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Today's cable news roundup leads off with word that two major U.S. MSOs are eager to extend live and on-demand video streaming to a greater number of consumer electronics devices.
Time Warner Cable Inc. (NYSE: TWC) will stretch the legs of its new content delivery network (CDN) and pipe live TV to a greater number of IP-connected devices in 2012. Following initial launches on the iPad and iPhone, the MSO is "planning to bring our live IP video to a wide variety of new platforms in the home this year, including PCs and Macs, game consoles, and certain models of Internet-ready televisions," MSO Chairman and CEO Glenn Britt said on Thursday's fourth-quarter earnings call. TWC has already announced plans to deliver subscription video services over IP to TVs made by Samsung Corp. and Sony Corp. (NYSE: SNE). (See CES 2011: Samsung Puts MSOs in the Picture and CES 2011: TW Cable, Sony Make IPTV Connection.)
Cablevision Systems Corp. (NYSE: CVC) confirmed a report that it's testing a live TV app for PCs and laptops that would follow up the popular app the MSO has already developed for the iPad. The MSO has "always said that we expect to deliver our full cable television service to every screen in the home capable of functioning as a television," the company said, in a statement. Cablevision has extended the trial to a small group of customers and expects to launch it commercially later this year. (See Cablevision Launches iPad App With 280+ Channels .)
But cable's consumer electronics integration efforts will be dwarfed by Netflix Inc. (Nasdaq: NFLX) for the foreseeable future. Netflix has baked its streaming app into more than 800 devices, NewTeeVee says, citing a recent Netflix job posting. MSOs, however, are wary of app management nightmares and have expressed that they will likely target a more limited set of devices and focus primarily on the most popular ones.
Wave Broadband is looking to fetch about US$1 billion to sell cable systems serving more than 325,000 subs in parts of Washington, Oregon and California, Bloomberg reports, noting that smaller MSOs are looking to sell as they find themselves saddled with programming costs that are rising 10 percent a year and hitting margins hard.
Revenues at Motorola Mobility LLC 's Home unit, which sells cable set-tops, modems and other broadband gear, dipped 11 percent in the fourth quarter to $896 million, but still pulled in earnings of $57 million. Set-top shipments dropped 3 percent for the quarter, but were up 6 percent for the full year, notes Multichannel News.


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As noted by filmmaker Jose Jones on Twitter, Fallout 4 was been available for less than 24 hours and someone has already figured out how to get the game working on the Oculus Rift developer’s kit (DK) 2.
Check out the video below from Game Hard 4.0 on YouTube that shows ten minutes of gameplay from the beginning of Fallout 4 (starting right after you’ve finished making your character).
As per usual with gameplay captured from a virtual reality device, the video is split into what would normally be seen through each lens of the headset. With the headset on, your brain and eyes work together to form one cohesive image.
The fact that modders have already found a way to make the game work with a VR-enabled device like the Oculus Rift is a testament to the future of Fallout 4’s modding community.
While mods will eventually be supported by the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions of Fallout 4 (in addition to PC), the Oculus Rift does not work with either console. Sony is, however, gearing up to release its own VR headset for the PS4. Microsoft, on the other hand, has no plans to create or release a VR device.
Bethesda’s vice president of public relations Pete Hines recently spoke on how Fallout 4 mods would work on consoles.
“We do it in a way that’s easy,” Hines said in an interview with Xbox’s Larry Hryb. “I get asked this a lot on social media and Twitter. This is not about, ‘You have to have a PC and you have to do it yourself.’ The idea is you go to play the game and there’s a menu option and you click on it and there’s just a bunch of stuff for you to download. You click on the stuff you want and you start playing the game with these new mods. We want it to be a really streamlined, fun experience.”

domain: news


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The Gap division covers the retailer's oldest store groups, Gap, babyGap, and GapKids, and includes one newer store group, GapBody.
Modernista! was hired a year ago to help the retailer's in-house agency produce TV. Most recently, Modernista! produced spring print and TV advertising. The extension comes at a time when the Gap, like other retailers, is struggling with sales and fashion excitement.
Earlier this week, the Gap named agency veteran Peter Hempel, 42, formerly executive vice president and general manager at Interpublic Group of Cos.' Lowe Lintas & Partners, New York, as executive vice president marketing, filling a spot vacant since last fall when Jim Nevins left the company. -- Alice Z. Cuneo
Copyright March 2001, Crain Communications Inc.


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Production cost nearly half in Bangladesh than Japan: JETRO study
A total of 4,392 firms participated in the study across Asia and Oceania regions. A total of 72.5 per cent of the firms cite India as the first choice for business expansion and Bangladesh as the second position
Nearly 71 per cent of Japanese firms operating in Bangladesh are not satisfied with the business environment in the country. Of those firms, 26.2 per cent expressed dissatisfaction while the remaining 45 per cent reported they were ‘somewhat dissatisfied’, according to a study by the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO).
The findings of the study titled ‘2022 Survey on Business Conditions of Japanese Companies Operating Overseas in Asia and Oceania with focus on Bangladesh’ were revealed at an event at the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (MCCI) auditorium in the capital on Wednesday.
A total of 214 Japanese companies currently operating in Bangladesh participated in the study, which was conducted in August-September 2022.
According to study findings, about 72 per cent of Japanese firms said they are keen to expand business in Bangladesh because business costs are still low in the South Asian country.
A total of 4,392 firms participated in the study across Asia and Oceania regions. Overall, a total of 72.5 per cent of the firms cite India as the first choice for business expansion and Bangladesh as the second position, followed by Vietnam, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea.
The current market size of Bangladesh and its potential to grow bigger also played a significant role in increasing the interest of Japanese businesses in investing in the country.
Bangladesh tops in cheap labour
According to the study, Japanese firms choose Bangladesh as their first choice for four reasons, and these are cheap labour, availability of workers and employees, availability of Specialised human resources and engineers, and existing market. Bangladesh is the first choice of Japanese companies for ‘cheap labour’, with 51.7 per cent of firms selecting the country for doing business, while Myanmar and the Philippines came in second and third places respectively in this category.
The survey also found that 46.6 per cent of Japanese companies placed Bangladesh as their second choice for the availability of workers and employees after the Philippines. In terms of the internal market size, Japanese firms also placed Bangladesh in third position after India and Indonesia. Bangladesh is also the third favourite destination for Japanese companies in terms of availability of specialised human resources and engineers, after Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Where Bangladesh performs poorly
Japanese companies disliked Bangladesh the most for doing business for two reasons. One is a lack of capacity to provide business approval and certificates and another is the incapacity of the tax system. Nearly 80 per cent of Japanese firms think bureaucratic complexity is a big barrier to doing business in this country, while 73.8 per cent of the firms found the incapacity of the tax system in Bangladesh as a major obstacle to doing business.
Besides, there are two other major barriers to business conditions in Bangladesh. One is the creation of a legal framework or foundation for foreign capitals, and another is the availability of visas for foreigners and work permits. Bangladesh, however, performed better than Myanmar, Singapore and Malaysia.
Big challenge in operating businesses
Japanese firms faced two main challenges in operating business in Bangladesh in 2022. These were systemic complexities in providing customs clearance and volatile foreign currency prices. The lack of skilled workforce and wage rise were the main challenges for Japanese companies to do business in Bangladesh in 2021.
The study found that 73.2 per cent of firms cited complicated customs clearance procedures as the main challenge to doing business and 72.6 per cent of firms mentioned exchange rate volatility as a big challenge to doing business here.
Besides, 67.4 per cent of Japanese firms cited difficulties in procurement of raw materials locally as one of the major challenges to business while 65 per cent mentioned power outages and 63 per cent cited rise in raw material prices as a major challenge.
Production cost is half in Bangladesh
The study found production cost is 60 per cent less in Bangladesh than in Japan, which is 54.2 per cent in Cambodia and 48.8 per cent in Laos. In terms of lowest production cost, Bangladesh came in third position among the 19 countries surveyed.
Addressing the programme as the chief guest, Lokman Hossain Miah, executive chairman of Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), said the process has started to issue work permits for foreigners in three days. Besides, BIDA is also working on reducing the approval time for business-related services less than the time required in Vietnam.
IWAMA Kiminori, ambassador of Japan to Bangladesh, said the visa process for business persons from Bangladesh will be made easier after direct flight between Japan and Bangladesh starts, and initiative will be taken to issue multiple visas for businesspersons.
Md Abdus Samad Al Azad, joint secretary (FTA-1) of the commerce ministry, said the trade deficit of Bangladesh with Japan is huge, so there are many opportunities to increase exports.
Nihad Kabir, former president of MCCI, said regulatory agencies in Bangladesh still ask for many documents to open a company, and that takes time and cost is more compared to other countries.
Saiful Islam, incumbent president of MCCI, urged Japanese firms to use authorised economic operator (AEO) facility to reduce customs difficulties.
Manabu Sugawara, vice president of the Japan-Bangladesh Chamber and Commerce Industry, said existence of investment potential does not mean investment has arrived. It is necessary to provide incentive to increase foreign investment, he added.
Yuji Ando, country representative of JETRO, highlighted various aspects of the study at the programme, where Tetsuro Kano, president of the Japanese Commerce and Industry Association, also spoke.


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So, unfortunately, we now all know what “pink slime” is. It’s the ‘lean finely textured beef‘ (LFTB) that is produced by mashing and sterilizing scraps of beef. It looks disgusting, and the production process is unappealing. But then the same could be said for a lot of food ingredients.
Public outrage has followed the revelation that LFTB is finding its way into school lunches and into packaged ground beef. There have been calls for a ban, and calls to require that products containing LFTB be labeled. Both ideas are unwarranted.
(I should point out I have no personal stake in this debate. I haven’t eaten beef in over 20 years. As far as I can tell, the complaint is very roughly that producers of ground beef are mixing in a little bit of what is essentially all-beef hot dog meat.)
Being against the use of LFTB in the food system is more or less equivalent to being in favour of waste. In producing LFTB, the beef industry is being efficient in harvesting every last shred of meat from a carcass. So banning pink slime could even be bad for the planet, since if you ban something used as a filler in ground beef, and if you don’t at the same time reduce the demand for ground beef, you need to raise more cattle in order to meet demand. And beef cattle, as we all know by now, are ecologically pretty bad.
And while we’re on the topic of alternatives, it’s worth reading what the Consumer Federation of America has to say. The CFA has released a statement (PDF) advocating for LFTB. The CFA notes that while LFTB may be “icky”, it is at least safe, and whatever filler hamburger makers use to replace it may well be less safe.
Still, even if LFTB is safe, and good for the planet, what about the right to choose? Why not label products containing LFTB so that consumers can choose? After all, in a free society it’s good for people to have choices, even if they are liable to make bad ones sometimes.
But as I’ve written before, there’s no blanket right to know what’s in the food you’re eating. Wanting something — including some piece of information — isn’t the same as having a right to it. If high-end food companies and retailers want proudly to label their products as “LFTB Free” or “Pink Slime Free,” they have (and should have) the right to. But that’s a far cry from forcing labelling, and even further from banning a product that is yucky, but useful.


