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Tanning Bed Restrictions Would Ban Children, Require Risk Waiver for Adults
The FDA proposed two new rules on Friday that would place severe restrictions on indoor tanning due to the risk of skin cancer and burns, banning use of tanning beds by those under 18 and requiring adults to regularly sign waivers acknowledging that they have been warned about the tanning bed risks.
The tanning bed restrictions proposed by the FDA come amid continuing concerns about the link between indoor tanning salons and cancer, and the popularity of the devices among children and teens.
Under the new rules, individuals under the age of 18 will be banned from using any indoor tanning beds or tanning lamps. In addition, those over the age of 18 would be required to sign a risk acknowledgement certification every six months, stating that they were informed of the indoor tanning risks.
Did You Know?
Millions of Philips CPAP Machines Recalled
Philips DreamStation, CPAP and BiPAP machines sold in recent years may pose a risk of cancer, lung damage and other injuries.Learn More
More than 1.6 million minors use indoor tanning beds every year, according to data from the 2013 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey, heightening their risk of skin cancer.
Researchers warn the effects of using tanning beds accumulates over a lifetime, putting teens and young tanners at higher risk of experiencing adverse effects later in life. Teens who use tanning beds compared to those that tan outdoors, face a higher risk of developing basal cell carcinoma.
There are more than 400,000 cases of skin cancer are diagnosed every year, including 6,000 cases of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. Many of these cases have been specifically attributed to the use of tanning beds.
Research from 2012 suggested that indoor tanning before the age of 35 increases the risk of developing melanoma by 75 percent.
“Today’s action is intended to help protect young people from a known and preventable cause of skin cancer and other harms,” acting FDA Commissioner Stephen Ostroff, M.D, said in the FDA announcement. “Individuals under 18 years are at greatest risk of the adverse health consequences of indoor tanning.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warn that the risk posed by indoor tanning devices, including tanning beds and tanning lamps, is not only the risk of cancer. An average of 3,000 emergency room visits occur every year in the U.S. because of other injuries related to indoor tanning.
The second proposed FDA rule would help to improve the safety of indoor tanning devices overall. The rule include provisions to strengthen tanning device warnings so they are easier to read and more prominently placed. It also requires an emergency shut off switch, or a panic button.
Additionally, safety eyewear must be improved to limit the amount of light allowed through the protective eyewear; and replacement bulbs labeling must be improved so operators can ensure they replace old bulbs with correct replacements, reducing accidental burns.
Finally, the rule prohibits any modifications to tanning devices that could pose a risk to users, such as replacing bulbs with stronger, more harmful, bulbs.
The proposed rules and restrictions would apply to manufacturers and tanning facility operators. There are nearly 19,000 tanning salons in the U.S. and another 20,000 other facilities, like health clubs or spas, that have tanning beds in them. Research published last year found tanning salons outnumbered McDonald’s restaurants in Florida.
Research from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a division of the World Health Organization, has concluded that tanning devices are more dangerous than previously thought. The IARC moved tanning devices to the highest cancer risk category deemed “carcinogenic to humans.”
Tanning devices can cause skin cancer, burns, premature skin aging and eye damage. A 2006 IARC review of tanning bed research found an association between tanning and two types of skin cancer, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. It also found an association between UV emitting tanning devices and eye cancer.
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Apple recently released their first beta of iOS 11.4. The release came shortly after Apple released the final version of iOS 11.3.
The new iOS 11.4 software was first unveiled by Apple at their education event, this is the event where they announced the new iPad. Now we have a video which shows off some of the new features that are included in the latest beta of Apple’s mobile OS.
The latest beta of iOS comes with the new Apple ClassKit Framework for education, it also comes with support for Messages in iCloud. Apple has also included AirPlay 2, this was previously available in the betas of iOS 11.3 but was then removed before the final release.
As this is the first beta of iOS 11.4 it will probably be a while before the final version of the software is released to everyone. The update could land some time this month, although we suspect it will be released some time early next month.
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domain: news


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Aldi Portugal has opened the first of 25 new stores it plans to open in 2021, with the aim of surpassing 100 outlets in the country by the end of the year.
The new opening, in the coastal town of Peniche, has retail area of 1,200 square metres, and takes Aldi's store count in Portugal to 84.
Director for marketing and communication at Aldi Portugal, Ricardo Santos, told Dinheiro Vivo, that one of the company’s main goals is to triple its store count in the medium term, in order to reach areas of Portugal where it is not yet present, in addition to boosting its presence in cities where it already operates stores.
However, he admitted that the group will continue to monitor the evolution of the pandemic and its consequences and, if necessary, adapt its expansion plan.
In addition, the retailer will introduce a new store concept to reinforce its presence in urban centres.
Aldi Portugal is also looking for a location in the north of the country for the construction of a new logistics warehouse, a project in which it plans to invest around €45 million.
As well as expanding its network, the retailer is also seeking to include more Portuguese products in its assortment.
Last year, Aldi Portugal opened 10 supermarkets and started construction work on a new logistics centre in Moita, in which it is investing €60 million.
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine


