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Sparc Technologies (ASX:SPN) reports it is progressing the commercial manufacture of graphene-based additives to be used for the coatings and composites markets.
The company says construction of a modular and scalable manufacturing facility which has been fully expensed for graphene based additive production is well underway in Adelaide with commissioning expected in Q1 2023.
This facility, employing proprietary ‘know-how’ will enable the production of commercial quantities of graphene based additives for the growing global coatings and composites market.
“Our ongoing comprehensive testing program with global tier 1 and 2 coatings companies continue to demonstrate the significant performance improvement of coatings and composites materials employing our products”
Sparc Technologies Managing Director Mike Bartels says: “We are pleased to advise that all equipment for the graphene based additives manufacturing facility has been delivered to site and construction is now underway.
This will enable Sparc to supply our global customer base with commercial quantities of ecosparc product for the coatings and composites markets.
Our ongoing comprehensive testing program with global tier 1 and 2 coatings companies continue to demonstrate the significant performance improvement of coatings and composites materials employing our products.
By improving coatings performance the frequency of asset maintenance can be significantly reduced which subsequently serves to reduce costs and importantly the environmental footprint associated with such activities.”
Sparc reports the commissioning of this production facility is a ‘substantial’ vote of confidence in the company’s ability to reach commercial agreements with our potential customers and an endorsement of the rigorous technical programs it has undertaken with numerous tier one and tier two coatings companies.
This step of being able to produce commercial quantities of graphene additive product will further support advanced technical and commercial collaboration discussions with global coatings customers.
The company also notes the facility can readily accommodate large-scale manufacturing to meet customer demand, and in addition its knowledge and intellectual property supporting Sparc technology is being protected with provisional patent filings.
The first of which is in the field of anti-corrosive coatings, and a number of further patent filings will occur in early 2023.
Sparc Technologies is an Australian company pioneering new technologies to disrupt and transform industry while seeking to deliver a more sustainable world.
Graphene is a major focus for the company, and it has commercialised graphene for a number of applications including marine and protective coating, as well as applications in renewable energy and construction materials.


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Car dealers in Maine city fear outdoor speaker ban
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Some Maine car dealers say a proposal by the Augusta City Council to ban outdoor speakers could cost them customers and jeopardize their sales staff's ability to earn a living.
Next week the council is scheduled to consider a final vote on the proposal. But at a Thursday meeting some members wondered if the ban should go back to the Planning Board for additional review and discussion.
Charlie Shuman of Charlie's Motor Mall says he uses a paging system to make sure he can reach his staff promptly.
The Kennebec Journal says some neighbors of car dealerships complain that noise from outdoor speakers at car lots can be so loud it wakes them up and bothers them in their yards.
Information from: Kennebec Journal, http://www.kjonline.com/

domain: news


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Venice hopes to ease back into hosting events downtown
VENICE – In an effort to bring special events and festivals back to downtown Venice, city officials and Venice MainStreet plan to start small.
Specifically, they plan first to bring back the popular free concert series at the Venice Gazebo in Centennial Park.
Depending on how well patrons follow COVID-19 social distancing protocols, other events should eventually return.
City Manager Ed Lavallee said the concert concept was chosen because it’s “where we can anticipate the services that we provide and establish a perimeter, so we can control access.”
The hope is to have the first concert sometime in November.
“It will be a trial balloon,” he added. “The goal is to operate the event, monitor the performers, the sponsors and also the patrons.
“If that works, then we will try to graduate to more complex events.”
Venice MainStreet CEO Kara Morgan said concert-goers will notice a few changes in terms of signage, and patrons may be asked to preregister to attend so that proper social distancing can be achieved.
“But it’s a park, and we think there’ll be room for everybody,” she added.
Downtown merchants, who have seen the Venice Farmers Market open successfully with social distancing protocols this summer, would be happier if city officials would start granting permits for traveling festivals such as the one Howard Alan Events typically brings to town.
They point to the fact that the 42nd Annual Siesta Key Craft Festival, commonly known as Siesta Fiesta, is scheduled for Oct. 24 and 25 and wonder why the city did not allow Howard Alan to stage the Downtown Venice Art Festival in November.
“That is a $15,000 weekend for my store,” said Janice Riordan, owner of Seaside Chic Boutique. “Other stores that have been around longer, they do better than that.”
Festival weekend income goes a long way toward paying inventory and expenses, she added.
As is, the typical downtown merchant has seen a 30 to 35 percent falloff in business.
That means fewer employees and longer hours for those who are in the stores.
Sandy McGowan, owner of Sandy’s Designer Clothing, agreed that the art festival is one of the biggest days for her, too.
“It brings in lots and lots of people, and my shop has artsy clothes; those people like my shop,” McGowan said.
Concerts at the gazebo may give the city a chance to test out how well those patrons adhere to social distancing protocols, but few concert-goers have included shopping in their plans, both McGowan and Riordan said.
Lavallee noted that the pandemic has given the city a chance to reexamine how it permits all special events.
Last year, the city issued more than 350 permits for special events ranging from the Suncoast BBQ & Bluegrass Bash to weddings at the gazebo.
Smaller events will be handled differently than the larger ones.
“For the real small things, we’re thinking ‘eliminate the bureaucracy, we don’t need it,’” Lavallee said.
For larger events, like those staged by Howard Alan, a more detailed plan to deal with social distancing is required.
The promoter already has one in place that is similar to what the Venice Farmers Market uses, including more space between booths, controlled entry points and sanitation stations.
Lavallee stressed that the city is working with Venice MainStreet as the conduit to bring the art festivals back.
“They need a minimum of six weeks planning time,” he added.
Howard Alan Events actually has two Venice events listed on its website – the 14th annual Downtown Venice Craft Festival Jan. 23-24, and the 20th anniversary Downtown Venice Art Classic March 6-7.
Meanwhile, Venice MainStreet hopes to stage more gatherings similar to the Classic Evenings on the Avenues program it hosted Oct. 8 and again Thursday, where shops stayed open for the event, which runs from 5 to 7 p.m., with some stores hosting musical performers and classic cars from the Antique Automobile Club of America Venice Region chapter parked on the street.
Another major shopping promotion Morgan could confirm is the annual Christmas Walk, which is scheduled for 5 to 8 p.m. Dec. 3.
Lavallee noted that while everyone wants to get back to a sense of normalcy, the city plans to proceed slowly.
“That’s where we are right now,” Lavallee said. “It’s pretty firm in terms of our desire to start with a small-scale event.”


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ATSC 8-VSB (vestigial side band), a method for converting digital data for transmission over coaxial cable chosen by the FCC as a standard for digital TV, will become the dominant technology for digital broadband multimedia by 2003, according to a report by Cahners In-Stat Group.
According to the report “ATSC Digital Tuners: 8-VSB Tunes in the World,” more than 50 million US households will be able to pick up an 8-VSB signal from a local digital terrestrial broadcast station.
The growth of 8-VSB tuners will outpace that of digital cable in 2002, according to Cahners In-Stat Group, and will surpass shipments of direct broadcast satellite (DBS) by 2003.
“Many industry watchers believe that the ATSC 8-VSB digital television standard is on the verge of collapsing,” said Gerry Kaufhold, principal analyst at Cahners. “They’re wrong because they haven’t looked far enough. 8-VSB will be a viable technology for digital TV and its growth will be strong.”
According to Cahners’ report, industry reports of the demise of 8-VSB are premature. The standard will become a dominant technology for digital broadband multimedia services thanks to breakthroughs by semiconductor companies such as Philips, Motorola, Microtune, and Oren.
During the early stages, 8-VSB Tuners for PCs will be the market driver, with retail prices falling below $300 during 2000, providing a low-cost entry point for consumers. The overall market for 8-VSB tuner/demodulators in the US will be slow to start, but will quickly pick up, with shipments topping 11 million units during 2002. Beyond 2002, the satellite broadcasting market will drive 8-VSB because it gives EchoStar and DirecTV a “selling item” in their on-going battle to win over cable TV subscribers.


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Sixt Rent-a-Car, the global mobility provider with more than 2,200 locations in over 100 countries, is renowned around the world for affordable luxury—offering premium vehicles, world-class service, and competitive pricing. Tomorrow, July 24—in its 6th grand opening of 2018—Sixt is rolling out its first New York City location with the bold style the brand has been celebrated for in Europe.
The company is dubbing New York City’s famed Sixth Avenue as “Sixt Avenue” for the day. A parade of premium black Cadillacs will make scheduled stops around NYC to show journalists what Sixt is now offering.
Operating in the United States since 2011, Sixt recently revealed it has already grown to the #4 car rental brand in America, with 2017 revenue at $366 million.
In 2018 alone, Sixt has opened a new location at the San Antonio International Airport, moved into an upgraded facility at the Tampa International Airport, and opened a new location at the Fort Myers International Airport. Last year, Sixt unveiled a newly-expanded offering at its flagship space in the Miami International Airport and at its Seattle-Tacoma International Airport location, launched a new location at the San Diego International Airport, and moved into its new North American corporate headquarters in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. The company has grown to over 750 employees and serves more than 53 rental locations located in California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Washington, Texas, Connecticut, New Jersey, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Arizona, and Massachusetts.
Sixt SE has its registered headquarters in Pullach near Munich and is a leading international provider of high-quality mobility services for business and corporate customers as well as private travelers. With representations in over 100 countries worldwide Sixt is continually expanding its presence. The Company’s strengths the high proportion of premium cars in the vehicle fleet, its employees’ consistent service orientation and a good price-performance ratio. Taken together these strengths have given Company an excellent market position. Sixt was founded in 1912 and maintains alliances with renowned brands in the hotel industry, well-known airlines and numerous prominent service providers in the tourism sector. The Sixt Group generates revenues of EUR 2.6 billion (2017).


