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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BEAVER MANUFACTURING JOINS FORCES WITH GERMANY’S INTERCORD TO
EXPAND GLOBAL FOOTPRINT
Beaver Manufacturing’s acquisition brings two technologies together to increase the company’s customer base worldwide
Sept. 30, 2020 – MANSFIELD, Ga. USA – Today, Beaver Manufacturing Company, Inc. (BMC), the largest supplier of technical fiber reinforcements for hoses and other industrial applications in North America, announced plans for expanding their global presence by acquiring Intercord Thüringen GmbH of Germany, a producer of high-quality technical fibers. This partnership will enable BMC to add RFL treating technology to its product line, as well as its third production plant across the globe. The manufacturing facility in Mühlhausen Thüringen, Germany rounds out the company’s worldwide footprint, along with its existing plants in the U.S. and Mexico.
“By acquiring Intercord, we are making a significant expansion into the European market, and at the same time, entering the tire and belt industry,” explains Michael Dubin, Sr. Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, Beaver Manufacturing Company, Inc. “Our plant in Germany will continue to produce RFL treated yarns and cords, as well as our hose products that incorporate Beaverloc® treatments.”
For more than 20 years, Intercord’s technology has produced cords for tires, hoses and transmission belts in the automotive and industrial industries.
“Beaver Manufacturing advanced the U.S. hose yarn industry with its environmentally friendly treated yarn solutions; now we can do the same here in Germany,” says Intercord’s Ramazan Yasbay, who will continue as Managing Director of the German facility for BMC. “Adding their technology and product line to ours will increase the level of innovation in this industry throughout Europe and the Americas.”
With a sluggish economy across the globe, news of company growth and expansion has been unusual during the pandemic. Only two years after opening its manufacturing site in Mexico, BMC executives say this partnership will continue its growth and increase production and the promise of job creation into 2021.
About Beaver Manufacturing Company
Beaver Manufacturing Company, Inc. is the leading converter of hose yarn reinforcement in North America. The company manufactures adhesive treated fiber reinforcements for automotive, industrial, and oil and gas hoses, converting a wide range of technical textiles for hoses and other industrial applications. The diverse product line is an invaluable asset to hose engineers who must develop products that sell in today’s competitive market. More information is at beaverloc.com.
About Intercord Thüringen GmbH
For more than 20 years, Intercord Thüringen GmbH has produced technical yarns and cords of the highest quality for national and international customers in the heart of Germany. The company innovates and adapts to the special needs of its diverse end-users, ensuring the necessary durability and cohesion in all its products. More information is at intercord-gmbh.com.


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Robinhood trading app shares took a major plunge on Thursday, falling 27.6% to $50.6. This fall comes just a day after the share prices had risen by a whopping 50%. Experts believe that the fall was precipitated by a regulatory filing by some investors asking for the rights to sell almost 98 million shares of the company. The investors who had been part of Robinhood’s fundraising round in February want half of these 98 million shares to be put up for sale immediately, and the rest will be put on sale later this month. Index Ventures, New Enterprise Associates, and Andreessen Horowitz are some of the biggest names in the list of investors.
David Erikson, a veteran investment banker, believes that despite Robinhood warning about such a move earlier, traders still panicked as soon as news of the filing leaked. Traders were unsure about which investors would sell how many shares and when and this confusion led to share prices plummeting.
But despite this huge drop in prices, Robinhood’s HOOD shares are still 34% above their original IPO price. Bankers who are unable to explain Robinhood’s volatility prices are calling it a meme stock. Retail investors, as well as institutional investors, are all keeping Robinhood stock prices high. Institutional investor Wood’s Ark has alone bought out 115 million Robinhood shares.
Robinhood is at present very popular among short stock investors. But reputed Wall Street brokerage firm executives claim that they would not recommend their clients to invest in Robinhood either on the long side or the short side.
But despite lots of confusion and volatility, Robinhood stocks are still going strong. Just this week alone, Robinhood has been able to sell $100 million worth of shares through retail purchases. Of course, only time can tell whether Robinhood will ultimately be able to live up to investor expectations.

domain: news


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Apple was granted a court injunction to stop sales of Samsung's Galaxy Nexus smartphone in the U.S. while it resolves a patent dispute. Google confirmed that the product was removed from its Google Play store on Tuesday following the decision by California Judge Lucy Koh.
Apple said Samsung and Google have infringed on its intellectual property with the "Quick Search Box" on the phone's Android 4.0 operating system, also called Ice Cream Sandwich. According to Apple, the search feature violates its intellectual property protections for a "universal interface for retrieval of information in a computer system." The Galaxy Nexus is the first smartphone to run Android 4.0.
Judge Koh denied Samsung's motion to stay the ban on the smartphone's sales. Google said that its Android 4.1 system, known as Jelly Bean, would address the feature in question. The company added that it will begin selling the Galaxy Nexus again next week with the new operating system and will release an over-the-air update for those who already own the phone.
[Image credit: John Mitchell]
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In today’s market, there is a close relation between semiconductor chips and software application performance, and they’re now exists a new, deeper level of connection being developed between the two. From cloud-based chip emulation kits to AI framework enhancements to new tools for creating applications that function across network connections, tech giants have embarked on a new era of silicon-focused software optimizations.
At the first Intel On event, the company has provided a rejuvenation of the company’s former IDF or Intel Developer Forum, and at the event, the chip manufacturer has highlighted the importance of software optimization.
The special attention which Intel is giving to its one API platform highlights the increasingly essential role which the software tools are playing in getting the most from today’s silicon advancements.
one API was introduced by Intel last and it is designed to dramatically ease the process of writing applications that leverage both x86 CPUs as well as GPUs and other types of accelerators via an open, unified programming environment.
Intel is also planning to increase the number of one API Centers of Excellence to provide more locations where people can learn the skills which the developers need to best utilize one API.
The chipmaker also announced its plans of building new acceleration engines and new optimized versions of popular AI toolkits, and they are all designed to offer its forthcoming datacenter-focused Intel Xeon Scalable Processor.
However, it’s a fact that the pure, across-the-board performance improvements that we’ve enjoyed from hardware-based chip advances are now getting much harder to achieve. And due to this fact, it’s becoming increasingly sophisticated to keep computing performance advancing at the level which we are accustomed to.


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Seems like Outer London and Gloucestershire are great places to be right now when it comes to UK salaries.
Comparing the period Oct’19 — Jan ’20 to the same time last year, the average advertised salaries on our site have risen more than 6%.
The rise, which pushes Outer London’s current advertised average salary to £34,490 and Gloucestershire’s to £31,478, are two of the biggest increases in the UK for this three-month period.
Both regions also have lots of jobs on offer right now, with more than 34,000+ Outer London Jobs and more than 10,000+ Gloucestershire Jobs available on our site right now.
Could Outer London/Gloucestershire be your next move?
Find out what’s happening with wages in your area with our UK Wide Salary Map.


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Last November there was a new kid on the block in regards to smartphones and it went by the name of Windows Phone 7. After a lot of promises from Microsoft and a huge marketing campaign, the platform has failed to take off in the way that people had hoped. After failed attempts at updating, a severe lack of communication, and faltering backing from major carriers, it is time for this adopter to say goodbye to WP7.
Like many others, I was an early adopter of WP7, and I have been a massive fan of the platform, lord knows how many articles I have written singing the praises of WP7 and even though I have decided it is time to change, I am still a fan of WP7.
Rushed to Market
The operating system broke the mold when it hit the scene. It provided a user interface unlike any other and it’s ease of use was one of the major selling points, but after launching it became clear very early on that the platform was broken and had been rushed to market.
At launch Microsoft promised users that updates would come out on a very regular basis and that Microsoft would control the updates. This was huge because it meant that the fragmentation problem with Android would not hit WP7, however that is not the case, and it has been made clear that the carriers are controlling the updates and are deciding who gets them. This was highlighted by the fact that T-Mobile blocked the first update that was sent out by MS.
Where’s Microsoft Going With This?
Six months after launch there has not been an update and the bugs that were present in WP7 at launch are still there, the lack of communication from Microsoft is unnerving, and yes I do realize that Microsoft finally released a roadmap for the NoDo update yesterday, but shouldn’t that have been released months ago? It tells me that there is no clear roadmap for WP7.
While there are many things that WP7 gets right, there are also many things it gets wrong, and again I understand that it is a new platform but there are just something’s that you should be able to do.
The lack of customization was a huge omission. It true that it is not the be all and end all, but really? No customization at all? Customization in smartphones is huge these days as it helps the user feel connected to the device, I never did feel connected to mine, it was just a phone, it just wasn’t a reflection of me.
There are many other things missing from WP7 that are considered standard fare nowadays. The lack of GPS was strange given that GPS with Bing maps was excellent on older Windows Mobile devices, and the inability to upload videos to social networks was also a strange omission. The much talked about copy and paste, which will be in the NoDo update, should also have been a feature of the device from the start, but for whatever reasons Microsoft decided to exclude these features.
The Future is Still Bright
The future for WP7 looks good though. Developers seem to have taken a liking to it, and the apps that are available are good apps. The partnership with Nokia should bare good fruit too, but like many others I need a phone that has all of the things that are missing from WP7 now. While apps make the phone great, the operating platform itself needs to be functional and practical too.
I am still a fan of WP7, and will probably give it another look in the future, but right now I need more from my smartphone. Let us know in the comments section about your experiences with WP7.


