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If you still believe that television news exists to look out for your best interests, you are hopelessly naive. The big networks are going to protect their customers at all costs, and you are not their customers. You are the product. CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS and Fox are all trying to get as many of us watching as possible so that they can deliver millions upon millions of ad impressions to their true customers. Of course the biggest customers of all are in the pharmaceutical industry. According to Adweek, the pharmaceutical industry spent more than 400 million dollars on national television advertising during the month of March alone…
In March, prescription pharmaceutical brands spent an estimated $403.4 million on national TV advertising, according to recently released data from iSpot.tv, the real-time TV measurement company. That’s almost twice as much as the second top-spending category for the month, automakers (est. $216.1 million), and a 16% increase from prescription pharma’s February outlay.
Big Pharma is the giant elephant in the room and nobody else is even close.
If they keep spending like they did in March, they will have spent nearly 5 billion dollars on national television advertising by the end of this year.
And “news programming” is one of the primary areas where they focus that spending…
Examining how Rx brands are prioritizing TV ad spend, news programming is a key area: Combined, the pharma industry spent nearly $15 million advertising during ABC World News Tonight With David Muir in March, generating 986.7 million TV ad impressions. NBC Nightly News With Lester Holt, Good Morning America, CBS Evening News With Norah O’Donnell, Today and CBS Mornings also were in the top ten programs by spend for the industry.
If a certain industry is showering you with millions upon millions of dollars, do you think that you will have an incentive not to do any negative stories about that industry?
It is just human nature.
Any news executive that does not take special care to protect the network’s most important customers is not likely to have a job for long.
During the 18 months that stretched from the beginning of 2020 to the middle of 2021, the pharmaceutical industry spent more than 2 billion dollars “on ads during primetime cable news”…
Over two billion dollars ($2.2B) were spent on ads during primetime cable news (5 pm until midnight on CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC) and nightly network news programming on ABC, CBS, and NBC between January 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021. Fox News earned the most in advertising ($622M) and CBS earned the least ($205M).
Please pay special attention to that last sentence.
Fox News received more money from Big Pharma during that period than anyone else.
So if any Fox News hosts were to be highly critical of the pharmaceutical industry, that would put hundreds of millions of dollars at risk.
But that is precisely what Tucker Carlson did less than a week before he was fired.
He delivered a blistering monologue in which he revealed the truth about the damage that the industry is doing and the influence that it has over the big news networks…
But executives at Fox News will never, ever admit this.
No matter how popular you are, you simply are not allowed to threaten the gravy train.
There is just way too much money at stake.
And according to a study that was recently conducted at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, much of the money that is being spent is used to promote drugs “with low added benefit”…
A new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that the share of promotional spending allocated to consumer advertising was on average 14.3 percentage points higher for drugs with low added benefit compared to drugs with high added benefit.
The analysis also revealed that the majority—68 percent or 92 of the 135 drugs included in the analysis—of the top-selling prescription drugs sold in 2020 were rated as offering low added benefit. The U.S. does not currently assess prescription drugs for comparative effectiveness. The researchers based their rating categories on France and Canada’s ratings of the same prescription drugs sold in the U.S., some under different brand names.
In other words, a lot of these drugs aren’t even that beneficial.
But that isn’t what matters.
What matters is getting people hooked on these drugs so that the profits keep rolling in.
If you want to get rich, the pharmaceutical industry is a great place to do it.
Just consider the CEO of Moderna. He made nearly 400 million dollars last year…
Stéphane Bancel, chief executive of Moderna, had a good year in 2022, exercising stock options that netted him nearly $393 million. The company decided his pay wasn’t good enough.
The Cambridge, Mass.-based biotech, known for its lifesaving coronavirus vaccine, raised his salary last year by 50 percent to $1.5 million and increased his target cash bonus, according to a March securities filing. Bancel, 50, says he is donating the proceeds of stock sales to charity. He owns stock worth at least $2.8 billion and, as of the end of last year, had additional stock-based compensation valued at $1.7 billion.
Whether their products are good or not, the pharmaceutical industry is always going to get favorable coverage from the big news networks because that is how the game is played.
And our politicians are always going to protect Big Pharma because they desperately want the sweet, sweet campaign donations to keep arriving.
So don’t expect anything to change any time soon.
We have become a nation that is teeming with corruption from the very top to the very bottom, and we are on a collision course with national suicide.
No house will be able to stand for long if the foundation is rotten to the core.
And thanks to the endless greed of those that are in positions of power, our foundation has been rotten to the core for a long time.
But we aren’t supposed to talk about such things, are we?
We are just supposed to pretend everything is fine as they systematically extract billions of dollars out of us.
About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “End Times” is now available on Amazon.com. In addition to my new book I have written six other books that are available on Amazon.com including “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. (#CommissionsEarned) When you purchase any of these books you help to support the work that I am doing, and one way that you can really help is by sending copies as gifts to family and friends. Time is short, and I need help getting these warnings into the hands of as many people as possible. I have also started a brand new Substack newsletter, and I encourage you to subscribe so that you won’t miss any of the latest updates. I have published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe. I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but I also ask that they include this “About the Author” section with each article. The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions. I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is definitely a great help. These are such troubled times, and people need hope. John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” If you have not already done so, I strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.


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Starting Sunday, your Amazon purchases will cost more
Amazon addicts, you might want to fill up that online cart before Sunday.
For the first time, the online retailer will be collecting sales tax from Iowa customers.
Earlier this month, the company announced it would be required to collect Iowa's 6 percent sales tax at the beginning of 2017. But it's unclear what prompted the change. Amazon officials did not respond to a request for comment.
"They’ve agreed to do this," said Victoria Daniels, spokeswoman for the Iowa Department of Revenue. "They approached us."
Amazon charges sales tax in 30 other states. And several state governments have moved in recent years to capture a piece of the online giant's revenues, which topped $100 billion in 2015.
Iowa law requires companies with a "nexus" in Iowa to collect sales tax for online purchases. That means stores with a brick-and-mortar presence such as Target and Barnes & Noble must collect sales tax on their online orders. For retailers such as Amazon without a physical presence here, the burden is on the consumer to send the state an equivalent use tax, though few actually pay.
Although the state did not mandate the change, Daniels said it is a win for Iowans.
"It’s a huge concern," she said. "Not so much from a revenue perspective, but it’s a matter of fairness."
That's because Amazon competes with Iowa retailers, who support public infrastructure by paying property taxes and charge their customers the mandated sales tax rate.
"It’s a competitive disadvantage for them," she said. "Iowa customers are buying (Amazon) products, using those products here and benefiting from those products, yet that company does not have the same tax burden."
Most grocery items are exempt from sales tax, though candy, certain beverages, pet food and other exceptions exist under Iowa law.
The Department of Revenue estimates Iowa loses between $18 million and $24 million in sales tax collections to online retailers with no local presence. In fiscal year 2016, the state collected nearly $2.3 billion in total retail sales taxes, according to the Department of Revenue.

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Meeting discusses Disney solutions
Park suggests peak ticket changes, liaison with travel agents
The government yesterday expressed deep concern about the fallout from last week's chaos at Hong Kong Disneyland and the negative impact it was having on the local tourism industry and the city's image.
'We are very concerned about what happened at Hong Kong Disneyland last week when some customers were refused entry due to a sold-out park. We are also concerned about the impact of the incidents on the image of our tourism trade,' Financial Secretary Henry Tang Ying-yen said.
Government and theme park officials met for about four hours yesterday in one of their regular quarterly board meetings.
Throngs of frustrated visitors, many of whom were members of mainland tours, were locked out of the theme park last week and told their tickets did not guarantee entry on any one day. They had purchased flexible tickets, which are valid for six months but have less priority during crowded peak days. Date-specific tickets are only sold for holidays and special events.
Bill Ernest, executive vice-president and managing director of the theme park, was joined at yesterday's meeting by Disney executives, including Walt Disney Imagineering design executive vice-president Wing Chao.
'We talked specifically about the Christmas season and the Chinese New Year holidays,' Mr Ernest said.
Future arrangements to handle ticketing, visitor entry and peak or holiday periods at the park were also discussed at length, Mr Tang said. The financial secretary said that Disneyland had noted last week's incidents, learned from the experience and would implement changes.
Talks have also started with the travel industry. Hong Kong Association of Travel Agents chairman Michael Wu Siu-ieng met theme park officials yesterday to discuss ticketing arrangements for coming peak holiday periods, including Easter and the mainland's 'golden week' in May.
Mr Wu said Disneyland had set up a dedicated hotline to help travel agents. It was also agreed that tour companies give the park an update on how many visitors they expected to bring at least one week before major holidays, to allow for better preparations.
Disney would use the next few weeks to gather more feedback from the hotel trade and related sectors before meeting industry representatives again, he said.
Mr Wu said he was urging Disneyland to make both date-specific and flexible tickets available for sale on all days and allow customers to decide which to buy.
While 'golden week' has been designated as the first three days of May, the meeting proposed that the days date-specific tickets are available be changed or extended to cover the entire week or the latter part of the week, when more mainland tourists are expected to visit Hong Kong.


