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It’s been just over a year since Sony launched PlayStation 5 and it’s been selling like crazy but is still hard to get (just like the Xbox Series X).
Following a specs announcement last month, Sony has now shown off what the upcoming PlayStation VR2 headset will look like.
During CES 2022, Sony has peeled back the curtain on their next VR headset, now officially called PlayStation VR2.
It’s just over a year since the PS5 has launched and Sony has just announced a couple of customization options for the PS5 including official console covers.
Gaming accessory maker, Scuf has announced their first customizable controller for the PS5 with the new Reflex series.
During gamescom Opening Night Live, Volition announced a brand new Saints Row game, this time it’s a reboot of the series.
During their latest RazerStore Live, the company unveiled two new wireless headsets under their Kaira line, now for PS5.
For all you simulator fans, today is an excited today with the launch of Bus Simulator 21 on consoles and PC.
Frontier Developments has announced a sequel to their 2018 game with Jurrassic World Evolution 2.
Feudal Japan has been a time period that hasn’t been explored that often by video games but that’s where games like Ghost of Tsushima come in to help players step back in time and let them play set in this part of history.


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Freezing Rain Advisory issued January 20 at 3:43AM EST expiring January 20 at 10:00AM EST in effect for: Adams, Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Centre, Clearfield, Cumberland, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata, Mifflin, Perry, Somerset, York
Burlington Coat Factory offering free heart screenings for women
Free heart screenings while you shop
8:10 AM, May 13, 2013
BALTIMORE - Do a little shopping today and get a free heart health screening.
Burlington Coat Factory on Security Boulevard in Baltimore is offering free heart screenings as part of National Women's Checkup Day, according to a news release. You can stop by the store from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to get the screening.
The company is a big supporter of WomenHeart, which provides support services and educational programs for women living with heart disease.

domain: news


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Photo illustration by Dennis Schroeder, NREL
By Phil Pienkos, NREL
When it comes to sustainability in the coffee supply chain, industry members have been finding creative ways to conserve on every level, from the farm to the coffee shop. But what happens to the grounds after the coffee’s brewed?
Many coffee shops already have composting programs, but what if there were a way, not only to divert used grounds from the landfill, but to use those grounds to produce energy? Research at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is exploring this question — and is starting to see some exciting developments with help from the coffee industry.
Coffee sales are making a big difference in the otherwise sluggish restaurant industry, according to a recent article in the Chicago Tribune.
Chain coffee shop locations increased by 6% from 2016 to 2017, reflecting increasing interest in high-quality and specialty coffee across the country. The U.S. has almost 3,000 more coffee shops than it did five years ago.
So what makes coffee special?
2017 was a big year for coffee.
What – and where – we drink is changing. Specialty trends moved into the mainstream, from the cold brew craze to the rise of RTD. Today, consumers have unprecedented control to customize their beverage, from unique flavors to nutrition-driven additives (oat milk, anyone?).
To reflect how these changes are reshaping our industry, the NCA even added a new “gourmet” category to our National Coffee Drinking Trends report.
Yet at the same time, the fundamentals of coffee remain as relevant as ever. Whether you’re a brewing beginner or a brilliant barista, understanding the basics of what makes a quality cup is still crucial to developing and refining new brew methods and flavors. For instance: Extraction will always be a factor, and your equipment needs to be clean.
We’re looking forward to what the next year will bring – we’re seeing a lot of exciting new research on coffee and health, opportunities to improve industry best practices, and critical developments in sustainability.
But the New Year is also an opportunity to reflect on where we’ve been. Here are the most popular NCA blog posts in 2017, highlighting the importance of both innovation and tradition in the world of coffee.
Photo: Robert A. Estremo via Wikimedia Commons
New market research from The NPD Group measured the proliferation of coffee shops in the U.S. by looking at per capita, or the number of coffee shops for every million people.
This post originally appeared on Restaurant Business via S&D Coffee and Tea
Decaf with two raw sugars, half-caf with almond milk and agave, iced Americano with two pumps of caramel syrup: Coffee orders can be as varied and unique as the consumers ordering them.
One consistent aspect, however, is that customization is now an essential part of the coffee experience — a fundamental or basic need and no longer an enhanced need, as confirmed by research from S&D Coffee & Tea and Datassential.
According to their survey of regular coffee drinkers that purchase coffee away from home from a commercial operator or convenience store, the ability to customize is statistically tied with speed/convenience and variety of options as the third most important factor when consumers choose a venue from which to buy coffee. Only price and quality are deemed more important than the ability to add to one’s coffee.
When it comes to coffee, convenience is crucial. Fortunately, a cup of coffee is never far from reach for the majority of U.S. consumers.
More people are drinking coffee out-of-home than ever, reaching a high of reaching a high of 46% in 2017, according to the NCA National Coffee Drinking Trends report. And they’re also opting for more specialty and gourmet beverages.
New market research from the NPD Group shows that coffee shops are popping up across the country to meet this increasing demand. In addition to coffee served at restaurants and other foodservice outlets, there are now 33,129 gourmet coffee shops in the U.S., a 2% increase in units from last year.
Additional highlights from NPD’s Spring 2017 ReCount restaurant census include:
Younger coffee drinkers are changing the market – from specialty brews to coffee shop culture. To stay competitive, companies will need to keep up with their customers.
The NCA Generational Report: Coffee Through the Ages takes a look at key consumption preferences and patterns, highlighting emerging trends and opportunities.
(And, to reflect the reality of how we’re drinking coffee today, this is the first NCA report to release teenage coffee consumption data.)
Here’s a quick look at some of the highlights from the research:
Coffee on-the-go is on the rise. In the U.S. alone, it accounts for 45% of total coffee consumption (second only to Japan, a nation once dominated by tea).
Younger coffee drinkers with increasingly mobile lifestyles are are fueling this trend: About one-third of daily coffee drinkers from 13-24 years old get their java exclusively out-of-home, according to the NCA Generational Report 2017.
However, the popularity of coffee-to-go can vary wildly by country. As the specialty coffee movement gains international momentum, more countries are drinking coffee away from home.
But the practice isn’t popular everywhere — yet.
The following post originally appeared in full on the Bond Street Small Business Blog
Starting a coffee business is not for the faint of heart. It will bring blood, sweat, and tears (plus a lot of caffeine).
Yet, there’s still something that makes the pursuit worthwhile.
And as the saying goes, hindsight is 20/20. So what better way to truly learn what it takes to successfully build a coffee business than to turn to those who know best?
The editors at Bond Street asked individuals behind some of America’s best cups to share what they wish they knew before opening their coffee shops, or other caffeine-infused operations. The result is 33 pieces of advice that all aspiring entrepreneurs would benefit from knowing.
From mistakes made to tricks of the trade, you’re bound to discover at least one nugget of wisdom that will save you time, money, energy, and quite possibly your sanity — or all of the above.
[Editor’s note: If you have no idea what this title means, check out this infographic explaining third wave coffee.]
The following post originally appeared on Perfect Daily Grind
Written by E. Squires and edited by T. Newton
If you’re anything like me, you’ve spent countless hours reading, researching, tasting, traveling, and diving deeper into our favorite drink. You love reading about farmers and their best practices. You spend hours perfecting your brew methods and your espresso shots.
But many, if not most, of your customers won’t be as interested in the minutiae of TDS and coffee processing methods. They simply want a shot of caffeine (plus or minus sugar). Sure, some customers will come for a quality coffee experience. A select few will even want to know everything. But these will be in the minority.
The thing about us in the Third Wave is that we’re desperate to share specialty coffee with everybody – but we can’t. Great customer service means understanding your customers and meeting them where they are, whether it’s simply a morning caffeine fix or a matter of helping them along their coffee journey in small steps.
Yet while you can’t force your customers to appreciate coffee like you do, you can open the door and allow them to walk through it. Getting the balance is hard, so we’ve come up with four practical ways to teach people about Third Wave coffee without preaching or being intimidating.


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The endlessly-hyped music streaming service Spotify has only been live in the United States for less than four weeks, but is already boasting 1.4 million American users, according to AllThingsD.
About 175,000 of those users are paying for the service, which is a conversion rate of 12.5%. There was no word on the break-down of those paid subcriptions between Spotify’s $4.99 unlimited Web streaming plan and its $9.99 premium plan, which includes mobile access.
These numbers may do little to answer questions about the long-term viability of Spotify’s business model but they provide an early glimpse at the popularity of the service, the free version of which is currently only available by invite.
If it continues to grow at this rate, Business Insider points out, Spotify is on track to reach 20 million users in its first year, about three million of which would be paying for the service.
Of course, there’s no guarantee that the current rate of adoption will continue, especially considering the level of pre-hype launch garnered by the service, which had been a huge hit in Europe for a few years prior to its July 14th U.S. launch. Given that hype, it’s possible that many users opted to skip over the nail-biting wait for an invitation to the free version in favor of one of the paid subscriptions. Once the invite-only wall comes down, Spotify may well see a flood of new users, but will a comparable percentage of them continue to pay up?
Spotify will need to up the ante considerably if it’s serious about hitting the very ambitious 50 million user mark within its first year. That’s what was promised to advertisers prior to the service’s U.S. launch, according to marketing material leaked to AllThingsD in early July.


