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SINGAPORE - Temasek Foundation will launch its third nationwide reusable mask distribution exercise from Nov 30 to Dec 13, said the foundation in a statement on Thursday (Nov 26).
All Singapore residents who have a government-issued ID can collect one free mask kit each - containing two black masks and three filters - from 10am onwards at around 1,200 vending machines around the island.
They can be found at over 800 locations including bus interchanges, community centres, resident committee centres, Temasek Shophouse and Plaza Singapura.
The mask comes in four sizes of small, medium, large and extra large.
The small size is intended for children aged eight and below. It can be collected only at community centres, Plaza Singapura and Temasek Shophouse.
Full-sized mask sizing guides, that can be cut out, will be published in The Straits Times on Saturday, Dec 5 and Dec 12.
Temasek chief executive and executive director Ho Ching had announced the distribution of these "breathable antimicrobial 3D masks" from local company Proshield in a Facebook post on Nov 19.
The mask comprises three layers: an outer anti-bacterial layer to repel water droplets, a filter liner and an inner layer to absorb saliva.
It can be used without a filter when one is exercising or in less crowded environments.
The three reusable filters, made from nanofibre fabric, protect wearers from saliva droplets or dust particles.
The filters can be used with the new masks or with other masks that have filter pockets.
Both the masks and filters may be washed up to 50 times, after which the masks will have lower antimicrobial performance.
The public can also order additional mask kits online or through the DBS Paylah! App for $12 each from 10am next Monday.
They are advised to purchase additional masks after trying on their free masks to check for fit and size, said Temasek Foundation.
Orders are limited to five mask kits for sizes S and M, as well as no more than 10 mask kits for sizes L and XL.
During Temasek's previous distribution exercise from September to October, around 7.6 million free reusable antimicrobial masks were collected. In its first exercise from June to July, 9.3 million masks were collected.
More information can be found at stayprepared.sg/masks


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It's the bike that promises to shake up things in the entry segment. But will Bajaj's gamble pay? Will buyers want a premium workhorse? CNB rides it to check on claims.
About the Show
The Car and Bike Show
The Car and Bike Show has been India's number one automobile based programme for over 10 years. Catch the latest products, industry news, global motor shows and much more right here with Siddharth Vinayak Patankar. Every Monday at 8:30 pm (IST) on NDTV Prime.

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The government has cut grants for electric vehicles in the UK. Electric cars with a value below £32,000 (down from £35,000) will see subsidies reduced from £2,500 to £1,500. This will mark the second reduction within a year after the grant was reduced from £3,000 to £2,500. Likewise, the grant for electric vans has been reduced from £6,000 to £5,000. Grants for electric motorcycles and mopeds has been cut from up to £1,500 to £500 and £150, respectively.
Figure 1: Electric car charging.
Why is the UK Government Cutting Grants for EV?
The department for transport said that the changes will “make the best use of taxpayer money” by targeting the funding of more affordable vehicles. Furthermore, that total spending on the transition to electric vehicles is still planned at £3.5billion within this Parliament. It is true that despite reductions to grants, sales of electric vehicles have reached the highest levels on record in 2021.
Although there are cuts to grants for vehicles, the government has committed to an increase in electric vehicle infrastructure, which will be required for the transition. Furthermore, in November 2020, a commitment was made to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030.
Transport minister Trudy Harrison said: “The market is charging ahead in the switch to electric vehicles. This, together with the increasing choice of new vehicles and growing demand from customers, means that we are re-focusing our vehicle grants on the more affordable vehicles and reducing grant rates to allow more people to benefit, and enable taxpayers’ money to go further… Since 2016, we have worked with industry to deliver a five-fold increase in the number of charge points, up from 5,000 to over 27,000 today.”
It seems that there may be a re-focus of government strategy towards taxing expensive high emitting vehicles. The cost to the treasury has risen due to the number of EV purchases; however, it could be argued that grants could have remained in place had it not been for an estimated £50bn loss to the treasury due to the fuel duty freeze.  With the cost of energy and inflation rising,  it is doubtful there will be a U-turn on fuel duty, despite the UK government’s commitment to tackling climate change.
Greg Archer, UK director of Transport & Environment, said “I think it’s inevitable that grants will be progressively phased out, and it’s right that they should be. The government can’t keep bankrolling this transition, but it needs to make sure there are good incentives for all parts of the market…We could be doing just as much by increasing the taxes on large, high-emitting vehicles.”
Response From the Transport Industry
Jim Holder, editorial director of What Car? said: “While subsidising wealthier private buyers and business fleets to electrify may be controversial at a time the nation’s finances are stretched, the rapidly-growing uptake among buyers to around 10% of the market shows that the policy has been working, creating a wave of advocates and building the foundations of a strong used car market in time.”
Edmund King, AA president said: “’Drivers have consistently told us that the main barrier to EV ownership is the initial purchase price. While we are encouraged that new EV sales have increased this year, we feel this is mainly due to company car purchases and salary sacrifice schemes.”
Paul Wilcox, Managing Director at Vauxhall said: “[The] changes provide a confusing message to UK consumers and will harm EV adoption at a time when we need to be doing all we possibly can if we are to stand a chance to move the UK to electrified only vehicles by 2030.”
Cuts to electric vehicle grants will be seen by many within the industry as a step backwards in the transition away from petrol and diesel; however, some may see the change as an appropriate re-focusing of strategy with overall commitments remaining at £3.5bn. It is also true that given the high purchase cost of many electric vehicles, grants supporting their purchase can often benefit those who can already afford the outlay. Furthermore, with the increase in company car purchases using the opportunity of salary sacrifice schemes supporting the rising number of purchases, a re-focus towards increased support for EV charging infrastructure and taxes to expensive high emitting diesel/petrol cars will be seen as an appropriate change to the drawing board.
About Pager Power
 Ed Harvey (Sept 2020), Black Charger Plugged-In on White Car, Pexels.com. Last accessed on 17th Dec 2021. Available at: https://www.pexels.com/photo/black-charger-plugged-in-on-white-car-5391510/


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There was interesting data about financial success of Xiaomi. The company said it will provide an revenue for the year. According to the report, the indicator will be 18%.
Earlier it was expected the amount in the range of $ 15 billion. Now Xiaomi is looking at 17 to 18 billion. Says it predicts a net profit of $1 000 000 000. Moreover, in 2018 the giant wants to improve the result by half. A great reason to get into the Fortune Global 500.
To achieve the above Xiaomi helped to restructure the business. More recently, the sale was only online, now built offline stores. A good contribution came from the markets of India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Russia and the United Arab Emirates.
Rumor has it that in 2018 will be held IPO. The Chinese manufacturer is estimated at $ 100 billion. However, to rest on their laurels once. According to IDC, Xiaomi is only a 4 place in China. Competitors Huawei, OPPO and Vivo are not asleep.


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Nationwide (BlackNews.com) — Ja-nice Johnson, Founder and CEO of Axis™ Hemp in A Cap, has launched the now leading CBD Beverage brand nationwide. The innovative patent stemmed from necessity as the CEO was in search of various CBD treatments to administer to her mother battling Stage 4 Cancer. After tedious efforts of mixing products to aid to her mother’s treatments, Ja-nice then acquired the license to the unique Vessl™ technology to incorporate into beverages and is now leading the market with her innovation.
Vessl™, the company that provides its unique patent, recently announced their partnership with GRAMMY® Award-winning singer, songwriter, Miguel who also serves as a Corporate Ambassador and Advisor for the brand. The patented bottle closure provides instant and pressurized mixing of the beverage with alkaline water immediately prior to use. With this technology, the premium quality 6oz Hemp beverage holds and protects 25mg of hemp extract and flavor to provide the best all-natural ready-to-drink Hemp cocktail. No sugars, no calories, packed with electrolytes, B & C Vitamins, and Zinc to rehydrate and boost your immune system.
Axis™ has now developed a product line of four (4) Hemp infused beverages: Triple Berry Daiquiri, Strawberry Daiquiri, Lemon Drop Daiquiri, and Mighty Mango Daiquiri.
Supporting medical studies continue to show the numerous benefits of CBD (a cannabinoid) alleviating neuropathic pain, inflammation, anxiety, and more. Furthermore, athletes have taken to the CBD wave utilizing it post-workout to alleviate sore muscles. No matter your preference of use, Johnson wants consumers to know, “Every sip is a tribute to those surviving, fighting, or anyone loss to this illness.”
A company committed to diversity with a model of inclusion, Axis is minority-owned and operated in addition to being LGBTQ+ inclusive. Recent studies have shown that Black women-owned businesses represented the highest rate of growth of any group over the last five years. Deemed “necessity entrepreneurs” because, due to higher unemployment rates and vast gender and racial pay gaps, women of color start businesses out of both the need to survive and innovation. Axis™ has been diligent in becoming a leading company, working to create and ease the burden for those battling cancer, post-workout recovery, and a health enthusiast that understands the health benefits of CBD use. With that, Johnson is a reminder that Black female entrepreneurs are truly changing the game.
For more details and/or to make a purchase, visit TwistToAxis.com


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The New York Times is taking the unusual and expensive step of advertising during the Academy Awards on Sunday, joining companies like McDonalds, Samsung and Anheuser-Busch in paying top dollar for commercial spots during the awards show.
The newspaper is using the Oscars platform to launch a multi-faceted ad campaign, centered around the Times’ pursuit of “The Truth.” It’s the paper’s first television brand campaign in a decade, and according to Times executives, is likely the first time they’ve ever advertised during such a popular primetime TV event.
The 30-second ad spot is simple. A white background with black text starts with the words “The truth is our nation is more divided than ever,” while a woman’s voice, meant to sound like a news clip, reads the same line. The lines change, though “The truth is” stays in place.