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Mulan will skip theaters and premiere on Disney+ in September 2020 as a $30 premium title, the company has announced.
Mulan was supposed to mark the grand re-opening of theaters across the world together with Warner Bros' Tenet. First in July, then in August.
Disney has now confirmed that Mulan, which has a production budget of around $200 million, will skip theaters and head straight to Disney+ in many regions.
The news was announced during an earnings call. Mulan will premiere on Disney+ on September 4, 2020 as a $30 PVOD (premium video-on-demand) title. It will not be included as part of the normal subscription plan. It is not clear if non-subscribers will be able to rent the movie.
Disney CEO Bob Chapek noted that the company will evaluate release plans on a title by title basis, and that Mulan does not represent a new normal. So far, Artemis Fowl, Hamilton, The One and Only Ivan, Magic Camp and now Mulan have shifted to Disney+ but the company still has many major movies planned for theatrical release.
The movie will be released in theaters only in markets where Disney+ is not yet available.
During the earnings call, it was also announced that Disney+ has surpassed 60 million subscribers less than a year after launch in November 2019 and the subsequent expansion to a handful of new region. Disney+ will launch in additional regions later this year.


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Recently, KFC announced its new ‘KFC Console’ on its twitter page. This tweet created a huge fuss around as the memes started coming in quick. But, is it true though?
Looks like KFC Gaming is way ahead of its time and was trolling recently launched PS5. Even the tagline of Playstation 5 ‘The Future of Gaming ’ is mentioned in the tweet. Not many details about the hardware were shown but you get a chicken chamber, so I guess that’s pretty much enough for us to convince. Loaded with 4K and 120 FPS, Cross-platform abilities this will indeed power your hunger.
Credits: KFC Gaming


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Robert Parker – one of the world’s most influential wine critics – is alarmed by the high price of Bordeaux wine, saying the region risks hurting itself by focusing so much on the East Asian market. “Bordeaux is the epicenter of the greatest wines,” he said. “I hate to see the image damaged by the … Continued
One of 600 bottles of Romanée-Conti Wine from 1945 that were produced during the end of World War II, set a new world record price for a 750ml bottle of red burgundy at Christie’s auction sale in Geneva on May 17. The legendary vintage of the bottle was estimated between $56,000 to $78,000, and was … Continued
Want to wine and dine like Donald Trump? Sip on a glass of Trump Wine. After ongoing negotiations, the real estate tycoon finalized the deal to buy the Kluge Estate Winery and Vineyard outside Charlottesville in Virginia last week. He paid the bargain price of $6.2 million for 800 acres in a bank auction, reported … Continued
Mouton-Rothschild has asked a Beijing artist, Xu Lei, to design the label for its 2008 vintage, in the footsteps of Georges Braque, Salvador Dali or Joan Miro. Kept under wraps until the last moment, the predominantly blue painting features a ram standing on a rock and was chosen by Baroness Philippine de Rothschild, owner of … Continued
Wine experts Wednesday popped the corks of two bottles of champagne recently salvaged from the bottom of the Baltic Sea. They had lain in a sunken ship for nearly 200 years, 50 meters below the surface in the waters south of Aaland, a Finnish-controlled archipelago of 6,500 islands. On stage, they eased the fragile corks … Continued
Three bottles of Chateau Lafiteâ€™s 1869 vintage each sold for a record price of HK$1.8 million ($230,000) at a sale in Hong Kong last saturday. All three were bought by the same Asian telephone bidder, said Sothebyâ€™s, which offered almost 2,000 bottles of Lafite shipped directly from the cellars of the chateau in Pauillac, near … Continued
George Lee’s “A Date with Wine” is a wine stopper with twist-able date rings to help you remember when you opened a bottle.
Researchers in India say they have developed a wine made from mangoes that they hope might one day compete with the traditional grape-based variety. Scientists at the Central Institute of Subtropical Horticultural Research in Lucknow have produced wines using three types of mango native to the local state of Uttar Pradesh — the Dussehri, Langra, … Continued
Austrian Airlines has topped a list of the best business class in-flight wines from US-based Global Traveler magazine. It beat Qatar Airways by only 0.28 of a point to take the award, which the magazine said “was not dependent on one or two high-scoring blockbusters pulling the rest of its wines into the winnerâ€™s corner.” … Continued
Follow sailing ship the Bessie-Ellen online, as it transports 20,000 bottles of ChÃ¢teau Smith Lafite and ChÃ¢teau de Cayx Bordeaux to Montreal on July 21. ChÃ¢teau Smith Lafite and ChÃ¢teau de Cayx are using a classic sailing ship to transport their vintages to North America. The sailing ship being used, the 120-foot (36.5 meter) Bessie-Ellen … Continued
The Boucheron Reflet XL Chateau Latour Millesime 2005 is a new watch made by Boucheron in partnership with Chateau Latour.
Italian design collective Acquacalda have designed a range of kitchen gadgets based on the laws of physics, including this device for pouring exactly equal amounts of wine into four glasses.
Concerns are growing in some wine industry circles that a few rogue Chinese wine traders may be mounting a wine scam, just as the 2009 Bordeaux futures sales are poised to begin, experts fear. Fine wine merchant Bordeaux Index alleged that unscrupulous traders in Shanghai had hoodwinked private customers into ordering and paying for the … Continued
A Palm Beach billionaire has uncorked a suit charging Christie’s auction house is in cahoots with counterfeit wine sellers. William Koch is still steaming about four bottles of wine supposedly owned by Thomas Jefferson that he bought for more than $300,000, which allegedly turned out to be fakes. He’s already sued the seller – and … Continued
China‘s seemingly unquenchable thirst for wine has ousted America as Bordeaux’s number one client outside Europe, latest figures showed Friday. With overall exports down a large 23 percent in 2009, vintners are now looking to the East to drain their cellars. “China has become our first client outside the European Union,” said Alain Vironneau, president … Continued
In the sun-drenched south of France, the world’s largest vineyard has launched a new, simplified brand called “Pays d’Oc”, creating the number one French wine export to compete against New World brands. Languedoc-Roussillon covers 35 percent (or 260,200 hectares) of all French vineyards, making it the biggest producer worldwide. As of the 2009 vintage, soon … Continued
Petrus, Romanee-Conti, Chateau d’Yquem — wines coveted by connoisseurs, and targeted by counterfeiters. According to French wine professionals, a handful of rare and fine wines face the same threat from fraud as luxury handbags and designer sunglasses. Trafficking in fake wine has “always existed a little, but it’s definitely amplified with the rising prices of … Continued
Japan’s craze for Beaujolais nouveau has beaten the recession, with tourists taking a dip in a hot mountain spring coloured red with the fruity wine. The Hakone Kowakien Yunessun spa resort celebrated the annual uncorking of the seasonal drop by having a sommelier pour a few bottles into an open-air hot spring bath as holiday-makers … Continued
LVMH has bought a 50% stake in St-Emilionâ€™s ChÃ¢teau Cheval Blanc from its billionaire chairman and controlling shareholder, Bernard Arnault. However financial terms were not disclosed in the release, which pointedly failed to mention that LVMH was acquiring the Bordeaux wine from Arnault. Arnault, reputedly Franceâ€™s richest man, bought Cheval-Blanc with Belgian businessman Albert FrÃ¨re … Continued
Dubai International Airportâ€™s new fine wine and spirits shop is to sell some of the worldâ€™s rarest wines in the world â€“ duty free. The wines in Â« Le Clos Â» include ChÃ¢teau Petrus 1947 ($12,500/Â bottle), ChÃ¢teau Cheval Blanc 1961 in magnum ($15,750) and Domaine de la RomanÃ©e-Conti 2005 ($27,770/ bottle). The shop also … Continued


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According to the Israeli Institute of Technology, Israeli students have developed a new technology to produce honey without bees through the use of genetically modified bacteria.
The amazing properties of honey make it extremely appealing in areas such as pharmaceutical manufacturing, cosmetics and food industry. However, the expansion of honey production will harm this species and the environment, while reducing the number of bees worldwide.
Bile-free honey is produced by bacillus subtilis.
Therefore, this new type of honey-free honey will help address these negative effects. The honey is made using bacillus subtilis bacteria, and these bacteria have learned how to produce honey through reprogramming in the lab.
Normally, to digest and preserve the amount of pollen collected, bees use special enzymes in the stomach to turn this pollen into honey. With the new method, bacteria will be separated from the end product by using a membrane filter.
Students also designed synthetic circuits to regulate the replication of necessary enzymes, thereby controlling the quality of the final product of bile such as flavor or necessary applications.
The results confirm that the product could open up new fields of honey production without harming bees and could be applied in the field of medicine and food.


