text: Oakley continues to push innovation and style into their impressive snow line. New for 2021 a Prizm Dark Grey a non-irdium (mirrored) lens found on the Stale Pro Line Miner. Oakley is expanding its Flight line with a new goggle, the Flight Path XL. This goggle is about the same size as the Flight Deck but offers more peripheral vision. Another new Flight goggle is the Flight Tracker, which will be availabe in XL, XM, and XS sizes.


text: Subscribe to our newsletterMay 18, 2018 MicroMax to Exhibit at Eurosatory 2018 in Paris MicroMax will exhibit new models of its rugged computer systems at Eurosatory 2018 Defense & Security International Exhibition, June 11th to 15th in Paris, France. February 22, 2018 MicroMax to Exhibit the Newest Line of M-Max Systems MicroMax will demonstrate new extremely rugged systems at Embedded World 2018, February 27th to March 1st in Nuremberg, Germany February 12, 2018 MicroMax to Exhibit at Embedded World 2018 MicroMax will be exhibiting our newest systems at Embedded World 2018 in Nuremberg, Germany, February 27 - March 1, 2018. February 12, 2018 I/O Rich Eagle Family of Baseboards and SBCs Off-the-Shelf Complete ARM Computing Solutions. Rugged I/O baseboards support the Toradex Apalis family of ARM computer-on-modules (COMs) with lifecycles extending through 2028 December 12, 2017 Quad Core Rugged VITA 75 System Passed MIL-STD Tests M-Max 771 PR7, based on the VITA 75 standard has passed standard military tests. It has been certified to comply with MIL-STD-810G and airborne MIL-STD-704F November 14, 2017 Diamond Unveiled ZETA Family of Miniature COM-based SBCs Highlights of the Zeta family include interchangeable COM Express COMs for scalability and long product life, ultra-compact size, and an unsurpassed level of I/O, including a complete high-quality analog and digital data acquisition subsystem. March 7, 2017 MicroMax Introduces Two High-End Systems Based on the VITA 75 Standard The M-Max 871 EP4/MMS and M-Max 771 PR7 both employ the newest M-Max V75 chassis June 2, 2016 MicroMax Announces Its M-Max V75 Series Highly Rugged PC/104 Chassis Now Avalable as Standalone Products Used in current MicroMax products, these chassis have proven capability, and due to customer demand are now being made available separately. March 29, 2016 Diamond's JUPITER-MM-5000 Power Supply Family Expanded JUPITER-MM-5000 PC/104-Plus DC/DC power supply family now boasts up to 218W of power. Targets rugged networked applications. March 10, 2016 MicroMax Products Wow Industry Experts at Embedded World 2016 Participants at Embedded World 2016 in Nuremberg eagerly welcomed MicroMax’s newest extremely rugged computing products for harsh environments. February 24, 2016 Helix PC/104 SBC with DMP Vortex86DX3 SoC Targets Rugged, Low Price, Low Power Applications Diamond Systems Corporation unveiled its compact, rugged Helix PC/104 single board computer based on the DMP Vortex86DX3 system-on-chip (SoC) processor. February 10, 2016 MicroMax to Exhibit Newest Line of M-Max Systems at Embedded World 2016 in Nuremburg We will exhibit several new models of ultra-compact environmentally rugged computer chassis from their M-Max product line at Embedded World 2016, taking place on February 23 to 25 in Nuremberg, Germany.

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“At least, according to Skobbler’s Marcus Thielking. He’s the cofounder of Skobbler, a spinoff from Navigon that sells one of the top mapping solutions in the world: GPS Navigation 2 (US$0.99 for iPhone and iPad). It’s got a No. 1 sales ranking in app stores in 20 countries and has sold more than three million copies. It’s also based on OpenStreetMap, the crowdsourced ‘Wikipedia of maps,'” Koetsier reports. “‘There are only two companies that could possibly make sense for Apple to buy,’ Thielking said this morning from Europe. ‘There’s Garmin, which doesn’t use TomTom, on which Apple Maps is built, and there’s TomTom itself. TomTom would be my bet.'”
Read more in the full article here.


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Rappler's latest stories on LTE connection
Globe President and CEO Ernest Cu also says Globe has allotted $850 million this year 'to improve its data network and address the increasing demand in video streaming and gaming'
Hello! Here's a roundup of the news you need to know this Thursday.
Apples rolls out iOS 6 1 bringing LTE support to iPhone 5 iPad mini and iPad 4 users in the Philippines


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Samsung SDI, the battery manufacturing subsidiary of Samsung, announced that it has signed a deal to provide battery-pack for Harley-Davidson's first electric motorcycle "LiveWire", unveiled during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2019 in Las Vegas.
Harley-Davidson's first electric motorcycle began with the project LiveWire in 2014, and after four years of collaboration with Samsung SDI, it came out as the LiveWire Motorcycle.
The electric motorcycle runs on a battery pack, comprised of lithium-ion cells made by Samsung SDI and can go up to 110 miles.
"LiveWire can do zero to 60 km/h with the reaching time of 3.5 seconds, which enhances connectivity from rider to a motorcycle, as well as to location tracking. It also features a distinctive high-speed driving sound from the engine sound" said the battery maker.
Harley Davidson LiveWire will be on showcase during CES that runs through Friday and accept preorders during the event with scheduled shipping in the fall.


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Blog: Research shows... - well it would, wouldn't it?
Olly Wehring | 11 January 2007
Soft drinks companies have been given one in the eye by the boffins, it appears.
A report this week by doctors from medical journal Plos Medicine has found significant sponsorship bias in articles about non-alcoholic drinks. The researchers graded 206 articles on soft drinks, fruit juices and milk - 54% of which were funded - as favourable, neutral, or unfavourable to the sponsor involved.
The doctors concluded that industry-sponsored papers were between four and eight times more likely to draw favourable conclusions for the manufacturer involved.
Examples of favourable research included the positive effects of milk on bone mass and nutrients in the elderly - supported by the US and Australian dairy industry - and the relationship between hydration and cola or coffee - funded by the Coca-Cola Company.
This is not to say that manufacturers in any way manufactured the research findings (excuse the pun). It remains an unquestionable truth that companies choose and fund research topics that play into their own hands - something they are perfectly entitled to do.
But while the consumer is well aware that Red Bull does not always give you wings, nor that Pepsi can really make you dance like that, scientifically proven benefits of a brand, presented in the mainstream news, can be a more powerful and subtle marketing tool.
That leaves the poor journalist - me - to decide what studies to report, and which ones are so blindingly obvious they hold about as much worth as testing fresh air for oxygen content.
Bet you feel sorry for me now, don’t you?
Heavy metal legend Bruce Dickinson - lead singer of the band Iron Maiden, for the unitiated - is clearly a man not afraid to get his hands dirty. ...
The homebrewing revival continues in the UK - and evidence has come that even the supermarket chains are taking it semi-seriously. ...
Does Pernod Ricard have something to hide? In a press conference after the release of full-year results today, only a quarter of the 100 minutes were given over to questions from journalists....
Here's a round-up of the top stories on just-drinks last week, featuring Carlsberg, Heineken, Coca-Cola Amatil, California's winelands and Cognac....
- The End of the Road for International Beer Brands?
- Allegro: The shape of things to come at Pernod?
- Pernod Ricard's FY Performance by Region, Brand
- Comment - Another One Bites Bacardi's Dust
- US craft vodka puts squeeze on Pernod's Absolut
- Pernod bemoans tough FY as sales, profits drop
- ASA bans Jägermeister TV ad
- Pernod Ricard set for CMO switch
- Scotch whisky leaders sign pro-UK letter
- Molson Coors appoints Europe CEO


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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/1/2013 (1675 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
A local warehouse/distribution firm is in the midst of a major expansion of its Prairie operations, including a move into a much larger facility here, as it strives to handle a steady growth in its business volumes.
CWS Logistics Ltd. has seen its business grow by an average of 10 per cent a year over the last eight years, co-owner and executive vice-president Shawn Bergen said in an interview.
To accommodate that growth, the 16-year-old firm has had to beef up its operations. That includes building a new packaging/warehouse/distribution centre in Saskatoon and expanding its warehouse/distribution centres in Regina and Calgary -- all to between 120,000 and 150,000 square feet -- and purchasing a warehouse/distribution facility in southwest Winnipeg which is more than triple the size of the 40,000-square-foot space it has now.
Bergen said the new 145,000-square-foot facility at 1664 Seel Ave. is big enough to enable CWS to consolidate all of its local warehouse/distribution operations under one roof. They now operate out of two locations, one a leased premises near the airport and the other a building it owns on Clarence Avenue in Fort Garry.
There will also be room in the Seel Avenue building for the company's head office, which currently operates out of leased space on Scurfield Boulevard, and a new diesel mechanics shop the company is setting up to service its fleet of 60 highway tractors and 160 dry-van trailers.
Bergen said doing its own repair and maintenance work, instead of contracting it out, is going to save the company money. So, too, will having all of its operations in a single, company-owned building.
He said CWS purchased the Seel Avenue building last fall for about $9 million, and is spending about $3 million to renovate and upgrade it. The diesel shop and the warehouse/distribution operations should be moving in within the next six to eight weeks. But it will likely be six to eight months before the head office space is ready.
"The (old) office area has basically been gutted," he explained, and will be rebuilt to suit their needs.
CWS employes about 225 people, including about 40 in Winnipeg. Bergen said the company expects to add 15 more employees to its local workforce by the time it moves into the new building. That includes eight workers for the new shop.
CWS, which relocated to Winnipeg from Regina in 2003, warehouses, packages and distributes a variety of farm and non-farm-related products.
The farm products -- mainly seed, fertilizer and herbicides -- are distributed to about 600 retail clients in Western Canada, including all of the major grain companies, Federated Co-operatives Ltd., UFA Co-operative Limited, and a host of independent farm supply outlets.
The non-farm products it distributes include beer, soft drinks, furniture, building supplies and food products. Those clients are also scattered throughout Western Canada.
Bergen said agricultural products account for about 70 per cent of the company's overall business. He said both sides of the business have been growing over the last eight years, but the agricultural-products side has accounted for the bulk of the growth.
Bergen said he expects growth will continue, which is why the company plans to keep its Clarence Avenue plant.
"It's a long-term thought that we'll eventually be operating out of both locations," he said, so the plan is to lease out the space until it's needed. Although the building is about 120,000 square feet in size, CWS has only using about a third of it for its warehouse/distribution operations.
HERE are some of the highlights from CWS Logistics history:
1997 -- Launched a packaging and distribution business in Regina.
1998 -- Doubled its warehouse space in Regina to accommodate a fast-growing customer base.
1998 to 2003 -- Added new warehouse/terminals in Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Calgary, and a fertilizer trans-load facility in Belle Plain, SK.
2003 -- Re-located its head office to Winnipeg.
2006 -- Purchased a new warehouse, terminal and packaging facility in Regina.
2011 -- Built a new warehouse/distribution centre in Saskatoon.
2012 -- Purchased a larger warehouse/distribution centre in Winnipeg and began extensive renovations and upgrades to the facility. Also began expanding its warehouse/distribution centres in Regina and Calgary.
2013 -- Will be consolidating all of its local operations in the upgraded Winnipeg facility.
-- source: CWS Logistics Ltd.


