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MIT Sloan Experts Talk Business in 2019
What can you expect from the business world in 2019? Professors and lecturers from MIT / Sloan discuss seven businesses to keep an eye on in the New Year. Here’s what they had to say.
Digital Transformation’s Impact on Human Capital
Senior lecturer Sharmila Chatterjee stated that she would be keeping an eye on the “continuing digital transformation of business and its impact on human capital.” She went on to talk about how with the help of technology, low-value-add activities can be streamlined, but human employees are still critical. “One of the biggest mistakes will be cutting human interface too quickly,” she said.
Upside in the B2B Pricing Markets
According to Chatterjee, there’s also a lot of potential in pricing in the B2B markets. While often treated as an afterthought, value-pricing due to custom expectations is important. The idea is for companies to quantify the value of their products and services in dollar amounts and communicate that value to customers. “Value-selling should be the goal,” she explained.
A Lack of Software Security
For lecturer Lou Shipley, in 2019 he’s concerned about software security, or the lack thereof. He urges people to watch the software security market for big innovations. As a whole, he expects software to dominate the market; specifically, startups focused on software development productivity. “I’m especially interested in companies focusing on ‘citizen developer,’ a term used to describe how software development impacts the entire organization—marketing, sales, finance, and, of course, engineering,” he said.
To a smaller degree, Shipley also encourages business leaders to focus on cost reduction and the procurement of “tail spend”—small purchases that typically miss management’s radar.
SEC Reforms & Tariff Policy
For MIT Sloan visiting professor of finance Chester Spatt, 2019 is all about international tariff policy and its impact on product demand. He sees these tariffs limiting investments domestically and internationally. As for the upcoming SEC reforms, there will be experiments looking to understand the impact and distortions of fees and rebates as well as a modernization of the proxy process. These reforms could improve the trading structure to “increase marketing liquidity, reduce the cost of capital, and improve capital formation.”
Brexit Leads to Economic Loss
In 2019, economist John Van Reenen sees continued fallout from Brexit leading to further economic loss, particularly for the poor and middle class. “The economics of Brexit are very simple. Being outside the EU inevitably means higher costs of doing business with our nearest neighbors — so there will be less trade, and less trade will make us poorer,” Van Reenen wrote. He thinks this could lead to a second vote on Brexit, but for now, businesses will have to find ways to adapt.
Additional 2019 Highlights
Other business highlights to look for in 2019 include:
- A more attractive retail workforce with higher wages and better worker schedules. According to professor of operations management Zeynep Ton, businesses that don’t adapt to workers expectations could find it hard to attract workers.
- The tech industry needs to find better ways to attract and retain top talent in AI, cybersecurity, and data analytics. Research scientist Kristine Dery sees hiring quality digital talent as a struggle for large tech companies in 2019.
- A need for health and retirement benefits for public sector employees. Executive director of the Golub Center for Finance and Policy Doug Criscitello sees financing for public policy as a major concern in 2019 as well as well as a potential economic downturn.
To gain deeper insight into what MIT Sloan experts have to say about business in 2019, read the original article here.


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What is Berberine?
Users claim that berberine, derived from various plants such as barberry plants, suppresses appetite and improves blood sugar levels, leading to weight loss. Google searches for "berberine" have seen a surge since late May, reflecting the growing interest in this supplement.
Is Berberine easily available?
In contrast, berberine appears to be easily accessible online and typically costs between $15 and $40 for a month's supply. According to a report by NBC, Dr. Pieter Cohen, a supplement use researcher at the Cambridge Health Alliance in Somerville, Massachusetts, noted the appeal of berberine from an advertising perspective, stating, "You don't have to deal with a doctor, and it's going to be a lot less expensive."
Does Berberine aid in weight loss?
However, the effectiveness and safety of berberine for weight loss remain uncertain. Large-scale, peer-reviewed studies verifying the claims associated with berberine are lacking, with much of the research conducted on mice rather than humans, according to experts. A meta-analysis of 49 studies published last year in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition indicated that berberine may offer metabolic benefits, particularly for the heart, but the evidence for significant weight loss effects was limited.
Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, an obesity medicine specialist and equity director of the endocrine division at Massachusetts General Hospital, emphasized that berberine's weight loss impact is not as remarkable as that of semaglutide, the drug found in Ozempic. Stanford, who was not involved in the research, explained that the studies suggest berberine leads to weight loss ranging from a quarter to one BMI point, far from the average outcomes of semaglutide.
For individuals participating in those studies, the optimal daily dose appeared to be 1 gram, Stanford added. However, Dr. Cohen urged caution when considering berberine for weight loss. Dietary supplements are not subject to review or approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), allowing them to make a wide range of health claims, often with inaccurate ingredient amounts or undisclosed components. Cohen warned against taking an active pharmaceutical drug like berberine without proper guidance.
Dr. Holly Lofton, the director of the weight management program at NYU Langone Health, dismissed comparisons between berberine and metformin, a medication used to lower blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. Lofton stated that she does not recommend berberine for weight loss and highlighted the lack of knowledge regarding how the supplement aids in weight reduction, if at all.
Side effects of Berberine
Regarding safety, Cohen noted that medications derived from plants are not uncommon, citing aspirin and morphine as examples. However, known side effects of berberine in humans include nausea, vomiting, and potential liver and kidney enlargement, as observed in animal studies. To determine any serious side effects in humans, further extensive research is necessary. Stanford advised consulting a doctor before incorporating berberine into a weight loss regimen, cautioning that it may not be safe for pregnant women. Given the absence of FDA approval or regulation, she recommended seeking guidance from a knowledgeable medical professional or naturopathic physician.
In the event of any adverse effects, Stanford advised discontinuing the use of berberine. Cohen emphasized that despite its potential weight loss benefits, the risks associated with berberine outweigh the potential rewards. If individuals experience weight loss while using berberine, he urged them to cease usage immediately and consult a healthcare professional as it could indicate a more dangerous issue with the product.
Q1:What foods contain berberine?
Berberine is found in the roots, leaves, stems, and bark of plants such as barberry, Oregon grape, and tree turmeric.
Q2:What are the disadvantages of berberine?
According to reports, supplementation with berberine has been reported to cause gastrointestinal side effects, including diarrhea, constipation, flatulence, and stomach pain. Due to its ability to reduce blood sugar, berberine may increase the risk for hypoglycemia in high doses.
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Digital TV News: Toyota
EDO secures $80m investment from Shamrock Capital
Apr 6, 2022 – EDO has announced the closing of an $80 million strategic growth investment from Shamrock Capital. The investment provides EDO with capital to scale its business in outcome measurement for Convergent TV.
News categories: EDO, Inc, Shamrock Capital, Edward Norton, Kevin Krim, Dr. Daniel Nadler, Laura Held, Advertising, Big Data, Digital TV, USA, Venture Capital
WarnerMedia RIDE app now available for U.S. Toyota and Lexus owners
Apr 8, 2021 – Toyota Motor North America and AT&T have announced that when connected to AT&T in-car Wi-Fi, the WarnerMedia RIDE App, featuring a selection of live and on-demand content, is now available for Toyota and Lexus owners.
News categories: Toyota, AT&T, Steve Basra, Joe Mosele, Apps, Digital TV, In-Car, Streaming, USA
discovery+ launches in the U.S.
Jan 4, 2021 – discovery+ (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) is now live in the U.S., with distribution agreements that will make the product one of the most widely available streaming services at launch.
News categories: Discovery, Inc., David Zaslav, Apps, Digital TV, Europe, Gaming, Set Top Box, Smart TV, Smartphone, Streaming, Tablet, USA
Discovery announces global launch of discovery+
Dec 2, 2020 – Discovery (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) has announced the launch of discovery+, its non-fiction streaming service, debuting in the U.S. on January 4, 2021. The service will launch with a partnership with Verizon. Global rollout has already begun.
News categories: Discovery, Inc, Verizon, David Zaslav, JB Perrette, Ronan Dunne, Digital TV, India, Ireland, Streaming, UK, USA, Worldwide
36 million vehicles to ship with Android infotainment systems in 2030
Nov 18, 2020 – Shipments of vehicles with Android Automotive-based IVI systems will surpass shipments of cars with QNX-based systems in 2027, and with AGL-based systems in 2029, to reach 36 million units in 2030, according to ABI Research.
News categories: ABI Research, Maite Bazerra, James Hodgson, Stuart Carlaw, Digital TV, In-Car, Market Research, Middleware
Innovid receives $30 million in funding from Goldman Sachs
Jan 7, 2019 – Innovid has announced that it has secured $30 million in pre-IPO funding from Goldman Sachs’ Private Capital Investing group. Innovid will use the additional capital to further its innovation and leadership in the connected TV advertising technology market.
News categories: Innovid, Goldman Sachs, Zvika Netter, Hillel Moerman, Advertising, Digital TV, Private Equity, Streaming, USA, Worldwide
YuMe to Power LG Electronics' Global Smart TV Ad Platform
Nov 2, 2011 – YuMe has announced the availability of YuMe's video advertising solution for Internet Connected TVs. LG Electronics (KSE: 066570) is launching the first availability of YuMe's advertising technology and services to support LG's Smart TV platform.
News categories: LG Electronics, YuMe, Advertising, Middleware, Smart TV
210 Million Connected Cars by 2016
Apr 6, 2011 – The installed base of embedded and hybrid connected car systems is expected to grow from 45 million at the end of 2011 to 210 million by 2016, according to ABI Research.
News categories: ABI Research, In-Car, Market Research, Streaming
Over 35 million In-Vehicle Infotainment (IVI) Systems Expected to Ship in 2015
Mar 1, 2011 – Automakers have begun to integrate in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) systems into a wider range of automobiles in order to reenergize new vehicle sales. In-Stat forecasts that over 35 million IVI systems will ship in 2015.
News categories: In-Stat, In-Car, Market Research
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- 61% of U.S. livestreaming viewers watch sports
- Global telecoms market saw growth in 2021 except in pay TV
- UK's DTG publishes 'State of the Nation' report


