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General Motors (GM) has recently revealed its plan to invest $500 million in its Arlington Assembly plant located in Texas. The purpose of this investment is to upgrade the facility so that it can manufacture the next generation of full-size gasoline-powered SUVs. However, the investment is contingent upon successful negotiations with local government officials, as stated by GM in a press release.
This announcement marks the third major investment made by GM within the same week in its plants dedicated to the production of gasoline-powered trucks. These trucks have proven to be highly popular and profitable, playing a crucial role in funding GM’s transition towards electric vehicles (EVs) in the coming decade. CEO Mary Barra previously acknowledged that the profitability of EVs is currently insufficient compared to their gasoline-powered counterparts due to high battery costs.
The investment in the Arlington plant is aimed at boosting sales of the profitable full-size SUVs manufactured there. Notable models produced at the facility include the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, GMC Yukon and Yukon XL, and Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade-V. However, GM has not disclosed any specific details or timelines regarding future full-size SUVs.
In terms of sales, GM sold approximately 40,247 Escalades in the United States last year, making it the highest-selling vehicle in the Cadillac brand. The sales of Suburbans increased by 6% compared to the previous year, with a total of 50,951 units sold. Tahoes remained relatively flat with 105,756 units sold, while total Yukon sales decreased by 2.3% to 82,304 units. Overall, GM sold a total of 2.3 million vehicles in the United States last year.
Gerald Johnson, executive vice president of GM’s Global Manufacturing and Sustainability, expressed gratitude to the employees of the Arlington Assembly plant for their dedication and record-breaking production achievements. He emphasized that the investment reinforces GM’s commitment to customers. Additionally, Johnson highlighted the significance of the investment in bolstering GM’s manufacturing operations across the United States, which comprise more than 50 assembly, stamping, propulsion, and component plants, as well as parts distribution centers.
The $500 million investment will primarily cover the acquisition of new tooling and equipment for the stamping, body shop, and general assembly areas of the Arlington plant. The United Auto Workers (UAW) union welcomed the news and encouraged GM to reinvest the profits from successful vehicle models into the workforce.
Mike Booth, UAW vice president of the GM department, praised GM’s recognition of the hard work contributed by UAW members and expressed pride in the production of quality, union-made products in the United States.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott also lauded GM’s investment, acknowledging the pivotal role played by the Arlington Assembly plant in the Dallas-Fort Worth area’s economy. He stated that the investment of over half a billion dollars will strengthen Texas’ position as a global manufacturing leader, generating well-paying jobs for future generations of Texans.
GM has previously announced its intention to offer exclusively electric vehicles by 2035. However, to finance this transition, the company relies on the continued success of highly profitable vehicles such as full-size pickups and large SUVs. In line with this strategy, GM recently disclosed its plans to invest $1 billion in Flint Assembly and Flint Metal Center for the production of the next generation of gasoline-powered heavy-duty pickups. Additionally, the company will invest CA$280 million ($208 million in U.S. dollars) to upgrade its Oshawa Assembly plant in Canada, enabling the manufacture of next-generation full-size gasoline-powered pickups.
Source: AutoNews (subscription required)


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Bills owner Ralph Wilson buys tickets to avoid TV blackout
Sunday's game between the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets will be on local television after all.
Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson, Jr. has agreed to purchase the remaining tickets for the game, guaranteeing a sellout.
The proceeds of those tickets will be donated to the Wounded Warrior Project.
As of Thursday, about 3,500 tickets remain for the game between the AFC East rivals. Tickets remain available for purchase, according to a release sent out by the team Friday morning.
Tickets can be purchased through buffalobills.com, ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-877-228-4257.
The Jets (5-4) defeated the Bills (3-7), 27-20 on Sept. 22. No NFL games have been blacked out this season.

domain: news


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OnePlus introduced the new member of its Buds audio lineup last month, the OnePlus Buds Pro. After around a month, it is now coming in the range of the customers. Hope you know, the Indian pricing of the new OnePlus Buds Pro is Rs.9,990, and there are two colour options, as usual, Matte Black and Glossy White. The OnePlus Buds Pro sale will start at 12 noon today via both the OnePlus India official website and Amazon India. The buy links are given below.
The new OnePlus Buds Pro that coming on sale today is a major update over the earlier OnePlus Buds from both the design and specification end. So, these also reflect on the price tag as well.
Specifications of OnePlus Buds Pro:
- 40dB Adaptive Noise Cancellation
- 38 Hours Battery
- 11mm Dynamic Drivers
- 94ms Low Latency
- Bluetooth 5.2
- ZenMode Air
- LHDC High Definition Audio
- Dolby Atmos
- OnePlus Audio ID
- Qi Wireless Charging
- Warp Charge 10 min. -> 10 hr. Playback
- IP55 Water and Sweat Resistant
Get OnePlus Smartphones: https://amzn.to/3DsHfgP


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Popular crypto exchanges, Bitfinex and OKEx, have reported DDoS attacks on their systems in the last 24 hours as Bitcoin price struggles at around $8,700.
Bitcoin price declined after over 150 million dollars’ worth of bitcoin Liquidated on BitMEX. Most of the liquidated positions were long positions.
ECN broker CryptoRocket offers 34 cryptocurrencies on its award-winning MT4 platform, including BTC/USD, ETH/BTC, XRP/USD and much more.
AtoZMarkets.com announces the winners of AtoZ Markets Crypto Exchanges and Blockchain 2020. Check out which exchange our readers prefers the most.
Korean crypto firm Contents Protocol Team is shutting down and refunding investors. The startup raised a total of 29,334 ETH via an ICO in 2018.
Instacoins announced Tuesday that it has received licensing approval in Estonia from the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) as a crypto broker.
After an encouraging rally, Ripple (XRP) price crashes unexpectedly, causing huge liquidations on BitMEX crypto exchange.
Bitspark, a bankless money transfer solution utilizing blockchain technology, will be shutting down in a month, despite reporting positive results.
UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) approves BCB payments as an authorized payments institution (API) under the United Kingdom territory.
LocalBitcoins, a peer-to-peer crypto exchange has reportedly begun to suspend accounts of long-term customers without official notifications.


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The adware king, Gator, has settled one of its many lawsuits with the parent companies of The New York Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and the digital arms of Knight Ridder and Conde Nast.
The terms of the settlement were not disclosed but let's hope it included a big collective kick in the balls.
Gator, if you've been living under rock the past year, is the company that serves pop up advertising software when they install a separate product for filling out online forms and remembering passwords. Gator also comes hitched with free software from other companies, including games and file-sharing programs.
Gator has the ability to pop up ads over other publishers sites and in particular, their own ads. Publishers don't like to have their ads covered by other ads. Gator just doesn't play nice that way.
While some hate it, Gator is very popular with advertisers (500 to date) because of the targeting abilities it can offer allowing advertisers to reach well defined demographic targets.
Gator still faces similar lawsuits from United Parcel Service, which said unauthorized pop-ups have included ads for rival FedEx Corp., and from Six Continents Hotels, which operates Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza and complains that Gator directed visitors to deals from Marriott and other competitors.
Other lawsuits, including one filed Jan. 27 by MetroGuide.com travel service, have targeted Gator's advertisers, without naming the company as a defendant.
In an effort to keep and draw in more readers, Money magazine is expanding it's nuts and bolts financial coverage to include more lifestyle related items. with stocks in the toilet, the magazine hopes to create new topics of interest.
"Money is an essential magazine about you and your life," said Robert Safian, its managing editor since 1998. "We have to be nimble about things that our readers are spending their money on, such as real estate and consumer electronics."
HBO has offered a "network cleansed" version of its popular Sex in the City. HBO approached NBC, CBS, ABC, and FOX. No firm deals yet.
Even with so much hype around the show, HBO is only in 30% of homes which leaves a large untapped audience for the show.
I wonder, though, how good this show can be in an edited version.
SBC Communications has taken its $100 million account away from Goodby, Silverstein & Partners and will spread the account over several other agencies it has on its roster.
"We have been with Goodby for the last six years, and they have done a terrific job," said Larry Solomon, the SBC spokesman. "They have some great talent at the agency, but moving forward, we decided we would move in a different direction."
Yea, right. That's code for "someone screwed up".
As reported below, technology marketers plan to ramp up in 2003. On the publishing side, things are looking better too. In fact, publishers say that the bad times of the past 2 years really were not as bad as reported. Technology was the one category that dragged everything else down, say publishers. Yet the technology spend level is still more thean $1B and that is helping the business books stay alive and actually see business increase. [via MediaDaily News]
As reported in eMarketer, the CMO Council reports 40% of senior level marketers at technology companies plan to increase their marketing budgets in 2003. Additionally, 93% say they will either increase headcount or keep it the same.
The study was done by GlobalFluency and the Aberdeen Group who together surveyed 350 senior level marketing executives working at tech firms with aggregate annual revenues of over $100 billion.
Let's just hope this prediction comes true.
Here's a little press release that found it's way to Adrants:
Students wishing to ease the pressure of mounting debts are being urged to use their heads as billboards to advertise brands such as FHM.
Creative marketing agency, Cunning Stunts, which is best known for projecting Gail Porter's bottom onto the Houses Of Parliament, is offering students a fee of �88 pounds a week to use their foreheads as advertising space.
Nial Ferguson, group marketing manager at FHM, commented: "We are constantly looking for new and impactful ways to communicate to men. If we can do this and pay for the next round at the union bar at the same time, then it seems like a good idea to us."
Youth pay-TV channel, CNX, has also signed up to the new initiative and Richard Kilggariff, head of the channel, added: "We want to hit our viewers right between the eyes so what better place to place an ad than on their foreheads."
Although some students will be unwilling to see their faces temporarily disfigured by a semi-permanent transfer, others have no qualms about becoming walking adverts. Oli Merrrel, a design student at Falmouth College of Arts, commented: "Advertising is everywhere you look, you can't get away from it. I don't see the difference between an advert on a billboard and an advert on my forehead, except that I'll be earning money from it being there."
Cunning Stunts views the initiative as a creative way for students to alleviate their cash-flow problems. According to John Carver, director of the company: "A number of our employees have recently left university and these massive student debts are a real yoke for them. This initiative gives brands a unique advertising medium as well as giving something back to students."
What's next? Ass cheek advertising for thong wearing beach goers?


