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Future of Cars: 10 Things We Learned at CES
Safer cars, cleaner cars, robo-taxis…it’s all part of the future of cars!
1. We can expect more change in auto technology in the next 10 years than we’ve seen in the entire history of cars!
2. Every automaker, including Nissan, is now testing self-driving cars. No longer a novelty, they are inevitable—we will all be able to sit back and be passengers in our own cars within our lifetime. The launch of Nissans Seamless Autonomous Mobility (SAM) system was developed from NASA technology, used to visualize and supervise interplanetary robots, Where the environment makes autonomous decision-making difficult, NASA supervisors draw the desired route and send to the robot for execution.SAM partners in-vehicle artificial intelligence (AI) with human support to help self-driving vehicles make decisions in unpredictable situations.
3. It’s not just your own car that will be self-sufficient. Robo-taxis and robo-deliveries will be changing our lives as well. SAM technology will enable millions of driverless cars to co-exist with human drivers in an accelerated timeline. The first phase of testing will begin this year in designated zones in the Tokyo metropolitan area.
4. The Nissan Leaf was the first all-electric vehicle available mass market. Today, the Nissan LEAF is the world’s best-selling electric vehicle (EV) with more than 250,000 units sold and more than 3 billion kilometers travelled, the distance to get to Saturn and back.
5. The EV batteries used in electric cars can do more than just provide power for driving – they can also be used as energy storage devices. In 2012, Nissan introduced its “LEAF to Home” system in Japan, allowing drivers to supply a house with the energy stored in a Nissan LEAF battery. Users can charge the Nissan LEAFs at night when electricity is cheaper, and then use that electricity as the daytime power source for a household. This way, the system helps to alleviate power consumption during peak periods when demand is highest and most expensive. It can also be used as a backup power supply for blackouts and emergencies.
6. We can expect that by 2025, all cars will be connected to the internet, exponentially increasing the possibilities of autonomous driving capabilities.
7. Nissan is now offering time-share type car ownership in Europe. They are selling a small Nissan called the Micro to people wanting to only own a share of a car. Nissan is linking owners together who share the cars. This, too, will come to the US soon. Many people, especially millennials, aren’t as interested in owning a car outright, or are prohibited by cost.
8. One of Nissan’s major goals for the future of cars is zero emissions. In addition to Nissan’s core EV technology, Nissan has a diverse range of EV-based technologies in its portfolio. These technologies include e-Power hybrids, and e-bio fuel cell electric vehicles.
9. Another major goal is zero fatalities. Nissan Intelligent Driving helps to give customers more confidence through enhanced safety, control, and comfort for everyone on board. Nissan cars are already equipped with extensive set of advanced safety features including Intelligent Around-View Monitor and Intelligent Lane Intervention, and adaptive cruise control.
10. Nissan Chairman and CEO, Carlos Ghosn, is a pretty interesting guy. He holds the same title for Renault and Mitsubishi. Ghosn’s life story was turned into a superhero comic book series in Japan, titled The True Story of Carlos Ghosn, in the manga comic book Big Comic Superior. (Okay—that one’s not about the future of cars. But to have a manga comic book series about your life is pretty cool.)
How does all that make you feel about the future of cars?


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Car sellers in Uganda focusing more on customers
Car dealers in Uganda have concrete efforts and plans for a customer-centric strategy.In the latest Uganda’s Automotive Industry market research report that your blogger obtained,provides key industry analysis and industry statistics, measures market size, analyzes current and future industry trends and shows market share for the industry’s largest second hand car sellers. Although the research isn’t published publicly, it contains the largest collection of industry reports on industry’s supply chain, economic drivers and key buyers and markets. Uganda’s automotive industry encompasses a range of smaller industries that have performed variably over the years.New car sales spiked in 2014, as the pent-up demand stemming from delayed purchases during the global financial crisis was released. Although falling since the beginning of 2015, the continued strength of new car sales has led to growth for motor vehicle wholesalers and service agents, as they have been servicing an increasing number of vehicles on the road. However, local motor vehicle sellers like Spear Motors and Toyota Uganda have struggled, as consumers have looked to more affordable, fuel-efficient imported vehicles rather than petrol-guzzling locally manufactured cars.
Due to these contrasting effects, industry revenue is expected to rise by an annualized 4%.One company operating in East Africa (I cannot name as this is not PR blog) promised to increase its level of service quality for its customers through a set of initiatives called “Customer Complete Care” that was launched in May this year, including 24-hour assistance.“In an effort to create a strong customer base, we have committed to offer quality services as best as we can. We expect that this strategy will grow our customers’ confidence,” one of the car dealers told your blogger last evening.Another dealer, who has spent 10 years of his career at various car sellers offices in Uganda and has worked as the managing director for one of the company,told me it was generally business as usual for the African new vehicle market. The Toyota brands ruled the roost, SUVs continued to boom. But of course, every month brings its share of surprises.“The prices of luxury cars have come down and they have a wider array of vehicles in different segments, so they’re starting to drift down into areas where they weren’t historically,” the MD added.“
Uganda is now in its 23rd year of economic growth it makes a difference to people’s standard of living and that’s reflected in the car fleet,” said another vendor.It was the seventh time in the past eight years Uganda have bought more than 100,000 cars in a calendar year, and the third year in a row it has topped the 1.1 million mark.Uganda’s automotive industry encompasses each level of the passenger vehicle supply chain, from importers through to wholesaling and retailing. The industry also takes into account repair and maintenance operators. Local importers especially in Kampala have struggled over the past two years due to the falling value of Uganda shilling for much of the period, lowered import protections and consumers’ shifting demand towards smaller second hand imported cars. This has not been detrimental to all segments of the industry though, as sales growth for imported vehicles has enabled wholesalers and some dealers to offset much of the manufacturing decline. Over the five years through 2013, overall industry revenue is forecast to reach $200 million, following annualized growth of 4%.

domain: news


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A rosy autumn for department stores – partly attributable to retailers’ investment in design – is predicted by trends monitor Verdict Research, despite signs of a slowdown in the consumer economy.
Verdict lists three factors fuelling a resurgence in the sector. These are the ‘strong forward momentum’ at Marks & Spencer, increased spending on both refurbishments and new-build projects and an anticipated sales boost from the opening of 1.7 million m2 of additional space – 18 new department stores – by 2004.
However, Marks & Spencer apart, the sector will still grow more slowly than Verdict’s predicted rate of 12.4 per cent for total retail sales over that period. For all their investment in ‘classy and contemporary’ environments, department stores face ‘an increasingly tough battle for market share growth’, Verdict says.
The research adds, ‘The main challenge for department stores will be driving up footfall and average spend by increasing their “want” appeal with exciting, differentiated ranges sold in modern and appealing “destination” stores.’
Although many companies, including Debenhams and House of Fraser, are committed to expansion, market pressures will mean retailers will also be looking to ‘cull’ poorly performing stores, Verdict suggests.
It warns that big operations don’t always profit from scale: ‘Store groups with the smallest numbers are among those with the greatest profitability (Selfridges, Harvey Nichols and Fenwick), whereas the larger chains of House of Fraser and Allders languish on much lower margins,’ it says.


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Vapers warned of health risks from dirty mouthpieces
By Rod Minchin, PA
Vape and e-cigarette users have been warned of the dangers of not cleaning their devices properly over fears harmful bacteria could enter the body from a dirty mouthpiece.
Dr Suzi Gage, a university academic who studies recreational drug use, said that moisture associated with inhaling vapour could perhaps harbour bacteria.
And if the e-cigarette or vaping device was not cleaned regularly enough it could lead to the user becoming ill, she suggested.
Dr Gage said “surprisingly little” was known about the health risk of nicotine.
“We know what it is about tobacco cigarettes that is so risky to health, it’s the tar, the carbon monoxide, the formaldehyde, the heavy metals and the tens or even hundreds of carcinogens within the tobacco,” she said.
“These things either are not present in e-cigarettes, they don’t contain tobacco itself, or they might be present but orders of magnitude lower than in cigarettes.
“Now this doesn’t mean that e-cigarettes are harmless because there might be other aspects of inhaling heated vapour that are risky that we don’t know about yet.
“For example, perhaps the moisture associated with vapour could harbour bacteria, particularly as these devices are re-used rather than single use in the way that cigarettes are.
“If you’re an e-cigarette user, have a little think about how often you clean the mouthpiece that you’re putting in your mouth and inhaling your vapour through.”
Previous research has suggested that vaping alters the bacteria in the mouth, making e-cigarette users more prone to inflammation and infection than non-smokers.
While it is widely known that traditional tobacco cigarettes increase the risk of gum disease and infection, little is known about the impact of e-cigarettes.
It is estimated that 3.6 million people use e-cigarettes in the UK and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said two people had potentially died from vaping.
In the US, the deaths of 54 had been linked to the use of vaping illicit liquids containing Vitamin E acetate.
Dr Gage, a psychologist and epidemiologist at the University of Liverpool, said: “This is something that’s known to be toxic or very, very harmful if inhaled.
“Individuals have been using unregulated e-cigarette liquids often containing cannabis or more, usually THC extracted from cannabis, often obtained on the black market and absolutely not a regulated product.
“The outbreak of illnesses and deaths was of course extremely worrying but it led to some countries calling for e-cigarettes to be banned.
“Now, in my opinion, this is akin to someone going blind after drinking bathtub moonshine and suggesting this means we should ban gin and tonics.
“It’s not e-cigarettes themselves that were causing the harm. It was unregulated products being used in any cigarette device.”
Dr Gage, who was speaking at an event at the digital Cheltenham Science Festival, said non-smokers would be “foolish” to start vaping or use an e-cigarette.
“However, for the many thousands or more of individuals who currently smoke and are struggling to stop, e-cigarettes could represent a way to reduce harm,” she said.
“And so far, the evidence does seem to suggest that there can be an effective smoking cessation tool for many people.”


