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Surya Varanasi, Storcentric’s CTO, talks through the launch of the Nexsan Unity NV10000 enterprise class platform, which supports block, file and object storage protocols and addresses data security, including ransomware, and regulatory compliance concerns.
Neil Cornish, Ecosystem Development Manager at Tech Data UK, discusses the collaboration between the UK Fashion & Textile Association, IBM, the Future Fashion Factory and Tech Data UK, to develop a new technology platform designed to help drive both sustainability and profitability within the fashion supply chain.
Piers Wilson, Head of Product Management at Huntsman Security, discusses the importance of carrying out a ransomware readiness assessment to discover any potentially costly security gaps within an organisation’s IT infrastructure. The company’s recently launched SmartCheck for Ransomware is designed to help companies fortify their cyber risk management.
Rob Elder, Vice President Data Centers, Bulk Infrastructure AS, discusses the current energy price spike and the impact it is already having on the global data centre industry - with a particular focus on how location is becoming an increasingly important factor for end users.
VMware has unveiled VMware vSphere+ and VMware vSAN+ to help organisations bring the benefits of the cloud to their existing on-premises infrastructure with no disruption to their workloads or hosts. Introduced at VMworld 2021 as a technology preview known as Project Arctic, these new offerings will help customers enhance their infrastructure by providing centralised cloud-based infrastructure management, integrated Kubernetes, access to new hybrid cloud services, and a flexible subscription model.


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Xbox Wire, the official source for Xbox's announcements and news, has launched in Japan with full localization, coinciding with the 20-year anniversary of Xbox being solid in the country.
It seems TSMC and Sony have a mutual friend in need of a favor. The Japanese government is reportedly asking them to team up to produce a 20nm chip plant.
New data collected from AdDuplex reveal how Japan's usage of Windows 10 Mobile differs radically from the rest of the global market.
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domain: news


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Whyte & Mackay has warned it would be forced to shed 300 jobs and close a bottling plant if the Scottish government’s minimum pricing plans for alcohol come to pass.
In its submission to Scotland’s Health Committee, the Scottish whisky company’s chief executive, John Beard, warned the plans would be “disastrous”.
“We anticipate that our bottling plant in Grangemouth, which employs 200 people, would close,” he said. “Our production levels would also be affected, so there would be a knock-on effect at our distilleries. Our best estimate is that another 100 jobs would be at risk.”
Minimum pricing would leave own-label whiskies in the same price range as brands, he added.
“That being the case, the role and need for own-label products disappears altogether. As the leading supplier of own-label whisky, this would be disastrous for our business.”
Impulse overtakes alcohol as biggest promoter (20 February 2010)
James Lowman: 'Alcohol restrictions must be evidence based' (Convenience Store; 2 February 2010)
Second Opinion: The answer’s not in the price tag (30 January 2010)


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While security remains a major concern, mobile banking is nonetheless spreading like wildfire.
It appears that convenience trumps security worries as a new report reveals Canadians are adopting banking apps on their smartphone rapidly.
Well over 2.5 million Canadians are already banking on the go, according to the report by Solutions Research Group. The Toronto-based firm, which tracks emerging technology trends, noted that number represents more than a third of smartphone users with data plans—meaning that, effectively, at least one in three eligible Canadians are accessing mobile banking.
This is remarkable traction when one considers that the first mobile bank app launched just 14 months ago. Compare this stat to four years—that's how long it took online banking to earn the same level of penetration in Canada. And online banking is perceived as even more secure than mobile.
Which brings us to that ever-present barrier: security. About eight percent of Canadians who download banking apps don't end up using them, believed to be largely due to hesitation as a result of concerns over the level of security mobile devices offer.
Then again, people had the same fears with ATMs, and now they're considered commonplace and completely safe.
On the whole, banking apps are well-positioned: they're the sixth most popular app category, behind unbeatables like games, weather, messaging, navigation, and social networking. Despite being introduced in only 2010, banking apps have already surpassed music, news, video, and entertainment apps, many of which have existed since the early 2000s and virtually all of which have existed since at least 2007 when the first iPhone was introduced.
Most mobile bankers are men, and most mobile bankers are iPhone users.
Their popularity is expected to grow as more features are added. Several banks are close to launching mobile stock-trading apps, including TD which could have one on the market by the end of the year. As in mobile banking, ensuring the trading platforms are safe from blunders or identity theft is a key concern.
RBC, Canada’s largest bank, is eyeing similar trading functions, along with other mobile enhancements. “You’ll see evolutions of those apps,” said Dave McKay, head of retail banking at RBC in a recent interview. “Whether it’s helping you calculate a mortgage, which is pretty simple, or direct-investing apps to help you buy and sell stock or … alerts and advice around your accounts, everything you see online will be available in an app.”
Data from research conducted by Leger Marketing for PayPal Canada reveals that one in three Canadians would carry a mobile device as their wallet than carry around change, and about the same amount would be willing to make payments with their phone for cheap or expensive goods. Many Canadians—about 40 percent—would also like to use their smartphone to send money to others instead of having to visit a bank machine.
“A Canadian uses PayPal as their digital wallet once every second because they want greater flexibility, security and convenience in how they pay and get paid,” said Darrell MacMullin, managing director, PayPal Canada. “From avoiding the search for ATMs, to finding easier ways to split restaurant bills with friends or making payments anytime, anywhere and from virtually any device, Canadians want easier, faster and safer ways to shop, share expenses, send money or get paid back.”
PayPal expects the number of mobile transactions to increase significantly with greater smartphone usage by Canadians. According to a Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association report in May 2011, 33 per cent of Canada’s 25 million mobile users have smartphones. Another driver of mobile transactions in Canada will be increased consumer trust in the security of their financial data when they use a smartphone or computer to pay or get paid.


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Bungie, the American video game developer known for its work on Halo and more recently the Destiny franchise announced some pretty big news yesterday. After forming a partnership with Activision, publisher of the Destiny franchise back in 2010, the developer said yesterday that Activision has agreed to transfer publishing rights for Destiny to Bungie.
Today, we're announcing plans for Bungie to assume full publishing rights for the Destiny franchise.
Read the full story at https://t.co/nxcJOVXAv6.https://t.co/RyD1jvi0hW pic.twitter.com/giFKmkyc9y
— Bungie (@Bungie) January 10, 2019
“With our remarkable Destiny community, we are ready to publish on our own, while Activision will increase their focus on owned IP projects,” Bungie explained yesterday. “The planned transition process is already underway in its early stages, with Bungie and Activision both committed to making sure the handoff is as seamless as possible.”
It’s the second time in the history of Bungie that the company regains its creative independence: The first time was when Bungie split off from Microsoft back in 2007, seven years after Bungie joined the Redmond giant to work on the Halo franchise. The partnership with Activision was quite a different affair, and it allowed Bungie to make the PC version of Destiny 2 exclusive to the popular Blizzard Battle.net platform, also home for other Activision Blizzard games like Overwatch.
Still, there have been signs that Activision has been recently disappointed with Destiny 2. During an earning calls in November, Activision COO Coddy Johnson was caught saying that “some of our other franchises like Destiny are not performing as well as we’d like,” though these comments were later refuted by Destiny 2’s director, Luke Smith.
Anyway, Bungie will now be in control of Destiny’s future, and the developer plans to release post-release content after Forsaken, the latest major expansion for Destiny 2. “With Forsaken, we’ve learned, and listened, and leaned in to what we believe our players want from a great Destiny experience. Rest assured there is more of that on the way. We’ll continue to deliver on the existing Destiny roadmap, and we’re looking forward to releasing more seasonal experiences in the coming months, as well as surprising our community with some exciting announcements about what lies beyond,” the developer said yesterday.