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New research suggests sunscreen chemicals are soaking into our bloodstreams at higher levels than previously thought safe, but experts have warned people against ditching the product.
Research commissioned by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently revealed the level of sunscreen’s active ingredients people are absorbing into their blood exceeds FDA thresholds.
The study tested six of the main active ingredients in lotions, sprays and pump varieties of sunscreens.
Researchers say the quantities found in the blood means the FDA would require additional safety studies.
But the researchers emphasised their findings do not mean people should stop using sunscreen, which can help to prevent skin cancer and protect the skin.
Instead, more research is needed to figure out the significance of these levels in our blood, they said.
This would include changing the design of the study from an indoor to outdoor setting to better represent real-life study application.
Australian sunscreens are regulated by the Department of Health through the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), which is the equivalent of the US FDA.
The FDA findings do not mean that sunscreens with active ingredients that absorb into the bloodstream at high levels are unsafe, “merely that additional testing is required”, University of Melbourne dermatology professor and Epworth Dermatology director Rodney Sinclair said.
“The TGA will monitor this and consumers will be alerted if there are any safety concerns identified by the FDA,” Professor Sinclair said.
Until then, people should continue to protect themselves and their children from the harmful effects of UV radiation by using shade, clothing hats and where necessary sunscreen.’’
Sunscreen is currently recommended when the UV index is greater than or equal to 3, and not recommended when the UV index is less than 3.
“Sunscreen, along with hats, clothing and shade, are measures advocated by dermatologists to reduce skin exposure to ultraviolet radiation and the consequential risk of skin cancer,” Professor Sinclair said.
“This week, sunscreen is recommended across the entire continent of Australia for all people who will be outside for more than 20 minutes between the hours of 10am and 4pm.”
Cancer Council Australia’s skin cancer committee chair Heather Walker urged Australians to continue to use sunscreen alongside other forms of sun protection to prevent skin cancer.
“Skin cancer kills over 2000 Australians each year and two in three Australians will be diagnosed by the age of 70,” she said.
Sunscreen safety doubts: New evidence ‘urgently needed’
Bruce Armstrong, an Emeritus Professor from the School of Public Health at the University of Sydney said it can no longer be said for sure that sunscreen containing the chemicals studied is safe to use.
“The US Food and Drug Administration sponsored these studies and has requested more evidence for the safety of sun-screening chemicals. This evidence is urgently needed,” Professor Armstrong said.
In the meantime, it cannot be said, with any certainty, that the application of these chemicals to human skin is safe.’’
Dr Armstrong said Australians who use sunscreens containing potentially absorbable sunscreen-active chemicals and are concerned about their safety can reduce or cease their use of such sunscreens by:
- Increasing the practice of other sun protection measures
- Using a sunscreen product that contains only zinc oxide or titanium dioxide as sunscreen active chemicals.


text: With Halloween coming up tomorrow night, there will be lots of kids and adults dressed up as characters from their favorite TV shows and comic books. But it's not only people that dress up for Halloween. According to the Jimmy Kimmel Live show, Americans spend $300 million on costumes for their pets every Halloween. On last night's Jimmy Kimmel Live, creative dog groomer Catherine Opson showed off several dogs that were painted and groomed in interesting ways for Halloween. The five different dog designs shown included a zombie, a leopard, a koi pond, Sesame Street, and The Simpsons. The zombie design of course could prove popular with Walking Dead fans. However, the most amazing design was likely The Simpsons, which were actually displayed on two dogs. Jimmy Kimmel quipped they were the only dogs "to be sued by FOX for copyright infringement." Check out the full video of all the Halloween dogs below.


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Though the list of what’s considered a promotional label is quite long – coupons, games, scratch-off tickets, hang tags, bumper stickers, and so on – coupons are the most commonly used promotional label. They’re used on practically everything – from individual grocery items with extended information labels to mass-mailed, company-specific coupons complete with bar codes and/or QR codes. And, they’re used by practically everyone.
According to NCH Marketing Services of Deerfield, IL, USA – a global business that focuses on the redemption, settlement and analysis of promotional offers – coupons have a well-documented, multi-generational appeal. Erin Aydelott of NCH Marketing Services says that, while baby boomers continue to have the largest influence on the American economy (they account for a remarkable 50% of US spending), the next generation of spenders is quickly starting to catch up.
“As the new generation comes forward, marketers are finding that echo boomers are very different from their parents. While the oldest baby boomers (those born between 1946-1964) are nearing retirement age, the oldest echo boomers (born between 1982-1994) are just entering the work force and living independently for the first time. These generations are known for having different attitudes and different media consumption habits,” Aydelott says.
Despite these generational differences, NCH’s most recent Consumer Survey suggests that coupons are an effective method for influencing the purchase decisions of both baby boomers and echo boomers.
In fact, 88% of baby boomers report using coupons at supermarkets, compared to 86% of echo boomers. Among those who use coupons, Aydelott says, 94% of baby boomers and 82% of echo boomers say that coupons influence their shopping lists. The most interesting fact for converters, however, is that nearly 90% of shoppers in both groups get their coupons from in-store media. Downloadable coupons are popular, at approximately 64%, but have a long way to go before they catch up with the tangible, immediately gratifying promotions found in stores.
Given the universal appeal of coupons and other promotional labels, it’s a market worth paying attention to for converters.
Here, three companies with a combined 75 years of experience in this market share their perspective on its past, present and potential.
Luminer Converting, based in Lakewood, NJ, USA, has been in the promotional market for about 18 years of its 22-year existence. According to Tom Spina, president and CEO of Luminer, the company’s multi-web capabilities are really what got it into this market.
“The promotional market is really made up of two categories: in-pack and on-pack,” he says. “Luminer is in both areas. The in-pack area for us has been predominantly kids promotions in products such as cereals and TV diners. This market had its heyday in the early- to mid-2000s. Cost cutting and on-pack promotions has really reduced this market over the last several years. Moms were not happy paying more for their children’s cereals just to get some sort of tattoo or sticker game in the box.”
According to Spina, in-pack products consist of many different raw materials including skin contact inks, clean release products, color and temperature-changing inks, lottery numbering, scratch off inks, and many different type of web materials not specifically associated with the label printing industry. “Ones ability to manage these materials in a high-speed converting environment is what determines success or failure in this market,” he says.
To lessen cost and to generate more shelf appeal, Spina says, many consumer brands have turned to on-pack promotions. Typically, these promotions would be clean-release coupons, or folded coupons that can be applied during high-speed applications. In this case, the promotional product is on the outside of the box or bottle, allowing for immediate customer interaction.
“Again, the ability to handle multi-web processes in-line is critical to deliver cost effective promotional products to the typical consumer product company,” he says.
While the economy negatively affected many markets as a whole, Spina says that the promotional label market is different. The dual nature of the market – in-pack and on-pack – allowed for some fluctuation.
“I would say the downturn negatively effected the in-pack promotional products as they were typically more expensive and added cost to the consumer product brand – not a good image in the downturn,” he says. “However, for the same reason, the downturn allowed for growth in the on-pack market. These couponing label type products allow for instant cross-brand selling, instant money off at the register, (which is always a selling point), and immediate customer interaction, giving the brand differentiation from its store shelf rival. And this was all at very cost effective prices to the consumer products companies.”
In addition to the cross-brand or combination coupon labels (for example, “buy one, get one 50% off”), Spina says that a big area of growth is promotional labels that increase customer interaction and knowledge.
“For instance, if you buy a steak, underneath the label might be a great grilling recipe,” he says. “And of course there is always the ‘lottery game’ use. We all know the McDonald’s Monopoly game.”
Spina adds that this is one market in which converters are uniquely positioned to contribute to the marketing and sales strategy, which is a huge plus in a competitive climate. “Growth is for promotional label converters who bring these ideas to their customer base and show them how to incorporate these promotional ideas into their current label products. This was an area where only the large CPCs were involved, but now any product on the shelf in a retail store can use this technology,” he says.
Buffalo, NY, USA-based JH Bertrand has been in the promotional label market for 31 years and, according to CEO Jeff Bertrand, the company was one of the early leaders in this space. In his years of experience, Bertrand says that the market has changed quite significantly over the last few years, though due more to technology than the economy.
“QR codes and smartphones are taking some of the promotional business,” he says. “On the face value, a QR code on the package is considerably less expansive than a promotional extended content label. You don’t have to apply it. You can print it directly on the package as part of the existing artwork, so it costs nothing.”
Bertrand says, however, that there are some significant drawbacks to a QR code. For starters, he says, it takes a smartphone scanner
to activate it.
“You have to take the phone, find the scanner app, turn on the scanner and scan it – so there are steps to get to the information. And not everyone has a smartphone. Furthermore, QR codes can be missed by a consumer because they often blend into the package.”
Conversely, he says, promotional pieces are attention-getting by nature. They are designed to stand out. “They are physical in a world that has moved so much to cyberspace,” he says.
Ultimately, Bertrand sees the two options as valuable tools to for promotions. He believes that in the near future, brand managers will realize that smart phones, QR codes and promotional extended content labels can work together to create very powerful promotional campaigns.
In addition to changing technology, Bertrand says that a changing economy has created a more cautious consumer population. “Furthermore,” he says, “more people are in the business right now so this is creating a fierce competitive environment for promotional extended content labels. Label converters can never see much greater than one month out. Recently, we have seen an upswing in promotional opportunities.”
The most common request from JH Bertrand’s promotional customers are standard label extended content labels, typically three or four printed panels with four-color process on both sides, laminated over a clear PS base label.
“About 35% want four-color process over one-color for their promotion,” he says. They are also asking for quicker delivery times. “They are ordering more frequently with less quantity.”
Bertrand says that he doesn’t have to look very far to know what the future of promotional labeling will hold. “I watch my kids make decisions about what products they want using their phones and tablets,” he says. “Certainly, social media has a big influence and will continue to grow because of friend recommendations.”
However, Bertrand believes that there is a strong segment of “savvy young people” who are now are also attracted to traditional on-product promotions like coupon labels. He says he believes deeply that packaging will always help in the decision-making process, particularly as today’s generation grows up, gets jobs and starts making their own buying decisions.
“Both promotional and extended content, in combination with the smartphone or whatever technology, will be a big part of the future,” he says. “I know this because everybody was so crazy about getting things online and getting rid of physical printing. Now, the direct mail business is on the upswing because business people recognize that physical printing still helps drive decisions. I think packaging is a critical part of a consumer’s decision-making process, unless the day comes when a package doesn’t need a label. Then, of course, all bets are off.”
Labels West, Woodinville, WA, USA, has been producing promotional labels for more than 25 years. Recently, John Shanley, president of Labels West, says that a popular promotional label strategy has been to encourage people to visit a website that which futher convey promotional messages.
“Consumer products companies are applying labels to their product packaging that contain some sort of link to a website with a promotional message or offer,” he says. “The links may be in the form of a printed web address that the consumer can type in or a QR code that the consumer can scan with their smartphone to be directed to the website. There may even be a unique code number on the label that the consumer can enter while visiting the site and have a chance to win a prize or receive a discount.”
Labels West, he says, has invested heavily in variable print capabilities in order to be able to customize each individual label, if necessary. While information could be printed directly on the package, Shanley says that using a label makes more sense.
“It is ultimately cheaper to add the label to an existing generic package because of the flexibility it allows,” he says. “Many times a small test market is chosen for the promo. Other times, the company wants to have a slightly different message across different markets. It would be very expensive to print multiple versions or very short run lengths of the entire package when a small inexpensive label would work just fine. If the promotion isn’t working or needs to be changed, it is relatively easy to change or eliminate the label.”
While Shanley says that he is not at liberty to speak for the entire promotional market, he does say that Labels West experienced growth throughout the recession, though this wasn’t common.
“When times are difficult many companies look to reduce their marketing budgets as a quick way to save money. They really should be doing the opposite. I have noticed expanded content labels being used more for instruction purposes and less for promotional purposes over the last few years. IRC’s (immediately redeemable coupons) have grown in popularity during the same time period. They are less expensive to produce but do have less space for printing your message. As things have recovered, we are seeing more money spent on promotional labeling for sure.”
Shanley believes that the future of promotional labeling will be bright, given the possibilities it offers. “The ability to add a promotional message to existing, generic packaging in the exact quantity required is a big advantage. If a promotion is looking like it is successful then it is easy to print more labels and increase the quantity of packages going out with the message.
“At the same time, if a promotion isn’t working out the way it is supposed to, the labels can stop being applied or the message can be easily changed without having to throw away a bunch of expensive pre-printed packages.”
Shanley adds that the ability to personalize or make each label unique in some way will undoubtedly become more and more popular with marketers. And, with the trend towards digital, many converters will be ready and able to help.


