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Hotels must engage in the digital movement to remain relevant
In 2017, hotel occupancy levels rose by 0.5% to reach 75.1% in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), but the proportion of the average daily rate dropped 3.8% in 2017. In the wake of a challenging global travel landscape, new market entrants, and the rise of online intermediaries, hotels face a new reality in which the brands that will survive will be the ones that can attract and anticipate the multi-faceted needs of the increasingly discerning and digitally native new traveller looking for unique and authentic experiences, according to a new report from Grant Thornton UAE, published today.
Launched at the 14th edition of the Arabian Hotels Investment Conference in Ras Al Khaimah (RAK), UAE today (17 April), the report Hotel Re-Generate: Mega Trends Impacting Hotels considers how hoteliers in the UAE can generate new business and grow their existing market in this age of tech-disruption, shifting socio dynamics and evolving guest preferences.
Online and mobile transactions are taking a larger share of the travel market, particularly given the demographics of the region in which 40% of the population is under 25, and with the UAE, a country where mobile phone penetration at 228%, is expected to launch game-changing 5G technology in 2018. Laggard organisations who fail to be a part of the digital movement online will experience the loss of essential user-behaviour based data which will be key to driving strategy.
86% of travellers now view personalised offers as central to their decision making when making a purchase. The deployment of smart technologies such as artificial intelligence to analyse a guest’s profile, past buying behaviour and social media preferences to make customised offers presents hotels with the means to drive mass-personalisation and unlock new revenue generation potential. Possessing the necessary data together with investing in the right tools and technology could reward hoteliers with increased revenue of as much as 6%.
Hisham Farouk, CEO and Global Board Member at Grant Thornton United Arab Emirates states “in the future, hotels will no longer be viewed as just accommodation providers. The modern traveller expects more, and will be attracted by a holistic set of solutions and bespoke packages. Hotels must leverage cutting edge technology to ensure every guest interaction is personalised and meaningful.”
While Dubai ranks as the sixth most visited destination in the world and continues to strengthen its position as a regional business hub, Grant Thornton’s report considers the notion of intercity competition as Abu Dhabi and RAK continue to build their position in the market to attract a wider share of visitors.
The data shows that RAK is beginning to emerge as the country’s hidden gem, with its hospitality sector expected to witness continued growth with occupied room nights forecast to reach 35.5m annually in 2019 and amounting to a healthy 10.2% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the next 24 months.
The market dynamics of the UAE will continue to add ongoing pressure for hotels, specifically given the investment landscape, entrepreneurial flair and ease of doing business in the region continues to develop. Such market forces will continue to see a migration of competitors and new solution providers, which will push hoteliers to think and act differently. Organisations that fail to navigate and apply big-data into its strategy will need to prepare for its customers to be lured away by new market entrants, entrepreneurial businesses and tech-enabled challengers at a click of a button.


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DUP MEP Diane Dodds has reacted to the impact being felt by Northern Ireland farmers who are yet to sell lambs as a result of new changes to EU labelling legislation.
Commenting on the developments, which requires factories in the Irish Republic to identify imported lambs from Northern Ireland as being of UK or British origin, she said: “Unfortunately, this latest labelling issue is a misguided attempt by the European Commission and others to tidy up around the edges of the horse meat scandal. Labelling and improving the information available to consumers has always been high on the agenda in Europe, however the horse meat scandal has led to a refocusing and redoubling of efforts to put legislation in place.
“The market for lambs has been suppressed over the last week - on the back of a weak euro - and now as the Easter market for lamb has passed we experience the impact of a change in EU labelling legislation which came into effect on 1 April. The changes effectively mean that a large percentage of lamb entering the Republic of Ireland for slaughter has no market, which puts farmers at a major disadvantage given that the ROI is a major buyer of sheep and lamb from Northern Ireland.”
Mrs Dodds continued: “I have over the last number of years as a Member of the European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee highlighted the issue of origin labelling, and in particular for those regions which share a land border with another Member State and rely heavy upon exports, such as Northern Ireland. Unfortunately this message has fallen on deaf ears, and the impact is not just being felt for lamb but in other sectors indirectly.
“Given the severity of the issue, I took the opportunity to raise my concerns with the EU Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan when he visited Northern Ireland recently. He has as a result given myself and other interested parties a commitment that he will raise it with the European Commission in an effort to find a solution. I have long said that trade is two way street and we must find a solution which allows farmers to benefit while ensuring consumers are protected and given meaningful levels of information.”
Chair of the Agriculture Committee, William Irwin MLA added: “I will be writing to the DARD Minister to explore what steps can and have been taken to find a workable solution to the issues presented by the new labelling rules for packaged meat, which has affected our lamb trade with the Republic of Ireland in particular.
We should also be mindful of the importance of the market in Great Britain and regions of the European Union for our lamb, which will not be affected by this labelling change. Government must continue to work to find new markets, and to encourage processors and retailers - to increase the level of UK lamb on shelves in GB, even under the pressure of a weak euro.”

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While Live Nation and AEG are hogging headlines by either making acquisitions or arguing amongst themselves, Joop van den Ende’s Stage Entertainment has re-shaped its ticketing business and opened its first French venue.
The re-organisation of Stage’s ticketing operations involves consolidating all its activities – Ticket Online Germany, Poland and Austria; TopTicketLine Germany, Netherlands, France, Spain, Russia and the Belgian ticketing organization sherpa.be – and putting Bart van Schriek in charge.
Although Stage’s various ticketing divisions, divided as they’ve been, didn’t have the business profile of a company like CTS Eventim, their combined euro 320 million plus annual revenues put them collectively second to the German outfit as the biggest European-based supplier. Eventim will likely turn over about 30 percent more.
The company believes the re-shuffle will "further strengthen Stage Entertainment’s position in the highly competitive ticketing and live entertainment markets." Putting van Schriek, the group’s chief financial officer, in charge suggests the Dutch-based outfit is serious about it.
While Stage hasn’t made the sort of European acquisitions CTS or Ticketmaster have, although it did buy Austria Ticket in 2005, it’s believed to have provided both with some stiff competition.
All three were believed to be looking at Swiss company Ticketcorner AG at the end of 2005, although The Kudelski Group – the company’s Lausanne-based owners – ended up cutting a deal with Capvis Equity Partners and the company’s principal directors. Kudelski hung on to 28 percent.
The deal valued the company at about 117 million Swiss Francs (then US$91 million), which was said to be much higher than CTS, Stage or Ticketmaster were prepared to go.
It was indication that Stage, which has content including the European productions for musicals and theatre shows, including "Cats," "Mamma Mia," "Phantom Of The Opera," "Les Misérables," "Barnum" and "Holiday On Ice," won’t be prepared to let the big two carve up the European market between them.
Stage’s venues business, which comprises about 30 theatres mainly in Holland and Germany, has added the Théâtre Mogador in Paris to the portfolio.
The company has refurbished the venue, added what amounts to an art gallery in the foyer and opened in time to stage this autumn’s stage production of "The Lion King."


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INEOS has launched Ineos Hygienics as part of its pandemic response to produce hand gel and sanitiser sprays at scale.
Ineos is Europe’s largest producer of ultra-high purity ethanol and isopropyl alcohol, two main ingredients in sanitisers, and began producing its own hand sanitiser in March. It constructed two plants in the UK and Germany within ten days and since then has delivered more than 4m bottles to hospitals globally. It can now offer the same level of production to the public.
Ineos Hygienics will produce a range of hospital grade hand gels, sanitiser sprays, and surface wipes for both hospitals and the public. Its sanitisers will be produced with 75% alcohol, in line with World Health Organization recommendations. The new business will be headquartered in the UK and will have manufacturing plants at Newton Aycliffe in the UK, Herne in Germany, Etain in France, and Jacksonville and Neville Island in the US.
George Ratcliffe, Chief Operating Officer of Ineos Hygienics said: “The launch of Ineos Hygienics is another step forward in the fight against Covid-19. The world will look at daily hygiene differently going forward and many people are still struggling to buy medical-grade gels and cleansers. Ineos produce the highest quality ethanol, we are well placed to offer a solution to this new world outlook.”
“As a new and quickly evolving hygiene business, we will be able to meet the demands of both consumers and businesses as we all adapt to the new demands for hygiene against corona and other viruses.”
Catch up on the latest news, views and jobs from The Chemical Engineer. Below are the four latest issues. View a wider selection of the archive from within the Magazine section of this site.


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Check to see if you get a refund – AT&T will pay $105 million for unauthorized charges on customer bills | FOX2now.com
NEW YORK, NY — Listen up, AT&T customers: You may be in for a refund. AT&T has agreed to pay $105 million for “cramming” unauthorized charges on the monthly bills of its wireless customers, federal and state regulators announced Wednesday. The charges — typically $9.99 per month — came from third-party services for things like trivia, horoscopes and love tips. AT&T is accused of keeping at least 35% of the fees, as well as obscuring the charges on bills and preventing customers from securing full refunds.


