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From the source: Geoff Cockerill, Subway
Geoff Cockerill has been in the food and beverage business for more than 15 years. Except for a brief stint as CEO of Queensland Cricket, which he describes as an “interesting interlude”, Cockerill has spent much his career working with major global beverage brands – think Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff, Corona and Bailey’s.
Most recently, he was a divisional director at Retail Food Group, which operates the Donut King, Michel’s Patisserie, Gloria Jean’s Coffees, Pizza Capers and Crust Gourmet Pizza franchises, before recently joining Subway as the country director of Australia and New Zealand.
Here, Cockerill explains why Subway is making significant changes to its menu and restaurants, and how the company is weathering the storm in the franchise sector.
Inside Retail Weekly: You’ve spent a lot of your career working with global brands. How important is it to localise the offering and experience of a brand like Subway to the Australian market?
Geoff Cockerill: The key part is that the global world is a smaller world than it probably was 10 years ago, and different trends, ideas and products move around the world more quickly today than they did 10 years ago. Subway is 53 years old and has a product range that has been very successful around the world, and we’re honouring that past. But now we’re focusing on making it a better Subway based on the Australian and New Zealand guest requirements, which are different to the American requirements.
What’s similar is that we all love a great sandwich, but the flavour profiles are slightly different, so we adapt those to the local market.
IRW: What are some of the key ways the American and Australian flavour profile differs?
GC: The taste in the US, from what I understand, has traditionally been a little blander. That probably would have suited Australia 10 years ago, but the advent of a lot of different cooking shows and richer and denser flavours has changed that. That’s why you’ve seen us add new menu items like spicy buffalo chicken with blue cheese sauce. Our sauces would traditionally have been targeted in the middle, but now we’re boldly saying if you want a blue cheese sauce, you’re going to get a blue cheese sauce. If you want a habanero hot sauce, it’s going to be hot. And if you don’t like it, you can choose something else on the menu. That is what our guests were asking for, and we’re proud of it. What I love about Subway is if you don’t want the bold flavours, you can go to those traditional menu items. We’re tailoring our menu for a number of guests.
IRW: So is this a rebrand?
GC: We’re not calling it a rebrand; we’re saying that we’re developing a better Subway. We have 100 restaurants trialling the new menu in Australia and New Zealand and five restaurants trialling our new Fresh Forward format. They’ve been rolled out over the last three months and we’re gradually rolling more out. Our ambition is to have 60 new restaurants in the Fresh Forward design by January next year.
IRW: What are the main changes you’ve made to the menu and look and feel of Subway restaurants?
GC: We’ve worked really hard on the quality of our products. We’ve got new ham, new chicken, new premium sauces, new breads, including a rye bread. Again, it’s respecting what has always been there at Subway – ham, chicken, turkey have been in Subway for 53 years – but now we’ve dialled up the quality of the products. We took out carrots and pickles in the trial initially, but the overwhelming response we got was that people wanted the carrots and pickles back, so they’re back. We’re listening to guest feedback, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive, both from our guests and franchise owners.
The Fresh Forward format is basically our new restaurant design. It’s a more modern design; it’s cleaner and not overwhelmed with point of purchase. It basically features our new stainless look: our new cambros, prep and presentation areas – we’ve actually got a display with all our fresh produce – and a whole new menu format with digital boards and so on. It’s a new restaurant, but not a new Subway.
IRW: I understand you’re also embracing delivery…
GC: Yes; it’s one of the five key pillars of our strategy. The first part is all about the food and in-store look. The second part is our extended menu, which includes offering paninis, signature wraps and salads. The third part is new restaurants, and the fourth key part is what we’re calling convenience and technology. We’ll have an app next year that will enable guests to order their meals remotely and pick them up in-store, and we’ll put in place more formalised agreements with third-party delivery platforms. [Third-party delivery] has only really come about in the last few months, and it’s sporadic. We haven’t rolled it out as a business yet, but individual franchise owners are using different thirdparty delivery options.
We’ll also be dialling up our catering opportunity. We’re working on a corporate strategy to show the benefits of catering for the restaurants that aren’t
already doing it. We’re getting a lot of interest from schools, government departments, and a lot of corporates that are picking up on the freshness, product quality and ‘better for you’ elements of Subway. When we talk about the future for the franchise owner, there’s some really good momentum in some of these areas that could result in increased sales and profit.
IRW: Is it harder for franchise businesses to roll out network-wide changes like this, since they don’t have full control like non-franchise businesses do?
GC: I’m not sure if it’s harder, but it’s certainly a big process to roll it out across 1600 restaurants across Australia and New Zealand. The ‘why’ behind it is that we want to increase sales and profitability for franchise owners, so increasing profitable guest count promptly is our number one objective. It’s essential that we motivate our franchise owners to look at all these incremental opportunities, because if we’re going to do the same thing, we’re going to get the same result. The current environment is challenging, it’s competitive, and you need to be in a lot of these areas and doing well to succeed. Our role is to help the franchise owners be successful.
IRW: Are you hand-picking particular franchise owners to participate in the trial, or are they coming to you?
GC: It depends. We’re suggesting the areas we think are best suited to the changes, but we’ve also got franchise owners coming to us saying, ‘We want to do this. When can we do it?’ We’re doing what we call smart development. We’re not just telling franchise owners to spend the money, we’re helping them based on where they’re currently located, what their current lease is, what the terms of their lease are…because if they’re going to invest money into a new restaurant design, the longer they have their lease the better. So we’re not pushing this out; we’re working with franchise owners. And the numbers I’ve seen for next year certainly far out exceed what I thought in terms of people’s interest in doing it. That’s because a lot of owners are visiting these restaurants and actually going, ‘Wow, this is pretty good’.
It’s not like we’re building a $10 million restaurant. We’re building restaurants that are within reach for franchise owners. They’re functional and really support what Subway is about.
IRW: How do you balance the desire to update the brand with the cost of doing so, especially since the cost is borne by the franchise owners?
GC: There’s an impost to the franchise owners with anything we do, but we’re looking at how we can support them with the rollout of Fresh Now, which will see our new food, new cambros and new flavour stations in every restaurant across the network by the end of this year. So we’re working through the final costs of that and working with the franchise owners to get it done. In my experience, this has been a really positive process.
IRW: Do you have a plan to convert every restaurant to the Fresh Forward format?
GC: As with any major change, when you’ve got 1600 restaurants across Australia and New Zealand changing to that Fresh Forward format, that’s a multi-year process. But the key component is what we’re doing at the moment, which is the new food and extended menus.
In addition, we’re running a major support program called Restaurant Excellence, which is about the look and feel and service element of the restaurant. You can’t change the food and not be getting the service to the standard that you deserve. We’ve put a lot of programs in place supporting the franchise owner around what great service looks like, what a great restaurant looks like and those key things. They are basic things, from a greet to a smile to a ‘thank you’ to – where possible – an acknowledgement by name. Those key service elements will let the whole program down if they’re not delivered on. That is actually the fifth pillar of the strategy I was going through before.
IRW: What was the rationale behind the changes? Was it just time to do a brand refresh, or were you thinking you needed to make some changes from a commercial perspective?
GC: The changes were based on guest feedback. We’ve got an enormous base of loyal Subway consumers, and they were saying that they love the brand, but they wanted more freshness and more variety. They were looking for the brand to move with the times. We had to ask ourselves whether we were meeting the current trends. Was our bread on trend with the current varieties? Were we using artificial colours?
IRW: Food trends seem to change at warp speed. What is it like trying to keep up with that?
GC: At the moment, on-trend food is better for you and prepared in-restaurant. We just released a new ad where the focus is on the fact that we slice all our tomatoes, all our capiscums, all our onions every day in-restaurant. A lot of guests didn’t know that. The other thing we focus on in the ad is local sourcing for our sauces and no artificial colours or flavouring. People didn’t understand that Subway is produced in-store, cut in-store and consumed in-store. That led to our caption around ‘my kind of fresh’.
IRW: There have been some troubling revelations of franchise businesses not doing enough to support franchise owners. Subway hasn’t been the subject of any of these stories so far, but has the negative press impacted the business?
GC: We’re certainly doing our best to make sure it doesn’t, but we recognise that it’s a tough environment out there, and if you stand still at the moment, you’re going to go backwards. That’s a big piece of what we’re doing now. We’re moving forward and putting these initiatives in place so our franchise owners can sell more and make more. If they do that, everyone’s a winner.
We’re also staying focused on the sustained support model that we’ve had in place for a number of years. We have a motivator group of business development agents that run each territory with a group of business consultants, who work very closely with the restaurants. If a restaurant is deemed to be able to do better, our teams need to be there to show them how, from food wastage to rostering to their service levels and quality and just their general restaurant excellence. We need to continue to drive these support systems home in a positive way.
IRW: What are some of the biggest challenges the sector faces at the moment?
GC: Some of the bigger issues are the rising rents and rising labour costs. We can’t control that, but the thing we can control and what we focus on is operational excellence. How are you running the restaurant, where is your food wastage, what is your local area marketing, how are you capitalising on areas like third-party delivery, catering and so on? These are the areas where we’re laser focused on helping franchise owners succeed. There will always be corporate strategies around that, but we understand that we also need to support the franchise owners based on their local conditions, because a local issue in a regional NSW area may be very different to one in North Sydney.
IRW: Do you see third-party delivery platforms as a win for restaurants, or more of a mixed bag, given the fees involved?
GC: It’s definitely a win. There is a cost to it, but you can price your menu items accordingly. People purchasing products on third-party delivery apps are prepared to pay more than they are for normal menu items. Our role is to demonstrate that to the franchise owner and help them do it. If a menu item costs $10 and the delivery platform charges [the restaurant] a fee of 30 per cent – I’m making up these numbers – you would price your product somewhere in between. If you price it at $13, you’re probably going to lose your guest, but if you price it somewhere in the middle of $10 and $13, you’re likely to drive a profit because you’re utilising the resources you already have in the restaurant.
What you’ve also got to remember is that it doesn’t matter if we’re a firm believer in this or if the restaurant is, it’s what the guests want. They want it now, so either you’re in it, or you’re not, and our view is you need to be in it.
IRW: Subway has also taken steps to reduce packaging waste. What do you make of this recent focus on sustainability?
GC: I think companies do it in two ways – they’re either reactive to it or proactive. They either advertise that they do it, or they just get on with it and do it. At Subway, we’ve been doing a lot of initiatives behind the scenes to reduce waste and to reduce cost, including simple things like reducing the size of the napkins, which saves 75 tonnes of paper a year. But they’re not in the press, so you don’t know about it. We’re always looking at where we can reduce waste, but there’s always a caveat on it and that is the question of whether it’s going to cost the franchise owner or the guest more? There’s no right answer because in the current world, guests are prepared to pay for sustainability programs, but they’re not prepared to pay a lot for them. With anything we do, the priority is the environmental impact, but we don’t want to pass the cost [of that] onto the franchise owner or the guest.
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YouTube Gaming is more or less shutting down this week. Google launched the standalone YouTube gaming vertical almost four years ago as a response to Amazon’s purchase of Twitch, and on May 30, Google will shut down the standalone YouTube Gaming app and the standalone gaming.youtube.com website.
The plan to shut down the gaming portal was announced in September, with a report from The Verge saying the site was dying because it simply wasn’t popular. YouTube serves more than 50 billion hours of gaming content a year, but people just aren’t viewing those hours through the gaming-specific site and apps.
Live game streaming is one of the few incursions into Google’s dominance of video on the Web. Google tried to buy game streaming leader Twitch.tv back in 2014, but the company was snatched up by Amazon. YouTube Gaming launched one year later as, more or less, a clone of Twitch. YouTube Gaming offered a very different interface from YouTube, in the same way Twitch is different from YouTube. Individual games got their own pages on YouTube Gaming that showed all the YouTube content related to that game, and viewers could follow a game to receive all the latest content and discover new creators. Livestreams were heavily promoted as part of the gaming push, along with a low-latency streaming mode for better chat interaction. The site also set about copying some of Twitch’s monetization features, with things like paid “Super chats” and paid channel subscriptions.
- Blackmagic eGPU Pro mini-review: Quiet, fast, and extremely expensive—like a Mac
- Systems with small disks won’t be able to install Windows 10 May 2019 update
- Apple reportedly discussed buying Intel’s smartphone-modem chip business
- Intel stockpiling 10nm chips, warns that 14nm shortages will continue
- Fear the Man in the Middle? This company wants to sell quantum key distribution

