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The new Getty Images watermark used on all stock photos is worth talking about! It is innovative, informative and different. All stock photo agencies have a watermark that is placed on their stock photos to protect unauthorized use of their stock photo inventory before it is purchased. This new watermark highlights not the agency but the photographer with reference to the agency that is selling the stock photo. Now that is cool!
Getty Images is giving credit where credit is due, the photographer who dreamed up and took the photo, not the agency who sells the photo. Each stock photo agency uses a watermark that highlights their agency, with text credit given to each photographer. As digital images become more popular, photographers will also become more popular. Personal branding is where it is at online, and Getty is making sure that photographers are assisted in that personal branding message.
The new watermark will:
- Display custom URLs which incorporates image number codes along with the URL, which offers customers a simple resource to find the image
- Celebrate our photographers and contributors
- Enable the image to be viewed as a whole, transforming a barrier into a benefit
- Streamline image sourcing for customers
Jim Gurke, Senior Vice President, Marketing at Getty Images said about the new watermark, “Our new watermark now reflects what Getty Images is all about – sharing inspiring content while adding context and value, Getty Imgaes promo code here. Furthermore, it also streamlines image sourcing, making it easier for our customers to access our content quickly and effectively.” The watermark is a new innovation done through a collaborative effect between Getty Images and with R/GA London.
Tell Getty Images what you think of the new watermark at #gettywatermark and let Stock Photo Secrets in on the love when you tweet @buystockphotos! There has been a lot of news this week in the stock photo agency work, read more interesting news in our news area!


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Amazon to lease 10 more freighters from ATSG for Wilmington air park
E-RETAILER giant Amazon plans to open a new air gateway at Wilmington air park and use Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport as its air cargo hub
E-RETAILER giant Amazon plans to open a new air gateway at Wilmington air park and use Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport as its air cargo hub.
In this regard, Air Transport Services Group in Wilmington has agreed to lease another 10 freight airliners to Amazon for delivery services. According to the terms of the agreement, ATSG will provide Amazon with five more airplanes in 2019 and then the second five planes in 2020 each with 10-year lease agreements.
'We're pleased to expand and extend for several years our support of Amazon's exceptional ability to provide reliable and fast delivery to its customers,' said ATSG president Joe Hete reported Dayton's WHIOTV.
Amazon will be provided incentives to lease up to 17 additional cargo planes from ATSG on top of the 30 the retailer already plans to lease, as part of the deal in which Amazon would also be granted 'warrant rights' in order to expand its equity stake in the airline leaser.
ATSG's latest tie up with Amazon comes as the air services provider announced in December that it would acquire 20 Boeing 767s from Jetran over the coming three years.
'By expanding the Amazon Air network through our partnership with ATSG we're able to ensure we have the capacity to quickly and efficiently deliver packages to customers for years to come,' explained Amazon senior vice president of worldwide operations Dave Clark.

domain: news


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Nike promotes Neil Potter to UK digital brand director role
Nike has promoted Neil Potter to a newly-created UK digital brand director role, in a possible sign that it will step up its UK digital activity.
Neil Potter: becomes UK digital brand director for Nike
Potter was previously Nike’s brand communications manager for western Europe and, prior to that, led marketing for its football, rugby and athletic training ranges.
He confirmed the move to Marketing, but declined to comment further on his new remit. It is understood that he will be responsible for all digital marketing activity in the UK.
Potter featured in Marketing’s Power 100 list of the brightest and best young marketers in the UK, with his achievements including responsibility for film clips of Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney for Nike’s 2012 ‘My Time is Now’ campaign. He also ran the brand's Champions League 'Glory is Ours' campaign in 2011.
The move comes after a series of changes at Nike this month, with global senior director of social media Musa Tariq joining Apple to oversee its digital marketing, and the appointment of Heidi O’Neill to the newly created vice president and general manager of stores role.
This article was first published on marketingmagazine.co.uk
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By TFB Staff
It is hard to find an AK enthusiast who does not know about Zastava. Founded in 1853 in Serbia, to this day Zastava Arms remains to be one of the largest arms manufacturers in the region. For many years, several companies imported Zastava AK variants which became very popular in the US. But recently, just […]
The post [SHOT 2019] Serbian AKs and pistols from Zastava Arms USA appeared first on The Firearm Blog.
Source:: The Firearm Blog


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FMCG retailer Profi opened today its first store in Bacau and the 151st in the country. The new store has a sales area of 368 sqm and employs 22 people.
The retailer announced at the beginning of the year plans to open some 45 outlets in 2013 will require investments of about EUR 18 million.
In addition to its existing proximity format, this year the Profi will launch two new smaller formats – Profi City which is adapted for large urban areas and Profi Loco which will be opened in rural areas. The first two such stores could be opened this May in Transylvania but the development in urban areas remains the company’s focus.
Profi closed 2012 with a network of 149 stores, 45 of which were opened the same year.
The retailer said the business remained on an upward trend last year in terms of global as well as like-for-like sales but the actual financial results for 2012 will be made public in a few weeks.
Profi reported in 2011 sales of RON 1.04 billion (approximately EUR 214.5 million), up 29 percent y-o-y. The growth was mainly generated by the opening of 26 new stores, while like-for-like sales growth was 7.5 percent.
Profi stores are owned by Enterprise Investors, a Polish private equity company that bought the retail network in 2010 from Duna Waiting Participation for EUR 66 million.


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After a more than eight-hour outage, the Epic Games Store appears to finally be back online, meaning you should finally be able to claim Rockstar’s smash hit Grand Theft Auto V download for free until May 21st.
The Epic Games Store had been counting down to the launch of an unnamed free title at 11AM ET today, and we learned last night that game would be GTA 5, thanks to an early tweet posted by Epic Games’ official Twitter account. However, when the time came for the deal for the game to go live, the Epic Games Store went down, presumably as people tried to refresh the site to claim the free title.
Epic acknowledged the outage in an 11:05AM ET tweet, and in a 12:58PM ET tweet the company said the store was still experiencing issues:
We are currently experiencing high traffic on the Epic Games Store.
We are aware that users may be encountering slow loading times, 500 errors, or launcher crashing at this time and we are actively working to scale. We’ll provide an update as soon as we can.
— Epic Games Store (@EpicGames) May 14, 2020
The heavy traffic to the store may have affected other Epic services as well, as an official Fortnite Twitter account said Epic was “investigating issues” on PC and Mac and later said there were also issues on iOS and Android. Epic’s Battle Breakers mobile game was also experiencing issues during the day. However, according to Epic’s status page, both Fortnite and Battle Breakers are now fully operational again.
Epic is letting you claim the Premium Edition of GTA 5 download, which includes “the complete GTA V story, Grand Theft Auto Online and all existing gameplay upgrades and content,” according to the studio, as well as the Criminal Enterprise Starter Pack, which gives you additional content and $1,000,000 bonus cash for GTA Online.
Before snagging your copy, you should know that Epic is now requiring people have two-factor authentication turned on to claim free games. If you need a guide on how to turn on two-factor authentication for your account, Epic has one you can follow here.
Epic has given away dozens of free titles since launching its PC store in December 2018, and the company said in January it plans to continue to give away free games through 2020.


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Xperia users can now rejoice because Sony just “liberated” the Android update to Xperia M2 devices. The new Android Lollipop update has finally reached Single and Dual-SIM Xperia handsets as well as the M2 Aqua model. This is not a rumor as members from the Sony community confirmed it.
Everyone has heard about the improvements that come along with the Android Lollipop update. If you don’t remember, let us refresh your memory a bit.
- Enhanced ART.
- Top-notch stability.
- Okay Google is now working like clockwork.
- The Wi-Fi switch has been added to Quick Settings (having Bluetooth by its side) and the list doesn’t stop here. The issue that was causing multiple apps to crash out of the blue, the memory leak to be more precise was also fixed. So, as you can see from these examples, there are lots of things to look forward as far as the Android Lollipop is concerned.
The LinkedIn app will also be part of the Sony update and will also roll out with bug fixes. And that’s not all. Sony has gone all out and has decided to implement an option that permits you to take selfies. This can be used with SmartWear. If you’re the lucky owner of a Sony SmartWatch 3, the latter gizmo can be used as a push-knob.
Now that the Android Lollipop update has finally been set in motion for the Xperia M2 series, Sony has successfully completed its list of devices that were scheduled to receive the update.
What’s next? Well, we are looking forward to see Sony’s upcoming list of devices that will embrace the new Android Marshmallow. HTC apparently pulled out a big list handsets that are ready to receive the OS upgrade. So, we’re just wondering which of Sony’s devices will qualify for the Android M rollout, aren’t you?


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Fortunately, a few outspoken critics are leading a charge against the food industrys high-powered lobbyists, and theyve made a movie, Food, Inc., which you can see this Sunday at the Miami Beach Cinematheque. Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation, teamed up with filmmaker Robert Kenner to dish the truth about what your grocery stores and restaurants arent telling you. Featured interviewees include Michael Pollan, author of In Defense of Food, and Barbara Kowalcyk, whose 2-year-old son Kevin died from eating a piece of contaminated meat. Think shes motivated to change the industry?
Sun., Aug. 23, 7 p.m., 2009


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Telecommunications giant, Globacom recently fulfilled its promise to its subscribers as a new set of winners emerged in its social media talent competition tagged GLOIN60SECONDS.
The company disclosed in a statement released from its head office in Lagos that prizes were presented to all the six winners at selected Globacom’s sales and customer service outlets, Gloworld shops in different parts of the country.
In Lagos, Doyinsola Hazfeezah Salau, a law student of University of Lagos and a medical student at the same University, Ngini Chinazom received their prizes at Gloworld shop, Ikeja City Mall and at Adeniran Ogunsanya, Surulere respectively as both enthused for emerging winners out of millions of prospective customers who uploaded their videos.
“I am happy and very delighted to receive the prize,” said Doyinsola, while a highly ecstatic, Chinazom commended Globacom for empowering the youth through the competition. “I thank Globacom for this opportunity; I will continue to post more videos until the end of the competition. I might be lucky a second time,” Chinazom said.


