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The Waterside Ikoyi once again staged its exciting weekly conversational series ‘THE ASK SERIES’. This week’s edition which was themed the youth and governance edition featured the co-founder of RED Adebola Williams.
During the very intended thought provoking session the CNBC young business leader of the year shared passionately great insights on governance in Nigeria and the role young people should play to achieve a nation of our dreams. He stated that ‘’young people should channel their anger towards nation building’’ While advising young entrepreneurs and start-ups he stated that ‘’you must learn to provide solutions to various needs, learn to build and leverage on relationships and partnerships respectively” he added.
This edition which was moderated by experienced a huge turnout of young people who seized the opportunity to ask questions, share ideas and also enjoyed the unique ambience of The Waterside Ikoyi with its exceptional lagoon view.
The series continues next Wednesday 7th June 2017 with the fashion business edition with fashion entrepreneur and founder of Men fashion brand OUCH Uche Nnaji.


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Unleashes biking blitzkrieg with 2010 model of YZF R1, Special edition of R15 and Two Concept Models namely SZ and YBR
New Delhi, January 5th, 2010: Biking enthusiasts gathered at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, today to get the biggest adrenaline boost with the most exciting and innovative collection of bikes showcased by India Yamaha Motor Pvt. Ltd at the 10th Auto Expo being held from 5th to 11th of January. One of the world’s biggest Auto shows witnessed the new 2010 model of YZF-R1 and the launch of Special White Color Edition of YZF-R15 which are showcased at the Yamaha Stall along with other Yamaha products.
Yamaha is showcasing its state-of-the-art product line including successful premium segment (150cc+) bikes – YZF-R15, Fazer and FZ series. A couple of exciting concept motorcycle models for commuter segment are also being showcased.
The muscle bike VMAX is on display as well as YZR-M1 model that Valentino Rossi, The Doctor rides in MotoGP. Apart from these, Yamaha’s international models – 500cc TMAX sports scooter and 600cc XJ6 motorcycle are also on display. These models are surely a gripping sight to behold at this year’s Auto Expo.
Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Yukimine Tsuji, CEO, India Yamaha Motor Pvt. Ltd., said, “Auto Expo is a great platform to display our technological prowess. The Indian two-wheeler market is growing rapidly and keeping in sync with the changing demands of the Indian consumer, we are continuously evolving our strategies to serve them better. We have got very good responses for YZF-R15, Fazer and FZ series bikes. We will utilize every opportunity to generate sales in 2010 by taking initiatives which will reinforce the global Yamaha brand image in India and bring us closer to our customers.”
Talking about plans for the year 2010, Mr. Tsuji, said, “We have a sales target of 3 Lakhs this year. Moreover, the company will continue to focus on the 150cc+ segment to achieve a target of 25 % share by the end of year. While we will be further consolidating our position in premium category with the launch of R15 special white color edition in February, commuting segment will also be a focus area.”
Highlighting the brand association with John Abraham, Mr. Tsuji said, “It is a pleasure to have John by our side as he represents the essence of true biking, being a passionate biker himself. He has added a new dimension to our brand image. We are very happy that John is our first VMAX customer in India. We are also pleased to certify him as advisor to India Yamaha Motor to support us achieve our business plan in India.”
The marketing strategy in the New Year will continue to revolve around the “Yes! Yamaha” campaign which is the first step towards giving value to the consumer and to provide the Best 3S Experience (Sales, Service & Spare parts) so that the customer always appreciates Yamaha and accepts the brand like the word “YES”. As part of its Yes! Yamaha campaign, Yamaha has introduced the unique concept of Yamaha Bike Station (YBS), an authorized Yamaha Dealership with the Best 3S facility – Best Showroom, Best Service Facility and Genuine Parts. Yamaha has also planned Service Camps across India along with rural mobile service vans in the year 2010.
Customer Satisfaction has always been the top priority of Yamaha and the company is planning to enhance Yamaha Bike Station numbers to 180 in 2010 (40% of all dealers). Yamaha will also come up with customer-centric events like Yamaha Safety Riding Science to educate the Indian youth and incorporate safe riding culture among them.

domain: news


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Etsy VS Amazon
Jun 05, 2015
Us Filthy gals were surfing the web before bedtime and came across this article on Retail Dive. Thought it would be of interest to our readers and handmade sisters out there. Will be you diving into the world of Amazon? 278 million buyers has certainly caught our attention! Here is the article below.
- Amazon is reportedly working on an Etsy-like marketplace for artisans and vintage collectors called “Handmade,” according to the Wall St. Journal.
- Several Etsy vendors have received email invitations from Amazon inviting them to participate in the new venture.
- Etsy has some 20.8 million buyers, compared to Amazon’s 278 million.
This development is the latest headache for Etsy, which has seen its stock price fall precipitously after its recent IPO amid reports that many goods sold on there are counterfeit.
Although there were few details in the emails that vendors received, the Wall Street Journal reports that several Etsy sellers are surprised and intrigued by this new opportunity at Amazon. The e-commerce giant’s reach dwarfs Etsy’s, although Etsy has several perks directed at the artisan community, such as lower commissions and fees and opportunities for offline commerce.
Wall Street Journal: Amazon Targets Etsy With ‘Handmade’ Marketplace


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The decision to homeport Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship in Bayonne, New Jersey is a question at the top of many people's minds and CEO Adam Goldstein commented on the deployment decision.
Goldstein feels that the New York cruise market is very important to the brand, “It’s an appropriate place to homeport as she begins service."
Some of the new innovations the cruise ship features, such as bumper cars and skydiving, should attract first time cruisers according to Goldstein.
“It should help the perceptions some people may have about the cruise experience,” he said.
Goldstein was very proud of the Music Hall, saying that Royal Caribbean was one of the last to still place an importance on live music – with up to 30 performers sailing with the ship.
When Goldstein was asked if the decision to homeport Quantum of the Seas in the New York area opens up possibilities for new ships going to places other than Florida, he answered that there are more ports the Quantum-class vessels can go in comparison to the Oasis, but not that many.
The success metrics of the new Quantum ships will be measured via revenue generation and yields tied together.
“What people pay to be onboard (is the metric),” Goldstein continued, adding that fuel savings will come from hydrodynamics and the overall shape of the hull, along with changes and innovations to the propellers, the engines, air conditioning, lighting and more.
After officials investigated a suspicious device at the port of Tampa near Royal Caribbean's Jewel of the Seas, it turned out to be a liquor delivery made by a semi-truck transferring items for the cruise line.
"There was no device found, or explosive material found," said Col. Jim Previtera of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, during a press conference Thursday regarding the incident. "We did impound a couple items we removed, and our technicians will look at them."
Officials were alerted earlier today when an unidentified item on the dock near Terminal 3 was found.
As a precautionary measure, officials evacuated workers on the terminal, shore staff and contract security employees. There were no passengers onboard Jewel of the Seas at the time.
Royal Caribbean will hold a conference call on April 25, 2013 at 10am to discuss its first quarter 2013 financial results.
The call will be available on-line at the company's investor relations web site, www.rclinvestor.com. To listen to the call by phone, please dial (877) 663-9606 in the US and Canada. International phone calls should be made to (706) 758-4628. There is no passcode or meeting number. A replay of the webcast will be available at the same site for a month following the call.
A suspicious package was found today at the Port of Tampa, Florida near Royal Caribbean's Jewel of the Seas. The Hillsborough Sheriff's office said the suspicious package was found on a pallet that was to be loaded on the cruise ship.
Two bomb-sniffing dogs found the package during a routine inspection. Explosives experts are now investigating the package and should have an answer to what it is very soon.
As a precaution, the sheriff's office evacuated the terminal building that was being used to check passengers in for their Jewel of the Seas cruise.
Once the package inspection is complete, cruise ship staff will re-board the ship and Terminal 3 will reopen.
Cruise ship passengers are waiting in the area and are still hoping to board the ship today for their trip to Cozumel. The only thing they've been told is that when the ship's horn blasts, they will be allowed to board.
When Royal Caribbean announced the new innovation of virtual balconies coming to Quantum of the Seas, the next cruise ship that is being developed, company officials mentioned the virtual balconies will first be seen on Navigator of the Seas.
Navigator of the Seas was already scheduled for a refurbishment early next year as part of Royal Caribbean's fleet wide revitalization program. The virtual balconies will now be added to the list of new features Navigator of the Seas will receive. It appears Navigator of the Seas will be the "testing ground" for this brand new innovation.
The virtual balconies will be 80-inch LED projection screen that will show images of the ocean that is taken from elsewhere on the ship.
Royal Caribbean CEO Adam Goldstein thinks the virtual balconies will be a great addition, "It's going to bring a completely different feel to the experience."
Navigator of the Seas will go into drydock next January to get the Royal Advantage upgrade package. It is scheduled to sail from Galveston when the upgrades are complete.
Goldstein said there will not be a specific surcharge for interior cabins with virtual balconies, but added that he hopes they will bring higher yields.
"The whole experience will be more valuable to our guests and we expect that to be reflected in the ticket price," he said.
Quantum of the Seas is expected to enter service in Fall 2014.
At Royal Caribbean's big press event yesterday, chairman Richard Fain and CEO Adam Goldstein showed the media a video of everything that is new and exciting about Quantum of the Seas starring Quantum of the Seas' godmother, Kristin Chenoweth.
The video shows computer generated simulations of some of the ship's amazing new features including the observation pod called North Star, the skydiving simulator called Ripcord, the largest sports complex at sea called SeaPlex and the entertainment hub called Two70°.
The eight-minute long video is a great preview of everything guests can expect to find onboard once Quantum of the Seas launches in fall 2014.
After announcing some of the great new features and amenities aboard Quantum of the Seas today, Royal Caribbean gave the public a glimpse at the itineraries this brand new ship will offer when she enters service.
Based out of Bayonne, New Jersey, Quantum of the Seas will offer 7, 8, 11 and 12 night cruises.
The twelve night cruise will offer a Southern Caribbean itinerary with stops in Royal Caribbean's private island of Labadee, followed by San Juan, Philipsburg, Basseterre, Fort de France and Bridgetown.
The 7 or 8 night cruises will stop in Port Canaveral, Royal Caribbean's private island of CocoCay and Nassau.
The 11-night eastern Caribbean cruise will include stops at Labadee, San Juan, Charlotte Amalie, Philipsburg and Basseterre.
Lastly, the 8-night eastern Caribbean itinerary will stop at Labadee, San Juan and Samana.
Guests can begin booking Quantum of the Seas cruises, starting with Crown & Anchor Society members on May 27, 2013 followed by the general public on June 4.
Royal Caribbean announced today when guests can start booking their cruise on Quantum of the Seas.
Bookings will be available to Crown & Anchor Society loyalty program members starting May 27, 2013 before opening to the general public on June 4.
Quantum of the Seas will sail out of the New York Harbor from her homeport of Cape Liberty on 7- to 12-night itineraries during the winter 2014/15 season.
Royal Caribbean made its big reveal for Quantum of the Seas today and the big news was what special features will be aboard the new ship.
- North Star observation pod that gives views 300 feet above the sea
- Skydiving experience called RipCord by iFly
- Circus school with flying trapeze
- Bumper cars
- Roller skating
- 80" virtual balconies that display live views of the outdoors in interior rooms.
- New entertainment venue called Two70°
- Largest indoor sports complex at sea called SeaPlex
- Will offer bumper cars
- Basketball court
- A multi-purpose performance venue called Music Hall
- Larger cabins (average 9% larger)
- Cabins for single travelers and single cabins with balconies
North Star observation pod
New indoor cabins with virtual balconies that have real time views of the sea
SeaPlex indoor enetertainment zone
“This area is clearly one of the most critical population centers of our world — of the world,” said Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Adam Goldstein in an interview Monday. “And clearly we’ve put significant new capacity down into the Florida-Caribbean basin in the last few years with Oasis class. We felt like there was an opportunity in the market to bring state-of-the-art capacity to the New York area going forward.”


