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US consulting firm Slalom is opening its second UK office, in Manchester.
The Seattle-headquartered consultancy specialises in technology and business transformation and counts Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud, Microsoft and Salesforce among its partners.
It opened its first UK office in London five years ago.
"Manchester is a city of digital enterprise with strengths in a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, healthcare, utilities, and consumer services, which perfectly complements Slalom's breadth of expertise," said Dave Williams, Slalom UK country MD.
"We're looking forward to helping our clients solve their biggest challenges while we also invest in the local community."
Slalom's new office will be based at Peter House in the city centre, and the company plans to tap into Manchester's talent pool, as well as invest in its existing workforce to support its UK growth.
The US firm was founded in 2001 and currently has 6,500 employees throughout the US, Canada and the UK. It plans to employ more than 200 people at its Manchester base by 2025.
Slalom managing director Paul Squire will move from the London office to head operations in the new location.
"I'm excited about working with our clients in the North-West of England, helping them deliver people-centric change, bring strategic solutions to life, and ultimately, love their future," he said.
Tim Newns, chief executive of MIDAS, Manchester's inward investment agency, welcomed the news.
"Greater Manchester is a hotbed for collaboration and innovation, making it the ideal location for pioneering businesses like Slalom," he stated.
"There are strong complementarities between Slalom and Greater Manchester's efforts to collaborate with companies going through digital transformation and supporting them to grow within the region.
"Establishing operations within one of Europe's largest digital and technology clusters will provide the consulting firm with ample opportunities to join forces with the rapidly increasing number of world-leading brands that are choosing Manchester."
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Chipotle plans price hikes
- Dayton Business Journal
Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. is planning to increase prices for menu items at restaurants in the next few weeks, according to a report by MarketWatch.
MarketWatch says the Denver-based mega-burrito chain (NYSE: CMG) plans a "moderate" price hike that will spread throughout the rest of the country after starting in the east. The increased prices will mark the first price hikes in three years for the company.
Chipotle has 51 locations with about 1,200 employees in Minnesota.
The company is facing higher food prices as well as the cost of probes by government immigration authorities into its hiring practices, MarketWatch reports.
Chipotle is following several of its competitors in boosting prices. McDonald's Corp. announced earlier this year it was raising prices on some menu items. MarketWatch also reported that Yum Brands Inc., the parent of KFC and Taco Bell, has raised prices.
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We're dedicated to educating our future generations about food, farming and the countryside. See what we've been getting up to so far this year!21 Aug
A mighty £11 million was spent in and around Lincoln by visitors to this year's Lincolnshire Show, according to new research.16 Aug
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Is Toyota afraid of General Motors
Yesterday, Toyota announced that they’re cut the price of the Prius by $2000 and added $2500 worth of standard equipment, putting the base price of the hybrid at about $30,000.
Why they do that?
Because Toyota has fallen seriously behind in battery technology and is attempting to gain market share before GM bombs them with the Volt, at about the same price.
Toyota is in serious trouble, so it’s doing what automakers always do when they can’t sell on merit: they cut the price.
The next Prius, based on spy photos, looks almost indistinguishable from the last one. That’s always been the problem faced by a manufacturer that produced a new and distinctive car. The second version can’t be too different, or it loses the cachet of the first one, but if it’s not very different, it can’t be distinguished from its predecessor.
Originally, the shape of the next Prius was intended merely to identify it, not sell it. Toyota planned lithium ion batteries for this car, so it would be the first mass-market “plug in” hybrid. But Toyota couldn’t make the lithium ion batteries work. Not only is Toyota stuck with the same batteries they’re using in the current Prius, they’re stuck with the look of the current (pardon that) Prius. The look of the current Prius is reminiscent of those minivans which GM built a decade ago, the ones that were referred to as “Dustbusters.”
All of this is hitting just as Toyota’s product plans were supposed to be in high gear, with the Prius spawning a completely new brand of hybrid vehicles. Much as the Scion set out to capture the youth market, the Prius would capture the green, global warming, politically correct crowd.
All of that, however, hinged on getting the batteries right.
Instead, Toyota got the batteries wrong.
So, they’ve decided to build brand identity the old-fashioned way:
By giving away the product.
They’ve done it before. That’s how they established the Lexus brand in the United States.
This time, however, it may not work.
It is very clear that General Motors would like nothing more than to humiliate Toyota. At GM, it’s personal. GM gets blasted for building Suburbans while Toyota builds Tundras, yet is considered ecologically and environmentally conscious because of the Prius. Add to that the possibility that Toyota could overtake GM in worldwide sales, and the incentive to stick it to Toyota become overwhelming.
GM seems to be planning to deliver the product, on time, at a price Toyota can’t beat, and with features – including plug-in technology – that makes the Prius stale beer.
If – and it is a big if – GM doesn’t screw this up by bringing a car to market that gets recalled twice in the first six weeks, and if – again a big if – GM can train their dealers’ sales personnel how to treat the customer that will be interested in this car, and if – yet a third big if – GM can introduce this car with a lease rate that makes it impossible not to get one (even if it means they make no money on it), then GM will control the market.
It isn’t the first one who gets to the market that normally wins.
It’s the one who best understands a market that already exists who normally wins.
Don’t expect it to be Toyota, at least not this time.


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The Mets balked at this vendor’s pitch — and now he’s suing.
The kosher food vendor says the Mets backed out of a deal to sell Jewish friendly Italian ices at Citi Field, according to his $1 million Brooklyn federal lawsuit.
Jonathan Katz claims that he inked a deal with the team in 2007 to sell kosher versions of the frozen treat for 10 years and that they abruptly backed out of the agreement without explanation, court papers state.
It’s not the first time Katz has had a food fight with the Amazins. He sued the Mets for failing to honor a deal to sell kosher hotdogs at Citi Field – but the case was tossed in 2012 because he never produced an actual contract, court papers state.
Katz – who has supplied kosher food at the U.S. Open in the past – is demanding damages from the team and claims that he doled out cash to prepare for business at Citi Field.
The team eventually allowed their main concession partner, Aramark, to sell ices at the stadium, the suit states.


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Julianne Hough goes light and lacy for a grocery store run at Bristol Farms in Los Angeles on Friday morning (February 14).
The 25-year-old actress showcased her new pixie cut while unloading her purchases into her car.
“Share a kind gesture to a stranger today and show them the true meaning of love. Show love. Be Love. Happy Valentine’s Day,” Julianne posted up to Instagram in celebration of the holiday.
20+ pics inside of Julianne Hough making a run to the grocery store…
Posted to: Julianne Hough


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You don't necessarily need to cross off the Asus Taichi dual-screen Ultrabook from your holiday wishlist, but if making such a list, you may want to add a few backup items. The reason? Asus has decided to delay U.S. shipments after previously being made available to pre-order on popular e-commerce sites like Amazon and Newegg. Now it's anyone's guess when the hybrid laptop will arrive.
Having trouble deciding between a notebook or a tablet? Asus invites you to splurge on both by announcing the Taichi at this year's Computex convention. The Taichi isn't unique for the fact that it's a hybrid notebook that pulls double duty as a tablet PC -- there are plenty of other products on the market that pull off the same trick -- but it's unlike anything else out there because it's the first hybrid with a double-sided IPS screen that we're aware of.


