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MIDLAND — Dow Corning Corp. reported a decline in sales and net income for the fourth quarter of 2011, but record numbers for the year as a whole.
For the quarter, the company reported net income of $806 million, down 7 percent from $866 million in the fourth quarter of 2010. Revenue was $1.52 billion, down 4 percent from $1.58 billion a year earlier.
For the year, net income was $806 million, down 7 percent from $866 million in 2010. Revenue was $6.43 billion, up 7 percent from $6 billion a year earlier.
Adjusted net income, which excludes a gain on long-term sales agreements, was $76.8 million for the quarter, down 53 percent from $165 million a year earlier. For the year, adjusted net income was $613 million, down 15 percent from $724 million in 2010.
“We were unable to translate record 2011 sales into increased profits due to oversupply and softening demand in our industry combined with higher materials and energy costs. This situation, as well as continued global economic volatility, impacted both our silicones and polycrystalline silicon-segments,” said Dow Corning executive vice president and CFO J. Donald Sheets. “In our silicones segment, demand continued to grow in the emerging economies throughout Asia and Latin America; however Europe and North America remained nearly flat. Our polycrystalline silicon business through Hemlock Semiconductor Group was impacted by significant oversupply in the solar industry, a condition we expect to continue in 2012. As a cost-competitive manufacturer in both the silicone and polycrystalline silicon segments, we are well positioned to compete. Protecting our competitive cost position at both Dow Corning and Hemlock Semiconductor is essential to our long-term success, and we are aggressively pursuing opportunities to increase efficiency and reduce costs in our operations. Dow Corning continues to pioneer new technologies with a robust innovation portfolio that will drive our success in the future.”
Dow Corning provides more than 7,000 products and services via the company’s Dow Corning and Xiameter brands. Dow Corning is equally owned by The Dow Chemical Company and Corning Inc.


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FCC to Begin Collecting Data on Robocall Violations; FTC Offers $50K for Robocall Blocking Solution
October 19, 2012
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC (News - Alert)) is getting serious about enforcing the do not call registry. The agency soon plans to begin collecting reports regarding the register in order to better track information and enforce rule violations. The FCC recently announced that the Office of Management and Budget has approved the collection of information for three years.
In February, the FCC revised several rules that fall under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) of 1991. Rules that were revised include, requiring prior express written consent for all autodialed or pre-recorded telemarketing calls to wireless numbers and for all pre-recorded telemarketing calls to residential lines; the elimination of the established business relationship exception to the consent requirement for pre-recorded telemarketing calls to residential lines; requiring telemarketers to include an automated, interactive opt-out mechanism in all pre-recorded telemarketing calls, enabling consumers to more easily to opt-out of future robocalls during a robocall itself; and requiring telemarketers to comply with the three percent limit on hang-ups during each calling campaign.
Image via Shutterstock
The attention to robocalling rules is particularly important, as abuses are on the rise, according to the FCC. So are consumer complaints.
In fact, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC (News - Alert)), which often works hand in hand with the FCC to enforce telemarketing rules, has gotten rather creative lately when it comes to addressing illegal robocalling: it’s turning to crowdsourcing. The agency says it’s offering a $50,000 prize for the best proposal to block unwanted robocalls, the FTC said this week.
In the announcement, the FTC said the solutions should block robocalls on both landlines and mobile phones and must be able to operate on a proprietary or non-proprietary device or platform. Entries can be proposed technical solutions or functional solutions and proofs of concept.
Edited by Brooke Neuman
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LG Debuts Glasses-Free 3D Smartphone, Inks Youtube Deal
Two 5-megapixel video cameras allow for self-created 3D content that users can share via Youtube 3D.
BARCELONA, Spain – While consumers will first be introduced to glasses-free 3D gaming on March 27 when Nintendo launches its Nintendo 3DS portable game device, 3D is going mainstream in the portable space this year. LG Electronics used Mobile World Congress 2011 to introduce the world's first autostereoscopic (glasses free) 3D smartphone, the LG Optimus 3D. The phone, which is expected to ship this summer, features a 4.3-inch display for watching 3D movies, playing 3D video games and even recording and sharing 3D videos.
"Every phone comes with two 5 megapixel video cameras for 3D filming, so users can create 3D content themselves and seamlessly share with others through Youtube 3D with the press of one button," said Daniel Hernandez, director of European Product Marketing, LG Electronics.
"Self-created content is paramount today for 3D. When recording in 3D, consumers can see the image in 3D in real-time to allow for on-the-fly adjustments of what they're recording."
LG has entered into a new partnership with Youtube, which is part of a broader push into 3D entertainment by LG and the world's largest online video community. YouTube and LG collaborated to enable the delivery and sharing of 3D video onto mobile devices in a way that makes it simple and easy for consumers.
"3D technology has traditionally been reserved for the major Hollywood movie studios," said Francsico Varela, head of YouTube Platform Partnerships. "With the new LG Optimus 3D anyone anywhere in the world can shoot 3D videos, upload them to YouTube and share them with their friends. We're excited to see the creative videos our community captures and shares with this new technology."
Dr. Jong-Seok Park, president and CEO of LG Electronics, said the company decided to enter the 3D arena to bring the movie theater experience of 3D blockbusters like Avatar to the portable space.
"The 3D mobile display works without glasses, which makes it comfortable and convenient to watch 3D entertainment," said Park. "The era of true 3D mobile has arrived."
Multiple connectivity options, including High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) and Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA), also make it easy for users to transfer their recorded content to other devices or watch movies or play games on a 3D TV, including those made by LG.
Equipped with a 1GHz OMAP4 dual-core processor and four times more video decoders than competing designs, the LG Optimus 3D doubles the graphics performance of its nearest competitor, allowing users surf the web, run applications and play movies and games with great speed.
Three games will come pre-installed on the device, including Gameloft's racing game Asphalt 6, Let's Golf! and the first-person shooter, NOVA. Gamers can play these on a big screen or watch 3D movies on the go or at home on a 3D TV.
LG has created a "3D Zone," which acts as a hub for all 3D content, including 3D pictures, video, movies and games.


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NEW YORK — Bergdorf Goodman will begin a series of “Right from the Runway” events with designers making their collections available for pre-order just days after their fall 2016 presentations during New York Fashion Week.
The schedule, which starts Thursday, features such brands as Altuzarra, Brandon Maxwell, Cushnie et Ochs, Jason Wu, Michael Kors, Monse, Prabal Gurung and Sally LaPointe.
“Everyone’s talking about immediate gratification — so we’ve invited several of our designers to come to Bergdorf Goodman in the days immediately after the shows and let our customers touch and feel the collection and make their selections for the season ahead,” said Joshua Schulman, president, Bergdorf Goodman and NMG International.
The schedule is as follows:
• Brandon Maxwell will be at Bergdorf’s fourth floor from noon to 4 p.m. on Thursday, showing his debut spring 2016 collection, alongside his fall 2016 collection.
• Jason Wu and Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia of Monse will be on the third floor on Feb. 25 from 1 to 5 p.m.
• Joseph Altuzarra, Michael Kors and Sally LaPointe will be on the third floor on Feb. 26 from 1 to 5 p.m.
• Carly Cushnie and Michelle et Ochs of Cushnie et Ochs and Prabal Gurung will be on the third floor on Feb. 29 from 1 to 5 p.m.
The initiative is the latest development in the rush to take the runway straight to the consumer and is a blend of the longstanding designer personal appearance at a store and a trunk show. But while it is similar to what Moda Operandi does online in terms of offering consumers the chance to pre-order from the next season’s collections, this appears to be one of the first times the service has been offered in a brick-and-mortar retailer so soon after the shows.


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One of every five beauty purchases online is made via the Amazon marketplace, according to a new report.
MyBuys goes mobile, offering a complete m-commerce site customized for each shopper.
More technology providers continue to enter mobile commerce, offering products and services that help retailers create m-commerce sites, mobile apps or text messaging programs. Providers typically fall into one of two categories: a company devoted solely to mobile technology, or an e-commerce platform company adding m-commerce to its array of offerings.
Today, however, MyBuys, a provider that specializes in online personalization and product recommendations technology, is jumping into m-commerce. Its pitch? A complete m-commerce site that boasts a mobile shopping experience customized to each shopper.
MyBuys has teamed with m-commerce technology provider BrandingBrand to build the m-commerce sites. Every shopper who visits one of these mobile sites is recognized via a MyBuys-placed cookie as an individual with unique preferences and shopping behaviors. What she sees is based on her cookie-based profile, information about her preferences, purchase history and site activity.
MyBuys has collected more than 200 million profiles from its more than 300 retail clients, including more than 70 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide, the company says. MyBuys doesn’t know the shopper’s name, but knows her tastes, or at least those of someone who used her computer. And of the 200 million profiles, there may be multiple for a shopper who has deleted her cookies or purchased a new computer, and thus assigned a new MyBuys cookie on her next visit to a MyBuys site.
For a new shopper, MyBuys assigns her a cookie and begins tracking from the first click. But even before the shopper clicks on an item or category, MyBuys personalizes what she sees based on how she arrived at the site, such as from a paid search keyword, which the vendor calls an indicator of intent. Intent creates the first set of recommendations; each successive click refines recommendations.
The MyBuys software-as-a-service technology uses templates in its site design to showcase products. The technology also displays real-time changes in content and inventory. There are no I.T. requirements for current MyBuys clients, the company says, and minimal requirements for new clients. MyBuys takes the data feed of a retailer to fill the templates of the retailer’s m-commerce site. It links m-commerce functionality, such as payment and checkout, to a retailer’s existing e-commerce platform so the mobile site can use the same back-end technology as the e-commerce site.
“People have more personal relationships with their phones than they do with their computers. And they expect the experience to be more personalized,” says MyBuys president Robert Cell. “MyBuys comes at the mobile challenge thinking of the consumer first; personalizing the experience well is critical to deploying a mobile experience that consumers will embrace.”
Personalization is a key driver of e-commerce, Cell states, citing the success of the highly personalized shopping experience on Amazon.com. He also points to MyBuys’s recently released 3rd Annual Personalization Survey, which found that 67% of online shoppers expect their shopping experiences to be more personalized than what they’ve experienced in the past and stated that personalization would lead to additional purchases.
“Our goal is to leverage the power of personalization to make the shopping experiences, whether online or on a mobile site, easier and better for consumers,” Cell says. “We know a lot about a lot of consumers’ shopping behaviors and can use these profiles to provide the most personalized experiences across channels, resulting in increased consumer engagement and online purchases.”
The personalization provider is launching with three retailer clients: Steve Madden, Jelly Belly and BabyPhat. As for the cost, MyBuys says it does not publicly discuss pricing.