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Microsoft fixes massive site, service log-in glitch
Goes boom day before Windows Server 2008 launch
Computerworld - Microsoft Corp. said on Tuesday evening it had fixed the problem that had kept some users from logging on to many, if not most, of its online services throughout much of the day.
The company, however, has yet to explain the outage, which left users unable to access everything from Windows Live Mail -- formerly Hotmail -- and Xbox Live to Skydrive Live and Live Messenger.
Coincidentally, hours before the outage began, Bob Muglia, the head of Microsoft's server group, bragged that "a good part of the Windows Live servers are running Windows Server 2008." The latter, Microsoft's newest server operating system, is scheduled to launch today.
As of 7 p.m. EST Tuesday, however, Microsoft said that the problem had been resolved and that all services were available. "Earlier today, an issue began that has caused some consumers worldwide to experience difficulty logging in to their Windows Live ID accounts," said Samantha McManus, product manager for Windows Live, in a statement. "This issue has since been resolved, and normal operations have been restored to all customers."
By mentioning Windows Live, McManus hinted that the problem was across most, if not all, of Microsoft's online services that require users to log in.
Windows Live ID -- once known as Passport -- is Microsoft's single sign-on service. Most of the sites and services that rely on Live ID are owned and operated by Microsoft, although a few non-Microsoft sites, such as Expedia.com, also use it. Expedia Inc. representatives were unavailable for comment Tuesday night.
"The issue purely impacted the log-in process for customers and largely did not impact customers who were already logged in," added McManus. "Microsoft worked aggressively to resolve this unique problem as quickly as possible. We apologize for any inconvenience this issue has caused consumers."
According to messages left by people in support forums and as comments on numerous blogs, Windows Live ID was knocked out starting around 10 a.m. EST and affected users in the U.S., Finland, Honduras, Canada, the U.K. and and other locations.
This is not the first time that multiple Microsoft services have been crippled simultaneously. A year ago next month, Live Messenger, Live Mail, and other sites and services were inaccessible to users for part of a day. Last April, Live Mail and Messenger also went dark for several hours. In neither incident did Microsoft reveal the underlying cause.
In a story that went live very early Tuesday on CNET's News.com, Muglia said that Windows Server 2008 did not have a "live" element of its own, then continued to note that the operating system powered an unspecified number of Microsoft's sites and online services. "The biggest 'live' component is the fact that Windows Live runs on Windows Server," he said. "Microsoft.com is running entirely on Windows Server 2008 right now."
CEO Steve Ballmer is scheduled to officially launch Windows Server 2008 today at an event in Los Angeles.
Microsoft dismissed the idea that the Live ID blackout was related to the new server software, though it neither confirmed or denied that the log-in service was hosted on Server 2008. "We can say with certainty that Windows Server did not contribute to this incident," a company spokesman said in an e-mail Wednesday morning.
Read more about Windows in Computerworld's Windows Topic Center.
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The Prince William County/Manassas Convention and Visitors Bureau has crafted a new five-year strategic plan in hopes of giving the organization more of a business focus and better positioning it to secure additional marketing funding in the years to come.
The plan encourages the group to target specific types of tourists and better measure the return on investment it is getting on its advertising campaigns. The move comes not long after the group brought in new leadership: Executive Director Ann Marie Maher, who took over in April 2010. Maher was first thrust into preparing for the Civil War Sesquicentennial commemoration, as well as the major tourism influx the county received from a heavily attended battle re-enactment last year.
Now, Maher has the breathing room to turn her attention to thinking strategically, and proving that the tourism bureau can generate a healthy bang for its buck when marketing the county’s attributes.
It’s a strategy that has proven profitable for other local tourism groups, most recently Alexandria. “At the end of the day, I want to be able to go to our stakeholders and say, ‘For this investment, this is the return you’re getting,’” Maher said.
The group invested $15,000 to hire Joe Lathrop, president of Maitland, Fla.-based OCG International, a hospitality consulting firm, to help develop its plan. It encourages the CVB to track its performance using such indicators as the number of convention bookings, dollars spent by visitors, how website visits translate into room bookings and other tangible measures.
“They need to go after segments that match up with the product that is Prince William,” Lathrop said. “There are only a handful of destinations out there that have an iconic product, like Mount Rushmore.”
So why are Prince William visitors coming to the county? Historical sites, nature attractions and, particularly of late, military history destinations, according to surveys of tourists done by Maher.
Prince William’s connection to military history is only going to grow over the next several years. The Americans in Wartime Museum is scheduled to open in 2014 in Nokesville; it broke ground last year. The National Museum of the Marine Corps. plans to build an approximately 200-room hotel and conference center on 10 acres adjacent to its Triangle location. The center would include a full-service restaurant and lounge, pool, fitness center, gift shop and business center.
Those new destinations will complement existing attractions, from historic battlefields to Civil War-themed trails. The new attractions and more focused marketing efforts could make Prince William County a bigger destination for travel groups such as military reunions, Maher said.
Though the organization is still finalizing its plans, Maher said that her group would like to see at least a $12 million per year return on investment from any marketing and advertising dollars spent by 2016.
Tourism organizations that keep close tabs on return on investment can often have an easier time convincing donors or government officials to boost their budgets. Alexandria, for example, was recently granted an additional $100,000 from the city council to extend a successful magazine ad campaign for three months.
The dollars came after the entity demonstrated that the advertising was creating $4 in city tax revenue for every $1 spent, generating $40 million in visitor spending and 88,000 trips to Alexandria.
The CVB has a budget of $1.2 million and is a 501(c)(6) tax-exempt organization, like a Chamber of Commerce. Tourism is big business for Prince William County, generating $444 million in revenue in 2010, the most recent figures available. The county has been using the tagline “Where America’s Story Becomes Yours” since 2011.
An earlier version of this story misstated how much revenue Prince William County tourism generated in 2010.


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In between a cannabis shop and a Subway eatery on East Evans Avenue, the edgiest automobile technology rolled into Denver on Friday.
Three new Tesla Model X’s gave potential owners their first test drive of the electric SUV some had pre-ordered more than three years ago. It’s the first Tesla marketed for families, especially those looking for a three-row, seven-seat vehicle. About 40 people got their shot at driving the vehicle Friday — all of whom had plunked down $5,000 to reserve a place in line.
“We preordered it, I want to say, two years ago. About four months ago, they told us we could configure it, but I was nervous about configuring it without driving it first,” said Nina Kelley, 44, of Boulder. “This is the first opportunity to get in.”
Tesla cars, including the new crossover Model X, are completely electric and typically recharge overnight. They also qualify for up to $13,500 in state and federal tax credits.
But saving the planet wasn’t the big incentive on people’s mind during Friday’s drive.
“When we got on the on-ramp, we really gunned it on the test. It was like, ‘Oh man!’ We pulled off before we got to the metal,” said Matt Whitmer of Denver, who tagged along with his friend Joey Fisher, who did reserve a spot to buy the car, which starts at $80,000.
The Model X, in “ludicrous” mode, goes from zero to 60 in 3.2 seconds.
Fisher, 31, who collects cars, including “a couple of Aston Martins” plus a Tesla Model S, pre-ordered the X two years ago.
“Honestly, even if this was a gasoline car, I’d probably still buy it,” said Fisher, a Denver resident who wants the roomier X for trips to the mountains with his dog. “I really like the design of it. I like the way it drives. The electric is icing on the cake.”
When Tesla founder Elon Musk introduced the Model X last September, he pushed safety, family features and roominess. It can tow up to 5,000 pounds.
“For me, I’m using it as a commuter car, but it also has to be functional because of my kids. I have two, and we usually carry another two kids with us, so four,” said Kelley, who isn’t sure about having to recharge the vehicle every night. “That third row makes a big difference. And the fact that it’s green, it’s fast, it’s sleek, it’s got the whole package.”
Crossover vehicles, or those offering the comfort of a car but the power of an SUV, are a huge trend right now, said Tom Libby, an automotive analyst with market researcher IHS. Even exotic brands like Lamborghini are working on crossovers.
While the Model X price tag is lower than the exotic crossovers, a nicely loaded version will be upward of $100,000 and out of range for most soccer moms.
“The family with a lot of financial resources that also wants to be environmentally friendly, this will appeal to them,” Libby said.
Tesla cars have encouraged more Coloradans to switch to electric vehicles. In 2011, a mere 20 electric vehicles were registered with the state. As of December, there were 6,341 electric vehicles registered, or 0.9 percent of Colorado’s light duty vehicle sales. The number of public charging stations has grown to 310, from 80 in 2013.
“Our goal is to get to 3 percent market adoption of light-duty passenger vehicles in Colorado,” said Wes Maurer, transportation program manager for the Colorado Energy Office. “We see the 3 to 5 percent market as the transformative stage where people are sustaining the market on its own. Now is the time to take advantage of the incentives.”
State tax credits of up to $6,000 are available until 2019 before phase-out begins.
Tesla owners can also fill up for free at Tesla’s Supercharger stations — there are eight in Colorado — which adds 170 mile capacity in 30 minutes. The Model X can go about 250 miles before needing to recharge.
In Colorado, delivery on the Model Xs has begun, said Tesla spokesperson Sonja Koch. But most people are still waiting. Only 200 have been delivered nationwide.
Jon Sollender, 52, said he hopes to get his by October.
“It’s about the technology for me,” said Sollender, from Greenwood Village. “I know the Model S is a very safe car, but it’s more of a sports car. I have a sports car. I’d rather have something that’s more comfortable, luxurious and with better features.”
The Model X’s flashiest feature is its Falcon wing doors, which glide open upward like a retro sports car. But unlike yesteryear’s rigid gull-wing doors, the Model X’s are double-jointed so if cars park too close on the sides, the X knows to move upward then outward so it doesn’t scratch nearby cars.
“This will be my fourth Tesla,” said Steve Zimmermann, of Broomfield, who pre-ordered his Model X in January 2013. “Once you’ve driven an electric, you can’t go back. It’s more responsive, totally silent and every bit of power of the engine is available to you at the moment. … Tesla happens to make the best (electric car) because there was no compromise in their design. They weren’t doing it to be in compliance.”
The other reason why Zimmermann is buying the car: “I’m 6-foot-2 and 250 pounds. Imagine me getting into that roadster. That was a trial. Even the S is difficult. This car, I can step into it like a normal person.”
This story was updated March 7, 2016 to reflect the percent of Colorado’s registered ‘light-duty’ automobiles that were electric vehicles, as of December 2015.
Tamara Chuang: email@example.com or visit dpo.st/tamara


