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Smart Comic Augments Manufacturing Day Outreach
The emerging tech of today will be deeply rooted in the factory of the future, and a new AR-enabled comic book helps the next generation of workers get used to the next wave of indispensable tools. Taken from an interview featured on Industry Week.com by author John Hitch Oct 05, 2018.
The article takes a look at what factories of the future might look like in the next 5-10 years with dozens of new applications integrating all the new emerging tech, powered more completely by artificial intelligence and the Industrial Internet of Things, with quantum computers just starting to reach maturity.
On Manufacturing Day a comic book with a glimpse of the future, and potentially lucrative (and fun) careers, was released. PTC, Rockwell Automation and the National Association of Manufacturers teamed up to create the Smart Manufacturing Comic Book, downloadable PDF highlighting how a drone factory will someday look. To get the full experience, print out the nine pages and download the “Smart MFG” app from the Google Play or App Store on smartphone or tablet.
Interview between John Hitch, for Industry Week and Don Busiek, Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy at PTC, on why they helped put together the comic.
JH: Who is this AR experience for?
DB: The next generation of manufacturers, the students and local community around manufacturing centers in the U.S. This AR experience will inspire young people by demonstrating that manufacturing in a smart connected world is filled with technology, advanced skills, and creativity, which all add up to great opportunity. AR will not only help improve manufacturing productivity, but it will also help drive an increased level of excitement about the manufacturing profession in general.
JH: What do you hope this AR experience does?
DB: Our hope is that the comic book provides an easily accessible path for students to better understand how these emerging technologies in AR, IIoT, and additive manufacturing, etc. are employed in modern manufacturing, as well as highlight different possible career paths that are available.
JH: How did you decide what message to drive home this year?
DB: According to a recent report from Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute, 80% of manufacturers currently indicate a moderate or serious shortage of qualified applicants. Specifically, they found that over the next decade 3.5 million manufacturing jobs will need to be filled and the skills gap is expected to result in 2 million of those jobs being unfilled. Knowledgeable workers are retiring and we simply do not have the next generation of manufacturing leaders in position to fill their place.
Our message this year is that augmented reality gives you super human powers in manufacturing. We really wanted to demonstrate that manufacturing in a smart connected world is filled with technology, advanced skills, and creativity.
JH: Why is Manufacturing Day so critical for manufacturers?
DB: Manufacturing Day serves as a means of inspiring the next generation to consider careers in manufacturing at a time when it is undergoing a digital transformation. The world of manufacturing is transforming, and technology is driving that process. Many modern manufacturing companies are at the cutting edge of new technologies like the Industrial Internet of Things, additive manufacturing/3D printing, artificial intelligence and analytics, and augmented reality. Manufacturing Day created an opportunity to expose many common misperceptions about manufacturing jobs and hopefully shrink that jobs gap.
JH: It combines so many emerging technologies, many that will be ubiquitous when the tweens who read this join the workforce. How do you think the factory of 2030 will look and what is the risk if we don’t cultivate the talent to operate it?
DB: The factory of 2030 will be dramatically more productive than the factories of today. With AR, IIoT, additive manufacturing, and digital technology platforms, both machines and human labor will be significantly more productive, and innovation will accelerate exponentially at 1/10th of the cost.
For example, unplanned downtime will be at record lows due to IoT enabled predictive maintenance. Factories will be paperless and workers will use AR to increase human productivity. The products produced will be directly aligned with consumers preferences due to IoT enabled integrations with consumer sources such as social media. Supply chains will be lean due to additive manufacturing. Engineers will collaborate on a smaller number of parts that will be printed rather than assembled.
Without the right talent, manufacturers will have difficulty keeping pace with competitors and risk becoming obsolete.
DB: In a world that is increasingly becoming virtual, we communicate via email or text, we play video games instead of sports, there is really something so gratifying about knowing what you work on helps create the physical products we use in our everyday life. I feel immensely proud when I tell my family that food they are eating, or the car we drive was produced using the industrial technology I work on. Manufacturing is where it is at.


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In the midst of this year’s shortages and growing inflation, thehas produced more goods and earned more cash than ever, according to a report by Reuters.
Winnebago Industries Inc. announced positive fiscal 2020 revenues in October, an increase of more than half over the year before. On Friday, the company is expected to report its second consecutive quarter with more than $1 billion and a 33 percent rise in earnings per share, according to estimates of analysts that Refinitiv compiled.
Thor Industries Inc. announced record-breaking results for its fiscal first quarter last week. The largest producer also noted that its backlog at the close of October stood at $18 billion, which is 100 percent higher than the same period last year.
Winnebago Chief Executive Michael Happe said that the retailers of his company have “been able to optimize retail pricing in a way they have not been able to do in a long, long time.”
Thevehicle is a perfect example of how many U.S. producers have been in a position to prosper despite COVID shortages and price hikes in raw materials, ranging from plastic and steel to electronic components and foam. The increase in sales started in the early days of the outbreak, as concerned Americans sought alternatives to without the dangers of motels or flying in planes.
Industries that are geared towardsactivities have exploded during the outbreak. Swimming pool sales, boats, and all-terrain soared following initial lockdowns.
However, shortage in staffing is also a problem for thethat has had to struggle to fill positions in manufacturing hubs such as northern .
Despite these obstacles, the RV Industry Association. The study, conducted by ITR Economics, is projecting an increase of only 2 percent next year, up to 613,700 units.is making and shipping far more than ever before. Wholesale deliveries of in are expected to surpass 602,200 units this year. It is 40 percent more than last year and 19 percent more than the previous record set in 2017, as per the
Retailer LLC CEO Jon Ferrando noted that higher-cost raw materials, along with higher labor costs and transport costs to move and motor homes across the nation from factories to stores, have resulted in numerous price increases passed on to consumers instead of the typical one-time adjustments.
“Certainly, this year, there’s more frequent price adjustments,” he said. But he added that the increases have not curbed the appetite of buyers.
“To the extent we have pressure to raise, consumers have great ability to trade down and get the price point they want,” he said.
Theof indeed differ in a wide range. Retailer offers everything from teardrop-shaped tow-along campers all the way to $1-million diesel .
Meanwhile, LCI Industries CEO Jason Lippert believes that problems with thewill continue. However, he doesn’t see the rising cost of goods and services easing consumers’ demand anytime soon.
“If you’re a first-time buyer, you’re not looking at what you could have bought in 2018 or 2017,” he said. “People buying their second or thirdwill likely think about the price a little more.”
One factor that could cause challenges to the sector somewhere down the road is the surge of, the report added.
However, James Boyle, a spokesman for the RV Industry Association, said the isn’t expecting the current fuel to reduce sales anytime soon, pointing out that many are utilized for short-term trips and tailgating, not long road trips.

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Mobile Advertising Insight
NEW YORK, Oct. 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue: Mobile Advertising Insight Demanding More from Digital AdvertisingThis Frost & Sullivan insight presents an analysis of the current state of the U.S.
Piecing It Together: Conducting Effective Online Marketing Campaigns
NEW YORK, Oct. 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- An online marketing campaign is comprised of many moving parts. While unexpected obstacles might arise once the campaign is set in motion, there are steps your small business can take to build a solid foundation and set your marketing efforts up for success.
Cross-Platform and Mobile Advertising Market worth $76.57 Billion by 2018
DALLAS, October 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The report "Cross-Platform & Mobile Advertising Market: by Solutions (Campaign, Delivery, Reporting & Analytics, Proximity), by Advertising (Search, SMS/MMS/P2P Messaging, Rich Media, Coupons, In-App) - Worldwide Market Forecasts and Analysis (2013 - 2018)", defines and segments the Cross-Platform and Mobile Advertising Market into various sub segments with in-depth analysis and forecasting of revenues.
Susan Credle Honored As Chicago Advertising Federation's 2013 "Advertising Woman Of The Year"
CHICAGO, Oct. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Chicago Advertising Federation named Susan Credle, Chief Creative Officer of Leo Burnett, the 2013 Advertising Woman of the Year. At a packed house at the Hilton Chicago, the advertising community gathered to honor Susan on her extraordinary accomplishment and her prolific career.
Kosherfest 2013 Marketing Plan Offered To Exhibitors By Online Marketing Agency Ajax Union
NEW YORK, Oct. 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Kosherfest 2013 exhibitors have the opportunity to enroll in a three-month marketing plan with Brooklyn-based online marketing firm Ajax Union, a second-year exhibitor at Kosherfest.
Find the Right SEO Company for Internet Advertising After Panda, Penguin, and Hummingbird
AGOURA HILLS, Calif., Oct. 2, 2013 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- You have a problem. You've been told you can get to the top of Google by hiring a search engine optimization (SEO) firm that will provide various online marketing services for your company.
Mobile Advertising, Idate
NEW YORK, Sept. 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue:Mobile Advertising, Idate Description: This report analyses the current development of the mobile advertising market.
89% of Advertising Executives Think Television Video Advertising is More Effective than Online Video Advertising
NEW YORK, Sept. 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- placemedia, the company with the only fully-automated self-service portal for national television advertisers, announced its findings from its 2013 Advertisers Survey. The survey of 264 advertising executives across the United States that placemedia commissioned from uSAMP, found that 89% of them found television video impressions were more important than online video impressions. A similar overwhelming majority of 88% say there are benefits in better targeting in television advertising, including: Better delivery of a message that relates to their viewers' interests (57%) More effective use of advertising resources (42%) Better use of advertising dollars (42%) Increased return on invest ...