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Now that e-commerce giant Alibaba Group is launching an online streaming service in China this summer, the big question on everyone’s lips is “What will happen to Netflix?.”
For several weeks now, Netflix is reported to have its sights set on a Chinese expansion, and rumored to be in talks with Wasu Media, which is backed by Alibaba founder Jack Ma.
But Ma clearly has his own plans for China, with the news that TMall Box Office (TBO) will be entering the market.
In an interview with CNN Money, Ma was confident his Hangzhou-based company could break into the SVOD market without many hiccups.
“We have more than 100 million people shopping our site every day,” he said. “We are actually the largest entertainment company in the world.”
TBO will reportedly feature original content as well as movies and TV shows from China.
Greg Stoller, lecturer in the Carroll School of Management at Boston College and a longtime analyst on Asian markets, has followed Alibaba closely since its IPO in 2014. In an interview with StreamDaily, he said Ma has every right to be confident, noting the move will is highly likely to throw a wrench into Netflix’s plans.
“The Chinese are one of the most patriotic nations I’ve ever seen,” he said. “I think if they have a choice between a Chinese solution and a non-Chinese solution, unless quality is substantially better or price is substantially better, they will go with the Chinese solution.”
Stoller said Alibaba can be successful as long as it sticks to only a few endeavors at once.
“Given its size, it’s going to have to be very entrepreneurial, so I think if they are expanding in a responsible manner and focusing their energy on two to three different outlets, and SVOD is included in those two to three outlets, I think they’ll be very successful,” he said.
Ma told CNN that movies and entertainment are great ways to reduce stress levels among China’s young people.
“China is getting rich so quickly, we worry about people with deep pockets and shallow minds,” he said. “Movies (are) the best way to change China’s young people’s behavior and thinking.”
Representatives from Alibaba Group and Netflix did not return requests for comment at presstime. There have been no reports from Alibaba or elsewhere on the pricing model of the service.
Following news of Alibaba’s plans, Netflix’s stock saw a 1.4% drop in pre-market trade on Monday (June 15).


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Events - Page 1Stay up to date with the latest Events updates from the global packaging today industry
Latest Events Update
The winners of the 2019 InnoBev Awards were announced on 15 May at an...
> read more
PPMA Total Show 2019 to showcase the latest developments in the packaging and processing industry
Staged every three years, PPMA Total Show (1-3 October 2019) is the UK’s largest processing and packaging machinery exhibition and is expected to cover over 13,200 square metres at...
Taking packaging to the next level at drupa 2020
AIPIA has been asked to take part in an initiative, by Drupa 2020 organisers Messe Dusseldorf, to highlight new printing technologies for the packaging sector. The Touchpoint...
Entry for the Pentawards now open
Entry for the Pentawards, the world’s leading and most prestigious packaging design competition, is now open. The awards return with an extended jury panel led by a new President, plus...
Global brands set to join the big plastics debate
Experts from some of the world’s biggest brands, including Marks & Spencer, Pepsi Lipton and Church & Dwight Co., together with British Plastics Federation, A Plastic Planet and...
Domino Digital Printing Solutions highlights ink jet opportunities at Label & Print 2019
Domino, leading digital printing solutions provider, will use Label & Print 2019 (part of Packaging Innovations being held at the NEC Birmingham on 27 and 28 February) as a platform...
Cosmopack 2019: cosmetic packaging, one of the keys to the growth of the Marchesini Group
Marchesini’s calendar of trade shows this year is bustling with activities, events and anniversaries
Waitrose & Partners launches £1 million initiative to tackle UK plastic pollution
Waitrose & Partners will today launch a £1 million grant fund to give money to projects designed to reduce unnecessary plastic and tackle plastic pollution.
Colpac to launch easily recyclable and compostable heat seal sandwich pack
To view the Zest heat seal sandwich pack and other food packaging solutions from Colpac, visit stand D10 at the Packaging Innovations Show, 27-28 February, at the NEC Birmingham.
Marie Dalgar Confirmed as Keynote Speaker at ADF&PCD Shanghai 2019
Masa Cui, Founder and CEO at internationally renowned Chinese makeup brand, Marie Dalgar, will be one of the keynote speakers of the Pentawards Conference at ADF&PCD Shanghai 2019.
UK’s Largest Packaging Show Welcomes Global Brands to Seminar Programme
Coca-Cola, Marks & Spencer, Iceland and Innocent Drinks are just some of the major names taking to the stage as part of Packaging Innovations, Label&Print and Empack 2019’s...
ADF&PCD Paris 2019, and the finalists of the PCD Awards and ADF Awards are…
Each year the ADF Awards and the PCD PARIS Awards reward the most significant innovative packaging of the year on the European and/or world market.
Aerosol & Dispensing Forums 2019 and Packaging of Perfume Cosmetics & Design 2019
30-31 January 2019 at the Porte de Versailles, Paris
Start-ups in the packaging and intralogistics sector share their creativity and innovations at ALL4PACK Paris 2018
From 26 to 29 November 2018, the international exhibition ALL4PACK Paris will welcome 80,000 industry professionals for four days of exchange, presentations and innovation, showcased...
Pragmatic and S&S smooth the way for ultra low cost printed R&D
Strategic collaboration to minimise up-front cost for novel RFID solutions
The UK’s Largest Packaging Event Unveils Plans for 2019 Event
James Drake-Brockman, Divisional Director of Easyfairs’ Packaging Portfolio, offers a first look at Packaging Innovations, Empack and Label&Print 2019 and discusses why it is...
JUST Water wins Global “Best Packaging Solution” award with Tetra Pak carton bottle
JUST Water, the innovative global water brand from the United States, has received the “Best Packaging Solution” award at the 2018 Global Bottled Water Congress with its unique Tetra...
ALL4PACK Paris: Highlights at the 2018 show: four days to gather together and federate the market
ALL4PACK Paris, the international and essential trade show for packaging and logistics, is deploying an array of event highlights for its 2018 show: a content-rich programme to...
FachPack: Zanders presented sustainable new products Zangrass and Zanbarrier NGR
With two innovative new products, Zanders focused strongly on sustainability at this year's FachPack: Zangrass
va-Q-tec receives German award “Großer Preis des Mittelstandes”
va-Q-tec AG, a leading provider of thermal packaging solutions for temperature controlled transportation, has been honoured with the German award “Großer Preis des Mittelstandes”