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Friday, Septmeber 1st: Creative Chef Kitchens
If your passion is food and creating a unique dish or sharing a family tradition has always been your dream, then you should check out Creative Kitchens in Derry. It's an incubator for start-up food businesses and as Heather Hamel explains, it's already turning out some delicious treats and talented chefs.
Plus, this weekend is the annual Seafood Festival at Hampton Beach. With tent after tent of every type of food you can imagine, it's no wonder people from across New England come for the food, beach, music and fun.
On Fritz Wetherbee's New Hampshire: Central Park.
For more information on tonight's stories:
Creative Chef Kitchens
Hampton Area Chamber Of Commerce
Hosting this week from:


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Richard Branson has backed ‘new and exciting currency’ Bitcoin, promising to accept it from customers of his commercial space flight company Virgin Galactic.
The billionaire’s new venture has been all about breaking boundaries and it seems he is keen for this to run right down to its payment methods.
Increasingly popular online, Bitcoin is a peer-to-peer digital currency that functions without mediation from a central authority, with Branson having become an early investor in it himself.
The entrepreneur explained that Virgin’s space flights would accept Bitcoin because it is a ‘new exciting currency’, adding that a flight attendant who became its first customer using the currency made ‘quite a lot of money getting into Bitcoin early on’.
Branson added that the payment was transferred into actual dollars ‘so there’s a fixed price [and] we can actually pay her money back, if she changes her mind about going to space in a few months’.
Virgin Galactic has yet to give a concrete date for its inaugural space flight, but anyone hoping to be on board will need to start saving now, with one round trip costing $250,000 (£154,000 / 325 bitcoins).
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Washington, United States, Jul 31 – The US on Monday suspended duty-free benefits for apparel from Rwanda due to tariffs imposed by the East African country on used clothing and footwear imports it blames for harming the local textile industry.
The proclamation by US President Donald Trump “suspends the application of duty-free treatment for all apparel products from Rwanda,” the office of the US trade representative said in a statement.
The now-suspended duty-free benefits came under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), but “Rwanda remains eligible to receive non-apparel benefits available under” the measure, deputy US trade representative C.J. Mahoney said in the statement.
Affected products accounted for around three percent of Rwandan exports to the US in 2017, valued at $1.5 million, meaning that “the president’s action does not affect the vast majority of Rwanda’s exports to the United States,” he said.
Rwanda blames used clothing – which mainly comes from the US – for undermining the development of its local textile industry.
In 2016, Kigali raised tariffs on the importation of second-hand clothes, disrupting a multi-million dollar industry and setting it on a collision course with the United States.
Initially, the East African Community regional bloc was united in its battle against used clothes, but the alliance cracked as Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda balked at the prospect of retaliatory loss of access to US markets via AGOA.
Rwanda alone did not capitulate and in 2016 its imports of used clothing dropped by a third.


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Coca-Cola South Pacific launches ‘Be More Fanta’ campaign
Coca-Cola South Pacific is asking its customers to embrace the fun side of life in its latest multi-million dollar Fanta soft-drink marketing campaign.
Named ‘Be More Fanta’, Coca-Cola South Pacific says the campaign is “aimed at inspiring youth to embrace the playful, fun and vibrant side of life”. Teenagers and Mums are the target audience and it kicks off Fanta’s 2016 strategy to “bring the fun”.
Coca-Cola South Pacific will be spending millions on TV, cinema, online, radio, outdoor advertisements and point of sale merchandising. Fanta packaging will also include illustrations encouraging consumers to take photos with the drink and share them through their social media accounts.
The campaign has already run in France where Coca-Cola said it “enjoyed great success, reaching 6.5 million teens in the first two weeks.”
Brand Manager for Fanta Ramona Spiteri said Fanta’s creative and playful history made the campaign ideal for the drink.
It also has a proven track record of success, having delivered significant growth since 2009 and is continuing to flourish, something we expect to build on in 2016.”
In October 2015 Coca-Cola South Pacific launched a marketing campaign aiming to heavily align Fanta with Halloween in Australia.
Premium New Zealand vanilla company, Heilala Vanilla, will now be stocking its products in Coles and...
The 2016/17 Food Manufacturing Industry Guide to Safety is now available.
Unilever’s Continental is now selling three new cooking aid ranges in Australian supermarkets.
SPC Ardmona is now selling Australian grown canned cherry tomatoes. Until now, only canned cherry to...
A new sweetener called Skinny Sugar is now available in Australian supermarkets.
Dairy producer Parmalat has launched a number of flavoured milk varieties in time for summer.
Duck producer, Luv-a-Duck, has launched a range of moisture infused duck breast.
CUSTOMERS are expecting fast, premium fulfilment and delivery at little to no cost — the focus has s...


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EXACT Sciences Corporation (NASDAQ: EXAS) is having an incredibly strong start to the trading session this morning, and for good reason. The gains are ultimately following up on the strong growth yesterday as the result of a partnership between the company and the third largest pharmaceutical company in the world, Pfizer (PFE). Today, we’ll talk about:
- The agreement;
- what we’re seeing from EXAS as a result; and
- what we’ll be watching for ahead.
PFE To Help EXAS Sell Cologuard
Yesterday, Exact Sciences and Pfizer announced that they have entered into an agreement. Under the terms of the agreement, PFE will team up with EXAS to work together in an attempt to sell Cologuard. Of course, this is great news. After all, Pfizer is one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies with incredible experience in the commercialization of medications.
The truth of the matter is that EXAS was already doing a great job selling Cologuard before the agreement. The company’s second quarter sales of the screening came in at more than $100 million, with about 10,000 new healthcare providers ordering their first test. Nonetheless, with Pfizer in the midst, sales could double or more. In fact, the company could see sales climb to nearly $1 billion in 2019 considering their current growth rate and the tools that Pfizer will be bringing to the table.
What We’re Seeing From The Stock
One of the first lessons that we learn when we start to dig into the market is that the news causes the moves. When it comes to EXACT Sciences, the news proved to be overwhelmingly positive. After all, teaming up with Pfizer will likely lead to a strong increase in sales of the company’s Cologuard cancer screening. Investors reacted strongly yesterday, with gains over 8%. Today, the gains continue as investors continue to eat up the potential here. Of course, our partners at Trade Ideas were the first to alert us to the gains. Currently (10:01), EXAS is trading at $70.18 per share after a gain of $4.86 per share or 7.44% thus far today.
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What We’ll Be Watching For Ahead
Moving forward, the CNA Finance team will continue to keep a close eye on EXAS. In particular, we’re interested in following the story surrounding the company’s continued work to ramp up sales of Cologuard. Considering the partnership with Pfizer, sales are likely to climb ahead. Nonetheless, we’ll continue to follow the story closely and bring the news to you as it breaks!
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By Lauren Hirsch.
Bark, the parent company of BarkBox, the subscription service for dogs, is prepared to go public in as soon as six months, co-founder and CEO Matt Meeker told CNBC. It would also consider a potential sale.
The company has met with banks in recent weeks to discuss both options, sources familiar with the situation said. Bark confirmed the meetings, saying they are typical for a company at its stage to build relationships and gauge the market and opportunities, far in advance of any process.
If it does go public — a move that will be market dependent — Bark will welcome labeling itself in conversations with investors as a subscription box company. That identification would come despite the recent industry aversion to the label.


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A New Platform for a Classic Appliance
Traeger Grills launched their innovative smart grills based on patented WiFIRE technology in early 2019. These grills have been an amazing commercial success. This sudden market adoption of their connected grills coupled with a sunsetting of their Xively IoT platform meant Traeger needed to find a partner who would get the job done right, and done fast, with no impact to their growing customer base.
Salt Lake City, Utah-based Traeger Grills is the premiere wood-fired grill company delivering a seamless, streamlined way for customers to spend more time with their family and friends and less time hunched over a grill waiting for their food to cook. Traeger’s technology allows customers to see what their grill is doing wirelessly, creating an elevated cooking experience with their customers’ experience at the forefront.
“One of our goals is to bring people together over really good food and to make that process simple so you are building memories,” said Bart Strong, Traeger’s Director of Digital Technologies.
The company actually wants customers to spend less time worried about the food on the grill, and more time enjoying a great life. With an online library of recipes, the brand aims to take the stress out of cooking so you can focus on your family and friends.
In evaluating potential business partners, OST stood out because of its desire to see Traeger succeed and its willingness to serve as a partner throughout the entire process. OST’s expertise, skills and attention to detail separated us from other vendors. In OST, Traeger found a partner who had a vested interest in the businesses’ success.
At the heart of the Traeger project is the IoT migration, the move to the AWS IoT Platform. OST’s proprietary IP, The IoT Foundation, was a key component in this migration. The IoT Foundation is a layer that sits on top of the AWS IoT Platform, allowing customers to create or migrate their connected products faster. In January 2020 OST migrated hundreds of thousands of grills to the new platform with no disruptions to the end user’s service. By the end of 2020, Traeger expects that number to quadruple. These grills will be online – connected, sending messages and receiving command and control. With the AWS platform, this growth in capacity is available on demand, allowing Traeger to scale as needed.
One of the greatest challenges was the time constraints to move Traeger to the new IoT platform. Using the IoT Foundation, an accelerator, Traeger was able to cut the schedule back six months and lower risk since it is built on stable components. The IoT Foundation is a thin 100 percent customizable layer. Traeger can continue to meet the demands of its large, steadily growing customer base. With our experience, as well as the IoT Foundation, Traeger can evolve their IoT platform for their future product needs.
It's Time to Break Up With Your IoT Platform
Migrate to the AWS IoT Platform today and save up to 30% in consumption costs per device on the AWS platform. To learn more about OST’s migration process, and all of the benefits of the AWS IoT Platform, visit our IoT Migrations page.
Scalability and Growth
In addition to the migration, Traeger gained velocity from running their platform on AWS. They are gaining security and support because the pervasive security model that goes throughout AWS is well-managed and configured. AWS offers scalability and growth potential and the ability to take the information Trager gathers to the next level. Traeger uses that information to continue to improve the process for its customers.
A Little Something Extra: Voice Applications
OST also implemented Google and Alexa voice skills to interact with the grill. The ecosystem provides content including recipes and cook cycles so customers can have a broader cooking experience.
Launching Additional Products: Traeger's Timberline Series
After building an IoT platform that enabled Traeger to grow and scale seamlessly, Traeger engaged OST as a trusted partner to develop their new Timberline Series. The product featured new capabilities that would directly impact end users and the digital experience. More capabilities also increased complexity in areas like messaging structures. As Traeger’s primary AWS platform vendor, OST needed to collaborate with product, mobile, firmware, web and content teams to build advanced features in a highly optimized and “IoT-ready” way.
OST immediately delivered additional business value to Traeger. We provided strategic direction related to firmware over-the-air (OTA) updates and telemetry data ingestion. OST architects hardened the platform via integration and code coverage tests while updating security measures for the platform, firmware and end users. With future maintainability and reduction of technical debt in mind, OST also improved live service monitoring systems and built a user-friendly web portal for engineers and developers to better manage device configuration, firmware updates, users and other tasks.
With this work complete, Traeger launched the new Timberline Series with confidence that their IoT platform could accommodate new users, increased traffic and additional complexity while improving security, reducing uncertainty and saving on cloud costs.
By launching with new features, Traeger has differentiated itself in a highly competitive market. And Traeger continues to innovate and provide outstanding experiences for consumers with the knowledge that their IoT platform can keep up with them every step of the way.
“We felt like OST was already a part of the team… A huge key to success is finding a partner like OST that believes in you and your product and isn’t just doing it because it’s the job.”
Director of Digital Technologies, Traeger Grills
Where Do You Begin?
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BENGALURU: Flipkart Wholesale, the digital B2B marketplace of Flipkart Group for kiranas and MSMEs, on Monday announced 'Big Festival Month from September 29 to October 31 where over 95 per cent products sourced locally will be made available on the platform.
The sale will feature products in fashion categories across more than 50 brands, more than 100 sellers and one lakh members, the newly-launched B2B marketplace said in a statement.
Flipkart last year acquired Walmart India and launched Flipkart Wholesale, a new digital marketplace designed to help transform the kirana retail ecosystem in the country.
Flipkart Wholesale began operations earlier this month. "The upcoming festive season is a great opportunity for retailers and MSMEs to boost sales and profitability. We see this as an opportunity for the whole retail ecosystem to come together, lift consumer sentiment and drive business growth for local MSMEs across the country," said Adarsh Menon, Senior Vice President and Head - Flipkart Wholesale & Walmart India.
Since its launch, Flipkart Wholesale has expanded to 15 cities and is now servicing more than 750 new pin codes across the country.
The 'Big Festival Month' will offer products in categories such as men's wear, women's western wear, women's ethnic wear, kids wear and footwear.
"A strong backend technology will also enable a hassle-free order placement and fulfilment process for retailers on the platform," the company said.
By the year-end, Flipkart Wholesale plans to expand into categories such as home and kitchen and grocery.
Flipkart Wholesale earlier said that its customers will have access to easy credit facilities in partnership with leading banks and non-banking financial companies to manage cash flow.
Jayanti Chauhan, 42, is vice chairperson at the company promoted and built by her father. She will work with the professional management team headed by chief executive Angelo George, said people with knowledge of the matter.
New Delhi, Mar 14 (PTI) American toy and clothing retailer Toys 'R' Us is said to have shut within 24 hours a store it opened in Hyderabad to mark its second entry into India over some legal complexities with the mall owner, sources said.


