text:
Volkswagen Chief Executive Officer Matthias Mueller will brief the leadership committee of the company's board on Wednesday on findings of an internal investigation as the company struggles to explain years of cheating on emissions tests.
Mueller will discuss the investigation at a closed-door meeting, people familiar with the matter said. After the scandal prompted the departure of former CEO Martin Winterkorn and the suspensions of three senior development executives, more people are set to lose their jobs amid pressure to repair the company's reputation, the people said.
Volkswagen is facing civil lawsuits, criminal investigations and partial sales stops in a growing number of countries after it publicly admitted to cheating on diesel emissions almost two weeks ago. The company said on Tuesday it plans to fix the pollution-control systems. It hasn't specified how many of each type of car are affected, exactly how it'll make the repairs or to what extent the fixes may affect the way the vehicles drive.
"That lack of clarity coming from them right now, perhaps it's because they don't know, is worrying in itself," said Stuart Pearson, a London-based analyst for Exane BNP Paribas. "By this stage, investors would have wanted to see a clearer breakdown."
Regulators will be informed of a solution in October, Volkswagen saidon Tuesday. Affected customers will then be notified in the "coming weeks and months," the company said. Volkswagen has emphasized that its new cars with motors that meet Euro 6 diesel-emissions standards aren't affected.
"We've come up with a solution with a focus on the customer," Herbert Diess, chief of Volkswagen's VW mass-market brand, said to reporters in Brussels. "We will rework the software, maybe make minor adjustments to the engine."
The extent of upgrades to the cars, and whether hardware components need to be replaced, will depend on the model variant and engine size, a person familiar with the matter said.
Interfering with the investigation is internal wrangling over which documents Jones Day, the U.S. law firm Volkswagen hired to investigate the use of a software program to cheat on pollution tests, will get to see, said one of the people, who asked not to be identified because the discussion is private.
Some managers have fretted that giving Jones Day full access to documents could result in the lawyers seeing confidential information not linked to the diesel disaster, the person said. Supervisory board leaders will discuss on Wednesday how to ensure the law firm gets the information it needs. Labor representatives including interim Chairman Berthold Huber are pushing for full transparency, the person said.
The ramifications of the years-long falsification continue to reverberate through Volkswagen's complex, multilayered management structure. Four to five additional people in the company's technical development teams have been suspended as a precautionary measure to facilitate the investigation, according to a person familiar with the situation.
Volkswagen's plan to promote Chief Financial Officer Hans Dieter Poetsch to supervisory board chairman, decided before the scandal broke, has also come under fire. Poetsch's promotion sends "a pretty bad signal to the market, the regulators and everyone who's bringing litigation now against VW," Hans- Christoph Hirt, executive director at Hermes Equity Ownership Services, said in an interview with Bloomberg TV.
The Porsche and Piech families who control more than half of Volkswagen's voting shares back Poetsch, according to a person familiar with their thinking.
The company is looking to fill as many as eight management jobs after Mueller pushed for a restructuring. They include the new role of chief technology officer as well as chief financial officer and brand development chiefs for VW, Audi and Porsche.
Lawyers continued to line up to file complaints against the automaker. British law firm Leigh Day sent a letter to Mueller saying that if the defeat devices were installed on British vehicles, "this undoubtedly amounts to a misrepresentation and a breach of contract."
The rigged emissions-test results were in a type of diesel engine installed in about 5 million VW brand cars, 2.1 million Audi models, 1.8 million VW delivery vans, 1.2 million autos from the Skoda unit and 700,000 from the Spanish Seat nameplate. Affected cars include the previous generations of the VW Golf hatchback and Tiguan sport utility vehicle.
Anthony Aarons and Angela Cullen contributed.


text:
Originally posted on VentureBeat:
Mountain Lion is an incremental OS update from Lion with 200 new features (read our hands on), but because it costs just $20 to upgrade, it’s a no-brainer for those already running Lion. Not only is the cost low, but Apple has made it positively easy to upgrade by downloading the OS through the Mac App Store.
Thanks to the low price and making it easy to download, Mountain Lion accounts for 3 percent of Mac web traffic just 48 hours after launch, Web tracking firm Chitika claims.
Chitika says that based on the 66 million Mac users Apple claims it has, it can infer 2.1 million Mac owners have already upgraded to Mountain Lion. If 90 percent of those…
View original 66 more words

domain: news


text:
Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'EU tractor ban'.
is wondering if IOM farmers would be affected by the new European directive that could limit the time farmers spend on their tractors to less than one hour a day? Apparently:- Health and safety measures for whole-body vibration (WBV) limits were introduced in 2005 to protect workers from risks to health from vibrations. However, these are only to become mandatory next year for farm machinery built before 2007 when an exemption expires in July. Are IOM farmers exempt if we are not in the EU? Looks like a potential huge cost to IOM farming if farmers to have to buy new and up to da


text:
Mother’s Recipe is looking to double their market share in the instant mixes category. In the coming two years, the brand is looking to increase their market share from around 12 per cent to 24 per cent in the category.
The ready-to-eat meals market in India is currently valued at Rs 23 crore. The category has been growing at a CAGR of 13.22 per cent in the last five years, the number is expected to double by 2020.
“Instant Mix category has huge potential and is definitely a booming segment. Having said that, the penetration of this category is limited to urban markets, and even in the urban scenario, the consumption patterns are not very consistent. We are targeting a market share of 24 per cent in the category in the next two years,” said Sanjana Desai, Head of Business Development, Desai Brothers Ltd. – Food Division (Mother’s Recipe).
In a bid to leverage the increasing lucrativeness of the category, the brand recently added Poha in a cup format to their instant mixes range.
Speaking about the need for this addition to their instant mixes range, Desai said, “As far as the instant mix category is concerned, we are the pioneers in introducing instant mix products and have always promoted healthy options without any preservatives, MSG or artificial colours/flavours to our consumers. We were the first ones to launch instant poha mix in the market; however, with the changing consumer needs and times, we realised that apart from health and nutrition, consumers are looking for convenient grab and go options which can be prepared in a jiffy. Therefore, we recently launched our instant Poha in a cup format with ‘mom’s style Poha on the go’ and introduced it in two different variants – a regular poha and no onion, no garlic option.”
While, Desai agreed that the contribution of the instant mixes segment to the overall portfolio of Mother’s Recipe sales is low, she reiterated the fact that this would be a targeted year-on-year growth category for them. In the future, the company expects the instant mix category to contribute substantially to their overall revenue.
Mother’s Recipe also intends to increase their marketing sped on the category and invest more in the category to offer more options to consumers. Currently, the brand spends approximately 20 per cent of their sales revenue on marketing.
MTR, the brand that launched their instant breakfast range targeting the millennials earlier last year, spent Rs 40 crore on marketing the range. The ready-to-eat category accounts for 10 per cent of the brand’s overall revenues.
Speaking about their media mix and the importance of digital, especially when it comes to marketing their instant mixes range, Desai said, “Mother’s Recipe as a brand has always focused on having a holistic 360-degree approach when it comes to using various mediums. We have always maintained a balance when it comes to the choice of media vehicle, as we believe it plays a very critical role and varies depending on the target consumers we want to reach out to with the products/ categories.”
“The traditionally used TV and Print are important media to create mass appeal for our Pickles range, however digital is a very important vehicle to communicate with the target group for our instant mixes product category. It is also important to create a two-way communication channel for our consumers to engage and interact with the brand. We as a brand has been focusing heavily on creating such platforms for our consumers using various digital medium,” added Desai.


text:
EIGHT out of 10 ‘large’ UK companies plan to shift business to countries, including India and China, in the next two or three years to cut costs, according to a survey by TPI, the largest outsourcing adviser. Of the 100 executives questioned for a survey by London-based TPI, 81 said they’ll boost offshore outsourcing as the process matures, TPI said. Only 4 per cent intend to decrease it. Central and Eastern Europe are also popular with outsourcers.
"Companies are likely to continue to use India to a greater extent than Central and Eastern Europe,’’ TPI Managing Director Duncan Aitchison said in a recent report from London. Still, "the latter is likely to be increasingly used as a location for customer-facing services" in Europe.
Offshore outsourcing means moving parts of a business to another country to lower costs. About 60 per cent of executives questioned said Indian providers rival Western companies on service as well as cost savings, the report said.
HSBC Holdings and Barclays in June investigated claims that customer account details were sold by a former callcentre worker in India to an undercover reporter amid a probe by London police.
India, as the longest-established country for offshoring, provides an indication of how trends may develop globally, Aitchison said. About 75 per cent of the executives questioned use India as an offshore destination, 28 per cent use Central and Eastern Europe and a quarter use China, according to the report.
Accenture Ltd. and International Business Machines Corp are among the world’s biggest outsourcing firms. Indian rivals are merging, and will challenge global companies if the trend continues, the survey said. — Bloomberg