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Haith Group and Grimme UK & Ireland Announce Strategic Partnership
May 01, 2020
Two of the most respected and well-known agricultural machinery manufacturers have announced a strategic collaboration for the UK and Ireland.
The Potato Sustainability Alliance Announces Yara North America as Newest Member
April 22, 2020
Yara North America, a market leader in crop nutrition, has joined the Potato Sustainability Alliance. As a member, Yara will work with processors, packers, buyers, grower organizations, conservation groups, academia, and other stakeholders.
Québec Parmentier announces merger with Patate-Saint-Ambroise
April 08, 2020
Québec Parmentier merges with Patate-Saint-Ambroise of Saguenay. The joint announcement was made by Pierre Chouinard, Chief Executive Officer of Québec Parmentier and Mathieu Bouchard, President of Patate-Saint-Ambroise.
The Potato Sustainability Alliance Announces Newest Member
March 23, 2020
As the Potato Sustainability Alliance continues to expand, it has welcomed the Charlottetown, P.E.I.-based breeding and seed potato trading company HZPC Americas Corp as its newest member.
Transforming potato waste into a new industry for Australia
March 06, 2020
Four of the largest potato producers in Australia want to convert 100% of their potato waste into commercial benefit through their partnership with the Fight Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre (CRC).
PepsiCo's Be & Cheery Acquisition Targets Online Snacks Growth in China
February 25, 2020
This weekend, PepsiCo, Inc. announced that it had agreed to acquire Hangzhou Haomusi Food Co., Ltd. ('Be & Cheery'), one of the largest online snacks companies in China, from Haoxiangni Health Food Co., Ltd. ('Haoxiangni') for USD 705 million.
The Good Bean Creates Legume-Based Snacking Powerhouse with Acquisition of Beanitos
February 18, 2020
The Good Bean, pioneer of deliciously roasted chickpea snacks and category leader, has acquired Beanitos, maker of better-for-you bean-based chips and puffs.
Volm Partner Manter buys a stake in Solidtec, a manufacturer of palletising systems
January 30, 2020
Volm Companies, Inc., a leading supplier of packaging solutions to the fresh produce industry, has announced that its partner Manter International B.V. in Emmen, Netherlands, has acquired shares of Solidtec BV, a manufacturer of palletising systems.
Gowan acquires late blight, rhizoctonia protection agents from Bayer
January 17, 2020
Gowan Crop Protection Limited, an affiliate of Gowan Co. LLC., has entered into agreements with Bayer AG to acquire rights to the active ingredients fenamidone and pencycuron.
Dutch Potato Processor Aviko acquires Chinese French Fries Producer Hongyuan Louis
January 15, 2020
Aviko, one of Europe’s largest producers of fresh, frozen, dried and specialty potato products has reached an agreement with Hongyuan Agriculture to acquire 90% of its shares in Hongyuan Louis


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A pop-up Under Armour store is coming to Manchester this week offering families big discounts.
Clothing, footwear and accessories for men, women and children will be up for grabs from the popular sports brand.
The sample products are being sold off in a three-day event at the Chorlton branch of the British Heart Foundation.
The high quality sportswear will be going on sale at huge markdown prices, with all money raised from sales going towards the BHF’s life saving research into heart and circulatory diseases.
Taking place from 9am on Friday, January 24 until 4pm on January 26, the charity hopes people looking to get fit as part of their New Year’s resolution will take advantage of the deals on hoodies, fitness wear, trainers and more and show their support for the charity’s vital work.
Not only will the sports brand be donating all money raised by the sales to the BHF, but the company’s head office will also be volunteering at the Wilbraham Road shop over the course of the weekend.
This came about in a show of solidarity of their colleague who was recently personally affected by heart disease. They will be chatting to customers, advising on technical and sizing questions and helping provide the charity with much-needed volunteering hours.
Jane Flannery, regional director at the British Heart Foundation, said: “We’re so grateful to Under Armour for their support and generosity in donating their stock and helping us arrange this takeover of our Chorlton shop.
"We hope the sales of this incredible sportswear brand will help raise much needed funds for research into devastating conditions such as heart attack, stroke and vascular dementia."
Each year, 935 people lose their life to heart and circulatory diseases in Manchester and currently 49,400 people are living with these devastating conditions across the city.
All money raised from the Under Armour partnership will go towards accelerating research into new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat heart and circulatory diseases.


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Supermarkets have a role to play in reducing food waste according to Wicklow Fine Gael TD and Ireland South European candidate Andrew Doyle.
Doyle, who mentioned that if food waste was a country it would be the third highest emitter of greenhouse gases, aims to oversee the introduction of outlets that sell waste food at reduced prices.
Doyle said that changing the way we view out of date food could drastically reduced the amount of waste in our household bins, stating that supermarkets need to change their strategy to focus on selling better, not selling more.
“Every year, one third of food bought in our Irish supermarkets is thrown in the bin, costing households about €1000. As a nation we are binning one million tonnes of food every year. This is a hefty enough chunk of the 89 million tonnes of food wasted across Europe annually and shameful when we consider that 15% of our population has experienced food poverty at some point. This rises to 35% for those on low incomes.”
“It has been estimated that all the world’s nearly one billion hungry people could be lifted out of malnourishment on less than a quarter of the food that is wasted in Europe, the UK and the US. More responsibility needs to be laid on the giant supermarket chains which are generating huge profit margins.” said Doyle.
Doyle used Denmark as an example of a country that has managed to drastically reduced its food wastage through innovative strategies, saying Ireland should strive to achieving similar goals.
“Denmark has managed to reduce its waste total by 25% over the past five years, by changing the way they look at out of date produce. Most major supermarket chains now offer food that is close to or just beyond its ‘Best Before’ or ‘Sell By’ dates, at a reduced price. While Irish supermarkets do engage in this practice, the offering of products is not as extensive as it should be.”
“A specialised Danish company has opened two shops in Copenhagen. All of its products are donated by producers, import-export companies and supermarkets and sold at more or less half their normal price. This is good news for the consumer as they are buying proper food for reduced prices – and the profits are donated to charity.”
“I see scope to grow this idea in Ireland, particularly as we know that one in eight of our citizens have experienced food poverty at some point, and will be exploring this idea if elected to the European Parliament,” added Doyle.
Doyle concluded by saying that our challenge is forcing supermarkets to incorporate shared responsibility, while also improving our own personal habits.
“Our challenge in Ireland is to force, through improving our own habits, supermarkets to take on their share of social responsibility. Increasing the amount of end-of-life products for sale, donating these products to worthy charities, being transparent about where the excess food goes. All will go some distance towards changing how we view food and our consumption of it,” concluded Doyle.