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By Samantha Miller, Sales & Marketing Coordinator
As the first half of 2018 comes to a close, we’ve got some big news to share. Quotient Technology, the leading digital promotions, media and analytics company that helps brands and retailers reach and influence shoppers, today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Ahalogy.
Since Ahalogy’s inception in 2012, we’ve been trying to make marketing more meaningful. The Ahalogy Playbook (our internal manifesto) defines the company vision as:
“To create a multi-billion dollar ecosystem where content creators, brands, and end users all win. Creators are successful entrepreneurs. Brands are more meaningful. End users are delighted by our recommended content.”
The Playbook may have been revised a few times since those early days, but that vision has remained the same—and is revealed in every product and campaign we put out.
A LOGICAL NEXT STEP
In the past two years, Ahalogy has had the honor of launching a new suite of influencer marketing solutions, becoming the first in market to use third-party verification on campaigns, and establishing ourselves as a profitable, high-growth company. The acquisition by Quotient is the logical next step and will provide resources that will accelerate our growth.
Even better, we get to align ourselves with a company that also is proud to call Cincinnati a home (although its headquartered in Mountain View, California). Quotient is an innovative company that grew out of Coupons.com—one of the first companies to issue digital coupons from a website for consumers to print.
Today, Quotient’s solutions—digital media that helps brands and retailers reach shoppers, digital coupons that work both in-store or for eCommerce, and much more—will give both our clients and network of influencers an advantage in the marketplace.
“Joining Quotient will help us further expand our influencer marketing solutions and allow us to add tons of new capabilities for our clients in the months ahead.”
bob gilbreath, ahalogy ceo & co-founder
“Joining Quotient will help us further expand our influencer marketing solutions and allow us to add tons of new capabilities for our clients in the months ahead,” Bob Gilbreath, CEO of Ahalogy said. “We consider this a huge win for our team and couldn’t be happier to join forces with an organization that holds the same values and goals as Ahalogy.”
Read more from our CEO and Co-Founder, Bob Gilbreath in his full announcement here.
Have questions about the acquisition or how Ahalogy plans to grow in the years ahead? Contact email@example.com.


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The blatant inaccuracies and false information on some DAC reports isn’t news to the thousands of drivers who have felt blackballed in the trucking industry due to HireRight’s driver record database, but HireRight’s immoral business practices have finally been exposed to the rest of America by the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission.
HireRight collects background information on drivers, creating a “DAC” report on each driver, which is used to screen drivers when they apply for a job. Among multiple serious violations of consumer protection laws, the FTC alleges that HireRight sold DAC reports
on drivers that incorrectly listed criminal convictions, and failed to take reasonable steps to make sure the information on reports was as accurate as possible. HireRight agreed to pay $2.6 million to settle the charges brought by the DOJ and the FTC.
This doesn’t have to be the full extent of HireRight’s punishment for decades of mismanagement. The FTC is encouraging drivers with inaccuracies on their DAC reports to contact them using their online form: https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/Consumer_Home.htm
All drivers are entitled to receive a free copy of their DAC report by submitting a request here: https://www.hireright.com/Disputes/Report.aspx


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QD Vision applauds EC's ROH2 exemption for Cadmium-Based Quantum Dots
QD Vision, a manufacturer of quantum dots for displays, has announced that the European Commission has granted an exemption to the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS 2) Directive for Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE)for cadmium based semiconductor nanocrystal quantum dots for use in display lighting applications.
As stated in the official European Commission Delegated Directive, "Colour converting LEDs using quantum dots have significant advantages regarding energy efficiency and colour performance. Quantum dots are already used in displays and are likely to be introduced in illumination applications in the coming years. The use of quantum dots in displays has a positive overall impact due to their low energy consumption. The use of cadmium in downshifting cadmium based semiconductor nanocrystal quantum dots for use in display lighting applications should therefore be exempted from the prohibition until 30 June 2018," according to the European Commission.
"This RoHS exemption underscores what we've been proving both scientifically and in the market for years: QD Vision's Color IQ technology is safe for the environment, safe to manufacture, and safe for consumers to enjoy in their televisions and other displays," said Seth Coe-Sullivan, co-founder and CTO of QD Vision. "Cadmium-based quantum dots achieve the highest energy efficiency, colour quality, and reliability specifications amongst all wide color gamut technologies available."
QD Vision has also been recognised for its green manufacturing processes, having won the 2014 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - the highest domestic honour in the field. The company was recognised for its 'green chemistry' approach to quantum dot technology for energy-efficient commercial display and lighting products.


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Seven in 10 businesses struggle to achieve digital readiness, a new study from Wunderman, the leading global digital agency, has uncovered.
The survey of 250 senior business decision makers (BDM’s) found that despite 74 per cent of businesses having access to a full stack of integrated marketing tools, there’s an inability to connect creative, data and tech solutions.
A major gap exists in the inability for enterprises to identify the challenges of digital transformation and their capacity to benefit from their investments in new technologies. “It was clear that a lot of clients were overwhelmed with the broad variety of capabilities that you need to actually be successful,” says Wunderman’s global chief marketing officer Jamie Gutfreund.
According to the report, the leading cause of this disconnect is executives within organisations feeling limited by short-term expectations. The Wunderman Future Ready report is a call to action, encouraging businesses to embrace a long-term view. For leaders to stop reacting to change, and start inciting it.
“Technology has gifted us with new ways of thinking. New opportunities. New strategies,” says Wunderman ANZ Hurol Inan. “Identifying these solutions is only the start. Having the people capability and operating models in place is vital in the face of industry disruption.” You can read the full Future Ready report here.
To realise the benefits of true digital transformation, the Future Ready report identified five key steps:
- Set Up to Win (Performance): Clear KPIs, business outcomes and a process for tracking and measuring results.
- Align and Conquer (Clarity): A unified vision for an organization’s goals and the roles each person, team and discipline plays.
- Adapt and Fail (Speed): Ability to deliver real-time information and act ahead of changing consumer and marketplace needs.
- Insight Drives Experience (Transparency): Consistent access to high quality data, business performance information and insights across divisions.
- Be Disruption Proof (Transformation): Ability to adapt structures, processes and creative capabilities to address new opportunities.
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ContentGrow has released a new study titled The State of APAC’s Freelance Writer Economy 2021. The tech company surveyed 1,200 freelance writers and journalists across seven key markets on the bloc: Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Hong Kong, China, India, and Australia. The report includes actionable intel on things like rates, languages, and popular niches for content […]
Twitter has just experienced its fastest growth in revenue since 2014, with the social media platform benefiting from increased interest from advertisers. Revenue was up 74 per cent YoY, according to the company’s Q2 results, reaching $US1.19 billion ($1.6 billion) from $US683.4 million ($925 million) 12 months ago. The strong results came in the same […]
Wild Turkey has announced the launch of its new global creative campaign and platform, ‘Trust Your Spirit’, featuring the brand’s creative director and spokesperson, Matthew McConaughey. The global campaign and platform ‘Trust Your Spirit’ is to encourage people to be bold, unapologetically themselves, and stay true to who they are. The global tagline and ethos […]
Telecommunications company Optus has announced it will launch the world’s first TikTok sign-language activated filter. Featuring Optus ambassador Ian Thorpe, Optus will unveil a branded effect that shows TikTok users how to say key phrases in Auslan sign language, including ‘How are you?’ and ‘It starts with Yes’, through the hashtag challenge #SignYes. Optus will […]
Podsights has revealed new insights into the effectiveness of advertising in podcasts, tracking global and Australian podcast advertising trends. This is the first Australian report to be published since ARN partnered with Podsights to set the standard for best-in-class podcast advertising measurement. The report includes additional analysis and follows a series of Measurement Masterclasses held for […]
NGEN’s 2021 charity cup has raised over $175,000 for UnLtd charity partner Gotcha4Life. Gotcha4Life is a not-for-profit foundation raising awareness and funding to provide educational workshops and innovative programs that build mental fitness in individuals and communities. While Sydney and Brisbane completed the Charity Cup in June, before Covid restrictions hit, the final leg in […]
Australian tech incubator Cicada Innovations and Biennale of Sydney are launching the ‘New & Sustainable Materials Challenge,’ in an effort to create a more sustainable future. The works of chosen material-makers will be showcased to millions of Biennale audiences, exhibition partners, and exhibition makers globally. The Challenge is open to any Australian and UK startups, […]


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Bridgestone says it expanded the company’s Potenza ultra-high performance tire line with the Potenza RE-71RS. Designed with track day, autocross and endurance racing drivers in mind, Bridgestone says the new Potenza RE-71RS tire delivers enhanced steering and grip, and extended wear life.
Bridgestone says the Potenza RE-71RS is an average of 0.6 seconds faster per lap around Japan’s Tsukuba Circuit than the previous generation Potenza RE-71R.
Bridgestone says the Potenza RE-71RS tire is available in 38 sizes from 15- to 20-in. rim diameters in the U.S. and Canadian markets.