text:
The app stores available to users of Google’s Android mobile operating system and Apple’s iOS are constantly changing, expanding with an ever-diversifying array of apps across a multitude of categories. While some are outstandingly popular now (think games and social media apps), you can look out for a few up-and-coming categories.
TechCrunch reported in October that while apps have come a long way since Apple launched the App Store in 2008 — with more than 5 million apps now available in the leading app stores — not all app categories have evolved at the same pace. Gaming and social media apps have traditionally led the major app stores in revenue, downloads, and engagement, and have pioneered new monetization strategies that have made it possible for some app developers to see huge returns on their investments.
The iOS App Store has 23 app categories while Google Play lists 26, from Books and Business to Weather and Widgets. TechCrunch reports that while gaming apps once enjoyed an exclusive hold over the top spots in app store rankings, apps in the travel, retail, and media/ entertainment industries are now contending for those spots, and have a better chance than ever of becoming “the new app store heavyweights.” Read on to learn more about four exciting app categories that are coming into their own as significant sources of app store revenue.
1. Travel apps
By 2015, mobile is expected to account for a quarter of U.S. online travel sales — projected to reach nearly $40 billion in revenue — and travel apps represent a significant area of investment for travel brands. Travel aggregators are increasingly optimizing their services for the smaller real estate of smartphone screens with better search functionality, more efficient payment processes, and location-based deals on hotels, flights, and ground transportation.
App Annie’s October rankings of the top 10 travel and transportation apps in the iOS App Store and Google Play Store combined include five aggregators: Expedia, Hotels.com, TripAdvisor, Kayak, and HotelTonight. TechCrunch notes that apps in the travel category are also gaining popularity by adding features beyond the simple function of booking a reservation.
2. Retail apps
Retail apps comprise another category that has been around for quite some time, but is just beginning to leverage its full potential. Forrester Research projects that U.S. revenue from smartphone commerce will increase from $16 billion in 2013 to $46 billion in 2018. As consumers continue to browse products in-store and purchase later online, retailers are finding ways to use apps to motivate customers to go back to brick-and-mortar stores.
TechCrunch reports that another promising use of apps for retailers is their use in the creation of interactive stores experiences, which have been shown to increase customer engagement by up to five times — helping retailers improve not only their sales, but also customer loyalty. Product search functionality, location-based coupons and deals, and shopping lists make the shopping process more efficient and appealing for consumers. Options to pick up items in-store help to combine the ecommerce experience with the traditional brick-and-mortar store.
3. Media and entertainment apps
Though well-established, media and entertainment apps represent an area for growth as consumers’ TV viewing habits shift more to digital TV and streaming services. Apps not only enable users to watch TV shows and movies on their mobile devices, but also let them access trailers, games, and other interactive experiences offered in the studios’ own apps. These apps attract users by offering exclusive content, chances to interact with stars, and other experiences that bolster consumers’ loyalty to brands.
In addition to the large media companies bringing their brands and content to a new, mobile platform, media apps are replete with newcomers creating new types of experiences with written, audio, and video media.
4. Celebrity apps
Even apps in the long-dominant gaming category are continually evolving in new directions. Some evidence of that growth comes in the form of a trend that TechCrunch dubbed the “Hollywood-ification of the App Store,” with apps like Kim Kardashian: Hollywood, a partnership between the celebrity and the game publisher Glu, which is thriving. As Quartz reported recently, the game has remained among the top 10 highest grossing apps on the iOS App Store, and among the top 20 in the Google Play Store — and has already made $51 million in revenue.
While Kim Kardashian: Hollywood doesn’t follow the success of games like Clash of Clans, Candy Crush Saga, or Angry Birds, which can make between $1 million and $3 million a day, it has gained a firm foothold in the “second tier” of popular mobile games, and is expected to catalyze a shift in the gaming industry. The game illustrates an enticing new model, where publishers can license a title from a TV show or a movie and build the theme of the game around that. Convincing a celebrity to participate and promote the game will only help gain and engage users.
More From Tech Cheat Sheet:
- Last Week’s 15 Best Tech Products to Check Out
- Why We Shouldn’t Trust the Top Messaging Apps With Our Data
- How Facebook Is Solving the Android Problem
Want more great content like this? Sign up here to receive the best of Cheat Sheet delivered daily. No spam; just tailored content straight to your inbox.


text:
BOSTON, MA, Online student-to-student marketplace for buying and selling class study material, has closed a seed round extension of $1.5M.
Flashnotes, the online student-to-student marketplace for buying and selling class study material, has closed a seed round extension of $1.5M. The financing was provided by new investor Nicole Stata of Boston Seed Capital, return investors Ryan Moore of Atlas Venture, Jordan Levy of Softbank Capital, and angels Deborah Quazzo, Jere Doyle and Bob Mason.
'Flashnotes has built, and is quickly expanding, a marketplace that delivers high-quality and high-value material. Importantly, they are trusted by both buyers and sellers,' said Nicole Stata, founder and managing director of Boston Seed Capital. 'We are impressed with the team and their approach to this market opportunity.'
In parallel with the funding, Flashnotes has acquired NoteUtopia, a California-based online community for buying and selling class notes. The merger brings Flashnotes additional Universities, class-specific content and student members. The integration of the two companies will be complete for the Fall 2013 semester.
'The inroads that NoteUtopia has made on the west coast make a perfect match with the success already achieved by Flashnotes on the east coast, and I am confident that our students will transition seamlessly and love sharing notes on the Flashnotes platform,' said Ryan Stevens, founder of NoteUtopia. 'The Flashnotes team has done an amazing job building the platform thus far and I am looking forward to working together to dominate this market.'
Earlier this year, Flashnotes named Jeff Kushmerek as Chief Product Officer, and recently hired Kate Adams as VP of Marketing. Before joining Flashnotes, Jeff ran created and ran the professional services group for online video leader Brightcove; Kate was product director at Edvisors, a network of higher education resource sites.
'We are thrilled to have Jeff and Kate on the team,' said Mike Matousek, founder and CEO of Flashnotes. 'Jeff's experience and expertise in technology, video and business, and Kate's experience building strong student communities, are invaluable to Flashnotes as we continue to grow the community and expand our offerings.'
Flashnotes debuted its first video tutorial offering in the Spring 2013 semester (click here to see video) and will launch more comprehensive real-time video offerings in Fall 2013.
Flashnotes enables students to help each other study. It is a marketplace for class-specific study material - notes, flashcards and tutorial videos. Students set their own price for the content they create and upload; and they earn up to 70% on each sale. The crowd-sourced rating system weeds out poor content very quickly and incentivizes the best note takers. Flashnotes also offers a 100% money back guarantee. Visit www.flashnotes.com
(c)2011-2020 by Massinvestor, Inc. For contact info, please check out our about


text:
Displaying results 1 - 9 of 9
Bhutan's entrepreneurs can now open a business in under a minute
3 Jun 2021
A new government platform using UNCTAD's online single window technology powers business registration in record time, supporting livelihoods during the COVID-19 crisis.
Why trade must be part of the solution to biodiversity loss
21 May 2021
Unsustainable trade is behind the biodiversity crisis threatening our existence. But done sustainably, international commerce can help protect our planet’s precious resources.
Women in rural Namibia profit from biodiversity-friendly trade
19 May 2021
The sustainable use and trade of indigenous plants has created valuable economic opportunities for 2,500 Namibian women and their communities.
Women entrepreneurs changing the gender narrative against all odds
8 May 2021
A co-founder of a robotics academy in Jordan and a car shop owner in Brazil share their experiences of overcoming barriers to become successful entrepreneurs.
Supporting small businesses is critical for COVID-19 recovery
26 Apr 2021
Policymakers need to adapt policies and institutions to enable small businesses to make a greater contribution to post-pandemic economic revival.
Palestine faces hard road ahead to recovery from COVID-19 shock
31 Mar 2021
New UNCTAD simulations show the coronavirus pandemic will have a significant impact on the already shattered Palestinian economy.
How regional trade agreements can improve access to medical products during crises
10 Mar 2021
By UNCTAD Economists
Helping cross-border women traders navigate COVID-19 crisis
9 Mar 2021
UNCTAD has equipped women traders in border areas of Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia with the information and entrepreneurial skills they need to survive and recover from the crisis.


text:
Tiffany & Co. (NYSE:TIF) Tuesday posted better-than-expected third quarter results and maintained its full-year sales and earnings guidance even though it said protest and security around Trump Tower had hurt traffic at its flagship in New York.
The shop is located on Fifth Avenue and next door is Trump Tower, the residence and office tower of President-elect Donald Trump. Since the election, security was heightened in front of Trump Tower. What’s more, more and more protests were happening there too. Tiffany’s executive said the company is “adverse effect” on its Fifth Avenue flagship, which accounts for less than 10 percent of its total sales.
“The company cannot provide any assurance that sales in that store will not be negatively affected by this activity in the fourth quarter or in any future period,” the jeweler said. Although analysts are cautious about the effect, the company still maintain its full-year guidance, seeing revenue to slip by a low-single-digit percentage for fiscal 2016 while earnings per share to fall in a mid-single-digit percentage range.
For the third quarter, the iconic jewelry seller said net income were $95.1 million, or 76 cents a share, compared with $91 million, or 70 cents a share, a year earlier. Analysts had projected net income of 67 cents a share. Sales rose 1.2 percent to $949.3 million, beating analysts’ estimate of $923.7 million.
“The 1 percent uplift is modest, but it is far better than the string of poor numbers the company has been posting for well over a year,” Conlumino analyst Neil Saunders said. “That said, the figures do not show that all the problems at Tiffany have been resolved.”