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2019 第二季度 中国地区破产报告
· In 2019, the number of insolvency cases in China is expected to keep growing but at lower pace (+~20%).
· Not strong enough economic date in 1H2019, further eased monetary policy is expected
· In Q2 2019, automotive and automotive suppliers sectors downgraded from “Medium” to “Sensitive” due to declining sales volume and weaker assessments on the profitability and liquidity outlook
· The trade disputes between U.S. and China increase the uncertainty of economic recovery and the dispute is expected to last until the end of this year
· Improving direct financing for private companies with pick-up in IPO and establishment of Sci-Tech Innovation Board (STAR Market) at the Shanghai Stock Exchange in June 2019


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Sierra Wireless’ EM9190 5G Module Integrated by Mobile Viewpoint
July 08, 2021
Sierra Wireless’ IoT background is helping enable Mobile Viewpoint to bring their next-generation 5G mobile video encoder to market.
Sierra Wireless announced that its EM9190 5G New Radio (NR) embedded module has been integrated into Mobile Viewpoint’s new Agile Ultra 5G mobile encoder. Per the company, Mobile Viewpoint is among the first companies to bring to market a 5G mobile encoder able to remotely transmit live 4K Ultra-High-Definition (UHD) video from sporting, news, and other outside events.
In addition to the EM9190 module itself, Sierra Wireless and its partner, Alcom electronics, offered Mobile Viewpoint the 5G expertise, technical support, and global Mobile Network Operators (MNO) relationships they needed to integrate the EM9190 module into their encoder and get the encoder certified by MNOs worldwide.
Powered by the EM9190, the Agile Ultra 5G mobile encoder enables broadcasters, video production companies, first responders, and security services to remotely manage live 4K UHD video production from a central location without compromising on video reliability or quality. This allows them to avoid sending production personnel and Outside Broadcast (OB) vehicles on-site to events, emergencies, or other locations, reducing their video production costs.
CP Communications, a live event production solutions provider headquartered in St Petersburg, Florida, partnered with Mobile Viewpoint to test its Agile Ultra 5G mobile encoder in the United States.
The EM9190 is currently available globally from Sierra Wireless’ global network of partners.
For more information, visit: https://www.sierrawireless.com/products-and-solutions/embedded-solutions/5g-iot/ or https://www.sierrawireless.com/products-and-solutions/embedded-solutions/networking-modules/


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Fans of the Jurassic Park franchise will soon get the chance to capture their very own dinosaurs using little more than their mobile devices. Universal and mobile game developer Ludia announced the licensed Jurassic World Alive will launch across Android and iOS later this year. Much like the unprecedented smash hit of 2 years ago, Pokémon Go, the game based on the cloned dinosaur movie franchise uses Augmented Reality to bring players face-to-face with various prehistoric creatures lurking in the world around them.
The game’s release will no doubt add to the hype around the Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom feature film, set to be released in June. The film is the fifth in the franchise that initially took viewers in Canada, and the rest of the world, by storm with the release of the first Jurassic Park movie, directed by Stephen Spielberg, way back in 1997.
In a March press release, the studio and game developer said Jurassic World: Alive will be the first time AR and location-based tech brings the thrill of the franchise to life in an interactive way. According to the developer’s president and CEO, Alex Thabet, players can use the game to explore their own neighbourhoods and further afield, collect dinosaurs, capture exclusive creatures, use in-game incubators, gather DNA samples, create genetically-modified creatures, and battle other players for rewards in real-time.
As part of the gameplay, players need to locate dinosaurs on a map and then can venture in the world to capture them. Alternatively, if you’re unable to leave your location, in-game AR drones need to be sent to collect DNA samples of the creature you are hoping to collect. What’s more, players can also exercise any bragging rights they earn along the way by taking photos and videos of themselves with their captured dinos. If you think this sounds like as much fun as you can handle, there is a good chance you will love playing the Jurassic Park online slot, another game that’s been inspired by this smash hit franchise.
The upcoming mobile game, which is based on the idea created by best-selling author Michael Crichton, was made with enthusiasm and excitement by the studio and the developer. Based on what they had to say, the aim of the game is ultimately to let players realise something of their dreams of interacting with prehistoric creatures in the modern world. The goal has been nothing more than to create an immersive a game as possible, and if the comments of executives are anything to go by, that goal might be achieved. Thabet believes the developer hoped players would be immersed in a world in which living with dinosaurs is possible. He added that the game also offers players a social element, in that they can connect with other players as they hunt for and battle their creatures. Universal brand development, game, and digital platform executive vice president, Chris Heatherly, said the AR and location technology available was key to making players’ dino dreams come true. The studio executive also thinks that Jurassic World: Alive will be the largest, most thrilling game in the whole franchise.
There is little chance of Universal and Ludia not making a success of the AR-based game for mobile currently under development. If its success is anything like that of Pokémon Go, it will be an accolade for all involved, including the studio. As recently as last year, the studio took a strategic decision to expand its gaming division. It began by bulking up the gaming team with more staff to enable a hands-on approach, as well as greater investment, and it looks like this is just the beginning. Jurassic World: Alive is just the first of several exciting mobile games to be developed and released from here on.


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Consumer trends toward snacking, free-from and better-for-you foods are driving retail penetration for Little Red Dot Kitchen Bak Kwa meat snacks, inspired by a traditional grilled Singapore and Malaysian street food.
The Bak Kwa now are available in the San Francisco Bay area at Andronico’s Community Markets, Lunardi’s Markets, Draeger’s and Woodlands Market through UNFI of Providence, Rhode Island, said Little Red Dot Kitchen CEO Ching Lee. The high protein meat snacks, which are lower sodium, paleo-friendly, and free from gluten, nitrites, nitrates, antibiotics and hormones, are being carried in Michigan by Papa Joe’s Market, Randazzo Fresh Market and Holiday Market through Carmella Foods of Fraser, Michigan, Lee said.
The meat snacks also now are distributed by First Source of Toano, Virginia, and Renaissance Specialty Foods, and Little Red Dot Kitchen has added brokers Daymon Worldwide of Stamford, Connecticut, and Share Organics of Santa Rosa, California.
Little Red Dot Kitchen’s Bak Kwa meat snacks come from U.S. family farms dedicated to raising animals humanely and without antibiotics or hormones. They are minimally processed, with most ingredients having non-GMO verification and also are free from artificial ingredients, wheat, dairy and eggs. The meat snacks are available in resealable 1- to 3-ounce packages with a suggested retail price of $6.99 to $7.99. Cases include 12 of the 2- to 3-ounce bags and 18 of the 1-ounce bags.
Bak Kwa meat snacks are available in five flavors, including the 2016 sofi® Award winning Hickory Smoked Spicy Candied Bacon, which has no nitrates or nitrites, Spicy Chipotle Beef Bak Kwa, Lemongrass Beef, Pork Bak Kwa, and free-range Turkey Bak Kwa. A vegan version, Eggplant Baconess Bak Kwa is available in 2-ounce bags with a suggested retail price of $4.99 to $5.99.
More information about Little Red Dot Kitchen is available by connecting online at www.facebook.com/reddotkitchen, www.instagram.com/littlereddotkithen and ,www.twitter.com/reddotkitchen or by calling 408.673.8227.
By Lorrie Baumann
When Rob Wilson drove up to his office in West Caldwell, New Jersey, on June 8, he took a few minutes to look up at the rooftop of Gourmet Foods International’s Northeast Distribution Center and smiled. Then he hustled inside to prepare for the ceremony in which the ribbon would be cut and he’d flip the switch on a brand new solar array.
The decision to install solar came from the McCall family, which owns GFI. “As a family company, we have always considered future generations in our decisions. This is no different,” says Brewster McCall, adding “Now more than ever, it is critical for national companies to take a strong moral lead on environmental issues. We are looking to expand clean energy technologies in our distribution centers across the country.”
Once the decision was made to install the new solar panels, it took almost a year to make it happen, starting with a permitting process and the engineering to ensure that the building’s roof could support the array and even including a check to ensure that the rooftop array wouldn’t interfere with the flight path of aircraft using the small Essex County airport that’s just about a quarter of a mile down the road. “We actually went to the FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] to be sure it was okay to put these panels in,” Wilson said. “We paid attention to every detail, and rightly so.”
The solar project will provide benefits for GFI customers as well. By diversifying the company’s energy portfolio, the national specialty food supplier will reduce electricity costs a minimum of 30 percent, allowing potential cost savings to be passed on to its customers.
More than 500 panels across the distribution center’s entire roof will power all of the company’s operations at its 50,000 square-foot facility with clean, renewable energy. “This is a very big celebration for our company,” Wilson said as he was making final preparations for the big day. “We’re so excited and proud of this. We’re having the ribbon-cutting, followed by our entire team celebrating over lunch.”
The moment that the switch is flipped to pull the building’s energy from the solar array will mark the success of what is just the company’s most recent accomplishment in support of GFI’s total commitment. “We take social responsibility as a core value of our company. This decision to use solar energy is part of that core value,” Wilson said. “The solar project exemplifies the GFI commitment to sustainability, whether it is solar energy, recycling, use of biodiesel trucks or supporting local, eco-friendly artisans that create the great products we are privileged to provide…. It really is a great event for our company and a statement for our industry.”
The solar array will, in addition to generating energy, produce no greenhouse gas emissions. Over the expected 20-year life span of the array, it will eliminate CO2 emissions that are the equivalent of planting 151,497 trees or reducing driving by more than 13 million car miles. It’ll displace the carbon dioxide emissions for the annual electricity use of 737 homes, and it’ll prevent the burning of more than 6 million pounds of coal. “This is something we are very proud of as well,” Wilson said. “It’s clean energy and totally inexhaustible. It’s nonpolluting and doesn’t emit greenhouse gases.”
GFI is also proud to be supporting jobs for the American workers who built the solar panels. “Our panels are made in the United States. It was a very important part of the decision process. That’s another of our core values – taking care of our team members by supporting the domestic economy as well as the environment,” Wilson said. “It’s really about giving back. It’s about taking care of everyone and everything through a sincere commitment to what is just and fitting, and that is the GFI culture”.
Kings Food Markets and Balducci’s Food Lover’s Market selected KeHE Distributors as a specialty distributor for natural & organic, specialty, and private label items. The agreement is effective immediately. The transition is scheduled to be complete this summer.
“Across the KeHE community, we are energized to put our compelling service, pricing and promotions model to work for Kings and Balducci’s,” said Brandon Barnholt, president and CEO, KeHE. “We are honored to be a part of their distribution network and to help achieve their future growth plans.”
An upscale gourmet food market, Kings is recognized as a pioneer within the specialty food industry. Kings began in 1936 with the humble purpose of finding the freshest available produce, and today Kings provides a unique shopping experience paired with the highest quality foods. Its founders identified the best local farmers and established long-lasting relationships that have grown. Today, it has 25 stores in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut that sell local, national and international specialty food products. Specialty food retailer Balducci’s was started in Brooklyn in 1916 by “Pop” Balducci and has grown to become a gourmet powerhouse, specializing in hand-selected meats and cheeses, restaurant-quality prepared foods, and fresh baked goods with 10 store locations in Maryland, Virginia, New York and Connecticut. Both companies were acquired by KB Holding, Inc. in 2016.
“By choosing KeHE, we have selected a specialty supplier that shares our collective passion for food, which continues to be the enduring foundation of our success,” said Judith Spires, Chairman and CEO, Kings and Balducci’s. “This partnership will continue to grow our business while enhancing our ability to deliver an expertly curated selection of offerings to the communities we serve.”