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|Issue 88: 18 June 2010|
|Thursday, 17 June 2010|
"Our heads are round so that thoughts can change direction."
Francis Picabia, painter and poet (1879-1953)
bites... Adapt or die a slow death!
The trend is obvious. Food marketers are facing the slow Ling Chi-like death of their product portfolios unless they change their mindsets. The old playbook doesn't work anymore. They must recognize that there will always be the next sodium ... the next 'cut'. Instead of 'delay and divert', it is time to get ahead of the situation. With a new cohort of consumers demanding corporate responsibility for their health, advocates pushing for radical change in the food supply, and governments receptive to regulation, a smarter course of action by food marketers is to embrace that they are custodians of their customers' well-being and to re-align their products, marketing practices, and business models accordingly. Otherwise, a slow death awaits."Hank Cardello, author of "Stuffed: An Insider's Look at Who's (Really) Making America Fat". Read more
Editor's Stuff - The alpha & omega of omega-3?
When it comes to food supplementation for the "well-fed, affluent", my sentiments tend to rest with the "expensive urine" school of thought. But when it comes to omega-3, all the science and research make a compelling case to pop fish oil capsules on a daily basis; that this is one of the most effective remedies for improving physical performance, treating depression and arthritis, and improving concentration and memory. It is also widely considered to be effective in preventing heart disease.
This is the popular wisdom and it's now under scrutiny and debate, as highlighted in several articles in recent newsletters. The latest take on this issue I've come across is by leading British pseudo-science detective, Ben Goldacre, as follows.
Omega-3 lesson: Not so much brain boost as fishy research
One tiny brain-imaging study of fatty
acids has been used to endorse fish oil as education's magic pill. Oddly
enough, someone has now finally conducted a proper trial of fish oil
pills, in mainstream children, to see if they work: a well-conducted,
randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, in 450 children aged
810 years from a mainstream school population. It was published in
full this year and the researchers found no improvement. Show me the
news headlines about that paper. The Guardian. Read
Here is the referenced abstract to the article which, as Ben Goldacre rightly notes, has not provoked press headlines.
Here are two other pertinent articles worth looking at if you haven't already . . . one puts all the claims around omega-3s into serious doubt, while the other extols docosahexaenoic acid as the chemical that fundamentally has allowed the evolution of humankind. Challenging and fascinating stuff!
Omega-3: Fishy claims for fish oil
If one cheap pill could boost your brain power, protect you from heart disease and cancer, and even alleviate depression, all with no known side effects, would you want it? Who wouldn't? You've probably heard of the pill's main ingredient: omega-3, a substance found in fish oil and other natural products. If the flood of headlines and adverts from food and supplement manufacturers are to be believed, you need only boost your intake of omega-3 and all these benefits will be yours.
Omega-3 supplements first appeared in the early 1980s. Given they are still going strong 30 years later, you would be forgiven for thinking that claims of their beneficence have all been substantiated. Yet several new studies, as well as recent reviews of existing evidence, call this received wisdom into question. Do any of the claims stand up under scrutiny? New Scientist. Read more
Diet and the evolution of the brain
To pin one big evolutionary shift on a particular molecule is ambitious. To pin two on it is truly audacious. Yet doing so was just one of the ideas floating around at A Celebration of DHA in London recently. The celebration in question was a scientific meeting, rather than a festival. It was definitely, however, a love-in. It was held on May 26th and 27th at the Royal Society of Medicine to discuss the many virtues of docosahexaenoic acid, the most important of that fashionable class of dietary chemicals, the omega-3 fatty acids. The Economist. Read more
Enjoy the read - and the footie!
Afrikaans translation: To translate this page, go to http://interpret.co.za/, and simply paste the URL into the page translator module. The translation is by no means perfect, but is a help if you want to read in your home language.
Local Food Industry Stuff
South Africa looks for soft drinks legacy
The FIFA World Cup is in full force in South Africa. While corporate sponsor, Coca-Cola, looks set to score highly from the tournament, what of South Africa's indigenous soft drink brands? Annette Farr considers the opportunities the event will open up, both domestically and abroad. Just-Drinks.com. Read more
Cape Aloe's revamped beverage
line-up, including a new variant with
the latest global favourite, baobab.
Chicken Licken: Life in the fast lane
Its better to be lucky than clever to succeed in business, says Chicken Licken founder, George Sombonos. When he launched the fast-food franchise in 1981, his ambition was to create a small chain of takeaways. We thought we would get to about 20 stores.
Laduma - much, much more to shout about
Lunch Bar has caught football fever. To tie in with the World Cup, Cadbury South Africa says the brand will share in the nation's excitement by literally wearing its colours on its 'sleeve' and changing its name to Laduma! FOODStuff SA. Read more
2010: A programme not to be missed! Early bird deal extended!
The IUFoST 2010 congress Scientific Programme is now almost finalised - and a skeleton has been fleshed out to develop a programme with great body and muscle! It is truly world-class as befits a world-class congress. FOODStuff SA. Read more
EU: Victory for food lobby as MEPs reject new labelling rules
European parliamentarians caused some outrage this week by plumping for GDAs over traffic lights - rejecting the colour-coded system of food labelling which health campaigners believe better inform consumers about levels of fat and sugar and could help halt rocketing levels of obesity.
Nutrient profiles reinstated in EU Parliament vote
of the European Parliament have voted to put back clauses on nutrient
profiling into the proposed food information regulation, after
Environment Committee members voted to take them out but it was a
close call. Nutrient profiles define what products can make claims
relating to nutritional content, based on their levels of fat, sugar or
salt. FoodNavigator. Read
Campylobacter in raw chicken is the biggest food safety challenge facing the UK today, said the Food Standards Agency (FSA) as it admitted the cost and burden of foodborne illnesses was too high. The body made the declaration to target the bug as its key food safety priority as it outlined its £25m Foodborne Disease Strategy to tackle all types of food poisoning by 2015. Food Production Daily. Read more
US: The brilliant lessons from McDonald's recall
week McDonalds announced the recall of some 12
million Shrek drinking
glasses because federal regulators found they contain the toxic metal
cadmium. While the health risk is slim, you won't hear McDonald's
shifting blame or running for cover in the face of this $15 million
recall . In fact, the ubiquitous fast food
retailer has taken pains to accept responsibility for the problem and
moved at lightning speed to fix it. CNN. Read
US: Monsanto's seeds of discord
The most important biotech gene ever engineered is about to go off patent, triggering a battle over the future of the world's food supply. CNN. Read more
Kenya paves way for GM crops after decade of controversy
After years of debate, Kenya will implement legislation this month green lighting genetically modified organisms. Kenya will become the fourth African country to implement such legislation, after Burkina Faso, Egypt and South Africa. The Guardian. Read more
Trends, Marketing and NPD
US: Hold the papaya juice and bring on the Pepsi
Health drinks made
big inroads into the beverage market in recent years, but the crippling
economic recession has brought that growth to a screeching halt as
consumers have returned to their once true and cheap love, soda pop.
The sweet bubbly beverage had a bigger jump in sales than bottled
water, juices, sport drinks and most other segments did over the past 18
months, reports Mintel, the market-research company. Time.
Mintel: Natural and clean-label trend still driving NPD
While shoppers enthusiasm for low-fat, low-sugar or low-calorie claims (minus claims) or added functional ingredients claims (plus claims) has waned; their interest in natural claims has continued to grow, according to Mintel's director of innovation and insight, David Jago. FoodNavigator-USA. Read more
UK: Breakfast club
When it comes to media whipping boys, the breakfast cereals
up there with soccer referees and speed cameras. . . brickbat attacks
on the cereal industrys heath
credentials in the media stretch back years. So what are the various
cereal manufacturers doing to develop their businesses and grow sales
in this climate of distrust? What are the new product development areas?
And what work is underway to cut sugar and salt levels in
products in line with FSA
demands? Food Manufacture. Read more
UK: Turning humble H2O into a premium product
While restaurants have been selling bottled water for years, the sale of filtered or otherwise treated tap water is part of a trend that is re-inventing ordinary mains or spring water as a life-affirming elixir that, it is usually hinted, bestows extra health benefits. Indeed, far from being on the way out, the bottled market is thriving.
UK: Del Monte launches "naked" pineapple
Britains fruit brand, Del Monte, is launching the first-ever, branded, whole, prepared pineapple into the UK market this month. It has selected its Del Monte Gold Extra Sweet Pineapple which is cored and peeled for the new product that's designed to appeal to the increasingly convenience-driven and health-focused needs of modern consumers. Del Monte believe this will be vital in driving incremental growth within the prepared fruit category. Food & Drink Innovation Network. Read more
UK: Premiumisation and natural chewing gum
- the premium gum firm
created by former Innocent Drinks executives Mike Stevens and Dan
Shrimpton has secured its first supermarket listing. The
London-based start-up, which launched its first product in January (a
high-quality chewing gum containing chicle and black mitcham peppermint
Hampshire) will be stocked in upmarket food retailer Booths this UK
Food Manufacture. Read
UK: Introducing.... the Lasandwich!
since the Italian Ministry of Agriculture cosied up to
McDonald's for a marketing campaign earlier this year has the good
reputation of Italian food been so sorely tried. Tesco's lasagne
sandwich (let's call it the lasandwich) is described as follows in the
accompanying press release: "Between two thick slices of white
bread, you'll find a generous filling of diced beef in a tangy tomato
and herb sauce, layered with cooked pasta sheets and finished with a
creamy cheddar, ricotta and mayonnaise dressing." How does this dubious
new creation measure up?
The Guardian. Read
Health and Nutrition Stuff
Vitamin A-fortified chewing gum can help fight malnutrition
Danish chewing gum company
Gumlink, in close collaboration with the Kenya Medical Research
Institute (KEMRI), has developed a new chewing gum with vitamin A to
help battle malnutrition. The company has just finished a pilot project
in Nairobi, giving chewing gum with vitamin A to school children as a
supplement to their daily diet and said that the potential is huge in
the fight against malnutrition. Xinhuanet.com. Read
Little is understood about alcohol's effect on fetal development, researchers say
It's long been known that alcohol use in pregnancy can lead to children with mental retardation and birth defects, but researchers who study fetal alcohol syndrome have not made definitive progress on preventing the disorder, detecting it early, or effectively treating it, say researchers. Science Daily. Read more
Apple juice improves behaviour but not cognition in Alzheimer's patients, study finds
Apple juice can be a useful supplement for calming the declining moods that are part of the normal progression of moderate-to-severe Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study. Science Daily. Read more
Replacing white rice with brown rice or other whole grains may reduce diabetes risk
In a new
study, researchers have found that eating five or more servings of white
rice per week was associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
In contrast, eating two or more servings of brown rice per week was
associated with a lower risk of the disease. Science Daily.
Time for a reality attack on cancer risks
Last month, the London Independent ran a sensationalist story about cell phones causing brain tumours, and the Breast Cancer Fund released a comprehensive report on carcinogenic chemicals women should avoid. Other recent cancer-causing culprits in the news include pesticides, power lines and solvents.
Homeopathy: Curing with kindness
Numerous studies have shown that homeopathic remedies don't work. Why, then, do millions of patients swear that they do? The answer, says Professor Edzard Ernst, should be a lesson to all doctors. The Independent. Read more
Food Science, Biotech & Food Safety
Tastes like chicken: The quest for fake meat
What if you could cut into a juicy chicken breast that wasn't chicken at all but rather some indistinguishable imitation made harmlessly from plant life? Scientists at the University of Missouri have announced that after more than a decade of research, they have created the first soy product that not only can be flavoured to taste like chicken but also breaks apart in your mouth the way chicken does: not too soft, not too hard, but with that ineffable chew of real flesh. Time. Read more
'Supertasters' find lower salt levels make foods too bitter to eat
Public health experts and food companies have been working together to combat high salt intake which can increase the risk of high blood pressure and strokes. But despite well publicized effort to get people to swap to low salt foods they simply may not taste as good for some. Now research has shown that those who have sharper tastes need salt to block the bitterness in foods and therefore cannot enjoy low salt products. The reduction in salt could therefore be counterproductive. Live Science. Read more
Up and running: Beverage companies adopt electro-chemically activated (ECA) water
Sustainability. Efficacy. Cost. Safety. All are important factors for todays beverage plant operators when it comes to plant and equipment cleaning. As the cost of caustic cleaning material, like bleach, is on the rise and time becomes more valuable in running CIP (clean in place) cycles, operators are looking for options to meet sustainability goals and bottom line savings.
Developments in clean label ingredients
With food manufacturers and retailers striving to strip down food ingredient labels to a bare minimum, FoodNavigator.com this week takes a look at how ingredient firms have stepped up their game to help meet the growing demand for clean label products.
Symrise to boost production of synthetic menthol
What's with L-Menthol? Just as BASF announced the world's biggest factory for L-Menthol (synthetic menthol), comes news that competitor, German flavour and fragrance company Symrise says it will increase production of L-menthol. The company says demand is growing for the ingredient, which is used in confectionery and personal care products. ConfectioneryNews. Read more
Fats facility opens up major supply of healthier oils
IOI-Loders Croklaan claims to be ushering in a new era of healthier oils and fats with the opening of a new plant which uses enzymatic technology to interesterify oils and hone their properties in food products. According to the company, enzymatic rearrangement is recognised as a healthy and natural way to alter the characteristics of oils and fats.
technology could be used only on a small scale. This made it a more
expensive option compared to hydrogenation or chemical techniques.
Eau de marketing: Bloom's scented meat billboard countered by PETA
In North Carolina,
retailer Bloom has been promoting a new line of beef with a
billboard on a highway - it shows a giant fork going from the
ground to the billboard, where it pierces a piece of meat. At peak hours, a smell of
black pepper and charcoal is emitted by a high-powered fan at the
bottom of the billboard that blows air over cartridges loaded with
fragrance oil. Now, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals),
the radical pro-animal
advocacy group, has
announced it hopes to counter it with an ad of its own: an adjacent
billboard that shows a skinned cow's head on slaughter hook and emanates
the smells of rotting flesh, urine, faeces and blood. PETA's billboard
would read: "Meat Stinks: Go Vegan" Supermarket News. Read
more here and here
COMMENT: Anthony Bourdain: My war on fast food
The bad boy British chef wants his young
daughter to see fast food as the enemy. And in his eyes no tactic is too
dirty in his fight against McDonald's. . . "The cruelty and ugliness of the factory farm, and
the effects on our environment, are, of course, repellent to any
reasonable person. But it's the general lowering of standards inherent
in our continuing insistence on cheap burgers, wherever they might come
from and however bad they taste; the collective, post-ironic shrug we've
come to give each other as we knowingly dig into something that tastes,
at best, like cardboard and soured onion, that's hurting us. And our
children." The Guardian. Read more
That's all the stuff for this week!


