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Billy Bob Teeth facing lawsuit
Published 6:00 pm, Monday, November 30, 2009
A former employee of Billy Bob Teeth, Inc., filed suit against the company after he designed eight models of fake-teeth pacifiers for which he says he is still owed royalties.
In a lawsuit filed recently in Madison County, Kelly Laster claims that in November of 1999 he was approached by BBT inventor and marketer Jonah White and asked to design plastic pacifiers that looked like fake teeth. Laster would receive 3 percent of the pacifier’s gross sales.
White, a graduate of Southeast Missouri State University, had come up with the idea for acrylic, sepia-colored gums and tobacco-stained buckteeth in the fall of 1993. The business began in White’s parents’ home and the teeth were manufactured in several homes in the Hardin area. By the late ‘90s, the teeth were showing up at Hollywood parties and being marketed throughout the world.
In a history of the company that appears on its Web site, White writes that in 1998 he unveiled a new invention, the Billy Bob Pacifier. “We had our first baby that August and I was so put out that all the pacifiers out there were so boring,” he writes. “With this addition to our line of products, the Billy Bob Teeth Company opened up even more global markets.”
White approached Laster in November of 1999 and asked him to design the eight pacifier models. By March of 2002 he was receiving 3 percent royalty payments on the five models.
In July of 2007, Laster was hired as the company’s communications/operations manager.
Laster, in the lawsuit, claims that while he was working in that capacity he discovered documents that showed he was not being paid royalties for a model he had designed for BBT as well as for another model of his that was modified slightly.
In May of 2008, Laster resigned from BBT after which his royalty payments on the five pacifier models stopped, according to the suit.
Laster claims he is owed more than $50,000 in royalties from BBT.
Laster also claims he is also owed money in regards to a dice game that he helped BBT market. Known as “Texas Rollem” and later as “Square Shooters,” the game was invented by Carmelyn Calvert. Calvert approached Laster and White with the idea for the dice game, but Laster claims that White told him he was not interested.
In exchange for helping Calvert manufacture, produce and market the game, Laster claims that half the profits would go to Calvert and half to “Jonah White/Kelly Laster.”
To cover the start-up costs, Calvert paid BBT $10,000, according to the suit. Then Laster contacted a manufacturer in China and oversaw the game’s creation, including coordination of dice style, packaging and cost per unit, according to the suit.
At the time Laster resigned, the game was not yet on the market. “However, soon after Laster’s resignation, his wife saw one of the games for sale at a gas station in Grafton, Illinois,” wrote Alton attorney Emily Johnson, who filed the lawsuit on Laster’s behalf.
Laster claim that he has not received any compensation from the sale of the dice game, which he believes is still being sold today.


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Did you know that ClearMotion Company created a technology that will significantly reduce not just the movement up and down, but also the right-left lurch from bumps on either side? While the system doesn’t make speed bumps obsolete, its goal is to become the kind of system that car owners won’t be able to live without.
The founder and chief executive of ClearMotion, Shakeel Avadhany, said he had been inspired by the ride in Japanese bullet trains, which can reach 200 m.p.h. with little sensation of movement. ClearMotion is recreating that train experience in cars. The earliest cars didn’t bother with shock absorbers, but some way of reducing, or damping, spring movement was clearly needed as speeds increased on the bumpy roads that predated the interstates.
In 1926 Monroe debuted a hydraulic shock absorber, and then the groundbreaking Monro-Matic telescopic damper, with automatic adjustment for all roads and loads. The innovations since have been variations some fairly sophisticated on those early breakthroughs.
Packard, for example, In 1955 and 1956 offered Torsion-Level Ride, and Citroën famously used a four-wheel hydropneumatic suspension and automatic leveling on its innovative DS 19, also introduced in 1955. But neither system was known for reliability. And now start-up companies and established automakers alike are looking at modern technology to give consumers a smooth ride free of shake, rattle, and roll.
ClearMotion’s Activalve system is an electrohydraulic unit the size of a softball that works with the car’s existing shocks and counteracts road disturbances by putting pressure on the dampers in milliseconds.
Mr. Avadhany calls the technology “noise canceling for motion.” He said he expected the first cars equipped with the system to appear in 2020. Such systems are power hungry, requiring either the new 48-volt electrical systems hitting the market or the ability to convert 12 volts to 48 volts, so the devices may first show up in hybrids, electrics or cars equipped with start-stop technology.
The ClearMotion’s headquarters is full of young workers, many of them from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The company is gearing up to produce the Activalves itself at a small factory in nearby Wilmington. It also operates a motion sickness project, aimed at among other things reducing the queasy feelings that motorists may be more likely to get if they face backward in the living-room-like interiors of tomorrow’s autonomous cars.
ClearMotion is not the only company trying to smooth automakers’ road into the self-driving future. Automakers are actively pursuing the holy grail of a level ride. Mercedes, of course, offers its Airmatic air suspension as a standard feature on some models, including the S-Class, and as an option on others. Mercedes also offers a Magic Body Control system, which uses a high-precision camera to scan the road ahead and prepare the suspension components at each wheel for the surface it’s about to encounter.
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USDA is working to cut food waste in half by 2030
The USDA is preparing for its second annual Food Loss and Waste Innovation Fair, and they are estimating a third of all food produced in the U.S. goes to waste, which causes methane emissions in landfills.
The Agency has an ambitious goal to cut food waste in half by 2030, saying the average household could save nearly $400 per person every year by taking simple steps to avoid throwing out good food.
“Innovation at all stages of the supply chain is really key to achieving meaningful reductions in food loss and waste, and the USDA is really invested in and understands the importance of this innovation,” said USDA Food Loss and Waste Liaison Jean Buzby.
This year’s virtual event is on September 14. Click HERE to sign up.


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Marketers continued investing in CDPs despite budget cuts during the pandemic, recognizing the technology’s central role in addressing third-party cookie loss and more.
The pandemic shifted marketers’ priorities
All of the organizations in our survey (100%) saw at least some marketing budget cuts due to COVID-19, and 41% saw cuts over 20%. Though the pandemic made organizations more reliant on digital channels for reaching their customers, most marketers couldn’t afford to invest in new tech solutions. More than three-quarters (77%) of organizations cut tech initiatives in 2020 due to COVID-19.
At the same time as budget cuts were forcing them to do more with less, marketers shifted their priorities to address new challenges caused by the pandemic. For marketers without a developed first-party data strategy, the demise of third-party cookies made it harder to manage ad spend across digital channels. Tighter budgets made customer acquisition and retention more difficult. And finally, the restriction or elimination of in-person experiences put incredible pressure on marketers to offer a unified customer experience across channels — particularly digital ones.
“More than three-quarters (77%)
cut tech initiatives
in 2020 due
Top marketing priorities that became more important due to COVID-19
Managing ad spend across multiple digital channels
Acquiring new customers
Providing a unified customer experience across channels
Retaining existing customers
“Now, the emphasis has shifted to managing data across multiple channels and resolving customer identity.”
Our results suggest that marketers are using their CDPs to address these challenges head-on. For example, in our 2020 report, respondents reported various forms of real-time functionality were the most useful capabilities of a CDP. Now, the emphasis has shifted to managing data across multiple channels and resolving customer identity — which are important for delivering seamless digital experiences in a post-cookie world.
Change in top most valuable functionalities of a CDP year over year
Visitor stitching/identity resolution
Ability to ingest online data from multiple channels
Ability to activate data in real time by automatically triggering campaign modifications and other events
Ability to collect and transform
data in real time
2021 may see a rise in CDP investment
Despite the drop in tech investment overall, there wasn’t a drop-off in CDP investment during COVID-19 — likely because CDPs are so important for addressing marketers’ pandemic-related concerns. Eighty-nine percent of marketers we surveyed had a CDP, and nearly a tenth (9%) had adopted a CDP since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020.
In 2021, marketers will make up for lost time by increasing their tech investments. Eighty-nine percent of organizations will spend more on tech in 2021 than they did in 2020, and almost one-third (32%) will spend significantly more. Perhaps because they were hit harder by the pandemic, travel and hospitality marketers were most likely to say they’ll spend significantly more. The big question: Where will marketers allocate these funds in 2021?
“The big question: Where will marketers allocate these funds
Marketers understand that CDPs are key to unlocking the full potential of first-party data. A CDP can anchor a robust customer data supply chain that frees your organization from excessive reliance on third-party data. It can also enable accurate attribution of ad spend and channel, enabling more effective ad spend management. Finally, a CDP supports a unified customer experience across channels, built on first-party data acquired with customers’ consent.
With third-party cookie loss, a first-party data strategy is no longer optional. As tech spending rebounds in 2021, look to invest in a CDP that is equipped to meet the challenge of third-party cookie loss, while also supporting better customer experiences.