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Whether you’re utilizing 3D printing technology for applications in healthcare, aerospace, or any other industry in between, the need for more advanced and functional materials remains across the board. Though you might think that the world’s strongest materials are developed within the confines of a laboratory, some of the best candidates for materials with high tensile strength can be found in abundance throughout nature. Last year, MIT researchers 3D printed spider webs to reproduce the mechanical traits of silk, which is biomaterial that is recognized as one of the strongest materials on Earth.
Now, the Los Angeles-based biotech company Spidey Tek has announced their plans to produce real spider silk material for a variety of production purposes. Though spider silk has been known to be an exceptionally strong material for quite some time, the main issue has always been finding ways to harvest enough to make it commercially viable. Spidey Tek has solved this issue by utilizing specialized spider cloned microorganisms in customized bio-reactors to rapidly produce large quantities of spider silk.
Spidey Tek’s patented Spider Silk production process is founded on genetic code for the production of spider silk that are cloned into specialized microorganisms and placed in a bio-reactor. This process harvests real spider silk proteins, which can then be mixed with various chemicals and can also be used to create real spider silk fibers. According to Spidey Tek, the addition of these proteins can effectively enhance the mechanical properties of 3D printing materials.
These spider silk proteins and fibers can be blended into 3D printing materials like PLA and ABS, as well as polyurethanes, polycarbonates, polypropylene, and resins. The biotech company is confident that their patented Real Spider Silk can be utilized to replace a number of other widely used materials, including carbon fiber, steel, and aluminum.
To prove the validity of their ultra-strong silk material, Spidey Tek recently debuted the Spidey Bat drone. This VTOL unmanned aerial vehicle is said to be exceptionally lightweight and strong, allowing it to carry larger payloads and fly further then other commercial drones. They also have plans to develop a larger version of the Spidey Bat with a 10-foot wingspan, which would be geared towards commercial and military tasks.
Spidey Tek claims that their Spider Silk exhibits a tensile strength of 40,000 MPa, which is 10 times that of natural spider silk and 100 times that of carbon fiber. Their spider silk can also provide the same weight reduction benefits that carbon fiber is reputable for. For now, it’s unclear how this extraordinary tensile strength will translate once these spider silk proteins are mixed with PLA or ABS for 3D printing. But just as carbon fiber reinforced materials have become increasingly popular for 3D printing, Spidey Tek’s Spider Silk could stand to increase the technology’s capabilities immensely. Discuss in the Spider Silk forum at 3DPB.com.
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Coca-Cola has signed a five-year sponsorship deal with Churchill Downs racetrack, home of the Kentucky Derby.
The agreement sees the beverage company become the official and exclusive soft drink partner of the US horse race for its next five editions.
The partnership will include direct promotional and marketing support of a range of Coca-Cola products, including its Diet Coke, Coke Zero Sugar, Coca-Cola Life Sprite, Powerade and Dasani brands.
Coca-Cola will support community initiatives and fundraising events taking place during Derby week, and will also have brand activations at the event including providing virtual reality experiences and customised race-day bottles.
The agreement sees Coca-Cola replace rival brand Pepsi as a partner of the elite meeting and venue.
"Churchill Downs and Coca-Cola are two American icons so the partnership is an especially strong fit," said Kristin Warfield, vice president of partnerships at Churchill Downs racetrack. "The hundreds of thousands of racing fans who come from all over the world to experience Churchill Downs' world class horseracing and the Kentucky Derby will now be able to enjoy a broad range of Coca-Cola products and experiences."
"Churchill Downs is one of the most iconic sports venues in the world," added Heather Hucks, director of brand marketing at Coca-Cola. "We are delighted to bring racing fans a variety of leading beverage choices throughout the year and at the Kentucky Derby. As the local bottler, we are committed to the Louisville community and are excited to grow this partnership - both on the track and off."


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16th December 2014
While people across the UK are looking forward to spending Christmas with their loved ones and exchanging gifts, 6,891* people who are on the waiting list for a transplant will be hoping they will soon get the gift of an organ.
Today, NHS Blood and Transplant is launching the Christmas List campaign, to draw attention to the thousands of people who are waiting for a transplant across the UK and to encourage everyone to join the NHS Organ Donor Register.
Sadly, not all of those waiting will get the transplant they need. Three people a day across the UK die before they get the organ they need – that’s over 1,000 people every year and their families will be facing Christmas without them. Continue reading »


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5 things you probably didn't know about Marriott International
Although Hilton Worldwide may be currently stealing the spotlight in the hotel world with its pending IPO, Marriott International has been expanding at a pretty good clip. In the D.C. region, the company is set to open the Marriott Marquis Washington near the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, and it is launching its European AC Hotels line in the U.S. next year.
At the helm of the company is Bill Marriott, the Marriott family patriarch who helped take the company from being food-focused to the massive hotel chain it is today. Marriott, who recently chronicled the company's story in a book titled "Without Reservations," sat down with Greater Washington Board of Trade President Jim Dinegar Wednesday and shared some of his perspective on the company's history.
Here are a few things you probably didn't know:
- The first food served at the first Hot Shoppes restaurant owned by the Marriotts included chili and tamales that Bill Marriott's mother, Alice, learned how to make from the cooks at the Mexican Embassy in D.C. Alice Marriott made the food for the first two Hot Shoppes in her apartment and brought it to the restaurants because neither of them had a kitchen.
- Marriott passed up the chance in the 1960s to buy the hotel that is now the Hyatt Regency in downtown Atlanta, in part because it was being built with rooms facing a huge atrium lobby. "No one had seen an atrium at the time, and they wanted $16 million for it," Marriott said. "Hyatt came in an bought it and soon they were building atrium hotels all over America."
- The company did not pass on a similar property in 1983 when the Marriott Marquis property in New York City was for sale. Before he made the decision, Bill Marriott got a phone call from then-New York City mayor Ed Koch, asking Marriott to do the deal and give the credit to the mayor for bringing a high-end hotel to Times Square, which was in "horrible shape" at the time, Marriott said.
- The first two hotels the Marriotts owned were on the Potomac River next to bridges that went into D.C.: the Twin Bridges Motor Hotel, next to the 14th Street Bridge — formerly known as the Twin Bridges — and the Key Bridge Marriott. Bill Marriott's father liked building hotels next to bridges, he said, "because they'll never move."
- Bill Marriott still writes more than 700 letters by hand to members of the Marriott team to acknowledge milestones or a job well done. He's tried to keep up with the times, however, by writing a blog on Marriott's website. The most popular post he's written was one on the family's golden retriever, Murphy, though Marriott acknowledge he's "not sure why." Clearly he hasn't seen the number of dog videos on the Internet.
Rebecca Cooper covers retail, restaurants, tourism and the arts.
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Sports betting and lottery operators said on Monday that they were experiencing boost in their businesses as more people now patronise them.
Some of the betting operators disclosed this in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
NAN reports that sport betting is the activity of predicting sports’ results and placing a stake on the outcome.
Mr Chinedu Opara, who manages a BET9JA outlet in Karu, FCT, told NAN that the recession in the country has made the lottery business, particularly that of sports to thrive in the last one year.
He explained that people are attracted to the scheme now because they want to multiply or increase the money they have through betting.
“We have experienced more patronage since last year, many people now buy tickets and we have tickets as low as N100.
“For example, labourers who get daily pay of 1, 500, will want to play the game of N100 or N200 to make more money for themselves.
“Most times, we have up to two hundred customers for a particular game and maybe just two of them stand a chance of winning,” he said.
Opara, however, encouraged more Nigerians to play the game and boost economic development in the country, stating that the game was for all Nigerians irrespective of class or status.
He stressed that the scheme was interesting, educating and enlightening as many people are now aware of football and the benefits of lottery.
Also, Mr Usman Negedu, Manager, NairaBet said that Nigerians were eager to boost their income these days through sports betting.
According to him, the scarcity of money in the country has motivated more people to focus on betting.
“Recession has doubled the amount of subscribers on the betting network; more and more people keep logging onto our websites and registering to bet.
“Scarcity of money has made lots of people focus more on betting, and the tickets and internet they use generate money for us’’, he said.
However, Mr Jerry Ubong, a customer, told NAN that the game was a risky one, but most times pay the bills if you are lucky to win, adding that it is a give and take scheme.
He noted that the risk was worth taking as the game is cheap and affordable depending on your ability.
Ubong told NAN that engaging in the game will improve someone’s intellect as it is brain tasking that requires lots of calculation.
He added that the scheme was providing jobs for the unemployed youths in the country, saying that the business was rapidly expanding and spreading in the country.


