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Big brands like Nike, Walmart, Apple, and Ralph Lauren are turning to the augmented reality technology as they develop future marketing strategies
Confession: Though I am a tech company CEO, even I was surprised when talk about the metaverse as The Next Big Thing blew up late last year.
Like everyone else, I was caught off guard in October when Facebook, in what will be remembered as the metaverse’s Big Bang, announced it was committed to building this new digital world and was renaming its holding company Meta. Yes, I had to work a little to better understand the concept. And I couldn’t help but wonder if the metaverse was just the latest creation of an industry that never met a buzzword it didn’t like to hype.
Since then, I’ve quickly come to understand that the metaverse not only has vast possibilities to reshape how we work, play, socialize, and shop, but that it’s specifically relevant to my life’s work: helping companies deliver great customer experiences.
I get it: The metaverse concept is fuzzy—Facebook hazily describes it as “a hybrid of today’s online social experiences, sometimes expanded into three dimensions or projected into the physical world”—and this squishiness has fired up the naysayers. For example, one long-time Silicon Valley entrepreneur told CNBC that the metaverse is an overhyped word to describe technologies that already exist and that “six months from now, it will be very rare to see the word metaverse used unironically.”
Ouch. And yet company after company has been planting flags in the metaverse lately. When Microsoft announced in January that it would acquire game developer Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion—the largest deal in the tech giant’s history–”metaverse” was mentioned in the first paragraph of the press release. Walmart has filed several new trademarks indicating a nascent metaverse strategy. Apple’s stock jumpedin late January after CEO Tim Cook said, “We see a lot of potential in this space and are investing accordingly.”
Nike is “just doing it” in the metaverse as well. The company filed several new trademark applications, revealing plans to make and sell virtual Nike-branded sneakers and apparel. It also acquired RTFKT, which “leverages the latest in game engines, NFTs, blockchain authentication, and augmented reality to create one of a kind virtual products and experiences.”
Not only all that, but the app to support Meta’s Oculus virtual reality headset was the No. 1 download on Apple’s App Store on Christmas. Clearly, something big is happening, and I’d suggest that every brand needs to be paying close attention. Why? Because if the metaverse does indeed live up to its promise, it will be a critical new vector of customer touchpoints. Think of it as the next frontier for customer experience.
Both a business paradigm and a multibillion-dollar market, customer experience (CX) is all about delivering experiences that delight customers on an emotional level every time they interact with the brand. Its execution at scale is already an immense challenge in a digital world where consumers have unprecedented information, choices, and expectations.
SHOPPING IN THE METAVERSE
And now, the metaverse could add a new multidimensional layer that forces companies to reimagine the customer experience in a world of augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), mixed reality, and physically accurate digital twins.
Picture a clothing retailer that plans to sell branded shirts and hats to be worn by avatars that customers have made of themselves for socializing in a virtual space. Or have those avatars try on apparel that the customers buy with digital currency to wear in the physical world. (Sound far-fetched? Well, that’s similar to what Nike appears to be exploring. Also, Ralph Lauren’s CEO lauded the metaverse as an opportunity to attract younger customers.)
The clothier may have made tremendous strides through the years providing an outstanding experience across all its digital and brick-and-mortar channels, but now they’ll need to replicate that in the metaverse.
The same kinds of questions the company already must ask itself about the quality of its CX in existing channels need to shift to the metaverse. What are we doing to find out what people really want in the metaverse? What will they find enchanting? What annoys or frustrates them? Are we simple to use? Enjoyable? Exciting? How can we best tie the metaverse experience to our overall omnichannel one?
The questions appearing on the horizon for such a company seem endless. Will they eventually want all customers to log into the metaverse as the foundation for the entire omnichannel experience? How—through Oculus, PlayStation, or another platform? What’s the right strategy regarding NFTs, which allow people to buy unique digital items using the blockchain?
It’s enough to make your head spin, but strip away the mystery surrounding the metaverse vision and it’s easy to see the potential for the metaverse to become yet another channel or business line that a company needs to knock out of the park.
Businesses would be wise to remember: Disrupt or be disrupted. I’m not saying the metaverse will be as historic a game-changer as, say, the mobile internet; I’m asserting it has too much potential to become that to be ignored.
Companies should start thinking hard about the ramifications for customer experience if they want to remain relevant.
Source photos: Febriana Suwarningsih/Getty Images; Fidan/Getty Images; Eren Li/Pexels


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NEWPORT, Tenn. (WVLT) -- Thrift stores present the opportunity to find new and vintage knick knacks for your home. A new thrift store soon opening in Gatlinburg will help abused and abandoned pets find a new home.
Friends Animal Shelter in Cocke County is opening 'Wags to Wiggles' thrift store in Gatlinburg, just over the Cosby line on Highway 321.
All proceeds from the store will go towards the shelter and animals.
"To continue to improve this place and renovate it and make it a safer, better, more fun and a clean environment for the animals," Elisha Henry, the shelter's director, said. "321 is very traveled so I hope tourists will stop and bring something home to wherever their from."
The store is set to open March 15. It will be staffed by volunteers, and the building was donated leaving few expenses for the shelter.
Last year, the shelter took in 1,671 animals. Henry said the county only has one animal control officer and awareness is scarce. The shelter is working on education with visits to elementary classes.
Cocke County contributes $100,000 to the shelter each year, but the rest is left to the shelter to fund. Henry said the thrift store will help.
"Along with education for young children, I think we can really turn this county around, and I'm looking forward to it," Henry said.
The shelter is currently working on a surgical suite that will offer low-cost care. They are also finishing renovations on the cat room and a new puppy room.
While the store is not open yet, the shelter is accepting donations for the store at its Newport facility.
Copyright 2020 WVLT News. All rights reserved.

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Philips underlying 2018 profit higher after lighting sale
Dutch electronics giant Philips said Tuesday its 2018 headline earnings plunged more than 40 percent, reflecting the disposal of its lighting business, but underlying profit rose while sales were steady.
The company, which is focusing its business on medical equipment and services, said its full-year net profit was down 41.3 percent at 1.09 billion euros ($1.25 billion) on sales of 18.12 billion euros, up nearly two percent.
Philips said however that 2018 net profit on its continuing activities jumped more than 27 percent to 1.31 billion euros.
"We achieved our objectives for the year," company chief Frans van Houten said in a statement.
"While Philips continues to face global geopolitical challenges and market volatility, for which we are taking the necessary measures, we see an improvement in our performance dynamic," Van Houten added.
The company reaffirmed its 2019 targets of a 4.0-6.0 percent increase in sales on a comparable basis, plus an improved operating margin.
It focuses now more on high-end medical and health technology as well as household appliances.
The group, which sold its first light bulb a few years after it was founded in 1891, listed its Philips Lighting division, known as Signify, on the Amsterdam stock exchange in March last year.
© 2019 AFP


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Several months of rising exports have helped India bring down its current account deficit to a manageable level, and despite the weaker data in February, it is likely to beat last fiscal year's total of $300 billion in merchandise exports.
In the first 11 months of the 2013/14 fiscal year that ends on March 31, India's exports were $282.8 billion, up 4.79 percent from the same period a year ago, data released on the trade ministry website showed. But it is unlikely to export enough in March to reach the trade ministry's $325 billion target
"The momentum of export growth has been lost when we were about to reach the final goal-post," said Anupam Shah, chairman of the Engineering Exporters' body, EEPC India. "At this rate, there is no way we can achieve the target of $325 billion in the current fiscal year."
In February, exports fell 3.67 percent from a year earlier to $25.69 billion, compared with 3.8 percent growth in January.
Analysts say exports, which contribute nearly 16 percent to the gross domestic product, have slowed in part because of a stronger rupee.
The trade deficit, however, continued to fall in February, driven by a decline in the oil import bill and curbs on gold, the country's second-most expensive overseas purchase after oil. Overall imports fell 17.09 percent year-on-year to $33.82 billion, the data showed.
Falling imports will further ease pressure on the country's current account balance.The current account deficit narrowed to $4.2 billion, or 0.9 percent of gross domestic product in December quarter, from 6.5 percent, or $31.9 billion, a year earlier.
The trade deficit for the first 11 months of the fiscal year declined by more than $51 billion from a year ago to $128 billion.


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Epic Games Store
Sony has dated the Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered PC release and detailed the game’s PC system requirements and special pre-order outfits and incentives.
Developer Mediatonic recently addressed online and matchmaking problems with Fall Guys following the game going free-to-play yesterday.
Wolfenstein: The New Order, the 2014 shooter from Machine Games and Bethesda, is now free on the Epic Games Store until 9 June.
Epic Games appears to have prematurely listed the PC release date for Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection as 20 June 2022, likely coming to EGS and Steam.
Epic Games Store user accounts have surpassed 500 million. This is thanks to Epic Games’ strong push on free games and giveaways as well as exclusive releases.
Death Stranding Director’s Cut finally has a PC release date of 30 March 2022, and will be coming to Steam and Epic Games Store.
Ubisoft’s The Settlers is an upcoming RTS game that acts as a reboot in the series. After spending a couple of days with the game, we can’t wait for the release
Epic Games is reportedly losing millions of dollars every month as the company attempts to grow the Epic Game Store through expensive exclusive deals.


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Rebecca Black, the teen girl whose "Friday" song irritated American to the point that they could not help but listen to it repeatedly, will star in a new Kohl's commercial, appropriately promoting the retail chain's Black Friday sale.
The commercial shows a young woman (not Black), singing to the tune of Black's internet meme-sensation song: "Black Friday, Black Friday, gotta go to Kohl's on Black Friday. Everybody's going there at midnight, midnight."
According to Mashable, Black makes two cameos in the commercial.
Despite the light humor of taking an infamous song and combining it with a shopping day that some people say is "destroying" Thanksgiving, some commenters on YouTube were furious over the ad.
"Looks like Kohl's apparently doesn't realize how much people hate that song," said one comment.
Some comments suggested they would not even go to Kohl's because of the song.
"Well, looks like I'll be avoiding Kohl's now. Thanks for narrowing down my choices of stores to visit!" read another comment.
According to AdRants, come Kohl's employees have even threatened to quit because of the commercial.
For Black, however, her "Friday" song continues to be lucrative. On top of the undisclosed amount she received from Kohl's for the commercial, Forbes magazine reported that she made over $1 million in proceeds from the song, including YouTube views and downloads.
However, Slate put that amount much lower, at $40,000. Whatever the amount, Black is only 13 years old, and even $40,000 is much more than most kids are making at that age.