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The tie up between Qantas and BP looks set to be approved by the competition watchdog, in a move that will see frequent flyer points earned on fuel purchases from March 2020.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission announced it was “proposing to grant authorisation” to allow Qantas, BP Australia and independent BP petrol stations to collectively participate in each other’s reward programs.
ACCC commissioner Stephen Ridgeway said the arrangements would provide public benefits, by giving consumers more opportunity to earn and use rewards program points.
“We don’t think the planned arrangements will have any significant negative impact on competition,” Mr Ridgeway said.
“There are many retailers, petrol and non-petrol that could participate as partners in other loyalty programs.”
Mr Ridgeway said the ACCC’s only reservations related to the potential for consumer harm, arising from BP sharing consumer data with Qantas as a result of the arrangements.
“We encourage BP and Qantas to adopt the recommendations regarding the collection and use of customer data in the ACCC’s final report into customer loyalty schemes when it is published,” he said.
A Qantas spokeswoman said the only customer data shared between BP and Qantas was the information that would allow them to ensure Qantas points were earned correctly, such as their frequent flyer number and the number of points earned.
“We know being able to earn Qantas points on fuel and instore purchases across BP will be very popular among our 13 million frequent flyers and 250,000 Qantas Business Rewards members,” she said.
The partnership is due to take effect in March, after the current troubled marriage between Virgin Australia’s Velocity program and BP officially ends.
In 2017 Virgin took the fuel company to court for trying to end their points contract.
Qantas frequent flyers will still be able to earn points through Caltex service stations via the Woolworths Everyday Rewards program.


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July 27, 2009 – It’s been a really long time in the making, but it seems like Yahoo and Microsoft might actually go through with a search deal that could give Bing the boost it needs to take on search engine powerhouse Google.
According to AdAge, the deal that might even be announced this week, would have Bing become Yahoo’s search provider, which would both strengthen Bing’s search reach and expand Yahoo’s ability to sell search ads. While everything comes down to money, which is why this deal is tenuous at best and similar deals between Microsoft and Yahoo have faltered in final negotiations previously, both companies could see considerable gains through this partnership and finally take a decent chunk out of Google’s search share.
For more information on the revenue breakdown and other numbers associated with the Microsoft – Yahoo deal, check out the entire article in AdAge.
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Customers buying mobile phones are often not given enough information about cancellation policies in the event of coverage problems, according to the Communications Consumer Panel, an Ofcom advisory body.
Research by the panel called Can I Cancel? discovered that 56 per cent of shoppers were not given a full and correct outline of their right to terminate fixed contracts if the phone does not work well on a given network.
Anna Bradley, chairman of the Communications Consumer Panel, argued that a set period should be introduced during which customers can return a device.
"A new mobile phone is no good if it can't be used. We are calling for an across-the-board minimum 14 days to cancel contracts where consumers have coverage problems," she said.
"People must be given enough time to test coverage in the places where they want to use their phone."
The organisation also said that staff in mobile phone shops need better training about cancellation policies, and that there should be more consistent policies between operators and retailers.
Orange emerged as the worst operator, according to the report, with just 32 per cent of shoppers being given accurate information. It was also the only one not to allow contract cancellation owing to network issues.
O2 achieved the best score with 79 per cent, followed by Tesco Mobile at 71 per cent and T-Mobile at 68 per cent.
Third-party retailers fared very differently, however. Carphone Warehouse staff gave accurate information on network operators' tariffs 56 per cent of the time, while Phones4U scored just four per cent.
Gavin Sheldon, O2's head of network, argued that customers should always be encouraged to use operators’ coverage checkers before they buy.
"But we’d go further to say that as an industry there needs to be greater transparency about mobile coverage, so customers are equipped with the information they need to make good purchasing decisions from the outset," he added.
"Using messages that focus solely on geographical reach only serve to confuse and mislead. No operator can guarantee a perfect experience to their customers. But what we can and should guarantee is that they have been given honest and accurate information.”
Ofcom's move underlines the watchdog's continued attempts to get a better deal for consumers, following new number porting regulations that force mobile operators to move customers' mobile numbers across a network within one working day.
Orange was recently rapped by the Advertising Standards Authority over an advert in which it falsely claimed that its 3G service covers more people in the UK than any other operator.
Astronomers studying first-ever reported merger of two neutron stars claim to have detect light and gravitational waves
Allen died from complications of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
Stanford researchers made the discovery via data from Greenland
Created via a thin, flexible, and transparent hierarchical nanocomposite film


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The growth of Southeast Asia’s digital economy has already surpassed figures initially forecasted to be reached in 2025 – with 69% of Southeast Asian consumers expected to go digital by the end of the year.
According to a new report from Facebook and Bain & Company, the growth of digital consumers in Southeast Asia is expected to reach around 310 million by the end of 2020, with millions more expected to join in the coming years. This growth was originally forecasted for 2025 in the 2019 study, indicating a five-year acceleration within 2020 alone.
The report also found that the new forecasts for the average spend per consumer in 2025 will more than triple (3.5x) that of 2018’s figure, also exceeding the previous 2025 forecast – with spending patterns between Tier 1 and 2 cities narrowing.
“With five years of digital acceleration condensed into one – the impact of digital adoption on businesses has never been more apparent. It is vital for businesses to connect with consumers in ways that are frictionless and to replicate in-person interactions through social platforms, messaging and short videos as much as possible to drive discovery and loyalty,” said Sandhya Devanathan, MD of Gaming, APAC, at Facebook. “Turbulent times are often the catalyst for the rise of new business models.”
Consumers in the region are not just spending more online as forecasted in 2019, they’re also buying into more categories online. By the end of 2020, the average gross merchandise value (GMV) in Southeast Asia is forecast to be US$172 per person.
“The number of Southeast Asian digital consumers has grown exponentially, and their consumption habits are shaping today’s new norm. Looking forward, online spending is expected to triple by 2025 and reach close to US$150bn,” said Praneeth Yendamuri, partner at Bain & Company.
With contactless and home-consumption habits expected to continue despite the easing of physical distancing measures, and in line with Facebook and Bain & Co.’s June 2020 research update Southeast Asia Digital Consumer Trends that Shape the Next Normal, people are also now more receptive to grocery shopping online with 43% of respondents in SEA doing so.
The study also highlighted the potential to build brand loyalty and growth as the e-commerce market remains fragmented. In 2020, savvy consumers are shop-hopping across 5.2 online sites before making a purchase decision — a notable increase from an average of 3.8 sites in 2019. Consumers are still searching for better pricing (42%) and product quality (34%) when browsing across sites. Similarly, 54% of respondents on average said that they changed their most purchased brand in the three months prior to the study, with reliability and value being the top two reasons for doing so.
Discovery commerce and online inspiration remain all-important with 68% of consumers saying that they still do not know what they want to purchase before they shop online, while 62% (as compared to 50% in 2019) said they learn about new products and brands via social platforms, with short videos being cited as the top format of choice.
The study surveyed approximately 16,500 digital consumers and gathered insights from interviews with about more than 20 CXOs across six Southeast Asian countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam). Digital consumers surveyed are those who have made an online purchase in at least two product categories in the past three months.
Sourced from Bain & Company