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MILAN — Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, celebrating their fashion company's 20th anniversary, are giving themselves a gift — control of their successful diffusion line, D&G.
The Italian fashion house announced Wednesday the termination of its 12-year license for the production of D&G with Italy's IT Holding, which owns Ferré, Malo and Exte and holds licenses for jeans and diffusion collections, including Just Cavalli and Versus.
The last IT Holding-produced D&G collection will be for fall-winter 2006-2007. Dolce & Gabbana will take production in-house starting with the spring 2007 collection.
Dolce & Gabbana said in a statement it decided not to renew the license, first signed in 1993, as part of its strategy to exert greater control over the brand. That process began in 2000 when the company took over production and distribution of previously licensed lines, such as knitwear, underwear and swimwear, among others.
"We are very grateful to [IT Holding] for the work done during these years, as well as for carrying out this project with enthusiasm and professionalism," Cristiana Ruella, Dolce & Gabbana's chief operating officer, said in a statement. She said the line had achieved "excellent results."
Relations between Dolce & Gabbana and IT Holding began to cool in 2002 when the company renewed the D&G license but changed its dynamics by taking control of D&G's distribution. The loss of the D&G license is a setback for IT Holding, which has recently had to reevaluate its strategy, selling non-core assets and concentrating on areas like accessories.
IT Holding said the termination of the D&G license would not affect 2005 and 2006 financial results. However, the firm said it anticipated revenue would fall 16.2 percent to 570 million euros, or $685 million, in 2007 from its 2005 estimate of 680 million euros, or $817.2 million. The license generated an estimated 200 million euros, or $240.4 million at average exchange rates — 30 percent of IT Holding's 2004 revenue, a company spokesman said.
"The plans to expand our licensed brands continue and we do not exclude the possibility of being able to take advantage of new market opportunities to enrich our portfolio of licenses," Tonino Perna, chairman and chief executive officer of IT Holding, said in a statement.On a positive note, IT Holding said that in the next three years it would have about 90 million euros, or $108.5 million, more in cash flow to dedicate to other projects.
The freed-up capital comes from what would have been spent on the D&G license. The company also said sales should rebound in 2009 to around 670 million euros, or $805.2 million, because of growth in accessories and its other brands.
Although sales at Ferré have increased since IT Holding acquired the brand in 2000, the publicly traded company has struggled to revitalize the fashion house's image and make it more competitive with other luxury brands. The launch of the younger street-oriented line, GF Ferré, hasn't generated the same kind of buzz as other diffusion lines.
Faced with a debt load estimated at 365.5 million euros, or $439.3 million, in 2004, IT Holding has had to shed many of its subsidiaries over the past year, including the Romeo Gigli brand, its fragrance division, ITF, and its eyewear manufacturer, Allison.
In terms of its licensing division, IT Holding was able to generate a new source of revenue when it added the C'N'C Costume National license in 2003 to its stable of collections that include Just Cavalli, Versus and Versace Jeans Couture. However, Versace, in the middle of its own restructuring plan, is said to be evaluating the future of the Versus line. Once a seasonal presence during the Milan collections, Versace stopped showing Versus on the runway last year.
@pantone announced their Color of the Year 2018: Ultra Violet. Nearly 20 months after the musician Prince’s death, fashion is having a purple moment. Varying shades of purple appeared on spring or fall runways, from @christopherkane to @calvinklein. @gucci’s Alessandro Michele bathed his fall runway in ultra violet-colored light at one point. Pantone 18-3838 is meant to “push the boundaries of what inspires us to look upward and outward to the future.” #wwdnews #wwdfashion (📷: @kukukuba)
@badgalriri’s @fentybeauty launch in September was a massive success on social media, powering $72.9 million of earned media value, according to Tribe Dynamics. The brand’s foundation offering sparked conversations about diversity in beauty, launching the growth of emerging influencers and propelling the brand’s support on social media. Today, #fentybeauty won Launch of the Year at the WWD #BeautyIncAwards. (📷: Chema Moya/EPE-EFE)
@marianna_hewitt has become one of the most influential content creators in the beauty space, with almost 800,000 Instagram followers and a newly launched skin care line called @SummerFridays. Today, she was awarded Influencer of the Year at the WWD #BeautyIncAwards. (📸: @sophiachabbott )
As shopping behaviors evolve, the retail experience must follow. Head over to retail experts @colliersinternational’s Knowledge Leader series to read more about the shift in our shopping era. #colliersretail #lovecolliers
@prada opened a pop-up club, called Prada Double Club, in collaboration with German artist Cartsen Höller at @artbasel Miami. Last night, guests – including @youngparis, @ritaora and even Miuccia Prada herself – gathered in a former ice factory where the pop-up is housed for a performance from @wyclefjean. Go to WWD.com for full coverage on all the exhibits, parties and more at #ArtBaselMiami. #wwdeye (📷: @lexieblacklock)
@louboutinworld and @disney are making magic once again, creating a set of shoe designs for the release of “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.” Louboutin designed a pair of shoes for each of the film’s four female leads: Rey (@daisyridrey), Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo (@lauradern), Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie) and Rose Tico (@kellymarietran). The shoes will debut on Saturday at the L.A. premiere of the latest episode. #wwdfashion
Today at the #BeautyIncAwards 2017, WWD will be joined by beauty leaders from around the world as we honor this year's most innovative people, products, brands and places. Follow along here and on Twitter for live coverage from the exclusive event. #wwdsummits (📷: @elizaflorendo)
Exclusive: Beauty superinfluencer @marianna_hewitt is launching her first-ever skin care brand with her business partner @laurengores. Their new line Summer Fridays, which will be sold exclusively at summerfridays.com starting in January, is launching with just one product – a hydrating cream Jet Lag Mask. “We wanted to focus on one product that was amazing,” said Hewitt. Read the full interview on WWD.com. Link in bio. #wwdbeauty #wwdnews
Michelin star-rated chef PJ Calapa marks his first solo endeavor with today’s opening of @scampinyc –– the new Southern Italian restaurant located in Manhattans’ Flatiron District. The upscale yet welcoming environment matches the menu, which includes two types of scampi: traditional Italian langoustines in butter and the Americanized version with shrimp over pasta 🍤 - pictured here. #wwdeye (📷: George Chinsee)


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IDC Directions’ returns to South Africa to provide ICT industry with strategic guidance
IDC Directions 2020, the seminal ICT industry event for Sub-Saharan Africa, takes place at The Maslow Hotel, Sandton in Johannesburg on January 30. Hosted by International Data Corporation (IDC), the event will bring together South Africa’s most influential technology vendors, telecommunications operators, and IT service providers, delivering expert guidance on the challenges and opportunities that lie in wait as the digital economy enters a new phase of evolution.
“Over the past five years, IDC has documented the rise of the digital economy and advised organisations on their digital transformation strategies,” says Jyoti Lalchandani, IDC’s group vice president and regional managing director, who will be delivering the event’s keynote speech.
“Today, the digital economy is at a critical tipping point. In just a few short years, IDC forecasts that nearly half of all GDP worldwide will come from products and services offered by digitally transformed organisations. As such, technology suppliers must transform their approach in order to meet the new buying requirements of their digital customers and connect technology to the business goals of a new digital-inspired CEO agenda.”
Running under the theme ‘Multiplied Innovation Goes Mainstream: Thriving in the Digital Economy’, IDC Directions 2020 will see prominent IDC thought leaders share their latest forecasts and predictions for South Africa’s technology markets as they contextualise the impact of global trends on the local environment. Offering a unique opportunity to interact with IDC’s industry-leading analysts, the event will provide senior ICT industry executives with in-depth analysis of the latest trends and developments shaping South Africa’s ICT outlook, helping them to pinpoint the key sectors and segments to target.
“With greater clarity about what the future enterprise will look like and what will be required to compete in redefined industries, organisations are rethinking their digital transformation strategies,” says Mark Walker, IDC’s associate vice president for South Africa.
“As such, they are increasingly pivoting away from digital for the sake of innovation to digital for the sake of the business. There is now a focus on applying digital technologies to address the future of work, customer engagement, intelligence, operations, and leadership. Digital presents a multibillion-dollar tech opportunity for suppliers, but a new playbook is required that is focused on creating business value, scaling digital innovation, and embracing future of work.”
The event will examine the evolving priorities of C-suite executives across South Africa, while dedicated sessions will offer strategic guidance on enabling a secure, agile, and scalable digital enterprise for the future. There will also be fascinating fiscal insights from Gina Schoeman, economist and head of research at Citibank South Africa.


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Britvic-owned squash brand Robinsons is set to launch a multi-million pound ad campaign, its first following a re-brand to reflect the shift in consumer preferences towards a more balanced diet.
Running under the new 'Play Thirsty' strapline the campaign is under pinned by a 60 second TV ad, which promotes new flavours to the Robinson's squash range.
Digital outdoor and online advertising will support the TV spot, which runs until mid June.
Robinsons hopes the new campaign will deliver more shoppers to the category by creating new consumption behaviours. Last year, the total squash and cordial category fell by 3.8 per cent year-on-year in 2014 to £514.2m.
Helen Gorman, kids and family brand director at Britvic Soft Drinks said that the launch of the new TV creative and marketing activity reflects Robinsons commitment to the squash category.
"Our investment in media and innovation ensures that our brands continue to satisfy consumers’ ever-changing tastes and preferences. We are extremely proud of the new brand positioning and packaging because it helps to communicate the high quality of Robinsons, reaffirming its position as the UK’s number one squash offering the best taste.”
The campaign comes as Britvic looks to lead with Robinsons as part of its wider vision to transform the squash segment into a new ‘dilutes segment’.


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No one is unaware of the effects of Corona COVID-19 on the world. There is not a single sector that is untouched by the destruction done by the Corona COVID-19 outbreak all around the world. In this blog, we are going to discuss the significant shift in the search behavior of search engines due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Many SEO experts have found certain shifts in the way the search engine works after COVID-19 spread in the US. When we asked about this situation to Peter Meyers (a marketing scientist at Moz) he said, “We don’t know right now if the web is changing if Google is changing something if people’s behavior is changing; but, we also know that people are just doing things so differently that it’s nearly impossible to set apart.”
This global pandemic has caused all of us to alter our priorities that have, in turn, resulted in the changed behavior of the search engine. Click here to know about this situation in detail. In an event with Meyers, Olga Andrienko, and MordyOberstein, we have discussed the extent of the changed behavior of search engines and the causes behind this change.
Volatility in Ranking
There is an algorithm by Rank Ranger that measures the search results on daily basis for over 10K keywords and domains. Speaking about this algorithm Oberstein said, “From March 15 through April 3, you’re talking like 16 days of volatility – that has not happened in last few years.”
Andrienko gave a proper explanation regarding this matter and said, “Google has different algorithms for every industry, and seeing changes across industries meant for us that the competition and drastic changes in search behavior must have caused the algorithm to understand and behave differently and give different results or update the SERPs.”
Content on the website is being updated rapidly
When tons of precautionary measures triggered demands for certain materials in large amounts, the concerned websites have been updated accordingly. Due to the Corona outbreak, most of the countries are under lockdown so there are limited products that can be delivered. And, to meet this demand websites need to be updated (they have to remove unnecessary products from their website and add more essential products daily) accordingly. Meyer commented on this issue by saying “Huge e-commerce sites suddenly have to show all their products are out of stock or remove products or add products. We are seeing massive changes to sites that trigger index changes and ranking changes.”
Many sites are providing items and services that were unavailable on those sites in earlier times. Most of the sites are promoting online transactions and other delivery options that the common man can find useful. Businessmen have started to work on long-term goals to cover the post-COVID economic crisis.
A recent change in Google’s search algorithm
Heynes said about the way Goole search is working when you search something related to health issues. Google is managing the search result in such a manner that only the pages from some authorities will show up at the top when someone searches for a health query. Meyer hinted at this issue saying that Google is also unaware of the extent up to which this modification will change the search algorithm. When we asked about this issue, Heynes said, “We had one client who, at the beginning of all this, had a post that went well, all about how to make Hand sanitizer. And then, all of a sudden, they were on page three – they were ranked top three for that.” “And you almost wonder if it’s possible that Google’s algorithms managed to figure out that the way people are searching, they are searching for health queries and it seems to be very important to people’s health right now, so we are only going to take results from large, trustworthy health authorities.”
Google’s views for the future of this matter
Meyer thinks that there are several causes behind this situation. He said, “I don’t want to over-generalize about it, but when you have user inputs feeding the system, then the algorithm is, to some degree, rewriting itself as our behaviors change – and so, is that us? Is that COVID? Or, is that the algorithm?”
John Mueller from Google said about this issue, “I don’t think that would be happening, these kinds of shifts are things that our algorithms have to watch out for, so it’s not something that I’d say would be specific to this current situation.”
Evolution of the search experience on Google amidst this COVID-19 outbreak
Search results near Corona COVID-19 queries are evolving day by day. Google is adding new features rapidly to cope with this situation. You can see the Alert bar associated with COVID-19 along with a static panel. Heynes said, “I don’t think they’ve written a specific algorithm for ‘here’s what we do because of the coronavirus’; they’re adapting to how the world changes their searches. The trick for us now is in trying to interpret what’s happening.”
We as bloggers try to keep you updated in this time of crisis by giving you the best information that we can find from authentic sources. Let us know in the comment section below if something is lacking in this blog.