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UPS Hong Kong will partner with EF Lockers or SF Stores to offer greater flexibility for cross-border e-commerce deliveries, with the introduction of alternative delivery locations (ADLs).
Shoppers will receive a text alert as the shipment arrives in Hong Kong, and be given the option to collect it from a designated alternative location – either an EF Locker or SF Store.
“Our retail-industry research tells us that 81 per cent of Hong Kong’s online shoppers are interested in having their purchases shipped to an ADL with extended hours if fees are less than shipping the package to their home,” says UPS Hong Kong and Macau MD Lauren Zhao.
“Cross-border e-commerce is accounting for an increasingly large proportion of all e-commerce sales in Asia, particularly with the growing popularity of online marketplaces,” says UPS Asia Pacific president Ross McCullough.
He says it is crucial to develop the necessary infrastructure now, with the Apac e-commerce logistics market expected to more than double from US$108 billion to $232 billion by 2021.


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According to a report on Kotaku, the next instalments in the Far Cry, Ghost Recon, and Assassin’s Creed franchises are further out than publisher Ubisoft had originally anticipated.
That’s at least according to three sources closed to the company, although they didn’t provide an estimate as to when we could expect the new games.
As previously reported, Ubisoft is supposedly working on a new Assassin’s Creed game that started out life as an expansion to Valhalla, and will star Basim. This is being worked on to plug the gap between Valhalla and the series’ next major entry, Assassin’s Creed Infinity.
We’ve already heard murmurs about a new Ghost Recon game being in the works, which could be release as early as FY23. In wake of these reports however, assuming they’re true, that seems unlikely at this point.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla was released in October 2020 and is still being supported by robust post-launch content, the most recent being the Dawn of Ragnarok expansion.
[Source – Kotaku]


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We are living in a digital-first world. From online shopping to online banking, we can now use our mobile devices for almost everything we do.
However, insurance documents and proof of insurance, like a pink slip, are only available in paper form in Ontario. This is inconvenient for consumers who are increasingly choosing to conduct their transactions online, whether it be banking or shopping. Insurance Bureau of Canada is recommending changes to Ontario law to provide Ontario residents with the option to receive digital insurance documents they can use on their mobile devices.
Insurance Bureau of Canada recommends that:
Ontario residents should be given the choice to receive and use digital insurance documents on their mobile devices.


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Smartphones to replace room keys at Hotels
Looks like Smartphones are getting “Smarter” everyday with the increased number of uses that they can be put to.
Starwood Hotels has announced that they will host a trial run of a new, mobile check-in option that will allow customers to access their rooms without any hotel-issued keys.
The program debut will be showcased at the Aloft hotels in Cupertino, Ca., and in New York City’s Harlem neighborhood by March. Users will access the features through Starwood’s smartphone app and the low-power Bluetooth 4 wireless standard.
The hotel chain has released a video encouraging their would-be customers,”Everything you do today is smart.”
The video then follows a young woman throughout her day making “smart” choices, like using her phone to pay for coffee, instead of cash.
If you are a guest at one of the participating properties you will receive a message on your phone containing a virtual key, but the feature will only be available for iPhone 4s or newer models and Android phones running at least version 4.3 Jelly Bean
Starwood CEO Frits van Paasschen believes this will become the new standard for how people will want to enter a hotel. “It may be a novelty at first, but we think it will become table stakes for managing a hotel,” he said.
Below is the video promoting the service.
Source: The Blaze


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OvaScience's Chief Executive Dipp Sees Pay Tumble With Sharesby and
Her compensation plummets 85%, worst in Bloomberg Pay Index
Anacor CEO's pay valued at $82 million, more than triple 2014
Michelle Dipp, chief executive officer of fertility-treatment maker OvaScience Inc., has watched her compensation plummet 85 percent so far this year amid a decline in her company’s shares.
The value of Dipp’s package fell to $4.31 million from $28.2 million awarded at the end of 2014, according to the Bloomberg Pay Index. That’s the largest percentage drop of any of the 200 highest-paid U.S. CEOs at companies with fiscal years that align with the calendar year. Cambridge, Massachusetts-based OvaScience has plunged 79 percent this year as the company said sales of the Augment treatment would fall short of its goal.
Anacor Pharmaceuticals Inc. CEO Paul Berns is the biggest gainer this year, with pay that has soared more than threefold in value to $82.2 million. His pay surge mirrors the 274 percent increase this year in the Palo Alto, California-based drugmaker’s stock. DeDe Sheel, an Anacor representative, declined to comment.
“You’re in business to benefit shareholders, so you should ride up and down based on how the stock does,” said Alan Johnson, an executive compensation consultant at Johnson Associates in New York. “We want our executives in America under pressure. That’s a good thing.”
Dipp, who co-founded OvaScience in 2011, opted not to receive an annual salary “to demonstrate her commitment,” according to an e-mail from Michael Devine, a spokesman for the company at FleishmanHillard.
“Michelle’s compensation is entirely equity-based, she has not sold any shares and has continued to purchase personally as she remains dedicated to the long-term success of OvaScience,” Devine said in an e-mailed statement.
Compensation figures in the Bloomberg index will continue to fluctuate with markets as the year progresses, so Dipp and Berns may still see their fortunes change. Awarded pay measures what a compensation committee intended to pay an executive, not what was reported by the company in the summary compensation table. It includes salary, cash bonuses and stock awards received during the fiscal year that are valued as of that year-end’s stock price.


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Samsung and Foxconn together create a new file transfer standard, which enables large data transfers within seconds. The standard, ‘Kiss’, developed by a company called Keyssa, and supports gigabyte-sized transfers between devices near.
While the standard sounds are natural, like Near Field Communication (NFC) technology. The transfers will be facilitated by chips embedded in devices. The chips would use Extremely High Frequency (EHF) carriers to transfer data between devices. This technology expected to run at speeds of 5GB per second on laptops and 1GB per second on mobiles.
The advantage of this technology is to transfer data easily and eliminate the need for cables. Currently, transfer between even light devices such as smartphones. As smartphones and laptops shrink in size, which has separate touchscreen. The focus seems to be on easier portability. Easier transfer of data will facilitate easier streaming of videos between devices.
If user wants to play a video from smartphone on TV, will need two devices embedded with ‘Kiss’ standard chips before the other connecting mechanisms. According to Keyssa, a movie from a smartphone might easily played on TV using these embedded chips.
This standard might implement universally across devices. Keyssa has both Apple manufacturer Foxconn and Samsung on-board for this project.
Shankar Chandran from Samsung Electronics, said, the standard would become widespread soon. Standards tend to get ecosystems built around them in a fairly complicated way.
Android co-founder Andy Rubin’s Essential phone might come with a “magnetic connector with wireless data transfer, which is similar to Kiss connector. According to Keyssa, it has filed more than 250 patents around the technology, including 50 patches issued in the United States.
Essential said, Keyssa as a component supplier for Essential Phone and chose to proceed with a different supplier that could meet our performance specifications for the product.


