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A collection of news and information related to Marketing published by this site and its partners.
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The horses arrived in Costa Mesa this week. As you may have heard, the Tony award-winning "War Horse," one of the most lauded stage productions in decades, is opening at Segerstrom Center for the Arts. And playing a key role in the World War I story...
The New Year is a traditional time for a fresh start and positive change. And for Huntington Beach Hospital, such a statement rings true. The hospital on Beach Boulevard, which has been open since 1967, converted to nonprofit operation on Jan. 1 and is...
Tags: Hospitals and Clinics
Starting a business from the ground up is difficult task for anyone. An even more challenging task is starting that business during a struggling economy. But for Anne Mason-Arnold, she made it look easy as her business, CloudMover Day Spa, received...
It's finally feeling like fall, which means time to wear cozy sweaters for cooler weather. At two amazing boutiques in Newport Beach — Sienna Brown Fashion at Corona del Mar Plaza and its sister store Coastal Cool at Crystal Cove Promenade —...
East 17th Street in Costa Mesa is raising the bar as a farm fresh food destination. The 2005 opening of Avanti Café has inspired other like-minded organic eateries and stores to move in. Now we have Sprouts Farmers Market, Greenleaf, and the new Anais+...
Tags: Ketchup, John Varvatos, Arable Farming, Onions, Philosophy
Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach) on Monday denounced a report by a political watchdog group that lists him among politicians who benefit personally from their offices or extend benefits to family members. "Family Affair," the report by Citizens...
We've discovered a hidden Newport Beach gem, Naomy & Adrian, a fashion haven for handmade knits and hand-selected apparel, beautiful scarves, handbags and jewelry that you'd normally find in New York or a French boutique. Owner Naomy Kim, a longtime...
Amid ongoing concern about drinking problems in Huntington Beach, a group of restaurant owners has banded together to form a nonprofit to lead classes in how to serve alcohol responsibly. Marco Perry, general manager of the Shorebreak Hotel, announced...
The ongoing SAT cheating scandal, where 20 former high school students from a wealthy Long Island community allegedly accepted money to impersonate current high school students for the purposes of taking the test for them, has cast a bright spotlight on...
The Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce named Golden West College employee Margie Bunten its Outstanding Citizen of the year at an annual luncheon Thursday. Bunten, a Huntington resident for 36 years, is the director of the Golden West College...
Tags: Human Interest, Boeing Co., Chiropractic
Sandy Segerstrom Daniels' passion for helping children began when she was a child herself. Her first time helping a children's organization came when her eighth-grade teacher offered the opportunity to the class as a means of receiving extra credit....
It's always exciting to meet people who have bravely given up "real jobs" to fulfill their passions after years of thinking and planning. John Bennett and Hans-Erich Vogel are two such people. They recently opened Vin Goat, the cleverly-dubbed wine and...
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Somehow, 51 million iPhones just wasn’t enough for investors.
[np_storybar title=”Apple’s bet on iPhone 5C market leads to earnings disappointment” link=”http://financialpost.com/2014/01/27/apple-inc-q1-earnings/”]It was a rare admission from Tim Cook that Apple Inc. got it wrong.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
The world’s largest technology company announced its first quarter earnings for the 2014 fiscal year on Monday, largely beating analyst expectations. But despite setting a new quarterly record for iPhone sales, the company still came in soft versus analyst expectations — largely on projections that its mid-level iPhone 5C would be more popular. Continue reading
Despite taking investors on an historic run over the last four years — since 2010, first quarter profits are up almost 300% — it’s now crystal clear that shareholders are anxiously waiting to see what chief executive Tim Cook and his team have up their sleeves that will fuel the next phase of Apple Inc.’s growth.
At the top of their wish list is a new product category that can help reignite Apple’s growth trajectory the way the introduction of the iPhone and iPad fundamentally changed the fortunes of the company in 2007 and 2010.
On a conference call with investors on Monday, Mr. Cook said Apple has plenty of disruptive ideas but needs to concentrate resources on the best opportunities. He also said a new product category would be introduced this year.
Apple’s spending on research and development has nearly doubled in the past two years and second quarter expenses are expected to be unseasonably high, according to UBS analyst Steven Milunovich.
“Investors are getting antsy,” he said, highlighting Apple’s mention of “iBeacon” and the potential for mobile payments. He also cited the expected launch of wearable technologies, but the timing is uncertain.
“This approach has worked historically and fits with our belief in focus — we are willing to give Apple the benefit of the doubt,” Mr. Milunovich said.
Exactly what new products Apple is working on remains uncertain. Depending on which rumour you choose to believe, Apple is working on a smartwatch, a flatscreen television or something else entirely.
“Hopefully Apple’s plans include two new and larger iPhones, a new larger iPad, a new Apple TV, more solutions/partners for payments and a wearable device,” Barclays analyst Ben Reitzes said in a note to clients, cutting his target price on the stock to US$570 from US$585.
With a new product category potentially on tap for 2014, some investors are looking to take advantage of any near-term weakness in the stock.
“We think investor sentiment will be bruised by the slowing iPhone momentum and indications the company misread market conditions with its rollout of the iPhone 5C among other factors,” Mark Moskowitz, an IT hardware analyst at J.P. Morgan, said in a note to clients.
“We think the issues are explainable and can be overcome.”
Amit Daryanani, an analyst at RBC Capital Markets, left his price target unchanged at US$590, but noted investors are becoming concerned about iPhone unit growth and Apple’s lack of production innovation.
“While gross margins beat expectations and are expected to remain stable next quarter,” revenue is expected to be flat on a year-over-year basis,” Mr. Daryanani said in a note to clients.
He thinks the stock will remain range-bound between US$500 and US$550 in the near-term, but did cite several upside catalysts, including Apple’s capital allocation plan, a steady but positive ramp-up with China Mobile, a new product cycle with the iPhone 6 and iPad 4, and potential new revenue streams such as wearable devices and a TV.
Tuesday’s pullback in Apple persisted despite activist investor Carl Icahn indicating he has bought another US$500-million worth of shares.
“My buying seems to be neck-and-neck with Apple’s buyback program, but hope they win that race,” he tweeted on Tuesday.
Mr. Icahn, who last week stated his Apple holdings have surpassed US$3-billion, has been calling for the company to expand its share buyback program.