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Grofers, an online grocery startup, has changed its name to Blinkit to emphasise its focus on India’s fast-growing quick commerce market.
“As Grofers, we learned a lot,” the company said in a blog post Monday, “and all of our learnings, our team, and our infrastructure are being repurposed to pivot to something with staggering product-market fit — quick commerce.” “As a new company, we’re moving forward today, with a new mission statement: “instant commerce indistinguishable from magic.” And we won’t be doing it as Grofers anymore; instead, we’ll be doing it as Blinkit.”
The rebranding comes months after the Albinder Dhindsa-led company announced a 10-minute grocery delivery initiative. The company now claims to process a million of these orders per week across 12 cities.
With a tweet, Deepinder Goyal, co-founder and CEO of Zomato NSE 1.49 percent Ltd., praised the move. After co-leading a $120-million funding round in June that made the Gurugram-based company a unicorn, the restaurant discovery and food delivery firm is said to be in talks to invest $500 million in Grofers.
Grofers competes in India’s burgeoning quick commerce market with companies like Google-backed Dunzo, Swiggy’s Instamart, and Mumbai-based Zepto.


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Online real estate ads accounted for about 12 percent of newspaper companies’ online revenue in 2006, and the share of revenue from all types of online ads is expected to grow from a current level of 5.5 percent to 6 percent to a 10 percent share by 2008-09, according to a report released this month by media research and consulting firm Borrell Associates.
The report, based on surveys conducted by Borrell Associates and the World Association of Newspapers, states, “While online threatens print, the Internet pure-plays such as Google and Yahoo now threaten local newspaper online advertising to an alarming degree.” Participants cited challenges to ad revenues from craiglist.org and other free classified listings sites, as well as Monster.com, eBay.com and non-newspaper, online-only sites.
The Newspaper Association of America reported that total advertising in U.S. newspapers fell 0.3 percent in 2006 compared to 2005, with print advertising falling 1.7 percent, while online advertising rose 31.5 percent to $2.7 billion in 2006.
Meanwhile, a report released last month by consulting company Classified Intelligence LLC and media company Realty Times revealed that real estate professionals still devote more advertising dollars to newspaper print ads vs. online ads at newspaper Web sites, while a growing share of ad dollars is going to national Web sites.
The online advertising landscape is fast-changing, with several real estate Web sites that launched within the past few years offering a variety of free and paid marketing and advertising opportunities for real estate professionals.
Decisions about advertising budgets can be especially important to real estate professionals facing a slow real estate market, as agents typically participate in fewer deals and have less income, and properties may require more time, effort and marketing dollars to sell.
“Online is now a significant contributor to operating profit” for newspaper companies, according to the Borrell report, and is growing at about 40 percent per year, on average. “The largest media companies reported growth exceeding 60 percent, although that likely isn’t sustainable. The same companies are estimating 25 percent and more in 2007 and 2008.”
The operating profits for online operations, which many newspapers in the survey reported as 30 percent to 40 percent before interest, taxes and other costs, “is encouraging not just in itself but because it holds the promise of online being able to replace the profit lost from static or declining circulation and print advertising in an industry where margins are now not much more than 20 percent,” the report states.
The report states that real estate-related ads account for about 12 percent of newspapers’ Web site revenues, compared with 15 percent for automotive ads, 48 percent for recruitment ads and 25 percent for other forms of online ads.
Newspapers’ online revenues are expected to rise to $3.2 billion in the 2007 fiscal year, up 18.5 percent compared to last year, while national online advertising spending is projected to reach $22.1 billion this year, up 20.8 percent compared with $18.3 billion last year.
Among a group of U.S. newspaper companies tracked in the Borrell report, revenue from online operations is projected to account for an average of 6.2 percent of total gross revenues this year, compared with 5.4 percent in 2006, 4.3 percent in 2005 and 3.2 percent in 2004.
“The newspaper groups reporting the greatest growth from online have been running their digital divisions as separate and largely autonomous profit centers,” the report states, and there is a general trend toward autonomy between online and print divisions.
Also, the report found a continued “clear correlation between circulation and online advertising revenue, with the highest revenue per unit of circulation earned by the larger circulation newspapers. This is consistent across all of the countries surveyed.”


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Consumers are making a change by demanding better and more sustainable products that adhere to an animal-free supply chain.
Author: Jasmine Lowe, Vkind Communication Specialist
A greener and more sustainable future starts with establishing and maintaining environmentally friendly practices and being conscious of their impact on nature. One of the many ways that companies do this is by managing a sustainable supply chain. This begins with being aware of a company’s environmental, social and economic impact and, most importantly, making the necessary changes to lessen it. One way that companies can create and maintain sustainability is by creating an animal-free supply chain.
A Global Shift To Being Animal-Free
Work has already begun on a global shift toward a more sustainable animal-free supply chain. On March 2, 2022, during The Resumed Fifth Session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA 5.2), member states adopted the Animal Welfare, Environment, and Sustainable Development Nexus Resolution. Ghana, Burkina Faso, Senegal, South Sudan, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan came together at the United Nations in Nairobi, Kenya, to focus on animal welfare.
The resolution was agreed upon at a referendum and was passed by the Open-Ended Committee of Permanent Representatives (OECPR) ahead of UNEA 5.2. The resolution calls on the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to produce a report in close collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Health Organization (WHO), World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), the One-Health High-Level Expert Panel among other stakeholders. These steps that were taken by the UN signal a global interest in an animal-free supply chain.
Market Demand For Plant-based Products
Companies across every sector are aware of their consumers’ intentions to make greener choices. Genuine corporate social responsibility has become a focal point of most marketing and advertising campaigns, with the influx of target audiences becoming more mindful of their purchasing decisions.
According to a report conducted by Market Research Future (MRFR), “Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Market Information by Product Type, Form, Distribution Channel, and Region – Forecast till 2030,” the Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Market is estimated to reach 14.23 Billion USD by 2030 and record a decent CAGR of 4.56% from 2022 to 2030. Consumers who are conscious of which cosmetics they use and what raw materials and source origins have been used to develop these items have driven the market demand for more cruelty-free products and even changed legislation.
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a non-profit research & advocacy organization in the US, has pushed for the adoption of The Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Act, which was passed by the Californian government. This law makes it unlawful for vendors to sell cosmetic products in the state that were tested on animals. A report by Allied Market Research reported the Vegan Food market size was valued at 19.7 Billion USD in 2020 and is expected to reach 36.3 billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of 6.4 percent from 2020 to 2020. Research indicates that the demand for vegan food was rising prior to the COVID-19 global pandemic and has continued to skyrocket due to concerns about health, safety, and concern for the environment.
Consumers are making a change by demanding better and more sustainable products that adhere to an animal-free supply chain. They seek companies and products that match their beliefs and morals. One way that companies can meet their consumers’ demands is to make sustainable choices and make it easier for consumers to connect with them. One way Vkind is making this task simple is by creating and maintaining vegan animal-free listings of products and services of everything ranging from food and beauty products to CPAs, realtors, health professionals, and many more. You can learn more about Vkind and how to list your service on the app by visiting Vkind.com.
Aniket K, Roshan D. Apr 2022. Vegan Food Market by Product Type (Dairy Alternative, Meat Substitute, and others) and Distribution Channel (Offline and Online): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast 2021-2030. Allied Market Research. https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/vegan-food-market
Geneva Environment Network. 19 April 2022. Towards UNEA-5.2. https://www.genevaenvironmentnetwork.org/resources/updates/towards-unea-5-2/
Market Research Future. 07 June 2022. Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Market to Touch USD 14.23 Billion by 2030 at 4.56% CAGR – Report by Market Research Future (MRFR). Globe Newswire. https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2022/06/07/2457364/0/en/Cruelty-Free-Cosmetics-Market-to-Touch-USD-14-23-Billion-by-2030-at-4-56-CAGR-Report-by-Market-Research-Future-MRFR.html
UN Environment Programme. 13 April 2022. Meeting Documents. https://wedocs.unep.org/handle/20.500.11822/39731?show=full


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By Siobhan O’Leary
The mobile research firm research2guidance reports that German mobile users downloaded around 900 million apps to their mobile telephones in 2010 — more than double the number of apps downloaded in 2009 (458 million) and nearly 150 million more than were forecasted in September.
But does or will this eventually spell big revenues for app developers? Paid apps currently account for only 12% of total downloads, with smartphone users overwhelmingly opting for free apps. Still, the 110 million paid apps downloaded in 2010 accounted for 357 million euros in revenue — that’s a 92% increase over 2009.
The Apple App Store still leads the way and app store pricing in general seems to have leveled off to an average of €3.26 after years of steady decline.
Commenting on the results to Buchreport, BITKOM [the German Association for Information Technology, Telecommunications and New Media] board member Friedrich Joussen expressed optimism about the future of app sales in Germany and added that location-based apps are showing particular promise.