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Top Dutch - Groningen, Drenthe and Friesland's campaign to bring a massive Tesla factory to north Netherlands - launched a new step in its campaigning on Monday. The northern provinces are now recruiting people to work at the prospective Tesla factory, the Leeuwarder Courant reports.
Utrecht will soon be the site of the largest green energy storage in the Benelux. A gigantic Tesla battery will be placed on the Jaarbeurs that will store energy from solar panels. The battery is intended to charge electric cars in the Jaarbeurs complex, Financieele Dagblad reports.
The Jaarbeurs Utrecht, grid manager Stedin, energy provider Scholt Energy and charging point developer LomboXnet all invested in this project. The contracts with Tesla have already been signed, according to the newspaper.
Tesla clients can now start pre-ordering Tesla Solar Roof materials for their homes. Made of solar charging shingles, the rooftops will launch in the Netherlands during the course of next year.
The price of a Solar Roof depends on which portion of the building top will be equipped with solar cells. For pre-order in the Netherlands, a 930 euro deposit is required. The exact date of the Netherlands launch is still unclear.
A Tesla Model S in autopilot mode rear-ended a truck on the A1 highway in Bathmen, Overijssel on Tuesday, the owner of the car Blom Opleidingen confirmed to RTV Oost. According to the driver, the accident had nothing to do with the fact that the car was in autopilot. No one was injured, NU.nl reports.
Nuon will soon be charging an hourly rate for charging your car at one of the 1,240 charging points the company will be installing in Brabant and Limburg over the next two years. The company hopes that this will help solve the problem of overcrowded charging points, the Volkskrant reports.
Drenthe, Friesland and Groningen launched a global campaign to bring a massive Tesla factory to north Netherlands. "Hi Tesla. We are Top Dutch", the website launched with the campaign reads.
The Netherlands nominated itself to be the location for a new European plant for American electric car manufacturer Tesla. "The government will certainly endeavour to get the production plant to the Netherlands", Minister Henk Kamp of Economic Affairs wrote to parliament, the Financieele Dagblad reports.
Breda man John Vermetten is looking for the perpetrator that scratched text like "homo" and "buy a better car" into his dark blue Tesla last week. He turned to Facebook in his search for the perpetrator.
Electric car maker Tesla released a statement saying that a fatal accident with one of its cars in Baarn on Wednesday was not caused by the car's autopilot or self-driving system. According to the company, the autopilot was not turned on and the man was driving more than 155 kilometers per hour when he crashed into a tree and died
Car manufacturer Tesla is investigating a car accident in Baarn on Wednesday morning in which one man was killed. The man was driving a Tesla car when he crashed into a tree at high speed
About 50 self-driving cars will be tested on the A2 highway between Amsterdam and Beesd after morning rush hour today
The Tesla Model 3, expected to launch in the Netherlands in 2018, will cost around 35 thousand euros, Tesla Netherlands confirmed after it was announced that the car will cost $35 thousand dollars in the United States. "It is expected that the price will be converted directly into euros", a spokesperson said
Energy firm Eneco announced intentions to be the first official supplier of Tesla home batteries in the Netherlands. If all goes according to plan, the Tesla batteries will be on sale in the Netherlands in the first quarter of next year
Traffic association Veilig Verkeer Nederland thinks that allowing the new self-driving software for the Tesla Model S on Dutch roads is irresponsible. Some 2 thousand Dutch owners will be receiving the software this week.
The CEO of American electric car manufacturer, Tesla, officially opens a second Tesla factory in the Netherlands on Friday evening, alongside the Minister of Economic Affairs, Henk Kamp. The nearly 50,000-square meter factory hires 180 workers, and stands alongside an assembly line and test track for the electric cars.
The round-up of some of this week’s most noteworthy events and news stories features: singer Trijntje Oosterhuis underestimates the power of social media, the arrival of Sinterklaas and his helpers in The Netherlands, Hungarian pimps arrested for human trafficking, diplomats assault a reporter, 'Holland's got Talent' and 'RTL Late Night' in the spotlight for racism, an Euro Atlantic Airways aircraft continues to it destination despite potentially dangerous problems, and Joran van der Sloot demanding a new trial.


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Laid-off hourly workers at Amazon.com Inc.'s
Seattle customer service center will now be able to receive extra
severance benefits without signing an agreement prohibiting them
from bad-mouthing the company.
The Seattle-based company had earlier told the laid-off workers
they would each receive an extra six weeks' pay and $500 in cash if
they signed an agreement that included a promise not to make
derogatory comments about the company.
Amazon said Thursday it is still asking hourly employees to sign
the agreement to receive the extra benefits, but told workers they
can delete that particular clause. Employees that do not sign the
agreement will receive only the standard two weeks' pay.
The remainder of the agreement covers confidentiality,
noncompetition and other legal issues.
Gretchen Wilson, an organizer with the Washington Alliance of
Technology Workers, which has been trying to organize Amazon
employees, applauded Amazon's decision. But she said her
organization is still calling for an absolute withdrawal of the
separation agreement. She said she is still concerned about limits
on legal action workers can take against the company and other
"Workers should be allowed to receive a full severance package
without conditions of signing away their rights," Wilson said. She
also urged Amazon to take the so-called "nondisparagement" clause
out of agreements for other laid-off workers.
Amazon contends the separation agreement, including the
nondisparagement clause, is standard for all laid-off employees.
But some labor experts questioned that assessment.
Steve Frank, a lawyer with Frank, Rosen, Freed, Roberts in
Seattle who specializes in employment issues, called Amazon's move
a public relations misstep. He said while it's common to ask
high-level employees to sign separation agreements, it's unusual
for hourly workers or workers without specialized knowledge to be
asked to sign such paperwork.
"I bet you they regret what they did, asking (employees) to
sign a nondisparagement clause in exchange for money," he said.
On Tuesday, Amazon announced that it would lay off 1,300
workers, or 15 percent of its workforce. Along with the layoffs,
Amazon announced that it would close a distribution center in
McDonough, Ga., and the Seattle customer service center. Workers in
Seattle will have the option of paid relocation to other centers.
The company wouldn't say how many of the 400 workers being laid off
at the Seattle center were hourly employees.
The layoffs are part of Amazon's plans to become profitable by
the fourth quarter of 2001. Though a leader in online retailing,
the company that sells everything from books to tools has never
turned a profit.
Amazon spokeswoman Patty Smith said Thursday the company decided
to take out the nondisparagement agreement because the company
"heard what our employees were telling us."
Many workers had expressed concern about the clause, especially
since the layoffs and the separation agreement come after efforts
to unionize the Seattle customer service center.
"In retrospect, it didn't make sense with our hourly
employees," she said.


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Typically when an automaker rolls out a concept car or pre-production prototype, it does its tour and then disappears into the company's archives. Maybe it will be displayed for the public to see in the company's own museum or maybe it will spend most of its time under covers in a warehouse somewhere, but every once in a while, an automaker will open up its history and start selling off its concept cars. For Shelby American, "once in a while" has just rolled around.
- Mid-engine Corvette spied in daylight
- Matt LeBlanc threatens to quit Top Gear
- Best Lease Deals for June 2016


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Dubai's Emirates NBD is using AWS' Amazon Polly in its automated call centre
Amazon Web Services (AWS), the subsidiary of Amazon that provides on-demand cloud computing platforms, launched an Arabic version of its text-to-speech service at its summit in Dubai this weeek.
Amazon Polly, a cloud service that converts written content into human-like speech, is now available in Arabic. The service, available to AWS users, turns Arabic text into lifelike speech using a female voice named Zeina.
AWS said the service supports companies in developing digital products that use speech synthesis for a variety of use cases, including publishing and telephony, automated contact centres, language learning platforms, translation apps, and reading of articles.
“If you have something like Alexa, it consists of two major components: one is a speech recognition and natural language understanding, and that's a service that we have called Lex. That model doesn't have Arabic in it yet,” Dr Werner Vogels, CTO at Amazon.com told Arabian Business in an exclusive interview.
“The second piece of this whole model is text to speech. So how can you engage your customers with spoken words. Basically you can write a script that has whispering, pauses and all sorts of emotions in it.”
While Arabic s one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, it consists of 30 dialects. Zeina follows Arabic’s universal form - Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), which tends to sound formal because it differs from day-to-day speaking style, accoirnding to Marta Smolarek, a programme manager in the Amazon Text-to-Speech team.
Dubai’s Emirates NBD, the largest lender in the emirate, said it is using Amazon Polly to develop new voice banking solutions to better serve its customers.
“Emirates NBD has been an early mover in the region in introducing an AI-powered virtual assistant, helping customers calling the bank to converse in natural language and access required services quickly,: Suvo Sarkar, senior executive vice president and group head – Retail Banking & Wealth Management.
“We are now integrating Amazon Polly in English with our automated call centre for its quality and lifelike voice and to further enhance customer interactions, and looking to integrate Amazon Polly in Arabic soon. Such technologies will also help us improve our internal efficiencies while delivering better customer experiences.”
Full interview with Werner Vogels, CTO at Amazon.com, to appear in Arabian Business magazine in the coming weeks.For all the latest tech news from the UAE and Gulf countries, follow us on Twitter and Linkedin, like us on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube page, which is updated daily.


