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Mark Ritson: Sustainability, diversity, purpose? Marketing should practice what it’s trying to preach
The World Federation of Advertisers last week held a conference focused on sustainability, diversity and purpose. Professor Mark Ritson told them that millionaires on stage talking about brand purpose in the “least diverse, least trusted industry on the planet” are “dislocated from reality”. Brands and their parent companies should instead get real, stop dodging taxes and start planning beyond their next quarterly earnings to stand a chance of becoming part of the solution.
What you need to know:
- Marketers and brands need to be more Tom Hollander, less Orlando Bloom.
- Sustainability and diversity need to be applied internally more than externally.
- Companies that aggressively minimise tax can hardly talk about purpose.
- Most people don't really care. They have bills to pay, kids to feed.
- It's time to get real.
The ad industry started out normal, but in recent times has been “dramatically and ridiculously mutating,” according to marketing professor turned mini MBA purveyor Mark Ritson.
“I think we’re losing it. We’re increasingly full of shit and despised as a result of our dislocation from our reality and our roots.”
Ritson effectively told the World Federation of Advertisers’ Global Marketer Week conference that marketing’s current obsession with sustainability, diversity and purpose – the conference’s three themes – is hypocritical “bullshit” and that nobody believes what advertisers say anyway.
Marketing, he said, must focus on its own sustainability and diversity if it wants to survive long term.
“I am not being critical of the WFA. Those three themes – sustainability, diversity and marketing as part of the solution – are super important and I support and applaud them. But if you look at the state of our industry, we have a lot more to worry about closer to home.”
Ritson pointed to plummeting ad effectiveness, with IPA data highlighting that the ads winning the most awards are less and less effective. Perhaps worse, the industry, in dishing out awards to ineffective work, doesn’t even see the problem.
In tandem, short termism is increasing, “which is a terribly dangerous thing for brand building and ad effectiveness”, said Ritson, while social media has seemingly industrialised induction of marketing “charlatans and philistines … and it’s doing dramatic damage to the discipline”.
Worse still, trust can’t get any lower. Per Ipsos Mory’s ‘Veracity Index’, advertising ranks lowest, below real estate agents, politicians… even journalists.
“Marketing fundamentals are in free fall. We’re going backwards,” said Ritson. To become part of the solution, he urged marketers to apply the WFA’s three themes of sustainability, diversity and purpose to themselves.
There are lots of companies claiming to be purpose-driven. But we have a wonderful test, called tax, which shows most companies to be entirely purposeless when it comes to behaving in line with their stated promises.
For marketers aiming to deliver sustainable growth, effectiveness gurus Les Binet & Peter Field have done the hard yards. They have even formulated the optimum brand versus performance investment ratios by category, for example, 60:40 brand to performance in CPG.
“But in reality, no company gets anywhere near that ratio,” said Ritson. “And the reason is sustainability – not sustainability of the planet, but sustainability [or lack of] in advertising and marketing thinking. We are getting more and more short term.”
Ritson pointed to data from the IPA and Financial Times that shows big companies shrinking marketing reporting cycles while LinkedIn’s B2B Institute found only 4% of b2b marketers measure campaigns beyond six months – and 75% finish their optimisation within the first two weeks.
“[That shows] marketers don’t look at the world in a sustainable long-term way," said Ritson. Fixated on the short term, they will keep repeating the same mistakes. “It’s Groundhog Day.”
He urged marketers that seek genuine sustainable growth to channel the great management thinker, Peter Drucker: “You have to produce results in the short term. But you also have to produce results in the long term. And the long term is not simply adding up the short terms.”
Ritson drew a parallel between the ad industry’s lack of diversity (mostly high socioeconomic backgrounds, high prevalence of private education) with its approach to channel planning.
“That study found that not by spending more, but by spreading the money across multiple channels, advertisers always saw a synergy: Diversity always wins over channel apartheid. Diversity makes campaigns work better just like it makes marketing departments and companies work better,” said Ritson. “We should learn that lesson.”
Brands are not big things. Nobody really cares about our brands or our purpose and more often than not, I believe purpose takes us in the wrong direction,
“All of the people that get up on stage and talk about ‘the power of purpose’ are millionaires – literally,” said Ritson. “Most working men and women don’t have those broad dreams. Their purpose is to pay the mortgage; afford health insurance; feed the kids. Unfortunately, we have become an industry that is above the consumers that we serve.”
Purpose, he said, must pass the “three Cs test”. That is: does the customer want it; can the company deliver it; can we do it better than the competition?
While purpose may or may not pass the customer test, Ritson said the company aspect is more straightforward.
“There are lots of companies claiming to be purpose-driven. But we have a wonderful test, called tax, which shows most companies to be entirely purposeless when it comes to behaving in line with their stated promises.”
Meanwhile, Covid’s advertising sea of sameness, "tinkly pianos, people looking out of windows, telling customers you feel their pain", casts serious doubt on whether most brands have the ability to do things vastly different to their competitors.
“Brands are not big things. Nobody really cares about our brands or our purpose and more often than not, I believe purpose takes us in the wrong direction," said Ritson.
“Yes sustainability and diversity are incredibly important, and marketing has to be part of the solution. But let's also worry about the challenges of marketing. We need to get back to work,” said Ritson. “Let’s be more real.”
Who passes the test?
Ritson picked out Unilever as a company that passes the “three C” test.
“They are the real deal. They pay their taxes, astonishingly so. They walk the walk. They believe in what they are doing. Their brands are genuinely a force for good – and they are commercially successful.”
He called out Starbucks as a “purpose bullshitter”.
“They’ve been talking for ten years about building communities, yet they have been doing an astonishing if entirely legal job of minimising tax.”
He added “all oil companies” to that list.
”They are all talking about the future. But all of them are doing 99% of their profits from fossil fuels, and we need to call them out,” said Ritson.
“There are good men and women working for these companies – and they are too good to work for them any more. Marketing is part of the problem in those companies. Marketing is a real problem, because it is obfuscating what is going on.”
Get the full Ritson experience below – and find out why marketing needs to be more Tom Hollander, less Orlando Bloom.
The omnichannel step change: How Out-Of-Home added millions of users, layers of data to link physical and digital environments
Just 10 years ago, Out-of-Home was bought entirely using audience size. How times change. Layers upon layers of data – transactional, behavioural and mobility, for starters – have been added since and, like an inverted pyramid, what’s possible with one of the oldest advertising channels is growing. JCDecaux’s Head of Innovation and Audience Insight, Cristina Smart, takes a look at how far the Out-of-Home industry has come.


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WEB DESK: Google.com, one of the most valuable domains on the Internet, was mistakenly sold for $12 last fall and Google paid $12,000 to get it back, CNN reported.
The buyer was a former Googler, Sanmay Ved, who discovered Google.com on the list of domains available for sale on September 29. He bought it, charging the $12 fee to his Discover card, never really expecting the transaction to go through.
He told that he made the purchase simply out of curiosity. “I thought at some point in time it would block me out, but I wanted to see how far it would go,” he said.
The transaction did go through – for about a minute. He said during that brief time he got a flood of information from Google users, though he was not able actually change the Google home page. Then he got an e-mail from Google canceling the transaction.
Google admits Ved owned the domain, albeit very temporarily. The company said that it offered him $6006.13, which is a numerical version of the word Google. “Squint a little and you’ll see it,” the company said in blog post about the incident.
Google regularly pays people who discover security problems with its systems and notifies the company. It said the largest single award it paid last year was $37,500 to an Android security researcher.

domain: news


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Press Archive 2010
Hyster nominated in both the innovation and environmental categories
Hyster is reported to be the first materials handling equipment manufacturer to offer a full range of Tier 4i / Stage IIIB compliant equipment.
Materials handling equipment manufacturer Hyster announced new ‘Big Truck' developments.
Hyster has announced a series of new options on its empty container handling products including lay-back mast options.
Developments to the Hyster ReachStacker range of container handling equipment.
Empty container handling operations can now drastically reduce their tyre bills thanks to a new drive axle offered by Hyster Europe.
Hyster has launched a new range of 25-32 tonnes heavy duty forklift trucks and dedicated container handlers.
Hyster has created a new online Blog dedicated to its range of Big Trucks in the lead up to major new product developments.


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SAN FRANCISCO (Marketwatch) -- Strattec Security Corp. STRT, -1.32% said after Thursday's closing bell that it has $3.7 million of accounts receivable due from Delphi Corp. dphiq that it believes could be uncollectible due to the auto parts company's Chapter 11 filing. The Milwaukee-based lock maker said it believes an increase in its reserve is enough to cover the potential loss exposure.
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PayPal falls after earnings beat estimates but 3rd-quarter guidance disappoints
PayPalshares declined Thursday as third-quarter revenue guidance fell short of expectations.
- PayPal said
eBay's payments moving off its platform is happening faster than anticipated, dampening its outlook.
- PayPal's second-quarter adjusted earnings of $1.15 share beat expectations of $1.12 a share.
PayPal shares dropped Thursday after third-quarter revenue guidance fell short of expectations as a plan for eBay to migrate its payments off PayPal's platform is moving faster than anticipated.
PayPal had been processing the online auction company's payments following eBay's spinoff of PayPal in 2015. A five-year agreement for such action ended in July 2020. PayPal said late Wednesday it now expects third-quarter revenue of $6.15 billion to $6.25 billion, including a potential "drag" of $465 million from the eBay migration. That outlook is below the $6.45 billion consensus estimate.
PayPal sees an "accelerated pace of merchant migration in international
The stock fell 5% during Thursday's session and was down by as much as 6.7% to $281.60. The shares fell by more than 5% late Wednesday.
The pullback presents "an attractive opportunity," Bank of America analyst Jason Kupferberg said in a research note Thursday reiterating its buy rating on PayPal. He said core underlying trends for PayPal remain robust, including second-quarter revenue growing by 32% year-over-year excluding eBay.
"We view the accelerated pace of eBay migration positively, as this headwind will be largely behind PYPL sooner than anticipated," he wrote.
For the second quarter, adjusted earnings of $1.15 a share beat the estimate of $1.12 a share from a Refinitiv survey of analysts. PayPal's total revenue climbed to $6.24 billion from $5.26 billion a year earlier but was slightly below the $6.27 billion consensus estimate.
During the second quarter, PayPal added 11.4 million net new active accounts, pushing up active accounts to 403 million. It backed its guidance of adding 52 million to 55 million new active accounts in fiscal year 2021.
So far this year, PalPay shares have gained about 23% and have nearly doubled over the past 12 months.
- The reality of spending $500 billion to build a city in the desert is starting to hit home for Saudi officials
- A data specialist shares the 2-page résumé that got him a $300,000 job at Google — and explains 3 details he got right on it.
- PlayStation 5 is now available at a discount of ₹10,000 for a limited period
- Appellate court can't overturn acquittal only on ground that another view is possible: SC
- Ashneer Grover set to launch app for medical loans 'ZeroPe'
- Stock market plunges: Sensex-Nifty decline in Friday's market turmoil
- TCS net profit rises 9% to ₹12,434 crore in Q4
- Harnessing the power of dalia: A nutrient-rich superfood for weight loss and wellness