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Secretary General for the Association of Traditional medicine in Nigeria, Quincy Ayodele, has revealed that she does not intend to retire from offering natural therapy services to the celebrities and patrons of her organisation.
In an interview with Daily Times, she revealed that she would keep providing more fat loss products and services that have become noticeable among the female celebrities in Nigerian entertainment industry.
When talking about the beginnings of her business empire, she said, “Since I started this business, it has always been Quincy and slimming. Everybody in the country knows that if you desire to get slim, then Quincy is the best place to be.”
On the concept of using crams to bring out a clear skin on most of the artistes on the screens, the slim-down expert disclosed that, “That is the concept of the cream that we use and that is what I use. I can tell when I see some of our clients who use our products judiciously.
“They look radiant, glowing and youthful looking without dark knuckles or stretch marks.”
In other news, you would remember that fans began to wonder what was wrong with actress, Ini Edo, who had shed off some weight recentlytweet Follow @@metrolens1


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The war of Satoshi’s original vision is intensifying within the bitcoin cash technical community because the fourth largest cryptocurrency is indicating towards the split of blockchain in coming November.
Andrew Stone, Bitcoin Unlimited lead developer have written a post on the Bitcoin forum. The main aim of that post was to escalate the war of words about the blockchain split.
Developers of bitcoin, as well as nChain, have to move forward of the network’s schedule hard fork in coming November. Though the war for the future of bitcoin cash protocol is intensifying at a rapid pace but a neutral development team came in the light for calling for the ceasefire.
Craig Wright of nChain has released the short for Satoshi Vision which is known as an alpha version of Bitcoin SV. Recently nChain has also announced the full node Bitcoin Cash implementation. nChain is also creating a bitcoin cash mining pool which will be known as SV Pool. SV Pool is in line with the original Satoshi Vision. From September the miners will be on board on the SV Pool. First bitcoin SV Nodes have already started to come online. These nodes have eight listening nodes which are connected to the bitcoin cash network. Bitcoin ABC has 1,444 nodes which are running Bitcoin ABC software. It is equivalent to more than 64% of the entire network. If nCash wants to supplement Bitcoin ABC, it has a long way to go.
To compete with Bitcoin ABC, nCash has taken the support of CoinGreek to release Bitcoin Cash client. CoinGeek is the largest Citcoin Cash mining pool whose full node implementation is considered most popular among Bitcoin Cash miners.
Both nCash and Bitcoin ABC have different visions for the technical future of Bitcoin Cash. Because of the different visions of these companies Bitcoin Cash could split into multiple versions in November during the hard fork. nCash and Bitcoin ABC also have different point of view about the Bitcoin whitepapers.
Early bitcoin adopter and owner of Bitcoin.org, Cobra is going to launch a Bitcoin Cash client which does not have any new feature except for replay protection which will enable the users to use Bitcoin Cash as usual without the fear of losing funds because of blockchain split. Cobra said that he has already secured the support of one major cryptocurrency exchange and at least 25% of the Bitcoin Cash hashrate.
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Lottotech Ltd and the Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) have been at odds with each other following the announcement of the measures pertaining to the budget last year. One of the changes to be implemented was the ban on the selling of scratch cards and advertising for the National Lottery. Now, the latter complains that the GRA has not respected its contract, and will soon send a formal notice.
Lottotech had previously asked for a financial compensation after the measures of the budget 2015 were to be applied. However, the GRA had not conceded to its official request. Lottotech also argued that the rate of contribution to the Consolidation Fund should be reviewed, and this too was not considered by the GRA.
The CEO of Lottotech, Michelle Carinci, says in a statement to l’Express.mu that their firm should be compensated because of the budgetary measures having impacted negatively on their Business Model. Their net profits went from Rs 166 million in 2014 to Rs 40 million last year. The selling of Loto tickets also decreased from Rs 2.7 billion to Rs 1.6 billion from 2014 to 2015.


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Sure, this upstart manufacturer hadn’t yet sold vehicles in North America. But the press event was in downtown LA, my town, so I wouldn’t be taking too much time out of my day.
At the event, I got some face time with the company’s founder. I got the low-down on the company’s ambitions and took some photos. The tech seemed groundbreaking, and the target price point was astounding. I got all the right answers and a lot of promises.
After the event, I got sidetracked with other stuff and my notes from the event sat in a folder for too long. But by that point, the news came out that the company was fighting for its financial life. That’s one story I’m glad I didn’t spend the time to write. How much of the founder’s enthusiasm would’ve made it into an article on a shiny new object that, at this point, might never make it into fleets? That’s for me to contemplate in hindsight.
Back in November 2019, I was in the room during the Night of Broken Glass, when Elon’s chief designer cracked the window of the Cybertruck. The same event in which Elon said the electric pickup truck would have a base range of 250 miles, payload capacity of 3,500 lbs., max towing capacity of 14,000 lbs., and a starting price of $39,900.
Elon didn’t talk about battery specs, but after 1.5 million reservations and counting, it doesn’t seem to be of prime concern. At least Elon has recommitted to a release timeframe (and a Tesla van “at some point.”) There are other new OEMs that have raised hundreds of millions of dollars for vehicle models that will likely never hit the road.
Tech Meets Auto Culture
Silicon Valley is officially joined at the hip with the auto industry. Tech culture is now inextricably entwined with auto culture, which was once called “staid.” Remember when?
Tech culture shakes trees, pushes boundaries, and breaks old things to make new things happen. This conjoining has brought technological advancement to the auto industry that has never been so swift. But tech culture also tolerates the “fake it until you make it” attitude, which sometimes comes with blue-sky press releases and unpaid exhibitor bills behind the scenes.
Back in the day, reps from one of those staid auto manufacturers wouldn’t have said in front of a group of journalists that a new planned model would be released in 18 months, if they weren’t reasonably certain they could pull it off. Today, it’s not uncommon to hear “We expect volume production in 18 months,” though a manufacturing plant and the capital to volume produce are works in progress.
In all this, progress in the vehicle electrification market has been astounding. Five years ago few would’ve predicted that in 2022, EV sales would account for 5.8% of all new cars sold in the U.S., up from 3.2% the year before, in an overall market that has shrunk.
Yet the amount of press coverage on electrification — compared to actual sales — is overwhelming. This signal-to-noise ratio imbalance is enough to turn away fleet operators. How can you strategize when it’s hard to tell what’s real?
Commercial EV Sales Math
The spike in EV sales penetration has been on the passenger vehicle side. The electrification market for commercial vehicles has just begun.
There are at least 30 new automakers producing, or with plans to produce, commercial electric chassis for Class 1 to Class 7. This is in addition to the incumbent OEMs producing their own EV chassis as well.
According to NTEA data, yearly sales into the U.S. commercial vehicle market break down roughly like this: Classes 1-2, about 2.8 million units; Classes 3-5, 560,000, and Classes 6-7, 90,000. (Sales of tractors in Class 8 are about 890,000.) Sales of commercial EVs represent a fraction of 1% at this point.
Of course, sales will ramp up over the next few years, but will there be a hockey stick inflection point? Can these new OEMs fulfill an overhang in demand because of disruptions and delays at the majors? Can they carry costs until then? It’s still too early to say.
That’s an overwhelming number of OEMs looking to sell into this small, albeit growing, pool. Meanwhile, infrastructure buildout is progressing, though slower than anticipated. The math doesn’t add up to allow for 30 to survive.
But this is not the time for fleets to dismiss it all out of hand, however. There is meaningful progress, lots of it. It’s time to get educated, which will come from outside research and asking questions of the manufacturers themselves.
- What are the OEM’s intended market segments, and who are its competitors?
- Has the OEM contracted with manufacturing partner yet?
- Does the stated production timeline align with manufacturing ramp up?
- Is battery production in-house or outsourced? What components are outsourced?
- Who are its largest financial backers?
- Is the company publicly traded, or planning to go public?
- Is it going with direct sales or a franchise dealer model?
- What dealer, servicing, upfitter, and vehicle charging partnerships are in place?
- What is its software strategy?
- And let’s not forget — how does the vehicle drive? Are the drivability, ergonomics, capacities, and overall build quality sufficient for your jobs?
Even if the market corrects (which seems to have already begun) this research won’t be in vain, as it adds to an overall education that will prompt confident choices when the time is right, with the right partners.
There are billions upon billions of dollars being pumped into electrification. We can argue about the timeline and the penetration rate, and fret about the considerable challenges to work through. For all the noise, electrification is happening.
Fleet operators are being thrust into new requirements of verification on new vehicles and technologies. Meanwhile it’s incumbent upon us in the automotive trade media to help them separate that signal to noise.