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A business event this month will offer Staffordshire companies one-to-one expert advice
The Let’s Do Business exhibition takes place at Uttoxeter Racecourse on June 28, and advisors from the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Growth Hub will be attending. The Growth Hub, which is sponsoring the event, will be on hand to tell businesses about more than 90 different business support programmes available in Staffordshire.
Nicola Kent, who runs the Growth Hub on behalf of the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “Let’s Do Business is expected to attract more than 1,000 visitors – making it the biggest business event in the county. This is the perfect opportunity to speak to one of our Growth Hub Advisors and the Business Helpline Advisor for one-to-one business support.
“We can signpost businesses to help them find the best way to grow. There are also more than 10 different grant programmes currently open and available to help companies buy equipment or machinery, pay for marketing assistance or implement low carbon technologies to help save businesses money.
“We will have details on all the grant and loan schemes, so we can help businesses work out what they are eligible for and advise them on the completion of the application forms.”
Organised by Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce and Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce, the event will provide the chance for local companies to promote their products and services to decision makers from across the region.
For more information about the Growth Hub visit www.stokestaffsgrowthhub.co.uk.


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A teenager started making food for her beloved pet hermit crab by crunching up cereal and other ingredients in her kitchen. The crab loved it, so she brought small bags full of her new invention to her local pet store, which allowed her to sell it there.
It started out as something fun for her to do. But customers actually started buying it, and now her hermit crab food is carried in a number of different pet stores and she’s making a profit.
So when it came time to do her taxes, she was able to deduct all the costs of making and selling the crab food — including the cereal and plastic bags — as business expenses, said her tax preparer Jody Padar, a CPA and partner at accounting software company Xero.


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A museum exhibit in Los Angeles is currently showcasing several prototype Tesla vehicles like the Roadster and Cybertruck. However, one small feature that originally went noticed is that these cars are running pre-production software that has an Apple Music app.
Tesla has been insistent on integrating apps into its system instead of relying on Android Auto or CarPlay like most other major brands. This is both good and bad, but for music fans, it results in a rather limited selection of high-quality streaming apps.
We just confirmed this with an employee. This was in fact, a purposeful Easter egg found at the Peterson. They stated it would either come before the holiday update, or wait to be implemented as part of it.
— Teslascope (@teslascope) November 20, 2022
However, in 2019 Spotify was finally added, and Tidal hit the platform in 2021. Now, it appears that Apple Music might be the next music streaming service to land on Tesla.
There’s no concrete release date for this feature, but the company generally releases a larger holiday feature update, and it may be part of that, according to a tweet from Teslascope.
This update has been a long time coming since Apple Music is already available to users with certain models of Mercedes and Porsche cars. One notable exception is that Apple has split podcasts out of the Apple Music app, so it’s unlikely that this app will play podcasts.
You can read more about the Tesla exhibit on the Peterson Museum’s website.


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Finns develop efficient bio-based plastic production technique
Two quick facts: the volume of oil used every year in the production of plastics equates to approximately 5% of the world’s total oil consumption, and approximately 40% of all plastics are used in packaging.
These two facts mean that the packaging industry feels extra pressure to reduce dependence on oil even as it moves towards completely bio-based products. However, the transition to a bio-based economy requires products that are not only ecologically sustainable but also competitive in terms of quality.
The VTT Technical Research Centre in Finland has developed a technique that enables the production of the PGA monomer glycolic acid from bio-based materials more efficiently than before.
“Bio-based plastics are a tangible step closer to a bio-based economy. This new generation of plastic packaging not only reduces our dependence on oil but also offers superior quality compared to traditional plastic packaging,” said Research Professor Ali Harlin from VTT.
Bio-based PGA plastic has excellent barrier properties. Adding PGA into the structure of traditional plastic packaging significantly improves its quality. In addition to strength and heat-resistance, plastic packaging also needs to be airtight, vapour-proof and grease-resistant.
Bio-based PGA plastic is between 20 and 30% stronger than PLA - the most popular biodegradable plastic on the market - and able to withstand temperatures 20°C higher. It also breaks down more quickly than PLA but its biodegradability can be regulated if necessary.
Presently, bio-based plastic accounts for only 1% of global plastic production, but ethical consumption principles and legislative changes are steering the packaging industry towards sustainable development. VTT predicts that bio-based plastic is opening up new business opportunities for the forest industry, particularly as rapidly growing markets like China and India drive the growth of the packaging industry.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has called for comment on an application to allow...
Sprout Organic's range has formula for infants 0–6 months, a follow-on mixture for...
US ice cream company Ben & Jerry's has unveiled two new flavours designed exclusively for...


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Western Union announces $750,000 support for Horn of Africa drought victims
The company said it will in the next few weeks contribute an amount of $750,000 to ease the drought and other humanitarian crises affecting countries in the region.
“Over the next few weeks, together with its Agents, consumers and global non-profit organizations, Western Union and the Western Union Foundation will contribute up to $750,000 to several groups working to ease the suffering in affected countries across East Africa,” said the company in a press release copied to ghanabusinessnews.com August 31, 2011.
However Western Union indicates that it has activated a special account to enable consumers to make a donation to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies by sending a no-fee money transfer using the “Western UnionR Quick CollectR” or “Quick PaySM service”.
Consumers in the United States may also use their mobile phones to make a
US$10 contribution by texting “AFRICA” to 52000, it adds.
Both consumer-giving options will be available through October 15, 2011.
By Ekow Quandzie


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"We believe that it might just be a robbery of the store," Det. Maurice Phillips of the East Chicago Police said. "That's what we're seeing right now, but the owners of the store seem to think it might be something different, something personal."
The clerk had only worked at the store for a week. East Chicago police are studying surveillance video from the store, and encourage anyone with any information about the crime to contact them.


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The emerging Castlefield Design District of Toronto has a new kid on the block – the recently opened GE Monogram Design Centre and cooking studio. Designed by Harry Pontarini Architects, it aims to “elevate Toronto’s Design District and culinary landscape”, according to Monogram General Manager, Philippe Meyersohn. On Thursday, March 26, we had the chance to check out this beautiful new space during their launch party.
Stratford, Ontario is known not only for its theatrical and artistic flair, but it’s been widely heralded as a culinary destination for food lovers alike. After all, this little gem houses the renowned Stratford Chefs School; many talented individuals have passed through its studious kitchens and the rigorous standards upheld by their Chef instructors. Alumni such as Top Chef Canada winner Carl Heinrich have marked their place in the culinary echelons of this ever evolving industry.
If you haven’t heard of IMG’s Taste Festival, it is known as the world’s greatest restaurant festival. It’s not your typical food festival that’s just a sampling event, it’s a gourmet food event where you’ll be able to try new creations from the city’s best chefs spanning 3 days. In addition, you’ll also get to sample wine, watch live food demonstrations, interact with the chefs, attend cooking classes, and enjoy live music and other entertainment.


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A new record came into the hands of Samsung. The long-awaited Galaxy Z Flip5, Galaxy Z Fold5, the Galaxy Watch6 series and the Galaxy Tab S9 series are already available for sale, and they start off with success figures: in Latin America, pre-sale results have already exceeded 60% of those sales of models launched in 2022.
“The immediate response of users to the new Galaxy devices has been demonstrated by the momentum of pre-orders,” said TM Roh, President and Director of Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics. “With the Galaxy Z Flip5, Galaxy Z Fold5, the Galaxy Watch6 series and the Galaxy Tab S9 series, we aim to offer the latest and greatest in each category and provide our consumers with fresh and engaging experiences that fit diverse lifestyles. . It is exciting to see how our vision resonates with consumers around the world,” he added.
Why did these models have such a successful start?
Galaxy Z Flip5 and Galaxy Z Fold5 are the fifth generation of Samsung’s revolutionary foldable devices, offering unique experiences through refined designs and form factors, including the new Flexible Hinge.
The two innovative devices have been in strong demand around the world, with record pre-order numbers in markets including Latin America, Southeast Asia and Europe, with 65% of consumers opting for the iconic Galaxy Z Flip5. In Latin America, this figure has already reached 75% in the same period.
They came out at the same time as the new Galaxy Watch6
Offering in-depth sleep analysis, personalized fitness insights and comprehensive wellness features, plus powerful performance and larger screens that inspire better health and well-being, Galaxy Watch6 and Galaxy Watch6 Classic have been met with great acclaim around the world, with equally high demand for both products. Additionally, pre-orders for the Galaxy Watch6 series have doubled those of the previous generation.
Finally, you have the exclusive opportunity to pre-order the new Galaxy Flip5 until August 24. If you take it within this date, you can get double the storage for the same price.


