA Peugeot said Thursday they have agreed to merge to create the world's fourth-largest automaker with enough scale to confront big shifts in the industry, including a race to develop electric cars and driverless technologies.
Italian-American Fiat Chrysler brings with it a strong footprint in North America, where it makes at least two-thirds of its profits, while Peugeot is the No. 2 automaker in Europe.
Both lag in China, however, despite the participation of Peugeot's Chinese shareholder, Dongfeng, and are playing catching up in developing electric vehicles.
Fiat Chrysler shares were trading up 9% at 14 euros in Milan, while PSA Peugeot shares were down 3.2% to 22.84 euros.
The 50-50 merger is expected to offer savings of 3.7 billion euros ($4 billion), which the automakers expect to achieve without any factory closures — a concern of unions in both France and Italy where the carmakers have more overlap.
Fiat Chrysler's strongest brands are Jeep SUVs and Ram trucks and it is focusing on relaunching its premium and luxury brands, Alfa Romeo and Maserati, with a focus on hybrid engines. It still makes smaller cars under the Fiat marquee, mostly for the European and Latin American markets.
PSA Peugeot makes mostly small, city-friendly cars, family sedans and SUVs under the nameplates of Peugeot, Citroen and Germany-based Opel, which it bought in 2017. That is where the companies can expect to have the most overlap.
The new company would be worth $50 billion, with revenue of 170 billion euros ($189 billion). It would produce 8.7 million cars a year — still behind Toyota, Volkswagen and the Renault-Nissan alliance, which make over 10 million each.
Once a merger is finalized, PSA Peugeot CEO Carlos Tavares will be chief executive of the new company, with Fiat Chrysler Chairman John Elkann becoming chairman. Fiat Chrysler CEO Mike Manley will have a senior executive role.
"This convergence brings significant value to all the stakeholders and opens a bright future for the combined entity," Tavares said in a statement.
Manley called it "an industry-changing combination," and noted the long history of cooperation with Peugeot in industrial vehicles in Europe.
The 11-member board will be made up of five members from each company plus Tavares, who is locked in as CEO for five years.
The combined company would be able to share in the cost of developing electric cars and autonomous driving, among other things, as well as to save on investments in vehicle platforms.
European automakers have been looking to mergers and alliances for years to share R&D costs and tackle the issue of overproduction on the continent.
"We have to face the challenges of electric cars and autonomous cars. To face this you need to have champions at the world level," French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told a news conference.
The French government has a stake in Peugeot through its investment bank and just five months scuttled a similar deal between Fiat Chrysler and French automaker Renault. There were no signs of resistance to this deal, beyond concerns for jobs.
Le Maire also wants the new group to create a European electric battery industry, something the French government has pushed for to ensure that European carmakers can reduce their dependence on U.S. and Asian battery technology.
The French state investment bank currently has a seat on the PSA board; Le Maire declined to answer at a press conference whether it would be retained.
There was no immediate comment from Italian officials.
Because of the overlap in European operations and product, there is concern among unions about job cuts, though the companies have promised to not close any plants.
The new company would continue to have offices in France, Italy and the United States, and shares would be traded in all three countries. The parent company would be based in the Netherlands, as is currently the case with Fiat Chrysler.
Both companies have strong shareholder participation by the founding families — the Peugeots in France and the heirs to the Agnelli family in Italy, represented by Elkann.
As part of the agreement, the main shareholders — the Peugeots, the Agnelli family investment arm Exor, as well as the Chinese investor Dongfeng and the French state investment bank — agree to maintain their stakes for seven years. The only exception is that the Peugeots could increase their stake by up to 2.5% during the first three years by buying shares from Dongfeng and the French investment bank.
The next step in the deal is expected to be a signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, which could come before the end of the year.


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It’s been billed, by its own account, as the biggest day in entertainment history. It’s still too soon to say if first-day sales of Halo 3 have indeed beat its predecessor ($125 million) or even the current entertainment sales king, Spiderman 3, which grossed $151 million on opening weekend.
The folks at Super Club Videotron told me they were expecting up to 500 people at last night’s midnight madness, but when I was there, up to 10 pm, the numbers were mostly around 60.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Still, the fans seemed to appreciate it. Here are some pictures of the event.
The MC stokes the fans into a frenzy
Battle stations ready for the first wave of players waiting patiently in line
In the VIP area, lucky kids get to try it out first
Who says it’s just for boys?
Happy with his prize
Maser Chief meets Master Nerd


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Autumn Owls have been away from their Dublin homes for the past month on tour in North America including multiple dates at SXSW and Savannah Stopover. They just opened for Low in Toronto and are currently engaged in Canadian Music Week. But the big news to hit the block is their brand new, free iOS app available in the Apple Store now. The app includes all 12 tracks from their new acoustic album, The Long Way Around, as well as tour dates, news and twitter feeds, photos, videos and more. It is optimized for iPhone 5 and iPad and was developed by Jeff Longshore.
Autumn Owls App


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23 Jun Vacation Home Owners Renting;Not Selling
Since the pandemic happened before Memorial Day, owners are cashing in and renting out their vacation homes.
There is an explosion of people looking to rent a luxury property this summer. Summer homes that feel like a resort in places like Malibu and Laguna Beach are extremely popular.
Rental prices have surged due to high demand. Some vacation homes rent for as much as $100,000 per month.
Before, in times like these, vacation home owners would look to sell. Right now, they are capitalizing on the opportunity to lease them out.
Lease purchases are occurring more often too. A lease purchase is where you lease a home for a few months to test it out and then commit to the purchase of the home.
If the pandemic happened in September or October, more vacation owners would be listing their second homes but since this happened before Memorial Day owners prefer to be
This report is brought to you by Michael Bloom, Hidden Hills Resident since 1977.
For a free market evaluation of your home or for any other real estate related questions or concerns feel free to reach out to me.