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With connected TV/streaming pretty much universally expected to be a prime focus for evolution and advertising investment growth in the year ahead, here are some specific insights and predictions from leading media, ad-tech platform and smart TV OEM executives.
Jess Breslav, chief customer officer, Index Exchange: In 2023, more CTV media owners will unlock the value of contextual targeting — including genre, channel, network, series and TV rating information — to increase transparency for media buyers and curate inventory that matches buyers' marketing strategies.
The industry undoubtedly needs to continue to innovate to deliver the optimal buying and viewing experience. We’ll see improvements in ad podding. Signaling and standardization will come to fruition and accelerate a shift in media spend in 2023.
With the ecosystem maturing, we’ll also start to see more media buyers take advantage of the full programmatic ecosystem and leverage additional buying models for CTV, such as inventory packages, to scale with confidence. These curated packages give marketers access to exclusive premium inventory while still receiving the benefits and flexibility of the open market.
Hunter Terry, vice president solutions, consulting and CTV commercial lead, Lotame: “Amazed and confused” are the prevailing sentiments around CTV measurement. There will not be a single solution, at least for the time being. In fact, the industry will become even more compartmentalized and disjointed, which will make measurement more difficult. We see it every week when a big streamer or OEM wants to set up its own offering accessible only via its platform. Case in point: Apple just announced they are creating their own DSP specifically to focus on their CTV offering.
Every streaming service is going to try to create its own unique platform. Why? Data. Take LG, for example. They can sell inventory within LG TVs or send the data they collect off into the ecosystem and onto other CTV devices. Any service with customer data is going to package it and sell it — following the example of retail media networks.
Meanwhile, [despite having missed the reach guarantees it gave to some advertisers for its ad-supported launch], Netflix will ultimately surprise everyone with “good advertising.” It’s got the people, pipes and partners to hit it out of the park. Measurement won’t be a stumbling block either, as TV hasn’t done a bang-up job of metrics, and the open web is in disarray.
Will consumers balk? Likely not. Getting a break on price due to ads may be enough of a carrot to stay. With so much original inventory, Netflix has a real advantage, and more runway in global users than newer platforms.
David Wiesenfeld, lead strategist, media and entertainment, TransUnion: Interactive TV will gain a real foothold in 2023. This won’t be the real-time, two-way exchange between viewers and broadcasters that some envision, but producers and distributors are exploring ways to leverage the one-to-one digital nature of streaming TV to allow consumers to respond directly to what they see on the screen.
FuboTV has integrated sports betting into its UI, allowing users to place bets on live games or simply play along and earn points by picking winners, without risking any money. Similar technology could be used to receive other “inputs” from viewers, such as purchase interest in an item worn by a TV character (closing the loop on brand integration) or an opportunity to participate in a game show from your living room.
Lynette Kaylor, senior vice president advertising sales, FuboTV: More than ever, data will be king. As budgets tighten, advertisers will need to become more efficient with their buys and have smart data strategies. Efficiencies come from reducing waste and increasing targeted media buys — investing in the audiences that are most inclined to buy your product or service instead of mass reach. There will also be a greater need for transparent attribution and measurement to show the value of audience-based buys.
First-party data will continue to become increasingly important as more privacy legislation comes into play. Both brands and publishers need to own their relationships with their consumers.
Matt Spiegel, executive vice president, media and entertainment vertical, TransUnion: With more premium services entering the market, consumers will have to choose where to spend their household budgets — and that could propel mid-tier platforms to consolidate.
Thirty-one percent of 2,612 Americans surveyed by Recurly in March planned to cancel some subscription services this year. According to Paymnts.com, between October 2021 and May 2022, the average number of retail product subscriptions among baby boomers and seniors slipped from 2.2 to 2.
Other generations saw steeper drops: Gen Z and Gen X subscriptions fell from 4.9 to 3.6, and millennials’ from 5.6 to 4.7. It is likely they will gravitate toward [cheaper, ad-supported] subscription streaming services as well as free streaming services, making niche players acquisition targets for both upstream and downstream services.
Sean Doherty, CEO, Wurl: Samsung and Roku were the first device makers to embrace FAST (free, ad-supported streaming). Now, many of the top 30 smart TV manufacturers have introduced FAST offerings. I predict that all smart TV manufacturers will go all in with FAST, and we will see nearly 100% device adoption by the end of 2023.
During the 2008 financial crisis, the advertising industry experienced a steep downturn, with one exception: mobile. The smartphone had just hit the market, leading to a steady growth in mobile advertising. Now, as we find ourselves in another economic slump, I predict CTV will persevere in 2023, with growth in connected TV devices more than making up for a decline in ad fill rates.
TV and entertainment appear to be recession-resistant. And with Hulu, Netflix and all the major streamers now offering less expensive versions with ads, there are new, scalable ways for brands to reach lean-back consumers. Smart brands and agencies will realize that the streaming screen is where the eyeballs are.
Frans Vermeulen, vice president strategy and market development, media and entertainment, TransUnion: CTVs are giving smartphones a run for their money. U.S. smartphone time per day is expected to come to three hours and 19 minutes this year. Daily time with connected devices — mainly CTV but also game consoles, set-top boxes such as Roku, Blu-ray players and wearables — will reach one hour and 47 minutes in 2022 and rise to one hour and 57 minutes in 2024.
While CTV ad spending remains much less than that of traditional TV, the gap is closing. This year, U.S. advertisers will spend $18.89 billion on CTV, up 33% over 2021.


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As the second largest economy on the African continent after Nigeria, South Africa is on the economic radar of Tanzania. And that’s why Tanzania’s President John Magufuli is today holding talks with his South African counterpart Mr Jacob Zuma as he begins a three-day state visit to Tanzania, signaling the growing strategic ties between the two countries.
Increased bilateral cooperation between Tanzania and South Africa in the economic field has gone hand in hand with a flurry of diplomatic activity over the past years.
All post-apartheid leaders of South Africa have stepped onto Tanzanian soil. The first was the late anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela, followed by Mr Thabo Mbeki, and currently is Mr Jacob Zuma.
Similarly, all post-independence leaders of Tanzania, namely the late father of the Nation Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, Mr Ali Hassan Mwinyi, Mr Benjamin Mkapa, and Mr Jakaya Kikwete stepped onto South African soil.
Pledges of mutual cooperation accompanied these high-level visits. Both Tanzania and South Africa have grown faster than the world economy. For example, in the first quarter of 2016 gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 5.5 per cent in Tanzania, 3.3 percent in South Africa, and 3.1 per cent globally.
Policymakers in Dar es Salaam today view the state visit by President Zuma with significant importance, more especially in relation to the incredible economic growth of 6.2 per cent that Tanzania recorded in 2016 and to the strategic infrastructure investments that President Magufuli has prioritized for the country, not forgetting his push for the industrialization agenda. They also view South Africa as a major economic and trading partner.
Both Dar es Salaam and Pretoria have an interest in reviewing the status of the bilateral relations with a view to strengthen the same and in adopting strategic interventions to further promote mutual understanding and bilateral economic and trade cooperation.
More specifically, this particular state visit aims to operationalize and launch the South Africa-Tanzania Bi-National Commission (BNC). According to the media statement issued by the South African Presidency three days ago on 8 May 2017, the BNC is the highest mechanism regulating bilateral relations between the two countries.
On the sidelines of the visit, President Zuma and his host President Magufuli are also expected to address the South Africa-Tanzania Business Forum (STBF) at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre here in Dar es Salaam.
The BNC and STBF are useful forums for creating business confidence and helping deepen the existing bilateral economic and trade relations between Tanzania and South Africa that date back long before 1994, when South Africans enjoyed the hospitality of the Tanzanian people as they fought to free themselves from apartheid.
Indeed, we should expect Presidents Magufuli and Zuma to paint an upbeat picture of the Tanzania-South Africa relations at their joint press conference and at the STBF.
In a fast changing and dynamic continent, the two countries share increasingly common economic interests. Together with 13 other countries, both Tanzania and South Africa are members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), an inter-governmental organization whose objectives include, among others, the promotion of policies that aim to eliminate obstacles to the free movement of persons in the SADC region.
Trade figures between the two countries last year (2016) indicated that South African exports to Tanzania were valued at R6.5bn (sh1.6tr/-), whereas imports from Tanzania amounted to R3.5bn (sh572bn/-). Several factors underpin recent trade growth between South Africa and Tanzania, namely falling trade barriers and South Africa – Tanzania Double Taxation Agreement (DTA) have fostered market access and business confidence; a significant and expanding market for South African industrial goods and foreign direct investment (FDI); and advances in ICT have supported cross-border- and inter-regional trade.
South African FDI can help transform the Tanzanian economy. South African firms can provide valuable capital and expertise to upgrade Tanzanian infrastructure—a key priority area for the Magufuli presidency. Technology transfer and marketing connections from South African firms can foster Tanzanian firms joining global value chains and promote internationally competitive industrialization.
In addition, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in both countries can benefit as suppliers, sub-contractors, and service providers to multi-national or world-wide corporations.
Until new data is released, the Tanzania Investment Report 2014 shows that FDI inflows from South Africa into Tanzania were second to Canada at $437.8 million in 2013. And in terms of the stock of FDI, South Africa maintained the lead with a total of $3658.8 million in the same year.
Firms from South Africa’s economy are prominent in a broad range of Tanzania’s economic sectors, including mining, financial services, tourism and hospitality, automotive, machinery, ICT/electronics.
To attract higher levels of FDI from the South African private sector, the domestic regulatory framework in Tanzania needs to be further improved. This should involve cutting redundant and/or cumbersome regulations.
It takes an average of 26 days to start a business in Tanzania compared to 14 days in South Africa, according to the latest World Bank Doing Business Report 2016. In addition, it takes an average of 205 days to deal with construction permits in Tanzania compared with 141 days in South Africa.
Of course, much more needs to be done for South Africa and Tanzania to reach their full trade and investment potential in this era of slower world growth. As the two countries seek to strengthen bilateral cooperation, they should implement economic reforms to boost growth and express interest in attracting more processing and manufacturing investments for agriculture products value addition in their export processing zones and special economic zones.
They should also be as open as the outward-oriented, market-friendly Asian economies of Singapore and Malaysia.
The South African private sector should lead the way to expand the manufacturing sector and build up a high-tech industry in Tanzania. By remaining engaged in Tanzania, South African companies will help to smooth the integration of Tanzania’s economy into the global supply chain, and considerably boost the quality of the country’s workforce.
This will bring economic benefits to both countries and help diversify sources of African growth.
People-to-people ties constitute an area of enormous potential in the Tanzania-South Africa relations. It’s an open secret that the majority of Tanzanians has a favourable view of South Africa and hold South African businesses, education, and science and technology in high regard. Education and training have emerged as critical links between Tanzanians and South Africans.
These people-to-people efforts should help Presidents Magufuli and Zuma to ensure that the growing partnership between Tanzania and South Africa has a solid foundation at the grassroots level, while simultaneously boosting South Africa soft power in Tanzania--a country that’s increasingly important to Pretoria’s economic and foreign policy.
In an effort to support the development of the Tanzania-South Africa relations, my projections of the effect of mutual understanding and economic cooperation within the strengthened partnership point to the attainment of sustainable development for the two countries.
Finally, I join President John Magufuli and all Tanzanians in welcoming President Jacob Zuma to Tanzania once again!