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Cool Idea! = Hot Products at IDSA's International Conference
"We hope the innovative products will spur discussion and inspire attendees to come up with their own designs to help create a better future," says Sarah Ekenberg Braun, marketing program manager at Proto Labs.
One of the Cool Idea! 2015 winners includes a design for an efficient solar panel that would generate electricity and heat water simultaneously. Arun Gupta’s Skyven Technologies will use the prize—$35,000 in Proto Labs manufacturing services—to build a full-scale plastic and metal prototype of the Cogen System that will help him find investors for a full-scale launch in 2016.
“Having this award and having them build our product for us has been huge in making sure everything is working right and that we can show it to people,” Gupta tells the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “Otherwise, the most we can get are computer simulations, which are not very convincing to most people.”
Gupta applied last year and is the first winner announced this year.
Proto Labs is a custom manufacturer that uses computerized milling, injection-molding or 3-D printing technology to make customer prototypes, products and parts. Its Cool Idea! contest, which announced its first winners in 2011, is open to entrepreneurs in the United States and Europe. Proto Labs has donated $750,000 in manufacturing services to almost two dozen start-ups.
Past contest winners include a self-propelled ocean-exploring robot; a personal home robot; the Whirlwind wheelchair; and Solo Shot, a personal-tracking device invented by a surfer who wanted to make instructional selfie videos.
The 2015 Cool Idea! Award judges include some of the design and manufacturing industry’s most respected leaders: Ben Einstein, an experienced product designer and investor; Larry Lukis, founder and chair of the board at Proto Labs; Scott Miller, CEO of Dragon Innovation; Mike North, former host of Discovery Channel’s “Prototype This!”; Emile Petrone, founder and CEO of Tindie.


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Bodega, where art thou?
The Bay Area startup Bodega, already unpopular for appearing to challenge mom-and-pop corner stores with its name and services, is even less popular, numbers wise, than originally understood. Founder Paul McDonald, an ex-Google product manager, initially claimed that the company’s app-enabled vending cupboards were already in operation at 30 Bay Area locations, but BuzzFeed found that at least six of those listed had no Bodegas to speak of. That was echoed in a tip to Eater: “As the Manager of Millennium Tower, I can assure you... we have not allowed this company to enter our building,” a building representative wrote. The company now says it has 30 locations that are live or will go live soon. It’s all too shocking.
Tacolicious hosts Earthquake relief in Mexico
In response to devastating earthquakes in Oaxaca, Puebla, and Mexico City, Tacolicious will donate 100 percent of proceeds from their restaurants next Wednesday to UNICEF relief efforts. Tacolicious was inspired in part by cuisine at El Califa in Condesa, Mexico City, says Tacolicious co-owner Sara Deseran. "Watching the devastation in that neighborhood and Roma nearby has been so shocking... then there's Oaxaca, where our mezcal comes from. Not to mention, some of our employees have family in the areas that were affected. We want to do all we can to support."
Indoor mini-golf bound for Ghirardelli Square with beer and wine
Ghirardelli Square, which is now down a marquee restaurant, Waxmans, but slated to gain a beer garden from San Francisco Brewing Co., is also set to receive a new date-night/tourist attraction in the form of an indoor mini-golf course from Subpar Miniature Golf, which already operates one in the Bay Area. Expect holes full of whimsical models of SF landmarks and a bar stocked with beer and wine, a style of operation that’s worked well for the particularly intricate Urban Putt in the Mission.
Souvla granola hits stores
Tony Cervone, chef/partner of the poplar chain of counter-service greek restaurants Souvla, has tried his hand at granola, designing a flavor for the brand Nana Joes. The very Souvla combination includes kale, fennel, and sliced almonds with rosemary and oregano, maple syrup, orange zest, toasted orange peel, and diced mission figs. It’s available in stores and also at Souvla this weekend, atop greek yogurt, naturally.
Stookey’s gets the neon sign treatment
Stookey’s Club Moderne, a “post-prohibition” bar at Bush and Taylor that’s very committed to its art deco aesthetic, has a new neon sign thanks to donations from patrons. Check it out — you can’t miss it.


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Article Alarm.comAlulaAmazonAnthem AVAtlonaAudioControlAV ProEdgeCleerlineCoastal SourceCrestronD-ToolsDMF LightingEtherealGoogleHDANYWHEREiPointJosh.aiKaleidescapeKEFLegrandLenbrookLeon SpeakersLGLutronMantelMountMartinLoganMasimo ConsumerMcintoshMSE AudioNice GroupOne FireflyOneVisionOrigin AcousticsParadigmParasolPortalQuest For Quality AwardsRTIRussoundSamsungSavantSéuraSnap OneSonanceSonosSonyTrinnov AudioURCVancoWhyReboot
2023 Quest for Quality Awards Winners fete top manufacturers for their services in 16 categories.
Mar 27, 2023
Providing integrators with a selection of outdoor TV mount solutions, Sanus has introduced its new Large Outdoor Premium Tilt TV Wall Mount line of products. The Legrand brand states that its new line of products is designed to work with displays ran
Mar 13, 2023
To ensure customers have access to the latest trending fabrics in a fraction of the time, Legrand Shading Systems has refreshed its popular Quick Ship Program (QSP). The QSP gives customers the ability to receive Legrand Shading’s best-sellin
Mar 09, 2023
Microban antimicrobial protection added to Legrand adorne Collection; latest touchfree controls, USB wall outlet charging, myriad other adorne & radiant designs shown to IBS, KBIS 2023 crowd.
Feb 09, 2023
Legrand, a global manufacturer of electrical and digital building infrastructures, has announced that its building control systems (Legrand BCS) division has achieved ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certification. The popular standard for information security man
Jan 31, 2023
Article HTSAHuman-Centric LightingLegrandLegrand Shading SystemsLHUMANLightapaloozaLightapalooza 2023Vantage
Vantage will have its LHUMAN system modeling Legrand’s myriad lighting fixtures and shading at this year’s lighting conference.


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Find out what you missed in feed news and blogs from last month
See what topics were the most popular in the animal feed industry in June.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents have seized nearly 20,000 pounds of prohibited meat products from China from one U.S. port in just two months.
Elanco Animal Health Inc. is under investigation for alleged securities fraud, and a class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of investors.
Despite the phased reopening of society and economies worldwide after the initial shutdown spurred by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the world is far from business as usual.
China has banned imports of pork from a German company and salmon from Europe as it investigates the source of a new outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Beijing.
China’s pork imports are expected to set a record in 2020, as the country continues to deal with the effects of two major viruses – African swine fever (ASF) and the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
China has halted large purchases of some U.S. agricultural products, according to reports.
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has the ability to enter the cells of multiple species, including livestock, but it’s not yet clear whether that means the virus causes disease in these species.
De Heus Animal Nutrition has acquired the compound feed operations of Neovia Indonesia from ADM.
Ioannis Mavromichalis: I conducted a quick poll on LinkedIn about the most widely used additive to replace antibiotics in broiler feeds.