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- March 13, 2023
BREAKING: New Study Shows PFAS Chemicals Rapidly Migrate into Products from Fluorinated Plastic Containers
Washington, DC – The Center for Environmental Health (CEH) and Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) announced results of a new study by University of Notre Dame researchers showing fluorinated high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic containers — used for numerous products such as household cleaners, pesticides, personal care products and food — tested positive for PFAS, including the highly toxic perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which major manufacturers stopped producing in 2015.
Results showed the PFAS migrated from the fluorinated containers into water, solvents, and food, resulting in a direct route of significant exposure to the hazardous chemicals, which have been linked to several health issues including prostate, kidney and testicular cancers, low birth weight, immunotoxicity and thyroid disease.
The study, published in Environmental Science and Technology Letters, follows studies conducted by the EPA that demonstrated fluorinated containers and their contents contained high levels of PFAS. This research demonstrates the first measurement of PFAS migration from containers into food as well as the effect of temperature on the leaching process. CONTINUE READING ON: ceh.org


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PARIS - A French drug maker announced today it wants to buy the more than 100-year-old Chattem Inc. of Chattanooga for about $1.9 billion in a cash deal.
Sanofi-Aventis SA said the transaction will lead to the creation of the world's fifth largest consumer health care company.
Paris-based Sanofi-Aventis said it will offer $93.50 per share to acquire 100 percent of Chattem, a Chattanooga, Tennessee based maker of consumer healthcare products such as Gold Bond skin care creams and Icy Hot pain relief medecine.
In a statement Sanofi-Aventis said it will launch its public tender offer for Chattem in January, and it expects to complete the acquisition in the first quarter of 2010.
Chattem's management will remain in place following the takeover, Sanofi-Aventis said.
Sanofi-Aventis said it would maintain both of Chattem's existing manufacturing facilities in Chattanooga and will continue construction on a third.
Last year Chattem had 488 employees and reported revenue of $455 million.
Chattem was founded as Chattanooga Medicine Co. It is currently carrying out a $35 million expansion of its Broad Street plant in Chattanooga.
See tomorrow's Chattanooga Times Free Press for complete coverage.


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The Spring/Summer 2021 New York Fashion Week may lack some of the big names, but it managed to serve up delightful designs all the same.
Regular heavy-hitters like Michael Kors, Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren were missing from the lineup. Less-experienced designers however, have seized the opportunity to fill the empty spots and get their due exposure.
Seven of the shows at Spring/Summer 2021's London Fashion Week will take place in front of a slimmed-down live audience. Others will be a mix of physical and digital, with the remaining taking place online only.
Regarded as this season's hottest trend, checks are expected to make a major impact. From gingham and plaid to tartan, the print appeared everywhere at the Autumn/Winter 2020 fashion weeks.
The pandemic has accelerated a power shift in the fashion and advertising world, with models and influencers by necessity wielding more control over their own images during remote photo and video shoots.
Traditional runway shows are making a comeback it seems. More than half of participating Milan fashion houses are making plans to present in-person previews for Spring/Summer 2021.
From online-only runway shows to virtual boutiques, the fashion industry is trying its hardest to go digital. Next up? Stores that combine both a physical presence and social media experience.
Face masks were seen on all models strutting a recent fashion runway in South Korea’s capital, Seoul, showing that it is possible to be safe and chic.
Designers around the world are calling for the traditional fashion calendar to be torn up. The question is, why does the style industry need so many seasons?
Video may have killed the radio star, but on the reaction to the first ever digital Paris Fashion Week, the queens of the runway can breathe easy. Critics are of two minds regarding the experience.


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Almost every product nowadays seems to have a “greener” counterpart. You can buy green dog food, umbrellas, even green caskets, and people are generally willing to pay more for the green version of these products than the non-green one—just look at the impressive sales of the Toyota Prius.
It seems like altruistic concern for the environment is on the rise, right?
A recent study offers a more cynical explanation, suggesting that the greening of American consumerism can at least partly be explained as evidence of humans’ desire for reputation and status. But it also offers environmental leaders a strategy for promoting more green behavior.
The study, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, consisted of three separate experiments, involving 168 students. In two of the experiments, the students had to choose between two different, but equally priced, green vs. non-green cars, household cleaners, and dishwashers. Green products were more environmentally friendly, but the non-green products were higher in quality and performance.
When students were made to feel more concerned about their status and reputation, they became more likely to buy the green product rather than its equally priced but more effective non-green counterpart.
In one study, students who took a survey that subconsciously prompted them to want to attain higher status were significantly more likely to prefer the green products than were students who hadn’t been made to feel status-hungry. Similarly, after taking the same survey, students who imagined shopping in public, where their purchase would be seen by others, were more likely to prefer the green products over the more effective car, cleaner, or dishwasher; when they imagined shopping in private, they were more likely to buy the more effective product. But when students hadn’t been made to feel status-hungry, they leaned toward the non-green product in public (and preferred them about evenly in private).
However, when the researchers gave the three green products a lower price tag than the other products, people prompted to be concerned about their status were more likely to select the more expensive product; the green product had lost its cachet.
In explaining their results, the researchers, led by Vladas Griskevicis, a marketing professor at the University of Minnesota, surmise that altruistic acts, including acting on behalf of the environment, can be a powerful way for people to try to enhance their public reputation and status.
“In addition to signaling that a person is pro-social rather than pro-self, altruism can simultaneously signal that one has sufficient time, energy, money, or other resources to be able to afford to give away such resources without a negative impact on fitness,” they write. “Incidents of public self-sacrifice are associated with status because such acts demonstrate both one’s willingness and one’s ability to incur the costs of self-sacrifice for public welfare.”
Thus, when choosing between equally priced items, those concerned about their status preferred the green products. But when a green product became cheaper than its more conventional counterpart, it lost its ability to convey high morals and high status, and its appeal waned.
“This finding suggests that green products such as the Toyota Prius might be selling well not despite their premium price tag,” the authors write, “but perhaps in part because such products are more expensive.”
It’s important to note, however, that the results don’t mean that all environmental behavior—or all altruistic behavior—is motivated by a desire for status. But they do suggest that a craving for status can foster pro-social behavior in general, and pro-environmental behavior in particular.
Griskevicis and his colleagues argue that this insight can be useful to those trying to promote environmentalism, which could include anyone from marketers to activists fighting climate change.
“Knowing that a desire for status can spur self-sacrifice also presents a powerful tool for motivating pro-social and pro-environmental action,” they write. “Indeed, pro-environmental behavior may not only be a viable method of attaining individual status, it may also be a vital method of preserving the status of our species.”
To that end, they suggest linking green products to social status symbols, such as celebrity endorsers and prestigious events. They also recommend that nonprofits enable supporters to show off their altruism by providing visible signs of their generosity, like the yellow Livestrong wristbands that the Lance Armstrong Foundation gives to donors.


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BusinessGreen Technology Awards
06 Dec 19
Accsys is delighted to have been chosen as winner of the Building Technology of the Year category in the BusinessGreen Technology Awards 2019, for its sustainable, durable and stable Accoya® wood product.
Accsys combines chemistry, technology and ingenuity to make high-performance wood products that enable new, sustainable choices for developing the built environment.
Using fast-growing, sustainably-sourced timber, Accsys creates long-life wood products with properties that can compete with traditional non-sustainable building materials, such as tropical hardwoods, metal, plastic and concrete.
Accoya® is created through a proprietary acetylation process that boosts the already naturally-occurring acetyl content of wood, and by doing so, reduces the ability of the wood to absorb water. This makes it much more dimensionally stable, and extremely durable, with a 50 year above ground and 25 year in-ground or freshwater warranty.
Accoya® is Cradle to Cradle Certified™ at the Gold level, recognising its status as one of the most bio-cycle friendly building materials available: it contains no toxic chemicals, is sourced from renewable, sustainable forests, has a low carbon footprint, and can be recycled like normal wood.
The BusinessGreen Technology Awards are now in their 5th year and recognise some of the most exciting green technology businesses and innovations in the UK.
The Building Technology of the Year category is for the most exciting recent developments in green construction and property, with judges looking for innovative and inspiring green building technologies that are working to cut environmental impacts and improve building performance.