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Royal Enfield is all set to launch its all-new and affordable motorcycle, the Scram 411, which is based on the Himalayan, on March 15. Apart from off-roading, the company has also prepared this new motorcycle for daily use.
New Delhi : Royal Enfield has completed preparations for the launch in the year 2022 and the company has announced to launch Scram 411 first this year. Royal Enfield will launch a brand new adventure motorcycle in India on March 15 which will be an affordable and less powerful variant of the Himalayan. Indian customers have been waiting for this motorcycle for a long time and it is designed to be driven on the road as well as off-roading. This means that Royal Enfield has designed the Scram 411 to be driven on urban roads rather than just off-roading.
Seen in red and black color combination
Recently, this new affordable adventure motorcycle has been spotted in two colors which is seen in a spectacular combination of red and black. Although the scrum 411 has been seen many times in the past, this is the first time it has appeared in dual tone. The bike has a 19-inch wheel at the front and a 17-inch wheel at the rear. The price of this bike will be kept very attractive, which will be able to fall in the range of most customers, it is estimated that its price will be around Rs 1.90 lakh.
New scrum 411 cheaper than Himalayan
The new Scrum 411 will be cheaper than the Royal Enfield Himalayan. The front part of the Himalayan gets a longer windscreen, bifurcated seat, luggage rack, larger front wheel and many other parts of the adventure bike. In contrast, the Scrum 411 has been given smaller wheels, single piece seat, shorter suspension travel and a grab rail at the rear. The new motorcycle is expected to get the LS410, single-cylinder, air-cooled, 4-stroke, SOHC engine that churns out 411 cc and makes 24.3 bhp.


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Colin McDowell sits down with Mandi Lennard, a PR turned brand consultant who has built a unique position for herself at the intersection of emerging culture and London’s fashion scene.
In his latest column, Colin McDowell traces the genealogy of Veruschka, often dubbed the world’s first supermodel.
In a photography-saturated age, perhaps it’s time to recapture the power of great fashion illustration, says Colin McDowell.
In his latest column, Colin McDowell reviews Jean Patou, A Fashionable Life, Dior Glamour and Memos: The Vogue Years.
Following news that a shop assistant in Zurich refused to let Oprah Winfrey examine a $38,000 black bag, Colin McDowell says astronomically priced products are emblematic of exactly what’s wrong with the fashion business.


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Detained Ivanka Shoe Workers Admitted Theft, Chinese Report SaysBloomberg News
State media report that men confessed to recording in factory
Men were probing Ivanka-linked plants for N.Y. rights group
Three undercover investigators detained by Chinese police after probing a supplier of Ivanka Trump-branded shoes allegedly confessed to illegally obtaining industrial secrets for a foreign organization, according to a state-run media outlet.
The Paper, a news outlet run by the state-owned Shanghai United Media Group, reported that Su Heng, Hua Haifeng and Li Zhao, used a watch to take photos and other recording devices in a factory in Ganzhou city, Jiangxi, and took internal documents in exchange for payment. New York-based China Labor Watch said the men were working for the labor rights group to investigate working conditions at factories owned by Huajian Group, including one in Ganzhou.
Hua, among those who allegedly confessed, did not work at the Ganzhou factory, according to his lawyer Wen Yu and Li Qiang, the founder of China Labor Watch. Hua’s wife, Deng Guilian, said Hua told his lawyer that “he hasn’t done anything wrong and will not admit to any wrongdoing.” Representatives for Su and Li could not be reached for comment.
The three were detained last month while investigating labor conditions at Huajian, which makes shoes for the brand founded by U.S. President Donald Trump’s daughter. China Labor Watch said that it has been investigating conditions at fifteen factories making products for the Ivanka Trump brand in the past year and sent a letter in April to Trump pressing her to look into alleged labor violations.
After the U.S State Department called for the release of the three men Tuesday, China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said that the case was an “internal matter” and that “no country can interfere in China’s sovereign and judicial independence.” White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Tuesday the U.S. will “continue to exert the proper diplomatic pressure on that.”
The Paper’s report, which cited municipal police, was accompanied by images from CCTV cameras showing one of the men, Su, allegedly taking photos on the factory grounds. It also published an image of devices, including watches, cameras and USB drives, allegedly found on the men by police. Law enforcement also found a large number of pictures and recordings from the factory on the devices, the report said.
The police detained the men after receiving a complaint from a Ganzhou factory, without identifying the factory, The Paper reported. The men said that they had been conducting such activities at multiple factories in China since 2010, according to the report.
A representative for Ivanka Trump’s brand declined to comment. Officials for Marc Fisher Footwear, licensed to make Ivanka Trump-brand shoes, couldn’t be immediately reached after hours. Three calls to the Ganzhou police bureau went unanswered. Wei Xuegang, a spokesman for Huajian, referred to a company statement issued Wednesday that said it would no longer communicate with foreign media due to “unfair reports” in Western media outlets which has damaged its reputation.
— With assistance by Rachel Chang, and Stephanie Hoi-Nga Wong


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The holiday spirit is in full swing in both Heather Gillin and Maple Residences! Students decorated the common rooms and hallways, baked ginger cookies, and have a constant stream of “upbeat holiday music” playing on our Google home device. Last weekend many attended the boarding trip to Tangier Outlet Malls for a mix of personal and holiday shopping — I’m sure many were thinking of their parents while perusing the stores :).
With a near snowstorm on Sunday evening, many of or southern hemisphere students enjoyed experiencing a true Canadian winter for the first time. And with the campus covered in a beautiful blanket of snow, a few got out skiing, creating snowmen and generally enjoying the change in seasons. We have some eager downhill skiers as well in Gillin who are thrilled to hit the slopes today at Camp Fortune with the Ashbury Alpine team. It was fun to see them trying on all their winter gear last night!
This weekend our boarding council has prepared an event-filled holiday dinner to celebrate the fall term and connect our community before heading home, to friends, or Montebello for the holidays.