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Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media platforms have by now become a staple for airlines and many other brands in engaging with their audience and promoting the latest deals and best offers. But that’s not to mean creativity and originality on social media have been completely exhausted. Straying from the mainstream path and into less familiar territory, Icelandic low-cost carrier WOW Air has decided to set up camp in a platform that, while not completely new, has been the subject of much discussion and viral debates over the past couple of years: Tinder.
The airline announced last week on its Twitter account that it will be giving away one pair of tickets on the location-based dating app, and called on Tinder users in Canada—an upcoming destination in the airline’s portfolio that is set for a 2016 launch—to find the brand and swipe right for a chance to win a trip to Iceland. Staying true to Tinder culture, users who match with the brand will then have to sweet talk their way into winning, the way they would with other matches they meet on the app. The winner is then chosen by the airline based on their skills in using pick-up lines. “If you see us on Tinder and manage to WOW us with your pick up lines, you could win!” the brand said on Twitter. On its Snapchat account, the airline has also shown off some of the lines it’s been receiving, which it entertains with equal wit.
After Canada, the carrier went on to launch the same contest for Tinder users in Boston, which will run until October 19. The contest will reportedly be held across all of the carrier’s North American destinations, with users in Washington D.C. expecting to soon have a chance at swiping right and showering the airline with their best lines.


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(Reuters) – Best Buy Co Inc said on Thursday it expects profit margins to be under pressure in the second quarter, as it spends more on expanding delivery services to support a surge in online shopping from people staying at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The company’s shares, which have gained nearly 60% in the last two months, fell 3.5%.
The electronics retailer was forced to shutter stores across the United States for weeks to help contain the spread of the coronavirus, but its outlets continued to provide curbside delivery for online sales, which surged over 155% on a comparable basis.
Best Buy said it was also ramping up its same-day delivery services, as people stuck at home under lockdown restrictions shop more for monitors, printers and other work-from-home equipment, as well as gaming consoles.
Online sales made up about 42% of Best Buy’s first-quarter domestic revenue of $7.92 billion, compared with just a 15% share a year earlier.
“We expect that our online sales will continue to be high as a percentage of overall sales in the second quarter, which will continue to pressure the gross profit rate,” Chief Financial Officer Matthew Bilunas said on a call with analysts.
Best Buy’s overall revenue fell 6.3% to $8.56 billion in the quarter ended May 2, but beat analysts’ expectations of $8.16 billion, according to IBES data from Refinitiv. Quarterly same-store sales fell 5.3%.
The company, which furloughed 51,000 hourly U.S. store employees last month, said net earnings fell 40% to $159 million.
Excluding one-time items, the company earned 67 cents per share, more than analysts’ average estimate of 44 cents per share.
The company maintained its quarterly cash dividend of 55 cents per share and said about 700 of its stores were open for customers on an appointment basis.
Reporting by Uday Sampath in Bengaluru; Editing by Vinay Dwivedi.


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A quarter of Canadian business owners don't see how social media fits with their industry, a new survey has found.
The Leger Marketing survey, done on behalf of shipping company UPS, found large, youthful companies — especially those with 500 or more employees — are more likely to use social media to connect with potential customers and clients, with 78% saying they go online to network.
But more than half — 54% — of companies run by Canadians age 50 or older say they don't use social media.
For those who do, Facebook and Google+ are the top ways to connect, with 82% of companies saying they use these services. As well, 48% use Twitter, and 47% use YouTube.
Of businesses that have used social media, 62% said they've had success, while 11% said they were dissatisfied with the results.
But, the survey notes, social media is a cheap way to get the word out about new products, to do market research and to network with other companies. The majority of businesses that use social media — 54% — said it costs them less than 2% of their budget.
When asked why they don't use social media, business owners cited a lack of technical know-how and a lack of time.
The online survey was conducted May 14-20 and sampled 255 Canadian business decision-makers, such as CEOs, those in executive-level positions and senior managers. The margin of error is 6.14 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.


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Hawaii’s crystal-clear but fragile reefs and ocean life are one of the great attractions of the Aloha state, and a resource the state wants to protect for both tourists and locals alike.
It’s for this reason governor David Ige signed a sunscreen ban into law on July 3, 2018—a law that doesn’t actually ban all sunscreen, only sunblock products containing certain chemicals.
Why the Sunscreen Ban?
A reef is only as healthy as its coral, and across the world, coral is under threat. Warmer waters and pollution have caused widespread coral bleaching events, during which the symbiotic algae living inside coral abandons its host. Unless the algae return, the coral whitens and dies.
A study by the nonprofit scientific organization Haereticus Environmental Laboratory determined two chemicals often found in sunscreen—oxybenzone and octinoxate—can cause coral to bleach, as well as causing DNA damage, deformities, and coral death. With an estimated 14,000 tons of sunscreen winding up in the ocean every year, the chemicals represent a threat to reef health.
Once the ban comes into effect in 2021, over-the-counter sunscreen in Hawaii will need to be reef-safe, which will require companies to change their product formulations.
How Will the Sunscreen Ban Affect You?
If you’re planning on taking a Hawaiian vacation after 2021, or if you want to make sure your sunscreen isn’t damaging the reef, look for sunscreen containing zinc oxide or titanium dioxide that are “non-nano.” Non-nano means the sunscreen doesn’t contain ingredients small enough for the tiny coral polyps to eat.
Popular tourist sites such as Oahu’s Hanauma Bay are already recommending using reef-safe sunscreen, which is increasingly easy to find in-state (if you can’t find reef-safe sunscreen anywhere else, snorkel and dive shops typically stock it).
Hawaii is the first U.S. state to ban reef-damaging sunscreen, and it’s likely other states—and other nations reliant on their reef life—will follow suit in the future. Faced with such bans and consumer demand, sunscreen companies will have to switch to safer ingredients. It’s a small step, but worth it to keep Hawaii’s reefs (and the critters that live on them) as healthy as possible.


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WALTHAM, Mass., June 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Brainshark, Inc., the leader in online and mobile video presentations, today announced a strategic alliance with Corporate Event Marketing Association (CEMA) to become its exclusive video presentation platform provider. Through the alliance, CEMA will use Brainshark to communicate more effectively with its members and to promote CEMA Summit 2012, being held July 15-17 in Carlsbad, Calif. In addition, Summit presenters and sponsors will use Brainshark to easily create and share their presentations as mobile-ready online videos, enabling attendees to have continuous access to event content.
Event marketers and agencies use Brainshark video presentations to recruit attendees and sponsors, and to increase engagement before, during and after an event. Analytics provided with the solution also enable marketers to know which content is most popular with their audiences and to better understand how the content is being consumed.
"Having the ability to provide both our members and Summit attendees with valuable education and actionable takeaways is critical to us," said Kimberley Gishler, executive director at CEMA. "With Brainshark, attendees can now access video-based content from the event anytime at their convenience. It enables us to engage with our members and attendees during CEMA Summit and throughout the year."
Brainshark will also be a Demo Jam (Tech Shoot-Out) sponsor at CEMA Summit 2012, which will focus on the theme "Network, Educate, Unify," and include brand keynote speakers, insightful breakout sessions and peer-to-peer open forums.
"Brainshark enables event marketers and agencies to improve the impact and reduce the cost of their communications while also generating a greater return on their event investment," said Dave Fitzgerald, executive vice president at Brainshark. "We're proud to partner with CEMA, a prominent event and marketing association, and look forward to helping them deliver even more value to their members, sponsors and event attendees through the use of our video presentation platform."
For more information about CEMA 2012 Summit, please click here to view the Brainshark video invitation.
CEMA is the premiere community for marketing and event marketing professionals. It is an industry hub that promotes professional networking opportunities, and a valued resource for industry education and a facilitator of peer-to-peer knowledge sharing. Through information sharing, expertise, and experience, those who are engaged in CEMA enjoy new opportunities for professional and personal growth. For more information, visit www.CEMAonline.com.
About Brainshark, Inc.
Brainshark provides the leading cloud-based software for creating, sharing and tracking online and mobile video presentations. With Brainshark, businesspeople can easily transform static content such as PowerPoint® documents into voice-enriched video presentations that can be accessed anytime, on-demand. Customers can also obtain extensive viewing details, enabling them to measure the effectiveness of their content and follow up accordingly. Thousands of companies – including a third of the Fortune 100 – rely on Brainshark to increase the impact and reduce the cost of their sales, marketing, training and HR communications. For more information, visit www.brainshark.com.
SOURCE Brainshark, Inc.