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The future of blockchain technology and its impact on various industries has been a hot topic of discussion for quite some time now. With the rapidly evolving market and ever-growing interest in cryptocurrencies, it’s essential to stay informed about the latest trends, innovations, and developments. To that end, a recent press release from Cointelegraph caught our attention, providing valuable insights into the potential of this technology.
Located at 133 W 19th St., New York, NY 10011, Cointelegraph’s office recently issued a thought-provoking announcement on the blockchain’s impact on the financial sector. According to the report, the most significant change that blockchain technology can bring about is in the world of banking and financial transactions. The technology possesses the potential to revolutionize the banking sector by providing faster and secure transactions, smart contracts, and increased transparency.
On the one hand, proponents of this view argue that blockchain technology can help banks reduce costs and streamline their operations. By recording transactions on a decentralized ledger, banks can eliminate the need for intermediaries, which often slow down the transaction process and add extra fees. Moreover, with the increased adoption of cryptocurrencies like BTC and ETH, blockchain technology could potentially reduce the need for traditional banking services altogether.
However, it’s essential to examine the flipside of the argument as well. Skeptics might point out that blockchain technology, in its current state, may not be entirely equipped to handle the massive transaction volumes typically processed by banks. In addition, concerns about security, which is a critical factor in financial transactions, remain unresolved, with instances of hacks and breaches still being reported.
Another point of contention is the regulatory side of the technology. While many industry experts and enthusiasts tout blockchain as the future of finance, it’s also important to consider the regulatory challenges that various governments worldwide might pose. Cryptocurrency regulations are still in their infancy, causing uncertainties in the market and impacting the technology’s development and mass adoption.
There are also concerns about the environment, as the energy-intensive process of mining cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin has raised questions regarding the technology’s sustainability. However, as new and more energy-efficient mining methods emerge and alternative consensus mechanisms gain popularity, this issue may be ameliorated.
Though the conflict between the enthusiasts and skeptics might seem difficult to resolve, it’s undeniable that blockchain technology has the potential to transform financial transactions and markets. In order to realize this potential, however, it’s crucial for stakeholders to engage in open discussions about the challenges and limitations of the technology, and to explore creative solutions that would drive more significant benefits across the board.
As a responsible crypto enthusiast, it’s our duty to keep an open mind about the potential use cases and implications of this ground-breaking technology. To that end, we must maintain a healthy skepticism while staying informed and engaged in the exciting world of blockchain and cryptocurrencies.


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The tech-heavy Nasdaq and benchmark S&P 500 rallied to all-time highs. The Dow gained too, but not enough to hit 20,000. It was day two of the busiest week of Q4 earnings season.
Here's the scoreboard:
- Dow: 19,912.71, +112.86, (0.57%)
- S&P 500: 2,280.07, +14.87, (0.66%)
- Nasdaq: 5,600.96, +48.01, (0.86%)
- Alibaba's third-quarter revenue rose 54%, beating analyst estimates, thanks to higher sales during its Single's Day shopping event and higher earnings in cloud computing and digital media.
- Barclays downgraded Apple from "overweight" to "equal weight" and dropped its price target to $117 from $119. Analysts said investors were pinning too much hope on the next iPhone.
- Existing home sales in the US booked a weaker-than-expected December but saw their strongest year since 2006. Sales decreased by 2.8% at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.49 million in December, according to the National Association of Realtors.
- Markit Economics' flash US purchasing manager's index (PMI) rose to 55.1 in January. New orders jumped at the fastest rate in two years, "thanks mainly to rising demand from customers in the home market," the report said on Tuesday.
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Adam Neumann had a vision: to make his startup WeWork a wildly successful company that would change the world. He convinced thousands of other people -- customers, employees, investors -- that he could make that dream a reality. And for a while, he did. He was one of the most successful startup founders in the world. But then, in the span of just a few months, everything changed.
Foundering is a new serialized podcast from the journalists at Bloomberg Technology. This season, we’ll tell you the story of WeWork, a company that captured the startup boom of the 2010s and also may be remembered as a spectacular bust that marked the end of an era.
Foundering premieres June 25, 2020. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.


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You may not be anywhere near the office water cooler right now, but we still want to spotlight creative that should be on your radar. Today, we look at Facebook’s very public defense of personalized advertising ahead of a privacy update from Apple, in which the social media giant says ‘Good Ideas Deserve to be Found’.
Facebook is injecting some pizazz into its online marketing business by launching a glossy, upbeat campaign designed to illustrate how it can ‘bring to life how personalized ads level the playing field’ for small businesses during a time of hardship.
Andrew Stirk, Facebook’s head of brand marketing, concedes that online advertising can be a ”pretty dry topic” at the best of times, prompting the social network to dive off-piste with ’Good Ideas Deserve to be Found’.
Featuring exotic locales and glamorous people, all set to a catchy beat, the spot documents thriving small businesses that have embraced digital advertising, with an expansive TV, radio and digital campaign encouraging participation through a custom Instagram sticker and use of the #DeserveToBeFound hashtag on Facebook.
Inspired by a desire to support small businesses in a time of need during the pandemic, the campaign is described as a means to ”help people understand how the personalized ads they see help them discover new things they love and support businesses in their community”.
Specific case studies include handbag and luggage specialist House of Takura, with its founder Annette Njau waxing lyrical about the benefits of digital advertising.
Scratching beneath this glossy veneer however, it has been suggested Facebook may have an ulterior motive behind this flurry of activity – namely to draw attention to Apple’s planned iPhone update, which threatens to upend the entire mobile advertising sector as advertisers lose the ability to track and gauge the performance of their ads.
Central to this change will be the surfacing of an advertising ID privacy tool to the front and center of users’ phones, allowing individuals to easily opt-out of the data-sharing system and taking their advertising potential with them.
Facebook has been up in arms about these changes for months, decrying Apple’s move to anyone who will listen in the fear that a seemingly inexhaustible well of ad revenues may be about to dry up.
Harnessing all channels available to it, Facebook launched a print ad campaign towards the end of last year in which it put in black and white arguments suggesting small businesses and content creators will also lose out.
Apple’s nuclear bomb is scheduled to detonate in early spring, after which Facebook will be forced to resort to a prompt pleading with users to share their information to access a ’better ads experience’.
Mindful that this alone is unlikely to inspire many, today’s big budget ad extravaganza could be interpreted as a timely spur for users to respond positively to the pending prompt.
Dismissing such suggestions, Stirk insists that Facebook’s actions are entirely altruistic, urging skeptics to please think of struggling small businesses. He said: ”There is a degree of urgency in the fact that... small businesses are hurting right now.”
In tandem with the creative campaign, Facebook has also simplified its Ads Manager dashboard, enabled restaurants to provide more information about their dining experiences and introduced more information about personalized ads in Facebook’s Business Resource hub and Instagram’s Professional Dashboard.


text: Cheese exports worth less than $150,000 could be holding up a trade deal between Britain and Japan. Since Brexit, the UK government has struggled to replicate the trade agreements it once enjoyed with dozens of countries around the world as an EU member. Now talks with Japan, Britain’s fourth biggest trading partner outside the European Union, appear to be running into trouble as the UK government tries to secure better terms than Tokyo agreed with the European Union just two years ago. UK Trade Secretary Liz Truss is racing to do a deal before the United Kingdom loses access to the Japan agreement previously negotiated by Brussels when the post-Brexit transition period expires at the end of this year. But Truss wants a better deal for British food producers, according to the Financial Times, which reports that agricultural tariffs have become a sticking point in negotiations. Truss has a “particular focus” on blue cheeses such as Stilton, the newspaper said. Stilton Blue is an English cheese that may only be produced in three areas of the country and enjoys protected food name status under EU origin rules — in the same way that sparkling wine can only be called champagne if it comes from the Champagne region of France. Britain’s blue cheese exports totaled a modest £18.3 million ($24 million) in 2019, of which £102,000 ($133,000) went to Japan, according to the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board. The Department for International Trade declined to comment on the reports, but said that it aims to reach a formal agreement with Japan by the end of August — less than three months since negotiations began. “We have reached consensus on the major elements of a deal — including ambitious provisions in areas like digital, data and financial services that go significantly beyond the EU-Japan deal,” Truss said in a statement. Japan and the United Kingdom will also agree to eliminate tariffs on Japanese cars by 2026, according to the Nikkei Asian Review. Officials in Tokyo did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Truss is attempting to replace the huge deal signed between the European Union and Japan in 2018, which removed tariffs on European exports, such as cheese and wine, and reduced barriers to Japanese car imports. It was estimated at the time that EU companies would save up to €1 billion ($1.2 billion) per year in tariffs. The total value of trade between the United Kingdom and Japan was just over £29 billion ($38 billion) in 2018, making it Britain’s 11th biggest trading partner that year. The United States, China and Switzerland are the only non-EU countries in the top 10, figures from the trade department show. A bilateral trade agreement with Japan could increase UK GDP in the long run by around 0.07%, according to the trade department, compared with an estimated 5% reduction in economic growth as a consequence of Brexit.