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We’re looking forward to a fashion extravaganza next Thursday in Littlewoods HQ’s hometown of Liverpool. We’ve been the proud sponsors of The Style Factory over the past 6 months, and on Thursday 2nd February we will get to see the final outcome of months of hard work from some very talented local youngsters with a passion for fashion.
The Style Factory was set up two years ago with support from the Princes Trust with the aim of educating young people from the Liverpool area about fashion and the many job roles that make up the industry that they could potentially develop a career in. Workshops enabled 13-18 year olds to try out the range of jobs involved in fashion, and in four groups the youngsters worked their way through the whole process of setting up a fashion label, from fashion design, pattern making and garment construction to marketing, PR and visual merchandising.
And we’ll get to see the results of the groups’ hard work as they compete on the catwalk on Thursday night in front of a full audience and a panel of judges. There’s some amazing prizes to be awarded on the night, and the winners will be given the opportunity to direct their own photoshoot with a professional fashion photographer.
The event is being held at the Hilton Hotel and will be hosted by OK!TV’s fashion expert Nick Ede with entertainment from local musicians (including X Factor finalist James Michael). The night will raise money for the Princes Trust and alongside the stars of the show there will be catwalks from a range of other fashion brands, including us, Littlewoods.com!
If you’d like to join us for this fabulous fashion event, visit The Style Factory website to get your tickets, and to find out more about the brilliant work they do. You never know, we might see a future fashion star in the making!


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Published on December 20th, 2016 | by Nicolas Zart0
The Disconnect Between CEO, Marketing & Engineering
December 20th, 2016 by Nicolas Zart
This year has been a gigantic marketing hyperbole of planned electric vehicles from mainstream carmakers. It’s not always easy separating cars of tomorrow, cars that are being built today, and those that probably won’t make it into production.
What makes it even worse is the disconnect between CEOs, marketing teams, and engineering teams, especially in light of actual deliverables.
VW Says No German EV Demand, Period
Mathias Muller stepped into one of the toughest jobs — how to bring back a media and consumer darling carmaker from a slam to its public image. It’s not easy, we’ll grant you that. But Muller has already said the oddest things, highlighting yet again the disconnect between management, engineering, and market demand. Case in point was a statement that there is no EV demand in Germany. Oops, he did it again. Another case of CEO, marketing, and engineering reality differences.
EV demand in Germany is … normal. It’s not wild, but it’s also not inexistent. Perhaps German buyers are a little more conservative when it comes to buying cars, but Germany — as well as Canada, France, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, South Korea, Sweden, and the United Kingdom — all rank well for their high growth prospects between now and 2020, despite a low EV market size currently, according to Which-50.com. Acting now (beyond words and vaporware) is crucial, and 2022 to 2035 will be a different landscape altogether where startups will have surpassed mainstream carmakers.
Ford CEO Says No Demand Growth In The US, Justifies Stalling Focus Electric Development
Hours after the latest EV sales numbers came out (putting Ford in a relatively good position), Ford CEO Mark Fields announced that there is no market growth for electric cars. But then again, the company’s most profitable vehicles are the F-Series and Super Duty pickup trucks it has heavily promoted the past 5 years. Oops, he did it again. Yet another case of CEO, marketing, and engineering reality differences.
Yet, the Ford Focus Electric is a great EV. I have test driven almost all of them, including the Magna Steyr prototype in 2008, which already showed a lot of potential. The understandable letdown for many of us with the latest Focus Electric is that it just got a slight facelift for next season and a bit more range — disappointing, at best.
What Engineering Can Do
If we could have the cars all engineers have thought of and even worked on within the hidden labs of carmakers, we’d have a blast. Rimac certainly proved an EV can hold its own against the very best of hypercars. Heck, even Koenigsegg said he prefers driving his Model S over other sedans. Back in 2008, a small company called AFS Trinity had already installed in a Saturn Vue Hybrid an extra lithium battery pack with ultracapacitors to load balance the draw on the pack. And it let you choose between gas only, hybrid, and electric only. And yes, that was in 2008, when the Los Angeles Auto Show refused to let AFS Trinity in. The economy has been on the side of EVs, considering how lithium battery energy density has grown while its price has steadily come down.
What Do Consumers Really Want Anyway?
In general, we love stability and continuity, but we are also attracted to newer technologies. Perhaps Raymond Loewry coined it best in this article from The Atlantic: “He believed that consumers are torn between two opposing forces: neophilia, a curiosity about new things; and neophobia, a fear of anything too new. As a result, they gravitate to products that are bold, but instantly comprehensible. Loewy called his grand theory ‘Most Advanced Yet Acceptable’—MAYA.”
It would be difficult to produce the car people want and need today. A car under $20,000 with at least 500 miles of range that doesn’t pollute. It would have to be good looking, elegant, and luxurious also. Heck, make it a Giugiaro design while you’re at it. And it must have all the creature amenities we’ve come to expect: airbags everywhere, state-of-the-art infotainment and completely connected, preferably with free Internet 4G access. While technically possible, it is highly impossible to make such a car unless all parts are open sourced. That is another can of worms traditional carmakers stay clear off.
Who Gets It Right?
Straight off the bat, Nissan gets it right. It might not do it with the elegance Tesla has, nor with the punch Rimac Concept_One did, but the LEAF still is the overall best-selling EV globally. That is a good case for CEO, marketing, and engineering working fairly well together. Tesla also gets it, as well as the newer kids on the block. But the latter haven’t delivered anything yet. BMW sorta, kinda gets it right, but it doesn’t have the unlimited funds its local competition has. After dumping a lot of money on diesel technology, it smelled something fishy and decided to put the rest of its funds on carbon fiber technology and the electric drive. It just doesn’t have the deep pockets Mercedes/Daimler has, which can sit through any storm and weather it. GM gets it right by first introducing a compelling plug-in hybrid, and a second-generation version that ups the ante, while working on a solid EV with its now-selling Bolt.
And then there are the etceterini — those little car makers that try to get on board with seriously limited funds and whole lot of passion. They fight an even more arduous uphill battle trying to sway public opinion of what an EV should be like and should look like. Check out Ecovelectric.com as a perfect example of great ideas, engineering, and little resources.
Ultimately, I cringe when I hear CEOs and marketing say. I cringe because I talk to engineers and I know how frustrated they are being insulted by their management. I’m in talks with VCs and other capital groups to fund intelligent technologies, such as docked-vessel emission scrubbers. The engineering is already available and provides elegant solutions at a fraction of the price and cost than conventional, heavier companies can. And the returns on those new green technologies are enough to make the most-veteran Wall Street trader blush.


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CCFN Commends U.S. Denunciations of EU’s GI Abuses, Calls for U.S. Government to Secure Commitments from Trading Partners
June 6th, 2019
The United States government in April rebuked the European Union for its abuses on geographical indications (GI) policies, describing the adverse impact on U.S. companies’ access to EU and other markets when the EU claims sole rights to use generic food names. In its annual Special 301 intellectual property report, the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office (USTR) said it will work to ensure that U.S. trading partners do not make bilateral GI agreements with the EU that violate prior rights of U.S. exporters or otherwise undermine a producer’s rights to use generic terms.
“For too long the United States has tolerated its trading partners’ disregard of their market access concessions and their acquiescence to EU GI demands that have negatively impacted suppliers from the United States and others throughout the New World,” said CCFN Executive Director Jaime Castaneda.
CCFN Chairman Errico Auricchio added, “With this report the USTR sends a strong message on the EU’s misuse of GIs to erect barriers to trade; to remedy the problems, we urge the Administration to promptly and forcefully follow through by securing binding commitments from U.S. trading partners that preserve market access rights for exporters.”
Overall, the report states, the EU GI agenda remains “highly concerning, because it significantly undermines the scope of trademarks and other IP rights held by U.S. producers and imposes barriers on market access for American-made goods that rely on the use of common names.” As part of its trade agreement negotiations, “the EU pressures trading partners to prevent all producers, other than in certain EU regions, from using certain product names, such as fontina, gorgonzola, asiago, or feta. This is despite the fact that these terms are the common names for products and produced in countries around the world.”
Castaneda called on the USTR to build further upon the positive precedent established in the USMCA Side Letter Agreement with Mexico, which affirmed market access rights on a subset of common product terms.
Prior to the report’s publication, CCFN filed extensive comments to the USTR expressing concern about the ongoing attack on manufacturers of foods with common names as the EU continues to pursue its GI agenda in bilateral and regional trade deals. CCFN also testified at a USTR-led hearing on those issues to further call USTR’s attention to these challenges.