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US lawmakers hope to use Facebook's 'oil spill' privacy mishap to usher in sweeping new laws
Posted in: Surveillance & Privacy at 26/03/2018 00:00
It was October 2010, and two members of Congress were furious with Facebook. In the eyes of then-Rep. Edward J. Markey and Rep. Joe Barton, the company had failed its users in allowing app developers to take personal data from them and their friends — and transmit it to marketers.
Fretting that those “series of breaches of consumer privacy” had affected millions on the social site, the bipartisan duo then sought to issue Facebook a subtle warning, touting the “comprehensive privacy legislation [that] is currently pending” on Capitol Hill.


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Cryptocurrency can\u2019t be stopped, must be regulated, say several members at parliamentary panel meet
An understanding was visible that cryptocurrency can’t be stopped but it must be regulated in the meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance with industry associations and experts on the matter of crypto finance.
There was a consensus that a regulatory mechanism should be put in place to regulate cryptocurrency. Industry associations and stakeholders were not clear as to who should be the regulator, sources said.
Security of investors’ money was the most serious concern expressed by MPs at the meeting. An MP expressed concern over full-page crypto ads in national dailies. Experts said that cryptocurrencies are some sort of investors' democracy, according to sources.
"MPs (Members of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance) now want the government officials to appear before it and address their concerns," said sources on the meeting of the committee with industry associations and experts on the matter of crypto finance.
The parliamentary panel was chaired by BJP leader Jayant Sinha, discussed the pros and cons of crypto finance with various stakeholders, and several members were in favour of regulating crypto-currency exchanges rather than imposing an outright ban on crypto-currencies, according to sources.
The meeting took place against the backdrop of rising concerns in various quarters about crypto-currencies and the possible risks emanating from trading in them, especially since there is a growing interest in such assets worldwide.
No outright ban on cryptocurrencies in India at present
Currently, there are neither specific regulations nor an outright ban on use of crypto-currencies in the country.
Representatives of crypto exchanges, Block chain and Crypto Assets Council (BACC), industry bodies as well as academicians and other stakeholders submitted their views before the panel, whose meeting also happened days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held discussions with senior officials from various ministries and RBI on the issue of crypto-currencies.
This is the first meeting on the subject that was convened by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance. The panel is chaired by Sinha, who is also a former Minister of State for Finance.
The sources said that broadly the panel members wanted regulations for crypto currency exchanges and were not in favour of banning crypto currencies. Some Congress members in the panel told PTI that there are significant challenges in banning crypto currencies.
The broad view of the panel was that a Chinese wall should be put in place on crypto currencies' fungiblity in the real world and its interface with the real world should be regulated, they added.
Currency is a domain of the sovereign whereby its value is fixed in assured manner and crypto currency is a computer programme managed in distributed format on internet. Its value is only discovered by a buyer and user on an exchange which itself is illegal, they noted.
One of the members even wondered how crypto currencies are going to be regulated when even regulating the internet remains difficult. Members also expressed concerns about the possibility of crypto currencies being used for financing terror activities.
In the morning, panel Chairman Sinha said the meeting on crypto finance will discuss the opportunities and challenges this fast evolving industry presents to the regulators and policy makers.
"We have called stakeholders from across the industry, including operators of major exchanges, members of CII as well as academics from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad, who have done a very thorough study on the crypto finance," Sinha told PTI.
Further, he said the panel has called representatives from the India Internet and Mobile Association of India, of which Blockchain and Crypto Assets Council (BACC), a specific body that deals with crypto finance players.
"We will hear from them about their views on the right regulatory framework for this industry as it continues to develop and evolve," he said.
On March 4, 2020, the Supreme Court set aside an RBI circular of April 6, 2018, prohibiting banks and entities regulated by it from providing services in relation to virtual currencies.
On February 5, 2021, the central bank instituted an internal panel to suggest a model for the central bank's digital currency.
The RBI had announced its intent to come out with an official digital currency amid proliferation of crypto currencies about which the central bank has concerns.
ALSO READ | Indian government aims to block irresponsible crypto ads
ALSO READ | No plans to make crypto an accepted method of payment anytime soon: Apple CEO Tim Cook
Latest Business News


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DETROIT — Ford Motor Co. wants to place its lagging Lincoln nameplate back on consumers’ shopping lists with an ambitious marketing campaign that draws on its heritage and includes the upscale brand’s first-ever Super Bowl spot.
The campaign blitz got under way on Monday and features a 60-second TV commercial that opens with an image of an actor playing Abraham Lincoln, the U.S. president after whom the brand is named. Ford has also renamed the brand the Lincoln Motor Co., which was its original name when Ford purchased it in 1922. Since 1940 it had been the Lincoln Division of the Ford Motor Co.
The moves are part of the second-largest U.S. automaker’s latest effort to reinvent Lincoln two decades after its sales peak. Lincoln faces challenges in the increasingly competitive U.S. luxury vehicle market, starting with its musty brand image.
In 2011, Lincoln sales were just 85,643 — less than half the amount sold by Lexus, Toyota Motor Co.’s upscale brand.
“Nobody is waiting for the next ad message from Lincoln,” Matt VanDyke, director of global Lincoln marketing, said in an interview. “We have to shout from the rooftops.”
Under Chief Executive Alan Mulally, Ford pruned its stable of brands over the last six years to pay for its financial turnaround. Ford initially focused on its mainstream lineup but in the last few years began to turn its attention to Lincoln.
By 2015, Ford will launch seven new or revamped Lincolns, starting with the new MKZ sedan, which will be in dealerships by the end of this month. Mr. Mulally and Jim Farley, Ford’s global marketing chief and new head of Lincoln, marked the campaign’s launch in New York’s Lincoln Center Plaza on Monday.
The MKZ will start at $35,925, or about the same as its archrival, the Lexus ES 350. A hybrid version is the same price.
A commercial during the Super Bowl, the most heavily watched annual event on U.S. television, is designed to quickly reach a large, broad audience and highlight the brand’s new direction.
Ford wants to lower the average age of Lincoln buyers to 57 from 65 years old, and raise the target average income more than 50 percent to nearly $160,000 a year.
“This is how Lincoln started. This is how we will become great again,” Ford says in print advertisements that began appearing in major newspapers and online media Monday.
Lincoln is partnering with late-night talk show host and comedian Jimmy Fallon to spark interest ahead of the Super Bowl on social media networks like Twitter. Fallon has more than 7 million followers, while Ford has about 173,000.
Fallon reaches a different demographic for Lincoln, which has featured “Mad Men” actor John Slattery in its television advertisements for the last two years.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Everyone will need to have photo taken for new ID card
The Central Electoral Board (JCE) has announced that the 18-month campaign to renew ID cards (cedulas) in the Dominican Republic will reach seven million people. A promotional campaign is starting this month to provide details on the new ID card that reportedly includes 20 security mechanisms, a non-visual chip and a barcode. The card is scheduled to begin to be issued at the end of the first quarter of the year, said JCE president Roberto Rosario. The first ID card will be free but everyone will have to have a photo taken and supply data at 146 centers and mobile units that will be installed nationwide. The cards will be issued to citizens, legally resident foreigners and minors.
Category: DR News |


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The Army HoloLens deal comes a year and a half after Microsoft received a cloud contract from the Pentagon, which Amazon has been challenging in federal court.
Big software acquirers have been quiet this year as hefty market multiples among cloud providers made deals too expensive.
Tech's five biggest companies all report earnings this week, giving investors one last look at results before next week's election.
IBM is going all-in on the cloud, and John Petrides of Tocqueville Asset Management said it's about to undergo a Microsoft-type transformation.
Two months after Dell confirmed it was considering a spinoff, VMware's Pat Gelsinger weighs in on why that move could be beneficial.
Stock futures were higher as Washington negotiates the next relief package, Eli Lilly announces late-stage trial for Covid-19 drug.
TikTok has said U.S. user data is stored in the country itself with a backup in Singapore and that its data centers were located outside China.
Microsoft tried a variety of tactics to grow Mixer, but ultimately shuttered the service to focus on other gaming products that have better prospects.
A new analysis from Spencer Stuart shows that Blacks only accounted for 11% of new directors over the past year.
Zoom's decision to go with Oracle's cloud was a surprise, until Google announced that it was giving away a competitive product and Microsoft showed huge growth in Teams
Microsoft beat estimates on the top and bottom lines, and it said coronavirus impact was minimal.
As of Tuesday, more than 415,000 cases of coronavirus have been reported, resulting in at least 18,000 deaths.
Bernie Sanders is getting more cash than any other candidate from tech employees, but Bernie anxiety has led many in the industry to support Mike Bloomberg.
Sam Kaufmann has been developing Windows games for a decade, so when Microsoft said it was cutting ad support for apps, he had to turn to his own ad network.
Amazon has entered an extremely exclusive Wall Street club. Traders aren't buying into its trillion-dollar story, though. Here's the tech name they prefer.
At Davos, Big Tech — companies like Microsoft and Google — used their airtime to call for more regulation around A.I. But more regulation could help Big Tech, which is able to comply with complex and costly rules, become even more powerful.
Tech companies are speaking out in support of a proposed rule that aims to put a stop to information blocking in the medical sector.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella called for rules around artificial intelligence uses such as facial recognition as a growing number of technology executives, including Alphabet's CEO, call for the technology to be regulated.
U.S. stock futures were pointing to more records at Friday's open on Wall Street after the Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq closed Thursday at all-time highs.
"Profitable is the key word, but problems is the other key word for people and planet," Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella told "Mad Money" host Jim Cramer.


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New Britain, Conn.-based Flight Trampoline Park plans to open a facility at 30a Post Road off Central Avenue in Colonie in May. The trampoline park is one of at least 10 parks planned in the Northeast. One park, in New Britain, already is open.
Flight Trampoline Park describes itself as a “cutting-edge entertainment, fitness and sports facility” that features a variety of trampolines. More details are on its Facebook page, Flight Trampoline Park Albany.