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BANGOR — One Maine entrepreneur will walk away with $500 tonight.
Three aspiring innovators are a part of Maine’s Big Gig — a competition for local entrepreneurs to pitch their ideas, win money, and get an opportunity to jumpstart their business.
The panel of judges includes the Director of Operations for the Governor’s restaurant, a representative from Maine Technology Institute, and Josh Hayward co-founder of PracticeOn an information technology company.
“During tonight’s event, each entrepreneur will have five minutes without slides or anything to pitch to the virtual audience and to our panel of seasoned judges who are business professionals from around Maine,” said Emma Wilson, marketing coordinator at Big Gig.
The judges will evaluate each business pitch and the audience, who will attend virtually tonight, will deliberate and give their input on their favorite pitches. Tonight’s entrepreneurs include Josh Fox of ‘Tidal Bore’ who developed an advanced bicycle tail-light using artificial intelligence.
Lee Sowles created a social and emotional learning curriculum for elementary schools and Brenden Westin created a bike fleet solution for those dealing with bicycle breakdowns.
To tune in to the next Big Gig virtual entrepreneur event in November you can head to big gig’s website.


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- Germany's economy saw a sharp 10% drop in the second quarter of 2020, the worst quarterly GDP contraction since records began in 1970.
- Germany's record decline reflected the impact of an economic plunge across areas including trade, consumer spending, and investment.
- Unemployment remains a concern with jobs in the country's major airlines and automotive sectors at high risk.
- Fears are growing over an expected COVID-19 second wave with an influx of tourists and reopening of businesses.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Europe's biggest economy slumped the most since 1970, with GDP declining 10% in the second quarter, the country's statistics authority said in a flash estimate released on Thursday.
Economists had predicted a 9% decline to account for the economic hammering caused by the pandemic, leading to record unemployment and unseen government stimulus responses.
Although the German economy is expected to gradually recover, latest GDP data shows the pace could be slow and painful.
For the months between April to June, the massive slump in Germany's gross domestic product was led by declines in exports, consumer spending, and investment, federal office Destatis said.
"This was the largest decline since the beginning of quarterly GDP calculations for Germany in 1970. It was much larger than during the financial market and economic crisis (-4.7% in first quarter of 2009)," the authority said.
Germany is the first European economy to report second-quarter GDP results.
On an annual basis, its economy contracted 11.7% despite reopening businesses that followed coronavirus-induced restrictions in the first quarter.
Last time the country faced a comparable decline was in 2009, when it contracted by 7.9% on an annual basis.
The European Union has introduced an $860 billion recovery fund aimed at the reconstruction of the economic bloc.
A broader picture of the second quarter is scheduled to be released by Destatis on August 25. Current flash estimates aim to serve high demand from a bunch of politicians, businesses, and the society who wish to gauge the economic uncertainty.
New coronavirus case counts are nudging up in the country as fears over tourists coming in lead to concerns of a second wave.
Germany's benchmark DAX index dropped 2.5% in European trading.


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But industry has “responded well” since Covid struck, with action now snowballing, Supporting the Goals founder Colin Curtis tells CRN
Execs from nine top distributors in the UK on how Brexit has impacted their business and whether the deal has provided clarity on trade with the EU
Investment from distributor provides ‘major boost’ to Beyond Encryption’s growth plans, claims CEO
We asked a number of channel veterans to sum up what they believe this year has in store for the tech sector
Ingram Micro was sold last week for a cool $7.2bn, after Tech Data was snapped up by Apollo earlier this year for over $5bn. CRN asks channel figures whether we are entering an era of high-price M&A deals and what it says about the health of the sector...
132 industry leaders on their lockdown guilty pleasures, who they'd invite to their celebrity Zoom party, and what's in store for 2021
Distie's chairman says French business will grow 35 per cent this year
CRN gauges channel opinion on the prime minister's controversial speech on returning to the workplace and what they anticipate the impact will be on their businesses
Distie establishes in-house team of experts to help partners navigate partner programme
'Just about every vendor is pushing out delivery dates' - channel reacts as vendors reveal coronavirus impact
Partners wade in on why Microsoft and Nutanix both cited the coronavirus as the reason for revisions to their respective revenue guidance and the continuing lack of communication around supply chains
VIP regains authorised status to target system builder channel
Distie says that proposed deal would 'significantly improve' the situation for customers in Ireland
At the Women in Tech Festival UK this week, CRN and Westcoast brought together bosses from the channel and end user communities to discuss one of the biggest challenges for both: top talent
ScanSource is set to offload its European hardware business, claiming it's too get to reach scale in the region. what do other distie bosses think?
Brexit has thrust stock back onto centre stage as far as IT distribution is concerned. Here we count down the biggest distie hubs in the UK. Who is number one?
Often fighting over the same turf, it's fair to say distributors don't always get on. But CRN sister publication Channel Partner Insight tracked down seven distie bosses who weren't above expressing a grudging respect for a competitor.
Is 5G a game changer or merely hype? CRN's sister publication CPI investigates
New facility is 'significantly bigger' than distie's other warehouses, according to MD Alex Tatham
CRN speaks to a number of distributors to gauge their reaction to how two potential new deadlines have affected their post-Brexit plans
CRN sister publication Channel Partner Insight has asked European distributors, a channel trade organisation and an analyst what they think the state of the channel's readiness is for Brexit
Live Brexit updates, including insights from the channel's leading vendors, distributors and resellers


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New App Designed to Bring Real Human Experiences to Social MediaTo bring more real-life experiences online Ziarekenya Smith created the Inpathy app where users can post their moods and emotions.
Michigan Matters: Mobility Landscape Revving UpAs technology continues to impact how we live and work, some unique companies from our region are making waves as May Mobility CEO Ed Olson and Refraction CEO Matt Johnson-Roberson talk about as they appear on “Michigan Matters” to discuss the changes.
Future of Transportation at CESCES in Las Vegas is officially underway and it's not just computers and smartphones on display. Several automakers are revealing the vehicles of tomorrow.
Preview of 2020 CESIt used to be called the Consumer Electronics Show, but now it’s known simply known as CES.
Here's Why Testing Drivers For Cannabis Is HardAs a growing number of states legalize cannabis, health officials are increasingly sounding the alarm for technology that can quickly determine when drivers are stoned.
Michigan Matters: Going One-On-One with Pete Karmanos, The Roundtable Talks ImpeachmentOn this week's Michigan Matters, ultra successful Detroit entrepreneur Peter Karmanos Jr., who co-founded Compuware and owns a portion of the NHL Carolina Hurricanes, discussed his newest company, MadDog Ventures.
Eye On Detroit - Forbes Under 30 SummitThe nation's top young entrepreneurs gathered in Detroit for the Forbes Under 30 Summit at the Masonic Temple last week.
New Gene Editing Technology Could Correct 89 Percent Of Genetic DefectsScientists have developed a new gene-editing technology that could potentially correct up to 89% of genetic defects, including those that cause diseases like sickle cell anemia.
TEDxDetroit Unveils Talks, Performances Set For Nov. 6Few places exist where one might meet a nationally-known baker, a Northern Michigan flower farmer, might hear a familiar voice actor and learn about the future of mobility from an autonomous vehicle expert. TEDxDetroit is that place.
Facial Recognition Technology Focus Of Detroit ForumA Detroit city council member is hosting a community forum Thursday on the use of facial-recognition technology by police.
YouTube Says It's Removing More Hate Speech Than Before But Controversial Channels Remain UpDespite instituting a more stringent policy around hateful content in June, YouTube has been criticized for doing too little and not providing enough transparency.
5 Travel Apps You'll Need For Your Next TripIf you are planning a trip soon, arm yourself with the latest apps. Many of the apps available will help make your vacation go so much smoother and help you make tons of memories to take home with you.
Kids Want Parents To Put Down The Electronics, Focus On Quality TimeResearchers from the University of Michigan have found that kids feel the same way about cell phone etiquette as most parents.
For Some People, The Older The Smartphone, The BetterA fraction of the population continues to cling to older phones, some 3 to 4 years old - or more.
High-Tech Cars Bring Detroit, Silicon Valley Face To FaceThe convergence of cars and computers is blurring the traditional geographical boundaries of both industries.