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Genesys And Interactions Pushing The Limits Of Customer Care Solutions
Genesys, a leader in the contact center solutions industry, has teamed up with Interactions, a customer care and speech technology powerhouse, to offer customers the next generation of speech technology-based solutions.
This partnership looks set to push the capabilities of customer service and speech technology to a new level. These two industries have been impacting each other more and more over the past 10 years and it doesn’t look like it’s going to slow down anytime soon.
Why do we have such high hopes for these industries? And why would Genesys want to integrate Interactions’ Curo Speech into their own platform? Let’s take a closer look at what these companies do and how their technologies go hand in hand.
What is Curo Speech?
Curo Speech is Interactions’ speech technology platform. Interactions sells this platform to other businesses looking to integrate speech technology into their own solutions. Curo Speech includes several speech technology functions:
- Text-to-Speech (TTS) – Seeing as this is the Text2Speech Blog, we hope you already have a basic idea of what TTS is. Simply put, text-to-speech is the process of analyzing written text and converting it into audible speech.
- Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) – The opposite of TTS is ASR. This process involves analyzing speech and converting it into text.
- Voice Biometrics – Similar to ASR, but it serves a different purpose. Instead of trying to understand what is being said, voice biometrics analyzes speech to understand who is saying it. This is usually used for identification and security purposes.
- Natural Language Processing (NLP) – This is what takes ASR to another level. NLP is the ability of a computer to understand what is being said. Once the speech is converted to text, the computer analyzes the text to know what you meant with what you said. This is how applications like Siri can provide you with a map of nearby restaurants after you tell it that you’re hungry.
After acquiring the AT&T Watson platform in 2014, Interactions was able to integrate that technology into their own platform. With this, and years of previous work, Curo Speech has become one of the latest and most advanced multi-modeled speech solution in the market.
What Does Genesys Provide?
Taken straight from their website, Genesys says they are the “global omnichannel customer experience and contact center solution leader.” One of the most popular and in-demand contact center solutions is an IVR platform.
IVR is Interactive Voice Response. IVR allows computerized telephony systems to interact with humans. These applications are being used more and more to operate call centers. With an IVR platform, you wouldn’t need to hire a team of customer service agents to take calls. Instead, the IVR system will be able to take the call and interact with the caller.
Genesys Voice Platform (GVP) is an IVR platform developed by Genesys. GVP is considered to be a top-tier IVR platform and it has proven to deliver results for the companies that use it. GVP has scored high marks for customer satisfaction as well.
At this point, it’s probably becoming clear why these two companies would partner up. Customer experience platforms are high in demand. And high quality speech solutions are the backbone of customer experience platforms.
After all, what good would a virtual assistant be if they can’t ever understand what you are saying to it? And would you be satisfied if the voice on the customer service line sounds robotic and confusing?
This is why having accurate ASR capabilities and a realistic text-to-speech voice is so vital. Customer experience depends on natural-flowing interactions between machine and human. The platform needs to understand what is being said, and it needs to respond to the customer with a high quality voice.
Genesys has become a leader in the customer experience solution industry because they have used the best that the speech technology industry has to offer in their products, including NeoSpeech’s own voices!
Interactions has also seen success because they have provided high quality speech technology solutions to their customers, and yes, this includes NeoSpeech’s own voices as well! Genesys’ partnership with Interactions looks like another step in the right direction for both companies.
At NeoSpeech, we’re looking forward to seeing how Genesys and Interactions can impact the business world with their technology. And we’re excited to see how our own voices are going to be put to work in the coming years.
Genesys has been pioneering the customer service industry since 1990. By harnessing the power of the latest technologies, Genesys has strived to enable businesses to intelligently manage interactions between companies and customers with the goal of improving customer satisfaction.
Interactions is a provider of speech technology to help customers and businesses engage in productive conversation. Interactions was founded in 2004 with the goal of combining technology with human intelligence.
What do you think?
How do you think speech technology can impact the customer service industry? Let us know in the comments!
Learn More about NeoSpeech’s Text-to-Speech
To learn more about the different areas in which Text-to-Speech technology can be used, visit our Text-to-Speech Areas of Application page. And to learn more about the products we offer, visit our Text-to-Speech Products page.
If you’re interested in adding Text-to-Speech software to your application or would like to learn more about TTS, please fill out our Sales Inquiry form and one of our friendly team members will be happy to help.


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by Andrew Adams
January 29, 2021
As Americans were focused on domestic crises and disasters in 2020, turmoil was rippling across the globe and that uncertainty may bring new challenges, and opportunities, for the U.S. wine industry.
The biggest new barrier to the foreign wine trade was the additional U.S. tariffs on European wines that went into effect Jan. 12.
While discussing the global wine market during a session at this year’s virtual Unified Wine & Grape Symposium, the executive of a French wine and spirits firm said wineries had initially mitigated some of the impacts of the first round of U.S. wine tariffs by adjusting the alcohol levels of their wines and shipping in bulk.
Janko Pelagic who is the CEO of CIVS (Compagnie Internationale de Vins & Spiritueux) said the ongoing decline of the U.S. on-premise market and the new tariffs have compelled many of Europe’s major exporters to refocus their efforts on the European market and the U.K.
But Pelagic maintained an optimistic tone and said international trade disputes have been happening for centuries. He used the 1703 Treaty of Methuen as an example. Struck during the War of the Spanish Succession, the treaty essentially shifted England’s wine market to Portugal. “The market always finds a way,” he said.
When confronted with disruptions and uncertainties, he said one should focus on new opportunities rather than the challenges. He said the move to e-commerce has helped wineries connect with new and often younger consumers through digital channels.
Pelagic discussed the global market with Turrentine wine and grape brokerage president Steve Fredricks and Stephen Rannekleiv who manages Rabobank’s global beverages research group.
Rannekleiv said more global uncertainty is coming in future years as China assumes more power and global influence. He used the recent disputes between China and Australia as an example of how companies seeking to enter the global market can find themselves in the middle of a trade dispute. “If you align with one, you can get sideways with the other,” he said. “Now it’s harder to be neutral. You have to pick sides and wine is getting caught in the crossfire.”
Pelagic said China accounts for a large and growing share of the global luxury market so Europe’s top producers have to stay invested there and many have already spent years cultivating strategic relationships. “It just takes a lot of time and energy to have successful relationships over there,” he said.
As the year progresses, Rannekleiv said the U.S. could see something of a “K” recovery in that certain sectors improve steadily while others, such as the service industry, continue to struggle.
He said the on-premise market will be one of the last to recover and likely will be very different than what the wine business remembers as the pre-pandemic normal. Independent, full-service operators, who have traditionally been the best route to the three-tier market for smaller wineries, have suffered the most.
Rannekleiv said volatility in international markets and affordable capital could bring strong interest in the wine business from a diverse group of investors. He said private equity is flush with cash and with their expectations on returns a bit more tempered than in past years they could be looking at wineries and vineyards.
As almond prices have fallen interest in vineyards could be rising. “Almonds used to be the no-brainer investment and now it’s become less so,” he said. “Maybe vineyards will come up as an alternative, but can you come up with the (winery) contracts?”
The recent investment in Russian River Pinot icon Williams Selyem by the owners of Domain Faiveley in Burgundy is the type of deal that could be more common as global investors seek to park their wealth in the relative stability of the U.S. wine industry.
Fredricks said the global market is similar to what has been seen in the United States in that it is still dominated by grocery retail and e-commerce. It appears the Southern Hemisphere will see a slightly smaller than normal crop this vintage and there likely won’t be much excess global supply. Just as in the U.S., Fredricks said the struggles in on-premise have resulted in consumers shifting to higher volume, lower priced brands and the market is being driven by demand rather than supply. “The excess inventory has really been whittled down to more of a balance,” he said. “Grocery stores around the world are doing better and value wines in those stores are doing better.”


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Introduced by the British in the 1940s as a dietary supplement, Horlicks has been a household name in the Indian subcontinent for decades now.
To say that every Indian kid has grown up with a liberal dose of the malted drink would not be an exaggeration. For the longest time, India was the largest consumer of 'The Great Family Nourisher'.
However, with the changing times and the introduction of alternatives, GlaxoSmithKline has declared that the sales of Horlicks in India has gone down considerably, affecting their overall worldwide earnings.
The consumer healthcare product giant's global chief executive, Andrew Witty, expressed his concerns about the fall in the firm's flagship milk food drink in India.
While announcing the firm's earnings during the first quarter of 2016, Witty pointed out that there has been a significant slowing down of sales in rural markets, as well as some cases of wholesale destocking.
Horlicks, which contributes close to half of GSK Healthcare's sales in the country, is facing near-stagnant category growth, according to a report in the Economic Times.
With Baba Ramdev's Patanjali breaking ground with alternatives to popular food products, concerns were raised about the extent to which products like Patanjali's Power Vita would affect the sales of other popular health drinks.
These concerns however were not deemed to pose a threat to the sales of Horlicks, a brand that has been a household name in Indian families for generations.
However, data suggests otherwise. While the connection between the launch of Patanjali's Power Vita and the Horlicks' dwindling popularity cannot be established beyond doubt, speculation on the same cannot be completely ruled out.