text:
New firm to set up $61m resort in Bali
The Jakarta Post
Property firm PT Pecatu Adi Graha will build its first upmarket resort in Bali with a total investment of Rp 600 billion (US$61 million) this year.
Pecatu president director Abdul Kadir Alatas said the resort would be built on a 3-hectare plot of land in Pecatu, southern Bali.
'We are going to build an upscale hotel with 550 rooms and 35 units of exclusive villas in this area. The construction will take around 18 months so we expect to commence operations at the end of 2015,' Abdul said in Jakarta on Thursday on the sidelines of signing ceremony between PT Pecatu Adi Graha with international chain Pan Pacific Hotels Group, adding that the name of the hotel would be the Parkroyal Pecatu Bali Resort.
The facility, 20 minutes drive from Ngurah Rai International Airport, will boast a golf course, waterboom and convention center, according to the management.
'As the country's most popular tourist spot and a favorite international destination, Bali needs a resort that offers many things to travelers, particularly foreigners who need to relax and spend some time in the island,' said Abdul.
The company, which is cooperating with Pan Pacific hotel management, was also looking at opportunities in other areas, like Lombok, a tourist destination that has become an increasingly attractive alternative to Bali, he went on.
Pan Pacific Hotels Group president and CEO Patrick Imbardelli said the group planned to operate four upmarket hotels in Indonesia over the next three years.
'We are in the process of building a Parkroyal Rainbow Hills in Bogor with a local partner. This hotel is going to enter the market in May next year with 285 rooms and conference facilities,' Patrick said.
He said the country's 'fantastic' economic prospects, large population and growing middle-class
had attracted the group to introducing the Parkroyal brand in the market.
'The market is excellent. We see enormous opportunities for this brand to continue to grow in Indonesia,' he said.
He hopes to introduce the Parkroyal brand in bigger cities such as Jakarta and Surabaya, East Java.
The firm is talking to local partners about more potential projects to be developed over the coming years, he said.
You might also like :
- Soekarno–Hatta International Airport Skytrain is officially launched
- 19 Jambi pilgrims die of 'natural causes' during haj
- Mount Agung activity on the rise: Agency
- EDITORIAL: Death of free speech
- The Pirate Bay mined cryptocurrency by ‘borrowing’ visitors’ CPU
- Fishermen, including from Indonesia, 'kept like slaves' in Taiwan
- Parent sends open letter to Jokowi, seeking justice for son’s death
- Regtech, legal tech firms join forces in IRLA
- Bogor Police exhumes body of ‘gladiator fight’ victim for autopsy
- Slum dwellers’ homes in Surakarta to be upgraded


text:
Micro-blogging startup Twitter has partnered with local search and discovery service Foursquare on a location-based feed feature deigned to aggregate tweets based on the location they were posted from.
If every day is a game, then there should be prizes, right? Foursquare’s Swarm app has started offering just that, real-life perks depending on where and how often you check in. Called Swarm Challenges, this is yet another feature that Foursquare has brought back to Swarm from its main mobile application, which is now focused on places reviews while Swarm is all about the check-in game. Read More
Since launching in 2009, there have been over nine billion check-ins on Foursquare across the globe. Celebrating its seventh anniversary, the startup pushed an update to its mobile application on the App Store which includes a handy new history features.
Similar to location history on Google, the updated Foursquare app makes it simple for users to browse any place they’ve been and checked into via a new History tab.
In addition, Foursquare now has its own Photos extension which makes it super easy to share a photo as a tip, right within the context of the Photos app. Read More
Foursquare’s main iOS app was refreshed earlier today with some new 3D Touch goodies and a redesigned interface on the iPad. Foursquare for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad was part of the initial wave of third-party applications that enabled support for handy Home screen shortcuts via 3D Touch on the new iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.
Today’s update added 3D Touch-based Peek and Pop gestures, meaning you can now preview content within the app and pop right into it, without lifting a finger off the screen. Read More
Foursquare’s dedicated check-in app, Swarm, has been adding missing features ever since the startup split the main mobile app’s functionality into dedicated place discovery and check-in apps.
The new Swarm 3.0 for iOS, which released earlier this morning, brings back leaderboards after gaining mayorships early in the summer. In addition, messages and notifications have been unified under a single inbox view.
Your worldwide and nearby views are now folded into a single Friends tab and a revamped Here Now section is now located under the Nearby section. Read More
Foursquare unveiled Swarm in March of last year to give the location check-in ability of the main iOS app a brand new place of its own. Not all of the features of Foursquare for iOS have made it into the dedicated app, namely mayorships.
Arguably the most popular feature—especially if you’re into the check-in game—mayorships are now back in the latest Swarm 2.5 for iPhone update.
You can earn them by checking in more than anyone else, which will unlock a shiny new mayor crown. Read More
Swarm, Foursquare’s dedicated location check-in application for the iPhone, received a nice little update Monday, adding the Apple Watch component which allows you to easily check in to places and see who’s nearby.
Foursquare, the world’s top crowd-sourced local search and discovery service and mobile app, has pushed a refresh to its iPhone and iPad places-discovery application available at no cost in the App Store.
Among other new features, Foursquar 8.1 enables Handoff support between iOS and the Mac and lets you easily access Citymapper from the app. For those wondering, Citymapper is a fast-growing, real-time transit service available on the iPhone and coming to the Apple Watch next month. Read More
You will be soon able to tag specific locations in tweets thanks to an expanded Foursquare integration, the micro-blogging platform announced in a tweet Monday.
“We’re working with Foursquare so you can tag specific locations in tweets,” reads the message. The new features is “coming soon,” added the firm.
Currently, users can add additional location context to their tweeting by adding a general location label, such as “SoMa, San Francisco,” to their tweets using Twitter for Android, Twitter for iOS, twitter.com or other mobile apps. Read More
After adding a widget to its check-in app called Swarm back in December, Foursquare’s main iPhone application today finally received a brand new Today widget for iOS 8’s Notification Center of its own.
Moreover, the latest 8.7 update added personalized recommendations while logged out, so you don’t need to even have an account with Foursquare to receive tips and recommendations about nearby places.
Just open the app to get started. Read More
The Foursquare app is at last available on the iPad! The freshly released update takes full advantage of the iPad’s bigger canvas and increased screen resolution, so you’ll now see more content and scroll less when browsing Foursquare content on your Apple tablet.
It’s focused on helping you plan smarter with a personalized list of all the great places for a chosen city. Plus, it’s a lot easier now to save anything to your itinerary with a tap.
The team’s added another new section dedicated to all the top picks in your area. Tapping Foursquare’s vast database of crowdsourced locations and check-ins, it suggests places that are newly popular, up-and-coming and local mainstays.
The app was updated back in September with full support for iOS 8 and Interactive Notifications with the ability to save, like and follow right from the notification.
And yes, it looks great on the bigger iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus screens. Read More
Taking advantage of iOS 8’s new Interactive Notifications, Foursquare, the popular local search and discovery service, on Wednesday refreshed its main iPhone client with the ability to ‘save,’ ‘like,’ and ‘follow’ from the notifications you get from the service.
1Password integration allows fans of the popular password-management app to use their saved credentials when logging in to Foursquare, without having to paste the password manually.
A month ago, Foursquare’s check-in app called Swarm received a similar update permitting users to check in to locations from the Lock screen or within iOS 8’s Notification Center via a new Today widget.
Swarm, a dedicated check-in app by Foursquare, has received a tremendously useful update Friday which makes it dead simple to check in to your favorite locations right from your Lock screen without even opening the app, thanks to a brand new Notification Center widget available on iOS 8 devices.
Foursquare, the popular location-based social networking service, recently announced plans to remove social features and check-ins from its original mobile client.
Thus, Swarm was born.
By striping the mobile client off unnecessary features, the logic went, Foursquare aimed to provide its users with a lightweight app that would have a strong focus on location discovery.
After announcing the redesigned new app and showing off a new logo two weeks ago, the new Forusquare 8.0 for iPhone is now available in the App Store. It “learns what you like and leads you to places you love,” as per the blurb, and is a lot like Yelp now.
Jump past the break for the full info… Read More
Foursquare, the popular location-based social network, made a string of significant announcements today. Apparently the company has decided it’s time to move all check-in activity—its trademark feature—over to its Swarm client, and create an all-new application.
The new app, Foursquare says, will be all about ‘personalized local search.’ No two people will have the same experience, as it will be based on a number of factors including user taste, people they follow, and places they visit. Oh yeah, and there’s a whole new logo too… Read More
Foursquare, the popular location-based social networking service, back in May took all the gamified features out of its main iOS client – the mayorships, check-ins, leaderboards, achievements and what not – and created a new app around them, Swarm. As a result, the main Foursquare app is now focused on place discovery , not the check-ins.
The lightweight Swarm app makes it easy to see who’s out nearby, who’s doing what, who wants to hang out later and more. Today, the app has received a refresh bringing out several new features.
Earlier this morning, I diligently informed you that the crowd-sourced location platform Foursquare has updated its free iPhone check-in software ahead of the impending launch of a brand new Swarm app later today.
Now available free in the App Store, Swarm for iPhone integrates gamified features from the main Foursquare app to “help people keep up and meet up with their friends”.
It combines all-new mayorships, while introducing intriguing new stuff such as popular stickers. Basically, the app offers detailed insights about your life and lets you connect to friends in your neighborhood to explore their activities.
Swarm arrives ahead of Foursquare’s search-focused revamp due this summer. And when it drops, the Foursquare app will no longer let you check-in to places. If you have updated to the new Foursquare 7.0.8 and have Swarm installed, you should be able to peek at some of the upcoming changes inside the Foursquare app… Read More
Foursquare, the popular location-based social platform, is set to release a brand new Swarm app today which will “help people keep up and meet up with their friends”.
As a result, the existing free iOS client has just been updated with some changes you should know about. Announced two weeks ago, Swarm combines new mayorships, introduces stickers, offers detailed insights about your life and much more.
If you have Swarm installed, the new Foursquare 7.0.8 update includes a peek at some of the upcoming changes to Foursquare ahead of a major search-focused revamp due this summer… Read More
It’s been a pretty big day for Microsoft. Following the news earlier today that Satya Nadella has been named the company’s new CEO, and Bill Gates would be stepping down as chairman, comes word that the Windows maker has made a sizable investment in Foursquare.
The deal, which has been confirmed by both parties, is said to be worth $15 million, and it will give Microsoft access to Forsquare’s mountain of mobile data. The company plans to utilize the data in its Bing mapping software and various other Windows Phone applications… Read More


text:
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings is seeing strong bookings for 2022 and beyond, with the booked position for the second half of 2022 in line with historical records in 2019, according to President and CEO Frank Del Rio, speaking on the company’s year-end and fourth quarter earnings call.
“While 2023, compared to pre-pandemic 2020, is in an even better position, in fact, a record booked position,” said Del Rio. “As of today pricing for 2022 and 2023 sailings remained higher for the full year versus 2019 and pre-pandemic 2020, respectively, even when including the diluted effect of future cruise credits.”
Del Rio credited the success to the company’s strategy of marketing to fill ships as opposed to discounting, which he said would result in long-term damage to brand equity.
Later in the call, Del Rio said that with the numbers the company has on its books for 2023, he expects a very strong year.
“Based on the numbers that I have in the books right now, both load factor and pricing, and further based on the assumption that we will not see another major delta or omicron-type surge, 2023 can get the industry and certainly our company back to pre-pandemic levels,” Del Rio said, noting the company was hoping to have 60 to 65 percent of its inventory filled for 2023 by the end of 2022.