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The doll is equipped with eye sensors programmed to detect activities that are harmful to the environment. "Greta sees you when you're sleeping, she knows when you drive your SUV to the store instead of taking public transportation," the manufacturer said. "She knows if you've been bad or carbon-neutral, so be carbon-neutral for goodness' sake!"
A primary school headteacher has been branded a “grinch” after banning pupils from sending Christmas cards. Jonathan Mason, head of Belton Lane Primary School in Grantham, Lincolnshire, said the tradition was bad for the environment...In the letter he wrote: “I have been approached by a number of children recently who are concerned about the impact of sending Christmas cards on the environment.
“Throughout the world we send enough Christmas cards that if we placed them alongside each other, they’d cover the world’s circumference 500 times. “The manufacture of Christmas cards is contributing to our ever-growing carbon emissions.”
Hickman agrees that uncertainty is intolerable for human beings because we feel out of control “To deal with that loss of control,” she says, “we project into the future, sometimes into apocalyptic thinking”—which is why some children in the U.K. believe they will die in the next few years as a result of climate change, or why parents worry about full societal collapse within a couple of decades. That’s a time scale most climate scientists say is unlikely in Western Europe.


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Smartwatches have been around for quite some time now, but aren’t selling as well as some OEMs have hoped. These devices are still kind of a niche product, though that might change in the near future. There are a ton of smartwatch offerings out in the market at the moment, the majority of which are powered by Google’s Android Wear operating system. There are other operating systems out there though, crowd-funded Pebble is manufacturing their own hardware and making its own software, and there’s of course the Apple Watch which has launched recently. Speaking of the Apple Watch, we’ve recently reported that it managed to outsell all Android Wear offerings real quick by raking in almost 1 million pre-orders.
It seems like another operating system will join the smartwatch party really soon though, Baidu’s very own offering which is actually based on Android. Baidu is actually a huge company, and a very well respected one in China. Anyhow, they’ve launched a website in order to introduce their Android-based smartwatch OS called “DuWear”. The company said that this OS will integrate with a number of Baidu-backed services, along with supporting the usual motion traction and heart-rate monitoring. Additionally, the company has said that all you need to do in order to get weather and stock info is raise your wrist. By saying “I’d like to make a payment” you’ll be able to complete a transaction via Baidu wallet which is integrated with the OS. Baidu says that they’ll also install some mapping and GPS software, and the app store will land later on.
So, you might wonder why would Baidu release a new operating system with Android Wear already being out in the market? Well, there are a couple of reasons. This will definitely give them the option to integrate a ton of their home-baked apps in the OS itself, not to mention that Android Wear is still not available in China, so the company is probably hoping their smartwatch OS offering will achieve success right off the bat and fill in the void. That being said, the DuWear OS will be available in late April and you’ll be able to install it on various already available Android Wear-powered smartwatches. Baidu said that you’ll be able to get the OS to work on the Sony Smartwatch 3, LG G Watch and Moto 360 right off the bat. That’s not all though, the company is planning to release their own DuWear OS-powered smartwatch as well which will land in June.


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Helium, a company specializing in developing wireless internet networks, announced its intention to fully migrate to the Solana blockchain by March 27. This announcement comes after the company has used the Ethereum blockchain for over a year, but found that Solana provides better performance and lower costs.
Helium is one of the leading companies in developing new wireless internet networks that rely on blockchain technology. The company uses a blockchain network to convert wireless devices into access points for the internet.
Solana is an advanced blockchain with fast execution and high security, making it an ideal choice for emerging technology companies that seek to provide new and efficient solutions to users.
Based on the recent announcement, Helium is expected to receive a strong boost in developing wireless internet networks and providing better services to its customers, making it a company worth following in the world of technology and blockchain.


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Gaming and entertainment continue to line Tencent’s pocket, with the internet giant posting third-quarter revenues of RMB65.2 billion (US$9.83 billion) a 61% increase year-on-year.
Tencent, which is valued at $472 and is Asia’s most valuable company, has continued to focus on digital content to drive growth for the company as it moves beyond gaming to focus on monetising its content to grow advertising revenues.
Tencent’s online gaming revenues grew 48% to RMB26.8bn largely driven by the continued success of Honour of Kings, as well as new titles such as a Chinese version of Contra Return. Smartphone games continued to dominate, increasing 84% to represent RMB18.2bn in revenue while PC games grew 27% to RMB14.6bn.
Tencent Video's fee-based subscriptions passed 43 million, which Tencent claims is the largest video streaming services subscriber base in China. Meanwhile, live streaming broadcasts and subscription video on-demand helped boost revenue from social networks, including Weixin and WeChat, which increased 56% to RMB15.3bn.
Monthly active users (MAU) for WeChat and Weixin reached 980 million, up 15.8% year-on-year, and higher advertising revenues from Weixin Moments and Weixin Official Accounts helped social and others advertising revenue surge 63% to RMB6.9bn.
Tencent’s online advertising business grew 48% to RMB4.1bn driven by increased revenues from Tencent Video, however the year-on-year growth was offset by the high base from last year’s Olympic Games.
Ma Huateng, chairman and CEO of Tencent, said, “During the third quarter of 2017, we recorded strong business and revenue growth across multiple business lines including games, digital content, online advertising and payment related services. In particular, our video platform gained audience and revenue market share, we believe it has become China’s top online video platform in terms of mobile daily active users and subscriptions.
“We believe this success reflects our increasing investment in self-commissioned video content, our improved selection of licensed video content, and our scheduling and audience management initiatives. We believe our multi-faceted digital content businesses are synergistic with each other, and allow us to deliver unique content to our users.”


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If there seems to be no date, use (nd) which means ‘no date’.Test your knowledge: Evaluating and using websites Now that women in China have a higher status in society, and can earn their own living, interest in marriage (which traditionally entails a life of service to the husband) seems to have declined.
Now that women in China have a higher status in society, and can earn their own living, interest in marriage (which traditionally entails a life of service to the husband) seems to have declined.
It has been found that just over half of the women with a good monthly salary in Beijing choose not to get married (China Daily, 2003).
That’s the first step on a path to “provide Internet access to more than a billion people in India who aren’t yet connected,” Facebook said in a statement.
“Most” of the services on are available in English and six local languages — Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Gujarati and Marathi — and they can be accessed via the dedicated Android app, the start screen on Opera’s Mini browser or from UCWeb’s popular UC Browser app.
That’s good news for Facebook — more advertising eyeballs and users — not to mention the online/telecom industry in general, which explains the involvement of companies like Samsung, Ericsson, Media Tek, Nokia and Opera.
Aside from Internet.org, Facebook recently piloted a new ‘Lite’ version of its service for Android devices.
Emerging markets are an important focus for Facebook since it has long become a mainstream service in Western markets, and the lion’s share of new Internet users will come online from Africa, Asia and Latin America… Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg previously likened to a 911 telephone call, that’s to say that basic services should be available to everyone on the planet without charge in the same way that you can call the cops for free.
Of course, the benefits of more people trying out mobile Internet services is that they might find the web compelling and go out and buy a smartphone, data plan or pre-pay SIM with mobile Internet.
In that case you must find the one closest to the style you need and adapt the reference so that your references are all consistently in the same style.
In the field of Applied Linguistics, we generally put the author first, then year of publication, then title etc.
The service, which is run by with input from a number of telecom industry partners, has thus far been available in a handful of African countries and Colombia, but now it is making its way to India’s billion-plus population.


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The Final Fantasy series has garnered plenty of fans over the years, and millions of people worldwide have played the role-playing franchise since the first game hit shelves back in 1987. So it is no surprise then, that the latest game in the series Final Fantasy XV turned out to be a hit too, even if some commentators did not have nice things to say about Square Enix’s latest Final Fantasy game though.
The game shipped on PS4 and Xbox One in November 2016, and at the time publisher Square Enix had nothing to say about a PC version of the game, which left quite a few people in the PC gaming community feeling rather upset due to having missed out on one of the biggest games of the 2016 holiday season. Thankfully though, Square Enix recently announced that a PC version of the game is in the works, and will be hitting shelves early next year.
It’s been a long time coming then, but the team at Square Enix is looking to make up for the wait by offering PC gamers the definitive version of the game, especially when it comes to graphics. Actually, Final Fantasy XV on PC will have every single bell and whistle imaginable as can be seen in the trailer below, including support for 4K resolution and all sorts of fancy effects including advanced shadows, high quality ambient occlusion and realistic hair for the game’s characters.
More interesting though, is that this PC version of Final Fantasy XV will have full support for modding, letting players who want to get their hands dirty with a code editor or the Steam Workshop (which the game supports) change almost every aspect of the game to their hearts’ content.
And although many will welcome the freedom Square Enix will be giving PC players with their new Final Fantasy game, game director Hajime Tabata has already expressed concern that some people could take things a bit too far… You see, other video games which support modding like Skyrim or The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt have their share of adult mods available, with many featuring nudity and even explicit sex.
This is surely something that must worry Final Fantasy XV’s creator, who said in an interview with PC Gamer that he doesn’t want things to be “taken a little too far”, hoping those who decide to mod the game show a little restraint and be “as controlled as possible”.
However, Tabata did issue a thinly-veiled threat, hinting that future Final Fantasy games would not be moddable should players end up producing too many inappropriate mods for Final Fantasy XV. Nonetheless Tabata still said that Square Enix doesn’t “want to put to many limitations on the types of mods that are going to be available”, and won’t be censoring any mods off the bat, including those that feature nudity.
So it would be a great thing if the PC version of Final Fantasy XV gave rise to a vibrant mod scene and that plenty of cool mods end up being released for Square Enix’s role-playing game. And hopefully most of these will be tasteful so that future Final Fantasy games on PC get to have mod support too.
Read more: Is Final Fantasy XV a Sexist Video Game?