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Want more?Hear all Tech Refresh episodes here.
Listen and subscribe
Tech Refresh is your fun talk show about all things digital — the good, bad and uplifting. From what you should buy to the latest crazy internet trends, Kim, Allie and Matt break it down. Listen once and you’re hooked, it’s that simple.
Social media's war, block Wordle trackers, 'Love is Blind'
March 4, 2022You can't log into social media without seeing a barrage of photos and videos from the Russia-Ukraine War. Plus, the New York Times purchased Wordle and it's still free — but now you're being tracked by advertisers. And the team dives into why everyone is talking about the latest season of the hit (and ridiculous) show "Love is Blind."
Trump's new app, Peloton problems, 5-minute PC cleanup
February 25, 2022
Trump's social media app just launched — and it was a rough start, to say the least. Plus, more trouble for Peloton as a scheme to hide a rust problem in thousands of bikes comes to light. Then Allie shares the 5-minute routine for keeping your computer cleaned up and running smoothly.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


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Walmart has acquired Memomi, an optical augmented reality company that offers a virtual eyewear try-on experience. The acquired company is currently a Walmart — and therefore Sam’s Club — partner, and has been responsible for digital eye measurements since 2019. Memomi’s website touches on its technology’s capabilities to virtually apply to products outside of eyewear, but so far in its partnership with Walmart, it has remained dedicated to optical measurements.
This is not the only piece of technology that Walmart has engaged with recently. It also acquired Zeekit, a virtual clothing measurement start-up. Since then, Walmart has introduced a women-focused “Choose My Model” beta feature on its website, where customers are able to pick from a selection of clothing models that most fits their own appearance.
Currently, the model selection count sits at 50, but the company plans to add many more models in coming weeks. And while the clothing brand selection is currently limited to Walmart-exclusive brands, the company is attempting to add national brands over time.
Other online-focused companies are sure to develop rivaling augmented reality technology for use in product measurements and fittings. With this tech implemented in most online shopping marketplaces, stress and hassle could be heavily alleviated among consumers, with less need for returns and product dissatisfaction. But it could be a further blow to in-person shopping, with less need than ever before to physically go to a store — even for clothing and eyewear.


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EA servers down for the release of Battlefield 1 today. Stay tuned for updates as we keep an eye on the network, and find out when it’s back online.
Battlefield 1 servers are down
This isn’t the first time Battlefield 1 servers have gone down. Players have had to deal with this since beta. Previously, it looked like it was the result of a DDOS attack by hacking group Poodlecorp. This group has already attacked EA Servers in the past. On September 19, 2016, they threatened in advance that they would be hacking Battlefield 1 servers on October 21.
Shortly after the launch of the Battlefield 1 beta, Electronic Arts’ servers were hit with a DDOS attack. Making it difficult to log into the online multiplayer test. This year has not been a great one for online launches. As another major game was taken down by a DDOS attack. For Electronic Arts, the attack recently significantly hurt the launch of its Battlefield 1 beta. Whereas recent DDOS attack on Blizzard put a dark cloud over the World of Warcraft: Legion launch.
A recent DDOS attack was the work of hacking network PoodleCorp. No reason was given for the attack. But it seems a fair assumption to say that the individuals wanted to rain on the Battlefield 1 parade. EA’s World War 1 shooter is easily one of the most anticipated releases of the year and its beta was sure to be a major event.
As of right now, Battlefield 1 players are having middling success connecting to the EA servers. Although some are getting in. Still, with a multiplayer outage of this magnitude, it’s best to be prepared for some connectivity issues. Of course, the battlefield 1 servers are down. It’s not like it was anyone’s day off and they wanted to play or anything.


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Company Ranks No. 94 in Outside’s Fifth Annual List
Burlington, VT – Dealer.com, the global leader in online marketing solutions for the automotive industry, announced today that it has been named one of “Best Places to Work” in 2012 by Outside magazine for the second consecutive year. Dealer.com ranked No. 94 out of a total of 100 companies that were included in Outside’s fifth annual list.
“We are psyched to once again be recognized by Outside magazine as one of the best places to work in the country,” said Mark Bonfigli, CEO of Dealer.com. “These rankings are based solely on the confidential feedback that employees have shared, and we are pleased to see that they recognize and value our commitment to their wellness and happiness. We firmly believe that people do their best work when they enjoy what they are doing, and have always aspired to create an environment where employees do great work and have a relentless drive to meet and overcome business challenges, all while leading a rewarding and balanced life.”
Dealer.com today has more than 600 employees. In addition to a competitive benefits package, employees have access to ongoing professional development courses, a subsidized organic café and on-site fitness center and classes, and receive discounts at local ski areas, golf courses, and select local and national retail outlets. Dealer.com also encourages employees to engage in activities outside the physical confines of the workplace, including sports team participation, community involvement and helping the environment.
“We’re thrilled to celebrate all 100 of these forward-thinking companies,” says Michael Roberts, Senior Executive Editor of Outside. “They believe success depends on helping their employees live more active and fulfilling lives. The kinds of benefits they’re providing—free fitness classes, flexible hours, subsidized healthy meals, lots of time out of the office—result in a more productive and engaged staff.”
Outside’s “Best Places to Work” project celebrates the innovative companies setting a new standard for a healthy work-life balance. The list was compiled with the help of the Outdoor Industry Association and Best Companies Group. The year-long selection process began with an outreach effort that identified a wide range of non-profit and for-profit organizations with at least 15 employees working in an office in the United States. Participating companies were sent confidential employee-satisfaction surveys and employer-questionnaires to collect information about benefits, compensation, policies, job satisfaction, environmental initiatives, and community outreach programs. The experts at the Best Companies Group then analyzed the results and selected the companies that best enable employees to pursue active lifestyles while also supporting their social and environmental contributions.
Dealer.com is the leader in automotive digital marketing solutions – serving automotive retailers, manufacturers and media companies worldwide. The company’s innovative, award-winning digital marketing and advertising platform significantly lowers the cost of customer acquisition, enhancing dealers’ efficiency and profitability. The company employs over 600 people in its Burlington, VT and Manhattan Beach, CA offices. Dealer.com’s commitment to employee health and wellness makes it one of the country’s most desirable places to work, and in 2011 was named best overall company in the U.S. at the American Business Awards for companies with under 2,500 employees. For more information, visit dealer.com.
Outside is America’s leading active lifestyle brand. For more than 30 years, Outside has covered travel, sports, adventure, health, and fitness, as well as the personalities, the environment, and the style and culture of the world Outside. The Outside family includes Outside magazine, the only magazine to win three consecutive National Magazine Awards for General Excellence, The Outside Buyer’s Guides, Outside Online, Outside Television, Outside Events, Outside+ tablet edition, and Outside Books. Visit us online and on Facebook.


text: Netflix, Inc. Goes Exotic – Adds These Edgy GenresAuthor: Mary MacGowanLast Updated: April 20, 2020Netflix, Inc. is the streaming service that everyone knows, but it also wants its platform to offer something to everyone. With House of Cards and Orange is the New Black it created prime time TV dramas that appealed to many viewers. What Netflix is missing, however, are the truly dedicated niche fans.A wide range of different genres is increasingly important to Netflix as the firm starts to expand around the world. That’s why it’s looking at local film makers to build out its original and licensed content library. Here’s a look at some of the more exotic genres that it has begun working in.Eros, Bollywood giant, talks to NetflixEros International plc is a massive company that works to produce and distribute films for the Indian industry. The Bollywood powerhouse is in talks with Netflix, Inc. , among other companies, in order to get its content onto major streaming platforms.A report from Deadline published on Tuesday morning said that Apple and Amazon were also looking at the company. It’s impossible to fully predict, of course, which bidder is most likely to win that contract. Given that it could be a $1 billion deal, however, there’s a huge amount at stake.Analysts reckon that Apple is a wild card. That’s because it has purchased almost no content so far. Making your first big purchase in an ancillary market with limited international appeal seems odd.For Netflix, on the other hand, the deal seems almost obvious. It is already trying to get its hands on Bollywood projects. It revealed earlier in August that it is working on two original series for streaming in India. Netlflix created its first original Indian production, titled Sacred Games, last year.With a population of more than 1 billion and rapidly increasing income, India seems like a prime target for growth for Netflix. Unlike China, the country has free internet access and limited censorship problems. All of that combined with the international appeal of Bollywood means that more and more deals in that part of the world are likely.Getting more animeIndia isn’t the only part of Asia that interests Netflix, Inc. . The firm is also pouring money into Japanese animation. Earlier this week the company announced that it was acquiring a whole slew of new shows in the genre.Anime is a very deep and wide genre, and in fact is only really considered a genre outside of Japan. The property that will appear on the streaming platform include a Godzilla sequel set in the distant future and a show about a bear that has animal friends and likely no plot direction.That breadth of story type and tone means that there will be something for everyone among the anime properties that Netflix is set to offer. It’s also true that anime has incredible international appeal, particularly in the United States.That means that the content it buys as a cover all in a market like Japan can cover its needs for niche content in other markets. If the firm can design its content strategy and costs to fit this model more broadly, it may be able to keep its margins higher as time goes on.Comic book movies forever at Netflix, Inc.It might not be exotic, but the change in the way that Netflix will approach comic book movies is important. On Monday, August 7th, its first acquisition was announced. Millarworld is a comic book company that’s driven by writer Mark Millar. He’s one of the most prominent names in writing the medium and his work now belongs to Netflix.The most famous parts of Millar’s work, Kingsman and Kick Ass, won’t be part of the deal. Those comic book stories have already been used for films on the silver screen, meaning that the rights situation around them is likely more complex.The fact that Netflix, Inc. is choosing to just outright buy intellectual property rights is a big change for the company. Before this deal, most of the content it made had licensed rights, or the entire project was simply bought on contract.If it chooses to forge ahead with making its own shows based on IP that it owns, Netflix could do something to protect it from studio pressure.In recent years content providers have become wary of Netflix as the firm buys up some of the best scripts and talent out there. Because of friction on the content creation side, some firms have become skeptical of selling their content to the streaming platform.Buying up IP may be the only way for the firm to make a strong argument against those studios by competing with them itself on all fronts.Netflix stock is in a very weird placeNetflix stock has been growing strongly through 2017, but that’s not a reason to buy in now. The firm is under a lot of pressure from all sides, and its high valuation makes it a very risky buy.Rob Sanderson, of MKM Partners, had some words of warning for those looking at Netflix stock. According to the analyst, the firm’s shares could be very vulnerable if stocks hit a rough patch. That means if a recession or something else spooks the market, Netflix stock is likely to see investors flee.The thing that makes Netflix vulnerable compared to its peers are its low earnings and the firm’s very high valuation compared to those earnings.That’s just an argument based on traditional stock market tools and broad trends. There are, to augment that, a lot of risks that the firm faces based on its business model. Right now Netflix is going into huge amounts of debt in order to build up a large content library.Anime, Bollywood and comic book movies all take money to buy and produce. On top of that the firm has big operating costs including marketing and customer service. If Netflix, Inc. growth hits a wall for one reason or another, there might be real worries about all of that debt dragging it down.