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The letter encouraged the agency to ban activities that may promote use in children, such as e-cigarette flavors or flavor names that are brand and/trademarked names of candy, cookies, soda, and other products, and to prohibit e-cigarettes containing candy and other youth-friendly flavors, unless there is evidence demonstrating that they do not encourage young people to use these products.
Robert Tarran, PhD, an associate professor at the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology at the University of North Carolina (UNC) School of Medicine and a member the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center in Chapel Hill, NC, said an e-cigarette company can literally concoct an e-liquid and start selling it for inhalation without any testing or regulation.
He said there is an urgent need to regulate all electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS). These systems include e-cigarettes, and all devices capable of delivering nicotine in an aerosolized form.
“There is serious because for concern here since many of the flavors used have not been tested for safety via inhalation and this can give different results to oral ingestion,” Tarran told Cancer Therapy Advisor.
“Little cigars and other unregulated tobacco products produce similar cancer-causing toxicants as regular cigarettes. Whilst the effects of e-cigarettes on the human body are still being investigated, it is known that e-liquids do contain a lot of nicotine, which is known to be carcinogenic and may also generate formaldehyde when they are heated/aerosolized as the liquid vehicle gets broken down.”
ASCO would like to see federal, state, and local regulation of ENDS. It would also like manufacturers to be required to register with the FDA and report all product ingredients. ASCO wants the FDA to require childproof caps on ENDS liquids, and include warning labels on products and their advertisements.2
Last year, the FDA proposed a rule to extend its authority over ENDS. ASCO and other groups requested that the FDA issue its final rule by April 25, 2015, which was 1 year from the date the agency issued the proposed rule. However, that deadline came and passed.
RELATED: Most Americans Favor Raising Legal Smoking Age
The FDA said it regularly receives voluntary reports of adverse events involving e-cigarettes from consumers, clinicians, and concerned members of the public.
The adverse events described in these reports have included hospitalization for illnesses such as pneumonia, congestive heart failure, disorientation, seizure, hypotension, and other health problems.3
- American Society of Clinical Oncology. http://www.asco.org/sites/www.asco.org/files/4-28-15_letter_to_president_obama_re_finalizing_deeming_regulation_2.pdf. Published April 25, 2015. Accessed July 28, 2015.
- Brandon TH, Goniewicz ML, Hanna NH, et al. American Association for Cancer Research and American Society of Clinical Oncology. Electronic nicotine delivery systems: A policy statement from the American Association for Cancer Research and the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Clin Cancer Res. 2015;21(3):514–525.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes). http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/PublicHealthFocus/ucm172906.htm. Updated July 7, 2015. Accessed July 28, 2015.


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Samsung will reportedly preview its 4.99-inch FHD Super AMOLED display with 1080×1920 resolution and 441 pixel density at CES 2013. We’ll classify this as a rumor for now, but it’s very likely to be true with comparable screens on competing devices, like the Verizon HTC Droid DNA, already coming soon. Samsung will supposedly begin mass producing the 5-inch Full HD display technology in Q1 of next year with a rumored appearance scheduled for CES 2013 in Las Vegas in early January. If that’s the case, it’s plausible we’ll see the screen on their next flagship Android handset, the Galaxy S IV, at MWC 2013 in late February. A new Windows Phone with said display could be a possibility further down the line. Samsung is also expected to launch a smartphone with a flexible OLED display in the first half of 2013.
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1/14/2015 9:42:21 PM
Lowcountry Local First is launching the first event of the 2015 GOODBusiness Series in order to support the success of local-independent businesses owners. GOODBusiness: Connecting to Capital will provide an opportunity for local business owners and entrepreneurs to learn traditional and innovative methods to finance a business from a panel of experts, including non-profit lenders, financial institutions, as well as crowdfunding and short-term working capital loans. The workshop is targeted for local businesses ranging from start-ups to established businesses ready to take their business to the next level. Taking place on Thursday, February 5th, 2015 from 3-5:30pm at PURE Theatre, 477 King St, Charleston, SC 29403, the event will include a panel discussion, audience Q&A, and networking. Tickets are on sale now for $20 for Lowcountry Local First members and $30 for non-members at LowcountryLocalFirst.org.
Expert private sector and non-profit panelists from Charleston Local Development Corporation, Heritage Trust Federal Credit Union, Jericho Advisors, SC Community Loan Fund, Southcoast Community Bank, and South State Bank will discuss the financing methods they offer as well as the type of businesses they typically support. Additionally, business owners who’ve completed successful crowdfunding campaigns will discuss their experiences.
“One of the issues identified as a challenge and interest area by attendees at our 2014 GOODBusiness Summit was access to capital,” says Jamee Haley, Executive Director at Lowcountry Local First. “GOODBusiness: Connecting to Capital provides a great primer for busy business owners to understand their options, meet the players, and make informed choices to finance the launch or growth of their business.”
Following the panel discussion and Q&A, Lowcountry Local First will host networking for attendees and panelists with refreshments. Registration for GOODBusiness: Connecting to Capital can be completed at LowcountryLocalFirst.org.
WHO: Lowcountry Local First
WHAT: GOODBusiness: Connecting to Capital for local businesses ready to launch or grow
WHEN: Thursday, February 5th, 2015, 3pm to 5:30pm
WHERE: PURE Theatre, 477 King St, Charleston, SC 29403
ABOUT: Lowcountry Local First, a nonprofit organization, cultivates local economic prosperity and quality of life by increasing community support for locally-owned, independent businesses and farmers.
TO LEARN MORE: visit lowcountrylocalfirst.org or email ; find us on Twitter: @lowcountrylocal #LLFGoodBiz; and Facebook: facebook.com/LowcountryLocalFirst.


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What you need to know
- A new rumor suggests the Galaxy Note 20 series will only have two models – Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Plus.
- Unlike the Galaxy S20 series, Samsung will apparently not launch a "Note 20 Ultra."
- The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 series is expected to be unveiled in August.
The Galaxy S20 Ultra is the most expensive phone in the Galaxy S20 series lineup, boasting a 108MP primary camera and a few other upgrades over the standard and Plus models. Despite its steep pricing, some reports have suggested that it is actually more popular than the other two Galaxy S20 models in several markets. According to a new rumor (via Android Authority), however, Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Note 20 series will not have an "Ultra" model.
Ross Young, CEO and founder of Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC), has claimed in a new tweet that there will be no Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. Instead, Samsung will only launch two models: a standard Galaxy Note 20 and a "Plus" model with a bigger screen. If the information is accurate, the most expensive Galaxy Note 20 Plus variant may possibly be more affordable than the Galaxy S20 Ultra.
While there is still no word on the tech specs of the two Galaxy Note 20 models, Young had suggested last week that the standard Galaxy Note 20 may not feature a 120Hz display. Since all three Galaxy S20 models offer a 120Hz refresh rate option, it would certainly be disappointing to see the option restricted to the more expensive Galaxy Note 20 Plus.
In a separate tweet, Young claims the Note 20 Plus will have a 6.87-inch display with 3096 x 1444 resolution and a 19.3:9 aspect ratio. A key highlight of the upcoming flagship will apparently be "lower power implementation" of 120Hz, which should help extend battery life when the display is set to the highest refresh rate.https://twitter.com/DSCCRoss/status/1259816862378078215
Samsung is expected to launch the Galaxy Note 20 series at an online Galaxy Unpacked event in August. The Note 20 series phones are tipped to be powered by an Exynos 992 chipset in select markets, rumored to be built on a 6nm process.
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Buying a laptop isn't an easy decision, but it's one that's slightly easier on weeks like this — on Black Friday. The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 has been heralded as one of the best laptops on the market by practically every site that ranks these kinds of things, ourselves included, and there's a brand new reason to pick it up. Today only, the XPS 13 2-in-1 with Intel 10th Gen CPUs are up to $...
Dropping the Note 20 Ultra would be a disaster. Protect it with a case!
Whether you prefer a heavy-duty case or a thin and shiny variety that catches the light just right, there's a great Note 20 Ultra case out there for everyone.


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Sony Xperia 1R
Sony is no longer a big name in the smartphone industry, and it has no name in competition in the smartphone market in India, but Sony’s smartphones are still in many markets. The company’s latest launch is the Sony Xperia 1 smartphone. This phone supports 4K resolution. According to a new report, Sony is thinking of bringing the 5K resolution screen with the sony Xperia 1R.
According to the Japanese site Sumahoinfo, this incoming smartphone will have 5040×2160 pixels resolution, which will make it a 5K resolution smartphone. This device will be named the Sony Xperia 1R. The phone can be launched in IFA 2019. It is not yet known what size of the screen will be, but it is estimated that it can be 6.5 inches. That’s because, because of the 6.5-inch screen in Xperia 1, the next phone feared that there would be less screen size. The resolution shows that the aspect of the screen will be of 21: 9.
At this time, the screen of a phone with 4K or 5K resolution is of some use. This will not work for VR based applications too. Sony is definitely doing a good job in terms of screen resolution, but the company is not dominated by the smartphone market. The company has recently thrown out of India and if the company is not in profit, then in other countries the company will be the same.


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Butcher Mocks Hysterical Vegan Activist Holding Pig's Head - WATCH
Activist Tash Peterson ranted outside store while covered in fake blood
A hysterical vegan activist was mocked by a butcher as she screamed abuse at onlookers in a busy grocery store.
Prominent Australian militant vegan Tash Peterson is known for her disruptive public protests.
In a video that has emerged online, Peterson is seen covered in fake blood and crying while holding a fake pig's head as she ranted outside a Coles store in Perth.
Wearing bloodied white clothes and an apron, Peterson shouted at passing customers.
She was urging shoppers to watch Dominion - a graphic documentary that investigates animal agriculture.
"Each time you consume meat, dairy, and eggs it is your fault. You have the right to know the truth," she screamed hysterically at passers by.
"I don't want to be here holding this murdered being's head," she yelled at shoppers.
"I don't want to be doing this, but I have a moral obligation to be standing up for these beings.
"I don't want to be holding him.
"Can you look him in the eyes and say that your taste is worth more than his life?"
In the video shot in the clip, Peterson was approached by a shopper, who told her: "I'm vegan, and you're not helping our cause."
The activist responded: "You're not helping the animals by not standing up for them."
A Coles worker then asked Peterson to leave, telling her she was protesting on private property.
Peterson complied and slowly made her way out of the shopping complex while screaming about where free-range Christmas hams come from.
A local butcher then confronted her, asking in a mocking tone: "Are you crying? What's the matter?"
"Where'd you get the [pig] head from?" he asked while sarcastically wiping away tears from his face.
Peterson responded by asking the butcher if he felt "tough for paying for animal abuse."
A shopper then chimed in and told Peterson she was scaring nearby children, to which she responded: "Do you know that you're feeding your children animal abuse?"
"Your children have the right to know what is happening to their beloved animal friends.
"They would be horrified if you showed them the truth."
Peterson's one-person protest is the latest in a number of heated demonstrations.
Late last year she dressed up as a cow and stood at the entrance of an Italian restaurant holding a sign that read "they r*ped me and stole my babies so you could have some milk."
"If I was speaking out for the dog abuse you'd be calling me a hero," she screamed at customers.
In July she donned a similar outfit to her Coles protest to storm a busy McDonald's restaurant while carrying a fake pig's head.
The back of her shirt read: "Your 'food' fought for their life.
"That should leave a bad taste in your mouth."