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Americans Don’t Understand What’s in Their Wallet
Charlotte, N.C. (August 7, 2015) – LendingTree®, a leading online loan marketplace, recently conducted a survey among a nationally representative sample of 3,170 Americans to gain insight into credit card behaviors, sentiments and knowledge. Of the 2,462 Americans who stated they owned at least one credit card, many don’t know where they financially stand with their credit accounts. Forty-two percent of Americans did not know the combined total credit limit of their credit cards and 58 percent did not know the highest annual percentage rate (APR) of their credit cards.
While many respondents pay off their entire credit card balance each month (almost 52 percent) and therefore pay little attention to APRs, not everyone is as diligent. Of the 58 percent of people who did not know the APRs of their credit cards, nearly 40 percent (38.06%) carried a credit card balance to the next month, incurring interest fees. This translates to a little over one-fifth of card-carrying Americans paying credit card interest without even knowing what their interest payments are.
“Credit cards can be a very convenient and beneficial form of payment when managed responsibly,” stated Doug Lebda, CEO of LendingTree. “But when you make purchases using a credit card and carry the balance from month to month, you incur interest – effectively increasing the price of your purchases by fifteen to twenty-five percent, depending on your interest rate. Miscalculating a budget or not understanding how interest rates can affect your bottom line can lead to consumers being in unexpected credit card debt.”
The survey also found 40 percent of Americans did not know their credit utilization ratio, or the amount of debt one owes in comparison to their maximum credit debt allowance. Without knowing your total credit limit, you cannot calculate your credit utilization.
A previous study done by LendingTree showed that less than a quarter knew that credit utilization accounts for approximately 30 percent of one’s credit score. In this latest survey only 14 percent of Americans did not know which credit score band they fell into. But in the previous study, data showed that when asked in an open-ended question to provide their credit score, nearly 60 percent of Americans didn’t know their exact credit score or provided an implausible value.
“Credit bands only represent a general view of where one stands financially and the bands can be pretty broad. Two individuals both with “very good” credit scores can still get very different rates and offers. A person with a 750 score is likely to get a much better deal than someone with a 720,” said Lebda. “To get the best financial rates and offers, it’s best to keep track of your credit score and know what could affect it. Having a solid grasp of your credit situation can save you significant money, but it’s also just simply good practice to make sure your finances are correct and you’re not victim to a reporting error or credit fraud.”
There are a number of financial tools available online that can help track your credit score. LendingTree’s My LendingTree platform is a free service that provides monthly credit score updates and insights on how one can improve that score. LendingTree has recently upgraded its platform to also provide savings alerts and recommendations for an individual’s financial accounts including mortgages, auto loans, personal loans, and more.
The 2015 U.S. Credit Card Survey was conducted online within the United States by SurveyMonkey® on behalf of LendingTree between July 16 and July 21, 2015 among a nationally representative sample of 3,170 Americans ages 18 and up.
LendingTree (NASDAQ: TREE) is a leading online loan marketplace with one of the largest networks of lenders in the nation, empowering consumers as they comparison-shop across a full suite of loan and credit-based offerings. LendingTree provides an online marketplace which connects consumers with multiple lenders that compete for their business, as well as an array of online tools and information to help consumers find the best loan. Since inception, LendingTree has facilitated more than 55 million loan requests. LendingTree provides free monthly credit scores through My LendingTree and access to its network of over 350 lenders offering home loans, personal loans, credit cards, student loans, personal loans, business loans, home equity loans/lines of credit, auto loans and more. LendingTree, LLC is a subsidiary of LendingTree, Inc. For more information go to www.lendingtree.com, dial 800-555-TREE, like our Facebook page and/or follow us on Twitter @LendingTree.


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Photo Credit: Unsplash| @Nicole Harrington
Travelers Can Now Receive Passport In 24 Hours Through FedEx
FedEx has teamed up with RushMyPassport to offer expedited services for passports.
Travelers can stop at one of the 2,000 FedEx locations or visit them online at FedEx.com/passport for rushed passport processing, renewals, or updated government-compliant passport photos, as reported in ABC 13.
The announcement comes just days after the U.S. Department increased processing times for passports to 6-to-8 weeks from 4-to-6 weeks.
“Many of us have experienced the distress of realizing our passport isn’t ready for an upcoming trip and, as a result, scramble to find a last-minute solution,” Kim Dixon, chief operating officer of FedEx Office said in a statement. “This convenient service will help eliminate the confusion and common errors that often arise and help simplify the process.”
Other services will include overnight shipping for rushed passport applications, full-tracking visibility throughout the approval process, and 24/7 assistance from passport specialists.
Expedited passports and rushed passport renewal baseline pricing is offered at six levels:
24-hour service — one business day: $449
Next-day service — two business days: $349
Priority service — three to five business days: $249
Rush service — six to seven business days: $169
Standard service — eight to 10 business days: $119
Rush renewal — 10-12 business days: $99
In addition, FedEx will sell government-compliant 2×2 photos to submit with passport applications, for an additional $14.95.
“Routine passport processing can take weeks,” RushMyPassport CEO Mosie Miller told Culture Map. “You also have to factor in the possibility of issues with documents you finally receive in the mail, causing further delays and even more headaches. [This service] helps travelers overcome these issues, giving a smooth and secure way to handle passport needs.”


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Restaurant chain Wetherby Whaler has made the Top 10 Fish & Chips Restaurants in the UK
Fry Magazine has named the Wetherby Whaler restaurant in Guisley as one of the top 10 fish and chip restaurants in the UK.
By Liam Pattison
This is the second consecutive year that the restaurant has made the top 10.
Starting out as a family business 50 years ago, as a small takeaway in Tadcaster, the Whaler has since grown into a successful six-restaurant chain with branches all over Yorkshire.
Historically fish & chips has been a British favourite, known as one of the country’s national dishes and it’s held its popularity since the Second World War. With Good Friday fast approaching we looked at what makes a Top 10 fish & chips restaurant .
Senior manager at the Whaler, Mark Savage, who has worked for the company for 35 years, has ensured that the restaurant has the recipe for making the perfect fish and chips.
“Team and ethic”
“It all comes down to the team and the ethic. As a business we have dozens of people sourcing our potatoes, we have three or four of us who source the finest quality fish. We search far and wide for quality.”
The Wetherby Whaler is also part of the MSC, meaning they can trace their fish from sea to plate. They know where it comes from, how it’s been caught and even who it’s been caught by.
Mark added: “Our aim is to serve the finest Yorkshire traditional fish & chips In a great environment by a dedicated team and of course that gives you the Wetherby Whaler experience.
“Fish & chips will go on forever. It’s great value, nutritional wise it’s fantastic and the fat content is a lot lower than people think with the average portion being 834 calories.”


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USOC CMO Lisa Baird said the organization is "tracking ahead of budget on revenue from sponsors, suppliers and licensees." Baird said the USOC is in "active discussions regarding several potential new sponsor categories," and noted it might “need to determine how many sponsors it wants to have at a maximum.” In Colorado Springs, Brian Gomez notes the USOC has "placed an increased emphasis lately on pushing its merchandise through retail stores, and it likes the idea of cobranding with Olympic national governing bodies." Baird said digital media “continues to be a focus” for the USOC, which she said is “working to strengthen its online content and is coordinating with NGBs to stream their events" (Colorado Springs GAZETTE, 12/16).
LIGHT MY FIRE: MLS Chicago Fire President Julian Posada said the team plans to target local companies in the retail, telecom and airline industries to replace Best Buy as the club’s jersey sponsor. The Fire also will emphasize its popularity with the Hispanic and international communities when engaging potential sponsors. Best Buy was the team’s jersey partner from ‘08-10, and Posada noted team execs started the search for a new jersey partner a month before Best Buy publicly announced it would not renew its deal last week. Posada: “They were very courteous with us -- they let us know that they were going in a different direction” (Fred Dreier, SportsBusiness Journal).
STEPPING UP TO THE PLATE: L.A.-based Platinum Equity yesterday "emerged the victor in a 19-hour bidding war" with Rawlings in an auction to "buy virtually all the assets" of sports equipment firm Schutt Sports. Platinum's winning bid was $33.1M. Rawlings "filed an objection to the auction after it concluded, alleging proper procedures were not followed, but the bankruptcy court finalized the sale in a hearing" late yesterday. Rawlings' highest offer "before the auction concluded" was $36M (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 12/16).
NOT FOREVER IN BLUE JEANS: ESPN's Brian Tunney reported Levi's has cut its BMX sponsorship program for '11 "following four years of direct involvement" in the sport. The decision "leaves the core team of Levi's BMX riders ... without a clothing sponsor." Currently, "none of the Levi's team riders have future clothing sponsors lined up" (ESPN.com, 12/14).


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By Tony Veneziano
WILMOT, Wisc. — (June 30, 2020) — Changes have been made to the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series event at Wilmot Raceway in Wisconsin on Saturday, July 11. The race will now be a limited-seating, general admission event.
The World of Outlaws/World Racing Group will be leasing the track on July 11 for the event and handling all of the ticketing and operations.
Those who purchased tickets through SLS Promotions online or over the phone for the original July 11 event, will automatically receive a refund to the credit card/debit card that was used to purchase the tickets. Allow one (1) full billing cycle on your credit card to apply.
Due to the limited seating structure, 1,500 general admission grandstand tickets will be available for purchase, starting at 10 a.m. Eastern time on Tuesday, June 30. An extra 200 pit passes will also be available. Tickets and pit passes can only be purchased online through the World of Outlaws website.
For more information on future World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series events this season, visit www.SLSPromotions.com.
Facebook: SLS Promotions LLC


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WASHINGTON — As the overall U.S. trade deficit hit a new record in January, apparel and textile imports rose 7.6 percent to 4.2 billion square meter equivalents valued at $7.3 billion. China again led the pack, despite new restraints.
Amid the politically charged environment surrounding trade, the overall deficit for goods and services widened to $68.5 billion, $3.4 billion more than in December, the Commerce Department said Thursday.
“When you look at trade deficits in the context of growing foreign ownership of our national debt, you see that we’re increasingly beholden to the very countries whose markets we’d like to open to American goods,” Rep. Ben Cardin (D., Md.) said in a statement. “Unless we reverse this dangerous trend, we’ll soon find ourselves without negotiating leverage to promote our trade agenda.”
Not everyone sees such ominous signs in the imbalance.
Richard Yamarone, chief economist at Argus Research, said the deficit in January was exacerbated by higher fuel prices and isn’t indicative of the state of the economy.
“The U.S. economy is expanding,” Yamarone said. “We’re on target to exceed 5 percent [gross domestic product growth] in the first quarter.”
Yamarone said the growth was supported by new jobs, relatively mild inflation outside the energy sector, low interest rates and strong housing starts, even though housing sales are softening.
Less expensive imports also help consumers by keeping prices down, he said.
Those imports are increasingly coming from China, which boosted its shipments of apparel and textiles to the U.S. by 20.1 percent in January, to 1.4 billion SME, worth $1.8 billion. That was the first month imports from the country were restrained by a deal that imposed quotas on 34 kinds of apparel and textiles, including cotton trousers, bras, swimwear and knit fabric.
However, the deal, which was sought by domestic textile businesses, protects a narrow band of sensitive categories, so growth from China continued. January shipments of goods covered under the pact totaled 180.4 million SME, worth $395.2 million, according to Ross Arnold, international trade specialist at the Commerce Department’s Office of Textiles and Apparel. That means goods covered under the deal represented 13 percent of Chinese apparel and textile imports by volume, or 21.8 percent of the trade in dollar terms.
Stephen Lamar, senior vice president of the American Apparel and Footwear Association, said the restraints are helping other Asian countries.
“Business is not coming back to the Western Hemisphere,” he said.
Among the other countries that boosted their apparel and textile imports to the U.S. in January were Pakistan, with growth of 36.4 percent, to 302 million SME, valued at $262 million, and India, with a 34.2 percent rise, to 223 million SME, worth $486 million.
On the losing end were Mexico, which had a decrease in apparel and textile imports of 10.1 percent, to 260 million SME, worth $463 million, and Canada, with an 11 percent drop, to 240 million SME, valued at $232 million.