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At first glance, modern earnings from
didn’t have a great deal in common, with the former slicing its outlook though the latter offered strong steering.
However looking more carefully may point out that customers continue to have an appetite for residence improvement, while their shelling out is shifting.
Late Tuesday, Whirlpool (ticker: WHR) delivered a combined first quarter, and warned that the North American appliance industry won’t increase this yr, a a lot much more conservative forecast than it had issued previously, when it noted that the industry could climb as substantially as 3%.
Whirlpool acquired a boost all through the pandemic as extra individuals stayed at house, with the stock achieving all-time highs in the to start with fifty percent of 2021. However it’s not astonishing that the company sees a rockier highway in advance. Shares are down 20.2% so much this year.
People do not have to have to buy extended-lived appliances very frequently—meaning that new washer they received during the initial lockdown is nonetheless heading sturdy. Whirlpool also is nevertheless working with increased input expenses, significantly soaring steel price ranges, as properly as supply chain disruptions.
Whirlpool, like quite a few other corporations, have handed on a good deal of all those greater expenditures to the client, as evidenced by the strong margins in its North American enterprise in the very first quarter. Still increased rates could be the genuine sticking issue, as consumers are placing off purchases they may need to finance in the deal with of rising fascination premiums.
“Consumers are postponing massive ticket buys like house renovations and furniture,” writes Jefferies’ analyst Jonathan Matuszewski, next his firm’s the latest study of extra than 3,400 purchasers. The conclusions discovered that 38% of respondents are waiting around to pull the bring about on more highly-priced products “to decrease the effect of larger costs.”
That is a worry—and it dovetails with Whirlpool’s effects. Nonetheless, it’s not an overpowering greater part of people, and it could not be a common harbinger of harder instances for residence advancement over-all. Final week, UBS analyst Michael Lasser met with
(High definition) management crew, which include its chief executive and chief money officers, who “offered a self-assured and upbeat tone.”
Lasser highlighted that Property Depot “hasn’t observed proof of a drop off in significant ticket objects or buyers buying and selling down” and that it has not noticed people pulling back again like they did in preceding recessions. “In 2000, Dwelling Depot witnessed that consumers traded down to far more opening rate points,” he added. “During the economic downturn in the 2007-2008 period, the corporation observed a sizable fall in large ticket.”
On a brighter take note, this early morning Sherwin-Williams’ (SHW) very first quarter came in in advance of anticipations, as did its reaffirmed total-12 months steering.
Sherwin-Williams’ do-it-your self enterprise saw a decrease in comparable gross sales, though that was in opposition to especially superior year-back levels, while its professional corporations all showed raises. The organization noted that price increases it has enacted really should assistance to relieve margin tension, but that shouldn’t weigh as well seriously on demand, supplied its sturdy outlook. The inventory is down about 23% this calendar year.
In addition, Sherwin-Williams said that it is looking at increased availability of raw products. With prior shortages it had prioritized professional clients, so easing constraints is great information, presented that it could totally free up additional goods for buyers, “which should facilitate volume restoration in a sturdy desire environment,” writes CFRA analyst Richard Wolfe.
The reality that Sherwin-Williams is nevertheless upbeat about the 12 months may possibly point out that although customers are reducing back thanks to document inflation, they are not thoroughly forgoing house advancement, as an alternative focusing on much less costly initiatives.
The enterprise cited strength in its architectural and industrial conclusion markets, but its Americas business—Sherwin-Williams’ biggest division which accounts for additional than 50 % of sales—includes crucial types like property upkeep, new household buildings and residential repaint. Therefore its robust forecast is a favourable sign for household investing. Indeed, in its push launch, Sherwin-Williams explained that “backlogs continue being strong” in its Americas organization.
Previously this month, Barron’s argued that property-advancement stores experienced fallen way too considerably, offered that there are variables that can spur people to maintain enhancing their dwelling spaces even if the housing industry ultimately begins to amazing. The current commentary from Sherwin-Williams and Household Depot’s executive staff echoes that sentiment.
Although it can make feeling for traders to be relatively careful about housing in the facial area of climbing fascination charges and raising unaffordability, that does not essentially necessarily mean that residence enhancement will tumble in tandem.
Moreover, any easing of inflation could direct to individuals paying again as “delayed expend is diverse from forgone invest,” Matuszewski writes. “Home rate appreciation will limit the influence on home-enhancement outlays.”
Even if a postpandemic America means we’re home staring at the walls significantly less usually, there is nonetheless a lot of cause to continue to keep them looking fresh new.
Publish to Teresa Rivas at [email protected]


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A scan of radio groups' 2022 third-quarter earnings reveals a common theme: digital revenue is one of the biggest growth areas for the industry. Double-digit revenue increases from digital were reported by iHeartMedia (+23.4%), Beasley Media Group (+23.2%), and Townsquare Media (+16.6%).
The dollars, of course, follow content, whether that be radio station audio streams, podcast and on-demand content, or website posts. Digital priorities at radio in 2023 include content creation, a continued focus on podcasting, providing a first-rate user experience, and, of course, increasing revenue.
“We have many digital goals to grow in the digital space next year (and beyond),” Hubbard Radio VP of Digital Strategy Jeremy Sinon tells Inside Radio. “Our goals mostly fall into three categories: new content/digital audience building; digital marketing and growth (very social media heavy); and revenue.”
Beasley has been raising its targets for digital revenue each year. In 2023, its digital ad goal is “to represent 30% of our overall revenue,” Chief Revenue Officer Tina Murley says. To help reach that goal, the company acquired a white-label digital agency in June 2022, “which will allow Beasley to expand its customer base and offer diversified revenue streams,” Murley explains.
Streaming And Podcasting
In order to achieve digital revenue goals, a company’s digital content output must be spot on.
With 12% of listening to broadcast radio taking place via station streams (Edison Share Of Ear), companies continue to improve and build upon the listening (and revenue opportunities) taking place on station apps, streaming platforms, and smart speaker capabilities.
“We not only continue to iterate and evolve our owned and operated platforms like the iHeartRadio app for IOS and Android, but we also see huge growth on smart speakers, on [electronic programming guide] channels across OTT platforms like Roku and Xumo,” iHeartMedia Digital Audio Group CEO Conal Byrne says.
“A first-class streaming experience with our stations is something that Hubbard has prioritized and worked very hard at for more than a decade,” Sinon adds. “Thanks to that focus we have built our own proprietary streaming platform which we are constantly evolving. We are continually adding new features and abilities that we believe enhance listener interaction, enhance time spent listening, and simply enhance the user experience overall.”
In 2022, Beasley updated its station-specific mobile apps and continues to utilize “the latest technology to improve the speed and functionality to ensure the listener experience is ideal on every platform,” Murley points out. “We are also exploring integrating the QUU visual technology into our station apps so listeners will have a similar experience when streaming our content from a mobile app as they do over the air.”
In addition to broadcast content, station apps and websites also offer podcasts and on-demand audio content, which continues to be a digital focus among radio groups in 2023.
“Podcasting continues to be a huge growth engine for iHeartMedia with 59% of listeners trusting podcast hosts more than social media influencers, resulting in 60% having purchased something that they heard about in a podcast,” Byrne says. “This of course means that 54% of marketers, who currently use podcasts as an advertising vehicle, plan to spend even more next year. This medium is working for advertisers and therefore we will continue to support and invest in it.”
“Podcasts have shown us that there is an opportunity to have an audience in that space and still drive the audience back to radio,” Radio One/Reach Media Senior VP/Programming Colby Tyner adds. Reach Media recently added a syndicated radio show and podcast that is hosted by actress/comedian Amanda Seales to its offerings. The podcast version includes additional content not heard on the national radio show. “This approach so far has given us listeners in over 372 cities nationwide plus a global audience in places where we don’t have any affiliates yet we can see the data growing in real-time daily and it helps to recruit more affiliates to take the radio version of the show,” Tyner continues.
Hubbard’s local podcast focus has resulted in success with “digital exclusive” local brands, Sinon says. “Some of these were started several years ago, others are new as of this past year,” he explains. “We are very encouraged with these [podcasts] not only on their growing audiences but also growing revenue. We are very bullish in this area and fully expect to keep pursuing opportunities to create local digital brands where it makes sense.”
Whether broadcasting, podcasting, or writing click-worthy web content, growing digital revenue depends on content creators.
“Local talent is vital to our content strategy,” Murley says. “We believe every community is unique and should be served live and local content. What better way to engage with a local community than to have someone in that community speak with them?”
Byrne says, “At our core, we are a vast network of influencers and that extends down to the hyper-local level. From article content to social media growth to, of course, audio, radio, and podcasting.”