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People walk near dates stands in a food and dates market in Makkah on Thursday. Reuters
"Business is going very well," said Faisal Addais from his stall close to the Grand Mosque — Islam's holiest site.
"The customers are foreigners and speak all languages," added the 41-year-old Yemeni, who sells religious souvenirs.
To overcome linguistic challenges, sales are often conducted with the help of a calculator.
Potential customers stroll past the stalls and shops, while pigeons coo at their ankles on the bustling thoroughfare.
Pilgrims gather at the Grand Mosque on Wednesday night, prior to the start of the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Makkah. AFP
Retailer Ali said his sales were expected to "increase five-fold" during Hajj, which this year is expected to attract 2.5 million worshippers from Saudi and across the world between Friday and Tuesday.
Completing Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and every Muslim with the means is obliged to undertake it at least once in their lives.
A salesman shows the Ajwa dates at a local date shop in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. Reuters
The pilgrimage draws vendors to the Holy City, the majority peddling religious wares.
They include Chinese-made replicas of the Kaaba, a black structure inside the Grand Mosque towards which Muslims around the world pray, as well as call to prayer alarm clocks and water said to be holy.
"The religious and mercantile dimensions have always been linked in Makkah," said Luc Chantre, author of several books about the pilgrimage in the modern era.
Malls replace bazaars
"When they had come from far away, pilgrims needed to trade to finance their stays — and some even went home in profit," Chantre told AFP.
"What's new is that these vast multi-storey malls have replaced the old bazaars around the Grand Mosque."
Air-conditioned shopping centres near the Grand Mosque are home to leading luxury brands, which welcome a constant stream of pilgrims — except during prayer times.
Beyond the religious souvenirs, visitors to Makkah can pick up highly-coveted Saudi gold, watches, clothes and more.
Pilgrims shop prayer rugs at a market in Makkah on Wednesday, ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage. AFP
The city's restaurants and fast food outlets, either in narrow side streets or on main arteries, are deluged by worshippers around the clock.
As well as the five-day Hajj, Muslims also travel to Makkah year-round to undertake the Umrah, a lesser pilgrimage.
Makkah is unlike Christian pilgrimage sites such as Lourdes in France and Mexico's Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe where "trade is linked exclusively to souvenirs and religious offerings," said Chantre.
Makkah's nearby city of Jeddah is the traditional home of western Saudi Arabia's mercantile families, partly owing to its vast port.
More than 2 million pilgrims were gathered in the Holy City of Makkah in Saudi Arabia on Friday to perform initial rites of the Hajj.
PTI said, “Prime Minister Imran Khan performs Umrah. The Prime Minister prayed for the development and prosperity of Pakistan and the unity of the Muslim world.”
Etihad will also operate six charter flights dedicated to the General Authority of Islamic Affairs, Sheikh Zayed Foundation and Abu Dhabi police. The outbound flights will operate from Abu Dhabi to Jeddah and Medina between Aug.1-5, with return flights scheduled for Aug.16-17.
While many revel in the arrival of the colder months, excited to join in the celebrations of the festive period, others will have to cope with the unpleasantness of norovirus.
British fashion brand Ted Baker on Tuesday said both its top bosses had quit, as it warned on profits and suspended its dividend on weak consumer spending amid economic uncertainties.
WhatsApp will stop working on millions of older mobile devices globally as the company has withdrawn support for such phones.


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Thank you for the donations!
Last month, the Mustard Seed announced they were in an emergency situation as all of their locations were running extremely low on bottled water. We used our last enewsletter, asking for members to drop off donations of bottled water here at the centre.
Once again WSAC members showed us how amazing they are. Donations started rolling in almost immediately and we are very excited to tell you that we received a total of 2384 bottles of water for the Mustard Seed!
Thank you, everyone. Your generosity will make the hot summer much cooler for those less fortunate. We would also like to thank our friends in the business community…Strong Coffee Marketing and JAG Printing who generously donated to our cause!


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R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co. said Thursday it is selling its interests in two business units, Stream International Inc. and Corporate Software and Technology Holdings Inc.
Donnelley is selling 93 percent of its stake in Stream, which sells technical support services, to Bain Capital Inc.
After the sale, Donnelley still will own about 6 percent of Stream.
An investment group headed by Corporate Software and Technology's chairman and chief executive, Howard Diamond, is acquiring Donnelley's 86 percent interest in that company, whose services include customized documentation.