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Bring on the hard liquor advertising!
Tom Dougherty, CEO – Stealing Share
14 May 2012
What does this mean for beer?
Well, this can’t be good for beer brands. Recent rules loosening the restrictions on hard liquor advertising means the Jagermeisters and Wild Turkeys of world are about to invade your TV set.
As reported here by Ad Age, the TV networks are allowing liquor advertising, especially during late night, and brands are responding by upping their advertising ante.
“It’s that, as Stealing Share detailed here in a recent beer market study, hard liquor and wine have been eating into the beer market’s share recently at a pretty alarming rate – before the restrictions were loosened.”
What’s frightening to the beer industry isn’t just that new competitors are invading what has traditionally been its space. It’s that, as Stealing Share detailed here in a recent beer market study, hard liquor and wine have been eating into the beer market’s share recently at a pretty alarming rate – before the restrictions were loosened.
As we detailed in the study, there are several reasons why beer has painted itself into a corner, including similar messaging. In my mind, the beer brands have also cut their brands so many which ways that their umbrella brands have lost any meaning.
In addition, liquors have often been better at establishing meaningful and distinct brands. If you say “Jack Daniels,” an immediate image comes to mind. Same with Wild Turkey or Jim Beam.
Compare that with, what comes to mind when you say “Miller?”
Airbus and Wide-Bodies Tom Dougherty, CEO - Stealing Share 20 July 2018 Airlines and Wide-Bodies Wide-Bodies. Airbus Wide-Body Hooray for wide-bodies! I'm not a wide body but I am a frequent flyer. As it is, I'm not writing about the Airline industry as such. And, I...
Prime Day Tom Dougherty, CEO - Stealing Share 17 July 2018 Prime Day remains the tops, despite glitches There are very few shopping events that get me excited. Let me rephrase that. There is only one shopping event that gets me excited — Amazon’s Prime Day. Even...
Netflix downloads Tom Dougherty, CEO - Stealing Share 16 July 2018 Netflix downloads grow more robust It’s a stunner to me that only a few streaming services do it, but why don’t more of them offer downloads of their content like Netflix? OK, Amazon Prime...


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LONDON — British supermarket group Sainsbury’s raised its profit outlook after beating its own expectations for trading in the Christmas quarter as COVID-19 restrictions meant people celebrated more at home.
Sainsbury’s, Britain’s largest grocer after Tesco, said on Thursday like-for-like sales, excluding fuel, rose 8.6% over the 15 weeks to Jan. 2, its fiscal third quarter.
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Food, general merchandise and clothing sales were all stronger than it had expected, the group said, driven by England’s second national lockdown in November, subsequent increased restrictions throughout the United Kingdom and improved online operations.
Sainsbury’s shares were up 3.7% at 1021 GMT, taking year-on-year gains to 10%.
The restrictions made many customers change their Christmas plans at the last minute, which led to different shopping behavior.
“Given all of the challenges that everyone’s felt, customers wanted to treat themselves,” CEO Simon Roberts told reporters.
Smaller gatherings meant Sainsbury’s sold smaller turkeys and more lamb and beef than normal, Roberts said.
While grocery sales grew 7.4%, Sainsbury’s premium ‘Taste the Difference’ brand saw an 11% increase and sales of premium champagne soared 52%.
General merchandise sales grew 6%, sales in the Argos division rose 8.4% and clothing by 0.4%.
Online grocery sales jumped 128% and overall digital sales grew 81%, representing 44% of total sales.
After forgoing business rates relief of 410 million pounds ($557 million), Sainsbury’s forecast underlying pretax profit of at least 330 million pounds for its 2020-21 year.
That is above a forecast made last month of at least 270 million pounds, though down from the 586 million made in 2019-2020, due to the costs of the pandemic.
As the spread of the coronavirus intensifies, Roberts said rising staff absence rates had reached 8%.
Restrictions to contain the virus mean many people are working from home and the hospitality sector is closed.
Adding to the demand for supermarket goods, many of the five million or so Britons who normally travel abroad for Christmas stayed at home.
Industry data published on Tuesday, showed all of Britain’s supermarket groups benefited from unprecedented Christmas demand as the country’s shoppers spent 11.7 billion pounds on groceries in December.
Morrisons and Aldi, Britain’s fourth and fifth largest supermarket groups, reported strong Christmas trading earlier this week, as did B&M on Thursday.
($1 = 0.7361 pounds) (Reporting by James Davey; Editing by Kate Holton and Barbara Lewis)


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BOE’s Carney Floats Idea of New, Virtual Reserve Currency
Such a synthetic currency potentially could damp dollar dominance, ease burden of greenback’s moves on smaller economies
LONDON—Central banks should consider joining forces to create a virtual currency that could supplant the dollar’s role in the global economy, Bank of England Gov. Mark Carney said, offering a novel solution to concerns about the greenback’s status as the world’s foremost reserve currency.
In a speech Friday to an annual gathering of central bankers in Jackson Hole, Wyo., Mr. Carney said the dollar’s “domineering” place in world trade and the global financial system creates problems for policy makers outside the U.S. in managing inflation and safeguarding financial stability.
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Microsoft’s clamshell phone is coming to Germany next week and will be quite expensive
The Microsoft Surface Duo has two screens
by Christoph Fröhlich
February 12, 2021, 11:31 a.m.
The Surface Duo is Microsoft’s hope of regaining a foothold in the smartphone market.
The innovative device will be available in Germany from February 18 – but the price is high.
It is one of the most exciting Microsoft projects in recent years: With the Surface Duo, the Windows manufacturer wants to regain a foothold in the smartphone market. This is a phone with two 5.6-inch screens. Not only the form factor ensures amazed faces, but also the software: Instead of Windows, the device runs Android. This step would have been unthinkable a few years ago.
The Surface Duo has not yet been sold in Germany. That will change next week: From February 18, the unusual telephone with two separate displays will be delivered in this country. It can be ordered directly from Microsoft or the retail chains Media-markt and Saturn. However, you have to dig deep into your pocket:
The “cheapest” variant with 128 gigabytes of storage space costs 1550 euros, the variant with 256 gigabytes of storage costs another 100 euros more (1650 euros).
Innovative, but not technically outstanding
The unique selling point of the Surface Duo are the two large screens.
The se are able to display two apps independently of each other or to stretch an application across both screens, as is known from computers with several connected monitors.
The n content is displayed on a total of 8.1 inches, larger than on an iPad mini. If two apps are open at the same time, files such as images or documents can be simply moved back and forth between the two programs using drag-and-drop.
Why the corona crisis made Apple even stronger
Technically, despite the high price, the Surface Duo is not state-of-the-art in every respect.
The built-in processor (Qualcomm Snapdragon 855) is no longer the latest chip, six gigabytes of RAM can already be found in mid-range models.
The new 5G cellular standard is also not supported, and tests in the USA indicate that the camera is rather mediocre.
The battery life was also often described as below average.
The technical equipment of the German version is identical to the US model. In terms of software, Microsoft has already announced that it will provide an update to Android 11 for download by the summer.
The smartphone operating system has been offered by Google since September 2020.
Expensive market start in Germany
The fact that Microsoft is offering the Surface Duo in this country for 1550 euros is remarkable because it was already available for 1400 US dollars when it was launched in the US, which is the equivalent of 1150 euros (excluding taxes). In offers it was even available for less than 1000 euros.
– Surface Duo: “A wonderful tragedy”: Microsoft’s folding smartphone is panned by the trade press
– Windows 10: Formerly full of holes, today top: Microsoft achieves the highest number of points in the antivirus test for the first time
– Microsoft has analyzed everyday work from home worldwide:
The se are the results