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IBC 2010 was “the second biggest IBC in history”, based on visitor numbers, which were up almost 9% on last year. In total, 48,521 attended the show that wrapped up earlier this week.
“The level of attendance and engagement at IBC this year is a clear indication that our industry is robust, recovering well and driven by continuing advances in technology and creativity,” believes IBC CEO Michael Crimp.
Over 1,300 companies were represented at the show and a 13th hall had to be added a month or two before the event kicked off to accommodate increased demand for stand space.
Televisual covered the event in a series of live blogs from the show room floor, which are rounded up below...
Televisual’s interview with stereo 3d guru, 3ality’s Steve Schklair, who made the keynote speech on Monday’s 3d conference day
Panasonic’s new cameras – the AG-AF101, its first DSLR for the broadcast market, a newly updated AG-3DA1, Panasonic’s dual-lens stereo 3d camera and, the AJ-HPX3100, a new P2 model with vastly improved proxy files
An iPad and clever photographic and animation techniques are all that's used to draw the moving 3d typography and objects in this eye-catching production (called Making Future Magic) from creative communications agency Dentsu London and design consultancy BERG.
According to the creative chaps at Dentsu and BERG, "In dark environments, we play movies on the surface of the iPad that extrude 3d light forms as they move through the exposure. Multiple exposures with slightly different movies make up the stop-frame animation."
The results are seriously impressive, as you'll be able to see for yourself below...
AJA brought out a device for taking the feed from 3d camera rigs, converting it and displaying the content on inexpensive consumer 3d screens. The Hi5-3d mini-converter has horizontal and vertical picture flip modes so it can be used for multiple different 3d camera rigs.
It takes the feed from 3d camera rigs, and flips the mirrored image to orient it properly. Using HDMI 1.4a, it then displays the ‘muxed’ 3d image on affordable consumer 3d displays (non consumer 3d displays can cost upwards of $10k) to provide instant 3d on location. The device costs $495, and will be available next month.
AJA also launched a smaller, cut-down version of its portable KiPro file-based recorder. The new, slimmed down £1,995 KiPro mini records edit-ready 10-bit ProRes 422 QuickTime files onto two CompactFlash cards.
It’s lightweight, compact and can be slotted on to virtually any camera, and has a number of useful applications. On a multi-camera shoot where different cameras and formats are being used, by putting a KiPro mini on all cameras they will all record in the same file format, enabling a much quicker turnaround time.
The device also makes it possible to use cameras such as Sony’s XDCAM EX models and make HD recordings accepted by broadcasters.
The user interface of the KiPro mini is the same as the KiPro and it has the same menu controls and navigation structure. However, compared to its larger sister device, the KiPro, the KiPro mini doesn’t offer SD to HD conversions and cross conversions.
Autoscript has brought out an innovative teleprompter– the iPlus - that runs on an iPad, iPhone or iTouch. Designed for “shoot and scoot” news operations, Autoscript’s app turns the iPad into a fully featured portable teleprompter.
The iPlus software can be used as a bridge to WinPlus in a newsroom or studio to download/transfer scripts or running orders to the iPhone/iPad/iTouch. A handheld control – the Scroll Plus Controller - is then used to scroll smoothly through the script.
A lightweight plate is available to encase the iPad and mirror the screen as with a conventional auto-cueing device. It also allows the prompter to position the iPad in a convenient place for ease of viewing by the presenter.
Autoscript has packaged the app with the plate and assembly, which is a available as a complete portable teleprompter system for £700.
Grass Valley used IBC to demo a means of doing high quality instant super slo-mo replays in stereo 3d, which is one of the key remaining challenges in providing compelling 3d sport broadcasts.
Using two of its LDK8300 systems cameras and a 3ality mirror rig, a Grass Valley disc recorder auto-flips the mirrored camera image and syncs the two camera channels together to create the stereo 3d image.
Grass Valley’s K2 Summit server then provides straightforward user controls to enable the marking of in and out points and the immediate playback of stereo 3d super slo-mo replays.
Avid showed off a technology demo of a new web based craft editing system that makes it possible for an editor to cut images from anywhere, via the web. All the processing power and the media stays is at the facility, so a standard laptop is enough for the fully featured editing software to function ok. The main consideration is the speed of the web connection.
Avid’s Patrick McLean says you need decent speed access (around 6 to 8Mb) for seamless, uninterrupted full blown editing, but, he says, Avid has also created an iPhone app for approvals, which works fine on even a 2Mb connection.
McLean says the system is “very responsive and includes vfx and audio as well as editing tools.” He adds that it’s “a different way of working. It’s not going to displace regular editing suites overnight.”
He says there are lots of “workflow issues to think about” before Avid can turn the technology demo into a full blown product. Currently, the editor has been built in Java specifically for the demo, but has features and functionality that will be familiar to Media Composer users.
Panasonic has released a Digital SLR – the AG-AF101 – pitched at the Canon 5D/7D market but with enhancements over these models to better suit producers' needs, says European product manager, Rob Tarrent.
“We looked at the growth of DSLRs and decided to enter this market. We designed the camera after talking to videographers to find out what their ideal camera would be,” he says. So Panasonic’s DSLR has a headphone socket and “proper SDI and HDMI connections,” says Tarrent.
According to Tarrent, the AG-AF101 (main picture) records “12-hours of footage, not 12-minutes”, has detachable lenses, “proper video and audio” and a “wonderfully shallow depth of field”. Certainly, the beautifully detailed images on the reel Panasonic showed on its stand backed up Tarrent’s enthusiasm.
The camera costs €4,900 and will be available in December. Panasonic is currently taking orders for the model.
Panasonic’s (presently unique) dual-lens stereo 3d camera, the AG-3DA1 (pictured above), which was showcased at NAB, is now shipping, says Tarrent. It costs €18,700 and Pansonic has already sold 150 of the cameras in Europe, and 800 worldwide.
Tarrent adds that Panasonic has received “extreme interest” in the camera at IBC and has taken lots of orders. However, despite the interest, Tarrent says the wait for orders taken now “isn’t months” and that it can fulfill new orders relatively quickly.
The camera has undergone a number of performance tweaks since a working unit was shown at NAB. Panasonic sent out different variations of the camera to users and asked them for feedback on the pros and cons of each model. These comments have been used to further enhance the functionality of the shipping model.
Panasonic says the bulk of orders have come from production, with some from broadcasters and the medical/education market. Tarrent explains the camera’s interaxial is fixed to roughly the same distance as the human eye, which impacts on the distance from the subject you can film and still capture comfortable looking stereoscopic footage - you can get away with filming from between three and 30 metres from the subject.
With all its focus on DSLR and 3d, Tarrent was keen to stress the company hasn’t forgotten about P2. It’s just added another P2 model – the AJ-HPX3100 (pictured above) – which has improved audio recording over existing models, is lightweight (at 3.9kg) and, as a result, more comfortable for shoulder-mounting.
Significantly, it also stores vastly improved proxy files, with 960x540 images (SD) and uncompressed audio, so you can cut to good quality images and best quality audio.
It can also work with a web and iPad/iPhone based app that enables meta data to be uploaded to the camera pre, during or after the shoot.
3ality’s founder and CEO Steve Schklair kicked off IBC’s 3d day on Monday with a keynote speech about how best to capture stereoscopic images for live broadcast. I caught up with him at the show to talk through his vast experience of all things 3d.
“It’s all about ensuring everything is quality 3d. During my keynote speech I’ll show everyone what badly shot 3d looks like. You may not notice much of a difference at the start but after 10 minutes it will give you a headache.
We were the first guys to set up a major 3d company based around the new methodology of doing 3d. That was a decade ago. I had no doubts then that things would go 3d, not just for movies but TV too. Where else would media go? In the last decade, we’ve already had better quality, immersive surround sound, so it's natural you'd want better quality, immersive images too. To me, it’s clear TV will eventually be a 3d device.
When 3d is done properly the content is far too compelling to not want 3d. And if it’s done badly it shows, you’ll get a headache and not want to watch it. And it's important to remember that 3d doesn’t make something that’s bad in 2d good, so storytelling is still key to any content’s success.
To produce 3d shouldn’t add anything to the production schedule. We shot an NBC sitcom recently and ended up getting through more shots than previously when the show was 2d. If you have the right technology you’re fine.
But you need a similar range of shooting options as with a 2d show. If you can’t pan fast or zoom in beyond a certain point, the 3d isn''t going to be so compelling as the 2d, so the viewer will just want to switch back to how it was before.
Likewise, in sports, the stereo 3d needs to be better than 2d if it’s to survive, otherwise again viewers will just want to switch back to 2d.
New editing tools save on post production time for stereo 3d. I think SGO’s Mistika is the best option right now. It was the Pablo before but now it’s the Mistika, as it handles the geometry of 3d better. You can make slight adjustments to the interaxial settings, and it’s the only system that can do that.
Sky and Telegenic’s stereo 3d services are built around 3ality kit. They’ve done 3d so well at Sky. They found a business case for it – which has initially been sports in pubs – and made a deal with a TV manufacturer to provide pubs with the sets.
They did a sponsorship deal with the glasses and bought the best quality stereo 3d kit for their coverage. Sky trained their staff correctly and practiced for months before going on air. Crews were being sent out every weekend to practice getting the stereo 3d production right, which was expensive but totally the right thing to do. And it shows."
For more on stereo 3d from Steve Schklair, here's a recent Sky News interview....
Quantel announced a significant technological development at IBC, with what it calls “mutating file systems”. Basically, the techie types at Quantel have managed to re-engineer the computer file to make it possible to work on the contents of a file before the file itself has even been created.
In practice, this means you can start doing frame-accurate editing on QuickTime content in FCP (from anywhere in the world, via the web), whilst content is still being recorded.
Quantel is using ‘mutating file systems’ on a development called Project QTube whereby a shoot can take place anywhere in the world with the producer on the other side of the world able to instantaneously view all the assets from the studio, including the live assets, while the shoot is still taking place.
The producer can ingest, edit and log the content immediately over the web. It’s live and instant and can all happen over a normal internet connection.
Quantel says it will be delivering products based on mutating file systems by the second half of next year.
Autodesk is combining Flame, Smoke and Lustre in a single product called Flame Premium, effectively killing off Flame as a standalone product, it announced at IBC.
The entire package – which is software and turnkey hardware - costs less than Flame did a year ago, and, for the first time, provides Autodesk's full suite of finishing tools, covering vfx, editorial and grading.
“The market dynamics are changing and clients need a higher return on investment,” Maurice Patel, Autodesk’s entertainment industry manager, told me at the show. “People want more integrated workflows. They still want to offer premium client-supervised services but Flame Premium, as the ultimate finishing tool providing vfx, editorial and grading, means you no longer have to segment your offer.”
“The grading market is in transition and Flame Premium is part of the future,” he adds. “Colourists, compositors and editors have unique skills but each has to learn new skills. Now many of these skills are overlapping, and this needs a flexible solution.”
Patel says that, with digitally acquired footage, grading is no longer linked to telecine so, “The telecine workflow is disrupted. You can now grade at any part of the process, and material needs to be free-flowing between editorial and grading.”
Autodesk is still planning to offer Flame, Smoke and Lustre as separately available products, but Patel says, “The price of Flame by itself is so similar to Flame Premium it would be foolish not to go for Flame Premium”.
Responding to the release of Flame Premium, Digital Vision’s vp, worldwide marketing, Martin Bennett, says, at the moment, there are still separate roles for the editor, colourist and vfx artist so a single system isn't going to be appropriate for many post houses. However, he says, Flame Premium is likely to appeal to small to medium size houses that want to offer a wider range of services.
Bennett adds that, in three to five years, there is likely to be increased convergence of job roles and that Digital Vision could then make strategic alliances with other companies to offer a similarly broad toolset covering advanced vfx and editorial functionality.
“It’s the same as with the audio world, where one person now does what were previously numerous different job roles. We are very aware of how things are moving on the picture side and are very much going to be part of that change,” he says.
Sony unveiled a series of interesting new cameras at IBC, including a dual-lens 3d model, but before it got to any of that, it opened its IBC press conference by blasting straight into a five-minute stereo 3d reel. Alongside the usual footie and Hollywood 3d animations, it included a bit of Hendrix in 3d, which at least added variety to what I suspect won’t be the last 3d reel I see at the show over the next few days.
David Bush, marketing director, Sony Professional, was the first to take to the stage and revealed Sony’s slightly forced sounding new banner for its professional products and services - Creatology; a mix of technology and creativity.
Bush says, after IBC, Sony is heading out on a Creatology tour, structured similarly to its Power of Images events last year, with a series of roadshows, master classes, training events and so on taking place in key European locations.
Back to IBC, Bush says Sony’s focus at the show is on 3d, HD and 35mm. Before any talk of new products, Bush announced Sony is about to open a 3d centre of excellence in Basingstoke. This will provide training for producers, directors, camera operators and convergence operators, and will be open from next month.
Next came the product news, delivered by audio visual media director Olivier Bovis. There’s plenty of it. Firstly, there are upgrades to Sony’s 3d box, the MPE-200, used recently for the slightly underwhelming 3d World Cup.
The box’s new features, “take another leap forward,” says Bovis, with it now able to do live 2d to 3d conversions, 3d picture stitching (where images from three cameras are stitched together to form a wide angle 3d shot) and 3d graphics insertion.
The images produced by the box’s 3d stitching and its live 2d to 3d convertor were, it has to be said, pretty impressive.
Bovis then unveiled a prototype dual-lens 3d camcorder (main picture) that will be available “some time next year”. It’s based on a new lens system with a half inch sensor. The shoulder-mount camera will “fill out our 3d line-up” and be well suited to sections of a 3d sports broadcast such as the manager interviews at the end of a game, for example.
New HD cameras from Sony include the PMW-500 (above), a new XDCAM EX model that’s capable of 50 mb/s acquisition, making it the first of Sony’s cameras recording to solid-state memory to fulfill broadcasters’ minimum HD requirements.
It’s essentially the same camera as the PDW-700, the XDCAM HD422 model that records to Professional Disc. The 500 will be around 10% cheaper than the 700, and its introduction means Sony is able to “offer a disc-based solution as well as memory-card based product,” so you can choose which one best suits your workflow, explains Bovis.
At the top-end, Sony revealed another prototype – this time for quite a dinky looking and currently unnamed digital 35mm camera (above) that’s going to be much more affordable than Sony’s F35 and SRW-9000PL models.
“Our desire is to take the 35mm world into a much more affordable environment,” says Bovis. The camera will be ready by early next year and “it will be more affordable by far” than Sony’s current 35mm models, says Bovis.