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Businesses are being given the opportunity to benefit from hundreds of thousands of pounds in funding.
A new package of capital grant schemes is opening up £450,000 in funding for small and micro firms across the county.
The fund, administered by North Yorkshire Council through the North Yorkshire UK Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF), is focused on increasing business growth, productivity and resilience. Grants of between £1,000 and £10,000 are available.
Micro businesses, with less than 10 employees, and small firms with less than 50 employees can also access free support beyond the grant through the business advisory teams at the council and the York and North Yorkshire Growth Hub.
North Yorkshire Council’s leader and chair of the SPF Board, Cllr Carl Les, said; “We are delighted to open up this funding stream, which we hope will be accessed by all – sole traders, start-ups, home businesses and social enterprises as well as landlords and people looking to diversify their farm businesses and limited companies.
“We want businesses to think about the simple changes that could create a sustainable difference to the way they work, reach customers, and improve their bottom line for profits. Our ambition is to reach deep into the business community to see a broad range of innovative applications across the different sectors and disciplines and especially welcome first-time applications.”
North Yorkshire’s economy is heavily slanted towards smaller businesses and there is a total of more than 32,700 micro, small and medium-sized enterprises alongside 90 large businesses in the county.
The chair of the SPF Business Thematic Group, Sue Jefferson, added: “The parameters of the grants on offer have been designed by business for business as we want to see the funds accessible to all and overcoming the barriers that small businesses all too often face.
“With over 98 per cent of our local economy being made up of micro and small businesses, the ability to offer a grant programme that also encourages all applicants to take advantage of wider business advice or support, is really important to us.”
Funding for the 2023/24 scheme amounts to £450,000, with feedback and learning from this initiative set to influence the further development of grant pots in the pipeline for 2024/25.
To access the grant scheme, go to https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/UKSPF


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INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Here’s a look at Thursday’s business headlines.
Forbes ranked the best companies to work for in each state.
Salesforce topped the list in Indiana.
Rounding out the top five – Lilly, Parkview Health, Community Health Network and Cummins.
The list was compiled based on worker feedback.
A new poll found that younger generations are ditching deodorant.
The poll by YouGov says about 40 percent of those surveyed in the 18-24 age group said they hadn’t sued the product in the last month.
In addition, 48 percent of respondents ages 18 to 24 said they haven’t purchased deodorant in the last year.
Women working longer
Working women put in longer hours on the job last year, spent more time caring for their children and did more work around the house.
They also spent less time relaxing or socializing and less time sleeping.
Those results are from the annual American Time Use survey from the Labor Department.
Apple is exploring moving 15 to 30 percent of production out of China.
Reuters reports it is asking suppliers to figure out how to do that.
The iPhone maker has decided the risks of depending heavily on manufacturing in China are too great and even rising.


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Bitcoin is perhaps the most valued currency in the world, virtual or real. The exchange rate as of Friday stood at over USD 8,000 for one BTC. But, not many people know that mining bitcoin also costs a preposterous amount of electricity to the world
The government called S&P a 'conservative' rating agency which has decided to play 'cautious'.
The note-ban has resulted in a "fundamental shift" in the payment habits in the economy-a move away from cash payments to and a wider adoption of retail electronic payments, card usage at merchant terminals and cheques, an RBI study has found.
The GST norms allow smooth transfer of goods after getting rid of the checkpoints — now passing on the responsibility to the traders to comply with the new norms of providing the authenticated documents.
The economy will grow at a faster pace in quarter-ended September, as compared with the first quarter of the financial year 2017-18 (Apr-Mar), Department of Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg said today.
Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh has written to Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley seeking immediate withdrawal of 5 percent GST on food stuff in containers.
White Label ATMs or WLAs are ATMs that are owned and operated by non-bank entities where the only requirement of the bank is to provide or supply cash.
In a landmark move to tackle the recurring menace of bad loans, the President signed off on the ordinance to tweak the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC). However the changes which were approved by the President on Thursday - come with a big twist. It's not just "wilful" defaulters and those convicted of fraud, even defaulting promoters in general are set to lose their companies.
"Promoters of most large steel companies were quite intent to regain control and did appear to offer the most competitive bid during the resolution process but are barred from doing so now," domestic brokerage Kotak Securities said in a report today.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had on February 1 announced introduction of electoral bonds.
CNBC-TV18 learn from sources that goods and services tax (GST) compliance continues to be a concern. Four months post GST roll out, only 56 percent of taxpayers have filed returns.
For instance, tomato prices in Bengaluru, one of the major producers, are ruling at Rs 45-50 per kg in retail markets. In Aizawl in Mizoram, these are being sold at around Rs 95-100 per kg.
The market is widely expecting that rating agency Standard & Poor's will give an update on its India rating today.
Opposition had accused NDA government of delaying to convene the Winter Session to avoid debate on GST, demonetisation and Rafale aircraft deal.
In a bid to take on competition in a consolidating market, the Sunil Mittal-led company has been buying stressed assets in the telecom sector, and spectrum.
The government will start investigating whether private developers exaggerated or 'gold plated' projects to increase their debt component as a part of measures taken to resolve stressed assets in power sector to reduce their equity contribution.
The order came from the Department of Consumer Affairs' Metrology Division, which looks at matters pertaining to measurement and labelling.
In an interview to CNBC-TV18, Rajnish Kumar, Chairman of State Bank of India shared his views and readings on the bankruptcy code change.
This is a decline of nearly 40 percent from a quarter ago, which saw 9,077 willful defaulters with unpaid loans worth Rs 1.07 lakh crore.
During his brief interaction, Purohit recalled the demand of the state government to implement the interlinking of rivers Mahanadhi-Godavari-Krishna-Pennar-Palar-Cauvery-Vaigai, a Raj Bhavan release said.
"The GST is the best indirect tax regime globally and there is no doubt about it and that is why it is adopted in most of the countries. But the way GST was implemented in India is a textbook example of how the tax reform should not be implemented anywhere," he said.
The world's third biggest oil importer sees its diesel and gasoline consumption rising by about two-thirds by 2030, oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Wednesday.
The ministry has said all cases of combinations involving the central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) operating in oil and gas sectors under the Petroleum Act, 1934, have been exempted from the CCI approval requirement for five years.
Retirement fund body EPFO on Thursday approved a proposal for crediting exchange traded fund (ETF) units to provident fund accounts of its 4.5 crore members.
In an exclusive conversation with CNBC-TV18's Ashpreet Sethi, NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said India must not only be a manufacturer of electric vehicles but also an exporter by 2028.


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Tuesday, 5 November 2013
Yet another sucker falls for the multiplier myth.
This article claims that $5 spent on food stamps brings $9 of extra economic activity. Which kind of sounds like value for money doesn’t it? But there’s a flaw in that argument, namely that the "extra economic activity" created by a particular type of spending (i.e. the multiplier effect) is actually irrelevant. I set out the reasons here and here.
And that (to repeat) is not to argue against more money being spent on food stamps. The point is that in determining the merits of spending $X on Y or Z, the costs and benefits of Y and Z are the crucial factors: the multiplier effect is irrelevant.


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Monday, May 2, 2011
Triptrotting Looks To Connect Travelers, Locals
Pasadena-based Triptrotting, a new startup funded by Idealab, is launching its service today, to help match travelers to like-minded local hosts. Triptrotting uses an algorithm to match travelers and locals, to help them on their trips. The firm said the algorithm was developed with the help and expertise of former eHarmony Chief Scientist Galen Buckwalter. Triptrotting's founders are Aigerim Duiseneyeva and Shana Zheng. Troptrotting said it matches travelers and local hosts based on personality, professional interests, and more, so that they can have a far less "touristy" travel experience.
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If you had had the chance to walk through the show floor at CES last week, you would have seen the underlying theme was connected technology. While “Internet of Things” may not have been the catchphrase of the show, connected devices were debuting left and right.
High Stakes in the Auto World
One of the areas where connected technology shined at CES is in the auto world. Carmakers are scrambling to put new technologies, including everything from self-driving cars to onboard wireless entertainment, into the pipeline and into production. In fact, Colin Neagle of Network World reports that General Motors' Gary Smyth, director of GM's Powertrain Systems Research Lab, indicated the company's goal was to have an autonomous driving car in production by 2017. Yet, Neagle warns, these technologies “pose challenges that could result in disaster if they are deployed before either the technology or the drivers are ready.” Stakes are high, but caution is still needed in the auto industry.
Health and Wellness Industry Continuing to Connect
Health and wellness products are not new to CES, and fitness trackers are becoming commonplace today, but innovation continues to happen in this sector. One CES Innovation Award Winner, DietSensor, offers a scanner that can analyze food at a molecular level to help people stay on track with healthy eating goals.
This is just one of many examples of health and wellness products that debuted at CES 2106. James Park, CEO and Cofounder of Fitbit, was interviewed this week by Kelsey Pommer of Consumer Technology Association. He predicts greater expansion of the use of connected technology in the health and wellness fields, stating, “The ability to track critical health metrics, like daily activity and heart rate, is still just the tip of the iceberg.” He went on to state that companies are looking for ways to attract all health and wellness indicators, including activity levels, sleep and nutrition, with just one device.
Where do I see wearables going? I see the biggest impact in healthcare. Patients may, in the future, be able to give their doctors permission to access the data on their wearable devices to make better decisions about their care.
Watch the Skies, the Drones Are Here!
One new product category that really ruled CES 2016 was the drone. New this year was the debut of a human-carrying drone. According to David Goldman of CNN Money, the 440-pound drone from Ehang can take off and land vertically and carry one passenger and, according to the manufacturer, may be safer than driver to work. While I don't anticipate getting to work via drone any time soon, I do anticipate based on the products found at CES that this will be the year that we figure out an actual use for these cool, techy drones. Who knows, maybe Amazon drone delivery will happen this year after all.
Connected Home Still Present But Not Ruling the Show
What was interesting at CES this year was that the connected home was not the ruling feature. In fact, Gear Patrol's annual Top 10 New Products List only listed one “smart home” item, and that was a home security camera. It also listed a home theater device, but that falls into entertainment more than smart home. By far fitness trackers ruled, as did drones and new tablet or laptop technology.