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Dow dives 148 on price report
Published 4:00 am, Friday, April 11, 1997
NEW YORK - The Dow Jones industrial average fell nearly 150 points Friday on signs that underlying inflation was showing some unwanted vitality and as long-term interest rates soared to the highest levels since last July.
Based on early and unofficial data, the Dow finished with a loss of 148.36 points, or 2.27 percent, at 6,391.69. It was off 134.38 points for the week, its fifth straight down week. The last time the index racked up such a string of declining weeks was in the last quarter of 1991.
In the broader market, declining issues swamped advances 23-to-3 on active volume of 442 million shares on the New York Stock Exchange.
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Broad-market measures also posted stiff losses after the bond market slid, boosting interest rates toward a nine-month high, following Friday morning's reports on wholesale prices and retail sales.
The largest decline in energy costs in six years pushed producer prices down for the third month in a row, but closely watched core prices - outside food and energy - shot up unexpectedly.
Prices paid to producers such as farms and factories fell 0.1 percent last month, after drops of 0.4 percent in February and 0.3 percent in January, the Labor Department said.
It was the first time the Producer Price Index recorded three consecutive declines since 1993. The wholesale cost of energy fell 3.4 percent in March, the largest decline since March 1991.
However, the good news in the overall index was overshadowed by a worrisome 0.4 percent increase in core prices, the largest in 14 months. Many economists look at this measure, excluding food and energy, which are subject to volatile swings, as a better measure of inflation trends.
In all of 1996, the core measure increased by more than 0.1 percent in a month only once. Economists had expected only a 0.1 percent rise in March.
The Commerce Department, meanwhile, reported a 0.2 percent increase in retail sales for March, but nearly doubled its initial estimate of February's consumer activity to a 1.5 percent increase.
"The best news on inflation is now behind us," said economist Sung Won Sohn of Norwest Corp. in Minneapolis. Federal Reserve Chairman Alan "Greenspan's warning about higher inflation down the road may actually turn out to be true."
Nervous financial markets have scrutinized government statistical releases for any hint of accelerating inflation or too-fast economic growth since last month, when the Federal Reserve nudged short-term interest rates up by a quarter of a percentage point.
Higher inflation, brought on by brisk economic growth, could prompt the Fed to attack rising prices with an aggressive interest-rate boost.
As bonds fell, the yield on the Treasury's 30-year bond rose to 7.18 percent, approaching its highest close since early July.
The prospect of higher interest rates hurt banking and other financial services issues. The Dow's biggest loser was J.P. Morgan, which was down 2-5/8 at 95".
An hour before the close of trading, the Standard & Poor's 500 list was down 13.78 at 744.56, and the NYSE composite index was down 7.07 at 392.29.
The Nasdaq composite index was down 24.25 at 1,211.52, and the American Stock Exchange composite index was down 7.07 at 556.12.
Overseas, Tokyo's Nikkei stock average rose 2.1 percent, Frankfurt's DAX index fell 0.3 percent, and London's FT-SE 100 fell 1 percent.<


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Expanding its business in global market, Ola Electric has announced its plan to launch S1 scooters into the global market.
The company’s co-founder and CEO, Bhavish Aggarwal announced on Twitter. “Now we’re taking this global! Announcing our entry into Nepal today. By (the) end of 2022, Nepalese consumers will join the revolution,” he wrote in a Twitter post.
The company has signed an MoU with CG Motors in Nepal partnering them as local distributors for its scooters for S1 and S1 Pro models.
He also issued a statement where he said, “The global EV revolution so far has been limited to the West and to China. To truly take the EV revolution to humanity scale, India will have to be the epicenter of change. Ola is committed to creating the EV paradigm for the rest of the world by building half of the vehicles that the world needs right here in India.”
He further added that the international expansion also means that India will play a leading role in driving the EV revolution for the world.
After the Nepalese market, the unicorn start-up will be taking the e-scooters to the LATAM, ASEAN and the European Union soon.
This announcement comes days after the cab-hailing platform announced that it has laid off 200 employees across different software teams.
It also released a statement in the media that read, “Ola Electric, India’s largest EV company, has been increasing its focus on non-software engineering domains with a clear focus on building engineering and R&D capabilities across – vehicle, cell, battery, manufacturing and automation, autonomous engineering streams. The company currently has around 2,000 engineers and aims to increase its engineering talent pool to 5,000 over the next 18 months. In light of these efforts, the company is centralizing operations and is undertaking a restructuring exercise to minimize redundancy and build a strong lateral structure that strengthens relevant roles and functions.”
ANI Technologies, parent company of Ola, also said that they have already opened 20 experience centers and they plan to take this number to 200 by March next year.


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Thu, 22 Jun 2017 15:14:08 GMT
It goes without saying that we still have a long way to go when it comes to gender equality. That’s why, at Cannes over the last few years, one of the most desirable Lions has not been clunky and metallic. It has been made of glass.
The Glass Lion honours the very best work that strives to make a difference to gender stereotyping, inequality and prejudice – and progress towards a more representative world.
And from a cynical perspective, this makes a lot of sense. Globally,women make 80% of all purchasing decisions. So like it or not, they’re influencing how and where money is spent. That’s a stat that brands –irrespective of agenda – would be hard pressed to ignore.
In its purest form, vying for a Glass Lions is an opportunity for us inthe industry to use our pervasive reach to make a genuine difference to an issue that affects every single one of us, irrespective of our gender.
Of course, during Cannes week, it can be easy to get swept up in theback-patting and indulgence of being so self-referential. That’s why we wanted to ask real women – from outside the world of communications – what they thinkof this year’s Glass Lion winners.
We asked them to discuss the work on merit, as part of our 21st Century Woman initiative (an ongoing scheme that aims to better understand and represent women today). We wanted to see if they felt that the industry was getting to the heart of the issues that really matter. And we wanted to know if the best in creativity can make a meaningful difference to the lives of real people. It made for some fascinating insights…
Fearless Girl is a worthy winner
Overwhelmingly, Fearless Girl was the ad that our focus groups of real women singled out as the most likely to advance gender equality. And the reason? It’s simplicity and single-mindedness. “To me it means, you’re a gir land you can do anything,” said one participant. “She’s fearless and strong,”said another, “she will just stand there and face down the Bull.”
The right to speak is hard-earned, and brands should be wary
Gold Lion winning ‘Gender Violence’ from Tecate proved the most controversial of all the ads we showed to our focus groups. Confusion arose immediately on who has the right to talk about women’s rights issues, with one participant asserting that “this is a really sensitive issue and it feels like it’s just being used to sell beer.” The question of brand authenticity around issues and causes is as fraught as it ever has been, and at its height risks audience alienation.
Our groups similarly honed in on Audi’s ‘Daughter’, with one stating“it’s really emotional and I don’t know how I should feel about that” and “it doesn’t feel like an Audi advert at all.” Ordinary women, it seems, still believe that adverts are about selling products – and therefore brands still have a way to go when it comes to winning audience trust if they’re to engage in more meaningful messaging.
It’s smart to focus on the next generation
From ‘Fearless Girl’ to ‘Daughter’, our panel were resolute about the importance of looking to the future. “It makes you think of the next generation”, they said of ‘Fearless Girl’, “and that idea of starting young if we’re going to make a difference.” Of ‘Daughter’, one woman said, “I’d like to think this would have a big impact on my Dad.”
From Glass shortlisted campaigns through to the Grand Prix winner, one thing is for certain – real women know what they’re looking for when it comes to advancing the issues that matter to them. And we in the industry still have some way to go to match their critiques and expectations.
For every near-faultless execution like ‘Fearless Girl’, there are still campaigns, lauded by our industry, that may leave space for misinterpretation and misunderstanding. It’s our job to step up and close that gap. To make sure that the things we love as an industry are equally as loved by the people outside it.
That starts with refining the ways we talk about gender inequality and women. The ways that will make a difference to the people they affect. Afterall, that’s what that Glass Lion was invented for. It’s still a lofty ambition to be working towards.view more - Awards and EventsHouse 337, Thu, 22 Jun 2017 15:14:08 GMT


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Issues in export sector during COVID19
Search 11th April, 2020 Spotlight here: http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx
Topic: General Studies 2
- Government schemes and policies
Earlier in February, with the country’s exports showing no signs of a meaningful recovery, India’s premier foreign trade agency had reduced the average Export Obligation (EO) for exporters who had availed authorisations under the Export Promotion Capital Goods (EPCG) scheme. Applicable to all exporters who operate in sectors that had seen a five percent or more drop in exports over the preceding year, the move was expected to provide some much-needed relief. But this was before COVID-19 had swept the floor from beneath us.
The Challenges we are looking at
A. Policy paralysis: India’s Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) is in a spot
- Almost all export incentive schemes under the FTP were ruled World Trade Organisation (WTO) non-compliant by the global trade regulator. And while the government has appealed against the ruling, it knows that India must do away with a subsidies-based policy.
- To replace the scheme, the government has now approved a new scheme named Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) which aims at refunding taxes and duties like Value Added Tax (VAT) on fuel that is beyond the ambit of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) to exporters.
- Given what the RoDTEP attempts to refund, the rates under it are unlikely to be comparable to the MEIS rates of as much as five percent available until now. So, even if RoDTEP manages to pass through the WTO’s lenses, the scheme is unlikely to give the kind of price competitiveness that MEIS used to give to Indian exporters.
B. Countries are increasingly likely to adopt more and more protectionist measures
- Countries like India that are dependent on intermediate and agricultural exports and are on the lookout to tap newer markets, will have to pass through tougher territories.
- There are an estimated 6.33 crore unincorporated MSMEs engaged in non-agricultural economic activities, employing 11 crore persons across the country. MSMEs contribute nearly 30 percent of India’s gross domestic product and close to half of the country’s total exports.
- Exporters are left with “very” few orders and if factories are not allowed to work with a minimum workforce, many of them will suffer “irreparable losses” which will bring them to the brink of closure as they are saddled with a fixed cost that in any case has to be absorbed by them.
- With India in a lockdown and a large chunk of its workforce, particularly those employed in Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), back in the hinterlands, even if demand from existing export markets comes back, our exporters will still find it difficult to cater.
- This will give a chance to India’s competitors to take the opportunity which might lead India to lose out on some of the export markets.
- Reduced employment of casual labour (factory closures and people moving back to their home towns) and reduced consumption.
- Cash flow constraints: The sector has been grappling with profitability issues due to a sharp decline in yarn exports, cheaper imports etc. these issues only look to get aggravated further with the current crisis.
- Supply chain disruption: The Garment manufacturers need to look at local sourcing opportunities, due impact on imports and export.
- Consumer sentiment: If nationwide lockdown continues and the situation persists, it will impact consumer sentiment on the higher side, due to closure of the market and mall also to maintaining social distancing, safety and health.
Is there any silver lining for India?
- Reports of several Western manufacturers looking at moving their factories out of China. Many Indian chemical producers have gone on record at having received enquiries from Western manufacturers who earlier never used to look towards India as a source.
- Indian IT and ITeS sectors can focus on Latin America Sectors for Banking Process, Company Financial& Audit Process, E-Commerce industries process, Telecommunication industries, development of online applications, Agritech and others. Customers may accelerate their journey towards Cloud and Digital adoption to minimize human touch points.
- India, the world’s largest producer of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), exported $51 million worth of the drug in FY19. This was a minuscule portion of the country’s $19-billion pharma exports. Indian Pharmaceuticals industries are ready to ramp up the production to meet domestic as well as export requirements. India manufactures 70 percent of the world’s supply of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ). India exported hydroxychloroquine API worth USD 1.22 billion in April-January 2019-20. During the same period exports of formulations made from hydroxychloroquine was at USD 5.50 billion.
The Way Forward
- India needs to put some serious thoughts into innovating on the policy front. Government needs to revisit its plan as exporters would require much more support than just export incentive schemes.
- Some steps that can be taken by the Government include –
- Interest-free working capital term loans to exporters to cover the cost of wages, rental, and utilities
- Employee provident funds and Employees’ State Insurance Corporation’s waiver for three months from March to May
- Extension of pre and post-shipment credit by 90-180 days on their maturity
- Extension of interest subsidy benefits
Connecting the Dots:
- Rescuing the MSME sector from COVID-19
- Infusing Innovation in Policies