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The supply of used diesel cars is dwindling in parts of the UK, with market share falling by as much as 40% in a year in some areas, analysis by AA Cars.
Sales of new diesel and petrol cars will be banned from 2030, and some drivers have already begun shifting to greener vehicles while the introduction of Clean Air Zones and higher taxes on the most polluting models have steadily made diesels more expensive to run. In response, sales of new diesels nearly halved between 2020 and 2021.
SsangYong Motors UK has partnered with leading automotive aftersales partner, EMaC, to provide its consumers with pay monthly vehicle service plans for both new and used vehicles.
Designed to give consumers financial certainty, as well as flexibility and convenience, SsangYong service plans are available from as little as £10.99 per month.
Predicted levels of van theft could double to 20,000 in the next decade – after seeing an 81% increase from 2015 to 2019, according to Comparthemarket.com .
Owners can better protect their vehicles if they are locked, security marked and have a tracking device, don’t hold valuables overnight, are thoughtfully parked with doors backed up to a wall and ensure the vehicle is correctly described and covered by insurance.
A quarter of drivers give their vehicles a name, said GoCompare car insurance.
Betty, Baby and Nellie are most popular and female name are more popular.
Individuals and insurers are being advised to challenge councils and contractors working for National Highways to disclose repair and maintenance costs after incident claims.
Specialists at Claims Management and Adjusting have won a long campaign to get the true costs revealed and their difference between what authorities pay for repairs and motorists and insurers are charged after an incident.


text: The Audi Channel: Audi, UK Launches Revolution in Broadcasting Share Comments Audi UK, the German prestige car maker, makes broadcasting history on Monday 24 October 2005 with the official launch of the Audi Channel. The company is the first car manufacturer in the world to transmit its own dedicated digital television channel and holds the first ever self-promotional licence, granted by Ofcom, setting a precedent in broadcasting regulations. Audi Channel, which will broadcast 24 hours a day, seven days a week on the Sky Digital platform (currently channel 259), is also the first brand-specific entertainment channel in Europe. Audi is essentially the first brand to go beyond advertiser-funded TV programmes. Audi is a prestigious, sophisticated and sporty brand and the Audi Channel will reflect this, showcasing the company’s range of premium, luxury vehicles – there will be nine major product launches alone during the channel’s first year. But Audi Channel will not just inform, it will also entertain. Content extends far beyond the Audi product range. It will demonstrate an impressive array of Audi activities. Programmes will include Le Mans motor racing, the UK’s largest amateur golf tournament, Goodwood, high-goal polo and red carpet arrivals at some of the hottest events of the season. It will also feature interviews with top celebrities and informative documentaries, such as the history of Audi’s legendary quattro, the production of the thrilling Audi ‘ski jump’ ad and the making of a watch inspired by Audi with highly acclaimed jeweler, Stephen Webster. Audi Channel befits the company’s core philosophy of Vorsprung durch Technik – advancement through technology – and is the latest addition to Audi’s extensive media portfolio, which has seen great success with its website (www.audi.co.uk), receiving over 700,000 visits per month, and its bi-annual Audi Magazine, which has a print run of more than 300,000 per issue. The Audi Channel is the result of two years of research and development into new ways of communicating with the public. A marketing innovation, Audi Channel will allow the company to enjoy constant access to over 7.6million homes and nearly 21million individuals – it is set to capitalise on the phenomenal growth of digital television. ‘Ad avoidance’ is an increasingly important issue but while Audi will not be reducing its support of more traditional advertising forms, Audi Channel allows a new and important communication platform to a wide audience, enabling the viewer to spend more time engaging in a deeper way with the brand. In the future, Audi plans to allow viewers to interact with the channel, providing them with various functions, such as finding their local dealership, requesting a brochure or booking a test drive. “Audi is proud to be leading this development in brand entertainment,” says Gary Savage, Audi UK’s head of marketing. “Digital TV is a powerful communication platform with broad appeal, and will become ever more so as the entire country switches from analogue to digital between 2008 and 2012. “Audi Channel will allow us to extend our relationship with current Audi owners – and reach out to a vast and ever-increasing pool of potential new customers. In the multi-channel age, viewers have the power to follow their own special interests, and Audi is the first major brand to seize this amazing opportunity afforded by advances in digital technology. “With hundreds of channels available, content is king: Audi Channel’s first-class schedule promises to keep viewers informed, educated and entertained with a rolling production schedule of varied programming.” Working alongside Audi on the dedicated television channel is the company’s UK advertising agency, BBH, which has been instrumental in the development phase. North One has provided the expertise in both the production of new material and the incorporation of existing footage. For more discussion on this story, click on the link to our discussion forums at the left.


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Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun had already confirmed in February that the company is working on the successor of the bezel less Mi MIX smartphone. Now, Jun has again taken Weibo to share that Mi MIX 2 is all set to be announced later this year.
He had stated that the Mi MIX 2 will be designed by Philippe Starck, who had designed the Mi MIX. As per earlier reports, the Mi MIX 2 will boast 93% screen to body ratio compared to 91.3% screen to body ration on the first generation Mi MIX. The phone will also sport a curved AMOLED display instead of LCD display on the Mi MIX. Moreover, the Mi MIX 2 is also tipped to feature an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor under the display.
In addition, the phone is expected to come with Cantilever piezoelectric ceramic acoustic system instead of a standard earpiece. The Mi MIX 2 is rumored to be powered by Snapdragon 835 SoC and feature IP68 ratings for dust and water resistance. The first generation Mi MIX was launched in November last year in China so it is safe to say that the Mi MIX 2 could be introduced around same time this year.


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And on Thursday, Independence Day, Americans’ celebrations of Independence Day will include the eating of 150 million hot dogs, enough to stretch from Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles more than five times.
All that is according to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, which is celebrating its own 25th anniversary. In honor of that anniversary and in celebration of National Hot Dog Month, the NHDSC has teamed up with the Beef Checkoff to share 25 hot dog facts and 25 quotes about hot dogs.
"At the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, we’ve learned that Americans’ appetite for hot dog facts is nearly as great as their appetite for hot dogs themselves," NHDSC Hot Dog Top Dog Eric Mittenthal said in a press release issued last week. "Today there are hot dogs for everyone with millions of different possible hot dog and topping combinations that meet a broad spectrum of nutrition needs, tastes, budgets and personal preferences."
According to the NHDSC, folklore suggests that hot dogs first became popular in the United States when a German immigrant began selling them from a cart in the Bowery district of New York City. In 1871, Charles Feltman opened the first Coney Island hot dog stand, and their popularity grew and spread south, where the first sausage was served at a baseball park in 1893, creating the bond between hot dogs and baseball.
• A hot dog is not a sandwich.
• In 2018, consumers spent more than $3 billion on hot dogs in U.S. supermarkets.
• Mickey Mouse’s first on-screen words were, “Hot Dog!”
• President and Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt served hot dogs to King George and Queen Elizabeth. The king ate two.
• Americans say the celebrity they’d most like to enjoy a hot dog with is 97-year-old Betty White, who ate a hot dog every day on the set of her television show “Hot in Cleveland.”
The full list of 25 facts plus 25 quotes about hot dogs are available at www.hot-dog.org.
The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council includes a full guide for etiquette in an online video, but here are just a few tips and tricks to get you through National Hot Dog Month:
• Don’t put hot dog toppings between the hot dog and the bun. Always “dress the dog,” not the bun. Condiments should be applied in the following order: wet condiments like mustard and chili are applied first, followed by chunky condiments like relish, onions and sauer-kraut, followed by shredded cheese, followed by spices, like celery salt or pepper.
• Do eat hot dogs on buns with your hands. Utensils should not touch hot dogs on buns.
• Don’t take more than five bites to finish a hot dog. For a foot-long wiener, seven bites are acceptable.
• Do lick away condiments remaining on the fingers after eating a hot dog.
• Don’t use ketchup on your hot dog after the age of 18. Mustard, relish, onions, cheese and chili are acceptable.
• "I always look for a hot dog wherever I go." — Martha Stewart
• "Some people wanted champagne and caviar when they should have had beer and hot dogs." — President Dwight D. Eisenhower
• "A hot dog at the ballgame beats roast beef at the Ritz." — Humphrey Bogart