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Tekken 8 Director Confirms Crossplay and Rollback Netcode
“Already installed it, and it already has what you want."
Tekken 8’s game director, Katsuhiro Harada, has confirmed that crossplay and rollback netcode will be supported by the upcoming fighting game.
Talking to fans on Twitter, Harada explained that both features will be present and correct. “Crossplay? Of course I will,” he said to one fan, while confirming to another that “Already installed [rollback netcode], and it already has what you want."
Crossplay? Of course I will.— Katsuhiro Harada (@Harada_TEKKEN) April 9, 2023
When the previous generation consoles were released, I had already proposed crossplay between the two platformers. However, at that time, they were at odds with each other over their mutual interests (and P2P security issue) & repeatedly refused. https://t.co/I8b38YfePh
In regards to crossplay, Harada said that he actually the feature around the launch of the PS4 and Xbox One generation, but that the platform holders had prevented it being implemented.
“When the previous generation consoles were released, I had already proposed crossplay between the two platformers,” he said. “However, at that time, they were at odds with each other over their mutual interests (and P2P security issue) & repeatedly refused.”
These are features that will no doubt be welcomed by the fighting game community, but there’s still the question of when players will be able to get a taste of Tekken 8 for themselves. While wider testing is currently only being done via closed alpha testing, Harada asked that fans “please wait for the beta”, suggesting that some kind of closed or open public beta will eventually be made available.
Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Features Editor.


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Google is facing an antitrust complaint from Danish online job-search rival Jobindex, which accused Google of antitrust actions, including allegations that it unfairly favored its own job-search service.
Jobindex claimed that Google had used anti-competitive means to distort a previously highly competitive Danish market towards itself. Jobindex founder and CEO Kaare Danielson noted that the company had built up the largest job database in Denmark until Google for Jobs entered the market in 2021.
“Nevertheless, in the short time following the introduction of Google for Jobs in Denmark, Jobindex lost 20% of search traffic to Google’s inferior service. By putting its own inferior service at the top of results pages, Google in effect hides some of the most relevant job offerings from job seekers. Recruiters, in turn, may no longer reach all job seekers unless they use Google’s job service. This does not just stifle competition amongst recruitment services, but directly impairs labor markets, which are central to any economy,” Danielson said.
Danielson urged the European Commission to order Google to put an end to the alleged anti-competitive practices, impose fines on the company and impose periodic payments to ensure compliance.
The sources for this piece include an article in Reuters.


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Dave Wireless (Data Audio & Visual Enterprises Inc) invested $243.1-million for 10 licenses during the Canadian Wireless Spectrum Auction, they are also known by their brand name Mobilicity and has officially been given the green light by the CRTC to operate and launch their wireless service in Canada.
In their ownership and control review the CRTC stated that Dave Wireless will have to modify their Shareholder Agreement but meets “the requirements set out in section 16 of the Act, and will be eligible to operate as a telecommunications common carrier.”
Mobilicity stands for “Mobile and Simplicity” and has the tag line of “No Contract. No Credit Check. Unlimited Wireless”. They will be launching this Spring in Toronto, followed by roll-outs in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary and Ottawa. Headed by President Dave Dobbin, he said at their go-to-market brand launch party “Mobilicity will kick the value equation up a notch this spring. If you live and work in one of our cities and you’re looking for the best wireless deal around, you’re going to love Mobilicity.”
A BIG congratulations to everyone at Mobilicity!
More here at the CRTC


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In a print-only article in the new AutoCar, it is reported that Aston Martin has already received 1,500 orders for its new Aston Martin DBS. Aston Martin has said that it will be producing about 300 units of the DBS annually which means that the next 5 years of production have already been sold out.
CEO Ulrich Bez told AutoCar that Aston Martin is working on a way to increase production in order to keep customers happy and to keep their valued and rich customers from buying a competitor model from another auto maker.
The demand for the new Aston Martin DBS could in fact affect the production plans for the upcoming four-door Rapide.
Aston Martin”s chief designer, Marek Reichman, has previously said that the four-door-coupe will arrive in 2009 or 2010 and will cost around $400,000. Production for the Rapide has been reported to take place in the company’s Gaydon plant with a total of 1000 – 2000 units planned each year.
The demand for the DBS could force Aston Martin to outsource production of the Rapide and may even cause delay to the code-named DBX model which is said to replace the Vanquish.
Aston Martin DBS Official Gallery:
[tags]Cars, Car, Auto, Automobile, Vehicles, Technology, Auto News, News, Automotive, Aston, Martin[/tags]


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For last few years from now things weren’t working on the way as Sonic the Hedgehog franchise wanted. No game from the Hedgehog has earned the exact amount as its older games earned before. Many games from Hedgehog had to face off criticize. But now Sonic Team is trying their level best to turn things on their way for Sonic the Hedgehog with the announcement of their latest game in the series is under development. It is still unknown to us that for which platforms exactly Sonic developing their latest games.
Takashi Iizuka the Team head of Sonic confirmed the release of upcoming games at the 25th anniversary of the franchise which is held in Tokyo last day. But there were no details available about the project at this time except that all the games will come at 2017. Good news is that, gamer don’t have to wait for a long time for the exact details for the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog game.
The head of Sonic Team Studio also confirmed that there will be a complete unleashing video for the game, which will come in next month during the 25th anniversary party of Sega’s Sonic the Hedgehog. The function will be held on 22nd July in San Diego. So in the next month fans will see the place details, character biography, gameplay specs, and many more.
Though the latest Sonic the Hedgehog game is not releasing before next year. But gamer will be able to see some game trailers as well as gameplay trailers during the anniversary party which will occur in next month. Sega is focusing the 25th anniversary party for releasing some game and they are considering that month as a month of gaming. The latest Sonic the Hedgehog game will be available for the Nintendo NX platform. Because Nintendo and Sonic has a great bonding.