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NBWA also recognizes the month of January as National Human Trafficking Prevention Month and recommits to fighting human trafficking through the Distributors Against Human Trafficking initiative
NBWA Recognizes January 11 as National Day of Human Trafficking Awareness
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Today, in recognition of the National Day of Human Trafficking Awareness, the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) is re-dedicating itself to combating human trafficking throughout communities across the country. January is also National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, which makes this an important time to reflect on this horrific and pervasive crime in the United States. Since the 2020 launch of the Distributors Against Human Trafficking initiative, NBWA and its partners have been driving awareness and mobilizing distributors to fight human trafficking by educating beer distribution employees on recognizing and reporting its signs.
“We are incredibly proud of the growth of Distributors Against Human Trafficking since its launch,” said NBWA President and CEO Craig Purser. “With the investment and dedication of distributors across the country, we’ve been able to train thousands of employees to recognize the signs of human trafficking on their daily routes, strengthening the forces working relentlessly against this criminal industry. Every community is vulnerable to the horrors of human trafficking. The hardworking beer distribution employees who visit hundreds of licensed retail locations each week, are now prepared to be an extra set of eyes and ears on the ground in the fight against human trafficking.”
Human trafficking continues to plague communities across the United States. In 2019 alone, the Polaris Project identified 22,326 victims and survivors of human trafficking, up 20 percent from the year prior. Additionally, human trafficking disproportionately targets vulnerable populations like women and children. Over half of the active criminal human trafficking cases in the U.S. involve children.
Since the start of the initiative in July 2020, the campaign has successfully trained more than 26,600 beer distribution employees with 219 companies participating. Beer distributors collectively visit more than 600,000 retail establishments across the country, including bars, restaurants, hotels, convenience stores, package stores, sports arenas and grocery stores. They are uniquely positioned to combat this heinous crime, given their access to locations often unseen by the public.
Through the Distributors Against Human Trafficking initiative, NBWA hopes to continually serve as a valuable resource in the fight against human trafficking.
The National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) represents America’s 3,000 independent beer distributors who service every state, congressional district and media market across the country. Licensed at the federal and state levels, beer distributors get bottles, cans, cases and kegs from a brewer or importer to stores, restaurants and other licensed retail accounts through a transparent and accountable regulatory system. Distributors build brands of all sizes – from familiar domestic beers to new startup labels and imports from around the world – and generate enormous consumer choice while supporting more than 140,000 quality jobs in their home communities. Beer distributors work locally to keep communities safe by sponsoring programs to promote responsible consumption, combat drunk driving and reduce underage drinking.


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In response to scrutiny from European regulators, Microsoft has announced it will limit the amount of time it stores search data to six months, down from the 18 months it agreed to in 2007.
The move was a result of “ongoing dialogue with privacy advocates, consumer groups, and regulators — including the Article 29 Working Party, the group of 27 European national data protection regulators charged with providing advice to the European Commission and other EU institutions on data protection,” according to a post from the firm’s Chief Privacy Strategist Peter Cullen on its blog on Monday.
In relation to that scrutiny, competitor Google in September agreed to limit the amount of time it stores users’ IP addresses to nine months but argued that any further reduction in that period would begin to hamper its innovation in the search space.
Microsoft, however, appears to believe six months is workable. “Studying trends in search queries enables us to improve the quality of our results, protect against fraud and maintain a secure and viable business. But consumer privacy can and must be preserved. For our part, Microsoft continues to examine our practices to ensure we strike the right balance and achieving both goals,” Cullen wrote.
In December 2008, Yahoo announced it would anonymize user search data in addition to pageview, ad view and ad click data within 90 days. Ask.com claims to allow users to remove their data entirely from its systems.
Microsoft says its new policies should be in place within the next 18 months, and that it “applauds the Article 29 Working Party for its leadership on this important issue.”
If you’re just starting out with a business, or looking for tools to help you grow, there is a huge array of digital marketing tools, platforms and services available online.
As emojis take over the world, more brands are experimenting with them in an attempt to stay relevant. What’s the best way to do so and what should be avoided?
You don't have to be a large B2B company to create an impressive LinkedIn presence, all you need is the focus on the right direction and the consistency to succeed in your social efforts.
Social media management can become time consuming, and that’s why we compiled a list of some of the best tools to enhance your ... read more


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British watch brand Minute and Azimut will showcase their pieces at this year’s London Fashion Week Men’s.
The upcoming brand will feature their Bisham range at the event, which come with a choice of alligator, calfskin and lizard straps. The Bisham watch is named after Bisham Woods in Berkshire and a donation is made to the Woodland Trust with each sale.
The design of the watches is inspired by the 1960s and models come in a selection of gold, silver or copper finishes.
The watch brand will also display its range at this year’s Clerkenwell Design Week.
Winnie Poon, the brand’s founder, said: “It is a real milestone for us to have been selected by the British Fashion Council as an emerging designer at London Fashion Week Men’s.”
The brand will be at the annual show between 8 and 12 June.


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Apex Legends has hit an all-new concurrent user peak on Steam.
The free-to-play battle royale game - which released on Steam in November 2020 after almost 18-months as an EA Origin exclusive - hit 198,235 simultaneous players on Steam yesterday, its highest ever concurrent user peak according to SteamDB (thanks, Dexerto).
The recent surge in new and returning players checking out Season 8 means Apex Legends is currently the fifth most-played game on Steam right now, making it more popular than GTA 5, Rainbow Six Siege, and Team Fortress 2.
It's also in the top ten of most-watched games on Twitch, too, which means more people are tuning in to watch Apex Legends than FIFA 21, CS:GO, and Valheim.
Main Caustic in Apex Legends? I have bad news - developer Respawn recently said the popular Legend will be "getting some attention in the near future".
For some time, Caustic was one of those Legends on the roster that players rarely spent much quality time with, but after recent tweaks and buffs he now boasts the highest win rate in games that last longer than 20 minutes and has started to dominate matches.
The news came just days after fan-favourite Wraith had the size of her hitbox increased. As explained in the Season 8 patch notes, Respawn hopes to control Wraith's power without nerfing her abilities, and one way to do so is by changing her hitbox.


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Alan Wake Developer’s Game P7 Confirmed For 2019 Release
It’s been a while since new information dropped regarding the mysterious P7 project by Alan Wake and Quantum Break developer Remedy Entertainment. Last we heard, the title is set to be published by 505 Games and branch out from previous Microsoft exclusivity, offering experiences on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Now, the company has revealed a few new details about their upcoming game P7, including a 2019 release.
Remedy has released a financial report that shines a few lumens of light on their current projects, which includes single-player work on CrossFire 2, further updates on P7 and development on an unknown third title. P7 is said to have ended its pre-production phase and has “progressed according to [their] plans”. Remedy seems confident enough with current progress to line up a release window, which is expected to be in 2019.
Details also confirm a few bits of previously revealed information such as a multi-platform release, a publishing agreement with 505 Games, and a strong storytelling focus using a further enhanced Northlight engine. It was also reiterated that multiplayer would become a big focus with Northlight, suggesting that P7 would also utilize online modes and capabilities.
While these new details don’t exactly paint a distinct picture, the reveal of a smooth development and 2019 release does mean more substantial details, including a proper name, should be on the way soon. After that, it’ll probably be time to speculate on Remedy’s other upcoming mystery game (P8?). Until then, P7 is set to release in 2019 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
What do you think? Do you think the game P7 is shaping up to become something great, or should everyone lower their expectations on something with so little information? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Don’t Feed the Gamers on Twitter to stay informed of the latest gaming and entertainment news 24 hours a day! For more release date news from recent weeks, check out these next few links below:
Eric Hall2214 Posts
Phone-browsing Wikipedia in one hand and clutching his trusty controller in the other, the legendary Eric Hall spreads his wealth of knowledge as a writer for Don't Feed the Gamers. Be sure to catch his "Throwback Thursday" segment for a nostalgic look at trivia from the past.