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Wireless charging mats may soon become the norm, according to the likes of Duracell. However, one firm has launched an alternative system for simultaneously recharging gadgets that still does away with the need for multiple cables. Idapt_01 Idapt's power socket tips can be swapped out to suit different gadgets The Idapt unit …
Looks like a genuinely useful gadget, unlike the wireless thing.
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Farmers Get Training on Packaging Mursik to Prevent Food Poisoning
The Kenya Dairy Board (KDB) has started training dairy farmers and small cottage milk processors in South Rift region in the making of proper, safe and hygienic Kalenjin fermented milk (Mursik).
The training of the dairy farmers and small cottage milk processors is aimed at curbing the making and processing of poor and unhygienic Mursik which at times gets contaminated due lack of proper skills in the processing; leading to food poisoning when consumed.
The Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) in the Ministry of Agriculture Ms. Linah Jebii Kilimo hailed the training for it will enhance businesses; as milk producers will be trained on how to add value to their milk produce and in turn earn more money.
She added that the government through the Kenya Dairy Board will ensure that quality Mursik was produced.
” The programme is aimed at reducing incidences where people are taken to health facilities after taking contaminated mursik”. This often occurs during ceremonies as mursik is big part of the Kalenjin heritage; which the community continues to cherish.
The CAS noted that the training will be rolled out, down to the village level. She called for the support of the county and national government to help in ensuring that all milk handlers get training on hygienic ways of making and handling mursik.
The managing Director of Kenya Dairy Board, Ms. Margaret Kabogi added that the training has already commenced and will help in making the dairy sector competitive and sustainable.


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Grand Canyon Multi Holdings, Inc. has always sought to change Iloilo City’s automotive industry and be the leader when it comes to innovation.
This was evident back in June 2022, when it launched what is known to be the first and only multi-brand showroom in the metro, THE DAILY DRIVE.
Located on the ground floor of the Festive Walk Annex, one would enter the shop and feast their eyes on top-of-the-line units from renowned brands like MITSUBISHI, KIA, MG, CHEVROLET, VOLKSWAGEN, and MAXUS, thereby widening their options. Yet, that wasn’t all potential clients would look forward to.
Customers would also be greeted by motorcycles and scooters, with brands like Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha, CFMoto, KTM, Husqvarna, Benelli, and Vespa! All thanks to a major collaboration with GRAND CANYON’S sibling brand, the MOTORCYCLE CITY.
Anybody looking to make their drive more convenient and stylish had a lot to look forward to every time they visit, especially with the roster changes that occur every two weeks. The daily drive also served as a communal space and events hub where events of different kinds would be hosted – product launches, club gatherings, pop-up displays, and the like.
As The Daily Drive celebrates its first-year anniversary this June 2023, there’s a whole lot to be excited about. As a matter of fact, for the first-year Anniversary promos:
1. Cars of any of TDD brands – an opportunity for free accommodation at the Boracay Mandarin White Sand Hotel for 3 days and two with free breakfast!
2. Motorcycles of the following brands – Purchase a unit at The Daily Drive and get cash discounts of up to 30K on selected models.
The Daily Drive always intends to come in with a bang, and these promotions are no exception. With the Anniversary celebration coming right up, you can certainly expect more exciting things in the days to come.


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Photo credit: Geek.com
Ever wonder how the earliest land animals moved? If so, you’ll be glad to know that scientists, led by evolutionary biologist John Nyakatura at Humboldt University in Berlin, have used a 290-million-year old fossil skeleton to create a moving robot model of prehistoric life. This four-legged plant-eater lived before the dinosaurs and believed to be called a “stem amniote”, or an early land-dwelling animal that later evolved into modern mammals. It fascinates scientists “because of its position on the tree of life,” said Nyakatura. The team partnered with robotics expert Kamilo Melo at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne to develop a model of how the creature moved before building OroBOT. This robot is made of motors connected by 3D-printed plastic and steel parts and “helps us to test real-world dynamics, to account for gravity and friction,” said Melo. Read more for a compilation of interesting images gathered from around the web.
Photo credit: Motor 1
The very first production 2020 Toyota GR Supra to roll off the assembly line, “Global #1,” was auctioned at Barrett-Jackson in Scottsdale today for charity, and it fetched an incredible $2.1-million. All proceeds will go to support the American Heart Association(AHA) and the Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF). There will not be another 2020 Toyota GR Supra like this one, as “Global #1” is the only VIN that will end in 20201 – with “2020” representing the year the Supra was reintroduced to the world and “1” marking it as the first vehicle to roll off the production line. Its exterior is also factory-finished with sleek matte gray color, red mirror caps and matte black wheels. Inside, you’ll find a red interior and carbon-fiber inserts representing the first of the launch edition for the U.S. market. Read more for an in-depth video tour, additional pictures and information.
If Fortnite: Battle Royale existed back in the NES and SEGA Master System days, this is probably what it would have looked like on those systems. Animation specialists “Gamology” on YouTube have created a short clip that shows you dropping in from the Battle Bus, collecting resources, hiding in bushes, riding a rocket and even fighting a boss. Read more to see what the hype is all about.
Winter Storm Harper has already hit the Midwest and is fast approaching the East, which means The Weather Channel has created yet another amazing mixed-reality video showcasing just what may happen when it arrives. For this segment, they used meteorologist Jim Cantore and combined him with vivid, digital simulations to bring extreme weather events to life. “Just a tenth of an inch makes roads and sidewalks extremely slippery. A quarter of an inch can break branches, and once you’re over half an inch, serious problems ensue,” said Cantore. Read more for the video and additional information.
Samsung’s (EP-NG930TBUGUS) Qi Certified Fast Charge Wireless Charging Stand not only works with the company’s own smartphones, but compatible iPhones as well, and it’s being offered for just $23.99 shipped, today only, originally $69.99. You’ll still be able to use your device while its charging, and since it’s always accessible, answers calls without unplugging. Charge your Samsung Fast Charge compatible device with up to 9 watt wireless charging power, which is 1.8x more power output than a standard wireless charger. Product page. Read more for a video review and additional information.
Epic Games’ Fortnite Ice Storm event has kicked off, and it all began with a mysterious orb that recently appeared above Polar Peak. That orb has now opened, and the Ice King has emerged, blanketing the island with an Ice Storm, which has frozen it over. Strange zombie-like creatures called Ice Fiends have also appeared. This means new enemies and fresh challenges for players, with each offering 500 experience points for completion. If you complete six Ice Storm challenges, players receive a black and ice blue wrap. For those finish all 13 challenges, there’s a Winter’s Thorn Glider reward. Read more for a livestream of a professional gamer tackling this new event.
To promote The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part, Chevrolet and LEGO decided to create a full-sized 2019 Chevy Silverado 1500 LT Trail Boss using only the plastic bricks. This massive vehicle was built at a model shop in Connecticut by 18 LEGO Master Builders, and took over 2,000 hours to assemble all 334,544 pieces, which make up the body, lights, wheels and tires, complete with functional lights. Read more for a video, additional pictures and information.
Photo credit: Daily Mail
The first and only total lunar eclipse of 2019 is set to occur this weekend. It will be visible in North / South America as well as parts of western Europe and Africa. January’s full moon is also called a “wolf moon” in the folklore tradition because it happens at a time when hungry wolves howled outside villages. Since the moon will be at its closest point to Earth in its elliptical orbit around our planet this weekend, it’s known as a “supermoon,” thus some are calling it a “super blood wolf moon.” Read more for the supermoon livestream (starts 5:00 pm PST) and a video showing how to photograph the lunar eclipse.
Photo credit: Cory Klagunde via BrokenLeg2013
Auto enthusiasts have probably seen Ken Block’s Ford F-150-based Hoonitruck, now feast your eyes on the miniature version. It’s built upon a Honda N600 chassis – a small front-engine, front-wheel drive, two-passenger two-box automobile released in 1973 – and powered by a Suzuki GSX-R 1000 superbike engine that is mounted in the bed, mated to a six-speed sequential transmission functioning similar to a motorcycle gearbox. Read more for a video and additional information.
Photo credit: NoMoRobo
Whether if you’re on a landline or purely wireless, Verizon will soon offer their third party rated number one spam and robocalling protection features to all customers for free – previously they charged $3/month for Call Filter service. “We are continuously updating our algorithm and to date have identified nearly 300 million numbers associated with spam and robocalling. In March, we will be rolling out our free spam alerting and call blocking tools to all of our wireless customers whose smartphones support these features, including iPhone and Android devices,” said the company in a press release. Read more for another video on stopping robocallers and additional information.