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Banks in Ghana have sent final notices to all customers ahead of the 1st May implementation of the infamous Electronic Transactions Levy (E-levy).
The information from the banks to customers indicates that effective Sunday, 01/05/2022, the E-levy charges on affected transactions will take effect.
The Electronic Transactions Levy (E-levy), which is a 1.5% fee, will be charged on electronic money transfers. The transactions affected according to the message sent to customers include wallet-to-bank transfers, bank-to-wallet transfers, and bank-to-bank transactions.
The reaction of the public to the E-levy implementation will be felt after the May Day and Ramadan Holidays. It is anticipated that customers who want to avoid the E-levy will opt for transacting many of their businesses in the banking halls through cash deposits, withdrawals, and cheques.
The fight by the minority in parliament to prevent the E-levy lingered on for long, but finally, the bill was passed and President Nana Addo signed the bill into law.
Final Update Ahead of E-levy Implementation
The Ghana Revenue Service, Banks, and Telcos are major stakeholders who have been charged to see the smooth introduction and operationalization of the law. The E-Levy is expected to rake in some GHS 6.9 billion (US$1.1 billion) which would help deal with the country’s 2022 budged deficit to a large extent.
The E-levy will also affect all daily transactions made through Mobile money that exceed GHS100.00. However, the Ghana Revenue Authority has indicated the transactions which will be excluded from the e-levy charges include salaries paid through Momo.
The objectives for the introduction of the E-levy is the government’s inability to collect tax revenues as many Ghanaian businesses and workers operate in the informal sector, which has not been captured by the tax systems of the country. The E-Levy when operationalized on 1st May 2022 is expected to improve the country’s domestic tax mobilization. This would further expand the tax base of the country and bring further ensure all persons living in Ghana contribute toward national development.
The government has disclosed that, the country needs the E-levy to turn its fortunes around and that, the country’s failure to implement the e-levy will lead to the stagnation of the economy.
When the E-levy collection starts on May 1 2022, Mobile money service providers such as MTN Momo, Vodafone Cash, AirtelTigo Money, Zeepay, and GCB G-Money will play an important role in ensuring that clients who use their services are dully charged for the transactions covered by the levy.
eTranzact, JuniPay, Korba, Nsan, and others who are Payment Service Providers (PSPs) would also be required to charge the E-levy as required by the law on services they provide their customers.
Banks, Specialised Deposit-Taking Institutions as well as all other Financial Institutions prescribed by Regulations would have to comply with the directive and charge the Electronic Transaction Levy as required.
The GRA has also assured the banking population that the E-levy would not affect cash-in and cash-out transactions of Mobile money transactions. It has also indicated that schools that have a business mobile money merchant wallet and transfer funds from it to its staff will have to pay the 1.5% E-levy charges when such transfers are made. To ensure fairness of the system, the schools can capture such charges as allowable expenses in their annual income statements. This will have no positive effect on implications where such schools are not duly registered and do not pay taxes to the country, thus it will amount to bad debt for such schools.
Which transactions will be excluded from the E-levy?
The following transfers are excluded from the Levy:
- All electronic money transfers below GHS100 a day. Thus, if you send money electronically and that transfer is less than a total of GHS100.00 a day, you will not pay the 1.5% levy on the GHS100.00
- If you transfer money from one of your accounts to another using the electronic money transfer, the transfer will not be charged. However, the two accounts should be linked to the customer’s Ghana Card to qualify for this exemption.
- Persons who are transferring money electronically for the purposes of paying or meeting other tax obligations, fees, or for making payments via the Ghana.gov platform will be exempted from the E-levy charges.
- Cheque clearing which is done through the Electronic Clearing Systems by financial institutions is also exempted from the E-levy.
- When payments are made to businesses and organizations which are registered with the Ghana Revenue Authority and for the purposes of Income Tax or Value Added Tax will be excluded from the 1.5% E-levy charges.
- According to the Ghana Revenue Service, to ensure double charging of clients is avoided, all payments transferred electronically between agents, their principals, and via master-agent accounts will be excluded from the 1.5% E-levy charges.
Although the initial implementation is expected to have some challenges, continuous improvement and sensitization of the general public need to go on for the next six months. The government through the GRA and other stakeholders must be ready to resolve all challenges in record time if they ever arise. Failure to deal with these and improve the confidence of the citizenry in the systems will have a negative impact on the E-levy and may lead to user rejection and long queues in banking halls, as people may turn to manual processing and banking services to avoid the E-levy.
It is expected that banking halls will be taken over by customers in the coming days after the E-levy takes effect on 1st May 2022.
The entire nation is bracing itself for the E-levy implementation from May 1, 2022. While the government will be aiming at raising more revenue for developmental projects, many more Ghanaians will be waving their way through the E-levy to find ways to avoid it as much as possible. Are you fully ready to pay your E-levy? Time will tell its impact on our pockets.


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Kellogg shares fell after a rumored deal with Kraft Heinz was deemed "not likely" in the near term, according to sources close to the company. » Read More
U.S. stock index futures indicated a sharply lower open on Thursday.
U.S. stock futures were tanking this morning, extending Wednesday's late-session sell-off.
U.S. stocks closed mostly lower on Wednesday as investors digested remarks from Fed Chair Janet Yellen.
U.S. equities closed near the flatline after a choppy trading session, as investors looked ahead to Janet Yellen's testimony.
President Obama presented his final budget to Congress on Tuesday. Here are some suggestions for where all that money could go.
U.S. stocks closed off their session lows on Monday amid a late rally in the energy sector.
Analysts say they would not be surprised to see stocks take aim at January's lows in the week ahead.
Jim Cramer sees a massive stock rotation occurring right now, and it all stems from the presidential candidates stirring the pot.
One of the most frustrating—and unsuccessful—quests in 2016 has been the Search for a Successful Strategy.
After oil prices slid again Tuesday, some "Fast Money" traders contended retail and consumer stocks could benefit.
Some of the names on the move ahead of the open.
Morgan Stanley chief U.S. equity strategist Adam Parker recommends the sectors to buy and avoid for 2016.
Cage-free eggs will take over the chain by 2025
From the Dell-EMC deal to Pure's debut, it's been a hot year for storage. Nutanix's IPO filing adds another chapter.
Jim Cramer envisions a day when stocks could be purchased just as easily as products on Amazon.
Jim Cramer warns investors to sell these three groups of stocks before the Fed decides to raise rates.
John Bryant, CEO of Kellogg's, talks about the potential for conflict between suppliers and shareholders over being green and environmentally friendly and the importance of maintaining the food supply chain to feed a growing world population.
Dollar General, the No.2 U.S. discount retailer, reported lower-than-expected quarterly net sales as consumer spending showed few signs of recovery.
U.S. stock index futures pointed to a lower open Tuesday, as investors paused for breath after the S&P 500 breached the 2,100-point level on Monday.
Markets will be laser-focused on Friday's October jobs report in the week ahead and may even look past more than a dozen scheduled Fed speeches.


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Samsung Bixby Speaker May Unveil With Galaxy Note 9
Samsung’s Bixby-powered speaker may be on its way earlier than expected, following claims the company’s first smart speaker will unveil alongside the Galaxy Note 9.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Samsung’s Bixby smart speaker is tipped to launch at its ‘Unpacked’ August 9th event, or just a few weeks after.
Codenamed ‘Lux’ the spherical device is rumoured to incorporate bottom legs and a top light.
Joining the smart speaker market notably later in the game, Samsung’s premium device is tipped to be priced around US$300 (~A$407).
Also rumoured to unveil alongside the Galaxy Note 9 is Samsung’s new smart watch.
Whilst some commentators claim it’s strange Samsung may bundle announcements together, others assert it reflects an expanding ecosystem, providing an opportunity to demonstrate how products work together.
Consumers will have to hold their breath until August for further details.
S Pen? pic.twitter.com/xizmWw9J2W
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) 17 July 2018


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Panasonic MTV Spoken Word proudly present brand new single titled ‘This Singh Is So Stylish‘ by Punjabi Superstar Diljit Dosnajh ft Rapper Ikka & North America’s music producer Intense.
The track will be out this September. ‘This Singh is so Stylish’ will be the fourth single from MTV’s new music show MTV Spoken Word after the super successful ‘Bring Me Back‘ by Yo Yo Honey Singh, ‘Swag Mera Desi‘ by Raftaar & Manj Musik and recently released Bandook by Badshah & Raxstar.
Watch the teaser here:
Diljit Dosanjh’s ‘This Singh Is So Stylish’ ft Intense & Ikka will be available for download soon via iTunes, Google Play & Amazon MP3.


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Title: Google’s Special Offer to Netflix Revealed in Epic v. Google Trial
Subtitle: Google’s app store faces scrutiny in the ongoing lawsuit, as Netflix’s payment arrangement comes under the spotlight
In a recent twist during the Epic v. Google trial, details emerged surrounding a special discounted rate Google offered to streaming giant Netflix in 2017. The tech giant proposed a deal that would allow Netflix to retain 90 percent of the money from in-app payments on Android, a significantly higher percentage than the standard rate.
During the trial, documents and testimony unveiled that the offer was part of a program called LRAP++ and was exclusively extended to Netflix. Prior to this arrangement, Netflix was paying Google 15 percent for in-app subscriptions on Android. However, it is important to note that before partnering with Google, Netflix had its own payment method, which cost the streaming service closer to three percent.
Google, which is currently facing allegations of maintaining an unlawful monopoly with its app store, attempted to entice Netflix into using Google Play Billing (GPB) voluntarily. However, Netflix declined the special 10 percent deal, remaining skeptical about Google’s payment system outperforming their own.
Even now, Netflix directs Android users to subscribe and pay through a mobile browser instead of using the Netflix app. In a video deposition, Google did not contest Netflix’s claims, with a Google spokesperson explaining that different rates are offered to different developers based on their needs and industry.
Netflix’s decision to decline Google’s offer may have been influenced by the fact that it had previously signed a special arrangement with Apple, sharing only 15 percent of its revenue on iOS. However, specific details regarding Spotify’s deal with Google were not revealed during the trial.
As the case continues, Google’s attorney attempted to deflect attention from the payment arrangement by highlighting that Netflix is available on various devices and can therefore afford to bypass the app store. Nevertheless, the revelation of Google’s special offer to Netflix has shed further light on the ongoing debate surrounding Google’s app store practices.
With this lawsuit serving as a critical examination of the tech industry’s app store policies, the outcome of the trial could have far-reaching implications for both Google and other major players in the digital marketplace. As more revelations come to light, industry experts and consumers alike are keeping a close eye on the proceedings, anticipating potential shifts in the app store landscape.
“Infuriatingly humble tv expert. Friendly student. Travel fanatic. Bacon fan. Unable to type with boxing gloves on.”


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Milk products like khoya, mawa, chenna, malai are extensively used to make traditional Indian sweets. With the festive season in full swing, sale of khoya and mawa is on the rise for making festive sweets at home. Barfi, peda, kalakand, rabri, halwa and more such Indian sweet recipes require the addition of khoya and mawa to enhance their taste and texture. Khoya makes the sweets richer, denser and creamier. If you are planning to get khoya for your festive spread, you need to be cautious while buying it. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has raised concerns regarding the quality of khoya being sold in Delhi and the rest of the country.
FSSAI found adulteration in some khoya samples during a pilot study in Delhi, after Federation of Sweets and Namkeen Manufacturers brought up the issue of adulterated khoya. Following this, FSSAI decided to launch a nationwide quality survey of khoya and mawa in order to provide safe milk products in the wake of the ongoing festive season and the upcoming festival of Diwali.
"The final survey results will help in identifying key hot spots for adulteration of khoya in different parts of the country and strengthen efforts at the state-level in devising targeted enforcement drives in the coming months," the FSSAI statement said.
(Also Read: 5 Best Khoya/Mawa Recipes You Must Try)
FSSAI has directed Commissioner of Food Safety of all states to place mobile labs called 'Food Safety on Wheels' in all khoya mandis in big cities from October 12-16, 2020, and asked them to prompt the buyers to get their khoya samples tested in the labs.
For the pilot survey, Delhi government placed mobile labs at Mori Gate Khoya Mandi between August 31 and September 4, and the khoya samples were tested for three parameters - titratable acidity, maximum added starch and added sugar.
"Considering that there was some failure in the samples collected at Delhi during the pilot survey, it was decided to conduct a PAN-India Khoya quality survey," FSSAI added.
So, if you are in-and-around Khoya Mandi of your city to source milk products for sweets, it is advisable to get them tested to ensure safe festive celebrations.