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Samsung announces new 14nm, octa-core SoC: Exynos 7 Octa 7870
Samsung is bringing second-generation 14nm technology to its midrange smartphone devices this year, along with (we hope) a solid battery life boost. Hopefully manufacturers will use 14nm power savings to offer devices that prioritize battery life over shaving a few millimeters off the frame.
Qualcomm building Snapdragon 820 on Samsung 14nm node
Qualcomm has announced that it's fabbing next-generation processors with Samsung, rather than TSMC. Whether this means the two companies will collaborate on the upcoming Galaxy S7, however, is another question.
Samsung's next-generation Galaxy S7 could come in two sizes
Samsung may release the Galaxy S7 in both 5.2-inch and 5.5-inch sizes, with the 5.5-inch version containing another iteration of the surprise-hit Edge display.
Samsung's Exynos 8 Octa 8890 will feature the company's first custom CPU core
Samsung has announced its new Exynos 8 Octa 8890 -- the company's first custom CPU core and its first all-in-one SoC solution with graphics, high-end modem, and custom CPU cores on a single chip.
Qualcomm formally launches the Snapdragon 820 SoC: Here's what you need to know
Qualcomm has officially unveiled the Snapdragon 820 and its Kryo CPU. The company is promising up to 2x better performance, thanks to second-generation 14nm technology, as well as improved thermals and power consumption.
HTC announces the One A9, a midrange phone with a serious iPhone vibe
HTC's newest phone isn't a flagship, but it might be the start of something big for HTC.
Microsoft announces Lumia 950 and 950XL water-cooled Windows Phones
Microsoft's new phones are the most powerful it's ever made, and they have water cooling built-in.
LG's V10 smartphone has two screens and two cameras
LG has unveiled the V10, an Android phone with a few unusual tricks up its sleeve, including two screens (!), two selfie cameras, and a manual video mode.
Samsung Galaxy S6 vs. Moto X Pure: Is customization king?
Motorola goes big for a small price compared with Samsung. We dive in deep to find out which phone is better.
Qualcomm: Snapdragon 820 will deliver huge efficiency, performance boosts
Qualcomm has begun to unveil the Kryo core at the heart of the Snapdragon 820. Is this the chip that puts the company back on top?


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It is no secret that the coronavirus pandemic has crushed the hospitality industry. Hotels especially suffered a devastating blow, with many of them struggling for survival. According to the American Hotel & Lodging Association, hotels were one of the first industries affected by the pandemic after travel was forced to a halt in early 2020, and it will be one of the last to recover. However, American consumers are resilient and increasingly ready to travel.
As part of our industry update webinar on April 20th, we were fortunate to be joined by hotel executives, Nikki Keenan, Senior Vice President at Fertitta Entertainment, Azim Saju, President & CEO at HDG Hotels and Ed Mace, President & CEO at Silverwest. Destination Analysts’ Founder & Managing Director, Dave Bratton, led an enlightening discussion with the panel of accomplished hotel executives, who offered a glimpse into their unique world. You can watch the panel discussion in this video and read our key takeaways below.
The demand for leisure travel is back and is expected to last throughout the summer. With many hotels running significantly behind budget, the beginning of March looked bleak. However, that soon changed. According to Azim, who owns hotels across Florida, “In the last four to five weeks, it seems like someone turned the lights on in Orlando. There have been huge pickups in demand.” That trend appears to be continuing as many hotels have surpassed their April forecasts. Similar experiences are seen in the Western region of the U.S., where outdoor destinations have done well throughout the winter and are well-positioned for the summer. Ed, who runs properties in Colorado and Hawaii shared that, “Hawaii has come roaring back. Reservations skyrocketed. Every week in Hawaii has been an increase over the prior week in terms of reservation pick-up. Summer looks really, really good!” While heightened leisure demand continues increasing into the summer months, consumers should be cognizant of the fact that “we are going to see some serious headways on rates.”
While there are signs that group business is returning, the demand is gradual and booking windows are shorter. For Nikki and her company, who manage hotels in Las Vegas, Atlantic City and Texas, their Houston properties appear to have a healthy 3rd and 4th quarter for group business. While Ed is relatively confident that group business will return and has groups on the books in 2022, he does feel that it’s a little too early to call it a victory. Azim, who acknowledged that booking windows for both leisure and group business are much shorter now compared to pre-pandemic, has yet to book any groups. Furthermore, in markets like Orlando, where group business has been severely affected, there is a struggle to offer competitive group rates while also “having the confidence to raise rates when you’re seeing demand even if the booking window is short because you’re worried that you’re going to lose business.”
Staffing is clearly a major challenge for hoteliers, however they also face challenges around setting guest expectations. After having to lay off a large percentage of their workforce, “Labor is probably the number one challenge. The whole industry is really struggling to get jobs filled.” Azim urged others in similar positions to reach out to local congressional officials about their staffing and employment concerns so that “they can understand the consequences of their legislative actions and how it is impacting our economy and our businesses.” Nevertheless, hoteliers are offering compelling incentives to recruit and keep staff, such as sign on and retention bonuses, paid time off, benefits and scheduling flexibility. Alongside limited staff, hoteliers are also met with the challenge of setting visitor expectations both within the hotel and in the destination. Hotels have had to be the bearers of news that clearly impact the visitor experience and guests are conceivably confronted with limited capacity, amenities and services, lack of restaurant and rental car availability and currently closed businesses.
In addition to communicating that travel can be done safely, Destination Marketing Organizations can support hotels by celebrating the hospitality industry. The panel of distinguished hotel executives requested DMOs to generate the message that hotels, airlines, attractions and all tourism-related businesses have carefully developed protocols and guidance to keep visitors and staff safe. Highlighting outdoor experiences that naturally allow for social distancing is another way DMOs can help the hotel industry. And last, but certainly not least, DMOs can celebrate the hospitality industry and show what an amazing industry it is to work in. The support of DMOs in celebrating the industry is extremely helpful, and will surely go a long way, in attracting and rebuilding a workforce.
As the hotel industry continues to embark on the road to recovery, hoteliers are keen to deliver relevant visitor experiences and will continue to enforce with confidence that it is fun and safe to travel. We would like to thank Nikki, Azim and Ed for sharing their time and outlook on the hospitality industry.


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Published on : Monday, April 8, 2019
A time-tested and time-intensive bedding production process gets star billing in Shifman’s updated Pure Comfort collection. It’s all part of Shifman’s commitment to give its consumers top-quality sleep sets, officials said.
The Newark, N.J.-based bedding independent, known for its craftsmanship, is bringing its Sanotuft production process to the new Pure Comfort collection, which is being during this week’s High Point Market.
Company officials said the new natural latex line, retailing from $2,649 to $4,299, will be made with the company’s exclusive Sanotuft technique. That is a hand-sewing process which produces a smooth, buttonless tuft that eliminates shifting and bunching.The new Pure Comfort line maintains the traditional two-sided construction that is a hallmark of the Shifman line and is now uncommon in the bedding marketplace. Shifman officials said that design gives consumers a more comfortable and durable sleep set.
The line also features improved aesthetics, provides a more luxurious feel and is free of polyurethane foam, a selling point with some consumers.
“The way we approach product development is to build the best product in any category,” said Bill Hammer, Shifman’s president. “The Pure Comfort collection accomplishes that goal and complements the uniqueness of all of our product lines. I look forward to presenting this line to our existing and prospective retail partners and to seeing their reaction to it.” Hammer added further.
Shifman is presenting this collection on its new and improved Shifman PowerMotion and PowerMotion Plus adjustable bases, designed to give the company stronger entries in the rapidly growing adjustable bed base category.
The new bases will give Shifman dealers superior adjustable bed bases, officials said. The new bases have been upgraded to now feature an 850-pound weight capacity and offer “all of the latest high-tech components,” including a new back-lit wireless remote with flashlight, a one-touch “flat” button and an “anti-snore” feature, Hammer said.
The Shifman PowerMotion adjustable bases offer buyers the option of customizable legs from 6 inches to 10 inches in height. Shifman is also highlighting its updated starting beds within the American Heritage collection of luxury mattresses, which now offer plusher and more luxurious looks and feels with the addition of a new knit fabric, Hammer said.
Shifman’s 5,000-square-foot showroom, located at 315 Fred Alexander Place, on the 2nd floor, features the full range of the company’s bedding lines.
Source: Furniture Today


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O’Bannion named regional vice president for sales for US Midwest and Canada
Lannie O’Bannion is named regional vice president of sales for Midwest and Canada for Cessna Citation.
Based in Wichita, O’Bannion will report directly to Kriya Shortt, senior vice president of Sales, and will be responsible for representing the broad range of Citation products to customers.
Most recently, O’Bannion served as business leader for Cessna’s Caravan product line, during which time he achieved multiple years of product growth in a challenging market.
“I’m thrilled to have Lannie join the sales leadership,” said Shortt. “His extensive understanding of our products, customers and company uniquely positions him to provide strategic vision and leadership to his team and ensure Cessna is meeting customer needs.”
“It’s an outstanding opportunity to step into this new role and empower a team to act not only on Cessna’s behalf, but on the customer’s behalf as well,” said O’Bannion. “We pride ourselves on manufacturing and delivering aircraft that exceeds customer expectations. Delivering on the Cessna promise is what we are here to do, and I’m happy to be able to lead a team that delivers on that every day.”
A key focus under Shortt’s leadership has been continued growth of Cessna’s global sales force. O’Bannion joins the worldwide sales leadership team with more than 100 years of combined experience at Cessna, comprised of Bob Gibbs, Latin America; Bill Harris, Asia-Pacific; Tom Perry, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Rob Scholl, North America, Eastern US and Henry Yandle, North America, Southwest/Western US.


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HTC’s new Tracker peripherals for the Vive VR headset are expected to launch soon, and they may have just passed a big milestone.
It appears that, just a few days ago, the Tracker passed testing at the Federal Communication Commission (FCC), the US agency that regulates electronic devices that communicate wirelessly.
This could mean a whole host of Vive-compatible add-ons are one step closer to their Q2 2017 release window. These peripherals are designed to enhance your VR experience by attaching the Tracker to real world items that you can then bring into the virtual world. The Trackers are essentially just extra markers for the Vive’s base stations to pick up on, a lot like the controllers you hold in your hands.
We’re already seeing some pretty inspiring uses for the Trackers. One developer is attaching them to smartphones that can then act as windows into the virtual world and even then be used for local multiplayer experiences. Even developers without the kit are acting upon their potential; Island 359 developer CloudGate Studio recently posted footage of full body tracking made possible with two Vive controllers stuck to the user’s feet, which will be swapped out for the Trackers soon.
We don’t yet have a price for the Trackers but we’ll be sure to update you as soon as we do. Combined with the new integrated audio strap that was also announced at CES, Vive is set to have a big year.