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Fallowfield is synonymous with Manchester’s student population and its party atmosphere – but there’s one group committed to putting this neighbourhood on the style map.
Fallow Garms was launched in November 2020 by two Mancs aiming redefine the term ‘student style’ – giving Fallowfield’s lively community a voice in the process.
To start with, it was just a humble side project for co-founders Josh and Josh, who launched the brand as a way to experiment with style.
But fast-forward to 2021 and Fallow Garms is offering top-quality vintage and retro garments that fit the streets of Fallowfield perfectly.
The authentic clothing has caused a real commotion in Studentland – accumulating 2,000 Instagram followers mere months after the initial launch.
“We stock up on lots of retro, streetwear, vintage and secondhand clothing with both branded and unbranded products”, Josh explains.
“We both had an interest in fashion and vintage clothing and we wanted to create an interesting brand whilst also starting up a business to keep ourselves busy during lockdown.
“We also wanted to create a fashion community right in the heart of Fallowfield, where students (especially first years) could follow us on social media and visit our pop-up shop.”
Fallow Garms is not only dedicated to styling students, but it also boasts affordable, student-friendly prices that are hard to turn down.
“We very rarely list any items above the £20-£30 price range,” Josh explains.
“This allows for students to feel that they can come and visit our shop and be in the mindset that they can afford our products.”
It’s clear that, for Fallow Garms, your finance shouldn’t restrict your fashion.
The brand has also collaborated with Haus Fallowfield to create a pop-up shop experience, which will be returning on April 12 to allow students to browse their collection in person.
“We will be taking bookings of 45-minute slots from 12pm-6pm, through our Instagram DM’s,” Josh explains.
“If any students and their flat mates want to come and visit, get on it soon before all the best products go!”
You can check out Fallow Garms’ collection of Fallowfield fashion on their Instagram and Depop pages.
A two-day sustainable fashion event is coming to the Trafford Centre
A two-day sustainable fashion event is coming to Manchester shopping complex the Trafford Centre this month,
The leading shopping and leisure destination will champion circular fashion, environmentally conscious fashion and new season trends with a selection of pre-loved fashion sales, ticketed live expert talks and spectacular fashion shows.
Aiming to inspire shoppers to reinvent their wardrobe whilst championing brands that are taking more steps to adopt greener practices, Trafford Centre will come alive with spectacular fashion shows and dance fusion performances whilst showcasing key A/W trends from the centre’s vast array of fashion retailers.
The public can also expect pre-loved fashion sales from We Are Second Life, whilst ticketed live expert talks will be hosted in-store by Selfridges. Meanwhile, styling sessions will be hosted by John Lewis, with support from charity partner, Smart Works, championing sustainable initiatives.
Zoe Inman, Centre Director at Trafford Centre, said: “We’re delighted to be hosting a 2-day fashion extravaganza at Trafford Centre; an opportunity to showcase the incredible range of fashion brands on offer, whilst highlighting brands that are championing sustainable initiatives.
“The centre will come alive with fantastic entertainment, inspiring shows, and informative talks, whilst also giving the public the opportunity to purchase pre-loved items – we are looking forward to delivering another huge-scale event that continues to escape the ordinary.”
Across the two days, specially-choreographed fashion shows will take place in The Main Dome, championing the themes of re-wearing and restyling whilst also showcasing the latest A/W trends.
A team of eight young dancers from troop Dance Fusion will also be on hand performing a high-energy routine to entertain shoppers alongside the diverse fashion shows.
Elsewhere, Selfridges will host X3 ‘in conversation with’ live talks focused on its Materials, Models and Mindsets pillars as part of the wider ‘refashioned’ event.
And Smart Works, a UK female employment charity that dresses and coaches women for interviews and job success, will partner with John Lewis to offer styling sessions in the department store’s dedicated styling lounge.
Tickets for the Smart Works styling are priced at £10 per person. As part of the experience, customers will be treated to a glass of prosecco on arrival, a John Lewis goodie bag and an interactive session of styling from both Smart Works Greater Manchester and John Lewis, with all funds going to support the Smart Works Greater Manchester charity.
Smart Works Head of Wardrobe Trustee, Kay Barratt said: “We use fashion as a force for good, with our dressing room stocked with pre-loved and new clothing to dress women in preparation for their interviews.
“Shopping your wardrobe, learning how to take pieces from one season to the next and mixing pre-loved and vintage has never been more in fashion. We look forward to sharing styling tips and tricks at Trafford Centre’s refashioned event that will not only save the planet, but also your pocket too.”
A huge new luxury trainer and menswear store has opened inside the old Paperchase
High-end men’s fashion retailer END. Clothing has just opened a new store in Manchester, taking over the old Paperchase site with two stories of luxury streetwear, high end sneakers and sought-after labels from Japan.
The stationery retailer closed its doors here in 2020 after the company collapsed into administration, leaving its old home vacant. Now END. has moved in, and following extensive refurbishments, it opened to the public this weekend.
Gone is the old mezzanine and the reams of wrapping paper. In its place, the store now boasts triple-height ceilings and a monolithic pallete of premium marble, concrete, stainless steel, glass, mirror and maple.
Inside, shoppers canl find a range of high-end menswear brands including Carhartt, Moncler, Rick Owens, Gucci, Off-White and Balenciaga, with selections spread across two floors.
With a large footwear section offering everything from high end sneakers and casual boots to sliders and sandals to high-end accessories, clothing and lifestyle items, this is the place to get your winter fits.
The ground floor houses END.’s contemporary menswear brands alongside a selection of sought-after Japanese labels. It will also feature an extensive lifestyle section alongside a ‘wellbeing space’ filled with premium skincare, fragrance and cosmetic products.
Upstairs, the first floor will house END.’s largest sneaker offering to date alongside a wide array of luxury, streetwear and skate labels, and a dedicated ‘launch zone’ events space.
The new opening is the first site in the north west for the brand, which already has two stores in Newcastle, one in Glasgow and another in London.
“Manchester has been high on our list for a long time.” Commented Parker Gundersen, CEO for END.
“We have a very strong community here already who have been asking us to build a physical store for many years.
“When we finally found this building, we knew we had an amazing space that would allow us to create a concept that would match the high expectations of both our customers and brand partners.
“To finally see the finished product has been really thrilling for our team and I’m so proud of what they have achieved.”
In addition to the Manchester opening, END. will open its’ first dedicated Women’s concept in Newcastle later this month, followed by a ground-breaking new flagship in the heart of Milan at the end of the year.


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The retail sector in The Netherlands saw revenue boosted by 9.6% compared to November last year, according to the Dutch Office for National Statistics (CBS).
The sales volume increased by 8.4%, with both the food sector and non-food sectors increasing their revenue. Online sales increased by a massive 55.5%.
Consumer electronics and house appliances had the biggest sales increase since records began in 2005, followed by D.I.Y. shops, kitchen, and flooring companies. People also spend more on furniture and interior design.
Grocery stores saw a revenue increase of 5.3%, while speciality food shops had an increase of 9.7%.
On the downside, clothing sales and shoe shops saw a drop in revenue for the second month running.
It is thought that because consumers were unable to go on holiday or engage in their usual leisure activities they instead spent more of their spare cash shopping. Savings also increased during the same period.
The figures are corrected for shop opening hours, meaning that on some days of the week there are more sales than others. Without this correction the sales figures would have been 5.4% higher than the previous November.
The revenue in non-food shops increased in November by 5.9%. Without the correction it was 5.1% higher than a year ago.
The online revenue was in November 55.5% higher than the same month in the previous year. Web-shops saw their revenue grow by 43.9%, while retailers with a web-shop had an increase of 72.2%.


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Marketplace for Thursday, February 28, 2013
Episode Teaser Image
Recent veterans not only have higher unemployment than the rest of the population, they also have higher unemployment rates relative to other veterans. If sequestration happens, America's meat inspectors may be furloughed. Gun-maker Sturm, Ruger and Co.'s sales were up 50 percent last year. The CEO of The Veggie Grill talks about the business of making vegetarian fast food that tastes good. Jack Lew was sworn in today as the new Treasury Secretary, and with massive federal spending cuts possibly on the horizon for tomorrow, he probably didn't have an easy first day. We explore how you can avoid pitfalls on the first day of a new job.
Posted In: Veggie Grill, restaurants, Food, vegetarian
Former Baja Fresh CEO Greg Dollarhyde is slowly expanding his newest healthy fast-food chain Veggie Grill.
Posted In: politics, sequester, sequestration
Businesses issue ultimatums all the time. Politics requires negotiations, whether before -- or after -- a crisis.
Posted In: guns
Sturm, Ruger said a 50 percent increase in sales was driven by President Obama's re-election campaign, when gun owners feared some guns would be harder, or impossible, to buy.
Posted In: meat, USDA, Food
Across-the-board furloughs would reduce the number of food inspectors, possibly affecting prices and supplies of meat.