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The Great Recession created a vicious cycle in the U.S. economy: as workers lost their jobs or saw hours and wages slashed, they cut back on their own spending, lowering the demand for domestic goods and services and further weakening the economy.
As the global economy accelerated outside the U.S., however, an opportunity for domestic growth emerged: rising nations and their fast-growing metro economies were creating new demand for American goods and services abroad.
President Obama was among those who recognized the imperative to “go global,” in his 2010 State of the Union Address:
We need to export more of our goods. Because the more products we make and sell to other countries, the more jobs we support right here in America. So, tonight, we set a new goal: we will double our exports over the next five years, an increase that will support two million jobs in America.
But the federal government cannot increase trade by fiat. Just 1 in 100 American firms sends goods or services abroad, and only about half of those export to more than one country. Doubling exports will require many thousands of companies to change strategies to increase international sales, reach new markets, and send goods and services abroad for the first time.
Some two-thirds of U.S. exports originate in the top 100 metropolitan areas. If the nation is going to export more, that means metros have to export more, and local leaders have to make supporting exports a priority.
Portland Steps Up
Portland, Oregon, is one place that has embraced the export opportunity. Its welcome of global trade has come in part because it is already a strong exporter and in part from necessity. The metro was hit hard by the Great Recession, shedding 80,000 jobs between the beginning of 2008 and the end of 2009, which sent the unemployment rate over 11 percent.
Portland’s economy had a bright spot, though: in 2012, roughly one-quarter of its gross metropolitan product came from exports, the highest export intensity in the U.S. And it was one of just five metros that had already doubled its exports from 2003 to 2010. Portland’s leadership community recognized their region’s recovery depended on building on this already-strong export sector.
The question was, could Portland again double its exports? It would be especially challenging in an economy hit hard by the recession, when many businesses saw exports as a risky proposition. Mayor Sam Adams and the Portland Development Commission (PDC) needed a team that could help them figure out a game plan and export strategy.
The steering committee assembled by Mayor Adams and the PDC to develop the export strategy spent months assessing what Portland’s unique strengths were and how best to build a strategy around them. The team ultimately identified two particular areas for Portland to emphasize: electronics manufacturing and sustainability.
Encouraging export growth among electronics and computer manufacturers was a no-brainer. Seventy percent of Greater Portland’s exports already came from the high-tech industries that make up the region’s “Silicon Forest.”
But the other area of focus—sustainability—might strike some as a stretch. How do you export the sometimes abstract, “green” idea of sustainability?
Around the world, the fast economic and population growth in metros in emerging markets is taxing local environments. These places will increasingly demand products and services that are environmentally sensitive and affordable. And those products and services will disproportionately emerge from firms located in metros that are first movers on sustainable development.
Photo: Steven Zhang http://www.flickr.com/people/stevenyzhang/
Portland has long been in the vanguard of sustainability. In the 1970s, Oregon Governor Tom McCall pushed through an urban growth boundary law to curb sprawl; over the past four decades, that and other efforts have helped define Portland as an example of “smart growth.” This action reflects a broader environmental ethos and a focus on sustainability among Portland residents.
Green businesses have thrived in this environment. For example, Portland Energy Conservation, an energy-efficiency services firm established in 1984, recently expanded operations to California, where it has managed a statewide energy audit program; and Danish firm Vestas Wind Systems, the world’s largest wind turbine manufacturer, chose Portland for its North American headquarters in 2002.
There was money to be made from sustainability goods and services if Portland and its businesses could help teach the world to be green.
“Being the sustainability director of Portland is a bit like being the oil minister of Saudi Arabia,” noted Grist magazine in a profile of Portland’s sustainability director, Susan Anderson. “You don’t exactly run the place, but you do have the region’s chief export on tap.” Challenges for Emerging Markets Metros face a wide range of environmental issues as they grow, and they often turn to outside expertise for help.
Building the Export Ecosystem
To meet the ambitious goal of doubling exports again, Portland needed to boost operational capacity, and it needed business growth expertise. Already-exporting firms had to increase international sales, and others had to export for the first time.
Greater Portland Inc (GPI), the public-private economic development organization for the entire metropolis formed in 2011, was the obvious choice to lead. It wielded expertise in business development and consulting, marketing and branding, and regional strategy.
Major Strategies of the Portland Export Initiative
- Promote Portland’s sustainability strengths globally with “We Build Green Cities” campaign.
- Strengthen computer and electronics trade by recruiting and retaining export producers and suppliers and offering incentives for export growth.
- Catalyze manufacturing under-exporters by providing medium and large firms that are ready to export with market analyses to help identify new target markets.
- Encourage smaller companies to participate in the global economy through online and in-person peer-to-peer case management and mentoring.
Portland Around The World
A new global map is being drawn around the world, not of nation-to-nation trade but of metro-to-metro exchange. This new export cycle is based on distinctive clusters, specialized expertise, and cultural affinity.
Every metro needs to understand its distinctive advantages the way that Portland does. Under current Mayor Charlie Hales, the Portland Development Commission has continued to promote the We Build Green Cities brand globally, with a trade mission to Japan in April 2013 and a signed partnership with Jaraguá do Sul, Brazil in May 2013. Both initiatives focused on connecting Portland firms to green development projects in those markets. Portland’s exporting firms are also building a platform for global exchange. Companies exporting technology and sustainability goods and services are linking the region with metros in Mexico, the Middle East, and Asia.
It’s not just selling each other microbrews. What you really need is a culture where manufacturers or entrepreneurs begin to include foreign markets as part of their business strategy.
—Tom Hughes, president of the Portland region’s Metro Council
- Trade and exports are the key to future economic growth, and every metro needs to understand its distinct advantages.
- Smart metros are constantly expanding who trades, where they trade, and what is traded. International trade is not just for huge companies, and it’s not just sneakers and computer chips. Portland is a great example of how small companies can work together and export services like consulting and sustainability.
This story is adapted from The Metropolitan Revolution book and iPad app by Bruce Katz and Jennifer Bradley. Story presented by the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program. iPad app, including the graphics and videos in this story, produced by Melcher Media and designed and developed by Crush+Lovely.
Learn more about The Metropolitan Revolution at http://www.metrorevolution.org


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A Somalia-based militant group known as Al-Shabaab has taken responsibility for a deadly attack on a shopping mall in Kenya. Find out more about these Islamic militants linked to al Qaeda that are becoming a growing international threat.
Find out more about Al-Shabaab, the al Qaeda-linked militant group behind the deadly Kenya mall siege.
For nearly six years, hundreds of letters, most containing a suspicious white powder, were sent through the mail, addressed to President Barack Obama, members of Congress, hotels near the Super Bowl, schools, companies and others.


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Mexican poultry company Bachoco posted a net income of MXN 786.3 million (US$46.8 million) during the third quarter of fiscal year 2015, more than a 30 percent decline from the MXN1.124 billion posted during the same period of fiscal year 2014.
The quarter ended on September 30.
While the net income is down for the third quarter, it is up for the first nine months of the year. The company recorded a net income of MXN3.45 billion for the period during 2015, an improvement from the MXN2.87 billion recorded during the same period of fiscal year 2014.
Bachoco sales up in Mexico, US
The company’s net sales increased during the third quarter, growing from MXN10.6 billion to MXN11.3 billion on a year-over-year basis.
Most of those sales increases were in the U.S., where Bachoco operates the subsidiary O.K. Industries. Sales in the U.S. increased by 30.4 percent, whereas sales in Mexico increased by a mere 0.8 percent.
Commentary from Bachoco’s CEO
Reflecting on the performance of the company during the third quarter, Rodolfo Ramos Arvizu, Bachoco’s CEO, commented: “For Bachoco, this third quarter behaved as, what we can call, a typical third quarter for a year, which seasonally used to be a weak one. The comparison with [the third quarter of 2014] is difficult, as last year did not present this behavior.
“In general, even when we observed a good level of demand in the Mexican markets during the quarter, we also saw a stronger supply in our main product lines. At the same time, there was a strong supply in our U.S. markets, where leg quarter prices were affected due to weaker exports.