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The U.S. Department of Commerce just announced that it will add high tariffs for solar modules imported from China. The Canadian government is also investigating the adoption of similar measures, following recent complaints filed by Ontario-based solar manufacturers. With the solar industry in hypergrowth, it’s not a surprise that these governments are interested in boosting new jobs, protecting their economies, and fostering the solar sector. The problem is that tariffs are a short-sighted approach that actually attack the future of North American solar on its home soil, and likely destroy more jobs than they create.
via Renewable Energy News – RenewableEnergyWorld.com http://ift.tt/1C70Qg5


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There are plenty of ways technology can augment your business as a real estate agent.
Wendy Forsythe, the chief operating officer of HomeSmart Real Estate and Katie Ragusa, the vice president of product for TRIBUS highlighted 10 tech trends for agents at Inman Connect in New York on Tuesday.
1. Smart speakers
More than 25 percent of Americans use a smart speaker, like Amazon Echo or Google Home, a number which is expected to balloon up to 70 percent in the next few years, according to Ragusa.
2. Voice technology
As more homeowners purchase smart speakers, voice technology becomes more important, Forsythe said. Alexa Flash Briefings can be an extremely useful way to get into homes, for example.
“Voice is continuing to grow in its popularity and uses,” Forsythe said. “If you haven’t embraced voice, start to think about how you can use it in a diff way in your business.”
3. Have a plan
“You have tons of new options for apps and services all the time,” Ragusa said. “They’re all well and good. It doesn’t work unless you have a plan.”
Ragusa says to simplify and think about what you actually need. Too much technology can lead to becoming overwhelmed and less productive.
4. Relationships matter
Ragusa said, with all this new technology, it’s important to remember that there’s such a big relationship aspect to this business, and sometimes you can forget that those leads are people. And often people making a huge life decision.
“Hopefully, you aren’t just counting the numbers of leads you’re generating, and you’re actually taking the time to connect to them on a personal level,” Ragusa said.
5. Make friends with Siri
Forsythe admitted that she hasn’t always been a “Hey, Siri” type of person.
“There is so much Siri can do for you to make your life easier,” Forsythe said. “Think about how you can become friends.”
Forsythe said to embrace the usage of Siri and think about moving away from the trend of fumbling on a keyboard.
6. The video dilemma
Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram are giving more priority to video, so it’s time to embrace that trend and get comfortable with that, Forsythe said.
7. Read the fine print
With technology changing so quickly, it’s important for agents to remember that there are MLS display requirements, often specific brokerage requirements and even accessibility requirements, according to Ragusa.
8. Monitor what you’re doing on devices
Don’t ignore that weekly iPhone notification that tells you how you’ve been spending your screen time, Forsythe explained.
“It’s a great way to get an understanding of what someone is going with their screen time,” Forsythe said.
9. Collect your data
“I would encourage you guys to start recording everything about transactions,” Ragusa said. “Sometimes you can’t get that data back later.”
10. Dare to be original
Ragusa reminded the industry that originality with design is OK, especially when it comes to websites.
“We need a design wake-up call,” Ragusa said. “It’s the most obvious with web design.”


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The partnership was more casual than the linkup between Nissan and Renault. But through platform-sharing and manufacturing deals, Daimler would become a key supplier of Infiniti's portfolio.
As part of the deal, Daimler and Nissan jointly built a $1.4 billion plant in Mexico with capacity for 300,000 vehicles a year for Mercedes-Benz and Infiniti. In the end, the project only exacerbated Nissan's overcapacity problems. Last year, the shared plant in Aguascalientes churned out just 30,294 Infiniti QX50 crossovers.
Nissan still makes 2.0-liter turbocharged engines for both Infiniti and Mercedes at a factory in Decherd, Tenn., based on Mercedes engine architecture. But the slow-selling Infiniti Q30 hatchback and QX30 compact crossover, based on the Mercedes-Benz A-Class platform, were unceremoniously dumped in 2019 after only four years.
Today, Infiniti vehicles are made at six facilities around the world — two in Japan, two in China, the Mexico plant and Nissan's Smyrna, Tenn., factory, which makes the QX60 crossover. This is for a global lineup of only six main nameplates that generate worldwide volume of less than 200,000.
Under Nissan's midterm plan, called Nissan Next, the No. 2 Japanese automaker wants to cut about $2.78 billion in fixed costs. It also proposes to cut its global production capacity from 7.2 million to 5.4 million vehicles.
The reconfiguration will boost the company's factory utilization to 80 percent, from around 70 percent today. Nissan also will trim the number of nameplates 20 percent to shrink the global lineup to fewer than 55 models from 69. It will focus on a smaller number of more profitable core models and roll them out more quickly to bring the average portfolio age below 4 years.
The restructuring comes on the heels of a 30 percent tumble in Nissan Group's U.S. sales through March in an overall market that was down 12 percent. The Nissan brand fell 30 percent to 232,048 vehicles, while Infiniti slid 26 percent to 25,558.
In May, Infiniti's recently appointed global chairman, Mike Colleran, was re-tasked after less than two months to take over Nissan Division sales for the U.S. Succeeding him as Infiniti chairman, effective this week, is Peyman Kargar, a former Renault executive.


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Rotation with the sun at a distance equal to the Earth’s rotation on the solar system.
An expert team of Anglo-German astronomers have discovered a new planet orbiting a nearby sun in the same distance as the Earth orbits the sun so that it has [...]
Back presents two new features that users are better known Like and Star.
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In order to further popularize the feature, Twitter has redesigned [...]
The event introductions latest smartphone Samsung, Galaxy S4, South Africa is considered too sexy woman indulgence.
Because of this, the South Korean manufacturer is finally formally apologized.
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Team University of Bangor, Wales, successfully developed a system of internet at speeds up to 20 Gbps, and can be increased up to 40 Gbps.
Some time ago, Google released a statement that surprised many observers and internet users around the world today [...]
Cats of pure descent tends to indicate the nature of human companionship.
Although not the type of cat that unsightly, Sphynx cats are judged most friendly than other cats, according to a survey conducted by the Journal of Veterinary Behavior, Monday [...]
Lenovo’s new hotshot in laptops for SMBs, M490s, offers several security features and maintenance through LSSB (Lenovo Solutions for Small Business).
Among them is a Software Monitor that works to improve security by ensuring the safety of the [...]
WhatsApp application certainly already be familiar to your ears.
This free application brief message seems to be trying to compete with the popularity of the BlackBerry Messenger application.
BlackBerry Messenger BBM-voice that presents, WhatsApp seems [...]
Without compromising on quality and technology.
Lenovo finally decided to enter the smartphone market with the signing of five champion Indonesia in the launch event which took place on Tuesday night (16/10). Fifth smartphone is Lenovo Ideaphone A60 [...]
Cooler Master Thursday (09/04) launches headphones aimed at people who love to travel, namely HC-300 and HS-500.
Both headphones are using HDSS technology, a breakthrough technology that eliminates the distortion that can move more freely.
Model HC-300 [...]
Apacer Technologi Inc., as one of the manufacturers of SSD products, digital consumer products and memory modules, Thursday (10/04) launches a USB 3.0 flash drive AH450.
One thing that most enjoy is the speed of data transmission is very high up to 140 [...]
Not only are the latter PS4 started leaking in the virtual world. Candidate key rival, the Xbox 720, recently much talked specifically about the specification.
Quoted from Ubergizmo, Thursday (2/7), the successor to the triumph of the Xbox 360 is reportedly [...]