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Entrepreneurs, techies, and fashion mavens sipped on champagne filled with strawberry vodka-filled pearls while six female tech-powerhouses spoke about how to succeed in the constantly changing industry at the recent Decoded Fashion’s “Tech Queens” event.
First, was a panel of four women: Jenna Blaha, Tech Editor at Marie Claire, Liza Kindred, founder of Third Wave Fashion, Carla Dunham, VP of Global Brand Strategy at Kate Spade & Company, and Katie Smith, Senior Fashion & Retail Analyst at EDITED.
Blaha asked Kindred, Dunham and Smith probing questions about creating a startup, the challenges of innovation, and technology’s impact on the fashion industry.
Kindred’s business, Third Wave Fashion, is a publication and platform to help different fashion and retail brands work together. She has linked companies like Amazon, Zappos and Bergdorf Goodman.
Kindred, who previously owned a boutique and worked as a stylist, said she was “horrified” with the fashion industry and opted for a career at a tech company. Still unfulfilled with her career, Kindred created Third Wave Fashion to merge the fashion and tech fields. This was 15 years ago, when fashion and technology were not synonymous.
According to Kindred, this ability to think unconventionally is the secret to her business’ success.
“It really has come from going to that place where nobody was,” she said.
Kindred’s advice for other fashion tech startups is to maintain a consistent identity by specializing in one medium and one social media outlet.
For Third Wave Fashion, this means publishing a quarterly print magazine as well as weekly blogs.
According to Kindred, “There’s nothing like holding a beautiful magazine and being able to flip through it.”
Dunham, who currently drives global brand awareness for Kate Spade, went to school for art history, then worked in retail before discovering her passion for marketing. Her advice for young entrepreneurs is to constantly push the envelope and create an idea that will emotionally connect with the consumer.
“The challenge isn’t finding the audience anymore,” she explained. “It’s what are you gonna say to them?’”
Smith, who was originally a fashion designer, saw a need to analyze the market she was designing for. She took a data analysis internship without any prior experience, and then created data platform EDITED, which aggregates customer data.
“It appealed to me, pairing up the consumer mindset and the economy,” she explained.
Smith, who is from England, stressed the need for today’s startups to compete globally. She said that businesses should consider consumers of all demographics and communicate consistently with every global team.
“Everything about retail has changed in the past 10 years and it’s all because of the internet,” she said.
The next part of the event introduced two new startups in the fashion/beauty tech industry. The founders educated the audiences on how they developed their product and the key issue it addresses.
Julia Strauss, one of its three cofounders, spoke about Tula, a skincare company that strives to “help women find balance and beauty.”
Tula is the first skincare product to include probiotics, which, Strauss explained, have similar benefits to eating foods with probiotics.
This product can be used by both genders, and has been tested and approved by 600 beauty bloggers—after the company sent each of them a free sample—no brand-sponsoring required. It is currently being sold on home-shopping network, QVC.
Strauss says the product took off unexpectedly fast, and believes that the probiotics are the determining factor for consumers.
“In the beauty space, as well as the fashion space, you need to have a pint of difference,” she said.
Ryan Buckley, fit model and CEO of Fitcode, also knows a thing or two about unique ideas. Buckley, who has modeled denim for Nordstrom, found that the jeans rarely fit her body, and said that the online pictures don’t show the clips in the back that make the jeans look “skinny.”
“There’s this huge disconnect between what people are seeing online and what they actually order,” she said.
After she discovered that companies lose $260 billion annually in e-commerce returns—the number one reason being fit—she decided to create Fitcode.
Fitcode gives women a quiz about their body type (without incorporating numbers or pictures) and then tells them which jeans will fit them best. So far, Fitcode has partnerships with Nordstrom and Hudson Jeans. Buckley is happy to be working with such reputable companies at such an early stage.
“I’m an accidental entrepreneur,” she said.
The Tech Queens delivered a forward-thinking conversation that could inspire any prospective fashion-tech entrepreneur. The event revolved around innovation and choosing the “road not taken.” Ultimately, Blaha said the audience should understand that fashion tech is not only a business, but is also still an art form.
She described fashion technology, saying, “It really is—what fashion is in essence—art meets commerce.”


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RegTech specialist SmartSearch has stated that the UK must work with the Anti-Cash Laundering Authority, a brand new EU company.
SmartSearch, the supplier of anti-money-laundering software program, conducts particular person and enterprise searches, each for the UK and worldwide markets with computerized worldwide sanction and PEP screening.
In current feedback, they warn that the UK could possibly be left behind within the combat in opposition to cash laundering and monetary fraud, if it fails to coordinate with a brand new anti-money-laundering company being shaped by the EU.
It has emerged that the European Fee will launch the Anti-Cash Laundering Authority (AMLA) as a part of a raft of measures contained in its motion plan, set to be revealed on July 20.
The AMLA is a devoted company working independently of member states’ nationwide authorities, giving it a lot larger energy to establish and act upon important cash laundering threats.
It would even have new powers to high-quality companies in breach of laws as much as ten per cent of turnover, and it will likely be taking a look at dangers from non-EU nations such because the UK.
John Dobson, CEO at SmartSearch which operates each within the UK and the EU, stated: “The formation of a devoted useful resource to sort out the rising drawback of cash laundering, primarily via sectors such because the property market, is a constructive step by the EU.
“For the reason that outbreak of the worldwide pandemic we’ve seen organised prison gangs within the UK taking benefit by exploiting loopholes in AML processes and utilizing more and more extra subtle cast ID paperwork to get their soiled cash via the laundering course of.”
As a part of the UK Funds announcement in March chancellor Rishi Sunak introduced the formation of a brand new HMRC taskforce to sort out tax evasion and fraud, which is ready to make use of 1,000 additional investigators.
Dobson says the duty drive must work alongside businesses in different nations and make use of the newest expertise to establish the supply of probably the most important cash laundering threats.
He provides: “After all, this can be a international challenge so it’s very important that the UK coordinates its response with the EU and different nations, as organised crime gangs gained’t be involved about political borders.
“Clearly as we’re now not a part of the EU, this new authority may have no jurisdiction within the UK, however so as to have the ability to combat the specter of cash laundering right here within the UK most successfully, it’s very important that we coordinate and cooperate with the AMLA, in any other case danger getting left behind.”


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Sears Plans to Open Three Smaller Stores in May
According to cnn.com, after closing hundreds of locations in recent years, Sears plans to open three smaller stores in May in an attempt to reclaim shoppers by selling tools, appliances and other hard goods.
The New stores, called Sears Home & Life, will be a fraction of the size of a typical Sears department store and will also sell mattresses and lawn and garden equipment.
Located in Anchorage, Alaska, Lafayette, La., and Overland Park, Kan., the stores will range in size from 10,000 to 15,000 square feet.
Sears also plans to convert three smaller stores it opened in 2017 to the Home & Life format.


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Flock Freight®, a technology company that is reinventing freight shipping with its patented shared truckload algorithm, today unveiled its new corporate brand identity, redesigned logo, and website, to reflect the company's accelerated growth and position at the intersection of the technology and freight industries.
Flock Freight aims to build a distinct, scalable, and memorable brand. The company’s new identity and logo incorporates an expression of its core offering, shared truckloads via FlockDirect™, by using a series of smaller elements that come together and create something more meaningful. This is an abstraction of how Flock Freight’s patented algorithmic technology identifies optimized shared truckloads and routing in seconds, moving goods efficiently and reliably throughout the country at scale.
“We’re more than just a software company or a freight-tech company,” said Orlando Baeza, CMO of Flock Freight, “and it’s time Flock Freight’s brand reflects our strategic vision as we continue to reinvent how freight moves using the most sophisticated technology out there. We remain committed to creating a smarter supply chain by reducing carbon emissions, and tackling the pain points that shippers and carriers experience each day. We’re excited to launch this new chapter as a company.”
One of the first freight shipping companies to earn a B Corporation certification, Flock Freight offers an unbeatable service for a network of shippers and carriers. The new brand identity with the welcoming color palette and straightforward tone reflects Flock Freight’s growth and size in an industry long overdue for innovation.
For more information about Flock Freight and to view the company’s new branding, please visit www.flockfreight.com.
About Flock Freight:
Flock Freight has been reinventing freight shipping since 2015. Flock Freight leverages its advanced, first-to-market algorithms that pool shipments and fill trucks at scale to create a new standard of service for shippers and increase revenue for carriers. Flock Freight's patented technology to facilitate shared truckload eliminates the need for terminals and is the only carbon-neutral shipping option with all emissions accounted for through carbon offsets. Flock Freight was recently recognized as one of TIME’s Most Influential Companies in the World and as a CNBC Disruptor 50.
Flock Freight is headquartered in Encinitas, Calif., and has an office in Chicago, Ill.


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According to reports, Copilot for Microsoft 365 can work with Word, Outlook, and Teams, using the same technology as OpenAI’s ChatGPT. It can sum up emails, generate text, and make documents based on natural language prompts.
It seems like a lot of folks were excited to give it a try, but some have issues with its price and occasional mistakes. You know, 30 bucks per user seems a bit steep for every employee. And it’s not just the price. Some people have encountered fabricated responses and errors in meeting summaries. Those are the things that make you go, “Hmm.” And companies are a little hesitant to get on board, with Microsoft’s AI-driven products hitting not so great strides. Bing’s AI chatbot hasn’t been doing too hot, and we all remember the whole Google rivalry.
But yo, it’s not all bad news. Some testers are reporting increased efficiency, saving time during meetings and first drafts. And Microsoft is aware of the issues and has plans to fix them. Even with all the hiccups, Microsoft’s still boasting record breaking quarters thanks to its AI stuff.
In the words of Microsoft’s bigwig, Satya Nadella, “A growing body of evidence makes clear the role AI will play in transforming work.” So, the future is here, folks. AI is changing the game, and Copilot is another step towards that reality.


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CPEC Authority chairman hails development, claiming it will boost country’s exports and generate employment
A subsidiary of Lucky Cement Limited has inked an agreement with Samsung Gulf Electronics Company, FZE to manufacture in Pakistan the company’s mobile devices.
According to a stock filing on Friday, Lucky Cement said that its Lucky Motor Company subsidiary—currently involved in the manufacture, assembly, marketing, distribution and sales of Kia and Peugeot vehicles—had initiated the process of seeking necessary regulatory approvals, including filing an application for license with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority.
The filing says that the production facility for the Samsung mobile devices would be located at LMC’s existing plant at Bin Qasim Industrial Park, Special Economic Zone, Port Qasim. “The production facility is anticipated to be completed by the end of December 2021,” it added.
Lucky Cement said further information on the amount that would be invested in the production facility, and its capacity, had yet to be discussed between Samsung and the Motor Company subsidiary.
Since the Engineering Development Board approved a Mobile Device Manufacturing Policy in 2020, 21 companies have been authorized to assemble cellphones in Pakistan. The government has also announced duty protection to the industry, potentially reducing by up to 50 percent prices of locally manufactured handsets.
China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Authority Chairman Lt. Gen. (retd.) Asim Saleem Bajwa on Friday hailed the agreement between Samsung and Lucky as a “landmark” development, adding that it and similar agreements would boost the country’s exports and generate employment. “This landmark development, coupled with a number of upcoming Chinese mobile phone manufacturing facilities in Pakistan, will expand our manufacturing base, help boost exports and create more jobs,” he said in a posting on Twitter.