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Recent figures show that more Australian businesses are exporting, assisted by the lower dollar. However, there’s a lot to consider before considering any new market, as Christelle Damiens, founder of Exportia, told Brent Balinski.
After the horror period earlier this decade and a peak of around $US 1.10 in 2011, the Australian dollar has come down much closer to its historical average.
The AUD’s depreciation has been cited during the current run of positive PMI results – 12 straight months of growth, according to the Australian Industry Group’s research – and in recent export figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
According to Austrade’s reading of the 2014 – 2015 ABS stats, 4,000 new companies joined the ranks of our exporters, bringing this over 51,000, and nearly 300 new manufacturers started exporting (total 9,306).
The potential for manufacturers to play a bigger role in international supply chains has been highlighted ad nauseum by various politicians and industry bodies, and – as the figures above show – there’s been a greater attempt made to reach export markets.
However, there’s a long list of things to examine before tackling an overseas market, as anybody who’s done it can tell you.
Founder and managing director Christelle Damiens believes there’s a host of issues to research, including how well established a firm is in Australia (and if it actually needs to export to expand), what enquiries have come from overseas, what resources are available to get there and serve the market, and if the company’s IP is protected in the market.
Exportia has developed a “seven pillar” approach over the years to the problem, including things such as the country, marketing, channels, customers and forecast. After that, a six- to 12-month strategy is established, then validated.
“We talk to roughly five potential customers – so if you’re in the tyre industry or want to target the tyre industry, we talk to very large European multinationals and ask ‘are you interested in that technology?’” she told Manufacturers’ Monthly.
“Then [they] give the feedback: ‘Which country is most likely to take on your product? Are the distributors really interested to sell your project? Are potential leads going to be hot or not? Are you going to get some leads? Rapidly or not?’”
A lot of excitement on reaching a Chinese, southeast Asian or Indian market has been displayed in recent years. All the same, trade with both France and Germany – both developed, affluent markets, with populations of 64 million and 81 million respectively – is substantial.
One of the consultancy’s success stories in Europe in recent years is vehicle power solutions specialist Redarc. The SA business engaged Exportia for tasks including in-depth market research, identifying the right market (France was a better fit than Germany, for various reasons). identifying suitable distributors, lead generation, eventually striking an agreement with a major distributor, and launch.
Another area where assistance is often needed is in securing export grants.
The French market is one with good potential for manufacturers, believes Damiens, in sectors including water management and defence.
“There are large opportunities around defence, given the submarine contract, which has been allocated to a French company, DCNS,” she said.
“So that’s a very big focus for Australia at the moment. And that’s a way for an Australian exporter to be able to have some exports.”
The exact opportunities have yet to be properly defined, given the recentness of the announcement, she added.
“It’s just my [personal] interpretation… What I see as potential opportunities for Australian companies obviously are around 3D, around virtual reality, there’s a lot of electronics, a lot of different opportunities that are going to emerge with that contract,” said Damiens.
Overall, though the Australian has lowered, the Euro is also down recently, perhaps counterbalancing whatever benefits might’ve been enjoyed in Europe by Aussie exporters, she added.
However, successful Australian high-end manufacturers – as others have pointed out – are generally not competing based on price. Currency fluctuations aren’t as big a deal for these as they are for others.
“You don’t want to be too price-sensitive – you want to have a positioning that doesn’t make you too dependent on pricing,” offered Damiens.
“Otherwise you’re competing with cheap products. That’s not what you want to do.”


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#LeaveYourCarBehind Campaign for Uber to create awareness through influencers about reducing pollution
Uber is one of India’s leading ride-hailing firms, with a presence in over 63 countries, completing 14 million trips each day over 91 million active platform consumers.
They approached us to help them execute three of Uber’s digital campaigns to create awareness to reduce pollution during Diwali in India’s capital city – Delhi.
Delhi is one of the most polluted cities in the world. Come winters, and the AQI levels take a turn for the worse. Uber celebrates cities and works towards their betterment. Moreover, every Uber replaces a few cars on the road, clears Delhi’s roads, and in turn, unburdens the air.
Uber’s #LeaveYourCarBehind campaign:
Uber’s #LeaveYourCarBehind campaign urges Delhiites to leave their personal cars behind and opt for public transport – ranging from buses, metros and other ride-sharing services, like Uber Pool. The campaign stressed on how keeping Delhi pollution-free is a shared responsibility and it is the least we can do for the city we live in and love.
For this activity, actor, model, and influencer, Delhi’s Ayush Mehra, and popular content creator and entertainer, Ankush Bahuguna both spoke about Uber’s initiative on Instagram. They shared advice on the importance of making use of public transport to reduce pollution in Delhi. They also explained how Uber has a complete CNG fleet which is extremely useful in last-mile connectivity.
Uber’s #LaserLight show campaign:
In order to celebrate a cracker-free Diwali, the Delhi government organized a four-day laser light event with music at Connaught Place in Delhi. The entire area wore the festive look with lights scattered and shining bright.
Uber collaborated with social media photographers and influencers to create awareness around the concept of not bursting crackers on Diwali. For this activity, we roped in upcoming photography influencers from Delhi to capture the laser light arena from their Uber ride. The name of the campaign was #ShotEnroute where influencers had to take an Uber from their homes to the event in Connaught Place. During their ride to the event, the influencers shot images of the lights that were all over the place. Veronica Gera and Zaid Salman captured a few amazing stills of the event while they were on their way to the event.
Uber’s collaboration with Chakr:
Adding on to the campaign #LeaveYourCarBehind, Uber collaborated with Chakr – a team that is constantly working to improve the quality of air with the help of their product, named “Chakr Shield”. This innovative product is a device that captures the pollution at the source to control the emissions, and then converts it into something useful, for example, ink!
The activity took place in Lodi Street in Delhi where street artists came together and used the ink from Uber’s Chakr’s Shield to leave messages for the people of Delhi to save the city from air pollution.
We helped Uber collaborate with a popular photography Delhi influencer – Raghav Rai Ralhan – to capture this beautiful graffiti on the street corner to create buzz around the same.
Campaign Metrics :
No of Influencers – 5
Total Reach – 1 Million
Total Engagement – 1,00,000
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According to the city’s Facebook page, the boutique specializes in women's clothing and accessories including:
- Custom jewelry
According to the Facebook post, Piccarreto has since found another job in addition to running the boutique. She has help running the store from her daughter Jersey and friend and fellow jewelry maker Patricia Mayo.
“It takes a village,” Piccarreto said, “and I have a really good village.” 817-379-3340. http://simplyeclecticboutique.com


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Bold, subtle, earthy, and bright shades of pure Kanjeevaram saris lined up in a stall instantly attract the visitors.
‘INA Chennai’ reads the name displayed atop the stall.
“IN’ stands for ‘interesting’ and ‘A’ for ‘attire,” says Indira Lavanya, flashing a warm smile.
“I have an exclusive collection of only handlooms, no synthetics. There are pure Kanjeevarams, designer Benaras saris, a range of georgettes, and pure handloom cottons,” she says pointing to the ageless beauties.
The woman from Chennai was in the city with her collection as part of ‘Styles and Weaves’, a three-day exhibition kicked off at Sesha Sai Kalyana Vedika on Saturday.
The event has brought in 70-odd weavers, artisans, and designers from different States across the country under one roof. The venue has acquired a splash of colour with retailers carting in their best collections to lure the locals.
The sprawling auditorium is bursting at the seams with saris, suits, kurtis, leggings, designer footwear, jewellery, fancy items, accessories, and other knick-knacks.
Anand Prakash from Jaipur is the first timer. Pointing to the shimmering collection of precious and semi-precious stones, he says the speciality of his stall — Rajwada Jewels — is that it could tailor stylish strings of beads and stones in a ‘mix and match’ fashion in a jiffy. Not very happy with the initial lukewarm response, he hopes to find a good number of buyers for his stuff in the next two days.
S.A. Yatoo is a bloke from Kashmir who deals with Kashmiri saris, suits, tops, and Pashmina shawls. He is keeping his fingers crossed in anticipation of good business at the weekend.
Unlike Prakash and Yatoo, Samiksha from Kolkata is full of cheer, happily and swiftly catering to the choices of her customers.
“We have timed the event with the ensuing festivals such as Dasara and Deepavali. This is the season for shopping and I know that people of this city are good shoppers,” says Manjulatha, the event manager.