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The deal covers more than 130 hours of Vice programming, and continues a partnership struck in 2019, when Vice shows first landed on Hulu. The companies then struck a more formal pact last year, for 100 hours of Vice TV originals. They also previously partnered on the launch of Vice on Hulu’s live streaming service.
The new deal sees the renewal of most titles that are already available on Hulu, along with 50 hours of new programming that are being added to the platform.
Vice smartly expanded into distribution in July 2020 with a new global distribution and licensing group, headed by former ITV Studios executive Bea Hegedus. The outfit is intended to maximize the value of Vice IP, including programming from Vice TV.


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Margaritaville Holdings has announced the appointment of Rick Cunningham as vice president of hotel development.
Margaritaville’s current hospitality portfolio includes 10 hotels and resorts across the Caribbean and Southeast U.S. with more than $4.8 billion in the development pipeline.
Bringing more than 30 years of hospitality industry experience to this new position for the company, Cunningham has been with Margaritaville for nearly a year and is responsible for cultivating relationships with hospitality ownership and development groups as he continues to grow Margaritaville’s portfolio of hotels and resorts around the world.
“As we aggressively eye both domestic and international expansion, we couldn’t be happier to have Rick on our team,” said Jim Wiseman, president of Margaritaville development, in a written release. “With a proven track record of success in high-profile hospitality development positions, we have complete confidence Rick will be an instrumental part of helping us bring the Margaritaville state of mind to new destinations near and far.”
Cunningham has made an immediate impact in his role, already working on new deals including Margaritaville’s first urban property, which recently broke ground in downtown Nashville’s “SoBro” district.
Additionally, he has supported the brand with its partnership with Driftwood Acquisitions & Development (DAD) to rebrand two high-profile resorts – Tan-Tar-A Resort in Central Missouri and Flamingo Beach Resort & Spa in Costa Rica.
Prior to joining Margaritaville, Cunningham spent nearly 20 years in various key roles at InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG). Most recently, he served as the company’s regional vice president of upscale development, overseeing IHG’s Hotel Indigo, Crowne Plaza and EVEN Hotel brands in the Southeastern U.S. and Caribbean regions.


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2014 Ends & 2015 Begins with New Design Awards
2014 was a fruitful year for Orhan Irmak Tasarım team in terms of design awards. Last week, our Chief Creative Director, Orhan Irmak was given the Good Design award trophy by Turkish Minister of Economy, Mr. Nihat Zeybekci, President of Turkish Exporters Assembly, Mr. Mehmet Buyukeksi and President of Industrial Designers Society of Turkey, Mr. Ayberk Yagiz. Our Good Design award winner projects at Design Turkey were the gift boxes for Arcelik and the graphic designs for Activex antibacterial soap range.
Only one week later, World Packaging Organization announced the WorldStar packaging design award winners. This time our Korkmaz Mevlevi Tea Set design was awarded for a WorldStar and Carte d'Or Fruit Deserts designs for a Certificate of Merit.
We wish everyone a happy new year and we will be working hard on new creative projects to win more awards in 2015.


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Three days ago, we informed you first announced the SamsungSamsung Galaxy S 4, technical details: confirmations for the wireless charging. Read more ... » Galaxy S4IFIXIT: Galaxy S4 gets high marks. Read more ... » shortage. The popular Canadian operator TelusSamsung galaxy s4 late for americans. Read more ... » announcing not being able to keep delivery times, due to excessive demand and a limited stock of S4What you should know about the Galaxy S4. Read more ... ».
He proposed that while $50 telephone credit customers who would agree to be delivered on May 10, instead of Saturday, April 27.
It seems that too few fans have responded to their offer since they offer now $ 100 credit to those who will accept to wait before having their GalaxyThe Galaxy S4 vs BlackBerry Z10 vs iPhone 5. Read more ... » S4. Of course, customers who have accepted the offer of $ 50 will be credited automatically $ 100. Those who refuse will well receive their new SmartphoneWhich 2014 smartphone is the best for gaming?. Read more ... » as soon as April 27, either in four days.
USGalaxy S4 available on April 26 in the United States. Read more ... » operator SprintSamsung galaxy s4 price in Sprint. Read more ... » is currently the same concern. While up to now possible to pre-order the S4, the operator now indicates on its website that the stock is exhausted. Fans will have to turn to other dealers or operators if they want to acquire the fastest Smartphone.
What many feared is currently happening. Galaxy S4 is already a phenomenal success, and will certainly exceed the 10 million copies sold in a month, as predicted by Samsung.
For the moment, no backorder was unveiled in FranceSamsung Galaxy S4 already in 60 countries. Read more ... », and we hope that this will not be the case. You can still pre-order the S4 in many merchants and operators, and find the bestWhich 2014 smartphone is the best for gaming?. Read more ... » prices in our comparison table.


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For a smart plug, ThinkEco’s Modlet is a bit of a celebrity. It has rubbed elbows with the likes of Martha Stewart and the team at NBC’s Today Show.
But for the New York-based company, the Modlet might be just the first act. The company is currently selling the Modlet at Best Buy and directly to customers in its own online storefront and has done a pilot with Consolidated Edison to control window AC units during summer peak.
ThinkEco will continue to work with Con Edison and other utilities, but it is also going to start working with original equipment manufacturers and then release a software-as-a-service product in the first half of 2012.
“The idea is for us to find partners that need a plug-load solution,” said Jun Shimada, president and CTO of ThinkEco.
For companies, built-in solutions for large office equipment could save significant amounts of money. More than 25 percent of electricity that companies use goes to plug loads, a figure that is growing. Many companies have instituted behavior programs to increase energy efficiency, but what if you could take the workers out of part of the equation?
ThinkEco is targeting computers, printers, copiers and water coolers to do just that. The company’s research with more than 125 companies found that they could turn appliances off about 50 percent of the time, said Shimada.
The move to work with OEMs and to offer software as a service is a trend growing among residential energy management companies. Other companies like People Power are also looking to offer an embedded solution, while EnergyHub also launched a software-as-a-service offering last year and Tendril is building partnerships with OEMs, such as Whirlpool.
Although ThinkEco is gunning to work with commercial markets, it is actually still proving the value of its Modlet in utility studies. In the Con Edison pilot, there was an average 26 percent energy savings across some 500 window air conditioners during peak events last summer, although further data will not be released until this summer.
While ThinkEco finalizes its entry into the commercial market, just proving its Modlets for window ACs could be a successful business model in utility channels. Central AC is still king in most areas of the country, but window or wall units make up 58 percent of air conditioning in the U.S., according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
The figures in other regions of the U.S. are far lower, with the Midwest and West having about a quarter of their air conditioning served by window or wall units. The figure is only about 16 percent for the south.
New York City is unique in its penetration of window AC units. In many other areas of the country, the prevalence of these units is clearly related to income. About a third of households below the poverty line have room AC, rather than central, compared to about 15 percent of those that have an income above $100,000, according to EIA. For utilities looking to provide demand response programs that cut across the socioeconomic strata of their territory, a solution like Modlet could help them achieve that. “One thing that’s good for us from retail is it forces us to make it very easy to use,” said Shimada. “The non-tech-savvy still need to be served.”
From a commercial standpoint, the product could also be a low-cost option for small and medium-sized businesses that can't afford to upgrade large pieces of equipment but want some visibility into large plug loads. ThinkEco is currently doing a pilot with NYSERDA to examine that opportunity.
In 2012, ThinkEco sees the utility and enterprise markets, rather than individual consumers, as the primary forces that will be driving the firm's business. “There’s a little bit of wait-and-see with retail,” said Shimada. “But our intention is to keep all three going.”


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ORLANDO, Fla. – Loews Sapphire Falls Resort has announced that it will resume operations for guests starting May 18.
The resort known for its layed-back Caribbean inspired views has been closed since Aug. 21, along with Universal’s Aventura Hotel.
Loews Sapphire Falls is now offering special rates for future guests.
According to Universal’s website, rates start at $159 per night, with a four-night stay.
Loews Hotels plan to share more updates about the reopening of Aventura Hotel as they become available.
Click here for the guest and hotel guidelines at Universal.
Use the form below to sign up for the ClickOrlando.com In the Loop: Theme Park Scoops newsletter, sent every Friday morning.