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The biggest blockchain event to be held in just 9 days will feature a live demo of 31 projects according to ChainB, hosts of Demo Day.
Among the projects is Ripio, a bitcoin wallet and brokerage service launched by Bitpagos operating mainly in Latin America where inflation is running as high as 40% in some countries, such as Argentina. They will demo Ripio Credit, which provides Bitpagos’ more than 30,000 users with access to credit and an easy way to transact online without a credit card.
Ujo Music, one of the cooler projects which released Imogen Heap’s – Tiny Human – on ethereum’s blockchain, is to showcase their latest product in an attempt to further disrupt the music industry and allow artists to directly distribute their work to users, potentially cutting off middle men, lowering prices as well as increasing profits for artists.
We have covered five of the projects in much more detail in a previous article. They are joined by VeChain, a blockchain service provider which works with manufacturers to ensure products are genuine by providing them with a chip which contains the blockchain based details of the product.
Fluent, which declares itself as “the financial operating network for global commerce” and has Tom Niermann, former Head of Tech and Partnerships at Google, as director, will present their latest work on increasing “efficiency, provide flexibility, and enhance collaboration across global supply chains.”
At the other end of the financial spectrum, WeiFund will showcase their decentralized crowdfunding platform which is built on Ethereum’s blockchain. Unlike traditional crowdfunding websites, projects and contributors on WeiFund’s platform will be able to create complex smart contract arrangements, such as release x% of funds dependent on results, thus reducing the current high risk of scam projects that simply run with everyone’s money.
Another project trying to fulfill Hayek’s suggestion for private enterprise to issue their own currency is STABL, an Ethereum based token that aims to keep the price constant, thus allowing it to act as a hedge for inherently volatile digital currencies.
The blockchain Demo Day even has a DAO. PASSLFIX, a Moscow-based new start-up, wants to bring blockchain technology to parcel delivery and postal services. They explain on their website that a sender can specify the conditions of a delivery through a smart contract which the courier accepts by signing on the blockchain the smart contract agreement.
Further options are available, such as smartifying luggages or postboxs, by furnishing them with internet of things technology, such as sensors or gps. This may allow for more secure parcel delivery as well as tracking of any lost item, considerably reducing delivery costs and risks as customers may not need to pay for item insurance in the event of loss.
These are just some of the projects in no particular order. ChainB has released a video with a fuller list of blockchain projects, but that is still a demo projects for just one day, September 22nd. There are many more during Devcon2 and the Blockchain Summit, making the event an overall showcasing of the entire blockchain space.
Images from Shutterstock.


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More than 71,500 trade visitors (compared to 69,500 in 2016) from 134 countries came to Düsseldorf for Wire 2018 (the International Wire and Cable Trade Fair) and Tube 2018 (International Tube and Pipe Trade Fair) last week to get information about industry innovations and conclude business deals. A total of 2,683 exhibitors from 67 countries presented their technology highlights in 16 exhibition halls on more than 1.2 million square feet.
Wire and cable machinery and production technologies were presented in halls 9 to 16. A total of 1,442 exhibitors from 53 countries showcased their innovations on over 699,600 square feet of exhibit space.
Most Wire 2018 exhibitors came from major producer countries Italy, Germany, Turkey, Great Britain, France, Spain, Austria, the Netherlands and Switzerland. Many exhibitors from the U.S., India, Taiwan, South Korea and China also took part. From the U.S., 78 companies exhibited at the trade fair, including 31 exhibitors within the North American Pavilion.
The 1,241 companies from 57 nations at Tube 2018 showcased pipe and tube materials, manufacturing, finishing, processing, machinery and plants. Tube 2018 also featured a China Pavilion. The trade fair occupied more than 559,700 square feet of exhibit space.
At Tube 2018 most exhibitors came from Italy, Germany, Turkey, Spain, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Switzerland, Austria and France. Most overseas exhibitors traveled from the U.S., China, India, South Korea and Taiwan. From the U.S., 39 companies displayed their products, with nine exhibitors participating in the North American Pavilion.
Over 50% of the visitors of both trade fairs came with concrete investment intentions, and 70% of them were executives with high decision-making authority. Overall, attendees at both trade fairs rated the events as outstanding. A total of 70% of visitors were from countries other than Germany, with one-third coming from overseas, and 55% of attendees stated that they found new suppliers.
The next concurrent staging of Wire and Tube is scheduled for March 30-April 3, 2020 in Düsseldorf. For further information, visit www.wire-tradefair.com, www.tube-tradefair.com or www.mdna.com.
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Extensis has released a free Mac-only update for Portfolio 8.
The update is a Universal appliction, meaning the software now runs natively on Intel and PowerPC Macs. Portfolio is Extensis' leading digital asset management product, available in multiple versions.
Registered owners of Portfolio 8 are eligible to receive the free upgrade immediately through the Extensis website.
"Extensis welcomes Apple's move to Intel and has already successfully enabled our Suitcase Fusion product to work within an Intel-based Mac computing environment," said Martin Stein, director of product management. "Releasing this Universal version of the entire Portfolio 8 product family was the logical next step for Extensis to support its customer base and provide leading technology solutions for creative professionals."


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Yeah, Redbox is suing Fox
This seemed inevitable: Redbox has filed suit against Fox for its attempts to withhold movies from the kiosk company for 30 days after each DVD’s release. The company previously filed suit against Universal, which is trying to block Redbox from renting its movies for 45 after each DVD’s release.
Redbox accuses Fox of using its power to “unlawfully coerce” distributors from selling its movies after Oct. 27, when “Ice Age 3” will be released, the LAT reports. Redbox filed suit yesterday, the same day Lionsgate confirmed it has entered into a deal with the company. The current scorecard is three studios working with Redbox, two trying to withhold movies and two antitrust lawsuits against those companies.
Speaking with the LAT yesterday, Lionsgate prexy Steve Beeks, ever pragmatic, explained his company’s decision to work with, rather than against, the fast-growing Redbox. “You can either find issue with [Redbox’s] model or you can make the assumption that it is here to stay and find a way to work with them to the benefit of both parties,” Beeks told the paper. “We chose the latter.”


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Microsoft may still dominate the operating system market, but Linux and Apple’s Mac OS platforms were the fastest-growing in 2010, according to new data from Gartner.
Worldwide operating system revenue totaled $30.4 billion in 2010, Gartner reported Wednesday, representing an increase of 7.8 percent from 2009. Within that overall market, Microsoft still claims the leading position, with a 78.6 percent market share.
What’s particularly interesting, though, is the rapid growth being shown by both Linux and Macs in the server and client operating system segments, respectively.
On the client side, for instance–which as a whole grew 9.3 percent in 2010–Mac OS was the fastest-growing subsegment in 2010, even though Windows was still the largest client OS player. Apple’s platform grew 15.8 percent to $520 million in 2010, fueled by what Gartner reports were strong sales of Mac desktops and laptops.
Microsoft’s Windows client business, by comparison, grew by only 9.2 percent.
“Apple’s making of Mac OS as a ‘cool’ client computing OS has attracted a group of loyal customers on Mac devices and platforms,” Gartner explained. “Apple’s continuous innovations in mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, have prompted sales of other Apple devices and will continue to drive Mac sales.”
Red Hat’s Reign
On the server side, meanwhile–which grew 5.7 percent last year–the open source Linux operating system was the fastest-growing subsegment in 2010 as end users adopted more open-standard systems, Gartner reported.
Red Hat, in particular, has dominated the commercial Linux server market. Revenue from Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) server licenses went up 18.6 percent to $592 million in 2010, in fact, taking a 58.2 percent share of the Linux server market.
Microsoft’s Windows server business, by contrast, grew by only 7.5 percent in 2010.
Also claiming significant share in the overall operating system arena were IBM, with 7.5 percent, and HP, with 3.7 percent.
‘A Viable Alternative’
“The market has accepted Linux as a viable alternative to Unix and other proprietary OSes in mission-critical environments,” Gartner wrote, explaining the operating system’s strong showing last year.
Indeed, hardly a week goes by without some fresh good news for Linux these days. Now that Natty Narwhal is out, I’ll be watching closely to see what new gains are made.