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Illinois-based American Needle, a company that dates back to 1918, had been producing NFL-licensed caps and apparel for nearly 20 years.
All that changed, however, in 2001 when the NFL awarded an exclusive contract to Reebok.
As the Chicago Tribune reports, sales of NFL gear represented nearly 25 percent of American Needle’s annual sales.
The family-owned business sued the NFL claiming they restricted competition and violated antitrust laws by acting as one entity rather than 32 independently-owned teams.
The Supreme Court ruled unanimously in favor of American Needle, a ruling with significant ramifications for other sports ventures.
As Justice John Paul Stevens wrote in his decision, “Decisions by NFL teams to license their separately-owned trademarks collectively and to only one vendor are decisions that deprive the marketplace of…actual or potential competition.”
Photo by American Needle.
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What could be better than earning up to 100% commission on the sales of exciting cruise and destination vacation packages?


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Teleperformance, a leading business process management outsourcing provider, is gearing up for aggressive expansion for Fortune 1000 clients with Anish Mukker as India’s new CEO.
GURGAON, India, August 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Teleperformance, a global leader in omnichannel customer experience, plans to deepen its digitally integrated enterprise services and transformation solutions.
As the new CEO, Anish Mukker will focus on high-growth revenue strategies and further expand the company’s national footprint to serve customers and their end customers from a location of their choosing.
With 80,000 employees serving more than 200 customers in 70 cities across IndiaTeleperformance is committed to enabling local and global businesses to adapt to disruptive digital innovation and transform the customer experience at scale.
Like Teleperformance in India celebrates its 20th anniversarye anniversary, the celebrations are marked by expansion plans and new business from international and domestic clients in the retail, financial services, healthcare and technology verticals. With a “High-Tech, High-Touch” approach, Teleperformance India experienced unprecedented growth in the first half.
10 times Great Place To Work® certified in IndiaTeleperformance is investing in business expansion and recruitment with recently launched sites in Gurgaon and Hyderabad. Also, an Olympic-themed Mohali site and a DLF Downtown Gurgaon site will soon be launched.
Mukker has built successful growth businesses, delivered operational excellence and raised the bar for customer experience among customers of North America, Australia, Asia and Europe. At Amazon, he led the operations of the world’s largest marketplace, created unique operating models, and enabled a distributed workforce across India. His experience also extends to several major sales and mergers and acquisitions for financial services. Mukker also built australia BFS, multiplying its size by 10 in six years.
Prior to Amazon, Mukker led Genpact’s global sales, strategy and operations in Europe for financial services, based in London. He also served as Global Chief Operating Officer for Financial Services, driving the growth of the business.
As a strong advocate and sponsor of DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion), Mukker has been recognized by major industry trade bodies such as NASSCOM and other international industry associations.
As CEO of Teleperformace India, Mukker strongly believes that india benefit to the global economy went beyond language skills and labor arbitration. India provides access to deep pools of talent in customer experience, analytics and technology, which are now essential to major global industries. Mukker said, “With our Cloud Campus model, which allows individuals to work from anywhere with state-of-the-art security, access to our broad reach across Fortune 1000 companies, India will play a strategic role in the growth of Teleperformance globally. To support this expansion Teleperformance in India expects to be 100,000 strong people within a year and a half.”
Mukker concluded, “My primary focus will be to make Teleperformance India the hub of deep expertise and leverage global Teleperformance intellectual capital, to rapidly expand the reach of our services to international clients. I am excited about the growth opportunity the next decade can provide Teleperformance and the role India can play in driving the transformation agenda of the world’s largest companies. We are uniquely positioned to spearhead this growth, thanks to our close relationships with our customers and our years of experience in multi-country growth to provide our customers with simpler, faster and more sure.”
About Teleperformance India
Teleperformance in India has grown from a leading outsourced omnichannel customer experience provider to a digitally integrated business services provider and transformation solutions provider. Teleperformance in India provides omnichannel customer experience management, back-office services and transformation solutions to leading global brands across many industries.
With 80,000 employees serving more than 200 clients from more than 20 countries in 22 languages, Teleperformance India is committed to enabling businesses to adapt to today’s disruptive digital innovations and build long-term growth.
The entity in India is one of the 420,000 employees of the Teleperformance group worldwide and is the largest multicultural team providing integrated digital services to companies.


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Press release from PR Newswire
The Wendy's Company to Report 2013 Third-Quarter Results on Nov. 7
Thursday, October 17, 2013
The Wendy's Company to Report 2013 Third-Quarter Results on Nov. 716:05 EDT Thursday, October 17, 2013
DUBLIN, Ohio, Oct. 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Wendy's Company (NASDAQ: WEN) will release its third-quarter 2013 results before the market opens on Thursday, Nov. 7. A conference call will follow at 10 a.m. ET, with a simultaneous webcast from the investor relations section of the Company's website at www.aboutwendys.com. The live conference call will be available at (877) 572-6014 or, for international callers, at (281) 913-8524. An archived webcast with the accompanying slides will be available on the Company's website at www.aboutwendys.com.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120831/MM66742LOGO )
About The Wendy's Company The Wendy's Company is the world's third-largest quick-service hamburger company. The Wendy's® system includes more than 6,500 franchise and Company-operated restaurants in the United States and 27 countries and U.S. territories worldwide. For more information, visit aboutwendys.com or wendys.com.
SOURCE The Wendy's Company
For further information: David D. Poplar, Vice President of Investor Relations, (614) 764-3311, firstname.lastname@example.org


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Why do my grandchildren spend hours playing games on the computer or console? What's the attraction of these games? A computer school in Leipzig supplies older adults with answers to these and other questions.
During her trip, German Chancellor Angela Merkel will get a picture of technological progress in China's tech hub of Shenzhen. DW's Frank Sieren says it’s Germany's last wake-up call before China takes the lead.
After all, it's better to play it safe. As it becomes a global tech power, China is investing in technologies that have pitfalls, including blockchain technology, says DW's Frank Sieren.
The most important prize in the country's gaming industry, the German Computer Games Awards selects innovative games in 14 categories. This year's winners include "Huxley," "Assassin's Creed Origins" and "Townsmen VR."
Bulgaria's IT industry is booming and women are playing a key role: Around half of the people working in the country's technology sector are women. It is becoming an incubator for startups — with a female touch.
© 2018 Deutsche Welle |
Legal notice |
| Mobile version


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The iPhone-customized Web sites continue to pile up. Today Facebook announced it has created an iPhone-friendly way to check on the status of your friends on Facebook and update your profile (http://iphone.facebook.com).
HarperCollins, meanwhile, is also making excerpts of some of its books available on the iPhone via the Internet (http://mobile.harpercollins.com), including titles such as “Ike,” “Obama,” “A Killer’s Kiss.” Wait, where is the light reading?
Both sites break down its Web site so it’s easy to navigate on a small screen. Instead of opening Facebook and getting a page filled with your personal details, your wall of messages, your list of friends, your upcoming events and so forth, it shows just one section of your profile at a time.
Only a small number of people access social networking sites on their cell phones so far. In a report today, M:Metrics estimated that 7.5 million, or 3.5 percent of consumers in the United States, went on a social networking site on their mobile device in June. It’s the first time the group has measured the number of people using their cell phones to check out a social networking site. MySpace and Facebook were the most popular sites for consumers.


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Scientists have, for the first time, obtained a view of the initial burst of light from the explosion of a massive star. Thanks to the lucky snapshots taken by an amateur astronomer in Argentina, the...
Why one of my grandchildren will be getting a smartwatch this year
The cheapest model starts at £699 in the UK
The company is expected to announce four iPhone 12 models on 13th October
Says its new iPad Air is six times faster than the top-selling Chromebook