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Tesco is starting to roll out ready meals in recycled PET plastic packaging thanks to a partnership with manufacturer, Faerch.
Waitrose rolls out soft plastic recycling in 295 stores across the UK, selecting Impact Recycling as waste management partner.
Scotland’s deposit return scheme could start in confused state if small drinks producers are not given a “legal grace period” to prepare.
Waitrose announces packaging reduction by replacing the majority of the small wine bottles it sells with aluminium can equivalents.
Ocado launches tech trial that it says proves a digital deposit return scheme could run alongside a general UK deposit return scheme.
Just one in five Brits always recycle their skincare packaging once they have finished with the product, according to The Body Shop.
Nestle announces its Quality Street sweets will come wrapped in recyclable paper packaging, as it looks to reduce non-recyclable materials.
Aldi is rolling out soft plastic recycling bins across almost all its UK stores, after a successful trial last year.
Wagamama starts using greener takeaway packaging and launches ‘Bowl Bank’ to collect used materials in its restaurants.


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Chefs open new bistro in Weston
- Credit: Archant
A new restaurant has opened in Weston replacing the former Grove Bistro.
The Ginger Pig Kitchen, in West Street, officially opened on Thursday (January 23).
Co-owners and chefs Dave Newman and James Baker took over from The Grove Bistro in November 2019.
The pair, who have known each other since 1996, said it had always been their passion to open their own restaurant.
The kitchen offers traditional bistro food with a twist to 'make it a little bit more special'.
Dave said: "We focus on good service, making people feel welcome, not just the food. It's about how people are looked after. It's also a business where it feels like it's our house, and you would want people to feel welcome in your home. The bistro is different for Weston, and the food is all fresh. We took a lot of what we see in Bristol and brought it here."
For more information, visit www.bit.ly/2sSCiOE


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Two major executives recently left Uber, adding to a growing list of departures during a tumultuous season for the ride-hailing company. USC students say that the controversy surrounding Uber won't deter them from using the service.
Uber's president of ride sharing Jeff Jones has left the company after just six months. Jones resigned after Travis Kalanick, the company's chief executive, said he would hire a chief operating officer for "leadership help."
In a statement to tech website Recode, Jones said "It is now clear, however, that the beliefs and approach to leadership that have guided my career are inconsistent with what I saw and experienced at Uber, and I can no longer continue as president of the ride-sharing business."
Uber also lost Brian McClendon, vice president of maps and business platform, who is leaving the company on friendlier terms to pursue a career in politics.
The company has been surrounded with scandal during the past few months, beginning with the #DeleteUber campaign, which stemmed from backlash surrounding the company's decision to offer rides during a taxicab protest at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport after President Trump's travel ban, and the news that Kalanick was serving as an economic advisor to Trump. Kalanick has since resigned from his advisory role.
The company also recently requested the resignation of Amit Singhal, an engineer who did not disclose a former sexual harassment claim against him at Google, where he worked before joining Uber.
USC student Eli Promisel said that much of this scandal came from media coverage rather than what Uber had actually done.
"I think the scandal is really just the way the media portrays it. The company really hasn't had much publicity besides the one thing where [Kalanick] partnered with the Trump administration. And ever since then, they've been in the spotlight of the media in a negative light," Promisel said. "[Uber] still helps me out at the end of the day so I will continue to use Uber."
USC students have heavily utilized Uber through USC's Safe Rides Program, which began offering free Uber rides to students within designated Campus Cruiser service boundaries around campus in January 2015. The university covers the cost of rides if students travel within the boundaries between 7 p.m. and 2 a.m. In one week in September 2015, the combined number of rides for Campus Cruiser and free Uber in a week was 17,488.
USC dentistry student Susan Park said that while the recent scandals are troubling, the USC-Uber partnership is beneficial to students.
"On one hand, I feel that it is a little unfortunate that Uber has so many scandals to deal with. But on the other hand, it is a very efficient mode of transportation for students like myself," she said. "As of now, I don't have any plans to [delete Uber]. But if the company itself continues to get involved with scandals… then I would delete it and switch to Lyft at some point."
Staff Reporter Rose Poole contributed reporting.


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MTN Group says it will sell 575 million shares worth $241.7 million in the Nigerian unit to institutional investors and retail investors.
This is the first public offering from the telco giant since listing on the Nigeria Exchange Limited (NGX) in 2019.
The 2019 listing was consummated by introduction of 20,354,513,050 ordinary shares of MTN Nigeria at a listing price of N90.00 per share.
In a statement on Thursday, Uto Ukpanah, the company’s secretary, said the sales would run for a month to December 2021.
“MTN Nigeria Communications PLC (MTN Nigeria) is pleased to inform the market that MTN Group Limited has announced its intention to proceed with a public offer for sale of up to 575 million shares in MTN Nigeria by way of a bookbuild to institutional investors and fixed price to retail investors,” the statement reads.
“The offer is anticipated to open in November 2021 with a bookbuild to institutional investors, after which a fixed price is expected to be announced for retail investors also in November 2021. The offer is expected to close in December 2021.
“This is the first step in MTN Group’s previously communicated statement of intent to sell down approximately 14% of its current shareholding in MTN Nigeria.
“Further information about the offer and ways to subscribe will be provided.”


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Mithika Linturi, the cabinet secretary for agriculture, disclosed a pact between Kenya 🇰🇪 and Zambia 🇿🇲 that may lower the price of corn grain in the nation.
Mr. Liinturi said that the two nations will sign an agreement allowing Kenyan farmers to cultivate maize in Zambia while being welcomed by his Zambian colleague Reuben Mtolo in Lusaka on Monday.
The minister for agriculture expressed delight as the Zambian government has decided to grant Kenyan farmers land in Zambia for extensive cultivation. This will see Kenya increase its food supply and security and Kenyan farmers would thereafter be obliged to ship their harvests back to the country.
The CS also expressed appreciation for Mtolo’s commitment and affirmed that local food and nutrition security will be achieved as a result of the Kenyan and Zambian governments’ engagement. The cost of maize and its products in the nation will decrease as a result of the new memorandum of agreement, according to Linturi.
According to the forecasts given by Mtolo, the farmers will be able to accomplish their goal of lowering the price of ‘unga’ since it is obvious that they made the correct decision and that there is something to be learned from them.
“We will be able to work out a price at which they will be able to sell maize to the country at of course a much lower price than we are currently getting from the traders,” Linturi reiterated.
Farmers in Zambia would gain from the agreement as well since Kenya would have short-term access to Zambia’s surplus maize. Simultaneously, he issued a warning against the nation’s farmers who hoarded their produce in the expectation of obtaining better prices, leading to a fictitious scarcity in the nation.
He encouraged them to release the maize, warning them that they would be compelled to sell it for dirt cheap once the crop from Zambia is harvested. Linturi expressed confidence that the nation will be able to fulfill its domestic demand for maize during the six-month duty-free importing window.


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You won’t be able to check it on the options list anytime soon, but Chevrolet’s recent demonstration of how Google Glass can connect with the C7 Corvette Stingray and turn into a head-up display shows just how much high-tech potential there is to be tapped in the coming years in the automotive world.
Photo Credit: IMSA
Solid start for new Chevrolet Corvette C7.Rs in Roar Before the 24
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan 5, 2014) – Corvette Racing moved a step closer toward its return to the Rolex 24 At Daytona over the weekend with a successful three-day test at Daytona International Speedway. Oliver Gavin in the No. 4 Chevrolet Corvette C7.R set the weekend’s second-best time for the GT Le Mans class during the Roar Before the 24 with a 1:45.743 (121.200 mph). It’s the annual test that serves as the last tune-up before the opening round of the new TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.
Good news for those who can’t attend the unveiling of the 2015 Corvette Z06 and Corvette Racing’s C7.R at the 2014 North American International Auto Show.
Chevrolet has announced this morning that it will offer a special live stream of the unveiling as well as as a “special event leading up to the Press Conference” on January 13th beginning at 9:30 am EST.
The temptation to take a joyride in a shiny late-model Corvette apparently proved to be too much for a Florida trucker to turn down.
Pearland, Texas police have charged 49-year-old Ronald Francis Kelly of Sebring, Fla., with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle after a New Year’s Day escapade involving a Corvette and a woman.
We are just over a week away from the introduction of the 2015 Corvette Z06 but thanks to the Consumer Electronics Show kicking off a week before NAIAS, we’re getting a preview of a very cool new tech feature coming to Corvette in 2015.
It’s called the Performance Data Recorder – an advanced video capture system with motorsport-inspired telemetry that drivers can download, view and share.
Photo Credit: BadBoyVettes
Corvette C7.R to make public debut at ‘Roar Before the 24′ ahead of TUDOR Championship
DETROIT (Dec. 31, 2013) – A new beginning for Corvette Racing is on the horizon with a new car set to debut in a new season for a new championship. The Roar Before the 24 at Daytona International Speedway will be the site of first public laps for the Chevrolet Corvette C7.R. The Jan. 3-5 test is a dress rehearsal for the 52nd Rolex 24 At Daytona – the first race for the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.
This Torch Red Corvette Stingray Z51 Coupe has seen better days.
Spotted at a car dealership in Milwaukee, the crashed Stingray shows extensive damage to the front end of the car.
Some dealers are offering $2,000 discounts on non-Z51 Stingrays.
But we haven’t heard of any discounts on Z51s – until now.
Of course, as usual, there is a catch.
For the second time this month, a Corvette driver has been shot and killed by law enforcement officers after leading them on a high-speed chase.
On Dec. 13, 51-year-old Brian Newt Beaird of Oceanside, Calif., died after being shot after leading Los Angeles Police on a wild hour-long chase into the city and trying to flee after T-boning another car with his C6 Corvette while speeding through an intersection.
This time, it was a 17-year-old Gulf Breeze, Fla., teenager already facing vehicular homicide charges who was killed.