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When considering the risks of cutting-edge automotive technology, the first thing that usually comes to mind is autonomous vehicles. But focusing too much on self-driving technology risks ignoring a critical reality: Today’s cars and trucks are already connected to the internet, and like any other internet-connected device, they can be hacked.
In 2015, preeminent hackers Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek dominated headlines with their landmark hack of a Jeep Cherokee. The duo, who now work at Uber’s Advanced Technologies Center, were able to hack into and remotely seize control of an unaltered vehicle and do everything from mess with the radio and windshield wipers to cut the transmission. From a basement couch 10 miles away and with Wired reporter Andy Greenberg behind the wheel, they exploited the car’s Uconnect system, an internet-connected computer feature that controlled the entertainment and navigation systems, enabled phone calls and, with a subscription purchase, offered a Wi-Fi hotspot. From the audio/visual system, they accessed the car’s diagnostic messaging system to gain control, ultimately incapacitating the driver and steering the Jeep off the road.
As white-hat hackers, Miller and Valasek reported the infotainment system vulnerability to Jeep manufacturer Fiat Chrysler. The team did not even realize the scope of their find: The technology was so ubiquitous that the manufacturer ultimately had to recall 1.4 million cars and trucks open to similar attack.
The pair’s 2015 hack and a subsequent 2016 hack of the same Jeep at full speed are far from the only successful exploitations of the many attack surfaces in connected cars. In 2015, German security specialist Dieter Spaar discovered vulnerabilities in BMW’s ConnectedDrive that allowed a hacker to remotely unlock the vehicle, track the car’s location and speed, and read emails sent and received via a feature called BMW Online.
In February 2016, computer security researchers Troy Hunt and Scott Helme discovered that the app for the Nissan Leaf could be used to remotely hack any Leaf’s in-car systems. The app interface used only the Vehicle Identification Number to control car features remotely without passwords, and features like battery life, travel times and distances, and climate control could be hacked into as well. While the flaw was not life-threatening, the vulnerability could still be exploited to run down a car’s battery or monitor users’ movement.
While the majority of such hacks so far have been carried out by security researchers, some small-scale exploitation of vehicle software has already begun out in the wild. In August, the Associated Press reported that two men in Houston were arrested for allegedly using pirated software to steal more than 100 Jeep and Dodge vehicles, exploiting an electronic vulnerability in software common among auto technicians and dealers to “advance auto theft into high-tech crime.” While a representative for manufacturer Fiat Chrysler was unaware of similar thefts elsewhere, he confirmed that the code database exploited in these crimes includes cars across the country.
“As you get more and more computers installed in vehicles—if somebody has that knowledge and that ability, they can turn around and figure out a way to manipulate the system,” said Houston police officer Jim Woods.
With cars today made up of almost as many software components as mechanical components, the vulnerability in this case is only the tip of the iceberg of crimes involving connected cars.
Proof-of-concept hacks have illustrated such vulnerabilities, but questions of scale and monetization present the biggest challenges for hackers going forward. Many exploits require tremendous amounts of time, expertise, and money and targeting specific vehicles is difficult. “It’s much easier to hack all the Jeeps than a certain one,” Miller and Valasek said in their 2015 presentation.
Ransomware Hits the Road
With potential payouts arguably the biggest incentive to push exploitation into practice, experts expect to see criminals find an application for one of the fastest-growing and most profitable forms of attack: ransomware. After the more than 300% year-over-year increase in ransomware reported to the Department of Justice in 2016, these crippling attacks pose one of the highest-profile cyberrisks going into 2017. Corporate networks and private cell phones are not the only vulnerable targets, however, particularly as hackers hone their skills on the attack surfaces built into modern cars. Many in the information security community expect to see ransomware that specifically targets connected cars, with hackers “bricking” (or rendering inoperable) vehicles and demanding payment for users to regain control.
While it did not impact cars, the recent attack in which the computer system behind San Francisco’s MUNI transportation system was incapacitated for ransom illustrates the potential impact of these attacks on the sector. “Ransomware is a likely exploitation scenario as that can provide a direct financial benefit to attackers,” said Jesse Michael, senior security researcher on the Advanced Threat Research team at Intel Security, which also leads the Automotive Security Review Board. “Although the recent San Francisco MTA ransomware attack didn’t directly involve hacking of the vehicles themselves, it highlighted the vulnerability of transportation systems to these types of attacks and brought new attention to these types of targets.”
This poses a significant escalation as attacks translate into the physical world of connected devices. “The threat is greater than simply losing your data—the growing fleet of connected devices, including the connected car, is turning into the Wild West of the internet where anything goes,” said Tim Helming, director of product management at DomainTools. “Hapless car owners who simply wanted a way to listen to music and talk hands-free will discover that they are connected to more than just Spotify when their cars won’t start and the infotainment screen announces that the car has been crypto-locked and is completely disabled until the ransom is paid.”
But determining how to target a specific car and find the owner to issue a ransom demand or how to target cars in a nearby region for theft currently requires tremendous skill and effort.
“As we jam-pack more technology into vehicles and we make mistakes, it’s going to be a question of how to monetize,” said Art Dahnert, managing consultant at application security firm Cigital, a part of Synopsys. “Theft is easy, but being able to do it on hundreds of cars or being able to figure out where hundreds of cars are located in a certain municipality or to do it remotely—those are some of the areas that the attackers are working on now. The question of how to get that in one easy-to-use exploit mechanism, I think, is going to delay some of the threat by three to five years at the most.”
The scope of potential realized damage also hinges on the automaker and information security communities. While questions remain as to whether this risk will fully materialize in practical application, the hacks to date have played a key role in raising awareness of the risk and even reducing it.
“The risk of seeing vulnerabilities exploited in the wild depends in part on whether they are discovered first by researchers, or by bad guys,” Helming said. “It’s possible that ransom-locking is the kind of thing we would see as a presentation at Black Hat or some other conference, which might reduce or even eliminate its spreading to the wild.”
How Companies Can Take the Wheel
In September, a group of Chinese hackers was able to remotely hack a Tesla Model S. The researchers from Tencent’s Keen Security Lab posted a video online showing themselves controlling the vehicle’s brakes, manipulating its side mirrors, running the windshield wipers and popping the trunk while the car was in motion. When the vehicle was parked, they were also able to manipulate some other features, including opening the sunroof, controlling some of the vehicle’s lights and unlocking its doors. The team responsibly reported the hack to Tesla, which deployed an over-the-air software update to fix the bug within 10 days. The vulnerability required the car to be connected to a malicious Wi-Fi hotspot, so the company estimated the real risk to customers was fairly low, but certainly not negligible. The rapid response and the approach of pushing through a wireless update have been lauded as not only an excellent response from the automaker, but also a critical capability to make connected cars a safe and sustainable product.
Tesla was the first car company to introduce a bug bounty program, offering hackers, like those at Keen Security Lab, cash for finding and reporting software vulnerabilities, a move several automakers have since followed. As more and more technology is integrated into vehicles, security researchers become an ever more critical component of mass risk mitigation for companies and the public alike. Essentially crowd-sourcing the information security talent needed to better kick the tires on company technology has proven a cost-effective and powerful option for blending the tech and auto industries.
This approach cannot suffice entirely, however, and security needs to be involved far earlier and more consistently in the development process. In addition to the recall and the mailing to drivers of a USB with updates, one of the immediate impacts of the first Jeep hack was that Chrysler made changes in how Wi-Fi hotspot packages could be purchased and cut off all TCP/IP traffic to vehicles. “This actually made the vulnerability go away,” Valasek said. But as Miller pointed out, this also meant there was no reason the vehicles needed that access in the first place.
Hackers’ lessons are valuable, and are trickling down through the auto industry at large. As in most modern products, security by design is increasingly critical in mitigating as much risk as possible before cars hit the showroom floor. Many automakers have taken note of Miller and Valasek’s hacks, for example, and addressed the vulnerability presented by the exploitation of diagnostic messages sent to microcomputers within the car. According to the duo, with any car made in the past five years, you cannot send diagnostic messages while the car is traveling more than a few miles an hour. This made their 2016 Black Hat hack particularly notable as they hacked their Jeep while going up to 60 mph. As it required physical access, the likely threat posed is low, but they and other information security researchers continue to present what some may consider “stunt” hacks to hammer the point that there are always vulnerabilities, and they require the early and continued integration of experts throughout the design and lifecycle of every car.
This pressure from the information security community is also pushing forward better solutions.
“Isolation of critical control systems from connected ‘infotainment’ systems is a mitigation strategy being used in many vehicles, however the efficacy of this strategy varies from implementation to implementation,” Michael said. “Hardware-enforced secure boot and cryptographically secure communications and firmware update processes are effective mitigation strategies for many types of attacks and are starting to be deployed within the industry, but are not in widespread use yet.”
At the end of their 2016 Black Hat session, Miller and Valasek announced their retirement from car-hacking, but did so with a call to arms: no one has “solved” the problems of connected cars, and no one will, so the hacker community must get involved and others must take on the challenges of finding, documenting and reporting vulnerabilities to improve safety and security.
The supply chain further complicates this effort. As with many other components sourced in the auto supply chain, much of the technology many manufacturers put into their connected cars is produced by third parties, including a substantial amount of code. Unlike with faulty airbags, however, pointing the finger at suppliers gets far more difficult with consumers who may not understand the layers of responsibility for cybersecurity measures in consumer products. And they may be right. Given the nature of cyberrisk, manufacturers could be on the hook with customers and regulators to a degree that differs a bit from other faulty components, particularly when it comes to reputation.
To aid in ensuring better safety and reputation for the industry as a whole, manufacturers and other key players focused on autonomous and connected cars have formed industry groups to promote responsible development through shared resources and standards. When it comes to security at the supplier level, there are also some industry standards to guide manufacturers and their suppliers, such as the guidelines from MISRA, the Motor Industry Software Reliability Association, a collaboration between vehicle manufacturers, component suppliers and consultancies. “The automotive industry has a much tighter cohesive little garden, so to speak, allowing manufacturers a bit more control to ensure suppliers are adhering to the right processes, meeting strict guidelines and driving standards further,” Dahnert said. “That happens somewhat already, there are some standards like MISRA and a couple of other guidelines that some manufacturers require of suppliers, but that needs to happen a lot more universally and at a much stricter level.”
Operator Error and Correcting Course
Users also pose a significant threat, whether to the security of cars on the road or to the automaker’s brand itself. When it comes to traditional cyberrisk vectors, it is hard enough to get users to comply with best security practices, and unfortunately, in the realm of connected cars, that can be both harder and more critical. Any IT manager will attest that it is impossible to get the majority of users to update vulnerable, outdated Adobe software—getting universal compliance on updating software in a car, where many may not even realize there is software, is a delusion.
Instead, manufacturers must figure out how to force updates safely. Locking a user out until they update would present myriad safety and user satisfaction problems. Requiring a visit to a dealer is similarly flawed. Even in the case of life-threatening physical defects, auto recall success rates hover around 70%, according to the National Highway Safety Administration, and Carfax estimates that one out of every seven cars on the road in the United States has an applicable open recall that has not been repaired.
“In-vehicle computer systems have a long development process and expected life span, and unpatched vulnerabilities can persist in this environment for a long time even after identical vulnerabilities in common components have been identified and mitigated in other industries,” Michael said.
Purely by virtue of volume and potential business interruption, these persistent risks could pose significant danger in corporate fleets, for example, or given the increased collation of telemetrics data, Dahnert believes cyberrisk vulnerability may ultimately be possible in the reverse form, penetrating the networks with which connected cars communicate.
According to Dahnert, the vulnerability identification and update process manufacturers and consumers have evolved in other electronics must be developed with connected cars as well. “Learning the lessons that occur in the computer space or the smartphone space will go a long way to mitigate this risk, but I don’t think we’re going to be able to do it until we actually feel some of the pain,” he said.
In presenting the Jeep hack at Black Hat, Miller and Valasek acknowledged the value added by much of the technology that introduces vulnerabilities may ultimately make it worthwhile. But utility without accountability and without constant, rigorous security improvement is not roadworthy. To that end, one of their aims was to increase consumer awareness and provoke greater scrutiny of technology the public is being told is safe.
“If consumers don’t realize this is an issue, they should, and they should start complaining to carmakers,” Miller told Wired. “This might be the kind of software bug most likely to kill someone.”
Experts across the board agree there is a critical need for public pressure to increase security in connected cars, as public concern about these risks has not reached a tipping point to hold the right parties accountable.
“I don’t think manufacturers are too concerned yet,” Dahnert said. “They may not feel the heat until the media starts to educate consumers about incidents and then they start to demand better security in their products.”