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Blockchain was a top discussion point last year, but after the initial burst not much has appeared in the press. However, that doesn't mean that blockchain is any less important ... or its rollout dormant in any way. In fact, according to the AdLedger Conference hosted in partnership with GABBCON, Dear Marketers: Help Me Help You, there has been decisive progress in rolling out the protocol in the media industry. One major initiative is the creation of Ad Ledger, which is described as a "forum for collaboration" by Gabe Greenberg, Co-Founder GABBCON. Over the span of two years, Ad Ledger has quietly ramped up. Christiana Cacciapuoti as Executive Director, just annoucned a set of board members (including c-founding companies as Tegna, MadHIve and IBM), holding-company members and new rules of engagement. The most important aspect of Ad Ledger at this time is to educate the industry and present the parameters of what blockchain can and can't do.
The GABBCON announcement is the first salvo -- and now, the rest of 2019 is dedicated to taking the industry forward with members seeking eventual accreditation by the MRC. Greenberg and his team are on the cutting edge of this blockchain roll out. We met at the conference for an exclusive interview on the whys and wherefores of Ad Ledger, how it will impact the industry, next steps and obstacles to overcome.
GABBCON helped co-launch Ad Ledger and then transferred the GABBCON working group into it. Becoming a founding partner was important, Greenberg explained, "because we saw an opportunity to bring buyers and sellers together in a way that the IAB and other groups weren't doing." He noted that his company is participating to support the work that Ad Ledger is doing, including "breaking down the walled gardens and creating new open standards that help brands and agencies on one side and media sellers on the other side to extract the most value out of the market and pay as little for that as possible." The way to this economic efficiency is by "cutting out the intermediaries and the folks that represent ad taxes," he added.
Greenberg has his eye on accreditation, which is necessary for scale and adoption. "The team is in the early stages of working with the MRC," he indicated. "It takes some time but the process is starting."
Looking to the future, Greenberg hopes that two years from now Ad Ledger will be at a point where the group "is chasing the scale of an IAB, develops a cryptoRTB standard that reaches a significant scale of the market, is not still in its infancy or nascent stage and that more and more brands are involved."
Currently, Hershey's and Bob Mills Furniture are involved and other brands were in attendance at the event for a look-see. "But we need to get more brands that are demanding these solutions to come to the table and help form them," Greenberg asserted. "More than anything Ad Ledger is a call to the industry to come together. We don't need another consortium that's come and gone. We need a group that is making real impact and making a difference."
For Wallace Kittredge, Senior Content Strategist for Bob Mills Furniture, a regional retailer of furniture, blockchain and participation in Ad Ledger will help his company explore more options, help justify their digital and offline budgets and close loops. "Reporting is difficult enough at this time," he says. "Blockchain will help with transparency and valuation."
For others, implementing blockchain into the media pipeline will help solve for one persistent vexing problem – ad fraud. “Blockchain has many use cases from identity and risk management to fraud and decentralizing data," explains Alysia Borsa, Chief Marketing and Data Officer, Meredith. "The low hanging fruit is fraud. With disparate data coming in, how do we bring it all together in a centralized form? How do we create pilots that will be proof of concept for advertisers?”
Click the social buttons above or below to share this story with your friends and colleagues.
The opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author and/or subject(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillage.com/MyersBizNet, Inc. management or associated writers.


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“The smartest enterprises are going digital now, while their bigger rivals are paralyzed by digital fear.”
You will know by now that Digital is the Future because everyone is saying so.
But what does it mean?
Digital is literally the 0s and 1s of computer code – but it has come to represent a modern computerised world in which all things are connected. The digital world ranges from fully automated factories which order their own parts to companies which operate seamlessly across the globe – it also refers to the digital connectivity we have via smart phones and tablets.
Today’s customers are digital whether they know it or not. They are used to a world where everything connects – ordering things on the internet, on the move, by smart phone and then tracking those orders as they make their way to our door.
So expectations are high. But the good news is that this is matched by big opportunities for businesses who can give customers what they want.
This is why transforming your business for the digital age is a good idea.
The latest research on business opinion is interesting, because while 80% of bosses studied by the Economist Intelligence Unit believe hyper connectivity is a good idea (the interconnections between people, organizations, and objects) – most are not actually preparing to do anything about it.
This shows there is something holding people back and that is most likely fear. People don’t like change and that is increased when it comes to technology.
Over the past few decades many big companies invested heavily in on premise computer technology with disappointing results.
That’s why the smartest of the small and medium sized enterprises (SME) are going digital now, while their bigger rivals are paralyzed by digital fear.
Basing software in the cloud has caused prices to tumble and enabled companies of all sizes to benefit.
It is fairly straight forward to find a tech provider who will set you up with a system which can look after your business from one end to the other in a rational and connected way.
Whether you want to connect directly with customers and suppliers, get better and faster information to your employees, or analyse large volumes of complex data, a digital system will simplify your processes, save you money and create more time for you to think about the future.


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Pound continues 'relentless' slide against euro
There was little respite for sterling yesterday as UK data confirmed the British economy grew by just 0.3pc, with household spending slowing and business investment flatlining.
Sterling moved above 92 pence to €1 on Wednesday and hovered around the same level yesterday with the weak economic data doing little to ease the concerns of investors spooked by the ongoing Brexit uncertainty. The Office National Statistics confirmed that the economy grew 0.3pc in the second quarter after 0.2pc in the first three months of the year - adding up to the slowest growth for any major advanced economy since the start of 2017.
The data showed negligible growth in household spending and flat business investment.
"The breakdown of the UK data was disappointing, with consumer spending and business investment readings of 0.1pc and 0.7pc respectively failing to reach market expectations or the projections from Bank of England in its latest inflation report," said Bank of Ireland's head of global customer group, John Moclair.
"While this weakness was offset by growth in net exports, it will be a concern for the authorities that the roughly 70pc of the economy represented by consumer spending and business investment are barely growing, and supports the recent decision of the Bank of England to prioritise growth prospects over short term inflation concerns."
It came as Moodys Investors Service warned that while the UK economy is expected to see moderate and stable growth in the third quarter, it faces challenges from weaker consumption and a stagnating housing market.
A separate report suggested the weak performance will continue.
The Confederation of British Industry said retail sales growth slowed in August at the fastest pace in more than a year.
Earlier this month Bank of England governor Mark Carney said Brexit worries were weighing on business investment and pay decisions, and that sterling's fall since the Brexit vote was to blame for above-target inflation.
Specialist bank Investec said the pound is continuing its relentless slide against the euro.


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Nov 30, 2020 | 2 PM ET/11 AM PT
Hosted by American Banker
With application fraud attacks up 16%, according to Aite Group, it’s no wonder that financial fraud executives consistently name application fraud as one of their top three pain points. And although financial institutions are investing heavily in combatting application fraud, the criminals are constantly one step ahead. Financial institutions struggle to determine the true cost of fraud and its impact on DDA and credit card portfolio quality.
But as financial institutions enhance their application fraud efforts to keep consumers safe, they’ve also got to balance these efforts against the consumer experience. Consumers are becoming used to easy, fast, convenient digital experiences and become frustrated if your account verification process is unwieldy. They may even abandon the application.
During this webinar you’ll learn:
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Following user reports on Twitter and Reddit, a growing number of viewers said they saw up to ten non-skippable adverts on YouTube in a row. Despite complaints from users around the world, the YouTube-owned business has concluded the experiment with advertisements. The advertising company is able to maintain the platform and financially support creators.
According to user reports on Reddit and Twitter, YouTube was playing up to ten unskippable ads before the chosen video even begins. Twitter recently responded to a user''s question about its sudden increase of unskippable ads, declaring that they are "bumper ads," which last only six seconds.
According to a YouTube spokesperson, "we''re constantly monitoring organizations across the world" and we''re constantly developing ways to increase viewer experience. We conducted a small experiment worldwide that served multiple ads in an ad pod when viewers watched longer videos on connected televisions. The goal of this small experiment is to improve the viewer experience by reducing ad breaks.
- YouTube Working on Flipping Landscape Video Ads Into Vertical Formats
By signing up to YouTube Premium, users may permanently avoid seeing ads. In India, the YouTube Premium annual plan costs Rs. 1,290, while the YouTube Premium Family plan costs Rs. 189 per month. The company also offers a 30-day free trial for new subscribers.


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How can the “sustainable consumption” movement mainstream itself by becoming more accessible and thus inclusive and diverse? This year, I had the privilege of co-organizing the Erb Institute’s first-ever diversity, equity and inclusion panel, alongside fellow Erb student Kathy Tian. Knowing that retailers and marketers alike still see sustainable consumers as a niche consumer segment, our panelists proposed two solutions to mainstream sustainable consumption.
At CES® 2019 – the world’s gathering place for the business of consumer technologies – the Consumer Technology Association highlights Environmental sustainability leader LG Electronics USA in the Official CES Green Guide:
As the year draws to a close, Cone evaluated 365 days’ worth of Purpose-driven campaigns to bring you the top 10 trends of 2018. Join us as we count down through what trended in 2018, the implications for businesses and what’s on the horizon for 2019.
This complimentary webinar will be held on January 10, 2019 at 1:00 p.m. EST. To join, register here.
With increasing pressure on natural and man-made resources, innovative companies are taking a lifecycle assessment approach and tackling circularity from as early as product development, with the goal of reaping the reputational and commercial benefits.
We’ve had quite the year here at TriplePundit, as there was no shortage of news stories, from brands taking stands to more advancements in clean energy technologies to more companies jumping on the circular economy bandwagon. Over the weekend, we crunched the numbers along with taking a look at the talk we generated on social media – and came up what we conclude are the ten most popular stories for 2019. The articles’ authors are mentioned at the end of each summary.
A lot happened in 2018. The U.S. made some notable progress with the first Muslim and Native American women elected to Congress, and SpaceX, the world’s most powerful rocket, launched. (I also became a first-time dad! And remember Yanny vs. Laurel?). And we experienced some major lows, with hundreds of innocent lives lost to multiple mass shootings and families torn apart due to the current administration’s troubling immigration policies.
Woman-founded 88 Acres first opened its doors in Boston, where Whole Planet Foundation funds microcredit through microfinance partner Grameen America. Their goal was to open their bakery in an area of need to drive job growth in the community. Through their continued partnership with Whole Planet Foundation, 88 Acres also creates economic prosperity by finding microloans to support women microentrepreneurs domestically and internationally.
Divine Chocolate is proud to partner with Whole Planet Foundation and continue the tradition of donating five cents of every Divine Chocolate Advent Calendar sold at Whole Foods Market to Whole Planet Foundation.


