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Wilkins Spence Sri Lanka, a subsidiary of The Wilkins Group UK, recently celebrated the opening of its state-of-the-art factory to produce retail packaging solutions in Mawaramandiya.
The opening was attended by the board of directors of The Wilkins Group UK, dignitaries, factory officials and many esteemed customers.The 40,000 square feet factory was completed in 14 months and was facilitated with an investment of US $ 3 million by The Wilkins Group UK, which operates one of the largest independent packaging factories in the UK.
The factory is now equipped with the latest innovations in technology to cater to the changing demand of a dynamic apparel industry and will produce swing tickets, labels, collar cards, cartons, staggered packs, stickers and a vast array of offset packaging requirements.
The factory provides employment and training for its over 100 strong Sri Lankan workforce and its production capacity is increased by 80 percent from its previous capacity. The Sri Lanka factory will supply offset packaging requirements to customers in Sri Lanka, Asia and Europe and will expand its operations and diversify its services to meet world demand.
“The factory will serve as one of the world’s major facilities in the production of retail packaging solutions. As Sri Lanka propels its economy and gradually emerges from a three decade-long conflict, setting up an investment of this nature is a testament to our confidence and commitment to Sri Lanka and the region. We are excited about the journey ahead and look forward to stronger collaborations,” said The Wilkins Group UK Group Chairman and Managing Director André Wilkins, speaking at the opening of the factory in Sri Lanka.
Situated in Mawaramandiya, this factory was built on the principles of green architecture, adhering to the US Green Building Council Standards for LEED certification. With an eye on sustainability and eco-friendly operations, the factory is installed with several unique features. It is equipped with energy-efficient AC units and is illuminated with LED lighting to emphasise energy saving.
The factory’s unique roof design facilitates a solar reflective index of 96 percent, rainwater harvesting and daylight harvesting. The factory uses only vegetable and soy-based inks while raw materials such as carton board and paper are from sustainably managed forests and are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
The factory has also embarked on a tree planting campaign in partnership with local monasteries and communities and planted over 100 trees over the past year in the surrounding land and will continue its efforts.
Wilkins Spence Sri Lanka Director Yasantha Suriyapperuma commented on the factory’s commitment to ensuring quality across all business units and consolidating operations for future expansion.
“Equipped with Heidelberg machines, this facility’s key strength is as a small format packaging solution unit with LEED certification. We manufacture for Marks & Spencer (M&S) - one of the world’s best known retailers - which is a testament to our attention to quality and also many other retailers and major global brands. In accordance with the specialised nature of the factory’s operations, our workforce has undergone special training in printing and quality assurance in compliance with the European Union and USA market standards,” stated Suriyapperuma
Dignitaries from the UK attending the opening ceremony also included Finance Director Ann Wilkins, Operations Director Aron Wilkins, Group Sales and Marketing Director Justin Wilkins, Financial Services Emma Wilkins, Group Purchasing Caroline Wilkins, Kim Philips – M&S Head of Packaging M&S PLC and Trevor Hatchett – Head of GM Packaging – Production, Quality and Sourcing.
Wilkins Spence Sri Lanka is a Board of Investment (BoI) company and has been in business in Sri Lanka for over 15 years. It is a subsidiary of The Wilkins Group UK, a family-run business, which operates one of the largest packaging factories in the UK. Over the past decade, The Wilkins Group has expanded its manufacturing hubs to include Eastern Europe, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India and China, supporting them with technology and infrastructure.


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This could be the strongest confirmation Apple Pay is coming to Canada—according to The Wall Street Journal, the mobile payment service is said to launch this fall, (more…)
Even in its absence, Apple’s influence is clearly visible at the year’s biggest mobile conference.
IBM has today announced the expansion of its MobileFirst for iOS portfolio.
The dynamic Force Touch input found on the Apple Watch is expected to make its way to iPhone 6s models.
Here’s how Samsung’s outright Galaxy S6 prices compare to iPhone 6 models.
Google has today unveiled its new mobile payments framework at the Mobile World Congress keynote.
Bell is set to fight the CRTC’s decision to disallow ‘simsubs’ during the Super Bowl.
Yesterday Samsung announced Samsung Pay, its new mobile payment system taking on Apple Pay.
Apple updated its corporate description in several countries to include vehicles.
The April launch of the Apple Watch won’t be exclusive to the United States, says Tim Cook.
US banks implemented weak identity verification system allowing credit card fraud to bloom.
A new section on Apple’s website touts photography taken by the iPhone 6.
Samsung has unveiled its new flagship smartphones and Samsung Pay, its new mobile payment.

domain: news


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LINK, the UK’s main cash machine network has published new data highlighting the steady decline in overall ATM use although the number of free-to-use machines is almost 24% higher than 10 years ago.
In the first four months of 2019 compared with the same period of 2018 there was a decline in LINK cash withdrawals of -8.7% in London, followed by the South East (-7.9%) and South West (-7.7%). The smallest decline was in the North East (-3.7%), then Northern Ireland (-4.6%) and Yorkshire (-4.9%).
Additionally, the data also shows a long-term decline in balance enquiries. With more customers choosing to use online and mobile banking, balance enquiries have fallen by 18% from 2016 to 2019.
The numbers forms part of a new report Preserving access to cash highlighting the growing changes in banking and cash use among UK consumers. It follows a recent UK Payment Markets report by UK Finance predicts a fall in cash usage from 28% of consumer payments in 2018 to only 9% by 2028.
Total cash withdrawals, including where customers use their own bank or building society’s ATMs, peaked in the UK both for volume and value in 2012. Since then, there has been steady decline in overall ATM use as consumers have needed less cash for their day-to-day payments. LINK volumes i.e. (those relying on the LINK network to connect a card to an ATM other than one belonging to their bank or building society) peaked in number in 2016 and in value in 2017.
In the first six months of 2019, LINK transactions were 8% lower than in the same period in 2018, although the total value of cash withdrawn fell more slowly. Looking forward, the rate of decline in LINK transactions appears to be accelerating. The reduction in LINK transactions is currently expected to be at least between 9% and 10% for 2019 as a whole when compared with 2018.
Ten years ago, there were 39,991 free-to-use machines and 23,111 charging machines. In April 2019, there were 49,502 free-to-use machines and 13,147 charging machines.
John Howells, CEO at LINK said: “These regional variations are important, and LINK will ensure that areas which are not moving away from cash as quickly as others still have their cash access protected. What is clear is that the sharp drop in cash usage means that it is vital now to reform how cash is distributed to maintain broad, free access for all consumers. LINK is determined to deliver this with the support of industry and regulators.”
„Tendinţele pe care le-am remarcat înainte de începerea pandemiei s-au accelerat pe perioada stării de urgenţă. Am văzut acest lucru ca o oportunitate, un tipping point pentru bancă. Post-pandemie nu avem cum sa ne întoarcem la comportamentul financiar pe care îl aveam până în februarie a.c. Relaţia românilor cu online-ul s-a schimbat. In plus, cardul fizic se va dematerializa. Vom asista la o scădere a cererii pentru cardurile fizice, respectiv la o creştere a preferinţei pentru componenta digitală a acestora.”


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RedPrairie Corporation, a productivity software provider, has announced that it will provide mobile label printing and RFID execution applications in its warehouse management system, allowing individual warehouse workers to encode and tag shipments.
According to the company, the new release supports the Zebra P4T Series Mobile Thermal Transfer RFID Printer/Encoder, and provides the ability to achieve new levels of efficiency, velocity, and accuracy in supply chain execution. The new printers/encoders can be carried and mounted in locations ranging from an employee’s belt to a lift truck, allowing operators to execute transactions more naturally, efficiently and effectively.
Thermal transfer mobile label printing, RFID, voice recognition, and wearable computing included in the RedPrairie application will enable new business processes, and provide for easier tracking and organization, the company said.
Gary Morgan, vice president of technical services at RedPrairie, said: With Zebra and RedPrairie solutions, companies will be able to better leverage in combination, emerging real time technologies like RFID and Voice to optimize people and processes.
The Zebra RFID mobile printing concept immediately separates Zebra from their competition and shows the depth and flexibility of RedPrairie’s solution. We are aligned with a unique partner to provide extremely effective solutions for our customers.


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Yes, today is the day. Starbucks will begin servings its new line of “breakfast pairings” (don’t call them value meals!). For $3.95 you shall receive coffee and an egg sandwich, oatmeal or coffee cake. It’s all part of Starbucks’ latest effort to rid themselves of the perception that they are overpriced — which is probably going to be kinda difficult.
By March 3, 2009