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Amazon says there's nothing for us to fear from its robots, or AWS to fear from Azure
Tye Brady, the chief technologist at Amazon Robotics, is in Australia this week as executives from the tech behemoth combine forces with its cloud computing arm Amazon Web Services for the first time to present at its annual Sydney Summit.
The company’s robotics arm is targeted towards finding advancements in robots to work alongside human workers in its order fulfilment centres, and is therefore at the forefront of the ongoing debate about the impact of automation on the future of work and society.
Brady says he believes the development of robotics can be compared to the sophistication of computers in the 1960s, describing the field as being like the first innings of a baseball game. He asserts that responsible development means robots will become our indispensable allies, rather than our usurpers or enemies.
Amazon has had its robotics division since it bought Kiva Systems for $730 million in 2012. It specialises in storage and retrieval robots, and the company had provided its robots to a number of retail chains including Gap, Walgreens and Office Depot before Amazon acquired it and made it solely operate in its own warehouses.
“I view our robotics as extending human capability in a way that allows us more efficiency, the automation that we add really doesn’t eliminate jobs, it just makes the jobs at our fulfilment centres more efficient and redirects employees to more sophisticated tasks,” Brady says.
“We want humans and machines working collaboratively, together, to achieve a greater task. More efficiency leads to more productivity, and more productivity leads to more jobs, and the evidence that we have is very compelling.”
Brady says the fact Amazon has added almost 300,000 jobs since the acquisition of Kiva systems in 2012 is an indication of what happens when employment is needed to meet the increase in productivity ushered in by robotics.
He says Hollywood has helped fan fears about devastating future impacts of robotics and artificial intelligence, which did not represent the reality within the research and development work being conducted at Amazon, and said humanity needed to “reframe its relationship with machines”.
View the full article at the Australian Financial Review


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Aiming to tap into the $6.5 trillion U.S. net lease real estate market, Brokers + Engineers has launched the first tech-driven brokerage firm and trading platform that will make sales easier for an estimated 1.3 million NNN properties.
“Brokers + Engineers is the first technology platform created specifically for the trading NNN property, from origination to close. B+E will maintain the largest NNN data set in the industry, with technology products that will leverage this data to provide a new standard of advisory to brokerage clients,” Camille Renshaw, CEO & co-founder, B+E, said in a prepared statement.
Scott Scurich, B+E’s co-founder and president, noted that the firm will be launching with two products. The team introduced their firm, which has offices in New York City and Tampa, Fla., and plans to unveil a third office in San Francisco soon, at the ICSC New York Deal Making Show on Tuesday.
“The first tech product we will launch offers predictive pricing, followed by a second product which will provide 1031 advisory to exchangers, leveraging artificial intelligence,” Scurich said in a prepared statement. “All of this will be delivered through a transformative technology platform that allows us to help virtually anyone intelligently trade net lease.”
Renshaw and Scurich note that the NNN market in the United States is estimated to have a total market value of $6.5 trillion that consists of more than 1.3 million properties, with greater than $55 billion in average annual sales volume. Less than 1 percent of the NNN transactions use brokers. They add that NNN property values are driving by lease terms and a single tenant’s credit rating as well as the real estate, making it a unique investment.
“Until now, the tech industry has failed to transform NNN because it overlooked the fact that senior people and their relationships are crucial to our transactions. At B+E, our people are empowered by data analytics, artificial intelligence and innovative engineering, but senior people still drive all the deals,” Renshaw said.
Renshaw, a CRE veteran, was most recently head of sales for Ten-X, a Google Capital company and the leading online marketplace for commercial real estate with products like Auction.com. Scurich, was also at Ten-X, serving as a managing director and head of the Net Lease division.
Both Renshaw and Scurich also worked at the Stan Johnson Co., where Renshaw founded the net lease brokerage firm’s New York office. She led the sales team as its top producer for five years. Scurich was a senior partner on Renshaw’s team. He was a top national producer of retail NNN assets as well as one of the firm’s leaders in 1031 exchange advisory.
Scurich previously worked in the Capital Markets Group for Cushman & Wakefield in Atlanta, covering an eight-state territory, where he closed in excess of $1.5 billion transaction volume.
Renshaw originally entered commercial real estate as an owner of Dyzco Technologies, which she later sold to American Financial Services Corp., Inc. She was also director of the US Capital Markets division of Colliers International and a Top 40 Worldwide Producer. An industry leader, Renshaw often speaks at CRE events and is a member of both CREW NY and CCIM NYC.
Source: Commercial Search


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Wauconda, Illinois -- The Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC) has learned through a Wall Street Journal report that “the U.S. Department of Justice is alleging that a California company evaded $1.5 billion in tariffs by conducting an illegal effort to smuggle banned aluminum into the U.S.”
The article by the WSJ goes on to say, “The civil complaint signals that U.S. authorities are deepening an investigation into a long-running international aluminum scheme that allegedly involves Fontana, Calif.-based Perfectus Aluminum Inc. The complaint, part of a proceeding to seize assets, alleges that Perfectus Aluminum is controlled and “effectively owned” by Liu Zhongtian, founder and chairman of Chinese aluminum giant China Zhongwang Holdings, Inc. one of China’s biggest aluminum producers and exporters.”
In late 2015 the Aluminum Extruders Council filed a Scope Clarification/Circumvention case against Zhongwang accusing them of violating the Council’s trade orders against the Chinese aluminum extruders by shipping aluminum extrusions into the U.S. disguised as aluminum pallets. The U.S. Department of Commerce agreed with the industry and declared those extrusions to be covered by the antidumping and countervailing duty orders. That decision was not appealed by Perfectus or its parent Zhongwang.
“We want to applaud the Department of Justice’s decision to begin civil proceedings against Zhongwang’s affiliate Perfectus. Today’s filing is the culmination of a concerted effort by the AEC and its members in conjunction with Customs and the Department of Commerce to investigate Zhongwang’s alleged attempts to avoid paying duties since the orders went into effect. The AEC will continue to assist the agencies in their efforts to investigate this matter going forward,” said Jeff Henderson, President of the Aluminum Extruders Council. “Furthermore,” he continued, “this should be a clear signal to those that seek to evade, circumvent, or in any way violate our orders that such activities will be uncovered and prosecuted.”


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The legalization of marijuana in Canada has been a boon for countless businesses – cannabis producers, hydroponics suppliers, retailers – and the insurance industry has not been left out of the fun. It’s not every day that a new industry, one loaded with potential exposures, drops from the sky; the opportunity for educated brokers to increase their business by offering the right cannabis insurance products to the right clients is considerable.
Any organization that handles cannabis should be seeking a specific policy that will cover their operations. This can include personal growers, dispensaries, transportation and logistics companies, and research and development companies. Commercial growers, the heart of the industry, face particularly intense exposures, as damage to their biological assets at any point in the growing or storage process could spell catastrophe. It is imperative that all companies taking part in activities associated with cannabis consult their insurance provider prior to operations.
In addition to finding a policy that protects losses of those precious biological assets, cannabis companies require a wide array of critical coverages, including commercial general liability, stock and business interruption, D&O and even terrorism.
Two other coverages are strongly recommended.
“Product recall is particularly important for commercial growers,” says Allison Sinha, Burns & Wilcox’s senior underwriter for specialty risks. “In order to protect their brand and balance sheets, all recalls need to be handled as smoothly as possible. Kidnap and ransom is another extremely important coverage for those members of the corporation who are travelling regularly.”
Sinha says demand for coverage in both the run-up to and aftermath of legalization has not experienced the spike many may have expected, but it has evolved.
“We are seeing requests now for retail locations who have recently received their provincial licenses and are seeking coverage,” she says. “Those requests should multiply as the opening of Ontario’s retail marijuana stores draws near.”
With cannabis being a rapidly growing industry in Canada, and one still clouded by several strains of uncertainty, brokers have the chance to offer their clients both clarity and long-term solutions.
“Cannabis is a great area for brokers to grow their books of business,” Sinha says.
Brokers hoping to capitalize on the increased activity in the cannabis sector will be required to master the space themselves, ensuring they are equipped with the answers their prospective clients will inevitably be looking for.
“As this is a new industry, getting educated prior to approaching prospective clients can give brokers a competitive edge and help them gain referrals,” says Sinha.
But the learning can’t stop there. Sinha encourages brokers to keep up to date with their clients and the cannabis industry as a whole – both of which will continue evolving for the next several years. “These corporations are growing at an exponential rate,” she says. “There is changing legislation and insurance requirements in certain provinces and territories. It is important for a broker to be aware of this and ensure their client is adequately covered.”


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With Honor now able to launch its full trio of Honor 20 handsets in the UK (a date for the Honor 20 Pro is still
Seasons greetings! Christmas is always a fun time, but with the Mate 10 Pro I was able to capture some of the best scenes of London.
When Huawei, the company behind Google’s flagship Nexus phone, invited me into town to take better photos of various London landmarks (and food) with a Nexus 6P and guidance from
Sony unveiled three new flagship phones at IFA yesterday, all sporting its brand-new 23-megapixel camera with the fastest autofocus yet on a smartphone – a
At the P8 launch event yesterday, I got to meet light artist Michael Bosanko – a man who has created some awesome photos using various light sources (seriously,
These camera photos were supplied by Honor and were taken from a pre-release Honor 6 Plus handset. As such, I had no control over the subject


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40 posts and columns on MTV Networks
News ByteCouchSurfing, which connects travelers online with a place to stay in someone’s home, has appointed Tony Espinoza as its new CEO. Co-founder Dan Hoffer, who was previously CEO, will become president. Prior to joining CouchSurfing, Espinoza was VP at AOL and at MTV Networks. Last summer, CouchSurfing changed its status from a nonprofit and raised nearly $8 million in venture capital.
Microsoft-Facebook Tiff Over Ad Talent Raid Downgraded to "Disappointed" (With a Side of Settlement)While Facebook should not be expecting big bouquets of love from its partner and investor Microsoft, at least it’s not going to be getting legal brickbats either. According to sources close to the situation, the pair have settled a dispute over the Silicon Valley social networking site’s talent raid of Microsoft’s head of global ad sales, Carolyn Everson, for a similar job at Facebook.