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With the Apple iPad Mini’s release, most folks are asking: “Is it worth to buy at $329?” There are certainly a lot of questions like this since a few months ago, Apple has just released its predecessor, the “new iPad”. Google has Nexus 7 for $199 (8gb) – $249 (32gb) and Amazon is coming up […]
The Apple iPhone 5 release has taken fans into a storm. But we didn’t expect this funny skit from Saturday Night Live coming. Watch this video below and laugh your heart out!
After the much anticipated release of iPhone 5 in the market a few weeks ago, Apple is back in the market to release a new version of iPad which will come smaller this time. Apple will officially announce the new Apple iPad Tuesday to show that it has a “little more” to show. There are […]
Apple has recently released iPhone 5 on September with massive changes most especially its larger screen, faster internet speed and new configurations. Sales were also massive with a reported of over 5 million units sold in its first three days, beating its predecessor iPhone 4s with it sales although lower than what was expected by […]
Does it make sense to get an iPhone insurance? We know that getting an insurance is one of the most unglamorous things to do, so should you consider getting one? For a phone? An Apple iPhone, however wonderful it is, takes a lot of money to own. That is why aside from enjoying the gadget […]
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DON'T SHARE NUISANCE.
Bill to protect street vendors to be passed soon: Maken
The bill proposes to grant hawkers' licences to 2.5 per cent of the population of any city.
Mumbai: A bill to regulate street vendors in public areas and protect their rights is likely to be passed in the ongoing Budget Session. The Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood & Regulation of Street Vending) Bill is likely to be passed in this ongoing Budget Session, Union Housing Development and Urban Poverty Alleviation Minister Ajay Maken said in Mumbai on Tuesday.
"We have proposed certain amendments to the Bill, which is currently pending with the standing committee. We expect it to be passed in the current session," he said. The ministry has proposed certain amendments in the Bill, which includes granting of hawkers' licences to 2.5 per cent of the population of any city.
"This Bill is aimed at regulating street vendors in public areas and protect their rights. With these amendments we will be able to organise street vendors and ensure that they are not creating nuisance for vehicular traffic as well as for pedestrians," Maken said. By legalising street vending, municipal corporations will also be able to generate revenues, he said. As per the provisions of the Bill, tabled in the last Monsoon Session of Parliament, anyone over 14 years of age can register with the town vending committee and get registered for carrying out business.
Once registered with the local authorities, vendors will be provided with identity cards which will allow them to sell their products in vending zones allocated to them. The Bill will also help authorities regulate hawkers
in public areas such as pavements and roads. It also provides for setting up of vending zones for hawkers with minimal restrictions and without fear of being fined by municipal authorities, he said.
"Town vending committees are expected to submit its report on vending and non-vending zones soon," Maken said. According to the ministry, there are 10 million street vendors with Mumbai alone accounting for 2,50,000; Delhi has 2,00,000; over 1,50,000 in Kolkata and and over 100,000 in Ahmedabad. The minister met the family members of a hawker who died during an eviction drive at Vakola in Mumbai in January.
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With hundreds of thousands of currently blocked new gTLD domain names about to hit the market, many without premium pricing, some domain investors have been wondering where they can get hold of the lists of soon-to-be available names.
Fortunately, ICANN freely publishes several lists that could prove useful.
As we’ve been reporting this week, names that were previously reserved by new gTLD registries due to name collisions have started to become unblocked, as mandatory 90-day “controlled interruption” phases start to expire.
By definition, a name collision domain has received traffic in the past.
A CSV file containing a list of all domain names currently subject to CI can be downloaded from ICANN here.
Be warned, it’s a 68MB file with millions and millions of lines — your spreadsheet software may not be able to open it. It also changes regularly, so it could get bigger as more new gTLDs begin their CI programs.
The file shows the TLD, the second-level string, the date it went into CI and the number of days it has remained in that status. When the last number hits 90, the block is due to be lifted.
A second CSV file contains all the domains that have completed CI. Find it here. It’s currently almost 7MB, but it’s going to get a lot bigger rather quickly as domains move from one list to the other.
That file shows the TLD, the SLD, the date CI started and the day it ended.
Every domain name in that list is no longer subject to a mandatory ICANN block, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the registry has unblocked it in practice. Some registries are planning to keep hold of the newly available domains and release them in batches at a later date.
Some gTLDs have chosen to wildcard their zones rather than implement a CI response on each individual name collision. In those cases, individual domain names will not show up in the current collisions file. Instead, you’ll see an asterisk.
In those cases, you can find a list of all of each gTLD’s name collisions in separate CSV files accompanying each TLD’s ICANN contract. The contracts can be found here. Click through to the TLD you’re interested in and download the “List of SLDs to Block” file.
Note that there’s a lot of absolute garbage domains in these files. The name collisions program ain’t pretty.
Several new gTLD registries will release hundreds of thousands of currently blocked domain names — some of them quite nice-looking — next Wednesday.
It’s one of the first big batches of name collisions to be released to market.
The companies behind .xyz, .website, .press, .host, .ink, .wiki, .rest and .bar will release most of their blocked names at 1400 UTC on November 26. These registries all use CentralNic as their back-end.
The gTLD with the biggest “drop” is .host, with over 100,000 names. .wiki, .website and .xyz all have 10,000 to 20,000 releasing names apiece.
According to Radix business head Sandeep Ramchamdani, A smallish number — measured in the hundreds — of the .host, .press and .website names are on the company’s premium domain lists and will carry a higher price.
He gave the following sample of .website domains that will become available at the baseline, non-premium, registry fee:
analyze.website, anti.website, april.website, bookmark.website, challenge.website, classics.website, consumer.website, definitions.website, ginger.website, graffiti.website, inspired.website, jobportal.website, lenders.website, malibu.website, marvelous.website, ola.website, clients.website, commercial.website, comparison.website
Drop-catching services such as Pool.com are taking pre-orders on names set to be released.
Other registries have already released their name collisions domains.
I gather that .archi, .bio, .wien and .quebec have already unblocked their collisions this week.
Donuts tells us it has no current plan for its first drops. Rightside, which runs Donuts’ back-end, is reportedly planning to drop names in a couple dozen gTLDs on the same date in January.
As we reported earlier this week, millions of names are due to be released over the coming months, due to the expiration of the 90-day “controlled interruption” phase that ICANN forced all new gTLD registries to implement.
By definition, name collision names already have seen traffic in the past and may do so again.
Dish DBS, a US satellite TV company, has beaten Google to the .dot new gTLD in an ICANN auction that fetched just $700,000.
It’s further proof, if any were needed, that you don’t need to have the big bucks to beat Google at auction.
Dish plans to use .dot as a single-registrant space, but unusually it’s not a dot-brand. According to its application, the company:
intends to utilize the .dot gTLD to create a restricted, exclusively-controlled online environment for customers and other business partners with the goal of further securing the collection and transmission of personal and other confidential data required for contracted services and other product-related activities.
Google had planned an open, anything-goes space.
.dot was the only new gTLD contention set to be resolved by ICANN last-resort auction this month. The other applicants scheduled for the November auctions all settled their contests privately.
The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy has revealed its premium pricing structure for the new gTLD .pharmacy, in launch policy documents filed with ICANN.
The registry, which stood unopposed for .pharmacy, plans to have three standard tiers of pricing for its premiums — $750, $2,500 and $10,000. A fourth “Gold” tier will have prices set by the market, presumably via negotiation or auction.
Following the lead of many other new gTLD registries, the annual renewal fee will match the price paid for the initial registration.
The organization, which sets standards for pharmacies in the US, Canada and Australia, is planning no fewer than nine launch phases, running from today, when NABP members grab their names, to June 2 next year, when general availability starts.
The gTLD is to be restricted to pharmacies and related industries, so the Sunrise period will be restricted to trademarks listed in the Trademark Clearinghouse whose owners fit the criteria.
Users of the NABP’s various accreditation programs will get a crack at names following Sunrise. Then, dispensing pharmacies that are not accredited get a shot.
The gTLD was originally applied for partially defensively — to keep the string out of the hands of others — and the launch policies reflect that level of caution about making sure only organizations the NABP wants to get names get names.
Amusingly, the NABP has chosen a .net domain for its own official web site — dotpharmacy.net.
Millions of new gTLD domain names are set to start being released, as ICANN-mandated name collision blocks start getting lifted.
Starting yesterday, domains that have been blocked from registration due to name collisions can now be released by the registries.
About 95,000 names in gTLDs such as .nyc, .tattoo, .webcam and .wang have already ended their mandatory “controlled interruption” period and hundreds of thousands more are expected to be unblocked on a weekly basis over the coming months (and years).
Want to register sex.nyc, poker.bid or garage.capetown? That may soon be possible. Those names, along with hundreds of other non-gibberish domains, are no longer subject to mandatory blocks.
Roughly 45 new gTLDs have ended their CI periods over the last two days. Here are the Latin-script ones:
.bid, .buzz, .cancerresearch, .capetown, .caravan, .cologne, .cymru, .durban, .gent, .jetzt, .joburg, .koeln, .krd, .kred, .lacaixa, .nrw, .nyc, .praxi, .qpon, .quebec, .ren, .ruhr, .saarland, .wang, .webcam, .whoswho, .wtc, .citic, .juegos, .luxury, .menu, .monash, .physio, .reise, .tattoo, .tirol, .versicherung, .vlaanderen and .voting
Another half dozen or so non-Latin script gTLDs have also finished with CI.
There are over 17,500 newly unblocked names in .nyc alone. Over the whole new gTLD program, over 9.8 million name collisions are to be temporarily blocked.
Name collisions are domains in new gTLDs that were already receiving DNS root traffic well before the gTLD was delegated, suggesting that they may be in use on internal networks.
To avoid possible harm from collisions, ICANN forced registries to make these names unavailable for registration and to resolve to the deliberately non-functional and odd-looking IP address 127.0.53.53.
Each affected name had to be treated in this way for 90 days. The first TLDs started implementing CI on August 18, so the first batch of registries ended their programs yesterday.
So, will every domain that was on a registry’s collision list be available to buy right away?
ICANN hasn’t told registries that they must release names as soon as their CI period is over, so it appears to be at the registries’ discretion when the names are released. I gather some intend to do so as soon as today.
Also, any name that was blocked due to a collision and also appears in the Trademark Clearinghouse will have to remain blocked until it has been subject to a Sunrise period.
Some registries, such as Donuts, have already made their collision names available (but not activated in the DNS) under their original Sunrise periods so will be able to release unclaimed names at the same time as all the rest.
Other registries will have to talk to ICANN about a secondary sunrise period, to give trademark holders their first chance to grab the previously blocked names.
Furthermore, domains that the registry planned to reserved as “premiums” will continue to be reserved as premiums.


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MEDINA, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr. 5, 2018--
International Inc. (NYSE: RPM) today announced that Timothy R.
Kinser has been appointed vice president of operations, effective June
1. He will be responsible for setting and delivering upon manufacturing
and supply chain strategies across all RPM business segments. Kinser
will report to RPM’s president and chief operating officer Ronald A.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here:
Timothy R. Kinser, VP of Operations, RPM International Inc. (Photo: Business Wire)
In his new role, Kinser will identify opportunities to improve
manufacturing efficiencies, reduce operating costs and track progress
against established performance metrics. He will also play a key role in
RPM’s annual planning process and oversee its global sourcing teams.
Kinser previously served as executive vice president of operations for DAP
Products Inc., an RPM operating company that manufactures and
markets caulks, sealants and adhesives. He has provided valuable
leadership to DAP for more than a decade, improving the critical areas
of safety, quality, service and cost. Prior to joining DAP in 2007,
Kinser was executive director of manufacturing at a leading North
American roofing manufacturer. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in
mechanical engineering from the University of Akron.
“Throughout his career, Tim has proven himself as an outstanding
operational leader,” stated Frank C. Sullivan, chairman and CEO of RPM.
“His commitment to RPM and his experience at DAP have aptly prepared him
to produce continuous, sustainable improvements for all of our business
RPM International Inc. owns subsidiaries that are world leaders in
specialty coatings, sealants, building materials and related services
across three segments. RPM’s industrial products include roofing
systems, sealants, corrosion control coatings, flooring coatings and
other construction chemicals. Industrial companies include Stonhard,
Chemical and RPM
Belgium Vandex. RPM's consumer products are used by professionals
and do-it-yourselfers for home maintenance and improvement and by
hobbyists. Consumer brands include Rust-Oleum,
RPM’s specialty products include industrial cleaners, colorants,
exterior finishes, specialty OEM coatings, edible coatings, restoration
services equipment and specialty glazes for the pharmaceutical and food
industries. Specialty segment companies include Day-Glo,
Wood Finishes, Mantrose-Haeuser,
Additional details can be found at www.rpminc.com
and by following RPM on Twitter at www.twitter.com/RPMintl.
For more information, contact Barry M. Slifstein, vice president –
investor relations, at 330-273-5090 or email@example.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180405005235/en/
Source: RPM International Inc.
RPM International Inc.
Barry M. Slifstein, 330-273-5090
President – Investor relations


