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Police, FDA raid 6 more sites for fake plastic surgery silicone strips
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials joined police to raid and confiscate a horde of fake silicone pieces at a plastic surgery clinic’s five branches and at the manufacturer’s warehouse.
The joint operation was announced on Monday by FDA secretary-general Paisarn Dunkum and Pol Colonel Tharakorn Lertporncharoen, deputy chief of the Consumer Protection Police Division (CPPD).
The latest raid was conducted last Thursday, following two previous operations on December 20 and 22.
The raid also uncovered information that Korawin Clinic’s five branches had used the counterfeit silicone pieces in 1,621 surgeries last year. Of them, 1,436 were nose jobs, 154 chin implants and 31 both nose and chin surgeries.
Paisarn said the FDA sought help CPPD’s help to investigate the use of fake silicone pieces at clinics operating under the Korawin brand.
The FDA and CPPD also obtained a court warrant to search a deserted rice mill in Suphanburi’s Sri Prachan district on December 20.
There they learned that the rice mill was being used as a factory to make silicone for nose and forehead jobs.
They also seized counterfeit equipment, 68 moulds and 1,098 silicone pieces in the December 20 raid. The cost of the confiscated items was estimated at 3.5 million baht.
Nattapapas (surname withheld) was subsequently arrested for manufacturing silicone and medical equipment without a licence. She reportedly admitted to running the business for two years and said her biggest buyer was K Medical Thailand Co Ltd.
K Medical reportedly placed orders for Korawin Clinic’s Ngam Wong Wan branch in Bangkok and in Khon Kaen province.
Paisarn said subsequent investigation found that the counterfeit silicone was later distributed to 30 other branches of the clinic nationwide. Officials also found documents proving that the Korawin Clinic had paid more than 2 million baht for the fake silicone pieces.
On December 22, police and FDA officials raided the Ngam Wong Wan branch and seized 12,282 pieces for nose jobs, 27 pieces for forehead implants and 3,855 pieces for the chin. All had been made in Nattapapas’s factory.
On January 12, FDA officials searched the clinic’s branches in Nakhon Pathom, Rayong, Udon Thani and Khon Kaen as well as the Ngam Wong Wan branch and a warehouse in Nonthaburi.
Police said the January 12 and December 22 raids resulted in the seizure of 12,282 pieces for nose jobs, 2,775 for foreheads and 1,107 for chins as well as 998 illegal medical equipment and 474 items of illegal medication.
The FDA chief said the silicone pieces cost 60-80 baht each to produce and were used in surgeries costing 4,900 to 50,000 baht.
The FDA chief and CPPD deputy chief said more arrest warrants will be sought but did not elaborate.


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Oh, baby, baby, it’s a mobile world. The number of active cellphone subscriptions worldwide is more than six billion, according to data from the International Telecommunications Union. The cost of mobile data is shrinking, too, letting more people in developing countries get online. First reported by Ars Technica, the data comes from the ITU’s annual report, which took a broad look at how mobile technology is changing worldwide. I places like Brazil, Ghana, Rwanda and Kenya, cellphone adoption saw double-digit growth in 2011. China and India account for 1 billion cellphone subscriptions each. Read the full story at Mashable.
About Shelly Palmer
Shelly Palmer is the Professor of Advanced Media in Residence at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and CEO of The Palmer Group, a consulting practice that helps Fortune 500 companies with technology, media and marketing. Named LinkedIn’s “Top Voice in Technology,” he covers tech and business for Good Day New York, is a regular commentator on CNN and writes a popular daily business blog. He's a bestselling author, and the creator of the popular, free online course, Generative AI for Execs. Follow @shellypalmer or visit shellypalmer.com.

domain: news


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E-Bike Puts Dutch Market Back on Growth Track
AMSTERDAM, the Netherlands – Driven by economic growth as well as e-bike popularity the Dutch bicycle market grew in 2017 by 3.2%. With that market volume upped for the first time since 2007. Obviously, e-bikes generated the largest part of the growth as its sales increased 8.7% to 294,000 units.
The total number of bicycles sold in the Netherlands last year was 957,000; an increase of 29,000 units compared to the 2016 total. Though the increase might be small in volume, the latest market statistics – published by the Dutch industry association Rai Vereniging in cooperation with dealer association BOVAG – mark an important turning point. In the past decade e-bike popularity pushed up turnovers and average retail prices but market volume lagged behind. In 2016 e-bike sales even declined slightly raising fears for market saturation. The latest 2017 market statistics clearly show this is not the case. They indicate that e-bike sales has not reached its maximum volume yet.
E-bikes account for over 50% in turnover
Last year the e-bike increased its market share in the Netherlands from 29% in 2016 to 31%. In turnover e-bikes generate now more than half of the total bicycle market value of 976 million euro. The availability of electric support for almost every kind of bicycle was one of the growth drivers of this category.
Though still small also speed pedelec sales boomed last year from 3,576 units in 2016 to 4,572 in 2017. According to RAI Vereniging this 27.8% increase can be attributed to the growing registration of dealer’s inventory as well as the popularity of this mobility product on the b2b market.


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Fairtrade ‘Take a Step’ campaign is proving to be hugely successful, but there is another way to increase people’s awareness of products that help out the producers in developing countries – gaining Fairtrade status for your university, business or town.
Fairtrade products seem to have bucked the economic trend with sale of these types of products witnessing a significant increase in the past year.
This all excellent news, but to reach the place we want to be everyone needs to unite and do more. And to that end, the Fairtrade Foundation recognises the work of those who go one step beyond choosing the right products when in the supermarket.
The scheme began in 2003 and Oxford Brookes was the first university to be awarded the status. Since then, many have followed. One of the most recent to be awarded the status is the University of Lincoln. The university’s environment sustainability manager, Dan Clayton, said that having the status “shows that we are taking ethical issues into consideration in our purchasing decisions”.
He added, “Achieving the Fairtrade status is all part of the journey to making the university more environmentally aware. The key issues are reducing our energy consumption, cutting the amount of waste we send to landfill and ensuring any new buildings take environmental and running costs into account”.
And what could be better than the future of sustainability being established by future generations? At Blue & Green Tomorrow we have written previously about the importance of our education system setting a sustainable example.
Clayton explained that recognition of the university’s progress can help raise awareness of Fairtrade outside the campus, with Lincoln aiming to become a Fairtrade Town. There are already more than 500 of these towns in the UK that helps to broadcast the message even further. As the Fairtrade Foundation website says, “By choosing to support Fairtrade, your community can add its voice to demands for a trade system that puts people, not profit, at the heart of the transactions”.
As we at B> so often point out, the same ethical attitudes can also be applied to business. Earlier this month, the first ever Fairtrade Business Awards took place in Bristol, offering the chance to prove that you can be a successful business whilst also being ethical. We are proud to say that one of our IFA friends, Stewart Investment Planning, received a bronze award in the best fairtrade office category at the ceremony. Taking small steps, such as offering Fairtrade refreshments to your employees, can make all the difference.
So, when you are doing your next weekly shop, consider the whole story behind the food you are buying, not just whether it will make a tasty meal. Furthermore, if you’re interested in shopping more sustainably beyond food, we recommend taking a gander at the Ethical Superstore.
Infographic: Ben Willers


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It seems as though a sandal from Ivanka Trump‘s collection could easily double for one of Derek Lam‘s.
Lam claims that Trump “blatantly and intentionally copied” his Ayami wedge sandal. Lam, who sent a cease-and-desist letter to Ivanka Trump Footwear and its licensee, Marc Fisher Footwear, Wednesday, has given the socialite seven business days to pull her Cadie wedge sandal off the market. While Trump’s Cadie wedge retails for just $150 and Lam’s Ayami wedge sells for $780, lawyers for Lam contest that consumers will be confused by the similarities of the two shoes.
“We have seen very similar copies before but we have never seen a shoe that perfectly copied,” said Jan-Hendrik Schlottmann, chief executive officer of Derek Lam. “It’s such an investment to make a shoe…we had to protest this.”
Representatives for Ivanka Trump and Marc Fisher Footwear declined to comment.
1 thought on “Did Ivanka Trump Copy Derek Lam?”
OMG! It’s a complete copy! Shame on her! #TeamDerek!


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“This is a sign that the competitive purchase market, driven by low housing inventory and high demand, is pushing prices higher and weighing down on activity.” — Mortgage Bankers Association Associate Vice President of Economic and Industry Forecasting Joel Kan.
The new technology streamlines workflow in the mortgage industry.
“The consistent decline in serious delinquency since August is a sign of growing financial stability for families,” said Frank Martell, president and CEO of CoreLogic.
The trend of purchasing a second home has sent home prices in seasonal towns skyrocketing in value by 19% for the year ending December 2020.
Super Bowl time is almost here, and for those who enjoy the commercials as much as the game, keep an eye out for a new ad from retail mortgage lender Guaranteed Rate. The ad is part of their national
Both the way appraisers approach their work and the adoption of AVMs and other technology-based valuations will likely see major changes in the coming years, according to experts.
Some homeowners worry that, after a few months of forbearance, they’ll be required to pay everything they owe upfront, in one lump sum.
But beware of the busy times: Customer satisfaction rates drop when loan volume increases.


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» CPU Prices Go Down da Hole
CPU Prices Go Down da Hole
Oct 27, 2003 at 7:50 PM -
Digit-Life has the details on Intel's new price cut
. Of special note is that AMD has also cut prices today, but only on XP processors and not the K8 line of processors. The cuts are across the P4 board and some are quite significant no less.