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Annapurna Farm is slowly increasing its production of organic rice and cereals. Investments are needed to safeguard future rice production.
“Cyclone? What cyclone?” Tomas and Andre flash identical grins. Cyclone Nisha, which in November wrought havoc in Tamil Nadu, caused no problems in Annapurna Farm. “We didn't notice a thing,” says André cheerfully. Tomas gets serious and explains that the farm only escaped damage because the paddy is not yet flowering. “The stalks bent with the wind. If the storm had come when the paddy was in bloom, it would have caused a lot of damage,” he says.
It is open day at Annapurna . A small group of Aurovilians and newcomers is being shown around by André, who runs the farm together with Tomas and Selvam. The farm's huge rainwater catchment ponds enjoy pride of place. “Contrary to our neighbours, we irrigate our farm using harvested rainwater,” explains André. “In a year with good monsoons the tanks hold sufficient water for our needs.”
Annapurna got itself an electricity connection last year, with a Rs 10 lakhs donation from the Economy Group. “This is good planning,” comments Tomas. “ Annapurna is Auroville's largest farm and the community's main rice producer. But we'll need more water than we have now for the farm to expand and increase its production. We must also hedge against monsoon failures. The only way to do that is by using groundwater. But the groundwater here is at a depth of 100 metres and electricity is essential for running such a deep bore well.” But aren't the Auroville farms paying the highest electricity tariff? “No longer,” says André. “With the help of the Auroville Foundation office, Auroville farms are now entitled to free electricity, just like all other farms in Tamil Nadu.”
Freshly-planted rice fields at Annapurna
Annapurna Farm is located about 10 kilometres outside Auroville on the road to Mailam. It was bought by The Mother before the foundation of Auroville in 1968. For many years the land was arid and saline. When Tomas came in 1986, his first task was regenerating the lands. The going has been slow due to lack of money and manpower. But today, salinity is less of an issue. “We still have a few bad patches which we'll regenerate in the coming years,” says Tomas. “But most of our 135 acres are now arable.” Apart from paddy, Annapurna also grows cereals such as millets, varagu, sesame, kuduravalli and mustard, and rosella, pigeon beans, cow fodder and green manure.
Annapurna 's heavy black soil is very delicate. Tomas explains that it has to be treated carefully. “We must ensure sufficient plant cover, not irrigate too much, and certainly not use chemicals. It responds very favourably to organic treatment. We use green manure, live mulching, crop residues and animal compost. That is the key to our farming here.”
The benefits of this system of soil treatment are numerous: improvement of the soil structure, additional nitrogen and increased soil microbial activity, to name but a few. Tomas adds an additional advantage: serious pest outbreaks are rare, because natural controls exist to automatically bring populations back into balance. “In fact, we are doing very little active pest control since we hardly have a problem with pests. Moreover, the costs of doing something about it are usually higher than the yield losses. We believe in the concept that a good soil and a good variety of crops – we usually grow four different rice varieties in one season – will yield good results.”
A field of ripening varagu
Because of its soil treatment and the use of natural fertilizers, Annapurna 's agricultural produce are certified ‘organic'. The certification is done by the Indian branch of the Swiss Institute for Marketecology (IMO), one of the most renowned international agencies for inspection, certification and quality assurance of eco-friendly products.
“The IMO control is stringent. We have to maintain records, and we regularly receive inspection visits,” says Tomas. Is it worth the trouble? He nods. “There are a number of advantages. Firstly, it sets a high standard which we want to maintain. Secondly, it shows to the Aurovilians that what we are doing is first class. Thirdly, I can sell my products outside for a better price; and that, in turn, convinces Auroville that our prices are reasonable.”
Unlike its cereals, Annapurna 's dairy products are not certified organic. “We can't grow all our cow feed,” says Tomas. “We do grow a good amount of cow grass, but if you want to get a certain milk production, you have to feed concentrates such as grains which do not grow in our climate, and we haven't been able to find certified organic feed grains.”
Cheese being aged
Tomas warns about the milk quality. “People don't realize what they are drinking. The fact that the IMO hasn't certified any dairy in South India is a warning all by itself. In addition, there are the dangers of milk pollution due to unhygienic storage, and there is a lot of milk adulteration.” Tomas refers to frequent media reports on crackdowns on those who have adulterated milk – even packaged milk of well-known brands – with water or with products such as sodium bicarbonate, soap powder, starch, buffalo milk or colourants, to increase its density and whiteness. “If Aurovilians want to remain healthy, they should only use Auroville's dairy products. But many Aurovilians risk their health consuming packaged milk and milk products, or buy milk from the village.”
Value added products
“Lack of community support has forced us to change our farm economics,” says Tomas. “Earlier we sold what we produced. Nowadays, we sell value-added products. Take milk for example. Selling milk is bad business; it does not fetch the cost price since we treat our animals much better than elsewhere. But a value-added product such as cheese gives us a good margin. So we make cheese. The same goes for gomasio. It takes very little work to make gomasio from sesame, but it sells well and gives us the profit we need to run this farm. And people are prepared to pay the extra price.”
Market demand has also forced Annapurna to purchase a number of machines. André, who is the farm's mechanic, points at the de-stoner, which separates stones from paddy. Elsewhere is a machine to thresh the paddy, and another one to mill the rice.
“The Solar Kitchen demands clean rice free of husk. They do not want paddy. We do not want to go to the local rice mill, as experiences haven't been positive. One Auroville farmer almost lost his crop as the rice he got back from the mill was yellow and stank. Also our certification requires that we control our own milling process. So it's now being done on our farm.”
Other Auroville farms have followed Annapurna 's example and are also selling value-added products to break-even. “They need to do that as the risks of farming are almost entirely borne by the farmers,” says Tomas. “But that is not as it should be. There is a very small farmers' fund which is supported by the Economy Group with a Rs 12,000 a month. But there should be a much bigger fund to help farmers buy seeds and manure and purchase machinery; that fund should also provide a buffer against crop failures.”
In this respect Tomas mentions that the Government of Tamil Nadu has a policy to compensate individual farmers for crop failures due to bad weather. “But it seems Auroville farms don't qualify as they are part of an institution, the Auroville Foundation. But this should be pursued. For registration would also entitle the farms to purchase machinery and irrigation systems at subsidized prices.”
The economics of Auroville's farms
Tomas acknowledges that Auroville's farms need to improve if they expect the community to respond to their demands. “Many of the farmers are simply not professional.” Should the farm group be given authority to oversee the farms' production and efficiency? “This should be discussed,” says Tomas. “Such a management system is used by the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. If the farmer does not respond to the needs, they look for another manager. We need to do a brainstorming session between the farm group and various people with interest and expertise to see about the immediate and long term future. Farm land is valuable, and needs to be well-tended.”
A catchment pond at Annapurna after the 2008 monsoon
Organic soil improvement
‘Green manuring' means improving the soil by ploughing-in green field crops. Annapurna cultivates a few acres of Gliricidia for the purpose. The plant grows into bushes. The branches are cut and brought to the fields. Also ‘pressmud' (sugar cane waste) is purchased for the same purpose.
Annapurna Farm also practices ‘live mulching'. In this system, cover crops are inter-planted with cash crops. The seeds are sown in between the rice with the last irrigation flooding. The cover crop germinates after the rice has been harvested, and provides ground cover throughout the summer. Then it is ploughed-in.


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Beware the wall that pees back.
What happens when you combine a Tesla Model S with KITT from the TV show 'Knight Rider'? The Youxia X.
Filmmaker Casey Neistat is not a tech journalist, and it shows in his entertaining video review of Google Glass, shot entirely on the headpiece.
Researchers in Borneo are using camera-carrying drones and GPS tracking to map the spread of a malaria parasite that's jumping from monkeys to humans.
AT&T will lock the Apple SIM card in the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3, even though the card is intended to allow users to switch networks at will.
The Amazon Fire Phone should have been a hit, but the company misread the market and delivered a phone that struggled to compete. Does it have a fighting chance?


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California’s Menu Labeling Bill Passes Penultimate Hurdle
SACRAMENTO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today Californians moved a step closer to being able to make healthy dining choices when the State Assembly Appropriations Committee passed SB 120 (Padilla). The legislation, which would require fast food and chain restaurants to provide basic nutrition information on menus and menu boards, now goes to the full Assembly for a final vote.
“Californians are now just a vote away from wining the right to have basic nutrition information easily available when they eat out,” said bill co-sponsor Dr. Harold Goldstein of the California Center for Public Health Advocacy. Goldstein calls SB 120 a vital tool to help address the state’s growing obesity epidemic.
The legislation, which won Senate approval in May, is expected to be heard by the full Assembly before September 11. If passed and signed by the Governor, California would become the first state in the nation to provide menu labeling rights to its citizens.
SB 120 requires chain restaurants and fast food outlets to provide nutritional information on standard menu items. Specifically, the bill requires the number of calories to be posted on menu boards. Printed menus would provide the amount of calories, grams of saturated fat plus transfat, sodium and carbohydrates.
The challenge to understand chain restaurant menus was highlighted earlier this year when a statewide Field Research Corporation poll was released showing that only 10 percent of Californians could pick the healthiest item from a short list of common fast foods. Restaurants and fast-food outlets are a key concern because Americans consume about one-third of their calories at these establishments.
CCPHA is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization leading efforts in California to understand and address the state’s growing obesity crisis. The American Heart Association, American Cancer Society and California Optometric Association are also sponsors of the bill. For more information on this legislation, visit the CCPHA site at: www.publichealthadvocacy.org