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Leading Australian battery company R&J Batteries will add spark to Speedcafe.com's around-the-clock motorsport news service as we welcome them as a valued Platinum Partner.
Australia's fastest-growing battery company, R&J Batteries has 20 company-owned outlets across Australia and New Zealand as well as a footprint of more than 7000 distributors and resellers.
Employing more than 150 industry leaders, R&J Batteries offer a growing range of specialist products covering the automotive, commercial, motorcycle, marine, deep cycle, solar and industrial markets.
R&J Batteries have a history of motorsport involvement having been a sponsor of Geoff Emery's Super2 Commodore and a major sponsor of Greg Gartner's off-road and Stadium Super Truck programs.
Group General Manager, Stuart Hamilton believes that the Speedcafe.com platform provides a fresh avenue for R&J Batteries and their products.
“Being in the automotive sector, our staff and customers have a strong interest in motorsport and many are already fans of Speedcafe.com,” said Hamilton.
“When the opportunity presented itself to become a Platinum Partner we looked at everything on offer and thought it was a natural fit and an opportunity to develop some targeted marketing initiatives.
“We are constantly working with our global supply partners to improve and refine our product range and Speedcafe.com is a perfect place for us to inform a wide audience of what's new and what we have to offer.”
R&J Batteries also offers a range of services including free battery testing and fitting, battery replacements, checks and battery recycling.
They stock a growing range of accessories including battery chargers and testers, jump packs, cables, battery terminals and 12-volt accessories and are Australia's leading retailer of Fuchs oils and lubricants.
General Manager of Speedcafe.com Justin Murray said that R&J Batteries is a welcomed addition to the growing family of Speedcafe.com Platinum Partners.
“Like Speedcafe.com, R&J Batteries is Australian born and bred and proud of it,” said Murray.
“The company continues to enjoy strong growth after being established more than 20 years ago and we look forward to working with Stuart (Hamilton) and his team as they take their business and brands to the next phase of their development.
“We are working on some unique programs which will continue to grow the R&J Batteries brand and provide some great opportunities for the Speedcafe.com readership.
“As we keep reminding everyone, it is the commitment of companies like R&J Batteries that allows Speedcafe.com to remain ‘First, Fast and Free' for our readers.”
For more information on R&J Batteries or to locate an outlet visit rjbatt.com.au.


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By Luisa Colasimone, Coordinator, Environmental Paper Network International
I would have never imagined that a pandemic would reveal the difficulties of reconciling my love of pets with my love for forests.
As the happy roommate of three large size dogs and a cat with the appetite of a tiger, in March 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic caught me off guard. I live in Portugal where authorities quickly agreed a drastic lockdown to cut contamination: we were not allowed out, could only purchase non-essential supplies in small quantities, and had to stay in our freguesia or local area.
That’s when my love-hate relation with Amazon and other online suppliers reached new heights. In addition to Kindle book orders, which cost a fortune but don’t chop down trees, I had to secure a reliable long-term source of special food for the hairy companions - luckily my human partner and I could rely on local supplies.
The first order I received was a shock: 15kg of dog food came in big bags, the cat’s cans came in a box, surrounded by plastic - and they all arrived in three separate cardboard boxes.
This was not a sustainable solution.
Nor was “how do I reduce my packaging” on Amazons’ frequently asked questions list. The next blow came when my organic vegetables supplier announced that “to limit the risks of spreading the virus”, they would stop delivering in reusable wooden boxes and move instead to single-use cardboard.
I put the veggie supplier on hold and found an environmentally-friendly animal food producer, whose packaging was better – though not perfect…
From ever-lasting to mountains of disposable
But it should never be up to individual consumers to navigate a minefield of ethical choices, we need society-wide sustainable deliveries that can continue regardless of developments like COVID-19. We need an end to powerful single-use product companies who saw the pandemic as a chance to increase their sales and revenues.
Until the 1950s, most products were built to last, but as technology progressed, we focussed on producing low-cost disposable products en masse, with no regard for the mountains of waste and devastated landscapes. According to the World Bank, we produce two billion tonnes of waste each year and this is expected to increase by 70 per cent by 2050. In terms of packaging waste, Europe generated over 76 million tonnes in 2017 and for the same year, the US produced 81 million tonnes. When the figures for 2020 come out, I fear we’ll see that lockdowns and online shopping have pushed packaging waste even higher.
While the polluting effects of plastic production and disposal are relatively well-known, the life cycle of paper-based products can be similarly devastating, yet it is often under-estimated.
Each year, three billion trees are cut down to make paper packaging, roughly an area the size of the United Kingdom, and this is projected to increase by 20 per cent over the next five years. The paper industry is responsible for dispossessing Indigenous Peoples and local communities, clearcutting their forests and converting them to plantations which are far less able to remove and store carbon from the atmosphere. Paper manufacturing is also chemically and energy-intensive, and requires large amounts of water.
It is estimated that replacing just 5 per cent of plastic with paper would consume an additional 1.5 million tonnes of paper annually. The vast majority of carbon in paper ends up in the atmosphere within 2-3 years. If plastic packaging simply becomes paper and cardboard packaging, this will destroy our forests and exacerbate the climate crisis.
Working together towards solutions
The Environmental Paper Network (EPN) is one of 188 organisations calling on governments, businesses, investors, non-profit organisations, and civil society to work together and reject single-use products. Priority should be given to reusable options, followed by recyclable, and compostable ones, and all should be made with the lowest possible environmental and social footprint.
Today is #WorldRefillDay when we are encouraged to start using the many solutions that already exist: reuse and refill systems; 100 per cent recycled and recyclable products fed back into a circular system; materials that don’t rely on fossil fuels or tree-based feedstocks, and smart designs to reduce and even remove packaging entirely.
Paper is an extremely versatile support for learning and for culture, but because of its environmental impacts it should be used wisely and equally - not for single-use products. A list of actions to support wide-scale systems change on single-use can be found.
What can you do? Join EPN and endorse the Global Paper Vision
In a non-pandemic year, this week would see forest activists from across Europe converging for the Forest Movement Europe meeting, to agree strategies and priorities for the next year. Many of these people come from NGOs that have signed the Global Paper Vision. These organisations seek a world where consumption patterns meet the needs of all people while eliminating waste and overconsumption. A world where paper production is conflict-free and fair, and water is as clean after paper production as before, producing zero waste and close to zero emissions.
But paper is often the forgotten commodity and so we need champions within forest NGOs, people willing to ensure paper and packaging reduction remains on the agenda. We also need active members of the EPN network, to ensure that the 140 organisations don’t just sign the Vision, but also share their organisation’s efforts to end paper’s destructive footprint.


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Subaru is making a quick turnaround with its XV Concept car by offering up a production model in the same year. The concept was revealed at the 2011 Shanghai Motor Show and, on September 13, 2011 at the Frankfurt Motor Show, the production XV (known as the Impreza Outback on the US market) will be showing its face. According to the company, the new XV "defines a new generation of Subaru crossover vehicles."
"The concept was favorably received globally thanks to its distinctive and trendy design which blend a crossover-like commanding silhouette and an urban friendly image into one harmonious and elegant package."
The concept car was powered by a 2.0-liter four cylinder horizontally-opposed DOHC engine with an output of 150 hp at 6,000 rpm and 146 lb-ft at 4,200 rpm, so expect to see this same engine in the production version. Next to it, Subaru will also be offering the latest Symmetrical AWD (All-Wheel Drive) system.
More details will be revealed at the car’s official launch in September.


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AARP Eye Center
After more than six years of study, the Food and Drug Administration has announced new standards for foods labeled "gluten-free," a step the agency said would help the 3 million people with celiac disease who cannot digest the naturally occurring protein.
Gluten is primarily found in wheat, as well as in some other grains like barley, rye and triticale. It can cause bloating, pain and inflammation of the small intestine in people with celiac disease. The only way to avoid these symptoms is to avoid gluten entirely - which the new guidelines will help consumers do, said FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D.
In order to use the term "gluten-free" on its label, a food must contain less than 20 parts per million of gluten, the agency said. The rule also requires foods with the claims "no gluten," "free of gluten," and "without gluten" to meet the definition for "gluten-free."
The limit is similar to the level adopted by the European Union and Canada, and it did not come as a surprise to industry or patient advocate groups, the New York Times reported.
Andrea Levario of the American Celiac Disease Alliance welcomed the new guidelines, telling the Associated Press that without the government's rule, " celiac consumers are playing Russian roulette when it comes to making safe food choices."
She said t he standard will also ensure that companies can't label products "gluten-free" even if they are cross-contaminated from other products made in the same manufacturing facility.
The gluten-free labeling rule was first proposed during the George W. Bush administration, an FDA official said. Since then, gluten-free products have become a $4 billion business, with many people who don't have celiac disease buying the products because they believe they're easier to digest and healthier.
Also of Interest
- Do You Really Need to Give Up These 5 Foods?
- 8 Foods We Eat That Other Countries Ban
- Join AARP: Savings, resources and news for your well-being
See the AARP home page for deals, savings tips, trivia and more