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Digital TV News: FOXTEL
Telstra adopts Fetch as TV platform provider
Apr 28, 2022 – Telstra has selected Fetch as its platform for Telstra TV. Telstra will invest around A$50m including provision for onboarding Telstra TV customers onto Fetch, resulting in Telstra acquiring a 51% stake in the company.
News categories: Telstra, Fetch TV, Kim Krogh Andersen, Scott Lorson, Australia, Content Distribution, Digital TV, MandA, UX
7.5 million Australians now watching BVOD
Feb 22, 2022 – Data from Roy Morgan shows 7.5 million Australians now watch Broadcast Video on Demand (BVOD) services. Viewership grew strongly during the early stages of the pandemic in 2020. This level of growth was always going to be hard to maintain.
News categories: Roy Morgan, Michele Levine, Australia, Digital TV, Market Research, Streaming, Subscribers
CommScope selected to provide Foxtel's iQ5 streaming STB
Nov 22, 2021 – CommScope has been selected by Foxtel to provide its iQ5 streaming set top box. Through the iQ5, viewers can access streaming apps from Foxtel including Netflix, YouTube, ABC iView, SBS On Demand, Amazon Prime, Vevo, and coming soon, Paramount+ and 10Play.
News categories: CommScope, Foxtel, Phil Cardy, Nick Dandy, Australia, Digital TV, Set Top Box, Streaming
Foxtel and ViacomCBS agree content distribution and apps deal
Oct 21, 2021 – The Foxtel Group has announced agreements with ViacomCBS to provide movies, TV series and channels, along with integration of the Paramount+ and 10 Play apps onto Foxtel STBs in 2022 for Australia.
News categories: Foxtel, ViacomCBS, Patrick Delany, Amanda Laing, Dan Cohen, Jarrod Villani, Apps, Australia, Digital TV, Set Top Box, Streaming
Foxtel confirms syndication of Sky Glass streaming platform
Oct 8, 2021 – The Foxtel Group has confirmed that it will be the first global syndication partner for Sky Glass, the streaming aggregation product launched by Sky. Sky Glass is expected to be available in Australia in late 2023.
News categories: Foxtel, Sky, Patrick Delany, Dana Strong, Australia, Content Distribution, Digital TV, Smart TV, Streaming
Sky introduces Sky Glass streaming TV
Oct 7, 2021 – Sky has announced the launch of its Sky Glass streaming television. Sky Glass will be the only TV with Sky inside. With Sky Glass, subscribers can now get Sky TV over WiFi, with no satellite dish and no box.
News categories: Sky, Dana Strong, Digital TV, Smart TV, Streaming, UK
OTT subscriptions to overtake DTH in Australia and New Zealand by 2026
Oct 5, 2021 – According to Dataxis, OTT subscriptions in Australia and New Zealand will overtake DTH by 2026. DTH subscriptions will however still account for more than 40% and 66% of total subscriptions respectively in the two countries.
News categories: Dataxis, Australia, Digital TV, Market Research, New Zealand
Foxtel launches iQ5 streaming set top box
Sep 7, 2021 – Foxtel has announced the launch of its iQ5 streaming set top box. The iQ5 features a plug and play set-up allowing customers stream Foxtel content within minutes, with no cable or satellite installation required.
News categories: Foxtel, Patrick Delany, Australia, Digital TV, Set Top Box, Streaming
Prime Video app coming to Foxtel set-tops
Aug 2, 2021 – The Foxtel Group and Amazon Prime Video are to integrate the Prime Video app into Foxtel set-top boxes by the end of 2021. The app will be available on Foxtel's iQ3, iQ4 and soon to launch iQ5 set-tops.
News categories: Foxtel, Prime Video, Patrick Delany, Hushidar Kharas, Apps, Australia, Broadcast, Digital TV, Set Top Box, Streaming
- CTV surpasses mobile's share of global video impressions
- Global SVOD subscriptions to grow by 485 million from 2021 to 2027
- European VOD Coalition officially inaugurated
- 7.9 million Disney+ subscribers added in 1Q 2022
- Gaumont launches SVOD on Netgem Content-as-a-Service platform
- AMC+ coming to Orange Spain's entertainment offering in June
- Liberty Global video subscribers down 21,900 in Q1 2022
- First TVs powered by TiVo Stream OS expected in late 2023/early 2024
- AMC adds 431,000 paid streaming subscribers in 1Q 2022
- NOS Portugal adds 2,100 pay TV subscribers in 1Q 2022
- Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment to acquire Redbox
- Tivù launches USB-based CAM supporting 4K TV with SmarDTV
- Mango TV added to NetRange Smart TV App Store
- Samba TV releases State of Viewership Report for Q1 2022
- Globecast, France Télévisions and Orange trial 4K channel and 5G contribution in La Réunion
- TSA selects Agama for TV channel service and quality assurance
- M7 Group integrates pay TV service into TP Vision smart TVs
- 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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3D Printing News Briefs: October 25, 2019
We’re talking about art and business in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs. An art installation at Millennium Park was created through the use of 3D printed molds, provided by Fast…
Wikifactory’s Docubot Challenge Creates a Hardware Solution for Documentation
International startup Wikifactory, established in Hong Kong last June, is a social platform for collaborative product development. Co-founded by four makers, and until recently counting 3DPrint.com Editor-in-Chief Joris Peels as a member…
3D Printing News Briefs: May 19, 2019
We’ve got business news and materials news for your weekend, just ahead of next week’s massive RAPID + TCT show. 3D Hubs and AM Ventures are both opening new offices,…
Interview with Zach Kaplan of Corazon Capital, mHUB and Inventables
This is a short inteview with the Founder and CEO of Inventables, Zach Kaplan. It goes into the thoughts on digital manufacturing as well as the maker movement.
3D Printing Industry Experts Interview With Bill Fienup
Bill Fienup This was a fun and in depth interview done with industry expert Bill Fienup. Bill Fienup, director and innovation services and co-founder of mHUB. He is a mechanical…
3D Printing Industry Expert Interview: Danny Jackson Levy
Danny Jackson Levy is a cross-functional design engineer, providing turnkey solutions using additive manufacturing hardware and design methodologies. He has special interests direct digital manufacturing technologies, medical and dental applications,…
3D Printing Industry Experts Interview: Mike Vasquez
3Degrees This is part of a series of interviews of people who are active within the additive manufacturing space in Chicago. Today we will be highlighting Dr. Mike Vasquez. Dr….
mHUB 2 Year Anniversary 3D Printing Chicago
Here is a short summary on mHub, an epicenter for 3D printing in the Midwest and Chicago. It recently had its 2 year anniversary. What does this mean for mHub and the future of manufacturing within Chicago?
3DHeals Chicago Event
Check out this article for a brief summary on 3DHEALS and its event in Chicago. Learn about companies and organizations in Chicago that are contributing to the bioprinting sector as whole.


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Investors should be ready for anything when Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) releases its second-quarter results on Tuesday. The company turned in better-than-expected results in the first quarter, but the iconic soft-drink company has still struggled to produce growth in line with its 2020 Vision. Investors will want to know if the pricing environment has improved, how new product introductions are performing, and what we can expect for the rest of the year. Can Coca-Cola buck the trend and finally get back on the path to higher growth? Let's take a look at what transpired in the second quarter and what investors can expect in Tuesday's report.
Lots of buzz
A lot has happened since Coca-Cola reported its first-quarter earnings. Rumors have swirled that Coca-Cola would like to acquire one or two beverage companies, while another rumor said that Coca-Cola itself would be acquired. The company launched a new drink, Coke Life, that it hopes will bring lapsed customers back to the soda category. There has also been news that Coca-Cola heavily discounted its soft drinks over the Memorial Day weekend, which could lower its profitability if it sustained the promotions. These are each important developments that investors should stay informed about as the year progresses. Here's what investors need to watch out for in the second-quarter results.
Soft drink volume and pricing
Coca-Cola's soft drink business has been in a downward spiral and may be getting worse. The company's global soft drink volume declined 1% in the first quarter, the first worldwide decline for Coca-Cola in 15 years. The company's biggest problems were in Europe and the US, where soft drink volume declined 5% and 1%, respectively. The results could have been worse had the Sochi Olympics not been held in the quarter, which offered Coca-Cola a strong advertising platform. As a result, investors should not expect a better showing in the second quarter -- and may find that volume declined even more.
Investors should focus more on pricing than volume when they evaluate the company's strategy. Soft drink volume is largely driven by demand, which is difficult for one company to create. It measures industry health, but not necessarily the effectiveness of the company's strategy. Pricing, on the other hand, shows investors how management plans to counter market weaknesses. Investors should expect pricing and mix to increase even if volume decreases. If pricing decreases and the company's overall gross margin dips below 60%, it will be a huge red flag that the pricing environment is headed downhill.
Coca-Cola is launching Coke Life -- a mid-calorie stevia-and-sugar-sweetened soda -- in the US and UK this summer. Coke Life may be the key to bringing back ex-diet soda drinkers who left because of concerns over artificial sweeteners, or it may be just another innovation that fails to spark excitement in the flagging category. Coca-Cola CEO Muhtar Kent will almost definitely give his expectations for the new drink, which investors can use to gauge whether or not Coke Life could be a game-changer for the company.
What investors really want to hear
More than anything, investors want to hear what management is doing differently to get the company out of its current malaise. Another quarter of declining volume, stagnant pricing, and incremental innovation is not going to turn Coca-Cola's fortunes around. On the first-quarter conference call, Kent acknowledged that "attaining our 2020 Vision will require more than just counting on industry growth," but failed to specify what steps the company is taking to correct the problem. Coca-Cola's 2020 Vision calls for 3% to 4% overall annual volume growth, well above the 2% growth the company achieved in 2013.
Whether Coca-Cola is going to break into new product categories, acquire another business, or sell off some of its brands to focus on others, investors should hope for a meaningful change in the company's strategy -- otherwise, Coca-Cola may fall short of investors' expectations.