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NEWARK — Amazon.com might soon open a warehouse in Newark, according to a job listing the e-commerce titan has posted on its website.
The Amazon.com job listing posted May 5 describes a part-time “fulfillment associate” who can work “with and around mechanical parts … in a fulfillment center” in Newark.
The centers are distribution warehouses for storing, packing and sending products sold through the online Amazon.com network.
City leaders interviewed Wednesday said they could not confirm whether Amazon was coming to town but said an unnamed Internet company had signed a lease agreement with Newark’s Cherry Logistics Center, a 574,650-square-foot warehouse. The warehouse would be Amazon’s first Bay Area distribution center.
“If they are leasing 575,000 square feet, that means 200-plus jobs, which would have a positive domino effect on the city,” Newark Mayor Alan Nagy said. “Workers start to eat at restaurants and gas their cars near the job, and they start to see Newark as a place where they might live. Those are positive effects that come when a company like that moves into town.”
Nagy said the city’s unemployment rate has dropped to 6.2 percent — a shade better than the national rate — and likely will improve when Amazon sets up shop. “This continues the strengthening of our economy, which has finally gotten us out of the shadows of the recession in many areas,” Nagy said.
However, the distribution center would not directly boost Newark’s tax revenue, city leaders said, as Amazon.com‘s sales taxes don’t go directly to cities because it’s difficult to determine an online purchase’s exact point of sale.
“The point of sale is a point of contention for online sales,” said assistant city manager Terrence Grindall. “Amazon.com‘s tax money goes into the state tax pool, which is then divided per capita by all cities.” The warehouse at 38811 Cherry St. is in an industrial zone near Mowry Avenue and Interstate 880. Its website promotes its central location, saying it stands 25 miles south of the Port of Oakland and “within the growing population center of the Bay Area.”
Amazon.com‘s media office did not respond to a request for comment.
Jeff Starkovich, an executive at Cassidy Turley, the logistics center’s listed broker, declined to comment.
Contact Chris De Benedetti at 510-353-7011. Follow him at Twitter.com/cdebenedetti.


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Considering weekend brunch makes up nearly 40% of Big Jones’ business, it’s a no-brainer that the restaurant wants to make the most of that small service window.
But with the most popular dish at that most popular daypart taking close to a half-hour to prepare, chef and co-owner Paul Fehribach knew he had to do something. A decade after opening the Southern neighborhood eatery in Chicago, he undertook a massive remodel of all parts of the operation.
The upshot? Fehribach’s kitchen can now fry up to twice as much chicken in a little more than half the time of the old setup. “We would have (fried chicken) orders coming into the kitchen we couldn’t even fire,” he says. “There would be a wait for them. So that was a big problem.”
The renovation included a transformation to an open-kitchen format, as well as four new counter seats in front of it. It also turned a small, unused basement space into a second prep kitchen with a combi oven that’s allowing Big Jones to expand its bread program, and new holding ovens that permit chefs to fry chicken and hold it for up to 90 minutes.
“It turns a 30-minute pickup into an instant pickup,” he says.
The holding oven also doubles as a smoker, increasing the amount of bacon, ham, Andouille and other products the restaurant can produce.
The new equipment has helped the team create new menu items as well. Big Jones is selling crispy pork shoulder skin, or bark, produced in the CVap holding oven, as a bar snack. Pig skins dehydrated in the downstairs combi oven get sold as chicharrones, skipping the “extremely labor-intensive” and hazardous boiling process, Fehribach says.
What’s more, Fehribach hopes the upgraded kitchen equipment will serve as a retention tool in today’s tough labor market. “It creates energy and excitement and a compelling product,” he says. “It will be more exciting for new hires. And the open kitchen adds excitement.”


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Stocks discussed in the in-depth session of Jim Cramer’s Mad Money TV program, Tuesday May 13.
CEO Interview: Robert Toll: Toll Brothers (NYSE:TOL)
The time to buy housing stocks has not yet arrived, Cramer says, and although he notes Toll Brothers' higher revenue and a falling backlog, TOL sold 49% fewer homes than it did last year. Cramer and Robert Toll agree that housing prices are the key to a recovery, and Toll says he supports a $15,000 tax credit for homebuyers as a way to stimulate the economy. He is against the proposal to allocate $300 billion into the Federal Housing Administration. Toll adds he might consider making an acquisition, such as Centex, KB Home or Standard Pacific and said prices in Naples, Florida and some parts of California are slowly rising. Concerning a recovery, Toll is candid: "I wouldn't bet on that just yet."
CEO Interview: CEO Albert Stroucken, Owens-Illinois (NYSE:OI)
OI seems like a company that is doing everything right; it reported a fantastic quarter, beat estimates by 29 cents a share, improved cash flow and successfully passed raw costs hikes onto its customers through a 7% price increase. However, the glass producer's shares dropped 3% after its earnings report, and Cramer thinks The Street is laboring under the misconception that OI is still struggling with raw costs, which are taken care of by price increases. Stroucken admits his comments that the company might not see as dramatic an increase in the future might have hurt the stock price, but he adds 2009 " is still is going to be a good year-over-year comparison.” Global demand for glass bottles is increasing, especially with growing health concerns about plastic. Stroucken says the industry is ripe for innovation and OI will be at the forefront.
Gary Vaynerchuk is like the Cramer of wines; he takes a high-brow subject and makes it comprehensible to the average Joe. Cramer asked Vaynerchuk to discuss wine and spirit companies, and the latter praises DEO for its branding and adds it is more levered to spirits than wine. Vaynerchuk says STZ is DEO's opposite, since it is more levered to wines and is less interested in developing new brands. FO is cashing in on Jim Beam, but is not in the wine business. He comments Brown Forman is a winner thanks to Jack Daniels but is failing in its wine marketing. Vaynerchuk says all of these companies should use web 2.0 social networking to promote their products.
Cramer would take profits following jumps in MRVL and HAS on the success of blockbuster Iron Man. While TRLG indeed has a cult following, Cramer would also take profits.
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A legislative proposal (C-291) to require the labeling of food produced from genetic engineering was soundly defeated by Canada’s House of Commons by a vote of 216-67 on May 17. The Canadian government opposed the labeling bill due to concerns that a mandatory labeling statement regarding the genetically modified content of food products would alarm consumers. Proponents of the labeling bill sought an alignment of Canadian food labeling rules for genetic engineering with the labeling requirements of its leading trading partners for food, including the United States.
In alignment with the Canadian government, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers food derived from bioengineering to be equivalent to conventional methods. However, American consumer advocacy groups have requested mandatory GM food labeling for years. The FDA offered guidance for voluntary labeling, but this failed to satisfy the demands of opponents of bioengineering who were seeking greater transparency on food labels. Vermont was the first state to pass a law requiring the labeling of GM ingredients, and numerous states proposed similar laws for GMO labeling. To prevent a patchwork of GM labeling laws nationwide, the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard (the Act) was enacted into law in 2016.
Under the federal law for GM food labeling, the USDA must develop regulations by 2018 to "establish a national mandatory bioengineered food disclosure standard with respect to any bioengineered food and any food that may be bioengineered." Companies will have three options for disclosing GE content on food packages: a labeling statement, a symbol or an electronic /digital link such as a QR code that will direct consumers to the bioengineering disclosure.
The USDA regulation should clarify many of the uncertainties of the Act, including the definition of “bioengineering.” Under the Act, "bioengineering" indicates a food contains “genetic material that has been modified through in vitro recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) techniques,” and the resulting “modification could not otherwise be obtained through conventional breeding or found in nature.”
Source: Parliament of Canada