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Travel to Jamaica is gearing back on track. Here are a few updates on travel to the island from the Jamaica Product Exchange (JAPEX) trade event.
According to the Jamaica Hotel & Tourist Association’s (JHTA) survey, which was conducted Nov. 6-7, 2021, Jamaica hotels are currently averaging 65 percent occupancy rates for the winter season. Jamaica is well on its way to a strong recovery, according to Donovan White, director of tourism.
In addition, Amadeus reported that Jamaica is leading the world in demand searches for the destination at 38 percent of the 2019 levels, and at 24 percent when compared to the rest of the world. Capacity of air seats is at 65 percent of the 2019 levels, and at 24 percent in comparison to the rest of the world. International air passengers are at 45 percent of the 2019 levels, and 31 percent compared to the rest of the world. And, GDS bookings are up to 61 percent in comparison to 2019.
According to data collected from Jamaica’s top five air and tour operator partners in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K, there is a strong room night booking happening, with November 2021 at 95 percent of November 2019 levels, and December 2021 is at 97 percent of 2019.
This is evident as Jamaica welcomed 23,000 visitors in the first four days of November alone. And, from January to October 2021, air stopover arrivals are estimated to be up 41 percent year-over-year, and 48 percent of 2019.
Visitors to Jamaica in 2021 are also staying longer and spending more, as earnings are outpacing arrivals for the first time. The average traveler is staying eight days, and the average spending per person per day has increased to $180 versus $169. Projections are now indicating that a return to 2019 pre-pandemic levels will be reached by the third quarter of 2023, at which point approximately 4.1 million visitors will be visiting the island and spending about $4.2 billion—half a billion over 2019 spending.
New Air & Return to Cruising
There has also been new air service added including Frontier Airlines, which has a new service from Miami, Atlanta, and Orlando to Montego Bay. American Airlines has also added a new service from Philadelphia to Kingston. And, American Airlines will also be using a 787 Dreamliner on flights to Montego Bay from gateways including MIA, JKF, PHL, ORD, BOS, DFW, and CLT.
Jamaica’s cruise ports also resumed welcoming ships on Aug. 16 with the arrival of Carnival Sunrise to the Port of Ocho Rios.
For more information, visitjamaica.com.
For more travel news & updates, click here.


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Westfield Annapolis Mall
The Westfield Annapolis Mall was pretty busy Sunday morning, but not because of good deals or a new store opening.
Anne Arundel County police have charged two sisters with assault after a fight at a store on Black Friday.
Anne Arundel County are looking for two women suspected in a mall fight on Black Friday.
Police are looking for a woman wanted for pickpocketing and subsequent credit card fraud in Hanover.


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Details of a 7in tablet from Microsoft called Xbox Surface have appeared online, just hours before the company is due to host a major announcement.
The leaked documents speak of a "Tablet Computing Device" that features a 7in LED display offering up 720p HD video and an SD card slot. There's also Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and up to seven hours of battery life.
Although unconfirmed by Microsoft, the device seems to be a Wii U-style controller - rather than a dedicated tablet such as the iPad or Amazon Kindle Fire - as there's just 288MB of RAM and a tiny 0.5GHz processor.
Later in the documents, the tablet device is described as "tablet device (controller)" suggesting that this is indeed similar to the Wii U's tablet controller that we got our hands on recently.
Alongside the Xbox Surface tablet is what the documents describe as a "stationary computing device", which is listed as having a 250GB hard drive, graphical processing units, four USB 3.0 ports and support for up to four wireless game controllers.
Microsoft is widely expected to announce a tablet device at the event and that the device will be entertainment-related.
The leaked documents list Rick Gutierrez, who works for Microsoft Research and has previously done worked on the development of Kinect for Windows, as involved with Xbox Surface.
Speculation over the 18 June event first centred on Barnes and Noble, but the bookseller has since denied any involvement.
Earlier in June, Microsoft announced its SmartGlass mobile application at the E3 gaming expo in LA; the technology was demonstrated using a map of Westeros showing where characters in the Games of Thrones universe are when they appear onscreen. Other content such as actor biographies can also be shown. It is basically Microsoft's second screen strategy.
The Xbox SmartGlass app will allow you to take your media content with you. Users can watch movies on a tablet or smartphone and then switch to watching it from the same point on a TV with the Xbox when they get home.
Xbox Entertainment will also be included in Windows 8 tablets and devices, syncing users media and allowing them to take it with them.
SmartGlass technology will also allow users to surf on Internet Explorer on TV using the secondary device to navigate.


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As amazing as the Subaru Crosstrek is, it seems as the fans have always been hoping that Subaru will be offering it with a little more power and Subaru has finally heard them.
Subaru will finally be offering the Crosstrek with a 2.5-liter flat-four engine that will be powering the Limited trim option and the new Sport-badge model.
The standard model will still be powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that will be offering 152hp. The 2.5 liters flat-four engine, on the other hand, will be offering about 310hp and 290lb ft of torque.
Some important details like the new price list for the 2021 Subaru Crosstrek have not been announced yet but the vehicle is expected to arrive later this year as a 2021 model so we should be learning more about it soon.


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The association said lost sales revenue for cucumbers, tomatoes and lettuces alone was about £54m.
FPC CEO Nigel Jenney said the industry was taking a financial hit because of speculation over the source of the outbreak and criticised UK authorities for providing unhelpful advice on sprouted seeds. He called on the FSA to clarify its guidance to consumers.
"UK authorities are hiding behind an over-application of the precautionary approach due to their lack of knowledge of the industry," he said. "As a result, UK consumers have received confusing advice."
The FPC has also contacted business secretary Vince Cable to urge the government to support the industry and restore confidence in fresh produce with "an immediate bespoke promotional campaign".


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The popularity of Thailand’s No. 1 K-Pop export Lalisa “Lisa” Manobal is driving demand for her music, traditional headdresses and pork balls.
Customers this weekend flocked to a Buri Ram market where Lisa said she loves and misses the pork meatballs.
The skewers’ overwhelming popularity has even influenced the province’s annual Pork Ball Festival, which feature a thank you message to the Blackpink singer, dancer and rapper, for making the local street menu so well-known across the world.
Buri Ram Province kicked off this year’s local pork ball festival this wekeend, featuring the sale of meatballs from various sellers and a pork-ball eating contest.
This year’s festival is held with social distancing measures strictly enforced. Customers are not allowed to have food from the street menu served on the spot, but must order the pork balls as a takeaway for home consumption only.
The sale of the local pork balls is also available online this year, with special promotions and discounts offered both at the venue and on the event’s Facebook page.
The pork ball eating contest allows competitive eaters to compete with last year’s champion, aiming to set a new record. Separate contests are held offering male and female categories.
The opening ceremony of the event yesterday, featured a thank you message to Lalisa, who was born in Buriram province, and has helped make the regional delicacy even more popular.
Her interview in a local talk show program helped boost the sale of pork balls in Buriram, as the K-Pop star said she missed the province and the local pork ball stalls.
Following the interview, fans of Lisa started traveling to Buri Ram province, bringing many visitors to join the pork ball festival, and bringing energy back to the province, where things had become quiet due to the pandemic.
Interest in Buriram’s pork ball specialty, has also grown among the singer’s international fans, with orders for pork balls now pouring in from Australia, the United States, and South Korea.


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Roberts Bakery has bought Aldreds the Bakers after parent company D&G Food Group put its four bakeries up for sale earlier this month.
The deal to acquire Derbyshire-based Aldreds has secured the jobs of all 62 members of staff at the factory, which manufactures rolls, bakery and confectionery products and has a turnover of £3m.
Aldreds will operate as a division of Roberts, "and will benefit from the solid financial foundation and strong buying power of the £69.5m Roberts group", announced the firm. Aldreds’ factory in Ilkeston will continue to operate as normal and its current management team will remain in place.
"This is a very positive move for both companies," commented Mike Braddock, MD of Roberts Bakery. "We’re delighted to not only invest in Aldreds’ future but also to provide job secu-rity for its loyal team of staff," he added.
Another D&G company, Tredinnick Fine Foods, based in Newton Abbot, Devon, has also been sold, although the buyer has not yet been disclosed.
Darren Brookes, partner at administrator Milner Boardman & Partners, said: "This is undoubtedly good news, as it will help to safeguard the jobs of around 100 staff currently employed at the two sites."
He said it was continuing to explore options for selling Queen of Hearts, with a view to securing the futures of a further 40 jobs. Added Brookes: "Regrettably, no credible offers have been received for the business and assets of West of England Bakers and, unfortunately, it looks like this operation will remain closed."


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The upcoming Surface launch this autumn will take place this year without the two fixed starters. At least that’s what sources close to Microsoft say, who claims the Surface Pro 8 and Surface Laptop 4 won’t hit the market until 2021.
It’s a global economic crisis that appears to be forcing Microsoft to postpone two fixed starters in the Surface universe expected for October 2020. As reported on the Windows Latest website based on information from people familiar with the situation, Microsoft is reluctant to unveil a successor to the Surface Pro 7 or Surface Laptop 3 at the upcoming Surface launch event.
Instead, the Surface Pro 8 and Surface Laptop 4, which will likely feature Intel’s new 11th Gen Tiger Lake processors. Both laptops won’t be available until the first half of 2021. However, the website warns that plans may change ahead of the event. In any case, two new Surface products and various new accessories are currently scheduled for the fall event.
Many details, such as specific pricing, are already known for the Surface Laptop 12.5, which, codenamed Sparti, is not a successor to the current model. But a smaller and cheaper clamshell laptop with at least 4GB of storage. RAM and 64GB SSD should be at the top. It is also known that Microsoft is likely to replace last year’s Surface Pro X ARM tablet with a successor. This Surface Pro X 2 could be powered by Microsoft’s SQ2 processor based on the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen2 and will thus also support 5G.
Will the planning remain the same as in previous years?
The online magazine Windows Latest writes about this and also notes that these two Surface devices will not play a role in the upcoming Surface event. For now, Microsoft is expected to hold the Surface event in October, just like in previous years. Microsoft also brings a large number of device updates. So far, recently introduced Surface devices have hit the market quickly, at least in the US.
Everything is still pure speculation
Now it is said that Microsoft wants to drop the launch this year, mostly for “tactical” reasons. The group is said to release the Surface Laptop 4 this year rather than the Surface Pro 8 as the economic situation calls for it. At a possible event in October, Microsoft will only unveil an updated version of the ARM-based Surface Pro X. In addition, there may be new accessories.
Microsoft itself hardly publishes any information about the scheduled event or devices ahead of time. It all remains speculation until the event takes place.