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Deloitte’s Globalisation Survey has been saved
Deloitte’s Globalisation Survey
Preparing for the next wave of globalisation
Having identified the trends that will affect global companies and Irish businesses in Business Trends 2014, the Globalization Survey serves as its companion. Together, both of these publications will serve to enlighten and inform you of what’s coming in business and how leading global executives plan to prepare for those changes.
The responses received from no less than 423 executives from around the world reinforce the idea that these changes are indeed top-of-mind for global executives. The responses also reveal that globalization remains a profoundly complex process — even though the business world is global, many challenges, policies, and solutions will remain intensely local.
The next wave of globalization brings with it many challenges as businesses will find new ways to engage with local communities and operate in emerging markets. Nearly 52% of respondents think that protectionist policies made operating in emerging markets extremely or very challenging (39% thought the same of developed markets). Intellectual property issues, supply chain capabilities, infrastructure problems, and securing an adequate supply of skilled labour are also seen as major challenges for businesses operating in emerging markets. Interestingly, executives from emerging market companies are much more likely to see these as challenging issues than developed market executives.


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Recipients receive a one-of-a-kind award designed by members of the United marketing team, crafted by R.S. Owens Co., maker of the Academy Awards.
united market street
Flu shots are becoming difficult to find in Lubbock.
A Lubbock-based supermarket will hold a series of job fairs for the opening of a new store.
United Supermarkets plan to hire an additional 200 employees for the opening of the new Market Street located at 19th and Quaker. A total of 400 employees will work at the new location. The new store is scheduled to open January 9, 2013.
United Market Street announced their fall healthy shopping tours schedule to explain the NuVal Nutrition System and how to shop for gluten-free living and diabetes.
The United Market Street on 50th Street is now open 24 hours a day
A fire from the backup generator at United Market Street on 98th and Quaker forced the store to close this morning before 11.
The samples will include appetizers, hors d’oeuvres, entrees, and desserts, and floral designers will be creating centerpieces.


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Get the EXACT look! New app lets you snap a picture of a photo, a magazine article or even a stranger's outfit and shows you where to buy the same clothes
- Yvonne Tesch, 34, from Berlin, developed Inspo app
- Gave it away as a free app for mobile phones and tablets
- Allows users to scan a person or magazine and buy their outfit
- It has a database of around 10,000,000 products and 600 online shops
Women can now instantly find out where to get a gorgeous outfit they've spotted, thanks to a new app.
The so-called Inspo tool can identify designer jewellery, handbags and clothing by matching a photograph with a huge database of items.
It scans the clothing a user has just seen on somebody else, and pairs it with the exact or closest matches.
Inspo scans the clothing, and presents a link to an online store where it can be bought
The free app then presents a link to the online store(s) where the user can get connected to purchase it if they wish.
The company behind the project currently has a database of around 10,000,000 products and links to over 600 online shops.
Inventor of the app Yvonne Tesch, 34, from Berlin, who has a team of 20 staff constantly updating and developing it, said it was being given away as a free app for mobile phones and tablets.
She said: 'We get paid every time a user clicks on a product and the online stores give us between 10 percent and 30 percent of each sale.'
Yvonne Tesch, 34, (r) is the inventor of the app (l)
It also works not just for real-life people spotted walking down the street, but also for photographs seen in magazines or even paintings.
You could find modern fashion items that are close matches to garments from decades ago - or even centuries.
So far, the service is only available for women - but it's still early days.
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When you walk into a US grocery store the shelves seem to be teeming with choice, with countless brands appearing to offer every type of food and drink.
But a joint investigation published this week by the Guardian and Food and Water Watch showed how this choice is largely an illusion. In fact, a handful of mega firms dominate every link of the food supply chain: from seeds and fertilizers to slaughterhouses and supermarkets to cereals and beers.
And that is not good news for consumers in terms of choice and real competition on prices, or for small and medium-sized farmers given little choice on what they grow or which animals they raise, while food industry workers face low pay and high risks.
The planet also loses out when industrial agriculture is focused on extracting maximum profits for minimum costs – an exploitative model with grave consequences for animal welfare, water, land and global heating.
“It’s a system designed to funnel money into the hands of corporate shareholders and executives while exploiting farmers and workers and deceiving consumers about choice, abundance and efficiency,” said Amanda Starbuck, a policy analyst at Food & Water Watch.
Here are some of the key figures and charts from our deep analysis of sales data from thousands of supermarkets across the US:
1. Almost 80% of dozens of everyday grocery items are supplied by just a handful of companies
Our research started by identifying dozens of different key grocery types that Americans buy every day, including different kinds of veggies, fruits and grains, prepared foods, beverages and animal products.
We then studied the scanner sales data from thousands of US stores that is compiled by market research firms for these products.
And our analysis revealed that a shocking 79% of the groceries in a basket of 61 everyday types of food and drink are being sold by a small amount of the top companies, which we defined to mean four firms or fewer.
It’s widely agreed that consumers, farmers, small food companies and the planet lose out if the top four firms control 40% or more of total sales.
2. PepsiCo has a huge grip on the market for dips, with 88% of market share
Our analysis showed that the consolidation of the food system runs deep: four firms or fewer controlled at least 50% of the market for 79% of our 61 types of groceries. For almost a third of shopping items, the top firms controlled at least 75% of the market share.
The market for dips is a good example.
PepsiCo controls 88% of the dip market, as it owns five of the most popular brands including Tostitos, Lay’s and Fritos.
Snacks and condiments – market share for top three or four companies
3. Ninety-three per cent of the sodas we drink are owned by just three companies
In the carbonated soft drinks category of our research the power of just three firms was overwhelming, accounting for 92.9% of sales in our analysis.
Coca-Cola has 42.4%, PepsiCo has 27.4% and Keurig Dr Pepper has 23.1%.
This kind of dominance is not good news if you are a smaller operator of a drinks company trying to get a toehold in the market.
Across all types of food and drink, the big firms are helped by so-called category captains in stores who represent leading brands or manufacturers and work with major retailers to decide which products get prominent spots on our supermarket shelves. This makes it very hard for new independent brands to get a break.
When they do get a tiny foothold, it rarely lasts. Take craft beers, a booming market thanks to hipsters and old-school beer enthusiasts, which is why new brands are quickly acquired by mega breweries. It’s not clear from the labels, but the Belgian beer giant Anheuser-Busch owns more than 600 brands, including mainstream favorites like Budweiser and Beck’s.
Beverages – market share for top three or four companies
4. Just three firms dominate sales of 73% of the breakfast cereals we eat – despite shelves stacked with different boxes
We have all stood in front of a wall of cereal boxes in a supermarket and felt dizzy at the options. But really there is far less choice than you might think when you are deciding what cereal to have for breakfast.
Our research showed three firms dominate: General Mills with 27.9% market share, Kellogg Company with 26.8% and Post Holdings with 18.1%.
5. More than 80% of beef processing and 70% of pork processing is controlled by four multinational giants
A spate of mega-mergers means that meatpacking plants are now controlled by just a handful of multinationals including Tyson, JBS, Cargill and Smithfield (now owned by the Chinese multinational WH Group).
Forty years ago only a third of the beef and pork processing industry was controlled by the top four firms.
But after a spate of mega mergers 80% of beef processing and 70% of pork processing is controlled by four multinational giants. In 2017, these top firms had a combined revenue of $207bn.
Portion of meat market controlled by the Top 4 companies
Meanwhile farmers and consumers lost out. In the last 40 years these huge corporations have been paying farmers less and less for beef and selling it to consumers at increasing prices.
How much farmers are paid for beef, and how much distributors sell it for
Pork prices have stayed steady for consumers, but farmers have been getting paid less and less.
How much farmers are paid for pork, and how much distributors sell it for
So what can be done?
Last week Joe Biden signed an executive order to tackle the rampant concentration across the US economy – including food and farming. Biden called on government agencies to enforce existing anti-trust laws and consider rolling back recent mega-mergers, which boosted profits and power for a handful of corporations while hurting the rest of us. The order specifically directs the USDA to take swift action to protect farmers, including by making it easier for them to sue meat processors for alleged abuses.
But the problems in the current system run deep.
“From farm to fork, America’s food system has been rooted in the exploitation of women, Native Americans and people of color. This is at the heart of capitalist food politics – big corporations taking as much as they can and paying as little as possible for it,” said Raj Patel, an academic and the author of Stuffed and Starved: Markets, Power and the Hidden Battle for the World’s Food System.
In addition to executive actions, which could be overturned by the next president, such deep-rooted injustices need sweeping reforms by Congress. But bills banning new mega-mergers and factory farms currently lack bipartisan support, despite public opinion supporting them.
It’s time to support small-scale regenerative farmers, regional food hubs and grocery co-ops, according to Starbuck, the policy analyst at Food & Water Watch. “Alternatives already exist. We just need to boost public funding and resources to help sustainable, affordable, more equitable food systems take root.”