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Researchers discovered that mice uncovered to e-cigarette aerosol for 54 weeks developed carcinomas of the lungs and irregular bladder cell development. Tobacco and Health examine present that the main cause for youth and young grownup e-cigarette use is “they come in flavors I like” — with 77.9% and ninety.3% selecting this as a cause, respectively. In comparability, solely sixty six.4% of adults aged 25 and over chosen this as a cause. Teens and young adults can text “DITCHVAPE” to and get immediate help. Parents of young individuals who vape can get support at BecomeAnEX.org. JUUL has spent more than $1 million to market its products on the web and has paid for campaigns on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
In 2017, the FDA pushed back the compliance date for e-cigarette manufacturers to submit pre-market purposes much more to August 2022. This delay in the compliance deadline enabled the proliferation of e-cigarettes which have by no means undergone an FDA evaluation. It is difficult to observe and analyze the market as a result of variations in the tracking of e-cigarette sales. Common gross sales-monitoring and retail measurement firms like Nielsen do not examine vape shop knowledge, which may represent as a lot as 20% of the market. A study discovered that e-cigarette customers who’re male and younger have been the more than likely to participate in discussion boards on-line associated to e-cigarettes.
Delaware requires retailers to obtain a license to promote e-cigarette liquids, but not e-cigarette devices themselves. As of October 2019, a final guidance had not but been issued by the FDA.
However, recently JUUL announced that it will “suspend all broadcast, print and digital promoting within the U.S.” It was not clear from the announcement how long that suspension would last. Flavors are a high cause why younger people begin utilizing e-cigarettes.
Even among non-people who smoke, exposure and advertising through social media linked e-cigarettes with increased perceptions of stylishness and popularity. Of the examine participants, 19% often saw e-cigarette adverts on Facebook and sixteen% on Instagram. These outcomes have been also discovered to be directly correlated with present use. JUUL spent greater than $1 million to market its products on the web and has paid for campaigns on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. Youth could also be exposed to pro-tobacco content and advertising on social media by way of various sources, including business manufacturers as well as their very own peers or influential accounts they observe. The nature of social sharing permits branded or promotional content to virally unfold throughout platforms, which may increase youth exposure to overt advertising and pro-tobacco content posted by influential peer community members. More recently, mobile adverts have become a preferred place to advertise e-cigarettes.
- Manufacturers would be able to submit flavored e-cigarette premarket purposes to the FDA for review to find out whether they provide any public health benefit.
- At the time of this writing, the FDA has not yet finalized this motion and flavored e-cigarettes remain available on the market.
- Early research show a strong link between teens’ using e-cigarettes and smoking tobacco cigarettes.
- Researchers will continue to measure e-cigarette and tobacco-cigarette use among teenagers to know the connection between the two.
- In addition, podsmall.com he said, the new study does not analyze the increase in youth and teen smoking as a result of e-cigarette advertising and availability, nor does it evaluate the unfavorable health results of e-cigarettes to traditional tobacco products.
The Bug Mini Vape Mod Equipment Pink, Yellow, Black, Purple, Silver Battery
International regulation of e-cigarettes varies broadly, and, as a result of relatively current introduction of the product category, is rapidly changing. As of June 15, 2019, 24 states and the District of Columbia require licenses for the retail gross sales of e-cigarettes.
These starter kits comprise e-cig vaporizers, rechargeable batteries, wall charging adapters, and e-liquids to get the new vapers started on their journey. WHO frequently displays and evaluations the evidence on ENDS and health and provides guidance to governments. They are particularly dangerous when used by kids and adolescents. Nicotine is extremely addictive and younger individuals’s brains develop up to their mid-twenties. Exposure to nicotine of children and adolescents can have lengthy-lasting, damaging effects on brain improvement and there is danger of nicotine dependancy. Evidence reveals that these merchandise are harmful to well being and usually are not protected. However, it’s too early to supply a clear reply on the lengthy-term impact of utilizing them or being exposed to them.
Mobile ads, or paid advertisements on smartphone purposes and web sites optimized for cell, have the potential to succeed in tens of millions of young folks. Exposure to nicotine amongst youth is especially harmful since it has been proven to have an effect on key brain receptors, making young people extra vulnerable to nicotine dependancy. The first research to hyperlink e-cigarette use to cancer was published in October 2019.


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Xiaomi's 100W charger can juice a battery from zero to 100% in 17 minutes
The fastest by farBy Rob Thubron 17 comments
Forward-looking: We're still waiting for regular smartphones with battery lives that stretch into days, but the next best thing is faster charging. Those who want to juice their batteries as quickly as possible might want to check out Xiaomi's upcoming 100W charger, which boosts a phone from zero to 100 percent in just 17 minutes.
XDA-Developers spotted a video of the charger posted to the Weibo account of Lu Weibing, General Manager of Xiaomi's Redmi sub-brand. The time-lapse clip shows a device with a 4,000mAh battery using the Super Charge Turbo tech going up against an Oppo phone (3,700mAh) and the company's SuperVOOC technology.
Oppo's 50W SuperVOOC is currently the quickest charger on the market, but even it can't compete with Xiaomi's product, which takes seven minutes to hit 50 percent charge and another ten minutes to reach full capacity. In the same amount of time, the Oppo charger juiced the battery to 65 percent.
Most fast chargers take between an hour and two hours to fill a phone's battery, and SuperVOOC can do the job in just over 30 minutes.
Xiaomi's charger isn't just a concept. Lu says it will soon go into mass production, and we're likely to see it bundled with a future Xiaomi or Redmi smartphone. There's no explanation of exactly how the technology works, though, and there are questions over heat issues and the number of recharge cycles the battery will have.
Those who prefer a phone that lasts longer might want to check out Energizer's P18K. It features an 18,000mAh battery, but its bulky size seems to be putting people off buying one.


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The European Commission spread the word that a strong AI ecosystem will be one of the decisive factors for overall competitiveness in the upcoming years. While currently the dominant global player is still the USA, that laid the foundations for current supremacy decades ago. China and the European Union are trying to catch up in the field of artificial intelligence with varying degrees of commitment and success. The strategies are quite different, not only because of the cultural reasons.
With an estimated worth of $3 trillion, the Fashion Industry is one of the most valued sectors worldwide. The potential of using AI in this industry is actually bigger than we all can imagine. Artificial Intelligence chatbots are only a first small step, as the Fashion Industry is more complicated than it looks.
Artificial Intelligence in the Beauty Industry is the next revolution that all women around the world would be very excited about. AI cannot miss the industry that is worth now 445$ billion. A great number, right? From cosmetic stores, beauty corners to supermarkets, beauty products are everywhere.
Emotion detection – Understanding and predicting human emotions has never been easy. We often cannot explain our emotions and why we feel what we feel. This is where AI comes into play. AI can provide new insights into this topic and be a viable method to automatically and accurately detect human emotions.
Automatica 2018 – the fair of Automation and Robotics once again gathered in Munich, Germany, on June 19-22, industrial automations, robotics and machine experts from around the world.
Artificial Intelligence has enormous potential for the business world! Many entrepreneurs are not aware of the magnitude this technical revolution has to offer and miss out on a huge chance to boost their startup. But how? Startup Creator got your back and identified the biggest AI opportunities for your startup.
After clarifying the definition of Artificial Intelligence in the first part of our AI Revolution-Series, we will delve deeper into the topic this time. The potential of AI is enormous. It can lead us towards a prosperous future or be the doom of humanity. We present to you the 4 biggest AI opportunities and threats.
Artificial Intelligence is the hottest topic of 2018. Without a doubt will it have a significant impact on our future way of living. However, AI is still new to many people and the majority can’t categorize it properly.
It’s time! Our Entrepreneurial Journey comes to an end. The 5th and final part is here and will give your entrepreneurial self the finishing touch. The last piece of the puzzle is called Technological Expertise.