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Originally, Kepler GPU architecture was scheduled to debut in 2011, with the successor codenamed Maxwell coming in 2013. We were not surprised to hear that Maxwell, tied to a 20nm process node – is getting delayed as well.
"The battle with manufacturing nodes continues." – This would be a summary of what our sources told us over the past couple of weeks. No manufacturer is having an easy time, and even Intel – known for its manufacturing excellence – pulled its 22nm Low Power node deeply into 2013, debuting about half a year later.
When it comes to Nvidia, the company is heavily engaged on increasing the yields for its products. With Kepler, Nvidia shifted to a new die strategy, and even though we've heard more rumors about the GK106 chips, the fact of the matter is that Kepler will remain a three GPU line-up: GK104 for performance, GK107 for mobile and entry-level desktop and the GK110 for high-end computational and visualization parts. Ultimately, GK104 served as the GTX 660/670/680/690, Quadro K5000 and Tesla K10, GK107 serves in numerous low-power mobile and desktop designs. GK110 will make a public appearance only in December as the Tesla K20, with a yet unannounced amount of video memory (according to our sources, NV is trying to secure different packaging to enable 12GB of GDDR5 memory, but realistically – prototype boards we saw utilized "just" 6GB).
Naturally, all of these movements don't hold much promise for the next generation GeForce cards. Given that the Maxwell, GM1xx parts won't be available until the first half of 2014, the GeForce and Quadro parts should continue to rely on refreshed/renamed GK104/107/110 parts. The GK110 is planned to expand and become available as the Quadro K6000 6GB, for those that require ultimate performance on a single piece of silicon.
In case you've doubted it, Maxwell is a 20nm part, capable of being manufactured in GlobalFoundries, IBM, Samsung and TSMC – 20nm Gate-Last HKMG will equalize between TSMC and Common Platform alliance – a move Nvidia and Qualcomm cannot wait to see come to frutition.
Availability of that part however, will not come sooner than the first half of next year. As far as the GeForce GTX 700 Series is concerned, the parts should repeat the same cadence as this year's lineup. However, the newer revised parts should offer further clock improvements, to the level where they can offer between 25-30% higher performance and power efficiency, while the company is working on parts based on the Maxwell GPU architecture, which should drive 2014 as one of key years in Nvidia's history. Maxwell will be the first top-to-bottom GPU architecture, powering everything from Tegra to Tesla. Furthermore, Maxwell should be the first GPU part to integrate the 64-bit ARM core which carries the codename "Project Denver". Putting the typically-bandwidth starved ARM cores onto an internal bus which in GPUs goes beyond 1.5TB/s should significantly change the playing game – a GPU capable of booting an operating system, regardless of what lies currently in public documents.
All in all, 2013 will see AMD's Sea Islands fight first versus Nvidia's Kepler refresh, and only then against the Maxwell. Real battle will come only in 2014.


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Friday, Aug. 2-Sunday, Aug. 4
Tokyo in Tulsa is back for a sixth year of Japanese animation, gaming cosplay and more. In 2012, TnT (as fans call it) attracted more than 5,000 participants to the convention. This year, organizers hope to top that. From Friday, Aug. 2-Sunday, Aug. 4, the Cox Business Center, 100 Civic Center, will become starbase to panel discussions, gaming events, costume competitions, concerts and more. Plenty of artists and vendors in the sci-fi and fantasy genres will showcase their work and merchandise for purchase. Admission for Tokyo in Tulsa is through memberships. Three-day early membership packages are sold out, but you can still get in on the action: Full weekend memberships ($50) and single day memberships ($30) will be available at the door. Registration begins at 9 a.m. each day. To see the full schedule for Tokyo in Tulsa, go to www.tokyointulsa.com.


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I recently worked as a camera operator on a VR feature called The Spring. The first question of many questions that I had for Greg Passmore, owner of Passmore Labs, Austin, Texas was, “When you are shooting a 3D 360 degree VR movie in a cave where at times you are perilously close to the top of the caves due to the water level, where do you position the crew?” His reply threw me off guard. He said, “Anywhere I want.” It was then that he told me he was shooting with one Red Epic camera. The question then was, how?
Cinegy has been invited to join ImmersiaTV, an EU consortium of university technology incubators, research institutes, and commercial entities collaborating to research and develop the future of home entertainment, including virtual and augmented reality.
The Immersive Technology Alliance, the official trade organization for immersive technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and stereoscopic 3D, has announced a strategic partnership with the Open Gaming Alliance.
Barco, the official projection provider for the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, brings to life several key virtual reality and art installations at the New Frontier exhibition with its large venue projectors and presentation switchers. The festival also uses Barco digital cinema projectors in all 23 of its movie theater venues for official screenings.
One of the highlights at this year’s Sundance Film Festival’s New Frontier Program could be the five-minute virtual reality film experience Giant. Drawing on director and co-creator Milica Zec’s personal experiences as a child in war-torn Serbia, the VR narrative takes the viewer into the experience of a family struggling to survive in a war zone. The film shows how cinematic VR lets us observe our instincts and ourselves and become more conscious of the way we make choices.
A survey conducted for Vicon suggests that virtual reality will need to overcome key challenges including the production of affordable consumer devices, in order for it to become a success. The results, based on a survey conducted by Vicon, gauged the opinion of 390 industry professionals. It highlighted that alongside cost, other factors such as content and realism stand in the way of virtual reality becoming an overnight success. In fact Vicon estimates that virtual reality will take off in the next two – three years.
Pixvana, a virtual reality technology startup, has launched today with a $6 million investment led by Madrona Venture Group with participation from Paul Allen's Vulcan Capital, and angel investors. Pixvana is developing a cloud-based technology platform that dramatically improves the immersive video viewing experience for VR and augmented reality applications across a broad set of viewing devices. The company plans to bring it to market in 2016.
Advanced Systems Group will welcome presenters from Dolby Laboratories, SuperSphere Productions, and Tippett Studio to the ASG Annual Workshop on December 3, at the New People Cinema at the New People building in San Francisco. Thursday’s workshop will explore high dynamic range and cinematic virtual reality technologies with free presentations beginning at 10 a.m.
Pulse Evolution and VTEC Laboratories have partnered to develop a personal Head Mounted Display player, intended to provide immersive entertainment access for standard virtual reality systems users to unique live events, such as virtual music concerts, multi-player games and other events set in rich VR environments that can be populated by hyper-realistic digital humans from Pulse Evolution.
360Heros, a Western New York company specializing in virtual reality 360-degree video technology has been issued a patent by the U.S. Patent Office that covers the multi-camera holding assemblies popular in virtual reality and 360-degree video filmmaking with other patents pending.


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Karachi, January 08, 2018 (PPI-OT):Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) ,sub-regional office , Hyderabad organised a seminar on Export Potential of Chillies at Gymkhana, Mirpurkhas, which was attended by around 120chilli growersof the region, which included Umerkot, Mithi, Diplo, Digri, Mirpurkhasetc . The seminar aimed at enhancing per acre yield and controlling diseases like Aflatoxins, fungicide, due to which this product has not yet achieved the desired export targets.
The experts of USAID, Sindh Agriculture Growth Project, Sindh Abadagar Board, Sindh Horticulture Research Institute, Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Pakistan Agriculture Research Council, National Foods Pvt Ltd, Sindh Irrigated Agriculture Productivity Enhancement Project gave elaborate presentations to highlight chilli related issues and shared counter-measures to salvage the crops.
Mr. Shahjhan Hashmani, USAID Consultant, informed that USAID extends support to the growers to prevent aflatoxins. Mr. Satram Das, Assistant Director, Sindh Agriculture Growth Project said that chilli drying sheets are being provided to the farmers and he also recommended to adopt packaging of chillies in small bags, instead of old sack. For, old packaging method causes contracting of bacteria and dust.
Mr. Ghulam Mustafa Ujjan briefed about the mechanism of drip irrigation and urged the growers to switch to it in case of water shortage. Dr. Attaullah, Pakistan Agriculture Research Council, enlightened that poor nursery management and improper seed affect the crops. Mr. Ghulam Muhammad Soomro, President, Mirpurkhas Chamber of Commerce and Industry informed that Mirpurkhas Region shares 83% of total chillies produced in the country. Chilli varieties comprised andicut (longi), Talhari, Sanam, Nagina etc, which have aroma and taste. Unfortunately, owing to aflatoxins, the export share of this product, so far, remains meagre.
Mr. Abdul Karim Memon, Director (Product Development Division-1) TDAP informed the progressive growers about export process and procedure and asked them to ensure quality product in order to enter international market. Besides, Mr. Ashiq Hussain Khoso, Deputy Director, TDAP, Sub-regional office, Hyderabad apprised about company registration and emphasized that potential growers participate in international Exhibitions through TDAP and also to display their product in upcoming Expo Pakistan. He invited the growers to visit TDAP office for further facilitation. He also shed light on the vision of export promotion of Secretary, TDAP, Mr. Inamullah Khan Dharejo and emphasized that this sector, being potential, can constitute an important part of agriculture exports.
For more information, contact:
Information and Communication Division
Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP)
3rd Floor, Block A, Finance and Trade Centre,
P. O. Box No. 1293, Shahrah-e-Faisal,
Karachi 75200, Pakistan
Tel: +92-21-99206487-90, +92-21-99201526
Fax: +92-21-99206461, +92-21-99201526
Email: firstname.lastname@example.org, email@example.com