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As technology changes, it's important for business owners and marketers to incorporate these advances into their marketing plan. Doing so helps marketers to reach their target audience with relevant content and ads. One trend that marketers should take note of is the growing use of beacon triggered marketing. This article will explain what beacon triggered marketing is, and how businesses can use it to increase their in-store sales.
At its core, beacon triggered marketing is essentially a more accurate form of proximity marketing. However, unlike traditional proximity marketing tactics, which get a device's location from GPS and WiFi signal, beacon triggered marketing works by looking for the bluetooth signal from a beacon located with the store.
Though similar to proximity marketing, beacon triggered marketing is much more accurate. WiFi often place devices at the neighborhood level and GPS doesn't always work within a buildings (e.g. shopping malls). Beacons ensure that the right message, reaches the right customer at exactly the right time.
Beacon triggered marketing is still relatively news. According to a poll conducted by Harris Poll for Placecast, only 57 percent of US smartphone owners were aware of in-store beacons, and just one in five (20%) had already used them.
Beacon triggered marketing will become better known and accepted as more national brand use them. There is also a growing body of evidence that shows the benefits of the marketing tactic for increasing in-store sales.
Swirl, an early pioneer of beacon trigger technology, reported that 73 percent of consumers say they are more likely to buy in-store when they receive beacon-triggered content and offers. Swirl also found that 60 percent of shoppers surveyed open and engage with beacon-triggered content. About one in three (30%) redeem beacon-triggered offers at the point of purchase.
About three out of five consumers (61%) surveyed by Swirl said they would visit a store with beacon marketing campaigns more often. Similarly, 60 percent said that they would buy more as a result of getting beacon-triggered marketing messages.
Though beacon marketing may sound cost prohibitive, the technology is inexpensive and relatively easy to deploy. The beacon itself can be bought from between $20 and $40 and the only other cost would be the time and resources needed to create the content.
Beacon technology has also seen some recent improvements that make the technology more useful to marketers. When beacons were first introduced, they only worked with the branded app of the store. This is fine for people who know and use in-store beacons, but recent advances that lets beacons interact with other apps increases the range and effectiveness of these campaigns. For example, some of the largest third-party mobile apps, including Facebook, have added beacon-sensing capabilities to increase engagement (by providing more relevant content) and revenue from their apps.
Though the technology has had a slow start, beacon trigger marketing is growing in acceptance. Recently, it was used during the Super Bowl, the Tribeca Film Festival, at airports, sports stadiums and even stores like Macy's and Walgreen's are planning to deploy beacon triggered campaigns.
As adoption increases, so will the revenue generated through these types of ads. According to BI Intelligence, US in-store retail sales influenced by beacon-triggered messages will see a nearly tenfold increase between 2015 and 2016, from $4.1 billion to $44.4 billion.
Beacon triggered marketing is something that brick-and-mortar retailers should consider using in order to increase their sales and revenue. Beacon triggered marketing lets business target consumers in their stores with highly relevant content and deals that can drive people to buy.
For more information on proximity marketing, read this article on how marketers can balance privacy and profitability when using proximity based ads.


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The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series and Hoosier have entered into a five-year agreement that will see the return of Hoosier tires to the historic traveling sprint car series.
The World of Outlaws STP Sprint Cars, which annually completes 80 to 90 winged 410 Sprint Car events, will use Hoosiers in all four positions beginning at the UNOH DIRTcar Nationals in February 2013.
The announcement marks the return of Hoosier tires to the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series after a three-year absence. Goodyear had served as the series’ official tire supplier during that period.
To learn more about Hoosier and its various race tire products, visit www.hoosiertire.com.
For more information about the World of Outlaws, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.
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Juxtapoz // Monday, September 29, 2014
Boris "DELTA" Tellegen has long been one of our favorirte artists in Europe, unique as both a graffiti writer and fine artist. The Dutch artist is teaming up with the great team at Case Studyo in Belgium for a special new sculpture edition, and as Case told us, "For Boris it made sense to execute this 'toy' robot again in concrete this time, the least child friendly material you can imagine..."
Juxtapoz // Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Everyone loves print! Well, we mean, we do, and so do lots of people who love art and all things tangible and art. That is why every year we like to take the trek out to NYC for Printed Matter' ninth annual NY Art Book Fair, from September 26 to 28, 2014, at MoMA PS1, Long Island City, Queens. You should go, too.
Juxtapoz // Wednesday, September 17, 2014
There is a ton of buzz surrounding Conor Harrington's NYC debut solo exhibition, "Eat & Delete," opening on September 27, 2014. To up the anticipation, Harrington and The Outsiders are releasing a new print, "The Unveiling," today, September 17, at 4PM British time, aka 11am EST, aka 8am PST... in an edition of 200... this one is hot!
Juxtapoz // Friday, September 12, 2014
Brian M. Viveros will have a new print available this Saturday, September 13, 2014, titled, “Night-Watch-Her”. The new prints is a 16″ x 20″ giclee, signed/numbered by the artist in an edition of 75, and costs $200. It’s been a while since Viveros has released a Limited Edition print so be ready! On sale this Saturday, September 13th at 10am (PST) via www.brianMviveros.com.
Juxtapoz // Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Cleon Peterson just released two new prints on his website today, a gold and silver version, respectively, of his "Masters of War" image. Each print is 28 x 28”, printed on 250gsm Arches Cover Black paper with deckled edges, limited edition of 75, with each print signed and numbered by the artist. Go get it.
Juxtapoz // Friday, August 15, 2014
To coincide with our 20th Anniversary and the opening of Jeremy Fish's new exhibition, "Yesterdays and Tomorrows" at FFDG (opening on Friday, August 15, 2014), Fish has designed a special print in an edition of 100 to mark the occasion. The screen print was printed at Bloom Press in Oakland, California, is signed and numbered, and sized at 18" x 24".
Juxtapoz // Thursday, May 08, 2014
Steven Harrington and our friends at the Ace Hotel in downtown Los Angeles are kicking off a special monthly collaboration this summer, starting on May 16th. Here is what Steven told us: "I'm starting my DJ residency once a month for the entire season of summer at their rooftop bar. To commemorate the collaboration we're releasing a very special 'metallic gold' screenprint created in edition of 100. Signed and numbered, the prints will be available exclusively on the rooftop of the ACE on my first DJ night- May 16th 9PM." We might do that.
Juxtapoz // Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Amsterdam based artist, and former Juxtapoz cover artist Parra just released a brand new print, "Boss Hat," via HVW8 Gallery's webshop. Printed in an edition of 50, the silkscreen print is on 90lb Stonehenge 250gsm Paper and sits at 20" x 27". Go buy it now!
Juxtapoz // Monday, April 07, 2014
Taschen has released a fantastic six-volume set of R. Crumb's sketchbooks, based on the original hard-bound, slip-cased, seven-volume series released by the German publisher Zweitausendeins between 1981 and 1997. As Taschen notes, "Unlike the previous edition, which included every doodle ever made by the preeminent underground artist, our edition has been personally edited by the notoriously fastidious artist to include only what he considers his best work, reproduced directly from the original sketchbooks."
Design // Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Grotesk has been a busy man. We had him do a special t-shirt at our showcase during SXSW, and he continues his design duties around the world of sports and art culture. (He also designed two of our favorite covers of all-time, the newsstand and subscriber of issue n101). He has released a version of the "6ft 6in" lamp with Case Studyo in the past, but now he has just released a black/red "banned" colorway version of the lamp, standing 75cm – 30inch high and featuring hand painted wood. Made in an edition of 23, naturally.


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Video renderings reveal an active, walkable, light-rail-adjacent mid-rise office campus and mixed-use neighborhood that will transform the northern suburb
Merlone Geier Partners press release from Jennifer Rash
LYNNWOOD, WA – As Lynnwood prepares to welcome mass transit, an older strip mall will transform into a bustling urban gateway called Northline Village. New video renderings released today by developer Merlone Geier Partners (MGP) bring the planned office, retail, and housing development in the Lynnwood City Center to life for the first time.
“We are excited to share this new look at Northline Village in a way that captures the energy and opportunity envisioned by our team and the city of Lynnwood,” said Jamas Gwilliam, MGP’s Vice President for Development.
Over 20 years in the making, Northline Village is a direct reflection of the vision and goals outlined in Lynnwood’s City Center Sub Area Plan and Planned Action Ordinance. The completed development will revitalize the City Center with high quality office space; a mid-rise, urban mixed-use neighborhood; vibrant retail streets; and a network of open spaces and sidewalks.
The City approved a development agreement for Northline Village in December 2019, and MGP is now ready to begin the phased delivery and leasing of over 500,000 square feet of available office space, with retail and housing to follow.
“The first phase of Northline Village will likely open around the same time as the North Link light rail line offering a 28-minute stress-free commute to and from downtown Seattle,” said Gwilliam. “That is a game changer in terms of quality of life for those who will work and live at Northline Village, and a remarkable opportunity for companies to provide a true campus life style with easy, walkable access to retail amenities, residential options, and mass transit.”