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Amazon Web Services and Google weren’t able to make the cut for G-Cloud ii–the second iteration of the government cloud platform in the UK. The first iteration happened in April and AWS also missed that with G-Cloud’s head Denise McDonagh stating that Amazon was concerned about the UK government possibly auditing US data centers.
As for the reason behind why the two didn’t make the cut this time around, it wasn’t clear if they were denied or the pulled out. It’s unlikely the two have the two pulled out as in the 662 expressions of interest received for G-Cloud ii, Google and Amazon appear two of them. In the end, only 458 suppliers, were able to make it.
Google did not directly address the matter but stated that they were “looking forward to working with our resellers to provide a product offering that meets the government’s needs.” No words as to whether they’d be going after G-Cloud iii framework.
As for Amazon, they were adamant in stating that they want to get involved with G-Cloud in the future with their spokesperson stating and that, “The worldwide public sector is an important and fast growing customer segment for Amazon Web Services and we continue to help local and central governments around the world develop their cloud strategies.”
“We currently work with public sector departments in the UK and work through a strong partner ecosystem to provide Amazon Web Services to the UK government outside of the G-Cloud programme. We look forward to watching the G-Cloud programme evolve and working with the UK government on the upcoming round of the bidding process.”
The Cabinet Office, responsible for overseeing G-Cloud network iterations, said that they are “continuing to work closely with all potential suppliers wishing to apply for the next G-Cloud framework”.
But Huddle CEO Alastair Mitchell, who’s part of the G-Cloud program believes that the two were not approved because they weren’t ready as they both lacked UK-based data centers as well as the lack of assurance as to whether data would be backed up in other countries.
“Governments, and an increasing number of large corporates, are increasingly concerned that as they get increasingly savvy about the cloud, they realise the different nuances of the cloud and where you host your data and especially data sovereignty,” Mitchell told TechWeekEurope.
Mitchell also stated that though Google and Amazon made marks in the US when it came to cloud services, they haven’t penetrated the UK.


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Atlanta Small Business Owners Are Increasingly Confident in the Economy as They Plan to Grow Their Business, According to Bank of America Survey
Local Entrepreneurs’ Revenue Outlook and Hiring Plans Decline From Six Months Ago as They Adopt Wait-and-See Approach
ATLANTA, May 2, 2017 – Atlanta entrepreneurs are increasingly confident in the future of the national economy, according to the spring 2017 Bank of America Small Business Owner Report. This spring, 55 percent of area business owners believe the national economy will improve over the next 12 months (vs. 46 percent in fall 2016). And, 62 percent are confident that their local economy also will improve—12 percentage points higher than the national average. This confidence is translating into action as an impressive 74 percent of Atlanta entrepreneurs plan to grow their business over the next five years and 20 percent plan to apply for a loan in 2017.
The report, based on a semi-annual study of small business owners in Atlanta and across the country, also found that while more confident than their peers nationwide, Atlanta small business owners are taking a wait-and-see approach as their revenue expectations and hiring plans for the year ahead have declined. This spring, 22 percent of Atlanta entrepreneurs plan to hire—a significant drop of 24 percentage points from fall 2016—compared to 18 percent nationwide. Additionally, two-thirds expect their revenue to increase over the next 12 months (vs. 71 percent in fall 2016 and 48 percent nationwide). Atlanta entrepreneurs’ declining revenue expectations could be attributed to their 2016 revenue results as 49 percent report their revenue last year stayed the same or declined from 2015.
“This increased optimism in the economy is a great indicator of potential growth for the Atlanta area in 2017,” said Dean Bird, Atlanta small business banker manager at Bank of America. “The boost in confidence is already translating into action as local entrepreneurs are making plans for borrowing and long-term growth. We are excited to see what 2017 holds for Atlanta small business owners.”
Many economic concerns drop; majority believe key health care issues have improved over the past five years
In addition to a promising outlook toward the economy and long-term growth, Atlanta small business owners’ concerns over most economic factors have decreased significantly from six months earlier, with the most significant declines showing in:
- Health care costs (65 percent, down 9 percentage points since fall 2016).
- Strength of the U.S. dollar (44 percent, down 22 percentage points since fall 2016).
- Consumer spending (44 percent, down 17 percentage points since fall 2016).
- Interest rates (35 percent, down 25 percentage points since fall 2016).
- Stock market (34 percent, down 22 percentage points since fall 2016).
While health care costs continue to be a chief concern for Atlanta small business owners, they are mixed on their views of how health care has changed over the past five years, but are still more likely to say health care pricing, quality and availability have improved compared to their national counterparts. Of the 33 percent of local entrepreneurs who offer employee benefits:
- Thirty-six percent believe the pace of annual health care cost increases have improved (21 percent nationwide).
- Thirty-eight percent believe the quality of health care has improved (25 percent nationwide).
- Forty-eight percent believe the availability of health care has improved (27 percent nationwide).
Despite high stress levels and lack of sleep, Atlanta small business owners feel fulfilled
While an impressive 79 percent of Atlanta entrepreneurs report they have achieved a work-life balance, nearly one-third admit their stress level has worsened since starting their business, and 76 percent report that their work life interferes with their home life. Atlanta business owners admit work interferes with:
- Finding time for themselves to relax (69 percent).
- Getting enough sleep (66 percent).
- Taking vacation (65 percent).
- Visiting with friends (63 percent).
- Spending time with family (63 percent).
When asked to describe an average work week, local entrepreneurs say “fulfilling” (51 percent), “enjoyable” (44 percent) and “interesting” (43 percent). However, it doesn’t mean that they’re not stressed—52 percent say their job is “demanding,” 30 percent say it’s “stressful” and 29 percent say it’s “exhausting.”
Though many Atlanta small business owners tend to work overtime—with nearly three in five reporting that they work more than 40 hours a week—a strong majority (77 percent) still say they are satisfied with the number of hours they work. Nearly all local entrepreneurs value the flexibility of their work location (94 percent), the flexibility of their schedule (90 percent) and the amount of time they can spend with family and close friends (78 percent).
Atlanta small business owners predict a paperless, cashless and virtual future
When asked for their top predictions about the future of small business 20 years from now, most Atlanta small business owners envision a paperless, cashless and virtual one. Top predictions include:
- Businesses will go paperless (51 percent).
- Cash will disappear with transactions becoming digital (45 percent).
- More offices will be virtual than physical locations (45 percent).
- Operations will be conducted by automation (31 percent).
- Hours of operation will be obsolete (19 percent).
- Most businesses will employ a robot (9 percent).
Eighty-six percent of local entrepreneurs say encouraging innovation in the workplace is a priority, and 84 percent believe it is a key contributor to business success. Eighty-two percent have taken some sort of innovative action in the past two years, from upgrading business technology (43 percent) to creating a process to increase efficiency (31 percent). Ten percent say they are “industry-leading,” and 35 percent say they’re “ahead of the curve,” while 50 percent say they “keep the same pace” with other business owners in their sector.
Bank of America Business Advantage Small Business Owner Report
GfK Public Communications & Social Science conducted the Bank of America Business Advantage Small Business Owner Report for spring 2017 online between February 21 and March 19, 2017 using a pre-recruited online sample of small business owners. GfK contacted a national sample of 1,001 small business owners in the United States with annual revenue between $100,000 and $4,999,999 and employing between 2 and 99 employees. Additionally, a total of 300 small business owners were surveyed in 10 target markets: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Miami, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. An oversample of 150 interviews was also completed among respondents in the technology and medical/health care fields. The final results were weighted to national benchmark standards for size, revenue and region.
Waves of the Small Business Owner Report before 2016 were conducted by telephone, and while best efforts were made to replicate processes, differences in sample, weighting and method suggest caution when making direct statistical comparisons to results from previous years.
Bank of America
Bank of America is one of the world’s leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 47 million consumer and small business relationships with approximately 4,600 retail financial centers, approximately 15,900 ATMs, and award-winning digital banking with approximately 35 million active users and more than 22 million mobile users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 3 million small business owners through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and more than 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE:BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
SOURCE: Bank of America


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Mitsubishi will finally launch the Pajero Sport SUV in India at the Auto Expo in January 2012. Mitsubishi is planning to launch in the model for quite some time in India especially after seeing the success of the Toyota Fortuner.
The Pajero Sport is based on the Triton platform and will be locally assembled in India to keep the car in 20-23 lakh price bracket.
The Pajero Sport gets a 2.5-litre 16-valve intercooled turbocharged diesel heart producing 134bhp and 32kgm of torque. It comes with shift-on-the-fly Super Select 4WD and a high 215mm ground clearance which should give it terrific off-road capability.
The car will make its debut at the 2012 Auto expo in January.