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Mercedes-Benz GLS at the International LCT Show (file photo).
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. -- Mercedes-Benz USA
will make sure lunchtime on May 23 doubles as drivetime for attendees at the LCT Leadership Summit
, being held at the SLS South Beach Hotel
The Platinum-level Summit sponsor will host a luncheon from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. that will allow attendees to sample its newest line-up of chauffeured luxury vehicles. Specific Mercedes-Benz models are still pending, but Tedd Meurer, Southern Region Manager for Mercedes-Benz USA, has confirmed the new 2017 GLS SUV, the "refreshed" successor to the GL 550, will be available for test drives along with the 2016 S-550 sedan.
2016 Mercedes-Benz S550 sedan at the Show (file photo).
Likely joining the two models will be the 2017 E-Class sedan
, longer and wider than its predecessors, set to be released to dealerships by late June. Mercedes-Benz is awaiting final regulatory approval, but should have one of the production versions of the E-Class at the Summit. The automaker is also working to bring the 2016 Metris minivan
, known as the Viano in Europe, which entered the U.S. market in the fall of 2015.
The Metris and the GLS officially debuted to the limousine industry Feb. 29 to March 2 during the International LCT Show at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
Mercedes-Benz debuts the Metris at the International LCT Show, the first black-on-black luxury minivan for the U.S. chauffeuered market (file photo).
"Ultimately, we believe these three vehicles are the ones we sell into the livery market and people will actually use," Meurer told LCT. Mercedes-Benz would exhibit the four vehicles in the front drive of the SLS South Beach Hotel.
Mercedes-Benz also offers the larger Sprinter Van, available in all types of corporate and leisure themed interiors installed by certified coachbuilders.
The event is on track to be the largest fleet vehicle exhibit to date at the Summit, an executive leadership conference that focuses on deep topic seminars and concentrated networking. Past sponsors have brought one or two chauffeured vehicles for display. The Summit is limited to about 150 operators and sponsoring vendors.
EARLY REGISTRATION DEADLINE TODAY, HERE, NOW


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Like a growing number of prominent American leaders and scholars, we are increasingly anxious that this country is headed toward the worst post-election crisis in a century and a half. Our biggest concern is that a disputed presidential election—especially if there are close contests in a few swing states, or if one candidate denounces the legitimacy of the process—could generate violence and bloodshed.
Yelp’s Crude Social Credit System
From the press release:
Communities have always turned to Yelp in reaction to current events at the local level. As the nation reckons with issues of systemic racism, we’ve seen in the last few months that there is a clear need to warn consumers about businesses associated with egregious, racially-charged actions to help people make more informed spending decisions. Yelp’s User Operations team already places alerts on business pages when we notice an unusual uptick in reviews that are based on what someone may have seen in the news or on social media, rather than on a first-hand experience with the business. Now, when a business gains public attention for reports of racist conduct, such as using racist language or symbols, Yelp will place a new Business Accused of Racist Behavior Alert on their Yelp page to inform users, along with a link to a news article where they can learn more about the incident.
Yelp’s top priority is to ensure the trust and safety of our users and provide them with reliable content to inform their spending decisions, including decisions about whether they’ll be welcome and safe at a particular business. We advocate for personal expression and provide a platform that encourages people to share their experience online, but at the same time it’s always been Yelp’s policy that all reviews must be based on actual first-hand consumer experiences with the business. This policy is critical to mitigating fake reviews and maintaining the integrity of content on our platform. We don’t allow people to leave reviews based on media reports because it can artificially inflate or deflate a business’s star rating.
Yelp is experimenting with a crude social credit system. That’s bad enough, but this one is completely unmoderated. There is no way to tell if a business owner is the victim of false accusations (say, by a competitor who wants to hurt his sales). Last year, a court ordered Oberlin College to pay a local bakery $11 million when it lost a libel suit over the college falsely accusing the bakery of racial profiling — this, after a handful of black student activists ginned up false stories to hurt the bakery. Hurt it they did, especially when Oberlin joined in the boycott. Yelp is now facilitating the same thing — and I hope Yelp gets the everliving crap sued out of it.
But wait! There’s more:
Many local businesses want to create a more inclusive environment for employees and customers alike, but they often don’t have the resources that larger companies do to access training materials, educate employees, and develop language to share with their customers and employees. That’s why Yelp and Open to All® have partnered to bring local businesses a new toolkit that allows them to take the next step in creating an inclusive community. The toolkit includes a 60-minute unlearning bias training video for employees, outreach language for customers and employees, social media assets, and more. With more than half a million businesses indicating themselves as Open to All on their Yelp business page, Open to All has created resources for small and medium-sized businesses to uplevel their diversity and inclusion practices. Learn more about these new resources here.
Havel’s Greengrocer now has the opportunity to hang a “Workers Of The World, Unite!” sign on his Yelp-profile front window.
I want you to stop for a second and consider the corporate mindset that wishes to turn the Internet onto businesses and make it possible to accuse them of racism, with no proof whatsoever, and attempt to hurt their business. This is what Social Justice Warriors do. They are making our society unlivable. Now business owners everywhere have to live in fear of a false accusation of racism, accepted and magnified on Yelp, that could destroy their livelihoods.
What is “racist behavior,” anyway? The line is constantly shifting. Everything is racist to the activists and their allies. Everything.
I want you to consider this post in light of this news from Politico, published on October 1, and sent to me by a reader in Virginia. It’s a piece written by a group of scholars:
Unfortunately, we’re not being alarmist about the potential for violence; trends in public opinion that we’ve been tracking provide strong grounds for concern. Our research, which we’re reporting here for the first time, shows an upswing in the past few months in the number of Americans—both Democrats and Republicans—who said they think violence would be justified if their side loses the upcoming presidential election.
This growing acceptance of the possibility of violence is a bipartisan movement. Our data shows that the willingness of Democrats and Republicans alike to justify violence as a way to achieve political goals has essentially been rising in lockstep.
Read the story to see their numbers. This is so far a minority opinion on both left and right — but it still entails a shocking number of Americans, and the numbers are fast growing. Note as well that both sides are growing equally in their acceptance of violence. This is not a predominantly left-wing or right-wing thing.
How seriously should we take these expressions of violence? Both history and social psychology warn us to take them very seriously. In Europe in the 1920s and 1930s, a rising tide of armed street mobilization and of violent clashes between rival partisans ravaged fragile democratic cultures, bullied and marginalized moderate forces, and gave rising autocrats an excuse to seize emergency powers. Some of us who’ve studied the rise of authoritarians see strong parallels between that period of European history and factors at work in America today.
Exactly. This is what I talk about in Live Not By Lies. We are living in a pre-totalitarian culture. The prospect of Weimar-style street violence between extremists of the left and the right is just one sign. There are so many more, as I discuss in the book.
Now, imagine that you are a small business owner targeted by Social Justice Warriors, who use an activist-weaponized Yelp to drive you out of business with false accusations. How likely are you to care about keeping the peace in a civil order? You are going to want revenge on the people who destroyed your livelihood.
A couple of years ago, I went to a Pizza Hut takeout store in my neighborhood to pick up a pizza I had ordered by phone. The store botched the order. Standing in front of me, the pizza cook (a black man) told his manager (a black man) that I had called back and cancelled the order. It was a flat-out lie! It was aggravating to deal with a botched order while I had hungry kids at home waiting for pizza, but hey, these things happen, and we deal with it. But this lazy pizza cook lied about me to his boss to cover up his mistake. I was so angry that I tweeted about it (not mentioning the races of the Pizza Hut employees, because it was completely irrelevant). Pizza Hut corporate contacted me, but having had time to cool down, I chose not to press forward. The life of a pizza cook and a takeout pizza joint manager must not be easy, and I didn’t want to add to their travails further. I just resolved never to order pizza from that place again (it closed during Covid, by the way).
Now, imagine that the races had been reversed: that the customer was black, and the manager and the lazy, lying chef were white. It’s pretty easy to imagine a black customer assuming that a white pizza cook lying about him to cover his own backside was engaged in a racist act. I was angry, and went to Twitter at once to complain about the way I was treated at this Pizza Hut — though again, I didn’t racialize it, because there was no evidence that race played a role in the unhappy encounter. Later, when I cooled off, I regretted having done that. I wish I had instead contacted Pizza Hut corporate, and given them a chance to work it out without me making it public. But that’s not how we roll in the era of social media. Had a white manager and pizza cook done that to a black customer, this could have blown up on social media, and caused massive problems for that store — a problem caused not by a racist pizza cook, but by a lazy and dishonest one.
And now, Yelp incentivizes this sort of accusation, and the destruction of businesses and livelihoods — all to get at the devil of racism. All of this is happening in a society that is coming apart along identity-politics lines, with people on both political sides fearing and loathing the Other so much that they are willing to entertain violence to stop them.
My prediction is that we will see violence, one way or the other, and that the regime — by “regime,” I mean the state, corporate power, universities, and the media; the neoreactionaries call this “the Cathedral” — will at some point impose a Chinese-style social credit system to restore order and control. You see with Yelp’s move that the elites, especially tech elites, are eager and willing to do this, all in the name of virtue.
UPDATE: A reader writes:
Yelp has make-or-break power over businesses. Adding this tag will not only keep businesses from making a living, but also inevitably subject them to harassment. And it makes me wonder, will Google begin flagging searches this way? Will Facebook begin flagging business pages?
Of course they will. It’s in the logic of the thing. These are therapeutic totalitarians.
UPDATE.2: A reader writes:
Just saw your post about the new Yelp feature and the reader follow up about it coming to other platforms. Below is a screenshot from Google Maps I took a few weeks ago when I was looking for a place to eat for dinner–so it’s already out there. I completely get in our current environment how we’ve gotten here, but nonetheless it’s still baffling to me because I really don’t see how the below designations are relevant to the dining experience. I’m just looking for something good to eat, that’s it! Designating “transgressors” is a dubious practice at best in my mind, but creating a space where folks have to publicly affirm on selected irrelevant issues is a whole ‘nother level.It truly is the modern day Havel’s Green Grocer.
The irony of me sending this from my gmail is not lost on me either…