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Competition in the mobile era
In the personal computer era, it took broadband connection and sophisticated technical skills to change operating systems or programmes. When Microsoft bundled software onto its dominant Windows, consumers found it almost impossible to avoid using its services. European trustbusters cracked down, first in 2004 and then in 2007, imposing billions in fines. In the mobile phone era, does the same tie-in exist, and if so, does it harm consumers? At a recent event of the CEPS Digital Forum, on May 31st, London-based King’s College law professor Renato Nazzini answered with a resounding no. In his view, mobile phones operate in a different, less locked-in world than personal computers. Download his presentation here. The ensuing debate was far from a typical academic legal affair: participants pointed out that its outcome will have a strong impact on the future of the digital world. In 2016, the European Commission issued a statement of objections against Google, arguing that its mobile Android operating system may be abusing a dominant position. Just like Microsoft imposed terms on personal computer makers, the Commission believes that Google forces smartphone manufacturers to take its Google apps - preventing them from selling devices that use operating systems that compete with Android and from introducing competing apps and services. While the debate failed to provide definitive evidence to the question of Google’s guilt or innocence, the participants did underline both the large stakes and difficult issues at stake.


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Highly confident that the Philippines can exceed expectations of global BPO clients, IT services provider HCL Technologies recently launched a BPO delivery centre in the country.
HCL said it will employ 400 professionals to handle high value-added transactions for BPO customers in financial services; healthcare and pharmaceuticals; media, publishing, and entertainment (MPE); and other industries. These transactions relate to finance and accounting, supply chain management, and domain-oriented industry specific processes.
"The plan for setting up the delivery centre in Philippines was influenced by the country's growing prominence as a strong BPO services hub," said Rahul Singh, HCL Technologies, president, financial services and concurrent president, business services.
Singh said the Philippine centre reinforces HCL's objective of providing customers with NextGeneration BPO Services, characteristic of deep-domain focus and Integrated Global Delivery Model (IGDM) that leverages the "Employees First, Customers Second" platform.
"This centre in Philippine reinforces HCL's assurance of a homogenous experience and single service standards across all its BPO delivery centres," Singh added.
The new delivery centre will be located in Quezon City, one of the cities in Metro Manila known for hosting BPOs.
HCL said it is closely working with the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP) and local universities to recruit young graduates and develop them for the industry.
BPAP executive director for industry affairs Raymond Lacdao said the establishment of the centre will help create another training ground to complement the industry's talent and skill requirements.
Singh thanked the Philippine and Indian governments in helping them decide to expand their operations in the Philippines.
HCL said another advantages of the Philippines is its time zone.
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Ramadan, the 30-day period of ritual fasting and abstinence marked by Muslims around the world, has come to an end for another year. But what have brands learned about their campaign strategies around such cultural holidays – and can they take the lessons on board for the next opportunity to spike their business growth? Chris Baldwin takes a look at how they can hone their marketing and embrace different cultures.
A new survey has revealed how marketing professionals are struggling to convince decision-makers about the value of content marketing, due to a mix of high expectation and a lack of focus in terms of clear marketing ROI. And, while budgets are growing, it is getting harder to deliver the results now demanded by those holding the purse-strings. Marketers are under more scrutiny than ever, as the pressure is on to achieve the desired result. Kirsty Daniel investigates the survey findings.
In 2017, May 10 was declared the annual ‘Chinese Brands Day’ as the Chinese government, keen to build the country’s influence internationally, looked to help promote 'Made In China’ brands. Here, Doreen Wang gives her thoughts on the impact of the initiative just after its first anniversary and looks at how Chinese brands focus on growth.


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Retail Insider is delighted to announce that its editor Glynn Davis has been included in a list of the most influential retail-focused Twitter accounts in the UK being placed at number 25 out of 100 – a rise of five places from his 30th spot last year.
Only three journalists appeared in the top 25 – and of these only Glynn Davis is unconnected to a mainstream media title as he focuses almost entirely on the Retail Insider website. He feels that this independence is an integral part of the influence of his Twitter account.
Retail Gazette who commissioned the research from social listening company Lissted also noted that this year’s results possibly revealed a new trend where journalists and media outlets seem to have gained in Twitter prominence over the last 18 months concluding that “perhaps, in this era of ‘fake news’, more Twitter users are seeking reassurance from trusted names in journalism”.
Retail Insider’s founder Glynn Davis who was included via his own Twitter feed (@GlynnDavis) said that he was: “Proud and delighted to be moving up the ranks of the most influential retail commentators in the country. They’ve finally got the algorithm working correctly!”
He added: “I am placed above Twitter accounts from media outlets and retail brands with far more followers than I have, which is particularly pleasing as it confirms what I already; knew that my 5,000 followers include senior members of the retail community and influential commentators with real clout in the industry.”
Adding weight to this theory, Lissted revealed that its survey is compiled via a “peer-based approach, rating an account’s potential influence on the extent to which it is followed, mentioned or retweeted by peers from within the community, not metrics based on total Twitter followers, or reaction in general”.
Be among the first to receive the views and opinions from Retail Insider by subscribing to the free content by clicking here.


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Blu-ray Won the Battle, But Now Comes The War
By Saul Hansell
There is a concept rattling around the blogosphere that Sonys victory over Toshiba in the war to define the high-definition video disc format is moot because soon people will be downloading high-definition videos rather than buying them on discs.
I suspect Blu-ray will have a hard time for a few years, but not because of downloading. That is simply too hard for the mass market. Buying discs is easy to do and easy to understand.
The competition for Blu-ray players is the latest generation of DVD players which can generate a high-definition signal from a standard-definition disc.
Right now, Blu-ray players cost $350 to $400. Sony PlayStation 3 game machines, which also play Blu-ray discs, also cost about $400.
I called Mike Abt, the president of Abt Electronics, the big Chicago-area electronics retailer, to ask about his take on demand for Blu-ray players in the wake of the withdrawal of Toshibas HD DVD format.
He said the biggest question is how Sony and the other manufacturers approach pricing.
If Blu-ray is really smart they wont raise prices even though they can, now that they have no competition, he said. They havent got everyone to join in and want a Blu-ray.
Most people are happy just buying a better DVD player, instead of spending $350 or $400 for Blu-ray, Mr. Abt said. An upconverting DVD for $79 is a great value. It has a great picture, really better than an old DVD. You really see a difference.
What is more, he said, consumers will be put off because Blu-ray discs cost $5 to $10 more than standard DVDs.
Sure, the super-high-end home theater buyers will start to get Blu-ray players, Mr. Abt said. They had already been buying the combination Blu-ray and HD DVD players from Samsung and other makers. (Those are the folks who may experiment with Apple TV or other ways to download movies, I suspect, but they will have disc players too.)
But Blu-ray will represent far less than 25 percent of disc players sold until the price falls below $200 or even $150, he said.
What about all the people who bought HD DVD players, prompted by Toshibas aggressive price cuts? Mr. Abt hopes he can at least partially mitigate their anger and frustration by pointing out how well the players can display standard DVDs.
We have a lot of people who bought HD DVD players in the last few months, he said. We are going to communicate with them: you have an upconverting DVD player, enjoy it. You paid $150 for it, so you didnt lose too much.
© Copyright 2007 The New York Times Company


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DasCoin is proud to act as sponsor for the BitFest Conference in Amsterdam. Targeted at blockchain enthusiasts, and in particular those interested in the Graphene and BitShares technology that supports the DasCoin blockchain, it will be held in Amsterdam from 21-23 September. The spoken language will be English.
Speakers include two of our own Belgrade-based blockchain developers, Damir Nedžibović and Branislav Zelenak. Also on the roster are Annemieke Dirkes, an official BitShares Blockchain spokesperson whose skills have been paramount to helping DasCoin’s blockchain achieve high speeds and scalability and Ronny Boesing, CEO and Founder of OpenLedger.
BitFest offers a range of sightseeing and dining opportunities for attendees to make the most out of their three days in the Dutch capital. A discount of 20% on the Conference Ticket will operate this weekend, 25-26 August. Just use the code ‘BITFESTDISCOUNT’. But hurry, there are only a limited amount of codes available. Read more about this great offer here.
Also, follow updates on BitFest via:
– Twitter – @BitFest_Amst
– Steemit: @bitfest
– And the official website: https://bitfest.in
ADDITIONAL SERVICE ON TELEGRAM
Regular users of the official DasCoin Telegram channel will be delighted to know that there is now a complimentary Telegram service which will be providing official important announcements. Whereas the pre-existing channel will continue to act as a moderated forum for knowledge about the Das ecosystem, featuring healthy debate and including content that can be freely shared, the new channel does not accept comments.
This means users will find it easier to find the important news that affects them as it happens. You may find it helpful to switch on notifications for the new Announcements channel to ensure you stay right up to date.
PAVLE’S SUPPORT SEMINARS: DON’T MISS OUT
Remember to tune into Pavle Lekic’s brilliant seminars at 10am (UK time) every Thursday. Today, he spoke in some detail about pretty much every aspect of DasExchange. This has already been uploaded to our YouTube channel, while you can also see last week’s guide to AlliancePay in the embedded video shown here. Plus, feel free to download the full calendar of zoom calls going forward here. Don’t forget your regular support seminars!
A BIG WEEK FOR WEBINARS IN STORE
Vivian O’Callaghan’s most recent Wednesday Webinar can be watched back here. Vivian revealed he is working hard to tee up a series of three webinars next week in which he hopes to unveil a new marketing partner, provide further details about the travel vouchers incentivization scheme and provide some event updates related to Dubai. Stay tuned!