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By the time the sun rises on December 25th, Santa Claus and his fleet of 12 reindeer would have circumnavigated the globe and delivered gifts to the homes of well-behaved ("nice") children all around the world. The misbehaved ("naughty") children, on the other hand, would find coal in their Christmas stockings.
According to YourStory sources in the North Pole, this incredible feat is made possible through a combination of the latest advancements in drone technology, facial recognition, big data analytics, efficient sourcing, and robust inventory management.
Over the course of every year, Santa, along with his able team of elves, keeps a close watch on children around the world, leveraging solar-powered drones enabled with advanced facial recognition software and big data analytics to pick out the right gifts for the “nice” children. These gifts are then either manufactured from scratch in the North Pole or sourced through suppliers in China, before they make their way to Santa’s warehouse. After going through quality control assessments, they are packed, and the last-mile delivery occurs through Santa’s reindeer and sleigh.
Image credit- Shutterstock
Similar to Santa, media houses, too, keep a close watch on different companies throughout the year. Through constant reporting and well placed sources, media houses are generally aware of whether ventures have been “naughty” or “nice”.
There are currently 10 unicorn startups that are based in India, and we decided to play ‘Santa’s advocate’ to try and assess how “nice” or “naughty” they have been in 2016.
India’s most noted startup, this online marketplace is almost 10 years old now. The brainchild of Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal, Flipkart has received funding of more than $3 billion from titans like Tiger Global Management and T.Rowe Price. The battle with Amazon India has taken a toll on them. Yet, with Jabong’s acquisition and the launch of private label ‘Flipkart Smartbuy’, they are looking forward to a better year ahead.
- Six-step quality check for products under Flipkart Assured initiative.
- Moved goods worth Rs 1,400 crore GMV in a day during the Big Billion Days sale.
- Acquisition of PhonePe turned out to be a boon post demonetisation.
- Got poor grades (valuations) from investors: five markdowns in a year!
- Had a fallout with friends: 10 top names left, and campus placements for freshers were deferred.
- Upset Gorkha community with their ‘kids are back’ ad, for which they apologised.
- Apparently sold the One Plus 3 during their Big Shopping Days sale, despite One Plus’ exclusive tie-up with Amazon India.
- Shut down image search feature and ‘Ping’ for p2p chat.
Fintech was the most prominent sector for startups this year, and Paytm – backed by Alibaba, SAIF Partners, and Ratan Tata, among others – has emerged as the market leader, especially in the post-demonetisation era. While it was riding high on the demonetisation wave, Airtel beat it to pilot launch the first payments bank. Paytm will soon transfer its wallet business to its Payments Bank arm.
- ‘Topped the class’ with a 435 percent rise in traffic overnight and 250 percent surge in transactions (after currency ban was announced).
- Raised Rs 400 crore from a MediaTek investment fund, achieving $5 billion valuation.
- Processed sales worth Rs 220 crore in four days; valuation rose again by 4.7 percent.
- Due to rising traffic, technical issues hampered transactions.
- Paytm’s app disappeared from Apple’s App Store temporarily, and Android users were asked to delete and install their new unified app.
- Point of sale (PoS) feature pulled immediately after launch due to security concerns that surfaced on social media, only to be launched later.
For most of 2016, this online marketplace, co-founded by Rohit Bansal and Kunal Bahl, has been rumoured to be on the verge of acquisition by its top investor Alibaba. The exit of SoftBank COO Nikesh Arora, who was instrumental in the Japanese VC firm’s investment in Snapdeal, was expected to hamper Snapdeal’s chances of raising funding. There have also been reports of Sequoia and Kalaari Capital trying to sell off part of their stakes in the company.
- Raised $200 million in a funding round led by Canada-based pension fund Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan.
- Rebranded with a new logo, invested Rs 200 crore in marketing.
- ‘Snapdeal Gold’ launched, giving free upgrade to next day delivery for prepaid orders.
- Wallet on Delivery and FreeCharge on Delivery launched 48 hours after demonetisation was announced.
- Lost Jabong to Flipkart, thereby losing out on online fashion segment.
- Shut down Exclusively.in 18 months after their acquisition of it.
- Omni-channel strategy launched in December 2015 failed to make waves.
The Gurgaon-based online marketplace attained a $1.1 billion valuation when it raised over $100 million in a Series E round led by a Singapore-based fund. Co-founded by Sandeep and Radhika Aggarwal, along with Sanjay Sethi, ShopClues is backed by Tiger Global and Helion Ventures, among others. There have been rumours of acquisition by Alibaba as well as a merger with Flipkart – both of which have been denied by the team.
- Acquired mobile payments startup Momoe in July to build its own payment arm.
- ‘Reach’ service launched to enable cashless transactions by SMS, without app and e-wallet, for offline merchants.
- Wasn’t involved in any layoffs and devaluations this year, unlike other e-commerce unicorns.
- (No mischief detected for 2016)
Ola spent 2016 launching new services, expanding to more cities and battling Uber. Some of the most significant updates include offline booking, which lets users book a cab without an active internet connection, and the launch of OlaPlay, an in-cab entertainment system, in collaboration with ‘experience partners’ like Apple music and Sony. According to reports, Ola is close to raising $600 million in funding in a down round.
- Launched multiple features and services to improve end-user experience, including offline booking, Ola Select and OlaPlay.
- Ola has promised to invest Rs 100 crore for skill development of drivers in India.
- Onboarded Mumbai’s Kaali Peeli taxis onto its platform.
- Uber has accused Ola of booking 400,000 fake rides on its platform. Jugnoo too made similar accusations.
- Ola was forced to take down an ad comparing a woman’s spending habits with Ola Micro fares.
- Ola shut down TaxiForSure and laid off 90 percent of its workforce.
About two months ago, restaurant search and discovery service platform Zomato announced the acquisition of logistics-tech startup Sparse Labs to further optimise delivery routes. In a detailed post, the company also shared what its unit economics for food delivery looked like while they delivered about 750,000 orders in May 2016.
In May, HSBC slashed the paper valuation of Zomato to half its value ($500 million). Zomato, though, disagreed with HSBC’s markdown and noted that all their existing investors were bullish about them, categorically stating that their valuation was justified. A recent report noted that Zomato had roped in Morgan Stanley for its latest funding round, the proceeds of which it aims to invest in food delivery and cloud kitchens.
- In November, Zomato claimed to be the #1 player in the foodtech space in 18 of the 23 countries it operates in, in terms of monthly unique users.
- Partnered with Apple’s Maps platform to make table bookings more seamless.
- Ran ads on Pornhub and other porn websites between 11 pm and 4 am.
- Had to shut down operations in four cities - Lucknow, Kochi, Indore, and Coimbatore - in January 2016.
Mobile advertising and discovery platform InMobi was founded by Naveen Tewari, Mohit Saxena, and Amit Gupta in 2007. The company claims to reach over 1.5 billion unique mobile devices worldwide every month. InMobi recently integrated Nielsen Digital Ad Ratings to provide advertisers with more rigorous ‘audience verification solutions’. Earlier in April, InMobi saw two high-profile exits, with CFO Manish Duga. InMobi also laid off close to 100 employees at the same time.
-Was recently recognised by Fast Company as one among the most Innovative Companies in the world in 2016.
- Recently launched a remarketing platform that is designed and optimised for mobile.
- The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the US asked InMobi to pay a $950,000 fine for allegedly tracking consumers’ locations without permission. InMobi clarified that it was a technical error, which was fixed in Q4 2015.
8. Mu Sigma
2016 was not the best year for Mu Sigma. Headquartered in the US, this 12-year-old big data analytics company - last valued at $1.5 billion - was in the news in May when Founder-Chairman Dhiraj Rajaram and his wife (then-CEO) Ambiga Subramanian separated. A few months later, Dhiraj bought out her stake in the firm and replaced Ambiga as CEO, becoming the single largest stakeholder.
- Canadian investors like Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board are reportedly keen to buy a stake in Mu Sigma.
- Founder Dhiraj Rajaram was sued for “grossly misleading” investors to buy back their shares at a lower price.
Founded in 2008 by CEO Pranay Chulet, Quikr is the only unicorn that saw a hike in its valuation in 2016. The company’s estimated valuation rose from $1 billion to $1.47 billion when Kinnevik AB, the Swedish investment firm, valued its 18 percent stake in Quikr at $265 million. After acquiring CommonFloor for $200 million at the end of 2015, the company went on to acquire Salusa and Zapluk through its Quikr services arm in mid-2016.
- Launched app, CashNoCash, nearest ATM finder after demonetisation.
- Fired about 150 CommonFloor employees and shut down Flatchat app a few months after the acquisition.
The most recent entrant into the unicorn club, Hike was founded by Kavin Bharti Mittal in 2012. A communication app in essence, Hike lets users converse over text, voice, and video calls. In the latter half of 2015, Hike entered the short form news space, and then went on to launch in eight Indian languages.
In August 2016, Hike announced raising $175 million in a Series D round led by Tencent and Foxconn, entering the unicorn club with a $1.4 billion valuation. Hike is also known for its stickers and in-app games. The venture launched ‘Teen Patti nights’ during Diwali to add to their existing collection of 10 games. Their other two significant moves for 2016 were launching video calls and ‘Hike Stories’, with the latter being a leaf out of Snap’s playbook with Snapchat stories.
- A ‘Made in India’ app for Indians, with over 100 million installs across all platforms. Includes ‘Indianised stickers’.
- Hike Stories include quirky filters like Narendra Modi, Charlie Chaplin, The Joker and even a Kathakali artist. Stories last for 48 hours.
- Steady month-on-month growth. Had over 30 million monthly active users in October 2016.
-Took a big leaf out of Snap’s book by incorporating ‘Hike Stories’.
-No revenue model yet. Has teased at the possibility of integrating payments into Hike.
How has the coronavirus outbreak disrupted your life? And how are you dealing with it? Write to us or send us a video with subject line 'Coronavirus Disruption' to firstname.lastname@example.org


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More mergers and an evolving relationship with federal regulators are what's ahead for the auto industry, according to the CEO of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.
Carmakers have been freely spending capital, but the "drinking binge" will stop as the industry becomes more consolidated, Sergio Marchionne said in remarks at the 2015 Automotive News World Congress.
Stricter regulations for fuel economy will shift the relationship between automakers and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and mean industry-wide higher prices for cars, he said.
"We have learned a lot since the dark days of 2008 and 2009, and the price of these technologies is going to affect the price of these vehicles going forward," Marchionne told Automotive News. "You cannot have your margins decimated by technology solutions.
"All of us are phenomenally worried about the cost of price increases," he continued. But "if it's industry wide ... you can't be afraid of the bogeyman forever."
FCA's leader described the relationship between car companies and NHTSA as undergoing a "paradigm shift." Earlier this week, Marchionne said 2014's record of 63 million recalled vehicles may have reflected an "overreaction" from safety regulators.
"I think NHTSA is experimenting with the exercise and scope of their authority, and the industry is getting used to responding to that," he said.
That tension could get interesting especially when NHTSA leader Mark Rosekind is on a mission to increase safety in vehicles and recently hinted at a potential government-mandated standard for semiautonomous technologies such as forward collision warning and automatic braking.
Fiat Chrysler's Marchionne made sure to note where he believes government authority is appropriate, saying that targets for better fuel economy and lower emissions were proper, but a federal mandate on how those standards should be achieved would be over the line.
"Tell me what you want," he said. "Don't tell me how to get there."