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Story By: John Feng, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Asia Wire Report
Video Credit: AsiaWire
This is the moment an alleged brazen female thief wriggles up into a claw machine and steals giant soft toys before slipping back out with ease.
The alleged crook wearing sandals, shorts and a pink hoodie is now being sought by police over the alleged theft of three large soft toys.
Footage from the coin-operated business in New Taipei City’s Sanchong District in North Taiwan shows the suspect, who is reportedly around 30 years old, sticking her head into the claw machine chute.
It happened at 3:16am local time on 3rd December when no one else was around, the shopkeeper reported.
The woman, who appears to be after the Minnie Mouse toy as well as another pink plush, manages to squeeze her entire body up the arcade game’s dispenser.
She wriggles and twists in the tiny space until she appears to grab the pink toy of Angel, who is Stitch’s love interest from the 2006 Disney animation Leroy and Stitch.
The woman then kicks off her sandals and climbs deeper into the machine until she is able to reach the sought-after Minnie Mouse cuddly toy too.
She appears to pluck both from the chute as she climbs out the same way she went in.
According to reports, the shopkeeper discovered the incident after finding the chute flap damaged the following day.
A review of the CCTV footage revealed the series of events leading to a reported loss of roughly 3,000 TWD (75 GBP).
Local authorities said they had already identified the suspect’s whereabouts and would summon her for questioning.
According to police and the owner, the suspect allegedly stole a third toy too but it is unclear what it was.
The ViralTab page is created by and dedicated to professional, independent freelance journalists. It is a place for us to showcase our work. When our news is sold to our media partners, we will include the link here.


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Over the past six months, our Shop Idol contestants have been subject to mystery shopping and a vote to decide the 12 regional finalists, who went head-to-head in a series of rounds of challenging tasks in front of the judges on Wednesday 16 May.
An exceptional day gave our judges plenty of tough decisions - including the decision of which six of the 12 brilliant contestants would progress to the final rounds.
Mark Fermor, Future’s lead for the Mobile Industry Awards and one of the judges, said: “The final was one of the hottest contests we have had in recent years. Each candidate was a credit to themselves and their companies, who will be incredibly proud of their colleagues once the news travels. I’m excited to see the top three and winner being announced on the 7th June.”
Congratulations to our final six:
- April Marzuoli, Carphone Warehouse
- Daniel Nutt, O2
- Jackie Newman, Vodafone
- Joshua Higgins, Carphone Warehouse
- Matthew Clarke, EE
- Sean Taylor, Carphone Warehouse
In partnership with Alcatel, Shop Idol is the only competition of its kind. Since its launch in 2003, more than 3,000 competitors have taken part in mystery shops, interviews and challenges to determine their product knowledge, customer service skills and, of course, their sales acumen!
Make sure to join us and the final six at The Brewery in London on 7 June for the prestigious Mobile Industry Awards where we will crown the winner of Shop Idol 2018.


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Monday, Oct. 24 marks Drake’s 36th birthday, and in celebration of his big day the Toronto rapper is sharing a special gift with fans: free chicken!
Last year, Drake became a major investor in Dave’s Hot Chicken, and he’s partnering with the chain to offer customers a free Dave’s Hot Chicken Slider or Tender on his birthday.
According to the chicken chain’s website, from 11 a.m. and 9 p.m. local time, customers who will receive one of those items no charge, but there is a catch — in order to qualify, each customer must prove they’re following the chain on Instagram or TikTok. The deal is only available for in-store purchases.
READ MORE: Drake Remembers Earning Just $100 To Open For Ice Cube When He Started Out
“Our guests across the world have shown the same level of enthusiasm for this company that the founders had five years ago when they were operating a little pop up in Hollywood,” Bill Phelps, Dave’s Hot Chicken CEO, said in a press release. “Now, in celebration of his birthday and our first national ad campaign, our most famous investor wanted to give something back to fans by letting everyone try Dave’s Hot Chicken on him.”
In September 2021, Dave’s Hot Chicken announced that Drake had become a “major investor” with a “large stake” in the company, while other stakeholders in the company include including Samuel L. Jackson and Boston Red Sox chairman Tom Werner.
READ MORE: Drake Marks 50 Billion Streams With Special FC Barcelona Kit
“I tried the food and it was amazing,” Drake said in 2021. “After meeting the founders and hearing their story, I jumped at the opportunity to invest.”
Dave’s Hot Chicken has numerous locations throughout the U.S., but only three in Canada, all of which are in the Toronto area.


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A Chinese Weibo account, “Kang,” has posted what is said to be accurate information about what Apple will unveil at their Tuesday, October 13 online event. Included in the post is a claim that Apple will revive its “MagSafe” branding for two wireless chargers as well as a new magnetic iPhone case.
The two Apple wireless chargers will be called “MagSafe Charger” and “MagSafe Duo Charger,” one or both of which will have a 15-Watt power output.
Long-time Apple users will likely recognize the “MagSafe” moniker as it was used for Apple’s magnetically attached MagSafe power connectors, which was used on MacBook models starting in 2006 until it was replaced by USB-C across all Apple product lines during the 2016 to 2019 timeframe.
August images shared on Weibo that were allegedly from the iPhone 12 show a circular array of magnets in the body of the handset. At the time it was speculated that the magnets could be used for alignment purposes on a wireless charger.
So far, Apple hasn’t released its own wireless chargers for the iPhone. Its much-anticipated AirPower charging mat was canceled last year due to quality control issues.
While the leaker “Kang” reportedly has a reliable track record, reports like these are to be taken with a grain of your favorite low-sodium seasoning. Nothing is set in stone until Tuesday when Apple executives take the virtual stage to unveil their new products.


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comScore offers segmentation metrix for UK
comScore has launched a second segmentation tool for marketers. The new tool will focus on U.K. surfers, enabling marketers better targeting capabilities for online campaigns.
A similar tool was launched in the U.S. in July.
Bob Ivins, EVP of International Markets at comScore said, “Consumer segmentation is not new - it is an important part of marketing, and over the years comScore has conducted a great deal of custom segmentation work. With comScore Segment Metrix, marketers can define consumer segments behaviorally and then identify where to find them across the web—making media and promotion plans more targeted, efficient and effective.”
Though the U.K. tool launched this week, already researchers have seen a difference between "heavy" Internet users in the U.K. and "average" Internet users. According to the first report, "heavy" Internet users spend three times as much time (more than 99 hours) on the Web in July as "average" users.
With the ability to see segmented research, marketers will have a better idea of how campaigns perform from launch from close. Campaigns can be segmented so that marketers see if their online properties are getting their share of users, they can learn how to better reach target markets and may better integrate online and offline campaigns.
- Consumers, like many marketers, don't know what native advertising is
- Travel: Paid search spend continues downward trend
- Why developers need to test apps
- Unruly: SocNetters buzz about getting buzzed
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- Release leaves power of the brand with the brand
- Pinterest improves product engagement with Rich Pins
- ONS data reveals the U.K.'s 7.1 million disconnected
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Samsung is looking to supply its Exynos processors to Chinese smartphone brands like Oppo and Xiaomi starting next year, according to a report. The company is said to be planning to put its Exynos chipsets in some budget smartphones from Chinese companies as early as the first half of next year. With this move, Samsung can make the fight tougher for American chipmaker Qualcomm, which offers its Snapdragon chipsets to various manufacturers in China and across the world.
According to the report in South Korean business website BusinessKorea, Samsung’s System LSI Business unit is planning to supply Exynos chips to companies including Oppo, Vivo, and Xiaomi. The company is reportedly set to begin with entry-level smartphones initially, and may start supplying flagship-level chips later on, after gaining some recognition in the market. This will not be the first time Samsung will supply its Exynos chips to a third party manufacturer. The company had previously supplies its Exynos 880 and Exynos 980 chips to Vivo.
Samsung has reduced its dependence on the Exynos chipsets due to lower profit margin. While the company still offers Exynos processors on its premium smartphones in India, Samsung decided to not use the Exynos 990 on the Galaxy S20 models in markets like South Korea and US, and went with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 instead.
According to recent data by market research firm Counterpoint Research, Qualcomm led the market of mobile processors in the second quarter, with a 29 percent market share. After Qualcomm, MediaTek took the second spot with a 26 percent market share.