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Personalization is a key part of Internet search, providing more relevant results and gaining loyal customers in the process. But new research highlights the privacy risks that this kind of personalization can bring. A team of European researchers, working with a researcher from the University of California, Irvine, found that they were able to hijack Google‘s personalized search suggestions to reconstruct users’ Web search histories.
Google has plugged most of the holes identified in the research, but the researchers say that other personalized services are likely to have similar vulnerabilities. “The goal of this project was to show that personalized services are very dangerous in terms of privacy because they can leak information,” says Claude Castelluccia, a senior research scientist at the French National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control, who was involved with the work. The work will be presented this summer at the Privacy Enhancing Technologies Symposium in Berlin, Germany.
The researchers got hold of personal information by taking advantage of the fact that Google uses two different protocols to communicate with its users’ browsers. Google protects sensitive information, such as passwords, by using a protocol called “https” that encrypts the data as it’s communicated. Other times, when dealing with search queries for example, Google uses the ordinary “http” protocol, which sends information back and forth in the clear. The researchers say this mixed design can inadvertently reveal information.
Google offers a variety of Web services, including Gmail, Google Docs, and Google Calendar. A less well-known service is Google Web History, which records searches made by a user while she is signed in to her Google Account. At the time the researchers were investigating it, Web History was also the source of personalized suggestions that Google offered users on its search page.
The researchers were able to get access to users’ Web History by intercepting cookies–files stored on a person’s computer that hold useful bits of information such as authentication credentials or the contents of a shopping cart. For many services, such as Gmail, this information is encrypted before it is sent. At the time, Web History sent its cookies in the clear. By eavesdropping on an unsecured network, such as a public Wi-Fi hotspot, an attacker can intercept Web cookies. The researchers determined that intercepted Web History cookies could provide access to that user’s Web History account.
Filed under: Civil Liberties, Communications, Education Industrial Complex, Information, Privacy | Tagged: Berlin, Claude Castelluccia, French National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control, Germany, Gmail, Google, Google Calendar, Google Docs, Google Web History, Internet, Privacy Enhancing Technologies Symposium, profi, surveillance, University of California Irvine |


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Soon your physical and digital identities will exist as one — the key will be your iris. The potential for this new reality to be utopian or dystopian lies squarely in our ability to balance the need for security with privacy, personal liberties and convenience. Jeff's talk explores a radical view of privacy, transparency and digital expedience.
EyeLock Is The First Mobile Iris-Scanning Product Solution. At the Finovate conference in San Francisco, EyeLock unveiled its truly unique device.
Edison Awards Celebrates 29 Years with Gala on April 21st.
New York, NY (PRWEB) April 22, 2016 The Edison Awards, celebrated 29 years of honoring the best in innovation and excellence in the development of new products and services, by recognizing the Gold, Silver, and Bronze award winning teams at the April 21st event in New York City.
“This year we saw new innovations from virtually all industries. It is clear that the role of technology in improving business results and consumer experiences is accelerating,” said Russ Fordyce, managing director of the Business Intelligence Group. “We are thrilled to be honoring those who are leaders in the business of innovation. This year’s winners are an amazing group of organizations that are laser focused on improving the daily lives of so many.”
Fun fact: Short of your DNA, your eyes' irises are your most unique feature, differentiating you from everybody else far better than your fingerprints can. EyeLock scanners examine 240 points in an iris (compared to 20 on a fingerprint).
When it comes to the annoyances of digital life, typing in a million different passwords all the time is second only to trying to remember them all. What if your body could be the password? Biometric readers have been around for some time, but now they’re found in devices we carry around. Fingerprint readers on high-end phones and tablets can unlock their home screens—and an increasingly wide range of apps. And your finger is just the beginning. The coming year will bring 007-style gadgets that scan your eye, listen to your voice or just recognize your heartbeat.
These folks are just plain cool. There are no two ways about it. We have been watching the evolution of EyeLock for quite a while and they never cease to amaze us. When we first met EyeLock they made some pretty wild claims. The big one was that they could spot people at a distance using iris-based biometric scans. The people could be in motion. Imagine picking out individuals passing through security at an airport or gambling at a Las Vegas casino. The people could be moving around but the still could be picked out.
NEW YORK, Nov. 11, 2014/PRNewswire/ -- EyeLock Inc., a market leader of iris-based identity authentication solutions, today announced that it has been named a 2015 CES Innovation Awards Honoree for myris™. Products entered in this prestigious program are judged by a preeminent panel of independent industrial designers, independent engineers and members of the trade media to honor outstanding design and engineering in cutting edge consumer electronics products across 28 product categories.
Threats like the Heartbleed web bug mean we need more secure ways to do our work online. EyeLock, a New York–based company, has responded with Myris, a palm-size device that scans your irises to log you in to your favorite sites. While eye-scanning tech isn't new, myris, which costs $279, is likely the first for folks without Level 10 FBI clearance.
Making a device that works is one thing. Making one that looks good is another. But making a device whose good looks and function meld seamlessly together is something else entirely. Every year, the ‘Red Dot Award: Product Design’ competition highlights the products that strike that balance better than any others.
CES2014 has come to an end and SERIOUS WONDER has curated our “Best of CES2014″ awards. It was a year filled with wearable technologies, driverless and electric cars, the internet of everything, connected home gadgets, 3D innovations and curious bendable displays.


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EPA approves new rice herbicide
Willowood USA announced that the EPA has approved both its technical and end-use registrations for Willowood Propanil 4EC. Willowood Propanil 4EC is a postemergence herbicide used in the control of select grass and broadleaf weeds in rice.
"Willowood Propanil 4EC is an important addition to our growing rice product portfolio" states Andy King, Willowood USA national accounts manager. 'With our successful launch of Willowood Propanil 4SC in the California rice market in 2011, the recent registration of Willowood Propanil 4EC will allow us to expand into the rice growing regions of the MidSouth."
King went on to say that "Not only will Propanil 4EC provide excellent control of key grass and broadleaf weeds such as barnyardgrass, sprangletop and eclipta, it will also serve as an excellent foundation herbicide for many tank mix partners."
Willowood USA is a U.S. based manufacturer of post patent crop protection herbicides, fungicides, insecticides and spray additive products for the agriculture industry.
- New calculator can help soybean farmers with seed decisions
- U.S., Brazil close to ending cotton trade rift
- U.S.-Japan trade talks hit new farm exports snag
- Ag markets posted a general comeback Wednesday
- Midwest grain growers ‘Invest an acre to feed the world’
- Ag markets turned mixed around midsession Wednesday
- Activists fighting Golden Rice even more in 2014
- U.S. GMO labeling foes triple spending in first half of this year
- Source shows half of GMO research is independent
- White House issues veto threat on bill to block WOTUS rule
- East-West Seed signs marketing collaboration with Monsanto
- How much corn can the ethanol industry use?


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ForeSee Results, an industry analyst firm, has filed a declaratory lawsuit against Lodsys in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. ForeSee Results has a few big customers — such as Best Buy, WE Energies, and Adidas — that have reportedly been threatened with legal action by Lodsys, and so the firm has decided to take the fight into its own hands. The results of a declaratory lawsuit should settle the dispute on whether or not the developers using Lodsys’ in-app purchasing technology are covered under Apple’s license or not. If they are covered by Apple’s license, as Apple has already argued, then the hope is Lodsys will stop pestering them to pay up.
If you buy through a BGR link, we may earn an affiliate commission, helping support our expert product labs.