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Discover if you have the Force with this Star Wars magnetic glove. (Source: Amazon)
(RNN) – Do you know a Star Wars fan that already has all the gizmos and gadgets of being a Jedi? Well, how about adding to their collection by making their dreams become reality by giving them the Force.
Toy company Uncle Milton, has released a glove that grants its user with the power of the Force - magnetic force - but it's still awesome.
The "Force Glove" has an embedded magnet in the palm that can either repel or attract objects. By flipping the magnets you can alternate between the "Force Pull" or "Force Push" Jedi powers based on polarity.
The set comes with one glove, two targets and a training manual.
The "Force Glove" can be purchased on Amazon for $18 but to all Jedi masters alike, kids or adults, this gift is priceless.
Copyright 2012 Raycom News Network. All rights reserved.
Thursday, December 5 2013 9:49 AM EST2013-12-05 14:49:56 GMT
NEW YORK (CNN) - The Christmas season has officially begun in New York City. The famous Rockefeller Center tree was lit Wednesday night during the annual lighting ceremony. Mayor Michael Bloomberg flippedMore >>
The Christmas season has officially begun in New York City. The famous Rockefeller Center tree was lit Wednesday night during the annual lighting ceremony.More >>


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PROVIDENCE – About 20,000 Limited Liability Companies in Rhode Island must submit their annual reports before Dec. 1.
Businesses ranging from car dealers to restaurants are subject to the deadline; the penalty is a fine and the revocation of their Certificate of Organization or Certificate of Registration.
Online filers can submit until midnight Thursday at sos.ri.gov by clicking on its “Filing an Annual Report” option.
“Our customers have really embraced the upgrades we have made. More than half the annual reports filed last year came over the Web,” said Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis. “Our goal is to make it easier to do business in Rhode Island.”
The reports will be posted to online so the public can search the database.
“This transparency is consumer-friendly and ensures that the public has a place to turn for information about businesses,” said Mollis. “Filing annual reports shows their commitment to openness. And that can make people thinking of doing business with them more confident.”
Reports can also be dropped off at the Business Services Division, 148 West River St., Providence by 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 1.
Join PBN for the best networking event and party of the winter - January 15, 2015 - the Book of Lists Party at the Providence Public Library. Reserve your spot by December 31st and get a holiday gift from PBN!
PBN's annual Book of Lists has been an essential resource for the local business community for almost 30 years. The Book of Lists features a wealth of company rankings from a variety of fields and industries, including banking, health care, real estate, law, hospitality, education, not-for-profits, technology and many more.


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The order empowers police and CMA-designated personnel to seize suspect merchandise on the spot, with a court hearing later.
"This is really a warning to people trying to sell this fake merchandise that they're not welcome here," said Metro police spokeswoman Kris Mumford, who said police would work closely with CMA officials. "If anyone sees this downtown, they're encouraged to report this to a police officer."
The court ruling by U.S. District Court Judge William J. Haynes puts more teeth in the enforcement abilities of CMA officials and law enforcement to crack down on any illegal hawkers at the city's largest festival.RelatedCMA festival fans treated for heat emergenciesComplete coverage of CMA Music Festival
Thus far, Metro police say they haven't received any reports of bootleg sales. The judge's ruling gives police or anyone designated by CMA, which employs some off-duty police officers, clearance to seize suspect items and hold them until a June 25 hearing in federal court.
In years past, counterfeit merchandise sellers were spotted selling their wares at various locations, including at LP Field and along Lower Broadway, officials said. Approached by CMA staff, some would quickly load their gear into a duffel bag and walk away, the CMA's court filings said.
The court order "gives us the right to halt the sale of counterfeit merchandise," said CMA spokeswoman Wendy Pearl. "This has always been a concern, but this year, since all proceeds are going to charity, we are taking steps to crack down."
CMA is donating money to flood relief and education this year.
Lost iPhone sparks debate over ethicsHome Buying Secrets for the ‘Average Joe’


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That’s the assessment of a new study by The Nielsen Co.
Nielsen recently surveyed 12,000 tablet, e-reader and smartphone owners in the U.S. to find out where and in what situations people like to use the gadgets.The study also measured how long people use their devices compared to other situations. Use while watching TV, lying in bed, hanging out with friends and family, waiting for a doctor's appointment, and in the bathroom were all gauged.
Users of tablets, e-readers and smartphones said they spend about 3 percent to 4 percent of their gadget time in the bathroom. By comparison, about 21 percent of a tablet user’s time is spent lying in bed, and 11 percent of smartphone usage is spent on the mattress, according to the survey. Sixty-one percent of e-reader owners cited bedtime as a great situation for opening an e-book. And 37 percent of e-reading time was spent lying in bed among those surveyed.
The most popular place to use tablets appears to be in front of the tube.
Seventy percent of tablet owners cited watching TV as the most popular situation for using a tablet. This was also the biggest time suck with 30 percent of a user's tablet time spent in front of the set.


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Apple is abandoning its plans to launch a controversial instrument that may verify iPhones, iPads and iCloud pictures for youngster sexual abuse materials (CSAM) following backlash from critics who decried the function’s potential privateness implications.
Apple first introduced the function in 2021, with the objective of serving to fight youngster exploitation and selling security, points the tech group has more and more embraced. But it quickly put the brakes on implementing the function amid a wave of criticism, noting it will “take further time over the approaching months to gather enter and make enhancements earlier than releasing these critically vital youngster security options.”
In a public assertion Wednesday, Apple mentioned it had “determined to not transfer ahead with our beforehand proposed CSAM detection instrument for iCloud Photos.”
“Children might be protected with out corporations combing by way of private knowledge, and we are going to proceed working with governments, youngster advocates, and different corporations to assist shield younger individuals, protect their proper to privateness, and make the web a safer place for kids and for us all,” the corporate mentioned in a press release supplied to Wired. (Apple didn’t reply to CNN’s request for remark.)
Instead, the corporate is refocusing its efforts on rising its Communication Safety function, which it first made out there in December 2021, after consulting consultants for suggestions on its youngster safety initiatives. The Communication Safety instrument is an opt-in parental management function that warns minors and their mother and father when incoming or despatched picture attachments in iMessage are sexually express and, in that case, blurs them.
Apple was criticized in 2021 for its plan to provide a special instrument that may begin checking iOS devices and iCloud pictures for youngster abuse imagery. At the time, the corporate mentioned the instrument would flip pictures on iPhones and iPads into unreadable hashes — or advanced numbers — saved on person devices. Those numbers can be matched towards a database of hashes supplied by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) as soon as the images have been uploaded to Apple’s iCloud storage service.
Many youngster security and safety consultants praised the try, recognizing the moral tasks and obligations an organization has over the services and products it creates. But additionally they known as the efforts “deeply regarding,” stemming largely from how a part of Apple’s checking course of for youngster abuse pictures is completed straight on person devices.
In a PDF revealed to its web site outlining the expertise, which it known as NeuralHash, Apple tried to tackle fears that governments might additionally pressure Apple to add non-child abuse pictures to the hash listing. “Apple will refuse any such calls for,” it said. “We have confronted calls for to construct and deploy government-mandated adjustments that degrade the privateness of customers earlier than, and have steadfastly refused these calls for. We will proceed to refuse them sooner or later.”
Apple’s announcement about killing its plans for the instrument got here across the similar time the corporate introduced a handful of recent security measures.
Apple plans to carry expanded end-to-end encryption of iCloud knowledge to embody backups, pictures, notes, chat histories and different providers, in a transfer that would additional shield person knowledge but in addition add to tensions with regulation enforcement officers all over the world. The instrument, known as Advanced Data Protection, will permit customers to hold sure knowledge safer from hackers, governments and spies, even within the case of an Apple knowledge breach, the corporate mentioned.