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Predator notebooks will have extensive cooling system, programmable buttons
Acer revealed more than its new device launches at yesterday's event, teasing to attendees some upcoming gaming devices. A collection of distinctive systems under the existing "Predator" name were unveiled, which will include high-specification notebooks and PCs as expected, but it will also count an Android tablet built for gaming as part of the same product range.
Specifications on DDR4 coming September 15, new SSDs coming later this year
Kingston's enthusiast brand HyperX brought a number of products to Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle this year, including the Cloud headset and Skyn mouse pads announced earlier this year, and the brand's upcoming entries in DDR4 memory. HyperX showed off some of the first versions of memory for Intel's X99 chipset and Haswell Extreme Edition processor, branded for its Predator line.
Flash drive with 1TB capacity accompanied by smaller drives
Memory manufacturer Kingston is to release what is claimed to be the world's largest-capacity USB 3.0 flash drive. The high-capacity DataTraveler HyperX Predator 3.0 will have a version shipping later this quarter with a total storage of 1-terabyte, while others in the range will ship at the same time at more standard capacities.
Acer to bring Ivy Bridge CPUs to desktops soon
PC maker Acer and sub-brand Gateway have revealed a couple of new PCs, the Predator AG3620 and the DX4860-UR14P, respectively. Both lines will offer Intel's latest Ivy Bridge processors. Acer will get the new chips first, however, starting with the 3.4GHz Core i7-3770.
Uses Intel P67 chipset and LGA-1155 CPUs
Acer has launched a new desktop targeting gaming enthusiasts in the UK. The Predator G5910 incorporates the Intel P67 chipset and supports Core i5 and i7 Sandy Bridge CPUs in a new design. The PC also supports two hot swap hard drive bays.
Acer adds entry-level Predator gaming desktop
Acer has added a new Aspire Predator-series desktop for casual and mainstream gamers. Called the AG3600, it uses a 2.8GHz Intel Core i5 CPU and NVIDIA's 2GB GeForce GT 420 graphics card. The latest and most entry-level in the Predator lineup, it sports a design with a 45-degree slope on the front that houses four USB ports, the power button, headphone and microphone jacks as well as the memory card readers.
Acer ships upgraded Predator gaming PCs to US
Acer has added new models to its Aspire Predator gaming series with the mainstream-oriented AG5900-U3902 and the flagship AG7750-U3222. The former was unveiled for Japan earlier this month, and shares many of the major specs with the higher-end model. This includes a quad-core Intel Core i7 CPU, 1.5TB of storage space and Windows 7 Home Premium. The standard CPU in the AG5900 is a 2.93GHz Core i7 combined with 8GB of RAM.
Japan to get first taste next week
Acer is set to debut its newest gaming PC, the Aspire Predator AG5900, in Japan next week. The system is powered by an unlocked Intel Core i7-875K quad-core chip clocking in at 2.93GHz (with Turbo Boost to 3.6GHz), coupled with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 470 with 1.25GB of RAM. Acer's signature exotic case remains intact.
Acer recalls Predator PC
Two reported cases of melting internal components and external cases due to a short circuit in the Predator gaming PC have prompted its manufacturer, Acer, to issue a voluntary recall on Thursday. As many as approximately 215 examples of the PC, launched in the US this past fall, are potentially affected, and they were produced between May and December of 2008. There were no reported injuries in either of the overheating cases, Acer says.
Acer H233H and X1700
Taking a two-prong approach, Acer this morning has introduced both a new range-leading 23-inch computer LCD as well as a mini desktop built partly with that display in mind. The 23-inch H233H stands as one of Acer's most upscale displays and replaces the usual hardware buttons with backlit, touch-sensitive controls. It importantly produces a more TV-like 1080p picture with a dynamic 40,000:1 contrast ratio and carries both HDMI input and a 3W stereo speaker array to take in video from Blu-ray players and consoles.
Acer Predator in US
Along with its new displays, Acer today marked the US release of the Aspire Predator, the company's first dedicated gaming PC. The copper orange tower is designed for access with a sliding front bay cover, front ports and a tool-free hard drive cage accessible from the outside; it also comes with built-in liquid cooling and three PCI Express X16 slots (plus one X8) to support multi-card graphics.
Acer Aspire Predator
Acer this morning is boosting its previously low-key gaming efforts through the Aspire Predator, a new line of high-end gaming desktops. Every system comes with a uniquely angular case that provides a lifting front cover to shield the PC's front as well as similarly dramatic side doors for case expansion. Past the shell, the front also hides game-friendly expansion, including front-mounted ports and a multi-bay hard drive cage that lets users add or replace disks without having to open the computer itself.


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Information overload. That’s what so many new-car owners are facing.
Information and communication technologies, a new report from just-auto-com notes, are burying us in information and in-car capabilities, thereby causing a big increase in driver distraction. So the pressure is squarely on car makers to simplify in-car technologies – to make interacting with the latest gizmos a simple affair, one that does not distract the driver from the driving.
The endgame, many believe, are natural voice recognition systems. Already we’re seeing them, too. There is Ford’s Sync, Kia’s UVO and Toyota’s Entune, says the report. The car you can converse with naturally is the next step. That and simplified touch screen systems such as General Motors’ new CUE.
CUE, says GM, is an easy-to-use touchscreen interface designed to minimize driver distraction with an uncluttered design and intuitive controls. As Automotive News reports, CUE is a “telematics touch screen that allows drivers to use the sort of flip, spread and drag commands commonly used on most smartphones and tablets.” CUE combines touch controls with technology that allows users to simply speak commands, such as ordering up a destination for the navigation system in a conversational voice.
"We heard people ask over and over: ‘Why can't it just work like Google or like my smartphone?’” Matt Highstrom, an engineer who helped develop CUE, told Automotive News. “So we took the best of the technologies that people already are familiar with.”
Of course, GM is hardly alone. Buyers today expect to be connected when they’re driving, though being connected can be an unsafe distraction. Thus, car companies are working at connectivity solutions that don’t get in the way of the driving.
At Ford, the solution is wrapped up in the MyFord Touch/MyLincoln Touch approach with Sync voice controls. Ford’s approach combines a touch screen with secondary controls in the steering wheel and dashboard, along with voice controls. Ford’s Sync voice control system, done in collaboration with Microsoft, is as good as any in the industry and better than most. For instance, just say “call home” and you’re dialling and soon talking. Excellent.
Meanwhile, upscale German auto makers seem to favour a like-minded “controller” approach to managing in-car gizmos. The latest versions of Audi’s Multi Media Interface, BMW’s iDrive and Mercedes-Benz’ Command Control all centre on some sort of knob as the primary way to dial in a function, though secondary buttons are also used, as well as voice commands. Audi’s latest A8 also adds a touch pad interface. The problem is that channelling so many functions through a main controller generally requires the user to make a number of discrete inputs just to do something as simple as find a radio station. This sort of complexity begs for better voice commands.
Lexus, Toyota’s luxury brand, has pioneered the use of a joystick to help drivers manage in-car functions and it works quite well. The square joystick in the latest Lexus models fall right below the driver’s right hand in the centre console and it is surprisingly user-friendly. The joystick operates a cursor on the display screen that falls in the driver’s eye-line even while looking to the road ahead.
Of course, that’s just a sampling of what auto makers are doing. The winner of the technology race as it relates to controlling functions and gadgets will be the auto maker who creates a car with whom you can simply have a “smart” conversation.


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LAPA Security have announced the exclusive launch of a Pre-paid, international security service for shipping clientele, worldwide.
Conservit Ltd, UK. has created and launched a range of products that will reduce the cost of looking after consumer and business high value assets. The strategy behind the launch was derived from the desire to promote the policy of 'refurbish not replace' this inspired the range to be brought to market.
When remembering loved ones, we naturally wish to recall the highlights and happy moments we have shared together. Most families and friends will have collected photographs, souvenirs, holiday videos or mementos to illustrate their memories.
The new wave of hi-end pleasure based investments has already started among those in the know.
As competition for jobs in Australia and New Zealand grows, working holiday service provider Work n Holiday has developed an innovative job database to connect Working Holiday Visa travellers with the seasonal and short-term work they are seeking.