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Pininfarina unveils more details of the 250mph rocket ship set to be the world’s fastest car
Brilliant design company Pininfarina has unveiled new images and sketches of a 250+mph all-electric hypercar that’s poised to be the world’s fastest street-legal production car.
Known as the Automobili Pininfarina PF0 concept, the model is said to be capable of doing 0-60 mph in less than two seconds.
If this is achieved in an actual street-legal production car, it would make it the fastest car in the world from 0-60 mph.
Pininfarina also says the car will exceed the 250mph barrier and will be the most powerful Italian car ever built.
Due to the complexities of vehicle production and modification, it can be hard to compare fast cars.
However, under rules governing production cars – as opposed to special one-off or small-run vehicles – the world’s fastest car by acceleration is the Porsche 918 Spyder. It hit 0-60 in 2.2 seconds with a hybrid-electric naturally aspirated engine.
The next fastest is the all-electric Tesla Model S P100D in Ludicrous trim (2.28 seconds).
If the Pininfarina defeats 2.0 seconds in a production version, it should become the world’s fastest car by acceleration.
However, since there is some time – perhaps until 2020 - until the car reaches production stage, rivals like Porsche, Tesla, Dodge, Lamborghini, Ferrari and Bugatti may well have plans to stop that.
This week Pininfarina released new exterior and interior images of its PF0 concept hypercar ahead of it being presented exclusively to prospective owners at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in Monterey, California on 22 August.
Pininfarina – now owned by Indian car maker Mahindra & Mahindra - says no more than 150 PF0 hypercars to be created from 2020, each hand-crafted in Cambiano, Italy.
The car will be cloaked in a “visually stunning body” created from carbon fibre, with “extreme” levels of technology and functional design.
Performance will be “staggering” for a road car: a stated ambition to accelerate to 62 mph in less than two seconds, break the 250 mph top speed barrier, and provide a potential zero-emissions range of over 300 miles.
Automobili Pininfarina boss Michael Perschke said: “Numerous design icons from Pininfarina’s incredible history have won awards at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, so I am excited to present a future Pininfarina classic to prospective owners in close proximity to this famous event.
“Our presence in Monterey is an inspiring chapter in the story of realising Battista Farina’s long-held dream: one day there will be beautiful cars solely branded Pininfarina.
“These special VIP previews mean that future PF0 owners, most of whom will undoubtedly own numerous modern and historic classics, have an opportunity right now to be part of the birth of the company and their hypercar.”
Automobili Pininfarina design director Luca Borgogno said: “Our objective with the exterior of PF0 is to design timeless beauty in every aspect, and the interior is equally important. Pininfarina’s design values of elegance and simplicity present us with a fantastic opportunity to stand out from the styling of most current sports and hypercars.
“Our guests in Pebble Beach have huge affinity for Italian sports cars. I am certain they will value our commitment to ensure PF0 is designed and hand-crafted in Turin. It is the birthplace of some of the most revered sports and luxury cars ever created.”
Belfast Telegraph Digital


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The company generated positive cash from operations in the second quarter.
Israeli medical cannabis company InterCure Ltd. (NASDAQ: INCR) (TASE: INCR) announced its financial results for the first half of 2023 ending June 30, reporting record revenue of C$75 million for the first half and C$36 million for the second quarter, representing a year-over-year growth of 14% and 8%, respectively.
This marks the “seventh consecutive half-year of growth” for the company, which runs a slew of dispensaries in the Holy Land, including Berner’s Cookies dispensaries in Israel and Austria. Additionally, the company reported a gross profit of C$24 million for the first half and C$12 million for the second quarter, and generated positive cash from operations in the second quarter but negative cash in the first half worth C$6 million. Adjusted EBITDA came out to C$11 million, representing 14% of revenue and $5 million for the second quarter.
In a statement, InterCure’s CEO, Alexander Rabinovitch, expressed pride in the company’s performance during the period.
“I am proud of our team ability to execute despite some challenging market conditions when big players are exiting the space,” he said.
He also mentioned that they are encouraged by the new regulations in Israel and Germany and are keeping an eye on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ evaluation supporting cannabis to be classified as a Schedule 3 drug by the DEA.
InterCure said it had solid demand for its Canndoc branded products, launching more than 20 new products and adding 18 new strains of cannabis to its cultivation operation. The company also signed a collaboration agreement with Mike Tyson’s cannabis brand, TYSON 2.0, granting them exclusive rights to cultivate, manufacture, sell, market, and distribute TYSON 2.0 products in certain territories.
InterCure voluntarily delisted its shares from the Toronto Stock Exchange as it “did not offer substantial benefits,” but its shares continue to be traded on Nasdaq and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange.
The company noted that the new reform in Israeli medical cannabis regulations announced earlier this month is expected to increase the number of patients and demand for medical cannabis products in Israel after a period of stagnation.
A lawsuit against InterCure was dismissed during the period and the parties agreed on a binding arbitration process. The company plans to launch its GMP products in the U.K. and Germany in the fourth quarter of 2023 and the first quarter of 2024.
Cash and restricted cash at the end of the period was over C$42 million, with financial assets of C$25 million.
Read More Feedzy


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by Brent Dirks
October 2, 2013
Just a few months after introducing the Flex fitness tracker to the market, Fitbit is already planning a sequel. According to The Verge, the company will soon release the Force. While the design is very similar to the Flex, the pictured wristband will come with a few additions, including a built-in altimeter, a significantly improved display, and watch functionality. The altimeter will measure a user’s current altitude and drive the new "Floors" statistic that will show how many flights have been traveled each day. Partially water resistant, the Force can also be used as a watch and will sport a physical button that will allow users to cycle through the settings and features of the wristband. The Force will apparently retail for $129.95, $30 more than the Flex. Users will be able to select from a blue or black version of two different sizes – small and large. No availability date is known, but the site has seen a number of promotional renders, photographs, and even a sizing guide, so it looks to be sooner than later. Just yesterday, to honor Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Fitbit announced a pink special edition of the Flex that will be available at Apple Stores and through the company’s site. Fitbit will donate $10 to the American Cancer Society for each Flex purchased. Earlier this month, the Fitbit app was updated to version 2.0 that added iOS 7 optimization and background syncing.


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Graphics chip specialist NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) has been rolling out cards based on its newest Turing architecture for the past eight months. It began with the RTX 20 series, a set of high-end graphics cards featuring dedicated hardware designed for the computationally intensive task of ray tracing. Those pricey cards were followed by the GTX 16 series, which dropped the ray-tracing hardware and focused on mid-range and low-end price points.
The latest Turing card from NVIDIA, announced on April 23, is the GTX 1650. This $149 graphics card replaces the GTX 1050, providing up to 70% better performance for a price tag that is 37% higher. That's a better price/performance trade-off than some of NVIDIA's higher-end cards, but it continues NVIDIA's price-boosting strategy.
In this case, NVIDIA's penchant for raising prices could backfire, opening a door for rival Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ: AMD).
An unorthodox launch
NVIDIA typically allows the news media to test its new graphics cards prior to launch, so tech-focused outlets have plenty of time to run them through their paces before they become available to the public. Not so with the GTX 1650. NVIDIA has chosen to skip that step this time around, even withholding the software drivers necessary to use the card.
AnandTech, an online publication, called this move from NVIDIA "very unorthodox (if not outright underhanded)." With reviews for the GTX 1650 starting to trickle out, it's now clear why NVIDIA chose this path.
It's not that the GTX 1650 is a bad product. It provides a huge performance boost over the previous-generation product, and it does so using very little power. It allows PC gamers to play most games at a 1080p resolution without compromising much on graphical bells and whistles.
The real problem for the GTX 1650 is the competition. By raising the price by so much, NVIDIA has launched a product that doesn't compare favorably to a two-year-old graphics card from AMD. The AMD RX 570, launched in April of 2017, outperforms the GTX 1650 in most gaming tests run by the tech site Tom's Hardware, and some models feature twice the memory. The high-memory version can be found for as little as $140, and the lower-memory version is even cheaper.
The only area where the GTX 1650 trounces the RX 570 is in power efficiency. The GTX 1650 is rated at a thermal design power of 75 watts, half that of the RX 570. The fact that NVIDIA is able to provide slightly worse performance but use half the power is a technical achievement for the company.
But in cases where that extra power consumption isn't a major factor, the aging RX 570 wins the day. Not only does it beat the GTX 1650 in performance, but it's also cheaper to boot. NVIDIA could have had a winner on its hands had it kept the price close to that of the $109 GTX 1050. But the company seems to be addicted to extracting increasing amounts of cash from its customers.
Navi is coming
The tail-end of NVIDIA's Turing launch comes as AMD is preparing to unveil its next-generation Navi graphics cards. The company hasn't revealed much, but a focus on the mid-range of the market seems likely. With AMD's two-year-old cards standing their ground against NVIDIA's latest offerings in terms of performance and price, AMD has an opportunity to make NVIDIA's price-boosting strategy look downright foolish with Navi.
AMD has struggled to steal market share from NVIDIA over the years, so Navi being a winner is far from a guarantee. But with NVIDIA aggressively raising prices, AMD could knock the graphics chip leader down a peg or two.
10 stocks we like better than NVIDIA
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David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the ten best stocks for investors to buy right now... and NVIDIA wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.


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TDK HDD Roadmap Shows Possible 3.2TB Drives Page: 1
TDK Roadmap is very promising!
Ever since they announced a range of SSDs earlier this year, they have been very quiet. However, now we can see why. They are planning to compete with the big players in the HDD market, such as Seagate and Western Digital.
If all goes according to plan then we could see 2TB hard drives in 3.5" format and 640GB hard drives in 2.5" format by early 2010. The information came from a presentation to financial analysts and states "current highest density read/write heads it is mass producing are for 250GB/platter 2.5" or small form factor (SFF) drives and for 500GB/platter 3.5" disk drives."
The roadmap, explains how the company plans to make the move to 320GB per platter for 2.5" drives, and it shows that mass production could start as early as a few months from now. This means that 640GB 2.5" HDDs aren't far away, and there's even the possibility that three-platter 960GB notebook drives could be created from this move. These new drives are expected to be 5400RPM, with 7200RPM variants coming as soon as the head and media technologies improve.
As for the 3.5" drives, TDK say they are looking to move from 500GB platters to 640GB platters, with the possibility of a four-platter 2.5TB drive that could hit the market by early next year. If this goes well then we could even be seeing a 3.2TB five-platter model from later on. If this is successful then we can guarentee that the other manufacturers won't be far behind.


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“The total cash consideration for the proposed acquisition, will be calculated based on an aggregate premium equivalent to S$915 million plus the net asset value of the consumer business as at completion,” UOB said in a statement on Friday.
SINGAPORE, Jan 14 (Reuters) – Singapore lender United Overseas Bank (UOB) (UOBH.SI) has agreed to buy Citigroup’s (C.N) consumer businesses in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam for about S$4.915 billion ($3.65 billion).
It said Citigroup’s consumer business in these markets had an aggregate net asset value of about S$4 billion and a customer base of about 2.4 million as at 30 June 2021. These generated income of about S$0.5 billion in the first half of 2021, UOB said.
($1 = 1.3456 Singapore dollars)
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com
Reporting by Anshuman Daga in Singapore and Indranil Sarkar in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Check the latest news about business news section for best information.