text:
Empathy and evidence
Source: The Bookseller Author:Stephen Lotinga 2018-09-03 11:31
Over the last few months there has been much debate about author remuneration and a lot of heat, but little light about how the proceeds of the book industry are being shared.
This is not a new debate—it is as old as the book itself— but that does not make it any less important. It goes to the heart of the author/publisher relationship, a partnership that provides the bedrock to our industry.
A few weeks ago, I questioned whether the short extract released from the Authors’ Licensing & Collecting Society (ALCS) survey of author remuneration, which suggests average author pay is dropping, told the full story. I did so because it was completely at odds with what publishers tell me about how they are operating their businesses and the significant amounts of money they continue to pay authors. I struggled to believe it was more than a partial insight to a complex matter.
In our submission to the All Party Writers’ Group inquiry into author remuneration, which we are making public today, we have outlined our concerns. Responding to this parliamentary inquiry has its challenges—not least as the ALCS report which prompted it has not been made public. However, having looked at the methodology used in previous years we have raised concerns around whether these surveys are fully representative of author pay, and pointed to a number of apparently contrary findings.
With all of that said, I do of course understand that there are authors, as there are people in all walks of life, who are struggling to make ends meet. We need to understand why and help where possible. Publishers are committed to working to ensure that writing remains a well-remunerated and successful career for as many authors as possible.
In related conversations, I have been told that my approach is too data-driven, that focusing on the figures displays a lack of empathy towards the reality of those struggling to make a living. But I stand by the view that alongside empathy we need this discussion to be rooted in evidence. There is clearly an information gap on this issue, some of which is the fault of the Publishers Association.
Last year we commissioned and released research from Frontier Economics about the economic value of publishing. As part of this work, economists attempted to calculate investments in literary originals and stated that authors received £161m in total in 2016 from advances, royalties, secondary licensing and rights. Understandably, a number of authors and publishers raised concerns with us about how this figure could be so low, especially at a time when publisher revenues were increasing.
It has been an uncomfortable experience to have our own figures quoted back at us and we can now state that this figure, which we already thought was conservative, was actually way off the mark. Getting to the bottom of this has taken longer than it should have, but the researchers have gone back over their calculations and the original research it was based on. We are publishing a formal correction today in the form of an addendum.
In summary, Frontier Economics incorrectly stated that the total payment authors received in 2016 was £161m. However, this figure did not include the advances publishers pay to authors and, as such, a more accurate figure is around £350m. It is worth noting as well that this figure relates to authors in consumer publishing, since journal and textbook publishers operate very different business models and their authors are often remunerated in other ways. All of this means that of the roughly £1.8bn consumer publishers received in revenues in 2016, 19% was paid to authors, significantly above the profit margins of almost every publisher.
In addition to revising the figure above, we and our members are trying to further remedy the information gap by working directly with the Office for National Statistics to update official statistics, so that we can more reliably inform and understand better such matters in the future.
It is true that the most successful books effectively pay for the rest, and that most of the 180,000 books published in the UK each year don’t make significant sums of money for author or publisher. Publishers go to great lengths to ensure authors are appropriately rewarded for their work and continually invest in new talent. We should be careful about calls to move away from this model towards, as some appear to be suggesting, one that rewards regardless of commercial success. This could totally undermine the delicate balance of the book ecosystem that exists today.
The UK continues to be one of the best places in the world to write a book. We have a superb industry of authors, agents, publishers and booksellers. Our books are in great demand, domestically and around the world. This is despite the fact that we have experienced nothing short of a revolution over the past few decades, coming to terms with the reality of enormous retailers who can effectively dictate terms.
It is right that there is a frank discussion about what is appropriate for different parts of the industry to receive from its success, but we do not serve our industry well if we descend into factions and blame one another. We also don’t serve our industry well if we lack confidence in the evidence we’re using as the basis for assertions made. I will continue to push for the best possible evidence—including when it involves holding my own hand up to correct a mistake we have made.


text:
EA has announced its classic racing franchise Need for Speed is being rebooted, with a new game scheduled to arrive this autumn.
The new iteration, which will simply be called Need for Speed, will hit the reset button on the series, which first arrived on the original Sony PlayStation and Sega Saturn in 1994.
The new game will be released for Xbox One, PS4 and Windows later this year, promising "deep customization, authentic urban car culture, a nocturnal open world, and an immersive narrative that pulls you through the game."
The title will developed by Ghost Games, the company responsible for 2013’s Need for Speed: Rivals.
Marcus Nilsson, executive producer at the Swedish developer, said the franchise reboot will help restore the Need for Speed name to “greatness,” following underwhelming recent releases.
In a statement, he wrote: “Need for Speed is one of the most iconic names in gaming, and we're returning it to greatness in this reboot.
"Pulling on our 20 years of history, and then taking a year out from releasing a game, we are making the game we've always wanted to. We're listening to the fans and delivering an experience that will capture their imagination and unleash their passion for cars and speed."
Read more: E3 2015 Predictions
EA has also released the first teaser trailer for the forthcoming title, with a full trailer coming during E3 on June 15 2015. That'll certainly be one to watch out for during the annual gaming extravaganza.


text:
Artificial Intelligence, advanced robotics, and IoT or The Internet of Things are all newer technologies under Industry 4.0.
Industry 4.0 is the latest of the first three industrial revolutions that transformed modern society. With each of these advancements — the steam engine, the age of science and mass production, and the advancement of digital technology — the world has forever changed.
But not for every sector; for instance, the U.S. manufacturing industry has been slow to adopt to Industry 4.0 for various reasons.
Still, relatively new, Industry 4.0 has been implemented by varied manufacturing companies as well as other U.S. businesses, but at a slow pace.
Experts suggest if the U.S. manufacturing sector hopes to be at the forefront it needs to embrace Industry 4.0 and newer technologies.
For example, one way to get on board with Industry 4.0 is for manufacturing companies to start by familiarizing themselves with Industry 4.0, according to Industry Week.
Sounds like common sense, but are U.S. manufacturers ready to take a leap of faith and abandon their current practices for more advanced ones? Maybe not.
A report, entitled, “Sprinting to Value in Industry 4.0,” conducted by the Boston Consulting Group breaks down how some manufacturers feel about Industry 4.0 — nearly 90 percent aren’t sold.
“Nearly 90% of manufacturing leaders surveyed by BCG regarded adopting Industry 4.0 technologies to improve productivity, but only about one in four see opportunities to use these advances to build new revenue streams,” the report mentions.
But truly, to succeed in the future, the U.S. manufacturing sector will need to raise the bar rather quickly if it doesn’t want to be left behind.
To find out how manufacturers and other companies feel about Industry 4.0 BCG surveyed 380 U.S.-based respondents in different industries.
The survey found conflicting info, here is some of the data:
1. Industry 4.0 is a priority, but not the be-all-end-all. Overall, 53% said adopting Industry 4.0 is a prime concern. Cost-sensitive industries — such as semiconductors, electronics, and oil and gas— want to move forward while 80% said Industry 4.0 is important.
2. Value is expected from productivity and cost improvements, but not as much from revenue growth. Among the respondents, 89% see the chance to use Industry 4.0 to better manufacturing productivity. They expect to capture the greatest value from reducing manufacturing costs (47%) and improving product quality (43%) and operations (42%). But fewer see the chance to see increased revenue (28%) or develop a new revenue model (13%).
3. Implementation is underway, but at an uneven pace in the technologies sector. Those surveyed said the top levels of implementation are cybersecurity (65%), big data and analytics (54%), and cloud computing (53%). They reported the lowest levels of implementation are for additive manufacturing (34%), advanced robotics (32%), and augmented reality (28%).
Still a Ways to Go
Although few and far between in the manufacturing industry are jumping on the bandwagon to change their ways they will need to implement Industry 4.0 sooner rather than later. If not, they might not be able to compete with the rest of the world’s manufacturing industry.


text:
Jovago Monthly newsletter
Jovago Assesses Ethiopian Online Payment Systems
Nov 1,2015Although Ethiopia has not implemented an online payment system and has the lowest internet penetration rate of 8.7%, Jovago says 64% of the country booking payments through Jovago.com were done through online payment platforms while 36% still prefer to pay at the hotel upon arrival.
Kushal Dutta appointed Managing Director of Jovago Nigeria
November 3, 2015
Jovago adds Somalia hotels to booking site
Nov 5, 2015
Online hotel booking giant Jovago aims to tap into Ethiopian market
One of the world’s leading online hotel search and booking sites, Jovago, said it aims to tap into the growing Ethiopian hotel market by opening its first office in Addis Ababa.
Jovago now speaks Swahili
Nov 15, 2015
Hotel booking platform Jovago has added the Swahili language in its newly-improved and user-friendly website.


text:
The ten percent Whole Foods discount is coming to the DC area this week.
Earlier this year, Whole Foods began offering 5 percent cash back to Amazon Prime members that used their Prime credit card to pay for groceries at the store.
On Wednesday, the company will roll out an additional ten percent discount to Prime members on hundreds of Whole Foods items at all of the company’s stores, including those in the DC area.
There are two ways that Prime members can take advantage of the new discounts. Members can download the Whole Foods Market app, and then sign in with their Amazon account and scan the app’s Prime Code at checkout. Alternatively, customers can use their phone number at checkout.