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The timing of the most recent Tylenol recall couldn't have been better for providers of plastic pallets. As MH&L reported this week, Johnson & Johnson's McNeil Consumer Healthcare unit is recalling a product lot of Tylenol 8 Hour caplets from store shelves after receiving complaints of a musty or moldy odor. You would think after one of these recalls the company would have gotten to the bottom of this, however, 12 recalls later, we're still reporting on the problem.
In our reports, McNeil linked this moldy odor to the presence of trace amounts of a chemical called 2,4,6-tribromoanisole (TBA). This is produced by the conversion of its precursor, 2,4,6 tribromophenol (TBP), a wood preservative that has been linked to the pallets used to carry J&J's products. Bruce Scholnick, president of the National Wooden Pallet and Container Association (NWPCA), points out that U.S. and European wood pallet manufacturers and recyclers do not use TBP. In fact, it's banned in the U.S. So why all these recalls?
“My guess is [the problem] may be coming from the shipping container and not from pallets,” Scholnick told me. “TBA is extremely aggressive and gets absorbed into plastic pretty easily. So if it's present, I've heard it will go right through the walls of a plastic container.”
Is that what happened with the Tylenol? He's not sure, because McNeil hasn't sat down with NWPCA to discuss corrective measures. Scholnick likens the company to an ostrich with its head in the sand. The pharmaceutical industry itself has stated it is looking into the feasibility of heat treated pallets—something Scholnick says is ineffective against TBP.
To help the pharmaceutical and food chains be more effective, NWPCA is working on a set of best handling practices for pallets and containers traveling these chains. This is not only a service on NWPCA's part, but a defensive measure against the plastic pallet industry's constant attacks on the safety—or perceived lack thereof—with wood pallets.
This brings me to the good timing of the plastic pallet people that I mentioned at the top of this blog. At about the same time McNeil was announcing its Tylenol recall, Intelligent Global Pooling Systems (iGPS) Company, a pallet rental service providing all-plastic pallets with embedded radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, announced a new, premium-level pallet rental service “specifically designed to meet the unique needs of the pharmaceutical and life sciences industries.”
According to the company's press release, the new service—“iGPS bios”—follows a year of research into the unique needs of these industries, and “provides a level of pallet hygiene and security that cannot be achieved with pallets made of wood or other organic materials.”
To cover the security side, each of these plastic pallets has four RFID tags embedded in its frame, enabling tracking and tracing throughout the supply chain. In addition, Spider AT tags throughout this pallet fleet will transmit alerts, specific events and pallet location. That information should come in handy during a recall!
Even if McNeil chooses to keep its corporate head buried in the sand about the unwanted aroma therapy that has been accompanying some of its meds, it looks like the plastic and the wood pallet industries are busy looking for ways to clear the air—while trying to bury each other in the sand.


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Know. Grow. Exit.
Oxford Membership is not for everyone. It is an “in-the-trenches” membership for doers, not dreamers. If you are ready to scale your business and join other world-leading CEO entrepreneurs doing the same, apply for membership.
Good Thursday Morning,
Daylight – With some fresh tracks in the mud, like the tax bill passing and CVS Aetna mega merger deal, time to pull out the crystal ball for business.
M&A – 2018 will be the biggest year ever for M&A with more co-mega mergers, second cousin marriage deals like CVS and Aetna. The bankers got one done, and they are putting some wild ones on Wall Street drawing boards right now.
Actually, the Amazon/Whole Foods deal was the first flicker of a deal that will change M&A with monster deals, and then they will unwind most where Wall Street will make as much money bringing them down as it did taking them up. The business benefits of the tax bill and a strong tail wind of M&A will keep the economy roaring in 2019 and re-electing Trump in 2020. 2021 – Hell to pay.
Intuit agree to acquire TSheets, a platform that businesses use to automate time tracking and scheduling for them and their workers, for $340 million.
More fresh tracks – Broadcom has gone hostile in its $100 billion bid to buy Qualcomm.
TMT Crypto Fund raised $60 million from LPs investing cash and investments via crypto-tokens.
Style – CONQUERING CHINA: The Chinese market graveyard is full of bodies – Twitter, Facebook and Uber to name three DOAs. Sole Survivor looks to be Airbnb. Impressive growth for three straight years and looks to turn first profit within five.
Airbnb co-founder and chief strategy officer Nathan Blecharczyk said the team wasn’t sure if their model would even work in China. “We had heard the stories about other tech companies and how hard it is to succeed in China, so we weren’t sure whether to make it a priority or focus on other things that were more straightforward.” The magnet is sheer size of country.
The numbers speak for themselves. China is home to 730 million Internet users. It accounts for 40 percent of global retail e-commerce, and its mobile payment market is a whopping 11 times the size of the U.S. market.
Economics – Bitcoin frenzy in South Korea pushes payment premiums to 23 percent – Buying spree, including by children, comes despite government TV warnings over dangers.
ASX chooses blockchain for equities clearing – Australian bourse becomes first big exchange to commit to the technology.
$22 Billion – Market value of Dollar General, which has seen profits soar off growth in rural areas where supermarkets like Piggly Wiggly and Ingles have been displaced. Dollar General has been steadily gaining ground in the parts of the country that other retailers do not want to open new spaces in, and the more the rural U.S. struggles economically, the more customers Dollar General can chase. Walmart walked away from these customers.
Live Rounds – A great bet right now would be to take the LA Chargers to win the Super Bowl. Odds have closed from 50 to 1 to 25 to 1, and the team is right where it needs to be – playing on the verge of being out of control and surging with a 6 and 6 record after losing the first four games. By the way, Atlanta Falcons have 33 to 1 odds of winning the Super Bowl and a do or die game tonight against New Orleans.
Buzzard’s Roost – More tracks – Senator Al Franken from Minnesota will resign today from the US Senate. Kept way under radar.
Hot – Christmas tree prices have spiked this year as supply is down. The number of growers in the Pacific Northwest Christmas Tree Association dropped from 524 members in 2009 to 275 members this year.
Investment Banking – $98,750,067,000,000 – That’s the total value of companies listed on the world’s stock markets, just a hair under a hundred trillion dollars.
Culture – It’s the biggest Starbucks in the world, and it’s in Shanghai, a sign of the major investment the company is making in China. The 29,000-square-foot Starbucks Reserve Roastery has a staff of 400. Chinese trend change from tea – older generation – to coffee = 25 and younger.
IPO – Newmark Group, a real estate brokerage firm, plans to raise $615 million in an IPO of 30 million shares priced between $19 to $22.
Venture Capital – Fetch Robotics Inc., a firm, raised $25 million.
Earny, a personal financial service, raised $9 million.
Kespry, an aerial intelligence solution provider, raised $33 million.
Spotlight – Yesterday, we met Cambridge Analytica with our members from Charleston, Atlanta and Virginia on how data analytics is moving to data behavior – what customers need, which nudge to take action. Cambridge is credited with telling the Trump campaign what street to run which ads, particularly in Wisconsin. Could be worthy of an Entrepreneur Briefing in 2018. By the way, yesterday, Porsche moved our Entrepreneur Briefing date to Feb. 2 to accommodate us on the racetrack and provide C-Suite space for internal meeting. We will get more details out.
Speaking of meetings, our Aptonet CEO – CIO dinner had highest RSVP attendance at 96 percent and on a rainy dreadful traffic evening. 70 percent would have met normal record.
ScreenTimes: Jodie Foster and Rosemarie DeWitt
New York City
Monday, Dec. 11
7 to 8:15 p.m.
Spend an evening with the Academy Award-winning and Golden Globe-winning actor and filmmaker Jodie Foster and Obie Award-winning actor Rosemarie DeWitt. Ms. Foster and Ms. DeWitt will discuss their creative processes, their commitment to supporting women in Hollywood and their upcoming project – the Emmy Award-winning fourth season of “Black Mirror,” which is directed by Ms. Foster and stars Ms. DeWitt.
Contact MR Editor Amethyst Bush for details to attend. email@example.com
Exits – Onex Corp acquired IntraPac International Corp, a Mooresville, N.C.-based maker of rigid packaging solution for $120 million from CI Capital Partners.
Crane Co. agreed to acquire Crane & Co., Inc., a micro-optic security technology maker, from Lindsay Goldberg, members of the Crane family, and other shareholders for $800 million.
QualTek agreed to acquire Velocitel, a wireless network services company, from Willis Stein Private Equity.
The Chamberlain Group agreed to acquire Systems Holdings, a maker of hydraulic, pneumatic, and mechanical loading dock leveling equipment, from Huron Capital.
ERT agreed to acquire iCardiac Technologies, a laboratory for cardiac safety biomarkers, from Norwest.
AEA Investors closed its previously announced acquisition of Excelitas Technologies, the provider of photonics technology solution from Veritas Capital.
Venture Capital – Indigo Ag, Inc., a firm helping farmers sustainably feed the planet, raised $47 million after a $156 million closing in late September.
Sonim Technologies, a smartphone maker raised $37 million.
NGDATA, a customer experience management solutions firm, raised $19 million.
honeygrow raised $18 million.
Simplus, a provider of quote-to-cash solutions, raised $9.3 million.
HealthiPASS, a healthcare payments technology provider, raised $7.2 million.
VirtualHealth, a provider of population health and care management technologies, raised $7 million.
PatientPay, a Raleigh, N.C.-based patient payments partner for specialty care, raised $6 million.
Integrated Biometrics, a Spartanburg, S.C.-based a maker of FBI-certified fingerprint sensors, raised $2 million.
LaunchDarkly, a feature management platform, raised a $21 million.
Noodle Partners, a firm that helps colleges decrease the cost of online higher education, raised about $14 million.
Pilotworks, a community of food entrepreneurs formerly known as FoodWorks, raised $13 million.
NS8, an ecommerce fraud prevention provider, raised $7.5 million.
VirtualHealth, a provider of population health and care management technologies, raised $7 million.
Powerful, a Miami-based food and beverage company, raised $4 million.
Stateless, a firm allowing network functions to be consumed through the “as a service” model, raised $1.4 million.
Black Dog Venture Partners acquired a ten percent stake in Wobbl3 Entertainment, a video game developer.
Private Equity – Investors include Oaktree-managed OCM Growth Holdings invested $275 million in Runway Growth Credit Fund Inc, a provider of term debt to companies seeking an alternative to raising equity.
Oak Spring Holdings and Wentworth acquired Purshe Kaplan Sterling, an Albany, financial services firm. Monroe Capital provided $43.5 million in financing to support the acquisition.
Growth Catalyst Partners and PSP Capital acquired a majority stake in Beachfront Media, an Ormond Beach, Fla.-based mobile video monetization company.
Shamrock Capital acquired a minority stake in Branded Cities, an out-of-home media company.
In-Q-Tel (IQT) invested in Enveil, a data security company.
Shire invested in Rani Therapeutics, a maker of robotic pills that will enable injected drugs to be taken orally.
Zeta Global acquired Disqus, an audience engagement platform.
RESIDE Worldwide acquired ABODA, a provider of housing solutions.
Oasis Outsourcing acquired Staff One HR, Dallas-based based provider of human resources services.
China Broadband Capital invested in investment in Payoneer, a digital payments company.
H.I.G. Capital acquired Velocity Solutions Inc, a Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based provider of software and solutions to financial firms.
Bain Capital Ventures and Silversmith Capital Partners acquired Swift Prepaid Solutions Inc, a provider of prepaid solutions for global incentive and reward programs.
ABRY Partners acquired a majority stake in Breakthrough Technology Group, a private cloud service provider.
VPI Holding Co acquired Aware Products, a beauty industry branding firm.
Pandion Energy agreed to buy a 10 percent stake in two North Sea fields from oil firm Aker BP.
TPG Capital amended its deal to acquire Exactech, a Gainesville, Fla.-based orthopedic implant maker, for $49.25 per share rather than the previous amount of $42 per share.
Munch Supply acquired O’Connor Company, a HVAC company.
Great Range Capital led a group of investors that including The Bradley Family Office to acquire Labor Source, a professional staffing company.
Nellson Nutraceutical acquired Genysis Brand Solutions, maker of functional powders.
Water Street acquired Alliance Life Sciences and Health Strategies Group, life sciences commercialization firms.
Procare Software acquired KidReports, a provider of real time reporting technology and services to child care providers.
And that’s what’s ahead, Cliff