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MEDFORD, N.Y. Long Island Truck Parts is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. Started by Anthony Naples in 1972, Long Island Truck Parts is a second-generation, full-line, heavy-duty aftermarket parts company. Starting primarily as a driveline house, the company has expanded into one of the premier heavy-duty aftermarket suppliers on Long Island. They now have three locations in New York: Medford, Riverhead and West Babylon.
The company attributes its success to the “above and beyond” customized service and knowledge that its sales staff offers to customers.
“The bottom line is that this business is a people business built on relationships and trust, and we are grateful to have a motivated and loyal staff,” said Robert Naples, who has been president since 2000.
The company also credits part of its success to its strong relationship with Truck Pride/HDA Truck Pride, which it joined in 1998.
Long Island Truck Parts is planning on celebrating its 40th anniversary with a customer appreciation celebration with all of its vendors, family and friends in the fall of 2012.


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Coronavirus COVID-19 continues to rage in Italy: according to recent data, more than 59 thousand people have been infected, more than
How was it
Hospital in northern Italy is in short supplyvalves for mechanical ventilation systems, and mechanical ventilation is a key element in the treatment of people with COVID-19 who have severe respiratory complications and need hospitalization. The guys from the Isinnova 3D printing startup found out about this and decided to help doctors. They took a sample and within a few hours returned with a finished prototype.
It was tested - and the valve turned out to be completelyto the workers. Then the production went in full swing. It takes 1 hour to produce one valve, and its cost is about 1 euro, which is much cheaper than the original valves. Isinnova contacted another 3D printing company and within a day the hospital received 100 new valves.
Now the startup is ready to provide for freevalves of a hospital in a region. Moreover, they have patented their valve. This initiative is absolutely non-profit: the patent will remain in the public domain, and everyone can take up the manufacture of a valve.
After that, representatives of Isinnova went further andthey turned the mask for snorkeling (a kind of swimming under the surface of the water with a mask and breathing tube and usually with flippers) using a printed valve into a respirator.
“This is not a replacement for the pulmonary ventilator,” says"Startup Director Christian Frakassi," but it can be used in emergency rooms, where patients stay for three days waiting for a bed. "
They also patented the invention and put it in the public domain.
What is in Ukraine
Ukrainians also picked up the idea of Italians: Revel Laboratory decided to transfer all of its 3D printers to the production of valves for mechanical ventilation. They have already contacted Isinnova for specifications and a 3D model of the required valves. However, a problem arose.
“It's not as simple as we would like. Valves in Italy solved the problem of only one hospital, since they all had the same apparatus. In Ukraine, there are currently 30+ different models of mechanical ventilation with serial breakdowns from 1995 to 2019, ”said David Stavnitser, co-owner of the company.
Now engineers are looking for a solution to this problem.</ p>


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This week at Walt Disney World, Disney Springs hosts yet another grand opening, a new interactive element of Space Mountain quietly debuts, plus Disney discontinues production of an iconic souvenir that has been around for decades.
Outside Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando Resort has revealed more details about what guests can expect from the newest version of The Incredible Hulk roller coaster, Busch Gardens Tampa gives fans yet another look at the new Cobra's Curse family roller coaster plus LEGOLAND Florida announces an exciting new summertime event that will bring some new nighttime entertainment to the park.
1. Town Center district and the Lime parking garage now open at Disney Springs
Today is the big grand opening of Disney Springs’ new Town Center area, which is in the center of the expanding shopping district. 20 new shopping and dining locations will be opening with this new area of Disney Springs, including the Disney owned D-Luxe Burger, Amoretti's Patisserie, plus a number of third-party retailers like Everything but Water, Sephora, Tommy Bahama, Vera Bradley, MAC Cosmetics, Alex & Ani, and more.
In addition to the new district opening, today is also the grand opening of the Lime parking garage, which sits right in front of the Town Center and effectively doubles the amount of parking available at Disney Springs, hopefully making parking jams a thing of the past!
2. Storymaker enhancements come to Space Mountain's post-ride area
Though we’ve already told you about the various unannounced enhancements that have been coming to Disney attractions thanks to Storymaker technology, this week eagle-eyed guests may have noticed that their names were displayed in the post-show area of Space Mountain (where they used to see themselves) attached to “reviews”, similar to the experience guests can see in the queue at Expedition Everest. This is yet another fun application of this technology, and we expect to see even more Storymaker enhancements roll out in the next few weeks.
3. New food kiosks to open later this month around Echo Lake at Disney's Hollywood Studios
One of the biggest problems guests have been running in to at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in recent months is the lack of food options around the park. With Studio Catering Company, Herbie’s Drive in, and Pizza Planet all closed, the pressure has been put on the park’s four remaining quick service eateries, and unfortunately, guests have had to deal with some really long lines during the lunch and dinner rush as a result.
Fortunately, it looks like Disney has wisely found a solution to this problem, and will be constructing three new food kiosks around Echo Lake, collectively known as Echo Lake Eats. The first of these, Sliders to the Stars, will feature specialty sliders including a BBQ and brisket mini. The second option is Hollywood Waffles of Fame, which will serve a number of waffle sandwiches. Finally, guests can soon stop by Bocados del Lago Nachos y Empanadas, will stay true to its name and offer nachos and empanadas. Though no firm opening date has been given, these new kiosks should be open by the end of the month.
4. Disney dollars officially discontinued
Though their use has declined in recent years, for many Disney Dollars have been an iconic part of a Disney vacation. However, Disney announced earlier this week that they were no longer printing new Disney Dollars, and the last day to purchase them was yesterday, May 14th.
Though this is a sad development for those who loved purchasing and collecting Disney Dollars, those who still have them don’t need to worry, as Disney dollars can still be spent freely around the resort (or of course collected for sentimental value!)
5. Daisy Duck and Pluto switch meet and greet locations at Epcot
This week a character switcheroo was confirmed at Epcot, with Daisy, who formerly met in front of the World Showcase, moving to the front of the park right next to Spaceship Earth, and Pluto taking her former spot in the middle of the park. It is unknown if this is just a limited-time test for these characters or a permanent change.


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Asian investor short-termism is seen as partly to blame for the shift, which came amid the region’s strong stock rally this year. Balanced and bond funds, by contrast, drew strong flows.
The firm has registered 13 retail funds and added a client service executive in Singapore, in addition to putting more retail products in Hong Kong. Taiwan is also a major focus.
The first two months of the year saw net buying of Asia ex-Japan strategies ahead of China products amid a return of risk appetite. Asean funds topped the investment return charts.
Last year saw more bond than equity funds sold to HK retail investors for the first time this century. They accounted for 44.4% of industry sales in 2011, compared with 43.5% for equity.
The agreement between the SFC and ASIC makes it easier for retail funds to penetrate both markets at the same time.


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The Brilliant Brain Behind Bitcoin’s Biggest Exchange, Binance, and BNB Coin Becoming a Big Business Boost
In a recent report by Coindesk, it took the position that Binance has “evolved significantly” since its founding in 2017. The article pointed to changes that have occurred in the past 12 months, which include:
- Delivering tested technology – meaning, its working crypto-to-crypto exchange offered buy and sell services in 15 countries, and at a time when market conditions allowed for capturing users’ attention.
- Shifting to incentivizing users to adopt value-adding products like Binance LaunchPad, at a time when the market began to slow.
- Currently, setting the stage for the upcoming decentralized exchange, which may provide further legitimacy to the crypto industry.
In addition to these developments, the article as points to the Binance Coin (BNB), which the article refers to as “miraculous,” referencing the coin’s ability to offer traders a virtuous cycle and the coin’s large market cap of $2.3 billion. Moreover, Binance has developed a network of additional products around its coin, including the LaunchPad.
Furthermore, the article surmises as to what could be the future of the exchange and turns to the IPO as a potential option, pointing to the company’s possible launch of a fiat-to-crypto gateway in Singapore.