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The Wagga Business Chamber has announced Jennifer Hand as its new president and Tim Sheather as the new vice president.
The pair will replace outgoing president Rhyley Hunter and former vice president Mackenna Powell.
The Southern Cross Austereo general manager for the past four years, Mrs Hand possesses considerable experience in the marketing and media industry.
She said her focus as president would be to help local businesses reach their full potential with the chamber's assistance.
IN OTHER NEWS:
"I come from a marketing background and I came across into television sales management," Mrs Hand said.
"I'm extremely passionate about small local businesses and we have the capacity to deal with hundreds in Wagga and I'm keen to assist them and help them flourish.
"I've been on the chamber's board for three years and we're like-minded people who want to make a difference.
"It's important local businesses have a source of information and backup with advocacy, connection and networking."
A University of Wollongong graduate with a Bachelor of Commerce and Marketing, Mrs Hand urged the community to support local businesses during the difficult times they face due to COVID-19 lockdown restrictions.
"I find that connection is important, now more than ever as some businesses are extremely isolated and need that support," she said.
"It's been such a tricky time for businesses but this time we're prepared a bit better, it's not like the last time where we were going into the deep unknown.
"While people are struggling and some can't open their doors, other businesses have been supported by their customer base so it's important that the community rallies around businesses and supports them.
"It means money is coming into the community and if we rally together and hold fast, we'll bounce back."
Mrs Hand looks forward to a brighter future for local businesses.
"We hope to drive our membership base to give members a fantastic source of resources, that's our main goal and to support local businesses," she said.
"Once events are back on we'll jump in wholeheartedly.
"There's so many amazing and diverse businesses in Wagga and we want to get behind them and support them and once our shop local gift card is up and running that will make a huge difference."
Managing director of Sheathers Painting Wagga, Mr Sheather joined the board last year.
"I could not be more grateful to accept the position as vice president to this well established and well loved organisation that consists of an extremely talented board and long history of dedicated members and sponsors," he said.
The chamber's business manager Serena Hardwick thanked the outgoing president and vice president for their dedication and welcomed Mrs Hand and Mr Sheather.
"Jennifer and Tim both bring a wealth of experience and knowledge with them in their new roles and we acknowledge their commitment as executive members of the board in their volunteer roles," Ms Hardwick said.
"Their goals as leaders are to continue to build on the past achievements of the chamber by supporting and assisting businesses to innovate and thrive."
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:


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The Current, delivered daily.
U.S. egrocery sales ticked down slightly to start the year.
Brick Meets Click and Mercatus provided the following data for January 2023:
Total egrocery sales were $8.4 billion, down 1.2% year-over-year.
Total user base for egrocery sales declined 1.6% for the year, as the number of 30-44-year-olds dropped 5%.
Order frequency also declined, continuing a long-term trend since May 2020.
Ship-to-home sales dropped 15%, driving the drop.
Pickup increased 3%, showing strong gains.
Online grocery sales totaled 12% of overall grocery sales.
US egrocery sales for January (Courtesy of Brick Meets Click/Mercatus)
Mass vs. grocery
In egrocery, the story continues to be the dichotomy between mass retailers such as Walmart and Kroger, and grocery stores such as Kroger.
In January, the mass category saw a 20% increase in monthly active users. Meanwhile, the grocery MAUs shrank by 6%.
Mass retailers offering price breaks are continuing to be an attractive option, especially as prices remain high amid inflation. Still, there is crossover, as about 3 in 10 households that shop at a mass retailer also shop at a grocery store.
Repeat intent rates were also down. The likelihood that a customer will use the same service within the next 30 days dipped by about two percentage points over the year to 60%. In a “troubling sign” BMC said that this was driven by frequent customers who typically spend more per order.
Grocery also trailed in this measure, recording the largest gap in repeat intent with mass since measurement began at 14%.
“This large gap in repeat intent is concerning and should raise a red flag for conventional grocers,” said David Bishop, partner at Brick Meets Click, in a statement. “While our monthly research didn’t examine the causes for the variations between Grocery and Mass, it could be associated with a number of variables, including product pricing, service-related costs, or differences in customer experience, so grocers may want to analyze what are the main culprits driving their respective rates lower.”
Trending in Economy
Campbell Soup Company CEO Mark Clouse offered thoughts on messaging amid inflationary shifts in consumer behavior.
After months of elevated inflation and interest rate hikes that have the potential to cool demand, consumers are showing more signs of shifting behavior.
It’s showing up in retail sales data, but there’s also evidence in the observations of the brands responsible for grocery store staples.
The latest example came this week from Campbell Soup Company. CEO Mark Clouse told analysts that the consumer continues to be “resilient” despite continued price increases on food, but found that “consumers are beginning to feel that pressure” as time goes on.
This shows up in the categories they are buying. Overall, Clouse said Campbell sees a shift toward shelf-stable items, and away from more expensive prepared foods.
There is also change in when they make purchases. People are buying more at the beginning of the month. That’s because they are stretching paychecks as long as possible.
These shifts change how the company is communicating with consumers.
Clouse said the changes in behavior are an opportunity to “focus on value within our messaging without necessarily having to chase pricing all the way down.”
“No question that it's important that we protect affordability and that we make that relevant in the categories that we're in," Clouse said. "But I also think there's a lot of ways to frame value in different ways, right?”
A meal cooked with condensed soup may be cheaper than picking up a frozen item or ordering out. Consumers just need a reminder. Even within Campbell’s own portfolio, the company can elevate brands that have more value now, even if they may not always get the limelight.
The open question is whether the shift in behavior will begin to show up in the results of the companies that have raised prices. Campbell’s overall net sales grew 5% for the quarter ended April 30, while gross profit margins held steady around 30%. But the category-level results were more uneven. U.S. soup sales declined 11%, though the company said that was owed to comparisons with the quarter when supply chains reopened a year ago and expressed confidence that the category is seeing a longer-term resurgence as more people cook at home following the pandemic. Snacks, which includes Goldfish and Pepperidge Farm, were up 12% And while net sales increased overall, the amount of products people are buying is declining. Volumes were down 7%.
These are trends happening across the grocery store. Campbell is continuing to compete. It is leading with iconic brands, and a host of different ways to consume them. It is following that up with innovation that makes the products stand out. Then, it is driving home messaging that shows consumers how to fit the products into their lives, and even their tightening spending plans.
Campbell Soup is more than 150 years old, and has seen plenty of difficult economic environments. It is also a different business today, and will continue to evolve. At the end of the day, continued execution is what’s required.
“If it's good food, people are going to buy it, especially if it's a great value,” Clouse said.


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Although rare, cruise ships can "technically" tip over. But will they? Highly unlikely. According to Harry Bolton, retired captain at the California Maritime Academy, a cruise ship could hypothetically tip if it were in "extreme weather," "positioned sideways," and rolled over by a 70 to 100-foot wave.
Has a cruise ship ever been overturned?
On 13 January 2012, the seven-year-old Costa Cruises vessel Costa Concordia was on the first leg of a cruise around the Mediterranean Sea when she deviated from her planned route at Isola del Giglio, Tuscany, sailed closer to the island, and struck a rock formation on the sea floor.
What are the chances of a cruise ship flipping?
While it is technically possible that a cruise ship could tip over, it would be extremely unlikely in the modern era. Even during the most severe storms, a modern cruise ship is far more stable than you might assume.
Can cruise ships overturn?
Any ship can capsize if the weight distribution and buoyancy are compromised to provide negative stability. But in the case of large vessels like cruise ships, tipping over would be almost impossible, even in the roughest seas.
What happens if you don't tip on a cruise?
However, most cruise lines are based in the U.S., where the crew members' pay structure is based on tips. If you refuse to tip on principle, you are impacting the salaries of the people who have served you well onboard.
How rare is a ship sinking?
Just over one cruise ship every 5 years has sunk in the last 100 years. Regarding sinking with casualties, that's only one every 7 years. In the last 50 years, there have been 15 cruise ships that have sunk.


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5.6 million crypto storage apps downloaded in January 2021, 31% of all 2020 downloads
March 4, 2021 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Data researched by Trading Platforms UK indicates that cryptocurrency storage application downloads globally hit 5.6 million in January 2021. The figure represents 31.07% of all app downloads in 2020.
Last year, the total download figure was 18.13 million, with December accounting for the highest number at 2.2 million. April recorded the least number of storage app downloads at 1.1 million.
Crypto bull run drives storage apps downloads
The report highlights some of the drivers behind the surge in storage app downloads. According to the research report:
"Overall, the downloads began increasing after the market began an upward movement in April and remained mostly positive. Although institutions are at the center of the crypto rally, the surge in storage app download can also be attributed to retail investors who were getting involved in the sector as the fear of missing out sets in."
Furthermore, the analysis explains the implication of the increasing app downloads in the crypto space. The report notes that:
"With the increasing adoption, the crypto storage apps are lining up gateways into the blockchain space. Most of the storage apps are increasingly performing crucial functions like enabling holders to buy and sell tokens, pay for products and services, among others. This capability is attracting more people."
The full story, statistics, and information can be found here: https://tradingplatforms.com/uk/2021/03/04/5-6-million-crypto-storage-apps-downloaded-in-january-2021-31-of-all-2020-downloads/
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Niche perfume is leading the consumption trend targeting the MZ generation – a term widely used in Korea to describe the combination of Millennials and Generation Z. Due to the pandemic, the demand for perfume has increased for the past two years thanks to the “lipstick index” – previously explained in an interview with Sommelier du Parfum.
According to Euromonitor, the Korean perfume market, which was valued at KRW 500 billion in 2015, is expected to exceed KRW 650 billion in 2023. Among which, premium perfume accounts for 90 percent of the total market, backed by the MZ generation.
It is estimated that Liquids Perfume Bar, a French niche perfume select shop operated by Handsome, a fashion company under the Hyundai Department Store Group, has recorded a 60 percent increase in sales from customers between the ages of 20 and 30. With the growth potential of the niche perfume market in the future in mind, Handsome plans to expand its future Liquids Perfume Bar locations to about 10 by 2022 – compared with 5 offline locations now.
Shinsegae International is also reportedly developing a niche perfume brand of its own. With Diptyque, Byredo, and Santa Maria Novella as its mainstays, the South Korean department store giant has raised the proportion of niche perfumes to 80 percent in its imported cosmetics sales.
As part of its bid to strengthen its competitiveness, LF (formerly known as LG Fashion) secured the domestic distribution rights of Jovoy, a French niche perfume specialty shop, debuting its product range online through LF Mall and landing on the shelves of Raum East’s physical locations in April.