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» Archive by category 'Mitsubishi'
Three new items demonstrate the style of future Mitsubishi brand models. This fact became known earlier this month in
The trinity of mismatching concepts has recently attracted a lot of attention, and deservedly so. Not too often, but
Mitsubishi is famous auto manufacture in the world that always creates best car for all people in the world.
2014 Mitsubishi Eclipse Appears with Better Features Before the news about 2014 Mitsubishi Eclipse released, there were some negative
2015 Mitsubishi Outlander size is not as big as the Pajero Sport, or other SUV models from Mitsubishi. However,
2015 Mitsubishi Lancer Is Bearing Down Its Competitors : What can you say when you hear 2015 Mitsubishi Lancer?
2014 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution is the latest innovation which is created by one of the most credible car companies


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Italian researchers trying to find a use for leftover hemp biomass have created a skunky drink quite unlike other infused beverages currently hitting the market.
In a study published in the Food Chemistry journal, researchers created a hemp-flavoured beer and liquor using essential oils made from hemp flowers.
The study used French cultivar Futura 75 and Ukrainian cultivar Uso 31, both used in hemp fibre production. Futura 75 is noted for its adaptability to grow at different altitudes and Uso 31 for its salinity, or salt water, tolerance.
Normally, hemp is harvested for its fibre or seeds and the rest of the plant is tossed out, but that could be a missed opportunity, say the researchers. Hemp flowers, often considered a byproduct waste, can be harvested for an essential oil which is an “ideal flavouring agent in the beer brewing.”
To make the “Hempitaly” beer, a brewer in Pisa, Italy, added the two cultivars to a beer three times during the brewing process.
The fermentation process kills any cannabinoids in the beer, so just the flavouring is added to the brew. In the European Union, hemp crops have to have less than 0.2 per cent THC which is slightly lower than in the United States, where hemp crops have to be below 0.3 per cent THC.
The final bottled beer product featured pinene, myrcene and terpinolene terpenes, known for their respective pine tree, earthy and floral notes. This created a hemp beer that was sweet and balsamic, according to the study.
The hemp liqueur, by contrast, was reportedly sweetly piney with woody and floral notes.
“The enrichment of the beer headspace did not alter the overall beer-flavour. Compared to the beer, instead, the liqueur retained more hemp-derived compounds, exhibiting them in its headspace and, thus, in its aroma bouquet,” the study reads.
So, maybe hemp-flavoured brews won’t follow in the same footsteps as IPAs or farmhouse saisons — which took the global craft beer market by storm — but it’s important for the hemp industry to get creative with the crop’s by-product, note the authors.
“As the need for a circular economy, with a more sustainable profile, arises, hemp flowers might and should be considered an exploitable by-product,” they wrote.
According to the study, hemp essential oils should be considered a value-add product that can be used in many things beyond adding flavour to brews.
Hemp crops could be used to naturally control pests and weeds in other agriculture, as hemp essential oils chemically stop the germination and seeding of some weeds, the study read. Hemp essential oil is also toxic to an invasive snail species plaguing rice fields and works as a biopesticide against mosquitoes, houseflies and moths — which could then help reduce infection rates of yellow fever and Dengue, according to the study.
Top image via Deposit Photos (image unrelated to the hemp-infused beer brewed in the study)


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The next step for Windows 10 is to move beyond its status as a product users need to become a product customers actively love, Microsoft’s Chief Product Officer has claimed.
In discussion with fellow executive Brad Anderson at Microsoft Ignite, Panos Panay set out his vision for the Windows platform moving forward, in the context of the ongoing pandemic.
“How are we going to reinvigorate Windows in the future? Well, I want to move Windows from people needing it – and knowing they need it – to loving and wanting it,” he said.
“It’s something that people use all day long, especially now. And so it has to be something that people want and gravitate to.”
“That’s what we’re working towards – and there’s never been more investment in Windows than right now,” he added.
Windows 10 devices
The pair went on to discuss the new challenges facing IT teams as a result of the pandemic, especially when it comes to provisioning Windows 10 devices.
According to Anderson, who heads up Commercial Management Experiences, the demand for PCs and laptops at the start of the pandemic was so extraordinary that companies were struggling to source devices for newly remote staff.
“I was on two or three calls with CIOs every day, each wondering how to react [to the pandemic] – and many of whom had to deploy thousands or tens of thousands of PCs to their users,” he said.
“We saw hundreds of millions of new PCs come


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SAIC's software arm SAIC Z-ONE will build a smart driving platform using two Journey 5 chips, which will be used in SAIC's models to be launched in 2023.
(Image credit: Horizon Robotics)
SAIC, China's largest automaker, entered into a strategic partnership with local self-driving chipmaker Horizon Robotics on July 18 to build smart driving computing platforms based on the latter's AI chips.
SAIC's software arm SAIC Z-ONE will build a smart driving platform using two Journey 5 chips, which will be used in SAIC's models to be mass-produced in 2023, according to a press release from Horizon Robotics on Monday.
The Journey 5 chip is Horizon Robotics' third-generation automotive chip for high-level autonomous driving, combining high performance and large computing power, the chipmaker said.
A single Journey 5 chip has up to 128 TOPS of AI computing power and is equipped with Horizon Robotics' latest generation BPU Bayesian deep learning acceleration engine, it said.
The Journey 6 chip, built on the new BPU Nash architecture, is being developed to achieve a multi-fold increase in AI computing power and will meet the future demand for higher-level computing for full-vehicle intelligence centers, Horizon Robotics said.
SAIC Z-ONE will also build a smart driving platform based on the Journey 6 chip, which will be used in SAIC's models due for mass production in 2025.
Horizon Robotics, founded in 2015, launched the Journey 2 chip in 2019, the first automotive-grade AI chip in China. Its Journey 3 chip is already being used in the 2021 Li ONE model.
On July 29, 2021, Horizon Robotics launched the Journey 5 chip, with plans to launch the Journey 5P in 2022 and the Journey 6 chip in 2023.
By the end of 2021, Horizon Robotics' cumulative shipments of its Journey family of chips exceeded 1 million, according to data previously announced by the company.
Horizon Robotics and SAIC began a strategic partnership in 2017, with SAIC participating in its Series B funding round in 2019 as the top institutional shareholder. 2020 saw the formation of a joint lab between the two companies.
Late last month, Horizon Robotics announced that it had closed a strategic investment from FAW Group, without disclosing the amount of the investment.
The investments will be used to strengthen Horizon Robotics' forward-looking technology development for AI chips and to advance the use of its technology, according to the company.
On May 12, XEV Lab, a WeChat account focused on the smart car industry, citing unnamed suppliers, reported that Nio was in the process of selecting software and hardware technology for its mass-market sub-brand of models and was evaluating Horizon Robotics' Journey 5 chip.
If things go well, the chip could be in mass production on Nio's sub-brand models in the fourth quarter of 2023, according to the report.


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By Liz Moyer
Investing.com -- U.S. stocks were rising on Wednesday as investors awaited the release of the Federal Reserve’s most recent meeting minutes, which could provide clues about where it will take interest rates next.
At 10:34 ET (15:34 GMT), the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 101 points or 0.3%, while the S&P 500 was up 0.6% and the Nasdaq was up 1%.
In recent days, Fed officials have made public statements that send mixed messages about the path of rate increases as the central bank tries to tame inflation. Many expect the Fed will raise rates by a half-percentage point, which would be smaller than the 0.75 percentage point increases it has made at each of its last four meetings.
New jobless claims for the last week came in slightly higher than expected, at 240,000 versus the forecast for 225,000. But durable goods orders for last month rose 1%, which is better than the expected 0.5%.
Retail earnings have also been a mixed bag. The electronics retailer Best Buy Co Inc (NYSE:BBY) offered a positive holiday sales forecast, while the upscale department store Nordstrom Inc (NYSE:JWN) cut its profit forecast because of merchandise discounts. Shares of Best Buy were up 1.1%, while Nordstrom was down 6.6%.
Agricultural equipment maker Deere&Company (NYSE:DE) shares rose 6.8% as the farm equipment maker reported a 75% jump in quarterly profit.
Oil fell. Crude Oil WTI Futures was down 4.8% to $77.08 a barrel, while Brent Oil Futures crude fell 4.5% to $84.37 a barrel. Gold Futures rose 0.1% to $1741.


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Update: Broly, Bardock and a commentator voice pack will be released on Wednesday, March 28.
Broly and Bardock are the first two of 8 characters coming as part of the FighterZ Pass, and arrive with their own dramatic fight ending scenes built in. "Relive like never before," reads Bandai Namco's press release, "the epic fight of Bardock against Frieza and the battle of Goku versus Broly.
The commentator voice pack will also allow Chichi, Videl and Android 18 to commentate on your matches.
A free update will follow the paid DLC, which will let players battle against members of other Z-Union factions. "They can already join the Z-Union to show their love for their favorite Dragon Ball Character and get rewards," reads the press release, "but competition will start in Spring".
Original story: The first two characters to join the Dragon Ball FighterZ roster as DLC are Broly and Bardock.
The announcement was spotted by Ryokutya2089 in the latest issue of V-Jump (via Gematsu). While a release date and price for the fighters have yet to be revealed, information about their Super Special Attacks was provided.
Bardock's Super Special Attack is called "Revenger Assault" and sees him transform into a Super Saiyan before charging forward into his opponent. Meanwhile, Broly's Super Special Attack, which consumes three bars of the energy gauge, is called "Gigantic Meteor" and fires a ball of energy.
Dragon Ball FighterZ was released on January 26 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Worldwide shipments reached two million units a week after launch, making it the fastest Dragon Ball game to reach the milestone.
For our thoughts on why "the pairing of DBZ and Arc System Works is a match made in fighting game heaven," read IGN's Dragon Ball FighterZ review. While you're at it, head over to our Dragon Ball FighterZ wiki and check out our character guide, tips on how to pick the best teams, and more.
Alex Osborn is a freelance writer for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @alexcosborn.