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Snoop might be putting his search for a label on hold now that he’s teamed up with MTV.
MTV announced that they struck up a deal with the Doggfather to release his next album, Malice in Wonderland. They’re also hooking him up with global distribution, marketing and promotion. Expect to hear guest vocals from Dr. Dre and Pharrell Williams when the album drops later this year.
Snoop Dogg’s new show on MTV, “Dogg After Dark,” was just the first part of the unprecedented deal. The network will also put some of his music on the next installment of their “Rock Band” video game.
This makes Snoop the third rapper lending tracks to a video game this year. Kanye West’s music will be featured on “Scratch: The Ultimate DJ,” while Busta Rhymes actually released a single on “Grand Theft Auto IV.”
The D-O-Double G has also launched a line of t-shirts designed by Christian Audigier, the creative mind behind the Ed Hardy clothing line. The shirts mix Snoop’s style with Christian’s signature script, graphics and foil finishing. Some of the shirts even have rhinestones for that extra bit of bling.
You can buy the shirts at the official Rich & Infamous website, but they don’t come cheap. Right now the shirts are on sale for about $83 each; they’re usually priced at $127.
– Sonya Eskridge
Kanye West and Run-DMC scratch it up


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The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) spits out thousands of digital problem solvers every year. Although many move down to Oslo or further afield, an increasing number seem to be making their own careers in Trondheim in the field of gaming. So we put together this runddown of the city’s most promising gaming prospects.
Testing games at the bar
Bertheussen IT continues to make significant revenue almost seven years after the launch of their hit Scrabble-like app WordFeud. They have since released other games and are now part of the gaming community at Work-Work. The concept provides a space for people to collaborate in the co-working office space and test out their creations in the public gaming bar.
“The bar has been embraced quickly and it’s gone a lot smoother than we had expected”, co-founder Marius Thorvaldsen told Life in Norway. “Alongside that there has been a push from Government for the creative industries in the last year. As a lot of our co-workers are running creative businesses, we’ve seen a lot of interest and momentum in our office space too. After being in business for a little over a year, things are looking really good.”
Other Work-Work tenants include several VR companies and the rapidly-expanding Pineleaf Studio, who are currently alpha testing their cooperative multiplayer strategy game Dwarfheim. The young team recently raised 900,000kr on Norwegian crowdfunding platform Folkeinvest.no in only four days. Developer Fredrik Chrislock told The List they are “implementing artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning into Dwarfheim – taking technology from other fields and bringing it into the gaming industry”.
The founders met at the Norwegian Game Awards, held every year in Trondheim. The student competition is organised by Start NTNU, a voluntary student organisation that promotes innovation and entrepreneurship throughout the university.
Speaking of the University, Computer Science students can take a Specialisation in Game Technology, while Industrial Design students have the option of a course in Game Design.
Riding the tabletop wave
Trondheim’s gaming industry isn’t just about the computer-based variety. YouTube channels, podcasts and even print magazines devoted to tabletop gaming just show how far the humble board game has come since the days of Monopoly.
Tompet Games persuaded 317 backers to pledge a total of NOK 91,135 to help bring their first game Kill The King to life in 2016. Small change by Kickstarter standards, but their success has helped to inspire other local game developers, and the company itself, who recently launched another campaign for their second game, Donning the Purple.
While the city lacks any standout successes in tabletop gaming, established groups such as Spillmakerlauget Trondheim and the Hexagon Spillklubb along with the high number of students suggest this could be a sector to watch.
Where tech meets gaming?
Back in 2014, local prototyping firm Norwegian Creations teamed up with HK advertising agency and Trondheim Makers to put a Pac-Man game in a busy bus shelter. Norwegian Creations shared the creative process on their blog.
Perhaps the future of Trondheim’s fledgling gaming industry lies in the crossover with the vibrant technology scene. Events such as the annual Trondheim Developer Conference and the very public Trondheim Maker Faire show the diversity of this small city’s potential.


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There is still a lot of time left for Google to unveil its Google Pixel 5 series of smartphones – at least another eight months from now. That, however, has not stopped the leaks from popping up on the internet. As a matter of fact, the first-ever render of the upcoming Google Pixel 5 XL smartphone has just leaked, which gives us a hint as to what we can expect from the device. Let’s have a look at the leaked render of the Google Pixel 5 XL.
Google Pixel 5 XL Alleged Render Shows the Device Prototype
As per the source, the leaked render has been received from an “extremely reliable” source. The render is based on a 3D CAD file, and even though the source has a heavy trust in it, we would still suggest our readers take it with a slight pinch of salt for now. Notably, this is not the only design Google has in mind. The source claims that the leaked render is one-third of what’s going on in the Google camp, as this is just one of the three prototypes. This necessarily means that Google might not even consider this design with the final product.
Nevertheless, the leaked render suggests an unusually placed camera setup at the back. We can locate three rear cameras and an LED flash sitting in a glass-clad U-shaped housing. The power button and the volume buttons are on the right side of the aforementioned Google Pixel 5 XL. The rear of the device seems to be flat, but the corners are rounder. Other than that, the rest of the design aesthetics of the device are not visible in the render image. The prototype, however, has a large bezel at the top, which would most likely make room for the Motion Sense sensor and the advanced Face Unlock sensor. For now, it is too early to tell as to what all the specifications of the Google Pixel 5 XL could be, but we are sure to receive more intel on the same in the coming days.
What are your thoughts on the upcoming Google Pixel 5 XL? Do let us know in the comments section below.


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PUBG Mobile brings an upgradeable firearm Beam Blast for ACE32
PUBG Mobile always brings brand new skins and cosmetics in the game. The upgradeable firearm Beam Blast ACE32 is now available.
PUBG Mobile has announced that it will be adding a new upgradeable firearm Beam Blast for ACE32 is now available. The new firearm is a powerful assault rifle that can be upgraded to become even more powerful. The Ultimate Set, meanwhile, is a collection of cosmetics that will give players a new look.
The new upgrade system will allow players to customize the ACE32 with a variety of attachments, including scopes, suppressors, and magazines. These attachments will give players the ability to fine-tune the gun to their specific playstyle. The Ultimate Set is a collection of cosmetics that includes a new outfit, backpack, parachute, and weapon skin.
Log in to PUBG Mobile and draw amazing upgradable skin. To draw the skin players need to spend UC (in-game currency). If you don’t have enough UC, you can top-up through the in-game shop by using Real cash.
PUBG Mobile brings Aston Martin Collaboration
PUBG Mobile is collaborating with Aston Martin to bring new car skins to the game. The collaboration was announced on July 20, 2023, and the new skins are expected to be released in the next few weeks. The new car skins will be based on two of Aston Martin’s most popular models, the Valhalla and the DBS Superleggera. The Valhalla is a hybrid hypercar that was first revealed in 2019, while the DBS Superleggera is a high-performance sports car that was released in 2017.
The car skins will be available in the in-game shop for a limited time. Players will be able to purchase them using UC, which is the in-game currency. In addition to the car skins, the collaboration will also include a number of other content, such as new outfits, emotes, and parachutes. There will also be a special event where players can earn rewards by completing challenges.
The Aston Martin collaboration is the latest in a series of partnerships that PUBG Mobile has announced in recent months. The game has also collaborated with other brands, such as McLaren, Tesla, and Lamborghini.
Read More- PUBG Mobile brings Trivia Night, Participate and Win Rewards


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Banking & Finance
Central California Community Bank’s Prather location got a brand new remodel and is ready for business. Central Valley Community BankRead more »
Central Valley Community Bancorp, parent company of Central Valley Community Bank, reported consistent growth in the first quarter ending MarchRead more »
Suncrest Bank’s first quarter earnings report shows a nearly 40% increase in income compared to the same time last year.Read more »
Visalia Rawhide baseball fans will attend a stadium with a new name after a local credit union purchased naming rightsRead more »
Sierra Bancorp, parent company of Bank of the Sierra in Porterville, reported record net income of $11.1 million for theRead more »
The Chukchansi Economic Development Authority is celebrating what it is calling a “historic debt restructuring” that has reduced its obligationsRead more »
A new study from online lending markeplace LendingTree found that consumer spending in Fresno was nearly 15% higher than priorRead more »
Many small business owners have struggled to receive a loan due to equity barriers, but the Fresno Metro Black ChamberRead more »
Shuttered venues now have a date attached to financial relief. The Small Business Administration has made an estimated opening applicationRead more »
Technology has accelerated business development across industries, and for banking, that means financial technology (fintech) and cryptocurrency. The Greater SacramentoRead more »


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Severstal has commissioned the first industrial 3D-printer at Cherepovets Iron and Steel Works.
Investments totaled 4.3 million rubles.
With the help of the printer the machine-building shop will produce molds for cast parts. The printer is expected to produce around one third of all molds. It takes 16 hours to print one mold. (Ukrainian metal)
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Google’s John Mueller offers more detail about new data in Search Console’s updated Crawl Stats report – the ‘discovery’ and ‘refresh metrics.
Google’s John Mueller discusses how hreflang signals are handled when directives appear in a sitemap as well as on-page HTML.
There is one key difference between using many words in anchor text compared to using fewer words, according to Google’s John Mueller.
Instagram is giving advertisers the ability to publish sponsored posts from users’ accounts through an update to branded content ads.
Snapchat is investing heavily in promoting its new Spotlight feature, to the tune of $1 million per day to users who submit the best content.
LinkedIn is unveiling its annual ‘Top Voices’ report which includes lists of the most influential professionals across different verticals.
YouTube is launching a new type of audio-based ad unit to reach people who use the platform as their music and podcast player.
Instagram is upgrading its search functionality and letting users find content by keyword for the first time.
New research into Google SERPs reveals the top ways of optimizing pages in order to maximize the potential of earning featured snippets.
Twitter’s new carousel ads allow marketers to use 2 to 6 images or videos in one advertisement.
Google is rolling out the first major update to its Web Stories plugin for WordPress which comes with three useful new features.
Search ad spending is seeing an estimated 5.9% growth in 2020, according to a new forecast from eMarketer.