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Austrian Sparkassen Immobilien and EMCT, which are developing the EUR 200 million mall in partnership, have leased over 85 percent of the project, which will provide over 110,000 sqm of retail and office space. The mall will be anchored by a Cora hypermarket, Baumax DIY store, Mobexpert furniture store and Cinema City multiplex. C&A, GAP, Marks & Spencer, Douglas, Sephora, Promod, Orsay, Imaginarium, Motivi and Deichmann have also agreed to take space in the site.
The compound will also include an 8,300-sqm office building in a later phase, according to previous information. In May this year, the company announced that the main retail anchor of Sun Plaza, Cora hypermarket, set to cover 23,000 sqm, was to start fit-out works on its store in June. Sparkassen Immobilien saw its revenues rise by 5.9 percent in the first half of this year compared to the previous, to EUR 57.3 million, of which its rental income was EUR 44.7 million. Sparkassen Immobilien is Erste Bank's real estate arm.


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Uber loses court appeal against drivers’ rights
London, Nov. 10, 2017 (AltAfrika)-Taxi firm Uber has lost an appeal against a ruling that its drivers should be classed as workers rather than self-employed.
Last year a tribunal ruled drivers James Farrar and Yaseen Aslam were Uber staff and entitled to holiday pay, paid rest breaks and the minimum wage.
Uber appealed, arguing its drivers were self employed and were under no obligation to use its booking app.
Uber said it would appeal against this latest ruling, too.
It said there were two further possible stages in the appeal process – the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.
Uber has claimed 80% of its drivers would rather be classed as self employed.
The Employment Tribunal upheld its original decision that any Uber driver who had the Uber app switched on was working for the company under a “worker” contract.
It said they were therefore entitled to workers’ rights.
Uber has up to 40,000 drivers registered to it in London alone, where the company is fighting to retain its licence to continue operating.
It has faced regulatory and legal setbacks in a host of cities around the world.
James Farrar told the BBC how he was feeling: “Just huge relief. I really hope it will stick this time and that Uber will obey the ruling of the court.
“I’d like Uber to sit down and work out how as quickly as possible that every driver who is working for Uber get the rights they are entitled to.”
The GMB union said the ruling, by the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT), was a “landmark victory” for workers’ rights, especially in the gig economy, a system of casual working which does not commit a business or a worker to set hours or rights.
Maria Ludkin, the GMB’s legal director, said: “Uber must now face up to its responsibilities and give its workers the rights to which they are entitled.
“GMB urges the company not to waste everyone’s time and money dragging their lost cause to the Supreme Court.”
‘Freedom to chose’
Tom Elvidge, Uber UK’s acting general manager, said: “Almost all taxi and private hire drivers have been self-employed for decades, long before our app existed.
“The main reason why drivers use Uber is because they value the freedom to choose if, when and where they drive and so we intend to appeal.”
He went on to say that EAT’s decision relied on an assertion that drivers were required to take 80% of trips sent to them when logged into the app, but, he said, “as drivers who use Uber know, this has never been the case in the UK”.
He also said a number of changes had been made to the app over the last year, and that Uber had “invested in things like access to illness and injury cover”.


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With its name meaning ‘a sheet of paper’, the latest venture will offer a collection of timeless pieces for men, women and children, alongside homeware. The stores will also stock non-H&M brands. In some stores, an ARKET café will offer Nordic cuisine to ensure a truly holistic experience.
The first store is set to launch in London later this year along with their online website, which will sell to 18 regions.
‘Timeless is style beyond trend,’ ARKET’s creative director Ulrika Bernhardtz said, summarising the idea behind the brand to Business of Fashion. ‘And crisp is the counterpart to that: to be always relevant, modern and fresh.’
The announcement comes at a time when the H&M group is going from strength to strength, and highlights the enduring, global appeal of ‘Scandi Style‘.


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Licensed Trump Merchandise Has Almost Disappeared From Stores, But Trump Campaign Store Carries On
For years, Donald J. Trump has been making millions on his most profitable and enduring asset: his name. Through licensing agreements, the Trump Organization has been placing the Trump name on products ranging from furniture to wines and even steaks in an effort to capitalize on the value of a brand that has continued to make headlines for decades.
Now, despite making more headlines than ever, the Trump brand has seen licensing agreements disappear dramatically. In 2015, before Trump’s presidency, 19 companies were paying the Trump Organization to produce or distribute Trump-branded goods. Today, only two remain.
After Trump announced his presidential run, companies including Macy’s and Serta began ending their licensing agreements with the Trump Organization or allowing them to expire. While some companies, such as Macy’s, specifically cited candidate Trump’s comments about Mexicans, Muslims or immigrants in general as reasons why they saw fit to end the agreements, others simply stated that they had not sought to renew their agreements.
The decline in sales of externally licensed Trump-branded goods has been dramatic. In 2009, the company reported that its licensing partners had sold $215 million worth of Trump-branded goods worldwide. In 2017, Trump’s financial disclosure reported that royalties from licensed merchandise had fallen from $2.4 million to $370,000. The loss of licensing agreements has clearly cut into profits for the Trump Organization, but it hasn’t cut into its own sales of Trump-branded merchandise.
The clearest indication of this comes from the overwhelming popularity of the red Make America Great Again hats sold on Trump’s personal website. The hats have sold out many times over, and Christmas and Halloween editions have sold out as well. The latter hats, which went on sale the week before Halloween in 2017, sold out instantly. Both the Halloween and Christmas MAGA hats were sold for $45 each, while the classic red cap retails for $25.
In April 2017, the Trump campaign reported that it had sold more than half a million MAGA hats since summer 2015. And, in a December 2016 interview, Trump campaign store manager Alex Sarp (see above tweet) told Esquire the online shop was pulling $100,000 a day in sales. While current sales figures are uncertain, it’s pretty clear that Trump’s name can still move tons of merchandise.
Whether or not the Trump Organization will be able to salvage its lost licensing agreements remains up in the air, but it may have to wait for Trump’s presidency to be over before that happens. In any case, the power of the Trump brand endures, as prominent and widespread as a sea of red trucker hats on the horizon.


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Canadian bank CIBC has released a BlackBerry 10 version of its CIBC Mobile Payment app allowing BlackBerry Z10 owners to make NFC payments. To use the service, customers must also be Rogers Communications subscribers and have a “Suretap” NFC SIM card installed. The service was launched in November 2012 for BlackBerry Bold 9900 and Curve 9360 users.
- Vodafone to launch NFC payments in the UK this month
- Broadcom offers IoT developer kit
- Visa licenses transactional ad platform
- Alipay partners with Huawei to add biometric security to mobile payments
- Visa adds Checkout partners


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1 in 10 targeted attack groups use malware designed to disrupt
Cyber criminals are rapidly adding cryptojacking to their arsenal and creating a highly profitable new revenue stream, as the ransomware market becomes overpriced and overcrowded, according to Symantec’s Internet Security Threat Report (ISTR), Volume 23.
“Cryptojacking is a rising threat to cyber and personal security,” said Mike Fey, president and COO, Symantec. “The massive profit incentive puts people, devices and organizations at risk of unauthorized coinminers siphoning resources from their systems, further motivating criminals to infiltrate everything from home PCs to giant data centers.”
Cryptojacking attacks explode by 8,500 percent
During the past year, an astronomical rise in cryptocurrency values triggered a cryptojacking gold rush with cyber criminals attempting to cash in on a volatile market. Detections of coinminers on endpoint computers increased by 8,500 percent in 2017.
With a low barrier of entry – only requiring a couple lines of code to operate – cyber criminals are harnessing stolen processing power and cloud CPU usage from consumers and enterprises to mine cryptocurrency. Coinminers can slow devices, overheat batteries, and in some cases, render devices unusable. For enterprise organizations, coinminers can put corporate networks at risk of shutdown and inflate cloud CPU usage, adding cost.
“Now you could be fighting for resources on your phone, computer or IoT device as attackers use them for profit,” said Kevin Haley, director, Symantec Security Response. “People need to expand their defenses or they will pay for the price for someone else using their device.”
IoT devices continue to be ripe targets for exploitation. Symantec found a 600 percent increase in overall IoT attacks in 2017, which means that cyber criminals could exploit the connected nature of these devices to mine en masse. Macs are not immune either with Symantec detecting an 80 percent increase in coin mining attacks against macOS. By leveraging browser-based attacks, criminals do not need to download malware to a victim’s Mac or PC to carry out cyber attacks.
Majority of targeted attackers use single method to infect victims
The number of targeted attack groups is on the rise with Symantec now tracking 140 organized groups. Last year, 71 percent of all targeted attacks started with spear phishing – the oldest trick in the book – to infect their victims. As targeted attack groups continue to leverage tried and true tactics to infiltrate organizations, the use of zero-day threats is falling out of favor. Only 27 percent of targeted attack groups have been known to use zero-day vulnerabilities at any point in the past.
The security industry has long discussed what type of destruction might be possible with cyber attacks. This conversation has now moved beyond the theoretical, with one in ten targeted attack groups using malware designed to disrupt.
Implanted malware grows by 200 percent
Symantec identified a 200 percent increase in attackers injecting malware implants into the software supply chain in 2017. That’s equivalent to one attack every month as compared to four attacks the previous year. Hijacking software updates provides attackers with an entry point for compromising well-guarded networks. The Petya outbreak was the most notable example of a supply chain attack. After using Ukrainian accounting software as the point of entry, Petya used a variety of methods to spread laterally across corporate networks to deploy their malicious payload.
Mobile malware continues to surge
Threats in the mobile space continue to grow year-over-year, including the number of new mobile malware variants which increased by 54 percent. Symantec blocked an average of 24,000 malicious mobile applications each day last year. As older operating systems continue to be in use, this problem is exacerbated. For example, with the Android operating system, only 20 percent of devices are running the newest version and only 2.3 percent are on the latest minor release.
Mobile users also face privacy risks from grayware apps that aren’t completely malicious but can be troublesome. Symantec found that 63 percent of grayware apps leak the device’s phone number. With grayware increasing by 20 percent in 2017, this isn’t a problem that’s going away.
Business-savvy cyber criminals price ransomware for profit
In 2016, the profitability of ransomware led to a crowded market. In 2017, the market made a correction, lowering the average ransom cost to $522 and signaling that ransomware has become a commodity. Many cyber criminals may have shifted their focus to coin mining as an alternative to cashing in while cryptocurrency values are high. Additionally, while the number of ransomware families decreased, the number of ransomware variants increased by 46 percent, indicating that criminal groups are innovating less but are still very productive.