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24.4.2019Rivian gets $500 million investment from Ford
Ford has invested $500 million (£368m) in EV company Rivian, with the partnership set to deliver the US manufacturer a new pure-electric model.
Rivian has already developed a flexible 'skateboard' platform (below) for its R1 range - the R1T pick-up and R1S SUV - with quoted ranges in excess of 400 miles on a single charge available.
Battery sizes of 105 kWh, 135 kWh, and 180 kWh are set to be offered on the Rivian models, powered by four electric motors for all-wheel drive, and due in late 2020.
Ford is already working on developing a portfolio of electric vehicles, and confirmed a pure-electric Mustang-inspired crossover for 2020, plus an EV version of its best-selling F-150 pick-up. The Rivian platform would suit the latter ideally, it would seem.
Jim Hackett, Ford president and CEO, said: "As we continue in our transformation of Ford with new forms of intelligent vehicles and propulsion, this partnership with Rivian brings a fresh approach to both. At the same time, we believe Rivian can benefit from Ford's industrial expertise and resources."
Rivian will remain an independent company, and the funding is part of Ford's £11 billion investment in EVs. The deal is subject to regulatory approval.


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Dell unveiled three more Windows 8 computing devices during an invite-only event in San Francisco last week, following upin Berlin in August.
There are two themes that emerged from last week's event.
First, Dell is putting more of its resources and focus into a smaller portfolio of products, which could pay off bigger.
Second, the three new products have been designed with the BYOD (bring your own device) trend in mind, so they can be optimized and configured for either personal or professional usage -- or both.
Neil Hand, vice president of Dell's personal computing products group, cited during the event that at least half of U.S. workers share devices for work and personal use.
He continued on to say that this has shown how mobility has changed the market, but for IT, it's all about providing security and balance.
"Users need freedom. Businesses need control and management," Hand asserted. "The proliferation of devices is helping explode the amount of data for the consumer and business professional."
Here's a rundown on the three new Windows 8-based Dell computers, each one covering a major category all on its own: all-in-one PCs, laptops, and tablets.
- All-in-one design with 23-inch multi-touch display panel
- Targeted towards medium to large business customers but could also be used in the home
- Optimized for collaboration
- Commerical possibilities include being used at point-of-sale points as it can be readjusted to face the display horizontally rather than vertically
- First Ultrabook in Latitude series
- Designed for all-day computing in mind with 10 hours of battery life
- Users can swap out batteries, memory and even solid state drives for easier management when on-the-go
- Supports wireless docking
- Described as a "100 percent business-class tablet"
- 10-inch tablet with 18 hours of battery life
- Users can swap out batteries
- Connects to a docking solution that extends storage capabilities and enabled with full HDMI and multiple USB ports; Intended to boost productivity in office environment when docked
- Supports legacy apps as well as Windows 8
This is just a glimpse at what these products are about, and obviously there are many more specs involved. One of the big one to point out is that these are all running on Intel architectures, although only the tablet would not be supporting vPro technology.
All of them have different security options and what not, but the more obvious customer group with all of these products -- based on how Dell is trying to frame them -- is business and enterprise customers. Nevertheless, they all looked consumer-friendly at the same time.
That said, with a smaller Windows 8 portfolio compared to some competitors, this might actually pay off for Dell as it can focus on a few good products that could apply to everyone with more in-depth support. If it were to unveil a bunch of new Windows 8-based devices, there's the potential pitfalls of having a bunch of mediocre devices as well as just too many options, which always has the possibility to just leave customers confused.
Of course, this all depends really on the price points, which Dell hasn't revealed yet.
Given that reports of the Asus Windows 8 roadmap, Dell would do well to go below those -- especially with the tablet as consumers shopping for their own devices for both work and personal use can still easily turn to the iPad starting at $399 or even the upcoming .
Image via Dell


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A few months into the “new normal” of pandemic living and economic surprises, we see the continuation of innovation and strategic business schemes in the financial technology space. The cloud is not only a norm, but a vital aspect of most global businesses, pushing its advancements into new offerings such as Serverless and Multi-cloud services. Fintech companies are being watched carefully, as non-bank players come up with financial solutions that attract some and repel others. BigTech partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, and Cloud-first and regulatory-compliant-digital-banks, now add a new dimension to the financial technology market, paving the way for more challenges, but even more opportunities. Governments and the private sector continue to explore open banking, digital currencies, and other potential technologies that require regulatory reform. As they continue to observe the evolution of the financial customer profile and the growing dependancy between individuals and organizations, they realize their new need to have the capabilities to act quickly to global and national crises. Lastly, now that we are used to this “new normal,” we are once again focusing on financial inclusion, with new players tackling key gaps to not only better the poorest of the poor, but other important groups financially underserved, such as the gig economy.
Below, we will focus on key aspects of financial technology and how they are critical to how we look at the future of digital financial solutions.
Read More >


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ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. – In midst of Michigan’s current COVID-19 restrictions, many Metro Detroit businesses are utilizing outdoor dining this holiday season.
While there is a Christmas atmosphere at the Village of Rochester Hills, things are different such as visiting Santa Claus by appointment at a 6-foot distance.
Meanwhile, outdoor dining popped up this week at many of the restaurants at the Village.
Kruse & Muer has been getting by with carryouts. This week, it added a couple of tents to accommodate bigger crowds.
“We’ve got all of the Christmas lights up. While it may be a different feel, people are still excited that it’s the holidays,” said Zach Carlson with Kruse & Muer.
“It’s nice to get out on a night like this where the snow is coming down and you get to see Santa and all of the lights, and walk around,” said Bill Milatz of Sterling Heights.


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Jennifer van der Kleut
A look at major headlines to come out of the driverless and connected car industries over the past week:
GM opens network, allows app developers to test infotainment apps in real vehicle environment
General Motors (GM) has announced a move to make it easier for app developers to test their infotainment apps in a real test vehicle environment. GM announced that it is offering up its next-generation infotainment software development kit–NGI SDK–to the general development community. This will give developers access to GM’s Dev Client, and allow them to test their creations in a real-life test vehicle early in the process, which GM claims is the first time an automaker has done so. Mashable explains, once a developer is ready to make something, “they can download the new SDK, which has been available since January, to build out their app and begin emulating the in-car environment to kick things off.” GM says the open developers network is ready and open for new applicants. Read more from Mashable.
Lyft forms autonomous vehicle division in Palo Alto, California
Ride-hailing app Lyft announced it is setting up its own division dedicated to self-driving cars in Palo Alto, California. Reports indicate Lyft will focus on developing its own software network, including a navigation system, with plans to open up the network to the general public, allowing other tech companies and automakers to use the network, and potentially even share data. Industry analysts believe Lyft will likely monetize the program by taking a cut of ride-sharing fees collected by companies using their network. A Lyft spokesperson said a big motivation for the move is to help bring the environmental and safety benefits of autonomous vehicles to the world sooner. Read more from SFGate.
Microsoft joins Baidu’s driverless-car alliance, ‘Project Apollo’
Chinese tech giant Baidu and Microsoft have announced that they will be working together on driverless cars. Microsoft has reportedly joined Baidu’s Project Apollo. “Our goal with Apollo is to provide an open and powerful platform to the automotive industry to further the goal of autonomous vehicles,” said the president of Baidu, Zhang Yaqin, in news reports. Microsoft’s cloud computing platform, Azure, will reportedly be “instrumental” in the Apollo initiative. As much as 50 other famous firms and automakers, including Ford, Daimler, 13 car manufacturers from China, and many ride-sharing operators, component providers and suppliers have also announced plans to join Project Apollo. Read more from Investor NewsWire.
Image by Lyft


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Independent supermarket chain Supabarn has announced the sale of several of its Canberra stores to supermarket giant Coles.
In the ACT, Coles has agreed to buy Supabarn's stores at Civic, Wanniassa, Kaleen and Crace, as well as one under construction at Casey.
Five stores in NSW have also been sold.
The deal will go ahead once cleared by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
ACCC chairman Rod Sims said the organisation would start reviewing the purchase of the Supabarn supermarkets next week.
"Given Supabarn's position as a significant independent supermarket chain, an important focus of the ACCC's review will be whether its removal as a competitor would substantially lessen competition between supermarket chains," he said.
"The review will also examine each of the individual local markets in which the Supabarn stores operate, and any effect on grocery wholesaling and supply markets."
Supabarn has not exited the market altogether and will retain an ACT store at Kingston that is yet to built, as well as a NSW store at Gymea in Sydney.
The company released a statement saying its directors had decided to scale down for family reasons.
Supabarn said all of its employees would be offered the opportunity to continue to work at their store under Coles.
The company's SupaExpress stores have not been sold.
Coles said it plans to invest $15 million into store improvement and create 100 new ACT jobs as part of the deal.
The ACCC has asked for submissions from consumers, suppliers, supermarket operators and other interested parties.
The sale comes five years after the ACT Government began a plan to stimulate competition in the local supermarket sector.
Aldi and Costco stores have entered the Canberra market since then.