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Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash Are Latest Crypto Additions to Robinhood Investing App
U.S.-based mobile stock trading app Robinhood has added two new cryptocurrencies to its no-fee trading service.
The company said in an announcement on Thursday that litecoin and bitcoin cash have been added for Robinhood Crypto users following strong demand from customers for crypto assets beyond the current options of bitcoin and ethereum.
As part of the announcement, Robinhood also claimed it now has over 5 million users on the platform following expansion of its crypto trading service to 17 U.S. states.
The news follows a report in May that Robinhood raised $363 million in a Series D funding round, which the company said would allow it to offer more crypto trading pairs in more markets in the U.S.
At the time, Robinhood Crypto was available in 10 states. Since then, crypto trading has been opened up across Utah, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Indiana, New Jersey and Texas.
The company’s co-founder and co-CEO Baiju Bhatt previously said he expects Robinhood Crypto to be able to cover the entire U.S. by the end of 2018 as part of a plan to become one of the largest cryptocurrency platforms.
As previously reported by CoinDesk, Robinhood launched the crypto trading service in February, offering bitcoin and ethereum trading pairs in five states.
Robinhood image via Shutterstock
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By Michael Holzman, Guest Writer
Saturday, January 18, marks the opening of the 2014 North American International Auto Show to the public and of course the days leading up to it were filled with glitz and glamour. Over 50 new production and concepts cars were unveiled to the press along with hundreds of cars from automakers big and small across the world. The days leading up to it featured many important faces touring the press and industry only previews such as General Motors’ new CEO Mary Barra, the first female to lead a major global automaker, and Vice President Joe Biden who touted the line “Bin Laden is Dead and General Motors is Alive” during the reelection campaign last year. Of course when you get past all the celebs and theatrics put on by the automakers, this show boils down to one thing, and that is our love for the automobile. Let’s take a look at the main attractions from the Detroit 3 and their top competitors.
Ford: Let’s start off with the automaker just down the street from the University of Michigan-Dearborn, beginning with the sixth generation 2015 Ford Mustang. The new Mustang offers a redesigned look, based off the Ford Evos concept from a couple years ago that is bound to polarize some Mustang purists, but there is no denying that this is the most advanced Mustang ever built. In order to make it appealing to both American and European buyers, the new Mustang features the same two types of engines in the last generation, the 5.0 liter V8 and the 3.7 liter V6, as well as a four cylinder EcoBoost engine that will drastically increase fuel economy, and is more appealing to buyers overseas than the V8. Only one other time in the car’s history has there been a four cylinder option, which was on the Mustang SVO produced from 1984-1986. Another new feature that is a first for the Mustang is the independent rear suspension, which should dramatically improve the car’s ride and handling. Horsepower, pricing, and fuel economy numbers have not been officially released, but expect to see the new Mustang in showrooms late this year.
Another Ford icon that has a new look is the Ford F-150 pickup truck, the best-selling vehicle in the United States for over a decade, is being taken in a bold new direction. The new F-150, in an effort to increase fuel efficiency, is ditching the traditional steel body and truck bed for one made of a military-grade aluminum alloy. Ford says this cuts the new trucks weight by about 700 pounds compared to the last model and gains the advantage of aluminum taking much longer to rust than steel. This is a bit of a gamble because there is still some debate out there as to whether or not aluminum cars are as safe as steel, but Ford definitely seems confident that customers will believe them when they say it is just as durable, and it makes the truck much more efficient. This new generation also features a new 2.7 liter Ecoboost engine, which is insanely small for a pickup, especially when the last generation Ecoboost was 3.5 liters. Even though fuel economy numbers have yet to be officially announced, the new Ecoboost combined with the lighter truck should be putting out historically high fuel economy numbers for any pickup truck. Like the Mustang, the new F-150 will be out near the end of this year.
The last Ford mention is the Lincoln MKC crossover SUV. Ford is in the middle of trying to turn the Lincoln brand around, and already started it off last year with the new MKZ sedan. They now are extending that to a production version of the MKC concept they had at the Detroit Auto Show last year. The MKC is based on the popular Ford Escape, but Ford is really trying to not make the MKC a clone of the Escape, as Lincoln has done in the past with some models. Features for it include an exclusive 2.3 liter EcoBoost engine, which Lincoln claims will offer more horsepower and torque per cylinder than any other engine in the MKC’s class. Another innovative feature for the MKC is that it senses a driver approaching with a Lincoln themed light shining on the ground. Look for the MKC in showrooms in the next few months.
General Motors: Just like their competitors in Dearborn, GM has three new exciting models to show off at this year’s auto show, one from Chevrolet, GMC, and Cadillac, along with a Cadillac concept car making its debut in Detroit.
First off is the model from Chevrolet, the Corvette Z06. Last year, Chevrolet unveiled the base model Corvette, which revived the Stingray name from the 70s and 80s, and now it gets its first performance model. The Z06 model was featured in the last two generations of the Corvette but while they both offered significantly more performance than the base models, their styling was not much different from the base, especially to someone who is not a Corvette enthusiast. That is about to change, this new Z06 has a dramatically different look to it with the addition of a carbon fiber splitter at the front and a large carbon fiber spoiler in the back, along with a differently sculpted hood and blacked out taillights and wheels. Under the hood features the all-new LT4 supercharged V8 that puts out a whopping 625 horsepower, 13 less than the last generation ZR1 model that holds the record for most horsepower in a Corvette, and 635 foot pounds of torque, which if you cannot remember those numbers, GM has a badge right in front of the shifter to remind you. Compare that to the 460 horses and 465 ft/lbs of torque featured in the Stingray, and you have one heck of a track machine. This Z06 is also the first to offer an automatic transmission, an 8-speed dual clutch specifically, which is similar to the automatics brands like Lamborghini and Ferrari have phased out the old stick shift for to better enhance the cars performance, though the Z06 still has the 7-speed stick shift you can find in the Stingray, which will surely keep the purists happy. The Stingray is already out, and the new Z06 model will be out early next year.
GMC, General Motors’ truck and SUV brand, shows off the revived compact pickup, the GMC Canyon. Its twin, the Chevrolet Colorado was unveiled back in November at the auto show in Los Angeles, and the two have been out of GM’s lineup since bankruptcy. In fact, the compact pickup segment has only featured models from Toyota and Nissan over the past few years with the loss of the Colorado and Canyon along with the Dodge Dakota and the Ford Ranger, which is now sold in every country but the United States and GM, is committed to reviving that segment. Some of the features on the new Canyon include a rear bumper with what GM calls a “CornerStep,” which helps somebody climbing into the pickup bed, a feature GM once notoriously mocked Ford for having on the F-150. It also includes GMC’s lane departure and forward collision warning systems already offered on other models. GMC says the Canyon will hit showrooms in the fall.
Like last year, Cadillac’s exhibit is completely separate from the rest of General Motors in order to shore up its independence from the rest of the GM brands, which may leave some people confused as to where they are at Cobo, but once you find Cadillac’s exhibit, you will see some interesting new vehicles. Two years ago, Cadillac debuted its first compact model since the infamous Cimarron, that flopped back in the 80s, in the ATS. So far, the ATS has been a great success for Cadillac, and this year they debuted a two-door coupe version of the ATS. Unlike the last generation CTS coupe, the ATS’s big sister, the ATS coupe’s design is not very different from the sedan, it sports a slightly different front fascia, which includes the new wreath-less Cadillac badge and could be the first production vehicle to use the new badge as well. The coupe should be the first of a wave of new variants to the ATS, expect to see a V-series performance model of both the sedan and coupe and maybe even a convertible, sometime in the near future.
Also featured at Cadillac’s exhibit is the Elmiraj concept, making its Detroit debut. The Elmiraj, just like the Ciel concept from almost 3 years ago and the Sixteen concept which was at the Detroit Auto Show ELEVEN years ago, scream at you that it is a Cadillac competitor to not only the Mercedes S-Class and BMW 7-series, but also vehicles from Rolls-Royce and Bentley, yet the production version that all three of these concepts seem to point to could be considered the great white whale of the Cadillac brand as everything about the production car, which has been an on and off vehicle in the pipeline for over ten years now, seems to be nothing more than pure rumors. So much so that nobody is certain what the car’s name will be. Hopefully the Elmiraj will be the last of these concepts, and maybe at next year’s auto show Cadillac will finally have its production flagship car that has been constantly teased at us over the last 11 years. The Elmiraj also debuted the new badge that the ATS coupe has when it was revealed back in August.
Chrysler: Unfortunately Chrysler does not have as many new unveilings as GM and Ford, but the one new vehicle they do have at the auto show is a highly important one, and it is the new 2015 Chrysler 200. The original 200 was the first major vehicle built by the new Chrysler-Fiat, replacing the over styled and much loathed Chrysler Sebring from the Daimler-Chrysler era. The Sebring was actually the butt for many jokes as to why Chrysler got into bankruptcy in the first place, comparing it to such failures like the Ford Pinto and Pontiac Aztek. The 200 became the Sebring’s replacement, and was first advertised nationally during the Super Bowl in the iconic “Imported From Detroit” ad featuring rapper Eminem. Though the new 200 was a much better car than the last Sebring, it was still an afterthought for most people looking to buy in the highly competitive mid-size sedan class, featuring the likes of the Toyota Camry, Ford Fusion, and Chevrolet Malibu. The second generation 200 is aimed at changing that and the success or the failure of this car could determine the future of Chrysler. The reason why is because the only other midsized sedan Chrysler has is the Dodge Avenger, which has also done poorly against the rest of its class, and its future is currently uncertain. When it comes to the Chrysler brand itself, there is only the 300 sedan and the Town and Country minivan besides the 200, and Chrysler has to have the 200 become the best seller in the brand to be a success. One of the ways Chrysler is trying to do this with the new 200 is completely scrapping the old 200/Sebring platform and building the new one on the same chassis as the Fiat designed Dodge Dart compact. The styling is also much improved both inside and out. The body ditches the plain look the first generation 200 had and replaces it with a very curvy and sculpted look that is similar, but not identical, to the Dodge Dart. The interior is also highly improved and should be competitive towards the Camry, Malibu, and Fusion. One neat feature in the new interior is the phrase “Imported From Detroit” being stitched into the leather seatbacks.
Now that we have looked at the highlights of the Detroit automakers, let us take a look at some of the big vehicles from Europe and Asia.
Jaguar: It may seem strange to start this segment off with Jaguar, but it is only because of how blown away I was by their latest addition to their lineup, the Jaguar F-Type. Let’s put it this way, this is not your grandfather’s Jaguar. The convertible was unveiled at last year’s Detroit auto show, and now they have the hardtop coupe to go along with it. The car is gorgeous, it looks just as good as its competitors from Italy and the Chevrolet Corvette. Personally, I never thought a Jaguar could look so good to somebody as young as me but Jaguar certainly has pulled it off. The F-Type features a 340 horsepower V6 or you can get it with a 550 horsepower V8, almost 100 more horses than the Corvette Stingray. It only comes in an automatic right now, but I was told at the show that a manual option could be coming soon. Both the coupe and convertible are available now starting at $99,000 and $69,000 respectively, a bit more than the Corvette and Mustang.
Porsche: Porsche, the German performance car brand, has a couple of cars that are worth taking a look at. First is the 911 Targa. The Targa differs from the convertible because targa cars have removable roof panels that can be stored in the trunk, giving the car somewhat the best of both a coupe and convertible. This Targa, the first 911 Targa in over 20 years, is different because the car removes the hardtop panel itself very similar to a convertible, but has a glass bubble dome like the back of a coupe. Also is the production version of Porsche’s new 918 Spyder, which went on sale last month. The 918 is also available in a coupe called the 918 RSR, but Porsche only has a model of it at the show. The 918 is the first supercar Porsche since the Carrera GT that debuted 10 years ago and was produced until 2007. The 918 works very similar to the latest hypercars out of Ferrari and McLaren in that in order to give the gas engine a performance boost by using an electric motor as well. The 918 itself, is not very new because Porsche has had concepts for it dating back to 2010, but at this year’s Detroit auto show they finally have the one you can buy today. It is not cheap however as it starts at $845,000.
Audi: Audi features a couple new models at their exhibit this year but also have a concept that made its debut at this year’s Detroit auto show. It is the Quattro Allroad. The Allroad, which is part of Audi’s E-Tron hybrid line and is a two door hatchback. Audi says it puts out an impressive 408 horses, and claims it can get a combined mileage of 123 miles per gallon, though these are not from the EPA, and the final numbers may be different. It also features a more refined version of Audi’s signature style that they have had over the last decade.
Toyota: Detroit’s biggest rival from Japan has two very different, yet equally interesting, concepts at this year’s auto show. The first is the FCV concept, which is a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle that runs on hydrogen and only emits water vapor as exhaust. This is Toyota’s first hydrogen powered sedan. It has had compact SUVs that have ran on hydrogen in the past, and even if the car never gets produced, it certainly has a much more aggressive version of the current Prius hybrid’s styling and cues from the FCV concept that could be used on the next generation Prius. The other is the FT-1 concept, which if you have a copy of the videogame Gran Tursimo 6 and cannot make it to the show, you can drive it in the game, the second of many concept cars that will make video game debuts the same day they are unveiled, and could serve as the basis as the revived Toyota Supra, a popular sports car from the 80s and 90s. It features two massive exhaust pipes, which you could fit your fist in, along with a retractable rear wing which is found on many high end European supercars, that adjusts the car’s downforce, or suction to the road, depending on the car’s speed. It has already been called the most talked about concept at the Detroit auto show this year despite it not being from a Detroit company.
Honda: Like Toyota, Honda also has a hydrogen powered concept called the FCEV. What is different about Honda’s concept is that not too long ago, Honda offered a hydrogen powered sedan, the FCX Clarity, for lease in select markets, so they already have experience in building such cars. Also similar to the Toyota FCV, is that it has a much more futuristic version of the styling on its Prius fighter, the Honda Insight, and like the Toyota, the next generation Insight could be based of this car.
Hyundai: The biggest vehicle at Hyundai this year is the new generation Hyundai Genesis. The Genesis debuted in the middle of the auto crisis as Hyundai’s first step in becoming a global luxury brand and achieved great success. The new Genesis looks to build on that with a much more updated look and interior to better take on its competitors at BMW, Audi, and Mercedes. Like the previous generation, the Genesis has its own badge and does not have a Hyundai badge on the front of the car, which Hyundai does in order to get people to view the car without thinking about how they already perceive a Hyundai.
Kia: Kia, which is part of the same company as Hyundai, has two interesting vehicles this year. The first is the luxury sedan called the K900. It is a North American version of the K9 sedan that has been on sale for a year now in South Korea, the Middle East, South America, and Russia. The K900 is planned to be a cheaper version of the Hyundai Equus luxury sedan that has been around for a couple years now. Kia also has plans to sell it in China as well. The other is a 2+2, meaning two front and two rear seats, sports car concept called the GT4 Stinger. The Stinger definitely has an interesting design as the headlights are at the same height from the bottom of the car as the grille, along with a massive hood and futuristic coupe look in the back. Currently it is unknown if the GT4 Stinger will be produced or what future vehicle could be based off of it.
Nissan: One of Nissan’s new concept cars is the IDx concept, featuring a street version call Freeflow and a racetrack version called NISMO, after Nissan’s performance parts division. Both are radical recreations of the Datsun 510 coupe from the 60s and 70s, and could be a preview of a future Nissan that competes with compact sports cars such as the Mazda MX-5 Miata, and the twins, the Subaru BRZ and Scion FR-S, also called a Toyota FT-86 outside the U.S. This segment could also grow with rumored competitors coming from Chevrolet and Dodge/SRT in the near future.
Lastly, here is a little preview for next year’s Detroit auto show in January 2015. It has already been announced that Tesla Motors, the new juggernaut electric luxury vehicle brand, will unveil an all-electric mid-sized sedan called the Model C that will be a lot more affordable than the larger Model S, which is currently on sale. Also, it seemed like that Chrysler was going to unveil a model that is much more competitive with the Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro, which would be called the SRT Barracuda, reviving the old Plymouth muscle car name, but since it was delayed a year it could be the car everyone is talking about at the 2015 show instead.
Believe it or not, this was only a small sample of all the brands and cars featured at this year’s Detroit auto show including even more new production and concept vehicles along custom car brands that are also featured in the basement level of Cobo Hall. The show is open to the public from January 18 and runs through the 26.