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Tech is a world where new things are always happening! It’s a place full of smart ideas and cool gadgets. And guess what? Women are making big waves in this world too. Both African women and in the global space. They are coming up with great ideas and building successful companies. They’re showing that they can achieve big things and make a lot of money in tech, just like men.
We are going to talk about some of these super-smart women from Africa and all over the world. In this article, we’ll talk about the important work they are doing and how they are changing the tech game, let’s dive in.
Meg Whitman is a big name in the tech world and holds the 1067th spot on Forbes’ list of the world’s wealthiest people. At 62 years old, she comes from the United States. She made a lot of her money when she was the boss of eBay for 10 years until 2008. Under her lead, eBay started earning $8 billion a year, a big jump from just a few million! She also was the boss of Hewlett Packard Enterprise and short-video startup Quibi. Meg even helps run an esports organization, Immortals, by being on its board. She is worth $2.9 billion.
Judy Faulkner, aged 80, ranks 325 on Forbes’ list of the world’s wealthiest people, calling the United States home. She’s the brain behind Epic Systems, a giant in the software world focusing on electronic medical records. Started in a basement in 1979, Epic now holds the health details of over 250 million people, with top clinics like Johns Hopkins and Mayo Clinic using it! Judy, still CEO, owns 47% of this $4.6 billion company. Impressively, the company builds all its software in-house and never needed outside money or to buy other companies. A generous soul, Judy has promised to give away 99% of her riches to charity, having signed the Giving Pledge in 2015.
Zhou Qunfei, hailing from Hong Kong, holds the 418th spot on the list of the world’s wealthiest. She is the powerhouse behind Lens Technology, a company known for making protective glass for touchscreens. Big names like Samsung, LG, Microsoft, Apple, and Huawei are her customers, and even electric vehicle giants like Tesla and BYD. Zhou, once a migrant factory worker, has become one of the world’s wealthiest self-made women. Her company, founded 22 years before going public in 2015, started its journey in an apartment in Shenzhen in 1993, where Zhou and her relatives initially set up a watch parts company. She’s renowned for creating her fortune from scratch and is considered an inspiring entrepreneur in the tech world with a networth of $4.9 billion.
Dagmar Dolby, from the United States, is ranked 552 on the Forbes’ list of the world’s wealthiest people. At 82, she is the main shareholder of Dolby Laboratories, a company famous for making surround-sound systems and noise-reducing technologies. The company was founded by her late husband in 1965, and she now owns about 38% of it.
The company’s innovations are used in films, products, video games, and mobile devices. A generous giver, Dagmar has donated over $160 million to the University of Cambridge and $20 million to UC San Francisco. She also backed the construction of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. With her net worth standing at $5 billion, she and her two sons, David and Tom, continue to uphold the legacy of her husband, Ray Dolby.
Ma Dongmin, a woman tech leader from China, holds the 1434th spot on Forbes’ list of the world’s wealthiest people. Ma is closely associated with Baidu, a Chinese search engine giant, being the wife of its co-founder and CEO, Robin Li. She had a stint with the company until 2007, before rejoining a decade later as a special assistant to the chairman, focusing on areas like investments.
Ma’s influence extends to the educational sphere as well, with the Robin Li and Melissa Ma Science Library inaugurated at Stanford University in 2017. Her journey in the tech world and her endeavors in it mark her as one of the influential figures in the sector, with a net worth standing at $2.1 billion.
Funke Opeke, a woman in tech with a robust background in U.S. telecoms, chose to return to her native Nigeria after 20 years to address the nation’s connectivity issues. With experience as a former Verizon executive, she initially joined NITEL, a public telecoms company in Nigeria. Recognizing satellites as part of the connectivity problem, in 2008, she orchestrated a monumental project, raising $240 million in funding to lay 4,400 miles of fibre optic cable connecting Nigeria to Portugal.
This initiative catalyzed significant advancements in online services, bolstering Africa’s largest economy and transforming Nigeria’s Internet presence from being synonymous with scams to being a hub for growing international business opportunities. Funke’s revolutionary contribution to tech in Nigeria has earned her recognition, notably, a spot on Forbes’ list of The World’s Top 50 Women in Tech in 2018.
Odunayo Eweniyi, a remarkable African tech woman, is a pillar of entrepreneurial innovation, particularly in the financial technology sector of West Africa. She co-founded Piggyvest, the first-ever online personal savings and investment app in the region, serving as its COO. This platform is part of her broader vision to empower people with the tools to manage and save their money efficiently. Additionally, she has played a pivotal role in launching other successful startups like PushCV and Firstcheck.
Jihan Abass, a visionary African tech woman, is the Founder and CEO of LamiInsurtech, a groundbreaking enterprise she initiated in 2018. Her mission with LamiInsurtech is to democratize and digitize insurance products, starting in Kenya with aspirations to expand across Africa. The startup developed an innovative API insurance service platform designed to digitize the entire insurance process, showcasing a transformative approach to insurance accessibility. In May 2021, Jihan’s groundbreaking endeavor garnered recognition and support, with the startup raising $1.8 million in seed capital.
Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu
Ethiopian entrepreneur Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu, a transformative woman in tech from Africa, turned her observation of unexploited artisan skills in her community in Ethiopia into a revolutionary enterprise, SoleRebels. Founded in 2004, SoleRebels utilizes local artisan skills and indigenous materials, combining traditional Ethiopian culture with modern design to produce eco-sensitive footwear. By integrating ancient recycling traditions with modern, eco-friendly practices, Bethlehem has propelled SoleRebels to international acclaim, selling in over 30 countries and generating substantial annual revenues, marking it as a sustainable, world-class enterprise.
Rebecca Enonchong, a distinguished African woman in tech, stands as the Founder and CEO of Appstech, a pioneering global enterprise software solutions provider initiated in 1999. Additionally, her innovative spirit led her to co-found I/O Spaces, ABAN, and the Cameroon Angels Network, marking her presence significantly in the tech domain. Her remarkable contributions to technology and innovations have been widely recognized, earning her prestigious awards and accolades such as being listed among the 100 Most Influential Africans in Science, Tech & Innovations by the New African and Jeune Afrique’s 50 Most Influential Africans.
Furthermore, Rebecca’s influence and leadership have been acknowledged by prominent global entities like the World Bank and the World Economic Forum, solidifying her status as a trailblazer and influencer in the tech industry.
As we edge closer to 2024, the entrepreneurial world buzzes with excitement, teeming with …


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Biggest durable orders drop in 2 years
Orders fall 6.2%, marking the largest percentage decrease since October 2006.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Orders for durable goods declined sharply in October, marking the largest percent decrease in two years, the government reported Wednesday.
Orders in the Commerce Department report fell 6.2% to $193 billion, a much steeper drop than the 2.5% decrease expected by a survey of economists by Briefing.com.
It was the largest decrease since October 2006, when orders fell 8.3% decrease. Orders have now fallen for three straight months because September was revised to a 0.2% decline from a 0.8% increase.
"There's almost nothing positive here," said Sam Bullard, economist at Wachovia. "The weakness was broad-based. That's the consumer pulling back on big-ticket items."
The only increase in new orders was communications equipment, up 7.7%
Nondefense, nonaircraft capital goods - considered an indicator of business spending - decreased 4%, following two consecutive decreases.
That number is "a good proxy for business equipment spending," Bullard said. "With that decreasing over the past 3 months, it points toward significant weakness."
That downward trend should persist over all of next year, Bullard added, predicting it would not recover until the early part of 2010.
New orders on transportation equipment plummeted 11.1%. This shows businesses are pulling back, Bullard said, noting that the recent Boeing strike likely affected domestic orders.
Excluding transportation, new orders decreased 4.4%. Excluding defense, they decreased 4.6%.
Shipments of manufactured durable goods decreased 2.4% to $202.9 billion.
Unfilled orders were down for the first time in 26 months, at a decrease of $4.6 billion, or 0.6%.
Inventories of manufactured durable goods, up 15 of the last 16 months, increased $1.4 billion or 0.4%. This is the highest level since 1992, according to the report.
"Eventually it will turn around, but these numbers are down so low," Bullard said. "At this point, we're not quite at the 2001 recession. But the numbers will get even lower, and they will reflect the more severe contractions of the mid-70s and early 80s recession."


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(PET HEALTH) Studies show more than half of all dogs and cats are overweight, and the numbers are only rising. These overly plump pets are more prone to health problems, and American culture seems to be the one to blame for this growing issue. Read more to find out why treats and diet food could be helping your kitty or pooch pack on the pounds and what you can do to prevent it. — Global Animal
Boston Globe, Beth Teitell
Mayor Tom Menino’s promise to help Bostonians lose a stunning 1 million pounds this year is at once ambitious and doesn’t go far enough. Our cats and dogs need help, too.
Even as the human obesity rate levels off (35.7 percent of the adult population is obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control), Fido and Kitty are packing on the pounds. More than half of all dogs and cats are overweight, according to the North Carolina-based Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, and the percentage that are obese is growing. In 2007, 19 percent of cats were obese, as were 10 percent of dogs. By 2010, those numbers had risen to 22 percent of cats and 20 percent of dogs.
Where’s Michelle Obama when you really need her?
Excess feline and canine weight can lead to serious health problems, including arthritis, diabetes, kidney problems, cancer, and shortened lifespan. But you wouldn’t know that from looking on the Internet, where nothing’s cuter than a pet with a muffin top.
“In our culture,’’ said veterinarian Ernie Ward, “a fat pet is a loved pet.’’
Ward, the founder of the pet-obesity prevention group, blames the “super sizing’’ of American pets on several factors: the growth of sugary pet treats; the normalization of obesity in the human population; and the trend of rewarding pets with food for everything they do.
“You’ve got 10-year-old dogs who get a treat for taking a potty break,’’ Ward said.
But good luck to the vet who tells an owner that his furry friend is fat. Some pet parents counter with excuses – “He’s big boned,’’ they’ll say, or “She’s really fluffy.’’ Others simply switch vets.
“We never went back,’’ said Dorothy Schlicting, 85, of Belmont, as she shopped for cat food recently. Incensed that her vet used the “o’’ word to describe her beloved cats, Kitty Cat and Nicholas, Schlicting took her business elsewhere.
“I didn’t like the idea of him telling me I had fat cats,’’ she said. Never mind that at 26 and 25 pounds, respectively, her felines weigh about twice what they should. The vet’s assessment hurt. “They are well-loved,’’ Schlicting said.
As for the food she feeds them, it’s decidedly not diet. “I tried,’’ she said, grinning like an indulgent grandparent, “but they didn’t like it.’’
That, it turns out, could be a good thing. A study published in 2010 by the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University found that owners who give their pets diet food may inadvertently feed their animals too many calories.
Diet pet foods, the Tufts researchers concluded, vary widely in calorie density, meaning that a cup of one diet food may have many more calories than a cup of another diet food.
And how many calories does kitty need a day? It can be hard to tell. The Tufts team found a variation on daily caloric-intake recommendations among brands, making the pet owner’s job that much harder.
(You might recall that Jerry and Elaine faced a somewhat similar problem on “Seinfeld,’’ as they gained weight eating what they thought was diet frozen yogurt.)
But as nice as it would be to blame diet pet food, it’s not the only culprit, said Deborah Linder, co-author of the Tufts diet pet food study, and a second year resident at Tufts veterinary school.
“When we do nutrition consults, the first thing we do is a full diet history,’’ she said. “People are surprised when I ask them about treats. They say, ‘Why does that matter?’ But a dental chew or a raw hide can be 75 to 100 calories. Those can add up.’’
And quickly, says Michael J. Rosen, the author and editor of numerous pet-related books and anthologies. “Remember, one pound on a six-pound toy dog is like a person of 125 pounds packing on 20 pounds.’’
Animals who live in homes with two or more owners face additional challenges. In some homes, everyone wants to be the one to win the pet over with a treat or two, and the savvy animal works this to its advantage – or perhaps its disadvantage – getting double or triple the treats. In other households, one “parent’’ may be on board with the diet, while the other sneaks kitty scraps.
But cutting back on pet food can be hard – for owners that is, said Linder. Many owners worry that they’re being “mean’’ to their animals, or that they’ll be hungry, when that’s not the case. “They would probably be happy with a walk or extra attention,’’ she said.
But as humans know all too well, weight can sneak up on you. That’s what happened to Kona, an 8-year-old yellow Labrador in Newton, whose owner inadvertently switched to more fattening food, and then didn’t notice the pooch’s almost 20-pound weight gain.
“I was in denial,’’ said Lindsay Massengale, 35, a women’s soccer coach at Northeastern University. But friends’ comments – and a trip to the scale for Kona – forced her to confront the truth.
“Now when I look at pictures of him [before he slimmed down] I can see it,’’ Massengale said. “I wonder, what was I thinking?’’
Here’s another question for owners of plump animals: What are people at the dog park saying? Wendy Pierce, a publicist with a Labrador/Golden Retriever mix, reports that at her dog park, in Brookline, owners of healthy-weight dogs regularly gossip about a woman with a fat dog (whose breed is being withheld for diplomatic reasons).
“It’s just like when you have kids,’’ Pierce said. “Everyone likes to judge.’’
No less a pet authority than Claudia Kawczynska, editor in chief of the Bark magazine, worries about such whispered comments. Two of her dogs are normal weight -the German Wirehaired Pointer and a Border Terrier mix – but her two so-called “Southern girls’’ don’t have waistlines.
“Beagles are notorious for not having slim hips,’’ Kawczynska said, somewhat defensively, adding that she feeds them a healthy diet and has started cutting down on treats. “Not that anyone has ever said anything,’’ she said. “At least not to my face.’’
Meanwhile, as the pet obesity problem escalates, owners who think they have normal-weight pets would be wise to consider the words of Jordan Holt, owner of Tall Tails doggie day care in Woburn. “The fatter the dog,’’ he said, “the more defensive the people.’’