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INTERNATIONAL_ With deals that broke out in early 2022, according to Newzoo, it has created a significant disturbance in the current game market.
Newzoo on February 5 released data and analysis on a series of mergers and acquisitions in 2022 in the gaming industry.
According to the information, the various acquisitions made this year have surpassed the total number of M&A in 2021. The unit also released details on how each acquisition changed the industry.
The biggest acquisition to date is Microsoft’s deal with Activision Blizzard. Newzoo illustrates how great this is for Microsoft by combining 2022 revenue with Activision Blizzard’s revenue.
According to Newzoo data, Microsoft ranked 4th in terms of game revenue in the third quarter of 2021, with $2.9 billion. Sony ranked second with $4.3 billion. However, when Microsoft’s revenue is combined with that of Activision Blizzard, it comes to $4.8 billion, meaning Microsoft will overtake Sony in the third quarter of 2021.
Newzoo analyst Rhys Elliott added that the acquisition not only reflects interests for Microsoft, but also shows the company’s ownership of major franchises such as Call of Duty, Warcraft, Candy Crush and IP smaller like StarCraft and Crash Bandicoot. The developer’s portfolio of games has been around for more than 20 years, giving Microsoft plenty of options to add to Game Pass.
The final deal Newzoo discussed was Take-Two’s acquisition of Zynga. Elliott predicts that the acquisition is largely about the revenue Zynga can bring in, while also expanding the company’s presence in the mobile space.
Phil Spencer, Microsoft’s head of gaming, says Activision Blizzard can make Microsoft’s game development efforts faster: adding Call of Duty to Xbox’s current impressive list of shooter IPs including Halo, Gears, and Halo. of War, DOOM and Wolfenstein will further strengthen Microsoft’s strong position.
Xbox is also expanding its brand and content across as many platforms as possible. Activision Blizzard will bring in several new teams experienced in cross-platform development under the Xbox umbrella…


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Social enterprise Maji Milele recently partnered with UNTAPPED to provide financial aid to their water service clients who have a business case but not enough capital to purchase their products.
Having been in the market for six years now, Maji Milele has managed to scale to over 30 counties across Kenya. Their products, prepaid and smart water meters and ATM water dispensers have been very well received across the country due to their durability, reliability and improvement of financial management. However, a good number of the clients find the ATM dispensers a bit pricey.
“For about two months now, we have managed to create a solution for our clients who do not have enough capital to access the products. We are now able to provide lease-buy financing through our financial partner UNTAPPED.” said Marcel Schreurs, Managing Director Maji Milele.
For one to be eligible for the lease-buyy financing, they need to be able to pay a monthly fee to UNTAPPED. With the basic rule being the ability to generate three times the expected payment. For example, if the client pays 10,000 Kenya shillings monthly for a period of 24 months or 36 months, the typical revenue expected in this case would be 30,000 Kenya shillings or more.
Maji Milele also believes that through their products, Kenyans will be able to have access to clean water by vision 2030.
“The objective to achieve this goal is very achievable in Kenya and our products do play a role in achieving that.” says Marcel. He adds that their products have been able to ease revenue collection, offer transparency and reduce operational costs to their clients- water service providers.
Traditionally, the water sector was known as a difficult area for business but that is changing. However, both the private sector and financial institutions are beginning to change their mind and increasingly showing keen interest to enter the market by looking into potential areas where they can invest so as to boost the Kenyan water sector.
Maji Milele does not only offer prepaid meters to water service providers like Nairobi Water and many NGOs, they are also a private water service provider for 60,000 users, who thanks to Covid-19 support from Aqua for All, will get access to water at reduced rates for the next 6 months..
Through their partnership with the Kenya Climate Innovation Centre, they have managed to gain more visibility through platforms such as exhibitions where they showcase their products.
Despite user tokens having unique identities, they are not yet 100% safe: in case tokens are stolen someone else can use the token. However, in the next 3-4 months, Maji Milele plans on setting up a system that blacklists lost or misplaced tokens. Meaning if someone loses their token, they are able to contact their water service provider in order to blacklist it so no one else can use it.
The social enterprise recently started selling new type of prepaid meters, being ultrasonic meters and meters with sim cards, making the meters super accurate and ready for online monitoring, a product which Marcel believes will receive an enormous market and great feedback from their clients.
For more information: https://rb.gy/hwr0us


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Members of Congress Urge USDA to Provide Further Assistance to the Pork IndustryThursday, October 8, 2009
(American Meat Institute)
Sixty-three members of the House of Representatives joined 32 members of the United States Senate in urging Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to take immediate action to assist the pork industry in the wake of the negative impact caused by the H1N1 virus outbreak.
“Since 2007, the U.S. pork industry has lost $4.6 billion in equity, with producers losing an average of more than $21 on each hog marketed. A number of factors contributed to severe losses, including rising input costs and a worldwide recession. The losses were exacerbated in the weeks after the Novel H1N1 influenza story broke on April 24. From then until mid-August, U.S. pork producers’ revenues declined by $991 million from the level expected before the H1N1 crisis began. Based on September 1st hog, corn and soybean futures prices, accumulated losses will rise to $2.185 billion by the end of 2009,” the letters state.
The lawmakers note that a typical producer with 1,500 sows who sells 30,000 pigs per year will have lost $1.07 million dollars since monthly losses began in October 2007. Based on U.S.D.A. data and September 1 futures prices, that same producer stands to lose $20.14, $30.16, $38.22, $45.60 and $39.21 for each hog sold in August through December, respectively. Selling 2,500 hogs per month means an additional loss of $433,329 by year’s end.
The letter requests that the Secretary take the following actions to provide emergency relief to the industry:
• Purchase an additional $100 million, from Section 32 funds, of pork for various federal food programs with a maximum emphasis on purchasing meat from sows with the objective to reduce breeding stock to reduce hog numbers.
• Work with appropriate federal agencies to help address swine disease surveillance on farms, related diagnostic and vaccine development, and swine industry support.
• Work with the U.S. Trade Representative to open export markets to U.S. pork, particularly China, which continues to impose non-science-based restrictions on U.S. pork since the outbreak of Novel H1N1. In 2008, China was the second largest volume market for U.S. pork exports, accounting for nearly 20 percent of total U.S. pork exports. Given the severely depressed state of the U.S. pork industry, resuming pork exports to China would give producers around the country a much needed economic boost.
In addition, lawmakers request that Vilsack continue to review other USDA programs to see if there are other opportunities for assistance to aid the pork industry.
To view a copy of the House of Representatives letter, click here: http://www.meatinstitute.org/ht/a/GetDocumentAction/i/53966
To view a copy of the Senate letter, click here: http://www.meatinstitute.org/ht/a/GetDocumentAction/i/53968share on facebook share on twitter


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Every time there is a new smart phone put on the market, millions of people flock to the release in hopes of getting their hands on one on that opening day. However, what if technology changed and the smart phones of the past moved forward to what Google is now testing called Project Glass?
What if we can explore and share everything about our world and everyday lives without pressing buttons? Google’s Project Glass is taking technology out of your hands and is instead putting it right in your face. Well, not literally in your face, but right in your view.
Here is what it looks like:
Now, while this could be an inconvenience to some, the possibilities that Project Glass could provide are endless. Taking pictures, setting reminders, checking in on Facebook and getting directions become simple tasks using voice commands and simple gestures.
Here is a video that Google released giving viewers an idea of what Project Glass can do.
First take on this new technology could be that it can interrupt your own view, but the notices of certain obstacles you’ll run into during the day (such as the subway closure in the video) could be an intriguing part of this project. Plus the ability to share your view with others and take pictures at what you’re looking at without having to reach for your phone is pretty cool.
While little is known on when Google Project Glass will be available or what it will fully be capable of, the little insight given out already leaves people wanting to see more; wanting to see what kind of technology is being put out there.
Project Glass along with Google’s driverless technology could change the view on technology for everybody that uses it.
Google is certainly stepping up their game and something like this could open a whole new wave of advances to how we communicate and share our world. Google’s introduction for Project Glass begins with “We think technology should work for you – to be there when you need it and get out of your way when you don’t.” So far, it seems like that idea will be working for the new Project Glass.