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European stock markets eased Tuesday and London fell heavily after data showed that consumer price inflation in the euro area fell in August and manufacturing activity began to soften.
In Asia earlier, stock prices had been buoyed in part by a survey of Chinese manufacturing that indicated a pick-up in activity, offering reassurance that the world’s second biggest economy is recovering from the coronavirus pandemic crisis.
But IG analyst Chris Beauchamp said caution was warranted ahead of critical US elections in November.
“With the US election now some eight weeks away there will be heightened expectations of renewed volatility,” he predicted.
On Wall Street, the Dow Jones index was 0.2 percent lower as trading got underway.
Signs of a new pick-up in infections around the world and a lack of any movement on a new US stimulus package for the world’s top economy also appeared to be keeping many buyers


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Urban Country welcomed the beginning of this years’ crisp, harvest season with the autumnal “Home for the Holidays” celebration event. On Wednesday October 30, the Bethesda Row home furnishings retailer hosted not only their 22nd anniversary as a company but a fruitful fundraiser supporting our local wounded soldiers for their sacrifices.
The silent auction raised more than $10,000 making it the most successful Urban Country fundraising event to date. Funds received were donated to The Combat Soldiers Recovery Fund – a Maryland-based nonprofit organization that provides 100 percent of donations it receives to wounded soldiers who are recovering at military hospitals in the Washington, D.C area. Many Bethesda Row merchants as well as area home furniture stores donated merchandise featured in the silent auction. Select pieces from the recently debuted C.R. Laine home furniture line were showcased in the auction as well.
Guests enjoyed fine wine and decadent hors d’oeuvres as keynote addresses were presented during the event. Featured speakers included co-owners of Urban Country sisters Jillian and Sascha Roth, Combat Soldiers Recover Fund founder and president Garland Miller, C.R. Laine’s Mark Gilmore and Holly Blalock, and moving speeches by wounded soldiers Captain Hugh Fisher and U.S. Army Marine Will Fisher.
“During this festive time of year, we want to embrace America’s roots by celebrating the return of the harvest season and honoring the patriotism of our wounded servicemen, says Rachelle Roth, founder and owner of Urban Country. “The holiday season is meant for the hearth and home and to bring families together, which is what Urban Country’s philosophy is all about. We are proud to help support our wounded heroes currently in recovery in DC area military hospitals.”
Urban Country marked 22 years as a predominate business in the Bethesda area, providing luxury interior designs and fine home furnishings to the nation’s capital region.


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Irving-based Kimberly-Clark Corp. reported second quarter profit Monday of $526 million, or $1.36 per share, but warned that its full-year earnings could be at the lower end of its guidance.
That's up from $498 million, or $1.30 per share, in the same period a year ago. Excluding restructuring expenses related to changes in Kimberly-Clark's European business, earnings were $1.41 per share, the company said.
Kimberly-Clark (NYSE: KMB), the maker of Kleenex brand tissues and Huggies diapers among other consumer products, reported that net sales in the quarter were $5.3 billion. The company said it was able to realize substantial cost savings in the past quarter.
The company said that full-year earnings could be affected by currency rates if they hold as they are now.
"If recent spot currency rates generally hold going forward,it is less likely that adjusted earnings per share will be in the upper half of our guidance range," CEO Thomas Falk said in a release.


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A maintenance worker who was reprimanded for having a "girlie" calendar at work took revenge against his employer by scattering peanuts around the nut-free facility, the Daily Mail reported Thursday.
Paul Bentley, 41, an employee at the Pork Farms plant in Nottingham, England, spread peanuts around the Riverside Bakery, causing $1.6 million in lost production a day after he was caught with the calendar by management.
"Bentley had been the subject of a disciplinary investigation which wasn't terribly serious. He was interviewed and said he knew the calendar was there and admitted writing dates on it but denied putting it up," Mark van der Zwart, a prosecutor at Nottingham Crown Court where Bentley is being tried, told a jury on Wednesday, the Mail reported.
He said Bentley chose to take revenge in a "spectacular fashion," even though he had been disciplined but not fired. The jury heard that nuts were found scattered around the plant in different locations and that Bentley was found with traces of nuts on his clothing, the Mail reported.
"Some people are highly allergic to nuts and Pork Farms corporate customers demand that no nuts or products with nuts should be brought into the factory at all," van der Zwart said. "All staff are strictly forbidden from bringing nuts or anything containing nuts into the factory — every member of staff knew that. In fact, it was a nut-free zone."


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Remember the Buick Avenir sedan? The toothsome, quasi-bobtail rear-drive concept that recalled the Rivieras and Wildcats of yore, the one that brought down the house at the Detroit auto show two years ago? We had high hopes for a production version, and last fall, the company confirmed the Avenir badge would come to fruition -- but not as a standalone model. Instead, it will represent a future luxury sub-brand, and it has arrived in the form of the 2018 Buick Enclave Avenir.
“The word ‘avenir’ is French for ‘future,’” Buick vice president Duncan Aldred told Autoweek at a special reveal event before the 2017 New York auto show. “This car reflects our promise to stay at the forefront in design, quality and the customer experience.”
Thus, the Avenir now signifies Buick’s highbrow (and high-profit) specification. Think of it as an analog to GMC’s Denali line. The Enclave is the first model to get this treatment in North America, but there will be “a range of Avenir models to come,” according to Aldred.


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Content marketing platform WittyFeed has raised an undisclosed amount of funding in a Pre Series A round from a group of marquee investors including Anand Chandrasekaran, former Snapdeal CPO; Apurva Chamaria, VP & Head Corporate Marketing , HCL Technologies; Ritesh Malik, co-founder, Innov8; Ashish Toshniwal , CEO, Y Media Labs; angel investor Ajeet Khurana; Aneil Mahajan, Ex COO, Bhaskar Group; Piyush Goel , founder and CEO Beyond Key Systems; Singapore Angel Network, and Harsh Mani Tripathi, founder Pyoopil Education Technologies.
The company plans to use the proceeds to strengthen its technology infrastructure, enhance its distribution platform, as well as for augmenting its product portfolio. The funding will also be used for the expansion of its sales team to dive deep into the content-driven platforms and video making for brands while exploring other domains as well.
Vinay Singhal, CEO & co-founder, WittyFeed said “WittyFeed is on path to become the world’s largest viral content marketing platform where brands share their stories with their consumers and the distribution is taken care of by WittyFeed’s AI-driven platform. We are delighted to receive great mentorship from Anand Chandrasekaran and other individual investors as investors, mentors and advisors.”
Founded in September 2014 by Parveen Singhal, Vinay Singhal and Shashank Vaishnav, the Indore headquartered WittyFeed has reached from 0 to 250 Mn pageviews per month in a short span of three years. It claims to have an audience reach of more than 1 Bn and gets 80 Mn unique readers and 160 Mn video views every month.
The Content Marketing Startup Valued At $45 Mn
In a previous interaction with Inc42, WittyFeed had shared that the site is listed under the Top 40 websites in India on Alexa rankings, while it stands under the Top 300 websites globally. The startup also claims to be India’s largest viral content marketing company and reaching revenues of about $7.04 Mn (INR 45 Cr) this year. Recent Alexa ranking globally stands at 405.
Apurva Chamaria, VP & Head of Corporate Marketing, HCL added, “According to a Group M report released in February, advertising spent on digital media channels is expected to grow 30% to $1.48 Bn (INR 9,490 Cr) in 2017. With advertising spends shifting more and more to social & digital mediums, especially towards content & videos, WittyFeed is uniquely placed to attain huge interest from brands and their custodians.”
WittyFeed is also looking to expand further in the US market as it contributes 30% of company’s traffic. Some of the brands which rely on the content marketing startup’s viral capabilities are Zee Network, Tinder, Panasonic, Havmore Icecreams, ITM University, Hyundai, Coke, JIO, Dainik Bhsakar, V Resorts, Burger King, Dunkin Donuts, Droom, Lakeland, Exide life insurance and Career Launcher, among 50 others. Indian platforms such as ScoopWhoop, FilterCopy also compete in the same space as WittyFeed. This year, another digital media platform POPxo which is focused on women has closed a $3.1 Mn round of funding. As per an EY January 2016 report, the digital content consumption market in India has been poised to reach $3.1 Bn (INR 20,000 Cr) by 2020.
Update 1: 2nd November 2017
Wittyfeed’s valuation has been updated to $45 Mn from $100 Mn.


text: The new updated 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe has been testing for quite some time now, but while the standard refreshed GLC test mule has been spotted by the spy cameras a number of times, the coupe-SUV version has been recently spotted for the first time. Moreover, the test prototype model of the Mercedes GLC Coupe facelift has been spied testing with minimal camouflages, which resulted in offering a sneak-peek at most of the exterior design updates. Mercedes ditched the heavy black and white patterned camouflages and opted for some light-coloured veils to cover certain parts of the GLC Coupe facelift. The front fenders were covered pretty nicely and so were the bumpers as well as the tail lights, offering a clear idea that these parts of the vehicle will be receiving the maximum changes. The rest of the testing model was left uncovered and was even flaunting the three-pointed star logo proudly.


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Photo by Jim Heid
Apple reports being sold out of all models of the iPhone 3G in 117 of its 188 retail outlets in the United States five days after bringing the product to market. The company updates a page on its website after 9pm in each time zone where you can check availability near you, but there have been reports the information is unreliable. Yesterday dozens of people waited in line to buy a phone at the Apple store in Kansas City based on notice the store was fully stocked, but apparently the store’s shipment never arrived and the manager had to begin placating angry customers by 1pm. If you live in many locations along the eastern seaboard, you might consider driving to New York, but there you will encounter the same long lines persisting in front of stores in other major markets such as San Francisco, Chicago and Atlanta.
The Apple website says, “Shipments of iPhone 3G arrive most days and availability is updated nightly,” for each of its stores, but advises to “get there early” because the phones are sold on a first come-first served basis. With wait times exceeding three hours and the sale/activation process continuing to take upwards of half an hour in the store, you’ll invest time as well as money getting a new iPhone anytime soon.