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The Card-Not-Present (CNP) Expo got underway yesterday, as many members of the digital payments industry converged in Orlando, Florida, for the conference. This is an important event in the industry, and the Cardinal team is at the conference to hear from some of the insightful and informative speakers giving presentations throughout the week.
One of those speakers is Brett Johnson, who kicked off the conference yesterday by delivering the keynote address. Johnson, a former hacker who now works on the other side, as a consultant, gave an excellent opening speech and scared everyone in the room by talking about his former exploits. If there was a highlight from his speech, it was that cybercriminals will always take the path of least resistance to achieve their goals.
The Cardinal team also heard from Todd McGuire, Chief Transformation Officer at Worldpay, who spoke about the future of the digital payments industry, and some of the innovations in the industry. McGuire spoke about China and India, the largest and fastest growing eCommerce markets in the world, respectively. Both these markets deserve attention, as they will continue to impact the industry going forward.
Ian Poole, Director of Technical Product Management at Cardinal, led a panel entitled, “Practical Considerations of Various Authentication Methods.” Ian was joined on the panel by Krithika Ramadoss, Head of Fraud Product & Strategy at Western Union Digital; Paolo Teotino, Senior Product Management Director at Syniverse and Ofer Mizrach, Vice President of Product Management at ThreatMetrix. The two biggest topics during this panel were false positives and fraud, and how to effectively prevent both, simultaneously.
Throughout the first day, there were sessions on a wide variety of topics, ranging from friendly fraud to data analytics. At the end of the day, the Cardinal team and industry friends relaxed at the lounge in the resort, and talked about the first day’s highlights.
If you’re at the CNP Expo and see anyone from Cardinal, stop them to say hello! You can also stop by the Cardinal booth (#310) if you want to talk to anyone on the Cardinal team. Remember, One Connection to Cardinal will Drive Digital Commerce.


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Strawberry Sherbet Fizz will be introduced to market as a 12-month limited-edition drink further bolstering Fanta’s 2016 strategy to ’bring the fun‘. To drive awareness, Fanta has launched a multimillion dollar campaign, led by its flagship orange flavour and supported by Strawberry Sherbet Fizz, which will target teens and mums.
It will seek to engage teens through outdoor advertising, a radio campaign and a targeted social offering on Facebook and Instagram, as well tapping into the audience of YouTube influencer Tyde Levi, who was involved in last year’s ‘#FantaTastesLike’ campaign. A significant investment will also be put into mobile, covering digital banners, shake banners, selfie props and a Fanta Droplet Challenge game. Meanwhile, mums will be targeted with outdoor advertising aligned to path to purchase, radio and mobile advertising, as well as a strong in-store presence.
Fanta Brand Manager Ramona Spiteri says the new flavour will enhance the creative and playful image of the ‘Be More Fanta’ campaign, which is designed to bring more play into the world.
“It also offers Aussies another unique taste sensation to enjoy,” she said.
“Research has verified that Strawberry Sherbet Fizz is perfect for our audience, with strong purchase intent and consumer sentiment among teens and mums. The brand and product range continues to create excitement among consumers and we are working hard to keep the brand evolving to capture the attention of our target consumers.”
Fanta Strawberry Sherbet Fizz is available in 1.25lt bottles, 250ml cans and 8x200ml mini-can packs.


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The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation has announced that statewide adult-use cannabis sales in January totaled $39.2 million.
Dispensaries across the state sold 972,045 items over the 31-day period. That includes sales to Illinois residents that totaled $30.6 million, while sales to out-of-state residents totaled $8.6 million.
At the Greenhouse dispensary in Morris, things have slowed a bit since the initial rush of buyers, hundreds of whom lined up on Jan. 1 when recreational sales became legal.
Greenhouse Education and Outreach coordinator Rick Niksic said sales were actually higher on Jan. 2 and Jan. 3 than they were on Jan.1.
„Maybe [people] just held back and didn’t want to stand in line, although we did have lines on the second and third day,” he said. „Plus there were longer hours rather than just the holiday hours that we had.”
In the first month at the Greenhouse, the dispensary made more than 8,000 transactions, with the average transaction just under $100.
Niksic said that while sales are up, which also means additional jobs for staff and security at the Greenhouse, the focus at the Morris dispensary and around the state remains on medical patients.
„They’re really putting the emphasis on the medical side, and making sure that there are supplies for people with medical cards, making sure that they get priority treatment and they’re not waiting in line,” he said. „They just show their medical card and they come right in … we’re trying to really accommodate them.”
If a medical cannabis user feels their needs are not being met, they may file a complaint via the IDFPR website, at www.idfpr.com/Admin/Complaints.asp.
A portion of every cannabis sale will be reinvested in communities that state officials said have been harmed the most by the failed so-called war on drugs.
“The successful launch of the Illinois’ legal cannabis industry represents new opportunities for entrepreneurs and the very communities that have historically been harmed by the failed war on drugs,” said Toi Hutchinson, Senior Advisor for Cannabis Control to Gov. JB Pritzker. “The administration is dedicated to providing multiple points of entry into this new industry, from dispensary owners to transporters, to ensure legalization is equitable and accessible for all Illinoisans.”
Niksic said one interesting fact in the first month of cannabis legalization is the number of people filling out applications for their medical cards.
„One of the things that rose out of this that really surprised me is that, for the month of January, the state received more applications for medical cannabis than they did last January,” Niksic said.
He added that he didn’t want to speculate too much on the reason for that, but said it could be due to anything from people wanting to try cannabis for medical issues such as pain management, to reduced taxes on the medical side.
„The taxes on the recreational side are anywhere from 20% to 40% depending what community you’re in, and the taxes on medical are 2%. So, it maybe just boils down to that,” Niksic said.
In January, the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) released applications for cannabis infuser, craft grower and transporter licenses. The applications are available on the Department’s website, www2.illinois.gov/sites/agr/Plants/Pages/Adult-Use-Cannabis.
IDOA will begin accepting completed applications on Friday, Feb. 14 and all cannabis infuser, transporter and craft Grower applications must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Monday, March 16, 2020.
Social equity applicants will receive additional points on their application and are eligible to receive technical assistance, grants, low-interest loans and fee reductions and waivers.
In the coming weeks, IDOA will be partnering with the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to provide information workshops across the state to answer questions and assist interested applicants.
Additional information about the timing and location of workshops will be available in the coming days.


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A competition was started in 2000, designed to push farmers to produce an even finer fibre. In its 14th year, the competition was won by Australian farm Pyrenees Park in Victoria. Farmers Pamela and Robert Sandlant produced an 11-micron bale.
The Italian textile giant, Loro Piana, honours the breeders that produce the finest bale of wool, and then takes the fibre to produce just 40 bespoke men's suits.
This equalled the effort by New Zealand farmers Yvonne and Barrie Payne, from Timaru, however the Australian fibre was judged to be slightly stronger.
Mrs Sandlant said that it's been a lot of hard work, years of genetic research and while it's been hard it's also been a lot of fun and they are delighted to win.
Dr Pier-Luigi Loro Piana started searching for fine wool bales in 1997. The first one from New Zealand weighed 100 kilos and measured a little over 13 microns. Last year's winner recorded a fibre of 10.6 microns.
The ongoing collaboration and the breeders' constant commitment, the quality standards have grown significantly, in only 17 years the fibre's finesse improved by 30 percent, said Dr Loro Piana.
The jury, which is formed by the president of the Superfine Wool Growers' Association and the director of the New Zealand Stud Merino Breeders Society, certifies each bale of wool and records the micron fibre count.
This challenge is a way to keep celebrating the excellence and uniqueness of the world's best raw materials. These ultra-fine wools which include cashmere and vicuna are in fact the core of every product that is limited by an exclusive definition; they are as rare and precious as gemstones.
A weekly report covering market and price information on the entire chain of polyester along with online access to daily polyester chain prices.
One-time reports that are issued annually cover the demand and supply trends in individual products including polyester, nylon, acrylic, viscose, and cotton.
One-time reports that are issued annually cover the demand and supply trends in the individual country's natural and manmade fiber/filament industries.
Countries Served Worldwide


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With the Indian arrivals to Indonesia registering an increase of 16.23 percent growth rate in 2014, now Indonesia set to add India in its visa-free list countries.
As of now, Indonesia only offers visa on arrival to the visitors from India, the process to include India in free visa list is now ongoing, said saut siringoringo, consul general of the Republic of Indonesia.
India is the seventh largest tourism source market for tourists coming to Indonesia. With the inbound travelers increasing every year, it is expected to reach 250,000 Indian arrivals in 2015 from 234,000 arrivals in 2014, said Taufik Nurhidayat from the Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia. So far in this current year, total Indian arrivals registered at 107,933 tourists.
The average stay of Indian travelers in Indonesia is between 7 to 9 days, around 90 percent of them travelling to Bali, followed by Jakarta as many Hindu temples located in that city.
Since the older times, India and Indonesia share so many similarities, and both the countries are very tolerant. Tourism in India growing exponentially with the outbound tourists from India will be set to increase from the current 15 million tourists to 50 million tourists by 2020, added Sirigorigo.