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Coca-Cola Co lines up seasonal Sprite Cranberry - video
The Coca-Cola Co will once again release Sprite Cranberry in the US as it looks to capitalise on the popularity of the flavour during the festive season.
|This story from www.just-drinks.com reported on December 8, 2017 contributed to the next trading day price increase.The trading delta at closing time to the next closing price was 0.04% . The trading price change when the story was published to the current price is 2.94% .|
Similar stores for Coca Cola


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Universal Sweden claims Spotify already generates more cash than iTunes
LONDON - Online music streaming service Spotify is now the largest digital source of income for Universal Music in its home market Sweden, surpassing Apple's iTunes.
Per Sundin, managing director of Universal Music Sweden, told The Swedish Wire: "In five months from the launch, Spotify became our largest digital source of income and so passed by iTunes.
Spotify does not disclose its arrangements with royalty collectors, however it has been reported that major music labels, as well as the major independent labels, have equity in Spotify.
If true, labels are not just making money from royalties each time a track is streamed but would be in line for a share of profit from Spotify's premium subscriptions and advertising income.
In the UK, the largest digital income record labels receive still comes from the sale of tracks and albums via iTunes.
However, industry sources predict that Spotify will generate significant revenue for UK record labels within the next six months if the site continues to grow at its current rate.
A Spotify spokesman told the Daily Telegraph: "Collectively we won't be able to change the music industry model overnight -- we're seeing revenues grow month-on-month which are being shared with rights holders in line with our agreements."
However the spokesman said that Spotify expected to take "up to two years" to grow to a sufficient size in order to become a "material revenue generator for artists".
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Google’s Art, Copy & Code Show’s How Storytelling Drives Earned Media
Google’s prowess is well-defined and their earned and paid platforms are as effective as you can get. The one thing that Google has yet to “get right” has been social. A few weeks ago, the search giant launched a program called Art, Copy & Paste, “a series of projects and experiments to show how creativity and technology can work hand in hand,” according to their blog post on the subject.
This translates into paid media opportunity with a heavy dash of creativity and storytelling. It’s very smart, innovative and something to keep an eye on.
Google’s first partner for this project is a new social driving experience called Volkswagen Smileage.
From Google’s post:
Building off their 2012 campaign, “It’s not the miles, it’s how you live them,” Volkswagen Smileage is a mobile app and web service that aims to add a bit of fun to every drive, from your daily commutes to holiday road trips. The app measures the fun factor of each trip using a metric called “smileage,” based on signals like weather, traffic, place, time and social interactions (e.g., a long drive on a sunny Saturday afternoon might accumulate more smileage than a morning commute in the snow). You can use it with any car, not just Volkswagens.
Google said they are also working with Burberry and adidas in this pilot program. This program leverages the Google+ sign-in functionality, which is a way for users to authenticate and login to a service using their Google+ account (and as a result, providing key demographic insight to the developer).
In the Volkswagen Smileage example, the brand will learn a slew of insights from drivers and their passengers as they test out the mobile app.
The inspiration for the service came from a recent study showing that every day, 144 million Americans on average spend 52 minutes in a car—76 percent of them alone. We wanted to make that time a more shareable experience.
The project combines social collaboration, paid media and big data. It will create storytelling opportunities for the brand, but put the end-user in the driver’s seat (pun intended). It’s also a clear sign that mobile advertising is the new frontier and storytelling could lead the charge.
Post by Don Martelli, Director of Digital Integration and Social Business at Schneider Associates.


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The Productivity Commission has recommended deregulation of shopping hours and specifically pointed a finger at Queensland. Having shopping hours regulated by the QIRC is somewhat archaic. Political support for retail deregulation prior to the forthcoming election would be a (pleasant) surprise. Queensland Economy Watch has previously posted on the PC report and regulated shopping hours.Cairns' largest shopping mall has backed the campaign and said current regulations and trading hours were "out of touch" with southern states.Cairns Central marketing manager Suzy Pickard said it supported any regulatory change to make shopping more convenient for customers such as extended trading hours."The current regulations and hours in place do seem out of touch with other states, and do appear to disadvantage the productivity of Queensland retailers and limit the flexibility of when Queenslanders can shop," Ms Pickard said.The Australian National Retailers Association, which represents businesses turning over at least $100 million annually, wants deregulated trading hours, as recommended by a Federal Government report.
We probably don't notice the restrictions as much in Cairns where more liberal trading hours are permited for tourism. However, the situation earlier in 2011 where Easter and public holidays closely coincided was diabolical. The Sheridan St IGA which traded throughout the period in the city was stripped of many products, including fresh produce such as meat, with visitors almost having to fight over the last available packet of mince or resort to pet food..


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This, the government said, is aimed at helping check smuggling of goods into the populous African nation.
Nigerian government insists on closing borders with Ghana, other neighbouring countries until 2020 despite protests
The Nigerian government has revealed that its borders with neighbouring countries will remain closed until 2020 despite several protests to open the border.
Nigeria's High Commissioner to Ghana, Olufemi Abikoye said this ahead of a closed-door meeting on the matter with Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey on Tuesday, October 15, 2019, in Accra.
Although unilateral border closures go against all commercial and freedom of movement treaties signed under the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Nigeria has justified its decision.
Mr Abikoye noted that “Nobody stops goods coming in from the ports,” adding that, “a joint task force set up by the Nigerian government has within a month made a major bust of goods, including ammunition, which were being smuggled into the country.”
He added that “With just one month of this partial temporarily closure of the border, the task force was able to seize over 1,00 smuggled cars, over 5,000 jerry can of petroleum products, over 20,000 bags foreign rice, thousands of ammunition.”
He, hence, directed affected traders to use the country’s ports where authorities can easily monitor goods coming into and going out of the country.
The closed-door meeting
A Ghanaian delegation led by Ms Ayorkor Botchwey on Tuesday engaged with the Nigerian High Commission at a closed-door meeting on the matter following complaints by Ghanaian traders who have been hit by the land border closure.
He explained that “initially, it was supposed to be for just 20 something days but only last Monday, over 20,000 bags of foreign rice” were seized at a time that the government was reviewing the decision on the closure.
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Nvidia Corp. shares tumbled 10 percent on Thursday, as analysts slashed price targets after the graphics chipmaker cut its sales outlook.
Nvidia's slump helped drag chip stocks lower, with the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index down 2.8 percent in midday trading.
Nvidia said cost increases led to a greater-than-expected shift to lower-priced graphics chips, as well as personal computers running lower-end integrated graphics. The company also cited economic weakness in Europe and China.
Nvidia now expects revenue of $800 million to $820 million in the quarter ending Aug. 1, down from its estimate of $950 million to $970 million.
Nvidia shares fell 10 percent to $9.09 in midday trading on the Nasdaq.
FBR Capital Markets analyst Craig Berger downgraded Nvidia to market perform and lowered his price target to $10 from $18. He said Nvidia is trying to transition to a more expensive Fermi chip amid macroeconomic weakness that is also hurting PC production forecasts.
"The magnitude of its guidance miss is surprisingly large, particularly given that Nvidia did not cite any chipset weakness," Berger wrote in a research note
Berger also downgraded Advanced Micro Devices Inc., which competes with Nvidia in the graphics chip market. AMD shares fell 3.9 percent on the New York Stock Exchange.
Nvidia has been shifting its focus to high-performance computing and mobile chips for devices such as tablet computers, while maintaining a core business selling graphics chips.
Wedbush analyst Patrick Wang slashed his price target on Nvidia to $10 from $15, noting looming competitive issues and a weakening in the market for discrete graphics chips.
"Even after the significant negative update, we remain cautious on shares of Nvidia and do not believe things get any easier in the near future," Wang wrote in a note to clients.
Nvidia, AMD and poor results from chip maker LSI Corp. helped drag down other semiconductor names.
The PHLX semiconductor index suffered its largest percentage decline in nearly two weeks, taking the index to just above its 200-day moving average.
The 200-day moving average, close to 347, served as resistance on July 20.
"A close below 347 or 345 would imply we're heading back down to the bottom of the (recent) range," said Craig Peskin, co-head of technical analysis research at Concept Capital in New York.
© 2017 Thomson/Reuters. All rights reserved.