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Dwyane Wade Reportedly Considering Leaving Jordan Brand For Li-Ning
Sneaker magazine Sole Collector's Nick DePaula tweeted Thursday: "Hearing from several people that Dwyane Wade will likely leave Jordan Brand and sign with Li-Ning. Huge shift," according to Jon Pastuszek of NIUBBALL.com. The news follows Jordan Brand canceling his Fly Wade 3's, "and the two sides are reportedly seriously considering a split." Li-Ning has been "struggling as of late," and adding Wade to its roster "may be what it needs to move past what has been a rocky and unprofitable period." After the '08 Beijing Olympics, Li-Ning "aggressively expanded into the American market," but their partnership with Champs Sports fell through along with plans for retail stores across the U.S. The company has since relocated from Portland to Chicago, "where they are in the process of building a strategy that will focus on e-commerce over retail," and that strategy may be "built around a top-10 NBA player as well." Wade, "although not an elite sneaker seller, still commands respect in the American shoe market and would increase Li-Ning's credibility among consumers in the American market" (NIUBBALL.com, 8/19). EXAMINER.com's Juan Martinez noted that for the past few summers, Wade has "already made strides in extending his own brand" in China as part of Jordan Brand. If the reports are true and he signs with Li-Ning, he might now be "looking to cash that equity he has built up with the fans and hope they will follow him to whatever sneaker company he chooses" (EXAMINER.com, 8/17).


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Leading up to Data Privacy Day on Jan 28, 2014, Better Business Bureau serving Alaska, Oregon and Western Washington is teaming up with Online Trust Alliance and other consumer protection agencies in recommending a series of best practices to help prevent data breaches and other exploits.
OTA analyzed preliminary year-end data and estimates that over 740 million records were exposed in 2013, making it the worst year ever recorded in terms of data breaches. Perhaps even more frustrating: OTA examined approximately 500 breaches and determined that 89 percent were avoidable had basic security controls and best practices been enforced.
In the wake of several high-profile national data breaches—most recently Target—OTA and BBB will be hosting a town hall forum in Seattle, Wash., on Feb. 4, 2014, to highlight OTA’s 2014 Data Protection & Breach Readiness Planning Guide and educate businesses and consumers about this disturbing trend that is undermining online trust.
According to the guide, best practices can only be achieved when companies are no longer complacent with meeting minimum compliance standards for data protection. Rather, they must adopt comprehensive data stewardship strategies that safeguard data across the entire lifecycle, from collection to deletion. Also, businesses must be able to quickly assess the nature and scope of incidents, contain them, mitigate the damage and notify all interested parties, including law enforcement and affected customers.
Ultimately, the guide urges all businesses to accept two fundamental premises: One, the consumer data they are collecting invariably contains some form of personally identifiable information. And two, at some point they will inevitably experience data loss. When that happens, it’s best to be prepared.
A public webinar recapping the guide is being hosted on Feb. 12 from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. PST. To register, visit http://bit.ly/1eFddns.
Seattle Privacy Day Workshop
OTA’s 2014 Data Privacy Day workshop in Seattle is designed to provide businesses with prescriptive advice about how to navigate complex security and data privacy issues, while enhancing brand trust and product innovation. Speakers include privacy experts from the FBI, Federal Trade Commission, Secret Service and the Washington State Attorney General’s Office. This event is in collaboration with BBB, Identity Theft Council and local chapters of InfraGard, and are supported by underwriting from comScore, Intersections, PwC, Sailthru and TRUSTe. To attend, visit https://otalliance.org/dpd.html.


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Cape Town – From waiters who rely on healthy tips from tourists with deep pockets to sex workers with regular overseas clientele, the ripple effected of the now lifted travel bans have been far reaching.
Ben Kasongo is a waiter at Ocean Basket at Cape Town International Airport. He frequently receives tips from tourists in their respective currency. Kasongo said he would sometimes make up to three or four times his salary from tips received from overseas customers.
“ Europeans especially, we love serving them because they leave tips in their foreign currency,” he said.
He added: “Just recently, an American tipped me US$20, which was more than R300. Their bill wasn’t even R300.”
Kasongo said he felt frustrated after the travel ban announcement.
"There are fewer tourists now that we are in the fourth wave. Before this, we were really busy and there's a tangible difference now," he said.
He added: "We want to be able to make money the way we used to. We can see the difference in our income. I am grateful for my salary but the tips make a big difference, especially in the festive season."
Kasongo has worked as a waiter for seven years but has worked at the airport since March last year. There was a period when he had to sit at home until the airport restaurants reopened in December last year.
“I was afraid that I might be retrenched because I was one of the last people to be hired. I started a small business selling fish and chips, just to survive in the interim.”
Gulam Petersen is a transgender woman who, in her 30 years as a sex worker, has never experienced a dry spell such as the one presented by the travel bans.
Having worked in the industry since the age of 19, she said she seldom has to pull out her red book with clients' names. But Petersen said the pandemic has forced her to do so more often.
“I was able to contact some of my regular clients who sent me money or a shopping voucher,” she said.
“The relationship between us is more than just client and sex worker. I can call some of my clients when I’m stuck in life,” she added.
She has at least five international clients from Amsterdam and New York who have supported her throughout the pandemic.
“They sent me money when I needed it most. We’ve had a relationship since before the pandemic," she said.
She added: "Sex work does not involve sex all the time, and I’ve become friends with many of them,” she said.
Petersen, who lives in Observatory, said lockdown placed a strain on her income.
“I was very stressed because I didn’t know how I was going to put food on the table and provide for my family.”
Added to this, Petersen had to deal with the stigma of sex workers supposedly spreading Covid-19.
“In the past, they used to say we’re spreading Aids, but now it’s Covid.”
Meanwhile, Fayruza Abrahams, owner of Taste Malay, shares Malay cooking classes and dining experiences with both locals and tourists via Airbnb experiences. Since opening her business in 2017, Abrahams has had many international clients.
Abrahams said her cooking classes were affected by the travel ban.
“When we went onto the red list, I had four group bookings cancelled and now I have no bookings left for December month,” she said.
She added: “The uncertainty of my foreign clients not knowing if they could go home or not is what caused many to cancel.”
Abrahams has since had to diversify her portfolio and extend her business offering to include other services.
“I started teaching online classes, which have helped keep me afloat. As the restrictions lifted, there was less of an interest in online classes but it’s picking up again now,” she said.
She also does catering and sells fresh produce. “I’ve had to move away from what my core business offering is, which is teaching people how to cook and about Cape Malay people and their recipes,” she said.
She added: “Thankfully my business has evolved and the challenges the travel ban has caused, has made me more innovative.
“I’ve learned not to put all my eggs in one basket. Yes, the travel ban has affected me but it has also allowed me to look at the local market, with local guests.”
Aside from in-person classes, Abrahams also travels to local clients' homes now.
“Locally, people want to do these experiences but sometimes want to do it at their own homes. I will continue doing whatever the need is. We’ve had a horrific 18 months and I don’t want to make the mistake of not making the most of what I’m dealt with,” she added.


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Apple WWDC 2012 Keynote Now Available on YouTube
Apple’s WWDC 2012 keynote is now available on their YouTube channel. Check it out below:
You can also stream the keynote from Apple’s website or download it to watch in iTunes. Apple introduced new MacBooks, iOS 6 and also new features from Mountain Lion OS X.


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“Thai shipments could see positive growth in the remaining three months, which will prevent a contraction in Thai shipments this year. However, among worrying factors are uncertainty in global economy recovery, in particular the European Union, China, and Japan, as well as baht and gold price fluctuation,” said Nuntawan Sakuntanaga, director-general at the International Trade Promotion Department. She said a clearer sign of economic recovery in the United States is the only positive factor encouraging Thai shipments.
Exports in the first nine months of 2014 were still down 0.85 per cent year on year to $1170.45 billion (Bt5.47 trillion). The ministry now accepts that the previous growth projection of 3.5 per cent is unattainable, but there could be some growth, of at least one per cent or less. For full-year growth of 0-0.9 per cent, exports in the last quarter will need to average at least $19.5 billion.
In the first nine months, imports grew by 10 per cent to $171.97 billion (Bt5.58 billion), leading to a trade deficit of $1.51 billion (Bt111.85 billion). Imports grew for the first time in six months, reflecting higher demand in the manufacturing sectors as well as from higher demand for fuel imports from the lower oil price in the global market.
Last month, exports of agro-industrial products rose by 2.8 per cent, but industrial sector exports dropped by 0.4 per cent, and other products jumped 17 per cent.


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Four Seasons, Enterprise rev up for Labor Day business
Bookings are up about 15 percent this Labor Day weekend compared with last year at the Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis.
The hotel has two weddings booked for the upcoming weekend and several social events, General Manager Alper Oztok said.
The hotel’s average room rate also is up year over year, he said. Guest rooms at the Four Seasons St. Louis on the busiest day of Labor Day weekend, Saturday, Aug. 31, range from $555 to $705 a night, and a one-bedroom luxury suite costs $2,000 a night, according to Oztok.
He attributed the weekend’s increased bookings to the improving economy, his hotel’s recent No. 4 spot on Travel and Leisure’s 2013 Best list and the resort’s spa and outdoor pool.
Officials at St. Louis-based Enterprise Rent-A-Car are seeing a jump in business for the upcoming Labor Day weekend as well. Reservations at neighborhood locations are up 25 percent companywide at Enterprise Rent-A-Car, officials announced. They have seen 25 percent year-over-year reservation increases for Labor Day weekend since 2010. Neighborhood reservations in St. Louis are up nearly 30 percent compared to the same time last year, company officials report.
Area attractions expect the weather to affect Labor Day crowds. St. Louis Zoo spokeswoman Susan Gallagher said the zoo doesn’t try to forecast attendance but that it correlates very closely with weather, with higher temperatures meaning lower attendance, as well as a few other factors such as if a new exhibit has just opened or the overall economy. “If more people are doing staycations, they might be showing up at the zoo more often,” she said.
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BCBG Max Azria names Albino Riganello as new creative director
The BCBG Group has named Albino Riganello to be its new creative director, in a shakeup at the French-born house.
Albino will make his debut with the brand‘s Fall 2022 collection, to be presented in February 2022.
Riganello joins BCBG Max Azria with an impressive CV, having worked for major houses in Milan, Paris, and New York.
The bearded designer began his career working with Alessandro dell’Acqua before going on to design for the likes of Dolce & Gabbana, St. John and Givenchy, where he served as the women’s pre-collection design director under Riccardo Tisci. Riganello then moved on to couture house Zuhair Murad, and most recently served as design director for sustainable contemporary brand Amur.
“I am honored to begin my new role as BCBG Group’s creative director. BCBG Max Azria is an iconic brand that holds so much history in its DNA and I’m looking forward to taking the brand forward into its next chapter. Today we live in a completely different reality than years ago, and women’s wardrobe is drastically evolving with the time. I will always have a woman’s needs in mind while designing for BCBG Max Azria; emphasizing femininity, sensuality and that modern aspect that the brand is known for,” said Riganello in a release.
After an up and down history, the BCBG Max Azria brand has been owned since by Marquee Brands. Founder Max Azria, who died back in May 2019, developed the label as a blend of French chic and sexy Americana.
“We are thrilled that Albino Riganello will bring his substantial knowledge and fashion industry experience to the BCBG team. Albino has an impeccable eye and extensive knowledge of the evening business, which is what BCBG Max Azria is known for,” added Diane Bekhor, senior vice president, BCBG Group.
The house added that the BCBG Max Azria Fall 2022 Collection will be shown live on BCBG.com. And that Riganello will also debut designs for BCBG Generation further into 2022.
Copyright © 2023 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.