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Broadcom is one of the world’s top suppliers of the semiconductor chips that form the brains of everything from smartphones to cars to gaming consoles. It currently has a backlog of orders stretching at least eight months long.
Broadcom’s inventory woes are the latest sign of a broader chip shortage snarling supply chains across the globe. Pandemic-fueled chaos in the supply chain for semiconductor materials created an initial backlog in the middle of 2020. Then, stronger-than-expected demand for cars, combined with a seasonal spike in smartphone sales, drove demand much higher than supply.
On a March 4 earnings call, Broadcom CEO Tan Hock Eng said semiconductor backlogs have increased “quite significantly” over the course of the first quarter of the year. “We have customers [who] are willing to book out for delivery of those products, out through the rest of 2021,” he said.
The backlog is a sign of how badly manufacturers need chips. Automakers have idled plants from Chennai, India to Ontario, Canada while they wait on shipments of crucial semiconductors that control airbags, navigation systems, and a host of other parts in increasingly computerized cars. In the meantime, Broadcom’s clients have been locking in non-refundable orders that will keep its factories busy into November.
“As we stretch out our lead time, where it goes from three months to six months to eight months, they just book what they need eight months out,” Eng said. “You only do that if you truly believe you need that product to enable your business.”
Semiconductors are so crucial that some buyers may be exacerbating the shortage by stockpiling extra chips, reflecting their fear that the crisis will drag on for quite some time. “We see customers accelerating their bookings for early deliveries and attempting to build buffers and creating the demand-supply imbalance you all hear out there,” Eng said.
But Eng seemed to indicate Broadcom has been working in the background to soothe its spooked customers and convince them not to horde chips. “It’s all about being able to tell your customers…to behave in a rational manner,” Eng said. “We have a reasonable process in place that ensures that our customers get the products—maybe just in time, but they do get the products when they need them.”
Financial analysts spent the majority of the call peppering Eng with questions about how Broadcom is preparing to handle the crush of orders it’s currently facing. The executive did his best to swat down any perception of chaos. “This is not a panic mode,” Eng said in the final moments of the call. “This is a very structured and reasonable process, which we believe at the end of it all still shows real underlying demand, and that’s the way we want to report it.”


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Today saw the announcement of 3 new Apple Products, the iPhone6 and iPhone6 Plus, Apple Pay and the Apple Watch.
In this post, we take a look at the new iPhone devices and see what they might mean for the future of marketing and consumer behaviour.
Opportunities for rich responsive websites, tailored content and mobile display advertising open up even more with these new devices.
iPhone6 and iPhone6 Plus
Apple are moving towards bigger devices with a lot more processing power. The device features some big upgrades including:
- Improved Display: Retina HD Display and a curved screen.
- A Thinner Device: this is the thinnest device Apple has ever created at 6.9mm thickness for the iPhone 6 and 7.1mm for the iPhone 6 Plus
- Larger Screen Size: The iPhone 6 features a bigger 4.7 inch display area, and the iPhone 6 Plus offers a massive 5.5 inch. The iPhone 5s was 4 inches.
- More beefy processor: The new A8 processor is 25% faster than the A7.
- Enhanced Camera: The new camera includes autofocus and optical stabilization.
- Improved Battery Life: 14 hours of talk time, 50 hours of audio playback and 11 hours of video playback means more time spent on mobile.
What we’re seeing is a continued trend towards users treating their mobiles as a substitute and even a replacement for computers, and with these larger and more powerful devices this trend will just become stronger. With the bigger screens we can expect to see an increase in video consumption, which could guide your next marketing activation.
This consumer shift to mobile computing continues to put more importance on device-optimised online experiences. Opportunities for rich responsive websites, tailored content and mobile display advertising open up even more with these new devices.
On top of this there is also the announcement of the new Apple Watch. In conjunction with a new small interface, the ‘taptic’ engine (basically sends notifications that feel like a tap on your wrist) could hold some exciting possibilities for interaction and campaigns in the future, like we’ve already seen with Durex’s Fundawear campaign. Weighing in at a hefty $350USD, the price tag will probably keep this device off most consumers wrists for now, but it will be interesting to see how the product is taken up and if it sticks around.
The new iPhone 6 devices will be launching on September 19th, so we don’t have to wait long to see what impacts it will have in the market. Overall, the next generation new apple products will mean:
- More time spent on devices
- Increased demand for tailored mobile experiences
- More mobile video consumption
- A more personal approach to devices


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Residents in Evansville may have noticed colorful rocks popping up throughout the city. The rock painting trend began with the Evansville Rocks! Facebook group, which now has more than 6,000 members. Followers of the group paint rocks with creative designs, hide them throughout the city, and post photos of the rocks to the Facebook page with clues to help others begin their hunt.
The classic citrus soda well loved by all in the River City has a fresh, new look. Though SKI’s formula remains the same, the revamped packaging aims to appeal to a younger audience and set itself apart from the competition. As of now, the new design only appears on the soda’s Tropical SKI flavor but eventually will be featured on the entire line.
Evansville gamers playing the new “Madden NFL 18” might recognize a familiar voice. Harrison High School graduate and former University of Evansville sports broadcaster Brandon Gaudin once again partnered with “Fox College Football” lead analyst Charles Davis to voice play-by-play commentary in the latest installment of the successful video game franchise.


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Japanese IT giant launches Costa Rica center
Thursday, February 18, 2016
Japan’s IT services giant NTT Data has expanded to Costa Rica with the launch of a delivery center in San José.
The Tokyo-based firm will hire more than 100 people and participate in a job fair being organized by the country’s investor promotion agency CINDE.
Source: Nearshore Americas


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Don't-Miss Robot Stories
Cafe X is the first fully autonomous coffee shop in the United States.
Piaggio, the company behind Vespa, has come up with an autonomous robot that will follow you around and help you with your luggage.
The Department of Defense is testing Perdix, autonomous micro-drones capable of collective decision-making and adaptive formation flying.
The Hub Robot links to LG smart appliances and uses Amazon Alexa voice recognition to perform tasks such as starting your robotic vacuum.
They're just experiments, but Hyundai's three wearable robots could lend a bit of superhuman power to people who need it.
Riding Assist is a prototype technology from Honda that keeps a motorbike upright. It does this by making small adjustments to the front wheel as it senses changes in the bike’s center of gravity.
The Uni-Cub is a personal mobility device, designed to transport a single person around a building or town. The device freely moves forwards, backwards, side-to-side or diagonally according to the direction its user shifts their weight.
This robot uses computer vision technology coupled with deep learning to play chess.
Drone tech really took off in 2016, from drones that can light up the sky, to ones that will deliver goods right to your location on the golf course.
We take a look back at the year's most interesting robots, from a robot that will fold your clothing to one that will prick your finger to make a point.