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Holmes Report 06 May 2011 // 11:00PM GMT
At the start of 2010, it was all about the dough at Pizza Hut. Pizza Hut knew that consumers were to looking for ways to stretch their dollars, and some held the perception that Pizza Hut was unaffordable. To change this perception and remind people why they love Pizza Hut, the company launched a category-defining pizza deal: any Pizza Hut pizza – any size, any crust, any topping – for just $10.
It was up to the public relations to team to launch the new $10 price point in a big way and sustain the momentum behind the deal to keep consumers coming back for more Pizza Hut pizza.
Public Relations Objectives
• Create awareness around the “$10 Any Pizza” deal
• Create sustained excitement and buzz around the “$10 Any Pizza” deal
Target Audience/Audience Analysis
The target audience for the “$10 Any Pizza” campaign was current and lapsed Pizza Hut consumers. Pizza Hut’s primary consumers are families and single males 25-34.
With 88 percent of mothers referring to themselves as household CFOs , Pizza Hut knew they needed to reach mom to target their family audience. Research showed that mom was cutting back on spending. In fact, an October 2009 study by the Marketing to Moms Coalition revealed that an overwhelming majority of moms (78 percent) cut back on household spending, and moms are sacrificing quality for value in everyday expenditures.
Males 25-34: The Eating Machines
Through internal research, Pizza Hut knew that value was also a key driver for mealtime decisions for its audience of young men – so much so that the company refers to this group as “eating machines.”
Pizza Hut focused on communicating the value message to motivate purchase. Once consumers tried Pizza Hut again, they would be reminded why they love Pizza Hut.
Launching with Mom
To capture mom, Pizza Hut knew it would be important to place stories with media authorities on deals. In fact, according to BabyCenter's 2009 "21st Century Mom™ Report", 79 percent of moms go online for product news and reviews, including deals.
Launching with Eating Machines
To entice eating machines, the timing was perfect to coincide with Pizza Hut’s busiest day of the year, Super Bowl Sunday. Pizza Hut could leverage media’s interest in its busiest day of the year to map back to the “$10 Any Pizza” deal message.
Sustaining News with Mom and Eating Machines
For sustained news, Facebook provided a medium to reach both audiences. Pizza Hut had the opportunity to leverage the brand’s 1 million+ Facebook fans, and attract new fans. According to a 2009 Retail Advertising and Marketing Association survey, women with children at home are 60 percent more likely to use Facebook than average adults. When it comes to the eating machines, 18 – 34-year-olds make up 54 percent of Facebook users, according to checkfacebook.com.
To achieve the objectives, strategies included:
• Use “deal” stories to re-engage lapsed families through moms
• Insert the “$10 Any Pizza” story into coverage about Pizza Hut on Super Bowl to re-engage lapsed eating machines
• Use a call to action to ignite social media engagement
• Leverage Pizza Hut’s existing social media community
Tactics included the following:
• To launch the “$10 Any Pizza” deal in January, the team conducted outreach to traditional and social media channels. To validate the value story and reach moms, emphasis was placed on deal/home economics bloggers.
• To leverage Super Bowl pizza-eating stories in early February, Pizza Hut’s media relations tactics included the following: a fun news release about the busiest day of the year, b-roll distribution of restaurants preparing for game day, and participation in an SMT about Super Bowl entertaining on a budget.
• To sustain news around the “$10 Any Pizza” deal, in April, Pizza Hut put the fate of the deal into the hands of consumers. Pizza Hut created a fun, political-themed campaign on Facebook asking consumers to vote to save the deal.
• To amplify news around the Facebook voting campaign, Pizza Hut used news about state primaries to generate media coverage. Pizza Hut sent its resident social media maven – Pizza Hut Tweetologist Alexa Robinson – on a nationwide tour to rally support. She visited six state capitols, engaged voters at city landmarks and made media appearances. Alexa shared her experiences with Pizza Hut fans and followers via Twitter and Facebook.
Results and Evaluation of Success
PR amplification of the “$10 Any Pizza” deal generated 1,250 stories and more than 106 million earned media impressions.
• More than 67 million impressions were generated at launch to ignite awareness:
o The value story generated nearly 28 million impressions, including coverage in The Orange County Register, WTVJ-TV NBC (Miami), Mommy Goggles, Mommies with Cents and Deal Seeking Mom.
o The Super Bowl story garnered more than 32 million impressions, including a segment during “CBS Sports Super Bowl Pregame Show.”* In addition, 70+ stories ran on news affiliates across the country, including WPIX-TV (New York), KTLA-TV (Los Angeles), KMBC-TV (Kansas City, MO) and WXYZ-TV (Detroit).
• Nearly 39 million impressions were generated after launch to created sustained buzz:
o More than 100,000 consumers voted on Facebook to keep the deal.
o Social media highlights include a 400 percent increase in impressions per conversation engagement on Facebook, more than 5 million impressions driven by Facebook and nearly 200,000 U.S.-based Facebook fans added.
o The campaign tour of six cities resulted in 440+ television and print placements. Highlights of media coverage included The Philadelphia Inquirer, coverage from the crowd outside of the “TODAY Show,” and television segments in Philadelphia, Little Rock, Des Moines and Columbia, SC.
*An integration with CBS was leveraged to help secure segment.


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Online shoppers to warned on holiday cyberthreats
Data-stealing malware on the rise as consumers plan to buy more gifts online this year.
From phony emails to Facebook phishers, cybercriminals are casting a wide net to lure online hoppers this season. According to new research from Webroot certain infections designed to steal personal information rose in the months leading up to the shopping season. Simultaneously, in a survey of consumers, Webroot found the majority (68 percent) plan to buy at least half of their gifts online this year, presenting cybercriminals with a larger target on Cyber Monday and throughout the holidays.
Surveying over 1,600 individuals,Webroot found the number of consumers planning to buy gifts online this season increased 46 percent from two years ago.The survey also revealed a number of behaviours that may put shoppers' personal and financial information at risk. Other key findings revealed that: Over half of respondents frequently, if not always, use search engines to find gifts online, about two in five (38 percent) trust the first page of search results - a target for malicious links and twelve percent are likely to use a public wireless access point to shop online for gifts.
"Cybercriminals appear to be gearing up for a lucrative holiday season," said Mike Kronenberg, chief technology officer of Webroot's Consumer business. "A particularly concerning trend is an increase in phishing Trojans - which can steal credit card numbers, passwords and other information -- in the months leading up to November, just as people begin thinking about buying gifts. Remember that hackers don't take a holiday; be aware of how they operate and protect yourself."
The Webroot® Threat Research team has recorded a recent spike in certain phishing Trojans, including one which rose 73 percent since August. Called Trojan-Backdoor-Stinkbreath, it spreads via bogus emails bearing the names of shipping companies including FedEx, DHL, UPS and USPS - brands many shoppers expect to see this time of year.
Webroot has also detected a rise in attacks on social networks, which may pose a risk to consumers planning to use social media for researching gifts. Infections of the Koobface worm, which targets users of Facebook, Twitter and other networks, have jumped 15 percent since summer. Koobface is known to distribute fake security alerts and rogue antivirus products -- bogus malware infection warnings and malicious programs masquerading as legitimate security products - which trick victims into sharing information.
Webroot researchers also expect to see cybercriminals employ one of their most effective tactics - planting malicious links near the top of search engine results - to bait shoppers seeking hot deals on popular items. These malicious links also lead to fake alerts and rogue products, as well as other malicious payloads.
Finally, public wireless networks pose a risk to the 12 percent of survey respondents who plan to use them while shopping online for gifts. Data thieves can modify their own laptops to mimic wireless access points in places such as airports or cafes, and capture passwords and other information as victims unwittingly connect to their fraudulent networks.
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February 6, 2006 151; — “You have mail”, and now you may have “certified” mail. AOL and Yahoo users will soon see it in their inbox — a certified email sent, for a price, with a stamp of approval.
The internet (and email) giants have teamed up with Goodmail Systems, which will charge companies around ¼ cent to send a message that will bypass spam filters. Non-profit organizations are expected to pay less.
“This is an optional service,” said Richard Gingras, CEO of Goodmail Systems. “At this time, it is open to messages from businesses to their existing customers.”
In a world of internet scams, phishing and viruses, Gingras says there is a need for companies to assure consumers that emails are genuine. He also pointed out that companies will still be able to send emails, but they will have to run the spam filters gauntlet.
But some email service providers complain that “certified mail” is nothing more than an email tax.
“AOL and Yahoo, and AOL in particular, stand to gain from this deal,” said Matt Blumberg, CEO of email consultancy Return Path. Blumberg, whose company helps companies such as eBay and American Express reach their customers via email, says “there are uses for certification but not for solving spam.”
AOL spokeswoman Lisa Gibby said the company will receive additional payments from the premium service, but all profits will be “reinvested into our anti-spam efforts.”
Within the next 30 to 60 days, AOL and Yahoo users will start seeing certified emails, which will be marked by an envelope with a blue ribbon draped over it.
So far, The New York Times and the American Red Cross have signed up for the service. Gingras says the email certification will be used for “transactions between businesses and existing customers, not sales.” Emails sent with the “certified” stamp will cover things like order and itinerary confirmations, monthly statements and newsletters the customer has signed up for.
As part of its service, Goodmail will authenticate the business, assess the length of time the business has been in business, review its past business practices, and ensure that it follows proper email sending protocols. .
But Blumberg said people don’t really need email certification if advertisers are doing their job properly. The rules for email advertising are simple, he said: “Send information to people who ask for it; send consumers what they want; and don’t overdo it.”