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It was a sad day across the nation when the popular retail chain closed its doors. Well, we may not have seen the last of Geoffrey the giraffe and friends because Toys ‘R’ Us and Babies ‘R’ Us may be back before you know it.
Top lenders of the retailer have decided to cancel the bankruptcy action against the brand and their other assets, instead planning on reviving the brand. Debtors are planning to open a new branding company and invest and develop new retail shops, in addition to expanding the toy retail giant’s international presence.
Guess who’s back? He’s been traveling across the globe for the past few months but now #GeoffreysBack and once again ready to set play free for children of all ages. Share some of your favorite memories and get ready to make a whole lot of new ones! https://t.co/g4IMRXLsFP pic.twitter.com/VB2MjhnzKj
— ToysRUs (@ToysRUs) October 6, 2018
If you remember, Toys ‘R’ Us filed for Chapter 11 in 2017. Fingers crossed that we will soon have a new generation of Toys ‘R’ Us kids!


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Packaging Robotics Live & Local, presented by Packaging World, is launching a regional event series this fall to help manufacturers of consumer-packaged goods solve their labor shortage problem. The event series will feature industry experts sharing best practices and real-world success stories of how robotic automation technologies can be used to optimize packaging operations.
“With labor scarce and unreliable, more brands, CPGs, and contract packagers are turning to packaging automation and robotics. But unless you have the in-house engineering expertise and deep pockets of a major brand owner, capital investment in sophisticated, often high-price-tag robotic equipment can be viewed as a barrier,” says Matt Reynolds, editor, Packaging World.
“Surprisingly or not, robotic packaging automation is a lot easier to justify than you’d expect, and demonstrable ROIs are often fast enough to make upper-level management and procurement folks take note,” Reynolds adds. “Learn from experienced packaging robotics integrators, and the major OEMs they work with, how to vault your packaging operations forward in reliability, speed, and repeatability by making a business case that decision makers can’t refuse.”
At each regional event, attendees will get an inside look at the latest robotic technologies from hand-picked suppliers that have experience providing automated solutions for packaging operations. Through case study presentations and interactive panel discussions, attendees will gain a better understanding of how robotics can be used to increase efficiency and reduce costs in their own facilities.
Experts will also be on hand to discuss packaging-specific robotic integration applications such as pick-and-place primary packaging, robotic cartoning and case packing, end-of-line operations like palletizing, and the latest in collaborative robotic options, among other leading-edge applications. They'll share best practices for selecting the right robotic automation solution for an operation's specific needs while ensuring both safety standards and ROIs are met.
"The goal of this event series is to provide comprehensive information that helps manufacturers make informed decisions when it comes to integrating robots in their packaging operations. If a good business case can be made, this event should help you make it," says Reynolds. "By attending these events, they'll get a clear picture of what's possible with robotics technology today as well as potential future applications, all the while keeping the bottom line in sight."
Event Dates & Locations:
Early-bird registration fees for each event start at $75 and increase to $175 day-of-event.
A limited number of sponsorship opportunities are also available.
For more information, please visit: www.packagingroboticslive.com.


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Bahrain’s CrediMax head of operations attends workshop in UK
CrediMax, the pioneering credit card Issuer and Acquirer in the Kingdom of Bahrain, announced that Head of Operations, Mr. Mohammed Redha Alaali, successfully completed a two-day ‘card profitability’ workshop held at the Visa Business School in the United Kingdom.
“CrediMax has always been committed to developing its employees focusing on the latest methods and trends of business management. The card profitability workshop is in line with our vision and overall strategy to empower our management team members to be exposed to new management trends,” said CrediMax Chief Executive, Mr Yousif Ali Mirza.
“The two-day workshop provided an overview of the card payment industry and focused on the key drivers of profitability for issuers of Visa credit, Visa debit and Visa prepaid products. Such programs contribute towards the success of the organization and further develops our team,” he added.
CrediMax continues to provide employees with on-job training and strategic empowerment workshops in order to continuously develop the team and introduce the latest knowledge and know-hows.


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New study estimates foodborne illness costs U.S. $152 billion annually, building momentum for FDA food safety reform bill as foodborne illness victims prepare to lobby Senate
Foodborne illness is costing the U.S. $152 billion annually, according to a new report released by the Make Our Food Safe coalition Tuesday.
The report is helping to build momentum for S. 510, the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, a bill that has been stalled in the Senate for months behind health care reform.
The study found that the costs of foodborne illness are significantly higher than previously thought. Previous government estimates have ranged between $6 and $35 billion.
The new study, published by the Produce Safety Project at Georgetown University, is a more comprehensive analysis of costs. “The reason our number is so much greater is because it looks at all the pathogens,” said Robert L Scharff, a former U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) economist and the lead author of the paper, who noted that recent studies have focused on only a few common food pathogens.
Food safety advocates say the study is further proof the bipartisan food safety legislation can no longer wait.
“This report shows that if we could work to eliminate pathogens in common food products, it would go a long way toward reducing health care costs,” Caroline Smith DeWaal, director of food safety at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, told USA Today.
Yesterday, newspapers from Los Angeles to Des Moines discussed the study’s findings. So did Time, BusinessWeek, and the Wall Street Journal, as well as countless blogs.
The study is causing many mainstream media outlets to again discuss the need for legislation to increase the mandate and authority of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over 80 percent of the food supply–virtually all food except for meat, poultry, and processed eggs, which fall under USDA jurisdiction.
The House passed its version of the bill in July. The Senate has yet to vote on the measure, but the Make Our Food Safe coalition, which includes public health, consumer, and industry groups, is actively working to get it on the schedule.
As part of its coordinated campaign, the coalition is hosting a food safety action day on Capitol Hill today. Forty five foodborne illness victims from 24 states will meet with their senators to advocate for S. 510.
“The system is completely broken at this point,” said Erik Olson, director of food and consumer product safety at the Pew Charitable Trusts, on CNN’s American Morning yesterday.
“What we have is a low over 70 years old and hasn’t been updated in many decades, we have legislation that has broad bipartisan support. It’s bottled up in the senate,” said Olson. “We really need the system to be modernized and we need the law to be modernized and the Senate could do it really pretty quickly if they got around to it.”
Though consumer and public health advocates are optimistic many key pieces are falling into place in the Senate, there is still uncertainty over exactly when the full Senate will consider the bill.
An interactive state-by-state guide to foodborne illness costs from the report is available here.


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International travel restrictions and stay-at-home orders have decimated the freedom of movement the global tourism industry relies on, leaving travellers with nowhere to go and tourism operators with no one to serve.
When will the sector, worth an estimated $8 trillion, bounce back to pre-pandemic levels, and what will it look like after all this is over?
tap here to see other videos from our team.
This week on Down to Business, G Adventures founder Bruce Poon Tip discusses how COVID-19 affected his business, a Toronto-based operator with about $700 million in revenue and thousands of employees around the world.
Poon Tip also speaks to how he believes the travel industry should evolve once people are allowed to move around again.
You can listen below — or on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Stitcher and Google Play , where you can also subscribe to get new episodes every Wednesday morning.
If you have any questions about the show, or if there are topics you want us to tackle, email us: email@example.com .
'We need to be at the table': How corporate Canada can address systemic challenges faced by Black business community – podcast
Goodbye office space, hello suburbs: Canadian real estate in pandemic times – podcast
We have to get it right: How a second lockdown would devastate the economy — podcast


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Microsoft is adding a virtual auditorium view to its Teams communication platform in a bid to make video meetings feel more natural during lockdown.
The firm has developed artificial intelligence technology that places participants alongside one another, digitally seated with the same background, creating the impression everyone is in the same room.
Together mode is designed to help people feel more connected and less fatigued by video meetings, which have become commonplace among those working from home since coronavirus lockdown measures came into place in March.
The feature – which rolls out on Thursday before becoming generally available in August – is one of a number of improvements the tech giant is introducing on Microsoft Teams.
Users can expect to find video filter enhancements and emoji-based live reactions to pop up on screen among the raft of updates.
Microsoft Teams displays, a new category of device for the firm, has also been announced amid a surge in demand for video communication tools and growing competition from the likes of Zoom, Facebook and Google.
These Teams-focused devices will have an ambient touchscreen and a hands-free experience powered by Cortana.
The Lenovo ThinkSmart View will be the first Microsoft Teams display to be made available.


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The number of properties in the center of Athens that are leased out via the Airbnb online platform has exceeded 8,000, as the appeal of short-term leasing among property owners has grown and the number of foreign visitors who opt for such accommodation is soaring.
According to data from analysis company AirDNA, 8,068 properties can currently be found available for rental on Airbnb in the heart of the Greek capital, which is 57 percent higher than at the same time last year when 5,127 properties were available.
Across Attica, including the southern suburbs, the total number of properties listed on Airbnb have exceeded 10,000.
The increased popularity of short-term leasing is easy to understand: One just needs to take a look at the expected revenues for owners, which easily exceed the takings from a conventional rental. It appears that, on average, in the center of Athens, where most tourism sites are located, the average daily rental rate paid is 54 euros, while the occupancy rate comes to almost 80 percent, which translates into monthly revenues of 1,000 euros. This is according to data compiled during the last 30 days – i.e. the high season for tourism. At the same time, the typical rental rate for a two-bedroom apartment in central Athens does not exceed 500 euros.
Of course in the case of Airbnb leasings the owners also have to factor in various other expenses, such as utility bills, as well as the common bills in apartment blocks that they have to foot, but even so the balance is clearly in favor of short-term rentals.
The draw becomes even greater if one takes a closer look at the three most popular districts, which are the city center (including Plaka and Monastiraki), and the neighborhoods of Koukaki and Exarchia: An impressive five out of eight ads (63 percent) come from owners of multiple properties, as this has turned into a clear business opportunity.