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IMAX Corp., New York City, is testing out a new indoor cycling concept in Brooklyn, New York.
The concept, IMAXShift, launched with a test studio in Brooklyn's DUMBO neighborhood on April 28. The studio for the "full sensory workout experience" accommodates 50 riders per each instructor-led session and features IMAX theater geometry and sound technology, according to a media release from the company.
IMAX is assessing the concept's commercial viability. If successful, the company plans to employ a licensing approach similar to its global theater network. IMAX selected the DUMBO location because it is "well known as being a community of artists and early adopters, and also fits the key demographic," according to the media release.
"We think it's a very interesting concept," Richard Gelfond, CEO and director, IMAX Corp., told investors during an April conference call. "If the numbers work, we'll aggressively roll it out worldwide, and it will be very promising. If the numbers don't work satisfactorily, we won't roll it out."
Jesse Alexander, who began his career as a master instructor at Flywheel and later became a master instructor for Barry's Bootcamp, is the IMAXShift creative director.
"As an instructor, I am always looking for new and innovative ways to motivate my riders and help them get the most out of their fitness journey," Alexander said in a statement. "What excites me the most about IMAXShift is the originality of the experience; by capturing the energy and buzz of an IMAX theater in an indoor cycling setting, the workout is truly immersive, and no two will ever be the same."
IMAXShift describes each class as a unique content "journey." Programming includes cycling through the solar system, flying over the Hawaiian coasts and pedaling through music-reactive visuals, all of which are designed to pair with each instructor's choreography.
"As we examined potential areas in which to extend The IMAX Experience, one of the opportunities we identified was the fitness space – where there is a clear growing consumer demand for more engaging group experiences," Robert Lister, chief business development officer, IMAX Corp., said in a statement. "By incorporating key elements of IMAX's technology and patented theater design and working with some of today's top fitness instructors to develop fully tailored on-screen workouts, we believe the pilot launch of IMAXShift has the potential to set the stage for a new movement in physical activity and offer participants a workout unlike anything they've experienced before."
Below is a photo of an IMAXShift class from @IMAXShift on Instagram:


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Canada has finally jumped on board the eco-train to (very slowly) remove single-use plastics from stores. It's a big step forward for all of us eco-warriors!
When it comes to hair accessories, just consider how many hair bands, ties and clips YOU have bought and lost over the past year... astonishing, isn't it?
Those millions (and millions!) of hair accessories sold are causing a lot of issues as they are not sustainably made, easily get lost (in between couch pillows, under the bed, under the washing machine...), are washed down in waterways (think road drains!), and don't decompose in landfills. The issue may seem tiny and insignificant, but I assure you it is not.
The issue of unsustainable hair accessories is as significant as that of single-use plastics and needs to be addressed. Let's dissect the reasons why it's a concerning matter:
FABRIC, Rubber, and... petroleum?
There are hundreds of videos and sites educating consumers on the disaster that most fabrics cause to the environment. It's a big issue that we don't typically think about when we buy our next blouse or pair of pants.
Consider these quick and surprising stats:
The production of textiles, for example, is estimated to release over 0.5 million tonnes of microfibers into the ocean every year.
It can take over 200 years for a piece of clothing to decompose in a landfill. Even during this process, textiles release methane gas and leach toxic chemicals and dyes into the groundwater.
Regular cotton is one of the worst culprits, as it's mass-produced and extremely wasteful: It is a water-intensive crop (it takes about 20,000 litres of water to produce 1 kg of cotton = 1 t-shirt!), it accounts for 16% of all insecticides used in farming.
Polyester is the most commonly used fabric worldwide. It's synthetic, and made from petrochemical-derived products and is not biodegradable.
Nylon is another synthetic fabric, representing 5% of all global fibre production. This one takes thousands of years to decompose in a landfill.
Bamboo is a semi-synthetic rayon fibre, and producing it also uses chemical-intensive processes that can be harmful to the environment and even to humans (like many fabrics). Now mind you, not all bamboo is created equal, and there are sustainable options.
Best alternatives include 100% organic cotton, linen, vegan leathers (like cactus and pineapple leather) and hemp fabrics.
Another material we don't often consider is the rubber that is used for our elastic bands and popular hair scrunchies.
Consider this bit of info:
Synthetic rubber is made from petrochemical-sourced ingredients (crude oil) including isoprene, polychloroprene, butyl, and fluoroelastomer, to name a few. These chemical ingredients are non-renewable, non-biodegradable and release harmful chemicals into the environment.
Synthetic rubber often contains heavy metals, like lead, toluene and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which have been associated with cancer and other illnesses at certain levels of exposure.
Synthetic rubber – from tires to rubber soles on shoes, can take anywhere from 50 - 2000 years to decompose in a landfill.


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Porsche will be taking the wraps off the new generation Cayenne tomorrow. Ahead of its global unveil, the German carmaker has teased the SUV in a single design sketch. We have spotted the new Cayenne being tested on multiple occasions. The flagship off-roader was spotted testing in the cold weather of Lapland, burning rubber at the Nurburgring, and also traversing the city streets of Europe. Now, in a run-up to the official unveiling, here is everything we know so far about the all-new Porsche Cayenne.
When Porsche introduced the Cayenne in 2002, it received a mixed reaction in the global market. The purists hated the idea of an SUV wearing the Porsche badge. However, developing an SUV in order to keep pace with the shifting trend, a well thought out decision by the Stuttgart-based carmaker. The Cayenne is now the highest selling model in the Porsche line-up. It was Porsche's first off roader since its Super and Junior tractors of the 1950s, and the first-ever Porsche with four doors. The third generation Cayenne is internally referred to as the E3 by Porsche.
The new Cayenne will sport an evolutionary design. The headlamp design will remain the same but it will carry the new signature four-point LEDs as seen on the 911 and Panamera. The silhouette, as previewed in the sketches, is noticeably sharper with a raked D-pillar. The Panamera effect also continues at the rear. The SUV will give away the bulbous tail lights of the current car for the new sleek LED taillight design which runs across the rear of the vehicle. Overall, the new Cayenne will be sleeker, sportier and more handsome looking as compared to the outgoing car.
The new Cayenne will adopt the new MLB Evo platform. The Volkswagen Group’s newly developed architecture currently underpins the Audi Q7. The upcoming Volkswagen Touareg will also share the same platform. The MLB stands for ‘Modularer Längsbaukasten’ in German which translates to "Modular Longitudinal Matrix". The platform will help the Cayenne shed some weight while cutting down on engineering costs.
Porsche will introduce the V6 and V8 gasoline engine at the launch, while the diesel engine options will be introduced later. The plug-in hybrid variant too will surely be introduced in a couple of years’.
Porsche claims that the new Cayenne has undergone a series of examinations under temperatures ranging from -45 degrees to +50 degrees. The prototypes and pre-production models have completed a total of around 4.4 million test kilometres, boasts the German carmaker.
The Cayenne was tested all around the world. It was tested on race tracks like the Nürburgring, Hockenheimring and Nardo. It also underwent testing in the extreme temperatures from the cold Alaskan snow to the hot sand dunes in Dubai and the arid wastes of the Death Valley in California. Porsche also claims to have tested the third-generation SUV in the cities of China, Sweden, Finland and Spain. On the other hand, the on and off-road testing was carried out in South Africa, Japan and New Zealand.


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The all-new 2017 Volvo S90 has been revealed.
Volvo is looking to make a statement in the premium sedan segment with its new S90, which takes many of its design cues from the new XC90 that was revealed last year. The new car rides on the Swedish automaker’s new scalable architecture, which makes it slightly longer and wider than its predecessor.
Under the hood, Volvo has announced that the S90 will feature the brand’s T8 twin engine plug-in hybrid system along with its non-hybird T6 counterpart, though specific numbers weren’t announced. Both versions uses a turbocharged and supercharged four-cylinder engine, with the T6 making around 316 hp.
As for the hybrid T8, the powertrain makes 400 horsepower and 472 lb-ft of torque in the XC90 and can power the SUV for 25 miles of all-electric driving, so expect the lighter S90 to have even more range.
Volvo’s latest semi-autonomous driving technolgy, known as Pilot Assist, will allow the S90 to keep itself in the center of lane at speeds up to 130 km/h (80 mph). Volvo says that Pilot Assist is “another step towards full autonomous drive – a key innovation area for Volvo.”
For safety, a new large animal detection radar has been added to the car which will help the driver avoid these creatures on the road, during daytime or night.
“Our idea was to bring something entirely new to this rather conservative segment and deliver a visual expression that exudes leadership and confidence on the exterior. On the inside we have taken the S90 to the next level, delivering a high-end luxury experience that promises comfort and control,” said Thomas Ingenlath, Senior Vice President Design at Volvo Car Group.
More details on the new 2017 Volvo S90 will be revealed when the car makes its public debut at the 2016 Detroit Motor Show.
Discuss this story at our Volvo Forum


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The Duchess Of Cambridge has become a fashion icon over the past few years for those looking for chic tailoring and ladylike style.
Known as the ‘Kate effect’, the Duchess has cause clothes to fly off the shelves within minutes of being papped wearing them in public.
And it looks like Prince George’s new teacher has been watching Kate’s style closely over the past year in anticipation of meeting the Royal mum at the school gate.
Arriving at his first day at school on Thursday morning, a visibly nervous George was given a smiling welcome by the Head of Thomas’s Battersea’s Lower School.
The warm welcome was enough to put George’s mind at ease as he walked hand-in-hand into his new classroom with Prince William and head teacher Helen Haslem.
After the excitement of seeing George in his new school uniform died down, we noticed that the head teacher’s dress is very similar to a style worn by the Kate Middleton last year.
Holding George’s hand, the head teacher made her way to the school doors wearing a blush pink A-line dress which featured a V-neck detail and knee-length hemline.
The school teacher paired the dress with pointed-toe nude flats, a clever choice for someone who will be running around after children all day.
Meanwhile, Kate wore a similar style last year while attending the ‘Vogue 100: A Century of Style’ exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in June last year.
Kate’s dress was subtly lighter in colour and featured a peplum detail, but the similarities are uncanny.
Adding to the effect what Kate’s show choice, which was a pair of nude pointed toe heels from LK Bennett.
In fairness, we can’t blame Ms Haslem for emulating Kate!