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There was an interesting article on the BBC news website this week about the growing threat which UK businesses face from cyber attack.It was reporting the findings of a research study carried out for Hiscox insurance which showed that an astonishing 55% of UK businesses have already faced a cyber attack in 2019, up from 40% of businesses last year. The average cost of each attack is somewhere in the region of £185,000 as well, and that’s before you even start to consider the long term commercial and reputational damage which can come from not being able to service your customers properly.
Apparently, small and medium sized businesses wrongly think they won’t be targeted so don’t spend enough on cyber security and are less likely to have a member of staff assigned to take responsibility for it. However, there have already been several high profile attacks in this industry and we’ve all seen how difficult it is to recover.
I couldn’t be more pleased then that, in the same week that this research was published, Mila received its Cyber Essentials Plus Certificate accredited by CREST to show that our entire internet facing infrastructure has been successfully assessed as being secure.
Cyber Essentials is a government backed scheme which looks at everything from boundary firewalls and access control to malware and anti-virus protection. Our certification represented the culmination of a huge amount of work by our IT teams and, on behalf of Mila and all our customers, I’d like to pass on my personal thanks and congratulations to all of them.


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Bush, Dems at odds on free trade
By DANIEL GRISWOLD
In an upbeat speech to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab recently predicted that President Bush and a new Democratic Congress would work together in the next two years on a range of trade legislation. Supporters of trade expansion can only hope she is right, but political winds point toward rough waters ahead.
Democratic control of the 110th Congress will mean a chilly reception for the Bush administration's agenda of promoting free trade agreements. According to post-election analysis by the Wall Street Journal, skeptics of trade gained about 16 votes in the House and five in the Senate. Core Democratic constituencies, such as organized labor and environmentalists, will demand opposition to new trade agreements as a reward for their support.
The first casualty of the new Congress will be trade promotion authority, due to expire at the end of June 2007. Approved in 2002, TPA authorizes the president to negotiate free trade agreements and present them to Congress for an up-or-down vote without amendment.
Under TPA, Congress approved such deals as the Chile and Singapore free trade agreements, in 2003, the Australia agreement in 2004, and the Central American Free Trade Agreement in 2005. Renewal of TPA was doubtful even before the election, given the narrow margin by which it passed in 2002, but the Democratic sweep has sealed its fate for at least the next two years.
Democrats have also staked out a skeptical line against free-trade agreements still in the pipeline with the United States' Latin American neighbors Colombia and Peru. The mantra of the party and its organized-labor backers is that these agreements fail to protect the environment and labor rights. Those demands are based on the misguided belief that developing countries will only raise their workplace standards under threat of trade sanctions, when in reality, expanding trade has been a powerful engine to that end.
And Democrats keep raising their own standards for trade agreements. During the last Democratic-controlled Congress, in 1993-94, 40 percent of House Democrats voted in favor of the North American Free Trade Agreement, even though it contained few references to labor and environmental standards. A dozen years later, in 2005, a mere 15 Democrats voted for the Central American Free Trade Agreement, even though it affected much less trade and contained whole chapters devoted to labor and environmental standards.
The incoming chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Max Baucus of Montana, consistently supports trade liberalization, but his counterpart on the House Ways and Means Committee, Charles Rangel of New York, has compiled a checkered record. Rangel voted in favor of permanent normal trade relations with China in 2000 and a few smaller FTAs. But he opposed major trade legislation that forms the cornerstone of U.S. trade policy-NAFTA and CAFTA, trade promotion authority, and even the Uruguay Round Agreements Act of 1994 that secured America's membership in the World Trade Organization. And Rangel is considered a pro-trade Democrat.
The one area where the new Congress may be more pro-trade than the old will be on Cuba. Large majorities of Democrats have voted against the trade embargo and travel restrictions. Rep. Rangel himself has sponsored amendments that would have denied funding for enforcement of the embargo. Unfortunately, President Bush is wedded to defending the failed, 4-decade-old policy of trying to change Cuba through economic isolation. The new Congress may chip around the edges but will probably not be able to repeal the embargo.
Thanks to the American system of checks and balances, a Democratic Congress will find it difficult to enact outright protectionist legislation, such as sweeping tariffs against goods from China. President Bush does (in theory, anyway) wield the veto pen. In the Senate, Democrats will need to muster a 60-vote supermajority for any trade bills, a real barrier against protectionism in a chamber that is normally more pro-trade than the House. Thus the most likely outcome for the next two years will be a rise in anti-trade rhetoric and proposals coming out of Washington, but no bold changes in actual policy.
Meanwhile, the American people will go on voting with their dollars for more engagement in the global economy.
Daniel Griswold is director of the Center for Trade Policy Studies at the Cato Institute in Washington, D.C. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.


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All posts tagged "age uk"
- Designer clothes at Age UK’s Cheshire shop
Knutsford’s Age UK East Cheshire shop will be offering designer clothing this Bank Holiday weekend as part of a Top Notch Event. The three day event runs from 9am-5:30pm on Friday and Saturday, and 12pm-4pm on Sunday....
- Posted May 3, 2018


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MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., March 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The FIDO Alliance is pleased to announce its first Authenticate Virtual Summit of 2022: The FIDO Fit in Commerce: Examining the Present and Future of Authentication in Banking, Retail, Crypto and Blockchain. The summit features iconic sponsors Daon, Keyless and nok nok.
Attendees will hear from industry experts about the authentication challenges facing all commerce players today and learn about FIDO’s invaluable role in the industry. The program provides market-specific information and will be broadcast March 30 in the USA (2:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. EDT) and March, 31st in Europe (2:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. CET).
Online payment fraud is increasing globally, totaling an estimate 20 billion US dollars lost last year. Meanwhile, Forrester research suggests poor online checkout experiences are costing brands dearly $18 billion one year of cart abandonment. This event invites banking, retail, crypto and blockchain players to learn how they can meet the urgent need to provide simpler and stronger user authentication, and why FIDO has quickly become a rock. cornerstone of the future of commerce.
The agenda includes presentations from leading financial institutions, solution providers and industry analysts to explore:
- Trade authentication today and its challenges
- The benefits and risks of different authentication methods
- Main privacy and regulatory requirements – and their evolution
- The Modern Strong Authentication Imperative in Commerce
- Use cases and practical information on deploying FIDO
- The future of authentication in commerce
Speakers include executives from HR-ISAC, eBay, Gemini, Goode Intelligence, PLUSCARD, Entersekt, LoginID, the Greensheet, IDnow and more.
Register for free and view the event agenda here. All sessions will also be available on demand after the second broadcast.
The Authenticate 2022 Virtual Summit Series is accepting sponsorship applications, providing a number of lead generation and brand exposure opportunities for interested organizations. Visit Authentication sponsorship page for more information or contact [email protected].
About FIDO Alliance
The FIDO Alliance (Fast IDentity Online), fidoalliance.orgwas formed in July 2012 to address the lack of interoperability between strong authentication technologies and to address issues users experience when creating and remembering multiple usernames and passwords. The FIDO Alliance is changing the nature of authentication with standards for simpler, stronger authentication that defines a set of open, scalable, and interoperable mechanisms that reduce reliance on passwords. FIDO Authentication is stronger, private and easier to use when authenticating to online services.
SOURCE FIDO Alliance, Inc.