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International Women’s Day: Gage Roads releases ‘Tea Break’ beer to celebrate women in brewing
WA brewer Gage Roads has launched a new tea-based pale ale to celebrate women in the beer industry.
As part of International Women’s Day, an all-female brewing team created the refreshing earl grey pale ale with lemon aspen named Tea Break.
The beer will raise funds for a scholarship with the Pink Boots Society — a non-profit organisation that supports women working in the brewing profession.
Tea Break creator Simone Clements said she had been inspired by a classic English pale style ale, a favourite of the Gage Roads team.
“Beer and tea are two of the most enjoyed beverages on the planet, so we thought why not combine them,” she said.
“We used loose leaf earl grey tea and steeped it in the beer which is really like using a giant teabag in the brew... I spent a lot of time on trials, using different amounts of tea and varying the steep time to find the best result.”
Gage Roads brand manager Bec Lauchlan said it was proud to support International Woman’s Day with the release.
“This initiative is all about driving visibility and exposure of our industry to encourage diversity and bring women into beer,” she said.
“We’re lucky to have a group of really talented women in our team here at Gage, and this project has been a great way to combine those skills to create a unique and refreshing beer that we can’t wait to share with pubgoers all over Australia.”
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A RETAIL park has beefed up security to stop doughnut-crazy shoppers getting run over as they cross the road.
The opening of the Krispy Kreme store on the outskirts of Edinburgh last week has seen motorists queuing for up to an hour to buy the sugary snacks.
Some customers are getting so fed up they are parking nearby and sprinting across a busy, three-lane road – ignoring a safer route by footpath.
Bosses at the Hermiston Gait retail park, where the shop opened last Wednesday, have now employed extra security staff to work as traffic marshalls to prevent people walking across the road.
Mike Powell, park manager said: “It’s fair to say that the success of Krispy Kreme has exceeded all expectations.
“Traffic has been quite heavy, and at times the queue to the drive-in has tailed back. Some people have taken the option to park in the main retail park area and walk across the store.
“There is a dedicated foot-path with a crossing offering safe access from the retail park.
“However, occasionally some people have chosen to walk across the road, which offers a slightly shorter route as the crow flies, but is clearly not in the interests of safety.
“At peak times we have added extra security staff to act as traffic marshalls to deter people from doing so.”
Local SNP councillor, Catherine Fullerton, said: “Why would someone risk their own life, and the life of drivers, just to save a couple of minutes? I would hate to see any accidents happen and urge people to use common sense when visiting the store.”
The store opened last Wednesday (Feb 13) and has been inundated ever since with customers happy to pay £10 for a box of 12 doughnuts.
But the opening caused problems for other shops on the park and for transport bosses as the tailbacks reached the busy city bypass and M8.
Last week the traffic got so bad Lothian and Borders Police urged drivers to avoid the western side of the city altogether.
Two patrol cars were despatched to the Hermiston Gait retail park in a bid to stop Krispy Kreme customers causing a total traffic meltdown.
Some customers are even trekking from Glasgow to get their hands on Krispy Kreme doughnuts.
The store, which is the American chains first in Scotland, took a whopping £60,000 in its first day – three times as much as its previous UK record.
Last week, Tam Fry, for the National Obesity Forum, said the situation in “appalled” him.
He said: “I am actually speechless. If Edinburgh is overweight today then it will certainly be obese by tomorrow.
Judith Denby, chief marketing officer at Krispy Kreme UK said: “Obviously we are delighted with the unprecedented excitement around the opening of our first Scottish store, which coincided with the half-term holidays last week.
“The number of customer we served is way beyond out expectations for the peaks we usually see in the first few days of trading.
“We have made Edinburgh police aware of the traffic congestion caused by queuing for the car park and will continue to monitor it and advise customers on safe areas to park their cars.
In 1998 a 15-year-old boy was killed after running out on to the city bypass.
“Craig Meacock was struck down as he made his way from the Gogar area towards his home in Sighthill.
Craig, who was a pupil from Forrester High School in the city, died at the scene.


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Published on : Sunday, July 27, 2014
BESSAR, incorporated in September 2002, is the technical arm of Malaysian national news agency Bernama and is involved in information technology business, including developing solutions, content creation, and
Muniyati Muhamad, Chief Executive Officer of BESSAR said BESSAR had decided to buy a 60 percent venture in Goodwill Travel and Tours Sdn Bhd.
She said BESSAR’s existing 500 corporate clients nationwide would synergy well with Goodwill following the acquisition.
According to Muniyati it was appropriate time for BESSAR to invest into the tourism industry, which was estimated to contribute about 10 percent to BESSAR’s income and indirectly to Bernama’s earnings.
As per the Economic Transformation Programme report, Malaysia is the ninth most-visited country in the international tourism world and earns RM1 billion per week from foreign visitors.
Under the 12 initiatives proposed under ETP’s National Key Economic Areas, the tourism industry is poised to grow by three times and will contribute RM3 billion in terms of receipts per week to the country in 2020.
Goa To Host Eight Edition of Force Gurkha Rainforest Challenge India 2014 Goa Tourism has partnered with the Force Gurkha Rainforest Challenge (RFC) India 2014, which is set to take place from 8-14 August as the Tourism Partner.
The Government of Goa has come forward to lend support to the launch edition of India’s first ever international level off-road motorsport event.
The forthcoming event is the eight edition of RFC which is an imitative of Malaysia’s Rainforest Challenge – one of the toughest and the most globally represented motorsport events in the world.
Including domestic and international, above 40 teams, are likely to
take part in the launch edition of Force Gurkha RFC India.
Furthermore, hundreds of off-road fans representing all major off-road clubs of the country plus a huge number of touring adventurers will be rushing to Goa to observe this historic occasion.
Tourism Goa intends to encourage adventure lovers to visit the state during the monsoons and experience the other ‘wilder’ side of Goa. As per Nikhil Desai, Director-Tourism, Government of Goa, the event has a synergy with their aim of promoting Goa as a destination for adventure tourists.
Ashish Gupta, Founder and Director, Cougar Motorsport, the company responsible for bring the event to India, said the wild monsoons of Goa will be the perfect environment for the Force Gurkha RFC India, giving adventure lovers something to look forward to and also generate good revenue for the tourism industry in Goa.


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The Agropur's Canadian dairy milk cooperative on Saturday gave a careful, voluntary return of two types of ice cream sandwich. Specifically: "Iceberg brand 190 mL ice cream sandwich sold in boxes of 8, and Originale Augustin brand 190 mL ice cream sandwich sold in boxes of 30, due to a risk of fine metal particles in the product . "
Retailers are should remove the products from the shelves, Agropur said in a statement.
The recuperation is administered by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
"There are no cases of uncomfortable or injuries reported," the company said. "We do this voluntary action only for kindness."
Agropur is one of the largest dairy processors in the world, says its website. More than 3,000 dairy farmers are part of the cooperative.


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It seems that after his presentation the BlackBerry KEYone added a new delay on the scheduled date of launch. This new device of BlackBerry that we got fiddling with for a while in the past MWC in Barcelona, left us a good taste with its physical keyboard as well as touch and that slightly smaller screen as usual but fully functional. Now the device of the BlackBerry company will suffer another delay more and responsible for communicating what has been its own CEO John S. Chen.
We talk of further delay because this device was already delayed for later this month of April, which is close to touching end, now seems that this launch will not be possible nor and elongates until the month of May and not principles precisely, is spoken from the end of the month of May and more specifically 22. So far the main distributor of the company Clove is overriding the May 5th date which is when I had to start to be distributed, and now longer until the end of this.
So this is very bad news for all those who were waiting to gain access to the KEYone and obviously also for the company that does not go through a good time taking into account sales you’re losing with the delay of this device. On the other hand the price will remain the same and doesn’t seem to have other BlackBerry products to suffer delays in marketing. A new setback that no doubt so to all those users who were waiting for this KEYone.


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“If I gave two fucks – two fucks about streaming numbers, would have put Lemonade up on Spotify,” Beyoncé proclaims on “NICE” from her joint album with Jay-Z which they dropped exclusively on Tidal over the weekend. Unfortunately for those emotionally or monetarily invested in the streaming service, your sudden need to download Tidal quickly dissipated when by Monday morning, Everything Is Love could be found on Apple Music and Spotify’s paid tier.
When Tidal’s most public-facing owners can’t survive more than 48 hours in a Tidal-only world, what could’ve gone so wrong with the company? Even the heirs to Prince’s estate are looking to terminate a recently announced deal between Tidal and the deceased singer, TMZ reported on Tuesday. Tidal wanted to save the music industry, and instead, it’s losing exclusives and right now stands accused of fudging subscriber numbers, manipulating streaming numbers, providing late payment to labels, and in some cases not paying artists at all. (Some of which, Tidal vehemently denies.) Problems began from the start with the company.
For the full story, visit GizModo.com/News.
316 total views


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Published on October 17th, 2013 | by Tim Schofield2
Nexus 5 Press Images Leak with Telus Branding
After the many leaks of the highly anticipated device; there are now Nexus 5 press images that have leaked with Telus branding. Telus is a Canadian mobile carrier.
These images give a good look at the front of the Nexus 5, but fail to show the back. Luckily there are other leaked images that show the back of the device. It is speculated that the Nexus 5 will be released at the end of October in the Google Play Store. No official information on a release date has been released yet.
You will notice that the home screen has different icons along with a different designed launcher. According to Android Police, this new launcher along with Android 4.4 KitKat called the Google experience.
What do you think of these official press images?