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By CCN Markets: 19 percent of survey participants have reported that they had experienced hacking attacks on cryptocurrency exchanges while 15 percent of consumers have become victims of crypto fraud, Kaspersky says. An excerpt from the cybersecurity firm’s report read: “Cryptocurrency certainly has its benefits but, as we can see, many consumers are still unaware of what they are due to concerns over security and how the technology works. It is an exciting industry to be involved in but it is one that is built upon trust. It is, therefore, imperative that cryptocurrency businesses do all they can to protect
Russian cybersecurity expert Eugene Kaspersky has said cryptocurrencies can be a success, but only if governments stop trying to control them or alternatively when all countries unite under a single global government. However, the billionaire does not believe Bitcoin will replace the existing financial system despite the currency’s “great” qualities.
‘Government of the Earth’
Speaking to the Dubai-based magazine Arabian Business, Kaspersky opined that cryptocurrencies are ahead of their time. “Cryptocurrencies are a great idea, but the world is not ready for them yet,” said Kaspersky, chief executive officer of IT security company Kaspersky Labs.
Did you know there have been 13 million cryptojacking incidents in 2018? Russian cyber-security firm Kaspersky Lab has released data that cryptojacking cases have gone through the roof rising 400% this year alone. Crypto-crime has been one of the most publicized issues in the financial world this year as the popularity of digital currencies has
The post Kaspersky Lab Says Cryptojacking Cases Have Risen 400% in 2018 appeared first on CCN
Cybercriminals have raked in a total $ 2.3 million by exploiting ICOs via phishing in the second quarter of 2018, a Kaspersky study revealed. The multinational cybersecurity company in its new Spam and Phishing in Q2 2018 report found that online malefactors target crypto investors with fake ICO websites. Most of these sites belong to Ethereum-powered startups that raise
The post Ethereum Most Popular Crypto Among Phishers who made $ 2.3 Million in Q2 2018: Kaspersky appeared first on CCN
In a recent speech, Natalya Kaspersky, the co-founder of Kaspersky Labs, made the claim that Bitcoin was a project by American intelligence agencies.
Cruise around the internet long enough, and you’ll come across a wide range of conspiracy theories. Most of them are pretty outlandish, and the people propagating such claims tend to be of the highly eccentric (to put it mildly) type. Every once in a while, however, a theory is pushed by someone who has a great deal of standing. The latest example of this is Natalya Kaspersky claiming that Bitcoin was created by American intelligence agencies.


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NORWICH - A coffee shop in Norwich is putting the kibosh on distracted drink ordering.
Darren Groom tells mobilemedia.com he got sick of having to read his customers' lips as they ordered while talking on their cell phones. So Groom initiated a rule in his shop preventing people from ordering if they are on the phone.
A sign posted next to the register reads, "Sorry we are unable to serve you if you are on the phone. Thank you."
Groom is among other shop owners around the globe enacting similar rules to help improve common courtesy and expediency in such environments.
While cell phone junkies may object to such restrictions, Groom has received strong local support by many who feel rules like this are long overdue.


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Official TAM Ireland/Nielsen figures on TV viewing for 2016 shows that viewing is central to the fabric of Irish life. Irish adults in the average TV household watched for 3 hrs & 21 mins every day. Interestingly with the iPhone celebrating its 10th birthday this week, TV has seen an increase in viewing of 11 minutes per day during the same period – that is 11 minutes more TV viewing per day than 10 years ago.
The total advertising spend on TV in 2013 was €206,228,762 For the first time in the history of the Irish advertising business the TV industry have released actual TV ad revenue figures. Up until now the ad industry has had to estimate total spend figures across all media. In 2013 the Television industry took the decision to publish actual total revenue figures to the market.
According to the TAM Ireland/Ipsos MRBI Total Viewing Study 2014, we spend 230 minutes each day viewing some form of video content across a variety of devices. But what are we watching and on what devices?
What do you do in your leisure time? For the vast majority of Irish people the answer is – watch TV.
TAM Ireland has selected Colourtext to deliver an ambitious and exciting new media insight project. The study will collect nearly every tweet authored in the Republic of Ireland over a full calendar month – we’re forecasting a dataset of 9 million messages. We’ll also be monitoring search activity over the same period.


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PUBLISHED: August 27, 2020
Kanata-based software-maker Martello Technologies says it expects demand for its products to ramp up as the surge in working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic accelerates the shift towards a “true digital era for the workplace.”
In a statement Thursday in which the firm announced that its first-quarter revenues had jumped more than 20 per cent compared with a year earlier, Martello said the sales increase reflects “growing industry demand for digital workforce solutions, related to the global shift to remote work.”
The work-from-home trend has translated into big business for Martello, which makes products that help customers detect and troubleshoot problems in their high-speed communications networks. As teleworkers increasingly connect with each other through platforms such as Zoom and Slack, the push for secure, reliable network traffic is also growing rapidly.


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More than 300 delegates have registered for the first Drinks Innovation Summit, which takes place next week in Sydney.
Delegates from suppliers including Stone & Wood, Bacardi, Treasury Wine Estates, CUB, Campari and Australian Vintage Ltd, along with retailers, will get to hear from more than 50 speakers on the day.
A full day of presentations and panel discussions will focus on hybrid drinks, smart packaging, artificial intelligence, e-commerce, crowdfunding, cutting-edge marketing and more.
More speakers were announced this week, including Nathan Besser, Acting Head of On-Demand for Endeavour Drinks Group and co-founder of Jimmy Brings; Dean Taylor, CEO of Digital Wine Ventures; Chris Archer, founder of New Zealand wine brand Joiy; and Joe Cook, co-founder of Riot Wine Co.
Drinks Innovation Summit takes place on Tuesday 29 October at the Hyatt Regency in Darling Harbour and is the newest event from Food & Beverage Media, publisher of TheShout and National Liquor News.
For the complete list of speakers and the day’s agenda, visit the Drinks Innovation Summit wesbite.
There are still some tickets available. You can register for the Drinks Innovation Summit here.


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Tokyo, Japan, November 11, 2022 - Perfect Corp. (NYSE: PERF), the leading artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) beauty and fashion tech solutions provider, has announced that their AI Face Analyzer, which instantly identifies users' unique facial features and offers a personalized makeup virtual try-on experience, has been integrated into the "TOKYO TWO FACES” in-store experience. The one-of-a-kind interactive shopping experience was launched by the global makeup brand "KATE" at Matsumotokiyoshi Causeway Bay store in Hong Kong on October 21, 2022.
Shoppers enter the TOKYO TWO FACES booth for a truly unique and highly innovative shopping experience. Perfect Corp.’s AI Face Analyzer technology scans and analyzes the user’s facial features, offering ultra-personalized makeup recommendations. The tool combines this analysis with a system that recognizes the color of the shopper's clothing to pair each user with one of two famous Tokyo districts - Shimokitazawa and Ginza. Users can then enjoy a unique shopping experience by virtually trying on a highly realistic and personalized makeup look that matches the style of their assigned city district. The physical goods needed to recreate this iconic look at home can then be purchased in-store. Shoppers are also invited take pictures with a projected image of their appointed cityscape background using their smartphones. The unparalleled experience adds a new dimension to the shopping journey, with the incredible innovation giving beauty lovers the opportunity to enjoy exciting and immersive new shopping experiences.
Perfect Corp.’s services, including the AI Face Analyzer, help brands and retailers build rich consumer purchasing experiences on their official websites and other social platforms. No external apps or external devices are required to implement these services, and they can be combined with brand-specific logic and functionality to create a unique and seamless purchasing experience.
About Perfect Corp.
Perfect Corp. (NYSE: PERF) is the leading SaaS AI and AR beauty and fashion tech solutions provider, dedicated to transforming shopping experiences through empowering brands to embrace the digital-first world. By partnering with the largest names in the industry, Perfect Corp.’s suite of enterprise solutions deliver synergistic, technology-driven experiences that facilitate sustainable, ultra-personalized, and engaging shopping journeys, as well as equipping brands with next generation of consumer goods. Perfect Corp. offers a complementary suite of mobile apps, including YouCam Makeup and YouCam Perfect, to provide a consumer platform to virtually try-on new products, perform skin diagnoses, edit photos, and share experiences with the YouCam Community. To learn more, please visit PerfectCorp.com.
Perfect Corp. official website: https://www.perfectcorp.com
Perfect Corp. on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/perfect-corp/
Perfect Corp. official Blog: https://www.perfectcorp.com/consumer/blog
Corporate: Tony Tsai at firstname.lastname@example.org or by phone: +886-2-8667-1265, ext. 2167
USA: Jacqueline Agudelo at email@example.com or by phone +1 917-935-8232
Japan: Ryusho Hosaka at firstname.lastname@example.org or by phone: +81-3-5875-6651
China: Winter Zhang at email@example.com or by phone: +86-166-2139-1855
UAE: Moushmi Bhatia at firstname.lastname@example.org or by phone: +971 (0) 56 896 5253
Europe: Jessica Thiant at email@example.com
Mexico: Ingrid Motta at firstname.lastname@example.org or by phone: (+521) 5512491739
United Kingdom: Will Parrott at email@example.com


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YouTube extends its virtual reality app to support Samsung's Gear VR devices, and it also adds a new feature that lets users watch and video a video. If you own a Gear VR device, you can download the app from the Oculus store that begins this week, Google announced today in a blog post.
YouTube has been strikingly absent from the Oculus store and has been a significant selling point for the Google Daydream VR platform, even though it is also available on the PlayStation VR headset and Oculus Rift or HTC Vive users can access to it via SteamVR. You can access YouTube through Gear VR's browser, but this update still closes a remarkable gap in Gear VR's video ecosystem. YouTube does not mention supporting Oculus's new mobile device, the stand-alone Oculus Go.
Users can now also hang up with friends or strangers to see and talk about videos together in a VR room. In the example YouTube provided, users can ride a virtual car or watch other VR videos. To access the feature, touch the View Composer icon under the control controls on the Daydream View or Gear VR headset.
Google first announced the social YouTube VR features last year during the Developer Conference, but it seems that they're just roll out now.
YouTube also announced new VR experiences, including backstage views on Hayley Kiyoko and Portugal. The man as they prepare to perform a performance. You can also view the daily routines of remarkable female leaders in a series entitled The Female Planet .