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Dropcam captures $30 million in funding
- Dog droppings were inspiration for Wi-Fi video camera
- Best-selling product on Amazon has collected nearly %2450 million in funding
- Dropcam%27s advances underscore a boom in new hardware gadgets
SAN FRANCISCO -- Dropcam co-founder Greg Duffy got an unusual inspiration for his hot-selling home Wi-Fi video camera: his father was trying to catch whose dog was doing its business on his lawn.
Unable to find a camera to capture the hours of video, the senior Duffy, a software engineer, enlisted the help of his son. What the younger Duffy found was that he needed to buy a camera and then load up his own firmware if it were to work. It did. And those early hacked cameras swiftly sold.
Fast-forward and the startup's video-monitoring camera, now built by Dropcam, is a best seller on Amazon.com.
Investors on Wednesday pumped a $30 million third round of funding into Dropcam. The funding will help Dropcam market its video-monitoring cameras and push them into retail distribution beyond its online presence. Dropcam doesn't disclose its sales figures.
Startup Dropcam's advances underscore a boom in new hardware gadgets and changing investor appetites that in years past remained risk averse to making such bets.
Dropcam's HD video cameras allow people to quickly connect to a Wi-Fi connection and begin monitoring their homes via a smartphone app available to devices running Apple's iOS or Google's Android. Multiple people can be allowed to monitor via the app.
"Home surveillance wasn't sexy before Dropcam," says Forrester analyst Sarah Rotman Epps. "Dropcam built a fanbase by creating a product that's dead simple to use at a price much lower than other solutions."
The video cameras are capable of night vision, two-way talk back, and digital zoom. People can get email or smartphone alerts as well as optional paid cloud storage of video for up to 30 days.
"It's a platform to help you keep track of everything going on at home. We hear stories all the time from people who actually catch burglars," CEO Duffy says.
Dropcam's funding was led by Institutional Venture Partners with existing investors Accel Partners and Menlo Ventures. New investor Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers also participated in the round. The funding brings its total amount raised to $47.8 million.
"Dropcam is a fantastic example of a new generation of connected device companies that leverage the power of the cloud and the ubiquity of smartphones," says Trae Vassallo, general partner at Kleiner Perkins.
And for those wondering, Duffy's father -- with the help of his son's video camera hack -- did eventually figure out whose dog was messing up his lawn.


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The Slovenian Competition Protection Agency recently publicly commended Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company Slovenia for voluntarily implementing improvements to its business practices in the local HoReCa sector. The improvements were the result of a constructive dialogue, that lasted more than a year, between the Agency and Coca-Cola. The new practices were implemented voluntarily by Coca-Cola, without any formal procedure being initiated by the Agency against Coca-Cola’s Slovenian operations.
According to the Agency’s announcement, Coca-Cola implemented the following additional practices:
- formal separation of the sale contracts for carbonated non-alcoholic beverages from the sale contracts for other types of drinks;
- ensuring that the buyers will have the option to enter into the exclusivity arrangements only if Coca-Cola’s beverages are not dominant;
- formally excluding the obligation of buyers to include new Coca-Cola’s products in their portfolio;
- a more transparent specification of payments for marketing investments
The Agency also pointed out that Coca-Cola had already established a program that ensured compliance with competition regulations in the HoReCa sector and that it held regular competition law training for its employees. The conduct of Coca-Cola, according to the Agency, represents an example of good practice for other companies in ensuring compliance with competition regulations. Companies in question, other interested market participants as well as the Agency may benefit from such a proactive approach.


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Cargo Examination: Expert Frowns At SON’s Desperation
BY EGUONO ODJEGBA
A maritime resource person and front line freight forwarder, Dr. Eugene Nweke has urged the Nigerian Standard Organisation (SON) to remain focus and diligent in driving its core mandate through accurate identification of primary risks components, and take bold steps to address them holistically; rather than playing to the gallery.
Nweke’s position is coming on the heels of the cacophony of voices of third parties agents hired by SON to push and lobby its readmission into the ports to participate in cargo examination. It will be recalled that SON and a few others agencies were sent out of the port for constituting unnecessary bottlenecks to cargo clearance process.
SON has stopped at nothing to get back to the cargo examination bay, deploying all manners of tricks and subterfuge including attempts to blackmail relevant authorities, using available fifth columnists and paid agents, not excluding organs of the parliament.
Earlier this week, the Director General SON, Mallam Farouk Salim in yet another forum to stir up the campaign to return his organization to the port, accused the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) single window portal of blocking SON from registering alerts on suspicious imported items.
Literally robbing tears on his hands and weeping with a telling patriotic canduor that has become the lot and pastimes of certain CEOs in government agencies, the SON boss said imported substandard goods are killing the economy.
He said the only panacea is for SON to be allowed to return to the port to kill the importation of substandard imports by been involved in cargo clearance process; noting that anything short of that puts our national economy at great risk.
According to reports, Salim during a one-day stakeholder’s engagement held in Lagos lamented his inability to trigger alerts through the single window port Nigeria Customs Integrated System (NICIS II) portal to stop a suspected cargo.
He explained that this inability to engage in electronic interface in the single window portal system confine his operatives to intercept goods only at the highways and or importers’ warehouses.
The SON boss reportedly said, the agency was able to easily input alerts on consignments via the former Customs electronic platforms including NICIS I and to stop affected goods from leaving the ports, but that since the upgrade to NICIS II, the organization has been unable to make alerts.
But Nweke deferred and told SON to put its house in order, return to the drawing table and come up with an appropriate road map to fight importation of substandard goods. The former National President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarder (NAGAFF), said belly aching statutory agencies mandated to administer cargo clearance is of no avail, and advised SON and its leadership to reinvigorate its regulatory powers that gives them the authority to take the fight against substandard imports to the shipping lines, who should be answerable to every offensive imports.
Nweke said dodging the duty of closing that primary outlet of monitoring shipping lines is tantamount to official malingering and ploy to subvert its core responsibilities; whilst its campaigns to return to the port to participate in cargo examination merely expose the agency’s petty aspirations to seek avenue to farm for lucre instead of concentrating on its important national assignment.
In a statement signed and made available to Pinnacle Time by Nweke, titled RE: ALLEGED IMPORTATION OF SUBSTANDARD GOODS AS BAIT FOR RETURN OF THE STANDARD ORGANIZATION NIGERIA (SON) INTO THE SEA PORTS, the erudite freight forwarder noted that SON’s failure to live up to expectation in the discharge of its mandate is historical and therefore cannot be obviated by the current campaign and alleged misinformation about the actual issues promoting influx of standard imports.
His posers to challenge SON’s pretentious agony, clearly underscores the evil that has held this country hostage for so long.
The statement reads, “First, the pertinent question on the lips of Nigerians is, from 1990 to date, at what time within this period has our market not been overly flooded or littered with substandard goods?
“There is nothing wrong with resorting to engage the advocacy supports of stakeholders to gain the attention and sympathy of the authorities, but it is also wise and justifiable to do so in the context of the prevalent realities in the industry.
“It is a known setting, when an industry standards practice cum regulatory control agency tilts more and fails to strike a balance between its core agency’s regulatory obligations and secondary obligation of revenue interests, it is obvious that one of the obligations will be greatly achieved at the detriment of the other obligations.”
Nweke argued that it is counterproductive when agencies of government with mandate to ensure standards veer off their monitoring roles to engage in revenue pursuit, and attempt to equate themselves with the customs service, statutorily designed to generate revenue at the port industry.
“May I urge regulatory agencies to desist from thinking in the realm of the Nigeria Customs and its enabling objectives to the nation. For emphasis sake, the Nigeria Customs core obligation is revenue generation and to curb activities around it, that limits it from achieving bumper revenue generation, hence, it’s anti smuggling operations.
“Regulatory agencies should emphasis more on their core regulatory objectives and de-emphasize the revenue aspect, which keeps them in dilemma with the NASS who are only concerned about revenue mostly.”
The renown freight forwarder urged SON to rather beam its searchlight on shipping lines and hold them responsible for bringing in substandard imports into Nigeria, rather than engage in a roundabout attempt that purport to evade the real issues.
“Ever wondered, how comes the shipping lines deliver only standards trade goods to other neighboring west Africa countries ports, but delivers anything in a container for the Nigeria ports, why deliberately hiding under the shipping clause or caveat: “Said To Contain” – STC? Do you think it is because of the compliance nature of the trading public? The answer is Hell NO!!!
“It is clear that their countries trade and shipping policy is explicit and flexible. The performing word in their trade policy is ‘..ensure adherence to all trade laws, which guarantee trade facilitation and quick turn around time….’ So, issues around the influx of substandard products into the country are not as rampant as it is in Nigeria.
“Goods coming into their ports must meet the national quality standards specifications, failing to do so, the shipping lines will be penalized and in most instances, the shipping lines are made to ship back the goods to the origin port, doing so at its own expenses.
“Their government understands that the trading public priorities and motives in international business is profits driven, and the tendencies and chances of breaching the nation trade laws in other to maximize profits are likely and obvious. As such, the government has need to evolve and deploy a prompt check and balance mechanism, between trading for national and corporate growth and trading for individual growth.”
He advised SON to up its monitoring capacity in the desired areas and ensure that shipping lines flouting standard imports are made to account; noting that this does not entail working inside the port.
“It is a national shipping law that must be respected and adhered to by any shipping lines wishing to do business with their country. And so, there is no bending the rules for the trading public cum shipping lines.
“Have you noticed that goods which meant for Nigerian Port as its final destinations, but under a trans-shipment window, finds its way to any of the ports within the west Africa countries are adequately monitored at the point of container stripping and deveining operations, just to ensure that, not even a single product carelessly enters the street, talk less of the market?”
Passionately concerned, Nweke said until and unless SON does the needful and stop being overly revenue conscious, the challenge of substandard imports will remain. He described the present romance between SON and shipping lines as demonstration of official negligence and compromise, noting that it is sunacceptable.
“Our products quality standards must remains our national standard, with no compromising for any consideration… (which was an initial error made by one of the formal Director General of the agency in 1997, while trying not to offend the trading public). Consequently, such compromise is now playing back, evidence both in policy application and in practice.
“SON knew too well that it’s greatest challenge stems from its lack of regulatory control over the shipping lines, which it needed corporately to checkmate the trading public. Pointing at the Single Window, I can bet you that even with the evolution of a single window, the influx of substandard products will persists excerpt we tackle the factor promoting the shipping of substandard products from the root, it will only but amount to building a castle in a shifting sand or a vicious circle.”
Nweke explained that part of the reason foreign shipping lines ride roughshod on Nigeria and sort of assume an untouchable status which makes them operate in disregard of our laws is that they can fix few Nigerians without character into their board; who in turn deflects all actionable laws from affecting these shipping lines.
“The Nigeria shipping environment is one that accommodates foreign shipping lines, of which many collude, fronting politicians by proxy (even electing them into their board and appointing some as administrative stooges).
“And further more join and register with associations purely for their business interests (which is to advance their cutting corners), especially those that falls short of international practices cum compromises. Nigeria seems a haven for foreign shipping lines to change its international posture and turn a national Shipping line through the instrument of a registered national association.”
On a final note, he charged Salim to focus on compliance in the appropriate quarters like ensuring that shipping lines are made to operate within the context of international shipping best practices in dealing with Nigeria, rather than wasting money and effort through paid campaigns, looking for solution in the wrong place.
“Nigerians had expected that SON other than faulting the Customs NICIS 2 as the cause of its non achieving desired quality regulatory objectives, should partner with the Customs and fashion out a Container Security Initiative – CSI as obtain in other importing climes.
“For instance in America, Britain, South Africa, and many other countries who also import from Asian countries, especially China, do so under strict adherence to specified nations quality, yet for compliance on safety and security purposes, they signed up a CSI known as the ADVANCE MANIFEST RULE aka AUTOMATED MANIFEST SYSTEM ( AMS), with the China/Shipping line.
He explained that under the CSI , Six rules are involved to drive the security initiative, and includes Carrier will have to transmit cargo declaration to the nation’s custom Authority at least 24 hour prior to commencement of loading operations at the port of loading.
“After documentary check by Customs and other regulatory agencies, the Customs will notify the carrier of those shipments that are permitted to enter irrespective port of discharge. The rule ensures that, the cargo description and analysis is precise, and does not accept general description such as “FAK” or “Machinery”. Under the rule, Carrier who loads without submitting documentation 24 hours prior to loading will face fines and risk delays, including denial of permission to unload.
“SON’s non participation in physical examination or as christened “non presence” in the port has little or nothing to do with the influx of substandard goods into the ports. SON should be BOLD to confront their fearful monsters (shipping lines and their political cohorts) for the sake of the national security and safety, and stop playing to the gallery.”