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Holiday Travel Expected to be Busy; AAA Says Prepare for Traffic
Posted Monday June 30, 2014 1:15 pm (CNS) – Angelenos looking to head out of town this weekend should prepare for more traffic as 2.88 million Southern Californians are expected to travel for the Fourth of July, according to a forecast released today by the Automobile Club of Southern California.
The number of Southlanders traveling — mostly on road trips — is up 1.5 percent over the same period last year, according to the forecast.
“We’re anticipating for L.A. and Orange County that’s going to mean some busy roads, especially about Thursday evening, July 3 and then over the weekend as well,” according to Marie Montgomery of AAA.
The Independence Day holiday comes as gas prices are expected to reach levels not seen since 2008.
Seventy-nine percent of Southern California travelers are expected to drive to their destination, which is up 2 percent over last year, Montgomery said.
Across California, 4.64 million people are expected to travel over the holiday weekend, which is also a 1.5 percent increase last year. Nationally, 41 million are expected to travel, which is up 1.9 percent over last year, according to AAA’s forecast.
According to a survey of AAA Travel agents, the top five destinations for Southern Californians this holiday are:


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Programmatic market maker OpenX this morning released a rare update on its mobile marketplace development, claiming it now ranks as one of the world’s dominant programmatic mobile media-buying marketplaces.
Not surprisingly, the company released growth statistics that help explain why it is leapfrogging other industry players: During the first half of 2017, OpenX’s mobile marketplace expanded more than 150%.
OpenX’s rise compares with healthy -- but much slower -- growth in mobile trading among its peers. In a recent earnings call, publicly traded Rubicon Project briefed analysts that it was only expanding its mobile marketplace about 10% year-over-year.
OpenX’s mobile expansion is part of a strategic plan to dominate mobile programmatic market trading that began two years ago, when it recruited mobile native Maggie Mesa as vice president-business development for mobile.
Mesa said much of the recent expansion has come from OpenX investing in technology to integrate more seamlessly with app developers, as well as mobile web inventory.
On that note, OpenX this morning also announced that it has released a new version of its mobile SDK -- or software development kit -- that will enable app and mobile web publishers to more seamlessly integrate mobile video inventory into OpenX’s trading systems.
“Mobile video is poised for explosive growth in 2018, continuing to grow in popularity among advertisers because of its unique position at the intersection of quality and user experience -- a position where OpenX thrives,” she stated, adding that the phenomenon is being driven primarily by consumer behavior: “Consumers viewing mobile, and specifically in-app video content, offer a unique opportunity for brands to drive powerful engagement and for publishers and app developers to drive increased revenue. OpenX’s high-quality global mobile exchange is perfectly positioned to support both buyers and sellers in this valuable environment.”
The updated SDK, which was initially launched to publishers in August, has shown an especially promising take rate: more than 100 premium app developer had already integrated it in its first 10 weeks of availability.


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It’s become a cliché that the smart fridge – one with sensors inside and connection to the Internet on the outside – will one day automatically order milk or replenish other items before they run out.
The reality is not only different, but also darker: smart appliances have little protection from hackers, and may be a way for cybercriminals to hijack devices, as well as invade privacy. Especially as smart TVs become standard – both in South Africa and across the world – we are exposing ourselves to dangers we don’t even know exist.
From TVs and fridges to security cameras and Wi-Fi routers, the very devices that are meant to make our lives easier are also the ones that make us more vulnerable. And this is not theoretical. As long ago as 2014, cybercriminals created a “botnet” – when a large amount of hacked computers are used in concert to mount a spam or other attack – which hijacked 100 000 devices, including routers, TVs and even a fridge.
“For some time we’ve seen attacks on security cameras, routers, and networking equipment,” said Marco Preuss, head of research at cybersecurity leaders Kaspersky Lab. “There are a lot of things happening to abuse these devices for malicious activities against other users, but also using them as entry point to the owner’s system.”
Preuss was speaking at the recent Kaspersky Transparency Summit in Zurich, when the company announced the opening of a Transparency Centre in Switzerland for regulators and other organisations to view its software code directly.
A panel discussion during the event, on the risks and rewards of transparency in cybersecurity, highlighted the absence of trust in technology. In the past, if a cybersecurity company said one could trust them, most people believed it. But that time is past, said Jan-Peter Kleinhans, project director for a project called Security in the Internet of Things at a German think tank, Stiftung Neue Verantwortung.
“The term ‘trust me’ is 1990s cybersecurity,” he said. “If someone says trust me, I want proof of it. How do we trust them?”
This problem will become far worse once we cannot trust even appliance makers, he said in an interview after the event.
“In the future every product will be connected. For commercial off-the-shelf devices (COTS), we already see rapidly increasing demand for voice assistants, smart lighting, and Smart TVs. So the question is not IF something gets connected but WHEN.
“All these devices will be vulnerable. Here the question is more how easy it is for criminals to exploit those devices – right now it’s extremely easy. For COTS devices I think the biggest problem are botnets that form a globally distributed botnet that the criminal can rent out for attacks against websites or credit card fraud or attacking production servers.”
The worst of it, he said, is that there is little the consumer can do. Kleinhans called on regulators to steps in, and pointed to the European Union’s Cybersecurity Act as a potential solution.
“It focuses on voluntary certification and security standards in the hopes that manufacturers see IT security as a competitive advantage. I don’t think voluntary certification by itself is enough, but it’s a solid first step. At the same time there is a growing debate about ‘software liability’ in many European countries. I think over the next five years we will see tighter and clearer regulation regarding IT security in general.”
In the meantime, it is not only the home user whois at risk, said Preuss.
“It affects everyone from consumer to small and medium businesses to enterprises. There is no limit in this whole environment, because more and more gets connected. In Germany you have smart connected production facilities, and public infrastructure like power plants and water supply that gets more and more connected, so that one can control what power needs to be produced to keep the network as stable as possible.”
The danger will escalate as energy production shifts from “classic nuclear and coal power plants” to solar and wind-based energy systems, which all depend on smart connected systems to pull their energy into the grid and keep it stable, said Preuss.
“Every company is an IT (information technology) company nowadays, whether they are working with wood or stone or clothes. The problem is everybody still does not realise they are an IT company, because most are still in the mindset of just working with wood and creating furniture, for example. No, you’re an IT company, because all your machines are connected, all your manufacturers are connected, and all your customers are online and connected. You have all this customer information digitalised.”
Preuss outlined a wide range of potential cyber attacks in this environment, from ransom attempts by encrypting company data to stealing company information to pretending to have cracked your account through password leaks and demanding payment not to publish sensitive information.
“The borders between consumer, small and medium business, enterprise, and government are less and less visible, ands everyone of us is now a node in the whole network. On the Internet, there is no longer a difference anymore between personal and business life. When I am private on a social network, I can still be targeted by people trying to get into my company. Everything is connected.”
The best known example of a potential danger is the idea that smart fridges can be accessed by hackers and pulled together into a massive network, or botnet, that launches what is known as a DDoS, or distributed denial of service attack, when a large number of computer attempt to connect to the same computer at the same time, causing it to crash. The most widely distributed software used for this is called Mira (see sidebar), which looks for unprotected Internet of Things devices. It is available as open source software for any hacker to download.
Said Preuss, “Mira was automated to spread on web cameras connected to the Internet by using default user name and password combinations. In most cases, users don’t change the default user name and password or don’t know how or are not aware that they should. Many of these systems also ship with very old hardware and you can’t update them, or updates are not shipped by vendors.
“The result is that you have less control of these devices. Just on the consumer level, you already probably have a router, smart TV, and smart security system. You may have smart controllers in kitchen. We’re talking a lot of different devices and platforms from a lot of different vendors.”
The home user, said Preuss, needs to be like system administrators from enterprises in the past, but the home user is not an IT expert.
“Yet these devices still do not offer the ease of use or functionality, by design, to make them more secure by ease of update and configuration.”
What can consumers do?
“Consumers can think about which device they buy, ask about security, ask about transparency, what happens with data, and do I need to connect it to the Internet? Just because a fridge has Wi-Fi, doesn’t mean I need to connect it.”
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Ocean carriers are walking a tightrope in the Asia-Europe trades as they prepare to raise freight rates for the fourth time this year in a bid to maximize profits during the peak shipping season.
So far, so good. Carriers struggling under the weight of an estimated $5.5 billion in losses last year, have made three previous rate increases stick, bringing spot rates westbound out of Asia to almost $2,000 per 20-foot container by early May from less than $500 in December.
The rate surge, which has come despite slowing traffic, is largely due to carriers’ discipline in maintaining capacity cuts, spurning low-paying cargo and resisting the temptation to fill vacant slots with discounts on published tariffs.
But that discipline, forged in the aftermath of a cash-bleeding rate war in 2011, is coming under severe pressure as carriers introduce a small armada of giant vessels above 10,000 20-foot equivalent units just as westbound traffic faces a potentially unprecedented decline.
Carrier nerves are fraying as the spot market is turning down just as they prepare to impose peak-season surcharges of $250 to $400 per TEU in June. Spot rates on the Shanghai Containerized Freight Index fell $116 per TEU, or 6 percent, in the second week of May, the biggest weekly decline since October 2010.
Current forward spot rates show a moderate downward trend for the rest of the year, indicating the market’s lack of conviction that the peak-season surcharges will hold, container market analyst Alphaliner says.
The planned peak-season surcharges appear out of sync with the economic developments at either end of the trade as Europe risks being overwhelmed by its sovereign debt crisis and a slew of disappointing trade, investment, production and spending data shows China’s slowing economy is far from bottoming out.
Meanwhile, bunker fuel prices, which account for an increasing chunk of ship operating costs, are still rising strongly and making it even more difficult to turn a profit.
The eurozone crisis already is dampening the cash-strapped continent’s ability to pay for imports from Asia, particularly China, whose explosive export drive has delivered double-digit growth on the westbound route in recent years.
China’s exports to the 27-nation European Union, its biggest trading partner, fell 2 percent in April from a year earlier, the second consecutive monthly decline. Softening the blow a bit was a 4 percent increase in imports that bolstered traffic and rates on the smaller eastbound trade.
Europe is buying less from other Asian nations, too: Japan’s exports declined 9.4 percent in the first quarter, while South Korean shipments collapsed 17.7 percent.
Carriers can take solace, however, in rising shipments to the U.S. that offset the declines in Europe. China’s exports to the U.S. grew 12.8 percent in the first quarter, Japanese sales were up 12.5 percent, and South Korean shipments surged 24 percent.
And not all carriers are overexposed to the Asia-Europe trades. Singapore’s NOL generates just 16 percent of its container revenue on the route, compared with 40 percent in the more buoyant trans-Pacific trades. France’s CMA CGM said the Europe-Far East run accounts for just 10 percent of its liner trades.
The decline in Asia-Europe rates also isn’t typical across carriers’ global networks. Hapag-Lloyd said average Asia-Europe freight rates in the first quarter slumped 21.5 percent year-over-year to $1,484 per TEU, but rose to $1,753 from $1,707 in the trans-Pacific and slipped just $5 to $1,751 in the North Atlantic.
But the Asia-Europe trade, particularly during the peak season, remains key to carrier hopes of booking full-year profits after heavy losses in the seasonally slow first quarter and billions of dollars in losses in two of the past three years.
It will be tough maintaining capacity and rate discipline in the coming months as carriers take delivery of 29 new ships of more than 10,000 TEUs each by year-end on top of the 26 similar-sized vessels that joined their fleets in the first four months of 2012. Most of these mega-ships of up to 18,000 TEUs were ordered on the assumption that China would continue to deliver double-digit growth and the smaller players without super-sized vessels would be driven out of the trade. That hasn’t happened.
What is happening is the first signs of discipline breaking down. Israel’s Zim Integrated Shipping Services hailed the relaunch of a joint service with Evergreen and China Shipping Container Line suspended in November 2011 as “an indication of positive developments in the market,” while the G6 Alliance announced a day later it wasn’t adding a planned extra loop because member carriers — APL, Hapag-Lloyd, Hyundai Merchant Marine, MOL, NYK Line and OOCL — “have not seen any improvements in the current market environment to justify implementation of additional services.”
The supply-demand situation is on a knife edge in the run-up to the summer peak season with recent new services adding 18,000 TEUs of weekly capacity and negating the impact of the approximately 16,500 TEUs withdrawn earlier by Maersk Line and CMA CGM that played a critical role in making rate hikes stick.
Much depends on how Maersk will react to the extra capacity sure to start eating into its industry-best market share. The Danish carrier attributes the surge in its market share to a record 19.4 percent to the launch of its Daily Maersk service in October. Rivals put it down to merciless rate-cutting aimed at driving out smaller, more vulnerable players and swooping up their business.
In March, Maersk CEO Soren Skou warned competitors that while it would push for higher rates, “at the end of the day, we want to hold onto our market share at all cost. We will do what it takes.”
There is no indication he has softened his position over the past two months.
Forecasters already had downgraded the outlook for Asia-Europe traffic growth before the dynamics began to change in recent weeks. London broker Clarksons expects growth on the westbound leg to slow to 1.7 percent from 3.3 percent in 2011 while BoxTrade Intelligence says shipments likely will shrink 1 percent.
By contrast, global container traffic will expand 7.1 percent in 2012, down slightly from 7.6 percent in 2011, according to Clarksons. That’s scant solace for companies that have invested heavily in giant vessels earmarked for the Asia-Europe trade that can’t easily switch to other routes.
Hapag-Lloyd, one of the rare carriers to turn a profit in 2011, said short-term prospects “remain shrouded in uncertainty” because of the recession in the eurozone, slowing economic growth in China and a bloating U.S. budget deficit. Further rate hikes and a strong performance in the peak season will determine whether it makes a full-year profit, a common template for most carriers seeking to return to the black.
Failure to push through peak-season surcharges “could have significant negative ramifications on the carriers’ attempts to return to profits this year,” Alphaliner said.
It’s not all gloom and doom. Clarksons forecasts 5.1 percent growth in westbound shipments in 2013. But there’s significant downside, notably prolonged fallout from Europe’s debt crisis.
Contact Bruce Barnard at email@example.com.