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Today is a great day for Apple fans as there are many interesting launches happening today at the Wonderlust event. The company also unveils the new iPhone 15 lineup along with Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Apple Watch Series 9. And adding to the excitement, the iOS 17 Release Candidate build is now available to developers and public beta testers.
Update on September 18: iOS 17 is now available to the public with same build number as Release Candidate.
The iOS 17 Release Candidate build is now available, indicating that the official iOS 17 version could release next week. Apple has a consistent history of launching new iOS versions every year in mid-September. And as per the official iPhone 15 and Watch 9 preview page, the official release is set for September 18.
Apple has been beta testing iOS 17 since the WWDC event in early June. The iOS 17 beta program should conclude with the release of the iOS 17 release candidate, which serves as the final beta before the official release. I hope they don’t bring RC2. Apple will, of course, continue beta testing for iOS 17.1 and future updates.
Along with the iOS 17 Release Candidate, Apple has also released iPadOS 17 RC, watchOS 10 RC, tvOS 14 RC, macOS Sonoma 14 RC, macOS Ventura 13.6 RC3, and macOS Monterey 12.7 RC3. The iOS 17 RC carries the build number 21A329, which is likely to be the same for the official iOS 17 release unless another RC build makes appearance. Yes Apple sometime surprises with additional RC builds if the initial one has critical issues.
What’s in iOS 17 RC
The iOS 17 RC include all the features introduced in all previous beta builds. So you can say it has most iOS 17 features Apple unveil at WWDC event in June.
As iOS 17 is a major annual update, it brings a host of new features. If you’re already on the beta build, you’ve likely experienced most of these features. However, for those who upgrade directly from iOS 16 to iOS 17, these features will be entirely new.
- New Ringtones in iOS 17 RC
- iOS 17 Release Notes
iOS 17 packs some interesting new features like Standby Mode, Personalized contact posters, Sticker drawer, Leave message if someone missed FaceTime call, interactive widgets, Swap numbers with Namedrop and more. There are many other iOS 17 features.
If you’ve installed the iOS 17 beta on your iPhone, you’ll receive the Release Candidate build by navigating to Settings > General > Software Update. If you’re on iOS 16, there’s no need to switch to the beta, as the official iOS 17 will be released within the next 7 to 10 days.
iOS 17 Guides:
- How to Use Siri to Read Web Articles on iPhone [iOS 17]
- How to Ping Your Apple Watch from iPhone [iOS 17]
- How to use Apple Maps Offline on iPhone [iOS 17]
- How to Turn Off Face ID Authentication for Private Browsing in Safari [iOS 17]
- How to Delete Lock Screen Wallpapers on iPhone [both iOS 16 and iOS 17]


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The tech's biggest court trial has ended with a verdict in Apple's favor. After a relatively short deliberation, the jury decided rather overwhelmingly that Samsung infringed Apple's intellectual property with multiple devices. The Korean company will therefore have to pay $ 1.05 billion in damages to Apple.
Furthermore, regarding Samsung's own countersuit against Apple, the jury has found that Apple has not infringed upon the Korean giant's patents. Samsung will therefore receive nothing from Apple for its claims.
Both companies have issued statements after the verdict.
Here’s what Samsung had to say.
Today's verdict should not be viewed as a win for Apple, but as a loss for the American consumer. It will lead to fewer choices, less innovation, and potentially higher prices. It is unfortunate that patent law can be manipulated to give one company a monopoly over rectangles with rounded corners, or technology that is being improved every day by Samsung and other companies. Consumers have the right to choices, and they know what they are buying when they purchase Samsung products. This is not the final word in this case or in battles being waged in courts and tribunals around the world, some of which have already rejected many of Apple's claims. Samsung will continue to innovate and offer choices for the consumer.
And here is Apple's own statement, which followed right after Samsung's.
We are grateful to the jury for their service and for investing the time to listen to our story and we were thrilled to be able to finally tell it. The mountain of evidence presented during the trail showed that Samsung’s copying went far deeper than even we knew. The lawsuits between Apple and Samsung were about much more than patents or money. They were about values. At Apple, we value originality and innovation and pour our lives into making the best products on earth. We make these products to delight our customers, not for our competitors to flagrantly copy. We applaud the court for finding Samsung’s behavior willful and for sending a loud and clear message that stealing isn’t right.
While the $1.05 billion which the jury awarded in Apple's favor is far from the $2.5 billion the Cupertino based company asked for, it is nevertheless a major win for the company. The verdict's significance will likely influence the future fate of quite a few legal tussles involving Apple. It is also likely to impact the design of future smartphones in a major fashion.
Of course, the whole affair is far from over. Following next is an injunction hearing, which is scheduled to take place on September 20th. It will determine the fate of many Samsung smartphones currently on sale, which the jury found as infringing on Apple's patents. As always, we'll keep a close look on the matter and update you accordingly.
SAMSUNG you are just too big thats why you have many enemies. you are just in the right path.go on...
Are u saying they aren't? What's your contribution to innovation in this world? Why cant pll just accept it exists and choose your own preference. Why does it always have to end in this childish "mine is better" talk. Both companies have in...
apple ran out of innovations to compete with samsung and felt threatened so they manipulates law which benefits them but they dont realize people hate apple more after all this. For samsung, THANK YOU for your non stop innovations to the world. i sta...
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As part of a bold global initiative, the international editions of VOGUE are partnering with designers, department stores, high-street chains and boutiques to create Fashion's Night Out, an evening extravaganza to be held around the world on Thursday, September 10, 2009. Here, in London's West End, they aim to lift shopping spirits and to emphasise the pleasure and joy of fashion. London is home to some of the world's most celebrated designers and is a number one shopping destination internationally Fashion's Night Out will reinforce this.
The VOGUE team will be working with retailers to create a night of original in-store activities, including personal appearances, makeovers and workshops, during extended shopping hours.
VOGUE has designed a limited-edition T-shirt for sale on the night, with 100 per cent of money raised going to Crisis, the UK charity for the homeless.
Join retailers and shoppers in the 12 other participating capital cities around the world for this unprecedented feel-good occasion, full of the theatre and allure that fashion and shopping offer – and you can say you took part!


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ST. CHARLES – Since taking office in the spring, St. Charles Mayor Ray Rogina has been concluding City Council meetings with a reminder to shop locally, especially at businesses along the line of construction on the east end of Route 64.
The construction has been ongoing since April 2012 and will continue through the end of the summer. Business owners said the project has taken a toll, which Rogina acknowledges.
“In a time where we have construction, nobody’s going to argue the fact that Route 64 construction probably has reduced sales to some of those businesses,” he said. “The community has to band together and say we have to help our brother.”
The construction from Seventh Avenue to Route 59 has caused a few headaches at Gino’s East in the 1500 block of East Main Street, manager Edward Pignataro said. Business during the weekdays has slowed he said, and construction has disrupted the restaurant’s phone lines and credit card machines.
“When the credit card machines are down and the phones are down, carry-outs and deliveries can’t be called in,” he said.
Pignataro said graduation parties, rehearsal dinners and busier weekends have helped offset the slower weekday pace, he said, but it still has forced management to make some tough decisions.
“We’ve had to make cuts as far as labor to compensate for the business loss,” he said. “I think people are still coming for the most part. It’s just not as much as they could be because of the construction, obviously.”
Rogina said he’s hopeful that the smooth pavement and the new center turn lane that will be in place once the construction is done will help make up for any inconvenience.
“They’re trying to repair a road, and knowing when that’s done that it’s going to be beautiful – hopefully it’ll do a lot of offsetting,” he said.
Rogina said while the inconvenience is “regrettable,” the fifth lane will resolve a lot of traffic problems in that area and will be nicely landscaped. He said the construction is on schedule, and most of it should be concluded by the end of the summer. He said one stretch – from Seventh Avenue to Dunham Road – is scheduled to be finished by September.
Jay Schrock, owner of Heinz Brothers Greenhouse in the 2000 block of East Main Street, said traffic counts and transactions have been down since construction began in April 2012. But, like Rogina, he’s hopeful that all the construction will be worth it in the end.
“I’m definitely looking forward to it. You’ll have a center turn lane, and it’ll be easier to get in and out of our store and back onto Main Street,” he said. “So in the end, I feel you’ve got to take the good with the bad.”
Rogina said money spent locally cycles back into the community because businesses, in turn, reinvest those dollars into the community.
To help bolster local shopping, the city this spring launched its first “Shop St. Charles Challenge.” The program rewards one person each month with $100 rebate on purchases made at three different independent stores or restaurants and runs through April.
Rogina said he reminds people to shop locally at the end of every City Council meeting because just about everyone benefits in the end.
“I make it a point to shop locally as much as I can with the idea that I’m helping local merchants,” he said. “There’s a multiplier effect throughout the community coming from that activity.”