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As we round out 2021 and enter the tumultuous winter months here in the US, let us reflect. While many business owners are more than ready to move forward, there are several ways COVID-19 continues to challenge the marketplace and the economy.
About Manufacturing Adaptations
New shipping demands are being expected across most industries. There is an increased need for medical supplies and a focus on improvement in sanitization in manufacturing and industrialized buildings. However, this changeover is also costing manufacturers time and energy in providing the necessary items needed to meet the new demands incurred by COVID-19. There are also supply fluctuations resulting from the pandemic as we try to forecast demand for the upcoming year in manufacturing.
New Manufacturing Demands
Updated new safety protocols are being addressed at annual meetings from coast to coast. Industrial manufacturers, transportation providers, and construction companies are still catching up with the new COVID-19 related changeovers. This includes challenges from supply fluctuations from manufacturing giants like Industrial Polymers and Chemicals (IPAC).
IPAC had to switch over to the manufacturing of personal protective equipment including gowns and hand sanitizer to meet customer demand. Previously, IPAC was in production mode for fiberglass reinforcements produced for the abrasives industries.
“We’re still a major manufacturing supplier for the abrasives industry, and those are still our core businesses. But PPE is an important part of it. It’s small, but we feel it’s a growing part of the business,” according to IPAC Chief Technical Officer Tom Kennedy.
Medical Industry Supply Fluctuations
The supply chain has experienced fluctuating demand during the pandemic for a number of reasons. Based on what industry a business is in, we see how some markets were nearly shut down due to the loss of business, while other markets boomed, including medical testing and supplies.
For example, LVMH over in France, manufacturers have needed to switch over from manufacturing fragrances and hair gels in order to produce medical grade hand sanitizer. This is both to keep the supplies in stock, as well as to maintain a steady stream of employment opportunities for workers.
The demand for manufacturing has moved beyond the predictions of typical supply chains. As communities strive to recover from quarantines and lockdowns, demand has flipped. Certain items, especially in the medical industry and home health care, have skyrocketed in demand.
Yet small businesses are suffering negative effects from COVID-19 and those in the travel or business apparel industries are in the thick of this. Fortunately, the forecast is improving and supply lines are opening up with trucking carriers getting inventory supply to warehouses for the upcoming holiday season.
See More Supply Chain Finance Solutions
Manufacturers are also focusing on the financial impact at this time. It is the top concern for US manufacturers, as they address operations, capital, and liquidity. If you are in need of supply chain finance solutions, let ENGS Capital solve them today.


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- Apr 20, 2019
- Reaction score
Brooklyn Guy was a theme park mascot in Junior Goes to Disney World and Jeffy’s Birthday Trip, but he was a doctor in Jeffy Goes to Disney World.
An SML store!? Well.....that sure is exciting news! .So… earlier this year, Logan made a video called “The Jewelry Heist”, in which Chef Pee Pee robbed a jewelry store for $5000. The video was filmed at an abandoned jewelry store in the Cordova Mall in his hometown of Pensacola, FL.
At first, I wondered how he got permission to film there, but as it turns out…
Logan is now renting out that space in the mall, to be turned into an official SML store!


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Wildcraft plans to spin off Wiki range for teenagers into separate brandFriday, March 31, 2017
Bengaluru, March 31 -- Wildcraft India Pvt. Ltd, a Bengaluru-based outdoor gear and apparel firm which counts Sequoia Capital as one of its investors, plans to spin off its 'Wiki' range of backpacks and rucksacks for teenagers into a separate brand with its own standalone stores in a couple of years. The company, which raised around Rs70 crore from Sequoia Capital in 2013, expects to earn Rs550-600 crore in revenue in 2017-18, up from around Rs400 crore in the current financial year. When Wildcraft started, in a garage in southern Bengaluru's Jayanagar with a bootstrapped investment of just a few lakhs, the first lines of products were backpacks and rucksacks. Those remain the firm's mainstay even today. When the company decided to design and sell products specially catering to teenagers in 2014, it was no surprise that the products of choice were backpacks and rucksacks, sold under the label 'Wiki' or Wildcraft for Kids. "A lot of youngsters started coming to us asking for solutions for their outdoor needs. The problem is that their body structures are different so the way you design and construct is different than what you do for youngsters. And of course, their choices are very different," said Gaurav Dublish, who co-founded the firm along with Dinesh K.S. and Siddharth Sood. In two years, sales from the 'Wiki' range already accounts for about 20% of overall business, Dublish and Sood said. In two or three years, Wildcraft plans to open separate standalone stores retailing products only for teenagers and pre-teenagers. Backpacks and rucksacks, which once accounted for a majority of the firm's business, now make up less than 50%, mainly because newer categories it has entered over the last few years - apparel and footwear - are much bigger markets and growing rapidly, the founders said. Roughly 70% of Wildcraft's product portfolio today is made up of outdoor gear products, which includes backpacks and rucksacks among other products like sleeping bags and tents, 20% is clothing and 10% is footwear. "Accessories for the young is a fast-growing category with both educational institutions as well as children being the customers. Today we see more than one bag being used per year by young adults and children for school, sports, tuition etc. This is clearly an untapped market with large potential," said Sreedhar Prasad, partner, KPMG India. "Clothing and footwear this year will be what the size of Wildcraft was three years back. It's already become that large," Dublish said. "They are definitely the fastest growing. The base is small but for us they've been successful. We're seeing triple digit growth. We have a four-year target now of being at about Rs1,000 crore and the mix would be in the range of 50-50 or 60-40 between gear and apparel-footwear," co-founder Sood added. The company is launching outdoor sandals next month in footwear for both men and women, and under its outdoor gear category, it has recently launched a backpack that has an external frame that provides support to the back. Wildcraft has two manufacturing plants - one in Bengaluru and one in Himachal Pradesh - and employs around 2,500 people. It has over 160 stores in 65 cities, including tier II and tier III towns, and also supplies its wares to other countries. "The company has been able to carve out a clear presence among the vast retail categories in India. With more and more consumers adopting outdoor fashion and accessories as well as increasing their usage of active wear, they have a large market to capture in India as well as the developing markets," said KPMG's Prasad.


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SAMSA on Board for the 2013 Johannesburg Boat Show
The South African Maritime Safety Association signs on as a sponsor of South Africa’s premier inland boating show to be held at the Nasrec Expo Centre from August 8-11.
The South African Maritime Safety Association is determined that its presence at the 2013 Johannesburg Boat Show, held at the Nasrec Expo Centre between August 8 and 11, will have a real impact on show-goers, especially visitors who are new to the maritime experience.
“We are not looking to set up little booths and handing out pamphlets,” says Tebogo Ramatjie, Marketing and Communications Officer of SAMSA.
“What we will be doing is reaching out to show-visitors and educating them on the boating experience, and what is needed to make boating a safe, enjoyable pastime.”
SAMSA will be setting up a series of short seminars, lasting about 30 minutes, on what first-time boat owners need to know when setting out to buy a boat.
“From a safety point of view, our organisation is responsible for the craft moving in our waters, and that includes very much our in-land waterways. We are tasked with making people aware of the boating regulations we have in South Africa, that they are aware of the compliances that are legislated.
“Our organisation is responsible for the issuing of skippers licences in South Africa. Many people aren’t aware that anyone operating a boat on South African waters is required to be in possession of a skipper’s licence. We would love to get to the situation where all boats on our waters are operated by people with the proper qualifications.”
The SAMSA presentations will also encompass other subjects pertinent to boat owners, including minimising pollution, and safety standard that apply to both boats and pilots.
The association will be publishing its seminar schedule as the Johannesburg Boat Show approaches in the next few weeks. Visitors should go to the SMSA website, which is samsa.org.za
JOHANNESBURG BOAT SHOW
The Johannesburg Boat Show is be co-located with the AMID Motorcycle Show and the Outdoor Lifestyle Show.
- WHEN: Thursday 8 – Sunday 11 August 2013
- SHOW HOURS: Thursday 8 – Saturday 10, 09:00 – 18:00, ticket sales and gates close at 17:00, Sunday 11, 09:00 – 16:00, ticket sales and gates close at 15:00
- Tickets are available at the gate or through Computicket.
- WHERE: Johannesburg Expo Centre, Rand Show Road, Nasrec. (GPS – S26° 14.810’ E27° 58.695’)