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Another Bonus Change From Bingo Godz 0
Posted on 23, December 2013
in Category Bingo News
It seems that every day at least one online bingo site change their welcome bonuses for players. With so many sites available it can be difficult to keep up. However, for some sites, the changes happen so frequently that the job is made even harder, and one such site is Bingo Godz, who have just brought in another welcome bonus change at site.
Bingo Godz hasn’t been launched long really, just a few months and they are still regarded as a new brand on the net. However, in the tiny amount of time they have been live, they’ve gone through so many bonus changes that it’s been difficult to keep up!
When the site first launched they offered a match deposit bonus, but that was quickly changed for a £5 no-deposit bonus, quickly increased to £10. There have been so many changes it’s been difficult to keep track, but now the brand is offering 300% free to players who make a deposit at the site in the latest bonus change for the brand.
Bingo Godz is still in its infancy really, and despite all the bonus changes, each one has been generous along the way. That aside, the brand is still a bit lean on promotions and jackpots, and we can only hope they improve a little as the player numbers increase at the site.
One thing we will say, it’s one of the most unique and different sites on the market today, and if you haven’t yet tried out the delights of the Bingo Godz, there’s currently a 300% match bonus when you sign up and make a deposit!
Visit: Bingo Godz


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From shipping to staffing, the Chamber and its partners have the tools to save your business money and the solutions to help you run it more efficiently. Join the U.S. Chamber of Commerce today to start saving.
A free and open Internet has become a platform for innovation and economic activity unmatched in history. It has catalyzed the digital age, driving technological advancement at a breathtaking rate. It has put limitless information at our fingertips, transforming communication, education, entertainment, and civic participation. It has helped equalize opportunity for individuals, enabling them to create and deliver new products and services in new ways to more consumers than ever. And it has done all of this with great speed and flexibility—and with little interference from the government.
For more than two decades, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have agreed that the Internet should be regulated with a “light-touch.” This approach has allowed competition, accelerated innovation, spurred investment, and ultimately fostered the vibrant and dynamic Internet that we enjoy today.
But soon that could all change with a heavy-handed regulatory proposal known as “net neutrality,” which the White House has endorsed and the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has said he will implement. The proposal would stringently regulate Internet Service Providers like a public utility, forcing them to ask for government permission when trying to react to changes in technology and consumer demand. The basis of the proposal is 80-year-old legislation that was enacted when rotary telephones were considered modern technology and has little relevance to 21st century broadband networks.
If the entire Internet is placed under the control of federal bureaucrats, the rate, speed, and flexibility of innovation would suffer—and so would consumers. The FCC could require that new services and business models be vetted and approved by its board. The move would also discourage necessary investment in broadband networks and sock consumers with $17 billion in new federal, state, and local fees on top of their monthly bills.
Moreover, if the FCC moves forward with net neutrality, the broadband industry would be plunged into years of litigation and subject to regulatory and market uncertainty. Congress—not unelected bureaucrats—should be responsible for determining federal broadband policy. Lawmakers are attempting to craft legislation that would provide the FCC with statutory guidance on this issue, and we hope they will preserve the light-touch approach that has worked for 20 years.
We recognize that the issue of net neutrality divides the tech community, but there can be no neutrality as far as the U.S. Chamber is concerned. We oppose efforts to regulate the Internet as if it were a 20th century public utility. The Internet must remain open, flexible, and innovative—and free from excessive regulation.


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KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Chinese-made children's toys sold in Malaysia were found to have a high level of lead, a consumer group said Wednesday, and urged the government to regulate their safety standards.
The Malaysian Association of Standards Users said it recently used a U.S.-made lead detection kit to test a sample of 24 toys purchased at random from supermarket retailers, amid concerns over the millions of recalls of Chinese-made toys.
At least 16 of the toys were found to have lead content of between 700 and 1200 parts per million, exceeding the 600 limit set by the American and Canadian governments, said the group's director, Ratna Devi Nadarajan.
The sample of 24 toys, mostly made in China, range from baby rattles and die-cast race cars to plastic beauty sets sold by grocery giants including Britain's Tesco PLC and France's Carrefour SA, she said.
''We don't want to say that all products made in China are bad, but we are very concerned with the safety of toys sold in Malaysia,'' Ratna said at a news conference.
''We urge the government to run a nationwide test to detect and determine the level of leads in all toys and children products and take immediate action to regulate toy safety,'' she said.
''Without the regulations, how can the vulnerable groups be protected?''
Malaysia has developed its own series of standards on toy safety. But Ratna said the standards are not mandatory as the government has not approved a Toy Safety Regulation drafted several years ago.
She said the law was believed held up due to administrative issues.
Officials from the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry couldn't be immediately reached for comments.
The largest U.S. toymaker, Mattel Inc., announced in August a global recall of 18.6 million toys tainted with lead paint and small, powerful magnets that could cause intestinal perforations if swallowed.
Last week, it announced another round of recalls: 55,500 ''Go Diego Go! Animal Rescue Boats'' made in China and exported worldwide, including America, Canada and Britain. Surface paint on the boats contains excessive levels of lead.
Ratna said Malaysian regulations must include requirements of product recall and injury reporting, or collection of data on injuries due to toys and any child protection equipment such as car seat and prams.
The group also called for safety standards for products and services related to children such as play ground safety, clothing and feeding aid.


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In the three months since its soft launch into the household or liquid petroleum gas market, Future Energy Source Company Limited, which trades as Fesco, says it has secured 2.5 per cent share of the $25 billion market.
It is bullish on pushing that to seven per cent by year end.
Fesco, a petroleum products supplier and operator of a network of 18 service stations, entered the cooking gas market in April when it acquired Wilson Beck LPG and branded the business as FESGAS.
“We were able to secure 2.5 per cent of market share with our little dabble in the market, without no advertising, and so our team is confident and humbled by the support,” said Fesco CEO Jeremy Barnes at the formal launch of FESGAS on Thursday.
The cooking-gas market is dominated by the IGL and GasPro brands, both of which are owned by Trinidad & Tobago-based conglomerate Massy Holdings Limited.
Massy Gas Products (Jamaica) Limited, distributor of the GasPro brand, has, since 2006, supplied the residential and commercial markets with LPG, butane, commercial fuels, industrial chemicals, commercial lubricants, marine fuels, lubrication, petroleum products, and propane.
Meanwhile, IGL Limited, which was recently acquired by Massy, has operated in Jamaica for six decades as a top distributor of cooking gas. It is also in the business of medical gases.
But the nimble and fast-growing Fesco is confident that it can take on the established brands. Its cylinders are currently sold in three sizes – 25, 30, and 100 pounds – but it will also be rolling out a 120-pound cylinder specifically targeted at small restaurant operators.
The petroleum marketing company’s plan to win another four to five per cent of the market by year end starts with ‘no BLEVE’ gas cylinders, made of high-strength and low-thermal materials.
BLEVE stands for ‘boiling liquid expanding vapour explosion’. If a tank containing liquid is subjected to external fire, the heat may lead to boiling of the liquid. This, in turn, increases the pressure in the tank, and the boiling liquid and expanding vapour may cause tanks to rupture, resulting in a fire or explosion.
FESGAS cylinders have a relief valve, which controls pressurisation of the tanks and helps to prevent rupture and damage.
“So worst-case scenario is the cylinder burning, but it won’t explode like other cylinders do,” said Barnes.
“Additionally, you can also see the level of the gas in these cylinders, and if you have marble or ceramic tiles, it won’t leave you with rust stains,” he said.
On the retail front, Fesco is tying down arrangements with cooking gas distributors for door-to-door delivery.
To date, Fesco says it has spent $200 million on building out capacity, which is three times that of Wilson Beck’s operation pre-acquisition, and on the purchase of trucks, cylinders, and storage tanks.
“Later in the year, we will be coming with technology for both our retail and commercial customers to access their accounts online, but we will be making announcements as we get to each step to make the public aware of what we are doing,” said Barnes.
At current capacity, FESGAS could “easily” serve 20 per cent of the LPG market before signing off on more capex projects, he added.
“We aren’t restricted. Everything is in place to do further growth once we are ready,” he added.
It is partly why the company chose to enter the market via acquisition of an existing player rather than through a start-up business, he explained.
For a new business, “the timeline on building out all of that would be at minimum eight months, but we didn’t want to wait until then”, Barnes said.
Fesco plans to add another 15 staff to the 82 it now employs to facilitate both the LPG business and its still-expanding network of service stations that is projected to grow to 21 by September.
The three service stations being added are located in May Pen, Clarendon; Kitson Town, St Catherine; and Port Maria in St Mary.