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Aflac's 60th Anniversary Celebration a Real Bell Ringer
Monday, December 7th, 2015
Aflac, the leading provider of voluntary insurance at the work site in the United States, celebrated the company's 60thanniversary in style today as Chairman and CEO Dan Amos, along with executives and family, rang the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange. Aflac was officially founded on Nov. 17, 1955, by brothers John, Paul and William Amos, who saw a need for financial protection when an unexpected medical situation occurs. Listed as AFL, Aflac first appeared on the New York Stock Exchange in 1974.
"When I think of the humble beginnings of our company in a six-room leased building in Columbus, Georgia, with only 16 employees and 60 sales agents, it is almost impossible to conceive where we are today," Amos said. "After 60 years, we are a Fortune 500 company with revenues at nearly $23 billion, employing more than 10,000 people in the United States and Japan, with more than one hundred thousand associates and brokers selling our products. Our founders were onto something back in 1955, and we are so proud to uphold the traditions they set forth 60 years ago."
In addition to the 60th anniversary celebration, Aflac is also commemorating 40 years of serving policyholders in Japan as well as its 20-year relationship with the Aflac Cancer Center in Atlanta. Earlier this year, Aflac announced that it had exceeded $100 million in contributions to the fight against childhood cancer, much of which has been provided by the company's independent sales agents who donate directly from their commission checks.
Also on hand was the iconic Aflac Duck, who lent a wing in ringing the bell to end the week of trading at the Stock Exchange. This marks the third trip for the Aflac Duck there, his first trip being in 2010 to celebrate his 10th birthday. Now a 15-year-old icon, the Duck is responsible for elevating Aflac's brand recognition to more than 90 percent from near single digits when the campaign was first introduced.


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In an attempt to utilize recently purchased industrialized property on the southwest corner of Normandale Boulevard and Old Shakopee Road, Target Corporation submitted an application to Bloomington City Council requesting permission to construct a 180,000 square foot Super Target in the location––a request denied by the city’s council members and local residents.
At the public hearing for Target’s proposal on October 27, a meeting postponed more than two months by the council, the Bloomington City Council unanimously voted against the project. Although the proposal has already been formally denied and the construction of the building no longer a near-future possibility, the council continues to justify their defiance, leaveing Target representatives unsure of their next move.
“Target is a responsible corporate citizen. We want to build a store that’s good for business and the Bloomington community,” said Target spokesman Anne Rodgers. Target Corporation had plans to invest more than $40 million in this retail development without financial assistance from the city. They envisioned using these funds to build the store and imrove traffic contions. “Target’s traffic plans proposed more than twenty additional traffic improvements such as new turn lanes, extending existing left turn lanes and making the site more accessible from different locations,” said Rodgers.
However, this expansion would overlap private property of Bloomington residents, a consequence strongly opposed by the city’s citizens including members of the city’s council: “We basically said we love Target; we think it’s a great company, but changing land use goes against the market analysis we have,” said Bloomington city planner Londell Pease.
Well aware of the consequences at hand, Target continued to speak out to neighborhood residents that would be affected by these changes, holding more than 20 neighborhood meetings: “We saw strong community opposition to Target’s public interest in the property, we engaged a communications strategy to understand the neighborhood sentiment and address it,” said Rodgers. However, Target’s attempts to win over approval of opposing citizens were not successful, given the divergent circumstances.
In addition to the debate regarding land use, the city council members were also concerned about how the “monstrosity” of Target would affect local retail businesses. These members thought the area, already containing a number of small businesses and grocery stores, to be far too crowded: “We are over-serviced in that area. We don’t need any more commercial shopping or we’re going to kill the other shopping centers; it’ll wipe them out,” said city council member Karen Nordstrom.
Representatives of Target Corporation held a different interpretation. They felt that a strong and stable business would enhance and revitalize the current property, resulting in a more convenient one-stop shopping experience and high-quality shopping and working environment for Bloomington residents. Unfortunately for Target, the city disagreed. The issue of retail balance and demand further convinced members to oppose the proposal, leading to a unanimous and final 7-0 vote.
Seeing that both residents and council members were not going to side in their favor, Target withdrew their application to ensure full control of the property and avoid time constraints created by a “no” vote. Rodgers said, “We are currently evaluating our options for this property,” meaning that another proposal could face Bloomington citizens and council members in the future.
Despite strong opposition, it is safe to say both sides withheld and expressed credible points, making the debate far more controversial than anyone would expect: “I’m almost three years on this council and I don’t think I’ve ever put in this much thought or study into another project, I know I haven’t. There hasn’t been anything this controversial in the time that I’ve been on,” said Nordstrom.


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A year after Ford announced the return of its iconic Bronco SUV, the carmaker has now confirmed that it will be introduced in the next two years. The launch is part of Ford’s plan to replace 75 percent of its model range by 2020.
Ford teased the new SUV at an event held at its headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan. The Bronco reportedly shares its underpinnings with the new Endeavour (Everest in other Asian markets) and the recently revealed Ford Ranger pickup. Incidentally, the Endeavour facelift is headed to India, sometime this year.
At the 2017 Detroit motor show, Ford described the Bronco as a "no compromise mid-size 4x4”. It is safe to expect the Bronco to share the Ranger’s 2.3-litre EcoBoost turbo-petrol motor sending power to all four wheels. With Ford’s renewed focus on hybrids, a petrol-electric powertrain is also expected at a later date.
The event also saw Ford tease a new smaller SUV, which will sit below the Bronco in the brand’s American line-up. The model doesn’t have a name yet, and it isn’t clear if it will feature a monocoque chassis (making it more of a crossover) or a body-on-frame architecture (more like an off-roader). The SUV is expected to be a potential rival to the Jeep Compass.
Ford has revived the Bronco name 22 years after the model was discontinued in 1996 – 30 years after its launch in 1966.
Ford Endeavour facelift spied in Thailand
Ford Endeavour 2.2 Titanium gets a sunroof
Ford Ranger facelift unveiled


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Spangler said the kinetic sand is 98 percent pure sand and 2 percent polymer. The polymer allows the sand to be manipulated and sculpted in ways normal sand cannot.
Spangler said SGA unanimously passed a bill to fund the purchase of $124.24 worth of the material for use in the IdeaFactory located in Rees Jones Hall.
“The money will be used to buy a few pounds of original kinetic sand and a few pounds of purple kinetic sand,” Spangler said.
Cedric James, assistant director of the IdeaFactory, said Megan Hartley, a fourth-year TCU student, shared her idea of purchasing kinetic sand with SGA after seeing Playdough being used in the IdeaFactory. The special sand has similar properties to Playdough.
“The kinetic sand acts like Playdough in the way that, once you stick different colors together, it is near impossible to separate the grains of sand entirely,” James said.
Hartley said in the bill that the sand would create creativity and “zen-ness” for students in the IdeaFactory.
“This is a perfect example of how students can partner with SGA to turn a great idea into reality,” Spangler said.
James said the IdeaFactory has a table ready for the kinetic sand and is waiting for the delivery this week from SGA.
“The kinetic sand will help students craft their ideas, [which] then can be scanned and used to make three-dimensional prints using our 3-D printer,” James said.
James said the IdeaFactory will have managers watching over the activity area to make sure users do not cross the sands or pull any pranks.
Earnest Dominick, SGA College of Communication representative, said the sand would help students who use the IdeaFactory.
“Playing with purple Playdough is proven to boost creativity, so this purple sand should do the same,” Dominick said.
The kinetic sand will be available for students starting next week.