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As we got ready to cruise into the weekend, Nest went ahead and announced that they are acquiring Dropcam, the popular IP cam company, for $555 million. Nest noted that they did a lot of research on camera companies, finding that Dropcam “without a doubt, has the best products, services, and customer experience in the business.”
If you own Dropcam products, Nest wants you to know that nothing is changing at this point. You can still buy them online or in some stores and that your Dropcam account will still work for the time being. Eventually, though, they will fold in Dropcam services in to Nest, which I would imagine means you will use a Nest account and see Dropcam activity in the Nest app. (more…)
Nest, makers of smart home products like the Nest Thermostat, announced late last night that their previously recalled smoke detector, the Nest Protect, had returned with a removed feature and a new $99 price tag. It was previously available at shops like Best Buy and Amazon, but had for some reason never found its way onto Google Play, even though Google owns the company and has been selling Nest’s Thermostat for months.
That changes today, as the Nest Protect is now available for $99 in either “wired” or “battery” models on Google Play (US, UK, and Canada).
Go get it. (more…)
It wasn’t too long ago that Nest halted sales of the Protect smoke and carbon monoxide alarm and recalled hundreds of thousands of units for safety reasons. At the time, the Google-owned company said the unit’s Wave feature, which allowed users to turn off the unit with a hand motion, was at fault – given “a unique combination of circumstances,” it could be triggered unintentionally. After nearly a month, it seems the team at Nest has developed a blanket fix: disabling Wave altogether.
The updated Nest Protect, which is available again starting today and on sale for $99 ($30 off), may be updated to support Wave in the future. However, CEO of Nest Tony Fadell was adamant that the development team would only implement the feature after it had undergone testing from safety agencies in the U.S., Canada, and U.K. In other words, don’t expect it for a while. (more…)
You know what would make an awesome Father’s Day gift? A Nest thermostat. For a limited time only, you can grab a Nest smart thermostat from Amazon for $20 off of the retail price, bringing your total to $229. Not a bad deal for your tech savvy dad.
For those not familiar, Nest is a thermostat that you can install by yourself, in your home, in place of your current thermostat. The company claims to save you money throughout the calendar year by performing more efficiently than your current thermostat, since it learns your patterns and adjusts temperatures based upon them, automatically. (more…)
On the surface, the $279 Lyric looks like a more expensive Nest thermostat. Like Google’s Nest, it leverages geofencing to detect when people are not around, and is also configurable with a companion application. Honeywell says its ace in the hole, though, is Lyric’s Fine Tune feature, which factors indoor and outdoor temperature, humidity, and weather into an algorithm that calculates an optimal home temperature. Beat that, Nest.
The company says that is a first for self-service thermostats. (more…)
Google’s movement into smart home territory has caught many people’s attention and with a new report, they might be looking to expand that reach even further. After a $3.2 billion acquisition of Nest, the smart thermostat company, reports are now coming out that Google is also contemplating bringing Dropcam on board as well. (more…)
Last month, Nest abruptly halted sales of its smart smoke detector, stating that while conducting internal testing, they found a bug which could lead to potential hazards. Nest Wave, the feature that allows users to turn off their Nest Protect units in the case of a false alarm, after being used in a “unique combination of circumstances,” could become deactivated, leaving home owners at serious risk in the event of a real fire. (more…)
Since Google is now selling its Nest Thermostat on Google Play, and we know that the $249 price for something like a home thermostat is turning more than a few of you off, we wanted to give a couple away. We have been Nest users for over a year now (our review) and still think it’s one of the best Android accessories you will ever purchase. To say that we wish everyone could experience a Nest, is an understatement.
But again, the $249 price tag is no joke, so to help ease the wallet strain on a couple of you, we have two to give away to the DL community.
The contest, like others, uses Rafflecopter to give you multiple chances for entry, while also making it easy to manage on our end. You don’t have to do all of the steps below, but the more you do, the more entries you will receive.
Ready to turn your home into a smart home? (more…)


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Pretty much every agrees that Apple is working and soon will ship a wearable computer, call it the iWatch. While pretty much everybody and their dogs (image below) say they want one, the question remains — what will the iWatch do and how will that make me and thee buy it?
Asian supply chain and analyst insight pretty much covers the Apple rumor genre. This bit of iWatch rumorology comes from the latter source, an analyst who based his musings on a conversion with Apple CEO Tim Cook.
So, what will the iWatch do that’s special? According to UBS analyst Steve Milunovich, the iWatch killer feature will, are you sitting down?, be voice messaging.
“Porting this capability to the watch makes sense as it is easier to send a voice message from a device already on the wrist than pulling out a phone,” writes Milunovich. “It also could aid penetration of China, which Cook said has a ways to go.”
Milunovich believes Apple will price the iWatch at around $300
iWatch: Smartwatch Reimagined?
To date, so-called smartwatch devices from Samsung, LG and Pebble have disappointed with a range of uninspired functionality lacking both meaningful style or practical advances. Or, in other words, people aren’t buying the smartwatch concept because smartwatches are simply derivative in not outright dumb.
To date, iWatch feature speculation has centered on health and fitness monitoring and application. Assuming the Apple smartwatch comes to market with the rumored 10 or more sensors, that makes sense.
And, how precisely does one make voice messaging the killer iWatch feature? Beats me, but if any company can do it’s Apple…
What’s your take?


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Recent floods brought about a dampening start to 2014 but the folks at Number 10 have donned their wellies and rallied in support of small businesses.
The latest government response to flood troubles comes in the form of a £10m hardship funding. Businesses that have been flooded, as well as those in affected areas that have suffered significant loss of trade as a result, will be able to apply for support to help them continue trading. The funds will cover expenses for immediate clean-up costs, materials and other exceptional costs.
Additionally, businesses will be given extra time to file for accounts without any penalties in cases where the company affected is unable to file accounts or other documents on time as a direct result of the floods.
The government also welcomed assistance for SMEs from Enterprise Nation that has brought together the likes of EDF Energy, which is offering flexibility to those that need more time to pay, and Citrix, a cloud computing company, that is offering free three-month access to its GoToMeeting product for online meetings with employees and customers.
“It is vital that small businesses affected by the flooding get assistance as quickly as possible,” commented Vince Cable, the business secretary. “We know the insurance companies are working to process claims as quickly as possible and we will inform local authorities of their allocations from the Business Support Scheme on Thursday to assist businesses with clean-up costs or help them to continue trading.”
He encourages all businesses affected by flooding to get in touch with their local authority or contact the Business Support Helpline.


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Apple leads India tablet PC market with 25 pc share in 2023
Apple leads India pill PC market with 25 laptop share in 2023 in addition to within the December quarter with a 25 per cent share however a decline in its shipments, based on a report.
Samsung was on the second spot with a 23 per cent market share in 2023, market analysis agency CyberMedia Research mentioned on Monday.
“In CY (in calendar year) 2023, Apple led the tablet market with a 25 per cent market share, followed by Samsung at 23 per cent in CY 2023,” CyberMedia Research (CMR) India Quarterly Tablet PC Market Review report mentioned.
Apple pill PC shipments declined by 17 per cent on a year-over-year (YoY) foundation. Lenovo occupied the second slot within the December quarter with a 24 per cent market share at the same time as its shipments declined by 3 per cent. Samsung pill PC shipments grew by 36 per cent on YoY foundation, the report acknowledged.
“There is a rising consumer demand for diverse tablet options in India, including premium, 5G and value-for-money tablet offerings. This growth is particularly noticeable in the B2B sector and online purchases,” CMR, Analyst – Industry Intelligence Group (IIG), Menka Kumari mentioned.
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The market witnessed a sturdy 21 per cent quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) progress in This autumn 2023, pushed by robust demand for 5G tablets.
“5G tablet shipments soared by 43 per cent YoY, accounting for a significant share of the market. Wi-Fi tablets also performed well, recording a 13 per cent YoY increase and claiming 52 per cent of overall shipments,” the report mentioned.
The premium pill section, priced between ₹20,000-30,000 apiece skilled a 95 per cent QoQ leap, indicating a transparent shift in the direction of high-end units, the report mentioned.
CMR estimates that the pill market is poised for a gentle 5-10 per cent progress in 2024 pushed by components like technological developments, various product choices, and evolving client preferences.
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Facebook a large number? Facebook cannot copy or purchase its method to one other 20 years of prosperity. Is the CEO Mark Zuckerberg as much as it? Facebook is like an deserted amusement park of badly executed concepts, says analyst. Interesting? Check it out right here.
Elon Musk’s Purchase of Twitter Is Still in Court! A court docket desires Elon Musk to testify earlier than the US SEC concerning potential violations of legal guidelines in connection together with his buy of Twitter. Know the place issues stand right here.
Does Tesla lacks AI Play? Analysts spotlight this facet and for Tesla, that’s bother. Some fascinating particulars on this article. Check it out.


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Haryana, Mar 1: India's biggest online lending marketplace Paisabazaar.com had announced that it has helped customers open over 2 lakh savings accounts through its platform in 2017-18.
Paisabazaar.com launched savings debts on its platform in mid-2016. currently, it partners with IDFC bank, IndusInd Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, DBS, Axis financial institution, Deutsche financial institution, Citi financial institution and yes bank. Paisabazaar.com allows clients select and open financial savings account in line with their needs, in much less than five minutes thru a completely digitized manner, without the need to visit a financial institution department.
The employer says it plans to open seven lakh savings accounts within the subsequent monetary year. "while Paisabazaar.com become released as a market for lending products, in the last two years we have assorted our product suite to meet all private finance wishes of a retail consumer. Our savings account business has witnessed a 300 percentage boom considering the fact that launched.
The range of savings accounts on our platform helps us cater to various customer segments coming to our platform and meet their diverse needs," said CEO and co-founder, Paisabazaar.com, Naveen Kukreja. "IDFC Bank is committed to innovation and technology to make our products and services simpler and more accessible.
Our partnership with Paisabazaar.com is yet another step towards delivering world class banking solutions to our customers," said CMO, IDFC Bank, Vijay Ramachandran. "We, at IndusInd Bank, believe at our core that we want to deliver seamless convenience to our customers through process and product digitization. We are excited about the partnership journey with Paisabazaar.com in delivering world-class banking solutions to customers," said head savings, Digital and Payments, IndusInd Bank, Ritesh Saxena.