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— Univision Deportes (@UnivisionSports) June 16, 2014
Twitter has acquired video start-up Snappy TV as part of its bid to dominate the second screen, taking money from advertisers who want to reach people watching TV while they are fiddling with their smartphones.
The messaging platform bought Snappy TV for an undisclosed sum, bringing the company’s video tools in house at Twitter for brands and media partners to use to clip and edit video just after it is recorded to distribute online.
Twitter promotes two main ways to use video. Firstly, encouraging marketers to buy adverts that echo their TV ads to ensure the message sticks as it tries to dominate digital advertising around live events such as the World Cup and the Oscars. Secondly, it is working with TV networks through its Amplify partnerships with TV networks to show live clips to persuade people to tune in. Read more


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John Lewis is looking to extend its online home-delivery service to 27 countries, including the US and Australia, by August, the group behind the department-store chain said yesterday as it delivered a 20 per cent jump in pre-tax profits.
The performance enabled John Lewis Partnership (JLP), which also owns the grocer Waitrose, to pay its 76,500 employees a bonus of 18 per cent of annual salary – equal to more than nine weeks' pay – from a total pot of £194.5m. The group pays all employees, from the chairman to sales assistants, the same percentage bonus.
Despite both chains powering ahead last year, JLP's chairman, Charlie Mayfield, struck a cautious note on consumer spending, but was hopeful it would improve from the spring.
However, the group is still forecasting growth this year after its profits surged by 20 per cent to £367.9m for the 12 months to 29 January. To drive forward both businesses, JLP is increasing its capital expenditure by nearly a quarter to £600m. This will see it invest in new shops, services and its systems, creating 4,300 new jobs.
Of the £233m investment at John Lewis, one of the department store's most eye-catching initiatives is to deliver goods ordered online to 11 European countries, including Ireland, France and Germany, from June.
Two months later, the department store will target a further 16 countries, including Singapore, the US, New Zealand and Australia. John Lewis confirmed it will target the cities of New York, Sydney and Auckland – which all have big expatriate communities. Andy Street, the managing director of John Lewis, said: "This is about us being confident there will be real demand from the expat market." He said it had no plans to open stores in these countries.
A strong uplift in online sales last year helped John Lewis to deliver a 22.2 per cent leap in operating profits to £201.2m and like-for-like sales up 10 per cent. Of the department store's total sales of £3.23bn, online, including click and collect in store, accounted for £538.2m, or 17 per cent. However, John Lewis has seen far more subdued trading since the end of January and Mr Street said it was forecasting growth of just 1 per cent, excluding online and new space, at its "established stores" this year, compared with 6 per cent in 2010/11.
Waitrose was also a star performer last year, growing its operating profit by 3 per cent to £274.9m, which would have been up to £4m higher without the heavy snow in December. The 244-store grocer grew sales by 9.8 per cent to £4.97bn over the year, boosted by 20 new stores and three relocations of shops. Mark Price, the managing director of Waitrose, struck a bullish note on this year and forecast like-for-like sales growth of up to 5 per cent, compared with the actual 4 per cent last year. He also said that Waitrose's food inflation was only 2.7 per cent currently, a sharp contrast with the 4.5 per cent figure the British Retail Consortium unveiled on Wednesday.
On the outlook for consumer spending, Mr Mayfield said that "confidence is fragile" but was hopeful consumer spending would strengthen after Easter and return to "slow growth" later in the year. He said: "It is a bit like the country is waiting for its exam results and when they come through, people will be able to look towards the future."Reuse content


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Ontario-based Cardenas Markets is changing owners, switching from one private equity fund to another.
Funds managed by global asset manager Apollo have agreed to acquire the supermarket chain from current owner KKR.
The move comes less than a week after Cardenas announced it was expanding its Southern California footprint with the acquisition of six Rio Ranch Markets in the Inland Empire.
The merger will combine Cardenas, which operates 59 locations across California, Nevada and Arizona, with Tony’s Fresh Market, a Chicago-area grocery chain with 18 stores that was acquired by Apollo Capital Management in April.
The expanded enterprise will operate as a Hispanic- and ethnic-focused grocer with nearly 80 locations across the U.S. and $1.8 billion in combined revenues, according to Apollo.
The transaction must clear regulatory hurdles before its expected close in the third quarter of 2022, Apollo said. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Cardenas and Tony’s will continue to operate under their respective brands and local leadership, Apollo officials said. Local Cardenas Markets can be found in Corona, Fontana, Hesperia, Indio, Montclair, Ontario, Perris, Rialto, Jurupa Valley, San Bernardino and Victorville.
Founded in 1981, Cardenas is one of the largest Hispanic grocery chains in the country. The company was acquired by KKR in 2016 and has since nearly doubled in size.
“Since KKR acquired Cardenas Markets our store count grew from 32 to 59 through a combination of acquisitions and organic growth,” company spokeswoman Marisa Kutansky said.
The grocery chain currently operates 51 stores under the Cardenas Markets banner, seven as Los Altos Ranch Markets and one under the name Cardenas Ranch Markets.
Cardenas CEO Doug Sanders said the acquisition will allow both companies to better levergage their collective strengths.
“Together, as two of the highest quality Hispanic and ethnic grocers, we can deliver even greater value to the communities we serve,” Sanders said in a statement.
Andrew Jhawar and Joanna Reiss, private equity partners with Apollo, expect the growth to continue.
“Cardenas has grown significantly over the last several years under Doug’s leadership and we are excited to accelerate its growth in combination with Tony’s in this next phase,” they said.


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Wall St. Weekahead: Cheap clothes makes for pricy stocks at TJX, Ross | Reuters
This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Find latest and upcoming tech gadgets online on Tech2 Gadgets. Get technology news, gadgets reviews & ratings. Popular gadgets including laptop, tablet and mobile specifications, features, prices, comparison.
In lockdown, tennis players pursue online business and management courses to aid their careers off court
With the coronavirus outbreak forcing a suspension of tennis tours since March, players have some time on their hands to widen their horizons.
Chidambaram slams Centre over state of economy, says telecom and aviation sectors on 'verge of collapse'
The former finance minister's remark comes a day after telecom company Bharti Airtel posted a net loss of Rs 15,933 cr in the first quarter of FY 2020-21
Over 275 million children in India suffer mild to severe effects of lead poisoning, as per new UNICEF report
Lead has been found in food items like Chili powder, Garam Masala, etc and in a brand of instant noodles popular across India.


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Costco members are about to get speedy same-day delivery — but only in select areas.
On Wednesday, Uber announced that it has launched a pilot program with Costco, which will allow Costco members to get same-day delivery through Uber and Uber Eats at certain locations in Texas.
The pilot program started on Wednesday at 25 Costco locations in Dallas, Houston and Austin, Texas. According to Uber’s announcement, the program is expected to expand to seven more Costco warehouses "over the coming weeks."
The announcement boasts that Costco members who order their groceries for delivery through Uber and Uber Eats "could have their groceries delivered within hours, if not minutes."
The program does have a $35 minimum order, but delivery will be free if the Costco members also have an Uber Pass or an Uber Eats Pass.
According to the announcement, Uber’s partnership with Costco is the first time the ride-hailing and delivery platform has partnered with a wholesaler in the U.S.
"One thing we know to be true is that people across the United States are looking for convenient and affordable ways to stock their pantries without leaving home—especially for last-minute must-have items," Raj Beri, Uber's head of grocery delivery, said in a statement. "Today's announcement with Costco is an important step towards marrying the magic of wholesale retail with on-demand delivery in the palm of your hand, and I'm thrilled that Texans are getting a first look at what's to come."
In January, Costco also launched a pilot program with Instacart to offer same-day curbside pickup at three warehouses in New Mexico, FOX Business previously reported.
In a statement included in Uber’s recent announcement, Costco’s executive vice president of merchandising, Ron Vachris, said: "Our mission statement at Costco is to take care of our members. By finding solutions to deliver merchandise quickly and efficiently, we continue to offer our members value, convenience and member service."