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Good Morning! Welcome to The Morning Shift, your roundup of the auto news you crave, all in one place every weekday morning. Here are the important stories you need to know.
You’ll have to forgive the unusual lateness of TMS. There was some confusion over who was actually writing it today!
1st Gear: Mitsubishi Is Screwed
Ne’er-do-well automaker Mitsubishi is embroiled in an “existential crisis” following revelations that it’s been cheating on fuel economy tests by screwing with tire pressures for decades now. And according to Reuters, two Japanese daily newspapers reported that Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Osamu Masuko intends to resign, as does President and Chief Operating Officer Tetsuro Aikawa.
But Aikawa denied those reports today. Reuters again (via Automotive News):
Mitsubishi Motors COO Tetsuro Aikawa today denied Japanese media reports that he and CEO Osamu Masuko plan to resign over the Japanese automaker’s manipulation of fuel economy data. Aikawa added that he had “absolutely no plans” to pull out of the automotive market.
The scandal has halved the company’s market value in a week.
“It’s my responsibility and my mission to put the company on track to recovery. Beyond that, I haven’t had a chance to even consider” the possibility of resigning, Aikawa said, calling the reports “based on speculation.”
Either way it’s bad news for Mitsubishi, which just 15 years ago was embroiled in another scandal over ignored customer complaints.
2nd Gear: Daihatsu Has Not Cheated, Says Daihatsu
The big question on my mind throughout MitsuTireInflateGate (You like that? I’m gonna try and get it trending on Twitter), as well as yours I’m sure, has been this: Is Daihatsu cheating as well?
No. No they are not, says Daihatsu. Again via Reuters:
“No,” senior managing executive officer Noriyoshi Matsushita told reporters when asked whether Daihatsu could have similar issues. “Of course we are complying with regulations.”
3rd Gear: Ford Recalls 285,000 Vehicles
For all sorts of problems, including transmissions that shift into first at high speeds (ouch), poor welding and damaged tires, reports Automotive News:
The largest of the recalls covers 201,900 F-150s, Mustangs, Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators from the 2011 and 2012 model years. On those vehicles, Ford said a problem with the output speed sensor on the transmission’s lead frame could force a temporary downshift into first gear, which at high speeds could cause the rear tires to slide or lock up.
Ford said it knows of three accidents but no injuries caused by drivers losing control of their vehicle when that happened. Dealers are being told to update the powertrain control module software and, if a diagnostic trouble code is present, to replace the lead frame. For vehicles without a trouble code, Ford will provide a one-time replacement of the lead frame within 10 years or 150,000 miles from the warranty start date.
4th Gear: Apple’s Not Making A Car. Or Are They?
I do not think the Apple Car will be a thing you can actually buy. If it’s a production car at all, it will be some kind of ride-sharing vehicle, but more than likely it will just be a testbed for Apple’s future products and software in existing cars.
That’s what Richard Windsor, an analyst at Edison Investment Research, is quoted in Bloomberg as thinking too:
Selling automobiles would be “catastrophic” for Apple’s valuation, Windsor said, as the margins are nowhere near the 40 percent gross profit margins Apple earns on the iPhones, iPads and other products. Since carmakers sometimes make no money on the vehicles they sell, earning profits instead from the financing they provide to customers, Windsor said that such margins on a car, even one with an Apple badge, look hopelessly unobtainable.
“How can you make 40 percent gross margins on pressed steel, wheels, brake pads and seats when the others who are buying all these things in much greater volume can’t do it?” Windsor said in an interview. “It’s just not feasible.”
[...] Windsor said that while he has no doubt Apple is trying to build cars, including a self-driving model, he believes it’s doing so primarily as a way to learn about the evolving auto industry and how its existing suite of “infotainment” products - and the valuable data they gather about users — can be integrated into cars.
5th Gear: Big Investments At GM
The former Saturn plant in Tennessee is getting a large injection of cash, reports The Detroit News:
General Motors Co. said Wednesday that it will invest $788.7 million at its Spring Hill, Tennessee, manufacturing complex for a new engine program, creating 792 new jobs and retaining 16.
The Detroit automaker also announced it will invest $118 million at its Bay City Powertrain plant, creating 29 jobs and retaining another 67 people.
GM said some of the investment at Spring Hill, a former Saturn plant, will be used to modernize vehicle programs in the factory. Construction is expected to begin next month and last several years.
“UAW members at Spring Hill and Bay City have well-earned reputations for quality work and craftsmanship,” UAW Vice President Cindy Estrada said in a statement. “Since the 2015 collective bargaining agreement, GM has invested more than $1.7 billion and UAW-GM members, their families and their communities will all benefit for years to come.”
Reverse: RIP Pontiac
Neutral: How Screwed Is Mitsubishi?
A little or a lot?


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Motorola announced a great advancement in their product line today, the E1120 3 megapixel camera phone. Finally consumers will be able to tell what they took a picture of. Many would have speculated that Motorola’s next camera phone would have hit the 2.0 megapixel mark, but they passed the bar and delivered 3! The high resolution isn’t the only feature that makes this camera special; the lens is also auto focusing, capable of 8x digital zoom, and comes with a 30 lux lamp.
The feature packed camera isn’t the only thing that this product will showcase. The phone is a 3G phone which will enable users to receive streaming multimedia to their handset. Other features include 2 way video conferencing, video capture and playback, MP3/WMA player, Bluetooth, enhanced WAP 2.0 browser and a trans flash media slot capable of 512 MB additional storage.
The 3 megapixel phone will hopefully set a standard for other companies to achieve.
The only setback is the timeline for release; don’t expect to see this phone until the end of this year.


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First Outlet Village in the Region Opens in 2023
business • 1674128940 53
"Georgian Outlet and Resorts Group" is starting 2023 with interesting news and plans. The managing partner of the group, Guga Tsanava, shares that the first outlet village project in the region, which will be built in the vicinity of the economic zone of Lilo, Tbilisi, will be launched soon.
BM.GE contacted the managing partner of "Georgian Outlet and Resorts Group" Guga Tsanava to find out the opening date of the 100 million dollar outlet village under construction on 10 hectares. According to him, the opening of the outlet village is planned for September 2023.
It should be noted that the company was planning to open "Outlet Village" in 2022, however, the logistical difficulties created in the world due to the Russia-Ukraine war extended the project's implementation period. Guga Tsanava says that at this stage construction processes are actively underway on the site.
In order to overcome the logistic difficulties in the world, "Domus Group" found a new methodology of construction in Dubai, accordingly, the iron needed for the construction was brought from Dubai and assembled here. Today, standard construction works are underway and the construction process has moved into a simple phase. We think that these processes will be completed in about 4-5 months and the brands will have the opportunity to start working on the design of their own stores", explained Tsanava.
According to him, with the active communication and work of "Georgian Outlet and Resorts Group" with international brands, 22 brands will enter the country before the opening of the outlet village, which will open stores, and then take their place in the village.
"Despite the fact that the construction of the village is underway, 70% of the world's brands have already been contracted. This project attracted many new brands among them - Pinko, Patrizia Pepe, Donna Karan, and several other brands that have already opened stores in Georgia because of us. The point is that the brand cannot enter the outlet if it does not have a permanent line in the country. We found investors and connected with retailers. This approach paid off so much that 22 new brands will enter the country, which was not going to enter Georgia. These brands are from different categories like footwear, premium, luxury, and others. 22 of these brands will enter Georgia and will be opened in the streets and malls, and then they will be presented in the outlet village.
A total of 120 brands will be represented in "Outlet Village". Our strategy is to introduce middle and high-segment brands, therefore we refused many brands that wanted to cooperate with us", said Guga Tsanava.
The managing partner of "Georgian Outlet and Resorts Group" also says that high-end brands do not want to enter malls, and to open stores, they are looking for a place on Rustaveli and Chavchavadze avenues. Guga Tsanava does not specify the brands, however, he says that with the involvement of the group, these places are being searched for, and the stores will be opened as soon as the locations are selected.
I have differences with the leadership in my party, Khatia Dekanoidze, one of the leaders of the National Movement, told PalitraNews TV. According to Khatia Dekanoidze, the existing differences at thi...
Politics • 1679668778
I don't know whether the statement of Vivamed necessarily implies the return of Mikheil Saakashvili to prison, maybe it is about transferring him to another civilian clinic, Public Defender Levan Iose...
Politics • 1679668717
If Europe and MEPs really want to end polarization, they should grant Georgia candidate status - this will remove questions, speculations and end their [the opposition's] destructive, radical actions,...
Politics • 1679668657
All supporters of the National Movement who support the part for 100 thousand dollars should run away from the Parliament building like this, this is the fate of Gubaz Sanikidze, - this is how Georgia...
Politics • 1679668614
Tbilisi City Hall is working on an application - "Fix Tbilisi", where citizens will be able to post information about infrastructural problems in the capital, Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze said at today...
Society • 1679558594
This rally is fake like members of Georgian Dream. I recognized three people behind the masks - Bidzina Ivanishvili, Irakli Kobakhidze and Irakli Gharibashvili, - Giorgi Vashadze, the leader of Strate...
Politics • 1679558556