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Baidu's profits surge as advertising revenue grows
China's internet search engine Baidu has once again beaten forecasts as it reported a 95% surge in profits for the second quarter.
The company said it made a profit of 1.63bn yuan ($253m; £155m) in the three months to June, compared with earnings of 837m yuan during the same period last year.
Baidu said that its revenue for the period surged by 78% to $528m.
The company said its numbers were boosted by increased advertising sales.
"We benefited from strong traffic growth and improved monetization," said Robin Li, chairman and chief executive officer of Baidu.
"We were especially encouraged with the strong spending from large clients," he added.
Baidu has grown to become China's number one search engine with a near-75% market share of the world's largest internet market.
Analysts said that the sector is poised for further growth.
"The search market is growing very strongly. It's a rising tide," said Mayiresh Masurekar of Collins Stewart.
While its search engine business has been growing, Baidu has also been expanding its presence in other areas.
Last month Baidu invested $306m to acquire a majority stake in Qunar, one of China's oldest and biggest online travel websites.
Earlier this month, the company signed a deal with leading music labels allowing it to distribute music through its mp3 search service.
Mr Masurekar of Collins Stewart said the diversification is helping Baidu strengthen its position even further.
"Baidu has a lot of irons in the fire. It has a lot of non-search initiatives," he said.
Given the robust numbers and the increased spending by its major customers, Baidu said it was confident that it will continue to grow at a good pace.
"I am confident that Baidu's emphasis on innovation and execution will help us continue to attract and retain users and customers," said Mr Li.
Baidu expects its revenue for the the three months to September to surge by as much as 79.5%.
The company forecasts revenue to be between $611m to $626.6m for the third quarter.
Jennifer Li, Baidu's chief financial officer, said the company will increase its spending in key areas, as it looks to strengthen its market hold and maintains its rapid pace of growth.
"We are will continue to accelerate our investments in strategic areas, R&D, network infrastructure and bringing in new talents on board to drive long term growth," she said.


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Dock-less bike rental company Mobike is teaming up with messaging app firm Line to boost its presence in Japan.
Line, which is Japan’s most popular messaging app with 71 million users in the country, is making an undisclosed investment in Mobike Japan, the Chinese firm’s entity in the country. The deal will see the Mobike service integrated into the Line app the same way that it is with WeChat in China.
Line, which raised $1 billion last year from a dual U.S.-Japan listing, will own less than 20 percent of Mobike Japan, the two companies said.
The integration will allow Line users to rent a Mobike bike inside the chat app, simply by scanning the bike’s QR code and paying via their Line Pay account or other payment methods.
“LINE is the clear leader in Japan’s social media space, with a strong culture of innovation and creativity, and therefore, is the perfect partner to support our ambitious growth plans in Japan,” Hu Weiwei, Founder and President of Mobike, said in a statement. “Working together with LINE, we will be able to provide tens of millions of LINE users with a seamless and localized experience for finding, unlocking and paying for bikes with the LINE app.”
Mobike moved into Japan in August as part of an ambitious global plan aimed at taking the service to 200 cities worldwide before the end of this year. Rival Ofo, which has a similar expansion target, entered the Japanese market in August, too, through a partnership with SoftBank.
Valued at more than $1 billion, Mobike is estimated to have raised over $1 billion. Some its funding has been undisclosed, but its most recent financing was a massive $600 million raise led by Tencent with Sequoia, TPG, and Hillhouse Capital and others. Weeks later, Ofo pulled in $700 million led by Alibaba — it too has raised over $1 billion and valuations that exceed the $1 billion unicorn mark.
Despite the duo’s ambitious aims to globalize their services, a number of localized rivals have popped up across the world, including LimeBike in the U.S. and oBike in Asia.
Published at Wed, 20 Dec 2017 05:16:18 +0000


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In auto production, it only takes a shortage of one small part to bring the whole assembly line to a screeching halt. This was well demonstrated by the week-long strike at Yoosung Enterprise Co., a manufacturer of key engine parts.
The company is the larger of the two piston ring producers in Korea. It meets 70 percent of the demand of Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors and 20 to 50 percent of the demand from three other automakers ― GM Korea, Renault-Samsung Motors and Ssangyong Motor.
As such, Yoosung’s strike, which started on May 18, threatened to paralyze the entire automotive industry in Korea. Had the walkout continued until the end of May, the five automakers would have suffered a combined output loss of 50,000 vehicles worth 850 billion won.
So it was inevitable that the government would mobilize riot police Tuesday to break up the illegal occupation of the company’s plant in Asan, South Chungcheong Province, by some 600 striking workers. They staged a sit-in demanding improved working conditions and wage hikes.
It was fortunate that the strike was brought to an end early and without damage to the plant. A prompt resumption of the plant’s operation not only saves Yoosung from bankruptcy but helps the five automakers and some 5,000 other auto parts suppliers avert a prolonged stoppage of production lines.
But the incident exposed serious weaknesses in the supply chain of domestic automakers, especially Hyundai and Kia. By relying too heavily on a single supplier for an important part, the two firms have made themselves vulnerable.
But procuring a part from multiple vendors is not an easy option to take because it increases costs and makes quality control difficult. Hyundai and Kia will have to think about ways to address this problem.
They also need to provide more breathing room to their suppliers by improving the terms of the contract. This will go a long way toward preventing operational disruptions at their subcontractors. They need to take better care of their vendors.


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- The upcoming 2.0 update for Cyberpunk 2077, set for release on September 21, aims to utilize the capabilities of the latest gaming hardware.
- The expansion will immerse players in a mission to save the NUS President and introduce new characters, including one voiced by Idris Elba.
- With the simultaneous release of the Cyberpunk 2077's 2.0 update and Baldur's Gate 3's new patch on September 21, RPG fans have an exciting month ahead.
In 2020, CD Projekt RED introduced the world to the sprawling metropolis of Night City in Cyberpunk 2077. But the much-hyped release was marred by controversy due to myriad bugs, especially on the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One.
Nearly three years on, Cyberpunk 2077 has clawed its way back from the depths of reviewing bombing and criticism to realize its true potential.
With steady post-launch updates and unparalleled support, Cyberpunk 2077 has dramatically improved across multiple platforms. However, the thing that really turned heads recently is the announcement of the 2.0 update, which promises to harness the power of the latest gaming hardware.
Slated for release on September 21, the much-anticipated 2.0 update will be available to all players on Xbox Series S/X, Windows PC, and PlayStation 5. This update is not just a patch, but an overhaul, offering an array of new features and a bevvy improvements, and modifications to the game mechanics and systems. The 2.0 update, as presented in the Night City Wire presentation, also boasts of revamped features like the redesigned police system, where confrontations with the Max Tac force could turn deadly. Players will also experience a revamped UI, redesigned skill trees, and improved cyberware and capacity systems. Gamers can look forward to unlocking new abilities that significantly alter their gameplay style, a departure from the conventional minor percentage enhancements.
For those hungering for a richer narrative, five days post the 2.0 release, fans can dive into Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty. However, it's worth noting that both these additions will not be available on older Xbox One or PS4 consoles. This decision might be a bitter pill for some, but it's necessary after the launch issues primarily affecting older platforms.
Going back, the paid DLC is dubbed as a rebirth for the title, expanding the horizons of Night City and adding depth to the in-game opportunities.
Set against a backdrop of intrigue and suspense, players will guide V, the game's protagonist, on an espionage mission to save the NUS President, ensnared in the perilous district of Dogtown. This expansion also offers the chance to forge alliances with new characters, most notably Solomon Reed, brought to life by the charismatic Idris Elba. This story arc has garnered attention, with some speculating that players might face a dilemma, having to choose between Elba's character and another, Songbird. The narrative appears to be steering towards painting all characters as victims of circumstance, making decisions all the more poignant.
Beyond the narrative, the expansion will bring technical upgrades and gameplay enhancements. CDPR, known for its cinematic prowess as showcased in their Witcher series and the Edgerunners trailer, is expected to add narrative layers through cinematic sequences.
It's clear that CD Projekt Red sees a bright future for the Cyberpunk universe. Not only are they working tirelessly to redefine Cyberpunk 2077, but its sequel, Project Orion, which promises an exploration of the "full power and potential of the Cyberpunk universe," is also in development. Additionally, there's chatter about CDPR's continued commitment to their flagship Witcher series and a brand new IP named Project Hadar.
In a space brimming with RPG titles, September 21 will witness a clash of titans, with Cyberpunk 2077's 2.0 update and Baldur's Gate 3's new patch releasing concurrently. Both titles, disparate in gameplay and aesthetics, will vie for gamers' attention, making it a week to remember.
With only weeks to go until then, you might want to start catching up on your sleep, because you won't be getting any starting September 21.


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Millennials are turning to astrology with increasing fervor and sincerity, looking to the stars for guidance and inspiration for everything from dating to style. Appetite for celestial services has steadily grown since we charted the rise of all things zodiac three years ago. Now, in an effort to capitalize on the $2.2 billion mystical and psychic services market, mainstream brands and platforms are tailoring their products to appeal to the astrologically-minded consumer.
Astrology is gaining traction as a viable guide for life decisions ranging from where to go on vacation to who to live with. On May 4th, 2019 Brooklyn-based wellness studio HealHaus will host an astrocartography workshop. Astrologer Dara Dubinet defined astrocartography as “astrology of place,” and explained in a March 2019 Well + Good article that “any time we’re thinking of relocating, traveling, holding a retreat, or having a wedding, it’s good to know what energies the destination holds for us.” HealHaus’ website describes the practice as “a spiritual science” that offers insight into “your most likely locations for financial prosperity, loving relationships, optimal health, spiritual progress and more.” Bumble, meanwhile, added a zodiac feature in January 2019 that allows users to filter matches by sign, and The Guardian questioned in April 2019 whether selecting a roommate based on zodiac signs should be considered legal discrimination.