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Focus China News Roundup- Issue #43
Every fortnight we compile a list of important news updates and events covering the Chinese FINTECH, MFGTECH, CLNTECH, and AGRTECH sectors.
Alipay took the lead in reducing fees for small and micro businesses
Alipay announced the details of the fee reduction for small and micro merchants: in the next three years, all Alipay merchants will continue to receive and withdraw money free, and there will be no single transaction limit or one-day limit.
Steve Shen is the Director of Operation at Alipay
The first batch of digital RMB issuance policy was completed in Shenzhen
Ping An Property Insurance Company has recently completed the first batch of digital RMB insurance policies with the Bank of China Shenzhen Branch. This marks the shenzhen insurance industry will extend the pilot application of digital RMB to the online premium settlement scene.
Xin Zhang is the Vice President at Ping An insurance
Shanghai pudong will promote an international financial asset trading platform
Pudong will promote important projects such as an international financial asset trading platform, a national commodity warehouse receipt registration center, and a private equity and venture capital equity share transfer platform.
In 2020, China’s block chain market size reached 3.24 billion CNY
China’s block chain industry is booming, and the application scenarios continue to expand. In 2020, there were 1,958 block chain projects in China, 40 block chain industrial parks had been built, the number of block chain-related enterprises reached 64,996, and the market size of block chain reached 3.24 billion CNY.
CloudWise completed a $150 million of Round E financing
This round of financing is led by
Sequoia Capital China Fund. The company will increase technology and product innovation, accelerate the implementation of intelligent operation and maintenance practice, and continue to empower digital transformation.
Simon Yang is the COO at Cloudwise
CloudWalk approved in Innovation board
Founded in 2015, CloudWalk is a high-tech enterprise incubated at the Chongqing Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, focusing on computer vision and artificial intelligence.
Xi Zhou is the President at Cloudwalk
ArchForce completed 100 million CNY of Round C financing
This round of financing is invested by Sequoia China. The funds will mainly be used for research and development of basic technologies.
Tongniu information signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Qianxin
Tongniu information and Qianxin will set up a joint venture to jointly expand the Beijing network security marketThe two sides will conduct in-depth cooperation in the integration of enterprise security products, network security monitoring center, situational awareness platform and personnel training.
China’s cloud market scale exceeds 30 billion CNY in Q1 of 2021
In the first quarter of 2021, the size of China’s aaS+PaaS market reached 30.1 billion CNY. Ali Cloud ranks first with a market share of 40%. Tencent Cloud and Huawei Cloud rank second and third respectively with a market share of 11%
Kuaiyun won tens of millions of CNY of angel round financing
Kuaiyun, a global cross-border e-commerce infrastructure service platform, completed an angel round of financing of tens of millions of CNY. This round of financing is exclusively invested by Guangyun Technology. This round of financing will focus on SaaS product layout, service
system upgrading and high-end talent introduction.
Shiye Data Science completed tens of millions of CNY of strategic investment
This round of financing is led by Koala fund. Shiye Data Science is an investment information service provider focusing on the primary market, corporate credit, industrial planning and investment promotion business.
Shenzhen issued the first blockchain export agent certificate
Shenzhen issued the China’s first certificate of agency export goods based on blockchain technology, which is the first application of blockchain technology in the field of export tax rebate.
Huawei believes four fields will be the mainstream fields of blockchain
Huawei believes that the blockchain takes data as the core, and government affairs,
finance, medical treatment and manufacturing will be the mainstream fields of the blockchain. Businesses such as certificate deposit, supply chain finance, telemedicine and supply traceability will flourish.
Tide Xu is the Chief Strategy Officer at Huawei
Ernst & Young proposes the solution of blockchain in taxation
Ernst & young, together with the government, created the blockchain solution taxgrid to address the challenges in the process of cross-border withholding tax. The solution uses block chain technology to more securely share tax and financial information between financial intermediaries and tax authorities by creating a shared record book of all dividend transactions, and tax dividend income from the source.
Annie D. is the Executive Director at EY
Guangdong Unicom cooperates with Jieyang City for rural revitalization
Guangdong Unicom and Jieyang Municipal Government will cooperate to implement the rural revitalization strategy. The two sides will cooperate in digital agriculture, digital countryside, talent science and education, rural e-commerce and other fields. Guangdong Unicom will build a digital agricultural industry cloud application service platform, an agricultural IoT perception platform, and an agricultural digital operation and management platform to promote the agricultural digital construction in Jieyang City.
Hema signed a cooperation to promote country specialties
This year, Alibaba will promote agricultural products from 100 counties (districts) across the country to enter Hema. With the support of digital technology and sales channels, Alibaba will reduce the cost of matchingsupply and demand information and boost the branding of characteristic agricultural products. The first batch of 10 characteristic counties have signed contracts with Alibaba to obtain its digital support and promote the building of a new supply and marketing system.
Chirs Tung is the Chief Marketing Officer at Alibaba Group


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YouTube Music Stories April 13
In February, Google said its streaming service would add “even more” playlist creation features and increase discoverability of those user-generated collections. That has so far been the only app roadmap provided by the company this year. YouTube Music is now implementing those plans in search by distinguishing between Featured and Community playlists.
YouTube Music Stories April 8
Goodbye Google Play Music: 7 alternatives to YouTube Music you should probably try [Video]
With Google Play Music now double dead and even fully disabled on devices in favor of YouTube Music, if you’re simply not a fan of the replacement, you might be looking for some serious audio alternatives.
YouTube Music Stories March 31
The criticism of YouTube Music, especially from Google Play Music users, is that it bizarrely lacks basic features. One of those is the ability to repeat songs while Casting, though that has finally just been added to YouTube Music on Android.
YouTube Music Stories March 24
YouTube Music Stories March 18
YouTube Music for Android, iOS now lets you play songs directly from search
Since the start of this year, Google’s streaming service has yet to receive a major feature update. That continues today with search in YouTube Music for Android and iOS now directly displaying songs.
YouTube Music Stories March 17
At the start of December, the Google Play Music website and mobile apps officially stopped working for all users worldwide. It marked the biggest milestone in the transition to YouTube Music, but there is one last step. Before February 24th, transfer your Play Music library to the replacement YouTube service, or download using Google Takeout.


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Swedish mobile operators Telia, Tele2, Telenor and 3 have formed a mobile payments joint venture. The new company plans to launch a mobile wallet by mid-2012 which will allow Swedes to pay for services such as public transportation and parking. All operators will offer the same product, making it easier for customers to switch providers.
- McDonald’s introduces Bluetooth beacon offers
- RBC adds HCE to mobile payments app
- Mozido buys CorFire
- Touch ID patent adds fingertip motion
- Brixton Pound to add NFC


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A logistics platform to raise market volume to 28 billion riyals by 2020 GACA’s President introduces the first integrated logistics area at KKIA
Riyadh- July 28, 2019
An introductory forum on an integrated logistics platform at King Khalid International Airport (KKIA) was held today at Fairmont Hotel in the capital city of Riyadh. The meeting was headed by GACA President, Mr. Abdulhadi Al-Mansouri, and attended by a number of companies and investors in the logistics sector from inside and outside the Kingdom. The forum was held to highlight the logistics sector’s projects and investments in the Kingdom. It was an opportunity to facilitate partnership with the government sector, create an attractive and sophisticated work environment for investors, and enable them. This in an effort for them to take full advantage of the logistics network and to make the movement of goods available on a wider scale.
Mr. Al-Mansouri affirmed at the start of the forum the efforts of the Executive Committee for the Logistics Platform, represented by its Chairman, Dr. Nabeel Al Amoudi in overcoming all obstacles faced by investors and those working in the logistics sector to achieve all the goals of the Saudi Vision 2030. A vision that is based three main points; the establishment of a vibrant society, a prosperous economy and aspiring country. The effort put emphasis on the keenness of the Kingdom’s wise leadership in providing unlimited support in all fields, where this country become a global logistics center linking three continents and bridging between those societies.
His Excellency went on to say, that the Kingdom has recently developed the logistics sector through capital investment of more than 400 billion Saudi Riyals. This allowed to an increased capacity in land, air, and maritime cargo, in addition to the development of and simplification of the import/export operations and the removal of all restrictions related to logistics operations.
He added that the logistics market volume in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have reached 18 billion US Dollars, which amounted to 55% of the total logistics market for all the GCC countries. He pointed out that the volume of this sector expected to reach 25 billion US Dollars by the year 2020, making the Kingdom’s logistics sector one of the fastest growing logistics sector in the world.
HE Al Mansouri went on to say that, GACA is planning to launch a number of promising projects to stimulate the sector, through the logistics platform. One of these projects include the establishment of a group of logistics area in the near future. The first of these projects, which is being reviewed today, is the Integrated Logistics Bonded Zone (ILBZ) at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. It is considered the first economic zone in the Kingdom with its own set of Regulations, Registration and incentives design to attract the most prominent investors companies to the Kingdom.
He concluded his speech by stating, “At this current stage, we are forming the cornerstone in the process of stimulating the logistics sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the issuance of the Regulations for its establishment. Stressing the efforts of the Logistics Committee supported by all government sectors and in all aspects to make these projects a global exemplary model".
It is worth mentioning that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as logistics Hub is one of the initiatives of National Industrial Development and Logistics Program (NIDLP) launched earlier this year, and it is one of the largest programs in the Saudi Vision 2030, that aims to transform the Kingdom into a leading industrial power and an international logistics hub.


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Almost every week, competitors Snapchat and Instagram launch new marketing features to edge out each other.
Snapchat claims it focuses on preserving its users’ relationships and not to market content. Instagram walks along that line by adding features to improve privacy.
With almost similar features, a battle between the two platforms has ensued. Marketers pick one over the other to spend resources and build social presence, depending which one serves their campaign’s purpose.
Instagram definitely beats Snapchat in sheer number of users. But Snapchat is more influential among teens and millennials.
Here are key business points to compare between Snapchat and Instagram.
Daily Active Users (DAUs)
In May this year, Snapchat reported having around 166 million DAUs in Q1 2017. Of those users, 40 million post stories every day.
In contrast, Instagram has more than 700 million users. Of those users, more than 250 million use Stories daily.
By total users and DAUs, Instagram is better than Snapchat. The former raises brand awareness to new heights that the latter has yet to reach.
Instagram, owned by Facebook, knew the threat posed by Snapchat. So, it decided to copy how Snapchat Stories works. And it clearly paid off.
Still, size is not the sole metric. We have to consider different elements to assess the better option for your business.
Knowing its battle against a giant, Snap has moved talks away from number of users toward user engagement. And the company thinks it can edge out the competition in this metric.
This strategy is more sensible and works better than piling up raw numbers. Instagram has a parent company with more than a billion users. Its capacity to use Facebook’s network trumps any advantage Snapchat has in raw numbers.
In April, Facebook said its users spend an average of 50 minutes per day across platforms, including Facebook, Messenger and Instagram. While Instagram has improved from the 21 minutes per day in 2014, the latest data is a collective average, and Facebook did not highlight Instagram’s own minutes-per-day data.
Yet, averages decrease when a service acquires more users, despite having long minutes per session.
The data hints Snapchat may have better engagement than Instagram. Average revenue per user is another matter in itself.
The Power of Millennials
Snapchat has long been considered pervasive among younger audiences or millennials.
Instagram and Snapchat skew towards young users. Most Instagram users are under 30 years old, while most Snapchat users are under 34.
Snapchat has more resonance with users under 25, as it represents 60 percent of total users. And nearly 25 percent of total users are still in high school.
Evidently, more women use both services than men. In 2013, 70 percent of Snapchat users were women. Although lacking new data, the trend is most likely skewed similarly.
If your business aims to reach the teenage demographic, Snapchat is the better option. If you want a wider range of young audiences, Instagram is the safer bet.
If most of your audience are still in high school, Snapchat has a better appeal. But if you want a wider range of young people and millennials, you will never go wrong with Instagram.