text:
BY JOY OFASIA
GUADALCANAL Provincial Council of Women (GPCW) has held a day’s financial literacy and skills management – capacity building training workshop for women in business in Visale, North West Guadalcanal.
The event, held in collaboration with the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) – entrepreneurship project, was aimed at promoting economic empowerment for business women to help sustainably grow their businesses.
GPCW mission is to facilitate empowerment and advancement in gender inclusiveness approach to better informed on issues and concerns that affect them, whilst encouraging inclusive gender participation in all developments that benefits them.
Participants at the event included; women and girls engaged in businesses such as canteen, root crop vendors, and food selling, among others.
The aim of the ‘Entrepreneurship Project’ is to sustainably empower women and girls on entrepreneurship skills and knowledge, best practise on life skill capacity building, improve business and marketing skills and financial literacy in order to improve financial sustainability that raise rural economic development through small income generating activities. Also with sustainable improvement on family’s livelihood that raises standard of living.
Workshop Facilitator, Selina Berah from the Guadalcanal Provincial Council of Women said the project targeted hundred and six local entrepreneurs in two different venues in the Sahalu ward and Tandai ward in the North-West region of Guadalcanal province.
“We want to empower the targeted participants so that these trainings will improve their business and marketing skills as they daily engage in their small income generating activities,” the facilitator said.
Selina later added that the training held in Sahalu ward in Visale was a success which all participants learned a lot as they were empowered more on entrepreneurship knowledge and skills.
The most basic skills to equip women and girls is imparting the skills of budgeting and financial planning which is on how to manage their finances, to live within their means. Many people easily spend beyond their means, even for those with sufficient financial resources.


text:
World’s largest Hotel group eyes Samoa
The world’s largest hotel group, Wyndham, is looking to expand into Samoa. Last week, the Wyndham Hotel Group General Manager for Acquisitions and Development, David Wray (pictured) visited.He was keen for the global Wyndham Hotel Group to expand its Pacific Islands footprint to include Samoa. Mr Wray had meetings in Apia with key tourism industry officials to update himself on the future tourism developments.In a media statement, Mr Wray says he is confident the timing is right for Wyndham through its Ramada brand, to enter the Samoan tourism market. Ramada is a hotel chain owned and operated by Wyndham Worldwide.Mr Wray says he also met with the Aggie Grey’s Hotel Group.Wyndham is keen to work and partner with the iconic Aggie Grey’s brand to develop and manage a 5 Star Resort in Samoa.They also hope to expand the tourism market from its present concentration on the NZ and Australian markets.The Wyndham Hotel Group is one of the world’s largest hotel companies with approximately 7,190 hotels and 609,600 rooms in 66 countries under 15 hotel brands.


text:
British car manufacturing got off to a strong start in 2016 with an 8 percent year-on-year increase in January, according to figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
Boosted by strong demand from overseas,137,552 cars were built last month, with a 10 percent increase in the number of vehicles produced for export and a 3 percent rise in the amount of cars destined for the domestic market.
Around four in five cars built in Britain are exported.
"January's figures mark an encouraging start to the year for the UK car industry, following an impressive 2015," Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said.
"We expect output to continue growing in the coming years as the industry benefits from continuing investment, but much will depend on global economic and political conditions and consumer confidence."
The performance follows a record year for exports in 2015, with total car production reaching 1.6 million – the highest in a decade.


text:
The global dairy industry is struggling with lower demand and a steep decline in prices as the spreading COVID-19 outbreak wreaks havoc on its supply chains.
The closure of thousands of restaurants, offices, hotels, schools and coffee shops has dramatically reduced demand for milk, butter, cheese and ice cream in the U.S., Europe and parts of Asia. Countrywide shutdowns have led to the large scale absence of workers in dairy factories and milk processing plants. Meanwhile, a large quantity of domestic orders have been canceled, exports have been hit and milk prices have slumped.
The impact is vast: The global milk products industry generates $716 billion of revenue each year, of which $85 billion is in the U.S., according to Statista. India is the world's largest milk producer, with 22% of global production, followed by the U.S., China, Pakistan and Brazil, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization.
"Right now what you're seeing is massive dairy chain disruption," said Alan Bjerga, spokesman for the National Milk Producers Federation, or NMPF, which represents U.S. dairy producers and co-operatives. On April 7, the group estimated that the U.S. milk supply exceeded demand by at least 10% and warned that the gap could widen as supply increases to its seasonal peak and as "shelter in place" conditions endure.
"The dairy sector is in uncharted territory and is expected to experience three waves of market movement over the next 12 months, from panic-buying, through muted retail demand and greater logistical challenges, to longer-term loss of consumer purchasing power," said analysts at Rabobank, a big lender to the food and agriculture industry.
For big dairy buyers such as Nestlé SA, maker of Haagen-Dazs ice cream; Danone SA, maker of Activia yogurt; and The Unilever Group, maker of Ben & Jerry's ice cream, lower milk prices are a good thing because it means lower manufacturing costs. At the same time, many supermarket shoppers have stopped buying expensive, high-end dairy products in order to save money.
"Consumers are now buying basic items, so there could be a longer-term impact" on companies' revenue and profit margins, said Alexander Anton, secretary general of the European Dairy Association, which represents dairy cooperatives and private companies.
The NMPF and the International Dairy Foods Association have jointly submitted a "Milk Crisis Plan" to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, hoping to tap funds provided under the CARES Act, the stimulus package recently passed by Congress.
For example, the two industry groups proposed a six-month program under which the government would pay producers $3 per hundredweight on 90% of their production if they cut production by 10% from the March 2020 baseline. They also want all producers and handlers of milk to be compensated for milk that must be disposed of because of supply chain disruptions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Similar challenges are unfolding in Europe, which initially benefited from a 30% increase in demand for milk products right after many countries imposed shutdowns. "But that short-term increase in demand is over and we are now suffering from other negative developments," said Anton. He estimated that up to 30% of dairy industry employees in certain locations were at home under quarantine orders or had taken sick leave.
A good deal of milk and dairy products are bought and sold in the open-air markets of Italy, Spain, Greece and France, many of which are now closed because of stay-at-home orders and social distancing rules. About 15% of Europe's milk volume is processed into products that are exported, such as mozzarella cheese from Italy, feta cheese from Greece and yogurt from France. But a decline in trade has led to a lack of shipping containers and a reduced capacity to send products to key markets such as the U.S., China and Japan.
The timing is especially bad because annual raw milk production typically peaks in April and May, and there is a lack of storage capacity for easily perishable raw milk. Many farmers "are dumping the milk," said Anton. The European Dairy Association recently asked the European Commission to subsidize farmers who want to store dairy products in privately owned warehouses but were turned down.
Farm revenue is taking a hit, too. In January, the Germany-based Institute for Food Economics and Consumption Studies forecast that the price of raw milk would be 37 European cents by the end of April. Its latest forecast: 25.8 cents.
On April 7, a group representing British dairy farmers asked the government to reimburse those suffering from lower prices or those forced to dump milk because the processing companies they supply rely heavily on the food services sector. That move, the group argues, will help save many dairy farmers from financial collapse and ensure there will not be a milk shortage problem later when the pandemic passes.
"Removing the excess distressed milk from the market place will help to stabilize the current spot price without causing long-term market distortion," said Peter Alvis, chairman of the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers.
France has taken a similar route. The country has asked the European Union permission to pay its dairies 32 cents for every liter of milk they choose not to produce, up to a total of €10 million. That compares to the pre-coronavirus price of 30 to 35 cents per liter. "We don't need all that milk, so we need to cut down the production," said Anton.


text:
A recent study has found that Crocs are a more effective form of contraception than male sterilisation.
Tests showed that 99.7% of men were unable to attain an erection whilst looking at a woman who was wearing the despicable plastic shoe.
Conversely, 99.8% of women said they’d rather feed their bodies legs first into a wood chipper than permit a Croc-wearing male within a 5 mile radius of their genitalia.
The study also revealed the rubber shoe is particularly popular with men who have zero interest in sex and women who sweat profusely during even the least taxing of tasks.
Dr Steph O’Scope explained, ‘Wearing Crocs has become a type of Social Darwinism. Due to a lack of any sexual contact, anyone wearing them will eventually become extinct, therefore purifying the human race’
CEO of Crocs Inc Brad Hogan said, ‘After some research in 2004, it became apparent that some people were more concerned with well-ventilated feet than having sex. We saw a niche in the market and exploited it fully. We sent a shipment of Crocs to China and solved their over-populating issues within a decade’.
When quizzed about the vent holes in the shoes Mr Hogan explained, ‘That’s where your sweat and dignity pours out’
The hideous foam clogs will be available on the NHS with effect from 2022.