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Trade Minister, Amelia Kyambadde has said shops, arcades, supermarkets, boutiques, and salons are expected to remain open with people able to walk in and order whatever goods they want.
This comes after a misconception that these were also among those ordered to cease operations by President Yoweri Museveni on Wednesday.
The President directed the ban of public transport – buses, taxis, costa, boda bodas – as a measure to curb the COVID-19.
While carrying out enforcement on Thursday, enforcement officers ordered some shops to close and many of the arcades in Kampala were seen locked.
Kyambadde told reporters at Uganda Media Centre in Kampala that only those shops in fresh food markets should close. Food sellers remain operating.
The minister said periodical markets around the country are suspended and enforcement should ensure this is done.
The exception, Kyambadde said, is the fresh food markets like Nakasero, Kalerwe and
On utilities – that is water and electricity – Kyambadde said the government is concerned about the cost of utilities is considering reviewing the rates. She didn’t specify when this will happen.
She said government would also look at the supply system so that “we are able to afford it.”
Uganda has so far registered 15 cases of COVID-19.


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Pit Viper, a Salt Lake City company that sells stylish sunglasses designed to “take a beating” that are worn by professional skiers and cyclists, is a whole vibe.
To get a feel for it, take a scroll through the Pit Viper Instagram account (@pit_viper), “voted #69th best sunglass brand page, by your mom,” as described by the Windows 95-wonderland of PitViper.com.
There are photos of fondue being poured onto people’s faces (to promote The Fondue sunglasses) and photos of various animals (a sheep, a dog, a cow, a rabbit, multiple cats) wearing Pit Vipers.
For co-founders Chris Garcin and Chuck Mumford, along with company president Dave Bottomley, who are all skiers, Pit Viper is about having a sense of humor, especially in the sometimes-stuffy world of skiing.
“Ultimately, Pit Viper is serious about taking things less seriously,” Bottomley said.
Despite all the deadpan silliness, their venture has evolved in the past decade from fashioning some of the first Pit Viper sunglasses in a garage to now selling more than 30,000 pairs a year.
It also employs about 90 people — all while supporting athletes and speed demons of all genders, including those often underrepresented in traditionally male-dominated sports, standing up to “racist losers” and donating to causes that align with the company’s ethos.
Pit Viper’s beginnings
In 2012, Chuck Mumford found the first pair of what would become Pit Vipers in a military surplus store, said Chris Garcin, who’s been friends with Mumford since college. They were sunglasses that had been manufactured by the military in the early-1990s and had gone to deadstock.
“He found this pair that was very ’90s and just — as he would say — really suited him,” Garcin said.
Mumford bought 100 more pairs on the internet, then spray-painted them himself. He called them “Pit Vipers” based on a nickname he earned on the slopes, Garcin said, and started trading them for things like rides to Snowbird and beers on the tram deck.
Mumford began “gaining some momentum” with his project, says Garcin, and he knew Mumford was on to something.
“I basically just approached him one day and was like, ‘I want to do this with you,’” he said.
Garcin had a sticker machine, because he was running a small sticker company at the time, so the two of them would hole up in his garage, with Mumford spray-painting pairs of Pit Vipers and the two of them carefully placing four different stickers on each pair by hand. “It was labor-intensive,” Garcin said. “We did a total of I think 10,000 pairs that way.”
Over the next three years, they started a website and their Instagram account, continued to buy up old military surplus and passed out Pit Vipers to their friends, “trying to figure out, like, what this company is or if we are even a company,” Garcin said.
Garcin credited the “attitude and vibe that we were putting out” to their early success. That attitude “was just our personalities — jokes and a lot of yacht rock music.”
Once the military surplus started to run out, they launched a Kickstarter to start manufacturing their own Pit Vipers and ended up raising about $35,000 in a month, Garcin said.
“At that point, I went all in,” he said. “I quit my job, I sold my house, and it was like, ‘All right, we’re going to try to make this happen.’”
Partying on ‘Party Mountain’
On Party Mountain, as the Pit Viper founders call it, everyone is welcome.
Party Mountain is a fictional place “where we get to be outdoors. And we don’t judge you, whether you are a top-rated athlete or just going for a hike for the first time,” said Garcin at the company’s headquarters in South Salt Lake. Anyone who wears Pit Vipers is hypothetically partying there.
Pit Viper-sponsored backcountry freeskier and ultra trail runner Noyes said that when the Pit Viper higher-ups are joking around and having fun, “they encourage and support people to do the same.”
For example, when Utah-based Noyes gets new pairs of Pit Vipers to try on and take product photos of, “I know the content they want isn’t me, like, getting rad skiing and the glasses — it’s me doing something goofy, doing a handstand on the running trail.”
Noyes said her favorite pair of Pit Vipers is The Admirer — heart-shaped sunglasses that come in a variety of colors, and like many other Pit Viper sunglasses are priced at $69.69.
“I spend a lot of time in male-dominated spaces,” she said, “and I get to really flash my feminine strength and that I’m a girl right there in my heart-shaped glasses.”
NASCAR driver Breidinger, from California, wears Pit Vipers because they’re “bold and out of the box,” she said in an email. Her favorite pair is The Leonardo, which fade from blue to green.
Breidinger is the first Arab-American female driver to compete in any national NASCAR series, according to ARCARacing.com. She said that “when I first met with the Pit Viper team, they really applauded me for pushing into NASCAR, where there really isn’t anyone represented in the sport that’s like me.”
“Pit Viper stepped up to support me in my journey through the NASCAR ladder system, and it’s been amazing to work with a brand who believes in not only me, but female athletes,” she continued.
Noyes, who got to know Garcin and Mumford while skiing at Alta, has made two skiing films, “Girl Crush” and “Stepping Out.” She said that while other companies she works with wouldn’t help back the projects, Pit Viper was “no questions, so supportive” and is “a big supporter of what I do all the time.”
Bottomley said in an email that “unfortunately, throughout modern sports history, there has been an inequity between men and women, not just in compensation but in opportunity, promotion, and access. Pit Viper would prefer not to play into that systemic problem.”
“Ultimately, for Pit Viper as a brand, it starts with opportunity. We want to give all genders of athletes the opportunity to be an athlete (we call them Key Players) for Pit Viper,” he continued.
Standing up to ‘racist losers’
One of the newest pairs of Pit Vipers is the Rainbow Jellies Admirer, with pink heart-shaped mirror lenses, sparkly frames, and a rainbow Pit Viper logo on the side. The company said in an Instagram post and on its website that its corporate social responsibility program, Pit Viper Gives a F-ck, is supporting the Utah Pride Center and Flourish Therapy by donating proceeds from the Rainbow Jellies Admirer for up to $10,000.
Pit Viper got supportive comments as well as disgruntled ones on the post for “trying [to] Bud Light your sales,” one commenter said. But all Pit Viper said to the trolls was, “NOT POLITICAL TO SUPPORT HUMAN RIGHTS.”
It’s not the first time the company has doubled-down on its “Party Mountain” mission. In 2021, when white nationalist Nick Fuentes apparently purchased Pit Vipers, the company first asked on Twitter if there was a way to “prevent racist losers from buying your product,” adding that Fuentes “needs to stop wearing Pit Vipers.”
In the meantime, the brand opted to donate $600 to the Southern Poverty Law Center, a civil rights organization. The company shared the decision in a tweet that read, “New Policy: Money received from confirmed racists will be donated in their name.”
The company again opted to donate to the SPLC in January, after far-right influencer and U.S. Capitol riot participant Anthime Gionet, also known as “Baked Alaska,” managed to make a Pit Viper purchase despite the brand’s attempts to block him from doing so.
The company shared a meme along with the $634.50 donation announcement that read Pit Vipers are “APPROVED FOR EXTREME SPORTS NOT EXTREMIST LOSERS.”
You don’t have to be an extreme athlete to buy Pit Vipers, though. While the company’s local HQ doesn’t have a storefront, people interested in joining the “party” can purchase merchandise at PitViper.com, as well as Zumiez, Scheels and Sports Den.


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New research has shown that low fat diets do not lead to long term weight loss. In fact the amount of fat in the diet is not significant in terms of weight loss outcomes.
“After all the hype about low-fat diets, researchers have discovered something that could change the way people think about their weight loss strategies: low-fat diets are not more effective than higher-fat diets with the same amount of calories in keeping the pounds off.”
Click Here to read the full article.
This shows once again that fad diets don’t work. Anyone who wants to lose weight should be looking at eating healthily and eating a balanced diet rather than cutting out any particular food type.