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After spending the second half of 2021 besieged by a prolonged COVID-19 outbreak, Vietnamese are finally taking off their masks and… dialed up the volume on social media use in 2022.
According to Decision Lab’s quarterly report on Vietnamese connected consumers, the popularity of social media platforms took a hit after Q2 2021, when Vietnam underwent its most severe COVID-19 outbreak. YouTube is the prime example: By Q4 2021, YouTube declined 7.5% in popularity compared to Q2 2021.
In the first quarter of 2022, Vietnamese consumers returned to pre-pandemic level of engagement and usage on social media platforms. Standing at 85%, YouTube was able to become popular among users again in the first quarter of 2022.
In the first quarter of 2022, all social media platforms but Pinterest became more popular. Surprisingly, Twitter hit an all-time high penetration rate of 26%, a 44% increase compared to the previous quarter. Dubbed “the de facto public town square” by Elon Musk, has Twitter finally taken off in Vietnam?
While Facebook & Zalo largely maintained their dominance in the social media category, TikTok saw a 10-percentage-point increase in usage in Q1 2022. All other social media platforms became more popular, with the exception of Pinterest.
It's all in the Gen X
The rise of Twitter was driven by a surge in popularity among Gen X users. Compared to Q4 2021, 16% more Gen X Vietnamese used Twitter in Q1. This signals a growth rate of 177% in Twitter usage among Gen X Vietnamese, which makes the single-digit growth rate of Twitter in other age groups negligible.
Social media penetration rates-by age groups
Similarly, TikTok was another platform that was adopted more and more by Vietnamese across generations. Used by one fourth of Gen X population in the previous quarter, TikTok was now used by 41% of Gen X after one quarter. That said, this number is dwarfed by TikTok’s penetration rates among Gen Y (61%) and Gen Z (72%).
The connected Vietnamese consumer
With many social platforms becoming more popular in Q1 2022, how many platforms are Vietnamese using? Per our calculations, on average, Vietnamese use 4 to 5 social media platforms. As expected, Gen Z uses a slightly higher number of platforms on average (~5), while Gen X uses around 4 platforms.
The number of multiplatform users increased in Q1 2022: 70% of Vietnamese now use more than 4 social platforms, up 10 percentage points from the previous quarter. Facebook remains Gen Z and Millennials’ primary applications. For Gen X, Zalo continues to play a central role within consumers in this age group’s selection of apps.
The first quarter of 2022 was great news for social media platforms. As Vietnamese are gearing up for a post-COVID world, they returned to pre-COVID level of engagement on some social media platforms. That said, platforms such as Zalo and TikTok are the true winners of this period, whose growth rate remained stable after the second quarter of 2021.


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At least one big AstraZeneca ($AZN) shareholder isn't concerned about CEO Pascal Soriot's pay package. Days after U.K. union leaders called on investors to vote down Soriot's 2012 compensation, because of a £4 million "golden hello," a "top five" shareholder threw his weight behind the new CEO.
|AZ CEO Pascal Soriot|
AstraZeneca has plenty of struggles ahead, this anonymous investor told The Telegraph. It has to beef up its pipeline. It has to bring new drugs to market. And it has to sell them to increasingly cost-conscious payers. But Soriot has already made some strong moves, the shareholder said, just 6 months into his tenure. And his so-called golden hello has to be invested back into AstraZeneca shares, he said, which makes it "a better alignment of interests" than other sign-on bonuses.
There's no doubt that Soriot has made some dramatic changes at the company. He swept out his R&D chief, Martin Mackay, and shunted aside his leading biologics executive, Peter Greenleaf, who'd been leading the company's MedImmune unit. He restructured his top management, creating one triumverate on the R&D side and another in commercial operations. He instituted another big round of layoffs--5,050 total, including some 2,300 in sales and administrative departments. He reorganized R&D into three big clusters. He announced plans to move AstraZeneca's headquarters to one of those clusters in Cambridge, England. And he's been making pipeline-oriented deals, including two announced today.
"AstraZeneca has tremendous operational challenges," the shareholder told the newspaper. "The company needed to recruit a high-quality CEO against the background of weak results, and Soriot has stamped his arrival reasonably well so far."
Not everyone agrees, obviously; opinions about AstraZeneca's fortunes are all over the map. Standard & Poor's, for instance, recently cut the company's credit rating, saying that the company's sales will probably continue sloping downward in the near term. For 2013, S&P expects a 9% slide. The company itself figures sales will drop by a "mid- to high-single-digit percentage." The question is whether Soriot's dealmaking can reverse the tide.
- get the Telegraph story