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It has been approximately five months since the COVID-19 pandemic forced the biggest economic shut down since the Great Depression. While many people are returning to a version of what their lives looked like before COVID-19 with (some) kids going back to school, restaurants and businesses opening their doors, and cars hitting the road once again, you may be wondering what’s next for your injury law firm in the aftermath of such a challenging time for our country.
More importantly, you may be wondering this: What can your law firm do to prepare for the future, including another possible shutdown? Our personal injury law firm marketing experts at Whitehardt are here to answer all your questions. CEO Kevin White, CFO Felix Eckhardt, Director of Web Services Alyssa McCord, Account Services Supervisor Bails Palmer, and Godfather of Legal Marketing Harlan Schillinger have broken down the essential trends you need to know about in legal marketing during the changing times of COVID-19 in this month’s blog.
Did You Increase Your Market Share?
One thing we learned quickly in the early stages of the pandemic was that we could offer TV stations a much lower price for ad space for our clients, and we did not waste time jumping on that opportunity. Sometimes offering as low as 10% of normal rates for ad space, we were able to save our clients money when their cases were scarce while still maintaining their brand as the name to trust in their communities. People will always need personal injury lawyers, pandemic or not. The pandemic rages on, but people are back out in public (whether that’s a good thing or not) at near pre-pandemic levels. If your law firm continued to advertise while rates were low and viewership was high, you just got a very good deal on branding impressions that could pay dividends for a long time.
“A couple of firms decided this bargain on media was an opportunity to really grab some market share,” CEO Kevin White said. “The couple of firms that did that were rewarded quite well for it. They weathered the storm better, they came out the other end with better brand recognition, and that dividend will pay forever.”
Make Friends With Google
Although organic marketing is not a direct response method of lead generation, both COVID-19 and the upcoming election season has presented law firms with an opportunity to gain an intriguing competitive edge: Make friends with Google.
As the economy recovers and law firms begin increasing their advertising budgets, the competition will undoubtedly increase along with it. However, organic search results and Google Map-Pack search results will forever remain untouched by ever-changing advertising spends. Why? Because, when it comes to organic search results, Google doesn’t care how much money you have.
That’s why it’s more important than ever to make sure that your website, your online citations, and your Google My Business listing are in tip-top shape. “While a competing law firm may outbid you in other advertising mediums, they can’t outbid you when it comes to SEO. Now is the time to build your foundation: Clean up your website, create valuable content, build local backlinks, and generate as many 5-star Google Reviews as you can. It’ll be worth it in the long-run,” says Alyssa McCord, Whitehardt’s Director of Web Services.
Zoom Consultations Are Here to Stay
Whether you like them or not, Zoom meetings with your clients are here to stay. In a world where client referrals and Google reviews drive the market, it can’t be ignored that client satisfaction soared during the pandemic. And it’s not all that surprising, either.
“It’s not about managing your business, it’s about managing your client,” Godfather of Legal Marketing Harlan Schillinger said. “One of the things that COVID brought out is that we can embrace people more easily.”
For the first time, clients were able to see their attorneys’ faces on a regular basis to discuss their cases and connect with them on a much more personal level than ever before in these Zoom meetings. It changed the game on communication between law firms and their clients. Our marketing experts believe this technological step forward is not something to abandon when your firm’s physical doors open back up.
“COVID has forced the necessity for having that process in place, and I think it will continue to happen after COVID is gone,” Account Services Supervisor Bails Palmer said. “Everyone is going to have to keep up.”
Preparing for the Great Dip of 2021
Assuming the average injury case settles in about 8-10 months, come March 2021, law firms are going to see a dip in their income when the lack of leads they’ve been experiencing turns into a lack of settlements. Our CFO Felix Eckhardt believes the best way to prepare for this spring slump is to: 1. Pay bills and employees first, then put what money you can away for this time you know is coming, and 2. Start to cherry pick your bigger cases that take around two years to settle that may be coming to fruition around March. Use those settlements to your advantage.
“Don’t lose sight of the settlement machine,” Whitehardt CFO Felix Eckhardt said. “Use the settlement machine that you’ve built to not only keep your business afloat while there are cases in your inventory, but to also save some of those settlement fees while you’re preparing for bad days that you can see coming when your inventory is going to dip because that’s how COVID affected you.”
How a Legal Marketing Agency Can Help Your Firm Generate Business Post-Quarantine
While COVID-19 has taken much from us as a country, it has also given us new opportunities to help our friends and neighbors. Whitehardt has been helping our clients run business interruption campaigns to help people who had to shut down their business these past few months connect with firms who can help them seek compensation. We are also partnering with a number of firms licensed to take on mass tort cases like Zantac®, Elmiron®, and Belviq®. Firms who aren’t licensed to handle these kinds of cases can still benefit from their settlements when they work with us. You can learn about opportunities like these and so much more when you call us for a free Zoom consultation with our team.
Whitehardt is a legal marketing agency dedicated to staying on the cutting edge of marketing strategies designed to generate leads and successful cases. We hope this information has been helpful as your firm begins to see business again and you prepare for the months ahead. For any questions you may have on how your firm can remain profitable and competitive in the months ahead, contact us for a free consultation.


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Nordic food group opts again for Petersime incubators
Lantmännen Swehatch, part of one of the Nordic area’s largest groups within food, energy, machinery and agriculture, has recently replaced six incubators in its hatchery in Väderstad with Petersime BioStreamer incubators. At the same time, 12 other Petersime incubators have been upgraded.
In January 2013, six Petersime BioStreamer 12S setters, completely equipped with Embryo-Response Incubation technology, were installed in the Väderstad hatchery. Moreover, 12 AirStreamer incubators have been upgraded with Petersime’s Eco-Drive technology – a system that reduces the incubator’s energy consumption by up to 50% by reducing pulsator speed at less critical times during the incubation process.
To get the upgraded hatchery running at its full potential in the shortest possible period of time, Lantmännen Swehatch signed up for Petersime’s Hatchery Guidance ProgrammePLUS, a service pack that includes training sessions, remote supervision, an incubation guide, and several hatchery visits by Petersime incubation specialists.
Hatchery Manager Mr Christoffer Anderson comments: “We have been working with Petersime equipment since the very beginning, and the company has shown itself to be a trustworthy partner in terms of equipment quality and customer service all along. The new BioStreamer™ incubators are already producing the top quality and uniform chicks and that we aim for.”
Lantmännen is Sweden’s largest farmer cooperation and consists of four divisions: Machinery, Farming, Energy and Food. The company’s chicken production is part of the Food division and is managed by Lantmännen Kronfågel, of which Lantmännen Swehatch is a part. Its two hatcheries, one in Väderstad and one in Flyinge, produce 46 million day-old broilers per year in total – 26 million in Väderstad and 18 million in Flyinge.
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New research from Yahoo and OMD finds a cultural shift in how consumers use technology to make purchasing decisions. A study released today called the “Long and Winding Road: The Route to the Cash Register” identifies four paths, or product research cycles, consumers follow as they proceed to purchases.
The study breaks purchase paths into four categories: quick paths, winding paths, long paths and long and winding paths. Quick paths are characterized by little research and are used for impulse buys or routine consumer packaged goods purchases. A winding path indicates cross-channel comparison shopping, such as for retail goods. The long path often takes place in just one channel, but is lengthy because the consumer is waiting for an event such as a price drop or the availability of a new model.
The most involved path, and the one where marketers have the most room to convert in-market consumers, is called the long and winding path. Shoppers’ paths usually fall into this category when they’re seeking big-ticket items like automobiles and financial services. “Consumers of these products are the hungriest for information,” the study said.
The research indicates that purchase habits have evolved from the traditional “funnel” to what the report calls a “tumbler.” Marketers have the opportunity to reach consumers across several channels including traditional, online, in-store or word of mouth.
The Internet and other connected devices now allow in-market consumers to consult editorial and user-generated information about particular products. Mobile phones, camera phones, email, text messaging and other digital tools are being used to access information, the study finds.
To conduct the research, Yahoo and OMD surveyed more than 4,000 individuals who had recently made a purchase in the autos, finance, retail, technology or consumer packaged goods categories. Researchers then chose 13 people in Chicago, Boston and San Francisco to interview and observe from December 2005 to February 2006.
Businesses near ‘PokeStops’ are enjoying a huge surge in footfall due to the popularity of Pokémon Go, according to our first major ... read more
A new organization, The Coalition for Better Ads, has been launched to “leverage consumer insights and cross-industry expertise to develop and implement ... read more


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Wearable AI Market size is predicted to reach USD 180 billion by 2025; according to a new research report by Global Market Insights Inc.
The wearable AI market growth will observe a robust growth rate over the forecast timeline due to the rising consumer focus on fitness and health monitoring. A wide variety of devices are available in the market, offering functionality ranging from activity tracking to mobile connectivity to medical monitoring. For instance, the demand for smartwatches and fitness bands are rapidly rising as consumers want to be at peak fitness levels for health, sport, and aesthetics reasons. With the growing usage of wearables, the implementation of machine learning and AI algorithms will increase to effectively interpret data collected through devices. The government agencies globally are supporting the usage of wearable technology to promote healthy living amid rising health issues. For instance, in July 2019, the Singapore government collaborated with Fitbit to provide its citizens, free fitness trackers. The government is trying to promote a healthier lifestyle as a part of its national health program, Live Healthy SG.
The head-mounted displays in wearable AI market is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 20% from 2019 to 2025 because of the growing usage of these devices in the gaming sector. These devices provide engaging experiences to users by combining physical and digital worlds for a real-time view of the surrounding environment. Technological advancements in the head-mounted display landscape has led to the development of high-performance controller and gaming consoles, allowing gamers to better interact with their surrounding environment.
Get more details on this report - Request Free Sample PDF
The enterprise applications segment will exhibit a growth rate of over 35% as smart wearables are extensively used across various industrial verticals, enabling employees to effectively communicate with remote users. For instance, in the manufacturing sector, wearable camera technology is used by engineers and field technicians to perform a deeper diagnosis, resulting in better utilization of resources and enhancing productivity. Companies including Theatro, Hipaax, and Notable are developing business wearables, which help to keep employees connected to enterprise systems through customizable notifications.
Browse key industry insights spread across 250 pages with 148 market data tables & 28 figures & charts from the report, “Wearable AI Market Size By Product (Smartwatch & Fitness Band, Head Mounted Display (HMD), Earwear), By Application (Consumer Electronics, Gaming, Enterprise), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook, Growth Potential, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2019 – 2025” in detail along with the table of contents:
The Latin America wearable AI market is expected to grow at a CAGR of above 20% during the forecast timeline due to the rise in consumer electronics sales in the countries including Brazil and Mexico. It is estimated that around 240 million wearables were sold in 2018 in Brazil. The increase in sales of Apple Watch Series 3 in Brazil has also accelerated the smart wearable market growth. The wearable AI is forecasted to have a bright future in the region due to the increase in purchasing power, people are inkling toward the buying of electronics products.
Companies operating in the wearable AI market are focusing on strategic partnerships and new product developments to cater to the needs of the customer base. For instance, in July 2018, the Fossil Group collaborated with BMW to design and manufacture BMW-branded watches & smartwatches till 2023. The collaboration aims at selling more than 4,000 smartwatches through BMW retail channels globally. In October 2016, Google acquired, Eyefluence, a company that builds eye-tracking technology for virtual reality. The acquisition aims at developing innovative products that work on virtual reality. In October 2018, Huawei launched its two new wearables, Huawei Watch GT and Huawei Band 3 Pro. The new products are designed for urban explorers, providing advance tracking of activities and fitness coaching features.
Some of the companies operating in the wearable AI market are Fitbit, Apple, Garmin, Xiaomi, Jabra, Bragi, Huawei, ANTVR, Huami, Facebook, Microsoft, HTC, Fossil, Samsung, and Google.
The wearable AI market research report includes in-depth coverage of the industry with estimates & forecast in terms of revenue in USD and shipments in units from 2016 to 2025 for the following segments:
- Smartwatch and fitness band
- Head Mounted Display (HMD)
- Consumer electronics
The above information has been provided for the following regions and countries:
- North America
- Asia Pacific
- South Korea
- Latin America
- South Africa
- Saudi Arabia