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Not many may have heard about FirstTech, but it holds the distinction of being the first ever Apple reseller in the world. The store is based in Minneapolis and was founded in 1941. Back then, it was called Team Electronics. It wasn’t till the late 70s, though, when it first started selling Apple machines – the first batch of, actually.
This is sad news, as there is no doubt that FirstTech has always been proud of its heritage and links to Apple, but on the 29th of this month, the store will be closing its doors for the last time.
The move is quite sudden, at least from the perspective of the store’s employees. Product manager Fred Evans says that the news was only shared with the employees on Wednesday, and although some employees thought that closing shop was inevitable, the turn of events was rather quick.
So why is the first ever Apple reseller closing shop when we know that Apple products are selling like hotcakes – more than before?
Fred Evans says it’s due to “market forces, including shrinking hardware margins amid competition from a growing number of aggressive national vendors.” (Source)
Then there’s the fact that Apple opened its own Stores – not one or two, but five! – in the Twin Cities area, which obviously cut into FirstTech’s sales as well.
On the upside, for customers in the area, FirstTech is holding a going-out-of-business sale, which starts today.


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The Council for Leather Exports (CLE) is pressing the Planning Commission for the finalisation of the leather industry modernisation plan. The 10th Plan allocation for the leather sector is Rs 290 crore. This is expected to generate an investment of Rs 1200 crore by the existing units, according to Mr S Audiseshiah, executive director, CLE.
The expected foreign direct investments are mainly from Spain, Portugal and Italy. Several companies in these countries are planning to relocate their manufacturing units to Asia, which is emerging as the major supply centre for finished leather and also cost-effective centres for the manufacturing of finished products.
A CLE team has just concluded its tour of Spain and had interactions with over 40 companies. At least five or six of them are expected to come to India shortly for further discussions and firming up of investment plans. Two companies are coming in August. One of them has manufacturing bases in China, Mexico and Brazil. CLE Team is also going to Italy in November-December and to Portugal sometime before March.
We are also in talks with some of the major industrial houses in the country and inviting them to invest in leather sector, Mr Audiseshiah said.
The CLE proposal is to increase exports to $4 billion by 2010. Of this $2.5 billion is planned to come from footwear alone against $800 million now. We can achieve this only through increased investments and production, he said.
To provide the Indian and foreign investors well-laid out infrastructure and logistics, CLE is setting up a leather goods park in Kolkata and footwear components park in Agra and at Irungattukottai, near Chennai.
The Andhra Pradesh government will be setting up a modern tannery complex in Nellore. Tamil Nadu government is also planning to set up a footwear park at Irungattukottai, close to the CLE components park.
According to CLE chairman Mr S S Kumar, these parks will, to a large extent, address the issue of adding new capacities. The components park will take care of the present inadequate availability of quality components and volume as well.
The 10th Plan allocation for the leather industry will mainly be used to catalyse the modernisation of the exisiting units. This modernisation will certainly make positive contribution towards product development, productivity, unit viability and also capacity addition, Mr Kumar adds.
In order to increase its global image in the supply chain of leather, a by-product of the meat industry, CLE is playing the lead role in modernising the systems and procedures in animal market yards, abettoirs and transportation of animals.
Mr Audiseshiah told FE that a pilot project to introduce the best practices has been initiated in Pollachi, near Coimbatore, South Indias largest animal market, with the support of the German buyers of Indian leather products, the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) which is a US-based non-governmental organisations fighting against leather all over the world, and the Tamil Nadu government through the district administration.
The project costing Rs 1 crore, mostly funded by the supporting agencies, will be replicated in 20 other major market places in the country. One of them will be in Kolkata. Another one will be in Kerala. The exact location is yet to be decided.
Meanwhile, leather exports for the first time crossed $2 billion during 2003-04 and touched $2094.33 million aganst $1875.21 million in the previous year. Leather footwer was the star performer with 27.5 per cent jump in exports to $539.70 million from $423.30 million. Export of footwear components are steadily going down since the overseas buyers prefer full shoes and not parts.


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London, 09 November 2022 – Playtech, the world’s leading gambling technology company, has welcomed the latest arrival to its iPoker Italian network, with one of Italy’s largest operators, Lottomatica, joining the network, following the successful launch of Goldbet.it earlier this year.
Part of the Gamenet Group, Lottomatica has a long history and strong heritage in the Italian market, ranking in the top five Poker operators in Italy for both 2021 and 2022 to date.
Marat Koss, VP of Interactive Gaming at Playtech, comments: “We’re very proud to be welcoming one of the most established brands in the Italian market to the iPoker network. Our Italian network is enjoying significant expansion this year, and we believe Lottomatica’s decision to choose Playtech as its new provider reflects our commitment to the Italian market, our Poker product and network, and of course, the wider vertical. We are looking forward to a long and successful partnership with one of Italy’s biggest operators.”
Alessandro Fiumara, Managing Director Betting & Digital Italy at Lottomatica, adds: “We are delighted to be partnering with Playtech and joining the largest iPoker network in Italy. With a long history of investment in and expansion of the Poker market in Italy and worldwide, we firmly believe Playtech’s ambition and long-term vision for Poker makes them the ideal choice of provider. With over 50 years of experience between us, Playtech and Lottomatica are a natural partnership, and everyone here is very much looking forward to continuing to develop our business together.”
– Ends –
Founded in 1999 and premium listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange, Playtech is a technology leader in the gambling and financial trading industries with over c. 6,600 employees across 26 countries.
Playtech is the gambling industry's leading technology company delivering business intelligence driven gambling software, services, content and platform technology across the industry's most popular product verticals, including, casino, live casino, sports betting, virtual sports, bingo and poker. It is the pioneer of omni-channel gambling technology through its integrated platform technology, Playtech ONE. Playtech ONE delivers data driven marketing expertise, single wallet functionality, CRM and responsible gambling solutions across one single platform across product verticals and across retail and online.
Playtech partners with and invests in the leading brands in regulated and newly regulated markets to deliver its data driven gambling technology across the retail and online value chain. Playtech provides its technology on a B2B basis to the industry's leading retail and online operators, land-based casino groups and government sponsored entities such as lotteries. Playtech directly owns and operates Snai, the leading sports betting and gaming brand across online and retail in Italy.
For further information please contact:
Tom James, Felix Zadek-Ewing
+44 (0)20 3805 4822
M: +44 (0) 7818594991


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You Can Make Over 150K As A Manager At This Fast Food Place
There's a fast food chain where you can work your way up from the bottom and even make well over $100,000 at your job!
There's one fast food chain that's known for not only a simple, yet delicious menu but for the great way they treat their employees. Many argue whether In-N-Out or Whataburger has the better burger, but the decision may be pretty easy who pays their managers the better salary. The California Sun is reporting that the California food chain pays their managers a whopping $160,000 a year on average! That's triple what the average restaurant manager makes and more than the average software engineer, lawyer or architect working in the state makes. And it's not just the wages, even the benefits are better too!
The average worker starts at an impressive $13 an hour and the company not only like the promote from within, reviews on Glassdoor show that "you can move up fairly quickly with the company." Glassdoor even ranked the company as the 4th best place to work in the U.S., beating even Google! Workers at In-N-Out do say that the job can indeed get stressful at times but the perks like great pay and great benefits can make up for that. 90% of former employees recommend the company and the company's CEO Lynsi Snyder is the 36th highest rated CEO on Glassdoor. Snyder has a 94% employee approval rating on the site. So maybe the insult flipping burgers the rest of your life isn't such a bad thing if you work at In-N-Out.