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Members’ Trade Data Analysis: China September 2020 SummaryOctober 27, 2020
As was expected, imports into China are still dropping and have dropped under the all-time low reached in August, according to the latest Chinese customs data. China imported a total of 19,772 tonnes of shrimp, 32% lower than the previous month (29,048 tonnes), and 63% lower than in August 2019 (53,621 tonnes).
China’s imports from Ecuador dropped again in September, to 9,709 tonnes imports from India only reached 3,660 tonnes, 33% lower than August’s Indian imports. While normally China’s imports start to rise from the start of Q4, in the leadup to Chinses New Year, there has yet to be a clear sign of this increase. Though our sources report a slight increase in Chinese demand for Ecuadorian shrimp, it is uncertain whether or not it will be enough to absorb the current Ecuadorian harvest size.
This summary offers you a sneak peek at China’s Trade Data Analysis for September 2020. Members, find the full report in your library, which includes the breakdown of imports by country and price developments.
Not a member yet? Get in contact, at firstname.lastname@example.org or get a (trial) membership. Start receiving unbiased and actionable analysis of the current state of the industry. With the facts and figures we gather and our network of industry experts, we keep our members up-to-date with the rapidly fluctuating prices and import/export trends between major shrimp and seafood markets.


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Latest MPA survey suggests ongoing pressure on construction activity shows little sign of abating
THE latest quarterly data from the Mineral Products Association (MPA) paints a challenging picture for the construction industry, with a further deterioration in demand for heavy-side materials over the summer.
The new survey – an important bellwether of wider construction activity – reveals the extent of the slowdown in house-building activity, compounded by continuing delays in key infrastructure projects, particularly in roads, because of persisting cost pressures and planning challenges.
The third quarter saw notable declines in the sales of ready-mixed concrete and sand and gravel, with drops of 15.0% and 12.2%, respectively. For ready-mixed concrete, the magnitude of the decline is comparable to the first quarter of 2009, when macroeconomic and construction conditions were severely impacted by the global financial crisis. Mortar sales have also dipped, contracting by 8.7% in the third quarter if 2023, because of the sharp downward trend in house-building activity since the latter part of 2022.
Conversely, pockets of regional growth, notably in the east of England and the South East, have helped to avert a quarterly decline in the demand for asphalt and crushed rock. Asphalt sales inched up by 1.6% while crushed rock saw a marginal increase of 0.3%.
Despite fluctuations in materials volumes on a quarterly basis, the demand for all mineral products monitored by MPA has been on a declining trend for most of the past 18 months.
Growth in the demand for mineral products to deliver major infrastructure projects, including HS2 Phase 1, has been more than offset by a weakening overall pipeline of projects. Construction investment has been hit by the triple-whammy impact of cost inflation, rising interest rates, and weaker business and consumer confidence, all of which are weighing heavily on the financial viability of construction projects and on housing affordability.
Mineral products markets have also been impacted by repeated delivery setbacks in schemes to upgrade the strategic road network, managed by National Highways. Outside of Covid-impacted 2020, asphalt sales volumes are currently at their lowest level since 2014.
Other industry business surveys have indicated stagnation in the construction industry over much of the past year, but there has been a particularly marked slowdown since mid-July, as housing demand continues to adjust to higher interest rates and reduced affordability. Mortar sales, which are closely linked to house-building activity, are leading the decline in market sales, with an annual drop in volumes by 11.8% in the 12 months to September 2023.
Aurelie Delannoy, director of economic affairs at the MPA, said: ‘Faced with persistent headwinds, the construction industry, and its supply chain, including mineral products manufacturers, is in the midst of a challenging period. The decline in sales volumes for materials such as concrete and mortar reflects the broader issues faced by the sector, in particular the acute slowdown in house-building activity. MPA members do not foresee any improvement in market conditions in the near term, with weak construction demand likely to persist throughout most of 2024.
‘Ahead of the Government’s Autumn Statement, due this month, the industry is hopeful for policy measures aimed at supporting a revival in UK growth and business investment, as well as strengthening Government’s commitment to – and effective delivery of – the infrastructure project pipeline. However, the typical lag between policy announcements and projects starting means that tangible improvements in market conditions for producers of mineral products are unlikely to materialize next year.’
Mineral products such as aggregates, concrete, and asphalt represent the largest flow of materials in the economy and the single biggest segment of the construction industry supply chain. The MPA survey is, therefore, an important gauge of current and upcoming construction trends, shedding light on the essential heavy-side building materials markets. These materials are the backbone of construction, used throughout infrastructure and building projects, especially in the earlier stages. The latest results suggest the ongoing pressure on construction activity shows little sign of abating.


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One of Jamaica Plain's signature businesses is on the move — but it will stay in the neighborhood.
Video Underground's co-owner, Kevin Koppes, announced Wednesday night that the store will move to Egleston Square after nearly a dozen years in Hyde Square. The new location will be 3203 Washington St.
"We're very much looking forward to a fresh start in Egleston Square while maintain[ing] the connections to JP we've enjoyed over the years," Koppes wrote in an email. "We have nothing but thanks and appreciation for those of you who have either assisted us in our quest to keep things going or helped spread the word about our current and future plans."
The relocation is scheduled to take place May 15. They'll be in the London Fashion space that's now labeled 3205 Washington St. Koppes said the space will be subdivided into three and the Video Underground portion will be 3203.
"While we're now going to be closer to the edge than the heart of Jamaica Plain," Koppes wrote, "I'm hoping we can remain a fixture and a resource for the community going forward."
Fans of the indie video store have gone through ups and downs this spring. On Feb. 17, Video Underground announced on its Facebook page that it would be closing soon.
But that was before Koppes — a cinephile, entrepreneur (and Celtics blogger) - saw that post on Facebook.
The Iowa City transplant says he ran down to the 385 Centre St. store and started talking to owner Josiah Simmons and other board members. He quickly found out that the problems pushing the iconic shop into closing were surmountable.
Koppes came on as a co-owner with Simmons, who bought the store from founder Evonne Wetzner in 2011.


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HMV has made a further 60 members of its HQ redundant, including the firm’s CEO Trevor Moore.
It follows yesterday’s news that 66 stores are being closed, impacting 930 employees.
Mark Hodgkinson, the firm’s new marketing director, is also part of the redundancies.
45 of the staff are from the firm’s central head office in London, while a further 15 are from other offices around the country. According to an MCV source at the firm only a ‘skeleton crew’ remain, and some of the departures have been from the company’s video games team.
Trevor Moore only joined HMV last September. The former Jessops boss replaced Simon Fox as CEO.
HMV is fighting for survival having entered administration last month. Hilco UK is expected to purchase the firm having bought the company’s debt, but there’s still no news of a buy-out.
UPDATE: MCV understands that HMV’s games team is now down to just two people.


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California law enforcement is planning to intensify its efforts in rooting out the thriving illegal marijuana market. Law enforcement will use steps that involve launching an ad campaign urging residents and consumers to seek out licensed shops and trusted products.
Currently, the California state government has been under pressure by the legal cannabis industry. The demand stems from efforts to step up their fight against the illegal marijuana economy in cities like Los Angeles, who operate in plain sight.
The state’s top marijuana regulator, Lori Ajax, says” we are going to begin having a more aggressive stance going after the illegal marijuana market.” The state conveyed it was starting a public campaign which aims to encourage consumers to validate that their marijuana purchases are legal and the product tested.
California Ad Campaign
The campaigns argument was simple and straight to the point. Statements were made, such as “you are not sure of what you are buying when purchasing illegal products.” Lori Ajax stated,”. The campaign is set to impact consumer safety directly. Thus making it clear that only marijuana purchased from legally licensed retailers has met the state’s set safety standards.”
The need for stricter enforcement has been talked of in past forums, organized by the U.C.B. (United Cannabis Business Association). Tom Lackey, a state assemblyman, called the current situation the ” greatest failure in the system. The regulations were a mere suggestion without an enforcement arm”. He continued to state that the local governments are failing when it comes to working together.
The broad legal sales kicked off in California on January 1st, 2018. However, the illegal market has continued booming. Industry officials have highlighted ongoing struggles for the nations largest marijuana market and many regulatory hurdles. These hurdles have discouraged operators from venturing into the legal market and creating a challenge of securing a California brand in its developing market.


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THREE fledgling local firms have been given the best possible start to 2012 by reaching the final round of our Business Accelerator campaign.
Green2Go garden recycling, A Country Kitchen meals on wheels service and BB Dyson Specialist were chosen as the top three after a shortlist of six firms were visited by our judges.
They will all now receive three months’ free advertising with the Spalding Guardian as well as expert mentoring over the same period.
“This has made my year already, and it’s only January,” a delighted Alan Jesson, of Spalding-based Green2Go, told the Guardian.
“I am absolutely delighted and this is now going to be a big year for my business.”
Kelly Newman, of A Country Kitchen, said: “It just gives us a fantastic chance to broaden our advertising and the service we can offer the elderly just as the colder months are approaching.”
And Bob Bulbrook, of BB Dyson Specialist, added: “We already had plans for 2012 but this just puts them up a couple of notches.
“It is a huge boost for a small but important local business.”
The nationwide Business Accelerator campaign, launched in October by local newspapers across the country and backed by Prime Minister David Cameron and Dragon’s Den star Deborah Meaden, will see 1,500 firms receive £15m of free advertising.
Our judges, from the Guardian, Roythornes solicitors, NatWest bank and Duncan and Toplis chartered accountants, reported that entries in South Lincolnshire were of an extremely high standard, with enthusiastic local firms recognising the benefits that local advertising can bring.
At the end of the mentoring process, Deborah Meaden will also become a mentor to one overall business, picked from the hundreds of regional winners.
The other local businesses that made the shortlist were: Drive By Websites, BL Caravan Services and NTP Services haulage industry training.