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Published on : Tuesday, March 3, 2020
Due to the recent developments in the rapid spread of coronavirus ( COVID-19), ITB India organsiers have announced to postpone ITB India 2020 which was originally scheduled to be held on 15-17 April at the Bombay Exhibition Centre.
The new dates for ITB India 2021 is 7-9 April at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai.
There is much uncertainty in the region around the world and the recent developments pose a big challenge. At this stage it is hard to forsee the following months.
Considering the safety of ITB India’s exhibitors, buyer and visitors the organisers decided to postpone ITB India 2002 . They want to allow all the participants to make necessary arrangements in a timely manner.
The situation will be continuously and closely monitored by the ITB India organisers and they will provide further updates taking into consideration the official assessments of the overall risk situation.
The Indo-German Chamber of Commerce will be organise the event and will be supported by Messe Berlin (Sinagpore) Pte Ltds.
The business-to-business travel trade show and convention will focus on the Indian travel market that will include the MICE, corporate and leisure travel sectors.
The event is expected to be attended by exhibitors from every sector of the industry which will include travel agencies, NTOs, business travel and MICE, travel technology, accommodation and transport companies.
Tags: ITB India


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Abercrombie & Fitch Co. saw its shares soar more than 10 percent Friday as a 39.3 percent decline in third-quarter profits still left it comfortably ahead of Wall Street estimates.
The New Albany, Ohio-based firm said for the three months ended Oct. 31, net income slid to $38.8 million, or 44 cents a diluted share, from $63.9 million, or 72 cents, in the year-ago quarter. Excluding extraordinary items, the company earned 30 cents a share in the most recent quarter, well ahead of the 20 cent profit consensus provided by Yahoo Finance.
Net sales fell 14.6 percent, to $765.4 million from $896.3 million, and were off 22 percent on a comparable-store basis.
The company said international store sales were roughly $61 million for the quarter and that further expansion outside the U.S., combined with lower price initiatives, would help it regain its top-line momentum.
Despite the rough sales record, investors lifted the retailer’s shares $3.92, or 10.7 percent, to $40.68. The stock established a new 52-week high of $40.95 in intraday trading.
By division, A&F, which posted sales of $324.3 million, had an 18 percent decrease in comps, as its West Coast-inspired concept Hollister & Co. registered revenue of $333.4 million and a 26 percent drop in comps. The chain’s children’s brand, abercrombie, brought in sales of $90.8 million and a 22 percent comp dip, while Ruehl, the company’s collegiate concept to be shuttered at the end of the fiscal year, reported sales of $11.7 million and a comp decline of 30 percent.
For the nine months, the retailer swung to a loss of $47.2 million, or 54 cents a diluted share, versus a profit of $203.8 million, or $2.27 a share. Revenue for the period contracted 20.3 percent to $2.03 billion.
“We are aspirational brands for our customer, but are reacting to the current environment and trying to improve the domestic sales trend,” said chairman and chief executive officer Michael Jeffries on the company call. “Domestically, as you all know, we’re seeing that the customer is extremely deal driven, price conscious, and we are aware of that. Our strategy has been to increasingly offer specially targeted attractive price points…our brands, again as you know, are not positioned to compete on price and price alone and it is not our desire to change that.”
Although Jeffries admitted “the future of our business is tied to international growth,” the company’s domestic positioning is also related. The ceo said the company would strengthen its inventory position, as well as its marketing for the spring. Additionally, the firm said it would offer specially targeted price points, particularly at Hollister, and would evaluate its domestic real estate footprint, notably at A&F, while working to improve its fashion content across all its brands.
Nonetheless, Jonathan Ramsden, executive vice president and chief financial officer, said in the next few weeks, “it’s going to continue to be a very aggressive and promotional environment,” and average unit retail is expected to be “down a good bit compared to the fourth quarter of last year.”
@tradesy is turning the concept of a showroom upside down with its new space in Santa Monica. Here, the company plans to hold events, art exhibits and a showcase rare fashion pieces like this Louis Vuitton boxing set. Get all the details on Tradesy’s first showroom on WWD.com. #wwdnews
Spotted last night at the @erdem x @hm launch event: Kate Bosworth, Rashida Jones, Kirsten Dunst and Selma Blair. The party, which took place in LA, also marked the opening of their pop-up shop. “I was interested in creating a collection that wasn’t in any way disposable. It was about pieces you’d create and keep forever, things that have a permanence to it,” designer Erdem Moralioglu said. #wwdeye (📷: Katie Jones)
Renee Zellweger in yellow in 2001 and again in 2017. Chosen as one of the 12 @pantone Leading Spring Colors (and dubbed “Meadowlark”), it only makes sense that the bright hue stands the test of time and is making a resurgence this season, seen already on stars like @blakelively and @gigihadid. (📷: Donato Sardello & @rexfeatures) #wwdfashion #tbt
Dior’s 70th anniversary celebration continues with a new exhibition at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. “Christian Dior,” which is scheduled to run through March 18, takes a look at the founders tenure from 1947 to 1057 and feature 40 designs. Pictured here is an evening gown from the Ailée, fall 1948-49 haute couture collection. #wwdfashion (📷: Brian Boyle)
As one of the most recognizable models in the world, Christy Turlington Burns has an insider’s view of the fashion industry and the allegations of sexual harassment swirling around it. “I can say that harassment and mistreatment have always been widely known and tolerated in the industry. The industry is surrounded by predators who thrive on the constant rejection and loneliness so many of us have experiences at some point in our careers,” Turlington told WWD, along with her suggestions for how the modeling world should protect younger women and men. Read more on WWD.com. Link in bio. (📷: Tony Palmieri) #wwdnews
@asics America has tapped a new brand ambassador: famed DJ/record producer @steveaoki. This initiative is intended to set the tone for the new brand identity and philosophy and will include partnerships with influencers and in-store and off-line activations that will continue into next year. This is Asics’ most significant marketing effort in two decades, and is expected to attract younger consumers to the brand. #wwdfashion
24-year-old Jean Prounis is redefining the rules of jewelry. Formerly a studio assistant to Jemima Kirke and a design apprentice at Ghuran, she focuses on handcrafted subtleties and ancient goldsmithing techniques. “There was a really sterile feel in the environment and I wanted to have jewelry with character that shapes how you wear it everyday,” Prounis said. Each piece is hand made in New York, either by Prounis or three other jewelers in the district. #wwdfashion
“These collections continue to build on that vision, empowering differently abled adults to express themselves through fashion,” said @tommyhilfiger of his line of adaptive apparel, which launches today. The line consists of 37 men’s and 34 women’s styles based upon the pieces from the spring Tommy Hilfiger sportswear collection. #wwdnews