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Ask any Apple fan, and they’ll tell you the brand’s devices just make life so much easier—whether for getting work done, tracking your progress while exercising with a fitness tracker or simply enjoying some feel-good entertainment. On the flip side, it’s no secret that these beloved pieces of tech can get pricey. Good news for you (and your wallet): Amazon just announced in a press release that they’re holding a second 2-day shopping event this year, and it’s coming up soon.
Taking place now, Amazon’s new Prime Early Access Sale includes discounts across categories where Prime members will likely find some of the site’s lowest prices all year outside of its more seasoned sale holiday, Prime Day. Per Amazon’s press release, shoppers can expect to see deals on brands like KitchenAid and Philips Sonicare as well as savings up to 80% off on items such as select Fire TV Smart TVs. If previous Prime Day Apple deals are any indication, you can expect to see major discounts on Apple products as well.
Amazon’s Prime Early Access Sale is already underway and ends tonight at midnight. Some of the Apple tech on sale includes the latest Airpods Pro, an iPad and MacBooks. We’ve shared some of the best Apple deals you can already find on Amazon in case you need a tech upgrade stat.
Sam Peters is a Commerce Editor at Hearst covering fashion, beauty and more. Her writing has appeared in WWD, Footwear News, Real Simple, PopSugar and Bridal Guide, among others. She enjoys covering the latest trends and testing and reviewing some of the most innovative, emerging products on the market.
Jacorey Moon is a commerce editor at Hearst Magazines, where he covers small businesses, LGBTQ-owned businesses, BIPOC-owned businesses, fashion and grooming.
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"I'm not ruling out any options," Patel said. News.com's Ben Heskett contributed to this report. Cabletron Systems says cofounder Craig Benson has resigned and that Piyush Patel has been elected as its new CEO. The company said in a statement that Patel, formerly CEO of Yago Systems, a company that Cabletron acquired last year, will succeed Benson, 46, as the company's new chairman, president, and CEO. Prior to his appointment, Patel, 43, held the position of senior vice president for Cabletron's research and development team. Benson will remain a Cabletron director, the company said.
My phone's died again, Concentrate, average consumer! Actually, otterbox symmetry iphone xs case - clear that's relevant, because Bluetooth 3.0 is designed to avoid the battery-draining cost of leaving the current version on all the time, In fact, the 802.11 radio stays off until you actually start transferring data, Can I have an ice cream?, Not until you finish your nuts, Bluetooth 3.0 will be backwards-compatible, so you'll be able to use new devices with your existing Bluetooth 2.1-toting gear, Chip makers Atheros and Broadcom are already working on 3.0 hardware, and we should see consumer products with Bluetooth 3.0 in around 9 to 12 months, It's also possible that existing devices with 802.11 Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1 could be upgraded via a firmware update..
"Don't the scouts get bored?" I asked my guides. Ingarson, who started off scouting and still goes on training and monitoring rides, says the time flies by. Between keeping an eye on the routes and phones, and logging stops as part of a note taking protocol, there's plenty to do. 4. Scouts are all around you See a man or woman clutching an oversize briefcase and walking the aisles of your local supermarket, and you may be looking at a RootMetrics scout. They could be in the car next to you on the road, portfolio open on the passenger seat, eyes glued to the Garmin. As much as it's possible to blend in with a large black briefcase at their side, they do.
Again, Apple didn't invent all of these features, but it did make them unmistakably Apple, Of course, the biggest story here is that Apple has created its own maps app, We've been expecting some kind of a divorce from Google otterbox symmetry iphone xs case - clear Maps, and from what we can tell this divorce will be pretty final, FaceTimeWith iOS 6, you'll be able to make FaceTime calls over a cellular network, but only on the iPhone 4S and the most recent iPad, Sure, we'll take it, even if we're concerned about just how much data the app will use in an era in which unlimited data contracts are disappearing quickly, We're also concerned about the quality of the FaceTime experience over a 3G network, Indeed, as we understood it, that was the whole reason Apple restricted FaceTime to Wi-Fi when the feature debuted on the iPhone 4, As we now know, the new iPhone 5 will feature 4G LTE, obviating the need for FaceTime calls over cellular, but we have yet to see how the feature performs with only a cellular connection..
"The Internet has a lot of growth potential, and AT&T has been moving in that direction, but they should be doing better than they are," he said. Wilkes noted that long distance companies generally have an advantage over their local counterparts in telecommunications technology because of their higher pipe capacity. Deutsche MorganGrenfell analyst Stuart Conrad agreed, saying AT&T clearly has some ground to make up. And that presents a formidable challenge to new chairman and CEO Michael Armstrong.
e-mail: email@example.com - tel. 02.34.94.977
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Polizza R.C. CEA - nr 58688
p.iva IT 08772890151


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Ineos Automotive, a subsidiary of chemicals company Ineos, is reportedly considering Ford’s Bridgend production facility as the factory for its planned Land Rover Defender rival, the Projekt Grenadier SUV.
The section of the factory in question is currently being used by Jaguar Land Rover, which created uncertainty for factory workers earlier this week when it said it will stop using Bridgend-constructed engines from 2020.
Speaking to the Financial Times, Ineos said it had shortlisted a number of facilities and would not confirm Bridgend as a potential option.
Ineos's upcoming challenger to the iconic Land Rover Defender, the Projekt Grenadier SUV, will be constructed in partnership with German engineering firm MBTech, which is part-owned by Mercedes-Benz.
The technical tie-up will involve MBtech allocating 200 full-time engineers to the project from its Stuttgart base. Ineos Automotive CEO Dirk Heilmann says the deal will "bring together German engineering and British design and entrepreneurship".
Projekt Grenadier will be a rugged SUV that's in the spirit of – but not directly related to – the original Defender.
Ineos intends to reveal early sketches of the car later this year. MBtech will be tasked with "working up" the exact specifications of the vehicle to ensure that it is a "truly rugged, reliable and uncompromising 4x4".
Cheap, spacious and all-round endearing electric version of MG's ZS soft...
Ineos's plans for the Grenadier to go into proper production next year, with finished cars on the roads in 2020.
MBtech was founded in 1995 as Mercedes-Benz Technologies, although the car giant sold a 65% share of the firm to AKKA Technologies in 2012. MBtech continues to work on multiple projects for Mercedes and also works with other car firms. Under the deal with Ineos, it will take the lead on overall vehicle development of the Grenadier, overseeing all components.
Ineos turned over £43 billion in 2017, making a £3.8 billion profit. It has plans to invest around £700 million in a chosen site for Projekt Grenadier. Prior to the announcement of the MBtech deal – which only mentions production of the test mules and prototypes - an Ineos spokesman told Autocar that an announcement for where production will take place is due later this year.
The company has previously stated that it's open to a number of possible solutions; it could share a facility with another company, convert a used plant or build a new one. “We’d originally said our desire is to build it in the UK, and that remains the case,” Ineos director Tom Crotty told Autocar last year. But the company has also received a number of offers from European sites.
Ineos is still keen to start production in the UK, despite uncertainty over the automotive industry in the country following the Brexit vote.
“We’ve gone into this decision with eyes wide open,” Crotty said when asked about Brexit's impact. “It really doesn’t have an impact. We think this is a project for the UK that would be hugely beneficial post-Brexit, because we would be exporting 70-80% of the cars we would make."
Ineos is targeting sales of around 25,000 units per year. The company has previously outlined its vision for the 4x4 to be sold globally, but particularly targeting the US, sub-Saharan Africa and Europe. Prices are set to stick closely to those of the outgoing Defender, which was priced from £25,000.
The 'Projekt Grenadier' name references the Grenadier pub in Knightsbridge that's close to the Ineos office and where plans for the new car were first discussed, according to Crotty. The German spelling of 'project' is a nod to the nationality of Heilmann.
“We want the best-quality engineering under the skin of this vehicle, hence the nod in this direction,” Crotty said. “We want to remind everyone that what we’re trying to do is make an uncompromising 4x4 with high levels of engineering.”
Much of the design and powertrain options are still to be decided, but Crotty told Autocar last year that it's likely to have a diesel option, while hybrid and electric technology is being explored.
“We’re looking at a range of options for powertrains,” he said. “Hybrid technology could well be on the cards, especially because it would help with emissions management, but we would want it to retain its off-road values.
“Pure EV is also a possibility. We’re looking at everything and haven’t closed anything off. I’d be very surprised if a diesel option wasn’t part of that."
“It will be extremely high-quality and extremely reliable,” Crotty added.
As for styling, Crotty said the SUV will have the “spirit of the Defender” but it won’t be a lookalike. “It won’t be a modern SUV,” he explained. “It will be much more like an old-style, very rugged off-roader.”
Ineos claims to be one of the world’s largest manufacturers, but this will be the first time that it has produced a vehicle.
Crotty accepted that the project is a risk, but maintained that it had the full backing of the company and the team was determined to make the car a profitable success.
“People probably think we’re crazy because we’re not in the car industry,” he said. “There’s risk in everything you do, but we can manage that risk. We are manufacturers; we know what we’re doing and we know we need high quality from the people in the industry.”
Ineos founder and CEO Jim Ratcliffe is a big fan of the Defender and was behind the company’s move to make its own model.
“This is a fantastically exciting project,” Ratcliffe said. “We want to build the world’s purest 4x4 and are aiming it at explorers, farmers and off-road enthusiasts across the globe.”
Ineos said it “is determined that the vehicle will not only fill a gap in the market vacated by the Defender but also provide a step-change improvement in build quality and reliability”.
Ratcliffe added: “I am a great admirer of the old Defender and have enormous respect for its off-road capability, and our new 4x4 has been inspired by it. But while our off-roader might share its spirit, our new car will be a major improvement on previous models.”
Jaguar Land Rover is fiercely protective of its Defender. In 2016, it prevented a Canadian company from using the name 'Defender' for an all-terrain vehicle.
At the time, JLR legal boss Keith Benjamin said: “The Defender is an iconic vehicle that is part of JLR’s past, present and future. The success of our business is based on unique design and engineering attributes, and we intend to protect the brand robustly around the world.”
Ineos has informed JLR of its plans. Crotty said there was no conflict between the two parties and that JLR’s response was “neutral”. “There have been no great fallings out – just sensible conversation,” he said.
“We’re not out to produce a copy; we’re out to produce a new vehicle that is filling a space that the Defender used to fill.”
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The latest Canstar Blue survey has revealed that 66 percent of consumers prefer to use an operator checkout instead of self-service. The satisfaction report surveyed more than 2,500 New Zealanders about their supermarket shopping habits.
The report also revealed that New Zealander's are divided when it comes to customer loyalty programmes, with 46 percent of participants stating that they feel loyalty schemes offer good additional value.
Some of us are creatures of habit, with 45 percent of those surveyed always pushing the trolley at the same supermarket, while 27 percent are happy to travel further to get to their preferred supermarket.
The report also revealed that 25 percent of Kiwis spend less than $100 each week on groceries, just under half (49 percent) spend between $100-199 per week, 19 percent spend between $200-299 each week, four percent spend between $300-399, and just one percent spend more than $400.
Launched in June 2011, Canstar Blue is a customer satisfaction research and ratings business whose core purpose is to help consumers make better purchasing decisions. For this report, the company commissioned Qualtrics to survey New Zealand consumers across a range of categories to measure and track customer satisfaction. The outcomes reported are the results from New Zealanders who currently do grocery shopping for their household and pay the bills – in this case, 2,563 New Zealanders.