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CVS Pharmacy is reinforcing its longstanding commitment in the fight against the nationwide epidemic of prescription drug abuse with a number of efforts launching this month.
Sept. 23, 2015
/PRNewswire/ -- CVS/pharmacy, the retail division of CVS Health (NYSE: CVS), is reinforcing its longstanding commitment in the fight against the nationwide epidemic of
prescription drug abuse
with a number of efforts launching this month.
CVS/pharmacy has expanded the availability of the opioid overdose reversal medicine, naloxone, in several states. The medication was already available at CVS/pharmacy without a prescription in
. Naloxone is now available without a prescription at CVS/pharmacy locations in 12 additional states:
"Over 44,000 people die from accidental drug overdoses every year in
the United States
and most of those deaths are from opioids, including controlled substance pain medication and illegal drugs such as heroin. Naloxone is a safe and effective antidote to opioid overdoses and by providing access to this medication in our pharmacies without a prescription in more states, we can help save lives," said
, RPh, Vice President of Pharmacy Professional Practices at CVS/pharmacy. "While all 7,800 CVS/pharmacy stores nationwide can continue to order and dispense naloxone when a prescription is presented, we support expanding naloxone availability without a prescription and are reviewing opportunities to do so in other states."
In addition, CVS Health is currently participating in a research project with Boston Medical Center and Rhode Island Hospital to support a demonstration project of pharmacy-based naloxone rescue kits to help reduce opioid addiction and overdose deaths.
CVS/pharmacy has also renewed its Medication Disposal for Safer Communities Program, in which it has teamed up with the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids to donate drug collection units to police departments around the country to help their communities safely dispose of unwanted medications, including controlled substances.
"Our Safer Communities program has donated more than 400 drug collection units to local law enforcement around the country since last year, resulting in almost seven tons of unused medication being collected in our communities," said Davis. "We are pleased to continue this program with the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids and provide a permanent drug disposal solution at local police departments."
Police departments interested in receiving a drug collection unit can apply at www.cvs.com/safercommunities.
Also, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will hold National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on
Saturday, September 26
. On that day, hundreds of CVS/pharmacy locations around the country will host local law enforcement collection events in store parking lots from
10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
. To locate a participating collection site, visit http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/.
Other on-going initiatives at CVS/pharmacy to combat prescription drug abuse include:


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Dianping develops a group buying website for locally found consumer products and retail services.
Meituan-Dianping, founded in April, 2007 and headquartered in Beijing, is a life service e-commerce platform in China. The founder is Wang Xing. Listed on the HKEX on September 20, 2018, the company's major shareholders include Wang Xing and Mu Rongjun. Rivals that have direct and indirect competition with Meituan-Dianping include Alibaba, Tencent, Beyond Meat and Yelp.
China’s Plastic Pollution Crusade and the Booming Food Delivery Market
It is not a secret that plastic pollution has posed a steep challenge for decades. In recent years, a plastic crisis was increasingly prompted by a surge in demand for plastic consumer staples driven by e-commerce and food delivery services. China has unleashed a robust kick against plastic waste – but some problems persist.
Feb 21, 2022 11:15 PM
Financing and Investment Activities in China's Mobility Industry From 2012 to 2022
Meituan Experienced a Nearly 40% Surge in Delivery Order in Beijing
During the May Holiday, China’s largest online delivery platform Meituan witnessed a rise in catering orders compared with the same period last year. The order numbers rose more than 40% compared to the previous day in Beijing.
May 03, 2022 12:00 PM
China’s State Planner Imposed Regulatory Rules On Online Food Ordering Platform
On February 18, 2022, China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), issued a set of rules to help struggling restaurants to recover from the pandemic. The online food delivery platforms have been hammered and over-reacted in response to lower service fees of restaurants.
Feb 23, 2022 11:54 PM


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Apple plans to add safeguards to help address security vulnerabilities exploited by celebrity photo hackers. But some security experts contend that the proposed changes won't block iCloud account hackers.
While some experts say JPMorgan Chase may have been targeted by some sort of cyber-attack, others warn that jumping to conclusions about a possible breach and the actors behind the alleged attack could cause significant harm to the industry.
Goodwill Industries International says in an update about a breach affecting about 330 of its stores that approximately 868,000 payment cards were exposed. It also identifies the malware used to compromise a third-party vendor's systems.
Cybersecurity isn't the most pressing issue NATO leaders face as they gather in Wales. But they'll tackle how the international alliance defends its member states against cyber-attacks. Deciding how to do that won't be simple.
Private equity firm Veritas Capital will acquire BeyondTrust, a cybersecurity software company, from venture capital firm Insight Venture Partners. Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed.


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Earlier this year, DC Comics did a soft relaunch from the New 52 to the DCYou era, and Supergirl was one of the ongoing titles that was dropped in the transition. For the first time since 2005, Supergirl didn’t have an ongoing series even though CBS had already announced plans for a TV adaptation that is currently airing on the network.
Amazon has posted a listing for a Supergirl: Digital First trade paperback collection of a previously unannounced tie-in comic for the Supergirl TV series. Because Amazon requires publishers to set their schedules far in advance, DC had to send in the following description before an official announcement was made:
“Kara Zor-El landed on Earth after many years stuck in en route from her now-destroyed home planet Krypton, having followed in her famous cousin Superman’s footsteps. Upon arriving, she was taken in by the lovely Danvers family and taught to hide her un-Earthly powers from sight. As the world falls in love with her super hero cousin Superman, Kara starts to feel the urge to embrace her powers, especially when her powers can save someone she loves.
But does National City want a Supergirl? Is the world ready for another super hero? And what other-worldly consequences arrive once Kara Danvers reveals her true self? Find out in the stories between the episodes in SUPERGIRL: DIGITAL-FIRST VOL. 1!”
A creative team for the new Supergirl digital first comic book series was not included in the Amazon listing, but the first print issue is expected to hit in March 2015. However, the digital version of that Supergirl comic could launch much sooner.
This will still leave the in-continuity Supergirl without her own comic. But if the Supergirl TV series gets another season on CBS, then it’s likely that DC will eventually relaunch a new DCU Supergirl monthly comic as well.
Are you looking forward to the new Supergirl TV tie-in comic? Avoid any Kryptonite shards and share your opinions below!
HT: Bleeding Cool
Image Credit: CBS/DC Entertainment


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CDMA Moves Into The New Millennium; Leading Wireless Companies Highlight CDMA Milestones and Future at the CDMA Americas Congress
Wireless and Internet Industries Merge at the CDMA Americas Congress
San Francisco, CA, November 30, 1999 -- The CDMA Development Group (CDG) today highlighted a decade of CDMA milestones and exciting opportunities for operators and manufacturers in the new millennium at the 1999 CDMA Americas Congress, which is being held this week in San Francisco. CDMA leads the industry in providing the highest quality voice services, and is delivering wireless Internet and information services as part of today's fixed and mobile networks. Used by more than 16 million subscribers in the Americas and nearly 42 million worldwide, CDMA is the predominant global technology of choice for third generation (3G) services and devices.
Executives from Microsoft, Sun Microsystems, Yahoo! and Cisco Systems are delivering keynote presentations discussing the convergence of the Internet and wireless industries, which correspond with the theme of this year's Americas Congress - - "Moving Beyond Voice." "CDMA has enjoyed tremendous success. Ten years ago, I would have never predicted the number of accomplishments that we have achieved," said Perry LaForge, executive director of the CDG. "We expect to see this record-breaking pattern continue in the new century. As advanced wireless Internet and multi-media applications are offered, CDMA will again grow at a phenomenal rate in the next year. The CDG and its members will continue to evolve CDMA into the next generation with the first phase of 3G services to be available on CDMA networks in 2000."
CDMA technology milestones include:
The Americas Congress is holding panel discussions about issues impacting the wireless communications industry in the next millennium such as today's wireless information and Internet services, and the evolution toward 3G. Additional topics include CDMA as a capacity solution for the urban core, and the benefits of CDMA for Latin America.