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ESTERO, Fla., March 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Hertz today announced that now through the end of May it is lowering the minimum age to rent a vehicle at all corporate-owned locations in the U.S. and Canada from 20 to 18 years old and waiving its young renter fee to make renting a car easier for young drivers.
"There are extraordinary disruptions happening to daily life as a result of coronavirus (COVID-19), and very notably to students and younger drivers who are returning home or need transportation," said Hertz Senior Vice President Jayesh Patel. "We are making it easier for college students and younger drivers to rent at Hertz, and our nearly 3,000 airport and neighborhood locations across the country stand ready to help them."
To rent a vehicle, customers between the ages of 18 and 24 will need to present a valid driver's license at the time of pickup. For more information and to reserve a vehicle, visit: Hertz.com.
Hertz is also taking some additional steps to offer customers more flexibility during this time:
- Flexible Debit Card Policy – Hertz is lowering the minimum age to rent a car with a debit card to 18 years old at all neighborhood U.S. corporate-owned locations. Additionally, Hertz is eliminating proof of return travel and reducing ID requirements.
- One-way Rental Savings – From now through April 30, 2020, Hertz customers can save up to 10% off the base rate on one-way rentals at U.S. corporate-owned locations. Visit Hertz.com/oneway for more details.
- Moving and Storage Savings – Hertz has teamed up with PODS to promote special savings for those who need convenient and flexible moving and storage solutions. In the U.S. and Canada, PODS is offering a special, limited-time savings of 10% off each month's container rental for up to six months, 10% off initial delivery, and 10% off transportation charges for long-distance moves. Visit PODS.com for specific offer details.
Hertz, one of the most recognized brands in the world and currently ranked #1 in Customer Satisfaction by J.D. Power, has a long-standing legacy of providing a fast and easy experience designed to make every journey special. It starts with top-rated vehicles to fit every traveler's needs, delivered with a caring touch and personalized services including its award-winning Hertz Gold Plus Rewards loyalty program, Ultimate Choice, Hertz Fast Lane powered by CLEAR, Mobile Wi-Fi, and more. Beyond car rental, Hertz is one of the top 10 sellers of pre-owned vehicles in the U.S. with more than 80 Hertz Car Sales retail locations nationwide. Wherever and whenever you need to go, at Hertz, we're here to get you there. To learn more or reserve a vehicle, visit Hertz.com.
Hertz pioneered the car rental industry more than 100 years ago and today is owned by Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. which includes Dollar and Thrifty vehicle rental brands and fleet management leader Donlen Corporation.


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Ideal Supply, a member of PartsPro look forward to seeing you at our booth at the KARS EXPO show on March 13 – 15th, 2015 being held at the Toronto International Center. The new owners have made some changes with one being a new name “Motorama”.This year the KARS EXPO will be held in conjunction with the annual car show, combining the Racing and Custom Car Show. You can find out more information by checking out their website at: www.motoramashow.com.
Come see Ideal Supply at the KARS EXPO Manufacturers Booth which will be a much larger area than in the past. We look forward to seeing you there!


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As global brewers struggle with changing consumer tastes, declining beer consumption in established markets such as the US, UK, and Japan, Russia has proven to be remarkably resilient.
Russia, which is the fifth-largest country by beer consumption, was one the few major markets where beer consumption actually rose in the wake of the 2020 pandemic. It also increased its beer consumption by 3.3% in 2021.
It was therefore difficult for Heineken to decide Monday to withdraw completely from Russia.
Russia accounts for around 2% of the world’s sales, according to the Dutch giant. It is second only to US giant AB InBev on the global brewing league tables. As it seeks to “orderly transfer” the business, the company will have to take a EUR400m loss. The company will not profit from the sale.
It stated that it was shocked and saddened by the escalation of war in Ukraine.
“Following the already announced strategic review of operations, we have concluded Heineken’s ownership in Russia is not sustainable or enduring given the current context.”
Heineken’s decision highlights how difficult it has been for other fast-moving consumer goods businesses to deal with Russia.
The Russian Heineken brand had been stopped by the company in Russia, and the company had also suspended any new investments or exports to Russia.
It had not yet decided to leave Russia, which was a drastic move that has been taken only by a few businesses, including Imperial Brands and British American Tobacco. These are the UK’s tobacco giants.
Its approach was more in line than the ones of Reckitt and Unilever and Danone. They all have opted against a total pull-out from Russia and continue to sell products they consider essential.
This has been controversial, and Nestle has been criticized for its approach.
Denys Shmyhal (the Ukraine’s prime minister) had tweeted 17 March: “Talked with Nestle CEO Mr Mark Schneider regarding the side effect of remaining in the Russian market. He doesn’t seem to understand. To pay taxes to a terrorist country’s budget means that you are killing defenseless mothers and children. We hope Nestle will soon change its mind.
The Swiss giant has since increased the number of brands that it will not sell in Russia.
Heineken’s decision not to withdraw completely from Russia will increase the pressure on these companies.
It will also shine a light on other large international brewers that are active in the highly consolidated Russian market.
Heineken is the third-largest player in Russia with approximately 10% of the market.
With a market share 27%, AB Inbev (owner of Budweiser) and Anadolu Efes (the Turkish brewer), are in second place.
They own 11 Russian breweries, three malt factories and approximately 3,500 employees in Russia. Efes is the controlling shareholder and it is believed that there were disagreements between them about how to proceed. AB Inbev reportedly requested its Turkish partner to suspend Budweiser’s sale and production in Russia. However, Efes is believed to have opposed a total shutdown of the business on grounds that it would harm its local workers and farmers.
Although the partnership continues to produce Budweiser-style beers, AB Inbev has sought to ring-fence their interests in Russia and has promised to give up any Russian profits. Efes would feel pain if it decided to exit Russia completely, as Russia accounts for approximately 44% of its sales revenue and 34% of its earnings.
Carlsberg is another major brewer that has caused a lot of problems in Russia. Baltika, Russia’s largest brewer, is owned by the Danish group. It has a market share just shy of 30 percent. Carlsberg already stated that it will cease selling its flagship brand in Russia, and will not invest in new projects in Russia. The country employs approximately 9,000 people.
Both Russia and Ukraine are major markets for Carlsberg. These two countries are part of a central- and eastern European division that includes 11 other countries. Together, they account for about 25% of Carlsberg’s total sales. Russia accounts for less than 10% of total sales.
Interestingly, Baltika’s story is intertwined to that of Scottish & Newcastle. They were the last of the so called ‘Big Six’ British brewers. All of them have since disappeared into foreign hands.
S&N bought a 50% stake in BBH, which is the owner of Baltika. It also purchased Hartwall, a Finnish drinks company, for PS1.2bn 20 year ago. Carlsberg was the co-owner. The business flourished under their joint ownership. They bought up many smaller competitors and became a significant source of growth, especially as Russian beer consumption increased in the mid-noughties.
S&N also made Baltika, Europe’s third-largest beer brand, with a deal in 2007 to produce it.
The move was a great success and allowed S&N to tap into the increasing number of Russians who are moving to Britain.
This was the first time that a Russian brand was licensed to a Western company. Baltika’s president Anton Artemiev stated: “The start licensing production in western Europe for Baltika is a natural part of the process of integrating Russia in the global economy.
It seems so long ago. Heineken and Carlsberg teamed up to purchase S&N for PS7.8bn, just as the global financial crisis was in full swing. It is widely believed that the pair overpaid for the business.
Baltika was given to Carlsberg as part of the agreement. It’s reasonable to assume that the Danes regret this decision.


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America's automotive giants have not always been quick to jump on the next big thing. But they are heeding the call of the Internet revolution. At General Motors, for example, worldwide purchasing chief Harold Kutner promises that by 2003, 80 percent of new car buyers will be able to custom- order its vehicles online.
Kutner's team, and others like it throughout the auto industry, have been scrutinizing the business models of Dell, Gateway, and other made-to-order PC retailers. The goal: to remake their outdated and inefficient vehicle-distribution scheme for the online market. It is a grand ambition that is gaining converts fast. Nearly 7 million Americans--more than 40 percent of all new car buyers last year--electronically kicked tires via the Internet before finalizing a vehicle purchase. The Web is awash with information on vehicle performance and options, as well as availability and price.
But as in all revolutions, the old guard refuses to go quietly. In recent months, at the behest of conventional dealers, at least nine states, including Texas and Wisconsin, have restricted online auto sales. Similar measures are currently pending in several more. As if car salesmen weren't already sufficiently suspect, they are pulling every string to maintain their monopoly of the $360 billion new car market--highlighting how regulatory power is being marshaled against the free market just as the Internet empowers consumers like never before.
More than 16 million new cars were sold in the United States last year, representing vast e-commerce opportunities. A slew of online brokers has emerged, and manufacturers have teamed with high-tech giants such as Netscape, Microsoft, and Dell to create their own online presence. Consumers now can access a wealth of information about vehicle prices and performance that used to be much more difficult to come by.
But what consumers don't enjoy is actual choice of whom they buy their new car from--a choice that for other product lines yields lower prices and better service. The sole barrier to exercising this economic muscle is franchise law, which grants a licensed elite exclusive control over virtually every new car sale.
Forty-eight states tightly regulate who can sell a new car and where they can sell it. Michigan, the heart of the U.S. auto industry, provides perhaps the worst-case scenario of overambitious franchise law, with the statutory fine print running 19 pages long. But it is indicative of the anti- competitive restrictions built into most states' franchise laws.
Michigan's dealership laws cover everything you can think of, ranging from allowable sales territory (in counties with more than 25,000 people, there can only be one dealer per six-mile radius) to which family members can inherit a franchise ("the spouse, child, grandchild, parent, brother or sister of a deceased new motor vehicle dealer"). Back in the 1950s, dealers secured franchise laws after convincing legislators they needed protection against bullying manufacturers, who otherwise might impose costly dictates on dealers and demand sales and service concessions in return for advantageous inventory. Some states also banned automakers from directly competing in sales to ensure that distribution was "fair."
With millions of dollars invested in facilities and inventory, the dealers' protectionist impulse is understandable. But such matters are more typically the province of contract law, not legislation. The practical effect of franchise laws has been to inhibit competition. Through territorial monopolies sanctioned by the state, dealers effectively limit the ability of consumers to comparison shop. And dealers need not worry overly much about customer satisfaction when there's nowhere else to go. (The dealers' refusal to open on weekends--the most convenient time to shop --has frustrated Detroiters for decades.)
In a 1997 study, Hillsdale College's Gary Wolfram and Michigan State's Lynn Jondahl pegged the cost of franchise regulation at $800 million annually in Michigan alone--a huge transfer of wealth from consumers to dealers. Supply restrictions increase vehicle price and search costs. And Wolfram and Jondahl's calculations included the cost to consumers of dealers using their market power to restrict product choices to mostly option-rich vehicles.
The Internet promises to free consumers from dealer captivity. Unconstrained by franchise law, services such as Autobytel.com or Priceline.com could locate a precise make and model in a given price range, and arrange delivery straight to your driveway. Or a customized order could be filled within days rather than weeks if sent online to the nearest factory and purchased directly from the manufacturer. This competitive potential has converted some traditionally pro-regulation consumer advocates to free markets. For example, the Consumer Federation of America, a Naderite consumer advocacy group that has long championed franchise law, now acknowledges that such statutes are anti-consumer.
"The Internet has changed everything," says Federation spokesman Jack Gillis. He sees the enormous consumer benefits that online booksellers have brought to the traditionally bricks-and-mortar book trade and believes that the Amazon.com model would liberate the car shopper as well. "Anyone who can sell a car should be able to," he adds. "It would put a lot of price competition in the marketplace because you would eliminate the immediate problem, which is the inability of the manufacturer to sell directly to the consumer."
Smart dealers are embracing the Internet, either by hosting their own Web sites or by cooperating with online brokers who act as intermediaries between buyer and dealer. But they remain a minority. In a recent test of online auto brokers, Consumer Reports found that only 35 percent of shoppers received a quote within 48 hours, and 22 percent were told they would have to visit the dealership to get a firm price.
Their worst fears notwithstanding, dealers wouldn't just disappear in the absence of franchise law. There are plenty of people who would prefer to actually sit behind the wheel rather than take a virtual test drive. And the demand for service--for which dealers earn their biggest return --would undoubtedly continue.
But consumers clearly want an online option. A recent survey by consumer-research firm J.D. Power and Associates found nearly half of respondents would prefer to buy factory-direct even if there were no cost advantage. And when surveyed about potential savings through direct purchase, nearly 70 percent indicated they would buy from the manufacturer. Aside from cost savings, most respondents said they simply want more freedom to customize a vehicle and to avoid the often laborious haggling over price.
"Dealers need to take a long, hard look at the frustration causing consumers to vocalize their desire for factory-direct sales," said Chris Denove, director of automotive retail/distribution analysis for J.D. Power. "Although dealers are likely to stay, the franchise system as we know it is ripe for fundamental restructuring."