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A Trio Of Creative Talent For Salvatore Ferragamo
The latest new designer to join the Group’s creative team, Guillaume Meilland will debut his designs in January 2017. The trio of new designers sounded its first notes last September when Paul Andrew was named
The latest new designer to join the Group’s creative team, Guillaume Meilland will debut his designs in January 2017. The trio of new designers sounded its first notes last September when Paul Andrew was named Design Director of Women’s FOOTWEAR, followed by Fulvio Rigoni as Design Director of WOMEN’S RTW, the latter debuting the very same month with his Women’s Spring-Summer 2017 collection.
These three expressive young designers bring significant experience and solid reputations to the international iconic Florentine label – a world leader in the luxury industry – boosting the development potential of its individual lines.
“I am convinced that the work of these three designers, each with his own unique background but all united by their love of beautiful design and an immense, innate creativity in the service of research and innovation, will contribute to further strengthen our brand’s image, which the company has always developed upon the foundation of its internationalism,” announced Eraldo Po-letto, Salvatore Ferragamo’s CEO since 3rd of August. “Each of the three new designers was selected for his ability to interpret the DNA of this brand which will continue to dictate how its identity is shaped in the light of its heritage and iconic style.”
Design Director of MEN’S RTW: Guillaume Meilland began his career in 2002 at Louis Vuitton Menswear. After collaborating on several different prestigious menswear lines, in 2007 he took over men’s sportswear design for Yves Saint Laurent, and in October of the following year he was named Senior Designer of Lanvin Menswear, a position he left for Ferragamo.
“I am thrilled to be able to work for a brand as prestigious as Salvatore Ferragamo and with such an important history,” com-mented Guillaume Meilland upon his appointment and before his upcoming debut in January. “This is a momentous chal-lenge and I plan to draw on the brand’s history and heritage to create modern men’s collections that look to the future.”
Design Director of WOMEN’S FOOTWEAR: Paul Andrew joined the Group in September as the new Design Director of Women’s Footwear and the Pre-Fall 2017 collection will be his debut. In 2013, he founded the shoe brand that bears his name, soon becoming known as a creative force in the industry. In 2014, he was named winner of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund.
“For nearly a century, Salvatore Ferragamo has been a unique name for design and craftsmanship in the shoe industry. This is why it is such an honour to be asked to lead the future creative vision for the women’s footwear division, precisely where the legend began. I hope to bring a fresh perspective to the company, meeting the demands of the market today and combining the strength of Salvatore Ferragamo’s heritage and its productive power with luxury design and the very latest innovations in materi-als and technique.”
Design Director of WOMEN’S RTW: Fulvio Rigoni was named the Group’s new Women’s RTW Design Director in September 2016 at the Women’s Spring-Summer 2017 fashion show. Italian by birth and international by vocation, before joining Salvatore Ferragamo, Fulvio Rigoni held key positions for world-renowned fashion labels like Prada, Gucci, Jil Sander and, most recently, Christian Dior, where he designed both prét-â-porter and haute couture.
“After living abroad for many years, I am happy to return to Italy and work for a company with such an important history. The Ferragamo archive is a huge treasure trove, the only one of its kind in the world. I don’t think you can do my job well without respectfully taking this archive into consideration and my challenge will be precisely that of giving appeal from the past a contemporary makeover.”