text:
Brief altercation: Woman punches Pittsford Marshalls employee over Calvin Klein underwear
Grand larceny: On May 5, the victim was at Zoom Tan on Hylan Drive to get a spray tan. While she was inside the locked room, she removed four rings and left them on a stool. When she was done, she left without grabbing the rings. She then returned to the business and found two of the four rings had been turned in at the front desk. The two missing rings were her wedding rings.
Grand larceny: On May 1, deputies responded to Walmart on Marketplace Drive for the report of two people stealing items from the store. Store loss prevention officials saw a man concealing DVDs in Walmart shopping bags. He left with $1,200 in DVDs without paying. The suspects left the store in a blue Chevrolet Malibu and deputies were able to stop the vehicle. The male passenger complied, while the female driver refused to exit. "Deputies used subject management techniques" to remove her from the vehicle, according to a release.
Burglary: Between May 3 and 4, someone entered an unattached garage through an open door and removed a cellphone holder from the handle bars of a motorcycle in the garage.
Robbery: Loss prevention at a Monroe Avenue Marshalls store reported that a woman in the store hid Calvin Klein underwear and socks in her purse on May 6. She attempted to walk out of the store without paying for them, and then pushed and punched a store employee when he attempted to stop her.
Vehicle larceny: Someone entered an unlocked vehicle parked on East Park Road and stole a gold iPod between May 3 and 4.
Graffiti: On May 3, graffiti was found in the bathroom at Twelve Corners Middle School on Elmwood Avenue.
Suspicious incident: On May 3, a Middlebrook Lane resident said she received a suspicious text message and when she replied, she never received a response.
Assault: On May 6, a 28-year-old Rochester woman was charged with assault in the 2100 block of East Avenue. No other details of the incident were released.
Stolen vehicle: On May 6, someone stole a pickup from 2852 West Henrietta Road after the victim left it in the parking lot unlocked with the key in the ignition.
Identity theft: On April 22, someone scammed a Black Spruce Court resident out of $2,050 after the suspect called the victim and asked him if he wanted to upgrade his Delta Air Lines flight. The suspect told the victim he could upgrade the flight by purchasing Google Play gift cards and then forwarding the numbers. The victim did so.
Petit larceny: On April 22, suspects stole $500 worth of crab, lobster, shrimp, ham and steak from BJ's Wholesale Club on Bellwood Drive. The suspects fled in a black Mercedes sedan.
Burglary: On April 24, someone pried open a garage door on Dewey Avenue and stole $2,155 worth of tools from inside.
DWI: While officers were investigating a suspicious vehicle in the 900 block of Long Pond Road on April 24, the suspect became uncooperative and resisted. He was found to be intoxicated and had a suspended license.
Criminal possession of a controlled substance: On April 24, a man was arrested after dropping a hypodermic needle and a bag of crack on Haddon Road after he ran out of the home while officers surrounded it. Officers responded after getting a call for a man breaking into a home.
Petit larceny: On April 24, the victim arrived at the hospital emergency room on Long Pond Road and someone stole $40 cash and a $200 gift card from her wallet.
Harassment: On April 24, officers responded to Standish Road for the report of someone menacing his neighbor with a handgun. An investigation found there was no menacing, but the neighbor was arrested and charged with harassment. His pistol and permit were taken pending a review.
Petit larceny: On April 25, someone stole two bicycles, worth $80 each, that were propped up against a home on Hampton Boulevard.
Menacing: On April 26, someone in a silver sedan pointed what appeared to be a black handgun at the victim at the corner of Sheraton Drive and Stone Road. The suspect then shot the victim twice in the head with a BB gun. The victim refused a report.
Petit larceny: On April 26, three women stuffed $751 worth of facial and shaving products into a bag and left CVS on Mt. Read Boulevard without paying. The suspects drove off in a silver Chrysler minivan with no license plates.
Criminal mischief: On April 26, someone dented a vehicle on Ridgewood Road through unknown means.
Reckless driving: On April 27, a parolee was arrested at Grecian Gardens after a traffic stop and pursuit.
Petit larceny: On April 27, two young girls stole $461 worth of beauty supplies from Wegmans on Mt. Read Boulevard. Store personnel declined to prosecute the 10- and 13-year-old girls.
Criminal mischief: On April 29, someone damaged the tires of two vehicles parked on Denise Road.
Petit larceny: On April 29, someone stole the rear license plate from a vehicle parked on Lakeshore Drive.
Grand larceny: On April 29, a Glenbrook Road resident let an unknown person into his house to use the bathroom. The suspect then stole the victim's wallet on his way out.
Petit larceny: On April 30, someone stole $30 cash and $3 in can return receipts from a locker at Planet Fitness on Dewey Avenue. There was no forced entry to the locker.
Larceny: Loss prevention at a Penfield Road Wegmans store reported that two people fled the store with $400 in steak and meat products on May 3.
Larceny: Loss prevention at a Brandt Point Drive Walmart store reported that three women stole two bottles of Alli weight loss pills on May 2.
Larceny: A project site manager for Ryan Homes reported that someone stole an air conditioning unit and copper piping from a construction site on Copper Beach Run between May 1 and 2.
Petit larceny: Between April 24 and 27, someone stole two packages off the front porch of a home in the 4700 block of Sweden Walker Road. The post office confirmed both packages were delivered. The packages were valued at $275. The victim's doorbell camera did not capture the thefts.
Drugs: A Victor man was charged with criminal sale of marijuana on Heather Lane on May 8 after a narcotics investigation was conducted by the Ontario County Sheriff's Office and the Canandaigua Police Department.
Grand larceny: Lowe's employees at the Five Mile Line Road store reported that on April 30, an individual stole over $1,300 in merchandise a few days prior.
Petit larceny: Someone stole $40 in merchandise from a Holt Road Kohl's store on May 7.


text:
UPS to launch seven-day delivery in 2020 for online shopping demand
Company targets e-commerce, small business, healthcare sectors with menu of expanded services, UPS says.
Logistics and delivery giant UPS Inc. said Tuesday it will expand its parcel delivery service in 2020 to seven days per week in a bid to keep up with surging volumes of e-commerce orders and to match similar full-week service by rival FedEx Corp.
Atlanta-based UPS also said it had established a new subsidiary called UPS Flight Forward and applied to federal regulators for certification to operate drone delivery service for healthcare deliveries of medical samples within the U.S.
The two announcements are part of what UPS called "the most extensive roll-out of new customer services and capabilities in the company's recent history," intended to capture growth opportunities in the strategic markets of small and medium-sized business (SMBs), e-commerce, high-growth international countries, and healthcare and life sciences, UPS said.
The initiative is also designed to drive higher network utilization and profitable growth, UPS Chairman and CEO David Abney said in a release. "Transformation, including technology-driven modernization in our network and technology platforms, is enabling major enhancements to our product portfolio and our customers' experience," Abney said.
Additional expansions announced Tuesday include:
- the launch of the "UPS My Choice for business" service platform that will provide SMBs with greater inbound and outbound shipping control and visibility. Beginning July 29, the solution will build on the success of "UPS My Choice for home,"
- a "significant investment" in reduced transit times between major cities by optimizing transportation assets, shipping modes, and technology resources,
- extended hours for package pickup, enabling customers to tender shipments later each day for next-day Ground delivery
- adding 12,000 nodes to its UPS Access Point Network by partnering with retailers such as CVS, The Michaels Company Inc., and Advance Auto Parts, bringing the number of network points to 21,000 in the U.S. and 40,000 globally, and
- offering a new worldwide "economy product" to meet growing demand international merchants for more low-priced items in cross-border e-commerce transactions. This UPS Worldwide Economy service initially will be available in the U.S., Canada, China, Hong Kong, and the U.K., with additional global markets to follow.
UPS will begin to offer its customers pick-up and delivery services seven days per week beginning Jan. 1, expanding its current Saturday pick-up and delivery services for both residential and business locations and adding new Sunday pick-up and delivery options. The additional pickup day will allow shippers to reach consumers faster with products ordered over the weekend, the company said.
"We will leverage the combination of the UPS Network, UPS Access Point locations, and SurePost in collaboration with the United States Postal Service to efficiently provide these exciting new capabilities," UPS Chief Marketing Officer Kevin Warren said in a release. "Building on an expanded relationship with the Postal Service to help deliver seven day service to our customers makes good business sense."
The news follows FedEx' announcement in May that it would extend its own parcel delivery offerings to seven days a week, also beginning in January. FedEx cited similar reasons for that move, saying it the service would meet soaring demand from the fast-growing e-commerce market.
For its drone initiative, UPS has applied to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate flight operations beyond line of sight, at night, and with an unlimited number of drones and operators in command. Working with its partner, Matternet, UPS currently operates drone healthcare deliveries of medical samples at WakeMed hospitals in Raleigh, N.C. FAA approval would allow the company to expand that service to several other U.S. healthcare networks that have expressed interest, UPS said.
Resources Mentioned In This Article
Join the Discussion
After you comment, click Post. If you're not already logged in, you will be asked to log in or register.
Feedback: What did you think of this article? We'd like to hear from you. DC VELOCITY is committed to accuracy and clarity in the delivery of important and useful logistics and supply chain news and information. If you find anything in DC VELOCITY you feel is inaccurate or warrants further explanation, please ?Subject=Feedback - : UPS to launch seven-day delivery in 2020 for online shopping demand">contact Chief Editor David Maloney. All comments are eligible for publication in the letters section of DC VELOCITY magazine. Please include you name and the name of the company or organization your work for.


text:
Meet the Buyers celebrates successful return
One of the region's longest-running business expos, London Stansted Meet the Buyers, returned this week after a two-year hiatus, giving local companies the chance to do business with some of the region’s biggest organisations.
A total of 200 businesses attended the event, ranging from small start-ups to large companies, hoping to secure contracts with organisations such as RAF Lakenheath's 48th Contracting Squadron, the US Air Force's UK procurement unit, Essex County Council, Aggreko, Strutt & Parker, LPL Construction, VolkerFitzpatrick and SPIE UK.
The event, which has generated more than £20 million in business since 2011, is organised by London Stansted and co-run by Marketing Kinetics and UMi.
London Stansted is delighted to welcome back our highly successful Meet the Buyers event. We are a key enabler of economic growth and productivity in the region, employing more than 12,000 people across 200 companies, and we consider it our duty to support the region\\\'s SMEs and promote their entrepreneurial spirit. Businesses and SMEs in the region deserve to benefit from our success, and we also want to provide them with routes and destinations that will enable them to connect and trade globally. With the event returning after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, we are delighted to host it again and I wish all the businesses attending a prosperous and successful day.
We are all excited to see Meet the Buyers back, as it is such an important event for the local business community. After a challenging couple of years, it provided a fantastic opportunity for small business owners to finally meet suppliers face to face and pitch their products and services directly to them.
This is my first Meet the Buyers event in a few years. This layout works very well, and the ability to network with like-minded people has been invaluable. We work with big companies around the world, but Meet the Buyers gives us the chance to showcase our work to local businesses.
Taking place at the airport's Radisson Blu Hotel on Tuesday (Nov 22), it was the first in-person Meet the Buyers for two years due to COVID.