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Nissan 3E to Provide Google Glass-like Experience for Drivers
Google Glass has been in the news a lot recently regarding the possible legal ramifications that could come if you wear the headband-like device while driving. West Virginia and Delaware are considering creating laws that would ban Google Glass in moving cars, and a California woman was recently ticketed for wearing hers, so this is an interesting time for Nissan to unveil their very similar product – the Nissan 3E.
The Nissan 3E is set to debut at the Tokyo Motor Show, but other than that we don’t know much about it. Nissan released a brief “birth” video for the 3E, but that’ll have you questioning what is causing the shirtless man in it to convulse so violently and why the 3E makes him stop.
The press release from Nissan on the 3E wasn’t much help either. The “Nissan 3E is a glasses-type wearable device currently under development. The device can be connected to the Internet in real time, allowing the users to overlay acquired information on the glasses, record projected images, and communicate with others by sending information to their glasses.”
So, from what we can tell, the Nissan 3E is going to be an infotainment system that you can attach to your face. Step aside SYNC with MyTouch, IntelliLink, CUE and the countless others, because the Nissan 3E isn’t going anywhere… unless the next weird video tells us how to take it off.
What do you think of the Nissan 3E wearable device?
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Upscale Shopping Center Planned
LAKELAND -- A shopping center about half the size of Lakeland Square mall could bring to town retailers and restaurants that Lakeland has never seen before.
Planners and developers are reviewing a project for a more than 500,000-square-foot shopping center on 60 acres off Harden Boulevard, just north of the Polk Parkway.
Plans for Lakeside Village call for 475,915 square feet of retail and restaurant space, 50,000 square feet of office space, an 18screen stadium-seating theater, a 100-room hotel and 330 residential units.
Construction may start by June or July and will take a year for completion.
"It will be like the Winter Park shopping village with higher-end shopping," said Rick Barber, vice president of Oakbridge, a Drummond Co. development that owns the 60 acres.
Sarasota-based Casto Southeast, an affiliate of the Don M. Casto Organization in Columbus, Ohio, is the developer.
Leases for Lakeside Village won't be signed until the beginning or spring of 2003, said Brett Hutchens, president of Casto Southeast. However, a letter of intent has been signed with a cinema chain.
"We've had more pre-leasing interest than almost any other project we've been associated with," he said. "We've had a tremendous amount of interest from restaurants and retailers."
Casto also built Winter Park Village in the Orlando area, which includes P.F. Chang's China Bistro, The Cheesecake Factory, Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, Ann Taylor Loft and Borders Books. It also has a stadium-seating theater and Albertsons grocery store.
The proposed Lakeland site has retail space of almost 650,000 square feet less than a plan that The Drummond Co. had proposed 15 years ago. That called for a regional mall like Lakeland Square.
Hutchens said he hopes to have a department store, theater and two or three other major tenants at Lakeside Village. Most likely, condominiums will be developed after the retailers.
Brian Sodt, planning manager for the Central Florida Regional Planning Council, said one stumbling block is the traffic issue.
The City of Lakeland is working with the Department of Transportation in Bartow, the Central Florida Regional Planning Council and Polk Parkway officials on that problem.
Charles Barmby, city transportation planner, said he and his staff are going to have to be creative.
"There are some problem areas such as Harden Boulevard south of the Polk Parkway and West Pipkin Road," he said. "We're looking at significant road issues."
But they remain optimistic.
Celeste Deardorff, a principal planner for the city, said she thinks people will love it.
"They won't have to go to Brandon or WestShore Plaza in Tampa," she said. "It's time for Lakeland to capture some of that."
Barber, with Oakbridge, said there's no question the market is in Lakeland for the product.
"We're getting great cooperation from the city, county and government agencies," he said. "They agree it's an appropriate site."


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Abu Dhabi, UAE:- Emirati Entrepreneur Association (EEA) announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with talabat UAE in a ceremony that took place during the Abu Dhabi International Food Exhibition held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. This MoU is part of EEA’s continuous efforts to promote entrepreneurship in the UAE.
The collaboration will allow Emirati small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the food and beverage sector to display and sell food items on the talabat app. Additionally, it will enable entrepreneurs to expand their business by increasing their brand’s online visibility and reach through direct access to the platform’s large customer database and logistics network.
Under this MoU, talabat will grant eligible Emirati entrepreneurs a yearly contract that provides them with subsidized fees and special benefits, as well as a dedicated account manager for ongoing consultation and support as they start their online journey.
His Excellency Sanad Al Meqbali, Emirati Entrepreneur Association Chairman: “SMEs represent a vital sector and a main catalyst for economic diversification and development in the UAE. We’re pleased to partner with the UAE’s leading online food delivery and q-commerce platform to provide their expertise, as well as mentorship and support to entrepreneurs, allowing them to increase their online presence and reach. The rapid growth of q-commerce in the region presents an opportunity for Emirati entrepreneurs in the food and beverage sector and we aim to provide entrepreneurs with the right tools to excel through our partnership with talabat. This is part of our commitment to fostering entrepreneurship, which is also in line with the UAE leadership’s vision.”
Tatiana Rahal, Managing Director at talabat UAE commented: “We are proud to partner with EEA to develop a specialized programme and extend our knowledge and expertise to help entrepreneurs accelerate their digital footprint commerce and increase their visibility and order volume. It is through such strategic collaborations with governmental entities that we are able to launch initiatives that support local talent, which play a key role in introducing innovative concepts in the market. We are glad to be in a position to utilize our technology in meaningful ways to empower Emirati businesses and we look forward to more fruitful collaborations.”
In a recent statement, the UAE’s Economy Minister, Abdullah bin Touq al-Marri, announced that SMEs account for 95 percent of the overall operating companies in the country.
Through its collaboration with talabat, EEA aims to build strategic partnerships to develop the Emirati entrepreneurship sector and equip SMEs with the tools and best practices to grow their business.


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Car manufacturers are working hard to accelerate the industry’s adoption of circular economy production methods.
Renault, an early signatory to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation – back in 2010 – is one of the industry’s trailblazers when it comes to sustainable thinking. It strives to recycle waste and reuse it where possible in the manufauting process.
The French car giant says it is committed to reducing the “environmental footprint with each new vehicle generation over the entire vehicle life cycle, by applying the principles of the circular economy in [its] processes, products and services”.
Good for the environment, it’s also sound economics for sectors to move to a circular business model. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates it could generate more than a trillion dollar for industry and society as a whole by the middle of the next decade.
Audi likes the dual benefits of this break from the linear system of take, make and dispose. The company is on board with a concept that is set to redesign the twenty first century.
“The circular economy will be a fundamental principle in the entire value chain at Audi in the future. The vision is to use raw materials in a closed loop wherever possible,” it said in its 2016 annual report.
Professor Hubert Waltl, Audi Board Member for Production and Logistics, added: “The circular economy is becoming a fundamental principle for the production and marketing of our products.”
In America General Motors is making parts, including air filters, from recycled bottles collected from a number of its Michigan sites.
While researchers in Texas have even developed a method for converting waste from the paper and pulp industries into carbon fibres that could be used to make cars.


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News happens all year long, most of it seems
like bad news. Here are a few news articles that we have
picked up over the years around Halloween time.
Most of it
is dated, but interesting and even informative.
We'll up-date with newer articles as they come past our
$4+ Gasoline will hurt Halloween
no mistake about it, the price of gasoline today will affect how you
celebrate Halloween this coming October. For the last few years
the overly high prices at the pump, anywhere from three to four
dollars per gallon,
are hurting families more and more by taking a lot of money out of
Its important to understand that
its much more than the cost of just filling your car up with gas. Diesel fuel, which
used to cost substantially less than regular gasoline is at an all time
high and actually costs more than unleaded.
Just about every mode of
transportation that delivers consumer goods is moved by diesel
powered vehicles including semi-trucks, delivery trucks, trains and cargo ships.
As a result, virtually everything you buy from food to dry goods
has and will continue to go up in price and this includes
Even pumpkins are not immune! It
takes fuel to run the tractors that plow the fields, to power the
water pumps for irrigation and the trucks that deliver them to
your local stores and vendors. There are two things
that we all can do. First, start planning and
Halloween now! Tuck away every spare dollar you can through
out the year for candy,
costumes and decorations.
Second, with the current opposition
to off shore drilling and expanded drilling on federal land, the
US will be forced to purchase oil from other countries at ever
increasing prices. Vote out politicians
who enact policies that continue to raise the price of fuel and who want to
increase taxes on gasoline to consumers. We all know who they
Swift Dresses Up as a Pegacorn for Halloween
In the Halloween spirit and ready for some October 31st
horseplay as she dresses as a cross between a pegasus and a
unicorn in Manhattan on Friday.
Making her own fairy tale come true this year, pop star
Swift dresses up as a combination of two mythical creatures,
a Unicorn with Pegasus wings complete with ears, a swirling
horn, a tail and big white wings.
Taylor Swift - (instagram.com)
Cause, darling I'm a nightmare dressed like a PEGACORN.
Postage Stamps - Surprisingly, there has never
been a Halloween related postage stamp issued through the
United States Post Office, even though there have been many
campaigns directed at the Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee
requesting that the
U.S. Postal Service issue a series of Halloween related postage stamps during the month of October.
This is very strange
considering that over seventy-two percent of the
households in the United States celebrate this wonderful holiday to some
extent. Whether you are sending out
greeting cards, invitations to your Halloween
party, or are a stamp collector, isn't it time we had a
Halloween themed postage stamp?


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Bethlehem Township police have released a photo of a man they suspect being involved in a jewelry theft Tuesday.
Police said the theft happened around 3:20 p.m. at the Wal Mart at 3926 Nazareth Pike.
They said after the man walked into the store, he spent 30 minutes taking jewelry from turnstile display cases, locked display cases and clearance bins.
Police said he fled from the store on a red bicycle.
Anyone with information may contact Sgt. Richard Blake at 610-814-6487 or firstname.lastname@example.org.