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NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — U.S. retailers looked to revive flagging holiday sales on the last shopping weekend before Christmas.
With the fiscal cliff and other economic jitters dampening prospects for the sector, shopping centers, malls and storefront establishments geared up Saturday for the heaviest sales weekend of the year ahead of Tuesday’s gift-giving.
The peak of the holiday shopping season came as concerns mount over a downward move in the economy if lawmakers don’t agree on a package of tax hikes and spending cuts to avert the so-called fiscal cliff. See Friday’s story about stalled fiscal cliff efforts.
Expectations remained less than rosy since shoppers have already been putting the brakes on spending. Ree: Retailers may see disappointing holiday sales
“I don’t think we’re going to get a great pickup in the last few days here,” retail analyst Ronald Friedman of Marcum LLP told Reuters.
Sales growth for the week ended Dec. 15 is running about 4% behind last year’s pace, according to ShopperTrak data released Friday.
U.S. retail sales fell 1.2% below 2011’s level in the first half of December, causing a downward shift in expectations.
In one hopeful sign, retail sales jumped 16.4% over the previous week.
“Shoppers took advantage of the mild weather in most parts of the country to shop for gifts and other seasonal merchandise,” ShopperTrack said.
Retailers are expected to turn to deep discounts to lure Americans into more spending as the holiday shopping season comes to a climax.
But recent setbacks in Washington won’t provide much of a lift for flagging consumer sentiment.
The drama took a turn for the worst on Friday, with no resolution reached ahead of the holiday break and only a few days of negotiations left before automatic spending cuts and tax increases take effect on Jan. 1.
President Barack Obama asked lawmakers to accept a scaled-back deal to extend unemployment insurance and tax cuts for those making $250,000 or less. He then headed off for his annual Christmas trip to Hawaii.
On the Republican side, House Speaker John Boehner earlier this week canceled the so-called “Plan B” tax vote linked to fiscal-cliff talks. See related story.
The failure to reach a resolution on the fiscal cliff has apparently impacted consumer confidence, according to data released Friday. See related story on consumer confidence.
“What could have been a merry Christmas is going to turn to a ho-hum Christmas, and we can thank our, you know, politicians for getting in the middle of it all,” NPD analyst Marshal Cohen said in comments to Reuters in an article published on Saturday.


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The shop opened on November 13 last year.
Over the last 12 months, staff have saved countless bikes from landfill, and encouraged more people in the community to get on a bike as well as holding free maintenance workshops and free Dr Bike sessions across Kirkcaldy and beyond.
They celebrated the shop's first birthday by offering discounts on bikes and accessories on the day, as well as some fun and games, with a fix-a-flat challenge and the Peachy Keen Water Lot of Energy challenge which saw friends and families going head to head to power a water pump and see who could fill up the water bottles the fastest.
Lang Toun Cycles started up during lockdown – and there were some challenges.
Its parent organisation Greener Kirkcaldy.
A spokeswoman said the main difficulty was finding a suitable premises for the project.
She said: “We wanted the community bike shop to be based in the town centre as town centre regeneration is important to Greener Kirkcaldy.
"We also wanted the shop to be easily accessible to people who don’t have a car. – and so, the High Street was the obvious choice.”
The pandemic quickly impacted on the organisation’s plans to get up and running.
"Last spring and summer, many of the estate agents were on furlough so, there were long delays in securing the premises,” she added.
“The team started trading from a spare room within Greener Kirkcaldy’s headquarters building on East Fergus Place, and finally secured the shop at 245 High St last October.
"After a paint job and fit-out – and a lot of DIY from the team – it opened last November.”
She continued: “Lang Toun Cycles has filled a gap in the market.
"Kirkcaldy had no bike shop in the town centre.
"It offers good quality, affordable bikes for sale, repairs, and servicing in an easy-to-access town centre location.
“Over the last year they have upcycled countless donated bikes that would otherwise go to landfill or for scrap, or languish in people’s shed forever, and have given people opportunities to volunteer – learning new skills and gaining work experience.
"Selling refurbished bikes also gives those who can’t afford a new bike an option to get around on two wheels.”
The community bike shop is supported by the Scottish Government’s Climate Challenge Fund and Path’s For All’s Smarter Choices Smarter Places Fund as well as Cycling UK and the customers of Lang Toun Cycles. Staff have also received funding from the Energy Saving Trust‘s e-bike Grant Fund to add bikes to the bike borrowing fleet.
Staff have run courses and workshops teaching people cycle maintenance skills as well as free Dr. Bike checks across Kirkcaldy with the next event scheduled for December 18 at Templehall Parish Church. Slots are available to book now.
To find out more, pop into the shop at 245 High Street, Kirkcaldy and talk to the staff, or email: [email protected] or call (01592) 328920.


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Connectivity demand booms as leisure vessels become safer, reports IEC Telecom
2020-10-09 / Number of views:606
Demand for faster and cheaper connectivity at sea is set to increase as sailing is recognised as a safer place to work, travel and holiday during the COVID-19 pandemic says satcom specialist IEC Telecom, which is experiencing an increase in enquiries from vessel operators in the maritime leisure sector.
With ‘lockdowns’ and restrictions easing in some parts of the world, yacht owners are now able to enjoy ‘social distancing’ onboard their vessels, which is leading to a boost in demand for high-speed connectivity and increased bandwidth capacity. With the focus on social distancing, yachts are becoming increasingly attractive remote offices for those able to attend to business matters while enjoying the open sea, sunshine and fresh air. During this challenging time, sailors have an increased need to stay connected for both personal and operational purposes as well as to avoid the need to go ashore as much as possible.
The signs are pointing to an upsurge in leisure boating. Yacht chartering is seen as one of the safest ways to enjoy a break at present due to the minimal contact charterers have with other people. Yachts are considered to be more hygienic, given the ratio of crew to guests and the exclusivity of being on a private boat. Affluent consumers are looking for getaways with fewer crowds, more privacy and the ability to gather privately with those closest to them. The Boat Affair platform (whose rentals are available in more than 60 countries) has seen a 23 per cent increase in requests from customers who traditionally would opt for a hotel vacation or a seaside resort but are now seeking a safer alternative. And, according to a new survey by LuggageHero, 25 per cent of travellers report they will try to avoid crowded commercial flights and public transportation in a post-coronavirus world.
Meanwhile, in countries where travel is still restricted, many larger leisure boats and super yachts remain fully crewed and operational – also leading to increased need for connectivity as crews try to stay in touch with family and friends while conducting as many ship operations as possible via remote techniques. With crew restricted to remaining on the vessel in many places, higher speeds and larger bandwidth capacity is needed to provide leisure activities too.
The leisure boat sector was initially hit hard by international lockdowns and is now incurring additional costs for deep cleaning, personal protective equipment, virus testing etc which are not generally reflected in the charter fees. As a result, systems which allow to optimise bandwidth consumption in order to reduce expenses on communication are proving popular with consumers looking to install or upgrade yacht connectivity systems.
Add: 6F,building 5,CEC Park,Caotan 10th road,Xi'an,China
Tel: +86-29-88868880 Fax: +86-29-89348169
Add: Dorftr. 1i, 16761, Hennigsdorf, Brandenburg, Germany
- QR CODE


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Samsung Galaxy S23 FE To Feature Exynos 2200, Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
The third quarter of this year will see the arrival of Samsung’s Galaxy S23 FE, and it has been revealed that it will feature different chipsets to previous models.
The global variant is expected to carry the 4nm Exynos 2200 with 8GB RAM, the same as the Galaxy S22 Ultra, and has been criticised for being less efficient than the Qualcomm peer due to the 4nm manufacturing process.
The US variant will carry the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, and paired with 8GB RAM.
Qualcomm is constantly perceived as a better choice, so Samsung recently unveiled a Snapdragon 888-powered Galaxy S21 FE in India.
The S23 FE is also expected to feature 6.4 inch 120Hz AMOLED display, 4,500mAh battery with 25W charging, and a 50MP main camera.