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The UK was Scania Trucks' biggest market worldwide in 2016, the first time this country has topped the Swedish truck builder’s sales charts, according to Mathias Carlbaum, Scania’s executive vice president for commercial operations.
Briefing journalists ahead of the release of Scania’s 2016 results, Carlbaum said Scania’s sales across Europe were 14% up last year, outperforming the company’s overall sales growth of 6%.
The Next Generation R-series and S-series tractor units, launched in August last year, have been well received and are said to be 5% more fuel efficient than the previous generation.
Carlbaum said Scania had reduced fuel consumption by 1% every year for the past 20 years, and predicted “it will continue to do so for the next 20 years”.
Scania (GB) MD Claes Jacobsson said the company had a “fabulous year” in the UK in 2016 and he was looking forward to an “exciting” 2017.
“We will continue the transition towards the Next Generation Scania although we will continue marketing our current range throughout the year,” he said.
Andrew Jamieson, Scania (GB) new trucks sales director, said the UK market for trucks over 16-tonnes in 2016 was the second biggest ever behind 2013, pushing 2015 into third place in terms of sales volumes.
According to SMMT data, sales of rigid trucks over 16-tonnes were up 14.5% last year while sales of tractor units fell 7.5%. This means a total of 36,358 trucks over 16-tonnes were registered in 2016.
“That was way better than we expected,” said Jamieson. “Scania took 20% of the market in 2016, registering a record 7,283 vehicles, and is market leader in 3-axle tractors and the construction sector.
"We are still seeing a very strong market - our December order intake was exceptional and January too has been beyond expectations.”
This was achieved largely with the current generation of vehicles, as availability of Next Generation trucks is still low and although over 500 have been ordered, only 26 are on the road with UK fleets.
“We have a long way to go with further new products to be added to the range, and it will be an interesting period for us,” Jamieson said. “There will be plenty of new opportunities too as our philosophy of working closer with the customer to tailor solutions creates benefits in total operating economy.”
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The car maker's chief executive said the investment was a 'major milestone'
Vauxhall has announced further investment in its Luton operation where the motor company said it plans to build more vans, safeguarding 1,400 jobs at the plant, despite uncertainty caused by Brexit.
The news follows reports last month that up to 100 Vauxhall dealerships could be facing closure across the UK, threatening thousands of jobs.
The car maker said on Wednesday that it is aiming to increase production of its Opel/Vivaro model at the Luton plant to 100,000 vehicles per year, up from 60,000 produced at the plant last year.
- Read more
Volkswagen overtakes Vauxhall in UK sales rankings
According to Vauxhall, the plan “has been facilitated by both the responsible social dialogue with the Unite union guaranteeing production flexibility and the support of the UK government and Luton Borough Council, despite Brexit uncertainties”.
“Performance is the trigger for sustainability and I would like to… underline the open mindset of our union partners, as well as that of the UK government. This is a major milestone for the future of the Luton plant,” said Michael Lohscheller, chief executive of Opel/Vauxhall.
Business secretary Greg Clark said the decision to boost investment in Luton was a “vote of confidence in Vauxhall’s high skilled workforce and the UK’s world leading automotive sector”.
He added: “This investment in upgrading the production platform will safeguard and grow jobs, ensuring the future of the Luton plant well into the next decade and help ensure the plant is well positioned for future Vauxhall models to be made in the UK.”


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IAB Supports Interactive Industry Executives Voicing a Strong Position on Consumer Privacy and Benefits of Ad-Supported Internet
Interactive Advertising Drives Economic Growth and Innovation
The IAB recently reaffirmed the industry's commitment to consumer privacy and the critical role that Interactive advertising plays in the U.S. economy and as the foundation for free online content. This statement was released in support of key industry executives scheduled who appeared, at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled "An Examination of the Google-DoubleClick Merger and the Online Advertising Industry: What Are the Risks for Competition and Privacy?"
"The interactive advertising industry is proud of its long-term commitment to the protection of consumer privacy and to the fundamental principles of relevancy, transparency and accountability that are the hallmarks of the industry," stated Randall Rothenberg, President and CEO of the IAB. "Interactive advertising is a primary driver of innovation in the American economy and the principal pillar that supports the delivery of free, rich internet content, as well as free access to unparalleled products and services."
The IAB, together with its members, have developed and promulgated privacy best practices that provide the consumer with notice and choice. As digital media consumption grows, the interactive industry will be increasingly responsive to consumers and devoted to protecting their privacy, while delivering new, innovative services that improve their lives. Industry self-regulation has played a significant part in defining the rules of the road and the IAB looks forward to helping ensure that consumers receive the richest, most relevant Internet experience, while protecting their privacy.
The 2006 IAB Internet Advertising Revenue Report, conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC, showed Internet advertising revenues reaching nearly $17 billion, a 35 percent increase over the same period from a year before. This surge continued an annual growth rate that has reached as high as 40 percent over the past three years. First half 2007 revenues continue to grow significantly and are estimated at close to $10 billion.
The Internet is the sole medium that can dynamically deliver relevant and useful messages to consumers. In fact, recent research by Booz Allen Hamilton and Yankelovich showed that 55 percent of consumers polled would pay extra to receive more personalized marketing. Interactive advertising is increasingly able to address this strong consumer interest in relevancy with the advent of effective targeting tools, while still protecting their privacy.
The IAB looks forward to working with its member companies and industry consumer groups to ensure that consumer privacy remains a priority for the industry while it continues to contribute to the U.S. economy.


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VN APPAREL INDUSTRY SUFFERS DUE TO LACK OF COMPETITIVE DYEING, FABRIC SEGMENTS
Lopsided development of its various segments and dependence on imports have weakened the textile industry’s competitiveness and creativeness, experts said.
Nguyễn Văn Tuấn, chairman of the Việt Nam Cotton and Spinning Association, told Thời Báo Kinh Doanh (Business Times) newspaper that while the yarn and apparel segments had grown strongly, others like dyeing were poorly developed, causing a bottleneck.
Besides, garment companies were hugely dependent on imported fabric, he said.
In 2017, for instance, 6.5 billion metres of cloth were imported, or two thirds of the industry’s entire demand.
Việt Nam Customs data shows imports in May were worth US$1.35 billion, taking the total for the year to US$5.43 billion, a 5.8 per cent rise year-on-year.
“Because of dependence on imported fabric, companies have lost their creativity and so cannot add value,” Tuấn said.
Concurring with the idea, Trần Thị Thu Hiền of Chiến Thắng Garment Company said the main weakness of garment companies was their dependence on imported cloth, mostly from China.
That was also a reason Vietnamese companies were expected to face difficulties after the country joined free trade agreements like the CPTPP since China is not a member of these agreements.
Besides, the huge fabric import was a paradox considering two thirds of the fibre produced in the country, or 750,000 tonnes, were exported every year at increasingly lower prices.
Experts attributed this to the poor development of the dyeing segment.
They said local companies lacked proper awareness of the dyeing process. They also lacked the technologies, human resources and skills required to develop this sector.
Furthermore, there were no industrial zones fully equipped to serve the dyeing industry, they said.
Tuấn said developing the fabric and dyeing segments would be the key factor in the growth of the garment and textile industry.
He called for establishing industrial zones specialising in dyeing and cloth production.
Attracting foreign direct investment in the industry was also a key requisite for its development, he said.
Besides, there was a need for training human resources, he added.
Experts said most garment and textile companies had to hire foreign experts in dyeing, which pushes up their production costs.
So investing in the training of human resources was vital to developing the dyeing segment, they added.
1. Credit quota expansion yet to be approved for all 2. How will the US-China trade war affect Vietnam's financial market? 3. An Giang sees border import-export earnings up 23pct 4. US gets tough on Vietnamese goods' origin traceability 5. Industry ministry, EVN responsible in case of power shortage: PM ----and more news
1. Primary equipment and materials supply-bid cancel2. Surge arrester and accessories supply-bid cancel3. Vocational training equipment supply4. Road construction-bid extend5. Optical cable network construction----and more news
In other markets such as South Korea, Japan, Singapore and Thailand, a number of FDI firms are listed on the stock markets and there is no difference or discrimination between foreign-invested firms and domestic firms.
1. Prestressed concrete sleepers supply2. Contrast agent supply-bid extend3. Neuromuscular stimulation device supply4. Auxiliary materials supply-bid cancel5. Equipment and materials supply-bid extend----and more news
The successful signing of EVFTA agreement will create great opportunities for businesses and investors of both sides in the future. From an export perspective, EU is a big trading partner of Vietnam with a market of 512 million people and high income. This will be a fertile land for Vietnam's spearhead exports such as textiles, footwear, agricultural products, wooden products.
1. Foreigners legible to make term deposits at local banks 2. Loosening foreign ownership threshold in banksan irreplaceable position 3. Businesses must accept long-term investments when pursuing Insurtech model 4. Pangasius exports to Southeast Asia up 14.6 per cent 5. Vietnam sees surge of breaded shrimp exports to US ----and more news