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Consumers rank Vancouver-based Papa Murphy’s International take-and-bake-pizza chain tops in three out of four categories in an important survey.
Chicago-based Technomics Inc. reports customers gave the growing pizza retailer top marks in its Consumer Restaurant Brand Metrics ratings of the country’s top 100 chains.
The two-year study drew 80,000 responses.
Papa Murphy’s “dominated” the results, leading in three of four areas analyzed — leading chains overall, top concept by segment and brands that consumers rank the strongest on key attributes for service and hospitality.
The 1,300-store chain and its franchisees operate in 37 states and Canada. It reported $702 million in system-wide revenue in 2011. A pair of recent deals — one franchise and one financial — will help it to expand in both the U.S. and Middle East.
Wendy Culverwell covers sustainable business, manufacturing and law.
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Nvidia unveils new Titan V, the world’s most powerful PC GPU
US technology firm Nvidia has unveiled its latest processor, the Titan V, that has been named the world’s most powerful processor for the PC, using its Nvidia Volta GPU architecture.
The announcement was made by Nvidia CEO Jenson Huang at the company’s annual Neutral Information Processing Systems (NIPS) conference that showcases Nvidia’s latest AI innovations.
“Our vision for Volta was to push the outer limits of high performance computing and AI. We broke new ground with its new processor architecture, instructions, numerical formats, memory architecture and processor links,” said Huang. “With TITAN V, we are putting Volta into the hands of researchers and scientists all over the world. I can’t wait to see their breakthrough discoveries.”
Titan V is proclaimed to be nine times faster than its predecessor, with its 21.1bn transistors delivering 110 teraflops.
“TITAN V’s incredible power is ideal for developers who want to use their PCs to do work in AI, deep learning and high-performance computing,” Nvidia said.
To enable customers to test this, Nvidia has allowed access to the latest GPU-optimised AI software on the Nvidia GPU Cloud.
Titan V is available to purchase for just short of $3000.
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GUILIN—Environmental degradation is a hot button issue in China these days – one that the government is tackling and forcing manufacturers to address, according to participants at a sustainability conference.
Hong Kong-based shirtmaker Esquel Group hosted “Integral Conversation”- its annual powwow to discuss sustainability in the textile and apparel industries – Nov. 18 and 19. The company, which employs 59,000 and produces apparel for the likes of Jos A. Bank, Hugo Boss, Abercrombie & Fitch, Ralph Lauren and J. Crew, invited business partners, government officials, media and thought leaders from manufacturing, urban planning, technology, tourism and arts & culture to grapple with China’s big dilemma: how to sustain growth while using fewer resources.
“Rapid expansion has made changes but stressed the environment,” Esquel’s chairman, Marjorie Yang, said in her opening remarks.
For Chinese manufacturers, environmental issues aren’t just theoretical, but quite real. After decades of rapid expansion, China has accumulated wealth but at the expense of the environment. Common citizens are concerned about food and air safety and survey show that the majority of millionaires in China want to leave the country, due in part to concerns about pollution.
Experts project that China’s water supply will not be able to meet demand by 2030 if the country carries on with business as usual. The Chinese government has recognized the urgent threat and introduced caps on water usage. It also set aside 4 trillion renminbi, or $651.5 billion, to be spent on water infrastructure between 2011 and 2020, according to China Water Risk, a non-profit group. Just last week, China’s State Council passed air pollution prevention and control law which encompasses total discharge and density of pollutants.
Water usage is one that affects the textile and apparel industry in particular. Patagonia Chief Operating Officer Doug Freeman noted that the entire global textile and apparel industries use enough water in two years to fill the entire Mediterranean Sea.
All the regulatory attention is putting pressure on Chinese manufacturers.
“The industry is coming under increasing pressure due to stricter government rules,” said Wang Tiankai, president of the China National Textile and Apparel Council and president of the International Textile Manufacturers Federation.
Caps to reduce greenhouse gases by 10 percent by 2015, for instance, will be difficult to meet, he said. Still, he urged the industry to upgrade its operations and set an example for others to pursue manufacturing with low carbon footprints.
Meanwhile rising labor and materials costs and sluggish export markets makes it more difficult for manufacturers to meet more stringent requirements, Wang said, noting that growth is slowing from fast to moderate and primary business income has declined. Manufacturers in China are struggling to address these concerns while also maintaining growth.
“What can we do to manufacture in as responsible way as possible. Everything we do pollutes and yet we want unceasing orders for the next 20 years,” said Patagonia’s Freeman.
Despite the hurdles, there appears to be a lot of interest in sustainability in China.
“When you talk about sustainability in Europe, you hear: ‘yes that’s nice but what’s the cost.’ In China, they’re more interested,” said Michael Brennan, vice president of China business operations at Novozyme. Despite the added costs, manufacturers seem to be asking “how can we work with that.” Brennan added that he’s heartened by the Chinese government’s serious stance on environmental change “but the trick is governance and enforcement,” he said.
This year’s conference was held in Guilin, a city best known for its picturesque karst mountains. As a metropolis of 5 million, Guilin has its fair share of urban sprawl nestled against the scenery. Esquel, which intends to open a state-of-the-art eco factory near Guilin in 2016 previously hosted its sustainability conference in Foshan, in Guangzhou province.
Conference attendees shared some of the things they’ve done to save on resources. Frazer Mead, head of innovation and quality (Far East) at Marks and Spencer, said the company reduced energy use by 30 percent and reduced its use of bags by 2 billion last year. To Wai, group vice president at SF Express, a Chinese delivery and courier service, said the company has a fleet of 30 drones delivering packages to rural areas. The company is also establishing pickup and drop off points to consolidate and reduce the distances required to travel.
Novozyme’s Brennan took the opportunity to introduce his company’s enzymes and explain how use of enzymes can reduce water usage as well as reduce pollution and carbon emissions. The main hurdle with adoption of with some of these solutions, he noted is that more sustainable solutions can sometimes cost more. Meanwhile, companies in China are under pressure.
Esquel executives said the company has not been immune from the pressures affecting manufacturing in China, but believes increased productivity is the solution. During a tour of the Esquel’s cutting and sewing factory the day after the conference, factory workers pointed out various means of automation and efficiency.
Participants also brought up some practical solutions to reduce waste. Esquel Group’s managing director of specialty spinning Tian Ye discussed how the company recycles waste material, turning them into new products. He noted the company’s projects with Apple and Cathay Pacific Airlines, using recycled material leftover from the spinning or weaving process, to make new t-shirts or airline blankets.
He also said he hoped there was a way to reduce the amount of samples required, by improving communications or by using digital communication for part of the process.
“We make many, many samples. It’s a waste,” Tian said, adding that manufacturers such as Esquel are under a lot of pressure to make copious amounts of samples in order to get orders. But if the system could be changed, there could be a lot of reduced waste.
Esquel plans to host its sustainability conference in Guilin again next year.


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Vineet Rao, co-founder and CEO of social commerce platform DealShare, has decided to step down from his role, effective immediately. According to a statement issued by the firm, Rao will continue to maintain his position on the company’s board, as well as advise the firm on the appointment of his successor.
“In its continuous quest to drive profitable growth, DealShare aspires to pivot to a hybrid online and offline model to enhance its services, and increase its customer retention and share of wallet. As the company embarks on this next phase of growth, Vineet Rao, the current CEO has decided to step down from his role. Vineet (Rao) will work with the board to help identify the right CEO to lead this mission. He will also continue to work with and advise the board in respect to the new leadership,” a spokesperson for the company commented on the matter.
The departure of Rao from the company’s helm comes amidst its shift from operating an online-only platform to a hybrid model – providing offline and online operations alike. DealShare is also currently engaged in the shifting of its base to Delhi from Bengaluru (which will have the greatest number of employees in the social commerce firm), as well as increasing its offline presence in the sector.
A report by Moneycontrol reveals that DealShare has already asked its employees from non-tech divisions to relocate and join its offices in Delhi, but warned that failure to relocate would result in them being axed by the firm. DealShare already joined the layoff wagon earlier this year, laying off nearly 100 employees as part of a business restructuring plan
DealShare operates on a mobile app-based platform to offer a range of products. Product categories include groceries, personal care items, household goods, and fashion items, which are sourced directly from manufacturers and distributors. To date, the firm has raised a total of $393 million from external investors. As of February 2022, it was valued at $1.7 billion after it raised over $390 million from WestBridge Capital, Tiger Global and others. Dealshare claimed to have served over 10 million customers since its launch, and usually targets customers in Tier II and III cities of the country, following a group-buying model (one wherein a group of individuals or consumers come together to buy products or services in large quantities).
Going forward, the firm has a lofty goal of increasing its revenues by three times in the next two-and-a-half years, according to Sourjyendu Medda, founder and co-CEO at DealShare. And if this is not ambitious enough, it also plans to become operationally profitable during the period. DealShare also intends to invest ₹1,000 crores over the next five years to grow its private labels business, he added.