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FORT MYERS - For the second time in less than a month three people from Immokalee have been accused of stealing from a Lee County Walmart store.
Laura Facio, 24; Mary Ramirez, 28 ; and Johnny Ramirez, 22, who all list the 900 block of Durango Lane as their address, each face charges of retail theft of more than $300 while coordinating others in the most recent arrest Wednesday.
Mallory Chapa, 18, was arrested on charges last month along with the others.
According to Lee County Sheriff's Office reports:
The most recent charges were filed after surveillance video from the Walmart at 114821 Six Mile Cypress Parkway in South Fort Myers was viewed and the loss prevention officer recognized them as the same ones involved with a theft from the store at 4770 Colonial Blvd. The loss prevention officer had not previously reported the theft to the Sheriff's Office due to the lack of identification of the suspects.
The three entered the Six Mile Cypress store, selected numerous clothing, grocery and general merchandise items. Two of the suspects put them in a bag and left the store. Facio and an unnamed suspect were stopped, but neither had a receipt for the $526.10 in items and fled.
In the other incident on Colonial, a loss prevention officer told deputies that four people were seen shoplifting items, sometimes in excess of $1,000 during the past few weeks. Until May 12, they had not been detained.
The people went into the store, purchased two area rugs and two gazebos, and placed them in their vehicle. They returned to the store, took the same items, and left the store using the previous receipt as proof to leave the store with the stolen items, valued at $363.92.
Facio also used Walmart bags and put clothing and shoes valued at $154.52 in them.
The fourth suspect in the Six Mile Cypress incident had not been arrested as of Thursday.
Need Help? Call us at 1-888-878-6842.
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As one Sprouts Farmers Market closes, another one opens in Phoenix
A new Sprouts Farmers Market is sprouting along the Phoenix-Glendale border near Arizona State University's West campus and will feature an opening day discount for shoppers.
The store will open July 21 in the Deer Valley Shopping Center, 4201 Thunderbird Road.
The opening will come two days after the Sprouts store three miles to the southwest, near Peoria and 51st avenues, shutters.
The new store is 25,000 square feet, which is slightly smaller than the 30,600 square-foot store that is closing.
David McGlinchey, Sprouts' chief format officer, says décor and department updates, signs and the smaller footprint will be easier for shoppers to navigate.
“This one will be the first of our kind of new format of stores,” said spokesperson Kalia Pang, adding that the reduced size is mainly in the back-of-house inventory areas, so “the customer experience when they enter the store won’t feel smaller.”
To promote the grand opening, the first 200 customers will get 20% off their first purchase and a free tote bag.
The Phoenix-based grocery chain opened its first store in Chandler in 2002 and now has more than 360 stores in 23 states. The company plans to open approximately 20 more Sprouts in the U.S. this year, including one in Maricopa.
New store features
The new Sprouts store will include an Innovation Center display with featured products, such aa keto, paleo, vegan and organic products that often are exclusive to the store.
Shoppers also will find an expanded frozen section with "plant-based meals and meat alternatives, and a refrigerated section highlighting the latest plant-based foods," according to the company.
The store will participate in the Sprouts' Food Rescue Program that donates groceries to St. Mary's Food Bank. The program served 23 million meals to people in need last year, the company said.
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Medical marijuana entrepreneur John Lopez estimates sales statewide will more than double projections from the Marijuana Business Factbook published by Marijuana Business Daily.
Lopez, co-owner of the Old Route 66 Wellness dispensary on North Glenstone Avenue, delivered the estimate while discussing the early days of his new business venture for Springfield Business Journal's 12 People You Need to Know live interview series. The interview with SBJ Editor Eric Olson was livestreamed on Facebook.
"I think we're going to hit the $1 billion market at probably the three-year mark," Lopez said.
Comparatively, the 2020 Marijuana Business Factbook predicts $325 million-$400 million in medical marijuana sales in 2022.
Lopez compares the medical markets in Missouri and Oklahoma, where sales were expected to exceed $700 million in 2020, according to Marijuana Business Factbook data.
While Oklahoma does not have a cap on the number of dispensaries that can operate – compared with 192 in Missouri – Lopez said more patients were licensed on the first day, around 60,000, in the Show-Me State. KOKH in Oklahoma City reported in February 2019 that roughly 52,000 patients had applied after the state’s medical marijuana program launched in 2018. There were more than 367,000 active patient licenses as of Jan. 5, according to the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority.
Additionally, Lopez said Missouri voters approved medical marijuana by a 2%-3% margin above that of Oklahoma.
"Any dispensary that gets product sells out of it," Lopez said of the new Missouri industry. "Whatever is grown gets sold, and there's not much being grown right now."
However, he said product should become plentiful enough by March that Old Route 66 can open full time. Since becoming the first Springfield dispensary to open, in November, he said the store has only been open for about 10 days due to shortages in product and high demand.
Next up for Old Route 66 is a dispensary in Ozark, which Lopez expects to have up and running by early April.
417 Cocktails LLC moved; 7 Brew Coffee added its first shop in Lebanon; and Branson outlet store for Baltimore, Maryland-based sports apparel retailer Under Armour relocated.


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News that the US is mulling the implementation of restrictions on EU dairy imports by May 21 has angered EU officials, who say that foot and mouth disease is under control on the European continent.
An official from the EU Commission commented: “At a time when we expected they would be rolling back the restrictions, they are moving the other way. We are not happy.”
The US department of agriculture (USDA) insists that no decision has yet been made on the import restrictions, which would primarily affect some European soft cheeses and products containing casein, a milk protein used for baking and prepared foods. USDA spokesman Kevin Herglotz stressed that a scientific review is underway to assess the risk of the goods transmitting foot and mouth disease to the US, but the industry admits that the concerns are based on studies compiled at least twenty years ago.
According to European officials, there is no scientific evidence that foot-and-mouth disease can be transmitted through cheeses or casein, and many have pointed to another motive for the import restrictions. US dairy farmers have complained that increasing imports of casein from the EU are eroding the US price support programmes for dairy products.
If the restrictions were implemented, all dairy products entering the US would have to meet certain processing requirements. Casein would need to be treated at the ultra-high temperatures necessary to kill the foot and mouth virus. Cheeses must either be similarly heat-treated or have aged sufficiently. This would affect more than US$600m of annual European exports, an even larger blow than the US ban on EU meat products, implemented on 13 March and affecting US$400m worth of products
The US is believed to be mulling an EU request that any restrictions are applied only to the areas affected by foot and mouth, but a recent letter to US agricultural secretary Ann Veneman from the French ambassador to the US argued that any new restrictions are “a blatant violation” of WTO rules. He continued: “The need for more stringent measures appears to be totally unfounded in the light of the current situation.”


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Eventgoers to Meet Differently following new event guidelines
Sarawak event management company & professional conference organiser Place Borneo recently launched the ‘Meet Differently’ campaign to bring forth new meeting ideas for the business events industry in line with the government’s latest SOP and guidelines for events and gatherings.
In Place Borneo’s Meet Differently campaign, 6 key ideas were introduced – Meet Outside the Box, Three’s a Crowd, Nature Calls, Go Virtual or Go Home, Be Picky, You Deserve It and Drink Responsibly. “The new campaign serves to inform our existing and future customers that we are ready to serve with exciting new ways of organising events along with maintaining health and safety of all parties involved by having strict government approved SOPs at all events,” said Mona Abdul Manap, CEO of Place Borneo Sdn Bhd.
“Among the new ideas in this campaign set to change the business event trends in Sarawak and beyond are choosing exclusive venue buy outs or remote locations in nature, re-engineering of meeting formats, increasing virtual elements, creating exclusively virtual events and more,” she added.
“Our government sees Business Events as an integral growth to our tourism development in Sarawak. It is important for industry players to play a proactive role to develop and attract events and conferences to Sarawak. Coming up with unique new ideas such as Meet Differently will set the benchmark and differentiate us from other states and even countries,” said YB Datuk Haji Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Minister of Youth and Sports Sarawak, commenting on the campaign.
According to Dato’ Sri Abdul Khani Bin Daud, CEO of Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bereau during a recent online webinar, MyCEB will offer support for events as small as 20 pax in a bid to help companies rebuild the events industry. He added that MyCEB recovery aids are available to help the industry survive as the economic impact of the pandemic is spread out over the whole supply chain, from event venues, hotels, event organisers, restaurants and more, and that a holistic approach is needed to boost the industry.
BESarawak’s Tribal Gathering 2020 last week saw a physical gathering of less than 250 pax in accordance with the new government guidelines whilst the rest of the attendees tuned in virtually from all over the region and overseas. “Tribal Gathering 2020 is the first hybrid event of its kind in Sarawak and serves as a platform to share BESarawak’s Strategic & Tactical Plans of 2020 with a set of initiatives launched to announce that the state is now ready to open for business events,” said BESarawak Acting CEO Amelia Roziman.
For more information on how to Meet Differently, head on to placeborneo.com or facebook/PlaceBorneo or email [email protected].