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Jennifer Lopez is back at it again! The showstopper had recently signed on with Guess Jeans last November to be their new “Guess Girl”. The iconic brand announced Lopez would be heading their 2018 Spring Ad campaign and the shots are finally here.
The “Jenny From The Block” singer can be seen wearing denim overalls with an exposed back, checkerboard shorts and a dress that could turn heads, in the five photos released by Guess. This is not the first collaboration Jennifer Lopez has been a part of; her recent Giuseppe Zanotti shoe line was a major success! It seems as if anything J.Lo touches turns to gold.
Jennifer told US Weekly how ecstatic she was to receive the call from Paul Marciano, who is the co-founder of the company, to be the new face of their Spring campaign. Lopez mentioned she has been a fan of the brand since she was a teenager and how “it is a tremendous compliment to have been selected.”
The incredible Tatiana Gerusova, who was the campaign photographer, used elements of Jennifer’s life in both Vegas and Hollywood as the inspiration behind the beautiful shots. The mother of twins has been killing the game lately, with her headlining residency in Las Vegas called “All I Have”, humanitarian work for relief efforts in Puerto Rico, and now her gorgeous campaign with Guess, we simply can’t get enough!
Paul Marciano said in a press release how he too could not be happier with Jennifer being the new “Guess Girl” and the “Femme Fatale” of the Marciano brand as well. He continued by saying her work with the brand contributes to the campaign in ways that celebrate the notion that “women get more beautiful and talented as they gain life experience”.
Lopez is one of many big names to grace a Guess campaign, including Gigi Hadid, Kate Upton, Camila Cabello and Hailey Baldwin. The Bronx beauty is undoubtedly in great company! However, the star, only 2 years shy of 50, is proving that you don’t need to be in your 20’s to be a Guess Girl. With that being said, Jennifer Lopez proves again, that if anyone can do it all, it’s certainly her.
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The latest game from developer Hyper Light Drifter Heart Machine was shown at the Summer Game Fest.
Solar Ash, the latest game from Heart Machine, developer Hyper Light Drifter, has hit the Summer Game Fest stream with a new game trailer. The upcoming action-platformer game will launch on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 later this year.
The published game Annapurna was originally announced in 2020 during the PS5 presentation. The latest trailer shows the protagonist’s skate-like movement and his fast pace as he climbs a tower and climbs a giant flying enemy. The trailer doesn’t reveal much more, but Solar Ash looks like a stylish sequel to Heart Machine.


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Small Child Goes Wild With a Rock at Audi Dealership, Parents Ordered to Pay Thousands
A youngster would escape the watchful eye of his parents in a Chinese Audi dealership ...
A youngster would escape the watchful eye of his parents in a Chinese Audi dealership and it would amount to a crazy situation. Early in December, the situation would end up amounting to a substantial amount of damage. According to a local periodical, the dealership in Guilin discovered that 10 of their cars had been damaged. They had all been defaced with some sort of scratching. Further investigation would indicate that the young girl managed to get away from her parents with a rock. From there, she decided to create some of her own art.
The Drive reported that “it does mention that some of the vehicles heavily scratched included an Audi Q3 and new 2020 Q8.”
Now, an Audi dealer probably isn’t the cheapest place for something like this to happen. Altogether, the dealership estimated that the total incurred damage was over $28,643. The dealership argued that cars, when fixed would still be devalued. After all, nobody is going to want to pay full price for a new car that has already been repaired. In turn, the repairs also cost money to get done. With all of this taken into consideration, $3,000 per car doesn’t seem all that bad.
The issue would end up in court where the value would be adjusted down to just over $10,000. If you ask us, it seems like the family might’ve just gotten a break. A $10,000 payment is going to be substantially easier to recover from than nearly $30,000.
Even though the settled upon value was down almost 2/3 from the original ask, that’s still a good amount to pay out of pocket. The family would try and argue that this is the sort of thing that young kids are capable of. However, the judge wasn’t hearing any of it. Perhaps this case will serve as a lesson and a statement for parents to keep a closer eye on their kids.


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While Magic: The Gathering fans are waiting for the next set, Dominaria United this September and The Brothers' War later this year, Mark Rosewater, the head designer of Wizards of the Coast's popular trading card game, has already teased that 2023 will have the "most ambitious design" for a premier set that he's ever worked on.
"I think 2023 has the most ambitious design for a premier set I’ve ever done," Rosewater said on his Blogatog on Sunday, when a fan asked if he can share any information about any of the Magic: The Gathering premier sets coming in 2023.
When asked what his previous most ambitious Magic: The Gathering set, Rosewater said that it's 2019's War of the Spark, a set which heavily featured Planeswalker cards. Rosewater later explained that War of the Spark was “the most recent design where I felt I pushed boundaries, not the most boundary pushing set of all time”.
On Aug. 1, he said that the "most boundary pushing set" is 2007's Future Sight, a set that featured "futureshifted" cards.
Wizards of the Coast hasn't revealed any details about the upcoming Magic: The Gathering sets of 2023, but they're expected to continue a storyline that begins with Dominaria Reunited, and it'll likely involved the return of Phyrexians, creatures from Phyrexia that are made through artifice and organ rearrangement. The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth set crossover set is also set to release next year, so expect a lot of exciting new MTG cards in 2023.
Dominaria United is set to release on Sept. 9. You can read more news for Magic: The Gathering's latest set on MTGRocks.com.


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Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Sonos Adds iPhone Support
Santa Barbara-based Sonos, a maker of multi-room, digital music systems, has just rolled out a new product targeted at iPhone users, the firm said Tuesday. According to the company, it will soon be rolling out the Sonos ZonePlayer S5, a $399 player which connects directly to the iPhone. The new device uses the iPhone as a controller for the whole home music system, and also allows users to stream their music from their iTunes library. According to Sonos, the new system works with either the iPhone or iPod touch, and will be available later this month.


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DiDi, one of China’s technology giants, has frozen its plans to expand into Europe this year.
Confirmation of this news came from the United Kingdom, where the company had established one of its new operations centers, and where hiring has already been suspended.
DiDi postponed its arrival in Europe, at least this year
Expanding the reach that DiDi has today in its original China, part of South America, and, recently, South Africa, the transport company from the Asian giant also had on its agenda its arrival on the European continent.
Both in the United Kingdom, as well as in Continental Europe, the transport application had projected its arrival on the continent for this year. The tightening of regulations on the privacy of user data in that country would have hindered the timely arrival of the service in this region.
This mobility platform that competed against Uber in China and ended up acquiring its share in that country, stopped hiring staff in the United Kingdom and according to the aforementioned report, activation plans in this area would have to wait at least another year.
“We continue to explore additional new markets, liaising with relevant stakeholders in each and being thoughtful about when to introduce our services,” a Didi spokesperson said in response to press inquiries, without discussing specific new territories.
Apart from the particular complications on British soil, in general, Chinese companies have had to face, from different origins, the application of various regulations and sanctions for political matters, information security, or monopolistic practices, both inside and outside their native China. A couple of emblematic situations in this regard are the cases of Huawei and Alibaba.
Also, Didi is under a cybersecurity review process by Chinese authorities as part of its new privacy and security policies.
Considering its explosive expansion in recent years, plus the recent listing of its shares on the New York Stock Exchange, DiDi will probably seek not to disappear from the map of Europe so easily, as this continent is a market with great potential for expansion.


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LawBreakers Titan Tips and Infographic
Today, Boss Key has released a new infographic about the Titan class in LawBreakers.
Along with the infographic, there’s also a new video offering tips and tricks for the class. Check it out below.
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A survey of professionals working in the UK and US has found that they are not being tempted by cheap deals that sacrifice speed, security or customer service.
"We thought we had it right," says vice president, as Amazon faces losses and charges for the failure in sales of their flagship smartphone.
Google has released footage of a working prototype of its remarkable modular smartphone known only as Project Ara.
Apple’s HealthKit SDK is being utilised by a new app that can predict when you are going to die and places a countdown timer in the iPhone’s notification centre.
Google chief executive Larry Page heaped praise on the cofounder of Android who is moving on to found his own incubator for hardware startups.
It now expects to ship 41 million smartphones in the current year, which is a departure from the 50 million units that it first predicted back in April.
Mysterious drone sightings over nuclear power plants have been confounding French authorities in recent weeks, and have led to an investigation. But who's behind the sightings?
Have you ever wondered who Mark Zuckerberg's celebrity crush is? Or how many hours a day he spends working? Next week you'll get the chance to have all your questions answered.
Nottingham Students' Union says new software is going to help it cut its admin costs by 15 per cent, a key step in its plan to deliver better services to students.
Demand for big data professionals in the UK far outstrips supply, a fact which has caused salaries to rocket. Investment must be made to avoid a major skills gap, says report.


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In Florida, poverty is big business.
Just look at the Medicaid healthcare program, which could account for $22 billion in spending in the coming budget year.
Consumer Reports is an independent nonprofit organization that works for a fair, safe and transparent marketplace.
Since we were founded as Consumers Union in 1936, we have advocated for the rights of all consumers. Now, we are united under the Consumer Reports name, bringing together our trusted testing, research, journalism, and advocacy.
We hope you will partner with us and our six million members for a better world.


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WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Caremark Corp. here said it has recalled a line of reusable bags after tests found elevated levels of lead.
CVS was among retailers whose reusable bags had been found to have traces of lead in an investigation earlier this month by the Tampa Tribune. The chain said that its own “thorough re-testing” found lead levels “exceeding 100 parts per million” in its 99-cent reusable green-colored bags.
“There is no evidence that the use of this bag is harmful to consumers,” a CVS spokeswoman told SN. “It is being voluntarily recalled as a matter of precaution.” She said customers can return the bags for a refund, and noted that the chain continues to offer other reusable bags with no lead content or content below 100 parts per million. The Consumer Product Safety Commission sets a limit of 90 parts per million for lead in paint used on consumer products.