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In the firm’s third annual report on the manufacturing industry, nearly 80 percent of respondents said they are more optimistic about the U.S. economy compared to last year while 66 percent said the same about the manufacturing industry. And 69 percent expect headcount to increase. Even so, respondents identified addressing workforce challenges as a top priority for their companies, and nearly 60 percent pointed to a lack of qualified workers as a barrier to business growth.
“The use of advanced technologies across manufacturing operations requires workers with a higher level of training and skills,” said Jerry Murphy, partner-in-charge of Sikich’s manufacturing and distribution practice. “Our report found that while manufacturers recognize the gaps in workforce development, many simply are not doing enough to train and equip workers to thrive in today’s increasingly complex manufacturing operations.”
More than half of respondents said their companies have no involvement with high schools, community colleges or universities to develop skilled workers. And more than 80 percent said they provide 40 hours or less of annual training per employee.
“Manufacturers must prioritize workforce training and development within their organizations and collaborate with schools and professional associations to train and recruit talent,” said Joy Duce, partner-in-charge of Sikich’s human resource consulting services practice. “The companies that embrace workforce development as a key initiative will be in a better position to ensure long-term viability and competitiveness.”
Manufacturers remain vulnerable to cybersecurity threats
As technology continues to change how manufacturers develop products and interact with customers, information technology security risks have increased. Sikich’s 2017 report found that many manufacturers fail to take the necessary steps to protect their data. For example, 44 percent of respondents said they do not perform annual intrusion testing, in which security professionals attempt to infiltrate a company’s IT systems or applications to identify weaknesses.
Additionally, while training employees on cybersecurity best practices is necessary to ensure company-wide vigilance, nearly 70 percent of respondents said they do not conduct annual staff training.
“Manufacturers cannot afford to deprioritize cybersecurity preparedness today,” said Brad Lutgen, partner in Sikich’s security and compliance practice. “As the number of connected products in manufacturing operations increases, external and internal vulnerabilities abound in the industry. Manufacturers need to take preventative steps to secure valuable intellectual property and protect their investments in new high-tech manufacturing equipment, which can be exploited if not configured properly.”
Report identifies manufacturers’ growth strategies
Manufacturers view organic growth in existing domestic markets and new product or service development as the top opportunities for growth over the next 12-18 months. Despite the emphasis on new products, however, 78 percent of respondents said they invest 5 percent of sales or less in research and development. Further, nearly half do not take advantage of research and experimentation tax credits.
“The optimism manufacturers feel in today’s economy is warranted, but our report showcases several areas of vulnerability,” Murphy said. “From workforce development to technology to financial planning, manufacturers cannot afford to grow complacent in an increasingly competitive marketplace. The companies that stay ahead of industry trends and seek constant improvement will be the ones well-positioned to innovate and grow.”
For the 2017 Manufacturing Report, Sikich surveyed more than 250 respondents from companies across industrial sectors, including metal fabrication, industrial equipment, food and beverage, chemical and petroleum, automotive, plastics, and distribution.
Access the full report, including survey results and insights from Sikich technology, tax, human resources, investment banking and supply chain experts, here.
About Sikich LLP
Sikich LLP, a leading professional services firm specializing in accounting, technology, investment banking* and advisory services**, has more than 800 employees throughout the country. Founded in 1982, Sikich now ranks as the country’s 27th largest Certified Public Accounting firm and is among the top 10 of all enterprise resource planning solution partners in the country. From corporations and not-for-profits to state and local governments, Sikich clients can use a broad spectrum of services and products that help them reach long-term, strategic goals.
*Securities are offered through Sikich Corporate Finance LLC, a registered broker/dealer with the Securities and Exchange Commission and a member of FINRA and SIPC.
**Investment advisory services offered through Sikich Financial, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor.
SOURCE Sikich LLP


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Interactive voice responsive (IVR) systems and their online chatbot counterparts leave a lot to be desired when it comes to customer service. Most people wind up asking to engage with an actual customer service person either because the issue they want addressed can’t be handled by a series of recorded responses or navigating their way through canned responses that have been programmed into a system is simply too frustrating. The good news is that a forthcoming wave of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies promises to dramatically improve what until now has been a less than stellar customer experience.
For example, Google at the recent Google Cloud Next 2018 conference unfurled Contact Center AI, a cloud service available in alpha that provides access to pre-configured AI models that have been optimized for use within IVR and chatbot applications. To make it simpler to design the workflow across an AI-infused contact center application, Google is also making available Dialogflow, a cloud service for building virtual agents using speech algorithms developed by Google. Providers of contact center platforms such as Appian, Chatbase, Cisco, Five9, Genesys, Mitel, Quantiphi, RingCentral, Twilio, UiPath, Upwire and Vonage have all signaled their intent to make use of the Google AI services.
At the Google Cloud Next conference, eBay demonstrated a prototype of how it plans to use virtual agents built using the Genesys contact center platform infused with Google AI to help a customer not only return a pair of shoes, but also refer that customer to a human customer service representative to sell that customer a pair of shoes to replace the ones just returned.
In general, Dan Leiva, vice president of customer service technology for eBay told conference attendees, the biggest challenges with customer services are navigating phone trees, having to provide the same information over again, and the fact that customer service representatives usually need to put a customer on hold while they look up information. AI technologies should go a long way toward mitigating all those issues.
Broader and Deeper Customer Service with AI
Google is clearly not going to be the only provider of these types of AI services. For example, Genesys plans to employ cloud AI services within its platform depending on use cases and which service provides the richest experience at the time an application is being developed, says Chris Connolly, vice president of product marketing for Genesys.
“Our strategy is going to be mix and match,” says Connolly.
AI services from Amazon Web Services (AWS), Apple, Microsoft, IBM and others are all part of the AI customer contact puzzle, says Connolly.
The two primary benefits of those AI services will first come in the form of virtual agents that are capable of handling a much broader range of customer support issues without any human intervention using natural language processing. Beyond that self-service capability, customers will also notice that human customer service representatives have become a lot smarter as well, says Bryan Stokes, senior director of product management for Vonage.
Customer support personnel, when engaging with customers, will be able to in real time to tap into a much richer knowledge base, says Stokes. That’s because AI-infused contact center applications will be able to “listen” to customer interactions. Based on those conversations, the application will then be able to make recommendations concerning how best to resolve a customer issue, says Stokes. The amount of time required to handle those customer issues is also going to decline, notes Stokes.
“Time to resolution is going to drop,” says Stokes.
The customer service agent doesn’t need to become expert in every attribute of a product or service, adds Stokes. That capability should lower the cost of delivering a better customer experience in a support function where staff turnover rates are notoriously high, adds Stokes.
Of course, there’s no magic bullet when it comes to infusing AI into a customer service process. Each company with a vertical industry segment is going to have to train and tune AI models to address unique use cases that only apply to their customer base, says Josh Haslett, vice president of strategic innovation for Mitel. For example, there are specific processes that only apply to customer service involving vacation travel, notes Haslett.
“The AI model needs to understand customer intent,” says Haslett.
Organizations will also need to create the content to train the AI model and then teach that AI model to recognize how to escalate a customer service engagement whenever an exception is encountered, says Haslett.
Virtual agents that make use of AI will also need to be able to remember interactions with customers as they occur across multiple communications channels, adds Haslett.
Only once all those issues are addressed will line of business executives be willing to put their trust in virtual agents to manage anything more complicated than being able to triage inbound customer support calls, says Haslett.
Demonstrating Cost Benefit for New AI Applications
Miriam Hernandez-Kakol, global leader for customer and operations advisory for KPMG, says because organizations have already invested billions of dollars in IVR and other customer service technologies with mixed results, they are naturally going to be cautious when it comes to investing in new applications. Those new applications will need to clearly demonstrate how they either reduce costs or enable an organization to drive additional revenues by increasing customer satisfaction, says Hernandez-Kakol.
KPMG has announced its intent to extend the Intelligent Interactions solution by integrating Contact Center AI services from Google. That offering combines voice, chatbots, virtual assistants, search and email in a single platform developed and serviced by KPMG.
Hernandez-Kakol says one way those AI investments will be justified is by providing a much more personalized experience to the end customers. AI applications, after all, never forget what they learn or need to take a sick day.
“The opportunity for personalization is limitless,” says Hernandez-Kakol.
In fact, there may even come a day when AI-based virtual agents will be able to identify new sales opportunities based on what a customer is inquiring about in real time or has previously purchased, notes Hernandez-Kakol.
Naturally, customer acceptance of AI-infused virtual agents is going to vary widely. For every customer that insists on interacting with a human, there will be another that is perfectly content to never engage with customer support personnel again. The opportunity and challenge now is determining where the fine line between those polar extremes resides for each individual customer.


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A Galesburg woman is accused of writing several thousand dollars worth of bad checks at the two Galesbug Hy Vee grocery stores and the Galesburg Hy Vee gas station.
Posts Tagged ‘theft’
DECATUR, Ill. (AP) — Back in September someone cut down and stole the flag pole outside the Wilson & Taylor Veterans of Foreign Wars Post in Decatur.
HOUSTON (AP) — Two Houston-area investigators are accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in rare comic books while working an embezzlement case.
PEORIA, Ill. (AP) — Police say four men have stolen at least $23,000 worth of designer jeans and leather jackets from a Peoria store in a span of two minutes.
WATERLOO, Ill. (AP)–Police in southern Illinois are investigating after 140 frozen turkeys were stolen from a locked refrigerated trailer outside a meat market the week before Thanksgiving.
WATERLOO, Ill. (AP) — Police in southern Illinois are investigating after 140 frozen turkeys were stolen from a locked refrigerated trailer outside a meat market the week before Thanksgiving.
PEKIN, Ill. (AP) — A central Illinois woman has been convicted of felony looting after she collected items from the yard of a retired couple whose Washington home was destroyed by a tornado.
CHICAGO (AP)–A Cook County Jail correctional officer who allegedly conspired with an inmate to buy what he thought was stolen merchandise has been charged with felony theft.


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Compel Apple to admit mistakes.
The adage “already fallen, hit by the stairs anyway” seems to fit the subject at Apple in the case of the lawsuit in the UK. After the appeal was rejected British High Court, in London, the U.S. tech giant [...]
News of the warm coming from two future Samsung products mentioned in this release, the Galaxy Tab 3 and Galaxy Note 3.
Quoted from Ubergizmo, Thursday (21/3), both rumored to appear first on IT exhibition IFA 2013 in Berlin, Germany.
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You are one of those who dreamed of adventure and find treasures from the past? Google may be able to realize the dream.
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Beat the record photo teen star Justin Bieber.
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According to previous reports in which 40 percent of the 70 thousand applications available for BlackBerry 10 is the result of the Android port, apparently Skype is one of them.
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Apparently, the business particularly those managing IT security will work harder. Because the business is now a prime target for hackers.
52 percent of IT specialists are confident that these targeted attacks will be more frequent, based on findings [...]
One of the advantages of this device is able to work without a hitch with Apple Time Machine
The company Western Digital announced a new version of an external hard drive My Book Studio.
USB 3.0 capability is now added to the family hard drive My Book [...]
Who does not know the game Battlefield series. Games were popular through its multiplayer mode has a slick visual images and an interesting storyline.
According to an official invitation received by Gamespot, Electronic Arts and DICE plans to celebrate [...]
Detailed smartphone from Nexus 4 owned by Google and produced by LG leaked by British mobile phone retailer websites, Carphone Warehouse’s.
At Carphone Warehouse’s website it is mentioned clearly that they offer LG Nexus 4 with a contract [...]
To promote Windows Phone 8, Microsoft took the actress Jessica Alba and singer Gwen Stefani as their commercials. The two celebrities have been selected for the top stars, their status was also a homemaker.
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For a while the new service is limited to those who speak Japanese, English, Mandarin, and Korean.
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Cleveland.com | Jeremy Pelzer
Days after joining an anti-trust investigation into Facebook, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced Tuesday that he’s participating in a similar multi-state investigation into Google’s business practices.
Yost and 49 other attorneys general will look into Google’s “overarching control of online advertising markets and search traffic that may have led to anticompetitive behavior that harms consumers,” the Columbus Republican’s office said in a release. Yost noted that about 85 percent of Google’s $136.2 billion in revenue last year came from advertising.
As more facts become known, the investigation may expand its scope to emerging areas where Google “is unfairly exerting its influence,” according to the release.
“Antitrust has always been about the concentrated power to dominate the market and society. Money is the traditional tool to gain that monopoly power,” Yost said. “Data is the new money.”