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By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson
Online Piracy ‘Becoming Increasingly Prevalent’In an open letter dated Friday (April 5), some of the United Kingdom’s best known authors have called on Greg Clark, secretary of state in the department of Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy, to open a dialogue with them about online book piracy.
Hilary Mantel, Kazuo Ishiguro, Tom Stoppard, Antonia Fraser, Neil Gaimen, Malorie Blackman, and 27 others are signatories to the letter from the council of the Society of Authors, the British trade union for writers, the counterpart to the Authors Guild in the United States.
“We are concerned,” reads the letter from author Philip Pullman, president of the organization, “that sites offering illegal downloads of books are becoming increasingly prevalent.
“Research by the Intellectual Property Office found that a sixth of ebooks read online in the UK in 2017—around 4 million books—were pirated. We do not want to give any of these sites publicity by naming them here, but they can easily be found.”
“The acid rain of online piracy is slowly dissolving something we thought was set in stone. Surely it should be a fundamental duty of any decent government to defend the rights of those who help to create what civilization is.”Philip Pullman
In a prepared statement for the release of the letter to various news media, Pullman is further quoted, saying, “Online piracy of books, music, and other expressions of the human spirit needs to be properly understood: it’s an offense against moral justice.
“It’s the very opposite of freedom of speech, because it acts to prevent those who create beauty, knowledge, consolation or delight from earning even a modest living from their efforts.
“The law of copyright is one of the bastions of civilized living, but the acid rain of online piracy is slowly dissolving something we thought was set in stone. Surely it should be a fundamental duty of any decent government to defend the rights of those who help to create what civilization is.”
A Culture of Victimization and Entitlement
No market is immune from piracy. In some regions, illicit books are produced in print, as in textbook scams. In other instances, online piracy is the issue, at times a function of simple illicit PDFs being made available for free downloads.
In August, Alison Flood at The Guardian wrote about the strange sense of entitlement carried by many who read pirated downloads of books. The site OceanOfPDF had been shut down after Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, and other publishers had issued what Flood describes as “hundreds of takedown notices.” And former users of the shuttered site then attacked authors as “grossly elitist” for expecting to be paid for their work.
A culture of victimization seems to justify conscious piracy in the minds of many non-paying consumers, who pass around a notion of books being too costly and theft thus being acceptable. The construct deems publishers, authors, and other rights holders as heartless for demanding payment for their work, although—as many writers note—the same readers don’t expect the smartphones and other devices on which they read illegal copies to be handed to them free of charge.
During the controversy last summer, both the society’s Pullman and Blackman—the latter is a former UK Children’s Laureate—were publicly vocal about the problem.
Flood writes about user comments in response to the OceanOfPDFs shutdown on social media platforms such as Twitter and Reddit: “One user wrote that ‘writers are the most pretentious pieces of shit I’ve ever seen. I’ll find another way to pirate your books, assholes.’ Another complained that ‘reading is becoming one of the most expensive and restrictive hobbies across the globe,’ while a third lambasted the ‘snitches’ who took down the site, calling them ‘anti-poor, classist and exclusionary.'”
A Demand for Government Support
The letter from the Society of Authors’ Pullman and council members sets the crisis into bold relief for politicians who may be new to the issue.
“The UK’s great literary heritage has always been underpinned by a robust copyright regime. Unfortunately, this regime is not respected by online pirates.”Society of Authors Statement
“Authors are not asked for permission before their work appears on these sites,” the letter reads, “and they do not receive any remuneration.
“Authors’ earnings are in decline and many are struggling financially. A survey carried out by the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) in 2018 found that the median earnings of a UK author from their writing was just £10,500 per annum (US$13,700).”
For purposes of its media messaging, the organization includes more remarks from authors on the council.
“In a world in which most authors earn less than a living wage,” says Joanne Harris, “book piracy threatens authors’ livelihoods, as well as threatening diversity, small publishers and libraries and limiting choice for readers.”
And Joanna Trollope is quoted, saying, “What all these people who are used to having their music or their books for free don’t realize is that there will be an end to creativity if there is no reward to it. There’ll be no new music. No new writing. No new ideas or expressions of ideas. And piracy only helps hasten that dreary day.”
While not mentioned in the letter, the protracted melodrama of the Brexit crisis weighs heavily on the UK’s books business and other creative industries. With the UK’s books industry drawing as much as 60 percent of its overall revenue from exports, further challenges like piracy could become even more dangerous than before.
The letter from the organization’s council minces few words:
“The growth of online book piracy has the potential to damage the legitimate book market and make it even harder for authors to make a living from their work. This will harm writers and readers alike–if authors can no longer afford to write, the supply of new writing will inevitably dry up.
“It could also cause further damage to our library service (which does pay authors, both for the purchase of books and, through PLR, every time a book is loaned), at a time when libraries are already facing cuts and closures across the country.
“The UK’s great literary heritage has always been underpinned by a robust copyright regime. Unfortunately, this regime is not respected by online pirates, who flagrantly infringe copyright law by both copying our books and offering them for download.”
The call to action, while purposeful, doesn’t name a specific tactic the authors want to see deployed, and the message may need to be sharpened with calls for better defined operational responses.
For now, the Society of Authors is taking a broader tone: “As secretary of state whose department has responsibility for copyright and piracy, we are calling on you to take action against the blight of online book piracy. We would be happy to meet to discuss further and we look forward to hearing from you.”
You can read the full letter and see the complete list of signatories here.


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Some big news came out this week at the Copenhagen Fashion Summit, where Kering Group CEO Francois-Henri Pinault announced plans to stop hiring models under the age of 18. As the parent company to some of the world's most prolific luxury brands like Gucci, Balenciaga, Saint Laurent and Alexander McQueen, the change is a big step towards creating stricter labor laws for underage models in the fashion industry.
"As a global luxury group, we are conscious of the influence exerted on younger generations in particular by the images produced by our houses," Pinault said in a statement. "We believe that we have a responsibility to put forward the best possible practices in the luxury sector and we hope to create a movement that will encourage others to follow suit." The decision follows a similar one made in August 2018 by Conde Nast and Council of Fashion Designers of America, who announced they would cease to hire underage models for editorials in its various titles unless they were the subject of an article.
Marie-Claire Daveu, Kering's chief sustainability officer and head of international institutional affairs, added in her statement, "In our view, the physiological and psychological maturity of models aged over 18 seems more appropriate to the rhythm and demands that are involved in this profession."
While the decision is a positive one for establishing healthy work environments and regulating the industry, it does bring into question catwalk stars like 17-year-old Kaia Gerber, whose quick rise to top-model status began when she was just 16. Some of the biggest names in the business like Naomi Campbell and Gisele Bundchen got their careers started on major catwalks long before turning 18, as well.
On the flip side, Kering's biggest competing luxury conglomerate, LVMH, has announced it will not be doing the same. In a statement following this announcement, LVMH's Antoine Arnault said, "We will not be following suit. We are sticking to our position." Arnault continued, "Let's not kid ourselves... it's not because one group bans these models that they will stop working. On the contrary, we provide them with a protected environment, so I am totally against this ban on models aged under 18."
This comes after the two conglomerates agreed not to hire models under the age of 16 in a 2017 initiative to better work environments.
Photo via Getty


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Websites of several airlines, banks and technology companies, including Amazon's AWS, British Airways, Delta Air Lines and American Express, faced outages on Thursday.
Reports by users showed 4,000 issues on Airbnb's website, while about 1,800 Home Depot users reported problems, according to outage tracking website Downdetector.
Websites were not loading and displayed domain name system (DNS) service errors.
DNS or Domain Name System is a service that translates readable domain names to machine-readable IP addresses, connecting them to a server and delivering the requested page on the user's phone or laptop.
The disruption lasted up to an hour and was caused by a bug in the domain name system (DNS) service, that was triggered during a software update, according to cloud company Akamai.
"We have implemented a fix for this issue, and based on current observations, the service is resuming normal operations," Akamai said in a tweet.
Services resumed after rolling back the update, Akamai added, and confirmed the disruption was not due to a cyberattack.
"We are reviewing our software update process to prevent future disruptions."
In June, multiple outages hit social media, government and news websites across the globe, with some reports pointing to a glitch at U.S.-based cloud computing service.