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The Big News: John Mayer proved to be well versed in the art of sales warfare as his Battle Studies slaughtered all of its big-name competitors, selling 286,000 copies to give the singer his first Billboard Top 200 Number One album since 2003’s Heavier Things. According to Nielsen SoundScan, Battle Studies also came in just shy of the 300,000 copies 2006’s Continuum sold in its Number Two debut week, so Mayer has demonstrated he has some consistency in these days of declining sales. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart!! What a way to spend Thanksgiving,” Mayer wrote to fans on Twitter in celebration of his win.
Six albums managed to surpass 100,000 in sales this week, with five of the six debuts this week. Andrea Bocelli’s My Christmas, apparently the frontrunner for this year’s go-to seasonal album, remained at Number Two for the second consecutive week, while Norah Jones’ The Fall entered the charts at Number Three with 180,000 copies. Casting Crowns’ Until the Whole World Hears finished fourth, surprisingly ahead of 50 Cent’s Before I Self Destruct. Fiddy’s oft-delayed album moved 160,000 units, a major league drop from the 691,000 copies Curtis sold in its debut week in 2007. In case you don’t have a calculator handy, Self Destruct managed less than a quarter of the sales of Curtis in its first week.
Debuts: One last rookie finished with 100K in sales: Mall riot starter Justin Beiber’s My World with 137,000 copies. Reigning American Idol champ Kris Allen also released his self-titled debut albumâ€¦ and it didn’t do all that well — Number 11 with 80,000 copies — as fans of the show proved once again that lots of text messages and votes on AI don’t always equal big sales. Allen did beat out the supergroup Them Crooked Vultures, who sold 70,000 copies to enter the charts at 12, one slot ahead of Leona Lewis’ Echo. Finally, Paul McCartney’s live document Good Evening New York City wound up at Number 15.
Last Week’s Heroes: Like the song suggests, Bon Jovi wasn’t born to follow last week’s Number One debut for The Circle as the band’s return to rock plummeted from the penthouse to Number 18 in its second week. However, the real story here is what’s happening in this week’s sales battle: Despite new releases by Adam Lambert, Rihanna, Lady Gaga and Shakira, it’s the U.K. sensation Susan Boyle who’s on pace to take Number One on next week’s chart with I Dreamed A Dream. Not only is Boyle expected to top the charts with at least 550,000+ in sales, according to Billboard.biz, she might top 700,000 copies thanks to the holiday spending spree. That would top Eminem’s Relapse at the best-selling debut week of 2009.


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A dozen travel titans of tomorrow have been unveiled as exhibitors in this year’s Business Travel Show Disrupt Launchpad and Awards.
All 12 disruptors – a 50 per cent increase on last year – have been selected to exhibit in the Launchpad for their potentially game-changing business travel solutions, which range from a culture navigation tool, rail delay repayment handling, predictive flight delay and a company raising awareness of mental health and wellbeing for companies and individuals. Following an online vote, five will be shortlisted for the Disrupt Awards, which will take place at the Business Travel Show at 1pm on Wednesday, 20 February.
- Air2E – provides individual, time-saving, cost-efficient and environment-friendly mobility services for business travel
- CultureMee – the first content platform in the world to help travellers navigate other cultures. CultureMee was named ‘One to Watch’ in BBT’s 2019 Hotlist
- Driven – a solution that predicts flight delays hours to weeks before departure empowering travellers to make better itinerary choices and respond effectively to potential disruptions
- Harbour84 – helps business travellers to discover their perfect co-working space when they are on the move
- Hello Jet – a marketplace for business and private aviation charter allowing companies to charter aircraft themselves without the need for special knowledge or access to the base price, for the very first time
- Raketa – a powerful, agnostic digital platform giving corporate clients direct access to service providers
- Railguard – a third-party delay repay, claims-handling company that monitors rail travel.
- SalesTrip – an all-in-one travel booking, ticketing and expense management system on Salesforce, changing the way organisations manage, govern and justify corporate travel and expenses
- Simpila – provides solutions to help raise awareness and support for mental health and wellness to companies and individuals
- Stay22 – a venue-centric accommodation map tailored for travelling event-goers
- Taptrip – aims to make business travel completely frictionless for businesses and travellers with a self-serve, omni channel travel solution that lets travellers book travel around their calendars with ease. Taptrip was also ‘One to Watch’ on the 2019 Hotlist
- Waylo – a unique price prediction technology and futures-based business model aiming to become the way every perishable inventory is priced in future
The 2019 Business Travel Disrupt Awards judges are:
- Nick Easen, freelance travel journalist and head judge
- Molly Dyson, digital editor, Buying Business Travel
- Amanda Greenwood, community and content manager, Business Travel iQ
- Andy Hoskins, editor, The Business Travel Magazine
Last year’s Disrupt Awards winner was TroopTravel. Founder Dennis Vilovic said: “Being at the Business Travel Show created massive value for us. Independently of winning the Disrupt Award, we received a huge amount of input and feedback on our product. Looking at our first commercial clients, most of them are contacts we made at the Business Travel Show in 2018. In addition, we met Johnny Thorsen, a well-respected expert in the business travel industry, at the show for the first time and he is now one of our key strategic advisors. Without us being at the show, we would not be where we are today.”
Taptrip co-founder and CCO Neil Ruth commented: “Launchpad provides a platform for innovative and disruptive businesses to support the progression and evolution of the business travel space. There are still a lot of problems to solve in business travel. No one is yet to crack disruption management, an area we are focused on, but there’s so much more, and it makes for an exciting showcase of creativity and innovation for start-ups to launch from.”
Business Travel Show group event director David Chapple added: “The travel industry is one of the most innovative, evolving at a pace beyond many others. Without innovation, there would be no transport, no on board wifi, no biometric security gates, no online check-in, Airbnb and Uber. This industry embraces and supports innovation like no other and we’re really excited for our visitors to meet this year’s Disrupt dream dozen at the Business Travel Show.”
The Business Travel Show runs 20-21 February at Olympia London. Register for a free visitor pass at businesstravelshow.com/register


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GM’s Spring Hill, Tennessee Ecotech plant receiving $185 million to meet growing demand for smaller engines
General Motors will invest $185 million to make small-dispacement Ecotec engines at its Spring Hill, Tenn. manufacturing complex, while spending an additional $48.4 million or the Bedford, Ind. powertrain castings plant.
Both investments support GM’s new small displacement engine, which is part of an all-new Ecotec engine family that will be used by five GM brands in 27 models by the 2017 model year.
Spring Hill is among six manufacturing locations around the globe that will produce Ecotech engines.
“The new Ecotec engine family represents the most advanced and efficient small displacement gasoline engines in GM’s history,” said Arvin Jones, GM North America manufacturing manager. “It was a good business decision to produce this powertrain in Bedford and Spring Hill. Both teams have strong performance records, especially in quality.”
GM Spring Hill currently manufactures the award-winning Ecotec 2.0L turbocharged direct injection 4-cylinder engine, the Ecotec 2.4L direct injection 4-cylinder engine and Ecotec 2.5L direct injection engine, which powers the 2014 Chevrolet Malibu, Chevrolet Impala and soon-to-be-released Chevy Colorado.
Bedford currently produces transmission casings, converter housings and small gas engine blocks.


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SEGA, Gearbox Software and Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products announced a Season Pass promotional program for their highly anticipated release of Aliens: Colonial Marines on February 12, 2013 worldwide.
Customers who purchase the Season Pass at participating retailers online or in store will receive all four upcoming pieces of downloadable content, which will feature new campaign as well as multiplayer content, for PlayStation Network, Xbox LIVE and STEAM for $29.99/£19.99/€29.99/$29.99/
Aliens: Colonial Marines will bring new levels of bone-chilling suspense and adrenaline-filled action to the renowned franchise, as the authentic addition to the ALIENS franchise canon. The game’s stunning visuals and adrenaline pumping action will deliver a breathtakingly immersive four-player drop-in drop-out cooperative campaign and expansive competitive multiplayer with four different modes (Escape, Survivor, Team Deathmatch and Extermination). Providing an innovative, asymmetrical competitive multiplayer experience, Aliens: Colonial Marines lets players fight in first person as the ultimate badasses – the United States Colonial Marines – or in third person as the universe’s deadliest killers – the Xenomorphs. Plunging into familiar and new environments from the iconic film franchise, players will have to fight the fear and face the true horrors of the ALIENS universe.
Aliens: Colonial Marines will be available in stores across the globe on February 12, 2013 on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Windows PC. A release date for the announced Wii U version will be revealed at a later time.


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This article is more than 1 year old
Ballmer! explains! hostile! Yahoo! bid!
'We've been engaged for months'
!!!!! Steve Ballmer all but confirmed that Microsoft wanted to buy Yahoo! for scale, branding and audience rather than any technology or products the web media co owns.
Ballmer claimed today that Microsoft's bid for Yahoo! would be a great deal for shareholders on both sides and will let the new company compete effectively in the online advertising market where, we were told, scale is king.
In a conference call with analysts and reporters this afternoon Microsoft's chief executive Steve Ballmer said he'd been "engaged with Yahoo! for eighteen months" and that the two companies "share a vision for online services".
Ballmer said it was a 'transformational' deal which focussed on three constituencies: consumers, advertisers and publishers. He said he could see no better way to address the consumer perspective than by buying Yahoo!.
Ballmer said: "Scale matters for online advertising. Aggregating inventory onto one platform improves yield for publishers."
Ballmer refused to be drawn on what this would mean for average margins saying it was a different business - he described Microsoft as already having four business models for different areas of its business.
Asked if there was a danger of a rival bid emerging, maybe from a big media company, Ballmer repeated his belief that it was a good deal. Then Microsoft's legal counsel Brad Smith piped up with an explanation of how it would be anti-competitive if Google bought Yahoo!.
Microsoft is hoping to close the deal in the second half of 2008, which suggests it doesn't expect too much of a fight from either Yahoo! or competition regulators.
Asked if the scale of the acquisition would mean a hold was put on enterprise software buys, Ballmer answered simply and gruffly: "No!"®


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If comments by Intel this past week are to be believed, we may be heading toward a paradigm shift in computing where new chips feature significantly reduced power consumption at the expense of performance.
A microcode update from Intel will shut down support for non-K overclocking via base clock adjustments on Skylake CPUs. This means that manufacturers like ASRock have also had to roll back features like Sky OC that provided budget users with a more affordable entry into the overclocking game.
Intel and Qualcomm, two leading wireless semiconductor vendors, have teamed up to create a comprehensive WiGig ecosystem to ensure smoother adoption when the technology finally arrives in the mainstream market.
According to a The Motley Fool report, Intel is planning to name its third, 10nm processor series as Tigerlake. Read more about the chip maker’s plans with its move to fabricate transistors at this lower scale.
At CES 2016, ASRock unveiled motherboards that would enable locked multiplier CPUs to be overclocked on even non-Z170 motherboards. But while this sounds like a great development for gamers on a budget, there are still a handful of significant risks and trade-offs to be aware of.
Intel wants to make business computing, a streamlined and hassle-free experience by leveraging on its 6th generation vPro enterprise platform. With both hardware and software services, Intel also aims to reduce the overall cost of implementing such services. Uncover more details about this platform refresh here.