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Apple was granted a patent on a smart watch dubbed "iTime" on Tuesday. The patent describes a wristband with embedded electronics that can be accessed by "a mobile electronic device" [via AppleInsider]. It describes several implementations, including versions where the mobile electronic device can be removed from the wristband. The patent was filed in July 2011 and granted on Tuesday, July 22nd.
The patent includes mentions of biomedical sensors, a GPS module, NFC (a technology Apple hasn't otherwise embraced), Bluetooth, WiFi, and methods of providing haptic feedback. It's not specified which features would be powered by the wristband and which would come from the mobile electronic device.
The use of "iTime" in the patent filing is interesting. For one thing, it appears only once, in an illustration included with the filing. It's not used in the wording of the patent or in the abstract. That image:
Apple Patent Illustration
"iTime" is a different name than "iWatch," the name the media has given Apple's expected foray into wearable computing. Apple has never used "iWatch," but the company did register trademarks for the term in several international markets.
That doesn't necessarily mean that Apple will use it, however, and even using "iTime" in a patent filing means next to nothing. It's intriguing, however, especially to a world starved for hints on Apple's next move.
As such, the timing of this patent is fueling even more speculation. Apple is expected to launch the iWatch/iTime/iWearable/iHealth/iKnowRight? during a media event this fall, possibly during the same even used to introduce the next iPhone.


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Deep Silver, the games label of Koch Media, has confirmed that it is currently working on a game based on the the popular children's TV series "The Magic Roundabout" for Nintendo DS, Wii and PC.
All the well-known characters of the series will appear in a typical, humorous story created especially for the game: the magician Zebedee, the shaggy dog Dougal, Florence the adorable girl, Ermintrude, the pink cow with red spots, and many more. On Friendship Day, Zebedee promises Dougal a valuable gift if he is able to help everyone in the village.
The world of the “The Magic Roundabout” will consist of a number mini-games and bonus missions. The game makes creative use of the different platforms' unique controls: for example, players control the flight of a paper plane by blowing into the microphone of the Nintendo DS, or uncover hidden objects by "shaking" the mouse cursor on the PC, or the Wii Remote in the Wii version.
"Over the years, the series has developed into a real classic of children's television, and thanks to a new release and a feature movie, it is still popular with people of all ages," says Dr. Klemens Kundratitz, CEO of Koch Media. "With its charm and diversity, the game does justice to the popular series on which it is based on every platform."
“The Magic Roundabout” will be released for Nintendo DS, Wii and PC in the fourth quarter of 2008.


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Porsche passion fueled a record turnout of fans at Rennsport Reunion VI, with more than 80,000 spectators flocking to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca last weekend for the world’s largest Porsche festival.
The family reunion of historic race cars, legendary drivers and engineers and Porsche owners and enthusiasts packed the historic Californian circuit for four days of action, featuring 2,000 vehicles and countless campions and contender from 70 years of Porsche’s motorsport involvement.
Official attendance was 81,550, according to raceway officials, marking the largest at Laguna Seca in five years and breaking the previous Rennsport record of 60,000 at the previous event in 2015.
Beyond the numbers, there was fascination for seven decades of stunning Porsche models, from the blistering-fast 919 Hybrid Evo to bright-red Porsche tractors from the brand’s early days.
The original 356 “No. 1” Roadster was on display and even took to the track, piloted by none other than Dr. Wolfgang Porsche, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Porsche AG and son of Ferdinand “Ferry” Porsche, who built the first Porsche sports car.
“Every Porsche car has a soul, and Rennsport has its own soul thanks to the emotional response of enthusiasts who come from around the world,” said Klaus Zellmer, President and CEO of Porsche Cars North America.
“We are deeply grateful to the champion drivers and brilliant engineers behind more than 30,000 Porsche motorsports victories so far – who help us develop on the track what we bring to the street.
“Celebrating this heritage together with the extended Porsche family of fans made Rennsport Reunion VI the biggest and best yet, and the most thrilling.”
Adding to the excitement of Rennsport was the world premiere of the Porsche 935 race car.
Featuring a body reminiscent of the legendary Porsche 935/78, the 700-horsepower competition vehicle will be produced in a limited number of 77 units. Based on the street-legal 911 GT2 RS high-performance sports car, the technology in the Porsche 935 is geared towards clubsport events on racetracks.
Rennsport attendees were also treated to the U.S. premiere of the Porsche 911 Speedster Concept, based on the current 991 generation and offering a preview of a potential new equipment range from Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur.
Approximately 50 legendary drivers, 500 historic and customer cars, including 350 cars in competition, and the full Porsche Factory Team were in attendance, giving all Porsche enthusiasts a thrill for their senses. In addition, 1,600 Porsche cars were on display in the Porsche Club of America corral.
The festival also featured four days of autograph sessions, on-stage interviews, concerts, and various meet-and-greets around the Porsche Park in the Paddock with champion drivers, including Hurley Haywood, Derek Bell, and Jacky Ickx, and factory drivers, including 919 Hybrid Evo driver Timo Bernhard.
Winners of the event include Pierce Marshall in the No. 12 2008 Riley Daytona Prototype (Group 1), Gunnar Jeannette in the No. 4 1969 Porsche 908 (Group 2) and the No. 31 2007 Porsche RS Spyder (Group 6), Thomas Gruber in the No. 58 1971 Porsche 914-6 (Group 3), Patrick Long in the No. 5 1983 Porsche Fabcar 935 (Group 4), Gregory Campbell in the No. 356 1955 Porsche Devin Speedster (Group 5) and Jorg Bergmeister in the No. 17 2012 Porsche GT3 RSR (Group 7).
RESULTS: Sunday Races


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Sure looks that way according to a new T-Mobile accessory document that has turned up. We've heard quite a bit about the HTC Ville device itself -- even caught some images and video of it in action but until now there has been no mention of possible carriers for the device. Also noted in the document is the Huawei Prism and the Samsung T769 though, overall the information is lacking aside from the names being called to the front. Either way, it'll be interesting to see where the HTC Ville ends up given its rise to fame thus far.
- Filed under:


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A special leave petition in the Supreme Court filed last week has challenged a Rajasthan High Court order that upheld the legality of Dream11 and declared that Rajasthan government was not violating any laws by allowing the company to operate. The petitioner's counsel has confirmed the development, and a hearing will likely take place soon. This was first reported by Outlook. The petition in the Rajasthan High Court had said that Dream11 amounts to gambling and asked for directions that Dream11's operations be stopped. The case was dismissed on the following grounds: The Punjab & Haryana High Court had upheld that Dream11 reasoned that games of "mere skill" do not fall within gambling and betting, and that success in Dream11 comes from a "user's superior knowledge, judgment, and attention". It dismissed the petition. The Supreme Court also struck down an appeal to this judgment. The Bombay High Court, in a criminal PIL, had upheld Dream11's legality in April 2019. The court had repeated that success in Dream 11 "depends upon user's exercise of skill based on superior knowledge, judgment and attention" and that winning or losing does not depend on a real world game. "It is undoubtedly a game of skill andnot a game of chance," the court had said. The Supreme had also struck down a challenge to this judgment. The petitioner, financial consultant Avinash Mehrotra, now wants the petition to be examined in depth, and seeks clarity on regulations governing fantasy sports. Mehrotra has previously challenged online gambling…
- Mozilla introduces ‘Mozilla.ai’ with goals of creating ‘trustworthy’ AI products March 23, 2023
- Why a new deadline for Aadhaar-Voter ID linkage if it is not mandatory? March 23, 2023
- Is the provision of safe harbour protection for e-commerce platforms in India under threat? March 23, 2023
- Influencers must understand the laws that govern them and what they promote: Manisha Kapoor, CEO of ASCI March 23, 2023
- MediaNama Daily: GIFT-ing startups a break from compliance stress March 23, 2023
MediaNama’s mission is to help build a digital ecosystem which is open, fair, global and competitive.
Amazon announced that it will integrate its logistics network and SmartCommerce services with the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC).
India's smartphone operating system BharOS has received much buzz in the media lately, but does it really merit this attention?
After using the Mapples app as his default navigation app for a week, Sarvesh draws a comparison between Google Maps and Mapples
In the case of the ‘deemed consent' provision in the draft data protection law, brevity comes at the cost of clarity and user protection
The regulatory ambivalence around an instrument so essential to facilitate data exchange – the CM framework – is disconcerting for several reasons.
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May 18, 2021
My guess is we have now seen the highs in Corn, Wheat and Soybeans for a LONG time…History suggests that, at some point, ALL of the bullish news (and it is EVERYWHERE) has been incorporated into prices…and pretty much anybody who ever would buy these markets HAS done so…such that when you do finally reach this juncture, there typically is nowhere to go but DOWN…And as I have documented in previous newsletters, when Corn and Soybean bull markets are “done,” going back some 40 years, they then routinely drop 20-25% in very short period of time…more often than not, the bulk of the sell-off taking place within 6-8 weeks…And again, this has happened, almost without exception, at almost every Corn or Soybean top I’ve ever seen.
What also happens at those tops is that when you get supposedly VERY bullish news…which should produce a bullish reaction as everyone screams, “Oh yeah! We knew it. Buy more!”…BUT…what actually happens is that maybe a brief flurry to the upside occurs as a few more excited bulls jump in, followed by the market then “dying” in relatively quick fashion, that is, IGNORING the “bullish” news and heading straight south…this being a bit of evidence that the market is already jampacked with longs…and, as I noted before, there are no buyers left…just a herd of longs who sooner or late have to sell…
With that in mind, check out these news items in Corn from today’s wires…
May 18 - USDA confirmed private sales of 1.7 million tonnes of U.S. corn to China for shipment in the 2021/22 marketing year. Purchase is China’s third largest ever.
Tue May 18 09:49:51 2021 EDT
The USDA has again confirmed a large purchase of US corn exports by China, with the agency saying China
bought another 1.36M metric tons of US corn for the 2021/22 marketing year. That makes it more than 3M tons of corn
sold to China this week alone. Today's sales confirmation marks nine trading days in a row that the USDA reported flash
sales of US grains, with the majority of that being corn bought by China for the 2021/22 marketing year.
Ok…All of that is HUGELY bullish news…confirming what every analyst on the planet has been talking about…But look at what Corn has been doing during these past “nine trading days in in row that the USDA reported flash sales of US grains,” including “China’s third largest ever.”
THIS IS THE TRADE I AM RECOMMENDING…
The long term look…
I know that there are times when YOU JUST HAVE TO DO IT AGAIN…and that’s what I personally am doing. I might be dead wrong, but I think this is a giant trade.
Call me if you think this makes sense and want to risk the bucks…
All option prices in this newsletter include all fees and commissions. All charts, unless otherwise noted, are by Aspen Graphics and CRB.
The author of this piece currently trades for his own account and has a financial interest in the following derivative products mentioned within: Soybeans


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Lenovo Z2 Plus, which was launched at Rs 17,999 in India, is one of the best mid-budget options available in the market right now.
Flipkart, which recently announced top-level changes, said the restructuring is aimed at “improving operational efficiencies”.
Flipkart is holding ‘Apple Fest’ on its website from January 10 to January 13 to offer deals on iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 6s, Apple Watch and more.
Flipkart’s Big Shopping Days will end today, and here’s a look at deals on Apple iPhone 7, Google Pixel and others.
OnePlus 3 is expected to be priced at under Rs 20,000, during Flipkart’s upcoming sale starting December 18
Xiaomi Redmi 3S was initially available via flash sale on Flipkart and Mi.com before it finally went on open sale.
Flipkart plans to move into groceries space and expand online furniture business, as it looks to outmaneuver Amazon in Indian market.
Amazon Prime is finally here in India and users will be able to get free shipping for anything they order with no price cap.
Ping allowed users to browse for products and share them with friends inside Flipkart’s app.
Intex Cloud Glory 4G houses a 5MP primary camera with dual LED flash and 2MP front camera.
Yu Yunicorn is priced at Rs 12,999 and will go on sale on Flipkart today. Here’s a quick look at the top competition for the Yunicorn.
Reports suggest Flipkart is not the only company from e-commerce and related sectors to have deferred the joining dates for their campus hires and there are many others including InMobi, CarDekho and Hopscotch.
LG G5 is the first smartphone to feature modular swappable battery tray
In the mail, Kaul is known to have asked the firm to guarantee jobs to students, to shorten the delay of the deferred placements and termed the compensation of Rs 1.5 lakh offered by the firm as ‘unacceptable’.
Flipkart is offering some great deals on smartphones, laptops, smartwatches, including Apple Watch. Here’s a quick look.


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DETROIT -- Chrysler Group's new vehicles will be American on the outside with a lot of Fiat on the inside.
In a wide-ranging presentation today, Chrysler executives unveiled a two-pronged strategy for the next five years. The U.S. automaker will rework many current vehicles next year while working on new vehicles with Fiat powertrains and platforms for the following few years.
Chrysler's dismal U.S. sales in October -- down 30 percent, for a 22nd straight month of decline -- underscored the urgency to improve the group's vehicles.
"There is no 'business as usual' at Chrysler," said Chairman Bob Kidder. "There is an incredible commitment and energy for change."
Here are some product highlights unveiled so far in a scheduled seven-hour presentation that began this morning:
In 2012-2013, the Dodge car brand plans:
• A new vehicle for North America in the C segment, which encompasses cars such as the Ford Focus. The car would be based on a Fiat platform.
• A hatchback smaller than the C vehicle, imported from a Fiat factory.
• A new sedan on a Fiat platform to replace the Avenger sedan.
New Dodge crossover
In the meantime, Dodge plans a full-sized seven-passenger crossover for the fourth quarter of 2010. The brand also plans updates next year for the Avenger, Journey crossover, Caravan minivan and Charger muscle car.
In addition, production of the Dodge Viper will end next summer, and an unnamed sports car will be added in 2012.
The Dodge brand will pursue a new lifestyle mission, de-emphasizing its traditional pitch to performance-minded males.
This leaves the new Ram truck brand to build a brawny image for pickup and work-vehicle enthusiasts. The Ram might even produce a heavy-duty 18-wheeler, said Ram brand CEO Fred Diaz.
But the Chrysler Group's larger challenge in the coming years is to meet the federal fuel economy standard of 35.5 mpg for the 2016 model year. That's where Fiat engines and powertrains come in.
Chrysler will use a Fiat diesel engine along with a 1.4-liter inline four-cylinder. The inline-four will appear first in the U.S. version of the Fiat 500 in the fourth quarter of 2010.
Chrysler will align its engineering organization to Fiat Group, making the most of common platforms, systems and components between the two companies, said Scott Kunselman, senior vice president of Chrysler Group engineering.
By 2014, Chrysler will share three platforms with Fiat, increasing Chrysler's average models per platform from about two in 2010 to three in 2014. During that period, average volume per platform will increase to 305,000 units from 125,000. In the process, four platforms will be consolidated, Kunselman said.
While Chrysler's task ahead is huge, CEO Sergio Marchionne tried to allay fears about the company's finances.
Chrysler has improved its cash position since Fiat S.p.A. took the company out of bankruptcy in June, said Marchionne, who also is CEO of Fiat.
"Some of you have been surmising we're burning through cash," he told the assembled analysts and reporters. "This is not true."
The company had $5.7 billion in cash on hand at the end of September, up from $4 billion when Fiat took over in June


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What Are Millennials Looking for During Patient Payment Collections?
In the past two years, the number of uninsured Millennials has increased from 11 to 16 percent. What’s more, 40 percent of Millennials who are insured have selected high-deductible health plans. Add in the fact that Millennials have less disposable income than older generations, thanks to college debt and the gig economy, and it’s no surprise that TransUnion data finds this generation is officially the slowest paying of all time when it comes to patient payments.
According to TransUnion’s survey, nearly 75 percent of all Millennial patients fail to make patient payments on time and in full. But financial hardship isn’t the only reason for the issue. Overcoming the collections hurdle requires healthcare organizations to adapt their billing process to better meet Millennial’s unique needs and preferences. So, what are Millennials looking for?
Accelerate Patient Payments with Technology
As we’ve noted previously, Millennials have some very specific expectations of healthcare providers. As digital natives, Millennials are accustomed to smartphones and instant access to the web — and they want healthcare organizations to support digital engagement. Recently, Forbes highlighted a number of millennial expectations related to healthcare:
- 50 percent use online reviews to select healthcare providers
- 60 percent would prefer virtual visits over an in-person one
- Over 66 percent want post-visit follow-ups via email or text message
- 71 percent want to schedule appointments, access medical records or receive automated appointment reminders via an app
As Kim Jenkins, CEO of OrthoSouth, told Forbes, “Convenience, availability, and accessibility are paramount for capturing millennial patients. Online appointment scheduling, easy access to medical records and a simplified communication path to providers are all key elements to meeting the expectations of Millennials.”
Since these expectations are overwhelmingly aligned to digital tools, the path to improved patient payment collections should certainly include digital options as well.
In addition, price transparency is a clear advantage among millennial patients. Healthcare providers like retail clinics and urgent care facilities tend to attract Millennials because of convenience, but the fact that these types of providers also offer greater clarity on costs is a benefit too.
But digital tools and price lists won’t yield improved patient payment collections if healthcare providers use one-size-fits-all messaging for engaging patients.
Using psychographic segmentation to optimize collections
While Millennials gravitate toward digital solutions in their lives, they still bring unique attitudes and beliefs about health and wellness that influence how they engage with healthcare providers. By using psychographic segmentation to better understand what motivates patients, hospitals, medical practices, and urgent care centers can align messaging to resonate with each individual — and that includes patient payment collections.
For example, the automated patient engagement platform, PatientBond, identifies individual patients as one of five psychographic segments: Self Achievers, Balance Seekers, Priority Jugglers, Direction Takers or Willful Endurers.
Millennials are statistically more likely to be Willful Endurers than all other segments, but healthcare providers still need to adapt messaging to appeal to the other segments. The PatientBond platform facilitates customized communications, via the patient’s preferred channel — whether that is an email, an automated, interactive phone call or a text message. By using more relevant, compelling messages that include convenient payment options, healthcare organizations can realize numerous advantages. Using the PatientBond patient engagement platform has resulted in:
- 7X increase in day-to-day collections
- 3X higher engagement rate than traditional collection calls
In addition, automating the patient payment collections process yields additional benefits for healthcare providers. Reducing or eliminating the need for paper statements can save up to $750 a day. Using a digital platform for collections can also save 2-3 hours of work a day, allowing staff to focus on higher-value tasks. These advantages can quickly add up to significant savings — one five-location urgent care center achieved cost savings of $55,000 in just one year.
Millennials may struggle to pay healthcare bills for a variety of reasons, but with automated patient payment reminders that are adapted to a patient's psychographic segment, healthcare providers can better address millennial expectations and improve patient payment collections at the same time.
For more on how psychographic segmentation and automated payment reminders can help your organization accelerate payments among millennial consumers, download our case study.