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Share 'Announcing a new book to enrich children's outdoor environments at school!'
New Village Press has just published a new book by Sharon Danks entitled, "Asphalt to Ecosystems: Design Ideas for Schoolyard Transformation". (www.asphalt2ecosystems.org) It will be available in stores in mid-October 2010.
"Asphalt to Ecosystems" broadens our notion of what a well-designed schoolyard should be, taking readers on a journey from traditional, ordinary grassy fields a…
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Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian authorities are investigating fidget spinners after state television reported that opposition activists are using them to attract supporters.
State-owned Rossiya 24 put out a report last month, claiming the popular toys were sold at opposition rallies and that online advertisements for them lead to YouTube channels promoting opposition politicians.
Fidget spinners — toys usually made of metal designed to keep small hands occupied — have taken the world by storm in recent months.
Russia's consumer watchdog said in a statement on Tuesday that it is concerned about "an aggressive promotion of spinners" among children and teenagers. The Consumer Oversight Agency said it has teamed up with researchers to "study the influence" of fidget spinners on children's wellbeing.
Pending the investigation the watchdog issued tips for parents who do buy fidget spinners for their children, including a recommendation to purchase them only from licensed sellers and check them for broken parts.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Protecting Against Phishing Attacks? Trending Scams To Be Aware Of
Digital transactions increased by 42% following the pandemic and cybercriminals have been quick to notice and have taken advantage of the situation. In fact, as of early 2021, more than a quarter of digital retail websites were found to be malicious.
Cybercriminals never stop thinking of ways to attempt phishing scams. Identity theft protection professional Carrie Kerskie stated in a recent interview that, "Bad guys are always finding new ways to get between you and your information and you and your money." When attackers get creative, we must stay alert and aware of the latest anti phishing tactics. If you want to protect against phishing attacks in 2021-2022, the following list is a must-read.
Learn more about BrandShield’s comprehensive anti-phishing solution, combining the monitoring, detection, and takedown capabilities you need.
Scam studies: Trending phishing methods to keep in mind
- Online impersonation: Known as "Spoofing," this common cyber threat evolved to include new platforms and sophisticated maneuvers. Cybercriminals impersonate organizations, leaders, employees, and customers to uncover information and gain access to company and personal assets.
- Company impersonation: Criminals take on the form of an established brand or app to create an entry point to convince people to offer their credentials. This type of phishing scam also includes domain name look-alikes that lead customers to believing they're interacting with the original brand.
- Executive impersonation and whaling: Recent studies reveal that 46% of company executives have experienced phishing scams, which is an increase of 131% between late 2020 and early 2021. Social engineering methods convince victims to perform specific actions, such as wiring funds, providing sensitive information, or granting access to company systems. Any anti-phishing strategy must consider executives a particularly hot target and prioritize protecting them.
- Social media ad scams: Social networks have been at the center of phishing scams for quite some time, but ads offer new opportunities for cybercriminals. In the first half of 2020, the FTC received more complaints regarding social media ad-related scams than in all of 2019, resulting in a $117 million loss. Today, social media ads are responsible for almost a quarter of all online shopping scams, with Facebook and Instagram taking the lead. Cybercriminals make false promises that shoppers find hard to miss and gain access to personal information and accounts.
- URL redirection scams: This tactic enables cybercriminals to exploit simple online mechanisms and redirect users from the original URL to a different, fraudulent one. It's hard for online users to detect this threat because we all encounter URL redirection on a regular basis, making it seem innocent enough. Scammers even go the extra mile and include CAPTCHA verification to make the interaction seem more authentic.
Some URL scams send users’ personal information to third parties. These scams might also trigger a “share” feature that forwards the malicious link to the person’s contact list, turning more unsuspecting users into phishing victims.
Other URL-based tactics present users with promotional deals, online contests, and other fake opportunities. These appear to be under the original website’s name and require users to provide personal information or payment details.
- Facebook Messenger scams: Messenger is a popular communication platform, and cybercriminals utilize it for attacks. An invite to download a fake Messenger update was at the center of a recente phishing attack that reached 5,700 users. The attack managed to bypass filters and paved the way to victims' login credentials.
Other Facebook Messenger scams approach users asking, "Is that you?" followed by a malicious link that victims are tempted to click. They are then directed to what seems like Facebook's login screen and unknowingly provide cybercriminals with sensitive information, including access to their contact list, which allows them the chance to deceive many others.
The threats mentioned here should be part of every organization's anti-phishing strategy, and companies must continuously update their policies and solutions to keep up with the latest tactics. Otherwise, the damage to the business and its customers can be catastrophic. Even if your organization takes pride in its external threat detection capabilities, staying alert is vital and being able to not only detect threats, but also defend against them makes all the difference. In the perpetual race between cybercriminals and protectors, you simply can’t afford to fall behind.


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Hologic Inc., (Bedford, MA), maker of diagnostics, medical imaging systems and surgical products for women, announced its fiscal third-quarter results on Monday for the quarter ending June 27.
The company said profits fell 3 percent as cutbacks in purchases at hospitals hurt sales of its Selenia digital mammography systems. The company regards its performance as "solid" in a challenging market characterized by reduced capital spending by health care organizations.
Earnings dropped to $41 million, or 16 cents per share, from $61.4 million, or 24 cents per share, a year ago. Excluding one-time items, the company said it earned 29 cents per share. Revenue fell 6 percent, to $403.1 million from $429.5 million.
Diagnostics, GYN Bright Spots
Revenue from Hologic's breast health business fell 20 percent, to $174.9 million, while diagnostic revenue jumped 10 percent to $139.5 million after Hologic bought Third Wave Technologies, a medical diagnostics company, in 2008.
GYN Surgical revenue climbed $65.8 million from $56.3 million, while skeletal health revenue fell $22.9 million from $27.1 million.
As of June 27, 2009, total backlog for all products was $333.6 million.
Hologic says it is lifting its profit forecast for the year, but expects lower sales.
Speaking at a conference call on Monday, Jack Cumming, Hologic's chairman and chief executive, said that the third quarter marked the U.S. launch of Hologic's two Cervista HPV tests, following FDA approval of the tests on March 13, 2009.
GYN Surgical revenues, which include the company's NovaSure endometrial ablation system and the Adiana Permanent Contraception System, totaled $65.8 million for the third quarter of fiscal 2009, compared to $56.3 million for the third quarter of fiscal 2008. This increase was primarily due to an increase in the number of NovaSure systems sold in the third quarter of fiscal 2009, Cumming said.
Adiana, just approved in July, has not yet added to revenues.
Summing up the company's results, Cumming said, "We continue to feel the ongoing impact of the economic environment, primarily within our Breast Health segment. However, these results were in line with our expectations.
He added, "We are very pleased with the performance of our Diagnostics and GYN Surgical product lines as they once again experienced double-digit annualized sequential growth and also performed at or above expectations in the quarter.
"We are also very excited with the recent FDA approval of our Adiana Permanent Contraception System and are thrilled to be able to offer women a new alternative for their long-term contraception needs. Finally, we remain committed to developing new products to complement our current lines and fuel our long-term growth objectives, and our cash flows from operations and balance sheet continue to remain very strong."


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Gram's is giving away tickets to this weekend's "Taste of South Jeff"! We've got two free tickets to give away to a random prize winner who answers the question below. To sweeten the pot, we're throwing in a $20 gift certificate to the diner as well!
Here's how to win:
Fill in the form below with your name, address and answer the question: What's your favorite winter comfort food?
Contest ends at 2 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 14, and a random winner will be chosen and announced at 7 p.m. Winners will be notified at the provided email address.
Prize offerings: Two (2) "Taste of South Jeff" tickets (valued at $30) and a $20 gift certificate to Gram's Diner ($20 value, may only be used at Gram's Diner, not redeemable for cash value and cannot be used for gratuity.)
A random winner will be chosen at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 14, using Random.org. Tickets and gift certificate will be available at the check-in ticket table at the event. Tickets and gift certificate will not be available at Gram's Diner. Winner will be notified at the provided email address and will also be announced on www.GramsDinerAdams.com and Facebook.com/GramsDinerAdams.
The South Jeff Chamber of Commerce and Adams Revitalization Committee's "Taste of South Jeff" event is Saturday, Nov. 16, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Adams Fire Hall.
This event, which benefits the fire department and South Jeff Rescue Squad, features offerings from a dozen local restaurants, caterers and vendors. Wine tastings from local wineries, a cash bar, live music and a silent auction accompany the food offerings.


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Though it can be rightly argued that most games are not, in fact, "Better with Kinect," Xbox 360 gamers have grown accustomed to seeing the purple banner graced on their box arts. If Microsoft's E3 2012 press briefing was any indication, the push for their coveted peripheral shows no signs of slowing down. However, it may need to move over, as Xbox's SmartGlass is to be incorporated into every future, first-party Xbox 360 title.
Speaking to Joystiq, Phil Spencer, Corporate VP of Microsoft Studios, confirmed that Microsoft Game Studios will be making the move when the feature hits this fall:
"It just makes so much sense for a developer who wants to supply, maybe not time-critical information, like 'that enemy is getting ready to shoot you,' but information that augments what's happening on screen," Spencer says. He used last year's Halo Waypoint Atlas app, which offered multiplayer GPS tracking, as an example of how SmartGlass features could share additional game information without hampering the moment-to-moment gameplay. "And then you're even going to see situations like with Ascend, where there's actually gameplay that happens on the phone, even when you're away from your television and that interacts back with the online game that's happening. So I think you'll see information sharing, context sharing while you're in the room, with video and with games, as well as gameplay happening in more distributed environments."
For those of you who missed this year's press briefing, SmartGlass acts as a hardware-less feature in your everyday tablet or smart-phone that can be used in a variety of in-game ways. For instance, Microsoft showcased Madden 13 using SmartGlass. You'll have the ability to create and call plays on your tablet using SmartGlass, and that will actually carry over onto what you're seeing on your TV screen. It's an intriguing feature that with either revolutionize Xbox 360 gaming, or simply be another "app" that's used by a select few.


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Last updated on August 21st, 2017 at 03:38 pm
CSM Bakery Solutions, a provider of bakery ingredients, products and services, and 3D Systems Corp., the originator of 3D printing and solutions, have reached an agreement to collaborate on the development, sale and distribution of 3D printers, products and materials for the food industry.
The companies’ collaboration is expected to bring 3D printed culinary products to the market. CSM will support the development of and have exclusive rights to utilize 3D Systems’ ChefJet Pro 3D printer for high-resolution, colorful food products for the professional culinary environment.
“We are very excited about what this opportunity can mean for the food industry,” said CSM President and CEO Marianne Kirkegaard. “Our agreement with 3D Systems has the potential to reshape the food industry. Across a number of industries, 3D printing has helped transform industries and there’s every reason to think the same can be true for the food industry. We are excited to partner and continue to expand capabilities and culinary opportunities with their platform.”
Vyomesh Joshi, 3D Systems president and CEO, expressed similar optimism about the agreement.
“Our extensive and versatile portfolio of materials addresses the widest range of applications and performance in 3D printing—from culinary to industrial,” he said. “As we continue to drive innovation and explore strategic partnerships with industry leaders, our partnership with CSM is a perfect fit to leverage our technology and capabilities to expand applications and materials.”
The partnership enables collaborative R&D, engineering, design and printer development focused on specific sourcing, food product development and go-to-market plans. CSM and 3D Systems have formalized the agreement and are beginning the work of bringing prototypes to the market.
See more pictures:


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Bringing deca-core at 10nm
While Mediatek has already talked a lot about its 10nm deca-core Helio X30 SoC back in August last year, it has now officially announced its availability at the Mobile World Congress 2017 currently held in Barcelona.
Preparing the full Crimson Edition series
XFX has unveiled its newest Radeon RX 480 Crimson Edition graphics card that is mostly based on the previously available RX 480 Double Dissipation but comes with red LED lighting and detachable fans.
Not sure if the new iPad Pro will save their bacon
Those responsible for inflicting the iPad on the world are experiencing a rather large slice of karma, thanks mostly to their dependence on the fruity tax-dodging cargo cult.
Tax breaks and free workshops for aspiring startups boost competitiveness
This year’s Game Developer’s Conference is expected to witness an increase in presence from the UK games industry as publishers in that region continue to attract developers, artists, producers and designers reckoned to be shaping the future of video game and VR development.