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Given that he runs two of the hottest startups in Silicon Valley, you'd think Jack Dorsey would have better things to do than pitch college students to come work for him.
Still, the co-founder of Twitter found himself Wednesday evening on the Stanford campus talking up his newest venture -- mobile-payments company Square -- to a standing-room-only crowd of more than 100 computer science majors. And for added muscle, he'd brought along right-hand man Keith Rabois and several food trucks equipped with Square's technology to process credit cards with a mobile phone or tablet computer.
Is Silicon Valley's labor market really that tight?
"People have a lot of options," the 35-year-old Dorsey said in an interview following his pitch session. In a valley that values personal connections, he said, it's important for prospective hires to "put a face to the name."
Square isn't alone. Alex Mooradian, head of a San Francisco startup called Readyforce that helps hundreds of companies court new college graduates, said computer science majors "are in huge demand. Recruiting starts as early as sophomore year."
Dorsey plans to double Square's current head count of 300 by the end of the year. A year ago, the company employed 80.
And though credit card processing wouldn't seem to be the sexiest recruiting draw, he finds a way to make it sound downright inspirational.
Square's co-founder Jim McKelvey is one such merchant. A glass artist, he wondered why he couldn't take card payments for his art at fairs and festivals without subjecting himself to lengthy credit checks and renting pricey equipment.
Credit card swiper
So in 2009, he hooked up with Dorsey, who had been pushed out of the CEO's role at Twitter the year before. After a monthlong coding marathon in a cramped San Francisco apartment, Dorsey and a few colleagues had designed software to turn a phone into a credit card swiper by plugging a square plastic reader into the earphone jack.
Today, 1 million people accept credit cards with Square, and the company handles $5 billion in payments each year. It takes a 2.75 percent transaction fee that Dorsey said can be half what traditional processing companies charge merchants.
The card-swipe business worked so well that last year Square rolled out an app that turns iPads into virtual cash registers and inventory management systems. A third product, Pay with Square, helps consumers keep track of their electronic receipts and find nearby merchants selling, say, ice cream on a hot day.
Dorsey sees plenty of running room ahead, noting that 26 million small businesses in the U.S. still don't accept credit cards. He's also making plans to expand into larger retailers; Square card readers are now used in more than 11,000 big-box locations nationwide, including some Walmart, Best Buy and Apple (AAPL) stores.
Yet despite a $100 million venture funding round last summer that valued Square at $1 billion, the startup has its skeptics.
"I keep scratching my head over why Square is such a media darling," said Mark Schwanhausser, an analyst who covers the financial services industry for Javelin Strategy in Pleasanton.
"We absolutely have a lot of competition," Dorsey allows. "But they're all going after one point in the ecosystem -- we're the only one going end-to-end on both sides of the counter."
Vikas Yendliru, a junior computer science major at Stanford, didn't need convincing. He spent last summer trying to build a point-of-sale system akin to Square's and came to Wednesday's event hoping to learn more tools of the trade.
He also admitted to having a businessman-crush on Dorsey. "You can talk about visionaries," Yendliru said, "and I think Jack Dorsey is one of them."
Rabois is no slouch, either. He helped build PayPal, the Internet's trailblazing app for mobile commerce, and is one of Silicon Valley's most influential angel investors. With Dorsey roughly splitting his time between Square and Twitter, where he returned last year as executive chairman, Rabois keeps the trains running.
Dorsey, for his part, uses a different transportation metaphor to describe Square's mission. He frequently tweets about his obsession with the Golden Gate Bridge, and he wrapped Wednesday's presentation with a PowerPoint slide of the iconic span.
The bridge, he said, is a thing of beauty that's also highly functional. It was built by a relatively small team of engineers when the rest of the world thought it couldn't be done.
All of which, Dorsey implied in a rather audacious analogy, also applies to Square.
Contact Peter Delevett at 408-271-3638. Follow him at Twitter.com/mercwiretap.
hip to be square
Three-year-old Square has racked up some heady growth numbers:
Businesses, individuals who now accept credit cards via the company's technology
Payments processed by the company every year
Merchants in the "Pay with Square" directory
The average transaction with Square


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Hummingbird is Google’s largest official algorithm update since 2001, affecting 90 percent of search queries.
Google’s senior vice president of search, Amit Singhal, officially announced on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2013, that a new search algorithm called “Hummingbird” had been released within the previous month. The company did not reveal many details on the release in the press conference, but did indicate that the algorithm is currently affecting 90 percent of all search queries—making it the largest algorithmic update since 2001.
What do we know about Hummingbird?
This update reflects the evolving nature of search engine use. Fewer people are searching in a traditional “Boolean,” or keyword-based manner. For example, rather than just searching the word “plumber,” individuals are now using terms like “who is best plumber within 10 miles” to search for a plumber.
Voice search has influenced this change significantly as many individuals speak to their mobile device when performing a search. Google is now considered to be a source that can answer entire questions, not just find content containing a simple keyword. Hummingbird is meant to improve the results to question-based search queries.
How does this compare to Penguin or Panda?
According to Danny Sullivan of SearchEngineLand.com, “Panda, Penguin and other updates were changes to parts of the old algorithm but not a replacement of the whole… Hummingbird is a brand new engine, though it continues to use some parts of the old, like Penguin and Panda.”
Penguin and Panda were intended to clean up search results and eliminate spam. Hummingbird is meant to improve Google’s ability to answer searchers questions based on the meaning of the words. Rather than pulling up search results that simply contain words in the original search query, Google is aiming to provide search results based on the meaning of the search entered.
What does this mean moving forward?
Website owners should closely monitor the organic traffic their site is generating. If your site didn’t see a significant drop in traffic during September, you may have gotten through the initial release of Hummingbird unscathed. However, Google has been known to release major algorithm updates and continue to tweak and adjust them in the following weeks and months. More updates to Hummingbird can be expected as Google monitors how the algorithm performs.
Hummingbird is also another push by Google to improve online content. Websites that provide great content and answer common questions within their industry will be rewarded by the release of Hummingbird. The phrase “content is king” continues to be true today and will be an important concept for web owners to grasp as the search engine continues to evolve.


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Mark Ruess, the executive vice president of General Motors, revealed that the Chevrolet Bolt EV will be unveiled next year, according to The Verge. This will be timed to coincide with the International Consumer Electronics Show, which will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada in January 2016. The “car of the future” has been presented as a concept early this year during the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, marking barely a year for the company to develop the concept and get into production design, something of an achievement in the auto industry.
Alan Batey, president of GM in North America, is quoted on the official Chevrolet website as saying, “The message from consumers about the Bolt EV concept was clear and unequivocal: build it.”
He went on to say, “We are moving quickly because of its potential to completely shake up the status quo for electric vehicles as the first affordable long-range EV in the market.”
Traditionally speaking, a new car takes years to develop and transition from being an autoshow concept to a fully equipped production vehicle. But times have changed. In today’s increasingly digital world, a new generation of automakers is changing the way cars are made, shortening auto development cycles to bring alternative cars such as electric cars to a market full of fuel-dependent cars.
The 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV product line development has taken an incredibly short time frame made possible by an unprecedented collaboration between Chevrolet, GM, and the South Korean company LG Corp. This includes other LG Corp companies like LG Chem, its battery arm; LG Innotek; LG Electric Vehicle Components; and LG Electronics. Engineers from GM and LG Electronics work on critical components side by side.
Although the specs for the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV are as yet hard to come by, what is known is that it will deliver a 200-mile range, as Chevrolet has revealed, with DC fast charging priced at the $30,000 level, in what will be a car “for the masses.” It will be available throughout the United States and selected international markets.