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(Updates with comment from judges in third paragraph.)
Jan. 30 (Bloomberg) -- World Trade Organization judges rejected China’s appeal of a ruling that found restrictions on exports of nine raw materials break global rules and give the country’s manufacturers an unfair edge over competitors.
The WTO concluded on July 5 that Chinese quotas, export duties and license requirements on overseas shipments of industrial ingredients including coke, zinc and bauxite are discriminatory. The restrictions have stoked tensions between China and its trading partners, which accuse the Chinese government of having unfair commerce and currency policies.
China should modify its policies on raw-material exports to ensure they “do not operate to bring about a WTO-inconsistent result,” Appellate Body judges said today in their 145-page report on the Geneva-based trade arbiter’s website.
Today’s affirmation of the initial panel ruling may prompt the U.S. and the European Union to make good on threats to complain at the WTO over Chinese restraints on exports of rare earths, a group of 17 elements used in high-tech products such as Boeing Co. helicopter blades, Nokia Oyj cell phones and Toyota Motor Corp. hybrid cars.
China, the world’s second-largest economy, is the top producer of cadmium, gold, indium, iron ore, lime, lead, manganese, mercury, molybdenum, phosphate, salt, tin, tungsten, vanadium and zinc. Its export restraints have caused worldwide supplies of many raw materials to plummet, sending prices higher and providing an incentive for manufacturers to move to China to take advantage of the cheaper materials.
The commodities at issue in the WTO complaint, filed by the U.S., the EU and Mexico, also include magnesium, manganese, silicon carbide, fluorspar, silicon metal and yellow phosphorus, which are used by the steel, aluminum, automotive and chemicals industries. Mexico appealed certain issues of law and legal interpretations of the initial panel report.
John Clancy, the European Commission’s trade spokesman in Brussels, said before the Appellate Body ruling that a rejection of China’s appeal “would be a clear verdict for open trade and take us one step closer to a level playing field for raw materials. These raw materials are hugely important for EU industry, and ensuring global and fair access to them is the bedrock of their competitiveness.”
China argued that the restrictions are necessary to conserve exhaustible natural resources and ease overproduction and emissions of carbon and sulfur gases from furnaces. The U.S., the EU and Mexico said the curbs discourage the export of materials that are “critical” for their manufacturers, while keeping them cheaper and readily available in China.
Rare earths became a political and legislative issue after China moved to limit domestic output and slash export quotas in July 2010 by 40 percent, souring ties with major users including the U.S. and Japan, where buyers have cut usage after prices soared in the first half of 2011. The Chinese government, which supplies 95 percent of global rare earths, said on Dec. 28 it was leaving the 2012 overseas sales caps virtually unchanged.
The U.S. Energy Department said earlier this month that limited supplies of five rare-earth minerals -- dysprosium, terbium, europium, neodymium and yttrium -- pose a threat to increasing use of clean-energy technologies such as wind turbines and solar panels. While prices of rare earths fell in the second half of 2011, they remain volatile, leading some companies to search for ways to consider reducing reliance on the minerals, the Energy Department said.
China has said the curbs protect the environment and are in line with its WTO commitments. The country’s Inner Mongolia Baotou region produces so-called light rare earths such as lanthanum, cerium and samarium. Heavy rare-earth production, concentrated in the south of China, includes the elements dysprosium, gadolinium and terbium.
--Editor: Eddie Buckle, James Hertling
To contact the reporter on this story: Jennifer M. Freedman in Geneva at firstname.lastname@example.org.
To contact the editor responsible for this story: James Hertling at email@example.com.


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The first DLC content for the award-winning The Walking Dead video game is finally here. The Walking Dead: 400 Days will be available on PlayStation Network in the U.S. starting today. It will make its way to PC tomorrow, and launches on Xbox Live Friday, July 5. European PlayStation Network users will get the DLC next week, on July 10, and the content will be available in the iOS App Store on the 11th.
The creators of 400 Days have stated that 400 Days will feature five different stories, each with different characters at different times, but each centered on a truck stop in Georgia. For those who have played the first season of The Walking Dead, some choices made in those episodes will influence events seen in 400 Days.
Telltale Games released a launch trailer for the game to mark its release. The Walking Dead: 400 Days will sell for $5 or the equivalent on every platform it comes too. The developers have stated that a full second season of The Walking Dead is still due out later this year, and that 400 Days serves as a small connector for the seasons.


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Expected to open later this month
, "L e Maiala" will open its doors with the idea of money not being everything. Visitors will be allowed the choice via the traditional method (cash or credit card) or an alternative option of paying in fruits, vegetables, handicrafts and other barter-able items.
Owner Donella Faggioli said the idea dawned on her after realizing she wanted to help give more choice to customers who may not otherwise be able to dine out in these tough economic times.
"With the crisis that we're all living through today, we've met those, who in times of hardship, think they cannot afford dinner -- but we counter that by offer the option to pay in good instead of real money," Faggioli told Corriere Fiorentino
In exchange for their produce, visiting Tuscan diners will have their meals prepared what they bring, alongside other locally grown foods.
Another reason for introducing the concept, Faggioli told the press, was a desire to give visitors a cozy, home-like atmosphere, just like she remembered her grandmother's kitchen to be.
Although not a radical idea by any means, she admitted, such a simple of kindness proves that even in tough times, money isn't all.
English printed article, the Huffington Post reports some restaurants across the United States have also adapted the same method, and it has given business an added boost in trade credits.


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The tech-rich Nasdaq Composite plunges 33% in 2022, emerging from its worst year since 2008. After the tech industry’s booming days early in the pandemic, inflation has picked up its head for the first time since the pre-global financial crisis and the Federal Reserve has raised interest rates. The rate is the fastest pace in decades.
While some might expect a big rally from the most beaten tech stocks (the biggest losers), a lot of uncertainty remains. There could be a recession. If one is avoided, interest rates could stay high for longer.That’s why technology conglomerates Amazon (AMZN 3.56%), alphabet (GOOG 1.60%) (Google 1.32%)When microsoft (MSFT 1.18%)Having fallen between 28% and 50% in 2022, it could be growth investors’ best bet for tech’s recovery in 2023.
Inflation may fall and interest rates may fall, but interest rates may continue to rise for some time. If interest rates fall, it could mean the Fed has been pushed into recession. A “soft landing” in which inflation and interest rates moderate without a recession is still possible, but investors may be in “risk-off” mode until a solution is reached. Also, in the optimistic scenario that a recession is avoided, interest rates are likely to remain higher than during his 2008 global financial crisis and his COVID-19 pandemic.
That means investors may demand higher returns from stocks than they have in the last 15 years. While many growth tech stocks that have made big gains over the past few years have never actually made a profit, Amazon, Microsoft and Alphabet have each made big gains in their core businesses. Much of the recent compression in margins can be attributed to the macroeconomic environment and not to competitive position.
So, if the economy is strong and interest rates remain high, these three tech giants will outperform the underperforming growth stocks that need ultra-low interest rates to finance their growth and earn high valuations. It might work.
Amazon down 50%: 3 major headwinds could reverse
There’s a line of thought that Amazon isn’t making much money, but it’s very likely by choice. Amazon typically tries to operate near breakeven each year, reinvesting profits from its core business into growth ventures.
The company’s Amazon Web Services operating margins are typically in the 20% to 30% range. Meanwhile, Amazon’s digital advertising business and third-party e-commerce revenue can be equally profitable. And if you remember the tech bubble that burst in the early 2000s, the last time Amazon went into cost-cutting mode was when it was a first-party retailer, by 2004 operating margins were reached 6.4% of him.
Before and during the pandemic, Amazon’s overall profits were starting to pick up. However, the company spent a lot of money building its infrastructure during the pandemic. In his first nine months of 2022, he faced two other headwinds. Soaring fuel prices have increased e-commerce delivery costs and cloud data center operating costs. Also, a sharp appreciation of the dollar has reduced foreign sales. currency.
But all these headwinds are showing signs of reversal. CEO Andy Jassy is streamlining Amazon’s logistics footprint and reducing non-core projects. And recently, he announced plans to lay off more than 18,000 people, undoing some of the overhiring that took place over the past two years.
Additionally, oil and gas prices have fallen significantly over the past few months, as has the US dollar index.
With the headwinds to profits reversing and e-commerce versus cloud sales being easier to compare in 2023 than they were in 2022, Amazon’s earnings could be surprisingly upside throughout the year. Perhaps that’s why Amazon was actually chosen as one of them. Barons Top 10 picks for 2023.
Alphabet: Cheap Stocks Rich in Cash
With a dominant Google search engine and a myriad of side ventures centered around big data and artificial intelligence technology, you wouldn’t expect a company like Alphabet to be worth just a market-average valuation.
Alphabet is plagued by concerns about the digital advertising market in case the economy hits a recession. But the company also has more than $100 billion in net cash on its balance sheet and is trading at the lowest valuation of these three stocks after the 2022 downdraft, with a profit of just 17x.
Additionally, these earnings were weighed down by losses in Alphabet’s cloud division and losses in its ‘other betting’ segment. This makes it even cheaper for major advertising businesses on Google Search, YouTube, ad networks and Android.
On the other hand, it’s hard to see Alphabet’s high-growth cloud division without value. “Other bets” may be questionable, but their value is probably not negative. Additionally, Alphabet may reduce these costs if appropriate.
Fuel and infrastructure costs are less of an issue for Alphabet, but they may have been more impacted by a stronger dollar as the currency provided a 5 percentage point headwind to growth last quarter.
The strong dollar recently reversed, putting the advertising industry into a down cycle, but eventually another up cycle. Meanwhile, Alphabet still dominates search and YouTube. Google Cloud isn’t yet profitable, but it actually outperformed other cloud platforms last quarter. Given that AWS has a margin of around 30%, it’s very likely that Google Cloud will eventually make a profit as it scales further.
OpenAI’s recent announcement of its ChatGPT chatbot engine has highlighted one potential risk. However, ChatGPT just opened to the public on his November 30th, and its computing costs are so high that it doesn’t seem like a challenge in the short term.
Even if ChatGPT ultimately poses a threat to Alphabet, it’s just another reason to own Microsoft. Microsoft is investing in a new chatbot and may use it in some products.
Microsoft: Very defensive with undervalued growth
Even Microsoft, perhaps the most diversified and defensive of the three, is down nearly 29% in 2022. A company like Microsoft with a higher bond rating than the U.S. government rarely loses that much, and its current share price is attractive.
Like Alphabet, Microsoft was hit by a stronger dollar in the third quarter. And now concerns over the growth of cloud software are coming to the fore.
Still, Microsoft is the most profitable thanks to a variety of large and growing monopoly or oligopoly businesses such as Windows, Office, Dynamics, Azure, LinkedIn, and Xbox. Under CEO Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s already high operating margin has expanded by about 15 percentage points over the past decade to nearly 43% today.
The beauty of Microsoft is that despite the company’s massive scale already, it doesn’t rest on its laurels. Recent Plans to Incorporate ChatGPT into Bing Search Engine and Attempted Acquisition activision blizzard It shows that Microsoft isn’t shying away from bold attempts to grow even bigger, despite the regulatory risks.
All three companies will be the best growing businesses in the 2020s
A common link between Amazon, Alphabet, and Microsoft is that they are part of an oligopoly of cloud infrastructure. Cloud growth slowed at the end of last year, but the economic downturn could accelerate companies’ move to the cloud in the long run as it saves them money to build their own data centers. I have.
Companies migrating workloads to the cloud are like buildings migrating from onsite generators to grid connections. And this virtual “grid” enables cutting-edge innovation that would otherwise not be possible, with all three companies developing artificial intelligence applications that will further grow their businesses.
While some analysts recently predicted cloud growth would slow next year, the research firm said Gartner The October report forecast that cloud infrastructure growth will accelerate from 27.3% this year to 29.8% next year. Allied Market Research believes that in the long term, the cloud infrastructure market will grow at a CAGR of 25.3% between 2021 and 2030. TRUE 10 years of high growth rate.
Even if the current slowdown continues, it looks like a short-term cyclical problem. In the long term, the cloud infrastructure as a service (IaaS) sector looks like a large market in which only these three players can meaningfully compete.
Amazon, Alphabet, and Microsoft share high historical and underlying profitability, 2023 profit growth opportunities, and exposure to the cloud IaaS market. These three stocks may not only be the most defensive tech stocks in 2023, but also the most likely to rebound.