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Here are the week’s main news stories in the world of small business and e-payments:
Small businesses to get funding boost from government
New laws to help small businesses deal with unfair contracts that stop them raising money from unpaid invoices has been put to Parliament. The laws will make it easier for small businesses to access invoice finance, providing a long-term boost to the economy of around £1 billion. The changes are part of the government’s modern Industrial Strategy, which aims to build an environment in which small businesses can thrive. Currently, a small supplier’s contract with a larger company can potentially prevent it from securing invoice finance from banks and other investors. Under the new proposed laws, the majority of such contractual restrictions entered into after 31 December 2018 could be disregarded by small businesses and finance providers.
PayPal launches instant payouts for sellers
PayPal has announced a new feature to provide instant payouts to businesses using its platform for their transactions. Funds Now will come as standard to all companies that have no complaints or fraud flags on their PayPal accounts. It will first go live in the US, UK and Australia – where a pilot of the service has been made available to one million customers already – and will eventually be rolled out globally. Typically, funds from a payment could take days or weeks to arrive in a seller’s account because checks would be carried out to mitigate fraud and risk. However PayPal can now predict patterns of behaviour, enabling it to speed up the process of assessing transactions. A number of other payments providers, including ePayments, have already implemented instant payouts.
SME finance platform powered by blockchain tech launched
A global finance platform has been launched that enables investors around the world to fund short-term loans to small businesses using blockchain technology. The Lithuania-based start-up Debitum Network launched the Abra 1.0 platform at World Blockchain Forum in London with an investment portfolio of €500,000. The platform, which will be rolled out in 15 countries by 2019, is based on a unique hybrid model, which combines features of cryptocurrency transactions and traditional lending. The system’s internal processes are powered by blockchain technology using the platform’s ethereum-based DEB token, while loans are provided using traditional fiat currency. Abra 1.0 can provide loans of between €10,000 and €1 million.
Global e-commerce payment market to hit $64 billion by 2025
The global e-commerce payment market accounted for $24.26 billion in business in 2017, according to the ‘E-commerce Payment Market to 2025 – Global Analysis and Forecasts by Type and Industry’ report from Research and Markets. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 13.1 per cent between 2018 and 2025 to reach $64.69 billion by 2025. Lower barriers of entry and advances in technology are expected to create a favourable environment to support this growth. The report also stated that e-commerce players consider a number of factors when selecting a payment gateway service provider, including ease of onboarding, the range of payment options and the availability of omnichannel support.
SME Alliance kicks off bank engagement with Barclays meeting
Barclays is to meet with the SME Alliance on 10 October as part of the small business lobby group’s efforts to avoid a repeat of the HBOS Reading case. Senior HBOS bankers have been convicted of fraud in the period preceding the 2008 financial crash, with small-business customers among the victims. Between 2002 and 2007, small-business owners were transferred to the HBOS corporate division in Reading and classified as high risk, despite having never missed a repayment. The SME Alliance, which lobbies for fair treatment by banks and advisers, aims to arrange similar engagements with Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and Lloyds Banking Group, with meetings likely to take place once all the cases linked to fraud at HBOS Reading are closed.
SME confidence not dented by Brexit
New research by delivery provider CitySprint has found that that 77 per cent of UK SMEs remain as confident about the future as they did a year ago, with 51 per cent feeling more confident. Despite the uncertainty surrounding Brexit, 89 per cent said they are in the same or better financial shape compared to 12 months ago. The Collaborate UK 2018 survey of more than 1,000 SME decision-makers found that younger businesses are more confident than larger organisations, with 60 per cent of those less than three years old more confident about their future, compared to 34 per cent of businesses that are 15-20 years old. However, Brexit is cited by 30 per cent of small businesses as the number-one obstacle to the success of their business over the next 12 months – slightly higher than last year.
NETS-UnionPay partnership enables e-payment abroad for Singaporeans
Consumers based in Singapore can now make e-payments abroad with NETSPay through the app’s partnership with UnionPay. The upgraded app has a new wallet feature that lets consumers scan and pay for purchases at more than 7.5 million UnionPay QR code merchants globally. They can also make contactless payments using NFC-enabled smartphones at nearly 12 million UnionPay QuickPass contactless acceptance points without the need to use foreign currencies. In addition, users can send money or receive money from other NETSPay users via mobile numbers or QR code.
Advice and support for small digital businesses in the North
The Calderdale Digital Shift Summit, a three-day event for young and growing digital businesses in the Leeds City Region, will take place on 27-29 September at Leeds Beckett’s University Business Centre in Halifax. The event is a collaboration between Leeds Beckett University and Calderdale Council and will provide digital-based SMEs with advice, information and expertise to help them to grow, create new ideas and increase sales. The events are free for eligible businesses to attend. A wide range of workshops will be run by Leeds Beckett academics, business growth mentors and industry experts.


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Here we go again: Yet another new-media darling is gearing up for an IPO.
We're talking about online gaming guru Zynga, which filed its S-1 prospectus last Friday. The maker of popular games such as Mafia Wars and Farmville wants to raise about $1 billion on the open market, though The New York Times says that the final offering could end up about twice that size.
In any case, Zynga plans to keep most of its shares close to the vest, selling only about 10% of available shares. CEO Mark Pincus will essentially run the show by virtue of his multiple-vote Class C shares, particularly when Zynga's underwriters unload their privileged Class B shares in the form of regular, single-vote Class A shares on the open market. Buying Zynga stock with dreams of influencing the company's direction is probably a fruitless exercise, even for deep-pocketed hedge funds.
No, this stock is all about the money. Not that Zynga is in desperate need of any, as it already generates positive cash flows and sits on a billion-dollar bank account. But Zynga might as well get some market-based capital while the getting is good.
And the getting is indeed good. The Zynga IPO is seen as a precursor to a long-awaited Facebook blockbuster of a public offering and fits neatly in a pantheon of upcoming or recent offerings. LinkedIn
If there ever was a time to capitalize on a red-hot Internet market, it would be right now. The whole boom brings echoes of the online boom-and-bust cycle of 10 years ago, and rightly so; I don't see how LinkedIn and Groupon expect to last unless they find new ways to monetize their traffic.
Zynga is a different story, being solidly profitable and simply dipping into the market to collect some bonus cash. If the stock reaches a $20 billion market value, that's about the same as the caps of traditional gaming giants Electronic Arts
Frothy indeed, but perhaps worth it in the long run. Social gaming is the new little black dress, perfect for any occasion.
Would a $20 billion Zynga fit into your own portfolio, dear Fool? Or is it just another precursor of a bubble about to pop? Personally, I think Zynga will be one of the survivors from this era. Feel free to discuss the matter in the comments below.


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Screen Time Challenge: How much time do you spend on your mobile device?
SPOKANE, Wash. — The Screen Time Challenge – it’s what we put to the test Thursday and we’re inviting you to join us. Have you ever thought about how much time you spend on your phone? Did you know most phones have a feature that will tell you?
KXLY4 paid a visit to Riverfront Park in downtown Spokane to talk with people about how much time their eyes are glued to the screen. What we learned wasn’t too surprising. Many people expressed their love for their phones and digital content.
A couple school groups on a field trip talked with KXLY4. The groups were very willing to whip out their phones and tell KXLY4 how long they people had their eyes on their screen.
The answers spanned from one hour, to two hours, and even up to three hours of phone usage in one day.
Then some people learned you can actually check the average amount of time you spend on your phone per day. One woman found out, she averages more than four hours in one day.
The numbers proved to be eye-opening for many folks in Riverfront Park. When we asked a group of kids if they spend too much time on their phones, they nodded and said, ‘yes’.
KXLY4 asked that same group what they’re using their phones for. The kids said they use it for texting and watching YouTube. Other kids said they use their phone and tablet for playing games, like Pokemon Go.
KXLY4 did find some outliers in the groups, however. There were a handful of kids who said they didn’t own a phone. They simply said, it’s because their parents don’t want them to have one. All is well, though, most said they have a tablet to use at home to consume their digital content.
KXLY4 is inviting all of our viewers to participate in the Screen Time Challenge, it just takes four easy steps. First, you’ll need to discover your screen time, which can be found in the settings app on your phone. Then, post that screenshot to social media with your reaction to learning your screen time. After you do that, share in the post what you might do if you got an hour back. Finally, tag a friend asking them to participate.
Catch up on the day’s news and look ahead to tomorrow by signing up for the Daily Local email newsletter from KXLY4. Headlines, events, and staff picks every weeknight at 8 p.m. Sign up HERE to get your news on the D.L.
COPYRIGHT 2020 BY KXLY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.


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Last month, an accident happened with Ola’s S1 Pro electric scooter in which the rider was badly injured. Balwant Singh who is the father of the rider accused the scooter of being faulty. Then Ola released a detailed report and said that there were no issues with the scooter and it was the rider who panicked. Now, Ola Electric is asking Balwant Singh to remove all negative posts against the scooter from his social media account.
Balwant Singh also sent a legal notice to Ola Electric to which the company replied by asking Balwant to refrain from making any “defamatory posts” against the company. Singh sent a notice to the company because they released the telemetry data publically on their social media.
What is the incident about?
The incident happened in Guwahati, Assam. The rider was allegedly thrown off the scooter. Balwant Singh said that the incident happened because of the faulty brake regenerative system. He said, “the scooter went airborne crashing and skidding. My son was severely hospitalised on 26th March where he had fractures in left hand and 16 stitches in right hand due to fault in ola S1 Pro”
Ola Electric has investigated the incident and because it is an electric scooter, everything is dependent on software. The manufacturer towed the scooter and extracted the details. It was revealed that the rider was overspeeding throughout the night and when a speed breaker came in front of the rider, he panicked braking and lost control of the scooter.
Balwant has also said that the data from the scooter was not extracted in front of him. He also wants proof that the data extracted is from his scooter only. Moreover, it has been reported that Ola Electric is using troll accounts to go after the customer’s complaints.
More than 50 accounts were documented by Mint. Most of these accounts were replying to Balwant Singh. Livemint said that a network of coordinated Twitter handles is allegedly working to help Ola Electric by criticising the complaints posted by the customers. These social media handles are trying to keep Ola Electric’s image clean. These media accounts are run by individual freelancers or some digital media agencies.
There are reports and even videos in which we can see Ola Electric’s S1 Pro electric scooter going in reverse while it is in front-drive mode. On 12th May another accident happened in Jodhpur. A 65-year-old father suffered a head injury this time. The person got 10 stitches and the left arm is also broken because of which 2 metal plates are inserted.
— aravindt (@aravindtg1) April 26, 2022
This is not the first time that this issue has been recorded. People have recorded scooters going at 102 kmph in drive mode while the rear wheel is spinning in the reverse direction. Usually, there is a speed limit that a scooter can hit in the reverse mode but the S1 Pro is breaching that limit. Moreover, the instrument cluster is not updating as it shows that the scooter is in forward-drive mode but the scooter still goes in the reverse direction. There have also been instances where the scooter is riding in Park mode.