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Published at Saturday, 05 May 2018. Toilet Seat. By Orianne Tiphanie.
“They’re fantastic” Guy says of the new smart toilets. “We are not using as much water. Bidet seats are reducing the amount of paper use after you’ve gone number two. Low-flush toilets have caused nothing but issues with clogged sewer lines”. Toto’s Strang agrees. “The next step of toilet evolution is getting down to the lowest possible water consumption” he says. Most Toto toilets now flush with only 1 gallon vs. the national standard of 1.6 gallons per flush. “We’re phasing out all higher-flush toilets and moving down to the 1-gallon solution” he says. But water conservation isn’t the only hurdle toilet manufacturers face.
Designer Champley has this experience rather often. He’s got the Kohler Numi in his home a gift from the company Champley says. (Toilet companies will often give high-end toilets to designers and sellers in hopes that they will become converts and help spread the word of the benefits of the product).
For manufacturers of smart toilets the biggest hurdle seems to be getting people to try the product. Not an easy feat. “Think about how most of us grew up” Kohler’s Allis says. “When we are going through our toileting routine we use toilet paper. Smart toilets with bidets are something very different for the vast majority of the U.S. market. Once you use a product like this you don’t want to go back. But how do people get that exposure?”
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from Wolf Street:
Nothing shows how America’s reins are held than our out-of-control corporations, enriching their executives at the cost of the future of their businesses — and ours. Here’s another status report on this sad but fixable story.
The Q2 Buybacks Report by FactSet is, as usual, sobering reading. During the 12 months ending in June, companies in the S&P 500 spent $555.5 billion repurchasing their shares. For the first time since October 2009, buybacks exceeded free cash flow (cash flow after capex); they’re borrowing to buy back shares.
For the past two years buybacks have run at the fantastic rate of about $120 billion per quarter — the same rate as in 2006-2007, with tech companies the leaders. In 2014 they spent 95% of their profits on buybacks and dividends (building the future is somebody else’s problem in corporate America).
Investors applaud this as a boost to share prices. Surprising to the naive, a decade of buybacks has reduced the S&P 500’s share count by only 2%. Share buybacks are one part of the triangle trade that transfers vast fortunes from shareholders to senior executives using stock options:
- executives exercise their options when shares rise (i.e., the company sells shares to executives at a discount to current prices),
- the executive sells those shares to the public,
- the company buys back those shares from the public.
Net result: the company has less money, their executives have more, the share count is unchanged.
This is an example of how America’s senior executives have learned to treat running companies — even running them into the ground, as Carly Fiorina did at HP — as a sideshow to their real job of financial engineering (for their personal profit). During their boom, the Japanese called these financial games zaitech (cursing it after their crash in 1989). Stock options, tax avoidance, earnings manipulation, mergers and acquisitions (almost all of which fail; see articles at CBS and HBR) — these are the paths to success for execs in New America.
Please follow SGT Report on Twitter & help share the message.


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An Inhabitat post this week pointed outs that Google is investing $1 million in Shweeb, a company working on a pedal powered monorail system. The company was selected as the “innovation in public transportation winner” in Google’s Project 10100 program, which aims “to change the world by helping as many people as possible.”
Shweeb has been working on these pedal powered monorail pods for a while now. The New Zealand based company was founded in 2006, and you may have seen pictures of their two 200meter long test tracks before. The idea of a bicycle monorail system goes back well beyond 2006 though. In 1892, The Hotchkiss Bicycle Railway, invented by Arthur E. Hotchkiss, was built from Mount Holly to Smithville in New Jersey. According to Unusual Pedal Bicycles, the bicycle railway was not a success, and the company filed for bankruptcy in 1898. Let’s hope that with the infusion of money from Google, Shweeb can last longer than Hotchkiss did. It’s certainly an idea that I would love to see implemented (again).


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A Moody's sign on the 7 World Trade Center tower. Photo: Reuters
Moody's Investors Services on Friday upgraded India's sovereign ratings from the lowest investment grade to a notch higher, in a vote of confidence in the Narendra Modi-led government's decisions on demonetisation, the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), and measures to resolve banks' bad asset issue, among other reforms.
This is expected to shore up international investors' confidence, translating into higher levels of foreign direct investment (FDI) into India.
India's trade deficit was a massive $108.5 billion in 2016-17, albeit lower than the $118.71-billion deficit in the previous year.
The Indian rupee strengthened during the early hours of Friday, trading at 64.98 to the US dollar at 3 pm. The currency had closed at Rs 65.32 to the greenback on Thursday. While the stock and bond markets have been buoyed, the currency movement is expected to make the road towards exports growth difficult, said senior trade experts.
So far this year, the rupee has gained 5.1 per cent, while foreign institutional investors have bought $7.97 billion and $22.34 billion in equity and debt, respectively.
Senior economists from ratings agencies based in India mentioned that the rupee had been projected to rise on a sustained footing owing to global conditions. This includes the expectation that the US Federal Reserve would raise interest rates in its next sitting, thereby triggering a flight of capital.
In the first quarter of financial year 2017-18, more than $14.5 billion has flowed into the country, data from the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion showed.
On the other hand, after witnessing continuous growth for 13 straight months and peaking at more than 25 per cent growth in September, India's exports fell for the first time in October by 1.12 per cent. Despite total imports growing by the slowest pace this calendar year, the trade deficit in October also increased to a 35-month high of $14 billion. It had stood at nearly $9 billion in September and $11.1 billion in the year-ago period.
Exporters have alleged that they are yet to receive refunds on payment of taxes under the GST regime, which is thereby dragging the sector down.
"After paying GST for four months in a row without getting any refunds, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are at a breaking point. There is an immediate need for remedial measures to prevent further decline in exports. Otherwise, the situation may be worse for November 2017," Ganesh Kumar Gupta, president of the Federation of Indian Export Organizations, said.
Before GST came into force, exports had been exempt from taxes. However, under the new regime, exporters have to pay taxes upfront of realised profits and apply for tax refunds, which come later on.
Gupta added that production has seen a sharp fall across major employment-intensive sectors such as leather and leather products, gems and jewellery, and ready-made garments, among others.
Apart from this, smaller sectors such as handicrafts and carpets, which are more sensitive to tariff and price movements, have remained unstable.


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iPad gaming globally delayed
Apple has pushed the international release of iPad back a month to the end of May, leaving eager gamers to wait a few more weeks to experience high-definition portable gaming.
The California-based computer company made the announcement today, citing unexpected demand for iPad in the US as draining inventory for the originally planned late April global launch.
Instead, the international debut is being pushed back to late May in order for enough units to be manufactured to meet expected demand. It isn't clear if both wi-fi and 3G iPad models will be available for the global launch.
While disappointing, the extra time will enable game developers to update existing iPad titles for better performance ahead of the May launch.
- Microsoft doubles down for April's Games With Gold
- Every wondered what it would be like in James Bond and Joanna Dark met? Cara Ellison and Irene Koh have answered that question
- Dirty Bomb beta is back online
- Obsidian's saviour Pillars Of Eternity launches today, Watch it streamed live here later today
- Infinite Crisis launches fully today on Steam
- Here's what the new Hunters and the Behemoth for Evolve look like in action
- Blood and Burning and Celts Culture DLC Packs arrive for Total War: Attila
- F1 2015 coming to PC, PS4 and Xbox One this summer, first screenshots released
- Ubisoft introduces Alex Parizeau, the new head of Ubisoft Toronto


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Bitpanda was founded in 2014 by Eric Demuth, Paul Klanschek and Christian Trummer in Vienna, and their rapid growth brought them 600 million euro of revenue in 2017, along with 600,000 users.
Since January 2018 they also have a London office, with Sara Rita – a digital currency and blockchain technology expert – as location manager.
Given that banking circles of the UK have recently joined the USA in banning crypto purchases with credit cards, it'll be interesting to see how Bitpanda intends to surmount that problem. In any case, their standard approach to selling Bitcoin – via coupons in post offices – will remain active indefinitely. For everything else, there's Coinvendor.