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Glaxo Wellcome, the pharmaceutical giant, yesterday agreed to sell the rights to its new migraine drug to its rival Zeneca in a deal thought to be worth around pounds 100m.
The sell-off was forced on Glaxo by the Federal Trade Commission, the US competition watchdog, which believed the merged company would otherwise have dominated the market following last year's pounds 9bn takeover of Wellcome. The divestment also satisfies requirements laid down by the European Union trade authorities.
Glaxo said it had signed a memorandum of understanding concerning the sale of the rights and expected to complete the transaction by the end of the month, although negotiations have yet to be finally completed The FTC had given the company a deadline of 23 March.
The new drug, code-named 311C90, was being developed by Wellcome and would have been a second-generation product to Glaxo's highly successful Immigran, known as Immitrex in the US. Sales of Immigran were pounds 284m in 1994 and analysts believe that figure rose to pounds 330m last year. Glaxo was already developing its own improved migraine drug to rival 311C90, called Naratriptan, which it will keep. Observers expect the rapidly expanding market for migraine drugs could hit pounds 1.5bn by the year 2000.
The deal was generally welcomed yesterday. Jenny Colley, an analyst with NatWest Markets, said: "It makes sense for Glaxo and it makes sense for Zeneca. It will probably complement the schizophrenia product [Zeneca] have already got in that area. It makes good sense for Glaxo. Zeneca might have less marketing clout than other possible buyers."
Glaxo said it would ensure that the clinical trial development programme for 311C90 - currently in phase III clinical trials - continued without interruption throughout the divestment process. The plan is that Zeneca will pay milestone payments as development proceeds, with a gradual handover before an expected launch date for the drug sometime in the second half of 1997.


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T.J. Maxx opening new Kenwood store
A new T.J. Maxx store is slated to open in Sycamore Township later this year.
The Massachusetts-based off-price retailer of apparel and home fashions plans to open a 35,000-square-foot store near Interstate 71 and Montgomery Road.
The store will be located in the Sycamore Plaza development, which is across Montgomery Road from Kenwood Towne Centre, in a space that formerly housed Barnes & Noble. The bookstore closed last year.
Last year, a joint venture of Blackstone Group and DDR bought Sycamore Plaza and the adjacent Sycamore Crossing retail developments for $79 million from Regency Centers Corp.
A store opening date was not immediately available.
Sycamore Township Administrator Greg Bickford said a permit was issued for T.J. Maxx at the space last year. Based on the retailer's construction schedule, the store could be open this fall, he said.
T.J. Maxx would be the largest tenant at Sycamore Plaza and Sycamore Crossing after Macy's Furniture Gallery, Toys "R" Us/Babies "R" Us and Dick's Sporting Goods.
The retailer currently has 11 stores in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.


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Apple Music has launched in Canada and worldwide radio station Beats 1 is now live. (more…)
JUUK has updated their Indiegogo project to add bring ‘gun metal’ finishes for Space Grey Apple Watch Sport.
If you want real-time weather alerts, Environment Canada has setup everything on Twitter.
TD Canada has updated their iPhone app with more features
The official Toronto Transit Commission app has launched for iPhone users.
Apple Pay has officially launched in the United Kingdom.
Bell has announced CraveTV will hit the masses on January 1, 2016.
iPhone 6 screen support has arrived for the Coast Capital Savings iOS app.
Three months after the initial launch, Apple Watch online sales in the U.S. are estimated to have totalled 3 million.
Snapchat’s redesigned iPhone app features a new Stories screen with a prominent shortcut to Discover partners.
You can redeem a coupon on your smartphone to get a free A&W Sriracha Teen Burger.
Facebook’s newly-appointed security chief has said it is time for Adobe to announce when Flash would be killed off.
A man was arrested in London who tried to charge his iPhone in a socket on a train.


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This year may not be a very happy holiday season for the hundreds of thousands of workers who were cut from their jobs this November due to the economic slump.
Jobs and their workers took another major hit in the past month reaching the highest levels of job cuts in seven years.
According to a CNN report using the Chicago based Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. and announcements from U.S. employers, job cuts have sky rocketed to 61 percent since October and 148 percent higher than last year.
“It’s unbelievable how many people are losing their jobs,” said Nina DeGiglio, a sophomore at Westchester Community College. “Our economy is in such shambles. It has been going downhill for a number of years now, its sick that it has to come to such a point.”
The total cuts for November was the second highest on record since January 2002, which was the backlash of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Retailers were among the hardest hit this year, having cut 11,000 employees in November. One of the nation’s biggest electronic consumer chain, Circuit City, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last month and cut thousands of workers, but still plans to keep operating with a smaller store base. Recently, AT&T Corp announced that they were cutting 16,000 employees.
With the holidays around the corner and so many cut backs, many Americans are in fear of losing their jobs. The holiday season typically creates over 300,000 jobs during normal economic stability, however many economists predict that it will lose over 1 million jobs between November and January.
“We usually hire at least 10 new employees over the holiday season,” said Dilia Monohan, an assistant manager at Ann Taylor. “This year we can’t even afford five new employees, which take its toll on everyone else. I’m even afraid for my job.”
According to a CBS News poll, Americans are cutting back on holiday shopping to a degree unseen in two decades. Of those surveyed, two-thirds of Americans said they will spend under $500 on holiday gifts this year.
“Gift giving is one of my favorite parts of the holiday season,” said DeGiglio. “I used to go crazy with my gifts but this year I’ve decided to only spend $20 dollars on each person.”
An ABC News poll found that over 68 percent of shoppers will wait for sales even if it means missing out on things they really want.
“Our monthly income has decreased dramatically in the past four months,” said Monohan. “ We’re seeing fewer and fewer people walk through the door.”


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Heroes of the Storm Previews Li-Ming and Xul
Heroes of the Storm shows off its latest development on two new characters, Li-Ming and Xul, along with the Lunar Festival and more.
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After launching in 2011, TradeHill was forced to close within six months amidst widespread identity fraud. A fall-out with the digital payments outfit Dwolla as well as other regulatory concerns was also to blame. However, following investment seed funding and a re-launch in March, the company has partnered miiCard which provides users with “digital passports” verifying online identity.
“We are committed to exceed government compliance standards at every opportunity. miiCard’s identity proofing capabilities allow us to identify red flags early in a transaction to better support anti-money laundering efforts,” said TradeHill Founder Jered Kenna.
As the demand for immediate payments implementation grows in the United States, Iliad Solutions have identified one of the largest risks to face the payments industry over the next few years.
Barclays has signed contracts with six of the fintech startups that just graduated from its second New York accelerator programme.
Company card killer Pleo has raised $3m in new funding as it prepares for public launch in the UK and Denmark.
Cheques are become less and less common in the UK according to new research from global market research firm Mintel which claims contactless card use has overtaken cheque payments in the UK for the first time.


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THE men of Leinster are playing their part for recycling as they out perform women in their recycling attitudes and behaviours as indicated in research undertaken by WEEE Ireland (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Ireland)
Leinster’s Isa Nacewa celebrated another victory as research released by WEEE Ireland shows that Leinster are putting on a great performance as they tackle recycling and are helping Ireland in the top five EU countries for electrical waste and battery recycling.
Not only are 74% of the people of Leinster recycling - but surprisingly Irish men are starting to out perform women in taking back their WEEE and waste batteries for recycling. A recent Omnibuzz Survey undertaken by WEEE Ireland, the Irish compliance scheme for electrical and battery recycling, found that an impressive 80% of men surveyed have recycled household electrical waste in comparison to 72% of women.
81% of people surveyed were aware that they could recycle their household electrical waste for free, a very positive affirmation that we are taking our commitment to the environment and sustainability seriously.
Some other results from the survey indicated that 81% of participants knew they could recycle electrical good for free; Awareness of free recycling was highest among 35-44 year olds; Only 63% of 18-24 year olds have recycled household electrical goods; Munster are leading the way for electrical waste recycling with an impressive 80% of Munster people having recycled; 51% of men knew what WEEE stood for in comparison to only 42% of women.
“We are delighted and hugely encouraged by this recent research, 81% of those surveyed were aware they could recycle waste electrical goods for free, and an impressive 76% having recycled their household appliances. This is an encouraging 15% increase in awareness that free WEEE recycling is available since we last conducted a similar piece of research in 2008, when only 66% of people knew this.
“Since we began in 2005, awareness and involvement has gone from a very low base to impressively high adoption and conversion. Our research shows us that Ireland is really embracing the need to recycle waste electrical goods and understand the long term benefits for the country and our planet,” said Leo Donovan, CEO of WEEE Ireland.
WEEE Ireland holds special collection days across the country in their designated area where waste electrical goods and batteries can be dropped off for free.
Log on to www.recyclefree.ie for more information and to find a collection day or a civic amenity site near you.