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By Thomas Gryta and Russell Adams
Companies have endured financial meltdowns, civil wars and
natural disasters. But nothing in modern memory has dented both
demand and supply so quickly for so many industries as the
The virus, which has infected more than 85,000 people, has
quickly spread through Asia and Europe, disrupted global travel and
hobbled supply chains that churn out everything from smartphones to
pharmaceuticals. In days, it went from pockets of woe to the top
concern of chief executives world-wide.
Conferences are getting canceled, from the Geneva International
Motor Show to Facebook Inc.'s F8 developer gathering in California.
Disneyland Tokyo is closed. Auto suppliers are warning of parts
shortages. Generic drug manufacturers are paying 50% more for some
The widespread nature of the epidemic and related uncertainty
will put a hold on large corporate investments, mergers and hiring,
said Stanford University economist Nicholas Bloom, who has
researched the impact of uncertainty on business cycles.
"A lot of the damage is already being inflicted purely from
major decisions being delayed," Mr. Bloom said. "I can't see many
firms green-lighting any projects until they can figure out what is
Larry Kudlow, director of the White House's National Economic
Council, said Friday the threat from the virus for Americans is low
and the "coronavirus is not going to sink the U.S. economy." Some
in the White House have blamed the media's coverage of the outbreak
for exaggerating the situation and causing hysteria.
The virus surfaced as U.S. companies were riding atop America's
longest economic expansion on record, matched by soaring
stock-market returns. But profit growth for S&P 500 companies
started to cool last year, squeezed by rising labor costs and trade
Official Chinese government gauges of activity in the
manufacturing and services sectors plunged to record lows in
February, the country said Saturday, dropping deep into territory
that indicates a contraction.
In the U.S., business activity in February fell to its lowest
level in more than six years on fears of the epidemic.
In February, 129 companies in the S&P 500 discussed
"coronavirus" in their quarterly earnings calls, up from 60 in
January, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of
transcripts. There were nearly 600 mentions of the virus in
companies' security filings in the past week alone, according to
Kaleidoscope, a research firm.
Executives have talked about how the virus will slow consumer
spending on products from Crocs sandals to Gucci handbags. It has
slowed production at nickel mines in Indonesia and halted the
filming of "Mission Impossible 7" in Venice.
At the same time, many companies have cautioned it is too soon
to tell how serious an economic problem the virus will be.
"Every CEO that I know has got to manage an employee dimension,
supply-chain dimension, in many cases a revenue dimension," as well
as Wall Street's needs, said Mike White, who ran PepsiCo Inc.'s
international division in 2003 when SARS hit. He now sits on the
boards of Whirlpool Corp., Kimberly-Clark Corp. and Bank of America
Corp. "We're still in the middle of the river here," he said.
Whirlpool cited its sales and supply chain in China and
elsewhere in Asia in trimming its first-quarter profit guidance
Friday. The appliance maker said the outbreak in northern Italy,
where it has manufacturing operations, would hurt sales there
Some companies that have tried to gauge the impact of the virus
have had to revise initial estimates. Emerson Electric Co., which
makes factory automation equipment, warned on Feb. 13 the virus
would reduce quarterly sales by $75 million to $100 million. On
Friday, it put the damage as high as $150 million.
On Friday, United Airlines Holdings Inc. postponed until
September an investor meeting that was scheduled for March 5,
saying it couldn't have a productive conversation on its long-term
strategy until the virus abates. United also is offering certain
pilots the option of taking April off with reduced pay, according
to a letter from the pilot union chairman to members.
Airlines have taken one of the hardest, earliest hits from the
spread of the virus. Asian and European carriers have implemented
cost-cutting measures to accommodate canceled flights to China and
curtailed services to other affected areas such as Italy.
As the spread of the virus in China has slowed, some Chinese
factories are reopening, though many are short-staffed and
transportation is still difficult. For example, smartphone makers
are expected to ship 64 million fewer devices in the first half of
2020, market researcher International Data Corp. said, hampered by
component shortages and quarantine mandates.
Zuru Ltd.'s factories have reopened in phases over the past few
weeks, after the toy maker installed dividers between workspaces
and added sanitation stations. But the Shenzhen-based company is
thinly staffed due to restrictions on China travel and was
operating at 20% capacity last week, said co-founder Anna Mowbray.
"There's definitely going to be holes on shelves," she said.
In other countries, the disease is still spreading. Hyundai
Motor Co. on Friday stopped building its popular Palisade SUV and
other U.S.-sold SUVs after a factory worker in Korea tested
positive for coronavirus. Google said Friday one of its employees
in Zurich had been diagnosed, but the office remains open.
Some companies are getting hit in multiple ways. Water-heater
maker A.O. Smith Corp. detailed its situation in a securities
filing: It has resumed operations in China but at below-normal
levels. The stores where its products are sold are mostly closed or
operating on reduced hours with significant decline in customer
visits, the Milwaukee-based company said. Its products require
professional installation, which is limited because of disease
containment efforts in China, it said.
China is a key supplier of chemical and raw materials used by
many pharmaceutical manufacturers, a potential problem for popular
blood-pressure medicines and several older antibiotics that are no
longer manufactured in the U.S.
Experts believe China is also the only maker of key ingredients
in a class of decades-old antibiotics known as cephalosporins,
which treat a range of bacterial infections including
Automotive suppliers are warning car companies they could run
out of certain parts used in North American factories in coming
weeks, with particular concern over potential shortages of
electronic components. Hoping to stave off factory stoppages, some
manufacturers have taken the unusual and costly step of flying in
critical parts by cargo planes.
Vehicle sales in China plummeted 92% in the first 16 days of
February, according to the China Passenger Car Association. Several
suppliers have cut profit forecasts in recent days because of the
fallout, including electronics suppliers Aptiv PLC and Visteon
Corp., and seat maker Adient PLC.
Some companies have benefited from the outbreak, which has
spurred buying of respiratory face masks and disinfecting wipes,
propping up the shares of some of the companies that make them.
Clorox Co.'s stock briefly hit record highs last week while the
broader market plunged.
"The good news is that the shock from the virus is hitting at a
time when households appear to be in good shape," wrote Bob
Schwartz, a senior economist with Oxford Economics.
Mr. White, the former PepsiCo executive, said the long-term
economic outlook is solid but there is short-term pressure on
companies. "Almost every company is going to have an issue with
their first quarter numbers, " he said.
Write to Thomas Gryta at firstname.lastname@example.org and Russell Adams
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 01, 2020 07:14 ET (12:14 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2020 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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There has been a lot of activity in the toy retail channel this week, with interesting developments both on and off the record – some encouraging news, some not so positive. Let’s dive in and see what has been occurring…
First up, there was the huge news that Smyths Toys has acquired the French toy retail chain PicWic Toys. I first heard rumours at the end of last week that Smyths was in pole position, and despite several other credible bids, the court ultimately confirmed late on Tuesday afternoon that it had chosen Smyths to take over the running of the business. The move creates Europe’s largest specialist toy retail operation, and it made perfect sense for Smyths, who told Toy World that “we are confident that we can successfully introduce and grow our brand in France.” Given the success of the Smyths German operation, which saw the retailer take over the Toys R Us stores in that territory and turn them round successfully, you can understand that confidence.
Ahead of the acquisition, there had been some murmurs on LinkedIn that suppliers would be heavily out of pocket following the PicWic collapse, but a key part of the deal involves Smyths providing 9m Euros in compensation for creditors, as well as a sizeable contribution to the job protection plan and 50m Euro working capital being deposited, so you would hope that this mitigates the suppliers’ concerns.
Meanwhile, back in the UK, the CMA announced that it is investigating Amazon over some of its listing practices. It will be a long, drawn-out, complex investigation, so don’t expect a quick resolution – but this is a good opportunity to find out if the CMA has teeth. It’s anyone’s guess what the conclusion will be and what level of punishment will be deemed appropriate if Amazon is found guilty (which is a big ‘if’, to be fair). However, as several toy sellers have pointed out to me, they saw a tangible difference in their business when Amazon stopped selling non-essentials during the pandemic, so the platform clearly plays a pivotal role in determining market pricing, arguably even more so than Argos in its heyday. Too many times I hear of great products being killed as a viable line for other toy retailers by Amazon, and I wish we could find a solution that worked for the toy community as a whole. Amazon isn’t going away, and I appreciate that it can shift serious volumes, but it can also be a product killer and that really isn’t ideal.
Moving to the off the record news, I am hearing that certain key toy retailers have a buying ban in place. It’s difficult to offer comment, because there can be many reasons why a buying ban is introduced: maybe the retailers over-bought earlier in the year? Maybe there was a huge clearance parcel or two that hoovered up the available budget? Maybe demand is soft and coupled with carry-over from the end of last year, pressing the pause button makes sense in order to reset the balance ahead of the run-in to Christmas. Or maybe the accountants are winning the internal battle over the buyers – numerous people who have worked in retail over the years have told me that the internal conversations with their bean counters were often far more of a battle than conversations with suppliers.
I also heard of one major retailer which chartered its own ships from the Far East, which subsequently decided it didn’t need that level of capacity after all, resulting in some cheap deals being offered to suppliers to fill the space onboard the ships. It has certainly been tricky to get the balance right over the past year – it has often been a case of feast or famine when it comes to shipping availability and stock flows.
The latest Sainsbury’s / Argos results reinforced the perceived wisdom that non-food retail is having a challenging time, with Argos sales and Sainsbury’s general merchandise numbers both down double digits. Suppliers are still complaining that it is almost impossible to communicate with Argos buyers or get decisions – even on carry forward lines – so I hope the retailer can sort that out before the festive season kicks in. The last thing anyone needs is radio silence from one of the industry’s big guns ahead of Q4.
Despite the ongoing retail turbulence, there have been some uplifting stories this week; you have to take your swim cap off to the brave souls from the licensing community who swam the channel to raise funds for the Light Fund last week. Reading their first-hand accounts of the experience, it sounds absolutely horrendous, so well done to them for persevering and succeeding.
I also raised a smile at the ‘gentleminion’ trend which has been sweeping social media. Frankly, there have been some daft (and often dangerous) TikTok challenges over the years, but the thought of a bunch of teenage boys putting on formal attire to visit the cinema to watch the new Minions: Rise of Gru movie strikes me as one of the better things to come out of the medium. There have been a few claims of rowdy behaviour, but frankly if teenage boys want to put on a suit and tie to cheer the Minions on, that suggests all is well with the world. This is a franchise they’ve grown up with, and it obviously means a lot to them on an emotional level – and isn’t that what we want from entertainment brands, to resonate with the audience and evoke genuinely positive feelings? Minions may just catch a few people by surprise in the coming weeks, as it has been a bit over-shadowed by Jurassic World Dominion and Lightyear in some quarters thus far.
Just as some retailers may have thought Stranger Things wasn’t quite right for them – while other indies talk of selling over 1000 units over the course of a weekend. Never has it been more important to be open to the prospect of ‘different’ ranges, and to find a niche that other retailers may not be fully exploiting. This will always be the advantage that specialist toy retailers have over the bigger corporate retail operations– be nimble, quick and responsive and you always have a good chance of keeping one step ahead of the competition.