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This February, three CEOs bake-off against three of the industry’s finest advisors in an unvarnished, unsponsored shootout of futuristic debate on the future of BPO.
Who else can put on an event and oversubscribe it before even releasing the bloody agenda? Didn’t people realize the central theme this year is invoice processing transformation in Kazakhstan? Well, the long wait is over and we’re proud to present a slightly eccentric and highly knowledgeable line up of industry luminaries for our upcoming HfS Working […]
I find myself feeling conflicted between excitement and frustration for the future of Indian-centric BPO services.
John Haworth, Chairman of the HfS Sourcing Executive Council, talks to Phil Fersht about why he joined HfS and the upcoming buyers’ summit in Harvard Square
We’re excited to be heading to Krakow next week to participate in the two-day 6th ABSL Conference from June 16-17 featuring Tony Blair, Phil Fersht and Charles Sutherland
We’re proud to announce our role as exclusive research and content development partner for NASSCOM’s Business Process Management Summit 2015
HfS CEO Phil Fersht talks to Capgemini India CEO Aruna Jayanthi about India’s talent and its future direction as a services economy
An HfS Webinar Production, March 26th 2015: Digesting a Manic 6 Months to Make Sense of the As-a-Service Economy
One core element is needed for enterprises to get through the next 12 months, let along the next 12 years: Trust
Most enterprises are pleased they moved into an outsourcing model, but have recognized they need to make significant changes to the way they manage their service provider relationships
Charles Sutherland shares thoughts on NASSCOM’s ambition to grow Business Process exports from $20 Billion in 2014 to $50 Billion by 2020.


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ZTE has introduced a new product in the Android tablet market. The company has officially teased the device under the name AxonPad. ZTE states that the device will be released this month. The new AxonPad comes with a large and single-lens back camera hump. It features a flat-ended metallic unibody design. It is hailed as having the ability to create an ecosystem with other smartphones, including those in the premium Axon 50 series.
In contrast to the previous offerings by the company, the new AxonPad is not the same as the innovative Nubia Pad. Rather it is a traditional one or you can say the 2D-display alternate. The new tablet is a member of the Axon line. Interestingly, the upcoming AxonPad misses out on a cutting-edge under-display (or UDC) selfie camera.
The front camera is located inside the thin bezels of the AxonPad. It is provided in the latest landscape orientation. The company proclaims that the tablet will make a spectacular debut given the fact that it is equipped with MyOS adjusted for its form factor. Furthermore, the tablet comes with smart life 2.0 support that works for the strong connection between the tablet and other first-party devices.
As a result, the device might be able to create cross-device ecosystems with other brand-new gadgets like the 40 Ultra or its replacement. On April 12, 2023, the OEM is expected to hold its next significant product event where the Axon Pad will be unveiled as a new competitor to the OPPO Pad 2 or Xiaomi Pad 5 series.


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Jan 07, 2013 4:23pm
Microsoft’s history is a mixed bag of innovation, triumph, volatility, defeatism, and stagnation. After an epic rise to the top, the company has been waning, partly as a victim of its own success,... continued.
Nov 14, 2012 3:03pm
While Microsoft’s plunge into the tablet market will likely not be a game-changer for system builders and integrators, it will provide them with a mobile solution that may fit in better with... continued.
Jun 22, 2012 10:56am
Earlier this week, Microsoft (taking a page from the Apple playbook) hosted a press event to unveil their ‘mostly’ secret Surface tablet, destined for sale sometime late in Q4. While... continued.
Jun 19, 2012 9:50am
Introducing Surface… A tablet that’s a unique expression of entertainment and creativity. A tablet that works and plays the way you want. A new type of computing. Surface.OSWindows... continued.


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Being an engineer and one-time head of VW’s electronics R&D, Neumann undoubtedly understands the new wave of connectivity and importance of electrical systems architecture that is opening up as a new front in the global car industry.
And given the decisive strategic and tactical actions that Vauxhall-Opel seems to be putting in place, Neumann’s leadership appears to be motivating where it matters – in the design and engineering studio, marketing and dealers.
Of course there’s still plenty to do at Vauxhall-Opel, not least delivering the promise of break-even by ‘mid-decade’, which is about 18 months time.
Longer–term, GM harbours a desire to regain its position as Europe’s number two best-seller, moving up from today’s number three spot, and I wouldn’t wager against it.
But we’ll really see whether there’s substance to this recovery next year when a new Corsa and new Agila followed by a new Astra make 2015 one of the most important years ever for Vauxhall and Opel.
All three are based on new group platforms, which will put substance on claims that Vauxhall-Opel has put past quality concerns behind it and is now gunning for the type of quality VW Group has brought to the mass market.
Given the speed at which touchscreens are revolutionising car interiors, and given the Monza concept’s extensive use of TV-type dashboard technology, I expect GM to score a lead over VW in this technology.
The Agila, for example, has been disconnected from its Suzuki underpinnings and rather than head to the comfort zone of a cheap Korean/Daewoo platform, will be built on a European quality small car base, linked to the new Corsa.
Today’s Corsa, of course, traces its heritage back to the time when Fiat and GM were in partnership in 2002 and co-developed a platform for the Grande Punto and Corsa. Variants of this platform also underpin the Alfa Mito, Fiat 500L, 500X and Adam.
The Astra will also switch to a new platform, which is promised to be lighter and more compact than the generously proportioned current model and inspired by the sleek Monza concept.
GM really does appear to be making huge steps forward.


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Latest News on Tech Giants
Showing of 0 - 10 from 5 results
Tech Giants - Total results - 5
Apr 04, 2019
Takes long to understand a business leader even though there can be immediate admiration, says Ratan TataRatan Tata had to briefly come back as the head of the Tata group in 2016 after the surprise dismissal of his successor Cyrus Mistry by the Tata Sons board for loss of confidence, till the appointment of N Chandrasekaran a few months later.
Mar 27, 2019
Census Bureau seeks help from Google, Facebook, Twitter to fend off "fake news"The bureau asks to repel fake news that can pose as a demographic group to convey false information.
Mar 28, 2018
Tech needs a MAD formula: It is time for India to make the transition from 'dukandar' to disruptorMost firms pivot to a more acceptable model that can be funded, or become a services company, or succumb to greener pastures elsewhere.
Oct 20, 2017
G7 countries and tech giants to act against Islamist extremism over the internetSenior executives from the internet giants and Microsoft attended the ministerial session devoted to the issue.
Apr 08, 2015
Apple, Google, Microsoft under review by Australia tax officeGlobal tech giants Google , Apple and Microsoft are "under review" by the Australian Tax Office (ATO), senior executives said on Wednesday, as politicians grilled them about corporate tax avoidance.


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Welcome back to the blog! We hope everyone had a great weekend and were able to knock out their taxes in time – this writer waited until the last minute again… We’re officially two weeks out from Memorial Day weekend and with that comes the unofficial start of summer! Don’t know about you, but the Bolt team is ready for some sunshine and the great outdoors .Knowing that you have a busy week ahead of you, we’ll cut to the chase and get right to the trends you need to know for this week.
Upcoming Holidays & Observances
- Tax Day – May 17
- National Craft Distillery Day – May 22
- Did you know we have clients across the country blending up their own craft bourbon, like Olde Raleigh Distillery in, you guessed it… Raleigh, and Balcones Distilling in Waco, Texas?
- National Road Trip Day – May 28
- Memorial Day – May 31
Trends You Should Know
- Starting July 15, parents can start receiving a $300 monthly child-tax-credit check, courtesy of the Biden administration. The checks would continue throughout the year and be issued on the 15th of every month, unless the day is a holiday or weekend. Parents need not apply to receive the check – the IRS will use their records to send out checks, so no one needs to sign up! It’s estimated that around 29 million households would receive the payment. Check here to see who qualifies.
- It was a wild week on the East Coast when the shutdown of the Colonial Pipeline led to gas shortages. Prices increased to over $3/gallon, thousands ran to fill up their tanks and stations even ran out of fuel. It was such a whirlwind that many stations had to print out reminders for customers that gas can only be stored in legitimate containers, not plastic bags or water bottles! What caused all the hubbub? A cyberattack shut down pipeline operations. The good news is that gas deliveries are on the way – the bad news is that it will take several days for most states to receive gas and time is of the essence to return back to normal before Memorial Day weekend.
- Stock up on them while you can! Due to supply chain disruptions nationwide, Chick-fil-A is experiencing a sauce shortage in their restaurants. To try to combat this as much as possible, the chain is limiting each customer to one sauce per entrée, two sauces per meal and three sauces per 30-count chicken nugget entrée. A quick tip if you have a Walmart nearby: they sell Chick-fil-A sauce in bottles that you can save in your fridge. Crisis averted!
- Friends fans, prepare yourselves! It was announced last week that the cast of the hit sitcom will be reuniting for a reunion episode, set to begin streaming on HBO Max Thursday, May 27. Just to make it clear, this is not a new episode – it will be the case reuniting, visiting the set, looking through behind-the-scenes footage and talking through filming the show.
We hope you have a great rest of your week and we’ll see you back on the blog next Monday!