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Though the economy is tough right now, Apple is very pleased overall with the response its getting to its educational products, Cheryl Vedoe, Apple’s vice president of education marketing & solutions, told MacCentral. In an interview with MacCentral at this week’s EDUCAUSE education conference, she talked of Apple’s success, platform preferences and the iPod.
“Arguably — or perhaps I should say objectively — we’ve got the strongest laptop line in the industry,” Vedoe told MacCentral. “The iBook has seen incredible strong acceptance in the education market and our laptop sales are growing tremendously in this area. We believe our AirPort wireless technology plus our laptops have great potential to change education, since the wireless infrastructure simplifies things.”
Though some folks complain that the iMac is getting a bit long in the tooth, Vedoe said that it’s still garnering a “significant amount” of business for Apple in the education marketplace. Though laptops sales are increasing in this market, desktops still account for 80 percent of educational hardware sales, according to IDC studies.
Vedoe said that Apple’s digital media products have also been “very well received” by K-12 and higher-ed institutions. K-12 students and teachers tend to use digital media in implementing learning exercises relevant to the students’ world, she said. In higher-ed, it’s more often used to prepare students for the professional world, she added.
“For the design and creative areas, the Mac is the professional world,” Vedoe said.
Vedoe also feels that Mac OS X 10.1 is “ready for prime time” in education. It’s already seeing a great deal of acceptance in higher-ed, and this is the year that Apple is working with K-12 schools to plan the transition, she added.
“We’ve assumed that the migration to Mac OS X in the K-12 world would be slower than in some other areas,” said Vedoe. “One reason is funding. Another is the buying cycle. Schools don’t make a transition like this in the middle of a school year. So we’re working to help K-12 schools prepare for a transition at the beginning of the next school year.”
Of course, right now, the hottest buzzword in the Mac industry is “iPod,” Apple’s new digital music device (which is actually much more). Vedoe thinks that the new digital device has a variety of applications in the education world.
Of course, high school and college students use their computers for entertainment, so the iPod is an extension of this, she said. It also fits the needs of students for light and portable items, in the same way that the iBook does, she added.
But the iPod offers more possibilities than portable entertainment. Audio files aren’t necessarily music files, Vedoe points out. She said that famous speeches by John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King could be stored on an iPod. So could an audio of Dylan Thomas reading poetry.
“And we think that that iPod could also be an ideal device for foreign language instruction, an area that’s currently served by cassettes and CDs,” Vedoe added. “We think that it offers the same potential for educational users as do DVDs, digital cameras and digital camcorders.”
With Apple’s advances in laptops and digital media, Vedoe thinks schools will increasingly consider what Apple offers when it comes to educational product purchasing. She said she hopes that educators look at the return on investment when purchasing technology and not on merely initial cost.
“Whether you’re talking about education or the business world, the right investment is the one that provides the right solution for the needs at hand,” Vedoe said. “We believe that those in education need to look for the right technological solutions for specific needs. Take digital media, for example. If you’re looking to take advantage of modern technology to motivate and inspire students and help them express themselves, it’s far more easily done on the Mac than any other PC platform. The cost to make effective use of technology is significantly lower for the Mac than any other platform.”
She said that the same argument applies to wireless capabilities, an area in which Apple also leads. Vedoe said that the bottom line comes down to one question: what gives teachers and students the best tools for learning in the classroom?


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MANILA -- Kuh Ledesma is letting go of some artworks from her collection to help people whose livelihoods have been affected by the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The singer recently started an online auction aptly called "KUHLection," featuring artworks she has bought over the years.
She said proceeds will be used to support the 30 families she has been helping during the pandemic, as well as musicians, members of the press, and other people who have lost their jobs as lockdowns continue.
"I hope that you will find something that you love that I have loved and have kept for many years," Ledesma said in a video on her Facebook page as she talked about her auction.
"Too many things, it's time to let go of it now, dahil things like this are not as important as helping other people," she added.
Ledesma kicked off the auction with two Roberto Robles installation boxes, with one of them including a poem for her husband.
Bids for each box, titled "Soldiers," start at P40,000 for the one without poetry, and P60,000 for the other.
The other artwork that Ledesma is auctioning off is the first painting she bought when she started her career as a singer.
Called "Banga," the watercolor painting by F. Castillo has a starting bid of P30,000.


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Starting this summer, the Japanese government will be testing a system in which foreign tourists will be able to verify their identities and buy things at stores using only their fingerprints.
There are hopes that this completely cardless, cashless system will attact more tourists to the country, with a goal of having the system in place by the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.
As Japanese newspaper the Yomiuri Shimbun reports, inbound tourists will register their fingerprints and other data, such as credit card information, at airports and elsewhere. Tourists can then use their fingertips for payment for goods and services and to verify their identity to hotels and other places instead of showing a passport.
It's thought that the system will encourage tourists by eliminating ATM charges, exchange rates and credit card fees when using cards abroad. It also eliminates having to carry cash which could be easily stolen or lost.
A total of 300 souvenir shops, restaurants, hotels and other establishments in popular tourist areas will participate in the experiment, with plans to gradually expand throughout the whole country, covering sites in the picturesque Tohoku region and urban districts in Nagoya by next spring.
It's not a completely new idea in Japan – In October last year, a theme park in Nagasaki introduced fingerprint payments for about 30 of its stores and restaurants.
'The system has been well received by customers, including those with children, since it saves them the trouble of taking their wallets out,' a spokesperson for the theme park told the Yomiuri Shimbun.
By collecting anonymised data on how foreign tourists use the system, analysing their movements and spending habits, data from the fingerprint system is expected to used to help improve the tourism industry as well as give good idea of the potential of fingerprint payment systems.
Japan has been ahead of the curve when it comes to biometric payments for some years – in 2015 technology giant Fujitsu rolled out palm vein authentication technology for Japanese payment company JCB, creating the first system in the world to link palm vein information with payment card data.
Its pilot involving hundreds of employees at the firm's Tokyo headquarters was the first to test out a completely cardless and contactless biometric payment system, so consumers could make purchases without a card or device.
This technology uses the veins in a person's palm, which are more difficult to falsify than fingerprints or other characteristics on the surface of the human body, so shoppers in Japan might soon be seen waving their hands over a sensor to pay for good or services without even touching anything.


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A Fast Track Decade: Analysing
10 Years of High Performance
Launch Media Briefings
28th July 2011
PLEASE NOTE, EMBARGOED UNTIL 00.01 BST ON MONDAY 1ST AUGUST 2011
GROWTH NO GUARANTEE OF SUCCESS AS 1 IN 5 FAST TRACK
Flexibility is the X factor in decade of economic change says report from SAP and Delta
UNDER EMBARGO: London, UK - 1 August 2011 – SAP UKI & Ireland and Delta Economics
have today announced findings showing that only 47% of companies that featured in the Fast
Track 100 rankings at the start of the decade are still in business today. The report, which
examines the fortunes and performance of the UK’s fastest growing companies since 2001,
finds that a business’ ability to be flexible to change has emerged as the key factor for long
Since 1996, the Fast Track 100 published by The Sunday Times, has been the definitive guide
to those small and medium sized businesses that have excelled in their first phase of
commercial growth. Using this sample of 900 businesses as the basis for further analysis, SAP
commissioned Delta Economics to assess Fast Track company performance over the past 10
years. Key findings of the survey released today, are:
Short term growth does not always link to long term success – 1 in 5 businesses
that have featured over the last 10 years in the Fast Track rankings, no longer trade.
Nearly half (44%) of these have been liquidated and a third (33%) have been acquired.
Only 47% of the 100 businesses in the 2000-2001 Fast Track are still in existence.
High growth companies are growing slower over time – Average growth rate of
businesses that featured from 2001-2005 is 29.2% versus average growth rate of
businesses from 2006-2010 is 25.5%.
Manufacturing gradually disappearing – Whilst seven manufacturing businesses
were in the 2000-2001 Fast Track, 2008 saw only two, with zero the following year.
IT has never recovered from dot com boom heyday while retail has endured
throughout – 22 IT / Telco businesses featured in the 2000-2001 entries, whilst the
highest presence since 2005 has been only four entries. With 13 retailers in 2000/2001
and 21 retailers in 2009/2010. Retail peaked in 2005 with 26 (over 1 in 4) entries.
A nation of recruiters? – In 2009/10 one in five of the Fast Track 100 were recruitment
businesses, significantly skewing this sectors contribution to national GDP, and
suggesting that there is still a dynamic jobs market.
“We wanted to answer two questions,” said Dr. Rebecca Harding, CEO of Delta Economics,
who was commissioned to analyse the data. “What happens to really successful early stage
businesses in the UK over time, and what makes already successful businesses exceptional?”
As part of the analysis, the research took the top 20 performing businesses for each of the past
10 years of the Fast Track 100 and benchmarked key attributes present in each business year.
These were management, innovation, niche, timing and flexibility. Each of these attributes is
assigned a score to create a scorecard for each to enable researchers to see which attributes
are more prevalent over time.
“The first thing to note is that high growth is not a trend that’s easy to replicate year on year, as
shown by the business failure figures from the sample,” continues Dr. Harding. “But from the
benchmark analysis, the key ingredients for longer term success in this and wider studies seem
to be innovation and the capacity to be flexible and nimble to change as well as sound
financials and investment.”
The recent financial crisis and resulting recession has clearly made it difficult for companies in
certain sectors. Sectors such as financial services, engineering, distribution and building and
property have all struggled to make an impact in the Fast Track post 2007.
John Antunes, Director of SME and Channels, for SAP UK and Ireland, said; “It’s really
interesting to plot macro events against UK Fast Track performance over the last decade as
you start to see how certain sectors have struggled or thrived in what has been a truly turbulent
time. In our experience of working with high growth small and medium companies, many of
them hit a wall where they need a more grown-up approach to how they manage their
businesses. Often it’s not just about selling more or having an amazing idea that flies, but
running your business better, more consistently and transparently.”
Ross Marshall, co-founder of twice-featured Fast Track 100 business Your Golf Travel, ranking
15th in 2009 and 6th in 2010, commented; “Since launching in 2005 Your Golf Travel has
grown exponentially, achieving growth of over 158% to reach sales of £27 million in 2010. It’s
been a turbulent time economically, and in order to survive and grow successfully the business
has had to be flexible in its approach and adapt as required from year-to-year. Your Golf Travel
has found a niche and built a strong business around that, but the need to be innovative,
reactive and flexible has kept everyone involved with the company alert throughout. It’s not just
about achieving strong sales – it’s about properly preparing our business for growth to stay
ahead in the market.”
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Octopus Communications at SAP@octopuscomms.net