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Surprise of the Apple AR event, debut of Facebook smart glasses, interactive Snapchat update and victory at the epic games “Next Reality
When it comes to the ever-changing sands of the augmented reality space, you never know what week will end up being truly historic. Well, this one was one for the history books.
Not only has Facebook finally launched its forerunner AR smart glasses with Ray-Ban, but it turns out the courts agree with Epic Games that Apple has unfairly accused App Store developers of paying fees. students.
These are two major tectonic events in AR space for a few reasons detailed below, but this week we also got an incredible look at Apple’s next act via an immersive AR Easter Egg, and Snapchat just added. a feature that makes AR even more an integral part of his social experience.
Oh, and don’t forget to check out our XR Industry Job Alerts, there might be something there that you might like …
Apple launches augmented reality surprise for upcoming event
We always pretty much know when Apple events come up, but when their new product events pop up, they’re always a nice technical refresh from the Cupertino tech giant.
This time, the news of the Apple event is accompanied by a special gift, another beautiful invitation to augmented reality.
Read on to find out how the AR invite works and how you can put it in your own space a few days before the big Apple event …
THE HURT REALITY: Vuzix CEO Paul Travers (member of NR30) will participate in a live “fireside chat” at the Citi 2021 Global Technology Conference on September 15. The conversation will start at 8:50 am ET and you can join in through the Vuzix website to see what the man behind the wearable AR company called Vuzix Blade has to say about the state of the AR industry.
Snapchat Adds Another Powerful Social Media AR Feature
The art of creating Snapchat lenses is really just the beginning of the augmented reality experience on the social media platform.
The real interactive fun begins when people start to use Lenses in a very personal way. One of those personal instances just got easier with the launch of Birthdays Mini.
Read on to find out how the new Snapchat addition works and why it’s important to the platform’s ongoing augmented reality development …
JOB ALERTS: The University of Texas at Austin is recruiting a program manager for its Texas Immersive Institute. Facebook is recruiting a Business Development Manager for Horizon, its VR social network. PTC is recruiting a Product Manager for augmented reality. The position starts at $ 125,000 and involves working with the Vuforia platform.
Facebook and Ray-Ban Smartglasses Stories take up the Snap glasses challenge
Just hours after an early leak via Twitter, Facebook and Ray-Ban officially released their new wearable collaboration.
As we have assumed, based on the leaked packaging, the device is called Stories.
Keep reading to find out how the new smart glasses work, what features are contained in the new device, how much does it cost, and in which countries it will be available to start …
THE HURT REALITY: Actor Joe Manganiello, best known for his roles in Real blood and the Spider Man film franchise, took to Twitter to announce its involvement in a new augmented reality tabletop gaming experience developed by Mirrorscape, a team made up of veterans from Hollywood and Silicon Valley. âThe augmented reality table is here,â Manganiello said. “Full versions right in your pocket. Play locally or remotely. Mirrorscape’s ARcana puts the table back in the game.” The game will be partially funded via a Kickstarter which will be launched soon.
Apple suffers crippling legal blow that could benefit the mobile AR market
The fight to wrest app control from Apple’s revenue-driven grip has just taken a major turn in Epic Games’ favor.
On Friday, a court issued a permanent injunction against Apple that now allows developers to direct customers to external payment systems.
Read on to find out how and why this massive shift in Apple’s App Store ecosystem is completely changing the game of mobile augmented reality app …
Every Friday, Next Reality reviews the latest headlines from the financial side of augmented and mixed reality. This weekly Market Reality column covers funding announcements, mergers and acquisitions, market analysis, and more. Check out previous editions of Market Reality for more information you may have missed.


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The Bi-Lo supermarket chain could close up to 200 stores before filing for bankruptcy protection as soon as next month, according to a recent report from Bloomberg. There are 21 Bi-Lo stores in the Charlotte area.
Novel Stonewall Station, the Crescent Communities development in Charlotte NC with a Whole Foods on the ground floor, is welcoming its first residents. Construction, including on the Whole Foods, should be finished by June.
Developers targeting Charlotte’s older apartments for “value add” deals improve the buildings and add nice touches like granite and hardwoods, but they decrease the supply of naturally occurring affordable housing.
Northlake Mall will be hosting a Shark Tank-like contest for local entrepreneurs that challenges them to submit “innovative retail concepts.” The winner of the challenge will get a rent-free space at the mall for four months.
The popular garden retailer Pike Nurseries is hiring about 30 workers to prepare for its busiest season of the year. Interested applicants can visit the company’s new Cornelius location Feb. 16 from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.


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TSMC, the world’s leading foundry, is considering building a second wafer fab in Japan, according to chairman C.C. Wei.
TSMC is already building a specialty fab in partnership with Sony and automotive supplier Denso (see Japan to provide 40 percent subsidy to TSMC, Sony venture). The joint venture, known as Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Inc., is building a fab at Kikuyo, Kumamoto Prefecture, that is expected to begin volume production late in December 2024.
Speaking at the TSMC’s analyst conference held to discuss the company’s fourth quarter and full-year results, Wei said: “We are also considering building a second fab in Japan as long as the demand from customers and the level of government support make sense.”
Still negotiating in Europe
Wei also re-iterated that TSMC is engaging with customers and supply partners in Europe to evaluate the possibility of building a fab in Europe. Wei said the fab, if built, would be focused on automotive components and, again, its progress would depend on the levels of demand from customers and the level of government support.
As long ago as 2021 TSMC was said to be considering placing a fab in Dresden (see TSMC mulls building a 12nm Dresden fab) but progress has been slow and TSMC has yet to commit to a plan.
In 2022 TSMC made an income before tax of NT$1,114 billion (about US37.7 billion) on record sales revenue of NT$2,264 billion (about US$75 billion). In NT$-terms sales were up 42.6 percent year-on-year.
The company also indicated that it would drop its capital expenditure slightly in 2023. In 2022 TSMC spent about $36.3 billion. TSMC’s capital expenditure in 2023 is expected to be between $32 billion and $36 billion.


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Wake Forest-based Wake Electric is giving members a way to help their neighbors this winter despite pandemic-related restrictions: The Giving Fence.
From November 15 through February 1, the Wake Electric office in Wake Forest will have an outdoor Giving Fence where winter clothing will be made available to the community. Individuals are encouraged to take any items they need and/or donate any clean coats, pullovers/hoodies, hats, scarves or gloves by hanging the items on the Giving Fence. All items on the fence will be free.
“By working together, the Giving Fence will support our community by ensuring all are kept warm during the cold months ahead,” said Wake Electric Board President Suzy Morgan. “Our concern for community is a year-round endeavor, and we will continue to seek additional ways to help our co-op members during this difficult time.”
In addition, Wake Electric will have a Giving Box, which will hold canned goods and non-perishable food, providing another opportunity for people to give back and help the community during the holiday season. The box will be available starting December 15, and Wake Electric employees will be hosting a food drive to kick off the initiative. Both the fence and box will be available through the winter months for the community to take what they need and leave what they can.