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Catch the reveal live at 12pm PT/3pm ET.
Respawn Entertainment will pull back the curtain on its new game, titled Apex Legends, and you’ll be able to watch the reveal live today, right here on IGN.
A teaser begins at 8am PT/11am ET/4pm UK (Tuesday, February 5 at 3am AET). Be sure to check back here at 12pm PT/3pm ET/8pm UK (Tuesday, February 5 at 7am AET), for the full reveal.
You can check out the reveal in the video player below:
After rumors surfaced regarding a free-to-play battle royale spinoff of Titanfall surfaced, Respawn CEO Vince Zampella confirmed in a post on Twitter the game is real and will be unveiled today, February 4.
In addition to being able to watch the reveal live on the IGN homepage, you can also catch the stream on our mobile and console apps, as well as our various other channels.
Here’s everywhere you can watch:
In addition to developing the first two Titanfall games, Respawn is currently at work on Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, which was teased at E3 2018. According to a statement from Electronic Arts last year, Respawn will have multiple games released by holiday 2019.
Alex Osborn is IGN’s associate homepage editor. You can follow him on Twitter.


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Apple is getting itself into the growing health and fitness app category with a platform called HealthKit and an app called, simply, Health.
The app will aggregate information from various third-party wearable devices and apps.
HealthKit will provide a lingua franca for apps to use, so that, in Apple’s own example, “Nike+ apps using NikeFuel will be able to pull in other key HealthKit metrics such as sleep and nutrition to build a custom user profile and improve athletic performance.”
It’ll also integrate with medical apps, such as one from the nonprofit Mayo Clinic, which would, with user’s permission, transmit data to physicians so that they can steer their care accordingly.
“We believe Apple’s HealthKit will revolutionize how the health industry interacts with people,” said John Noseworthy, M.D., Mayo Clinic president and CEO, in a press release. “We are proud to be at the forefront of this innovative technology with the Mayo Clinic app.”
Apple did not discuss its own health-related hardware development, though an “iWatch” has long been expected, and the iPhone could potentially be used to provide some health information about its user, such as step count.
If you’re looking for more information on iOS 8, here’s Apple’s huge info page. And don’t forget to check our live blog from today’s Apple Worldwide Developers Conference keynote.
More From WWDC
- WWDC Recap: Apple’s Keynote
- Heard: Apple’s Soft Launch for New Devices
- The Important Changes to iOS 8
- What It Will Take for Apple to Win at Home and Health
- Can HomeKit Win the Smart Home Wild West?
- HealthKit Aims to Unite Wearables, Apps
- Yosemite: Welcoming Mac to the iOS Clique
- iCloud Gets More Functionality, Lower Price
- iMessage Adds Video and Voice Chat
- With iBeacon, Apple Explores the Great Indoors


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Tesla, born in Silicon Valley in the early 2000s, is moving its headquarters to Texas where the electric-car maker’s billionaire CEO Elon Musk already lives, though it will continue building vehicles in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Musk made the announcement Thursday evening at the company’s annual shareholders meeting, held at Tesla’s nearly complete Texas Gigafactory near Austin. He didn’t specify the precise timing of when the current headquarters in Palo Alto would close, though the move is not entirely unexpected.
“To be clear though, we will be continuing to expand our activities in California,” Musk said. “This is not a matter of Tesla leaving California. Our intention is to actually increase output from Fremont and from a gig in Nevada by 50%.”
Though California remains Tesla’s biggest market in the U.S. and largest source of vehicle production, Musk has soured on the state in recent years, most notably after health officials in Alameda County, where the company’s Fremont factory is located, set restrictions to protect worker safety and health during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. Musk, whose views have grown more libertarian over the years, moved to Austin in 2020.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Tesla owner, had told CNBC in May 2020 interview that he wasn’t “concerned about Elon leaving anytime soon” after Musk initially threatened to do so.
Yet Musk has increasingly bristled at strict rules in California while warming to the appeal of cheaper, less-regulated Texas. In September, after the state passed a strict abortion law, and following its tighter rules on voting and loosening of gun regulations, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said the billionaire entrepreneur “likes the social policies” there.
“California is the birthplace of innovation, the 5th largest economy in the world and home to the biggest ideas and companies on the planet—that success is not despite our progressive policies, but because of them,” said Erin Mellon, a spokesperson for Newsom.
“We stand up for our workers, public health, and a woman’s right to choose. These are California’s fundamental values, and we’ll continue creating more jobs than any other state, outpacing the nation’s economic recovery, and maintaining the lowest COVID-19 case rates in the country,” she said.
Tesla’s headquarters move is the first by an automaker in the state since Toyota similarly announced plans to move its North American headquarters from suburban Los Angeles to suburban Dallas. Electric vehicle startups Lucid Motors, Fisker Inc. and Rivian currently are based in California.
“We believe this was a smart strategic move for Tesla as the company is aggressively building out its Austin footprint and over time with Cybertruck and more Model 3/Y production Musk is now doubling down on its Texas footprint with capacity ramping into 2022,” Daniel Ives, an equity analyst for Wedbush Securities, said in a research note. “While Fremont will continue to be a key for Tesla around Model 3 production, we believe this was the first step towards Tesla making Austin its domestic and global foundational location over the coming decade with its recent frustration with California officials likely accelerating this move.”
Among the issues Musk cited were the company’s need for additional space, expensive home prices in the Bay Area and long commutes for workers.
“We’re here in Austin and our factory is like five minutes from the airport, 15 minutes from downtown,” Musk said. “We’re going to create an ecological paradise here on the Colorado River. It’s gonna be great.”
Tesla shares rose 1.4% in Nasdaq trading on Thursday to $793.61.
By Alan Ohnsman, Forbes Staff


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Beating the Odds: Nordstrom’s Omnichannel Prowess
The burgeoning crisis of the retail apocalypse continues to loom over brick-and-mortar stores as the industry continues to experience more threats. Business Insider has confirmed at least 2,200 stores closing for 2020, following the closure of over 9,000 stores last year.
In light of the increasing closure of brick-and-mortar stores, more departmental stores are investing in e-commerce to compensate. Nonetheless, the online space also forces multi-label retailers to compete with a new generation of direct-to-consumer model brands. Multi-label retailers are at risk of losing out on sales to the new disruptors as more consumers are swaying towards purchasing directly from the digitally native brands.
Despite the challenges plaguing the industry, one retailer that stands out is Nordstrom. The long-established retailer solidified its presence in New York with the opening of its flagship store in Manhattan last year. The seven-story, 320,000 square-foot space is a jarring contrast against the face of the retail apocalypse. Additionally, Nordstrom’s online business has shown consistency as its e-commerce performance contributed to the increase of its third quarter’s earnings as it grew 7% from last year.
Nordstrom’s growing online and offline presence symbolises its omnichannel prowess. Current consumers are used to constant stimulants from various brands and are no longer making purchases exclusively from one medium. “The economics of serving customers are greatly enhanced by having combined digital and physical assets in a given market,” said Anne Bramman, the CFO of Nordstrom. As a result, Nordstrom continues to expand its omnichannel strategies to increase multiple touchpoints for consumer engagement.
Differentiated Offline Services
Nordstrom has taken its offline stores’ services to new heights by appealing towards consumers’ demands in ways that online retail lacks.
Its massive flagship store in Manhattan is home to more than just clothes. Curated pop-up stores, a cocktail bar on the shoe department floor, and a facial massage studio are some of its extensive amenities aimed to increase footfall via experiential retail.
On a smaller scale, Nordstrom has also rolled out a local market strategy by opening stores that act as “service stations”. Aptly named as Nordstrom Local, these stores not only provide online order pickups and returns, but also other services including personalised styling, dry-cleaning and tailoring. Nordstrom’s local market strategy bridges connections with its consumers by taking into account consumers’ affinity for online shopping while still being able to experience the brand.
“Our key differential when we serve customers well is when they engage with us either with services and/or across channels, all of a sudden, the level of spend goes up, their level of satisfaction goes up, and our sales go up,” said Kenneth Worzel, the COO of Nordstrom during a recent presentation of its local market strategy. Its first location for Nordstrom Local in Los Angeles has already shown significant rewards and engagement, as customers are spending 2.5 times more on average.
The Success of Off-Price Strategy
Branded as Nordstrom Rack, these outlet retail stores operate as a critical component of an inventory management strategy. The move protects Nordstrom’s brand equity by minimising discounts on luxury goods displayed at its full-price locations. Excess or out-of-season inventory is offloaded to Nordstrom Rack outlets where it can appeal to a different consumer demographic. Nordstrom Rack serves as an alternative shopping channel to serve new customers who have never purchased from its full-line stores.
Reports have found that mid-market consumers are becoming increasingly strategic with their apparel expenditure. Therefore, they are more inclined towards discounts. Nordstrom Inc’s quarterly profit exceeded Wall Street expectations with Nordstrom Rack generating a third of its sales and increased its shares by 10%.
Tapping into the Opportunity of Resale
2020 is set to be the year of optimising resale offering for Nordstrom. In addition to its partnership with Rent the Runway for RTR Revive, the retailer has also announced the launch of its first resale store in its New York flagship store and online. Driven strongly by a shift in consumers’ shopping habits, the resale market is expected to triple in three year. This marks a profound directional retail change for Nordstrom by catering towards the advanced demand for more accessible and sustainable luxury goods.
Targeted Assortment Ranges
Besides its impeccable services, Nordstorm also believes that catering to multiple markets is a key differentiating factor from its competitors. From Vans to Valentino, the variety of brands under Nordstrom’s wing does not seclude its revenue source from just one market and allows it to connect with a wider range of audience.
“Hopefully our mix and what we’re doing feels more relevant to people. You can’t do that in Bergdorfs. We think that’s going to create a competitive advantage for us,” said co-president Pete Nordstrom.
The retailer’s assortment mix strategy is revealed in the chart below. More than 8,000 data points were analysed on products retailing online for Nordstrom.com and Topshop.com across the US market from September 2019 to February 2020, as tracked by Omnilytics.
Topshop on Nordstrom.com carried three times less the amount of SKUs compared to Topshop.com. Nonetheless, the former achieved a higher overall sell-out percentage driven by full-priced items. This ties in with Nordstrom’s strategy of keeping discounts to a minimum on its main platform while offloading dated inventory to its off-price outlets. Topshop.com had a higher discounted products percentage which also contributed to its lower median price.
Upon analysing the ageing of the online presence of SKUs by both retailers, Topshop on Nordstrom.com recorded an assortment age of 30 days and less, which contrasted Topshop.com’s span across 180 days. This indicated a deliberate strategy to maintain high newness and minimise discounts on the Nordstrom website.
A deeper look at the biggest category by both retailers revealed that Topshop on Nordstrom.com placed greater emphasis on the more casual subcategories such as t-shirts and crop tops whereas Topshop.com prioritised blouses.
The new-in on blouses highlighted a disparity between the two retailers. Topshop on Nordstrom.com showed similar styles of longer sleeves with button-down detailing and in a variety of prints while Topshop.com stocked up on more progressive styles such as milkmaid sleeves and organza material. The distinction in style preferences reflects the retailers’ respective target consumer demographics.
The shopping habits of consumers are increasingly complex than just mere opting to shop at one channel or the other. In an industry where consumers are spoilt with options, specialising in only one area could run a retailer the risk of losing out to competitors.
Despite a dip in Nordstrom’s Q4 earnings, the brand has caught up with the ever-changing shifts in shopping habits by adopting an omnichannel strategy that evolves to match the pace of the consumers. Its new flagship store exemplified Nordstrom’s foresight to strengthen its brand positioning by incorporating experiential retail. In conjunction with increased online purchases, Nordstorm bridged the gap in e-commerce by rolling out Nordstrom Local outlets to provide quality services to customers. Additionally, Nordstorm strategised its digital store by curating assortment mix accurately to meet its online consumer demographic while maintaining high newness. In return, Nordstrom’s expansion of multiple avenues to cover various touch points yielded rewarding results.
This article has been updated since its original publish date.
More than 115,000 data points were analysed on products retailing online for across US and UK markets from 1st September 2019 to 1st February 2020, as tracked by Omnilytics.
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How Fashion Merchandising is Evolving Amid Covid-19 Concerns (Bonus Video)
As the Covid-19 crisis continues to wreak havoc on the fashion industry, its professionals are anxious about the pandemic’s effect on fashion consumption. Declining footfall, extended store closures and depleting inventory are inevitably forcing merchandisers to pivot their line sheets, leaving many unsure of their next move. However, it’s a common misconception that shopping in […]
Covid-19 Crisis Response Action: Strengthen And Secure Sales (Bonus Video)
As the Covid-19 outbreak rages on, we have had to come to terms with its implications for fashion retail. In our recent report, Fashion Retail & The Covid-19 Crisis, the Omnilytics team outlined the hardest-hit areas of retail and the most vulnerable aspects of businesses. We’ve also listed Crisis Response Actions to help retailers regain […]