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AUSTIN, TX, November 4, 2013 — Today, Kirkus Media announced the appointment of Claiborne Smith as editor in chief. The position was newly created in response to Kirkus’ recent, aggressive content expansion. Since its acquisition by Herb Simon and Marc Winkelman in 2010, Kirkus has increased the number of book reviews it has published by 77 percent while simultaneously growing its feature coverage more than 350 percent.
“Editorial leadership is vital to our continued growth,” said Meg LaBorde Kuehn, Kirkus’ chief operating officer. “Clay Smith has the passion and experience needed to drive development of the thoughtful content Kirkus is known for providing.”
A recognized book journalist since 1998, Smith’s most recent position with Kirkus Media was features editor. (He will continue to fulfill his duties as features editor.) Prior to joining Kirkus Media in November 2012, he was the literary director of the Texas Book Festival, where he was widely credited for growing the scope, national extent and reputation of the Festival. Smith began his career in journalism at the Austin Chronicle, where he rose to become a senior editor covering books. He is a graduate of the Cultural Reporting and Criticism graduate program at New York University.
“At a time when the publishing industry is making big and small leaps to adapt to many changes, it’s exciting to lead a growing magazine that has been at the heart of publishing since 1933,” Smith said. “Kirkus is an organization driven by integrity and a sincere love of books, and I can think of no greater honor than leading this dynamic team of editors and writers.”
The magazine editorial staff, including Elaine Szewczyk, Eric Liebetrau, Vicky Smith and Chelsea Langford, will now report to Clay Smith, who reports to Kuehn. Smith will continue to oversee a group of writers reporting and blogging on topics vital to both the consumers and the publishing community Kirkus serves. Reviewers will continue to report to the section editors.
About Kirkus Media LLC
Founded in 1933, Kirkus has been an authoritative voice in book discovery for 80 years. Kirkus Reviews magazine gives industry professionals a sneak peek at the most notable books being published weeks before they’re released. When the books become available for purchase, Kirkus serves the reviews to consumers in a weekly email newsletter and on kirkus.com, giving readers unbiased, critical recommendations they can trust.
Kirkus also has a full suite of professional services, including Kirkus Indie, a review service for self-publishers; Kirkus Editorial, book editing services for publishers as well as unpublished and self-published authors; and Kirkus Marketing, services that help authors get discovered by consumers as well as industry influencers, such as publishers, agents and film executives. For more information, visit www.kirkus.com.
# # #


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Destiny: no major gameplay changes before full launch
Bungie recently wrapped up the Destiny beta for the each platform, and if you’re hoping for big gameplay changes, then you’re going to be out of luck. Bungie has stated that there will be no major gameplay changes before the full game launches next month, but they will continue to tweak the game even further. Activision stated that the beta was successful enough to warrant the game’s release.
Small alterations are being made, but, Activision publishing boss Eric Hirshberg said in a financial call, “I would describe this as tweaks and not major changes, as we saw the fundamentals of the game to be very strong.
“And the good news is because we got 4.6 million players into the beta we were able to test the back-end in scale and it performed really well and stably. We think we’re ready for a great launch with a great partner in Bungie.”