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Violent shop theft in the US: what does it mean for UK retail security?
At the end of last year, Target reported losses due to shrinkage of $400 million against its gross profit. That covers only three quarters of the year, with forecasts suggesting an even bigger loss for the entire fiscal year.
As most retailers are only too aware, theft is a large part of stock shrinkage. Other US giants like Walmart are issuing stark warnings of rising theft leading to increased prices and store closures. If loss prevention is losing the battle, will customers end up footing the bill?
What can we learn from US trends?
Reports suggest that shoplifting has more than doubled across America from 0.7-1% (before the COVID pandemic) to around 2-3% of total sales. What effect would losing 2-3% of sales have on your margins?
Loss of stock and erosion of profit is bad enough, but that’s not the only issue. In 2021, incidents of organised retail crime increased by 26.5% (as reported by the National Retail Security Survey 2022). Alarmingly, nearly two thirds of retailers surveyed by the National Retail Federation said that violence associated with shop theft had increased and it seems to be linked to organised gangs.
There seems to be a perfect storm of factors creating an opportunity that criminals have been quick to seize on:
- labour shortages, leaving shops understaffed
- increasing the dollar value at which shoplifting becomes a felony
- COVID-19 masks, so criminals can cover their faces without raising suspicion
- more opportunities to resell stolen goods anonymously online
There are reports of armed gangs entering en masse to grab high value equipment and walking out the front door. Where stores are short-staffed, they have little hope of intimidating an organised gang. Armed security staff may seem an obvious solution, but in practice it simply escalates the violence.
These smash and grab stories tend to get more attention, but are probably relatively rare. Another approach is for a gang to pay individuals to steal items up to the state felony limit. That may sound a lot less lucrative, but in many states you can now steal up to $1000 of property without being charged for a felony. Where shops are understaffed, they’re an easy target for petty thieves.
And violence plays a part here too. Most stores won’t even try to stop armed shoplifters, making this an easy win. With a big enough network of petty shoplifters, it would be easy enough to amass stolen goods to resell online for a tidy profit.
If patterns of shoplifting are changing, loss prevention needs to step up. Relying on staff to intimidate or overpower shoplifters is no longer enough.
What does this mean for the UK?
While not all the factors above apply in the UK, there are signs of similar shifts in store theft. The COVID-19 pandemic has seen an increase in antisocial behaviour towards shop staff and, while guns are less of a problem in the UK, shoplifters can and do use other weapons.
In 2021, the Co-op group recorded over 400 incidents where weapons were used against shop workers, according to the Retail Gazette, with a whopping 50% involving knives, syringes or glass bottles. This has, understandably, led to calls for greater protection for shop workers with a heavy responsibility resting on employers to ensure safety for their staff.
Many UK retailers are also preparing for increases in shoplifting as the cost of living crisis bites harder. In 2022, supermarket chain Tesco announced extra security tags on food and an increase in security staff presence. Other big names like Primark and Boots have joined calls to police for more support as reports show shoplifting increased by 21% in the 12 months leading to March 2022.
It’s not hard to see how pressures on the cost of living, staff shortages and shifting norms around antisocial behaviour could open up UK retail to organised retail crime, while simultaneously driving away in-store shoppers.
Three fresh approaches for in-store loss prevention
Body worn cameras – these are cameras worn on the head or chest that capture images and videos of what’s happening. Unlike CCTV, they also capture speech, which may be suitable for use as evidence. Use of body worn camera can also act as a deterrent, as most individuals are less likely to engage in violent acts if they know their actions are being recorded.
Crime deterrent spray – In 2021, Co-op security staff started using handheld sprays that dispense invisible paint that is very difficult to remove and shows up under UV light. The benefit here is that an offender can be identified later and, again, this can provide evidence. They’re intended primarily as a deterrent and trials have shown they do work to calm potentially violent incidents.
The Concept Tag – It’s clear that deterrence is the top strategy and when you persuade thieves it’s not worth their time trying your stores, you stop the problem before it even starts. That’s where the Concept Tag comes in. The patented tag detacher is a powered mechanical releaser (not magnetic) making the tags virtually impossible to remove. By being so undefeatable, it removes all incentive for both opportunists and organised groups to target your stores.
For full transparency: clearly, we believe our Concept Tag technology is the best solution or why else would we be investing our time in manufacturing and supplying it? Don’t take our word for it, though. We can point to trials with John Lewis & Partners, Footasylum and others where Concept Tag was proven to reduce shoplifting by at least 50%.
We know we have a powerful answer to loss prevention: get in touch [change link for each website] to find out how Concept Tag could work for you, to decrease losses and the risk of violence in your stores.


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Former DeliverThat driver rises up to take company helm and carries forward company By Drivers, For Drivers mission.
Canton, OH (RestaurantNews.com) DeliverThat, the industry leader in restaurant catering delivery and setup, announced Monday that Darien Terrell has been named Chief Executive Officer. Terrell will take over the position on April 15 while current CEO and co-founder, Aaron Hoffman, will shift his focus toward strategic initiatives within DeliverThat and its respective partners.
“Darien is the embodiment of our motto, ‘By Drivers, For Drivers’, as he started with us in 2016 as a driver. His tenacity and leadership as DeliverThat President enabled unprecedented growth,” said Hoffman.
Terrell started out as a driver for DeliverThat as a way to offset travel costs while attending Eastern Michigan University. He joined the company full-time in May of 2018 and has since held numerous positions, such as Director of Business Development and Chief Business Development Officer, before being named President in 2019.
“Starting as a delivery driver gave me the perspective of what drivers encounter on a day-to-day basis, which proved invaluable as I moved into different roles within the company,” Terrell said. “This company was genuinely built ‘By Drivers, For Drivers’, and we will continue to carry that message forward. I am truly honored and humbled to be named as CEO.”
Since joining full time, DeliverThat has expanded into more than 145 major metro markets, facilitating deliveries for over 500 different restaurant brands across the United States and Canada.
“When Darien was promoted to President, he brought the vision of making DeliverThat the ‘Chick-Fil-A’ of delivery. At our highest highs, and lowest lows, Darien continued to push us to ‘find our why’ and stick to it,” Hoffman said. “We couldn’t be more excited to have him in this role.
Founded in 2013 by Aaron Hoffman and John Zinno, DeliverThat is an international last-mile catering delivery service recognized as the industry leader in restaurant catering delivery and setup. DeliverThat’s network of professional drivers ensure each delivery is fulfilled according to each individual restaurants’ standards. Committed to providing an efficient and effective catering delivery service, DeliverThat takes pride in seeking new and innovative ways to enhance the entirety of their delivery processes for drivers, restaurant partners, and end-user customers. The company has operations across the U.S. and Canada. For more information about DeliverThat, please visit ideliverthat.com.


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Veteran weblogger B!X reports that Highbridge just cancelled a book contract on his sister's novel, Delilah of Sunhats and Swans. He's started a new weblog about The Battle For Delilah, launched by reprinting the publisher's cancellation letter.
And now, with everyone's attention focused on the events related to the terrorist attack on September 11....the opportinity for a new author's book to receive any type of media coverage is virtually non-existent. Without media coverage, it's impossible to sell books.
B!X calls this "spineless." In reality, though, Highbridge may simply be stuck: business is terrible. Small press publishing is challenging even in good times, and it's a very spotty retail Christmas. The big discounters appear to be making their numbers, but people are cutting back and skipping Christmas: bad news for booksellers.
This must be a brutal time to be a publisher's rep. iPublish, the big AOL/TW ebook division, just closed. Random House dropped their ebook imprint.


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“By 2030, India aims for 30% electric vehicle (EV) sales, creating a demand for 10 million direct and 50 million indirect jobs,” says Mr. Rajeev YSR, Founder and CEO, EV Masterclass.
To know more about the scope for employment in Electric Vehicle (EV) industry, emerging job roles, need for training, capacity building and entrepreneurship opportunities in the EV sector, we spoke with Mr. Rajeev YSR, Founder and CEO, EV Masterclass and Mr. Sandeep Kosaraju, Labour Market and Vocational Advisor, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.
Below are a few excerpts from our conversation. You can watch the full video interview on our YouTube channel.
Q. Please share your thoughts on the electric vehicle industry’s rapid growth, talent shortages, and the increasing demand for training.
Mr. Rajeev YSR: In 2018, while working with Gati as Ikea’s last-mile delivery partner for electric vehicles (EVs), I encountered a significant challenge in finding talent with exposure to EV servicing and delivery. The scarcity of such talent became evident, and discussions with industry leaders revealed a widespread acknowledgment of the issue.
However, the shift to electric vehicles marked a complete paradigm change, demanding entirely new skill sets. Unlike traditional service engineers, EV technicians needed proficiency in computer diagnostics, data logging, and software reflashing. I became strongly convinced that the current scarcity of talent in the electric vehicle industry is poised to widen, given the transformative evolution witnessed in automobiles over the past 100 years and we are going to witness a revolutionary shift in the next two decades. This problem is not limited to India, the gravity of the issue was underscored by the US government’s $175 billion investment. The challenge extends globally, with Europe facing a shortage of skilled workers for electric car production, and even Japanese teenagers participating in building battery packs. This is when I realized the significance of the problem. It’s not just a challenge; it’s an important and substantial issue, impacting not only India but the entire world. Given its magnitude, my conviction grew stronger: why not actively work towards finding a solution?
Q. Which sub-sectors within the EV industry offer significant employment potential, and where do you identify critical needs for focused training initiatives?
Mr. Rajeev YSR: Currently, the automotive sector employs 19 million people, with potential for 5 to 10 million more in the unorganized sector. By 2030, India aims for 30% electric vehicle (EV) sales, creating a demand for 10 million direct and 50 million indirect jobs. Considering India produces only 1.5 to 1.8 million engineers, there’s a substantial skill gap.
As the industry transforms, many existing automotive jobs will become redundant, requiring extensive upskilling. Specific roles critical to the evolving automotive and EV landscape include:
- Service Technicians: Essential for maintaining the growing fleet of EVs, addressing issues from small wire disconnects to motor malfunctions.
- Manufacturing Production: Despite automation, skilled hands are crucial for building EVs.
- Sales and Business Development: Vital for educating consumers about new EV technologies and driving market growth.
Service technicians, manufacturing production, and sales/business development are key areas shaping the future job market in the EV industry
Q. How is GIZ collaborating with the government of Kerala for the current initiative addressing industry demand, mismatches, and skill gaps, and what outcomes can we expect from this partnership?
Mr. Sandeep Kosaraju: GIZ has a robust mandate, recently updated to focus on green skills and the green sector. One notable project is the “Indo-German Vocational Education Training” initiative, where we collaborated with IIT Bombay over two years to develop an EV curriculum. This includes a theoretical handbook and practical guide with experiments. We have also successfully implemented in West Bengal and Telangana, involving 60 to 90 participants from polytechnics, and we are now launching this program in Kerala. The proactive initiative by the Agency for New and Renewable Energy Research and Technology ANERT for new energy training has made Kerala the latest cluster to join the project. Now, we have Mr. Rajeev YSR from EV Masterclass on board for this initiative.
Q. Could you provide insights into the curriculum development for the EV training initiative, and how the training of trainers or teachers, has been addressed in this program?
Mr. Sandeep Kosaraju: Recognizing the importance of thorough preparation, we acknowledged the need to train trainers before launching the program for polytechnic candidates. In our IGVET project, we prioritize capacity development by collaborating with local industrial associations. This approach ensures that trainers receive adequate training, especially considering that many of them may lack sufficient background knowledge in the subject.
Q. Could you provide few insights into the effectiveness of the program in preparing trainers for future student training?
Mr. Rajeev YSR: In the era of electric vehicles, the surge in adoption is crucial for combating climate change caused by pollution. Despite the increasing demand, there’s a shortage of skilled hands in the electric vehicle sector globally. India is being looked upon as a key player to address this challenge. I deeply appreciate GIZ’s initiative, a federal body from a country renowned for its technical prowess.
Our impact is evident as we equip and train trainers. In our initial pilot involving 30 faculty members, the feedback is encouraging. Some faculty have already implemented the program for students, recognizing the vast opportunities within the EV ecosystem. The momentum has started, and with partners like GIZ, this momentum is expected to grow rapidly. The broader vision is for India to become the global market and talent hub for electric vehicles.
Q. For youth from ITIs, polytechnics, and engineering colleges, what specific job opportunities should they be focusing on within the skilling and vocational ecosystem?
Mr. Rajeev YSR: As we delve into the realm of electric vehicles and the role of service technicians, GIZ envisions that in the next 5 to 6 years, many vehicles will surpass their initial battery lifespan. Consequently, these batteries will enter their second life, potentially in stationary applications or recycling for new products. Credit is due to GIZ and specifically for their insightful discussions in forums like the Society Center Discussion. These forums, including involvement with master class, are exploring programs for battery refurbishment and recycling, aligning with the vision of sustainable manufacturing in the future. This opens up abundant opportunities across the value chain, encompassing various qualifications, from diploma holders as hands-on manufacturers to engineers as design innovators. Moreover, effective communication and business development skills can transcend qualifications, making it a promising journey from diploma to engineering roles.