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WANETTE, Okla. - A suspect was dreaming of a green Christmas but ended up spending a bit of time behind bars after a special task force in Pottawatomie County found $600,000 worth of marijuana stashed in his mobile home.
"When they got the search warrant, they found an indoor grow operation where they had marijuana,"Pottawatomie County Sheriff Mike Booth said. "There [were] 61 plants and a substantial amount of packaged marijuana."
Authorities said 48-year-old Floyd Wren showed up during the sting operation and told deputies it was simply a misunderstanding.
He allegedly admitted to being a 'bad Santa' and growing the weed for Christmas presents.
In fact, Wren said he had been out delivering the merry marijuana and jolly joints and just came back to restock his stoner sleigh.
Booth said, "My deputies said he was the 'Green Santa.' He was out delivering marijuana Christmas gifts."
Despite his good intentions, deputies did not share Wren's Christmas spirit.
Not only did he end up on the naughty list, he also ended up in handcuffs.
Wren was arrested and charged with cultivation, possession and distribution of marijuana.
He was released from jail on bail but the Christmas cannabis is still in police custody.
The 'Green Santa' will have to do some last-minute Christmas shopping for everyone on his list.
The task force also seized guns and hundreds of dollars.
Authorities said they plan to burn the weed to make sure all of it is destroyed.


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Developer Epic Games has confirmed that it has cancelled plans for both Kinect game Gears Of War: Exlie and a follow-up to Bulletstorm, as it begins work on a new PC exclusive title.
Epic Games has finally admitted it is working on a Kinect spin-off to Gears Of War – or rather it was. Screenshots of the game turned up last year, with rumours suggesting it was some sort of on-the-rails shooter.
The game was expected to be announced at the 2010 Spike VGA awards but was pulled at the last minute and subsequently never mentioned in public. But Epic’s Cliff Bleszinski has finally admitted that it did exist and was to be called Gears Of War: Exile.Speaking to website GameSpot over the weekend (at the PAX Easter consumer show in America), he wasn’t exactly overgenerous with the information: ‘Gears of War: Exile was an unannounced game that I can’t give any details about that has since been cancelled’.
Meanwhile, Epic president Mike Capps had more bad news, apparently confirming to GameSpot that there will not be a sequel to first person shooter Bulletstorm.
‘We thought a lot about a sequel, and had done some initial development on it, but we found a project that we thought was a better fit for People Can Fly,’ he said. ‘We haven’t announced that yet, but we will be announcing it pretty soon.’He did at least offer a ray of hope though: ‘I’d love to go back [to Bulletstorm]. I think there’s more to do with Bulletstorm. Heck, it kind of ended wanting more. I’d love to see another project, but right now we don’t have anything to talk about.’There’s no hint at all as to what Polish developer People Can Fly are working on next, but Epic’s final revelation at PAX East, via website Joystiq , was that it’s working on a PC-only game.
Whether that’s the same thing as People Can Fly’s next project isn’t clear, but they do have extensive experience with PC titles and created the PC port of the original Gears Of War.
Although there have been console versions the Unreal series is generally regarded as a PC exclusive franchise, so at this stage a new Unreal Tournament game might be the only obvious guess as to what the new game is.
Video:Check out the Bulletstorm trailer
Thoughts? Email email@example.com or leave a comment below


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Aug. 15, 2012
-- International bank note validator manufacturer Innovative Technology Ltd (ITL) is pleased to announce the appointment of Lina Kazantseva, Business Development Manager - Gaming, Amusement & Vending.
Well known in the Industry Lina brings with her over 8 years of experience in the cash handling sector. A native Russian Lina will be based out of Innovative’s German office and focus on existing and new customers in Russia and Eastern Europe.
Commenting on her appointment Lina said “I find the industry vibrant, diverse and fascinating. I am thrilled to be joining such a professional, advancing company. As one of the earliest bank note manufacturers, Innovative Technology has enormous experience in providing quality solutions for customers. Innovative’s vision for the future is very exciting and I am pleased to be a part of it. I bring a wealth of cultural and business knowledge and my goal is to provide customer across Russia and Eastern Europe with the products to enhance and develop their business opportunities.”
Sales Director, Marcus Tiedt said “With this appointment, ITL strengthens its sales expertise in Russia and Eastern Europe. Lina’s experience will be invaluable to bring our products to our new and existing Gaming, Amusement & Vending Customers”


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Berkshire Grey Inc. yesterday announced the launch of its Robotic Shuttle Put Wall, or RSPW, system for e-commerce order fulfillment. The RSPW is an automated put wall that uses artificial intelligence and can increases capacity and throughput, said the Bedford, Mass.-based company. This is more important than ever because of currently heightened customer expectations for fast and efficient fulfillment, as well as labor scarcity.
“Businesses will continue to see e-commerce orders rise as global e-commerce sales expect to approach $5 trillion by the end of 2021,” stated Kevin Prouty, an analyst at IDC. “This growth in volume, combined with labor scarcity, is putting tremendous pressure on supply chain operations to increase fulfillment throughput and support a broad selection of products.”
“Businesses have no choice but to automate,” he added. “Companies like Berkshire Grey can support their customers with robotic automation solutions that address rising consumer demands.”
Berkshire Grey said it delivers technology that combines AI and robotics to automate fulfillment, supply chain, and logistics operations. The company said its system can pick, pack, move, store, organize, and sort operations to deliver competitive advantage for enterprises serving connected consumers. Its customers include Global 100 retailers and logistics service providers.
Robotic Shuttle Put Wall features
The new Robotic Shuttle Put Wall system enables retailers to be more competitive, increase capacity, and meet escalating consumer demand despite labor shortages, claimed Berkshire Grey. It said the RSPW can do the following:
- Accommodate up to nearly 100% of typical SKU assortments, including challenging items like soft polybags and cylinders/tubes, such as those used for makeup, for a variety of industries including apparel, footwear, beauty, and general merchandise.
- Increase customer order sortation throughput by up to 300% with its high-capacity put wall.
- Integrate with existing fulfillment processes with no disruption to ongoing operations.
- Provide sort locations for up to 240 orders to be processed at the same time in a single robotic put wall, as opposed to the industry average of 80 orders for a manual put wall.
- Improve upstream batch inventory pick rates by up to 33%.
- Deliver best-in-class reliability while performing millions of picks in production.
- Support the needs of 24/7 order fulfillment.
- Provide maximum flexibility by integrating with any existing operation including robotic, conveyer, and manual-based transport approaches.
Robotic Shuttle Put Wall order collection points with apparel. Source: Berkshire Grey
Berkshire Grey offers AI, cloud-based support
“E-commerce continues to grow and surge. Our automation enables retailers to increase capacity to meet the growing demand and helps to deliver efficient revenue growth,” said Tom Wagner, founder and CEO at Berkshire Grey. “Berkshire Grey’s AI-enabled Robotic Shuttle Put Wall is built on proven technology deployed by customers today. This new platform increases order-processing speeds, optimizes the fulfillment workforce, and most importantly, gets more orders out the door more quickly.”
Berkshire Grey added that its systems serve multiple industries including same-day grocery, package handling, and retail. It said its Intelligent Enterprise Robotics (IER) supports customers' order-fulfillment needs across the entire supply chain.
The company also provides include installation, testing and commissioning, and support services using cloud-based AI systems that provide predictive maintenance, management of system operations, analytics, and integration.
Berkshire Grey said its technology is modular, flexible, and available via robotics-as-a-service (RaaS) implementation models. This allows customers to quickly adopt automationwithout upfront capital expenditures, it said.
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A new study by Juniper Research1 suggests that the pandemic has altered people’s relationship with digital wallets. According to the research, the number of digital wallet users globally hit 2.6 billion in 2020, with that figure expected to reach 4.4 billion by 2025. In the US alone, digital wallets accounted for 29.3% of e-commerce sales in 2020, up 6% on 2019, and they’re expected to soon overtake credit cards as the primary online payment method.
Dan Brames, EVP at fintech company FIS2, says the rising popularity of the online payment method is due to its ease of use. “Wallets definitely streamline the checkout process, particularly on e-commerce, because there’s no manual entry of the information. It’s pretty much just enter and go,” he said3.
Did you know, the payment methods you offer your customers at checkout could be the difference between winning or losing a sale? Discover which ones you should be considering with our guide to the new ways to pay.
It’s no secret that e-commerce has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of the pandemic, as locked-down consumers turned to online shopping in record numbers. Yet, as the world begins to reopen, many online brands may be wondering how they can evolve to continue their relationships with consumers beyond the screen.
In New York City, dating app Bumble4 is preparing to open its first all-day eatery, Bumble Brew. The café – in collaboration with restaurant Pasquale Jones – is designed to be a space for friendly catch-ups, networking and, of course, dates. Bumble Brew will boast an all-yellow interior to bring the app’s signature branding into a physical space.
During the pandemic, like many other companies, Bumble adapted to the “new normal” with extra investment in its digital channels – video calls on the app in the US increased 70% from the week ending on March 13, the day a national state of emergency was declared5. But now the brand is exploring offline collaborations, with plans to expand its hospitality experiences to further locations if Bumble Brew is a success.
Shopify6 has revealed its new Payments Platform during its annual Shopify Unite event. The new feature will allow the integration of third-party payment gateways into Shopify Checkout, so merchants can add them as payment options for their customers. The payment gateways can be created as Shopify apps.
“This opens Shopify to a broader ecosystem of gateways that offer niche functionality and brings new business value to merchants by helping them sell more, in more places”, the e-commerce software provider explains7.
Shopify has also made its checkout faster, meaning online retailers now have the capacity to handle tens of thousands of purchases per minute – particularly crucial during peak sales periods like Black Friday. Furthermore, the addition of Checkout Extensions will let developers build apps into Shopify Checkout – customizations that will also work in Shop Pay.
E-commerce platform BigCommerce8 has announced it will expand to France, Italy and the Netherlands, offering online businesses there access to a service “that’s built to sell on a local and global scale.”9
BigCommerce’s software already powers over 60,000 merchants worldwide, and the current expansion will let local merchants “manage their store(s) in their local language, as well as create a fully localized website experience for their shoppers, with their local payment methods and currencies”, a statement from the company said10.
“In the UK as well as France, Italy and the Netherlands, the volume of e-commerce sales is growing year on year. It is estimated Eurozone e-commerce sales are expected to total 448 billion euros by the end of this year alone”, the company added.
The results from Amazon Prime Day 2021 are in – and it’s good news for marketplace sellers. For the second year in a row, sales of marketplace products grew faster than Amazon’s own products11.
During the event, Amazon offered “curated small business collections”, where consumers could filter marketplace sellers’ products by merchandise category, business location, and collections such as Black- or woman-owned businesses.
Overall, Prime members purchased more than 250 million items worldwide during the 2021 event, which was held over June 21 and June 22. Best-selling categories worldwide included tools, beauty, nutrition, baby care, Amazon devices, electronics, apparel and housewares.
Thinking of selling on Amazon? Check out our guide to the leading online marketplaces for everything you need to know to hit the ground running.
1 - Juniper Research, Canvas8, July 2021
2 - FIS
3 - Dan Brames quote, Canvas8, July 2021
4 - Bumble
5 - Canvas8, July 2021
6 - Shopify
7 - Shopify statement, Ecommerce News Europe, July 2021
8 - BigCommerce
9 & 10 - BigCommerce statement, Ecommerce News Europe, July 2021
11 - Digital Commerce 360, June 2021