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WASHINGTON — President Obama will host a three-day U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit beginning Monday, the first-ever such meeting to feature 51 African heads of state, that will place a focus on a wide range of issues, including apparel and textile trade with the African continent.
A delegation of African and other U.S. and international apparel and textile companies and industry trade associations plan to participate in the summit.
Hermès is launching a Laundromat pop-up shop in NYC - dubbed Hermèsmatic - where customers can bring their old scarves to be dip-dyed by an expert. Get all the details on WWD.com. #wwdnews (📷: @donstahl)


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Cleaning & Janitorial News
FDA Disapproved Hand Sanitizers
08/27/2020: U.S. Food & Drug
Silver Spring, MD — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers about alcohol-based hand sanitizers that are being packaged in containers that may appear as food or drinks and may put consumers at risk of serious injury or death if ingested. The agency has discovered that some hand sanitizers are being packaged in beer cans, children’s food pouches, water bottles, juice bottles and vodka bottles. Additionally, the FDA has found hand sanitizers that contain food flavors, such as chocolate or raspberry.
“I am increasingly concerned about hand sanitizer being packaged to appear to be consumable products, such as baby food or beverages. These products could confuse consumers into accidentally ingesting a potentially deadly product. It’s dangerous to add scents with food flavors to hand sanitizers which children could think smells like food, eat and get alcohol poisoning,” said FDA Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn, M.D. “Manufacturers should be vigilant about packaging and marketing their hand sanitizers in food or drink packages in an effort to mitigate any potential inadvertent use by consumers. The FDA continues to monitor these products and we’ll take appropriate actions as needed to protect the health of Americans.”
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Surprise and thank you, here’s the 100th release from GTG Records. 21 new songs, most of them exclusive and brand new. The Plurals, City Mouse, Honah Lee, Drinking Mercury, Small Parks, Wade from Dreadpool Parker, The Hunky Newcomers, Calliope, Jeremy Porter And The Tucos, Alpha Rabbit, The Stick Arounds, Half Tongue, Stargrazer, Sleeping Timmy, Frank and Earnest, Jason Paul, The Hat Madder, CrookedSound, Tommy Plural, No Skull, AND the debut of Disappointed Dad. Sheesh!! Most of these bands have current or upcoming releases on GTG – and they’re all friends and part of our wider community – and they cover both a wide range of styles and, geographically, most of the US. It’s wild for us to think about how much has happened since 10 years ago when we were just getting into the CD release game with The Plurals and The Break-Ups, something that we celebrated in late 2007 with a mostly-Lansing area compilation CD release called Situations At Hand. It’s amazing that a lot of the people involved in that comp are still present 85(!) releases later on GTG100 but the fact that the family has grown so much is even more amazing. 2007 really was the launch year for GTG Records so as we gear up for the fall releases of 2017 we’re going to be periodically looking back at some highlights of the first 10 years of the label. And you better believe GTG Fest (Oct 12-15!) is going to be the most nuts it’s ever been this year. Good times!
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Grammin'#punksvspokes is back! November 19 at @avenue_lansing w/ pokey sounds from @the_wildhoney_collective and Flatfoot while @wearefoxgrave and @lemoncollies punk up the proceedings! 15 more years, whoo!@cavalcadelansing hits the stage at @avenue_lansing with @locustpointmi and @distilledtongues this Saturday 11/5! No cover, 9 PM #michiganmusic #lansingmusic #theavenuecafe @bermudamohawk@lansingcitypulse @richdontmind profile of #gtgfest #gtgfest2022 at @avenue_lansing is on newsstands across the 517-land and online at lansingcitypulse.com! Fest-ivities start Friday Oct 21 at 8 PM! #gtgfestxv #lansingmusic #gtgrecords #theavenuecafe @the_wildhoney_collective @_she_her_hers @theplurals @thejackpinesnag @dongiovannirecords @silvermaplekillrecords @phonophore_records @ladyship_warship @a_rueful_noise @noskullband @thequirkgr @thereallazygenius @dani_elle_gyger @stick_arounds @hoes_on_first @hattiemaedanby @sweetpeamusicLineup cat is out of bag! #gtgfest2022 Oct 21-22 at @avenue_lansing w/ @_she_her_hers @a_rueful_noise @thequirkgr @thejackpinesnag @noskullband @theplurals @ladyship_warship @thereallazygenius @stick_arounds @the_wildhoney_collective @sweetpeamusic @harborcoat_music @drinkingmercurymusic #thehunkynewcomers @hoes_on_first @hattiemaedanby @j.k._lolling #narcoutthereds @phonophore_records @dongiovannirecords @silvermaplekillrecords #lansingmusic #gtgfest #theavenuecafe #michiganmusic #michiganpunkrock #diymusic #gtgrecords


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China is tougher turf for US firms
AmCham Shanghai finds smaller share of American companies profitable in China in 2012 but more optimistic about the mainland
The performance of US businesses in China declined for a second consecutive year in 2012 amid rising labour costs, tougher competition, and a slowing economy.
But, a record number of American businesses said they were optimistic about the outlook for China for the next five years.
According to a survey of 420 companies by the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Shanghai, 73 per cent of respondents were profitable last year, down from 78 per cent in 2011.
Playing down expectations for sustainable and rapid economic growth in China, AmCham Shanghai president Brenda Foster said: "Steadily rising costs, human resource constraints and an increasingly competitive business environment will be the rule rather than the exception in the years ahead."
Severe losses afflicted 5.1 per cent of the surveyed firms last year, up from 4 per cent in 2011.
Most of the business executives complained of China's opaque regulatory environment and bureaucracy, with 54 per cent of respondents saying a lack of transparency favoured domestic companies.
Beijing's calls to raise incomes for the underprivileged forced companies to give pay rises to their workers.
China's household income climbed about 10 per cent in 2012.
"China is a tough place to do business, it always has been, and this year's survey results quantify that," said Kent Kedl, a managing director with boutique strategy consulting firm Control Risks. Kedl said home-grown companies were becoming stronger and better, intensifying competition.
China's economy grew 7.8 per cent last year, the slowest in 13 years as both domestic and multinational companies struggled to sustain their fast growth.
The chamber said 71 per cent of respondents reported a revenue increase last year, down from the 80 per cent in 2011.
But China, the world's second-largest economy, remains an investment priority for US businesses owing to the huge size of the market and its fast-growing consumer demand, the survey found.
One-fifth of the surveyed companies picked China as the top investment destination while 54 per cent rated it a top-three investment priority.
Ninety-one per cent of respondents said they were optimistic or slightly optimistic about the five-year outlook in China, compared to 86 per cent in 2011.
"Rising costs is a mature-market challenge," Kedl said. "Rising labour costs means consumers can buy more."
Less than 15 per cent of US companies reported moving or planning to move production out of China. About 74 per cent of companies said they would increase investment in China, the survey showed.
To support their operations in China, 59 per cent of companies were exporting finished goods or components to China from the US, aiding China's efforts to upgrade its industrial mix.


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Luc Bernard: iPhone's Mecho Wars could appear on DSi
Creator taking it one port at a time
Luc Bernard, the man behind the recent (and rather good) iPhone release Mecho Wars, has spoken of his future plans for the title. It’s already been confirmed that a WiiWare version of the turn-based strategy game is in the works, and when quizzed he conceded that “A DSiWare one might happen.”
Otherwise, Oyaji Games will be concentrating on improving Mecho Wars on iPhone with a variety of free updates, the first of which concentrates on the user interface.
Bernard’s next original release will be Rose Princess, which “is set in Paris and plays very much like Konami's recent DS Castlevania titles.” It should be out on WiiWare by the end of the year, but Bernard wouldn’t count out a DSiWare version when interviewed back in January.
The French designer is also working on Mechopolis, a robot-building open world game, which will be released sometime in 2010.
You can read the latest interview here.


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If we are to believe the video teaser that recently popped up on the internet, the super-phone that Samsung will present at the IFA 2011 is a bright piece of gold… Well this is just a promo of the device that Samsung will announce during the Samsung Unpacked event, which is in turn part of the IFA 2011. Are you excited? You’d better be!
Speculation says that the focus and center piece of the Samsung conference will be the I9250 Android phone, the first HD smartphone of the Asian company boasting an HD screen. Let’s have a quick look at its specifications. We’re talking about a Super AMOLED display with a diagonal of 4.65 inch and running at a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels. In addition, this is the first device that is running the Android Ice Cream Sandwich operating system and if we are to believe the existing rumors, we will witness its launch by the end of November.
It is a known fact that Samsung likes to announce its upcoming models a few months before their official launch, so it is not excluded that on the 1st of September we will see the I9250 smartphone officially unveiled. In addition, it is very possible that we may attend the debut of a 7-inch tablet from Samsung, a descendant of the first Galaxy Tab, but one with an Exynos dual core processor running at 1.2 GHz and Honeycomb. The first week of September certainly sounds promising. Stay tuned for more news and details.
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With the Pet Shop Boys’ ballet “The Most Incredible Thing” now in previews — it officially premieres Tuesday at London’s Sadler’s Wells dance house — the duo’s Neil Tennant sat down with the Associated Press to discuss scoring the Hans Christian Andersen adaptation. Check out the video above, and watch for 2CD soundtrack to arrive in the U.S. next week (full details). To mark the release, we have a special PSB giveaway to announce on Monday. Stay tuned.
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- Pet Shop Boys to release ‘The Most Incredible Thing’ 2CD ballet score next month
- Video: Pet Shop Boys’ new single ‘Together’ off ‘Ultimate’ best-of
- Video: Pet Shop Boys perform ‘It’s a Sin’ on the BBC’s ‘The Graham Norton Show’
- Pet Shop Boys cover Dave Clark Five, Kate McGarrigle on new ‘Together’ single
- Pet Shop Boys announce ‘Ultimate’ tracklisting, record new single ‘Together’
- Pet Shop Boys scoring ‘Most Incredible Thing’ Hans Christian Andersen ballet