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Final call for entries to Cambridge Independent SME Cambridgeshire Business Awards 2020
This is the final call for entries to the Cambridge Independent SME Cambridgeshire Business Awards.
Entry is free at cambridgeshireawards.co.uk - but hurry, it closes at 3pm on Tuesday November 10.
The awards are a celebration of small and medium-sized enterprises across the county.
Cambridge Independent editor Paul Brackley said: “This is a chance to honour the hard work and innovation of SMEs across Cambridgeshire. Many businesses have shown great determination and an entrepreneurial spirit in this most challenging of times.
“We look forward to paying tribute to their achievements over the last year.”
Here are the categories:
- Apprentice of the Year sponsored by Greater Cambridge Apprenticeships / Form the Future
- Best Enterprising Business* sponsored by Regus
- Best New Business* sponsored by Milton Hall
- Business Innovation sponsored by Mantle
- Business Person of the Year sponsored by Gibbs Denley Financial & Investment Advisers
- Business Woman of the Year* sponsored by HCR Law
- Business of the Year (less than 50 employees) sponsored by PEM
- Business of the Year (more than 50 employees) sponsored by Ashtons HR Consulting
- Community Business of the Year sponsored by StanAir
- Positive Impact Award
- Employer of the Year sponsored by Mattioli Woods plc
- Entrepreneur of the Year
- High Growth Business of the Year sponsored by the Entrepreneurship Centre at the Cambridge Judge Business School
- Networking Group of the Year sponsored by IWM Duxford
- Not for Profit Business of the Year
- Service Excellence*
- The Green Award sponsored by South Cambridgeshire District Council
- Website of the Year
- Young Business Person of the Year sponsored by Kleinwort Hambros
* denotes fully subscribed and no longer available for entry
The winners will be unveiled in 2021.
Sign up for our weekly newsletter and stay up to date


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Released: May 16, 2002
New Food Technologies Help Address Consumers’ Needs
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Food preferences in the United States have changed, said Karen Penner, a food safety specialist at Kansas State University.
"Today we have a new generation of food products that are less processed," Penner said. "People want food that is closer to the natural state."
For example, she said: "We buy lots of imported fresh produce today that wasn’t available 10 to 20 years ago. We go to the grocery market where we might buy prepared bagged lettuce and other pre-cut and washed vegetables. And, there is a substantial number of people across the country who consume raw oysters or salmon, and a variety of under-cooked products.
"We want convenience, and yet we want fresh."
Penner said past generations of people had a tradition of eating meat that is more well done.
"They knew they could kill harmful parasites in pork and also kill anything else that could make them sick by cooking meats very well done," she said.
By contrast, younger people today want food that is less well done, and are more likely to eat frozen food as opposed to canned food.
"And the food industry has had to figure out new technologies to provide fresh foods that are safe to eat," Penner said.
Products must stay fresh longer not only on the grocery shelf, but also in consumers’ homes. The food industry has responded with such new technologies as irradiation, steam pasteurization, active packaging, chemical washes and more.
Today’s technology push, though, is not completely new to the food industry. Past innovations have included canned meats and vegetables; frozen fruits and vegetables; and heat pasteurized milk.
"Today," Penner said, "we take those past innovations for granted."
K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus, Manhattan.
Karen Penner is at 785-532-1672


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Skype rolls out updated iPhone video-calling app
After teasing the new app Wednesday evening on its website with a series of videos shot on a mobile device, Skype announced the app was available Thursday.
The new app allows users to make make and receive free video calls -- subject to data charges -- on the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, according to a release posted on Skype's website.
The app is compatible with the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, and iPod Touch fourth generation with i0S 4.0 or above, and users can receive video calls on the iPod Touch third generation and iPad.
It works over Wi-Fi and 3G connections and allows uses to make video calls to friends on their computers as well as on mobile devices.
Users can also make free audio calls to other Skype users via their iPhones and low-rate calls to landlines and mobiles. The updated app is available via the App Store.
-- Abby Sewell
Photo: Skype Technologies SA's offices in Palo Alto. Credit: Tony Avelar / Bloomberg


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Thanks to lockdown savings, almost one in five consumers (16%) plan to spend a little or much more than usual when Christmas shopping this year, according to market research by the leading global software provider for the retail and
hospitality sectors, Fourth. In addition, almost half (47%) plan to spend their usual amount of money on seasonal shopping, despite any additional lockdown savings, which suggests a good boost for retailers to end the year. The data also reveals that 68% of consumers expect to do a mix of online and in-store shopping, indicating that people haven’t been deterred from the high street after being forced online during the pandemic.
The research comes as part of Fourth’s latest whitepaper: Talent, convenience, and technology: The Retailer’s guide for 2022, which explores what consumers want from retail, what the current challenges facing the industry are, and what 2022 holds for the sector. The whitepaper is built on insights from two surveys: one of 2,021 UK consumers, and the second of 251 UK retail leaders.
Splurging differs by age group, but most consumers have concerns about Buy Now Pay Later
With multiple lockdowns helping many consumers save their pennies, Christmas 2021 is set to be a steady spending year. Younger generations are more likely to splash the cash with 27% of 25 to 34-year-olds planning to spend a little or much more than usual as a result of lockdown savings. While 45 to 54-year-olds are slightly more conservative with their money, 22% plan to spend a little or much less than usual. In contrast, both age groups were the most likely to struggle to save money (14%) as a result of lockdowns.
While many shoppers are likely to use Buy Now Pay Later services to aid their Christmas shopping, consumers have some reservations about it. Two-thirds (66%) of consumers feel Buy Now Pay Later services make it too easy to overspend. Almost eight in 10 shoppers (79%) also believe retailers should do more to help them understand alternative payment services like Buy Now Pay Later and their associated risks.
Retailer leaders are confident they can respond to evolving shopping habits and provide safe in-store experiences
While many retailers have struggled with talent shortages throughout the year, almost all (93%) of retail leaders are confident they have the talent required for the seasonal shopping period – whether on or offline. In an additional boost for in-store retailers, three quarters (75%) of shoppers feel retailers have made customer safety a priority this year.
This figure bodes well with consumers’ plans for 2022, with 67% of consumers still expecting to do a mix of online and in-store shopping in 2022. The number of people shopping only online will fall compared to 2021, from 15% to 11% in 2022. While this trend away from online-only going forward is reflected across all age groups, the drop in younger shoppers who tend to favour eCommerce is even more significant, with 16% of 16 to 24-year-olds expecting to shop only online in 2022, falling from 21% in 2021.
Responding to this latest data, Sebastien Sepierre, Managing Director – EMEA, Fourth, said, “Christmas is a key time for retailers, with the chance to bring in huge sales figures that can help compensate for a tough 18 months. While the pandemic isn’t over, it’s encouraging to see a balance struck between high street retailers and their eCommerce competition.
“This renewed footfall, while positive, puts extra pressure on retailers to bolster their safety measures and ensure they have the right staff in place to facilitate both on and offline shopping, emphasising the need for technology solutions such as workforce management software that can help them put their people at the forefront of planning for a stronger 2022.”


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Retailer Gymboree files for bankruptcy to restructure nearly $1 billion in debt
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Children’s clothing chain Gymboree announced Sunday it’s filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The retailer will close about 400 of its 1,300 stores and restructure debt in a bid to stay alive. Gymboree views its troubles as part of the larger challenges facing the retail industry as customers move their business online, but some of its competitors are staying ahead of the trouble.
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Intel has gone all in today on Twitter to promote its booth at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The microchip manufacturer purchased today’s Promoted Trend, a global ad that typically costs $120,000.
Intel’s buy also includes a Promoted Tweet placement. Twitter searches for “CES” bring up a paid promotion for the Santa Clara, CA-based brand.
The Promoted Tweet ad copy includes a few different versions. Here’s one: “#Intel is giving away 10 #Ultrabooks starting tomorrow at #CES Be sure to stop the @Intel Booth for your chance to win!”
Interestingly, Intel has not bid on the keywords “Consumer Electronics Show” today. Cable channel Spike TV comes up first for that search phrase.
Intel’s big play underscores the growing importance of CES, which kicked off yesterday and is expected to beat 2011’s attendance mark of 140,000. The company’s Twitter ads don’t mention a specific product – they only push its CES booth.
President Trump's digital savvy isn't limited to social media. As it turns out, the Trump Organization owns thousands of domain names, possibly even more than 10,000.
Social media has developed into an effective component of digital strategy, but measuring its performance is still a challenge. How will analytics affect social media in 2017?
I didn’t vote for him last November. There was no way this registered Democrat from the blue state of Massachusetts would check that box. But I have to give him props for his tweets.
On Thursday, Twitter reported its earnings for Q4 2016, and the results have raised questions about the company's long-term future.