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Future Income Payments LLC charged exorbitant rates for lump-sum quick cash advances on pensions; the majority of Iowa consumers are military veterans
DES MOINES – A California-based company that charged up to 200 percent interest for cash advances on largely military pensions will cease offering Iowans what Attorney General Tom Miller alleges are illegal and exorbitant high-interest advance loans, and refund overcharged consumers.
Future Income Payments (FIP) LLC this week paid the state $35,000 as part of an agreement called an assurance of voluntary compliance. FIP will refund Iowa consumers who were overcharged and modify existing contracts into interest-free loans.
FIP, formerly doing business as Pensions, Annuities and Settlements (PAS), operates from California, and is incorporated in Delaware. Its owner and president is Scott A. Kohn.
“This company preys upon vulnerable people who are desperate for money, particularly veterans who can sign over a reliable pension,” Miller said. “For a few thousand dollars cash up front, you’re forced to sign over tens of thousands of dollars from your future pension income. That’s what we call predatory lending.”
FIP markets “purchase” and “sale” agreements to consumers who “have an immediate need for a lump sum payment,” which Miller contends are actually illegal consumer loans at illegally high interest rates.
FIP is not licensed to offer consumer loans in Iowa and charges interest rates that far exceed state law. The agreement bans the company from offering unlicensed loans and charging interest rates that violate state law.
According to company records, 64 Iowa consumers paid an average annual percentage rate of 131 percent—and as high as 200 percent—for cash advances of up to $14,000. The majority are military veterans and spouses. The company also markets to those who draw government and corporate pensions.
At least five other states have pursued civil or administrative actions against the company and Kohn.
“If you have a pension and you’re desperate for cash, be very careful about signing that pension away,” Miller said, adding that consumers should first find out exactly how much they’ll owe in costs, fees and interest. “Consider seeking loan advice through a bank, credit union, credit counseling service, or trusted financial or tax adviser” he added.


text: March 31, 2015 HomeUncategorizedApple iPhone 6C image Leaked online Apple iPhone 6C image Leaked online By Vigneswaran S Uncategorized 0 Comments Today, Times Of India published the picture of Apple iPhone 6C. It looks similar likes iPhone 5C, but some features changed. Times of India says this photos was published by Digitimes. Check out the leaked iPhone 6C photo below: Tags:Apple, Smart Phones, Tech News Related Posts Add Full Website on Facebook Page [How to] Add Stylish Text effects follow Mouse Cursor for blog or webpage 6 Incredible Technology Trends Of 2017! About Author Vigneswaran S Add a Comment Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment:*Name:* Email Address:* Website: Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.


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Unless you live in China, then no.
Baidu, which is often called the Chinese Google, recently announced that it will be launching its own mobile OS called Yi. It will be built using an Android kernel but will have Baidu’s apps instead of the traditional Google services. It is believed that it will include Baidu’s own maps, ebooks, cloud storage, and cloud backup applications, as well as a music store, app store, and custom SDK.
The reason I’m telling you this is that Dell and Baidu are now working together. The new partnership tells us that the “local services” on the currently China-only Streak 10 Pro will be provided by Baidu.
It also shows that Dell is trying to rejuvenate the Streak by bringing it to a whole new market, the People’s Republic of China. We already know that China is the first country to get Dell’s first Honeycomb tablet, the Streak 10 Pro, and hopefully it will be coming to the rest of the world late 2011/early 2012. If Dell puts the Baidu name on its device, it stands a chance to do very well because Baidu is one of the best known brands in China.
There is also a bit of rumor going around saying that Dell is expected to change the search engine on the Streak devices that we know and love from Google to Baidu. I can confidently say that will never happen, as so many people use Google Maps and Google search that changing it would leave many people, including myself, very unhappy. Baidu is also a strictly Chinese search engine and is likely not to have much success outside of there.
The new partnership could also give Dell something of a “testing ground” in China before bringing new devices to the US, EU, and so on. Supposedly, the devices in China will be running Yi instead of Android, but that doesn’t mean that Dell can’t test at least the hardware out on these new devices, even if the software will be different from what the rest of the world will see.
In other words, there’s no reason to believe that we’ll see Yi OS outside of Chinese borders anytime soon, but the fact that Dell is still pushing the Streak somewhere in the world is a good sign that the rest of us haven’t been completely abandoned.[Reuters via The Verge & PC Pro] Thanks, Jamie!


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By: Ntombi Mhlongo
Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade has said that manufacturing is the key engine that will drive the industrialization process and thus structural transformation.
The minister was speaking during the virtual launch of the AU Summit on Industrialization and Economic Diversification which is taking place in Niger where he encouraged African countries to deliberate on the issues that will contribute to the acceleration of industrialization.
Khumalo said more than ever it is critical that the countries share experiences, strategize and collaborate as they drive the structural transformation of their economies. “This meeting has come at a time when our region is getting back on its feet after nearly two years of the COVID 19 pandemic; yet still whilst dealing with the devastating impact of the disease aftermath the impact of the Russia -Ukraine war and climate change remain with us and both are impacting on various sectors and most critically the key agriculture sector in our region continues to navigate these challenges,” Khumalo said.
He mentioned that Africa is endowed with natural resources yet still lags in terms of economic growth and development. Elaborating, he said most countries are dependent on commodities, exporters of raw, unprocessed natural resources, whether agriculture, fisheries or minerals and metals, thus slowing transformation, growth, and development.
Khumalo said this is the time to take advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA) which if successfully implemented is projected to boost the manufacturing sector with an annual output of about $1 trillion by 2025 and create over 14 million jobs. “The AfCFTA Agreement indeed provides opportunities to diversify exports and export markets, increase earnings from traditional and non-traditional exports as well as improve competitiveness and link other sectors like agriculture in the country and deepen regional value-chains”.
He highlighted that the Kingdom of Eswatini is forging towards becoming a well-diversified country, presently spread across agriculture, manufacturing, and mining.
Also highlighted by the minister is that Covid-19 had an impact on the economy of Eswatini as it contracted by about 3.2 percent in 2020 after growing by 2.2 percent in 2019. He said the manufacturing sector was equally affected whereby the export-oriented industries’ activities were disrupted.
“The manufacturing sector accounts for 37 percent of the GDP. Textiles and sugar are our major exports and some of our major partners include South Africa, the United States (under the African Growth and Opportunity Act) and the EU. Through leveraging our partnerships, available trade agreements and a focused approach to economic diversification we have experienced growth and an inflow of foreign direct investment”.
He concluded by emphasizing that countries needed to include the MSMEs in every step of the industrialization processes and drive towards sustainable development. This, he said, was because MSMEs are the champions in the manufacturing sector and are equal contributors in the economies.
By: Ntombi Mhlongo


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Home Tags Klarna
Despite Covid-19, FinTech investment in the Nordics continued to go from strength to strength in 2020.
Payments solutions provider Checkout.com has closed a $450m Series C funding round at a $15bn valuation, making it Europe's most valuable venture-backed FinTech.
British consumers spent £2.3bn through buy now pay later schemes to fund their Christmas in 2020, according to new research from Credit Karma.
Massive amounts of capital have been injected into the FinTech industry in 2020, but ten companies raised bigger rounds than the rest.
As the year draws to a close, most people will be happy to see the back of it. However, these 29 FinTechs managed to end 2020 on a high by raising funding last week.
Zilch, a London-based FinTech pegged to be the rival to Klarna, has closed an additional $30m in funding to close an oversubscribed pre-Series B in under three weeks.
Klarna and Afterpay are butting heads as market competition is getting fierce across the globe.
Klarna has hinted that it's preparing to go public soon and now the founder is saying the new chairman will be a huge help in that.


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With summer in full swing, a special series of events is currently happening in Toronto’s west end.
Tiger of Sweden (56 Ossington Ave) is celebrating the season with Saturday parties during the month of June. #TigerLovesOssington series will focus on patio festivities, delicious food, refreshing beverages and shopping.
“We’re so proud to call Ossington home to our Canadian flagship location,” said Laurence Slavin, brand manager of Tiger of Sweden, Canada. “We’re excited to celebrate the close-knit Ossington community by partnering with our neighbours to highlight the diverse offerings of the street and further enrich the street culture that drew us to the area.”
Summer Launch Party took place on June 7, and a Father’s Day Shopping event followed this past weekend. Still ahead are:
Saturday, June 21 – 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
To celebrate the longest day of the year, guests can hit the patio and welcome the Summer Solstice with cold tequila cocktails and bite-sized ceviche appetizers from Reposado (136 Ossington Ave.).
Saturday, June 28 – 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The final shopping event of the month celebrates Canada Day! Craft beer from local breweries, including Bellwoods Brewery (124 Ossington Ave) and Canadiana-themed gifts from the Drake General Store (1144 Queen Street West) will be the day’s highlights.
Happy summer shopping!