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An exclusive look inside House of Harlow 1960 and how Nicole Richie is expanding the brand across categories and around the world.
HBO and its official licensees have a slew of Game of Thrones exclusive at San Diego Comic-Con this week and weekend.
U.K. company Coolabi Group has secured six new licensees for CBeebies' long-running animation series, “Clangers.”
Temple Street Productions has brought on Striker Entertainment as the worldwide (excluding Canada) licensing agent for its hit TV series "Orphan Black."
Clothing line Her Universe, along with retailer Hot Topic and media company Nerdist Industries, will hold their debut fashion show at Comic-Con Thursday.
Sequential Brands Group has announced several initiatives for a global re-launch of the company’s recently acquired brand the Franklin Mint.
Pop icon Britney Spears is planning a line of sleepwear apparel called The Intimate Britney Spears with retail partner Change Lingerie.
Accessories Innovations is ready for the back-to-school season with themed backpacks for Nickelodeon, Hasbro, Disney and Mattel.
Fam Brands' apparel brand Marika has released Marika Curves, a line of plus-size activewear.
SmileyWorld, OuiDo! Productions and international brand manager PGS are teaming up to launch an original, animated TV series for kids 4- to 7-years-old featuring the Smiley brand.
E-commerce site Swimsuitsforall.com has announced a three-year swimwear licensing deal with plus-size style blogger GabiFresh.
Sockshouse and The Cookie Company have joined forces to found the new legwear outfit Footbrands.
Brown Shoe Company is expanding the Sam Edelman footwear brand into apparel.
CBS Consumer Products has tapped Rubie’s Costume Company for Star Trek Into Darkness costumes.
Xcel Brands has signed two new deals for the Issac Mizrahi apparel brand for menswear and to bring the brand to Canada.
Iconix India has signed a new licensing agreement with Future Lifestyle Fashions for the Umbro brand.
Global Design Concepts is planning a line of bags for the fashion brand Pink Cookie, in a deal brokered by CopCorp Licensing.
Big Tent Entertainment has signed two new deals for costumes and apparel featuring the Internet meme Domo.
Nickelodeon has tapped Johnny Cupcakes for a new adult apparel collection inspired by Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
TVMania U.K. has expanded the role of Monika Albers, who will now oversee all licensing for company’s U.K. division.
Rainbow feted the 10th anniversary of its girls’ franchise Winx Club with a fashion-themed event during BLE in London.
©2014 ADVANSTAR COMMUNICATIONS INC. All rights reserved.


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Some of the biggest names in the hedge fund industry revamped their portfolios in the third quarter. Among the highlights, several funds sold their positions in pharmaceutical companies and financial companies.
Hedge Fund Investment in Pharmaceutical Companies
Pfizer (PFE) didn’t fair well during the third quarter. David Tepper’s Appaloosa sold out of the company, so did Joel Greenblatt’s Gotham Asset Management and David Einhorn’s Greenlight Capital. Even Jim Cramer spoke out against PFE, saying it was overpriced (read about it here). Of course, not all fund managers were of the same opinion about PFE. Thomas Bailard of Bailard Inc upped his position in PFE by 489%. He was more optimistic on another pharmaceutical company. Thomas Bailard sold out of Eli Lilly & Co (LLY) (read about it here). Bruce Berkowitz’s Fairholme Fund sold out of LLY as well. LLY wasn’t the only pharmaceutical stock that got the cold shoulder during the third quarter.
Hedge Fund Investment in Financial Stocks
John Paulson, Paulson & Co sold out of its JP Morgan Chase (JPM) stock, selling all 4,700,000 of his shares in the company (check out Paulson’s third quarter portfolio here). Andreas Halvorsen also sold out of his position in the company. His Viking Global had had 9,539,400 shares in the company before Halvorsen sold out in the third quarter. Other hedge fund managers, like David Tepper, were equally bearish on financials. Tepper’s Appaloosa Management sold out 10,000,000 shares in the third quarter. Several fund managers sold out of Citigroup (C) as well. Ken Fisher’s Fisher Asset Management sold its entire position of 5,247 shares. Richard Perry’s Perry Capital also sold out his position in Citigroup, all 1,970,000 shares.


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A worker in Madhya Pradesh has become rich overnight. The daily bet found a diamond weighing 5.70 carats. The diamond is worth about twenty five to thirty lakh rupees. Until yesterday the worker worked for daily wages. But now he will have up to thirty lakh rupees. Panna, a region in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, is known for its diamond mines.
08 June 2022, 14:07 ISTSource: TOI.in


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Abortions saw slight, rare rise in 2014
Method of voiding licenses to change
‘Flower Power’ winner announced
Businesses close for July 4
‘Postcards’ TV team to visit region
Amateur baseball: Cubs overcome Lakers in see-saw battle
Iowa prep softball: Sibley-Ocheyedan falls a couple hits short
Youth soccer: Confidence thriving in Worthington
VFW baseball: Big innings, big wins for Worthington
15U soccer: Worthington dominates in win over Mankato
Column: Michelle Obama's evolution
Column: The Donald vs. TV
Letter: A great experience at Prairie View
Letter: Constitution is about equal rights for all
Simon helps boost Safe at Home
Marcella Mildred Winter
Darrel D.H. Hage
Religion briefs: July 2
Column: For the love of a blanket named Blue
Looking Back: 2010 -- At least four tornadoes hit Sibley area
Column: New memorial to Minnesota war families is inspiring
What's brewing in New Ulm
Out and About
Leinen 60th anniversary
Bakker 75th birthday
Jansen 85th birthday
Larson 90th birthday
Meester 60th anniversary
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Dayton's buffer initiative targets water quality
WORTHINGTON — An estimated 200 people, including farmers from more than a 12-county area of southern and western Minnesota, packed inside the...
April 2, 2015 - 9:28pm
March 10, 2015
Grim day at Target as 1,700 Twin Cities jobs are cut
MINNEAPOLIS — The young Target Corp. employee was told to come to a meeting. The elevator was filled with co-workers crying. That’s when she knew her job was gone. “It’s crazy that this was my dream, and it was ripped away from me,” the woman, who did not give her name,...
news / business
March 10, 2015 - 9:40pm
February 12, 2015
Target cuts 550 jobs in Minneapolis offices
MINNEAPOLIS — Target is laying off 550 employees in its Minneapolis corporate offices, following its failed Canadian expansion. Of those...
February 12, 2015 - 8:51pm
February 2, 2015
Target thinking small with next round of stores
MINNEAPOLIS — Target is breaking with tradition, confirming Monday that most of the stores it opens this year will be smaller-format outlets,...
February 2, 2015 - 8:40pm
Target says guns not welcome, but stops short of ban
MINNEAPOLIS — Target is “respectfully” requesting gun-owners not to bring firearms into its stores after a series of open-carry demonstrations alarmed some customers. The open display of firearms in its stores “creates an environment that is at odds with the family-friendly...
July 2, 2014 - 8:59pm
May 19, 2014
Target’s $16M parting gift
MINNEAPOLIS — Under fire for its lavish executive pay, Target Corp. said it cut CEO Gregg Steinhafel’s pay by 37 percent in 2013 — but still gave him a $15.9 million golden parachute after his “involuntary termination” this month. In a filing Monday with the U.S. Securities...
May 19, 2014 - 8:50pm
May 14, 2014
100 lawyers in a room: Target case draws the suits to St. Paul
ST. PAUL — The Target data breach is now the subject of a massive court case, and Wednesday, nearly 100 lawyers from across the country crowded into a St. Paul courtroom as the legal jockeying began. More than 140 lawsuits — filed against Target by consumers, shareholders and...
May 14, 2014 - 8:21pm
May 5, 2014
With CEO gone, Target looks to fix image
MINNEAPOLIS — With CEO Gregg Steinhafel forced out, who can help Target Corp. regain its mojo? The Minneapolis-based discount chain — once famed for cheap, chic and stylish ads — has lately been better known for a massive data breach, 40 million worried customers and a troubled...
May 5, 2014 - 7:23pm
March 23, 2014
Can MNsure avoid repeat of deadline ‘nightmare’?
ST. PAUL — When Minnesota launched its new health insurance exchange Oct. 1, the problems came quickly. By late October, the error rate at the MNsure website peaked at 22 percent. In November, state officials started rerunning 30,000 applications because of a variety of problems,...
March 23, 2014 - 8:04pm
March 20, 2014
MNsure targets youth as deadline nears
ST. PAUL — It’s crunch time at MNsure. If people don’t get health insurance by March 31, they could face penalties under the federal Affordable Care Act. Plus, people who don’t meet the coverage deadline likely won’t have another chance to buy an insurance policy until...
March 20, 2014 - 9:39pm
February 5, 2014
Target hackers used IDs from refrigeration contractor, report says
By NICK WOLTMAN and JULIO OJEDA-ZAPATA, St. Paul Pioneer Press MINNEAPOLIS — The hackers who made off with the personal and financial data...
news / business
February 5, 2014 - 9:40pm
January 30, 2014
Target data breach costs topping $1 billion
ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS Two months into the Target security breach, fraud is turning up on 10 percent to 15 percent of the stolen card accounts, a security specialist said. Based on that brisk level of criminal activity, one Wall Street analyst estimates perhaps 5 million of the...
news / business
January 30, 2014 - 9:45pm


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Portsmouth Tea Company Claims World Record for the UK
|Published: 16th November 2011 09:46|
Andrew Gadsden, Managing Director of All About Tea,
with Anna Orford, Guinness World Records Adjudicator
Portsmouth tea company, All About Tea, smashed the Guinness world record this afternoon at 1.30pm with their 120 kilogram teabag on board the HMS warrior at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.
The world record had previously been held by America, at 68.49 kilograms but this local tea company has taken the lead by miles.
‘All About Tea' has been running for four and a half years. The Guinness world records contacted them to see if they wanted to take part in breaking the record. They, of course, jumped at the chance.
Andrew Gadsden, 36, the managing director of All About Tea, prior to achieving the world record said: ‘The record for the world's largest tea bag should be held in Britain the tea drinking nation.'
The eight foot square tea bag created by Westhouse textiles in Fratton took four hours to make. Then it took four men three hours to fill it with their brand ‘Portsmouth Tea'. It was transported from Fratton by lorry and took six men to get it on board HMS warrior.
The impressive tea bag could make a staggering 50,800 cups of tea.
Anna Orford and Jacqueline Fitt, the Guinness world records adjudicators, came down to weigh the tea bag. They have awarded records to the largest milkshake, the largest serving of baked potato but have never seen a tea bag like this before.
Anna said: ‘It's exactly like a tea bag but upscaled, it looks like a giant pillow.'
Upon winning the world record Andrew commented: ‘If anyone tries to take it from us again we will take it straight back.'
Cheryl Buggy, Lord Mayor of Portsmouth, said: ‘The most impressive thing is that it really smells like tea. It is so nice to have a record in the city.'
‘Portsmouth Tea' is locally blended. It is not yet in the supermarkets but we definitely need to watch out for it soon.
By Laura Gale