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The court of public opinion in many ways is realized through the social web. —Cory Edwards
Heather Armstrong had not planned to have a fight with an appliance company. But her brand-new, not inexpensive Maytag washing machine had broken down, and the timing could not have been worse.
With a newborn baby in the house, Salt Lake-based blogger Armstrong needed to be doing laundry often. Constantly.
Maytag's response was beyond unsatisfactory.
"I had basically exhausted every single avenue for customer service available," Armstrong said. She had made the calls, been polite, waited patiently for the repairs that never came.
It was time for the last resort. Armstrong took to her Twitter account. She calmed herself in advance — "I purposefully took a walk around the block before I sat down to write anything. I was careful not to use any expletives," she said — but when it came time to tweet, she was forceful.
"So that you may not have to suffer like we have: DO NOT EVER BUY A MAYTAG. I repeat: OUR MAYTAG EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN A NIGHTMARE."
Armstrong, one of the most-read bloggers in America, followed this up with four other tweets warning her 1.5 million followers — in no uncertain terms — about her washing machine nightmare.
After "about 8 or 9 hours," Armstrong said, she was contacted via Twitter by Maytag's owner, the Whirlpool Corporation. The following day she got a call, a repairman and a fixed machine. Not only that, she was also promptly offered a free machine courtesy of Bosch, also a home appliance company. Armstrong donated it to a local women's shelter.
"I still have (the washing machine)," Armstrong said. "They fixed it, and it's working … I think they're happy that I went away."
Heather Armstrong's swift reversal in the world of customer service was due in large part to her own power: with a million followers on Twitter and Dooce, her famous blog, anything she said could — and did — reverberate in the virtual world.
But her experience speaks to a larger truth about social media and the free market. The Maytag story, she said, is now being used in textbooks to illustrate the critical importance of managing the online image of businesses.
Social media is changing the game for consumers. The dance between company and customer could change with a click. And with that click, the frustration of one unsatisfied patron could change an organization's reputation for many, many others. More than ever, businesses have reason to be wary of how they treat their customers.
"It's a public way to keep brands honest," Cory Edwards said. "The court of public opinion in many ways is realized through the social web."
Edwards teaches at Brigham Young University as an adjunct professor in the College of Fine Arts and Communications. He is also the director of social media and corporate reputation for Dell computers. He said Dell has been heavily involved with monitoring and responding to online conversations about its brand since 2006.
But the reality is, the world of social media is a new one for many companies. Harvard Business Review Analytic Services conducted a survey of 2,100 companies in late 2010. Only 12 percent of them felt they were using social media effectively.
Using social media effectively is, however, second nature to most of the people companies hope to attract. "It's become integrated into the daily life of almost everyone," Edwards said.
"If people aren't getting the response they want," said Dave Folkens, a public relations consultant in Minneapolis, Minn., "we're a lot quicker to go and share that with our friends and networks now."
That willingness to share has unleashed a startling power in "the court of public opinion," as Edwards called it. Issues on the national stage have seen whiplash reversals after social media users had their say: The anti-piracy legislation SOPA was shelved by Congress after the virtual world made its displeasure felt. The Susan G. Komen Foundation's decision to stop providing funding to Planned Parenthood was quickly reversed after a similar social media barrage.
Companies are starting to take the hint. Tweets, succinct though they may be, can be heard around the world. To 'like' something on Facebook takes one click, but it can speak volumes. And typing out displeasure with a product or service has never been more vocal, or more public.
"I think that there's a recognition that … social media is not going to just go away," Edwards said. "Early on, there were a lot of people that scoffed at the idea of a blog … then Facebook came around, and now your grandmother's on it along with everyone else. Companies should ignore (social networks) at their peril."
It's a lesson Dell, like Maytag, learned the hard way about seven years ago. In 2005, Jeff Jarvis, a journalist and blogger for the Guardian (a large newspaper in the United Kingdom), chronicled his experience with the customer support arm of the company. He called it "Dell Hell."
Jarvis, like Armstrong, had enough of a following that his complaints did not go unnoticed. He was eventually offered a brand new device, and instead asked for a full refund (which he got).
In an entirely different part of the world — at a conference in Osaka, Japan — Dell was in for another PR disaster: one of their laptops spontaneously combusted. Computers on fire! The incident mushroomed in the media, and reports of similar events began to crop up everywhere. Exploding laptops and angry blogging customers made for an unhappy combination.
"It was a scary time for the company," Edwards said. "That forced us to do what we're doing."
The power of online reputation
What they're doing translates to putting social media at the center of their business strategy. "(Dell) is an incredible example of really utilizing social media to its best advantage," said John Thuet, one of Edwards' BYU students who is studying communications and public relations.
The company now has a "command center" admired and replicated by businesses the world over. The center, which emerged about the same time Harvard's study did, is solely in place to monitor daily virtual conversations about Dell. According to Edwards, there are 25,000 mentions of the company every day. The sheer volume of data requires a sophisticated model to process it, group it into trends and understand the daily fluctuations of the company's online reputation.
Edwards called it an "early warning system" to try and avoid any more "Dell Hell" fiascos. "At any point, something viral could happen that could affect us negatively," he said.
The viral aspect of social media — the fact that something said by even the most anonymous of users could catch on and spread like wildfire — is giving consumers a louder kind of power.
"Now consumers don't just consume," Jarvis wrote after chronicling Dell Hell. "We spit back."
Armstrong mentioned that while the magnitude of her own experience surprised her, her friends with far less prominent online presences — say, 50 followers to her 1.5 million — are now getting attention from companies when they need it.
Folkens is careful to point out that to "quickly go online and post a rant," or some similar "kneejerk reaction" is not necessarily the best way to attract a business. "If you go out and flame a company without cause," he said, "obviously companies don't want to deal with that either."
But "I think companies will be a little bit more accountable," he said, "because of the public nature of it — because again, you don't want misperceptions or single bad experiences casting such a shadow of doubt, because if they get some traction online they could be overblown. (Organizations) are probably more sensitive now to the customer-service impact than they were three to five years ago, because of social media."
Satisfying the tweeting customer
Increased sensitivity to customer service, from the customer's perspective, is not a bad development. "I personally think it's a really effective way for consumers to give their opinions to the company," Thuet said. "That's important to me."
Armstrong agreed. "I think (social media) is a great equalizer. Our network of friends is so much bigger than just the people in our living room … the people we complain to now, they have voices that can be heard as well."
The ripple effect of Twitter and the like is important enough to be getting increased attention from businesses. Dell, among others — Armstrong mentioned Comcast as a good example — is looking to not just monitor online conversations, but be involved in them.
"Listening is only as good as your ability to respond," Edwards said. To that end, Dell has a team in place to do just that. "(Dell has) 84 people now, who on a full-time basis are sifting through the vast amount of data that's being put out by our command center … this group of 84 people then reach out through those channels to folks who are having an issue."
The strategy is helping to change the company's online reputation, Edwards said. "Currently 34 percent of (social media users) who go on a tirade (about Dell) … they end up becoming ravers, happy to the point of publicly expressing their thanks. We're thrilled about it."
A new frontier
The elaborate game of "Marco Polo" customers are playing with companies is spilling into other aspects of public life. Social media is not just boosting customer services. Today it can give voice to those in need of more than a new Maytag.
This month, the American Red Cross announced its commitment to using social media for humanitarian relief.
"Our goal at the Red Cross is to be the social liaison — for people, for families, for communities — to support one another," Gail McGovern said. As CEO and president of the American Red Cross, McGovern was presiding over an event announcing the launch of the organization's first Digital Operations Center. The Center is modeled on and guided by Dell's own command center, allowing the Red Cross to monitor and aggregate social media conversations during disasters. The two organizations have a longstanding relationship.
McGovern emphasized that this innovation — which features sleek monitors mounted on walls on which maps of social media 'mentions' are displayed — "is going to give us a better idea of what's going on the ground (during a disaster)." In times of crisis, she said, people are increasingly taking to social media to ask for help or give and seek information.
In those situations, "Information is like gold," McGovern said. The Center has already weathered its first storm, aggregating information during last week's devastated spate of tornadoes in the American Midwest and South.1 comment on this story
Michael Dell, CEO and chairman of the board of his namesake company, also spoke at the event, along with Macon Phillips, director of new media at the White House.
"The importance of this center … cannot be overstated," Phillips said.
In keeping with their social media emphasis, the organizations jointly hosted a livestream of the event online, complete with a space for viewers to discuss.
Sure enough, social media users had things to say. "MelyMello" wrote, "this is a HUGE step for the Red Cross! Very excited by the possibilities here!"
Naturally, she tweeted about the event. She has 1,703 followers.


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Bunch, a soical gaming party app, which allows you to play your favorite games with friends in a group with a video chat, has raised $3.85 million in funding from gaming giants like Supercell, Tencent, Miniclip, Riot Games, and Colopl Next.
Before the fresh funding, Bunch was able to pull $3.5 million last year from London Venture Partners plus joined by Founders Fund, Betaworks, Shrug Capital, North Zone, Streamlined Ventures, 500 Startups and more. They have now a total investment of $8.5 million.
The company aims to utilize the funding to grow the product development further and expand partnerships. Jonas Christiansen, previously Product Designer at Facebook, has recently taken the role of head of product. The company’s headcount is 15+ now, who are employed in New York and Toronto.
According to Statista forecasts, the global revenue from video streaming and subscription is expected to surpass 87 billion U.S. dollars in 2024. From 2016 to 2018, it has grown $36 billion from $17 billion.
The gaming startup has been able to attract colossal funding, while its Android app only has 10,000+ installs and 3.3 ratings, and the iOS app, however, has 4.5 ratings at the time of writing. This funding gives a message that the investors see Bunch, more than as an app, as a long-term industry standard for the mobile gaming arena. Bunch aim’s to disrupt the chat in games with social networking and video chat. The company CEO Selcuk Atli believes Bunch to be the Discord or Xbox Live, but for mobile games where users can connect with friends and join an audio or video chat. Some call it FaceTime for gamers!
Bunch has a lineup of first-party games on its platform, which users can enter and start playing. The app supports live audio and video chat for up to 8 players for games like Fortnite, Roblox, Minecraft, and HQ Trivia. To generate revenue Bunch aims to introduce premium features which users can have with a subscription or buy using in-app purchase.
Bunch reminds us of another group video and one of most talked startups, Houseparty. In 2017, Houseparty raised $50 million in Series C round led by Sequoia Capital. At that time, it was hot popular in teens and ranked number 7 in the Apple App Store for free apps. However, they sold themselves off to Epic Games (Forntinte maker) for an undisclosed amount in June this year.


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Sling looks like they're creating Slingplayer client for Palm OS
Good news Palm OS users! It seems like Sling is planning to release the Slingplayer client for Palm OS according to their packaging. I was also surprised and glad to see support or future release of Symbian. Everyone is still waiting for an official release for the Mac. Hey Sony, now I'm expecting updates from you guys .


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It takes a lot to make a classic. The new Reebok campaign brings homage to contemporary musical classics such as Labrinth, Swizz Beatz and Rick Ross.
For the Benelux JAMJAM created an integrated campaign consisting amongst other things of instore materials & a Facebook tab. Via the tab consumers could win tickets for the exclusive Reebok Classics Sony Music Party featuring Labrinth. The event was broadcasted by MTV.
- Client: Reebok
- Project: Retail, online campaign & event
- Date: Q2 2012