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MMCC Secures $13M in Financing for San Diego Retail Center
Marcus & Millichap Capital Corporation (MMCC) has arranged a $13 million loan for the acquisition of The Shops at AMC Palm Promenade, a recently redeveloped retail power center on Dennery Road in San Diego. The firm’s Chad O’Connor secured the financing on behalf of the borrower.
“The acquisition of The Shops at AMC Palm Promenade illustrates the continued demand for high-quality retail properties in San Diego,” said O’Connor. “The MMCC San Diego team worked closely with the borrower to structure a financing package that met their requirements and we’re pleased to bring this transaction to a successful conclusion.”
Renovated last year, the 72,000-square-foot shopping center includes numerous recognized retail tenants, including Burlington and Starbucks. The seven-year fixed loan has a 5.125 interest rate, 30-year amortization and 60% LTV.
Mark comes to ConnectCRE with an extensive background as a business and news reporter in San Francisco radio, as well as 35 years as a traffic reporter on several stations including KGO, KNBR, KCBS and KFRC. As a business reporter, Mark covered the tech world in Silicon Valley where he became familiar with real estate transactions in the hot Bay Area marketplace. He attended San Jose State University with a BA in Radio and TV Broadcasting and currently resides in the Lake Tahoe area where he gets to frequently enjoy all of his favorite activities: Golfing, Fishing, Hiking and Skiing.
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New report reveals toxic phthalates “everywhere.” Used in products from 3M, Hallmark Cards, The Gap, Sherwin-Williams Company, True Value, and More
Full Report: bit.ly/WhatStinks
PORTLAND, ME — Newly disclosed information shows toxic hormone-disrupting chemicals are used in a broader range of household products than previously known. For the first time, manufacturers of paints and cleaning products available across the country have been required to disclose their uses of hormone-disrupting chemicals called phthalates (THAL-eights), revealing phthalates use as a fragrance ingredient in these products.
A new national report — What Stinks? Toxic Phthalates in Your Home — presents data generated by a Maine chemical-use reporting requirement, for products sold across the country. The report was conceived and authored by the Maine-based Environmental Health Strategy Center and Prevent Harm and is cosponsored by Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families and Safer States, Breast Cancer Fund, Ecology Center, Healthy Babies Bright Futures, and Women’s Voices for the Earth.
In addition to the first-time disclosures about toxic phthalates in specific paints and cleaners, manufacturers reported the use of phthalates in vinyl clothing, shoes, and fragranced personal care products. Reporting companies included 3M, which revealed phthalates in the fragrances of cleaners, disinfectants, and deodorizers, and the Gap, Inc. which reported phthalates used to soften the plastic tips of shoelaces and drawstrings.
“This data provides new examples of products that are letting these hormone-assaulting chemicals infiltrate our bathrooms, kitchens, schools — and, ultimately, our bodies,” said Mike Belliveau, executive director of the Maine-based Environmental Health Strategy Center and Prevent Harm, lead sponsors of the new report. “To protect public health, manufacturers and retailers should move quickly to replace phthalates with safer substitutes.”
Chemical-use disclosure required by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection is the basis for the report, and shows 14 manufacturers reported the use of four phthalates in 130 products.
Phthalates are tied to reproductive harm, learning disabilities, and asthma and allergies — even at low levels of exposure. Strong science linking phthalates to health hazards has led to strong restrictions throughout Europe, and several phthalates are prohibited in children’s products in the United States.
A growing number of states, including California, Maine, Oregon, Vermont and Washington, have passed laws that authorize mandatory disclosure of chemicals in products that may harm the health of babies and children. But reporting requirements still exempt many types of common household products.
“That means it’s likely the data reported represents just the tip of the iceberg for uses of phthalates in household products,” Belliveau said. “It also is very likely that many manufacturers are illegally failing to disclose their uses of phthalates.”
Phthalates are mainly used as plasticizers, making vinyl plastic flexible. However the most prolific data in the Maine reporting came from manufacturers using phthalates as a fragrance ingredient.
Phthalates were reported as an ingredient in fragrance for more than half of the products. “Fragrance” can include dozens of chemicals, and there is no requirement that companies must disclose these ingredients publicly. In more than a third of the products reported in Maine, phthalates use is as a plastic softener in clothing, toys, and home maintenance products.
Among the priority chemicals Maine requires for disclosure are four types of phthalates: diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), and dibutyl phthalate (DBP).
“This new report can help retailers identify the types of products where phthalates are still hiding on store shelves,” said Mike Schade, Mind the Store campaign director for Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families. “Big retailers should use their purchasing power and influence to drive these unnecessary toxic chemicals out of fragrance and plastics.”
“In the absence of any federal laws requiring ingredient disclosure for cleaning products and fragrance ingredients, this new data provides crucial information women can use to reduce their exposure to chemicals like phthalates that can cause reproductive harm,” said Erin Switalski, executive director of Women’s Voices for the Earth. “We urge the cleaning product companies that have reported using phthalates to commit to the elimination of this toxic chemical.”
“This report shows that our families are being exposed to dangerous ingredients that are hiding in the products we use every day,” said Janet Nudelman, Breast Cancer Fund Director of Program and Policy. “Consumers have an urgent right to full disclosure of all, and not just some, of the chemicals such as phthalates in their personal care and cleaning products so they can make safer, more informed purchases.”
About Environmental Health Strategy Center and Prevent Harm: As a public health organization, the Environmental Health Strategy Center works to ensure that all people are healthy and thriving in a fair and healthy economy by reducing exposure to toxic chemicals in our homes and promoting products that are safe for people and the planet. In state and national campaigns, we use research and education to reform policies, change the marketplace, and advance science-based solutions that are socially just. Prevent Harm is our advocacy and political action partner. Both organizations are based in Maine.