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Google and Samsung strengthen ties with global patent deal
The two companies have largely been on the same side in the patent wars
Google and Samsung have strengthened their alliance by signing a deal to license one another’s patents.
The agreement will cover a “broad range of technologies and business areas” but will focus on the mobile sector, allowing the pair to turn their attention to Apple in the global patent wars.
The deal will cover unspecified intellectual property that has currently been registered as well as new patents created over the next ten years.
Smartphone makers regularly file billion-dollar lawsuits against rival manufacturers over alleged patent infringements.
Apple is currently claiming that Samsung’s best-selling line of Galaxy smartphones have copied many of the iPhone’s features. The pair are scheduled to meet for mediation in mid-February, although many similar meetings have failed in the past.
Samsung has long worked closely with Google, using the Android operating system on its smartphones, and called the deal "highly significant for the technology industry".
"Samsung and Google are showing the rest of the industry that there is more to gain from co-operating than engaging in unnecessary patent disputes," said Seungho Ahn, head of Samsung's Intellectual Property Center, in a statement.
Google deputy general counsel Allen Lo also welcomed the deal. “By working together on agreements like this, companies can reduce the potential for litigation and focus instead on innovation,” said Lo in a statement.
A recent high-profile case in the patent wars involves the Rockstar consortium – a group of companies including Apple, Microsoft and Sony that paid $4.5 billion for a set of patents from the now-defunct Nortel telecoms company.
The consortium filed eight lawsuits in the US against Google and six other smartphone makers that use the Android operating system. Google is engaged in its own litigation against Apple with the use of patents owned by Motorola Mobility. Google bought the company in 2012 for $12.5bn.
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Walmart and Rakuten, an e-commerce and Internet services company based in Tokyo, have formed a new strategic alliance, which the companies said leverages each of their strengths and assets to expand consumer reach and enhance how customers are served in the U.S. and Japan.
The collaboration includes the launch of a new online grocery delivery service in Japan beginning in the third quarter of 2018. In addition, Walmart and Rakuten Kobo Inc. have formed an exclusive retail alliance that will enable Walmart to begin selling eBooks and audiobooks, as well as offer Rakuten Kobo eReaders, in Walmart stores and online at Walmart.com in the U.S. starting later this year.
Rakuten and Seiyu GK, a retail subsidiary of Walmart, have reached a basic agreement to establish a joint venture with the aim of launching the new online grocery delivery service in Japan, to be known as “Rakuten Seiyu Netsuper.” The new service will be launched in the latter half of 2018. The service will aim to increase capacity in 2018 with the establishment of a dedicated fulfillment center, in addition to offering deliveries from Seiyu stores. The new service will also utilize Rakuten’s expertise in e-commerce to offer a site with an optimized and personalized user experience.
“Rakuten is a strong e-commerce business and we’re excited to collaborate with the top online shopping destination in Japan,” said Doug McMillon, president and CEO, Walmart. “Here in Japan and everywhere we operate, we’re constantly exploring new ways to make every day easier for customers by offering great experiences in stores, online, via mobile— no matter how customers want to shop. We look forward to expanding our grocery footprint in Japan and launching a new offering of eBooks and audiobooks for our customers in the U.S.”


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Allowing restaurants the ability to expand their dining spaces to outdoor patios has proven to be such a success throughout the COVID-19 pandemic that Delta wants to the province to continue the program and streamlining applications indefinitely.
Earlier this week, Mayor George Harvie sent a letter to Minister of Public Safety & Solicitor General Mike Farnworth requesting that the online process for Temporary Expanded Service Areas (TESA) be extended indefinitely to ensure the survival of struggling food and beverage establishments.
“In 2020, the Province, through the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB), established an expedited, no fee, online process for TESA,” wrote Harvie. “These TESA areas enabled restaurants, breweries, distilleries and other licensed establishments to expand their liquor service areas to help overcome the burden of indoor capacity restrictions imposed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Harvie said in support of this process, Delta council endorsed a plan, which would allow for the pre-approval of TESA applications to the LCRB, which subsequently extended indefinitely to support local business.
“Numerous Delta restaurants, bars and manufacturers took advantage of the Province’s CESA program by investing in temporary patio spaces, which now contribute to the vibrancy of our neighbourhoods,” said Harvie. “It is understood, that the LCRB is no longer accepting new TESA applications and that any existing TESA will expire on June 1. For those businesses wishing to extend the use of their TESA space beyond this period, they must apply to the LCRB for a permanent outdoor patio or indoor structural change.”
This application, said Harvie, requires a payment of $400, the submission of floor plans and referral to the local government.
“The forthcoming expiry of approved TESA licenses will result in additional constraints to these businesses and, in the absence of greater clarity around the LCRB requirements in local government approval,” he said. “The process is too onerous for small business who are already reeling after the devastating financial losses encountered due to effects of pandemic restrictions.”
On Monday, Delta council will be reviewing its patio program bylaws, which are up for first, second and third readings.


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North Andover, Mass. – Steve
Koenig, industry analysis director for the Consumer Electronics Association,
will conduct a keynote presentation at KnowledgeFest 2011.
KnowledgeFest, a trade
show for the mobile electronics industry, is put on by the Mobile Electronics
Retailers Association (MERA). It will be held Aug. 28-30 at the Gaylord Texan
Hotel and Conference Center near Dallas.
At 9:00 a.m. local time
on Aug. 30, Koenig will present “The Road Ahead for CE,” sharing his views on
the path for consumer electronics as it relates to the aftermarket, and
exploring the short-and long-term potential outcomes for what has become a
volatile industry, MERA said.


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Virtru, the email and file encryption application, announced on Monday (Aug. 22) it closed a round of venture capital funding.
The Series A round of funding, which netted the startup $29 million, was led by Bessemer Venture Partners (BVP) and also included New Enterprise Associates, Soros Fund Management, Haystack Partners, Quadrant Capital Advisors and Blue Delta Capital. In addition to announcing the $29 million fundraising round, the company also said it has now grown to more than 4,000 customers.
According to a report, alongside the round of funding, Virtru said Wayne Jackson, CEO of Sonatype and former CEO of Sourcefire, will join the company’s board of directors. He will serve alongside BVP Partner David Cowan, who cofounded cybersecurity companies VeriSign, Good Technology and Defense.net, and Authentic8 CEO Scott Petry, who founded the email security company Postini.
While the company was launched in 2014 with an idea to bring security and privacy to everyday applications, like email, it wasn’t until recently that consumers have paid more attention to the risks online. After all, in addition to traditional malware and spyware attacks, consumers are increasingly falling victim to spoofing and ransomware attacks that hold their data hostage. But it’s not only consumers who are at risk. Business are increasingly a target for computer hackers.
Earlier this month, Oracle and its MICROS customers were getting hacked, and shortly after that, it appeared more cash register vendors were falling victim to hacks that were allegedly conducted by the same Russian organized cybercrime group. That’s according to Forbes, which said it was informed by five cash register providers of the breach. According to the report, in the last month, Cin7, ECRS, Navy Zebra, PAR Technology and Uniwell were all hacked. Forbes said the hackers found weaknesses in the point-of-sale system vendors’ servers and then went to work exploiting them. The hackers tried to steal passwords of retail customers and tried to gain access to retailers’ point-of-sale computers to access customers’ data, such as credit card information. It’s not clear if any sensitive data was stolen from the vendors.


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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Whether you love it or hate it, the idea for one of the most popular Thanksgiving foods is all thanks to a Purdue University alumna.
Ruth Siems is credited with the idea behind Stove Top stuffing, according to Purdue's Inventors and Innovators website. Siems graduated in 1953 with a degree in home economics and worked as a product researcher for more than 35 years at General Foods
As the country was looking for more convenient foods, Siems whipped up the idea of mixing bread crumbs into a savory, easy to make, food. Siems is credited with the secret behind Stove Top stuffing, its precise bread crumb dimensions. Stove Top stuffing debuted in 1971 and Kraft Foods now owns the brand. A Purdue news release shows the company sells 60 million boxes annually.
An obituary in the New York Times shows she died in 2005 near her hometown of Evansville, IN.
- Purdue alumna invented one of the most famous Thanksgiving foods
- Purdue grad wins World Food Prize
- Community Thanksgiving Dinner offers more than just food
- Thanksgiving turkey prices at 10-year low, Purdue expert says
- Thanksgiving Day Forecast
- Thanksgiving Day Fast Facts
- Purdue now boasts three World Food Prize winners
- Purdue partners with LTHC to provide food to community
- Food Finders Food Bank offers compassion training
- Food Finders Food Bank wants your help


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The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has filed a new complaint against Walmart over allegations of money transfer fraud shortcomings.
Last year, the FTC sued the American retailer for allowing fraudsters to fleece consumers with more than $197m in payments reported as fraud between 2013 and 2018.
After FTC’s claim that Walmart’s long-term policy approved of suspicious payouts reached court, a judge then partially granted Walmart the chance to dismiss the case, leading to one of the two counts brought up by the regulator being refuted.
Now, the FTC has filed another complaint, this time amended to include more details explaining how Walmart has violated the Telemarketing Sales Rule, including the use of cash-to-cash transfers in telemarketing transactions.
“Walmart has continued processing fraud-induced money transfers at its stores— funding telemarketing and other scams—without adopting policies and practices that effectively detect and prevent these transfers,” the filing read.
“In some cases, Walmart’s practices have even made it easier for fraudsters to collect fraud-induced money transfers at a Walmart store. For example, for years, it was Walmart’s policy or practice not to deny payouts to suspected fraudsters at its stores, but instead to have its employees complete those transactions.
“Walmart also has maintained, and continues to maintain, a deficient anti-fraud program, including by failing to properly train and supervise employees, warn consumers, and monitor and investigate suspicious activity.”
A spokesperson for Walmart told Payments Dive: “The FTC is trying to salvage a flawed legal claim that they’ve already lost once, but the facts and the law have not changed. We look forward to responding in court.”