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Doctors are not the only ones hardselling breakfast as the most important meal of the day. Major retail chains are increasingly stepping up the space devoted to a wide range of breakfast items.
Multiple brands and varieties of cornflakes, muesli, biscuits, muffins, cakes, jams, butter, cheese, juices, tea, coffee, milk, noodles and sauces, among other breakfast essentials, have started occupying significant shelf space across retail outlets.
Estimates suggest, these products are taking up around one-fourth of the total food shelf space across many retail outlets in India and the segment is growing rapidly, at around 30 per cent a year.
Research and consulting firm, Technopak Advisors, said the segment has gone up in popularity. The items comprise anything between 10 per cent and 20 per cent of the total food section for a supermarket, said the firm’s vice-president retail, Purnendu Kumar.
“This is additional sales for a retailer, as these are new consumption categories that are replacing the low-margin raw commodities.” Kumar said there is a huge impact of the growing spread of breakfast items on the retailers’ revenue.
Devendra Chawla, president, food & FMCG, Future Group (that runs the Big Bazaar chain) argued that these were high-ticket products, thereby increasing the chain’s ticket size. “Most new age categories provide higher margin which helps improve our margin profile.”
Speaking on the impact of the breakfast category on overall revenues, Aditya Birla Retail CEO Thomas Varghese said: “Of course, this leads to additional sales. He said the breakfast items were growing faster than the processed foods category, which itself was growing rapidly. “To cater to the increasing demand, we are using a three-pronged approach.”
The strategy includes increasing space, creating multiple touch points and more points of interaction between the shopper and the product, and enhancing the supply chain efficiencies. “We have used all of these to manage and benefit from the increasing demand.”
A Bharti Retail spokesperson said due to rising per capita income, consumer awareness has also increased. “We are currently witnessing strong double-digit growth upwards of 30 per cent in this segment.”
Agreed Future Group’s Chawla: “There is a substantial increase of assortment in these categories. For instance, cornflakes category has seen many variants like K and others which have targeted the diet conscious customer. Oats is another breakfast cereal which has seen brand play in the last few months.” The same is true for instant mixes (upma/oats/ragi), digestive biscuits and processed milk.
“As there is increased assortment and noise on these categories, the space has increased due to more wallet share spend on these categories,” said Chawla. The young demographic profile, increasing income, time constraint due to the number of working couples going up, receptiveness to try out newer cuisines and awareness on healthy eating are among the many reasons making the breakfast popular.
Advent of private labels in organised retail stores have also contributed to the growth of this category, said a Bharti Retail spokesperson. “Private labels are typically priced much lower than national brands, which incentivises and encourages consumers to consume more from this category, thereby increasing sales.”
Technopak’s Kumar shared similar views. “Apart from changing the consumption pattern, it is also due to entry of products and brands at reasonable prices that these items are selling so well,” Kumar said.


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Kerbisher & Malt, the London-based contemporary fish and chip shop concept, has set out plans to add at least three further sites to its estate this year, after opening its third site in East Sheen yesterday.
The award-winning concept, which is owned by chef Saul Reuben and entrepreneur Nick Crossley, will open two further sites in Abbeville Road, Clapham, next month and in Rosebery Avenue, Farringdon, in May.
It said that further openings are planned in the capital for later in the year.
The group had secured the former Fish! Kitchen site in 170 Upper Richmond Road, for the opening of its new 30-cover restaurant and takeaway yesterday.
Crossley, said: “We’re excited to be opening two new sites in South London. We’re delighted with the new restaurant, as we want each Kerbisher & Malt to have its own distinct personality and we really feel we’ve achieved that here.”
The award-winning concept opened its second site, a 60-cover restaurant and takeaway outlet opposite Ealing town hall, at the end of 2012. The group opened its first site in 2011 in Brook Green, Hammersmith.
The concept offers a menu of both traditional and modern dishes, focused on fresh produce. It also features beers from local brewers, such as Meantime.


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High heels, embellished bras, and catwalks.
It might sound unusual anywhere else, but at Caesars Entertainment - team members take inspiring grown-ups to the next level.
Every year for Breast Cancer Awareness month, team members across the enterprise battle for a good cause with the grand finale of a fashion show!
Through the halls, you can smell baked goods as team members hold bake sales, pink accessories, or thoughtful notes for survivors and supporters for those fighting cancer.
In October, executives from various departments put on quite a show to raise as much as they can for the fight against cancer.
In the past, leaders have stood outside Caesars Palace to get a pie thrown in their face to raise money, “it gets really competitive,” said Jason Rinta, Total Service Manager for Bally’s, Paris and Planet Hollywood. Last year, more than $140,000 was raised.
Male senior leaders even slip-on high heels for “Real Men Wear Pink” and strut down the catwalk in the employee dining room at Caesars Palace.


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Digital TV News: MultiMedia Intelligence
244.5 Million IP-Connected Consumer Electronics Devices in 2013
Feb 5, 2009 – MultiMedia Intelligence believes that the necessary technology platforms are in place for the IP-connected home and forecasts 244.5 million IP-Connected devices will be shipped in 2013.
News categories: Multimedia Intelligence, Cable TV, Digital TV, Gaming, Home Server, IPTV, Market Research, Mobile, Satellite, Set Top Box, Smart Home, Smart TV, Streaming
World's First Solution for Targeted Advertising over Mobile TV on display at IBC 2008
Aug 12, 2008 – Packet Vision and UDcast have announced what they believe to be the world's first solution for targeted television advertising over mobile TV. The first public presentation of their technology will take place at this year's IBC.
News categories: Packet Vision, UDcast, Advertising, Content Distribution, IBC2022, Mobile
Mobile TV and Video to Exceed $15 Billion in Worldwide Revenue by 2012
Jul 9, 2008 – Consumers are demanding more personalization and entertainment content on their mobile phones, driving mobile video subscription revenue to exceed $3.5 billion in 2008, according to resent research by MultiMedia Intelligence.
News categories: MultiMedia Intelligence, Market Research, Mobile, Subscribers
Verimatrix Announces Mobile TV Content Security Solution for Pay-TV Operators
Jun 16, 2008 – Verimatrix has announced the full profile of its comprehensive VCAS™ for Mobile TV solution to enable operators to deliver a seamless pay-TV service over mobile phones and other mobile Internet devices (MIDs).
News categories: Verimatrix, Tata Elxsi, BroadcastAsia, Conditional Access, Content Protection, Digital TV, Middleware, Mobile
ARM Mali-400 MP Technology Brings High-end Graphics to all Consumer Devices
Jun 2, 2008 – ARM (LSE:ARM)(Nasdaq:ARMH) has announced the ARM® Mali™-400 MP scalable multiprocessor graphics solution, capable of delivering up to 1G pixels per second and enabling licensees to serve multiple product markets with the same architecture.
News categories: ARM®, Semiconductor, Silicon IP
Shipments of Internet-Enabled Consumer Electronics Pass the 60 Million Unit Mark in 2007
Jan 29, 2008 – MultiMedia Intelligence reports that shipments of Internet-Protocol (IP)-enabled consumer electronics reached 64 Million units in 2007. This represented nearly 73% growth. However, the market continues to be dominated by internet-enabled video game consoles.
News categories: MultiMedia Intelligence, Digital TV, DVD, Gaming, Market Research, Middleware, Set Top Box, Smart Home, Smart TV, Streaming
MultiMedia Intelligence Identifies Digital Watermarking & Fingerprinting As Key New Technology Opportunities to Monetize Digital Media
Jan 21, 2008 – MultiMedia Intelligence reports that applications leveraging content identification technologies such as digital watermarking and fingerprinting are growing rapidly and could surpass US$500 million worldwide by 2012.
News categories: MultiMedia Intelligence, Conditional Access, Content Protection, Digital TV, DRM, Market Research, Streaming, Watermarking
Multimedia Mobile Phone Shipments Surpass TV Shipments in 2008, According to MultiMedia Intelligence
Nov 27, 2007 – MultiMedia Intelligence reports the worldwide unit shipments of multimedia feature rich mobile phones will exceed 300 million units in 2008, outnumbering shipments of TV sets.
News categories: MultiMedia Intelligence, Digital TV, Market Research, Mobile
- Market turbulence set to define media industry in 2023
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- J:COM deploys Qwilt Open Caching solution