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MERA KnowledgeFest Registration is Open
Registration has opened for the KnowledgeFest 2011 event, presented by the Mobile Electronics Retailers Association (MERA).
The event once again will be held at the Gaylord Texan Resort Hotel and Convention Center in Grapevine, Tex., outside Dallas. But while last year's event was held in October, this year's will take place August 28-30. It will feature 20,000 square feet of exhibits and more than 30 mobile electronics industry education sessions.
“MERA is committed to making KnowledgeFest the premiere event for specialty retailers looking for ways to grow their business," Chris Cook, MERA’s Executive Director, said as part of the announcement. “We desire to be more than just another association for the Mobile Electronics industry and KnowledgeFest is an important part of that mission.”


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RALEIGH – A huge majority of Triangle residents participating in a new online poll want either Amazon HQ2 or Apple to come to the area even though numerous participants are concerned about the impact on housing, traffic and taxes. But a vocal minority is worried.
“God help us if Amazon moves here,” one reader wrote.
“Get ready for higher taxes, worse traffic, more expensive everything, and a generally declining quality of life.
“Please, please, don’t choose Raleigh.”
Such views represent a small minority, however.
Get the top stories in your inbox every morning
A whopping 84 percent want either Apple or Amazon or both to come to the region.
Of those, 49 percent declare they want both.
Only 16 percent said they wanted neither.
Nearly 3,000 people have signed on to offer their thoughts on the big projects when WRAL TechWire launched the poll two days ago. And many have not been reluctant to share their thoughts about what it would mean if HQ2 with 50,000 jobs comes to Raleigh or Apple makes the expected decision that it will add several thousand jobs and build a new campus in RTP.
This new poll reflects a trend clearly established in an earlier and continuing readers’ poll about the Amazon HQ2 project has drawn nearly 30,000 participants with a big majority favoring HQ2 coming to the Triangle.
Among those wanting both is Fran Bishop of Wake Forest who was very excited to talk about the projects.
While some respondents are worried about the changes the projects would bring, Bishop stressed the positive.


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Banking Frontiers organized a panel discussion titled ‘Fast Tracking the Adopting on Innovation: What is Needed’ during Finnoviti 2022.
Innovation is driving meta experiments in enterprises. Enterprises are using innovation as a tool to enhance customer experience and reduce the cost of doing business. Shweta Shetty, Partner at Deloitte, spoke about how innovation is driving progress in Greenfield and Brownfield projects. She set the stage by talking about the challenges of integrating legacy systems and modern applications.
INTEGRATING LEGACY WITH NEW
Innovations, says Ankur Varshney, Deputy CTO, IDBI Bank, involve taking risks, and exploring new roads. It is a smart risk.” Although innovative innovations are enabling seamless integration of legacy and modern applications, it is prudent to have a separate ecosystem for new innovations in brownfield projects, especially in large banks and enterprises.
Varshney says about greenfield projects, that many CXOs contemplate a complete transformation strategy. “But it is not feasible. I generally follow the Mikado principal strategy, which calls for one change at a time. Or the rule of three, which involves changing three things at a time or list the top three priorities. This enables tangible and causes less disruption to the business continuity.”
ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES
Most innovative solutions are not an extension of existing deployments and require a high degree of change management. For example, in the financial services segment, product distribution, underwriting, lending, and fulfilment can become innovation projects of their own, independent of the main product, says Subrata Das, CIO, U GRO Capital.
U GRO Capital has leveraged on the opportunity is targeting the burgeoning SME market, which constitutes 1/3rd of India’s GDP with its offerings. In a bid to solve the credit gap in the SME sector, U GRO has segmented the SMEs, it has divided its TA on a sectoral basis and industries.
The company has integrated APIs with the data sources and is using a data tripod of the customer’s credit history, the bank statement records, and the GST transaction data, combining them by using ML/AI and proprietary lending models to digitally process loans in 60 minutes.
INNOVATION IN FINANCIAL SERVICES
The biggest innovation in the financial service segment has been empowering the customer to go cashless through digital currencies, payment wallets, and digital payments. According to Harihar Deshpande, Director, Sunfire Technologies, customers are driving innovation in the FIs segment. “Now that the innovations are in place, the BFSI segment is thinking of ways to fast-track these innovative solutions and increase outreach.”
Speaking about the next layer of identity and data, Bertram D’Souza, CPIO, Protean e-Gov, said: “Through AADHAAR, we are going into new methods of giving independent access to your own data. Using frameworks like the account aggregator. This does not exist globally and is a first of its kind trend worldwide.”
The industry has witnessed the unbundling of finance, where innovation does not necessarily need to happen within the financial institution. “It happens through collaboration through partnerships, which are enabling the segment to expand to tier 3& 4 towns and cities that did not have access to financial services earlier,” D’Souza said.
Signifying the importance of the outreach programs to customers in tier 3&4 towns and cities, Mayur Modi, Co-founder Moneyboxx Finance, said his company adopted the education route to engage with customers. He said: “We realized that people struggled with technology and adopted an assisted model to not just fill in the application form, but also walk them through the journey and the process.”
The company is developing partnerships to cross-sell products and services in line with tech maturity. “We are talking about smart gold, in the form of savings. Villagers can save Rs 500 in the form of gold, and then avail credit services, or monetize the asset whenever they want to.”
Dr Jasmine Gupta, CEO & Co-founder, LXME, observes that digital-only banks are a unique emerging business model. “Since the RBI has allowed digital-only banks to start operations, I think it is the journey in the right direction for creating the best possible business model. The move will also help the banks to survive in this industry now that the boundaries between the fintech and banks are blurring.”
Resilient infrastructure that allows enterprises in the BFSI segment to scale-up or scale-down acts as a foundation stone to measure the success of any innovation.
Deshpande of Sunfire Technologies said that robust infrastructure at the bottom contributes to the success of any innovation. “Data sovereignty, regulatory compliances, adoption of technologies like hybrid cloud computing to drive cost and operational efficiency pivots the innovation.”
Shetty of Deloitte added: “The success of innovation is measured in terms of customer stickiness, customer experience, and top-line growth. But it is also dependent on the underlying infrastructure.”
THE CLOUD ROADMAP
The journey to the cloud is foggy for most large BFSI organizations. Varshney of IDBI Bank asserted infrastructure-as-a-service (IAAS) is one of the overlooked aspects of any innovation in larger organizations compared to the SMEs or start-ups that have natively grown on the cloud.
Secondly, most fintech companies are built on an open stack, which has interoperability issues with the existing infrastructure of the banks, which are governed by several regulatory and compliance mandates.
The need of the hour, said Varshney, is to develop a dynamic, elastic, hyper-scale cloud in partnership with public cloud providers. A consortium of banks has submitted a paper to RBI seeking permission to migrate some non-critical workloads onto the public cloud. The proposal is supported by the fact that most banks have migrated some critical and largely non-critical applications on the private or on-premise cloud.
INNOVATION & ROI
The businesses in the BFSI segment are drafting interesting strategies or tweaking their business models to map ROI with investments in innovation. D’Souza of Protean e-Gov has formed two teams in which one team is responsible for new products and innovation, and the other team measures the output from an ROI and a market opportunity perspective.
“The thought process was that for any new product, there should always be the customer element. For example, after creaing a new product from scratch, if the market does not accept it, you turn it around for a while or scrap it and start anew.”
The second lever to map ROI with innovation is the use of advanced technology and tech tools which will allow the fintech companies to utilize the AA and the new ONDC frameworks to allow companies battling for customer engagement to build commerce journeys in their own apps. Commerce does not need to happen on Amazon or Flipkart anymore. It can now get decentralized or unbundled. And again, that opens opportunities both for banks to bring customers back into their digital apps, or for fintechs to do other services today on a consumer-facing app, and create an engagement layer, which is not just throwing cash back, it can be differentiated on experience.”
Deshpande of Sunfire Technologies opined that it is important to look at the aspects such as the cost of opportunity lost for not innovating and its impact.
“For that, businesses must create a sandbox kind of environment, or run pilots and obtain feedback for continuous transformation. As you create a new framework, the learnings increase. Going forward, the small sandbox environment will evolve, and become bigger and a successful innovation going forward.”
THE BINDING THREADS
Toward the end of the panel discussion, Shetty of Deloitte asked a vital question: “Despite collaborations between traditional players, non-traditional players and challenger banks, innovation is also about falling, failures, and challenges. What is the thread that binds innovation with business outcomes?”
Das of U GRO Capital informed that innovation is a part of the design which sits at the heart of a business model, and there is a need to involve all the stakeholders at each stage and drive the process cross-functionally.
According to him, failure could result from two situations – one original thinking and the premise being wrong, and two, the design was right. Still, the execution did not yield the desired result. “I think the second situation is what we encountered the most.”
Taking a leaf out of Jacob Goldenberg’s book Inside the Box, Dr Jasmine Gupta of LXME said one does not have to look afar for innovations; you find solutions to problem statements within the ecosystem. “That is what we observe in the financial ecosystem as well. There are enough use cases that showcase the benefits of collaboration. In the BFSI segment, banks bring to the table strong systems and processes, and compliance regulation. Fintech comes with agility, speed to market and nimble footedness. Collaboration is a win-win for all the players in the industry. And I think the need of the hour is innovative ecosystem-based solutions based on sectoral analysis and specific to the target segment.”
Sharing an example of collaboration, she said, banks and fintech companies are collaborating with start-ups to gain access to the bank’s API sandbox, and for technical, marketing and compliance support, which helps banks and start-ups to co-create, collaborate and take the product to the market.
Innovation plays a vital role in turn-around the BFSI segment, which is normally associated with the traditional route for growth. In the recent past, the segment has embraced not just advanced tech tools but also is collaborating with like-minded partners to upsell and cross-sell products and services. The innovation journey has just begun, and the segment is gleefully lapping it up!