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The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has expressed safety concerns over the use of two smoke flavourings in food as it publishes the first in a series of risk assessments into smoked flavour products.
EFSA’s panel on food contact materials, enzymes, flavourings and processing aids (CEF) has concluded that the flavouring products Unismoke and Zesti Smoke Code 10 could pose a risk as “there were insufficient margins of safety between estimated exposure to the two flavouring products and intake levels above which they may cause adverse health effects”.
One other flavouring product has also been assessed, Smoke Concentrate 809045, but EFSA concluded that there was no safety concern as “the margins of safety for were wide enough”.
However, Klaus-Dieter Jany, the Chair of the CEF Panel, said: “In all three cases, the Panel considered that studies were sufficient to remove concerns over genotoxicity – in other words, damage to the genetic material of cells.”
The European Commission asked EFSA to assess the safety of smoke flavourings which are used or intended for use in the EU in order to draw up a list of authorised flavouring products. The panel is due to publish opinions on eight further smoke flavouring applications by the end of this year.
Smoking is used to help preserve foods as well as change the flavour of foods.
EFSA looked at cumulative exposure to the different flavouring products in different categories of food, based on proposed uses and use levels supplied by the manufacturers.
Its exposure estimates indicated that exposure mainly arises for Unismoke through meat and meat products, as well as soups and sauces.
For Zesti Smoke Code 10 it is through meat and meat products, fish and fish products, composite foods, such as casseroles and meat pies, and processed fruits and vegetables.
For Smoke Concentrate 809045 it is through meat and meat products, soups, sauces, protein products and ready-to-eat savouries. The applicant for this product was Symrise GmbH & Co. KG.
The Unismoke applicant was Unilever Foods Netherlands and the Zesti Smoke applicant was Mastertaste.
Potential health impact
An EFSA spokeswoman told FoodNavigator.com that the effects of Unismoke reported on animals included changes in kidney weight and changes in the blood.
The results for Zesti smoke showed changes in liver and kidneys and reduced body weight gain.
She added that these were indications of possible adverse health effects but stressed that the tests were carried out on rats, when there was exposure above certain intake levels, not on humans.
However, due to the absence of data on reproduction and developmental toxicity and the lack of long-term studies on these two flavouring products, the CEF Panel concluded that in these two cases the uses and use levels specified by their manufacturers would require larger margins of safety.
The spokeswoman said that all the products being assessed could be in use in Europe as legislation for smoke flavouring was not harmonised at an EU level.
However, the European Commission is drawing up the list of smoke flavouring which can be used in the EU, on the basis of the risk assessments being carried out by EFSA.


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Issues such as global warming have become increasingly important lately, and some computer companies, along with the rest of the world, are doing their part to help. According to The Register, Green Grid, an association of computer companies with the goal of lowering the power consumption of data centers, may have recently received support from Intel and Microsoft. There is speculation that Intel and Microsoft will accept invitations into the association sometime in the next few weeks, joining founders AMD, IBM, HP, Dell, and Sun Microsystems.
Come Monday, the elusive Green Grid consortium that focuses on the energy consumption of data centers will announce the acquisition of two industry heavyweights - Intel and Microsoft, The Register has learned. Up to this point, the Green Grid has been looking very, um, green with nothing of substance coming out of the group. In fact, the Green Grid won't even turn into an official organization until next week's announcement, despite the thousands of stories you've already seen in the press. On Monday, the group with members such as AMD, Sun Microsystems, Dell, HP and IBM plans to discuss its charter and structure to those who will listen, according to our sources. It will also pump out three white papers aimed at CIOs, data center chiefs and building managers.


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Further, brands that leverage the Yahoo DSP can achieve greater reach through Yahoo ConnectID, which benefits from RampID and the expanded scale of LiveRamp’s Authenticated Traffic Solution.
Yahoo ConnectID is powered by direct consumer relationships of nearly 200M authenticated users in the U.S., enabling omnichannel addressable inventory across all of the Yahoo owned-and-operated properties and thousands of other publisher domains. RampID and LiveRamp’s Authenticated Traffic Solution power LiveRamp’s person-based approach to identity, enabling authenticated addressability across browsers, mobile devices, and CTV, at scale across hundreds of destinations. Clients will be able to develop deeper customer relationships, create value throughout the customer journey, and maintain control of data.
Publishers who have adopted LiveRamp’s Authenticated Traffic Solution will be able to integrate with Yahoo ConnectID with minimal effort and better monetize their addressable supply. More than 450 brands already work with LiveRamp to use their first-party data to personalize consumer experiences.
Publishers and marketers can benefit from this partnership without any additional configuration or resources for authenticated audiences at scale, delivering customized experiences everywhere it matters. Publishers should expect to see increased monetization on their authenticated inventory via Authenticated Traffic Solution as Yahoo ConnectID will now be available as an identifier. Further, marketers looking for post-signal loss solutions will have increased reach of authenticated users across publishers that have adopted RampID and/or Yahoo ConnectID via the Yahoo DSP.
“We strongly believe in authenticated addressability, and this partnership enables greater reach that will endure beyond third-party signal loss,” said Elizabeth Herbst-Brady, Chief Revenue Officer at Yahoo. “We’re making it easier for marketers and publishers to leverage these solutions and maximize results, while simultaneously supporting more seamless transactions across the open web.”
“Yahoo is a powerful advocate for authenticated identity, and the connectivity we’re partnering to enable across their DSP and Yahoo ConnectID will help make the post-signal world a better experience for marketers than the world of today,” said Travis Clinger, SVP, Activations and Addressability, LiveRamp. “Marketers and publishers now have even more flexibility to engage, personalize, and measure their customer journey.”
LiveRamp is the data collaboration platform of choice for the world’s most innovative companies. A groundbreaking leader in consumer privacy, data ethics, and foundational identity, LiveRamp is setting the new standard for building a connected customer view with unmatched clarity and context while protecting precious brand and consumer trust. LiveRamp offers complete flexibility to collaborate wherever data lives to support the widest range of data collaboration use cases—within organizations, between brands, and across its premier global network of top-quality partners.
Hundreds of global innovators, from iconic consumer brands and tech giants to banks, retailers, and healthcare leaders turn to LiveRamp to build enduring brand and business value by deepening customer engagement and loyalty, activating new partnerships, and maximizing the value of their first-party data while staying on the forefront of rapidly evolving compliance and privacy requirements. LiveRamp is based in San Francisco, California, with offices worldwide. Learn more at LiveRamp.com.
Yahoo reaches nearly 900 million people around the world, bringing them closer to finance, sports, shopping, gaming and news—with the trusted products, content and tech that fuel their day. For partners, we provide a full-stack platform for businesses to amplify growth and drive more meaningful connections across advertising, search and media. To learn more, please visit yahooinc.com.