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Chicago -- Ace Hardware supplied several growth-minded statistics to members during the co-op’s Fall Market general session, which was heavy on strategy initiatives and inspirational messages for store owners.
The paint department figured heavily in the Thursday morning presentation. So did payment systems, logistics and -- as one would expect -- the concept of customer service as delivered by a friendly store.
One of the big new tools in the works is an instant-savings Ace Rewards card, which senior VP merchandising John Surane described as “our most impactful promotional tool next year.” It’s expected to launch in January 2013.
With instant savings, customers won’t have to deal with mail-in or e-rebates. Also, the new system through Epicor will allow a national lookup of Ace Rewards members, so customers who forget their card can still be served.
The Ace Rewards card has 23 million users, he said, delivering about a 13% greater profit than non-cardholder transactions.
The general session included a balcony scene from an actor playing “Beach house,” a color and self-described “soul mate” from the co-op’s Clark + Kensington paint marketing campaign. Describing the campaign, Surane said: “We had do to something different to break through the clutter.”
Another strategy was to offer free paint. During seven free-paint Saturdays, Ace gave away 1 million trials. The events grew 15% more store transactions for the entire store, he said, while increasing several other metrics. “We plan to sustain our attack in 2013,” Surane added.
Ace showed statistics that its liquid paint market-share grew from 4% to 5.3% since 2009. And after a slow first year, the co-op is on pace to reach its five-year-plan target of 8% market share.
Ace Hardware COO John Venhuizen told the co-op members: “You are owners of a company that is on the move.”
It’s a good thing, too, he said, as competitors such as Amazon.com are rising in the home improvement market, and Home Depot said it’s spending more than $2 billion on technology and store improvements.
The COO supported his case for the effectiveness of corporate programs by showing that Best in Class Ace members have a much higher adoption of programs, such as Ace Rewards, Craftsman merchandise sets and light bulb resets.
Venhuizen pointed to some examples from the wholesale performance side of the business, too:
• A 97.1% fill rate, showing a 70-basis point improvement from a year ago;
• $90 million lower costs through the SAP-powered transportation management system; and
• Seven-consecutive years of reduction in labor hours per 1,000 line orders.
The Ace convention held here at McCormick Place runs though Aug. 18.


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With Google’s new Android 5.1 Lollipop update making progress, Android 5.0 Lollipop problems plaguing Galaxy users, and Samsung Galaxy Android 5.1 update rumors swirling, we want to take a look at what we think Galaxy smartphone and tablet users need to know right now about the Samsung Galaxy Android 5.1 update and release.
Back in December, Samsung started rolling out its version Android 5.0 Lollipop. The roll out started with Android 5.0 and the Galaxy S5 but in the weeks since, we’ve seen Samsung roll out Android 5.0 Lollipop to a number of different devices including the Galaxy Note 3, Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy S5, Galaxy S4, and Galaxy Note Edge. The company’s also rolled out several updates based on new versions of Android 5.0, Android 5.0.1 Lollipop and Android 5.0.2 Lollipop.
Earlier this month, Google started rolling out a brand new Android 5.0 Lollipop update dubbed Android 5.1 Lollipop. The update is a massive bug fix update that also introduces some small but important features. Naturally, Samsung Galaxy users are interested in the prospects for their devices and we’ve seen a number of Galaxy Android 5.1 Lollipop update rumors emerge in recent weeks.
Samsung Galaxy S5, Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy Note 3, and Galaxy S4 users have run into a number of Android 5.0 Lollipop problems. The problems have been so bad that Samsung’s been forced to halt updates in some regions. In the United States, Verizon was forced to halt its upgrade and roll out a new version of its Galaxy S5 Lollipop update. That update is rolling out right now.
With Android 5.1 Lollipop being the bug fix update that it is, there’s intense interest in a Samsung version of this update. And Android 5.1 rumors have only fueled the fire.
We’ve seen a ton of back and forth about the prospects of a Samsung Galaxy Android 5.1 Lollipop update and today, we want to take a look at five things Galaxy users should know about Android 5.1 Lollipop and a potential release for devices like the Galaxy S5, Galaxy Note 4, and more.
Samsung Galaxy Android 5.1 Lollipop Update
In the past two weeks, Samsung Galaxy Android 5.1 Lollipop rumors have started to grab hold of Galaxy smartphone and tablet users, especially those dealing with problems. There has been a ton of back and forth about the prospects of an Android 5.1 Lollipop update and it’s still not clear if Samsung plans to release another version of Android 5.0 down the road.
Earlier this month, we saw a partial Samsung Galaxy Lollipop update roadmap leak. The roadmap, from SamMobile, stated that Samsung hadn’t yet started development on Android 5.1 Lollipop.
Today, in response to the various Android 5.1 Lollipop rumors floating around, the publication issued another report that says that Samsung still hasn’t started development on Android 5.1. SamMobile’s track record is solid and the information is believable. It does not, however, rule out Android 5.1 update’s for Galaxy devices.
Recently, a user on Reddit outlined potential plans for Samsung’s Galaxy Android 5.1 Lollipop update. The user cites information gleaned from a Samsung representative in Europe. We aren’t familiar with the source but he is armed with credible information about the Samsung Galaxy S6 Active.
He states that Samsung could use Android 5.1 Lollipop to deliver new TouchWiz features to older devices. Samsung is well known for bringing new TouchWiz features to older devices and it could be that Android 5.1 is the update that brings new features to older devices like the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy S5. Key word there: Could.
It’s clear that Samsung either hasn’t decided either way. Work could certainly begin in the future, Android 5.1 Lollipop is rather new, but as of right now Samsung appears to be focused on its current Android 5.0, Android 5.0.1 and Android 5.0.2 Lollipop roll outs. The company also is reportedly hard at work on Android 5.0 updates for the Galaxy A series of smartphones.
Samsung Galaxy Android 5.1 Release Date
Given that the Samsung Galaxy Android 5.1 update is reportedly on the back burner, a Galaxy Android 5.1 Lollipop release date (if there is one) is probably months away.
The user on Reddit claims that new TouchWiz features will land for older devices but that they will do so in the “long run.” At this point, it’s pretty clear that nothing is imminent. That shouldn’t be surprising. Samsung’s Galaxy S6 isn’t even out on shelves and the company still has a long way to go before it completes its current Android 5.0 Lollipop updates.
If Samsung does ultimately decide to use Android 5.1 Lollipop, we may not see it roll out until much later in the year. Galaxy users would be wise to temper their expectations moving forward.
Android 5.1 Lollipop Features
The Samsung Galaxy S6 comes with less bloatware and it also allows users to uninstall Samsung applications to free up space and perhaps, improve performance. This has owners of current Galaxy models extremely excited. Android 5.1 also comes with a ton of bug fixes for Lollipop problems and that has users excited as well.
SamMobile claims that there is currently no word on whether or not Samsung plans to bring the Galaxy S6’s TouchWiz features to older devices. Again, this doesn’t rule anything out and we, like many others, expect Samsung to at least bring some of what the Galaxy S6 has to offer to older devices like the Galaxy Note 4.
It’s entirely possible that Samsung will opt to bring new features to older devices with a version of Android that’s not Android 5.1 Lollipop.
Android 5.1 Problems
It’s important to note that while Android 5.1 Lollipop certainly does bring a ton of fixes to the table, it also hasn’t some problems of its own. So those of you who are looking at a potential Android 5.1 Lollipop update as a savior for your Lollipop problems should start to temper expectations. Despite Google’s best efforts, Android 5.1 problems exist and there’s a very good chance Android 5.1 problems will extend so Samsung devices if and when Samsung chooses to roll it out.
Fixes for Android 5.0 Problems
With that in mind, there are a few things you need to know.
If you are dealing with Android 5.0 problems, you’ll need to be proactive. We’ve put together a a list of fixes for Galaxy S5 Lollipop problems, Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop problems, Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop problems, and Samsung Galaxy S4 Lollipop problems. Those are great places to start though we encourage you to gather fixes from other users, and sites, as well.
We should also see Samsung and its carrier partners work to correct some of these Android 5.0 Lollipop problems. We’ve already seen Samsung and carriers like Verizon reissue Android 5.0 Lollipop updates and with an Android 5.1 update months away at the very least, we should see Android 5.0, Android 5.0.1 and Android 5.0.2 bug fix updates roll out sporadically.
Some carriers announce MR (Maintenance Release) releases ahead of time, most don’t, so if you’re dealing with Android 5.0 problems, you’ll want to be on the look out while you wait and see where Samsung goes with Android 5.1 Lollipop.
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It's a ritual that has a new touch for 2012.
The Pierce family -- with dog Little Bit in tow -- heads for the Suwanee Farmers Market at Town Center Park on Saturday, shops and then heads for Dillard's nearby for breakfast.
The market opened this week and is having its first Saturday session from 8 a.m. to noon. This year, city officials added seating areas near the vendor spaces.
Several familiar vendors, such as Okie Dokie Farm and May Tree Farm, also were on hand for the patrons.
-- Tell us in the comments below: What is your favorite part of the Suwanee Farmers Market?
Suwanee Patch will have more Farmers Market coverage.


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Riverbed Study Finds 70% of UK Population Wants to Engage With Government Through Digital Services...
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