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Coming quickly to an on-demand platform close to you: a ton of 2020 motion pictures.
In the uncommon occasion that you just haven’t heard, it is best to most likely cancel your subsequent journey to your native movie show. As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, most theaters throughout the nation — together with main chains akin to AMC Theatres and Regal Cinemas — have closed.
To preserve Hollywood afloat, studios have adjusted their method. For occasion, Universal is taking this chance to experiment with a simultaneous theatrical and on-demand launch for Trolls: World Tour. But the brand new commonplace trade response has been for studios to ship all main 2020 motion pictures to residence launch as quickly as attainable.
The spring 2020 motion pictures have left the schedule
Due to the widespread closure of most main film theaters, all main releases by means of mid-May 2020 have been shelved till as late as 2021. While movies like A Quiet Place Part II, Mulan, and Black Widow will nonetheless launch theatrical releases sooner or later, they’ve been taken off the schedule in the interim.
Similarly, Universal’s Fast and Furious 9 — which was set for an April 2020 debut — has been pushed a full yr to spring 2021. Even Warner Bros. thought of a video on demand launch for its massive June launch, Wonder Woman 1984. Ultimately, the studio determined towards that method. But residents who’re remaining safely at residence will nonetheless have loads of 2020 motion pictures to observe.
Most 2020 motion pictures can be out there by the tip of March
Disney made headlines by sending Frozen II to Disney+ a lot prior to regular. The firm even launched Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker to digital forward of schedule. Since then, a number of studios have launched main releases from the primary quarter of 2020 to video on demand companies sooner than regular. These 48-hour leases are largely out there for $19.99 every.
For occasion, Disney itself launched its newest Pixar movie, the fantasy journey Onward, to digital platforms mere weeks after its theatrical launch. Moreover, the movie hits Disney+ on April 3. Also, Universal made headlines by releasing present theatrical releases The Hunt, The Invisible Man, and Emma to on-demand companies in late March.
Then, Warner Bros. follows go well with on March 24 with the digital launch of The Gentlemen, Birds of Prey, and The Way Back. That similar day, Universal and Sony launch Dolittle and Bloodshot, respectively. Then the yr’s two largest hits — Bad Boys for Life and Sonic the Hedgehog — hit digital on March 31.
When will theaters be again in business?
Even as Hollywood adapts to the coronavirus pandemic, we now have no clue how lengthy this shutdown will go on. With productions halted and schedules cleared, the leisure trade is coping with unprecedented circumstances right here. These video on demand releases could tide followers over for now, however ultimately, Hollywood should determine methods to transfer ahead.
With any luck, this non permanent delay will solely derail the film business for a couple of months at most. But as a result of a lot is unclear, nobody can say how the remainder of 2020 and past will play out. But one factor is definite. The results aren’t restricted to simply 2020 motion pictures. The leisure trade may need to regulate to a brand new regular, particularly as film theaters undergo.


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Google offers free turn-by-turn GPS
A daily dose of postings from The Chronicle's technology blog (sfgate.com/blogs/tech)
Google is at it again, giving people a much sought-after free service, while taking a swipe at an entire industry.
This time the Mountain View company is updating its Google Maps for Mobile application with turn-by-turn directions. The upshot is that users with the right hardware can get a service for free that now costs at least $10 a month.
Good news for users, bad news for manufacturers of navigation device and directions service providers.
The updated GPS app called Google Maps Navigation is initially being built into Android 2.0, Google's free mobile operating system. It will debut on Motorola's Droid smart phone on Nov. 6 and should make its way to other smart phones like the iPhone that are capable of handling the 3-D rendering workload necessary to make the app go.
Google's app isn't designed just to match other turn-by-turn personal navigation devices. It leverages Google's wealth of Web data and other technologies to create a really impressive connected navigation product.
The app lets a user type in the name of a destination rather than an address. Or you can use voice recognition software to speak to the app.
Users can get a satellite view of their trip and even Google Street View images of turns on their route or their final destination. The app also delivers live traffic information and allows a user to conduct searches on the road, with the results narrowed to places along the intended route.
Google CEO Eric Schmidt said the update to Google Mobile Maps isn't intended to kill off paid navigation services. It's about filling a consumer need.
"Anywhere we can provide a customer benefit, we'll go after it," Schmidt said.
This is part of Google's larger game plan. It's been rolling out free products and services like Google Docs and Android in the hopes that they will help connect users to Google's Web-based world.


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We were full of ideas around here this past fall, in no small part thanks to October's annual Chicago Ideas Week (CIW). This year we served as the organization's technology partner, helping the nonprofit launch its new website, enhance its online ticketing system, and develop a ticket scanning mobile app.
Now that the dust has settled, we took some time to sit down with the team from CIW to conduct a “retrospective”: a facilitated session in which we discussed what worked well, what could have worked better, and how we can improve future stages of the project. We came away with some key learnings, and happily, everyone felt the week was an overall success:
Ticket sales were up: Nearly 5,000 more tickets were sold to CIW events this year, despite fewer ticketed sessions on the calendar.
For the first time, CIW sponsors could use the website to issue tickets to their networks, helping to streamline the sponsorship process.
The automated platform simplified administrative tasks and saved staff time.
Thanks to the mobile app, for the first time, organizers could get real-time attendance counts at events, so they knew how many extra tickets to sell at the door.
We’re already getting excited for Chicago Ideas Week 2014 and have started talking about new improvements for next year. We’ll be expanding the ticketing system to handle additional special events, and we're working on a new user-facing mobile app that will let attendees find events, manage their tickets, and join the conversation using their phones and tablets.
Did you attend CIW this year and have feedback on how things could be better for next year? Please share in the comments!
Below see some shots from this year's Chicago Ideas Week, including our PechaKucha-style event "My Worst Idea Ever." Watch all the talks from that event at our PechaKucha channel, and for more from CIW, check out our "Learn Agile with LEGO" event.


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We've seen a rather huge rise in the interest and awareness of 3D printing in the past year, helped by the marketing efforts of those companies offering personal 3D printing devices. But what happens when your "normal" consumer acquires a 3D printer? Bioarchaeologist Kristina Killgrove of Pensacola, Florida writes of her experience with a personal 3D printer, in this case, a brand new MakerBot Replicator 2.
Her experience? Mixed, it seems. While technically-inclined printer operators are accustomed to "glitches", the typical consumer may not. Veteran printer operators know that from time to time, "things happen", resulting in failed prints that must be reprinted. There are tricks to persuade a troublesome print to succeed, but that comes with time and experience - something typical consumers don't readily have.
What does this mean? Perhaps the personal 3D printer manufacturers need even more TLC as they continue to probe into the mass market.
Our advice to Ms. Killgrove: Try again, try different configurations, and please don't use "Percussive Maintenance"!


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Brian Foster, head of industry finance at Siemens Financial Services in the UK, examines how flexible finance can help logistics providers meet the changing needs of retailers and consumers.
The upward trend of online shopping shows no sign of abating; research forecasts a 69% increase in parcel volume in Europe by 2021. UK consumers that utilise online shopping currently make 87% of their retail purchases online, up from 80% in 2017. Apart from the continued increase in volume, the nature of online retail is also evolving. Convenience of delivery is an important factor for consumers choosing where to shop. A PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) report shows that fast and reliable delivery would influence where almost a quarter of consumers choose to shop. Additionally, 40% of shoppers are willing to pay an extra charge for same-day delivery.
As consumers expect more from retailers, retailers will expect more from their logistics operators. Retailers that can offer speed and flexibility will win the customers and, therefore, the logistics companies that can facilitate that speed and flexibility will win the retailers. Consequently, logistics providers need to be ready to continually adapt and modernise to maximise cost efficiency and asset productivity, enabling their clients to meet consumers’ delivery expectations cost effectively.
Investing in new technology is key to achieving this. ‘The Internet of Things’ (IoT) offers future potential and creates opportunities for a connected transport system, where vehicles, goods and infrastructure communicate with each other. For example, “radio-frequency identification” (RFID) tagging can provide fleets with GPS and location data informing them of factors such as bad weather that might delay deliveries. Planning for these factors will enable carriers to deliver more goods on time. Similarly, data can be analysed to identify areas where efficiency can be improved; for example, identifying efficient drivers and routes. Smart location management systems can enable companies to easily track driver activities, vehicle location, and delivery status with real-time information, meaning that business processes can be streamlined.
Looking further ahead, the very assets which transport goods are also likely to change radically. Self-driving vehicles continue to be tested and could produce significant benefits for the logistics industry. Many companies are faced with massive driver shortages and the drivers make up about 30% of the road transport costs. Driverless vehicles can increase speed and flexibility of freight flows and, unlike drivers, can operate 24/7.
Implementing new technology, however, takes time and investments in new vehicles and technology requires considerable capital expenditure. Tailor-made financing packages for the acquisition of a variety of new truck and trailer models are gaining popularity as a cost-effective investment-enabler. Asset finance can help logistics operators embrace new technology. Pay-to-use or access financing techniques such as leasing, and pay-for-outcomes agreements whereby the savings or gains made possible by a given technology fund monthly payments, are effective, alternative methods of funding equipment and technology investments and upgrades. Such financing techniques spread the cost of machinery over an agreed financing period, with monthly finance payments arranged to align with expected benefits gained over time from new/retrofitted equipment, such as improved productivity, operating cost savings, energy efficiency and access to new markets. This removes the need for a large initial outlay, thereby increasing the funds available for other expenditures. In other words, asset finance allows manufacturers access to the latest technologies, without having to commit scarce capital or use traditional lines of credit. Financing arrangements can cover other costs such as installation, as well as providing the flexibility to upgrade technology in line with technology developments.
Unlike traditional, generalist financiers that might lack comprehensive technical knowledge to fully evaluate the impact a potential investment can bring to a logistics operator, specialist financiers active in the transport arena understand the technology, its potential future value and its practical application. This comprehensive understanding of the financed equipment and technology enables specialist financiers to determine appropriate and tailored financing solutions that meet the company’s specific needs. Their expertise in equipment and technology and finance makes it possible for specialist financiers to assess the cost savings and/or expected benefits for the term of the agreement and factor that into the financing arrangement. Specialist financiers, moreover, can devise financing plans that cover a broad range of costs associated with using the equipment and technology, not just the cost of acquisition, meaning greater transparency regarding the expected operating costs for the customer. By using flexible financing, logistics companies have the opportunity to benefit from the investment in equipment and technology straight away rather than delaying their acquisition, and through that timely investment gain an important competitive advantage.
Internet shopping continues to become more popular and consumers are becoming increasingly demanding. Logistics companies need to be ready to help retailers meet these demands by investing in technology that enables them to be more efficient. Technology is developing rapidly and holds many exciting possibilities for the industry. But the transport sector operates under tight margins and investments must be made sustainably. Operators that don’t meet this challenge risk being left behind.
 Logistics Manager, ’Huge growth in urban logistics space vital to meet online demand’, 18 October 2017 https://www.logisticsmanager.com/huge-growth-urban-logistics-space-vital-meet-online-demand/
 Net Imperative, ’Online shopping in the UK up 9% in a year’, 11 September 2018 http://www.netimperative.com/2018/09/online-shopping-in-the-uk-up-9-in-a-year/
 PricewaterhouseCoopers, ’Signed, sealed, delivered (and regularly returned)’, 2018 https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/industries/consumer-markets/consumer-insights-survey/delivery-expectation.html
 Indigo, ’How are logistics operations adapting to the increased popularity of Internet shopping?’, 24 January 2018 http://www.indigo.co.uk/article/2018/1/24/how-are-logistics-operations-adapting-to-the-increased-popularity-of-internet-shopping
 Iot for all, ’What’s Ahead for IoT and Logistics in 2018’, https://www.iotforall.com/logistics-and-iot-trends-2018/
 Innovation Enterprise Channels, ’The top six IoT applications in logistics’, 13 July 2018 https://channels.theinnovationenterprise.com/articles/how-the-internet-of-things-will-revolutionize-the-logistics-industry
 Sabinext, ’Self-Driving Vehicles: The New Reality for Logistics?’, 17 June 2018, https://sabinext.com/self-driving-vehicles-new-reality-logistics