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Apple iPhone fans in India will soon be able to buy the latest iPhone 12 that has been made in the country. This is as per a report that is claiming that up to 10 percent of iPhone 12 production is going to be shifted to India from China.
According to the report, Foxconn will be assembling the Phone 12 at its plant in Tamil Nadu. However, there seems some ambiguity when it comes to the production of the iPhone 12 Mini. As it is, the smallest and cheapest member of the iPhone 12 family never had a smooth run at the market since its launch and demand has largely been on the slower side. Maybe that’s the reason Apple is having second thoughts about assembling the model here when there have been talks about scrapping it altogether.
Pegatron too is known to be preparing to produce the iPhone 12 in the country, something that is set to begin later this year itself. Foxconn at the moment is currently engaged in producing iPhone 11 and iPhone XR models. Apple is known to have partnered with Foxconn, Wistron, and Pegatron to manufacture its products in India as part of the Indian Government’s Production Linked Incentive scheme.
All of this comes on the back of another report that claims Apple could be working towards producing the iPad in India as well. However, more on that front is still awaited. There has been a gradual but steady exodus of companies to shift their production bases to locations outside of China. Among the new emerging manufacturing bases that have come up include Vietnam, Indonesia, and India.
Companies have chosen to diversify their manufacturing bases outside of China following the outbreak of Covid-19. The US-China trade war too has been another factor that led to the mass exodus of companies outside of China. Other political and alleged human rights issues too have played a part in this as almost all of the world’s manufacturing taking place in China provides it with greater leveraging power on other domestic and international issues as well.


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The Tesla Cybertruck left a lot of people scratching their heads after its reveal in November 2019, not just because of its polarising design, but also to its lack of some everyday features.
However, now we know some of those exclusions have been addressed prior to production.
A video published by Chile Al100 on YouTube shows drone footage of Tesla’s plant in Freemont, California, which is home to a small track that a production-ready Cybertruck is seen testing on.
Read more about the Tesla Cybertruck
Look closely and you’ll notice two key additions to the Cybertruck dual-cab pick-up, which debuted in prototype form. They, of course, are side mirrors and a windshield wiper, with the latter seemingly one of the largest fitted to a ‘light vehicle’.
These changes will help the all-electric Cybertruck satisfy safety regulations in both the US and abroad, while other apparent tweaks include the separation and repositioning of the headlights, which are now segmented and located well below the edge of the ‘bonnet’.
As reported, there are several reasons why the Cybertruck isn’t in production yet, with the prominent semiconductor shortage and question marks hanging over battery availability among them.
So, when will the Cybertruck actually start production? A few months ago, Tesla claimed it’s now on track for late 2022 (a year later than its original forecast), with it set to roll off the line at the new factory in Austin, Texas.
Curiously, Tesla boss Elon Musk admitted in an August 2020 interview with Automotive News that the Cybertruck was unlikely to be sold outside of its target market of North America due to safety regulation challenges elsewhere.
So, why does Tesla Australia continue to take pre-orders (with a fully refundable $150 deposit) for the Cybertruck on its website? Clearly, there’s some hope it will receive ADR (Australian Design Rules) approval eventually – but, as always, time will tell. Stay tuned.


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Department store chains fared well as the summer kicked off, beating consensus same-store sales estimates for June. Women's clothing retailers, including Ann Taylor and Cache, also posted strong monthly sales at stores open for at least a year. Higher inventories and summer markdowns tempered sales gains at The Children's Place.
Aeropostale Inc. reported a 2% rise in June same-store sales, missing analysts' forecasts of a 3.2% increase. The teen retailer also cut its second quarter earnings forecast to between 16 cents to 19 cents a share from its previous forecast of 20 cents to 23 cents a share. Aeropostale's stock fell as much as 9.8%, to $30.50.
AnnTaylor Stores Corp. posted a 1.2% decline in same-store sales for the five-week period ended July 2, beating analysts' estimates for a 4.9% decrease. Shares of AnnTaylor rose as much as 13.8%, to $26.89.
Cache Inc. reported a 10% rise in same-store sales for June, handily beating analyts' estimates for a 2.4% increase. Shares in the company traded fell as much as 4.4%, $16.60.
Federated Department Stores, owner of Macys and Bloomingdales, saw a 2.9% rise in same-store sales for June, besting analysts' estimates of a 1.9% increase for the month. The retailer's shares slid as much as 2.1%, to $74.22.
May Department Stores Co., the owner of Lord & Taylor, said same-store sales edged up 0.6% in June, beating Wall Street's consensus of a 1.6% decline. Still, May's same-store sales are down 3.3% from the start of this year, prompting its stock to decline as much as 1.6%, to $40.40.
Neiman Marcus Group, which owns Bergdorf Goodman, reported a 9.2% increase in same-store sales in June, beating analyst estimates of 6.8% for the month. Neiman's stock edged 0.5% lower, to $96.62.
New York & Company reported a 3.3% rise in same-store sales for June, missing analysts' estimates, which called for a 4.4% increase. The companys shares fell as much as 3.9%, to $21.42.
Saks Inc. reported a 6% rise in same-store sales for June, citing strong sales of sportswear, women's designer apparel and accessories. Wall Street's consensus called for a 1.8% increase. Shares of Saks gained as much as 2.8%, to $19.69.
The Childrens Place Retail Stores Inc. reported a 2% rise in June same-store sales, falling short of the 6.4% rise analysts had expected. Shares of the children's retailer slipped as much as 5.6%, to $46.36.
United Retail Group Inc., which owns the Avenue chain of plus-sized womens clothing stores, saw same-store sales jump 17% in June. United Retail's stock jumped more than 6%, to a new 52-week high of $8.43.


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The Accelerated Analytics team has compiled a comprehensive overview of Hurricane Ian’s impact on the US.
The report, which includes event timelines, tracking maps, civilian and business infrastructure damage analysis, focuses in on the significant impact that the storm has brought to our shores and to the retail industry as a whole. As road closures, power, and internet outages persisted during and after the event, retail sales undoubtedly suffered alongside the impacted region’s civilian population. For brand managers and supply chain specialists seeking answers on the dip in retail numbers leading up to, during, and after this severe weather event, or for those seeking to prepare for future severe weather events, the report offers a powerful 30,000 foot perspective. To download the Severe Weather Impact Report for Hurricane Ian 2022, click here.
As a Central Florida business with employees living in the heart of the impact zone, the Accelerated Analytics family extends our hearts out to all those affected by Hurricane Ian. We also thank those who have continued to support the local communities throughout Florida and the Southeast.


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May Be Considered at April 16 Meeting
The debate about single use plastic bags has come to Scotts Valley after a group of youngsters (under the tutelage of Save Our Shores) presented their concerns to the City Council. Various viewpoints have been expressed in Letters to the Editor in the Press Banner and the Sentinel, and one hardy “adventurer” (Haig walked up Carbonero Creek and photographed 1,000 images of predominantly plastic trash as he walked the creek!! (Check them out through the link his letter to the Editor ).
While there is a strong effort to regulate such bags at the State level, we hope that Scotts Valley will join the County and City of Santa Cruz in restricting their availability. Catherine O’Kelly and Tai Stills, VWC Environmental Committee members and SV residents, are planning to share insights into the problems the bags cause at the Scotts Valley meeting. For information about the effort to pass State legislation, read this article from Californians Against Waste:
No more single-use plastic grocery bags in California by 2016!
At one point, California stores were distributing more than 30 billion plastic shopping bags annually.
Over the last decade, we’ve cut that problem in half:
Many consumers are already voluntarily saying no to plastic and bringing their own reusable bags;
And to date, more than 90 cities and counties have an adopted local ordinance phasing out single-use plastic bags.
With today’s announcement of a new bill co-authored by Senator Alex Padilla and Senator Kevin de León, we begin the process of phasing out the 13 billion single-use plastic bags that continue to be generated annually.
The measure would ban single-use plastic grocery bags (also referred to in the industry as ‘T-shirt’ bags) in grocery stores by July of 2015, and expand to cover other markets, convenience stores, and drug stores one year later. Similar to the local ordinances that have banned single-use plastic grocery bags, recycled paper and reusable bags would still be available for purchase (10 cents minimum).
With this proposal, we can now look ahead to a day when there will be no more plastic grocery bags in our neighborhoods, in our rivers, on our beaches, or stuck up in the trees and on fences.
It will also mean:
We have a Life Cycle Analysis that shows that after as few as 8 ‘reuses’ the reusable bags that will be made in this California factory, by these California workers, will have a smaller footprint than a single-use plastic bag.
And we also know, from the plastics industry’s own study, that the production of their single-use plastic bags generates more greenhouse gas emissions than an equivalent volume of paper bags.
This will mean lower costs for consumers and taxpayers:
So this is a big deal.
But the details on this one are pretty important as well.
Senator Kevin de León has brought to the table a very innovative proposal that’s aimed at transitioning existing California plastic bag manufacturers and jobs to making a California reusable bag that is made from recycled material and is fully recyclable–can’t say that for a lot of the current generation of reusable bags made in China! Find out more by clicking here.


text: There are 13 new Mobiles expected to launch in India in 2018. Out of these upcoming Mobiles, the one expected to hit the earliest is Apple iPhone 8s which may be launched around Jul 31, 2018. Other products which are expected to launch in between Jul 2018 and Aug 2018 are Apple iPhone 8s, Apple iPhone X Plus, Apple iPhone 8s Plus, Apple iPhone 9, Apple iPhone Xc. Set launch date alerts for these products. View rumored specifications, photos, videos of popular upcoming Mobiles. Exact prices of these upcoming products is not yet known, but indicative prices are mentioned.