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On a month-on-month basis, February’s CPI declined by 0.5 per cent, while January’s CPI increased by 0.8 per cent, NBS said.
China’s consumer inflation eased in February this year to a 12-month low, while its factory-gate prices dropped on an annual basis for a fifth consecutive month, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics. The consumer price index rose by 1 per cent from a year earlier in the month after a three-month high of 2.1 per cent in January.
Core CPI rose by 0.6 per cent year on year in February after a 1 per cent rise in January.
NBS attributed the consumer inflation ease in February to factors like the decline in consumer demand after the January Spring Festival holiday and sufficient market supplies, while the fall in factory-gate prices was affected by a high comparison base in the previous year, an official media outlet reported.
The producer price index, which gauges factory-gate prices, was down by 1.4 per cent from a year earlier in February, compared with a 0.8 per cent annual contraction seen in January, NBS added.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)


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The General Statistics Office in Vietnam has said that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) of the country in September increased by 2.2 percent from August and by 5.13 percent since end of last year.
|Consumers buy subsidized goods at a Vissan shop in HCMC (Photo: SGGP)|
The highest hike is on medicine and medical services with 17.2 percent, of which medical services jump by 23.87 percent due to the recent hospital fee increase.
Education rose 10.54 percent while food services did not change much with a rise of 0.08 percent only over last month.
Of the five major cities in Vietnam, Hanoi’s CPI saw the highest increase in September with 2.47 percent, followed by Hai Phong with 2.05 percent, and Da Nang with 1.99 percent.
CPI rose 1.21 percent in Ho Chi Minh City and 1.16 percent in Can Tho City.
The average CPI increase in the first nine months of the year was 9.96 percent higher than in the same period last year.


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Hamburger Helper’s iconic mascot ‘Lefty’ returns in national ad campaign Eagle Foods launches new ads, reformulated flavors, reduced prep time, updated packaging
(CLEVELAND) February 27, 2024 – Eagle Foods is re-launching the iconic Hamburger Helper brand, along with its legendary talking glove mascot, Lefty. The launch includes a new national campaign, the first for Lefty in almost a decade, and heralds the introduction of new and reformulated flavors and reduced cooking times.
Having acquired Helper from General Mills in 2022, Eagle Foods has focused its efforts on reigniting Helper’s mission to help solve today’s biggest dinnertime dilemmas. Between high inflation and busy schedules, finding a delicious, affordable and easy-to-prepare meal can be challenging. So, Lefty is back with answers: 30 quick and tasty one-pan meals from Helper that will have everybody asking for seconds. And to help shoppers find their favorite varieties in store, Helper has updated its packaging design, reformulated its flavors with robust herbs, spices, and flavors, and even reduced cooking time – all without adding any cost to consumers.
Helper returns to screens with Lefty front and center in a new, national advertising campaign to help answer the ever-present question, “What’s for dinner?” Lefty helps families find delicious, convenient and customizable meals that make everyone at the table smile. Picky eaters to please? Helper! Got home late and now everyone is hungry? Helper! Dinner snuck up on you after a busy day? Helper! Reached your takeout limit? Helper!
To spearhead the reintroduction, Eagle Foods has partnered with advertising and marketing firm, Brokaw Inc. to craft a comprehensive multimedia campaign that resonates with the needs of today’s consumers. The campaign, launching in mid-February, includes TV, radio, digital and social media platforms, ensuring a robust presence across all touchpoints.
“We are thrilled to bring back Helper in such a big way,” said Mala Wiedemann, EVP of Marketing and R&D at Eagle Foods. “Helper has been a staple in America’s kitchens for over 50 years, and we’re launching Helper into the next 50. This is proof positive of Eagle Foods’ mission of revitalizing great brands, creating growth in the center store for retailers and delivering tremendous taste, variety and value for consumers.”
The Helper brand’s revitalization marks a significant milestone in Eagle Foods’ journey, reflecting the company’s commitment to innovation and consumer satisfaction. As the campaign rolls out, Eagle Foods invites everyone to rediscover the joy and convenience of Helper meals.
Find Lefty and Helper’s new packaging in stores nationwide and enjoy it in kitchens everywhere!
Video link: https://f.io/BrkZFdiN
At Eagle Foods we are builders. We are builders of brands, categories, and people. Eagle Foods enjoys a rich heritage with brands that have proven category leadership for more than 150 years. Eagle is a diversified food company producing and marketing canned sweetened condensed and evaporated milk, snacks products, and meals. As a company, Eagle Foods is passionate about fostering an entrepreneurial spirit that boldly builds better people and better brands while focusing on the positive
impact our company, our products and our people have on the world. Eagle Foods has a bold family of brands that consumers have come to rely on for decades, including Hamburger Helper, Suddenly Salad, Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk and Evaporated Milk, Magnolia® Sweetened Condensed Milk, PET® Milk, Milnot Evaporated Milk, Popcorn Indiana, and Cretors Popcorn. Eagle Foods products are marketed and distributed across all U.S. retail channels, including grocery stores, club stores and mass merchandisers, as well as foodservice and export, U.S. military, and private label business. For more information, visit EagleFoods.com.


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“This legitimizes packaging solutions as a core business for Mac Papers, bolsters our team of packaging experts and furthers the company’s footprint across the Southeast.”
Mac Papers announced today that on Nov. 1, it completed its acquisition of Alles Inc., a full-scale distributor of packaging products, systems and services out of Hialeah, FL. This is Mac Papers’ largest acquisition to date outside of our printing paper business, signifying the company’s commitment to diversifying its core business offering and becoming a key player in packaging distribution. The terms of this acquisition were not disclosed.
“When Mac Papers opened its doors in 1965, we used to say “paper is all we do.” A lot has changed in nearly 50 years,” said Sutton McGehee, Chairman and CEO of Mac Papers. “While we aim to be the most valued and respected paper distributor, we’re diversifying our core business to be sustainable in a declining paper market. This strategic acquisition underscores our commitment to becoming a bigger player in the packaging industry by combining our strong product and distribution expertise with Alles’ geographical footprint and increased scope of services.”
The Alles footprint includes offices and distribution centers in Tampa and Jacksonville, FL, as well as Louisville, KY, a new location that furthers Mac Papers’ footprint across the Southeast. Alles will continue operations out of its facilities for the first 30-60 days, until it moves into Mac Papers warehouse locations in those regions. The Louisville facility will continue to operate as is.
The deal adds 48 packaging experts, servicing technicians and customer service professionals to better serve Mac Papers’ growing packaging customer base and to provide more comprehensive integration and servicing solutions for customers.
Mac Papers anticipates sustained growth from its packaging line of business, accounting for a greater percentage of its net sales across the company and resulting in better volume pricing from core suppliers. The company also anticipates new relationships with additional suppliers as a result of the company’s growing presence across the industry.
Mac Papers views the acquisition of successful packaging distributors as an opportunity for continued growth of our packaging business. In Dec. 2012, the company acquired All Packaging Supplies, a distributor of industrial and food service packaging supplies located in Pembroke Park, FL. Mac Papers also acquired Orlando, FL-based Redd Paper Company in Nov. 2011, which included packaging and wide format printing divisions.


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Sojern's latest Global Travel Insights report is live, chock-full of trends and takeaways travel marketers need to know for their fall campaigns.
Sojern’s latest Global Travel Insights report is live with fresh insights to set the stage for this season’s travel. For travel marketers, your work starts now to inspire and influence travelers planning their fall vacations. To get you started, we’ve highlighted five interesting insights you need to create the most effective and targeted fall travel campaigns:
1. Solo travelers dominate short-haul travel
Across the globe, we see the majority of short-haul travel searches for a party of one. This trend is especially prominent in North America and the Middle East & Africa, seeing solo searches as a whopping 72% and 75% of all short-haul searches, respectively.
2. American travelers are already planning for a long Labor Day weekend
So far, the two most popular departure dates searched for the month of September are the 1 and 2, indicating American travelers are already contemplating starting their holiday weekend a day early.
3. For European travelers, Istanbul makes the list of long-haul destinations
So far, for long-haul destinations searched for Q3, Istanbul is new to the top five list, joined by New York City, Bangkok, Dubai, and Denpasar.
4. Chinese Golden Week travel planning already underway
When looking forward into September travel, we see the 30 as one of the top three departure dates for the month. With Chinese Golden Week starting the next day, early APAC travelers are planning their holiday getaways.
5. New destinations rise to the top five list for Middle Eastern and African Travelers
Comparing last quarter’s look forward to our insights now, Antalya and Izmir are new destinations searched for short-haul departures. So far, for long-haul departures, Bangkok rises to the top 5 destinations searched for Middle Eastern & African travelers.
Looking for ways to transform these insights into marketing takeaways? Get the full report.