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Over the past year, Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) stock rallied nearly 50%, while shares of Samsung (NASDAQOTH:SSNLF) fell over 7%. Over-the-counter shares of Samsung fared even worse with a 21% decline due to the rising Korean Won. Looking ahead into 2015, will this trend continue, or will Samsung find a way to reverse its losses against Apple?
Apple: Bull vs. Bear
There are plenty of reasons to be bullish on Apple in the coming year. Robust demand for the iPhone 6, which fueled a 16% YOY jump in iPhone unit sales last quarter, should remain strong throughout 2015. Forecasts for the Apple Watch, which will arrive in the spring, range from 10 million (Gene Munster, Piper Jaffray) to 60 million (Katy Huberty, Morgan Stanley). Since the Apple Watch will only be compatible with iPhones, it should lock in existing users, lure in new ones, and help encourage the adoption of Apple Pay.
Apple is also expanding its walled garden with HealthKit and HomeKit. HealthKit pulls data from fitness apps, wearable devices, and electronic health records into a single Health app. HomeKit is a smart home platform which allows devices like light bulbs, locks, and appliances to be monitored and controlled via iOS devices.
Both industries could grow substantially over the next few years. The mobile health market, which includes all apps, wearables, and monitoring devices, is expected to grow from $1.95 billion in 2012 to $49 billion by 2020, according to Grand View Research. Juniper Research forecasts that the global smart home market will grow from $33 billion in 2013 to $71 billion in 2018. If HealthKit and HomeKit are successful, Apple could tap into the growth of both markets. Apple Carplay, which lets iPhone users mirror their smartphone displays in cars, could also complement that growth.
However, Apple's growth could still be derailed if iPhone sales unexpectedly decline, the Apple Watch falls short of expectations, or if HealthKit and HomeKit get tripped up by security and privacy concerns. Apple will also need to increasingly rely on rising iPhone and Mac sales to offset slumping iPad sales. If this balancing act doesn't work out, Apple's stock could slip.
Samsung: Bear vs. Bull
In 2014, Samsung lost market share in critical markets like China to competitors like Xiaomi, Lenovo, and Huawei, which flooded the market with cheaper handsets with comparable specs. In the second half of the year, Samsung lost ground in the high-end market to Apple, which launched the iPhone 6 Plus to nullify its primary advantage of larger screen sizes.
As a result, Samsung's global market share fell from 32.5% in the third quarter of 2013 to 23.8% in the third quarter of 2014, according to IDC. During that time, Apple's market share only slipped from 12.9% to 12%. Xiaomi, which toppled Samsung as China's top smartphone maker in August, saw its market share more than double from 2.1% to 5.3%.
That decline took a bite out of Samsung's earnings. Last quarter, the mobile division's revenue fell 33% YOY while operating profit plunged 74%. As a result, Samsung's semiconductor business became its largest profit driver, accounting for 56% of the company's operating profit, compared to 43% from its mobile division. Samsung's mobile division accounted for 52% of Samsung's top line during the quarter.
Samsung hopes that unique premium phones like the Galaxy Note Edge and cheaper emerging market phones like the Galaxy S Duos 3 can help it get back on track, but it's a steep uphill battle. Samsung also hopes that new products like smartwatches, a VR headset, smart glasses, and smart home compatible products can help it diversify away from smartphones, but there's no guarantee that scattergun strategy will work.
On the bright side, Samsung is faring better in tablets than Apple. According to IDC, Samsung's global tablet market share slipped from 19.3% in the third quarter of 2013 to 18.3% in the third quarter of 2014, although overall shipments rose 6.5%. Apple's share, by comparison, fell from 29.2% to 22.8%. The global Chromebook market, which Samsung controls 65% of, is also expected to grow faster than the one for Windows laptops.
In my opinion, Apple will keep climbing in 2015 as Samsung stalls out or declines. Apple has major catalysts on the horizon, while Samsung simply faces a lot of obstacles. In terms of valuations, Apple is also cheaper at 18 times trailing earnings with a 5-year PEG ratio of 1.4. Samsung's OTC shares have a P/E of 37.
Samsung's smartphone woes, its flat-growth semiconductor business, and its low-margin consumer products division are bright red flags for investors considering picking up shares of the South Korean tech giant. Meanwhile, Apple's in-demand iPhones and Macs are poised for growth, especially as the company continues to integrate wearables and smart-tech solutions for users.
Leo Sun owns shares of Apple. The Motley Fool recommends Apple. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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Leica M10 Monochrom | Image: Leica
Three years after the release of the M10, Leica is finally introducing a Monochrom camera based on the M10’s design. The new M10 Monochrom has all of the design traits and features of the M10 (or more accurately, 2018’s M10-P), such as a slimmer body and wireless connectivity, but with a new 40-megapixel black-and-white sensor.
The Monochrom has been one of Leica’s most controversial digital cameras ever since the first version came out in 2012. A digital camera that physically can’t shoot color photos is something that a lot of photographers have a hard time wrapping their heads around, especially when said camera costs nearly $10,000.
But Leica has argued that the Monochrom produces better black-and-white images than shots that are…tech, The Verge, The Verge - All Posts


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Bandcamp Joins The Vinyl Renaissance With New Record-Making Service
Photo: Chris J Ratcliffe (Getty Images)
Vinyl record collecting has seen such a resurgence in the past decade that it can no longer just be deemed a niche hipster hobby. Bandcamp is now getting into the record-making business by offering a new vinyl pressing service that “streamlines the financing, production, and fulfillment of vinyl records.”
Crash course: How To Buy The Right Record Player
Bandcamp’s new DIY service allows artists to launch crowdfunding campaigns for vinyl releases in the same way indie films are financed on Kickstarter or IndieGoGo. Once a band’s campaign reaches its minimum goal, Bandcamp will press and ship the record directly to fans. There will be no label interference as artists will maintain full control of the record’s design as well as its price.
This has the potential to be a game-changer as Bandcamp has reported that sales of vinyl records on their online music streaming service have grown 600 percent in the last five years. These eye-popping numbers prove that fans want more than unlimited music streaming from their favorite artists. Vinyl records not only offer superior sound but are also collectible art.
The new Bandcamp service will open to all artists and labels later this year. For now, you can get your collectible record fix through these subscription-based vinyl clubs.
Vinyl Me, Please
The premiere vinyl subscription club. vinylmeplease.com
A well-curated music menu for your unique tastes. vnyl.org
Magnolia Record Club
A well-stocked monthly vinyl subscription service, curated by music lovers. magnoliarecord.club
The Austin, Texas-based start-up feels more like a social club (minus the dumb hats) than a subscription service. vinylmnky.com
"The revolution will not be digital" is this U.K.-based vinyl club's motto. flyingvinyl.co.uk
A crowd-sourced record label where members vote to help determine the next band to get their vinyl record pressed. feedbands.com


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Energy prices are swinging wildly, but all ending up again for the day. One major economy says it just can’t afford not to buy from Russia.
Gas prices are at levels not seen since the 2008 financial crisis. Could the national average even hit $5 a gallon? Is the United States producing more?
A number of major American credit card companies are terminating operations in Russia. What are the impacts? Will Russian citizens feel the pain?
We look at the weekend box office and the top five films, including a new superhero movie.
A rare Toyota sells for millions, making it the most valuable Japanese car ever sold at auction. Why is it special?


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A BUTCHER told a supermarket customer he was not allowed to use a knife to de-bone a joint of lamb because of “health and safety”.
The white-coated meat counter official at the Sainsbury’s store in Colchester Avenue, Cardiff, said he had been told he could not cut up the joint for his own safety.
Customer John Wilkinson, 41, pictured, who had hoped to have the lamb shoulder de-boned for a barbecue said he found the experience “hysterical”.
The public relations consultant, from Penylan, said: “He’s a very experienced butcher. He looked really embarrassed about it. He has clearly been doing it for years. I was in disbelief.”
He added: “It was just hysterical. I went to the customer service desk and the woman there just kept saying it was for the butcher’s own safety.”
Mr Wilkinson said he had used the same butcher at the supermarket several times before and had chatted to him.
“He has been doing it for 30 years and we were chatting recently about how he had been teaching all the young butchers how to cut the meat and joints.”
A spokesman for Sainsbury’s said it had a training policy on the butcher counter and not all staff were trained to use a knife for that specific task.
He said: “Our colleagues that work on the meat counters are all trained to use knives but some have not received all of the training to safely de-bone a lamb joint.
“We are sorry that we could not help Mr Wilkinson in this instance but we hope he will continue to shop with us in future.”


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MILAN — Italy's Basic Net SpA has acquired footwear label Sebago, which is known for its iconic boat shoes.The operation, which is valued at $14.25 million, was finalized between Basic Net-controlled TOS Srl and the American group Wolverine World Wide Inc., which is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.“Sebago is an ideal brand for Basic Net: classic, iconic, sporty and renowned worldwide,” said Basic Net Group founder and chairman Marco Boglione in a statement. “This is a wonderful opportunity for the Basic Net’s network of distribution licensees and sourcing centers.”Basic Net’s investment was supported by a 13 million euro loan by Florence-based investment bank MPS Capital Services Banca per le Imprese.Sebago’s new owner and Wolverine also signed a collaboration agreement valid though December meant to better assist the brand’s international clients during the transition period.Sebago, which is sold in 90 countries, joins Basic Net's portfolio, which already includes Kappa, Robe di Kappa, Jesus Jeans, Superga, K-Way, Sabelt and Briko.Basic Net closed 2016 with net profits of 10.3 million euros and an EBIDTA of 21.5 million euros, down 32.8 percent compared to 2015.
Alberta Ferretti's "Rainbow Week" sweaters are back. The designer closed her #MFW show with a few day-of-the-week sweaters, which first debuted on the catwalk last January as part of the pre-fall 2017 collection. #wwdfashion (📷: @delphineachard)


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Kim K is riding the success of her first fragrance — simply named Kim Kardashian — with a second scent: Kim Kardashian Gold!
Kim Kardashian Gold launched at Macy’s in Las Vegas on May 6 and this is her second fragrance in just a year! Keep reading to see what notes the fragrance contains.
The Kardashians are masters of marketing and it’s no surprise that Kim is launching a second scent. Kim’s new perfume has notes of grapefruit, pink pepper, rose, patchouli, sandalwood, amber and musk just to name a few. Not unlike Kim, it’s very, well, maximal.
Eyebrows are so, so important. They can literally change the way you look. Luckily, big, bold brows are totally in, and with a few expert tips, you can have amazing brows in just a few minutes every day!
Stunning beauty guru Desi Perkins didn’t hold back while chatting with HollywoodLife.com at VidCon. The YouTuber revealed whether or not she has a makeup line in store, what she’s planning for Halloween this year and so much more!
Baby got back! If you’re looking for a Kylie Jenner-inspired butt workout, look no more! Get a high, tight booty so you can wear a trendy thong bathing suit this summer. Read expert trainer tips below!
Taylor Swift is BACK and along with her return is the CURL COMEBACK we’ve been waiting for! It’s like 2008 all over again! We LOVE her curls. Here’s how you can rock shiny, frizz-free curls all summer, just like Taylor.
Perrie Edwards had the sassiest response to anyone claiming that she photoshopped a hot bikini pic from her summer vacation. The Little Mix singer showed the receipts on Instagram: she didn’t alter her pic!