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Well, no, but they are selling tickets.
Santos Laguna players Luis Mendoza and Diego González have been responsible for selling tickets for the game against Club Tijuana this weekend.
Carlos Darwin Quintero Set To Leave Santos Laguna – Is He Moving To Spain?
(Video) Amazing – Santos Laguna Score From Inside Their Own Half
(Video) Santos Laguna 5-0 Chivas. New Manager Under Pressure
With the current leaders of the 2015 Clausura visiting the Estadio TSM this weekend, players have been attending the ticket office in a bid to encourage their fans to go to the match.
The initiative was hugely successful amongst their fans, and the 50,000 capacity stadium is now expected to be sold out.
On their official Twitter account, the Club shared some pictures of the players selling tickets:
— ClubSantosLaguna (@ClubSantos) March 6, 2015


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Contrary to some reports, the new USA PATRIOT Act will not prevent American retailers from doing business with overseas suppliers, Jewelers Vigilance Committee executive director Cecilia Gardner said recently.
To comply with the PATRIOT Act, JVC recommends that retailers get information on every company—foreign or domestic—with which they do business, including the firm’s name, telephone number, foreign license number, and banking references. “Nine times out of 10, the retailer already has this information,” she says, adding that a retailer must provide it if asked to do so by the Treasury Department. Retailers also are urged to report any unusual activity that leads them to suspect money laundering.
Gardner notes there is a section on the PATRIOT Act at the JVC Web site, www.jvclegal.org. Further information on the act will be forthcoming as details are finalized by the government.


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AMD is back in the saddle. After dropping out of the top-10 semiconductor supplier rankings and slipping into 12th place last year, AMD will emerge in ninth place this year, according to a round of preliminary numbers by iSuppli.
The market research firm has compiled a complete scoreboard showing this year's predicted top-20 semiconductor suppliers, their revenue, and how their performance compares to last year's. Behold:
|2008 rank||2009 rank||Company name||2008 revenue||2009 revenue||Percent change||Percent of total|
AMD isn't the only one to have gained ground—STMicroelectronics and Hynix did, as well. That said, iSuppli expects only one of the companies in the top 10 will actually achieve revenue growth in 2009: Samsung, which is sitting steady in the number-two spot.
iSuppli believes the semiconductor market as a whole will see a 12.4% revenue decline compared to 2008. As bad as that sounds, it actually beats the 20% drop the firm predicted earlier this year. Also, sequential revenue drops only took place in Q4 2008 and Q1 2009. iSuppli notes that semiconductor sales "rebounded smartly after that," growing by more than 18% in both Q2 and Q3. The firm expects fourth-quarter growth to amount to 5%.
|1. Ryszard - $603||2. Hdfisise - $600||3. Andrew Lauritzen - $502|
|4. Redocbew - $350||5. the - $306||6. SomeOtherGeek - $300|
|7. chasp_0 - $251||8. Ryu Connor - $250||9. mbutrovich - $250|
|10. YetAnotherGeek2 - $200|
|AMD's Wraith CPU cooler reviewed||39|
|MSI's GT72S G Tobii offers eye-tracking tech on the go for $2600||2|
|Imagination Technologies CEO steps down amid financial upheaval||29|
|Phanteks launches entry-level contenders with its Eclipse cases||3|
|Asus' ROG Horus GK2000 keyboard spreads its wings||17|
|Square Enix patches Rise of the Tomb Raider for the PC||35|
|Deals of the week: Samsung's 850 EVO 1TB SSD for $290 and more||45|
|National Bubble Gum Day Shortbread||15|


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New Delhi: There's no doubt that dogs brighten up our world and that's the reason why they are called four-legged angels.
Dogs are undoubtedly the most loved and popular pets. But some people go so over the board that they leave no stone unturned to pamper their little pooches. And that includes feeding them all sorts of junk food which might deteriorate their health.
Recently a similar video went viral on the web showing a woman holding a golden retriever puppy, Oreo in her arms while standing near a pani puri stand.
The video shows the pani puri vendor serving a piece in the bowl that the woman is carrying and Oreo is eating from the same and it seems that he's relishing it as well. In the latter part of the video the pet owner can be heard saying "Oreo iske paise bhi de de" (Oreo, give the money for this too). And in turn, the pani puri stall owner looks quite amused to see the Little puppy relishing the pani puri so much.
The video was posted by an Instagram user, Dheeraj Chhabra. It went viral in no time and received more than 8 lakh views and around 60,000 likes so far.
While many found this video adorable and cute, many went on to comment how bad junk food is for their health. One user posted a comment saying "It's not good for his health."
''Acha inko bolte hain pdhe likhe gawaar, (Okay so these people are called educated fools)" said another user.


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Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Can retailers and brands put competition aside and instead focus on finding sustainable solutions? The results of the pan-European “#RMB Single Use Plastics” project’s first year seem to prove they can.
In November 2017, representatives from four outdoor companies met up with Anny Cardinahl and Pamela Ravasio from European Outdoor Group (EOG) at Patagonia’s office in Amsterdam. The working title for the meeting was “#RMB – Retail meets Brand” and the main topic on the agenda was sustainability.
“At that point, we only knew that we wanted to bring retailers and brands closer together and collaborate more. We wanted to launch a project series that the EOG would facilitate, with retailers and brands as the driving force. As a kick-off, we invited two retailers and two brands to discuss pre-competitive market challenges in a very informal meeting,” Anny Cardinahl recalls.
One idea was also to try working on a pan-European level. On the brand side of the table were Ryan Gellert, GM EMEA from Patagonia’s European headquarters and Peter Ottervanger, GM Europe of Icebreaker. On the retailer side were Tim Wahnel, CEO of Outdoor Profis and Daniel Peters, E-commerce Manager from A.S. Adventure Group.
Outdoor Profis is a buying group including around 160 independent outdoor specialists in Germany and Luxembourg, with the head office in Limburg between Frankfurt and Cologne.
“We also run a shop ourselves, in Limburg. So both from our own experience, and from our members, we know that sustainability is a big and very complex topic. There are so many certificates, labels, projects etc., so that the individual store owner or manager can easily get lost,” says Tim Wahnel, and continues:
“Instead of everyone fighting their own battles, we saw this collaboration as an opportunity to join forces and find solutions for all.”
The omnichannel and multibrand retailer A.S. Adventure Group has over 265 stores in the Benelux-countries, France and the UK, including chains such as A.S. Adventure, Cotswold Outdoor, Bever, McTrek and more.
With a background in retail, Anny Cardinahl had expected that she would need both diplomacy and persuasion to get the two sides to start collaborating. As she explains:
“I have seen so much ping-pong between retailers and brands over the years, where one part thinks the other should take action and vice versa. A lot of valuable ideas and content never reaches the customers at the point of sale.”
Yet this time, Anny Cardinahl was happily surprised – “I was overwhelmed by the positive energy from the very first minute” – and following the meeting in Amsterdam the participants agreed on two things: they all wanted to go ahead with the Retail meets Brands-project and they wanted to get more companies on board.
Polybags are everywhere
After ISPO Munich in January 2018, the group had grown with retailers like Transa and Bergfreunde.de and brands like Keen and Marmot. The next step was then to pin down what they wanted to collaborate on, which turned out to be rather easy. Steven De Beul, buying manager at A.S Adventure in Belgium, is today the company’s representative for the project.
“As retailers, we are meeting the end-consumers on a daily basis. One problem that is getting attention is the huge amount of single use plastics in our daily lives,” explains Steven De Beul and continues:
“On the retail side, we have other insights than the brands. We receive all these polybags and have to deal with them. It is not a problem that a single store can solve – but if we could address these problems on an industry level, we would have much bigger possibilities.”
Brands too see the potential in collaboration on this issue. Michaela Zeuss, office manager at Icebreaker’s European headquarter and part of the steering group, agrees that single use plastics is the obvious first step.
“Single use plastics as our first project is important because we wanted a concept that is relevant, accessible and understandable for businesses and consumers alike. The topic of plastics is everywhere – in TV documentaries, on the EU legislation level, etc. – and nature is our playing field. We definitely felt that we as a group wanted to take a leadership position around this.”
Keen Footwear, represented by Perry Laukens, the brand’s EMEA Marketing Director, was similarly enthusiastic to the choice of topic.
“As a footwear brand, we don’t use polybags in the same way as the apparel brands, since we have shoe boxes. But we still want to take part in finding solutions. At first, a project like this might sound easy. But it’s not like there are hundreds of solutions just waiting for us,” says Perry Laukens.
Single use plastic roadmap for 2019
Today, the #RMB-group consists of nearly twenty companies, in collaboration with the European Outdoor Group (EOG). They try to meet in person every three months, and via conference calls on a monthly basis. The group has been divided into four focus teams; looking at economical, ecological, legal and communication aspects. An international survey has been undertaken to understand what quantities of single use plastics are used in the European outdoor market today. A project manager, Scott Nelson, has also been recruited to manage the project during 2019 and is working together with the steering group on developing a roadmap to “significantly reduce single use plastics in the value chain,” as stated in the latest white paper from the EOG.
“This will involve a lot of research and looking at what other industries are doing to tackle problems of this size. We want to bring in as many options as possible into the discussion. The goal is definitely a challenge – but we are optimistic that we will find meaningful solutions that can push an entire industry in a positive direction,” explains Scott Nelson.
Another challenge is the size of the project, which went from four companies and the EOG at the start to around twenty today. With the hope of many more joining during 2019, there is always the potential that different perspectives and agendas will collide.
“The size can be a pitfall, also when we are many nationalities with different situations in each country. But on the other hand, we have more things that unite us. One of the characteristics of the outdoor industry is that we are more conscious of the nature around us. I think we can take a lead together,” says Steven De Beul.
Tim Wahnel agrees, and talks about “coopetion” – cooperation and competition hand in hand.
“I have been surprised by how easy we have managed to move forward so far, and also be transparent within the group.”
Compared to the sports and fashion industries, the outdoor industry is still a small player. But Perry Laukens believes that in a project like this, outdoor’s size could be an advantage:
“I have a sporting goods background, and I am not sure it would be possible there. We in the outdoor industry, however, are good at finding common ground.”
As many have pointed out before, sustainability in general is an arena where it can be easier to find such common ground between competitors. The problems are too big – and too expensive – to tackle without collaborations and, for the outdoor industry, protecting the environment is or at least should be a paramount concern.
“Size matters. If we can join forces and move the industry, from the supply chain to the end consumer, we can have a real impact. And I think working together for the greater good brings out the human side in people,” says Michaela Zeuss.
Photo: Karin Alfredsson