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11.17.17 Your morning briefing
The information you need to start your day, from PaymentsSource and around the Web:
Brexit brain drain: As London attempts to keep technology companies in the U.K. after the country leaves the European Union, there are signals that professionals with technology skills may be souring on the U.K., threatening its perch as a fintech and payments innovation capital. Many people are rejecting job offers in the U.K., according to a survey of entrepreneurs cited by The Financial Times. More than a third of companies have lost a prospective hire because of uncertainty over immigration laws, reports the newspaper, which cites research from Tech London Advocates. The U.K. government is attempting to assuage the concerns, announcing it would double the "tier 1" visas for "exceptional talent" to 2,000 per year. Prime Minister Theresa May met with technology executives this week to discuss concerns such as immigration and venture capital investments. May expressed confidence the U.K. would retain its status, though the technology executives said the visa changes are not enough to address the skills gap.
The courier rings twice: Amazon's "unlock the door" courier service for consumers who aren't home has a vulnerability that allows cloud-hosted security cameras to be frozen by a program within WiFi range of the door, according to Wired. Amazon Key relies on these internal cameras as a check on the delivery person. The courier scans the package bar code to gain access to a consumer's home. The internal camera then begins recording as the door is unlocked. The idea is the camera makes sure the courier only ventures just inside the door and then leaves. If the camera can be frozen to make it look like the door has closed, a bad-apple courier could reenter the home a second time without being recorded. Amazon told The Verge drivers are subject to comprehensive background checks, each delivery is pegged to a specific driver and Amazon verifies deliveries based on address and intended time. Amazon also notifies consumers if the camera is offline for a long period, and it plans an update to provide these notifications more quickly, the company told The Verge.
Singapore extends its tech influence: Singapore has become a center for payments innovation projects, serving as a hub for e-commerce technology in Asia and practical deployments of contactless and IoT payments for tasks such as transit payments. The city is looking to extend that influence through a cooperative agreement with the central bank of the Philippines to promote fintech projects such as distributed ledger applications, cross-border payments and compliance issues like "know your customer" money laundering protections, according to a release from the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Singapore is also working on a similar partnership with Thailand.
Xsolla's game for alternative currency: Gaming often attracts payments innovation, and cryptocurrency is no exception. In a new deployment, Xsolla will accept Worldwide Asset eXchange (WAX)'s cryptocurrency. Xsolla distributes and publishes video games globally and support tools designed to optimize user acquisition and monetization. Xsolla will add WAX to the more than 700 payment options it already offers to fund its 2,000 games, and it hopes to feed a broader strategy to encourage cryptocurrency usage among its users. WAX is a repository designed to link gamers and marketplaces by powering real-time payments and security through WAX tokens. "This is a great step forward to enable Xsolla’s client portfolio of over 2,000 games to use WAX as a mechanism to transmit stored value across borders," said William Quigley, CEO of WAX, in a release. "Partnering with Xsolla creates more demand for the WAX ecosystem."
From the Web
Amex launches blockchain-based business payments using Ripple
Reuters | Thu Nov 16, 2017 - American Express has introduced instant blockchain-based payments using Ripple, a fintech start-up, for U.S. corporate customers sending funds to UK-based businesses that bank with Santander UK STN.SN, the companies said on Thursday. American Express said its FX International Payments (FXIP) business had partnered with Ripple to provide real-time, trackable non-card payments from the United States to Britain. Customers are already using the service, the companies said, and it would be extended in the future.
Overstock finds cryptocurrency is most popular in Alaska, with Delaware close behind
CNBC | Thu Nov 16, 2017 - The states driving most of Overstock's purchases via cryptocurrency aren't your typical tech havens. The top five states for cryptocurrency purchases are Alaska, Delaware, Oregon, Wyoming and Hawaii have , the company told CNBC. Overstock got this statistic by looking at the percentage of overall revenue from each state that came from cryptocurrency purchases.
Cash Converters reveals customer data breach
BBC | Thu Nov 16, 2017 - High Street pawnbroker Cash Converters has warned customers about a data breach on its website. The company said customer usernames, passwords and addresses had potentially been accessed by a third party. The data breach exposed accounts on the company's old UK website, which was replaced in September 2017. Cash Converters said no credit card information had been breached, and people who visited its stores but did not use the website had not been affected.
More from PaymentsSource
How Facebook faced Brexit's regulatory cloud
Facebook's introduction of mobile payments in the U.K. and France is accompanied by the complexity of having to adapt as Brexit unwinds the U.K. from the European Union.
A strategy to halt holiday payments fraud comes in layers
By employing a multi-layered approach to mobile security that combines device authentication with the latest user identification measures, retailers can establish maximum trust not only with their users, but also in the device being used to transact with them, writes Michael Lynch, chief strategy officer for InAuth.
Why JotForm added e-checks to its digital payments options
When JotForm launched in 2006, the company’s first priority was providing a quick way for clubs and organizations to gather personal details from members online. Payments were an afterthought.
International payments firm TransferWise reports doubling revenue
TransferWise Ltd., the London-based international payments firm and one of Europe’s largest financial technology startups, said revenue in the fiscal year through March 2017 has more than doubled, allowing the company to post its first annual profit.


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In an outdoor nation like ours, transit media should be a goldmine, so why aren’t advertisers utilising it as much as they could?
Every week, 22 million commuters make their way through the traffic in South Africa. Imagine, then, all the ‘blank canvases’ that appear in that public space just waiting for some funky advertising to be added to the mix.
Is it a potential goldmine, or are there just too many barriers in place?
According to some industry role players, transit media is not reaching its full potential in South Africa. John Rice, managing director of Graffiti Media, says the medium is certainly underutlised, especially when compared with other media.
“This is partly because it is still seen as an alternative medium that is not as established as mainstream media, such as television and radio,” he explains, “and it is also more difficult to provide transit media advertisers with accurate feedback with regard to figures and exposure so it can be a little harder to sell.”
Jacques du Preez, who heads up Provantage, an out of home (OOH) media business, offers a different perspective on the same problem.
“Advertising buyers and planners are not the primary users of public transport in South Africa and they tend to buy media that they consume themselves. This situation is not unique to South Africa as it also happens in other developing countries,” he says. “Another reason is that a lot of the transit media infrastructure is brand new and it will take time for people to get their heads around it. There is also a lag in research, so it will take time to get into the mainstream media planning and buying.”
From a media agency perspective, it is not so much that transit media is under-supported but that it requires extremely careful planning to make sure it is utilised in a suitable manner.
“The commuter market is a very specific environment,” says Tanya Schreuder of media agency Vizeum. “For some brands it is the perfect space and for others not. With budget cuts, one could also assume that clients and media agencies are consolidating their spend and trying to do a better job in fewer channels, rather than spreading their budget too thinly when electronic media still attracts the lion’s share of ad spend.”
And, adds Chris Botha, group managing director of The Media Shop, “Transit media is also competing in a market where there are many other media types equally suitable to reach mass media.”
He says that branded public transport is not a ‘silver bullet’ to reach the commuter market, but that, on the positive side, the cost per point (CPP) for transit media is “very favourable when compared to other traditional media”.
So what are the best campaigns that can inspire more faith in the transit media industry?
According to Rice, they are those that have found a way to utilise the medium in a unique manner.
“For instance,” he says, “8ta has provided free wi-fi for passengers in their branded cabs, and Visa offers its cab passengers a 10% discount when paying with a Visa card. Similarly, 1st for Women Insurance has trained the women drivers of the women-only cabs on their various product offerings. These kinds of added-value benefits are a fantastic way of getting people to remember and feel good about your brand.”
Du Preez says that new innovative formats are becoming more visible.
“With innovation in the right environments, brands will follow. Prime examples are MyCiti – the integrated rapid transport system in Cape Town and Prasa (Passenger Rail Association of South Africa), which offer state of the art media opportunities,” he says.
All acknowledge, however, that there are still challenges afoot.
Schreuder says: “A challenge in the commuter space is clutter. Mindsets are often
preoccupied, and with so much going on around you when commuting, clients are nervous that their messages will not be noticed. It is also a challenge to gain critical mass. For example, when it comes to taxi branding, it can cost a fortune in production to brand enough taxis to ensure breakthrough.”
She says that one needs to look at an integrated campaign, one that involves brand building and consumer engagement.
Du Preez says another major challenge is that of a “lack of credible research proving what we as media owners have known for some time: transit media essentially delivers the biggest economically active captive audience in South Africa”.
He adds, “There is a perception that transit media is not as sexy as traditional above-the-line media, like radio and television.”
That said, there are rich opportunities to be explored. Says Rice: “People are spending more time commuting, and more people are travelling more frequently.
“As a result there are ever-increasing opportunities for advertisers to reach their target audience in a different way – on an airport bus handle, on an electroluminescent taxi top on the roof of a cab, to name but two. There are also opportunities to be creative
and strategic with the medium and come up with bold, eye-catching creative executions,” says Rice.
Du Preez also highlights the opportunities and says that transit media “offers a great opportunity for addressing the disconnect that exists between brands and consumers in the main market as it brings the brand message directly into their lives”.
And, he adds, “Brands and advertisers will always have an appetite for new media opportunities, especially in environments where they deliver significant economically active audiences, high frequency and low wastage.”
Despite the challenges, it seems there are still rich pickings for transit media in South Africa, so don’t be surprised if the next time you see a double-decker bus, you mistake it for a layer cake decorated in lucrative icing sugar.
This story was first published in the January 2013 issue of The Media magazine.
Want to continue this conversation on The Media Online platforms? Comment on Twitter @MediaTMO or on our Facebook page. Send us your suggestions, comments, contributions or tip-offs via e-mail to firstname.lastname@example.org.


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Alanna Lynch becomes COO from January 2022
Previously CEO of the experienced agency The New York Times and Managing Director of Chandelier
Extensive experience in driving organizational transformation, purpose and growth
BERLIN, GERMANY / NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / January 12, 2022 / Artnet AG, the leading data and media platform for the art market, and the global online art-only sales market, is delighted to announce that Alana Lynch has joined Artnet in as long as CEO as it prepares to accelerate its development and growth in 2022 and beyond. Lynch will play a key role in accelerating operational development, innovation and growth in this increasingly rapid market.
Alanna is a strategic and innovative executive, with extensive experience in organizational effectiveness, relevance and growth in the companies she has led and the brands she has built. “I joined the Artnet team primarily because I believe in the mission to make buying, selling and collecting art as easy and efficient as possible. This ambition is more relevant than ever. , as the art market continues its digital transformation and embraces new art fashions and new ways of doing business, “says Alanna.” With the amazing Artnet team, I look forward to driving the next phase of the company’s growth and to consolidate the purpose and necessity of Artnet in the life of the modern collector. ”
Alanna was previously CEO of The New York Times experience agency, which has helped brands such as BMW, Nike and Hermes Design and create immersive experiences at the intersection of visual art, creative technology and social storytelling. In this role, she led the successful merger of two New York Times companies, implemented a new business strategy and operational plan, and launched a series of new advertising products.
Prior to The New York Times , Alanna was the Managing Director of Chandelier , a New York-based creative agency known for its work with luxury brands like Cartier, retail giants like Target, and innovators like Virgin. At Chandelier, she partnered with C-level clients to establish and execute their brand strategy, oversaw all company operations and staff, and led the company’s expansion to Los Angeles and Hong Kong.
“Alanna brings a wealth of experience with her and will be a huge asset to the team,” said Jacob Pabst, CEO of artnet. “As a technology company, we pride ourselves on providing robust, transparent and efficient service to our customers – as well as to our internal operations. I am delighted to start 2022 with such a remarkable addition to the artnet family, someone with the experience to drive our growth strategy. “
Artnet has an unprecedented 60 million unique users annually, making it the world’s largest platform for fine arts. Founded in 1989, Artnet revolutionized the way people discover, research and collect art today. Artnet’s market data is an essential resource for the art industry’s mission, encompassing over 15 million auction results and AI and ML-based analytics providing a level of transparency and transparency. unparalleled insight into the art market. Artnet’s Marketplace connects leading galleries and auction houses to our global audience, offering a selection of over 250,000 works of art for sale around the world. Artnet Auctions, the pioneering online-only auction platform, offers unprecedented reach, liquidity and efficiency. Artnet News covers the events, trends and people shaping the global art market with up-to-the-minute analysis and expert commentary. It is the most widely read information publication in the fine arts industry, with a dedicated and rapidly growing audience. Together, Artnet’s broad, synergistic product offering provides a complete ecosystem that stimulates and informs the modern art market.
Artnet AG is listed on the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, the segment with the highest transparency standards. The majority of operations are based in New York at its wholly owned subsidiary, Artnet Worldwide Corporation, a New York-based entity founded in 1989. Artnet Worldwide Corp. has a London-based subsidiary, Artnet UK Ltd.
Other investor relations news and publications are available here:
THE SOURCE: artnet SA
See the source version on accesswire.com:


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– Melissa Cole is a leading beer writer, blogger and international beer judge in the UK; she also co-owns lovebeer@borough, a beer-tasting business in London’s Borough Market. The opinions expressed are her own. –
The Great Debate UK
China's sovereign wealth fund has bought a 1.1 percent stake -- worth around 240 million pounds -- in drinks group Diageo, which owns the legendary Irish stout.


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The marketing head of Volkswagen India shed light on how automobile companies look at the unmetro consumers.
Kamal Basu, marketing head of Volkswagen India was one of the many eminent personalities present at the Dainik Bhaskar Unmetro Conclave held in Mumbai recently. To him, there is no differentiation between metros and unmetros. "This line between metros and unmetros doesn't exist anymore. It's not the top eight metros today, but top 40-50 metros. It's one large marketplace that everybody is vying for," he declared.
He explained this further with two examples from his presentation (below) that showed how people in different regions are consuming the same kind of news. He also pointed out how the movie 'Sholay' was released across the country in 200 screens. And by the time it went down to tier I, II, III, IV towns, it was six weeks and beyond. On the contrary, 'Dhoom 3' was released in 2725 screens, simultaneously. "The person watching the movie in PVR, Palladium, had exactly the same experience as a person sitting in a PVR in Hoshiyarpur. The lines have diminished," he said.
People like Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Mary Kom, Kangana Ranaut have all come from relatively smaller places and have become inspirations to a much larger mass/community. "This is reflected in many ways. One of the examples being the participation of people from every nook and corner of the country in reality television programmes. It is fascinating to see how parents are pushing their children in the direction where the child's heart desires to move. That's a huge leap the country has taken," he observed.
As per his interactions with these consumers, he believes that, while an unmetro consumer is progressive, he is rooted deep in to the value system. They are traditional in their behaviour but progressive in their outlook. Their aspirations are not limited by boundaries. They are living in an age of access - the mobile phone as a lifeline to the aspired life is ubiquitous, rendering geography irrelevant.
Basu shared that top e-commerce sites record 50 per cent of their sales from tier II and tier III cities. Also, with 4G around the corner, with skyrocketing rates of smartphone penetration, consumers are constantly adapting to the next new in real time, just like the people in metros.
The youth in these cities, too, have a contemporary way of life which reflects in the choices they make. Be it fashion, gadgets, movies, they are in tune with the latest trends. "Being exposed to media simultaneously has led to this," Basu opined.
How does the automobile world look at this market? Hero (two-wheelers), according to Basu, is a leader because of its sale in these unmetro markets. For Volkswagen, every car the company sells in a metro, it sells six cars in a mini-metro, he revealed.
The people in these cities and towns buy cars for multiple reasons. According to Basu, owning a car here is a status symbol. Also, they are value conscious. He shares that Volkswagen's new Polo witnessed over 2,60,000 (in nine months) test drives post its launch across India, with high interest levels amidst the younger generation in tier II cities.
However, the challenges these cities pose include - reaching through an unorganised media, purity of fuel, poor infrastructure, lack of service centres and facilitation of finance.
See the presentation below.


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You'll soon be able to watch Showtime shows on Hulu - but there's a catch
Tuesday, Hulu announced via a press release it's partnering with Showtime to launch a streaming service for Hulu subscribers.
Sounds exciting right?
Premium content via a platform subscribers are already paying $7.99 per month to watch all other content currently available on Hulu.
Not so fast.
According to the release, new and existing subscribers will need to pay an $8.99 on top of their $7.99 Hulu subscription to enjoy Showtime access.
Earlier this year, HBO started its own standalone service subscription Still, the Showtime charge is significantly less than the price of HBO's new standalone product, HBO Now, which launched in April.
Hulu is quickly amping up its content library.
In February, it announced an adaptation of Stephen King's 11/23/63 - a story about a teacher who travels back in time to prevent JFK's assassination - which will star James Franco.
The streaming service will start streaming all seasons of "Seinfeld" this week, and recently saved Fox's "The Mindy Project" from cancellation.
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Florida EcoSafaris at Forever Florida is introducing an entirely new category of theme park to Orlando visitors, the EcoPark. Opening April 2, 2012, the new EcoPark will allow for a full day of adventures including the all new Zipline Safari, Cypress Canopy Cycle and four brand new adventures.
The most notable new attraction is The Rattlesnake. The Rattlesnake is a zipline roller coaster, the first of its kind in the USA. It’s known as the next generation of ziplining and will launch riders from a height of 65 feet through the treetops over 1,000 feet of swinging, swooping, jumping and dipping through the trees.
Also opening is the 1,300-foot-long Peregrine Plunge, which will be the longest single straightaway zipline in Florida. You will be competing against another rider on two sets of lines side by side as you race toward your landing point.
The last two additions are Panther Pounce and the Swooping Crane. Panther Pounce is a 68 foot high challenge tower where guests can step off into a safely controlled rapid descent to the ground below. The Swooping Crane is an extreme swing where guests are released from a height of 55 feet into a freefall before swooping back and forth between the trees.
The new EcoPark admission ticket also includes the all new Zipline Safari which opened in September last year. The Zipline Safari is a two and a half hour guided journey through the treetops. Guests can then end their day relaxing on Cypress Canopy Cycle which opened last July. The Cypress Canopy Cycle is where guests gently pedal their way through the treetops while suspended 25 feet over forested wetlands.
The new EcoPark Admission Ticket is $135 and for adventurers ages 10 and up. Advance tickets are highly recommended and can be made by calling 407-957-9794. For more information, visit www.FloridaEcoSafaris.com. Florida EcoSafaris at Forever Florida is located at 4755 N. Kenansville Road in St. Cloud, Fla.


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India has asked the US to unfreeze $26 million that belongs to several Indian diamond companies but is frozen because they trade with the Russian diamond source “Alrosa,” which is under sanctions.
Sources at Reuters say that the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), in charge of sanctions, froze the money earlier this year.
It is said that OFAC froze the money when unnamed Indian companies with offices in the UAE tried to send it to India to buy rough diamonds. It’s unclear if the money was being sent to “Alrosa” or someone else.
The government is aware of what OFAC has done and has started talking to them about it. The problem was that people thought they were dealing with Alrosa, said one source in the Indian government.
However, the Indian companies affected by the action told the government that the payments were for Russian organisations not subject to sanctions or for orders completed before the sanctions against “Alrosa” were enacted in April of the year before.
India has the most diamond processing capacity in the world. In the last fiscal year, which ended on March 31, it shipped polished diamonds worth more than $22 billion.


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Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival
The Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival is another first event on the SVRA’s West Coast schedule in 2015. This invitational event launches the General Racing/Gold Medallion program that salutes and rewards cars that are prepared as they were raced in the original era.
This invitational event will take place on the challenging 12-turn road course which opened in 1968, and features over 16 stories of elevation change with lots of fast sweeping turns. Sonoma Raceway has hosted every major amateur and professional racing series during its 44 year history. The track’s proximity to California’s famous Sonoma and Napa wine regions also makes it a popular venue with both competitors and race fans and offers a wide variety of pre and post-race activities, including the race car drive and show at the downtown Sonoma Square.
For a preview of this year's race, check out Youtube
The Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival returns to Sonoma Raceway, May 30-31. Featuring sports cars and popular marques like Maserati, Ferrari, Porsche and Lotus, as well as a full array of formula cars, Trans-Am and production sports cars roaring around the 12-turn, 2.52-mile road course. Each ticket doubles as a pit pass, granting you an up-close look at these historic racecars and a chance to chat with their owners.
Children 12 and under are free!
Historic Race Car Festival
Sonoma Raceway will celebrate fine food, wine and historic cars at the 23rd annual Historic Race Car Festival on Saturday, May 30, at the Sonoma Plaza.
This popular annual charity event, which is part of the Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival at Sonoma Raceway, benefits the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation and Speedway Children's Charities, the charitable arm of Sonoma Raceway.
Locals and race fans alike will enjoy tastings from several local restaurants and wineries, as well as an up-close look at more than 30 historic race cars, which compete throughout the weekend at the Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival, May 29-31.
|05/19/15||Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival, May 30-31|


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The annual Downtown Chili Cook Off and trick or treating drew huge crowds to Lafayette Square on Saturday. People lined up at booths to taste chili offered by local groups and children received free candy from local businesses.
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Instagram’s parent company, Facebook said it messed up again and stored “millions” of unencrypted Instagram passwords on internal servers.
“We discovered additional logs of Instagram passwords being stored in a readable format. We now estimate that this issue impacted millions of Instagram users,” Facebook said in a blog post.
“We will be notifying these users as we did the others. Our investigation has determined that these stored passwords were not internally abused or improperly accessed,” the social network said.
The social media giant first announced its mistake in a March 21 blog post, titled “Keeping Passwords Secure.” It revealed that the plain text passwords of hundreds of millions of users had been stored, putting the number of Instagram users affected in the tens of thousands.
Facebook’s handling of user data has been a topic of discussion since it admitted in 2018 that Cambridge Analytica, a political consultancy, used an app that may have hijacked the private details of 87 million users.
Thereafter it announced a series of measures to secure data, including eliminating most of its data-sharing partnerships with outside companies.