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City council has approved an application by Kamloops Hot Yoga co-owner Dwight Ergang for a cannabis store in the Brock Shopping Centre at 17-1800 Tranquille Rd., the location previously home to the hot yoga studio.
Kamloops Hot Yoga also has a location on Laval Crescent.
An assistant manager told KTW the Brock studio shuttered in July and the plan is to subdivide the space and pave the way for a cannabis store and yoga studio following renovations.
Last week, council voted 8-0 in favour of approving the retail cannabis store application.
Coun. Denis Walsh declared a conflict of interest.
The application now requires approval from the province.
At this time, no cannabis stores have opened in Brocklehurst.
The closest cannabis shop approved by council is the government BC Cannabis Store in Northills Shopping Centre, 726 Sydney Ave.
To date, council has approved 20 cannabis stores, with only four open — two government stores and two private shops.
The remaining applicants are awaiting final provincial approval.


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HEXUS.gaming :: New Crysis DX10 Trailer
Been waiting a while? Get Flash to see this player.
Check out this latest DX10 video of Crysis, with the much awaited appearance of the 'alien menace'
Nvidia looks for engineer to "help produce the next revolutionary Apple products".
The GTX 1050 Ti is expected to launch first, sometime in mid-October.
These graphic cards offer you "water cooled perfection," claims EVGA.


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Digital TV News: SportsFix
SportsFix partners with Twitter to stream Boost SportsFix Super Cup
Jan 10, 2018 – Twitter has announced a partnership with SportsFix, ASEAN's first and only OTT platform that delivers LIVE and VOD sports content via mobile devices, to live stream the inaugural Boost SportsFix Super Cup (@SportsFixTV).
News categories: SportsFix, Twitter, Carl Kirchhoff, Maurizio Barbieri, Asia, Content Distribution, Digital TV, Malaysia, Social TV, Streaming, Worldwide
Accedo creates Asia’s first dedicated OTT sports service
Nov 14, 2017 – Accedo has announced that it has worked with SportsFix to deliver Asia’s first dedicated OTT sports live streaming service in the ASEAN region. SportsFix was launched in Malaysia in August this year and offers both live and VOD content via mobile and mobile web.
News categories: Accedo, SportsFix, Michael Lantz, Carl Kirchhoff, Digital TV, Malaysia, Streaming, UX
Sportsfix streams sports across Asia with Brightcove
Oct 23, 2017 – Brightcove (NASDAQ: BCOV) has announced that Sportsfix, the new ASEAN sports-focused OTT platform, has selected the Brightcove Live platform to deliver premier live and VOD local sports content across the region.
News categories: Brightcove, Sportsfix, Ben Morrell, Carl Kirchhoff, Asia, Content Distribution, Digital TV, Malaysia, Streaming
SPORTSFIX goes live with Celcom in Malaysia
Aug 1, 2017 – SPORTSFIX, a regional OTT live streaming sports platform, has launched its service in Malaysia in partnership with Celcom. SPORTSFIX delivers the local, regional and international live, VOD and news sports content to mobile devices.
News categories: SPORTSFIX, Celcom, Marcus Luer, Digital TV, Malaysia, Streaming
- Hisense no. 1 in TV shipments in December 2022
- LG adds Apple integrations to webOS Hub smart TV platform
- Market turbulence set to define media industry in 2023
- Huawei brings stc tv streaming to its users in the MENA region
- Sky rolls out Entertainment OS 1.1 update
- Comedy most pirated genre of entertainment
- Viaccess-Orca and Broadpeak achieve 3-second latency for live sports streaming
- Globecast powers distribution of 2022 World Cup for New World TV
- Ateme reduces latency to under four seconds for Cyta's OTT channels
- Digiturk deploys Irdeto 360 Video Security Services
- ThinkAnalytics unveils new customer wins
- Netgem to initiate sale of activities other than TV streaming
- Synamedia delivers low latency World Cup streaming for Cellcom
- NEXTGEN TV broadcasting begins in Boston
- SkyShowtime announces line-up ahead of launches in Central & Eastern Europe
- Global online video subscriptions to reach 1.7bn in 2023
- BARB launches API giving clients direct access to viewing data
- Roku makes deal with Warner Bros. Discovery for The Roku Channel
- Trinidad and Tobago selects ATSC 3.0 for DTT
- Faurecia-Aptoide and Catappult launch app distribution hub for cars


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Europe based self-adhesive technology company Herma completed the construction of a new roll wrapping plant in Filderstadt, Germany, in November 2011.
Herma is witnessing a rapid growth in the self-adhesive materials business, which necessitated expansion of its production activities. The company invested in an ultra modern coating plant in 2008 as part of its expansion plan, which is aimed at meeting the rise in demand for the company’s products. The 2008 investment marked phase one of the expansion.
The new plant is part of phase two of the expansion. It is adjacent to the phase one facility. The Filderstadt site now houses two coating plants.
The new plant required an investment of €10m ($13.4m). It has a capacity to wrap up to 60 stacks of roll an hour. It is expected to create up to 70 new jobs depending upon capacity utilisation. The wrapping unit is operated in shifts and is controlled by four or five employees a shift.
Construction of the roll wrapping facility
Excavation works for the second phase of expansion began in May 2010. The new production building is 61m long, 21m wide and 5m tall. It took about ten months for erection of the structure.
The existing production unit, built under the first phase, has a curved roof and houses slitting and wrapping machinery. It was refurbished completely prior to the construction of the new roll wrapping plant. The new plant is located just in front of the existing machinery building.
The two plants together make the company a reliable supplier of self-adhesive materials.
Equipment installed at Herma’s German complex
The first phase of the coating facility includes slitting and wrapping operations under one roof. The first slitter machine at the coating plant was installed in mid-2009. The second machine was installed in June 2010.
The new plant currently includes a roll wrapping facility. It will be equipped with two slitter machines.
Future plans at the ultra modern coating plant
Herma plans to add two more slitter machines to the new coating plant in the future, depending on the requirement. The investment provision of €10m for the plant includes the cost of these two slitters.
The adhesive materials are first slit in the slitter machine and then rolled. The rolls are placed on roller tables, from where they are picked automatically by a computerised mechanism.
The automatic picking mechanism sorts the rolls of adhesive materials in an orderly manner based on the material and its length. It assembles these rolls in stacks of up to two meters height. Each stack weighs about two tons.
The stacks are wrapped in a shrink film on pallets using the wrapping machinery. The film is shrunk by gas burners in order to protect the cargo during transportation. The stacks are then ready to be shipped to the customers.
Benefits of Herma’s roll wrapping plant
The market for coating materials is marked by high competition, which calls for in-time deliveries and reliability of supply to customers.
Presence of both slitting and wrapping operations under one roof improves reliability of supply and helps to gain customers’ confidence in the company, says Herma.
The roll wrapping facility is a fully automated and ultra modern plant, and is one of the most advanced of its kind in the world, according to Herma.
Herma is engaged in three businesses – adhesive materials, labelling and machinery. The company is focusing aggressively on growth through existing as well as new products, especially adhesive materials.
It has invested in the new German plant despite the economic upheaval globally. It plans to launch innovative adhesive materials with multilayer technology in order to create new growth opportunities.
The multilayer technology was introduced by the company in 2010.


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Rainbow Six Siege is getting a fix for Crashing Issues on PlayStation this May 9
Today, Ubisoft’s popular first-person shooter, Rainbow Six Siege, will deploy a fix to address the ongoing crashing issues affecting players on PlayStation. This update comes after numerous reports of the game crashing, particularly when in suspended mode on the PlayStation.
Ubisoft announced the upcoming fix on their official Twitter account, stating: “We will be deploying a fix for crashing occurrences, including crashes happening on PlayStation when the game is in suspended mode. Starts: May 9, 09:00 ET / 13:00 UTC. All Platforms. Downtime: 30 minutes.“. The tweet can be found below:
🛠 We will be deploying a fix for crashing occurrences, including crashes happening on Playstation. 🛠 pic.twitter.com/K2jWja6QdB
— Rainbow Six Siege (@Rainbow6Game) May 9, 2023
While the specific details of the fix have not been disclosed, it is clear that Ubisoft is taking the problem seriously and working to ensure that players can enjoy a smoother gaming experience. If anything particular is mentioned, we’ll update this article.


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Aphria Inc. (TSX: APH) (OTC: APHQF) presented this morning to the public the company’s portfolio of cannabis brands that it plans to launch for the upcoming recreational market in Canada. The company has researched these five cannabis brands over the course of the past few years. Aphria has conducted focus groups and developed a portfolio consisting of a variety of different products featuring a spectrum of different price points.
The five new Aphria brands are the following:
Broken Coast Cannabis
Aphria purchased Broken Coast Cannabis last January for an estimated C$230 million dollars. The indoor cannabis cultivation company became Aphria’s wholly-owned subsidiary which gave the company the addition of an award winning and trusted cannabis brand to its portfolio. Broken Coast cultivates cannabis in small batches utilizing carefully chosen strains.
Solei Sungrown Cannabis (“Solei”)
Solei is a company that cultivates cannabis via a unique greenhouse grow system utilizing natural, safe, and eco-friendly growing practices. The company will sell a variety of different THC strains and derived products, as well as, a CBD based products.
Riff will produce and develop high potency cannabis products for experienced users.
Good Supply will be offering cannabis and cannabis derived products at an affordable rate for everyday cannabis users.
Goodfields is being developed as an entry point for new cannabis users interested in quality cannabis from a trusted source, cultivated with care.
“I’m incredibly proud of our product development, manufacturing and marketing teams for their passion, hard work and dedication to developing brands that we are confident will resonate with consumers across a broad range of distinct segments,” said Vic Neufeld, Chief Executive Officer of Aphria.
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