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It’s just another Macish Monday.
The new Mac laptops are here. The new Mac laptops are here. Speed bumps to 1.67Ghz, 8x superdrives, and motion sensors for falls. I’m off to the store, but some news before I go…
RCA demonstrated the first music synthesizer on this day in 1955. James van Allen discovered the Van Allen Belt in 1958. 3M introduced Scotch Tape in 1961. Ham the chimpanzee soared into space aboard Mercury-Redstone 2, 1961.
It’s Jackie Robinson’s birthday, he was born in 1910.
- The Norwegian supreme court has overturned a lower court ruling and fined a teenager 100,000 kroner (around $15,000) for linking to illegal music downloads. The student’s site, napster.no, did not host any illegal files, it merely pointed to their location, much as, say Google does. The site was a school project, and the precedent is very scary.
- If you drive a Ford, Toyota, or Nissan don’t count on that its tech key code system to keep it from being stolen. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have found a flaw in the key’s RFID chip that makes it easy to spoof.
- Apple won Brandchannel.com’s Reader’s Choice award as “the brand with the most impact in 2004,” beating out Google for the first time. In this case the Readers are brand professionals in 75 countries, not crazed Mac zealots.
- Nick Negroponte, director of the MIT Media Lab, is proposing a $100 Linux-based computer, display and all, for developing nations. Negroponte went to the World Economic Forum in Davos with his prototype. He has support from AMD. The key is getting display costs down by using an LED projection system.
- Virus authors have started using .rar files to bypass automated virus filters. The filters know about zip compression, but are clueless about the lesser known rar format. Not for long, I’d guess.
- So what does Intel’s new VIIV trademark portend? The best guess is that it’s supposed to be 64 – VI and IV – for Intel’s new 64-bit chips. I’m not sure I really care.
- It’s not all over for us old folks, according to the Nielsen Norman Group, adults are more adept at surfing the web than most teens. So there, now get offa my lawn you punks.
- According to USA Today, there are some pretty funny gaffes in Amazon’s new Yellow Pages. For one, they picture Rockefeller Center’s skating rink as a bus.
- Are you ready for Gigabit Wi-Fi? They’ve got it in the lab!
Listen in tomorrow at 6:45a Pacific for my weekly news commentary on KGO 810 AM in San Francisco.


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US business travel could suffer from European debt crisis
The business travel industry, which was forecast to grow during the next two years, is increasingly threatened by the European debt crisis.
The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) last month projected that outbound international business travel from the US would grow by 4.6% in 2012. But last week, the GBTA issued “U.S. Business Travel Outlook: European Debt Crisis Scenario,” which said a severe crisis could result in a 16% drop – about $88 billion – in US business travel spending.
“Given the critical role of business travel in facilitating economic growth, the current slow US recovery could be severely hampered if the European debt crisis is not resolved,” the GBTA, a trade group based near Washington, DC, said in a news release. “International outbound travel, which has played an outsized part in the revival of business travel since the [US] recession, would be crushed by further deterioration in the euro zone.”
The report outlined three scenarios:
Current scenario: An expected mini recession in Europe would be short-lived and would result in continued growth in US business travel spending at $263.5 billion and $277.3 billion in 2012 and 2013, respectively. The GBTA thinks this is the most likely scenario.
Moderate scenario: A prolonged European recession would result in a reduction of almost $40 billion (‒7%) in business travel spending between 2012 and 2013. There’s a 25% chance of this scenario, the GBTA says.
Severe scenario: Widespread debt and banking failures across Europe and possible dissolution of the EU would reduce international business travel spending by 16%, or about $88 billion. The GBTA says there’s a 10% chance this would happen.
International outbound flights originating in the US would likely see the most immediate decline if the debt crisis worsens, the report said. But domestic flights, which make up the majority of the US business travel market, could also take a hit.
Export losses would directly hurt US manufacturers and, in turn, the supply chains, the report says. The loss of sales and profits could diminish business confidence, potentially killing plans for non-essential spending – including business travel.
“While these problems are happening abroad, they most certainly can have an effect at home,” Michael W. McCormick, executive director and COO of the GBTA, said in a statement. “We’ve seen a resurgence in business travel investment, meaning slow but strong economic recovery for the US. However, in a severe situation where the euro zone may even break apart, business travel would drop dramatically, severely impeding economic growth overall.”
—Jack Hagel (email@example.com) is the editorial director of CGMA Magazine.


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Kate Simon: Happy Easter 2011 – it will be if you book now
Sunday 24 October 2010
What are you doing next Easter? That may not seem like a pressing question – especially for parents, who are just about to cope with this week's October half-term and have the Christmas and February school holidays to get through before the spring break.
But if you want to make the most of your money, you'd be advised to consider answering it right now.
For, that most confusing date of the year, Easter Sunday, lands on 24 April in 2011, creating an unusual opportunity for holidaymakers. By falling so close to May Bank Holiday, it means many working people (those lucky enough to have dodged George Osborne's axe) could string together enough public holidays to ensure that they will have to take only four days' annual leave to benefit from 11 days off. Now, that's a chance not to be missed.
What's more, it seems that not everyone has realised this fact and there is still availability during this peak holiday period. A quick look at Virgin Holidays, for example, reveals there are still good-value breaks for sale from the Americas to Australia.
In fact, look hard and you'll find there are still deals to be had during Easter 2011. British Airways' winter-sun campaign still has packages available on those dates. For example, at the time of going to press, BA was offering return flights and seven nights' all-inclusive accommodation in a four-star hotel in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, for £643, if you book by next Sunday.
Unfortunately, this opportunity isn't one that can be taken up by families. Across the UK, most school holidays end on 26 April, the day after Easter Monday, which means it's back to school with the kids or face a fine. But it's not all bad news. Some companies are increasing capacity at Easter to help more of us get away during what is traditionally one of the most popular holiday periods for families.
Chris Hackney, product general manager for Thomson and First Choice, the leading brands of Tui, Britain's biggest holiday company, says more destinations have been introduced for next April. "[We're] offering families more choice and flexibility while travelling during the Easter holidays," he says. "Six of First Choice's flagship Holiday Villages will be open during April. Thomson will also have seven properties with Kids' Clubs running throughout April."
He adds: "There's increased flexibility on durations, with the option of 10 and 11 nights to places like Gran Canaria and Tenerife."
For the rest of us, it isn't too soon to sort out now where you'll be holidaying once the schools have gone back next Easter. But make sure you book the time off first – and don't just assume you can take all that time off at once.
All workers in the United Kingdom are entitled to 5.6 weeks' paid annual leave (pro rata for part-timers), though bank holidays can be counted within that tally. And nobody has an automatic right to bank holidays: your employer has ultimate control over when you take your leave.
With the cat emerging from this particular bag, there could be a sudden rush to snap up 11 days' leave for the price of four, making the odds on the boss letting you out to play less likely. Book time off now, before everyone cottons on.
Got a travel issue to raise? Email email@example.com
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The media- technology company, Azerion has recently acquired Collective Media Europe from TI Media. It is their 10th purchase in the last 12 months. With this acquisition, the company will be expanding its offering in the creative digital advertising across the UK and pan-European markets with more prominent clients.
Both the parties expect to offer unified solutions moving forward – Azerion plans for integrating Collective Media’s content and data into their existing ecosystem for advertisers. Besides, Collective Media delivers integrated digital brand campaigns, and with Azerion support, it can enhance the data resources to serve the client better.