text:
Tuesday, May 15, 2018
Supply Chain Management – Make or Break – The Struggle to Share
In a recent Sunday Business Post article, VisionID Sales Manager Andrew Daly discusses how data capture technologies can improve supply chain management and reduce instances of breakdowns in the supply chain.
Friday, March 30, 2018
VisionID and GS1 Ireland joint webinar on RFID technology in Healthcare
RFID technology has been around for many years, but only recently the healthcare sector has started to embrace the applications and benefits it can offer. With VisionID being part of a number of RFID projects in hospitals across Ireland over the past five years, we are seeing a growing interest in RFID with applications such as tracking and management of assets, devices, supplies, precious samples and patients.
Wednesday, March 28, 2018
ID the key to Internet of Things, says VisionID’s Jones
Robert Jones, VisionID’s Managing Director has delivered numerous pieces on IOT over the last few years. One of which was with TechCentral where he discussed how it can be used in manufacturing to create a smarter manufacturing process.
Tuesday, February 20, 2018
Zebra TC25 - The rugged smartphone designed for small business
Zebra technologies have launched a new rugged Android operated smartphone, designed for field use and rough environments. For field workers who work in delivering parcels, repairing equipment or providing services such as plumbing and electrical. They need a tool that has a fast connection and smart technology that will allow them to complete more tasks while on the move.
Wednesday, February 07, 2018
Mobile Business - the writings on the wall
There is a growing shift in the rugged mobile technology world with more organisations making the OS switch to Android due to the end of support of Window CE. Read our recent article explaining the benefits of Enterprise Mobility solutions utilising Android.
Wednesday, January 31, 2018
The MC3300 - The next generation in business-class Android mobile devices.
Zebra Technologies have launched the MC3300 mobile computer, their new rugged, keypad based handheld computer based on Zebra’s field proven Android platform with guaranteed security support via Lifeguard.
Wednesday, January 24, 2018
VisionID and Cobalt Systems announce partnership
VisionID is delighted to announce our new partnership with Cobalt Systems, who are the leading manufacturer of high-performance, real-time, automated barcode labelling solution for the manufacturing sector. This partnership will enable us to provide a complete end-to-end automated barcode labelling solution, with Cobalt Systems providing the automation barcode labelling machinery
Friday, December 08, 2017
Sunday Business Post - Enterprise Mobility
Companies that have many mobile devices have the major headache of managing and supporting all the devices. In the December Connected magazine, Kenneth Arthur, Chief Commercial Officer at VisionID discussed the benefits of outsourcing support through a managed service.
Friday, December 08, 2017
Sunday Business Post – ICT in Retail 2017
Online shopping is continuing to grow, but advancements in retail technology are set to change the brick and mortar shopping experience. Kenneth Arthur, Chief Commercial Officer for VisionID, discussed the latest in retail technologies on The Sunday Business Post’s “ICT in Retail 2017”.
Thursday, October 26, 2017
The TC20. The small business tool that helps you do business better, smarter and faster.
You’re running a small business. And that means there’s so much to do — and so little time. Now, there’s a new small business tool that gives you everything you need to be more successful —the TC20 mobile computer from Zebra.
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
RFID in Healthcare: Tracking of assets and patients
Today healthcare providers are looking for technology to help automate and streamline their processes so they can improve efficiency and patient care. VisionID, along with ASD recently delivered a presentation at the recent BEAI conference. At this conference, VisionID and ASD gave an overview of how RFID technology in the hospital can help healthcare providers to track and locate vital medical equipment and track the movements of patients.
Monday, October 23, 2017
The Sunday Business Post – ICT in Healthcare
Lisa Molloy, VisionID's Healthcare Solutions Manager, discusses the applications and benefits of RFID in the Sunday Business Post's ICT in Healthcare edition. Read the full article to learn about the multiple application of RFID and it's use cases in to the healthcare industry.
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
The Sunday Business Post - ICT in Manufacturing 2017
Read our recent ICT in Manufacturing article featured in the Sunday Business Post discussing our project with Kerry Group on improving visibility and efficiency across their warehouses worldwide.
Friday, September 15, 2017
The DS8100 series - new 2D general purpose handheld imagers from Zebra
With the introduction of the DS8100 series handheld imager this year, the DS6707 and DS6708 are now in the process of going end of life.
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
ZT600 Series Industrial Printers Launch
To keep your critical operations running smoothly, you need high-performance industrial printing systems. View Zebra’s ZT610 and ZT620 industrial printers offering next-generation operational visibility, control and adaptability to meet your evolving needs
Tuesday, March 21, 2017
VisionID and GS1 Ireland Announce Partnership
Collaborating on bringing next generation standards-based solutions for the Manufacturing, Retail and Healthcare sectors.
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
DS3608 DPM Ultra-Rugged DPM Scanner launched
Zebra DS3608 DPM Ultra-Rugged DPM Scanner launched.
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Business Development Executive
We are now looking for an additional Business Development Executive with relevant experience to join our high calibre Sales Team.


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When KON (KingOfNothing) artist Pencil Rebellion agreed to rock the cover art for the Thundamentals highly anticipated sophomore album Foreverlution we knew it would be nothing short of epic. We’ve scored a sneak peek at the two options for the album due for release on July 29, through Obese Records. So without further a due feast your eyes below and be sure to cop yourself a copy when it drops!
Respected Sydney Hip Hop crew Thundamentals have been getting your heads nodding from bedrooms to festivals across Australia since their self titled E.P in 2008. To celebrate Thundamentals impending release of their sophomore album Foreverlution, along with their recent signing with Sydney clothing label KON (KingOfNothing) apparel, Thundamentals & KON (KingOfNothing) are offering a unique opportunity to all up and coming artists + designers around Australia to design Thundamentals new T-Shirt!
Artists and Designers are encouraged to be as creative as possible with their designs, entrants will be shortlisted and judged by a panel of hotshots from the Art and Hip-Hop community and Thundamentals Fans. The winning design will be sold on tour and in stores nationwide. Winners will receive a KON/Thundamentals prizepack which will include $500 cash, tickets to Thundamentals album launch tour, a signed copy of the coming album, and a one off T-Shirt in the colourway of your choice.
The theme for the T-Shirt should be inspired by Thundamentals new single Paint The Town Red.
You can find a T-Shirt template here.
Listen out on Triple J for the new single from tomorrow, live stream coming soon.
– Submitted in jpg format (no larger than 3megs)
– Submitted to firstname.lastname@example.org
More information can be found here.