text:
Copley Scientific Appoints New Distributor in India
News Oct 29, 2014
Copley Scientific has appointed Apex Chromatography Pvt. Ltd. as its exclusive distributor for India. Apex Chromatography Pvt. Ltd., a highly respected company known for its provision of analytical products to the pharmaceutical industry, operates from headquarters in Hyderabad with an additional office in Mumbai. The company will sell and support Copley Scientific’s market leading range of pharmaceutical testing and inhaler testing equipment in India.
“We’re very pleased to be working with Apex Chromatography as our exclusive distributor for India, which is a key market for us,” said Mark Copley, Sales Director for Copley Scientific. “Like Copley Scientific, Apex Chromatography is a family-run, forward-looking company with a driving focus on quality, so there is a natural synergy. With offices strategically located, I’m confident that the knowledgeable Apex Chromatography team will provide excellent service to our customers in India, especially in the critical area of application support and after-sales servicing.”
Apex Chromatography provides a wide range of analytical products, from lab chemicals to high end instrumentation. A particular strength is HPLC, UPLC and GC consumables. Copley Scientific is the global leader in inhaler testing equipment and a well-established provider of oral solid dosage testing equipment. Many pharmaceutical testing and inhaler testing methods rely on HPLC for chemical identification so there is substantial overlap in the two companies’ areas of expertise.
“Many of our customers already use Copley Scientific equipment, or are interested in doing so,” said Mr Pradip Popat, Director and Owner of Apex Chromatography. “Copley Scientific products are well-engineered, robust and closely tailored to the needs of the pharmaceutical industry, most especially in the field of inhaler testing. We’re looking forward to forging a productive, long-term relationship that will deliver real value to our customers.”
The Apex Chromatography team has already visited Copley Scientific’s headquarters in the UK for extensive product training and a dedicated product manager has been announced for the Copley range: Viraj Sohoni, who is based in the Mumbai office.
Both companies will be attending RDD Asia which runs from 12- 14 November 2014, in Goa, India. Mark Copley will present a workshop at the event on testing strategies for generic inhaled products and experts will be on-hand to discuss products and the new distribution agreement.
Chemical Topology of Silica Influences its EffectivenessNews
Researchers find that the chemical topology of silica can influence the effectiveness of many chemical processes that use it. Silica is a versatile material used in myriad industrial processes, from catalysis and filtration, to chromatography and nanofabrication.READ MORE
'Royal' Pheromone Identified in TermitesNews
Researchers have for the first time identified a specific chemical used by the higher termite castes – the queens and the kings – to communicate their royal status with worker termites. The findings could advance knowledge of termite evolution, behavior and control.READ MORE
Making Fragrances Last LongerNews
From floral perfume to fruity body wash and shampoos, scents heavily influence consumer purchases. But for most, the smell doesn’t last long after showering before it fades away. Scientists have now developed a way to get those fragrances to stick to the skin longer instead of washing down the drain immediately after being applied.READ MORE
Comments | 0 ADD COMMENT
11th International Conference and Exhibition on Metabolomics & Systems Biology
May 17 - May 19, 2018


text:
Nikki Valdez makes two cakes in a month
Juggling her acting gigs and her love for baking from time to time, actress Nikki Valdez was able to sell two cakes in a month and she’s nothing but proud.
On Instagram, Nikki shared a photo of a beautifully designed eight inch cake that she baked and sold.
Without providing other details, she said this is the second cake she made this month, which will be served for a customer’s birthday.
She posted this days after she posted a photo of an eight inch red velvet cocoa cake topped with fresh fruits and flowers.
“A special cake for a special woman. Happy Birthday Mamu Riza,” she wrote in the caption.
A budding pastry chef, Nikki markets her cakes and other pastries through her brand, “MissButtercream by NikkiValdez”.


text:
Campaign of the month: Ansarada launches M&A game
Ansarada's released a gaming app to highlight their brand and connect with prospects
Australian technology company Ansarada was looking to make a mark on its industry by doing something its competitors hadn’t done before. The niche company, which develops virtual data rooms for mergers and acquisitions (M&A), has long been a challenger brand to two dominating US companies. Hard-work and creativity was necessary for it to increase brand awareness. It felt the best way to do this was via gamification, and launched The M&A Game.
Login with your username and password.Forgot password?
Or create your username and password
First things first. We need you to register for free access. It's a quick and simple registration process.Register


text:
Spirit Halloween Locations 2020 Ny
Good Subscriber Account active since Spirit Halloween stores pop up for the season every year, coronavirus or not. I visited one of the chain’s more than 1,000 locations near Rochester . The Scarecrow Festival was so popular, we turned it into a two-day event! Halloween Window Painting brought the community together with the Great Neck Plaza Business District. All of our participants, . Spirit Halloween Store unveiled the most popular costumes for each year since 1983. Most of them are pop culture references or celebrities. Let’s walk down memory lane and see who were the most .
Boo! Halloween stores to bring vacant retail spaces in Syracuse
- It looks like Spirit Halloween will be opening in 2020 after all.
- Spirit Halloween Locations Are Opening For Halloween 2020 Here’s .
- Is there a Spirit Halloween store near me? Find the closest store .
In a pandemic year, would-be revelers in New York Spirit Halloween shops in Manhattan and Queens during the week leading up to the holiday were filled with energized crowds. At some locations . Most know Spirit Halloween as the spooky emporium that pops up ever fall in an otherwise-empty storefront somewhere. But to the patients at the Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital, it’s a .
Spirit Halloween Opening Date 2020 | POPSUGAR Smart Living
Spirit Halloween Store unveiled the most popular costumes for each year since 1983. Most of the costumes include pop culture references or draw inspiration from celebrities. El Paso police say a Halloween store theft suspect attempted to run over employees with a car and another lunged at them with a knife while fleeing. .
Spirit Halloween and Party City’s pop up business model, explained
- Spirit Halloween stores open only before holiday: photos .
- Spirit Halloween opens at old Toys R Us store | Local | poststar.com.
- Boo! Halloween stores to bring vacant retail spaces in Syracuse .
Spirit Halloween Has Costumes, Accessories And More In Aviation
In a Spirit Halloween store outside of Rochester, NY, shoppers who spoke with Business Insider while searching for costumes were most eager to share what their pets would look like this Halloween. . Spirit Halloween Locations 2020 Ny Has Halloween been canceled? Don’t ask the folks at the Wichita Falls Spirit Halloween store, which is seeing phenomenal sales numbers leading up to next week’s holiday. The Wichita Falls location .


text:
25 May 2013
Keywords: spain, free, up, pharmacy, controls, new, recommendations
Article | 09 October 1995
New recommendations relating to competition have been made in Spain
which will affect pharmacies, among other sectors, reports Cinco Dias,
Enjoying this article? To continue reading you need to login or subscribe.
Subscriptions are £60 per month, pay as you go.
Find out more details.
There are no related articles.
24 May 2013
© 2013 thepharmaletter.com


text:
Huawei has something up its sleeve for the US market, and I’m pretty excited to see what it is. The company recently entered the US market with the Ascend Mate line of unlocked devices, selling them for low prices with pretty decent specs. And something new might be coming soon!
On March 19, Huawei confirmed that an April 15 event would shed some light on a new smartphone, while at the same time a “P8 prototype” began to make the rounds, showcasing what was believed to be the company’s newest Android-based smartphone.
Sure enough, both of those things came true today, as Huawei has ... Read More »
In a world that’s quickly moving away from contracts, cheaper phones are becoming more popular. Though many carriers have gotten rid of contracts entirely, payment plans on phones aren’t very different and still tie you to one carrier with paying a big sum of money as the only way out. So budget phones are becoming ... Read More »
Huawei is coming on strong to start 2015 with the announcement of the impressive looking and high-end Huawei Watch along with the buzz around the April 15th event that should see the unveiling of the Ascend P8.
With all that attention on the latest devices coming out of Huawei, it’s probably ... Read More »
Huawei announced the Ascend P7 in May of last year, and while we’re now a bit earlier in the year, it looks like the company is gearing up to announce the device’s successor. Huawei is sending out invitations to an event in central London that will take place on April 15, and it’s believed ... Read More »
Smartwatches are all the rage these days, so it’s no surprise when a manufacturer enters the market. Even Huawei. And now the time has come to see what Huawei can put together for a wearable that’s running Google’s Android Wear. Turns out it can look pretty nice.
The Huawei Watch is official, following plenty of ... Read More »