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Minneapolis-Based MGK Sells Subsidiary To UK Company
MINNEAPOLIS, Oct. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- MGK, the family-owned provider of insect control solutions to a wide variety of markets, announced the sale of one of its subsidies, Baltimore-based ICR Inc., to i2L Research Ltd. ("i2L") of Cardiff, UK.
ICR Inc, formerly known as Insect Control and Research, provides efficacy testing and regulation consulting to the insect control product industry. According to MGK President Steve Gullickson, the purchase of ICR by i2L, a product testing and development company also in the pest control industry, will help the UK organization extend its business from Europe into the United States.
"We certainly have appreciated, and will continue to appreciate, ICR's efficacy testing expertise, Gullickson said. "They provide an important service to us, and we look forward to being their customer in the coming years."
The sale of ICR strengthens MGK's strategic focus on its core business of creating responsible insect control products that protect people and their environments, added Gullickson. "We are very pleased to find a strategic buyer in i2L Research Ltd."Dr Peter M cEwen, CEO of i2L, stated that "the acquisition of ICR, Inc., which will now trade as i2LResearch USA, Inc., is a hugely important development, which places us at the heart of the two most important economies in the world, the EU and the USA" About MGKFounded in 1902, MGK sells insect control products into global markets including consumer home and pet products, professional pest control, animal health, and crop protection. The company holds 253 product registrations with the EPA for insect control products, and currently sells its products into more than 60 countries globally . MGK is a world leader in the development and distribution of the botanical insecticide pyrethrin as well as a wide range of synthetic chemistries. For more information, visit www.mgk.com.
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Negotiated cash fed cattle trade was limited on light demand in all major cattle feeding regions through Thursday afternoon, according to the Agricultural Marketing Service.
So far this week, live prices are $2 lower in Kansas at $138/cwt. and $4 lower in the Texas Panhandle at $136. Dressed prices are $2 lower in Nebraska at $218.
Last week, live prices were at $140 in Colorado and $138-$140 in Nebraska and the western Corn Belt. Dressed prices in the western Corn Belt were $218-$220.
Cattle futures were narrowly mixed Thursday with lackluster trade.
Live Cattle futures closed an average of 28¢ higher, except for 5¢ lower in Jun.
Feeder Cattle futures closed mixed, from an average of 35¢ lower in five contracts to and average of 31¢ higher.
Choice boxed beef cutout value was $2.71 higher Thursday afternoon at $262.97/cwt. Select was 69¢ higher at $248.14.
Corn futures closed mostly 3¢ to 6¢ higher, boosted by positive weekly U.S. export sales.
Soybean futures closed 10¢ to 14¢ higher through the front four contracts and then mostly 5¢ higher.
Major U.S. financial indices closed lower Thursday with hard pressure on tech stocks.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 29 points lower. The S&P 500 closed 41 points lower. The NASDAQ was down 385 points.
Domestic beef demand is the strongest it has been in three decades. Beef gained about 8% market share over the last two decades and U.S. beef exports through November 2021 were on a record pace in terms of volume and value.
Kevin Good, CattleFax analyst and vice president of industry relations, says this is all a result of listening to the consumer.
Good was speaking to members of the American Hereford Association (AHA), guests and allied industry partners during an educational forum at the organization’s recent Annual Membership Meeting and Conference.
“Think about grade, think about consistency. They are the driving points,” Good said. He explained, “Today, we have a much better product than we had in the past and our customers are rewarding us with more dollars.”
For perspective, 72.7% of all beef cattle graded Choice in 2020 and 10.2% graded Prime, according to USDA’s Estimated National Grading Summary. Just 10 years earlier, 60.1% were Choice and 3.4% were Prime. Through October this year, 72.6% were Choice and 10.1% were Prime.
Whether regarded as the proverbial chicken or egg, Good pointed out carcass quality increased as the industry applied premiums and discounts in order to get what consumers wanted.
“There will be a time when we produce 20-30% prime in the national herd, and it’s not that far away,” Good predicted. “As we think about what our customer is demanding, let’s remember that last year, with COVID, we couldn’t sell Prime through restaurants, it went through retail. Every major retail chain in the U.S. now has a premium product offering. Consumers want it, so we’re going to have to provide it.”
Good also shared price expectations for 2022, as cow numbers and fed cattle supplies decline and more leverage returns to producers. Currently, CattleFax projects calves to average $205/cwt., compared to $170 in 2021; yearlings to average $168, compared to $140 in 2021; fed steers to average $140, compared to $121 in 2021.


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CHICAGO—In response to outcry among South Side residents, Chicago officials reportedly defended Thursday relocating a polluting factory to a local Black family’s kitchen. “Despite what a few chronic complainers on the radical left say, the decision to relocate Rondell Chemical to the kitchen and dining room of the Watson family was made solely due to this being the best new site based on current zoning laws,” said Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot, adding that city consultants had determined that any detrimental effects of moving the medical chemical company’s factory to the 59th Street second-floor kitchen on the health and well-being of Chris and Erica Watson and their three young children had been largely exaggerated.“As the city changes, it simply doesn’t make sense to keep this facility in the Elston corridor, where its site can go to better use as part of an upscale shopping and apartment district. Especially when we have an ideal location for the factory right where the Watsons’ kitchen table now stands. Furthermore, enlarging the factory here will bring hundreds of new jobs to the Watsons’ home, among myriad other economic benefits. The site’s developers have assured me that any industrial runoff can go into the sink, and if there are any threats to air quality, one of the children can simply open a window to let it out. While we regret that the factory’s installation where the fridge used to be unintentionally created a food desert in the house, we need our residents to understand that we’re doing what is best holistically for the city.” At press time, city officials decided to knock the whole building down without any warning.
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Move aside Unicorn Frappuccinos, because there's a new colourful drink in town.
Starbucks fans in the US have been posting snaps of the chain's Unicorn Frappuccino to Instagram, but their new Dragon Frappuccino could be even more popular - even though neither beverage is currently available in the UK.
Starbucks baristas at a store in the US created the Dragon Frappuccino over the weekend and according to captions on fans' Instagram posts, the new drink seems to be made of Matcha green tea and strawberry sauce.
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But while the colourful drink looks tasty, it seems to just be a store exclusive in a Californian branch of Starbucks.
The Sun reached out to Starbucks, who confirmed that the new drink wouldn't be available in the UK any time soon:
A spokesperson told The Sun: "This is not an official Starbucks menu item. There are more than 36,000 ways to customise our Frappuccino range so baristas and customers can create their perfect order."
They added: "This Frappuccino will not be available to order in the UK as we do not offer these ingredients."


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2012 Technology Innovation Award
The Wall Street Journal
PARC and Thin Film Electronics ASA were named a runner-up for The Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Award 2012 in the Semiconductors and Electronics category. The winners and runners-up represent disruptive breakthroughs from conventional ideas and methods.
PARC and Thinfilm received the award for Thinfilm Addressable Memory, the first printed electronic rewritable memory. Thinfilm Addressable Memory works as a technology platform for a wide range of printed electronic system products, such as smart tags, that combine memory with other printed components.


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NEW YORK — LaRoche-Posay skin care company is challenging its fans to start something new in their life and to be confident in their clear skin with the new Clear Commitments contest, a movement created to inspire people to make "clear" and simple commitments for themselves on a new challenge they want to accomplish this year. Participants will have an opportunity to win $5,000.
Here's how to enter:
Go to Facebook.com/LaRochePosayUSA.
Share your commitment and upload a picture representing it.
Get your friends to vote!
Submit your commitment from 10 a.m. EST on March 1 to 11:59 p.m. EST on March 15.
Voting ends March 29 at 10 a.m. EST.
While supplies last, entrants will receive a free sample of Effaclar Duo.
As an example, the company provided this commitment: “I will leave the states for the first time and travel to Thailand to try something new and adventurous.” —Nicole, Mass. As LaRoche-Posay asks, "What are you going to do?"
Some changes have been made to the contest rules per the company's request.
Like this story? Find us on Facebook for more insight, analysis and the latest in drug store news. Join the conversation.