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Baby food companies “deliberately” market products containing toxic heavy metals in an effort to “cut corners” and gain profits, said Rep. Raja Krishnamurthy (D-Ill.), chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy. , citing a September 29 report, “Baby foods are contaminated with dangerous levels of arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury.”
In a statement, the subcommittee highlighted that an FDA-funded test conducted by the state of Alaska found more inorganic arsenic than is allowed by the FDA’s limits in “multiple samples” of Beech-Nut and Gerber’s baby rice cereals.
It read that after the findings were shared, Beech-Nuts recalled two of the six products it tested over limits. Gerber had two products tested over limits, yet reportedly “took no action” to inform the public about toxic levels or to pull the product off shelves.
“Today’s report shows that companies not only report high levels of toxic ingredients in their baby food, but also intentionally market toxic products,” Krishnamurthy said in a statement. “The facts speak for themselves, and the fact remains that the baby food industry has consistently cut corners and made a profit on the health of infants and toddlers.”
In addition to Gerber’s and Beech-Nut’s findings, Plum Organics products were found to contain high levels of arsenic, as well as high levels of lead and cadmium.
These three companies represent some of the biggest companies in the sector. Consumer Reports, a nonprofit focused on corporate transparency, writes that Nestle-owned Gerber, Hero Group-owned Beech-Nut, and California-owned Plum Organics’ Sun-Made Growers were among the top seven largest producers. are one.
This is not the first time that toxic levels of the metals have been detected in baby food tests. In 2018, Consumer Reports tested 50 US baby food products for arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury. Each product tested contains measurable levels of at least one of the potentially toxic metals.
In response to the report’s findings, the subcommittee recommended the FDA to fast-track its revised proposal for toxic metal limits and also require companies to conduct finished product testing. The subcommittee also called for baby food manufacturers to voluntarily test their finished products and phase out products that contain toxic levels of the metals.
“Based on the findings of my subcommittee, I am calling on the baby food industry to immediately end harmful practices and test the finished product,” Krishnamurthy wrote. “We are working closely with the FDA on the regulations, and this report highlights the need for the agency to accelerate its proposed timeline for publishing them.”
newsweek Contacted Plum Organics, but did not get any response.
Gerber sent newsweek The following statement:
“The FDA informed us of their contact with the State of Alaska about a sample of our rice cereal that tested slightly above the guidance level for inorganic arsenic set by the FDA, and was referenced in the report,” Gerber said. Wrote. “The FDA re-tested the sample, was unable to confirm the result by Alaska and confirmed to Gerber that no action was required.”
“While the subcommittee report notes proposed limits on specific heavy metals, they are based on proposed standards from the Baby Food Safety Act, which are not current legislation or regulation. All Gerber foods meet all applicable guidelines and limits and continue FDA, the governing body for safety regulations in the food industry.”
Beech-Nut shared the following comments:
“The claim that Beech-Nut’s rice cereal recall was too narrow is false. In addition to recalling affected lots, Beech-Nuts also actively withdraws all Beech-Nuts branded single grain rice cereal products from supermarket shelves. In addition, Beech-Nut has decided to exit the market for its branded baby rice products because it is concerned about being able to consistently obtain rice flour below the FDA’s guidance level.”
Updated 09/30/2021, 4:10 PM ET: This story has been updated with beech-nut comments.
Correction 09/30/2021, 4:10 p.m. ET: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Campbell Soup Company is the owner of Plum Organics. Campbell sold Plum Organics to Sun-Med Growers of California in March 2021.


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an israeli ad agency charged with getting drivers to pay closer attention to stop signs did so by slightly shifting what drivers expect to see. instead of the hand featured in the customary sign, they featured a hand with a raised middle finger. drivers probably stopped to confirm what they saw. (and to take a photo.)
communication bottom line: you can arrest attention with the slightest shift away from the routine and expected.
hat tip: some signs can’t be ignored, osocio


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Apple has finally launched its much-rumored Second-Generation AirPods in the markets across the world, including India. The newly refreshed version of AirPods is truly wireless earphones from Apple which comes with huge battery backup. The new AirPods comes with a new H1 audio chip which promises to deliver excellent performance and connectivity. Also, Apple ships this AirPods with an optional wireless charging case.
AirPods key features
As mentioned above, this is the second generation AirPods by Apple which guarantees better sound and performance. Before this, the first generation AirPods made its debut in the September 2016 which uprooted the concept of 3.5mm audio jacks and turns fully on wireless technology. And now, this AirPods is the successor of that well-famous first generation AirPods which comes with better specifications onboard.
The Second-Gen AirPods comes with H1 audio chip which promises to deliver better performance than ever. Also, the company claims that these AirPods will deliver 50 percent more talk time than before. The major highlight of the second-gen AirPods is its new hands-free ‘Hey Siri’ voice assistant feature which automatically toggles the voice assistant of your connected iPhone or iPad. And now, you don’t require a double-tap gesture to activate Siri.
In addition to the main component, Apple ships this AirPods with an optional charging case which lets you to charge these AirPods just by placing them inside the case. Moreover, this charging case is Qi-compatible which means, you can charge this case just by placing it on the Qi charging pad.
AirPods Price and Availability
Apple has already started selling the new AirPods in the US at a price tag of $159 via Apple.com. While the complete package with wireless charging case costs $199. Also, the wireless charging case can be purchased as a standalone product for $79. All of these products will also be available through Apple Stores from the next week.
In India, the second generation AirPods goes for a price tag of Rs 14,999, while the complete package with wireless charging case goes for Rs 18,900. Also, one can purchase only wireless charging case at a price tag of Rs 7,500. As for its availability is concerned, the all-new AirPods will hit the Indian market later in this spring.
For the latest tech news and updates, Install TechnoCodex App and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+. Also, if you like our efforts, consider sharing this story with your friends, this will encourage us to bring more exciting updates for you.


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Some rice farmers in the country have started harvesting their palay, which will help boost the country’s rice stocks, the National Food Authority (NFA) said yesterday.
NFA Administrator Orlan Calayag said although the main crop harvest traditionally starts in September, some rice farmers in Cagayan Valley, Western and Eastern Visayas, and Western and Southern Mindanao have started harvesting their palay as early as mid-August.
He said this early harvest is expected to boost the country’s rice stocks. Meanwhile, bulk of the harvest from the rice production areas of Central Luzon, Southern Tagalog, Ilocos and Cagayan Valley regions will come in during the harvest months of September to November. (Ellalyn B. De Vera)


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India’s new Adidas kit: First look of the new Test, ODI and T20I jersey
Adidas have been announced as India’s new kit sponsor for Tests, ODIs and T20I cricket.
It brings an end to a period that has seen lesser known brands such as MPL and Killer Jeans as India’s kit manufactures after their deal with Nike ended in late 2020. The deal with Adidas is set to last five years and it will see the German company oversee the production of the playing kit for India sides at all levels.
Commenting on the deal, Bjørn Gulden, Adidas CEO, said: “We are proud to partner with BCCI and Team India, the most iconic team in India. Cricket is the most important sport in India and it is very important for us to be visible and invest in it.”


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CAWA has announce a partnership with the California Bureau of Automotive Repair regarding a consumer education focus on the motoring public’s warranty rights. The federal Magnusson Moss Warranty Act says a consumer will not void their manufacturers’ warranty if they maintain and repair their vehicle at a facility other than the new car dealers (click here for details ).
CAWA, along with its national partners, the Auto Care Association and the Coalition for Auto Repair Equality (CARE), introduced a bill (click here to see the bill) to require the new car dealers, at the point of sale, to make the consumer aware of this Act while they are purchasing a new vehicle. Lack of empirical data that could show consumers were unaware of the provisions of the Act and the opposition of the new car dealers and car manufacturers precluded the bill moving forward.
As a result, the CAWA legislative team turned its focus to the state regulators to assure the consumers were aware of the Act. CAWA’s legislative team met last week with the Chief of the Bureau of Automotive Repair, Pat Dorais and his executive staff to brief them on the Act. CAWA According to CAWA, they were extremely appreciative and eager to work with CAWA and other industry partners on collaborative efforts.
For further information on this partnership, contact CAWA Director of Government Affairs, Jennifer Zins at [email protected] or 916-871-0603.


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“Thanks to its easy download and low price, Apple’s Mountain Lion appears on pace to be one of the most quickly adopted operating systems in history,” Ina Fried reports for AllThingsD.
“After just its first 48 hours on the market, Apple’s new Mountain Lion already accounts for more than 3 percent of Mac Web traffic, according to numbers provided to AllThingsD by Web tracking firm Chitika,” Fried reports. “‘Moreover, based on Apple’s June 2012 announcement that there are currently 66 million Mac users in the wild, we can infer that 2.11 million Mac users downloaded OS X Mountain Lion in the past 48 hours,’ Chitika said. ‘Using this figure, if we assume that 90 percent of these users paid to upgrade, OS X Mountain Lion generated $38 million in revenue for Apple in the past 48 hours.'”
Read more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “Lynn Weiler” and “Dan K.” for the heads up.]