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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (2/19/14)--Diana Dykstra, president/CEO of the California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues, urged legislators to take action to reduce consumer credit data breaches in testimony during Tuesday's special joint informational hearing of the California Assembly Judiciary and Banking and Finance Committees on personal data.
Citing Credit Union National Association statistics, Dykstra noted the Target credit card data breach has cost the nation's credit unions more than $30 million before fraud costs were taken into account. Also, 4.6 million cards were reissued by credit unions at an average cost of $5.68 per affected card.
California's credit unions have been swarmed by consumer calls about their personal data, requiring the non-profit, member-owned organizations to absorb millions in additional costs, she said.
Dykstra urged the panel to incentivize retailers and third parties they contract with to better protect consumer data with tougher laws.
She referred to stricter laws in other states that shift the liability and levy penalties onto retailers responsible for data breaches--noting there are 46 states with disparate laws enacted to reduce data breaches. Nevada, Washington and Minnesota are among the states that have stricter laws than California.
"Where California has stopped, some other states have kept going to address the inequities and lack of responsibility that currently exists in the system," she noted. "Retailers have no real security standards, no financial responsibility when a breach occurs and no mandate to notify the public and hinder the financial institutions' ability to inform the consumer where the breach occurred. Unfortunately, both state and federal law as it exists today, allows merchants to abandon that responsibility, leaving consumers exposed."
Co-chaired by Assemblymen Roger Dickinson (D-Sacramento) and Robert Wieckowski (D-Fremont), the special joint committee information hearing focused on ways to prevent future personal data breaches. In addition to Dykstra, representatives from the banking industry, consumer groups, retailers, and credit card industries also testified.
On the federal level, the Credit Union National Association has urged the U.S. Congress to take a broad look at how consumer data is secured and the improvements that are necessary to prevent future breaches.
In a statement submitted for a Senate hearing, CUNA President/CEO Bill Cheney wrote, "Data breaches occur, in part, because merchants are not required to adhere to the same statutory data security standards that credit unions and other financial institutions must follow, and merchants are rarely held accountable for the costs others incur as a result of the breaches.
"All participants in the payment process have a shared responsibility to protect consumer data, but the law and the incentive structure today allows merchants to abdicate that responsibility, making consumers vulnerable."


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When it comes to the Internet of Things, security is often top of mind.
But could it be that with all the data we willingly share online, and through our mobile devices, we’ve created our own monster?
“What does your mobile phone know about you?” asked Caleb Barlow, vice president of global portfolio marketing at IBM Security, during a panel discussion at LiveWorx.
“All of those apps are connected to the cloud, and we’ve created an economy where sharing about ourselves is driving development,” Barlow said. “Now when you walk into a restaurant, you are the cow that’s being sold.”
And it’s not just the mobile devices we carry around in our pockets.
What is an IoT thermostat about? It’s got nothing to do with temperature,” Barlow said. “It knows about your movement and activity. It’s incredibly valuable when correlated with other bits of information.”
But how can businesses ensure data collected from these kinds of devices is secure?
“A company has to think about security by design,” Barlow said. “Finding a vulnerability early in the lifecycle is easier to fix. In the supply chain it costs millions of dollars.”
In the IoT business, defense is only one piece of the puzzle. Resiliency is also key.
“What happens when there is a bridge in your security? How do you continue operations? Do you know who’s in charge? Who to call or what to say?”
You need live-action drills to accomplish this kind of resilience, Barlow said.
“When you define resilience the human element is important,” added Edna Conway, chief security officer of global supply chains at Cisco Systems. “If there is a crisis, the reality is your people are not going to take their laptops home and continue to work.”
Addressing concerns that security challenges could stifle innovation, Barlow said the regulatory environment is still unclear. IBM, which has one of the largest threat research centers in the world, puts security first when designing and selling a platform, according to Barlow, and, he said, it’s up to individual companies to step up to the plate.
“There are no industry standards – you’re measured more by how you compare to others in your field.”
But initiating a strong security plan can be difficult.
“Security is complicated, dry and boring, and it flies in the face of today’s instant gratification mentality,” said John Canosa, chief strategist at ThingWorx.
Companies are often slow to think about and adopt security measures around the IoT because there can be a whole range of connected devices and the challenge is sweeping, Canosa said.
“First you have to define what is the ‘thing’ and then it filters up,” he said. “Security is a moving target and it’s never-ending.
“It’s about being able to demonstrate value to the end-user.”
View LiveWorx keynotes and breakout sessions.


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Lily Allen will wear a wedding dress by Chanel for her summer wedding to Sam Cooper.
According to WWD, Allen was spotted at the fashion house’s Parisian office and said, “I’m here to see Karl for my wedding dress.”
Allen has a long history with Chanel. She fronted a handbag campaign in 2009 and performed live during their spring/summer 2010 show.
The singer is planning to tie the knot at a church in Central London on June 11.


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911 GT3 RSR
Endurance racing is a grueling, often frustrating experience, but the rewards--when you get it right--are equally significant. Team Falken Tire gives us a look into what they're working on improving for the 2011 American Le Mans Series season with this video from the Sebring winter test session. The car itself is already fast, according to drivers Bryan Sellers and Wolf Henzler--the problem last season was getting the tires to last at competitive pace through an entire 70-minute stint. That's where Falken comes into the mix, with new slick compounds and new team management. Even if you're not...
2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR Ready To Tear Up The Track
The 2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR is ready to take off into the new motorsport season with a number of extensive enhancements designed to ensure it continues a successful series run. The 2011 version of the world’s most successful GT race car celebrated its world debut at the “Night of...Viknesh Vijayenthiran


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A microbe which eliminates the stench of stale beer will be poured onto the floorboards at his year's Oktoberfest in Munich.
(The bacteria, called Elbomex, is produced by a Bavarian company which sells commercial dishwashers and it seemingly gets rid of all kinds of noxious smells. The reason they're using it at the Oktoberfest this year is that they're worried the stench of stale beer will be unbearable because of the smoking ban. Seemingly the stench of stale tobacco used to mask it. I now no longer regret never having been to the Oktoberfest.)