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Auto Trader supports showroom reopening with multi-million-pound marketing campaign and launches significant site improvements for retailers
As part of its commitment to help retailers get back to selling vehicles as quickly as possible, Auto Trader, the UK’s largest marketplace for new and used cars, is launching a new marketing campaign to coincide with the reopening of showrooms. Targeting in market car buyers, the campaign will include radio and digital advertising, and is aimed at promoting the industry is back in business whilst promoting consumer confidence in the buying journey. The campaign will run until at least the end of July.
The marketplace is also making some fundamental changes to its site experience which are designed to drive more car buyers to retailers’ advertisements. Traditionally, Auto Trader has featured display banner advertising across its site, but the Company has taken the decision to remove it to drive improved performance for its retailer partners. It will be removed completely from Monday providing an additional circa 25% more space dedicated to promoting retailers’ stock. Testing has proven that this delivers an increase in both advert views and leads for retailers, encouraging consumers to spend longer on site.
In separate changes to its mobile platform, the size of retailer adverts in search listings will also be increased by 40%, with retailer vehicle imagery over 90% larger. This increases the prominence of retailers’ adverts, removing any potential distractions, and creates a more engaging user experience. These changes will further contribute to the already incredibly strong audience performance recorded in the last week, with the number of leads sent to retailers (up 70% year-on-year), and advert views (up 8% year-on-year) up to 27th May.
Commenting on these news measures, Auto Trader’s Commercial Product Director, Karolina Edwards-Smajda, said: “Since the start of the lockdown period, we’ve taken significant steps to support our retailer partners, and now with forecourts finally able to reopen, we’re continuing to make every effort to help in their recovery.
“Consumer demand is strong, and with over 1.1 million unique users visiting our platform every day, we’re in a unique position to act as the voice for the industry to give buyers confidence and trust in the buying journey.
“We’re also excited to announce some of the biggest changes to our site in recent years, which we’re confident will drive improved performance for our retailer partners and ensure they sell as many vehicles as possible at this critical time.”
About Auto Trader
Auto Trader Group plc is the UK and Ireland's largest digital automotive marketplace. Auto Trader sits at the heart of the UK's vehicle buying process and its primary activity is to help vehicle retailers compete effectively on the marketplace in order to sell more vehicles, faster. Auto Trader listed on the London Stock Exchange in March 2015 and is now a member of the FTSE 100 Index.
For more information, please visit https://plc.autotrader.co.uk/
For all media enquiries, please contact:
Andrew Nankervis | email@example.com


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Pumpkin Patch lowers profit forecast as it considers future of UK stores
Pumpkin Patch, the New Zealand childrens fashion retailer, has lowered its profit forecast as its undertakes a restructuring of its business as a result of a challenging and volatile market.
The restructure will include the closure of all 20 of its US stores and the write-off of unprofitable stores in the UK.
Pumpkin Patch said it would be negotiating with UK landlords to seek rent reductions as leases expire and close stores where agreement cannot be reached. There are 41 Pumpkin Patch stores in the UK many of which are trading at an "acceptable level" said the retailer.
An EBIT charge of $9 million to $11 million will be taken in 2011 to cover the costs of the changes and the UK impairments. As a result, Pumpkin Patch said full year profit was expected to be at $12 million to $14 million, down from last year's $25.5 million and below the forecast given in January of $16 million to $18 million.
The benefit of the changes is not expected to impact until the year ending July 31, 2012, when there would be a positive EBIT impact of $7 million to $9 million and a similar benefit of $$10 million to $12 million in 2013, said the retailer.
Pumpkin Patch also announced that it would be reorganising its New Zealand head office but gave no further details. However, the New Zealand stores were said to be trading profitably with further store openings planned.
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We reached out to Unilever in an attempt to clarify whether this means it will cease all advertising on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, or only some subset of its ads narrowly defined by placement on "newsfeed platforms."
"Given our Responsibility Framework and the polarized atmosphere in the U.S., we have decided that starting now through at least the end of the year, we will not run brand advertising in social media newsfeed platforms Facebook, Instagram and Twitter in the U.S.," reads the statement in part.
This comes only a day after Verizon made a similar pledge, following a report from the Anti-Defamation League highlighting Facebook ads running alongside "hateful or extremist" content on the social media platform.
London-based conglomerate Unilever announced Friday that it will cease running ads on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter through the end of the year, leaving the move open to a further extension.
In an emailed statement, Twitter's vice president of global client solutions, Sarah Personette, highlighted her company's commitment to a well-moderated platform — presumably free of the kind of "hateful or extremist" content the ADL reported finding on Facebook.
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Hawick charity champion Caroline puts on trolley good show
A Selkirk school assistant has proved herself to be top of the shops after putting on a trolley good show for charity.
Caroline Stillie, 57, of Lilliesleaf, won the chance to take part in a supermarket sweep at Aldi in Hawick in an in-store competition and amassed £520 worth of groceries.
That haul, as well as filling her larder, raised the equivalent amount of money for her nominated charity, Hawick’s Salvation Army food bank, and she’s also giving it some of her goodies.
The mother of two’s five-minute trolley dash at the Commercial Road store was held as part of a nationwide celebration of the 25th anniversary of the German-based chain arriving in Scotland.
Caroline, a school assistant at Knowepark Primary in Selkirk, said: “It was brilliant. It was great fun.
“I had a great time taking part.
“The staff were brilliant.
“I’m delighted with all my shopping, and I’m so glad to have helped raise money for the Salvation Army food bank in Hawick, which I will also donate some of my shopping to. It is such a great cause.”
Janice Cambridge, a volunteer at the Croft Road food bank, was impressed by Caroline’s clean sweep, saying: “The Aldi supermarket sweep has generated an amazing amount of money for our food bank.
“Caroline has even promised to donate some of the food she grabbed on the trolley dash to our charity.
“On behalf of the food bank, I would like to say thank you to both Aldi and Caroline for making this generous donation possible.”
Richard Holloway, Aldi’s regional managing director for Scotland, said: “The Aldi supermarket sweep is now a firm favourite across the country, and this time it was the turn of Caroline to take part.
“During the five-minute sweep at our Commercial Road store, Caroline managed to snap up a whole load of Aldi treats for herself and, what’s more, raise an incredible amount for the Salvation Army food bank in Hawick.”


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The Specsavers Audiology team was delighted to be exhibiting at Audiology Australia’s ‘The Sound Exchange 2017’ at the RACV Royal Pines in Qld on 10th and 11th June. It provided a great opportunity to reveal the nature of the new Specsavers audiology franchise that is open to all audiology professionals for partnership roles – our business ownership model.
It has been well-known for some months now that we have been actively looking at the Australian audiology market and we have been very open about bringing together such a senior team of Specsavers professionals to develop the franchise from the ground up. It was clear that our presence at The Sound Exchange was no surprise and our whole team was genuinely pleased to receive such a warm welcome from the audiology profession.
General Manager Darrel Magna and the team spent two days talking to audiologists, explaining how the Specsavers Audiology franchise will work – with the key factor being that each audiology business will operate from within Specsavers’ optometry stores. We believe that’s exciting for many reasons, not least because that gives Specsavers audiology partners a total of more than six million customers to draw from; real people who are coming into Specsavers stores day-in, day-out for their regular eye tests.
A litany of questions were asked and answered – many of which are covered in the Specsavers Audiology Partnership Prospectus, which you can download on this page (see top right).
For those who were not present at The Sound Exchange, there is ample opportunity to find out more about the Specsavers Audiology business model – and the locations that we are looking right now, across Australia.
Our Head of Retail, Mike Protopsaltis, is taking calls now from interested parties – and you can contact him direct on 0416 923 297 or firstname.lastname@example.org to get your conversation started.


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Ann O'Brien said she's tried recycling before but the effort always ended up being more trouble than it was worth. Cans and plastics accumulated in the garage of her family's East Brainerd home.
But with a new program, she and 10,000 other Allied Waste customers in Hamilton County and Catoosa and Walker counties in North Georgia are reaping rewards. The RecycleBank program, which kicked off April 19, offers customers rewards for turning in plastic, paper and aluminum.
Joe Salamone, general manager of Allied Waste of Chattanooga, said the company is picking up an average of 50 tons of recyclable material per week. Pickup is every other Monday.
By using www.Recycleitchattanooga.com, customers can register through RecycleBank and earn rewards from a number of local retailers such as CVS Pharmacy and Dick's Sporting Goods.


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A jump in subscription revenue at The Australian Financial Review is helping diversify the national business and politics publication away from the whims of the advertising market.
Subscriptions now account for 48 per cent of the Financial Review's revenue, up from 44 per cent a year ago, according to data released at Nine's half-year results on Wednesday.
"We’ve invested selectively in the product and are focused on growing its subscription," Nine chief executive Hugh Marks told investors and analysts.
"The latest EMMA readership data tells the story of the publication with a growing digital presence in business Australia."
"The AFR is really a great example of a publication that is going very successfully in that transition ... They’re changing their revenue base to go to a model that represents the next 50 years of those particular assets."
The Financial Review grew its subscriber base by 14 per cent from a year ago and 87 per cent of its base were digital-only subs.
According to Enhanced Media Metrics Australia, the Financial Review had monthly digital readership of 1.8 million in November, up 7 per cent from the same time the year before, while its print audience was 1 million, up 5 per cent.
Digital made up more than 75 per cent of the Financial Review's subscription revenue in the half. Digital subscription revenue grew 13 per cent while print subscription revenue fell 10 per cent.
Mr Marks declined to comment on the dollar figure for the Financial Review’s revenue.
- Media & marketing
- Miranda Ward
- Sally Patten
- John Davidson