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Markey Introduces SAFE Seafood Act to Fight Fraud, Ensure Safety
Bipartisan Bill Would Protect American Consumers and Fishermen
WASHINGTON (July 26, 2012) – In response to rampant seafood mislabeling and fraud that is hurting the bottom lines of fishermen and threatening the public health, Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) has now introduced the Safety And Fraud Enforcement for Seafood Act (SAFE Seafood Act, H.R. 6200). The bill will increase inspections, establish new labeling standards to give consumers more information about the seafood’s origins, and give authority to penalize bad actor countries and companies.
The bill addresses growing concerns first raised by the Boston Globe last fall over the integrity of seafood sold in U.S. restaurants and grocery stores. Using DNA testing, the Globe found that 48 percent of the seafood it sampled from Boston area restaurants was not the advertised species. Subsequent investigations in the Los Angeles and Miami markets produced similar results.
Rep. Markey was joined by bi-partisan co-sponsors Barney Frank (D-Mass.), Walter Jones (R-N.C.), Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) and Bill Keating (D-Mass.) on the bill.
“Americans who buy seafood deserve to know that the fish they purchase is what ends up on their plates,” said Rep. Markey, the Ranking Member of the Natural Resources Committee, which has jurisdiction over oceans and fisheries. “American fishermen face some of the most stringent conservation and quality control standards in the world, and we owe it to them to make sure their product is not being undercut by foreign countries and companies selling shady shrimp, bogus bass, and counterfeit cod. It’s time for everyone in the seafood supply chain to be on the hook to ensure that the fish served in restaurants and sold in stores is honest and healthy.”
“When consumers choose excellent New England seafood they should get it – not imported fish with a deceptive label,” said Rep. Frank. “More than 80% of seafood is imported so it’s critical that we protect our domestic fisheries from fraud and mislabeling.”
“With 85 percent of seafood in the United States imported from other countries, it is critical to label these products correctly and equip American consumers to make informed purchasing decisions,” said Rep. Courtney. “Connecticut’s fishing industry is a significant New England tradition. Without strong labeling standards, our fishermen will continue to be undercut by other nations with inferior or non-existent consumer-protection standards. This bipartisan bill will provide peace of mind to consumers and will level the playing field for our New England fishermen competing with cheap imports.”
To prevent seafood fraud, Rep. Markey’s SAFE Seafood requires information that is already collected by U.S. fishermen – such as species name, catch location, and harvest method - to ‘follow the fish,’ and be made available to consumers, and requires foreign exporters of seafood to the U.S. to provide equivalent documentation. The bill also allows the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to refuse entry of unsafe or fraudulent seafood shipments, and allows NOAA to levy civil penalties against violators under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
In addition to the fraud prevention measures, SAFE Seafood addresses concerns over seafood safety raised by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) in a 2011 report by requiring cooperation and progress reporting. The report found that a lack of coordination between FDA and NOAA is resulting in needless duplication of seafood safety inspections at a time when resources are only allowing for 2 percent of seafood imports to be examined for safety.
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Stock photo provider Getty Images has sued artificial intelligence company Stability AI, alleging in a lawsuit unsealed Monday that the company misused more than 12 million Getty photos to train its Stable Diffusion AI image generation system.
The suit, filed in Delaware federal court, follows a separate lawsuit brought by Getty against Stability in the U.K. and a related one filed by artists in California against Stability and other companies in the rapidly growing field of generative artificial intelligence. Class action.
Getty declined to comment on the Delaware lawsuit. Stabilization Bureau representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday. Reuters News competes with Getty in the editorial picture market.
London-based Stability AI released Stable Diffusion last August, an AI-based system for generating images from text input and image generator DreamStudio. The company announced in October that it had raised more than $100 million (nearly Rs. 830 crore) at a valuation of $1 billion (nearly Rs. 828 crore).
Seattle-based Getty accused Stability of copying millions of its photos without permission and using them to train Stable Diffusion to generate more accurate descriptions based on user prompts.
Its images are particularly valuable for AI training because of their image quality, variety of subjects, and detailed metadata, Getty said.
Getty said it had licensed “millions of suitable digital assets” to other “leading technology innovators” for AI-related purposes, and that Stability infringed its copyright and competed unfairly.
The suit also accuses Stability of infringing Getty’s trademark, citing images generated by its AI system that are watermarked by Getty, which Getty says could lead to consumer confusion.
Getty is asking the court to order Stability to stop using its images and to seek monetary damages, including Stability’s profits from the alleged infringement.
© Thomson Reuters 2023


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Fine dining outlets in Dubai are struggling to attract customers and maintain healthy returns as consumer spending drops, according to Mansour Bin Jabr, partner at Dubai-based hospitality firm 4-Front Facilities.
The company is behind local, mid-market concepts such as Mr Miyagi’s, Stars N Bars and The Scene.
Speaking to Arabian Business, Bin Jabr said customers are no longer able or willing to pay large sums of money for a night out.
“Fine dining is definitely struggling. We have the numbers of a lot of the fine dining restaurants in Dubai. They’re all struggling. I wouldn’t venture there because the spending is going down. People who used to spend AED800 a head are now spending half of that, so revenues are drastically down. And in fine dining, the overhead costs are way too high, so their margins are being hit hard,” he said.
He added that while consumers are spending less partially due to the city’s high cost of living, there continues to be demand for mid-market concepts.
(Source: Arabianbusiness.com YouTube channel)


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The best PS4 Black Friday 2015 deals – mega-round-up of the cheapest prices
Black Friday 2015: The best Xbox One deals – retailers with cheapest prices
WHA Entertainment has announced that it’s releasing Kick-Ass for PSN and iPhone on April 15.
WHA Entertianment headlines
WHA Entertianment Latest
WHA announces Kick-Ass for PSN and iPhone


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A Chinese software developer has been charged with stealing source code from a U.S. company to help the Chinese government, federal authorities said Tuesday.
Xu Jiaqiang, who was arrested in December on a related charge of stealing a trade secret, is accused of taking the underlying code used to develop a clustered file system, which companies sell to help manage data across large numbers of servers.
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From individual initiatives to cities and corporations banning plastic straws, the global anti-plastic movement is gaining momentum.
It was three years ago that Christine Figgener, marine biologist at Texas A&M University, posted a graphic video of a sea turtle in distress as her team extracted a plastic straw stuck in its nose. Little did she know that three years later the video would hit 31 million views on YouTube and be widely credited for galvanizing the global fight against plastic pollution.
Probably the most hailed recent announcement of a plastic straw phase-out came from Starbucks. On July 9, the US coffee company and coffeehouse giant announced it would cut out plastic straws at its locations worldwide – which by then will include Serbia – through 2020. Instead of plastic straws, Starbucks’ cold drinks will feature strawless lids, easier to recycle than plastic straws, which due to their size and light weight are often mechanically sorted out during the recycling process, ending up in landfills and waterways.
We're removing plastic straws in our stores globally by 2020—reducing more than 1 billion plastic straws per year from our stores.
— Starbucks (@Starbucks) July 9, 2018
Less than two weeks later, Starbucks and global foodservice retailer McDonald’s, though competitors, teamed up to help develop a global recyclable and/or compostable cup solution, with a Challenge to kick off in September to invite innovators, entrepreneurs, industry experts, and recyclers to submit their ideas for the next generation of recyclable and/or compostable cups.
Seattle leads the way
Starbucks’ hometown Seattle seems to have kick-started the corporate drive to fight plastic pollution, informing food service businesses it was banning the use of plastic utensils, plastic straws, and plastic cocktail picks in the city effective July 1, advising them to offer straws and utensils made of materials such as paper and bamboo, but only upon request. Seattle is the first big US city to ban plastic straws, following in the footsteps of Miami Beach and several other towns.
According to a study published in 2015 in the journal Science, an estimated 8 million metric tons of plastic waste end up in oceans every year, and the quantity could multiply tenfold in the business-as-usual scenario, the media worldwide reported. That is the equivalent of placing five grocery bags full of plastic trash on every 30 cm of every nation’s coastline around the globe, Reuters reported.
German sportswear maker Adidas, which sold one million pairs of shoes made from ocean plastic in 2017, has meanwhile pledged to only use recycled plastic in its products by 2024.
SEE taking steps
In the South-East European (SEE) region, countries have also been stepping up the fight against plastic pollution. Albania recently banned lightweight plastic bags, after Macedonia prohibited their use at retail outlets and on other business premises back on January 1, 2009.
EU members Slovenia and Croatia will introduce compulsory charges on lightweight plastic bags on January 1, 2019, according to reports. In Serbia, four major retail chains have started charging plastic bags at cash registers so far.


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entrepreneurial innovation lies not only in personnel and technology, but also need to adapt to local resources, local governments are actively exploring local advantages, to carry out the corresponding innovation. Recently, the Hainan international innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum held in Haikou, Hainan Province on the future development trend of entrepreneurship.
upcoming past 2015, Hainan entrepreneurial innovation just unfolding. Under a "Hainan opportunity" in which? Days ago, at the Hainan International Forum on innovation and entrepreneurship, Policy Research Office of CPC Central Committee and former deputy director Zheng Xinli, donkey mother travel assistant president Ren Guocai and other top advisers, business elite, common Hainan "Internet plus" innovation and entrepreneurship, "Internet plus agriculture", "Internet plus health", "Internet plus travel" positive "sound".
dialogue, donkey mother travel assistant president Ren Guocai to their own business as an example, describes the problems and Countermeasures of the tourism industry. Ren Guocai believes that the pain of a point in the industry, it may be the opportunity for enterprises, and now the pain points of the tourism industry is mainly in this piece. He suggested that Hainan’s "Internet plus tourism entrepreneurs in the tourism industry pain points on, the tourism industry in the segments, such as" Travel + limit travel "," Travel + car "and so on.
around "Internet plus agriculture" how to innovate this problem, the Ministry of science and technology Chinese rural technology development center researcher Lu Bingyou proposal to expand the future direction of "Internet plus agriculture". For example, agricultural circulation, agricultural processing, agricultural storage and other related service industries, can expand into "Internet plus agriculture", this is a trend of the future development of agriculture.


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New 2023 laws take effect in Georgia
New 2023 Georgia laws aimed at restructuring mental health services, cracking down on online crime, and tax credit for rural hospitals
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - With the new year comes new state laws that are now in effect in Georgia.
Gov. Brian Kemp signed several laws into place for the new year. Late Speaker David Ralston’s point of pride, House Bill 1013, known as the Mental Health Parity Bill, is one of those pieces of legislation.
Healthcare providers are expected to supply options for mental health and substance abuse treatment like they would a physical illness. The law provides additional funding for courts to address substance abuse issues. Students in school, studying to enter the medical field in Georgia, have the option for cancelable loans.
Senate Bill 332, known as the Inform Consumer Act. is meant to keep shoppers safe while shopping on an online marketplace. Doug Bowman, a marketing professor at Emory University said thieves are grooming new people to scam others.
“The industry seems like it’s always sort of chasing the sophistication of the bad guys. The challenge is that the organized groups in some ways often as soon as we create one fix, sort of have to figure out the next step. And so hopefully this slows them down considerably,” said Bowman.
Now an online retailer selling what’s considered a high volume of items- indicated as more than 200 items, worth thousands of dollars, must register with the state.
House Bill 1041 aims to help rural areas in Georgia, increasing the cap on tax credits from $60 million to $75 million. Governor Brian Kemp has been a vocal proponent of giving tax credits for areas currently underserved.
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