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While everyone searching about the Best Fintech Apps in Nigeria 2023, Fintech has become the talk in town thing in the financial sector around the world. Access to finance and banking services has changed a lot in Nigeria, as it has in the rest of the world, as a result of the ecosystem of companies that use technology to provide financial services.
Due to the potential of these digital banks, venture capitalists from all over the world are pouring money into fintech in Nigeria. As more fintech starts every day, the market is getting more and more competitive because customers can choose from a wide range of companies that offer new financial services through mobile apps and what works for each person base on their needs.
As more Nigerians use fintech apps because they are convenient and make it easy to get financial services on the go, it is interesting to note that they are also giving feedback through ratings and reviews based on their experiences which we will also look into in this article.
We are giving this rating base on users experience on the apps and how we believe people would see it and agree with the rating and feedback from the core users.
1. Piggyvest Fintech App
PiggyVest has helped more than 3 million customers save money and make investments, but it’s not quite a digital bank. The company has fixed, flexible, goal-oriented, and automated ways to save money, as well as low-to-medium risk primary and secondary investment options for 6–12 months that have already been checked out.
The Piggyvest app, which has been downloaded by more than a million people, got 4.1 out of 5 on Google Play. The ratings were made by 41,032 app users.
Visit PiggyVest Website today and get to know more about the fintech app and how it works in Nigeria 2023
2. Carbon Fintech App
Carbon is a digital bank that is licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). It offers debit cards and loans, as well as opportunities to invest. Accounts can be used to pay people directly, pay bills, and add money to a mobile phone.
On its website, the fintech company says it has more than two million customers, but its app on Google Play has been downloaded by more than one million customers. Based on what they’ve done with the app, its users think it deserves a 4.4 rating. As of this month, 128,128 people have reviewed the app.
Visit Carbon Website today and get to know more about the fintech app and how it works in Nigeria 2023
3. Kuda Bank Fintech App
The Central Bank of Nigeria has given the fintech, which is worth $500 million, all of its licenses (CBN). Kuda is based in London, but it is focusing on the Nigerian market right now. Kuda accounts come with a free debit card, controls for budgeting and spending, and ways to transfer money and save money. The bank has also done away with maintenance fees and gives users a list of free transfers they can make each month.
The Kuda app has been downloaded more than a million times, and many of its users like it. As of this month, 160,790 people had used the app and given it a rating of 4.4.
Visit Kuda Bank Website today and get to know more about the fintech app and how it works in Nigeria 2023
4. Palmcredit Fintech App
Palmcredit is a loan app in Nigeria that has been downloaded more than 5 million times. Users can get a loan without putting up any collateral. As one of the most downloaded financial technology apps, there is no doubt that many Nigerians are using the app to get loans. As of August of this year, 173,000 users had given the app a 4.2 rating on Google Play.
Visit PalmCredit Website today and get to know more about the fintech app and how it works in Nigeria 2023
5. FairMoney Fintech App
FairMoney is an online bank that lends money. The company offers instant loans of up to one million naira, as well as a bank account and a debit card. The company says that FairMoney handles more than 10,000 loans every day, and that one loan is paid out every eight seconds.
This is shown by the fact that, as of April, the fintech’s app on the Play Store had been downloaded more than 5 million times. Based on the reviews of the 471 180 people who had used the app, a score of 4.4 out of 5 was given.
Visit FairMoney Website today and get to know more about the fintech app and how it works in Nigeria 2023
6. Palmpay Fintech App
According to Google Play, the Palmpay fintech app came out for the first time in September 2018. But in July 2019, the company started a pilot phase after getting a mobile money operator license from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). In November 2019, it was finally made available to people in Nigeria.
Palmpay, which has been downloaded more than 5 million times, is one of the most popular financial apps. Users also gave it a high score of 4.5 out of 5. The app, on the other hand, has fewer reviews than Opay. As of this month, Google Play shows that 222,289 people had reviewed the app.
Visit Palmpay Website today and get to know more about the fintech app and how it works in Nigeria in 2023
7, Opay Fintech App
Opera’s Africa fintech startup, OPay, launched its mobile money platform in Lagos in 2018 because its search engine is so popular in Africa. Users of OPay’s mobile money service can pay bills, send money to other people, and save money. The company also has an offline banking service that lets people who don’t have smartphones do transactions.
As of November 20, 2022, more than 10 million people had downloaded the Opay app from the google play store and apple app store. The app was given a rating of 4.5 based on the reviews of 227,416 users. This is one of the highest ratings for any app in the same category.
Visit Opay Website today and get to know more about the fintech app and how it works in Nigeria 2023
Related Article: Best Loan Apps in Nigeria 2023
Conclusion on Best Fintech Apps in Nigeria 2023
Based on our research, these are the Best Fintech Apps in Nigeria 2023 we found online and we believe they are legit for every individual who is looking out to kick start a business and needs the support of fintech apps that can help with finance, then choosing one of the 7 above fintech companies would be a great choice for you.


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Pinterest Inc. will face a lawsuit from a digital marketing strategist who says he helped conceive of the social media platform but not one of its founders, a California judge has ruled.
Late Thursday, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Richard Seibolt declined the company’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit, but he ended up co-founder Paul Cyra as the defendant since he closed Pinterest a decade ago. had left.
Christine Martinez sued the company in September, saying it contributed significant ideas to the platform, but was never compensated by founders Ben Silberman and Cyra. According to her complaint, Oakland resident Martinez was friends with Silberman when he asked her to “salve a failing shopping app” that would later become Pinterest.
She says she developed some core concepts for the platform, including features that allow users to create “pinboards” reflecting their cultural tastes and to enlist bloggers to recruit users. Created a marketing plan. Martinez claims she was so integral to the creation of the site that Silberman and Sciara embedded her name in the platform’s source code.
Pinterest dismissed the case in December, saying Martinez’s claims were too old and therefore barred by the statute of limitations. But Seibolt said Martinez “substantially alleges” that the parties agreed to defer compensation and that his claims stem from the company’s 2019 initial public offering. The judge called the IPO a “transformative event” that would trigger an obligation to pay him, while dismissing claims of conversion and unjust enrichment.
Representatives for Pinterest and Martinez’s attorney did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
But Seibolt said Sciorra’s early departure from Pinterest meant that Martinez’s claims against him were time-barred.
The judge said, “So far as the plaintiffs allege that the defendants evaded the plaintiff’s contribution to the IPO, it is clear that these allegations do not involve Saira, who in 2012 only a few years after the company was formed left the company.”