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This funky looking phone is the first to use Sharp's Aquos display and comes to Sprint soon.
Pricing not available
This 60-inch LCD TV should fill the viewing space in most rooms, but with its washed-out blacks and prominent edge-lighting splotches, it's difficult to recommend, especially for those who like to turn the lights off.
Typical price: $2,499.00
Available for Boost Mobile and Sprint, the Aquos Crystal from Sharp sports a unique edge-to-edge display that looks downright cool.
Available for Boost Mobile, the Aquos Crystal has a quad-core processor, an 8-megapixel camera, and a 5-inch edge-to-edge display.
Want a 4K HDR TV for $400? Hisense has it, along with a brand new H8 TV range, more of its proprietary ULED display technology, and a new range of the Sharp Aquos brand. (Yeah, Hisense owns Sharp.)
Sharp's no-bezel smartphone offers premium design at an affordable price.
As it attempts a turnaround under a new CEO, the wireless carrier aims to be an affordable option to its competition. Offering Sharp's newest smartphone is part of that plan.
Boasting a unique no-bezel design, the Sharp Aquos Crystal is the company's first phone to be available in North America in years.
At CES 2014 in Las Vegas, Sharp unveils the Aquos 4K, Aquos Q, and what Sharp President John Herrington called a "game-changer" TV, the Aquos Quattron+, which has 10 million more subpixels than full HD. Sharp will release these TVs in a matter of weeks.
The Japanese TV maker is known for going big at the Consumer Electronics Show, and this year is all about the subpixels.


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Range Rover’s new Evoque (pictured) – due here in May – will cost from €42,845 ex-works, I can reveal. That’s for the 2.0D FWD manual version.
I understand the new SUV will come with quite a range of 4-cyl diesel and petrol engines. And it will have Land Rover’s first mild-hybrid electric technology (MHEV).
First cars for test drive are scheduled to arrive in dealer showrooms in May.
Before that, however, an ‘Evoque Preview Tour’ kicks off next week here (from March 19th).
It will visit each Jaguar Land Rover retailer.
That should be an interesting taste of things to come.
l From vibes I’m picking up I reckon that Skoda’s new SCALA hatch, which replaces the Rapid and is due here relatively soon, will start ever-so-slightly above the €20,000 mark.
Aimed at younger drivers, the new car will slot between the smaller Fabia supermini and the larger Octavia.
Expect official pricing and spec levels (Active, Ambition and Style trim lines remain) to be announced soon.
But while the Scala fits between the Fabia and Octavia in real terms, it looks like being closer on price to the Octavia (from €22,000).
That’s because it has more technologies on board and the presence of the new MIB3 infotainment system.
* Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi are promising ‘a new start’ to their motoring alliance.
They are doing so in an attempt to put the arrest and sacking of former chief Carlos Ghosn behind them.
A new board has been created which incorporates current joint ventures etc.
Better times ahead? Not for Nissan’s premium arm, Infiniti. It is pulling out of western Europe. It is no longer considered a viable business.


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Honda India has an array of product on offer in India, they had recently hiked prices of their vehicles in January, 2015. Now they are mulling a second price hike, which will go in effect by April, 2015.
The Japanese manufacturer has justified hike in vehicle prices, owing to the increase of raw material cost. Honda India has not revealed the amount of hike for all their models.
Honda officials have claimed that the increase in raw materials has been affecting them since February. They have tried to delay a hike in price as much as they could, however, they are now forced to increase prices.
Indian Government during the Union Budget increased excise duty to 12.5 percent. They also raised the education cess that is applied to vehicles. Honda explains that their Amaze and Brio are affected the most.
Honda currently offers the Brio hatchback, Amaze compact sedan, City sedan, Mobilio MPV and CR-V SUV in India. It is unconfirmed if other manufacturers will be increasing prices as well for their models.
Price hikes are evident, however, we ask you will you be willing to pay additional amounts for Honda vehicles. What about vehicles that have been built with materials previous to increase in raw materials? Will Honda offer only new models with their new pricing?


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Menswear company Haruyuma Trading has unveiled a natty new suit designed to protect Japanese businessmen from the swine flu.
The suit is indistinguishable from the typical attire of Japan’s company man, but it differs in one crucial respect–it is loaded with titanium dioxide, a substance that breaks down and kills the virus.
A merchandising official at Haruyuma says the suit has been proven to kill 40% of the H1N1 virus over approximately three hours.
Haruyuma also claims the chemically-treated suit will retain effectiveness in spite of repeated washing.
After 32-year-old businessman Eiji Hiratsuka purchased the $590 suit, he told reporters, “I bought this suit to protect my new-born baby at home.”
Haruyuma is also known for its waterproof and laser-shooting fabrics.


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The countdown to Tokyo Game Show, my favorite gaming event of the year, has officially begun. The show’s organizers have revealed that as of July 4, 2017, 332 exhibitors have been confirmed for this year’s show which is up from 301 the same time last year. The newly renamed “VR/AR Area” currently has 42 exhibitors enrolled.
Tokyo Game Show 2017 Ticket Information
“Public Days” September 23 & 24 tickets went on sale July 8th for 1,000 yen (currently about $8.89 USD)
“TGS Supporter’s Club Tickets” (3,000 yen/$26.67USD) will go on sale July 23 at noon on a first come first served basis with a second sale set for July 29.
For more info, visit the official TGS website at http://expo.nikkeibp.co.jp/tgs/2017/exhibition/english/


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FourKites, the world’s leading real-time supply chain visibility platform, has been named to the Inc. 2021 Best in Business list in the Logistics and Transportation category. Inc.’s Best in Business Awards honor companies that have gone above and beyond to make a positive impact. FourKites, one of just four companies recognized in the Logistics & Transportation sector, earned the Silver medal for its role in keeping supply chains moving over the course of the last year.
Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc., says, “What began for us during the pandemic as an effort to showcase companies that were helping the community has grown into a recognition of social, environmental, and economic impact. The companies on this year’s list are changemakers with heart — and they’re pouring the best of their business into the people and communities around them.” The list, which can be found in the Winter issue of Inc. magazine, recognizes small- and medium-size privately held American businesses that have had an outstanding influence on their communities, their industries, the environment or society as a whole.
While COVID-19 continued to cause severe supply chain challenges throughout 2021, FourKites played a pivotal role in keeping goods moving, and the company introduced several new solutions to help customers remain agile in the face of increased volatility. These innovations included:
● The announcement of FourKites’ global partnership with Cardinal Health to build a cognitive supply chain. FourKites serves as the central data hub for all Cardinal Health shipments, creating a fast and reliable experience for the 29,000 pharmacies and nearly 90% of American hospitals that depend upon Cardinal Health for critical supplies. With FourKites’ data-driven insights, Cardinal Health has proactively managed inventory to ensure that service levels remain at the absolute highest levels possible, despite inevitable supply chain disruptions. FourKites and Cardinal Health also collaborated to build a new courier tracking solution to specifically address the unique requirements for healthcare products that need precise temperature controls and “white glove treatment” during transport.
“Delivery of healthcare products directly impacts patient care, and it is critical that these products reach their destinations on time,” said Josh Dolan, SVP of Pharmaceutical Operations at Cardinal Health. “Transparency helps build trust in the connection between the Cardinal Health supply chain and our customers. Our partnership with FourKites will provide end-to-end visibility of products in transit, allowing for necessary adjustments to provide a seamless experience for our customers and help them better serve their patients.”
● The rollout of FourKites’ live Network Congestion Map — free and available to the public — that tracks cross-border freight movements across North America, Mexico and Europe; port delays at over 230 ports globally; interstate transit metrics; and average wait times for trucks and ships. The map provides real-time visibility into delays so that companies and state governments can act proactively to plan and optimize their supply chain operations.
“We’re pleased to be recognized by Inc.’s 2021 Best in Business List, which we see as recognition of the efforts of our entire community, including our employees, customers and partners alike,” said FourKites founder and CEO Mathew Elenjickal. “Distributing critical products comes with many complexities — security, temperature control, trade challenges, multiple geographies and transportation modes, transit times, carrier capacity and more — and we were happy that we were able to do our part to keep critical goods moving despite the many challenges of the pandemic and other disruptions.”
Rather than relying on quantitative criteria tied to sales or funding, Inc.’s editors reviewed the companies’ achievements over the past year and noted how they made a positive difference in the world. They then selected honorees in more than 49 different industries — from finance to software to engineering to fashion, and more — and in age-based and revenue-based categories. The applicant pool was extremely competitive, with around 2,700 entries and an acceptance rate in the low single digits — a huge success for these honors in the list’s second year. Honorees for gold, silver, bronze and general excellence across industries and categories are featured online at inc.com/best-in-business.
FourKites is the #1 supply chain visibility platform in the world, extending visibility beyond transportation into yards, warehouses, stores and beyond. Tracking more than 2 million shipments daily across road, rail, ocean, air, parcel and courier, and reaching 176 countries, FourKites combines real-time data and powerful machine learning to help companies digitize their end-to-end supply chains. More than 750 of the world’s most recognized brands — including 9 of the top-10 CPG and 18 of the top-20 food and beverage companies — trust FourKites to transform their business and create more agile, efficient and sustainable supply chains. To learn more, visit https://www.fourkites.com/.https://www.fourkites.com


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AG Schneiderman asks Apple, Google, other cell phone makers to step up device security
- Staff New York Business Journal
New York state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has sent letters to major cell phone makers asking them to develop better anti-theft measures for their devices, according to a report by the New York Times.
Schneiderman’s letters were sent to Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), Google (NASDAQ: GOOG), Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), and Samsung specifically, the Times quoted the attorney general saying, because Schneiderman has noted a trend of high-end smartphones at the center of “violent street crime”. The Times also cited the New York Police Department’s assertion, in December, that New York City’s overall crime rate would have declined in 2012 if not for a sharp rise in thefts of Apple products.
In its report, Bloomberg emphasized Schneiderman’s desire to suppress black markets for stolen devices, both in New York and abroad. To help illustrate the problem, CNET pointed to Apple’s security measures, which currently allow a user to track her phone and even erase its data remotely, but which also don’t prevent a thief from wiping and reselling it.
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