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RCS-capable subscribers to reach 1.2 billion globally by 2022
RCS (Rich Communication Services) subscribers will grow from 1.2 billion in 2022 to 3.8 billion by 2026 according to a new study from Juniper Research.
This will account for over 40% of global mobile subscribing, representing growth of over 200%.
RCS is a protocol for rich media messaging over operator networks that provides advanced business messaging services such as chatbots and payments.
However, the new report, titled ‘RCS Business Messaging: Monetisation Models, Competitor Leaderboard and Market Forecasts 2022-2026’ predicts that OTT messaging apps, which control their own development, will provide fierce competition for rich media business messaging traffic.
Operators must promote greater reach of RCS to subscribers over the fragmented OTT ecosystem to combat this threat and demonstrate its value.
Despite the competition from OTT apps, the research forecasts global operator revenue from RCS will grow from $230 million in 2022 to over $4.6 billion by 2026.
The report recommends that RCS providers offer a simple price-per-message monetisation model that has already been established through the use of SMS business messaging.
However, the research predicts that an increasing focus on omnichannel retail will drive deployments of chatbots services in RCS messaging apps.
This will require RCS platforms to offer ne monetisation models such as the session-based model where brands pay for unlimited messages to a subscriber over a limited amount of time.


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Protect-A-Bed, a Chicago-based supplier of mattresses, protection products and sleep accessories, has hired Kara Lineal as vice president of marketing, a new position at the company.
Warrick Bell, who previously managed marketing efforts, is now vice president of product innovation and leads the company’s product innovation and development.
In her new post Lineal is responsible for overseeing the strategic marketing direction of Protect-A-Bed and its REM-Fit and ThermalStrike brands. She reports to President John Rachid.
Prior to joining Protect-A-Bed, Lineal was director of marketing for Chaney Instrument Co.
“Kara is a natural fit for our team and has a great deal of experience working with consumer products and a strong background in digital marketing,” said James Bell, chief executive officer and founder of Protect-A-Bed. “Her expertise and achievements in launching a variety of consumer goods will be largely beneficial as the company continues to progress toward reaching its Vision 2018 goals.”
With Lineal’s appointment, Warrick Bell has shifted to a deeper emphasis on product development. He has been with the company for more than five years, overseeing the development and launch of new products, including the REM-Fit Active, a sleep and activity tracker, and Zeeq Smart Pillow, designed to analyze sleep and intelligently play a role in how people sleep each night.
“Warrick has proven himself in helping the company move the needle in the sleep technology industry,” James Bell said. “We’re excited for what the future holds and the ideas he’ll bring to the table as we continue to advance innovation in how people rest and recover.”


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On March 10, 2023, Microsoft intends to shut down Altspace VR, a social virtual reality (VR) platform. Just days after announcing 10,000 job cutbacks worldwide as part of the reorganisation process, the titan of Silicon Valley disclosed the news in a blog post. A more open, accessible, and safe form of immersive experiences in the metaverse is now the company’s even larger ambition, according to the blog post.
Reportedly, one of the earliest social networking applications for virtual reality was AltspaceVR, which enables users of the headsets and online platforms to join 3D chat rooms to play games, view films, and attend events. Microsoft purchased the business in 2017 when it was on the point of failure owing to financial issues as part of its ambitions to create its own mixed-reality ecosystem. Users may now retrieve their data and content from the VR platform, according to Microsoft, who announced AltspaceVR’s closure. With its Mesh platform, a tool for creating augmented reality apps for collaboration, Microsoft is still in the metaverse race.
However, the corporation has recently reduced its plans for the metaverse. Microsoft recently announced that it will reduce its global staff by 5%, resulting in about 10,000 layoffs. The layoffs include Microsoft’s AR and VR divisions as well; according to Windows Central, the whole AltspaceVR team appears to have been fired.
The team behind the ‘Mixed Reality Tool Kit,’ or MRTK, a well-known cross-platform foundation for virtual reality spaces, has apparently been fired by Microsoft. The division responsible for the HoloLens headgear has had a lot of difficulties lately, particularly after Alex Kimpan, who oversaw the development of Microsoft’s mixed-reality headset and Kinect, left the company.


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One of the biggest gaming news stories so far in 2019 broke today when Activision and Bungie confirmed they are ending their publishing deal for Destiny. Going forward, Bungie will take on development and publishing duties for Destiny, while Activision will focus on its own franchises, like Call of Duty.
Research firm Cowen & Company shared its thoughts on the news in a note to investors today, and one prediction the company made was that Bungie will release Destiny 3 in 2020. This is not an altogether surprising revelation, as the Destiny series normally releases new mainline entries every three years.
Destiny 1 launched in 2014, with Destiny 2 coming in 2017. According to Cowen & Company, the initial deal between Activision and Bungie called for new Destiny games every two years, but this shifted to one new game every three years. This slip might have contributed to what Cowen & Company called a «growing divergence» between Activision and Bungie’s respective visions for where the Destiny franchise should go.
While Destiny and Destiny 2 might have been commercially successful on a unit basis, the games did not achievement the kind of «recurring revenue stream» that Activision wanted, Cowen & Company said. Indeed, Activision management recently said Destiny 2: Forsaken failed to meet its commercial expectations, and as a result, the company was looking at ways to bring more microtransactions to the game. Whether or not that’s still the case now that Bungie operates Destiny 2 by itself remains to be seen.
According to Cowen, Bungie’s attempts to broaden the Destiny player community with a more casual friendly Destiny 2 didn’t work out, and while Destiny 2: Forsaken was praised by critics and fans, it didn’t do a good enough job at bringing back lapsed players.
Cowen estimates that Activision severed ties with Bungie and Activision to focus on strengthening its own fully owned franchises like Call of Duty, even if it meant taking a financial hit in the short term. The upside of investing in its own franchises was greater than continuing to sink resources into an under-performing series like Destiny, Cowen said.
Also in the report, Cowen said Bungie likely paid Activision a fee to reclaim the Destiny publishing rights, but the figure is not likely «enormously significant,» it said.
Losing Destiny will hurt Activision Blizzard’s bottom line, Cowen said, estimating that the company will announce lowered financial guidance when it reports earnings next in February.
«Ultimately, we think this decision is probably for the best for Destiny as a franchise, as we think having two head cooks in the kitchen with somewhat divergent views created some issues with the development process and led the game down some blind alleys,» Cowen said. «Destiny was a worthwhile attempt by Activision to build another cornerstone franchise, one that just didn’t quite pan out as they had hoped (underlining once again the high difficulty of creating and managing a successful live service game business), in our view.»
There continue to be unanswered questions about the Bungie/Activision breakup, including what it means for Destiny support studios High Moon and Vicarious Visions. Those studios, which are owned by Activision, might shift to other Activision projects, but no official announcements have been made at this point.
For more on the big Destiny news, check out the stories linked below.


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In a revealing presentation, Nancy Merritt, senior manager, global relationships, OpSec Security, dives deep into the new e-commerce landscape born out of the global events of 2020.
In her address, Merritt highlights notable changes and upticks in social media, e-commerce spending behavior and significant changes affecting spending, which points to a predicted $6.5 billon in e-commerce sales by 2023. In 2019, global third-party marketplaces like Amazon, eBay and Etsy accounted for 50 percent of online retail sales, according to Merritt.
“Because people are sheltered in place, have been home more and are spending more time online, it’s only increased that engagement, visibility and accessibility,” says Merritt. “People are buying things that they normally wouldn’t buy online.”
To learn more about the nuance of e-commerce in a post-pandemic climate and learn how to get ahead of the curve with the popularity of social media, please visit the content-rich Festival of Licensing platform for to find all on-demand sessions here.