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Microsoft is exploring how to put ads in games – can it please players and brands?
Microsoft is investigating the world of in-game advertising, and could use it as a way of increasing access to its games streaming membership the Xbox Game Pass. For our Deep Dive into Digital Advertising, we ask if the tech giant, which already boasts a huge ad business, could introduce them to the historically-resistant gaming space.
Advertisers must be able to toe the line when it comes to ads in gaming / 343 Industries/Microsoft
Microsoft, which owns Xbox and soon an extensive mobile gaming network under new acquisition Activision Blizzard, recently surpassed 25 million subscribers in its ‘Netflix for Gaming’-style subscription Game Pass. It’s been on an acquisitive streak for original titles to offer subscribers (starting at $10.40/£7.99 a month). But perhaps, like Netflix, it needs ads to fund its future (we explore that here).
Microsoft is identifying adtech companies and agencies to work out in-game ad inventory, according to Insider. It owns and operates a huge slew of titles, but only a slim minority currently have biddable inventory – especially on console and PC.
Microsoft already delivers ads into lobbies and Xbox-owned media, with help from adtech giant Xandr, which it recently acquired from AT&T. Microsoft will be considering how to expand into the world of natively-integrated ads – as, it appears, is rival PlayStation.
That’s no surprise – recent research suggests that 93% of media buyers intend to run in-game advertising by 2025.
In-game inventory often reflects real-world outdoor ad space such as billboards, bus stops and hoardings. What differentiates the virtual versions is that they can be bought programmatically and targeted to any single player rather than a street of people. Bidstack was doing this as early as 2018 in Football Manager stadiums, for example. Tech providers are finding ways to ensure the viewability of this inventory, and the standards are still being established.
As a functional ad medium, in-game advertising has made huge strides in the last five years. Its maturity is partly the reason for much of the excitement around the metaverse (even if brand safety remains a worry).
Scale and cohesion
Sam Huber, chief executive and co-founder of Admix (a company monetizing mobile game worlds) doesn’t think Microsoft will be able to scale these in-game ad solutions.
“Xbox Live has around 100 million monthly active players – how many play free-to-play games, and how many of these games will implement ads? This leaves us with a small network. Console won’t scale to become a competitive media channel, the real opportunity for in-game is still a hundred times larger on mobile.”
For this reason, Admix is focused on mobile. He says Microsoft would need to unify its broad platforms and find a way to tie console IDs to mobile IDs for scale, targeting and campaign attribution.
“It‘s an isolated network that can’t be easily connected to the wider ad ecosystem, it won’t provide a competitive ROI for most brands ... except niche brands and other Xbox games.”
He also believes that “no console gamer ever woke up asking for ads.” Mobile gamers don‘t “love” them but they acknowledge a “silent contract” that a free game will carry ads.
Andrew Morgan, co-founder of Trade House Media, disagrees with the scale issue. Microsoft‘s Forza Horizon 5 hit over 15 million players within its first two months of release, indicating that it can have scale enough for brand advertisers to take notice. The issue is that players might take notice...
Morgan says: “Hardcore PC and console gamers have very different expectations of the sanctity of their gaming space when compared with casual and mobile gamers, who have been conditioned over many years to understand and appreciate the value exchange of receiving free game content in return for viewing ads.”
He also points out that the Game Pass already “represents incredible value for gamers” and the introduction of ads into AAA games that gamers are already paying full price for would receive a “visceral reaction.” There is, as the Insider piece noted, “irritation” with ads. Titles have made advertising missteps before, be it UFC 4 or Street Fighter 5. Finding the correct context to introduce ads is vital.
James Whatley, newly-hired chief strategy officer at gaming-native creative agency Diva, points out that the advertising opportunity in PC and console is worth around $87bn globally. He says: “Sony and Microsoft can help build a familiar bridge for those brands who are still exploring this ‘new‘ world.”
To sell players in, the ads have to be “useful to the end player ... if they are intrusive, they‘ll be dead on arrival.” He‘s not worried – he believes Microsoft and Sony put “players at the heart of everything they do.” They‘ll not risk losing them.
He says: “Whether the ads appear as a branded billboard (unobtrusive) or as a ‘watch-to-earn’ piece of advertising (useful), then they will pass. But mess up, and both the platform and the brand will get burnt.”
He sees rewarded ads as a means of replacing in-game microtransations and pre-roll video easily filling the loading times on cloud gaming – especially if the creative is entertaining and relevant (like another game or a movie trailer).
But this is just the first stage of in-game advertising. Down the line, he sees adtech offering something more than “‘just’ advertising.”
Itamar Benedy, co-founder and chief executive of Anzu, thinks it is unhelpful to compare the scale of the mobile and PC/console environments. “We need to see this platform as a premium space where players spend vast amounts of time and are fully engaged in the experience.”
He believes these players are more desirable to advertisers than their mobile peers, if they can afford a new console – they‘ve likely got a disposable income worth pursuing. It also may be a generation of gamers hooked on the ad-free experience. In the world of TV, Benedy points out that 24% of Xbox players use their consoles to access ad-free (for now) Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+ and Apple TV+.
They’re unlikely to be warm to intrusive, interruptive formats.
“With large screens and AAA games, console players are also fully immersed in the gaming environment, with no distractions or second screening, offering advertisers a unique opportunity to reach a highly-engaged audience. This is a natural next step for Microsoft. In-game ads, if done correctly, don’t disrupt the user experience and, in many cases, can enhance the realism of games.”
In exchange for this addition, titles could come with “smaller or no price tags.” Gamers don’t particularly love current commercial models in gaming either – loot box monetization is regularly lampooned and the increased pricing of the current gen wasn’t well received.
Benedy believes that when well done, product placement can also be deployed. Power-ups could be reskinned as cans of Coca-Cola, for example.
“You need branded content that makes the game more realistic. Fake ads have been used in games for years. Think about the last racing, sport or city roaming title you played.”
Ultimately gamers are a vocal bunch – any monetization efforts that ruin experiences will be immediately panned, as will any brand funding them.
Read more from The Drum’s latest Deep Dive over at our Digital Advertising hub.


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According to Fortune, Wall Street Heavy Weight, Michelle Burns has joined the Board of Circle.
“Burns’s move is another sign that Bitcoins are starting to gain some following among established financial players. She is the former CEO of human resources consulting firm Mercer. Along with Goldman (GS) , she is also on the board of Cisco Systems (CSCO) and the Elton John Aids foundation. She is also a former board member of Wal-Mart (WMT).
And her Wal-Mart connection might be the most valuable to Circle, and Bitcoin in general. A growing number of retailers are considering whether to accept the digital currency. Last week, Overstock.com said it would start taking payments in Bitcoins.
Earlier this month, the venture capital firm co-headed by Netscape founder Marc Andreessen, said it was leading a $25 million investment into CoinBase, which is a competitor to Circle.”


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Our eyes can’t seem to get a break after watching a never-ending barrage of the most odd, disgusting, and bizarre food combinations—from fruit tea to Maggi milkshake to gulab jamun paratha.
A viral video shows a street vendor cooking ‘Mango Maggi’ with a side of Slice – a culinary experiment not for the faint of heart.
A woman at a food stand can be seen pouring ghee (purified butter), Maggi masala, and some water into a pan before adding India’s famed noodles Maggi in a video published by popular Instagram food blog The Great Indian Foodie.
However, a few seconds later, the street vendor lavishly sprinkles Slice (a mango beverage) all over the noodle block and tops it off with freshly cut mango slices, and voila, your “Mango Maggi” is ready.
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The video has been seen over 1.5 lakh times online, and it appears to have elicited a collective wince as horrified netizens overwhelmingly condemned the fusion.
Many food enterprises have turned to food fusion in the age of the internet and a compulsive drive for originality. While there isn’t much to say about the taste of these unusual meal combinations, they are an excellent method for gaining attention and engagement.