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February 9, 2023
In 2018, Amazon launched its first, public automated bricks-and-mortar store in Seattle. Dubbed Amazon Go, shoppers could walk in, pick up items and leave without going to checkout. An intuitive system of cameras and AI would determine what they purchased and charge it to their card.
The idea was to alleviate customer frustrations from queueing to pay for purchases. Today, Amazon’s "Just Walk Out" concept has been adopted by more stores and even lets customers pay with their palm prints.
At the World Artificial Intelligence Cannes Festival (WAICF), Gérard Medioni, an AWS vice president who helped build the company’s physical store tech, explained how the ‘Just Walk Out’ idea went from an initial concept to being implemented in supermarkets, airports and stadiums.
Upon launching Amazon Go in 2018, Amazon built its own depth cameras designed to capture not only an image but also a depth map for every pixel. Those cameras were then combined with load cell sensors in shelves that are triggered when something is taken and the weight is displaced. The pixel and image data were then stored in the cloud.
But five years on, the technology has come a long way. Medioni outlined several changes, including the decision to drop both depth cameras and load cell sensors. Depth cameras were instead replaced by RGB cameras, which he said offer improved detection, while load cell sensors were seen as outdated due to the introduction of computer vision.
Amazon deploys both deep learning and computer vision in its stores, Medioni explained, to perform the trigger operation by detecting the motion of the shopper.
To power the newest, computer vision-enabled camera store system, Amazon moved its data from the cloud to the edge via processors behind the cameras, allowing stores to perform computations on-premises.
Having initially applied the ‘Just Walk Out’ concept to a convenience store setting in 2018, Amazon has taken its idea in two different directions, Medioni explained. The first is deploying it in supermarkets, as well as in several Whole Foods and Amazon Fresh stores, and the other is offering the Just Walk-Out-as-a-service.
The executive said the as-a-service concept enables other stores and venues such as sports arenas to use ‘Just Walk Out.’ Medioni showcased Lumen Field, home of the NFL team Seattle Seahawks, which has a ‘Just Walk Out’ store built inside the stadium, allowing fans to purchase drinks and snacks in the same way they would in an Amazon Go.
Medioni went on to explain how the company is attempting to take its idea one step further, through Amazon One.
Amazon One lets shoppers to enter its Just Walk Out stores using only the palms of their hands as certification.
He explained that upon entry, shoppers wave their palms above a receiver that takes two images: one of the surfaces of the shopper's palm and another that maps the subsurface vein and artery patterns via infrared technology. The images are then passed through a neural network, compared to feature vectors in a database and once confirmed, are allowed entry into the store.
While currently only available in the U.S., Medioni said consumers enjoyed both Amazon One and ‘Just Walk Out’ due to its “wizard-like” nature. Channeling sci-fi author Arthur C. Clarke, he said “when the technology disappears, the experience is no different from magic.”
Junior Editor - AI Business
Ben Wodecki is the junior editor of AI Business, covering a wide range of AI content. Ben joined the team in March 2021 as assistant editor and was promoted to junior editor. He has written for The New Statesman, Intellectual Property Magazine, and The Telegraph India, among others.
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Manager of Paulsgrove fish and chip shop guilty of stealing more than £6,000 from his work
A FISH and chip shop manager has pleaded guilty to stealing more than £6,000 from his work, with the court hearing he was ‘a bit out of his depth’ running the chippie.
Ashley Allen, 29, from Paulsgrove, stood unrepresented in the dock at Portsmouth Magistrates Court, saying he was ‘obviously sorry’ for the theft of £6,157.30 from Deep Blue, in Southampton Road, Paulsgrove.
A probation officer said that Mr Allen had become ‘out of his depth’ running the store, being promoted shortly after the fish and chip chain took over Mother Kelly’s restaurant in March.
Mr Allen, who is currently working as a chef in a fast food restaurant, struggled to manage the shop’s ‘staff budget,’ with him ‘making up the difference from his wages’ when shortfalls arose, the officer said.
The father-of-two found himself taking money in an effort ‘not to lose face’ in providing for his family.
During sentencing, chair of the bench Heather Pashley acknowledged Mr Allen’s ‘good character,’ including his efforts to pay back a ‘substantial amount’ of the money to the shop, and she said the ‘circumstances’ surrounding his actions had been taken into account.
He was given a suspended sentence of six months in prison, with a requirement to complete 300 hours of unpaid work, as well as paying back the remainder of the money and charges to the court, totaling £1,860.50.


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Amid the coronavirus global pandemic, every single country is looking to purchase medical supplies to prepare their medical system for the hardship that this virus represents. China is one of the biggest medical supply manufacturers worldwide, a country that just recently concluded a two months lockdown and is finally going back to normality.
Despite the increasing demand in medical supplies such as gloves, UCI equipment, ventilators, and COVID-19 tests, the Chinese government has decided to ban a blockchain firm, Tus Data Asset, from exporting medical material to other countries dealing with the coronavirus crisis.
According to local reports, the Ministry of Commerce banned the company for allegedly distorting the nation’s image by selling poor quality products. The controversy arose after other countries began complaining about the quick COVID-19 tests they received and how they were not adhering to the necessary medical standards to guarantee results. Also, the Ministry of Commerce publicly apologized on behalf of the government for not taking the required measures to supervise other suppliers more effectively.
Before the coronavirus changed everything, Tus Data Asset is a Beijing-based company that was providing blockchain solutions to the Communist Party of China. Once the demand for test kits and medical supplies rose, the company switched its operations and began manufacturing these products. Although it’s unclear the exact product that the government was referring to when they placed the ban, the situation could be related to the defective quick tests that Spain received. After Spain received millions of faulty tests, the company that manufactured them was quickly blacklisted overseas, and the goods were returned for failing to comply with medical standards.
Another company added to the list was Aliboada Technology, a company which primary business was to sell earphones and microphones, but began selling masks acquired from local manufacturers at an inflated price.
Spain, which is one of the countries with the highest death rate due to COVID-19, had ordered 6 million quick tests from a Chinese supplier. Once received, the government realized the product was not effective, and quickly, Spain returned the entire shipment. This, however, left the country with a very short supply of COVID-19 test kits for days.


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What impact will this have on Volkswagen?
Huge implications for VW. If the group are found guilty of the allegations to rig the emissions through a 'defeat device', then they could face huge fines of up to US$37,500 per vehicle that has been found 'tampered' with. This means the fines could reach up to US$18 billion.
VW suspended sales of TDI engine vehicles in the US on September 20th, meaning that they will lose a considerable amount of revenue indefinitely - or at least until they get a clean bill again, which could take some time.
Media reports suggest a criminal probe is underway against VW by the US Department of Justice, and that the US House Energy Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will be conducting a hearing too.
Other countries have also suggested legal action against VW. Canada, South Korea, Switzerland, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Czech Republic and India have suggested that they will become involved, or at least initiated action to investigate VW's activities in their respective countries.
It doesn't stop there. Consumers themselves have commenced legal action. Wikipedia suggests that "at least 25 class-action lawsuits have been filed in the US and Canada on behalf of Volkswagen and Audi owners, claiming fraud and breach of contract".
VW stocks have also plummeted. On the first day of trading after the EPA announced their 'Notice of Violation', share prices dropped a whopping 20% on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.
What impact will this have on VW owners?
Difficult to say at this point, but tens of thousands of VW owners must be wondering what happens next.
The BBC has put together a useful guide to what VW owners should expect in the coming weeks and months.
According to some conversations the BBC have been having with industry experts, there may be some concerns in the short-term, which should resolve longer term. The Editorial Director of WhatCar and AutoCar told them, "In the short-term there will be an impact on the value of these cars and their desirability. That is because we do not know where the other 10.5 million cars with these cheat devices are, which has led to an obvious concern there will be some in Europe."
However, a senior editor at CAP Black Book (used by car dealers) said that they do not expect any significant impact on used values in the UK, citing the last worldwide recall of Toyota and Lexus cars, which did not experience any drop in values, despite the recall being of a safety issue.
Will I be able to claim compensation against VW?
At least 25 class-action lawsuits have already been filed in the US and Canada on behalf of Volkswagen and Audi owners, claiming fraud and breach of contract.
And it is likely that if VW are guilty of rigging UK vehicle stock with similar devices then you can bet that British owners will jump on the chance to claim compensation.
However, little is known about their activities in the UK, so it's too early to speculate just yet.
Will I have to pay more road tax?
Again, impossible to say what the UK government will announce with regards to the discrepancies in the emissions. Road tax rates are determined by figures supplied by the manufacturers themselves.
UK (and European) governments may want to recover some of that unpaid tax from any manufacturers who have been found guilty of covering up their emissions data, and not the owners.
Until such a time when a decision is made, it is unclear what will happen to the future road tax payable by those who own a vehicle affected by the 'defeat device'.


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After years of being snubbed by Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour, Kim Kardashian finally got her coveted invite to the ritzy Met Gala Costume Ball — and this is what she turned up in. A bloated and water-logged Kim made sure to steal the spotlight in a hideous Givenchy floral duster. Wintour’s refusal to invite the narcissistic socialite to the Met Gala last year made headlines. Wintour, who is friends with West, declined to invite Kim because she considered Kardashian to be “the worst thing since socks with sandals!” So you’d think Kim would want to make a good impression on the fashion maven? The Met Gala was held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday, May 6, in New York City.
Photos: Larry Busacca/Getty Images


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Freight forwarders CEVA Logistics and Panalpina this week each increased their less-than-containerload service offerings.
CEVA expanded its LCL service into Australia via the ports of Sydney, Melbourne and Fremantle. The service is a 16-day trip from Shanghai that also serves Brisbane with cargo clearance at CEVA’s container freight station.
This follows new LCL services that CEVA started in Singapore and the United Arab Emirates in February.
Panalpina has launched four LCL services in Latin America through its in-house non-vessel-operating common carrier Pantainer Express Line. The weekly and bi-weekly services will connect Buenaventura, Colombia, with Guayaquil, Ecuador, and Colon, Panama, as well as Santos, Brazil with Colon and Veracruz, Mexico, with La Guaira, Venezuela.
Panalpina said it started more than 50 new LCL services last year, with the majority focused on Asia.