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Ubuntu 16.04 LTS launches tomorrow
Canonical has been in the Linux world for more than a decade, launching the first Ubuntu version in late October 2004. This Linux flavor is now available in almost 60 languages and gets a new release every six months. On the other hand, long-term support (LTS) releases do not come that often - there is a two-year gap between them, and each receives support and software updates for no less than five years.
According to the official press release by Canonical, Ubuntu 16.04 introduces the snap package format and LXD pure-container hypervisor with OpenStack Mitaka. The new long term support release also brings ZFS and CephFS support "for large-scale cloud storage," also marking "the first time that the platform is supported on mainframes, the world’s largest and most powerful Linux systems."
This new release will offer support for an impressive range of hardware platforms, from embedded ARM devices like the notorious RaspberryPi to standard 32-bit and 64-bit servers powered by AMD and Intel, as well as IBM Z, LinuxONE, and POWER8 mainframes.
We should hear more about the new Ubuntu 16.04 LTS and its features tomorrow, so stay tuned.


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First Merch Store Launch by Axie Infinity Developer Sky Mavis
Axie Infinity developer Sky Mavis has recently made a groundbreaking announcement regarding the launch of its very first merchandise store.
Code: Axie_ Collection
The first collection, >Code: Axie_ Collection, commemorates the game’s initial launch in 2018. This marks the time when the first axie NFTs were minted without any artwork, containing only code. The collection will consist of a special limited edition drop that will last for two weeks, including a hoodie, t-shirt, and cap.
Merch Store Offerings
The merch store will also include figurines, plushies, and apparel. Additionally, holders of Mystic axie NFTs will have access to a token-gated figurine in both physical and digital form. Updated licensing guidelines will enable Mystic holders to create, sell, and receive 100% of the profit from merchandise featuring their axies.
According to Sky Mavis CEO Trung Nguyen, “We believe by building a strong and accessible IP, we can introduce more people to Axie Infinity and bring in a new generation to web3. Like Hello Kitty and Pokémon, our axies have captured the hearts of millions of gamers and have the potential to be a cultural touchpoint in the physical world.”
Along with the launch, Sky Mavis will release downloadable designs for fans to print locally. In key regions such as the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia, the company will be partnering with the popular superapp Grab. As part of the collaboration, store users will receive Grab points and a 10% discount through a campaign on the GrabAds platform.
The merchandise store will officially launch at 2pm GMT on Friday, November 24th. The first 5,000 individuals to make a purchase using the Ronin wallet will receive a free axie NFT and have the opportunity to claim one of three Mystic axies.
In conclusion, Axie Infinity’s foray into the merchandise market signifies a significant step in expanding its reach and strengthening its community. The launch of the merch store provides fans and players with a new opportunity to engage with the game, while also serving as a potential avenue for the introduction of the Axie Infinity brand to a wider audience.
For more exciting updates and news related to VR gaming, be sure to visit VR Game News.


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Super Smash Bros: Nintendo decides to withdraw any installment of Super Smash Bros from EVO 2022, despite having achieved viewing records in the 2019 edition. After the digital edition of 2021, EVO 2022, the most important fighting game event in the world, will once again be held in person, specifically in Las Vegas during the month of August. As we already know, the event was acquired by Sony a few months ago, with the consequent question of what would happen with exclusive games from other platforms, to which today we have an answer: Super Smash Bros will not be at EVO 2022 in the capital of Nevada .
It must be remembered that, after its launch in 2018, Super Smash Bros Ultimate was the game chosen to close the EVO 2019 edition, to the surprise of many fans of the genre. However, the Nintendo game was the perfect climax by breaking viewing records on the event’s official Twitch channel, with more than 200,000 viewers, reaching a peak of almost 279,000.
Nintendo turns its back on EVO 2022
Despite everything, this has not served for the Kyoto company to allow the video game to compete in 2022, since according to the organization’s official statement, the decision is Nintendo’s. As they have anticipated, next March 8 there will be a special rebroadcast with some news, among which we can expect the announcement of some of the games that will be present. “While we are grateful for all the amazing games that will be joining us later this year in Las Vegas, we want to let you know that Super Smash Bros will not be back,” the statement read. The Japanese already anticipated almost a year ago that they would evaluate the situation after the acquisition of the event by Sony.
“Since 2007 we have seen how Super Smash Bros. has created historic moments in EVO,” he continues. “We are sad to see how Nintendo has decided not to carry on that legacy with us this year. In the future, we look forward to celebrating together with the entire Super Smash Bros community.”
That said, we can only wait for the aforementioned March 8 to glimpse the first news of the 2022 edition. Among the games that can be expected are Guilty Gear Strive, Street Fighter V, Mortal Kombat 11 -with triumphant inclusion in 2021 thanks to its solid online- and the recent The King of Fighters XV.


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This post is the seventh in a series of eight profiling automobiles in the museum’s collection. At the conclusion of the series on Tuesday, December 21, the public will be invited to vote for one favorite among the eight cars. The two automobiles with the most votes in the “Race to the Museum” contest will be displayed in the museum from January 22 to February 21, 2011.
Does alternative energy have a future in personal transportation? Decades of proposals and experiments have made many people wonder whether we will ever drive to the office, shopping center, or Disney World without filling up at the pump. Whether we notice it or not, designers of alternative energy vehicles are constantly rolling out new types of experimental vehicles that push the envelope a bit further.
Take the Sunraycer, for example. In 1987, General Motors accepted the challenge of entering a 1,864-mile solar car race across Australia. GM partner AeroVironment, founded by human- and solar-powered aircraft innovator Paul MacCready, designed and assembled an amazingly lightweight, aerodynamic solar-electric vehicle with a body made of Kevlar and Nomex, satellite-type solar cells, silver-zinc Hughes batteries, and a GM Magnequench motor. The tubular aluminum body frame weighs an incredible 14 pounds, and total weight is just 390 pounds. Sunraycer could achieve speeds up to 70 miles per hour and won the race hands-down.
Will motorists ever drive cars like the Sunraycer? Maybe. But more importantly, Sunraycer’s power control technologies paved the way for other types of electric vehicles that are closer to becoming everyday transportation.
Roger White is Associate Curator in the Division of Work and Industry at the National Museum of American History.


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Bread is a staple food; but with low-carb diets still fashionable, many young people avoid it. In Sweden, the Swedish Bread Institute, decided to do something about this, getting young people talking about bread again via a social media campaign that involves eating bugs on a bun.
The "Bread the Future" campaign, by Edelman Deportivo, launched with this teaser that sees an eccentric lunch lady from the future offering kids the insect lunches. The film also explains that bread is vital for our future as it's good for the climate -- unlike many foods, it doesn't have to be imported.
This isn't just a funny film however; the campaign is really doing a school tour, where it's inviting kids (with parental permission) to try sandwiches topped with mealworm beetles, and a future film will capture their reactions.
Mattias Ronge, CEO at Edelman Deportivo, told Creativity: "To make people feel great when eating bread, we highlighted its climate benefits and to get people to pay attention, we decided to use the most climate friendly toppings there are, namely bugs. The campaign placed bread in one of the most engaging topics in Sweden right now: our climate, and started a discussion in both the editorial and social space. Insects might be tiny, but in this case, they had an impact much larger than their actual size. If the customers prefer a cheese sandwich? That's ok. It is very climate friendly too."