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Fisheries specialist leaves organic salmon label legacy
Industry advocate Kate Troll has left her job as fisheries specialist with the state Department of Community and Regional Affairs. During her three years on the job, Troll led the charge to make sure wild seafood would be included in new national organic standards.
"Kate not only kept the door open, but went through the door on that one," a co-worker said. Troll also was involved from the beginning with the Marine Stewardship Council’s eco-labeling program, which last year certified Alaska salmon as coming from a healthy fishery.
"We made sure our sustainable management of Alaska salmon was duly recognized. It’s nice to see some of the processors stepping up and putting that label on their products," Troll said.
Troll also helped launch a popular program that provides marketing grants for new salmon products. Prior to her job with the state, Kate was director of the Southeast Seiners Association and United Fishermen of Alaska. Her replacement is Glenn Haight.
Demerits force suspension
Bristol Bay driftnetter Trygve Gabrielson of Walla Walla, Wash., won’t be out salmon fishing with the rest of the fleet this summer. Gabrielson is the first commercial fisherman to have his limited entry permit suspended for accumulating too many demerit points.
Under a 1998 law, harvesters who receive more than 12 points over a three-year period lose their permits for one year. Gabrielson was charged with fishing during a closed period in Egegik and fishing before and after legal fishing periods.
Sixteen demerit points results in suspension for two years, and more than 18 points results in three years on the beach.
Fish caucus returns
Watch for the resurrection of a legislative Fish Caucus, according to several policy-makers in Juneau. The group will comprise an informal mix of lawmakers and seafood industry representatives who will meet to discuss commercial fishing bills and issues.
Rep. Fred Dyson, R-Eagle River, said the idea has been met "with a significant amount of enthusiasm," according to the weekly fish watch publication "Laws for the Sea." Sen. Alan Austerman of Kodiak and Rep. John Harris of Valdez also plan to participate.
Slashed budgets have forced the Fish and Wildlife Protection Division to use a "rob Peter to pay Paul" approach to both sport and commercial fisheries enforcement personnel and patrols.
Agency director Joel Hard told the House Finance Committee that Bristol Bay takes 20 percent of total enforcement personnel for one month, while many other major fisheries are going on as well. "This example is not the exception throughout the year, it’s the rule," Hard said. Fish and Wildlife Protection has a statewide staff of 237 to patrol Alaska’s 36,000-mile coastline, plus lakes and rivers.
Americans love mussels, and per capita consumption has increased 250 percent in the past five years, from 880,000 pounds to 2.2 million pounds per month.
WorldCatch reports that Terry Callery of Great Eastern Mussel Farms of Tenants Harbor, Maine, the largest mussel producer in the United States, says that American consumers are just learning what most of the world already knows -- that mussels are inexpensive, versatile and delicious.
He says, "Mussels have grown beyond what has been an ethnic (in Belgium, Latin and Asian countries) appeal and are now a mainstream item in the U.S. supermarkets." The industry’s marketing efforts are a major reason for the popularity surge in consumption.
"There is no question as to the availability of the product grown under controlled conditions. We only harvest what we can sell, and we always have what we need to sell," he said. "Because of this market stability, retailers can confidently advertise mussels to get people to the seafood counter."
The growing popularity of mussels echoes the gain made by other aquaculture-based seafoods. Since 1987, due to the increase in aquaculture production, the per capita consumption of salmon is up 285 percent, shrimp is up 31 percent and catfish is up 96 percent.


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E-commerce’s share of retail in the United States has skyrocketed to 27% in recent months, up significantly from 16% last year. This dramatic shift in retail equilibrium during the pandemic favors increased reliance on air cargo, but what happens as the crisis abates? The Cargo Facts team is proud to be able to deliver actionable […]
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May 07, 2020 (Baystreet.ca via COMTEX) -- Peloton's /zigman2/quotes/208035743/composite PTON +10.35% showed great things on markets Thursday, as revenue surged 66% during the fiscal third quarter. This, as more people purchased its fitness equipment and tuned into its live classes, to try to break a sweat while stuck at home during the coronavirus pandemic.
The momentum and results also led Peloton to boost its sales outlook for the full year. The company said heightened demand for its bikes has continued into the fourth quarter. It said it is seeing new customers -- ones who were not considering buying one of its bikes before the COVID-19 crisis.
CEO John Foley told analysts during a post-earnings call that the pandemic is going to change consumers' exercise routines for the long term.
Peloton's net loss widened during the quarter to $55.6 million, or 20 cents per share, compared with a loss of $38.6 million, or $1.76 a share, a year ago. The company said the loss was primarily due to nonrecurring litigation and settlement expenses.
Total revenue grew 66% to $524.6 million from $316.7 million a year ago.
Analysts were expecting the company to report a third-quarter loss of 17 cents, adjusted, on revenue of $487.7 million.
Sales from its connected fitness products such as its bikes totaled $420.2 million, up 61% from a year ago and representing 80% of total revenue, the company said. Subscription revenue totaled $98.2 million, up 92% year over year and making up 19% of total revenue.
PTON shares gained $5.29, or 13.9%, to $43.32, in Thursday's first hour of trade.


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Is Facebook about to launch a phone? Firm sends out mysterious invites to 'Come and see what we're building'
- Special event to be held at Facebook's Silicon Valley HQ next week
- Could see first 'Facebook phone' revealed after months of speculation
- Firm believed to be developing handset with HTC
Rumours are growing that Facebook may be set to unveil a mobile phone to take on the iPhone.
The firm has sent out invites to US journalists for a special event at their usually secretive Silicon Valley HQ.
The invites promise to allow attendees to 'see what we're building' - with online rumours pointing to a phone.
Facebook's mysterious invite, which was sent to US journalists. Some believe it may see the firm launch its own mobile phone.
Facebook's HQ in Menlo Park, in the heart of silicon Valley, where Thursday's newfeed launch will take place
The firm has been rumoured several times to be developing its own phone.
Its apps for existing phones have already been expanded to include many features found in other handsets, such as messaging and photo sharing through the recent purchase of Instagram.
Recent reports claim it has poached engineers from Apple's iPhone and iPad team to work on the project, which is believed to be being built by HTC.
The social networking giant has also previously collaborated with HTC to launch the ChaCha and Salsa phones with a dedicated Facebook button and deep integration of the social network.
However, it is believed the new handset could be fully Facebook branded, and run far more of the firm's software than any other handset.
Facebook HQ features murals, and even touchscreen maps so visitors can navigate the huge campus
Facebook is also preparing to roll out a new feature for its Messenger app which allows users to place free voice calls to friends.
The feature is so far available only
to iPhone users in Canada and is buried within the latest update to the
app, but it will eventually allow users to make free internet voice
calls, known as VoIP calls, to any Facebook friend.
Experts are saying it represents an attempt by the world's largest social network to dominate the social world by taking on the default calling function in mobile phones.
Mark Zuckerberg in his personal conference room at Facebook HQ
Facebook currently only produces apps - but several rumours have pointed to it wanting to develop its own mobile phone.
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All About That Base: Eau Claire Express Swing Into Summer
after almost two years, baseball enthusiasts can again take themselves out for a local ball game at Carson Park
Rebecca Mennecke, photos by Andrea Paulseth |
It has been more than 600 days since the last Eau Claire Express game, but the team is ready to hit some home runs with their summer season starting on Monday, May 31.
“The decision was simple,” said Jacob Servais, general manager of the team. “We needed to play.”
After checking in with the Eau Claire City-County Health Department and the City of Eau Claire, the team aims to make this season as normal as possible. The Carson Park Stadium will be limited to 50% capacity, with attendees sectioning out in pods – whether they comprise family or friends, that’s up to you!
When it comes to concessions, the Eau Claire Express are partnering with the app Fan Booth to allow online ordering and pickup of your favorite baseball grub. Speaking of delicious eats, Jay Ray’s Deli of Eau Claire is also taking over the Best Seats in the House section of the Carson Park Fan Deck, where you and up to 20 friends can choose from one of 18 fresh subs paired with potato salad, famous Carson Park mac and cheese, and potato chips, and enjoy a good game of ball.
The Express have no shortage of family events slated for this summer, with their Friday night fireworks and giveaways each week, the ZOOperstars! hitting home base on June 13, Tyler’s Amazing Balancing Act on July 15, Breakin’ BBoy McCoy slated to sing, act, and perform on Aug. 6, as well as a slew of other happenings, which you can find here.
If you’re looking for tickets to a game, be sure to snag them online ahead of time at northwoodsleague.com/eau-claire-express/tickets.