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Fabrizio Radice, Vice President and Head of Global Sales and Marketing at Tomra Sorting Recycling, comments: “We work very closely with our customers to ensure that our products consistently meet their demanding requirements and those of their end customers. Our New generation Autosort system is an incredibly exciting development as its use of versatile sensors and intelligent software will enable it to meet the demands of a whole host of current and future sorting applications.”
Delegates of Tomra’s digital launch event also found out about another new product developed by Tomra – Autosort Speedair – an additional component to Tomra’s Autosort range. Autosort Speedair is a highly customisable system designed to stabilise light materials such as plastic films or paper on a highspeed conveyor, thus generating a higher throughput and enhancing sorting quality.
With industry demand resulting in the need for higher speed conveyor belts, Autosort Speedair incorporates speed-controlled fan-driven air inlets that generate a constant air stream over the conveyor belt to prevent material on the conveyor belt from moving. By doubling the speed of the conveyor belts up to 6 metres per second, throughput is much higher and the output quality is consistently high. Customers benefit from a better return on investment, as well as lower installation and running costs. Additionally, as the first system on the market with no belt cover, access to the unit for maintenance is much faster and the likelihood of a material blockage is much lower compared to conventional high-speed systems in the market, as is the risk of machine downtime.
Looking beyond the launch of the new generation Autosort and Autosort Speedair, the third and final product mentioned at the event was the forthcoming launch of Tomra’s first robot, the Autosort Cybot. The system comprises a new generation Autosort scanner, an electromagnetic sensor and a robot arm. It is the first robot on the market that combines four technologies at once: Near Infrared (NIR) and Visible Light (VIS) spectroscopy, Deep Laiser and if required, induction for ferrous and non-ferrous metals recovery. Autosort Cybot’s robotic arm is capable of simultaneously sorting material into four different streams or fractions depending on the infeed material size, colour and criteria of the target fractions.
With sorting and recycling plants demanding even higher levels of automation than ever before, the Autosort Cybot will available soon and is another value-added component that complements the Autosort range, but can also operate as a standalone unit. Prior to its official launch, material tests can be carried out at Tomra's Test Center to confirm its outstanding capabilities.
Valerio Sama, Vice President and Head of Product Management, adds: “The addition of a robot arm to our Autosort system opens up a wealth of new opportunities for highly automated applications within the sorting process and will deliver an even higher level of quality control of recyclables such as HDPE, PET and PP.”
Tom Eng, SVP and Head of Tomra Sorting Recycling, concludes: “We are delighted with how well the digital launch event went. COVID-19 has enforced new ways of working and communicating and as such we were more than happy to test out a digital launch platform for the first and probably not the last time given its success! The launch provided an opportunity to showcase our range of complementary, connected and perfectly harmonised technologies which together deliver a symphony that is capable of sorting all sorts of waste at unparalleled sorting performances and with impressive throughput and yield. Delegates had the chance to listen to the symphony – the sounds of all our machines – and were captivated by it!”


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The nominations for entry to the 2015 PharmaTimes Sales Awards are now in
More than 117,000 healthcare professionals were polled – conducted and collated by Binley’s – to vote for those sales and MSL professionals they have been most impressed by. Nominees have been chosen for standing out among their peers in areas such as understanding HCP needs, working in an open and transparent way and going the extra mile.
In the Sales Representative category, 800 nominations have been put forward, representing more than 140 firms and spanning the entire industry across a wide range of therapeutic areas. Janssen attracted the most nominations, followed by Pfizer, Astellas, Novartis and AstraZeneca.
Meanwhile, the MSL category saw 172 nominations from nearly 70 companies, with Novartis, Pfizer, Boehringer Ingelheim and Bayer coming out top.
Amanda Flanagan, AstraZeneca business unit director (respiratory) and chair of the steering committee, told PharmaTimes Magazine: “It is great that our customers have taken the time to nominate people from our teams. This in part reflects the value they get from people they interact with who constantly strive to ensure they really understand their needs and challenges.”
She adds: “The more we can deliver meaningful solutions and benefits to our customer and the patients they treat, the more we can continue to build solid partnerships with the NHS.”
Simon White, head of learning and development at Janssen and co-chair of the steering committee, congratulated all the nominees, saying that “for busy customers to take the time to recognise industry representatives who they feel have added particular value is something for the nominated individuals and companies to be very proud of. Customer recognition is a good indicator of value being passed onto the NHS and ultimately to patients, and it’s fantastic to see Janssen being most nominated this year.”
Last year marked the inaugural MSL awards with 19 entries. Jane Blockley of Celgene took the gold. “I felt honored to be part of this inaugural MSL of the Year competition with PharmaTimes and the MSLA. This is an exciting and valuable initiative to recognise the crucial place of the MSL within any company’s field-based structure and the value that this role brings to an organisation. I would urge MSLs to seek involvement in this initiative in the future as it truly tests your skills and provides you with great personal and professional insight.”
Besides the Sales Representative and MSL categories, the competition also awards sales management roles, putting finalists through a simulated real-world challenge in front of a panel of expert judges. Ben Iyamu from Novo Nordisk was a key account manager finalist in last year’s competition and he notes the benefits of taking part. “I found the competition highly beneficial and it highlighted areas of development that I needed to work on and, as a result, I succeeded in progressing into a market access role within six months of the competition.”
PharmaTimes Sales Awards are the ONLY industry wide award powered by customer feedback from nomination right through to assessment, offering meaningful recognition and invaluable feedback from the people who matter most – your customers.
The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony held on 9 July at The Sofitel, Heathrow T5.
For more information or to book your ticket, click here.


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Black Friday only comes once a year, and protestors in France believe this annual exhibition of sales and consumerism is killing our planet.
French lawmakers took notice of the group after they blockaded an Amazon warehouse in Paris. According to CBS, members of the group Amis de la terre (Friends of the Earth), covered the entranceway with hay and old appliances. They held up signs that read “Amazon: For the climate, for jobs, stop expansion, stop over-production!”
Now, a few key lawmakers are siding with the protestors.
“Some lawmakers have endorsed the concerns voiced by the protesters citing that the holiday, made popular by American and now observed by deal-seeking shoppers in several countries, is mainly beneficial to large, online retailers and causes high levels of gas emissions and traffic jams,” the Washington Examiner reports.
France’s minister for environmental transition Elisabeth Borne called the day after Thanksgiving a celebration of “frenzied consumerism.” She added in an interview with Europe 1 that the commercial holiday negatively impacts small businesses, and mainly benefits massive online retail companies.
French National Assembly member Matthieu Orphelin agreed.
“Stop overconsumption and communications that mislead consumers,” she posted to Twitter.
Debate on the handling of Black Friday, and an amendment calling for its ban, were initiated by France’s former environment minister, Delphine Batho. Batho’s law would make “aggressive commercial practices” punishable by imprisonment and a maximum fine of 300,000 euros ($330,000), CBS reports.
Though the French’s e-commerce union has condemned the measure, it will soon be considered by the French parliament.
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Hunger Plus, Inc. receives $25,000 grant from Walmart Foundation
Hunger Plus, Inc. received a $25,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation's State Giving Program Monday to assist with local hunger and nutrition difficulties in Hale County and surrounding areas of Texas. Specifically, this grant is aimed at positively impacting the local community by providing food and nutrition to those in need.
Hunger Plus will use this grant to provide aid to veterans, senior citizens, crisis centers, and homeless/underemployed within Hale County and surrounding areas of Texas.
"Hunger and nutrition are a big problem for many people residing within Hale County. When the Cargill plant closed its doors, it left a lot of people without work and without the ability to provide food for their families. We also have a great deal of veterans within the immediate vicinity and serve the surrounding areas for crisis centers and young mothers unable to provide food for their children." said J.B. Roberts, chairman of Hunger Plus.
"Walmart has always been a big help to us in so many ways. Our local store, the distribution center and the Foundation have been so kind to Hunger Plus, Inc. over the years. We have been able to help thousands of people in need because of Walmart."
"At the Walmart Foundation, we understand that organizations such as Hunger Plus, Inc. are essential to building stronger communities. They share our values and are committed to helping veterans, women and children, abused and crisis victims, homeless and underemployed people in need live better," said Roy Adams, Walmart market manager.
"Through this donation, we are hopeful that residents in Plainview, Texas, will not have to add food to their list of worries."
Hunger Plus, Inc. was founded in 1997 and since that time has provided food and humanitarian items to every continent in the world except Antarctica.
In recent years, the focus of the organization has been to help in the United States and primarily throughout Texas where the needs of American people have been so great due to drought, job loss and the economy.
The contribution to Hunger Plus was made possible through the Walmart Foundation's Texas State Giving Program (SGP). Through this program, the Walmart Foundation supports organizations that create opportunities so people can live better. The Walmart Foundation State Giving Program strives to award grants that have a long-lasting, positive impact on communities across the U.S.
Last year, the Texas State Giving Program awarded more than $119 million to local organizations.
In Texas, a team of local associates determine the needs within each state, review eligible grant applications and make funding recommendations to the Walmart Foundation.
To be considered for support, prospective grantee organizations must submit applications through the Walmart Foundation State Giving Program's online grant application. Eligible applicants must have a current 501(c) (3) tax-exempt status in order to meet the program's minimum funding criteria. Additional information about the program's funding guidelines and application process are available online at http://foundation.walmart.com/apply-for-grants/state-giving.
In 2014, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation gave more than $1.2 billion in cash and in-kind contributions around the world. In Texas alone, Walmart gave more than $119 million in cash and in-kind gifts to local communities and donated more than 62 million pounds of food to Texas food banks, the equivalent of more than 51.8 million meals for Texans in need.