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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 1st, 2016
Contact: Evan Greer, 978-852-6457, email@example.com
Fight for the Future issued a statement ahead of today’s Congressional hearing
WASHINGTON, DC––Ahead of today’s Congressional hearing featuring the director of the FBI and Apple’s general counsel, Fight for the Future, the group behind last week’s nationwide protests at Apple stores opposing the FBI’s demand for a backdoor into the iPhone, issued the following statement, which can be attributed to Fight for the Future co-founder, Holmes Wilson:
“Many members of Congress don’t understand the technical implications here, so let me put in simple terms what cybersecurity experts have been saying for years.: what the FBI is asking Apple to do will make us less safe, not more safe.
This is not a choice between privacy and national security. Backdoors in encryption put us all in danger, and make us more vulnerable to the types of attacks that the government says they’re trying to prevent.
Secure phones are saving lives every day. The engineers who maintain the IT behind airports, hospitals, power plants—they use iPhones too. If Congress makes our devices less secure by mandating backdoors, they’re putting hundreds of millions of lives at risk.
If we allow the government to set a precedent that they can force private companies to punch holes in the technological defenses that keep us safe, it’s not a question of if someone to will exploit that to cause harm to the public, it’s a question of when. Congress needs to listen to security experts by unequivocally supporting strong encryption and opposing backdoors.”
Fight for the Future’s grassroots rallies at Apple stores in nearly 50 cities and at FBI headquarters last Tuesday garnered international headlines and sparked considerable online conversation. Protesters carried signs reading “Don’t Break Our Phones” and “Secure Phones Save Lives,” countering the narrative that this case is only about personal privacy and working to educate decision-makers about the serious dangers posed by weakening encryption technology.
The group, known for organizing some of the largest online protests in history, is planning another significant action opposing the FBI’s demand in the coming weeks.
Fight for the Future works to defend the Internet as a free and open platform for expression and creativity, and is best known for their role organizing the massive online protests against SOPA, the Internet Slowdown for net neutrality, and the Reset The Net campaign promoting encryption and online security. Learn more at fightforthefuture.org or on twitter @fightfortheftr


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Thousand Oaks, CA, May 11, 2018 --(PR.com
)-- American Tire Depot treads into the Spring season in high spirits. The number one independent tire dealer in California proudly announces the Grand Opening of its new location in Thousand Oaks, located on 621 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd. Thousand Oaks, CA 91360. The company is inviting guests to celebrate this new location with a weekend packed with exclusive offers, free food and drinks, and giveaways. The grand opening event will take place from June 8 through June 10, 2018.
In addition to the daily savings, the first 10 customers each day who purchase two tires will receive two free tires (on all tires in stock). All other customers who purchase three tires during the grand opening event will receive the fourth tire for free (on all tires in stock). All customers will receive a 50% discount on all oil changes throughout the entire grand opening weekend. Finally, residents of Thousand Oaks can enter to win a set of 4 free tires.
American Tire Depot is excited to connect with the community and offer substantial savings to all residents of Thousand Oaks. They are proud to offer incredible savings and unique deals. Doors will open at 7AM on June 10, 2018.
American Tire Depot has over 100 locations throughout California. For over 25 years, the company continues to offer the finest tire brands at the lowest prices. They also provide quality inspection and automotive maintenance services. For more information, please visit americantiredepot.com.


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Huawei, at the MWC 2017 held in Barcelona, last month launched their flagship smartphones the P10 and P10 Plus. Less than a month later, the company has now announced another budget version of the P10 handset. Dubbed as the P10 Lite, it was earlier t launched in Malaysia and now it has been officially launched in the UK. Priced at around Rs. 24,000, the device is a scaled down P10 and should soon find it's way to Indian shores.
While the company has stuck to the design of it is flagship device the P10 and incorporated most the design element to Huawei P10 Lite. The P10 Lite will sport a 5.2-inch full-HD (1080x1920 pixels) display with a 2.5D curved glass on the front and a metal frame. The device will be offered in Midnight Black and Platinum Gold options with ceramic sandblasted finish on the back.
The most notable difference between the P10 and P10 Lite is that the budget model has the fingerprint scanner moved to the back of the device. The device will run on EMUI 5.1 based on Android Nougat 7.0 and be powered by a 2.15GHz octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 658 SoC along with a Mali-T830MP2 GPU. The smartphone will feature 4GB of RAM and it'll come with 32GB of inbuilt storage which is expandable up to 128GB via a microSD card.
To make the smartphone budget friendly the company has had to cut corners and is evident in certain areas. The P10 Lite comes with a single 12-megapixel rear camera minus the Leica branding as compared to the camera on the P10 and P10 Plus. The device gets an 8MP selfie shooter along with a camera app which comes with a Portrait Selfie mode allowing for bokeh effects.
Furthermore, the device comes with a hybrid dual-SIM and packs a 3000mAh battery which supports fast charging. The P10 Lite, measures 146.5x72x7.2mm and weighs 142 grams, and offers connectivity options such as 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS, NFC. The device also features Knuckle Sense, which allows users to tap and draw on the display using their knuckles.


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Aldershot MP Gerald Howarth has called on the government to issue vouchers so that families can send servicemen a free parcel each week.
Mr Howarth, who is shadow Minister of Defence, said: "The big complaint of soldiers' families is the cost of sending parcels to their menfolk in the Gulf."
"They want to send their men in the desert things like sweets, baby wipes, moisturising cream and items of clothing they have requested, and they want to do so now, when they are most needed.
"Yet, Post Offices have been charging anything up to £19 for parcels.
"We believe the government needs to move now and issue to each servicemen's family one weekly voucher for one free delivery per week. Vouchers could be distributed through the welfare systems operated by each military unit. We think this would be an immediate, practical step which would be really appreciated."


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Armani to debut first junior flagship in U.S.
New York — Prudential Douglas Elliman’s Retail Group said it has orchestrated a long-term lease for the first Armani Junior standalone flagship in the United States at 1225 Madison Avenue, on the northeast corner at 88th Street in Manhattan.
Neighboring retailers along the corridor include Brooks Brothers, Ankasa, Jacadi, Rachel Riley, J.Crew, Buckhouse, Jack Rogers, Joie, Koos, Intimacy, Ann Crabtree, Rose Pope Maternity and The Shoe Box.
HomeGoods to open store in Simsbury Commons
Simsbury, Conn. — Charter Realty & Development said it has leased 23,500 sq. ft. to HomeGoods in Simsbury, Conn.
HomeGoods, a TJX banner, will be opening in Simsbury Commons Shopping Center in a former Borders location, joining Stop & Shop, Bed Bath & Beyond, Hoyt Cinema and Bob’s Store.
The 256,497-sq.-ft. center is owned by Columbia, S.C.-based EDENS.
Charter Realty & Development represents TJX Cos., including HomeGoods, T.J. Maxx and Marshalls, throughout the eastern half of the United States.
Gregory’s Coffee adds fifth location in Manhattan
New York — Gregorys Coffee said Thursday it has executed a new lease at 874 6th Avenue (Between 31st and 32nd St.) in Herald Square, as part of the expansion efforts of the coffee shop chain throughout Manhattan.
The new site is scheduled to open its doors in June.
The two-story location will feature 1,000 sq. ft. on the second floor, set up as a training center.


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Illinois attorney general Lisa Madigan on Friday announced that her office has launched an investigation into Abbott Laboratories' decision in December to raise the price of its HIV protease inhibitor by 400%. Abbott officials over the weekend also confirmed that they are working with New York attorney general Eliot Spitzer, who also is investigating the price increase.
Norvir is commonly used in tandem with other protease inhibitors to boost their effectiveness. Madigan says in a press release that the price increase may violate the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Because the price of Abbott's other protease inhibitor, Kaletra--which contains a small booster dose of Norvir in the same pill--was not changed, the price hike may have been meant to drive the price of other protease inhibitor-Norvir combinations so high that consumers would be forced to buy the cheaper Kaletra, according to Madigan.
"Norvir is not like a hay fever medication that people take to lessen symptoms and be more comfortable. It is a drug they take to survive," Madigan said in the press release. "Increasing its price is like increasing prices for lifesaving cancer drugs or heart drugs. This investigation is aimed at determining the real reason for the price increase and assessing whether the increase violates Illinois law. Every consumer is affected by unfair or deceptive practices that drive up the costs of needed prescription drugs."
HIV caregivers are planning a nationwide protest over the price hike on Norvir, The Sacramento Bee has reported. In a letter sent to Abbott, more than 150 doctors said they plan to resign from Abbott advisory panels, back out of Abbott drug trials, ban company sales representatives from their offices, and avoid prescribing Abbott drugs whenever possible. The price increase also has been criticized by the American Academy of HIV Medicine, the San Francisco Community Consortium of HIV caregivers, and the nonprofit organization Essential Inventions, which has filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.
Abbott officials say the price increase was made to better reflect the role of Norvir in highly active antiretroviral therapy and to bring in funds to be use for the development of other new medications, including new anti-HIV treatments.