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BUAPEST: Revenue of German-owned industrial textile manufacturer Tolnatext, rose by approximately 10%, reaching HUF 4.9 billion last year, managing director Róbert Horváth told Hungarian news agency MTI.
According to the director, turnover was boosted by increased demand from the European market for industrial textiles for insulation systems, asphalt production and the construction industry. Exports account for 86% of Tolnatextʼs revenue. Last year, sales were up in Bulgaria, Romania and Ukraine, as well as in Western Europe, while domestic sales rose more than HUF 300 million.
This year, Tolnatext expects revenue to rise by 4-5%, Horváth said. The company, based in Tolna, southwestern Hungary, has a headcount of 230.


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The Checkup: Most Reusable Shopping Bags Are Swimming in Germs
• Sure, you’re doing your part for the planet by using those cloth shopping bags instead of paper or plastic at the grocery store. But if you don’t give ’em a good cleaning every now and then, you might be doing more harm to yourself than you realize. A new study found that only 15 percent of Americans—fewer than 1 in 6—regularly wash cloth grocery bags, creating a breeding ground for germs to prosper. Think about it: You put a carton of raw chicken breast in there and lug it home. Maybe a tiny bit of the juice leaks out (ew). Then the next time you use the bag, it carries a dozen apples. Guess where the bacteria from that chicken juice ends up? Yeah.
• Interesting finding: A study at Rutgers found that caffeine and exercise may help lower skin-cancer risk and offer some cancer-prevention benefits—at least in lab mice.
• In more depressing “we sit too much” news, Finnish researchers conducted a study which found that, no matter how much you exercise, most people still end up sitting on their rears for most—70 percent—of the day. Writes the New York Times: “Their results suggest that normal exercise, which fills so few hours of even active people’s days, ‘may not be enough in terms of health.'”


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SHOPS in Brighouse and Elland could be in line for trophies when Totally Locally Calderdale stages an awards ceremony later this month.
The innovative shop local campaign is designed to raise awareness of independent businesses in the district – and help them boost profits and sales.
The Totally Locally Awards will take place on Thursday, June 30, at The Works in Sowerby Bridge. A Totally Locally networking session with local food and drink will kick off the night’s activities – allowing Calderdale businesses to network and forge new links.
The campaign, which is funded by Calderdale Council, encouraged local residents to spend just £5 in local shops in order to help bring in an extra £40m a year to the local economy.
Contact Michay Matthews at Marketing Halifax on 01422 360035. For more information on Totally Locally Calderdale and to vote in the Totally Locally Awards for your most loved shop and cafe go to www.totally-locally.co.uk


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Credit amnesty has mixed results, with some managing their debt better and others failing to repay home loans, vehicle loans and credit cards.
Mobicred allows you to finance your online purchases with a single credit product, a first for South Africa.
A storm looks set to rock the online scene as some of SA's largest e-commerce players square up against banking powers over online fraud detection.
As costs keep rising, South Africans keep buying assets but they borrow money so that they can eat, writes Lisa Steyn.
The NCR says the latest credit market statistics suggest a need for caution as the number of consumers with impaired credit records jumped by 100 000.
By making everything more accessible and immediate, have credit cards removed our sense of achievement in acquiring those experiences or goods?
Standard Bank says fewer credit-card holders are defaulting and most are spending more responsibly.
Is it worth using your credit card to save for a holiday?
Having a credit card can help to increase your affordability. But only if you use it wisely.
The rates charged by banks on credit cards vary dramatically so it is worth shopping around. I noticed this when comparing my two credit cards.
Imagine running the largest credit card network, and not having your own plastic -- that's what happened to Visa chief executive Joseph Saunders.
Credit-card fraud cost SA R420-million in the past year and has increased by 146%, the South African Banking Risk Information Centre says.
Housekeeper Leonides de Moraes is part of the emerging middle class fuelling Brazil's economic revival -- but try telling her that.
The South African credit card industry is bracing itself for a new round of innovation and competition.
Many card issuers offer the budget facility as a vehicle for card holders to consolidate their existing debt and -- in return -- they offer customers an incentive in the pricing, in the form of preferential interest rates.
Credit card initiatives and product innovations -- many related to pricing -- are about to be spawned in the marketplace as a direct result of the challenges the National Credit Act (NCA) originally posed to the banking fraternity.
The rising popularity of debit cards complements the traditional credit card market.


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The 50 best places to launch a new small business. CNNMoney.com ranks the best cities to start a new company based on access to affordable workers, growing economies, low crime rates, and stable housing markets. The top five may surprise you. Oklahoma City takes the number one spot, followed by Pittsburgh, Raleigh, Houston, and Hartford. You can search the list by how many SBA 7(a) loans were doled out in 2009, including the money lent and top lender; by average hourly wage; or by area with the fastest growth. So what won Oklahoma City the top slot? Beyond having the second lowest foreclosure rate and the second lowest median rent, "Oklahoma City also benefits from a high concentration of deep-pocketed local investors, many of them veterans of the oil and gas industry, who are willing to take a gamble on companies that might spend 10 years bringing a new product to fruition." For another tool to help you pick the right location to set up shop, check out our profile of San Francisco-based GIS Planning.
A Twitter competitor in the making? The founders of real-time photo-sharing website DailyBooth recently dished to The Wall Street Journal on why their service is better than Twitter, and how they raised $1 million from VCs and angel investors. The start-up, which allows users to post photo updates rather than written ones (see co-founder Jon Wheatley's upload of him with a pretty tasting-looking pizza), lists Flickr co-founder Caterina Fake and Digg co-founder Kevin Rose among its investors, as well as Y Combinator, Paul Graham's venture firm that helps launch early-stage start-ups. DailyBooth's founders say their website has six million monthly unique visitors, and is growing by about 35 percent a month. So why will DailyBooth outlast other real-time social networking platforms? "People following you get so much more gratification seeing a photo rather than reading a tweet about something," Wheatley says. Let the competition begin.
Google Android ads target entrepreneurs While we were ensconced watching many hours of football this weekend, we noticed a strange new television commercial. It started out like an ad for Apple's iPhone--happy music, white background--but then it got weird. Turns out it's for a new cell phone, the Motorola Droid, according to Mashable, which asks if it could become, "a true challenger to the iPhone." We're not sure if that's the case, but the spot is certainly aimed at an important iPhone constituency: App developers. It includes technical details--such as the fact that the new phone, which runs Google's Android operating system, allows for "open development," "widgets," and "simultaneous apps"--that few consumers understand but that are of special concern to companies making cell phone applications. Meanwhile, Boy Genuis Report, has a first look at the new handset and is impressed.
An e-reader for the business set? The e-reader market is experiencing a deluge of biblical proportions, with would-be Kindle competitors popping up all the time. But the latest such device, dubbed the Que (pronounced "q") by Mountainview, California-based Plastic Logic, is supposedly attuned specifically to the needs of businesspeople. The company's PR team has only released a tantalizing side view of the reader, and from the features they list so far, including 3G and the ability to store and edit Office documents, it's unclear how much better the Que is suited for the suit on the go than for the average Joe. The Que isn't available yet, with more info on it coming at January's Consumer Electronics Show.
Invest like top investors. Last year, the web start-up kaChing launched with the goal of bringing transparency to investing by creating an online platform for virtual trading where amateur and professional investors mingled side by side. Now, as The New York Times' Claire Cain Miller reports this morning, investors on kaChing can trade with real money and automatically copy the investments of the site's top traders or "Geniuses." Like all good things, though, mirroring a Genius's trading comes with a price: 0.25 to 3 percent of your portfolio.
Pro ticket start-up scores big. Sports fans can attest that the only thing more painful than watching their favorite team stumble their way through a losing season is having to pay sky-high ticket prices to watch their failing efforts. Austin-based startup Qcue (pronounced cue-cue) may not be able to help your team win, but they are helping professional sports organizations adjust their ticket prices to match their team's performance. Today's Austin American-Statesman has a profile on Qcue and the buzz their business is generating amongst sports teams and investors. The company's software, which allows teams to adjust their ticket prices based on a number of factors--including a team's performance, the weather, and the opponent--was already a big success with the San Francisco Giants this season. Just recently, Qcue signed a similar deal with the NHL's Dallas Stars. As for investors, the company has raised $1 million from private investors and is set to announce next week that it has secured addition funding.
Do free business cards give the right first impression about your company? Maybe so, according to the New York Daily News, which explains that free business cards may make you or your company look cheap, at first glance. Though several sites, such as Vistaprint.com, and Bizcard.com offer packs of 250 or more free, their main objective is to get you to become a paying customer and start buying other office supplies, such as stationary or pens and pencils. While the freebies are always an easy option, if you want to ensure your product or service is delivering a high-end message, it may be worth your reputation to fork over the cash for a higher quality card.
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Comic distributors turn to cell phones to broaden market
By Heather Hollingsworth, Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. Garfield, Cathy, Dilbert and Ziggy, along with the rest of the characters from the comics page, are looking for a second home: your cell-phone screen.
As the number of people carrying next-generation mobile phones soars, comic distributors hope mobile users will be their next market.
For a few bucks a month tacked onto your mobile bill, two privately owned U.S. companies — GoComics and FunMail — are hawking comic-themed screen savers, mobile greeting cards and daily comic strips specially formatted for cell-phone screens.
"We see our mission as distributing bite-size information for short attention spans," said Fabrice Florin, managing director of GoComics. The company is a partnership between uclick, the digital arm of Kansas City-based Universal Press Syndicate, and Handtap Communications, a Mill Valley, Calif.-based mobile content provider.
"In less than a minute you get a little chuckle," he said. "It's really appropriate in today's world where people have less and less time."
The comic ventures are an effort to capitalize on a growing market for news and entertainment on cell phones.
The growth of the market is fueled by the proliferation of handsets that can handle graphics and the use of high-speed transmission networks such as the 3G standard.
Florin said Americans typically replace their phones every two years and Europeans and Asians more often.
"Inevitably, the next time you go in and get a new one, you'll get this nice color screen and you'll say, 'Where can I go to get something'" to put on the phone?
The comics, he said, "offer a daily dose of fun to life on the go."
Seamus McAteer, a senior analyst for the San Francisco-based Zelos Group, said mobile entertainment will cross the billion-dollar threshold in the United States in the next year.
"We will look back on 2004 and 2005 as a period when a new medium was really created," McAteer said.
And unlike the Internet, McAteer and Florin said, a billing structure is in place thanks to the phone carriers to handle $1 and $3 charges for small downloads of content like games and comics.
"These mobile phones are mobile billing machines," Florin said. "The billing system is in place to support people's willingness to use these products, which we didn't have with the Internet. The customers expect everything on the Internet to be free."
Florin of GoComics said the operation is breaking even. The company began making several of Universal Press Syndicate's strips available on a daily basis last year through an arrangement with Overland Park, Kan.-based Sprint Corp. and other U.S. and overseas carriers.
GoComics, which also has relationships with United Media and Tribune Media Services, began offering comic-themed wallpapers even earlier.
Adam Lavine, CEO of Pleasanton, Calif.-based FunMail, said his venture-backed effort is "comfortably profitable" but offered no details. The company has relationships to distribute comics with King Features Syndicate, United Media, Creators Syndicate and Tribune Media Services.
GoComics and FunMail have expanded almost monthly the number of comics and types of services they offer. And they expect business to explode in coming years.
Lavine said the startup costs weren't cheap because new software had to be developed. "But," he said, "there's a lot that can be done once you have the syndication pipe set up."
He said FunMail is looking at other syndication opportunities, perhaps developing interactive children's stories for cell-phone distribution or a new generation of interactive comics.
"The interesting thing about the phone is it's always with you and always on," he said. "So there's a rich set of possibilities."
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Tinwald Scouts had a McFormal dining experience last week as part of their end of year celebrations.
The group, which included 10 scouts and 10 adults, sat down to dine in style at McDonald’s Ashburton fast food restaurant.
Scout leader Daniel Tew said the dining experience held in the private room at the front of the restaurant had many layers to it.
The scouts had to wear McFormal dress attire for the occasion, which was out of their comfort zone, and then they had to use proper table etiquette to eat something usually consumed hand-tomouth.
There was also table conversation, with each table set for four people.
The tables were set with tablecloths, floral displays, candles and drinking flutes – the scouts just had to bring their own plates and cutlery.
Scouts made their own menu choices which were then eaten on plates, using only knives, forks or spoons.
Beverages were drunk via the supplied flutes laid on the dressed tables.
The idea for the experience had been the idea of scout Zoe Bland, and it was the first time in Mr Tew’s 15 years as a scout leader they had done such an experience and it seemed to be well received.