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Yahoo has just announced the first beta of the upcoming Yahoo Messenger 11. The future version of the popular instant messaging client comes with a couple of big new features, social games and the possibility to keep up and chat with Twitter and Facebook friends, but also a few additions and updates for the die-hard fans.
"It’s here! The new Yahoo! Messenger Beta is now available for download. Yahoo! Messenger Beta makes it fun and easy to share, connect, and play with friends and family – no matter where you are in the world," Yahoo announced.
Yahoo Messenger comes with social games from Zynga and others
One big announcement for this beta release is the integration of social games from a number of companies in Yahoo Messenger. This is part of a company-wide move and Yahoo just announced that these games will now be available through a number of its properties.
For now, you can play Fishville and Mafia Wars from Zynga (not yet available), Balloono, Pool, Draw My Thing from OMGPOP and Happy Harvest as well as Happy Manor from Elex.
You will be able to play these games in a dedicated window while Yahoo Messenger is running. And, since these are social games after all, you can share activities with your friends and interact with them just like you would on Facebook.
Update your status on Yahoo, Facebook and Twitter
The second big new feature is part of yet another company-wide move. Yahoo has been working on integrating more social features into its products as well as integrating Facebook and Twitter. With Yahoo Messenger 10, users were already able to keep up with their friends on a number of sites and social networks via the Yahoo Updates service.
Yahoo Messenger 11 takes it one step further with the ability to share a status message with your Messenger friends, everyone else via Yahoo Updates and also on Facebook or Twitter, all at the same time.
Chat with Facebook friends
What's more, Yahoo Messenger 11 also enables you to chat with your friends on Facebook Chat via the dedicated instant messaging client. This feature should come in handy for those wanting to connect to friends on both networks. Facebook, of course, does not have an official desktop client for Chat.
Yahoo Messenger for Android with voice chat and photo sharing
Finally, the third big theme for Yahoo Messenger 11 is universal availability. The idea is to make it possible to continue a conversation regardless on what device you're on at the moment, your laptop, your tablet or your smartphone.
For this, Yahoo has finally introduced an official Messenger client for Android phones. The Android app is feature packed and you can make video calls (on supported devices, MyTouch 4G and EVO for now) as well as share photos and videos.
Stay signed in on multiple PCs
With Yahoo Messenger 11 an age-old rule has been broken, you can now stay signed into multiple devices at the same time. Any message you receive will be forwarded to any of your desktops or laptops at the same time so you won't miss it regardless of where you are at any time.
Conversation history available from any PC
In order to make this even more seamless, any stored conversations will be available on any device at any time. Until now, only conversations saved with the web client at webmessenger.yahoo.com were available on any device across different sessions.
Now, this has been extended and you have access to recent conversations on any PC where you use Yahoo Messenger 11. This means that the conversations are saved in the cloud, convenient but maybe a bit creepy for the privacy conscious.
Still no support for Windows Aero
On the downside, Yahoo Messenger 11 Beta comes with the same non-native, colorful themes that have been the norm for a few versions now. If you're looking for something that will integrate well with your Windows 7 install, this isn't it, Yahoo Messenger still stands out like loud, purple unicorn at a funeral.
Features like tabbed conversation windows and others that power-users have been wanting for years are still nowhere to be seen. If Facebook integration and mobile use are important to you, Yahoo Messenger 11 is going to be great, if not and you wanted something more, well, at least, you're used to not getting it by now.
You can start testing the Yahoo Messenger 11 Beta by grabbing it from the link below. While this is labeled as a beta and some bugs should be expected, it should be stable enough for regular use based on previous beta releases of Yahoo Messenger.
Yahoo Messenger 11 Beta for Windows is available for download here.


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Federated Department Stores Inc., Cincinnati, reported lower comparable-store sales for the holidays.
Federated's December comp-store sales are expected to slide 2.5 percent and such sales for the November/December period likely will fall 4.5 percent. Its December fiscal month runs Dec. 1-Jan. 4. The most recent update was for sales from Dec. 22-28. The November/December period covers Nov. 3-Jan. 4.
J.C. Penney Co., Plano, TX, said December department store sales would rise about 4.5 percent, which is above plan. Catalog sales, however, are expected to be down about 20 percent for the month.
Penney said in its weekly sales update that business at its department stores was better than expected in the final days before Christmas with especially strong sales in fine jewelry, children's, home, men's and women's accessories. Also, Wal-Mart said sales were strong Christmas week — before and after the holiday — but it still expects only a modest gain in sales. The world's largest retailer had earlier pulled back from its projection of a sales increase of 3 percent to 5 percent for the holiday season over 2001 in stores open at least a year. On Monday, the company stuck to its revised prediction that same-store sales would gain 2 percent to 3 percent.


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A few weeks ago, the unfortunate news broke that Feral Interactive’s port of the classic Codemasters racing title GRID Autosport had been delayed to Autumn. While this was obviously a disappointing move, the developers asserted their commitment to what will be a major 2017 App Store release, and promised that the delay would mean a more polished and better quality title when the Autumn date eventually rolls around. To satiate excited fans of the series, Feral have today released a glimpse of Alpha footage from GRID Autosport, and all I can really say is wow.
Despite still being a few months off, and not showing any features such as modes or controls within the game, the preview of GRID Autosport looks incredibly well done and a testament to how far the App Store has come since its genesis in 2008. The best compliment I can bestow on GRID Autosport is that it looks almost as good as its console counterpart, and without a side-by-side comparison it’d be difficult to tell them apart. The dynamic lighting is stunning, and while Feral stress this is an alpha build of the game, it looks like their porting skills that were so effective for the Rome: Total War ($9.99) series are as strong as ever. Apart from the graphical prowess, isn’t too much we can discern from the trailer bar the inclusion of tilt controls and a replay feature, so hopefully over the coming weeks more details drop for the iOS version of GRID Autosport as we get closer to its Autumn release date.


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There are still a ton of questions regarding Huawei’s future, and one of the most confusing parts so far is the company’s in-house Android replacement OS. There has not been a single clear bit of information regarding this new platform, but now a regional head at the company is claiming the OS could arrive in June.
Taking a step back in the timeline, reports surfaced in the past few months that Huawei has been working on a replacement OS for Android in the case that it lost access to Google’s platform. Now that exactly that has happened, we’ve heard conflicting reports about the OS.
While some reports claim Huawei is seemingly going to stick with Android and just replace the Play Store, others have claimed that the company’s OS is nearing completion and heading out to consumers as early as this year. The most trustworthy information to date came from a report that found that “Project Z” was far from ready for prime time.
That’s why a statement today from Huawei’s head of Middle East is so strange. Speaking to TechRadar, the representative said that Huawei’s in-house OS has been ready since January of 2018 and that it will be rolling out to customers next month. Alaa Elshimy, Managing Director and Vice President of Huawei Enterprise Business Group Middle East, said:
Huawei knew this was coming and was preparing. The OS was ready in January 2018 and this was our ‘Plan B.’ We did not want to bring the OS to the market as we had a strong relationship with Google and others and did not want to ruin the relationship. Now, we are rolling it out next month.
Update: Huawei has provided an updated statement to TechRadar to debunk the statement. Huawei’s replacement OS, confirmed to be codenamed “Hongmeng” in this statement won’t arrive in June of this year and the company instead pointed to the late 2019-early 2020 launch previously mentioned. Interestingly, the company also said that those dates are accurate for China, not revealing any details on wider global availability.
There are a lot of reasons to be skeptical about this, first and foremost that it directly contradicts reports that come directly from Huawei’s CEO Richard Yu both to US media and Chinese.
Further, it seems incredibly unlikely that Huawei would start a “global rollout” of a brand new operating system when the platform hasn’t even officially been announced, and we’ve not yet gotten a proper look at what it might be. The company would also be shooting itself in the foot to ditch Android in regions outside of China, which “global” implies.
Even more importantly, rolling out an OS outside of China without any Google services is not going to keep customers happy, especially if it were to replace their current Android setup. Even making new devices available with this OS would probably see adoption numbers drastically lower than what Huawei’s Android offerings do.
There’s also a track record for these confident statements from local representatives at Huawei being false. Remember when the company claimed to be building the 2016 Nexus phones that never actually existed?
Clearly, there’s still a ton of confusion here and no clear answers, so take everything with a grain of salt. One telling part of this statement from the company came from the narrative that Huawei is “self-reliant,” something the company undoubtedly wants to push with all of the current drama around it.
More on Huawei:
- Report: Huawei’s in-house Android replacement ‘Project Z’ is ‘far from ready’
- Huawei devices, including Nexus 6P, removed from Android Enterprise device list
- Huawei can no longer use microSD cards in smartphones, removed from SD Association
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