text: The app-based taxi firm is following forays into food delivery and courier services by expanding into the property market with a UK-first partnership it claims could cut car ownership in cities. Developer Moda Living plans to build apartment complexes across the UK with with few or no parking spaces, freeing up space for other facilities such as gyms, cinemas and swimming pools. Tenants who forgo a parking space will receive up to £100 in credit each month to spend on Uber rides. Uber hopes the collaboration will encourage city-dwellers to ditch their cars altogether. Jo Bertram, general manager of Uber in the UK, said: “Cars are one of the most expensive assets most people own, but they’re used just five per cent of the time. “By getting more people to ditch their own vehicles we can put some of the space wasted on parking to much better use. And with more people using car sharing options like UberPOOL we can reduce congestion and emissions too.” The first tenants offered the scheme will be residents of 466 apartments currently under construction at Moda’s Angel Gardens in Manchester city centre. The development is being built with 149 parking spaces. Other developments of more than 6,000 flats in total are planned for London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, and Birmingham. Johnny Caddick, managing director of Moda Living, said: “Our apartments are for rent rather than for sale so we need to consider how our customers will live in cities in the future. “Embracing future technology is vital from day one and these plans for a partnership with Uber would not only give our customers an affordable ride at the touch of a button – it would also enable us to design better buildings with more space for social interaction. “Everyone wants a more frictionless life and Uber’s model fully aligns with our approach of wanting to drive efficiency and maximise value for our customers.” Uber has expanded rapidly since it was founded in 2008. The San Francisco firm’s cab-hailing app covers more 500 cities worldwide, including 18 areas of the UK. The company has also muscled in the food delivery market through its UberEATS brand, branched out into boat rides, and invested in driverless car technology. But its rise has been dogged by controversy, including allegations of underpaid drivers, as well as regulatory and legal battles.


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The SEC is harsher on Dell than on Blankfein
Dell’s $100 million settlement with the SEC is notable for the fact that Michael Dell is personally being fined as well:
The SEC’s allegations with respect to Mr. Dell and his settlement are limited to the alleged failure to provide adequate disclosures with respect to the company’s commercial relationship with Intel prior to Fiscal 2008…
Under his settlement, Mr. Dell has consented to a permanent injunction against future violations of these negligence-based provisions and other non-fraud based provisions of certain federal securities laws and SEC rules. In addition, Mr. Dell has agreed to pay a civil monetary penalty of $4 million.
The size of the penalty, here, is less important than its existence: Dell is coughing up a $4 million fine for allegedly failing to provide adequate disclosures while chairman and CEO of the company.
Now cast your mind back to the Goldman Sachs settlement, where Goldman, too, was accused of failing to provide adequate disclosures. In that case, the chairman and CEO of the company, Lloyd Blankfein, paid no fine whatsoever.
A lot of people were expecting that Blankfein might have to resign as part of the SEC settlement. But in fact he didn’t even get a Dell-style slap. Maybe there’s no realistic way that Blankfein could stay on as chairman and CEO after paying the fine; Dell, as the founder of the company, is in a slightly different position. But this case does underline that the SEC wasn’t nearly as tough on Goldman as it might have been.


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RIDGEFIELD, Conn. — JoyRide Cycling Studio and Jade are hosting the third annual Joy of the Arts Fashion Show to benefit the Ridgefield Playhouse’s Arts for Everyone program — and tickets go on sale Monday.
The event is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Oct. 19 at the Lounsbury House, 316 Main St., Ridgefield, and tickets can be purchased online.
At the fashion show, JoyRide's female instructors and avid riders will model the latest athletic and leisurewear from Jade, a fitness clothing boutique in New Canaan owned by Maxine Berg, a Wilton resident.
Two male instructors will model Rhone gear.
All proceeds from the Fashion Show will benefit the Arts for Everyone program at The Ridgefield Playhouse, an outreach program that donates tickets to families from low-income areas, other nonprofit organizations, and Title 1 schools that cannot afford to purchase tickets to Arts in Education shows that supplement their curriculum.
Last year, the program distributed more than 2,000 tickets to shows.
The JoyRide instructors who will walk the runway are Amanda Grant of Ridgefield; Cindy Tamburri and Tricia Buffardi, both of Weston; Anne Stauff of Wilton, and Jared Marinelli and Adam Keller, both of Redding.
The eight JoyRiders who will model are Ridgefield residents Andrea Minardi, Debbie Haughney, and Allison Stockel; Wilton residents Kelly Lowry, Dana Nickel, Kristy Snyder and Tammy Ward; and South Salem, N.Y., resident Catherine O'Sullivan.
“As instructors, we spend so much time with our riders and it’s amazing to celebrate our loyal, joyful JoyRide community at this annual event,” said Tamburri, who has also modeled in the last two shows. “We get to cheer on the models, see everyone dressed up and raise money for a great cause.”
Since co-founders and Westport residents Amy Hochhauser and Rhodie Lorenz started JoyRide more than five years ago, they have seen how indoor cycling can help people improve their health, become stronger physically and emotionally and overcome challenges on and off the bike.
The culture of JoyRide is more than fitness: it’s a culture of good health, paying it forward, supporting one another and spreading joy, its owners say.
JoyRide Cycling Studio is dedicated to calorie-torching, endorphin-surged and high-energy indoor cycling and strength training classes. Its training method combines core elements of Pilates with indoor cycling to maximize cardiovascular benefits and burn calories and fat.
For more information about the Arts in Education program, click here.
Click here to purchase tickets for the Joy of the Arts Fashion Show.
Click here to sign up for Daily Voice's free daily emails and news alerts.


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Cisco Systems Chairman and CEO John Chambers plans to stay on the job for at least three more years, he said Tuesday.
Hardware and components insiders are giving off mixed signals about how business will fare for the rest of the year.
Against a backdrop of economic uncertainty, acquisitions and earnings news from the world's top PC makers (Hewlett-Packard, Dell and Lenovo), the biggest Internet business (Google), and a major handset maker (Motorola Mobility) marked major realignme...
China Mobile, the world's largest mobile carrier, reported net profits rising by 6.3 percent for the first half of 2011, as the company had more customers surfing the Internet with its handsets.
Lenovo reported strong earnings for the quarter ended June 30, with the company's net profits nearly doubling year-over-year.
Dell had strong profit growth in the second fiscal quarter of 2012, although the company's revenue was hurt by a drop in sales of storage and desktop products, the company said.
U.S. stock markets edged up for the day Friday afternoon, but fears of an economic slowdown and concerns about the debt crisis in Europe caused technology stocks to seesaw wildly along with shares of companies in other sectors this week.
Cisco's profit in its fiscal fourth quarter fell about one-third from a year earlier, while its sales increased only 3.3 percent, the company reported on Wednesday.
A July cyberattack on Booz Allen Hamilton will not materially harm the company's bottom line, its CEO said Tuesday.
U.S. exchanges were volatile Friday after suffering their worst drop in more than two years Thursday, taking IT companies' shares down along with stocks in just about every other sector of the economy.
The acquisition of Zain's operations in 15 African countries and investment in 3G spectrum in India continued to be a drag on the profits of India's Bharti Airtel in the second quarter, the company said on Wednesday.
Ingram Micro's profits were dragged down for the second quarter in a row due to problems with an SAP implementation in Australia, the technology distributor said Thursday.
Though faring better than businesses in other sectors, technology companies have not escaped the market storm stirred up by reports of tepid economic growth and political squabbling over the U.S. deficit.
Motorola reported a loss of $US56 million, or $0.19 per share, on net revenue of $3.3 billion for the second quarter, as the phone and tablet maker continues to struggle to make 4G products.
France Télécom's revenue and net income for the first half both fell compared to a year earlier, even as subscriber numbers climbed 7 percent, it reported Thursday.
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GGG Evaluation Team
First impression on unpacking the Q702 test unit was the solid feel and clean, minimalist styling.
For work use, Microsoft Word and Excel programs pre-installed on the device are adequate for preparing short documents.
The Fujitsu LifeBook UH574 allowed for great mobility without being obnoxiously heavy or clunky. Its twelve hours of battery life did not disappoint.
The screen was particularly good. It is bright and visible from most angles, however heat is an issue, particularly around the Windows button on the front, and on the back where the battery housing is located.
My first impression after unboxing the Q702 is that it is a nice looking unit. Styling is somewhat minimalist but very effective. The tablet part, once detached, has a nice weight, and no buttons or switches are located in awkward or intrusive positions.


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New study shows that consumers are not searching financial product prices online before purchasing
The fee cap is expected to save the provincial plan millions every year
Seven people have been arrested on charges they staged car accidents using the bodies of cancer victims to collect high-payout life insurance.
Critical illness definitions written by lawyers are making the product difficult to sell for advisors.
Five leading insurers could be affected by recent budget proposals from the federal government.
After backing up Henrik Lundqvist in last year’s Stanley Cup finals, a star goalie is now forging a career as a life insurance advisor.
The Autorité des marchés financiers fined a leading Canadian insurer $25,000 related to the distribution of creditor insurance.
Objections are not the end of the world. Surprisingly, they are the key to sales success. If you know them in advance, you can use them to improve your sales success.