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HLTH Reports Decrease in Revenue for the Latest Quarter
Segments of revenue
In the latest quarter, HLTH reported total revenue of $17.5 million, a significant decrease compared to $69.6 million in the same quarter of the previous year. The decrease in revenue was primarily volume-related, as the company experienced a tempering of COVID-19 testing, which continued into 2023. Revenue during the quarter was primarily driven by sales to private sector customers, amounting to $14.4 million.
Despite the decrease in revenue, HLTH demonstrated strength in its ability to generate sales to private sector customers, contributing to the overall revenue for the quarter. The company's Cue Integrated Care Platform, which includes the Cue Health Monitoring System, Cue Data and Innovation Layer, Cue Virtual Care Delivery Apps, and Cue Ecosystem, continues to empower people to live their healthiest lives.
The decrease in revenue for the latest quarter highlights the challenges faced by HLTH, particularly in relation to the tempering of COVID-19 testing. The company's reliance on COVID-19 testing as a significant revenue driver has been impacted by the changing landscape of the pandemic.
It is worth noting that HLTH's revenue decrease in the latest quarter is primarily attributed to the volume-related impact of COVID-19 testing. The company's performance should be evaluated in the context of the ongoing pandemic and its effects on the healthcare industry.
HLTH reported a decrease in revenue for the latest quarter, primarily driven by the tempering of COVID-19 testing. Despite this challenge, the company demonstrated strength in generating sales to private sector customers. HLTH's Cue Integrated Care Platform continues to support its mission of empowering people to live their healthiest lives. The company's performance should be considered in the context of the ongoing pandemic and its impact on the healthcare industry.


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Johnson & Johnson was ordered Thursday to pay $four.69 billion to 22 girls and their households who had claimed that asbestos in the corporate’s talcum powder merchandise prompted them to develop ovarian most cancers.
A jury in a Missouri circuit courtroom awarded $four.14 billion in punitive damages and $550 million in compensatory damages to the ladies, who had accused the corporate of failing to warn them about most cancers dangers related to its child and physique powders.
Johnson & Johnson, the maker of Johnson’s Baby Powder, stated it was “deeply disappointed” in the decision and deliberate to attraction. The firm is going through greater than 9,000 plaintiffs in instances involving physique powders with talc, in accordance to a regulatory doc filed this spring.
After a six-week trial, the jury in St. Louis deliberated over the compensatory damages for eight hours however selected the punitive damages in roughly 45 minutes, stated Mark Lanier, a lawyer for the ladies.
Six of the ladies have died; virtually all the relaxation, together with buddies and family, had been in the courtroom on Thursday. One of the plaintiffs is present process chemotherapy and was too sick to attend, Mr. Lanier stated.
“There were people crying, people hugging,” he added. “It’s been quite an emotional scene.”
Mr. Lanier stated Johnson & Johnson had spent 40 years overlaying up proof of asbestos in a few of its talcum-based merchandise and may mark these merchandise with warning labels or give attention to powders made with cornstarch.
The punitive damages are among the many largest ever awarded in a product legal responsibility case, he stated.
Johnson & Johnson known as the decision “the product of a fundamentally unfair process” that mixed 22 girls with few connections to Missouri right into a single group of plaintiffs in St. Louis.
The firm “remains confident that its products do not contain asbestos and do not cause ovarian cancer and intends to pursue all available appellate remedies,” it stated in an announcement.
The firm has stated considerations about talc’s being linked to most cancers are primarily based on inconclusive analysis.
Asbestos is a carcinogen that typically seems in pure talc however was stripped from business talc merchandise in the 1970s, according to the American Cancer Society.
And in accordance to the National Cancer Institute, claims that talc used for female hygiene functions will be absorbed by the reproductive system and trigger irritation in the ovaries aren’t supported by “the weight of evidence.”
Plaintiffs in talc instances have approached litigation in smaller groups as an alternative of suing Johnson & Johnson en masse. The dangerous technique permits earlier plaintiffs to ship indicators about authorized techniques and their award quantities to girls who carry instances later.
Suing in clusters additionally maximizes the emotional impact of the ladies’s tales on juries, Mr. Lanier stated.
“It’s easier to get justice in small groups,” he stated. “In small groups, people have names, but in large groups, they’re numbers.”
The first talc trial was in 2013 in Federal District Court in South Dakota. A jury discovered Johnson & Johnson negligent however didn’t award damages to the plaintiff. Several different instances have concerned sizable damages, together with a $417 million verdict reached by jurors in Los Angeles County Superior Court final 12 months.
The plaintiff in the Los Angeles case has since died, and the decision was overturned and a brand new trial granted.
Johnson & Johnson, which has efficiently appealed a variety of talc instances, stated in its assertion on Thursday that “the multiple errors present in this trial were worse than those in the prior trials which have been reversed.”


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Is COVID-19 Affecting Your Business? LEARN MORE
This was a difficult sale as the store was located in the downtown area of a tourist town and the sale was held in the out of season when the touri… Read More
This sale was to liquidate several departments. The grocery department and several other departments were to stay open. The cost of inventory t… Read More
We are facing highly unusual times. Stores in many states, cities and counties have been forced to close, and the consumer has been encouraged to stay at home and only shop for necessary items. It now appears that things are beginning to break open, the consumer is starting to get out and retailers are going to have to aggressively go after every dollar they can get to cover lost sales.
The retail industry has lost their good spring selling season. Retailers are stuck with two seasons of merchandise. Now they must reopen with a strong sale and heavy advertising to generate customer traffic and raise a huge amount of cash. Out of season and over stocks need to be converted to cash while in season merchandise needs to be sold to make as much profit as possible. AND IT NEEDS TO BE DONE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!


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The Sun West School Division celebrated Pink Shirt Day this year on February 16.
The nationally recognized Pink Shirt Day usually occurs on the last Wednesday of February every year; however, this year, that date falls during the Family Week break and so the Ministry of Education declared Wednesday, February 16, 2022 as Pink Shirt Day in Saskatchewan.
Pink Shirt Day began in 2007 when a student in Nova Scotia was bullied for wearing a pink shirt to school. Here is a snippet of an article detailing the original incident:
“David Shepherd, Travis Price and their teenage friends organized a high-school protest to wear pink in sympathy with a Grade 9 boy who was being bullied [for wearing a pink shirt]…[They] took a stand against bullying when they protested against the harassment of a new Grade 9 student by distributing pink T-shirts to all the boys in their school. ‘I learned that two people can come up with an idea, run with it, and it can do wonders,’ says Mr. Price, 17, who organized the pink protest. ‘Finally, someone stood up for a weaker kid.’ So Mr. Shepherd and some others headed off to a discount store and bought 50 pink tank tops. They sent out messages to schoolmates that night, and the next morning they hauled the shirts to school in a plastic bag. As they stood in the foyer handing out the shirts, the bullied boy walked in. His face spoke volumes. ‘It looked like a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders,’ Mr. Price recalled. The bullies were never heard from again.”
— GLOBE & MAIL
Since this idea first began, it has grown each year, with worldwide support and participation. Countries across the globe now organize anti-bullying fundraisers of their own, empowering students and others to speak out against bullying, homophobia and transphobia.
Stand Up, Stand Strong, Be KIND, and don’t forget your pink shirt!