text:
On the morning of January 26th, Suzhou Public Security Bureau held a meeting.News briefing on the prohibition of fireworks and firecrackers in the whole city, to inform the work related to the ban on release control this year. During this period, it released the first case of illegal fireworks and firecrackers that was cracked by Zhangjiagang police through the development of Wechat business agent to take orders and deliver goods by express delivery.
Recently, Zhangjiagang police smashed a
Collection of procurement, storage, transportation and sales
Illegal operation of fireworks and firecrackers interest chain
More than 1,900 boxes of fireworks and firecrackers were seized.
The amount involved is 4 million yuan.
In mid-January, the police in Zhangjiagang found that someone was selling fireworks in the WeChat circle of friends. This Wechat business named Su Mou sold fireworks at a clearly marked price without obtaining a sales license for fireworks and firecrackers, and his behavior was suspected of illegal business operation.
Online celebrity, explosions, express home, Su Mou in the circle of friends mainly sells a fireworks named "gatling". As early as the eve of the Spring Festival last year, "gatling" fireworks became popular through social media and turned into "online celebrity Fireworks".
It is understood that the name of "gatling" fireworks comes from Gatling machine gun, which is named after its fast firing speed and fierce firepower. This kind of fireworks is extremely powerful and loud, and it blooms a wide range of sparks when it rises into the sky. After the internet became popular, sales were hot, and even the demand was in short supply.
The price of "gatling" fireworks appearing in the circle of friends ranges from 680 to 960 yuan according to different categories. As long as you complete the online payment and provide the harvest address, you will soon receive the "gatling" fireworks wrapped in snakeskin bags.
After investigation, the police found that in Zhangjiagang City, like Su Mou, there was more than one Wechat business who used his circle of friends to sell fireworks, and even a subordinate agent was derived.Their delivery sources all started in a city in other provinces.
Fireworks and firecrackers are treated as ordinary commodities, and they are bought and sold at will through logistics, regardless of the hidden safety hazards behind them! The police found out that several micro-businesses such as Su Mou were subordinate agents, and the leader of the gang was a 29-year-old Henan woman named Shimou. At this time, the illegal fireworks gang with Shimou as the core was in Hubei and Hunan hundreds of kilometers away.
Zhangjiagang police immediately dispatched elite police to carry out investigations. After investigation, since October, 2021, Shimou and his friend Peng have made a joint venture, and Shimou sought the source of goods to purchase fireworks mainly based on "gatling". Subsequently, the two found a number of relatives and friends to rent the warehouse, making this place a distribution center for the purchase and sale of fireworks.
After that, Shimou and Pengmou began to sell fireworks in the circle of friends, and also authorized subordinate agents. "Agents at every level will raise the price of fireworks step by step to earn the difference." According to the police handling the case, the agent only needs feedback after receiving the order, and the delivery is completed by Shimou gang. In this way, the purchase price of fireworks per box is only 200 to 300 yuan, and the price sold by the agent is doubled.
Due to the large shipment volume, Guan, who had done logistics business in Shimou’s gang, was stationed in the warehouse and used the regulatory loopholes of individual express delivery companies to deliver fireworks to many provinces and cities across the country.
On January 21st, Suzhou Public Security Bureau organized police forces to cooperate with Zhangjiagang police, and with the cooperation of police in Wuhan, Hubei Province and Wuxi, Changzhou and other places in our province, carried out centralized network-closing operations in two provinces and places, successfully arrested 13 suspects suspected of illegally operating fireworks and firecrackers, including Shimou and Pengmou, and seized more than 1,900 boxes of illegal fireworks and firecrackers for sale in Shimou’s rented warehouse.
After investigation, since October 2021, the criminal suspect Shimou, together with Peng and others, illegally stored a large number of fireworks and firecrackers without obtaining a sales license, and sold the fireworks and firecrackers to 28 provinces and cities across the country by developing an agent in Wechat business to take orders and using express delivery, involving more than 4 million yuan.
At present, seven people, including Shimou, have been taken criminal compulsory measures according to law for suspected illegal business operations. The relevant logistics units and express delivery enterprises involved in the case have been punished by the local regulatory authorities according to law; The agents in Wechat business who were sorted out were also punished in accordance with relevant laws and regulations.
No unit or individual may produce, operate, store or transport fireworks and firecrackers without permission, and fireworks and firecrackers must be operated with a "Fireworks and Firecrackers Business (Retail) License".
Citizens need to go to a regular fireworks store to buy fireworks and firecrackers. It is strictly forbidden to buy or discharge inferior, low-priced and unidentified fireworks and firecrackers.
The sound of firecrackers said goodbye to the old year.
Smoke and flowers bloom to welcome the new year.
Within the Second Ring Road of Suzhou City
Continue to implement the policy of banning fireworks and firecrackers.
At present, the forbidden areas of fireworks and firecrackers in Suzhou are the East Second Ring Road, the South Second Ring Road, the West Second Ring Road and the JASON ZHANG Highway.
According to the Regulations of Suzhou Municipality on the Prohibition of Fireworks and Firecrackers, if fireworks and firecrackers are set off in areas and places where fireworks and firecrackers are prohibited, the public security organ shall order them to stop the discharge and impose a fine of 100 yuan and 200 yuan; If the circumstances are serious, a fine of more than 200 yuan and less than 500 yuan shall be imposed. Members of the public can call 58812319 to report the suspected illegal discharge of fireworks and firecrackers.
Source: Zhangjiagang Public Security Micro Police


text:
By setting five key performance indicator goals for a recent sustainability-linked revolving credit facility – and requiring success in all of them to gain the maximum margin benefit – Smurfit Kappa’s treasury team has demonstrated how a cross-functional project can unify an entire business. This award-winning financing project has also illustrated how treasury can not only embrace and drive ESG, but also push the boundaries of sustainability norms.
Sustainability is in the DNA of Smurfit Kappa, the Dublin-headquartered paper-based packaging multinational. The firm designs, manufactures and supplies its products worldwide, operating in 36 countries across Europe and the Americas. Producing 7.7 million tonnes of packaging per year, the company recycles 6.3 million tonnes of recovered paper annually. Smurfit Kappa is also responsible for 67,000 hectares of certified forest plantation.
Emer Murnane, the company’s Assistant Group Treasurer, elaborates: “We’ve had ESG [environmental, social, and governance] embedded into the way we work for a long time, even before it became the prominent structural driver for businesses that it is today. In fact, since 2005, we’ve been reporting on our sustainability developments through our annual sustainable development reports. Our entire Sustainable Development Report is third party assured by KPMG per the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Guidelines (Comprehensive).”
The company recently upgraded its sustainability targets in a commitment called Better Planet 2050, which contains ambitious targets across many strategic areas. The initiative covers everything from CO2 emissions to the certified chain of custody, which guarantees that materials used come from sustainably-managed sources. Water usage is also addressed in several ways, including the water intake at the firm’s mills, the quality of water returned to the environment, and the associated waste handling. Beyond the environmental issues, the new targets also cover a range of diversity and inclusion (D&I) and community and social responsibility topics.


text:
Media mogul Sumner Redstone, caught in the vise-like grip of the credit crunch, may be forced to sell his prized Viacom Inc., home of MTV, Nickelodeon and Paramount Studios. A sale of Viacom, or any piece of the company, would be a tremendous setback to the 85-year-old Redstone, as he has spent the better part of his professional life pulling together the crown jewel of his investment portfolio. Sources close to Redstone and Viacom say the executive's current cash situation is so dire that selling Viacom or CBS - which he also controls - is now a real possibility. Redstone used shares in the companies as collateral for loans used to back expansion plans for his privately-held National Amusements, Inc. movie theater chain.
In a tiny story with potentially massive implications, Jonathan Birchall reports that Procter & Gamble is "supporting" a Web site devoted exclusively to its brands. "In an indication of the sensitivities involved, the site is being operated by a third party, which owns the inventory," he writes. The Web site -- theEssentials.com -- brings P&G into direct brand competition with its retailers. Birchall also writes that Wal-Mart, P&G's largest customer, is hiring a strategy executive whose tasks include assessing the potential effect of direct-to-consumer sales by its own suppliers.
In a deal that buyers have been pushing for, Google TV struck an agreement last week to integrate its ad buying platform with the industry's leading transaction processor for the direct response TV industry, CoreDirect. For Google, the deal represents another stake that the company's Internet-based TV auction platform has been able to drive into the turf of traditional TV. For DRTV buyers, it makes the process of buying spots via Google much easier to analyze.
After recently buying out the 49% stake in mobile joint venture Jamba previously held by VeriSign, News Corp.'s mobile business will now be known as Fox Mobile Group. Mauro Montanaro, who has served as CEO of Jamba since January, heads FMG as CEO. The News Corp. arm will have three units focused on mobile content production (Fox Mobile Studios), licensing to third parties (Fox Mobile Entertainment) and distribution (Fox Mobile Distribution), respectively.
NYTimes.com, washingtonpost.com, USATODAY.com, LA Times, Wall Street Journal Online, Boston.com, SFGate.com/San Francisco Chronicle, New York Post, Politico, Chicago Tribune, Daily News Online Edition, DallasNews.com, Chicago Sun-Times, The Houston Chronicle, Newsday, International Herald Tribune, The Washington Times, Philly.com, The Seattle Times, Anchorage Daily News, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Boston Herald, Baltimore Sun, Star Tribune, NJ.com, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Detroit Free Press, MercuryNews.com, MiamiHerald.com, Village Voice Media
A major executive shakeup at Twitter last week has people once again asking pesky questions about the company's future. Like does it have one? How will it make money? And When? But Twitter investors don't find your questions amusing, and would like you stop asking now. "It's like the stupidest question in the world: How's Twitter going to make money?," said Union Square Ventures' Fred Wilson. "Eventually Google was going to make money and they figured out how to do it and they figured out a great business, and I think the same thing is true with Twitter." Nice attitude, Fred. Meanwhile, Bijan Sabet, a general partner at Twitter-backer Spark Capital, told Wired that new revenue models will be unveiled in the first half of next year. So apparently the public isn't the only party thinking revenue would be a good thing for Twitter.
Despite buzz surrounding fancy and expensive video ads, only 11% of consumers are likely to click on them, compared with 25% that would likely click on simple text ads, and 20% that would click on right banners
For what may be the first time ever, an established filmmaker has bypassed an official theater premiere — and put his work directly on the internet. Last Friday, director Wayne Wang's The Princess of Nebraska made its public debut on YouTube's Screening Room. It has since garnered nearly 153,000 views and hundreds of comments. The trailer — put on YouTube last month — has an impressive 95,000 tally.
Not one to sit idly by while its nemesis gets a $300 million makeover, Apple is out with two new commercials, one of which directly comments on the amount of money Microsoft is spending on its current advertising campaign. In the ad, we see PC divvying up Microsoft's budget allocating the lion's share to the ad campaign and a minuscule amount to fixing Vista's problems.


text:
“It is unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land,” the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report published early this month carries this key excerpt. António Guterres, the Secretary General of United Nations called the findings a “code red for humanity”. This was followed by an ABC News report that highlighted how the environmental disaster is fuelled by fast fashion.
While the findings are grim as the planet keeps warming faster, there are startups like The Next Closet bringing about a profound change in how we go about business. At the helm of The Next Closet, co-founder Lieke Pijpers calls the startup a green tech company that puts sustainability at the centre of everything it does. She says the textile industry is the second most polluting in the world. With co-founder Thalita van Ogtrop, Lieke and The Next Closet want to turn the fashion industry into a sustainable business.