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displays - News, Features, and Slideshows
The curved displays on new smartphones coming from Korea were the target of a joke by Foxconn Technology Group's CEO, who mocked the products as phones designed to fit the rears of consumers.
The price of 4K monitors could fall to under US$400 by the end of the this year, according to Intel.
Lenovo is taking orders for its first 4K monitor, the ThinkVision Pro2840m, but it's pricey at US$799.
The price of Samsung's latest 28-inch 4K monitor has dropped by $100 to just under US$600, which could be a precursor to 4K monitor prices further plummeting as the technology goes mainstream.
Samsung has followed up its many ultra-high-definition TVs with a 4K monitor that may help bring down the average cost of super-high-resolution displays for bleary-eyed computer users.
What different advantages can a curved screen bring to a smartphone? Well, not a whole lot. But Samsung's newest smartphone, the Galaxy Round, comes off as a posh device that may be the company's best looking handset yet.
If multitouch display technology is proliferating, haptic feedback is helping to fuel the trend. Haptics provide tactile feedback to your fingers as you touch a display by vibrating all or part of the display surface.
- A10 Networks’ new channel vision to be delivered by WhiteGold Solutions
- Fujitsu World Tour: Cloud entering third phase of maturity
- Fujitsu World Tour: Future businesses will be defined by data first
- Robert Kaye retires as Macquarie Telecom chairman
- Fujitsu World Tour: NSW government revamping for Cloud, mobile service world
- NAB shares the key ingredients to digital strategy success
- Adobe details how it's transforming into a digital-first marketing organisation
- Yahoo buys Flurry to make more money from mobile apps
- Salesforce.com's trademark infringement anything but social, lawsuit claims
- Better CIO/CFO relationships see CMO salaries soar


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Microsoft’s Xbox One X has pulled some impressive sales in its debut in the United Kingdom. The console has managed to sell 80,000 copies in five days, with a majority of them being Project Scorpio Editions, which were limited to the launch of the console and feature small cosmetic differences with the regular edition. The popularity of this version suggests that most of the customers on the first week were fans mobilized by the company’s strong promotional campaign, tagging the hardware as “The World’s Most Powerful Console.”
While the 80,000 number given by GamesIndustry.biz estimates the number of consoles sold to retailers, raw data indicates that 67,000 consoles were sold to customers. Compared to other recent console releases, the Xbox One X faired in line with the debuts of Nintendo Switch, which sold 80,000 consoles in two days, and above the PS4 Pro, which sold over 50,000 in three days. Aside from the difference in days, it’s also worth rembering that both the Nintendo Switch and PS4 Pro were heavily supply constrained.
Overall it’s a very good result for Microsoft, which in the past months seemed to be losing relevance in the hardware market behind PS4’s superior userbase and exclusive lineup and Nintendo Switch’s strong performance since its launch. We certainly loved the Xbox One X’s attempt to reach new visual heights, saying in our review that “While other consoles may have taken a half-step measure when it comes to 4K gaming, Microsoft appears convinced that this is the future, and that future is bright and beautiful on the Xbox One X.”


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Minneapolis, MN (PRWEB) September 12, 2011
mPay™ Gateway today announced that it has entered into an agreement with MasterCard Worldwide to expand MasterCard acceptance through support of mPay Gateway’s point-of-care payment system.
mPay Gateway simplifies the administrative side of patient billing for healthcare providers by providing easy-to-use tools that address patient payment obligations at the time of service. mPay Gateway’s point-of-care patient payment software calculates what the patient owes, authorizes payment at the time of service, and automatically collects the outstanding patient obligation after the insurer has settled the claim, eliminating the expensive and laborious statement process.
“Patient payments are the fastest growing portion of healthcare providers’ revenue streams, but they traditionally have one of the lowest collection rates,” said Brian Beutner, chief executive officer of mPay Gateway. “Working with MasterCard, our technology is addressing inefficiencies in the patient payment process to streamline transactions and increase payment transparency so that providers can improve cash flow and better align with their patient’s payment preferences.”
mPay Gateway makes it simple for healthcare providers to accept card payments as a standard operating procedure. The company’s software also helps healthcare providers improve cash flow through faster receipt of funds while offering their patients an easy, convenient and secure way to pay for services.
“Over the past decade, we’ve seen a shift in the benefits landscape, with consumers becoming increasingly responsible for their medical expenses,” said Steve Carnevale, senior vice president, Group Head, U.S. Market Development, MasterCard Worldwide. “As people’s preferences for electronic payments continue to increase over cash and check, technology like the mPay Gateway is helping healthcare providers better serve their patients while improving their bottom line.”
By accepting electronic payments made on a MasterCard card, healthcare providers can provide their patients with the healthcare services they need, when they need it, regardless of their insurance arrangement. In turn, providers realize improved cash flow with more timely payments, while reducing overhead and billing related expenses.
About mPay Gateway, Inc.
mPay Gateway develops financial technology products and services to support health care’s complex and unique payment environment. mPay Gateway empowers health care providers with a single-source payment solution that enables collections from patients regardless of the patient’s third party payer affiliation. mPay Gateway is a PCI certified acquiring card processor. For more information, visit http://www.mpaygateway.com.
MasterCard is a global payments and technology company. It operates the world’s fastest payments processing network, connecting consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. MasterCard’s products and solutions make everyday commerce activities—such as shopping, traveling, running a business and managing finances – – easier, more secure and more efficient for everyone. Learn more at mastercard.com or follow us on Twitter @mastercardnews.
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April 17th, 2013 - Jill Ettinger
A new report released by the Environmental Working Group finds an alarming amount of the meat sold in U.S. supermarkets and restaurants contain high levels of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Read More:Report Finds High Levels of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria in Meat
March 20th, 2012 - Jill Ettinger
Antibiotics have come a long way since Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928—so far in fact that they may become obsolete due to their inability to treat minor infections, cites a recent warning from the World Health Organization at a conference in Copenhagen last week.
Read More:‘The Post-Antibiotic Era’ Is Upon Us, Warns WHO
February 1st, 2012 - Jill Ettinger
Deadly strains of the antibiotic-resistant bacteria MRSA (methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus) are present in the nation’s meat supply, according to a new report published in the journal PLoS ONE titled, “MRSA in Conventional and Alternative Retail Pork Products.”
Read More:High Levels of Deadly Bacteria Revealed in Nation’s Pork Supply


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Chocolate Inn/Taylor & Grant's Randi Matsil Wins Premier Promotional Group Customer Service Award
Chocolate Inn/Taylor & Grant, Freeport, N.Y., announced that Randi Matsil, sales support coordinator, Northeast, has received the 2013 Premier Promotional Group Customer Service Award. The award recognizes those who perform a superior level of effort and service to Premier Promotional Group distributors.
"It is an honor to accept the 2013 Premier Group Customer Service Award. Providing excellent customer service is my top priority, and I believe communication is the key," Matsil stated. "Building a strong relationship is the foundation to a successful partnership between a supplier and a distributor. Thank you to Premier Group and all of their members!"
David Miller, president of Chocolate Inn/Taylor & Grant, praised Matsil's efforts. "We could not be prouder of Randi, and we feel she personifies our company's focus on excellence in service," he said.
For more information, visit www.chocolateinn.com.


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When the news broke that Dairy Queen would be closing its iconic Dairy Queen Drive restaurant in Chicago, it was one of the hardest-hit restaurant brands in America.
“It’s not just a loss to Chicago, we lost our brand, it’s a loss for all of the businesses that are involved with this brand,” says Dave, owner of The Dairy Queen Cafe in Chicago.
“Our staff, we’ve lost our jobs, our families have lost their jobs, but most importantly to the entire Dairy Queen community, we’re not here to replace the brand, we’ll be able to bring our customers back.”
But, as Dave’s wife Wendy explains, the loss was more than just financial.
“We had to lose our family, we had to take our children away from their homes,” she says.
“And we lost the support that we needed in the community, which is really important.”
Image copyright ABC/YouTube Dave and Wendy are also losing their son, Nathan, who has autism.
“The first couple of months after he was born we were worried, we were in the middle of the night and we just didn’t know where to turn,” Wendy explains.
“The day he was a baby, he didn’t even speak, he just went in a ball and was just there, just there.”
The family’s first meeting with Dairy Queen came just weeks after the company’s announcement.
“It’s been a whirlwind and we haven’t had a chance to talk about it yet,” Dave says.
“But we’ve known it’s coming and it’s going to be a tough one to handle.”
He’s not alone.
“The Dairy Queens is a great company and it will always be there for us, but at the same time we can’t replace the people who are here, we can only replace the businesses and we have to have that,” Wendy says.
But the real question is, will the move be good for the company?
“The sad part of it is that we’re going to lose a lot of people,” Dave adds.
“The business is going to change.
But I don’t think we’re the one who has to replace that.”
Dave is hoping the new owners of Dairy Queen can find a way to bring back customers.
But it may take more than that.
Dairy Queen is the second restaurant chain to announce it will be closing in the US, following McDonald’s.
The chain has also confirmed it will shut its restaurant in Melbourne next year, in the same area.
And while the new move may not be a huge deal to Chicagoans, it could be to other food-focused cities in the country.
According to an ABC report, McDonald’s is closing more than 2,000 restaurants in the state, and a spokesperson for the chain told the ABC that it will also be closing some of its restaurants in New York City.
The company has also shut its restaurants outside of the US in France, South Korea and Australia, as well as opening a new restaurant in New Zealand.
Dairy Queens’ demise will be felt far beyond Chicago, as the restaurant chain has closed restaurants in other states and cities across the US.
“I don’t know if the closure of the company is a good thing for Chicago,” Wendy tells me.
“There’s going, I don´t know what’s going on, but it’s definitely a loss.”
Dave and Wendy say they don’t expect to see any immediate changes to the restaurant in their Chicago home.
“Hopefully we can be here for a long time and hopefully this is just the tip of the iceberg,” Dave agrees.”But I donít know.”
If you want to find out more about Dairy Queen, you can read more on ABC.com/watch.
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