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We get it, Tim Cook: Apple is leading a digital privacy crusade. At least, that's what the company's CEO wants us to think. And to convince consumers, Apple has just revamped its privacy page, filling it this time with easy explainers and intuitive navigation.
However, the page explains Apple's privacy tools in a much more comprehensive way. Instead of the usual generic statement written in a small font, which puts off even the most courageous reader, the page is now similar to a product page that users can browse through.
For each feature – that is, Safari, Maps, Photos, Messages, Siri, and so on – a few words describe how the app protects user privacy, with a + icon to click for more information.
Siri, for example, "learns what you need. Not who you are". The longer explainer then goes on to demonstrate how the information processed by the voice assistant is, as much as possible, stored on the device instead of being sent to Apple's servers.
The new page also comes with a 'Control' tab, with tips to secure devices such as two-factor authentication or limiting targeted ads.
Plus, Apple has released whitepapers for users to consult, which dive deeper into the technical details of privacy protection and data sharing. The papers, notes CCS Insight analyst Ben Wood, are written in remarkably plain English – with none of the technical jargon that could put off the average Joe.
"There's nothing new in there," Wood told ZDNet. "It's all about raising consumer awareness of the measures Apple has in place for privacy – all in all, it's all comes down to a good marketing opportunity.
"Undeniably, though, it is also the continuation of what Apple has been doing for a very long time. They have put privacy front and center of their services in the past few years."
When it comes to reminding the public of its focus on customer privacy, indeed, Apple is not pulling any punches.
"These stockpiles of personal data serve only to enrich the companies that collect them," he added, although he didn't name any particular organization.
Apple, which sells hardware and services, doesn't rely on advertising revenue, as opposed to rivals like Google. No targeted ads in turn mean it can abstain from collecting personal information.
"Apple doesn't mine personal data – user information stays in the user's phone," said Wood.
"And with all the privacy scandals involving tech giants, Apple's priority now is to differentiate itself from the others. If a customer hesitates between an Android and an iOS device, the idea is to tell them: 'If you're concerned about privacy, Apple can reassure you'."
Last year, at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas – a show which Apple traditionally does not honor with its presence – a giant ad was spotted in the city saying: "What happens on your iPhone, stays on your iPhone."
The move was widely interpreted as a poke at Amazon, which was having troubles with Alexa-powered devices recording conversations and sending them to the wrong customer, as well as at Google, whose entire business model is based on tracking user information.
At Apple's keynote earlier this year, SVP of software engineering Craig Federighi further suggested that the company's marketing strategy is fueled by its competitors' failures to protect customer privacy.
For Wood, this revelation would have been deeply embarrassing for Apple, after taking such a strong stance on privacy. "By putting its hand up and saying: 'You can hold us to account', Apple is welcoming a lot more scrutiny. Now, they have to deliver."
And if one thing is for certain, it is that the public will be keeping Apple in the spotlight when it comes to making sure that the tech giant's privacy settings amount to more than a marketing opportunity.


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THE NEUTRAL ZONE
Epic Games has filed lawsuits against tech giants Apple and Google after both companies removed Epic’s popular Fortnite game from their app stores, violating the companies’ direct-payment policies. The lawsuit will determine the legality of Fortnite’s attempt to circumvent the transaction fees with its own in-app purchases. Both Apple and Google currently charge up to 30% per transaction within the game. Epic argues that “Apple is bigger, more powerful, more entrenched and more pernicious than monopolies of yesteryear,” and that Google used its size” to do evil upon competitors, innovators, customers,” falling short of their “Don’t Be Evil” slogan.
Fortnite also released a 1984-themed video mocking Apple’s famous anti-monopoly advertisement in which it recontextualized Apple as the very type of company it sought to upend. Epic created a social media campaign attempting to rally Fortnite players against the tech giants, warning that they could miss updates within the game if the lawsuit drags on. Facebook spoke out against Apple, stating that Apple’s app store policies only allow Facebook to pay small businesses a fraction of its sales via Facebook’s new paid online events feature. Facebook app head Fidji Simo asked Apple to reduce its 30% App Store tax or allow Facebook Pay on its platform to provide more revenue to businesses struggling from Covid-19. “Unfortunately, they dismissed both our requests and SMBs will only be paid 70% of their hard-earned revenue,” Simo said. Google does not take a cut of sales from users on Android devices, so Facebook alerted iOS users of the revenue tax specific to them.
With Fortnite pulling in an estimated $46.7 million just in the past month, Epic stands to face an uphill battle against two of the world’s largest tech companies. Apple is facing antitrust related scrutiny over its anti-competitive practices, which could skew public perception in Epic’s favor.
Meanwhile, indie game developers could benefit from Epic winning the suit, as getting rid of the app-store tax would allow smaller creators to earn a larger share of the revenue they generate. Some say that Epic set up an “antitrust trap” for Apple, meaning Epic knowingly violated the rules of the platform to lure Apple and Google into public court battles that they hope will create enough public backlash to force policy change.
Apple just kicked Fortnite off the App Store – The Verge – 8/13/2020
The decision marks a significant escalation in the feud between Epic and one of the world’s most dominant mobile software marketplaces. It also comes at an especially fraught time for Apple as the iPhone maker navigates antitrust concerns over its operation of the App Store and the rules it imposes on certain developers.
Payments industry should be worried by Fortnite suing Google — not Apple – PaymentsSource – 8/14/2020
Just as the card networks and mobile wallet providers can point to options such as checks or cash to show that merchants and consumers can still make payments if they don’t like their credit cards’ fee structures, Google can point to the alternative app stores to argue that it does not hold a monopoly on Android payments. But if Epic can show that these alternatives don’t sufficiently loosen Google’s grip, merchants can use it as an example to make the same argument against interchange fees and other policies.
‘Fortnite’ maker Epic Games just set an antitrust trap for Apple, and Tim Cook walked right into it – Business Insider – 8/14/2020
Epic was obviously expecting Apple’s decision to eject “Fortnite,” because shortly thereafter, the company sprung the final part of its snare. It filed a lawsuit accusing Apple of trying to illegally block competition in the markets for app distribution and in-app purchases on iPhones and iPads — and cited Apple’s response to its discounted V-buck offer as a primary case in point.
If ‘Fortnite’ Stands Its Ground Against Apple And Google, Epic Could Lose A Ton Of Money – Forbes – 8/14/2020
The game has two weeks until the next season launches, and the game can no longer be updated through the app store. While players can play stuck in old seasons, they will not be able to access new ones, or new cosmetics. That will effectively kill the game on mobile, short of side-loading through the Epic launcher on Google, though who knows how many people will know to do that. It should not be playable on Apple devices at all.


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Simple GST, thanks to SAP and Assocham's tech resource centre
GST has opened up opportunities for businesses in over 160 countries and helped them move beyond the physical constraints to expand exponentially by harnessing digital prowess.
SAP to invest $1 billion in global tech startups
The push by the enterprise software company is part of a large and growing movement by established companies to partner with startups early rather than compete against them when it's too late.
SAP to invest 2 billion euros in Internet of Things by end 2020
The German company said it would invest that amount by the end of 2020, targeting what it estimates to be a 250 billion-euro market in the so-called IoT.
Asia stocks waver as policy uncertainty, weaker oil sap confidence
Spreadbetters saw sentiment remaining sombre in the European session, forecasting a lower open for Britain's FTSE, Germany's DAX and France's CAC.
SAP ditches annual reviews, finds it expensive, time-consuming and demotivating
Europe's biggest software maker had found the annual review process, with its focus on separating over- from under-performers, was often counter-productive.
SAP and ISB collaborate to jumpstart social enterprises
This will identify five social enterprise startups and provide training, mentorship and access to networks to accelerate their growth.
European shares get tech boost as SAP and ASML surge on results
Shares in SAP, Europe's largest software company, rose 4.7 per cent as unexpectedly strong growth in high-margin packaged software licenses fuelled its quarterly earnings.
SAP Q2 operating profit beats expectations on licence growth
Second-quarter operating profit, excluding special items, rose 9 percent to 1.52 billion euros beating average analysts' expectations of 1.45 billion.
Ex Google, SAP executives launch home inspection services
As a first step, PPMS has partnered InterNACHI (the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors) in setting up the India Chapter, he said.
Kurlon becomes the first SME to implement SAP S4 HANA for its 9 factories
Kurlon had implemented SAP version 4.7 wayback in 2005. The project did not shape up well owing to several reasons and constraints which left a visible dent in the company's IT setup.
SAP partners with IIT-Bombay to run an accelerator program, innovation centre
SAP tied up with the Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SINE), a technology and business incubator at the IIT campus to run the startup accelerator.
SAP's incubation centre to join giants like Microsoft and Oracle in Bengaluru
SAP Startup Studio, to be launched on Thursday, will offer a 12-month accelerator programme under which it will invest financially in startups.
Security bug SAP draws US government alert
Europe’s biggest software company, SAP is the subject of a US security alert over a vulnerability the firm disabled six years ago.
Nikkei stumbles to 5-week low as Brexit woes sap risk appetite
Continuing strength in the safe-haven yen, which advanced to a six-week high versus the dollar and scaled a three-year peak against the euro, put further pressure on Tokyo equities.
Apple partners with commercial software giant SAP
Apple is partnering with SAP to develop apps that run the German company's widely used business software on smartphones and tablets.


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Discount retailer Winners will be breathing new life into the Sparks Street Mall this fall when it moves into the former location of a venerable Zellers outlet.
Winners spokeswoman Sarah Smithers confirmed Monday that the Mississauga-based chain — which sells clothing, footwear, furniture and housewares at more than 300 stores across Canada — will move into the space at 155 Queen St., with an entrance on Sparks Street.
The leased space is owned by Morguard Investments Ltd. Another portion of the former Zellers is home to Toronto-based restaurant and beer chain Bier Markt.
The high-profile address, just a block from Parliament Hill, has been empty since Zellers owner Hudson Bay Co. decided in 2011 to abandon its discount division and flip most store leases to U.S. retail giant Target Corp.
Target, which never expressed interest in the cramped Sparks Street location, now is in creditor protection in Canada, with 133 stores set to close when their inventory is sold off.


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Great Northern Railwayana Auctions has announced the closing date for their main auction will be Saturday 18 April at 4pm.
The auction will be exclusively via postal, email and telephone, and are asking potential buyers to visit their website to peruse the items and their reserve prices.
In a statement, GNRA said: “We are taking your bids now, via email, telephone and postal, though recommend email or telephone as preference.”
All bids will be an ‘up to’ bid. For example:
- £10 increments up to £100
- £20 increments up to £500
- £50 increments over £500
“We would like to encourage people to start bidding with immediate effect via email and telephone.”
For more information, ring David Robinson on 07802 553880/ 0161 487 2702 or Rebecca on 07802 553881. Or email email@example.com
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